Kristie Cook's Blog

Y’all – I wrote a story about a unicorn! And a hellhound! She’s a city girl fashionista. He’s V.P. of the local chapter of his motorcycle club. On the surface, they’re complete opposites, but they quickly learn not to judge a book by its cover. And the chemistry? Oh so HOT!

Savage Salvation, my first novella in the Havenwood Falls Sin & Silk series, releases this Friday. Below is Chapter 1, just for you. But first, the preorder links – you really don’t want to miss this one, if you like a lot of steam in your paranormal romance, that is.

Apple Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Kobo | Barnes & Noble

Welcome to the darker, sexier side of Havenwood Falls that many residents never speak of publicly, but most likely enjoy in secret. Venture into the SIN MC, the VIP rooms of Silk nightclub, and behind other closed doors, where you’ll discover passion, unusual penchants, and just how far some will go for love. Hold on to your panties, because it’s time to ride . . .

I never understood the draw of the biker scene. In fact, knowing what I did, I hated it. But Pops swore if anyone could keep me protected, it was the Swords of the Infernal Night in New Orleans. A band of supernatural criminals who think women are possessions, if you ask me. And they haven’t kept us safe. Pops is dead, but his murderers are after me, all because my inner kelpie became the first in generations to grow a horn. My name is Reyna Moreno, and yep, I’m a damn unicorn. Which makes me more valuable than the Hope Diamond.

To keep me protected, my brother hauls me off to some gods-forsaken town in Colorado where another SIN chapter “takes us in.” Takes me prisoner is more like it. It wouldn’t be so bad if my sexy as hell warden wasn’t such an ass. And wasn’t only a biker, but one of the MC’s leaders.

He looks at me like he wants to own me. I’m not one to be owned. He’s not one to be denied.

They call him Savage for a reason. He’s a hellhound and a savage beast. And he would be my undoing . . . but maybe I could be his salvation.

This is a steamy paranormal romance in the Havenwood Falls shared world. A collaborative effort by multiple authors across multiple series all in the paranormal fantasy genre, Havenwood Falls allows readers to discover new authors and stories to fall in love with. Each author brings a stand-alone plotline, so they can be read in any order, but there are many crossovers among the stories.

Chapter 1

The service came to a close, and everyone stood, the metal chairs creaking almost as loudly as all the leather in the room. I stared at the focal point of the space—the gleaming wooden box dressed in flowers flowing over its edges—as several pairs of heavy boots thudded toward it. At the direction of some guy I’d spoken with only briefly, the six men gathered around the box and lifted.

I stood, turned, and hurried down the aisle, out the other way, my heels clicking in loud echoes on the tile floor as I crossed the lobby. The door nearly knocked over a group of girls when I threw it open, and they yelped as they jumped out of the way. They bitched and moaned, straightening their skin-tight dresses that barely covered the goods. The skanks had no respect. This was a funeral, for mother’s sake, and they were dressed like they were auditioning for their next role in a porn.

“Rey.” The deep, familiar voice called after me, but I ignored him, heading for my car. I slid into the two-seater Benz, but didn’t quite get the door closed before Niall grabbed it. “Reyna. Don’ be like this.” His Scottish accent came thickly when he was mad.

“Go to hell.”

“C’mon, sis.”

My jaw clenched. “Don’t call me that. You’re not my brother.”

“For all intents and purposes—”

“What do you want?” I pressed the Start button, and the engine purred to life.

“You’re coming to the cemetery, right?”

“Of course I am,” I muttered.

My gaze stayed forward, but in my periphery, I saw his thick beard bob as he nodded, then he closed the door. I inhaled deeply and blew the air out slowly, refusing to shed a tear. Unable to, if I was honest. I hadn’t yet been able to cry for the man who’d been like an uncle to me, who’d taken a sort of fatherly role when my own had passed. After another deep breath, I followed the procession to the cemetery, also known as the city of the dead. The above-ground tombs and mausoleums lined the pathways like buildings lined the city streets.

Pops didn’t get a traditional New Orleans funeral. No jazz music and parading through the streets. Besides all the other reasons, the club wouldn’t allow it. Like they should have any say. The New Orleans chapter of the Swords of the Infernal Night motorcycle club, SIN or SIN-NO for short, shouldn’t have a say at all in our lives, as far as I was concerned. In fact, if it were up to me, this would be the last time I’d see any of them. Pops trusted them all with our lives, and he lost his for it. I would never trust any of them again.

Not that I ever did in the first place.

I liked to think Niall, who had been like a brother to me, looked out for us, but the rest of them? To hell with them all. They didn’t do their job.

I went for a drive once I made sure Pops was in his final resting place, two Harleys rumbling loudly behind me the whole time. Supposedly the two members of SIN were there to guard me, but I couldn’t fathom what they thought they could do from back there if I were attacked. It wasn’t like the people after me could be taken down with a bullet. If that were the case, Pops would still be alive.

My phone rang, and I ignored it. It persisted until I finally hit the answer button on the steering wheel.

“Reyna,” Niall’s Scottish lilt came over the car speakers. “Come on home, lass.”

“That’s not my home.” I hadn’t been to my home in months.

“Well then, come to my home.”

“Why? So you can make me a prisoner?”

“We need to talk. Plans have been made.”

“Screw you and your plans, Niall. Look where it got us. Pops is—” I hiccupped before continuing— “dead, and I—”

“You’re goin’ to be okay. It’s been arranged. Just come to the club house. You know I hate talking on these things. Especially about this.”

He had a point there. We were practically screaming “here I am” at all those who wanted to find me.

“Don’t make us force you,” he added.

I blew out a sigh. “Fine. I’m on my way. But one thing, Niall.”

“What?”

“I’m nobody’s bitch. Not yours. Not anyone’s. And I’m certainly not an old lady or anybody’s property. So stop treating me like I am.”

“I’m not. I’m treating you with concern for your safety, which is my job, my qu—”

“Don’t you fucking say it.” I disconnected the call before he said the word that made me want to hurl every time I heard it. Gah! A shudder ran through me. I’d rather he call me sis or anything else than the word he’d been about to say.

The two bikers followed me like puppy dogs through the streets into an industrial area a few blocks from the French Quarter. As soon as I turned in to the driveway, the gate across it started rolling to the side, and I pulled in. The compound was lit up in more ways than one. The club was obviously having some kind of celebration of life ceremony—just another excuse for everyone to drink until they passed out. I knew this was supposed to be a big honor, since Pops had been a friend of the club but never an actual member, but it felt like salt followed by tequila in my wounds. And not in the good way. Drunk members, friends of the club, hangers-on, and groupies whooped and hollered from inside the brightly lit main building, and the moans and grunts of people fornicating were scattered across the grounds outside. It had only just grown dark. It was going to be a long night.

Niall opened my door for me before I even cut the engine. He stood there in loose jeans, motorcycle boots, a black T-shirt, and his leather vest, called a cut in MC terms, covered in patches. One of them said “Torq,” his road name—what everyone here called him. He angled his dark head toward a smaller building to the right of the main one before turning, the large patch of a skull with its head impaled by a rose-wrapped sword staring back at me.

I followed silently, surprised to be heading toward the small structure. The big house was where some of the members lived and where Pops and I had been staying the last several months. It also housed the party area, with a long bar, a couple of pool tables, and a few threadbare couches stained with substances I didn’t want to think too hard about or I’d need to bleach my brain. It stunk, pun intended, having supernatural senses when you lived where there was practically an orgy every other night. This small building, though, served as the club’s church—where they held their meetings and did their business.

I didn’t like the idea of being a piece of their business, but at least they had the decency to invite me in on the subject this time around. Well, not really invite. It’d still been more like an order, even if it had been delivered by my so-called brother. And I was only assuming that was what was going on—that this was about me. Pops may have been a friend of the club, but I’d never been all that friendly with them. In fact, I’d always made my disdain quite clear. And now Pops was dead, and they needed to figure out what to do with me. Throwing me out would be disrespectful to Pops’s memory. And while I thought of them as no more than criminal scum, I couldn’t deny that the club did have a code, and respect was important to them.

And it wasn’t just about Pops.

They’d have to deal with kelpies worldwide—some of whom were already in town for the funeral—if the club tried anything stupid with me. Considering the number of kelpies in the various chapters of the club, that’d create a lot of extra tension for the SIN president to deal with. Of course, he was known for doing such things when he was bored, and I was pretty sure he’d grown bored of me a long time ago when I refused to screw him.

“Reyna, come in and have a seat,” Prez said when Niall and I entered the building. I paid him little notice, but I could feel his gaze undressing me as he motioned toward a room with a large conference table surrounded by a dozen or more chairs. The dim lighting from a table lamp in the corner created shadows, the far end of the room doused in obsidian darkness—but I could sense the people there. Or beings, anyway. As I entered, a hint of sulfur burned my nose, but then it was followed by a scent that was musky, warm, and mouth-watering, making my belly tighten and my thighs squeeze together. What the hell? Whoever was back there, they definitely weren’t human and not kelpie, either—not my kind here to protect me.

Not that my people were a huge threat to most of the SIN members in any chapter, including those here. They were all supernaturals, many of whom were a lot more badass than people who shifted into horses. Unless there was a body of water around and the other supe couldn’t swim, kelpies were mostly dangerous only to humans.

Except me.

I was the first in many generations of our kind to grow a horn. One single horn, right out of the top of my forehead. Yep, I was a damn unicorn. The silver horn had first broken through when I was twelve, only a few months after my first shift. It’d hurt like a bitch, and even in my human form, I still had a scar at my hairline, barely visible under all my curls. I’d only been able to shift a few times in the thirteen years since then, because as soon as word got out, my life was endangered. From my horn to my tears to the hairs in my mane and tail, I had way too many valuable parts. Parts that some would love to harvest.

Hunters came for me almost right away, in my home country of Brazil, and killed my parents. Pops, who wasn’t really related but had been like an uncle to me, escaped with Niall and me, whisking us off to America. Niall had always been like an adopted brother, coming to us as an orphan when I was nine and he was supposedly fifteen. I didn’t learn until we were found again a year ago that he was much, much older—kelpies, like all fae, lived very long lives while retaining youthful appearances, especially when we used glamour—and that he’d been groomed all his life to be a warrior to protect the future queen. He’d been sent to Brazil when a fae Seer prophesized that the next kelpie queen would come from our small South American town. We hadn’t known then, before I’d ever even shifted, that this queen was me. Because for some reason in kelpie law, the one with the horn ruled.

I really did not want to rule.

At least, I didn’t want to rule a smattering of supernaturals that hadn’t been a true herd in generations. The kelpies had escaped to the earthly realm during a devastating war in our Faerie homeland many centuries ago. They stayed together in Scotland for a while, but rifts over time sent more and more away, and after the last unicorn queen died, what remained of the herd scattered. If the need arose, they’d be compelled to come together once again for me, but could they ever be a herd again? Especially since so many had joined a different kind of herd—the SIN MC? Whom would they truly be loyal to if it came down to it? Me and each other or their patch?

Hopefully, the need would never arise.

As I walked farther into the room as though drawn to the far end by that delicious smell, annoyance doused the desire when I noticed my designer luggage piled by the doorway. I turned on Niall, Prez, and Chintz, the VP, while trying to tamper my anger—not because they were kicking me out, but because they’d dared to touch my personal property.

“Not wasting any time, I see.” I gave them a saccharine smile. “No worries, though. I wasn’t planning on staying anyway.”

Niall reached out, cupping my elbow and leading me toward a chair. “Sit, Rey.”

“I’m not a dog.” My patience was waning. Someone at the far end of the room snickered.

Niall sighed. “Sit down and listen. Like I said, we have a plan. It’s all taken care of.”

None of the bikers sat, so neither did I. “I don’t need your plan.”

“Ya do,” Niall insisted.

“He’s right,” Prez said, his voice deep and full of promise of dark, ugly things. His beady eyes were barely visible behind all his dark facial hair, but I felt them on me, the sensation like cold slime. He crossed his log-thick arms over his barrel chest. “The hunters know you’re here this very second. Our guys followed two of them who were following you.”

“They’re dead,” Chintz said flatly. He leaned his thin yet sinewy arms on the back of one of the chairs, also appraising me as I let that sink in. My insides felt sick, but I refused to squirm in their presence.

“You’re willing to go to war over me, yet you’re kicking me out?” I asked.

Chintz shrugged. “We’ve gone to war for lesser reasons.”

“We swore an oath to Pops,” Prez said as a better explanation. “We don’t go back on our word.”

“Yet you’re kicking me out,” I repeated, my hand gesturing toward my suitcases.

“We’re sendin’ you to a safe place,” Niall said.

Every muscle in my body tensed up. “You’re sending me to a safe place? What does that mean? You’re not sending me anywhere! Who do you think you are?”

“Reyna!” Niall barked, and I’d never heard him say my name so sharply. “You need to listen. It’s for your own god damn safety.”

My ample chest heaved as I tried to regain control of my anger. My inner beast had awakened. I’d learned long ago how to contain her, but she always showed interest when my emotions rose, hoping I’d finally let her break free. This would be the absolute worst time to indulge her, especially with strangers in the room, so I forced her to settle down and go back to sleep. Crossing my arms over my breasts, I cocked my head, my only indication that I was listening.

“A SIN chapter in Colorado has agreed to provide you protection,” Prez said.

My jaw dropped. “Colorado? No way in hell!”

“They’ll take you in, under the wards of their town,” Prez continued gruffly, ignoring my outburst.

“It’s a small town in the mountains,” Niall added. “I bet you’ll love it.”

I’ll bet I won’t.

Someone on the far end emerged from the darkness—over six feet tall, sandy brown hair, wearing sunglasses—at night, inside, in the dark—and a leather cut with a small patch that said Pirate and another under it that said President. That vague hint of sulfur wafted to my nose. Demon, perhaps?

“Our town isn’t like anyplace else,” he said, his voice deep and raspy. “There’s no safer place.”

“No offense, Mr. . . .”

“Pirate,” he said.

“Mr. Pirate.”

“Just. Pirate,” the stranger growled.

I blinked, suppressing the urge to roll my eyes. “Okay, no offense, Pirate, but these assholes here couldn’t protect us, so what makes you think you can?”

That snicker sounded again from the dark end of the room.

“And I can’t go all the way to Colorado,” I hurried on, because my question had been rhetorical and I didn’t want them thinking they needed to answer it. “I have a business to run, which these dumb shits seem to have forgotten.”

I turned back to Niall and Prez with a raised brow.

No, I didn’t want to rule a kingdom. But I did want to rule an empire.

And I’d already been on my way to building it with my plus-size fashion and lifestyle blog and specialty lingerie designs when the hunters discovered our location and we had to go into hiding a year ago. That made running a business a little difficult, and I knew my clients were almost out of patience. Good thing for me that they loved my designs too much to completely give up on me.

But disappearing to a small mountain town in Colorado where they probably didn’t even have indoor plumbing, let alone internet service? That would be a career killer.

“Your laptop’s packed,” Niall said. “All your business stuff is. You’ve already been running it remotely for a year. You haven’t lost any business yet, have you?”

“I haven’t gained any, either,” I sniped back. My brain knew it wasn’t Niall’s or anyone else’s fault that the hunters were after me. Somewhere deep down I also knew it wasn’t his or the MC’s fault that I’d been found. But damn it, it was their fault that Pops was dead and we were even having this discussion.

All I wanted was to be in my own bed in my own home, preparing for tomorrow’s work day like any normal person. Just like I had been before the hunters had discovered my general location, and now they’d come way too close. If Niall and the MC had done their jobs properly, I could have at least had some semblance of my old life. We definitely wouldn’t be discussing some trip to Colorado or the future of my business that wasn’t looking so promising anymore. So repressing my anger wasn’t easy.

Besides, if I didn’t stay angry, the grief would kick in.

“Don’ be difficult, Rey,” Niall practically begged, his accent thicker than usual. He knew I had a soft spot for it. “Yeh know yeh can’t stay here, love. Yeh can’t leave this compound and expect to live. And how many people here are you goin’ to let die for yeh?”

I scowled. He knew exactly what buttons to push.

“Yer life, yer people’s lives, these people’s lives—no matter how much yeh don’t like ’em—they’re more importan’ than anythin’, aren’t they?” he continued, tilting his head as he stared me down with piercing sapphire eyes, challenging me to argue further.

I opened my mouth to do just that, because I was stubborn like that. There had to be another way. No, I wouldn’t let anyone here die while protecting me. Niall was the only one who had any kind of place in my heart, but just because I didn’t like the MC and their crowd didn’t mean I wanted them dead. Especially not for me.

But Colorado couldn’t possibly be our only choice.

Those words were on the tip of my tongue when the other figure stepped out of the shadows at the far end of the room, that delicious scent wafting toward me again.

And if my body’s reaction meant anything, any other options had just been wiped off the table.

Break Me Not, the continuation of Forget You Not and Lose You Not, is now live! Addie’s badassery goes beyond her powerful witch abilities, and I absolutely loved writing her. She’s such an adored character by readers, though, so I was also a little anxious that I wouldn’t do her justice when it came to writing her story. I think I did okay, though.

Exciting news! The incredible talent at Pot & Kettle has written and performed a song they exclusively created for Michaela and Xandru. Inspired by Forget You Not and Lose You Not, two of my Havenwood Falls stories, “Lost” could not be more perfect for these characters and their story. I’m blown away by the lyrics, the melody, and the overall fabulousness of Pot & Kettle and Wrecked Productions. Give it a listen. If you’ve read Forget You Not, you’ll know exactly what I mean: perfection. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!

Want to listen to it any time? You can download “Lost” here:

iTunes | Spotify | Google Play | Amazon | YouTube

Today is release day for The Winged & the Wicked (A Havenwood Falls Novella) that I co-wrote with debut author T.V. Hahn. This story brought out a new and quirky side of my writing. It was such a fun project to work on and I think you’ll find it a fun read. Get it now at the special release price of 99c.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | iBooks | BN | Kobo | Google Play

Welcome to Havenwood Falls, a small town in the majestic mountains of Colorado. A town where legacies began centuries ago, bloodlines run deep, and dark secrets abound. A town where nobody is what you think, where truths pose as lies, and where myths blend with reality. A place where everyone has a story. This is only but one… 

Teeny Weeny Tahini lives a simple life in Havenwood Falls. Using her faerie magic, she serves up psychic readings and healing potions in her town square salon. In her free time, she collects herbs in the woods while keeping her tiny forest friends out of trouble. But trouble is exactly what the seven wee folk find when they come upon a maimed snow-white owl . . . and a mummified body nearby.

As Teeny doctors the owl, she’s shocked to discover the fowl-shifter is her nephew Mathew, whom she hasn’t seen in ages. He’s been on the run for years, searching for sanctuary. How he became injured, though, remains a mystery—even to him.

For two decades, Shayin Pisik has been hunting the one thing she needs to be reunited with her betrothed. Her enchanted locket guides her to Havenwood Falls, warning that she must complete the ceremony started years ago under this week’s Blood Moon, or she will forever be alone.

A disappearing body, another attempt on Mat’s life, and suspicious stinky strangers lead Teeny to uncover the clever plans of a lovesick heart. But the winged must take on the wicked for true love to reign in this Teeny Weeny faerie tale, a quirky reimagining of Snow White.

This is an adult fairy tale retelling in the Havenwood Falls series of New Adult and Adult fantasy novellas featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each book is generally a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order, although some authors will be writing sequels to their own stories. Please be aware when you choose your next read. We do recommend that you read Forget You Not first as an introduction to the town and its eccentricities.

Other books in the main Havenwood Falls series:

Forget You Not by Kristie Cook

Fate, Love & Loyalty by E.J. Fechenda

Old Wounds by Susan Burdorf

Covetousness by Randi Cooley Wilson

Alpha’s Queen by Lila Felix

Ink & Fire by R.K. Ryals

Books are released on a monthly basis. Coming soon are stories by Kristie Cook, Belinda Boring, Heather Hildenbrand, Amy Miles, and more.

Also check out Havenwood Falls High, a Young Adult series.

Immerse yourself in the world of Havenwood Falls and stay up to date on news and announcements at www.HavenwoodFalls.com. Join our reader group, Havenwood Falls Book Club, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/HavenwoodFallsBookClub/

Welcome to the first ever Pages of Fear blog hop. It’s a pre-Halloween event celebrating authors who like to fright and delight with their writing. As you progress through the twenty-eight blogs/websites you’ll learn about authors you may already know and be introduced to some new ones.

Everyone loves the opportunity to get something free. All of the authors have gathered together to give ONE lucky winner signed copies of their books (one per author). You may even find other types of giveaways on their sites so, keep your eyes open. While you’re looking you want to locate the secret word on each site. Make a list of the words in the proper order. When you reach the final destination (Authorsfbenson.com), you’ll find an email address. Send your list to it. The winner will be selected courtesy of random.org.

Ready?

Get on your marks.

Get set.

GO!

Before I share my secret word, I have a gift for everyone! Forget You Not (A Havenwood Falls Novella) is FREE on all platforms for a limited time. Download yours and don’t forget to grab the others in the series. My next Havenwood Falls book releases next Friday, Oct. 27, and the sequel to Forget You Not releases in January. (Hint: There’s a picture of my secret word on the cover…)

iBooks | Amazon | Amazon UK | Kobo   | Barnes & Noble | Google Play

Two years ago, Kaela Peters nearly killed her fiancé. Once she gained control over her vampire urges, she hoped to rekindle their love, only to find him proposing to her best friend. So when she receives an unexpected job offer in Colorado, she seizes the opportunity to escape her past and the painful memories.

If only she’d known she was running right into her true past and memories that cut even deeper.

This is a New Adult paranormal romance in the Havenwood Falls series of New Adult and Adult fantasy novellas featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each book is generally a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order, although some authors will be writing sequels to their own stories. Please be aware when you choose your next read. We do recommend that you read Forget You Not first as introduction to the town and its eccentricities.

 Other books in the main Havenwood Falls series:

Fate, Love & Loyalty  by E.J. Fechenda
Old Wounds  by Susan Burdorf
Covetousness  by Randi Cooley Wilson
The Winged & the Wicked by T.V. Hahn & Kristie Cook (releases Oct. 27)
Alpha’s Queen by Lila Felix (releases Nov. 17)
Ink & Fire by R.K. Ryals (releases Dec. 15)

Have you figured out my secret word yet?

My

Secret

Word

Is

MAN

To continue the hop, please go to Sheena Hutchinson’s blog. Good luck and have fun!

 

ABOUT THE PAGES OF FEAR BLOG HOP:

Start the hop with Lily Luchesi’s website: lilyluchesibooks.wix.com/lilyluchesi

Look for the Secret Word on each blog post for the hop. Each author has been given a word and it’s in BOLD on their site. Make note of each Secret Word. Each one fills in the blanks for a flash fiction story. You’ll turn in your entry to Author SF Benson. ONE winner will be chosen via Random.org and will receive SIGNED paperbacks from all participating authors. (Contest is restricted to winners in the U.S. and Canada.).

I am ecstatic to announce that I (finally) have a new release today! Forget You Not, a Havenwood Falls novella, is now live. *throws confetti* This book is part of the big launch for the entire shared world of Havenwood Falls, which has been my (rather large) baby for the last many months. Two other books released today, and there will be a new story every month, each edited by me. For more information about Havenwood Falls, visit the website. Be sure to sign up for the newsletter while you’re there, and join us in the Havenwood Falls Book Club today for an all-day celebration.

Do you have your copy yet? Early reviewers are loving Forget You Not and the Havenwood Falls world. Come join us now! It’s only 99c for the first week!

FORGET YOU NOT

By Kristie Cook

Series: Havenwood Falls

iBooks | Amazon | Amazon UK | Kobo | Barnes & Noble | Coming Soon to Google Play

Two years ago, Kaela Peters nearly killed her fiancé by ripping his throat out. Once she gained control over her vampire urges, she hoped to rekindle their love, only to find him on one knee again—now with her best friend. She can’t blame them for their betrayal, though. They’ve been compelled to forget that she even existed. But she can’t forget them, so when she receives an unexpected job offer far away in the Colorado mountains, she seizes the opportunity to escape her past and the painful memories.

If only she’d known she was running right into her true past and memories that cut even deeper.

Her real name isn’t Kaela Peters, Havenwood Falls and her new job are not what they seem on the surface, and the love of her life isn’t the ex in Atlanta. As she starts piecing together the fragmented memories of her past and her moroi heritage, the passion of old love reignites. Until she discovers that the triggering of her vampire gene may have been foul play with dire consequences—and Xandru Roca, the epic love she’d left behind, has something to do with it all.

This is a New Adult paranormal romance in the Havenwood Falls series of New Adult and Adult fantasy novellas featuring a variety of supernatural creatures. The series is a collaborative effort by multiple authors. Each book is generally a stand-alone, so you can read them in any order, although some authors will be writing sequels to their own stories. Please be aware when you choose your next read. We do recommend that you read Forget You Not first as an introduction to the town and its eccentricities.

Other books in the main Havenwood Falls series:

Fate, Love & Loyalty by E.J. Fechenda

Old Wounds by Susan Burdorf

Covetousness by Randi Cooley Wilson

Books are released on a monthly basis. Coming soon are stories by Lila Felix, R.K. Ryals, Belinda Boring, Heather Hildenbrand, Stacey Rourke, and more.

Watch for Havenwood Falls High, a Young Adult series launching in October 2017.

Immerse yourself in the world of Havenwood Falls and stay up to date on news and announcements at www.HavenwoodFalls.com. Join our reader group, Havenwood Falls Book Club, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/HavenwoodFallsBookClub/

We’re “only” past the halfway point of 2017, and I’ve yet to share the events I’ll be attending this year. The good news is neither has happened yet! Yes, I’m only at two officially, but I’m gearing up for more in 2018 now that I’m back in the game full-force. So this year, I’ll be here:

Once Upon a Book – Aug. 11-12

Frankenmuth, MI

Penned Con – Sept. 28-30

St. Louis, MO

In 2018, I’m currently signed up for:

Talkbook Author Event – April 14

Boston, MA

Penned Con – Sept. 20-22

St. Louis, MO

I’m working on adding a couple more for next year. Where would you like to see me?

We’re “only” past the halfway point of 2017, and I’ve yet to share the events I’ll be attending this year. The good news is neither has happened yet! Yes, I’m only at two officially, but I’m gearing up for more in 2018 now that I’m back in the game full-force. So this year, I’ll be here:

Once Upon a Book – Aug. 11-12

Frankenmuth, MI

Penned Con – Sept. 28-30

St. Louis, MO

In 2018, I’m currently signed up for:

Talkbook Author Event – April 14

Boston, MA

Penned Con – Sept. 20-22

St. Louis, MO

I’m working on adding a couple more for next year. Where would you like to see me?

So, it’s been a while. I know. I look back at my last post – Oct. 2016! – and even then I’d said it’d been a while. And I explained what was going on, why I’d basically gone off-grid with my writing and publishing. So much has changed since then, and I’m happy to say, mostly for the better.

After several months of struggle with giving up my home, depending on family more than I ever have, and pulling myself out of some of the deepest pits of depression I’ve ever been in (which is saying a lot), I’ve launched into my new life full of hope, faith, and some amazing plans. It’s been quite the journey, full of a lot of soul-searching, learning and forgiving, and more emotional pain than I wish on anyone.

But through the storms, I strengthened and grew. And that’s what life’s storms are all about, right? Like nature’s storms do for trees – the winds either knock them down or force them to build their strength and resistance; the pelting rain gives them a beating but also nourishment and cleansing; and the lightning is frightening and dangerous but provides necessary nitrogen. As rough as they are and as much as we’d prefer fairer weather, life’s storms are for our greater good. I’m not quite fully through this one – there are still some lingering bands of winds and rain – but I see clearer skies ahead. Something I hadn’t been able to do a year ago.

So I just want you to know, if you’re going through your own life’s storms right now or when you do (because it’s inevitable – 45 years on this planet has taught me that, if nothing else), stand tall, stand strong, and have faith that you’ll see clear skies soon. And when you do, you’ll be a better person for it, you’ll be more appreciative of the good times, and you’ll know you can weather the next storm life sends your way because you’re even stronger.

Now that my skies are clearing, my hopes and dreams have had room to grow and soar. While hunkered down, I evaluated everything about my life, from my personal relationships and my relationship with myself to my work, my writing, and my contributions to society. I questioned what I really wanted to do with my life and if writing and publishing was really still my thing or if it was time to move on to the next thing. Good news! Writing and publishing are definitely still my thing!

Hey! Remember me? You know, Kristie Cook, author, chocoholic, Supernatural and Gilmore Girls addict, night owl, needs-coffee-to-make-coffee, owner of this blog? Yeah, that’s right! I know, I know. It’s been a while, I apologize for the disappearing act. It’s just been one of those weeks months years.

I had to take a step back from everything online for a while, but I have been working on all kinds of projects, both personal and business. Mostly, this has involved saying good-bye to a 25-year relationship, trying not to drown under unexpected debt, and prepping my home for market and putting it up for sale. So yeah, to say it’s been a rough year is kind of downplaying it. It’s been a really sucky year, the worst for me in over a decade. And, unfortunately, I don’t know when it will end. I just have to believe that it will get better.

Until my house sells and the dust settles a bit, I don’t really know what the rest of my life looks like, or what I even want. And that’s a very weird place for me to be in. Usually when people ask, “How do you see yourself in 3, 5 or 10 years?” I’d get all excited and gush out my answers. I could write pages and pages about it and create detailed dream boards. I’ve always known what I wanted. The visions may have been outlandish dreams, but they gave me something to work toward. Now, for the first time in probably ever for me, I draw a total blank when I think about this question. I just can’t see past the next month at any given time, let alone a year or more from now. Planning anything has become nearly impossible, which is weird for this control-freak who likes to plan how to plan. (Seriously – it’s a sickness.) Sometimes I wonder if this inability to envision the future is because the election’s going to end the world as we all know it anyway. Ha! All I really know is that my keyword lately has been “downsize” – downsize my home, my belongings, my obligations, my body…pretty much everything that can benefit from being smaller.

I’m not, however, downsizing my writing. At least, not permanently. I have had to step back from it, though, but that’s temporary. When I’m able to, I’m still working on Age of Angels, which has morphed into something exciting yet a little frightening to me. They say if your writing doesn’t scare you, you’re doing it wrong. So I guess I’m doing it right. Part of what frightens me is that it’s turned into a monster of a book. I don’t know yet what the final word count will be or how it will compare to my other books. I just know that it’s a big story – an all-encompassing one that spans more than just this one book…and more than any of us probably ever expected when I first announced that there would be an Age of Angels (series or book). All of this to say that I still don’t know when it will release. I won’t be able to meet the deadlines for the pre-orders that were previously up, so I’ve taken those down. I apologize to those who had already pre-ordered (don’t worry, you haven’t been nor will you be charged until there’s an actual book release). And I apologize to all of you who have been waiting for it.

I’m not short in the idea department – whether for writing or for other aspects in my life. In fact, I’m overflowing with ideas. I just don’t know yet what will make it beyond that stage into a reality. Only time will tell. I’m looking forward to what’s coming. I have faith that it will be amazing. I know that I will be happy. My other keyword for this year is “freedom” – freedom from social norms, from others’ expectations, from commitments that don’t make me or the people I care about happy. Whatever the future holds, I want to be free to be me. I’m just trying to figure out who that is.

In the meantime, thank you so much, friends, for your patience and understanding.