Beltane Anthology Book Blitz #rabtbooktours

Fantasy (various sub-genres)

Publication Date: March 31, 2025

 

 

The maypole has been adorned with ribbons and blossoms, the bonfire has been lit, and the music is calling you to dance the night away. Join 25 AuthorTubers as they explore the stories of Beltane in the second AuthorTube Anthology.

The magic of SPRING is in full bloom.

 

Including works by:

Rose Adam, Rachel D. Adams, Aisling Black, Sarah C. Brody, Michael Dawn Brooks, Brandy Bullock, Cassandra Byrnes, Jodee Jean Daniels, S.C. Dickinson, Robert Dorris, C.L. Hart, Katy Manz, Nil ∅, J. Noble, Jenna O'Malley, Kay Parquet, Melissa Power, Alice Reads, Megan Ryan, E.L. Summers, Kyle Thomas, Nicole Ford Thomas, M.M. Ward, Christina Whisler, Sam Wicker

 

The Beltane Laundress

 

Contemporary Fantasy, Literary Fiction, Small Town

 

Ernst Veselá is so mired in memories of his lost wife and daughter that he strolls onto a dark, rain-slick county road without looking. He is nearly run down by Annie Ainsworth, a young woman driving erratically in her hurry to escape her abusive relationship with her child’s father.

Ernst and his son Jozef offer shelter to Annie and her daughter Lizzie. Will the magic of Beltane spark healing in these four broken-hearted souls?

 

Excerpt

The Beltane Laundress

by C. L. Hart

 

The rain pounded down on a father and son walking through the tiny town of Honeycomb Grove, Colorado.

“It will be a good Mayday celebration this year, Pop,” said the lanky teenage boy. Tufts of gamboge-golden hair stuck out from his dark orchid baseball cap.

The boy’s similarly built father had graying oxide-red hair and wore a faded red baseball cap. The weary expression on his face and the look of hopelessness in sad eyes the color of a John Deere tractor matched glum words spoken with a thick German accent.

“I don’t want to dim the light in those hopeful hazel eyes. I wish I still saw life with the eyes of a tiger conquering his jungle, but today, I view the world through the eyes of an undertaker.”

The teenager was horrified to see a car barrel out of the fog as his father started across the county road.

“Pop, look out!”

The pair lost their balance on the slippery grass as the son pulled his father out of the path of the speeding vehicle. The battered cherry-red mini-SUV that pulled into the parking lot of the abandoned Honey Wash Laundromat had seen better days. A young woman no older than eighteen stepped out, regarding the pair with eyes like blue marbles peering from behind a curtain of unkempt mouse-brown hair haphazardly pulled back into a ponytail.

About the Author

C. L. Hart, the owner and sole employee of Naughty Netherworld Press and Ornery Owl Ventures, is spoken of in hushed tones. She is an editor who writes or a writer who edits. She is also described as The Mad Scribe of the Northeastern Colorado Plains, The Terrible Old Woman, and The Author That Should Not Be. She is a member of ACES Editing Society, the Denver Horror Collective, First Coast Romance Writers, the H. P. Lovecraft Historical Society, Passionate Ink (writing as Lil DeVille), Regency Romance Writers, and Rocky Mountain Romance Writers.

Ms. Hart shares a home in a remote rural town of 134 souls with her adult son and three cats. Her sense of fashion is best described as Early Twenty-First Century Unmade Bed. This disabled former nurse can usually be found arguing with herself about subplots or rehabilitating eldritch horrors.

When not penning sanity-destroying works of dystopian fiction, Lovecraftian fantasy, or old-school horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to upset the cosmic apple cart, Ms. Hart enjoys creating baked goods she hopes will be considered palatable by someone besides eldritch horrors.

Follow C. L. Hart

Need a professional alpha or beta reader or editor?

 

Purchase Links

ebook

paperback

The Real Beltane Anthology Cover Reveal

 

Hi Roosties! Yesterday's Beltane Anthology cover reveal was an April Fool's Day prank. 

https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/2025/04/beltane-anthology-cover-reveal.html

This is the real cover. All proceeds from the anthology support Quill Cottage Wildlife, a 501C3 nonprofit dedicated to rescuing orphaned wild animal babies.

Everybody wants one. You want one too! Here's how to get yours.

ebook: https://a.co/d/duijxRE

paperback: https://a.co/d/5tjydhf

In the meantime, enjoy a sample from my real anthology story. The prank post's story excerpt is just tarted-up notes for a potential future tale.

The Beltane Laundress

by C. L. Hart

The rain pounded down on a father and son walking through the tiny town of Honeycomb Grove, Colorado.

“It will be a good Mayday celebration this year, Pop,” said the lanky teenage boy. Tufts of gamboge-golden hair stuck out from his dark orchid baseball cap.

The boy’s similarly built father had graying oxide-red hair and wore a faded red baseball cap. The weary expression on his face and the look of hopelessness in sad eyes the color of a John Deere tractor matched glum words spoken with a thick German accent.

“I don’t want to dim the light in those hopeful hazel eyes. I wish I still saw life with the eyes of a tiger conquering his jungle, but today, I view the world through the eyes of an undertaker.”

The teenager was horrified to see a car barrel out of the fog as his father started across the county road.

“Pop, look out!”

The pair lost their balance on the slippery grass as the son pulled his father out of the path of the speeding vehicle. The battered cherry-red mini-SUV that pulled into the parking lot of the abandoned Honey Wash Laundromat had seen better days. A young woman no older than eighteen stepped out, regarding the pair with eyes like blue marbles peering from behind a curtain of unkempt mouse-brown hair haphazardly pulled back into a ponytail.

Want more stories supporting a good cause?

Pick up your copy of the Bog Hag Anthology today!

https://amzn.to/4h9fQUD

Beltane Anthology Cover Reveal

 

I am so excited to have a story in this forthcoming charity anthology! The theme is Beltane, and it is a collection of magical stories and poems all about May Day, or Beltane.

One of my favorite things about this anthology is the beautiful cover. The participating authors crowdsourced to pay for the services of a professional artist to create a truly stunning design to showcase our work. 

I will have a preorder link soon. In the meantime, please enjoy an excerpt from my anthology story.

Elderwood Hollow 

The moon hung low and heavy in the sky, spilling silver light over the twisted oaks of Elderwood Hollow as the May Day revelry began. Bursting with laughter and stilted courage from the dregs of their mead, two sloshed revelers stumbled into the clearing where the coven of witches had gathered, their ancient chant rising like smoke into the chilled air. With a loud, braying whoop, one of the drunks tripped over a gnarled root, crashing into an ornate altar of herbs and bones, sending cackling black feathers swirling into the night. The witches, wrapped in shadows and disenchantment, paused mid-spell, their fiery eyes narrowing at the intruders who brightened this dark night with nothing but drunken folly and the promise of chaos.

Dragon Flight Book Blitz #rabtbooktours

Fantasy

Date Published: January 23, 2025

Publisher: Dragon Soul Press

 

Caution: Dragons ahead.

Prepare to delve into fiery worlds full of dragons. From hatchlings to ancients. From tame to wild. Many have their own goals, and most want to see the world reduced to ash. To reshape the world in their own reptilian image. Others struggle to survive, but heroes rise among them.

Which side will you choose?

Featuring 27 stories by the following authors: Vicki Erwin, Bruce Buchanan, Demi Michelle Schwartz, Sadie Lielle, Andreas Flögel, Desirae Gracyn, C.L. Hart, Kristen Argyres, Sandy R. Stuckless, Jessica Lee Minneci, Rae Evans, S.E. Reed, Larry Hodges, David O'Mahony, Mae Thorn, M.L. Quinn, Racquel Sims, Sierra Jackson, Daniel DiQuinzio, Ana Cordoba, Gabriella Balcom, D.J. Elton, Ann Stolinsky, Charles Barouch, Arwyn Sherman, Kiera Kearsey, Binod Dawadi, and J.E. Feldman.

 

A Night In the Magical Menagerie

Can creatures with radically different motivations get along?

In this fantastical tale a fox named Tod and a tortoise named Torte are brought to the Forest Environment of the Magical Menagerie of Celephaïs by the Outer God Nyarlathotep and his daughter. The friends encounter a wheelbarrow full of peculiar fruit and several exotic creatures. Will they enjoy a good life in their new home, or is this strange place as filled with peril as the one they escaped?

Excerpt

In the Forest Environment of the Magical Menagerie of Celephaïs, a fox and a tortoise gave one another a puzzled glance as they examined a wheelbarrow filled with strange yellow fruits.

"Before Nyarlathotep and his daughter left us here last night, they assured us that King Kuranes' gamekeepers would care for us," the fox said. "I am not sure the gamekeepers know what they are doing. What are these, and how is one meant to eat them? They are covered in spines like a hedgehog, and the green growth on the top poked me in my nose! Come to think of it, Torte, I'm not sure I trust Nyarlathotep or his daughter. After all, he is the great Cosmic Trickster, and surely, the apple does not fall far from the tree."

"This is only a name imparted to him by humans, Tod," Torte said. "Humans are a peculiar lot. Nyarlathotep was forthright with Captain Sammy, and he has been forthright with us."

"I defer to your intuition, my friend. You are slow to anger and take the time to thoroughly assess situations. Very well, rather than postulating malice on the part of Nyarlathotep, I postulate that he does not know what my kind eats and nor, apparently, do King Kuranes' gamekeepers."

"Perhaps these were left here for those animals that eat fruit," Torte said. "I have never before seen the like of them, but they have a pleasant scent. On the other hand, perhaps they were left here inadvertently. Upon discovering their mistake, the gamekeepers will return with the correct foodstuffs."

"If you believe they have a pleasant scent, I will knock one to the ground for you," Tod offered.

About the Author

C.L. Hart had a stormy start to her life. She was born at 6 A.M. the morning after Valentine’s Day in 1965 during a raging blizzard.

She has been a fan of horror and weird fiction for as long as she can remember. She used to read horror comics under the covers with a flashlight as a child.

She started reading Edgar Allan Poe when she was six years old. In her early teens, she discovered H.P. Lovecraft. She pretended to lose the copy of At the Mountains of Madness that she borrowed from the school library and paid the fine so she could keep the book.

Ms. Hart blames the team at Chaosium Role-Playing Games for renewing and strengthening her obsession with Lovecraft’s writing. She lives in a small town on the northeastern plains of Colorado in an appropriately old and storied house with her son and cats. She enjoys watching the normal people pass by as she records the happenings in the weird worlds of her imagination.

C.L. Hart writes poetry and nonfiction as Cara Hartley, and erotica as Lil DeVille.

 

http://naughtynetherworldpress.start.page

 

Purchase Today

Infernal Delights Book Blitz #rabtbooktours

Psychological Horror

Date Published: January 16, 2025

Publisher: Dragon Soul Press

 

Zombies, reapers, and more monsters.

In a world where so many dark things go bump in the night, terror awaits around every corner as these authors take horror stories to the next level. Discover ghosts, demons, and your worst nightmares. Read at your own risk.

 

Featured stories by C.L. Hart, Mae Thorn, S.E. Reed, Kristen Argyres, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Demi Michelle Schwartz, Adele Liles, C.L. Storm, Benjamin Kurt Unsworth, Desirae Gracyn, Rob Nisbet, Anwen Redlake, Kat Craig, Gabriella Balcolm, Lianne Robinson, David O'Mahony, Andrew J. Lucas, Binod Dawadi, Daniel DiQuinzio, Arwyn Sherman, Stephen Johnson, Kelly Barker, and J.E. Feldman.

 

The Darkness Within

When does the time come to give up the fight?

 

When her husband leaves their hardscrabble homestead in the remote Arizona territory to pick up their daughter and granddaughter from the train station in Tucson,  Kine Šimonis is left alone to deal with the ghosts of her past. She knows from experience that humans are the worst of monsters, capable of committing actions with lifelong repercussions for the victim.

This story is based on a real incident in the author’s family.

 

Excerpt

 

“I’ll be back this afternoon, mijn liefje. Back home with our daughter and granddaughter. You and Hema will comfort one another, and spirited Miss Emina and I will enjoy adventures together. Things will be good now, you will see.”

Kine Šimonis regarded her husband standing near the door with an expectant look in his forest green eyes. Though time had weathered his face and turned his once-thick rusty brown hair silver, he still stood tall and powerful. Tygo Šimonis had an adventurous spirit and tended to look on the bright side of things. This rugged land was an ideal match for him. Although she was a sturdy woman with the physical stamina of someone half her age, Kine was not as well suited to her environment and circumstances.

A smile turned up the corners of Kine’s mouth but didn’t reach her eyes. She embraced her husband. She still loved him deeply. She didn’t blame him for the darkness inside her.

About the Author

C.L. Hart had a stormy start to her life. She was born at 6 A.M. the morning after Valentine’s Day in 1965 during a raging blizzard.

She has been a fan of horror and weird fiction for as long as she can remember. She used to read horror comics under the covers with a flashlight as a child.

She started reading Edgar Allan Poe when she was six years old. In her early teens, she discovered H.P. Lovecraft. She pretended to lose the copy of At the Mountains of Madness that she borrowed from the school library and paid the fine so she could keep the book.

Ms. Hart blames the team at Chaosium Role-Playing Games for renewing and strengthening her obsession with Lovecraft’s writing. She lives in a small town on the northeastern plains of Colorado in an appropriately old and storied house with her son and cats. She enjoys watching the normal people pass by as she records the happenings in the weird worlds of her imagination.

C.L. Hart writes poetry and nonfiction as Cara Hartley, and erotica as Lil DeVille.

http://naughtynetherworldpress.start.page

 

Purchase Today

Nyarlathotep's Journey #8Sunday #SnippetSunday

 

Genre

Fantasy Romance

Length: 3000 words

Rating: PG-13

Note: Birth scene, fantasy violence

Tagline

Unravel the cosmic tapestry. Discover the origins of Yadira Root, the daughter of the Organizer of the Outer Gods and the Weaver of Destinies, born during the death throes of a doomed world.

Blurb

This story reveals the origins of the ancient cosmic sorceress Yadira Root, daughter of the Outer God Nyarlathotep, and Queen Nathicana of the doomed world of Zaïs. It provides a unique interpretation of Nyarlathotep, the most nuanced and intelligent of H.P. Lovecraft's Outer Gods.

Excerpt

Azathoth, the embodiment of primordial chaos, tended to spawn chaos. Because it required a way to bring balance to the chaotic forces it spawned, it created Nyarlathotep.

Nyarlathotep sprang from the writhing mass of Azathoth fully mature. Unlike his siblings, he possessed the power of reason and quickly learned that an attitude of benevolent leadership was the most effective approach. Nyarlathotep could assume any form, and he used this ability to his advantage.

Once the worlds he had helped form and populate were autonomous, Nyarlathotep moved on. As he traveled, he contemplated his nature. That he was necessary delighted him without making him prideful. That he was different from his progenitor and siblings was evident, and he desired to understand this difference.

Follow the link below to pick up your copy of the story. Ignore the January 19 deadline. I am extending my offer of a free copy of this story until January 26th.

https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/2025/01/mormo-and-more-project-60-week-2.html

I hope you enjoy it!

With Love,

Ornery Owl

Free use image from Open Clipart Vectors

https://www.facebook.com/groups/401643826588474

https://wewriwa.blogspot.com

The Fear Doctor Teaser Tuesday #rabtbooktours

 

Stories: Armageddon, Betrayal, The Cabin, Darkness, Deathly Silence, Don’t Speak, The Flavor of Death, The Frame, Night of the Living Stomach, Mystery of the Living Stomach, The Silence, Speak of the Devil, Transmission of Salvation, Whispers In the Dark

 

Flash Fiction, Horror

Publication Date: September 23, 2024

 

Bite-sized horror stories are brought to you by twenty-five authors. From creepy crawlies to the seemingly normal pets. From hideous monsters lurking in the dark to charismatic people showing their true colors.

Each tale is precisely 100 words and leaves a long-lasting chilling effect. Some will make you question the security of the world around you, and what’s more terrifying than that?

Featuring drabbles by Bernardo Villela, D.J. Tuskmor, Paul Lonardo, Joshua Ginsberg, Amanda Bergloff, Kelly Barker, Zari Hunt, Yuliia Vereta, Andrew Buckner, T.L. Beeding, K.J. Watson, Kelly Matsuura, Jonathan Reddoch, Petina Strohmer, Jacek Wilkos, Kailey Alessi, Vanessa Bane, Andreas Flögel, Natalya Monyok, Mattie Hernandez, Ken Whitson, Liam Kerry, C.L. Hart, Geneviève Lowe, and J.E. Feldman.

 

Excerpt

Night of the Living Stomach

The body was dead but the stomach was not. It lurched its way out of the incision and landed with a plop on the autopsy room floor. It inched along tasting cleaning fluid until it found the spotless break room. It climbed onto the pristine counter and enveloped the shiny coffee maker.

The stomach recoiled in disgust at the flavor of more cleaning products combined with bitter coffee grounds. It missed its host. Isaac Head never failed to feed it on command. In fact, he’d been about to bite into a juicy burger when he plowed into an oncoming semi.

About the Author

C. L. Hart, the owner and sole employee of Ornery Owl Ventures, is an editor who writes or a writer who edits. She is described as The Mad Scribe of the Northeastern Colorado Plains, The Terrible Old Woman, and The Author That Should Not Be.

When not penning sanity-destroying works of dystopian fiction, Lovecraftian fantasy, or old-school horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to upset the cosmic apple cart, Ms. Hart enjoys creating baked goods she hopes will be considered palatable.

Ms. Hart shares a home in a remote rural town of 134 souls with her adult son and three cats. Her sense of fashion is best described as Early Twenty-First Century Unmade Bed. This disabled former nurse can usually be found arguing with herself about subplots or rehabilitating eldritch horrors.

Ms. Hart is a member of ACES Editing Society, The Denver Horror Collective, First Coast Romance Writers, The H. P. Lovecraft Society, Passionate Ink (writing as Lil DeVille), and Rocky Mountain Romance Writers.

 

Follow C. L. Hart

 

Preorder Your Copy

Extra Special Book Blogger Hop: Your Chance To Provide Input on C. L. Hart's New Novelette!

 

Genre:

Sweet Contemporary Christmas Romance

Tropes:

Forced Proximity, Second Chances

About the Story:

Snowbound Hearts is a sweet second-chance forced proximity Christmas romance featuring middle-aged characters. Marta and her best friend Ophrah have booked rooms at the Winter Lake Lodge. They arrive just ahead of a heavy snowstorm that shuts down the roads. 

Marta's ex-husband Adam and his assistant Clara arrive not much later. Marta and Adam divorced seven years previously because of Adam's drinking and because of his tryst with his best friend's wife at the office Christmas party. Marta initially assumes that Clara is Adam's latest fling, but their relationship is platonic. 

Adam has gone through a successful rehab and has been clean for six years. He realizes he still loves Marta. Marta has feelings for Adam as well, but she isn't sure she can trust him.

Subplots include a budding romance between Clara and Ophrah, plus Adam reconciling with his best friend.

Story Length:

9431words

Heat Level:

Hallmark. Kissing only, no heavy making out, no sex.

If you'd like to be a beta reader for the project, follow the link!

https://share.betareader.io/link/6679a1f4f9fb0a37e8ded9a2?utm_campaign=share-book&utm_medium=button&utm_source=link

This story will be included in the forthcoming For the Love of Winter anthology from First Coast Romance Writers.

You don't need to be a professional editor or writer to be an efficient beta reader. This post explains a beta reader's role in the book creation process.

https://ornerybookemporium.blogspot.com/p/ornery-beta-reading.html

The First Line/Book Beginnings

https://www.rosecityreader.com/

https://readingismysuperpower.org/

 “Really, Marti? Blasting The Ride of the Valkyries while tearing up the Dalling Rise?” Ophrah Pololáník asked, checking her seat belt and looking askance at the driver.

The Friday 56

http://www.fredasvoice.com/

Although the mood was festive and the dinner delicious, Marta’s spirits soured as she recalled the last time she and Adam dined—or didn’t dine—together. 

Book Blogger Hop

https://www.coffeeaddictedwriter.com/p/blog-page.html

21st-27th - Will society suffer in the future as a result of the younger generations' lack of reading? (submitted by Billy @ Coffee Addicted Writer)

Younger generations do read. I'm not going to say all younger people read is pure garbage because younger people are not monoliths. I was, however, surprised when I found out that many younger people read solely on their phones and that many of them don't know how to open computer files because they're used to doing everything with apps. 

I think my eyes would fall out of my head if I did most of my reading on my phone. I want at least an e-reader, and I prefer a full-size computer monitor. I rarely read physical books anymore. My younger self would be horrified. Back in the day, there was nothing quite so wonderful as having a book in my hand. 

Post Sponsor

You’d like to listen to audiobooks, you say?

I’ve got you covered!

If you don’t already have an Audible subscription, click the link below to get started with your 30-day free trial. You’re welcome.

https://amzn.to/4bIRSgg

 

Fallen Teaser Tuesday #rabtbooktours

 

Fantasy Anthology

Date Published: March 30, 2024

 

FALLEN ANTHOLOGY

Fall from grace…

In a twist of fate, these angels have done the unforgivable and have been kicked out. Some are left to roam freely while they plot their revenge. Some are immediately given a new job as a form of punishment. Some are even innocent and try to prove it themselves. But can any of them find their new purpose in the end?

Featuring stories by Michael Paige, Matthew Fryer, Bruno Lombardi, Barend Nieuwstraten III, Kelly Barker, A.E. Lowan, C.L. Hart, and J.E. Feldman.

 

Of Outer Gods and Fallen Angels by C.L. Hart

 

Story Genre

Lovecraftian Fantasy, Judeo-Christian Mythology,

 

Tropes

Friendship, Lost Love, Reincarnation

 

Gerry Clifford appears to be simply a small, frail older man who has fallen victim to early-onset dementia.

Yadira Root appears to be an impossibly ancient woman who volunteers her time at the care center where people like Gerry live out their final days.

A conversation between the pair reveals unexpected truths about both of them.

Excerpt

For eons, I have been looking for a way to right the wrongs committed at the time of my birth. I have once again encountered Malak, son of Lucifer; he with his heart burst open like a snowdrop’s pouting petals. However, to my dismay, Malak, the world-builder and shadow-weaver, has forgotten who he was. He is bound to a broken, dying body, although at night, his soul roams free.

In our first meeting at the care center where he now resides, I approached Malak cautiously, unsure of how he would respond to my presence. Bewildered disorientation had replaced the once alert, inquisitive look in his eyes. Like a spark struggling to ignite, I noted a faint glimmer of recognition, but it was obscured by the murk of confusion overtaking his decaying memory.

"Malak," I said softly as I took his hands in mine. "It's your old friend Yadira. Do you remember who you once were? World-builder, shadow weaver, beloved son of Lucifer."

It was evident from his expression that his mind was seeking an elusive memory. A longing for understanding replaced his puzzlement.

"Who... who am I?" he mumbled, his voice feeble and uncertain. "I feel like fragments of a shattered mirror, lost in a labyrinth of forgotten dreams."

A pang of sympathy pierced my heart. Seeing this brilliant being trapped in a decaying vessel, his bright, inquisitive soul longing for release, was tragic. I took his trembling hand in mine, hoping my touch would serve as an anchor, reconnecting him to his forgotten self.

"Malak, you were once a weaver of worlds, a creator of infinite possibilities," I explained. "Your mind held the secrets of the cosmos, and your hands shaped realms beyond imagination."

Despite the fragility of his body, a spark of ancient power flickered within him as he struggled to break free from the fog of forgetfulness.

"I remember whispers of worlds born from the rhythm of my thoughts," he murmured. "Visions of beauty and darkness once flowed through me like a river of eternal creation."

I continued to paint a picture of his former existence, hoping to unleash the dormant power lying buried deep within.

"Malak, reclaim your identity," I urged. "I will help you mend the fractures in your soul, reuniting the shattered fragments, and restoring the balance disrupted long ago. The broken body that confines you is insignificant compared to the boundless potential within. The key to redemption and rectification lies in you. Please assist me in redressing the wrongs of the past. With you healed and my parents reunited, we will forge a future where your power, reclaimed and revitalized, can help restore balance to the cosmos."

 

About the Author

C. L. Hart, the owner and sole employee of Naughty Netherworld Press, is spoken of in hushed tones. She is described as The Mad Scribe of the Northeastern Colorado Plains, The Terrible Old Woman, and The Author That Should Not Be.

When not penning sanity-destroying works of dystopian fiction, Lovecraftian fantasy, or old-school horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to upset the cosmic apple cart, Ms. Hart enjoys creating baked goods she hopes will be considered palatable.

Ms. Hart shares a home in a remote rural town of 134 souls with her adult son and three cats. Her sense of fashion is best described as Early Twenty-First Century Unmade Bed. This disabled former nurse can usually be found arguing with herself about subplots or rehabilitating eldritch horrors.

Follow C. L. Hart

C. L. Hart Amazon Author Page

C. L. Hart Newsletter

Naughty Netherworld Press Books

Readers Roost Book Blog

Readers Roost Facebook

Readers Roost Twitter

 

Buy Link

Lost In This Masquerade is FREE This Weekend

   

Series: From the Dark Past

Book: Lost in this Masquerade

Number in series: 1

ASIN B096QYQKC1

Publication date: 5 June 2021

Number of pages: 39

Genre: Horror

Buy Link:

https://bit.ly/FTDPIAZ

Price: $0.99 or free with Kindle Unlimited.

Freebie days: October 7 and 8 2023

notes

This story, written in 2018, features an ill-fated romance between a naive heroine and a self-absorbed young man.

Blurb:

Renowned husband and wife archaeologists Lachlan Schaeffer and Zaidy Ruggieri and their team have discovered a pair of corpses entangled in an eternal embrace in an Irish bog. Speculations about how the pair got there run rampant. It is up to Zaidy and her clairvoyant abilities to learn the truth about the star-crossed pair.

Snippet

Read the previous snippet.

https://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com/2023/09/eternal-embrace-snipsun.html

“Flights of fancy, the lot of it,” the decorated seventy-five-year-old archaeologist, Zaidy Ruggieri, declared quietly, reaching to squeeze the fingers of her friend of fifty-seven years and husband of forty-five.

“What are you sensing, Zaids?” Lockie Schaeffer asked. His wife’s powerful extrasensory abilities led them to solving many mysteries of the past. Although he was excited to solve another, he was worried. Zaidy gently smoothed back Lockie’s gray curls and kissed his furrowed brow.

“Don’t worry, my sweet. We’ll be back to the States in time for McKayla’s Halloween pageant. I wouldn’t let our darling granddaughter be deprived of her Pop-Pop’s over-the-top adulation.”

Zaidy touched the hem of the young woman’s dress, and visions of the past filled her mind.

About the Author:

C. L. Hart, the owner and sole employee of Naughty Netherworld Press, is spoken of in hushed tones. She is described as The Mad Scribe of the Northeastern Colorado Plains, The Terrible Old Woman, and The Author That Should Not Be.

When not penning sanity-destroying works of dystopian fiction, Lovecraftian fantasy, or old-school horror with the occasional sweet romance thrown in to upset the cosmic apple cart, Ms. Hart enjoys creating baked goods she hopes will be considered palatable.

Ms. Hart shares a home in a remote rural town of 134 souls with her adult son and three cats. Her sense of fashion is best described as Early Twenty-First Century Unmade Bed. This disabled former nurse can usually be found arguing with herself about subplots or rehabilitating eldritch horrors.

Follow C. L. Hart

C. L. Hart Amazon Author Page

https://bit.ly/CLHartAmazonAuthor

C. L. Hart Newsletter

https://www.subscribepage.com/clhart

Naughty Netherworld Press Blog

http://www.naughtynetherworldpress.com

Naughty Netherworld Press Books

https://bit.ly/NNPBooks

Naughty Netherworld Press Substack

https://naughtynetherworldpress.substack.com

Readers Roost Book Blog

https://bit.ly/ReadersRoost

Readers Roost Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/OrneryOwlsRoost

Readers Roost Twitter

https://twitter.com/ReadersRoost

It's Halloween and Christmas all in one with Deathlehem 2022!

    

I had a story I’m especially proud of published in the 2022 Deathlehem anthology. I love this one, and if you’re a big weirdo who thinks spending an evening with some freaky chums who aren’t what they appear to be is your idea of a good time, Silent Scream is the story for you.

Genre: Holiday, Horror, Lovecraftian

Length: Novelette (10000 words)

Heat Level: There's no sex, but someone naughty ends up in plenty of hot water.

Rating: R (violence, fantasy gore, adult situations)

Book Blurb

Twas the fright before Christmas,

nightmares fill my head,

the creatures, they're a-prowling

'til everyone is dead…

Welcome back to Deathlehem, where…

…a stranger grants a grieving father's Christmas wish…

…charitable acts are purely self-serving…

…a man plans his last Christmas in a post-apocalyptic world…

…a serial killer targets the wrong victim…

…sometimes it's better not to go home for the holidays…

…and more!

Seventeen more tales of holiday horrors to benefit

The Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation

Story Blurb

Gorgeous Gudrun Lemaire is just the woman Aodh Warzawski has been looking for to help him complete his collection of Nine Ladies Dancing. The love-starved middle-aged goth chick is the perfect victim—or is she?

Excerpt

"Cam and I have had eyes on Aodh Warszawski for twenty-eight years, but we've never been able to pin anything on him," Landvik revealed. "The other members of his family haven't been seen since the early nineteen-nineties. Warszawski claims that after his siblings left for university, his parents moved to Estonia to live an off-grid hippie lifestyle, his maternal grandparents moved into a villa in Katmandu, and his paternal grandparents moved to Tasmania. Nobody reported any of them missing, and there was no evidence of foul play."

"Neighbors were happy enough to have them gone," Cam added. "Before the elder family members departed, pets in the area had a habit of going missing, later to be found shot or poisoned. Aodh Warszawski is a bit of an odd bird, but he doesn't cause trouble for the neighbors. Still, as the Lieutenant says, we've felt there was reason to keep an eye on him. It looks like today may be the day we're proven right."

Buy Link

https://amzn.to/3GOSlPI

Price:

$4.99 ebook

$16.95 paperback

If you'd like to try your hand at creating a story for this year's Deathlehem anthology, here's the link for you.

https://grinningskullpress.wordpress.com/submission-guidelines/

Hang on to your hats, Freaks. There's more!

C. L. Hart will be giving away a free copy of Deathlehem 2022 to one lucky winner during Abbie's Dangerously Dark Darlings celebration on Facebook on December 1, 2023.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/DangerouslyDarkDarlings/

Sign up for C. L. Hart's weekly newsletter.

https://www.subscribepage.com/clhart

I built the official Naughty Netherworld Press page using Pagimate. You can check them out here. 

https://bit.ly/NNPPagimate 

I tried to build author pages in the past but always ended up frustrated. With Pagimate, it's easy and even fun. It's also affordable. I purchased a lifetime membership for £179 ($202 USD). 

Use code CARA20 if you decide to create your own page with Pagimate.

Romance Anthologies Up for Grabs!

 

Romance readers, take Hart...er...heart! (See what I did there?) Your girl C. L. Hart is upsetting the cosmic apple cart again, taking a side-step away from her usual gruesome offerings and contributing to the forthcoming Romancing the Holidays anthology from First Coast Romance Writers. Hart is a member of the Florida-based FCRW even though she lives in land-locked Colorado, because, why not?

What you see above is not the cover for Romancing the Holidays, it's something I threw together in Canva. The cover is still a closely guarded secret, under lock and key in the clandestine FCRW vault somewhere beneath Jacksonville. That's right, you can't even get Romancing the Holidays yet, because it's still under construction! 

You may well wonder why I am teasing you like this when you can't even grab a copy of the aforementioned anthology yet. 

Because, my friends, while you wait for this anthology to drop like a present in the stocking you've hung by the chimney with care, you can check out more than 50 other anthologies and box sets carefully crafted by the First Coast Romance Writers team! Just click the link below to grab one or all!

https://firstcoastromancewriters.us18.list-manage.com/track/click?u=aa154c0bdd4dbf82d829a7974&id=ddf323b32c&e=a5c7acf50f

Image by Vlad Bitte from Pixabay

Yeah, I know, it's not even Halloween yet. But it's always the right time to give yourself the gift of books!