SO SAYETH THE LITERARY DARK PRINCE

Tiger Dynasty Publishing: Cover Reveal: Scarlet Night by Megan J Parker

2013-03-02T14:16:00.001-05:00

Tiger Dynasty Publishing: Cover Reveal: Scarlet Night by Megan J Parker

Tiger Dynasty Publishing: Review and Interview on Crimson Shadow: Noir

2013-03-01T17:41:00.001-05:00

Tiger Dynasty Publishing: Review and Interview on Crimson Shadow: Noir: Reblogged from writer Christoph Fisher Review of Noir: “Noir” by Nathan Squiers is the first in his Crimson Shadow series. It ...

Alesana - "The Thespian" (Video)

2013-02-21T09:53:00.001-05:00

"Noir" cover reveal & interview

2013-02-10T17:54:00.001-05:00

EXCLUSIVE COVER REVEAL for "Crimson Shadow: Noir" with Ambrosia Arts:
Nathan Squiers SPOTLIGHT with Ambrosia Arts!!

THE PERFECT CANVAS (updated)

2013-01-06T04:50:00.001-05:00

Just TRY and tell me she isn't beautiful!

I've long-since gotten used to (and even comfortable with) the reactions of society and its occupants in regards to my appearance. Since the first hole was punched through my body, I've acknowledged that my decisions would be met with varied opinions, and that those opinions would not always be in my favor (let alone kind). Piercings and tattoos, as a lifestyle rather than a momentary fad, represent the wearer's acceptance that they're visibly separating themselves from the standards of a society that that has yet to see the relevance in the gesture (cultural or aesthetic).

So who's the antagonist in this tale?

Who is wrong and who is right?

This is, of course, where it is expected of me to veer off into a biased rant of the sheer and unparalleled awesomeness of taking needles and using them to force ink or metal into the skin. But since when have I been the predictable type?

While I may not agree wholeheartedly with it, the mass' standards for how one should look is based on an understandably primitive approach on naturalism. The human mind, on a subconscious level, is usually opposed to elements that go against a preset "grain" of what their senses are programmed to understand. Because many cultures approach physical appearance as one of "cleanliness" and symmetry, elements that contradict those notions of what is "attractive" conflict with their standards. Because those that are conflicted by such visuals will very rarely acknowledge that they're simply reacting on cultural brainwashing and push past their programming, it becomes the fault of the subject in question.

Wearing a smile... and some big-ass tunnels.

Long ago, this sort of response may have proved essential in one's survival (seeing a potentially questionable stranger with many scars or foreign markings may illustrate a dangerous individual that should be avoided). However, as societies have evolved, their citizens have not, and what we end up with are people trying to avoid an invasion/attack when there's no threat to begin with.

Others view piercings and tattoos as a sign of ignorance or a lack of education, but, while I feel compelled to ask if any would call me ignorant or poorly educated, I'd rather illustrate my point with a question:

Which is more ignorant: exploring other avenues of self-expression and cultural understanding... or ridiculing those that do?

The issue with the naysayers, however, is not that they express a desire to not get pierced or tattooed, but that they choose to project their opinions onto others who have chosen that lifestyle and label them as "wrong" or "ugly".

So is society wrong for not understanding the body modification community? Not at all. To be honest, it is not for the understanding of others that those who practice the lifestyle seek; it is for the understanding of themselves.

The beliefs of the masses have ALWAYS been true, not because they're factually accurate, but because it is what the majority claims to be so. If 99% of the world is POSITIVE that the earth is flat, it becomes an indisputable battle as to that fact (no matter the facts or reality of a situation, in the end it is which side has the greatest number of followers that will be written as "truth"). And, though we're still some ways away from society's total acceptance of an individual AS an individual, the tolerance for intolerance has most certainly diminished. Though the battle for equality wages, the understanding that it IS wrong for somebody to be made to feel inadequate for ANY reason has been instilled.

I have found a certain pleasure in playing with our culture's misconception of what sorts of people go under the needle by (*gasp*) being myself. When I go out, I hold the door for those coming up behind me (not to prove a point, mind you, but because I was brought up that way), and the confused looks I get from those I extend the gesture towards is nothing if not entertaining.

It has, however, on several occasions, illustrated to what extent a person's intolerance will take them.

More than once, when holding the door for a stranger, I've seen them look at me and stop--not pause or linger or slow; STOP!--in their tracks and, if there is not another set of doors to take, wait for me to step inside so that they can enter without a "freak's" kindness reeking up their sense of personal perfection.

Now, while I could be bitter and hateful towards such things, I've come to find a certain sense of justification in my own choices.

Can I fit a finger through my earlobes? Yup. Does it look like I have facial shrapnel? Absolutely. Do I have five ADDITIONAL pairs of eyes littered across my body? Eerie-but-true. Am I a tapestry of nature, horror, art, and entertainment? You bet your ass I am! Do disposable plastic cups ever get hooked on the inside of my lip studs and make for embarrassing situations in public events?

*indecipherable garbling*

Vampire tattoo

BUT--and here's the part that makes me smile (cup hanging from my face or not)--though they have the pleasure of knowing their flesh is unmarred, I have the pleasure of knowing my mind is unmarred.

My body art is more than just an expression of "ooh! I want that in my body NOW". It is all connected to a personal philosophy of how to illustrate my exterior in a visual manner that parallels what I feel on the inside. I am a lover of language--it comes with the territory of being an author--and, as an enthusiast for speech, I adorn my lips (over 15 piercings in my lip ALONE over the course of six years). Because I like to listen to others' stories and take in wisdom from any source I can, I gauge my ears. As a lover of food I have worn nose rings in the past--the sense of smell having a strong connection to that of taste--and as an enthusiast for the visual I've had a dermal anchor near my right eye (sadly both have had to come out for some reason or another, but I would have both redone in the blink of an eye if given the chance).

Tattoo of Xander Stryker

Furthermore, all of my tattoos have AT LEAST two symbolic connections to important aspects of my life. The tiger on my left forearm--my first piece--represents beauty, grace, and strength as well as being my Chinese Zodiac sign, my childhood nickname, my favorite animal, AND symbolic relevance to my upcoming novel, Crimson Shadow: Noir, that I can't delve into here and now. The werewolf/therion bust on my left shoulder--a job I got done at the first Roc-City Tattoo convention--represents two sides of one entity: the tame man and the raging beast, a tie to nature despite any attempts to rip myself from it, and the obvious connections to my writing. My vampire bust--on my right shoulder, opposite the werewolf/therion--represents an insatiable thirst for life and an inescapable connection to darkness (and, of course, my writing). My Xander Stryker tattoo is... well, read book #1 on May 1st and you'll understand. Finally, and hardest to explain, is my (unfinished) Deadpool tattoo on my left leg: a symbol of relentless pursuits (no matter how crazy) and a refusal to do ANYTHING without being entertaining while doing it.

My views and my art are my own, and while I take pride in me and mine, I am hardly the face of the body modification community.

Allow me to introduce Tattboy Holden:

They don't get much more badass!

In late 2011, as my budding writing career was causing me to expand my networking reach, I came across this groovy Aussie with a tattooed eye for a lifestyle that he has LITERALLY defined himself with. Globally--and I do mean GLOBALLY--recognized by an ever-increasing following that spans beyond the tens-of-thousands, Tattboy Holden has spent many years transforming his body to mirror the complexity of his soul. A visual, musical, and literary artist with a unique-yet-familiar philosophy on life, love, and acceptance that is nothing short of a daily-dose of inspiration and happiness to any who follow him. My fortune in crossing paths with Tattboy has allowed for an understanding of what it means to alter your appearance to such extents, and, in doing so, has given me a greater understanding of my own motives; seeing every piece of jewelry and every layer of ink as a road map that will, in time, define ME as an individual.

Moreover, he's shown the world what it means to be who you want to be despite the cruelty--and even violence--that that self-expression can invite. While everyday life for an inked-up American may be inconvenient or irritating, Tattboy's life choices (and the misfortune of being in the wrong place to make those choices) have earned him constant harassment.

Despite being ostracized for his appearance, not a day goes by that Tattboy doesn't share a piece of himself, his wisdom, or his humor on his many networking sites that illustrate him as every bit the beautiful human being beneath the flesh as he's made himself on it.

Through all the bullshit--the good, the bad, and the ugly--this awesome Aussie plows through society's standards and expectations with a simple-yet-elegant motto: "Ink me up!"

Tattboy can be found on both Facebook and Google+.

Body modification may not be for everyone, but--for people like me and Tattboy Holden--it's a lifestyle that helps us to define who we are and feel at home inside our own skin; skin, as Tattboy would say, that is the perfect canvas to tell one's life story.

Crystal Cattabriga: Best Indie Author of 2012

2013-01-05T01:32:00.001-05:00

Crystal Cattabriga: Best Indie Author of 2012:

The Literary Dark Prince is in the top-10 for best Indie author of 2012 and is hoping that all the gnarly readers with The Legion can let their voices be heard and cast their votes!!

Here's to another year and even more gnarliness!!

Much love,
Nathan Squiers
(The Literary Dark Prince)

Immortal Crimson Reviews: Curtain Call: A Death Metal Novel by Nathan Squier...

2012-12-31T02:33:00.001-05:00

Immortal Crimson Reviews: Curtain Call: A Death Metal Novel by Nathan Squier...: A promising career in the music industry was on the horizon for up-and-coming heavy metal band, Bloodtones. Even for their non-human membe...

PromoteHorror.com: The Crimson Shadow Series: Featuring 'Noir' and 'S...

2012-12-13T16:08:00.001-05:00

PromoteHorror.com: The Crimson Shadow Series: Featuring 'Noir' and 'S...: “has that edge of your seat, late night wild ride feel through the whole book. You get hooked from page one by not just the plot...

FACES OF VENGEANCE

2012-12-09T03:03:00.001-05:00

(the literary minds behind the Grim Vengeance anthology)

Welcome to the Grim Vengeance Anthology, a collection from Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing featuring tales of cryptic and fury-filled efforts that show just how far one will go when there's a vengeful vendetta.

Revenge...

Whether it is for retribution or for retaliation--be it from the guardian or the renegade--the primal urge to enforce a personal sense of justice lies with every being.

Neither man nor myth is free of this drive, and the lengths to which they'll go are vast and astounding and plunge even the purest heart into the darkest depths of depravity. The end result of the violence and mayhem is nothing if not destructive...

Nothing if not grim.

Hosted by yours truly, Nathan Squiers (The Literary Dark Prince), "Grim Vengeance"--a top-selling Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing anthology (available in both print and Kindle)--features both stories and poetry depicting the dark scene of supernatural revenge. The collction went live to the public at the end of October (just in time for Halloween), and the hype surrounding the collection has driven me to introduce the authors behind the project.

When I first decided to host the collection, I had no idea what I was in store for. This being the first collection I've organized, I was, to say the least, cautiously optimistic. Fortunately for me, the response provided me with a PHENOMENAL line-up of remarkable authors and poets that truly put their best into depicting their vengeance-filled work.

And while I could go on forever-and-ever about the unbridled talent and effort that everybody tied to the project put forth, I'd sooner let the reviewers do it for me.
See what's got the readers raving HERE!!

Now, without further ado, I'd like to introduce the authors (listed alphabetically by last name):

Amanda R. Browning ("That Hoodoo that You do")

Amanda lives in southern Indiana with her husband and three children. She has been an avid fan of all things paranormal her entire life. After being a dedicated reader since childhood, she started writing when she ran out of books to read and her brother challenged her with, “So write something.”

Amanda does intense research for everything she writes, hoping to lend a sense of reality to the worlds she crafts from imagination. She is a big fan of history and tries to find a piece of real history to explain with the paranormal. She writes all types of paranormal fiction, from horror to romance to erotica.

Amanda is the author of The Immortal Choice Series, and is currently writing the sequel to Birth of the Nyxian, as well as several short stories. When she isn’t glued to the computer writing, she can be found with her children exploring the woods near her house for the hidden fairy portal, or playing zombie tag.

Linna Drehmel ("Madison's Gift")

Linna was born at the Mountain Home Air Force Base in Idaho in 1973 and grew up surrounded by military. Her father served for 22 years in the Air Force, her mother was a military police officer in the Marines, and her older brother served for 10 years in the Navy. She draws inspiration from her family's many years of proud service in the military. She has spent much of her life studying anthropology and has a particular fondness for archaeology. She loves to find ways to intertwine anthropological and archaeological themes into her writing. She also has a strong understanding of what the reader likes, as she herself is an avid reader.

Stefan Ellery ("Career Change")

Stefan, born in Gothenbourg Sweden raised mostly in Ontario Canada, is an author that dabbles in a variety of genres that include Horror, YA Paranormal, Urban Fantasy and Science Fiction. His first complete works are children stories though they never have been published they have led him to write more complex stories for an older audience. His first novelette Unfiltered is a Self Published tale that mixes dragons in an urban setting. He has had his short story "A Miller's Daughter" published in the Dark Light Anthology published by Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing.

Gabrielle Franchetti ("The Fallen" & "Unbelievable")

Born and raised in New Jersey, Gabrielle Franchetti grew up with the arts surrounding her ranging from acting to drawing. There are many writers in her family, but she is the first to reach for her dream in becoming a published author. Franchetti was always encouraged to reach for her full potential as a writer and artist throughout her childhood. She adores writing in any genre, ranging from fantasy to murder mystery. She enjoys writing screenplays, short stories and back-stories for her characters. She loves to find ways to intertwine a sense of mystery and her own creatures into her writing. Franchetti spends most of her time studying mythology in order to create her own mythical fantasies within her work of sci-fi and fantasy. She enjoys keeping her readers guessing by undermining their sense of reason of what they already perceive as good vs evil. She likes to incorporate complex plots and twisting events within her writing, ultimately turning the tables on the reader when they start to feel comfortable with what they are reading. Franchetti finds her inspiration while day dreaming of her stories. She is constantly thinking of new plots and characters in which she is eager to share with the world. Franchetti is proud of her first published works within the anthologies “Grim Vengeance” and “Darkest Desires”. She is eagerly preparing for her first novel to be published with Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing titled “Crimson Rose: Inferno.” Franchett’s Crimson Rose series is her first of many more to come.

Andrew Katz ("Darkest Heart")

Andrew is a 20 year old out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He began writing out of sheer boredom (yes, that is really the reason) in September of 2011. Some would say that his writings are the bizarre ramblings of a mad man, but what do they know? His work is inspired by the world around him, odd dreams, and a sequence of hallucinations brought on by sleep deprivation and hanging upside down at night. Andrew listens to a very eclectic playlist when writing to try and keep a mixed feel to his words and feelings. Handsome, charming, superb, and flawless are all words that have been used before to describe Andrew and his bulging brain. He has dabbled in time control as his preferred superpower, and has made some major steps towards shifting history in his favor, although we’re not entirely sure how yet. Being an artist is the major role in this master genius’s mind, and something that, contrary to popular belief, he takes very seriously. The young author would like nothing more from his readers than for them to simply enjoy his words, and what they mean.

Joseph J. Langan ("The Moles", "Grim Vengeance", "Human Farm" & "Victims and Vultures")

Joseph is a lover of science fiction and fantasy. He is a futurist, an eccentric, and at heart, a poet. Being a coffee enthusiast, he is able to burn the midnight oil, writing short stories and working on his dystopian novel. He enjoys Ohio’s gray, wintry weather, where he finds himself at home with his prose. He is a philosophical, inquisitive individual and makes it a point to get to know his fans. “Persephone,” a paranormal romance short story, featured in Sinister Seductions, is his first publication. His post-apocalyptic story, “The Moles” and his daring portrait of a world where the Government sucks the life and resources out of us even more than usual, quite literally actually, “Human Farm” as well as the anti-abuse poem “Victims and Vultures” and the themed poem “Grim Vengeance” are featured in the Grim Vengeance anthology. He has recently submitted some more short stories to Science Fiction markets so be on the lookout for more from this forthcoming author.

S.R. Schulman ("My Brother and Me")

"I love how the brightest star in my universe doesn't burn me when I get too close. I love that I can touch it and how bright it burns. That radiance is the purest thing in this world. Pure, and forgiving. I pray it never burns in a million eternities."

DJ Shaw ("Playing with Demons" & "Revenge be a Demon")

DJ Shaw belongs to the part of the Unseelie Sidhe that lives in Albuquerque, NM with her husband, The Vengeance Demon, Terminal, the beast who stole her heart, and together they have spawned five children. They also own a Ocelot and four Hell Hounds. She loves to write about the experiences of her Dark Brethren, and some of her own. Please enjoy some of her adventures. You can contact her on her author page at www.facebook.com/WiccanLies

D C White ("Night Train to Noarlunga")

White lives in Blackwood, South Australia. He has been writing for several years and has been published in Australia, the UK and the US. His work was nominated for an Aurealis Award for ‘Best Fantasy Short Story 2011’.

AN EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW
WITH THE VENGEFULCREW:

~How long have you been writing and what got you interested in the writing process to begin with? What inspires your writing process?

Browning - "I've been writing for almost exactly a year. I got a kindle for my twenty seventh birthday and went on a crazy reading spree. When I ran out of new books to read, my brother told me to stop complaining and write something. So I did, and I haven't stopped since."

Drehmel - "I have been writing wild tales all my life. But what got me going seriously was a need to express fully who I am."

Ellery - "I have been writing steadily for two years now, though I have had attempted to write when I was younger I was not ready. What had pushed be further in my writing career was a bout of depression that took me away from work. The writing helped change my focus from negative to positive thoughts and now I cannot stop writing. I am a daydreamer and constantly change the world around me to fit a story. If I see a statue, a pile of dirt or an empty house I cannot help give it a story."

Franchetti - "I have been writing since the fifth grade. I became fascinated with the idea of creating my own world in which no one else existed except for my characters and me. I became interested when we had to write our personal experience with the 9/11 attack, in my fifth grade writing class. I had recalled my father being on Ellis Island; therefore, he had witnessed the entire event. Instead of writing something boring as being stuck in my classroom, doodling on the back of a spelling test, I decided to write how I experienced the event as if I was on the Island with my father. I had apparently made it believable enough for my teacher to approach me. When I had told her I made it up, she was quite shocked because of the detailed emotion and imagery I had placed in the event I had created for myself."

Katz - "Since September of 2011, and there was nothing really specific that got me started, I was just pretty bored one night and started writing.

Langan - "I have been writing for over a decade. My grade school teacher inspired me to write when I was very young and I have been doing it ever since. I can’t go a day without writing and the rare days, few and far between as they are, that I don’t invest time to polish my prose, I feel ashamed that I didn’t work on my craft. Everything can be a source of inspiration. A side comment, a simple remark, a question. Almost anything can get the gears in my brain to start turning. There isn’t a day that I go without coming up with a potential idea. It can even be overwhelming! I’m always thinking about the inner worlds I create, on top of working at the local library and maintaining somewhat of a social life. It’s sorting through the junk ideas and highlighting the good ones that is key to being a successful writer."

Schulman – Samuel Robert Schulman discovered his first love in writing when he was in the sixth grade, in the far off month and year of January 2004. His English teacher Vickie Curry was teaching a lesson about “showing, not telling” in writing. From there, Samuel was inspired to write the first sentences of the first draft of his first completed novel (which as of this moment, is nowhere near the light of day). When asked about his influences, Samuel claims that the world is his muse. “I’m just as soon to call my coffee table the headquarters of some ‘save the world’ type agency as I am to call a long-decayed tree stump a castle carved in a mountainside.” The absurd, the plain, the majestic, the disgusting, the kitchen, the stars, his friends, his family, his enemies, his nightmares, his dreams, his hopes, his fears, his good habits, his bad habits— literally everything is his inspiration.

Shaw – “I have been writing since I was about 12/13 years old. I have always had an active (some would say over-active) imagination and found that a good outlet for it was to write my own make-believe worlds.”

White – “Reading! I don’t think a writer can write without reading. Possibly it’s the new words coming in the push the other ones out. Or something. I like to explore themes. ‘Night Train to Noarlunga’, for example, was an attempt to write a modern horror story involving ancient Indigenous myths from Australia. Another recent story came about when I discovered the Soviets had their own Land Speed Record attempts in the 1960s. Once the idea lodges, I have to write it, no matter how odd.”

~Do you listen to music when you write (and, if so, what sort of a playlist do you rock out to) or do you prefer silence?

Browning – “I listen to music. What I listen to depends on the scene I am writing. I like rock for action scenes, but I tend to prefer jazz or something calmer for love scenes. I listen to a wide variety of music, so I can always find something to fit my needs. Non English lyrics are fantastic for both writing and editing, and I've recently become a fan of Japanese rock.”

Drehmel – “I dont think I can write without it. I have several playlists on Spotify and YouTube. Some of my favorites, Ashestoangels, Obscure Pleasures, Fearless Vampire Killers, Evilyn, Ugly Love, William Control, Depeche Mode.”

Ellery – “I have no idea how people manage to write with music on. I have tried that and I end up typing to the rhythm and it becomes distracting.”

Franchetti - "Music is my motivation to write a scene in which I am having difficulty portraying a certain emotion to my readers. I feel if I am not scared, sad or happy as I am writing a scene, then my readers will not be either. I listen to strong instrumental music that would cause someone to feel a certain way as I write. I recall scaring myself silly while writing one of the ending scenes for Crimson Rose: Inferno because of the music and of what I was picturing in my head. The music only magnifies my ability to fully draw the reader into the scene and story itself.”

Katz – “I have to have music when I write or literally nothing gets done. I’m very eclectic so I’ll put the ol’ Ipod on shuffle and get anything from System of a Down to Taylor Swift going.”

Langan – “I don’t usually listen to music when I write. I do however listen to Dr. Jeffrey Thompson’s Creative Mind System which stimulates creativity in my brainwaves, greasing the old neurons to send ideas slipping across the synapses. I do however, use music in the brainstorming process. While a fan of many genres ranging from Acoustic to Death Metal, Indie to Dubstep, 80’s Goth to poetic Rap, I have been writing a lot of science fiction since these pieces were published and am currently listening to: Juno Reactor, a major contributor to the Matrix trilogy soundtracks; Clint Mansell, the phenomenal composer who’s scored director Darren Aronofsky’s movies like my favorite film, The Fountain, (a groundbreaking Sci-Fi drama, a la 2001: A Space Odyssey or Solaris) as well as Black Swan and Requiem for a Dream. All of which are innovated films I highly recommend; A Perfect Circle- whose album eMOTIVe has helped me paint a mental portrait of the dystopian Brave New World that is the setting for my upcoming novel; and finally, the ever-popular Skrillex- for the futuristic club scenes in my novel: holographic dancers, brain-altering waves laced with electronic music, audio drugs, neon vidscreens and the lingering clouds of cigarette smoke that hang lethargic ghosts.”

Schulman - When writing, Sam finds that he gets his flow on best with music playing in the background. Most recently, Puscifer and The Mars Volta have been his biggest influences, with Puscifer’s song “The Undertaker” serving as the basis for his short story “My Brother and Me”. Additionally, The newest Mars Volta album “Noctourniquet” served as the inspiration for “Saint Christopher”. Other artists Samuel enjoys are Nine Inch Nails during the Fragile era, Depeche Mode, Maynard James Keenan projects, At the Drive-In, early 90’s AFI, Tom Waits, Beck, The Arctic Monkeys, Coheed and Cambria, Yes, King Crimson, Ministry, Portishead, Peter Murphy, Bauhaus, Muse, and many others.

Shaw – “Both actually. There are times when I need the music to write and then I have moments when silence is better. My playlist is pretty long but it consists of a mixture of music, rock, rap, r&b, heavy metal, etc.”

White – “Music definitely inspires me and gets me thinking about stories to write, but I find myself too focused on the act of writing to pay attention once I start. If there’s music on I tend to block it out. Being an audiophile, I’ll listen to a piece of music and find it puts me in mind of a story to write, then I’ll turn it off and write. In terms of what I listen to Country, Rock, Folk and Blues feature large, but I don’t tend to notice genre. Favorites include Neil Young and Jethro Tull, but I’ve got Shooter Jennings blasting on the ipod at the moment, so there’s that too.”

~What four words would you use to describe yourself

Browning – “Unusual; dedicated; sincere; funny”

Drehmel – “Determined; Phoenix; little; tough.”

Ellery – “Dreamer; geek; collector; listener.”

Franchetti – “Mischievous; energetic; kindling; bashful.”

Katz – “I don’t know how.”

Langan – “Solicitous; rational; anomalous; perceptive.”

Schulman - In four words, Samuel mostly just fidgeted and contemplated. His ability to think of himself so compacted is... limited for lack of a better term. After enduring three hours of water-boarding, Samuel said, “Asshole. Not a dick.” A follow up may be necessary.

Shaw – “Easy-going; fun; imaginative; freaky.”

White – “I am. That’s it.”

~If you could have ANY super power, what would it be and why?

Browning – “Trick question. Ha Ha I would want the ability to fly. The freedom it would offer, as well as the unique experience would be amazing to me. ”

Drehmel – “I would like to be able to freeze time like Piper Hallawell in Charmed.”

Ellery – “That is easy. I want to have a teleportation ability. I would never need a car and I could travel the world without a plane.”

Franchetti – “If I had any super power, it would be able to shape shift into someone else/steal an identity. I pick this because it involves one of my main characters whom I absolutely adore.”

Katz – “Time control since it would be absolutely sweet and I could actually do whatever I wanted.”

Langan – “While one might argue that understanding everyone is not a “superpower” I argue that in this world where few people take the time to talk and actually communicate, our desires are often not voiced, and if I were to have the power to be, in a way, omniscient, aware of everyone's viewpoint, in such a close-minded society, that would be an incredible achievement. In my novel, I have solved this problem, implementing machinery into humanity’s biochemistry in order to send and receive thoughts between people like Instant Messages today in the ‘Matrix’ we live in with everything ruled by social media.”

Schulman - When asked about having superpowers, he’d prefer to have telekinesis, because he is physically quite weak, and feels light as a feather as a result, and is quoted as saying, “You get flight and super strength without lifting a finger. How can you go wrong?”

Shaw – “The power to shape shift. Because I think it would be awesome to be able to turn into a powerful cat.”

White – “Ah, a tricky one. I’d like to be immortal, I think. I like to keep my options open. Death would cramp my style.”

~What does being an artist mean to you?

Browning - "Being an artist means to pour your soul our on canvas/paper/clay/etc. and share it with the world. It means having something that you are compelled to share with others. It still humbles me that I can entertain others with my words."

Drehmel - "I love that I get to call myself an artist at all, I have no talent for music or drawing or that kind of art but love it very much so to be able to express myself in an artistic manner and share it with the world is pretty amazing to."

Ellery - "For me it is the best way I can express myself and at the same time share thoughts without feeling I have exposed myself."

Franchetti - "Sharing my ideas and stories with the world is what it means to me to being an artist."

Katz - "It’s funny, I don’t really consider myself to be an artist, just a goofy kid with an overactive imagination."

Langan - " Being an artist means to me that I get to paint pictures with words. All art poses a question rather than an answer. I challenges my readers to come up with their own conclusions after reading my work and interpret my sometimes cryptic worlds however they see fit. It’s not about how I envision it, it’s about how you envision it. I merely paint the picture, you tell me what you see."

Schulman - He considers being an artist something that everyone does to a degree. He lives his life by these words spoken by Maynard James Keenan, “Life is too short not to create something with every breath...” and goes forth to try as many new things as possible to expand his palette.

Shaw – “Freedom.”

White – “Being an artist means creating things. Taking ordinary words and building an extraordinary universe, a history, a narrative. There’s too much destruction in the world. Let’s create instead.”

~If you could say/instill ANYTHING into the minds of somebody about to read your contribution to "Grim Vengeance", what would it be?

Browning - "Be careful who you cross. Not everyone is willing to turn the other cheek. And those that aren't, usually have the ability to inflict their vengeance in a suitably awful manner."

Drehmel - "My stories always are written with a piece of my soul in it"

Ellery - "In this world we have not explored all that it has to offer. There are secrets that are meant to be revealed and some that should stay hidden and others that need to be respected. If we lose ourselves in personal gain we can be harming ourselves and those around us."

Franchetti - "Imperium and deceit can power a person for revenge and blood while a forbidden creation, and public execution can stab a heart and start a war."

Katz - "Enjoy."

Langan – “First of all, I would like readers to keep an open-mind and I wouldn’t want to install anything specific. However, to answer the question, I’ll expand upon this: In a reiteration of what Edgar Allan Poe asked in the 1800’s in a poem of his. “Is all that we see or seem but a dream within a dream?” I would like to forewarn readers in a quote circulating around the scientific community: ‘Not only is the universe stranger than we imagine - it is stranger than we can imagine.’ Keep that in mind when reading my writing.”

Schulman - Before you read his story, he wants you to be aware of a typo within “My Brother and Me” that he missed before it was too late.

Shaw – “Beware! This is a darker part of my mind that I haven’t visited very often before my pieces for this anthology.”

White – “Aboriginal culture is rich and deep, and should be treated with the utmost respect.”

*note - some of the anthology's
contributors were unableto be
reached for their information.

The Wizard's Cauldron: An Interview with Nathan Squiers

2012-12-07T10:52:00.001-05:00

Check out the full interview with Wizard's Cauldron at

The Wizard's Cauldron: An Interview with Nathan Squiers

I Love My Authors: The Literary Dark Prince on the Hot Seat!

2012-11-24T06:03:00.001-05:00

Welcome to I Love My Authors OMGosh I am STOKED!!! I have one of my Favorite Authors on the blog today ~ Nathan Squiers ~AKA~ The Literary Dark Princ

Read more at I Love My Authors: The Literary Dark Prince on the Hot Seat!

Nathan Squiers - Crimson Shadow: Sins of the Father Official

2012-11-08T02:12:00.001-05:00

Quickie Book Reviews: Top 10 Reads by Heather

2012-09-30T18:11:00.001-04:00

Quickie Book Reviews: Top 10 Reads by Heather: 1 The Conduit by Stacey Rourke, book 1 in the Gryphon series. This book was so good that both my 17 year old twins are bugging me for the...

B o o k s 4 T o m o r r o w: REVIEWS: 5 Novellas by Nathan Squiers

2012-09-20T01:55:00.001-04:00

B o o k s 4 T o m o r r o w: REVIEWS: 5 Novellas by Nathan Squiers: 5 NOVELLAS by NATHAN SQUIERS REVIEWED BY : Books4Tomorrow “ MAGIC MURDERER ” OVERVIEW The world of magic is unified b...

A Writer's Dream: AWD's September Author Spotlight - Nathan Squiers

2012-09-03T00:01:00.001-04:00

A Writer's Dream: AWD's September Author Spotlight - Nathan Squiers: A Writer's Dream is ecstatic to return with some new voices and books to bring to you via our author spotlights! This month we're spotli...

I Love My Authors: Curtain Call (Death Metal #1) A New Release from C...

2012-08-10T01:50:00.001-04:00

I Love My Authors: Curtain Call (Death Metal #1) A New Release from C...: Welcome to I Love My Authors! It gives me great pleasure to announce the upcoming release of Nathan Squiers ' Curtain Call (Death Met...

(UPDATED) WHY FAN(g)S? (a psychological dive into the global vampire phenomenon)

2012-07-07T12:49:00.001-04:00

The ghostly glow of an evening mist dragging like a dying thing across the barren street that echoes with the lonely fallen steps of a solitary morsel. The melodic clacks give away a rising tension as their tempo increases; the urgency in the stride reflecting the racing of their pulse. A hushed murmur drifts by like a lingering thought—the already phantom memory of its call burning into every crevice of their terror-soaked mind—and a shadow washes over the towering and foreboding walls of the nearby building; the series of structures lining the night-bathed city quickly becoming a cage of iron and stone that closes in with every panicked breath. From behind: a chuckle—-the unmistakable tune of a predator's victory made all the more dreadful coming from an all-too-human mouth. Overcome with fear, the once-lone wanderer makes a mad-dash away from the voice, ignoring the ache of exertion and the burning of oxygen-starved lungs as they whimper and fight to form the words to call for help. Despite the effort, the futility of the attempt is made evident as the shadow falls upon them—consuming them in a whirlwind of darkness and enveloping them in a hungry abyss—and they finally find voice enough to shriek as the glow of inhuman eyes narrow on their own and a pair of glistening and dripping gore-stained fangs break past the veil.

Though the legends and myths that have existed since the dawning of human civilization always point towards the certain suffering and death of their victims, the popularity of vampires and creatures tied to their tales have flourished. Beyond that, the legends have warped and evolved to take monstrous and demonic beings that were in no way human and (more to the point) attractive in ANY way, shape, or form and turning them into a being of sensuality and beauty that has only served to take an already-compelling icon and add the element of sex and attraction to the mix. Despite the terror associated with the legends and the obvious dangers that such a being could present to our kind, the world's collective obsession with vampiric beings has escalated to points that define genres of media entertainment, motivate fashion and lifestyles, and even shape entire groups and communities.

But none of this actually boils down to the "WHY" of the phenomenon. What is it about these beings that so aggressively draws us in and sinks its metaphorical fangs into our jugulars and refuses to release.

Why are we so inclined to be fans of the fangs

Past the inherent and two-dimensional fascination with the powerful and lustful creatures dwells a truth that, ironically enough, defines humanity. We, as people—as weak, soft, terrified, and mortal beings—will forever be compelled to idolize and focus on figures and symbols that our ever-growing minds hope will reveal some secret to their success in living, loving, and liberating themselves from the mundane and redundant. When we're young, we look up to parents, older siblings, fascinating members of the local community, and, of course, the characters we grow up loving that perpetually illustrate strength and integrity in television, movies, books, and comics. We dream and strive for the day when we'll find ourselves free of our youthful weaknesses and be free of doubt and confusion… but that day never comes. Months turn to years and then decades and, as we fall into the ever-famed adulthood that we've dreamt so long would mystically provide us with clarity and understanding of life, the universe and everything we discover we're just as frail and just as oblivious, but now cursed with the capacity to UNDERSTAND just how oblivious.

And so, with no magical age dawning upon us with rays of god-like understanding, we forever leap-frog from idol and icon in an ever-constant-yet-insatiable hope to finally feel that we're greater than we are.

Because, in the end, we're still only human.

Only human!

Our subconscious minds see the futility in the search for that one man or woman who can be a guru to cure us of our limitations, and they turn to the beyond; turn to that which transcends humanity; turn to mythology.

An obsession with our limited longevity and a fear of what lies beyond this life has been a motivator for theory-upon-theory-upon-theory. Death represents an inescapable oblivion—an eternal NOTHING—that eats away at our cores because, when all is said-and-done, "nothing" means EXACTLY that to us: nothing. How does one define something if there's nothing to define? We experience a cornucopia of REAL and TANGIBLE that to imagine nothing—no sight, no sound, no smells or tastes, nothing to feel, and no mind to recognize the void—is an incomprehensible notion. And if the history of mankind has taught us nothing else, it's that we HATE that which we cannot comprehend. We assign titles to everything to convince us we hold power over it and try to define the inner workings of this, that, and everything with a limited knowledge of what it is we're trying to define. And so, in an effort to combat the confusion and fear associated with death, we fabricate alternate realities that exist for us beyond this lifetime; theories of heavens or hells or limbos or hauntings or, rather than living an eternity elsewhere, being born as a new person and starting the cycle anew.

All because death and our impending nothing TERRIFIES us.

Enter the vampire. A being whose existence is defined almost unanimously with immortality; a being that represents no need for fear of what lies beyond. And though this eternity relies on a willingness to destroy the lives of others, the natural need to survive motivates us to take that step. If a building is on fire, the occupants' need to survive outweighs the sympathy of others' needs, and it's an all-too-common event that situations like that find people trampled and trapped so that others have the leverage to survive. Is it really such a stretch to see us as so monstrous as to literally steal the lives of strangers to sustain our own?

And what of those who find themselves at the bottom of the stampede? What of those who find themselves trapped within the inferno because somebody wanted to survive enough to lock away the threat of death with them still at risk? What do you think they would give for a body that doesn't break underfoot or the strength to take down any obstacle?

Enter the vampire. A being whose supernatural abilities make even the most able-bodied star athletes look like a joke in comparison. A being who exists in legends as capable of easily holding their own against armies and able to tear down buildings with their unbreakable claws. A being whose speed and reflexes make them a nearly uncatchable and un-killable force for any who stand in their way. A being who sees the threat of those who intimidate them in their everyday life as nothing more than an insignificant creature; no more dangerous or threatening than a newborn puppy—blind and defenseless and oblivious.

A being greater than man or beast but, at the same time, a enigmatic hybrid of the two.

A being capable of communicating and controlling and even BECOMING the animals that we eagerly and desperately struggle to understand.

A being that is not only unafraid of the darkness, but REVEL in it!

All the limitations and shortcomings of man encompass the strengths and traits of the creatures we idolize, because, at the root of it all, we crave a life that's free of fear and uncertainty.

And so we eagerly consume movies and literature and music and any-and-all forms of media and society that pertains to vampires so that we can lose ourselves in that tranquility. Men bellow and cheer as Blade and Selena take on hordes of the undead using vampire strength and cunning and women melt into the steely grip of Lothaire and Edward and Lestat in their paranormal romance novels because they represent total freedom from the normal and a sense of security (as well as cheering on Blade and Selena as they take on hordes of the undead; sorry, guys, but you gotta share the badass whether-or-not you're willing to dive into the romance).

Vampires are, body and mind and drive, what we can NEVER be, and that limitation—that hunger for a taste of what we'll never have—keeps us coming back for more of the fan(g)tastic creatures.

Is Disney's "Brave" heroine a lesbian?? ... WHO CARES?!

2012-06-28T16:59:00.000-04:00

And
 The Literary Dark Prince stares… and blinks…  and stares… and blinks… 
and as the words on this post refuse to alter  their conveyed message he
 begins to see the error lies not with them,  but the fact that—despite 
every iota of logical reasoning screaming and  crying at lung-bursting 
degrees—there are ACTUALLY people out there that  would CARE!! 
So-goddam-what if a Disney character is gay?! Snow White  lived with 
SEVEN men who constantly bribed her with diamonds, Belle fell  in love 
with a 10-foot GORILLA-DOG, Ariel pranced about with exposed  genitals 
on a public beach several days prior to being married to Eric  by a 
priest with an obvious erection, Jasmine all-but WHORED herself to  
Jafar to distract him from Aladdin, Jane fell for Tarzan when he was  
barely a coherent human being, and Mulan was a cross-dresser.


Society, get ready for a bomb-shell of a shocker: SEX EXISTS!! All  
elements associated with sex (nudity, arousal, exploration,  
experimentation, curiosity and—HOLY SHIT?!—homosexuality are a PART of  
the human condition that drives us to discover both other human beings  
AND ourselves)!


Ready for another world-melting revelation? KIDS ARE NOT STUPID!!  
They see Mommy and Daddy pucker up with pursed lips and—here comes “2 + 
 2”—if men and women can kiss one another, then who’s to say it stops  
there? The deductive reasoning of the minds society tries so desperately
  to cloud from every truth they deem unsuitable are more-than capable 
of  rationalizing the facts for themselves. Hiding sexuality from 
children  is not going to make them not realize that, if they cast their
 gaze  downward, THERE’S SOMETHING BETWEEN THEIR THIGHS, and THAT alone 
is  motivation enough for children to explore avenues of WHAT it is and 
WHO  else has them.


If a Disney princess is gay, then I’m certain a perceptive child that
  gives enough of a damn to psycho-analyze the broad while she’s 
slinging  arrows and being badass will be happy as a pig-in-shit to do 
so, but,  seeing how the notion of BIGOTRY and HOMOPHOBIA—the only REAL 
lesson  that all this song and dance teaches kids—have yet to enter into
 their  minds, I severely DOUBT that they’re going to care one way or 
the other.


To the kids out there: stay young forever!


To the adults out there: grow-the-fuck-up!!

The Literary Dark Prince LOVES The Legion:

2012-06-27T17:51:00.001-04:00

Here's a Legion-made trailer for the Crimson Shadow series set to Vampires Everywhere! (a personal favorite band)!!

12 Crimson Shadow Kindle shorts and what they mean to the upcoming Crimson Shadow #2: Sins of the Father

2012-06-24T21:42:00.001-04:00

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With book #1, "Noir", of my Crimson Shadow series now available (both in PAPERBACK and KINDLE formats) and book #2 debuting in November 2012, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing and I have decided to release a series of Kindle shorts from the series--12 in total--that will be released one-by-one every few weeks up until the next novel. Most of these shorts will feature the series' character, Xander Stryker, as he goes about his vampiric business after the happenings in book #1, as well as some that serve to introduce some other characters/themes. All of these stories, in some way or another, will lay an in-depth foundation for book #2's release and give you, the reader, a greater understanding of the chaos that Xander's in store for. Already there have been two releases--"Magic Murderer" and "Just Another Night"--and I thought I'd give a little glimpse of what's still to come:

See the full gallery on Posterous

"Magic Murderer" (NOW AVAILABLE):

"The world of magic is unified by a single truth: "The arts have tainted you."

For one man--a man corrupted by power and driven by a lust to kill--the price of his pursuits for power has become both a reason and a means of destroying lives. As this madman quickly discovers, the potential for murder and maiming are almost infinite when a flick of the wrist or a blink of an eye can rip flesh and snap bones, and the creative means of slaughtering innocents is a blood-red and limitless sky.

With fragmented thoughts and distorted truths festering in the twisted mind of this magical maniac, a sadistic killing spree ensues. As his campaign of carnage takes its toll on a family there seems to be no end to the bloodshed in sight…

… until he finds himself bathed in a Crimson Shadow."

"Just Another Night" (NOW AVAILABLE):

"A graveyard in the dead of night.

While most would avoid such an eerie setting, for three friends looking for a safe place to toke up, it is the perfect place to get high without getting caught. Unfortunately, for these stoners, fate has given them more to worry about than nosy cops.

In the blink of a bloodshot eye, all hell breaks loose... literally.

As forces beyond the friends' perception and control turn a calm night in a marijuana-haze into a terror-filled bloodbath all hope seems lost. But there's far deadlier beings roaming through the headstones, and a Crimson Shadow soon eclipses the carnage.

Talk about the ultimate buzz-kill!"

"Victim" (COMING SOON...):

"'The scars we wear are a constant reminder of what we've suffered through; of what we've survived. But the scars of every fight, every sacrifice, and every mistake are only skin-deep.'

For Xander Stryker, the "Crimson Shadow", this truth is all-too obvious, and though his vampire body will not scar easily, he still wears the reminders left behind from his human life. And while it's simple to see the history of abuse and self-destruction on Xander's body, it's the scars he wears on the inside that haunt him the most.

Despite having left the human race in a previous life, with a little motivation from a helpless victim, he may still be able to maintain his humanity."

"What Happens in Vegas" (COMING SOON...):

"Few would see Las Vegas--"Sin City": the gambling capitol and center for greed, lust, gluttony, and debauchery--as an ideal place for a dedicated Christian to vacation. However, with her closest friends promising a relaxing getaway and an insistent husband, Rachel is given no way to avoid the trip. Besides, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

At least that's what they say!

But when her vacation takes an unexpected turn and finds her in the dark clutches of unholy forces, Rachel has no choice but to carry her Hellish burden out of Sin City and back into the loving embrace of her unaware and unsuspecting family.

Is Rachel strong enough to resist the dark forces and see that her family remains free of their curse? Or will her faith and dedication be warped beyond repair as a Crimson Shadow envelopes her world?"

"A Tasty Nostalgia" (COMING SOON...):

"There's no end to the memories one can get lost in when you've lived for so many centuries; no shortage of of flashbacks and, moreover, no guarantee for your sanity.

Dane's vampiric existence has taken its toll on his mind. Every sight, every sound, everything reminds him of events long-since past--and when you're a predator who needs to live in the NOW, being trapped in the THEN can cost you your next meal.

On this night, Dane finds himself struggling to stay in the moment as he stalks his newest memory, and not even his ever- vigilant gargoyle companion can keep him focused.

Has he finally fallen victim to prolonged longevity... or is there a worse fate awaiting him in an encroaching Crimson Shadow on the horizon?"

"True Love's First Kiss" (COMING SOON...):

"Ruby. My name is Ruby...

At least that's the name I've tried so hard to hide behind.

With no home or family, I've been forced into the night to sell all that I have left in this world: myself. However, try as I might to escape my past, the memories refuse to let me shed who I once was. And I'm left with the cold truth:

Nobody loves me.

Not even me...

But tonight... tonight seems different; a sense of foreboding promise that has my senses and my curiosity peaked. Has my existence become so shallow that my mind is driven to fabricate false hopes... or could there truly be a touch of Crimson waiting for me in the Shadow of my life?"

"Christian's a FREAK" (COMING SOON...):

"Christian's been living the high-life: popularity, star football player, any guy... er, girl he could want, and, best of all, Xander Stryker is DEAD!

Sure, he might miss driving his fists into the loser's stomach on a daily basis, but knowing that the emo punk burned up a year ago has had him on cloud-9 ever since.

Until he wakes up after a night of club-hopping with a chunk of his throat ripped out and no clear memories of how...

Now, with his life and his sanity circling the drain, he has to come to grips with an inevitable truth that everyone else can see:

Christian's a FREAK!

And, before long, his bright and perfect life will be marred by a Crimson Shadow!"

"Killer" (COMING SOON...):

"Don't ask why. There's not always a reason...

... and if there is, you may not want to hear it.

There are those that find pleasure in the deaths of others; those that live to destroy lives. Their minds--twisted and depraved and warped--exist in a darkness that most refuse to accept, and this darkness exists even in a world of monsters--turning nightmares in on themselves.

So what happens when a creature that already exists to kill refuses to stop?

What happens when a monster becomes a kill?

Sometimes they find themselves in the chilled darkness of a Crimson Shadow."

"LUNA(tic) (Part 1/3)" (COMING SOON...):

"Xander is falling in love with his best friend, Estella...

And while it's difficult to believe after a life of loneliness and self-loathing, it's becoming hard to deny. But she's so innocent--so pure--and could never love a blood-sucking bringer-of-death like him that has made hunting out-of-control monsters a way of life. Though she may be a witch with extraordinary powers, there's no changing the obvious gaps between them.

He could never expect her to accept him as something more…

It's all enough to drive a vampire insane!

But, as certain as he is that their friendship will never evolve, he can't help but dwell on what their future may hold... and perhaps, in the shade of a Crimson Shadow, love can prevail."

"LUNA(tic) (Part 2/3)" (COMING SOON...):

"Xander is falling in love with his best friend, Estella...

And while it's difficult to believe after a life of loneliness and self-loathing, it's becoming hard to deny. But she's so innocent--so pure--and could never love a blood-sucking bringer-of-death like him that has made hunting out-of-control monsters a way of life. Though she may be a witch with extraordinary powers, there's no changing the obvious gaps between them.

He could never expect her to accept him as something more…

It's all enough to drive a vampire insane!

But, as certain as he is that their friendship will never evolve, he can't help but dwell on what their future may hold... and perhaps, in the shade of a Crimson Shadow, love can prevail."

"LUNA(tic) (Part 3/3)" (COMING SOON...):

"Luna is completely, utterly, and exponentially out of her mind! And, in her ever-hazy world--a world clogged and overflowing with sweet, sweet blood--the only thing she sees clearly is an up-and-coming power in the vampire community: Xander Stryker.

The son of the legendary auric vampire and co-founder of the once-proud Odin Clan and his rise in the mythos ranks have steadily gained attention. For Luna, a chance to share the next few centuries with a legend (even a growing legend) sounds like an ideal way to free herself from her mundane, scab-sucking existence.

But, before she can claim what's rightfully hers, there's the matter of his pet witch, Estella Edash.

Fortunately for Luna, however, the growing legend and his human company has gotten the attention of others, as well, and when Estella is snatched away, Luna sees an opportunity to be the light in the Crimson Shadow's life."

"Exorcism Gone Awry" (COMING SOON...):

"Father Tennesen, in an effort to combat the evil forces, has dedicated his life to freeing innocents from malicious forces. Along with a ragtag group of followers, his campaign has seen many cases of demonic possession, and while his efforts are noble, success in the field of exorcism is a rarity.

But Father Tennesen is nothing if not persistent.

When he and his team are contacted by a mysterious and wealthy stranger claiming to be posessed, the others see it as a chance to cash in on their efforts... but Tennesen's goals are a bit more personal. For a man who's dedicated his life to faith, his is beginning to wane. So when things take a turn for the worst and Tennesen finds himself in a dark and desperate place, will he succumb to the darkness...

Or will a Crimson Shadow answer the call?"

You don't have to be an author... To Write Love On Her Arms!

2012-06-21T00:29:00.001-04:00

"These street lights, they shine bright as they illuminate the darkness of the pavement. They shine as we try to write in on her arms the love she longs to taste, and we'll find that inside she's a broken heart that anyone can save. It's alright. It's alright. It's alright."

"Remember hope. Hold on to hope. We have hope."

In an effort to help those that silently suffer with suicidal thoughts and self-harm, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing and I, The Literary Dark Prince, will be donating a portion of the proceeds from "Crimson Shadow: Noir" (book #1 of the Crimson Shadow series) to support To Write Love On Her Arms.

I want to remind EVERYONE that saving a life is not as hard as it seems. Every act of kindness--every proof of love--represents a reason to live; represents a hope for tomorrow!

Join The Literary Dark Prince to help end the pain!!

Visit www.twloha.com to find out more!

Hardcore Paranormal with Nathan Squiers 06/19 by Journal Jabber | Blog Talk Radio

2012-06-19T19:08:00.001-04:00

Join The Literary Dark Prince with Hardcore Paranormal with Nathan Squiers 06/19 by Journal Jabber | Blog Talk Radio!!!

On The Literary Dark Prince's birthday, YOU get the presents!!

2012-06-15T08:22:00.001-04:00

Crimson_Shadow_Official_Book_Trailer_-_YouTube.flv Watch on Posterous

26 years ago, The Literary Dark Prince emerged onto this realm, and since Earth and its occupants have yet to rid themselves of this menace, his dark and insane poison continues to spread. In no way trying to protect the myriad of innocents and pure souls, Crushing Hearts and Black Butterfly Publishing has joined with the infernal author and, in an effort to tarnish as many human souls as possible, have put book #1, "Noir", of this sadistic monster's psycho-goth vampire series on Amazon Kindle for FREE on the anniversary of his materialization on this earthly plane. Click HERE to claim yours NOW!!

Because your curiosity feeds the all-too-powerful drive to destroy everything, you owe it to yourself and all those who you hold near and dear to see their purity turned oily and wicked by getting your copy TODAY (June 15th) without sacrificing a single unit of Earth currency.

However, if your hard-earned wealth screams to gain you more possessions, The Literary Dark Prince can still satisfy you (for he, though born of darkness, loves The Legion and is kind and merciful). Starting today, for less than a filthy fast-food discount cheeseburger, you can add the Crimson Shadow short story, "Just Another Night" to your Kindle collection for only $0.99 simply by clicking HERE!!

"A graveyard in the dead of night.
While most would avoid such an eerie setting, for three friends looking for a safe place to toke up, it is the perfect place to get high without getting caught. Unfortunately, for these stoners, fate has given them more to worry about than nosey cops.
In the blink of a bloodshot eye, all hell breaks loose... literally.
As forces beyond the friends' perception and control turn a calm night in a marijuana-haze into a terror-filled bloodbath all hope seems lost. But there's far deadlier beings roaming through the headstones, and a Crimson Shadow soon eclipses the carnage.
Talk about the ultimate buzz-kill!"

With nothing to lose and everything to gain, why not give in to temptation? If nothing else it may appease The Literary Dark Prince for another year to come.

Rock out & live on!~Nathan Squiers(The Literary Dark Prince)www.nathansquiers.com

BATHED IN THE CRIMSON SHADOW (illuminating what's to come):

2012-06-14T08:25:00.000-04:00

"Wicked Paints" short
(cover by EmJayArt.com)

With the release of "Crimson Shadow: Noir", book #1 in my vamp-goth psycho-thriller series, and several short stories that tie into the series ("Wicked Paints, "Magic Murderer", and the soon-to-debut "Just Another Night" [June 15^th]), I thought I'd take the time to better acquaint everybody with the series as well as give a "behind-the-scenes" look at what's gone into creating the Crimson Shadow world.

But first, for those who aren't already familiar with the premise of the book:

"Xander Stryker wants to die.

Ever since witnessing his mother's murder at the hands of his abusive stepfather when he was a boy, he has spent every day trying to reach that goal. But every night he's denied the death he craves.

Book #1, "Noir"
(cover by Para Graphic)

When his eighteenth birthday approaches, an unforeseen chance for change is offered when his life is plunged into chaos and he's dragged into a supernatural world of vampires and other creatures of darkness. Caught in the depths of this new reality, mysteries of his supernatural lineage begin to unravel and Xander is given the ultimate choice:

Continue on with his wretched life or begin a new one as the vampire he was always meant to be.

Unfortunately, the supernatural world can be just as unforgiving and brutal as any other and Xander's choice is met with disastrous consequences. Now, with the chaos of the new world pressing down on him, his past reemerges and once again threatens to crush him. Will Xander be able to use his new strength to conquer his fears, or will he succumb to his own bloody darkness...

... and allow it to finally destroy him."

Get to know The Literary Dark Prince

In the beginning (nearly 10 years ago), Crimson Shadow started as a means for me to vent; a personal outlet to let some inner demons wreak the havoc they so desperately wanted to while, at the same time, keeping the public and its many innocents safe. At that time, an obsession with death and darkness motivated me to research all of the many creatures of mythology and lore that thrive off of both--especially vampires. Since the beginning of human society, vampires have, in one way or another, existed in the minds of the masses and haunted their nightmares with the threat of robbing them of their life to sustain their own. Throughout history, creatures like this have plagued the minds of humanity and, for me especially, represented an escape from reality; allowing for the fantasy of transcending the mundane and limited life of a human to become something powerful and eternal. And this escape--this means of vanquishing weakness and overcoming abuse in a way that not only brought one above their tormenters, but into a whole new plane of existence--was what I craved at that time.

It was then that Xander Stryker--a boy who, like me, was self-destructive and tortured, but found a way above it all and into something so much greater than he could've ever imagined--was created.

At that time, there was no plan for the project outside of "traveling" with Xander and his journey into a world of vampires and finding the strength to fight not only those that would try to do him harm, but his own desires to harm himself. For me, there was no plan--no future--outside of telling Xander's story, and I was certain that the moment I finished the piece that I would leave it as my last effort before ending my life.


Learn more about To Write Love On Her Arms (the suicide & self-harm prevention movement that sees a donation for every copy of "Noir" sold)

But then Xander did something I'd never expected him to do…

He saved my life.

Somehow, in writing a story of a character who was supposed to encompass everything I could never be, I discovered strength and purpose. To add to my surprise, others--who had begun to notice a dramatic change in my mood and behavior and demanded to see what was bringing about that change--found Xander's tale (the tale that would later become the first book in the Crimson Shadow series, "Noir") worked just as well to give them strength and hope; encouraging others who had been suicidal to find their own means of overcoming their personal breeds of darkness. Seeing that this character's growth had such potential, I focused less on what the stories could do for me and more about what they could do for others. Over the years (five in total to polish the first book) I decided that I had found my calling and set my dreams on becoming an author so that I could entertain and enlighten the world (effectively deciding to shift from a nobody who wanted to die to somebody who wanted to provide the world with an enthusiastic storyteller).

As Xander grew more-and-more aware of the world of vampires--a world that I wanted to be laced throughout modern-day human society so tightly that readers would genuinely believe that they, too, could experience it if they turned down the right (or wrong) dark alley. My obsessive research, as it turned out, allowed for me to build and modify on a myriad of legends to create something that mirrored the classic lore while, at the same time, shining the light on the many myths in a way that readers had never before seen them.

The process of creating/modifying legendary "monsters" to create fresh and compelling creatures for my writing proved to be one of the most challenging and time-consuming tasks I could take on. So that others have an understanding of just how broad and complex the paranormal world stretches: I have studied global and cultural mythology for two years before starting to write Xander's story and, since then, have continued my studies (that's 12 years' worth of research--nearly half my entire life).

So far, for the universe that all of my writing has taken place in, there are more than four species of vampires (one of which has three different types) and a breed of shape-shifter that encompasses werewolves, werebears, werecats (any anthropomorphic "were"-creature you can imagine) called "theriomorphs" ("therio-" being a Latin root for "beast") or "therions", for short. Other creatures (like the elf/fairy-like "anaprieks", the bat-like "Gerlins", and many more) were included, as well, so that the world of non-humans--known as "mythos"--would be just as diverse and broad as the one we already know and see every day.

Being a fan of action/adventure films, comics, and Japanese anime/manga, I'd always seen the superhuman abilities of vampires, werewolves, and other such beings as a means of creating truly epic and (often literally) ground-breaking encounters and, of course, battles. If a being is strong enough to leap 30 feet into the air, punch through walls, move faster than bullets, or move anything and everything with their minds, then it stood to reason that a fight between such beings would be a true visual marvel. Now, because I've always had a cinematic mind (I'd dreamed of being a filmmaker at one time in my life), I've always written in a manner that I hoped would instill an image in the reader's mind that was not unlike the fluid visuals of watching a movie (and, with such elaborate visuals to work with, I had my work cut out for me).

"Magic Murderer" CS short
(cover by EmJayArt.com)

Despite all the challenges associated with it, however, I found that building a whole new world to house my creations proved to be more fun than I'd ever expected. Because of the "rules" that I'd set in Xander's world, I had to research outside of what I was used to (psychology, philosophy, religion, biology, etc…) in order to make the creatures and their abilities believable. For the blood-drinking vampires, for example, I had the pleasure of interviewing a dentist to learn more about how the classic fangs that we all know and love would work in the real world and any biological traits that would come along with them. Magical practices and paralleling beliefs from different views were taken into consideration in order to fabricate a breed of spellcasting that ultimately defined every creature I'd created. More than anything else, though, was the realm of physics and how these glorious creatures would be capable of achieving their extraordinary abilities.

Though a lot of that effort may not be blatantly obvious in the writings, all of that time and research was not spent in vain. For a writer to be confident in their work, and, as a result, have their readers believe and accept what's being "fed" to them, there has to be a sense of continuity and believability (so that they can fully immerse themselves in their entertainment, audiences rely on a concrete understanding of what is "fact" when approaching a book, movie, comic, etc…). Research and development is, in many ways, one of the most important things for a writer to do when creating a new world (second only to following through with a project and seeing it to the end).

In preparing this blog post, I decided to open the floor (so to speak) to a few readers who had questions that I felt were worth publically answering. If you have any questions that aren't answered here, feel free to post them and I'll do my best to answer without spoiling any future elements in the series:

1) Xander Stryker has a lot of challenges in his life, while you were writing his story did you have a hard time writing certain parts?

~One of the reasons book #1 took five years to complete (at least three years longer than ANY other piece I've written since) was because a great deal of scenes and emotions that I depicted were dangerously close to personal events that I was forced to step away from the project time-and-time-again to avoid slipping into depression (on several occasions, however, stepping back didn't help and, more than once, I suffered from minor breakdowns).

2) Being this story from a personal perspective, were there certain characters who you found had a lot of traits from special/important people in your life?

~Absolutely! When approaching the process of developing the characters for the book I would often consider what I needed from that character (what purpose they held in the piece) and determined a fitting personality that would drive that purpose. A lot of the time, the personalities that I "programmed" these characters with was similar to one-or-more actual people in my life (some characters, like Estella, for example, were combinations of several people--in that case my fiancé and her determination and kindness mixed with the soft-hearted nature of my mother to create a strong and capable character who detested violence and killing). Other characters were a little more vague/less literal and were built more around a TYPE of personality rather than a specific person's personality (I'd always defined Marcus as the big brother/drill sergeant-type).

3) We are briefly introduced to the character Estella; will she play a more important role in future books perhaps?

~Yes. At risk of going into too much detail and spoiling future books I can assure you that Estella's character will become VERY relevant/integral to the series.

Look for the next CS Kindle short,
"Just Another Night" on June 15th
(art by EmJayArt.com)

4) From his suicidal tendencies and depression and rage issues, do you think Xander will fully be able to control his emotions and become the legend he was destined for?

~One of Xander's greatest strengths (as well as one of his greatest weaknesses) IS his self-destructive tendencies and his anger. It's said that the worst kind of opponent is one who doesn't fear death, and it's the truth; if somebody doesn't care about protecting themselves and is focused SOLELY on destroying their enemy, then being shot or stabbed isn't a concern so long as they can eradicate them before bleeding to death

However, while Xander's emotions--like anybody else's--have a tendency to become their own hurdles, he's never beyond a point of seeing that his perception/approach needs to change for both his and his loved ones' benefit. For this reason, while he'll probably never be a Buddhist master of all things Zen, Xander will inevitably rise to meet the challenges he's faced with.

5) Xander is both a sang AND an auric from what we’ve gathered; does he prefer blood drinking or psychic energy for feeding? If sang, does he have limits to which he feeds from with blood and if auric, do certain “emotions” taste better than others?

~Xander, as a human, grew up with a lot of darkness and suffering in his mind and, as a result, is somewhat reluctant to enter the minds of others (after all, why invite somebody else's emotional baggage into your life if you've already got too much of your own?) and typically prefers to drink blood if given the option. However, this reluctance doesn't keep him from doing what has to be done, and if he needs to unveil a hidden thought to solve a mystery or psychically drain somebody to get the strength he needs, he will do so in the blink of an eye.

As for limitations on whose neck he tears into: like any law-abiding mythos in the series, he makes a conscious effort not to feed on humans to avoid the complications that missing persons and piled corpses tend to arise. For the most part, sang vampires can sustain themselves on any sort of blood, and it's usually easier and safer to get this from animals and sources that store animal blood from slaughterhouses. However, the bagged stuff is to a vampire what freeze-dried rations are to a human; while it serves the intended purpose, it's rarely satisfying and never enjoyable. Like anything else, though, if he gets hungry enough, then ANYTHING with blood in it is an appetizing morsel.

In the end, any sort of feeding (blood or psychic) is a means of keeping up his strength and/or healing from any injuries he's sustained. For this reason, he doesn't "prefer" any blood-type or emotion over another, as long as it does what it's supposed to do.

MEET THE CRIMSON SHADOW CREW!!

6) Xander meets a lot of characters in book 1; out of all the characters you’ve introduced (Marcus, Stan, Estella, and The Gamer) which was your favorite to write about and which was your least?

~All of the characters I made are enjoyable in their own right, but, in the end, it was how those characters interacted with Xander--the way dialogue flows between them or how they behave around one-another--that defined my enjoyment of depicting them. With dialogue, I'm a big fan of the abrasive back-and-forths (they have a more natural feel and also allow for both tension and humor depending on the situation). With Marcus, I wanted a character who would become something like a big brother to Xander--knowledgeable and accommodating, but sarcastic and condescending at the same time--and, because of Xander's tendency to react quickly to his emotions, I loved having Marcus tease and poke at Xander. Because Stan was always somebody Xander got along with and respected there was always a sense of admiration and a drive to impress for Xander, and I liked how naturally he and Stan "meshed" on that level (to compare how Xander interacts with Stan-versus-Marcus would be comparing two cars driving headlong into one another-versus-driving side-by-side on a clear street). Amongst all the characters, however, Estella is the only one that genuinely calms and relaxes Xander and the only one you noticeably see him working to impress/make happy (in many ways I wanted to make Xander an abrasive jerk to just about anybody he encountered EXCEPT Estella). As for The Gamer… well, he's The Gamer; he's a fat, obnoxious, disgusting slob that everyone (including Xander) hates to admit is charming in his own rights (in large part because, despite knowing so much about magic and the world of mythos, he's NEVER bored with it, and it's very hard to genuinely hate somebody who's so damn excited about everything).

If I have to choose a favorite, I'd have to say that Estella's charms on Xander have always been the most peaceful and heart-warming for me to write while he and Marcus have actually succeeded in making me laugh WHILE writing them (so Estella wins, but Marcus is a very close second). For my LEAST favorite… well, I never enjoyed writing scenes with Kyle (but, then again, I was never supposed to).

7) Marcus is hilarious! Xander and him seem to click easily. Will we get to see more of Xander and him in action?

~Absolutely!

Readers who like Marcus will be glad to see him in several of the short stories that are being released over the next couple of months; the two doing what they do best: killing things. In many ways Xander is still in training, and Marcus is never above using a job as a means of instilling a vampiric lesson (think Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker from Star Wars).

8) You introduce The Gamer and he shows Xander a replica pair of pistols that are similar to the bad-ass Yin & Yang revolvers…Xander doesn’t seem too happy about it. Do you think he’ll ever be able to cope and possibly use that set in the future?

~If Xander has taught us nothing else, it's that EVERYTHING exists for some reason ;-)

9) So, we know you have a book 2 coming out soon…what can we look for in that release?

~Book #2 will answer some open-ended questions from book #1 and provide some unsettling closure therein. Readers can also look forward to a FAR more confident Xander who's more excited about killing others than himself and a great deal more (*ahem*) growth between him and Estella. Book #2 will also bring readers deeper into the Crimson Shadow universe and introduce a great many more creatures as well as spotlighting the therions, which were never touched-down upon in very much detail in "Noir". There will be gnarliness--supernatural & acrobatic fight-sequences that will make fans of action flicks, video games, and Japanese anime squirm with excitement--and plot-twists and romance and heartbreak and blood.

Oh yes, there WILL be blood!

10) Finally, how many books do you plan for the Crimson Shadow series? Do you have them all planned out?

~So far, as I have it planned, there will be seven books in total for the Crimson Shadow series (all of them planned out in some form or another) that center on Xander Stryker and his legacy (there's no exact number on how many short stories will coincide with the series, but there will certainly be more than a dozen). Past that, however, there is ANOTHER series that will spin-off from the CS series and feature a character with close ties to Xander (that series is estimated at about five books).

There you have it! Book #1 of the Crimson Shadow series and the chaos and insanity behind it's literary conception in a nutshell. I hope that this has helped to provide some illumination (partial as it may be) to the series and the character of Xander Stryker as well as enticing you to learn more. The journey in creating and following in Xander Stryker's growing vampire legacy is far from finished for me, and for all you wonderful readers it has only just begun.

I hope that you'll join both myself, The Literary Dark Prince, and the ever-growing group of fellow readers known as The Legion in exploring the depths of the world of Crimson Shadow and all the other stories that have come into being from it. You can find "Crimson Shadow: Noir" (available in both paperback and Kindle formats) and all of the available CS-themed Kindle shorts on Amazon HERE!

Rock out, live on, & welcome to The Legion!
~Nathan Squiers

(The Literary Dark Prince)
http://www.nathansquiers.com

Have you met Xander Stryker, the self-destructive, gun-toting vampire badass?

2012-05-03T16:14:00.001-04:00

~"Wicked Paints" - A prequel/short story for book #1 of the series, "Noir", featuring a talented painter who's astral encounter with Xander's tortured past drives her over the edge.



~"Noir" - Book #1 in the Crimson Shadow series: 
"Xander Stryker wants to die.



Ever since witnessing his mother's murder at the hands of his abusive stepfather when he was a boy, he has spent every day trying to reach that goal. But every night he's denied the death he craves.



When his eighteenth birthday approaches, an unforeseen chance for change is offered when his life is plunged into chaos and he's dragged into a supernatural world of vampires and other creatures of darkness. Caught in the depths of this new reality, mysteries of his supernatural lineage begin to unravel and Xander is given the ultimate choice:



Continue on with his wretched life or begin a new one as the vampire he was always meant to be.



Unfortunately, the supernatural world can be just as unforgiving and brutal as any other and Xander's choice is met with disastrous consequences. Now, with the chaos of the new world pressing down on him, his past reemerges and once again threatens to crush him. Will Xander be able to use his new strength to conquer his fears, or will he succumb to his own bloody darkness...



... and allow it to finally destroy him."




"Magic Murderer":


 "The world of magic is unified by a single truth: "The arts have tainted you."

For
 one man--a man corrupted by power and driven by a lust to kill--the 
price of his pursuits for power has become both a reason and a means of 
destroying lives. As this madman quickly discovers, the potential for 
murder and maiming are almost infinite when a flick of the wrist or a 
blink of an eye can rip flesh and snap bones, and the creative means of 
slaughtering innocents is a blood-red and limitless sky.

With
 fragmented thoughts and distorted truths festering in the twisted mind 
of this magical maniac, a sadistic killing spree ensues. As his campaign
 of carnage takes its toll on a family there seems to be no end to the 
bloodshed in sight…

… until he finds himself bathed in a Crimson Shadow."

 

"Just Another Night": 

"A graveyard in the dead of night.

While
 most would avoid such an eerie setting, for three friends looking for a
 safe place to toke up, it is the perfect place to get high without 
getting caught. Unfortunately, for these stoners, fate has given them 
more to worry about than nosy cops.

In the blink of a bloodshot eye, all hell breaks loose... literally.

As
 forces beyond the friends' perception and control turn a calm night in a
 marijuana-haze into a terror-filled bloodbath all hope seems lost. But 
there's far deadlier beings roaming through the headstones, and a 
Crimson Shadow soon eclipses the carnage.

Talk about the ultimate buzz-kill!"

 

"Victim":

"'The
 scars we wear are a constant reminder of what we've suffered through; 
of what we've survived. But the scars of every fight, every sacrifice, 
and every mistake are only skin-deep.'

For 
Xander Stryker, the "Crimson Shadow", this truth is all-too obvious, and
 though his vampire body will not scar easily, he still wears the 
reminders left behind from his human life. And while it's simple to see 
the history of abuse and self-destruction on Xander's body, it's the 
scars he wears on the inside that haunt him the most.

Despite
 having left the human race in a previous life, with a little motivation
 from a helpless victim, he may still be able to maintain his humanity."

 
 "What Happens in Vegas":

"Few
 would see Las Vegas--"Sin City": the gambling capitol and center for 
greed, lust, gluttony, and debauchery--as an ideal place for a dedicated
 Christian to vacation. However, with her closest friends promising a 
relaxing getaway and an insistent husband, Rachel is given no way to 
avoid the trip. Besides, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas.

At least that's what they say!

But
 when her vacation takes an unexpected turn and finds her in the dark 
clutches of unholy forces, Rachel has no choice but to carry her Hellish
 burden out of Sin City and back into the loving embrace of her unaware 
and unsuspecting family.

Is Rachel 
strong enough to resist the dark forces and see that her family remains 
free of their curse? Or will her faith and dedication be warped beyond 
repair as a Crimson Shadow envelopes her world?"

 

"A Tasty Nostalgia":

"There's
 no end to the memories one can get lost in when you've lived for so 
many centuries; no shortage of of flashbacks and, moreover, no guarantee
 for your sanity.

Dane's vampiric 
existence has taken its toll on his mind. Every sight, every sound, 
everything reminds him of events long-since past--and when you're a 
predator who needs to live in the NOW, being trapped in the THEN can 
cost you your next meal.

On this 
night, Dane finds himself struggling to stay in the moment as he stalks 
his newest memory, and not even his ever- vigilant gargoyle companion 
can keep him focused.

Has he finally 
fallen victim to prolonged longevity... or is there a worse fate 
awaiting him in an encroaching Crimson Shadow on the horizon?"

 
 
"True Love's First Kiss":
"Ruby. My name is Ruby...

At least that's the name I've tried so hard to hide behind.

With
 no home or family, I've been forced into the night to sell all that I 
have left in this world: myself. However, try as I might to escape my 
past, the memories refuse to let me shed who I once was. And I'm left 
with the cold truth:

Nobody loves me.

Not even me...

But
 tonight... tonight seems different; a sense of foreboding promise that 
has my senses and my curiosity peaked. Has my existence become so 
shallow that my mind is driven to fabricate false hopes... or could 
there truly be a touch of Crimson waiting for me in the Shadow of my 
life?"

 

"Christian's a FREAK":

"Christian's
 been living the high-life: popularity, star football player, any guy...
 er, girl he could want, and, best of all, Xander Stryker is DEAD!

Sure,
 he might miss driving his fists into the loser's stomach on a daily 
basis, but knowing that the emo punk burned up a year ago has had him on
 cloud-9 ever since.

Until he wakes up after a night of club-hopping with a chunk of his throat ripped out and no clear memories of how...

Now,
 with his life and his sanity circling the drain, he has to come to 
grips with an inevitable truth that everyone else can see:

Christian's a FREAK!

And, before long, his bright and perfect life will be marred by a Crimson Shadow!"

 

"Killer":

"Don't ask why. There's not always a reason...

... and if there is, you may not want to hear it.

There
 are those that find pleasure in the deaths of others; those that live 
to destroy lives. Their minds--twisted and depraved and warped--exist in
 a darkness that most refuse to accept, and this darkness exists even in
 a world of monsters--turning nightmares in on themselves.

So what happens when a creature that already exists to kill refuses to stop?

What happens when a monster becomes a kill?

Sometimes they find themselves in the chilled darkness of a Crimson Shadow."

 

"LUNA(tic) (Part 1/3)":

"Xander is falling in love with his best friend, Estella...

And
 while it's difficult to believe after a life of loneliness and 
self-loathing, it's becoming hard to deny. But she's so innocent--so 
pure--and could never love a blood-sucking bringer-of-death like him 
that has made hunting out-of-control monsters a way of life. Though she 
may be a witch with extraordinary powers, there's no changing the 
obvious gaps between them.

He could never expect her to accept him as something more…

It's all enough to drive a vampire insane!

But,
 as certain as he is that their friendship will never evolve, he can't 
help but dwell on what their future may hold... and perhaps, in the 
shade of a Crimson Shadow, love can prevail."

 
 
"LUNA(tic) (Part 2/3)":
"Xander is falling in love with his best friend, Estella...

And
 while it's difficult to believe after a life of loneliness and 
self-loathing, it's becoming hard to deny. But she's so innocent--so 
pure--and could never love a blood-sucking bringer-of-death like him 
that has made hunting out-of-control monsters a way of life. Though she 
may be a witch with extraordinary powers, there's no changing the 
obvious gaps between them.

He could never expect her to accept him as something more…

It's all enough to drive a vampire insane!

But,
 as certain as he is that their friendship will never evolve, he can't 
help but dwell on what their future may hold... and perhaps, in the 
shade of a Crimson Shadow, love can prevail."

 
 
"LUNA(tic) (Part 3/3)":
"Luna
 is completely, utterly, and exponentially out of her mind! And, in her 
ever-hazy world--a world clogged and overflowing with sweet, sweet 
blood--the only thing she sees clearly is an up-and-coming power in the 
vampire community: Xander Stryker.

The
 son of the legendary auric vampire and co-founder of the once-proud 
Odin Clan and his rise in the mythos ranks have steadily gained 
attention. For Luna, a chance to share the next few centuries with a 
legend (even a growing legend) sounds like an ideal way to free herself 
from her mundane, scab-sucking existence.

But, before she can claim what's rightfully hers, there's the matter of his pet witch, Estella Edash.

Fortunately
 for Luna, however, the growing legend and his human company has gotten 
the attention of others, as well, and when Estella is snatched away, 
Luna sees an opportunity to be the light in the Crimson Shadow's life."

 
  
"Exorcism Gone Awry":
"Father
 Tennesen, in an effort to combat the evil forces, has dedicated his 
life to freeing innocents from malicious forces. Along with a ragtag 
group of followers, his campaign has seen many cases of demonic 
possession, and while his efforts are noble, success in the field of 
exorcism is a rarity.

But Father Tennesen is nothing if not persistent.

When
 he and his team are contacted by a mysterious and wealthy stranger 
claiming to be possessed, the others see it as a chance to cash in on 
their efforts... but Tennesen's goals are a bit more personal. For a man
 who's dedicated his life to faith, his is beginning to wane. So when 
things take a turn for the worst and Tennesen finds himself in a dark 
and desperate place, will he succumb to the darkness...

Or will a Crimson Shadow answer the call?"



"Crimson Shadow: Sins of the Father" - Book #2 in the Crimson Shadow series:

"Xander’s had it rough…

…and while the trials and tribulations of the 
young vampire’s life have left him with a fiery rage, things are finally
 beginning to come together. Armed with his trusty revolvers, Yin and 
Yang, and a thirst for death and destruction, there is nothing that his 
expertise and fury can’t stand against! Except the spell-binding 
Estella… 

****

Estella finally has her best friend back…

…and, despite 
her many years of training in the art of magic, it wasn’t until recently
 that she discovered just how deep the paranormal world goes. But no 
matter how overwhelming the revelations might be, she’s found 
reassurance and comfort in the depths of Xander’s supernatural embrace…

****

With their relationship’s intensity growing, a new threat emerges 
from Stryker family’s past; one with a personal vendetta and visceral 
goals. Even with the help of some unlikely new allies, will the 
paranormal pair(and their blossoming relationship) be able survive the 
infernal rage?"



Find out more about the Crimson Shadow series and other works by Nathan Squiers (The Literary Dark Prince) at his OFFICIAL author page!!

**SO SAYETH THE LITERARY DARK PRINCE**

Tiger Dynasty Publishing: Cover Reveal: Scarlet Night by Megan J Parker

Tiger Dynasty Publishing: Review and Interview on Crimson Shadow: Noir

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"Noir" cover reveal & interview

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Nathan Squiers - Crimson Shadow: Sins of the Father Official