Release Day and WIPpet Wednesday!

Well. Hello, October! Do you all know what this means?! That’s right! It’s my RELEASE DAY! The re-release of Devil’s Dilemma and the first release of Devil’s Despair are out TODAY! I don’t even care if this is a shameless plug, I am so excited, I’m putting the links to the Amazon pages here so you can all see them. For my fellow WIPpeteers, though, if you want to read the books, I’m happy to gift you an e-book in exchange for a review. I’m not trying to coerce you into buying the books, so please don’t take the links that way.

Now that I’ve done my happy dance, let’s get to the WIPpet. The books releasing are the first two in the series and my current WIP is the 7th and presumably last. Unfortunately, I’m running out of stuff I can give you without getting too spoiler-y, so in honor of my release today, I’m going to give you a peek back at Devil’s Dilemma and where it all began. I’ll have you back into Nephil’s Destruction next week, but because it’s my release day, I want to go back to the beginning and one of my favorite scenes from the very first book. Since it’s the 10th month, you get 10 paragraphs.

Griffin spent most mornings looking out the window, searching the woods for any sign of life. A bird, a snake, anything that would tell her that her instincts were wrong. Every morning, there was nothing. So after a while, she would resign herself to yet another day of being afraid, and go downstairs to eat. At least she was keeping food down since Gabriel had given her a reprieve from the wasting away. She’d managed to put on a few pounds, filling out her gaunt frame slightly.  

It was snowing. Big flakes falling from the sky, piling on top of one another, coating the ground and the road and covering the cars. The snow was coming down so thickly now that it was almost impossible to see.  

Griffin had always loved the snow and could vaguely remember sitting on her grandmother’s lap, watching the flakes drift down, amped with excitement that she would get to go outside with her grandfather and play in it as soon as he got home. Even throughout her time in foster care, she’d always loved the first snowfall. 

Mind made up, she left the window and crossed the room, her clothes hitting the floor. She pulled on jeans instead of her sweat pants and donned a thick grey sweater and wool socks. She hopped on one foot to tug on her boot before switching and yanking on the other. Rifling through her closet, she realized she didn’t have a coat, then saw Braxton’s hanging up by the door. Feeling more relaxed than she had in months, she grabbed the coat and dashed down the stairs, swinging around to hurry through the kitchen and out the back door. 

The cold air was fresh and crisp on her face, and she curled her toes inside her boots, enjoying the feel. She tipped her head back and let the snowflakes settle on her skin, melting from her body heat. After a moment of enjoying the snow, she spread her arms out and fell backward.  

The impact jarred her, but the snow cushioned the fall. Feeling like a child, she moved her arms and legs, reveling in the simple joy of making a snow angel. When she’d sufficiently cleared the snow around her, she simply lay there, staring up at the dreary gray sky, watching the snow drift down. She let the tears take her. 

**** 

“How long has she been out there?” 

Alaria looked over her shoulder at Braxton. “Only about fifteen minutes. I’ve been keeping an eye on her.” 

“She’s making snow angels.” 

“Brilliant deduction, Sherlock.” Alaria laughed. “There’s no harm in her playing in the snow for a while. This might be her last chance to do it.”

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