Finding Magic in the Crook of the Carpathians

Hello again fellow Decadent writers and readers. As you are reading this, I am off the grid in a Central European hideaway they call Hustopeče, nestled in a tent between dense Czech forests of various evergreens, and a tranquil river. The Czech Republic is an incubator for a fantasy , and a place to dream with your eyes wide open.      

It's easy to find inspiration for my next modern Fairytale while I'm here for the next three months. The magic lives everywhere. The nature is an obvious place, but inspiration strikes with the eye-twinkle of an old lady sweeping her porch in a small village. Love scenes are birthed from afternoon rainstorms that cast fog through the cobblestone alleyways and squares. My imagination is jogged as I walk into the local bakery that appears more like a log cabin. The sweet scents of breads are warm, and the woman behind the counter becomes a nostalgic character.        

The people here seem world-weary, as if they have been around for centuries. Their

knowing looks appear as aged as the forts and castles that still stand. The third installment of my Of Light and Darkness series is about to be released and the fourth is well on its way. But during my time here in Czech, I just may invent a whole new fairy tale. I keep my notebooks and pens close by at all times. While my husband gets lost in conversation, I get lost in my other worlds. This country, its culture, and its people have not only adopted me, they've totally quenched my thirst for fascination, inspiration, and magic...stay tuned!

With much love from the Czech Republic,

Shayne 

The Musical Author…and Her New Releases

Hey everybody!

It’s been a while since I’ve blogged on the official Decadent blog and I am happy to be back. I should tell you that I have been so busy writing the next installments in my NA pararomance series, Of Light and Darkness.

I wish I could tell you that, but the truth is…I’ve been somewhere else.

Back in February 2013, I was signed to Spectra Music Group, which is one of the largest independent labels in the world. Some of you know that my other passion is music. Preferably 1980’s big-hair-band rock and roll.

So I’ve been locked up in the studio finishing my debut EP project that will be released on the label in early 2015. But that doesn’t mean I’ve been totally asleep at my writing wheel, either.

This week, I am headed to Nashville for the first time. But not for music purposes. I am headed to the UTOPYA book convention, where I hope I can really spread the word about the Of Light and Darkness series to the right crowd.

And it’s great timing, because today is the day Decadent Publishing officially releases The Anatomy of Vampires, which is a companion novella to the Of Light and Darkness series! It’s a little side story that fills out some of the details of my world-building and does it in a really fun way! (I think.)

In addition, the second installment in the Of Light and Darkness series (The Vampire’s Reflection) is totally free on Amazon this entire week in celebration of the release of Anatomy and my trip to UTOPYA. So, if you haven’t started your journey into the Occult City, I hope you take advantage of this week.

The entire series is inspired by my husband, so it’s a fantast that also lives really close to my heart.

That’s all I’ve got for now! Happy writing! 

Shayne Leighton

The Anatomy of Vampires

Volume 1

Of Light and Darkness

Central European Magic Regime Banned Literature 

Charlotte Ruzikova studied the pages of this volume relentlessly in order to identify with her Vampire guardian, Valek, in the first installment of the Of Light and Darkness Series.

Now, The Anatomy of Vampires: Volume One makes its way to your shelf. Follow the mysterious Alistair Vlain, as he ventures through the world of Occult cities, regimes, darkness, and magic. What happened before Vladislov’s genocide? What happened before Valek found Charlotte in the gutters of Prague? Will Alistair Vlain discover enough to reveal the conspiracies of the light, and ultimately avenge the name of the Vampire kind?

Find out in this volume that has officially been banned by the Central European Magic Regime.

The Vampire's Daughter

Of Light and Darkness

Book 1 

When one human stands before an army of impossible obstacles, the likelihood of overcoming them in this coming-of-age modern fairytale may result in war between light and darkness.
   Abandoned as an infant in Prague, naive and strong-willed Charlotte Ruzikova was raised by one of the last Vampires left alive. As a human, she knows no other home than the one nestled deep in the woods of Eastern Europe, where Witches drew spells of enchantment, Phasers threw tea parties, and Elves are the closest in kin. Charlotte has lived her life in the dark with her Guardian, content to having him to herself and reveling in his attention, until she's realizes she wants more...
   Resident medical doctor and Vampire, Valek Ruzik fears the day his ward would come of age and blossom into a fine woman, and he is forced to confront his own motives as time is of the essence once his past catches up to him, and their lives become endangered...
   As genocide and war threatens their secret society, the dictator in power is ready to wipe out Valek's race, but Charlotte will not allow that to happen. Fighting for the only one she's ever loved and truly believed in, she will do whatever it takes to save their love...before the sun comes up and light takes over.

The Vampire's Reflection

Of Light and Darkness 

Book 2

Months after their brutal victory over Aiden and his hierarchy of Wizards, Charlotte and Valek have returned from Prague to their home in the Bohemian Occult City. However, this time, they are joined by their new band of misfit, magical friends.

In the light of day, all seems to be at peace now that the Regime has been toppled, and the coven of rogue monsters has finally found their freedom. But Charlotte soon discovers that much like her adopted Vampire family, she has developed a strange addiction of her own. Her new disease is destroying her from the inside out, and Valek finds himself at a loss as he defies all odds to save her life.     

Danger continues to lurk around every corner and they realize that their happily-ever-after has not ended so happily after all, in this highly anticipated sequel of the Of Light and Darkness series.

#shayneleighton, #decadentpub, #oflightanddarkness, #vampireromance, #youngadultfiction