Christa Wojciechowski's Blog

I’m honored and excited to be hosting a live Zoom launch party for the debut novel by J.R. Blanes, Portraits of Decay. All are invited to come and join us!

There’ll be discussion, readings from the book, and plenty of gruesome fun to be had.

Add it to your Halloween fun for this month: Tuesday, October 21st at 8 PM ET.

REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM LINK HERE

“Portraits of Decay is at once haunting, provocative, and full of New Orleans mystery, where envy and greed make people more horrific than monsters. Blanes has concocted a spellbinding tale that will chill you to the core, as if your body sunk to the bottom of a Louisiana swamp.”

Christa Wojciechowski

Author of Sick and The Sculptor Series

“Taking the paranoia and intimacy of Come Closer and pairing it with the visceral horror of A Head Full of Ghosts, Portraits of Decay is an immersive, haunting, original novel. Could not put it down.”

Richard Thomas

Author of Incarnate
Bram Stoker, Shirley Jackson, and Thriller Award finalist

REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM LINK HERE

Portraits of Decay

Up-and-coming young artist Jefferson Fontenot has everything going for him: The hot New Orleans art scene has noticed him, and he’s finally found his true love, Nevaeh Parker.

But Fontenot’s bright future hides a darkness known as Gemma Landry—the artist’s lover and art scene influencer. Gemma believes Jefferson’s talent holds the key to her seizing control of the popular Carondelet Street Gallery. But when Gemma discovers Jefferson’s infidelity, she enslaves the artist with a poison she acquired from swamp-dwelling witch Mirlande St. Pierre.

Now trapped in a rotting body and plagued by hellish visions, Jefferson finds himself reduced to a zombie-like servant for his unhinged ex, while Nevaeh is forced to embrace her past, hoping to save the man she loves. As the dark curse courses through Jefferson’s veins, everyone involved soon discovers—in the most brutal of fashions—the terror that awaits when you cross Gemma Landry.

Preorder from Ruadan Books (Available 10/21/2025)

About J.R. Blanes

Hailing from Northern Indiana, J.R. Blanes became obsessed with the twisted and macabre from a very young age.

He is the author of multiple short horror stories, appearing via Wicked Shadow Press, Hiraeth Publishing, Dark Horses Magazine, the NoSleep Podcast, Tales to Terrify and more.

His debut novel, the New Orleans-inspired Portraits of Decay, is soon to be published through Ruadán Books.

HOPE TO SEE YOU THERE!

~Christa

REGISTER FOR THE ZOOM LINK HERE

The post Portraits of Decay – Launch Event appeared first on Christa Wojciechowski.

Sick is released on Amazon today in the Kindle version. Thank you to all those who preordered. Check your eReader. Your copy should be delivered!

If you haven’t bought your copy already, click here.

Info on paperbacks coming soon.

Sick

Susan Branch’s husband, John, is sick.

Charming and enigmatic, but very sick.

Born into wealth and prestige, John lost his family’s fortune to the mysterious illness that has now left him bedridden, and Susan’s life revolves around his care.

Years of devotion have left her exhausted and frustrated, yet she’s determined to scrape together whatever resources she can to keep John comfortable and happy—including stealing Demerol from the doctor’s office where she works to feed his growing dependence on painkillers.

As John’s condition continues to baffle doctors, Susan uncovers a secret from his childhood and the chilling cause of his illness.

Now that she knows the truth, can she put an end to the madness?

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The post 💉 Release Day –SICK appeared first on Christa Wojciechowski.

Originally published in The Writing Cooperative

How fiction shapes reality for both writer and reader

If you tell some people you’re a fiction writer, they think you live in the land of make believe. You’re a dreamer, an entertainer at best. Yes, we fiction writers like to dream, both while we’re awake and asleep. Sure, we like to indulge in our fantasies. And of course, we like to escape. However, fiction has a much greater role that many don’t fully realize.

Fiction teaches us

Storytelling is humanity’s way of learning, or recording history, of remembering the great ones. It is our way to warn, to educate, and to inspire. We pass on our wisdom to the next iteration of humanity, so instead of everyone having to learn all life lessons from scratch, we don’t have to reinvent the wheel.

The Hero’s Journey, the 5 Acts, the Epic Quest — you see it in everything we do—in marketing, in conversation, in our entertainment. As an outside entity looking in, you would think we are obsessed with ourselves. We tell ourselves stories about ourselves over and over again. But we are just trying to figure it all out. We are trying to get it right.

As we move forward, evolving as a society, as a species, and as individuals, story shapes us. Fiction is the vehicle. Reality is too close to our noses to see. Story is easy to understand and an engaging way to learn. This is why the wise men of ancient times spoke in parables. Myths, fables, fairy tales. Which is more effective? Telling a kid not to lie, or reading him the story of a boy who cried wolf?

Think about the books that most impacted your life. Were they non-fiction or fiction? I bet the first story that swept you away when you were a child was a fairy tale or an adventure. You aspired to the qualities of your hero or heroine. Later you might find other literary heroes to follow, ones who answer the questions that no one in your circle has the answers to. These writers become just as much a part of who we are as our parents, friends, and siblings. They help raise us, in a way.

Fiction tells us who we are

I remember the first time I read Dostoevsky. I was maybe twenty, and I had never read anything like it before. An angsty and lost person, I couldn’t put my finger on why I was so frustrated with the way the world worked. He addressed my feelings with story, excavating lurking notions I never knew I had until his words crystalized them for me. It was indirect, not accusing. I could absorb the ideas, any resistance or denial diluted by the narrative. As he put a name to this unease, it comforted me. I was okay. I was not the only one, even more than a hundred and fifty years later. Not wrong. Not crazy. Maybe I could pick up the baton and take his line of thinking further.

We can be a mystery unto ourselves until we find the right story to tell us who we are, how we feel, and why. The right book is like looking in the mirror. This can be unpleasant, curious, frightening, or exhilarating. It can be life changing.

Books are spooky in this way. They defy the laws of time and space. You can connect with an author’s mind from hundreds or thousands of years ago. You can read the stories of someone on the other side of the world. A tale can be transmitted through air in waves of sound as we read to one another, a message that encompasses the senses, emotions, space, and time, communicated by the vibrations in the throats of our fragile, degenerating bodies. Fiction allows you to transplant yourself into someone else. As the writer, it’s like taking possession of a body. As the reader, you are taking another’s thoughts inside your head. It is a frightening intimacy that leaves you vulnerable and changed. It is a conduit of empathy. It is telepathy.

Fiction heals us

The best part about fiction is its healing power for both the writer and the reader. Humans have the natural compulsion to express themselves, in much the way a dog barks and a bird sings. We must have an output for all we uptake from our experience in this puzzling world. When we are hurt, or are in pain, we cry out in the form of story, saying, this is what’s happening to me. Knowing that someone is listening relieves the burden. It absorbs the blow.

Sometimes this story is about reaching the point where we’re able to resolve our challenges and move on. And this shows the listener not only that the sun also rises, but it can even show them the way out of hell. That is why support groups are so effective in healing. Whether it’s grief, a terminal illness, or an addiction. Giving of our feelings is as cathartic as listening. And that is why fiction has a tandem benefit for both writer and reader.

Emotions are invisible. Scientists are still trying to find where the brain generates them. They are non-existent to the objective world and can only be experienced within the receptacle of a body. They, for all purposes, do not exist, and yet are powerful enough to cause unbearable pain, so much so that these currents of feeling, thoughts and emotion can literally break the mind.

That is the power of the stories we tell ourselves. Often untrue. That the world is a hopeless place, that we are worthless, beyond saving, that we just can’t take it anymore.

Fiction connects us

The right book at the right time is like a loving hand reaching out to someone born deaf, mute, and blind — a connection thought impossible, a benevolent disturbance of the void. We can’t know where we are in the great scheme of things unless we have reference points. Fiction helps us put ourselves in context within the world and other souls.

Fiction is one of the few effective ways to examine and convey the complexity of human experience. Sometimes it takes an entire novel to communicate one kind of grief. The word ‘sad’ is grossly inadequate. There is the sadness when your grandparent dies at a ripe old age after a fulfilling, happy life, but there is an altogether different kind sadness when you lose a close friend from youth, where there was a betrayal, an estrangement. You think of the memories that will never be created. All the things left unsaid.

A piece of music or a painting can communicate the vast landscape of emotion more efficiently than a story. With one look or one listen, a universe of emotion is conveyed. We fiction writers must work harder, must plot our every detail, we must make a world where there was none before.

But in any form of art, it is a combined effort of the creator and the observer. If God is playing a song (“god” meaning the fundamental creative force of The Universe) we are his notes. If he is painting, we are his brushstrokes. If we are living out his book, we are his characters, and we often turn back and look at him and ask why.

Fiction challenges us

When we create, when we write, we are our god selves. And perhaps our creations turn up and look at us. And like the many interpretations of god or the unknowable, religions and theories, our readers will take what they need from us (or choose to close the book and throw it across the room).

In some Eastern spiritual traditions, we were, or are, part of one consciousness that split apart to learn the world again through many different eyes, to have the pleasure of seeking new experiences, to live the joy of reunion, and to find our way to absolute truth of being. Likewise, we are the stories we are told, the stories we have experienced, and the stories we tell ourselves about our identities. We may never comprehend the totality of our existence here, but at least we don’t have to go on this journey alone.

And who says we won’t be able to figure it all out? A hundred years, ten years, a month from now, tomorrow, we may know the unknowable if we keep writing our way to the truth. As much of a fluke it is that we exist means it’s just as likely we stumble upon the answer to everything — if we keep writing, ruminating, waiting for the epiphany of all epiphanies.

This is the greatest quest we can know.

Fiction changes us

So, I urge you, writers and readers, to not just find what interests you and go until the trail ends. Don’t stop, keep going and cut out an alternative path of thinking beyond what is known. Our future is fiction to us right now, but we can decide who we want to be at the end of our tale. We must not hold back. We must not shrink from fear. We must stay curious and bold.

Memories get washed out as we grow. They warp and twist as our perception changes. Dreams evaporate with the rise of the sun. Our flesh will rot, but if we put these emotions, memories, and dreams into words, the story will remain.

Experiment. Test yourself and everything you believe. All that we surely leave behind is our story. And when we drop this body, if having made no other contribution, we can step away from it and be able to say we left a damn good one.

The best fiction is written with humility, bravery, heart, and passion. It helps us understand our failures, regrets, shadows, and secrets. It honors our triumphs over evil and especially the battles against ourselves. Fiction is a way to heal the past. To forgive, and to make room for a new future overflowing with possibility.

Our existence can be thought of as dark, in that we don’t know what is taking place in this incomprehensibly immense universe. It is also baffling that we’re born, without asking, into this world, to bumble around and try to understand what is going on. But whether you find it bleak or absurd, it is beautiful. There is love, and there is friendship, and there is story to carry us through. We pass it along as we each take our turns embodying consciousness, from first the heartbeat to the last.

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Write with Me

Originally released as a series, SICK will be re-released as a single, psychological suspense novel—perfect for readers who like their fiction twisted and unforgettable.

This new edition has been revamped and includes a new introduction with notes on reader reactions how John Branch came to be.

Pre-Order on Kindle by August 30th for only 99 cents

Say hello to BLOOD BOUND BOOKS

Blood Bound Books is thrilled to celebrate fifteen years of publishing dark fiction. ​They may be known for their extreme horror titles, but they publish everything from supernatural thrillers to crime fiction.

Their Mission

Spreading HOPE through dark fiction

My Mission

If you read my posts earlier this year, I was lucky enough to share a table at AuthorCon V. You can check out the pictures here. And I will be returning to Williamsburg with Blood Bound again in 2026!

If you are a fan of my work, you know that no matter how dark it gets, I always heal my characters in some way, or at least help them to find their own truth (no matter how deviant it may be).

So the mission of Blood Bound Books to spread hope through dark fiction is aligned with my own. There couldn’t be a better home for John Branch and SICK!

Why Pre-Order?—BBB

We see pre-orders as a mutually beneficial relationship. You receive an excellent book at more than 50% off. We receive a chance at the #1 spot on Amazon for release day and the benefit of their algorithm.

Every pre-order that trickles in throughout August is held by Amazon until publication day and tallied all at once, helping me achieve a high-ranking spot, which suggests the book to other readers of that genre.

So if you’re able, pre-order by August 30th here.

10 Years of SICK

“Disturbing yet gripping at the same time! You know something is wrong from the beginning but as the story unfolds, it only gets “sicker”. Well written and artfully described, you can almost smell the unmistakable aroma of a sickbed.”

Melissa Senecal

“This is horror at its very best‚ intelligent and thought provoking. Christa pokes a stick at all the dark cavities of human nature. These characters and this relationship will haunt me.”

Carrie Green

“I felt ill, claustrophobic, exhausted, filthy, and disgusted while reading this book. And I loved every minute of it.”

Deana Aria

“When I finished Sick I, I was amazed and exhausted. Christa Wojciechowski took me to places I didn’t want to go.”

Thomas Mattheos

“Sick creeps up on a reader somehow—or at least it crept up on this reader. This is a sick tale indeed, and highly recommended for fans of psychological fiction.”

Brian Hocevar

“This story is more than sick, it’s really gross. It is also very well written, so I would recommend it.”

Donna S.

I’m grateful to the many people who’ve supported SICK since it was first published. Your enthusiasm kept me going and will keep me going. I write for you.

Preorder for 99¢

If you read my last post, you know I recently attended AuthorCon V in Williamsburg, VA—a yearly event hosted by Scares That Care, an all-volunteer charity. This gathering unites horror fans and authors for a good cause, allowing readers to connect with writers, purchase signed books, attend panels, and brave the infamous Gross Out contest (I’m still recovering from 2024’s edition!).

I was thrilled to share a table with Blood Bound Books’ writers SC Mendes, Lucy Leitner, and my dear friend Joseph Sale, who has been a creative support and inspiration for many years.

The Venue and Atmosphere

The Doubletree Hilton in Williamsburg featured a promenade and large ballroom for vendor tables, plus an auditorium and smaller rooms for panels and events.

AuthorCon’s atmosphere brimmed with fun and camaraderie. Horror fans are among the kindest, most genuine people you’ll meet—incredibly supportive and enthusiastic. I spotted many dragging large portable carts loaded with books!

After opening ceremonies, the floodgates opened. I was delighted when visitors stopped by my table, asked about my books, and purchased signed copies. This from an introvert who never saw herself as a networker. I met people of all ages and backgrounds, having surprisingly deep conversations amid the convention’s bustle—each interaction like its own little bubble.

Author Tips for Book Conventions

Table Display: Make the most of your limited space. I bought decorations from Dollar Tree and ordered themed items to complement my books—gold sculptures for The Sculptor Series and tiny squeaky pigs for Popsicle (they make sense if you’ve read it!).

Books and Payments: I ordered my books from Amazon and brought them in my checked luggage. Paypal, Venmo, and Zelle made transactions easy with QR codes displayed on my table.

Cash Handling: Bring change! I sold books at $15 each or three for $35, not realizing many would pay cash. I had to beg the hotel barista for small bills from his tip jar.

Signing Protocol: Ensure payment before signing. In my excitement, I could’ve easily handed over books without confirming payment.

Book Pitches: Prepare concise book descriptions. I didn’t realize how unprepared was until people stopped to ask what my books were about. Instead of an irresistible hook, I would charm prospective readers with a long, vague, rambling mess. Next time, I’ll have rehearsed pitches tailored to different reader interests.

Product Selection: Bring standalone books or novellas. For most attendees, this is their first introduction to your work—buying a whole series is a big ask. My novella Popsicle sold out quickly at $10, offering an affordable taste of my writing in a small, easy-to-pack size.

Table Essentials:

Bring snacks and water to avoid leaving your tablePack a good pen and practice your signature. This is obvious, but easy to forget. Decide on a few phrases you can use to personalize your inscription.Create useful promotional materials with contact informationWear comfortable shoes and clothes—you’ll be standing more than expected

Networking: Don’t be shy! I was determined to be more intentional about meeting people this year. Everyone is in “convention mode” and happy to connect. In the evenings, attendees took over nearby restaurants and the hotel bar for deeper creative discussions.

Shopping Strategy: Don’t wait too long to buy books for yourself By the last day, some authors had sold out or already packed up.

Post-Convention Follow-Up

Going to a book convention can be an investment of time, energy, and money. You want to make the most of your experience and maintain the relationships you made during the event.

Connect with new contacts on social media and maintain those relationshipsShare photos from the event, tagging those picturedEngage with posts about the conventionMake signed copies available for those who couldn’t attendIs It Worth It?

Absolutely. AuthorCon V was well worth the trip. I learned invaluable lessons about in-person book marketing and the horror community culture. The human connection was the most valuable aspect—I spent amazing times with my friends and returned with new ones. In our digital world, meeting readers and fellow authors face-to-face is truly priceless.

Signed Copies Now Available

Get signed copies of my books mailed to you. Just send me an email at christawojo at gmail dot com.

Dear Dark Fiction Lovers,

It has been a long time, and there is much to share, but right now, I’m thrilled to announce that I’ll be at AuthorCon V in Williamsburg, Virginia this week (3/28-3/30), and I’d love to meet you there!

AuthorCon is an event hosted by Scares That Care, an all-volunteer charity whose gives a yearly gift of $10,000 to three individuals: a breast cancer patient, a burn victim, and a sick child. (See this year’s recipients here).

I attended last year as a reader with my two sisters (Gina and Tia) and met so many great people in person, including fellow staff members from Gamut Magazine , my genius cover designer, Lynne Hansen, my dearest friend and creative juggernaut, Joseph Sale, mega-author Paul Tremblay, S.C. Mendes, the Blood Bound Books authors, and many more.

This year’s AuthorCon is my first convention appearance as an author, and I’m honored and privileged to share a table with the Blood Bound Books family.

I’ll be bringing copies of The Sculptor Series (award-winning Oblivion Black, Hierarchy of Needs, and Darklands) plus my award-nominated novella Popsicle. Each book will be personally signed, and I’m offering bundle pricing exclusively for convention attendees.

Where to find me: Look for the Blood Bound Books table in the promenade. Mosey toward the black balloons and little pigs.

I’m particularly excited to connect with readers who enjoy exploring the hidden recesses of themselves through dark fiction. Whether you’ve been following my work for years or are just discovering it, I’d love to chat about what draws you to stories that take you to dark places.

If you’re planning to attend AuthorCon, please stop by and say hello! I plan to have some special surprises for visitors.

Can’t make it to the convention? Reply to this email and let me know which book you’d most like me to bring back signed for you.

Looking forward to stepping out from behind the pages and meeting you in person.

May the muses be with you,

Christa “Wojo” Wojciechowski

P.S. Follow me on Instagram @christawojo and Facebook @ChristaWojo22 for live updates from the convention floor!

I’m beyond thrilled to announce that Oblivion Black has won the Literary Titan Gold Book Award for Fiction. Winning this award in November has special significance. As long-time followers of this blog know, Oblivion Black (working title was The Sculptor of New Hope), was my first attempt at a novel. I wrote it in a feverish whirlwind for National Novel Writing Month (#Nanowrimo) 2012.

Yes. 2012.

I never imagined it wouldn’t be published until 2022.

But now, after countless rewrites and stretches of debilitating self-doubt, Oblivion Black is out in the world and receiving great reviews.

So for all of you writers out there (especially those doing National Novel Writing Month), never give up. Even if it takes a decade to get your book out, you will never know the future that’s waiting for it if you don’t follow through.

Literary Titan Gold Book Award: Fiction

The Literary Titan Book Award honors books that exhibit exceptional storytelling and creativity. This award celebrates novelists who craft compelling narratives, create memorable characters, and weave stories that captivate readers. The recipients are writers who excel in their ability to blend imagination with literary skill, creating worlds that enchant and narratives that linger long after the final page is turned.

Oblivion Black: The Literary Titan Review

Oblivion Black, by Christa Wojciechowski, is a gritty, darkly compelling story of addiction, trauma, and the quest for redemption. It follows Ona Price, an art school dropout navigating the brutal realities of heroin addiction and the emotional spiral it causes. Set in the seedy underbelly of New York City and later in the rural calm of her aunt’s bed-and-breakfast, Ona’s journey is one of self-destruction, survival, and the long, painful process of trying to reclaim her life.

The book weaves vivid descriptions of withdrawal and heroin highs with Ona’s inner turmoil, delving into themes of love, obsession, and despair. What struck me first about this book was the raw, unapologetic portrayal of addiction. Wojciechowski doesn’t sugarcoat the experience. In fact, she plunges you straight into the darkness of it. The vivid, almost cinematic scenes made me feel like I was right there with her, suffocating under the weight of her choices.

The writing hits hard and fast, often as disorienting as the life Ona is living. I found myself both repulsed and captivated by her self-destruction, wanting to reach through the pages and shake her awake. Wojciechowski’s ability to depict inner conflict is stunning. Ona’s thoughts are chaotic yet painfully introspective, such as when she reflects on her artistic ambitions and how her addiction has derailed them. The way the narrative delves into Ona’s psyche made me both pity and admire her. Her contradictions make her feel incredibly real—she’s someone who knows she’s broken, but she can’t quite summon the strength to pull herself together.

The book’s pacing takes on a slower, more reflective tone in the middle. This shift allows the reader to truly immerse in the painstaking nature of the healing process, capturing the realistic ebb and flow of emotions. The portrayal of Ona’s daily struggle creates a sense of authenticity, highlighting the repetitive yet essential small victories and setbacks of recovery. And just when the routine starts to feel too settled, Wojciechowski injects powerful moments of raw emotion that reignite the intensity and keep the reader deeply engaged.

Oblivion Black is not for the faint of heart. It’s a gritty, disturbing, and often uncomfortable read, but it’s also beautifully crafted, with characters that linger long after the last page. I’d recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychological fiction that doesn’t shy away from dark, complex themes. It’s perfect for readers who appreciate stories that explore the depths of human suffering and the possibility of redemption, even when the odds seem insurmountable.

*******

Thanks to Thomas Anderson and Literary Titan for this insightful review and for the opportunity to be a gold award winner.

Will I be doing Nanowrimo this year? We’ll see…

Have you done or will you be doing NaNoWriMo?

I would love to hear about it.

In the meantime, thank you all for your encouragement and support!

~Christa

THE SCULPTOR SERIES VIEW ON AMAZON

📸 @aprillwoodauthor

Reblogged from AWellReadWomanBlog

The harder you try to escape, the more darkness pulls you under.

Art school dropout Ona Price is forced to clean up after a near-fatal overdose on a Manhattan sidewalk. While in recovery, she lands a job as the assistant to Antoni Azarov, the world-famous sculptor known as The Hands of God. Though he is difficult and brooding, his extraordinary talent reawakens Ona’s passion for art, giving her life the meaning she so desperately craved. An undeniable attraction develops as they work together, but Antoni keeps his physical distance at all costs. When the predatory wife of a wealthy benefactor decides she wants the sculptor for herself, the monstrous secret that fuels Antoni’s art threatens to destroy all.

Oblivion Black is a lush transgressive fairy tale with the Gothic appeal of a Brontë novel. Literary fiction, romance, and thriller fans will appreciate this intense dive into existential confusion, intoxication, eroticism, and the volatile power of beauty.

GoodreadsTropes & ThemesMorally Gray / Skewed Moral CompassDark and Broody MMCArtist and MuseBoss and Assistant“Touch her and die.”SecretsMental Health RepresentationGreek Mythology 》The Apple of Discord/ VenusTemptress AntagonistAddiction and RecoveryGenre:Dark RomanceDark FictionSuspense ThrillerLiterary Fiction

Add to your Goodreads TBR 📖

⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐

“It was Oblivion, but blacker than that. There was no end or beginning, no body, no self. I was nothing and everything. I never was but always was. But then something touched my spirit, and like a flame to a wick, lit up my consciousness.” — Christa Wojciechowski

After Ona experiences a bleak peek at the deep, dark void of the afterlife after overdosing on a city street surrounded by gawking onlookers, she, with the support of her mother and zany aunt, (who are absolutely a hoot, btw), seeks help at a drug treatment center. Ona detoxes, then moves on to live and work with her aunt, at a Civil War-Style home Bed and Breakfast, while attending NA meetings and taking her daily dose of medication at the clinic every morning. Eventually, and while still in recovery, she is hired as an assistant to an eccentric Russian artist named Antoni. His passion for clay sculpting reignites Ona’s own for painting —one of many things taken from her because of her addiction; her joy and love for creating art. Ona keeps focused, busying herself in an effort to prevent relapse — to prevent “Oblivion Black” and keep her away from her old flame, gangster and dealer JoJo.

Moreover, her new boss provides for a welcome distraction, between his undeniable good looks to his artistic skill and mastery with clay, Ona is once again hooked. And when he abruptly fires the nude model hired for the month for an upcoming piece to a charity organization, he gruffly tells Ona, she will pose. 🔥 🔥 🔥

Oblivion Black is a slow-burn dark romance between two characters with slightly skewed moral compasses and a whole lot of baggage between them. Ona and Antoni’s love story is dark, violent, erotic, artful, glamorous and opulent, full of thrilling highs and devastating lows. The “black moment” shattered my heart to pieces, but the ending sealed their fate, and my heart back together — a tragic occurrence changing the directions of their lives, bringing them back together with enlightened, almost hypnotic understanding.

I was intrigued by Antoni’s backstory and felt the mental health representation was handled extremely well. The introduction of the raven-haired, black-jeweled-eyed vixen in crimson was like an additional layer on a chocolate cake, with whipped cream and strawberries. I love a temptress antagonist and Sonia really brings up the heat and the suspense/intensity of this story. This read hits all the high notes for multidimensional characters who feel realistic.

Artist and famous sculptor Antoni Asharov wins all the medals for broody, morally-gray book boyfriend. TWs galore: Antoni is no Cinnamon-Roll-Romance-Hero (and all the dark romance girlies rejoice — if you know, you know). He rides a Ducati, smokes cigarettes in the same swoon-worthy way as Mr. Cool himself, James Dean, and he has a troubled past that emerges in vile, ugly ways.

Fans of dark romance with artist and muse, and boss and assistant themes, will fall in lust with this book. Extremely recommended. I look forward to reading the next installment and continuing the story with Hierarchy of Needs!

About the Author Goodreads

USA 🇺🇸 KU

https://a.co/9egGZvK

Thanks to April L. Wood for her insights on Oblivion Black.

Artistic genius is a mysterious phenomenon. No matter how much one practices, they may never accomplish what masters like Bernini did. It’s a combination of skill along with passion, pain, vulnerability, and abandoning oneself to one’s art. Gian Lorenzo Bernini‘s mindblowing and sensual sculpture was part of the inspiration for Oblivion Black and the rest of The Sculptor Series. It was my aim to show how this magic synergy occurs, how an artist distills the totality of their human experience into one creation of beauty.

Who is Bernini, the man behind this exquisite sculpture? And how did such provocative art end up in a church?

The documentary above about the Bernini’s life, the stories behind his works, his rivalries, and scandals, is one of the most fascinating and entertaining I’ve seen. If you think his art was about lofty religious devotion, think again. Like a classic Italian opera, his story is full of drama.

Grab a cappuccino or glass of chianti and enjoy.

Simon Schama’s Power of Art – Bernini

BBC – Documentary series in which historian Simon Schama recounts the story of eight moments of high drama in the making of eight masterpieces. He looks at how Gian Lorenzo Bernini’s Ecstasy of Saint Teresa shows a nun in the state of orgasmic bliss and wonders how it was ever allowed.

Ecstasy of Saint Teresa

From Wikipedia:

“The two central sculptural figures of the swooning nun and the angel with the spear derive from an episode described by Teresa of Avila, a mystical cloistered Discalced Carmelite reformer and nun, in her autobiography, The Life of Teresa of Jesus. Her experience of religious ecstasy in her encounter with the angel is described as follows:

I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron’s point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God. The pain was so great, that it made me moan; and yet so surpassing was the sweetness of this excessive pain, that I could not wish to be rid of it. The soul is satisfied now with nothing less than God. The pain is not bodily, but spiritual; though the body has its share in it. It is a caressing of love so sweet which now takes place between the soul and God, that I pray God of His goodness to make him experience it who may think that I am lying.”

More works:

Rape of ProsperinaSaint LawrenceBlessed Ludovica Albertoni BUY NOW

Hello readers and friends,

How are you? I hope your 2024 has gotten off to a great start as we head into Spring.

My year has been full of major challenges and changes, but I am thrilled to announce that the third and final book (I think it’s the final book) of The Sculptor Series has arrived!

I’m also revealing the stunning cover above, designed by the extraordinary Lynne Hansen!

This series has been over a decade in the making, so it is a big moment. Ending a series of this scope was daunting. I hope I gave Ona and Antoni the ending they deserved. Reviews are coming in, and so far, the feedback is extremely positive. A heartfelt thanks to all of you for your support and encouragement throughout the years.

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About Darklands – The Sculptor Book III

The intoxicating finale to The Sculptor Series …

After cheating death in New York, Ona Price’s battle scars run deeper than her disfigured face. Antoni Azarov orchestrates a journey to jolt them out of their artistic dead zone. From the boozy streets of New Orleans to the sultry shores of a Caribbean archipelago, they explore forbidden desires, testing the limits of pleasure and pain.

No matter where their experiences take them, their personal demons hunt them down until their journey ends on a remote lagoon called the Darklands. Will their love survive the dark secrets that threaten to tear them apart, or will the Darklands become the ultimate test of their commitment?

Unveil the dangerous beauty of Darklands, where the human psyche unravels in a sensuous journey that will leave you breathless.

Praise for Darklands

“Darklands is a hair-raising conclusion to The Sculptor trilogy. It reads like a David Lynch erotic fever dream that constantly veers close to the edge of nightmare, ending with a spiritual awakening of biblical proportions. I wept. Adapt this into a movie at once.

—Joseph Sale, author of The Book of Thrice Dead

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