Checkmate

Silent Night Series #1

by Amy Cecil

Checkmate: an act or instance of maneuvering the opponent's king into a check from which it cannot escape, thus bringing the game to a victorious conclusion.

Serena Valentine had it all - the Blood Empire in which she was the reigning queen, a family that loved her, and subjects that worshiped her. But most importantly, she had peace. Being a living relative of the Vampire Queen, Lillith, Serena strived to maintain peace between the vampires and humans, looking at humans as a means of survival and not as the enemy.
Claus Devlin had differing views on humans and more importantly hated the fact that a woman reigned over the Blood Empire. Eventually, his way of thinking got him banished from the Empire and his intended bride, Serena. Angered by her father’s disregard for his way of thinking, Claus built an army of his own and rose up against Serena and her kingdom. He killed her family and in turn banished her from the Blood Empire.

Defeated, Serena leaves her beloved kingdom with one vow - she will return and take back what is rightfully hers.
When Serena finally returns to the Blood Empire, she comes with a vengeance. She plays the game according to Claus’ rules. She answers to his every desire and shows him every day, that she belongs to him and him alone. She is punished and treated like a common slave. But through it all her one mission is to make Claus believe that she has submitted to him completely all the while lying in wait for the right time to strike against him. When opportunity presents itself in the form of a handsome guard who is loyal to her, Serena makes her move and puts the king under direct attack from which escape is impossible.

93 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2021

About the author

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Biography
Amy Cecil is an award-winning Indie author of both historical and contemporary romance. Her penchant for Austen fan fiction, won her the title of Favorite Historical Romance Author (2016-2017) while her MC series has won several awards throughout the Indie community. Recently, she has expanded her repertoire to the thriller and erotic genres.

For as long as she can remember, Amy always had a book (or two) that she was reading for the love of getting lost within its pages. Amy has been heard to have said, “I’ve never given much thought to becoming a writer myself until I realized that if I hadn’t written my own version of Mr. Darcy, I might have run out of material to read.”

And thus, her first novel was born, A Royal Disposition. In the words of Miss Austen herself, “I wish as well as everybody else to be perfectly happy; but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way.” Ms. Cecil writes to do just that.

She lives in North Carolina with her husband, Kevin, and their four dogs. When she isn’t creating her next masterpiece, or traveling the country for book signings, she enjoys spending time with her husband, friends, and of course her fur babies.

“Face life as you find it-defiantly and unafraid.” -Nietzsche


You can follow Amy on the following:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoramycecil/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/authoramycecil
Twitter: https://twitter.com/acecil65
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/amycecil
Website: http://acecil65.wix.com/amycecil

Reviews

[Jenn the Readaholic · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow. A little disturbing, a little dark, and a LOT of sweet revenge here. Serena is determined to get her kingdom back, and maybe the man she loves. But is Claus worth it? Is he worthy of her? Or is he just a cruel, selfish, nasty little boy with a whole lot of power? As it all unfolds, the deviousness of so many is revealed and that ending makes clear that Serena is definitely the one worthy of her empire. And let’s just say never underestimate a woman scorned. You never know who she may take down just for spite.

[Mari (Mystics & Metaphysics Book Blog) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was unexpected, different, and I enjoyed it a lot. Serena is fierce and I loved her determination to take back her kingdom. The story moves quickly and while some of the events were confusing at times, I really liked it. I am a huge fan of paranormal and this has that plus the fantasy feel that I love.