Celebrating with C. Desert Rose

It’s been a long time in the waiting … almost a decade.

The question is, was it worth the wait?

Some say yes.

We’ll let you be the judge.

For the first time ever, C. Desert Rose, in conjunction with All Authors Publishing House is proud to present you with the third book in the now dubbed Fate’s Endeavor Experience, “If Death Should Find Me”.

To run or not, to live or die …? Destiny is a bitch and here is why ….

 

Azriel has always been an enigma amongst the Hierarchy of Angels. He was born a duality; human and not. Azirel, for centuries, has been appraised harshly by mankind. Nevertheless, death is of the natural order. All things that live must at some point, die. Azriel is the usher into transcendence.

Such was his purpose and the Higher Sources saw this to be good … yet, things change.

So begins the measure of Travis’ enterprise into the hands of fate. Due to the magnitude of his venture, Travis finds himself caught between life and death. Angels and demons surround him, attempting to influence the paradigm of his fate. The only question in Travis’ mind is, what would happen If Death Should Find Me?

The Fate's Endeavor Series, surpassing the emotional fabric of angels and demons and delving into the delicate threads which infuse Fate's tapestry.

Months Later

Rural Location, Earth

~ Travis ~

Who knows how much time had elapsed. Days, weeks, months, whatever …? I didn't know. Didn’t much care, either. But honestly, it felt like I'd been running forever.

Shortly after leaving my home, while on the road at some crazed point, I sawed off my cast. I couldn’t deal with the damn thing any longer. And, although the memory is a bit foggy, I can somewhat recall that it was in a grimy motel room in the middle of nowhere. My tool of choice was a rusty old hunting knife that had been sitting in my car for ages.

But that day, in that moment I thought to myself, If I am really a fucking angel, then I can probably fix my own damn leg and rib. Right? Right.

I took a deep breath—instantly my rib hurt. Regardless of that, I focused all of my energy onto healing my leg and rib. I put one hand on my broken leg, the other one on my chest.

I closed my eyes, kept breathing deep.

Suddenly, a strange warmth started exuding from my hands. It seeped into the areas I was trying to heal kind of like they were absorbing the energy or something. Out of nowhere, the rush of heat covered me entirely. I could feel it pulsating like a strobe light. Within seconds, I didn’t feel any more pain. It was all gone.

Opening my eyes, I immediately knew that I was better. I moved my leg. It didn’t hurt. I tapped my rib, that was fine too.

Well fuck, look at that—I guess I am an angel, I thought.

But wait, that’s not all!

For your reading pleasure, C. Desert Rose and All Authors Publishing House are also proud to share with you the newly improved “If Death Should Love Me”.

Azriel is appraised harshly by mankind. Humans do not like to face death, therefore, they conjecture it is an ugly and terrible thing. Death is of the natural order. All things that live, must at some point, die. Azriel is the usher into transcendence.

Such is his purpose and the Higher Sources saw this to be good … yet, things change.

A dull roar, that's all I could hear. Souls, that's all I could see... So many people. Some good, some bad. Some breathing, some barely breathing. All souls. It was funny what you could see when you stood in the middle of the Emergency Room. Who survived, who didn’t. All of them, every one, a soul. A soul for the taking.

So begins your introduction to the floating, clustered world of souls that will have such influence on Sophia, the young Puerto Rican-American girl who has just lost her closest ally, her grandmother, "Abuela". It is just after the funeral, at the cemetery, where Sophia meets the tall, almost angelic man who will play the most unexpected role in her life.

A love story. A fantasy. An adventure. If Death Should Love Me tells a tale of “fate” far beyond the normal meaning of that little four-letter word. How else would you explain why Sophia wonders what would happen If Death Should Love Me?

Bed two. The doctor, the running, the yelling. The focus on bringing her back, futile. It was incredibly sad to say that she was just a child. A baby. Five years of age. Why did “fate” find it necessary to take her? She had yet to even commence to live. It was not my choice. I merely followed orders.

Her soul was lovely, just like a little girl's should be. A soft pink. Like a princess, I mused. Beautiful.

"Come child." I extended my hand so that she would take it.

"Where am I going?" She asked. The innocence in her voice was heartbreaking. Or would be, if I had a heart.

"I'm taking you to a safe place. Somewhere where you will never feel pain again. You will be happy there, sweet child."

"Cindy," she said. "My name is Cindy."

"A beautiful name for a beautiful girl," Her smile seemed as though it could quite literally light up the room. "Well Cindy, do you see that very pretty light just there?" I pointed.

"Yes." She responded with bright eyes.

"Walk into it. Go on, child … Pretty Cindy."

"But why? Where's mommy and daddy? Why do I have to go?" There they were. The questions that always followed once I had collected them.

"Do not worry Cindy, your grandmother is there waiting for you. I promise," I assured her with a soft grip of the hand, then continued, "before you know it, mommy and daddy will be there also." What more could I say to such a young and delicate creature?

"Okay." She replied, not at all convinced that what I was telling her was the truth. She obeyed nonetheless. When she entered she realized that my words were true and secure.

"Nana!" She called with a magnitude of happiness, then ran into her grandmother's arms.

 

I turned.

The mother, yelling. The father, failing at his attempt to be strong. The doctor, saddened. The confusion. The horrified faces. All of it, all too familiar, all too real.

Time for my next assignment.

Stay tuned for the upcoming link to "If Death Should Love Me"

Freebie Times Two w/C. Desert Rose

Hello, one and all. As always, thanks for stopping by.

For us, the lovers of the paranormal, fate is preferably manifested supernaturally. That's because for us, fate being embodied in an otherworldly way brings a sense of excitement, mystery and importance to life.

However, those who believe that fate is real also trust that it takes place in even those things we consider mundane.

Like what?

Every day life.

In celebration of short story month, I would like to bring you something old and something new. In both, we will find an exhibition of fate as experienced by the characters in the interpersonal enigma that is life. Join me?

First: The Old

Blurb:

Martina Foxworthy only knew one thing for sure in her life ... the Log Cabin.
It was her family's tradition to visit the Log Cabin every year, and every new year was a repeat of the last. Nothing ever changed at the Cabin, Martina's family liked it that way.
But Martina, not so much.
One day, when a fly ball comes out of nowhere and crashes through her bedroom window Martina realizes that there is a lot more to life; the Log Cabin was just the thread that kept it together.

Years pass far too fast. This is something that Martina Foxworthy knows all too well. Sitting in her favorite chair, in her favorite place, Martina recollects her life's journey.

Excerpt

"The spring of her eighteenth birthday, Martina felt like a misfit just as she had her entire life. She’d been told that said feeling would change when she got older. Well, she was older now and nothing had changed. She was, for all intended purposes, now an adult. Eighteen; she could vote, smoke, buy alcohol—although not consume it—even go into a bar if she so desired. And yet, that profuse and innate sensation of not fitting in had become such an all-consuming part of her life that Martina didn’t know how not to feel it. Ever spring, during the Easter Holiday, Martina and her kin took a two-week hiatus in the family log cabin, purchased an umpteenth million years ago by her great grandfather Martin Foxworthy the Second.

If anyone ever wondered how she’d gotten her name, all they had to do was look at the family tree. Her father was Martin Foxworthy who was the fifth in his bloodline. And, since he’d not spawned a son first but a daughter, Martin added an A to the end of the name and blessed their female child with a name that no one would ever want."

I love this story though I don't speak of it much. "Martina's Memories" embodies fate in a relatable way. I feel like most of us could relate to her life trajectory, to her ups and downs, and to her ultimate destiny.
Here, in this "old" story, we can see kismet at work through a seemingly banal existence. That is until the bigger picture is revealed.

Lastly, The New

Blurb:

In the famous words of Forrest Gump, “Life is like a box of chocolates.” For Angelo, life is like a slice of pizza; juicy, delicious and worth the wait. For Sandalphon, life is an unending cycle of sameness. That is, until she meets Angelo. From staircase to stairway to heaven, Sandalphon has an Angelic Epiphany.

Excerpt

"Angelo Esposito sat on the right hand side of the front porch steps, fourth step up, people watching. On an overcast day, the clouds created a particular shadowy pattern across the passersby faces making them look mechanical. Things like this always entertained Angelo, he never seemed to get enough. Most of the people who strode through the streets were enthralled in their respective cell phones. The rest looked angry at life; emotionless and half-alive. Except maybe for the bum at the street corner who on any given day would assume the job of heralding government conspiracies, or dance for dollars. It all depended on the day.

Sitting on the old and tattered, historically profound New York porch step, Angelo was perfectly comfortable. Entertained and amused; a people watcher at his core. He couldn’t help but think how the persons that walked past were missing out on the knowledge of the rich culture of the avenues which they treaded. Every inch of the firmament, replete with history, depth, despair, glee and the essence of lives now gone.

Being brainwashed by technology has that effect on people. They miss the enriching simplicities of life. The little things that made life worth living like the kids jumping rope, the hum of a busy city street, the scent of pizza in the air. There was nothing like it. Angelo always felt like life was best enjoyed when appreciating small wonders."

This story has become my newest favorite for two reasons. First, it is connected to my Fate's Endeavor Series. Second, it's heart warming, relatable and supernatural. An "All-In-One Punch" if you will.

In this story, serendipity meets destiny. It feels as though the Universe has planned something accidentally-on-purpose and at the end of the day the one who learns the lesson is not the human but the angel.

It is my pleasure to be able to offer these to everyone for free. You can get them in PDF, ePub or Mobi by clicking the link below. No strings attached! Go grab your copies and enjoy the manifestation of providence. 😊

Cover Reveal; Concordant Vibrancy 4

Today the members of the All Authors Family are celebrating the cover reveal of "Concordant Vibrancy 4: Inferno", the fourth installation of the Concordant Vibrancy anthology collection.

First, the blurb ...

There is a universal fascination associated with passion―its defining element, fire, as well as the unseen. Yet how many dare to trespass beyond the final product, exploring the ingredients which keep it sustainable?

This is the traverse of the fourth installment of the Concordant Vibrancy collection, presented by All Authors Publications and Promotions, entitled “Inferno”. Nine phenomenal talents diverge under one purpose: the creation of literary works guaranteed to set the mind, heart, and spirit ablaze.

Stories included:

“Express-Oh” by Adonis Mann

“Not Always Like This” by Carol Cassada

“The Fireman” by Harmony Kent

“The Complications of Fire” by Beem Weeks

“Calliope’s Inferno” by C. Desert Rose

“Moxy” by Y. Correa

“Antipode” by Synful Desire

“The Chronicles of Aidan” by Da’Kharta Rising, and

“The Calefaction of Insight” by Queen of Spades.

Since January 2015 All Authors Publishing House has been exploring the elements of nature through the enterprise known as Concordant Vibrancy, an All Authors Anthology Collection.

Book One explored Unity under the theme question of "What elements contribute to the concept of unity?" The element being Earth. Through an array of tales, the authors explained what Unity meant to them.

Book Two examined Vitality. The theme question was, "What force drives your spirit?" The element was Air. Here the authors endeavored to answer the question with a combination of stories and essays.

Book Three looked at Lustrate using the theme question, "What embodies the composition of fluidity?" The element was water. Herein the authors spoke lucidly and clearly on what fluidity meant to them.

Book Four takes a peek at Inferno ... the element of Fire. It asks "What are the ingredients to a sustainable blaze?" By far the best of the collection, "Concordant Vibrancy 4: Inferno" is a demonstration of depth in thought and evolution in craft.

Now, without further ado and with great pride All Authors brings you the cover of "Concordant Vibrancy 4: Inferno".

From Tour to Release! #PleasurePrints

 

 

AND BOY DO WE HAVE A GOOD REASON TO CELEBRATE!

All Authors has been waiting 3 years to release this publication and the joy is beyond words!

Blurb:

Divergent Ink is the mesh of different frames of thoughts, various interpretations of one core question that yearns for universal expansion. Although the subject matter may change every year, the purpose of the Divergent Ink series will remain the same.The second book in the Divergent Ink anthology series, “Pleasure Prints”, revolves around the following question:

Where is paradise?

Six Divergent Inks exploring "Pleasure Prints". Will the destination cause one to sip a tropical cocktail or cock an eyebrow in amazement?

Featuring:

Adonis Mann: Desperation and delusion are a marriage of emotions. Sentiments collide when three lives tell their tales. Hypnotizing and melancholic are the days of the souls who pursue the "Odyssey of Rhapsody".

C. Desert Rose: Helena can be cumbersome and crude, while her life is at a standstill, she likes it that way. Amidst the orange glow of office lights and a steaming cup of hot chocolate, Helena learns that life is a series of "Fleeting Moments".

Da'Kharta Rising: For Masato, there's no time like the present. Is no limit too great to accomplish “Masato's Zion”?

Synful Desire: Cecilia Teflon knows she doesn't have much time left. Before she leaves this earth, she must make a confession. Will this revelation grant her entrance into spiritual paradise? Explore the twists and turns of “Onus”.

Queen of Spades: Axana has always lived a very careful life but a lucrative advertisement shreds her comfort zone. Paradise is where one least expects in “Axana … Unscripted”.

Y. Correa: Myth or memory, which can it be? A life so scripted can be less than desirable. To go or to stay, it is that question that leaves, "Nalani at Heaven's Gates".

Also, GET "CRACKLES OF THE HEART: DIVERGENT INK BOOK 1" FREE FOR A LIMITED TIME!

BLOG TOUR DAY 2: C. Desert Rose

From the amazing mind of author C. Desert Rose comes this great blog post about her contribution to "Pleasure Prints: Divergent Ink Book 2".

So often I’ve heard the saying “fleeting moments” and just as often I attempted to consider what that meant in terms of reality.

Like, how is life a series of fleeting moments? And of course, why?

You see, there have been times in my life where I’ve felt like certain things were unending. For example, how some people struggle with monetary issues seemingly perpetually. Or how others fight against illness unendingly.

On the other hand, it also seems like happy moments just don’t last.

There are theories that say that one cannot enjoy the good times unless there are bad times to help you appreciate them.

There are also theories that imply that the bad times are trials from above, and that good times are the way the Universe recompenses the sufferer.

Who am I to challenge anyone’s theories, for whatever helps a person carry themselves through life is, in my humble opinion, a psychological necessity in order to move forward. It doesn’t matter how they do it, as long as they do something to help the hard times seem less daunting. Whether that is faith in the divine, or simply having “a fighter’s” perspective, it does not matter.

The question at hand, however, is; is life too short or too long?

One day I woke up and I was 5 years old. I loved being 5, for the most part. I can’t say that I had a “normal” childhood as I didn’t. But I do remember loving being 5 years old.

The next day I woke up and I was 40. How did I get to that point? How did I take that enormous leap through time and feel as though I’d altogether skipped my life? How was I 5 years old one day and 40 years old the next day?

Was I impervious to time or did “life” happen in between that monumental and sempiternal stream of seconds and minutes?

It’s hard to tell.

But, in that in between time—the flow of seconds and minutes that felt surreal—I learned one thing … life must be lived to the best of one’s capacity. Therefore I rapidly understood that I had to make the best of what time I had on this earth because if I didn’t I wouldn’t have lived life at all.

I once heard on a television show where a character said, “Some people live more in 20 years than some live in 80.” I couldn’t agree more.

Living a life of incessant and nonsensical obsessing seems like a grad waist of all the goodness that life has to offer.

It was this thought that coaxed the writing of “Fleeting Moments”.

I once, many years ago, met a lady at my workplace that was so focused on career advancement that it felt like she couldn’t think about anything else. This included the possibility of failure. All she ever talked about, day in and out, was how she was going to advance her career. I respected her ambition, and of course, her determination. But, admittedly, I was concerned about her because she never wanted to do anything outside of work related things.

Helena was based on her.

Dennis was introduced into the mix because I was convinced that Helena needed someone to interrupt the balance. Dennis was the least expected disruption. Especially because of how he did it. Dennis turned Helena’s world upside down by simply offering her his friendship and a cup of hot chocolate.

Helena was so blinded by her will to supercede that she could not appreciate Dennis’s drive. One that was much simpler than her own. Simply put, it could not fit in her head.

Unbeknownst to Helena, Dennis’s plan was working. Slowly, she fell for it.

But to further disrupt her sense of stability, came the revelation of Dennis illness.


Sometimes it takes a certain level “shake up” to jar a person out of a stubborn state of mind. But, that very same “shake up” can serve as a tool to open the eyes of the stubborn person so that their view widens and sees the bigger picture.


The answer to the question is that for some life it too long, for others it is far too short. But, while we are here, we must make the best of it in whatever way we know how.

COMING SOON