Cedric
the Demonic Knight
The
Cedric Series Book 1
by
Valerie Willis
Genre:
Epic Fantasy
Known for hunting the supernatural, no mortal man realizes Lord Cedric is one of Sorceress Morrighan’s abominations. After competing in a tournament, he is wed to a Lady of the Court, Angeline. Cedric’s senses begin to overwhelm him and he struggles to decipher his feelings; Are they a creation of his incubine bloodline or truly heartfelt emotions for the girl who has lost it all to him? He finds himself forced to choose between falling in love or continuing his suicidal quest to kill his creator. Epic battles against all manners of beasts and demons fill this story with memorable antagonists such as Morrighan and her two sisters; Romasanta the Father of Werewolves; Succubus Queen Lillith and many more. Find yourself engulfed in lores and history long forgotten from the 12th Century and beyond.
Romasanta: Father of Werewolves
The Cedric Series Book 2
Romasanta finds himself a cursed man and struggles with his internal demon, literally. All his troubles start with a stone and after that he will be losing everything he's ever loved. Faced with clinging on to what little humanity he has, he will lose it many times before reaching the end of his journey. His life's tale will take you through time to see how every lore, every moment in history tied in with wolves all come back to him. They call him the Ancient One, others simply refer to him as the Father of Werewolves, but we know him by his name, Romasanta. Many battles will be fought before he gets closer to his goals, but will he be ready to finish what was asked of him at the very beginning of his horrible fate. Will he be able to return the Eye of Gaea and free the love of his life from the laurel tree in the Black Forest?
The Oracle
The Cedric Series Book 3
Released Sept 1st!
With Angeline back in Cedric’s arms and the Eye of Gaea in Romasanta’s grip, the next step in their journey begins. All eyes are set on Mt. Parnassus where the Oracle is protected by Delphyne, the mother of all dragons and beasts. Assembling a group of willing patrons, Romasanta leads them to Delphi, Greece where they will cross into a realm void of technology. Only brute strength and magic reign in a place where packs of Mimick dogs, Wyverns and Jaculus still run wild. Meanwhile, back home Lillith takes on a mysterious curse cast on Tony who will have to make a life changing choice. The question weighing on all their minds is if two werewolves, the Incubus King, and a demonized sorceress will live to fight their way into Gaea’s Gate to enter the Otherworld?
Valerie Willis is a sixth generation Floridian who loves crafting novels with elements inspired by Mythology, Superstitions, Legends, Folklore, Fairy Tales and even history. She braved the Independent Publish route at the end of 2012 and has devoted herself for being a pillar of “Self-Publishing How-to” from formatting of both print and digital versions to book cover designs.
Her fantasy romance novels within The Cedric Series is a wonderful blend of genres that appeal to a wide-range of readers whether they like paranormal, fantasy, romance or action adventure. The characters are flawed in mental and emotional ways while being amazing powerful creatures, demons, witches and Gods. Many of the monsters presented in battle derive from Medieval Bestiaries and adds a fun flavor of new yet deeply rooted assortment of creatures such as Coin Iotair, Shag Foal, Cynocephali, and many more.
For Young Adult readers looking for a Dark Fantasy and coming-of-age lessons, Tattooed Angels Trilogy is an ode to her teenage life for those teenagers getting ready to step out in the world on their own. Hotan is a failed reincarnation and is becoming immortal against his will. Life is complicated and often we withdraw within ourselves, shut others out, when life becomes hard. As the story unfolds we learn the importance of opening up and asking for support in all its forms to the people in our lives even beyond friends and family. Each immortal controls amazing powers of Nature, like fire, or elements of Humanity, such as fear.
You can often find this Author hosting workshops about writing and self-publishing in the Orlando, Florida area or working on the next novel. She loves to inspire other writers and creative minds. Be sure to visit her blog for some of the advice she has to offer from a perspective that has influences from Game Development and Graphic Design.
The flies had engorged themselves in the morning light. They bumped into
Romasanta’s arms and face as he walked up to the blood-soaked field. He
covered his nose and mouth; the air tainted with the smell of iron as he looked
over what little was left of his bull. Pieces of guts scattered across the mud, but
the drag marks led through the broken fence and into the Black Forest.
Somewhere in there laid the rest of his cow.
Squatting, he looked over the paw print that lay at his feet. The smallest toe
was large enough for his own foot to fit inside. This was the work of the demon
wolf called Fenrir. The trees, the ground at his feet; all of it was Fenrir’s domain
and he tolerated Romasanta and his farm. They lived in the field where no trees
grew in hopes that they would be on safer ground. Everything in this land was
Fenrir’s to take or leave, including Romasanta’s own life. Waving off another
flock of plump flies, he headed back to his hut.
“Was it the bull?” His wife questioned, her brown eyes expressing her
concern. “You don’t intend to chase after Fenrir this time, do you Romasanta?”
“No.” Grunting, he lugged his travel pack over a shoulder. “That would be
suicide.”
“What are you doing then?” She was chasing him out the door as he grabbed
up his spear. “If you dare cross him, surely he’ll take us nex—”
“I just want to see where he dragged the bull. If I can salvage a horn or some
leather, perhaps we can get something back.” His jaw twitched as a line of sweat
crawled down his temple. “I have no plans of staying out overnight, my love.”
“Please, don’t go.” She hugged him tightly, pressing her face hard into his
chest. “If the nomads find out you dare leave me alone, they would surely drag
me away from this place.”
“They will not come close with Fenrir feeding on our cattle.” Kissing her on
her forehead, he brushed back a lock of her wavy black hair. “Just stay inside the
hut until I return.”
Standing on her toes, she pressed her lips hard against his, earning his
passion in return. It was a bitter sensation as he broke away from the kiss,
walking into the Black Forest without glancing back. Her large doe-like eyes
watched as he vanished between the thick trees behind the broken fence still
crimson and wet where the blood soaked it.
The drag marks led him deeper into the more dangerous part of the ancient
forest. Sunlight speckled the ground where large roots leapt in and out of the
earth. Large arches made from these tangled wooden specters reminded demon
and man that they were inferior among the trees of the Black Forest. He stayed
true to the path that soaked the earth with blood. A raven cawed, startling him as
he froze mid-step, his nerves knotting in his stomach.
A horn snagged in a root caught his eye and he worked it free, placing it in
the pack at his waist. Perhaps there was a chance to recover some of his lost bull
after all. Continuing on, he found himself in a brighter, newer section of the
forest. His path stopped on the edge of a crevasse cut into the forest floor. There
were no more signs of his bull or Fenrir anymore. Rubbing the sweat from his
brow, a glint of red caught his eye. At the bottom of the groove in the earth,
something gave off a scarlet glow.
Taking one last look around, assuring himself there were no predators, he
started to climb down. Making it to the bottom, he peered upward. The walls of
the crevasse were easily four times taller than he, but he was relieved to see no
signs of the bull or wolf. Turning around, facing deeper into the unseen parts, he
scanned the rocky walls for another sign of the faint glow. The hairs on his arms
prickled in excitement as another sheen of colored light called out to him.
An alcove held a glimmering gem about the size of a man’s fist. As he
approached, its light became brighter, as if encouraging him to free it from the
stone. Gripping it tight with both hands, he steadied a foot on the rocks, putting
his full weight into pulling it out. Jerking his weight into it, it broke from the
rock face sending him stumbling up against the far wall. As he leaned there, the
sunlight hitting his hands, he opened his fist to see what it was that he had
claimed for himself.
The gemstone’s light dissipated and within it, a liquid bubbled and swirled.
He had heard rumors of bloodstones found in the area, but this was the first time
he had encountered one. The powerful vibrations the gem gave off told him this
could be something more. It was of the deepest red he had ever witnessed as it
mesmerized him. Heat flowed from it, making the summer temperature feel cool
by comparison. Focusing on a sound that tickled his ears it seemed as if a
humming sound was coming from it. A curious sound called his attention deeper
into it, almost as if a whisper on the wind.
Growling broke him away from the stone. His gaze stopped at two large
golden eyes that glowered down at him. Fenrir had found him. Romasanta
shivered as the demon wolf took another step closer, baring his enormous fangs.
Staring in awe, one canine was the size of Romasanta’s forearm, if not larger.
Another step forward allowed him to smell the blood of his bull upon Fenrir’s
breath as he growled louder. The sound coming from the beast’s chest and
muzzle shook the air from Romasanta’s lungs. He had overstepped his
boundaries. Fenrir was enraged. The black wolf had planned to lure him out this
far the whole time. Pain pounded against Romasanta’s chest, his heart screaming
to be set loose as fear washed over him. Fenrir had him; he was to be the next
kill. As the monstrous wolf lunged, Romasanta could only raise his arms in
defense. The action would do him no good against the demon wolf.
Fangs dug deep into his arms. He screamed from the twisting pain as
muscles popped in half, bones rattled as the impact greeted them. Blinding red
light stopped the horrendous bite from breaking his bones. Fenrir’s eyes grew
wide. The stone pulsed and burned in Romasanta’s hand as a red glow engulfed
the demon wolf. Both of them were startled as the massive monster swirled in
the air like fog. Horrified, Romasanta watched as the stone absorbed the demon
into it.
Sliding down to his feet, he dropped the stone. The wounds that still stung in
his mind closed before his eyes. He could not stop his body from shaking as a
desperate howl echoed from within the stone. Staring down into the bubbling
red, Romasanta stared into the fearful eyes of Fenrir. Both knew that neither of
them had realized what had happened.
“What in the world is this stone?” He breathed in wonder, hesitant to pick it
up. “Fenrir, we may be enemies, but this is a fate no creature should live. I will
make a pact to find a means to set you free – if you, in turn, let me live my days
out in peace here in your forest.”
Another howl rung out and the eyes of the wolf returned within the stone.
The solidarity of the gaze made it clear they had reached an agreement.
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