Greetings. I welcome you to my this small corner of my mind. I am your -ahem- charming hostess. You may call me Anne, if you must call me anything.

Allow me to tell you--briefly--about myself. I am a college student and a writer--perhaps one day, I can happily call myself a published author. But for now, I am simply a writer. Currently, I have two novels finished--that would be Bonded and Skin Deep, if you care to look below--as well as a number of short stories.

So, feel free to look around; visit, perhaps, the romantic landscape of Lorrayn and the Winari forest to hear Rosaline and Nicholas's tale in Bonded.

Or mayhap the dark and gruesome Shadowland is more to your taste, where lies and deceit are a part of the very earth? Then Amala's story would suit you well; enjoy her tale in Skin Deep.

And when you're done with Skin Deep, be sure to check out One Hundred Years, to hear the rest of Tailfeathers' and Lily's story.

If Death's glory has captured your interest, then happily visit him in The Orderly.

But perhaps you, as a reader and a writer yourself, might find the unnamed girl of Imaginary to be more sympathetic. Be sure to listen to her story before you depart.

Or visit Hunter's Dance and listen to Sadie's tale to examine the thin line between protector and predator, the very small difference between Hunter and Vampire.

If you have a taste for the strange, then take a look at Archer's story in Of Demons and Angels; perhaps you will discover that even the damned have souls. Or, at least, feelings.

Catch a glimpse into Jessentry's and Manta's lives and enjoy a bit of humor and a bit of romance in A Dragon's Hoard.

I hope you enjoy. But be warned; some of my characters bite, and the worlds they inhabit are not always friendly. Read at your own peril.

However, if you wish for something more...solid, then perhaps one of these would suit your needs:

Daughter of the Blood, Heir to the Shadows, and Queen of the Darkness by Anne Bishop (aka The Black Jewels Trilogy)

God's Demon by Wayne Barlowe

Cast in Shadows, Cast in Courtlight, Cast in Secret, and Cast in Fury by Michelle Sagara (aka The Chronicles of Elantra)

Sunshine, by Robin McKinley

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

The Life of Pi, by Yann Martel

Monster by Christopher Pike or any book in his Last Vampire series.

Bloodline: Demons of the Trenches and Bloodline 2: Reckoning by Kate Cary

Mister B. Gone, by Clive Barker

Claimed by Shadow and Touch the Dark and Embrace the Night by Karen Chance

Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury

Unholy Fire and Billy by Whitely Strieber

Silence of the Lambs and Hannibal by Thomas Harris

Archangel and Angel-Seeker and Angelica by Sharon Shinn

And now, dear friends, I am afraid that I must leave you to wander the dark corridors of my mind by yourself. I'm very busy, after all, and the monsters that lurk about should leave you--mostly--alone. They're occupied with far more tempting morsels. But as a parting gift, I leave you with this; a simple poem inspired by the master of my creative heart-

My Muse

My muse is a dark master,
A cruel little nymph.
His eyes flash like black fire,
His skin like dark ivory.

Blood colors his hands--painting the page.
The tip of my pen is wet with it.
But he only leans over me--
"Write," he orders, touching my hand.

He pushes the pen across the page,
Spelling Pain and Death, Blood
and Riot, Chaos and Cruelty.
My muse only nods with approval.

I look to him, uncertain.
"Are you sure?" I question.
He smiles, his breath hot on my ear.
"Very," he assures me

As he leans over,
Staring at the page before him.
"Very," he repeats as his eyes
Perceive the spilt blood.

My muse is, indeed, a dark master.

And with that, my dear friends, I wish you well and bid you a fond goodbye. I hope to see you again soon.