It's ya girl The J.S. Living coming to you from BACKERKIT!!!

So, let's start by telling you what Blood Ties is and who it's written for.

Blood Ties is a short story collection that makes you think.

If you're still with me, then you must be interested in:

Genre: 

Print Format: 

Ebook Format: 

Cover Design and Art:

If all this sounds good, then read about the:

There are plenty of rewards for backing this project, and I can't wait to tell you about them all. And the best part is that they're ALL exclusive to this campaign! 

Check it out:

So, let's talk:

Booktopia is a cross-collab campaign. And I'm participating in TWO types of cross-collabs. 

Cross-Collab Campaign 1: Pins!

Anna McCluskey and I are giving away a FREE cocktail/vamp teeth pin for everyone who backs BOTH of our campaigns. Just click the link under "Cross Collab Project" on the right hand of the screen after you've pledged to my campaign.

Cross-Collab Campaign 2: Oracle Cards!

Georgina Stancer, JC Spark, and I are participating in the Booktopia Oracle Deck & Box Giveaway. If you back TWO projects, you'll receive SIX Oracle Cards; back all THREE of our projects and you'll receive NINE Oracle Cards; back ALL the participating Booktopia projects, and receive ALL the cards!

Participating projects: The Warm Machine | Lesbians in Space | Dire Contact | The Fractured Balance | Nuclear Strudel | Mermaid Song | Gamer | The Bright Spot | Like Warm Plastic | Weave of a Thousand Lies | The Eyes of Mandoral | Sombulus | Violet's Pretty Purple Playground | Shuttered Stanzas | First Life Duet | Blood Ties | Ruthless Wolves | Silver Series of Grown Up Wisdom | My Body Beeps | Reimagined: The Relic Saga

And here is the list of:

If you pledge early to a physical tier, you'll also get an Early Bird Gift!

But that's not all. This campaign also has: 

In the spirit of excitement and fun, the first stretch goal will be announced once we hit our funding goal of $700!

This shape which could be considered a square will point you to your last detail in the codex of which you love, including the one I described above.

Our first stretch goal is an Exclusive Bookmark for everyone who backed a physical tier! 

This bookmark will be available once we hit a funding goal of $1000. 

And, the best part is that YOU get to help make the bookmark by choosing its specs. Head on over to the community tab to vote on whether everyone will get a paper bookmark or a metal bookmark once we hit our goal!

After that, check out what your money is going to:

If these add-ons interest you, get ready to hear about:

The three stories in this collection are about relationships and how they affect our lives. Specifically, relationships between parents and children, significant others, and individuals who are practically siblings. It's about how those relationships can help or hinder us, how they can be nurturing or destructive, and how they can change over time. 

But, to best explain this, you'll have to:

The short stories in Blood Ties follow Liz, Dmitri, and Angelo. If you're curious about what you're going to get when you pledge, read the descriptions and excerpts below!

"A Tuesday Training in 1593" is about Liz, a woman stuck in someone else’s mind who wants to escape, but can’t because Lizzy (the host in charge of their shared body) doesn’t know she exists. During a training on how to feed as a vampire, Liz and Lizzy’s worlds collide. Can Liz break the communication barrier? And what will happen if she does? Read Blood Ties: A Thought for Lizzy and A Tuesday Training in 1593 to find out.

Excerpt from "A Thought for Lizzy"

There's something to be said about being cursed. Because that's what this is: a curse. Witches gave my family the ability to turn into creatures of destruction.

But, for those of us with a more—how can I put it, ah, yes—volatile natures, we were given the extra special ability to manifest an additional consciousness. It's funny, Lizzy, I am stuck in your subconscious mind while you get to live a full life. I only come out when your mind is too weak to handle what life has thrown at us. I should be the one out there.

Liz is a force to be reckoned with, and plays a dual role in  Blood Ties: she is Lizzy's protector. She is fierce and powerful, and she stands up for herself and what she wants. She is bossy, intelligent, and even a bit manipulative at points. But, at the same time, she isn't given much agency in terms of what she can and can't do. Liz just wants to be free to make her own decisions.

"A Death Day in 1600" is about Dmitri, a twenty-eight-year-old former slave who wants to marry Elizabeth (Lizzy) Bathory-Tepes (also known as Vlad Dracula's daughter) at her birthday party. When Dmitri asks Vlad Dracula for Lizzy's hand in marriage, he says no. This angers Lizzy and she almost kills everyone at the party with her fae abilities. Will Dmitri survive to complete his proposal, or will he perish with everyone else? Read Blood Ties: A Poem to My Love and  A Death Day in 1600 to find out.

An Excerpt from "A Poem to My Love"

 A woman of death/A queen of the world, the woman I love/She is the dearest of dears/The sweetest of sweet/
The bloodiest of blood/She outshines the moon and the stars/Outruns the fastest creatures/Will outlast me and this dreadful world/I, however, am but a man/Born into poverty, raised to greatness/ Destroyed by those closest to me/Brought up in fire and brimstone/and turned into ashI come from nothing/Will be nothing/Am nothing

Dmitri is a well-rounded male character who had to build himself up from a lowly servant who hailed from North Africa to one of the most powerful humans in existence. His interactions with slave traders, merchants, Lizzy, and Vlad Dracul allowed him to learn many languages as well as societal norms for Europeans. He is the kind of character who wears his heart on his sleeve initially, but there are times when he has to let events run their course to get the outcome he wants, even if it's a detriment to himself. He's also headstrong. 

"Placating a Parent in 2015" is about Angelo, an immortal who wants to die, but can't because his maniacal father, Anton (also known as Ferenc Ndasdy) injected him with Lizzy's blood when he was an infant. When Anton proposes that Angelo marry and impregnate Lizzy, Angelo wants to decline. But Anton always gets what he wants, even if he has to threaten to destroy something precious. Will Angelo cave into his father's whims? Find out by reading Blood Ties: Remembering My Past  and Placating a Parent in 2015.

An Excerpt from "Remembering My Past"

I was barely even a month in the womb when he injected my mother with a so-called "medicine" that would stop her aches and pains—it didn't. I was one when he tried killing me the first time—which failed. And, when I was five, we went to the lake. I thought it was going to be a fun day in the water—it wasn't. After all, he tried to drown me. I remember being pushed under the water. I thought we were playing a game. But then, Father's cold hands held me under. I tapped his hand to tell him to let me up, but he didn't. I thrashed and kicked, but it was to no avail. He wasn't going to let me up. The water rushed into my lungs. I couldn't breathe. I gasped for air,  but I was unable to get any. After a while, I passed out.

Angelo's head is a bit of a dark place due to the abuse and trauma he suffered at the hands of his father when he was a child. He is a complex character because, although his head tends to be filled with dark memories, he also has some really good ones— specifically of his mother. Unfortunately, his mother is only mentioned in passing in this particular story, and only enough for you to understand the background Angelo is coming from. What you DO see in this story though is a man falling in love with a woman for the first time without even knowing it, which is beautiful considering the person who raised him was a complete monster. 

The funds raised for this project will help me continue creating stories in The Blood Series. One day, I'd like to be a full-time author who can create and tell stories every day from the comfort of any place in the world. And, with your help Bloodlings, I can get there. 

That said, if you're curious about CoB and merch, I also have:

📚 Welcome to Booktopia — a celebration of creativity and collaboration from a vibrant collective of writers, authors and artists collectively running crowdfunding projects from September 5th - September 26th.

🔥 Limited Cross-Collaboration Freebies — All 50+ Booktopia creators have paired up with a fellow participant to create two unique and limited freebies together. If BOTH projects successfully fund, backers who support BOTH will get the TWO [2] cross-collab freebies listed on their campaign page, one will ship from each creator. The more pairs of Booktopia creators you support, the more freebies you will earn ✨

🧧 1 FREE Limited Edition Booktopia 2024 reward if you back FIVE [5] or more projects. Exclusive reward for Booktopia - Black Metal Bookmark

My cross-collab partner is Anna McCluskey, author of The Bloody Unicorn and Other Delightfully Dark Drinks.

You can view her campaign here: https://www.backerkit.com/c/projects/anna-mccluskey/the-bloody-unicorn-and-other-delightfully-dark-drinks

Remember: Support BOTH of our campaigns and you'll receive this:

So, you're wondering: 

Well, my little Bloodlings, Backerkit is an opportunity to connect with you all on a different level!

Anyways, while Backerkit isn't a NEW platform, it is a relatively new way for me to offer you guys my services as a professional storyteller, writer, and editor. This platform allows me to connect with my readers (that's you Blooodling!) and offer you items I normally wouldn't be able to on my website.

Oh...snap...that wasn't the end of it! I almost forgot to tell you about who you're supporting. Silly, silly me. Okay, here's everything you need to know about:

From novels and novellas to comic books and short stories, I write character-driven urban fiction that will excite you with its fresh lore and slow-burn romances. 

I've held a plethora of jobs in my life; but, right now, I'm proud to say I'm a Communications Specialist for the Federal Government. I'd tell you all about my degrees (plural), but that might be a bit much; so, instead, I'll tell you this:

The Bloody Unicorn and Other Delightfully Dark Drinks by Anna McCluskey (This is my Cross-Collab Partner! Support her and you'll get a special cross-collab reward!)