Scarredbyillusion
the menagerie of an artist's brainchildren
Gothic Picture Books, Novelettes, Novellas & Novels
Tea with Ghosts Knight’s Knots, Strings, Threads, Ribbons and Bows
Gothic Picture book self published November 4, 2021 under the penname Beau Velvet
Meet Knight, a person wrapped in knots, strings, threads, ribbons and bows. Everyday is a dilemma because Knight can't seem to stop tying, thinking, or seeing in knots. However Knight's ghost companions don't mind at tea time and that's all there is to look forward to.
GATES is a gothic vampire series written under the penname Lace Ghoulier.
The stories explore themes of life, death, love as well, good and evil, utilizing mystic, metaphysical and occult ideas.
GATES Death with Pleasure
Book 1 of the GATES series, self published October 20, 2021 under the penname Lace Ghoulier
Salome is a dying woman who stumbles upon an alluring offer an of alternative assisted suicide facility by infomercial. She is fortunate that she’s been selected as a candidate for the 'Die to Live' option, becoming a vampire in the end. Unfortunately for Salome, it's cusping the 25th anniversary of the mysterious facility, GATES, founding. The place where a dream and nightmare hold hands skipping. And the motto ‘Everyone has daemons. You are lucky if you listen to them’, just rolls off the tongue. The vampire founders of 2 sets of twins, the ancients; Zipporah & Azizah, the 21st century; Guinevere & Gwyneth, take her on a journey debriefing her on everything GATES. Full of lies, violence, romance, sex, the fear of God, death - if you don’t count it as an extension of violence, and dark humor because you have to laugh to keep from crying. Those elements seem like the only way to live really, or simply just to get anything done at all in the eyes of the founders. That is, if Salome makes it through the long sleepless vampire blood-laced night to die as planned.
Why die alone, when we can kill you with our good company and hospitality?
An ancient cave girl whose twin is a harem woman, a modern professional student whose twin is a polysubstance drug addict with a Sugar Daddy doubles as her drug dealer. Do you hear music in your head? Lastly, a Sultan who acts as a pirate. Other with a capital O indeed. A dark gritty contemporary fairytale about walking the fine lines of existence. Challenging the difference between an angel and demon along with fact and opinion. Enjoy the darkness to savor the light. What does anything mean?
CONTENT & TRIGGER WARNING: Mental illness, blood, violence, suicide, death, dying, kink, blood play, agender, nonbinary, intersex, lesbian, bisexual, heterosexual sex, asexualism, eating disorder(s), chronic illness, abuse, rape, sexual assault, substance abuse.
Santa the Mage is a novella series written under the penname Satin Veil.
The series started with a strange inference and continued as dark magical way to kill time between other more lengthy projects.
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Santa the Mage
Book 1 of the Santa the Mage series. Self published October 27, 2021 under the penname Satin Veil.
In an alternate realm stuck in the late 1960s Nicholas Criminal. Oops! Nicholas Kringle better known as Santa Claus prospers bringing joy to most. Though known under many aliases, from Saint Nick, aka Kris Kringle, aka Old Saint Nick, and simply Nicky if you were to ask his wife Anya. But what do you know about Nicholas the mage?
A second generation sheriff, Clifford Humphries Jr, sure is curious and can’t seem to take a hint no matter how deadly. You don’t interfere with Santa’s business. And you certainly don’t arrest the man near the Eve of Christmas. With evidence stockpiled on Nicholas Kringle and his enchanted property, it’s no doubt Clifford is on Saint Nick’s naughty list. However he won’t rest until he learns Santa’s secrets. That’s if the singing cyberpunk elves don’t scare him to death first with their own macabre twist on classic carols. It’s a race against the clock. Spoiler alert the odds aren’t in his favor.
Would you hassle a man who sees you when you're sleeping or knows when you're awake? Does one even have to ask themselves such a question? Maybe you know better than Clifford does. It’s shaping up to be a haunting December in this alternate history. Stay out of the woods.
The musical horror of Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street and Jordan Peele’s Get Out with the spunk of Hairspray.
CONTENT WARNING: VIOLENCE, MURDER, DEATH, RACISM, CREEPER CRAWLERS, PASTEL HORROR