Love. That's what we need now. 

With the horror, conflict, and fear that surrounds us now, I can only shake my head and wonder why we have forgotten to love instead of hate. I read posts on social media, shake my head, and cry. People are so quick to attack. Quick to judge. 

My question has always been, if dogs can love us unconditionally, why can't we love each other in the same way? I pulled up the image above to a happier time. These were my five labs - Darth, Leia, Luke, Yoda, and Obe Wan called Tipper. They loved us without question. They trusted us and were loyal. They are gone now, but the joy they brought to me will live in my heart forever.

Shouldn't it be so with people? Can't love and kindness prevail? 

All the books that I write reflect this theme, even in the most unlikely and perilous conditions. That's our situation today, and I ask only one thing. Consider that it might be easier to love than condemn, love than hate, understand instead of judging.

Til Another Time,
​Carol

While you continue to shelter at home, you can escape for FREE! That's right. A select collection of FREE digital books has been hand-picked by a former acquisitions editor for your enjoyment. They include all genres, so you can choose what you like. And, my very own Snow Blood Season 1 is among them. 

Don't hesitate. Offer begins on May 1 but won't last. 

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Happy reading!
​
Til Next Time,
Carol

​Enzo’s shaggy black fur shimmered in the Tuscany moonlight. His golden eyes transfixed on nothing. His body stood frozen in place. I knew the signs. My spirit-turned-corporeal wolf was experiencing another vision.

The forest around us just outside my master Kane’s Italian wine estate was silent save the laughing voices of Zandra, her brothers, and James, her newly turned hybrid vampire Lycan, as they hunted for prey in the far distance. They had no need to be quiet as their vampire speed allowed them to take down the fastest prey. Through my preternatural connection to Kane, I alerted to my sire taking down a large bull moose and sating his thirst at the beast’s jugular. I longed to have a taste.

Instead, I padded to Enzo and pressed against him until his eyes focused and he shook his head. I sat back on my haunches as he gazed into my eyes.

We will have little rest. The worst approaches.

His warning shook me to the core. I twisted my head at the one I loved only second to Kane and wondered, What could be worse than what we have experienced? Enemy werewolves, flesh eaters, shifters, and zombies have attacked us repeatedly. Lilith, the original succubus, has tried to control us. Satan has tried to destroy us. Prior to ever meeting you, human greed captured and tried to use us.

Before he could telepathically respond, we both lifted our noses to the air and took in the stench of danger lurking around us.

An arrow whizzed past my right ear. A sharp sting and the whiff of deadly silver alerted me as a chunk of my furry white ear sailed through the air.

Enzo whirled and placed his backside to mine. We circled as some twenty men dressed in brown leather pants and boots surrounded us. They carried axes, crossbows, and swords. Their faces and bodies reeked of hate.

My injured ear stung. The insidious burn of it seeped inward from the minor cut. Liquid fire ran down the rest of my injured appendage numbing everything it touched. I feared silver poison but ignored it and sprang just missing the sharp side of an axe intended for me. I went for the hunter’s weapon-wielding arm and bit down.

The man screamed, convulsed, and foamed at the mouth. He died before he hit the ground.
Behind me, I heard Enzo tear into several others. Skin and cloth ripped. Screams of humans being devoured rang through the air. The spirit wolf’s throaty growls and gnashing teeth mingled with their cries.

A few of the enemy backed off momentarily in surprise at Enzo’s ferocity and their comrade’s death from my one bite. They must not have known that I had inherited my biological father Snow Blood’s deadly bite. I took off to my right, grabbed the extended arm of one man, and ripped it from his shoulder. He shuddered and fell face first into the budding spring ground cover. I whirled and this time bit into the leg nearest me. Knowing I had killed again, I moved on and sprang, tearing out the throat of a third victim.

The screams of those Enzo attacked were short-lived. His powerful jaws ripped throat after throat. Dead bodies littered the forest ground. The smell of their blood incited me. The bloodlust within me overpowered my senses.

I leapt for another would-be victim but was taken down by a silver arrow to my spine. The pain shot through every nerve ending, and the deadly metal surged through my core paralyzing me. Four more attackers surrounded me and began to slash and hack at me with both swords and axes. A blade bit deeply into my shoulder. I yelped in agony. The pain became intolerable.
Enzo instantly jumped them and became a killing machine. Body parts flew in the air. A head rolled next to me. The man’s blank, dead eyes stared at me. An arm plopped down just next to the head. A headless torso took flight and smashed against an oak tree.

I struggled to stand as another blow landed on me from behind, taking my hind legs out from under me. I whirled and took off the offending hand with one bite. The soft appendage still wiggled. My body began to morph into my inner demon, but blood poured from me. I fought to keep my eyes open and was sinking fast. I felt my life slipping away.

As another attacker bent to slice my throat, I sprang with all my remaining strength and tore out his. With nothing left, I slid toward the earth. As the world went dark, I heard Kane’s voice. Hold on, girl. We’re here.

Want more? Go here: https://books2read.com/u/mv59pq

Til Next Time,
Carol

Moon Blood 5, the last book in the First Blood Son Series, is finally available on Kindle. This book - with a tagline of: One.Last.Battle. - is the ultimate fight between good and evil.

I love the cover because it depicts Zandra watching Kane in red dragon form while Moon and Enzo protect her back. 

This book throws all manner of evil at my beloved de Medici vampire family, and the question is: Will they survive?

I loved writing this series, and I hope you will join me in the finale. You'll find it at: http://mybook.to/MB5. It's also available at Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Apple, etc. You can find it at other retailers here: https://books2read.com/u/mv59pq.

Readers are now asking me if this is the end of the stories of vampires who battle against evil. The answer is: Not Yet. Look for another entire series entitled Reign - The Silver Blood Knight. Book 1 is in the can, and I'm working on Book 2. Unfortunately, it's up to my publisher as to when these books will be released. I promise to keep you informed.

In the meantime, meet Reign below.

Til Next Time,
Carol
​
  

This is a "tree" that links all the characters in the Snow Blood family together. Just something to keep readers straight on all the characters. Not as bad as Game of Thrones, but lots to remember! 

Til Next Time,
​Carol

As you may or may not know, I love to meet and interview the characters from my books. This time, I was fortunate enough to request and was granted some time with Seth.

Seth is a long-time friend of Kane’s, the first blood son of Brogio, the original vampire. He was an angel who fell from grace for the love of a human woman named Emma. After Seth fell, Emma died in an accident. Kane and his family later discovered that Hecate, goddess of witches, murdered Emma so that she could win Seth for herself.

Grief-stricken over Emma’s death, Seth became a white witch so that he could help people in need. Kane dabbled in witchcraft, and that’s how they met.

Seth, along with his angel companion, Mathias, who takes the form of a winged Friesian horse, have been integral to both the Snow Blood and Moon Blood Series. So, I thought it important for you to get to know him a little better. He agreed to meet me in the forest near Kane’s Tuscany wine estate near Rome.

As I sat on a large fallen tree branch in the forest clearing and waited, the moon shone so brightly that I had to squint to observe it. I blinked and rubbed my eyes at the sight of the black shadow of a giant winged horse as it flew in silhouette across the face of the moon. The light from the moon grew brighter and elongated to a silver streak on the ground in the forest some thirty feet away from me.

I shook my head, rubbed my eyes, and felt his presence before me. Looking up, his face took my breath away. A man shouldn’t be that beautiful.

“But I am not a man.” The angel’s smile made the silver light around him glow brighter. He extended his large, white wings and then folded them behind him, where they disappeared. 

I had never seen eyes so blue or such luxurious abundance of silver white hair. Seth was tall and broad-shouldered. No wonder Hecate wanted him for herself.

The bright light slowly faded from around him, and he sat next to me and adjusted his long white robe over his knees.

I stared at him for a moment, at a loss for words.

He laughed. “Well, you created me… you shouldn’t be surprised.”

I shrugged. “Okay, do you mind if I ask you some personal questions for my readers?”

His blue eyes scanned my face. “You already know the answers but go ahead.”

“Why did Hecate come after you… after… Emma.” I felt almost ashamed to ask him the question.

“Don’t be sad. Emma is with Mathias and me doing good work. We are all quite pleased with our existence now.” Seth smiled. “As for Hecate, every two hundred years, Hecate had the chance to woo and win a morally good man. Once they were mated, she could produce a demon seed and bring dark evil into the world. The witch disguised herself as a woman that could have been Emma’s twin. She called herself Trivia and almost had me in her clutches. Kane, Brogio, Selene, Snow Blood, and his pack were able to trick her into revealing her true self to me.”

I nodded my head. “Will you tell our readers how you became an angel again?

Seth looked off into the distance and shook his head absentmindedly. “Patience, Mathias. I see you lurking in the trees. I told you I’d only be ten minutes or so.” He turned to me. “He is so impatient, that one. He’s always on to the next mission. Such a slave-driver.” He scratched his alabaster chin. “Now, where was I. Oh, how did I return to God? He created me with special love. He wanted an angel that embodied his own love of mankind. Each one of us has a purpose of sorts. Michael is God’s warrior. Mathias is his timekeeper. He made me to love humans equal to His own love of them. Because I loved them so much, I became vulnerable to a human’s love for God. I fixated on Emma, a woman so pure of heart, and fell hopelessly in love with her. I gave up my immortality to be with her. When I fell from heaven so that I could be with Emma, God’s heart was broken. He sent Mathias to be my protector here on Earth. After my near-fatal encounter with Hecate and with some convincing from Mathias, God reinstated me because He wanted me back. I hope that doesn’t sound too vain. I don’t mean it to be. That’s just the truth.

Mathias snorted from the trees, and I could see his faint outline as it blended among the forest. He was the largest horse I’d ever seen. As he emerged from the trees and stomped the ground, his wings spread out over the clearing and appeared to overpower it.

“He’s still your protector, I see.” I glanced at Seth, who stood as I spoke.

“Always. We are paired by choice.”

I looked behind Mathias and could see the faint outline of a feminine body leaning against a large oak tree. “Is that Emma?” I stood next to Seth.

“Yes. A choice we have been granted.” His smile lit up the dark sky, and his white light surrounded him.

“Wait, are you leaving? I have more questions.” I put out my hand to touch him, but he backed away and spread his wings.

“Another time, perhaps? Maybe someday you will write a story about the three of us, and we can spend more time together.” He rose from the ground, and Mathias joined him. They both disappeared, and a slender female figure shot up into the heavens behind them.

The forest grew cold and barren without them.
 
If  you haven’t read the Snow Blood and Moon Blood Series, check out Carol McKibben’s author page on Amazon. Moon Blood, Book 5 will be released on March 13, 2020, and both series will be complete. More books involving characters from these series will be available at the end of 2020.

Get all 5 of the digital books in the Snow Blood Series Free from February 14-29th. It's my Valentine Gift to you!

That's right! Haven't read the series? Missed one or two of the books in the series? You can grab them today, along with other great Sci-Fi and Fantasy Books by simply clicking here:

https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/SnIk5t06n3vZrAY4NW0Y


WHY? Because I love my readers, and it's my Valentine's Gift to you. 
That's it! Happy Valentine's Day!

Unconditionally,
Carol

Basketball legend, Kobe Bryant, and his 13-year-old daughter Gigi were killed in a horrific helicopter accident yesterday. Even those who don't care about basketball took to social media to mourn their loss, including me.

What really struck me the hardest was their ages. He was only 41. She was just a young teen. And most of those who perished with them were so young as well. I thought it so unfair that ones with so much life ahead of them could be taken away in an instant.

It brought me back to a time with my brother, who is now gone from us as well. I remember sitting in his room and conversing with him. He was 18 and I was nine. We were close, always were. He looked at me and smiled and said, "Remember this, Sis. Live each day like it's your last. Take all you can from life and never forget to tell those close to you how much you love them. When you leave them, or close your eyes at night, be sure that they understand how you feel about them."

I've carried those words with me all my life. I know he knew how I felt about him the last time he closed his eyes. It was one of his many legacies to me. I hope the rest of my family and friends know how much I love them.

Whether we live to 100 or only for a few years, life is precious. Every day needs to be treasured. So cease the day and live life to the fullest. 

R.I.P., Kobe and Gigi.

Til Next Time,
​Carol 

As I am in the process of finishing up edits for Moon Blood Book 5, the last book in my First Blood Son Series to be released in February, I thought I'd share an excerpt from it. Hope you enjoy it, and I would truly appreciate your feedback!

Moon Blood Book 5 Excerpt:
Enzo’s black, shaggy fur shimmered in the Tuscany moonlight. His golden eyes transfixed on nothing. His body stood frozen in place. I knew the signs. My spirit-turned-corporeal wolf experienced another vision.

The forest around us just outside my master Kane’s Italian wine estate was silent save the laughing voices of Zandra, her brothers, and James, her newly turned hybrid vampire Lycan, as they hunted for prey in the far distance. They had no need to be quiet as their vampire speed allowed them to take down the fastest prey. Through my preternatural connection to Kane, I alerted to my sire taking down a large bull moose and sating his thirst at the beast’s jugular. I longed to have a taste.

Instead, I padded to Enzo and pressed against him until his eyes focused and he shook his head. I sat back on my haunches as he gazed into my eyes.

We will have little rest. The worst approaches.

His warning shook me to the core. I twisted my head at the one I loved only second to Kane and wondered, what could be worse than what we have experienced? Enemy werewolves, Flesh eaters, shifters, and zombies have attacked us repeatedly. Lilith, the original succubus, has tried to control us. Satan has tried to destroy us. Prior to ever meeting you, human greed captured and tried to use us.

Before he could telepathically respond, we both lifted our noses to the air and took in the stench of danger lurking around us.

An arrow whizzed past my right ear. A sharp sting and the whiff of deadly silver alerted me as a chunk of white furry ear sailed through the air.

Enzo whirled and placed his backside to mine. We circled as some twenty men dressed in brown leather pants and boots surrounded us. They carried axes, crossbows, and swords. Their faces and bodies reeked of hate.

My injured ear stung. The insidious burn of it seeped inward from the minor cut. Liquid fire ran down the rest of my injured appendage numbing everything it touched. I feared silver poison but ignored it and sprang just missing the sharp side of an axe intended for me. I went for the hunter’s wielded weapon arm and bit down.

The man screamed, convulsed, and foamed at the mouth. He died before he hit the ground.

Behind me, I heard Enzo tear into several others. Skin and cloth ripped. Screams of humans being devoured rang through the air. The spirit wolf’s throaty growls and gnashing teeth mingled with their cries.

A few of the enemy backed off momentarily in surprise at Enzo’s ferocity and their comrade’s death from my one bite. They must not have known that I inherited my biological father Snow Blood’s deadly bite. I took off to my right, grabbed the extended arm of one man and ripped it from his shoulder. He shuddered and fell face first into the budding spring ground cover. I whirled, and this time bit into the leg nearest me. Knowing I had killed again, I moved on and sprang, tearing out the throat of a third victim.

The screams of those Enzo attacked were short-lived. His powerful jaws ripped throat after throat. Dead bodies littered the forest ground. The smell of their blood incited me. The blood lust within me overpowered my senses.

I leaped for another would-be victim but got taken down by a silver arrow to my spine. The pain shot through every nerve ending, and the deadly metal surged through my core paralyzing me. Four more attackers surrounded me and began to slash and hack at me with both swords and axes. A blade bit deeply into my shoulder. I yelped in agony. The pain became intolerable.

Enzo instantly jumped them and became a killing machine. Body parts flew in the air. A head rolled next to me. The man’s blank, dead eyes stared at me. An arm plopped down just next to the head. A headless torso took flight and smashed against an oak tree.
​
I struggled to stand as another blow landed on me from behind, taking my hind legs out from under me. I whirled and took off the offending hand with one bite. The soft appendage still wiggled. My body began to morph into my inner demon, but blood poured from me. I fought to keep my eyes open and was sinking fast. I felt my life slipping away.

So, hope you enjoyed a taste of what's to come. Let me know what you think!

Til Next Time,
​Carol