While this email is hitting your inbox a little later than I'd hoped, I've got some spectacular news to share with you today.

🎊 Claimed by the Undead is FINISHED! 🎊

I literally just uploaded the eBook on all the retailers minutes before I composed this email. And I have to say, I'm so enthralled for you to discover the first part of Helena's magical, romantic, and often dangerous adventure with the Black Priest Konstantin. Claimed by the Undead is my favorite story I've written in several years now, even though authors probably shouldn't pick favorites. So fingers crossed for YOU to enjoy it too!

Before we dive into the details—including another sneak peek at the book from Konstantin's perspective this time around—make sure to check out 20+ books in the dark romantasy genre that are only 99¢ for just a short time. Click the graphic below to browse all of them and grab whichever ones you don't have:

Now let's find out a little more about this massive tome that's about to hit the retailers on May 20th. Can you believe it's coming only one week from today? Formerly-burned-out-author-me can hardly wait! 🤩

Will YOU Like Claimed by the Undead?

Since release day is right around the corner, it's about time I drop the most random-yet-significant tidbits to help you decide if you really want to read Helena's story with Konstantin or not. Because hey, what is this "marketing" thing anyway? Wouldn't we rather just write (or read) and ignore that part? 🤪

Claimed by the Undead is for YOU if:

• You have an irresistible urge to find out what it's like to be in a romance with a dead—yet surprisingly honorable—Teuton priest 💀
• You wonder how a love story would unfold from the guy's perspective along with the girl's perspective 👀 (yes, this book is dual POV)
• You muse about living in the countryside or mountains 🏞️
• You like to EAT traditional German foods 🍽️
• You're morbidly curious about the sacrificial rites performed by Black Priests 🩸 (yeah...this part is...graphic)
• You like books where the characters tackle complex themes and questions in ways you might agree with...or not 😵
• You don't think cats are automatic jerks 🐈
• You like making sourdough...or wish you had the time to do it 🍞
• You would TOTALLY jab someone with your father's weird electrical gadget if the situation demanded it ⚡

Claimed by the Undead is NOT for you if:

• Christian themes bother you ✝️ (no, the book isn't "preachy," but both main characters grapple with questions regarding the afterlife)
• You think all fantasy novels should be set in a different world 🪐
• You think romance doesn't belong in a fantasy novel 🖤
• You get offended when characters resort to violence...like punching someone in the nose 👃
• The only food you like to eat is ham sandwiches with mayo 🥪
• Unhealthy romances (such as where one partner is abusive to the other without remorse) are the only type you like to read 😧
• The idea of floating through the air as a spirit freaks you out 🧚
• You believe magic is an inherently evil concept 🪄
• You would never, ever want to explore an ancient fortress 🏰

Curious yet? You can reserve your copy of Claimed by the Undead from your favorite retailer by clicking the button below. Don't forget that if you'd like to support a broke indie author (me) more than a corporate giant, the best way to do that is by ordering from my book shop. That's the big button you'll see on the BookFunnel page linked below.

✨ Claimed by the Undead ✨

Attention ARC Team: Your ARC copy of Claimed by the Undead will be hitting your inbox through an email from BookFunnel at 5pm EDT today. Be sure to check your Promotions and Spam folders if you don't see it in your inbox. Then get ready to dive into Helena's saga with Konstantin! 🔥🔥🔥

Claimed by the Undead: Snippet #2

Today we're going to check in with Konstantin as he and Helena find themselves in some interesting circumstances at a wedding reception....

***

“Come on. Let me show you a place Dagmar told me about.” Snatching my left hand in her right, Helena spoke a polite farewell as we got to our feet. I caught her father’s glance on our departure, and he raised his mug of beer to me.

“Maybe we should dance after this,” Helena mused when we stepped into a darkened corridor snaking around the staircase toward the inn’s bedrooms. The four musicians had struck up an Irish ballad, a momentary diversion from German and Austrian tunes.

“We won’t be able to use our elements though,” I pointed out. “Not since most people here are outsiders.”

“You mean—you can dance with elemental magic?” Helena paused beside a heavy violet drape, tilting her chin up to meet my gaze. Though she was the tallest Braun daughter, she stood about fifteen centimeters shorter than me.

“Of course you can. It’s easier to do it outside with nature, but it can be done in ballrooms too. There are many of those in my castle, forgotten in time.” I drew her hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles.

“Sounds like a date.” She winked, blushing as she ducked into the drapes. I followed, finding myself in an alcove with a window seat, the moon’s argentine rays sparkling on my goddess’ face. “This is where couples go to steal kisses.”

Helena looped her arms around my neck, her lips pleading for affection. I caught my breath and shifted my legs to hide my arousal before obliging, my own arms crushing her delicate body against mine. The power of light surging through her veins entranced my stone, my lips parting to taste the life she breathed. I shut my eyes and drank of her sweetness, her passionate moan vibrating through me. I could not do this for long. No. Not when that mad member between my legs craved the mystery beneath her velvet dress, everything I had not yet seized.

“Helena,” I groaned, pulling away just enough to meet her starry eyes, “this is too much. We can’t. It’s so good.”

“Just one more kiss,” she begged, her minty lavender scent tantalizing the beast coiled inside me. “Then we can go out there and dance.”

I recaptured her lips before she finished speaking, my tongue hungry for the life and desire radiating from her body. Watching her eyelids drift closed in ecstasy, I deepened the kiss, all of my senses focused on her alone.

“Hey now!” A female voice interrupted our rapture, my goddess breaking apart from me as two other heartbeats pattered steps away from our hideout. “You might want to be more discreet if you’re trying to dispel the rumors about what you two do in that haunted castle.”

Dagmar had found us, the violet drape pushed aside just enough to reveal her standing with a young male I recognized as the milkman’s son. “You just want a piece of the pie yourself. But that’s fine. We’re headed out.”

Helena pushed past the two with me trailing behind, my yearnings to claim far more of her leashed but not vanquished. The milkman’s son already had a hand halfway up Dagmar’s skirt as the two dove into our former spot. Embarrassment rolled off Helena’s spirit when she led me to a side door and pushed it open into winter’s frigid night.

“Shouldn’t we get your coat before—”

“Papa will bring it home. Or Dagmar will. I just—I think we’re done here. I shouldn’t have brought you to that window. Too many people.” Her skin glittered with more than just moonlight reflecting on week-old snow, her element casting brighter light than the streetlamps burning oil.

“It was getting to be a bit much for me too,” I admitted, removing my suit coat and placing it over her shoulders. “So many heartbeats, so many voices. Too much life in one place. It aggravated my death.”

“I hadn’t thought about it that way. I’m sorry I threw myself at you. Not sure why I did that. It probably aggravated more than your death.” Helena shrank away from me as we walked the sidewalk toward her family’s cottage.

“You tested my control, but I need that.” I laid a reassuring hand against her back. “I need practice abstaining under all circumstances.”

“I know better. Unceasing lust. I shouldn’t—”

“Why do I sense a dormant fire element on your property?” I interrupted her as my elemental sense caught wind of someone I recognized moving around near the Braun cottage. “He should be with his family on Christmas Eve. Not there, and not with an outsider.”

“What? Who?” Helena clutched my right arm, her pace slowing.

“Herr Ebling. I can’t tell who’s with him at this distance. But they’re likely up to no good,” I predicted.

Scowling, the light witch caught my hand in hers. “They think everyone’s at the reception, so they’ll get away with—with what?”

“The chickens are squawking.” I wrinkled my nose, and Helena gasped.

“They’d better not be killing them! Come on!” She started to sprint, her light exploding from her spirit to grant her superhuman speed. I matched her pace in a half-second, my element summoning a pair of fist-sized rocks from a garden we passed. The rocks hovered in the air for an instant before following us, ready to do my bidding.

The dead hedges surrounding the Braun property appeared as we crested the hill. Two cloaked males toting loaded sacks scurried out the front gate and into the street. Both had hoods over their heads and scarves around their faces, but they ground to a halt when they saw Helena and me approaching. One spewed a curse, and the chickens resumed their squawking. Still in the backyard.

With an errant thought, I directed the stones to fly toward their heads as the males turned to run. Two cracks of rock on bone, and both dropped to the street.

“Did you kill them?” Helena whispered, sounding appalled.

“Not yet. But you might need to run for the sheriff,” I advised her.

***

Welp. Now you've got a taste of what Konstantin does when he realizes his light witch's home might be threatened. 🪨 Having stone as an element could be useful at times, it would seem....

Want to know what happens when the sheriff arrives? Reserve your copy of Claimed by the Undead right now so you can find out in just one week!

✨ Claimed by the Undead ✨

Other Books You Might Like

While we wait rather impatiently for Helena's adventure with Konstantin to drop like a stone onto the retailers, be sure to check out these four indie books I came across recently. We've got elemental witches clashing with dragons, a bear shifter in a bakery, an unexpected encounter in the woods, and a human who just can't resist that werewolf mating bond any longer....

In a world where elements clash and fires blaze, two souls entwined by fate try to resist an undeniable attraction…

Zuri comes from a bloodline of powerful magic. Controlling hers has occasionally proven to be a challenge since her powers are tied to her emotions. But it comes in handy living in a town full of supernatural beings. Yet, there is only one that gets under her skin. Simeon is a dragon shifter who skulks around in the darkness a little too much for her liking.

Simeon has tried to stay away from Zuri, the woman whose touch makes his dragon burn hotter. He never thought his mate would be a welder of magic, but that’s what the fates have decided. But just as he warms up to the idea of bonding himself to her, strange and unnatural things start to happen, and he can’t ignore the sinking suspicion that something life-changing is heading their way.

✨ All Retailers ✨

One sexy carpenter bear shifter. One sassy human with a sweet, sweet cinnamon roll.

Allie Rowe is in a bind after drunk raccoons do a number on her business, Sticky Sweet Bakery. With a major event coming up, she can't afford to be out of commission... but she can't afford to fix things, either. Her meddling father thinks he'll play matchmaker when he hires sexy carpenter and bear shifter Dax Mitchell to lend a hand.

She’s already played the rejected mate game, and isn’t going there again, thanks. Bear shifters are trouble with muscles. Shifters are off limits!

Dax is under pressure to take a mate before the fates rob him of his strength. His dying father's wish is to see his son mated. A staunch bachelor, Dax is inclined to change his mind when sexy, curvy Allie offers him a taste of her sweet roll.

When an unexpected enemy makes himself known, and time winds down on his chance to take a mate, Dax must decide how far he’ll go to claim his fated mate.

✨ FREE On BookFunnel ✨

Freedom is so close Gabby can taste it. After years of meeting single werewolves and successfully dodging the mating bullet, she’s on her way to her last Introduction to say “No, thanks” one final time. As a human, she has no plans to attach herself to a werewolf. But, she didn’t count on meeting Clay.

With a single look, Gabby knows Clay is the one. And, unfortunately, he knows it too. The silent, ruggedly-handsome werewolf is determined to win his mate by any means necessary. Gabby does what any sane girl would do and runs. Not only does Clay follow, but something truly dangerous does as well.

Now, hunted for the secrets she’s spent her whole life protecting, Gabby must turn to the one man she didn’t want for the help she needs. Time is running out to discover who or what wants her, and Gabby’s just starting to realize there’s more at stake than the heart and freedom of one human girl.

✨ FREE On All Retailers ✨

I'm not supposed to go in the woods on a full moon. But no one has ever told me why.

When I find myself running late to my best friend's party on the night of a full moon, I take the shortcut through the woods despite the warning.

Little did I know, my life would end up changing in so many ways.

Now I find myself in a world I don't quite understand but am eager to learn.

The wolf I met in the woods that night turns out to be more than I expected.

Everything is happening so fast and even though I can't change the path my life is taking, will I get a happy ending?

✨ FREE on KU ✨

May Book Fairs

The top two book fairs listed below are ending later this week, so make sure you check them out fast! You've got more time on the others, and be sure to take a peek at the new releases Love Kissed Books has found for this month. 💕

Snowball Tree Flowers

My dad sent me a couple photos of his snowball bush/tree that occupies his planter. Every year it blooms for a short time in the spring, and I've yet to actually witness this in person. 😞 But I love admiring his photos every year, so hopefully you'll like this one too. Such big bunches of flowers!

Is anything blooming in your neck of the woods right now? Feel free to send me a photo or two! I've been a flower lover my entire life, because vibrant colors really speak to my nature-loving soul. Show me how spring is "springing" in your area—or show me those autumn colors if you're in the southern hemisphere. 🍂

Now I'd better let you get going since I left you with way too many books to pile onto your TBR. 😉 And I've got some posts to schedule to celebrate Claimed by the Undead's release next week. Pretty sure I haven't posted anything on social media in months. Oops. 😬

**ARC Team: Don't forget to hunt for an email from BookFunnel with your copy of Claimed by the Undead around 5pm EDT today. Be sure to look in Spam or Promotions if it doesn't drop directly into your inbox. I'm sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to find out what you think of the next Teuton saga, so be sure to snag that ARC!

I'll be back later this week with one last batch of updates before release day, and then it'll be time to celebrate while diving into a magical, Alpine adventure with Helena and Konstantin. I hope you'll be there to join me!

Talk to you soon,

C.L. Carhart

Pre-order Claimed by the Undead:

https://bf.clcarhart.com/fd9deoy799

Get Gift of Light for 99¢:

https://bf.clcarhart.com/z0k1vqfsss

Dark Romantasy 99¢ Sale:

https://bf.clcarhart.com/darkromantasymay/mktyfhby26

Fantasy Books & Giveaway:

https://bf.clcarhart.com/Inmyfantasyera/7vbtss30oy