The seven stories in this collection are about how lies have an everlasting effect on our relationships, regardless of how much time has passed. Specifically, how those lies permeate every facet of our lives and how they shape our past, present, and future selves.

The short stories in Blood Lies follow Anastasia, Voica, Islyn, Indigo, Rimi, Mihnea, and Mihrihmah. If you're curious about what you're going to get when you pledge, read the descriptions and excerpts below!

To abandon my son and return to the Selkies is a difficult decision, the hardest I'll ever make in my life. Leaving him with that, that monster, is the last thing I want, but bringing him with me would mean certain death. Or, at the very least, a life of servitude. Men and boys in the Selkie Queendom is a difficult topic to broach, even with mother dead. If I bring him to the sea, I may lose him forever. If he's on land, he at least has a chance of having a good life.

Anastasia is the wife of Vladimir Tepes, also known as Dracula, and the mother of Mihnea "Cel Rau" Tepes. A runaway from the Selkie Queendom, Anastasia has made a new life on land with her husband and child. But when the Selkie Queendom comes knocking, Anastasia will have to make a choice she can't take back. Will the lies about who she is catch up with her, or will she be able to cover up her past and move forward?

The transformation is grueling. This is his fault. Mihnea, you asshole. You turned me into this, this thing. This monstrosity. I never wanted this future. Never wanted to marry into a prominent vampire family. But I was a human born into a sea of vampires, a rare case; and I don't get a choice. The hierarchial nonsense that brought me here, the only rules the Old Ones will obey, is why this is happening. Yet you aren't beholden to the same rules as me, the same standards. The fire, it's consuming me now, burning me raw from the inside out. And the only thing I fell is cold, hard rage.

Voica is Mihnea's second wife. Born a human in a world of vampires, she's had to claw her way to respect. After performing the duty of birthing heirs for both her and Mihnea's family, she is given one final task: become a vampire. It should be a simple task involving nothing more than two people and a transfer of blood. But what happens when one of those people is harboring a secret?

He made a wish and left me here alone. I'm not sure I'll ever find him. Mom and Dad don't seem to care. They gave up. But not me. What happened that night wasn't natural. He didn't just "run away" and no one took him. He disappeared into the drawing, but I couldn't follow him. Someone must know where my brother is, where he went. So I'll study any and everything until I can bring him back. Even if I have to travel to the depths of hell.

Islyn had a normal childhood growing up, until the night her brother disappeared. When asked what happened, she told her parents the truth, but they didn't believe her. Labeled a liar and a suspect in the investigation, Islyn's dedicated her life to finding the truth. But the more she discovers about the supernatural world, the more she questions the dissapearance of her brother. Will the truth tear her family apart or bring them closer?

Being sucked into a landscape prison was the worst experience of my life. I was hungry, starved, on the brink of death. Then she saved me. Voica. She was looking for something, but found me instead. Today, she's giving me a chance, an opportunity, to become something more. Human servitude, a thrall, a vampire. Whichever. But first, a question. Do I want to go home? I don't have an answer for her. Why would I? I don't remember much from that day, but I do remember an argument about me. Something about a deal, about payment. If I go home, maybe I can figure it out. But it's been years, and I'm not a little boy anymore. Would they even recognize me? Would Islyn?

Indigo was a boy who loved two things: playing with his toys and playing jokes on his sister. When an afternoon play session goes awry, Indigo finds himself in a landscape prison. For years he builds skills and uses the resources around him to stay sane. When a beautiful woman appears and makes an offer he can't refuse, Indigo must decide if he'll go back home, or continue playing dead.

The Pruist's are the last of the demons. This sentence has been drilled into me since I was young. And, yet, it's never felt true. I sneak into my parents room, remove the book on their bookshelf that I know unlocks their secret study. When the doors open and reveal stacks upon stacks of books, tomes, parchment, tools, and other items, I know I'm in the right place. Somewhere in this room is the truth about our people. I don't know why they're hiding it, but if I want to become the most feared Enforcer in The Brotherhood, I need to find it.

Most people think of Rimi as a rich brat who straddles both the human and supernatural worlds. As a half-demon, she takes everything in stride. She's headstrong, resilient, and sarcastic--the perfect mix for someone who's supposed to be elitist. But as one of the last members of demon-kind, Rimi wants community. Her parents say it doesn't exist, but she's seen the demon world. And one way or another, she'll find a way back there--even if it means unraveling every secret her parents ever hid from the world.

The night of the incident is hazy. All I get are flashes of pictures and sound. The only thing I know for sure is that, whatever occurred, has caused my father and my husband to spiral out of control. They speak of murdering someone. When I ask them what it's all about, they push me to the side and tell me not to worry. I don't know what happened, and I don't think I want to.

Mihrihmah is sweet and timid, until she meets a handsome stranger. As a night of fun turns into a night of horrors, Mihrihmah will have to decipher the truth from lies to piece her memory back together.

Someone is out there tarnishing my good name. I expect it's the boyars. Mihnea "Cel Rau" Tepes, they call me. Mihnea the Bad. It reminds me of father's moniker-- Vladimir Dracul, or Vlad the Dragon. The difference is his name strikes fear in people, while my moniker comes off as an insult. No one sees me. No one sees what I could be. And as long as I live under my father's shadow, they never will. I have to do something indisputable. Something that shows everyone I'm not a joke, that I'm my own man. But what? What can I do? I shant let this plague me. After all, I'm a man of action. I put on my boots and my coat and head into the nearest town. I don't know what will happen, but I know it will cement my name in history.

Mihnea is the son of Vlad Dracula; and, therefore, rightful heir to the throne. But all he wants to do is focus on his music and keeping the family fortune within the family. To avoid an argument with his father, brothers, and wife, Mihnea decides to take his talents on the road. But when a night on the town goes awry, Mihnea finds himself on the end of someone else's blade. But instead of death, Mihnea sees an opportunity to spread a lie that will define his life for the next four to five hundred years.