Darkest Delights Book Tour & Giveaway

Darkest Delights 

by K.M Jenkins and Ben Merical 

Genre: YA Horror, Dark Fantasy 

Book Blurb

Don’t trust what lies within…

They don’t forgive, They destroy

Welcome to Medge Pond, a town where mischievous children go missing beyond the forest border. Something evil lurks within the forest, and those who enter are never seen again.

There are two rules you must follow: Do NOT enter the forest and never touch the berries. Ever.

If you break them, beware—not even your screams will save you.

**On Sale for Only .99cents until the end of October!**

Excerpt

I went to my room to wash up for supper and glared at myself in the mirror. She could have been more friendly. I would be lucky if Rob shows up tomorrow as planned. But whatever if he is a baby and chickens out, I guess it is up to me.

With that, I changed my top and headed down for supper. My eagerness for tomorrow was growing by the second, and I was super excited. Who cares about the noise? It was probably only a squirrel or something?

My thoughts drifted through my plans for tomorrow as the night carried on, and soon bedtime came. I slept like a baby even though something deep inside said something horrible was going to happen tomorrow. So many horrible things had already happened in my life, why not one more?

Giveaway 

$20 Amazon 

Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway!

https://bit.ly/DarkestDelightsTour

Author Guest Post

What inspired you to write this book? 

The inspiration behind this story was our love for camp fire type horror books like Goosebumps growing up. Ben and I wanted to focus on a fantasy creature story for an anthology we were joining. The main topic was to have some type of mythical creatures.

We couldn’t shake the fact that we wanted to write something with horror in it. The idea was to create a forbidden area in a small town that held a deadly secret that the towns folks tried to not think about. But Gracie’s Aunt was the exception. The horror of the forest was always on her mind since she lives on the borderline. Just in the backyard, she can step from safety into a deadly zone that could be the end of her.

The problem comes to fruition when Aunt Margaret takes in Gracie. She is in her teens and likes to get a sense of adventure throughout her day. Gracie has trauma of her own with her mom dying so she is trying to get her mind on other things.

Kids are always wanting to go into the woods and see what magic it can hold. I was one of those kids when I was young. My dad would take me to the forest to walk around and see what animals we could find. We would do this for hours. This feeling of wonder and adventure was one of my reasons for choosing this background for the story.

I also had an enormous love for faeries growing up. My goal was to twist the stories of faeries that were evil or sprites that would live in the forest to taunt children. Also, I have pulled some inspiration from movies I have seen in the past. One, for example, was: Don’t Be Afraid of the Dark. That was one of the horror movies that scared me with faeries.

A lot of elements inspired the story, but it all came together when Ben and I put our heads together. You should give it a read to see the ins and out of our writing on this project.

About the Authors 

Ben and Katie tied the knot in September 2024 but not before putting pen to paper. Together they crafted their first horror story together titled: “Darkest Delights,” back in 2022.

They loved stories like Goosebumps growing up and decided to create their own campfire story that would leave a little fright for the younger readers to enjoy.

They plan to work on more in the future. Make sure to subscribe to K.M. Jenkins’ newsletter to get updates on books when they hit the stores: https://www.subscribepage.com/author_km_jenkins 

Website * Facebook * FB Group * X * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads

Author Links

Website: https://www.storytellerpub22.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authorkmjenkins

FB Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/kmjenkinsdragonriders

X: https://x.com/authorKMJenkins

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorkmjenkins

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/k-m-jenkins

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/K.M.-Jenkins/author/B07GDSWDK7

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18283505.K_M_Jenkins

Interview With Author Rosemary A. Johns

Everyone loves a rebel, most especially Rosemary A. Johns. A self-proclaimed rebel, Rosemary’s best-selling and multi-award winning fantasy novels are chock full of rabble-rousers, villains, and anti-heroes who fight in epic battles.

Rosemary lives in Oxford, where she enjoys listening to music, reading and cultivating her inner rebel.

Now that I’ve introduced you to Rosemary let’s get to know her a little better.

Hello, Rosemary, and welcome to Angel Kiss Publications. Thank you for agreeing to do this interview.

What inspired you to be a writer?

First, thanks for having me on Ellwyn!

I’ve always loved reading, and Oxford (where I live) has a rich history of fantasy writing. My parents allowed me to read their fantasy and science fiction books as well as explore our local libraries from a young age.

Yet I call it being compelled to write: I have a world inside my head that plays out – I see my stories like films and it’s a compulsion to write them down. I was a playwright before, as well as an actor and director, so writing has always been a part of me.

Is writing your full-time profession?

Yes—as well as being my passion!

How long have you been writing?

When I was eight years old, I wrote my first novel. My first short story was published when I was fourteen. I then wrote plays and owned a theatre company before turning to novels. 

Have you won any awards?

Yes, and I’m always honoured, whether they’re from the industry or voted for by readers. In theatre, you have immediate feedback (I loved acting in comedies for the buzz of making people laugh!), but when you write you only have awards or reviews to get that response, which is why they’re precious.

Recent awards include: Silver Award in the National Wishing Shelf Book Awards. Finalist in the IAN Book of the Year Awards. Runner-up in the Best Fantasy Book of the Year, Reality Bites Book Awards. Shortlisted in the International Rubery Book Awards.

How many books have you written?

An award-winning trilogy called REBEL VAMPIRES, which is a twist on vampire mythology with a sexy British vampire anti-hero at its heart.

Two novellas in USA Today Bestselling boxed sets.

Also, a USA Today Bestselling five book series called REBEL ANGELS, which is about an epic war between angels and vampires, with an unexpected heroine at its heart. It’s a sort of Buffy meets Lucifer, where vampires and angels are locked in a deadly war. Half vampire/half angel but raised by humans, Violet is caught between both sides… who want her back.

Which genres do you write? 

My genres are fantasy, urban fantasy, paranormal normal romance and dark fantasy.

What do you find most challenging writing for these genres?

Writing is about truth and emotion: it doesn’t matter if you’re talking about angels or the breakup of a marriage in 1950s America.

The trick is to find the universals and how it connects to the reader by putting all of yourself into the book—even the dark places—and shining a light on emotions, so that the reader sees themselves.

So, when I write fantasy, it’s magical and thrilling… but it’s also about trust, abandonment, fathers and daughters, love and what home means.

It’s not challenging, but it’s my one fundamental rule: where’s the truth. This probably comes from being an actress!

What are you working on now?

The fourth book in the REBEL ANGELS series is about to release on the 8th January: VAMPIRE MAGE. When three wishes offer Violet’s deepest desires, she should know better than to trust them. But can her shifter, vampire, and angel lovers save her from the dangerous magic unfurling inside her, or is LOVE the most dangerous magic of all…?

VAMPIRE MAGE: http://Viewbook.at/VampireMage

 I’m just starting to work on the fifth book in the series and it will be epic…

Where do you find inspiration for your characters?

Light, in REBEL VAMPIRES, is a savant vampire who remembers everything as he lives over the centuries, and this is both a blessing and a curse.

http://viewbook.at/BloodDragons

The idea was inspired by my son who’s an autistic savant. Another character within the book is an autistic vampire, and one thing I always do within my books is reflect society across all spectrums—and as the heroes. Yet apart from his savant ability, Light’s voice sprang complete into my head.

Maybe because of my theatre background, voices usually come to me first, then I work on the character: how will they move? What clothes would they wear? What music would they listen to?

In REBEL ANGELS, Rebel, my punk Irish angel, sprang alive as soon as I knew these background details.

What has been your most rewarding experience since publishing your work? 

My Rebels! I have a fan group and street team called the Rebels, and they’ve been an incredible support, especially at more difficult times that all writers face, such as being trolled.

I receive messages and fan art around both series and hearing how much a book means to someone or has helped them is massively rewarding.

Light in particular has made a difference to people who have felt alone, a misfit, or the outsider (which is all of us at one time or another!), but he’s become the hero despite it and so he’s helped them through dark times. Books and characters have done that for me. I love Light and Violet, and my hope is that readers will as well!

You can apply to join Rosemary’s Rebels here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/698811356958470

What advice would you give to authors just starting out?

Only write what you’re truly passionate about. Publishing is a difficult business, but if you start from the point of truly caring about what you write, then it’ll see you through.

Is there anything else you’d like your readers to know about you?

You can sign up to my *VIP* newsletter here with news of my releases, promotions, and the free novella ALL THE TIN SOLDIERS: https://mailchi.mp/rosemaryajohns/subscribe-rebel-newsletter

This is where you can follow me or drop me a line!

Website: https://rosemaryajohns.com

Bookbub:https://www.bookbub.com/authors/rosemary-a-johns

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RosemaryAnnJohns

Twitter: @RosemaryAJohns

What message are you sharing in your books?

I’m a subversive artist—this means I challenge society’s lies: disabled people can’t be successful, money makes you happy, or men must be more dominant than women.

At the heart of my Rebel books are the themes of freedom, choice, and diversity. But it’s not a message, rather it’s themes: a reader can make up their own minds.

What are your favorite books/authors?

I have SO many… I read every day!

My favourite book is The Vampire Lestat by Anne Rice. I was a teenager when I read it for the first time.

It had a major impact because I realized you could write a beautiful monster who knew he was a monster. But have the reader still love him and be unable to put the book down. It inspired my love for the antihero. When I’m compared to Anne Rice, therefore, it’s extra special!

What are your favorite movies, TV shows?

Movies are a big inspiration for me: acting, writing, and directing… they’re all crafts. I love studying what works (or doesn’t!) and why.

I’m also into bingeing on boxed sets. There are incredible TV shows in fantasy, paranormal, and sci-fi: Buffy was my original love!

Thor: Ragnarok and the Guardians of the Galaxy films probably come the closest to my sense of humour..!

When you’re not writing where can we find you?

I’m a British author. I went to Christ Church, which is the college where they filmed Harry Potter, and I still do events and readings sometimes in Oxford. I also do events online, so you can find me wherever you are in the world!

Where can we find your books?

You can find them on Amazon: on Kindle, paperback, and audio book. You can also download them for FREE if you have Kindle Unlimited!

Here are the links:

BOOKS IN THE REBEL VERSE by ROSEMARY A JOHNS:

REBEL ANGELS:

VAMPIRE HUNTRESS: viewbook.at/VampireHuntress

VAMPIRE PRINCESS: viewbook.at/VampirePrincess

VAMPIRE DEVIL: http://Viewbook.at/VampireDevil

VAMPIRE MAGE: http://Viewbook.at/VampireMage

REBEL VAMPIRES TRILOGY:

http://viewbook.at/BloodDragons
http://viewbook.at/BloodShackles
http://viewbook.at/BloodRenegades

Thanks, this has been awesome!

You’re welcome. Thank you, Rosemary, for taking the time to share your story with us. We wish you continued success and lots of luck!

Photo courtesy of: Rosemary A. Johns