Madison's Song
Cassie Scot
Spin Off Standalone
Christine Amsden
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Date of Publication: July 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-60619-283-2
ASIN:
Number of pages: 272
Word Count: 90,000
Cover Artist: Tamian Wood
Her voice is enchanting; his soul is black…
Madison Carter has been terrified of Scott Lee since the night he saved her from an
evil sorcerer – then melted into a man-eating monster before her eyes. The
werewolf is a slave to the moon, but Madison’s nightmares are not.
Despite her fears, when Madison’s brother, Clinton, is bitten by a werewolf, she
knows there is only one man who can help. A man who frightens her all the more
because even in her nightmares, he also thrills her.
Together for the first time since that terrible night, Scott and Madison drive to
Clinton’s home only to discover that he’s vanished. Frantic now, Madison must
overcome her fears and uncover hidden strengths if she hopes to save him. And
she’s not the only one fighting inner demons. Scott’s are literal, and they have him
convinced that he will never deserve the woman he loves.
*Stand-alone companion to the Cassie Scot series
Madison couldn't move. The only muscle in her body capable of stirring at all was
her heart, and it felt like it was trying to make up for the rest. No ropes bound her.
Nothing visible pressed her back and legs into the coarse beige carpet of her new rental
home. Yet even as she writhed and twisted against unseen restraints, she knew she was
trapped. Tied to the ground in a way that made her feel like a virgin sacrifice atop an
The man looming over her, chanting spells and arranging crystals, didn't look like
a powerful sorcerer. David McClellan had too weak a chin and beady little eyes. Those
eyes, brown as mud and just as compassionate, told her without words that they would be
She didn't even understand why! Not that it would make a difference if she did.
But she wasn't anyone special. She wasn't important. She was just an elementary school
music teacher – or would be after she finished a semester of student teaching. This kind
of thing didn't happen to her. To her friend, Cassie, scion of a powerful family of
sorcerers, maybe. But Madison had no family connections and almost no magic aside
from her beautiful, subtly enchanting voice. Why would anyone hurt her for a song?
A tear fell sideways into her sweat-dampened hair, joining countless others and
doing exactly as much good. How long had she lain here, helpless? Minutes? Hours? It
might only have been seconds. The box of “Card and Board Games” she had been
carrying into the house lay on its side a foot or two away, some of its contents now
strewn across the bare living room floor. There hadn't been any warning. One second she
was on the way to her new bedroom to unpack her tenth or eleventh box, the next instant
she was on the floor. Immobile. Helpless. Confused. Terrified.
Oh Lord! Why hast thou forsaken me?
There was magic in the air, growing stronger with each new crystal David
arranged into a pattern only he could see. Cold, deadly magic that reinforced her every
childhood fear. Her father had told her that magic was from the devil. Was this what he'd
meant? Was this her punishment for brushing up against the world of sorcery, no matter
David placed one last crystal before ceasing his chant. The silence felt ominous,
like a lull before the storm, and when he moved away, out of her sight, a fresh wave of
panic seized her. She strained anew at her bindings until the scent of incense filled the air.
She had a sudden, vivid memory of Palm Sunday Mass, and of Father Owen making the
sign of the cross as he wafted the same scent over his congregation. Father Owen didn't
believe magic was evil; he had told her more than once not to listen to her father's
The time had come to pull herself together. To think. She wasn't helpless. She had
a little magic of her own, even if the thought of using it made her feel sick inside. God
had not forsaken her. He had given her a tool if only she could rein in her stampeding
heart rate long enough to search her memory for what little knowledge she possessed.
First, she had to find her quiet place. Madison drew in a deep, shuddering breath
and started to close her eyes, when a glint of something metallic caught her attention. She
stared at the long, lethal dagger in David's hands, an ornate golden hilt largely hidden
within his iron fist. His eyes drifted up and down the length of her bound body before
settling on her midriff. He lowered the blade.
He was going to cut her. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself against the
She took one last steadying breath. Then she counted. Breathe in one ... two ...
three ... four ... breathe out ... five ... six ... seven ...
Her concentration snapped when cold metal bit into warm flesh. Her eyes popped
open, her muscles strained once more against invisible bonds, and she screamed.
Wait, she could scream? She had a voice?
“Silence,” David commanded.
Her throat continued to work, but no sound emerged. She felt like a fish being
gutted, choking and spluttering as David returned to the work of cutting into the soft,
sensitive flesh of her belly. Yet even as tears refilled her eyes and fear devoured her heart
some part of her recognized that her guts remained intact. Whatever David was doing to
her with the dagger involved tracing shallow patterns across the surface of her skin.
Fight the pain. Take deep breaths. Ground and center. She was not in the empty
living room of a house she had not quite moved into yet, she was at church, singing in the
choir. Above her, Jesus hung from a cross, a crown of thorns atop his head, a soft glow
surrounding him. She usually found the magic within that glow. She reached for it...
“Stop that!” David slapped her hard across the face.
Once again her eyes flew open. She saw the dagger dripping with blood – her
blood. Had her feeble grab for magic actually made a difference? David seemed to have
“You're just making this harder on yourself,” David said.
“What do you want?” Madison tried to ask. Her mouth moved, her lips forming
the question, but no sound emerged.
She didn't think he would answer; he couldn't even have heard the question, but to
her surprise he only hesitated a moment before saying, “Your soul.”
Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she
can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by
this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but
great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through
extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships,
and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful
At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition
that affects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind,
but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.
In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors.
She also does some freelance editing work.
Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has
been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.
Madison's Song
Cassie Scot
Spin Off Standalone
Christine Amsden
Genre: Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Twilight Times Books
Date of Publication: July 15, 2015
ISBN: 978-1-60619-283-2
ASIN:
Number of pages: 272
Word Count: 90,000
Cover Artist: Tamian Wood
Her voice is enchanting; his soul is black…
Madison Carter has been terrified of Scott Lee since the night he saved her from an
evil sorcerer – then melted into a man-eating monster before her eyes. The
werewolf is a slave to the moon, but Madison’s nightmares are not.
Despite her fears, when Madison’s brother, Clinton, is bitten by a werewolf, she
knows there is only one man who can help. A man who frightens her all the more
because even in her nightmares, he also thrills her.
Together for the first time since that terrible night, Scott and Madison drive to
Clinton’s home only to discover that he’s vanished. Frantic now, Madison must
overcome her fears and uncover hidden strengths if she hopes to save him. And
she’s not the only one fighting inner demons. Scott’s are literal, and they have him
convinced that he will never deserve the woman he loves.
*Stand-alone companion to the Cassie Scot series
Madison couldn't move. The only muscle in her body capable of stirring at all was
her heart, and it felt like it was trying to make up for the rest. No ropes bound her.
Nothing visible pressed her back and legs into the coarse beige carpet of her new rental
home. Yet even as she writhed and twisted against unseen restraints, she knew she was
trapped. Tied to the ground in a way that made her feel like a virgin sacrifice atop an
The man looming over her, chanting spells and arranging crystals, didn't look like
a powerful sorcerer. David McClellan had too weak a chin and beady little eyes. Those
eyes, brown as mud and just as compassionate, told her without words that they would be
She didn't even understand why! Not that it would make a difference if she did.
But she wasn't anyone special. She wasn't important. She was just an elementary school
music teacher – or would be after she finished a semester of student teaching. This kind
of thing didn't happen to her. To her friend, Cassie, scion of a powerful family of
sorcerers, maybe. But Madison had no family connections and almost no magic aside
from her beautiful, subtly enchanting voice. Why would anyone hurt her for a song?
A tear fell sideways into her sweat-dampened hair, joining countless others and
doing exactly as much good. How long had she lain here, helpless? Minutes? Hours? It
might only have been seconds. The box of “Card and Board Games” she had been
carrying into the house lay on its side a foot or two away, some of its contents now
strewn across the bare living room floor. There hadn't been any warning. One second she
was on the way to her new bedroom to unpack her tenth or eleventh box, the next instant
she was on the floor. Immobile. Helpless. Confused. Terrified.
Oh Lord! Why hast thou forsaken me?
There was magic in the air, growing stronger with each new crystal David
arranged into a pattern only he could see. Cold, deadly magic that reinforced her every
childhood fear. Her father had told her that magic was from the devil. Was this what he'd
meant? Was this her punishment for brushing up against the world of sorcery, no matter
David placed one last crystal before ceasing his chant. The silence felt ominous,
like a lull before the storm, and when he moved away, out of her sight, a fresh wave of
panic seized her. She strained anew at her bindings until the scent of incense filled the air.
She had a sudden, vivid memory of Palm Sunday Mass, and of Father Owen making the
sign of the cross as he wafted the same scent over his congregation. Father Owen didn't
believe magic was evil; he had told her more than once not to listen to her father's
The time had come to pull herself together. To think. She wasn't helpless. She had
a little magic of her own, even if the thought of using it made her feel sick inside. God
had not forsaken her. He had given her a tool if only she could rein in her stampeding
heart rate long enough to search her memory for what little knowledge she possessed.
First, she had to find her quiet place. Madison drew in a deep, shuddering breath
and started to close her eyes, when a glint of something metallic caught her attention. She
stared at the long, lethal dagger in David's hands, an ornate golden hilt largely hidden
within his iron fist. His eyes drifted up and down the length of her bound body before
settling on her midriff. He lowered the blade.
He was going to cut her. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing herself against the
She took one last steadying breath. Then she counted. Breathe in one ... two ...
three ... four ... breathe out ... five ... six ... seven ...
Her concentration snapped when cold metal bit into warm flesh. Her eyes popped
open, her muscles strained once more against invisible bonds, and she screamed.
Wait, she could scream? She had a voice?
“Silence,” David commanded.
Her throat continued to work, but no sound emerged. She felt like a fish being
gutted, choking and spluttering as David returned to the work of cutting into the soft,
sensitive flesh of her belly. Yet even as tears refilled her eyes and fear devoured her heart
some part of her recognized that her guts remained intact. Whatever David was doing to
her with the dagger involved tracing shallow patterns across the surface of her skin.
Fight the pain. Take deep breaths. Ground and center. She was not in the empty
living room of a house she had not quite moved into yet, she was at church, singing in the
choir. Above her, Jesus hung from a cross, a crown of thorns atop his head, a soft glow
surrounding him. She usually found the magic within that glow. She reached for it...
“Stop that!” David slapped her hard across the face.
Once again her eyes flew open. She saw the dagger dripping with blood – her
blood. Had her feeble grab for magic actually made a difference? David seemed to have
“You're just making this harder on yourself,” David said.
“What do you want?” Madison tried to ask. Her mouth moved, her lips forming
the question, but no sound emerged.
She didn't think he would answer; he couldn't even have heard the question, but to
her surprise he only hesitated a moment before saying, “Your soul.”
Christine Amsden has been writing fantasy and science fiction for as long as she
can remember. She loves to write and it is her dream that others will be inspired by
this love and by her stories. Speculative fiction is fun, magical, and imaginative but
great speculative fiction is about real people defining themselves through
extraordinary situations. Christine writes primarily about people and relationships,
and it is in this way that she strives to make science fiction and fantasy meaningful
At the age of 16, Christine was diagnosed with Stargardt’s Disease, a condition
that affects the retina and causes a loss of central vision. She is now legally blind,
but has not let this slow her down or get in the way of her dreams.
In addition to writing, Christine teaches workshops on writing at Savvy Authors.
She also does some freelance editing work.
Christine currently lives in the Kansas City area with her husband, Austin, who has
been her biggest fan and the key to her success. They have two beautiful children.
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Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
1 comment:
It does sound like an interesting read. I hate the feeling of being held down. I don't think anyone likes it.
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