#vampire!nancy rise for the crowd please

[ronanceisintheair]

Where getting bitten can be an act of foreplay...starring vampire!Nancy rated M for mature, or something.

"Nance, be gentle," Robin moaned, the lower octave making the rasp of their voice more apparent, even against the low crackle of the record player. "Please."

Their head was tilted back against the dark wood headboard of the queen sized bed. Chest rising with each slow, deliberate, breath.

The room was hot. The beating of their heart prominent and prevalent.

The comforting weight of Nancy's body anchoring them to reality; legs straddling Robin as she hovered just above, thumb barely touching the soft skin on Robin's neck, while the other hand cradled Robin's boxers between their thighs.

Nancy smiled, eyes glistening red, now tracing a finger down the length of a vain that bulged as Robin swallowed.

"I'd never hurt you," Nancy's words resembled that of someone in a daze, her pupils small, visibly drinking in Robin's physical demeanor.

Before her fangs did the same to the crimson gold that flowed through Robin's veins.

"Just tell me if it hurts and I'll stop." Nancy's eyes locked with Robin's; who didn't look nervous. Or scared.

If anything Robin looked aroused. Somehow turned on by the fact that Nancy was mere moments from penetrating their skin with her fangs.

Robin licked their lips slowly, the muscles in their neck jumping as they swallowed, fingers gripping at Nancy's hips, "I trust you."

That was all Nancy needed to hear, eyes gleaming red for a moment as she lowered herself towards Robin's neck.

With each hot breath, Robin could feel the cresting of their beating heart, butterflies setting flight in their stomach.

Instinctively stretching their neck, giving Nancy more access, giving them both what they wanted, a pleasured moan vibrating through their chest as Nancy pierced the skin.

[super-cosmic-library]

loosely based on this post

tw: mentions of blood

Look, everyone had gone through a vampire phase. One Mrs. Stephanie Meyer had a heavy hand in that. And even if one had somehow managed to skirt the whole Twilight saga, there were a litany of other vampire books/tv shows/movies that came in its wake. Almost everyone in the 2010s wanted a vampire boyfriend. Even Robin, whose taste veered toward the more extraterrestrial side of paranormal fiction, had confided in Steve that she wouldn’t mind having an undead, blood sucking vampire girlfriend.

All in all, Steve didn’t get it. Why did nearly all of the girls in his grade fawn over the idea of getting with someone older than their great grandfathers? It was gross. Not to mention the fact that vampires didn’t have blood, so how would they even be able to get it up in the bedroom? 

The whole mess baffled him to no end, and he was grateful when its popularity died down. He didn’t know if he would be able to take listening to Max and El giggling over Edward What’s-his-face.

His relief, however, was short lived. Just as the kids he baby sat started to enter high school, the Twilight saga had a resurgence of popularity all thanks to TikTok. Only this time, he didn’t just have to hear it from the girls. Max and El had gotten Lucas and Will to watch the movies with them, which led to them reading the girls’ copies of the books. And, look, Lucas he understood. When Steve was in high school, he would have done anything to please Nancy. (Luckily, she had been more interested in the rising popularity of the dystopian genre. He had thoroughly enjoyed listening to the Hunger Games series on audiobook.) But Will? Even if he was just doing it to bond with his sister, Steve thought the boy had more taste than that.

And when Lucas and Will became obsessed with it, so did Mike and Dustin. Again, Steve understood Mike, even though unlike Lucas, he was totally oblivious to his crush on Will. But Dustin? As far as Steve was aware, Suzie wasn’t allowed to read the series, even though the creator was also Mormon.

At least Erica was still at the age where she turned her nose up at any hint of romance.

But, you know, it wouldn’t be such a big deal if the kids obsession with vampires contained itself to the fictional world. He could deal with it better if it did. If then, they might be able to talk about other topics of interest. Hell, Steve would give anything to listen to the boys ramble all day long about their Dungeons and Dorks game. But Steve wasn’t so lucky.

Because while he loved the kids’ strong, creative imaginations, it meant that sometimes their fictional obsessions would spill over into the real world. And that. That was what he was really fed up with.

“I swear, it’s him,” Dustin nearly shouted over the other boys. “Same name. Same exact hair. He’s a vampire.”

Steve restrained a groan as he looked up from the dishes to see Dustin, Lucas, Will, and Mike at the dining table crowded around what appeared to be a high school yearbook.

“He can’t be!” Thank god, Mike was being the voice of reason. (Something Steve never thought he would be.) “I’ve seen him walk to his van in the sun, and he was totally fine. Also, on spaghetti day in the cafeteria, he ate, like, three slices of garlic bread!”

Steve had thought too soon.

“Then how do you explain this?” Dustin asked, gesturing to the page.

“Maybe it’s someone he’s related to?” Will offered.

“I don’t know,” Lucas said. “The resemblance is uncanny.”

Curiosity got the best of Steve. What could he say? Even if he hated this whole vampire thing, he enjoyed the weird little adventures his kids went on. Steve didn’t have many friends growing up. Hell, aside from Robin, he didn’t have many friends now. At least, friends his own age. It made his heart warm, seeing all of them getting to be a bunch of idiot children together. 

But they didn’t need to know that.

“What are you little shits looking at?” He slung the dish towel he had been using to dry the flatware with over his shoulder, and made his way over to the table.

“Steve, we think our new DM is a vampire!” Dustin announced excitedly.

Steve put his hands on his hips (his signature mom pose, according to the kids), and rolled his eyes. “Vampires aren’t real.” 

He didn’t say it to dull the kid’s enthusiasm. If anything, antagonization was their form of love language. Plus, Dustin always took the discouragement as a challenge to double down on whatever stance he took. Steve had to admire the kid for his confidence in himself. He knew first hand how easily that could be stripped away. 

“Then how do you explain this?” Dustin slid the yearbook over for him to look at, pointing at  the man in question. “He’s been in high school for years.”

Steve glanced down at the page. “Oh, Eddie Munson? He was in some of my classes last year. He was held back twice; though, that may have been because he almost never showed up to class. But that doesn’t mean he’s a vampire.”

“This is an old yearbook, though,” Lucas countered.

“If last year is old, then how ancient do you think I am?” Steve snipped. He pointed to the class picture that captured his likeness. “Look, there’s me. Does that mean I’m a vampire?”

“Steve, this isn’t your yearbook.” Dustin held the cover of the book up for Steve to read. There on the cover, in green and gold, were the words “Class of 1985.”

“What?” He snatched the yearbook from him, and flipped back to the page they had been studying. “No, that’s . . .”

He trailed off. Yes, that picture had captured his likeness; however, it was his father’s name that was written underneath. His father, who he was apparently the spitting image of.

“Maybe it’s his dad,” Steve tried, flipping through the pages. “Or his uncle. Doesn’t he live with his uncle?”

“We already checked the rest of it.” Mike snatched the book away from him. “He’s the only Munson in there.”

“His dad and his uncle could have not been in high school together,” Will countered.

“Thank you for being the only reasonable person here.”

Will blushed at Steve’s praise. 

“I am telling you,” Dustin trudged on. “Eddie Munson is a vampire. And we’re going to prove it.”

~~~

Proving it ended up being more challenging than the boys had thought. As Mike had already proved, Eddie had no aversion to garlic or the sun. Crosses, Lucas pointed out, had no affect on him either, seeing as he wore one on his ring. So there went that theory. Dustin had even followed him into the bathroom one day to see if Eddie had a reflection in the mirror. He ended up having two Eddies stare at him like he was a creep.

Either none of the stereotypes were true, or--and Dustin was loathe to admit it--Steve was right.

There was still one more thing they could try.

“I don’t think this is a good idea,” Lucas said.

Dustin huffed. “Well, do you have any better plans? Because the only thing we haven’t tried yet is a stake to the heart, which is a dumb thing to begin with because that could kill anyone.”

“What about holy water?”

“And how are you going to get a priest to agree to bless a bottle of water?” Mike asked.

“My pastor might do it,” Lucas said.

“Let’s just try this first,” Dustin said. “And if it doesn’t work, you can call your pastor.”

The plan was simple, really. While they were playing DnD that afternoon, Dustin was going to “accidently” get a paper cut. Eddie’s reaction to the fresh blood would determine whether or not he was a vampire. It was fool proof.

Unfortunately, it seemed like Dustin was a fool. Who could blame him, though? Eddie was an amazing Dungeon Master. He knew just how to craft a story to suck just about anyone in. It wasn’t until they were packing up at the end of the session that Dustin remembered the plan. That probably explained the looks the other boys had been shooting him the entire time.

Dustin was just about to drag the edge of a piece of paper across this hand, when the drama room door banged open.

“Alright, you little shits. Get in the car. I’m already having a bad day, and I don’t need your moms blowing up my phone asking where you are.”

“Steve, why do you have a tampon in your nose?” Will asked.

Dustin glanced up at Steve, only to find that the man indeed had a bloody tampon in his nose.

“I had a nose bleed, and didn’t have any Kleenex in my car. It’s the only thing Robin or I had. And it works, so I don’t want to hear anything more about it.”

Blood.

Dustin nearly gave himself whiplash turning his head to look at Eddie. Eddie, who was staring at Steve with eyes that could only be described as ravenous.

“King Steve,” Eddie drew out as he approached Steve.

“Munson.”

“Now why’s a pretty jock like you carting around a bunch of nerdy freshmen?”

“I baby sit them.”

Eddie chuckled. “Yes, they are a bunch of babies.”

That was met with a round of protests from the kids.

“How hard was your nose bleeding? Aren’t tampons supposed to be super absorbent?”

Lucas was right. There was a ring of blood leaking down the tampon.

“Are you okay?” Will asked.

Eddie, however, did not look okay. Dustin had never seen him so focused on one thing as he was with Steve’s nose. And that included DnD.

“Yeah, it just happens sometimes. I’ll be fine. Now come on, or Robin’s going to start honking.”

They were being corralled out of the building before Dustin could come to any concrete conclusions, but judging from the way Eddie had stared at Steve’s nose, he was sure their hunch was correct.

Now they just had to prove it.

~~~

Turned out, the best way to prove their DM was a vampire was to show up at his trailer unannounced. Catch him off guard while he was at his most comfortable. In fact, the hardest part about the whole thing had been trying to convince Steve to drive them over to the trailer park. In the end, he was a push over as always.

Dustin bounded up the steps to the trailer, the other boys close behind. He pounded on the door. “Eddie!”

A crash came from inside, followed by a grumbled “shit.” A few moments later, Eddie swung open the door.

“Couldn’t have given me a heads up?”

“We have some urgent DnD questions. Couldn’t’ve waited for you to respond.” Dustin and the rest of the boys pushed passed him into the trailer. Only Will hesitated, sheepish look on his face.

“Hey, wait, what are you doing!” Eddie called after them.

“Oh my god, have some manners,” Steve slammed his car door closed.

“Steve,” Eddie began. “They roped you into this?”

“They threatened to walk otherwise. Couldn’t let them get hit by a car or kidnapped.”

The four boys searched around the tidy trailer, not even trying to appear like they weren’t.

“What are you knuckleheads doing?” Eddie asked.

Steve, who they had not informed what they were doing, seemed to have caught on to their plan. “Not this again.”

“You know what they’re doing?” 

“Guys, look!” Mike, staring in the fridge, exclaimed. The boys ran over to him.

“Hey, you guys, get out of there!” Eddie exclaimed.

“Yeah, knock it off. Let the man live in piece.”

Dustin, Lucas, and Will gasped when they saw the contents of the fridge. Yes, there was normal people food in the fridge--nothing to write home about. But stacked on the top shelf was the motherload: bags and bags of blood.

Mike grabbed one and held it out for Steve to see. “We fucking told you!”

“Eddie’s a vampire,” Dustin vibrated with excitement. “Eddie, you’re a vampire.”

“Eddie’s not . . . there’s gotta be . . .Eddie?” Steve looked to Eddie as if asking him to deny the kid’s claims.

Eddie crossed his arms over his chest and heaved out an exasperated sigh. “Looks like you caught me.”

“I fucking told you!” Dustin shouted at Steve.

“Language.” Steve snapped. “Eddie, come on. Be serious. Vampires don’t exist.”

“Telling the truth, Harrington.” Eddie flashed them his fangs. “I am a vampire.” 

“You’re teeth aren’t normally that sharp,” Will said.

“I can control when my fangs come out,” Eddie said with a shrug. Then, to demonstrate, he retraced his fangs, so his teeth looked human again. “It’s been handy in hiding from mortals. In fact, you guys are the first to figure it out. Surprised it took this long for anyone to notice, honestly.”

“So you’ve been able to hide in plan sight for, like, hundreds of years?” Dustin asked.

Eddie slouched down onto the couch, understanding that he was about to be pelted with about a million questions. “More like forty.”

“Forty?” Will asked.

“I was turned in the ‘80s. ‘86, I think. I don’t know, the years start to blur together.”

“So, you’re just as old as our parents?” Mike scoffed. “Lame.”

“But I look much better than them.”

The boys took his nonchalance as permission to start their rain of questions.

“So do you have vampire powers?”

“How can you eat garlic?”

“Does the sun not burn your skin?”

“Do you have to get permission to enter new places?”

And on and on they went, only briefly pausing for Eddie to get a sufficient answer out. Meanwhile, Steve just stood by the door. Dustin could tell he was trying to process the fact that he had almost graduated with a vampire. Dustin could understand. Had he not already been convinced himself, the information would have taken a bit to accept.

When Steve finally came back around, he joined the group surrounding Eddie. 

“Why are you still at Hawkins High?” Steve asked. “You were in class with my parents. Couldn’t have you gotten out and gone someplace people won’t recognize you?”

Eddie paused, actually giving that question some thought. The other boys let him think it through instead of feeding him more questions. They wanted to know the answer too.

“Well, I tried to once, but then Wayne started having health problems, and I didn’t want to leave him alone. When I realized that I had stopped aging, I decided to stay with him even after he recovered. Realized that if I don’t grow old, I’m going to outlive him. I’d rather spend the rest of his life with him, than in hiding and regretting it when he’s gone. As for people recognizing me: you’d be surprised how little attention the freaks of Hawkins get.”

The group sat in silence for a moment, letting his words sink in. Dustin supposed that if he were turned into a vampire, he would stick around to spend as much time with his mom as he could.

“Speaking of, where is your uncle?” Lucas asked.

Eddie smiled to himself. “Technically, he’s my little brother. We started doing the whole uncle/nephew thing when he got too old to believably be my brother. And he should be finishing up his shift at the hospital. Decided to become a nurse after finishing chemo. He has always been the smart one. Besides, it helps with procuring my stash of blood.” 

Mike perked up at that. “So you do drink blood?”

“Yes.”

“But we’ve seen you eat real food.”

“You’re point?”

Mike huffed. “So do you need blood to live, or is it just a craving--like wanting a Coke?”

“I can eat real food, but it doesn’t fully satisfy my hunger. Only drinking blood does that.”

“Have you ever?” Steve gulped. “Have you ever drank blood from a person.”

“You offering?” Eddie smirked.

Steve flushed.

Weird.

As his friends continued to talk, Dustin’s mind wandered. It was no secret that Steve found men attractive. He was the biggest slut in Hawkins, after all. And Dustin had only ever seen him nervous around men who he thought were really hot. 

Oh, Dustin could have fun with this. After all, didn’t everyone want a vampire boyfriend?

okay, well this completely got away from me. will I make this a series? mayhaps.

[marypsue]

Ahh I’m so excited to see what’s cooking up with former heroes especially bc I know some of the things that bothered you with season 3 were some of the plot points I have the most so I’m excited to see how you change them. Also I’m excited to see the rise of Joyce Byers, love triangle fiancée who is on fire ! (And hopefully not with a hopper that was s3 Hopper) Robin and Steve still scooping maybe?? Nancy and Mike being peak siblings and also Lucas hopefully getting some time shine.

Also I was wondering you hand any sneak peeks available for the Bodyswap AU or the Vampires+Steve pt3 fic!!

Hello hello nonny!

First and most importantly, I am fistbumping you through the computer screen over season 3. I'm really hopeful that this AU version is going to be satisfying, and avoid the major issues I had with season 3 without being unrecognisable from the canon. While I was considering what changes to make and how, I tried to tie it back more meaningfully to the themes of seasons 1 and 2, and I'm pleased with how that's coming through in the outline so far. Hopefully it'll work in the finished product! (Also, I can promise considerably more Peak Sibling Nonsense, and considerably less of season 3 Hopper. Although I am not making any promises at this time on the matter of dumb teenage romance bullshit.)

Also, because you asked so nicely, from the third and (hopefully) final chapter of don't let the sun go down on me:

“Did you hear? They found the Byers kid.”

Steve doesn’t have any kind of a response to that, beyond a blank stare. It’s too fucking early in the morning for how fucking early in the morning it is. He was up way too late last night, again, thanks to Nancy and Jonathan. The last thing he’s prepared to process is Tommy Hagan’s weird enthusiasm about knowing some piece of gossip Steve doesn’t.

Ordinarily, Steve wouldn’t rise to the bait. He’d play it cool, like he doesn’t actually care. Tommy will fill him in eventually, whether he cares or not.

But ordinarily, Tommy isn’t casually dropping a bombshell that could decide the future of Steve’s sanity. If they’ve found Will Byers – then there’s no reason left for Nancy and Jonathan to stick around. “What? Where?”

Tommy’s shit-eating grin gets even wider, and he slings an arm around Steve’s shoulders, steering them both deeper into the crowded, noisy halls. “Floating facedown in the quarry. Sounds like maybe whatever took a swipe at you decided to go after easier prey.”

Tommy keeps talking, but Steve barely hears him. There’s a weird roaring buzz rising in his ears, drowning out all but the pitch and cadence of Tommy’s voice. Suddenly, the crowded hallway is suffocating.

Steve barely manages to mumble out some halfassed excuse before shrugging off Tommy’s arm and breaking for the bathroom. He tries not to look like he’s running. He doesn’t know if he’s succeeding.

He’s no sooner made it into a stall than he’s hitting his knees on the grotty tile floor, clutching the porcelain bowl as his hasty breakfast makes a surprise reappearance. That bagel hadn’t tasted like anything special on the way down. It’s not improved the second time around.

When his stomach seems to be finished turning itself inside out, Steve sits back on his heels, coughing out the last lingering flecks of vomit as he wonders what the hell just happened. It’s not like he ever actually met Will Byers. Or like he’s known Jonathan for more than two days. And Steve had spent part of one of those days thinking Jonathan was a murderer.

Except. He’d been so angry when he’d thought Jonathan was a murderer. Like Jonathan had personally betrayed him. Steve’s not sure what that means. If it means anything. He’s not sure he wants to think too much about it.

Whether or not Steve actually cares about Jonathan Byers and how hurt he’s going to be by this, though – still. Still. That’s a kid. Will is just – was just a little kid. And – Steve’s memory, unhelpfully, decides to play him the highlight reel of that monster’s teeth, his dad telling him there were bites missing, Tommy saying easier prey, the excruciating pain in Steve’s stomach where the monster had slashed him open –

He wonders, with fresh horror, whether that thing got Will while Jonathan and Nancy were busy taking care of him. Even though that timeline doesn’t make any sense, he still has to dry-heave over the toilet again.

“Stevie?”

It’s the last voice Steve wants to hear right now. He groans as he twists to look over his shoulder at Tommy, and it’s only half exasperation.

Tommy ignores him. “Hey, man, you okay?”

“You look like shit,” Carol says, with a pop of her ever-present gum, following Tommy into the boys’ bathroom like she belongs there. “Rough night last night, Steve-o?”

She’s giving Steve an out. A way to save face. He flashes her a grateful smile, and hopes he doesn’t have bits of upchucked bagel stuck in his teeth. “Guess I must still be hung over.”

“Aww,” Carol tuts, with a sarcastic pout, as Tommy leans over to offer Steve a hand up off the disgusting floor. “And you didn’t invite us?”

“Hey, I know what’ll make you feel better,” Tommy announces, like he’s about to put a man on the moon. “We skip first period and hit the diner. Get you something hot and greasy to fill that bottomless pit.” He thwaps the back of one hand against Steve’s stomach with a grin.

Steve’s stomach gives another lurch. He swallows bile.

“Thanks, man,” he says, when he trusts himself enough to open his mouth. “But the diner’s been closed since Monday, remember? The owner killed himself?”

Tommy’s face falls. Steve swallows around a stab of guilt. Tommy’s his friend. He’s trying to help.

He just – he has no fucking clue what Steve’s gotten himself into this time. Neither he or Carol do.

And it’s gotta stay that way.

“Good idea, though,” Steve offers, an olive branch. “Skipping. Think I’m gonna ditch for the day.”

Tommy doesn’t totally lose the kicked-puppy look, but he does try for a smile. “You want us to tell Sanderberg you’re out sick? Sorry, sir, he was throwing up all morning,” he says, to the absent first-period teacher, voice pitched up and eyes wide in a mockery of innocence.

“Yeah, yeah, sure,” Steve says, knowing Tommy will at least get a kick out of winding up the notoriously suspicious Mr. Sanderberg. “Thanks, man.”

“Don’t mention it,” Tommy says, slapping Steve on the back just a little too hard.

“Are you actually sick?” Carol asks, or maybe ‘demands’ is a better word. “You’re acting weird lately.”

Steve forces a smile, hoping it doesn’t look too much like a grimace, as he shuffles over to the sinks to rinse out his mouth. “Nah. Told you. I’m just hung over. Gonna head home and sleep it off.”

Carol, in the mirror behind his head, does not look convinced. But she doesn’t say anything more, either.

Steve does feel a little bad about leaving her and Tommy behind, as he heads out to the parking lot and his car. But they’d never understand. They’d never believe him. Hell, in the cold, bright light of day, Steve barely believes himself.

And, he thinks, as he peels out of the high school lot, there’s no way he could bring Tommy and Carol with him where he knows he has to go now.

[olivcrfm]

oliver & margo’s playlist @ofmargos IN THE PRESENT WITH YOU.

I’m sitting on the balcony of my college dorm, and I see her. She’s carrying a heavy box, but she has the biggest dorky smile on her face. I wasn’t sure if I was in love with her before, but I am now.

campus by vampire weekend --- “i wake up my shoulders cold i've got to leave here before i go i pull my shirt on walk out the door drag my feet along the floor i pull my shirt on walk out the door drag my feet along the floor then i see you you're walking cross the campus cruel professor studying romances how am i supposed to pretend i never want to see you again? how am i supposed to pretend i never want to see you again?”

diane young by vampire weekend --- “nobody knows what the future holds on said it's bad enough just getting old live my life, they say it's too fast you know i love the past, 'cause i hate suspense if diane young won't change your mind baby baby baby baby right on time.”

nancy from now on by father john misty --- “ooh, flowers and bows milk and honey flow just a couple states below ooh oh, hook me up to the tank and roll me to the door i'm going where my body leads me i can fend for myself with what looks i have left i'll put away a few and pretty soon i'll be breaking things i have of you.”

take a walk by passion pit --- “all these kinds of places make it seem like it's been ages tomorrow's sun with buildings scrape the sky i love this country dearly i can feel the lighter clearly but never thought i'd be alone to try.”

mykonos by fleet foxes --- “the door slammed loud and rose up a cloud of dust on us footsteps follow, down through the hollow sound, torn up and you will go to mykonos with a vision of a gentle coast and a sun to maybe dissipate shadows of the mess you made.”

down in the valley by the head and the heart --- “call it one drink too many call it pride of a man but it don't make no difference if you sit or you stand 'cause they both end in trouble and start with a grin yeah they both end in trouble and start with a grin we do it over and over and over again.”

the girl by city and colour --- “i wish i could do better by you 'cause that's what you deserve you sacrifice so much of your life in order for this to work while i'm off chasing my own dreams sailing around the world please, know that i'm yours to keep my beautiful girl when you cry a piece of my heart dies knowing that i may have been the cause if you were to leave, fulfill someone else's dreams i think i might totally be lost you don't ask for no diamond rings no delicate string of pearls that's why i wrote this song to sing my beautiful girl.”

all i want by passion pit --- “all i want are hooks to hang your flowers from and paper to write letters on 'cause you're all i ever have, it's all i'll ever have when we wake up you engulf me in your love waking up is always still, it's all i'll ever have, it's all i'll ever have and all you need is someone new she's what you can't see the things you think you'll never be that's all i'll ever have, it's all i'll ever have i get the notion that i'm almost there i get the notion that we're getting closer and with one motion it could all go wrong if i'm emotional it'll ruin it all.”

she moves in her own way by the kooks --- “so at my show on monday i was hoping someday you'd be on your way to better things it's not about your make-up or how you try to shape up to these tiresome paper dreams paper dreams honey so now you pour your heart out you're telling me you're far out not about to lie down for your cause but you don't pull my strings 'cause i'm a better man moving on to better things well, uh-oh, oh, i love her because she moves in her own way well, uh-oh, oh, she came to my show just to hear about my day.”

first day of my life by bright eyes --- “this is the first day of my life swear i was born right in the doorway i went out in the rain, suddenly everything changed they're spreading blankets on the beach yours was the first face that i saw i think i was blind before i met you and i don't know where i am, i don't know where i've been but i know where i want to go and so i'd thought i'd let you know yeah, these things take forever, i especially am slow but i realized that need you and i wondered if i could come home.”

green eyes by coldplay --- “honey you are a rock upon which i stand and i come here to talk i hope you understand that green eyes yeah the spotlight, shines upon you and how could anybody deny you i came here with a load and it feels so much lighter now i met you and honey you should know that i could never go on without you green eyes honey you are the sea upon which i float and i came here to talk i think you should know that green eyes you're the one that i wanted to find and anyone who tried to deny you must be out of their mind.”

40 day dream by edward sharpe --- “i been sleepin' for 40 days and i know i'm sleeping 'cause this dream's too amazin' she got gold doorknobs where her eyes used to be one turn and i learned what it really means to see ah, it's the magical mystery kind ah, must be a lie bye bye to the too good to be true kind of love oh, i could die oh now i can die oh i've been sleepin' for 60 days and nobody better pinch me bitch i swear i'll go crazy she got jumper cable lips she got sunset on her breath now i inhaled just a little bit now i got no fear of death now.”

when my time comes by dawes --- “so i pointed my fingers and shouted few quotes i knew, as if something that's written should be taken as true. but every path i had taken and conclusion i drew would put truth back under the knife. and now the only piece of advice that continues to help is anyone that's making anything new only breaks something else.”

where are you now by mumford & sons --- “it came to the end it seems you had heard. as we walked the city streets, you never said a word. when we finally sat down your eyes were full of spite. i was desperate, i was weak i could not put up a fight. but where are you now? where are you now? do you ever think of me in the quiet, in the crowd?”

ho hey by the lumineers --- “i belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart i belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart love we, need it now let's hope, for some 'cause oh, we're bleedin' out.”

m79 by vampire weekend --- “it's gonna take a little time while you're waiting like a factory line i'll ride across the park backseat on the 79 wasted days you've come to pass so go, i know you would not stay it wasn't true, but anyway pollination, yellow cab.”

giving up the gun by vampire weekend --- “your sword's grown old and rusty burnt beneath the rising sun it's locked up like a trophy forgetting all the things it's done  and though it's been a long time you're right back where you started from i see it in your eyes that now you're giving up the gun.”

ends of the earth by lord huron --- “out there's a land that time don't command wanna be the first to arrive no time for ponderin' why i'm-a wanderin' not while we're both still alive to the ends of the earth, would you follow me there's a world that was meant for our eyes to see to the ends of the earth, would you follow me if you will have a say my goodbyes to me.”

all the pretty girls by kaleo --- “all alone, alone again no one lends a helping hand i have waited, i have waited takes it's toll, my foolish pride how long before i see the light i have waited, i have waited for you to lay me down.”

there she goes by the la's --- “there she goes there she goes again racing through my brain and i just can't contain this feeling that remains there she blows there she blows again pulsing through my veins and i just can't contain this feeling that remains.”

simple as this by james bugg --- “tried absolution of the mind and soul it only led me where i should not go oh and the answer well, how could i miss something as simple as this? something as simple as this? i've been falling crashing breaking and all the while you were stood here waiting for me girl.”

falling slowly by glen hansard --- “i don't know you but i want you all the more for that words fall through me and always fool me and i can't react and games that never amount to more than they're meant will play themselves out take this sinking boat and point it home we've still got time raise your hopeful voice, you have a choice you'll make it now falling slowly, eyes that know me and i can't go back and moods that take me and erase me and i'm painted black well, you have suffered enough and warred with yourself it's time that you won.”

[gravetells]

#CMCon17 Wrap-up & #Giveaway: Four reasons why Coastal Magic is still the best little reader con out there

Putting together a conference is a tremendous amount of work. And it doesn’t really pay…in money, at least. Being a Featured Blogger gives you access to some opportunities and experiences normal convention-goers don’t get, and being behind the scenes really sheds light on the sheer insanity just waiting to bubble over in the background. I have rarely seen such selfless dedication to a cause as Jennifer Morris and her so very generous family members when it comes to Coastal Magic.

GraveTells & Jennifer Morris at CMCon17

This conference only accepts 300 readers total, in order to keep the author-reader ratio generous and intimate. There is, without a doubt, something magical about Coastal Magic. CMCon17 did not sell out, but I’d wager it will start to in coming years, and here’s a glimpse of why you want to be on the leading edge of that wave of reader enthusiasm…

Location, location, location

My room’s view @ CMCon17

A lovely dawn wake-up call

Daytime view from my room

The best breakfast buffet, with custom-made omelets (free for Hilton Gold members)!

Coastal Magic takes place in Daytona Beach, Florida—literally right on the beach. Half the rooms in this rather luxurious Hilton hotel have a view just like the ones above. And boy is it peaceful. From my room I was able to see beach-side weddings (with some very yummy-looking Marines!) and morning joggers and watch the sun rise. I only had to open my sliding window to hear the waves crashing and the gulls calling. So beautiful, so invigorating.

Dynamite panels & activities

If you attend the crazy, massive Romantic Times convention, you’re probably familiar with Damon Suede’s Cinema Craptastique, a social media snarkfest that targets a truly terrible mainstream movie each year. The practice run for RT’s Cinema is at CMCon, and the setting is much more intimate. Many people find this to be one of the highlights of the convention.

Lunch with an Author is also a highly coveted event, giving readers a chance to eat lunch with a Featured Author of their choice in a small-group environment (4 readers to one author). And you never know what other authors will be seated at your table. For instance, last year I sat with Donna Herren (Kit Rocha) and Lorelei James. This year was Lara Adrian, Lisa Kessler, and Tonya Burrows.

CMCon17 Lunch with an Author

Lunch with Lara Adrian

Lunch with an Author at CMCon17: Lara Adrian, Lisa Kessler, & Tonya Burrows

This year’s party theme was Movie Magic, and attendees showed up in an array of unique and striking costumes…

The best Katniss ever, author & blogger Chelle Olson

Drake Austin’s creepy self…what were you again?

Stephen Osborne as the menacing Phantom (not to be confused with the Phantom Menace *shudder*)

Selfie station with Sookie Stackhouse…I mean author & blogger Chelsea Mueller

Queen Graylin Fox…whose tiara I coveted

GraveTells, HD Smith, Alyssa Day, & Tonya Burrows

Mahlet, Sue from GraveTells, Jennifer Morris from Books Make Me Happy, Jen “Twimom” from That’s What I’m Talking About, and author Chudney Thomas

Author Kiernan Kelly‘s facepainting magic

GraveTells and Rebecca Zanetti

Dancing the night away

The Flash Fiction panel draws a HUGE crowd every year. Who wouldn’t want to watch some of the funniest authors at the con making up the most ridiculous(ly dirty) stories on the fly?

Intrepid authors Amy Lane, Julie Kenner, Dee Davis, Becky McGraw, Damon Suede, Lucienne Diver, and Kiernan Kelly

And THEN…

One of my favorite things about being a Featured Blogger for this con is having the opportunity to moderate panels. I always enjoy the Music panel, but totally forgot to take a group selfie. Shout-out to Lisa Kessler, Kathleen Collins, Chudney Thomas, BA Tortuga, and Shannon Bell for being such great fun! I also completely neglected to snag a photo op with the Super Bad vs Supernaturally Bad panel—Kait Ballenger, Damon Suede, JA Souders, Rebecca Zanetti, & Amy Lane—you guys were awesome! Here are a few of my other favorites from this year:

Blue Collar vs White Collar with BA Tortuga, Gail Z Martin, Kristal Hollis, Kate McMurray, Tere Michaels, and Damon Suede

Genre Hopping with Jana Oliver, Katie Reus, Lara Adrian, Rebecca Zanetti, Hildie McQueen, Aria Kane, and Gail Z Martin

The Killing Game with Amy Lane, Dee Davis, Eric Asher, and Graylin Fox

Some of the con’s activities are even more special, set up by the authors themselves as a thank you to their fan groups. Huge thanks to Chelle Eden (author duo Chelle Olson and Tigris Eden) and Lisa Kessler for including me in their smaller parties! <3

Dinner with Lisa Kessler’s Night Angels

Chelle Eden‘s Ellys in Faeryland preview party

Party! Ellys In Faeryland by Chelle Eden

Ellys In Faeryland by Chelle Eden

Making personal connections

This might seem like a duh, but—aside from the incredible location—most of the appeal of Coastal Magic for me is in all the personal relationships I’m able to form with authors, bloggers, and readers. And those relationships last, partly (I believe) because the quality of the time you get to spend together at CMCon is so high. Below are some of the highlights of my shenanigans this year, but in no way covers all the awesome. This post is long enough already!

Breakfast with Asa Maria Bradley

Lunch with Dee Davis

Dinner with Asa Maria Bradley, Tonya Burrows, Boone Brux, Rebecca Zanetti, and Kathy Lyons

Sue (DaVinciKittie) & Gayla Leath, fellow freelance editor!

Terrible lunch, excellent company! Damon Suede, Katie Reus, Kathleen Collins, Stephen Osborne, & Sarah Romsa

One-on-one time with Lisa Kessler

Heart you, Kathy Lyons!

I ADORED getting to finally meet the lovely, talented, and sweet Katie Reus

Elicia Hyder, heres to survivors, warriors, and new BFFs!

A scrumptious dinner with Chudney Thomas, Nicole Plummer, and Amy Lane. Love you ladies!

Hanging with Nicole Plummer, my most excellent panel assistant

And finally, the unforgettable Amy Lane

Winning fab prizes

When I say “fab”, I truly mean fabulous. One of this year’s raffle baskets was a super classy Coach purse. I might have put all my tickets in it. I might have not won it. *pout* Still love you, Dee! <3 This year’s raffle raised $1236 for Habitat For Humanity. We had twenty less baskets donated than last year and still raised the same amount of money. How incredible is that?!

Baskets donated for the Habitat for Humanity raffle fundraiser

I contributed two baskets for this year’s charity raffle, one from GraveTells—full of crazy awesome swag and books signed by CMCon’s Featured Authors—and one from all my ladies and gents over at the San Francisco Area RWA chapter—full of more awesome signed books and swag.

The GraveTells raffle basket

The SFARWA raffle basket

The lucky winner of the SFARWA basket!

Unicorns!

TC Blue is known for her wild animal hunts at Coastal Magic, and this year’s target was the elusive sparkly-horned unicorn. These adorable little guys had raffle numbers that TC used to give out her own prizes. I brought home two and am sending one out in each Prize Pack below (forgot to put them in the pictures, doh!).

Giveaway

Speaking of prizes, let’s give some away now. =) Leave a comment on this post (pretty please?), then fill out the prize widget below to enter. Open to world-wide shipping. I’ll draw one winner for each Prize Pack. Good luck!

Prize Pack #1

Includes:

(Signed!) The Alpha King by Victoria Sue

Free ebook download from Kathy Lyons (the postcard in the middle has a code)

(Not pictured!) One of TC Blue’s unicorns

Notebook & pen from Katie Reus and Chudney Thomas

Mini notepad from Jennifer Estep

Shoe key chain (SO ADORABLE!) from Cynthia D’Alba

Portable measuring tape from Asa Maria Bradley

Sampler booklet from Gail Z Martin

1001 Dark Nights sampler booklet

1001 Dark Nights 2018 Cruise magnet (I’m going! Will I see you there?)

Ellys in Faeryland postcard from Chelle Eden (cover preview – these are very rare right now!)

Postcards from Julie Kenner and KC Burn

Bookmarks from Alyssa Day, Rising Storm serial, 1001 Dark Nights novellas

Prize Pack #2

Includes:

(Signed!) Rising Storm, Episode 8 by Dee Davis

(Not pictured!) One of TC Blue’s unicorns

1001 Dark Nights coloring book with coloring pencils

1001 Dark Nights sampler booklet

Free ebook download from Gail Z Martin (the postcard on the right has a code)

(Signed!) Short story booklet from Kathy Lyons

Goodie pack from Hildie McQueen

Mini notepad from Debra Jess

Vampires pin from Shannon Bell

“Clean hands, dirty books” hand sanitizer from Kiernan Kelly

“Shh I’m with my book boyfriend” door hanger from Julie Kenner

Drink coaster from Evelyn Lederman

Postcards from Nancy Northcott and Diana Marik

Bookmarks from Rising Storm serial and 1001 Dark Nights novellas

Preview card from HD Smith

Entry-Form

from #CMCon17 Wrap-up & #Giveaway: Four reasons why Coastal Magic is still the best little reader con out there

[ronanceisintheair]

Maybe I just think a little masochistic Vampire!Nancy with Hunter!Robin:

It was sadistic the way the laughter errupted from Nancy's chest, the force causing her shoulders to jump with motion. Her dark curls hid her face from Robin's view.

But she didn't need to see the maniacal expression, the wicked depth of Nancy's laughter was enough to chill Robin right through to the bones.

"Does it not burn you monster?" Robin snarled, closing the space while farther piercing the insides of the vampire, nose scrunching with hatred, hand gripped tight around the spear that protrudes from Nancy's chest. "Do you not feel pain, the same pain you so careless inflict onto others."

Nancy clicked her tongue against her teeth, lifting her head slowly; the blood that smeared her face had the same effect as a black and white movie that used but one color.

"I feel plenty hunter," her words a lazy drawl, tongue escaping to clear a path in crimson, "I feel the hot blade you use to seer me, I feel the hot gaze that begs to end me where I stand..." Nancy gripped the handle of the spear, "but I also feel the slow...hot hesitation in your heartbeat."

Another crackling laugh burst from Nancy's lips, head falling backwards as she filled the air with it. Fangs glinted in the low light.

[ronanceisintheair]

"I do not deserve your love," Nancy hissed, fangs gleaming in the light of the moon, crimson smeared against the porcelain of her face, hands stained all the same.

"You're okay," Robin's voice was low, moving slowly cautious, like she were dealing with a startled animal.

And in a way she was. Though Nancy was running more on fight as compared to flight right about now

Nancy's pupils were virtually nonexistent, hungry, ravenous lust rushing through her veins, she'd lost herself tonight. Or maybe truly became who she kept locked away.

The bodies, two of them, lay lifeless, cold. There was no mercy in these kills. She hadn't simply gone for their pulse point, her hands and clothes proof of that.

"This is who I am. What I am." There was a deep growl but also a vulnerable quiver in her tone.

"I never asked you to be what you're not Nancy. I never asked you to be what you think I want you to be." Robin stopped walking, "and you do not get to decide for me if you are not deserving of my love."

Nancy shook her head slowly, tears springing from her eyes.

Not because she was ashamed. Not because she regretted taking their lives. But because this was who she was and Robin loved her all the same.

Robin watched Nancy drop to the forest floor, a win for the time being, she moved to drape the blanket she'd grabbed from the sofa over Nancy's shoulders, not worried or concerned with the fact that she might possibly get blood on it.

"We cant leave them here. Not like this my love," Robin ran her fingers through Nancy's hair, "their lives are not worth risking yours."