Phoenix Williams, as seen in Sheen Magazine, is a CEO, screenwriter, bestselling, award-nominated author, and a public speaker, she credits her success to standing in her truth, obsessing over anime, owning who she is, and giving her fears the bird. In her own words, "I write books and talk shit." From her erotic romance series, Sex, Lies, and Friendship, to her paranormal series, Queens of Beasts, this self-proclaimed smutty, smutty princess has captured the attention of readers and industry leaders alike.
Plagued by secrets, haunted by memories, and tortured by inner demons, Mika Mashall is a woman not to be trifled with. Returning to Hell Fire Valley after thirteen years, she is put in charge of finding who wanted her beloved grandmother murdered. Add on the fact that she was Turned into a shifter against her will and it's no wonder she's having a hard time controlling her bloodlust.
Suffering from Hell Fire Valley's Alpha curse, Andrew Bayer is more animal than man. With the weight of one of the few Bear clans on his shoulders and a past that has him seeing ghosts around every corner, Drew finally finds his salvation in the form of one woman: Mika Mashall.With danger lurking in the shadows and secrets brewing just beneath the surface, Mika and Andrew learn that love and destiny cannot solve everything but death can. What else would you expect when Drew The Destroyer and Mika The Berserker team up?
Read the excerpt now.
MIKA
Eight Years Ago...
The old Jeep bounced and rocked on the unpaved road. The scent of soil, plants, and sleeping predators filled my senses. The sun peeked through the canopy of trees, warming my skin.
This was paradise.
This was sanctuary.
This was home.
Five years in the Amazon and I was starting to feel like I kinda belonged. That was all thanks to Mikael and Amande. In their own way, they loved me like the child they never had. When I was eleven years old, they finally set me down and told me everything. From why I was brought here to what my parents really did for the government, nothing was off-limits. Including, the fact that I was now expected to continue in the line of business Mikael and Amande were in. From the wars in wilds of Africa to assassinations on Mafia bosses, the three of us were who you called.
Mercenaries.
Human weapons.
Angels of the underground.
And I was the star.
For as far back as I could remember, I was always physically stronger than everyone else around me. With Mikael and Amande’s training, I was able to harness that strength and make more money than most people saw in a lifetime.
Even with their love and companionship, I felt like a piece of me was missing.
Four pieces to be exact. My sisters. I needed them like I needed the air in my lungs. We had an unshakable bond, and I missed them terribly. The loneliness slowly turning into a rage that bubbled inside of me. Good thing my job was killing otherwise I’d go crazy.
Even in the soft nosiness of the Amazon, a tiny voice in the back of my head kept urging me to fight everything.
No wonder they call me a beast.
“You’re quiet, kostbaar,” Amande said, making a sharp turn. “Thinking about your sisters?”
Smiling as I leaned back against the worn leather seat, I turned my head in her direction. I loved it when she called me her love or sweetheart. It made me feel more like a real member of her and Mikael’s family instead of an assassin-in-training.
Truth be told, I wished that Amande and Mikael were my real parents. This woman knew me better than my own mother. According to her, I may not have been the daughter of her body, but I was the daughter of her heart.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I wonder when we’ll hear something.”
“No worries, dochter. Mikael and his friends are the best trackers, they’ll find them for you.”
She said it with such conviction that I had no choice but to believe her as the Jeep bounced on the unpaved road. Fifteen minutes later, we were pulling up to the base of our home in the trees. Amande parked in front of the garage that Mikael had built for her a few years back.
Stepping out of the car, I stopped dead in my tracks. Breathing deeply, my stomach roiled as my lungs filled with the scents I was now intimately familiar with: malice, deceit, and blood. A quick glance to Amande told me that she smelled it too. As much as I wanted to rush up the stairs to see what the fuck was going on, the training that had been ingrained in me wouldn’t allow it.
With silent steps, we quickly made our way up the long set of stairs that led to our front porch. This was the one time that I hated living in an actual treehouse. Drops of blood coated the glossy wood, and I sent up a prayer to whoever lived in the sky that Mikael was alive. Following closely behind Amande, it was her scream that let me know my prayer hadn’t been answered. Shoving her out the way, I collapsed at the sight before me. Mikael.
Father of my heart.
Lying in a puddle of his own blood.
His chest rattling with each breath.
Looking around frantically, my eyes landed on the front door. Amande’s screams of horror were quiet compared to the thundering of my own heart. Something deep inside of me was clawing to get out. The tiny voice in my head became a bit louder as I read the note written on our door in Mikael’s own blood, his eyeballs hanging from our doorknob.
Stop looking for the Mashall sisters ~ MarcelloMikael’s own best friend, the man I called uncle, had done this to him and he wanted me to know. Wanted me to come find him. Wanted me to end his fucking life. That was the only reason he would leave his name. He was challenging me. Well, challenge fucking accepted.
Amande was on the satellite phone speaking rapid Dutch. The sound of engines was drawing closer. Her family would be here soon. They would save Mikael. I, on the other hand, had shit to do. Racing down the stairs, I ran through the jungle, daring any predator to fuck with me right now.
Two miles later, I was running up to Marcello’s treehouse. He waited for me on the porch, eyes filled with pain and resignation. There would be no victors in this battle.
One of us would die, and the other would live, the blood of a loved one on their hands.
With a roar that I didn’t know I could produce, I lunged for him, and the world went dark.
When I came to, I was standing in a pool of blood and body parts. Marcello’s wife weeping as she held what was left of his crushed skull between her hands.
Later, they would tell me that I tore Marcello’s body limb from limb. Later, they would tell me that I wouldn’t stop until my bloodlust was sated. Later, they would tell me that I behaved like the beast everyone accused me of being. Later, that battle would become one of legend.
All I knew for sure was that night changed me.
That night I learned my parents were more powerful than I could have ever
imagined.
That night I learned my sisters and I were worth more than two men’s lives.
That night I learned to trust no one.
That night I learned that asking for help resulted in death.
That night something inside of me broke.
That night I became Mika The Berserker.
The old Jeep bounced and rocked on the unpaved road. The scent of soil, plants, and sleeping predators filled my senses. The sun peeked through the canopy of trees, warming my skin.
This was paradise.
This was sanctuary.
This was home.
Five years in the Amazon and I was starting to feel like I kinda belonged. That was all thanks to Mikael and Amande. In their own way, they loved me like the child they never had. When I was eleven years old, they finally set me down and told me everything. From why I was brought here to what my parents really did for the government, nothing was off-limits. Including, the fact that I was now expected to continue in the line of business Mikael and Amande were in. From the wars in wilds of Africa to assassinations on Mafia bosses, the three of us were who you called.
Mercenaries.
Human weapons.
Angels of the underground.
And I was the star.
For as far back as I could remember, I was always physically stronger than everyone else around me. With Mikael and Amande’s training, I was able to harness that strength and make more money than most people saw in a lifetime.
Even with their love and companionship, I felt like a piece of me was missing.
Four pieces to be exact. My sisters. I needed them like I needed the air in my lungs. We had an unshakable bond, and I missed them terribly. The loneliness slowly turning into a rage that bubbled inside of me. Good thing my job was killing otherwise I’d go crazy.
Even in the soft nosiness of the Amazon, a tiny voice in the back of my head kept urging me to fight everything.
No wonder they call me a beast.
“You’re quiet, kostbaar,” Amande said, making a sharp turn. “Thinking about your sisters?”
Smiling as I leaned back against the worn leather seat, I turned my head in her direction. I loved it when she called me her love or sweetheart. It made me feel more like a real member of her and Mikael’s family instead of an assassin-in-training.
Truth be told, I wished that Amande and Mikael were my real parents. This woman knew me better than my own mother. According to her, I may not have been the daughter of her body, but I was the daughter of her heart.
“Yeah,” I sighed. “I wonder when we’ll hear something.”
“No worries, dochter. Mikael and his friends are the best trackers, they’ll find them for you.”
She said it with such conviction that I had no choice but to believe her as the Jeep bounced on the unpaved road. Fifteen minutes later, we were pulling up to the base of our home in the trees. Amande parked in front of the garage that Mikael had built for her a few years back.
Stepping out of the car, I stopped dead in my tracks. Breathing deeply, my stomach roiled as my lungs filled with the scents I was now intimately familiar with: malice, deceit, and blood. A quick glance to Amande told me that she smelled it too. As much as I wanted to rush up the stairs to see what the fuck was going on, the training that had been ingrained in me wouldn’t allow it.
With silent steps, we quickly made our way up the long set of stairs that led to our front porch. This was the one time that I hated living in an actual treehouse. Drops of blood coated the glossy wood, and I sent up a prayer to whoever lived in the sky that Mikael was alive. Following closely behind Amande, it was her scream that let me know my prayer hadn’t been answered. Shoving her out the way, I collapsed at the sight before me. Mikael.
Father of my heart.
Lying in a puddle of his own blood.
His chest rattling with each breath.
Looking around frantically, my eyes landed on the front door. Amande’s screams of horror were quiet compared to the thundering of my own heart. Something deep inside of me was clawing to get out. The tiny voice in my head became a bit louder as I read the note written on our door in Mikael’s own blood, his eyeballs hanging from our doorknob.
Stop looking for the Mashall sisters ~ MarcelloMikael’s own best friend, the man I called uncle, had done this to him and he wanted me to know. Wanted me to come find him. Wanted me to end his fucking life. That was the only reason he would leave his name. He was challenging me. Well, challenge fucking accepted.
Amande was on the satellite phone speaking rapid Dutch. The sound of engines was drawing closer. Her family would be here soon. They would save Mikael. I, on the other hand, had shit to do. Racing down the stairs, I ran through the jungle, daring any predator to fuck with me right now.
Two miles later, I was running up to Marcello’s treehouse. He waited for me on the porch, eyes filled with pain and resignation. There would be no victors in this battle.
One of us would die, and the other would live, the blood of a loved one on their hands.
With a roar that I didn’t know I could produce, I lunged for him, and the world went dark.
When I came to, I was standing in a pool of blood and body parts. Marcello’s wife weeping as she held what was left of his crushed skull between her hands.
Later, they would tell me that I tore Marcello’s body limb from limb. Later, they would tell me that I wouldn’t stop until my bloodlust was sated. Later, they would tell me that I behaved like the beast everyone accused me of being. Later, that battle would become one of legend.
All I knew for sure was that night changed me.
That night I learned my parents were more powerful than I could have ever
imagined.
That night I learned my sisters and I were worth more than two men’s lives.
That night I learned to trust no one.
That night I learned that asking for help resulted in death.
That night something inside of me broke.
That night I became Mika The Berserker.
Get to Know the Author:
- How did you get started?
- In my last year of college, right before I went to law school, I decided to drop out. Of course, my parents were pissed but I had I had to take that leap of faith and I follow my dreams. So, I decided to believe in myself and start writing. I've been blessed to find success in something I love to do.
- You've written in the genres of Street Lit, Erotic Romance, and Paranormal. Which is your favorite?
- I love them each for different reasons. Street Lit has that gritty feel. Erotic Romance allows me to showcase my inner smutty, smutty princess. Paranormal lets me create fantastical worlds. I can't pick just one. It would be like picking your favorite child.
- Now, your readers of your erotic romances have dubbed you the smutty, smutty, princess. What does that mean and can we all be one?
- A smutty, smutty princess is a woman that is unashamed of who she is and what she wants. She owns everything about herself from her flaws to her sexuality. We can all be a smutty, smutty princess. All you have to do is let go of your inhibitions and the perceptions of society.
- Queens of Beasts is your paranormal series that is taking readers by storm. What was the inspiration behind this epic tale?
- Honestly, it was my love/obsession with anime and manga lol. I wanted to create the worlds that I've grown up with in that medium. I also wanted to make sure that the main characters were badass females.
- What can readers expect from the third installment? The first book, Queens of Beasts: The Life, Love, and Death of Adara Mashall, had us all going crazy. Queens of Beasts: Breaking Mika has been hyped up for a year. So, you know we are expecting great things.
- With Breaking Mika, you can expect a deep dive into the lore and mystery of Hell Fire Valley. In book two, Taming Revy, there were decisions made that have a direct effect on situations in Breaking Mika. I'm giving you lore, fantasy, mystery, thriller, and, of course, a love story.
- What advice would you give to up and coming authors?
- Stay humble and understand your position. You are new, not known. You can't expect to start on Monday and be a star by Friday. You have to put in the work. You have to pay your dues.
- What's up next for you?
- Several series lol. We have the Club Sugar series, the rest of the Queens of Beasts series, and the anniversary special of Sex, Love, and Other Drugs.
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