©2024 V.J. Allison Art. All Rights Reserved. NO USE PERIOD!

©2024 V.J. Allison Art. All Rights Reserved. NO USE PERIOD!
©2025 V.J. Allison Art. No use without written permission from designer.

Monday, November 1, 2021

TOUR STOP: Eternity's Gamble by V.J. Allison

 


Eternity's Gamble

by V.J. Allison

Genre: Paranormal Horror Romance 

Can love beat the odds, or will the dice decide their fate?

Expecting the usual entertainment at the local Nova Scotia exhibition, Charles Hazard is less than impressed by the secluded corn maze his long-time friend and secret crush, Tiffany, drags him to. The repulsive state of decay, and the creepy dummy guarding the entrance of the maze have Charles anxious to leave, but his sense of self-preservation wars with his desire to make Tiffany happy.

Tiffany Morrow doesn’t think much of the tarot card reading she had only days before the annual exhibition, and has all but forgotten the prophet’s words and how she drew the Death card when she comes across a spooky corn maze. There’s only one person she wants to explore the stalks with. She’s been in love with her best friend, Charles, for as long as she can remember. His level head, introverted tendencies, and unique ginger sexiness call to the most intimate parts of her.

Their fun quickly takes a dark turn when the maze morphs into a game of life or death. From a quiet sunflower field, to a treacherous walk across a volcano’s cone, to an encounter with a creature out of horror legends, each roll of the dice forces them to work as a team or perish in a way they most fear.

Amidst the danger-filled labyrinth, they delight in small, stolen moments and find the soul mate they have been searching for. However, as with most games of chance performed at a devil’s will, there is more to this sport than there appears. Could they really be the only ones within the walls of their confines, or are other creatures lurking?

In a terrifying twist of fate, their chances at forever could be ripped away from them by a single roll of the dice…

Victory may linger out of reach, and a curse of eternal agony and loneliness could be their fate. Or, just once, the dice might roll in their favor. But what are the odds of that?

Eternity’s Gamble is a friends to lovers paranormal horror romance.

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Tiffany felt like she was crawling out of a black hole. Each time she went forward, she was dragged back a step or two. A scream was wedged in her throat, her mouth dry, and her arms were cumbersome.

Light appeared as a slit that grew slightly larger, stabbing her eyes. Agony flooded her head, and iron spikes drove into her back. She squeezed her eyelids shut, hoping to block the searing torture in every cell of her body. A screeching echoed in her ears, raspy, akin to the soundtrack of a horror movie.

“Tiff. Tiff. Wake up,” a voice commanded.

No. Waking up meant pain and anguish. The silence of oblivion called to her. She drifted toward the peace it offered.

A hard shove made her shoulder ache. “Tiff! Wake up! We have to get up,” the voice commanded sharply. It was male and familiar. But who was it?

Her throat was on fire. Why was someone screaming? She tried opening her mouth but it was already ajar.

As awareness flooded her brain, the screeching became louder, more coherent. With a start, she realized it was her voice she was hearing. She scrambled around with a hand, looking for something—anything—to grasp and help her come back to reality.

A strong hand grabbed hers. “Open your eyes.”

Charles. What was he doing here with her? And why did she hurt so much? She shifted from her stomach to her side, and felt grass against her bare arm. Why was she lying on the lawn? Her last memory was going to the exhibition with Charles, and they were walking toward the show rings—

Her eyes flew open as the image of the hideous monster they had encountered flooded her mind. With a loud shriek, she flew to a sitting position. Nausea burned her mouth, stomach, and throat. The vision wouldn’t leave her mind.

She quickly turned her head and gagged. Whatever was left in her stomach came up, and it tasted horrible.

Charles patted her back and held her hair off her face. Disgusting. She hadn’t vomited that hard since the last time she was drunk, after having a few too many strawberry Jell-O shooters during the Canada Day party at their mutual friend Erica’s house.

“Sorry,” she mumbled and wiped a hand across her mouth. She would kill for a glass of water, but a glance around the room showed nothing but bare yellow walls, grass beneath her, and an odd-looking door covered in bright-green foliage with corn stalks and a few live ears of corn. There was a pink hue close to the ceiling.

Higher up, the hue became brighter. The word START was flashing at them in four-foot-high pink neon letters.

Acrid bile and gravel hit her tongue again. “Start? What does that mean?” She grabbed Charles’ hand, and her anxiety eased a little when his fingers entwined with hers.

“I-I don’t know,” he stammered.

He looked like she felt. His face ashen, his blue eyes looked tired, and dark circles ringed his eyes. His red hair looked like it hadn’t been combed in a few days, and his lips were as white as his cheeks. Hell, even the smattering of freckles across his nose seemed muted. His other hand was fisted, and there was fear in his eyes.

You were chosen. You drew the Death card. You will play my game! The deep, demonic-sounding voice echoed in Tiffany’s head. “The dummy. Didn’t he say we were chosen to play his game?”

Charles’ eyes widened. “Yeah, he did. But he didn’t tell us the rules.”

Tiffany scrambled to her knees. The room spun. She shook her head to clear it and managed to get her feet under her. “Surely there’s a rule book around here somewhere.” She bent over and slid her hand around the bottom of the wall, along the crease between it and the floor/ground. All she got was a handful of grass.

Charles sighed. “I checked. There isn’t.”

She stood and managed to stagger over to one of the corners. Nothing visible in the corner seam, but that didn’t mean anything. He could have easily looked with his eyes and not felt around like she had. Some days, she wished he wasn’t so damn cautious. It drove her crazy seeing him stick a toe in the water instead of jumping in full force. She felt along the seam as high as she could reach and down to the floor. Nothing but smooth walls of an unknown material met her fingers. “Did you actually touch anything?”

“No, but something fell out of the ceiling when I woke up.”

She turned her head to stare at him. “What was it?”

He sighed and lifted his hand, opening the fist. On his palm lay two black dice. The dots, totaling five, were glowing fiery red. His arm trembled.

“Dice? What are they for?”








Can you, for those who don't know you already, tell something about yourself and how you became an author?

I’ve always loved to read, and as a child, I loved making up stories. I didn’t know I wanted to be an author until my Grade 4 teacher, Mrs. Hache, told me I had a knack for writing stories. After that, becoming an author was my dream career. I didn’t know what genre I wanted to write, so I just wrote silly stuff until I hit Grade 6. After reading a Harlequin Romance, I knew I wanted to be a romance author. I’ve been writing on and off since then, honing my skills and listening to advice from more experienced authors, or in some cases, editors who sent me rejection letters. If it wasn’t for one kind editor taking an extra five minutes to give me a personal rejection letter and give me a few tips on how to improve my writing and storytelling skills, I don’t think I would have made it this far.

 


 

What is something unique/quirky about you?

I’m a creative type, but I also love sciences. Give me a book on how the body works, and I’m engrossed for eons. I’d probably read it from cover to cover and be disappointed it was finished. I love learning about things like anatomy and astronomy.

 



 

Where were you born/grew up at?

I was born in a small town called Bridgewater on Nova Scotia’s South Shore, and I grew up in a small community called Crousetown, which straddles the Petite River. I spent most of my childhood either swimming at the river or one of the three main beaches – Crescent Beach, Risser’s Beach or Green Bay Beach – when my family wasn’t camping in the Annapolis Valley or going on day trips. The Atlantic Ocean played a huge part of my childhood, between spending so much time on the beach and my father working at the Fish Plant in Lunenburg (home of the Bluenose II). 

 What do you do to unwind and relax?

I like to watch videos about Star Wars, Star Trek, and science on YouTube; listen to heavy metal music; watch movies, and do graphics design for my books or just for fun.

 How to find time to write as a parent?

It’s not easy, but it’s a lot easier now than it was when my son was little. He is on the autism spectrum and does not know the meaning of “quiet time”. The only time I could write when he was small was when his father took him shopping or down to his grandmother’s house for a few hours. I wasn’t able to start writing full time until my son was in school full time, and even then it was tricky. I didn’t finish my first full length novel until he was in grade 3, and that had to be revised and rewritten several times before I got the formula right. Thankfully the older my son got, the better he is at listening and being quiet to an extent. He is seventeen years old now, and I’ve written while he was home, some of my best work to date.

 

Describe yourself in 5 words or less!

Quirky, shy, creative, opinionated, and goofy.

 


When did you first consider yourself a writer?

It was after my son started school, and I was able to start writing more. Before that, I was an aspiring writer, after that, I became a full-fledged writer.

Do you have a favorite movie?

Yes, I have several. I am a huge Star Wars fan, and I love pretty much all of the movies I’ve seen so far, with the exception of Solo. I haven’t seen that one yet, but I hope to sometime soon. I also love Valmont, The Fifth Element, Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan, Manhunter, The Silence of the Lambs, the 1931 version of Dracula, Carrie (1976 adaptation of the Stephen King novel), Cujo, Nightbreed, and the original Species. I am also a fan of the made for TV movies from the Canadian TV show, North of 60. I love all five of them, but my favorites are Trial by Fire and In the Blue Ground.

Which of your novels can you imagine made into a movie?

Away to Me because it’s so full of drama, and shows the power of love.

 


 

As a writer, what would you choose as your mascot/avatar/spirit animal?

My mascot is my cat. Our old cat Amber used to sit on top of my clunky old Dell monitor when I was writing, and she’d flip her tail across the screen. Unfortunately she passed away in 2018, but we adopted another cat, a rescued Maine Coon cat Marnie, five days after Amber’s passing, and Marnie has turned into my new mascot. She’s more famous than I am. People love her to bits.

 What are your top 10 favorite books/authors?

Nora Roberts, Aaron Allston, Timothy Zahn, K.L. Slater, and Stephen King top my favorite authors list.

 Favorite books include:

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel

Carrie by Stephen King

Splinter of the Mind’s Eye (Star Wars Legends) by Alan Dean Foster

Heir to the Jedi (Star Wars canon) by Kevin Hearne

The Thrawn Trilogy (Heir to the Empire, Dark Force Rising, The Last Command – Star Wars Legends) by Timothy Zahn

The Charm Bracelet Series by Jane Feather

Birthright by Nora Roberts

Crystal Flame by Jayne Ann Krentz

Ritual of Proof by Dara Joy.

How long have you been writing?

I’ve been writing on and off since elementary school, when I realized it was an escape from the real world, and my friends liked my stories.

Do the characters all come to you at the same time or do some of them come to you as you write?

I like to have the two main characters somewhat settled upon before starting a book, but the side characters like to come in on their own, unless it’s an already established storyline, like the Feathered Tartan series. Most of the extras are already set – like the Campbell family – but their love interests’ families will come in as needed.


What kind of research do you do before you begin writing a book?

If it’s in an area I’m not familiar with, I always research said area. However, I prefer to write stories set in towns and cities I’m familiar with, hence the small town feeling in all of my books. I love to have photos handy so I am able to describe the area perfectly, and if possible, describe the feeling, smells, and sounds one will get while at any particular spot.

If I decide the mains have a career I know nothing about, I will research it. I have two extremely thick files of printed out information on the Nova Scotia Real Estate trade and laws from about six years ago stashed somewhere, for reference.

If something comes up during the writing process, I’ll do research on it for a few days and continue writing after I feel I’m up to date on it. 

Do you read yourself and if so what is your favorite genre?

I love to read. I prefer romance but with a hefty storyline. It can’t be all about hopping in bed. There must be hurdles for the main characters to go through in order to get their happy ever after or happy for now. I also love a good mystery, and if it has romance in it, all the better. Same with paranormal, a romance in it makes it better. However, I also love horror books by Stephen King, general fiction and women’s fiction.

Do you prefer to write in silence or with noise? Why?

I prefer silence, no distractions. Any noise makes me lose my train of thought and I get frustrated, which makes me give up on writing so I can calm down. Writing with an autistic teenager in the house is a challenge. I’ve done it before, but I prefer not to do it too much.

 Do you write one book at a time or do you have several going at a time?

I prefer to have one going at a time, but lately, I’ve had at least three on the go at once, two are in the same series. I’m scared I’ll get mixed up if I have more than one going on at once.  

Pen or type writer or computer?

I prefer writing on a desktop computer. I like the freedom of editing in a word processor, and how I can easily change things without having to type out an entire page.

Advice they would give new authors?

Write. Keep writing until you turn blue, and keep going. READ. Read a lot, from your own genre to ones you normally avoid.

 Listen to constructive criticism, especially from experienced editors and authors. They know what they are talking about, and if someone says something isn’t working, take it into account. Take a few steps back and try to see your story as a reader, not a writer. Don’t discount what they say because it’s about your work. They’re trying to help you, not hinder you. Giving constructive advice and critiques show they want you to succeed. Don’t forget to thank them for their help.

Always get someone to critique your work, that way if you miss something like a huge glaring mistake, they will catch it for you. Plus they will catch inconsistencies, passive areas, tangents, and a lot of other things you may miss when you go over it.

If you go Indie, have an editor or someone else help you with edits and proofing. The cleaner the story is, the better your intended audience will like it.

 If someone doesn’t like your work and gives a solid reason why (not their cup of tea as a reader for example), don’t get upset. Not everyone will like your books. Don’t expect everyone to blow sunshine at you. Everyone has different opinions, and likes different things. A lot of people class the “I wasn’t the right audience for this book” 1 Star Review as a badge of honor, it means you “made it” as an author.

 What is your writing process? For instance do you do an outline first? Do you do the chapters first?

I like to start with a general idea of where the story will go – the main characters, and how they get their happy ever after at the end of the story. After that, I tend to just let the characters run with it, and if something doesn’t work, it’s axed and something else put in. I find if I just write without planning too much, things fall in to place much easier.

Eternity’s Gamble was an exception to my pantsing rule. I actually did a full synopsis and had the rough draft of the blurb written before I wrote the majority of the story. Normally, I do things the other way around.

 What are common traps for aspiring writers?

One of the biggest ones is thinking they have a “best-selling idea” or story, when in reality, it's probably not even a blip on the radar.

 Another one is thinking that if they have their own distinct style that goes against the grain of grammar and writing period, they’ll get noticed by a big name publisher and again, have a best-selling book.

 Some think that once the writing is done, the work is too. It’s the exact opposite. Once that story is drafted, the work is only beginning. Whether you go the traditional route or the self-publishing one, you still have to edit the story several times to get it as perfect as possible, get it proofed, have a cover made, and after it’s out there, promote it to death.

Some also think that others should do their work while they do nothing. Not true. If you want to be successful, you have to work your butt off to get anywhere in this business. 



What is your writing Kryptonite?

Noise. Distractions of any kind. They’ll throw me off so badly that I lose track of things, get frustrated and have to stop for the day. Ugh! 

If you could tell your younger writing self anything, what would it be?

I’d tell myself to ignore the naysayers, and keep writing… I’ll have a few problems and some road blocks at a few points, but I made it, despite everything. Keep going. Never give up… And check out an independent publisher out in British Columbia. *wink* 

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

It depends on many things – if I have a lot of alone time and my chronic pain issues are not acting up. If Hubby works day times while my son is in school, and I am deep into a story, I can sometimes clear 6K a week. I’ve written books in less than 3 months while writing only a day or two a week.

On average, I’d say it is about six months to a year. If I can put out a full novel once a year, I’m happy.


 

One idea, four authors...

Four unique stories…



In 2020, three author friends and I discussed collaborating on a single idea. We decided to write our own stories about a corn maze with a portal in it, and call it MAIZEMERIZED.

Here are the results:

Born for This by Maggie BlackbirdAvailable NOW from Extasy Books.

Nine for a Kiss by D.S. Dehel: Available NOW from Extasy Books.

Love Spells, Full Moons, and Silver Bullets by Cameron Allie: Coming March 2022

Eternity’s Gamble by V.J. Allison: Available NOW from Decadent Publishing.

 

V.J. Allison was born and raised in southern Nova Scotia, Canada, and her work reflects her strong Maritime roots. She is a stay-at-home mother to a son on the autism spectrum, married to the love of her life, and “mama” to a rescued Maine Coon cat named Marnie. She has been writing various stories of novel length and short stories since her school days, and sees writing as a vital component to her life.

She is a small town erotic romance author published by Extasy Books, and her novels have been received with great acclaim. Her second novel, Away to Me, is a recipient of the eXtasy Books and Devine Destinies’ Editor’s Choice Seal of Excellence and Enjoyable Reading.

Her first paranormal/horror romance, Eternity's Gamble, was released by Decadent Publishing on October 1, 2021.

On January 4, 2021, she released her first independently published story, COVID’s Arrow, which had been previously released in the Together We Stand charity collection of stories about essential workers.


When she isn’t writing, she loves to read romance and science fiction novels (notably Star Wars); listen to music (heavy metal, rock, alternative); and do graphics design. She runs her own graphics design company, Veridian Rose Designs, specializing in book promotional posters and Facebook cover photos.

This self-proclaimed geeky rocker chick is a warrior and advocate for various chronic illnesses including Occipital Neuralgia, Trigeminal Neuralgia, Diabetes, Migraines, and Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia. She is also an advocate for the prevention of animal cruelty and is a voice for Autism Awareness.


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