“I saw him in a dream once.
And I didn’t know how,
but I knew he was the one for me.”
I didn’t know if it was
just a dream, or something more.
But, whatever it was,
I knew it was powerful.
And something I would never forget.
When the day came
that I finally met him,
I wondered why I ever
questioned it. He was
the one for me all along.
© Sarah Doughty
2018
A little something
inspired by my book,
Stronger Than Blood.
“I didn’t know the true meaning
of sleep until I was in his arms.”
It was my favorite place to be, head resting over his heart, feeling the steady rise and fall of his chest, hearing the steady beat of his heart. When I awoke, still on his arms, I realized something important. I didn’t know the true meaning of sleep until I was in his arms.
© Sarah Doughty
A little something inspired by
my first novel, Just Breathe.
I’ve been feeling increasingly
nostalgic, itching to lose myself
in the ongoing story again.
Heya Lovelies,
When I started writing Just Breathe, I didn’t know what the title would be. I tossed around idea after idea and knew I didn’t have the right one. After I finished writing it, I realized the answer was staring at me the whole time.
The Earthen Witch universe might be adult urban fantasy and paranormal romance, but in the end, the characters are what drive the story. They are flawed, they experience some significant lessons we face every single day.
The themes underlying my books are significant. And there are many people that relate to those themes. One of the biggest themes is post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. The condition is very real, and many people do not realize that anyone can have it. It’s not just soldiers that have returned from war.
When someone is dealing with this condition, life is not easy. Sometimes, it’s really damn hard.
There are common phrases in this book that directly refer to PTSD, and happened to be useful in a few other areas. These phrases hold significance to the main characters.
Just breathe was said often, in different applications. There was a pattern to them, however. It was all about calming down. Centering the self. And being in the moment.
I can’t begin to describe how those two words are like a lifeline to me sometimes. For someone experiencing that sensation of a flashback coming. For someone just so overwhelmed that they can’t figure out what to do next.
That’s when it’s needed.
Those two words.
When you’re spiraling out of control, those words can be a lifeline.
As soon as I recognized their inherent repetition, and their context, I knew. That was it.
That was the title.
And that’s what I’ve used as the basis. If there’s a significant phrase that ties into a theme, that’s going to be the title.
Think about that when you see the titles. You might be surprised what you’ll learn about life.
Until next time,
Sarah
“Dreamless sleep was like a dark place
that played like a lullaby without sound.”
Dreamless sleep was like being lost in oblivion. But it wasn’t frightening or terrible by any means. It was a dark place that played like a lullaby without sound. It was a slow beating of the heart, contentment, free from thought or stress.
© Sarah Doughty
2016
A small excerpt from Listen,
book 4 of
the Earthen Witch Novels.
“With every cell in my body, every beat
of my heart, I knew I found my home.”
Our time together was a culmination of events that I couldn’t deny. I knew, if I didn’t love him before that moment, I fell over the edge into a bottomless ocean that was only for him. I knew I was never going back. So instead of speaking, I kissed him, hard. When my lips collided with his, I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him closer. And his arms tightened around me an instant later.
That was when I knew. With every cell in my body, every beat of my heart, I knew I found my home.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
I knew I found my home.
An excerpt,
slightly adjusted for sharing,
from my first novel, Just Breathe.
“And sometimes a bond like ours
is stronger than blood.”
When it comes to the people I care about, I will fight tooth and nail to help them. However I can. I will sacrifice pieces of myself to lift their spirits. Pieces of myself that I shouldn’t give away. Shouldn’t sacrifice. Because I’m already broken. I’m already divided into my base parts.
But I will be a punching bag, if needed. I will allow those bits to be crushed into dust, if needed. Because that’s how devoted I am when I have someone to call a friend. Someone like you. And when you bleed, I bleed. When you hurt, I hurt, too.
© Sarah Doughty
2019
Sacrifice is in my blood,
and sometimes a bond
is stronger than blood.
The basic premise of this piece
inspired Stronger Than Blood,
the sixth book in my series universe.
I’m currently debating whether to write the next novel or a standalone novella in my series, both taking place immediately after the events in Enduring The Flames and I could use your help.
While the novel would continue Marcy’s journey (and to an extent, Zoe’s as well), the novella will revolve around Leah — a human, and Rebecca — a vampire, both introduced in ETF. They will be the universe’s first F/F couple — which has been a long time coming.
The Earthen Witch World Novels are the individual stories of Aisling’s friends, written in their own perspective. Each novel is a standalone, telling the story of one character. The timeline of each novel may overlap or intersect with the main storyline. These novels are also adult urban fantasy romance.
Zoe Kavanaugh never thought she’d have her chance at redemption, but she never stopped trying to find it.
For a witch, Zoe Kavanaugh was a sorry excuse for one. She should have died years ago. Instead, she became a dark witch, died only to be resurrected — not once, but twice — before being restored as a light witch by the first and most powerful Earthen witch to emerge in centuries.
After devoting her new life to help the Earthen and her friends end the chaos ruling the world’s supernatural community, she’s sent to Austria with the notorious Vlad Țepeș on an important fact-finding mission. Her job is simple: help Dracula interview a prisoner. She thinks the mystery of how a weak light witch can assist the most infamous and intimidating vampire the world has ever known and navigating her growing attraction to him are her biggest problems. But she should’ve known better. For Zoe, nothing is ever easy.
Distribution to retailers is pending, so I’ll send out links once they’re all available.
The Earthen Witch World Novels are the individual stories of Aisling’s friends, written in their own perspective. Each novel is a standalone, telling the story of one character. The timeline of each novel may overlap or intersect with the main storyline. These novels are also adult urban fantasy romance.
Zoe Kavanaugh never thought she’d have her chance at redemption, but she never stopped trying to find it.
For a witch, Zoe Kavanaugh was a sorry excuse for one. She should have died years ago. Instead, she became a dark witch, died only to be resurrected — not once, but twice — before being restored as a light witch by the first and most powerful Earthen witch to emerge in centuries.
After devoting her new life to help the Earthen and her friends end the chaos ruling the world’s supernatural community, she’s sent to Austria with the notorious Vlad Țepeș on an important fact-finding mission. Her job is simple: help Dracula interview a prisoner. She thinks the mystery of how a weak light witch can assist the most infamous and intimidating vampire the world has ever known and navigating her growing attraction to him are her biggest problems. But she should’ve known better. For Zoe, nothing is ever easy.
Sarah Doughty 