Until December 2024, I hadn’t published a thing in nearly eight years. But don’t let that fool you—I never stopped writing. Oh no, I’ve been writing and hoarding stories like a dragon with a story fetish.
Currently, I have a juicy cache of over 30 tales stashed away. Some semi-polished while others are rough drafts that basically amount to me vomiting a story onto the page and thinking done. A few even have sequels and yet I left them on a series of colorful USBs.
My USB stash is almost as large as my unused pretty notebook stash.
During my publishing hiatus, (see epic procrastinator) I became what I affectionately call a "course whore." Though I learned a lot, or at least was reminded of what I already knew, I wasted a lot of time and money. And I can confidently say I’ve mastered the art of overthinking my craft.
Then, two years ago, life sucker-punched me when my brother passed away. While grief gnaws on your heart, it has a funny way of rearranging your priorities. My fear of publishing (fueled by past lackluster sales) seemed trivial. I decided it was time to stop hoarding stories and actually put them out into the world.
So, I yanked up the biggest metaphorical pants I could find, finished my five-book series (The Vampire King’s Daughter), and—after hyperventilating into a paper bag—hit "publish" on Book 1 in late December.
Books 2-5? All coming this year. Book 2, Blood Secrets will be out in May.
Now, let’s talk genre chaos. My past works include:
- Urban fantasy with horror, romance, and spice.
- Sci-fi romantic suspense, also with spice (currently being resurrected from publisher limbo, with more sequels to come).
- And three novellas I classify as time-slip reincarnation romance with spice.
But this new series? It’s a paranormal mystery/thriller with romance—think gore, banter, and a closed-door policy (our MC, Alyssa, is 18).
The real fun comes from her dynamic best friends who are mostly human, triplet vampire brothers, their lycan bestie, and later, a demon with serious attitude. Writing it was a lot of fun.
And because I just can’t help my wandering genre eye, I’m now knee-deep in a romantasy rewrite (such a fun genre to write). Because why stick to one genre when you can play with them all?
So here’s to finally publishing again, embracing the chaos, and proving that even after years of course-induced paralysis, you can hit the publish button and release that story into the world of words that is out there.
Alyssa lives in a quiet town in Montana. Quiet that is, except for the vampires.
Eighteen-year-old Alyssa Presage's biggest problem used to be her court-mandated therapy sessions. That was before the stalking. Before the impossible new abilities that make her feel like even more of a freak.
Before the murders.
When the mysterious Leclereq brothers arrive at her high school, the gorgeous Stirling surprises Alyssa by setting his sights on her.
When a brutal killer stalks Fielding and kills a beloved friend, Alyssa must face a terrifying truth—the murderer isn't human.
Together with her best friends, Alyssa must work with Stirling and his brothers to discover who the murderer is before more people they love die.
Perfect for fans of The Vampire Diaries and Buffy the Vampire Slayer - Blood Ring delivers a pulse-pounding blend of supernatural thrills, deadly family secrets, and with just a bite or romance.
Cassandra L Shaw
There’s stuff for readers who love a touch of humor, a touch of romance, found family, and sometimes you’ll find some horror. But there’s always at least one beloved (or a rescue) pet as Cassandra thinks life’s fuller with animals around.
She lives in the Mackay Whitsunday region of Queensland, Australia on a small farm with her many many (many) pets (yes some rescued), her husband, and two adult children (not rescued). Her pets’ fur and the occasional feather always decorate her clothes, which she’s given up trying to remove and just calls them threads of love.
You can find Cassandra on:
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