Grayson Blackwood

Hey there, dark souls and fellow creatures of the night. I'm Grayson Blackwood, and I write gothic fantasy romance that probably shouldn't be read by candlelight. (But let's be honest, that's exactly how you're going to read it, isn't it?)

I grew up in a creaky Victorian house in New England where the floorboards had stories to tell and the shadows seemed to dance at twilight. My grandmother's collection of grimoires and occult histories filled our library, and I spent countless hours losing myself in tales of ancient curses and forbidden magic. Little did I know those dusty tomes would someday fuel my own dark stories.

By day, I was that weird kid who wrote horror stories in English class while everyone else was crafting heartwarming family narratives. By night, I devoured everything from Poe to Lovecraft to Anne Rice. (My teachers were... concerned, to say the least.) But there was always something missing in those classic gothic tales – the raw, primal pull of romance that makes the darkness even more seductive.

I started writing 'Cursed Serpent Bride' during a particularly nasty bout of insomnia, when the veil between our world and Umbrafell felt paper-thin. The story of Arabella Finch poured out of me like black ink, staining every page with secrets and spells I didn't even know lived in my mind. I wanted to create a world where the romance is as dangerous as it is irresistible, where ancient magic has a price that must be paid in blood, and where love itself might be the darkest curse of all.

My writing style? Think Victorian gothic horror meets dark fantasy romance, with a healthy dose of "what the hell did I just read?" thrown in for good measure. I love crafting complex magical systems that feel ancient and dangerous, characters who dance on the knife-edge between light and shadow, and romance that burns so hot it leaves scorch marks on your soul.

When I'm not writing, you'll find me wandering through cemetery gardens at midnight (yes, really), collecting odd artifacts for my cabinet of curiosities, or trying to convince my three black cats that my keyboard is not their personal heating pad. I live in a converted church with more books than furniture and enough candles to probably violate several fire codes. (Don't tell my insurance company.)

Fair warning: my books aren't for the faint of heart. If you're looking for sweet, gentle romance where everyone behaves themselves and makes good decisions... well, you took a wrong turn somewhere. My stories live in the shadows where morality is a shifting thing, where monsters wear beautiful faces, and where true love might require a blood sacrifice or two.

To my readers: thank you for being just as wonderfully twisted as I am. Your messages about staying up until 3 AM to finish "just one more chapter" of Cursed Serpent Bride make my black little heart sing. Your theories about the hidden meanings in the fungal forests of Umbrafell? Keep them coming. I read every single one, usually while cackling over my morning coffee (black, like my soul).

What's next? Oh, my dears... I'm currently working on something that makes Cursed Serpent Bride look like a bedtime story. Think ancient deities who definitely don't have your best interests at heart, forbidden rituals that should stay forbidden, and a romance that might literally end the world. You know, light reading.

If you're brave enough to step into my worlds, expect to find: - Magic systems older than time itself - Romance that's beautiful, terrible, and absolutely inevitable - Characters who are definitely going to make the wrong choice (and you'll love them for it) - Plots that twist like serpents in the dark - Endings that will haunt you for weeks

Follow me on social media if you dare – I'm most active on Instagram where I share snippets of upcoming works, behind-the-scenes peeks at my research into the occult (it's for the books, I swear), and far too many pictures of my cats being dramatic on my altar. I mean, desk.

Welcome to my dark little corner of the literary world. Make yourself comfortable, light a candle, and prepare to question everything you thought you knew about love, magic, and the monsters that live in the spaces between reality.

Just remember: in my stories, happily ever after comes with a price. Are you willing to pay it?