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Blood Lies: A Collection of 7 Brotherhood of Blood Shorts

Created by J.S. Living

Lies and secrets cause Anastasia, Voica, Islyn, Indigo, Rimi, Mihnea, and Mihrihmah to go on journeys that will change their lives forever. Urban fantasy X Historical Fiction.

Latest Updates from Our Project:

Whaaaat??? We hit the $1000 Stretch Goal!
6 months ago – Tue, Sep 30, 2025 at 01:41:28 PM

Hey, hey Bloodlings! We hit the stretch goal!

It looks like we did it! We hit the $1000 stretch goal, which means there's an extra story being added to the book just for you! As I said earlier, since this story will be exclusive to this campaign, it's going to come with the book as an insert.

I'm going to attach a poll to this update later to see which story you want, so watch this space!


And now, OMG, we're in Overtime!

So, what this means is that anytime someone backs a project in the Nightfall group, another ten minutes gets added to the campaign.

Let's see if we can unlock Stretch Goal #2 during the BackerKit Train!
Because at $1500, I can offer two more digital print options to you, for a total of seven prints! And, if we somehow manage to get to $2000, there are some digital coloring pages in your future.

Remember: If you'd like to get Blood Lies, it's now or never! Keep the BackerKit Train going by donating to mine and Shiloh's campaigns!

Thank you everyone! Let's keep making this a successful campaign!

One Hour Left and a One Hour Video: Let's Reach $1000!
6 months ago – Tue, Sep 30, 2025 at 11:46:34 AM

Hey, hey Bloodlings!

As we embark on this last hour of the campaign, I wanted to share something with you:
The first video of my Cooking with J.S. Living segment on YouTube!

A little while ago I asked y'all to follow me on YouTube so I could be able to Live Stream. I'm still not at 50 followers, but that's okay. Why? I realized the 50 follower rule is just to stream on your phone! LOL.

Now, to be honest, it would be more convenient for me to stream from my phone than from my computer whilst cooking, but I'm not going to let that stop me from making my videos. So, I'll either keep posting the way I am, or find a way to set my laptop up in a convenient way in the kitchen. Either way, I'm going to get her done!



Now, to be honest, I'm not great with short form content. Just look at my Instagram page. So, of course, my video is like, an hour long. But! I edited it myself, and I'm pretty darn proud that I was able to shave it from 1.5 hours to just 1 hour. So, in this last hour of the campaign, if you've already pledged, would you like to see the thing? 👀👀👀

And, if you haven't pledged, what are you waiting for? 👀👀👀 This is the last hour to get exclusive perks and rewards! After today, you won't be able to have your name in Blood Lies, and you'll have to pay the full retail price for the book.  Besides, we're only $74 away from the $1000 stretch goal! Don't you want to help me pay the editors so this book can be shiny and pristine when it's done?

I'm just saying...now is the time!   



Okay. The other thing I wanted to tell you in this update is that I messed up on the set up of the Returning Backer rewards.

I said that the returning backer reward would be the Vampire Teeth pin. But, somehow, the Challenge Coin was set up instead. Now, even though it says Challenge Coin, I can still give you the vampire teeth pin instead and just mark it as a note.

 
But, I thought that, since this was my mistake, it would be better to leave the decision to you.

So, when I send out the surveys in 2026, if you're a returning backer:

  • I'm going to try to add the question into your survey. 
  • If I'm unable to do that, then I'll send the returning backers a personal email asking their preference of the Challenge Coin or the Vampire Teeth Pin. 
  • Alternatively, you can also just email me about whichever one you want or leave a comment on this update. Whichever you fancy.

Again, I want to apologize for this, but I do think this is the best way to make it fair.

If you backed my last project, but haven't pledged to this one yet, what's stopping you? 

Please let me know so I can see if there's something I can do to persuade you that helping a Black, indie author at $5 per eBook is the best course of action. Because 1) you now have a choice between two really cool items for coming back! 2)  3)I'm still hoping to crack these stretch goals. 

Last: Thank you! 

Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support! I appreciate every single one of you and hope we can continue making amazing things together! I'll send one more email tomorrow and then I'm taking a short break to set up things on the back end. Have a great week! 

Less than 24 Hours to Earn Prizes, Reach Stretch Goals, and Get Blood Lies!
6 months ago – Mon, Sep 29, 2025 at 11:11:25 PM

Hey, hey Bloodlings!

Wow! I don't know if y'all have noticed, but we went from $750ish to almost $1000 in a day! But we're not quite at a thousand yet. We're still short about $100. I'm really hopeful that we'll make it and maybe even get as far as the extra two art prints at $1500.

But if even if we don't: Thank you!

I am ecstatic and amazed at how great you all have been. Truly. The amount of support is humbling. So, thank you. I don't know how many times I'm going to say it, but I feel like I need to so I can stress how much I appreciate y'all! 

Okay. That's all for the tears. I have a few more update-y things to tell y'all before the end of this campaign.

Here's the TLDR/BLUFF: The Prizes offered to the Leaderboard Team and Top Contributor include puzzles and metal bookmarks. I'm hopeful that we might be able to hit the $1000 and $1500 Stretch Goals in these last few hours. A gentle reminder that this is the last chance to get Blood Lies and the other campaign rewards. After today, any purchases for Blood Lies will be at full price. I'm one of the participants in The Book Bazaar, so I've got one more campaign this year: The audio production of Blood Ties: A Collection of Three Covenant of Blood Shorts.

Alright, let's get into it!

Prizes 

Thank you all for participating in Trivia Challenge! This was my first time doing it and, though it didn't yield the results I wanted (heated debates and passionate discussions, lol), I am happy to see that several of you took part. It means a lot to me that you took time to interact with the polls, questions, and discussions.

Now, at the beginning of the campaign, I promised a prize to the winning team members and one Grand Prize for the Trivia Champion. I never did reveal what the prize would be. So, today, I'm happy to reveal the Trivia Champion Prize and the Team Prize!

Trivia Champion Prize
To the Trivia Champion Prize Winner, I will bestow:
  • one (1) Covenant of Blood Puzzle; and 
  • one (1) metal bookmark ($31.98 in retail). 

View available variants of the bookmarks here, on my website or go to https://www.thejsliving.com/forreaders. Unfortunately, the Love is Forever Bookmark is only available if you choose to pay an additional $5. 

Trivia Team Prize
Each person on the winning Trivia Team will receive:
  • one (1) metal bookmark ($13.99 in retail). 

Choose between Angelo, The PI, Lizzy, and Liz. View available variants of the bookmarks here, on my website or go to https://www.thejsliving.com/forreaders. Unfortunately, the Love is Forever Bookmark is only available if you choose to pay an additional $5. 

Stretch Goals

I'm so happy to say that we've almost reached our second stretch goal! If we can get the last $99, I can include an eighth short story just for you. So, in these last few hours, let's try to make it happen! And, if by some miracle we hit $1500, I'll be able to throw in two more art print options. For clarity, these are the five prints currently available:


Currently, the other two characters are only available in the actual book. But, at $1500, we can unlock prints of them! And, of course, as the book moves closer to completion, I'll be able to show you the colorized version of these.

Last Chance

I'm putting you on notice: This is your last chance to back my project before the prices increase. It's your last chance to get any special rewards or items that are BackerKit specific, like:
  • the Challenge Coin (vote on the design!) for early backers, 
  • the Vampire Pins for returning backers, or 
  • the resin bookmarks for cross-collab backers.


After today, the prices will increase. Now, I do have a few extras of some of these rewards, so there's a small chance you can get them during my next campaign in November, but they only exist until supplies run out. And, this may be that day.

So, don't chance it! Don't miss out! Uncover the Lies and Pledge today!

Oh, yeah, my next Campaign!

I was actually going to wait a bit longer before I announced this, but I guess now is as good a time as any: My next campaign is only one short month away from now!

The Book Bazaar

For my new campaign, I'll be participating in The Book Bazaar, a crowdfunding effort created by, for, and with indies in mind.

Join a variety of authors, small press, and indie publishers as we celebrate all things book with a number of simultaneous literary crowdfunding campaigns. Find your new favorite author, series, anthology, or stand-alone at The Book Bazaar event running November 12th, 2025 to December 3rd, 2025.

Here you won’t find just novels, you’ll also find projects funding audiobooks, anthologies, poetry, picture books, comics, and more!

Don’t miss out! Subscribe to get notified of when The Book Bazaar launches, last-minute reminders, and collective project updates!

Blood Ties: A Collection of Three Covenant of Blood Shorts the Audiobook Campaign

Do you love audiobooks? Do you want to support BIPOC creators? Do you want to immerse yourself in urban fantasy and historical fiction?

Then check out my campaign for Blood Ties: A Collection of Three Covenant of Blood Shorts the Audiobook!

Blood Ties the Audiobook is a short story collection turned audiobook production that blends urban fantasy with historical fiction.

Anyone can read Blood Ties since it's part of a series of interconnected standalones, which means you can enjoy it without reading the introduction novel. Previous fans of The Covenant of Blood will enjoy these additional stories in their new format; and new fans will be introduced to the Bloodlines Series. 

Why did Liz want to take control of Lizzy's body? What happened to Dmitri on that fateful night he and Lizzy were separated? And why did Angelo follow through with a wedding he was forced into?

If you've ever wondered about the answers to these questions in The Covenant of Blood, or if you're just looking for a couple of fun short stories to read, today is your lucky day. All these questions, and more, will be answered in Blood Ties: A Collection of Three Covenant of Blood Shorts.

Follower Reward

If you follow the project between today and 11 November, you'll get access to a sample of the Bloodlines Recipe Book. And, if you back the project once the campaign starts, you'll get access to the full recipe book! Each recipe will be personally tested by me, and you can watch me try them out online via YouTube:

Early Bird Reward

Plus, if you missed the Early Bird reward for Blood Lies, you have a second chance to grab a Challenge Coin by pledging early to the Blood Ties Audiobook. These one of a kind Challenge Coins will only be available for 2025, so you don't want to miss out. 

Cross-Collab

I also have a new cross-collab partner for this project: Sword and Spiral Press! They're funding The Dark Side of Super the Audiobook, which is a collection of dark, gritty, short stories with a realistic takes on super powers that will shock you with their conclusions. We're cooking up a goodie to give you (no pun intended) and it will be announced when the campaign starts on 12 November. 


Reservation Reward

And, I'm doing something new for this campaign: If you reserve a spot for $3, you recieive a collection of three (3) Oracle cards! But, you have to pledge to receive the reward.

So, what are you waiting for? 

It's time for you to Listen to the Voices, and Find Your Family Ties! Follow the Blood Ties Audiobook so you can be the one of the first people to hear the stories come to life! 

Poll Package 3, New Poll, and Thank You!
6 months ago – Sun, Sep 28, 2025 at 05:05:39 PM

Hey, hey Bloodlings! It's ya girl J.S. Living here, wishing you happiness, healthiness, and wealthiness. 

My health isn't so great these days because, honestly, I wanted to send this update earlier today. Unfortunately, my chronic fatigue and brain fog was debilitating. It still is, but I needed to get this update out since we're less than two days away from the campaign ending. But, I promise to keep it short and sweet. So, here are the thre things you need to know:

First, Poll Package Three is up! 

The video is below. As usual, I've also included the transcript. It reads a little different because my recordings don't always go the same way, but the content is the same. You can also watch this on Instagram or directly on YouTube.

 

Video Transcript (More or Less)
I think I told y'all I'm an earlier update that one of my Bachelors degrees is in Anthropology. What I didn't tell you any was one of my favorite assignments from that time.

It's some time between 2014 and 2016, and we're told to go to a religious service that doesn't fall into our faith and write a short essay on the experience.

When you live in the south, there's no shortage of churches, synagogues, etc.  to choose from,  so I decided to go to the Unitarian Church. I'd never been there, and a family friend suggested. So, I went. And proceeded to participate in the most interesting algamation of religions ever. It really opened my eyes to other cultural practices.

So, of course, now, when I write, I try to embody that same feeling by looking up information regarding the fae and other creatures in my books.

Of course, Blood Lies and the Brotherhood of Blood won't be my first foray into shapeshifters, known as transformers in other world religions/mythology. But, it will be the first time I explore them as a species. And, honestly,  it's the same for demons. How could I not when they're so interesting. And knowing they were considered the cause of illness in Ancient Egypt was kind of the thing that cemented it. I also plan to explore more hybrids through the lense of Mihnea's and Voica's marriage because I think that'll show significant cultural differences between the supernatural species and how those family dynamics work.

It should provide a healthy mix of anthropology,  sociology,  and psychology in the stories. But don’t story! It'll still be a form of escapism a la WBs Anastasia, which is currently on Disney+ (which I saw before the boycott). Anyways, I would say it's crazy that one of my characters is also banned Anastasia, but the name was common for that time period.

Anyways, that's all I've got for Poll Package 3. Sorry it was so late! 

Second, I have a poll for you to vote on!

At the beginning of the campaign, I asked you all what Early Bird reward you preferred. The votes indicated you all preferred the Challenge Coin. So, if you backed my campaign in the first 48-hours, it's time to vote on which design you want for it! The poll is only open until 30 September, so make sure you vote ASAP.



Last, Thank You!

The campaign is coming to a close, so I figure it's as good a time as any to say thank you! I appreciate you all supporting me and this book. So, thank you all for believing in it as well! 

Let's try to close the campaign out with a bang! 

I'm still hopeful we'll reach the $1000 goal, especially since we're only short by a little over $200 and it would help mitigate some of the editing costs. After all, there's still the possibility for y'all to name a character for $150. Or, to order a book box filled with goodies. But, even if we don't hit the $1000, I still appreciate each and every one of you. Once again, stay happy, healthy, and wealthy. 


XOXO 

J.S. Living

Stretch Goal Update, Art, and an Excerpt!
6 months ago – Fri, Sep 26, 2025 at 09:44:46 PM

Hey, hey Bloodlings!

I was trying to wait to give you another update until Poll Package 3 and the cooking videos were ready, but that just didn't happen. Since I have chronic fatigue, my plans don't always pan out accordingly...no pun intended. 

Anyways, I'm sorry I don't have fun videos to post in here. But! I do think I have something better to show you: More art and an excerpt from the book! 

Before I show you that, though, I wanted to remind you that there's only four days left in the campaign and we still haven't hit Stretch Goal two. We're only short about $260ish, give or take a few. 

Now, I'm still manifesting that we'll hit this $1000 stretch goal, and I can throw another short story in the mix and maybe hit some of the other stretch goals too. So, I figure it's time I revealed what those are to see if, maybe, you all can share and get a few more people on board. 

So, here they are: 

Hopefully that helps. Now, as promised, here is some of the concept art and an excerpt from the book! 

I made an audio version and posted it on YouTube for an audio-visual experience. 


But, I also created just a visual presentation for those of you who would like to read it yourself with the pictures remaining stagnant.



And, because I'm an overachiever, here's the plain text for those who don't want audio or visual aesthetics.

First Meeting

The water is cool on my skin as I ascend from the ocean to the beach. When my nose breaks the surface, and I breathe the fresh, salty air, I know I’ve made it. I grin. Mother obliged my request to be tutored on land so I know how to fend for myself. I’ll spend a few years here and then return to the Selkie Queendom.

The sun is still rising, which means I’m right on time.

I use my teeth to pull the skin up and off my flippers, as if pushing up sleeves. As I do, human hands are revealed. From there, the rest of the transformation is easy. I use my human hands to pull the rest of my skin off like a coat and slide it off my now naked body. 

The wind blows, drying the slick wetness of the sea from my body. The corkscrew coils atop my head are so tightly wound that I’m certain it will take several days to dry without some kind of cloth to aid me. But it doesn’t bother me. I enjoy the freedom of nudity, and will never understand why humans cover themselves up when the weather is this perfect. 

A bell rings distracting me from my thoughts. 

That’s the signal cousin Valentina told me to listen for. I run toward the nearest cave, being sure to hold tight to my skin—which has transformed into a coat—and use the sunlight from outside to guide me to the hidden alcove inside. There, I find a large wooden box about the size of a suitcase with ancient symbols carved on it. I place my Selkie skin on a nearby rock and pull the case from its hiding place. Then, I look for five specific runes. When I locate them, I lay the case on the ground and press the carvings in the sequence I spent days memorizing. 


It opens.

🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸🩸

I hope y'all enjoyed the excerpt and the look at more of the concept art.

Let's aim for the $1000 goal! Also, don't forget to support my cross-collab partner, Shiloh Walker and to back some of the other Nightfall Printopia Projects. This one in particular is only $87 from it's goal as of the posting of this update! 




Time is of the essence, so let's try to go out with a bang! 


XOXO

J.S. Living