Here is the cover, and I finished the edits and turned it into the editor last night. I have had a busy morning since I edited Ember one last time. I formatted it and hit publish! It feels good, and I will post the link when it’s live on the Amazon store!
I even made videos on the publishing process.
Formatting Ember with Vellum: https://youtu.be/AougvXQk-TU
Publishing Ember to Kindle: https://youtu.be/Ig4gbzX8Rvw
And here is a video of me editing Ember!
I hope you enjoyed a sneak peek, and I will post an excerpt and link when Ember is live!
It was that time of year again, and I really did not want to go. It’s bad enough that I have to fake being with a jerk like Viper who is everything I hate, and now I have to explain it to my family too. The Starr family reunion is always memorable since half of them like to flaunt their happy marriages around even through their husbands cheat on them with werewolves and vampires. I was one of the Starr family witches not married yet which is a big thing since we are supposed to get married and have kids around this time. I’m not since I was promised to Viper, and it’s not even my choice. I’m not happy with someone like him since he cheats on me constantly talking about other girls being cute. He was only with me for the fact that our line is the last for the high witches. My mom sits on the high council a long with his parents, and we were promised at a young age, and I’m almost done with him. I don’t want to be promised to him at all. It’s not like I have a choice at all either unless I meet someone else who is higher up since they don’t want to see me struggle for a job even though I’m working on going to Witch School for college students since I’ve already graduated high school.
I want to help witches pick out the right spell ingredient for them, and talk to magical creatures in helping them out. As a future high council member I need to know about all the creatures here. The only thing I love is this apartment since it has a bedroom, bathroom, living room and kitchen. Even a library and an office. My way since I needed independence from her at this point. I can’t live with her since she is happy about the engagement. I’m not I brush out my black hair, and put eye shadow on my grey eyes making them pop. I put on jeans and a black t shirt, and then black boots. It was going to be a long day at this point, and I just want it to end. I have no hope of finding someone else unless I can somehow prove to my mom how horrible he is for me.
I need to for me since he is making me miserable. I got ready to go with my mom to our great Aunt Cindy’s house for the reunion. I drive to mom’s place after I’m done. Her house is a huge mansion, and I love it since I grew up there. Dad is away since he is a lawyer in the Luxor realm which is the one we live in. Mom is the head of the council since she is one of the highest witches of them all. She is in her office most of the time, and loves it when I interrupt her. I really need proof at this point to prove to her that he is not a good match for me. I want to be with someone who makes me happy, and not miserable. I’ve missed being happy with someone. I thought about this all day on the way to the place. I don’t have proof he is cheating on me yet. I still see all the signs. I did love him at one point, and it hurt since I tried to work things out with him, and I wanted it to last. It’s not going to if I keep seeing signs that he is not really mine.
I’m going to go with my mom and Viper is meeting me there since he had a sorcerer military thing to do. He is not going to come till later, but he is meeting me there and taking me home. Fun, and at this point oh well. I get there, and the car my mom drove is still in the driveway, and I park next to it. The mansion is all black, and looks like it’s a house from The Addams Family, and it even has the décor to match. She is probably dressed in her mortician dresses too that are long and black with eyeliner done. She is already pale with red lips and brown eyes. I went inside, and mom is in the living room already in her mortician style dress since she loves looking her best, and she loves to wear corsets too.
She smiled at me, “I see you made it, and thank god you are not late since we have to be there early. I hope you brought a bag to stay a few nights since I want to stay at the palace for a weekend.”
“I did and Viper is getting his own room right?” I asked her hoping to get a separate bedroom from him.
She looked at me like I was crazy, “Nope, you are sleeping together since you are engaged.”
“Okay, no problem.” I tell her since I don’t want to start an argument.
She has her stuff already in the living room and picks it up.
“Get your things and let’s get this show on the road.” She told me.
I nod hurry to my car, pop open the trunk, and then gather my things from my black overnight back. It’s been packed since last night. Mom put her stuff in the trunk, and I put my stuff in on top of it. She closed the trunk and I got in the passenger seat.
My smartphone beeped, and I knew it was Viper since I put a ring tone especially for him.
I swiped the screen to see what he said:
R U on UR way?
Yes, we are getting in the car now…
Good, I’ll be there soon. I love you…
Love you too…
I text back even though I knew I was lying. I’ll pretend to be his just for one time. Then I need to find a way to get out of this situation. I did love him, and I remembered when we met in high school. It’s was on the bus when I went to one of the schools for Witches, Wizards, Warlocks, and Sorcerers…It’s called Salem High School. Yes, it’s where we learned spells, incantations, rituals, and even how to use our powers. It’s our version of the high school diploma. I loved the fact that I was born a witch, and it’s better then anything I’ve imagined. I grew up on it and I’ve never looked back on it since. Mom is a witch and Dad is a sorcerer. They get along together and at times they don’t it all depends. So yes I’m part witch and part sorcerer which is pretty cool since I can do something witches can’t do. I can walk through walls and use telekinesis and talk to animals and creatures. I even have the ability to shape shift into a wolf. Hence why it makes me different from others, and when I told that to Viper he freaked out and told him to never tell it to me again. See why I need someone else? Even my best friend agreed with me. A dragon shifter named Alexia who I play Enchanted Forest with which is a role playing game I love to play. Too bad I had to leave the laptop at home.
I got in the car with mom and thankfully it isn’t a long ride and we get there in record amount of time. Quickly, and I get out of the car along with my mom who is named Sabrina. Our Aunt’s place is at the top of the hill, and a mansion is on it. Another ancestral Starr mansion, and I love the place too since it’s just as creepy as my moms. We get our stuff out of the car, and then head up the hill. I love to wear boots since it’s better then wearing heels. We walk up the walk way and mom goes right in through the door. She doesn’t knock since Aunt Cindy doesn’t mind us walking right in. The living room is all decked out for the holidays with gold and silver decorations, and a huge tree too. It’s pretty and there is even a fire going in the fire place.
Aunt Cindy is right there in one of her sparkling blue gowns and even her eye shadow is glittery blue matching her dark blue eyes and ice blonde hair like a modern day Cinderella. She is pretty and her mom was blonde and our entire family is blonde on dad’s side which makes her Dad’s sister and his name is Giles he is the blonde haired blued eyed one. I got more of Mom’s then dad’s. I still love them both anyway. Dad is going to join in later when he gets done with the client he is with. I see everyone there, and even Viper is there talking to one of my other relatives. I look down at the ring. A diamond on top and diamond along the sides leading to a point. It’s supposed to be a good thing instead it feels more like a prison sentence, and I see him checking his cell, and texting someone while smiling it’s not me though… I need to just get through the family thing and pretend like it’s not happening just for today. I go up and mingle with my family taking my time to talk to Uncle Dave and tell him about what’s going on. He is blonde haired and blue eyed on my dad side. Always has a smile on his face and definitely knew what was going on.
“So tell me about what you have been up to?” He asked me.
“Just helping mom with the Spell Shop, and I have not even touched on the wedding stuff yet…” I tell him honestly.
“Well, then I’d get to it have you set the date yet?”
“Well…”
“We have set it to a year from now since that is when I’ll be back from my Sorcery Air Stuff…Going to be gone for a while like some months, and I figured we can do it after I’m gone. Then settle down and have a few kids.” Viper said trying to act like nothing is going on. It has but I’ll let it slide since he is trying to act nice-nice. It’s all a show anyway…
“Yes, what he said then I’ll do the planning while he is gone.” I told Dave.
“Good I’m happy for you kids…” Then he left to mingle with someone else.
Viper turns to me, “I’m sorry okay…I don’t know what to say since I’m yours and no one else. No once is like you at all.”
A beep on his phone….He checks it and texts while smiling then puts it away…
“I swear that was a friend…”
“Okay, well we can pretend just for today since you obviously love that talking to others more then me.” I told him and he gives me hurt eyes…
“I love you and no one else. I’ll prove it to you by not answering my cell the entire time….” Then he pulled it out of his pocket and turned it off….
“Wow…impressive if only you did it all the time…” I told him.
The entire time he had it off, and we mingled with the family. I told them about the shop and my plans. That is it, and it was painful because I had to act like I was actually with him. It was hard since he was treating me the way I deserved to be treated. Dad came to join us, and we ate then enjoyed a vacation away from the shop. I will still remember it since it was the first time we acted like a couple. Still in the back of my mind I will prove he is not worthy of my love. The entire time I was talking to my family members I did enjoy the fact that the crazy witches in my family are all mine and no one else’s. I loved spending time with them, and I could not wait for next year, and hopefully I’ll be with the person of my dreams instead of a lie.
The end! But this story will continue in Fur and Fang of Love!
Honestly, I have been thinking about this for a while and I put it into action. I’ve loved swag for authors, and now I’m coming up with my own so I will create notebooks, tshirts and all kinds of products based off my books.
Here is the link: https://www.zazzle.com/store/thewritingdreamer
Check it out!
I love you all, and I placed an order for the Ember cover which should be coming soon! I might think of doing a fun cover reveal, and follow me everywhere!
Jess Eats: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDXqBP7QaAqQum13uN_y1Gg
My MRE review, food challenge and restaurant review channel!
Jess plays! My video game gameplay/ commentary where I play games and even talk about them.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwO5Why2tii4WA3yqEksclw
Facebook Fanpage: https://www.facebook.com/authorjessicasamuels
Facebook Group: on.fb.me/1QgNlWc
Discord: Wolfdreamer25#0802
Twitter:@jdsamuels25
Instagram: @jdsamuels25
Snapchat: @jdsamuels25
Free Book on Instafreebie!
https://claims.prolificworks.com/free/M8xMw7nd
Link to Youtube Video: https://youtu.be/gAs8srOGgBs
To me sometimes retail customers are not always right, and sometimes they are assholes that love to pick on the sales person and make their lives hell. Amazon link you can buy it in paperback, kindle and audiobook!
http://amzn.to/2t5ZjsC
Retail Workers can’t control inventory, and they are only human after all….
Retail customers think workers have power over every aspect of the company, and the truth is they don’t have control over certain things at all. They don’t control the prices of an item, since it’s up to the company. If something rings up a different price then the one on the shelf, a customer might have moved the item to the wrong place. Or maybe an associate was setting something up and they forgot to change it.
Either way I’m sick and tired of customers saying I changed the price when all I did was ring up their item. I did not change it at all, and it’s up to the company, not the associates and if it’s an issue with the system, then that is different. If an item rings up higher than the clearance tag, then that isn’t an issue. And the prices vary per store because of inventory. One store can put an item on clearance, and the other store is full price because store wants the stuff to sell to make room for more stuff. It’s not hard to get that different stores carry different products. That is why we won’t carry the thing you are looking for that you found a few years ago. We don’t carry certain products that other stores do. I’m sick and tired of people saying that we got rid of something when it’s not my fault.
Retail workers don’t have control over policies either, and it gets annoying when people think we can break it just for them. It’s horrible for retail workers to be treated like dirt over policies their company has, and guess what? People try to get others to break it all the time. I can’t touch the products of another store if my store doesn’t carry it physically. I have had people bring in watches that my store doesn’t carry, and I can’t touch it at all. I’m not allowed too due to liability issues since if I break it the company has to pay for it. I’ve seen it happen all the time, and it’s company policy which is something I have no control over. Time and again people try to get me to work on it when we don’t carry it, and they use the excuse you did it last time. Or, they say they got it at the company when I know for a fact we don’t carry it. I’ve been working retail for 5 years, and I’ve seen it all.
Also when the register messes up the cashier or sales associate has to fix it, and the customers think we have control over it. They don’t. I can’t help it if the registers act up since it’s a machine, and not even my fault. Customers think it’s something I did, and they even try to help me with it like they know my job better than I do. Nope. I don’t want your help fixing the machine.
Cashiers/Sales Associates don’t have any control if your card gets declined, and it’s not our job to keep track of your money. I don’t care if you have enough money since it’s not my fault you didn’t check to see if you had enough for it to go through. Not my fault. Stop looking at me for every little thing with the register since I don’t know everything. Also if you think I know everything then stop treating me like I’m stupid.
Retail workers and sales associates have no control over merchandise. No, I don’t have the power to order items for you out of the cases unless they are personal orders. I won’t know what items come in till they come in. I don’t control how many products we receive either. If you want to get an item not in store then check online. The sales associate can only order special items not regular store inventory. We also can’t look up to see if another store has it.
Retail workers don’t control the weather so stop complaining about things being wet if it’s raining. We can’t give directions from our store to where you are at since it’s called google. We are not going to know what is around everywhere either. We don’t control your coupons being expired so don’t take it out on us since it’s not our fault you didn’t pay attention to the date. We can’t control your mood, and don’t take it out on us.
Store inventory is different for in store and online that it can take twenty-four hours for it to register. Again if it’s different for in store and online then it’s not our fault someone bought it, or put it on a random spot. Someone can actually have it in their baskets too. We don’t control items being out of stock either, and we know it’s popular but people buy stuff again not our control. We can’t help that someone bought your size since people buy stuff….
Some of these things are definitely out of a sales associates and cashiers control, and don’t take it out on them for it. It’s not their fault. They are only human after all, and yelling at them for things they can’t control is pointless since they can’t help it.
Retail taught me a lot….
There are so many things I have learned while working retail. It’s not as easy as people think it is, and that is one of the things I thought when I first started. It’s not bad for a part time job, especially since you need something to build your resume. It’s something temporary to get you where you need to go. It can be the rest of your life if you enjoy it. However, it’s not for me permanently. I’m just using it to get through college. It teaches you how to deal with people, and problem solve since everything that goes wrong means it’s up to you to solve it. The customers treat you like you know everything, and at the same time they think you don’t know anything. The customer thinks the sales associate is supposed to wait hand and foot on them. It doesn’t mean that, but you have to act like it is.
Retail customers can also be pretty nasty to you just because they can, and in that case the customer is not always right. Retail gives you the ability to be in contact with other people, and to deal with many different personalities. Doing the same thing day after day though can get boring, and especially if you work there long enough then you have seen and heard it all. You have to learn how to multitask because you will be in charge of two departments at once, and sometimes even the customers expect you to wait on two at the same time. It sucks when they do that since it’s not easy to wait on two people at once, because you have to keep track of it. They also try to tell you how to do your job when they have never worked retail before. It teaches you to treat the person on the other side of the counter well since you know the struggle.
When you get hired, they never tell you that you will be in other areas, and that the managers can put you where ever they want to. You can be in one area, and then they will want you in another. The customers do have a habit of treating you like you are stupid sometimes, and when they have issues describing an item they will make it like you are stupid to them when they suck at describing it. It can be a very draining experience at times. Long hours for very little pay, and people who constantly run you ragged. It’s not for everyone either. It made me who I am though, and I’m an author so it helped me with my writing too.
I do recommend trying retail out when you are just getting experience so you will know what it’s like having a job. People are messy and they don’t clean up after themselves. They are so lazy they will put items in random spots, and then blame you for every little thing. It is a steady paycheck provided you don’t do anything stupid like steal or work off the clock. It gave me some people skills, and the ability to listen since people will tell you their stories. You also have the ability to act like you are listening when really your mind is somewhere else. Retail can be a source of entertainment too. Between the drama with the customers and managers it can be hilarious when they blow stuff out of proportion. It teaches you how to let stuff roll off you, and to let things go. If you stress about every little thing it can lead to high blood pressure. It did give me some lifelong friends, and people whom I love working with. There are good and bad points to every job since I love some of the customers that come through my line. You can always tell who works retail by the way they treat you. If they are nice then they understand what it’s like. It also teaches you how to keep calm in pressure situations, and I would not change it at all. It taught me a lot of valuable lessons I can use in other jobs, and I would recommend people to work retail just for the on the job experience. Even working in it full-time was eye opening since it allowed me to see it more in depth. I actually love the coworkers this time, and I get along with a lot of them. I love the people I work with now, and having good managers can make all the difference. I do suggest it’s a good starting job to have, and it will teach you a lot about working with the general public!
Hey everyone! I recorded two videos today for my Authortube channel and it was fun! I’m working on Ember and Mia and I hope to release two books this year. I’ll update more on my website and see you soon!
In order to not let this happen again I will make a list of stuff to watch out for to make sure you are talking to a real person and not Mr.Scammer. They can be smooth talkers too. Here is a list:
They use the word Am…like am grateful to god….am washing the dishes instead of I am.
They can’t video chat or they make excuses. I gave him stuff to get a phone thinking that would be the end, but nope…One excuse after another to avoid video. So get their phone number to talk to them, video chat them, or even invite them somewhere in a public place. He will declare his love for you fast, even though you have never met in person. He will also switch up his story. The dude said stuff about living with his partner when he lived alone. He lied about his age, and there is another thing….Research the shit out of them since if they are a real person there must be some traces of them somewhere. Don’t forget to use the reverse image search to make sure it doesn’t pop up anywhere else. Hell, this dude stole a real picture of a soldier, and pretended to be one. And if they ask for money DEAD GIVEAWAY!! Don’t do it no matter how much they promise it is for your future because they will lie….And be careful since fake profiles are everywhere so I doubt you can get away from these dudes. If you are dealing with one then block them since they aren’t worth the time, effort, energy or money even. Never do anything they ask with giving them your info since if they give you checks then they bounce and you have to pay it back. There are a ton of scammers out there so it’s best to be wary….No platform is safe from these fuckers…And on the other hand it gives me a book idea to play with, and I have been watching Youtube videos which give me an idea as well. Also dealing with a Scammer and an Abuser just reminds me how much I need to write more books with The Killer Contract Agency since they are needed to take out these assholes! Expect them! The Scarlet Summers series, AngelWitch series and a few other of my projects. I also have just one website now, and one Youtube channel after having to take down everything to shut down my google account. My Youtube channel will have everything writing videos, gaming and military ration reviews. I needed a new start….
Oh, how I wish I didn’t have to write this, but it needs to get out there. I’m not the only one who went through it either, and apparently I never knew this shit even went on. I was into dating apps at the time and I was a part of at least 3 Badoo, Tinder, and Plenty of Fish. After not having as much luck and a shitload of hits on one I found someone on Badoo. I actually don’t want to give out his name so let’s go with Greg. He was sweet at first, and I actually got along with him. I even thought I was falling for it. Her said he was in the military on a secret mission in Africa. Should have been a red flag instead I was an idiot, and even let slide him not being able to call me or video me since the device he has doesn’t have a camera. Another red flag so you would think I would actually listen…Nope, because he was hot..And he also gave me a fake job title, another red flag, and a fake rank..Another. I did research online and I even found the soldier he was impersonating. I should have ended it there, and instead I bought into it giving him money so he could get a phone..(Why the fuck did I do such a dumb thing?)…He was good at emotional manipulation, and when I refused to give him money at first. He said why since we are using it as a foundation for our love…Another thing is he said I love you at lightning speed…Another red flag. You can’t really love someone if you haven’t seen them…And he wanted to take it off the dating site and move to another platform. Another red flag, and it was mainly through messaging. No phone number, no video, and there was a promise to meet in person but it never happened. After I was dumb enough to give him money he needed access to my online banking account…Should have said no, but my dumbass said yes. So it ended up with me being dumb enough to give him money through Coinbase a program with bitcoins, and cash drops with MoneyGram which should have raised a red flag…And his reason was so he could get groceries and toiletries…That should have been another one since they give the soldiers food while they are deployed. There is also no reason why they can’t use their own account either. And I started to get wiser since there were no public records on him, and there were on the soldiers whose identity he stole. He used a soldiers real picture and pretended to be him. Even fabricating a story to make him seem real, but his profile on the website and the shit he told me didn’t make sense. Like it said he was 35 when he was really 39…And I don’t usually date dudes that old…Joined at 19 when the legal age is 18. Even friends were beginning to warn me as well as family. Before I knew it the checks were bouncing, and I was down money since the bounced check took from my parents. So really…Instead of arguing with him when I was fed up I blocked him. I blocked his messages, email, and the fake account he made trying to fuck with me again. Deep down I know he knows what he did was wrong, and I reported it to the Internet Crime Complaint place, and get my finances back in order. It’s embarrassing, but I thought he really was the soldier he pretended to be, but then I got wiser since it turned out it wasn’t him at all. There were no traces of him even in court records, and the only trace was the identity of the real person. After the bank shit I really couldn’t afford to lose anymore…Hence why I blocked him since explaining shit to him is like talking to a brick wall. He needed stuff explained to him in screenshots, and quite frankly if he didn’t understand what he did wrong I wasn’t going to waste anymore time on it. The best thing to do is cut off all contact…Here are my tips to make sure it doesn’t happen to you! It’s not just military people it’s others they steal too.
Tips For Staying Safe From Online Dating Scammers:
Stay on the App! Don’t let them take you anywhere else unless it’s like Facebook, or something legit. The app I used was Google Hangouts which a lot of scammers use. If it’s Kik then it definitely can be legitimate. Snapchat is legitimate especially if they can send real time pictures.
Video Them! Chances are they have a phone with a camera so you can see them. Better yet ask for their phone number to hear them over the phone. I should never have believed him when he said he didn’t have a camera…It’s bullshit.
Meet up in person especially if they live close, and be sure to pick a public place too.
If they give you pics then use this site: https://www.tineye.com/ It can tell you where it has been used.
Also research the shit out of them…Stalking is now researching. Especially see if they have a social media profile. If they don’t they could be fake. You can even check their history if they are a criminal or not if you know where they live and their first and last names.
Never give them money either.
Also if they are military make them verify it by getting something that shows they are the real deal. Military ID in person, email, APO address, ask about the base, MREs or even rank. Even talk to other people in the branch to see if what they say checks out. Be careful if they switch stories, or seem like they have copy and pasted shit. Like Greg could have gotten some of the sayings somewhere else, and he has even repeated stuff to me to where I was like he said this already. Got one of the checks back in a different name so he must have been using someone…Not in his. Luckily, I got out before any real damage was done maybe to my heart and somewhat my wallet. This is going to be a mistake I will never forget. And I told my story so people can be forewarned. I always thought scammers were in email, phone, and bullshit stuff never on online dating sites…I was wrong.
If you have ever been scammed what happened? Do you have a story like that too? If so tell me it! I hope by reporting it more people can be warned and the person stopped since the more it’s reported the more that can be done to stop it from happening again. If you feel the person isn’t who they say they are then block them. If they keep making excuses as to why they can’t meet or talk on the phone. Block them! If they ask for money then definitely block it! Be smart since you don’t want to mess with the wrong person and pay the price. If they try to get you to answer their messages keep blocking! Don’t let them emotionally fuck you over either since it’s not worth it in the long run….
Stay safe!
Love Wolfdreamer!
