Carmen DaVinleam
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Quick links to specific genres.
NA - Thriller
Carmen has a titillating 83K New Adult Thriller
The Secrets That They Keep is a New Adult ‘Steamy’ Thriller, it’s Gone Girl x The Secret History x Luckiest Girl Alive, with a sprinkle of Haunting Adeline. Like these novels my book offers psychological tension, exploration of privilege, and the complex characters who get caught up in bad situations. It’s gritty and dark with morally complex characters.
Pitch:
High-end escort Alyx Beck is entangled in a sinister game of betrayal, murder, and manipulation, she’ll have to confront her past to survive in a world where nothing is at it seems.
Alyx Beck has to fake it several times a day. Fake the desire, the lust, and the orgasms. What she doesn’t have to fake is her love for her neurodivergent twin brother or her allegiance to her employer. She’ll do whatever her handler requires of her. They’ve taken care of her since her parents died tragically, and they’ve never steered her wrong. They pay her well so she can take care of her brother’s needs, too. However, when Alyx’s driver/bodyguard—and only friend— Sasha, goes missing with Alyx’s daily take, her devotion can no longer shield her from the handler’s wrath. As events spiral Alyx realizes—a little too late—that she’s been backing the wrong people. She’s caught in a sticky web and there’s only one way out, she’ll have to become the spider.This is a stand alone novel with series potential.
Adult Fantasy
Glimmer Monster
121K Paranormal Urban Fantasy is an #diversevoices manuscript—offering disability representation.
A strange man tells Ryker Burke that she’s died but refuses to tell her how she met her end. She must agree to do the unthinkable to discover the truth of how she died—and why she’s the only Afterlifer who feels pain. To solve the mystery of her death and find peace in Afterlife, she must agree to reap serial killers. But when her living daughter is kidnapped, Ryker will have to break every rule to save her—and she’ll have to become a monster to do it.
This is a stand alone novel with series potential.
YA
Carmen has several YA Fantasy stories, two of which can be found below.
Don't Get It Twisted
75K Paranormal Young Adult Fantasy
This story has a diverse cast and a disabled witch leading the show.
Avice Sinclair had no idea that her crush Esmond would die right after he kissed her, but he isn’t quite gone, his ghost now follows her and plays music for her at every turn. As she hides her witch heritage from everyone else, including her pansexual best friend Herbie, she decides to try and use her powers to keep Esmond around a while longer. Through their musical voyage, they navigate Death's relentless pursuit, triggering revelations of Avice's latent powers. Her daunting mission: to rescue her beloved from Death's clutches, is blocked by her mother who doesn’t want to awaken a curse that Death placed on their family long ago. As the story evolves, Avice's identity takes a dramatic turn when she uncovers lies her mother told her, and Avice discovers her true lineage.
The novel's Spotify Playlist
Kransen Crown
Lavender & Salt
#YA #F
#Romantasy
Complete at 81K
Comps: A Fate Inked in Blood / LightlarkKransen Crown is a story of love, vengeance, acceptance, and fate told in dual perspectives. It has a fierce shield maiden and power-hungry kings/jarls like those in A Fate Inked in Blood, with nonstop action like that in the Lightlark series.Freydis is a fierce shield maiden, trained from the time she was six to be a warrior. Her first mission is to seek vengeance on the clan responsible for the massacre of her people, her second is to gain the crown of the usurper’s daughter as her prize, but when she comes up against the blade of the prince of the warring clan, she finds something far more treacherous.To protect his family and discover who is behind the recent attack on his village, Prince Herlu will have to journey far away. With his sister’s life hanging on by a thread he travels to Torhilda to find the witch who can heal her. What he doesn’t expect to find is the shield maiden that slit his sister’s throat. Herlu may not only save his sister, but also discover more about those who attacked, infiltrate their village, and then bring his army to serve vengeance; that is if he can trick the shield maiden to trust him.A promo video can be found below
MG Fantasy
Carmen also writes Middle Grade Fantasy stories, two of which can be found below.
Jan, Crask, and the Faded Rose
39K Middle Grade Mystery / Fantasy
Allow me to introduce you to Jan, Crask, and the Faded Rose. Positioned within the Middle Grade genre, this 39K novel seamlessly blends elements of mystery and fantasy. When one of their friends mysteriously vanishes, a group of quirky middle-schoolers must unite, navigate treacherous caves, and unearth long-buried secrets, blending the camaraderie of The Goonies with the humor and heart of Diary of a Wimpy Kid in a quest to find their missing comrade before it's too late. The story is, The Strangers meets Finally, Something Mysterious, and it has a diverse cast, disabilities, and most of all love.
Cero and theNinja of Fire
#MG #AC # AD #P #SF #FTossed out of his ninja faction, the disgraced ninja of fire must find the sphere of life before it can fall into enemy hands.This is how the world will be saved. A ninja. A boy. And the little girl they’d die to protect.Far away, on the planet CERO, everyone has unique gifts—abilities that allow them to be remarkable. That is until the apocalypse awakens the talents of the young, previously ungifted boy Gideon. As Gideon searches for abilities to steal, the dishonored ninja Kroat searches for the great Sphere of Life. When their paths cross, a war like no other begins.
Current Project
The Slate King:
In drafting stage. 13K current word count
YA Fantasy novel with dark kings, magic, dragons, and so much more!
House of Misfits:
In drafting stage. 12K current word count.
YA Fantasy novel with a magical house. Story of a young man who is dealing with the fallout from his parents' drug addictions.
In Development
Below you will find novels titles/genres of books that I have plotted out, or in some level of finished/working on.Tad Dean - #A #Thriller - story of a man who is in the witness protection program because he's going to testify against the mob. However, must escape to save his sister.43 Days - #A #horror - Story of a young woman who comes home to the same day over and over and ends up killed each time. She must overcome her fears and her past to survive.Aeron Tatum Collins - #MG #mystery - Story of a young girl and her family who have just moved cross country only to discover their new neighbors husband (who is nearly a twin to her single dad) mysteriously vanished ten years ago.The Favor
#YA #SF
THEY BOTH DIE AT THE END meets HUNGER GAMESWhen the world is dying there’s only one way to save it, half of humanity must die before the planet does.The world summit that aired live as 17-year-old Jasmine was at school seemed to be a normal part of school symposium. It quickly took a dark turn when the summit leader committed suicide live to show that this summit was no laughing matter. To prevent the world from dying each and every family is required to offer a favor- and depending on your family’s size, perhaps more than one. Each favor will die, so that those remaining can live. Jasmine must race to find her mother and brother. She wants to save them both by offering herself as The Favor.DID I Do That - #A #Horror - Story of a serial killer with DIDThese are only a sampling of the projects that I have waiting.
About the Author:
Carmen DaVinleam is a graduate with honors from National College of Business and Technology. She is a passionate reptile enthusiast living in Kentucky with her kids and many animals. Writing is her greatest love. She published poetry as a teenager, and has written many novels. Her creative outlets include painting, sculpting, and crocheting. You can find her winning short horror story "3:02" in The 2023 Writer's Block Anthology.
A brief introduction from Carmen herself.
Just a Note from Carmen: I was happy to sign with a literary agent in October 2022, however in early 2023 they suffered a stroke and had to leave the industry. I have a sub list as they were working on, and can get a letter of recommendation for anyone who needs it. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to ask.
Contact
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For more information about Carmen DaVinleam please visit her website.