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About the Author
About the Author
Carolynne Nelson is a 30-year-old author who has loved writing her whole life. She started writing when she was eleven, spinning stories from the shadows of her imagination, and never quite stopped. She fell in love with dark fantasy through the beauty of morally gray figures, chilling atmospheres, and the thrill of finding what lies underneath magic and myth.
Benighted began as a flicker of an idea at the start of the semester—just a whisper of a girl with dangerous blood and the monsters who would shape her fate. Six months later, it has grown into a full-fledged novel brimming with twisted bonds, ancient hunger, and the resilience of a heroine who refuses to be broken.
When she’s not writing, Carolynne can be found daydreaming about her next story, diving into fantasy novels, or sipping too much coffee while building strange new worlds.
Benighted is her debut novel, but it’s only the beginning.
Benighted
Benighted
Queen of Venom Book One
Benighted is a dark fantasy paranormal romance.
His fangs found her throat. Her fire found his soul.
Navee is a TaintedBlood—marked by venom, feared by all. Hunted from birth for the craving in her blood, she’s lived her life hiding behind her aunt’s protection and a vow to never kneel, never beg, and never bleed for those in power.
When she dares defy the King of Shadows, her punishment is cruel and calculated: a cell in the bowels of his castle… with Jada.
Chained and smiling, Jada is no ordinary prisoner. He’s a predator in silk, a serpent in normal skin. And as the cold closes in and tensions mount, Navee learns that the most terrifying monsters don’t bare their teeth—they wait patiently in the dark. And when the King turns her into his personal servant—and threatens the only family she has left—Navee must play a deadly game of obedience, rebellion, and survival. With enemies on every side and one coiled around her throat, Navee soon finds out that the scariest thing isn’t what lurks in the dark… but what you might become to survive it.
Excerpt From Benighted
Excerpt From Benighted
After the last of the guests had disappeared from the ballroom and the castle had quieted into a hush, I followed Raihn through the halls, the echo of our footsteps soft against the marble. The torchlight flickered low, casting long shadows along the walls as we slipped into the privacy of his chambers.
The moment the door clicked shut, I peeled off the ridiculous maid’s outfit I still wore—the corseted bodice, the frilly skirt, all of it tossed aside without ceremony. Jada remained coiled comfortably around my shoulders in his usual snake form, completely unbothered by my nudity.
Raihn let out a laugh, deep and amused, his arms crossing loosely over his chest as he leaned against the wall. “You’re just going to strip with him still on you?”
I shrugged. “He doesn’t care. He’s seen me naked before.”
Raihn gave Jada a skeptical look, then smirked. “Lucky bastard. Got to see you naked first.”
Heat flooded my cheeks. “Shut up,” I muttered, but my voice lacked any real fire.
I climbed into Raihn’s bed, pulling the covers around myself and adjusting Jada gently beside me. He remained motionless, his weight familiar, comforting. Raihn, for his part, didn’t remove his pants. He cleared his throat awkwardly when I curled up beside him with Jada nestled against my side like it was the most natural thing in the world.
“You’re seriously going to cuddle a snake naked in my bed?” he asked, incredulous.
“Jada stays,” I mumbled, already half-asleep, tugging the serpent closer.
There was a pause.
Then Jada hissed lightly and muttered, “I’m going to strangle you in your sleep.”
“You can try,” Raihn shot back instantly, deadpan.
I groaned, burying my face into the pillow. “Seriously? Can you two not?”
“He started it,” Raihn defended.
“He exists,” Jada muttered.
“Oh my gods,” I groaned again and grabbed the nearest pillow. I tossed it across the bed, hitting Raihn square in the face.
“Why me?” Raihn spluttered, flinging the pillow aside. “Why not him?”
“Because I’m cuddling him,” I said flatly, rolling over and closing my eyes.
“Unbelievable,” Raihn muttered.
But I didn’t respond. I was already halfway to sleep, cocooned in warmth and chaos, both familiar and new. Between a bickering snake and a brooding king, somehow… I was home.
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