by Ella Burns
Afterword
#sorrynotsorry
If you could take a quick moment of your time and leave a quick review, even just a few words, it would be SO appreciated. It fuels indie authors better than alcohol, chocolate, and orgasms combined and helps us bring in more amazing readers like yourself.
Seriously, though. I am sorry. I am the biggest sucker for a happy ending and I surprised myself with this one. The day I figured out that their ending would be a tragedy I turned to my boyfriend and told him, “They are going to hate me for this one.”
Then again, I don’t even totally consider this a tragic or sad ending. In reality, these two could not have lived in the normal world. They left it on their terms, which really, is all either of them ever wanted.
Well, I hope you don’t hate me too much, ‘cause I am super appreciative to all of you for reading.
This one broke my fucking heart to write, beginning to end. Branson is such a tortured hero and I actually felt guilty as a writer for some of the stuff I put him through. Our darling ‘Teddy’, well, she’s just a sweet little psycho.
I started writing Branson’s story actually a few years ago as a horror author and the first few chapters have been floating around my computer since. I knew I wanted it to be a sort of redemption story somehow, that I was going to have to get these two poor kids to escape at some point, but I didn’t know how to do it. I’m sure no one is that shocked to hear the first part of this story was originally pure horror with no intention of a love story.
In September 2020, a good friend and fellow author, the lovely HR Savage, sent me a frantic message with a link. Now, this woman knows that I have a problem with buying covers. I have, like, a zillion of them (seriously, it's a problem). But still, she sends me this cover link so I know it has to be important.
Needless to say, when I opened that link and saw “They Call Me Teddy”, I KNEW this was not only going to be the cover for that story, but I also knew how I would write it. This weird horror story I started was something else entirely, this was a twisted story of love and pain and the most broken of people. A story of passion and power struggles and ultimately, a sort of redemption.
This isn’t quite horror, isn’t quite a romance, but something else. Either way, I hope you enjoyed and THANK YOU for reading <3
xx
Ella Burns
Acknowledgement
Huge thanks to all of my beta and ARC readers for your input and helping talk me off the ledge with this one. It was terrifying to put this out into the world, and you all made the process so much better <3
Thanks to my puzzle piece, Ryan, for not judging me too hard for my darkness and for supporting me every step of the way.
To my parents, who I hope to all hell aren't reading this, but who have supported my author journey from the start.
Lastly thanks to my readers. Being an independant author is hard fucking word and it's scary as tits, but every read, every kind word, means the world to me. So, you know, thanks.
Books By This Author
The Tomb Series
What happens when you take a woman disguised as a man and throw her in the most hostile prison in the world?
The Tomb is a three book dark, dystopian prison romance series.
About The Author
Ella Burns
Ella Burns is the offspring of a fairy queen and an undead warlord and was brought up with an appetite for terror and beauty.
A Canadian author, she would like nothing more than to abscond to the remote wilderness of British Columbia with her daughter and a Kindle full of dark reads. Since she was a child she dreamed of being an author and now writes a variety of darkness across several genres. Despite her love of the macabre, she will always have a soft spot for fuzzy things and a cuppa tea.