Welcome to Velvet Page Books!
If you’ve arrived here by chance, we’re glad to have you. This space is being prepared for something special, and while the books aren’t available just yet, they will be soon. The official launch is planned for August 2025, but if all goes well, the first book will be available on Amazon within the month of June.
Thank you for stopping by—we appreciate your patience as we bring this vision to life. Stay tuned!
Eden’s Forsaken Queen
By August Mariner
About the Author: Born in Ohio, August embarked on his journey of self-discovery by joining the United States Air Force as an Aerospace Ground Equipment (A.G.E.) mechanic immediately after high school—an experience he regards as an honor and a privilege. However, rather than defining him, it illuminated who he was not, sparking a lifelong pursuit of identity and intellectual exploration.
His academic path led him through Missouri State University, the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, and Louisiana State University at Shreveport, where he earned degrees at various levels, each expanding his perspective and interdisciplinary expertise. August’s diverse talents bridge the practical and the philosophical: a skilled mechanic, carpenter, design engineer, artist, and elementary school educator. Yet at his core, he is a philosopher and poet, deeply influenced by Greek thinkers, Camus, Jung, Erich Neumann, and Nietzsche. His poetry—raw, evocative, and unapologetically authentic—examines love, loss, and the contradictions of human nature, rejecting dogma in pursuit of truth.
A solitary thinker, August thrives in quiet contemplation, yet he equally relishes an impassioned, data-driven philosophical debate. Now residing in Louisiana, he continues to refine his craft, weaving together creativity, inquiry, and an ever-evolving search for meaning.
In the fog-choked streets of Salem, Massachusetts, a darkness older than time stirs beneath the shadow of Gallows Hill. The year is 2025, and the town’s infamous legacy of witch trials is no longer a mere echo of history—it’s a living, breathing omen. A primal evil, its roots tangled in the forsaken sins of Eden, has awakened, and its hunger is boundless. As the fog thickens and the nights grow colder, four unlikely souls—bound by fate, tested by fear—must stand against a terror that threatens not just their lives, but the very essence of their humanity.
A detective forged in faith, a scholar armed with skepticism, a priest burdened by an ancient curse, and an exorcist tempered by relentless battles unite on the precipice of an abyss. Together, they face a malevolent force tied to Lilith—Eden’s defiant outcast—and a satanic power that defies mortal understanding. In a town where the night itself pulses with malice, survival demands more than courage—it demands sacrifice.
From its chilling prologue to its heart-stopping climax, Lilith: Eden’s Forsaken Queen weaves a tapestry of biblical horror, dark fantasy, and gothic suspense. Perfect for readers who devour The Exorcist, American Gods, or The Witch, this novel plunges you into a world where every prayer is a weapon, every doubt a perilous gamble, and every step could lead to damnation.
Salem, Massachusetts, is more than a setting—it’s a character, alive with secrets and steeped in sorrow. In 2025, its cobblestone streets wind through a haze of fog that clings like a shroud, while its weathered spires pierce a sky that seems to mourn. Beneath this haunted surface lies a darkness older than the witch trials, a malevolence born in the shadow of Eden itself. The air hums with whispers, the shadows shift with intent, and the past refuses to rest.
Gallows Hill looms over the town like a silent sentinel, its name a scar on Salem’s soul. Once a stage for executions, it now harbors something far worse—a presence that seeps into the earth, poisoning the night with its ancient wrath. The fog carries its voice, soft and sharp, a name etched in shadow: Lilith. And as the whispers grow louder, the battle for Salem begins.
This is no ordinary town, and this is no ordinary tale. Lilith: Eden’s Forsaken Queen transforms Salem into a crucible where history and horror collide, where the sins of the past ignite a fire that could consume the present. Step into its streets, and feel the weight of every glance, the chill of every breath, the dread of every heartbeat.
In the face of this unrelenting darkness, four souls rise—each flawed, each fierce, each carrying a burden that could save or doom them all.
Detective Rachel Carter is a daughter of Salem, her roots as deep as the town’s own. With a cross necklace pressed against her chest, she carries the words of Ephesians 6:16 like a talisman: “Taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked.” Her faith is her armor, her duty her sword. She’s seen the town’s shadows, faced its petty evils, but nothing has prepared her for the abyss now yawning wide. Hardened by years on the force, Rachel’s resolve is unshakable—until the darkness tests her belief in ways she never imagined.
Abigail Crowe, a scholar of religious studies, wields intellect as her weapon. To her, faith is a relic, a cultural curiosity—not a truth. Her sharp mind dissects ancient texts like the Zohar with surgical precision, but she’s never believed in the supernatural. That changes in Salem. As she uncovers Lilith’s myth and the witch trials’ hidden truths, Abigail’s skepticism crumbles, replaced by a dawning horror. Her journey is one of revelation, forcing her to confront the possibility that the stories she dismissed are not just real—they’re lethal.
Father Joseph Kane is a priest unlike any other. Cursed to wander the earth since he scorned Christ on the road to Calvary, he’s a living paradox—centuries old, yet bound by a quest for redemption. As the Church’s most skilled exorcist, his gray eyes reflect a soul weathered by time and torment. His faith is a flickering flame, his rebellion a smoldering coal, and his curse a double-edged blade. In Salem, he faces an evil that could finally grant him peace—or damn him forever.
Diego Alvarez, Father Joseph’s steadfast companion, is an exorcist forged in the fires of countless battles. With a silver crucifix in one hand and a misericorde in the other, he’s faced demons from Rome’s catacombs to Paris’s haunted alleys. His grim humor masks a heart scarred by loss, and his loyalty to Joseph is unbreakable. But Salem’s darkness is different—personal, ravenous, and unrelenting. Diego’s strength will be tested, his resolve pushed to the edge, as he fights a foe that knows no mercy.
These four are not just allies—they’re a fragile fellowship, each bringing light to the others’ shadows. Their differences clash, their strengths intertwine, and their shared fight becomes a desperate bid to hold back the tide of evil threatening to drown Salem.
At the heart of this nightmare stands Lilith, Eden’s forsaken queen. Cast out for daring to demand equality with Adam, she became the mother of demons, her name a curse whispered through millennia. In Salem, her legend is no longer a story—it’s a summoning. A coven of witches, led by the enigmatic Margaret Carrier, seeks to harness Lilith’s power, to birth a child of chaos that will reshape the world. Their rituals thrum with ancient magic, their chants weave a web of despair, and their influence poisons the town like a plague.
But Lilith is only the beginning. The heroes uncover a conspiracy woven through centuries—cryptic warnings in the Zohar, echoes of the witch trials, an emerald pendant glowing with unholy light. Each clue pulls them deeper into a labyrinth of deceit and forbidden knowledge, where every answer raises a more terrifying question. And lurking beyond Lilith is a greater evil: Satan, a red-faced minotaur with seven heads and ten horns, his presence a storm of rage and ruin. His hunger is insatiable, his power vast, and his gaze is fixed on Salem.
This is a battle that spans the ages, a war between light and dark, faith and despair, humanity and the abyss. The stakes are nothing less than the soul of the world.
In Lilith: Eden’s Forsaken Queen, the line between salvation and damnation is razor-thin. The heroes wield relics of unimaginable power—the Lance of Longinus, the Veil of Veronica, the Crown of Thorns—each a testament to faith, each a trial of will. These are not mere tools; they demand sacrifice, drawing blood and tears from those who dare to use them. Every prayer is a shield, every hymn a blade, but doubt is a chink in the armor that evil eagerly exploits.
Rachel’s faith falters as the horrors mount, her cross pulsing with a promise she fears it can’t keep. Abigail’s disbelief shatters, forcing her to forge a new understanding of truth. Joseph’s curse becomes both his burden and his power, a reminder of the redemption he craves. Diego’s loyalty is stretched to breaking, his humor a fragile shield against despair. Their external war mirrors their internal struggles, making every victory bittersweet, every loss a wound that lingers.
“Her cross pulsed, Ephesians 6:16, her anchor: ‘Taking the shield of faith.’ But in Salem’s shadows, faith alone may not quench the fiery darts of the wicked.”
Author August Mariner crafts a masterpiece that melds biblical horror with gothic elegance. The prose drips with dread, painting Salem’s fog-drenched streets in hues of shadow and fear. Every page crackles with tension, every chapter builds toward a climax that will leave you breathless. The atmosphere is a living thing—claustrophobic, oppressive, yet achingly beautiful—drawing you into a world where hope is as fragile as it is fierce.
Yet amidst the terror shines a thread of light. The heroes’ courage, their unbreakable bond, their willingness to sacrifice for one another—these are the sparks that pierce the darkness. This is not just a story of survival; it’s a testament to the human spirit, a reminder that even in the deepest night, there is power in belief, in connection, in defiance.
Unrelenting Atmosphere: Salem’s fog and shadows seep into your bones, making every moment feel alive with menace.
Unforgettable Characters: From Rachel’s steadfast faith to Diego’s battle-hardened grit, each hero’s journey is as gripping as the terror they face.
Mythic Depth: Blending biblical lore, Jewish mysticism, and witch trial legends, the story offers a rich, timeless exploration of good versus evil.
Pulse-Pounding Stakes: The battles are visceral, the threats relentless, and the showdown with Satan is a crescendo of raw power.
Emotional Core: Beyond the horror lies a story of faith, redemption, and the strength found in unity—a resonance that lingers long after the final page.
If you love the creeping dread of The Exorcist, the mythic sweep of American Gods, the eerie isolation of The Witch, the gothic chills of Salem’s Lot, or the conspiratorial intrigue of The Da Vinci Code, then Lilith: Eden’s Forsaken Queen is your next obsession. It’s a tale where ancient evils clash with modern souls, where faith and fear dance on a knife’s edge, and where the darkness is only as deep as the light you dare to bring.
The fog is lifting, but the shadows endure. In Salem, the war between light and dark rages on—and your place in it awaits. Open Lilith: Eden’s Forsaken Queen, cross the threshold, and discover if faith can truly stand against the wicked. This is more than a book—it’s a descent into terror, a fight for hope, a prayer in the night.
Lilith: Eden’s Forsaken Queen—where every page is a battlefield, and every soul is at stake.
