If you’ve somehow stumbled into this corner of Goodreads and have no idea who I am, hi. I’m S. Heredia, Marine Corps veteran turned dark vampire romance author, and the very human chaos behind The Sigil’s Mark.

If you’re already a reader, a TikTok friend, or one of the people who dared me to write this book in the first place... welcome home. You’re the reason this blog exists.

What you’ve walked into:

 This isn’t going to be a polished PR feed or a weekly “I wrote 3,000 words, yay me” report.

Think of this space as a small balcony over the underworld: a place where I can talk honestly about:

• what it actually feels like to have Book One out in the wild,
• how it messes with your head to see strangers reviewing characters who lived in your skull for years,
• and the slow, bloody, beautiful process of bringing Book Two (working title: Mark of the Fledgling) into the world.

I want you to feel like you’re reading updates from a cousin you actually like, or that one favorite author you’d grab a drink with and ask, “Okay, but how are you really doing?”

Where we are right now:

Book One – The Sigil’s Mark

Right now, The Sigil’s Mark is out in the world. On Kindle, in paperback, on shelves, and in TBR piles I’ll never see. It’s my debut, and it’s the start of the Sigils of the Veil series:

 a fallen vampire general bound in silver,

 a mortal queenpin named White Lotus ruling the underworld of Seville,

 and a sigil that refuses to stay quiet.

Readers have called it dark, sensual, and addictive. Some have said it made them switch sides from “werewolf girl” to “vampire forever,” which, honestly, feels like winning a tiny supernatural custody battle.

Every time a review pops up or someone messages me to say, “I stayed up way too late with Decon and Lotus,” I’m torn between wanting to scream into a pillow and wanting to get back to the keyboard to earn that trust again.

Book Two – Mark of the Fledgling (working title)

Book Two is where things get dangerous. If Book One asked,

 “What if you woke a monster who might be the only one who can save you?”

 Book Two asks,

 “What happens when the monster you woke starts to remember who he used to be... and who he could become with you?”

Right now, my days look like this:

• arguing with Decon about his choices,
• letting Lotus walk into scenes and take over more than I planned,
• and trying to raise the stakes without losing the sensual, intimate core that made readers connect with Book One.

You’ll see me talk about specific chapters, scenes that broke me, and moments where I deleted five pages because the story demanded better.

What you’ll get from this blog

Each week, I plan to give you a short, honest snapshot. Expect things like:

• This Week in the Veil
•  What I actually worked on... no fluff. Maybe it’s a scene on a ferry to Italy where Decon is trying to be funny and failing. Maybe it’s a new sigil that changes the rules of everything.
• Behind the Sigils
•  A peek into the lore of the Sigils of the Veil world: why the vampires are bound by consent, how the sigils work, or how a real place in Seville became the template for an underworld lair.
• One Win / One Struggle
•  The truth. A win might be a review that made me tear up. A struggle might be staring at a blank page knowing readers are waiting for Book Two and refusing to give them anything less than my best.
• Blood Oath for Next Week
•  A promise to you, and to myself. For example: “By next week, I will have finished the first full pass of Chapters 11-13 in Mark of the Fledgling.” If I break the oath, you get to glare at me in the comments.

Why I’m doing this here, with you:

My writing journey started with a dare on TikTok. Someone said, “I Dear You to write a dark vampire romance,” and I said, “Hold my beer." Now The Sigil’s Mark is real. Readers have met Decon, Lotus, and Angelica. The world of Seville at night, the Ordo Noctis, the sigils, the blood oaths... they’re not just in my head anymore, they’re in yours too.

This blog is my way of saying: you’re not just spectators. You’re part of the Veil now.

Your reviews, your messages, your “I needed a fan during that scene” DMs… those things don’t vanish into the void. They shape how I move into the next book. They remind me why I’m sitting here, eyes burning, rewriting one paragraph seven times until it sounds like something Decon would actually say.

How you can be part of this:

 If you’re reading this, you can:

• Drop a comment: tell me where you are in The Sigil’s Mark, or who your favorite character is so far.
• Tell me what you’d love to see more of in these updates: writing process, character lore, sneak peeks, playlists, anything.
• If you’ve finished the book, let me know what moment hit you hardest. That helps me understand exactly what you’re here for.

I’ll be back next week with the first official “This Week in the Veil” update, where I’ll talk about what’s currently on my desk for Mark of the Fledgling and one scene that surprised even me.

Until then, thank you for being here... whether this is your first glimpse into my world or you’ve been with me since “He was bound in silver for 150 years. She bears the sigil that can wake him.”

Talk soon.

S. Heredia

 Author of The Sigil’s Mark

 Builder of the Veil you keep wandering into