Dawn Berkoski
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Dawn Berkoski
@dawnberkoski.bsky.social
3.6K followers 2.1K following 2K posts
Writer, photographer, and traveler on this road called life. linktr.ee/dawnberkoski

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Dawn Berkoski @dawnberkoski.bsky.social · Jan 24
PITCH: In a world controlled by corporate vampires, two men struggle for autonomy. Will a chance meeting lead them to freedom~or a web of subterfuge, where every thread brings a monster offering death or permanent confinement? #YouDeservepIt 📖 💙📚 #Q #R

Power Hungry CEO x Abandoned Puppy Bartender
Comp Board I Am Chosen by Dawn Berkoski PITCH: In a world controlled by corporate vampires, two men struggle for autonomy. Will a chance meeting lead them to freedom, or a web of subterfuge, where every thread brings a monster offering death or permanent confinement? Power Hungry CEO x Abandoned Puppy, Bartender COMP TITLES Interview With The Vampire A Blue Bloods Novel Yakuza I Am Chosen By Dawn Berkoski 77,000 M/M Paranormal Romance Dark and a little spicy meets silly-sweet Think: Blue Bloods (minus the angels and school) x Interview With The Vampire (add more humor) x Japanese Yakuza (cracking skulls in London) Tropes * Forbidden Love * Fish Out of Water * Forced Proximity * Dark Secrets * Unequal Power Structure * High Action Chase Scenes * Emotional Growth Arcs + Satisfying End Quotes "He was leaving. He was leaving New York for good. But instead of freedom, he wondered if he was headed toward greater danger." ~Jason Allard (Protagonist) "Now that he has chosen you, Alexander has all but forsaken our protection!" ~Tristan De La Salle (Thwarted Lover) "Alexander and I have unfinished business." -Shigekazu (Japanese Business Rival) MAIN CHARACTERS Alexander Grant Jason Allard CEO of M-Corp Bartender Control Issues Anxiety/Clingy Likes: Likes: Power + Money. Video Games +Pizza Several photos are shown in this Moodboard for I Am Chosen, a paranormal romance written by Dawn Berkoski. From the top left, a glass of aged scotch surrounded by butterscotch candies, a CEO standing in a high rise office, staring out a window, a giant hotel clock surrounded by Christmas decor, a photo of art depicting demons rising from hell, a sunset with black, billowy clouds hovering over an orange stripe, a dirty cement staircase near a darkened entrance, and the city of London as viewed from the river. Photography, except the man, by Dawn Berkoski Photo by Dawn Berkoski of a car speeding past a cemetery.View is from the driver’s perspective, looking out the side window.
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Visit the beautiful and mysterious Sé de Braga with me as I continue my exploration of Braga, Portugal.

#photography #writing #inspiration #doors #Roman #History #Death #blackbird #wings #Mudejar #Art #WoodCarving #Tomb #Cathedral #daydreams #PortugueseTile #vampires #demons #angels #TravelTuesday
Sé de Braga, Portugal
I wasn’t prepared for Braga. Sé de Braga dates back to the late 11th century, but that is only the beginning. After years of war, earthquakes, and renovations, the cathedral is now a mix of v…
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January 6, 2026 at 12:56 PM
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Happy New Year! 🎉
A NEW YEAR * Renewed Hope * New pportunities * New Adventures * New Ways to give and Love. May this be your best year ever!
January 1, 2026 at 1:55 PM
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This #TravelTuesday, I’m sharing photos from the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte in Braga, Portugal. A hauntingly beautiful place to visit.

#Photograohy #Writing #Inspiration #Stairs #mystery #doors #garden #FamousChurches #Europe #Baroque #TheSacredWay #Sins #Pilgrimage #Redemption #Romance #Hope
Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, Portugal
High atop the city of Braga, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for absolving sins. It is said that if you climb the 573 steps at the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus do Monte, you will find salvation. Li…
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December 30, 2025 at 1:09 PM
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This week we explore one of the oldest wine producers in the Douro River Valley. I really wanted to stomp on some grapes, but it will have to remain on my To-Do List. 😁

#Portugal #TravelTuesday #Writing #Inspiration #Doors #Green #Weddings #Chapel #Romance #Vineyard #OakBarrels #Dining
Quinta da Pacheca, Portugal
I heard there was a vineyard in Portugal where you can stomp on grapes barefoot. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the right time. But I still loved visiting one of the oldest wine producers in the Do…
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December 23, 2025 at 12:45 PM
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Want to take a boat ride? Then come with me this #TravelTuesday as I explore the Douro River Valley in Portugal and find connection with all things green. #Photography #Writing #Inspiration #Vineyard #Port #Wine #Olives #Food #Romance #Green #Doors #RiverCruise #Crossroad #Earth #Environment #UNESCO
Quinta Da Fonte Do Milho, Douro River Valley, and Pinhão, Portugal
As I left the tomb of São Gonçalo in Amarante, my curiosity over the row of green doors faded. But the color took on new significance as I traveled further East along the Douro River. Everything wa…
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December 16, 2025 at 1:24 PM
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It’s #TravelTuesday! Let’s go to Amarante, Portugal and search for the tomb of São Gonçalo, the patron saint of love, 💓 #photography #writing #inspiration #FamousChurches #relics #soulmates #hope #Love #Romance #History #Portuguese. #Amar #Tolkien
Amarante, Portugal
“There is nothing like looking, if you want to find something. You certainly usually find something, if you look, but it is not always quite the something you were after.” ― J.R.R. Tolkien The firs…
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December 9, 2025 at 12:45 PM
Reposted by Dawn Berkoski
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#XmasDIYChocolates

🍊Chocolate-covered candied orange peels🍫

Today, I prepped the orange peels, as they need about 11 days to candy!
Honestly, this part is 90% of the work… after that, it's just 5 mins every other day.
1. With a sharp knife, I scored each orange into quarters and gently removed the rind. (Cue fresh-squeezed juice for breakfast!) 2. Boiled the peels for 10-15 min, to blanch them and soften the pith 3. After dipping them in cold water, I scraped off as much of the pith as I could with a spoon*. It's a balance: too much scraping = torn peels; too little = bitter peels 4. Sliced them into 6mm (1/4 inch) strips 5. I had 200g of peel, so I made a light syrup with 200g sugar + 350g water: brought it to a boil in a covered saucepan so the water wouldn't evaporate 6. Let the syrup cool down below 60°C/140°F, added the peels, covered the pan… Step 1 done! They now rest for 48h * Tips - Many online recipes say to boil, drain, rinse, repeat to remove bitterness, then simmer the peels in sugar and water for about an hour. You can try that but… good luck (see next post) - Incidentally, a cheap spoon is perfect for this, as the thinner edge makes scraping easier I generally buy organic oranges for this. This year, I used regular ones and am crossing my fingers the pesticides stayed in the blanching water…
November 27, 2025 at 11:34 PM
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When you stop looking, you may find it. This #TravelTuesday, come with me to Porto, Portugal. A new adventure awaits! #photography #writing #inspiration #travel #StreetArt #Murals #Ruins #DomLuisBridge #DouroRiver #Atlantic #Ocean #Sea #Cities
Porto, Portugal
A wave of nostalgia swept over me as I stepped into the city of Porto and inhaled the sea-salt air; a scent deeply woven with my sense of home. The ocean is less than ten miles from Francisco Sá Ca…
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December 2, 2025 at 1:26 PM
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Happy Thanksgiving! 💓
a penguin wearing a beanie and flowers around its neck is grateful for you
ALT: a penguin wearing a beanie and flowers around its neck is grateful for you
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November 27, 2025 at 2:28 PM
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The ending of my trip to Transylvania and The Ritual of the Living Dead. 🩸Find out what happened on my last night in Romania. #Photography #Travel #VampireBook #Dracula #BramStoker #Dining #Haunted #SpookyPlaces #Food #VladTepes #art #mural #history #BirthdayParty #ParanormalRomance ♥️
Ritual of the Living Dead, Romania,
It was a birthday celebration, a Romanian ritual, that’s what I was told as I was led through an inner courtyard like the one I’d seen at Bran Castle. Ivy cascaded down stone walls, and…
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November 25, 2025 at 1:01 PM
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The clock was ticking as I searched Old Town, Bucharest for the palace of Vlad the Impaler. This #TravelTuesday, find out what happened on my last day in Romania.
#VampireBook #Dracula #Writing #Inspiration #FamousChurches #Transylvania #Demons #Angels #ValleyOfTheKings #raven #crypt #castle #heart
The search for Curtea Veche, Bucharest, Romania
Finding Curtea Veche, the summer palace of Vlad Tepes, proved harder than I thought. I was told that a life-sized bust of Vlad, similar to the statue I saw in Sighisoara, graced the entrance to the…
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November 18, 2025 at 1:05 PM
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Want to go inside this 300-year-old monastery with me?

This #TravelTuesdsy, see what happened at Stavropoleous Church in Old Town, Bucharest, as my search for life beyond the grave continues.
#photography #VampireBook #writing #inspiration #VladTepes #murals #art #door #dracula #ParanormalRomance
Stavropoleos Monastery, Bucharest, Romania
The sky was blue. The sun was warm. It was a beautiful day in Bucharest. After discovering some amazing street art, and eating breakfast at the Grand Cafe Van Gogh, I was on top of the world. If on…
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November 11, 2025 at 1:05 PM
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Raised by corporate vampires with little freedom or choice, Alex is used to Yakuza business rivals and back-alley deals. But nothing prepares him for Jason, a witty bartender who challenges everything he knows, and who harbors secrets as deadly as the vampires after him. #questpit #PR #Q #A #writing
Agent guide for I Am Chosen, an M/M paranormal romance. The picture is of a fiery orange and purple sunset over a highway. Photography and story by Dawn Berkoski Several photos are shown in this Moodboard for I Am Chosen, a paranormal romance. From the top left, a glass of aged scotch surrounded by butterscotch candies, a CEO standing in a high rise office, staring out a window, a giant hotel clock surrounded by Christmas decor, a photo of art depicting demons rising from hell, a sunset with black, billowy clouds hovering over an orange stripe, a dirty cement staircase near a darkened entrance, and the city of London as viewed from the river. Photography, except the man, by Dawn Berkoski Photo of a vibrant sunset over a graveyard as seen from the window of a fast moving vehicle. It reads: PITCH: IN A WORLD CONTROLLED BY CORPORATE VAMPIRES, TWO MEN STRUGGLE FOR AUTONOMY. WILL A CHANCE MEETING LEAD THEM TO FREEDOM, OR A WEB OF SUBTERFUGE, WHERE EVERY THREAD BRINGS A MONSTER OFFERING DEATH OR PERMANTENT CONFINEMENT? Photo by Dawn Berkoski Book vibes are all about the feel of the writing, setting, and story. The Blue Blood Series by Melissa de la Cruz Is used to represent the wealthy elite vampires living in New York, the fish out of water trope, dark secrets, and others. The Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice is used to represent young vampires rebelling against old rules and customs. Travel and setting also play a role. A plot point was inspired by the novel. Yakuza, Japan’s Criminal Underworld by David Kaplan and Alec Dubro, is used to represent some of the vampire rivals business practices. It plays a role in the series arch. Photography at the bottom: A dark cement staircase in NYC and a photo of the London Eye by Dawn Berkoski
November 5, 2025 at 11:50 AM
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This #TravelTuesdsy is all about art!

Come with me to explore the streets of Bucharest, Romania as my search for vampires continues.

#photography #VladTepes #Food #Breakfast #StreetArt #VanGogh #Sunflowers #Stars #Murals #Paintings #Dracula #VampireBook #UmbrellaStreet #Macca-Villacrosse
Street Art and the Grand Cafe Van Gogh, Bucharest, Romania
Morning in the city of Bucharest. A fresh, new day to hunt for vampires. But my quest was put on hold because, unlike the immortal creatures I sought, I needed breakfast. Luckily, I found a cafe de…
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November 4, 2025 at 12:37 PM
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#HappyHalloween 💀🎃 👻👀
I want to see costumes!
October 31, 2025 at 10:15 PM
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Alex is used to Yakuza business rivals and back-alley deals. But nothing prepares him for Jason, a witty bartender who challenges everything he knows, and who harbors secrets as deadly as the vampires after them.

I Am Chosen~A different type of love story. #ghostpit #A #PR #Q #HappyHalloween 👻🧛‍♀️
A photo of a dark alleyway that inspired scenes in the paranormal romance, I am Chosen by Dawn Berkoski. Black garbage bags and graffiti litter the narrow passageway between buildings. Photography by Dawn Berkoski. Pitch: Raised by corporate vampires with little freedom or choice, Alex is used to Yakuza business rivals and back-alley deals. But nothing prepares him for Jason, a witty bartender who challenges everything he knows, and who harbors secrets as deadly as the vampires after him. Paranormal Romance. dawnberkoski.com
October 30, 2025 at 1:45 PM
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Voted as one of the prettiest bookstores in the world! 💓

This #TravelTuesday, check out Cărturești Carusel and the famous restaurant, Hanu' lui Manuc, as I search for vampires in Bucharest, Romania. #Wriring #photography #Food #Dining #SpookyPlaces #Lipscani #Reading #Graffiti #Art #HauntedDreams
Cărturești Carusel, Bucharest, Romania
As the sun set over the Dîmbovița River, I hit the streets of Old Town Bucharest, searching for the palace of Vlad III, also known as Vlad the Impaler, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracu…
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October 28, 2025 at 12:25 PM
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This #TravelTuesday, explore a breathtaking concert hall with me as I search for vampires in the capital of Romania. Photos in the link. 🎶
#Writing #architecture #MusicVenue #Book #ParanormalRomance #art #GeorgeEnescu #Cathedral #Dracula #VladYepes #Stairs #Love #PhilarmonicOrchestra #photography
Romanian Athenaeum, Bucharest, Romania
To find the summer home of Vlad III, the son of Dracul, the guards at the Palace of Parlaiment told me to cross the Dîmbovița River and cut through the park. Easy enough, I thought. But, despite tr…
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October 21, 2025 at 12:16 PM
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Not all #TravelTiesdays are smooth sailing. Like the time I was looking for the medieval palace of Vlad The Impaler and wound up in a government building. 🤷🏻‍♀️
#Photography #Marble #VladTepes #ParanormalRomance #History #Bucharest #Romania #Dracula #VampireBook #Writing #Inspiration #Architecture #Art
Palace of Parliament, Bucharest, Romania
I left Targoviste, where Vlad Tepes, the inspiration for Bram Stoker’s Dracula, once held reign, and headed back to Bucharest. My search for vampires in Transylvania was coming to an end, and…
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October 14, 2025 at 12:42 PM
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Come with me as I search for vampires in Romania at the Royal Court in Targoviste where Vlad Dracul, Vlad The Impaler, held reign.

#TravelTuesday #Dracula #Writing #Inspiration #Photography #History #VladTepes #VanpireBook #ParanormalRomance #Ravens #SaintBenedict #SunsetTower #Medieval #Relics
Târgoviște, Romania
It started out as a bit of fun, searching for vampires and life beyond. But, as the line from J.R.R. Tolkien says, perhaps I’d “delved too greedily and deep.” Troubled thoughts pl…
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October 7, 2025 at 1:37 PM
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Roam the hallways of Peles Castle with me this #TravelTuesday as I search for vampires in Transylvania and accidentally wind up in a scene from The Shining or Crimson Peak?

#Writing #Dracula #VladTepes #SppokyPlaces #Haunted #Travel #Photograpjy #ParanormalRomance #Art #Sculpture #WoodCarvings
Peles Castle, Part Two, Sinaia, Romania
I went to Peles Castle searching for vampires and the heart of Princess Marie, but I wound up wandering endless halls of blood-red carpet. Not the hexagon design from The Shining, or other spooky h…
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September 30, 2025 at 12:57 PM
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Had a blast at the Edgar Allen Poe Experience listening to the spellbinding readings of:

The Cask of Amontillado, Annabel Lee, The Pit and the Pendulum, and The Masque of Red Death.👺🐦‍⬛🕰️

www.edgarallanpoebar.com
Photo of a Raven in front of a smoky mirror with a candelabra from the Edgar Allen Poe Experience. The stage at Guild Hall bathed in red lighting during the Edgar Allen Poe Experience. Photo by Dawn Berkoski. The stage at Guild Hall taken from the back upon entering the Edgar Allen Poe Experience. Photo by Dawn Berkoski. Photo of Edgar Allen Poe next to a stuffed Raven. Props at the Edgar Allen Poe Experience. Photo by Dawn Berkoski.
September 28, 2025 at 11:41 AM
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When you bring a pizza box to a sword fight.

I Am Chosen~A different kind of paranormal romance. *Agent guide on profile* #UnhingedPit #R #Q
Raised by corporate vampires with little freedom or choice, Alex is used to Yakuza business rivals and back-alley deals. But nothing prepares him for Jason, a witty bartender who challenges everything he knows, and who harbors secrets as deadly as the vampires after him. #R #A #Q #writing 📖 I Am Chosen, a paranormal romance by Dawn Berkoski. Art and photography by Dawn Berkoski depicts a katana in a pizza box.
September 23, 2025 at 2:04 PM
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One comp, Interview With The Vampire, is 49 years old! Am I unhinged for using it? Yep. But Anne Rice mixed history, paranormal, and decadent descriptions of culture and cities around the world. Like a vampire, her books keep moving beyond the grave.🌹 *Agent guide on profile* #UnhingedPit #R #Q
I Am Chosen: Raised by corporate vampires with little freedom or choice, Alex is used to Yakuza business rivals and back-alley deals. But nothing prepares him for Jason, a witty bartender who challenges everything he knows, and who harbors secrets as deadly as the vampires after him.#writing 📖 #PR Movie poster concept for I Am Chosen, a paranormal romance. Art and photography by Dawn Berkoski depicts a man in a hoodie (Jason) walking in a dark alley towards a man in a suit. (Alex)
September 23, 2025 at 1:06 PM
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This #TravelTuesday I explore the gorgeous Peles Castle! Check out my photos as I search for vampires in Sinaia, Romania.
#Shakespeare #history #sculpture #Renaissance #Writing #Book #ParanormalRomance #art
#photography #princess #queen #GustavKlimt #woodworking #carvings #fresco #MuranoGlass #birds
Peles Castle, Part One, Sinaia, Romania
I followed Princess Marie’s heart to Sinaia, but I lost my heart to Peles Castle. Maybe it was the surprise of finding such a gorgeous palace in the middle of the Carpathian Mountains, surrou…
dawnberkoski.com
September 23, 2025 at 12:23 PM