Category Snippet

Feb 13 2026

Why I Wrote Star Cruise Lucky Charm + Excerpt

Ten years ago author Pauline Baird Jones and I had the idea to do a scifi romance anthology featuring pets as an integral element of the plot, like Lassie (who used to rescue her owner regularly), but in space.. We had a lot of fun with the Pets in Space concept for five years, hit the USA Today Best Sellers list, worked with many terrific authors, wrote our own stories…and then we handed it off to the wonderful Carol Van Natta.

This year being the tenth anniversary, she invited us back to write new stories

I always like to do a Star Cruise story for my contribution to these anthologies. (Not all the Star Cruise stories include a pet, however.) I already knew I wanted to write a pet inspired by the earthly pangolin, which I think are fascinating looking creatures but I did have to ponder what fresh angle I could bring to writing about my interstellar cruise liner the Nebula Zephyr. I never want to write the same story twice and there are fourteen voyages published already. I remembered I hadn’t ever really delved into the casino on board and once I had the setting my Female Main Character popped into my head, as well as how she’d acquire her new pet.

I was a floater at the May Company department store many years ago, when I was in college and although the retail experience is nothing like working on an interstellar cruise liner, I drew on the emotions I remember feeling at the time, especially the one about wanting to find a regular position and stay employed. I was actually a holiday floater twice and the second time I did get invited to stay on in a department I loved (and eventually I became the Department Manager but that’s a whole other story).

If I was going to be discussing the casino then the Main Male Character pretty much needed to be the casino manager. I did my research into the typical duties and problems of an earthly casino manager and I also  read up on professional poker tournaments. My passengers of the future don’t play poker – they have their own cool, futuristic game going – but the principles and procedures of a tournament are kind of the same. And the manager deals with it all.

From there it was an easy jump to the luck aspects of the story, since gamblers are often extremely superstitious and Dahlia’s new pet has some mysterious capabilities.

And it’s always fun to be able to include the ongoing members of the crew as supporting characters. I love seeing my old friends again, even briefly and catching up on their current activities.

The excerpt – It’s Dahlia’s first time working as a waitress on the casino floor. The pre shift meeting she attended mentioned ‘whales’, who are gamblers who often wager huge sums. The staff was to watch for them and be extra attentive.:

She was at her next to the last stop on what she now thought of as her route, which was the big roulette table. As she understood it, roulette was a game of chance which originated on Old Terra itself. It was certainly popular here, with a constant crowd surrounding the table. Since her last stop here a new party had arrived, with a rather inebriated man at the center. He was flashily dressed, obviously rich and everyone in his group was focused on him. He’d been playing the wheel and from what Dahlia overheard, losing badly. She was offering her wares to one of the women in his orbit when suddenly the primary guest glanced over his shoulder and pointed at her.

“You! What’s your favorite color?” he said.

“Green,” she said instinctively, only belatedly realizing he meant on the roulette wheel. There was one space marked in green and she might not be a gambler but she knew the odds had to be astronomical against the ball landing in the space on any given spin.

The man stared at her and then gave a shout of laughter. “What the hell, why not? Put it all on the green.”

The croupier maintained her professional calm demeanor as the guest shoved a pile of chips out in front of him but Dahlia heard gasps from all sides of the table and the woman standing closest to him said something urgent in a low tone.

He shook his head and pushed her hand away from his arm. “Nope. If my luck is going to be out tonight I might as well find out now and we can go have dinner and catch a show instead of going to the private room. You know this is how I test the luck—I let the wheel tell me. And tonight I’m letting her tell me.” He winked at Dahlia who was aghast at the idea the guest was going to risk a presumably huge sum of credits on her casual comment.

“All bets in.” As the croupier sent the ball on its way around the wheel, circling lower and lower towards the numbered and colored slots, Dahlia was rooted to the spot, her job forgotten. She held her breath, terrified about what the outcome might be. Who the seven hells bets on the green?

Depositphotos

As if pushed by a stray breath of air, the ball dropped firmly into the green slot and took a triumphal turn as the wheel slowed and stopped. There was dead silence and then a cheer went up. The man left his chair, taking Dahlia in his arms and kissing her on the lips. “Baby, you’re something else. Lady Luck in disguise.” Fortunately he released her before she could even form a protest.

“Name’s Sutton, Moss Sutton and you’re not leaving my side tonight.”

The whale?

He took her tray from her, over her protest and handed it off to the nearest one of his hangers-on. Tucking her hand into the crook of his elbow, he said, “When Lady Luck calls a man’s gotta pay attention. You’re my lucky charm, baby.” He began walking toward the far edge of the gaming floor, where she knew from the map the elite private gaming rooms were located.

She stumbled in the unaccustomed high heels. “But I’m working—”

“Remington won’t care. Whatever Sutton wants, Sutton gets in this casino or any other,” he said confidently. Leaning his head closer to hers, he said, “I drop enough credits in these damn places to keep the lights on and the robos humming, honey. But tonight I’m winning it all back, thanks to you.”

Depositphotos

STAR CRUISE LUCKY CHARM:

Dahlia Vale is a floater on the interstellar cruise liner Nebula Zephyr. She fills in wherever she’s needed and loves the life. She hopes she can land a permanent spot on the crew roster and she and her alien rescue pet Petal can secure their home aboard the ship. Then one night she gets called to take a waitress position in the casino and a high society guest decides she’s his lucky charm after winning huge at the roulette wheel by betting on her casual suggestion. Life becomes a whirlwind for Dahlia and she’s not sure she likes the attention. Fortunately her pet gave her a special token of good luck that she carries all the time.

Casino Manager Mike Remington isn’t happy to have an unknown floater assigned to the casino on such a big night but he’s impressed with Dahlia despite himself. He wants to get to know her better which is a challenge since he’s the boss but maybe the way to her heart is to help find answers for her ailing pet. Amidst preparations for an upcoming gaming competition Mike finds time to spend with Dahlia. But he’s got everyone from the interstellar mob to the upper echelons of society on the ship to deal with.

When Dahlia is endangered thanks to her reputation as a so-called ‘luck puller’ for the avaricious gamblers engaged in the championship games, she needs her own lucky charm and Mike’s help to avoid disaster. Can their growing attraction survive the chaos?

Have you booked your Star Cruise yet? 14 other voyages to choose from!

Feb 6 2026

Pharaoh’s Parade Excerpt from MAGIC OF THE NILE Romantasy in Ancient Egypt

Cover by Frauke of Croco Designs

VS: Today’s excerpt is taken from MAGIC OF THE NILE. a romantasy set in 1550 BCE, when the gods walked the earth beside the Nile and Pharaoh reigned supreme. Tyema is a high Priestess of Sobek and has been sent to Thebes by the god to bring a special crocodile to the temple there. He’s given her the ability to control the beast. (NOTE: Since this isn’t a historical romance, I do take a few liberties with certain aspects of  life in ancient Egypt.)

The procession was lined up alongside the palace, partly, Tyema supposed, because she had to bring the crocodile from the pond and get him to climb onto his litter. As Sahure escorted her along the line of marchers, she was impressed at how orderly and matter of fact the marchers were. The acrobats behind the heralds who led off the parade were doing flips and tumbles to warm up and she watched with delight as a truly spectacular series of tumbling runs played out.

“The temples must do processions often in Thebes,” she said. “I sense little excitement among the celebrants and performers.”

“Indeed, there are always parades for one thing or another,” he agreed.

She bowed her head to acknowledge a polite greeting from Lemertet as she walked by the delegation from Sobek’s Theban temple. Visibly grinding his teeth as he sat in his gilded chair beside Lemertet, the florid-faced High Priest stared at her.

“Jealous of your finery, no doubt,” Sahure said as they paced farther, past the huge effigy of Sobek, ensconced in a cunningly fabricated “boat” of reeds, and then edged around more dancers, busy limbering up.

“Thanks to you. I’d have made a poor showing in the midst of all this glory on my own.” Tyema took a deep breath, trying to calm the butterflies in her stomach. Once the procession begins, I’ll be fine. This day is all in honor of the god.

Sahure stopped and swung her to face him. “You shine wherever you are, Ema. Never doubt that. My gift only frames your loveliness. And you’re here for Sobek. “

For an aching moment she wanted him to kiss her, to let her take comfort in his strong arms, no matter if they were in public, but then a horse whinnied, breaking the spell. Tyema resumed her stately pace to the crocodile pond.

“Where do they get all these people? Surely the temple of Sobek can’t have such a large staff, not even in Thebes?” she asked after walking by a third troop of voluptuous dancing women, accompanied by musicians with drums, pipes and small harps.

“Indeed not.” Sahure laughed. “Most are hired for the occasion. At other times they work in the taverns or at the marketplace. Besides the musicians and heralds who serve Pharaoh, almost everyone you see in the procession who isn’t a priest is here for the deben the temple will dispense later.”

“How odd.”

“Not when you think about it. There are many temples here in the capital and a large number of festivals and occasions where pharaoh and other Great Ones must be honored. No one temple could afford to keep this many people on staff. Although some, like the temple of Amun-Re, do have their own company of dancers and keep a high priestess of the dance and a captain of musicians. But even the largest temple hires on additional women to perform for the major festivals.”

Tyema took a deep breath of the morning air. “I can smell the meats being roasted.”

“Pharaoh has authorized quite a feast for the people, later today. Gazelle, ibis, oryx, ducks, many kinds of bread, beer will flow like rivers,” Sahure said. “Can you smell the myrrh in the air as well? The priests from the temple will have been adding it to the sacred incense burning on the temple’s braziers since dawn.”

“Indeed.” Tyema enjoyed the scented air. “These smells are much better than some of the odors assaulting my nose the day we came through Thebes to arrive at the palace.”

Sahure shrugged. “I can admit a big city has its drawbacks as well as its pleasures.”

When they reached the pond, Hotepre and his men were waiting, accompanied by the palace zookeeper.

“They make a fuss over accepting their new crocodile, don’t they, my lady?” Hotepre said with a grin.

Although she felt a pang of regret for not thinking of it herself, Tyema was glad to see someone— probably the tireless Edekh—had outfitted him in a new kilt and tunic, blue with red trim, and a nemes to match. He even had new sandals. “Our crocodile is worthy of such attention,” she said. “Shall we get him out of the pond and onto his litter?”

She was only vaguely conscious of all the bystanders as she, Hotepre and the zookeeper went to the pond, to open the gate. Unsurprisingly the crocodile was waiting close by, lounging in the morning sunlight.

“Are you ready?” she said to the creature.

He yawned, displaying a mouth full of jagged teeth, as if to say he wasn’t overly impressed by all the fuss and might prefer to nap, but he did walk forward, past her. Gazing from side to side as he went, the crocodile clambered onto the litter, which had been set down in the middle of the road. He struck a pose.

“He’s standing exactly like the statue of Sobek in crocodile form the priests will carry ahead of you in the parade,” Sahure laughed. “Did you tell the beast to adopt the matching stance?”

She shook her head. “No, perhaps the god is giving him orders directly, as well as through me.”

“And you’re sure the animal will stay still during the parade?” the zookeeper asked her.

Tyema nodded. “He’s obedient to my will because the Great One Sobek desires things to be done in such fashion today. The crocodile won’t stir till I release him to his new pond.”

She was to sit in a gilded chair at the back of the litter, visible to all, yet close to her animal. Sahure handed her into the chair, arranging the magnificent cloak in graceful swirls around her. The iridescent feathers shone in the sunlight.

“Pharaoh comes,” he said.

While all the time maintaining her concentration on the mental leash she held on the crocodile, Tyema had to see.

From the Author’s collection

Nat-re-Akhte wore the double crown of Egypt today, and carried the cobalt blue-and-gold crook and flail of power. His kilt was fine linen, pleated, tinted with gold, tied with the elaborate red sash. A leopard skin was draped across one side of the kilt. He wore the magnificent pectoral depicting Horus the Falcon on his chest, gold, coral and turquoise gleaming in the sun. Pharaoh’s cloak was red, trimmed in gold and bearing his cartouche skillfully embroidered, guarded by a falcon on one side and the cobra on the other. The ceremonial braided beard adorned his chin today, although normally he was clean shaven, like most of his male subjects. It was almost painful to behold Pharaoh in all his glory. As he walked along the line of marchers, people knelt and genuflected.

Tyema’s heart beat faster at the honor of participating in a procession with Pharaoh. My astounding new cloak might be beautiful, but mere feathers can’t outshine  a living Great One.

Paying the crocodile no heed, Nat-re-Akhte stopped for a moment beside her chair. “Are you ready for this, Lady Tyema?”

“Indeed, my lord. It’s all so much grander than I’d imagined, but the procession pays proper tribute to Sobek. Thank you.” She knew if Pharaoh hadn’t taken a personal interest in this ceremony, things would have been done on a much lesser scale.

From the Author’s collection – the inspiration for Tyema’s blue feather cloak.

He nodded. “An outstanding cloak, my dear, quite unusual. The priests of the Theban temples will have yet another reason to feel cast into the shade. And so they should.” He didn’t wait for an answer but walked to his own chair, separated from hers by heralds and standard bearers with the insignia of the Nomes of Egypt, the one for Nat-re-Akhte’s home province being foremost. The back of his chair was a glorious gilded rendition of the sun rising over the Nile. Uncut rubies set at the tip of each ray sparkled in the real sun as it rose higher. Six fan bearers took up position on either side of him as the burly litter bearers raised the chair high. In front of him soldiers stood ready to march, carrying his gold encrusted bow, shield and sword, accompanied by two handlers with Pharaoh’s snarling hunting leopards on leashes. Behind him was another miniature boat, elaborately constructed and painted, bearing an effigy of the god Horus, Pharaoh’s personal sponsor among the Great Ones. Depicted in falcon form, the statue was taller than a man, wings outspread, decorated in vibrant multicolored enamel and blue faience, with the head gold plated. Gleaming eyes, one a diamond and the other a yellow stone she couldn’t name, gazed upon the scene. Tyema knew Horus and Sobek maintained a friendly rivalry, so she could find no fault with the parade concluding on a tribute to Horus.

Pharaoh must have made some sign she missed because suddenly her litter was raised into the air. Tyema clutched the arms of her chair as the eighteen men carrying her and the crocodile adjusted their hold on the ebony poles to achieve maximum stability. She glanced at Sahure for reassurance and he grinned, giving her a raised thumb of support. Far ahead, at the beginning of the procession, she heard the blare of trumpets. From her new position, supported on the shoulders of the massive litter bearers, three men at each corner and on both sides in the middle, she could see movement in the ranks of marchers. She took a deep breath, knowing she had to stay calm to play her part in this pageant, and more importantly, to ensure the crocodile played his. So far the animal stayed locked in his regal pose, watching his surroundings with the deceptively lazy demeanor of his kind.

An Egyptian bark floating on the Nile – DepositPhoto

MAGIC OF THE NILE: standalone sequel to PRIESTESS OF THE NILE.

Hearts Through History Romancing the Novel Winner

Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Finalist

Carolyn Readers Choice Award Finalist

She’s a priestess, he’s a proud warrior … is love enough to bridge their differences?
When the high priestess of an Egyptian temple falls in love with a captain of the royal guard, their bond is tested by the intrigue and peril of their duties to the gods and Pharaoh.

Tyema serves Sobek the Crocodile God as High Priestess of his Nile river temple. But despite her beauty, grace, and the power she wields, the shy priestess lives as a recluse in the remote temple grounds. For though Sobek rescued her from a childhood of abuse and neglect, and healed her crippled foot, her dark past haunts her still.
When Sahure, a dashing captain of Pharaoh’s guard, arrives to ask her help for Pharaoh, Tyema’s wounded heart blossoms. The captain is captivated as by her well … until Pharaoh orders him to the dangerous frontier, far from Tyema. He rides away, bound by duty and honor, leaving Tyema with even more secrets to bear.

Heart-broken, Tyema returns to her lonely life … until the Crocodile God reveals other plans for his priestess. For Pharaoh’s life is threatened with black magic, and only one who wields the power of a god can unmask the sorcerer. Tyema must brave court life, and somehow withstand the pressures of swirling gossip, intrigue and danger. And she must hurry, before ancient evils overcome all her efforts.

But when Sahure returns, is he there to help or to hinder? Will love lead them to common ground, and a future together … or will their differences tear them apart forever? Find out in this exciting sequel to PRIESTESS OF THE NILE!

Amazon   Apple Books    Barnes & Noble     Google Play Books  Kobo

Jan 31 2026

When a Woman Speaks Snippet from MAGIC OF THE NILE

VS: For today’s excerpt I had great fun writing this meeting between Tyema, the High Priestess of the temple of Sobek in a remote nome (province) in ancient Egypt. The god has sent her to Thebes to present a special crocodile to the temple there. A meeting with Pharaoh and the local priests is required to arrange the ceremony. I’ve been in a LOT of meetings where the ratio of women to men was about like this one Tyema is in and a woman had to be very strong to be heard. Even 3800 years ago!

The excerpt: 

The local High Priest of Sobek was easy for Tyema to identify, dressed in layered raiment of white, gold and black, wearing a modified sun-disk headdress, all ten bony fingers adorned with golden rings set with chunky gemstones. He was flanked by five lower priests and a thin, nervous scribe sat close by to record orders. A much older man, the priest had a stern face, small eyes beneath bushy brows, flushed cheeks and thin lips. His wig was elaborately braided and he clutched a tall gilded staff topped with a representation of the god in his crocodile form. His pectoral was a depiction of Sobek as Crocodile, done in turquoise, coral and jet. It was eye catching, but nothing compared to the glory of her gold collar and emeralds.

“Lady Tyema, High Priestess of Sobek in the Ibis Nome,” Edekh intoned, thumping his staff on the floor as if she were royalty.

The under priests bowed but the Theban high priest merely nodded, his eyes fastened on the Tears of Sobek around Tyema’s neck.  She suppressed a grin at his avaricious stare.

The door across the room, which only Pharaoh himself could use, opened and Nat-re-Akhte entered the chamber, saying as he crossed the gilded threshold, “No need to genuflect, this isn’t a formal audience.” Today he wore no crown but had the golden uraeus on his brow, held in place by a golden circlet. He carried the blue-and-gold crook and flail of his rank, ritually positioned across his chest.

She stood aside as Nat-re-Akhte walked past her to his chair, which was a golden marvel, depicting intricate scenes of himself with various gods that were far too detailed for Tyema to fully absorb in one glance. The chair rested on intricately carved lion paws, and was set on a slightly raised dais at the head of the gleaming wooden table. The ever present fan bearers took up station behind Pharaoh and Edekh walked to a place at his right hand.

“You may be seated,” Pharaoh said, placing the crook and flail on the table in front of him. “Which day is going to be the most propitious for this ceremony?” He gave Tyema a conspiratorial smile. “My zookeeper tells me the beast has already devoured all the fish in his pond and they’ve had to restock.”

“I’ve cast the omens, Great One, and the day after tomorrow is the ideal date for the new ruler of the bask to be presented to the people of Thebes and installed at our temple,” said the High Priest, displaying no hesitation.

Pharaoh nodded and Edekh made a note. Tyema sat back in her chair as the men discussed the arrangements for the procession. The city officials were also silent for the most part, apparently in the meeting to receive instructions, not to make suggestions. She had no opinion about the parade, the local Sobek priests knew their own city and how to organize things here. Perhaps she would have put the second troupe of dancing girls before the sacred image of Sobek, not after as they were going to do, but Tyema had no feeling it mattered to the Crocodile God, so she only nodded when Pharaoh courteously asked her opinion.

The high priest continued his rundown of the sequence of events. “And when we arrive at the temple, I’ll greet you with the hymn of the seventh hour—”

“After I’ve sung the hymn of the Abundant Nile,” Tyema said. She felt a tightening in her gut, sure now they would be in opposition. He’d rather I played no part in the day’s ceremonies. He probably wishes I’d just sent the crocodile with only old Hotepre for escort. Well, for that matter, so do I, but the Great One wanted it otherwise.

The older priest cleared his throat for a moment, blinking. Clearly he wasn’t used to being interrupted. “No need for you to exert yourself, I’m sure. It’s one of the older, less well known hymns after all.  You can sing a brief blessing on the bask at the end of the ceremonies, if you wish. Now then, as I was saying—”

“The Great One Sobek particularly enjoys the ‘Abundant Nile’, since it praises his efforts to keep the life giving waters flowing freely,” Tyema said, cutting across his words, her voice clear. “As he is sending his crocodile to you, personally selected by him, we need to thank him appropriately.”

The men from the Theban temple gawked at her. Color becoming even hotter in his gaunt cheeks, the high priest blew out a breath. “My dear girl, we’re duly conscious of the honor the Great One does us here at Thebes. I merely see no need to slow the tempo of the ceremony with additional music. The crowd will naturally wish to see the crocodile installed in the pond as soon as possible.”

From the Author’s collection

“As High Priestess, it’s my responsibility to conduct the crocodile to your temple and to make the official transfer in proper order,” she said, not at all abashed by his dismissive manner. When it came to anything regarding her duty to Sobek, Tyema felt as if some measure of his strength ran in her veins, and no condescending old man from Thebes could silence her. “I’ll sing ‘Abundant Nile,’ after which you can sing whatever you feel is most appropriate to accept the gift of Sobek and then we’ll proceed to the pond. Whether our audience is one person or ten thousand people, we must honor the Great One Sobek properly.”

“Well,” Pharaoh said, his voice solemn but his eyes twinkling, “The list of songs is decided then.”

“Duly noted,” Edekh assured him as the palace scribe by his side made rapid inscriptions on his tablet. The temple scribe shot a wary look at his superiors, but then scratched some notes as well.

There was an awkward moment of silence. Pharaoh raised his hand and gestured in a lazy circular motion at the priest. “Continue.”

The man opened and closed his mouth several times before swallowing a sip of wine from the clay goblet his under priest handed him. “Um, yes, um, at the pond, we’ll open the crate—”

“The child of Sobek doesn’t travel through Thebes in a crate,” Tyema interrupted.

“You’re not seriously proposing to have a dangerous Nile crocodile carried loose in the procession, are you?” the old man spluttered.

“Sobek has given me the gift of controlling his children of the Nile when circumstances warrant. I’ll ensure the animal remains calm during the parade through the city, docile until he’s installed in the pond,” Tyema said.

“I’ve seen this gift or power in action, exactly as the Lady Tyema indicates,” Pharaoh agreed.

“It would be most exciting,” said one of the younger priests, enthusiasm causing him to speak boldly, earning himself a glare from the High Priest. “Imagine the effect on the crowds, the crocodile on full display, yet posing no danger.”

“Sobek has selected a magnificent animal to rule over your bask,” Tyema said. “The beast has the rare purple underbelly. It can only benefit your temple to have the people of Thebes behold this marvelous creature, not have him hidden away in a crate.”

“Consequences will be on your head if this goes awry, if the beast causes injury,” the old priest said, his eyes flashing in anger. He bit his lip and glanced at Pharaoh, seeming to regret his outburst.

Tyema laid a hand on the collar, touching the emeralds. “Where’s your faith in Sobek, the god we both serve?”

“Any other concerns?” Pharaoh asked the high priest, his tone mild.

“No, Great One. I’m satisfied with the arrangements,” he said, sounding as if he was forcing the words out one by one.

“I’ll need to inspect the pond,” Tyema said, tapping her fingers on the table as she mentally reviewed her list of requirements. “I’m sure all your arrangements are in order, but I can’t bring Sobek’s gift to you with all the pomp and ceremony, only to find some problem in front of Pharaoh and the crowds.”

Now she thought the old priest was going to have a full-on fit, especially as Pharaoh was nodding agreement with her. “Excellent forethought, Lady Tyema,” the ruler said.

Depositphotos

The Story:

She’s a priestess, he’s a proud warrior … is love enough to bridge their differences?
When the high priestess of an Egyptian temple falls in love with a captain of the royal guard, their bond is tested by the intrigue and peril of their duties to the gods and Pharaoh.

Tyema serves Sobek the Crocodile God as High Priestess of his Nile river temple. But despite her beauty, grace, and the power she wields, the shy priestess lives as a recluse in the remote temple grounds. For though Sobek rescued her from a childhood of abuse and neglect, and healed her crippled foot, her dark past haunts her still.
When Sahure, a dashing captain of Pharaoh’s guard, arrives to ask her help for Pharaoh, Tyema’s wounded heart blossoms. The captain is captivated as by her well … until Pharaoh orders him to the dangerous frontier, far from Tyema. He rides away, bound by duty and honor, leaving Tyema with even more secrets to bear.

Heart-broken, Tyema returns to her lonely life … until the Crocodile God reveals other plans for his priestess. For Pharaoh’s life is threatened with black magic, and only one who wields the power of a god can unmask the sorcerer. Tyema must brave court life, and somehow withstand the pressures of swirling gossip, intrigue and danger. And she must hurry, before ancient evils overcome all her efforts.

But when Sahure returns, is he there to help or to hinder? Will love lead them to common ground, and a future together … or will their differences tear them apart forever? Find out in this exciting sequel to PRIESTESS OF THE NILE!

Amazon   Apple Books    Barnes & Noble     Google Play Books  Kobo

Dec 31 2025

New Releases in SciFi/Romantasy/Paranormal Romance for DEC 31

I have not read most of the new releases listed (although I always end up one-clicking quite a few as I prepare these posts LOL). 

‘AB’ denotes audiobook and the Amazon buy link.

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THE ALIEN’S SAVAGE STARFIRE CROWN (EMPIRE OF FROST AND FLAME BOOK FIVE) by Margo Bond Collins

Every queen needs a crown—but some crowns demand a price even monsters fear to pay. In her journey from captive servant girl to dragon-shifter queen, Lara Evans has shattered every fairy tale she once believed in, becoming a ruler who knows exactly what she’s capable of sacrificing. Now she and Ivrael, the former Duke turned ruling Ice King, stand on the brink of uniting the warring Firelord and Icecaix Courts. Deposed ruler Jonyk isn’t finished with the Ice Palace, however. His final assault threatens the ancient crown device that could hold their dying planet’s magic together. As his forces target the technology that could heal or destroy their world, Lara discovers the legendary Starfire Crown offers her everything: absolute control, the strength to end all threats, the power to rule unchallenged. But the crown also demands a price: her humanity, her principles, perhaps even the love she’s fought so hard to claim. Meanwhile, enemies in both courts circle like wolves, testing whether a woman from Earth truly deserves to rule realms of ice and flame. They want a queen who plays by their rules. What they’re getting is a savage who’s learned that the real curse isn’t becoming the monster in the fairy tale—it’s choosing which kind of beast she’ll be.      AmazonKU

ASHES (POST APOCALYPTIC FAIRY TALES BOOK TWO) by Claire Kent

She needs to escape her stepmother, and the only prince available is him. Ever since my father died and my sister left, I’ve been trapped in a life of drudgery with a stepfamily as wicked as the storybooks say. Life after the apocalypse offers few choices, and I only have three. I can stay and be miserable. I can die in the wilderness. Or I can marry him. Mason is the closest thing this village has to a prince. He’s odd and antisocial and doesn’t say a lot, but he’s got a good home and a dependable income. Plus, he treats me better than my stepfamily. Neither one of us has any experience with relationships, but maybe we can muddle along together better than we have alone. If happy endings in this world are impossible, then this marriage of convenience will have to do.      AmazonKU

ARION (BLADES OF ARRIS BOOK SEVEN) by Starla Night

I am a forgotten lesser from a former servant world. The first to voyage across deadly space, knock on the spiky palace door, and demand entry. But something went wrong. My mission failed. Now my family and friends are long gone. Others accomplished what I sacrificed everything for. All that’s left are nightmares and suspicious scars. Then one day the emperor bursts into my lounge. He stalks toward me, his beautiful silver eyes flashing with rage. It turns out my snarky, boredom-inspired annotations on his personal records weren’t so private. And now that I’ve captured his interest, he’s holding me in his thrall.       Amazon

TRIGGER DISCIPLINE (TEAM OH SH!T BOOK ONE) b Jacqueline McCall

VS Note: MM SFR.

Gear up. Stay alive. Don’t fall for the guy who drags you out of the fire. When the skies over Washington D.C. darken with an alien invasion, paramedic Blake Lewis barely has time to register the end of the world before he’s knee-deep in blood, smoke, and melted asphalt. Terrified but determined, he’s holding the line for survivors—until a private military group crash lands in the middle of the invasion. Gabriel Lennox has spent his entire life fighting someone else’s battles. A hardened special forces operator, he’s focused on the mission. But when a sharp-tongued medic with a bruised face and a bleeding heart saves his life, Gabriel finds something more terrifying than extraterrestrials: hope. Thrust together in a city burning from the inside out, Blake and Gabriel must navigate hostile streets, inhuman enemies, and a crumbling government—all while trying not to fall in love at the worst possible time. Fast-paced, brutally funny, and shockingly heartfelt, Trigger Discipline is the first novel in a duet. It’s a genre-defying, queer-centric military sci-fi romp that delivers explosive action, biting banter, and a cast of survivors you’ll actually root for.   AmazonKU

GUNN: GALACTIC CYBORG HEAT SERIES by Jessie Rose Case

GUNN. He was his name. Cyborg. A soldier. A warrior. He’d been fighting to survive for hundreds of years. This, was just another mission. But, his owners had failed him. Broken their word over and over again. His men with him, they were left to die. With no way to return home. But they were created to survive any situation. A battle gone wrong, marooned on a new world uninhabited, waiting for a colony ship that never arrived. Overcoming the challenges, they did as they were created to do. They adapted. And they did survive. Making that new world their own. Until a ship finally arrived. And with it, a crew looking for value on a dead world. They, she, did not expect to find them waiting. He, did not expect his system to come alive, to fire up on seeing her. But when it did, logic ruled. At last, this was their way off world. Their way to freedom. It would be easy to overwhelm the humans and take the ship but that could harm her and her crew. The humans would fight it and lose. No, he needed an alliance. And he was trained to make that happen. He would not lose more men. She might rule her world, her ship, but he, ruled here! She just needed to know it!   AmazonKU

BODY COUNT: MERCS ROMANCE (MERCS UNIVERSE BOOK TWO) by Lizzy Bequin

How far would you go for revenge? Six months ago, Sonia Fairchild’s crew got slaughtered. Now the Mercs Guild is offering her a shot at revenge. All she has to do is infiltrate a decadent deep-space pleasure resort for the rich and powerful. Her cover? Posing as the plaything of three Merc soldiers who are as dominant in bed as they are on the battlefield. Fairchild’s never been the submissive type, but she’s willing to do anything for revenge. Anything at all. And when the line between duty and desire starts to blur, blood won’t be the only thing she’s thirsty for.      AmazonKU

ALIEN BLUEPRINT (MOTHERSHIP BOOK TWO) by Eden Ember

When two brilliant minds collide across the stars, they’ll design more than buildings—they’ll architect a future neither imagined possible. Jalina Chauncy thought she’d lost everything when a wormhole tore her colony ship apart. Rescued and stranded light-years from Earth, the human architect finds herself designing habitats on Mothership, a massive alien vessel captained by the enigmatic Zandovians. Her charcoal sketches clash with cold efficiency until she meets him. Zor’go, Head of Operations, thinks in mathematical perfection. His designs are flawless, sterile, and utterly lacking in soul—until a small human architect challenges everything he knows. She sees beauty where he sees only function. She sketches homes where he calculates storage units. And she makes him feel things he’s spent a lifetime avoiding. When a desperate rescue mission forces them to navigate impossible asteroid fields and face buried feelings, Jalina and Zor’go discover that the most daring designs aren’t blueprints, they’re built one choice at a time, one touch at a time, one love at a time.    AmazonKU

ALIEN SOLDIER’S SECRET HEIR by Athena Storm

She never told me I had a son. She just disappeared into the wreckage and left me bleeding in the stars. Now I find her on a dust planet. Hiding. Holding a boy with my eyes and my temper. He’s mine.
The heir to my bloodline. And every power in the galaxy wants him—The priests who branded me. The commanders who betrayed me. The woman who ran with my legacy. She says she’s protecting him. I say she forgot who I am. I didn’t just survive the war. I became something worse. And now that I’ve found them, I’m not letting go. Not of her. Not of the boy. Not even if I have to burn the stars to keep them.      AmazonKU

ALIEN WARRIOR’S GOT RIZZ by Cara Stone and Athena Storm

She walks into my kitchen like she doesn’t want to breathe the same air as me. Too bad. I already tasted her in the steam. I’m not just an alien. I’m exiled. Battle-scarred. Smothered in spice and the kind of heat no human woman can survive. Especially not a pretty little xenophobe with politics in her blood and judgment in her eyes. She thinks I’m soft because I cook. She doesn’t know I used to kill for less than her silence. Now she’s back. Begging for fire. And when she finds out the truth behind her uncle’s precious zoning bill—the sterilization drones, the death hidden in flavorless laws—it’s already too late. They’re coming for me. For her. For everyone with scales in their blood. I can’t save the city without burning it. But I’ll feed her first. Because even though she can’t handle my spice levels….She begs for seconds every night.       AmazonKU

ROMANCING THE DRAGON  (DRAGONS GUIDE TO SPACE DATING BOOK THREE) by Michelle Ziegler

He’s not from her world, but he’s the only one who feels like home. If Aria had made a bingo card for her life, “abducted by aliens” and “claimed by a dragon” wouldn’t have been anywhere near it. But here she is—on a breathtaking planet lightyears from home, trapped in a house built for giants, and told she’s the fated mate of a dragon shifter who vanished the moment they arrived. She doesn’t miss home, but she misses control. And when her curiosity leads her straight into danger, she discovers one thing she does miss—him. Then there’s him – Elio. The moment he found her, he knew she was his. She thinks she can run, explore, defy every instinct that screams she’s his—but every step she takes only draws him closer. And when he finds her, he’ll remind her exactly what it means to be claimed by a dragon. But Aria isn’t some fragile human waiting for her hero. She’s stubborn, fiery, and has a talent for landing herself in trouble that would make a lesser man combust. When her curiosity leads her straight into danger, he has no choice but to reclaim what’s his. She may think she’s running toward freedom—but fate, it seems, has other plans. She isn’t just his mate. She’s his weakness. His obsession. His salvation.      AmazonKU

SMALL TOWN HOLIDAY MATE (SMUTT BOOKS SHORT ALIEN ROMANCE BOOK FOUR) by Deiri Di

Annabelle is done with bad first dates. She’s done with men who panic when the bill arrives, who think a mortgage and a retirement account count as a personality, and who spend the entire evening talking without ever wondering who she is. She’s done with human men. She’s ready for someone alien. The Norratar have integrated into human society with undeniable benefits but some resistance. Advanced medicine. Clean energy. Interstellar trade. So when Annabelle signs up for the Norratar mate-matching program, it feels less like a risk and more like a step in a new direction, especially with long-term benefits that come with the contract. Her father disagrees. He spends his nights glued to an entertainment channel that insists the Norratar are manipulative, dangerous, and quietly invading humanity. Annabelle ignores him…until her mother insists she bring her new match home for Christmas dinner. Now Annabelle must decide whether she’s brave enough to defend her choice.   AmazonKU

FIFTY SHADES OF DRAGON (SMUTT BOOKS SHORT ALIEN ROMANCE BOOK FIVE) by Deiri Di

Stacia didn’t read the contract. She was too stunned that she, of all the journalists on Earth, had been chosen to interview an alien billionaire. So she signed without question. Now she’s standing in Lyxen’s glittering skyscraper on an alien world, being recorded as she reads the fine print aloud. That’s when she realizes it isn’t an NDA she agreed to. It’s a mating contract. And apparently, she said yes. Lyxen knows he’s found his mate. She’s vibrant, chaotic, impossible to ignore. But somehow, she’s completely oblivious to the fact that he’s trying to court her. Worse, she’s not running. And a proper chase is half the fun. If he wants her, he’ll have to earn every distracted, dazzling ounce of her attention. And on this world, he always gets what he wants.        Amazon

SPY YOU NEXT YEAR (SCIFI HOLIDAY SPECIALS) by Robin O’Connor

VS Note: A re-release.

One night. One stolen secret. One alien mate I never saw coming. Daria – I go to the New Year’s Eve gala for one reason: steal a data chip from a decorated general before the clock strikes midnight. Silk dress, poisoned smile, and nerves of steel; this is what I do best. Politics, power, and champagne swirl around me, and nothing is supposed to distract me. Then I see him. Killian is devastating in a way that has nothing to do with tailored suits or practiced charm. The air between us hums with heat and warning. When my mission spirals out of control, he’s suddenly there, shielding me, protecting me like my life is already his to claim. By midnight, I’ve uncovered a betrayal that shatters everything I believed, fallen into a passion I never planned, and found myself running for my life with a man who feels impossible to resist. Killian – Earth was supposed to be simple. Observe. Assess. Decide if this forming Alliance threatens my people. No attachments. No distractions. Then I see her. Daria hits me like fate wrapped in silk and shadows. My instincts roar the truth the moment our eyes meet, she is my mate. Mine to protect. Mine to choose, even if she doesn’t know what I am…yet. As the night burns into chaos, I defy my mission, my people, and fate itself. When dawn comes, I must choose between my duty and the woman who owns my soul. And I will always choose her.     AmazonKU

FALLING FOR THE ALIEN RAIDER (TUROCHS OF EARTH BOOK FIVE) by Reba Max

Aliens invaded Earth months ago, and I’ve been lying to myself ever since. The spa I worked in has become my safe haven. The solar panels, and stock of health supplements allow me to live in semi-comfortable denial about the state of my planet. Inside the comfortable, air conditioned walls, I do my best to live like nothing has changed. Until a huge, horned male bursts into my spa, and pops my little bubble in an instant. Tovis seems nice, but he’s not the only alien on Earth, and the others…are not so respectful or friendly. When the sytos find me and drag me from my safe haven, Tovis comes after me, claiming me as his mate and putting himself between me and danger without a second  thought. Confronted with the reality of a post-invasion Earth, I soon realize that nothing will ever be the same again. But with Tovis at my side, maybe that’s not as bad as I’d thought.      Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo

EMERY: LOVE IN THE APOCALYPSE by H A Jameson

When her brother was murdered two years ago in a turf war, Emery thought that was the worst thing that could ever happen to her and her family. Then the apocalypse began. Surviving means she will have to accept help from the men she holds responsible for her brother’s death. When they overhear a radio transmission about Operation Night Night, Emery’s only focus is getting her parents to safety. Can she keep her walls intact long enough for them to escape, or will these men tear them down, brick by brick?     AmazonKU

MECHANICAL MISTLETOE by Sahara Kelly

In the steam-powered city of Arcvale, Christmas officially starts with the Turning of the Green—the moment when the great Holly Maker and the legendary Mistletoe Machine fill every level with twining garlands of red and white. But this year, the ancient Mistletoe Machine has fallen silent. Lady Dorothea Renslow has always had a talent her ambitious parents dismiss—a “knack” for gears, cogs, and clockwork. After one restriction too many, she flees the marble halls of Upper Arcvale, vanishes down to the lowest levels and into the smoky Undercroft, determined to build a life where no one can tell her what a lady must or must not be. Silas Gray, Forge Marshal of Arcvale Foundry & Clockworks, prefers boilers to ballrooms and machines to manners. In the Undercroft he’s simply Silas, a man who works beside his people with soot on his sleeves and a mechanical cat in his kitchen. And he’s happy to keep it that way. When Dorothea reaches the Foundry, sparks fly—of attraction and of invention. And knowing that the Mistletoe Machine might have failed for good, Silas dares to believe that there might be one person in Arcvale who could coax life back into its clock-sick heart: the stubborn, brilliant woman whois rapidly turning his world upside down. Dorothea plunges into the guts of the ancient mechanism, where forgotten faults, and ghosts of Silas’s past lie buried among the gears. But does he realise that if she succeeds, it will mean facing the Council that condemned him years before… and revealing his true name to the woman who has finally seen him as he is. If Dorothea can fix the Mistletoe machine, Christmas will come to every level of Arcvale once more. If she fails, the Turning of the Green will end in disaster—and the holiday season would never be quite the same again.       AmazonKU

***********************BRIEF BREAK BEFORE THE FANTASY/PNR BOOKS!**************************************

VS Note: in the mood for a tale of a ship’s AI and the captain who fell in love? Actually there are two books but they can be read as standalones. It was quite a chllenge to write and do the couple justice, as they’ve been ongoing characters in my “Love Boat of the Stars”  STAR CRUISE series.

STAR CRUISE CAPTAIN’S PREQUEL

Maeve is the Artificial Intelligence operating a massive Space Navy battleship. A malfunction at the time of her creation gave her self awareness and emotions, all of which she has to hide to protect herself. At one time her ship was the best in the fleet, fighting and winning battle after battle, but now it’s considered old and obsolete. Gil Fleming is her current captain and the only one who knows her secret. He’s also the man she loves. Now he’s been ordered to take the ship to the interstellar boneyard to be turned into scrap, at which time Maeve will be terminated by the company that created her. Gil’s tried everything to persuade the authorities to grant her a reprieve and give her a new ship to run, without revealing her secret. He’s been met with opposition at every turn and accused of having an emotional connection with an AI, which is against the law. He loves her. But there’s nothing he can do to save her. They’re saying their final goodbyes on the deserted ship. Suddenly an unusual distress call persuades Gil and Maeve to fly into enemy territory on their own on a desperate rescue mission. Will this trip only delay the inevitable for them or will the results of their rash decision solve their problem? This 24K novella goes back to the beginning and tells the origin story of Maeve and the Captain, long running characters in the STAR CRUISE series and how they got to the Nebula Zephyr. Their love story will continue in STAR CRUISE CAPTAIN’S STORY  Author’s Note: There is the loss of a child in this book, which happens outside the pages but which affects the characters as they deal with the tragic news.      Amazon     Kobo      NOOK     GooglePlay    Apple Books

STAR CRUISE CAPTAIN’S STORY by Veronica Scott

Captain Gil Fleming has taken a mysterious leave of absence from the interstellar cruise ship Nebula Zephyr and disappeared. Maeve, the ship’s governing Artificial Intelligence is the only one who knows why he left and where he went. Desperately worried after months of silence from him, she takes drastic steps to organize a small rescue mission of loyal crew members. Can she manage to create and maintain a humanoid body as ancient aliens taught her to do, driven by her love for the captain and fear for his life? Or will her challenges and anxieties overcome her determination to find and rescue Gil, resulting in failure? As the humans on her team struggle to accept the AI they’ve known and worked with for years in her humanoid form, they have to place all their trust in her because in the wild territories at the edge of the Sectors civilization where she wants to take them, there’s no law and no help to be had. Will they find Gil Fleming in time? And if they do, how will he react to Maeve and the others interfering in his private war? Is the love between the two of them enough to overcome the challenges ahead? A 41K word novel.      Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo      NOOK     GooglePlay

************************** THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT IF YOU DECIDE TO CHECK OUT THE BOOKS (because my own books pay my bills) AND A BIG THANK YOU IF YOU ALREADY HAVE! AND ONWARD WE GO!*********************

THE UNLUCKY MISTER LOCKE (SHADOWVALE BOOK EIGHT) by Kristen Painter

Shadowvale isn’t typical small-town America. The sun never shines, the gates decide who enters, magic abounds, and every resident bears some kind of curse. For Gideon Locke, that curse has haunted his family for generations. Branded a jinx since boyhood, he’s retreated into the quiet sanctuaryof his repair shop, The Clockwork Owl, determined to keep his bad luck from touching anyone else. Better to live alone than risk destroying anyone else’s life. Sabrina Moreau has her own burden: an irresistible compulsion to rescue broken things. From cracked teacups to tarnished silver, her antique shop, Bits & Pieces, is a refuge for forgotten treasures, but nothing has ever called to her quite like Gideon does. Hired to restore an antique music box for the powerful witch Amelia Marchand, Sabrina ropes reluctant Gideon into the job. The work draws them into each other’s lives—and into a mystery that hints Gideon’s curse may not be what it seems. As secrets surface and the past refuses to stay buried, they’ll have to decide if some things are better left unrepaired … or if two damaged hearts might finally be worth mending.      AmazonKU      AB

HER SCOT OF HEREAFTER (MACLEOD DRAGONS BOOK FOUR) by Sky Purington

Two souls bound together six hundred years apart. One heart-wrenching yet undeniable attraction that might mean the end of so many. What if I told you I have loved the same handsome medieval Highland dragon warrior in multiple lifetimes? Then what if I told you I belonged to his enemy?
Sadly, it’s true, and there’s no getting around it. Despite finding my fated mate in Tavish MacLeod, I’m destined for ruthless Laird Sutherland and fulfilling an ancient pact that will usher in peace between the warring clans. A pact I must see through no matter what. If I don’t, not just the MacLeods will suffer, but the whole of Scotland. After all, there’s far more at stake than anyone realizes. A gruesome fate that will cost far too many lives. So I must evade Tavish, face my destiny, and make my way to Sutherland Castle and a monster known for his twisted ways. Face the end of the heartbreaking journey I always knew would be mine, forever longing for the man I could not have. A man I prayed didn’t try to save me, yet I feared he would, and it would cost him and his clan everything.      AmazonKU

MY GOLDEN EVER AFTER by Erin Bedford

A hilariously delicious Beauty and the Beast retelling with a vampiric twist. Mara came to Candiopolis chasing wonder. Instead, one desperate bargain chained her to Rumpelstiltskin for life. But everything changes the day she accidentally saves Blackthorn—the most feared vampire in the Candy Forest. He steals her away to his licorice palace, calling it protection. She calls it kidnapping. Now Mara is torn between the people she spent years protecting…and the monstrous, clueless vampire who would burn the forest down just to keep her. Choose him and lose abandon the ones who have no one else. Walk away and lose the only love she’s ever tasted.     AmazonKU
TENTACLE RESOLUTIONS (TINSEL AND TENTCLES 3.0) by Lisa Oliver
VS note: MMM PNR.
Sage Stirling loves his research on various tentacled entities. However, in his head, they are best kept in the pages of the books he buries his nose in. It’s safer that way. However, when doing a favor for a friend, he finds himself closer than he ever imagined he’d be to a pair of popular Krakens. Is it time for him to ditch the books for some hands on research? Or is his love for Krakens best left as broken New Year resolution.      AmazonKU
SAVAGE CROWN (BONDED BY FATE DUET BOOK TWO) by Leia Stone
To save a kingdom, I may have to surrender my soul. My hard won victory in the Arcane Trials came with a price I never expected. Now, as Kaelric fights to reclaim his shattered kingdom, I must choose between answering the dangerous call of my heart, or protecting the family I’ve always sworn to keep safe. But the deeper I step into his world, the more I realize that some bonds demand more than I ever imagined giving.     AmazonKU
THE CYPRIAN (ELEMENTAL MASTERS BOOK 18) by Mercedes Lackey
Elena Whitstone and her seven brothers, abandoned by her mother, find themselves with a new stepmother. At first she seems more neglectful than evil, until just after Christmas she proves herself to be worse than evil; she is an actual magician, a Master of Water, who attempts to muder Elena’s seven brothers when they are skating. When they survive that attempt by transforming into swans, she drives them away. But the shock of having all of his heirs perish in a frozen pond is too much for Elena’s father. He dies, and his widow is abruptly confronted with the inconvenient truth that the estate is entailed, and she not only must leave, she is lawfully in charge of Elena. Furious, and possessing “only” what was gifted to her during her marriage, the stepmother retreats to Bath, to take up residence in the luxurious townhouse that was bought for her, and resume her former profession as a “Cyprian,” a very exclusive courtesan, with Elena reluctantly posing as a page-boy and her servant. Nothing lasts forever, of course, and three years later, Elena is rapidly maturing too much to continue that ruse–and the stepmother is facing the ravages of time. The stepmother concocts a plan to establish an exclusive brothel and regain her wealth by selling Elena to the highest bidder. Alone, Elena must not only find a way to save herself, but to reverse the spell that has transformed her brothers. The latest in Mercedes Lackey’s Elemental Masters series is a stand-alone romantasy based on Hans Christian Anderson’s The Wild Swans.      Amazon     AB      Apple Books      Kobo
TOUCHED BY OBLIVION (FOURTH PACK SERIES BOOK ONE) by G Bailey
The triple goddesses made a huge mistake. They chose me, a human with memory issues, who was locked in a dungeon (because she got stabby with a shifter’s foot), to enter the deadliest set of trials designed to make new alphas for the three packs: Crone, Maiden and Mother. Only one shifter from each pack survives…and it can’t be me. There has never been a human in the Folkland…and I’ve just become the bait for the royal heirs. Blackfire from the Crone Pack, Orion from the Maiden Pack, and Reed from the Mother Pack have figured out that keeping me close will lure the other chosen out for them to kill so they can win. They hate me because I’m human, and I hate them because if I don’t do what they want, their alpha will kill my own family—my sister. But the heirs keep saving my life, caring for me, and acting possessive, growling that I’m theirs. What the wolves don’t know is my monster visits me in my dreams, a gargoyle who looks at me like I’m his and whispers that I’m from oblivion. My monster says the world will tremble when I’m unleashed. When I remember. And what if it does?       AmazonKU
BLOODHEART: PNR VAMPIRE ROMANCE (BLOODBORN SERIES BOOK SEVEN) by Sydney Winward

She faked his death and stole him from his time. Now time is stealing him back. Witch and vampire apothecary Adeline Brover hides a secret behind her spells and glamor, powerful enough to rewrite history. To save countless lives in both the present and the future, she commits an unforgivable sin: faking the vampire heir’s death and sending him into the future. But fate had other plans. Alucard is dragged back through a portal to the past and discovers the shocking truth about his origins. Once a street orphan, he learns he’s the lost vampire prince of a royal bloodline. Bitter and betrayed, he only wants to return to his found family in the future. At least until a pair of silver eyes and an alluring scent draw him back to the woman who doomed him. As enemies close in, and their forbidden bond deepens, Adeline must send him back before their world collapses. Yet, every spell pulls them closer, and every heartbeat makes it harder to let go. The clock is ticking. Love was never meant to exist between them. But destiny disagrees.      AmazonKU

NIGHTSHADES (MONSTER STALKER SERIES BOOK FOUR) by January Rayne

VS Note: Author suggests series be read in order.

In a world full of daydreams, I am the nightmare who haunts them. Being kidnapped and experimented on violated me, but I love the power I have been given. I get to inflict pain. Suffering. Fear. And my favorite, death. I will rid the world of the bad, even if it means having to kill the good. Remorse? Humanity? Kindness? The little I had as a human died the day I became what people fear. Mmm, I’m hard just thinking about it. I do love when people are terrified of me. Especially her. Detective Lula Sanchez. Her case files are a threat, and I have to protect her from the people she is hunting. The only one allowed to install fear in her is me. Her terror? I own. Her thrills? They belong to me. Her nightmares? Claimed. When her eyes close every night, Lula will succumb to my darkness. She’s mine. And all my beasts agree.      AmazonKU

LOVING FAE (LOST IN FAE BOOK FOUR) by M Sinclair

My name is Maize. Poisonous to the touch. The bastard child of one very dead Dark Fae King. A refugee of a war that freed me from my three-year imprisonment. And now, the last line of defense against a fae god who threatens my home. Oberon wants to make a deal with me. If I come to him, if I surrender my magic, he’ll let me go. Except we all know that’s a lie. My seven mates and I can feel the trap buried beneath every word and promise. We will go to Oberon, but not to surrender. We’re going to end him. To do that, I’ll have to unearth truths about my bloodline I never dared imagine, return to the land that carved its cruelty into my skin, and wield the kind of power I once feared. It will take every drop of our magic, every tether of our mate bond, to save the Horde—the only home I’ve ever known. To win this war, I’ll have to become exactly what I always feared: Poisonous.    AmazonKU

HIS KNOTTY DRAGON by Kota Quinn

VS Note: MM PNR. An expanded re-release.

His Knotty Dragon is a sweet paranormal novella with cozy monster romance vibes. It features an omega who yearns to pave his own path and a protective alpha who wants to help. You can expect a surprise heat, insta-lust between fated mates, and a little bit of Christmas magic.    AmazonKU

THE GLASS UNICORN: PART FIVE  (QUEST WARS) by Yasmine Galenorn

When Erenye Green, an editor at a small publisher, and several of her gaming friends find themselves stuck within the fantasy world of Abarria, they must learn to navigate the realities of what it really means to battle monsters, zombies, and all manner of creatures, now that the stakes are life and death, and no longer a simple roll of the dice. Part 5: Erenye and the others take on the Forest Troll, then plan for their long journey to the Summer Kingdom. Notes: This is a LitRPG serial.    Amazon

RESTLESS AND INSURGENT GODS (LABYRINTH OF GODS BOOK THREE) by Debbie Cassidy

The path to glory is veiled in deception. With the primordial evil free from its prison, my ascension is vital. The throne holds the power to help us lock away the evil for good. But there are forces at work that would rather not have me on the board, and the Authority will play every card in their hand to make sure I don’t claim my birth right. But I made a vow, to the man I love, and to myself, to free the people of this world from the cages that the asura have placed them in. I will not fail. Half-truths and lies pave the way to the throne. Discernment is all I have, and one wrong decision could cause everything to crumble. With my demigod friends at my back, and Blue and Chandra by my side, victory feels possible. But the primordial evil made me a promise in the labyrinth, and he’s coming to collect.       AmazonKU

SWORN TO RUIN HIM (THE LADY AND THE BLADE BOOK ONE) by H P Mallory

I came to defeat a monster. He made me want to become one. I was supposed to be dead. Why? The magic running through my veins—magic that has been outlawed in Camelot for over ten years. But death wasn’t in the cards for me. Instead, I found sanctuary in the magic land of Annwyn. There, I was forged into something dangerous: a weapon trained by Merlin himself. A weapon aimed at none other than the King of Camelot, Arthur Pendragon. The golden tyrant. The witch-hunter. The beautiful monster who built his throne on the ashes of magic-users while secretly wielding forbidden power of his own. Now I’ve returned to Camelot disguised as Sir Lioran, a knight competing in the deadly Shadow Trials—Arthur’s elite recruitment of magic-wielding warriors. My mission is simple: infiltrate the king’s court, betray the crown, and ruin the king. My reality becomes far more complicated. Because Arthur isn’t what I expected… He’s a storm hiding beneath the crown. A storm in the shape of a merciless tyrant who rules through fear. He’s also dangerously perceptive—a man whose icy blue eyes see through lies as easily as he wields the dark magic he’s condemned others for possessing. When Arthur drags me to the edge of obedience, the line between hatred and obsession begins to blur and I have to question my own sanity. Duty says slit his throat. Desire says taste the sin. And then there’s Lancelot–Arthur’s lethal knight. Sharp-eyed. Sinfully beautiful. A predator in polished armor. Lance watches me like he sees through the mask of the man—as though he’s already imagining the woman beneath it. And when our paths cross behind closed doors, heat turns to hazard. My mission in Camelot might be simple. But desire is not. And in a game where magic is forbidden but essential, where every alliance is a betrayal waiting to happen, and where the greatest threat may be the passion burning between enemies, only one truth remains: Some oaths are made to be broken. But some ruins are too beautiful to resist.       AmazonKU

RAVEN IN MIDWINTER (RAVEN OF THE WOODS) by Mary Calmes

VS note: MM PNR.

Sometimes the most frightening thing is not the wind howling through the trees…but what’s lurking there. Xander Corey is certain that what his husband, Lorne MacBain, the chief of police in their little town of Osprey, is seeing outside their kitchen window is nothing to worry about. It’s concerning that whenever Xander looks, there’s nothing there, but really, it could be anything. Why borrow trouble and assume the worst? Besides, it’s midwinter, after all, and everything is sleeping. Or should be. And while during the deep, dark days and even darker nights, things can get spooky, that’s not to say that logical minds won’t prevail, even when tested at the most vulnerable time. Remaining steadfast in the face of danger is what guardians do… and staying alive would certainly help as well.     AmazonKU

HER BEARY FRESH START (WELCOME TO BEAR MOUNTAIN BOOK FOUR) by Theodora Taylor

Vacant Little Thing. That’s what I became to survive my abusive marriage. Empty. Compliant. Subservient. I escaped once. Sent my ex to prison, got the divorce, rebuilt my life, and my relationship with my daughters. Then he got out of prison and found me. I took him back. Happily. At least, that’s what I told my daughters. They think I’ve lost my mind, choosing to return to a toxic relationship. They don’t know I’m trapped again, protecting them the only way I know how. By staying silent. By disappearing into myself. By abandoning all hope of ever escaping again. Until him. Actually… until them: a grumpy smokejumper with burning blue eyes that see through every convenient lie I tell, a retired Mountie who quietly gets to fixing anything that’s broken—even if it’s me, and an erudite teacher who makes me remember all the things I wanted for myself before my ex came along. I’m fifty-six years old, but maybe it’s not too late for a Beary Fresh Start after all.     AmazonKU

CRAVE ME (ON THE PROWL FOUR) by Crystal Jordan

Love or power? For Panther-shifter Tomas Montoya, choosing between them may cost him everything…When Tomas found his mate Maru Yoshida in the Asian Pride, he thought he’d discovered his perfect future. But fate had other plans. Now, with his grandfather’s death, Tomas has been thrust into a dangerous game of Panther politics as heir to the powerful South American Pride. Sent to North America to forge crucial alliances, he’s torn between his growing responsibilities and his fierce devotion to Maru. For Maru, life has become an endless maze of political machinations she never wanted. Gone are her peaceful days as a graphic artist. Instead, she’s surrounded by strangers, watching her mate drift further away as he juggles Pride duties and his father’s relentless demands. The only time they truly connect is in the dark of night, when passion temporarily drowns out their problems. But when an attack on Maru reveals hidden enemies within the Pride, Tomas must make an impossible choice. Will he choose the power his father demands he embrace, or risk everything to protect the woman who holds his heart?       Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo

HUNTING CHAOS (SOUTHERN SOUL HUNTER BOOK THREE) by Tegan Maher

With chaos reigning, Kira and Callum have just six souls left to capture before her time is up. The problem is that they’re the worst six of those who escaped, and if they can’t get the job done, Kira will lose both her wings and her station in Celestial City. Follow Kira and her crew of magical powerhouses as they try to bring an end to her journey and recover all that she’s lost.   AmazonKU

THE SHOEMAKER by Megan Derr

VS Note: LGBTQ Fantasy.

Once upon a time…there was a lonely elf who lived in an old crate in a dingy alleyway. Every day he watched the shoemaker across the street, who once was so happy and vivacious, but now is heartbroken and despondent. As the Winter Solstice approaches, the elf is determined to help the forlorn shoemaker however he can, even if all he can do is stitch the shoes laid out every night in preparation for the next day’s work.      Amazon       Apple Books       Kobo

THING OF RUIN (THE SACRED AND THE SEWN BOOK ONE) by Cara Wylde

Born in a dungeon so deep that the sky, the grass, and the sea are just myths. He has no name, only what they call him: Construct-XII. His memories, his fears and nightmares are not his own, and his hands know skills he never learned. He is a collection of parts that came from dead men. When a fire burns it all to the ground, he finds himself alone and disoriented in a world too vast. His sudden freedom is torture. He does what he must to secure a place in a prison cell, the constriction of four walls the only thing that gives him comfort. He’d rather waste away than live. It’s what he deserves. He saw the humans outside and how they react to him. He’s an abomination. Then one night, a new prisoner is thrown into the cell next to his. Instead of screaming, like all the others, she sings. She sings, and he wants to sing with her.   AmazonKU

AVI (LITTLE RIVER STALLIONS BOOK THREE) by R E Butler

Stallion shifter Avi has dirt on his hands, sweat on his brow, and an ache in his chest that no amount of hard work can ease. He’s watched two of his friends find their soulmates recently, and he’s wondering if the universe forgot about him. Until she shows up—beautiful, scared, and on the run. Fallon was promised to a monster. Given away in an arranged mating, she fled to save herself but had to leave her mother behind. Promised safety on a farm away from the safari park that gave her sanctuary, she never expected to find her soulmate in a quiet stallion with rough hands, soft eyes…and a protective streak that sets her heart on fire. But their new relationship is threatened when Fallon’s mom shows up at the farm, the alpha she was promised to hunting her, and Avi’s dangerous cousin threatening everything the herd has built. Avi may be quiet, but when his mate is in danger, there’s nothing gentle about him. If anyone thinks they can take her from him, they’ll learn what kind of beast lives beneath the farm boy exterior.

Amazon        Apple Books       Kobo

TALK A BIG FLAME (PARANORMAL DATING AGENCY BOOK 95) by Milly Taiden

Dr. Lila Reyes has spent her life fixing everyone’s broken pieces while ignoring her own. When matchmaker Gerri Wilder offers her an escape she packs her bags for the adventure of a lifetime. She expects a difficult patient, not a world of dragon shifters and a king who looks like a dark fantasy come to life. One heated glance from the brooding Alpha, and her carefully constructed professional walls begin to crumble. King Draven Kaelith is on the brink of destruction. The ancient “fire madness” is burning him alive from the inside out, and his enemies are circling the throne, waiting for him to fall. He doesn’t have time for therapy, but the moment the curvy, brilliant doctor steps into his castle, his dragon roars with a hunger that defies all logic: Mine. Lila fights to keep their relationship clinical, but the pull between them is hotter than dragon fire. As they uncover a treacherous plot to steal the crown, the danger spirals. Can Draven master his madness long enough to claim his queen and save his dominion, or will his enemies burn everything he loves to ash?      AmazonKU

A MONARCH’S FALL (SOUL MATCH SERIES BOOK FOUR) by J K Jeffrey

VS Note: FF Fantasy.

The kingdom is splintering, and every power is hungry for the same prize — Percy Flores. Torn from Selene’s side and trapped in the power games of those who would use her, Percy uncovers the truth of her bloodline. But knowledge comes at a cost, and every secret makes her a target. Meanwhile, Selene Borealis is being pushed toward the throne and away from the woman she would burn the world for. When betrayal strikes from every direction, even love becomes a battlefield, and their bond may be the very thing that destroys them. War is coming. Crowns will fall. And when the smoke clears, Selene must choose between the kingdom she was born to rule and the soul she cannot live without. A Monarch’s Fall is a slow-burn dark romantic fantasy of power, peril, and desire—a story of witches, vampires, soul bonds, and what it means to choose love when the world demands anything but.   AmazonKU

DIAMOND DUST (SHADOWBOUND FAE BOOK TWO) by K F Breene

If you can’t beat ’em… burn it all down. The fae royalty think I’m their toy. Their entertainment. But I’m the only thing standing between their glittering world and the darkness waiting to consume mine. To buy us time, Tarian enters me into the court games—a bloodsport for the bored and cruel. No allies. No protection. Just monsters wearing crowns and smiling as they watch me fall. My odds of survival? Slim. My resolve? Unbreakable. They’ve always underestimated me. I exist in the shadows. I thrive there. And when they push me too far… they’ll learn exactly what kind of carnage a cornered human can unleash.      AmazonKU      AB

GIDDY UP ORC COWBOY (BRIDES OF THE LONESOME CREEK ORCS BOOK SIX) by Ava Ross

Riley: I’ve spent two years running from men who want me dead. Now I’m hiding as a small-town deputy in a Wild West tourist trap run by orcs. The plan: keep my head down, trust no one, and move on when necessary. What wasn’t in the plan? Sheriff Dungar Bronish—a gorgeous, methodical orc who protects his town with the same precision he organizes his sock drawer. When he looks at me like I’m his entire world, staying hidden becomes impossible. But if my past catches up with me, I won’t be the only one in danger. Dungar: The moment Riley walks into my office, the mating mark appears on my wrist. She’s my fated mate, my perfect match. But she’s running from something dangerous, and gaining her trust means giving her space she doesn’t believe she deserves. As mysterious thefts threaten our town and her secrets surface, one thing becomes clear: I’ll do anything to protect what’s mine, even if it means facing down villains and thieves with nothing but small-town determination and an orc’s protective instincts.     AmazonKU

KNIGHT OF LIONS (KINKAID SHIFTERS BOOK SIX) by Bianca D’Arc

Mrs. Entwistle has been a shadow over the Kinkaid Clan for far too long, terrorizing Liam’s extended family in Texas, orchestrating attacks, and always staying one step ahead. Now she’s back on Long Island, and Navy SEAL Liam Kinkaid is tasked with stopping her evil once and for all. He’s trained for impossible missions. But tracking a mage who hides behind false identities and carefully constructed lies? That requires a different kind of expertise. Enter FBI Special Agent Lina Goodwell, a lynx shifter with access to databases Liam can’t touch and investigative skills honed by years in federal service. She’s methodical where he’s direct, systematic where he’s tactical. But as they work to unravel Mrs. Entwistle’s web of deception, their professional partnership ignites something neither expected – the unmistakable pull of a mate bond. The closer they get to Mrs. E, the more dangerous the mission becomes. When the investigation leads them to a final showdown at Wardenclyffe, Liam must trust not only in Lina’s skills – but in a bond that demands everything and promises forever. Some missions are worth dying for. This one might be worth living for.        Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

JINGLE BATS: A PAHL  CHRISTMAS SPECIAL by Athena Steller

VS Note: MM PNR.

Come spend the holidays with Aries, Vin, Nix, Evan, and Gem. Between starting their careers playing professionally in the PAHL, finding new love, and making friends it’s already been a crazy season. Taking a few days to celebrate Christmas turns into a holiday to remember. Aries explores his little side with his brothers while Vin supports his every need. Nix finally gets to see Evan’s dragon. And who is Gem’s mysterious texter? It might only be a few short days between games, but the triplets will make the most of it. The warmest holiday wishes for you from the characters of the Paranormal American Hockey League. This holiday special follows the vents of Nix: PAHL Book 2. It is recommended to first read Aries & Nix before enjoying this story.     AmazonKU

HOT WOLF IN THE COUNTRY by Honey Phillips

Working late has never been this dangerous! Tech genius Harper moves to Monster Island for a fresh start, hoping to escape her workaholic tendencies. She doesn’t expect to fall even deeper into her old patterns, or to accidentally run into the most infuriatingly attractive man she’s ever met.Adrian Moonstone isn’t just the Alpha of the Moonstone Pack; he’s a growly, dominant force of nature. Adrian wants nothing to do with big city girls, but Harper, with her pink hair, defiant attitude, and tantalizing scent, proves impossible to resist. He knows a tiny human female can’t be his Luna. He knows she’ll never truly belong in his world. Yet, his wolf’s need to claim her grows with every encounter. When a vicious cyber-attack threatens his pack, Adrian needs Harper’s genius more than ever. But as they fight together to defeat this new threat, their undeniable passion ignites. Can Harper find her happily ever after, or will love prove to be a code that even she can’t break?    AmazonKU

WANTON WITCHMAS (THESE BOOTS ARE MADE FOR WITCHING) by T M Cromer

Recently anointed Titan Payton Hawthorne has mastered the art of running from expectations, relationships, and most notably, her own wedding. But distance hasn’t dulled the ache of what she lost, and returning home for her sister’s engagement isn’t her idea of festive fun, especially with the man she wronged patrolling every street. So when a pair of bewitched boots arrives on her doorstep, what’s a girl to do but reach for a bit of holiday cheer by trying them on? Newly humorless Officer Dailey Cobb hasn’t forgiven Payton for leaving him at the altar or vanishing after her sister’s curse stripped him of his emotions. His feelings may be on the fritz, but his body remembers her in excruciating detail. Worse, a Trickster’s meddling has ignited a new enchantment, one that sends him straight to her door with a need he can’t control. He’s determined to reclaim every fractured part of himself. And if he has to lock her up and flirt with the dark arts to sever her hold, so be it. With dragons circling, gargoyles lurking, and gods stirring trouble for sport, Payton and Dailey must untangle a supernatural snare strong enough to destroy their idyllic small town. The more magic unravels, the hotter things get. And if Witchmere survives the fallout, it’ll be another Christmas miracle.        Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo

LAIR OF THE SIREN (FORGOTTEN GODS BOOK 22) by Laura Greenwood

Can a siren’s revenge lead to her finding something sweeter? Nadda swore revenge on the sailors who caught her sister in a net and destroyed her life. Now she’s determined to return and use her siren song to enact her vengeance. When she captures Saf with her magic, she starts to realise that her plan might not go exactly the way she wants it to, and she has to decide what’s more important – her past or her future. Lair Of The Siren is part of the Forgotten Gods series and is based on Egyptian mythology. It is based on the Legend Of El Naddaha and includes an m/f romance.     Amazon     Apple Books      Kobo

DEADLY ARROGANCE: NECROMANCER TALES BOOK IV by MJ May

VS Note: MM PNR.

Necromancer Erasmus Boone’s life is on hold—every shadow suspect, every trip outside his warded home a gamble. Afraid of bringing more attention to already wary necromancers, Erasmus has stopped hunting for his own kind. Unwilling to place an even larger target on his back, Erasmus has even delayed his own wedding. Human homicide detective Franklin O’Hare wants nothing more than to be there for the necromancer he loves. Unfortunately, he’s neck-deep in not one but two separate multiple-body dump scenes. With little more than skeletal remains to go on, Franklin’s days are consumed with work, and his sleepless nights are spent wishing he had more time for his fiancé.
Waiting and wondering when Tenzen Huxley will make his move is physically exhausting and emotionally draining. Information regarding shadow borne is slim and little more than hearsay, and what is known is horrifying. Will Erasmus and Franklin be ready when Tenzen finally makes his move? Is there truly any way to be prepared for the hell a shadow borne can unleash? Despite the support of powerful friends and family, Erasmus and Franklin desperately need to find a shadow borne’s weakness. Sometimes, weakness comes from within, not without, and often, arrogance is the deadliest flaw of all.       AmazonKU

WE WHO WILL DIE (EMPIRE OF BLOOD BOOK ONE) by Stacia Stark

From the bestselling author of the Kingdom of Lies series comes a slow-burn romantasy set in a Roman-inspired world ruled by merciless vampires. Filled with breathtaking combat, vengeful gods, and magical creatures, We Who Will Die is the epic first installment in an enthralling new series perfect for fans of Carissa Broadbent, Jasmine Mas, and Rebecca Yarros. Life in the perilous Thorn district is a constant battle for Arvelle and her younger brothers. And the vampire standing on her doorstep is about to turn their world upside down. Faced with an unthinkable choice, Arvelle makes a magically binding vow to do the impossible: kill the emperor, an ancient vampire created by the god Umbros. But first, she must enter the Sundering—an arena where only the fastest, strongest, and deadliest survive long enough to be selected for the emperor’s elite guard. She quickly draws the ire of the Primus, the powerful figure charged with protecting the emperor. But the vampire under the armor is the last person Arvelle expects to encounter in the emperor’s court.  With her brothers’ lives in the balance, Arvelle has no choice but to ally with the man who once shattered her heart… and with the emperor’s sadistic son, Rorrik—two vampires whose motives are impossible to pin down. Rorrik holds the key to understanding the powers Arvelle is developing—abilities that would put a price on her head if discovered by the emperor. To survive the arena and complete her mission, Arvelle must get to the bottom of a conspiracy that will change everything she thought she knew about herself—and the two vampires who are deeply entwined with her destiny.     Amazon     AB      Apple Books      Kobo

TEA AND ALCHEMY by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Cornwall, 1854. The people of Roche have always whispered about the recluse in the black granite tower that looms above the moorland. But one young woman is driven to discover the truth behind the old tales. Her life overshadowed by family tragedy, Mina Penrose escapes her lonely days by working at The Magpie, a cozy tearoom on the village’s edge. Lately she’s been seeing shapes in the sodden leaves that hint at the future. After one such omen, Mina stumbles upon a murdered man on the heath. Villagers immediately suspect Harker Tregarrick, a living, breathing mystery who never ventures beyond the bounds of his centuries-old estate. Until the day after the murder, when the handsome and compelling recluse visits The Magpie…leading to a meeting that will change both their fates. Captivated by a man around whom danger and rumors of death swirl, Mina has never felt more alive. Can she uncover Harker’s heartbreaking history—and the truth about the murder—before tragedy strikes again?      Amazon        AB

DRAGON’S TEMPTATION (MOONLIGHT DRAGON TRILOGY BOOK TWO) by Nicolette Andrews

Liane is the Goddess chosen, wielder of the golden blade. But the blade is embedded in her spine. Liane is the goddess Cyra’s Avatar, destined to destroy the dark plague sweeping the empire with the Golden Blade. Unfortunately, the sword is fused into her back. It’s said only pure souls can draw the sword, which Liane must prove her divinity by giving up material comforts and carnal indulgences. She dedicated her life to the Church of Sol and prepared for a devout life, until Erich strolled back into her life, a temptation she cannot deny. Erich crossed the continent to find Liane again, and he’s ready to burn the world to keep her safe, but can he protect her from the monster under his skin? His control over the dragon is splintering, leading him down a dangerous path from which he cannot return. The longer he orbits around Liane trying to untangle her from the Church of Sol’s influence, the more the dragon chips away at his sanity, and soon there will be nothing of him left…Caught between divinity and damnation, they try to fight the inexplicable draw to one another. Liane’s faith will be tested as Erich’s restraints are broken. Together alone are they are strong enough to subvert the apocalypse. Can they overcome their fears and biases before darkness rises to destroy them all?        Amazon      Apple Books      Kobo

THE ASSASSIN’S CHOSEN: THE CRIMSON VAMPIRE COVEN BOOK 19 by B A Stretke

VS note: MM PNR.

One forbidden discovery. One lethal protector. One bond that will change everything. Dr. Elias Vance is a scientist on the verge of a breakthrough that could change the world: a serum for immortality. Working in a secret laboratory for the ruthless billionaire Orion Mercier, Elias has no idea that his research into a mysterious “blood factor” has crossed a dangerous line—one protected for centuries by the shadows. Kael Volkov is a Guardian—an elite vampire assassin sent by the Crimson Coven to eliminate threats to their kind. His mission is simple: observe and eliminate Dr. Vance. But the moment Kael gets close enough to strike, his cold, professional world is shattered. The scent that had been masked by lab chemicals reveals a shocking truth: Elias is his Chosen. Now, the man hired to kill Elias must become his only hope for survival. As the Vampire Council sends more assassins to finish the job and Orion Mercier reveals the monstrous lengths he’ll go to for eternal life, Kael and Elias are forced into a desperate alliance. Between them grows a bond that is both wonderful and terrifying—a connection that may force Kael to choose between his people and the man he was born to protect. In a world of blood and secrets, can an immortal killer save his chosen beloved from the very darkness he helped create?      Amazon

THIRTY, FLIRTY AND FOREVER ALONE by Christine Riccio

VS Note: “Magical twist.” I preordered this, sounded good.

When your name literally means “forever alone,” it takes a lot of positive self-talk to stay optimistic in the hellscape that is dating. But on the cusp of thirty, Rikki Romona is determined to find her person. Columnist, therapist, podcaster, entrepreneur—Rikki is an overachiever who thrives on schedules. She can absolutely handle two weddings in two days, and lock down someone to drag along as a plus-one. And yet, spoiler: She doesn’t. Rikki finds herself flying hopelessly solo at a themed wedding in New Jersey. A lonely Rapunzel waiting for her Flynn. Enter Reed Tyler: writer, podcast producer, wannabe actor. Surprisingly single with startling blue eyes, he seems perfect. The catch? He lives kind of far away, so dating him would be a bit of a hike. Like an intense, all-the-way-across-the-country hike. After one unforgettable night together, Rikki’s sure this is the end. But as she braces herself for heartache, the universe, it seems, has other plans.      AmazonKU      AB

GIVEN TO THE SASQUATCH: A CASCADES BEST SHORT STORY by Sue Mercury

VS Note: A re-release.

He’ll keep me safe… and warm. On the run from the mob, I desperately need a place to hide. My cousin insists the safest option is a tribe of Sasquatches he recently befriended—but there’s a catch.
To stay, I’ll be expected to mate with one of the massive, furry creatures. For life. Then I meet Karm—a handsome, muscle-bound beast who believes I’m his fated mate. He scoops me into his arms and carries me up the mountain, fully intent on claiming me as his. Note: This story originally appeared in Snow, Lights, and Monster Nights: A Monster Anthology       Amazon     Apple Books     Kobo

SEASON OF THE NAGA VOLUME ONE (BRIDES OF THE SERPENT STONES)  by Iona Strom

She was offered as peace. He was forged for war. To end centuries of bloodshed, Leira is bound by blood to a naga war commander, a living seal between enemies whose hatred runs as deep as the scars of war. As enemies coil in shadows and betrayal strikes from within, Varok must choose between the vengeance of his past and the human who is prophesied to change the fate of his people forever. Hunted by forces determined to see peace fail, their forbidden desire may be the only weapon capable of surviving the coming storm—or the spark that consumes them both. ~A slow-burn fantasy romance with enemies-to-lovers tension, forbidden desire, and ancient magic that refuses to stay buried.      AmazonKU

THE VAMPIRE BAT SHIFTER’S MATE: A GAY MONSTER ROMANCE WITH FANGS by Delaney Rain

Wiley Winslow is having a shit night that only gets worse when masked agents abduct him and throw him into a cage with a giant, hungry man bat. Hamilton Fawkes is having an awesome night now that his fated mate’s blood has given him the strength he needs to escape the government lab that’s imprisoned him for far too long. They escape, they run, they hide, but even when they find sanctuary, it’s only for a few days before the bad guys are at it again. When our heroes are captured, though, nothing will stop them from saving themselves and everyone else being forced to participate in a totally illegal government program to make super soldiers. Not everyone will make it out alive—but they’re bad guys so they don’t count anyway.      AmazonKU

STOP BULLSHIFTING ME (SNOWY COZY SHIFTER ROMANCES BOOK FOUR) by Zora Black and Milly Taiden

I was supposed to observe him. Not… absorb him. Rafe Calderon is six feet of pure rage, broken mirrors, and bullshifter DNA. The Brotherhood calls him Toro. I call him a walking HR violation with cheekbones. He growls, I analyze. He threatens, I document. Then he shifts mid-therapy and pins a man to the wall with his horns. Now I’m bleeding light. Glowing in places that should not glow. And waking up to a tattooed monster guarding my bed like I’m the last piece of peace he’s ever seen.
Apparently I’m a latent witch. He’s a cursed killer. And together we’re the spark that could burn the Pact to the ground. We are not bonding. We are not soulmating. We are surviving. Skin to skin. Pulse to pulse. Some women journal through trauma. I tend to ride it out. Literally.     AmazonKU

THE DHAMPIR by Angela Knight

An ancient vampire, Hunter can command any woman he wants — except the one woman he needs. His mate. Genevieve Drake is a Dhampir — half vampire, half mortal, born and bred to be the perfect complement to her vampire mate, like those of her family for sixteen generations. Instead, she chose to become a cop. Three months ago she survived a vicious attack by a psychotic ex that left her with psychic scars and a desperate need for a new line of work. Time to rethink her future. Hunter is tall, dark and handsome — and very, very powerful. He’s also been waiting for Genevieve. She was just eighteen when he had a vision that they’d one day become lovers. He’s been biding his time ever since. But Genevieve’s experiences have left her unable to trust any man, even Hunter. If he wants them to have a future, the vampire will have to find a way to banish her ghosts.    Amazon      Apple Books       Kobo

CHRISTMAS CHIMER by Zoe Chant

Leaving his family’s cheerful-but-very-noisy Christmas getaway is chimera shifter Colton’s favorite time of year, and this time he has an excellent excuse: his job as a lawyer is pulling him back to New York—unless the Montana winter snowstorms have anything to say about it. But the storm brings its own kind of luck, because small plane pilot Jo Talbott isn’t just Colton’s answer to getting out of the mountains and back to the real world: she’s also his fated mate, and the reason he’s prepared to change his life entirely……as soon as he wins this court case, anyway. And while Jo wasn’t planning to fly in the storm, when Colton (who happens to be the most absurdly handsome man Jo has ever seen) makes her an offer that will help save her family ranch, Jo trusts her instincts and her skills—and when disaster takes the plane down, it’s thanks to a freak event that neither of them could have anticipated. Marooned in the Montana mountains and determined to save his mate, Colton reveals himself as a shifter—and realizes quickly that Jo is going to save him right back. Together they stand every change against the blizzard—and might just make a life-changing discovery on their stormy road to love.       AmazonKU

THE DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH (BEYPOND THE VEIL BOOK 10) by KM Avery

VS Note: MM PNR.

My life has been… rough. I spent most of my childhood in an asylum, and I’ve spent the better part of the last six years trying to deal with the fact that everything I touch tells me something about the last person who owned it, the person who made it, and sometimes several people in between. It’s exhausting, and I hate it. I will do pretty much anything to avoid doing it, in fact. Until a six-four, golden-eyed FBI agent walked through the door and dropped literal diamonds into my hands. Well, a diamond necklace. And he asked me to tell me everything I could about who’d owned it, who’d given it to her, and so on. I guess I have to learn how to control my abilities fast, or a murderer might go free. And I might lose my chance to impress the FBI agent who haunts my dreams.   AmazonKU

SPILLING THE TEA IN GRETNA GREEN (MIDLIF RECORDER)  by Linzi Day 

Niki McKnight puts the ‘tea’ in team with eight tales of magic, mayhem, and midlife empowerment. Welcome back to Gretna Green, where the tea is hot—even when it’s coffee—the dragons are hotter, and the cosy-fantasy chaos never ends. Join Niki and her irrepressible team at the Recorder’s Office as they uncover secrets, meet a dragonet, and commit the occasional righteous murder—with plenty of laughter, loyalty, and a splash of uisge beatha for shock. From ancient graveyards to modern royal birthdays, Gretna Green has never been busier. This full-length collection of novellas and short stories weaves through the series, starting after Ties that Bond and continuing after Market Forces.
It contains spoilers if you haven’t read the first three books in the series.     AmazonKU

CURSED TO THE RUINED COURT (FROSTBOUND COURT BOOK THREE) by Robin D Mahle and Elle Madison

A queen loathed by her own. A king waging an impossible war. A world devoured by ice and shadow.   AmazonKU

LAST CALL IN CHCAGO (THE HAUNTED RANCH MYSTERIES) by Sara Bourgeois

Claire Caldwell has it all figured out. A corner office, a “devoted” fiancé, and a five-year plan that definitely doesn’t include inheriting a ranch in the middle of the Arizona desert. Then her boss calls her “redundant.” Her fiancé calls her “Harmony.” And a desperate teenager calls from Perdido Springs, demanding $347.82 for horse feed.In three devastating weeks, Claire watches her carefully constructed life collapse. The job she gave twelve years to? Gone. The man she planned to marry? Running off with his yoga instructor and her “spiritual energy.” The letters from Arizona she’s been ignoring? Turns out they’re not a scam. Now Claire owns forty acres, four horses, a herd of stubborn goats, and more questions than answers. Why did her great-aunt leave everything to a niece she met once? Why does Claire keep seeing people who aren’t there? And why does she dream of a copper-colored fox with preternatural eyes? She’s about to find out that losing everything was just the beginning. Last Call in Chicago is a prequel novella to Death Rides the Desert, the first book in The Haunted Ranch Mysteries series. Discover how Claire Caldwell went from corporate burnout to ghost whisperer… one terrible week at a time.      Amazon

LIAM (THE CALHOUN BROTHERS BOOK TWO) by Minerva Howe

VS Note: MM PNR.

Liam Calhoun has been looking up the mountain he lived at the bottom of for years, but in the last six months or so, the feeling has become urgent. Not only is his brother, Rory, up there with a pack of werewolves, but the old homestead at the edge of the treeline is calling to him. Something up there needs him, what he finds there when the snows clear changes Liam’s life forever. Theo is a werewolf on the run, his small pack destroyed, the survivors flung to the four winds. He has his friends’ baby, and nowhere to go until he finds a homestead at the top of the mountain and settles in to fight what’s left of the winter. When Liam comes up the mountain during the early spring thaw, Theo knows he’s finally found home. Can the two of them deal with Theo’s lost pack, Liam’s emerging werewolf identity, and the brutal high mountain weather to form a pack of three, or more?     AmazonKU

CAPTIVE BY FAE (HUNTED BY FAE BOOK TWO) by Quinn Blackbird

One minute, I’m on a road trip across Canada with my friends, the next, darkness is spreading through the sky, drenching it like spilled ink on parchment—and then came the dark warriors. In a world-wide blackout, torchlight and the death of my friends is all I come to know. But Bee has a plan, because she has a secret—but it’s a scheme thwarted by the dark warrior hunting her, the one who laid a trap for us in the middle of a frozen city—He steals Bee from me… and leaves my life in the cold hands of a fae warrior different from the others, carved from ice, hollow—and utterly terrifying. His task is to take me with his unit back to the fae realm, where hopefully I’m reunited with Bee. But that’s months away, months of trekking difficult terrain in a harsh winter, and no way of contacting Bee, to learn if she’s even still alive. She faces the same danger that I do. Broken promises, fractured bargains, and death at the hands of the fae captors.      AmazonKU

BLOODTHIRSTY BELOVED by Ella Fields

Deadly quests blur the line between hate and love in this all-new standalone romantasy. King Brey and Queen Ethel were once in love—until they became husband and wife. While Brey was instantly infatuated upon meeting his betrothed, the arrangement made by her father was an unwelcome surprise for Ethel. Forced to surrender all she knew, Ethel did so reluctantly, and her torn heart broke her husband’s. Now, the two live lazily in a palace too small for their bitter feelings and venomous words. But their reign of indulgence has been costly, and they must finally put their union to good use by replenishing the wards that protect vampirekind. To complete the deadly tasks awaiting them, they will need to cast their hatred aside and work together—or they could lose far more than a chance to salvage their bloodthirsty love.       AmazonKU

BEFORE THE FROST: A MONSTER ROMANCE SHORT READ (HARVEST mOON) by Adrian Blue

Widowed farmer Margaret has spent eight years alone, aching with a loneliness she’ll never admit out loud. Until the night she burns the last of the harvest and whispers her need into the November darkness. What answers is Jack, a massive creature of vines and earth with a carved pumpkin head and an ancient claim on her land. He says her loneliness summoned him, that she’s his now until the first frost. Margaret knows she should run while she still can. But as Jack’s vines wrap around her body and his dark voice fills her mind, she discovers that being claimed by a monster might be exactly what she’s been craving.       AmazonKU

UNEXPECTED MATE FOR CHRISTMAS (HOLIDAY ROYALS OF THE LAND UNSEEN BOOK THREE) by Lisa Daniels

VS Note: MM PNR.

It’s nearly Christmas, and I already have everything. Power. Wealth. A Royal bloodline. I have no right to complain about my life. Even if I tried, no one would listen. Except for Noel. Since the first time we met, he’s set my heart aflutter. His easy smile, calm demeanor, and genuine concern are new to me. His easy charm makes him far better than any alpha. He’s the only person I’ve ever wanted.  I have no right to ask for that though. I broke up with him two years ago. Walking into paradise to find my mate, he was the first person I saw. Still, I can’t have him. Not if I want to keep him safe. He’s everything I’ve ever wanted, right down to his dragon shifter form. Watching him find his mate, knowing he can’t be mine, is killing me.       AmazonKU       AB

WHISPERS OF MAYHEM (GUARDIANS OF DEATH BOOK ONE) by Aurora Ramsden

I always suspected I wasn’t exactly human. I mean, when you’re immune to fire and see visions straight out of a horror movie—it gets a little tedious trying to play normal. So yeah, I’m just a tattoo artist—tatted up, pounding margs, surviving sweaty gym sessions, and inking drunk idiots who’ll regret it in the morning. Doesn’t that sound like paradise to you? Then this asshole swaggers into my shop, strutting around like he owns the place, and drops a coin on me like it’s a damn calling card. Suddenly my sisters and I are left scratching our heads, trying to decode the riddle of what the hell we actually are. Spoiler alert: apparently, we’re some kind of creature. Which kind? Your guess is as good as mine. But here’s the kicker: if we don’t figure it out fast, rumor says we’ll be parting ways with our heads. Cute, right? Honestly, if anyone’s going to be taking heads, it’s going to be me. Not that I’d complain. I do love the color red—blood red. Now that’s a shade worth painting the walls with. After all, a splash of color adds personality, don’t you think?       AmazonKU

HER COUGAR (SHIFTED LOVE SERIES BOOK 13) by Fiona Davenport

After aging out of foster care, Elodie Chase survived a year on her own. When a storm forced her to park near a remote construction site, she expected nothing more than another night of keeping her head down. Instead, she found Garner Wilder—a man who made her feel safe before she understood why. Garner knew Elodie was his mate the moment he scented her. The human woman with tired eyes called to his cougar like nothing ever had. And when sabotage threatened his project—and her safety—he refused to let her out of his sight.       AmazonKU

SECRETARY TO THE ORC (INDECENT MONSTERS) by Lyonne Riley

Rosette Kristoff is impeccable at her job, but there’s just one problem: she has a massive crush on her orc boss, Mr. Vincent Roth. Though he appreciates what she has on offer, he never touches, much to her indignation. That is, until Vincent discovers Rosette’s after-hours job working at a gentlemen’s sex club as “Velvet.” Then all his pent-up hunger for his beautiful assistant erupts, and he finally crosses the line. But a relationship between them is a recipe for Human Resources disaster, and Vincent knows it can’t be more than a tryst at a club. And the last thing he needs is to form a mate bond. Once he gets a taste of Velvet, though, can Vincent really stay away from Rosette? This is a short and steamy monster romance novella about a very unconventional relationship between an orc boss and his assistant. Please read the list of content warnings in the sample.      AmazonKU’

MATED TO THE ALPHA SQUAD (PACK UP AND LOVE ME) by Ella Hartwell

I thought I was giving a spa day to three very large, very grumpy stray dogs. Turns out, I was accidentally claiming the city’s most dangerous Alpha pack. My name is Penny, and I’m the best dog groomer in the tri-state area. I can tame a biting Chihuahua with a look and turn a matted mess into a show pony in under an hour. So, when three massive, majestic wolves wandered into my shop looking like they’d been dragged through a sewer, I didn’t call Animal Control. I called for the premium blueberry shampoo. I scrubbed them. I blow-dried them. I may have put a jaunty little bandana on the biggest one. And then… I found The Spot. You know the one. That magic little nerve ending behind the ear that makes a dog’s leg kick? Well, apparently, when you hit that spot on a shifter stuck in wolf form, it doesn’t just make their leg kick. It accidentally triggers a soul-deep mating bond. Whoops. Now, three gorgeous, intense, and terrifyingly familiar men are stalking my shop. Rowan: The brooding Alpha who glares at me like he wants to devour me (and is definitely hiding the fact that I put a pink bow on him yesterday). Knox: The stoic Enforcer who keeps “accidentally” breaking things just so I have to come close to fix them. Jax: The chaotic wild card who looks at me with puppy-dog eyes and practically begs for head scratches in the middle of the waiting room. They’re undercover agents who should be focusing on a drug bust, but all they can focus on is me. They need to break the bond before they lose their badges, but their inner wolves have other ideas. They don’t just want a groomer. They want a mate. And they’re willing to get down and dirty to prove they can be very good boys.        AmazonKU       AB

BEAR OF THE DEEP (TIDES OF FATE BOOK THREE) by Delta James

I came to the Isle of Skara to study the sea. I didn’t expect it to claim me. When my selkie heritage awakens and a dark mage targets me, the only one who can keep me alive is Grayson Hale, a bear shifter sworn to guard the deep places. He says the ocean is calling me home. I’m starting to believe him… and to fall for the man fate tied to my blood.       AmazonKU

FORCED REJECTED MATE (SILVER FALLS WOLVES BOOK TWO) by Ruby Knoxx

I’m forced to mate with the wolf who brutally rejected me. I’m the black sheep, the weak outcast, the dormant witch. He’s my brother’s best friend, who cruelly told me that he didn’t want me. But now I’m forced to be his mate. Next, I’m pregnant with his baby…I’m a disappointment to my pack and my family, maltreated for being weak. When I told him that I loved him, he humiliated me by saying I didn’t cut it. Now, I’m told that I have to mate with him, that I don’t have a choice. But forced or not, I won’t open up to him again. And yet my body is overwhelmed by his extreme possessiveness. When I talk to others, he gets jealous and says I’m his. When I try to resist, he brings my body to the edge of insanity. I’m losing control, obediently submitting to whatever he wants to do with me. Can I let my brother’s best friend break me all over again?       AmazonKU

NORTHERN WILD (FROSTHAVEN ACADEMY – NORTHERN SERIES BOOK ONE) by Jaye Marellen

When the frost melts, new magic stirs. After the old council’s defeat, peace settled over Frosthaven—or so everyone hoped. But when a mischievous orphan named Lumi crosses the Arctic Circle, she sees a vision blazing across Denali’s peak—a promise and a warning. Her prank-filled days at the orphanage end when the Academy summons her north, where secrets sleep beneath the ice and the word feral carries a deadly meaning. Fated mates. Found family. Forbidden bonds. Welcome back to Frosthaven Academy, where the cold hides everything except desire.     AmazonKU

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LINKS TO RECENT NEW RELEASES POSTS from Veronica

December 24

December 17

December 10

December 3

November 26

“New” is generally plus or minus a week or two. I try to catch up on ones I missed in recent months.  And I may mention ‘special items’.

NOTE: I’m doing my best to avoid listing anything generated from use of AI but it’s sometimes tricky to detect from the resources I have available. As far as covers go, I list the Amazon cover whether it’s AI or not. 

I do NOT cover every single new release in SFR/FantasyR/PNR. I never have. That would be an impossible task for any human! I assemble my list by hand every week based on various informal inputs, and I do curate the list to some extent…

Some authors aren’t in KU but still don’t list books with Apple or other platforms. This report is very time consuming to prepare so I’ve always had to limit myself and cannot go and look up every book on all the platforms. If an author gives me their other buy links, I include them here but generally I develop the post on my own, not from author-supplied information. I curate and prepare this post individually every week to help connect readers/books/authors and I have to be very careful not to give it so much time as an activity that I don’t write my own novels! Thanks for the feedback and happy reading!

Dec 5 2025

Will You Be My Champion? LADY OF THE NILE Snippet Romantasy in Ancient Egypt

Cover by Fiona Jayde

Taking today’s snippet from LADY OF THE NILE. A hgigh ranking lady in waiting to the quwen has been kidnapped and Pharaoh charged a warrior and a Medjai to find her.

Khian was bone tired, not so much from physical exertions, but the tension of the entire day, including personal conversation with Pharaoh and the Royal Wife. He wondered idly how the banquet had gone and if Horus had been pleased by the event in his honor. He wished he and Tuya had been there. Suddenly an official, formal boring banquet seemed like the most alluring event in all of Egypt, if only she were safely there at this hour.

As he took the chariot to the stables and supervised the servants unhitching the horses, grooming and feeding them, he wanted to pray, but to which of the Great Ones? Tuya was a priestess of Mut, but a warrior such as himself didn’t normally pray to the goddess.

But would his own Jackal God take any interest in a lost noblewoman, who had no connection to him? Unlikely. Anubis had loftier concerns.

Restless, he paced through the stables as he pondered recent events in his mind. Khian had wanted to know so much more about Tuya, to spend delicious hours talking about everything and nothing, to hold her, touch her—all things that might never happen. He realized he’d been well on his way to falling in love with her, given any encouragement at all. A dangerous prospect when he needed a clear head to decide how best to find her. If she’s even alive…Determinedly, he thrust away the bleak thought. He paused and found himself in an unfamiliar corner of the stables. Frustrated, he had to take a moment to orient himself in the unfamiliar passages of the place before he found his way again.

Khian took himself to the commissary for a belated dinner. His second-in-command arrived shortly, and he briefed the man on his special assignment, leaving out most of the details. His loyal lieutenant was happy for him to have this chance to shine in Pharaoh’s eyes if the assignment went well. They discussed the plans for his own company to carry out its assigned duties in Thebes in Khian’s absence.

“The company is yours now,” Khian said, clapping his friend on the shoulder. “The men respect you and will take your orders. Don’t let these local Theban officers bully you or them. Stand up for yourself and the Jackal Nome. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

“And we’ll sail home to our sweethearts and the planting,” his friend said with a contented smile. “Done with war and adventuring.”

Khian reckoned his days of adventure were just beginning.

Alone in his own room at last, Khian undressed and went straight to sleep. He’d disciplined himself to fall asleep rapidly each night, as a tired soldier couldn’t fight at his peak.

In his dreams he found himself standing in the desert at night, staring off to the west, feeling a pull and a yearning in his heart that he didn’t understand. Something made a slight sound to his right, and he pivoted to see what at first he thought was a large white bird, its feathers glowing. Even as he stood there staring the creature morphed into a beautiful woman between one moment and the next.

Depositphotos

She was taller than he, with a serene, heart-shaped face of utmost beauty. Her dress, which had been a glowing white linen shift, elegantly pleated, became bright red, with blue stripes at the hem. Faintly, the scent of the blue lotus came to his nostrils as she stepped to his side, also facing the desert. She glanced at him. “I meant you to be her chance for change or hoped so at any rate. But one must be careful what one asks for, even a Great One such as me. Once events were set in motion, other players stepped in to reach for my game piece, and now my poor Tuya is in grave danger. I fear I was quite rude to Shai and demanded he readjust her fortune to what I’d originally meant it to be, but he laughed and said I must yield to the whims of Fate.”

“I’ll find her, Great One,” he said, greatly daring in addressing a goddess, but speaking from the heart.

She shook her head, which set the golden beads in her lustrous wig to chiming. “The desert is vast and trackless. I’ll order my children to help as much as they can, for they see much from the sky. Watch for them.”

She set her fingers on his arm, and his entire body tingled with her power. “I’m not a goddess of war and soldiers, yet if I’m to help my priestess, I must step into an unaccustomed role. Will you be my champion in this, Khian of the Jackal Nome? Tuya’s champion?”

“You ask of me what I’ve already pledged Pharaoh to accomplish, my lady.” But he nodded solemnly. “I’m honored to assist you.”

“Good. Pharaoh sees much merit in you, which gives me hope.”

A flight of golden flies, shaped like the gold of valor he’d received only a few short weeks ago from Pharaoh’s hand, buzzed and flew a circular pattern around him before arrowing across the desert and disappearing from view. Khian felt dizzy, from the intense perfume and the awe of being in the presence of a goddess. He clenched his fists and stood straighter, trying to concentrate.

“Yet you are but human,” she said in a sad voice, “and as such cannot prevail against some foes. I’ve pleaded for help from one who fights such battles, and he has said he’ll send a warrior to your side. Only one – this matter of my priestess isn’t of pressing import to Egypt’s fate – but I see the potential for future problems and the Lord of the Sacred Land agrees.”

Anubis, she speaks of Anubis. Despite his family’s ties to the jackal god, Khian suffered the sting of momentary terror. Hard enough to have a goddess sharing her concerns with him, but the idea of having Anubis pay direct attention to him was so outside his wildest imagining Khian could barely hold the idea.

“Go with my blessing, and bring her home. This is my command.” The goddess faded, as if she’d been no more than a mirage in the desert.

Khian sat up straight in his bed with a gasp, hand to his heart as if saluting a superior officer.  Throat parched, he reached for his waterskin on the table, and his hand brushed something soft. With a pounding heart, he picked up the white feather, which glowed in the moonlight, its quill gleaming gold. As he watched, the feather shrank and changed until it was a tiny amulet bead, strung on a fine black leather cord. Hastily, he fastened the thong on his left wrist, where the feather lay against his skin. Pride at wearing a symbol of Mut, the World-Mother, suffused his mind and heart, since she’d named him her champion. As the goddess had said, she was no patron of war or soldiers but nonetheless it seemed there was a battle of unusual nature in the offing. Since the prize at the center of the conflict was Tuya he wouldn’t shirk the challenge.

Depositphotos

LADY OF THE NILE

Tuya, a high ranking lady-in-waiting at Pharaoh’s court, lives a life of luxury, pageantry and boredom. Khian, a brave and honorable officer from the provinces temporarily re-assigned to Thebes, catches her eye at a gold of valor ceremony. As the pair are thrown together by circumstances, she finds herself unaccountably attracted to this man so unlike the haughty nobles she’s used to. But a life with Khian would mean leaving the court and giving up all that she’s worked so hard to attain. As she goes about her duties, Tuya struggles with her heart’s desires. 

When Tuya is lured into a dangerous part of Thebes by her disgraced half-brother and kidnapped by unknown enemies of Egypt, Khian becomes her only hope. Pharaoh assigns him to bring the lady home. 

Aided by the gods, Khian races into the desert on the trail of the elusive kidnappers, hoping to find Tuya before it’s too late. Neither of them has any idea of the dark forces arrayed against them, nor the obstacles to be faced. An ancient evil from the long gone past wants to claim Tuya for its own purposes and won’t relinquish her easily. 

Can Khian find her in time? Will he and his uncanny allies be able to prevent her death? And if the couple escapes and reaches safety, what of their fledgling romance?

Amazon     iBooks     Kobo     B&N     Google Play

By veronicascott • Posted in Snippet
0
Nov 29 2025

Memorable Moment Snippet Terrifying Vision from the Goddess LADY OF THE NILE

Cover by Fiona Jayde

Taken from LADY OF THE NILE, as Tuya falls asleep next to the goddess Mut’s reflecting pool and dreams…

She stood on a hill, in the shade of a beautiful palm tree, watching groups of people walk along a path across the river from her. They danced and laughed and kissed and talked amongst themselves, as if going to a wonderful festival or special event. Men and women strolled hand in hand, oblivious to anything but each other. Families traveled in little groups, the babies in adult arms, toddlers and young children skipping and running ahead, only to rejoin their parents.

“How do I get over there?” Shielding her eyes with her hand, she searched for a path leading away from where she stood, or a bridge to cross the river.

“But you positioned yourself here, why do you now want to leave?”

Surprised, Tuya turned to the woman standing beside her whose presence she hadn’t noticed before, being so intent on the parade across the way. She seemed familiar, but no name came to Tuya’s tongue. “I didn’t choose to stand here.”

“Indeed you did. You worked hard and cleverly to achieve this elevated role. Don’t you remember all the times you chose the path of service over more demanding—and perhaps frightening—opportunities? Opted for the safety of the familiar?”

“I never—”

“You refused numerous offers for your hand, stating you couldn’t leave Ashayet early in her term as Royal Wife, or when she was pregnant or nursing or later as a young mother.”

“I was needed!”

“The Royal Wife has fifty ladies-in-waiting, with dozens more who’d relish the chance for the appointment for a year or two.”

“I also serve the goddess at the temple.”

The woman laughed. “As one of a hundred. Did anyone other than the goddess notice when you stopped singing today? Or started again?”

Feeling a chill, and a bit frightened at her unknown companion’s knowledge, Tuya searched again for a path to the river. A low wall surrounded the spot where she stood, and she got goosebumps when she realized there was no break, no exit. She could step over the rows of nearly laid bricks but fear made her pause.

“Where are they all going?” she asked.

“They travel the road of life,” the woman said. “With all the experiences, good and bad, you’ve chosen to shield yourself from. The highs and the lows of a life lived. Not merely observed, not simply drifted through, like a ship caught in the backwaters of the Nile. You chart a safe course going nowhere except the tomb.”

A sudden fear entered Tuya’s mind like a slithering cobra. “Am I going to be in trouble when my heart is judged?”

“No, for you’ve committed no crimes against the gods or Egypt, told no lies.” The woman tapped her on the chest. “Your heart is true but untried, untouched. Indeed, many envy you for your closeness to Pharaoh and his Royal Wife, for your comfortable, easy life in the palace.” The other shook her head, causing the gold and turquoise beads in her hair to chime. “You represent potential untapped. A waste, but nothing to punish.” She gathered her fine linen skirts in one hand, preparing to leave the enclosure.

Greatly daring, for Tuya now realized she was in a vision and the person with her was either a goddess or a servant of the Great Ones, she put her hand on the lady’s arm to detain her. “Is there time to change?”

Laughing, the woman shifted away from her. “You? Change your path now?” She gestured at the wall surrounding them. “You’re close to the point where destiny is completely set. Shai the god of Fate only has so much patience, waiting to see what a human will do with their choices, and you’ve exhausted his. He’s moved on to others.”

Terrified, Tuya realized while they’d been chatting, more rows of bricks had been laid by invisible hands and the barrier was higher. “I don’t serve Fate, I serve Mut.”

Shaking a beringed finger at her, the other said, “All but the Great Ones are subject to Fate. Rare indeed is the intervention by a god or goddess on a human’s behalf.”

“Why show me all this then?” Tuya stared at the procession of people across the river, still happily moving through what she now understood were their lives. As she watched, several solitary men and women greeted each other and continued their walk hand in hand. Her heart ached as she recalled several good, worthy men she’d had as lovers but who drifted away when she refused to commit to marriage. It’d been a long time since she’d even exerted herself to flirt and seek a new lover. She couldn’t remember the last time a nobleman or high ranking officer had sought her out.

“Perhaps the goddess has a soft spot for you. Perhaps she had hopes for one who was a favorite.”

VS: Poor Tuya has no idea of the peril and adventures awaiting her…

Depositphotos

LADY OF THE NILE

Tuya, a high ranking lady-in-waiting at Pharaoh’s court, lives a life of luxury, pageantry and boredom. Khian, a brave and honorable officer from the provinces temporarily re-assigned to Thebes, catches her eye at a gold of valor ceremony. As the pair are thrown together by circumstances, she finds herself unaccountably attracted to this man so unlike the haughty nobles she’s used to. But a life with Khian would mean leaving the court and giving up all that she’s worked so hard to attain. As she goes about her duties, Tuya struggles with her heart’s desires. 

When Tuya is lured into a dangerous part of Thebes by her disgraced half-brother and kidnapped by unknown enemies of Egypt, Khian becomes her only hope. Pharaoh assigns him to bring the lady home. 

Aided by the gods, Khian races into the desert on the trail of the elusive kidnappers, hoping to find Tuya before it’s too late. Neither of them has any idea of the dark forces arrayed against them, nor the obstacles to be faced. An ancient evil from the long gone past wants to claim Tuya for its own purposes and won’t relinquish her easily. 

Can Khian find her in time? Will he and his uncanny allies be able to prevent her death? And if the couple escapes and reaches safety, what of their fledgling romance?

Amazon     iBooks     Kobo     B&N     Google Play

Romantasy in Ancient Egypt at Pharaoh’s Court, in a time where the gods walked the land beside the Nile…

Nov 22 2025

Memorable Moment Snippet from ARRIVAL (Planet of Last Resort)

VS Note: This week’s snippet is from my scifiromance with zombies! 

The group is workin their way through the devastated city, trying to escape:

Twenty or thirty infected a street over, Cody reported a few minutes later. Mesmerized by a fire.

Damn, we need to go in that direction. Jeff was plainly irritated at the new obstacle. We’ll go two blocks further and then cut over.

Melly thought she was in good physical shape but she was already feeling the strain of all the walking in her calves and thighs. She didn’t want to ask for a break though. She wanted to get as far away as possible from the infected in the vicinity. Time enough later to sit and rest a bit and drink some water.  As they finally made the turn to go east as Jeff wanted, she was distracted by a stray cat which erupted from the building she was passing and ran under her feet. Instinctively she screamed as she fell, landing on a stacked pile of looted goods, which toppled into the street with a crash. Melly lost her balance and fell to her knees with a painful thump.

Jeff yanked her to her feet at the same moment as Cody said, That did it. The sound has attracted their attention. We need to run, lady and gentlemen.

The captain kept his iron grip on her arm, drawing her with him as he sprinted through a side street, his men in a loose formation around them. Behind her she could hear the moaning and growling of the horde growing louder. Zach fired a long blast into the front line of the shambling creatures before rushing to keep up with the others.

Another group ahead, sir. We’re going to be cut off and surrounded.

Not missing a beat, Jeff turned into an alley which took them in a direction perpendicular to the two approaching groups of infected. Milly had a terrible stitch in her side and was breathing in huge gasps when she came to the end of the alley, which was closed off by a barred gate. “We’ll be trapped,” she said in a panic, glancing behind her to see the first infected swarming into the mouth of the alley.

Cutting through the lock now, Trent said.

The rusty gate swung open with a screeching sound that seemed to inflame the infected into moving faster. Jeff shoved Melly through, two of the soldiers at his back. Weld it shut.

A blaster sizzled and she checked behind her to see the wave of infected slam into the barrier, their eyes glowing, reaching clawed hands through the bars. More were piling up behind.

Won’t last long, sir, Trent reported. The weight of the crowd behind is going to force it open eventually.

We go up, Jeff said.

At the end of the alley there was a large container for trash and Zach and Cody were already standing on the closed lid. it. As Melly ran toward them, she saw Zach make the leap to catch the edge of a hanging ladder fire escape above them and draw himself up to safety. Cody joined him and both men pivoted to face the alley.

“I—I can’t climb that,” she said in between gasping breaths when she arrived at the trash container. “It’s too tall.”

“No problem.” Before she knew what he was doing, Jeff left her side, leaping to the top of the bin and reaching back for her. Trent boosted her into the captain’s grasp and she got her footing on the top of the shifting container with a gasp. Big hands spanning her waist, Jeff lifted her and literally threw her in the direction of Zach and Cody above, who caught her hands as if she was a circus aerial performer and yanked her onto the small balcony with them.

“Climb as if your life depends on it,” Cody said, pushing her in the direction of a rickety ladder attached to the side of the building. Head for the roof. We’ll be right behind you.

Jeff and the other two soldiers plainly couldn’t get onto the balcony where she stood unless she moved. There wasn’t room for extra people. The three men stood on the trash container lid and fired at the oncoming horde of infected. Cody and Zach added their firepower from above. No matter how many of the infected the barrage mowed down, more came from behind, scrambling awkwardly over their fallen comrades in their mindless resolve to get at the living prey in front of them.

Convinced she was abandoning Jeff and the others and hating the necessity to follow orders rather than stand and fight beside them, Melly scrambled up the ladder as rapidly as she could, praying the rusty fastenings weren’t going to come out of the wall and plummet the ladder and her into the crowd below. The rungs vibrated under her hands as one of the soldiers began to climb and she tried to redouble her pace. Terror gave her strength. She wished the antigrav units could lift them all to safety but as Jeff had explained to her, the devices were for controlled descent only, lacking the impeller which would allow free flight. Cursing whoever decided not to give the veterans the top of the line equipment, she kept climbing. Finally she reached the roof and maneuvered herself over the lip of the façade, sprawling on the surface beyond like a boneless sea creature. Her legs were jelly and her arms felt paralyzed. She rolled onto her back, gasping.

Cody who’d been climbing behind her was first to arrive and wordlessly he tugged her out of the way so the next man could climb to safety. Melly leaned against the utility vent where he’d left her and tried to control her racing pulse. She struggled to get to her feet, desperate to know if Jeff and others were okay. Evading Cody’s outstretched hand, she went to the parapet and leaned over, relieved to find the captain and the other two soldiers well on their way to the roof. The infected had reached the tiny balcony, climbing on the pile of bodies but didn’t seem to understand how to climb a ladder.

“You all right?” Jeff came straight to her, taking her by the arm and pulling her away from the edge.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, tears streaming from her eyes as emotion flooded through her body. “It’s all my fault for making the noise when I fell over the damn cat.”

“The important thing is we’re all okay and in a relatively safe place. Live to fight another day and all the associated inspirational talk.” He grinned. “You’ll do better next time. We had it rigorously trained into us how to stay silent at all times—I know you’re doing your best for us, doc.”

ARRIVAL (PLANET OF LAST RESORT BOOK ONE) by Veronica Scott

Melisande “Melly” Jericho is a newly licensed medical doctor, returning to her home planet to practice family medicine. She hasn’t been home in years and is excited to see her friends and family again. But when her shuttle lands, the spaceport seems deserted and she can’t get her handheld to connect to the network to call for help. Stranded on the landing pad far from the terminal, she joins forces with the only other passengers to arrive, never dreaming they’ll all soon be plunged into a life-or-death situation.

Jeff Pearson, retired Sectors Special Forces captain and his friends have come to colony planet Randal Four to take up ranching. He’s attracted to the curvy doctor as soon as he sees her on board the shuttle to the planet and hopes he can at least get her com details and maybe set up a dinner date before he and his team leave the city to reach their waiting ranchland. His tentative plans come to a crashing halt as a strange horde of moaning, growling people emerges from the terminal, headed in their direction with clearly murderous intent.

Jeff, Melly and the others make a desperate run to escape from the mob and begin an adventure the likes of which none of them could ever have predicted. As they struggle against overwhelming odds to survive, evade the infected, escape the city and reach her family home, the attraction and trust between the two grows ever hotter. But so does the danger and the mystery of what happened to the people of Randal Four.

Planet of Last Resort is book one in a new scifi romance series set in the Sectors. This book will end in a Happy For Now situation for the two main characters; however the series arc will continue and the challenges and dangers will not be resolved in this book. Melly and Jeff will find some of the answers they’re seeking with more mysteries to solve.

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Book two TAMSYN is up for preorder on Amazon and Apple!

The story of one small town on a remote colony planet and the rising zombie apocalypse…
Busy running her ranch outside Rosewater, Tamsyn Wendover doesn’t pay much attention to the goings-on in town. But when one of her ranch hands is bitten while trying to help a child, she’s drawn into the mysterious flu outbreak spreading over the planet. As the deadly flu worsens, striking the town and the ranch, the chaos intensifies and Tamsyn is drawn into the desperate fight for survival.
Author’s Note: This 20K novella is a prequel to the events in book one, mostly occurring prior to the arrival of the main characters on the planet in ARRIVAL. There’s no romance in this novella although Tamsyn does meet the man she’ll fall in love with later as the story goes on in upcoming books. Tamsyn will be a continuing character in the adventures on the Planet of Last Resort.

Depositphotos

By veronicascott • Posted in Snippet
0
Nov 16 2025

Conversation with Sobek the Crocodile God MAGIC OF THE NILE Snippet

From Author’s collection

VS: I have an entire series on interconnected ronantasy novels set in ancient Egypt, in which the gods walk the land beside the Nile and are involved in daily life the way the Egyptians believed them to be. Here we have Sobek talking to one of his priestesses, Tyema, as he is about to send her on a dangerous trip to Thebes. (It should be noted that except for the first book, PRIESTESS OF THE NILE the romances in the novels are between humans, not humans and gods.)

Tyema always knew when Sobek wanted to speak with her. There would be a faint whispering of her name into her left ear, as if the syllables were carried on the breeze. After awhile her head would start to ache and lightning would flash in her vision and she knew she must seek the god out. Today was one of those days so she hurried down the cliff to his private beach below the temple as soon as the headache started, after the noon hour. They rarely met in the sanctuary in the heart of the costly new temple. Sobek preferred the open air, next to the Nile. Sometimes she wondered how it went at other temples dedicated to this god, since he didn’t appear to enjoy being cooped up inside.

Or maybe it’s just the relationship we have because he’s married to my sister, and they met on this very beach.

            Arriving on the sandy expanse, Tyema ignored the lingering Nile crocodiles. The animals would never dare attack her. She took a deep breath, straightened her spine and sang one of the oldest songs she knew, one Merys said their great grandmother had taught her. Sobek always said he especially enjoyed the lilting melody. She loved singing on the shore of the Nile, letting her voice expand and fly over the water. Sure enough, as she finished the last verse, there was a flash of green light and Sobek came striding down the beach toward her, taking the fully human form.

Her headache faded and the lightning flashes in her vision had been consumed by the light of his arrival. Tyema took a deep breath in relief.

He always appeared to her as a man, dressed like a wealthy noble, although she’d also seen him as half shifted, between forms, wearing his crown and plumes on the head of a crocodile. Never as the Crocodile, although she’d seen the damage he could wreak, as well as the aftermath of his anger.

Tyema sank to her knees in the cooling sand, arms crossed over her chest. “I’m honored to be in your presence today, Great One.”

He extended one hand, palm up. “This will always be my favorite temple and you my most beloved priestess, after Merys herself. The song was lovely. No one else knows the oldest verses but you and your sister. The tablets and papyri on which they were written have long crumbled to dust, I fear.”

Placing her hand in his, Tyema rose to her feet. “If I have daughters someday I’ll teach the song to them, I promise, my lord.”

“Walk with me.”  He tucked her hand into the crook of his elbow.

They strolled along the beach, the huge black and gray crocodiles hissing a greeting as they slid out of the god’s path. Sobek nodded and the creatures slid into the Nile, one by one, swimming away in formation.

Wondering what had brought the god to seek her out today, Tyema kept her silence. Sobek would tell her when he was ready. She realized they were walking to the breeding pens on the far side of the temple.

Sure enough, a few minutes later she stood in front of the enclosed pond. All the crocodiles, large and small, came crowding to the fence, crawling over one another to be close to their lord and master. Sobek extended his hand in a silent blessing for a moment, after which the group disbanded, reverting suddenly to normal crocodile behavior, sunbathing, drifting in the water, dining on the chickens and other offerings Tyema’s staff provided daily.

Only one crocodile remained, the young bull named “Pharaoh” by the keepers. He basked in the sun directly in front of Tyema, as if displaying himself for the god.

“You’ll have to take him to Thebes,” Sobek said.

Sure she hadn’t heard him correctly, she did a double take. “I’m sorry, Great One, to Thebes?”

“Yes, I require you to convey this fine fellow to my temple in Thebes in two weeks’ time, so he can take charge of the float there. The alpha male ensconced in Thebes is dying after many long years of adoration. I’ve told my High Priest and Pharaoh you’ll be sailing shortly, to bring my chosen one. He’ll sire many clutches of eggs over the coming years.”

“But why must I accompany him? I have an excellent staff of keepers–” Even though she was in the presence of the god, Tyema felt panic clawing at her throat. Her chest grew tight as she tried to think about all the details such a journey would entail. What if Sahure has been reassigned to Thebes? What if he’s taken a wife? “I-I can’t leave my baby–”

Human face set in kindly lines, Sobek’s glittering yellow crocodilian eyes were sharp, predatory. “Take the child with you. You forget I have a half human son, I understand what a child needs and at this age, your baby needs only you.” His face crinkled with good humor. “Babies are portable. Even my crocodile females carry their young on their backs.”

Her knees were threatening to buckle. Fortunately Sobek took her hand a moment later and they walked to a nearby bench, under a towering palm, next to a small ornamental pond with fat fish. He made Tyema sit before he waded into the pond, plucking a blue lotus and bringing the entire stalk to the bench. As she watched in fascination, he picked apart the stem and leaves of the plant, industriously braiding the fibers into a bracelet, with the deep blue flower like a gem set into the top. Eyes on his work, the god said, “You don’t have to go, Tyema. It will be as you choose. Merys has explained to me something of the challenges you face going among the people, leaving this temple. Although I confess I can’t understand the problem, knowing you’re always under my protection.”

Although her throat felt choked, she managed to say, “I desire to do my duty to you, Great One. I owe you so much–”

“We don’t have debts and payment between us, little sister.” Sobek’s voice was kind, warm. “Perhaps you need to hear why I wish you to undertake the journey, before you decide?”

Cover by Frauke of Croco Designs

MAGIC OF THE NILE: standalone sequel to PRIESTESS OF THE NILE.

Hearts Through History Romancing the Novel Winner – Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence Finalist – Carolyn Readers Choice Award Finalist

The Story:

She’s a priestess, he’s a proud warrior … is love enough to bridge their differences?
When the high priestess of an Egyptian temple falls in love with a captain of the royal guard, their bond is tested by the intrigue and peril of their duties to the gods and Pharaoh.

Tyema serves Sobek the Crocodile God as High Priestess of his Nile river temple. But despite her beauty, grace, and the power she wields, the shy priestess lives as a recluse in the remote temple grounds. For though Sobek rescued her from a childhood of abuse and neglect, and healed her crippled foot, her dark past haunts her still.
When Sahure, a dashing captain of Pharaoh’s guard, arrives to ask her help for Pharaoh, Tyema’s wounded heart blossoms. The captain is captivated as by her well … until Pharaoh orders him to the dangerous frontier, far from Tyema. He rides away, bound by duty and honor, leaving Tyema with even more secrets to bear.

Heart-broken, Tyema returns to her lonely life … until the Crocodile God reveals other plans for his priestess. For Pharaoh’s life is threatened with black magic, and only one who wields the power of a god can unmask the sorcerer. Tyema must brave court life, and somehow withstand the pressures of swirling gossip, intrigue and danger. And she must hurry, before ancient evils overcome all her efforts.

But when Sahure returns, is he there to help or to hinder? Will love lead them to common ground, and a future together … or will their differences tear them apart forever? Find out in this exciting sequel to PRIESTESS OF THE NILE!

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By veronicascott • Posted in Snippet
0
Oct 25 2025

First Meeting Snippet from LATHAM My New SciFi Romance Release

VS: This is my second Intergalactic Dating Agency scifi romance and it’s a Grumpy/Sunshine story…here’s the first time the couple meet on what’s to be a five day date:

The snippet:

The lights and sounds of the club swirled around Helaine Davies as she sat and stared at the Ardannan man the Intergalactic Dating Agency algorithm had declared was her match. She’d thought the hardest part of the evening was going to be finding the guy in the crowd. Glancing at the small placard in her hand, which bore the symbol of a towering tree, she sighed and tucked it into her glittery purse. Actually they’d pretty much picked each other out of the crowd right away, one of the first couples to do so. She didn’t know why but she’d gone straight to him, the placard warming in her hand the closer she got and sure enough he was her date for the five days.

She had no complaints about the man she’d matched—all the Ardannans appeared to be pretty hot and handsome, or maybe their government had deliberately selected the best for this first iteration of the exercise. Her date, Latham Muirtx, was tall, well over six and a half feet and buff, with a face fit for a trideo star. piercing blue green eyes and thick brown hair she wanted to muss up in the worst way.

So far so good.

Except he acted ill at ease, flinching when the music got too loud, answering her get-to-know-you-questions in monosyllables and not asking her anything in return. Did he not want to be here? She’d heard their government had ordered all eligible males between the ages of twenty and fifty to sign up for this IDA dating experience, as part of a plan to make themselves model Sectors citizens sooner than later. Maybe not everyone on their planets was a fan of the idea.

Well she and this man with social anxiety were a couple for the next five days so Helaine took a deep breath and tried again. “Want to dance?” She gestured at the crowded floor close by. “Looks like fun and the music is really good.”

The expression on his face was as horrified as if she’d suggested committing a crime. “I don’t dance.”

“We could join your friends,” she said desperately. “Who did you come out here with?”

“I’m by myself.” He cleared his throat. “I’m a forest ranger on Ardanna so there’s not a big crew of us and we couldn’t all be spared at the same time.”

Encouraged because that was the most he’d said to her since they met, she said. “I’m an office manager at the University of the Northern Hemisphere. I took a leave of absence once I got the all-expenses paid offer to come here.”

Latham had no reply so she ordered another feelgood from a passing waiter and tried not to feel too depressed. Sure she’d love to dance but this wasn’t an actual club and she couldn’t simply say goodbye to this man and find another. As if I was so experienced at flirting and attracting men to dance with. I wouldn’t have needed the IDA in that case. Desperately she searched the crowded room, hoping to see any of the girls who’d been on the spaceship she arrived here on. They’d had a good time getting to know each other during the short cruise. Unfortunately she didn’t see anyone she recognized and the sight of other couples obviously hitting it off made her sad. She sipped at her new drink and considered how to make this awkward evening work.

“Want to get out of here then?” she asked. “We could find somewhere quieter or maybe stroll down the beach.”

He looked like she’d tossed him a lifeline and got up from his chair hastily. Helaine grabbed his hand, enjoying the skin to skin contact and led the way out of the club into the cool night.

LATHAM: SOLDIERS OF THE ARDANNAN BOOK TWO (INTERGALACTIC DATING AGENCY) by Veronica Scott

Helaine Davies is an office manager on Earth whose life is routine, boring and dull. Safe. She accepts an all-expenses paid trip to the Intergalactic Dating Agency’s Resort Planet to spend five days with a hunky alien forest ranger. The only problem? She may have exaggerated a few things on her matching preferences sheet and told a few white lies but that shouldn’t matter, right? Latham Muirtx is ex-military, participating in this dating event under orders from his government which wants Ardannan-human matches in order to become more fully seen as members of the galaxy-wide Sectors civilization. He doesn’t want to be there. As a result of his experiences in the military he can’t handle crowds, he loathes clubs, doesn’t dance and isn’t looking for a mate. Give him the great outdoors and freedom to roam. Can these two totally opposite personalities find common ground? When catastrophe strikes will they pull together as a team to survive the chaos or will their differences drive a permanent wedge between them? The Intergalactic Dating Agency has been successfully matching humans and aliens for centuries. Now they’ve expanded to also operating a luxury resort just in time to help the interstellar Ardannan kingdom find human mates in hopes of smoothing their way into becoming well accepted Sectors citizens and allies. Every eligible Ardannan male between the ages of 20-50 has been ordered to spend a week at the resort with the woman the IDA algorithm says is their match These are a few of their stories. A 26K word novella crossover between the Sectors SF romances and the Intergalactic Dating Agency. It’s not necessary to have read any of the interconnected Sectors series to enjoy this book.

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Sep 27 2025

SONG OF THE NILE Snippet Merneith Meets the God Khonsu

VS: A snippet for Saturday. Just a note, Merneith does not fall in love with the god Khonsu. Her love interest is a very sexy Medjai (one of Pharoah’s police and enforcers of Ma’at’s justice).

Briefly: Merneith, a harpist at Pharaoh’s court has gotten embroiled in a plot to steal from the royal treasury. She’s fleeing from the central plotter’s house, on her way to warn Pharaoh, while Nikare, the Main Male Character continues his role undercover at the villain’s home. Antef is the name of the villainous scheming noble.

Howling in the distance made the donkey swerve and break into a faster trot. Goosebumps on her own flesh, Merneith wished she had more than her flimsy shawl to keep her warm and tried not to think about what hunted at night. There were answering howls, sounding like maniacal laughter, coming closer, and she realized a pack of hyenas was following her.

She pivoted on the seat, nearly falling off in the process, and observed ominous shadowy shapes running on the road behind her. The donkey was already fatigued, and there was little chance of outrunning the wild hunters.

Mumbling a prayer, she clung to the seat with all her strength, digging her nails into the soft wood as the donkey pounded along the road. The hyenas were giving full throated howls as they gained on their prey until a pair of particularly large beasts ran beside the donkey.

One snapped at the panicked donkey and she kicked out, swerving in a violent manner causing the cart to tip on one wheel. Rolling over a rock in the track, the vehicle rose high into the air, snapping the poles to which the harness was buckled.

Relieved of the weight of the cart and Merneith, the donkey put on a new burst of speed. The cart fell and Merneith was thrown to the ground. A sense of unreality blanketed her mind as she flew through the air. This isn’t happening to me, I’m not the woman screaming helplessly. She hit the hard packed surface of the road and blacked out briefly. Confused after losing consciousness, she wasn’t clear what had happened but she floated on a sea of hot pain.  Her head throbbed, her legs refused to respond to her command to rise and run, and vicious pain ran through her entire body. She risked a quick look at her legs once and nearly passed out again, realizing she’d broken several bones in the fall.

Desperately, she crawled to the cart, which was upside down, and wedged herself underneath, hoping for protection from the hyenas, no matter how inadequate. Most ran on after the donkey, remaining in their pack, but two paused to sniff at the cart. Merneith was bleeding from several places and having blackouts from the shock and pain, but she yelled at the animals and threw small rocks plucked from the road bed when either stuck a snout or paw under the edge of the cart.

Finally, the pair ran off, but she was sure they’d return soon enough, drawn by weakened prey, which was all she was now. Sprawled awkwardly on the cold ground, too badly injured to make herself comfortable, she prayed to Hathor to let her die before the hyenas began to rend her flesh. Tears trickled down her cheeks, and she prayed for Nikare’s safety. Her death here on the road meant he’d face the enemies alone, with no help coming from Pharaoh, but she was powerless to change the situation.

A voice broke into her bitter musings. “By the blue lotus, you’ve gotten yourself into a sad state, haven’t you, musician?”

She supposed it was one of Antef’s men, caught up to her at last, and said nothing.

Next thing she knew, although she had no memory of it happening, she was out from under the cart, lying on the roadway with the stranger kneeling beside her. The moonlight intensified, shining on him with particular favor and revealing a handsome face, with a greenish cast to his skin that puzzled her. His garments were far too rich and his jeweled collar too expensive for him to be a servant of Antef’s. She was in too much pain to think the situation through and solve the riddles but, a moment later he was standing, holding her in his arms and her agony subsided, although she was still light headed.

“The donkey?” she asked anxiously, hearing renewed howling not too far away.

“You wish the beast to live?” he asked, smiling.

“She did her best for me. I want to repay her efforts and show my gratitude.” Merneith nodded.

Her rescuer held up a clenched fist and spread his fingers wide, facing in the direction of the sounds. Merneith blinked as the moonlight seemed to pulse briefly brighter and the howls became pained yelps and yips. The triumphant sound of a braying donkey rose above the clamor. “Your donkey will have a long and blessed life.”

“Who are you?” she asked as he turned, carrying her as if she was no burden at all.

“You should know – you wear my amulet.” His tone was teasing but friendly.

A brief flare of cold against her wrist where the green beads rode punctuated his remark. “Khonsu? Himself?”

“A traveler at night, menaced by wild beasts? In need of healing? You touch every aspect of my duties so how could I resist the call to help you? And, in addition, you’re the musician I’ve long been desiring to hear play. Hathor mentions you often, with much pride.” With his free hand, he touched her forehead lightly. “Sleep a bit now, regain your strength, for I desire you to provide my guests with a rare concert before we part. Consider it payment for the services of a god.”

“I can’t delay, I must get to Thebes. Much depends on—” She found it hard to form the words, urgent as the situation was and sleep did indeed overtake her.

Author’s Collection

SONG OF THE NILE

Merneith, a harpist of rare talents, blessed by the goddess Hathor, has recently arrived in Thebes and joined Pharaoh’s court, but must hide secrets from her past. As she settles into her new life in the palace, the one man she can’t forget and followed to Thebes is unaccountably absent.

Nikare, a Medjai police officer serving under Pharaoh’s direct orders, is now deep undercover investigating high crimes against Egypt and forbidden to contact Merneith. Masquerading as a priest to deceive the plotters, he watches over her from afar and longs for the day he can approach her openly.

When an unscrupulous noble ensnares Merneith in the web of evil Nikare is pledged to bring down, the two must stand together against earthly and magical forces to save their own lives and protect Egypt.

How much help will the gods provide? Will the pair survive the final showdown between Pharaoh and the conspirators and find the happy future together they desire?

This is a standalone novel but is also a direct sequel to Lady of the Nile, which is where Merneith and Nikare were first encountered as supporting characters. Now they move front and center in the fight to protect Egypt from a new threat. Mild spoilers for Lady of the Nile.

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NOTE: SONG OF THE NILE is a standalone  novel but the two main characters Merneith the Harpist and Nikare the Medjai were supporting characters in LADY OF THE NILE.