One hell of a journey
Back in 2008, I was sitting on two and a half books of what was supposed to be a paranormal romance trilogy about futuristic shape shifters. By this point, I had already written well over a million words across many different novels, novellas, and short stories, but these were the first ones I seriously shopped around for publishing.
At the height of the eBook boom, I got lucky. It only took me three rejections to get an acceptance and, on September 10, 2010, the first book of that series was my first ever novel publication. I would go on to publish two more books with that publisher before I discovered that self-publishing was an option and made the decision to go fully indie with the fourth book to tie off some loose ends.
I knew then that the story wasn’t finished yet. But I had burned myself out writing book 4 and needed a break. Something else to focus on. So I kept writing other things, while secretly peeking at the covers for three more books that had titles and a vague idea for one of them, and not much else.
And then the pandemic hit, and things got bad. I stopped writing. I stopped reading. I was a mess. But on the tail end of 2022, I decided that if I didn’t do something, everything I’d worked for would be over, and I wasn’t ready for that. So for National Novel Writing Month that year, I opened a blank document and started typing what would very quickly turn into book 5, published in 2023, and book 6, which came out in December of 2024.
I’m not exaggerating when I say that these books have pushed me into the light not once but twice. They gave me the confidence to believe that I was (still) a real author, and reminded me that regardless of how many people out there read them, the magic of bringing them out onto the page is still the best thing I have ever been a part of.
Now, fifteen years after the original publication of book 1, I dash away my tears and clutch a heart that’s filled to bursting with joy to announce the final chapter of the Blood & Shadows series.
Fair warning: This is not a light read. It will be dark. It will break your heart. This is war, and it will take a lot of lives. But it will be worth it in the end.
WAR OF THE SHADOWS
book 7 of Blood & Shadows
Who are you?
Operative M has forged himself a new identity as Zach VanWarren, and he has no intention of letting the Shadows take it from him again. He’s just pulled off the most dangerous double-cross in history, screwed over the army that leaves traitors in pieces, and thrown himself at the mercy of their enemy: the Special Unit telepaths. Now he just has to convince the sharp, cunning, and most delectable interrogator assigned to his case to help him fight one last battle and end the war for good. Or let him pleasure her until she screams. Preferably both.
Where do you reside?
Raven Dello Russo has spent the last three years living just enough to convince everyone that she isn’t dead yet. But when she’s assigned to a new case, her quiet barely-existence gets thrown into a tailspin. Nothing about the deserted Shadow Hawk is as it should be—not the way his brain works, or his penchant for obsessively flirting with her, and definitely not her superior’s continuous interference with her investigation. Something much bigger is going on, and the only one willing to share answers is the last person she ought to trust. With everything on the line, Raven has no choice but to risk the lives of everyone she’s ever known on the hope that the rogue Shadow with serious boundary issues is truly on their side.
What do you do?
When dark secrets come to light, and the enemy’s plans turn out to be far worse than anyone could have imagined, the promise of peace will need to be bought with blood. Trust is already broken on all sides. So many people have already died. Broken hearts have yet to heal. Thrust into the middle and onto the front lines, what will Zach and Raven do to survive and put a stop to it all?
Whatever it fucking takes.
War of the Shadows is tentatively scheduled for release in Fall 2025. Stay tuned for more details to come!
Until next time!