A Long Awaited Day

 In January of 2025, I set aside an ambitious, serious story to work on a fantasy romance in the same world. In mid-April, the manuscript for a book with the working title of Delphine (very creative, I know), went off to a beta reader, a lovely, fearsome Canadian who has also line-edited work of mine. 

In June, I pitched the book, now called Mistress & Mage, to an independent publisher at a writing conference. 

In August, I signed a contract with 5 Prince Publishing.

This week, the cover for my debut novel, Mistress & Mage, was revealed, the preorder link is up, and I have a publishing date! 

Coming February 10th!

Available for preorder as an ebook, with print to come.

Delphine Leighton is a widow with a serious problem: her late husband gambled away their wealth, leaving her with a mountain of debts and a bookie harassing her. When she overhears that a mysterious foreign gentleman needs a governess, she takes a chance on an interview.

But Varrick Allard isn’t a gentleman—he’s not even human, and he doesn’t need a governess. He’s a mage who’s been forced from his studies to track down a magical creature stalking the streets of Delphine’s city. What he needs is a fake mistress who can help him infiltrate the high-class gambling dens connected to the series of attacks.

Although it will ruin her reputation, Delphine is desperate enough to sign a contract with him. While they seek signs of their quarry in the glitter of high society, they can’t deny the growing attraction between them. Delphine is unsure she’s ready to trust a man again, and despite his extensive education, love wasn’t part of Varrick’s curriculum. As they follow the trail of victims, their precarious affection is threatened by the discovery that Delphine could be the creature's next prey.

Delphine and Varrick must hunt down the shadow creature before it finds Delphine.

Join me for the first full-length book set in the vast, magical world of Elffall. Can't wait for the novel to explore the world? Check out the nine short fantasy romance short stories already available in three separate, free anthologies: A Season for Romance: Spring Blossoms, A Season for Romance: Summer Simmer, and A Season for Romance: Fall Flames.

Fall Flames even includes the story of Delphine's scandalous great-grandparents.