A book, too, can be a star, a living fire to lighten the darkness, leading out into the expanding universe.
―Madeleine L'Engle, A Wrinkle in Time
Magical Universe Lore
It will be several months before I start teasing my next novel in earnest. With that said, all of my books take place within the same universe, which I've dubbed "The Brandverse"! 😂 So, what better way to entertain you while you wait than to share some lore that won't make it into the novels? This week's facts will center around Mercy Penrose, the protagonist of Belladonna Moon!
- Mercy and Wynona Hellwarth (Fay with guest appearance in The Dragonslayer's Redemption) know each other! Once upon a time, the Fay who gifted Hattie The Ichor had to learn to cast spells from all five Focuses. And guess who taught her the Element Focus? You guessed it: Mercy Penrose! In my head, someone else taught the "power" moves, but Mercy taught Wynona the spells that required more finesse. Meanwhile, while training, their husbands Kit and Roman were just admiring them the whole time.
- Some of you will remember that Mercy invented a flower with the ability to take away magic A.K.A. the hindwyn. You will see this flower in several of my future stories. In books that take place before the Avow, it will mainly be used by Magics to hide from humans. In books that take place after the Avow, it will likely be used more... sneakily.
- Despite the fact Mercy herself is known by Magics as "Mercy Penrose" after marriage, she and her children are actually Moodys. I don't want to give anything away about the in-progress sequel, so I won't say why, but you'll definitely hear her family mentioned in other stories for various reasons - especially if the book takes place in the United States.
My Sister's Cozy Mystery Series
So this is for those of you who loved Belladonna Moon and want more cozy mysteries with supernatural elements. My sister Kristen is also an author, and she wrote my favorite cozy mystery series of all time. It has a lot of the tropes that make cozy mysteries so... cozy: a baker/amateur detective protagonist; a small town where everybody knows everybody; an asshole victim you're not sad to see dead; and the quirky sidekick in the form of her sister.
But here's the first book's tagline, which I think explains why it's my #1:
Sydney Farina just wanted her day off. What she got was a corpse—and texts from beyond the grave.
Yep, you read that correctly. Poor Sydney gets texts from those dead assholes, and nothing stops it. Not blocking them, not even buying a new phone!
I also love the dash of romance added. Logan Kobayashi is a chef who opens his restaurant in the same strip as the bakery that Sydney works at. And I just love how their relationship reacts in an entertaining yet healthy way. When we meet his aunt and uncle who basically raised him, their whole dynamic just makes me ever happier! Below is my attempt at fanart for the couple, because I just love them so much.
Every novel is short and sweet, which is fitting since Sydney is a baker! And guess what! Like a lot of cozy mysteries, you don't have to read them in order to understand the mystery itself. But for those who want to start at the first book...
Buy here today for just 99¢!
Double Soulmates
Diana Drea has always believed in soulmates- one perfect match one destined bond. So, when she secretly casts a few incantations to find the love of her life she never expects the Universe to answer so completely.
At first, it feels like fate. She finds him. Bonds with him. Claims her future. But when a transport accident- triggered by her rebellious sister- goes horribly wrong, Diana's perfect destiny fractures into something impossible.
Now there are two. Identical in every way- DNA, memory, and connection. Both are bound to her. Both claiming her as their soulmate. One is reckless, intense, and dangerously impossible. The other is steady, charming, and impossible to walk away from.
As the two men begin to diverge into mirror opposites- bad boy and gentleman- Diana is forced into an impossible choice. Did her magic create this? Did her sister's interference alter fate? Or was this destiny all along?
Because choosing one means losing the other, and the longer she waits… The harder it is,
If she's following her fate.
Buy here today!
Book Recommendations?
As always, I would love to hear what books you’ve enjoyed reading lately. Send any recommendations to me over either Instagram, X, or Facebook by clicking on the icons below!
