When I told my ex to go to hell, how was I supposed to know that’s where he’d come from?
Now he’s back in my life, and the heat between us is as consuming as ever. He’s a fallen angel, an agent for an organisation that apparently keeps the peace between Heaven and Hell, who’s been assigned to find my missing mother. Turns out she was a witch and someone has taken her.
Oh and that hot surfer guy I went home with last night? He’s my ex’s partner and a wolf shifter who seems to enjoy making my ex jealous. I’m totally up for that too.
Add in a sexy Russian nerd who’s sustenance comes in red liquid form and his dark demon boyfriend who seems intent on drawing me into their dark embrace and things are getting complicated. And steamy.
This new world has my head spinning, and it seems I’m not quite as human as I thought. But as to what I am exactly… that’s the million-dollar question. There are some theories that could land my soul in the eternal hot seat just for being me and as lines blur between the good guys and the bad guys, figuring out who to trust becomes a game of supernatural roulette.
Will the men in my bed and in my heart betray me once they find out what I am? Or will our love release a darkness on the world that could bring the wrath of Heaven and Hell down upon us?
Uncaged Review: When I first started reading this book, I wondered what I had gotten myself into. Our main character Faith, is not the badass the author wants her to be, at least not when you start out. She seems like she’s overly strong-willed and it’s a little bit of a put off. But once you dig deeper into the book, you find out why she’s the way she is, even if some of her reactions are a bit overdone. This is a twisted, dark fantasy romance that is setting up to be a reverse harem, and there is some MM and MMF action in this book. There is also some mentions of rape and torture for those that may trigger.
This turns into a very good story, with characters that are all very different and we see the growth of Faith as she finds out about the supernatural world and herself. This is not good vs. evil in the traditional sense, as some demons are not bad in this book, but the bad ones are truly despicable. As Faith navigates her new life, we will see how the twists and turns will get answered. This is a four book series and all are out now. Reviewed by Cyrene
Nando, the handsome, ne’er-do-well Prince of Varros, has grown bored with his aimless life of pleasure-seeking and debauchery. An unexpected end to his ennui arrives in the form of a maddeningly proper English spinster who challenges him with her glacial reserve. Nando can’t get enough of the icy, disapproving Miss Brett, and the more she rebuffs him, the more determined he becomes to make her his.
Renowned for her ability to turn any sow’s ear into a silk purse, Miss Eleanora Brett has taken dozens of young ladies under her wing, granting them the town bronze they need to gain the acceptance of the ton. After she’s hired to help ease the societal entrée of hoyden royal princesses, Eleanora’s mettle is tested not just by the twins and their convention flouting ways, but by the wicked rake who insists upon being forever underfoot.
Prince Nando is vexing, infuriating, scandalous, and far too tempting. She wants him gone. He wants her in his bed. She’d sooner push him out a window than surrender, regardless of his undeniable skills at seduction. But when danger strikes, Eleanora and Nando suddenly find themselves spending a great deal of time alone together. And before long, it’s not just the rakish prince’s life that’s at risk. It’s his heart as well…
Heat level: Scorching hot! Don’t say you weren’t warned. Nando’s reputation precedes him.
Uncaged Review: Ever since I had read the first book in this series with Maxim and Tansy, I really wanted to read this book about Nando, King Maxim’s brother and one that has a life of only pleasures and owning up to his “rake status.” And Nando is just as incorrigible here as ever, and still a lot of fun. Then he finds he can’t get around his attraction for Eleanora Brett, the lady who has taken Princess Anastasia’s younger sisters as her charges to get them ready for the London season, a task that is a challenge with these wild girls.
There is danger, to both Nando and Eleanora, suspense, humor with a lot of wit and very steamy scenes. There was some questions that never really got answered, although I’m pretty sure the author will have them in another book down the road. The epilogue was a nice touch and it was nice to see Nando meeting his match in the ever proper Miss Brett. Reviewed by Cyrene
Destined to be alone…only to discover he’snot—in this intensely sexy new Lone Wolf Legacy series from New York Times bestselling author N.J. Walters
There’s only supposed to be one lone wolf. When other shifters see me coming, see my white fur and pale eyes, they know things are about to get real. Because my job—my fate—is to take out the wolves who go rogue.
Only now something has changed.
For the first time ever, there are three of us: one white, one gray, one black. And if that’s not ominous enough, my senses have pulled me to New York City…for a human.
There’s something almost supernatural about the connection between me and Zoe Galvani. It’s not just the crackle of heat, the blood pounding through my veins—or even that her eyes are the strange, pale hue of my own.
It’s that she makes my wolf come alive. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever felt. Almost like magic.
Which is when I learn that someone’s out to hunt me. That I’m their prey.
…and Zoe is the bait.
Uncaged Review: This book engaged me quickly, and even though I’ve read a lot of shifter romances, this one was a step above a lot of them. This had intrigue, danger, action and hot romance. There are three lone wolves, tasked with the job of taking out rogue shifters and being loners. This story revolves around the white wolf, Devlin. When he meets Zoe, and like him, she has the same white eyes together with a white streak in her black hair and his wolf recognizes her immediately. But someone is using Zoe to trap Devlin, and it’s going to be a bloodbath before it’s all said and done. Devlon finds it impossible not to protect her, the need is in his soul. When they find a powerful mage is working with wolves to take him down, he’ll need all of his strength to keep himself and Zoe alive.
Excellent first book, and this book doesn’t slow down much and it had all the elements that I really like in a book and I’ve already got the second book on my Kindle. This is my first author discovery from BlueSky and I’m sure there will be plenty more. Reviewed by Cyrene
She loves Christmas! Opening a Christmas shop in her hometown of Winterberry, Kentucky is a dream come true for Lexi Hargrove. Lexi is no stranger to loss, but her holly, jolly approach to life has sustained her. She couldn’t have imagined the first person to walk through the door of the Christmas Box would be Travis Hutchins, her long lost high school crush who stood her up for a date a dozen years ago. He’s looking for coffee, not Christmas – and makes it clear he’s a holiday hater. But why does he still have to be so hot? And when did he become so Grinchy?
He hates Christmas! Travis never planned to come back to Winterberry, but his estranged father is dying. He just wants to keep a low profile, do his duty, then head back to his life in Chicago. Things he never expected: running into Lexi Hargrove, and an endless explosion of all things Christmas directly in eyesight of where he’s staying. When did she get so pretty? And why does he keep going back?
Can one wish upon a Christmas star change everything? Lexi isn’t sure why she’s wishing for Hottie McScrooge across the street to find the joy of Christmas, but soon a whole array of Christmas wishes begin to change both their lives. Can those wishes keep Lexi’s shop open even when the situation looks bleak? Can they help Travis make peace with his dad before it’s too late? And can Lexi and Travis look past all their fears and differences to fall in love?
Uncaged Review: Everyone needs to choose a few holiday books during the season, and this one was a real stand out for me. A second-chance small town romance, a self-named Grinch in Travis, and Lexi, the woman who wants nothing but for people to have the Christmas spirit all year round, and opens a shop in her small town called The Christmas Box trying to keep her family legacy alive of owning a business in the town. Travis, a very angsty, and only in town as his father is in a nursing home with a terminal illness, so he’s there to do his duty and leave back to Chicago where he fled to right after high school from a bad home life.
But the magic of Christmas puts Lexi and Travis in each other’s paths, and soon each will be finding out that the magic of Christmas is real in their small town. This book has all the feels, some heart wrenching, some endearing moments and a town that stays together, even during the rough patches. And a huge shout out to Marley, who also found her place in the world. Not often do I finish a story in a day, but this one pulled me in within the first chapter. Reviewed by Cyrene
Mariota MacKay believes both her virtue and her life are in jeopardy from one of her clan’s guards. Though she repels his advances, she knows one day he’ll succeed, and because her father cannot accept that his heir is truly at risk, she sees no way to save herself but to run.
Lost in the Highland forest, she crosses paths with a hunting party led by Stellan Sutherland. When the handsome stranger offers her the sanctuary she’s denied at home, his kindness deepens her immediate attraction to him. Too late to keep her newfound feelings from gaining strength, she discovers he’s a man she cannot have—the first-born twin and heir to his own clan. She is torn between choosing the man she falls in love with, and the heritage she has fought for years to earn.
Stellan’s desire for the brave beauty from a neighboring clan clashes with his honor and duty. Mariota is the woman he wants by his side, but she is also the heir who will one day rule MacKay. He cannot ask her to give up her destiny and do what he will not—renounce his birthright as Laird Sutherland. Does the answer lie with his twin? Or will the dangers mounting around them, including the vengeful clansman hunting her, destroy any hope of a future together—or any future at all?
Both heirs to their clans, their love is doomed from the start, or is it?
Uncaged Review: At Clan MacKay, Mariota is the only heir to the Laird, but one of the clan guards is a twisted cruel man named Alber, who is out to hurt her in more ways than one and her father won’t seem to help protect his daughter. After the third time Alber tries to molest her, she finally escapes and runs into the Sutherland clan who are out hunting. Taking her back to their keep to protect her, she finds a much different setting in this clan over her own. She meets the heirs to Sutherland in Stellan and Anders, twin brothers. Stellan stirs her blood, but he is first born, so he is out of her reach.
There are some major twists and turns in this as all will be revealed about Mariota’s clan. There is danger, romance, intrigue and a lot of obstacles to get to their HEA. And let’s not forget about Valkyrie, and I look forward to the next book in the series that will focus on Anders. Even though I haven’t read any other books in this series, I had no problems keeping up with this one. Reviewed by Cyrene
Welcome to Uncaged! Your newest book, Silencers, just released in September. Can you tell readers more about this dystopian story? Is this book the beginning of a series?
As it is now, the book is a stand-alone, but if my history has shown anything, it won’t stay that way for long. I’m a series writer! Besides, there’s a lot more to discover with these characters still. Scona has more problems to face and an impact to make in her world.
You also have a series called, The Reborn Marks books. Is this series complete or are you still writing for it?
The Reborn Marks series is complete, which is both happy and sad. The character of Lexil (and others like Finn) evolved so much throughout the series. She learned and changed so much. It’s hard to leave Lexil behind, but her story wrapped up in the way authors can only dream of. I feel the loose ends were tied together, and her journey was complete.
How do you use social media as an author?
I don’t know how my audience feels, but I think I am HILARIOUS on social media. I post a lot of memes about reading and writing (and avoiding housework). Sometimes I post about my work, but only when I have a book release coming. The rest of the time it is memes, memes, and more memes!
What behind-the-scenes tidbit in your life would probably surprise your readers the most?
That every time I publish a book, I reward myself by buying a new tiara. Then, when I’m writing a new book, I wear the tiara to signal my family that I am writing not just fiddling on the computer.
Read the rest of this interview in the issue below.
Jenna Greene is a teacher, writer, clumsy dancer, dragonboat coach and paddler, and semi-professional napper. She loves every part of her life and starts each day with a cup of tea. jennagreene.ca
Scona must choose. Protect her father, or embrace the darkness she’s been trained to destroy…
Despite warnings from family and friends, Scona Tinay enrolls in Silencers Academy.
To escape a life of poverty and hardship and ensure a stable future, Scona sets her sights on the Silencers, where the students earn a wage. She soon learns her fellow students are cutthroat and the training regimen brutal.
As Scona heads deeper into her training, she begins to question the role of Silencers, as well as the “madness” she is being taught to destroy. But each question she asks brings her under suspicion, and she soon discovers the only person she can trust is herself.
“You don’t want to answer my questions?”
“Consider this: I don’t have to answer anything you ask, nor do I have to tell the truth. I didn’t even have to let you find me.”
“Then why did you?”
With a quick wiggle of her brow, Dia murmured, “Assessment.”
“Assessment?”
“I need to know how dangerous you are.”
“Me?” Scona placed a hand on her chest. “I’m not dangerous at all.”
“If you plan to become a Silencer…yes, you are.”
“Only to those infected with the madness. I’m no danger to an ordinary citizen.” Realizing Dia was far from a typical citizen, she cringed at her words.
Dia stared at her, the gaze hard, unwavering. Under her perusal, Scona blinked and backed away.
“We’ll see.” Strolling away, Dia used light steps to make her way through the underbrush. She bent under branches instead of swiping them out of the way. Avoiding damp patches of soil or grass, she stepped instead on roots or firm ground.
Welcome back to Uncaged! The latest book you’ve released is The Witch of Breton Woods. Can you tell readers more about this book? What was the inspiration for this book?
The Witch of the Breton Woods is the story of a reclusive young healer, traumatized by the horrors of the Nazi invasion of France, who becomes a member of the French Resistance in Brittany. When she finds a critically injured American paratrooper, she heals him in her secluded cottage, hiding him from the Gestapo and la Milice—the paramilitary organization that collaborates with the Nazis. The inspiration for the book was the study of the French Resistance in Brittany during World War II. I wanted to write a story about a courageous heroine who risks everything to save the ones she loves.
You are also releasing Dragon of Denmark in October. Is this book going to be part of a series, or is it a standalone? Can you tell us more about this book?
Dragon of Denmark is the first novel in the Valiant Vikings trilogy set in 10th century Normandy. It’s a blend of historical fiction–including the real-life characters of Richard the Fearless, the Viking Duke of Normandy, and Harald Bluetooth, the Viking King of Denmark and Norway—blended with Norse mythology, paranormal fantasy, and steamy Viking romance! Book 2, Wolf of the Nordic Seas, and book 3 (the conclusion of the trilogy), Falcon of the Faroe Islands, will be published soon.
How do you use social media as an author?
I have accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads, TikTok, YouTube, and Pinterest. I post information about new releases, book trailers, and reviews on social media. I also post images of my sewing creations, my family, and my golden retriever, Ziggy.
Read the rest of the interview in the issue below
Enthralled with legends of medieval knights and ladies, dark fairy tales, and fantasies about Druids, wizards and magic, Jennifer Ivy Walker always dreamed of becoming a writer. She fell in love with French in junior high school, continuing her study of the language throughout college, eventually becoming a high school teacher and college professor of French.
Many trips to France—including summers spent abroad as an undergraduate and graduate student, followed by language and cultural programs designed for French teachers—provided the inspiration for her award-winning novels. For example, Dragon of Denmark, the first novel in the Valiant Vikings series set in tenth century Normandy, was inspired by the summer she spent in that northwestern region of France.
Walker’s upcoming release, “A Celtic Yuletide Carol”, is a steamy medieval romance between a broken, battered royal knight and a solitary, mute healer and huntress who prefers the company of her wolf and falcon to humans. Both protagonists are shattered souls who slowly find solace in each other.
Readers who enjoyed Winter Solstice in the Crystal Castle and The Wild Rose and the Sea Raven trilogy—a fated mates paranormal fantasy adaptation of the medieval legend of Tristan et Yseult, interwoven with Arthurian myth, Avalon, Elves, Druids, forest fairies, and dark magic—will recognize several of the main characters in this new novel as well.
Explore Walker’s realm of Medieval French Fantasy. She hopes her novels will enchant you. jenniferivywalker.com
Once a royal Breton knight, Sir Cardin is now infamously known as Basati, the Basque Wolf. Savage and sullen, he drowns his guilt in raucous taverns, accruing enormous debt and acquiring vengeful enemies.
Ulla, widowed daughter of a Viking chieftain, is a skilled archer who lives as a recluse in a secluded woodland cottage. Rendered mute by trauma, she avoids humans, preferring the company of her wild wolf and falcon as she hunts in the Forest of Brocéliande.
When his mother’s dying wish calls Basati home, he finally meets the son he abandoned at birth and Ulla, the enigmatic priestess who is teaching the boy to hunt. As the holidays approach, Basati finds himself smitten with the beguiling beauty as he bonds with his once forsaken child. But past enemies plot against him, and Basati is ensnared in darkness. Can music lure the savage wolf into the light of love?
Excerpt
Chapter 1 Le Château de Montmarin
The clamorous din from inside the bawdy tavern shredded the calm of the salty night air as Gaultier went into the Drunken Crow to drag his brother home. As usual, Cardin was passed out on a table in the back of the inn, a mug of ale next to his bloodied fist.
Amongst the strands of long brown hair stuck to the side of Cardin’s unconscious head, Gaultier noted the swollen eye, bruises, and dried blood smeared across the bearded face. With a broken table, chair, and shattered glass all over the nearby floor, it appeared that, once again, Cardin had been in a boisterous brawl.
Which meant that Gaultier would have to pay for the damages.
And pick up the pieces of his battered, broken brother.
As he stood at the entrance of the tavern quickly assessing the situation, female servers with platters of savory seafood and pitchers of ale scurried about, weaving through tables where sailors, knights, and fishermen celebrated in raucous revelry. Floating notes of flutes, lutes, and lyres accompanied a troubadour’s melodic voice near a crackling fire in the enormous stone hearth along a wooden side wall. The innkeeper—a stout, balding man with a soiled white apron and a scowl upon his florid face—indicated with an impatient jut of his chin the destruction that Cardin had caused.
For which the disgruntled owner expected prompt, generous compensation.
Gaultier strode over to the mahogany bar, handed the portly man a bag of silver, and headed toward the rear of the tavern to rouse his inebriated sibling.
He shook Cardin’s shoulder and grabbed hold of his arm, peeling his plastered torso from the wooden tabletop. “C’mon, let’s go home. Get you in bed to sleep it off.”
Grumbling incoherently, Cardin staggered to unsteady feet, wavy locks adhered by drool, blood, and vomit to the side of his bristled, crumpled cheek. Supported by Gaultier’s steadfast grip, he leaned against his older, taller brother’s sturdy shoulder, stumbled across the floor, and practically fell out the exit door.
“I’m sick of dragging you out of every tavern in town. I’d rather be at the Sultry Siren, bedding a beautiful wench. Like Dolssa, who’s probably waiting for me right now. By the Goddess, Cardin, you have to stop this insanity. Or your gambling, drinking, and bloody temper will get you killed!”
Moonlight reflected off the turbulent ocean as Gaultier half dragged, half carried his younger brother along the narrow cobblestone street from the center of the town of Biarritz, up the steep incline to the stone fortress of le Château de Montmarin, perched atop the peninsular promontory overlooking the savage sea.
He missed la Bretagne—Brittany—and the northern coast of France. The Celtic traditions of his Breton heritage. The craggy cliffs and delicious crêpes. The family and friends he’d left behind.
For the past six years, he and Cardin—along with a regiment of four dozen royal knights from le Château de Beaufort in the northern Breton kingdom of Finistère— had defended the Atlantic coast of Aquitaine for King Philippe le Bel of France.
Sent by their own King Guillemin, a vassal of the French King Philippe, the Breton knights simultaneously squelched uprisings by English rebels anxious to claim the coveted duchy, while maintaining political alliances with the Spanish regions of Navarra and Aragón.
Welcome to Uncaged! You have 2 books in The Revere Trilogy released, Smoke and Other Storms and Ash Like Vengeance. Can you tell us more about this series? When will the third book release?
The Revere Trilogy started with one small question: what motivates the antagonist in treasure hunt books and movies other than greed?
And one simple idea: a family who lives on a train.
I also longed for a book with a positive representation of introversion where it’s treated as a character trait, not an obstacle to be overcome.
The series follows the Reveres, a multi-generational family of women outlaws on a quest to save their sister’s eyesight and subvert the patriarchy that keeps them from having a home.
Adelaide is host to a shadow entity known as the Stranger that allows her to remember everything, her grandmother Moira has clairvoyant dreams. Moira’s daughter, Tesla, is the mastermind of the family and train engineer.
These ladies are swindling, bloodthirsty con-artists who will do anything to protect each other. Everyone else is fair game. The Rim is feral and sabotage is a lifestyle.
The third book, Solace By Fire, will release May 13, 2025. So mark your calendars, it’s going to be a bloody last ride.
What inspired you to write stories in the western/gothic/fantasy world? This is not a genre you come across very often.
I love the Wild West. It’s my favorite historical era, favorite vibe, favorite fashion, but I’ve always been dissatisfied by the lack of women represented in the genre. It’s always focused on men. Women are usually just the love interest, the sex worker in the saloon, the damsel or the shriveling violet wife. If a woman is given some agency in a western, she’s always getting revenge for her dead husband or father (one again, male focus) and ALWAYS teams up with the sharp shooting man to get her vengeance. I decided to change that.
And of course, I needed to make things a little weird, just for fun, so I added the fantasy elements.
How do you use social media as an author?
Instagram is my main platform (@ninjenaiyauthor). I use it to share what I’m reading, give book updates and show off my cats. They’re very cute. I’ve tried the others but IG is the one I like best so I’ve decided to focus on that and not feel pressure to be everywhere.
Read the rest of the interview in the issue below
Her bones belong to the desert and mountains, but her soul belongs to cats. When not writing she makes other stuff and believes Victorian era fashion should absolutely make a comeback, as long as sweatpants still exist.
Her work has been recognized for its unique blend of southwestern gothic meets dark fantasy and received the Reader’s Favorite silver medal for western fiction (2024).
She could say she makes all her own clothes but that would be a lie. JLDelavega.com
Welcome to the Rim. Come seek your fortune in a paradise of endless sun. Land is cheap and the possibilities endless, where the edge of the map meets the end.
The mining campaigns always forget a few details. Moon Season makes storms volatile. You’re more likely to be killed by your neighbor than strike a crystal vein, and there’s only one name you should bother knowing around here: Revere.
Moira and her granddaughter Adelaide are professionals. Smugglers, thieves, and arms dealers, the Revere women have lifted their family business from the dust, and with their train they’ve become the most notorious gang in the territory.
After an accident damages her sister’s eyes, Adelaide finds an opportunity that will not only pay for a sight-saving operation but pull the family from the shadows of the back market for good. Accompanied by her sisters, Adelaide guides a survey crew into the uncharted West Rim –a poisonous desert concealing untapped riches– with the full intent to claim the fortune for themselves.
But when Moira learns a bounty has been placed on the family, she discovers a deeper plan already in motion that will change the Rim forever.
Excerpt
–Arrival–
My name is Adelaide. I am twenty-one years old, eyes like bastard gray quartz. Where I come from doesn’t matter, but to anyone that asks, they call me the Stranger, and there’s only one name you should bother knowing around here. Ours. Revere. Welcome to the Rim.
Adelaide
I was born with two shadows. One is thrown by the sun. The other is the Stranger.
The dried brush hugs the abandoned walls as I leave the rough grass and walk toward the fort, a thing of dust and focus. It looks dead, but there is a difference between things that are dead and those that only appear that way.
Twenty-nine—the number of steps I take before the fort shadow hits me. The Stranger counts them for me. Few people can see her. But she’s always with me. Watching my back, counting my steps. It’s not enough to notice details if you can’t remember them later. The Stranger remembers everything. She is a second pulse, sensing danger, sharp edges that frighten others. The one thing my mother managed to give me.
My shoulder to the bleached wall, I listen deeper. Around me, the Rim hisses behind a slow-moving wind. Behind the fort’s chipped stone is silence. I drag my scarf off my face and whistle to my sister Leagan waiting downslope with the wagon.
We are alone, the Stranger confirms.
Rock cracks as the horses get moving.
I slip my hand through the gap to lift the plank from the inside slot, walking the gate open as the wagon rolls inside.
Leagan hops from the high seat, landing with a fresh cloud of dust. Her face is muffled with a blue scarf and goggles. The right eye is a red sniper’s lens with distance dials, the left all-purpose amber to dull the sun. I drop the plank back into its slot and shake the gate. There will be no surprises from behind.
The smuggler’s cache is in the jail room.
“Eighty-six crates of Exodus brand ammunition…” Leagan tugs at one of her buns and stabs another pin through it. “And we get to carry all of them. Thanks a fart-load to our favorite arms dealer, Raleigh.”
Leagan’s hair is fire red, twisted on top of her head like two cinnamon buns, lipstick always black. The colors of her two moods. “You’re my favorite arms dealer,” I say.
She blushes.
The familiar tic rises in my chest with each step. It doubles when my gaze makes a pass over the other five doors facing the courtyard. The Stranger again.
I’ve picked through all those rooms before, but the Stranger won’t let me leave here without doing it again. It’s always been this way.
Welcome to Uncaged! You recently released the second book in a series called Temptress, part of the Forbidden Pleasures series. Can you tell readers more about this book and series?
Come to the Forbidden City! Join the competition to become the next Empress of China!
That was the call in 1851 to all eligible virgins in China. Girls endured tests of purity that included physical inspections and a cultural talent display. If they passed, they met the young emperor who picked one to be his wife. Four more became favored concubines. And several were selected as lower concubines. The winners would never leave the Forbidden City again. The losers left in disgrace.
VIXEN features a young woman who has been reared to be the next empress. But in the days before the selection begins, she realizes that purity and virtue won’t attract a man. If she wants to catch the emperor’s eye, then she must learn the ways of seduction. And who better to teach her than the handsome scholar next door?
What begins as a scandalous diversion quickly escalates to deadly risks. They will both be killed if they are caught, and yet they find purpose, hope, and love with every glorious caress. Will she give up being the Empress of China for love? Is he worthy of such a sacrifice? Spoiler alert: YES!
TEMPTRESS follows a woman who enters the competition. She hasn’t the wealth of the others to bribe the eunuchs, but she has been trained in statecraft and is smarter than her competitors. She is also vulnerable to the one man who can destroy her. He is the Emperor’s best friend and Master of Ceremonies. (Spoiler alert: he is also completely fabricated. There were no other “whole” men in the Forbidden City, but I needed a hero who was not a eunuch.)
The Master knows she is the best woman to become empress, but he wants her for himself. Will he risk both their lives on his feelings? Will she choose him over becoming empress? And what happens when they are inevitably caught? (Spoiler alert: Yes, they take the risk. And yes, they do get caught. Oops!)
You’ve also written in The Lyon’s Den connected world, which is a very fun world to read. Are you planning on writing anything more in that world?
I launched the series with INTO THE LYON’S DEN, then did another book LYON HEARTED later on. I loved, loved, loved writing those books, especially the second one with the “abacas woman” as heroine. So yes, I do hope to write in the Lyon’s den again. I’m just so caught up with the Forbidden Pleasures books, that I missed the sign up date. Oops! But I hope to get in another book soon.
How do you use social media as an author?
Not as well as I’d like! I’m active on Facebook, have a Jade’s Jewels group there plus author pages. That’s where I put most of my information and random pictures of my cat, plus the jigsaw puzzles I do. Feel free to find me there! But also, sign up for my newsletter. You’ll be sure to catch all the good news that way. I also share pretty pictures of my books and inspirations for my stories on Instagram, if you want to join me there.
Read the rest of the interview in the issue below.
A USA Today bestseller, Jade lee has been scripting love stories since she first picked up a set of paper dolls. Ball gowns and rakish lords were her first loves which naturally led her to the world of regency romance. She is is a big fan of The Bridgertons, Big Bang Theory (even though it’s over), and her favorite movie is The Avengers because she loves the MCU.
Jade Lee has a gift for creating a lively world, witty dialogue, and hot, sexy humor. Winner of several industry awards, Jade has published 70 romance novels and says she’s just getting started. Her nest series Daring Debutantes launches in 2025, but don’t miss her exotic China series Forbidden Pleasures starting with Vixen. JadeLeeAuthor.com
The time has come for Emperor Xian Feng to choose a wife. All noble virgins must come to the Forbidden City to compete, hoping to become Empress. They will endure three trials of purity before they meet their emperor. And they must find favor from the dowager empress, her greedy eunuchs, and most dangerous of all…the Master of the Festivity. Sun Bo Tao.
THE FOX IN CHARGE OF THE HEN HOUSE
Sun Bo Tao is the emperor’s best friend and the only other male in the Forbidden City who is not a eunuch. He has no time for virgin games. Not with a rebellion in the north, a Dutch envoy seeking trade status, and opium choking the country. But the emperor cannot trust the greedy eunuchs to help select his bride, and so Bo Tao must weed out those who are weak, spoiled, or stupid. He never expected to find a brilliant mind in the delectable body of a virgin.
THE VIRGIN DETERMINED TO WIN
Chen Ji Yue is prepared to be a political wife. She knows how to appear chaste, bribe where appropriate, and navigate the bitter rivalries inside the Forbidden City. But she never learned how to resist the temptations of the emperor’s best man. Sun Bo Tao holds her future in his hands. He also touches her body with reverence and kisses with passion. How can he stir such desire in her when she knows her purpose?
But in a competition to become Empress, love is the greatest weapon of all.
Excerpt
Chapter One
Chen Ji Yue struggled to breathe. Excitement pounded in her blood, she was already dizzy with the noise, and yet she still could not draw a full breath. How blessed she was to be of the right age for a Feast of Fertility! Only a few hundred girls every few decades had such an opportunity! To catch the eye of the Emperor was every girl’s dream. But first, she had to escape all these wailing women! She stood in all her finery outside their Peking home, ready to climb into the palanquin that would take her to the Forbidden City. If everything went well, she would be chosen and never see her family again, but she would have the consolation of knowing that the Emperor would gift her family great riches in thanks.
For some perverse reason, Mama thought that the bigger display of grief here, the better Ji Yue’s odds inside the palace. So she had hired mourners, wailing women to fill the street this early morning, but all it did was give Ji Yue a headache.
“Mama,” she murmured from behind the clattering ivory beads. “Let me go. I cannot be late.”
“Not yet, little heart. Show respect to your father.”
She’d already bowed to her father several times. “Mama, believe in me. I can do it.”
Mama didn’t hear her. She was busy wailing again. And worse, she would not let go of Ji Yue’s hands.
“Mama…” Ji Yue began, but then her mother pulled her close.
“You won’t win the Emperor on beauty, Ji Yue. You must be smart. You must see what others don’t and capitalize on it.”
“I know. You’ve told me…” Ji Yue let her voice trail away. This close, she could see real tears in her mother’s eyes, and her heart lurched with pain. What would it be like to not see her mother’s face every morning? Who would help her father with his poetry or tutor her brothers? Mama, most likely, but Mama already had plenty to do squeezing every penny so they had enough to eat.
“That playboy Sun Bo Tao was named Master of the Feast,” her mother continued. “This is very bad and very dangerous. He is a hanger-on because of his friendship with the Emperor. No title, no education, nothing but trouble. Avoid him, Ji Yue. Avoid him at all costs!”
“I know, Mama. I will stay away from him. I promise!”
Welcome back to Uncaged! You have the start of a new series releasing in October called The Silver Dukes and the first book is Cherish and the Duke. Can you tell us more about this book and the series?
It is a pleasure to be back here with you, and thank you for all the wonderful work you do to support authors and their stories. Oh, yum, those Silver Dukes! This series features handsome, older heroes (in their forties) with a dash of silver in their hair who are determined never to marry (or remarry), and heroines who are in their mid to late twenties and considered spinsters. As with most of my stories, these contain humor and are designed to leave the reader with a smile on their face and a good feeling throughout the day. In Cherish and the Duke, our Silver Duke Gawain, Duke of Bromleigh, has decided it is time for his nephew and heir to marry, so he sets out to find the right young lady for this wayward young man. While at a country house party, he meets the lovely Cherish Northam, daughter of the late Earl of Northam and decides she is perfect – brains, beauty, wit, and charm. But Cherish is shy and knows little about flirting with men, so Gawain undertakes to teach her in the hope she will catch his nephew’s eye. Can you guess the problem? Right! Gawain is horrified to realize he is falling in love with Cherish himself. This story will have you laughing as Gawain’s family (nephew included) conspire to match him with Cherish.
You have a few other series running, The Farthingale Series, The Moonstone Landing series and The Book of Love Series. Are you still writing in these series also?
Most definitely, yes! I get so involved with these families and each hero/heroine that it is very hard for me to ever let them go. My latest releases in the Farthingale Series are Marigold and the Marquess, and The Make-Believe Marriage. In 2025 I will have A Slight Problem With The Wedding, the next Farthingale release. I have written the Farthingales into the Book of Love series as well. They are such a fun, crazy family with lively heroines all bearing the names of flowers and a propensity to get into a heap of trouble. Those poor heroes don’t stand a chance once they walk down Chipping Way and encounter one of John and Sophie Farthingale’s daughters or nieces (and every female within six degrees of blood affiliation is considered a niece). In 2025 I hope to write another Book of Love story (#16 full length book in that series) and another Moonstone Landing story (#7 full length book in that series) because this Moonstone Landing series is such a glorious mix of heartwarming and fun (because even misery is written with a light touch) – wounded heroes who come to this picturesque seacoast village in Cornwall for the purpose of healing and along the way find true love. I hope everyone is enjoying The Moonstone Pirate, a charming, humorous story filled with adventure and an adorable dog named Parrot. I also hope to write another “romantasy” in my Dark Gardens series because these Dragon Lord bad guys (some of whom are 3-flames hot) lost their High King in the last book (Garden of Angels) and now have a vacant throne to be filled.
How do you use social media as an author?
Oh, ha, ha. I would say I use social media fairly poorly. I pretty much stick to Facebook where I have my author page and belong to several wonderful historical and Regency specific groups, along with other groups about England/Scotland history that I just enjoy. I am on Instagram but hardly ever post. Would love to try TikTok but haven’t had the time, although I know I should make time for it. I think the historical romance community on Facebook is filled with very nice, kind readers, and this is where I am most comfortable. I try to stay away from negative groups or posts because I am very much opposed to anyone putting others down for any reason.
Read the rest of this interview in the issue below.
Meara Platt is an award winning, USA TODAY bestselling author and an Amazon UK All-Star. Her favorite place in all the world is England, which may not come as a surprise since many of her stories are set amid the idyllic seacoast landscape of Cornwall, where moonbeams kiss the sea in her Moonstone Landing series, and the majestic crags and dales of the Lake District where her dragon shifter dukes prowl within those misty dales in the Regency “romantasy” Dark Gardens series. Learn more about Meara’s lighthearted and humorous Regency romances in her Farthingale series and Book of Love series, or her warmhearted Regency romances in her Moonstone Landing series, and her Dragon Lords in the Dark Gardens series by visiting her website at www.mearaplatt.com.
Sometimes, the best-laid plans go awry in the best way.
Gawain Burton, the Duke of Bromleigh, is a Silver Duke, and everyone in the ton knows these exceptionally handsome forty-something men with some gray salted in their hair have no intention of ever marrying. However, carrying on the Bromleigh title is important, and Gawain is determined to find a proper wife for his nephew and heir. To that end, he attends a house party at the country estate of his cousin, Lady Shoreham, who claims to have found his nephew the perfect wife. Gawain heartily agrees with her choice, for Lady Cherish Northam is intelligent, soft-spoken, has a lovely sense of humor, and is beautiful. Her hair is the color of molten honey and her eyes are a dark brandy brown. The only problem is that she is shy, and Gawain must help her overcome that shyness and put herself forward so that his nephew notices her. Gawain certainly has noticed her…and, dear heaven, she seems to be noticing him. Will his heart allow him to give up Cherish?
Lady Cherish Northam’s life has taken a turn for the worse after the death of her parents. She finds herself reduced to little more than a servant in what was once her own household. Her uncle, the new Earl of Northam, is a toad who means to keep her on as unpaid help. So when her friend and neighbor, Lady Shoreham, invites her to her house party, Cherish leaps at the chance. She needs to marry to claim the trust fund inheritance her father left in the control of her uncle, but what seems a simple decision becomes quite complicated when she falls in love with Gawain. He is a Silver Duke and everyone knows these gorgeous-as-sin dukes do not marry. Can she harden her heart and marry his nephew? She doesn’t think so. But what choice does she have? Unless… Can she possibly win Gawain’s heart?
Cherish and the Duke is a lighthearted Regency historical romance, the first in the Silver Duke series. Enjoy the read as these heroes who seem to have it all find the one thing that has eluded them throughout their lives…love.
Excerpt
Chapter One
Shoreham Manor Brighton, England August 1817
Dear heaven, he is gorgeous. Lady Cherish Northam stared at Gawain, Duke of Bromleigh, who had just arrived at Shoreham Manor, the Brighton estate of her dearest friend and neighbor, Lady Shoreham. He strode into the parlor with his two friends, also dukes, and all three of them graying at the temples. These men were known throughout the ton as the Silver Dukes, and Cherish now understood what all the fuss surrounding them was about. They weren’t so much silver as silverish, for there were only hints of gray shot through their hair and none of them looked at all feeble.
A buzz of excitement filled the air as others noticed them.
They had arrived fashionably late to Lady Shoreham’s week-long house party, striding into the room with all the arrogance of warriors just returned from battle. Lady Shoreham, who stood beside Cherish, now frowned. “So typical of those beasts to purposely make a grand entrance. Now all the ladies are going to fuss and flutter over them because they are dukes and too handsome to ignore.”
“Is that so terrible, Fiona?” Cherish asked. “Was this not the point of your house party, to match unmarried young ladies to eligible gentlemen?”
“Yes, but these three are confirmed bachelors, and it will take more than a week to wear them down.” She tapped a finger to her lips as she stared at them. “But wouldn’t it be fun if we managed it?”
“We? Oh, no.” Cherish’s eyes rounded in surprise. “Fiona, do not get any silly ideas into your head, especially about me.”
“You are my dearest friend,” Fiona said with a little sniff. “I would never do anything to hurt you.” Cherish trusted Fiona. In fact, she adored her. But she could also tell that her friend was plotting something.
Dear heaven.
She hoped Fiona was not thinking to match her to one of those ton gods.
“Oh, drat,” Fiona said with a huff. “The ladies are already fluttering around them. What a nuisance. And just look at how those rascals are eating up the attention. They will ruin my party because no lady will pay attention to the other gentlemen while busy swooning over those old dogs. What gall, showing up late. They did this on purpose to rile me, I’m sure. I ought to toss them out on their vaunted backsides.”
Cherish laughed. “Why did you invite them if they were only going to rile you? And especially if they are not of a mind to marry.”
“I had to. Bromleigh is a cousin of mine, and we are on a mission.” Cherish wanted to ask what sort of mission, but they were interrupted as the three dukes now marched toward them with smiles on their faces. She meant to ease away, but Fiona grabbed her hand. “Stay right here, Cherish. I have need of you.”
“What for? Surely you do not need me to—”
“Gawain!” Fiona cried with abundant cheer, giving her cousin, the stunning, dark-haired one with a hint of silver at his temples and striking green eyes, a kiss on the cheek as he reached their side. “Sorry we’re late, Fiona.” He bussed her cheek in return. “Camborne’s horse threw a shoe and it took us forever to find a farrier to repair it.”
“I suppose there were serving maids to comfort you while you waited at the nearest tavern,” Fiona muttered. “You had better be on your best behavior here, or I will never forgive you.”
The other two dukes now joined them in time to hear her grumbling.
