Micheline Ryckman's Blog, page 2
July 8, 2025
So Many Updates, A Giveaway, And A New Preorder for Spooky Season!
Independence Day is over, and you know what that means? The next major holiday is Halloween! And we have JUST the spooky season book for you!
Did you miss Primrose and Grim? Because we sure did! But they’ll be back, along with Swan and all her siblings!
Available for preorder NOW is A Child of the Changeling, book 3 in the Numina Parables by McKenzie Catron. Read on for all the details!
If you’re a physical book person, we’ve got our Whimsical exclusive edition and a standard paperback available on our website. Ebook readers, your preorder is available from Amazon. And if you’re an audiobook listener, it’s in the works! Stay tuned to our Instagram for updates.
On the left is Whimsical’s exclusive dust jacketed edition, which includes a fully illustrated design on the hardcase, interior illustrations, and bonus material from the author.
Only three witches remain, and they are desperate to survive.
A decade has passed since The Numina were released from The Between. And despite all efforts, the lands are not only crawling with mutated bogies, but also a mysterious, witch-borne illness called the Stygian Brume. If these problems were not enough, an unexpected darkness enters the glade, one that tears Sparrow and Rush’s family apart. Now, confronted with unspeakable loss, their eldest children are forced to retrace not only the steps of their parents before them, but their aunts as well.
Join the changeling trio, Swan, Kestrel, and Starling, as they revisit old ghosts and open older wounds, by unraveling a new prophecy—one that could predict the worst betrayal—all in the hopes of saving their family and ridding the world of the last witches once and for all.
A haunting journey. A race against time. A prophecy fulfilled.
A Child of the Changeling, the third book in McKenzie Catron’s, A Numina Parable series, brings back all your favorite characters from the first two books, and more. Dive into a perilous, autumn quest that features disability, mental health, and chronic illness representation, heartfelt and heart-wrenching sibling relationships, monsters, and magic. This new, all-or-nothing fantasy adventure is reminiscent of the Grimm Brothers’ fairy tales and European folklore.
And don’t forget the preorder goodies!! The first 45 preorders will receive all the goodies shown here (three art print postcards and one double-sided bookmark). All copies preordered from our website will come with a signed bookplate! And since the bookplate was designed to match all three Numina books, there will be extras for purchase if you want some to match the two previous books.
new coloring book
We’re also delighted to share that Micheline’s trilogy of coloring books is complete! The third and final installment, Fairy & Fairytales, is available for purchase now! You can snag copies of all three coloring books, each with 50 unique single-sided images to color, either here or on Amazon.
If you color any of Micheline’s creations, be sure to tag her on Instagram! She would love to see how you brought her illustrations to life!
You know what time of the year it is? Time for a SALE!
In fact, it’s our second biggest sale of the year! Nearly everything in the shop is on sale. Even our clearance section is discounted, so take advantage of our second biggest sale of the year. And as our newsletter subscribers, you’re getting access three days earlier than the general public!
Use code JULY25 for 30% off your entire cart! But hurry! This sale ends July 16th!
The Fine Print
*Preorders are not discounted
+All orders will be shipped once the sale ends. Fine art prints are printed on demand, and the turnaround time is listed in the item description.
If you’ve been with us for a while, you know we value our customers and see you all as so much more than just an order number. However, we have been blessed to have grown so much over the past few years, and with growth must come changes. One of those changes is that our continuously growing inventory can’t continue to sit at our shop manager’s house waiting to be purchased.
In order to best serve our faithful customers, all books will now be printed to order and shipped directly to you from the printer.
So what about preorders? Not to worry – you’ll still receive your preorder goodies. They’ll just be packed and sent separately by our shop manager.
But that means moving forward, signed bookplates will only be free with the purchase of a preorder. After the book’s publication date, bookplates will be available for purchase from our website, if stock remains.
As always, we are so grateful to you, our Whimsies, because without you, none of this would exist.
Don’t forget we have a raffle going on!
But if you made it this far, not only are we sooo grateful, but we want to reward you with a little giveaway! Click HERE to enter to win a full hardcover set of the Maiden Ship trilogy!
Sept. 6th – Micheline’s Birthday Sale
Sept. 16th – A Churn in the (Virtual) Society Release Date
Sept. 30th – Preorder Launch for the next Jane Austen novel
June 27, 2025
Huge Bookish Raffle to Help McKenzie! (Over a Dozen Prizes!)
For those of you who may not know, Whimsical’s beloved McKenzie Catron (author of The Numina Parables) is chronically ill – which in and of itself is enough of a struggle – but recently she has been enduring significant, unexpected problems with the home she and her husband purchased (including structural damage and mold).
On top of that, McKenize and her service dog Grimm were victims of a terrible dog attack that has caused severe trauma and injury, resulting in additional expenses for vet and medical bills.
For more details about their ongoing hardships, you can read about their hardships on a GoFundMe set up by her husband, Kyle.
We are beyond blessed and in more than a little awe to have had so many amazing small bookish businesses and indie authors want to help out by donating prizes, allowing Whimsical to host a raffle to support McKenzie and Kyle in raising some of the money needed to recover and heal.
All the details, including a list of prizes and how to enter, can be found here.The book community, at its core, is a group of people who love reading, and it touches our hearts to see so many members of this community coming together to help one of its own.
If you’re unable to donate or the prizes don’t interest you, we completely understand. We simply ask that every person who sees this shares it – you never know who it may reach. Whether it’s by forwarding this email or sharing our Instagram post, we will be so grateful for your help!
June 24, 2025
The Space Between Our Hearts Is Finally Here!
The long-awaited day has finally come! The Space Between Our Hearts is out in the world! This sweet tale by Hannah Stone is Whimsical’s first contemporary romance, and we are SO excited for you to step into Rindy’s shoes and read her story.
Already preordered your copy? We love you for it. Your copy will be on its way very soon! (Please remember, if you ordered a sprayed edge copy, those will take a bit longer to process. Our book sprayer needs time to make them their stunning selves!)
Didn’t preorder but still want a copy? We got you! You can snag a paperback or an exclusive Whimsical edition (with a bonus chapter!) directly from our website! Or you can get paperbacks or standard hardcovers from your preferred book retailer. The eBook is available from Amazon (and the audiobook is in production!)
Blurb:
After eighteen years in the foster system, Rindy is ready to put down roots and ditch her backpack for good. But when she gets off the bus in Tinlee Bay, California, she’s crushed to find that her bad-luck-life traveled with her. Only this time it’s worse because now she’s homeless.
Enter Nolan, a young man with eyes bluer than the skies who loves forests as much as she does. But he’s leaving at the end of the summer. Which should not be a problem since nobody has ever wanted Rindy in the first place, so why start now? And yet, every day she spends with Nolan feels like home.
When Rindy finally achieves the security she’s always craved, Nolan asks her to leave with him. Now she’ll have to choose—the life she carved out for herself. Or. The boy who chose her.
The Space Between Our Hearts is a heartfelt, girl-meets-boy YA contemporary romance about finding a home together. With coming of age, first love, and found family themes, it’s perfect for fans of Kristin Dwyer’s The Atlas of Us and Sarah Dessen’s Along for the Ride.
Rindy’s story is so amazing, it was a finalist in the 2025 Literary Global Children’s Book Awards before it even entered the world! (Don’t worry, that’s just a digital sticker. The physical books won’t have any stickers on the cover!)
Mark your Calendars for…
June 27th – Watch our social media for a very special raffle
July 8th – Cover reveal / preorder launch for A Child of the Changeling
July 10th – Christmas in July sale
June 20, 2025
Find out if this book is for you! Chapter One is here!
Chapter 1Everything I own is inside this backpack. And when I shove my hand in, searching by feel for the skirt that hugs my curves like a NASCAR driver, I discover that everything is covered in goo.
I wipe the slime across my thigh.
I don’t have time for this.
I have exactly ten minutes until my interview starts and this cannot be happening. But here it is, the skirt I bought specifically for today, ruined. When I fling it to the floor, a lidless body butter container rolls out from the folds of fabric, making a smudge across the marble tiles.
There’s a list of places where my life has taken a horrible turn; a gas station, the middle school sports equipment shed, and now a hotel lobby bathroom. I shouldn’t be surprised by this, but I am. Having the bus pull into the station at Tinlee Bay two hours late because of a construction delay already had me on edge, but what am I supposed to do now?
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I attempt a breathing exercise I learned in group therapy, but I don’t have time to calm down, I have seven minutes left.
Life has always dealt me an unfair hand; it has been happening on repeat since I was born. My one-way ticket to California was supposed to be the cure for all the bad luck that clings to me like a skin I can never shed. Aging out of the foster system isn’t exactly a rabbit-foot key chain I can hold on to.
I kick the globby skirt at my feet before shoving it back into the depths of my backpack—because I have no other option. Yanking the gold faucet handle all the way hot, I scrub my face, hating the fact I’m about to go to a job interview in my pajamas. Technically these three-dollar leggings with fabric pilling between my thighs, and my faded Smokey the Bear T-shirt that I cut the neck off of are not my pajamas, but they might as well be. I’ve been wearing them since I woke up and left without saying goodbye. That was two days ago. But I can’t worry over slime-coated failures and pajama-wearing interviews. I have five minutes left.
In the lobby of the B Hive, I allow myself half a minute to gawk. Everything is white with gold accents. Two leather couches are angled in front of a massive stone fireplace and they look like you would need help getting out of them if you decided to sit. A few accent chairs are strategically scattered throughout the space as well, alternating between bold floral patterns or deep velvet perfection. I fight the urge to pull out the page I ripped from a magazine and hold it in the perfect alignment until the frayed edges of the glossy paper blend with reality. For the past year, I’ve kept pictures of this hotel in my pocket, imagining myself in this very spot. Despite my rocky start, I am proud of myself for standing here and not just dreaming about it.
I could have stayed in Montana, found a place to live, and kept working for the Clean Sweep full-time instead of after school or on the weekends. But there is nothing for me in Montana; there never has been.
“Can I help you?” The voice from the other side of reception makes me jump.
Offering my best smile, I say, “I have an interview for the housekeeping position.”
The woman slides her eyes across my outfit before looking back at my face and I curve my lips so tight they almost crack. Extending her arm out, she points down a hall at the side of reception. “Last door on your right.” As I round the desk, she says something that sounds like good luck.
The nameplate next to the last door on the right reads Beverly in scripted gold, and when I read it for a second time, I almost throw up. Did I misunderstand? This is the only hallway and there are only two doors, so the odds of me getting it wrong are slim. The other door has a keypad attached to the doorknob and staff bathroom is written in bold white letters on the black door.
I should be interviewing with the head of housekeeping, not Beverly, owner, and Chief Aesthetic Operator—her words—of the B Hive. She built this business from nothing into the hotel voted California’s Choice five years running, and I’ll be face-to-face with her dressed like I slept in my clothes. Which I did, on the bus.
Why is this my life? In all my eighteen years, why has nothing ever gone right?
I’m about to knock when I remember my backpack. My entire life is inside this bag; leaving it, even for a second, makes my heart race. But I shouldn’t have it with me either. At the end of the hall, two urns erupting with pampas grass flank a large window. Tucking my faded yellow backpack behind the plant, I attempt to fan the spears of feathered grass wider to keep it covered. I don’t know if it made a difference, so I whisper, “Please be here when I get back,” under my breath.
The door opens immediately after my knuckles rap and Beverly Lambert, a woman who deserves her own HGTV show, stands on the other side. My throat is so dry I can’t even say hello.
Beverly’s expression is hard to decipher as she glances at her watch. “Punctual.”
She blinks at me several times without her eyes sliding down to the wrinkled face of Smokey, which must take a herculean effort on her part. She practically glides back to her desk in her black slacks, black ribbed short-sleeve turtleneck with a thin gold belt cinching her equally thin waist. Her blond hair skims shoulders that I imagine never slouch. Mine are hunched forward from years of trying to take up as little space as possible. Beverly is sleek and professional and I’m a pile of dirty laundry.
I try not to ever think about who is to blame for my shapely frame—him or her. Most people refer to their parents as mom and dad, but I never knew either one so all they get are pronouns, which seems more than generous.
Beverly gestures to the door and I close it before taking a seat. Hanging on the wall behind her is an oversized photograph of a sunset illuminating three people walking on the beach. In it, Beverly holds hands with a small boy who holds hands with her husband. From my hours of internet research, I know this picture is not recent, because her son isn’t that much older than I am. Beverly’s family in high-resolution pixels is flawless, like everything else I’ve ever seen or read of her life. Again, the exact opposite of mine.
I breathe in, trying to relax the space between my eyes while forcing myself to uncurl my shoulders. I can do this. I need to take the nothing of my life and make it something, I need to nail this interview and get the job. And if there’s one thing I can do, it’s clean up the mess other people leave behind.
Beverly slips on a pair of black glasses, checking the paper on her desk. “Rindy. That’s not a common name, is it?”
At that, I sit up a little straighter. I’ve been waiting for this, and it sends a shiver down my spine. As I watched Montana bleed into the background out the Greyhound window, my body hummed with anticipation for this very moment. Growing up, in-between Nowhere and Not-Much, everyone knew everyone, and all I’ve ever been is the girl who was found. It never helped that every few years my story made the local news cycle all over again and I could never escape my past.
No one knows me here, and while I can’t erase history, it doesn’t mean I have to tell the truth.
Keeping my brown eyes locked on her blue ones, I lie. “Old family name.”
And who knows, maybe it is. The night manager at a gas station found me in a cardboard box shoved between two pumps. I was wrapped in a blanket, a scrap of paper tucked underneath me. Her name is Rindy was written in slanted blue penmanship.
I used to wish it was a clue I was meant to follow. But it wasn’t. It was just a name. Beverly nods, unaware of my lie, and for the first time today, my heart pumps with relief. Something is finally going exactly the way I planned.
June 10, 2025
Are You Ready for A Churn in the (Virtual) Society?
Not quite yet! Grab your goggs, Belroy Boys and Babes, because we’re back to fill you in on what Micah was up to during Ezren and Foster’s adventures!
Virtual Society is blowing up. (Figuratively.)
When Micah Belanger saw the word “disputed” pop up after her beloved Belethea Race Royale team won the biggest race in ’verse, all of VSoc heard her shriek. Add in four attempted murders, and she’s on a (virtual) warpath to set the record straight—as any true fangirl would.
Lowell Coppen, of The Royaler Review, is also concerned with the murderous rumors behind the latest BRR, especially with warnings of a system-wide war rippling through VSoc. Determined to shed light on the truth, Lowell, a self-proclaimed objective voice, forges a begrudging alliance with Belethea’s most manic fangirl. If their secret arrangement comes to light, it’ll ruin them both, but if they don’t get the story right, the lies could bring Belethea to its knees.
And falling in love isn’t helping at all.
This Into the Churn novella will be released on September 16, 2025.
The first 40 pre-orders from our website will come with a complimentary art print postcard and signed bookplate from the author. (Kindle ebook version is available via Amazon)
This will be the last story planned from our beloved Casolla system… but we never say never. Hayley could always get a spark of an idea for another story someday. But for now, look at how amazing the full spread looks together!
June 13th – Numina Parable Book 3 title reveal
June 24th – The Space Between Our Hearts Release Day
July 10th – Christmas in July SALE!
May 25, 2025
Scratch & Dent Sale is LIVE! Snag some books at a huge discount!
Have you been eyeing some of Whimsical’s books? Wanting some of these gorgeous editions for your shelves? Adulting took priority, and it just wasn’t in the budget? Well then, this sale is for YOU!
Introducing Whimsical’s Scratch & Dent Sale! These books have either been taken out of print or have minor cosmetic damage that prevents us from selling them at full price. But that means we get to offer them to you at a discount! Damaged books are 100% readable copies – they just have some nicks or creases that make them less than perfect. (But the stories within them are still, in our opinion, totally perfect!)
This sale will run for one week from today (or until all available titles are sold out!) But shop fast! Since these are slightly defective copies, we only have one or two of each title available! Out-of-print books are 30% off, while damaged books are 40% off—NO CODE NEEDED. Just add to cart and check out!
We hope this helps you add some fantastic books to your collection (and TBR)!
May 20, 2025
The Kithlands are Waiting! See the ARROW trailer + Snag Our Newest Audiobook!
In case you missed it, Barbara Kloss’s upper YA romantic fantasy has already been out in the world for 2 weeks! Our book trailer is a bit belated, but that doesn’t make it any less amazing! Check it out below to get a preview of what this immersive tale has to offer.
https://whimsicalpublishing.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/Arrow-Official-Trailer.mp4The Arrow and the Alder is available for purchase from our website or any major retailer!
Queen of Shifting Sands is now an audiobook!
Get swept away into this desert fantasy of love, loss, and perseverance, read by Brittany Rice. We have limited codes available for those who can read and review. You can request one here (but even if you’re not chosen, we think you should snag the audiobook either way! Trust us, it’s absolutely worth it!).
Hannah Stone’s debut is a Literary Global Children’s Book Award Finalist!
We knew already that Rindy was a winner, but now the world will know just how special she is, too! The Space Between Our Hearts is still available for preorder! Preorder goodies are all claimed, but all copies purchased from our website will include a signed bookplate. Sprayed edges are also an option, but only until June 23rd! After the book’s release day, sprayed edges will no longer be available.
Mark your Calendars for…
May 25th – Scratch & Dent Book Sale!
June 10th – ITC Novella 2 Preorder Launch
June 24th – The Space Between Our Hearts Release Day
May 6, 2025
The Arrow & The Alder RELEASE DAY! (And a new ARC!)
THE ARROW AND THE ALDER is finally out into the world today! We are so obsessed with this story and hope you will be too!
If you preordered, your copy will be coming to you very soon!*
*If you preordered a copy with sprayed edges, those have additional processing time.
If you didn’t preorder, why not!? Never fear, you can still snag a copy! An exclusive Whimsical edition with bonus content and a hidden cover – or a standard paperback, if you’d rather – is available from our website. A standard hardcover without a dust jacket or eBook is available from Amazon.
If you’ve already read this tale, we would appreciate a review on Goodreads or Amazon. They help more than you know!
Welcome Chelsea!
Social Media Manager & Events Coordinator
We are delighted to welcome our newest staff member, Chelsea DeMalo! If you’ve seen Whimsical showing up more on Facebook, TikTok, or Threads, that’s thanks to Chelsea! She helps create and manage our social media posts and will also be helping authors with setting up events. We are SO excited to have her on the Whimsical team!
Chelsea lives in Southwestern Ontario with her husband, daughter, and feline child. Reading and writing have always been a big part of her life, and she often spent her days lost between the pages of a book or writing her own stories. She’s spent the last eight years in the Bookish community, and her TBR has grown by miles, as has her love for literature.
Aside from being a stay-at-home mom, Chelsea is currently working on her first full-length novel.
The Space Between Our Hearts ARC sign-up!
Sign up to request an ARC here. NetGalley ARCs will be available later this month, so please only use this form if you do not use NetGalley.
New Products!
Stickers!
Did you miss out on the preorder stickers from A King of Star-Cast Skies or Into the Abyss? Now’s your chance to grab them but hurry! Once gone, these will not be restocked.
Coloring Books!
You would not believe how much art Micheline has had tucked away! Rather than let it go forgotten, she decided to compile it all into beautiful coloring books! Get yours today!
Mark your Calendars for…
May 25th – Scratch & Dent Book Sale!
June 10th – ITC Novella 2 Preorder Launch
June 24th – The Space Between Our Hearts Release Day
May 1, 2025
Chapter One of The Arrow and The Alder
Chapter 1
In hindsight, today was probably not the best day for Seph to break the law. Not that there was ever a good day to break the law, but some days were superior because they lowered the risk of being caught. The mists had been the perfect shroud for Seph’s crimes, so when they’d rolled in last week, she hadn’t hesitated. And though it seemed the saints had heard her prayers by aiding her with cover, she soon discovered it also made her objective more difficult.
It was hard to hunt when one couldn’t see.
Maybe the saints were punishing her instead. But why didn’t they punish the dignitaries who’d forced her into this rebellion – people like the baron? If he hadn’t bargained their rights and resources away to the abominable kith, Seph wouldn’t need to break the law to feed her family.
She glanced down at the sack on the ground beside her, its cloth stained crimson from the contraband stuffed within: a dead jackrabbit.
One.
And she’d been lucky for that.
Curse this unyielding mist.
Dawn matured right alongside her mounting frustration, and she hurled an unspent arrow at the trees.
It hadn’t always been this way. Seph remembered a time, only three years past, before the veil between the kith and mortal realms had opened, when Harran’s woods had been bright and colorful and teeming with life, when her family had warred with the deer over the fruits of their munificent garden. Now they had neither deer nor fruit, the kith war raged a fortnight’s ride away, and all profit was beholden to a baron who gave nothing but took everything.
Except for this rabbit.
The thought made her feel marginally lighter, and with solemn resignation, Seph slung her bow over her shoulder, picked up her bloodied plunder, and started after the arrow she’d discarded. Dead leaves pillowed her tread, the ground soft and supple with morning dew as a pale sun flickered faintly through the mist. The seasons were shifting; Seph could feel it, could see it in every cloud of breath that rose from her chapped lips. Poplars quivered in the autumnal air, their little leaves tarnished like old medallions, and though the sun touched, it could not penetrate, could not warm. Winter waited just beyond Harran’s gate, and Seph did not know if they’d survive another visit.
Which was why she had to break the law. Hunger was louder than any voice or reason; it would not quiet until it was satisfied or its host dead.
Seph found her arrow atop a tangle of rotting tree roots. It looked so melancholy lying there, alone and forgotten in the mist. She crouched and picked up the little weapon with her dirty, frozen fingers, examining it from chiseled arrowhead to raven-fletched toes. So much discipline had gone into its crafting, so much time and too many resources.
Too much hope.
Hope, that abominable thing, always clinging to her soul like a disease. Persuading her to fight, as if there could be more, as if anything would change. For three years, she’d hoped while the world devolved into nightmare, leaving her family alone and forgotten.
Left for dead.
No, hope was a liar and a distraction. Just like the kith and the baron, it smiled and taunted with pretty words and brilliant dreams, and mortal kind had been fools to believe it.
Because hope had handed their power away.
“Would that you take my hope as you have taken everything else,” Seph grumbled to the saints, though she didn’t expect them to listen. They hadn’t listened to her prayers in three years. She snapped the arrow in two, dropped the fragments, and left them to the elements, then stood and turned around.
Only to find herself face-to-face with an enormous stag, not ten paces away.
Seph stopped short, bewildered and staring, while the stag glared back. How had she not heard its approach? The creature was a behemoth, larger than any horse she’d ever seen, with a coat as dark as a raven’s and a crown of magnificent antlers. The mist curled around its massive, muscular frame – the beast could feed a village – though its unusual slate-gray eyes stayed her archer’s hand.
She’d seen those eyes before, in her dreams.
Only glimpses, but never belonging to a body. It was always just a flash of color, followed by a swell of warmth and comfort amidst so much turmoil and death.
Those eyes did not bring comfort now. Only…confusion.
“Where on the saints’ cursed earth did you come from?” Seph whispered and tipped her head, curious. “And why are you not afraid of me?”
The stag’s ears twitched, but it stood firm, watching her with an almost… human awareness. Strange.
She should shoot it. A beast this size would feed her family for seasons. Had the saints provided after all? The thought alone made her stomach grumble afresh, not to mention the stag’s exquisite coat would provide ample material to fit her family with new gloves, maybe even boots, and yet…
Seph’s fingertips hesitated at her quiver. He was beautiful. Never in all her life had she seen the like, but sentimentality wasn’t a luxury for the starved.
Sorry.
A breath later, she had an arrow set and bow drawn.
The stag was faster, charging before she’d fully pulled back the string.
Surprised, Seph gasped and loosed her arrow.
It wasn’t a good shot. Shock had made her hasty, and desperation had stolen her focus. The arrow wobbled, and the stag swung his massive antlers, knocking her arrow aside.
How––
The stag rushed toward her, and Seph bolted.
She tore through the woods, leaping over fallen limbs and uneven terrain, but the beast was closing in fast. Too fast. She’d never outrun him. No, she needed height, if only she could find a low branch to climb—
A superficial tree root caught her foot and she toppled forward with a yelp. Her bow and arrow slipped from her hands as she tumbled down, down, and down, grappling for something to hold on to, to stop her fall—
She slammed into a boulder.
Wincing and gasping for breath, Seph glanced up to see the stag tilt his nose to the sky and bellow his outrage before charging down the embankment after her. Seph attempted to stand, to flee, but she wasn’t fast enough. The beast arrived in a breath, so she lay flat on her back and crossed her arms over her face, waiting to be gored.
The antlers never came. The stag snorted instead, and Seph peered up through her trembling arms to see the animal’s face hovering directly over hers.
His antlers reached the edges of her periphery, his nostrils flared as his breath clouded between them. Those large and glassy gray eyes fixed on her face, studying her with that same unsettling awareness. Up close, the color reminded her of folded steel, like churning vats of molten ore before it was cooled and forged into swords.
How dare you, those too-human eyes seemed to say.
Seph stared back, carefully inching her hand toward the paring knife strapped to her belt, when the stag went rigid. At first, she thought he’d realized what she was doing, but then his head lifted and he turned his attention to the woods.
The silence breathed.
Seph was staring up at the animal’s coat, at the rich swirls of velvety black hair, when the stag bolted. She turned onto her side and followed him with her gaze until the mist swallowed him whole.
What in the world–
Thunder rumbled through the wood.
Riders.
Were the baron’s guards in the forest?
Had Linnea ratted her out?
Seph’s blood pumped as she shoved herself to her feet, looking around for a place to hide. She decided on a tree, and only managed to climb the trunk and duck into its branches when riders appeared.
Her breath quickened, and she reminded herself that she hadn’t known anyone to be put to death over one rabbit.
They might take her hand, however.
The riders stopped atop the small embankment she’d just tumbled down, and the mist thinned, giving her an unimpeded view. These were not the baron’s guard. She didn’t recognize these figures at all.
Seph counted seven, all heavily armed and veiled in black, with faces hidden behind masks of bleached bone. Skulls, though she couldn’t name the creature they belonged to. They were human in shape, but flat at the nose with a grossly elongated jaw. A pair of long horns rose from the temples of one.
That one dismounted.
Boots landed on the earth with a commanding thud. The forest fell still, quiet, and an unnatural chill settled in the air, raising the hairs on Seph’s skin.
“Wait here,” commanded the one with the horned mask—a man, judging by the depth in his voice. He had a harsh tone. One who was used to giving orders and having them obeyed.
He took a slow step, then another, light upon his feet as though he did not wish to accidentally crush whatever evidence he felt so certain lay upon the earth. He crouched—his back to Seph—and lifted the arrow that’d slipped from Seph’s hands when she’d fallen.
Seph swallowed hard, silently praying to the saints that this man would not find her bloodied contraband.
The man held the arrow before him and trailed long, slender fingers along the shaft. He then removed his horned mask of bone and set it down, revealing tapered ears.
Seph’s blood ran cold.
Kith.
What in the saints were kith doing here? Seph might’ve thought they’d ridden straight from the Rift to steal more of Harran’s poor citizens for their war, but then why not use the main roads? Why wander into a part of the woods that no one ventured to anymore?
No one, except for her.
“Is it Alder?” asked another rider. A woman, and something about the voice set Seph’s nerves on edge. She strained to see this woman through the cluster of riders, and thankfully one shifted, giving Seph a glimpse. Ribbons of long, silken black hair spilled out of her hood, and while the other riders wore masks of bleached bone, hers was smooth and featureless and black as a starless night. It covered most of her face, but left her lips free—lips that were also black, as if she’d painted them in ink.
Lips that had said a name: Alder.
The name was not unfamiliar, though Seph couldn’t place it. Her thoughts were cut short as the unmasked kith stood and turned around, giving her full sight of his face.
The kith man was beauty and nightmare wrapped into a canvas of contrast. Black hair and white skin. Smooth planes and jagged bones. A long, slender scar ran through his left brow and ended at his sharp, angular jaw, but his features were otherwise pristine. Calculated and unnatural. His lips were too red—too bright, like his eyes, which were a cold and icy blue.
The kith man closed his eyes and dragged the fletching along his crimson lips, and Seph was transfixed. Mesmerized and terrified, simultaneously drawn and repulsed. She had never seen a kith before, not in person, and looking at him now, she was glad that a war and a veil separated their realms. He was too much for the mortal world, and it felt as though all of creation might strain against the press of his power.
Those too-bright eyes snapped open and shot to the trees. To her tree.
Seph slunk back into the boughs, her heart pounding like a mallet in her ears.
“It’s difficult to say,” Seph heard the kith leader say. “It reeks too strongly of mortal.”
Seph broke out into a cold sweat.
“Shall I search the grounds, my lord?” asked one of the other riders.
Lord? A kith lord had come to Harran?
A horse whinnied softly, and a long, agonizing breath passed.
“No,” the kith lord said at last, resolved. “He’ll come out with the right lure. He always does.” Leaves crunched, leather creaked, and Seph imagined him climbing back into his saddle. A moment later, thunder erupted and faded away, and Seph found herself all alone and forgotten.
Left with her was one dead rabbit.
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April 8, 2025
Get Your Tissues Handy! KOSS is HERE!
The wait is OVER! That grueling cliffhanger Kaitlyn left you on with Queen of Shifting Sands will finally have its conclusion! But don’t get too comfortable – this book will leave you feeling all the feels. So make sure you’ve got your tissues and comfort snacks ready because once you’re finished with this book, you’re gonna need them!
Us, after we finished KOSSIf you preordered, your copy will be on its way to you asap! But if you can’t wait, the eBook is also on Kindle Unlimited!
Didn’t preorder? That’s okay! You can purchase a paperback or exclusive jacketed edition from Whimsical Publishing. If you prefer the eBook or a standard hardcover, both are available from Amazon.
What’s special about the exclusive edition, you may ask? It’s got an absolutely gorgeous design under the dust jacket printed directly onto the hard case, interior illustrations, and bonus content from the author!
Lystra swore never to mourn a king again, her heart shattered by loss as her desert kingdom of Instanolde fights for survival. As its queen, she intended to save her people, and in forging a marriage alliance with its prince-heir, she vowed to save him from the deadly curse as well. But she never meant to fall in love again. Now, with Instanolde under attack and the curse growing more monstrous by the day, Lystra, along with Elerek and Rahzar, find themselves captives on an impossible journey across the desert. A journey to break the curse, one that comes with a steep cost, a cost Lystra isn’t sure her heart can pay.
Elerek never intended to survive, only to save his kingdom for his queen to reign in glory. But after watching Instanolde fall into ruin and a host of secrets and lies swarm the shadows, his numbered days may be the key to ensuring they survive. His curse, once a personal death sentence, has become a source of incredible power, one he intends to unleash upon his enemies. But, still reeling from a bitter betrayal by those he trusted most, Elerek finds himself wondering who the true threats to his kingdom are.
Razhar’s world has spiraled out of control. His comfortable life in the palace with a king had allowed him to keep his secrets deeply buried, but with Elerek’s curse becoming more deadly, and the kingdom on its knees before the invaders, one calculated risk brought his dark truths into the light. Leveraging the power of his own abilities while fending off the demons of his past, Razhar is forced to walk a fine line between saving those he loves––or saving only himself.
It’s a race against time to either save the kingdom or break the curse. When every choice carries a cost and each moment counts, the story that began in Queen of Shifting Sands meets its epic conclusion in King of Star-Cast Skies, where forgiveness, sacrifice, and a love to hold up the skies set the stage across this sweeping desert adventure.
By the way, we still have FREE redemption codes for US and UK readers for many of our audiobook titles! Click HERE to request a copy!
Mark your Calendars for…April 15th – A surprise title reveal!
May 6th – The Arrow & The Alder Release Day
Jun 24th – The Space Between Our Hearts Release Day
