K. Panikian's Blog, page 5
June 25, 2021
One Week until THE ALKONOST'S EGG
On a parallel world, war rages. The demon horde marches on the citadel with a secret weapon that will finally eradicate the humans.
Working together, Callie, a sailboat captain, and Bard, a soldier with a mysterious past, must find the source of the Bermuda Triangle’s mystical surges. Without harnessing that power, they won’t have the ability to build a portal back to Bard’s home world; the citadel will fall and demons will walk the Earth again.
In a race against time, Callie and Bard travel across the ocean in search of the power they need to save the Earth. Will Bard yield to the fate he doesn’t want? Will Callie transform her own dreams to see if she and Bard can forge a destiny together?
June 20, 2021
Title for 2nd Yellowstone Shifters Book... Ideas?
Wild Refuge Wild ShadowsOr should I step away from the "Wild" concept for Book II?
No Safe Refuge Out of the ShadowsThis is the ROUGH DRAFT blurb, if that helps!
“I was becoming my true self. But that didn’t mean I wanted to go anywhere near the packs or the alphas.”
When Sienna Wilder, a Yellowstone Park Ranger, learns to control her puma shifting abilities, she finds peace for the first time in her life. She’s got the dream job, shifter friends, and the wild to explore. Only someone from her past is back and the wolf and big cat packs that surround her home are threatening war.
When the fires start, Sienna knows that she must intervene, even if she risks exposure of her rare, secret power. If she doesn’t figure out the hidden connections, she may lose everything.
June 14, 2021
June 6, 2021
ARC Reviewers Wanted for The Alkonost's Egg
The Alkonost’s Egg — new fantasy book releasing July 2
Click here to sign up to be an ARC reviewer! You'll receive your copy on Friday, June 11, three full weeks before everyone else!
On a parallel world, war rages. The demon horde marches on the citadel with a secret weapon that will finally eradicate the humans.
Working together, Callie, a sailboat captain, and Bard, a soldier with a mysterious past, must find the source of the Bermuda Triangle’s mystical surges. Without harnessing that power, they won’t have the ability to build a portal back to Bard’s home world; the citadel will fall and demons will walk the Earth again.
In a race against time, Callie and Bard travel across the ocean in search of the power they need to save the Earth. Will Bard yield to the fate he doesn’t want? Will Callie transform her own dreams to see if she and Bard can forge a destiny together?
The Alkonost’s Egg is the final book of the Varangian Descendants trilogy.
[You don’t need to read Book 1 and 2 first–each book is a different main character under an overarching villain.]
June 4, 2021
Release Day:Astrid's Wings
And the Moon God said—Find the dragon.
A light fantasy story with a parallel world, monsters, demons, dragons, second chance love, etc.
Read for free on Kindle Unlimited!
As she passes between the worlds, following her destiny, Astrid must find her strength, or the demon lord will conquer all.
You don’t need to read Book 1 first–each book is a different main character under an overarching villain. Enter my Goodreads Giveaway to get an e-copy of Book 1, Verena’s Whistle!
May 28, 2021
Read Astrid's Wings in ONE WEEK
I nodded and looked around us, my senses prickling.
In a blast of damp air, a woman appeared next to me wearing a long, dirty dress. No, not a dress, I decided, a nightgown.
She stared into the water for a moment and then turned to look at me. Her skin was pale and she had dark, purple circles under her vivid eyes. Her hair was matted; it appeared to be green with algae.
“What happened here?” I asked carefully.
May 14, 2021
#heroine
If you were faced with a door, would you open it? If it opened, would you go through?
The three heroines of the Varangian Descendants trilogy are resilient, brave, and determined. Would you make the same choices? Would you follow your destiny?
What if that door led to horror and pain? To demons and destruction?
How far would you trust?
Would you give up? Or would you fight for your dreams, your family, your love, and your world?
May 12, 2021
Goodreads Giveaway!
I’m giving away 100 e-copies of my book, VERENA’S WHISTLE!
Enter on Goodreads from May 12 to June 11 for a chance to win!
May 6, 2021
Sneak Peak of The Alkonost's Egg
Releasing July 2nd!
[Somewhere in the middle of Chapter One...]
OH my, was my first thought when I saw the two men waiting curbside at the airport. Tall, blond, and built, times two. No, I decided, as I pulled up next to them. Just one was eligible. The other was a little too young, probably only late teens.
I opened my door and hopped down, then circled around to where they stood.
The taller one, who had tousled honey-blond hair and ice-chip blue eyes, nodded at me abstractedly. He hefted a couple of the duffel bags at his feet and followed me to the trunk. The other guy, the younger, blonder one, smiled at me before picking up the last bag.
“Hi!” he said. “I’m Cato. That’s my brother, Bard. And you must be Callie?”
I grinned at him and shut the door behind his bag, “That’s me!” I said. “Your chauffeur, your captain, and your chef, for at least the next couple of weeks.”
“Sweet,” Cato answered, scrambling across the backseat. Bard climbed into the front seat next to me and I caught of whiff of pine and soap. It was nice, but I shook it off. Who had time for nice-smelling, attractive men? Starting the engine again, I pulled into the loop traffic, heading for the marina.
“Need to make any stops before we get to the boat?” I asked. “We’ve got your provisions on board already, plus some booze.”
Cato’s eyes lit up and he started to answer, but Bard cut him off. “Actually, can you swing by the UPS location that’s closest to the marina? We shipped a bag ahead and need to grab it.”
“Sure,” I answered, adjusting the route in my head.
As we merged into Key West traffic, I tried my usual spiel. “Welcome to Key West. We’re so happy you chose Sailfish Charters to plan your vacation and we…” I trailed off. Neither guest was paying any attention to me.
Cato was on his phone, texting and taking pictures. Bard looked straight up at the clear, blue sky through the open roof, appearing lost in thought and ignoring the breeze that blew his hair in every direction. When I stopped speaking, he turned his head to look at me. I met those arctic blue eyes and shivered.
“Sorry,” he said. “I don’t know what Theo told you ahead of time, but we’re not here as tourists. We just need the boat ride.”
I nodded. “No problem,” I answered, my insides churning with inquisitiveness.
I navigated to the UPS store and pulled into the lot. A few minutes later, Bard walked out, carrying a large wooden box. He stowed it upright next to Cato in the backseat and then we were off again.
When we got to the marina, the guys picked up their duffels, plus the box, and I pulled on the soft top for the Jeep and locked up. My parents would swing by later and drive it to my apartment for me.
The Florida sky was expansive and blue. I sucked in a moist breath, my toes wiggling in my topsiders. I loved the feeling of starting a new charter, even if it wasn’t where I wanted to be professionally. I loved sailing and meeting new people. I loved that every sunrise and sunset over the ocean was unique and beautiful.
I led the way along the wooden dock, the planks swaying with our steps, and stopped at a 37-foot sailboat at the end of the pier.
“Welcome to the Anna Maria,” I chirped. “She’s named for my mom. She’s got two aft staterooms, so you each get your own space. I’ve got the forward cabin.
“Go ahead and choose your bunks and stow your bags. We’ll get underway in just a few minutes.”
Stepping aboard, I gestured to the main salon below deck. I texted my dad that we were aboard and about to get underway, then dropped my phone into my duffel, tossing it forward. We’d be out of service for a while, so no need to keep it close by.
I jumped into the cockpit and reached around, untying my lines, then shifted the engine into gear and motored us out of the marina. I heard Cato talking excitedly below deck and smiled to myself. Stripping off my crew polo, down to my tank top, I slathered sunscreen on my arms and chest, plus my nose, and pulled my ballcap tightly onto my head.
The sticky air swirled away as we motored out of the harbor and the sea breeze kicked in. Sucking in a deep breath, I felt my chest loosen. It was mid-afternoon and the sun was high in the sky. The shallow water of the harbor turned a deeper blue as we slipped into the Atlantic. I stood at the wheel, angling into the wind, and called out, “Hey, who wants a sailing lesson?”
Cato scrambled onto the deck next to me, a ballcap low over his eyes, swim trunks on, and called out, “Me!”
I laughed and pointed to the bucket of sunscreen. After he lathered up, I pulled him next to me at the wheel and told him to keep us steady. Stepping to the mainsail, I untied it. Then, dropping back next to Cato, I pulled the lines, unfurling the sail and steering us toward the wind. The air caught the mainsail and the boat dipped low into the waves. Cato, whooping, held onto the rail next to the wheel. We started to cut through the water, low and sharp. The wind blew past our faces, smelling fresh and salty. I grinned, widening my stance at the wheel.
Aiming northeast, I showed Cato how to adjust the sails. We were running with the wind, so the sheets were out and we were cruising along fast. We could go even faster if I ran the jib, but I had no confidence Cato could handle it yet, so I decided to save that burst of speed as a future surprise.
I held the wheel, the wind coursing through my ponytail, and relaxed. We had days and days to go before we hit Bermuda. I’d run with the wind as long as it was at our tail, then we’d tack and sail, tack and sail, until dusk. We’d head up the Florida coast for a while before cutting further north and east toward Bermuda, so there would be lots of shallow places to anchor at night.
This was a skippered charter, meaning I was the whole shebang for staff duties on the boat. When the wind calmed at sunset, I’d find a sheltered anchorage and drop below to cook dinner. Our first night out, my mom usually planned for shrimp scampi. It was quick and simple to make and had easy, local ingredients. After this first night though, we’d catch fish for a lot of our meals.
When the horizon started to turn orange and pink, I dropped the mainsail and motored closer to the shore. Finding a cove already occupied by a few other boats, I tied us to a vacant mooring buoy. I turned on the all-around light, so other boats would see us in the night.
I told Cato I was heading below and he waved lazily from the bench where he was napping.
When I clambered down the stairs into the main salon, I saw Bard sitting at the table with maps spread out around him and a lined book full of scribbled notes. The notes didn’t appear to be written in English.
He looked up, startled, and met my eyes.
