E.G. Manetti's Blog, page 21

Shieldbearer: Sneak Peek 4

While I work through the second round of development notes, here is another glimpse of Shieldbearer: Thornraven, Volume 2. After year’s of preparation, Lilian is about to try for Mastery of Adelaide’s Discipline.



Lucius’ heart swells at the sight of the warbelt and Lilian’s soft-spoken words. While Lilian dons the black mask and applies a thin polymer sheath to her thorn, he examines the discipline master. A fierce warrior of sixty years who tops Lilian by three inches . . . read more.

Indie Spotlight on Romance: 2020 RONE Finalists ~ Suspense/Thrillers

PIs, bodygaurds, gamblers, and stalkers, these 2020 InD'tale RONE Finalists in Suspense/Thrillers have the pages turning.

Code of Conduct

There are three things you need to know about Shane P.I.

1) P.I. is not her last name, it’s her job title,
2) Her specialty is catching cheaters, and 3) She’s a superhuman—kind of.

Gabriel is a security expert for Cipher Security, and a former UN Peacekeeper with a fierce protective streak that finds its focus on the beautiful P.I.

Their attraction is like an elephant in a room full of breakable things, and figuring out how to trust each other with their hearts, and maybe their lives, is the most fragile thing of all.

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For the Love of a SEAL

On every deployment, Navy SEALS face impossible odds—and succeed. But winning over the perfect woman will be the most challenging mission yet . . .

This is Blake Sorenson’s story.

The security company that former SEAL Blake Sorenson works for helps him stay in fighting form—physically and mentally. He has little time for distractions of the female variety, which is fine with him. His fickle ex-wife taught him that love and loyalty don’t mix. Which is why he should eighty-six the rookie reporter he finds in his helicopter. The sexy stowaway in red stilettos is sure to be trouble . . .

A single mom, Tori Michaels can’t afford to lose her job because of an impossibly arrogant ex-sailor. But hitching a ride with Blake puts her right in the middle of a conflict brewing between the law and a dangerous hate group. When suspicions are raised over which side Tori is on, Blake has to choose whether to trust in her innocence or lose her. But in choosing to protect her, he’s making himself vulnerable to a desire he thought he’d never feel again—and an enemy he doesn’t see coming . . .

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Break My Bones

Sticks and stones do break bones, and words will surely hurt you.

Staring down the barrel of a loaded 9mm is a wake-up call, especially when it’s your husband’s finger on the trigger. Brooklyn James’s only thought is to take her baby and run. It's better to end up on the streets than suffer one more day beneath her husband's hand.

Finally back on her feet, Brooklyn is stronger, better prepared, and determined not to run. That is until she gets the call that her husband has been released from prison after serving his three years for DWI.

Cain James has his wife on his mind, always. With his friend Donovan at his side, anything is possible. He can find her, bring her home, make her love him again. While Cain has serious anger issues, Donovan is much worse. Cain can’t control his friend's sick, twisted mind and even sicker actions.

Donovan has Cain's best interest at heart, and he'll do whatever it takes to help Cain bring his wife home—including murder. After his time in prison, Cain doesn’t want to hurt his wife again and becomes a man torn—divided between the darkness inside him, his twisted love, and his lifelong protector, Donovan.

As Cain tries to convince his wife that he’s changed, he watches the bodies hit the floor one by one at the hands of his sidekick. Enraged by his estranged wife’s new love and conflicted by his own anger and need to protect his family, Cain unravels.

He can’t live without her, and he won’t let her live without him.

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A Tangled Web

Threats loom and a long-hidden secret is at risk of being uncovered as a man and a woman locked in an unwanted marriage find themselves embroiled in a tangle of destructive webs.

Neither of them had expected this.

Tess Andrews needed to disappear. Ian Blackwell wanted the gossip chasers to stop disrupting his life. When the two of them said yes, neither had any idea who the other was, and they had nothing for each other but disdain and mistrust.

But when Ian is threatened, Tess has a choice to make. Keep her head down, or help the man she married face an opponent who could destroy them both-and risk him discovering her secret.


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Playing Jasper

I love to play the game.

Love them and leave them.

Then I met my match, Jackie Smith, and everything changed.

She’s a reporter, and I’m a made man. It’s a disaster waiting to happen. It doesn’t matter that she could shatter my life and all I’ve worked for...I want her.

Underneath her sweet, caring exterior, she’s hiding pain from her past, and yearning for revenge. I can leverage this to my advantage. I can demand her loyalty, her unconditional love.

It’s the same game, with a bit of a twist.

The only problem is…she might be playing me.

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7/23 - Indie Spotlight on Romance: 2020 RONE Finalists ~ Contemporary

Mountaineers, musicians, and veterinarians. Volcanoes and dark secrets.

Forbidden by Time

When love blossoms from the unexpected will the years between separate them forever?

On the outside, Bita appears to have it all under control. She’s a no-nonsense, strong-willed, force to be reckoned with. On the inside, though, she’s spent most of her life dealing with her pushy Iranian mother, ever concerned father, and overbearing younger brother.

But that’s all about to change.

Bita is determined to stand on her own two feet. She’s purchasing her first home, and ultimately, her independence.

When Bita meets Ramtin, the sexy, older real estate agent, she gets more than she ever imagined. What was meant to be a simple property transaction, blooms into a fierce desire that leaves her breathless.

Now they must make their relationship work despite their fifteen-year age gap, and interference from their traditional families.

Ramtin is everything she never knew she wanted, that is, until something unexpected becomes an all-or-nothing deal-breaker, and Ramtin may not be all in.

Bita must decide what’s worth fighting for and if Ramtin is worth the final risk...losing her heart.

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Cold Horizon

Ambition and courage at the top of the world …

Lindsey Coulson likes to scale mountains. With her sister, Alison, she has made a name for herself climbing the tallest and most treacherous peaks in the world. But when Alison dies on a K2 expedition—the second highest mountain on earth—Lindsey stops climbing. Unable to shed her grief, it becomes clear she must return to the wilderness and only one place will do—K2, the Savage Mountain.

Tyler Galloway has finally secured a permit from the Pakistani government to bring an American team to K2. When Lindsey Coulson inquires about joining the expedition, he gladly brings the famed mountaineer on board. Her strong climbing resume precedes her, and she’ll be a welcome addition to the small crew he has assembled. But K2 is a force unto itself, as is Lindsey. Both will test his limits. And both will test his heart.

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Typhoon Toby

On the surface, Toby Griffiths appears to have it all—talent, money, a brilliant mind, and model good looks. With his best friend, Reese, he’s built an empire as a singer/songwriter.

But beneath that glittering exterior, Toby suffers the lasting effects of abuse. To keep his tempestuous past where it belongs, he insists on anonymity with lovers—no names, no personal information. But a vacation fling in Bali changes all that, and he can’t get his recent playmate out of his mind.

Therapist Spencer Hart left Bali with a bad case of pneumonia and a broken heart. Although he’s recovering, he’s shocked to find his secretive partner on TV, and he’s determined to see him again. Spencer arranges to attend one of Toby’s fundraising galas, and their reunion is tense.

Toby tries to stick to his rules… until a New Year’s kiss with Spencer washes away the last of his resistance. But Toby is a man with secrets, and when the storm comes ashore, it could devastate not just his professional life but his fledgling love affair and his longtime partnership with his best friend.

Will Spencer stand by his side and help him weather the storm as Toby faces his worst fears?

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Will Rise from Ashes

Living is more than mere survival.

Young widow AJ Sinclair has persevered through much heartache. Has she met her match when the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, leaving her separated from her youngest son and her brother? Tens of thousands are dead or missing in a swath of massive destruction. She and her nine-year-old autistic son, Will, embark on a risky road trip from Maine to the epicenter to find her family. She can't lose another loved one.

Along the way, they meet Reid Gregory, who travels his own road to perdition looking for his sister. Drawn together by AJ's fear of driving and Reid's military and local expertise, their journey to Colorado is fraught with the chaotic aftermath of the eruption. AJ's anxiety and faith in humanity are put to the test as she heals her past, accepts her family's present, and embraces uncertainty as Will and Reid show her a world she had almost forgotten.

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Beyond the Dark

Malaki James knows the darkest recesses of life – knows the terrors lurking there. He’d fled the Pacific Northwest in an attempt to elude the horrors that had plagued him since childhood, vowing never to return. When life’s cruelty forces Malaki back to Washington State, he finds an unexpected light in Emsley.

Emsley Dalton is no stranger to life’s dark twists. Struggling to find release from the vows that hold her bound and the soul-deep agony of loss, she finds herself wholly unprepared for the nightmare looming over Malaki.

Fighting to overcome deep scars of his past and present, Malaki finds an ally in Emsley, her warmth is a beacon in the deepest of his darkest nightmares. Drawn to the emotionally battered man she knows Malaki to be, Emsley finds a new purpose in the void her life had become. But can they find a way through the nightmare?

Together, there is always light Beyond the Dark.

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I've Got You

When a single dad and a newly outed veterinarian meet by chance, it takes red-cheeked conversations, a tentative friendship, and the willingness to put their hearts on the line to show these men they’re made for each other.

Single dad Davis Jackson is busy balancing his coffee shop and being the best dad he can be. That doesn’t mean he’s not lonely. After a fumbling encounter with a man who looks as gorgeous as he does unhappy, Davis is left wondering who the mystery man is.

All Davis knows is that he has never felt such an instant attraction to anyone before, but when he discovers the brown-eyed man’s identity, it’s clear the recently out-of-the-closet veterinarian is lost and quite possibly broken.

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Shieldbearer: Sneak Peek 3

While I work through the first round of development notes, here is another glimpse of Shieldbearer: Thornraven, Volume 2

~*~*~*~

Turning from the glare of the battle, Lilian examines the cavern. Touching the brim of her helmet, she releases the transparent visor. Running her finger along the edge sets it to dark view, turning the dark section of the cavern purple and revealing the slender yellow columns of the sentries stationed thirty feet beyond the encampments. It would have been well to have elite guard helmets when lost in black. Beyond the sentries there is . . .
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Summer Freebies & Bargains

UF/PNR/SFR



STEAMY SCIFI ROMANCE

Indie Spotlight on Romance: 2020 RONE Finalists ~ Historical: Ancient to 18th Century

Knights and ladies, highlanders and healers.

The Promise

1208 A.D. - Sir Cullen de Nerra is a knight's knight. The son of the Sheriff of Hampshire, Val de Nerra (Vestiges of Valor), Cullen has been heavily involved in the politics of William Marshal for many years, but never more involved than when The Marshal gifts his services to a powerful, but unpredictable, warlord, Preston de Lacy.

Lady Teodora “Teddy” de Rivington. Teddy had been betrothed to Preston’s nephew until the lad got himself killed. Now, as a matter of gaining the de Rivington fortune, Preston assumes the betrothal and marries Teddy. With Teddy’s father greatly loyal to King John, Preston is only concerned with using his new wife against her father, but Teddy’s father is pleased for the same reason – using his daughter to gain information on the king’s enemies.

As a lonely knight and a lonely lady are drawn together by circumstances beyond their control, the situation explodes. It’s a race against time for Cullen to return to the woman he loves and save her from the king, her father, and her own husband. In the beginning of their love affair, he promised to always love her, to always protect her, and to always be faithful to her. He intends to fulfill that promise… or die trying.

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Forgotten Secrets

Known as a gossip and for never being able to keep a secret, Morag Douglas longs to change her reputation. She strives to do great things like her sister and cousins, and desires to be a true member of the Followers of the Secret Heart. Then an opportunity arises for her to be mentored in this secret group of strong women. But when she meets up with the mysterious knight, Sir Bedivere, her plans go astray.

Sir Bedivere Hamilton arrives at Rothbury Castle harboring a dark secret. He is an assassin with one more job to do before his debt will be paid. But when his last mission directly involves Morag, a woman who has taken his interest, he must make a choice that could change both their lives forever.

Can a woman who has everything to prove help save a man from making the biggest mistake of his life? And will a man with a debt to pay commit treason to protect the woman he loves?

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The Secret of Skye Isle

A lifesaving antidote grows as a rare rose on an isle full of faerie lore. Healer Ursula Fraser won't risk delivering her best friend's twins without it, but first she'll need a guide and a miracle.

Both come in the form of battle-scarred laird Alasdair MacLeod, a Highlander who seeks to avenge his father's death and claim the title, Lord of the Isles. He requires an heir, not a wife. But when he offers her his guidance, he also offers her his bed and a bargain.

Insulted, but fearless, Ursula expects she'll triumph without sacrifice until Alasdair takes a potion of accidental attraction and she's certain he's confusing love with infatuation. Even when he risks all to save her from the murderous MacDonalds, is her price too high for him to pay?

Will this Highlander who harbors a family secret keep her from returning to Fyvie Castle in time for the twins' delivery? Or will a faerie prophecy filled with magic and a roll of the dice settle all the scores?

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The Guardian

A Highlander’s duty....

A summons from court could be a dangerous thing especially for Graham MacCoinnich. He says what he thinks, and his clan’s treasonous rumblings coupled with their risky alliances cast both kith and kin in a dubious light. But King William’s order turns out to be anything but dire.

Surprising? Yes. Enticing? Without a doubt. The exquisite Lady Mercy Claxton, most cherished goddaughter of the king, requires a protective escort through Scotland and Graham is happy to offer his services.

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Indie Spotlight on Romance: 2020 RONE Finalists ~ Paranormal

Magic and the supernatural. Vampires, shapeshifters, witches, angels, and demons.

Waking the Dead

Hyacinth always assumed dying would simplify her life. But when her new boss, Archangel Michael, sends her on her first official mission—to retrieve a powerful rock from a collector in Germany—things go downhill fast. For one thing, the Dead keep popping up, expecting her to guide them to the Afterlife. For another, her part-demon nephew Geordi's powers are starting to leak out, at age seven. What if Michael finds out about him? Worse, what if Satan does?

Then there's her love life-after-death. Rooming with a dead French cop no one else can see is complicated enough. But when Jason, Geordi's lying Dioguardi Demon cousin, resurrects himself—so to speak—all Hell breaks loose. Literally. Can Hyacinth get Michael's rock back before Satan steals its powers and breaks free of his prison? Or will her single-minded pursuit put those she loves—and the rest of the world—in the path of Satan's fury?
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Hot Magic

While clearing out her late mother's home in Cat's Paw Cove, Florida, Molly Hendrickson finds an unusual antique necklace. Wearing it makes her feel confident and sexy--things she hasn't felt since her ex broke off their engagement or, really, ever. She decides to keep the jewel but takes other items to Black Cat Antiquities, the local antique store, to have them appraised.

Lucian Lord, a reincarnated 12th century knight, moved to Cat's Paw Cove after a scandal in which he revealed his magical abilities to his former girlfriend. Demoted by his superiors, he's running the antiques shop while his grandfather is on vacation. But, when Molly brings in artifacts tainted by dark magic, Lucian is duty-bound to find and contain the dangerous energy before it wreaks havoc not only on the town, but the world.

Living by the knightly code of honor, Lucian vows to help Molly, especially when he realizes the necklace is the source of the ancient magic he's hunting. He's determined to save his headstrong damsel and redeem his tarnished reputation--but first, things will get very, very hot.
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The Dragon of New Orleans

New Orleans: city of intrigue, supernatural secrets, and one enigmatic dragon.

A deadly curse....
For 300 years, Gabriel Blakemore has survived in New Orleans after a coup in his native realm of Paragon scattered him and his dragon siblings across the globe. Now a jealous suitor's voodoo curse threatens to end his immortal existence. His only hope is to find an antidote, one that may rest in a mortal woman.

A lifesaving gift...
After five years of unsuccessful treatment for her brain cancer, death is a welcome end for Raven Tanglewood. Her illness has become a prison her adventurous spirit cannot abide. Salvation comes in the form of Gabriel, who uses dragon magic to save her.

A harrowing price...
To Raven, the bond that results from Gabriel's gift is another kind of captivity. Can Gabriel win Raven's love and trust in time to awaken the life-saving magic within her? Or will his fiery personality and possessive ways drive her from his side and seal his fate?
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Vermilion Lies

Wherever Dax Knight sets foot, hell is bound to freeze over.

As a mercenary for the Order of the Senary, Dax departs for New England to assist his comrades in battling the vampire forces threatening to consume the Northeast. The last thing he expects to find is a gorgeous vampiress who surrenders to him entirely. Ensnared by her allure, their intense attraction ignites, and he discovers she isn’t what she seems.

Cindel Konstantinov has been on the run since she escaped her sire’s possession, trading one life of abuse and imprisonment for another. As her hope for freedom wanes, she encounters one of the infamous Knights, and his dangerous appeal is undeniable. After a life-altering moment of mercy, they careen down a path of secrets, lies, and a forbidden passion neither of them can resist. But when her past comes back to haunt them, they’ll have to face the consequences of their actions—and their desires.

Dax and Cindel will need each other more than ever as their world spirals into chaos. But are they strong enough to survive the oncoming storm?
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Midnight's Redemption

A Cynn Cruor warrior who pays the ultimate price bumps into the woman he knows is destined for him. But how can he give her the love he has when both the Cynn Cruors and the Scatha Cruors want him dead?

Mackenzie Butler, a former Scatha Cruor, has been incarcerated in The Hamilton’s dungeon for the last four years while he is being treated by Firebinders Faith Hannah and Marek Bannach. When an opportunity to escape The Hamilton’s Faesten arises, he takes it to fulfil one mission: the eradication of the Scatha Cruors in Leeds. But there is a sexy spanner in the works: Jasmine Angelico.

The woman who immediately owns his heart.

As Jasmine prepares for her holiday, she and her dog, Mutt are abducted... though abduction might not be the right word. Her unusual abductor whisks her away from the very people she believes are guilty of her family’s murder. Trapped in her kidnapper’s house, she gets to know Mack Butler more than she should. It’s just too bad that her heart is compromised when she falls for her handsome and enigmatic kidnapper.

A deadly secret is revealed that leads to a fight for the right to claim Jasmine. Sacrifices must be made to keep the peace within the ranks of the Cynn Cruors.

Jasmine and Mack may not have a chance to find their happily ever after...
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Shieldbearer: Sneak Peek 2

Shieldbearer: Thornraven, Volume 2   begins development edits in July.   While we wait for my editor, here is a sneak peek.

~*~*~*~

Lucius taps his slate, authorizing Commandant Sheila to assign the Troy relief troops to the crevasse and refinery. With over half the Desperation militia yet to be cleared for duty, the addition of two score militia is a gift from the shades. The sound of the bedchamber door has him setting aside his slate.

Lilian is delectable . . .
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Indie Spotlight on Romance: 2020 RONE Finalists: Time Travel/SciFi

It's that time of year, again. The 2020 RONE Finalists have been announced. For the balance of the summer, the spotlight will be featuring the finalists in various categories. This year, I'm honored to have a novel in the Time Travel/Scifi category.

Bond Proof

In defiance of the odds, Lilian is within a month of proving her bond, driving desperate Odds Managers to ever increasing bounties on her life—every step beyond the security of the cartel is perilous. Within the cartel, she must put aside her fear, giving all her attention to her duty and the decorum demanded of an apprentice.

The success of the Nightingale launch has brought Lucius and Serengeti into the center of Twelve Systems commerce. As the Nightingale Command Crew is gathers on Metricelli Prime to prepare for the dangerous voyage to the Thirteenth System, whispers of pirates emerge from the Eleventh and Twelfth Systems. A decade before, pirates almost to toppled Serengeti, their reemergence so close to the Nightingale launch endangers all Lucius has achieved. When a group of free-traders arrive from those distant systems, they threaten to resurrect an ancient Mercio scandal that could undermine the honor of Blooded Dagger and Serengeti, and imperil all Lucius' values.

In the final days of Lilian’s apprenticeship, danger lurks in every shadow. It will require all Lucius’ power and Lilian’s courage to achieve her bond proof.

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*** For those new to the series, the first two volumes are on sale for 99c in a boxed set. ***

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The Girl Who Loved Caravaggio

Her visions guide her to the truth, but sometimes the truth is better left dead…

On May 28, 1606, in Rome Italy, Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio fights a duel to first blood against the powerful pimp, Ranuccio. When the duel turns deadly, Caravaggio flees Rome and spends the rest of his life as a fugitive.

On October 18, 1969, Caravaggio's masterpiece, the Nativity, was stolen from a church in Palermo, Sicily. Considered one of the greatest art thefts in history, the painting is still missing.

In present-day Lake Bluff, Illinois, art historian, Angela Renatus and detective Alex Caine visit Angela’s father, Oliver, to announce their engagement. Their visit leads to a dangerous mission for Angela and Alex – to find Caravaggio’s stolen masterpiece. A web of secrets and lies entangles the couple – taking them on a twisted and treacherous journey into the artist’s very own heart of darkness.

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To Weave A Highland Tapestry

Patrick MacFhearguis, hardened by battles won and lost, desires what he can never have—peace within his heart and soul. Yet, the ever-meddling Fae weave a new journey for him to conquer. A task this highlander is determined to resist.

When skilled weaver, Gwen Hywel, is commissioned to create a tapestry for the MacFhearguis clan, she embraces the assignment. While seeking out ideas, she finds herself clutching the one thread that can alter the tapestry of her life and heart.

A man conflicted by past deeds. A woman with no family of her own. Is it possible for love to unravel an ancient past, in order to claim two badly scarred hearts? Or will the light of hope be doused forever?

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Tribe of Daughters

For the past seventy years, deep in the mountains and totally secluded from civilization, a matriarchal society has thrived. In this small village there are no brothers, no fathers, no sons. In this village men exist only to serve the women, and boys have no mothers. In this village men do as they are told and defiance is severely punished.

This is the only life Wilderness has ever known, but when Jameson is brought in from the outside to be her husband, everything she thought she knew about strength and love is tested. As they struggle to find their place in the village, they suddenly find themselves face to face with outsiders who threaten to destroy everything they love, and it doesn’t take long to realize that they will have to work together, men and women alike, if they want to survive.

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99c Bundle Sale

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I'm so excited about Bond Proof being a 2020 RONE Finalists, I'm celebrating by putting the award winning first two volumes on sale for the month of June.

Five-stars.  The world building in this series is absolutely phenomenal. . . Lillian is brilliant.  She is fierce and smart and vulnerable and endearing. ~ Melissa Brus, Paranormal Romance Guild, April 2019

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Life within the Serengeti Cartel is perilous, riddled with malice and intrigue that can threaten the mightiest of warriors. For Lilian – brilliant, despised, and one misstep away from execution for her father’s crimes – all that stands between her and destruction is the powerful warrior Lucius Mercio. In return for his protection, Lilian becomes Lucius' apprentice, yielding control of her body, will, and intellect.

THE CARTEL: The Apprentice, Volume 1
Lucius Mercio commands one of the most powerful Cartels in the Twelve Systems. As clever and ambitious as he is ruthless, Lucius' wealth, influence, and power place him among the elite of the warrior caste. It is not enough. Lucius intends to take his Cartel to unimaginable heights with the aid of Lilian's brilliance. He faces only one obstacle. Lucius must keep Lilian alive.

BRIGHT STAR: The Apprentice, Volume 2
In the second volume in the Twelve Systems Chronicles, Lilian’s enemies are more determined than ever to see her destroyed. A visitor from her past will endanger her future and threaten to destroy Lucius’ slowly developing trust. To survive the next set of challenges Lilian will need to find new reserves of courage, wit, and determination.

When Lucius’ motivations and ambitions are revealed, they are far more extraordinary than Lilian imagined.