Aldrea Alien's Blog, page 24
April 14, 2020
To Target the Heart is live!
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How can he win with the odds stacked against him?
Prince Hamish has no interest in fulfilling his duty of marrying. Not to a woman, at least. That doesn’t stop his mother, Queen Fiona, from presenting him with every eligible noblewoman that enters their castle. He’s certain it’ll be no different with the representative of the Udynea Empire.
So when they do arrive, Hamish is relieved the imperial prince, Darshan, is not the woman everyone expected. Until the man kisses him and Hamish is confronted by the very emotions he has been forced to conceal or be punished for. Emotions he is eager to explore.
But the kiss proves to be a little too public and leads his mother to take drastic measures to ensure Hamish adheres to her family vision. The contest of arms will force Hamish to make a choice: give up his happiness for convention’s sake or send the kingdom spiralling into civil war for the right to love his own way.
*This book contains violence, attempted suicide and explicit adult themes.*
Grab it here
February 29, 2020
Cover Reveal – To Target the Heart
It’s finally time to reveal the cover for To Target the Heart, the second full novel in my Spellster Series. I’m not going to drag this out because I’m still fighting off both a nasty head cold and a sinus infection… but I’ve had this image kicking around my harddrive for at least a year. Feels good to finally have it out in the world.
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How can he win with the odds stacked against him?
Prince Hamish has no interest in fulfilling his duty of marrying. Not to a woman, at least. That doesn’t stop his mother, Queen Fiona, from presenting him with every eligible noblewoman that enters their castle. He’s certain it’ll be no different with the representative of the Udynea Empire.
So when they do arrive, Hamish is relieved the imperial prince, Darshan, is not the woman everyone expected. Until the man kisses him and Hamish is confronted by the very emotions he has been forced to conceal or be punished for. Emotions he is eager to explore.
But the kiss proves to be a little too public and leads his mother to take drastic measures to ensure Hamish adheres to her family vision. The contest of arms will force Hamish to make a choice: give up his happiness for convention’s sake or send the kingdom spiralling into civil war for the right to love his own way.
Preorder on Amazon for $2.99
February 21, 2020
Weekend Writing Warriors – #8sunday
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It’s my birthday and I’m celebrating by giving away a $5 Amazon Gift Card in my reader group.
We’re still on snippets from Someone Else’s Shoes, my fairytale novella that’ll be in the box set Once Upon Another World.
For those catching up, it’s an F/F take on Cinderella with a trans princess and set in the same spellster series world as To Target the Heart and In Pain and Blood, except in another empire and a few generations back from what I call “the modern timeline” of those novels.
Carrying on from last week, where we met Odette…
Unlike most of the slaves living in the estate, she had belonged to Alla’s father from well before even he had been born. The woman’s collar still bore the family crest—etched into the steel plating that was riveted to the old leather. Only two such slaves were left now. There hadn’t been many before Alla’s father died fighting in the imperial army as he preferred having servants, an outlandish view for any noble in the Niholian Empire.
But once the news of his demise reached them, her stepmother had wasted little time in firing the servants and trading the few able-bodied slaves for whatever took her fancy. Odette and Uda where the only two who remembered Alla’s father and they were only here because not even the glass barons wanted them.
“My dear, sweet child.” Odette knelt before Alla. “Look at you. As wet as a squid and paddling about like a duck.”
Don’t forget to check out the other excerpts at Weekend Writing Warriors, Snippet Sunday or Rainbow Snippets.
Someone Else’s Shoes
Exclusively in the Once Upon Another World Box Set
Currently on pre-order for 99c
February 15, 2020
Weekend Writing Warriors – #8sunday
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We’re still on my fairytale novella, Someone Else’s Shoes, that’ll be in the box set Once Upon Another World.
For those catching up, it’s set in the same spellster series world as To Target the Heart and In Pain and Blood, just in another empire and back a few generations from what I call “the modern timeline” of those novels.
It’s an F/F take on Cinderella with a trans princess.
We’re carrying on from last week, but skipping a little further past Alla moping up the mess her stepsister had made…
“Oh, my lady.”
Alla glanced up at the familiar cry. Her heart thumped a few extra beats as she hastened to confirm no one else but herself shared the foyer with the old woman. “ ‘Dett, we’ve spoken about this. You can’t call me that. It’s just Alla.” No matter how many times Alla told the woman, she always had to remind Odette not to refer to her in such a manner. Neither of them could ever be too certain of word getting back to Alla’s stepmother. And if it did…?
Odette waved the concern away as if angering Alla’s stepmother didn’t mean a lashing.
Don’t forget to check out the other excerpts at Weekend Writing Warriors, Snippet Sunday or Rainbow Snippets.
Someone Else’s Shoes
Exclusively in the Once Upon Another World Box Set
Currently on pre-order for 99c
February 7, 2020
Weekend Writing Warriors – #8sunday
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We’re still on my fairytale novella, Someone Else’s Shoes, that’ll be in the box set Once Upon Another World.
For those catching up, it’s set in the same spellster series world as To Target the Heart and In Pain and Blood, just in another empire and back a few generations from what I call “the modern timeline” of those novels.
It’s an F/F take on Cinderella with a trans princess.
We’re carrying on from last week, after Alla’s stepsister, Tamara, upended the watery contents of a bucket all over Alla and mocked her… (punctuation slightly altered to fit)
Tamara towered over Alla; even with them both standing upright, her stepsister was taller by at least a foot. “Looks like you’re going to be here all day. What will mother say?” Giving a tweak to the tip of Alla’s ear, Tamara sauntered deeper into the mansion.
Alla rubbed at her ear as she watched her stepsister depart. How she loathed the distinct points and sensitivity. What use did such ears give their owners beyond a means to single out elves and torture them? Better hearing? It hardly seemed worth the trouble.
With the tips of her ears still smarting, Alla sank back to her knees and set to work mopping up the water.
Don’t forget to check out the other excerpts at Weekend Writing Warriors, Snippet Sunday or Rainbow Snippets.
Someone Else’s Shoes
Exclusively in the Once Upon Another World Box Set
Currently on pre-order for 99c
January 31, 2020
Weekend Writing Warriors – #8sunday
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We’re still on my fairytale novella, Someone Else’s Shoes, that’ll be in the box set Once Upon Another World.
For those catching up, it’s set in the same spellster series world as To Target the Heart and In Pain and Blood, just in another empire and back a few generations from what I call “the modern timeline” of those novels.
It’s an F/F take on Cinderella with a trans princess.
We’re carrying on from last week, where Alla’s stepsister, Tamara, upended the watery contents of a bucket all over Alla… (punctuation slightly altered to fit)
Even knowing it was too late, Alla scrambled to her feet. The water had managed to collect her from top to bottom. Her hair was sodden; the skirts of her dress clung to her legs like seaweed. “What—?”
“Oh dear,” Tamara gasped, poorly concealing her smirk behind her fingers. “Just look at the mess you’ve made, Little Soot. How clumsy of you. One would think, what with your muddled heritage, that you would be at least reasonably graceful.”
Alla bit her tongue. Being elven—or even half—was not a guarantee of grace.
Don’t forget to check out the other excerpts at Weekend Writing Warriors, Snippet Sunday or Rainbow Snippets.
Someone Else’s Shoes
Exclusively in the Once Upon Another World Box Set
Currently on pre-order for 99c
January 24, 2020
Weekend Writing Warriors – #8sunday
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We’re still on my fairytale novella, Someone Else’s Shoes, that’ll be in the box set Once Upon Another World, even if I’m currently adding another chapter.
For those catching up, it’s set in the same spellster series world as To Target the Heart and In Pain and Blood, just in another empire and back a few generations from what I call “the modern timeline” of those novels.
It’s an F/F take on Cinderella with a trans princess.
We’re carrying on from last week, where Alla’s cleaning was rudely interrupted by Tamara snapping her fingers in Alla’s face and ending with Tamara demanding that she “Answer me when I speak, girl.” (punctuation slightly altered to fit)
“I heard you,” Alla retorted, cupping her ears. The dead could likely hear her stepsister, what with how abysmally loud each one of Tamara’s snaps was. “It would help if you pointed out where.” She spied no flaw in her work; not even when she sat back on her heels and gave each tile a critical eye.
Still, perhaps her stepsister saw something Alla couldn’t.
Tamara narrowed her dark eyes. They gleamed in the midday light; not as sharply as Alla’s stepmother, but with an echo of the same cruelness she reserved for those she considered beneath her. “Right here.” With a deft kick to the nearby bucket, Tamara upended the contents.
Cold, silty water splashed Alla and washed out onto the tiles.
Don’t forget to check out the other excerpts at Weekend Writing Warriors, Snippet Sunday or Rainbow Snippets.
Someone Else’s Shoes
Exclusively in the Once Upon Another World Box Set
Currently on pre-order for 99c
January 18, 2020
Weekend Writing Warriors – #8sunday
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With the final edits for To Target the Heart done and awaiting its release, I’m turning my focus to polishing up the fairytale novella, Someone Else’s Shoes, that’ll be in the box set Once Upon Another World.
It’s set in the same spellster series world, just in another empire and back a few generations from what I call “the modern timeline” of the major novels.
We’ll start at the beginning.
“You missed a spot.”
Alla’s humming died in her throat. Had someone spoken? To her? Blinking out of her trance-like daze, she lifted her attention from the marble tiles she had almost finished polishing. All around, the foyer floor glistened with her efforts.
Fingers, glittering with silver and jewels, clicked in front of Alla’s face. “Did you hear me?” Tamara demanded, continuing to snap her fingers even though they were almost nose to nose. “Answer me when I speak, girl.”
Don’t forget to check out the other excerpts at Weekend Writing Warriors, Snippet Sunday or Rainbow Snippets.
Someone Else’s Shoes
Exclusively in the Once Upon Another World Box Set
Currently on pre-order for 99c
January 10, 2020
Weekend Writing Warriors – #8sunday
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Still neck-deep in the final edits for To Target the Heart but I believe I’ll be done by next weekend. After which, I shall be changing my snippets to those from Someone Else’s Shoes.
So this’ll likely be the last of Darshan and Hamish for a wee while.
This snippet skips ahead a bit from last week with them entering the soirée Darshan’s sister is hosting.
The door swung inwards as they neared, bisecting the image of the tree and allowing golden light to spill into the foyer. Darshan strode through the doorway with barely a pause, leaving Hamish to follow.
The whole room shone with a golden light. Hamish halted beside his husband at the top of the stairs—an elven man also shared the landing, there to announce attendees as they entered—blinking to see anything beyond the glow. He caught flashes of colour when he squinted, but little else.
The elven man bowed, his tanned face gaining a sickly shade. “His imperial highness,” he announced, his booming voice neatly cutting the chatter below, “Darshan vris Mhanek, and…” With his face gaining colour at double the speed he had lost it, the man’s eyes darted from Darshan to Hamish. The elf wet his lips, clearly torn between assuming and enquiring. “His husband…?” The tight note of a question lingered in that last word.
Don’t forget to check out the other excerpts at Weekend Writing Warriors, Snippet Sunday or Rainbow Snippets.
Having staved off the idea of marrying a woman for years, Prince Hamish finds himself forced to face its realities when he becomes the prize in a contest of arms. How can he win with the odds stacked against him?
To Target the Heart – Spellster Series, Book 2
Currently on pre-order
January 7, 2020
Once Upon Another World Pre-order
[image error]Not all fairy tales are as they appear.
Was it actually Red who hunted the wolf? What if the prince was the one in distress? Did the straw really get spun into gold? How well did those glass slippers truly fit?
Where princesses do their own rescuing, princes aren’t who they first appear to be, and beasts are friends, not foe—and maybe something more…
With stories spanning from true love’s kiss to reverse harem, skyscrapers to ancient castles, sweet romance to steamy nights, these alluring tales will satisfy readers of fantasy and romance alike.
Authors included in the box set are: Monique Singleton, Joel Crofoot, Sloane Murphy, Zack Hacker, D.E. Chapman, Erin McFadden & K.L. Bone, Cinnamon Worth, Jaclyn Roche, L.R.W. Lee, JB Trepagnier, Silvana G. Sanchez, Cassidy K. O’Connor, Jude Cocaigne, M.L. Garza, Hunter S. Jones, Aldrea Alien, Amari Ara Dreamer, D.C. Gambel, Trinity Hanrahan & Krista Ames, K.A. Fox, Christa Ann, and Ashlee Nicole Bye
