Cover Reveal of Aflame

Cover Reveal of Aflame

by | Oct 16, 2025 | Announcements, Book News, Books, Cover Designs, Fantasy

It’s Time!

For Another Cover Reveal!!

I know, I know, we just had one of these two weeks ago. But who’s really going to complain about another peek at a new cover?? I know I wouldn’t!

And I’m so excited to share more about the second book in my romantasy series. Aflame is set 150 years after Awakened, but don’t worry—Arden and Seidon are still alive and well and recognized the world over as the best-ever “power couple.” 😉

And something EXTRA fun for you…if you pre-order from my site, you’ll get an insta-download of the first chapter of Aflame! You also have the option of ebook, regular paperback, or printed-edge paperback. (Be sure you’re logged in when you order…that’s the only way the site knows who you are, to provide that download.)

Let’s meet…

Valkyrja (Kyrja)

Kyrja (pronounced keer-yuh or keer-ee-uh) is the youngest daughter of King Isidor of Fjordlandi. The extra daughter. Not the heir, not the spare. She is, as her older sister likes to say, “pretty but useless,” with a magic so much weaker than the rest of her family that it’s laughable. She can never best her siblings in their regular sparring … because why? She’d rather use her power over snow and ice to make the people smile with her crystal artwork and volunteer at the free clinic and numb children’s arms before their inoculations. But when tragedy strikes and Kyrja finds herself thrust into more responsibility than she ever wanted, she has to step up…and in doing so, learns how deep the corruption in Fjordlandi runs. But what can she, pretty and useless, do about it?

A rebel only when it comes to learning the holy Words…

Nikanor (Nik)

In Fjordlandi, the magical Blessed rule, the Fjorders are the aristocratic class with all the power, and the common people, the farmers—called thanes—are, well, nothing. Nothing but breeding stock. Nik has always wanted more than he’s been allotted as a thane, not in terms of land or things, but education. With the help of a local clergyman, he’s educated himself in hiding, studying the law and the holy Words of the Giver. But when his father, leader of a rebel group, summons him to the capital city, Nik has no idea that his life is on a collision course with Princess Valkyrja’s—nor that there are secrets kept within the country’s largest volcano that will threaten to burn all of Fjordlandi to the ground.

From within the volcano…

Daemon

For years uncountable, Daemon has lived in Fjordlandi’s biggest, ever-active volcano, sentenced here for rebellion. But when he was tossed into Helviti’s throat, he didn’t burn up. He…turned. Turned into something the world had never seen before, into a creature of fire and lava, able to summon those magma flows with his will. Daemon, the old king had hissed at him–the dark answer to the Blessed, dubbed the Cursed. So Daemon the Cursed he will be. And though he has quietly kept the volcano in his fist these many years, helped along with the others like him that have been tossed into the lava lake from time to time, something has changed. Something new is happening Above. And Daemon isn’t going to let it pass him by.

An evocative setting

Fjordlandi

In a post-cataclysmic Earth many thousands of years in the future, technology and gift from God have combined to create power over the elements that is called “magic.” In what used to be Scandinavia, this magic is specifically geared toward snow and ice, and Fjordlandi is known as the land of the ice wielders. With cities open to the elements, the aristocratic Fjorders have become immune to the cold, and emotion is considered a weakness that will melt one’s protective ice…but in the sheltered greenhouse domes where the thanes live, blood still runs hot–and so does a festering revolution. For centuries, the thanes have been crushed under the ice-cold boot of the magically Blessed. But the time has come for them to set their whole land Aflame.

Roseanna’s next

Fantasy Romance

In a world of fire and ice, an underestimated princess, a faith-filled commoner, and an unknown power burning with resentment must join forces to bring long-awaited justice to Fjordlandi—a kingdom too long held captive to the ice, ready to be set Aflame.

 

Ready? Here it is!
The cover of Aflame!

What do you think??

I LOVE how this turned out! The beautiful drawing of Kyrja comes to us courtesy of the amazing Caroline Smith of Caroline Calligraphie (one of my P&P ladies). I added a background with the fire/lava elements (because, um, only having snow on the cover of a book called Aflame might be confusing, LOL), combined it with some rising sparks, I did a dual Awakening mark this time so we can see both the marks of the Blessed and the Cursed (uneven simply so there’s no weird line, they shift behind her), and then of course had the title in a fun gild to coordinate with Awakened.

AND…this one will also have printed edges!! (You have the option to pre-order with or without them, since I have a few readers who prefer to put their own art on the edges.) Here’s a peek at what those will look like!

Pre-Order Now!

The Official Description

In a land of fire and ice, love is considered a weakness.

Princess Valkyrja has always been deemed “pretty and useless” by her family, who rule the kingdom of Fjordlandi. Though she has the same magical Blessing over ice and snow as her brother, sister, and father, she can never seem to use it for the brute-force ruling they require, choosing instead to make art that makes her people smile. But when a horrific attack shakes their whole world, she has to step up…and find a strength she didn’t know she had.

Nikanor has lived his life under the greenhouse domes, a commoner with no opportunities to do things he most desires—to study the Words or the law, to be something other than a farmer. When he and his best friend follow his father to the capital, he hopes only for a nice holiday. Instead, the attack throws him into the path of a princess, and his world is never the same.

But the Blessed aren’t the only ones with magic in Fjordlandi. There are others already Awakened in the volcano, those called the Cursed, with lava in their veins and rebellion in their hearts. And once the fires of revolution ignite, they won’t stop until all of Fjordlandi is Aflame.

Word of the Week – Hey

Word of the Week – Hey

by | Oct 13, 2025 | Word of the Week

I’ve run into words like this many times. Words like wow, that are SUCH a part of modern life that we think of them as modern. New. Definitely not used by people in eras past. (Wow, in case you missed my post about it way back in 2012 or my revisit in 2020, dates from the 1510s.)

Hey is another word that might sound modern to your ears. It is, after all, almost treated as a slang greeting these days, informal in the extreme, right?

That may be true…but in fact, hey is an incredibly old word, tracing its roots all the way back to Latin! Various spellings of this same word are in evidence in England as early as 1200. It was often used as an interjection meant to get someone’s attention, a shout of encouragement for hunting dogs, and also a challenge or rebuttal. (Like when someone bumps into you, and you say, “Hey! Watch it!”

Many languages have very similar one-syllable sounds that do this work, often very similar to our sound and spelling. Icelandic, for instance, uses this as their primary casual greeting (spelled differently), so you’ll see it in The Christmas Book Flood, which releases tomorrow. 😉

Now, a quick peek at that Latin root. Latin actually had two versions of the word to denote two different feelings. Hei was an interjection that had a sorrowful tone, while heia was used to express joy. I kinda love that.

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It’s Release Day! The Christmas Book Flood

It’s Release Day! The Christmas Book Flood

by | Oct 7, 2025 | Announcements, Book News, Books

Welcome to the Launch Day Celebration
for The Christmas Book Flood!

It’s been a long time since I’ve had a story only coming out in digital formats–and the first time that those digital formats include both eBook and audio. This was my first of two contracted novellas for Tyndale, and can I just say that this is also the first time I got to write a Christmas story during the Christmas season??? That was pretty sweet! I finished this last January, sitting on the couch beside my Christmas tree. Ahhhh.

So what is The Christmas Book Flood about? It’s a friends-to-more historical romance set in Iceland of 1944…the year the Jolabokflod tradition began! I go not only inside this Allied-occupied island nation (this Scandinavian country was occupied by the Allies instead of the Nazis!), but into a (fictional) publishing house as they’re putting the very first Book Flood together. Both my heroine, Tatiana, and my hero, Anders, work for this publishing house and are in a frenzy to get the mountain of orders out on time…made all the more hectic because Tatiana is hosting her niece for Christmas this year, and she’s determined to bring joy to the heart of this precious girl who is devastated to be away from home.

Turns out Icelandic Christmas traditions are very unique too! Scroll down to get a peek at the differences you’ll encounter in this story!

Live DUAL Event!

I ended up cancelling my live event for The Collector of Burned Books due to travel, surgery, and then a month-long migraine that didn’t go away until I was again out of town for vacation…so tonight we’ll have a BIG celebration for BOTH The Collector of Burned Books and The Christmas Book Flood! Though these two books are both standalones, they are thematically linked by books (deliberate choice, yes!), and I think we’ll have fun talking about them both.

So join me for a Facebook Live video tonight, Tuesday October 7, at 7 pm Eastern! (You can watch it afterward too, and I’ll try to answer any questions in the comments!)

  • Behind the scenes of both books
  • Fun facts
  • What’s coming next
Visit Roseanna M. White on Facebook

The Christmas Book Flood focuses on Tatiana and Anders

First, a quick note on Icelandic names.

Iceland still maintains the ancient Viking naming tradition, which is that each individual’s surname is their father’s name with a suffix. Girls get name + dottir (daughter) and men get name + son. So while two sisters would have the same surname and two brothers would as well, a brother and sister would actually have different surnames (different suffixes, anyway), and they do NOT have the same last name as their own parents!

Because of this, unlike with most other countries, they don’t call each other by any sort of honorific (Mr. or Miss) most of the time. They just use first names. =)

So let’s meet my heroine and hero!

First we have Tatiana. Tatiana moved from her fishing village several years ago to work for her uncle in Iceland’s capital city of Reykjavik at a publishing company called The Story Society (based on a mashup of actual Iceland publisher names–isn’t that fun?). Though she’s just her uncle’s secretary officially, she has a secret no one at the company knows. That she’s also the author of one of the books the Story Society has just released, written under a male pen name. And her editor, the man who’s become such a good friend through their shared correspondence over the many months of edits, is none other than the Story Society’s star–Anders.

Anders is an editor for the company, yes, but he’s also an acclaimed writer and artist, publishing a series of books for children that retell the traditional Icelandic sagas in a way that’s appropriate for young readers. Though he’s lived all his life in Reykjavik, Anders is from a family of fishermen who don’t quite know what to make of his scholarly self. He’s always felt like a disappointment to his family, like the odd duck that baffles and infuriates them, especially his many strapping brothers, who so embody the paradigm of Nordic heroes that Anders is always left feeling like an unhero in comparison. But at the Story Society, he has found his people. And maybe, just maybe he can finally find a way to get the attention of the publisher’s beautiful niece.

~*~

Tatiana is eager to welcome her niece, Elea, to the city for the weeks leading up to Christmas, while her sister is on bed-rest in the final weeks of a much-longed-for pregnancy and her brother-in-law is recuperating from a U-boat attack on his fishing vessel. But the Book Bulletin that all of Iceland’s publishers have worked together to put out–a catalogue that has gone out to every household in Iceland, promoting books as Christmas gifts this year, since paper is one of the few things not rationed–has been a little too successful. How is she supposed to find the time to do her job and give Elea the Christmas she deserves?

Turns out, it’s going to take some teamwork, on both counts. And maybe a little Christmas miracle…

Icelandic Christmas Traditions!

There are so many fun traditions unique to Iceland, and I had a ton of fun diving into them is this story!

For starters, instead of Santa Claus, they have the Yule Lads–13 brothers who are a sort of ogre-elf, who each trek down from their mountain home in the days leading up to Christmas, to leave gifts in children’s shoes in exchange for goodies like yogurt, cookies, candles, and meat. Elea arrives in the city frustrated that her aunt actually expects her to play along with this childish tradition, but through the Yule Lads, they bring some joy back into the season.

And something you might not know…Iceland doesn’t have many trees and NO native pines. So Christmas trees? Nope! Not traditionally a part of their festivities…or at least, not like you might think. They certainly weren’t immune to the allure, but since real trees weren’t to be had, they used their well-established ingenuity and craftsmanship to make their own. But not like the artificial trees we would recognize. No, they used things like metal hangers and dowel rods to create a “tree” with branches, draped them with juniper or other evergreens, and decorated them. By 1944, some pine trees were being imported for Christmas, but it was considered a luxury.

What’s your traditional dinner for Christmas? In Iceland, their big meal is shared on Christmas Eve, and gifts are exchanged afterward. Families will then attend Midnight Mass (the country is officially Lutheran) to welcome the arrival of our Savior. But that meal? Not turkey or ham! Those aren’t readily available in Iceland either. No, their traditional meal is skate. Various kinds of fish and lamb are their main meats.

They still love cookies though! Sugar and flour were both rationed during the war, of course, but families would save up their stores to make a few special things, including cookies and leaf bread–a thin-rolled dough cut in decorative designs and then deep-fried in fat (usually sheep fat at this period).

And of course…The Christmas Book Flood!

My favorite Icelandic Christmas tradition, though, is the one whose origin I’m writing about in this story. Jolabokflod has taken the book world by storm in recent years, so it’s quite likely you’ve seen something about it.

In short, it’s the tradition of giving books as Christmas gifts (again, opened on Christmas Eve after dinner) and then staying up until you leave for church reading your book and drinking hot chocolate. I mean…COME ON. Best. Tradition. Ever!

Of course, when it began in 1944, that hot chocolate was unlikely–chocolate and sugar were both seriously rationed. But I do approve of the addition. 😉 Paper, however, was not rationed, which meant that books were a logical and affordable choice of gift during the war. 

And they were well received! Iceland, even today, boasts more readers per capita than any other country, putting Americans to shame. Which is no surprise, because they’ve long been known as “a storytelling people.” Families will tell each other stories over dinner and in the evenings, often about their day (but told as a complete tale with beginning, middle, and end), but also the old sagas of the Viking heroes, often with tragic ends. (I read some of these as research, guys, and oh my gracious, LOL. Definitely that sort of story that always ends in death to everyone, hence why Anders has to make them kid-friendly. And Odin makes frequent cameos!)

What a splendid gift to books and book lovers! With her customarily reverent research, Roseanna M. White weaves a tale destined to reach deep into the hearts of word-lovers everywhere. Igniting a passion for the power of the written word, White shines a spotlight on an oft-overlooked snapshot of history and blazons a light on a little-known tradition with her confident and binge-worthy prose. White’s in-depth characterization and deft exploration of family dynamics are underscored by a spotlight highlighting a unique community easily transporting readers to an island of perseverance…and books. Destined to find its way onto every “keeper shelf” The Christmas Book Flood will be revisited by readers every Christmas…time and time again.

Rachel McMillan

bestselling author of The Mozart Code

Giveaway

US entrants, enter to win bookish Christmas ornaments and few (unshown) stocking stuffer style goodies,
PLUS a gift-wrapped book of your choice from my shop for you to give to a loved one this Christmas, signed to them!
(Yes, this can totally be a gift to you, signed to you, LOL. Put it under your own tree. I won’t judge.)

International entrants, enter to win a copy of any of my books, shipped from your usual online retailer.

(If the above entry form is not working, check it out here.

Word of the Week – Shambles

Word of the Week – Shambles

by | Oct 6, 2025 | Word of the Week

When we say something is in shambles, we probably have no idea what we’re actually likening it to. Where does this word come from?

Well, shamble began its life in Old English as scamol, meaning a bench or stool. From there,  it began to be used as a table in a marketplace stall (by the 1300s), and then (by the 1400s) particularly one that sold meat or fish, which was when the current spelling began to appear as well.

So for a while, it meant “a place where meat or fish is sold.” Then by the mid-1500s, it evolved into “slaughterhouse.” By the 1590s, it was used metaphorically as “a place of butchery.” But it wasn’t until 1901 that the “butchery” meaning, which was often invoked when things were bloody and gross, began to take on the less-bloody and more-metaphorical meaning of “confusion, mess.” That’s also the point where we began pluralizing it.

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Cover Reveal of Aflame

Cover Reveal of The Spy Keeper of Marseille

by | Oct 2, 2025 | Announcements, Book News, Books, Cover Designs

It’s Time!

For Another Cover Reveal!!

It’s no secret. Cover reveals are some of my favorite things. And the whole cover design process is a delight to me. (Yeah, I know. I’m a cover designer. This is to be expected, LOL.) 

And one thing I’m loving about working with Tyndale is that they often give me options. As in, they send two covers, with their favorite noted and why, but make it clear if I prefer the other, my opinion counts. That’s lovely.

As with The Collector of Burned Books, I absolutely agreed with their favorite, though in this case, I requested some minor changes to the lighting of the sky, which they quickly did. Now–chef’s kiss! I love it!

But of course, before I share, let me share with you a bit about the book and characters. =D

A woman unlike any other in France…

Zelie Bellarose

Zelie (pronounced zee-lee) is not what anyone would expect. As the wife of a late military officer and mother of two young children, everyone thinks she ought to be spending the war waiting in lines for food and tending her children. But Zelie, with her sharp mind and penchant for organization, isn’t ready to give up the fight after the Nazi invasion. She wants to give her children a France worth growing up in, so she’s been working with another military officer on building France’s largest intelligence network, Alliance.

She never expected to be put in charge of it. But when her superior is arrested, it falls to Zelie to keep Alliance running…and make sure that, at all costs, they keep Britain’s MI6 fed with information.

More than just another musician…

Marcel Laurent

Though a concert pianist at the pinnacle of his career before the war, Marcel couldn’t let his brother and cousins have all the glory. He’d enlisted, joining France’s forces at the Maginot Line…only to end up a POW for over a year. Now Marcel finds himsef released on a prisoner exchange, apparently at the behest of a wealthy industrialist with ties with the fledgling Resistance, brought back to France for one purpose–to be Alliance’s liaison to the arts sector. As the leader of a new youth orchestra, Marcel is able to travel through both free and occupies zones and even send out live messages on their weekly radio program.

He’s happy to do whatever he can for his country. Especially if it means bringing a smile to the lovely face of la patronne–a woman he knows is out of his league, but to whom he’s inexplicably drawn.

An evocative setting

Marseille, 1941

This beautiful Mediterranean city on France’s southern coast was technically in the dubiously-dubbed “Free France,” supposedly outside the Nazis’ control…but that didn’t keep Nazi soldiers and agents from roaming freely to oversee all the French officials and track down the Resistance proving to be a thorn in their side.

Both Marcel’s and Zelie’s families are from the region, so it’s a natural place for Zelie to set up operations; Marseille is the most diverse city in France thanks to its once-bustling seaport, now closed because of the war. Surrounded by rich farmlands and the famed flower fields of Provence, the city still has much to offer…and Alliance is determined to take advantage of it/

Roseanna’s next

World War II Romance

This high-stakes, fast-paced story is based on the real-life adventures of Marie-Madeleine Fourcade, the historical female head of Alliance, France’s largest intelligence network during the war. Her many escapades and close scrapes provided ample inspiration for my fictional Zelie, and Marcel, too, is a mash-up of several historical figures!

Ready? Here it is!
The cover of The Spy Keeper of Marseille!

What do you think??

I LOVE this cover! The gorgeous villa along the coast of the Med, the colors, the back view of Zelie, briefcase in hand yet stylish pumps and hat on…this fits the story and character to a T! In the story, they use a couple different villas as their base of operations, donated to the cause by the families who owned them for Alliance’s use. Airdrops were also an important part of the network’s work, so having the planes up there is perfect too.

Pre-Order Now!

The Official Description

Few would suspect a young widow and mother of two small children of being a spy.
Fewer still would believe she leads the largest intelligence operation in France.

Marseille, France, 1941. Zelie Bellerose never fit the mold of an army officer’s wife. She was too passionate in her convictions, too indifferent to societal expectations. After her husband is killed in the war, Zelie focuses on securing a brighter future for her children, hoping to help free her country from the Nazi regime by joining the Resistance. She is soon one of the most trusted operatives in Alliance, and when their leader is imprisoned, she takes command, hiding her identity from all but a few. With enemies closing in, Zelie must earn the trust of her network and prove herself to those who doubt a woman’s place at the helm of the France’s largest spy ring.

Marcel Laurent was a renowned concert pianist before joining the French army and being sent to a POW camp. Freed in a prisoner exchange by a wealthy businessman with ties to the Resistance, Marcel agrees to spy for Alliance by conducting a youth orchestra, gathering intelligence from patrons who are loose-lipped Nazi sympathizers. Marcel’s weekly radio broadcasts introducing the orchestra’s performances give him the perfect cover to send coded messages over the airwaves.

As Zelie and Marcel grow closer through their shared love of music, she begins to rely on him. But betrayal from within Alliance puts everything they’ve fought for at risk. When a double agent infiltrates their ranks and the two are captured, their bond faces its greatest test . . . and any misstep could jeopardize not only Alliance but the very outcome of the war.

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