Welcome to The Island Bakeshop!

Welcome to The Island Bakeshop!

by | Mar 26, 2026 | Announcements, Book News, Books

Book

The Island Bakeshop

Contemporary Romance with a Historical Thread

COMING IN MAY!
Pre-Order Now

Are you ready to go back to the Outer Banks?

If you joined me in Avon, North Carolina, part of the gorgeous island chain called the Outer Banks, in The Island Bookshop, then you not only met my main characters, Kennedy and Wes, but also their best friends. And if you saw my post about that first book last May, then you may also remember that more books were in the works.

Well, today I’d like to introduce you to the next one, The Island Bakeshop! This book will release in May from Guideposts, and I just got it up for pre-order on my site two weeks ago, so I figured it was a grand time to do an intro post. =)

ABOUT

The Island Bakeshop

Harper Dailey thought her future was set like a perfectly done cake…until she’s called home to the Outer Banks of North Carolina to help run her family’s business, Sunshine Bakery. When the ex-fiancé she’d put behind her years ago shows up on the island, he threatens not only the bakery’s future, but her own fragile return to a safe and contented life.

After his stint in the Navy, Beckett Mills settled in Avon, where he could lose himself running fishing charters during the summer—and hunkering down to ignore the world in the winter. But old instincts have him playing hero when a routine stop at his favorite bakery puts him squarely between its beautiful owner and the guy who’s trying to intimidate her.

Neither Harper nor Beckett have any intention of getting distracted by romance, real or otherwise. But as their friendship turns to something deeper and unexpected, they learn their lives are more intertwined than they could have imagined. Together, with a love built to weather any storm, they may just find the peace their hearts have been seeking all along.

Come back to the sun-drenched shores of the Outer Banks and immerse yourself in another exciting and inspiring tale from Roseanna M. White. This dual-timeline, clean romance will have you reading late into the night to find out what happens next.

Let’s meet…

Harper Dailey

After years living in Savannah and acquiring a bit of local fame for her pastries, Harper moves back to Avon to help her parents run the family business, Sunshine Bakery, after her dad’s heart attack forces him to slow down. What she hasn’t told anyone is that the move also helped her escape an ex-boyfriend who was not the picture-perfect guy he appeared to be. So when Jay shows up in Avon, claiming to own the building the bakery’s in? That’s the kind of bad news that sends Harper spiraling right into a panic attack.

Our Resident Grump…

Beckett Mills

Beck moved to Avon several years ago to run a fishing charter business after his stint in the Navy, and he doesn’t mind talking about those years in uniform. But the rest of his life? He’s about as forthcoming as a crab. The old instincts to protect, though, come rearing up when he sees a jerk threatening his favorite baker, and he steps in without thinking. And kinda claims to be her boyfriend. Which might not have many consequences if the Jerk were just a vacationer. But apparently he means to stick around all summer. Which means Beck really made a mess of things this time.

In 1846…

Sophie Dailey

In 1846, Sophie should be in the bliss of her recent marriage. But instead, her husband, Alex, has gone distant–and not just because he’s often away at sea. Even when he’s home, he’s avoiding her. And somehow, she knows her old friend Erasmus Salter is to blame. She’d thought to sweeten Alex’s temper with the baking she’s becoming known for–after all, the way to a man’s heart is through his stomach, right? But when he won’t even take a bite, what’s a girl to do but get tricky?

FAKE DATING TROPE!

So, yes, we’ve got a classic fake dating trope going on here. But what brought me especial delight was the fact that with two sisters in the story who run a bookstore, this would not just pass them by without demanding comment. So the moment they hear what happened, they are very quick to call out the trope with much giggling. Which leads to more delightful moments like Beck declaring, “We’re not lying, not faking, not…troping.” Which, naturally, sets off more peals of laughter.

And some Grumpy/Sunshine too…

Beck already established himself as the Grump in the previous book, so what choice did I have but to make Harper’s personality match the name of her family’s bakery? And I gotta say, the Sunshine was soooo much fun to write. As was the dynamic between the two, who have a fabulous rapport and lots of teasing, including ever-revolving fake endearments.

And of course, some secondary characters you’ve already met…some of whom will be ready for taking the lead in book three, The Island Bikeshop. 😉

Kennedy is one of Harper’s good friends. She just moved home a year ago to help out at the Island Bookshop, and thanks to wedding planning and such, she and Wes have established weekly dinners for the six key friends.

Wes is still helping run his family’s real estate company, and thoroughly enjoying this new chapter of his life with Kennedy by his side. He’s also having a bit too much fun needling Beck, who has always sworn off romance.

Asher Quidley owns a beach equipment rental shop specializing in bicycles and anything else with wheels. He’s all about the therapy we can get from spending time out in nature…and is not above hitting Beck with the well-deserved, “Bro. You should hear yourself right now.”

Kennedy’s sister, Lara, is still recovering from the traumatic brain injury that came along with last year’s concussion. It means migraines nearly every day, but she’s still determined to enjoy life–especially when it means rooting for her friends’ trope-filled romance.

Ahhh…the setting

Avon, Hatteras Island

We’re back in Avon, one of my favorite places in the world! Yay!! So naturally, we’ve got the beach and this wonderful little vacation community. But this time, we’ve also got a hero who pretty much lives and breathes the water, so lots of boats—both Sportfisher style and a small sailboat. But we also get to delve into the world of bakeries.

Now, I have long been an avid home baker. I go through phases where I’m baking something almost every day. For a while there, I almost toyed with the idea of a recipe blog (and compromised by adding some recipes to my site that tie in with my books). I love baking…but y’all, I am not a commercial baker. For starters—their hours! Yikes! I’m a morning person, but that morning needs to follow a solid night’s sleep, and these lovely crazy people tend to start their days during the night instead.

I actually wrote most of this book in Avon last fall during my second week of (working) vacation, and I knew I needed some help from an actual local baker. I emailed a couple, then when I was in Buxton Village Books talking to Gee Gee (who helped me with The Island Bookshop…and who recently passed away, leaving such a legacy of books and community behind her), I asked her for her favorite local bakery. She didn’t hesitate. “Scratchmade Snackery down in Hatteras,” she said. “Talk to Kitty.”

So I looked it up and emailed Kitty, the owner of this bakery. Kitty surprised and delighted me by sending me a very long, detailed email walking me through her day hour by hour, naming all her equipment, and telling me about the joys and pitfalls of a business like this in a vacation spot. A few days later we popped into Scratchmade and chatted in person…and I sampled her goods. Oh…my…gracious. Best French pastries I’ve had outside of France!! (So if ever you’re in Hatteras, stop by. It’s way down at the bottom, one of the last stops before the ferry.)

Now, Harper’s setup isn’t identical to Kitty’s, of course. Because #plot. And their whole family runs the bakery and has been doing so for generations, along with employees, which is different from Kitty and her husband running it all by themselves. Because I needed Harper to have time for her fake-dating. ?

The Island Bakeshop

Contemporary Romance with a Historical Thread

COMING SOON
PRE-ORDER NOW

Cover Reveal of Amazed

Cover Reveal of Amazed

by | Mar 18, 2026 | Announcements, Book News, Books, Cover Designs, Fantasy

It’s Time!

For Another Cover Reveal!!

Guys, this one has been in the works for a while, as my illustrator, Caroline, sent me drafts of the character art…and I have been SO EXCITED. Because much as I adore the art and the covers for the first two books in my Awakened romantasy series, there’s something so special about this one. The book isn’t finished yet (I’ll be hammering it home after I finish my next WW2 historical!), but this will be incentive!

Amazed is set only eighteen months after Aflame concludes, in the magic-less kingdom of Ellas, whose king will do anything–ANYTHING–to Awaken magic in his land…before it’s too late.

And something EXTRA fun for you…if you pre-order from my site, you’ll get an insta-download of the first TWO chapters of Amazed! (There was one in the back of Aflame, so I figured I’d better add an extra, LOL.) 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…

Aziza

Aziza hails from Clan Ares, the fiercest, most war-like clan in Ellas (inspired a bit by Ancient Sparta). In Ares, everyone trains for war, male and female alike. And Aziza doesn’t just get by in this demanding society–she thrives. At the age of twenty-and-five, she has already attained the highest honor a woman can ever hope for: clan archa. Leader of all Aresian women in battle. An honor usually reserved for women far older than her, who have already vowed their man and raised their littles. But Aziza doesn’t see the point in waiting.

Especially since the only man who isn’t intimidated by her, her best friend, Galenos, has never given any indication that he feels the same pull toward her that she feels toward him.

A king who will do anything to protect his land…

Stefanos

Stefanos will do anything to Awaken magic in Ellas, which is why he’s commanded every woman of childbearing years to submit to a blood test. With a borrowed machine in hand to test their blood against his and determine which match might produce a magical child, the king finally has hope that Ellas will join the Awakened lands in the next generation.

But even he, the cleverest, most intelligent man in the kingdom–perhaps in the world–couldn’t foresee the consequences of his actions.

One of Clan Ares’s best male warriors…

Galenos

Galenos’s dreams may finally be within his grasp, if the scout from the capital city of Elystria spoke true. He may soon receive an invitation from King Stefanos himself to join his elite guards, the hoplites. It’s the highest honor a  warrior can ever attain, even if it means leaving his clan forever. The highest honor for him…but he knows that if it comes, it will require the sacrifice of another dream. Because he could bring Aziza with him…but she’d have to give up her own rank and title. And how could he ask that of the woman who means so much to him?

A visiting princess…

Iraja

Iraja, wife of Prince Bleu of Daryatla, is not in Ellas for a happy reason. Their mineral pools are the only relief to be found for a fatal disease of the lungs that she’s been diagnosed with. But Iraja is determined to live out her final months with joy–and unlike every other royal in the world, she’s always liked Stefanos. She likes to think that if she and Bleu had ever been able to have children, their son would be a lot like this bold young king–too clever, too cunning, too observant. And when she learns the king has found a bride? Perhaps her husband is horrified that the machine has done its job, fearfal of what a magical Ellas could mean…but Iraja is overjoyed for him.

After all, the Voice of the Wind loves Ellesians no less than he loves the rest of the world. Why shouldn’t they, too, have a gift from above?

An evocative setting

Ellas

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 the Mediterranean, this magic has evaded them…but they have stories to explain why. Stories that date back to the Great Cataclysm and the Dark Days immediately following. Stories that peek into the origins of magic in the world. But are these stories mere myths, told to keep the four rival clans in line? Or are they in fact a truth that could challenge the whole world? 

Roseanna’s next

Fantasy Romance

In a world of warring clans held in balance by the cunning of a king, the quest to claim a promise from Theos will Awaken more than just the magic they seek…it will Awaken an enemy out to destroy that gift, not just in Ellas but in the world. And it will leave even the cleverest minds in the world utterly Amazed.

I know what you’re asking…

Perla & Daemon?

Those who have read Aflame already keep asking “When are we getting more of Perla and Daemon???”

Well…they’re in here. They’re not the focus. But they’re in here. 😉 There will be a couple POVs from both of them sprinkled in, to keep you up to date before their novella, which will release between books 3 and 4.

Ready? Here it is!
The cover of Amazed!

What do you think??

I’ll admit it–this is my favorite of the series so far! I LOVE IT!!!! The beautiful drawing of Aziza comes to us courtesy of the amazing Caroline Smith of Caroline Calligraphie (one of my P&P ladies). I’m absolutely in love with the motion of her hair and cape! And this kick-butt heroine HAD to be shown with her favorite weapon, a telescoping spear made of Therion steel, forged in the fires of Mt. Therios itself (seen behind her in the cover).

And see that clasp on her shoulder? The owl with a serpent in its claws denotes Aziza’s rank as clan archa!

Also…just check out the gorgeous gladiator sandals on that girl in the full image…and the muscle tone! Caroline did SO much work to make Aziza look like the warrior she is, and the result is just FABULOUS!

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 may up looking like…they may also change. I’m not 100% happy with that design yet, LOL. But at any rate, it’ll be something cool.

 

Pre-Order Now!

The Official Description

In Ellas, strength is everything—but magic has long been out of reach.

Aziza of Clan Ares has spent her life proving she belongs among the greatest warriors of her people. Raised to believe the other clans are weak and that loyalty to Ares must come above all else, she has never questioned the traditions that shaped her. But when the king arrives and announces a shocking betrothal meant to unite all of Ellas, Aziza suddenly finds herself in a world of politics, secrets, and expectations that have nothing to do with the battlefield.

King Stefanos has ruled Ellas for thirteen years under the shadow of a prophecy: that a war will rise from his land and destroy the world unless magic Awakens soon among his people. Determined to prevent that fate, he has spent years searching for a woman whose bloodline, when combined with his, might bring this long-sought gift. When every sign points to Aziza, the fiercest warrior in the kingdom, he gambles everything on a union meant to bring magic to Ellas in the next generation…but which stirs a long-hidden society into action.

The clans of Ellas were built on ancient divisions, and some believe those divisions are the only thing keeping the world safe. A hidden sect works in secret to destroy magic before it can appear, and when Aziza’s own family is drawn into their deadly plans, the coming royal wedding may ignite a conflict that reaches far beyond Ellas.

Because if the king is right, the fate of the world rests on whether magic is Awakened in Ellas—or destroyed forever.

It’s Release Day! Aflame

It’s Release Day! Aflame

by | Feb 17, 2026 | Announcements, Book News, Books, Fantasy

Welcome to the Launch Day Celebration
for Aflame!

**Annoyingly-Needed Announcement*
There was a glitch when I uploaded a corrected eBook file to Amazon,
and it did not save properly. Their system therefore saw “no file”
and cancelled all pre-orders. SO SORRY!!!!
If you had pre-ordered from Amazon,
I had to create a whole new listing for it,
and you will have to order again (you weren’t charged for the first one).
???

New link for the Kindle version is here.

NOW FOR THE FUN STUFF

Squeeee! It’s release day for this beautiful book, the second full-length novel in my Awakened romantasy series!

First, THANK YOU to everyone who has fallen in love with the series too. Thank you to the romantasy readers who seized upon it, glad to have a firmly-romantasy offering within the Christian space. Thank you to my historical readers who said, “I don’t know about this genre, Roseanna, but I’ll give it a try…since it’s you.” I know some of you decided it isn’t for you. And that’s totally cool.

But I am also so, so grateful for the many of you I’ve heard from who found themselves hooked and unable to put the story down and are now demanding MORE ROMANTASY! 😉 That makes my day in SO MANY WAYS!

So, here we are. Book two. Aflame.

In a lot of ways, this book is very different from Awakened. Rather than a world of mer and my ever-so-powerful Sea King, Seidon, we instead have a frozen world of Ice Wielders. Fjordlandi is loosely based on the Scandinavian/Nordic countries. You’ll see their influence in their names, in the setting, and in the faith, which in this book is inspired by Lutheran/Anglican traditions.

Fjordlandi is a land of extremes–ice and volcanos. It’s so far north that the land would be uninhabitable if not for the snowstorms that the Awakened, called the Blessed, hold protectively around the island to insulate. Agriculture can only happen thanks to greenhouse domes (much like the domes of the mer, just…you know. On land, to trap the heat.).

And in Fjordlandi, as elsewhere in this world, magic only comes with the meeting of worlds…but in this case, the elites and the commoners who are treated mostly like slaves, the thanes. Most thanes live in the “warm lands” beneath the domes. The elites, called Fjorders, live in the cities that are open to the elements, and they have evolved to be immune to the cold. And then, there are the Blessed.

The ones who can wield ice. Who can bring the snows. Who compete to prove themselves strongest among the Blessed and hence earn a place on the king’s High Council…and who can even issue a Challenge to claim the throne, if they’re strong enough. That’s how the current king’s father began his dynasty.

Our heroine is Kyrja, third child of King Isidor and his thane consort, Andresa. You see, in Fjordlandi, they’re not willing to leave magic up to chance–their bio-science has allowed them to create a Machine capable of testing the blood of chosen Fjorders against others in the kingdom to see whose blood, combined with theirs, will produce magical offspring. It is an honor to be chosen for a Blessed Union…for the Fjorders. For the thanes who are selected as a match, it means abandoning everything they know to help create children they cannot claim as their own, then being sent away again at the end of their contract term–twenty years or two children.

Andresa quietly rebelled. She petitioned the king for a third child, one she would be permitted to love as she saw fit. He agreed. And Valkyrja was born. An unheard of third Blessed sibling. Her mother’s pet. “Pretty and useless,” as her older sister loves to say. Beloved by the thanes for her warmth and smiles…despised by the Fjorders for the same.

Kyrja knows she has no real purpose and hates the posturing and brute-force training she’s been given. She’s resigned herself to being a constant disappointment to her father.

And then tragedy strikes and upends her whole world.

Our hero is Nikanor, a thane from the largest greenhouse dome. But unlike most thanes, he’s landless, which means his choices are few. What he wants is to become a dominie or even to study the law, but there are no positions open among the clerical caste, and thanes are forbidden from becoming lawyers. He studies anyway, in secret. And he can’t shake the feeling that the Giver of All has a purpose for him in the capital. So when his father asks him to come while he makes yet another petition to the king for more resources for thanes, Nik and his best friend, Rafnar, make the long trek across the Ice Plains.

Nik and Raf no sooner reach Reykstoll, however, than that same tragedy rewrites their lives too–and throws them into the path of the princess.

Meanwhile, the Blessed aren’t the only ones with magic in Fjordlandi, though no one but the king and High Council know of the others. The ones they call the Cursed.

The creatures who must be demons, because they are untouched by lava or fire and can in fact control it. The ones who are rebels, hating the king. The ones like Daemon, the first of their kind, and Elianne, the youngest of the clan.

The ones who, if ever they can break free of the volcano in which the king has trapped them, will see all Fjordlandi’s injustices burn to the ground. And behind every action of these rebels and the band of thanes under the domes determined to fight for their rights is a new mantra.

Strike the flint.
Fan the flames of freedom.
Make them bleed.

~*~

So in addition to the whole-new setting, this story also has a bit of a different feel. The romance, while still central, isn’t quite as BIG as the one in Awakened, simply because of the story and all it demanded. So for those of you who thought book one was a bit too much, be easy. This one is different. 😉 For those of you who LOVED that big romance in book one, don’t worry–my early romance-loving readers still found it swoon-worthy!

There’s more about politics and the fight for freedom in this one, and the pace is faster. It’s a bit shorter and also starts with a BANG. No slow build-up here! You’re tossed right into the world, and by the end of chapter two that big tragedy strikes.

I will admit I was a bit nervous about how this one turned out. It hadn’t simmered nearly as long in my mind as Awakened, and since I’d originally thought this would be book three and then changed my mind, it kinda took me by surprise in a lot of ways. I wrote it fast, without an outline (unusual for me these days), so I worried it was all over the place.

But my early readers shocked me by saying they liked this one even more than Awakened! Yay! I hope you love it as much as they do!

And guys, those printed edges on the paperbacks you can purchase from me…LOVE!!! The lava seriously looks like it GLOWS!

What Early Readers Are Saying

Even when they don’t usually read fantasy…

Susan C.

How to pen a review for a book that has left me with the largest book hangover I have ever felt? Difficult, to say the least. I have been a longtime fan of Roseanna White’s historical fiction, which she writes very well, but she has since proved how extremely gifted she is as she expands her skills to the fantasy genre. That is the power of story and the power of the pen when a talent is used to glorify the Creator.

Kaetrianne R.

I’m a little bit at loss for how Roseanna M. White jumped into the world of romantasy with such…skill? (I don’t know what word I’m looking for here.) Aflame was a worthy sequel to the wonderful fantasy debut, Awakened, and as a sucker for series-tie-ins, the cast of characters really took this book to the next level. Kyrja was such a beautiful character, and the plot of this book—I feel like I can’t even describe how hooked I was! I read the book in one day, if that’s any indicator…I loved seeing the POV of Nikanor, Daemon and Elianne as well, and the way they all interacted with the Creator God in this series is both fascinating and beautiful.

I also ADORED the Icelandic-inspired setting SO. MUCH. I love the ice-and-fire battle throughout the story, and the payoff at the end…YES! Chef’s kiss, so, so good.

Kristi W.

This fantastic romantasy is the second book in the Awakened series. It has absolutely amazing world-building, fantastic characters, lots of suspense, very unexpected twists, beautiful faith elements, and a swoony romance. I loved the balance of the magical elements with the characters’ faith in “The Giver”.

I have to be honest, I went into this book thinking no way can the story top King Seidon and Queen Arden (from Awakend). I am happy to say that it absolutely did!!

Mindy

I am stunned. This is one of my favorite books of 2026. I was blown away by Awakened and how complete and real the worlds of Daryatla and the Sunken Kingdom felt. This new world Fjorlandi is just as incredible and vastly different. Power struggle between fire and ice, the enslaved commoners and aristocratic Blessed, justice and greed blankets that island and has it in a chokehold that requires a new generation to break free. I loved Kyrja; her journey from a fun, fanciful yet wounded princess to a steadfast, powerful, grounded and merciful queen was incredibly satisfying, as was her faith journey in the midst of her realizing her purpose and power. Her compassion for her people remained strong throughout the story and her tender heart was so lovable. Nik was quite the hero. His faithfulness to the Giver, in all circumstances, was admirable. His patient and tender love for Kyrja was indeed swoon-worthy. There were plenty of jaw-dropping plot twists in an already fast-paced plot which had me scrambling to read ‘just one more chapter’. I can’t wait to read Amazed and be introduced to the world of Ellas and hopefully catch up with Daemon and Perla there.

If you enjoy romantic fantasy, you do not want to miss this book. If you’re a Roseanna M White fan but not sure about switching from historical fiction to romantic fantasy, you need to pick up this series now; you will not regret it (and will thank me for the recommendation).

Following the world created in Awakened, Aflame brings an entirely new race of fiery power to an ice kingdom rife with ancient magic and treachery. Roseanna M White weaves a compelling tale of sacrificial love, passion, and consequence. I loved reading Aflame. Its faith messages, raw characters, and love stories kept me flipping the pages far past my bedtime. The Awakaned Series is certainly one I’ll come back to again and again.

Amanda Wright

Christy Award-winning author of Darkfell

Aflame

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.

 

Coming Next in the Awakened World!

Yes, I’m having WAY too much fun with this fantasy world. Which means you get lots of bonus stories as I steal a weekend or holiday here and there to write them. 😉

Over my Christmas holiday, I randomly decided to write another novella, Consecrated. If you read Celebrated, then you met two of the characters–Koa, king of the Calm Water Mer, and his little brother, Aro…who caused quite a bit of trouble. Hopefully you, like me, were intrigued by these mer from the other side of the continent, because Koa takes center stage in Consecrated, and Aro is–as Aro always is–there to bring some delightful mischief too…though he’s now a priest of the One.

We’ll also get our first glimpse of the remaining kingdom I’ve mentioned, Soltierra. Soltierra is on the equivalent of the west coast of North America, but after the Great Cataclysm it was reduced fully to desert. The desert is called the Solvarra, and it’s beautiful, with shimmering golden sands that sparkle like jewels in the sun thanks to fine metallic particulate…and also deadly. The Awakened in Soltierra are crucial to life there–it’s only their ability to call water up from deep beneath the sands that allows life to continue to flourish in the harsh climate. In Consecrated, we meet the Crown Princess, Luciana, her little sister Solara, Solara’s best friend Iraja, and of course the reigning queen, Marisol. Soltierra is the only purely-matriarchal society in this world, where nearly ALL Awakened in the land are female and hence the ones in power…because of the longstanding agreement Soltierra has with the Calm Water Mer. As always in this world, magic only comes in the meeting of worlds–in this case, Soltierrans and Calm Water Mer. So once a year, both nations send volunteers to an island for what they call the Meeting. Women from Soltierra, men from the mer. Their volunteers marry for the sake of creating children who can be Awakened.

All the female children are returned to Soltierra after two years. All the males to the Calm Waters. Families are broken. And their magic grows weak. The perfect setup, of course, for a story! 😉 Both kingdoms know they need to do something to bring stronger magic into their lines…and Queen Marisol hopes that the answer for Soltierra might be Prince Bleu, who is coming for a visit, to meet Solara, whose magic is so much stronger than her sister’s. But that means sending Luciana away, so they don’t risk her catching his eye–and so, she goes to the island to oversee the Meeting. And lots of fun ensues both on land and in the sea. Of course, by fun I mean betrayal, danger, plotting, and so on, LOL.

Chronologically, Consecrated takes place between Awakened and Aflame, much like Celebrated did. This one is set twenty-five years after Celebrated, thirty-couple before Aflame. You obviously won’t have to have read it before Aflame, given that it’s not out yet and I wrote it well after. 😉 You’ll have the opportunity to read it before book 3, which could be fun for you…because it’s got the backstory of Prince Bleu (Seidon and Arden’s son) and his love story in it. There’s an ever-so-brief mention of him and his wife in Aflame, and then we meet them in book 3.

Now that I have three novellas, that also means that, when combined, they’re long enough for a print edition! So as Consecrated is released in eBook, I will also be releasing Fathomed: The Awakened Mer Novellas, which will be a compilation of Captivated, Celebrated, and Consecrated, complete with printed edges. My daughter will be doing the character art both for Consecrated and Fathomed over spring break!

Are you an audio book listener? My audio partner is considering producing Fathomed and will make the decision based on Aflame sales! So, you know. The more of you enjoy the series on audio, the more of the series will be available on audio for you to enjoy. 😉

And of course, after Consecrated and Fathomed, we’ll have book three, Amazed. As of this moment, I’m halfway done writing Amazed and am sooooooo in love with this story!

So, a bit of random history on this. Years ago, well before I started Awakened, I had a “random fantasy idea.” In this random idea, I had a society loosely based on Ancient Greece, with a ruler class modeled on Athens and a warrior class modeled on Sparta. I had a wily, smarter-than-anyone king and a kick-butt heroine selected to be his match by some kind of machine that said their blood would create the ideal offspring.

Well, as I developed the Awakened world, I realized this fit perfectly with it and that they were Ellas, the land of the warrior tribes, who have no magic…but will do anything to get it. I made plenty of tweaks, of course, but kept the kernel of that story and its characters. And I am having so much fun writing it (between other projects at this point).

That’s all I can really say until you read Aflame, where we learn quite a bit more about Ellas and its king, Stefanos. And there’s a sneak peek of chapter one of Amazed at the end, so you get to meet my heroine, Aziza, and get a feel for Ellesian society!

And Caroline, my artist friend who does the character art for the novels, has the artwork for this one nearly finished, and guys, Aziza looks AMAZING!!!! Stay tuned for the cover reveal SOON!

More from the world of Awakened

There’s So Much to Explore!

Imagine a world thousands of years in the future, where the Lord has tarried in His return…

Explore More!

Giveaway

US entrants, enter to win a print version of Awakened with printed edges
(or another book of your choice) + a $25 gift card to my shop!

International entrants, enter to win an ebook!

(If the giveaway is not displaying properly, you can find it here)

Cover Reveal of Amazed

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.

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.

Cover Reveal of Amazed

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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