Discover the World of Volatile

by Roseanna | Oct 31, 2026 | Book News, Books, Fantasy

Discover the World of Volatile

A land on the brink of destruction…

A Wasteland between two kingdoms…

Between the kingdoms of Daryatla and Soltierra stretches a Wasteland. A place where, for millennia, people have barely been able to eke out an existence. A place of arid plains, toxic springs, and a slumbering danger far below the surface…

A super-volcano on the brink of eruption. And if it goes, it will trigger the world’s other major volcanoes as well.

Extinction will follow. Unless the world’s strongest Aflame can tame it.

Sigmann, formerly known as Daemon, primal of the Aflame

The primal of the Aflame…

Sigmann, son of Phoenix, spent a century and a half as Daemon, the first person ever Awakened to power of flame and lava. Branded a demon by the tyrant who condemned him to life in the heart of Fjordlandi’s largest volcano, he had embraced all they told him he was. He grew hard to keep from being shattered. And he was so accustomed to a life of darkness broken only by the light of lava that it has taken him three and a half years to embrace not only freedom, but a life lived in daylight. A journey back to who he is by rights: Sigmann, secondborn son of the seraph known as Phoenix.

He has spent the last few years in Ellas, to fulfill an agreement another made and let the Ellesian scientists study him. He’d expected it to be a new form of slavery. Instead, he found new friends, a new family…and a new threat.

Enemies in Ellas have triggered an event that could mean the destruction of everyone on the planet. The world’s volcanic systems are in revolt, and Sig calls upon his Aflame brethren to help him bring them back under control. He sends them each to the place he thinks they’ll be the best help, leaving the most enormous, threatening system for himself: Sunstone, in the Wastelands between Daryatla and Soltierra. An ancient super-volcano that has lain dorment even befor the Great Cataclysm. Sunstone, which could wipe out the continent and trigger destruction around the globe.

But even he, the most powerful Aflame, can’t save the day alone. Because it isn’t just lava threatening to erupt. Half the danger is from the super-heated water ready to blow the land to pieces, and for that, he needs the woman he resisted as long as he could. The woman he wants nothing more than a future with…if they can live long enough to claim it.

Nothing can bring Perla down for long…except a prophecy she’s been sidestepping her whole life.

Perla, Crown Princess of Daryatla

Ever since she was a child, Perla has demanded attention and brought laughter and joy wherever she goes. And ever since she was on the cusp of womanhood, she’d been looking for her perfect match. She knows he’s out there–her seraph grandmother told her so, when she gave her a prophecy that Perla has been both clinging to and dreading every since. A prophecy of love found…and sacrifice made. But hey, prophecies are notoriously vague, right? She’s happy to believe there will be centuries between finding her true love and that eventual need for sacrifice.

And she knew the moment she zapped Sig’s palm in the volcano in Fjordlandi that he is the man she’s been waiting well over a century to find. And finally, after years of near-daily messages, they’re friends. Maybe leaning toward more than friends. And nothing like a little world-obliterating extinction event is going to get between her and her man.

Probably. Maybe. Hopefully… Right?

Together, Sig and Perla venture inside the enormous Sustone volcanic system, where lakes of lava and super-heated aquifers prove a challenge even for them–two of the most powerful Awakened in the world. But failure isn’t an option.

Because if they fail,
the whole world will pay the price.

Imani

On the other side of the world is a continent the Awakened kingdoms all thought dead, one they’d called the Dark Continent. Since the Cataclsym, this once-vibrant land has been devastated and impossible to reach, surrounded as it is by deadly currents and disastrous shoals.

But the Dark Continent isn’t dead. A people thrive there, and they call their land Zamara…and they think they’re the humans who survived the End of Days.

Imani has always been fascinated by history, especially the ruins around her city, Kitali, that date back to the world before that great disaster. Though only her cousin, Temba, can be convinced to help in her tasks, she’s spent the last decade excavating a site that was once a library so enormous, she can scarcely fathom its size. As she excavates, she’s been learning the languages represented in the surviving artifacts, and she’s learned that this library was called the World Heritage Repository. Most of the place is nothing but ruins, but Imani has just discovered a door on a lower level that is still intact. And a room beyond it that holds information she’s only ever dreamed of.

Books. Books that have somehow survived millennia. Books in scads of languages. Books with pictures. Books that promise more than a lifetime of discovery.

But before she has a chance to share her find,
visitors arrive and change everything.

Terrifying, pale strangers have emerged from the volcano…

Strangers who don’t speak Zamaran. Strangers with odd, pink skin and hair like cornsilk. Strangers who can melt a crossbow bolt in midair. Strangers her neighbors are quick to call demons. But Imani, called upon by her father, one of the five leaders of their region, recognizes people when she sees them, and she sees in them a chance to do something she’s been studying for her whole life:

Communicate, building a lexicon word by word.

And the words they convey…the paint a picture she knows is true. Because the volcanoes of the Riftlands have been increasing in activity for years. Whole villages have had to be evacuated. Regions have been dying.

These strangers claim they can stop it. And Imani is desperate enough to believe them.

Mt. Senga, outside Kitali
The Riftlands, Zamara

The Awakened fan out across the world…

in an attempt to stop disaster before it can kill them all.

But it will come down to one question they all must answer:
How much are they willing to give for others?

Volatile

is a gripping novella to read between

Amazed and Alight.

Discover the World of Amazed

by Roseanna | Oct 31, 2026 | Book News, Books, Fantasy

Discover the World of Amazed

Where the king will do anything bring magic to the land…

A Kingdom of Warring Clans…

In the world of the Awakened, where Seidon has rulesd in Daryatla for centuries and both Daryatla and Fjordlandi have been given gifts of new magic in addition to the traditional power over water, one kingdom remains without any gift.

Ellas. The kingdom of warring clans, and of kings who must win the Laurel Crown by proving both their intelligence and their superiority in battle.

Aziza, Archa of Clan Ares

Aziza is the most elite warrior in all of Clan Ares.

Aziza Kallis has done the unthinkable–she’s won the title of Archa of all of Clan Ares, a title usually reserved for a woman twice her age. She shouldn’t have competed so young, that’s what her detractors say…but Aziza knows she is the best warrior among Aresian women. She’s undefeated in their town’s weekly sparring matches, not only against the women, but even against the men. She excels at battle strategy. She has dedicated herself fully and completely to all that makes Clan Ares the best clan in Ellas, and she has pledged her loyalty to Ares and to the king.

And that king is paying attention.

When the king’s blood-takers arrive in her hometown to collect the samples from all child-bearing women to see if anyone, when matched with the king, could produce a magical child, she’s dubious at best, not even sure she believes in this strange magic that rules the rest of the world. But when a supernatural encounter rocks her world, everything she thought she knew is radically changed, and Aziza’s course, all she worked so hard for, is abruptly changed.

But who will she be when she’s no longer Ares’s most elite female warrior?

Stefanos will do anything to bring magic to Ellas…

King Stefanos

Stefanos set the kingdom on its head when he won the Laurel Crown thirteen years ago at age seventeen, though no one was surprised when he successfully defended his reign at twenty-seven. Now, he’s universally acknowledged as the most intelligent man not only in Ellas, but likely in the world. And he has one goal: Awaken magic in Ellas.

He’s willing to do anything–absolutely anything–to achieve it. He was willing to play the villain when an Accord with Fjordlandi was scorned and his promised magical wife refused to honor the agreement her father had made. And it turned out better than expected, when he ended up with the Fjordic Machine that can scientifically predict magic-producing matches. So now, he’ll marry a stranger in order to bring magic to his people.

Because if he fails, he has reason to believe the whole world will pay the price.

But not everyone in Ellas is as eager for magic as the king. There are those who think it the greatest evil and who have been working for centuries to keep magic from arising among Ellesians.

And when these two groups clash,
they may start the war Stefanos is trying to prevent.

Princess Iraja

In the midst of the turmoil surrounding Stefanos’s selection of a bride to help him produce a magical child, visitors arrive from Daryatla. Prince Bleu brings his wife, Iraja, to bathe in Ellas’s famed mineral pools…the only thing that can help ease the pain of the Desert’s Kiss, a lung disease that will kill her. Because while Bleu is Awakened, one of only two people in the world with dual power over both water and wind, Iraja is not. A native of Soltierra, she grew up the best friend of the woman now the Sun Queen, but she has no magic in her blood. Nothing to save her, just as she had no way of staying young, like her husband. Which means she has only months left to live.

And lives still to change before she dies.

Iraja and Bleu (taller) at betrothal ball

Prince Bleu of Daryatla

A childhood friend who could be more…

Aziza has long been in love with her best friend, Galenos…who has been waiting to declare himself until he knew if he’d be asked to join the king’s most elite guard, the hoplites. But if he goes, if he asks her to join him, it would mean giving up all she worked for…and if he doesn’t ask her, how will he live with the regrets?

Galenos Ariti of Clan Ares

And sparks continue to fly…

between Daemon, the Aflame who agreed to spend the next few years in Ellas being studied, and Perla, the usually-buoyant princess who isn’t about to let the gruff man who caught her eye in Fjordlandi escape so easily…especially when she desperately needs him to do what she can’t and make sure her brother has a friend as he grieves his wife’s diagnosis.

The workings of a Machine…or of Theos Elyon?

It’s a Machine’s results that throw them together. A king’s dictate that rewrites her world.
And her uncompromising determination to do what’s right once she learns the truth about the god she’d always served and who she should have been serving instead
that will shake a kingdom to its core.

Book 3 of the Awakened Series,

will leave you

Amazed.

Fathomed Cover Reveal!

by Roseanna | Jun 25, 2026 | Cover Designs, Fantasy, Thoughtful Thursdays

It’s cover reveal time!

Now, I know my usual cover reveals lately have been rather involved, as I share about the characters and show you some of the images I’ve generated.

This one is a bit different…because I’ve already shown you all the characters, LOL. This is for Fathomed, which is the compilation of my three Awakened bonus-stories. (I call them novellas, but Consecrated is actually too long to be a novella…it’s a short novel.) So you’ve already met:

Brenn

Electra

Luciana

And we’ve also already seen the awesome illustrated covers for each that my daughter, Xoe, created for them–which I LOVE!!

Brenn

Electra

Luciana

Now I adore this artwork and love my daughter’s style for these shorter books…but her style is different from the style of Caroline, who does the character art for my full-length books in the series. As I was debating what to do for the compilation cover, I decided that since this book would be in print, it needed to look like the other books in the series stylistically, so that when they’re all together on a shelf, they look like a set. So I reached out to Caroline to say, “Hey, um…can I have you do another illustration super quick?” And Caroline, lovely friend that she is, said, “Of course!”

So we got going. =)

This time, we did things a bit differently. Before, she did the character art first and then I found/created a background to go with it. But this time, I’d already been playing around with images (trying to create this cover without imposing on her for another illustration at the end of the school year, when I knew things were crazy for her) and had a background I already liked:

So I sent this to Caroline, and she said it was SO NICE to have the background–it allowed her to scale and position the character to fit it. So that’s what we’ll be doing from now on, for sure! We tried a couple different positions, because I thought I knew what I wanted…but ended up liking another she tried better.

What I thought I wanted…

What we both liked far better…

So Caroline got to work making that sketch into a full character design. She first played with (again) the colors I told her I wanted…

Which is GORGEOUS. I would have been totally content with that. But then Caroline texted one day to say, “What about a pearl overlay over her top?” She sent as an example these stunning bridal tops from Catherine Dean.

How was I supposed to say no to THAT?? Soooooo pretty! So of course, I said, “YES, let’s try that!!”

The results were stunning. We debated whether to do the pink tail with it but ultimately decided to stick with the color scheme from the stories and went with a pebbled ray-skin in more muted colors. Which gave us our final illustration! I had only to put the text on, and voila!

So here it is–the cover of Fathomed: The Awakened Mer Novellas.

Isn’t she pretty?? And just look at how beautiful the series is together!

Here’s the official back cover copy for the compilation:

Power flows beneath the surface of the deep…but so do the secrets that could undo it.

In the waters of the Atla and Calm Water mer, magic is both a gift and a burden—binding rulers to duty, testing loyalties, and demanding sacrifices that echo across generations. From a princess on the brink of a crown she never wanted, to a queen who has borne its weight for nearly a century, to a distant kingdom where ancient laws threaten to destroy everything they were meant to protect, these three stories reveal a different thread in the fragile tapestry of the Awakened world.

Because beneath the surface, love, faith, and destiny are always at war with the cost of power.

CAPTIVATED

Brenn has spent her life dreading the crown—and the responsibility it demands. But when her father’s failing health makes her ascension inevitable, she seeks guidance from the one ruler she trusts: her cousin beneath the sea. Instead, she finds a kingdom on the brink of rebellion…and the one man she has never been able to forget. Atlas chose the mer over her years ago, and now he may be the only one who can help her survive long enough to claim a throne she never wanted.

CELEBRATED

For nearly a century, Queen Electra has led her people with strength and faith—but even the strongest rulers cannot escape loneliness. Each year at Holytide, she allows herself one night to remember joy…one night with the man she should never have loved. But when strangers arrive from distant waters with an offer that could reshape their world, the fragile balance she has fought to maintain begins to shift—and the past she thought she understood may no longer hold true.

CONSECRATED

In Soltierra, Crown Princess Luciana is slowly giving her life to sustain her kingdom—while her sister refuses to accept that such a sacrifice is necessary. Far beyond the desert, King Koa of the Calm Water Mer faces a different crisis as his people’s magic begins to fail. When land and sea come together in search of answers, both must confront a truth they have long avoided: the laws meant to preserve their world may be the very thing destroying it.

Here’s what the full cover will look like too. My new gauge for deciding if these covers are done is if looking at them just brings me joy–and this one definitely does. I love the colors!

This print compilation will be coming this summer…we need to see when the printer can squeeze us in, and then we’ll be creating a printed-edge design! You can, of course, go ahead and pre-order the paperback now, and they’ll ship as soon as we have them in hand!

Pre-Order Now

Cover Reveal of Consecrated

by Roseanna | Apr 16, 2026 | Announcements, Book News, Books, Cover Designs, Fantasy

It’s Time!

For Another Cover Reveal!!

‘Tis the season for cover reveals! This one is for another “bonus” story in the Awakened world. I wrote it over Christmas and then had to wait for my darling daughter to have time to work on the character art for me, which didn’t happen until spring break. But she’s finished it, and I have the cover, and it is SO BEAUTIFUL, so naturally, it’s time to share!

Consecrated will be available in May as an eBook all by itself, and I’ll also be getting a PRINTED EDGE PAPERBACK of the THREE novellas ready to go soon too! (Maybe not at the exact same time, but hopefully close.) The paperback will combine the two novellas already out, Captivated and Celebrated, with this newest on, Consecrated. Together, the paperback will be called Fathomed: The Awakened Mer Novellas.

The compilation will have a cover all its own, but I don’t have that quite ready yet. So…below you’ll get a peek of what the background and printed edges might end up looking like, but the full reveal for that one will come after my other illustrator friend, Caroline, works her magic on the character art. =)

But for now…CONSECRATED!

Let’s meet…

Luciana

As the Crown Princess of Soltierra, Luciana’s role is to summon the water from the desert every week. And every week, it nearly kills her. The waters barely heal her. She knows she’s too weak to see her kingdom into the future…while her little sister is exactly what they need. But the law of inheritance is immutable. The only way for Solara to inherit instead is if Luciana dies without another heir.

And so, she has made up her mind to do just that. And to remove herself from the path of a visiting prince with strong magic to try to encourage him to fall for her little sister. She’ll simply go with the consecrated brides to Isla Anahi for the annual Meeting…and pray the Voice of the Wind will show mercy to her people and bring the next generation magic enough to sustain them.

A king who knows his own weakness…

Koa

Koa, the first king of the Alliance of the Seven Tides, learned his weakness twenty-five years before, when he met the Atla mer and the king of Daryatla. He left the encounter with a new faith in the One…and a realization that while magic had strengthened on the other side of the continent, their own had grown weak. Every year, he leads the consecrated grooms to Isla Anahi, where new marriages are made in the hope of a stronger tomorrow.

But Koa fears that the very tradition that was meant to guarantee that both the Calm Water mer and the Sun People of Soltierra had Awakened enough to secure their future will be the thing that destroys them. And with a growing threat from pirates pressing on his territory, he doesn’t know what to do but pray that the One will show them the way through these tumultuous currents.

A visiting prince…

Bleu

Son of King Seidon and Queen Arden of Daryatla, Bleu knows very well that he’s been invited to Soltierra for a matchmaking venture with the younger princess, Solara. And that’s fine–he’s ready to find the wife the Triada has in store for him, one who can match him in magical strength. And when he hears a whisper in his soul promising him just that, he knows true hope.

Except…nothing ever seems to go to plan.

The inseparable duo…

Solara & Iraja

Princess Solara and Iraja have been best friends, practically sisters, all their lives. And they both know exactly what they need to do.

Solara needs to convince Bleu to forget about her and leave, because she has no intention of playing into her mother and sister’s plans to be the one to carry on the line while Luciana sacrifices all chance at happiness–and life.

And Iraja needs to convince Solara to fall in love with the prince. Because Iraja owes everything to the queen, and the queen has spoken. And how hard can it be to help Soli see how perfect Bleu is…and how much Soltierra needs the strength he can bring?

Evocative settings

Soltierra

In this novella, we have several settings. First we see Aureluz, the capital city of Soltierra, a desert oasis with lush gardens and a sprawling palace.

Then we move to the tropical Isla Anahi, where sparkling sands meet turquoise waters, palm trees waving in the wind.

And finally, we dive with the mer into the depths of the Calm Waters and explore the sea in the pearl-pod caravans of the nomadic mer.

A Bonus Story in Roseanna’s

Awakened World

I did something crazy in this, guys. It’s just a short novel. Came in around 56,000 words. That’s less than half the length of Awakened.
(But more than twice the length of Celebrated.)

But I, um, kinda did two romances and four points-of-view. So it’s kinda like a two-in-one.

And I hope you love it as much as I do!

Ready? Here it is!
The cover of Consecrated!

What do you think??

Not surprisingly, I LOOOOOOVE it!! Xoe did such a fantastic job on the character art, and those tropical colors in the background…ah.

Since this one has three settings, I decided that for the cover, I wanted the “in between” one–Isla Anahi, where the sea-dwelling Calm Water mer and the desert-dwelling Soltierrans meet.

Xoe went all out researching the styles for Luciana, combining Native/South American designs with a bit of Pacific Island beauty for the character herself. Isn’t the result just stunning??

NOW…

THE PAPERBACK!

I’ve had many of you ask if the novellas will be available in print, and the answer is YES! Not individually, but as a compilation. Fathomed will be available soon and will have Captivated, Celebrated, and Consecrated in it. If you want the ebook, you can get Consecrated separately…if you want that pretty printed-edge paperback to match the others in the series, then you can pre-order that now too!

I don’t have the design finished–Caroline is working on her version of Luciana for the cover of that one. But I’ll reveal it as soon as I have it, and I expect to ship these this summer! (Aiming for June, but I need to see when the press can fit us in.)

It might end up looking something like this (with, you know, Luciana on there too). Or it might not. We’ll see. But regardless, here’s a placeholder image. 😉

Pre-Order Consecrated!

Pre-Order Fathomed!

The Official Description

Two kingdoms. One fragile magic. A sacrifice that could save them—or destroy them all.

Every week, Crown Princess Luciana drains her life to summon water from the desert—and every week brings her closer to death. But while Luciana is ready to do whatever is necessary for Soltierra, her sister refuses to accept that they ought to put the kingdom above each other. A visiting prince may well be the key to renewing their kingdom’s strength…but only if Luciana is willing to sacrifice any hope of her own future.

Beneath the waves, King Koa of the Calm Water Mer faces a different kind of desperation. His people’s magic is fading, pirates threaten their shores, and the ancient traditions meant to preserve life may instead ensure their extinction. He and the group of mer grooms travel to Isla Anahi for the annual Meeting with Soltierra’s consecrated brides convinced that something must change if they have any hope of their two kingdoms surviving into the next generation. The law governing them all is immutable…but what if the only way forward is to break the tradition that has governed them for centuries?

As faith, love, and duty collide, the fragile bond between land and sea begins to fracture. And unless the ancient laws are rewritten, both kingdoms may fall beneath the weight of the very magic meant to sustain them.

Cover Reveal of Amazed

by Roseanna | 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

by Roseanna White | 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!

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)

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