Rory Ó Conchúir has always known that she was destined for war. Her deadly gifts, the unwanted inheritance of her ancestor, the Mórrígan, can only be wielded as a weapon of destruction and doom. For years, she would not allow herself to be used as such, instead choosing to live far across the sea, refusing to regret what she has left behind in order to do so…until the fateful day that she learns of the price she has paid for her peace.
Niall Ó Flannagáin, the young king of Connacht, was never meant for war — that has always been his half-sister, Rory’s, role. But now he finds himself threatened with a foreign invasion and the ruination of the realm, without her aid. In desperation, he turns to a powerful enemy as an ally, his only hope to unite the provinces against the foreign armies gathering even now to destroy the land he has sworn to protect.
Locke MacMurchada, the son of the most hated traitor in all of Éire, owes a debt that he knows he can never pay. But when the opportunity to propose a political marriage with the murderous Rory Ó Conchúir arises, he seizes the chance to protect what is left of both his people, as well as the legacy which his father ripped to shreds…so long as she doesn’t kill him first.
When the fateful day of doom at last arrives, the fates of all three royals – the cursed princess, the young king, and the traitor prince – become inextricably woven together, forcing them to face new threats and old enemies, hoping to forge a stronger Éire from the ashes of the old.
Content Warnings:
Frequent depictions of war & battle scenes
Graphic descriptions of torture & death
Loss of a family member
Discussions of grief & self-hatred
On-page death of major character
Christy Healy has been a book nerd ever since she was a little girl hiding under the covers with a flashlight and a dog-eared copy of Anne of Green Gables. She started writing soon after, and the obsession only grew. Now Christy weaves stories of her own into the myths and tales of the Celtic, Indo-European, and Greco-Roman worlds that she has loved for so long. When not lost in her fantasy worlds, she lives in North Carolina with her children, her dog, and her husband.
Yeah, you heard that right. Stepbrother. With a stepsister who made me forget the one damn thing I’d spent my entire life aspiring to be.
One step ahead.
I’d been selected from the Army Special Operations Command’s 75th Ranger Regiment for Delta Force. The unit was my home. Taking down terrorists was my specialty. I took a few hits, but I was always one step ahead… until they took her.
Now I had a new mission, and trust me, no one was walking out alive except for me and her.
HELIOS is the second standalone book in the thrilling Paragon Operations series by USA Today bestselling author, Sybil Bartel! If you’re ready to step into a whole new world of romantic suspense, come meet Helios and the darkly dominant Tier One Operatives at Paragon Operations who will make your e-reader combust!
Sybil Bartel is a USA Today Bestselling author of unapologetic alpha heroes. Whether you’re reading her deliciously dominant alpha bodyguards, her page-turning romantic suspense, or her heart-stopping military romance, all of her books have sexy-as-sin alpha heroes!
Sybil lives in South Florida and she is forever Oliver’s mom.
The Real Ones J. Rose Black (Chasing Victory) Publication date: February 12th 2026 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Sports
Second chances don’t usually come wrapped in shoulder pads on Valentine’s Day…
Ten months ago, All-American shortstop Briella Reddington fell hard for grumpy, battle-scarred quarterback Maddox “Mick” McBride.
And then he walked away—right when she was finally ready to let him in.
Now Ella’s done being vulnerable, done being blindsided, and definitely done with emotionally unavailable athletes. But losing a bet lands her at a Valentine’s charity flag-football event…face-to-face with the man who broke her heart.
Maddox never stopped wanting Ella—but teammates loyal to her golden-boy ex, a rival gunning for his spot, and a coach who made Ella the price of peace forced his hand. Choosing her once cost him everything. His season tanked, his starting job is on the line, and seeing Ella again is the one hit he isn’t prepared to take.
When a chaotic Valentine’s “cupid” pushes them together, sparks ignite, truths surface, and Maddox realizes he’s been fighting the wrong battles all year.
This time, he’s not walking away.
He’s fighting for the girl who was always worth the risk.
READ THIS IF YOU LIKE…
Grumpy/protective hero
Sunshine-with-boundaries heroine
Second-chance romance
College sports + rival athletes
Forced proximity
Emotional scars & healing arcs
Charity-event chaos
A hero who finally fights for his girl
J. Rose Black weaves stories about redemption and the transformational power of love – with a few side-helpings of snark. Now an award-winning and Amazon Top 300 chart-topping author, Rose writes about broody alpha males and plucky, no-nonsense women ready to fight for what they believe in. Her novels have been praised for their realistic mental health representations, with narratives offering a unique balance of romance, humor and tougher, real-world issues.
When Rose isn’t deeply immersed in her latest manuscript, she’s working in cyber security and thwarting the next generation of internet bad guys. Out of the office, she’s #Shipping with friends over her favorite, swoon-worthy couples, heading to the gym to battle the great evil that is Unmovable Baby Weight, or complaining about her husband’s addiction to 3D printing. Also: nagging her children to eat something other than cheese.
The Relationship Contract: A Second Chance Romantic Comedy Marcella Steele (To Barcelona with Love Trilogy, #2) Publication date: February 10th 2026 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
One crazy love experiment. A daring adventure. 60 days to pass the test.
Once upon a time… Sofia Drake doesn’t believe in happily-ever-after anymore—especially with a man fourteen years younger. But the gorgeous and charismatic Ryan Hunter refuses to give her up. He makes an unconventional proposal: sixty days to prove their love could overcome any obstacle. It’s an offer she can’t refuse.
The catch? His job takes him to London. No problem. Sofia throws the rule book in the trash, upends her life, and sets off for the adventure of a lifetime with Ryan—prepared to risk everything for a second chance at happiness.
Touring London, Sofia feels like she’s stepping into the life her twenty-something self dreamed of, but while her world opens up to new possibilities, freedom brings more questions than answers. Ryan hopes that dazzling her with trips to Dubai and the Maldives will convince her to stay. His mother tries to make sure she doesn’t.
Just as Sofia’s confidence in herself and the relationship blossoms, Ryan’s old girlfriend surfaces with a plot twist that threatens to rewrite their entire future.
The question isn’t whether their love is strong enough. It’s whether they’re brave enough to renegotiate the contract and face what neither of them saw coming.
Love is like free-falling off a cliff. You never know where you might land.
Perfect for fans of Nora Goes Off Script, by Annabel Monaghan, and Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez. A witty, second chance romance with the London charm of Jojo Moyes.
“A few weeks, I’m not sure yet.” Me—the ultimate planner—winging it? “It’s sort of open-ended. I think I’ll be in Europe for two months, traveling to various places.” I hesitated, because how could I explain I was choosing to spend my severance package on this trip to Europe instead of job hunting—that I was hurling myself into a new life, a new relationship, without a clue about the direction this would lead?
She tilted her head with curiosity. “Business or pleasure?”
I barked out a laugh. “Definitely pleasure. I’m joining my boyfriend.” The word still felt foreign on my tongue. After years spent in romantic exile, being part of a couple seemed surreal. “Ryan works in London part-time—his main office is in San Francisco, where we met. So, I’m basically following him across an ocean.” I shook my head. This was coming out all wrong. “Not that I’m desperate or anything. I mean, I lost my job, but the timing worked out perfectly because Ryan suggested I come live with him. Well, travel together, since he moves around constantly. We’re returning to Barcelona at some point because that city holds special meaning for us—” I cut myself off, cheeks burning. Apparently, my anxiety had me spiraling out of control, transforming me from an articulate professional into a babbling teenager who just discovered her first crush.
Her eyebrows shot up while her forehead remained suspiciously smooth. “Ryan? That wouldn’t be Ryan Hunter, would it?” Her voice climbed several octaves.
“Yes… do you know him?” Something cold twisted in my stomach.
“Know him? Um. Not personally, but he’s one of our frequent flyers.” The way she scrutinized me made every hair on my neck stand at attention. “He’s your boyfriend?”
I nodded, shrinking into my luxurious seat like a deflating balloon.
This time her smile looked painted on, her tone as artificially sweet as high-fructose corn syrup. “If you need anything else, just let me know.” Watching her slim figure trail through the aisle of the cabin, I wondered if I was projecting or if the twist in my gut was justified. Anyone who knew Ryan might take one look at me and wonder, Really? Him… and her? I had questioned that myself when we first met. Despite his unwavering attention, I wasn’t sure if I would ever get past the age difference when someone like Elaine was sizing me up.
When Ryan and I were alone, it was just too good to waste time worrying about how the world viewed me. In his eyes, I was perfect. He didn’t notice the saggy bits or dimpled skin. According to my best friend, Madison, I had a figure most women would kill for and could pass for a forty-year-old on a good day. Most days were not that good, but I’d made peace with the crows feet and that little belly pooch that refused to disappear. After all, at one time it was a baby bump, then a beach ball. I’d earned that lump.
Still, a thought niggled its way into my brain. There was something suspicious about Elaine’s reaction to me. Call it women’s intuition, but somehow, I just knew. Had she hoped to snag him for herself? I couldn’t blame her; Ryan was the very definition of tall, dark, and handsome. His image should appear on a Pinterest board titled: Hot Guys with Dark Curly Hair and Piercing Blue Eyes. How many flight attendants and restaurant hostesses had set their sights on him?
Author Bio:
Marcella Steele is an American author/screenwriter who now writes with her laptop precariously balanced on a café table in Barcelona, but can sometimes be found dreaming up stories on a terrace in Bali or on a balcony in Paris. Marcella champions the radical idea that women over forty are just getting started and her contemporary romance/women’s fiction novels celebrate love, passion, and self-discovery at any age. With her passion for travel, she delights in bringing the reader along to discover the magic of faraway places. When she’s not writing, she’s planning her next adventure or practicing her spins on a salsa dance floor.
The Regressor King AJ Sherwood Publication date: February 10th 2026 Genres: Adult, Fantasy, LGBTQ+, Romance
Death, Paradise, and the gods themselves–all rejected for the sake of love.
When King James Kronenscheld dies at the hands of the Demon King, he thinks his suffering is finally over and he can join his Edwin in Paradise. And, hey, at least he’d taken the Demon King with him, right?
But then the gods try to send James to Paradise WITHOUT his Edwin, and that is simply unfathomable. So he does the unthinkable–he turns it down and negotiates for one more chance to fix his mistakes.
Armed with memories and regrets, James regresses to before he was crowned. He is determined to woo the man he lost, even if it means facing down all his previous failures. For Edwin alone will James face Wraths and plagues, court politics, and demon kings. He will avoid the horrors of the crown and attain Paradise for them both.
Failing this time means losing Edwin forever. And that is not an option.
Tags:
Romantasy, High fantasy, M/M romance, inspired heavily by webtoons, calling all passengers: hop on board, this ship is about to sail!, remember to take water and bathroom breaks, don’t start this book at 8pm, time regression, fated love, reluctant ruler, PTSD, hurt/comfort, both characters are near 30, Paradise without Edwin isn’t paradise to James, competence is sexy, so says James, power couple, Edwin finds Prince James very strange, and rightfully so, Victor has climbed to the very top of the shitty life decisions tree and was hitting every branch on the way down, Helena is a BAMF princess, Royce is a pharmacologist but make it medieval, James doesn’t want the throne, no seriously, stop asking him to take it, the gods play favorites, heavy is the crown, James wishes he’d paid better attention to details the first go around, that’s currently biting him, demon portals are a pain, horse lovers unite, Titan is best horse ever, Edwin realizes his Task in this life, Edwin has no problem unaliving James’s ex, buying books is a love language
Tropes: MM Romance, Regression, High Fantasy, Fated Love, Demon King, Reluctant Ruler, Hurt/Comfort
AJ Sherwood believes in happily ever afters, magic, dragons, good men, and dark chocolate. She often dreams at night of delectable men doing sexy things with each other. In between writing multiple books (often at the same time) she pets her cats, plays with her dogs, and attempts insane things like aerial yoga.
She currently resides in Michigan with aforementioned dogs and cats. Being in snow country gives her the excuse to stay inside and watch bl dramas, which suit her perfectly.
The Vacation Bubble: A Second Chance Romantic Comedy Marcella Steele (To Barcelona with Love Trilogy, #1) Publication date: September 1st 2025 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
Readers’ Favorite Perfect for fans of Beach Read, The Unhoneymooners, and Part of Your World—this witty second chance romance is a sun-drenched escape with heart, heat, and humor.
A fling wasn’t on her vacation itinerary. Neither was falling in love with the one man she’d already run from.
Romance has ghosted, gaslit, and gone full Shakespearean tragedy on Sofia Drake. She’s officially a one-woman rom-com with no third act in sight, ready to bolt if love sneaks up on her again.
Freshly dumped and jobless, Sofia is mid-pity-party (yes, wine and ice cream are involved) when a friend drags her to a job fair. If she’d known how a chance meeting would blow up her carefully constructed life, she would’ve stayed home. One look into Ryan Hunter’s crystal blue eyes and she can tell he’s trouble. He’s gorgeous, charming, and way too young. He’s also the first man in years to make her feel a real, rocket-exploding kind of heat. But when the jet-setting Ryan invites her on a spontaneous trip to Barcelona, Sofia does what she does best: she runs.
It takes a kick from her best friend (a “get a life” lecture) to move Sofia out of her comfort zone and onto a plane to Barcelona—alone. No men, no pressure, just a solo adventure. At least… until she runs straight into the one man she swore she’d never see again.
Now, Ryan is offering to be her personal tour guide, and Sofia is breaking her own ‘no men’ rule for a new one: keep it vacation-only. Sun, sangria, and maybe a little sizzle. They make a pact for the summer: Thirty days—no falling in love, no risky complications. Really.
Sometimes the best adventures happen when you finally stop running from what scares you the most.
“The Vacation Bubble will resonate with readers who crave wanderlust, sizzling chemistry, and second chances.” Readers’ Favorite
Sofia – the meet cute#1 San Francisco job networking event
It was his voice I heard first—deep, with a sexy tone that rumbled through me.
“I’m in the mergers and acquisitions department. Possibly you’re acquainted with the bank?” he asked the balding man next to him. “It’s a global company whose headquarters are located here in San Francisco and in London. We’re looking for fresh talent, someone with experience in finance. The organization has an excellent training program.”
The line moved up, but I hung back, waving at people to take the place in front of me. Obvious? A few sideways glances confirmed that my chivalry wasn’t going unnoticed.
His voice came from my right, only a few feet away. I shifted in my high heels and casually pretended to brush a piece of lint off my shoulder, then caught sight of him. It may have been only four or five seconds, but as my eyes raked across his features, time seemed to slow, as if watching a movie at half speed. To say he was gorgeous wouldn’t do him justice. That face belonged on the cover of GQ magazine. Tall, dark, and handsome with refined, perfectly symmetrical features, luscious full lips, and, God help me, a chiseled jawline resembling Adonis. That was the moment I knew I was in trouble.
He continued his pitch to the short man in a suit. The man wasn’t over thirty-five, but the back of his head was already thinning. Sexy guy stood over six feet tall, his bronzed olive skin and tousled dark curls effortlessly stylish without seeming overdone. Even his clothes were sexy, although it was more about the way they fit his frame. My eyes scanned him from bottom to top, taking in his leather shoes, indigo-blue designer jeans, a white-collared shirt, and a black sport coat cut close to his body, revealing broad shoulders that led to a slender waist in a V shape. When he raised his arm to retrieve a business card, his bicep bulged against the sleeve of his jacket. Holy shit.
A buzzing sound rang in my ears, muting the conversation, but I watched as his face broke into a wide smile, dimples forming like perfect punctuation marks on his cheeks. Without warning, his head swiveled a fraction to the right and his eyes caught sight of mine—sparkling, deep blue eyes that held me transfixed for a split second. Then, in one swift (not obvious at all) move, I brought my hand to my hair and, as I flicked it over my shoulder, my gaze shifted to the blond woman directly in front of me. Thank God I was next in line.
A flush bloomed on my face, not solely due to the hot flash racing up my neck. Stop right there, missy, I told myself. He’s too young, probably in his thirties. I’d never needed a drink so desperately. Forcing my view straight ahead, I ordered a gin and tonic when I reached the edge of the bar.
“Make it two, please,” his voice rang in my ear.
Author Bio:
Marcella Steele is an American author/screenwriter who now writes with her laptop precariously balanced on a café table in Barcelona, but can sometimes be found dreaming up stories on a terrace in Bali or on a balcony in Paris. Marcella champions the radical idea that women over forty are just getting started and her contemporary romance/women’s fiction novels celebrate love, passion, and self-discovery at any age. With her passion for travel, she delights in bringing the reader along to discover the magic of faraway places. When she’s not writing, she’s planning her next adventure or practicing her spins on a salsa dance floor.
When she was only 15, Kaylene Winter wrote her first rocker romance novel starring a fictionalized version of herself, her friends and their gorgeous rocker boyfriends. After living her own rockstar life as a band manager, music promoter and mover and shaker in Seattle during the early 1990’s, Kaylene became a digital media legal strategist helping bring movies, television and music online. Throughout her busy career, Kaylene lost herself in romance novels across all genres inspiring her to realize her life-long dream to be a published author. She lives in Seattle with her amazing husband and dog. She loves to travel, throw lavish dinner parties and support charitable causes supporting arts and animals.
Until the Truth Comes Out: A Novel Melanie Summers Publication date: February 5th 2026 Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
A rockstar at the height of his fame.
A wife on the edge.
A secret that can’t stay hidden.
And a single night that will change everything.
In the spring of 1997, Zane McCreight and his wife, Sienna, appear to have it all—sold-out stadiums, magazine covers, and the perfect family. But behind the image, their marriage is fracturing, and a scandal is quietly spiraling out of control.
As Zane’s band prepares for a massive tribute concert in the desert—under the eerie glow of the Hale-Bopp comet—tensions rise. Lies are told. Loyalties are tested. And two women find themselves trapped between ambition, betrayal, and the impossible weight of motherhood.
Then, on the night of the show—while the world is watching the stage—the youngest two McCreight children vanish.
Emotionally complex and deeply character-driven, Until the Truth Comes Out is a gripping tale of fame, marriage, the devastating cost of keeping secrets—and the strength of the women left to carry it all.
The Concert Under the Comet was set to take place just as Hale-Bopp reached its closest distance to Earth. There had been some concern all week that a bank of clouds might ruin the show. But thankfully, they drifted away that morning, allowing the stars—and the single streak of light that would get twenty-thousand rock fans out into the Mojave Desert on a cool spring Saturday night—to show themselves.
But it wasn’t only the comet they’d come to see (all of them either wildly rich or beautiful enough that someone with money would shell out eight thousand dollars for a single ticket). It was the lineup of stars. The biggest names in the music industry were there, several of whom would take the stage together for the first and last time. It would be televised around the globe, making it bigger than the original Woodstock. More important than Live Aid ‘85. Filled with more star power than a Vanity Fair Oscar party. It was a tribute to a dead legend. The rise of a new star. The end of innocence for one lost teenager. It would be the greatest reconciliation of any celebrity couple in history. Or it would be their demise. Those last two things would remain up in the air until morning.
The location was a well-guarded secret. It had to be if they were going to keep the riffraff away. The riffraff could watch via pay-per-view for a whopping $49.95 (the highest priced pay-per-view event up to that point in time). The record label executives, production team, and cable provider were certain the riffraff would be all too happy to pool their cash so they could say they’d been a part of it when they got to work the following Monday. They were right.
Two hours before sundown, the audience would be brought to the location in a steady stream of air-conditioned buses, limousines, and town cars. The lights would go up. The music would play. People would cheer themselves hoarse and drink and dance and sing along (most of them off-key, depending on how many drinks they had). When they’d go back to Las Vegas, their drivers would turn on the heat for their now-chilly, exhausted passengers. The drivers would be relieved they weren’t rowdy and out of control. Instead, they were dead quiet as the shock of what happened lingered.
That afternoon, five-month-old Elliott (who always went straight to sleep in the car) dozed through the long ride under the bright afternoon sun. Later, when the sky grew dark, his mother, Claudia Crawford, would point up at it and tell him about the comet, knowing he wouldn’t understand, but hoping it would somehow leave a faint imprint on his fresh, new mind. Claudia would give the performance of a lifetime that night. She was the only woman who’d been part of The Vows, but she wouldn’t play with them that evening. She would go on alone for reasons the audience wouldn’t understand until after.
Claudia had planned to leave little Elliott back at the hotel in Vegas with her very reliable French nanny. Only the nanny went out dancing the night before and never came back, so Claudia was forced to bring him to the desert and leave him in the care of two teenage girls she barely knew. But everything would be fine. Elliott would be safely tucked away in a holiday trailer nearby with the girls watching over him, and Claudia would only be gone for forty-five minutes. An hour tops.
But of course, that’s not what happened. Things ran late, as they do at these events, and she ended up leaving him for the better part of two hours. By the time she returned to the trailer, it would be empty.
Before long, she would find herself groping her way through the impossibly dark desert, screaming his name, gripped by a panic that only fills a parent whose child has vanished. It would occur to her that she might never again hold her baby. Never press his chubby cheek to hers, never smell his neck, never hear him laugh again. She might never hear him speak his first words or watch him take his first steps. What if he never got to do those things? What if he was already dead?
Her knees would give out, and she’d slide to the cold ground, and she’d be disgusted at herself for letting her emotions overwhelm her. She’d be hauled to her feet and ordered to keep going by the last person on earth she expected to help. Although her companion was only there because her child was missing too.
Author Bio:
Melanie Summers also writes steamy romance as MJ Summers.
Melanie made a name for herself with her debut novel, Break in Two, a contemporary romance that cracked the Top 10 Paid on Amazon in both the UK and Canada, and the top 50 Paid in the USA. Her highly acclaimed Full Hearts Series was picked up by both Piatkus Entice (a division of Hachette UK) and HarperCollins Canada. Her first three books have been translated into Czech and Slovak by EuroMedia. Since 2013, she has written and published three novellas, and eight novels (of which seven have been published). She has sold over a quarter of a million books around the globe.
In her previous life (i.e. before having children), Melanie got her Bachelor of Science from the University of Alberta, then went on to work in the soul-sucking customer service industry for a large cellular network provider that shall remain nameless (unless you write her personally – then she’ll dish). On her days off, she took courses and studied to become a Chartered Mediator. That designation landed her a job at the R.C.M.P. as the Alternative Dispute Resolution Coordinator for ‘K’ Division. Having had enough of mediating arguments between gun-toting police officers, she decided it was much safer to have children so she could continue her study of conflict in a weapon-free environment (and one which doesn’t require makeup and/or nylons).
Melanie resides in Edmonton with her husband, three young children, and their adorable but neurotic one-eyed dog. When she’s not writing novels, Melanie loves reading (obviously), snuggling up on the couch with her family for movie night (which would not be complete without lots of popcorn and milkshakes), and long walks in the woods near her house. She also spends a lot more time thinking about doing yoga than actually doing yoga, which is why most of her photos are taken ‘from above’. She also loves shutting down restaurants with her girlfriends. Well, not literally shutting them down, like calling the health inspector or something–more like just staying until they turn the lights off.
She is represented by Suzanne Brandreth of The Cooke Agency International.
A Tiny Little Favor Peyton Banks Publication date: April 17th 2026 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Contemporary, Romance
From USA Today bestselling author, Peyton Banks, comes a steamy rom com about second chances, accidental families, and the most unexpected proposal of all.
He was supposed to be a one-night stand… Now she’s asking him for baby number two.
Five years ago, Tachina Winston made one impulsive decision—a one-night stand with her former client, Vic Maxwell. The result? The world’s cutest little boy and an unconventional but surprisingly seamless co-parenting setup. No drama, no strings, no regrets.
But Tachina has a tiny little problem…
She wants another baby.
Dating apps? Disasters. Blind dates? Even worse. There’s only one man she trusts enough to do this with again: Vic.
Vic isn’t looking for love after a messy breakup. But when Tachina proposes her plan, he can’t deny it—he’s tempted.
And if he agrees, it will come with one condition: he wants to experience everything he missed before.
Easy, right?
Wrong.
Because soon, things get complicated. They’re having adult spend-the-night dates, sharing kisses that last too long, and stirring up feelings neither of them expected.
Then Vic’s ex returns wanting him back, they are forced to decide: was this just a favor with benefits… or the beginning of something real?
USA Today best selling author, Peyton Banks, is the alter ego of a city girl who is a romantic at heart. Her mornings consist of coffee and daydreaming up the next steamy romance book ideas. She loves spinning romantic tales of hot alpha males and the women they love. She currently resides with her husband and children in Cleveland, Ohio.
When Time Flies Jennifer Moreno Publication date: February 3rd 2026 Genres: Adult, Comedy, Romance, Time-Travel
She was just a flight attendant…until she landed in her past.
Indy Kash is a corporate flight attendant, jet-setting with the rich and famous in a world most only glimpse through glossy magazine covers. But beneath the polished service and designer luggage lies a past she’s spent years trying to forget. When a mysterious time-slip yanks her mid- flight into the trauma that derailed her life thirteen years ago, Indy is forced to face the crime that destroyed her future—and the man who made sure she took the fall.
Back in the present, he’s suddenly on board her jet, and Indy’s thrown into a battle across time to stop him from destroying the world. With a reluctant spirit guide, a crash course in time travel, and a love she never saw coming, Indy must untangle the past to rewrite her future.
Can she finally clear her name, save the world, and discover if time really does heal all wounds?
The old rage from my liver rose, and my intestines churned like an electric whisk on the lowest speed. I was a cliché of both Chinese medicine and Ayurveda. The fact that my shame, anger, and fear culminated into Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) really made me textbook. As the spiritual experts would say: You keep holding onto old crap.
I’d tried everything to let go of the past. I talked about my feelings to numerous therapists—some good, some not. I even attempted the “woo-woo” including:
Inner child work.
A soul retrieval from a Native American shaman (Apparently my soul couldn’t be retrieved).
Good ole fashioned journaling.
Cry therapy.
Ayahuasca in the Amazon jungle (The result? Shitting and vomiting at the same time).
Exploring my “shadow side.”
Breath work while a didgeridoo played in the background (One word: painful).
Shrooms.
Trauma workshops.
Belief coding.
Vision boarding (I was desperate).
Transcendental Meditation.
Ketamine.
Visits to psychics, mediums, astrologers, and tarot readers, who all agreed…
I was pretty fucked.
Then I returned to the Western approach and did a one-week stint each with Lexapro and Zoloft, which only gave me migraines. I freakin’ loved the I-can’t-even-get-anxious-if-I-wanted-to feeling of Xanax…but alas, it wasn’t enough.
Nothing worked.
I let out a sigh from my belly, as a multitude of yoga teachers had taught me. As I expelled the air, I felt strange…odd…not dizzy, not nauseous, but weird. I checked the monitor that displayed the airshow. Time To Destination, or TTD, was three hours to go until we landed in Teterboro, New Jersey.
The words and numbers on the monitor blurred into an astigmatism.
I rounded the corner into the crew rest and then plopped onto the club seat. Exhaustion crawled through my veins like slow lightning. My vision pulsed. The feeling was jetlag times infinity. I tried to stay centered and think through what was happening. I had been flying, almost nonstop to save money to buy a house. Crossing all those time zones and the constant fatigue combined with the IBD did not make for a healthy lifestyle.
I’d let myself get that run down. Damn.
My body felt weightless. It was like the moment before a fall, that breathless pause—only it never ended. A newfound hum in my ears grew until it swallowed my every thought. My eyes darted over my lap to the khaki fabric wall and finally to the window. The sky brightened to an angelic white, nearly blinding me. I wasn’t dizzy. I had the urge to stare straight ahead, yet I could not focus.
Am I vaporizing?
I stretched out my fingers. They were disappearing! I felt so airy, as if I could levitate off the seat. I grasped the armrests until…
I couldn’t grasp them anymore.
The outline of my body began to blur. I lost the solidity of flesh. Tiny sparks of light flickered along my arms, breaking apart into floating specks, like dust in the sun. These particles—that were once me—scattered outward. Where I had sat, I was now only a swirl of luminous dust, leaving me somewhere between confused and terrified.
The world spun ahead of me, leaving no room for panic, no room to understand. In an instant, purple lightning hummed and sounded like the constant static of a bug zapper. The spinning intensified, yet I wasn’t queasy.
What the fuck is going on?
I realized I was spinning through blackness, as if I was on an otherworldly plane. Then the particles of my body snapped back together and returned it to its human shape. I kept rotating and twirling until, out of nowhere, I smelled old wood and cleaning solution. And then…
There I was, sitting on a chair in a—was it a courtroom?
My mouth was so dry it felt like sand had settled on my tongue. A dull ache pulsed behind my temples, the kind that usually came from waking too early and too thirsty. My eyes darted across the courtroom, desperate to anchor on something steady, but every face seemed sharpened against me, a blur of judgement I couldn’t decipher. My chest tightened, heavy as stone, and though I begged my body to move, shift, or raise even a finger, nothing obeyed. It was as if my body had betrayed me; every molecule refused to budge. Before I could get one thought together, I heard:
“Indy, doodoo, what’s wrong?”
Mom.
Where am I?
Author Bio:
Jennifer Moreno has a master’s degree in creative writing from New York University. She was a corporate flight attendant for six years and is the host of the Corporate Flight Attendant podcast.
She is deeply involved in metaphysical practices, including obtaining certificates in trance and advanced mediumship; medical intuition; and psychic detection. She is also a reiki master and hosted a metaphysical podcast called Two Inches Off the Ground.
In her personal life, Jennifer is a proud Colombian adoptee. As a Colombian American, she enjoys improving her Spanish and exploring her roots in her native Colombia. “Jennifer” is her adopted American name, and “Moreno” is her original Colombian surname, thus combining these different…yet magical cultures.
