The past four-ish months have been...interesting. There were a lot of good things that happened. A trip to Orlando. A trip to Puerto Rico. A beautiful and extravagant wedding in Houston.

​(Not mine. I got married in a tiny church 20 years ago with less than a dozen people present. The entire thing, including my dress and the rings, cost less than $150.)

 
There was also some not so great stuff that happened. Depression, made worse by Seasonal Affective Disorder. A slipped lumbar disc. A torn LCL (that's the ligament on the outside of your knee.) And can we just talk about the price of eggs for a second?! I wanted to make an angel food cake, but I didn't want to take out a second mortgage. 

Beauty and Bad Blood is still coming. I will finish it. Just not yet. I know I said it would "definitely" be out in November, but well, here we are. Shortly after my last update, I just hit a wall. Ran smack into it like Wile E. Coyote.

This would be around the time I was having what my therapist likes to call a "Major Depressive Episode." 

At her suggestion, I did something I've never done before. I agreed to show myself the same grace and kindness I'd offer to any of my friends who are struggling. I also decided to try an experiment and just write whatever popped into my head. No matter what story, what series, whatever, I would just...write.

​A novel concept, I know. 

This resulted in 7 new story ideas, 4 new WIPs, one completed novella, and another that is almost finished. 

I am currently working on cleaning up Mr. Big Shot, Book 3 of the +One series, and it will be headed to my editor soon. I don't have an exact release date yet, but probably sometime within the next two weeks.

Then, I'll be wrapping up Walking a Tight Trope, the next book in the Blackhaven Manor series. More details on this later, but you can anticipate its release in March. (She says, knowing her track record with deadlines is shit.)

After that, I will be diving back into Beauty and Bad Blood with new enthusiasm. Now that the brain fog is lifting, I know exactly where I went wrong and what I need to do to move forward. I do not know when this book will release. I'm not even going to give an estimate. I feel like I jinx myself every time I do. 

I'm also not going to promise regular updates because, let's be honest, I suck at it. I will, however, definitely post once the books go live. You can also get a notification right to your inbox by subscribing to my newsletter. I'm lazy, and I only send out newsletters when I have a release or an event, so you will never be inundated with emails from me.

Until Next Time!
XoXo - Arden

Just a quick update on Beauty and Bad Blood. 

So, my wonderful, awesome, fantabulous husband surprised me with a trip to Puerto Rico! It was my fist time leaving the continental US and my first time swimming in the ocean.

I didn't write while we were gone. I didn't even take my laptop. I had an amazing time, however, and I feel recharged and ready to tackle the end of the this book now! 

My characters are still doing things to surprise me, so I haven't written the new blurb yet. Honestly, I'll probably wait until closer to the end to do that. I'm still estimating this book will be about 85k when it's finished, which means, I'm right around three-quarters finished. 

Beauty and Bad Blood will definitely be out in November, but as of right now, I don't have a release date. I'm nearing the finish line though, so hopefully, I'll have another update to share in the next week or so. 

Until next time!
​XoXo ~ Arden

It's here! It's finally here!! Pain in the Ice is now live on Amazon, and as always, free to read with your KU subscription!
​

​Thade Maddock would literally rather die than spend four weeks aboard a cruise ship with nine hundred strangers in the middle of the Pacific. When it happens to be his best friend’s dying request, however, he can’t exactly refuse the invitation. On the bright side, the ship’s pool does offer some stunning views. Like the human male with fiery red hair and a smile to rival the sun. 

Although he wouldn’t consider himself naïve, Micah Francis has led a rather insulated life. Having had limited contact with Otherlings and little knowledge about the paranormal world in general, meeting a dragon shifter his first day on the ship is nothing less than magical. Tall and brooding with a body made for sin, Thade is everything he had imagined a dragon would be. He didn’t, however, expect to feel so obsessively drawn to the guy after just one conversation. 

But falling in love is the easy part. When Thade’s friend begins to deteriorate quicker than anticipated, the demon’s illness places the entire ship in danger. As pandemonium ensues and a multitude of dark emotions infects the passengers, happily-ever-after feels a long way off. 
​
Because unless they can find a way to bring order to the madness, no one is making it out alive.

As a general rule, Thade didn’t stick his nose into other people’s business. He did what was necessary to enforce the guidelines at Blackhaven Manor, and he would never allow guests to mistreat his staff, but he didn’t go out of his way to play the hero. 

Every once in a while, however, he encountered a situation that required him to act, to be the protector he tried so hard to avoid. 

With his gaze hidden behind his dark sunglasses, he’d been watching the human male from the moment he’d stepped onto the deck. Beyond his vivid red hair, nothing about him made him stand out from the other guests, but Thade hadn’t been able to look away. 

His complexion went beyond fair and could only be described as pale, but with a smattering of freckles across his nose and cheeks. Despite the considerable distance that separated them, and the way the newcomer squinted against the sun, Thade had no trouble discerning the stunning lime green of his irises. 

He had wondered why the guy didn’t just use the sunglasses perched atop his head. Then he realized he wasn’t the only one staring. Mr. Lean, Fair, and Freckled was checking him out, too, and judging by his increased heart rate, he liked what he saw. Thade wasn’t looking for love, but he wouldn’t mind passing a night or two with the beautiful stranger.

He had still been deciding on his next move when the guy’s attention had been drawn away by the female who had accompanied him onto the deck. Like a puff of smoke on the breeze, whatever connection that had passed between them vanished. That should have been the end of it, but Thade couldn’t resist the temptation to let his gaze linger a little longer.

With his eyes still hidden, he watched both humans, studying the way they interacted as he tried to ascertain the depth of their relationship.
​
It shouldn’t have mattered. He definitely shouldn’t have felt relief when he heard them mention the female’s fiancé. Yet he hadn’t been able to relax until he’d been satisfied that nothing romantic existed between them. He didn’t have a name for the feeling that had coursed through him in the lead-up to the revelation, but it had been foreign, uncomfortable, and he hoped to never experience it again.

Just a quick update to let you guys know that I'm still working on Beauty and Bad Blood. Life has just been kind of a mess lately. Not only have I been extremely busy, but it feels like March and most of April was just one disaster after another.

Lightning hit our house and destroyed a lot of electronics, including a brand new television. It also damaged some of the wiring, so we didn't have electricity to two rooms or our smoke detectors for a bit. Someone wrecked into our car in the parking lot and just drove off. The garage door stopped working. Two of our irrigation lines started leaking. Someone stole my credit card number AND my email address??? I could go on, but you get the idea. 

Things are still pretty hectic, but I'm carving out time to make some real progress on this book. My goal (plan? hope?) is to have Beauty and Bad Blood released by the end of May. This story is looking to be between 70-75k, so we'll see if I can make it happen, Cap'n. I'm also not sure if I will put this one on preorder or not. It'll largely depend on my editor's schedule, but I should know more in a couple of weeks. 

Until then, here's the cover and blurb! 

All That Glitters: A Nocturne Bay Story is now available at Amazon and free to read with your Kindle Unlimited subscription! 

EXCERPT

Well…fuck. 

Yeah, yeah, it was supposed to be the happiest moment of his life. Rainbows and unicorns mixed with raging hormones and non-stop sex. Blah, blah, yada, yada. And okay, dude was stupid hot, but Skyler Hastings was shitting bricks.

Metaphorically, of course, because…ouch. 

Sure, there might have been a time when he’d dreamed of finding the missing part of his soul. He’d spent lonely nights imagining what it would be like to meet that one person who was meant just for him, the one being in the whole universe who would complete him. 

Or whatever other clichéd bullshit people liked to wax poetic about. 

Yep, he’d bought into it all, right up until his life had taken a sudden and drastic turn. Now, he had baggage, lots of it, like bus depot levels, and this was not a good time for him to run off into the sunset with some insanely sexy shifter. 

Which meant he had a decision to make. 

Walking away wasn’t an option. For a shifter, being refused by their mate was basically a death sentence, and he didn’t want that. Hell, he wouldn’t wish that on his worst enemy. 

He could complete their bond, allow the guy to claim him, then disappear. That was probably the right thing to do. It would ensure Rafe’s safety in more ways than one, even if it condemned them both to a life of loneliness.

At least Rafe would have a life, though. 

But this was his mate. He’d been given a gift from fate, and frankly, it seemed in poor taste to turn up his nose at such a rare treasure. There would be no second chances, no do-overs. He only got one shot at this, and yeah, it made him a selfish bastard, but damn it, he wanted this. He wanted Rafe. At the very least, he wanted the opportunity to prove he deserved him. 

Which brought him full circle because to deserve his mate, he had to do right by him, and in this case, that meant letting him go.  

Sighing, he wiped the water from his face and tilted his head to the side to indicate the porch. “We should talk.”

I feel like it's been forever since I've been able to say this, but this week was amazeballs! 

As many of you know, my oldest moved out (and all the way to freaking Florida) last summer. This week was the first time I've gotten to see him since August! We had awesome adventures at the Museum of Illusions and the Dallas World Aquarium (which has a surprising lack of aquatic animals.) I cooked all of his favorite foods. We had game nights and talked about life.

All that glitters is not gold. 

It’s a lesson Skyler Hastings learned the hard way, and one he’s still paying the price for. Indebted to a vicious vampire who would rather see him dead than let him go, he’s not looking for love. The last thing he wants is to drag someone else into his mess. So, when he encounters his mate outside of the local nightclub, he’s not sure if fate has a morbid sense of humor or just comically bad timing. 

Cursed to a life of emotional numbness, it has been millennia since Rafe Valladolid has experienced even a passing connection with another person. Sure, he can fake social niceties, but things like love, joy, anger, and grief are all lost to him. That is until he meets a feisty raven shifter who sends him spiraling out of control. So what if the guy is a thief? Or has a mouth that won’t stop? After three thousand years of nothingness, Skyler makes him feel. 

It’s not all candy hearts and rainbow sprinkles, though. While a flood of confusing emotions threatens to pull Rafe under, something sinister stalks his mate, and both seem hellbent on destroying them. Yet, Rafe isn’t worried. He might look like a tame pussycat, but he’s still an ancient warrior who cut his teeth on the bloodiest of battlefields. 
​
He’s survived wars, plagues, and famine. How much trouble can one baby bloodsucker be?

So...I lied. I mean, I didn't do it on purpose, but I will not "definitely" have All That Glitters ready for release by the end of January. 

My editor has Covid. She's going to be okay, but she's certainly not in a place to be working right now. Having been there myself, I wouldn't let her, even if she offered.

We've spoken, and right now, we're tentatively thinking a release the week of Valentine's Day. Partly to give her time to recover, but also because I have family coming next week, and it's unlikely I will get much work done during that time anyway. 

That's going to push subsequent releases back as well. So, the next Hunters Hollow will now be a March release instead of February, and so on and so forth. Barring any further unforeseen circumstances, that should only shuffle things around by a couple of weeks, though. 

And that's really all I have to share right now, but check back at the end of next week for a cover reveal and hopefully a pre-order link for All That Glitters!

Until Next Time,
XoXo Arden

Silent Knight is here! Check out this special holiday addition to the Blackhaven Manor series. It's a fun, light romance with all of the feels and none of the angst.

​And as always, it's free to read with your KU subscription. 
​

Being part siren isn’t exactly a secret, but it’s not something Simon Russel likes to advertise, either. He’s not ashamed of who he is or anything so dramatic as that. But people tend to treat him differently once they realize he can manipulate their emotions. Just once, he wishes someone could see him and not the demon within.

Enter Archer Knight, a former Enforcer, and the newest guard at Blackhaven Manor.

Forced into retirement after a poorly executed mission leaves him damaged and disfigured, Archer figures he has a right to be a little bitter. With his scarred face and surly attitude, he’s not going to win any popularity contests, which suits him just fine, or so he tells himself.

Until he meets Simon.

Mix one not-so-chance encounter, a heap of holiday cheer, and a dash of misguided but well-meaning intentions in this recipe for Christmas magic. Season with love and serve with a side of awkward family get-togethers. 
​
Don’t forget the marshmallows.
​

And now for the update. You may have seen that I had another holiday story planned for the end of the month called A Merry Little Deja Vu. I don't really want to get into why, but this story isn't happening, at least not this year. Maybe next Christmas. 

Instead, a new Nocturne Bay book is up next. Since this was kind of a sudden change, I don't have a lot of details right now. I'm hoping to release it at the end of the month or the beginning of January, but I haven't settled on a firm release date, and obviously, no pre-order. This will be a solo release. To my knowledge, my co-authors don't have any books planned right at this moment. 

I'll post another update just as soon as I have a better handle on my schedule. 

Until then, I wish you all Happy Holidays! 

The 6th book of the Blackhaven Manor series is now live on Amazon and free to read with your Kindle Unlimited subscription! 
​

It’s been twelve years since the Awakening. Otherlings are out of the paranormal closet. The whole world knows that creatures like vampires, werewolves, and witches exist. So, seeing dead people barely even rates on the freaky scale. Right?

Wrong.

Fritz Tolliver figures he must have done something terrible in a previous life to be afflicted with such a curse. In fact, every bad thing that has ever happened to him can be traced back to his unwanted ability. So, when a stupidly hot werewolf who’s way out of his league claims to be his mate, he should be thrilled. And he probably would have been if he hadn’t gone and gotten himself haunted by a nasty spirit on the same day.   

When a gorgeous male strolls into the station asking for a job—and promptly spills an entire Americano on him—Sheriff Vander Hale has a feeling it’s going to be a bad day. Then, the door opens, the wind shifts, and suddenly, his whole world changes. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do for his mate, no battle he wouldn’t wage, even if his enemy is technically already dead. Unfortunately, there’s just one problem with his plan.
​
He’d go to hell and back for Fritz, but how is he supposed to fight something he can’t see?  
​

The Nocturne Bay books are now live and available to read on Amazon!! 

Just a reminder that these books may start in the same place, but they are all standalone and can be read in any order. So, pick one and enjoy! 

You may also notice that some books are available to read with Kindle Unlimited and some aren't. This was solely the choice of the authors and what works best for them.

Links are below and keep scrolling for an excerpt from Catnip! 

On the other hand, if he didn’t walk through those doors, he might never see his mate again. Fate wasn’t exactly generous, rarely offering first, let alone second chances.
 
Oh, what did it even matter? The guy wore fancy suits and expensive shoes. He spoke with an air of class and sophistication that Ryo could never hope to match. They obviously came from two completely different worlds.

His mate hadn’t commented on his skimpy dress or elaborate makeup, but it was a party after all. The likelihood that he would find it acceptable on a regular Tuesday was pretty slim.

Not that Ryo gave in to those desires often, but in the privacy of his home, away from prying eyes and mocking tongues, he should be free to be himself. He shouldn’t have to worry that his mate might freak out over a pair of silk panties. 

“Ryo!”

Startled out of his musings, Ryo jerked his head up, his brow furrowed as he watched his mate jogging toward him down the sidewalk. The male had pulled on a pair of tailored slacks before exiting the club, but apparently, he couldn’t be bothered with shoes or a shirt.

Then again, Ryo wasn’t even wearing pants, so it wasn’t like he had room to talk.

With all that smooth, gorgeously tanned skin stretched across hard, defined muscles, he was certainly garnering a good bit of attention from those waiting in line. Loud whistles and catcalls followed his approach, and one bold little imp actually stepped forward to block his path.

A sharp growl from Ryo’s mate sent the little pixie scurrying back into the queue.

“There you are,” he said as he marched right into Ryo’s personal space and cupped his cheek. “Are you okay? Do you need a ride home?”

“Yes…I’m…” Gods, his hand was so warm. Losing his train of thought, Ryo closed his eyes and leaned into the touch. “I don’t even know your name.”

“Andre.” He brushed his thumb over Ryo’s cheek, just below his eye. “Andre Vasso.”

Ryo’s eyes flew open, and he jerked his head up, searching the demon’s face for any signs of deception. He found none, not in his expression or his scent. This really was the owner of The Underground.
​
“Not what you were expecting?” Andre asked, his lips curved into a crooked grin.
​
“I’m just a little surprised, that’s all.” Honestly, he was doing his best not to completely lose his shit. It didn’t seem logical or realistic that fate would pair him with one of the most eligible bachelors in Nocturne Bay. “You’re a hot topic around here.”