Category: Updates - Author Arden Steele

New Pre-Order!

2/4/2022

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.

I'm sad that he's gone, of course, but I'm also so freaking proud of him!

Now, it's back to regularly scheduled life, which means I finally have a release date for All That Glitters! Unfortunately, my editor is still sick, though she is showing signs of improvement. To be on the safe side, I've decided to push back the release for one more week to give her a chance to fully recover and to make sure we both have enough time to dedicate to edits. So, without further ado, I give you All That Glitters: A Nocturne Bay Story, now available for pre-order on Amazon!

All That GLitters: A Nocturne Bay Story
Coming February 25, 2022

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?

Pre-Order at Amazon

All That Glitters: Release Update

1/24/2022

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

New Release & an Update

12/16/2021

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.

Available at Amazon

EXCERPT

Simon’s frown deepened. He didn’t think Archer looked frightening exactly. With the severe set of his mouth, and the tightening at the corners of his arctic blue eyes, he was projecting some serious fuck-off vibes, though.

Only, it wasn’t real. He might look harsh and unapproachable, but on the inside, he was kind of a mess.

Tilting his head, Simon studied him more closely. Wariness and unease seemed to be the driving emotions. There was anger there, too, but it didn’t really have a direction. It felt more like he was mad at the world.

Simon tensed as the weight of that statement settled over him.

While he could alter the emotional state of others to some degree, he wasn’t an empath. He couldn’t feel what those people felt. Instead, he had to rely on physical and verbal cues, the same as everyone else.

But this time, he didn’t have to guess. He could sense the storm of emotions raging inside the male as clearly as if they were his own, and the realization left him confused and unnerved. With every step Archer took toward him, those strange and unsettling feelings only intensified, and Simon balled his fists at his side to stop his hands from shaking.

His heart pounded inside his chest, making a valiant attempt to climb into his throat, and he swallowed hard, trying to force back where it belonged. When that did absolutely nothing, he hooked a finger into the collar of his dress shirt and tugged at the starched material.

“Are you okay?” Gigi whispered, her brown eyes filled with concern as she looked him up and down. “You’re flushed.”

“I’m fine.” He pulled more insistently at his collar. “Is it hot in here?”

Her brow creased, and she shook her head. “No, it’s not.”

The harder his heart beat, the more difficult it was to breathe. A low, steady hum started at the base of his skull, sending faint vibrations down his spine and making his ears ring.

“Are you sure?” Sweat beaded across his brow and trickled down the back of his neck. “It feels hot in here.” As he spoke, he ripped open the top button of his shirt and fanned the collar. “You’re really sure?”

Fuck, he didn’t even know what he was saying anymore.

“I’m really sure.” Stepping in front of him, Gigi pressed her palm to the side of his face and frowned. “You feel clammy, hon. Maybe you should sit down. I’ll get you some water.”

Simon shook his head. He couldn’t explain why or how he knew, but he was exactly where he was supposed to be. “I’m fi—ahh!”

He slapped a hand over his mouth to muffle his groan as the gums around his canines exploded with pain. Then, he immediately gasped and jerked his hand away, licking his lip where a long, pointed fang had pierced the skin.
“Simon?” Gigi grabbed his elbow and shook him roughly. “Simon, what’s happening?”

But her words barely registered, and he couldn’t have answered her if he’d tried. Mostly because he didn’t know what the hell was happening to him. He wasn’t a werewolf or a shifter or a vampire. Hell, he was barely a demon. Never in his whole life had he casually sprouted fangs for no fucking reason.

Doing his best to hold himself together, he stood rigidly, his lips clamped together to hide his new hardware, and waited for Cyrus and Archer to reach the café. By the time the pair stopped a few feet from him, Simon could barely breathe.

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!

Nocturne Bay in now on Pre-order!

11/10/2021

As promised, here is the pre-order info for the Nocturne Bay series!!

M/M Paranormal Romance
30k-40k Words
Release Date: November 14th

**NOTE: The books in the series are standalone and can be read in any order. Enjoy!

Catnip by Arden Steele

Ryo Castle’s only goal in life is to be invisible. He’s spent years perfecting the art, never doing anything to draw attention to himself, and he’s grown quite content with being alone. So, he’s not entirely sure how he let himself be talked into attending a masquerade party for the opening of the new nightclub in town. It’ll probably be fine, though. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?

With more than three hundred years to amass a considerable fortune, Andre Vasso lives a life of luxury and indulgence. Yet he’s always felt that something was missing, some vital piece that would make his world complete. He just didn’t know what that was until a gorgeous mouse shifter with big green eyes literally falls at his feet.

Ryo comes with more baggage than an airport carousel, but Andre doesn’t mind. No matter how long and winding the road, he’s determined to give his mate the life he deserves. But first, he’ll have to convince Ryo that the only thing standing in the way of their happily-ever-after is his own insecurities.

A task that might prove easier said than done.

Prince Charming NOT! by Aja Foxx

Prince Charming he was not, even if his name was Chester Charming. As a fainting rabbit, he was cursed with fainting in his human form when startled or afraid. Finding three vampires being attacked by a group of wolves should have had him flat out on the ground, but the overwhelming need to save one of those vampires kept him on his feet and rushing to the rescue. Little did Chester know that his idiotic choice to run into danger would lead him to his mate.

Prince Alaric Xavier D'aureville had lived more than seven hundred years. He'd met different species from all over the world, rubbed elbows with royalty and the dregs of society, and seen history pass him by. He never expected to find his beloved in a sexy rabbit shifter right in his own hometown. Once he claimed him, though, he wasn't going to let anyone take Chester away from him, not even some idiot intent on taking all of his money any way he could. Prince Charming belonged to him.

Party Nuts by Dani Gray

Sammy Love was the owner of a lingerie store called Oh Là Là Chéri, a store geared mainly towards men. He was a squirrel shifter from a large family and loved life with his three best friends. He loved being able to dress people up and make them feel their absolute best. He felt it was his calling in life to show people how to be true to themselves, no matter what others told them they had to be.

Quentin Everett was a cougar shifter who’d been kicked out of his home at a young age by an uncaring mother. He had been raised by an older brother, until that brother was kicked out, then he became the oldest, raising his younger sibling until it was his turn to be banished. He never knew his father, just like the rest of his siblings. When he got older, he managed to put himself through school on scholarships and became a park ranger. He loved the freedom it gave his cougar and himself.

Getting tickets to the event of the year at The Underground, a costume party was something that everyone wanted. Sammy was dressed as a bandit, and even though he’d helped his besties with their costumes (much to their annoyance) everyone was dressed fabulous, when some skanky fairy came along and tried to steal his booty of nuts! Mayhem ensued as Sammy tried to collect his lost booty of nuts from the floor, as chaos with mates began.

I SHould've Stayed Home by Lisa Oliver

Hedgehog shifter, Irwin Chance was not the type to go out to parties, of any kind. A self-confessed introvert with anxiety disorders, he was happy to stay at home, work on his YouTube channel and counsel people from the safety of his home. But Irwin had friends, three of them to be exact, and one of them had gotten him a ticket to the biggest party of the year. Irwin told himself it would be okay - he could livestream the event for his viewers and give them tips along the way. But then Sammy said he'd arrange Irwin's costume... things went downhill from there.

Kolton with a K, was a tiger shifter who totally understood the only way to get anyone to respect him was to show he was powerful at all times. Going to the biggest party of the year was expected of him, although it would've helped if he could remember the name of his date. But when he catches a hint of the most amazing scent in the entire world, his tiger sprung to life and Kolton knew his mate was near. Or so he thought.

Too bad, Kolton got the wrong guy.

Insults fly, some introspection is required, and when a tiger mom gets in on the act, Kolton's the one wishing he'd stayed home. But the Fates don't like being ignored, and now all Kolton has to do is work out how to make things right with a certain hedgehog shifter... it would help if he'd stop putting his foot in his mouth.

Nocturne Bay and New Release Dates

11/8/2021

Whew! It's been a wild ride, and I'm so excited to announce that the Nocturne Bay Series, co-authored with Aja Foxx, Dani Gray, and Lisa Oliver will be releasing November 14th!!

Ryo Castle’s only goal in life is to be invisible. He’s spent years perfecting the art, never doing anything to draw attention to himself, and he’s grown quite content with being alone. So, he’s not entirely sure how he let himself be talked into attending a masquerade party for the opening of the new nightclub in town. It’ll probably be fine, though. After all, what’s the worst that can happen?

With more than three hundred years to amass a considerable fortune, Andre Vasso lives a life of luxury and indulgence. Yet, he’s always felt that something was missing, some vital piece that would make his world complete. He just didn’t know what that was until a gorgeous mouse shifter with big green eyes literally falls at his feet.

Ryo comes with more baggage than an airport carousel, but Andre doesn’t mind. No matter how long and winding the road, he’s determined to give his mate the life he deserves. But first, he’ll have to convince Ryo that the only thing standing in the way of their happily-ever-after is his own insecurities.

A task that might prove easier said than done.

I'm also ridiculously pleased to tell you that Dead Over Heels, the 6th book in the Blackhaven Manor series will be releasing on November 26th!

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 human 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?

Beauty and Bad Blood: Hunters Hollow, Book 2, will be up after that. I'm not 100% sure when that will release yet, but I'm tentatively shooting for mid-December.

Finally, I'll be finishing up the year with a new Christmas story. A Merry Little Deja Vu will release on December 23rd and I'm pretty excited about this one!

And lastly, I hope everyone had a fabulous Halloween! We didn't get as many trick-or-treaters as usual this year, but we still had fun dressing up and taking silly pictures!

Now, on to Thanksgiving!

Life Happens

10/31/2021

I've been waiting until I have something concrete to share before posting another update, but unfortunately, I'm still kind of in limbo right now.

By this point, a lot of you have probably heard about the Nocturne Bay series I'm writing with Aja Foxx, Lisa Oliver, and Dani Gray. I had planned to make my "official" announcement today, but I think the word has kind of spread by now. LOL!

We don't have a release date yet, but I can tell you that all books in the series will release on the same day and they will be coming very soon!

As for Dead Over Heels...I fucked up. That's all I really know to say at this point. The muse just stopped talking to me for a while. It happens, and it's frustrating. Then, I had to put it aside to work on some other stuff, which was fun and exciting, but not conducive to getting Dead Over Heels finished.

Once I got my groove back, the characters kind of hijacked the story, and this book is definitely going to be longer than I had planned.

So, where does that leave us? Late. That's where. I'm stupidly behind, and I'm sorry. I promise I'm working as hard as I can, though, and I'm hoping to have Dead Over Heels out within the next couple of weeks.

The next book in the Hunters Hollow series is still coming, but obviously, it's going to have to be pushed back a little. I'm thinking closer to middle of December rather than end of November.

With any luck, I will have some definitive news and dates to share by the end of the week. Fingers crossed.

Until then, I hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween, and remember, calories from Halloween candy don't count. :-P

It's that Time again...

9/19/2021

Yep, it's time for another update!

As we head into fall here in Texas, I just want to say that I hope everyone had an amazing summer! Mine was, in a word, chaotic, but I'm so glad I got to spend some quality time with my family. Especially since my oldest just moved halfway across the country to start his grownup life. I miss him like crazy, and the house is so quiet without him, but I'm also excited for him to start this new adventure!

So, once upon a time, I said that Prince Orrin Nightstar would be getting his book next in the Blackhaven Manor series. Well, that was true...until this clumsy, neurotic mess stumbled into my head and demanded a book of his own.
Right.
Freaking.
Now.

Meet Frederick. He prefers to be called Fritz. Not Fred. Not Freddy. Just Fritz, and it's pretty fitting since his brain always seems to be on the fritz. He worries a lot. He can barely walk and breathe at the same time.

And he has a pretty big secret.

One that his mate, Sheriff Vander Hale, doesn't quiet know what to do with.

Dead Over Heels will be releasing soon. Right now, I'm tentatively shooting for October 7th, but I'll be sure to post again if that changes.

After that, I have something really fun planned for Halloween!! It's kind of a secret at the moment, but look for more information coming very soon!

A lot of you have asked about the next Hunters Hollow book. Braeden's best friend, Dylan, is up next in Beauty and Bad Blood. I don't have a release date for you yet, but I'm shooting for the end of November.

I have a couple of other projects that I hope to fit in before the end of the year, but I think this is enough to be getting on with, so I'll save that for the next update!

Almost there!

6/15/2021

I just wanted to drop in with anther quick update.

Unfortunately, I'm still a little behind. I really thought I would be finished with Angels and Anarchy by now, but this book ended up being much longer than I had originally anticipated. On the bright side, a longer book means more story! Yay!

The bad news is that the book won't be releasing on the 15th (today, I guess) like I had said in my previous post. I really am sorry about that. The good news is that I'm currently working on edits, so it's not a huge delay. Another week at most, and I promise I'll post the Amazon link the second I have it.

Until Next Time
XoXo ~ Arden

Update on Angels and Anarchy

5/24/2021

Hey everyone, I just wanted to drop a quick update.

It's been a rough month for me. Life has been a bit chaotic, and my mental health hasn't been the best. I'm feeling much better now, but I had to take some time away from writing, so of course, I'm a little behind. Don't worry. We're not talking months or anything. Just a couple of weeks.

Angel and Anarchy, the first book in the new spin-off to the Blackhaven Manor series, will now release on or around June 15th. (Just depends on how long Amazon takes to review it.)

While the Hunters Hollow series does share the same world as Blackhaven Manor, and some previous characters from that series will make an appearance, you can read these series completely independently of each other. There will be no crossover storylines. No plots that start in one series and pick up in another.

So, I think that's it for now, but more updates coming soon!

Until Next Time,
XoXo - Arden

Coming June 10th

Slinging drinks in New Orleans' French Quarter isn’t the most glamorous job, but Braeden Burke loves the lights, the music, and the excitement. As a long-time believer—even before Otherlings had waltzed out of the paranormal closet—spending his nights flirting with gorgeous werewolves and smooth-talking vampires isn’t exactly a chore. His life is easy, colorful, and for the most part, free of drama.

Until fate throws him a curveball.

It was supposed to be his day off. Instead, Zarrik Cox is called in to investigate the murder of a high-ranking member of the Ministry of Otherling Affairs. Tracking down the only witness to the crime is easy. Discovering the vulnerable human is his mate is a complication he wasn’t expecting.

He might be a nephilim, but he’s no angel, and he’s damn sure no one’s savior. But with a killer on the loose, and Braeden caught in the crosshairs, there's no limit to how far he'll go to keep his new mate safe.

Just Keep Swimming...

1/19/2021

Back in November, I promised more updates. It took a little longer than anticipated, but here we go!

In my last post, I had mentioned that I was working to release a book by the end of 2020. Obviously, that didn't happen. Just a couple of days after I wrote that, I ended up in the ER with severe stomach pains. A couple of days after that, I was at the surgery center having my gallbladder removed. Recovery didn't quite go as quickly or smoothly as I had hoped, either.

The holidays were a study in chaos. Then, shortly after Christmas, my oldest son came home from work with muscle pains and a cough. I'm sure you already know where this is headed. He tested positive for Covid-19, and of course, that meant everyone else in the house contracted it as well.

We were fortunate that our symptoms were fairly mild. In fact, my youngest had no symptoms at all. For me, it felt like a really bad cold with a lot of fatigue. The cold symptoms passed in about a week, but I'm still struggling with feeling exhausted all the time.

Now, I could have a pity party. Especially when you add in our leaking roof (that is only 5 years old), a broken toilet, a sick dog, and what I worry is the beginning stages of early arthritis. When I look at it all, it does sometimes feel like I just can't catch a break.

But, such is life.

So, I'm going to be optimistic. I'm going to believe that the bad times will fade, and good things will be waiting just around the corner.

Coming Soon!

As for new books, I'm feeling better every day, but writing is still going pretty slowly at this point. For now, I can tell you that the next release will be the third book in the Blackhaven Manor series, and it will be a bit longer than the first two. I'm hoping to release it the first week of February, but it really depends on just how long it ends up being. As soon as I'm confident of a release date, though, I'll announce it.

Beyond that, I'm just taking it one day at a time.

I do have plans for 2021, though. More books, a new series, a couple of joint projects, and another group giveaway with a brand new FREE story. All of which I'll provide more information for as I know it.