Happy Zahir Day!

Our Djinn King is LIVE! Hurray! FINALLY.I’m so happy to be continuing writing in the ‘Tarot Kings’ world and Zahir and Ezra were a delight from start to finish.

You guys have gotten a lot of emails from me in the past fortnight so I won’t keep you. I do want to remind you that this is my fantasy romance series which means all the spicey adult times.

Grab it here!

BLURB

Things are finally going right for Ezra. She’s living in Florence, and her skill with rare sigil magic is unbeatable. Everything was going fine…right up until a crazy cabal of magicians decide to drag her back to Venice. Not only is her new captors determined to sell golem soldiers to the Varangians, they want Ezra’s magic to make it happen.

To save herself, Ezra will have to swallow her own prejudices and go to the one person in Venice that could help her; The Djinn King of Wands, Zahir Matani.

Zahir knows how to get the most from a deal. Sure, he’ll help Ezra, but only once she’s exposed the Republic’s enemies and fulfilled the small caveat that she has to spend three nights with the djinn king at a time and place of his choosing.

It’s better to make a deal with the Devil than a djinn, and Ezra has never met a man as ruthless as Zahir. He might be wiling to save her from her captors, but who is going to save her from him?

Please note, this is a HEA adult fantasy romance book, containing sex scenes, violence and swearing.

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Hope you love it as much I loved writing it! ‘King of Cups’ is next with our gallant Nico.

Ames x

The Exorcist and the Demon Hunter Cover Reveal

It’s finally here! Mychal’s book is going to be out in the world after a decade in the making and I feel so excited and weird about the whole thing. I tried to write this book for a really long time, and I wrote it about five different ways. I’m so happy how it turned out and that his adventure (and the lingering questions about Aleksandra) will finally be answered.

It’s probably the weirdest book I ever wrote and the most research heavy. I grew up loving anything angels, demons, and exorcists. I am still obsessed with Hellboy, Hellblazer,Preacher and the Felix Castor books. I really wanted to write a female exorcist that did exorcisms a completely different way to what had been out before and Jael is the result. It’s a lot of fun especially when she clashes with Mychal in an epic and angelic team to stop the apocalypse.

Heres a blurb:

The Exorcist and the Demon Hunter is a story of angry angels and determined demons, love and death and self-sacrifice, and follows Jael and Mychal from The Firebird Faerie Tales.

This book is a standalone novel in the Firebird Faerie Tales series and may be read independently of the other books in the series.

My name is Jael Quinlan and I’m a freelance exorcist, no matter how much the churches in Melbourne hate it. There’s a darkness growing in my city and my boss Uriel, the sternly handsome and badass Archangel of the North, is expecting me to get to the bottom of it. 

The problem is these demons are unlike any I’ve ever seen and they are all giddy about an upcoming apocalypse. On top of that, I’ve been having some crazy visions about a demon hunter on the other side of the world named Mychal. He’s frighteningly scary and has a serious depression problem.  

It turns out I’m caught up in one of those special missions from a higher power (you got to hate those) and I know I’m going to need Mychal’s and Uriel’s help in order to stop two rampaging Watcher angels and Hel’el (the big bad Devil himself) from kicking off a new apocalypse.  

I honestly don’t know what a human exorcist can do in a battle of supernatural good and evil, but all I know is finding out is going to be one hell of a ride.

You can check out the pre-order here!

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Also, side note, this is a spin off book like the Aramis and Søren one that’s coming too. If angels and demons aren’t your thing, don’t worry – you can go straight to Aramis’s book. They are in the same world but aren’t linked. The only thing is that they happen after the events of ‘Rise of the Firebird.’

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That’s all for ‘The Firebird Faerietales’ update, but keep an eye out for my post this weekend about ‘King of Wands’ which is live this Saturday! Yes, I know, you’re getting ALL the things this month lol. You know you love it.

Ames x

‘Rise of the Firebird’ is Out!

I am SO thrilled to have Anya’s final adventure back out in the world! This series has such a special place in my heart and I couldn’t be happier that this one is LIVE. It is my favorite of the three with so much Finnish myth, big adventure and romance.

Need a blurb?

Filled with unforgettable characters, adventure, and mythology pulled deep from Russian and Finnish folklore, this richly imaginative fantasy series by bestselling author Amy Kuivalainen dives deep into the world of magic, pitting those who would abuse it against those sworn to protect it.

Traveling from the battlefields of Skazki to the Underworld of Tuonela, Anya and her companions encounter the vicious dark goddess Louhi and gain two magicians, the mad hero Kullervo and Eldon Blaise—apprentice of Merlin himself.

As devastating secrets of history and the heart are revealed, Anya must fight the darkness within herself and rise up to be a symbol for the Neutral rebel army that rallies under the banner of the firebird. Ready to restore the balance at any price, the final battle of the three armies will shape the worlds forever in this exciting finale of the Firebird Faerie Tales series. 

You can grab Anya’s final adventure here!

Don’t forget – More books are coming in this world starting with Mychal’s book ‘The Exorcist and the Demon Hunter’ in September!

Now go and enjoy and don’t forget to leave a rating or a review where ever you buy it from. It really does help other readers find my books and means the world to me,

Ames x

‘King of Wands’ pre-order and sneak peak!

Exciting news everyone, Zahir has officially gone off to the editors and a pre-order is live!

When I say this book poured out of me after sitting on it for two years…it POURED out of me. My ADHD went into hyperfocus and I got through it in half the time I expected. I love this world so damn much and you can tell that I am thrilled to be back in this fantasy Venice.

This book picks up a couple of months after the events of ‘King of Swords’ and the epilogue in that is setting the scene for ‘Wands.’ If it’s been a while, I recommend you do a re-read of it before you jump into Zahir and Ezra’s story. You will also see some old faces from ‘King of Swords’ too, including plenty of Arkon (the attention whore that he is), Stella, Dom and Nico.

Now, depending on how quickly I get through the editing process, I will probably update this pre-order day from May to April. I’m thinking of St Marks Day, because I am a sap like that.

In the meantime, please enjoy this prologue and chapter one!

(please note, this is a draft so a few mistakes might have slipped through Grammarly. If that’s the kind of thing that annoys you, maybe wait :P)

***

The Last Ancient Wonder

There are many stories about Zahir the Eternal. With time, they have grown more outlandish, exaggerated, terrifying and magical, much like the King of the Djinn himself.

When asked which stories are true, Zahir has always replied, with a wink and a smile, that they all are.

If you try to point out the tales that couldn’t possibly be real for some reason or another, you would be invited to prove him wrong.

No one ever could.

One story about Zahir goes as follows; The year was 492 BC, and takes place in the city of Babylon. The powerful Djinn King has been enslaved to the Persian throne. He has been used many times for his power of foresight and prophecy, so the great king Darius demands that Zahir look into the future, to the land of the Greeks, where Darius plans to make his next conquest.

Zahir asks for three days and nights to summon his most powerful visions. This, the great Darius granted.

On the dawn of the fourth day, Zahir once again was summoned before the throne of Darius.

“Oh, wise and divine King of Kings, I have spent all of my power to divine the answers you seek,” Zahir declared. “The great Persian King will burn Athens to the ground.” This prophecy was met with much cheering by the courtiers…. until Zahir held up his hand.

“But-” he continued. “I have also seen that Persia will need more than the strength of your army in order to accomplish this glorious victory. I must travel with you to the land of the Greeks and appear to their senate as a freeman, like themselves, to spread fear and ensure they bow to you.”

“And if I refuse?” Darius demanded, for freeing a djinn as powerful as Zahir was a high price to pay.

“If you refuse, you will die defeated by these backward tribes, who are too ignorant to give you the respect you deserve. As a broken man, your body will be covered in wax, and this great glory that you would be remembered for all time will pass to another empire.”

Darius refused to give his ruling on the matter until the day their fleet sailed into the Cyclades’ blue waters. Finally, he summoned Zahir.

“You have served my family and this throne faithfully for a hundred years. I know what you want of me, but I am still reluctant to give it, and miss your wise council in the future.”

Zahir bowed low, ever the faithful servant. “Great king, I have served your throne so well and you most of all, because of my deep love and devotion to Persia. Free me, and I will serve you still. You need no ring binding me to you for that,” Zahir assured him.

Pleased by this announcement, Darius took the dull bronze ring carved in sigils from his finger, and passed it to Zahir, granting him his freedom.

“Go, my servant, and do as you foresaw. Sow animosity and fear into the Athenian hearts and minds. Prepare my way,” commanded Darius. With a parting deep and solemn bow, Zahir left the king and crossed the waves to the city of Athens.

Once there, Zahir appeared as a shining being of living flame before a general from the Leontis tribe.

“Marathon!” Zahir declared in a voice as old as creation.

“Are you the mighty Apollo?” the general asked, his face filled with awe.

Zahir’s flames rose higher. “Of course I am! Now, do as I say and take your men to Marathon!”

This general’s name was Themistocles, and he defeated Darius’s army at Marathon so thoroughly that it drove the King of Kings mad with the shame of it. When he died soon after, and his body was covered with wax, it was as a broken man.

When asked, Zahir has always argued that his prophecy to Darius was true; a great Persian king burned down Athens when Xerxes invaded some years later, and if he didn’t appear to Themistocles it never would have happened.

This story reveals two very important warnings that one must heed for their own good.

The first is that to enslave a djinn is not taming a dangerous creature. It is merely inviting it into your home so that it can learn all of the ways it can eventually destroy you.

The second is never, ever, fuck with Zahir the Eternal.

Chapter 1

In the city of Florence, deep in a warehouse basement, Ezra Eliyahu swayed under the flashing blue and crimson lights. The music was pounding hard, and she was dancing, dancing, dancing. She needed this release like she needed her heart beat. She had drunk enough, and there was enough weed in the air, that the week’s stress dulled down and her good vibes amped up.

Raising a hand as she moved, Ezra sketched an invisible sigil in the air. Golden stars rained down from the ceiling, making the crowd cheer and gasp. Every star that landed on skin glowed and magic sent a natural high through the party goer’s blood stream. 

When you can do nothing else, you dance, her father’s voice whispered to her through the music. She always thought it was one of his nonsense sayings, but as she got older and life got harder, she knew the truth in it. Her life could be a total garbage fire, and she would head straight to the dance floor. Somehow, everything would turn out okay.

Ezra missed her father every day, but she couldn’t bring herself to return to Venice. A few weeks before her twenty – eighth birthday, her mother, Lucia, had died, and for the two years afterward, Ezra and Judah had clung to each other in their grief. They had started doing magic together and father and daughter had created wonders.

It had all gone wrong when her father made some new friends in a group of mages.

The ‘Cabal of the Wise’ had creeped Ezra out from the minute Judah had mentioned them. She tried to warn him they weren’t to be trusted, that they were only out to use him. They had fought for the first time, and it ended when Ezra had packed her bags and left Venice. Six months and neither one had reached out, both too angry and proud.

Don’t think of it. Think of the music, Ezra told herself, the thorn still lodged in her heart. Blinking back her tears, she shouted a wordless sound amongst the music and noise, and sent a bigger rain of magic over the crowd. It was mere tricks compared to what she could wield. It made people happy, and that was what she was paid for.

She had planned on using her degree in magio-history to work in some museum or academia. When she had gotten to Florence, her hopes had fallen apart, and she had ended up bartending before doing party tricks. It paid the bills. Her study could wait. Everything could wait. 

Two hours later, Ezra picked up her money that had been left at the bar and stepped out into the warm night. Summer was ending soon, and she wasn’t looking forward to it. Heat made her blood and magic feel like it could flow properly.

Ezra had no fear of thieves or miscreants on her walk home to her apartment in Santo Spirito. She was more than adept at self-defense and had kept a thin spike of a dagger in her boot at all times. When that failed, magic was always burning on her fingertips.

You are made for more than party tricks, Judah’s voice echoed in the back of her head. Ezra knew it was true. She just didn’t know what else to do with herself. She had thought Florence would inspire her magic and the power of creation. Ezra was uninspired to even pick up a pencil. Until she could get herself together enough to work on more complex sigil designs, the dance floor would have to do.

Ezra instantly spotted the man leaning against the wrought-iron gate that led into her apartment building. It wasn’t an unusual occurrence, but something about him made her wary. Under the glowing street lamp, his pale eyes studied her.

“Excuse me, signorina, are you Ezra Eliyahu?” he asked in a Veneto accent.

“Depends. Who is asking?” she replied, digging around her bag for her keys and slipping them between her fingers.

“I’m here representing your father’s lawyer,” he explained, taking a step toward her. “I’m sorry to tell you like this, but your father is dead, signorina.” Ezra stumbled, all thought of her safety vanishing as disbelief, anger and shock hit her body all at once. She couldn’t hear what the man was saying, his words coming from underwater. She was still shaking her head when someone moved behind her. Sharp pain pierced her neck and Ezra was out before she hit the ground.

***

Thanks for reading! You can pre-order ‘King of Wands’ here, and also keep an eye out in the next little while because I’ll probably post a few more chapters before release,

Ames x

‘King of Wands’ Cover Reveal!

Look at my gorgeous King of the Djinn! I’m so excited to finally be sharing this cover with you! My designer UNDERSTOOD the assignment, I squealed like a demented dolphin when I first saw it.

To give you a quick update, I’m about half way through drafting this one, and it’s such a delight to be writing in this world again after two years. It was always a comfort series for me and I feel like it’s the perfect way to start a fresh New Year.

I am hoping to release this one in May, but I will put a pre-order up when I know for sure. I already have ‘Rise of the Firebird’ coming to you in March, so May feels like a good time. It will give me plenty of time to get it finished and through all the edits.

Here is a blurb to get you excited. It’s SUCH a fun story so far, and even though these are all written as stand alones, we are seeing a lot of familiar faces from book one including Arkon and Stella.

BLURB:

Things are finally going right for Ezra. She’s living in Florence, and her skill with rare sigil magic is unbeatable. Everything was going fine…right up until a crazy cabal of magicians decide to drag her back to Venice. Not only is her new captors determined to sell golem soldiers to the Varangians, they want Ezra’s magic to make it happen.

To save herself, Ezra will have to swallow her own prejudices and go to the one person in Venice that could help her; The Djinn King of Wands, Zahir Matani.

Zahir knows how to get the most from a deal. Sure, he’ll help Ezra, but only once she’s exposed the Republic’s enemies and fulfilled the small caveat that she has to spend three nights with the djinn king at a time and place of his choosing.

It’s better to make a deal with the Devil than a djinn, and Ezra has never met a man as ruthless as Zahir. He might be willing to save her from her captors, but who is going to save her from him?

***

Eeek! I can’t wait to share all of these shenanigans with you. Also, please make sure you are subscribed to this blog if you want exclusive content in the next few months. I’m going to be releasing some sneaky chapters because we all need some Zahir in our lives.

Ames x

The Year of Editing Wrap Up

First up….Look! It’s finally happened! I have released my paperbacks on all the retailers so you can get them everywhere. Damn all these covers look good when they are together.

This has been A YEAR.

I usually try and do a big wrap up but my mind is fire at the moment and most of this year a blur of weddings, random stories and so many, many edits. The good news is that I have sent off the final edits of the year. Five structural edits, several minor copy editing rounds, is too much editing in one year. I’m so happy it’s done. It was intentional, and planned, but it didn’t leave as much time as I would have liked to be creative this year. I did tie up my two major passion projects this year that I was so surprised about. Thank you so much to everyone who read “Sorcerers and Saints” and “Wolf of the Sands.” I’ve been so blown away by the responses to both books and I’m forever grateful.

Thank you to everyone who has also taken the relaunch of Anya and her adventures into their hearts. Her adventures are going to be wrapped up in ‘Rise of the Firebird’ in March, but don’t worry! This universe does continue with a whole swag of spin off books and adventures.

Speaking of releases for next year…I finally have enough space in my schedule to write ‘King of Wands.’ I know it’s been so long between these books, due to unforeseeable circumstances, and I can’t WAIT to dive into Zahir’s book. I finished the final outline of it today and I’m so freaking excited. I’m also going to be sharing sexy covers and a blurb early next year so make sure you keep an eye out. My next lot of indie releases will be ‘Tarot Kings’ so don’t worry, there will be no more yearly breaks with these guys.

I hope you all have a happy and safe holidays. Here’s hoping for a less chaotic 2023!

Ames x

‘Rise of The Firebird’ ARCS and Updates

It’s been a hot minute since I posted so I have lots of updates this week! First up, ‘Rise of the Firebird’ is now on preorder for March! If you are an ARC reader, it is also available to request over here at Netgalley.

Yes, Anya’s journey is coming to a close but don’t worry, there’s still tons of adventures lined up in this world. I’m getting the question pretty often about what’s happening next so here it is:

3. Rise of the Firebird (last chapter of Anya)

4. The Exorcist and the Demon Hunter (Mychal)

5. Of Starlight and Midnight (Aramis and Søren)

THE BLOOD LAKE CHRONICLES (this is a re-release trilogy in the same Firebird Universe. It deals with the fae and Arthurian myth).

In other news, I have come back from holiday to Istanbul and Greece and feeling a lot better and refreshed. I’ve just finished off some editing on ‘Of Starlight and Midnight’, and hopefully this will close of my year of editing. It’s been a bit crazy but it feels good to have it all done.

Next up, I’m writing Tarot Kings with ‘King of Wands.’ I am so excited to be finally heading back into this world and to the always lovely Venice. I have seen the new covers for the next three books and I can’t WAIT to start sharing them with you in the next few months. It’s going to be such a fun ride.

I’ll be back in a few weeks with another update, and news about some exciting things I have in the works.

Ames 🙂

King of Swords Paper back is Live

This is just a quick email to let you know that the ‘King of Swords’ paperback is officially LIVE on Amazon! You can grab it right here.

And for those who haven’t read it, here is a blurb:

In a fantasy future, magic has replaced technology and Venice is once again the center of a powerful empire, but everything is not as serene in the new republic as it seems.

Stella is an unregistered magic-user, and a creator of tarot decks, two things that are illegal when they go together. She’ll do anything to protect her secret, even ignore the attentions of Dom Aladoro, the sexy as sin shifter prince of Venice.

As the heir of the most prominent shifter family in Venice, and a member of the Council of Ten, Dom’s life is one of wealth, privilege, and any woman he wants…except for one that he met by chance at Carnevale and who has spent the last eight months ghosting him.

When Dom stumbles across a fight in the dark streets of San Marco, he has no idea he is about to come face to face with his mystery woman. Stella draws him into a search for missing magic users, unveiling a conspiracy that could threaten the Republic to its core.

Together they will hunt through glittering palazzos and dockside brothels, their search taking them into the dark heart of Venice, where money and power may make the rules, but where love always conquers.

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I hope you all enjoy it, and don’t worry ‘Sorcerers and Saints’ will also be getting a face lift and paperback soon!

Ames x

King of Swords Face Lift!

‘King of Swords’ has gotten a facelift! I’m gearing up to start writing this series after all of my editing is out of the way (end of November) and I wanted to kick things off by getting all new covers and branding for the series. I mean LOOK at this hotness. I swear my soul left my body when I first saw it.

Good news! It’s also going to be released soon as a paperback! I’m waiting on my final proof copy to arrive in the mail so I can give it a thorough check over and then I’ll be making it live.

Thank you everyone for your patience waiting on this world to continue. I had no idea how much my writing life would be taken up by the Firebird rewrites and editing in the past two years, and with COVID and lockdowns I really didn’t think I could do this new world the justice I wanted to. You will get them all next year, and man, are you in for a ride. They are going to be so much fun and I can’t WAIT.

If you haven’t already read King of Swords, I’ve put it on a special rebrand price of $2.99 so make sure you check it out here! I’ll also send another email when the paperback is live!

Ames

‘Wolf of the Sands’ ebook is early

Hurray! We are live! After the kerfuffle (technical term) with the paperbacks arriving early, I thought, bugger it and changed the date for the ebook release. Big, big thank you to everyone who has pre-ordered this one!

If you missed the blurb, here is:

A Viking witch touched by the gods, a magi prince from a mysterious world, a love that will shape the destiny of a kingdom.

Betrayed by her gods, Fen is sold by raiders to the mysterious People of Sand and Sky and taken to Aaru, a world of impossible beauty and cruelty. An accidental encounter with the pharaoh’s son will alter her fate, offering Fen a chance to earn her freedom in the most unexpected way.

Khan knows that change is coming to Aaru, but he never anticipated it to be in the form of a fierce witch from another world. Fen is a gift from the gods, and he will do everything he can to keep her safe.

Prince and slave strike a bargain; Khan will protect her and send her home in a year’s time, and in return, Fen will teach him about her magic and gods while pretending to be his royal concubine.

When betrayal burns Khan’s world down, neither he nor Fen can predict how their bond will change them, awakening fierce magic and a love that will impact the very fate of Aaru itself.

Wolf of the Sands is a stand-alone romance novel in a high fantasy world based on Norse, Egyptian and Mesopotamian myth. It contains plenty of action and a guaranteed HEA, but please note it does have graphic violence, swearing and sex scenes

Grab it here!

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I hope you all enjoy this labor of love. Please don’t forget if you love it, leave it a rating or review on Amazon as it really does help us indies get our titles in front of new readers.

Happy reading!

Ames x