Raya's Bookshelf
Anachronistic: Endless Masquerade
There's a simple hierarchy in the world; youkai exist to kill humans and hunters exist to kill youkai. As the daughter of a hunter Lilith knows this well, but she didn't expect her life to shatter at the revelation of a dark secret. She is a youkai.
Now, with her life in ruins and facing execution, Lilith must abandon everything she knows. Under cover of darkness, Lilith flees to the port city, searching for a boat headed for Eden, the ringed city at the center of the world. There she hopes to start a new life for herself. But when she sells her spare ticket to a stoic woman named Pandora, she couldn't imagine she was inviting a hunter on the journey with her.
Now, Lilith will have to hide her identity if she hopes to live. A task made more difficult when the two women grow closer and Lilith develops feelings for someone she can never be with.
Concubine 999
After the conquest of her home planet by the galactic empire, Lady Zarathenia agrees to become the 999th hostage concubine of the Endless Emperor. But, the palace planet Viverides is rife with backstabbing and intrigue. With 998 other concubines, not to mention tricky intergalactic politics, Zara must navigate the dangers to ensure the safety of her home planet. Will she rise through the ranks or succumb to the treachery?
Healer's Touch
Silver Lining
"Sorry, Greg. I'm not leaving. This is my place now too."
These words from a man he barely knew threatened to shatter whatever remaining sanity Greg had after going to great lengths to move on from the death of his fiancé.
As if his dead ex's betrayal wasn't enough, he must now deal with another blow from the grave: an unexpected visitor who was everything Greg wanted to avoid.
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Cover Illustration by LuckySR
Trouble || MxM || Omegaverse
Can a criminal alpha who hates omegas fall in love with one? And can an omega forgive him for what he's done to his kind in the past?
*****
A notorious alpha criminal group known by their deep hatred toward omegas launches an attack against a seemingly easy target, but things get out of hand, and Trouble, a young member of this group, gets shot. Deadly wounded, Trouble escapes, runs into a single father omega, and forces him to save his life. But the kidnapper quickly becomes the kidnapped, and saving his life will require a lot more effort than treating a simple gunshot wound.
Ream subscribers will get more goodies from early access to additional chapters, plenty of smut scenes, art, and even more! Link in my profile!
SILK AND STEEL
The world ended. The apocalypse came. The gods waged war on each other across the realms of reality and at last wiped themselves out. Angles and devils took the souls they wanted to who knows where. And then it was over. And you and others like you were left behind. Maybe your soul was trapped inside your body and couldn’t leave. Maybe it was bound to a demon. Or maybe you have no soul at all. Either way, you must be some kind of monster. All that is left is to decide – what kind of a monster are you going to be?
This is the premise of the short novel Silk and Steel – a dark dystopia / mythpunk story set in a post-apocalyptic world. It’s heavily based around Romani and Eastern European mythology and crammed full of LGBTQIA+ romance. Forget shiny heroes wielding even shinier weapons to defeat 'evil' foes. Instead, every monster here must simply try to survive and carve a place for themselves in this new confounding reality. At the end of the world, there are no heroes, everyone is some kind of monster and each choice they make will shape what kind of monster they eventually become...
Silk and Steel has:
Larger than life characters that you can invest in - a complex plot full of intrigue and suspense - a dark gaslamp/steampunk setting rich in folklore and mythos - graphic violence - steamy sex scenes - villains you'll really love to hate - heroes with troubled pasts and hearts of gold - supporting cinnamon rolls you'll want to adopt and take home.
CWs:
Violence, consensual and non-consensual sex, physical, emotional and sexual abuse, prostitution, drugs, alcohol, addiction, theft and organised crime, swearing, murder, mental health issues including self harm and suicide, demons, magic, religion, cults.
Each chapter will have its own flags so you know what's coming up but please be advised that this is a grim story told in a harsh world - no chapter will be suitable for under 18s and all chapters may include content which some readers may find disturbing.
Token of Loyalty
*Book One of the Amor Fati Series*
Prince Calanthe Ámarent, once the child of a beloved queen regnant and now a disgraced prince, is forced to play a part in a devious scheme that puts his life in the hands of others.
***
The small kingdom of Eglantine has fallen under the control of the Tarynians: the dreaded conquerors of Gharash. Each kingdom must produce a token of loyalty to give to the Tarynians as a sign of good faith and loyalty. Young Prince Calanthe is chosen by his aunt Queen Hyacinth to be the sacrifice that saves Eglantine from the worst of the Tarynian King's rage. However, nowhere in this plan does Calanthe see himself coming out alive. Hyacinth forces Calanthe to play along to distract the Mad Tarynian King Sindri from the brewing trouble in the East. Calanthe is taken away from his home and back to Taryn where he finds life is not as bleak as he thought. He begins to deconstruct the lies he had been told his entire life and learns to be confident in himself until devastation strikes. Calanthe must make a decision that he has never made before. He must choose between Eglantine or the Tarynians before it is too late, and all hope is lost in Gharash.
[ Content Warning: explicit sexual scenes, intense violence, mentions of abuse and trauma, and vulgar language ]
[ This story covers topics that may be triggering to certain audiences ]
Sonder
"It is through the destruction of our hearts that we come to truly appreciate the inherent beauty that exists within the world."
Magnolia's reputation for being daring and 'promiscuous' is often portrayed as affluent, arrogant, and self-centred, causing those to wonder if there's more to her than meets the eye or if she's just putting on a facade.
Magnolia finds herself drawn in by an irresistible dare, leading to Elias Cardenas, who is typically reserved, finding himself entangled in her world.
Elias Cardenas is a quiet and solitary individual, often seen clutching a sketchbook, who prefers to avoid getting involved in any unnecessary drama.
However, everything changes when he unexpectedly becomes the focal point of a mysterious game that unfolds around him.
BROKEN VOWS (Broken Redemption Book 1)
Choosing her cost me everything I’d ever loved… including her.
It’s why I left the small town where I grew up and vowed never to return.
I’m no longer the “golden boy with a bright future” they all remember. Instead, I carry the scars of a tortured past. A broken man deemed unfit, even by the Navy SEALs he’d dedicated the past decade to serve.
What was supposed to be a quick trip to sell my parent’s property turned into this twisted journey that forced me to confront my demons.
And then there she was. My first love, and deepest regret. The woman who still owns every piece of my blackened heart. When she asked for my time, I couldn’t refuse.
Now I can’t walk away.
Not after hearing of the danger her husband, a missing FBI agent, has brought to her doorstep. After everything, I owe her my help. It’s why I offer to protect her and her two little girls from the danger circling them.
It’s a vow I never should have made, given the trail of bodies I’ve left in my wake.
Like the harbinger of death, I’m the last man either of us should trust.