Tag Archives: Books

Cover reveal- A Time of Gladiators and Fate

A Time of Gladiators and Fate- Let’s Discuss!

In an update post back in April, I mentioned that I’d started a new project. It required a massive amount of research and sort of took over my life. The story that had been playing vaguely in the back of my head for more than ten years finally took shape, vividly.

I’d already begun writing it when I mentioned it before, but now I’m far enough along to have a cover designed (same person who handles the Realm of Zadrya series). I can also announce the release date, which will be October 12th. You’ll get to see the cover much sooner on July 9th, though. I’ve got a sign-up link for anyone interested in participating in the reveal that you can find here: https://forms.gle/4iJQR43XMghh58Eg8

While I’ll go into some other details below, this is the current summary of the novel to give you an idea of what it is about (unless you’ve been paying close attention to my social media posts and already know):

Be careful what you wish for, or you might end up in 97 CE.

I grew up on a farm in Kansas, so nothing could have prepared me for landing in the Roman Colosseum when it was still intact. I was surprised, the audience shocked, and my rental car unamused as we hit the sand. After a heart-pounding chase around the arena involving spear-throwing legionnaires, armed gladiators, and a couple of wild animals, they cornered me. I punched and kicked my way through as many of them as I could before being forced to surrender in my floral sundress meant for vacation, not blood sport. The emperor offered me two choices.

One: my immediate execution
Two: become a female gladiator.

I chose to live. While I’m not afraid of hard work, the ludus where I’ll train is brutal. It’s an environment most modern women would find unlivable, aside from all the bare-chested men, but that isn’t as spectacular as one might think in a place where violence is the goal. I’m about to discover all the unpleasantness of this period that most movies skim past. On top of that, an enigmatic man who knows I’m from the future has offered to sponsor me. What he wants in return could be dangerous. I’m in way over my head with no ruby slippers to send me home.

If you’ve ever wished for a story with Spartacus-meets-Outlander vibes, including the grit but with a little more humor, this might be the book for you.

Book releases October 12th, 2026. Pre-order the ebook on Amazon HERE.

TROPES

Time travel
Roman Empire
Gladiator romance
Banter
Slow-burn romance
Reluctant allies to lovers
Found family
Fish out of water
Mysterious MMC

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Brief explanation on why this setting and year.

So why did I choose 97 CE, given that the Roman Empire spanned many centuries?

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Updates on my books, writing, and the Realm of Zadrya series

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I have a few things readers will want to know, including how many novels will be in the Realm of Zadrya, future writing projects, Kindle Unlimited updates, hardcover news, and Dolly (chicken of chaos) short stories. If any of that interests you, keep reading!

FUTURE WRITING AND PUBLISHING PROJECTS

First, I had originally planned for five novels in this series and maintained that in the series FAQ section up until recently. As I was plotting the third novel down to the ending, I realized it could be finished in four. It would be dragging out certain plot elements if I’d stayed with five, and that felt unnecessary upon reflection. The good news is that since I plan to have book 3 released before the end of 2026, the final novel will be out sometime next year. It won’t be too long before it’s complete.

There is also a potential spin-off with one of the male characters, Vas, that has been brewing in my head. If I wrote his story, it would likely be a duology based on what I have planned so far. That would wrap up the end of that and the Dragon’s Breath world, though. I have another side project that I’ll be starting soon and only allowing myself to work on one day a week (for now) that will involve time travel (to the past) and be a totally new series. Very excited for the setting of this one and the challenges it will present, but that’s all I’ll say for now.

DOLLY (CHICKEN OF CHAOS) EPISODES

For those of you who enjoyed the crazy chicken in Wrath & Desire, you may have seen there was a free download link at the end of the novel. For ARC readers, you had to request it, but I have since posted the link on social media for everyone. If anyone missed the first two episodes, you can find the links below. I also just released episode 3 a few days ago, so you have something new to read for Dolly. You can expect one about once a month until I’m getting close to releasing the next novel in the Realm of Zadrya.

All of them will average about 2000 words (give or take a little) and will only take about 10-15 minutes to read, but they are meant to give you a laugh while learning just a bit more about Dolly with each one. These episodes will all take place within the Wrath & Desire timeline. They will always be free and will not require you to provide your email or signup for anything. You can literally click the link and choose how you want to download/read it. That’s it! These are simply for fun and my way of thanking readers for sticking with me!

Link to episodes 1 & 2 (combined into one ebook file)- https://dl.bookfunnel.com/tmtl5g68yj

Link to episode 3- https://dl.bookfunnel.com/2dszgwvkqn

There is also a fun audio version of episode 1, narrated by one of my UK readers, here: Adventures of Dolly episode 1

If you have any questions about this mini-series, feel free to ask them in the comments below.

HARDCOVER NEWS

In case anyone missed it, Wrath & Desire is available in hardcover format. You can purchase it from your preferred retailer for $26.99 or you can purchase it directly from the printer (Ingram) for $18.99 at this link:

https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=Yui9Q3K0zlu28pKi9FpFfNoskYVuSXVZ7NjpbEYl68k

I’m also looking into setting up an Etsy shop for signed copies of my books, but they’d only be available in the United States for now due to high shipping costs abroad, which are likely to keep rising. I know, it’s awful, but I can only control my fictional worlds, not the real one.

KINDLE UNLIMITED NEWS

The Sensor Series will no longer be in Kindle Unlimited starting around mid-May. I am going to bring it back to the other retailers so more readers have access to it, along with the Dark Destiny Trilogy, which is already wide. For anyone who would like to read the Sensor Series in KU, make sure you borrow the books before that time. I will remind everyone late next month, before it’s too late.

That’s everything for now, but as I have more news, I’ll let you know!

Wrath & Desire book release day!

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A sentient murder garden, gods meddling in unexpected ways, weird creatures running wild. Oh, and the two main characters trying to navigate their new marriage while a war rages and a blight kills the land. Wrath & Desire is here and ready to keep you on the edge of your seat in more ways than one. You don’t want to miss out on this installment.

For those who haven’t read the first book, Oaths & Vengeance, you can find it on Amazon (including Kindle Unlimited). If you have read it, but it’s been a while and you need a refresher, I recorded a YouTube video that covers the key points to keep in mind as you head into the second installment. It will refresh your memory of many of the characters, plot points, plants, animals, and the sequence of events that led to the conclusion of the first novel.

Now, for the full details on the book below, including links to where you can grab it. For anyone who doesn’t use Amazon, please get it quickly because I’ll be pulling it tomorrow night to put into Kindle Unlimited. I’m also working to get the hardcover available in the next week or so, and the paperback sometime in March.

BOOK SUMMARY

Darrow is raw power exemplified.
He is full of secrets and pain.
The dark elf isn’t satisfied with only marrying me.
Oh, no. He wants it all—my body, heart, and soul.
I must resist despite being his fated mate.
Because if I don’t, he could break me, and I’m already at my limit.

Aella is everything I’m not.
She is full of compassion and resilience.
The half-druid’s grace and odd fondness for plants bring me to my knees.
Though I cannot love her, I need to own her in every way.
She can resist all she wants, but I’ll do whatever it takes.
No price is too high, even if it breaks me.

But now, war and death plague us.
My mother’s people have invaded our realm with ruthless precision.
Our monarchy is at stake.
And a blight is rapidly spreading to kill the land.
Powerful forces are at work to divide our people.
I may wish I could focus entirely on my new wife.
But we must find a way to save our world.
Even if it means traveling to a distant one with its own dangers.
That is…if we can find a way there before the enemy stops us.
Somehow, they’re ahead of us at every turn.

Note– This novel contains adult content, including graphic violence, foul language, rough spicy scenes, torture, and divine astral projection/consensual body sharing between multiple characters (of a sexual nature).

Other content warnings– weird homicidal chickens, terrifying hordes of venomous frogs, sentient plants with murderous attitudes…actually, many flora and fauna are not what they seem in this world, so assume nothing and mentally prepare yourself for anything. It’s fantasy. Immerse yourself in the madness or go find another genre.

You can add Wrath & Desire to your Goodreads TBR here- Wrath & Desire by Susan Illene | Goodreads

Wrath & Desire purchase links

Note- The ebook will only be available widely until the evening of February 24th, 2026, when I pull it to enroll into Kindle Unlimited. I’m working to get the hardcover available before the end of the month and the paperback in March. Stay tuned on my website or social media for more on that.

BOOK SERIES RESOURCES

While there are two professional maps inside the eBook and hardcovers, you can use the ones HERE on the website for reference if you want to avoid flipping back and forth while reading. These are hand-drawn images with some digital details added later that are relevant to key lands and cities that the two in the book don’t show as deeply due to size limitations. You can locate them in the Realm of Zadrya book tab.

Special thanks to my amazing street team for working tirelessly these last days to promote Wrath & Desire. They’ve designed banners and other promo materials, shouted about it on social media, acted as a sounding board, and been a huge source of motivation in many ways. I appreciate them so much! Also, I want to give a special thanks to Hawthorne & Aster for managing my book release blast for this week.

O&V Recap, hardcover sale, ARCs, and other news

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I just have a few quick things for you all as the release day nears for Wrath & Desire. The first is for those who need a refresher on the first book in the Realm of Zadrya. I’ve made a YouTube video that covers the key points to keep in mind as you head into book two. It will refresh you on many of the characters, plot points, plants, animals, and the sequence of events that led to the end of Oaths & Vengeance.

Since book 2 picks up right where book 1 left off, its a good way to get your mind back into this world. You’ll also get to hear how names are pronounced if you had any trouble with that. I’ve had a few readers tell me it’s super helpful. You can watch it below.

Next, I want to let you all know that I have set up a discount for the hardcover edition of Oaths & Vengeance through Ingram Spark (the printer), so you can purchase it for $17.99 in the United States or £15.99 in the United Kingdom. They are normally $24.99 in the U.S. and $21.99 in the U.K. If you’ve been holding off on getting it due to the price, this is a better deal. I only apologize I don’t have a way to do this for more countries, but these are the only two they offer. Since ordering this way is directly through the printer, I will still make the same amount, so don’t worry about that. I’ve had people ask. The difference is in how much you pay and keeping the retailer from getting a cut.

Here is the link (works for both countries):

https://shop.ingramspark.com/b/084?params=jCxanHfWBkS43oAcZl2ac8lZb4p8GMabV9odvAvXFe8

WRATH & DESIRE ARCs

Everyone who is signed up on my ARC team and qualified for it should have received the Wrath & Desire ARC (Advance Review Copy) in the last two days (BookSirens took a while to approve it). If you believe you should have received it and didn’t (meaning that you got an ARC for Oaths & Vengeance and posted a review), please contact me at: [email protected]

Some of you received your copy directly through the ARC sites. If you use Booksirens or Netgalley, you can request Wrath & Desire there again. I know who posted a review through them before, so I can approve you quickly. If you used Booksprout or HiddenGemsBooks, you’ll need to sign up for my list HERE or use the other two sites to request it. As long as your user name isn’t completely different, I should still know it’s you and can approve you with no problem.

Having said that, the advantage of being on my permanent list through Mailchimp is that you’ll receive the ARC newsletter, which updates reviewers on the progress of my next book as needed, provides graphics they can use on social media, includes a link to the DISCORD group my street team has set up to discuss this latest installment, and offers other special incentives. I’ll have to verify your review of O&V through the link(s) you provide, but after that, I can send you the ARC.

REALM OF ZADRYA RESOURCES AND EXTRAS

In the Realm of Zadrya series tab on this site, I will add a subpage before the book release that includes extra maps of various lands and cities not included in the book. Those give better details of the locations. Also, you will find a link at the back of Wrath & Desire to download two bonus stories, featuring a wild and unusual chicken in the book. Many who read the chicken distraction excerpt requested more from the hen’s point of view. She is now named “Dolly” after a close vote in my Instagram group, but her name doesn’t appear in the book since she can’t talk to tell anyone.

Also, at the end of Wrath & Desire, you’ll find dictionaries explaining the fae and non-fae races in Zadrya, as well as definitions of the plants, animals, insects, etc. in the book. Because that sort of thing can be a little dry, I added some humor and sarcasm here and there to make it more entertaining. There are often bonus details in those as well that you didn’t see in the book. I also included two family trees I felt were the most relevant to the series so far.

That’s everything for now, but feel free to ask questions if you have any! I’m truly looking forward to you all reading this novel, as I really enjoyed writing it!