2025: a Bound by Thrones year

January 2, 2025December 30, 2024 ~ melbraxton

Winter moods are for reflecting. For me, this liminal season illuminates more than December holidays and the change in year. It’s an entire period of introspection, and while it took me time to put my thoughts together, I hope you’re ready for my 2025 update.

Let me start with a confession: 2024 was the first year I haven’t released a book since I began publishing, and honestly, I have no regrets.

2024 was more than my lack of publications. It was the year I dove into my why for writing, developed my voice, and cultivated a path toward my goals. Externally, 2024 might look like a pause at best (and a failure at worst) but I’m eager to show how I’ve grown behind the scenes.

Bound by Thrones (my fae trilogy) is in great shape. I’m kicking off 2025 by editing Book 2 (Secrets and Starlight, available June 21) into a publishable manuscript. I’ve also drafted Book 3, and it’s next-up for editing. In 2025, you’ll see the completion of this series.

Beyond 2025? There are more plans brewing, and I’ll share a few details with my newsletter crew on Tuesday, Jan 14. So if you would like to know more, be sure to sign up.

Just in case you needed further reason to join my monthly newsletter, this MerMay I’ll send out a free copy of The Wild Mermaid to all my subscribers. The Wild Mermaid is a thrilling story of self-discovery that I can’t wait to give a new home. I’ll share this and more over (like long-term plans for Illiam) over this next year.

All of that to say, please be gentle with yourself in this season of reflections and goal setting. What the world might see as a failed year might be the time you needed to ensure a magical future.

With all my best,

Mel Braxton

2024: A Focus on Completion

December 29, 2023 ~ melbraxton ~ Leave a comment

2023 has blown me away. And you, dear readers, have my gratitude. Your reception to Monster’s Duet has given a new skip to my step. Thank you, thank you, thank you. In return, I’m writing this up to introduce my 2024 goals.

The 2024 focus: finish my fae trilogy. This series stars Ayla, a half-fae bastard princess, who is forced into an adventure by the Shadow Prince, Zayne. Along the way, she discovers her wolf companion, found family, and hidden magic.

This trilogy might be epic, but by keeping the books tightly edited and under 300 pages, it’s never dull and the pages keep turning.

I’m writing Book 2 and Book 3 in parallel so that I can keep their release dates close. I’ll keep the updates churning as I make progress on these manuscripts.

I’ve also planned a few surprises for you as the year unfolds (including a newsletter exclusive novella!) so stay tuned, and thanks so much for your continued support!

Want to learn a gargoyle’s secret name?

September 1, 2023August 31, 2023 ~ melbraxton ~ Leave a comment

It’s time. A Gargoyle’s Delight is available, and we’re thrilled to bring you this book just in time for the spooky season.

I hope you find this romantic adventure to be frightful and endearing. In A Gargoyle’s Delight, readers will adventure with Summer as she faces a demon while wielding a gargoyle’s secret name.

Next month the celebration will continue with the launch of The Scarecrow’s Queen in which Delilah inherits a farm and its haunted scarecrow. And in other exciting news, the audiobook of A Gargoyle’s Delight is available October 10.

Enjoy and happy reading! xoxox, Mel

“I am a monstrous creature, a mate no human should want. I am not handsome or soft—I’m hard and unyielding. I was not made for attraction, desire. I am supposed to be fearsome, avoided. My image is used to guard the sanctuaries of humankind, to frighten off the very demons that would corrupt their minds and devour their souls. A being like me was never meant to be invited inside. Never meant to be loved.”

Start the book

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Spooky season nears with the launch of Monster’s Duet

August 16, 2023 ~ melbraxton ~ Leave a comment

Hopefully, I’m not the only one starting to crave sweater weather… The cool temps, cozy drinks, and of course, curling up with a good book.

For those of you who can’t wait for Sept 1 and the release of A Gargoyle’s Delight, here is a three chapter preview! May this be your friendly reminder that there are cooler days lie ahead.

A Gargoyle’s Delight, Chapters 1-3

This link directs to Bookfunnel where you can view the preview in browser, their app, or send the file to your ereader. Preview is available on until August 31.

Gargoyle Romance meets Night at the Museum when Summer discovers she’s been working with a gargoyle who only wakes at night.

The Dragon Prince has Arrived

March 2, 2023 ~ melbraxton ~ Leave a comment

Cursed with the Dragon Prince is here! It’s all edited and shiny, and for a few days, I’ve made it available for free.

Free!? On a new book? Silly, I know. I do have my reasons…

This past year, I’ve made difficult medical decisions based on a condition I never wanted. This book is about that, in a messy storytelling way. It’s about the journey to freedom within entrapping circumstances.

I try to write books for you, my readers, but here’s my confession… I wrote Cursed with the Dragon Prince for me.

And to do that, I threw lots of storytelling convention out the window. The heroine is barren and her infertility is a huge part of this book. So I threw marketing conventions out the window too. I priced the book at 99c and set up a freebie campaign as fast as I could.*

I love this story and writing it helped me. I can’t predict what you’ll think of it, though I can hope it helps you find freedom too.

-Mel

*Huge thank you to everyone who preordered and purchased before I could schedule this freebie! Your support means so much!

Claim Your Freebie, Available through March 4

a dragons eye image licensed from depositphotos

fantastical volcano world in which dragon fae live, image licensed from depositphotos

an excerpt

She’s terrified.

And she has every right to be afraid—she’s human. Because of her species, she should be terrified of this entire island, my clan, and above all, me. My clan has not been kind to humans, and my bloodline has been the worst.

We are the dragon fae, created for life on these volatile lands by the isle herself, Wisp. A deity who has cursed our clan.

A curse only a human can lift.