Aurrora St. James's Blog

Lock your doors, light your candle, and settle down to this smashing collection of darkly-tinged romantic stories with unforgettable heroes, magnificent ladies, and perhaps a spectral pet or two. Romance has never been so daring… or so haunting!

I'm so excited to share the A Wraith at Midnight anthology with you! Not only does it have so many great authors participating, but I really loved writing my story in it - The Earl's Haunted Heart.

Her secret can save his sanity, but revealing it will destroy her future…

An innocent woman fleeing an arranged marriage is stranded in a snowstorm at an imposing manor with a reclusive earl who is brooding, mysterious, and far too attractive. He’s also going mad. She should fear him, but as the snow continues to fall, his loneliness makes her ache for him, and his every touch sets her on fire. To claim his heart, she must break the curse bound to his bloodline. But in doing so, she’ll be forced to reveal her own secret and risk being sent back to the man she’s running from.

For this anthology, the participating authors could choose when the story took place (Medieval, Regency, Victorian, etc.), but there were certain elements that needed to be part of the story. They had to take place at a large manor or castle, and there had to be a ghostly harbinger of DOOM that the couple had to deal with as part of the story. Elements that appealed to my darkly gothic heart! (insert skull emoji here)

When poor, cursed Ambrose took shape, I kind of wanted to knock Eve out of the way and have him all to myself. A grumpy, silver fox hero living in a mansion with Beauty and the Beast vibes? Yes please. (My hubby probably wouldn't have appreciated that however.) Ambrose and Eve just fit together so well, and when King Alfred wandered in to join them, I knew it was going to be a special book.

And even though it has brand new characters and is set in the English countryside, I really wanted to tie the book back to the characters from Taken by Destiny. So Ambrose is cousin to Patience Cradock (Violet Hawthorne's bestie) and good friends with Gabriel Hawthorne. Plus, we can't forget dearest Zeph. You knew he would show up somewhere, right? I think his fans will enjoy the cameo, even if it was brief. (Word count was kind of strict on this one so I couldn't add more!)

I hope you enjoy the story, and if you would consider leaving a very short review of it, I would truly appreciate it!

What's next? I have a spinoff series set in the Regency era which will focus on Carter the mysterious collector and the people he works with. These will have more paranormal elements and be loosely based on fairy tales.

I will also be adding more Lords of Magic books, because that's a series of my heart and I really want to finish it, even though I'm under contract to write other things. (Plus I'm having so much fun writing contemporary...) I think I need a clone. Or at least an assistant or three! Regardless, this is my 16th book, and I'm just getting started. There is so much more to come!

Much love! xx Aurrora

As an author, keeping up with social media can feel overwhelming. Scheduling, posting, and analyzing content across multiple platforms can easily take up hours of my time. Time that could be spent writing. That’s why I was happy to discover SmarterQueue—a social media management tool that has completely transformed how I handle my online presence.

When it comes to social media scheduling tools for small businesses, there are plenty of options out there. I’ve tried Meta and Hootsuite, but none of them gave me the flexibility and ease of use that SmarterQueue offers. I can post on multiple platforms and under both pen names quickly and easily.

Here’s why SmarterQueue is my go-to tool for social media management:

Time-Saving Automations: SmarterQueue recycles your best-performing content automatically.

Multi-Platform Social Media Scheduling: You can easily schedule posts across Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest in one go.

Content Categories: Organizing your content into categories ensures a balanced posting schedule.

My Favorite SmarterQueue Feature

One of my favorite SmarterQueue features is Evergreen Posting. It’s been a game-changer for me because I add 50+ pictures and different content, and SmarterQueue mixes and matches them, adds it to my posting schedule, then continually recycles the posts so that there's always a new combination. I also love using the Queue Categories feature to organize my posts into groups like Promotions, Inspiration, My Books, and Memes. As an author, this ensures that I’m promoting my books and other fun things with my audience without feeling repetitive.

How SmarterQueue Helps Me Save Time and Grow My Audience

Since switching to SmarterQueue, I’ve saved at least 10 hours per week on social media tasks. I used to manually schedule posts and trying to figure out the best times to post. Now, with SmarterQueue’s automated scheduling and content recycling, I’m able to focus on growing my business and readership instead of worrying about my social media strategy.

Why SmarterQueue is the Best Social Media Tool for Authors and Small Business Owners

Whether you’re an author, PA, solopreneur, life coach, or business consultant, SmarterQueue is the perfect tool if you’re:

Tired of manually scheduling posts: With SmarterQueue’s scheduler, you can batch-schedule your content for the entire month.

Looking to grow your audience: SmarterQueue helps you stay consistent with posting, which is crucial for building trust and engagement.

Wanting to save time: SmarterQueue automates your social media management, so you can focus on other areas of your business or working with clients.

And the best part? As a reader of my blog, you can get an exclusive 30-day free trial of SmarterQueue, instead of the usual 14-day trial—and there’s no credit card required!

This gives you an entire month to experience how SmarterQueue can transform your social media management, save you time, and grow your business.

Get Your Free Trial Here: https://smarterqueue.com?afmc=2e3

I honestly use SmarterQueue every day and I truly believe it will help authors, PAs, and other small business owners to reduce the amount of time they spend managing their social media. I wouldn't post this PSA if I didn't. So if you're looking for a way to reduce your time and bump up your social media game, give SmarterQueue a try. It won't cost you a thing!

Dear Reader, I have a confession to make. I've been leading a secret second life.

It started in December of last year when I was offered an opportunity to participate in a charity anthology to fight soldier suicide. The military is close to my heart since many of my family members have served and I very much wanted to participate. The only problem? With my Historical and Romantasy book catalogue, I couldn't join under my current pen name.

At first, I declined participating in the anthology, but a number of doors opened during the next six weeks that told me I needed to reconsider. One of those deciding factors was a Romance market report that showed how strong the Contemporary Romance market is compared to historical romance. It's easily selling 4x as much.

Writing romance has never been about the money for me. It's about telling stories that I love and want to share. However, this IS a business. In the 11 years I've been publishing, I've never come close to breaking even on what I spend per year versus what I make, let alone a profit. I've been paying to share my stories, while authors all around me are not only breaking even but earning a decent living. After a long talk with my hubby, it's come down to either pushing the boundaries in my work so that I make at least some profit, or quitting entirely.

Spoiler alert: I'm incapable of quitting entirely. I tried once a few years back and my soul hurt too much.

So, back in January, Ash Henry was born and I signed up to participate in the charity anthology. I kept this secret from my family and other readers for months, and even now, only a handful of readers know about this other pen name. It's been a great decision for me! I've really enjoyed writing short contemporary romance. The books can be read in less than 2 hours but still give you all the feels of a full length romance. The writing style is also different as it's told in alternating first person. (Each chapter switches between the hero and heroine's point of view.)

What does this mean for the future? A lot more books for both Aurrora St. James and Ash Henry. I've signed a 6-book contract with Dragonblade to write more Regency stories in 2025. These will be fairytale retellings with a little bit of magic. I've also still got Lucius's book on the calendar, and now with Ash Henry, I have 9 more short contemporary romances that will come out between now and next April or May.

I hope you will come on this journey with me, and even more, I hope you understand. No one wants to work for free unless you're a volunteer, which is essentially what I've been doing for the last 11 years. Financially, that must change for me or I have to quit writing all together. So the time has come to spread my wings even further and see if I can actually fly like many of my other fellow authors.

I would love to have you read an Ash Henry book and tell me what you think. How about a free book to start? Download your copy of Lost for You today and give it a shot. I hope you'll love it.

(Click the picture to download your copy)

The big, military hero just became my knight in shining armor…

When the hottest man I’ve ever seen says he’s just passing through our small town, I’m not surprised. No one stops here on purpose, and it’s not like this heart-stopping military hero is going to fall for his curvy waitress at first sight.

But when some cowboys start hassling me, the big warrior steps in. Then he lays a sizzling kiss on me that I feel all the way to my toes.

Suddenly I want a lot more than a good tip. I want him to see me. I want him to stay. But can I really expect a man I just met to give up everything to stay here with me?

If you've read this far, thank you so much for reading my books and for your understanding. I promise to bring you as many heartwarming, entertaining romances as I can for as long as I can. After all, you're the main reason that I write.

Hugs and love,

Aurrora

I'm very excited for the release of A Dark Christmas Knight, which is technically a re-release of the novella His Christmas Angel from the Yuletide Kisses anthology. The book has had a few minor additions, and is definitely worth a re-read, but I might be biased. Dougal is one of my very favorite heroes! (Plus it won 2nd place in the Carolyn Reader's Choice Awards)

To celebrate the release of this story, I'm offering a few pre-order bonuses:

Here's a preview of the overlay, in case you've never seen one before:

If you've pre-ordered the book, you can still claim your overlay and recipe bonus by filling out this short form with a copy of your receipt: Pre-Order Bonuses Form

I will email the recipe and the artwork to you. For the overlay, I recommend printing it on vellum. Here's what I use, but please make certain that you buy a printable vellum that works with your printer: Strathmore Inkjet Printable Vellum

Printing Tip: You can print this artwork on any material. If you use vellum, be sure to let the printed piece dry for at least a minute before handling. Once dry, it's set, but I learned from experience that handling the art too soon after printing leads to smeared ink!

Oh, and want to see pictures of the real Yester Castle in Scotland? Take a look here.

Thanks for reading!

I am so in love with the cover for A Dark Christmas Knight! Take a look...

This story was previously published in the Yuletide Kisses anthology under the title His Christmas Angel. It's a Scottish Medieval romance with paranormal elements.

This is one of my favorite books to date. I love Dougal's story of accepting love - and Christmas - into his life!

In a time of deep superstition, the son of a famous wizard is shunned and feared. He never intended to force a woman into exile with him through marriage, but when a feisty woman rescues him from an assassin, he ends up in a marriage of convenience that shakes the foundations of his life, and shows him the magic of Christmas.

The much-anticipated final book in the Taken by Destiny trilogy is out on Halloween! If you read the first two books in the series, then you've been teased with the grumpy, former Navy SEAL Archer Bennett. It's time to send him some sunshine.

Archer Bennett was seriously injured in an attack that claimed the lives of his entire team. Since then, he retreated from the rest of the world, including the last two people who love his grumpy ass unconditionally - his sisters Lily and Bellamy.

But when first Lily, then Bellamy go missing, he's forced to leave the cave and find them. His search leads them to a crappy apartment in a tiny town managed by thug. To say that Archer is unimpressed is an understatement. It's clear the man has helped himself to some of Lily and Bellamy's belongings, including a beautiful enameled egg. Closer inspection of the egg reveals a little clock within... a clock that sends him back to 1814, where he comes to the rescue of the beguiling Violet Hawthorne. Violet is beautiful, mischievous, and at 18, she's far too young for him. He's seen and done too much for her bright-eyed innocence and sunny disposition. He shouldn't have anything to do with her. But as the sister of his host, he can't avoid her.

Violet is intrigued by the ruggedly handsome Archer Bennett. He doesn't have a title, money, or even his own home so he should be entirely unsuitable, but there's something about him that she can't deny is incredibly attractive... right up until the moment she begins to receive anonymous notes with gifts. Archer is certain that there is something nefarious about someone sending her flowers. As if he couldn't imagine that anyone would find her attractive enough to do so! Suddenly, Archer wants to be glued to her side for her protection, and Violet wants no part of that... except when she glimpses vulnerability and pain in his dark eyes.

They will drive each other mad, but in the process, they might just find a love that neither expected. But when Archer finally has the means to go back to his time, will he take it? And even worse, will Lily and Bellamy go with him now that they can?

This book came in a full 100 pages longer than the first two books! I'm so thrilled with the outcome and how it wraps up the entire trilogy. I hope you love this grumpy, stubborn, protective man as much as I do. Violet is going to test his limits in every way, and I can't wait for you to read their story.

Oh, and if you're at all intrigued by Zeph, don't worry... he's in this book too. Will we learn any more about him? Or will he be as mysterious as ever?

Pre-order this book for just $0.99. A few days after release, the book will go up to at least $2.99. Order it now, and also, read Chapter One here:

Saturday is my birthday, and to celebrate, I'm giving away signed paperbacks to 3 lucky winners!

Hop over to my Contests page to enter to win a signed paperback of your choice from my back list.

Winners will be chosen Sunday, October 15th. Open to all.

Thanks for helping me celebrate! It's going to be a very busy month, so watch for 2 new releases and an announcement on a re-release of an anthology story.

Hugs!

Get ready for a sexy night of romance in the shadows of a masquerade ball!

Mrs. Dove-Lyons is hosting an invitation only Mystere Masque and everyone is hoping for an invite! For those that attend, who might they find behind the masks on a night when anything goes?

This anthology is a collection of 11 Regency era short stories. My story is:

The Lyon's Last Chance-

Owen Granville has secretly been in love with his best friend's sister, Grace, for years. A disastrous bet from his youth ended with his promise to never speak to her again, so when Owen finds himself in need of a wife, he knows he'll have to choose another woman. Fate has other plans however, steering him back into Grace's path at a masquerade ball. Now Owen has the chance to win her back, but if he does, he will lose his best friend forever. Choosing between love and loyalty has never been so difficult, and either outcome will have devastating consequences that will scar his heart forever.

This story is connected to the Taken by Destiny time travel trilogy and chronologically comes after the trilogy in April 1815. Owen can be found in The Earl's Timely Wallflower and Tempting the Reclusive Earl!

Tropes: Best friend's little sister, Second Chances

Buy now for just 99 cents!

It's been a whirlwind year and I'm so excited to announce not one but TWO books available for pre-order. Let's dig in.

Night of Lyons Anthology-

(Available August 26th)

It's the hottest ticket in town! One night a year, the infamous gaming hell The Lyon's Den hosts a masquerade ball in honor of Mrs. Dove-Lyons's birthday. This invitation only event is the talk of the Ton, and only a select few receive the prized golden ticket for entry. Everyone wants one... but who will receive it this year?

The Lyon's Last Chance:

Owen Granville has secretly been in love with his best friend's sister, Grace, for years. A disastrous bet from his youth ended with his promise to never speak to her again, so when Owen finds himself in need of a wife, he knows he'll have to choose another woman. An invitation to a masquerade ball hosted by a renowned matchmaker seems to offer the perfect opportunity to find a suitable wife. But fate has other plans because Grace is also at the ball in search of a husband. Suddenly Owen has a chance to win her back, but if he succeeds, it comes at a great cost­—the betrayal of his best friend. Choosing between love and loyalty has never been so difficult, and either outcome will have devastating consequences.

This book is a related story to the Taken by Destiny trilogy, featuring Owen Granville, a familiar face to those who've read the Taken by Destiny stories.

Dragonblade's Historical Recipe Cookbook

(Available October 23rd)

Ready to eat your way through history? This collection of history inspired recipes is a collection provided by Dragonblade's historical romance authors.

I contributed the Braided Medieval Yule Bread recipe which is a dinner bread traditionally made for Yuletide (Christmas) because ingredients like cinnamon were so expensive at the time. What makes this recipe extra special is that a trinket wrapped in parchment paper is baked into the bread. Whoever finds it is sure to have good luck for the year ahead!

(Note: This will be available in a physical book form, though right now I'm not sure if it will be paperback, hardback, or other)

I'm SO excited to share the second book in the Taken by Destiny trilogy - Tempting the Reclusive Earl. If you read the first book, The Earl's Timely Wallflower, then you met the hero of book 2 - Christian, the Earl of Huntington.

Christian is not your average earl. He's brilliant, he's an inventor, and he's shy. His genius sets him apart from most people and throughout his life, he's had difficulty relating to others. Even his own parents. The London Season is his worst nightmare because he's expected to talk to people - especially women. He'd rather avoid the Season altogether, but his best friend Gabriel won't allow that and drags him to Town anyway.

When Christian learns that his steward has stolen a great deal of money from him, it puts the employment of his people in jeopardy. He may not be a good earl, but he can damn well keep people employed. It's the least he can do.

But his troubles don't end there. He discovers a beautiful woman looking lost on Gabriel's doorstep, who turns out to be the younger sister of Gabriel's new wife. A sister who belongs 200 years in the future, not in 1814 London. Naturally, Bellamy wants to return home to her time and Christian is more than happy to help because the woman unsettles him. He wants her like he's never wanted another, she frustrates him, she insists on coming with him to help find his steward, and she seeks him out when he wants to be alone.

Fate has other plans however, because the time travel clock is stolen by his steward. Christian must find the man, not only to get back the money he stole, but also to get the time travel clock. As Christian reluctantly allows Bellamy to help him, he discovers that she can easily gain information from people with her natural charm. He's also smitten with her. But a woman as beautiful and vibrant as Bellamy could have any man she desired. She could never want a reclusive earl...

I loved writing these two characters! Bellamy isn't afraid to go after what she wants, and even though she's beautiful, she's not perfect. Sometimes her beauty is all people can see and they don't see the woman she is. Her relationship with her sister Lily needs a lot of work too, and this trip to the past gives her the chance to step away from the modeling world and focus on what is important - family and love. I loved writing a woman who made the first move, especially in the Regency era, and who could see Christian and bring him out of his shell.

Read the first chapter here.

Buy the book here