Radiant Shadow: 1

Once, she was a goddess of slaughter. Now, she's their only hope. Valerie was the realm's most formidable sorceress. She ruled through stygian fire and absolute, trembling obedience, believing wealth and lethal power were the pinnacle of existence. But death is the ultimate equalizer. After a pathetic end on a gilded deathbed, her spirit was dragged through the void and reborn into a primitive, modern world. Saved by the very mortals she once despised, Valerie made a sacred vow. For nineteen years, she has bricked up a volatile reservoir of black magic inside her fragile ribcage, trading her crown for the quiet life of a group home caretaker. She chose human gratitude over ancient malice. She chose the children-especially young Wren and little Lin Zhao-over the dark arcana. But the modern world has its own monsters. To save the children, Valerie must do the one thing she fears most: shatter her vow and resurrect the monster. Can she unleash the shadow to save the children without becoming the same withered tyrant who died alone in the dark? Radiant Shadow is a gritty, mature-rated urban horror that explores the cost of protection, the weight of ancient debt, and the terrifying radiance of a mother-deity's wrath.

Pages: 103, Paperback, Independently published