In my plan to release 25 new Intellectual Property (IP) products in 2025, May was a big win, though keep in mind that I was continuing my business book serialization that’s already been accounted for. Plus, I spent a lot of the month working on editing and revising some manuscripts I wrote a few years ago and put on a shelf because, ya know, life. I won’t claim those until they’re actually formatted and available, so that work doesn’t count for May! However, I’m loving this new Payback Archives series and foresee a long ongoing series.
# 8 – THE GUIDE TO PETTY REVENGE, 3 May 2025, ebook format, a paranormal suspense story from The Payback Archives subseries in the Secret Lives of Librarians universe. New IP, entirely new book.
DESCRIPTION:
Stolen books. Broken hearts. Just the right amount of sabotage.
Lilah Burns isn’t the kind of secret society librarian who lets things go. Not betrayal. Not lost books. Not the man who left her behind—and definitely not the smug new wife who thinks she’s won.
When Lilah and her partner Raven are sent on a quiet break-in mission to retrieve magical texts from her ex-boyfriend’s house, things take a turn. The plan is simple: plant surveillance gear, find the stolen volumes, and get out clean.
But between clashing emotions, lingering ghosts, and a deeply satisfying round of petty sabotage, Lilah’s about to learn that closure comes with a cost—and so does letting go.
This first story in The Payback Archives stands alone, but it’s the beginning of a deeper conflict, one that unearths old wounds, hidden alliances, and a slow-burn bond that might be more dangerous than either of them expected. Future stories build on the one before, bringing higher stakes, darker secrets, and enemies who remember everything—especially Rune, whose grudge against Lilah and Raven is only just beginning.
Tropes & themes:
– Friends-to-something-more slow burn
– Break-in with emotional baggage
– Petty revenge as therapy
– Ex with unresolved feelings
– Quiet magic woven through modern life
– Librarians with secrets—and a grudge
No graphic content. No insta-love. Just real connection, magical tension, and a crow feather that once meant love—and now means war.
# 9 – THE BLUEPRINT FOR QUIET SABOTAGE, 10 May 2025, ebook format, a paranormal suspense story from The Payback Archives subseries in the Secret Lives of Librarians universe. New IP, entirely new book.
DESCRIPTION:
Magical texts. Stolen identities. A feather meant to break her.
Lilah Burns is an expert at recovering dangerous books, but not at guarding her heart.
When Drusilla St. Augustine sends Lilah and Raven to Savannah on what feels suspiciously like a setup, they’re promised a simple assignment and a charming bed and breakfast. But in a city where history and secrets linger like Spanish moss, nothing stays simple for long.
Someone knows they’re coming. Someone who’s been watching. Planning. Waiting to strike where Lilah is most vulnerable—not with magic or brute force, but with surgical precision aimed at her emotional core.
As shadows deepen across the historic district, Lilah must determine which is more dangerous: the external threats circling their mission, or the quiet sabotage happening within her carefully constructed defenses. Because this adversary isn’t just after books and artifacts—they’re after something far more personal.
The second story in The Payback Archives deepens the conflict between Lilah, Raven, and the enemies closing in. Each book builds on the one before, raising the stakes and revealing darker secrets about the network of thieves targeting their secret society.
Tropes & themes:
– Forced proximity with unresolved tension
– Identity intrigue with personal stakes
– Slow-burn trust issues
– Enemies with insider knowledge
– Magical libraries and occult artifacts
– Emotional sabotage as warfare
No graphic content. No rushed romance. Just psychological tension, magical intrigue, and the delicate blueprint of trust being rebuilt—one fragile piece at a time.
A Southern witch returns home. Secrets won’t stay buried. A chance to confront and heal—or face the consequences.
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