If the subject line didn't give you a fair warning, my husband and I went hiking last Sunday for the first time since . . . Christmas. 🎄 Yeah, pretty sure I'd better not avoid the woods for THAT long again.

Discovered a spectacular waterfall—Dill Falls, for those who are curious—and nearly tripped over wilted trilliums at the trailhead. I never knew trilliums existed until last year—when I took the picture below on the right—but now I've found a new spot to look for them next spring. 🙌

Have you gotten out in nature lately? If so, send me some pictures of your awesome waterfalls or flowers! I love to admire nature's artistry. 💖

Numinous Fortune is rearing to go!

I literally just finished uploading the final version to all of the sales platforms last night! Can you believe the last book in Swanie's saga will be OUT everywhere on Friday next week? It's certainly been a long time coming.

Got a solid batch of ARC readers working their way through the book now, and one has already posted her review! HUGE thanks to Lynne since I tend to fear that none of my books make sense unless you've read the rest of the series. 😅

I'm excited to learn what other readers think of Numinous Fortune once it's out. Today's snippet offers an inside look at what Swanie & Augustin got up to in the days before fate—in this case a red-fired Prince—came knocking on their door.

Fate is a fickle creature: Snippet

Sensuality and long discussions filled most of our hours throughout the next few days. After confirming that Joel was safe, I tended to agree with Augustin’s earlier recommendation: to relish each other’s company in the limited time we had. We danced together through the forest and amid the Rhine’s waters, gathering nature’s glory around the two lovers fate held apart. We tended his animals and his gardens, and I helped him prepare several meals, long forgotten medieval traditions coming back to me in the process. I even practiced my handwriting with his fountain pens while he sketched more portraits, my muse entranced by how creatively he directed the ink.

Augustin made love to me so sweetly as my body continued to recover from the pestilence, his claws and teeth leaving no mark on my skin. He told me one morning without a trace of deception in his eyes that he could grow used to such placid lovemaking with me as his partner. It truly amazed me that he could control himself so strictly after six years of abstinence. I certainly could not do the same, for my blunt fingernails dug into his muscles as I drank death and fire from his lips.

“I think you’re as bewitched as I am,” I scolded him afterward, as I attired myself in an amethyst-tinted summer dress. “What will the Prince say when I tell him how kind you’ve been these past weeks? I doubt he’ll believe me.” I chuckled, wiping a damp cloth across my face while Augustin brushed my hair and pinned my tresses back in one of his clips.

He managed a smile that appeared strained for some reason. As I finished primp­ing myself at his washing table, Augustin threw on a black tunic and pants, securing his garments with a thick leather belt. Then he took up the brush himself and combed his satin locks with deft strokes, tying all of it into a knot between his ears. “Your Keyholder shall arrive tonight,” he commented, checking his hairstyle in the mirror.

I froze where I stood before the window with my eyes following his chickens. “You mean . . . it’s already . . . how do you . . . .” I could not finish my thought.

“Twelve nights until the new moon.” His eyes drifted from his mirror to the window and the blue sky above the trees. “I can sense his red fire in the distance, drawing ever closer. I would recognize him anywhere, after trailing his army for nearly seventeen years.”

I slumped against the sill, forcing my lungs to draw breath. I had a strong desire to beg Augustin to run away with me now. My heart hammered in my chest, and my ice turned my vision blue, my mind struggling to prepare itself for this rendezvous with a man I did not want. “But why . . . why is he coming so early?” I wondered. “Your record said we spent ten days together, not eleven.”

Augustin came to my side, his hands lightly rubbing my arms, coaxing my ice to thaw. “Who can say?” he muttered, bending down to nuzzle my ear. “But he is coming, and thus you must ready yourself for your destiny. For now, we shall not bother to speak of him, and eat breakfast as if we had centuries before us.” He eyed me solemnly, then kissed my lips before leading me to the kitchen.

✨ Preorder Numinous Fortune ✨

✨ Urban Fantasy for Everyone ✨

Looking to get lost in tales of magical realms, quests, found families, and the age-old struggle of good vs. evil? Here's a great collection of reads to keep you occupied for the month of June—and they're available on all platforms!

✨ Urban Fantasy Rocks! ✨

✨ Last Call for BookBubbers ✨

Yeah, I know "BookBubbers" isn't a word, but it makes me grin, so that's what I'm going to call YOU if you happen to have a BookBub account. (I fall under that group, so I'm snickering at myself, too.) C.L. Cannon's GIANT giveaway ends on Friday, so if you haven't followed a few authors on her list here, check it out! Even social media follows count. 💖

✨ I'm A BookBubber ✨

That's all for today, 'cause I have a paperback to format, and you know what that means. Hyphenating. Hyphenating. Hyphenating. 🙃 Will catch you next week. Stay weird, stay awesome, and seek out the magic in our vibrant world!

Talk to you soon,

C.L. Carhart

Preorder Numinous Fortune here: https://books2read.com/hnwanf

Download Arcane Gateway for FREE here: https://books2read.com/hnwaag

Check out my other books here: https://books2read.com/clcarhart

Get Veiled Magic, a bonus story, here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/jp1vp51i52