BTBS, events and a lil surprise!

first things first: as promised, here’s the character art!

AHHHH look at Raegan! The King’s HAND!!!! The BACKGROUND!!! I am simply deceased and hope you love it, too. I asked Allie to depict the scene right before they leave for Gossamer, and I think she absolutely nailed the horny-angry-sad vibes.

it’s almost time …

Next month, you’ll have Beneath the Buried Sea in your hands—which will complete The Fatebound Duology. I’m so excited for you all to discover the rest of Raegan and the King’s journey, and can’t thank you enough for loving these characters as much as I do. Don’t forget that if you pre-order the signed hardcover before the release date in late September, you’ll receive an exclusive epilogue of ~pure filth~ and two-sided character art prints! Click here to reserve your copy.

Katrina N. Lewis, a fellow romantasy author that I adore, beta read Beneath the Buried Sea for me. Good news—she really enjoyed it! Here’s a little snippet of her thoughts: “This book is mythical, adventurous, and painfully romantic in all the ways that'll make you sigh.” <3 Thank you, Katrina!!!

By the way, if you felt the same way about BTAD, have you left a review on Amazon, Goodreads or Storygraph? It really helps out all authors, but particularly indie authors. Even a few sentences makes a big difference! If you’ve got a couple minutes to spare, I would deeply appreciate it <3

e-ARCs are open

Just a reminder that e-ARCS for Beneath the Buried Sea are still open! If you talk about books online, run a book club, work at an indie bookshop, or even just chat a lot about books with your friends, I’d love for you to apply. You can find the link here.

thank you, ebony!

The lovely Ebony has been a wonderful supporter of Beyond the Aching Door since the very beginning. She posted a fantastic round-up of her reads so far this year, and what she said about BTAD made me emotional as hell <3 Have a peek at her video and channel here!

upcoming events

HADDONFIELD, NJ - Bookstore Romance Day, 8/17 at PM EST
Inkwood Books in South Jersey is hosting a whole bunch of romance writers to celebrate Bookstore Romance Day! I’ll be there with books, signed bookplates and stickers. If you’re in the area, I would LOVE to meet you <3 Find out more information here.

PHILADELPHIA, PA - Philly Bookstore Crawl, 8/24 at 1-3 PM EST
When I was a bookseller, the Philly Bookstore Crawl was one of the most fun days I had all year! I’m really excited to still participate in the crawl at A Novel Idea in East Passyunk. I’ll be there from 1-3 PM with a group of incredible local authors to sign books and chat. I’ll have books, signed bookplates and stickers, too! More info here.

EAU CLAIRE, WI - Booked Eau Claire, 9/12 2025
Next September, I’ll finally be leaving the East Coast! I’ll be joining Booked Ea Claire as an attending author—my first time, AND alongside my bestie Allison Carr Waechter! I’m really excited for this bookish weekend celebrating women, lgbtqia + marginalized gender authors. You can learn more about the event here and snag tickets here!

finally, a little treat …

With Beneath the Buried Sea heading to my proofreader + ARC readers very soon, I’m officially diving deeper into Holy Wrath. I wanted to share my writing playlist with you so you can get a feel for the vibes. Click here to open it in Spotify!

I am simultaneously terrified and so excited to wander deeper into this world. With that said, I’m also going to share a blurb, but please be aware all of this is subject to change as I get to know the characters better.

All Ophelia, a devout follower of her god-ruler, wants is to work the Mysteries. But to do so, her patron saint needs to make themselves known—and she’s far past the typical age for Sainting. Without the power of the Mysteries, Ophelia will bring shame to her fiancé’s family—members of an elite, influential social class in her adopted city, Lumendei.

After all, Renault—her betrothed—saved her. She owes him everything.

But when Ophelia is tasked with caring for Nyatrix, an enemy knight harmed during a battle, everything she believes is called into question. Despite being a member of the dangerous Sepulchyre faction, Nyatrix makes Ophelia feel things …. things she’s certain should be reserved for Renault.

And there’s also the fact that Nyatrix claims Ophelia’s beloved god is a usurper, liar and destroyer, and that everything she thinks she knows is a lie. But of course the unfairly gorgeous enemy warrior with eyes like a thunderstorm would say that, right?

Right?

Holy Wrath arrives in Spring 2025 <3

ps - stickers soon!

Okay, one more thing—there will be pretty Fatebound Duology stickers soon! As always, feel free to request specific quotes and/or designs. I design my merch and have a ton of fun doing it, so don’t hesitate if there’s something you know you’d love.

talk more soon! all my love,
Victoria

aka when we find out exactly how much the King is yearning for Raegan >:)