Valia Lind's Blog

I am so excited to finally share the cover for the next Russian fairytale retelling, THE STORM DANCER!!! This one is a Little Mermaid retelling and I am SO ready to share it with you all!!!

THE STORM DANCER releases September 12, 2025!!

For now, check out the cover and the official blurb!!!!

A fake engagement. A quest for a wish granting fish. A chance to change their destinies. 

Every Rusalka princess and heir in the history of the undersea kingdom has wielded powerful magic. Except Roksana. She’s never told anyone except her pet otter, but it’s getting harder and harder to keep the shameful secret that will cost her the crown. But then she learns of a chance to make her greatest wish come true—a legendary Golden Fish who can grant your heart’s desire. There’s just one problem. She’s not the only one looking for it.

Prince Alexei has one month before his father marries him off for a political alliance. Disguised as a common merchant, he’s determined to hunt down the magical Golden Fish and change his fate. Unfortunately, he doesn’t know anything about sea creatures. So when he’s saved by a beautiful green-haired Rusalka girl, he realizes she might be his one saving grace. 

Neither are willing to trust the other with their true purpose, but Roksana needs a guide in the human world, and Alexei needs an expert on all things water. They decide to strike a deal: pose as a merchant couple to help each other—just for a month—then go their separate ways.

But the overpowering chemistry between them doesn’t feel so fake. And even with all their secrets, somehow they understand each other in a way no one else ever has. 

A month pretending to be the fiancé of an annoying pottery merchant sounded like forever, but time is running out for them both. Will they end up sacrificing their own happiness for the sake of their kingdoms, or might the magic of true love between two opposites be what saves them all?

The Storm Dancer is a standalone retelling of the traditional Russian tale of The Little Mermaid. Set in the fairy tale world of Skazka, this full length novel is for fans of grumpy sunshine, fake dating, forced proximity, sassy animal sidekicks, and all the cozy feels.

AMAZON | GOODREADS

KENNEDY

Of all the ways to die, I never thought it would be “death by a suitcase,” but at this rate, this might be a very real possibility. I didn’t even pack that much. Just two, thirty-inch suitcases for my year stay in Edinburgh, Scotland. I’m proud of that accomplishment, not going to lie. The efficient way I packed my life into two medium-sized pieces of luggage brings me joy. 

Now though, these two manageable bags seem like monstrosities as I try—and fail—to get them up the narrow staircase of a tenement built in the late 1800s. The stairs are tall, steep, and narrow, with walls on both sides and nothing to hold onto. My history-loving heart is already in heaven, just waiting to dig into the records of when exactly this building was built and how. Sadly for me, tenements don’t come with elevators—or lifts—and so here I am, trying to get these two banes of my existence up to my apartment—or flat as they say around here. That’s going to take some getting used to, but I’m ready for it. Ready and able and so incredibly excited. My body has been buzzing for days. 

When a spot opened up for the exchange student position I jumped on it with everything I had. Edinburgh, Scotland is a dream for anyone, but especially for someone who lives and breathes history. Unsurprising to anyone I know, my goal is to become a researcher. This means I will get my history degree, apply for internships, and then hopefully end up in a gloriously stocked library somewhere with thousands of years of information to go through. 

Maybe write my own book about it one day. 

As my aunt is always saying, I’m not exactly equipped for people. I like lists and books and being left on my own. The fact that I get to come to a country, all by myself, with my own living space—it’s a complete and total dream. 

At the back of my mind, there’s another dream, the one that has been fully discouraged by my aunt, but it doesn’t matter. Being a researcher is the next best thing and I will be good at it. 

Regardless of the doubts, the moment I stepped out of that airport and smelled the Scottish air, I knew I was exactly where I needed to be. 

The taxi driver was incredibly friendly and talked the whole way to the apartment, but I don’t think any of it registered the moment I caught a glimpse of Old Town out the window. I just stared, with my mouth slightly open, the whole way.

It’s January, so the streets are a bit emptier of tourists and the air is crisp and cold. Even so, now that I’m struggling up these hundred million stairs—at least—I’m sweating buckets. Good thing my apartment is my own and I can hide away and catch my bearings. Glorious, glorious alone time after all the traveling. 

Then I will wander.

I can’t wait. How many times can I freak out about this per day? I should really set myself a limit. 

I opted to arrive on a Saturday, so I have a day and a half to settle before I have to head to the school. There is also no time for jetlag, so my body better be ready to not sleep until tonight. 

Yes, body, I’m talking to you. Don’t be getting winded. And brain? Don’t you be imagining a bed in your future. 

At twenty, maybe I have thought I’d outgrown this weird need to talk to myself, but I’ve spent the majority of my life with only myself for company so, nope. That’s not going anywhere. 

And neither is this suitcase, which is now balancing precariously on a not-wide-enough step. 

What would be incredibly useful is if I could zippity-zap it up to my flat with a wave of my hand, but my magic is basically dormant—besides making a few plants sprout flowers in the off-season every now and then. 

Being a witch is not all it’s cracked up to be by the media. Mostly, it’s having absolutely no idea where the magic came from or from whom and then only having bursts of random sparks at the most inconvenient of times. I don’t have a wand and I don’t have any spells in me to get this piece of my personal torment up the stairs. 

My aunt—who is also a witch but refuses to practice her magic—spent her whole life telling me that magic is dangerous and I am not allowed to use it in any way whatsoever. It’s why I’ve hidden away for most of my life and have chosen a career that lets me be away from people. I fear magic more than most people fear spiders or snakes. I can still hear my aunt’s voice in my head—her threat—promising that if I were to go to Edinburgh, I was not to return. 

But I couldn’t stay. I couldn’t keep myself locked away any longer. When the acceptance letter came, it was the open door I’d been longing for. So here I am, starting a new life and hoping it doesn’t end with my suitcases taking me out and ending it prematurely. 

My goodness, how many stairs can there be? I feel like I’ve been on these for an hour.

Taking a few deep breaths, I pull one suitcase up and lean my body against it to keep it in check before I pull the second one after me. There’s barely enough space for another person next to me, and for once, I do wish I had some help because I’m going to be fighting with this for a while. 

“You really hate me, don’t you?” I ask the suitcase, glaring down at the little progress I’ve made. I’m not even ten steps up. My apartment is on the third floor. It’s going to take forever. At least there’s a small landing a few steps above me before the staircase turns and continues up. Maybe if I can just make it there, I can leave one suitcase and struggle with the other. 

My mind is working on a strategy when I hear a door shut above me. The sound of footsteps reaches me first before a deep, slightly accented voice speaks up. I focus on pulling and lifting the suitcases, determined to make it to the first landing, when the voice gets louder, a bit of worry in it. “No, I’m coming. Don’t move. I’ll be right there. I don’t—” 

Before I can figure out how to move out of the way, a guy rounds the corner. There isn’t anywhere to go, so I flatten myself to one side with a quick gasp, but before I can get my suitcases out of the way, he’s already slamming into one, making it tumble all the way down to the ground floor. 

“Seriously?” I sigh, frustration making my back taut. I turn to offer an apology, expecting one as well, but the guy is already almost down the stairs. 

“You good?” he calls up and I glimpse a strong jaw, tousled brown hair, and light eyes before I realize he’s moving away, his ear no longer pressed to his phone.

“No?” I snap, my voice loud enough so he can hear me. He stops then at the bottom of the stairs, his attention on his phone as he proceeds to type quickly. 

“It’s not polite to take up the whole staircase,” he says, not even bothering to look up at me. He’s got a very nice voice with a slight Scottish accent, and I tell my insides to get a hold of themselves because he is not attractive. 

Rude—he’s rude!

Before I can formulate a response, my suitcase decides to burst open, like the traitor that it is. 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” I glare at the mess as if it has personally offended me. Clearly, all my research into this luggage only paid off for airplane travel. The moment someone knocks it down the stairs, it decides to not be toss-resistant.

The mess on the floor must finally pull the guy’s attention and I see the moment his eyes zero in on a specific item. I shove the suitcase I managed to hold onto against the wall on the landing and nearly trip down the stairs in my haste. I don’t miss the way he chuckles as I drop myself on top of my clothes. 

“You’re a walking hazard, you know that right?” 

“If you weren’t racing down the stairs, this wouldn’t be a problem,” I reply, trying to push all my clothes back into the suitcase. 

“If you weren’t taking up the whole staircase, I would’ve had no problem getting around you.” He sounds completely unbothered by my situation, but also distracted at the same time. I find it annoying. 

“Well, if you managed to glance up from your phone for more than a second, you’d realize you’re not the only person on this planet!” I snap, my voice rising—and so is my magic. I drop my head, taking a few calming breaths because I am not the kind of a person to lose it in front of a complete stranger. I thrive on control. 

Out of the corner of my eye, I see him reach down, yanking the t-shirt from where I was trying to hide it. 

“I glanced up long enough to see this atrocity,” he says, opening it up to take a good look. “I mean, I like Ninja Turtles as well, but this shirt has more holes than the sewer topper—” 

“It is none of your business how many holes this shirt has.” I reach up, yanking the t-shirt out of his hands and balling it up to hold it against me. 

“What a zinger of a comeback. Raphael would be so proud.” 

I look up at him, my rage rising, but before I can say anything, his phone rings and his whole body snaps to attention. “It’s okay, I’m coming! Don’t do anything—please just—okay, stay right there!” His voice is full of worry and he turns away immediately, heading for the door. 

“Thanks for the help!” I call out, sarcastically. 

“Don’t mention it!” he yells back as the door shuts behind him. 

I sit there for a moment, surrounded by my clothes, completely bamboozled, before shaking myself into action. 

I throw another annoyed look at the entrance door, but the cute—no, incredibly rude—guy has disappeared. I’m not blind. Obviously, I noticed what he looked like, but I still hope he was just a visitor and I won’t be running into him again. If I do, I’ll have a few very stern words to offer him. Once my brain restarts, I’m sure I can come up with some. Ugh, that guy was unbelievable!

“So much for Scottish hospitality,” I mumble, as I toss the clothes back into my suitcase and manage to zip it back up. It seems to stay shut and I can only hope that it does all the way to the third floor.

READ NOW —-> AMAZON

Hi!!! I am so excited to announce that the Kickstarter for my witchy cozy Scottish romcom has funded!!!! The exclusive special editions are happening!!!!

There are only 6 days to go to grab your preorder before they’re all gone!!

Go here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/valialind/how-not-to-hex-a-gentleman-cozy-romance-exclusive-hardcover

Friends! Guess what? My witchy cozy mystery books are now available on multiple ebook retailers!!! I’m so excited to share my cozy mysteries across all the platforms. And guess what else?

Book one, Once Upon a Witch is FREE!!!

Make sure to grab your copy here: AMAZON | BARNES & NOBLE | APPLE BOOKS | KOBO

I’m excited to bring more stories to more platforms, so stay tuned!

Happy reading,

Valia

She’s here! The beautiful cover for the next standalone fairy tale retelling set in the world of Russian fairytales is here!

The Poisoned Princess is a retelling of the Russian Snow White fairytales! And she’s coming September 22nd, 2023!

If you like:

Grumpy/sunshine dynamicFound familyMagical animal sidekicksRussian fairytales/folktales Cozy vibesSecret identiyLetter correspondenceSweet romance Dual POV

There is a fun incentive going on (if you’re a fan of character art and maps!). More info: https://valialind.com/the-poisoned-princess-preorder/

I am so pleased to announce that Moonlight Mate, book one in the White Wolf Saga is out!!! The readers are loving it, which makes my heart so happy! I’ve been waiting so long to share Trinity’s story with you, I am so glad I now can.

Grab your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09Y83G4GL

Order signed copies: https://www.etsy.com/listing/1242884237/moonlight-mate-paperback-signed

Thank you so much for being part of this incredible journey!

Much love,

Valia

Pre-order here: https://amzn.to/3FYUveK

I was exiled by my alpha—and now he wants me back.

Cast out of my pack for crimes I didn’t commit, I spent the last six years learning to pass as a human and fight as a wolf.

When the summons comes, the last thing I want to do is return, but my wolf has no choice but to answer the call.

Dangerous, sexy, and deadly, Rylan has become an Alpha to be feared. He thinks he owns me—that he can break me—but I refuse to bow down to his Alpha powers. His hatred for my supposed betrayal rivals the contempt I carry in my heart.

And yet, he needs me.

Wolves are disappearing, returning as rabid monsters. For reasons Rylan will not share, I am the only one who can help.

Ignoring our unmistakable chemistry, and the absolute disdain we carry for each other is only part of the problem. If we don’t put our differences aside, the world as we know it will cease to exist. Everyone I have ever cared about—including my own inner wolf—will be gone.

If you love fast-paced action, enemies-to-lovers romance, snarky heroines and broody heroes, then you’ll love Moonlight Mate, the first book in a pulse-pounding series by USA Today Bestselling author, Valia Lind.

*Note: this book is NOT a reverse harem (RH)

PRE-ORDER CAMPAIGN GOODIES!

I’m so excited to share this campaign with you!!

If you pre-order my book (and submit your receipt), you get the following goodies: 

Print of the map 

Print of the character art – Rylan and Trinity

Bookmark

Temporary tattoo (important to the story)

Chapter from Rylan’s POV (a digital download)

Quantities are limited!! I don’t want you to miss out! 

GOOGLE FORM (to submit your receipt): https://forms.gle/YHc5K8wrAvQVFawBA

If you’re unable to upload your receipt, please email it to valiawrites(a)gmail(dot)com

June 1st is right around the corner!!!

Much love,

Valia

A mafia heiress. A desperate bargain. A cursed wolf prince without hope.

I am thrilled to officially share the character art for the Scarlet Rose! Meet Nikita and Gavriil!

I love these two so much!

This is my Russian Beauty and the Beast retelling with a mafia heiress and a broody wolf prince!

PREORDER TODAY –> AMAZON

COMING OCTOBER 6TH, 2021!!

I am so so excited to share with you my latest book! I LOVE Avery and am so excited to watch her grow as a character. She’s been through a lot, but she always perseveres and that is something to learn from her.

Get your copy here: https://amzn.to/3aU40Oi

I thought I could stay hidden. But Faery had other ideas.

When I found that ancient book and realized only I could read it, my life changed forever. Now in Faery, I’m thrust into a game more dangerous than I’ve imagined. 
Queen Svetlana is ruthless and will stop at nothing to keep the power I possess for herself. With my fae magic growing inside of me, it’s something everyone in Faery wants. But all I want is find out who I am and how to control it. 

Derek is by my side as we venture into the forbidden forest to get some answers. But he’s keeping secrets, and I can’t forget who he is. 

With danger on every side, cunning fae, and Ancients trying to get at me, I don’t know who to trust. 
Can I stay alive long enough to figure out my magic and save those I love?

Featuring a fierce heroine, a broody prince, and all things magical, Blood of the Fae is the second book in this fast-paced young adult paranormal romance series from the USA Today bestselling author Valia Lind! 

What are you waiting for? One click today!

Amazon – https://amzn.to/2ZXl3bQ

And yes, that is a character art of Avery! I’ve been getting back to my art lately and it’s been really fun to create these for my characters. More to come.

Here’s a closer look

If you haven’t picked up book one, you can get it here: https://amzn.to/2ZU5AJF

Happy reading, friends!

I am so thrilled to share the first book in my newest trilogy with you all! This was so much fun to write, and Avery is definitely one of my favorite characters ever!

If you like strong heroines, broody Fae princes, and slow-burn romance, this one is for you!

AMAZON



GOODREADS




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If I’m found, my life is over.

I was ready for a quiet and normal senior year. But then, I read something I wasn’t supposed to and now every illusion I had about my magic is shattered. 

Something in my blood allows me to read spells thought to be lost long ago. It’s a power the courts of Faery will fight over…with me as collateral damage.  

My two-part plan: Stay hidden. Stay alive. 

Which is how I end up playing bounty hunter to magical items while living in Phoenix, Arizona. 

When the breathtakingly beautiful and arrogant Fae prince finds me, I’m prepared for him to drag me kicking and screaming back to the Faery Realm. 

He doesn’t. He decides to help. Or so he claims…

Gorgeous and deadly. A dangerous combination. And my only chance at survival. 

If I don’t outwit the fae and learn to control my magic, I will lose my life. And all those I love will perish with me. 

Featuring a fierce heroine, a broody prince, and all things magical, Shadow of the Fae is the first book in this fast-paced young adult paranormal romance series from the USA Today bestselling author Valia Lind!

What are you waiting for? One-click today!  —> https://amzn.to/31AwhEG

***The Fae Chronicles is set within the world of Hawthorne, and while some small areas intersect, it’s not necessary to read that series first to enjoy this one.

Can’t wait to hear what you think! Happy reading!

Much love,

Valia