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Book Launch, Book Releases

New Edition of “O’Ceagan’s Legacy” Cover Reveal

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Hello, Folks,

I know I haven’t posted in a month of Sundays and maybe longer.  Life has been busy with various projects. One of them was revising “O’Ceagan’s Legacy.” It’s been 10 years since I first wrote the book, even though it didn’t publish until 2016, so technically next year is the 10 -year anniversary, Still, I wanted to revise the book and give it a fresh look with a new cover.

So, today is the cover reveal day! Here’s the intriguing new cover for this adventurous and exciting story of Grania O’Ceagan and her brothers on the space freighter Mo Chroidhe.  That’s Irish for “my heart.”

An ancient banshee in space—  Can Grania navigate the stars and spirits?

Captain Grania O’Ceagan and her crew are no strangers to peril, but when a routine cargo run turns into a nightmare, even they aren’t prepared for what awaits. A malfunctioning jump gate leaves them adrift, while a ghostly manifestation—identified as a banshee—offers cryptic warnings of danger ahead. As ancient myths resurface and unseen forces close in, Grania must rely on her wits, her crew, and the wisdom of her ancestors to survive a journey that could reshape her destiny forever.

The revised version of O’Ceagan’s Legacy releases on February 26th. It’s available for pre-order now at just 99-cents! Every sale and review will help me launch this book into the stratosphere. It will also be available on Kindle Unlimited.

PREORDER NOW!

Teaser Excerpt

Here’s a short teaser from the book:

Just then Nansi came onto the bridge, her eyes locked straight on the monitor screens. “Well, this is shite, isn’t it? Liam has an engine down, and it looks like we’re off the map completely.”

“Yep,” Grania agreed. “Have you ever seen anything like this?”

“Seen it? No. If it is what I’m thinking it is, then I’ve heard tales and it’s not good.”

Grania stepped close and lowered her voice. She didn’t want to alarm her brothers until she knew more about the situation and their options. “Tell me quietly.”

“The stories say there are areas in space that are just empty –“

“Black holes?” Grania asked in a low breath, fearful of the answer.

“No, not that. But stretches of space where there are no stars, no planets, just nothing. They’re difficult to navigate and com signals don’t penetrate through them.”

“And that’s where you think we are? In one of these empty spaces?”

“Aye, that I do. The Sea of Darkness, it’s called by the old storytellers.”

 “So, tell me, what is the bad news then?”

“Well, the storytellers say that once something goes into the sea, it doesn’t come out again.” Nansi’s voice rasped with strain as she whispered this.

“Nonsense! If nothing ever came out, then how would anyone know anything about it? If that is what this is, there is a way out and we will find it. I will not lose my granda’s ship in this Black Sea.” Grania’s heart sank a little, although she would not show it to her crew. They would figure this out, and they would get back on track to home.

Nansi just nodded, a hint of hope showing in her eyes. For all her second’s years as a spacer, Grania knew the old tales still frightened her. Although fearful herself, as captain, she had to show strength and confidence, not only for Nansi but for the rest of the crew as well.

Vilnius strode in, came to a halt, and gazed around the bridge, his eyes locking on the forward screen before slowly shifting to each of the other ones. Those big black, empty-looking images of nothing were an immediate draw, she admitted. Only she had entered the bridge without looking at them. What did that say about her?

“Are the screens down?” Vilnius asked.

Thanks for reading today!

Lily

Book planning, Book Promotion, Book Releases, Character development

Changes in the Wind

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Hello everyone!

It’s been a hot minute since my last post—okay, a few months—but I promise I haven’t been napping on the job! Life has been a whirlwind, and one of my biggest projects lately has been revising O’Ceagan’s Legacy.

This story has been with me for over a decade—long enough for it to have celebrated multiple birthdays, possibly demanded a driver’s license, and certainly benefited from a glow-up. My writing has evolved a lot in ten years, and this edition reflects that growth. The core story is the same, but the writing is tighter, the scenes more vivid, and the overall experience way more immersive.

Oh, and it also has a brand-new cover! Why? Well, my original cover—one that I absolutely loved—kept getting flagged as “sexually suggestive.” Who knew a sci-fi adventure could be so scandalous? I certainly didn’t see it when I bought the cover! So, for the sake of stress-free book promotions, I’ve rebranded. I’ll be revealing the new cover on February 18, so stay tuned!

Cover reveal image for O'Ceagan's Legacy

A Quick Identity Check!

In case you didn’t already know, Lillian Wolfe is my pen name. My real name is Rene Averett, but I also write as Riona Kelly for suspense romance. Why all the names? Because my brain refuses to stay in one genre, and I like keeping things organized! Under my various names, I write:
✅ Fantasy, sci-fi, and urban fantasy (Lillian Wolfe)
✅ Cozy paranormal mysteries and cookbooks (Rene Averett)
✅ Suspense romance (Riona Kelly)

Instead of signing up for multiple mailing lists, I’ve streamlined everything into one place—Substack! It’s where I post weekly updates, book news, and fun, random musings. And guess what? It’s FREE to subscribe!

Join me here: https://reneaverett.substack.com.

Want to hear more about the O’Ceagan’s Legacy updates? Check out this post:   A Decade of “O’Ceagan’s Legacy” and Exciting Updates!  You’ll also find a couple of posts about the Irish legends woven into the book. Oh, and bonus—there’s an audio version of each post, so you can listen instead of reading (not my actual voice, but a fairly decent impersonation).

Mark Your Calendars!

📅 February 26: O’Ceagan’s Legacy – Edition 2 launches for just 99 cents!
📅 March 1-3: It’s FREE for three days! But hey, if you grab it for 99 cents and leave a review, it’ll count as a verified purchase, which helps immensely!

And What About Time Walker?

For those wondering about Mali’s fate in Time Walker—fear not! I haven’t abandoned her to the abyss of unfinished manuscripts. Book 3 is still in the works, and I hope to have it finished in the next few months.

Thanks for sticking with me for the past 10 years—whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just joined the ride, I appreciate you more than words (or 10,000 edited drafts) can say!

Lily aka Rene

Thanks for reading and thanks for your support over the past 10 years!

P.S. You can also find me on @renea-author.bsky.social.  Come say hi!

blog, Book Launch, Book Releases

“Outer Rim” release date!

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When Captain Grania O’Ceagan takes her recently-repaired space freighter out for a shakedown run, she and her crew expect an easy trip. Deliver a few passengers and cargo, then reload for the return to Erinnua with a nice profit.

However, a government agency taps her ship for a special delivery to Desolation, an Outer Rim planet way beyond her flight plan. Problem is: she can’t refuse, and the promised payment will more than make up for her losses while her vessel was being repaired. Still, the job has risks and a tight deadline. Plus, the new crate in her hold is top secret, and other people are interested in it, including a PPG agent who boards her ship at Earth’s space station, ostensibly to help protect the shipment.

Crew problems and delays tighten her timeline, but the cost of failure is too high. They must make the delivery on time. Grania doesn’t have any other options.

The sequel novel to O’Ceagan’s Legacy is finally coming out with a release date of June 9th! The eBook version is in presale now on Amazon. Click on the book cover image to go to the presale page.

This contains two separate but connected novels, Errand to Earth and Desolation. I had debated releasing them separately, but decided, they were better together. No waiting for the continuation novel.

Haven’t read the first book? You can get it at Amazon also.  Just click  this link.  O’Ceagan’s Legacy is also available at Kobo, Nook, Apple and other booksellers through this link.  

To give you a peek of the new book, I’ve included an excerpt from it below.

 

Excerpt from Outer Rim:

As the sails dropped and the ship slid as easily as butter into the docking slot, Grania jumped to her feet to get to the station master and check for any anomalies in the space lanes ahead that they would need to avoid or adjust to handle. Likewise, she glimpsed Rory reviewing the reports coming in from the station for other information as well as requests for outbound cargo. Business as usual. It felt great to be back at it.

“We can get a departure slot in three Earth hours,” Rory called out as she went out the door.

Stopping just outside the bridge, she asked, “Think you can load cargo by then?”

“Umm, I have four prospects lined up, so I think so.”

“Take it then.” She grinned as she went to the lower level and down the ramp to the station. At once, she saw a pair of young men with shaggy dark hair who sat on one of the few passenger benches near the port. These might be their other travelers for the trip.

“Hello,” she said as she walked up to them. “I’m the captain of the Mo Chroidhe. Might you be looking for me?”

Both rose to their feet. One was a shade taller than the other, but from their looks, they could be twins. “Ethan Jones,” the shorter one said, offering a nod. “This is my brother, Conan. We’re bound for Earth’s station.”

“Captain O’Ceagan. We’ll be pleased to get you there.” She eyed their luggage—backpacks and four cases of musical instruments. All of it could go in their cabin. Pulling out her comm, she signaled her second. “O’Toole, we have our passengers here and waiting. Would you escort them to their cabin?”

“On my way, Capt’n,” O’Toole’s voice came through.

“I’m just going to check-in. But Mister O’Toole, my second officer, will be here shortly to show you to your quarters for the trip. Welcome aboard, gentlemen.”

As they nodded their thanks, she left them to go about her business. She was not the only ship’s captain checking in with the station master and had to wait for almost twenty mites.  The master was a cranky woman who’d clearly crawled out on the wrong side of the bed that morning and hadn’t improved as the day progressed. Her voice was deadpan and irritated as she spoke to the captain ahead of Grania. She braced herself for equal treatment of her questions, but she smiled and greeted the woman pleasantly. “I’m Captain O’Ceagan of the Mo Chroidhe. I’m just paying a courtesy visit and inquiring about anything happening on the space lanes that I should avoid.”

“How would I know?” the master mumbled. “All day, all I get are complaints, questions I can’t answer, and reports of missing cargo.” She squinted at Grania as if she might know her, then shook her head. “Mo Chroidhe. That’s old Paddy’s ship, isn’t it?”

“My granda, yes.”

The woman looked up again. “Oh. How is the old coot? Is he with you?”

She gave her head a shake. “No, he retired and handed the ship over to me. But he’s well and enjoying the land life back home.”

“Ah, that’s too bad. I liked him. Always had a kind word and maybe a bottle of something with a bit of kick.”

“Leprechaun whiskey, I would guess. I might have a bit of it stored on the ship. I can bring you a pot.”

That softened the woman up. “That’s kind of you. I wouldn’t say no to it, but no need to go out of your way.”

“It’s no trouble.” Grania could send Brendan over with it. Sure, this woman would enjoy meeting her handsome young brother.

“Well, thank ye.” Her face split into a smile. Now, as far as I know, there’s no hindrances along the space lanes, no tumblin’ meteor fields or anythin’ like that. Had a comet cross about a week ago, but nothin’ new headin’ this way.”

“Wormhole?” Grania asked with her mind recalling the one from Pelanan Station. It had popped them out into dark space, apparently from a sun flare that caused the tunnel to fluctuate.

“Stable. No variations in two years now. It won’t cause you any trouble.” The station master dropped her eyes to the table behind the counter, and her forehead wrinkled. “Ah, wait a moment. You said you were Captain O’Ceagan, right?”

Grania nodded.

“I have a message here for you. I reckon whoever sent it expected you to stop in. She handed Grania a message tube, which was a confidential message sent by a secure transmission and written into the cylinder, so no one except the sender and recipient could see the contents.

“Odd,” Grania said as she put the tube in her uniform pocket. She’d play it when she was back in her cabin. “Any idea who it’s from?”

“None at all. It’s rare that we get one of those. No indicator of when or where it was sent from, but I see it was logged in here at 0400 hours this morning.” The station master pointed to the line on her log as if Grania might see.

 

 

blog, Book planning, Book Promotion, Book Releases

Christmas Promotion – Lots of Books

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I am excited to announce my book, O’Ceagan’s Legacy, is included in the Kindle Book Review Christmas promotion. All you have to do is check out the page, browse any books you might be interested in reading, buy if you wish–not required– then enter the Giveaway for a chance to win $500! Could it be easier?

The link is: https://www.thekindlebookreview.net/%f0%9f%8e%84-500-santas-stash-giveaway/

O’Ceagan’s Legacy is a fun, fanciful space adventure as we join Grania O’Ceagan on her first solo voyage as the family space freighter’s captain. While her grandfather, the usual captain, isn’t on board, her brothers are while they take the ship from their homeworld Erinnua (New Ireland) to Earth’s space station, which is where the story begins. 

Having time for a short trip to Ireland, Grania and her youngest brother Brendan travel to introduce him to the “old sod.” On the way back, they encounter an elderly woman wanting passage to Erinnua.

A short teaser for it is at the end of this blog.

New Book

One reason I am pushing O’Ceagan’s Legacy is the long-awaited second book in the series is nearing release. I’m currently editing it and getting it prepped for early next year. I had planned to have it out this fall, but personal issues changed my schedule, so it’s rescheduled.

Tentatively titled Outer Rim, the book is two stories tied together, so I am considering releasing it in two books rather than one big one. What are your thoughts on that? Do you prefer two smaller books (around 225 pages) or one larger one (almost 400 pages)? Let me know at LillianWolfe.author@gmail.com

New Vella Story Starting

Another book that’s been divided into two stories is my Vella story, Cynara’s Destiny. The first part or season as we call it on Vella is complete. Part 2 is Sorceress Emerging and the first seven episodes are live in the Vella format. I am planning to release a new episode each week.

If you haven’t tried Vella yet, it is reading a book like a TV show. It’s serialized into 1500 to 2500 word episodes. You can give an episode a thumbs up if you like it, review as you’re reading it, and choose a story as your favorite for the week. The first three episodes are free to read, then you buy the additional episodes with tokens.  If you try it, let me know what you think.

O’Ceagan’s Legacy Story Teaser

Although London’s shuttle port status showed only moderate delays, the check-in at the gate still snaked around several roped stanchions when Grania and Brendan arrived. They didn’t have much time before they needed to board their shuttle, so they scrambled to find the quickest check-in counter they could. Brendan motioned to Grania when he spotted a shorter line near the end of the counters. Even with automated ticketing, it still moved slower than a range tortoise with a bum leg.

As she stepped into the line behind Brendan, Grania noticed an elderly woman standing near the queue. Her pale blue eyes looked alert as she scanned the passengers, appearing to seek a specific person. Around one and a half meters in height, the woman somehow stood out in spite of her petite stature. Flighty white hair formed a halo around her face as it tucked into a thick bun at the back of her head. She wore a shaded blue and green shawl wrapped around her bent, old shoulders. Beside her, a large trunk, about two meters long by one and a quarter meters wide, rested on a lev-dolly. Her eyes met Grania’s and held. For a moment or two, something about her gave Grania a chill, as if she recognized this person, although surely she could not have.

The sensation grew then changed to unease as the woman made her way, with slow, uneven steps, the short distance to where Grania waited in line. When she spoke, her low voice carried with the lilt of the land they’d just left, and with a sense of familiarity that Grania recognized as being like her father’s sister, Aunt Catherine.

“Excuse me, lass,” the woman said politely, “might you be the captain of a ship bound for Erinnua?”

Surprised, Grania gaped at her. “I am. How would you know that?”

The woman returned a kind-looking smile. “I messaged up to the space station to inquire if there might be a ship leaving soon for the Dragon Hold system. The stationmaster replied that there was and described you. He said you were downside, and I might find you here. I very much need passage, you see.”

“Passage?” Grania repeated, still trying to calculate the likelihood of this woman finding her in the crowd of people here. “You want to book a cabin for yourself?”

Nodding, the woman pointed to her chest, “Aye. ‘Tis just me and me travel chest. All I have in the world is in it, and I will not be returning. Just a one-way, lass. I must get there; it is a family thing, you see.”

Grania took a few moments to consider the space on the ship. They had one free cabin in good shape that could be used for a passenger. Unless Rory struck pay dirt on the station, they had room in the hold for the box. “It’s fifteen hundred credits for the passage, plus an extra two hundred for your cargo.”

“Oh, no,” the woman protested, her face falling in sadness. “I have only thirteen hundred credits to me name after the shuttle ticket, and I would be wanting the box in my room with me, not in the cargo. It has all me things in it, you see. Please, Captain, I truly must get to Erinnua. Can you not help an old woman out?”

She felt the tap of Brendan’s fingers on her arm and glanced at him. He dipped his head toward the counter, indicating the line was moving and they needed to keep up.

“Go ahead,” Grania said, snapping her head toward the line. “Keep our place. I’ll be along shortly.” She had it in her mind to say no, it was a set price; however, the bonus of the extra credits earned for a passenger made her hesitate.

“What is your name, ma’am? Are there no relatives here to help you?” She glanced around as if to see someone who might be watching this woman.

“I’m called Moira O’Cairn. And, no, there’s no one now. Just distant relatives on Erinnua. That is why I must get there.” Even as her eyes pleaded with watery-sadness, the woman’s name stopped Grania cold.

“Moira… the same as my twice-great aunt’s name,” Grania mumbled aloud. Her granda would not forgive her if she left this old lady stranded here.

“Thirteen hundred credits, you say? Well, I’ll not take all of your money, for you’ll surely need some when you get to Erinnua. I’ll take you and your chest aboard for twelve hundred.” Fated fairies, indeed. What were the odds of an old woman with her gramps’ sister’s name finding her in a spaceport? Undoubtedly, the fates must be at work, and despite everything, Grania still believed in serendipity.

Get your copy at Amazon or for Apple, Kobo and other devices through this universal link.

Remember to enter the giveaway though. You might win a great Christmas surprise!

blog, Book Launch, Book Releases, Convention Report

Book Lovers Convention and New Release

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I just got back from the Book Lovers’ Convention in New Orleans. What a fabulous week that was! I enjoyed going to a couple of really informative panels on writing and marketing that energized me, especially after I’d attended a Story Grid workshop here in Reno with my writers’ group. I am always trying to grow as a storyteller, so I enjoy these opportunities to learn more.

I was fighting a cold on one day of the event so I missed two more great workshops plus a pajama party with Meg Tilly. I was so disappointed. She is just a darling, sweet person. Saw my last year’s workshop maven, Cherry Adair  and caught up with her again. I took Cherry’s plotting workshop at the convention here in Reno.

Last year, the convention was a Romance Times event, but RT made that their last one, so this is the start of the new convention and not necessarily limited to romance. So, I promoted my new release, Time Walker, at the event and hope to get some new readers from the event.

The fairy dinner on Friday night was completely magical. Wonderful decorations, lots of people in costume and some delicious food. My table was hosted by author Karen Rose, who was not the wicked fae she’d dressed as. Charming lady.

Time Walker is releasing May 31st!

The first of the Time Threads series is now in per-order on Amazon and on other e-book distributors.

Meet Mali Harper,  a novice in the Time Travel division on the moon space station. Her job is to monitor the timeline and alert her boss if an anomaly shows up on it.  Boring job for the most part until an incident occurs. Then her whole world is turned upside down.

The book is a time travel, alternate history tale with a touch of steampunk.

For more information and a teaser from the book, go to the launch page.