S.E. Wendel

A knight in disgrace… Banished to the cold northern reaches for doing what was right, Lady Maddalena is a knight in exile. Now the reluctant warden of an isolated, snowy castle prison, Lena is determined to keep her head down and serve her two-year sentence. No surprises, no mistakes, and maybe she can salvage the tatters of her life. A prince of no one… Broken in body and spirit, Bel lost everything in a single night—his crown, his freedom, his brother. Kept captive in a mountain castle for ten years, Bel has played the human king’s game and bided his time. His chance for escape is coming, but he never planned on this new warden with a kind heart and sense of honor. All the humans have ever shown him is cruelty, but in Lena he finds something much more dangerous—a noble heart that calls to his own. Their paths were never meant to cross… As winter settles over their lonely mountain, the war between their people seems further away, and the boundaries between enemies begins to blur. A human knight and avian prince should have nothing between them but hate—yet neither can resist the attraction that grows in the dark of winter. Their bond is fragile, forbidden, and doomed in the light of day. But for two broken souls, it may just be worth fighting for. If they are willing to pay the price… Part 1 of the Broken Wings Duet. Part 2 coming December 2022. This title contains strong language and intimate scenes and therefore is meant for readers 18+. Minor cliffhanger warning.

Rise and fall, power and ruin, these are the rules of the game... The Highland kingdom is not safe. Yet no one in Lady Ennis Courtnay’s fortress city of Highcrest suspected the encroaching barbarian hordes would brave the steep mountain crags or the might of her noble house, not until the hordes have already knocked down her gate. In the course of a single, bloodstained night, Ennis’s life is changed forever: her father slain, her city taken, and she herself claimed as a warprize by the very man who masterminded it all. Manek’s life is not his own. He fights for a man he despises, eking out the protection of his home by destroying others’. It's a miserable life, one he doesn’t expect to survive. But amidst the rubble and carnage of Highcrest, Manek finds a glimmer of hope in the woman whose life he has helped destroy. Manek cannot resist claiming Ennis as his warprize, but though he spirits her across the land of Mithria to his home in the south, Ennis refuses to resign herself to this life. She was meant to lead, to protect her people and kingdom, and she will fight not only to reclaim what she has lost but to make a life for herself in this new world. She will fight, and perhaps she can convince Manek to fight too. Theirs will be a tale for the ages, but what are the legends of mortals to the clash of gods? Far to the south, an ancient force has awoken, and he too will choose to fight. The God of War has returned, and he is determined not just to change history but Fate itself. Readers of Amy Harmon, N.K. Jemisin, and Tiffany Roberts will enjoy this debut novel, with its epic fantasy landscapes and star-crossed lovers. Get lost in the land of Mithria, where kingdoms rise from the ashes and gods seek to walk the earth again.

A half-orc, half-human belongs nowhere… Orek has spent his life trying to prove himself to a clan that despises him. The son of a deposed orc chief and human captive, he must try twice as hard to prove himself a worthy male, a strong hunter, a potential mate… Resigned to a thankless place in the shadows, Orek ekes out a living on the fringes of the clan, just waiting for an opportunity. But what he finds instead one cold autumn night could ruin everything he’s worked so hard to gain—a human woman, captured just as his mother was so many years ago. The choice to protect her from the clan isn’t a choice at all, but what will protect him and his lonely heart from her? A life about to begin, usurped by fate… Sorcha has spent her life helping raise her many siblings, but now finally has the chance to seek her own adventures. At least, she did, before she was snatched from her horse and peddled by slavers. Taken far from home, she’s brought to the worst place imaginable—the craggy western mountains infested with brutal, brutish orcs. All humans know to fear them and stay away, and now she’s been sold to the cruelest clan-chief of them all. But the first orc she meets is nothing like the stories. He’s gentle. He frees her. Nothing is what it seems as they lose themselves in the forest, hunted by trackers and slavers. Out of her depth, Sorcha has no choice but to rely on the mysterious halfling who saved her—but she’s been betrayed already and cannot afford to trust him. Even if, little by little, the quiet male reveals himself to be everything she could ever want. A human and a halfling, lives ripped apart, brought together by coincidence or fate. Running for their lives, they may find the most dangerous place is together… Fans of Finnley Fenn, SJM, Grace Draven, and Ruby Dixon will love this fluffy, steamy monster romance fantasy road trip story! Mature content intended for readers 18+

Stone Hearts is a prequel story for the upcoming PNR series War of the Underhill. Small and flightless, Carys lives on the fringes of her clan, pitied by other gargoyles and despised by her mother. Her lonely heart longs for a mate, one who can see past her malformed wings, but all she can think of is the haunting face she visits in an old well. Trapped for centuries, Gavriel roams the darkness of the Underhill, unable to escape the memories of his failures. His wounded soul craves freedom, but he finds solace in the mysterious maiden who visits him through a rift in his prison. Gargoyle and fae, separated by realms, connected by magick as ancient as the goddesses. Their love should be impossible—until one night, the barrier between realms begins to break… Fans of Sarah J Maas, Lisette Marshall, SL Prater, and the Gargoyles Disney show will love this friends-to-lovers historical fantasy/monster romance novella. Title includes several heavier themes as well as open door spice. Please check author’s website for a full list of trigger warnings. Suitable for readers 18+. Originally published in the I Am The Fire Charity Anthology. This version includes over 5k more words, as well as a second section of new epilogues, exclusive to this edition!

A knight who laid down her sword… Lady Maddalena Montcaer is a knight no more. Lena knew what she gave up the night she freed the avian prince she was meant to keep imprisoned. Breaking her oath, choosing love over duty—she regrets none of it. But the wilderness is a vast, dangerous place, and Lena is far beyond the regimented world she knew. Without a heading or allies, she must rely only on her wits to finally find a safe place for her, Bel, and any future they hope to have together. A prince who must take up his crown… Bel is a prisoner no longer. Now bound irrevocably to the human knight who freed him and holds his heart, Bel is determined to deserve her. He would give her anything and choose her over anyone, even his own people. He wants to be a man to her, not just a cause. Her man. But what can he offer as a fugitive on the run, a prince with no crown? Can a world at war withstand enemies becoming lovers…and lovers becoming mates. Lost in the forest, dangers past and present hunt them across the edges of the map. Eastward is their only escape, deeper into the life stolen from Bel. Returning to his people may be their only hope, but bringing a human to the heart of avian country could destroy everything Bel wants to protect. The only way to carve a place for themselves in this world is for Bel to finally reclaim his birthright as an Adiiron prince. But time does not heal all wounds and the past does not always stay there… Part 2 of the Broken Wings Duet. Readers are highly encouraged to begin with Part 1, Aerie, before enjoying Haven. This title contains strong language and intimate scenes and is therefore meant for readers 18+.

Nowhere is safe for a fae alone… For all his many days, Allarion has been faithful to queen and country. In their sparkling city on the sea, the fae live long lives of pleasure and luxury. But pretty things can be rotten at their core, and not all is as it seems. A betrayal at the heart of the fae court shatters Allarion’s belief in all that he once held sacred. Now in hiding, he must make his own sanctuary in the human kingdom of Eirea. The dilapidated estate of Scarborough has been waiting for a chance, and he intends to breathe new life into the land. All he needs is the final anchor to his magic, the one thing that binds a fae to the earth more thoroughly than any spell or power. A mate. Obtaining the woman he wants will be easy. Keeping her is another matter. There is no denying a fae when he comes to your door…All her life, barmaid Molly hasn’t had time for dreams or fancies or romance. From caring for her cousins to serving the patrons of her uncle’s tavern, life has always been about earning her keep. That at least kept her safe. Or so she thought. She never imagined her uncle might sell her off to the mysterious patron who’s haunted the tavern and Molly’s dreams for months. Molly wants a family—not a kidnapping fae with no sense of humor, his terrifying, grumpy unicorn, and a sentient but malfunctioning house. But then, life has never been about what Molly wants—at least until her fae captor insists that’s all he cares about… A fae in search of his queen, a woman hoping for a home—together they could build everything they dreamed; if human and fae alike don’t tear them apart first. Fans of Grace Draven, Ruby Dixon, and SJM will love this fluffy, steamy monster romance story! Check sewendelauthor. com for content and trigger warnings. Mature content intended for readers 18+. Book 3 stands on its own but will best be enjoyed after Ironling.

San Francisco, Present day A gargoyle warrior unprepared for the modern world… Fifteen hundred years ago, Frey and all his kind were cursed by the vicious fae queen, their magick stolen and their bodies rendered stone. It has been a hellish existence, frozen in time as the world changes around them. A proud warrior ready for a mate, Frey rages against his stone prison, but with every year that passes, hope slips away that the curse will ever be broken. That is, until he and some of his kin are placed in an odd little museum. And she walks through the door. A modern woman not ready for a medieval male… Anna Kincaid has just gotten back on her feet. After struggling with student debt, chronic migraines, a serial-dater mother, and Bay Area rent for years, she’s finally landed a job that will help with all of it. It feels too good to be true—full health care with dental and helping manage a museum full of exquisite artifacts? Her heart and history degree are thrilled, but something about the museum is…odd. The owners are a mysterious, if kind couple who call the collection the clan. And the collection is…well, monstrous. Huge, savage-looking statues from the late Celtic period. Magick stolen can be reclaimed, and curses cast can be broken… When the museum is stormed by masked commandos one night, it isn’t even the weirdest thing to happen. No, she could wrap her head around organized art theft—what defies belief is one of the big gray behemoths springing to life to save her. And that he flies off with her. And when he tucks her into his big body and growls mate. Fans of Lisette Marshall, SL Prater, and the Gargoyles Disney show will love this monster romance novel. Title includes several heavier themes as well as open-door spice.

San Francisco, Present day A gargoyle warrior unprepared for the modern world… Fifteen hundred years ago, Frey and all his kind were cursed by the vicious fae queen, their magick stolen and their bodies rendered stone. It has been a hellish existence, frozen in time as the world changes around them. A proud warrior ready for a mate, Frey rages against his stone prison, but with every year that passes, hope slips away that the curse will ever be broken. That is, until he and some of his kin are placed in an odd little museum. And she walks through the door. A modern woman not ready for a medieval male… Anna Kincaid has just gotten back on her feet. After struggling with student debt, chronic migraines, a serial-dater mother, and Bay Area rent for years, she’s finally landed a job that will help with all of it. It feels too good to be true—full health care with dental and helping manage a museum full of exquisite artifacts? Her heart and history degree are thrilled, but something about the museum is…odd. The owners are a mysterious, if kind couple who call the collection the clan. And the collection is…well, monstrous. Huge, savage-looking statues from the late Celtic period. Magick stolen can be reclaimed, and curses cast can be broken… When the museum is stormed by masked commandos one night, it isn’t even the weirdest thing to happen. No, she could wrap her head around organized art theft—what defies belief is one of the big gray behemoths springing to life to save her. And that he flies off with her. And when he tucks her into his big body and growls mate. Fans of Lisette Marshall, SL Prater, and the Gargoyles Disney show will love this monster romance novel. Title includes several heavier themes as well as open-door spice.

A lady heir in a world of lords… Aislinn Darrow was never meant to be her father’s heir, but that was before her selfish brother condemned himself. Now, she must give up her old life to take his place. She should be presiding in her father’s council chamber and serving the people of the Darrowlands—yet time and again, she finds herself straying to the castle smithy, to visit the handsome new blacksmith manning the forge. A lady can never claim a monster… Hakon has known all his life his place is in the background. At least at his forge, he can be of use and demonstrate his skills. The life of a halfling is one of halves and pieces, never quite to belong. When he hears of a place that welcomes halflings, he determines to build a new life for himself in the Darrowlands. It is a bittersweet fate to find everything he could ever want there, in a woman he can never have. He knows his green, sooty hands don’t deserve to touch her, but Hakon cannot resist tempting Lady Aislinn back to him, nor indulging in the fantasy of claiming her as his own. But in a world of lords and politics, a lady such as Aislinn could never truly take a halfling like him to mate and wed—especially when her position as a woman lord and usurper leave her and her people vulnerable. When grasping lords threaten the Darrowlands, prepared to take Aislinn’s hand and land through marriage or force, she must choose—the halfling who loves her or the people who need her. Fans of Finnley Fenn, SJM, Grace Draven, and Ruby Dixon will love this fluffy, steamy monster romance story! Check website for content and trigger warnings. Mature content intended for readers 18+. Book 2 stands on its own but will best be enjoyed after Halfling.