Dear Reader,

Release day is always a special day for an author. It's the culmination of tons of work and even more waiting. As much as I anticipate those days, I've rarely looked forward to the release of a book as much as I've looked forward to seeing Living Nightmare hit shelves.

I fell in love with Nika from the first time she appeared on the page, so vulnerable, broken and afraid. And the big brute Madoc with his dying soul, foul mood and even fouler mouth was so much fun to write. While the two of them may appear to be an unlikely couple, Nika's determination to find the sister everyone believes is dead drives her to push Madoc to accept what she knows is true: they belong together and the magic inside of him—the power that's slowly killing him—is hers. She can save him if he'll let her. Madoc, however, fears that if he gives into the lure of that temptation, the people he's sworn to protect will suffer. Especially Nika.

Their struggle is difficult, dark and dangerous. I'm a huge fan of making my heroes suffer, and Madoc is no exception. As a big, strong, sword-wielding warrior, he's used to facing down hordes of snarling demons without breaking a sweat, but when faced with a frail waif of a woman who tempts him to believe the impossible, he wants to flee in terror.

Their path is not easy, and the story is darker than many others I've written, but it only makes their happily ever after that much sweeter. I've had to wait years between the time I created these characters and the time I could share their story with you, and I hope you'll agree with me that their story was worth the wait!

Happy reading!

Shannon K. Butcher