Tag Archives: paranormal romance

The Darkness Series

05 Sunday Oct 2025

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In the shadows of a fractured world, a covert government agency—the Blue Book Task Force—joins forces with The Shedu, a secretive vampire order bound by an ancient oath never to kill. Led by the enigmatic and morally unyielding Surratt, The Shedu and BBTF hunt rogue vampires who’ve surrendered to the virus’s darker instincts, threatening humanity’s fragile grip on safety.

At the heart of the series are the Utukku—vampires desperate to reclaim their humanity through experimental antivirals engineered by Dr. Megan Harper, a mortal scientist whose personal tragedy fuels her mission. Married to a vampire and haunted by her sister’s death from xeroderma pigmentosum, Megan’s research offers a sliver of hope: a cure that allows vampires to feel again, to love again. But the cost may be devastating.

Opposing them are the Ekimmu, bloodthirsty predators determined to crush the Shedu, the BBTF, and any Utukku or mortal who dares defy the darkness. As ancient loyalties fracture and forbidden love ignites, the battle for redemption becomes a war for the soul—where light and immortality collide, and every choice could mean salvation… or ruin.

Out of the Darkness, Book 1 in the Darkness Series

Release date: May 27, 2025

Her research could cure his dark hunger if a covert government agent doesn’t get to her first.

Vincent Maxwell is a vampire with a conscience seeking a cure for his dark hunger. But when a scientist looking to create vampire soldiers captures and kills a fellow vampire, Vincent seeks out Dr. Megan Harper, a research scientist who discovered a link between a genetic light sensitivity disorder and vampirism. Dr. Harper could hold a key to a cure and the answers to Gerard’s death. But getting close to the beautiful scientist could endanger both their lives.

When Megan meets Vincent she believes he suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum, the genetic disease that killed her sister. Sensing a deep loneliness within the handsome man, she offers friendship and access to her research files. But she and Vincent soon become more than friends and Megan learns the horrifying truth. She’s entered the dark and unseen world of vampires and Vincent is her only hope of survival.

Embrace the Darkness, Book 2 in the Darkness Series

Release date: October 31, 2025

An experimental vaccine gives vampire Gerard Delaroache hope for the first time in two centuries—until two people are brutally murdered, and he suspects a conspiracy between vampires and mortals. To solve the crime, he must put his trust in a beautiful detective. But is former soldier and MP turned detective, Amber Buckley, a threat to his existence? Or the answer to his prayers?

Amber Buckley and her partner are assigned to do follow up interviews in the Lifeblood of America slayings. Amber believes she and Reid are just new eyes on a cold case.  That is until she meets Gerard Delaroache. Something about him teases long-buried memories Amber would rather not chase. However, the two join together, falling into more than resolution of a murder case. It seems Amber has some dark secrets of her own.

 To find their way into the light, Amber and Gerard must first EMBRACE THE DARKNESS.

Rising Darkness Book 3 in the Darkness Series

Release date: Spring or Summer 2026

Axle Travers thought escaping his past meant starting over. Reunited with his estranged father and working security at Lifeblood of America, he never expected the biotech giant to be run by vampires—or to become one himself.

Kidnapped and transformed by a rogue military doctor, Axle survives thanks to a radical vaccine that grants him supernatural abilities without the curse. But survival comes at a price: betrayal, loss, and a life forever altered.

Now running a private investigation firm in Asheville, Axle takes on a case for Haley Conners. Reeling from a failed marriage, Haley has returned home to care for her dying mother and rebuild her life. But when a stalker the police can’t stop circles closer, she turns to Axle for help—and their rekindled connection sparks something deeper. But Haley’s stalker is no longer human, and the truth behind his transformation threatens everything.

As danger closes in, Axle faces an impossible choice: protect Haley by hiding the truth—or risk everything by revealing it.  In a world teetering on the Edge of Darkness where monsters wear human faces, the greatest danger may be the one he’s trying hardest to deny.

There’s no book cover yet for book three, but here’s an AI generated image I’m using to visualize my characters.

My First Editorial Review for Out of the Darkness

14 Monday Jul 2025

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So pleased with my first editorial review of the second edition of Out of the Darkness.

Out of the Darkness

Jul 13

Posted by Literary Titan

Lilly Gayle’s Out of the Darkness blends paranormal romance with medical intrigue, delivering a story that’s both heart-thumping and heart-wrenching. The novel follows Dr. Megan Harper, a biochemist who returns to her hometown to regroup after leaving a high-pressure research job. There, she meets Vincent Maxwell, a mysterious and charismatic stranger with a genetic condition eerily similar to her late sister’s rare disorder, xeroderma pigmentosum. But Vincent hides a deeper secret. He’s a centuries-old vampire seeking not just survival, but redemption. As their lives entwine, science, myth, love, and danger swirl together in a tale of redemption, betrayal, and desire.

To put it bluntly, I got hooked. The way Gayle wove together emotion, science, and sensuality felt fresh. There’s a pulse to her writing that makes even the quiet scenes feel alive. I liked Megan from the jump. She’s brilliant, damaged, and still trying her best. Vincent, on the other hand, is this perfect mix of stoic and smoldering, and watching his emotional thaw unfold gave me chills. I felt genuine tension in their encounters. Sometimes sexual, sometimes just raw and emotional. Their chemistry is off the charts, but it’s the emotional stakes that stuck with me.

There were moments when the dialogue leaned a little too melodramatic for my taste, and a few plot developments felt more convenient. But honestly, I didn’t care much. I was too wrapped up in the push-and-pull between science and the supernatural, the hope for healing, the hurt of loss, and the chance at love. Gayle’s writing isn’t flashy, but it’s emotionally tuned in, which kept me locked in even when the plot veered into familiar territory.

If you’re into moody, brooding vampires and smart heroines with big hearts and haunted pasts, Out of the Darkness is absolutely worth your time. It’s perfect for fans of paranormal romance who crave character depth along with the fangs and fantasy. This book had me feeling things I didn’t expect, grief, longing, excitement, and I’d recommend it to anyone who wants a vampire story that’s more soul than spectacle.

Out of the Darkness

New Release of an Old Book

31 Saturday May 2025

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I’m writing again, after a long, unplanned hiatus. I finally finished the revisions on my updated edition of Out of the Darkness, Book One in my Darkness Series. The official release date is June 23, 2025, but the ebook is already available on Amazon.

ASIN B0FB48PMQP

If you’ve previously read Out of the Darkness, the second edition has been updated and includes a one page preview of the sequel, Embrace the Darkness. I hope to release a second edition of the second book in the series, Embrace the Darkness in September. I’ve also almost completed the third and fourth books in the series, Edge of Darkness and Shadows in Darkness along with a novella, Darkness Origins and then the final book in the series, Shadow of the Shedu.

From now until June 23, I will be giving away digital copies of Out of the Darkness to anyone who requests a copy. My only request is that you kindly leave a review on Amazon when you finish the book.

Let me know what you think.

Out of the Darkness– a paranormal vampire romance.

Her research could cure his dark hunger if a covert government agent doesn’t get to her first.

Vincent Maxwell is a vampire with a conscience seeking a cure for his dark hunger. But when a scientist looking to create vampire soldiers captures and kills a fellow vampire, Vincent seeks out Dr. Megan Harper, a research scientist who discovered a link between a genetic light sensitivity disorder and vampirism. Dr. Harper could hold a key to a cure and the answers to Gerard’s death. But getting close to the beautiful scientist could endanger both their lives.

When Megan meets Vincent she believes he suffers from xeroderma pigmentosum, the genetic disease that killed her sister. Sensing a deep loneliness within the handsome man, she offers friendship and access to her research files. But she and Vincent soon become more than friends and Megan learns the horrifying truth. She’s entered the dark and unseen world of vampires and Vincent is her only hope of survival.

Another Time: A Unique Time Travel Romance From Donna Steele

24 Friday Mar 2017

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I love time travels. Usually, either the hero or the heroine goes back in time or travels forward in time. But in Donna Steele’s Another Time, both the hero and heroine travel back in time. This allows for more interaction and less introspection so they come to the realization that time travel is real much sooner. Naturally, they have their moments of doubt, but rather than read what the character is thinking, Dee and Dusty discuss what’s happened to them and we get to see how they respond to the situation as well as how they respond to one another.

Another Time is a spicy romance with an eco message that doesn’t bash you on the head but instead, makes you reflect on how the world might have turned out differently.

What if the big oil companies had never gained footing in America? What if there’d been more exploration into solar, wind, and water power? What if we’d never invented one use products but instead, had invested time and energy into renewable resources?

Filled with humor and bits of interesting historic and scientific details, this is one of the most unique and fun time travel romances I’ve ever read. I’m looking forward to the next book in The Guardians of Now series.

Blurb:

When Dusty Williams walks into a strange bar to contemplate the ruination of his career, the last thing he expects to find is a compelling woman. He’s not even in the mood for a one-night stand. He just wants to escape from all humanity.

Dee Stevens can’t believe she’s in a bar at all. She’s just lost two patients due to drunk driving. Whatever could have drawn her into a strange bar tonight, of all times?

When the two meet, and they feel an odd vibration that seems to pull them together, they have no idea what’s ahead, or behind, them . . . and what it can mean for mankind.

Excerpt:

Her eyebrow rose but she didn’t push away his hand as his finger traced the
stitching of her jeans along her outer thigh.
“Tell me about this trip.” She glanced over at him.
“I’d rather talk about when I get back.”
“We can do that too. Tell me what kind of meeting you’re attending.”
“We have a contract with a firm in Denver for a solar farm. It’s experimental and I’ve
incorporated some new designs. They can’t seem to follow my directions. My supervisor is going along to ensure I don’t call them morons to their faces and screw up the deal.”
“Would you do that?”
“Not on purpose, but my feelings might leak out the side.”
“You don’t accept mediocrity.”
He shrugged. “I never thought about it that way. I mean, the designs are written out.
If they follow the directions . . .”
“Is the information in words of one syllable? Maybe they don’t have anyone as good
as you at their end.”
The discomfort the topic had started vanished. “Thanks. Like I told you last night,
I’m not good with people. Leave me alone to work and I do great.”
“Last night with me was on the great side.”
“You’re the exception proving the rule. Besides, no one else gives me the buzz you
do.”
She laughed out loud. “What is that, anyway? You’re right. I’ve never felt anything
like it before.”
“No clue, but I’m damn grateful. I haven’t been this non-stressed since I can
remember.”
“Don’t tell me you aren’t good with people. That didn’t even sound like a line.”
“Because it wasn’t. Intellectually I’m aware I don’t know you, yet . . .”
She nodded, her eyes on the road. “I agree.”
That’s when the world turned upside down.

Purchase Another Time on Amazon!

About the Author:

Donna Steele writes science fiction, paranormal romance novels, and small
town romance novels, often with an eco-twist.  You can visit her on her blog.

 

My Review of Donna Steele’s Contemporary Romance, Before You

09 Friday Sep 2016

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Blurb:

When Jocelyn decides to take a two-week vacation away from the chaos of the city and work, she expects to just relax and enjoy. Instead, after taking an impromptu exit off the highway the car quits and she’s stuck in some Podunk town in nowhere North Carolina. But the scenery is great – especially the guy who tows in her car.

Noah is helping his cousin out for the afternoon at the garage and is more than pleasantly surprised when the city girl shows up needing help.

Neither can foresee what drew her to that exit or what they will uncover trying to discover what has frightened her so. But they will do it, together.

“Mystery and romance collide in this fast-paced read filled with wonderful secondary characters and a touch of the paranormal. One of Steele’s best.”

I had the pleasure of reading a rough draft of this novel and fell in love with the characters and the story. The published version, which I purchased on Amazon, is even better. The characters are fully developed, and the secondary characters add depth without taking over. Although, I must confess, I’d love to see Moe get his own story.

As with any story, there is a backstory, and Steele flawlessly tells it without narration or dumping the info on the reader all at once. As the mystery unfolds, the reader learns the truth along with Noah and Jocelyn, and there’s just enough of the paranormal to cause goose bumps.

Before You is available through Amazon and most on-line retailers.

About the Author:

 

Donna Steele is an author of science fiction and paranormal romance novels and small town romance novels, often with an eco-twist.

You can get to know more about her and her wonderful stories by visiting her at Steele Stories.