The new queen of the molten land of Fyre, Mirri Naga, knows the only thing more important than being a good ruler is being a faithful follower of the Origin -- an immortal being who demands obedience or will melt her body from the inside out with the Eternal Flame. But when she rides in the Drakonte Ride that will determine who she marries, she is caught by an unexpected visitor who challenges the nature of her very rule.
Izkander, the green-eyed son of reckless Bakr, isn't too keen on the Eternal Union he unwittingly jumped into, either. Young, free, and wanton, he plans to do everything he can to stay that way. That is until he realizes how much help he can actually be to Fyre.In this forced proximity and slow-burn romance, Mirri and Izkander must learn to reconcile their differences and find a path to freedom before Fyre falls to ruin or Mirri crosses a line the Origin can't tolerate and literally melts in his arms.
In the birthplace of the fierce drakonte, and with a jealous mother-in-law to deal with, the hero and heroine embark on a fantasy adventure that requires fighting an immortal monster, braving an eternal being with a tendency to catch people aflame, riding the infamous Rukh bird, and delving into what is reality and what isn't. Tradition and freedom come to a head in this romantic fantasy novel which pits old ideas against new.

Laya's debut novel "The Lumbermill" won the 2021 Maxy Award for Best Thriller and was a finalist for 2021 IAN Award for Best Debut Novel. She is a member of ITW and AWP and has been featured on national news outlets, including Fox, NBC and The Daily Herald. With a degree in history from the University of Utah, Laya's creative work has always been rooted in the mysteries of the past. She loves connecting with and experiencing other cultures, both past and present, and for her the writing journey always begins with extensive research. Laya loves to travel and has lived in both Tijuana, Mexico and Istanbul, Turkey, though her home will always be Utah's Rocky Mountains. To date she has completed some thirty five novels, several plays and screenplays, and too many short stories to remember. She writes in the genres of fantasy, romance, thriller, horror, and speculative fiction. Other than reading, writing, and learning about the past, she enjoys stand-up comedy, terrible movies, ugly dogs, red wine, stinky cheese, travel, and simply spending time with her friends and family. For more info on Laya's independent work, please visit LayaVSmith.com Kyro Dean has written over 20 novels, including The Baron's Ghost, which can be found on Kindle Vella. In addition to her works for Eight Moons Publishing, she owns and edits for the blog, Vanilla Grass Writing Resources. She loves to speak and present and has shared her knowledge at many conferences. When not writing, she loves spending time with her delightfully curious children and talking with her plants, though they often give terrible advice. Check out her website. Or check her out on social media (Twitter and Instagram): @kyro_dean