Welcome to my hub on the web! You’ll find my publications on the BOOKS page; my bio and social media on the ABOUT page; and my BLOG ARCHIVES talk about manga, writing, publishing, and more!
The Darkening Gate
The Darkening Gate
- Book One: The Name and the Key. At 13, Lily Bellamy finds her mother’s body in the marshes. For five years she is haunted by her mother’s corpse in every reflection, begging for Lily to “open the door.” At 18, Lily is reunited with her childhood friend Andresh, who has studied dark magic and alchemy during his time at university. He may know the key to breaking Lily’s curse, but his own secrets may destroy them both. AVAILABLE NOW
- Book Two: The Step and the Walk. In a secret journal, Andresh chronicles his time at university, including his pursuit of alchemy in order to end death once and for all. The first step is the first gate: all you have to do is sacrifice your desire. RELEASING OCTOBER 13. PREORDER EBOOK
- Book Three: The Fear and the Flame. Andresh is a prisoner at Nigredo Gate, a shadow of his former self. Lily, armed with Andresh’s journal and some magic of her own, will do whatever it takes to save her lover, and end the Magnum Opus once and for all. CURRENTLY DRAFTING.
Howdy Book Lovers 👋
My current read…
Humanity’s hunger for resources has sent us where we were never meant to go–down into the crushing dark. The North Pacific International Undersea Station is a submerged labyrinth of labs, mining decks, and narrow living quarters where the sun never reaches.
Muhyeon, a dentist by trade, joins the station expecting routine work, but the eerie silence and the crew’s increasingly unstable behavior quickly prove him wrong. From quirky to unsettling, every encounter makes one truth impossible to ignore: the danger isn’t outside the station–it’s already here.
Now Reading
My current manga…
“You paid for me, you know. Which means you can touch me however you want…” Akito Kanazawa—the burned-out, unappreciated office worker that he is—ain’t exactly livin’ the high life. At least, not until he stumbles upon a petite yokai in need of saving…and is rewarded with a trip to the luxurious brothel for supernaturals known as the House of Mist!
There, he meets Suiren—a bewitching, crow-feathered tengu who serves the House’s many clients, including Akito himself. Bound to the House and spurned as a sinner, Suiren’s never had an easy life. But perhaps a fleeting chance at true love will finally give him the courage to forge his own destiny…
Kristina Elyse Butke 