Step through the Circle and never be the same!
Once there was only one world, but now there are three. Some say that the splitting of the worlds caused a rift from which the universe may never recover. Find out for yourself by entering a land where science and magic intermingle, and
the line between dream and reality disappears. Chaos seeps ever closer to the center.
Welcome, friends, to Aorea.
Destined (Circle, Book 1)
Mari, Gren, and Hal were making the most of the last summer before their senior year. But then Mari met Laria, and the entire world changed. With only a few half-remembered dreams to guide her, Mari leads the group on a quest across unknown lands in a desperate race against the clock. They encounter allies and enemies along the way, including a group of jealous leshii, several ticked off deities, and a dragon whose dinner they inadvertently stole. If they do not reach the sanctuary in time, chaos threatens not only Aorea, but also the world they abandoned: Earth.
Bound (a novella from Aorea) Now available as an audiobook!
This short novella takes place in between the first book in the Circle series, Destined, and the second, Hidden. Two years after Destined left off, Mari, Gren, and Ruv return to Aorea to pay a debt. However, their plans quickly go awry, and they find themselves caught up in yet another adventure. Join the trio as they shapeshift their way through magical forests, challenge a trickster to a battle of wits, and meet a pair of siblings who could either become powerful new allies or deadly enemies. Find out what happens in the thrilling adventures of Bound.
Hidden (Circle, Book 2)
An unknown shadow brews in the west, clouded from the Spinner's sight. Laria calls the Destined back to Aorea to find and face the darkness she cannot see. Join Mari, Gren, Ruv, and their newest friends as they hunt down the source of the shadow across inhospitable lands, where no one has tread for eons...or at least, so they think. As they uncover Aorea's oldest, most well-kept secrets, they begin to wonder if some truths are better left forgotten.
Follow the blog for updates on and excerpts from the next novella:
Frosted (A novella from Aorea)
A few months after Hidden leaves off, the fearless trio head to Pendra, the frozen country located at Aorea's north pole, at the summons of Pendra's reigning Prophet: Cassandra XIV.
Anticipated Release: By the end of 2021
What readers are saying about the Circle series
Hidden is a wildly entertaining epic adventure novel that keeps you hooked to its pages with its colorful characters, intricate storytelling, and stupendous worldbuilding.
I didn't want it to end! The author has a way of adding details that make you feel like you're in the story sharing space with the characters. I would highly recommend this novella to anyone who's looking for a quick adventure.
Readers' Favorite Magazine, on Hidden
Laura B., on Bound
A wonderful new book in the syfy world!
I loved all of the characters and every second of the book; I cannot wait for the next book. It was so enjoyable and surprising. Melissa is amazingly talented!!!
Haleigh T., on Destined
Where the series is headed, straight from the author:
The Circle series will contain five novels total. In between each full-length novel, there will also be a novella and a short story. These supplemental stories can be read as standalone adventures that take place in the world of Aorea, but also as continuations of the main canon from the novels. The supplemental stories add to the overarching storyline of the Circle series, sometimes introducing new characters and sometimes just including fun little side-adventures for our main heroes (and sometimes featuring everyone's favorite supporting characters, like the wolf pack). These stories will only exist in digital form until the series is complete. Novellas will be published as e-books, and the short stories will be not only illustrated, but released (for free!) in installments right here on the main website--all you'll have to do is follow the blog or subscribe to my emailing list! Once the series is written in its entirety, every single supplementary story--that's four novellas and another four illustrated short stories--will be released in one convenient paperback.
Because I remain the queen of organization and planning, I already have every novel, novella, and short story laid out, so rest assured: the hard part of the writing process (i.e. mapping the plot) is already complete. All that remains, of course, is the writing...
Although it took over ten years to write the first novel Destined and five years to complete Hidden, I am now able to devote far more of my time to writing than was previously possible (gotta pay those bills, after all). Thus, going forward you can expect a significantly shorter wait in between story installments!
Maps of Aorea
Nomansland
Nomansland, located in the north eastern hemisphere of Aorea, is the primary setting in Destined and hosts several other adventures, at least in part, throughout the series. Nomansland earned its name by being home to a wide array of Aorea's many sentient species, who--apart from the cold-blooded freesians, of course--enjoy the mostly temperate climate. From the Birch Forest in the south (where the leshii reside) to the mostly evrae-populated Alpines in the north, Nomansland has a little bit of everything for everyone.
Faerie
Faerie, located in the south eastern hemisphere, first appears as a setting in the novella Bound. Faerie is the original home of the niethera, one of Aorea's eldest sentient species, as well as the mischievous pixies. Thus, many nietheran groves and pixie colonies still pepper the rainforests of Faerie. Its changeable landscape (after all, it is also the source of the myths of the Fae on Earth--at least in the Circle series, that is) also makes Faerie a prime home for tricksters...such as Kutkah.
Dahrigek
Dahrigek is in the southwestern hemisphere of Aorea, and apart from a few pixie colonies in the forests by the northern border, it remains largely unpopulated due to its harsh climate. Although the far southern part of Dahrigek is perfectly habitable, no one seems to want to travel through hundreds of miles of empty desert to reach to such an isolated location. Nonetheless, you'll be seeing more of Dahrigek in the future!
Pendra
Pendra is the continent located at Aorea's north pole. It is the original home of the freesians, another of Aorea's eldest sentient species. As a land of perpetual ice and snow, Pendra is inhospitable at best for all but the freesians themselves during the winter months, and even at the height of summer, few wish to brave the cold to witness the bleak beauty of the north.