In the snowbound streets of 18th-century Paris, destiny stirs in secret. Born beneath omens and raised in silence, Valeriano De La Wien is no ordinary boy. Strange forces bend to his will. Whispers of magic trail in his wake. And now, despite his parents' desperate efforts to shield him, he's ready to discover the truth about the world beyond his gilded prison. But the moment he escapes the manor walls, something ancient takes notice-something dark, relentless, and watching. As old secrets rise and hidden powers awaken, Valeriano must learn who he truly is before the shadows claim him forever. A Remnant stirs. And adventure has only just begun.

When menopause and man-o-pause collide.... He's cute with his new curly red hair, I thought, as one of the guys who worked in the building next door passed me. I was standing outside Vinyl Tap, the business my friend and I owned. Would the Louisiana weather today be as hot as Hades or as cold as my ex? It didn't really matter if the guy was cute. I was in full-blown man-o-pause with a shot of menopause. After an epic series of unfortunate events with relationships, I had declared a ceasefire with any member of the opposite sex that may want to form an alliance. I was cranky from a lack of sleep, the ten pounds I had gained that wouldn't come off, and the random hot flashes that only added more fuel to the menopausal fire. There needed to be a word for where I was, I thought. Menopause? Man-o-Pause? Mean-O-Pause. Maybe that would help me with that pesky problem I had with the hot new neighbor that just moved in... I'm in Mean-O-Pause.