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The Courtesan's Eye
The Winter Lily Series: Book I
Release Date: July 8, 2025
Subgenre(s): Dark Epic Fantasy
Trope: Moral Ambiguity, Gods & Deities
Spice: Three
A courtesan-spy on the hunt for a killer.
Cordè is an agent of allure, trained to pull secrets from even the stiffest of lips. But when a prestigious assignment ends in a shocking death, she'll have to navigate her city's shadowy underbelly to find the culprit.
A cursed priest desperate for redemption.
Aelus is a holy warrior, devout in his faith, plagued by his own complicated lineage. Given one last chance to prove himself, he's sent to unravel the plot threatening his order -a mission that puts him in Cordè's employ.
A conspiracy so deep, everyone's a suspect.
Aelus's uptight personality and austere lifestyle clash with Cordè's free-spirited world of parties and indulgence, creating friction that breeds suspicion. However, they must put their animosity aside when they discover a bigger threat lurking beneath the streets-one that's stolen the power of the gods themselves. As the bodies pile up, Cordè and Aelus will be forced to choose: trust each other, or let the city burn.
Meet the Kate & J.C.
Kate Hyers studied television, film, and writing at Syracuse University's S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications. Her career in communications has spanned numerous fields, from journalism to politics to international retail, but the one consistent thread has been writing. Kate is an out-and-proud member of the LGBTQ+ community, and she’s been told she has major golden retriever energy.
Jessica Cornelius Smith, writing as J.C. Smith, received a master's degree in Applied Clinical Psychology from Penn State University. Her career in mental health involves advocating for children and adolescents from marginalized communities, with an emphasis on trauma. When not writing, Jess is either serenading her dogs with songs from Hamilton, or cursing at her Playstation in Sindarin.
