New Covers for my Time Travels – and a Kickstarter

I talked about these new covers a few weeks ago, but have more to show you now. 🙂 The pre-order links are starting to populate at the portals for October delivery, but I have more to share with you about the Kickstarter campaign.

Here are the four new covers together:

Once Upon a Kiss, a time travel romance by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross, new cover
The Moonstone, a time travel romance by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross, new cover
Love Potion #9, a time travel romance by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross, new cover
The Last Highlander, a time travel romance by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross, 2022 edition

For the Kickstarter campaign, each book has a tipsheet that will be added into the front of the book when it’s printed. There’s a matching sticker for each book, which I’ll sign and mail to each backer. You order the book through Kickstarter, the book ships to you directly from the printer, then I mail you the signed bookplate and you place it in your book. This saves a lot of postage cost and also gives you a signature in your book.

Here’s what the page and bookplate for Love Potion #9 looks like:

Tipsheet and signed bookplate for the limited edition of Love Potion #9, coming to Kickstarter in January 2025

This tipsheet is added to the front of the book at the printer and will not appear in the retail edition. Here’s what the other three look like:

tipsheet and bookplate for new edition of Once Upon a Kiss, coming to Kickstarter
tipsheet and bookplate for new edition of The Moonstone, coming to Kickstarter
tipsheet and bookplate for new edition of The Last Highlander, coming to Kickstarter

Because January is Make-100 month at Kickstarter, I’m limiting these new editions to 100 copies of each title. The bookplates and tipsheets won’t be available for the retail editions coming in October.

There’s also a digital bonus for backers of the print editions – a downloadable 78-card Tarot de Marseilles deck to print and color. Here’s the higher arcana of that deck.

Tarot de Marseilles deck available through the Kickstarter campaign for Love Potion #9's new edition, coming in January 2025

Why tarot cards? Lilith, the heroine of Love Potion #9 is a tarot card reader and matchmaker. She’s tired of waiting for her own true love and casts a spell to hurry things along – and there are unexpected consequences, one of which is her tarot card deck developing a mind of its own. Each chapter in the book is governed by one of the cards in the higher arcana.

The Tarot de Marseille is an older tarot deck, one that originated in what is now northern Italy. The images on the cards were woodcuts, which would then be hand-colored. I thought the deck would be familiar to Lilith, who lost her true love in the 15th century in Italy, around the same date of these cards, and that it would be fun to create your own deck.

There is also a limited tier with a vellum overlay of the original cover art for Love Potion #9 by Judy York, so you can have both the old and the new covers. There are only ten of those available, so be quick if you’d like one!

I’ve updated the interiors of the books, too, but we’ll talk about that next week. I’ve ordered proof copies of the new editions and hope I’ll be able to share them with you by then in a video. 🙂

We launch on January 28. Click through to follow the campaign and follow it to be notified at launch.

Kickstarter campaign for the 25th anniversary of Love Potion #9 by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross

2024 in Review

It’s time to have a look at the year that’s finishing up, then peek into the one that’s about to start.

new editions of the Blood Brothers series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, in hard cover and trade paperback, launched at Kickstarter

In 2024, I created new print editions of my Blood Brothers series of medieval romances, in both trade paperback and hard cover, with new illustrations of the couples. I launched those editions with a Kickstarter campaign.

I published three new books this year:

The Stolen Bride, book three of the Brides of Inverfyre series of medieval Scottish romances by Claire Delacroix
The Hellion’s Heart, book four of The Ladies’ Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction series of Regency romances by Claire Delacroix
The Bluestocking's Bargain, book five in The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction Regency romance series by Claire Delacroix

First, I (finally) wrote and published The Stolen Bride, Evangeline and Duncan’s story and book #3 of the Brides of Inverfyre series. That wrapped up my To Write list for Ravensmuir, Inverfyre and Kinfairlie. Will there be more stories set in that world? Probably, but I wanted to get to a good resting point and we’re there now.

I also wrote and published the next two stories in my Regency romance series, The Ladies’ Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction. Both The Hellion’s Heart and The Bluestocking’s Bargain are now available in ebook and print.

I published some translations this year, too.

A Aposta da Viúva is the Portuguese edition of The Widow's Wager, book three of the Regency romance series The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction by Claire Delacroix
O Coração de uma Diabrete is the Portuguese edition of The Hellion's Heart, a Regency romance by Claire Delacroix

The Widow’s Wager and The Hellion’s Heart are now available in Portuguese.

La canaglia is the Italian translation of The Rogue, book one of the Rogues of Ravensmuir series of medieval Scottish romances by Claire Delacroix
Ladro di cuore is the Italian edition of The Scoundrel, book two of the Rogues of Ravensmuir series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix
Il cacciatore e l’ereditiera is the Italian edition of The Hunter & the Heiress, book two of the Blood Brothers series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix
Al mio unico desiderio is the Italian edition of The Stolen Bride, book 3 of the Brides of Inverfyre series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix
Un cuore dall' inferno is the Italian edition of The Hellion's Heart, a Regency romance by Claire Delacroix

The Rogue, The Scoundrel, The Hunter & the Heiress, The Stolen Bride and The Hellion’s Heart are available in Italian. I’ve just received the Italian translation for The Dragon & the Damsel and have that to format and publish, too.

The Wolf & the Witch Spanish edition
El corazón del granuja is the Spanish edition of The Hellion's Heart, a Regency romance by Claire Delacroix

The Wolf & the Witch and The Hellion’s Heart are both available in Spanish.

Die schon Braut, The Beauty Bride book one of the Jewels of Kinfairlie series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix in its German edition
La leggenda della Rosa Rosso, The Rose Red Bride, book two of the Jewels of Kinfairlie series of medieval Scottish romances by Claire Delacroix in Italian
The Beauty Bride, book one of the Jewels of Kinfairlie series of medieval romances by Claire Delacroix, Portuguese edition

I’ve also had the rights to some translations revert to me, so have been making them available in new editions. The Beauty Bride in German was one of those books, and it’s now a free series starter at the portals. The Rose Red Bride in Italian is now available in my edition, as is The Beauty Bride in Portuguese. There are a lot more of these reversions coming in 2025 – once I have all four titles in the Jewels of Kinfairlie series available in any language, I’ll make The Beauty Bride a free read in that language.

Kickstarter campaign for the 25th anniversary of Love Potion #9 by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross

I have a Kickstarter campaign planned for January to launch the new editions of my time travel romances. The featured title in the campaign is Love Potion #9, but all four of those books (originally published under the pseudonym Claire Cross) will be available in special paperback editions in that campaign.

Love Potion #9, a time travel romance by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross, new cover
Once Upon a Kiss, a time travel romance by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross, new cover
The Last Highlander, a time travel romance by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross, 2022 edition

The new versions with these covers will be available from retailers in October. You can get your copy signed at Kickstarter, as well as early, with some fun swag. Follow the campaign here to be notified at launch.

The Duke's Desire, book six in The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction Regency romance series by Claire Delacroix

I also have a Kickstarter campaign in preview for hardcover editions of The Champions of St. Euphemia, which I hope to launch later in 2025. You can follow the campaign here to be notified at launch.

And now, let’s talk about new stories. First up in 2025 will be The Duke’s Desire, the sixth book in my Regency romance series. The pre-order is up at the portals now.

I’m so looking forward to 2025!

New Covers for my Time Travels – and a Kickstarter

Just over two years ago, I decided that my time travels needed new covers. We did the new cover for The Last Highlander, then life happened and the rest of the project was put aside.

This fall, I returned to those details, got in touch with my designer, Elizabeth Mackey, and we finished the project. I’m really excited about these covers and that I can finally show them to you.

The new print editions will be on pre-order for October and the new ebooks will be published in October, too.

Here are the four covers together:

Once Upon a Kiss, a time travel romance by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross, new cover
The Moonstone, a time travel romance by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross, new cover
Love Potion #9, a time travel romance by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross, new cover
The Last Highlander, a time travel romance by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross, 2022 edition

I’ll be running a Kickstarter in January to launch these new editions. You can get your copies early, with a signed bookplate and tipsheet, and with other rewards, too. The Moonstone, Once Upon a Kiss and Love Potion #9 have new interiors, as well. The Kickstarter is for trade paperbacks and ebooks.

We launch on January 28. Click through to follow the campaign and be notified at launch.

Kickstarter campaign for the 25th anniversary of Love Potion #9 by Claire Delacroix writing as Claire Cross

The Duke’s Desire in the EU

Apple is changing their policies as of February 2025 regarding books published to the EU. The existing Apple link won’t work in the EU after that date. That means orders on the link I created first won’t be delivered to readers in the EU. 😦

I’ve created a new link for The Duke’s Desire for Apple for the EU – that means there are two Apple links, but you’ll only be able to see one of them, wherever you are.

If you are in the EU, please use this Apple link to pre-order The Duke’s Desire.

This means, of course, that my books that don’t have this specific EU link will be unavailable to be purchased new beginning in February in the EU store. I’m building duplicate listings and the other titles in the Ladies’ Essential Guide are up first. I’ll share those links with you when they’re lilve.


The Duke's Desire, book six in The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction Regency romance series by Claire Delacroix

Esmeralda Ballantyne is the most successful courtesan in London, a woman envied by many and a mystery to all. When her past threatens the future of her younger sister, she finds an unexpected champion in the Duke of Haynesdale, a gentleman driven by his honor to intervene on her behalf, despite his disapproval of her trade. Does she dare to trust her newfound protector with her truth, or is the duke—like so many men of her acquaintance—interested in only one kind of compensation from her? As much as she refuses to surrender to any man, Esmeralda fears her impulse will lead her astray…will the price of capitulation be her fiercely defended independence or her heart?

Damien deVries, the Duke of Haynesdale, abandoned his rakehell ways when his father bought his commission, and the injury he sustained is a permanent reminder of his wasteful youth. The youngest of three sons, he never expected to inherit the duchy, and finds himself discontent, burdened by responsibilities and—according to his mother—past due to wed and provide an heir. The difficulty is that the only woman of interest is the forbidden beauty, Miss Ballantyne. There could not be a less inappropriate choice for his duchess, but no other woman tempts him to abandon convention and return to his wicked ways again.

Drawn together by an irresistible desire, duke and courtesan agree to a short affair. But their need for each other proves so insatiable that it cannot be denied. Does Damien dare to surrender his heart to a woman like Esmeralda? Can Esmeralda trust any man fully and give Damien his deepest desire? There is one last secret she holds that will either draw them together or drive them apart forever—when she finally shares it, can they put the betrayals of the past behind and forge a future on their own terms?

Coming in May 2025

Pre-order available at some portals:

Pre-Order The Duke’s Desire

Esmeralda and the duke’s story is coming next May, and the pre-order links are up now!

The romance between the Duke of Haynesdale and Esmeralda Ballantyne was planned to be a sub-plot that carried through the entire series. By book four (The Hellion’s Heart) it became clear to me that these two needed their own book and I planned for this release. Some of the scenes in this book appear in earlier books in the series. They may be shorter or told from another point-of-view. This book includes more scenes and more detail about these two. It will be published as book six in the series so that there are no spoilers in the other books of the series—The Duke’s Desire will fill in all the gaps.


The Duke's Desire, book six in The Ladies' Essential Guide to the Art of Seduction Regency romance series by Claire Delacroix

Esmeralda Ballantyne is the most successful courtesan in London, a woman envied by many and a mystery to all. When her past threatens the future of her younger sister, she finds an unexpected champion in the Duke of Haynesdale, a gentleman driven by his honor to intervene on her behalf, despite his disapproval of her trade. Does she dare to trust her newfound protector with her truth, or is the duke—like so many men of her acquaintance—interested in only one kind of compensation from her? As much as she refuses to surrender to any man, Esmeralda fears her impulse will lead her astray…will the price of capitulation be her fiercely defended independence or her heart?

Damien deVries, the Duke of Haynesdale, abandoned his rakehell ways when his father bought his commission, and the injury he sustained is a permanent reminder of his wasteful youth. The youngest of three sons, he never expected to inherit the duchy, and finds himself discontent, burdened by responsibilities and—according to his mother—past due to wed and provide an heir. The difficulty is that the only woman of interest is the forbidden beauty, Miss Ballantyne. There could not be a less inappropriate choice for his duchess, but no other woman tempts him to abandon convention and return to his wicked ways again.

Drawn together by an irresistible desire, duke and courtesan agree to a short affair. But their need for each other proves so insatiable that it cannot be denied. Does Damien dare to surrender his heart to a woman like Esmeralda? Can Esmeralda trust any man fully and give Damien his deepest desire? There is one last secret she holds that will either draw them together or drive them apart forever—when she finally shares it, can they put the betrayals of the past behind and forge a future on their own terms?

Coming in May 2025

Pre-order available at some portals: