Summer Time Seasonal Reads 2026: Cross the Threshold into Adventure

The days are longer. The nights are warm. And somewhere between the pool float and the last slice of watermelon, there's a book waiting to pull you into another world.

Welcome to Summer Time Seasonal Reads — Undawnted's summer reading program, running June 1st through August 31st. If Spring Dreams was Act I of the Hero's Journey (the Beginning of the Adventure), Summer Time is Act II: Crossing the Threshold. This is the season where the ordinary world falls away, the mentor appears, and the real adventure begins.

Whether you're looking for werewolves, spellcasters, saints, or desert-soaked poetry, here's your guide to what's waiting for you this summer.

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Fiction

Novels

A Known Wolf — Book I of The FellNon potes effugere praeteritum. You cannot escape the past. Urban explorer Morgan Middleton lives an exciting, solitary life — until a chance encounter with a stranger sets her on a collision course with two estranged brothers, a security chief, and a ferocious wolf spirit that will not stop until it's appeased. Part of Undawnted's Exclusive Legacy Universe.

Immortal Spellcaster Kaitlin Rose Lane doesn't officially exist — at least not on paper. When a girl goes missing at a local campground, her mentor, Sheriff Robert Zilenski, calls in the best tracker he knows. Between a federal taskforce, department politics, and calls from the other side, Kaitlin has to figure out who she can trust before she can find out who — and what — she really is.

Saint (Extended Trilogy Edition) Eavanlee Lewis discovers she comes from a supernatural line of Saints — and nothing about her life will ever be ordinary again.

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Novelettes

Saint in the Big Easy What happens when you discover the only person who can save you is you?

Saint in Communion Communion is more than a destination — it's a Saint's only refuge.

Saint in the Devil You Know When clergy and demons work for the same team, it's always the devil you know.

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Short Stories

The Story of Excalibur Where did the sword come from? Discover the legend behind the legend.

The Initiation Eliza Chisum volunteers to reorient the space-time continuum and save her family — set in the world of The Reality Hackers.

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Lyrical Prose

The Jonah Collector Don't be the weakest link.

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Poetry

Chapbooks

Effloresce Escape into poetry with this dynamic chapbook exploring nature's volatility.

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Long Form Poetry

The Rain: Monsoon in the Desert Immerse yourself in the desert Southwest in this folk narrative — a perfect companion for a warm night on the porch.

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Special Editions

Legendary, Summer Time First chapters and other writings — a sampler for readers who want a taste of what's ahead before diving in.

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Why Summer Time?

Every Undawnted reading season maps onto a stage of the Hero's Journey. Summer Time is about crossing the threshold — that moment when a character (and a reader) leaves the world they know and steps into the unknown, guided by a mentor who shows them the way. It's fitting territory for stories about mentors, hidden lineages, and characters discovering they're capable of more than they ever realized.

Grab a cold drink, find some shade, and start your adventure. Full details on all Undawnted seasonal reading programs — Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter — can be found on the Summer Time Seasonal Reads page.

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Looking for more? Check out Autumn Cider Season Reads, Winter Frost Seasonal Reads, and Spring Dreams Seasonal Reads to plan your reading year around Undawnted.

March Madness Quarantine Special: Saint in the Big Easy is Free for a Limited Time

As part of Undawnted's March Madness Quarantine Special, enjoy a free PDF copy of Saint in the Big Easy until Saturday night.

What is the novelette about?

After a relationship breakup, Eavanlee Zilpha Lewis finds herself wandering in the Saint Louis Cemetery No. 1 in New Orleans. In the evening, she makes a wish on Marie Laveau's tomb. Will she, will she not... find love?

Little did Eavanlee (ˈē-vən-lē) know that her answer lies in the adventure of the heart and soul. A dark, mysterious stranger leads her on a journey past her preconceived notions and straight into the heart of the matter.

Eavanlee did not need the help of spirits, she was born a Saint.

What happens when you discover the only person who can save you is you?

*****
Learn more on Saint's dedicated page. Download your copy free from Lulu until Saturday evening.  Remember, to please leave a review.

Have a great and wonderful day! 

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*Update: all workshops and special engagements have now been concluded, and new projects are now under Undawnted's Substack.

A writer at heart, Undawnted's own creative spark, DL Mullan, began writing short stories and poetry before adolescence. Over the years, Ms. Mullan has showcased her literary talents by self-publishing several collections of her poetry. She also writes novels, designs apparel, and creates digital art. Ms. Mullan‘s creative writing is available in digital and print collections, from academia to commercial anthologies. As an independent publisher, she produces her own book cover designs as well as maintains her own websites. She is an award-winning digital artist and poet. This year, DL Mullan has begun sharing her knowledge via A Novelist Idea Newsletter. If you too want to become a Fearless Phile, then subscribe to her newsletter on Substack.

Her innovative style teaches writers how to reach their creative potential, and write more effectively.

Learn. Grow. Master… with Undawnted.

Winter Frost Novel of the Season: Nocturnal Redemption In the Eye of the Beholder

Want a great read for sitting by the fireplace? Then pick up the Nocturnal Redemption paranormal romance saga. 

When Ryan is attacked by werewolves, she is rescued by the hidden Regent of the Vampire Nation, Jeremy Hampton. This event sets a domino effect in motion that Jeremy's adversary could not foresee. The future of the vampires lies on a knife’s edge: matters of the heart.

Could the love that betrayed the gypsy witches into cursing the vampires three hundred years ago be the one thing to end their immortal suffering and bring peace between these two ancient factions?

Love is always In the Eye of the Beholder.



Read more on Nocturnal Redemption's page.

Or, buy your own copy: 

Nocturnal Redemption: In The Eye of the Beholder (PDF)


*****
Critical Acclaim from Readers:

"A lively yet very believable protagonist, entertaining dialogue and then the introduction of an enigmatic hero who may or may not still have the air of humanity about him."

"Great dialogue."

"It all makes for a good combination... Very enjoyable stuff."

Steampunk, Paranormal Romance, and the Age of Alternative History

Awesome.

That is a load of words to say isn't it? I had been reading up on how to write the genre because I have a half done historical novel waiting for a great plot twist. 

My novel is more like a Paranormal Romance slash Historical novel, but I wanted to update it. 

Low and behold, Steampunk incorporates the supernatural. I can do that.

It is an exciting way to revive an old story and it has opened my mind to possibilities. So much so that the new concept has broadened my understanding of  Blood Oath, Blood War. 

And, that's how creativity works. 

One creative epiphany leads to another. So Steampunk can revitalize a historical romance and set in motion more crime-drama in my vampire novel. 

That is why I love writing. You wake up with doubt and leave with hope. 

Have a great and wonderfully spooky day!