The Waters Of Ryujin (A Global Beasts Book)

Beauty. Betrayal. A love that defies centuries.

Cursed by the Shogun and transformed into a water dragon by the sea god Ryujin, Hanzo Ikeda has guarded the hidden lake for over a century, forgotten, feared, and alone. Bound by magic and grief, his humanity fades with each passing year... until she arrives.

Asuka, the Shogun's youngest daughter, is destined for a marriage of politics and power. But when she strays too close to the forbidden waters, she awakens the creature whispered about in palace legends. Instead of a monster, she finds a man with a sorrowful gaze and a soul as deep as the lake.

Drawn to one another through dreams, secrets, and stolen moments, Asuka and Hanzo must defy the forces that seek to keep them apart. But love alone may not be enough to break the ancient curse, or survive the storm it will unleash.

A lush retelling of Beauty and the Beast set in 1700s Japan, The Waters of Ryujin is a sweeping tale of fate, sacrifice, and the transformative power of love.

Award-winning author Beth A. Freely has been writing all her life, a passion shaped by her upbringing in upstate New York and an influential time living in Great Britain-an experience that continues to inspire her work. Now calling the small village of Hope, New Mexico, home ("Population: 113, if you count our cats."), she has penned more than 10 full-length novels and six novellas, with more in the works. She is currently juggling multiple novels that include a second sci-fi series.Beth's writing career took off in 2003 when she published fanfiction online and won multiple awards. In 2005, she earned 1st Place in the Arche Books Publishing Novel Writing Contest for Women's Fiction with Behind the Eyes of Dorian Gray, and in 2022, her novel Beyond The Steps of Stone won 1st Place in Romance/Science-Fiction and 2nd Place in Science-Fiction/Aliens & Alien Invasion at the Spring BookFest Awards.Armed with a master's in English and Creative Writing, Beth is not only passionate about storytelling but also about mentoring fellow authors. Quick-witted and full of energy, she thrives on engaging interviews and lively discussions. She is a BookFest Bellwether and can be found trading witty banter with her fellow bellwethers during the bi-annual BookFest Awards as well as conducting engaging author interviews. She is also the co-host of the podcast The Book Crew.When she's not writing, she enjoys horseback riding, swimming, reading, and, of course, cuddling her cats.