Earth. A world quarantined since its discovery by the Far-Reachers of Jota’s history. And where the fortunes of slavers and chemists have been made ever since. It was to Earth that Kanetus E’Var, the son of Jota’s most ruthless slaver, escaped to make Vahst, a powerful drug manufactured from the human brain. And it was to Earth that Tagen Pahnee, Fourth-ranking officer of the Jotan Off-World Security Fleet, was sent to bring the criminal back to justice. Neither of them could have anticipated that at that moment, E’Var’s hunting grounds were experiencing the worst heat wave in years, triggering the Jotan breeding cycle in both males. Home is not an option for either of them. Both are determined to find a way to work on this hostile planet, surrounded by humans, surrounded by dangers, surrounded by Heat. Adult readers only, due to graphic gore, violence, and explicit sexual situations.
Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Blushingbooks.com $6.50
Read a FREE excerpt on Goodreads HERE.
THE LORDS OF ARCADIA SERIES:
Taryn MacTavish found the egg in a pile of wet leaves on a camping trip when she was only nine years old. A nine-year old believes in a lot of things–killer snipes, flying dragons, magical powers and fantastic worlds–but the woman that Taryn has become is firmly rooted in the real world…until the egg she has safely kept all these years hatches into a baby griffin. Now she must make a choice: Abandon Aisling and lead a normal life, or follow a mysterious singing gypsy out of Earth and into Arcadia, where wizardry is very real and each new day brings unimaginable new dangers.
The first installment of R. Lee Smith’s Lords of Arcadia series, THE CARE AND FEEDING OF GRIFFINS raises the genre of erotica to a whole new level. Richly-styled and filled with Smith’s defining blend of horror and humor, Griffins tells a fast-paced suspenseful story that takes the reader right to the edge of the darkest thrills.
Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Blushingbooks.com $6.50
Read a FREE excerpt on Goodreads HERE.
Since coming to the world of Arcadia to raise her baby griffin, Taryn MacTavish has had to overcome a lot of difficulties, but she’s finally beginning to feel welcome. She’s settled into her small camp in the Valley of Hoof and Horn, she’s earned the trust (and perhaps more) of the Cerosan lord who rules it, she’s been adopted by the mystical Morathi of kraal-Rucombe, and best of all, she’s made friends with the lonely magus who lives by the lake nearby…but her new friend is not what he seems. The mysterious man who has such an eerie, unshakeable grip on her thoughts is no man at all, but a merciless and ancient evil that hungers for her mind and lusts for her flesh.
THE WIZARD IN THE WOODS is the second exciting chapter of R. Lee Smith’s ground-breaking erotic series, Lords of Arcadia. Enter a dark world of fantasy and desire in a compelling story of good and evil as told by a master erotic storyteller.
Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Blushingbooks.com $6.50
Read a FREE excerpt on Goodreads HERE.
The wizard is dead and there is peace in the Valley, but peace doesn’t necessarily mean that life gets easier. As summer drags on, Taryn MacTavish must find a way to cope with the inevitable changes peace has brought: Her baby griffin is growing up, the Dragon-born Pathfinders have opened the Roads between Arcadia and Earth, the long-exiled Cerosan are returning to their homeland, and Antilles, lord of the Valley of Hoof and Horn, has defied all tradition and asked Taryn to marry him, but perhaps the greatest change is the one growing under her own heart—the child conceived by the wizard’s mark.
But while Taryn’s new family on Arcadia and her old family from Earth come together in celebration, a new shadow grows, an ancient evil which sends Taryn alone into strange new lands on an impossible quest from which there may well be no return.
R. Lee Smith’s powerhouse erotic series, Lords of Arcadia, continues a dark vision of fantasy and sensual suspense that grips the reader from the first page and doesn’t let go. Fans of Smith’s provocative style will not be disappointed by this return to Arcadia, where life and death, sex and savagery, are often waypoints on THE ROADS OF TARYN MACTAVISH.
Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Blushingbooks.com $6.50
Read a FREE excerpt on Goodreads HERE.
Something has come to Arcadia, something that moves unseen through the thin places in the Valley of Hoof and Horn—an unstoppable army from Earth led by a deathless wizard intent upon conquest and devastation. Now Taryn MacTavish and her sister must convince old enemies to unite against a greater threat than they ever known, and the ancient evil whose terrible love may mean the end of Arcadia…and all the unsuspecting Realms beyond.
R. Lee Smith’s unforgettable erotic epic, Lords of Arcadia, concludes in the fourth volume of the thrilling series, THE ARMY OF MAB.
Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Blushingbooks.com $6.50
Read a FREE excerpt on Goodreads HERE.
Olivia Blake has been taken. Out of the bed where she slept. Out of the nice, safe apartment filled with all her ordinary things. Out of the quiet, Northwestern town where no monsters could possibly exist. Out of her whole human world.
But the worst thing about monsters is, they don’t always want to kill you. Sometimes, they want to keep you.
OLIVIA is the uncut, uncensored edition of R. Lee Smith’s first full-length erotic horror novel—the tale of one young woman’s descent into a dark, savage new world she must not only embrace, but ultimately fight to save.
Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Blushingbooks.com $6.50
Read a FREE excerpt on Goodreads HERE.
For centuries, there has been a legend of a hidden school where magic is taught by the demons who dwell there to anyone who seeks them out, but they ask a terrible price: Anyone who reaches the door of the Scholomance may enter, but the Devil takes every tenth student who tries to leave.
A hidden school. Demonic masters. An inescapable fate for one out of every ten graduates. But Connie would do anything to have the magic her best friend was born with.
And Mara would do anything to get Connie back.
Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Blushingbooks.com $6.50
Read a FREE excerpt on Goodreads HERE.
They never meant to come to Earth. They were never allowed to leave…
Welcome to Cottonwood.
Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Blushingbooks.com $6.50
Read a FREE excerpt on Goodreads HERE.
It was her last chance
Amber Bierce had nothing left except her sister and two tickets on Earth’s first colony-ship. She entered her Sleeper with a five-year contract and the promise of a better life, but awakened in wreckage on an unknown world. For the survivors, there is no rescue, no way home and no hope until they are found by Meoraq—a holy warrior more deadly than any hungering beast on this hostile new world…but whose eyes show a different sort of hunger when he looks at her.
It was his last year of freedom
Uyane Meoraq is a Sword of Sheul, God’s own instrument of judgment, victor of hundreds of trials, with a conqueror’s rights over all men. Or at least he was until his father’s death. Now, without divine intervention, he will be forced to assume stewardship over House Uyane and lose the life he has always known. At the legendary temple of Xi’Matezh, Meoraq hopes to find the deliverance he seeks, but the humans he encounters on his pilgrimage may prove too great a test even for him…especially the one called Amber, behind whose monstrous appearance burns a woman’s heart unlike any he has ever known.
From R. Lee Smith, author of Heat and Cottonwood, comes an epic new story of desire, darkness and the dawn that comes after The Last Hour of Gann.
WARNING: This book contains graphic violence, strong sexual content and explicit language. It is intended for mature readers only.
Available on Amazon Kindle, Barnes & Noble, and Blushingbooks.com for $6.50
rleesmith 
I’ve read every single one of your books, and I frequently stalk your site to find out when you’ll have another “real” book out. Heat and Gann are still my favorite favorites, but I love them ALL. Just another fan waiting / no pressure 😁 🙂 Excited to know another is at least in your plan!
Holy crap, I spent an entire day lost in Scholomance and 2 days later I still can’t get it out of my mind. I’ve loved all of your books so far but this one was just mind blowing amazing. I don’t believe I’ve ever been so engrossed in a book in my life. I honestly wish I had never read it just so I could experience it fresh all over again. Thank you for writing all that terrifying brilliance and putting it out into the world. I can’t wait for more from you!
Thank you so much!
Just wondering if your excited about the new Guillermo del Toro movie “The Shape of Water”. The trailer reminded me of your work. It looks good.
I have not, bu I will check that out immediately. I love del Toro’s work. He is hands down my favorite director.
Just finished your lords of arcadia series. All i can say is WOW. One of the best things I have read in a long time. You are a fantastic storyteller. I couldn’t wait to get to the end, but was super sad when it was over. Its one of those times I actually wished for an epilogue, just to get a glimpse of how their lives went. I have never read anything like it and I look forward to reading more of your stories. Don’t stop writing!! 🙂
Stop writing? Stop….writing? Is…Is that even a thing?
Point taken. 🙂
i discovered your books four days ago and have binge read cottonwood and gann…i adore your worlds and actually hope for a part two on both…stay safe
I too just came upon your work a month a go and have been binge reading your work. I can honestly say Gann, Lotbd and Cottonwood are the best I’ve read all year. I would love to purchase paperback copies of all your work is there any place you recommend? I see only two available on Amazon. Especially Cottonwood, I can’t find it anywhere!
Please help a newly devoted fan
Gann and Beautiful Dead are the only ones available so far, but Cottonwood is coming soon! I’m having a little trouble with the formatting on this one for reasons that confound and frustrate me. They’ll all be available in paperback on Amazon eventually.
I read the Land of the Beautiful Dead …. love it— really read it in 2 days .. it was a great and fantastic reading … i had to read the end 4 times … it made me cry !!!!
thank you !
Thank you very much!
I have recently discovered the wonders of your writing and I am so sad that I have been missing out before now! I have to ask though, do you plan on having the Army of Mab available on amazon.ca for all your Canadian readers (right now it’s only on amazon.com)? Because if I don’t find out how the story ends I might lose my mind!
I will make a note and look into that right away!
How can I buy a signed paperback from you? Preferably Gann or Beautiful Dead. This is a bucket list thing for me. Like, it would be HUGE to have one of your signed masterpieces on my shelf.
I’m looking into setting up a merch store. Not really sure what that entails or how I could make something like signed books happen, but I imagine that’s a good starting point. Anyway, I’ll make sure to post updates here. In the meantime, I occasionally go to book conventions (I missed this year’s RT Convention), and I’d sign anything if we should happen to bump into each other–books, t-shirts, body parts, you name it.
Failing that, if I manage to get organized enough to get all my books up on CreateSpace this year, I could probably buy a few and send out signed copies of this or that for giveaways or whatever. (I’ll probably end up one of those authors who has 50 boxes of their own books gathering dust in the basement)
R Lee Smith, you are a genius, you have given me hours of unadulterated fantasy, angst, joy, etc…..you probably know where I am going with this. You are awesome. In addition to being The most Creative author of our times, you actually write NOVELS! Long, wonderful novels. Thank you, keep on keeping on!
*blush*
Here I just got a comment on another page on this blog by someone asking if I’d been told how awesome I was yet today. Now I can honestly say yes. I mean, sure, someone tells me that every day, but it’s usually just me, talking to myself in the mirror in order to pump myself up enough to put on pants and face the day. Today, it was someone else! It’s going to be a great d–
*sigh* My dog just appeared with half my laptop’s charging cord in her mouth. Maybe tomorrow will be a great day. But thank you anyway! Your support means a lot to me. 🙂
Wow, where did “Land of the Beautiful Dead “ come from? Extraordinary and unlike the couple of your other books that I have read (and enjoyed). The raw, sexual interaction between two beings that are fighting to care and trust along with your character personalities…… so incredibly fascinating. This book has hooked me, and I am thrilled to read an author with such talent to move me, entertain me and make me laugh!
Your books are strong, REAL, exquisite, smart, bright,captivating!!!!!! I literally cannot put your book aside to do my chores or even my work. I keep reading late into the night even though I have to get up at 6.00 AM to go to an office. You are very talented! You ruined me and my friends to any other authors! I really hope you keep writing, keep creating and please do not change your style, please please, pretty please:))
Oh, I don’t think I could stop writing, even if I wanted to, and while my style will surely evolve over the years (hopefully for the better), I would never want to change it to be someone else’s idea of a better writer. That’s probably more stubbornness than integrity, but whatever! 🙂
You should write more alien romances, because you do it incredibly well. I’m hoping that you have some ideas for a book and are planning to write more stories. Loved the last hour of gann and heat.
It could happen. 🙂
My favorite books are Gann and Land of Beautiful Dead. In my other life, I’m totally married to Meoraq, which horrified my husband that my book husband is reptilian humanoid. I love you how your mind works and enjoy the worlds you create.
Just wondering if you have anything new coming up ?
Still working on the fanfic for right now, but as soon as it’s done, I mean the very next day, I will be hard at work on a new book.
You have fanfic!!!! Where I would love to read???
It’s on both archiveofourown.org and fanfiction.net. Just search for Girl on the Edge of Nowhere to start off with the first part (there will be five in total). Enjoy!
I’ve just started part three of your FNAF fanfic and I’m really enjoying the story so far. I had never heard of Freddy’s before, my kids had to educate me, but now I can’t wait to see how things progress. Thanks R Lee
I think I’ve made a terrible mistake. I’ve read the whole thing as it exists so far and now I have to wait…. awesome story…..thank you
Have you thought about a sequel to The Last Hour of Gann? There’s a whole world’s worth of story to tell and it feels like we’ve only heard one small corner of it. It’s my favorite out of the books of yours that I’ve read so far.
I have a book hangover. I need a sequel to The Last Hour of Gann.😭
Hi R. Lee Smith! I hope you’re doing well. 🙂 I just finished Gann for the second time and I am in love with your writing. When I first started it I knew it was going to be good (I read Cottonwood first), but boy, was I blown away. I love the world and the characters you’ve created so much and reading it was an unexpectedly wholesome journey. There are a lot of things going on in my life right now, and getting lost in the world of Gann with Amber and Meoraq has been incredibly therapeutic for me.
I have a few questions and for a while I couldn’t decide if I should ask or not. I know you said you don’t plan on writing a sequel, so this might be my only chance to learn these things. Kind of like a closure, so I can finally move on and read the rest of your books. 🙂
1) How would you pronounce Meoraq’s name?
2) What is the difference between a Sheulek bitemark and a bitemark of another dumaq (who isn’t Sheulek)?
3) Do you think Amber and Meoraq’s child would look entirely like a dumaq? Or would they have some of Amber’s features as well?
4) Would Meoraq be able to speak/pronounce English, if he chose to?
Also, unrelated to Gann, but do you have a tumblr? Have a nice day!
I’m actually incredibly sick right now, so forgive me if my reply is a little rambly and/or insensible. I have done all the nyquil.
To answer your questions,
1. I pronounce it mee-OR-rak, but I don’t have a snout or a bifurcated trachea, so I’m probably saying it wrong. 🙂
2. The idea behind the bites is that ONLY Sheulek or Sheulteb would do any biting, since they are the only ones permitted to make fast and free with any women they see. I’m sure this has been abused in the past to cover up for unexpected pregnancies, which is why the Sheulek is also called to verify the bite and claim paternity. I imagine a lot of Sheulek eventually lose track of the women they’ve been with and just claim whatever child is presented to them, but in the event of a dispute, an impression of the Sheulek’s bite can be made so the two marks can be compared. It goes without saying that forging a Sheulek’s bite is punished by death.
3. I’ve always thought that the child would almost entirely resemble a dumaq…but with Amber’s green eyes, which is not a color that dumaqi eyes have ever been before.
4. Yup. Although even now, I don’t think he would. Not because of Sheul’s law so much as just that dumaqi is his native tongue and literally everyone else on the planet except Amber speaks it. He probably uses a few words now and then (like the swears), but for the most part, I expect they’ll both go on the same way, each in their own language.
No, I don’t Tumble or Tweet and I only use FB to keep up with family. Heck, I barely blog. But there is a group on Facebook where I check in almost every day. They have “book discussion nights” and are all around awesome people. https://www.facebook.com/groups/1751520184864091
I always imagined Amber’s baby with her eyes and five fingers. I wonder about what happened to her sisters baby though.
Cottonwood is my favorite book !
Love it so much i keep reading it over and over
I hope you will never stop writing, its a gift, so special, to make people live other life through your book.
Thank you so much
A lover of your book from france
Wow, thank you so much!
It’s been a while since I’ve come around to see what you’re working on. Everybody seems to mention their favs… so for the record I’ll state that mine are Heat and TLHoGann. Kane is such an anti-hero, a total psychopath and yet you had me rooting for him. Just brilliant. One of the few books I’ve re-read. On the other hand, Meoraq and Amber are THE epitome of heroes. The world-building is Epic. I so wish your books were on available as audiobooks. I think you’ve mentioned you just don’t have time for that. If I were to research the process and details for you, would you consider it? I’m seeing more and more self-published authors (many not as prolific as you) on Amazon with their kindle book linked to the audible version. So it must be something they themselves handle. I’m interested in the process anyhow. I could give you the lay of the land and you decide whether it’s for you… no pressure.
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Hi,
I don’t normally write messages to my favorite authors, but I just wanted to thank you for the great stories you shared with us. Have to say my very favorite is The land of beautiful dead followed closely by TLHGaan.
From what I’ve gathered from your blog and posts you go through a difficult period in your life – health wise – so I can’t only wish you strength to overcome these issues.
You have touched more lives than you think with your writing.
Sincerely,
Denise
Thank you very much. While things are hopefully improving for me, health-wise, on days like today, when I’m really dragging myself through the motions, it means a lot to read words like yours. I appreciate it very much.
Thank you for your work. I’ve read all of your books except Olivia and each one has been engrossing, suprising, and thought provoking. Scholomance disgusted and horrified me (honestly each of your books has done that at least a little bit) but its been slowly digesting in my brain and for some reason I want to read it again. So thank you again (Im not being facetious) for twisting my brain in knots. I’ve never read anthing quite like your work.
I’m happy with ‘disgusted and horrified!’ As someone or another once said, “Even if they hate your book, you must have done something right, because you got an emotional response.”
Hi!
Well, I’ve only JUST discovered your books very recently. Like, 2 weeks ago. My poor husband has been complaining that all I do is read lately (it’s been a few – many – years since my time as an avid reader… that’s what having kids did to me! I love them so much! However, I am not supermom, and the mom life saps my energy for the finer things in life), like, until 2am… ANYWAY. I have found your wordpress! Hooray! I actually started with Land of the Beautiful Dead, which was SO UNEXPECTED for me. The combination of so many themes, hot sex, the meaning of life, the meaning of ‘being dead’ omg. I still can’t get over it. I read it in 3 nights and was exhausted afterward. You damn near broke my heart there at the end, but then you mended it. I cried and cried. I loved the characters. They felt so real. Their changes and how they evolved came off so natural. I just can’t even put my appreciation into words. Someone else reviewed your books at length (a blog, or a website) and called them ‘game-changers’ to the sci-fi/fantasy/romance/erotica genres. I can’t help but agree.
I started The Last Hour of Gann a couple days ago, and once again, my husband is asking if maybe I’d like to talk to him instead of read all the time… I’ve actually made a conscious decision to stop reading halfway through. Right after Amber and Meoraq have gotten married (by his definition) and I am SO SO SO anxious (BECAUSE I spoiled myself and know about the rape stuff). But. I go to New York in a week, and I want something amazing to read on the plane ride there, and the plane ride back. So. Stopping. Waiting.
(This is the first day of the Waiting. I spent all my free minutes reading about your other books and basically online-stalking anything related to your books, like reviews and interviews.)
I guess I just wanted to let you know that I have been so, so pleased to find your terrific and compelling writing. It’s been making my day(s).
When I’m done, I’ll be buying paperback versions of LotBD and TLHoG. It would be awesome to get them signed – do you think you will ever be in California for a book convention? Do you let people know when you go to a convention?
Thanks so much for writing and putting your fantastic books out there.
Audrey
I don’t go to a lot of the conventions (crippling social anxiety for the win!), but if I ever do, be assured, I’ll announce it here and at my Book Club on Facebook in plenty of time for people to make plans. I love hearing from my readers, I just…don’t like leaving the house.
Well, i’ll be thrilled to meet you there if/when you do!!! I finished The Last Hour of Gann, and it was AMAZING. AMAZING. I’M GOING TO REREAD IT NEXT MONTH. I had ALL the feelings. I love Amber and Meoraq. I love them separate. I love them together. I loved the stit. The world building. So beautiful. Thanks again for writing such a thought provoking book.
Audrey
I finished The Last Hour of Gann today. This book shook me straight to the core, to say that I loved it would be a complete understatement. I am not talented whatsoever at writing, so I will not properly convey the depth of what I’m feeling for this book and my gratitude to you for having written it. I read so much that I don’t generally tell people I have favorite authors, there are just so many good books out there. However I have a special place in my heart for Tolkien and Sarah J Maas. Tolkien because it was something I read on a whim in high school thinking it was actually the Lord of the Flies and wanting to know what the big effing deal was. Tolkien sparked a love of fantasy and sci fi genre that I didn’t at the time know i harbored, and it has stuck with me for at least two decades. Sarah J Maas is the other author that redefined storytelling for me. I had not read a book in five years thanks to life and kids, and on another whim picked up one of her books which sparked a reading renaissance in my life. I read high fantasy epic style series and novels, and I like to read HEA romance fluff novels in between as breaks. The Last Hour of Gann was supposed to be one of the ‘fluff’ novels, it was something on my kindle unlimited recommendations list which to date has only recommended shallow yet fun to read types of things… so when I started this book my expectations were 1000% different. I got like 5% in and realized it was LONG. I decided to keep going because I have a thing about always finishing books. Upon finishing this book I have never been so grateful for my obnoxious internal need to finish things because without it I would have likely thought this book is just another cheesy romance novel with a confusing cover and quit when i realized it wasn’t the shallow fluff piece I was anticipating to give my mind a break. I’ve read over 300 books since i rediscovered reading and this book is the first one that has left me in a state of giddy dumbstruck shock at how freaking profoundly amazing it is! I expected very little going in, the cover did not prepare me whatsover for what was within this gorgeously brutal epic story that not only touches on what it means to be a monster, on humanity, on the importance of truth and how lies, religion and faith compete to shape a culture but also on how easy it is to discredit substance based on the exterior packaging. This book is a marvel. It spoke to me in ways I can hardly communicate but I can say with total conviction that R Lee Smith…you are now one of my favorite authors and I am looking forward to reading your other novels with a somewhat embarrassing amount of glee and a surprising lack of respect for a full 8 hours of sleep. Thank you for writing this book, it was simply amazing.
LOL, I must be a source of never-ending frustration to my cover artists. They ask me what I want on the cover and I don’t even know what to tell them. I used to try and do horror/fantasy type covers, because that’s what I thought I was writing, and everyone hated them. So I caved and let my artists do up romance type covers, and everyone hates them. But to be fair, it’s hard to do romantic covers when the broad rippling chest belongs to someone who ain’t human. I’ve given up on trying to make ‘good’ covers. My books are just going to have to speak for themselves. I should be able to do that, I sure use enough pages trying!
😁😁😁
What happened to Pool?!?!
Cottonwood – Really amazing, so devastating and uplifting. Will there be a sequel to see Sanford back on his home planet, in his own element? He always had such dignity but I hated to see him and his son in that camp like that…
Anything can happen in the future, but at the moment, so sorry, no plans for a sequel! (I do think about it from time to time, ngl)
What happened to “Pool”?
I don’t usually leave comments and don’t expect a reply or anything but I just have to tell you that you’re my favorite author. Your writing is enchanting and your world building and dialogue have ruined other books for me. All of your protagonists give me hope for my shitty future (even if it might not involve falling in love with a space alien or stranded on a new planet with lizard people or werewolves or Minotaurs) and push me to actually reflect on myself. Please keep it up! So looking forward to anything you put out next.
Thank you very much!
I read your interview because there isn’t much about you on the web. I think that makes you even more interesting. Thank you for sharing your stories I love them and of course unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. There is always so much realism it blows my mind. And your protagonist are very relatable. I get so tired of love at first sight, insecure women who need someone to take care of them. Your books are a welcome relief. Everything happening in it’s own time and nothing rushed. And I can never predict the ending which is ahhhhhh-mazing. Can’t wait for your next story.
Hey R. Lee. Just re-read “Land of the Beautiful Dead” and I’m wondering what you’re working on these days.
Hi- checking in for any updates? Anything in the works?