ORIGINAL ABSTRACTS
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
― Henry David Thoreau
ORIGINAL ABSTRACTS
It’s not what you look at that matters, it’s what you see.
― Henry David Thoreau
Maiju Tirri’s debut novel, Touched by Flame, is an adult dark romantasy of dragons, desire, dangerous magic, and a woman’s awakening after betrayal.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"I was lucky enough to be an ARC reader for this book, I really enjoyed it! There’s a lot going on but I was never bored throughout the whole book. There’s plot is great, fast paced but the ending makes you want to keep reading. I’m excited for the second book! The FMC was written very well, I enjoyed the characterization in this."
JORDAN
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy from the author! I was absolutely blown away by this book! Such a fantastic tale that had me swept up from the very beginning. This is a story of betrayal, love, magic, dragons, mates and so much more. Oh, and the end, UGH, the end, the cliffhanger will have you screaming at Zana!!! What a way to leave us hanging.... I can not wait for the second book in this incredible new series,
this is a MUST READ!!!
TRESA
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Touched by Flame
Book one of the Velmora Series
What if the worst thing that ever happened to you was actually the door to the life you were always meant to live?
This is an adult dark romantasy about female awakening, forbidden desire, dragons, dangerous magic, and reclaiming the self after betrayal.
She thought the worst thing that could happen was losing her marriage. She was wrong.
Zana never planned to reinvent herself in her forties. But when a storm swallows her whole and spits her out in a realm that shouldn't exist, reinvention stops being optional.
She gave twenty-three years to a man who slowly erased her. Then betrayal opened the door to another world.
The Between is just the beginning. Beyond it lies Velmora — dragons, ancient magic, warriors who have lived centuries, and a world that has been waiting for her specifically.
Luke is everything she was taught not to want. Arrogant. Intense. Certain of her in a way no one has ever been. Their connection ignites the moment they meet and refuses to be ignored no matter how hard she tries.
She spent years making herself smaller for a man who never deserved her. Velmora won't let her stay that way.
She is the key.
He is the fire.
Together, they will burn.
Portal fantasy for grown women who like their romance explicit, their heroines unapologetic, and their heat slow-building and worth the wait. Contains strong language, betrayal, emotional abuse, violence, and explicit sexual content. 18+ strictly.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆
"Maiju Tirri demonstrates remarkable openness and courage as an author in this creative, sexually explicit work that explores fantasy, desire, and the raw dimensions of human experience mixed with a fantasy tale. Creative power is rooted in openness. It embraces the physical, the spiritual,
and at times the testing of boundaries. This is often the nature of authentic art."
ARTIST SINI KUNNAS
More raitings in goodreads.com and Amazon Kindle
AA
FROM THE ARC READERS
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I absolutely loved this book and can't wait to read the next book! Thanks so much!
HEATHER
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"This book was more of a slow read for me. The story was good I enjoyed it. The trauma of the women and the world they get to choose if only it was real well maybe haha. I cant wait to see what Zana choses."
JODY
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️☆
"So, this was intense. Fast paced, sure, and steamy as intended. A bit so delicate feminist view on the world, power, and sexuality. The narrative is quite fast forward and it can get confusing. I am sure book 2 will bring more clarity."
ANA
Review of advance copy received fro
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Zana. A 40+ heroine. A betrayed wife.
A woman who gave twenty-three years of her life to a man who slowly made her invisible. Then one message shattered everything. And the storm that followed did not end her story. It awakened her!!!!!! This is a great story. There's betrayal, vulnerability, hurt, joy, discovery of oneself, passion, and all the spice you can handle.
If you love dragon shifters, magical other realms, slow burn, fantasy this is for you. You will be wanting to go to the in between and vellore yourself. There's cheating in it so mind your triggers. Zana becomes more than she ever realized she could be. Luke is the dragon shifter we all fantasize about. There's a massive cliffhanger at the end that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. There character build is perfect and the descriptions have you feeling like you’re there. Im looking forward to reading more by author Maiju Tirri.
Definitely recommend.
Spice level 🌶🌶🌶🌶
AA
Readers Reviws
This story grew out of curiosity, research, and unexpected conversations with people who have lived far beyond the boundaries of the ordinary. I was fortunate to meet extraordinary individuals who were willing to share parts of their lives, their choices, and their ways of seeing the world. Their trust and openness gave me glimpses into perspectives that deeply inspired several characters in this book.
However, this novel is entirely a work of my imagination. The characters, relationships, events, realms, and conflicts are fictional, and no character is intended to represent any real person.
Since childhood, I have been a visual storyteller. As an artist, I have spent years expressing stories through color, texture, and form. Writing this novel became another way of exploring narrative, one that challenged me, taught me patience, and changed the way I think about storytelling.
For the past twenty years, I have worked as a contemporary artist with an international career. Then I found myself in Singapore, with my painting studio twenty-four hours away by plane, far too much time on my hands, and far too many ideas in my head.
I had spent years reading fantasy and romantasy, falling deeply in love with worlds filled with magic, adventure, dragons, shifters and impossible love stories. Looking back, I think this story had been quietly taking shape in my imagination all along, waiting for the right moment to emerge.
When that moment came, the story arrived almost like a lightning strike and began pouring onto the page.
Completing this book filled me with deep gratitude and a renewed appreciation for authors and their craft. Writing a novel is far more challenging than I ever imagined.
I hope you enjoy the journey as much as I loved creating it.
MAIJU TIRRI
Author's note
About the Author
Maiju Tirri is an internationally exhibited Finnish contemporary artist and author whose work has been collected worldwide. Over the past two decades, her art has been exhibited in galleries and exhibitions across Europe, the United States, and Asia.
After spending years creating visual stories through painting, Maiju turned to fiction and discovered a new creative passion. Touched by Flame, the first novel in the Velmora Series, combines her love of fantasy, romance, dragons, magic, and strong female characters with the emotional depth of a heroine finding herself again after betrayal.
Maiju wrote Touched by Flame while living in Singapore, far from her painting studio and surrounded by more stories than she could ignore. What began as a single idea quickly grew into the world of Velmora.
When she is not writing or painting, she can usually be found exploring nature, traveling, or dreaming up new adventures for the characters who refuse to leave her imagination.
FOLLOW:
Book two
AWAKENED BY VELMORA
Zana never asked to become the key to an ancient prophecy.
After an impossible choice binds her soul to Luke, she awakens in Velmora with dangerous light magic no one fully understands. Her power is growing, the Mother of Dragons is watching, and the Emperor’s court is not convinced an Earth woman belongs beside one of their own.
But Jackrox is still hunting her.
To survive, Zana must master her awakening magic, face the secrets of Luke’s world, and decide how much of herself she is willing to sacrifice for love, power, and destiny.
Velmora has been waiting for her.
Now she must survive becoming the one it needs.
BOOK II OF THE VELMORA SERIES
AWAKENED BY VELMORA
OUT DECEMBER OF 2026
