Why I Wrote a Prologue for Book One
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I just want to take a second to say thank you—truly, from the bottom of my heart.
There have been thousands of you downloading the series, reading through Kindle Unlimited, picking up paperbacks, and even buying the gorgeous box set. And the best thing about this? It happened in March—Aries season—hich is poetic and perfect.
That’s the main character’s birthday, and honestly, her Aries sign drives the entire plot of Zodiac Fate. Watching so many people discover her story during that time… it felt like everything aligned.
And even though the main character is Puerto Rican and the world-building draws from Taino and Mesoamerican mythology, I don’t think readers are only showing up just because it’s culturally different. I think you're showing up because you're ready for something new—a fresh twist on the tropes we love, told through a mythology we haven't seen center stage before. And a whole population of readers finally feeling seen in this genre. That means so much to me. I’m proud to be part of bringing these stories and voices forward.
But I need to confess something that’s been bothering me.
My read-through rates in Kindle Unlimited aren’t what I hoped they’d be. Book 1 gets a lot of love—tons of readers start it. But a smaller number go on to Book 2. And that breaks my heart… because if you stop there, you’re missing the good stuff. The world expands fast in Book 2, the pacing tightens, the stakes get much higher, and the characters? They get deep. My best writing is ahead, and I want you to see it.
Here’s why I think this happens: Book 1 is a slow burn. It’s not structured like the typical fantasy books in this genre. The FMC starts off in survival mode—her growth is raw and gradual. And for some readers, it may not be immediately clear how she rises to power or how the story will evolve into the savage, magical, emotionally explosive fantasy that it eventually becomes.
I’ll be real with you—Book 1 was only the third book I ever published. I’d written more, but I hadn’t released them. I was still learning: pacing, structure, balancing emotional intensity with plot. But by Book 4? The glow-up is real. I found my rhythm. My characters hit harder.
Still, I’m not ready to rewrite Book 1. I believe in the story as it stands. Instead, I decided to add something new—something that sets the tone from the very beginning:
🔥 A brutal cold open from the future Sasha—the version of her you haven’t met yet, and you won't meet in Book 1. The one who burns down empires.
This scene now opens Zodiac Fate, and will be included in all future print editions.
If you’ve already read Book 1 without the prologue and haven’t moved on yet, maybe this is what you needed to get back into it.
Either way, thank you for being here. Thank you for giving this story—and this messy, morally gray jaguar queen—a chance to rise. Here's a link to the complete series, signed with love from me to you, in my shop!
Zodiac Fate: Book One
Prologue
Three years from now – Scorpio Throne Room, Xibalba
The twin gods of death watch my every move. Impassive. Cold. They’ve seen queens rise before. They’ve seen them fall. But none like me. Powerless to control me. Unable to keep me locked in their invisible chains of servitude. Of torture.
I slowly climb the steps that lead to the throne of fire, the heat from the flames gently tickling my arms. My hands are blood-soaked, but it's not my blood. This is the blood of the dead rulers of the twelve Zodiac Houses. They refused to bow. Called me unworthy. Said I was a pretender queen, a mutt born of shadows and fire.
A low chuckle leaves my throat because they thought they were immortal. Untouchable. But their stories will be forgotten, and their souls will rot in the Xibalba Underworld for all eternity.
My fate was written in the stars centuries ago.
But the stars never said how good it would feel to unleash my fury on twelve kingdoms.
My mafia past is long behind me. So are the days of being afraid of the surrounding darkness. Now I feed off of it.
I've seen too many battles. I’ve bled for too many monsters. For too many creatures far worse than I could ever imagine existed, back then.
He’s here too—the Dark King. Watching. Silent. Not intervening. He could've ended my wrath with a word. But he doesn’t.
Because he doesn’t want to stop me.
He wants to claim me.
When the final House fell, I didn’t flinch when the head hit the floor.
Burn it all. For the ones I loved. For the ones I lost. And for the empire I’ve taken—one blood-soaked step at a time.