Mystery, Thriller & Suspense
Young Adult & New Adult
Writing as Ellis K. Popa
Awaken the Dawn: The Awaken Saga, Book 1
About the book…
A cryptic puzzle. A family secret. A deadly betrayal.
When her father dies during a business trip to Romania, Kat Barrett blames herself for their failed relationship. She's been holding a grudge, keeping him at arm's length, and never even said "I love you" when he left... But regret is just the beginning of her problems. Kat is teetering on the brink of anxiety and depression, and as her grief deepens, she becomes haunted by strange dreams about the crash that took her father's life.
Then one day a package arrives. It appears to be from her father and contains a list of familiar-looking clues — one of his classic scavenger hunts. Desperate for answers, Kat follows the clues to Romania and meets a local named Maksim, a reformed criminal with the perfect skill set for decoding the mystery. Romance wasn’t on the itinerary, but when Kat teams up with this European heartthrob, her love life takes an unexpected detour.
As Kat and Maksim work together, solving the clues and growing ever closer with each success, the scavenger hunt uncovers a dark secret Kat's dreams have been pointing to, something Maksim's old crime ring has been hiding all along. Kat has walked into a trap.
Can she beat these ruthless men to the final clue — and solve it — before she suffers the same fate as her father?
Awaken the Dawn is a multi-award-winning suspense novel that will keep you guessing until the final, breathtaking conclusion. If you enjoy puzzle mysteries, international intrigue, and an epic slow-burn romance, you'll love this twisty thrill ride.
Buy Awaken the Dawn today and unlock the scavenger hunt's dark secret.
Order ATD from major retailers
Order ATD direct from the publisher
Join a readalong at my Patreon. Includes bonus scenes!
Watch the book trailers…
Watch the trailers + access other bonus extras:
Want to read Episode 1?
Part One (a.k.a. Episode 1) is FREE, and it's a great way to delve into The Awaken Saga...
Order ATD from major retailers
Order ATD direct from the publisher
Join my readalongs and listenalongs (only on Patreon)
Need the Bonus Scene?
A bonus scene is mentioned at the end of Awaken the Dawn. You can access it in the FREE FOR EVERYONE✨ section of my Patreon...
Order ATD from major retailers
Order ATD direct from the publisher
Join my readalongs and listenalongs (only on Patreon)
What people are saying…
★ Worldwide Praise★
"Go ahead! Go add this to your TBR!" - Books with Cats (Cyprus) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Ellis K. Popa (delivers) an amazing story full of mystery, intrigue and romance." - John Benedict, Bestselling Author of Adrenaline (US) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"The pacing is relentless, propelling readers forward with each tantalizing clue and escalating threat." - Elicia Meiers, NetGalley (US) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Popa's prose is smart, arresting, and tightly woven." - The BookLife Prize
"(This is) simply one of the best books I’ve ever read." - Heather, Book Girl Brown Reviews (US) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Kat was amazing and a kick-ass character." - Kriti, This Reader Girl (India) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Looking for the scavenger hunt?
Order ATD from major retailers
Order ATD direct from the publisher
Join my readalongs and listenalongs (only on Patreon)
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Awaken the Dawn: Audiobook
★ Coming soon to Audible, Apple Books + other audio platforms ★
Grab a pre-release copy before everyone else…
Podcast Addict & AntennaPod work best for Awesound purchase.
– Narrated by Savannah Gilmore
Watch the trailer…
Looking for the scavenger hunt?
Dawn to Dusk: The Awaken Saga, Book 2
About the book…
An American teen is on the run, hiding from the crime syndicate she crossed. Can she escape before they even the score?
Six weeks have passed since Kat and Maksim faced off with the Romanian crime syndicate [Awaken the Dawn]. Now they're lying low in a safe house on the Mediterranean coast. It's paradise, heaven on earth, and the scenery makes a gorgeous backdrop for their passionate new romance.
Except it's not so passionate since Maksim discovered some old contacts in Barcelona—a notorious hacker and her crew of black hats. Suddenly, Maksim is eager to send Kat home. Why? What's he really been up to? Kat is determined to find out, but when a misstep in her “investigation” ignites a firestorm, the fallout puts Kat and Maksim on a collision course with the very same crime syndicate that's been hunting them down.
With nowhere else to turn, they seek refuge in Paris with Maksim’s friend, Dom. Kat is relieved, assuming the worst is over... until a devastating betrayal by Maksim comes to light. As the evidence piles up, Kat is forced to rely on Dom’s kindness and friendship. He’s a silver lining in this storm, and he’s there to help pick up the pieces of her broken heart.
But not everything is what it seems in the City of Light, and Dom has dark secrets of his own. Kat’s intuition, her instincts, even her vivid, foreboding dreams are no match for this game of cat and mouse.
The chess pieces are in place. The crime syndicate is closing in. Will Kat wake up to the truth before it's too late?
Dawn to Dusk is the thrilling continuation of The Awaken Saga, a YA crossover series that begins with a cryptic scavenger hunt and transitions into an action-packed thriller. If you enjoy crime fiction with an amateur sleuth, an intelligent psychopath, and plenty of romance and drama, you won't be able to put this page-turner down.
Buy Dawn to Dusk today and experience a European adventure.
Order D2D from major retailers
Order D2D direct from the publisher
You can also join a readalong at my Patreon. Includes bonus scenes!
Watch the book trailers…
Watch the trailers + access other bonus extras:
What people are saying…
★ Worldwide Praise★
"I could not put it down, a must-read." - Bob F, Goodreads (UK) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"This book is full, I mean, full of mystery and chaos..." - Sabrina L, BookTok (Canada) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"Buckle up folks! Dawn to Dusk is a wild and intense ride from start to finish." - Helen Foxhall, Netgalley (UK) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"This series keeps getting more intense." - Librosentrelazos, Bookstagram (Chile) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"I read the book in one sitting eager to find out what happens next." - Shawne, Goodreads (UK) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Dawn to Dusk: Audiobook
★ Production starting soon ★
Watch the audiobook trailer
★ COMING SOON★
Want to see a note from the ‘mysterious stranger’ in the story?
First Light of Dawn: Book 1.5 (an interlude novel ft. Maksim)
About the book…
A reformed criminal escorts a young woman on a dangerous road trip. Can they reach their destination before a notorious crime boss enacts his ultimate revenge?
Sibiu, Romania. Maksim and Kat survived the showdown with Vladimir’s men [Awaken the Dawn]. They’re shaken up but safe, and their burgeoning romance—from strangers to friends to so much more—is finally starting to heat up.
Or it was heating up until their safe house is discovered by one of Vladimir's operatives. She’s the dancer from the club, the same woman dispatched against Kat previously, and she’s a bit more than a “former colleague” to Maksim. The development is unsettling, especially for Kat, who begins to question Maksim’s past while expressing doubts about their future together. Maksim’s plan for a fresh start implodes, and with their cover blown, he and Kat are left with one perilous last resort—head west to Serbia, using the old smuggling routes, and hope they can escape undetected.
But Vladimir is no longer their only concern. Police, border guards, and CCTV cameras pose new threats, and a dangerous thief lures Maksim and Kat into unexpected (and deadly) territory. Can they socially engineer their way out of this situation? Will Kat make it home before Maksim's past catches up with them both?
Set between the first two books in The Awaken Saga, this interlude novel (Book 1.5 in the series) gives Maksim—the bad boy with a heart of gold—his very first feature. If you enjoy adventures that aren’t afraid of romantic detours, you’ll be hooked on this intoxicating adventure.
Order FLD from major retailers
You can also join a readalong at my Patreon. Includes bonus scenes!
Watch the book trailers…
What people are saying…
★ Worldwide Praise★
"I LOVE this!" - Vinne Crimmes, BookTok (US) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"I was totally captivated from the start of this brilliant and gripping YA thriller." - Bob F, Goodreads (UK) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"The Romanian backdrop is vivid and immersive, and the cyber-intrigue is handled with stunning realism." - Amazon Review (Germany) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
"This is such a compelling read. The storyline is sublime, and the two main characters are unforgettable." - Beverley L, Goodreads (UK) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
★ COMING SOON★
First Light of Dawn: Audiobook
★ Currently in pre-production: AUDITIONS CLOSED! ★
Want to see the original Rules of Survival?
Dawn to Darkness: The Awaken Saga, Book 3
About the book…
He'll give up everything to save her. Even his own life.
Their forever was just beginning until the love of his life was taken. Now he must find the men responsible — a global crime syndicate led by Europe's most notorious crime lord — before these ruthless and well-connected foes find him first.
From the author who brought you Awaken the Dawn and Dawn to Dusk comes book three in The Awaken Saga. Prepare for a twisty, unputdownable thrill ride through Eastern Europe.
Watch the book trailers…
★ Join my Patreon to be part of the big reveal for this book trailer. I'll be revealing the cover art, too! ★
What people are saying…
★ COMING SOON★
Contemporary Romance
Adult & YA
Writing as Ellis St. Kaye
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