Formula for Fate
Fairy Godmothers Incorporated, #2
by Maya Tyler
Published: October 28, 2025
Publisher: Tirgearr Publishing
Genre: Paranormal Romance, Contemporary Romance
Blurb:
Leighton Carter has sworn off romantic love to protect her heart, but she struggles with the challenges of single parenthood. Doctor Alexandros (Xander) Arvanitas lost his family in a tragic accident. Burying himself in work helps him cope with his grief. When he meets single mother, Leighton, she inspires him to live, and love, again.
When the baby’s biological father returns, threatening their newfound happiness, will Xander fight for the family he’s grown to love?
What happens when you add a fairy godmother who loves playing matchmaker into the equation? Fairy Godmother Rainy Beaumont has been waiting for a way to help Xander find love again. He didn’t wish for love, but Rainy has a feeling loving Leighton and her baby will heal the hole in his heart.
Does Rainy have a formula for fate?
***
Our hero, Xander, visits his therapist again and receives some reassurance…
Excerpt:
“I’m glad you made another appointment, Xander.” Dr. Rutherford opened the door wide enough for Xander to step into her office before gesturing him to sit.
“I went to see my wife. Her grave.” He smiled. “Are you going to ask me how I feel about it?”
“I’m glad you’re feeling comfortable enough to talk about it.” She smiled back. “Since you want to tell me… How do you feel about it?”
“Lighter.” He leaned back, settling into the padded cushion. “I feel like—before—I’d been living half a life, straddling both the past and present. And that last visit … well, I decided to put both feet firmly into the present.”
“That sounds really positive. Do you know how you came to this realization?”
“I realized I was lonely.” Saying it aloud was surreal. He brushed off the uncomfortable feeling. “I miss my wife, more than anything, but I let the grief consume me. I cut myself off from the world. All I did was work.”
“How do you feel about admitting you’ve been lonely?”
He tucked his hair behind his ear. “Oh, you caught that, did you?”
She nodded serenely, waiting for him to share.
The words stuck in his throat. He wanted to tell her feeling lonely felt like a betrayal to his wife. That wanting to seek some connection with others also felt like a betrayal. But it was like he’d stuffed his mouth with a piece of bread slathered in peanut butter. He felt the words deeply in his soul, but couldn’t speak them aloud.
“It’s okay, Xander. Take your time.”
He nodded.
“I imagine you’re fighting against your admission of loneliness, and you might need some more time to process it. Acknowledging something aloud is different than merely thinking it. Unspoken thoughts are contained, safe in your mind, even considered hypothetical in nature. But those voiced aloud become untethered, a possible truth you’ve placed in the world and must come to terms with, like a negotiation.”
“It’s a bit unsettling.” He clasped his hands in his lap. “I felt so certain about moving forward, living in the present, but ….” He shook his head.
“You can do it, Xander, but maybe you’re just not ready today. And that’s okay. Processing grief takes time. And there’s no universal timeline. So, you take the time you need.”
He nodded politely.
“I’d like you to make another appointment.”
He didn’t need more therapy but wanted to avoid the lecture. “I’ll check my schedule.” He hoped that would be enough to pacify the doctor.
Interview with Maya Tyler, Author of Formula for Fate, Fairy Godmothers, Incorporated Book #2
Thank you for taking the time to interview me about my latest release, Formula for Fate. I hope your readers enjoy learning about Leighton and Xander.
You're very welcome. I'm delighted you could visit us today and share more information about Formula for Fate. For my review of Formula for Fate, I encourage everyone to return tomorrow, October 28, 2025.
What is your favorite part of the book?
I am drawn to Xander’s therapy sessions and, I hope, for all those who’ve experienced the process as either a clinician or patient, that I portrayed them with accuracy and sensitivity. I see a lot of value including real life issues and experiences in fictional novels. Incorporating therapy in this book potentially could dismantle a barrier for a reader to seek help themselves or reduce the stigma of receiving therapy.
Does your book have a lesson? Moral?
Formula for Fate definitely has a lesson. There is life after loss and grief. I dedicated this book: “To those experiencing loss and grief. I hope this story offers you strength and hope.” because there are many ways to experience loss and grief and as many ways to traverse the path to healing.
Are your characters based off real people or did they all come entirely from your imagination?
My characters are a combination of my imagination and fragments of real people (whose traits I’ve—usually—applied quite subconsciously) who then evolve into their own entities.
Of all the characters you have created, which is your favorite and why?
It’s difficult to list a favorite character because, and you can ask any author, characters are like our children. Each character I’ve created has a special place in my heart. The experiences I’ve given them are usually parallel to what I personally lived through at the time of writing. Leighton experiences a complicated relationship with her parents. This arose from challenges experienced with my own parents. Her fictional experience is, of course, very dramatized and varies significantly from my own.
What character in your book are you least likely to get along with?
Leighton’s parents played a small role in Formula for Fate, but I would be least likely to get along with them. I portray them as demanding, small-minded, and more concerned about their public image than their daughter.
What would the main character in your book have to say about you?
I’d like to think that Leighton and Xander would thank me for pairing them together. They both experienced loss—Leighton with her failed romantic relationship, then estrangement from her parents; and Xander with the deaths of his wife and unborn son—but emerged on the other side of grief to find love and family.
Do you want each book to stand on its own, or are you trying to build a body of work with connections between each book?
I wanted each book in the Fairy Godmothers, Inc Series to stand on its own, but each book in the planned trilogy is connected by the fairy godmothers—Faye, Rainy, and Ginger. I introduced my fairy godmothers in A Fairy Godmother’s Redemption, Book 4 of The Magicals Series and soon realized they deserved their own stories and happy endings. Designed by Destiny included the conclusion to Faye’s story, a romantic reunion with her estranged fiancé after thirty years of separation. Formula for Fate included insight into Rainy’s backstory and, while she didn’t end up with a romantic love connection, she is reunited with her granddaughter. The next book in the series will delve into Ginger’s life…
About Maya
Maya Tyler is a multi-published romance author and an avid reader. She writes compelling stories with authentic characters and happily-ever-afters.
When she’s not writing, she enjoys reading, listening to music (alternative rock, especially from the 1990s), practicing yoga, and watching movies and TV.
Connect with Maya
Maya loves to hear from fellow authors and readers! Please connect with her through social media.
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