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​The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.

This month, I'm posting snippets from The Prince's Consort, my first published novel and the first book in my Chronicles of Tournai series. This is a prince/commoner romance with lots of magic, secrets, and intrigue. Amory is a commoner with a frankly horrible father, who tries to use him to bargain for more time on a late commission for the Crown Prince. Prince Philip has nothing but disgust for Amory's father but is intrigued by Amory. The two become closer but someone will do anything, even kill, to keep them apart. I've skipped ahead a bit for this snippet. Amory and Philip and now married and on their way back from their short wedding trip. But someone is not happy that they're married.
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​You can find out more about The Prince's Consort here. Thanks for reading today!

​The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.

This month, I'm posting snippets from The Prince's Consort, my first published novel and the first book in my Chronicles of Tournai series. This is a prince/commoner romance with lots of magic, secrets, and intrigue. Amory is a commoner with a frankly horrible father, who tries to use him to bargain for more time on a late commission for the Crown Prince. Prince Philip has nothing but disgust for Amory's father but is intrigued by Amory. The two become closer but someone will do anything, even kill, to keep them apart. In this snippet, Philip shares a secret with Amory. There is a legend in Tournai that states that huge magical cats once saved Tournai from being conquered and will return if the country is ever in danger, but no one knows it's based in truth. Tournai's royal family has magic that they've kept secret for generations—their ability to change into huge cats. Philip decides to trust Amory with the secret, and then show him.

You can find more about The Prince's Consort here. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're staying safe and well!

The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.

This month, I'm posting snippets from The Prince's Consort, my first published novel and the first book in my Chronicles of Tournai series. This is a prince/commoner romance with lots of magic, secrets, and intrigue. Amory is a commoner with a frankly horrible father, who tries to use him to bargain for more time on a late commission for the Crown Prince. Prince Philip has nothing but disgust for Amory's father but is intrigued by Amory. The two become closer but someone will do anything, even kill, to keep them apart. Here's a snippet of a conversation between Amory and his sister Adeline after Amory has been with Philip for a little while. Adeline may see something that Amory isn't ready to acknowledge. 

You can find more about The Prince's Consort here. Thanks for reading today!

This weekend got away from me again and I didn't get a chance to post a Rainbow Snippet, so you're getting a belated one!

​The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.

This month, I'm posting snippets from The Prince's Consort, my first published novel and the first book in my Chronicles of Tournai series. This is a prince/commoner romance with lots of magic, secrets, and intrigue. Amory is a commoner with a frankly horrible father, who tries to use him to bargain for more time on a late commission for the Crown Prince. Prince Philip has nothing but disgust for Amory's father but is intrigued by Amory. The two become closer but someone will do anything, even kill, to keep them apart. For this week's snippet, I'm sharing a first kiss.

You can find more about The Prince's Consort here. Also, The Prince's Consort and my other books are 50% off through March 11th at Smashwords—don't miss a great sale! Thanks for reading today!

All of my books are 50% off at Smashwords this week in their Read an Ebook Week Sale. Now is a great time to grab yourself some fantasy romance cheap!

February flew by in the haze of writing and revising that was the JeRoWriMo challenge, and while I'm still shocked that it's March already, I'm really happy with the progress I made on the To Love the Dragon King. But that also seems to mean that I started a lot of books but didn't finish many. My brain just couldn't get into most of them, even though I'm excited to read them and will go back to them at some point. Most of what I did read was in audiobook while cooking, cleaning, or exercising. 

Master of Djinn by P. Djeli Clark (fantasy with F/F romance): This alt-historical fantasy is set in 1912 in an Egypt that has become a world power with the help of the djinn and their magic. The world building is fantastic and compelling, as is the plot. Murder, magic, and intrigue twine through the novel, and Agent Fatma (with her incredible suits) of the Ministry of Alchemy, Enchantments, and Supernatural Entities has to solve the mystery and save the world with the help of her girlfriend Siti and her fellow agents. I read a couple of novellas in the series last year, and now I'm going to eagerly await more books about Fatma, Siti, and their friends solving magical mysteries.

Conduit Crisis by Louisa Masters (M/M paranormal romance): This is the much-awaited (for me at least!) third book in the Ghostly Guardians series. It continues the series arc revolving around the historic hotel and its ghosts and gateway to the demon realm, so you should read the first two books to get the most out of this one. For all the demonic threat looming in the background, the romance is extremely low angst—with some fake dating, friends to lovers fun. Daniel and Skye have been friends for a long time. Skye has known he's in love with Daniel; Daniel just took a while to catch up. As with the other books, the found family is wonderful and the estate's ghosts are hilarious. Now, I'm impatiently waiting for book 4, after this book's cliffhanger.

The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu Mandanna (M/F paranormal romance): This book is gorgeous. Cozy and comforting and witchy with a beautiful message, so many found family vibes, and a lovely, quiet romance between lonely witch Mika and grumpy, protective librarian Jamie. In the world of this book, witches are always orphans and are meant to stay separated from each other and hide their magic from the world. Mika receives a mysterious message asking her to come to an isolated house and be a tutor to three witch children. There, she finds an odd assortment of people who have built a strong, loving family for these three little girls, a family Mika soon becomes part of too. This book made me laugh and cry and smile. I'm sure I'll be rereading.

​What have you read and loved lately?

​The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.

This month, I'm sharing some snippets from A Harmony of Fire and Earth, the second book in the Elemental Magicae duology. This book picks up right where A Dance of Water and Air ends (if you don't want spoilers, proceed with caution!). Arden and Edmund have reached relative safety in Edmund's home kingdom and are preparing for their wedding, but as personally happy as they are, they know their countries are still in danger. They believe there is a way to protect them, but they need powerful wielders of Earth and Fire magic to help. Arden sends for two he trusts—Rhys and Briallen—and they bring Gaz, a powerful Fire wielder, with them. Rhys fell in love with Gaz a long time ago, but his friend doesn't know it. And almost no one, including Rhys, knows that Gaz is actually Prince Gareth, Edmund's brother long thought dead and in hiding for his own safety. Gareth agrees to return home to help his brother, knowing that it could put him in danger and destroy the relationship he begins with Rhys along the way. A bit of a random snippet this week. Rhys, Gaz, Briallen, and Meraud are in the middle of their journey, made more difficult because it's winter and very cold and snowy. Rhys has a gift for Gaz to help with the cold.

You can find more about A Harmony of Fire and Earth here. Thanks for reading today and I hope you're staying safe and well.

I've always loved fairy tales and fairy tale retellings, so since tomorrow is Tell a Fairy Tale Day, I thought I would recommend a few fairy tale retellings I enjoyed. These are a mix of young adult and adult books, all fantasy/fantasy romance. There are some great contemporary and historical romances that use fairy tales for inspiration without fantasy elements, but I'm focusing on the fantasy ones this time.

Girls Made of Snow and Glass by Melissa Bashardoust (YA, Snow White): In this reimagining of Snow White, the tales of stepmother Mina and stepdaughter Lynet are told in past and present, intertwining. And even though there are two romances in this story—Lynet's f/f romance and Mina's m/f—it's the relationship between Mina and Lynet that drives the story. Mina is the only mother Lynet has ever known, and as in the original tale, their relationships begins to go very wrong, but unlike in the original tale, they can change it.

The Grimrose Girls by Laura Pohl (YA, various): The Grimrose Girls weaves together various fairy tales in the modern settling of an elite boarding school. Three girls have lost their best friend to what the police believe is suicide, but what they believe is murder. When their newest roommate arrives, it sets in motion a series of events in which they confirm that Ariane was murdered, but she wasn't the first murder by far. The fantasy, mystery, and fairy tale elements are all intriguing and well done and just a bit dark, and there is tons of queer rep among the main characters. Also the beginnings of a couple of romances. I have the second book waiting for on my TBR stack.

Beauty: A Retelling of the Story of Beauty and the Beast by Robin McKinley (YA, Beauty and the Beast): I adore this retelling and have since I first read it when I was in middle school. That same paperback—a little battered after so many years and readings—is still on my book shelf. It's a really lovely retelling and a faithful one. The characterization is wonderful, the setting stunning, and writing lovely and perfect for conveying this fairy tale.

Ash by Malinda Lo (YA, Cinderella): When Ash's father dies, she's left at the mercy of her cruel stepmother, a set-up very much like the original tale. In this one, Ash escapes into the stories of fairies her mother told her and dreams of fairies of stealing her away—and thinks her dreams might come true when she meets a fairy. But it's really when she meets the King's Huntress that her life begins to change and she begins to see a life past her grief. There's a lovely f/f romance and a suitably creepy fairy who has laid a claim on Ash to escape as well.

For the Wolf by Hannah Whitten (Adult, Beauty and the Beast): Before I started this book, I thought it was going to be Red Riding Hood inspired, mostly from the cover in which the heroine is wearing a red hooded cloak, the mentions of a wolf, and the heroine's nickname Red. But, it turned out to be a Beauty and the Beast inspired story and a really lovely one. The world building and magic were intriguing, and the romance between Red and the Wolf quiet and gorgeous. The exploration of sisterhood and sacrifice was also compelling. The sequel, For the Throne, finishes the story with a focus on Red's sister and some inspiration from Snow White.

Peter Darling by Austin Chant (Adult, Peter Pan): I'm not sure if Peter Pan counts as a fairy tale, but I had to include Peter Darling anyway because it is a delightful and ingenious retelling. It manages to be a joyful, fun, and funny story while also being thought-provoking throughout, dealing with issues of identity and fantasy and growing up. And there is a lovely love story between Peter and Hook with the absolute perfect ending.

The Girl Who Fell Beneath the Sea by Axie Oh (YA, The Tale of Shim Cheong): I've never read the original Korean folk tale this book is based on, so I can't give you the differences, but I can tell you I adored this book. Mina's village is beset by destructive storms every year. To try to stop them, they through a beautiful young woman into the see each year to serve as the Sea God's bride. They believe that once the true bride is found, the Sea God will stop the storms. This year, the woman Mina's brother loves is chosen and Mina sacrifices herself in her stead. She finds herself brought to the spirit world where she discovers the Sea God is under a spell and sets out to make everything right. The writing and world building are beautiful, and the characters delightful.

Briarley by Aster Glenn Gray (Adult, Beauty and the Beast): This is a really lovely, touching take on Beauty and the Beast set in England during World War II. A parson stumbles into a country house during a storm to find it seemingly empty but a table laid for him. On the way out, he picks a rose for his daughter and the master of the house, under a curse that turned him into a dragon, appears in a rage. What follows is a beautiful story of love and friendship and companionship. 

Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron (YA, Cinderella): In this young adult fantasy, Cinderella has been dead for two hundred years and her story is now used to oppress women and force all the girls of the kingdom to go to balls where men can choose them as brides. Sophia makes the desperate decision to flee from the ball instead, and while hiding in Cinderella's mausoleum, she meets Constance, the last known descendant of Cinderella's stepsister (the stepsisters were not evil in this one!). They vow to bring down the evil king and bring change to the kingdom. Along the way, they discover there's more to Cinderella's story than is told and that there's more going on in the kingdom as well. An excellent reimagining with a sweet F/F romance and big bring down the patriarchy energy.

Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh (Adult, Green Man folklore): Silver in the Wood is a gorgeous novella that draws on Green Man folklore for its inspiration (I know, not exactly a fairy tale, but I'm including it anyway because it is delightful). Greenhollow's woods are magical and wild, and Tobias is tethered to them, living a quiet life in his cottage until sweet, curious Henry Silver shows up and the past begins to be dug up. The novella is sweet and dreamlike and lush in its writing. It explores home and roots and freedom, and putting the past to rest. Tobias and Henry's relationship is lovely. I mostly just wanted more (and since there's a sequel...).

Do you enjoy fairy tale retellings? What are some of your favorites?

I have a belated Rainbow Snippet for you today. It should've posted over the weekend...but I didn't manage that! 

The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ.

This month, I'm sharing some snippets from A Harmony of Fire and Earth, the second book in the Elemental Magicae duology. This book picks up right where A Dance of Water and Air ends (if you don't want spoilers, proceed with caution!). Arden and Edmund have reached relative safety in Edmund's home kingdom and are preparing for their wedding, but as personally happy as they are, they know their countries are still in danger. They believe there is a way to protect them, but they need powerful wielders of Earth and Fire magic to help. Arden sends for two he trusts—Rhys and Briallen—and they bring Gaz, a powerful Fire wielder, with them. Rhys fell in love with Gaz a long time ago, but his friend doesn't know it. And almost no one, including Rhys, knows that Gaz is actually Prince Gareth, Edmund's brother long thought dead and in hiding for his own safety. Gareth agrees to return home to help his brother, knowing that it could put him in danger and destroy the relationship he begins with Rhys along the way. In this snippet, Edmund and Arden get a look at each other right before their wedding ceremony.

You can find more about A Harmony of Fire and Earth here. Thanks for reading today and I hope you're staying safe and well!

We're over halfway through February, which means I'm over halfway through this year's JeRoWriMo challenge. If you haven't heard me talk about JeRoWriMo in years past, it stands for Jersey Romance Writing Month and is a writing challenge for New Jersey Romance Writers members in which participants try to write/revise 30k words in the month of February. I've participated every year (with the exception of 2021 when I wasn't a member); I wrote part of my first published book, The Prince's Consort, during a JeRoWriMo and many of my books since. The challenge always motivates me, both because of the wonderful encouraging people who cheer on every accomplishment and every word written...and because I'm a ridiculously competitive person who can't join a challenge without completing it!

The last few years have been rough for me writing-wise (and otherwise, as it has been for so many of us). I've had times when I've barely written at all and wondered if I would ever finish another book. But I'm finally getting there, and I'm feeling very hopeful that I will soon finish this book and then write more after. JeRoWriMo has given me a push to finish the last of the scenes I need to write in To Love the Dragon King—I'm mostly a pantser (which autocorrect constantly tries to change to panther, and that's way cooler sounding, so maybe I should just let it) and I write out of order. It works for me, but it can also be a little chaotic and stressful, even more so this time around when I've been writing this same book for longer than I've ever spent writing a book. I went into this month knowing I had some scenes to write in the middle of the book to make both the romance and the plot work. During the last couple of weeks, my brain also decided there should be a few more scenes in there, but writing is almost finished, and then I can get down to the work of revising and get closer to getting this book into your hands.

And win the JeRoWriMo challenge too, of course.