Antonia Aquilante
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Rainbow Snippets January 16-17

1/16/2021

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​It's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets! 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+

For today's snippet, I'm sharing more from The Envoy's Honor, the newest book in my Chronicles of Tournai series, which is now out everywhere. The Envoy's Honor is an adversaries to lovers romance between two men whose devotion to family and country is putting them on opposites sides of a dispute that it will take careful diplomacy to get everyone out of safely. Unwitting attraction complicates matters, of course, and just when they might be getting closer, someone is murdered. But at least they know neither of them could've done it since they were...together...at the time. And there are more dragon shifters in this one!

​This week, I'm picking up just after last week's snippet. I went a little (a lot?) over the sentence limit this week, but I thought the snippet worked better this way.
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​“I’m afraid I can’t do that.” The prince’s tone was as mild as his 
expression, but Kirill knew it had to hide much more. Philip was good though—Kirill couldn’t get any real sense of what those emotions were. He kept trying to figure out what the prince thought of them, of their demand, of Corentin even.

​
“May I ask why, Your Highness?” Ederic asked after he’d puffed himself up again. Had he really expected the princes to just give Corentin to them? Was he so deluded or so self-centered he assumed he would demand Corentin be handed over and Tournai’s ruler would do it with no discussion or objections? If so, this meeting was going to go even worse than Kirill feared.

“Well, for one, he isn’t our prisoner. I have no authority to make him yours. Nor would I if I did. I don’t make it a habit to seize my subjects for no reason and hand them over to other kingdoms on nothing but the say- so of one man.” The prince raised a hand before Ederic could speak. His expression wasn’t so mild now. There was a hint of something sharp and strong there. “He is however in our jurisdiction and under our protection. We will not be pleased if he’s forced to go anywhere or do anything he doesn’t want to do."

You can find more about The Envoy's Honor here. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're all staying safe and well.
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Favorite Reads of 2020

1/11/2021

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I didn't do my usual reading posts for November and December because I wasn't reading much—2020 really was horrible for my focus (on anything!) and ability to get lost in a book. I did a fair amount of rereading last year, especially on audiobook, but I did read some new-to-me books that I loved, so I wanted to do a favorite books of 2020 list. (I mean to have it up last week, but...*gestures at state of the world*) However, before I list some favorites, I did want to highlight a few books I enjoyed in November and December:

Best Laid Plaids by Ella Stainton: 1920s Scotland, romance, and ghosts.

Treasured by SJ Himes: A sweet novella about a storm dragon and the clairvoyant who will be his treasure.

The Dark Tide by Alicia Jasinska: A gorgeous and atmospheric dark f/f fantasy with witches.

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Merry Measure by Lily Morton: A funny, sweet m/m holiday romance set in Amsterdam with the older brother's best friend trope.


And now, some favorite books I read in 2020, in no particular order:

When the Moon Was Ours by Anna-Marie McLemore
The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare
That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole
Wolf in Sheep's Clothing by Charlie Adhara
Spellbound by Allie Therin
Gideon the Ninth and Harrow the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
Silver in the Wood by Emily Tesh
You Should See Me in a Crown by Leah Johnson
The Sugared Game by KJ Charles
Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas

​What are some of your favorite reads of 2020?
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Rainbow Snippets January 9-10

1/9/2021

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​It's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets! 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+

For today's snippet, I'm sharing more from The Envoy's Honor, the newest book in my Chronicles of Tournai series, which is now out everywhere. The Envoy's Honor is an adversaries to lovers romance between two men whose devotion to family and country is putting them on opposites sides of a dispute that it will take careful diplomacy to get everyone out of safely. Unwitting attraction complicates matters, of course, and just when they might be getting closer, someone is murdered. But at least they know neither of them could've done it since they were...together...at the time. And there are more dragon shifters in this one!

​I'm skipping ahead just slightly from last week's snippet. Here's the beginning of the dragon's delegation meeting with the royal family. (I went a few sentences over—sorry!)
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​Kirill’s heart sank as Ederic puffed out his chest and stepped toward the thrones from his position at the front of their group. He didn’t wait 
to be acknowledged, and Kirill bit back a groan. Ederic seemed intent on ignoring all protocol, and Kirill couldn’t see it not getting them in trouble. Trying not to appear weak and pointless blustering were two separate things. And the second was unlikely to get them anywhere. Why was Ederic acting this way?


“Your Highness, we’ve come to retrieve Master Corentin. Hand him over and we’ll cease interrupting your evening.”

​
Prince Philip raised an eyebrow in what had to be a deceptively mild manner. Kirill wanted to cringe.

You can find out more about The Envoy's Honor here. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're all staying safe and well.
2 Comments

Rainbow Snippets January 2-3

1/2/2021

3 Comments

 
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​It's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets! 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+

For today's snippet, I'm sharing more from The Envoy's Honor, the newest book in my Chronicles of Tournai series, which is now out everywhere. The Envoy's Honor is an adversaries to lovers romance between two men whose devotion to family and country is putting them on opposites sides of a dispute that it will take careful diplomacy to get everyone out of safely. Unwitting attraction complicates matters, of course, and just when they might be getting closer, someone is murdered. But at least they know neither of them could've done it since they were...together...at the time. And there are more dragon shifters in this one!

I'm continuing on from last week's snippet today.
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​Ederic was convinced Corentin would try to run from them if warned 
of their arrival, but Kirill wasn’t so sure, not after the odyssey they’d been on today. Corentin had entrenched himself in Jumelle. He’d built a life here with work and an upcoming marriage. He wasn’t likely to flee. But Ederic obviously wasn’t of the same opinion, and Kirill didn’t want to be wrong, so he allowed himself to be carried along...and they’d ended up in a receiving room in the palace of Tournai’s crown prince.

​
What he’d seen of the palace had been impressive. Light globes, charged with magic, on fancifully wrought posts lined the drive up to the palace, illuminating the sweep of the approach to the majestic building. Kirill could only get impressions of the soaring towers in the dark, but inside, they were hit with the full grandeur of the building. The entry hall was certainly meant to intimidate and awe with its soaring ceiling and polished marble floor and the ornate carvings on the columns. Tournai might not have been as large as its neighboring kingdoms, but it was rich due to trade and its glass makers, who were conceded to be the best in the world.

You can find more about The Envoy's Honor here. And you can get The Envoy's Honor and my other books 50% off at NineStar Press with code FINALLY2021 through January 8th, if you need some fantasy romance to start your year. I hope you're all staying safe and well and that 2021 brings you good things. Thanks for reading!
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Bleak Midwinter Quiltbag Funfest: Swans Swimming

1/1/2021

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A bunch of authors from the QUILTBAG Historicals Facebook group have gotten together to try to brighten this dark midwinter time with some posts based (loosely) on The Twelve Days of Christmas. There's also a fantastic giveaway, which you can enter here!

I have another post for the Funfest today, the seventh day of Christmas. The seventh day is swans swimming. I was originally going to share a scene from A Dance of Water and Air that involves swimming, but then I remembered there is a scene in The Envoy's Honor in which swans are swimming, so I'm sharing that instead.


“Don’t mind them,” said a quiet voice at his side.

​
Kirill started and glanced to his right to find Adora there. He must have looked confused because she continued. “They enjoy teasing each other. They don’t mean anything by it.”

“I was more surprised they’d behave so informally in front of someone they don’t know.” Certainly, royalty would act with more reserve and discretion around an outsider, especially one such as Kirill, wouldn’t they?

“Oh, well, probably because you’re with Griffen and it’s easy to see you’re quite taken with each other.” Adora glanced away, back toward the rest of the group, but it seemed to be at least partly out of shyness or anxiety at what she’d said, as a blush also pinked her cheeks. She was a quiet woman; he could tell even after just a few moments. She resembled her brother Amory quite a bit, with the same auburn hair and dark eyes and finely wrought features, hers just a bit more delicate. Adora wore a frothy, pale-yellow gown cut to her petite frame and a neat little hat pinned to her curling hair. He would have said both she and her brother were lovely, but it probably would be a bad idea for him to make such remarks about the prince consort and his sister.

Kirill wouldn’t dispute her statement, didn’t want to make her feel bad. Even if he shouldn’t have let it stand and leave her to get the wrong impression.

They weren’t taken with each other. Not in the way Adora implied.

Soon enough, Adora was drawn back into the center of the group by a laughing Meriall. Kirill let his attention drift just slightly. Children played on the other side of the pond under the watchful eyes of parents or nursemaids, and couples strolled along the paths. Swans glided along the water, powerful and elegant. They didn’t seem particularly concerned Meriall and Adora had left off feeding them, though a couple hovered close, perhaps hoping for more.

He was almost to the point of retrieving the little bag the ladies had been feeding them out of and continuing to do so. For the swans’ sake and for something to do while the others spoke. It was never easy to be in the middle of a group of people who were obviously close and not know any of them. Worse even than a room of stilted strangers at a formalevent. Before he could wander off to amuse himself, Griffen’s arm snaked out and threaded through Kirill’s, bringing him closer.

“What do you think?” Griffen asked, likely assuming Kirill had been paying far more attention to what they’d been saying. He should’ve been, didn’t know what he’d been thinking letting his mind wander so much in such a situation. “They’re picnicking here for lunch, and they say there’s plenty. I don’t want to impose, but they insist we won’t be. But I’ll understand and so will they if you want to go somewhere on our own as we’d planned.”

Kirill contemplated Griffen for a moment, trying to determine what Griffen wanted. “I’ll be sad not to have the time alone with you,” he said slowly as he came to some conclusions about what Griffen was likely thinking. “But of course, we can stay if we won’t be an imposition to them.”

“They say not.” Griffen shrugged. “We have to take their word for it.” Kirill chuckled. “I suppose so.”

“So, it’s all right with you?” Griffen asked in the same low voice he’d 
been using since he asked the original question. “Yes, of course.”

Griffen smiled. “Thank you. I’ll make it up to you another day.”

Before Kirill could tell him it wasn’t necessary—because it wasn’t, as that was not the type of relationship they had--Griffen had pulled him forward, into the group again, and Kirill had no choice but to go. And was welcomed by them because of how they saw him and Griffen together. Something he’d have to give quite a lot of thought.

About The Envoy's Honor

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Second son of an earl and cousin to the Crown Prince, Griffen has worked hard to forge a career in diplomacy for the principality of Tournai, but he never expected his diplomatic skills to be necessary to a problem so personal to him and his family. A delegation from the mysterious kingdom of Ivria has come to Tournai to make sure the secret of their people—the magical Talent allowing them to change into dragons—and therefore their kingdom itself remain safe. The delegation is concerned with Corentin, an Ivrian with the ability to change into a dragon—and the man Griffen’s older brother is soon to marry.

The Ivrians seem to want to drag Corentin back to Ivria for the offense of revealing their secret, but Griffen refuses to let it happen. His determination puts him into contact—and conflict—with Kirill, a negotiator for the king of Ivria who possesses the dragon Talent himself. The two clash and connect, getting closer and pulling away as they try to negotiate the needs of their people and an unwanted attraction between themselves. However, just as trust might be growing between them, a plot is uncovered and a member of the Ivrian delegation murdered. Griffen and Kirill must discover who is behind both for the safety of their countries and the people they love...and for a chance to be together.






Buy The Envoy's Honor:
NineStar Press 
Amazon
Apple
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Smashwords

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Goodbye 2020

12/31/2020

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...And good riddance. I'm not sure quite what to say about this year. My usual wrap-up doesn't quite feel right. There were absolutely good things this year, but as a whole...I'm happy to see it over and cautiously hope for better in 2021. I had so many plans for 2020—writing plans, travel plans, plans of all kind—and very few of them came to pass. Obviously this year did not turn out as any of imagined. I realized recently that this is first year I haven't written a whole book in a long time, certainly since I've been published. It's not a good feeling, but I'm trying not to be too hard on myself. This has been a year filled with anxiety, fear, and trauma, and that calls for more kindness and patience with ourselves and others. 

I did write part of a book (not the multiple books I'd planned, but...), and I'm determined to finish it as soon as I can in the coming year. I'm going to self-publish it (and I already have a gorgeous draft cover for it), so hopefully it will be in your hands sooner rather than later, but no promises on the timing. I still love the characters and the story (more dragon shifters!) even if the writing is very slow right now.

The major writing accomplishment of the year is the re-release of the first four Chronicles of Tournai books with all new covers by the amazing Natasha Snow and the release of book eight in the series. They're all so pretty, and it's lovely to see them together. And despite this year's lack of writing progress on the series, I absolutely intend to write more in the series.
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So many thanks to all of you, for reading and reviewing, for talking about my books, and for keeping in touch this year. I'm grateful to all of you. Much love to you all and wishes for health and happiness in the year to come. 
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Bleak Midwinter QUILTBAG Funfest: Gold Rings

12/30/2020

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A bunch of authors from the QUILTBAG Historicals Facebook group have gotten together to try to brighten this dark midwinter time with some posts based (loosely) on The Twelve Days of Christmas. There's also a fantastic giveaway, which you can enter here!

Today is the fifth day, which means gold rings, and in my post, gold rings mean a wedding. This one is Edmund and Arden's wedding in A Harmony of Fire and Earth:


“Your Highnesses?” the priest asked. “Are you ready?”

Edmund smiled. “More than. Arden?”

Arden reached up and settled his hands on Edmund’s 
shoulders. He looked into Edmund’s eyes. Arden’s green gaze was serious and searching—though for what Edmund wasn’t sure—and worry twisted in Edmund’s stomach. But then it softened, became achingly tender. Something turned over inside Edmund, and he was amazed once more that this man loved him, would be his. And he would be Arden’s.

Arden nodded, as if Edmund had said something, answered whatever question Arden had. He smoothed his hands down the front of Edmund’s jacket. “Yes, we’re ready.”

They didn’t take their eyes off each other as the doors were opened once more; Edmund was caught in Arden’s green gaze. He could have imagined them all alone, could have wished it, but he barely noticed anyone except Arden anyway.

“Shall we?” Arden asked in a whisper.

“Yes. Let’s get married.”

They walked through the doors into the temple proper 
side by side, arm in arm.

Edmund should be paying attention to the people who 
lined the aisle of the crowded temple, but the faces were a blur. Everything was a blur, indistinct, unreal—everything except Arden. They walked the long aisle together and up the three steps to where the priest and priestess waited at the altar. Kerenza and Ciaran stood on the second step. Neither Edmund nor Arden had made politically expedient choices in their witnesses, nor did they care.

The priest and priestess began the ceremony. Edmund’s heart was racing; he could barely hear what they said, but he stared into Arden’s eyes, reading the emotion there, the fight not to let too much of it overflow—which Edmund shared. They were in full view of a court who thought their marriage a political matter, and, sadly, too many people would seize upon excessive displays of emotion as a weakness.

It didn’t matter so much, though, because he was marrying Arden. Edmund’s feelings for Arden were not things he needed to showcase or have judged by the members of his father’s court, by diplomats and nobility and dignitaries invited to the wedding because of their titles not their relationship to Edmund. He loved Arden, and Arden loved him. Nothing else mattered.

They said their vows to each other and exchanged rings—bands of gold set with diamonds and pearls, made new for them instead of taken from Edmund’s family’s collection. He’d wanted new for this new beginning. He slid Arden’s ring on with hands that trembled only slightly. Edmund wanted this so much, wanted Arden forever so very much. All that want had him nearly vibrating out of his own skin.

Arden’s hands were cool and sure as he placed Edmund’s ring on his finger, his voice even and strong as he recited his vows. He kept hold of Edmund’s hand after. Edmund couldn’t remember if they were supposed to, and he couldn’t much care—Arden’s hand in his felt right. Arden gave him a small smile, just a slight curve of his lips, but for Edmund alone.


About A Harmony of Fire and Earth

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[Note: The following blurb contains spoilers for book 1, A Dance of Water and Air.]

Prince Edmund of Thalassa and Prince Arden of Aither are eagerly anticipating their upcoming wedding, but the danger to their kingdom hasn’t lessened. They have a plan, but they won’t be able to carry it out alone: they need a strong wielder of each Element, whom they can trust implicitly, to carry out the magic.

Rhys is a commoner and wielder of Earth magic. He and his sister have made a living from the use of their magic for years and have become highly respected in scholarly circles, though he prefers a more simple life with his plants. When a message from Prince Arden reaches them asking for their help, they don’t hesitate. They stop only to request that Gaz, a strong Fire wielder and the man Rhys has long been enamored of, accompany them on the journey to Thalassa’s royal palace.

What no one knows is that Gaz was once known as Prince Gareth of Thalassa and is Edmund’s younger brother, long believed dead. He fled his home after his Fire Affinity made itself known and put him in danger, and he had no intention of ever going back. But he can’t keep himself from going to his brother’s aid, despite the risk of discovery and of the weight of his secrets potentially crushing his fledgling relationship with Rhys.

Working against time, they must find a way to come together in a magical working the likes of which none of them has ever imagined, or their homelands will surely burn.

Buy A Harmony of Fire and Earth:
NineStar Press
Apple
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords
Kobo


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Rainbow Snippets December 26-27

12/27/2020

2 Comments

 
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​It's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets! 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+

For today's snippet, I'm sharing more from The Envoy's Honor, the newest book in my Chronicles of Tournai series, which is now out everywhere. The Envoy's Honor is an adversaries to lovers romance between two men whose devotion to family and country is putting them on opposites sides of a dispute that it will take careful diplomacy to get everyone out of safely. Unwitting attraction complicates matters, of course, and just when they might be getting closer, someone is murdered. But at least they know neither of them could've done it since they were...together...at the time. And there are more dragon shifters in this one!

I'm picking up where last week's snippet left off with more from Kirill's point of view.
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​Corentin had exposed all of them. Telling the man he wanted to 
marry might have been excusable, if he hadn’t also informed Tournai’s ruler of their existence. Lysander needed to know that Ivria was safe, so they had been sent to assure it was. And if Kirill would’ve rather served his king at home in Ivria--especially when Ederic saw himself somehow as the leader of their delegation—he couldn’t deny the importance of their task.

​
Even if Ederic was insufferable half the time.

You can find more about The Envoy's Honor here. Also, The Envoy's Honor and the rest of my books are all 50% off at Smashwords through January 1st, if you're looking for some fantasy romance to escape into. Thanks for reading, and happy holidays!
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Merry Christmas

12/25/2020

0 Comments

 
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Merry Christmas to everyone celebrating today! This has been a long and difficult year, and I know this holiday looks different for all of us, but I hope today is full of warm and joy and peace. Much love to you. Stay safe and well.
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Rainbow Snippets December 19-20

12/19/2020

2 Comments

 
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​It's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets! 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+

For today's snippet, I'm sharing more from The Envoy's Honor, the newest book in my Chronicles of Tournai series, which is now out everywhere. The Envoy's Honor is an adversaries to lovers romance between two men whose devotion to family and country is putting them on opposites sides of a dispute that it will take careful diplomacy to get everyone out of safely. Unwitting attraction complicates matters, of course, and just when they might be getting closer, someone is murdered. But at least they know neither of them could've done it since they were...together...at the time. And there are more dragon shifters in this one!

I've skipped ahead just a little from last week's snippet (though this still takes place that same night) to introduce Kirill, one of people sent by the king of Ivria to find Corentin.
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​Kirill didn’t like how the evening was turning out—he didn’t like how this 
entire enterprise was turning out, and they were still at the beginning of it. He’d been reluctant to leave Ivria but, of course, he would never refuse his king. And something had to be done about Corentin. Explanations needed to be made and apologies sincerely given. It would be King Lysander’s decision if, once received, those things were sufficient.

You can find more about The Envoy's Honor here. And currently, The Envoy's Honor and all my other books are 50% off in the Smashwords sale, if you want to stock up on some books. Thanks for reading today, and hope you're all staying safe and well.
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    Antonia is a writer and a reader. She loves books, travel, art, photography, baking, pasta, and shoes.

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