NineStar Press is having a great Cyber Monday sale today! Get 50% off your order with code CYBER22, and if you haven't read them yet, all of my books are eligible for the promotion. Don't miss out—you deserve to treat yourself to some new books!

I don't think I've ever done a Thanksgiving book rec post, so I thought it might be fun to list some Thanksgiving romances I've enjoyed in case you're looking for some seasonally appropriate reading this weekend.

Vincent's Thanksgiving Date by R. Cooper: This short read is so sweet and lovely! In it, Vincent, who is so shy and socially anxious, is drawn out of his shell by his neighbor, Cory. Who Vincent has had crush on. In Vincent's point of view, we see how much he wants to connect and how the burden of his shyness and anxiety stops him. But the way Cory treats him is so gentle and wonderful. It makes for such a beautiful romance that will absolutely make you smile.

A Midnight Feast by Emma Barry and Genevieve Turner: This book is part of the authors' Fly Me to the Moon series, focusing on the space race of the 1960s, but you can read it out of order. Mitch and Margie's twenty year marriage has been in trouble for a while. They're hosting Thanksgiving, and Margie plans to use the preparations and guests as a buffer. But, their guests cancel, leaving them to spend a whole weekend alone together. There are flashbacks to when they met and different points in their marriage. The story feels like an emotional second chance romance (despite their never having broken up).

Take Me Home by Lorelie Brown: This novella (again part of a series, but stands alone just fine) begins at Thanksgiving. Keighley loves her family—but she is very tired of her Christian Fundamentalist aunt giving everyone grief because Keighley is a lesbian. So she decides to bring a fake girlfriend to Thanksgiving. That Thanksgiving dinner—during which they save and kidnap a mistreated dog—sets the stage for the romance that follows.

A Match Made for Thanksgiving by Jackie Lau: This first book in the Holidays with the Wongs series is set at Canadian Thanksgiving, but I feel this counts for this post—it's Thanksgiving, even if the timing is a bit different. Nick and Lily meet at a bar and have a one night stand the weekend before Thanksgiving. When Nick arrives at his parents' house in his small hometown, he finds out that his parents and grandparents have set him and his siblings up with blind dates for Thanksgiving. Lily is his brother Greg's date. This situation—and the fact that Nick, who doesn't do relationships, hasn't been able to stop thinking about Lily—causes Nick to tell Lily he wants more. It's a fun novella with a sweet romance, a wacky meddling family, and some spicy scenes too.

Thankless in Death by JD Robb: Okay, so this is more futuristic mystery than romance (there absolutely is romance in this series, but by book 37, the couples are well established), but I'm adding it to the list anyway. I always love to revisit Eve and Roarke and their friends, who are a wonderful chosen family. In this one, even as they're solving a murder, they're also preparing for the holiday—something Eve isn't really used to.

Do you have any favorite Thanksgiving books? 

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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.

I've switched over to The Envoy's Honor for a bit, sharing snippets to celebrate its second birthday this past week. In The Envoy's Honor, a delegation of dragon shifters arrive in Tournai, ostensibly to ascertain that the secret of the existence of dragon shifters is not at risk because a dragon shifter will be marrying into Tournai's extended royal family. Griffen is not only a diplomat and negotiator for the crown, but also the brother of the man marrying the dragon shifter who started the whole situation. He's trying to protect both his country and his family, but Kirill, one of the dragon shifter envoys, is trying to protect the existence of his people. As they try to work the conflict out—and inadvisably fall for each other—a murder and the discovery of a treasonous plot further complicate the situation. This snippet is another conversation between Kirill and Romilly, but this time they're talking about an encounter between Kirill and Griffen. Romilly, of course, has opinions.

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

​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.

I've switched over to The Envoy's Honor for a bit, sharing snippets to celebrate its second birthday this past week. In The Envoy's Honor, a delegation of dragon shifters arrive in Tournai, ostensibly to ascertain that the secret of the existence of dragon shifters is not at risk because a dragon shifter will be marrying into Tournai's extended royal family. Griffen is not only a diplomat and negotiator for the crown, but also the brother of the man marrying the dragon shifter who started the whole situation. He's trying to protect both his country and his family, but Kirill, one of the dragon shifter envoys, is trying to protect the existence of his people. As they try to work the conflict out—and inadvisably fall for each other—a murder and the discovery of a treasonous plot further complicate the situation. In this snippet, Kirill and Romilly, another of the dragon shifters, reflect on how poorly the beginning of talks are going, all due to one of their own.

Find out more about The Envoy's Honor here. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're staying safe and well!

Hello, my darlings! October was a not great month for reading for me. I had high hopes—this is my favorite time of year, and all I wanted was to wallow in some cozy autumn witchy books. But I kept borrowing witchy romances from the library, starting them...and they just didn't work for me. Sigh. I finally did a few rereads of autumn favorites (I put together a list of my favorite books for this time of year over here), which was much better. And I did read a few new-to-me books this month that did work for me:

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker and Wendy Xu: Mooncakes is an adorable YA graphic novel about a witch who comes across a white wolf in the woods—who happens to be her childhood crush. The story takes a through a sweet romance between Nova and Tam while they also have to figure out and fight some evil magic and go on a journey of self-discovery about themselves and home and family. The story is heartwarming, and the art is lovely.

Spirited Situation and Vortex Conundrum by Louisa Masters: Witchy books might not have worked for me this month, but ghostly ones did. I binge read these first two books in the Ghostly Guardians series (and am waiting impatiently for book three!). Both books are set at a historic hotel that is haunted, but these aren't scary ghosts. In fact, they are absolutely part of the found family that has grown among some of the employees of the hotel and are pretty hilarious (there is some creepy stuff with another creature and the history of the hotel that our characters have to deal with, but it's not super scary). In the first book, a man who has been able to see/hear/speak to ghosts his whole life and has lost friends and family and jobs over it finds a job and a home (and love, of course!) at the hotel, where everyone believes in ghosts and loves their own exasperating group of them. The second book picks up with a new couple at the hotel and the continuing story of the supernatural situation there.

The Forgotten Dead by Jordan L Hawk: I've had this book on my Kindle for far too long, but maybe October was the right month to read it! The Forgotten Dead is a modern set paranormal romance, very heavy on the paranormal story and less on the romance. And the ghost story here is suuuuper creepy (I should not have read before bed!). The mix of creepy ghosts in haunted house and human evil created a very scary story. The romance itself was incredibly sweet with little angst (which seemed totally fine in such an otherwise creepy story). Medium Oscar and parapsychologist Nigel are adorable together, and I'm looking forward to how their relationship develops over the series. Also, Nigel is trans and Oscar's ghost-hunting team includes a nonbinary person and a queer woman, and everyone is absolutely accepting—there are no issues with any of it and no bigotry, just the way it should be. Definitely looking forward to the next book.

What have you read and loved lately? (And does anyone have any witchy romances to recommend to me?)

​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.

​I'm sharing snippets from The Spymaster's Secret over the next few weeks to celebrate the book's third birthday. The Spymaster's Secret is an opposites attract romance between a flirtatious, outgoing royal with hidden depths and an older, serious widowed father with very mysterious work. Which our young royal is quite curious about. And you know what they say about curiosity. Last week, I shared a snippet from Alexander and Faelen's preparations for the masquerade ball. This week, I thought I would give you a glimpse at the ball itself...and Alexander's flirtation with Marcus there.

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

Happy Halloween, my darlings! I adore Halloween and Autumn, which you probably know if you've been around here for a while, but I'm not a fan of horror. This time of year, I love to read something a little spooky or creepy, something witchy or with all the cozy fall vibes. So, for Halloween, I thought I would share some of my favorite books for this time of year with you.

A Little Familiar and Nothing More Certain by R Cooper: Witchy m/m paranormal romances with all the fall feels and all the pining. A Little Familiar is out in audio as well—it's been keeping me company on my walks the last few days. It's set leading up to and at Halloween, so it always feels perfect for this time of year.

A Discovery of Witches by Deborah Harkness: A forbidden romance between a witch and a vampire in a story filled with an intriguing blend of magic, history, and science. This first book in the series takes place between Mabon and Samhain, so again it's perfect for this time of year. I also really love the audio.

Once Upon a Haunted Moor by Harper Fox: An incredibly atmospheric story with a mystery and some spooky elements and the beginning of a lovely romance between a village police officer and a psychic. It's short but an excellent read and a great beginning to the series.

Payback's a Witch by Lana Harper: I read this in ebook last fall and reread it this year in audio. A witch reluctantly returns home at the start of the book, which continues with a vengeance pact between her and two other witches, a magical tournament, and a lovely f/f romance. And, again, all the fall vibes here. (The second book in the series is also fantastic, though without the fall vibes!)

Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas: A paranormal YA in which a trans brujo tries to bring back the ghost of his cousin to find out what happened to him and prove himself to his family—and ends up with a difference ghost entirely. Who he falls in love with while finding out what happened to him. The sweetest romance, magic, ghosts, and the traditions of Dia de los Muertos fill this book. The audio is fantastic too,

The Ex Hex by Erin Sterling: This book was apparently pitched as "Hocus Pocus but they fuck" and it does have that vibe. A heartbroken witch fake-curses her ex—but when he returns to town years later, she realizes that the curse is real as bad things keep happening to him and magic goes haywire all over town. A second chance romance, a fall festival, an absolute romp as they try to put the magic right...and a delightful talking cat. I haven't read the second book in the series yet, but I'm very much looking forward to it.

Prince of Death by Sam Burns and WM Fawkes: This book might be a semi-odd choice for this list because it's centered around Greek gods in the modern world, but it's also set in fall in Washington, DC (which brings back memories of my college days there) and there's an actual Halloween costume party in the underworld. A professor of magic is lured to the underworld with the promise of being able to find his dead mother and meets the son of Hades instead. The two fall in love while also stumbling into a plot to end humanity.

Widdershins by Jordan L Hawk: I love this book (and the series it begins), but I'm not entirely certain why I associate it with this time of year. It's set in early winter, just before Christmas. But there's something about the magic and monsters, I guess. And, of course, I adore the beginning of the relationship between Whyborne and Griffin. There actually is a book in the series set around Halloween—Bloodline, which I love too and am probably due for a reread of, but the series is best read in order.

Hainted by Jordan L Hawk: Yes, another Jordan L Hawk (and I could absolutely add more to the list!). This one is a standalone, though I wish there were more books set in this world. A young man is trying to keep the family farm afloat while raising his siblings and haint-working—helping ghosts cross over. When another haint-worker comes to town looking for his help catching a necromancer, he doesn't want to get involved, with the search or the guy but I think we can guess what happens there? Romance, ghosts, graveyards, and some bleeding walls make for a just creepy enough but not too much for me Halloween read.

As for my own books, none are explicitly Halloween books. But, if you're looking for a cozy fall/winter fantasy romance, you should curl up with The Merchant's Love. Or if shenanigans at a masquerade ball intrigue you, give The Spymaster's Secret a read.

What are some of your favorite fall or Halloween reads? (And how badly will they scare me?)

​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.

​I'm sharing snippets from The Spymaster's Secret over the next few weeks to celebrate the book's third birthday. The Spymaster's Secret is an opposites attract romance between a flirtatious, outgoing royal with hidden depths and an older, serious widowed father with very mysterious work. Which our young royal is quite curious about. And you know what they say about curiosity. With Halloween tomorrow, I thought I would share a snippet from the closest thing I have to a Halloween scene—a masquerade ball. In this snippet, Alexander and his twin, Faelen, are getting ready for the masquerade. They've dressed alike—Alexander's idea. He wants to make a little good-hearted mischief...though he has other reasons too.

Tonight was a masked ball though. Everyone would be in disguise. They would dress in finery and cover their faces with fanciful masks and dance the night away. Why shouldn’t he and Faelen have a little fun?

Their clothing was identical down to the smallest detail of the rich, emerald-green velvet jacket and pants, the gold embroidered shoes. Alexander had insisted they put their hair up, securing it with gold combs, to disguise the slight difference between them. Their masks were exactly the same as well--intricate gold and green half masks with green- dyed feathers and a single white silk rose on the right side. They were secured with glossy green ribbons. Yes, Alexander was pleased with the effect. They looked wonderful, and no one would be able to tell them apart.

“Why is it the point?”

“Don’t be so serious! Just think of people’s faces when they don’t know who they’ve seen or how one of us can be in two places at once.” Alexander grinned. “You know it’s going to be fun.”

You can find more about The Spymaster's Secret here. Thanks for reading today, and Happy Halloween!

I went to my first GRL last week, and I'm so glad I finally got to go. I've wanted to for years—in 2020, I was finally able to make plans to go, but then the pandemic hit and GRL was obviously canceled. It took two more years, but I finally made and as a Spotlight Author. I had a fantastic time and I loved meeting so many readers! Here's a little recap:

On Thursday morning, I did a Q&A panel on the theme Great Escape with other paranormal/fantasy/urban fantasy authors AR Moler, Drea Roman, and Tempeste O'Riley. We got so many great questions about our books and inspiration, what got us started writing and what's next for us. We were also asked about books in our genre that we love or that inspire us...which is a question that immediately makes me forget every book I've ever read! I came up with a few (and of course, remembered more once the panel was over!), so expect a blog post in the next couple of weeks about fantasy/urban fantasy/paranormal romance books that I enjoy to make up for my horrific memory during the panel.

On Friday morning, I had my Author Lounge. I set up my table and hoped that some people would stop by... So many of you stopped by! I loved talking to everyone who came by, whether they had read all my books or were just discovering them. So many readers said lovely things about my books, and I, of course, am always shocked and awkward with compliments, but I'm absolutely thrilled and blown away and honored by all the things you said and that you've enjoyed by stories and characters and worlds. 

I attended some other authors' panels, which were interesting and fun and allowed me to listen to some of my favorite authors. It's always an amazing experience to be surrounded by other readers and authors and all the joy and excitement about the books we all love. And, I managed not to get killed by the murder elevator (that thing was really trying to take one of us out).

I finished up with Saturday's morning book signing (unfortunately, I couldn't stay past then because I had to work the day job on Sunday). Thank you so much to everyone who bought books or stopped by my table to chat and pick up a bookmark or card. It was wonderful to meet you all, and I hope you enjoy your books! And huge thanks to my mom, who came to GRL with me and joined me as my book signing assistant and for walks around Portsmouth's historic district and for great pizza and seafood. Spending some mom/daughter time made GRL even better.

Hopefully, I'll be able to attend GRL again next year!

​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.

​I'm sharing snippets from The Spymaster's Secret over the next few weeks to celebrate the book's third birthday. The Spymaster's Secret is an opposites attract romance between a flirtatious, outgoing royal with hidden depths and an older, serious widowed father with very mysterious work. Which our young royal is quite curious about. And you know what they say about curiosity. This snippet occurs early on in the book. Marcus is trying very hard not to be interested Alexander, the prince's cousin, but Alexander has no reservations about displaying his own interest, much to Marcus's confusion.

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