My March Reading

3/31/2020

The decade that has been March 2020 is ending today (and I don't know about anyone else, but I'm completely losing track of days and wondering if it actually matters anyway). I didn't read as much as I thought I would, or at least, I didn't read many new books this month (I've been rereading favorites on audio mostly). I've been so anxious that I haven't been able to get into most books or concentrate on much of anything. There were a few I enjoyed, though:

Wolf in Sheep's Clothing by Charlie Adhara: I've been waiting for this next book in the Big Bad Wolf series for ages, and it did not disappoint. The mystery was great, but what I really loved was the continuing developments in Cooper and Oliver's relationship. You should probably read the series in order instead of jumping in here, but the whole series is wonderful and it seems to keep getting better.

Magpie by Piper Scott and Virginia Kelly: I'll admit this isn't my favorite book in the Forbidden Desires series, but it was still really enjoyable and I'm sure I'll reread it along with the rest of the series. I liked learning more about Reynard and Misha and having a few things explained from a previous book. I also liked the appearances by characters from other books and some appearances by characters we've only heard of before but maybe might learn more about in the future... Plus dragon shifters and baby dragons!

Lord of the White Hell, Book One by Ginn Hale: I've had this on my Kindle for ages and somehow hadn't read it despite so many people telling me how good it was. And it was really good. I enjoyed the world building in this romantic fantasy set at a boarding school, and I'm looking forward to reading book two (book one ends on a cliffhanger).

I hope you're all staying safe and healthy, and staying at home as much as you possibly can. If you've been reading and escaped into something you loved, let me know what it is. Love to you all.

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Rainbow Snippets March 28-29

3/28/2020

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One glance at Amory’s stricken expression told him Amory had no part in Arnau’s plan. The horror and embarrassment in those big eyes ignited a fire inside Philip. He opened his mouth to yell, to give Arnau the scare of his life before sending him on his way. After canceling the order that brought them there and assuring Arnau the royal family would never go to him for glasswork again.

But then he looked at Amory. He didn’t know the man at all, but there was something about him...and he didn’t think it was only Amory’s beauty. Something told him maybe Amory could be a friend at least, if not a lover. He wanted to trust the feeling, ached to be right. But even if he imagined whatever potential he thought was there, no one deserved to be treated the way Arnau was treating Amory.

He couldn’t yell and send them away. Couldn’t send Amory away with them.

You can find more about The Prince's Consort here. It's also still 40% off for a little while longer at Ninestar Press, along with the rest of my books (except A Dance of Water and Air, which is free!). Take care, everyone. Stay safe and healthy!

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Rainbow Snippets March 21-22

3/21/2020

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“I don’t understand, Master Arnau. What are you offering?”

Oh, yes, his expression was definitely smug. “I only hoped you might like to get to know Amory better, Your Highness. You are both like-minded men, and Amory hasn’t known any others. I thought you might get along well, if you spent an evening, or a night, getting acquainted.”

Was Arnau really...? Arnau’s expression wasn’t just smug, it wasknowing, somehow, and slimy. He was. Arnau was offering his son’s virginity, or at least a night with Amory in Philip’s bed, in exchange forhis allowing them extra time to work on the commission. His stomach churned with a sick mixture of horror and disgust. How could a father do such a thing? For all intents sell his child for his own gain.

You can find more about The Prince's Consort here. The world is a pretty scary place right now, and I hope you all are taking care of yourselves and each other and staying home as much as possible. If you need some books to escape into, NineStar Press is having a sale. Everything is 40% off through the end of March. All of mine are on sale there, including The Prince's Consort, and A Dance of Water and Air is free, so make sure to grab it if you haven't read it yet.

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Books on Sale if You Need a Distraction

3/17/2020

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NineStar Press is having a big sale so readers can get their hands on some books to read while isolating at home. It's a scary time, and I know I use books to comfort and distract myself. If you do too, here's a great opportunity to pick up some new ones. Everything at NineStar is on sale through the end of March! With regards to my books, A Dance of Water and Air is free (which has never happened before!) and the others, including newly released The Prince's Consort, are all 40% off. Find all of my books here.

Go forth and read, my darlings. Do things that make you happy (we all need a little happiness), while also washing your hands, not touching your face, and staying home as much as possible. Take care of yourselves.

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Release Day for The Prince's Consort!

3/16/2020

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The Prince's Consort is back out in the world today, and I'm feeling so many things about it—happiness, relief, anxiety. The Prince's Consort was my first published book, and the decision to take my rights to it (and three others) back from Dreamspinner was not an easy one. But it was the right one. The book has a new home at NineStar Press and a beautiful new cover by Natasha Snow to match the newer books in the series. The story remains basically the same, so if you've read it already and you don't want to buy it again, you're probably fine doing that. I've cleaned up the language some (it was my first book and I've learned a lot since then and I probably could've fiddled with it a bunch more, but I wanted it back out), and I've made some revisions the publisher requested last month due to some concerns they had about the mpreg element of the plot, which is why there was a delay in releasing the book. The revisions were to make Amory intersex and so involved some changes to his backstory. Again, the basic story remains the same, so don't feel you have to buy a new copy. If you want to, to see the changes or have one with the pretty new cover, I'm so appreciative and grateful.

If you've never read The Prince's Consort, I hope you enjoy this first book in the Chronicles of Tournai series. All of the stories stand alone, but this is where it all started, a book I hadn't intended to write at the time—I was writing something else, and Amory and Philip were minor characters in it, but suddenly, their story started coming to me and it was way more interesting than what I was writing at the time. I stopped writing the other book and wrote about Amory and Philip, and I have no regrets whatsoever. This book opened up the whole world of Tournai and all its people, and I love writing it. The Prince's Consort is the story of a lonely prince and a cinnamon roll commoner who fall in love surrounded by magic and secrets...and who will not give each other up, despite the odds and someone who will do anything to keep them apart.

Thank you to everyone who has bought, read, reviewed, recommended The Prince's Consort, this time around or the first. I'm so very grateful to you! The next book in the series, The Artist's Masquerade, should be back out as well soon (The Scholar's Heart and The Sorcerer's Guardian too!), and of course, the newest three books are already available. Plus, there's a brand new Tournai book under contract as well. So, lots more chances to get lost in this world if you'd like!

About The Prince's Consort

Legends tell of large cats defending the principality of Tournai, but such creatures are only myth.

Or are they?

Prince Philip inherited the throne of Tournai at a young age, and since then, his life has centered around ruling his country and resisting those pressuring him to do as they want both in matters of governance and those more personal. He’s become isolated and lonely. Amory is the second son of a wealthy merchant who has never approved of anything about him or had any use for him. Until now.

When kind-hearted Amory is offered to the prince in exchange for more time for Amory’s merchant father to complete a commission, both Philip and Amory are horrified. But Philip agrees to keep Amory at the palace, where they gradually become friends, then lovers. For the first time in his life, Philip is free to share not only his heart, but the magical shape-shifting ability that runs in the royal bloodline—something the royal family has kept secret from all but those closest to them for generations.

Neither Amory nor Philip imagined falling in love, and they certainly don’t expect what those who oppose their relationship will do to keep them apart—maybe even resorting to murder.

Add The Prince's Consort to your Goodreads shelf.

Buy The Prince's Consort:
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Rainbow Snippets March 14-15

3/14/2020

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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'm sharing another snippet from The Prince's Consort today, since it will be back out in the world on Monday (though if anyone bought it from NineStar, they have it already...). This snippet follows not long after the last one I shared. Amory's father, Arnau, has brought him along to a business meeting with the prince, something he's never done before. Arnau is a glass merchant, and his glassmaking business has a commission to create a chandelier for the prince, but it's late. Arnau is hoping to make a deal. (I went over six sentences—I'm sorry! I thought it was necessary to convey what's going on.) The snippet is in Philip's POV, and Arnau speaks first.

“Of course, Your Highness. One more week, and the chandelier will be completed to perfection. It will be the most impressive gift the kingand queen of Amaranta receive. The envy of all others.” Arnau seemed to clue in to Philip’s impatience and cut short his words. His face didn’tchange, but a calculating gleam came to his eyes. “In the meantime, perhaps I can do something to apologize for the inconvenience we have caused you.”

He raised an eyebrow. He couldn’t wait to hear what Arnau thought would appease him. A discount? If Philip hadn’t needed the highest quality glasswork for the gift, he would never have done business with Arnau again.

“As you see, I brought my son Amory with me today.” Amory turned a puzzled gaze on his father, who seemed almost...smug. “I thought youmight like to spend an evening together, Your Highness. Get to know each other.”

Complete silence fell. Arnau couldn’t be saying what it sounded like, could he?

The Prince's Consort will be out on Monday, and you can find out more about it, including links and a longer excerpt, here. Also, another of my books, A Harmony of Fire and Earth, has been out for a year this week, and I'm giving away a copy (or a copy of the first book in the series, if you prefer) in this blog post. Go enter! Thanks for reading today!

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An Anniversary and a Giveaway

3/11/2020

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A Harmony of Fire and Earth has been out in the world for one year today! I thought it might be fun to mark the day with a giveaway. Comment below for a chance to win an ebook of A Harmony of Fire and Earth or of the first book in the series, A Dance of Water and Air, if you'd prefer. I'll pick a winner in a week.

About A Harmony of Fire and Earth

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

Excerpt

After they finished eating, Rhys and Gaz bundled up against the cold night and left Briallen and Meraud chatting and finishing the wine. Gaz needed to retrieve his and Meraud’s horses from the stables. Rhys went along to check on his and Briallen’s and make sure they’d been made comfortable for the night. He could admit to himself it was just an excuse to spend a few more moments with Gaz. If the others knew, they kindly didn’t mention it.

“So we probably won’t be seeing you for a while, then,” Gaz said after a few moments. They were strolling, despite the chill. Rhys didn’t envy his friends their ride home in the dark. “Since you want to get home before the worst of winter sets in.”

“We don’t really want to have to travel then, so probably not.” As much as he regretted it. There was nothing to say they couldn’t travel, but Aither’s winters meant a lot of snow, even here in the foothills, and it wasn’t pleasant to try to get through it, even though he wanted to see his friends. “It’s best for us to go directly home from this last job.”

“And you miss your greenhouses.” Gaz was smiling when he said it, the look almost fond.

“I suppose I do.” Both Rhys and Briallen were Earth Affinities, but his was far more in tune with plants—growing them and strengthening their healing and magical properties, as well as doing some healing himself. So, yes, he did hate having to leave his plants in the care of others. Winter gave him time to tend the greenhouses and experiment, tasks he found both soothing and fulfilling.

“No shame in that. It’s part of who you are. You should do what you’re passionate about. We all should.” Gaz’s voice was quiet but intense.

Rhys turned to him as they stopped near the stables, just outside the circle of lantern light near the door. He watched Gaz for a moment, nerves making his stomach churn. Could he do this? “And what if what I want to do is kiss you?”

Gaz’s indrawn breath was sharp and loud in the quiet of the night. “Do you?”

“I do.”

“It might not be a good idea.”

“I know. But it might be a very good idea too.” Laughing a little, Gaz shook his head.

“Do you not want me to kiss you? If so, just say, and I’ll never mention it again.” He silently recited every prayer he knew that Gaz wouldn’t say it.

“It isn’t that I don’t want you to. It’s just—”

Rhys didn’t let Gaz finish, and maybe that was wrong. He didn’t even consciously make the decision to close the distance—only a step or two—between them and press his lips to Gaz’s. It was a whisper of a kiss at first, light and soft. But Rhys was stunned to be kissing Gaz after all this time. Just that fact was glorious.

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Rainbow Snippet March 7-8

3/7/2020

3 Comments

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 a snippet from The Prince's Consort again today. In this snippet, Philip sees Amory for the first time. He's meeting with Arnau and Alban, Amory's (horrible) father and brother, as he has many times before, but this is the first time they've brought Amory with them (and of course, there's a reason for that...). I've gone a little over six sentences, but I thought it was necessary this time.

His gaze slid over Arnau and Alban. They’d met with him more than once in the past, but the man with them was a stranger. He looked young, younger even than Philip, and--

Philip’s mouth dried, his breath caught in his throat, and he stared. At the curling auburn hair and the slender, lithe body dressed in well-cut, well-made clothes. At the rich brown eyes staring back at him. They went almost comically wide and startled, but the young man didn’t look away, and Philip couldn’t bring himself to either. A delightful blush stained the stranger’s cheeks, and Philip wanted to grin. Who was this man?

The Prince's Consort will be back out in the world on March 16th! So soon! You can find more about it here. Also, all of my other books are 50% off at Smashwords through today—don't miss out on a great sale! Thanks for reading!

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My February Reading

3/4/2020

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February was another tough reading month for me. I've been in a book slump for far too long, and I was really busy with writing, edits, revising, and proofreading on three separate books. So not as much time to read as I wanted plus not being able to get into too many books or even decide what to try next.

During January and February, I reread the Forbidden Desires series (including the spin-off, Swallow) by Piper Scott and Virginia Kelly in audio, which was fun as always (dragon shifters, romance, baby dragons, peacocks...), and I'm looking forward to the next book, which will be out soon. I also read and enjoyed a few other books this past month:

The Wallflower Wager by Tessa Dare: I can always rely on Tessa Dare for an enjoyable historical romance with delightful banter and romance and some funny situations. I loved the previous books in this series (though you don't have to pick them up before this one, you should anyway because they're very good), and this one was a great addition. I especially liked Penny and all her animals and all the hilarious moments involving those animals. (CW: past childhood sexual abuse) I'm looking forward to the next book.

That Could Be Enough by Alyssa Cole: A really lovely historical romance novella with two queer WOC main characters: Mercy, a maid/secretary who was hurt and gave up on putting her feelings into her writing or maybe even feeling much of anything at all, and Andromeda, a dressmaker who is passionate about her community. Their meeting is wonderful, their letters lovely. (First published in the Hamilton's Battalion anthology)

Infernal Affairs by Jordan L Hawk: Somehow I missed this novella when it first came out as part of an anthology, but I'm so glad I read it now because it was absolutely delightful. We have failed crossroads demon Ralgath trying to redeem himself and fabulous monster-hunting human Chess plus some romance, mystery, and an adorable hellhound named Fluffpaw. Seriously cute and I'd love more adventures for them all.

A Wedding One Christmas by Therese Beharrie: I bought this around Christmas but was a little late getting to it. It's an emotional, introspective romance that takes place (other than the epilogue) in only one day. Two people basically fall in love at almost first sight, but it isn't easy for them. Both are dealing with a lot of very real emotional issues and have been hurt in the past, and now also have to deal with all sorts of new feelings. Set in a small town in South Africa where the main characters meet by chance on their home at Christmas, the book also has lots of sort of wacky small town situations, including the heroine being mistaken repeatedly for a bridesmaid at a wedding. I haven't read the rest of the series yet, but I'm sure I will.

What have you read and loved lately?

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Release Blitz: Half-Light by Matt Doyle

3/3/2020

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Title: Half-Light

Series: The Cassie Tam Files, Book Five

Author: Matt Doyle

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: March 2, 2020

Heat Level: 1 - No Sex

Pairing: No Romance

Length: 48300

Genre: Science Fiction, LGBTQIA+, genderfluid, interspecies, space opera, space travel, third gender

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Synopsis

With Angel Tanner, the android that runs California’s criminal underworld, pulling the strings, PI Cassie Tam finds herself thrust into a conflict with New Hopeland’s biggest and baddest. But working with the murderous AI may be the only way that Cassie can get to the bottom of her home’s greatest mystery: What is New Hopeland City? As she struggles to balance her dealings with allies and enemies alike, Cassie is left with a difficult choice. She has always straddled the line between light and dark. Now, the time to decide which side she’s on is drawing close…if she can figure out which is which.

Excerpt

Half Light Matt Doyle © 2020 All Rights Reserved “Diu.” I look to my right and find a free space to pull the car into. I have a couple of different ringtones on my cell phone, each assigned to give me a clear idea of whether I need—or want—to answer it. This generic-but-far-too-loud melody marks this call as coming from one particular number. Given what day it is, I’ve been expecting to hear from them. The last few days have been spent playing a game that’s essentially the adult equivalent of passing notes in class. I leave a note somewhere, I get another at home, I respond somewhere else. It’s been a pain, and it’s all been leading up to this. “It’s where it leads next I’m worried about.” I steel myself and tap the screen to answer the call. A female voice comes through, dripping with an overacted panic. “Is…is that Cassandra Tam?” I recognise the voice instantly. “It is. Cassie or Caz is fine.” “My name is Anna Welch. I need help, Miss Tam.” I sigh. “Well, that’s what I’m here for. Do you want to discuss this over the phone, or would you rather meet in person?” “In person,” she replies, and I can hear the smile in her voice. “Somewhere neutral would be best. I’m rather paranoid, you see.” “Okay, that’s fine. Where?” “I’ll text you the location.” She hangs up, and the text comes through almost immediately. Once I’ve finished reading it, I can’t help but smile. She wants to meet at an old abandoned warehouse. It’s one I’m familiar with. A few months back, I broke up a dog fight in the same building. During the case, I discovered there’s a secret entrance to the building via an underground network of hallways. That gives me a way to monitor her if I need to. Or a convenient escape route. I hit the speed dial for Lori, and it goes straight to her answering service. After the beep, I say, “Hey, it’s Cassie. I guess you’re driving. Listen, I’ve just had a call from a potential client, and I’m gonna have to go meet with them. I’m still coming, but it may be worth checking what later times there are for the film, just in case this runs long. Anyway. Be with you soon.” I throw my phone onto the passenger seat next to me and pull out into the light traffic of the New Hopeland afternoon. * By the time I reach the warehouse, I’ve already run through a number of different scenarios in my head. None of them ended well, so I’m putting my faith in reality right now. “No fear, Tam, this was a voluntary trip,” I remind myself, and push the main door open. Inside looks the same as it did the last time I was here, minus the boxed area. And people. Frowning, I make my way towards the back of the building and start checking doors. Finally, I spot a far-too-tight black ponytail, illuminated by the screen of a computer. “Welch. Real cute using the surname of the woman you murdered,” I say, just loud enough to make sure she heard it. Angel Tanner spins in her chair towards me and laughs, casually turning her monitor off as she does so. “Now, detective, you know full well Harold did that.” “The way I understand it, it amounts to much the same thing, eh?” I walk into the room and she rises to meet me. When she offers a handshake, I take it on instinct. “Actually, no. The core result is the same, but the point is it wasn’t me. That makes it a very different thing, at least in the eyes of the law. Still, I’m happy you reached out.” “I almost didn’t,” I say and then shake my head. “No, that’s not true. I considered looking for a different way to contact you after I found out our mutual acquaintance was Gary Locke. You could have got in touch any time you wanted.” “Yes, I could have. But I knew talking to Mister Locke would be hard for you after that whole unfortunate incident with your girlfriend and her brother.” “Unfortunate incident?” I reply, my words dripping with a mix of anger and shock. “He tried to kill both of us. And he convinced her brother to take his own life for a cause that wasn’t even real.” “Which is why I did it this way. I needed to know you were serious in your intention. Oh, and the cause was real, I’m certain of that. Or the part Locke cared about was anyway.” I grunt and shake my head. “I didn’t come here to talk about conspiracy theories. You said I wanted to know what’s happening in New Hopeland, and you’re right. You want help to find out the same thing, so I came. Can we please get on with this? I have plans.” She smiles her creepy smile and nods. “You and me both, detective. But that’s fine. Today was more about checking you’re on board than anything. So, this will be our base of operations for the time being. It’s out of the way, and it’s neither used nor monitored, so it’s fit for purpose.” I shrug. “Seems okay. It’s easy enough to get to.” “I should hope so. You’ll be spending a good amount of time here. Now, to business. What I said on the phone wasn’t entirely false; I really do need your help. As you can imagine, I can’t move freely right now, and my links in the city aren’t particularly well suited for certain jobs. Like the one I have for you to do tomorrow.” “Which is?” She pulls an envelope out of her pocket and hands it to me. “This contains a couple of photographs relating to Anna Welch’s case. You’re going to visit Mister Locke at the prison tomorrow morning and question him about them. They contain some gifts for him, a mild drug on one, and a special communicator on the other. You’ll find a corresponding communicator in there, too, along with instructions as to what to do with it. Make sure you read them somewhere cameras can’t see them clearly.” “Great. You know, he wasn’t happy to see me the last time.” “I don’t doubt it. Harold will make sure he plays nice though. I trust you can do the same?” “For now.” “Good enough.” She waves me away and heads back to her computer. “Now, go enjoy yourself. We’ll talk more soon.” Play nicely. Follow orders until you know more. I leave without another word.

Purchase

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Meet the Author

Matt Doyle is a speculative fiction author from the UK and identifies as pansexual and genderfluid. Matt has spent a great deal of time chasing dreams, a habit which has led to success in a great number of fields. To date, this has included spending ten years as a professional wrestler, completing a range of cosplay projects, and publishing multiple works of fiction. These days, Matt can be found working on multiple novels and stories, blogging about pop culture, and plotting and planning far too many projects.