Today I'm sharing an exclusive excerpt of The Scholar's Heart at The Purple Rose Tea House. Check it out and don't forget to enter the giveaway!
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Youngest son of a royal duke, Etan is a scholar at heart who juggles his work for the prince with his studies of the history and legends of Tournai, something of particular interest to him because he shares the magical Talent that runs in the royal bloodline. Etan’s peaceful world turns upside down when his best friend—the man he secretly loves—unexpectedly marries a woman. Though Tristan values his friendship with Etan and has always been attracted to him, he is a dutiful son, raised to shoulder responsibility for the family business one day. That day comes far sooner than anticipated, and he makes a deathbed promise to his father to marry the woman his father chose and become head of the company and family.

A year later, Tristan is a widower with an infant daughter and a mother who demands he marry again quickly—something Tristan resists. Circumstances throw Etan and Tristan together, and even as they succumb to the desires they’ve always harbored, Etan battles his feelings, wary of being cast aside again. When Tristan’s daughter is kidnapped, Etan and Tristan must come together to find her, find the person responsible, and support each other through the ordeal… and maybe beyond.


Buy The Scholar's Heart:
​Dreamspinner Press ebook
Dreamspinner Press paperback
Amazon
AllRomance
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Apple

It's release day for The Scholar's Heart, and I'm both excited and anxious at the same time. This is a story I've had turning around in my head for a while now, and one that I know a lot of you have been waiting for. I hope you enjoy Etan and Tristan and their story as much as I do.

The blog tour continues too. Today you can find me at The Novel Approach, talking about naming characters, at Divine Magazine, tackling the tough question of where I get my inspiration, and at Oh My Shelves, discussing the love of libraries I share with Etan. Stop by to read the posts and excerpts, and to enter the giveaway.

And today only, All Romance is having a 50% rebate for Memorial Day, which includes all my books and lots of others. 

​Youngest son of a royal duke, Etan is a scholar at heart who juggles his work for the prince with his studies of the history and legends of Tournai, something of particular interest to him because he shares the magical Talent that runs in the royal bloodline. Etan’s peaceful world turns upside down when his best friend—the man he secretly loves—unexpectedly marries a woman. Though Tristan values his friendship with Etan and has always been attracted to him, he is a dutiful son, raised to shoulder responsibility for the family business one day. That day comes far sooner than anticipated, and he makes a deathbed promise to his father to marry the woman his father chose and become head of the company and family.

​A year later, Tristan is a widower with an infant daughter and a mother who demands he marry again quickly—something Tristan resists. Circumstances throw Etan and Tristan together, and even as they succumb to the desires they’ve always harbored, Etan battles his feelings, wary of being cast aside again. When Tristan’s daughter is kidnapped, Etan and Tristan must come together to find her, find the person responsible, and support each other through the ordeal… and maybe beyond.



Buy The Scholar's Heart:
Dreamspinner Press ebook
Dreamspinner Press paperback
Amazon
AllRomance
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Apple

The Scholar's Heart will be out tomorrow! And it's being featured again on Coming Soon Sunday at Thianna Durston's blog with another excerpt. Take a look, and don't forget to enter the blog tour giveaway below.
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Youngest son of a royal duke, Etan is a scholar at heart who juggles his work for the prince with his studies of the history and legends of Tournai, something of particular interest to him because he shares the magical Talent that runs in the royal bloodline. Etan’s peaceful world turns upside down when his best friend—the man he secretly loves—unexpectedly marries a woman. Though Tristan values his friendship with Etan and has always been attracted to him, he is a dutiful son, raised to shoulder responsibility for the family business one day. That day comes far sooner than anticipated, and he makes a deathbed promise to his father to marry the woman his father chose and become head of the company and family.


A year later, Tristan is a widower with an infant daughter and a mother who demands he marry again quickly—something Tristan resists. Circumstances throw Etan and Tristan together, and even as they succumb to the desires they’ve always harbored, Etan battles his feelings, wary of being cast aside again. When Tristan’s daughter is kidnapped, Etan and Tristan must come together to find her, find the person responsible, and support each other through the ordeal… and maybe beyond.


​Preorder The Scholar's Heart:
Dreamspinner Press ebook
Dreamspinner Press paperback
Amazon
AllRomance
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Apple

It's weekend and time for 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.

My snippets comes from The Scholar's Heart again this weekend. In last week's snippet, Etan found out that Tristan's father has arranged a marriage for him and that Tristan has agreed to it. Etan can't help trying to make sure Tristan truly wants this marriage. (Etan speaks first, Tristan second)

The Scholar's Heart will be out Monday from Dreamspinner Press. Find preorder links here.

Thanks for reading and have a great weekend!

​The blog tour continues today at Oh My Shelves, where I'm talking about the love of libraries that I share with Etan, and at Anna Butler's blog with another excerpt. And don't forget to enter the giveaway!

Also all of my books, including preorders of The Scholar's Heart, are on sale for a couple more days in the DSP anniversary sale, so don't miss that. 
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Youngest son of a royal duke, Etan is a scholar at heart who juggles his work for the prince with his studies of the history and legends of Tournai, something of particular interest to him because he shares the magical Talent that runs in the royal bloodline. Etan’s peaceful world turns upside down when his best friend—the man he secretly loves—unexpectedly marries a woman. Though Tristan values his friendship with Etan and has always been attracted to him, he is a dutiful son, raised to shoulder responsibility for the family business one day. That day comes far sooner than anticipated, and he makes a deathbed promise to his father to marry the woman his father chose and become head of the company and family.

A year later, Tristan is a widower with an infant daughter and a mother who demands he marry again quickly—something Tristan resists. Circumstances throw Etan and Tristan together, and even as they succumb to the desires they’ve always harbored, Etan battles his feelings, wary of being cast aside again. When Tristan’s daughter is kidnapped, Etan and Tristan must come together to find her, find the person responsible, and support each other through the ordeal… and maybe beyond.




​Preorder The Scholar's Heart:
Dreamspinner Press ebook
Dreamspinner Press paperback
Amazon
AllRomance
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Apple

And the blog tour continues! Today I'm visiting Aisling Mancy's blog. Take a look, and make sure to enter the giveaway!
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​Youngest son of a royal duke, Etan is a scholar at heart who juggles his work for the prince with his studies of the history and legends of Tournai, something of particular interest to him because he shares the magical Talent that runs in the royal bloodline. Etan’s peaceful world turns upside down when his best friend—the man he secretly loves—unexpectedly marries a woman. Though Tristan values his friendship with Etan and has always been attracted to him, he is a dutiful son, raised to shoulder responsibility for the family business one day. That day comes far sooner than anticipated, and he makes a deathbed promise to his father to marry the woman his father chose and become head of the company and family.

A year later, Tristan is a widower with an infant daughter and a mother who demands he marry again quickly—something Tristan resists. Circumstances throw Etan and Tristan together, and even as they succumb to the desires they’ve always harbored, Etan battles his feelings, wary of being cast aside again. When Tristan’s daughter is kidnapped, Etan and Tristan must come together to find her, find the person responsible, and support each other through the ordeal… and maybe beyond.



​Preorder The Scholar's Heart:
Dreamspinner Press ebook
Dreamspinner Press paperback
Amazon
AllRomance
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Apple

We're taking a short break from all the promo for The Scholar's Heart for a visitor. Welcome to Asta Idonea who's here today to tell us about her new novella!

Fire Up My Heart is set in London—albeit a London of the future with a somewhat grungy vibe. I base many of my stories in and around London because, although it is now eight and a half years since I last lived in England, London remains the city I feel I know best.

As an author, setting plays an important part in the story, which is why I prefer to write about places I know from personal experience. An understanding of the streets and locales helps me pick where characters should live and work, and it makes movement between places more effortless. These days one can, of course, consult Google Maps and other websites to find information, but it will never be the same as knowing the place and routes yourself.

​The London of Fire Up My Heart is a world at once both technologically advanced and trapped in the past. I wanted to create a sense of the new already being old—a world a little grimy and overused, that reflects Fane’s life before he meets Jo-E. Setting, here, becomes a reflection of the inner self, as will be evident when you look at the changes and the movement between places within the story.

Fire Up My Heart
Asta Idonea
25 May 2016
Dreamspinner Press
Novella - MM Sci-Fi Romance
Heat Level: 2

​London bartender Fane thinks he’s hit the jackpot when he finds a rare and expensive service Bot discarded in a dumpster, and he takes it home to get it working again. The Jo-E brings some much-needed companionship to Fane’s lonely life, but there’s something different about this Bot, as indicated by its odd behavior. Fane’s developing feelings toward Jo-E trouble him, and things go from bad to worse when a robotics engineer arrives on Fane’s doorstep, demanding the return of his property. Fane is forced to choose between a hefty reward and following his heart. Giving in to his forbidden desires might get him killed—or change his life forever.

Listen to an audio excerpt.

Buy Fire Up My Heart:
Dreamspinner Press
ARe
Amazon US
​Amazon UK

It was raining cats and dogs when Fane Maddox left the club and made his way through Soho’s neon-lit streets. His shift at Spunk, London’s rundown retro gay bar, had finished at 2:00 a.m., and his weary feet ached as he commenced the long walk back to his flat in Finsbury Park.

On foot, it was a journey of a good hour and a half, but it wasn’t as if he had any other options. The first tube service on a Sunday morning didn’t begin until gone seven, and since a lack of customers, combined with a recent petrol shortage, had led to the cancellation of all London’s night buses, it was a case of walking or taking a taxi. Thanks to the fuel hike, the cost of a black cab was extortionate these days, and the trip home in one would use up all his tips for the night. Therefore, he had no choice but to rely on his own two feet. At least the long walks kept him fit.

He would have passed the alley without a second glance. However, at that moment, the neon sign that wrapped around the corner of the building flickered, drawing his gaze. He started to turn away, then looked back, convinced he must be seeing things. Either he was losing his mind, or there were a pair of legs dangling over the side of the huge garbage bin at the entrance to the alleyway.

Fane dithered. He was tired and sopping wet. The last thing he wanted was to be responsible for finding a dead body. He’d have to call the cops, and who knew how long it would take them to show. If they turned up at all. In the meantime he’d be left standing in this downpour and, knowing his luck, would probably catch pneumonia. Then again, maybe the guy was merely drunk or injured and in need of assistance. Could Fane live with himself if he walked on by?

Heaving a sigh, Fane shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans and crossed the street. Once he reached the alley, he glanced left and right. Then, seeing no one around, he boosted himself up and into the dumpster.

The bags of rubbish crunched and shifted beneath him. He lost his balance and shot out a hand, grabbing hold of the rim of the bin to steady himself. One of the bags must have split under his weight, because a foul smell wafted through the air. Fane screwed up his nose. Determined to make a speedy exit, he scrambled two steps forward to reach the body.

​Even in the dim, stuttering neon glow, it only took him a second to realize his mistake. This wasn’t a body. At least not a human one.

Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J Markus) was born in England, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.

Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!

​As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theatre, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel; all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.

Blog / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads / LinkedIn / Amazon Author US / Amazon Author UK

Today I'm sharing an excerpt of The Scholar's Heart at Drops of Ink. Check it out and enter the giveaway! Also, don't forget that all my books, including preorders of The Scholar's Heart, are on sale this week at Dreamspinner.
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Youngest son of a royal duke, Etan is a scholar at heart who juggles his work for the prince with his studies of the history and legends of Tournai, something of particular interest to him because he shares the magical Talent that runs in the royal bloodline. Etan’s peaceful world turns upside down when his best friend—the man he secretly loves—unexpectedly marries a woman. Though Tristan values his friendship with Etan and has always been attracted to him, he is a dutiful son, raised to shoulder responsibility for the family business one day. That day comes far sooner than anticipated, and he makes a deathbed promise to his father to marry the woman his father chose and become head of the company and family.

A year later, Tristan is a widower with an infant daughter and a mother who demands he marry again quickly—something Tristan resists. Circumstances throw Etan and Tristan together, and even as they succumb to the desires they’ve always harbored, Etan battles his feelings, wary of being cast aside again. When Tristan’s daughter is kidnapped, Etan and Tristan must come together to find her, find the person responsible, and support each other through the ordeal… and maybe beyond.

​
Preorder The Scholar's Heart:
Dreamspinner Press ebook
Dreamspinner Press paperback
Amazon
AllRomance
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Apple

There's still a week until The Scholar's Heart is out, but the blog tour starts today. Follow along for posts about the book and Tournai, excerpts, and a giveaway. Today I'm at MM Good Book Reviews talking about Etan and Tristan.

And here's where I'll be on the rest of the tour:

May 23: MM Good Book Reviews 
May 24: Drops of Ink
May 26: Aisling Mancy
May 27: Oh My Shelves; Anna Butler
May 29: Thianna Durston
May 30: The Novel Approach; Divine Magazine
May 31: The Purple Rose Teahouse 
June 1: Love Bytes
June 2: Prism Book Alliance
June 5: Queer Sci Fi
June 6: Brynn Stein

Youngest son of a royal duke, Etan is a scholar at heart who juggles his work for the prince with his studies of the history and legends of Tournai, something of particular interest to him because he shares the magical Talent that runs in the royal bloodline. Etan’s peaceful world turns upside down when his best friend—the man he secretly loves—unexpectedly marries a woman. Though Tristan values his friendship with Etan and has always been attracted to him, he is a dutiful son, raised to shoulder responsibility for the family business one day. That day comes far sooner than anticipated, and he makes a deathbed promise to his father to marry the woman his father chose and become head of the company and family.

A year later, Tristan is a widower with an infant daughter and a mother who demands he marry again quickly—something Tristan resists. Circumstances throw Etan and Tristan together, and even as they succumb to the desires they’ve always harbored, Etan battles his feelings, wary of being cast aside again. When Tristan’s daughter is kidnapped, Etan and Tristan must come together to find her, find the person responsible, and support each other through the ordeal… and maybe beyond.



​
Preorder The Scholar's Heart:
​Dreamspinner Press ebook
Dreamspinner Press paperback
Amazon
AllRomance
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Apple

The Scholar's Heart is featured on Coming Soon Sunday at Thianna Durston's blog today! Head over there and read an excerpt.

And all of my books are on sale this week in the Dreamspinner anniversary sale along with all books from authors who joined DSP in years 8 and 9. Ebooks and paperbacks are 25% off for the whole week, including preorders of The Scholar's Heart. Find my books here.

Youngest son of a royal duke, Etan is a scholar at heart who juggles his work for the prince with his studies of the history and legends of Tournai, something of particular interest to him because he shares the magical Talent that runs in the royal bloodline. Etan’s peaceful world turns upside down when his best friend—the man he secretly loves—unexpectedly marries a woman. Though Tristan values his friendship with Etan and has always been attracted to him, he is a dutiful son, raised to shoulder responsibility for the family business one day. That day comes far sooner than anticipated, and he makes a deathbed promise to his father to marry the woman his father chose and become head of the company and family.

​A year later, Tristan is a widower with an infant daughter and a mother who demands he marry again quickly—something Tristan resists. Circumstances throw Etan and Tristan together, and even as they succumb to the desires they’ve always harbored, Etan battles his feelings, wary of being cast aside again. When Tristan’s daughter is kidnapped, Etan and Tristan must come together to find her, find the person responsible, and support each other through the ordeal… and maybe beyond.




Preorder The Scholar's Heart:
Dreamspinner Press ebook
Dreamspinner Press paperback
Amazon
AllRomance
Kobo
Barnes & Noble
Apple