Blog Archives

Rainbow Snippet July 22-23

7/22/2017

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+.

The Dragon's Devotion is through proofreading and turned in and on track for publication in September, so I thought I'd give you just a little more of it this week. Last week, I shared the first six sentences of the first chapter, which introduced you to Corentin. Here is a bit more of chapter one, when we see Bastien for the first time.

Bastien propped himself up on his arms in the open window of his study and took a long, deep breath. Fresh air filled his lungs, fragrant with grass and horse and a hint of woodsmoke—the familiar scents of home. He liked this time of year, this shift of season when the trees changed color and the estate was awash with gold and red, before the weather turned colder and the gray of winter set in.

He didn’t want to leave, didn’t want to miss all that color, but he likely would this year. It was absurd to feel so wrong about leaving, especially for so short a time. Just a trip to Jumelle for a month, maybe two. It wasn’t as if he would never return.

Still, the trip would be the longest he’d be away from home since his father died and he inherited the title and the lands that went with it.

If you'd like to know more about The Dragon's Devotion, you can find it here. Thanks for stopping by and reading today!

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Writing Update

7/21/2017

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How are we so far into July already? I'm not sure where time is going! I have made some progress, though. The Dragon's Devotion has been edited and proofread and on track for publication at the beginning of September. Yay! We're just waiting for a cover now, which is always exciting. I can't wait to see what the cover will look like. I shared a bit of The Dragon's Devotion on last weekend's Rainbow Snippet, if you missed it and want a glimpse. I'm so excited about this book. It has romance, political intrigue, mystery, family drama, magic, and dragons, of course. I can't wait for it to be out in the world and in your hands.

I'm also working on the next Tournai book. Writing has been a bit slower than I wanted, but I'm continuing to push. I should hit 30k in the next day or so, and hopefully I'll pick up some momentum from there and get myself back on track. I never end up writing in order, and I've started jumping around on this one too, writing scenes that I see clearly and getting to know my character better...and seeing where they want to take me!

In other news, you can still register to attend the New Jersey Romance Writers Hearts & Sparks reader/blogger appreciation brunch. Have lunch with me and lots of other area authors. Find more information here.

Finally, I'm attending the RWA National Conference in Orlando next week (and road tripping down to Florida for it!). I won't be signing, but if you're there, please say hello. I would love to see you. I'll try to post lots of pictures on social media too.

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Guest Post: Light in the Dark Night by Bree Cariad

7/16/2017

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Bree Cariad is visiting today to talk about Light in the Dark Night, and share an excerpt. Welcome, Bree!

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If I could be Brecker’s son, that would be the best thing in the world.

When a plot bunny strikes, an author must listen. 13 months ago, the voices of Reverend Jonathon Neiland and Court Brecker, as well as teenager Aiden began to course through my mind. Their personalities were compelling, their plight heart-wrenching. I couldn’t not write their story.

Besides the love story that flows throughout, this is also a story about the teenagers that live at Jonathon’s LGBT shelter. Aiden, a trans boy that Brecker finds in an alleyway, finds himself there, amongst people who get him. After all, we all want a place where we fit in, don’t we?

Light in the Dark Night is the 1st novel in the Love Conquers All series. I classify the LCA series as Love Stories instead of romances as they don’t necessarily follow romance tropes.

Excerpt

(In this snippet, Brecker has just brought Aiden to the shelter. Jonathon is doing his best to get to know the scared kid.)

“So how did you meet?” he asked politely.

Aiden winced and inched a little closer to Brecker. Jonathon could understand the movement. Brecker had that all-around aura of being the kind of guy you could rely on. When Brecker didn’t speak, Aiden looked at him and then shyly met Jonathon’s gaze. “A couple guys were giving me trouble and Brecker saved me.”

“He’s a good one for coming to the rescue,” Jonathon agreed with warmth. “Are you okay? Any cuts or scrapes that need attending to?” Aiden blanched a little and put a hand up to cover the right side of the T-shirt collar he wore. Ah. Most likely yes, but unwilling to be a problem yet. He could deal with that. “Did Brecker tell you what we do here?”

“He said you run a youth shelter.” Aiden’s voice was so quiet, it was almost non-existent. “You….” He glanced at Brecker and then back at Jonathon. “You don’t fix people, do you?” The earnest gaze along with the trembling lips made Jonathon want to cry. The kid had been threatened with one of those places. He wished he could put them out of commission entirely.

“No,” he said, keeping his voice modulated even though he wanted to vehemently deny that he would ever do anything so heinous. “My boyfriend in college was sent to one. He died there. I’ve made this house a haven for those of us who have nowhere to go. A place where we can always be who we are.”

Aiden’s mouth dropped open. “Brecker said you were gay but I didn’t believe it. You’re really gay?”

With a soft chuckle, Jonathon nodded. “I am. There are thirty-six teenagers who live here currently, all of them under the great LGBT rainbow.” Aiden’s eyes glistened and the hope in their depths was a look he was used to. “Thomas, our Nurse Practitioner, is queer. Rolf, our cook, is bisexual. And the counselor we have who comes in to talk with each of our residents is trans.” Before he could say anything else, tears poured out of Aiden’s eyes. Jonathon leaned in and reached across the coffee table. He’d been through this with each resident in the home and knew what it felt like to suddenly find acceptance. It was a hope that was almost impossible to believe. “And there’s a place for you if you want it.”

Aiden grasped hold of his hands. “I-I’m a boy,” he whispered through trembling lips. “I’m a boy.” That nailed it. Jonathon knew the kind of teasing and bullying the boy would have received for most of his life because of the difference between physical and emotional gender. He wondered how often Aiden had been able to admit that out loud. Probably not much and when he did, the reaction was most likely negative.

Jonathon squeezed his hands. “Of course you are. I’m assuming someone told you that you weren’t?” Aiden nodded frantically. “Sorry, Aiden. There are a lot of people out there who don’t understand. But we do. Would you like to see the place before you make a decision?”

Heat Rating: Low
Age range: 16+

Blurb:
Reverend Jonathon Neiland gets his wish a decade in the making and finally the Paul D. Regelo Center for LGBT Youth is up and running. He knows things will never be easy, but then he never expects them to be. All he asks is that the Lord be on his side while he takes care of his kids.

Court Brecker has been through his own brand of hell and strives every day to be the best he can be, but he never expects to find a runaway on the streets, nor to take him to Jonathon's center. Never one to get in too deep with anyone or anything, to his surprise he finds himself enjoying his time both with Aiden and Jonathon. They develop a deep friendship and for the first time in his life, he has someone to rely on who also relies on him.

While Brecker tries to understand the new feelings he’s battling, Jonathon runs into more and more stress, especially when Aiden is removed from the shelter forcefully. He’s never doubted that the Lord has a plan for them and when they are attacked from without and everything seems dark, He opens the door to show them the light.

Buy Links:
A Thia Thing
Amazon
Barnes & Noble
iTunes
Smashwords

About the Author:

Bree is a best-selling inspirational & sweet romance author. Xe identifies as non-normative, multi-gender and believes in love in all forms and that happily ever afters come in many ways. Whether in a romance or a non-romance, in xys stories, love conquers all.

While xe enjoys the xe, xys, xem, xemself pronouns, xe isn't sussed about it. Call Bree she, he, or xe. As xys gender identity is fluid, odds are you'll get it right some of the time ;)

Find Bree Online:
Website / Blog / Newsletter / Facebook / Author Group / Twitter / Pinterest / Tumblr

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Rainbow Snippet July 15-16

7/15/2017

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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 thought I would share a bit from The Dragon's Devotion today since I was working on copy edits for it last week. I'm so excited for this story to be out in the world—just a couple more months! These are the first six sentences of Chapter 1.

In the privacy of his small office, Corentin circled his neck and rolled his bare shoulders and back, trying to loosen the stiffness there—impossible because his muscles weren’t really stiff. But he did it anyway. It was just that he hadn’t changed and stretched his wings in far too long. Whether real or imagined, it had always been this way if he didn’t use his Talent regularly. Only how was he to accomplish that in this place?

There wasn’t anywhere in the capital city where he could change unseen, and few places close to Jumelle where a large dragon would go unnoticed.

No cover yet, but if you want to know more about The Dragon's Devotion, you can find the (probably final) blurb over here. Thanks for stopping by today!

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Rainbow Snippet July 8-9

7/8/2017

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“I’ll light some candles,” Etan said.

“Wait. I can do it.” He could just see a branch of candles on the bedside table and another on the fireplace mantle. With a thought he lit them both. The flames flared high, but settled quickly. They shouldn’t have flared in the first place, but he was somewhat distracted by Etan’s hand in his, Etan’s presence at his side, by the thought of what they would do soon. Any of that was enough to make his control over his Talent slip just a little.

Etan wrapped his arms around Tristan’s waist from behind, pressing his chest to Tristan’s back. His breath was hot on Tristan’s neck. “I almost forgot you could do that.”

Tristan shivered again and leaned back into Etan, pushing himself into the planes of Etan’s body. “It comes in handy.”

If you'd like to know more about The Scholar's Heart, you can find it here. Thanks for stopping by and reading today!

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What I've Been Reading - June

7/6/2017

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June was Pride Month, which I definitely thought about when choosing books to read. I also tweeted a lot of recs using #PrideRec on Twitter (or I tried to—I definitely missed some days!), so if you're on Twitter and haven't seen it, check out the hashtag for lots of recs. I've been browsing it and adding to my tbr. Here are some books I loved in June:

Draakenwood by Jordan L Hawk: Another fantastic installment in the Whyborne & Griffin series. The ongoing series plot deepens and gets more twisty with each new book, and the new characters and relationships are wonderful. I love Maggie and Persephone together, and I'm always thrilled when the librarians show up. As always, Whyborne and Griffin are lovely together. If you haven't read this series, start at the beginning with Widdershins. Immediately. I'll wait.

An Unnatural Vice by KJ Charles: The second book in the Sins of the Cities trilogy is just as good, if not better than the first. Justin, the dodgy spiritualist, is a wonderful character that I ended up liking so much, even though he is not sugar-coated to be likable in any way. The romance is enemies to lovers, and watching Justin and Nathaniel let each other in is just gorgeous. The mystery plot which carries over from the first book gets even more interesting (and I was surprised and delighted to realize I'd actually guessed something right).

Mature Content by Megan Erickson and Santino Hassell: The latest book in the Cyberlove series is a good addition. I loved the characters (especially Zane. I kind of loved Zane.), and I loved watching Zane and Beau go from animosity to love. All the books in the series stand alone, but go back and read them anyway. They're so good.

Far From Home by Lorelie Brown: I've had this one on my Kindle for a while (after reading the second book in the series last year—they do stand alone), but I'm not sure why I haven't read it sooner. This is the story of Rachel and Pari. Pari is from India and in the US legally but needs a green card so she can go into business for herself, which leads us to a marriage of convenience story that throws our main characters into close proximity. Rachel is demisexual, which was great to find. It's a RITA nominee this year, and I can see why.

Spy Stuff by Matthew J Metzger: I don't read a ton of YA, but this one just drew me right in. It's the story of Anton, who is transgender and just trying to fit in and figure out life at his new school and the seemingly-straight Jude who asks him out. I just loved Anton and Jude. This book left me with such a big smile on my face.

Queers of La Vista series by Kris Ripper: As the series name (and the titles of each individual book) suggest, the series is a bit soap opera-esque with some drama and connections between characters and an ongoing murder mystery plot that runs through the five-book series. But it's also about community and family, friendship and love. It's readable and engaging and I devoured these books straight through one after another. Book 4, One Life to Lose, is probably my favorite (I just adored Cam and Keith and Josh, and I'd read about them all day), but all of the books are wonderful and I can't think of a main character I didn't like. Read them in order for the mystery (which resolves in book 4).

What have you been reading?

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$4 Novels at DSP!

7/4/2017

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Happy 4th of July to everyone in the US! And even if you're not, you can still take advantage of the great sale at DSP (Harmony Ink and DSPP too!). Novels, including mine, are $4 for today only. Don't miss out! You can find the Tournai books here.

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Rainbow Snippet July 1-2

7/1/2017

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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+.

A few people wanted to know what happened next in Flavian's encounter with baby Julien (which started in last week's snippet), so I thought I would give you a little more of it. Flavian is one of my favorite characters to write. He's snarky and fiercely independent but loyal and caring too. And he has no idea what to do around babies. I love this scene so the snippet is a bit longer than six sentences again—sorry!

Flavian sputtered a few protests, obviously trying to be polite to Amory and avoid having to hold the baby at the same time, but he still took the infant prince when Amory released him into Flavian’s hands. Cathal couldn’t hold back his grin as Flavian held the child out from him and stared at him. Julien stared back just as seriously.

Amory laughed. “He won’t bite or break, but you don’t have to hold him.”

Relief washed over Flavian’s face, and Cathal joined in Amory’s laughter, unable to hold it inside any longer. It was kind of adorable really, how flustered Flavian was. Cathal was content to be the child’s doting, honorary uncle and nothing more, but Flavian just looked lost.

As Amory was reaching for the baby, Julien lunged at Flavian. Flavian let out a strange squeaking noise, almost a yelp, but the baby just grabbed for the long strand of beads Flavian wore around his neck. Cathal doubled over laughing and only laughed harder when Flavian glared at him. He was no help at all as Amory took the baby back and tried to pry the necklace from his little fist.

If you'd like to know more about The Artist's Masquerade, you can find it here. Thanks for stopping by and reading! And happy 4th of July a little early to everyone in the US!

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