Category: A Dance Of Water And Air

Rainbow Snippets October 28-29

10/29/2023

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 Dance of Water and Air, the first book in my Elemental Magicae series, was published five years ago today, so I wanted to share some snippets with you to mark the anniversary. In A Dance of Water and Air, Prince Edmund has no choice but to make an alliance marriage with the queen of the neighboring country, but when he arrives there, everything seems just a little off. Edmund finds himself becoming closer to the queen's brother, Arden, eventually falling in love with him. When Edmund is framed for an attempt on the queen's life. Edmund and Arden flee together. They have to find a way to save Edmund and both of there kingdoms, and if they can, they just might manage to be together too. This week's snippet is Edmund and Arden's first kiss. Edmund has been accused of trying to kill the queen and thrown in the dungeon, and Arden comes for him.

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Rainbow Snippets October 21-22

10/21/2023

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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 Dance of Water and Air, the first book in my Elemental Magicae series, was published five years ago today, so I wanted to share some snippets with you to mark the anniversary. In A Dance of Water and Air, Prince Edmund has no choice but to make an alliance marriage with the queen of the neighboring country, but when he arrives there, everything seems just a little off. Edmund finds himself becoming closer to the queen's brother, Arden, eventually falling in love with him. When Edmund is framed for an attempt on the queen's life. Edmund and Arden flee together. They have to find a way to save Edmund and both of there kingdoms, and if they can, they just might manage to be together too. Here's a snippet of when Arden first sees Edmund as he's presented to the royal court.

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Rainbow Snippets October 14-15

10/14/2023

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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 Dance of Water and Air, the first book in my Elemental Magicae series, was published five years ago today, so I wanted to share some snippets with you to mark the anniversary. In A Dance of Water and Air, Prince Edmund has no choice but to make an alliance marriage with the queen of the neighboring country, but when he arrives there, everything seems just a little off. Edmund finds himself becoming closer to the queen's brother, Arden, eventually falling in love with him. When Edmund is framed for an attempt on the queen's life. Edmund and Arden flee together. They have to find a way to save Edmund and both of there kingdoms, and if they can, they just might manage to be together too. Last week's snippet was part of a conversation between Arden and his sister about her arranged marriage with Edmund. This week's snippet comes just after. Arden goes to Larkin, a close friend and spy, for information.

“I assume you know about the outcome of the negotiations.”

“Of course.” It wasn’t even a question. Never mind that the existence of the negotiations was supposed to be secret; she would know, and so would Ciaran. The twins were two of the best spies he’d ever heard of, and he was grateful they were his—nearly as grateful as he was that he had their friendship at all.

“What whispers have you heard on the wind about Prince Edmund?” Arden didn’t expect much more than the generalities he already knew—the twins were far more effective for him close to home—but it was worth asking. Once the prince and his retinue arrived, they’d most assuredly hear more quickly.

“Worried about Her Majesty? You always were a protective brother, no matter that you’re younger than she is.”

“She’d do the same for me.” Arden pushed his sister’s sharp words from his mind. The situation was difficult for her.

You can find more about A Dance of Water and Air here. Also, Amazon still has The Dragon's Devotion discounted to $1.99 in ebook—I don't know for how much longer, so if you like dragon shifter fantasy romance, grab it while it's cheap. Thanks for reading today!

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Rainbow Snippets October 7-8

10/8/2023

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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 Dance of Water and Air, the first book in my Elemental Magicae series, was published five years ago today, so I wanted to share some snippets with you to mark the anniversary. In A Dance of Water and Air, Prince Edmund has no choice but to make an alliance marriage with the queen of the neighboring country, but when he arrives there, everything seems just a little off. Edmund finds himself becoming closer to the queen's brother, Arden, eventually falling in love with him. When Edmund is framed for an attempt on the queen's life. Edmund and Arden flee together. They have to find a way to save Edmund and both of there kingdoms, and if they can, they just might manage to be together too. This snippet is our first introduction to Arden, as he learns from his sister of her plans to marry Edmund.

“Are you sure about this? Are you absolutely sure it’s the best way?”

“Yes. I’ve considered all the options. The council has too, if you trust them more than you do me.”

Arden turned from the window at the snap in his sister’s tone. “Hollis. You know I trust your judgment, and you know I support you as my sister and my queen. I just want to make certain this is what you really want. You’re arranging a marriage for yourself with someone you’ve never met.”

Hollis’s voice lashed out, sharper than before. “What I really want? Of course it isn’t. I don’t want to marry a man I’ve never met and be required to have his child to secure an alliance. I don’t want to have to constantly be on my guard, hoping that once I’m married to him and carrying his child, he won’t try to undermine my rule. I don’t want any of that, but it’s what I have to do. For Aither.”

Arden opened his mouth and closed it again as he tried to figure out what to say. Hollis was standing behind her desk—the desk that, until half a year ago, had belonged to their father—glaring at Arden. Her green eyes, twins of Arden’s own, were narrowed.

You can find out more about A Dance of Water and Air here. Also, The Dragon's Devotion and The Spymaster's Secret are still (inexplicably) on sale at Amazon—grab them while they're cheap! Thanks for reading today.

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Rainbow Snippets September 30 - October 1

10/1/2023

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Edmund swam, long limbs slicing through the clear, warm water. His mind quieted in the repetitive motion, in the weightlessness and the comfort of being surrounded by his Element. Everything washed away, leaving him calm and relaxed, the only time he ever was lately.

If only he could stay there.

He imagined it for a moment. Spending his life swimming and sailing. All his time in the soothing embrace of the water, or at the shore or bank, feeling Water’s power, learning to use its magic. It was a lovely dream. A lovely, impossible dream. With that thought, tension—the tension his morning swim had briefly dispelled—came flooding back.

You can find more about A Dance of Water and Air here.

Amazon continues to randomly reduce the prices of my books. The Spymaster's Secret (which also has an anniversary coming up!) is currently $5.44 is both ebook and paperback, and The Dragon's Devotion is still $1.99 in ebook. Grab them while they're cheap!

Thanks for reading today, and Happy October!

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Rainbow Snippets January 28-29

1/29/2023

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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.

This month, I'm going to share some snippets from A Dance of Water and Air, the first book in my Elemental Magicae series. This book has a demisexual cis m/bisexual trans m pairing. Prince Edmund is informed that he must marry the queen of a neighboring country in an alliance marriage. When he arrives, the queen is distance, but Edmund grows close to and ends up falling in love with her brother, Arden. Then Edmund is accused of attempting to kill the queen, and he and Arden flee. They have to unravel a plot that endangers both of their countries, and find a way to be together too. This is a sweet little moment between Edmund and Arden, a little break from the worrying and strategizing happening after their escape from the palace.

Edmund asked to see more of the house. It was probably just to distract them both, but Arden was happy to show him, both for the distraction and because he was proud of the house, even if it wasn’t quite completed. The structural work was long finished, the floors laid and polished, the walls painted and plastered.

“You have hardly any furniture,” Edmund said as they left an empty room Arden envisioned as a study.

“But I have books.” Arden gestured to the volumes lining the shelves as they stepped into the library.

“That you do.” Edmund stopped just inside and looked around. “I know where your priorities are.”

“Of course.”

“I like that you filled the library first, and made sure there are chairs to read in.” Edmund walked to the closest set of shelves, but he looked over his shoulder at Arden, eyes soft with affection. It warmed Arden through in a way he was utterly unused to—but he wanted to bask in that affection.

“Well.” He struggled for his wits and words. “You have to know what’s important.”

Edmund’s laughed tumbled out, threatening to drown him in warm sweetness.

You can find more about A Dance of Water and Air here. Next week, I'm going to switch over to the second book in the Elemental Magicae series, A Harmony of Fire and Earth. Thanks for reading and I hope you're staying safe and well.

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Rainbow Snippets January 21-22

1/22/2023

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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.

This month, I'm going to share some snippets from A Dance of Water and Air, the first book in my Elemental Magicae series. This book has a demisexual cis m/bisexual trans m pairing. Prince Edmund is informed that he must marry the queen of a neighboring country in an alliance marriage. When he arrives, the queen is distance, but Edmund grows close to and ends up falling in love with her brother, Arden. Then Edmund is accused of attempting to kill the queen, and he and Arden flee. They have to unravel a plot that endangers both of their countries, and find a way to be together too. After walking through the night, they arrive at a house where they can spend some time safely and get their bearings. But the lack of enough beds means sharing...

He could feel Edmund standing just inside the door, looming somehow larger behind Arden. They’d been alone before, but in the darkened bedchamber, it felt different, more intimate. He steadied his hands, which wanted to tremble, and got the fire going. Standing, he turned to face Edmund, who drooped with exhaustion but seemed frozen where he was. Suddenly, the odd awareness didn’t seem so important, or not as important as taking care of Edmund.

“The bathing room is through there.” Arden gestured at a door. “It’s probably warmer to change in here, though, for now. Are you sure this is all right?”

Edmund seemed to come out of whatever thoughts had held him, or perhaps he’d been asleep on his feet. “Why wouldn’t it be?”

Did Edmund not feel what was between them? Arden warmed just thinking about their kiss, and not entirely from embarrassment that he had been so brazen. So inappropriate. But Edmund had kissed him back; he had to feel the same pull that Arden did.

Didn’t he?

You can find out more about A Dance of Water and Air here. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're staying safe and well.

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Rainbow Snippets January 14-15

1/15/2023

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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.

This month, I'm going to share some snippets from A Dance of Water and Air, the first book in my Elemental Magicae series. This book has a demisexual cis m/bisexual trans m pairing. Prince Edmund is informed that he must marry the queen of a neighboring country in an alliance marriage. When he arrives, the queen is distance, but Edmund grows close to and ends up falling in love with her brother, Arden. Then Edmund is accused of attempting to kill the queen, and he and Arden flee. They have to unravel a plot that endangers both of their countries, and find a way to be together too. I've skipped ahead just slightly for this snippet from last week's. They've gotten out of the dungeon and the castle and are on foot, trying to get away before they're discovered missing.

Their breath puffed in clouds, visible in the sharp cold air. Even with the steady pace they kept to, Edmund was still cold, and he was glad for the foresight of whoever had stuffed a pair of warm gloves in the pocket of his coat. The others had similarly drawn on gloves as they walked, and Arden pulled one of his scarves from a pocket and wound it around his neck. Unlike some of the delicate, beautiful creations he wore, this scarf seemed to be made for warmth before fashion.

After a while, the trees thinned again, depriving them of some of the cover they’d been using, but Ciaran and Arden kept them all walking just inside the edge of the forest. Loud barking suddenly split the silence of the night, and they froze. Edmund wanted to turn and run, but he had no idea which way to go. Arden wrapped a hand around his arm, holding him in place. He shook his head and held up his hand to them all, a signal to wait. Then he closed his eyes. A slight breeze stirred the air around Arden and ruffled Edmund’s hair. Edmund had to be crazy, because it felt as if the breeze twined and slid around them, tugging at hair and clothes and something more. Or maybe he wasn’t. Arden had to be pulling on some magic.

Edmund waited, frozen in place and barely daring to breathe. Had they been discovered missing already? Had Arden and Ciaran been wrong about the tunnel being forgotten? Were hunters’ dogs about to burst out of the trees and run them down? Peregrine’s eyes were wide and frightened; Edmund held his friend’s gaze as interminable minutes passed.

You can find more about A Dance of Water and Air here. Thanks for reading today and I hope you're staying safe and well.

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Rainbow Snippets January 7-8

1/8/2023

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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.

This month, I'm going to share some snippets from A Dance of Water and Air, the first book in my Elemental Magicae series. This book has a demisexual cis m/bisexual trans m pairing. Prince Edmund is informed that he must marry the queen of a neighboring country in an alliance marriage. When he arrives, the queen is distance, but Edmund grows close to and ends up falling in love with her brother, Arden. Then Edmund is accused of attempting to kill the queen, and he and Arden flee. They have to unravel a plot that endangers both of their countries, and find a way to be together too. I'm jumping in after Edmund has already been accused. He and his secretary Peregrine and guard Seren have been thrown in the dungeon. But Arden has been scheming to get them out (the kiss is unplanned!).

He had no idea how much time had passed when he heard the scrape of a key in the lock. Seren scrambled to her feet with less than her usual grace, but far more quickly than Edmund expected. Edmund was slower to move on legs gone stiff and cold. He squinted into the light as the door swung open. Seren tensed, as if ready to jump at whoever might come through, never mind how well that had worked before. Two figures crowded into the doorway; Edmund had just realized who they were when one of the men spoke.

“Edmund,” Arden gasped. “Are you all right?”

“Arden—”

Arden rushed forward and pulled Edmund into a kiss, a kiss that tasted of fear and desperation and a brilliant sweetness underneath the rest. The suddenness of it, the impulsivity of Arden’s kissing him in front of others—in a dungeon of all places—froze Edmund for half a second, but then he was kissing Arden back, and he never wanted to stop. Edmund brought his hands up and held on to Arden’s arms with chilled fingers, anchoring Arden’s slim, strong body to his. The feel of it went a long way toward warming Edmund through.

You can find more about A Dance of Water and Air here. Thanks for reading today and I hope you're staying safe and well.

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Rainbow Snippets October 8-9

10/9/2022

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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'd share a few snippets this month to celebrate the fourth publishing anniversary of A Dance of Water and Air, the first book in my Elemental Magicae series. I wrote this series as a challenge to myself to write a series that would be complete within those two books. (It is, but I'm probably going to write more in this world. Because of course.) In this book, Edmund is a demisexual prince whose father arranges a marriage for him with the queen of a neighboring country to create an alliance. However, Edmund soon finds himself falling for the queen's brother, Arden (who is bisexual and transgender). When Edmund is framed for an attempted assassination of the queen, he and Arden realize there is a lot more going on than they thought, and they go on the run, hoping to figure out a way to save Edmund and their countries and for them to be together. In this snippet, Edmund and Arden demonstrate their magic for each other—Edmund has Water magic and Arden Air, and by this point, they've spent a lot of time in their growing friendship talking about magic.

Arden’s attention was pulled slowly to the river as waves rose—but only in the area in front of them, and only in gentle, even swells. Then the water surged up from the river and swirled in the air, too perfectly to be anything except magic. Watching the even motion was soothing, peaceful. And then everything went back to normal between one blink of the eye and the next.

“I wasn’t sure what to do,” Edmund said.

“It was lovely.”

Edmund smiled, open and honest and almost enough to break Arden’s heart.

“Now, you. Show me something.” Arden bit back a teasing, and wholly inappropriate, reply. “All right.”

It was hardly work at all to feel the currents of Air around him, to seek out the threads of magic within them. It took barely more than a thought to move the Air, to create the playful little breeze that picked up the colorful leaves and to make it swirl around Edmund, to ruffle his hair and tug at his clothes.

Arden wished the sight of Edmund’s sparkling eyes, the sound of his delighted laugh, didn’t give him so much pleasure.

You can find more about A Dance of Water and Air here. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're all staying safe and well.

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Rainbow Snippets October 28-29

Rainbow Snippets October 21-22

Rainbow Snippets October 14-15

Rainbow Snippets October 7-8

Rainbow Snippets September 30 - October 1

Rainbow Snippets January 28-29

Rainbow Snippets January 21-22

Rainbow Snippets January 14-15

Rainbow Snippets January 7-8

Rainbow Snippets October 8-9

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