The Envoy's Honor, the eighth book in the Chronicles of Tournai series, will be out on November 9th, and it has a gorgeous cover by Natasha Snow!
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Second son of an earl and cousin to the Crown Prince, Griffen has worked hard to forge a career in diplomacy for the principality of Tournai, but he never expected his diplomatic skills would be necessary for a problem so personal to him and his family. 

A delegation from the mysterious kingdom of Ivria has come to Tournai to make sure the secret of their people—the magical Talent allowing them to change into dragons—and therefore their kingdom itself remain safe. The delegation is concerned about Corentin, an Ivrian, and the man Griffen’s older brother is soon to marry.​

The Ivrians seem to want to drag Corentin back to Ivria for the offense of revealing their secret, but Griffen refuses to let it happen. His determination puts him into contact—and conflict—with Kirill, a negotiator for the king of Ivria who possesses the dragon Talent himself. The two clash and connect, getting closer and pulling away as they try to negotiate the needs of their people and an unwanted attraction between themselves. However, just as trust might be growing between them, a plot is uncovered and a member of the Ivrian delegation murdered. Griffen and Kirill must discover who is behind both for the safety of their countries and the people they love…and for a chance to be together.

Add The Envoy's Honor to your Goodreads shelf.

The Envoy's Honor is currently available for preorder at NineStar Press (and you can download it three days early if you preorder there!) and will be available everywhere else soon.

I'm so excited to share the new cover of The Sorcerer's Guardian with you today. Natasha Snow has done such beautiful work again—as always. The cover works with the covers of the rest of the Chronicles of Tournai series but is unique and gorgeous all on its own.

Savarin honed his Talent through years of study, and to achieve his goal of becoming the most powerful and accomplished sorcerer in Tournai, he made magic his life. Among the wealthy and noble circles he moves in, no one would suspect the handsome, refined, arrogant sorcerer’s humble beginnings—which is how Savarin prefers it. He wants to be seen only as the man he’s made himself. When Tournai’s princes task Savarin with studying and strengthening the spells that protect the principality from magical attack, he is more than happy to do so. The spells are complex, centuries old, and exactly the type of puzzle Savarin is eager to solve. But to his annoyance, the princes insist Loriot accompany him on his journey.

Second son of a minor noble family, Loriot worked his way up the ranks of the royal guard to captain with single-minded determination and takes pride in his service to the crown. He must obey the prince’s orders to protect Savarin, despite believing his skills would be best used elsewhere and his wariness of magic. UnTalented himself, Loriot has learned not only the benefits of magic but also its potential for harm—and how to counter it. He still believes it’s best to avoid most magic entirely, which is difficult when he’s tasked with playing guard to a powerful sorcerer.

Loriot and Savarin clash repeatedly during their journey, but the simmering tension between them doesn’t only stem from their work, and passion develops into feelings neither expected. But Savarin must still secure Tournai’s magical barrier, and his only solution will endanger both him and the royal family.


The Sorcerer's Guardian will rerelease everywhere on September 14th. I'm so excited about that too because then, all of the books I had to take back from Dreamspinner will be back out in the world again. Yay! For now, The Sorcerer's Guardian is available for preorder at NineStar Press, where it is 30% off along with all of my other books. I'll share preorder links for other stores as they become available. 

But, seriously, how gorgeous is that cover?

The Scholar’s Heart will be back out in the world one week from today (though you can get in on Friday if you preorder from NineStar Press)! It’s the third book in the Chronicles of Tournai series, but it stands alone as the other books in the series do. This is Etan and Tristan’s story—a friends to estranged friends to lovers romance.

I’ve cleaned up the writing a bit, but otherwise the story remains the same as the original Dreamspinner edition. It does have a gorgeous new cover by Natasha Snow, though. (Please join me in squeeing over how beautiful it is!)

Though he is the youngest son of a royal duke, Etan is a scholar at heart, happiest in a library surrounded by his books. He contentedly juggles his work for the prince’s government with his studies of the history and legends of Tournai, a subject of particular interest to him because he shares the secret magical Talent that runs in the royal bloodline. However, Etan’s peaceful world turns upside down when his best friend—the man he secretly loves—unexpectedly marries someone else.

Tristan is the oldest son of a wealthy merchant, 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. Tristan values his friendship with Etan and has always been attracted to him, but he can’t forsake his duty to his father, even if it means giving up the possibility of having Etan as a lover.

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 again, but even as they succumb to the desires they’ve always harbored, Etan battles his feelings, wary of being cast aside once more. When the unimaginable happens, Etan and Tristan must come together and support each other through the ordeal…and maybe beyond.

The Scholar’s Heart is currently available for preorder at NineStar and will be soon everywhere else.

The Artist's Masquerade will be back out in the world on May 4th, and it has a gorgeous new cover by Natasha Snow. Take a look, and join me in shrieking about how wonderful it is...

The Prince's Consort will finally be back out in the world on March 16th, and it has a gorgeous new cover by Natasha Snow! Are you ready to see?
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The Spymaster's Secret, the next book in the Chronicles of Tournai series, will be out in the world on October 14th (though you can have it in your hands three days early if you preorder from NineStar Press). And, of course, I'm my usual jumble of nervous and excited at the upcoming release! The Spymaster's Secret is the story of Alexander, the flirtatious, charming royal cousin with hidden depths, and Marcus, the older, serious widower with the mysterious job. It's an opposites attract, age gap romance with spies and intrigue and two people who have to learn to trust each other and themselves and take a chance on love.

And here is the absolutely gorgeous cover by Natasha Snow:
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Alexander is doing his best to settle into life in Tournai’s royal palace after years living outside the country due to his father’s diplomatic work. The sense of belonging and home he feels is overwhelming, but none of his plans are going as he imagined. Many see him as only a lovely, charming adornment of the royal court and underestimate both his intelligence and abilities. His attraction to Marcus, a mysterious older man who does work for the prince, Alexander’s cousin, is unexpected but not unwelcome...if Marcus could possibly see who Alexander really is.

Lord Marcus is the second son of a minor noble family, a widower raising two children...and the prince’s spymaster. He knows his work is necessary for the security of the kingdom and its royal family, but he also knows it can be distasteful and dangerous to him and those around him. Marcus has vowed never to fall in love again, never to put anyone else at risk--a promise threatened for the first time by the vibrant, flirtatious Alexander. The attraction is unwelcome and entirely undeniable. He can’t believe someone like Alexander would want someone like him, but he also can’t stay away.

As they become ever more entangled, Marcus is investigating rumors of spies at work in Tournai’s university. As he gets closer to uncovering their plot, Alexander is drawn deeper into danger. Can their love survive when Alexander is put in peril by the very spies Marcus is hunting for? 
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Preorder The Spymaster's Secret at NineStar Press. (Preorders at other retailers will be available soon.)

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 A Harmony of Fire and Earth this week and also giving you the first look at the cover, designed by the fantastic Natasha Snow! This snippet comes after the last snippet I shared and answers the question of whether Rhys kisses Gaz. 

Isn't that cover beautiful? I'll have more soon about Harmony. In the meantime, check out book one in the Elemental Magicae duology, A Dance of Water and Air. Also, though unrelated to Harmony, the first four books in my Chronicles of Tournai series are 35% off at Dreamspinner right now. Thanks for stopping by and reading!

Finding final cover art in my inbox is always exciting and so is sharing it with you. I think the cover for The Merchant's Love (the next Tournai book) is just gorgeous. Natasha Snow once again did beautiful work. What do you think?

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I'm thrilled to share the cover of The Dragon's Devotion with you. You'll see this cover is different from the covers of the earlier books in the series. A new publisher meant a new cover artist (the talented Natasha Snow) and a new direction, but I'm so happy with the result. I think it is gorgeous, and I hope you'll agree. 
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Corentin is a scholar with a secret—his magical Talent allows him to turn into a dragon, and he isn’t alone in that ability. Long ago, dragons were hunted fiercely, until they went into hiding, becoming things of legend. Corentin has traveled the world with one aim—to protect his people and keep their secret safe. Drawn to the principality of Tournai by news of someone close to discovering that secret, he hopes to avert suspicion. His attraction to the too-serious Bastien isn’t convenient for his purpose, but it isn’t something he can ignore either.

Lord Bastien, Earl of Ardesia, inherited his title unexpectedly when his parents were killed in a sailing accident along with the parents of his cousin, Prince Philip. Since then, Bastien has devoted his life to the obligations of his family and estate—so much so, that it has caused tension between him and his siblings. His world is further shaken when he receives an anonymous letter informing him that the tragic boating accident may, in fact, have been murder. Bastien throws himself into investigating whether the allegations are true and finding out who killed his parents.

As Corentin and Bastien become closer, the mystery of Bastien’s parents’ death draws him further into danger. Corentin feels compelled to protect Bastien, but the threat is closer than they know. Now, Corentin must decide whether preserving his secret—and potentially his people’s safety—is more important than saving the man he loves.


The Dragon's Devotion will be out on September 4th. For now, you can preorder at NineStar Press. I'll get you links for other retailers as soon as they become available. I'm so excited for you to get to know Corentin and Bastien!

I'm so excited to share the cover of The Sorcerer's Guardian with you! Once again, Anne Cain has done beautiful work on the cover. I hope you love it as much as I do.
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Savarin, the most powerful sorcerer in Tournai, has honed his Talent through years of study and made magic his life. Among the wealthy and noble circles he moves in, no one would suspect the handsome, refined, and arrogant sorcerer’s humble beginnings, which is how Savarin prefers it. Tournai’s princes task Savarin with studying and strengthening the spells that protect the principality from magical attack. They are complex, centuries old, and exactly the type of puzzle Savarin is eager to solve. To his annoyance, the princes insist Loriot accompanies him.

Loriot worked his way up the ranks of the royal guard to captain and takes pride in his service. He must obey the princes’ orders to protect Savarin, despite believing his skills would be best used elsewhere. And despite his wariness of magic. UnTalented himself, he has learned not only the benefits of magic but also its potential for harm—and how to counter it. Loriot and Savarin clash during their journey, but there’s another reason for the tension between them, and passion develops into feelings neither expected. But Savarin must still fortify Tournai’s magical barrier, and his only solution endangers both him and the royal family.


The Sorcerer's Guardian will be available on November 28th. For now, you can preorder at Dreamspinner. As soon as it's available on other sites, I'll let you know. Until then, here's an excerpt for you.
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Chapter 1
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As afternoon waned into evening, Loriot approached his house on Dove Lane. Weariness dragged at him with each step. He hadn’t slept more than a few minutes in the last few days, and now that the crisis had passed, he felt the fatigue down to his bones. But the lack of sleep was worth it for the good outcome of the situation. 
He trudged up the few steps to his front door, its rich blue color recently freshened, and let himself in. The key turned smoothly in the lock, and the magical protections on the house recognized him as belonging, allowing him inside. He shivered even though he didn’t feel anything as he crossed the threshold; perhaps someone with a Talent would, but he had neither Talent nor any sensitivity to magic.

​Inside, the house was quiet. The formal parlor was empty, which was unsurprising as they rarely used it—only when Joceline and Oriana chose to entertain. He wanted more than anything to go up to his bedchamber and collapse into his bed for the next few days, but he couldn’t. Couldn’t even collapse for a few hours without checking on his family. But he knew where at least one of them was likely to be at this time of day. 

The sitting room at the back of the house was quiet too, so quiet he could hear the scratch of his sister’s pen on paper as he stepped into the doorway. Joceline sat at her writing desk, papers spread around her, pen flying across the page. Despite the silence, she didn’t notice him. A good writing day, then. He hated to disturb her, but she’d want to know he was home. 

“Story going well?” he asked, keeping his voice quiet so he wouldn’t startle her. He’d learned it was better to have to repeat himself than to scare her when she was absorbed in a world of her own creation. 

But he didn’t have to repeat himself today. She looked up immediately, her eyes hazy then sharpening. “There you are! I was wondering if you were ever coming home.” 

He hadn’t been gone that long—only a couple of days—but he did try not to let a day go by without returning for at least a little while. He stepped farther into the room and sank down into a comfortable chair. “It was unavoidable. You got my notes?” 

“Of course. You know I was just teasing.” Joceline narrowed her eyes and studied him with an intensity he could almost feel. “Is everything all right? You look exhausted, and I heard yesterday that the guard was searching everyone leaving the city.” 

He scrubbed a hand over his face. Sitting had been a mistake. His eyelids wanted to droop; his body wanted to melt into the cushions. “There was a kidnapping.” 

“Not Prince Julien?” 

“No, no. And it’s fine now,” he reassured her, trying to keep her from coming out of her chair in her alarm at a threat to the heir to Tournai’s throne. “It wasn’t a member of the royal family at all.” 

“But you were involved?” 

As captain of the royal guard, Loriot normally wouldn’t be directly involved in such a situation. “The baby taken was the daughter of Prince Amory’s friend, Master Tristan. The merchant. Though if what I saw means anything, he’ll likely be a member of the royal family soon.” 

“Really?” Joceline leaned forward, her interest of a different kind now. “There’s going to be a marriage? To whom? The princess?” 

He shook his head. He didn’t need to tell her that what he said should go no further. He didn’t ever tell her anything truly secret, but Loriot didn’t see the harm in a little meaningless court gossip now and then, especially since she wouldn’t spread it. “No. Lord Etan.” 

She sat back with a huff. “Well, they really are bucking tradition aren’t they?” 

He let out a half laugh. But what she said wasn’t untrue. Both Tournai’s prince and his cousin, a royal duke, had married men in the last couple of years, and now it seemed that Lord Etan, another cousin of Prince Philip’s, would do the same, eschewing the tradition that titled noblemen married women to provide bloodline heirs for their titles. 

“Good for them,” Joceline said. “I hope they’re happy.”

“Now that Tristan’s daughter is back with them, I believe they are.” Concern flooded back into her pretty face. “You found her? And the person who took her?”

“Yes, with Master Savarin’s help.” He’d gotten over any resentment he might have had that he needed the help of magic long before today and was happy to use any tool that came his way. Savarin, the most powerful sorcerer in Tournai, was not someone whose help should be turned away, and Savarin never withheld it, serving Tournai whenever he was called upon. 

“The sorcerer? How did he help?” Joceline sat forward, a gleam in her eyes that he recognized well. She wasn’t just curious; she wanted to know because she might use the information in a story. 

“Joceline.”

“What?”

He sighed and shook his head. “He used his magic to try to track the kidnappers and then to try to find the baby directly. He pointed us in the right direction, let us know where to search for them.” Loriot didn’t bother mentioning the help they’d received from someone else, a scholar at the university. If he read Savarin right, Savarin would be finding Master Corentin at the university soon and asking him about the magic he used, because it also sounded as if Savarin hadn’t heard of anything like it. 

“Interesting.” 

“Let me guess, your new story has a sorcerer character.” He arched an eyebrow at her, his mildly disapproving tone mostly put-on. Which she would know, as she knew how proud he was of her accomplishments. 

“I have an idea that would call for one. What’s Master Savarin like?” 

“I don’t know him that well.” He tried to think of anything he knew about Savarin beyond the surface. “He’s powerful and arrogant with it.” She shrugged. “I’d be surprised if he wasn’t. Aren’t all powerful sorcerers arrogant about their power?”

“I wouldn’t know. I don’t know any others.” He resolutely pushed his newly acquired knowledge about the royal family’s secret Talent from his mind. He didn’t need Joceline seeing something in his expression and trying to badger it out of him. Not that he would ever tell, but life would be easier if he didn’t have to fight Joceline about it. 

“All the ones I’ve read about in stories are. Especially the evil ones.” 

“Tell me you’re not going to base a character on Master Savarin and make him evil.” Making the most powerful sorcerer in the country an evil character in a book sounded like a horrible idea. 

Another shrug. “Powerful sorcerers always seem to be evil characters. Or self-sacrificing ones that save the day.” 

Loriot shook his head and heaved himself to his feet. If he didn’t move, he’d end up sleeping right there. “Alain is upstairs?” 

“Yes. But wait,” she called after him as he walked toward the door. “You must know something else about Master Savarin.” 

“I really don’t.” He didn’t turn.

“Is he handsome?”

Savarin’s image filled his mind—his height and broad shoulders, perfectly carved features, blond hair that looked as if it would be soft under his hands. His stride hitched, but he shook the image away and ignored Joceline calling after him. Perhaps she would forget the idea entirely if he didn’t encourage her. 

He doubted it, but he could hope. The idea of Savarin as a character in a book on the shelf of a bookshop made him cringe. 

Trudging up the stairs took the last of his energy, but he forced himself to bypass his own bedchamber. He couldn’t go to bed without seeing Alain. Not after so long away, not even if it hadn’t been that long. The door to the room at the back of the house was partially open. He peeked in as he pushed it open the rest of the way. The room was tidy, except for a veritable city built of blocks in the middle of the rug. The nursemaid noticed him first, but Alain wasn’t far behind. He looked up, his bright green eyes—twins of Loriot’s own—lighting up, and Loriot felt something inside him melt, just as it always did under those eyes. 

“Papa!” 

With ease of long practice, he caught the five-year-old bundle of energy that came flying at him and swung his son up into his arms, cuddling him close for as long as Alain would allow. As tired as he was, he wouldn’t want to be anywhere else. “There’s my boy. I missed you. Show me what you’ve been doing.” 



Savarin sank into a chair in his study and reveled in the quiet. He tipped his head back to rest against the back of his chair and closed his eyes. Aside from him, only the cook and a maid remained in the house, and they wouldn’t bother him. No one would see him take this moment to himself. 

What he needed was sleep. He hadn’t gotten enough since he’d been pulled in to help find the kidnapped baby. The magic use had worn him down, even without lack of sleep, but he hadn’t wanted to be unavailable until the baby was found in case he was needed again. The baby was home with her father now, unharmed and seemingly no worse for her experience, and the culprits were in Loriot’s hands, as they should be. The captain of the royal guard was more than capable of handling everything from there; Savarin’s part was done. 

Just in time for him to lecture at the university. 

Which he had done, without showing that he was so tired he thought he could feel his bones creaking when he moved, and he wasn’t old enough for his bones to creak. At least it was only a lecture, not a demonstration or work with a student. For that, he’d have needed his wits about him. 

He’d briefly considered trying to track down Master Corentin while he was at the university. But there would be time to find the visiting scholar when Savarin wasn’t nearly asleep on his feet. The description of the magic Master Corentin had used to narrow down the area to search for the missing child had ignited Savarin’s curiosity. He’d never heard of a spell like the one Master Corentin supposedly used, and he was eager to discuss it with the man, to learn what type of Talent Master Corentin had and what kind of training he’d received. And whether it was a type of spell Savarin would be able to learn and use. 

But all that could wait. Tomorrow. He’d send a note around to Master Corentin tomorrow. For now, he would get the rest he needed. 

He pushed himself out of his chair. He’d slept in the chair before, more than once when he’d been too tired or drained to get any farther, but it would never be comfortable or his first choice, if he had one. Savarin climbed the stairs to the next floor and his bedchamber with slow steps, lifting each foot and setting it on each stair carefully. The thick carpet running along the center of the corridor muffled his slow steps as he made his way toward the back of the large house. At the time he’d bought it, he’d liked the architecture of the house and its conveniences, and yes, how large it was. Larger by far than the home where he’d grown up. Larger, perhaps, than he needed, but he regretted it only when he was too tired to get from one end of the house to the other. 

The door to his bedchamber was finally in front of him. Savarin stumbled inside and closed it firmly. No one would disturb him here, unless the house caught fire or Prince Philip summoned him. And the house was spelled against fire and other catastrophes. He’d have to hope for no royal summonses. 

He’d like a bath, but he didn’t want to wait as long as it would take to fill the large tub in the bathing room—and as tired as he was, he couldn’t use his Talent to hasten it along. Putting aside the idea of bathing until after he had some sleep, and possibly something to eat, Savarin discarded his clothing as he made his way across the room. He left each garment where it fell. He could pick them up when he woke. The maids wouldn’t complain if he left them—they were too wary of him and his Talent to complain about anything he did—but he wouldn’t make extra work for them for no reason. 

The large bed with its tall, heavily carved posts and soft mattress beckoned, but he forced himself over to the windows first and tugged the velvet curtains closed, shutting out the late afternoon sunlight. With the room dim, he staggered back to the bed, the last of his energy deserting him the closer he got, and crawled between the sheets. He sighed as he stretched out on the silky sheets. His head had barely settled on the pillow before he was asleep. ​