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...
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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 taking a little break from snippets of The Prince's Consort to switch over to The Artist's Masquerade, which will be rereleasing through NineStar Press at the beginning of May. The Artist's Masquerade is the second book in the Chronicles of Tournai (though it stands alone, as all the other books in the series do) and is the story of Cathal, a dutiful and overly proper duke's heir, and Flavian, a sharp-tongued artist who's in disguise and on the run. An opposites attract romance plus spies and intrigue and magic. I'm sharing the first several lines of Chapter 1 today. “It’s time you took a wife.” Cathal managed to keep his surprise hidden with some difficulty. That blunt statement was not what he’d expected when he received the summons to his father’s office. A discussion of family business, perhaps, or questions about happenings at the palace, even a diatribe about one of his cousin’s choices—since Father seemed to hate every one of them since the prince’s marriage to Amory—was what usually precipitated a call to Father’s presence. He’d never imagined Father would bring up marriage. Cathal had seen no indication Father was even thinking in such a direction. Father had said plenty as he’d pushed the prince to marry, and plenty more when Philip had married a man of his choosing instead of the woman Father would have chosen, but he’d never said a word about his own sons’ need to marry. I'll have more updates about The Artist's Masquerade soon. In the meantime, don't forget that NineStar's sale continues, and all of my books are 40% off for a while longer. Stay safe and healthy, everyone.
Last month, I wrote about requesting my rights to the first four Chronicles of Tournai books back from Dreamspinner (you can find the blog post here). It was a difficult decision, but I believe it was the right one for me. As of October 1st, I have the rights back to The Prince's Consort, The Artist's Masquerade, The Scholar's Heart, and The Sorcerer's Guardian. They are no longer being sold on DSP's website and are coming down from other retailers' sites as well. All four books will be rereleased, but I don't have a timetable for you yet. As soon as I know, I'll let you know. But I do have a bunch of each of the books in paperback, and I'm going to sell them for $7 per book plus shipping. Within the US, shipping is probably a few dollars a book; internationally, it will be more, though I don't know exactly how much. I'll probably have to invoice you after I've mailed the books so I can include the exact shipping cost. If you'd like to add paperbacks with the original cover art to your shelf (at a steep discount), this is your chance. (When the books are released, they'll have new covers. I wasn't able to get the rights to the original covers, and while I'm sad I won't have Anne Cain's lovely art on the covers any longer, I'm excited too to have covers that will match those of the newer books in the series.) If you'd like the books signed and personalized, I'm happy to do that, and I'll throw in some bookmarks and other goodies with them too. To order, fill out the form here, and I'll get the books shipped out to you as soon as possible. Obviously, I can't get any more copies, so once these are gone, that's it. Don't miss out if you want them! 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+. Today I'm sharing a snippet from The Artist's Masquerade, my opposites attract fantasy romance between Flavian, a sharp-tongued artist who's in disguise and on the run, and Cathal, an uptight, too proper duke's heir facing an arranged marriage he does not want. Plus there is magic and spies and intrigue and family. “Flavian....” It was a whisper of sound, and Flavian barely heard it over his own heart beating in his ears. He turned his head to look back at Cathal, the rest of his body staying still under Cathal’s hand. Cathal’s gold eyes were molten hot, and Flavian’s breath caught in his throat. Before he could get it back, Cathal’s lips were on his. Shock punched through him, followed by pleasure in a swamping wave that left him clinging to Cathal’s arms. The last time, had he noticed how soft Cathal’s lips were even as they moved firmly, purposefully over Flavian’s? No, he couldn’t have. He couldn’t have realized it, because Cathal was coaxing responses in him he had never felt before. If you'd like to know more about The Artist's Masquerade, you can find it here. Thanks for reading!
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+. Today, I'm sharing a snippet of Cathal and Flavian's first kiss in The Artist's Masquerade. Flavian is an artist who is on the run disguised as a woman. Cathal, an overly proper duke's heir, has no idea Flavian is actually a man at this point. This is from Flavian's perspective. Flavian froze, his mind going utterly blank the instant Cathal’s lips touched his. Because Cathal was kissing him. Cathal was kissing him. Flavian never, ever, expected it to happen, or for it to be like this. A passionate, uninhibited kiss with Cathal’s firm body pressing against his, pushing him into the unyielding surface of the door. Who would have thought that a man like Cathal would kiss like that? And for an instant Flavian drowned in it—the feel of Cathal’s smooth lips on his, the firm grip of his hands on Flavian’s waist—as Cathal devoured him. But then reality came back in a flood. “We can’t do this.” You can find out more about The Artist's Masquerade here. Thanks for reading today!
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+. It's Kiss a Ginger Day, and Dreamspinner has The Artist's Masquerade on sale for 99c because of its redheaded hero, Flavian. In honor of that, I thought I'd share a snippet from The Artist's Masquerade today. Flavian froze, his mind going utterly blank the instant Cathal’s lips touched his. Because Cathal was kissing him. Cathal was kissing him. Flavian never, ever, expected it to happen, or for it to be like this. A passionate, uninhibited kiss with Cathal’s firm body pressing against his, pushing him into the unyielding surface of the door. Who would have thought that a man like Cathal would kiss like that? And for an instant Flavian drowned in it—the feel of Cathal’s smooth lips on his, the firm grip of his hands on Flavian’s waist—as Cathal devoured him. But then reality came back in a flood. “We can’t do this.” You can learn more about The Artist's Masquerade here. And if you're looking for more books about redheads for Kiss a Ginger Day, check out The Prince's Consort and A Dance of Water and Air too (I write a lot of redheads...). Thanks for reading!
The Artist's Masquerade was released three years ago today. It feels like forever ago and yesterday at the same time. I hadn't intended to write a book for Cathal, the cousin who is overly proper and too concerned with duty in The Prince's Consort, but as I wrote that book, I learned more and more about Cathal and who he is and why he behaved as he did. So he had to have a book and a HEA of his own. And who better to pair with him than a sharp-tongued artist in disguise and on the run? I feel kind of bad having favorites of my own characters (sort of like a parent shouldn't have favorite children), but Flavian is one of my favorites. I adore these two together. So, happy anniversary, Cathal and Flavian! About The Artist's Masquerade:As the first-born son of the Duke of Tournai and cousin to the prince, Cathal has always tried to fulfill his duty to family and country, including following through with an arranged marriage to Velia, cousin to the emperor of Ardunn. But it’s Velia’s companion, Flavia, who fascinates Cathal. Cathal doesn’t know that Flavia is really Flavian, a man masquerading as a woman to escape Ardunn, a restrictive place in which Flavian’s preference for men is forbidden. Even when Cathal discovers Flavian’s true gender, he cannot fight his attraction to him. Flavian is intrigued by Cathal, but Cathal is still betrothed to Velia, and Flavian worries Cathal is more taken with his feminine illusion than the man beneath it. While both men battle their longings for each other, spies from Ardunn infiltrate the capital, attempting to uncover Tournai’s weaknesses. They are also searching for Flavian, who possesses a magical Talent that allows him to see the truth of a person just by painting their portrait—a skill invaluable to Ardunn’s emperor. Add The Artist's Masquerade to your Goodreads shelf. Buy The Artist's Masquerade: Dreamspinner Press Amazon Barnes and Noble Kobo Google Play Apple 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+. Today, I'm sharing a snippet from The Artist's Masquerade. It's a little longer than it should be, but I thought it was necessary for context. This is when Flavian learns about the secret of Cathal's magical Talent. “What am I about to see?” “A demonstration of the royal family’s Talent.” Cathal’s smile was a bit smug, a touch gleeful, as if he was enjoying Flavian’s reaction or perhaps anticipating what it would truly be. “What kind of demonstration?” “I’m going to show you what I can do.” Cathal stepped back several paces and stood facing Flavian. He smiled. “You’ve read the legends. Don’t be afraid.” Cathal was enjoying the whole thing far too much, which did not alleviate Flavian’s confusion or his rising annoyance. “Why would I be afraid? And what legends? Do you mean the cat legends? What do they have to do with—?” Cathal hushed him and laughed quietly. “Just watch.” Flavian folded his arms over his chest and glared at Cathal, which only made him laugh more. Not the reaction Flavian had hoped for, but before he could say anything else, Cathal closed his eyes and a shimmering amber-gold light surrounded him, swirling, sparkling, obscuring Cathal from view. A moment later, the gold faded away. Cathal wasn’t there anymore. You can find out more about The Artist's Masquerade here. Right now, The Artist's Masquerade and my other Dreamspinner books are all 30% off. Thanks for reading!
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+. Today's snippet is from The Artist's Masquerade. Cathal has just found out that Flavian has been disguising himself as Lady Flavia, and he wants to know why and if Flavian is a danger to Tournai. (I went a little over six sentences this week—sorry!) Flavian was still watching him, but he glanced past Cathal too, toward the door. “I thought the guards were going to come drag me away.” He realized that Flavian always spoke in a low whisper, probably to disguise that his voice wasn’t feminine, only now that he didn’t. The difference was disconcerting. Everything about it was disconcerting. “I thought I’d wait on that for a little while. Until I know more.” Cathal stepped farther into the room. “You say you haven’t done anything wrong. You’re going to prove it to me.” “And how am I going to do that?” Cathal held up the small vial filled with vivid blue liquid. “This is a truth potion. You’re going to drink it, and you’re going to answer my questions.” “Am I?” Flavian snapped and folded his arms across his chest. “Why would I agree to that?” If you'd like to know more about The Artist's Masquerade, you can find it here. The Artist's Masquerade and my other DSP titles are 35% off this weekend. It's a great time to give one a try! Thanks for reading and have a lovely weekend!
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+. Today, I have a snippet from The Artist's Masquerade for you. Cathal and Flavian are sharing secrets. Cathal smiled and gave his hand a squeeze. “So, another secret. Do I know them all now?” “Do you want to?” “Very much.” There was such intensity in Cathal’s eyes—heat, yes, but not just heat. It took Flavian’s breath. “And what about me? Do I know all your secrets?” If you'd like to know more about The Artist's Masquerade, you can find it here (and if you'd like to add it to your paperback collection, it's 30% off at Dreamspinner this weekend in their paperback sale). Thanks for reading today!
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AuthorAntonia is a writer and a reader and a copy editor/proofreader. She loves books, travel, art, photography, baking, pasta, and shoes. Archives
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