Category: The Merchant's Love

Autism Awareness Blog Hop & Giveaway

4/16/2020

I'm honored to be a part of RJ Scott's Autism Awareness Blog Hop this year. This month, authors will be posting facts about autism to increase understanding and awareness, and there will be some giveaways along the way too. Find links to the other posts here.

Today's autism fact: Autism is NOT a disease.

The theme of this year's hop is Food. Maybe it's my Italian heritage, maybe just something about my personality, but, for me, food has always been a way to show care. If you come over or I visit you, I will try to feed you. I love cooking for people and baking for them. With the world turned upside down as it has, I'm not cooking and baking for others the way I always did (and I look forward to when I can again), but I've been cooking for me—all my favorite comfort foods (lots of pasta!)—and I've been baking. Baking is one of my favorite hobbies—something I do for others, yes, but also something I do for fun and distraction. And right now, something I do to relieve anxiety and stress. My freezer is becoming seriously stocked with baked goods, though I've also eaten more than I should...

I'm sharing my favorite brownie recipe with you here. These are delicious, chocolatey and fudgy and chewy. They're also gluten free, and—important for those of us conserving flour right now—flourless. And pretty easy to make.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup unsalted butter
2 oz. dark chocolate, chopped
1 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/4 cup cornstarch
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs
1/2 chocolate chips (technically optional, but I like the added chocolate. Sometimes I also add a little cinnamon or some finely chopped fresh mint if I have it in the summer)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8x8 inch pan with aluminum foil and lightly grease.

Melt butter and chocolate together in a small microwave-safe bowl (or use a double boiler). Stir until smooth, and allow to cool slightly.

In a large bowl, whisk together the sugar, cocoa powder, and cornstarch. Add in the butter mixture and whisk until well combined. Whisk in the vanilla and salt. Whisk in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Pour into the prepared pan. Bake for 30-33 minutes, until the brownies are set around the edges. All to cool completely in the pan before slicing.

Makes 16 brownies. (Or fewer if you like really big brownies, and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that!)

For a chance to win an ebook of The Merchant's Love, my fantasy romance in which a bookish royal and merchant fall in love over books and baked goods, tell me in the comments below what your favorite dessert or baked good is.

About The Merchant's Love:

Faelen, cousin to the prince and son of a diplomat, has finally come home to Tournai after years away. The pull to return was almost tangible, and the sense of rightness at being back is absolute. He wants nothing more than to put down roots and build a life among family while pursuing his linguistic studies. Becoming involved in magic meant to protect Tournai isn’t part of his plans…and falling in love is even more unexpected and unfamiliar, but he finds himself doing just that as his friendship with Maxen deepens into something more.

Maxen, second son of a wealthy merchant family, longs to leave Tournai and visit everywhere he can. All his life, he’s found places on maps and dreamed, planning out routes to get to them. For now, he’s tied to Tournai’s capital city by family obligations and his position in their shipping business. Someday, though, he’ll be able to travel. His sudden attraction to Faelen shocks him, but their friendship soon becomes a necessary part of his life. Love, however, has no place in his plans, especially not love for a royal cousin with secrets who wants nothing more than to stay in one place.

For Faelen and Maxen to build something real between them, they must resolve their differences, but when magic goes awry and all Faelen’s secrets are revealed, will Maxen remain at his side?

Take care and stay safe, everyone!

3 Comments

Rainbow Snippet February 15-16

2/15/2020

5 Comments

He leaned over and retrieved Maxen’s book from the floor, turning it to read the title. “Oh, this is new, isn’t it? What do you think so far?”

Maxen hadn’t gotten more than a few pages in, as distracted as he was, and he’d only bought the book that day. “I’m enjoying it so far. I bought you a copy too. I was going to send it to you tomorrow.”

Faelen turned to him, surprise and pleasure in his eyes. It was a small enough gift, but from the look on Faelen’s face, it was as if he’d brought him diamonds or something equally valuable. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” Maxen ached so much to kiss him in that moment as the firelight teased out the red in Faelen’s hair and reflected in his large, wide eyes.

You can find out more about The Merchant's Love here. The Merchant's Love and all of my other books are 40% off at NineStar Press this weekend with code Valentines40 if you'd like to give one a try. Thanks for reading today!

5 Comments

Rainbow Snippet December 28-29

12/28/2019

4 Comments

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 the last Rainbow Snippet of 2019—how did that happen?? I'm finishing out the year with another snippet from The Merchant's Love, my warm and cozy fantasy romance set over Tournai's winter holidays. In this snippet, Maxen is walking his younger brother home from school and goes into a shop to look for a Midwinter gift for Faelen. (It's too long again. I'm sorry! I really do promise to do better next time!)

The shopkeeper wasn’t gone more than that before he came back with a tray containing a glittering array of hair ornaments. He began explaining each piece but was called away almost immediately. Maxen accepted his apologies, happy to be left alone to look in peace. Well, as alone as he could be with Thierry hanging over his shoulder.

Maxen picked up a little silver comb. “Hmm.”

“Do you have a sweetheart? Is that who the gift is for?” Thierry piped up from behind him.

“I...I suppose I do.” He hadn’t ever thought of Faelen in those terms. “Who is she, then?”

He twisted to look at his brother. “His name is Faelen.”

Thierry’s eyes went wide. “Then why are you looking at hair combs?”

“Because he wears his hair long, and he likes them.” Maxen had
noticed that when Faelen did something with his hair other than leaving it loose, he seemed to have a fondness for combs and clips with fanciful work to them, some made of silver that stood out in his rich dark hair.

“Oh. All right.” Thierry turned to the tray and seemed to study it with interest. “What does he like? What is he like? You haven’t mentioned him.”

You can find more about The Merchant's Love here. You can also buy The Merchant's Love and all of my other books 50% off at Smashwords through January 1st. Thanks for reading today!

4 Comments

Rainbow Snippet December 21-22

12/21/2019

3 Comments

He strolled into the city as dusk fell, coat fastened and gloves on against the cold. He could have ridden, but he and Maxen had arranged to meet near the theater and walking was easier. The streets were bustling even now, some people rushing in and out of the shops finishing their errands for the holiday. He’d purchased gifts already—little things, as that was what his family had agreed upon. Maxen’s gift had been difficult for him to choose, but he hoped Maxen would like it, even if its intended purpose made Faelen a little sad.

He bought a bag of roasted chestnuts from a cart on a corner and kept walking. The bag warmed his hand even through his glove, and the chestnuts were as delicious as he remembered. They didn’t grow in Teilo, but he used to eat them practically by the pound during the winter when he was a child. The treat warmed him inside and out, at least partly from the glow of pleasure and nostalgia.

When he approached the theater, Maxen was coming toward him from the other direction, and Faelen smiled. He kept walking until he and Maxen met, until only inches separated them, and looked up into Maxen’s twinkling eyes.
“Hello.”

You can find out more about The Merchant's Love here. Thanks for reading today, and happy holidays!

3 Comments

Rainbow Snippet December 14-15

12/14/2019

5 Comments

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 decided to share another snippet from The Merchant's Love this weekend. I haven't written a holiday book yet, but this one is set around the winter holidays in Tournai and it has the warm, cozy feeling that goes along with it. In this snippet, Faelen and Maxen are at the city's Midwinter festival, wandering the marketplace. (Note to explain a reference in the second part of the snippet: Faelen's cousin Philip is the Crown Prince, and he married his husband Amory a few years earlier at Midwinter, so their anniversary is also celebrated during the holiday.)

Jumelle’s marketplace always bustled and was filled with wares from seemingly everywhere in and outside of Tournai, but at Midwinter, even more goods crowded the stalls. Faelen had almost forgotten—the capital of Teilo didn’t have near as much diversity of goods and food. With some silent accord, he and Maxen decided to look at everything, and Faelen did share his food, holding out the little bag so they both could eat from it.

They looked at hats and gloves, at swords and knives, at leatherwork, at bound journals and stalls of secondhand books. After discovering little miniature portraits of Philip and Amory with the date of their wedding painted on them and then odd little dolls depicting the two men in their wedding finery, they made a game of seeing what other strange merchandise commemorating the anniversary they could find—and tried not to be too obvious in their laughter. Painted pottery, various embroidered items, toys, glassware. Faelen kept shaking his head as they saw ever more outlandish tributes.

If you'd like to know more about The Merchant's Love, you can find it here. Thanks for reading today!

5 Comments

Rainbow Snippet December 7-8

12/7/2019

7 Comments

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 snowed quite a bit here earlier this week, so in honor of the first snowfall of the season, I thought I would snippet from this little snowy scene from The Merchant's Love. I haven't written a holiday story yet, but The Merchant's Love is a warm, cozy fantasy romance set partly over Tournai's winter holidays, so it feels sort of appropriate this time of year. In this snippet, Faelen and Maxen are out together one night. Faelen said earlier it felt like it was going to snow. (I went a little over six sentences—sorry!)

When they stepped out onto the street after their meal, Faelen’s breath caught in his throat, and he stopped dead just outside the door, looking up in wonder. Maxen walked right into him, knocking them off-balance. He caught Faelen by the waist to steady them as they both wobbled.

“Sorry!”

“No, it’s my fault,” Faelen said, covering Maxen’s hand with his own. “But look. It’s snowing.”

It was little more than flurries, but there was something magical about them nonetheless. The tiny flakes danced in the air, glistening in the glow of the streetlights. Faelen turned his face up to them and laughed as another little bubble of joy burst inside him.

“I guess you were right,” Maxen whispered. His arms were still around Faelen, holding him back against his chest. Faelen made a little noise of contentment and snuggled into Maxen’s solid warmth. Despite the chilly night, he could’ve stayed right there until morning, just him and Maxen and the snow flurries.

If you'd like to know more about The Merchant's Love, you can find it here. Thanks for reading this week!

7 Comments

Rainbow Snippet September 14-15

9/14/2019

3 Comments

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 Merchant's Love, the book I always think of as a warm hug in book form. It's the story of Faelen, a bookish royal and linguist, and Maxen, the merchant who is awkwardly, endearingly besotted with him, as they fall in love over books and baked goods.

Maxen took Faelen's hand as they strolled through the streets. After all their teasing and flirting earlier, Maxen had thought he’d be in a rush to get home, but he just wanted to savor the time with Faelen. The night air was cold, but it was clear and dry, and Faelen seemed just as happy to walk with him, hand in hand.

When Maxen let them in the house, the maid appeared to take their coats and disappeared just as quickly, leaving them alone again in the flickering candlelight of the entry. Maxen turned to find Faelen watching him. He blushed at being caught and let out a breath that was almost a laugh. The urge to kiss him was almost overwhelming because he was just so adorable.

You can find out more about The Merchant's Love here. Thanks for reading today!

3 Comments

Rainbow Snippet August 3-4

8/3/2019

6 Comments

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 week, I have a snippet from The Merchant's Love for you. This is Maxen's first glimpse of Faelen at Maxen's brother's wedding (Coincidentally, the same wedding that Bastien and Corentin first met at, which I gave you a bit of in last week's snippet). Maxen is his older brother's witness, and he sees someone very interesting among the guests.

It was after the vows, after Tristan and Etan had affixed their signatures in the book in which all royal marriages were recorded, that Maxen let his gaze wander over the seated guests and saw him. And then he couldn’t understand how he hadn’t noticed him immediately.

His attention was drawn almost instantly to a man seated in the second row. He was pale, his skin like porcelain, with large eyes the green of peridot. His face—an uncanny mix of pretty and sensual—was framed by dark hair that blazed red in the room’s light, falling in soft curls nearly to his shoulders. Maxen could see nothing else of the man, but what he saw pulled at him, and it was so strong, so unexpected, it took his breath. He’d never felt an attraction so sudden; he could do nothing but stare as time spun away from him.

Abruptly, the man seemed to sense his regard, his gaze snapping over to meet Maxen’s, giving him no time to look away. The unusual green eyes widened, but he didn’t look away for long moments—long moments when Maxen heard nothing but the pounding of his heart in his ears.

You can find out more about The Merchant's Love here. Thanks for reading today!

6 Comments

Happy Anniversary to Faelen and Maxen! (And a Giveaway)

6/18/2019

2 Comments

The Merchant's Love has been out in the world for one year today! It's part of the Chronicles of Tournai series but stands alone just fine, and is the story of a demisexual, bookish royal and the bisexual merchant who is awkwardly, endearing enchanted with him as they fall in love over books and baked goods.

I love this book, gang. It's my first published book with a demisexual characters, which makes it special to me, and it's the book I absolutely needed while I was writing it with the way the world has been the last few years. It's basically a warm hug in book form. I hope you love it as much as I do.

To celebrate Faelen and Maxen's anniversary, I'm giving away a copy of The Merchant's Love. Since Faelen has quite a sweet tooth, comment below with your favorite dessert, and I'll pick a random commenter to win on June 25th.

About The Merchant's Love:

Use coupon code PRIDE to get 40% off The Merchant's Love (and the rest of your order!) at NineStar through June 30th.

2 Comments

Rainbow Snippet May 18-19

5/18/2019

4 Comments

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+.

Last week, my snippet was of Bastien and Corentin's first kiss in The Dragon's Devotion, and first kisses are so much fun that I decided to snippet first kisses from some of my other books. Today's is Faelen and Maxen in The Merchant's Love. (I went a little over six sentences—sorry! I thought it was necessary for this one.)

Faelen just looked at him for a couple of moments and then took a breath. “I want to kiss you.”

Maxen froze. He wasn’t even sure he breathed for a moment. Had he heard what he thought he had? Had Faelen said...? He stared at Faelen, who looked as surprised as Maxen felt and just a bit dismayed. That was enough to help Maxen shake off his paralysis. “Faelen?”

“I probably shouldn’t have said that.”

“But you meant it?”

“Yes.” It was a breath of sound, which became stronger. “Yes.”

Maxen watched him for another moment. “Then you should do it.”

Faelen drew in a sharp breath. “Maxen?”

“If you want to, you should kiss me.”

Faelen was utterly still as they stood in silence. Then he moved, slowly coming closer to Maxen. He reached out almost carefully and rested his hands on Maxen’s shoulders lightly and then more firmly. His hesitance did something to Maxen, a swirl of emotions he couldn’t quite put name to, except for the sudden need to protect, but he stayed still, letting Faelen do as he would. Finally, Faelen stretched up and brushed his lips lightly over Maxen’s.

If you'd like to know more about The Merchant's Love (which I always call my warm-hug-in-book-form book), you can find it here. Thanks for reading!

4 Comments

<<Previous

Autism Awareness Blog Hop & Giveaway

About The Merchant's Love:

Rainbow Snippet February 15-16

Rainbow Snippet December 28-29

Rainbow Snippet December 21-22

Rainbow Snippet December 14-15

Rainbow Snippet December 7-8

Rainbow Snippet September 14-15

Rainbow Snippet August 3-4

Happy Anniversary to Faelen and Maxen! (And a Giveaway)

About The Merchant's Love:

Rainbow Snippet May 18-19

Author

Archives

Categories