Category: The Merchant's Love

Rainbow Snippets December 30-31

12/30/2023

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.

This month, I'm sharing snippets from The Merchant's Love, my super cozy fall/winter fantasy romance in which a bookish royal and a merchant fall in love over books and baked goods (and there's a bit of magic gone wrong too). With the holiday weekend, it seemed like an appropriate time for a gift-giving snippet. Last week, I shared a snippet in which Maxen gives Faelen a Midwinter gift. I thought I would continue on directly from there this week.

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Rainbow Snippets December 23-24

12/23/2023

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Rainbow Snippets December 16-17

12/17/2023

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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.

This month, I'm sharing snippets from The Merchant's Love, my super cozy fall/winter fantasy romance in which a bookish royal and a merchant fall in love over books and baked goods (and there's a bit of magic gone wrong too). This week I'm sharing a snippet (that's a bit long—sorry!) if Faelen, Maxen, and their friends enjoying the city's Midwinter Festival.

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Rainbow Snippets December 9-10

12/10/2023

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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.

This month, I'm sharing snippets from The Merchant's Love, my super cozy fall/winter fantasy romance in which a bookish royal and a merchant fall in love over books and baked goods (and there's a bit of magic gone wrong too). I'm sharing another cozy, wintry snippet of Faelen and Maxen today.

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Rainbow Snippets December 2-3

12/3/2023

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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.

This month, I'm sharing snippets from The Merchant's Love, my super cozy fall/winter fantasy romance in which a bookish royal and a merchant fall in love over books and baked goods (and there's a bit of magic gone wrong too). I'm jumping in to the middle of the book. Faelen, our bookish royal, is reminiscing about childhood Midwinter holidays as he walks to meet Maxen at the theater. This is the first holiday he's spent in his home country since he was a child, as his father is a diplomat. (I've also given Faelen my love of roasted chestnuts...)

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A Bookiversary and a Recipe

6/18/2023

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The Merchant's Love has been out in the world for five years today! This book is a cozy fantasy romance (though I hadn't heard the term then!) and has always felt like a warm hug in book form to me. In it, Faelen, a bookish, demisexual royal, and Maxen, a devoted, bisexual merchant, fall in love over books and baked goods. So every year, I feel the need to bake to commemorate the anniversary. This year, I made some chocolate chocolate chip muffins and thought I would share the recipe.

The original recipe came from the Food Network website, but I changed it a bit, adding more chocolate and salt and a pinch (or more, depending on my mood) of cinnamon and using olive oil when it called for vegetable oil. It's super easy and quick, and reliably delicious:

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
pinch (or more) cinnamon
1 cup milk
1/3 cup + 2 teaspoons olive oil
1 egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chocolate chips

Preheat the oven to 400F. Line a 12 cup muffin pan with liners (or spray the pan).

Mix the dry ingredients. Add the wet ingredients and mix until no streaks of flour remain. Stir in the chocolate chips.

Spoon into the muffin pan evenly (the cups will be fairly full). Bake for 20 minutes, until a toothpick in the center comes out clean.

Makes 12 muffins.

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?

You can find more about The Merchant's Love and buy links here. Also, The Merchant's Love (and my other books!) is 50% off with code PRIDE23 at NineStar Press this month—it's a perfect time to pick up some fantasy romance!

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Rainbow Snippets December 31-January 1

12/31/2022

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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.

Since it's December, I've decided to share some snippets from the closest thing I have to a holiday romance so far. The Merchant's Love is a cozy fall/winter fantasy romance in which a bookish demisexual royal and a bisexual commoner (who is utterly besotted with him from first sight) fall in love over books and baked goods. The Merchant's Love is mostly just a warm hug in book form, but there is a bit of magic gone wrong. And that's how Maxen finds out about Faelen's magical Talent, a magic that runs in his family and is kept secret from anyone outside it.

One moment, Maxen was nearly giddy with happiness and anticipation for the future, and the next, Faelen was pulling out of his arms and...he wasn’t sure. A glittering cloud had enveloped Faelen, and where he’d been, there was now a black cat so large its head came up to Maxen’s hip. Part of Maxen was screaming that he needed to run away, but he could only stare, frozen.
The cat stared back, but it looked...worried. Could a cat look worried? They’d never kept cats in his family, and really, this was no house cat anyway.

“Maxen?”

He jumped and fell back against the mantel. The cat drew back, appearing...well, a bit hurt actually. But the cat had talked. And it continued to watch him with large eyes the exact same shade of peridot as Faelen’s. Maxen frowned.

That was crazy, wasn’t it?

“Faelen?”

You can find out more about The Merchant's Love here. The Merchant's Love and my other books are all 50% off at Smashwords through January 1st—not much time left, so don't miss out on a great sale! Thanks for reading, and I hope you all have a happy and healthy 2023!

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Rainbow Snippets December 24-25

12/24/2022

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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.

Since it's December, I've decided to share some snippets from the closest thing I have to a holiday romance so far. The Merchant's Love is a cozy fall/winter fantasy romance in which a bookish demisexual royal and a bisexual commoner (who is utterly besotted with him from first sight) fall in love over books and baked goods. In this snippet, Maxen is giving Faelen a Midwinter gift.

Maxen cupped his cheek, stroking his thumb over it lightly. “Just open it.”

Faelen turned his head and kissed Maxen’s palm. Then he began to carefully work the wrapping free. He could tell Maxen was smiling without looking at him, but Faelen had always been deliberate in opening presents. Not that Faelen wasn’t eager to know what this package held—he just liked the anticipation.

Finally, the colorful paper fell away to reveal a velvet box. Jewelry? Slowly, he lifted the lid, and gasped. Inside, on a pad of more dark velvet, lay a set of combs. The intricate silver filigree was set with little pearls and sparkling peridots. Faelen didn’t know what to say for a moment. The way he wore his hair wasn’t the fashion in Tournai, but Maxen had given him something he knew Faelen would love. A token perhaps, as were all gifts exchanged at Midwinter, but one he’d use happily.

“Maxen...” Faelen finally looked up to find the worry back in Maxen’s eyes. “They’re beautiful. I love them.”

You can find more about The Merchant's Love here. The Merchant's Love is 50% off at Smashwords, along with my other books, through January 1st. You can also find a bunch of LGBTQ books on sale or free at Smashwords here. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're staying safe and well. And Merry Christmas to all who are celebrating!

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Rainbow Snippets December 17-18

12/18/2022

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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.

Since it's December, I've decided to share some snippets from the closest thing I have to a holiday romance so far. The Merchant's Love is a cozy fall/winter fantasy romance in which a bookish demisexual royal and a bisexual commoner (who is utterly besotted with him from first sight) fall in love over books and baked goods. In this snippet, Faelen and Maxen have gone to the Midwinter festival, but Maxen is upset by some family issues and Faelen decides to try to help.

He bit his lip. “Will you let me distract you for a while, then?”

A slow smile curved Maxen’s lips. “What did you have in mind?”

“Well, I think we’ll go to the festival, and I’ll drag you around the market and to all the entertainments and ply you with sweets.”

“I thought I would be the one plying you with sweets, Fae.”

Faelen narrowed his eyes and glared at Maxen, but inside he thrilled at the pet name and that Maxen’s eyes had some of their sparkle back. “Last I checked, you weren’t indifferent to them either. Now, the change of plan is that instead of staying out as long as we’d planned, I would drag you back to your house and up to bed.”

Maxen’s gaze went hot, the sweep of it over Faelen’s body almost a tangible thing, making him shiver. “And what will we do when we get there?”

You can find out more about The Merchant's Love here. Also, The Merchant's Love and the rest of my books are all 50% off at Smashwords through January 1st, so don't miss out on that great sale. You can find other LGBTQ books that are on sale or free during the Smashwords sale at this book funnel promo too. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're staying safe and well!

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Rainbow Snippets December 10-11

12/11/2022

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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.

You can find out more about The Merchant's Love here. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're staying safe and well!

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Rainbow Snippets December 30-31

Rainbow Snippets December 23-24

Rainbow Snippets December 16-17

Rainbow Snippets December 9-10

Rainbow Snippets December 2-3

A Bookiversary and a Recipe

About The Merchant's Love:

Rainbow Snippets December 31-January 1

Rainbow Snippets December 24-25

Rainbow Snippets December 17-18

Rainbow Snippets December 10-11

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