Category: The Merchant's Love

Rainbow Snippets February 5-6

2/5/2022

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 more about The Merchant's Love here. Thanks for reading this weekend, and I hope you're staying safe and healthy (and warm, if it's winter where you are too!).

4 Comments

Rainbow Snippets January 1-2

1/2/2022

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.

Happy New Year, everyone! For our first snippet of 2022, I have more from The Merchant's Love. I haven't written a holiday book yet, but The Merchant's Love begins in autumn and runs through the winter holidays in Tournai. I often call this book—the story of a bookish royal and the merchant who is besotted with him falling in love over books and baked goods—a warm hug in book form, so I thought I'd share some snippets from it. And as the festive season draws to a close, I thought I would give you one last snippet, continuing on from last week in which Maxen is giving Faelen a Midwinter gift. (I went over the sentence limit, but I really wanted to finish out this bit...I'm sorry!)

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.”

Maxen’s smile bloomed. “I hoped you would. I saw them and thought of you. You’re always putting your hair up, and I thought these would look splendid in it.”

“Why don’t we see?” Faelen set the box down on a table and reached up to twist his hair back in a loose knot. He picked up one of the combs, slid it into his hair, and did the same with the other, anchoring the mess of curls. He looked up at Maxen through his lashes. “What do you think?”

“I think you’re beautiful, but I thought that the first moment I saw you.”

You can learn more about The Merchant's Love over here. Thanks for reading today, and I hope 2022 brings you health and happiness.

4 Comments

Rainbow Snippets December 25-26

12/26/2021

1 Comment

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 have more from The Merchant's Love for you today. I haven't written a holiday book yet, but The Merchant's Love begins in autumn and runs through the winter holidays in Tournai. I often call this book—the story of a bookish royal and the merchant who is besotted with him falling in love over books and baked goods—a warm hug in book form, so I thought I'd share some snippets from it. In this snippet, Maxen is giving Faelen a Midwinter gift.

Maxen pressed the parcel into Faelen’s hands. “I hope you like it.”

Faelen wouldn’t tell him he was sure he would because he’d only sound as if he were saying what Maxen wanted to hear, but Faelen would like it just because it was the first gift Maxen had given him at a holiday. Instead of saying anything, he turned his attention to the package. It wasn’t very heavy. He resisted the urge to shake it.

Maxen laughed. “Are you trying to guess?”

“Maybe?” Faelen grinned up at him.

You can learn more about The Merchant's Love here. Plus, you can get The Merchant's Love and my other books 50% off at Smashwords through January 1st. Don't miss out on a great deal! Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're staying safe and well. And if you celebrate, I hope you had a lovely Christmas.

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Rainbow Snippets December 18-19

12/18/2021

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.

I have more from The Merchant's Love for you today. I haven't written a holiday book yet, but The Merchant's Love begins in autumn and runs through the winter holidays in Tournai. I often call this book—the story of a bookish royal and the merchant who is besotted with him falling in love over books and baked goods—a warm hug in book form, so I thought I'd share some snippets from it. In this snippet, Faelen is walking through the city on his way to meet Maxen, thinking about the holiday.

He strolled into the city as dusk fell, coat fastened and gloves on against the cold. 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.

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.”

“Hello.” A ripple of something—pleasure, amusement, happiness—ran through Maxen’s voice before he dipped down and stole a kiss.

You can find more about The Merchant's Love here. The Merchant's Love and my other books are all 50% off in the Smashwords end of year sale through January 1st, so it's a great time to grab them. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're staying safe and well.

4 Comments

Rainbow Snippets December 11-12

12/11/2021

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.

I have more from The Merchant's Love for you today. I haven't written a holiday book yet, but The Merchant's Love begins in autumn and runs through the winter holidays in Tournai. I often call this book—the story of a bookish royal and the merchant who is besotted with him falling in love over books and baked goods—a warm hug in book form, so I thought I'd share some snippets from it. This snippet happens just a little while after last week's—Faelen and Maxen's plans to leave the Midwinter fair early have been foiled by the arrival of Faelen's twin, Alexander, (being overprotective) and their cousin and friend. So the group is now watching performances in the square. I went over the sentence limit—I'm sorry!

At the front of the line, they ordered the cider, and Maxen paid before Alexander could offer. They split the cups between them and worked their way through the thickening crowd. When they returned to the others, it was to find Faelen looking anxious and Meriall standing on a bench.
Maxen glanced up at her and then back at Faelen, frowning.

“She couldn’t see well enough,” Adora supplied, as if that explained everything. Adora came closer to relieve him of two of the cups, keeping one and handing the other up to Meriall. Maxen had meant to give one to Faelen, but Alexander was already doing that.

“Have we missed anything good?” Maxen asked, not really directing the question at anyone, but watching Faelen, trying to silently reassure him all was well. He absolutely would not complain about Alexander to Faelen, would not let any of his annoyance show. Maxen understood why Alexander felt the way he did, even if he wished he’d been straightforward with him.

“Just the jugglers,” Faelen said and smiled slightly.

“They’re still going,” Meriall added.

“Should you be up there? Etan won’t be happy with me if you fall.” Maxen said it with a smile, but he was mostly serious.

She laughed. “It’s a bench. I’m not standing on a roof. You’re not responsible for me anyway. I am.” A look of mischief came into her eyes. “Though Alexander brought us out here, so I think I’d blame him if anything happened.”

Alexander let out what could only be called an indignant squawk, and Faelen laughed, a delightful sound, full of mirth and a little teasing at his twin’s expense. Maxen smiled just hearing it. Faelen looked at him, the laughter in his eyes softening, blurring into something else, some quieter joy.

You can find out more about The Merchant's Love over here, and you can get it and my other books 40% off with coupon code NARRATIVE40 at NineStar Press through December 18th. Thanks for reading today, and I hope you're all staying safe and well!

7 Comments

Rainbow Snippets December 4-5

12/4/2021

2 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 have more from The Merchant's Love for you today. I haven't written a holiday book yet, but The Merchant's Love begins in autumn and runs through the winter holidays in Tournai. I often call this book—the story of a bookish royal and the merchant who is besotted with him falling in love over books and baked goods—a warm hug in book form, so I thought I'd share some snippets from it. In this snippet, Faelen and Maxen are still enjoying the Midwinter festival...

Maxen turned to him and handed him a pastry drizzled with honey and studded with dried fruit and nuts.

Faelen took a bite and made a little noise of pleasure. When he’d swallowed, he looked up to find Maxen watching him. “What is it?”

“Just trying to stop myself from abandoning the market to drag you to bed and see if I can get you to make that noise for reasons other than pastry.”

Faelen’s breath caught even as his cheeks heated. Cursing his fair skin, he bit his lip and stared into Maxen’s eyes. “Why don’t you?”

Maxen sucked in a sharp breath. “And if I said I’d like to see if you taste better than the pastry drizzled in honey?”

Faelen’s eyes flew wide. Well, that was...interesting. “Is that meant to make me refuse?”

For a moment, Maxen just stared at him. “Do we have anything else we have to see here?”

Faelen didn’t even think about it. “No.”

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

2 Comments

Rainbow Snippets November 27-28

11/27/2021

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.

As we get into the holiday season, I wanted to share some snippets that are appropriate for the season. I haven't written a holiday book yet, but The Merchant's Love is begins in autumn and runs through the winter holidays in Tournai. I often call this book—the story of a bookish royal and the merchant who is besotted with him falling in love over books and baked goods—a warm hug in book form, so I thought I'd share some snippets from it. In this snippet, Faelen and Maxen are on their way to the city's Midwinter festival, but Maxen has been dealing with some family issues and Faelen wants to distract him.

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. And you can get The Merchant's Love and all of my other books 50% off at NineStar Press with code BLACKCYBER through Monday November 29th.

3 Comments

Rainbow Snippets October 16-17

10/17/2021

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+

This week's Rainbow Snippet is from The Merchant's Love. I often call The Merchant's Love a warm hug in book form. It's the story of a bookish royal and a merchant who is immediately besotted with him becoming friends and falling in love over books and baked goods (while dealing with family drama and intrigue and a bit of magic gone wrong). I was looking for another autumnal snippet because The Merchant's Love takes place from autumn into winter, and I remembered this scene in which Maxen invites Faelen out for a picnic after quite a while exchanging letters. This snippet isn't explicitly autumnal, but it seemed right.

And then every thought went out of his head when he saw Faelen walking toward him.

Faelen was just as lovely as he’d been at the wedding. Maxen almost thought he’d exaggerated it as he’d read Faelen’s words. As if Faelen’s intelligence and wit had bled over into how Maxen saw him in all ways, and maybe it had, and maybe that was all right. Whatever the reason, Faelen was more and more appealing in Maxen’s eyes.

He wore rich sapphire blue, the coat velvet and fitting close to his slender form, the shade heightening his dramatic coloring. The wind had brought a slight flush to his ivory cheeks and sent a few curls dancing around his face, escaping from where they’d been pulled back. He smiled when Maxen raised a hand to greet him, an almost shy curve of his lips that Maxen immediately adored.

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

3 Comments

Rainbow Snippets August 28-29

8/28/2021

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+

Today's snippet is from The Merchant's Love. I always call this book a warm hug in book form because it's the one in which a bookish royal and the merchant utterly besotted with him fall in love over books and baked goods. It also overlaps a bit with The Dragon's Devotion, which I shared a snippet from last week—apparently I just wanted to make timeline headaches for myself—and Faelen and Maxen in this book meet at the same wedding that Bastien and Corentin did. Maxen sees Faelen during the wedding ceremony and is immediately fascinated. Faelen is demisexual and doesn't experience the same immediate attraction, but he does enjoy their eventual conversation that night. Here is Maxen's first sight of Faelen.

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. And then the man looked away, severing the connection and leaving Maxen floundering.

You can find more about The Merchant's Love here. And you can also get 40% off this book and my others with code ABQPRIDE at NineStar Press through August 31st. Thanks for reading, and hope you're staying safe and well!

5 Comments

Rainbow Snippets June 12-13

6/12/2021

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'm sharing the first lines of The Merchant's Love. I've often described this book as a warm hug in book form—it's the story of a bookish royal and the merchant besotted with him from the start falling in love over books and baked goods. There's some magic gone wrong and some family drama, but overall, this is a pretty warm and fuzzy book. Here's Faelen (aforementioned bookish royal) returning home to Tournai.

In the last decade since his father was appointed ambassador to the kingdom of Teilo, Faelen had been on the grounds of Tournai’s royal palace three times, if he included today. The relief, happiness, and utter sense of home flooding through him as soon as he stepped off the boat had been shocking in its intensity, but not surprising otherwise. Sometime in the middle of the journey, he’d been hit with the bone-deep certainty that he needed to be back in Tournai. He’d mentioned it to Alexander, who admitted feeling the same—which Faelen was happy to hear from his twin, even if it did make the whole thing stranger.

He tried not to dwell on it, which was made a bit easier because of his discomfort that they were arriving unannounced and uninvited.

You can learn more about The Merchant's Love here. And it's currently 50% off at NineStar Press with code PRIDE2021, along with my other books.

6 Comments