Category: The Spymaster's Secret

Rainbow Snippets September 4-5

9/4/2021

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 Spymaster's Secret, the story of Alexander, a flirtatious, mischievous royal with hidden depths, and Marcus, an older widower who does very mysterious work for the crown. Plus family, magic, spies, and shenanigans at a masquerade ball. Alexander and Marcus have seen each other only once before the beginning of this book, though Marcus has made it a point to learn about both Alexander and his twin Faelen (because of the afore-mentioned mysterious work). Here is the first time they see each other in this book.

A laugh shattered the quiet and brought Marcus’s attention fully back to his surroundings. As he approached an intersecting corridor, the two young men he’d been thinking of came around the corner. They were nearly identical in appearance with the same shade of dark hair that glowed red in the light, the same ivory skin and peridot eyes, the same delicate features, an intriguing mix of pretty and sensual. Their differences were slight, but perfectly apparent with a moment’s study. Alexander was slightly taller, and Faelen’s hair fell in loose curls while Alexander’s was a tumble of waves.

He’d made a point of finding out which of them was which. And not because of the way Alexander had looked at him the one previous time he’d been in their presence.

The way Alexander looked at him now. Curious with a spark of something more.

Alexander had been the one laughing, a joyful, delighted sound that made Marcus want to smile. He forced himself not to, forced his face to remain bland and pleasant and unremarkable. Forced himself to ignore the little lurch, the punch of attraction when he looked into Alexander’s eyes.

He had to.

You can learn more about The Spymaster's Secret here. Thanks for reading, and I hope you're all staying safe and well!

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Rainbow Snippets June 19-20

6/19/2021

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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+

Today, I'm sharing the first lines of The Spymaster's Secret. This next book in the Chronicles of Tournai is the story of Alexander, a flirtatious royal with hidden depths, and Marcus, a mysterious older widower. It's an opposites attract romance plus spies, intrigue, and magic.The book begins in Marcus's point of view. I went over six sentences because it seemed to need it.

“What do you have to tell us, Lord Marcus?”

Marcus sat in one of the chairs across from the pair of desks in the princes’ private office and contemplated Prince Philip. The crown prince had the look of his father and something of his manner, a commanding presence he had probably cultivated since birth. He had the dark hair and classically handsome features of the men in the royal family and the bred-in-the-bone care for this country. Which Marcus had a feeling he might have thrown over in a heartbeat for the man beside him. Prince Consort Amory was shorter and fair with large dark eyes and curling auburn hair. He hadn’t been born into royalty or even nobility, but he’d adapted to his role far better than most of Tournai’s nobility had anticipated. Marcus knew quite well what each noble family thought of the marriage, just past its third anniversary, although the princes had never asked him for the information.

You can find out more about The Spymaster's Secret here. Also, The Spymaster's Secret (along with my other books!) is 50% off this month at NineStar Press with code PRIDE2021.

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Rainbow Snippets April 17-18

4/17/2021

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+

This week's snippet is Alexander and Marcus's first kiss in The Spymaster's Secret. Alexander is a flirtatious royal cousin with hidden depths, and Marcus is an older widower with very mysterious work. It's an opposites attract romance with spies, intrigue, and magic thrown in. And some shenanigans at a masquerade ball...which brings us to their first kiss at that ball. (Alexander speaks first in this snippet.)

“Will you kiss me?”

Marcus watched him for one breathless moment before reaching up and removing his mask. He moved slowly, deliberately, toward Alexander and stretched a hand out to cup his cheek. Alexander leaned into that big hand and let his eyes flutter shut on a sigh. He wanted more, but being touched this way was lovely. He wouldn’t mind much more of it too.

“Alexander.” His name came out quietly, a breath of sound that struck Alexander as resigned more than anything else.

Before he could open his eyes to look at Marcus, to try to see what he was feeling, Marcus’s lips were on his. It wasn’t a sweet kiss. It was too demanding, too greedy for sweetness. As if Marcus wanted everything from Alexander in that one moment. And Alexander reveled in it.

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

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Read an Ebook Week Sale!

3/7/2021

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All of my books are 50% off in the Smashwords Read an Ebook Week sale through March 13th. You can find them all here. Go grab some books!

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Rainbow Snippet February 22-23

2/22/2020

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They lingered over kisses--long, luxurious kisses that spiraled out around Alexander, leaving him almost dizzy with them. He had no idea how long they kissed and lazily touched, holding each other close and reveling in the feel of skin on skin, but it was long enough for Alexander to feel heavy and drugged on the pleasure of those kisses. Finally they slowed, then stopped, and Marcus settled at Alexander’s side, gently gathering him close and tugging the blankets up over them.

The care in the gestures had Alexander’s chest going tight. He wasn’t used to it in his affairs, but he didn’t care to examine that tonight. What he wanted to do was snuggle in even closer and let sleep pull him under, warm and safe in Marcus’s arms.

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

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Rainbow Snippet February 1-2

2/1/2020

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+

Does anyone else feel as if January lasted six months yet also flew by in about ten seconds? Just me? All right. It's February 1st (finally or already), and I'm diving into the New Jersey Romance Writers' JeRoWriMo challenge today, trying to write 30k words this month and hopefully jump start my writing on a new book. It's also the first Rainbow Snippet of the month. Today I have a snippet from The Spymaster's Secret for you.

Alexander was beautiful and vibrant--he drew other people to him, and Marcus wasn’t immune—but it didn’t mean every man he was with was a lover or potential lover. And really, Marcus had no right to be jealous or possessive now. He and Alexander had shared a few kisses, although the description paled in comparison to what they’d actually felt like, and were going to have dinner. Which, well, Marcus was almost positive would end with them in bed together. But he had no claim on Alexander, and he shouldn’t want one. His life was not conducive to having a lover, especially one like Alexander. He shouldn’t even be looking at the young royal.

Knowing that didn’t stop him from anticipating their dinner.

You can find more about The Spymaster's Secret here. Thanks for reading today!

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Rainbow Snippet November 30-December 1

11/30/2019

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+.

I'm going to back to The Spymaster's Secret for a snippet this weekend before I switch off to other things. This follows directly after my snippet from two weeks ago in which Alexander and his twin, Faelen, are getting ready for a masked ball and dressing alike. (I went a little over the sentence limit—sorry!)

Their clothing was identical down to the smallest detail of the rich, emerald-green velvet jacket and pants, the gold embroidered shoes. Alexander had insisted they put their hair up, securing it with gold combs, to disguise the slight difference between them. Their masks were exactly the same as well--intricate gold and green half masks with green- dyed feathers and a single white silk rose on the right side. They were secured with glossy green ribbons. Yes, Alexander was pleased with the effect. They looked wonderful, and no one would be able to tell them apart.

“Why is it the point?”

“Don’t be so serious! Just think of people’s faces when they don’t know who they’ve seen or how one of us can be in two places at once.” Alexander grinned. “You know it’s going to be fun.”

Faelen shook his head, but he was laughing. Trying to stifle it, but laughing. “Only you would decide this would be the most amusing way to spend a ball.”

“Well, I also plan to dance quite a bit. Perhaps flirt some.” Marcus’s face floated up in Alexander’s mind but he blinked the image away.Marcus would be at the ball--his name was on the guest list anyway, and unless something catastrophic happened, it was an assurance he’d attend.

“With anyone in particular?” Faelen fixed him with an arch look.

You can read more about The Spymaster's Secret here. And through Monday December 2nd, The Spymaster's Secret and my others books are all 40% off at NineStar Press with code BLACKCYBER.

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Rainbow Snippet November 16-17

11/16/2019

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 have a little more from The Spymaster's Secret for you this weekend, though soon I may start sharing snippets from other books again. I've skipped ahead a little in the story a bit for this snippet. It's Alexander and his twin brother, Faelen, getting ready for a masked ball (I've wanted to write a masked ball for ages). Mischievous Alexander has convinced Faelen to go along with him in a bit of a scheme... (Sorry I went over the sentence limit!)

“I can't believe I let you talk me into this.”

“What? We look wonderful.” Alexander stepped over to stand beside Faelen in front of the full-length mirror in his dressing room.

“We look identical.”

So they did, except for the little frown pulling at Faelen’s lips.

“That was the point.” Alexander bumped his shoulder into Faelen’s, watching as one of the figures in the mirror did the same.

It was always a bit surreal when they dressed alike, which wasn’t often anymore. Mother had preferred to dress them identically when they were children, but Father had decided it needed to stop as they got older. Afterward, they sometimes did it to switch places, almost alwaysat Alexander’s urging. He was just so amused to see if people would figureout which of them was which. Hardly anyone ever did, and they could getaway with so much. They hadn’t done it in a long time, which Alexander did understand--they were adults now.

Tonight was a masked ball though. Everyone would be in disguise.They would dress in finery and cover their faces with fanciful masks and dance the night away. Why shouldn’t he and Faelen have a little fun?

You can find more about The Spymaster's Secret here. Thanks for reading today!

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Rainbow Snippet November 9-10

11/9/2019

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“You need to watch where you’re going, Lord Alexander. You could’ve gotten yourself killed.” Marcus’s cool tone with its hints of condescension irked Alexander far too much after what he’d seen.

“I can hardly control young idiots on horseback.” Alexander brought his chin up slightly, let his lips curve at the edges just a little in a hint of a teasing smile. “But I thank you for your rescue, Lord Marcus, and your advice. If I could have my hand back now?”

“Oh, of course.” Marcus let go immediately.

Alexander didn’t let his satisfaction at the hint of fluster in Marcus show. He had himself back under control—he’d kick himself later for ever losing it. For now, he nodded and took a step back himself, making the motion regal. For the most part, he left off the obvious trappings of royalty, since he was so far from the throne, but he knew quite well how and when to use them.

You can find more about The Spymaster's Secret here. Thanks for reading today!

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Rainbow Snippet November 2-3

11/2/2019

7 Comments

It wouldn’t take much for him to be in Marcus’s arms. So little space separated them, and if Marcus pulled just a little on Alexander’s wrist, he would move with the cue, allowing himself to be drawn into Marcus’sarms, into a kiss.

Marcus’s eyes darkened. Did he see what Alexander was thinking?Did he want it too?

Alexander took a chance, swaying closer. Marcus seemed to lean toward him for an instant, but then he frowned. His eyes went blank, all traces of the desire there a moment ago gone as if they’d never been, andhe drew back. Alexander felt the cold of the wind again, and he forced his own expression back under control, forced away anything that wouldmake him too vulnerable, if it wasn’t already too late.

Find out more about The Spymaster's Secret here. Thanks for reading today!

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