REVIEW: “Blue Incarnations” by Jennifer Lee Rossman

 
Happy New Year!

To kick off 2024, here’s a 5-star review for an excellent new YA thriller set in the future! Jennifer Lee Rossman’s new book, Blue Incarnations, comes out January 29 — next Monday, which just happens to be National Carnation Day! But it’s available for pre-order now.

I recommend this to everyone. For more on that, check out the review below!

 

 

Title: Blue Incarnations
Author: Jennifer Lee Rossman

Release date: Monday, January 29, 2024
Genre: YA, thriller, science fiction
LGBTQA+ characters: Aromantic, asexual, trans, queer
Publisher: Jennifer Lee Rossman
Cover Artist: Ceillie Simkiss, Foxglove Fiction

 
 
Queer teenager Diana Callahan has no memories of her past incarnations, which might be a blessing since she lives in a society where people can be punished for crimes committed during former lives.

When her memories are suddenly triggered and her grandmother is arrested by pastcrime, Diana is shoved into a political rebellion she didn’t want any part of. Now it’s up to her—and her soulmate Phyllis—to take down the government.

But can they even trust their own memories?

Warnings: Includes instances of gun violence, death, memories of suicide, corrupt governments and police, and memory manipulation and loss.

 
 

Blue Incarnations is available at these retailers!

Amazon US | Amazon AUS | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN

 
 

You can also add it to your shelf on Goodreads.

 
 

•   •   •   •   •   •

 
 

Review

 
For many, reincarnation can be a beautiful thought, but what if it were weaponized against you? What if you, your loved ones, neighbours, or colleagues could be arrested for a crime committed in a past life? Do you sit idly by, possibly ending up executed or simply disappeared even though you’re a law-abiding citizen in your current life… or would you fight back, even if it means reaching through entire lifetimes to set things right?

These questions haunt the heart and soul in Blue Incarnations, the latest book from Jennifer Lee Rossman, a queer, disabled, and autistic author and editor. Blue Incarnations is a queer YA thriller built on a futuristic sci-fi foundation, featuring 16-year-old Diana Callahan and the chaotic situation in which she finds herself thanks to her past selves. But she’s not alone: an entire cast backs her up, including souls she’s known for life after life, including Phyllis, who’s constantly been there, as a friend… colleague… lover… wife.

First off: I’d recommend this book to anyone of any age. There are so many things here that are relatable, whether you’re a teen or not, and the story reflects our real, current world despite being set in the future. If anything, the story runs with some of our greatest failings while holding hope close. Because at the core of all this is hope, and it holds on as long as we do.

Overall, the book is easy to read, and that’s because it’s written so well. There’s a steady flow, always moving forward, and everything on the page is there for a reason. Every memory, action, character — they all have a purpose, and everything’s tied together by the end.

There’s also great imagery and intrigue. The story is told solely from Diana’s perspective, and it’s an interesting blend of her current youth mixed with memories from her adult lives, resulting in deep thoughts, excellent questions, and a terribly haunting perspective. At the same time, it’s very much in line with YA fare, with interactions that push against her lack of experience while exploring how she sees both the world and herself.

I suppose that’s what makes Diana so relatable for me. I remember being 16, and those memories mix with those of my adult years, giving life complexity and growth — except she’s experiencing it all at once. And since the story draws on humanity’s past, it really brings things home into a more personal space. Plus Diana’s anxiety and skepticism are absolutely something I feel on a personal level, so I really sympathize with her. She’s put into a position to essentially save the world—and that’s tough, especially as a teen. It reminds me of the TV show Travelers, which mixes the soul component with trying to save humanity from itself.

Importantly, I love how there are so many insightful and reflective moments for Diana and Phyllis. The story offers much to think on for both the characters and the reader. For instance, there’s a big vote about what to do with people who committed an unpunished crime in their past life. Should they be punished in their current life for that? Or should the past crime be allowed to stand? That’s an important question, and all of the characters in the story have to face it. But there’s still room for the reader to consider what they themselves would do.

One of the most interesting parts of the story is how reincarnation is treated so matter-of-factly. It’s a normal part of the characters’ lives, with them remembering bits and pieces of their pasts, (re)discovering truths, surprises, and secrets.

Though it’s all part of the book’s two major themes: identity and choices, and how they intersect.

Much of the time is spent exploring and understanding identity through past lives and their bearing on the characters’ current circumstances. How choices made in the past have led to the choices being made now. That also includes an exploration of “soulgroups,” where people’s souls can move from life to life and end up with each other again and again, but in different relationship configurations.

Other facets of identity are woven into the story too, including the characters’ career choices and if they’re on the side of the government or the Blue Carnations rebel group. There’s also plenty of LGBTQA+ representation: Diana is aromantic, Phyllis is trans, and they have asexual friends that enjoy a long-term queerplatonic relationship. It’s a lovely mix of a cast that’s facing the same troubles, worries, and concern for the future. (And kudos to Rossman for making me care about Diana, Phyllis, and the “fake memories of a couple teenaged girls.” Chapter 15 and 16 gutted me and made me so angry for them, and so very disappointed, kind of like whenever I watch that bit of The Stepford Wives (2004) when they’re going to turn Joanna into a Stepford wife.)

I also really enjoyed the appreciation for nature, how it offset the manmade technology and futuristic vibe. It reminded me of the TV show Life After People, showing how the natural world would react if humans were no longer interfering. There’s also an astute moment about a water leak and how nature will always find a way through.

Most notable, though, were the motifs that kept showing up: so many of them are entwined with nature and the play of natural vs. unnatural. Blue carnations are key here, threading all the way through the story, but there’s an overall theme of flowers right up to the very end, contrasting with the harsher world. There’s also the motif of bees and honey that play around Diana, as well as strawberries.

It’s like a garden of motifs connected by nature. The cycle of life. The perseverance of nature. The interconnectedness of us all, not just people but all aspects of nature, because like plants are entwined with the environment, reincarnation entwines people through time. And just as flowers and bees need each other, we as people need each other to keep going. Even Diana’s memories are like petals falling off and blowing away: first they’re there, then they’re not, but it’s forever changed the very flower they came from.

What makes this story most brilliant for me is how this could very well be our reality if we had reincarnation so in-your-face like this. This story is a glimpse of the human condition, showing how we’re not always so great at confronting the failings of our choices but we can do better. In the end, it’s about finding yourself, even when your head is full of memories from someone else. The real question isn’t “Who was I back then?” but, rather, “Who am I now? Who do I want to be?”

I loved this book, so I’m giving it 5 stars — and I’d read a sequel in a heartbeat, especially from Phyllis’s POV! To finish, I leave you with MS MR’s song “All the Things Lost“… its lyrics fit so very well for this book. ♥

Plot = 5
Characters & relationships = 5
Overall = 5

* I received this book as a complimentary ARC, and this is my honest opinion and voluntary review.
 
 

•  •  •  •  •  •

 
Author Bio

Jennifer Lee Rossman is a queer, disabled, and autistic author and editor from the land of carousels and Rod Sterling.

They have been published in dozens of anthologies, and are the co-editor of Mighty: An Anthology of Disabled Superheroes.

Find more of their work on their website jenniferleerossman.blogspot.com and follow them on Twitter @JenLRossman

Author Website: https://jenniferleerossman.blogspot.com/

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/JenLRossman

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15546579.Jennifer_Lee_Rossman

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Jennifer-Lee-Rossman/author/B07BBNTF1Y

 
 

REVIEW + Book Tour: “A Riff of Retribution” by Amir Lane || + #Giveaway & Short Story!

 

Amir Lane has a new gay paranormal & fantasy book out: A Riff of Retribution, book #1 in the Heavy Metal Hunters series! There’s also a giveaway, a short story that happens *before* the book, and I’ve got a 5-star review!! Check it all out below.

 

 

Title: A Riff of Retribution
Author: Amir Lane
Series: Heavy Metal Hunters (Book #1)

Release date: Tuesday, May 16, 2023
Genre: Paranormal, Fantasy
LGBTQA+ characters: Gay
Length: 76,000 words
Publisher: Amir Lane
Cover Artist: Covers by Combs
 
 
Dead men are filled with life.

Eleven years ago, world-renowned guitarists Hale and Aleksandr learned that monsters were real. Hale lost the love of his life, and Aleksandr lost his brother.

When the carnage was over, they vowed to make sure no one else had to go through what they did.

But since then, another band’s bassist has been killed at a festival, and she wasn’t the only one. Hale suspects a vampire was responsible, and that their drummer — the singer of his new band — knows more about it than she’s letting on. When a member of their new act is also attacked by a vampire, everything Hale has tried to keep in the shadows comes to light.

Hale has made a bargain with the gods for the power to heal. But he can’t save everyone.

The dead are rising. The gods are angry. And even they won’t be Hale’s biggest problem.

From USAT Bestselling Author Amir Lane comes a story of music, magic, and mayhem.

 

Warnings: Substance abuse, self-harm, mentions of attempted suicide

 
 

A Riff of Retribution is available at these retailers!

Amazon US | Amazon AUS | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN

Universal Buy Link

 
 

You can also add it to your shelf on Goodreads.

 
 

 
 

•  •  •  •  •  •

 
 

GIVEAWAY:

 

Amir is giving away an eBook of A Falsetto of Fury (book #1 from Amir’s Heavy Metal Magic series!) with this tour. Enter for a chance to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

{Or paste this link into your browser: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47294/?}

 
 

•   •   •   •   •   •

 

Short Story

Guest Post by Amir Lane

 

 
 

A short story about the main character that takes place before the book:

 

Yule

 
 

Hale liked Tokyo. Really, he did. He did not love how short everything was.

“Aj! Skit!”

Hale rubbed his forehead, his eyes squeezed shut. That was the third time today.

Ragnar put a hand on his shoulder.

“I know what the problem is. See, when something is shorter than you, you’re supposed to duck under it,” he said with mock seriousness.

Hale shrugged his hand away and shoved him gently.

“I quit,” he said.

Ragnar only laughed.

“Hale, you’ve quit five times this tour. We all know you aren’t going anywhere. You love us too much.”

Unfortunately, Ragnar was right. Hale couldn’t begin to imagine what he would do without them. Even the twins, Karolina and Sibylla, were family. He still missed Olof and Felix and Lisbet despite their fallings out. Though he and Olof had shared some brief conversations recently, it wasn’t the way it used to be. Still, it was probably better than he deserved. He hadn’t exactly been the easiest person to get along with for a while.

Kaiseki wasn’t exactly a traditional Yule meal, but it was one they always enjoyed. The variety was interesting, most of the food wouldn’t bother Hale’s stomach much, there were enough vegetarian options for Aleksandr, and they wouldn’t be starving halfway through the show. Given that they were on the road this time of year more often than not, celebrating Yule in a non-traditional way felt more normal than being at home for it.

They’d been in Mexico last year, and had dinner at a place in Mexico City that Tommy Garçia Perez recommended.

Hale imagined his viking ancestors doing the same thing, sitting around a table in an unfamiliar country to share food they had never seen before. At least after two — three? — Asian tours, he could recognize some of the words, even if he had no idea what the individual letters were. It didn’t hurt that Sibylla had toured with Himawari for a few years and had picked up a decent amount of Japanese in that time.

Shrill shrieking broke out as they waited to be seated. Hale twitched reflexively. Aleksandr went completely rigid. It took them both a second or two to realize they weren’t being attacked by draug in the middle of Japanese restaurants.

A pair of young women in black and red dresses rushed up to them, bowed politely, and started speaking in Japanese. The only thing Hale caught was the over-enunciated Emperor Immortal. All four non-Japanese-speaking members turned their heads to Sibylla. She spoke much more slowly than they did. After a bit of back back and forth, she looked up at Hale.

“They want to know if they can get a picture and some autographs. Especially you, Hale,” she said.

Aleksandr coughed over a laugh. He always said it was less that Japan loved Emperor Immortal and more that Japan loved Hale. It probably didn’t help that the five of them towered over most people here, even Sibylla and Karolina.

They spent a few minutes taking pictures and signing autographs, Sibylla chatting in as much Japanese as she remembered, until they were ready to be seated. The women bowed again and returned to their table.

“I knew learning Japanese in high school would pay off,” Sibylla said.

“Nerd,” Karolina teased.

They always tried to take their crew and opening bands out for meals as often as possible. They all still remembered what it was like to be starting out and trying to stretch their virtually non-existent paycheques out as far as possible. Even now, coming to a place like this was a rare thing. Tonight, it was just the five of them. The first round of drinks had already come out. Hale had green tea, and the rest of them had sake. He couldn’t remember if he’d ever liked the taste of sake, but he’d certainly enjoyed getting blackout drunk on it. He did like the tea. It wasn’t as bitter as when he made it himself.

Ragnar held up the small cup, which seemed even smaller in his hand.

“To almost fifteen years of Emperor Immortal,” he said.

Hale balked at the number. That couldn’t be right. He struggled to run through the math in his head. They’d put out their first album in… Not fifteen years ago.

“No,” he said.

“If you count our university years,” Ragnar said.

With that logic, it really had been about fifteen years. By the gods, where had the time gone?

Sibylla held up her own cup.

“To another tour without killing each other,” she said.

Karolina stuck her tongue out at her twin, then laughed.

The most recent round of arguments was put aside for now, though it was very likely they would all be at each other’s throats by the time were at the airport for their flight home. It was hard to spend so much time stuck on a bus with the same people for weeks on end.

“To… To your little bassist friend. He’s the one with the birthday today, isn’t he?” Karolina asked.

Hale nodded, trying to ignore the way his face flushed at the reminder that they’d caught him singing. It was tempting to kick Aleksandr under the table for snickering, but tonight was supposed to be a truce. He settled for a glare instead.

Aleksandr raised his cup.

“To all the things that brought us together,” he said softly, grinning a little.

It was Hale’s turn, wasn’t it? He wrinkled his nose in thought. There were a hundred things he could have toasted and he couldn’t think of a single one. He raised his cup or tea.

“To Creeping Death for being great openers, and the crew for putting with all our bullshit. And to food. I’m fucking starving,” he said.

Ragnar clapped a hand on Hale’s shoulder and laughed loudly enough to make the server two tables down jump a little. He raised his cup.

“Skål.”

“Skål!”

 

•   •   •   •   •   •

 
 

Review

 

The whirlwind life of being in two heavy metal bands is tough enough, but when the gods and the Undead are involved too… beware the price to be paid. Just how much is enough when survival is on the line? And how much can the mortal soul bear when the pain is racking up from all directions? For Hale, it might just kill him. And the others in his life won’t be far behind.

A Riff of Retribution is the first book of Heavy Metal Hunters, a new series by Amir Lane, a USA Today Bestselling Author that specializes in paranormal and fantasy stories with LGBT+ characters. And most certainly, this book falls into those categories. Music and havoc! Vampires and draug! Norse mythology and magic! A main M/M relationship and other LGBT+ representation! This book has so much going on. Sometimes there’s really amazing harmony among the characters, sometimes not—but together, they create a heart’s song that’s worth listening to.

This was my first time reading one of Lane’s books. I didn’t know what to expect, but three things captured my interest from the book’s description: the heavy metal aspect; the blending of the music world with paranormal and fantasy elements; and the reference to the gods, which warmed my Pagan heart with the promise of something interesting to come.

I wasn’t disappointed. The book gripped me from the first chapter, where we meet Hale and Aleksandr, brothers by heart who are connected through their shared loss of Sören, Aleksandr’s brother and Hale’s fiancé. They’re also connected by their heavy metal band, Emperor Immortal, and their supergroup project, Erebus. But even more, they’re connected by the Norse gods and the world that comes with that, especially since they’re hunters of the Undead, including vampires and draug (draugr in Norse vernacular).

Needless to say, it’s complicated.

Hale and Aleksandr are also complex, each bearing a weight on their shoulders that’s taking a toll, exacerbating long-term problems and darker emotions. The touring rock star life only makes it worse.

I really loved this book and the characters. These aren’t superficial creations in a glamourized world of sex, parties, and celebrity. There’s nothing glamourous to this, nothing light and fluffy. This is a hard look at how difficult life can be—and that’s even without the paranormal and fantastical elements. But once you add those extra aspects, things become that much more challenging.

And, importantly, Hale and Aleksandr aren’t alone. There’s an entire cast: family, friends, peers, and foes with notable diversity among them. They’re all tied together, the threads of their fates woven around one another. There are sweet moments to balance the sour; healing to balance the trauma. And they’re all bringing each other along in life, even if they stumble through. That definitely includes Sterling, Hale’s boyfriend and a total mess of his own… one I found myself yelling at several times because of incredibly frustrating reasons. But Sterling’s chapters are definitely ones to pay attention to! Strange things are afoot, and he’s been yanked into it, caught in his own toils and troubles. There’s a dangerous streak running through his life that could change a whole lot.

Honestly, I found it easy to sympathize and empathize with Hale and Aleksandr, plus certain others in their circle. They try to help who they can, taking responsibility for themselves and care for others. And for the most part, they try to overcome their weaknesses and vulnerabilities, even to a whole new fault. But they have a long way to go before they find peace. The story handles their individual struggles well, showing how they impact the others around them. I even got teary-eyed while reading because the characters hurt so badly. Grief, chronic pain, depression, survivor’s guilt, waning confidence and self-esteem, self-consciousness, self-harm, substance abuse as a coping mechanism, and souls crying out because life isn’t fair, nor is death… it’s rough. But no one can fix it all, even with the magically gifted power to heal.

The most gut-wrenching scenes get to the real depth of the story. It’s not only about the personal struggles we go through. And it’s not only about the struggles we share with each other, and how they affect one another in a chain—an interconnected weave of individual life threads. The book is also about the price of life; the price in having life. We pay for it through these struggles, and it’s up to us how we meet them. Do we fight back and overcome them? Do we fight them once, then again, and again like a warrior, constantly fighting because we refuse to be done? Or do we give in to pain, loss, and uncertainty because they’re not a sustainable way to survive? Do we let life pass us by because it’s just too much and we don’t have fight left, especially if we aren’t being honest with ourselves or with others, and we aren’t reaching out for help—for someone to help us with that fight? The heart of the warrior is found not only on a bloody battleground but even deeper than that.

The story is also about coming to terms with the good and the bad, and how debilitating and painful the bad things can really be. But those bad things really highlight the good things, and in order to have that good, sometimes it takes more than just yourself to succeed. As the Norns weave their tapestry, so are our threads intertwined—and that changes everything.

That touches on another aspect that I adored in this book: the Norse and Pagan elements. This isn’t an altered pop culture take on the Norse gods but a spiritual glimpse and journey. Here, the beliefs are kept close, referencing sources like the Eddas and showing how modern Pagans relate to the old gods. And, most notably: there’s no limited view here, where Odin, Thor, and Loki are the only gods put into focus. We’re graced with references to much more, including Eir and the other goddesses of the Norse pantheon, who are incredibly important but rarely get attention in pop culture. Such a breath of fresh air! Also, the references to ash and other plants, Yggdrasil, wolves, and more really got me. There’s so much significance there, it could make for a great essay on symbolism. The same goes for the very title of the book and the three different chapter heading graphics.

Finally, as a music nerd, I loved the musical touches. The story isn’t overloaded with music theory or technical terms, so non-musically trained readers can easily follow along. But for those moments when the musicians are just musicians, it’s there. This book also has the most poetic description of a jam session I’ve ever seen.

Plus, I enjoyed the song titles in the chapter headings. Even though they’re songs by fictional bands, I sensed how several tied to their respective chapters. I’d be interested in knowing more about them! It’d be lovely to see their lyrics bundled up in a collection to go with the series Lane’s building here, along with Lane’s other series, Heavy Metal Magic.

I could go on about this engaging read for quite a while! Where will things end up for this cast? I’m invested now, with theories of my own. You could say this is like if TV shows like Vikings and Shadowhunters had a child and that child was raised by Hellfest. I’m looking forward to reading books 2 and 3!

Plot = 5
Characters & relationships = 5
Overall = 4.75

And in the spirit of the book’s musical nature, I’m closing this review with nine songs the story brought to mind as I was reading. But I’ll leave it up to readers to find out how it all ties together. 😉

Peyton Parrish – Draugr
Heilung – Krigsgaldr (Live)
Hozier & Bear McCreary – Blood Upon the Snow (Live at The Game Awards 2022)
Letdown. – Empty
Timbaland – Morning After Dark (feat. Soshy & Nelly Furtado)
Depeche Mode – A Pain That I’m Used To
Sina Moonlake – Cry with the Wolves
Shireen – Running from Wolves
Within Temptation – The Howling

* I received this book as a complimentary ARC, and this is my honest opinion and voluntary review.

 
 

•  •  •  •  •  •

 

Author Bio

Amir Lane writes supernatural and fantasy with LGBT+ characters. From the frigid and mysterious land of Northern Canada, Amir is obsessed with loud music and black magic. They spend most of their writing time in a small home office or doing the circuit of local coffee shops. They live in a world where magic is an everyday occurrence, and they strive to bring that world to paper.

When not figuring out what kind of day job an incubus would have or what a necromancer would go to school for, Amir enjoys visiting the nearest Dairy Queen, getting killed in video games, and watching cat videos.

Author Website: https://amirlane.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/amir.lane.7

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/amirlaneauthor

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amirlaneofficial

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15858051.Amir_Lane

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Amir-Lane/author/B01M673SHE

 
 

 
 

My Current Patreon Stories & Updates!

 
It’s been awhile since my last author updates here on the blog, so I figured it’d be a great time to touch on what I’ve been up to!

Last year, Fate in Suspension made it out into the world as a published book, and it’s done pretty well. It’s the first new book I’ve put out in the last few years, and it was a really fun project! Then again, the stories that hit from out of the blue often are some of the most fun. 😉

But since that was only book #1 in the series, I’ve been working on its sequel! (Especially because I can’t help but write series… Standalones? BAH! Series are where it’s at, apparently.)

Enter Shifting Surety, book #2 in the Horn & Haven series!

But also, I’m working on the next book in The Republic series…

And trying to get After the Harp Sings edited up so it can be published…

And juggling so many other book ideas.

SO MANY IDEAS!!!!

But for sake of this post, I’ll just focus on the three manuscripts I have on the go right now. All of them are available to read on my Patreon account, at various levels of patronage. So here’s a bit about them — and there are mood boards!

 
 

After the Harp Sings
MM fantasy romance

I talked about this story a few years ago, but it’s now *FINISHED*. This story is my attempt at a fairytale based off an old folk story that I’ve loved for quite some time. But instead of telling just that folk story, I’ve added a high fantasy spin with princes and creatures and magic and all sorts of things! I’m intending for this to be the first book in a new series based on folk tales, fairytales, and other old stories, where they’re all mashed up and twisted about and freshened up in a whole new world.

It only took several years on sitting on the idea and thinking “I should write it this year… no next year… no next year,” but it’s finally DONE. I’m afraid I put Prince Efferas and Prince Loren through the wringer a bit. It’s currently in edits.

But good news! It’s available to read on my Patreon — for free, at least for now. We’ll see what happens when I get it published, but if you want to read this folktale/fairytale story, you can check it out here! Let me know what you think.

Here’s the blurb and some mood imagery to match:

 

For Prince Efferas, the plan was simple: marry his love, Prince Loren, and live happily ever after, their kingdoms of swan-kind and human-kind united for a bright and prosperous future.

But when the cruellest of betrayals takes it all away, Efferas’s life is anything but simple. Getting stuck between death and life is bad enough, but being turned into a magical harp is an entirely new disaster. Condemned to a fate of song and verse, how could things possibly get any worse?

To Loren, the answer is clear: he must restore Efferas’s life and take back their future, no matter what—even if it means facing the impossible with every chance of failure.

 

 
 

Rebel Call (The Republic #5)
M/NB/M fantasy romance

After years of working on The Republic series, then going through some rough times, I’ve finally made my way back to the characters of Kattal. After my publisher closed up a few years ago, I made the decision to republish the first 4 books in this series, but I struck out on my own instead of trying to find another publisher to pick them up. Mostly because I know that certain books in the series will be far too long for other publishers to publish them — they won’t fit in the nice, neat 120,000-word limit, not without sacrificing major parts of the story I don’t want to throw out. (A common hazard when writing high fantasy / epic fantasy, honestly.) Also, this series has become a passion project of mine, and I want to keep creative freedom intact, including the spectrum-wide representation for LGBTQA+ characters.

Thing is, the re-publication process took awhile, especially since I had to learn how to publish my own stuff. It took some time to figure it all out and work on the second editions for the first and second books. I wasn’t able to get into new characters until that was all sorted.

But now I’m caught up enough to work on the next installment! Welcome to Rebel Call, book #5 in The Republic.

The first four books in the series deal with one set of characters that are all connected — Aeley, Lira, Mayr, Tash, Ress, and Adren, plus others related to them. And while these characters aren’t fully finished in terms of the series (they’ll resurface later!), it’s time to switch over to a different set of characters.

This is where Rebel Call comes in, and it’s the first in the next run of installments in the series, where they’ll all connected to each other. More specifically, this next run of books starts with Dawne, Massy, and Geyle, who end up in a poly (M/NB/M) romance… and at the centre of a murder mystery gone terribly wrong. Along the way, they’ll meet characters that readers of the series have already met, including a couple of bounty hunters and members of the High Council, all of whom will be getting their own books.

For now, though, there’s Dawne, Massy, and Geyle, and they’re a real heck of a set. First, they’re all Goddess-touched, just like Adren in Blood Borne. (Massy is also non-binary/trans like Adren.) Except unlike Adren, these characters know *exactly* who and what they are. There’s no mystery there for them, no having to square with the confusion of why they have magic or where it’s come from. They know all of it, and they have… opinions about it, especially the part where they have to keep their magic secret.

Though second, they’ve all come from a place of trauma, and they’ve dealt with things differently. They’ve all experienced loss. Hurt. Days where they’ve lost everything. Yet here they are, still surviving. Still trying to get through. And they just happen to find each other, thanks to a mutual friend/acquaintance that I’m having far too much fun with.

Except things go very wrong, and poor Geyle ends up being blamed for a crime he didn’t commit. Dawne and Massy end up helping him, but it gets messy… They’re going toe-to-toe with the law and a whole lot of danger.

This story is also available as a serial on my Patreon account! For anyone who subscribes to the first tier of patronage, they have access to every scene of this story. New scenes go up every month!

Here’s the blurb and mood board:

 

If there’s one thing Dawne Akene knows well, it’s how life falls apart when he touches it. Work as a mason keeps his hands busy, but his head and heart are stuck on a past he can never get back—and the urge to stir a little trouble isn’t helping. When he attends a celebration known for being utterly seductive, however, one sensual night with Massy and Geyle offers more than just a warm bed…

Massy Kolhayn and Geyle Venerathe are no strangers to tragedy or the need to trade one lot in life for another. Geyle keeps his head down, his work a distraction from a past he has to forget, while Massy is a keeper of secrets, including the fact that ne feels things changing in the republic—a slow creep of darkness that could ruin lives.

The same darkness that’s about to take Geyle down with a murder he didn’t commit.

In a race to save Geyle from prison, their budding romance could completely fall apart. Not only will they break the law, they’ll have to violate a generations-old pact among their people—and destroy their lives completely.

 

 
 

Shifting Surety (Horn & Haven #2)
MM paranormal romance

Here’s the last book I’m working on right now! As mentioned before, it’s the sequel to Fate in Suspension, where readers were introduced to Tai and Gates, as well as the whole Fluff Brigade Brotherhood.

In this book, though, the story focuses on a different brother of that group: Ratchet, bartender and co-owner of two of the hottest clubs in the city that cater to magical beings. He’s really into helping people, and he’s got such a kind heart. He’s also a Dom that’s recently been dumped, and he’s nearly been killed by whoever destroyed the haven that he called home as a kid, and now he’s plagued with trying to figure out who’s been messing with their magical community, doing very illegal things.

But he’s not alone: he meets Halo, the co-owner of a prestigious travel agency, who also loves astronomy and anything space-related. Though Halo’s got problems of his own: he’s feeling the pressure of dysfunctional family issues and might just lose more than one person he loves. Meeting Ratchet isn’t something he was expecting, but the next thing he knows, they’re spending a lot more time together and… things happen, throwing him off completely.

While Ratchet and Halo are the focus, this book will see other members of the Brotherhood show up too! They’ve reunited as a family; now they have to bond all over again, this time as adults instead of children. Not to mention they’re on the hunt to figure out who destroyed their childhood home and refuge… They’re not going to settle until things are resolved.

This is on my Patreon! Readers that subscribe to the 2nd tier get access to every scene of this book *AND* all of Rebel Call. New scenes go up every month.

Here’s the blurb and mood board:

 

When life takes a turn for the worst, he’s the line back to safety…

Family, business, charity: for Ratchet Morilea, nothing’s more important than saving everything he loves when things get rough, no matter the price tag. With his unicorn-shifter family and the haven where they grew up under attack, he’s got questions—and that means digging deep into sordid affairs. Is someone after the havens alone or the whole magical community? He won’t stop until he has answers.

But when beauty finds Ratchet among the chaos, it’s impossible to ignore the sweet, fluffy bunny of a unicorn soul who brightens his life in all the right ways, even if the timing couldn’t be worse.

Truth and rejection go hand in hand, but hiding from opportunity is even worse…

It was business as usual until Halo Dagnett stepped foot into the best BDSM club in the city. He wasn’t looking for attention, only a tour, but it doesn’t take long before the club’s co-owner, Ratchet, starts knocking on feelings Halo’s tried to avoid. The last thing he needs is to be stuck between wanting everything and getting lost in what he’ll never have. After all, Halo’s as inexperienced as they come—and likely nothing Ratchet wants to keep around.

Except life has a habit of taking Halo for a ride, including throwing him into a world of trouble he might just stick around for… assuming the challenge doesn’t ruin it all.

 

 

And that’s the update! Everything I’m currently working on. There are a lot of other projects on the back burner for now, but these are rolling forward pretty well. I’m hoping to get (at least) one of them published next year. We’ll see, though! Right now, it’s just enough to get them written. 😉

Onwards and upwards!

 
 

REVIEW + Book Tour: “The Dragon Eater” by J. Scott Coatsworth || + #Giveaway & Excerpt!

 
J. Scott Coatsworth has a new queer YA/crossover Sci-Fantasy (with romance subplot!) book out: The Dragon Eater, Tharassas Cycle book #1. There’s also a giveaway, an excerpt, a *free* book with purchase, and I’ve got a 5-star review for this fantastic book!! Check it all out below.

 

 

Title: The Dragon Eater
Author: J. Scott Coatsworth
Series: The Tharassas Cycle (Book #1)

Release date: Thursday, March 16, 2023
Genre: Fantasy, Romance, Science Fiction, Sci-Fantasy, YA Crossover
LGBTQA+ characters: Gay, Bi
Length: 92,500 words
Publisher: Other Worlds Ink
Cover Artist: Kelley York, Sleepy Fox Studios
 
 
Raven’s a thief who just swallowed a dragon. A small one, sure, but now his arms are growing scales, the local wildlife is acting up, and his snarky AI familiar is no help whatsoever.

Raven’s best friend Aik is a guardsman carrying a torch for the thief. A pickpocket and a guard? Never going to happen. And Aik’s ex-fiancé Silya, an initiate priestess in the midst of a magical crisis, hates Raven with the heat of a thousand suns.

This unlikely team must work together to face strange beasts, alien artifacts, and a world-altering threat. If they don’t figure out what to do soon, it might just be the end of everything.

Things are about to get messy.

 

Series Blurb:

The Tharassas Cycle is a four book sci-fantasy series set on the recently colonized world of Tharassas. When humans first arrived on planet, they thought they were alone until the hencha mind made itself known. But now a new threat has arisen to challenge both humankind and their new allies on this alien world.

 

Preorder and Get the Prequel Free:

I’m giving away the prequel, Tales From Tharassas, with all orders – it contains The Last Run, The Emp Test, and a brand new short story the Fallen Angel. Just order the book and email me a proof of purchase at scott@jscottcoatsworth.com, and I’ll send you the eBook.

 
 

The Dragon Eater is available at these retailers!

Amazon US | Amazon AUS | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN

Universal Buy Link | Kobo | Google Play | Barnes & Noble

Apple Books | Smashwords | Publisher

 
 

You can also add it to your shelf on Goodreads.

 
 

 
 

•  •  •  •  •  •

 
 

GIVEAWAY:

 

Scott is giving away a $20 book gift card with this reveal – your choice of Amazon, B&N, Kobo or Smashwords. Enter for a chance to win:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

{Or paste this link into your browser: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47276/}

 
 

•   •   •   •   •   •

 

Excerpt

 

 
 
SIL’AYA LISTENED.

She knelt among the hencha plants, the cowl of her purple robe pulled back, her knees sunk deep into the rich, loamy soil. Her hands were palms down, fingers resting lightly on the rough, reddish-purple leaves of one of the plants, tremors shaking her arms from holding the position so long.

Golden Tarsis was rising in the east, casting long shadows across the even rows of the hencha field, and a flurry of wisps floated past, bright blue sparks in the growing night.

The plants rustled all around her, restless, their leaves shivering although the night was warm. The sea winds off the Harkness were unusually dry this year, and the sisters had been whispering among themselves for months about the lack of precipitation. Some said prayers to the twins, Fre’Oss and Fri’Oss, for rain and crop fertility. Silya had no time for such nonsense.

She waited for something to happen. For the hencha to open themselves to her, to reach the deep connection her great, great grandmother had made with the semi-sentient plants. Some hint that she wasn’t wasting her time here.

That maybe, just maybe, she really was destined to be the next Hencha Queen — to have that vast, unknowable being form a communion with her, like it had with Queen Jas, and the sisters who had come after. Give me a clue.

The other initiates called her the Hencha Princess.

Silya snorted. Jealous puffer hens. They assumed that she’d be the next Hencha Queen because of her family. Never mind that her great grandmother had been adopted by Jas’Aya and Sera, so there was no blood connection. Or that all that had happened more than a century before.

Concentrate, Silya. What would it feel like, to be filled by a higher power? She took a deep breath, closing her eyes again and trying to center herself. Draw it in, hold it for five seconds, let it out. Repeat.

Something tickled her mind. It was teasing, almost playful.

A thrill ran through her, goose bumps raising on her arms. She focused on the sensation, allowing it room to come in.

Warmth washed over her, an alien presence that made her nose burn with a smell like charcoal. It grew in her mind, as if it was just becoming aware of her. There was a vast strength behind it, a pressure in the back of her skull like a dam about to break.

Her heart beat faster, suffusing her with joy. Her moment had come. The hencha were finally speaking to her —

“Silya!”

She opened her eyes and looked around wildly, startled by the voice out of nowhere, ready to rip the spine out of whomever had interrupted her communion. Gods dammit. So close.

She knew that voice. Aiken Erio.

Her joy dissolved into anger. You shouldn’t be here. Not now. Especially not now, when the hencha had finally touched her mind for the first time.

She let go of the leaves reluctantly and stood, brushing the dirt off her knees angrily, looking around for her unwelcome visitor.

 

•   •   •   •   •   •

 
 

Review

 

It was supposed to be a simple plan: steal the thing and run before anyone caught him. Except now Raven Orn has problems. That thing was an egg, and inside that was another thing—that shoved itself down Raven’s throat and into his stomach. It’s not food, it’s alive, and Raven has no idea what it is, only that it’s doing awful things to him. His truest friend, Aik, tries to help him (while enlisting the help of others, including Aik’s ex, Silya), but when it rains this hard, it pours in the greatest of deluges, and they’re swept up in a stunning adventure—all while their whole world is under the threat of a great and silent danger.

The Dragon Eater is the first book of the The Tharassas Cycle, a new series by prolific author J. Scott Coatsworth. Like many of Coatsworth’s other works, The Dragon Eater is an engaging work of speculative fiction featuring queer characters, this time blending traditional high (and epic) fantasy with the shiny glimmers of science fiction—and there’s a romantic subplot woven throughout, leaving us wondering if Raven will hook up with sweet, caring Aik, who really does love him.

There’s so much to grasp on to in this book, from the premise and characters to the history of what’s really going on. The book is centred on Raven, but his perspective is only one part of the story—the rest is told through multiple POVs, all of them in 3rd-person, each with valuable details. Every member of the ensemble cast plays a part in the story, small as their role may seem at the time. But don’t be fooled: not everything is as it looks on the surface. Time of the essence and Raven’s circumstances are only one newly opened window on a much larger situation to come, one that’ll really put survival to the test.

As a fan of fantasy and sci-fi, I loved this book. The author’s experience with both genres shines through: the writing is tight and clear with everything well thought out and intertwined. There’s no fluff here—everything has a purpose, even if you can’t figure out what it is yet. The worldbuilding is there from the first word, and there’s no holding back. The use of description is fantastic—I could see the characters and scenes moving along in my head, so clear that it would be easy to put this on a movie/TV screen. This could make for a great film! (And having said that: I got so many vibes from this that I loved. Sometimes I got a Dungeons & Dragons vibe, while at other times, Raven reminded me of Autolycus from Xena: Warrior Princess, since Autolycus is also a fun and mischievous thief known for getting himself into ridiculous situations. But there were other moments that reminded me of when I watch things like Stargate and Doctor Who, where I find myself yelling at the characters “NO! PUT IT DOWN! ALIEN TECH DOES STUFF!”)

But those are just flavours I drew from this. This story stands on its own merits, including how well the world and characters are written. Their world is vast, and it feels that way because the author invested time in creating a world that’s fully pulled together. Readers get to learn about the geography and geology of the world, but also pieces of its history, politics, science, and religion (polytheistic at that, which I love). There are societal matters, money, ranks, specific language rules, and a whole culture, right down to the specific conventions around their names, which is honestly one of my favourite details. There are also little hints of how their world connects to ours, which I found both charming and clever. (Extra points for The Proclaimers reference! And the “ae-eye”… I see what you did there.)

Importantly, though, the storytelling has great movement and texture. The dialogue is easy, full of tone and emotion, and carries significant depth. The glimpses into the characters’ inner thoughts and feelings give a full-bodied storytelling that kept drawing me all the way to the end—and it’s absolutely left me wanting more. Notably, the characters are all very different, right down to nuances like nervous habits. They’re not only complex, they’re complicated with strengths, weaknesses, and flaws. I also really loved the LGBTQ+ representation here! Multiple characters fall under that umbrella, including Raven himself (gay) and Aik (bi).

Another really awesome aspect is how easily the genres are blended here. There’s an effortless flow of genres that makes sense, rather than feeling contrived or forced. And even though the main characters don’t understand certain references that the character Spin makes, or the references to alien tech, the reader does understand the references. Because of that, the story encourages readers to bring their own knowledge to the story, knowing things the characters don’t—kind of a flip on knowledge exchange. Usually, as readers, we’re reliant on the characters telling us about their world and their stories. But here, there’s a true exchange going on, where readers are privy to information the main characters don’t have, while those characters have other information that the reader doesn’t have. I also really loved the recurring motifs, particularly the constant draw on the theme of water and fluidity, which really came through with the specific word choices.

Overall, I give the book 5 stars. I can’t wait to see where Book #2 takes this cast. I couldn’t have asked for a whole lot more from this first installment, except for maybe one super tight hug full of TLC for my boy Aik near the end. ♥

Plot = 5
Characters & relationships = 5
Overall = 5

* I received this book as a complimentary ARC, and this is my honest opinion and voluntary review.

 
 

 
 

•  •  •  •  •  •

 

Author Bio

Scott lives with his husband Mark in a yellow bungalow in Sacramento. He was indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine. He devoured her library, but as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were.

He decided that if there weren’t queer characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends.

A Rainbow Award winning author, he runs Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink, and Other Worlds Ink with Mark, sites that celebrate fiction reflecting queer reality, and is the committee chair for the Indie Authors Committee at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA).

Author Website: https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworth/

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworthauthor

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/jscoatsworth

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jscottcoatsworth/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8392709.J_Scott_Coatsworth

Author Mastodon: https://mastodon.otherworldsink.com/@jscottcoatsworth

Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/j-scott-coatsworth/

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/j-scott-coatsworth/

Author Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/J.-Scott-Coatsworth/e/B011AFO4OQ

 
 

 
 

REVIEW: “The Southern Magicks” by Ashton K. Rose

 
Here’s something different for my blog: a review! Thanks to Other Worlds Ink, I was able to read an ARC of Ashton K. Rose’s new LGBTQ+ paranormal-urban fantasy mystery, The Southern Magicks. Below is my review for the book!

And if you missed it: my post for The Southern Magicks book tour was last Saturday, and it features a character interview with my favourite character from the book — CORY!! Cory’s the kind of character that I love: stuck in the middle of tough decisions, trying to do their best but generally meeting with awful things in either direction, while figuring out where they fit in all of it. Cory also isn’t afraid to call the truth out, or tell uncomfortable truths. So if you’re interested in knowing more about this book, hop on over to that book tour post!
 
 

 
 
Title: The Southern Magicks
Author: Ashton K. Rose
Series: The Southern Magicks (Book #1)

Release date: August 24, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban fantasy, Romance
LGBTQA+ characters: Trans man, bisexual, achillean bisexual, pansexual, non-binary, lesbian, homoromantic asexual, poly, gay, aromantic asexual
Length: 80,000 words
Publisher: Geekaflame Publishing
Cover Artist: Fantasy & Coffee Design
 
 
How do you prove your innocence when you don’t even remember whether you did it or not?

After a demon attack reveals Dexter’s secret – that his Gran taught him magic – the twenty-three-year-old librarian is forced to work for the local magical law enforcement agency in order to prove his loyalty, and hopefully save his grandmother from execution.

However, when someone tries to frame him for crimes he doesn’t remember committing, Dexter realizes he’ll have to start an investigation of his own. Joined by his beloved husband Eli, their best friend June, and his journalist cousin Kat, he desperately tries to prove his innocence…which is kind of difficult when gaps in his memory make him doubt everything he thinks he knows about himself.

The race against time begins. Can Dexter and his team uncover the criminals weaving the web of guilt around him before it’s too late, or is he going to lose everything and everyone he cares about?
 
 

Warnings: Assault, violent imagery, panic attack on page, police brutality
 
 

Available at these retailers!

Amazon US | Amazon AUS | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN

Universal Buy Link | Kobo | Google Play

 
 

You can also add it to your shelf on Goodreads.

 
 

•  •  •  •  •  •

 
 

Review

 
Life has gone sideways for Dexter Lacy. Ghosts, crimes, magic – just what is going on?! And why is he being accused of committing murder? It doesn’t help that family secrets are coming out of the woodwork from every angle, and people Dexter thought he knew… well, some truths might’ve been best left in the past that’s apparently been robbed from him. By someone. Somehow. Because sure, it isn’t stressful enough that he needs to save himself from the Agency that’s insisting he be punished…

The Southern Magicks is the first book of the Southern Magicks series, the debut paranormal/urban fantasy mystery series from Australian author, Ashton K. Rose. The book is told from Dexter’s perspective in a 1st-person POV, and it includes an ensemble of characters, including Dexter’s family, husband, and dangerous strangers. There’s plenty of plot and twists to keep things up in the air. According to the author’s website, the series comes from what used to be a long manuscript that is now being told in multiple parts. The second installment, Mistakes & Bellyaches, is slated to be out this year.

I was really excited to read this book! The description sounded fun, the cover is lovely, and I was so happy to see trans main characters in the story. There are several LGBTQA+ characters in the story, and that’s awesome! There’s also a representation of characters from various age groups/generations, which I really like to see.

The story is constantly on the move, and it’s pretty fast-paced. It’s also complex, complicated, and pulls on thread after thread with so many tangles in between. Dexter’s in a real jam, and the world around him is intense. There’s dangerous people about, sketchy business that’s been going on for generations, and a whole host of problems that’ve made everything fall apart – and he’s been thrown right into the centre of a very dark, very uncomfortable situation.

I adore this kind of story, where the wider context is messy, gritty, and full of problems that *really* need to be fixed. I also love underdogs that rebel against the bad things caught up in the status quo! And I certainly enjoy when there are characters that aren’t always good, aren’t always bad, but walk that line of grey… or what looks like the fine line of grey. It’s all about perspective. Relativity. Though not everything is as it appears! The book kept me guessing – I had a lot of questions and curiosity about who was doing what and why and how it fits in to the larger picture. It was intriguing.

Another highlight of the book is the description of settings: they’re not too long, but just enough to give a taste. There’s also not a ton of filler. There are little things said/done by the characters that might not make sense at first, but eventually it comes around to making sense later, when it needs to.

And characters… I love Cory. I truly wish I could give Cory the biggest hug! Cory seems to try *so hard* to do the right thing, but it’s so damned complicated. I mean, what’s the “right thing” when you’re constantly stuck between a rock and another rock??? I just… my heart breaks for Cory, truly. ♥

So that’s the stuff I loved, and it was great to see. Though I do have issues with some other things.

My biggest gripe? Dexter himself. He started out great, but then became too self-focused and self-centred for me. He’s insecure about everything, and I understand his paranoia. However, it seems like if something doesn’t have value to him, it doesn’t have *any* value. He’s so “Me me me!” and “POOR ME!” all the time. Even when certain things weren’t about him, he *made them* about him. More notably: Dexter demands information and help, but when he’s *receiving* help, he only considers it helpful if it’s what he *wants* to hear. Otherwise, Dexter dismisses people and leaves, gets bitter, and complains that no one’s helping him, then he wallows in self-pity. Meanwhile, he’s the one that constantly runs away when things don’t go his way. He blames others for his mistakes, even when he knows he screwed up. (Also: he rarely says “thank you” or “thanks” to anyone, even after they’ve helped him. There’s no gratitude, not even for his own husband, whom he supposedly loves.)

Unfortunately, Dexter doesn’t really care how the other characters are struggling (and it’s clear they are struggling). Only his suffering matters, though his gran might be an exception, even though she gives me questionable vibes. Though this is compounded by another issue: when it comes to conversations, especially the longer ones, there’s a lack of reflection, introspection, and deep emotion. There’s plenty of fast-paced dialogue, but the conversations are weakly framed – sometimes giving a “talking heads” feel, or they’re more of a superficial play-by-play of words. Dexter doesn’t really reflect on what’s said, just goes back to thinking about himself. There wasn’t much depth to the dialogue, and there was so little emotion and texture. I’d hoped that there’d be character growth by the end, but there wasn’t much – *maybe* a couple of glimmers of growth. Maybe.

I’m also not convinced by the romantic subplot. There’s the bare bones of a poly romance, though there’s nothing romantic about it – there doesn’t seem to be any real, genuine interest between the characters, so it feels contrived and forced into the story. I’m still not sure that Dexter actually cares about Eli – there’s a lack of emotional connection. (Dexter seems to have two overall modes of emotion when he’s with Eli: indifference and bitterness/irritation. And even though you can physically *see* Eli reaching out to Dexter, wanting to make that connection, Dexter ignores it.) I’m definitely not buying the whole thing with Cory. It’s too superficial, not organic.

For the most part, the story is well-written technically, though it could’ve used more attention to transitions/scene divisions instead of making jarring, abrupt cuts in scenes. I also found the ending unpolished, like it was cut off from a longer scene rather than tying things off temporarily. If the story had seized the opportunities that came up rather than missing moments, it could’ve made for a 5-star read.

Overall, I give the book a 3.5. There were bright spots, like the variety of characters, a trans lead character that’s also bisexual, and a very complex (and kind of scary) world full of intriguing situations. You might just like this if you love fast-paced stories with a darker spin that aren’t character-feeling heavy!

Plot = 4.5
Characters & relationships = 3
Overall = 3

* I received this book as a complimentary ARC, and this is my honest opinion and voluntary review.

 
 

•  •  •  •  •  •

 
 

Author Bio

Ashton K. Rose (They/Them) is a Queer author who writes Australian paranormal, urban fantasy and mystery fiction filled with LGBTQIA+ characters.

Ashton currently lives in sunny Queensland able to enjoy the best of the Australian bush and beach. Ashton spent their first fourteen years being raised on a remote farm shaped around the remains of an old mining town. Surrounded by the skeletons of past lives and their matching ghost stories, Ashton developed a love for fantasy, horror, and dark fairy tales from a young age.

Carrying a love of ghost stories into adulthood Ashton started writing novels about magic, vampires and ghosts. Ashton decided to set The Southern Magicks in a world heavily inspired by the backdrop of the Australia bush/beach and the speculative fiction Ashton has consumed over a lifetime.

Author Website: https://www.geekaflame.com/

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086363208232

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/Geek_Aflame

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geek_aflame/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21982765.Ashton_K_Rose

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/ashtonkrose

 
 

 
 

“The Southern Magicks” by Ashton K. Rose || Book Tour, #Giveaway & Character Interview + Excerpt!

 
Ashton K. Rose has a new LGBTQ+ paranormal-urban fantasy mystery out: The Southern Magicks. There’s also a giveaway and a fun character interview with Cory from the book!! Check it all out below.
 

 
 
Title: The Southern Magicks
Author: Ashton K. Rose
Series: The Southern Magicks (Book #1)
 
Release date: August 24, 2022
Genre: Mystery, Fantasy, Paranormal, Urban fantasy, Romance
LGBTQA+ characters: Trans man, bisexual, achillean bisexual, pansexual, non-binary, lesbian, homoromantic asexual, poly, gay, aromantic asexual
Length: 80,000 words
Publisher: Geekaflame Publishing
Cover Artist: Fantasy & Coffee Design
 
 
How do you prove your innocence when you don’t even remember whether you did it or not?

After a demon attack reveals Dexter’s secret – that his Gran taught him magic – the twenty-three-year-old librarian is forced to work for the local magical law enforcement agency in order to prove his loyalty, and hopefully save his grandmother from execution.

However, when someone tries to frame him for crimes he doesn’t remember committing, Dexter realizes he’ll have to start an investigation of his own. Joined by his beloved husband Eli, their best friend June, and his journalist cousin Kat, he desperately tries to prove his innocence…which is kind of difficult when gaps in his memory make him doubt everything he thinks he knows about himself.

The race against time begins. Can Dexter and his team uncover the criminals weaving the web of guilt around him before it’s too late, or is he going to lose everything and everyone he cares about?
 
 
Warnings: Assault, violent imagery, panic attack on page, police brutality
 
 

Available at these retailers!

Amazon US | Amazon AUS | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN

Universal Buy Link | Kobo | Google Play

 
 

You can also add it to your shelf on Goodreads.

 
 

 
 

•  •  •  •  •  •

 
 

GIVEAWAY:

 

Ashton is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

{Or paste this link into your browser: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47271/}

 
 

•   •   •   •   •   •

 
 

Excerpt

 

 

Chapter 1, Scene 1:
 
 
I knew Nora Rowe had died in her home without anyone telling me.

I unlocked the door and my stomach dropped as I took in the sight of the small dim living room of her kit home, filled with books and old newspapers. The acrid smell of cigarettes and wood fire smoke filled my nose as I weaved my way through the stacks. Mismatched flatpack bookshelves that warped under the strain of thousands of books lined the walls. Her living room held no other furniture apart from an old TV and a worn leather armchair—the carpet covered by stained, threadbare rugs.

I flicked the first light switch I saw twice.

Why had I expected the power to work?

I walked over to the windows and pushed the dust-caked lace curtains aside.

My eyes watered as the sun poured into the room.

In the kitchen, the doors of the cupboards hung open. The only things left behind were a few cheap plastic items scattered across the scratched lino.

I stepped on a plastic cup on the floor. I wobbled on my feet for a few sick seconds before I grabbed the counter to steady myself. The sharp aluminium edge bit into the skin of my hand.

This place was a death trap!

She had over twenty library books I had to separate from the donations. My legs shook as I walked to the shelves closest to the door.

I ignored the erratic beating of my heart and the part of my brain telling me to run and pulled out my keys to flick the small key chain light on. I placed it between my teeth and examined the spines for library tags.

When the light hit the grimy glass of a small photo frame on the shelf, I saw something move behind me. I kept my eyes fixed on the glass and used my thumb to clear a spot of dust.

If it hadn’t moved, I could have ignored the human-shaped shadow reflected in the glass.

As a kid, I’d been hassled about seeing things and having an overactive imagination. When I was seven, Gran told me the truth. I shared her secret ability to see ghosts.

I turned to look at the woman who sat in the armchair.

This Nora was a couple of years older than the one who celebrated her birthday in the photo. Her gaze focused on the TV, which would have been new the year Queen Elizabeth was coronated.

I kept my gaze locked on her, blinking one eye at a time.

I slowed my breath and took a careful step backwards to the door. The back of my calf hit something that drove several points of pain into my skin.

The stack of books I knocked over sliced through my composure just as easily as it did the silence in the room,  the hard covers and spines slapping against each other as they hit the floor.

“What the fuck are you doing in my house?” Nora stood and turned to face me.

I knew I’d given the game away when I jumped out of my skin and almost dropped my keys.

I made a noise like a dying rat.

She knew I could hear her.

The first thing Gran had taught me was not to let a ghost realise you could sense them. It was dangerous—a trigger for the ire of a vengeful spirit.

“I’m sorry,” I said. “Your son gave us the key.”

“Worthless piece of shit. Letting strangers into my house. He stole my grandma’s dinner set for drug money before my body was cold. I saw him put it in his car before he called someone to deal with the mess.”

“I’ll just be going now.”

“Actually, I’ll be going.”

I felt a sharp pain in my chest.

I tried to breathe, but my lungs refused to move.

I couldn’t breathe!

The edge of my vision went black as I gasped for air. I fell flat on my front. I was so focused on trying to breathe, I almost missed the presence pushing at the back of my mind. It started small, a hint of a suggestion. The temptation to give in grew. This was her body. I was nothing but a figment of her imagination. Dexter wasn’t real. Nothing more than a thought exercise to see what it’d be like to be a man her grandson’s age. With each second, it pressed harder, and the urge to give in grew.

Forget.

It would be easy to give in and never have another worry again. All the pain and pressure of life could vanish if I relaxed and let her take control.

No!

I shivered as I tried to move my arms to push myself onto my hands and knees. I focused on the door. It was only a short crawl. I had to do it. For a second, my vision went entirely black.

No!

I gathered all the strength I had and screamed. The remaining air expelled from my lungs. I took a sharp breath. I moved my stiff arms and pushed myself onto my hands and knees.

I was Dexter; I was real, and this was my body. Nothing would take that away from me.

I closed my eyes and pushed back the ghost. I wrapped a mental net around the invasive presence in my mind and forced it back through the hole where it had entered. A hole it had dug in a part of my mind I didn’t even know existed.

One arm forwards, one leg forwards, and breathe.

Move. Breathe. Move. Breathe.

I made it to the threshold and pulled the door open. I slid headfirst down the concrete stairs to lie on my back.

The pressure in my mind slowly vanished as I fell.

I opened my eyes.

Pale blue sky, almost cloudless.

My eyes watered from the bright light.

The perfect day was oblivious to my plight. The mid-autumn day was hardly different from late summer. I could’ve laid there for hours, but the hot concrete felt like it was melting the skin off my back where my shirt had ridden up. I rolled onto the dead grass beside the cracked front path.

Sweat ran into my eyes as I sat up. I squeezed my eyes shut to clear my vision.

I could still feel the cold air wafting from the open door. I had to shut it. Mrs Gregory was looking for any excuse to fire me. I stood and walked to the threshold.

All I had to do was grab the handle, pull it closed, remove my hand from the handle and step back.

One quick movement.

I could do it.

As I stared, my eyes adjusted to the dim. She stood just inside, her hard eyes focused on me.

She smiled.

I stepped forwards and grabbed the door handle. Her hand shot out towards my arm.

Her pale, icy fingers clamped around my left wrist. I tightened the grip of my right hand around the door handle. I tucked my chin to my chest and threw myself backwards down the stairs, using the weight of my body to swing the door closed. My shirt ripped as I fell backwards; the sleeve stayed in her hand as my arm slipped free.

The air expelled from my lungs as I hit the ground.

I lay on my back and my lungs refused to work. Fixed to the spot in terror, I gasped for air as my body refused to perform. A function that was usually thoughtless had become my only thought, the pinpoint the world had narrowed to.

There was a dizzy relief as I breathed again, and after a few minutes I slowly stood.

Blood ran down my exposed arm, the only part of my body that had hit the thin concrete path.

Ghosts could touch me! Physically hurt me!

I closed my eyes and concentrated on my breathing, forcing back the panic attack that bubbled in the back of my mind. I knew about the possession, but the touch? Why hadn’t Gran told me? I needed to call Gran, but I knew she couldn’t help me. She hadn’t talked to me about magic since her accident when I was seventeen.

I suspected the accident was magic-related, but she’d kept silent about it.

She’d looked at me sceptically any time I’d mentioned magic afterwards, as though I spoke of childish whimsy and needed to grow up.

So I had.

I’d left Dunn and become a librarian, a nice stable job for a responsible young man who liked books.

A normal young man who had resigned himself to a life of pretending he couldn’t see the dead.

I’d somehow ended up with nowhere else to turn and ended up back in this town.

Now Gran was in America with Aunt Myrtle, so it was hard to get help.

I drove back to the library to pretend I’d been out for my lunch break.
 
 

•   •   •   •   •   •

 
 

Guest Post: Character Interview with Cory!

by Ashton K. Rose
 
 

Do you stay up late or wake up early?

With my schedule! Both. I’d love to wake up early and get stuff done before work, so I can relax when I get home but that can’t happen with my work commitments. Without my grandma helping with the dogs, there’s no way I’d be able to ensure they are well taken care of.

How would you respond to an apology from somebody you still can’t forgive?

You’re asking that to test me, aren’t you? You know well and truly that there’s someone in my life like that… well, two someones. I guess I’d roll over and accept them back into my life like a doormat because I listened to my libido. My life is so much fun, constantly realizing I have more issues than I realize because I’m making it harder than it needs to be. I really don’t need the unnecessary drama of my ex-boyfriends back in my life, but here we are.

You’re at a bar when the one person you don’t want to see walks in. Who are they? How do you react?

Hide in the bathroom until I could sneak out. I know I constantly do stuff that invites in necessary drama into my life but even I have limits. I can give you a complete list of people I refuse to talk to unless I’m at work and being paid to put up with their bullshit.

What do you do if you can’t sleep?

Read. I was always a quite bookish kid; my parents never had a TV in the van, so that was the only entertainment when I couldn’t go outside. They were too busy to play board games with me. It was kind of hard to fit in once I started going to school, after being home schooled and living in a van. It’s not surprising I ended up dating a librarian.

What’s the worst thing you’ve ever wished on somebody (and who was it)?

Well, there is a long list of not very pleasant things I’d like to do to the people who killed most my father’s family, but I do not know who they are. I’ve accepted that I’ll have to settle for the institution that caused their deaths. I’d rather not to mention the details in polite company. I feel like I have the right to be angry. They took me prisoner and tried to crave me into the type of person who’d do that to other people’s families. I don’t care about thoughts of revenge souring my soul or whatever garbage those peace, love and forgiveness types preach. If there’s something I can do to stop anyone else from going through what I have, I’ll sacrifice my mental and physical health over it.

It’s extra satisfying that the people who ruined my life gave me some of the best education available in the types of magic that will make their lives a living hell one day. I still can’t decide if they think they’ve actually radicalized me or know I’m going to turn around and bite them at the best opportunity.

As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I always wanted to help people with magic. I felt like my parents never did enough from the moment I realized we lived like we did because my parents ran away from their problems. To understand them, I had to experience the worst of what they were trying to escape. If they’re alive, I’d want to tell them I forgive them, tell them I understand why they ran away. I feel like they abandoned me, but they left me because I begged them to let me live a normal life with my grandpa and step-grandma. I know they didn’t think it was safe, but they thought it was safe enough. They thought Dad’s family would always be around to protect me.
 
 

 
 

•  •  •  •  •  •

 
 

Author Bio

Ashton K. Rose (They/Them) is a Queer author who writes Australian paranormal, urban fantasy and mystery fiction filled with LGBTQIA+ characters.

Ashton currently lives in sunny Queensland able to enjoy the best of the Australian bush and beach. Ashton spent their first fourteen years being raised on a remote farm shaped around the remains of an old mining town. Surrounded by the skeletons of past lives and their matching ghost stories, Ashton developed a love for fantasy, horror, and dark fairy tales from a young age.

Carrying a love of ghost stories into adulthood Ashton started writing novels about magic, vampires and ghosts. Ashton decided to set The Southern Magicks in a world heavily inspired by the backdrop of the Australia bush/beach and the speculative fiction Ashton has consumed over a lifetime.

Author Website: https://www.geekaflame.com/

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100086363208232

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/Geek_Aflame

Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/geek_aflame/

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21982765.Ashton_K_Rose

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/ashtonkrose
 
 

 
 

“Fate in Suspension” Blog Tour Round-Up! ~~~ Links to Interviews, Reviews, Guest Posts, Excerpts +++ the Giveaway!

Fate in Suspension has been on tour this week! Thanks to Xpresso Book Tours, 18 bloggers hosted stops for my book, which include a mix of excerpts, interviews, reviews, the playlist, and a guest post that talks more about the Horn & Haven series as a whole!

There’s also a Rafflecopter giveaway that’s on until September 22!! So check out ANY of the posts and enter the giveaway for a chance to win a $5 Amazon gift card!

Below are links to every tour stop. SOOOO many thanks to all of the bloggers who joined in on the tour and to everyone who’s been participating!

 

•••

 

September 12th
–Ilovebooksandstuffblog >> Excerpt
–Viviana MacKade >> Guest Post: More about the Horn & Haven series!
–Archaeolibrarian – I Dig Good Books! >> Review
–The Avid Reader >> Interview

 

September 13th
–Cherylsbookstagram >> Review
–Crazykalm >> Excerpt
–Never Hollowed By The Stare >> Excerpt

 

September 14th
–The Page Ladies >> Review
–The Book Junkie Reads . . . >> Review
–Books, Tattoos and Tea >> Excerpt
–TTC Books and more >> Review

 

September 15th
–Twirling Book Princess >> Playlist !!!!!! (Or just the major themes, at least. ;P)
–Guatemala Paula Loves to Read >> Excerpt
–Iron Canuck Reviews & More >> Review

 

September 16th
–Unraveling Chaos >> Review
–Becky on Books >> Interview
–Valerie Ullmer | Romance Author >> Excerpt
–Quill and Ink Book Tours >> Excerpt

 

 

OUT TODAY! My New Book ♥♥ FATE IN SUSPENSION ♥♥ Release Day is FINALLY HERE!

 

Guess what? It’s Release Day for Fate in Suspension, my first new book in 3 years!!!

 

 

Purchase from any major online retailer!
Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Smashwords • Kobo • Apple Books • … and more!

 

Genres: Paranormal romance, urban fantasy, high fantasy, BDSM romance
Series: Horn & Haven
LGBTQIA+ identities: Gay, Pansexual; M/M relationship

Quiet. That’s how he likes life, no drama to clean up…

Tai Xen-Vorsy leads a straightforward life: work, time at the local clubs where shapeshifters like him can play without fear, and the comforts of home with a cat that’s more than half attitude. After breaking up with his last submissive, he’s even taking a break from Dom duties.

Meeting Gates changes everything, and when Tai’s childhood home is destroyed, his simple life goes up in flames.

The Callensdale haven was his refuge as an orphan, a hideaway that saved his life. Now it’s time to return the favour. Bringing in the Fluff Brigade Brotherhood would make all the difference… if he could just get them back together. Tai won’t give up—he’s not that kind of unicorn. But can he reunite the brotherhood and keep his new relationship with Gates kindled at the same time?

The darkness is dragging him into the shadows, one case at a time…

Helping others is all Gates Colfaethe wants to do, being mostly unicorn shifter with a splash of Faerie. But years as an agent on trafficking cases leave him fearing just how far he’ll lose himself in the job before he burns out completely.

A random hookup with Tai might be the very change he needs. A new Dom means new rules and the chance to create safe distance from work—until his worlds collide in a twist Gates should leave well enough alone. What he knows is bad enough, but running headlong into danger could kill him.

Content notes & trigger warnings: Fate in Suspension contains explicit content, including BDSM scenes and activities, all of which is meant for adult readers and takes place within safe, sane, and consensual guidelines.

This story also touches on matters related to mental health, including PTSS/PTSD. There are references to death and murder, references to the death of a character’s parents, mentions of various sorts of trafficking, and references to missing persons, captivity, and torture. There is some physical violence and depictions of the aftermath of a violent attack. There is also the use of blood in a magical way.

The BDSM activities in this story include bondage and discipline with physical implements, spanking, and orgasm denial.

Please note the story uses gender-neutral pronouns for certain characters. These are not mistakes; they are the deliberate pronouns of those characters.

 

*Are you on Goodreads? Add it to your shelves!

•••

And here we go! It’s finally out!!

This is one of the projects that’s kept me company these last couple years. It wasn’t planned — really just dropped in my lap quite randomly — but it was perfect to work on during the pandemic. I’m really looking forward to working on the rest of the series, seeing where all of the brotherhood ends up… It’s going to be one heck of a ride.

Though it’s so funny thinking back on all of the influences and things that ended up in this single book, and how those influences are going to spiral out into the rest of the series. Somehow, my love of The Last Unicorn and Star Trek just… fell together. I’ve grown up with both of them in my life, from when I was pretty young. The amazing movie version of The Last Unicorn is the very first fantasy film I remember watching, and I watched it over and over and over and over again. I just loved it SO MUCH. And Star Trek: The Next Generation was my first memorable exposure to science fiction, with a cast I still love to this day.

That’s not to say Fate in Suspension follows either one of these. Rather, there are homages to both, very much in the details of the story. Sometimes it’s in a name, the technology, one of the themes, or whatever else popped up. I’m *still* working out all of the subtle connections that slipped in when I wasn’t looking! 😉

There’s also the addition of the BDSM element, which is something I’ve wanted to explore in a couple of my books for a few years, but those books have been pushed down the line due to other projects. But this one happened! And I’m so excited to say it’s here! Tai and Gates have been really fun to work with, and I hope readers love them and their connection.

There’s a whole lot more to come where this brotherhood is concerned — book #2, Shifting Surety, is already underway! So keep an eye out for that. Once I have scenes/chapters written, I’ll start posting them over on my Patreon, so patrons can read the second book as it’s being written.

For now… Here’s a link to the playlist for Fate in Suspension (... I used sooooo many songs…) and there’s also a book tour scheduled for September that’s currently taking sign-ups!

I’ve also included a little, itty bitty excerpt below. Thanks for stopping by! ♥

 

•••

Now for an Excerpt…

 

Tai didn’t spare a look at his reflection before he washed his face, scrubbing away his eyeliner and the gritty layers of sweat and body glitter. He’d feel better once he got sleep. Everything would—

Shit!

Agony slammed through him, exploding from ear to ear. No warning. No—

He doubled over, out of breath and paralyzed over the sink, gripping just to stay upright.

Scream for him. Scream for help—

Fuck, the mirror. Movement in the glass. Shadows creeping through, threading down the porcelain—

Tai!

That was Molly Rey’s voice.

Molly, haven, so far away—

—But she was shouting as if she was close. So close she was inside him, punching his soul. Touch the mirror, now. Dammit, Tai!

Fires, his head. Was he dying, bleeding out without seeing a drop of it?

His hands—he could move those. And his neck. Just a bit. Raising his head, though, raising up through the hit…

The mirror. She was in the mirror.

Teeth grinding, Tai fought to raise his gaze, head slowly following suit. Molly Rey was caught in a fog—no, smoke. Surrounded by smoke. Flames—flames in the background, eating up the curtains… the darkness… taking away the darkness.

She wasn’t alone: Natire floated by Molly Rey, a ghost of the in-between; a patron spirit of the haven. One of three. One of their protectors.

But the burning. That awful burning…

Molly Rey touched the mirror, her palm and fingers darkened, almost rotten. Tai! Now!

Tai slapped his hand to the mirror.

His fingers sank into the shadows, the glass hot to the touch. The past crashed through him, misery from top to bottom, searing on a deluge of memory. Blood magic—it coursed through their veins, his and Molly Rey’s, the mirror a conduit to connect them. The magic dragged and stumbled, fighting him for every step, tying them together over the vast distance.

Emotions filtered through—panic at the top, on the boil with Molly Rey’s anger, her desperation becoming his. And the stench. Gods, the stench of it all, bleeding through their connection, burning wood and ash as heat devoured the stone walls. Noise too, screams rising up in the not-so-distant distance… bangs… the crash of a beam behind Molly Rey—

Tai gasped, his hand burning where Molly Rey’s hand was black as night. Hurt. She’d been hurt—

“Tai!“

Molly Rey’s shout shook him with its violence. He nearly collapsed, her voice so loud in his head, it shamed amps on full blast even with the sink taps still on, water swirling down the sink.

“Tai, we’re under attack. The fire—” Molly Rey startled. Peered behind her. Terror seeped through Tai—his or hers?

 
 

Updates + Pre-order “Fate in Suspension”!

 

New book, new series — and it’s almost here!!

 

COMING June 30: Fate in Suspension, the first book in my MM+ paranormal romance series, Horn & Haven. IT’S HAPPENING!!! And pre-order links are available RIGHT HERE!

 

For a quick primer on the book, here’s the cover reveal post, where I talked a bit on what to expect from the story. Fate in Suspension kicks off an ensemble series about the Fluff Brigade Brotherhood, a family of friends that met as kids and bonded closely, but then drifted apart — and now they’re about to find out what being family as adults means… assuming they don’t get taken out in the process. QUESTIONABLE THINGS ARE AFOOT!

There’s plenty of things going on with this story…

– Unicorn shapeshifters
– Faeries, mages, wizards — helloooooo magical world!
– A Very Serious Mission
– ROAD TRIP
– Family, family, family
– More family
– A cat that cats
– Siblings that can’t help but “help”
– Some… creative choices when it comes to a piece of cake on a near-disastrous date
– Something sweet, something sexy, and something bound to get messy.

 

This story has been in the works for a couple years now, and it’s almost *this close* to being ready to go — I’ve got some last editing to do, then it’ll be ready for formatting and uploading. For now, the book is up for pre-order on all the major online retailer sites: Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Apple Books, Smashwords, etc. Here’s the direct link ~~> https://books2read.com/fateInSuspension

And if you use Goodreads, it’s over there too.

 

So that’s the biggest news here! It’s been a few years since I last released anything brand new, and I’m hoping folks enjoy it. It’s a story that I hadn’t planned on writing — it very much showed up randomly and took over my to-do list during the pandemic, which pushed other projects aside. BUT! After this book comes out, I’ll be returning to the other projects I have on the go, including After the Harp Sings and Rebel Call. I might even finally make it to starting on the dragon shifter story that’s been patiently waiting on the sidelines! Maybe. Depending on how the muses roll. I’ve got A LOT of WIPs on the go right now, at various stages of development/writing, so it’s anyone’s guess at the moment. But more to come on that on the other side of release day!

 

For now… here’s a little taste of Fate in Suspension:

_____________________

EXCERPT

_____________________

 

The vibration of a heavy stomp on the ground had Tai turning back to Gates, only to lose his breath.

Even in the darkest of nights, he’d recognize a unicorn.

The crushing pull on his heart wasn’t the only thing that dragged him closer to Gates right then, but it may as well have been for all the devastation it wreaked inside him. It’d been years since he last saw one of his own in their other form, and this…

He couldn’t breathe. He couldn’t even stop blinking back what was gathering in the corners of his eye… Dust, he was sure of it. Maybe. If he was lucky.

“Hey.” Hand outstretched, Tai stilled as Gates’s nose pushed into Tai’s palm in a gentle nuzzle, the hot huff of a breath playing along Tai’s forearm. Gates, who stood taller than him now by several hands, dark blond hair traded for a long, kinked white mane and dark eyes Tai couldn’t tell the colour of, though he’d wager they were of the darkest wine. Up close, he smelled lightly of musk and earthy sweetness, a hint of vanilla laced through the scent.

He was gorgeous in this form, too, all of the human lustre stripped away. Moonlight caught on the sheen of Gates’s pale cream-coloured coat and the glimmer of his spiralled horn. Gates’s muscles twitched and flexed beneath Tai’s caress up his shoulder, his coat even softer than his mane, stirring memories long buried. It’d been so long since Tai hadn’t cared; when he’d taken to being nothing but a unicorn and ran whenever he wanted, for however long he wanted. The haven had not only given him the freedom, but the joy, nothing held back, nothing locked down, and not a single worry about being snitched on—

Gates huffed and mouthed at Tai’s shirt, only to step back before ramming his forehead against Tai’s hand.

Tai chuckled. “Still know what you want,” he teased, stroking Gates’s mane. Gates drew close, one feathered hoof stopping just shy of Tai’s foot. “I’m almost tempted to join you.”

Gates paused before butting his snout against Tai’s chest. A second gentle shove nudged Tai back.

“Really?” Tai grinned and held his arms open wide. “Tell me again.”

With a snort, Gates shuffled back, then tramped towards Tai and butted him hard enough to send Tai to the ground.

Tai’s burst of laughter sent the Faeries into a scattered frenzy around the clearing. A handful swooped over him in circles of gold and silver light, leaving trails above his face. “Got the point, gorgeous. Got the point.”

_____________________

 

More updates to come! Stay safe and keep hanging in there, folks. ♥

 

“The Scars That Bind Us” by Michele Notaro || Book Tour, #Giveaway & Character Interview + Excerpt!

 
Michele Notaro has a new MM urban fantasy out: The Scars that Bind Us. There’s also a giveaway, an AMAZING cover from Natasha Snow, and a fun character interview with one of the fellas from the book!! Check it all out below.
 
 

 
 
Title: The Scars That Bind Us
Author: Michele Notaro
Series: The Magi Accounts (Book #1)
 
Release date: February 22, 2022
Genre: Urban fantasy, Gay (M/M) romance
LGBTQA+ characters: Gay, bi, demi, non-binary (a secondary character)
Length: 115,631 words
Publisher: Michele Notaro
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
 
 
Sometimes the worst scars are the ones you can’t see.

Growing up in the magi compound was far from easy. I didn’t think I’d ever get out of that horrid place, but eighteen years ago, my world changed. I was allowed freedoms I’d never had before, although, even today, I was still at the Non-Human Specialties Operations’ beck and call.

Which is how I find myself on a team with my best friend, five shifters, and a human.

Now, I have to figure out a way to work with others—with shifters. I’ve never been one to trust easily, and I don’t see that changing, but this shifter pride has a way of getting past my walls. Unfortunately, all that means is now I have even more people I need to protect against the evils of this world, and I really don’t know how I’m gonna do it.

All three species have been at odds for more than a century, but maybe Cosmo—a lion shifter—and I can put aside our differences to work together and keep everyone safe. And if I’m secretly crushing on the guy, well, I think I’ll keep that to myself.
 
The Scars That Bind Us is a 115K word novel and the first book in the MM urban fantasy series, The Magi Accounts.
 
 
*Intended for adults only. Warnings: Violence, mentions of past abuse, hints of past sexual assault (nothing on-page), oppression of magi and shifters.
 
 

Available at these retailers!

Publisher | Amazon US | Amazon UK | Amazon CAN | Universal Buy Link

 
 

You can also add it to your shelf on Goodreads.

 
 

 
 

•  •  •  •  •  •

 
 

GIVEAWAY:

 
 

Michele is giving away a $20 Amazon gift card with this tour::

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

{Or paste this link into your browser: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47226/?}

 
 

•   •   •   •   •   •

 
 

Excerpt

 

 
 
“That sounds nice.” I hesitated, then added, “I’ve never been to a cookout before.”

He froze. “What?”

My brow furrowed. “Uh, I’ve never been to a cookout. It’s not like we had anything like that at the compound, and every mage I know who lives off-base is in an apartment.” I shrugged like it wasn’t a big deal even though I knew it was. Cookouts were a normal thing for humans and shifters. I’d seen enough of them in movies and shows, and read enough about them, to know that I’d love to go to one someday. But that wasn’t really in the cards for me.

“You’ve seriously never been to a cookout? Not even once?”

“Uh, nope. Pretty sure I’d remember something like that.”

A strangled sound came out of his throat before he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. “Madeo…”

“What?”

“I… Jesus, I don’t even know what to say to that. I’ll have to have a cookout and invite you, Jude, and Logan.”

My eyebrows rose. “Really?” Despite myself, a strange flutter of hopefulness flitted around my chest. Which was stupid. People said things like that all the time. It didn’t mean they’d follow through.

Cos smiled softly and shoulder-bumped me. “Yeah, cat lover, really.”

I smiled up at him before entering the sandwich shop. I knew what I wanted, so I ordered, then gestured to Cos, saying, “What do you want?”

He was staring at the menu as he ordered a shit-ton of food. When he finished, paid—even though I’d tried to pay for both—and we sat down to wait, I asked, “Are you trying to feed your entire pride?”

He snorted. “No. I’ll finish it all.”

My eyes widened. “How? You’re a big guy, but you have like zero fat on you, and I’ve never seen you eat that much.”

“You’re asking me that? You’re a mage, and you just ordered an extra sandwich for yourself and a bucket of fries that I have no doubt you’ll finish off.”

“I like to save half of the second sandwich for tomorrow.”

He shook his head. “I have no idea where all this food goes on you. But for me, it takes a lot of energy, burns a ton of calories, to shift, and since I shift at least once a day, I eat a lot. I shifted a couple times yesterday and already once this morning, so I need the calories.”

“Gotcha. That makes sense. I wonder if my magic burns up some of the calories I eat?” I shrugged. “Whatever. Doesn’t matter.”

He grinned. “What are your plans for the rest of the day?”

“This is literally the only thing I have to do all day. I’m wide open. Except I don’t want to stray too far from Jude.”

He nodded. “Can I ask you a couple questions about your bond with him?”

“Uh, sure.”

“Can you feel him all the time? Even when you’re far away from each other?”

“Yes. He’s my focus, so we’d be able to find each other anyway, but it’s more than that, too. We’ve been bonded since I was three days old, so it’s completely normal to me to, uh, carry someone else in my chest.” I patted my chest where my heart was. “It’s like I can feel his heart beating right beside mine. And if he has a strong emotion, I feel it there. It’s… kind of hard to explain.”

“That was a pretty good explanation.”

I grinned. “If you say so.”

“I do.” He scratched his cheek. “Are you and Jude… involved in any other way?”

I stared at him for a few seconds, not understanding the question at first. But then I got it, and my eyes widened in horror. “Ew. Are you fucking serious? That’s… that’s… ew. No. Not even a little bit. Not ever. He’s my dyad. He’s the other half of me, and I… I wouldn’t want to date myself, right? Goddess.”

He laughed. “Okay, okay. Sorry. I didn’t realize.”

“So fucking gross.”

“Okay, so you two aren’t romantically involved. Good to know.”

“No, we’re not. Fucking duh.”

He snorted. “Alright, you don’t have to be an ass about it.”

“Pretty sure you already know I’m always an ass.”

With a grin, he reached across the table to flick my hand.

I snatched it away. “Not cool, jerkhole.”

He snorted again, then gestured to the counter. “Looks like our food’s ready. I’ll go grab it.”

“Thanks.” I watched him walk to grab the two trays of food—no way would it all fit on one—and my eyes accidentally-on-purpose strayed down to his ass.

It was a good ass. Like the rest of him, it was muscled and firm. Round. Bitable.

Thinking about biting his glorious buttcheek made me hum in appreciation out loud. And of course, Cos chose that moment to turn around. I didn’t even get the chance to look away and pretend I wasn’t ogling him before he caught me.

He had a huge grin on his smug face when he sat down and passed me my food. We started eating in companionable silence, and I thought he was going to let me get away with it without saying anything.

But then he opened his mouth and said all casual-like, “So you’re an ass man, huh?”

I almost spit out my food. “What? No. Nope.”

“Uh-huh. Real convincing, cat lover.”

I glared. “I don’t know what you’re talking about, kitty cat.”

He just grinned that smug grin at me.
 
 

•   •   •   •   •   •

 
 

Guest Post: Character Interview!

by Michele Notaro

 
 
Madeo is the main character from The Scars That Bind Us: The Magi Accounts 1 by Michele Notaro.

 

Author: So you’re a mage, right?

Madeo: *rolls eyes* Pretty sure you can tell that from the red tag in my ear… damn government making us register and tagging us like cattle.

Author: Uh… yeah, that’s really… unfortunate.

Madeo: That’s a nice way of putting it.

Author: Okay, so… let’s get back on track. You’re magi, but you’re also a dyad, which means you’re magically connected to another mage, right?

Madeo: Yes. Jude is my dyad, and he’s basically the equivalent of a magic wand for me.

Author: Very cool. So magi don’t get along with humans, clearly, but I hear they don’t get along with shifters, either.

Madeo: More like no one else wants to associate with us lowly magi, but yeah, in general, we don’t get along.

Author: Does that make it hard to work with them?

Madeo: Uh. *clears throat* This new team Jude and I were put on isn’t so bad.

Author: That’s good to hear. Have you been working for the Non-Human Specialties Operations for a long time, Mads?

Mads: Since I was a teenager, yeah.

Author: How old are you?

Mads: Wow, hit me where it hurts. *sighs* I’m 34.

Author: Nice—

Mads: You’ve been talking to me forever. When are you going to get back to writing?

Author: Uh… in a few minutes?

Mads: Good. You’ve gotten me into a sticky situation, and I don’t know how you’re gonna get me out of it.

Author: …yeah, neither do I.

Mads: *rolls eyes* Of course you don’t. Why don’t you—

Author: I’m supposed to be asking the questions here.

Mads: Ugh. Fine.

Author: *narrows eyes at problem character* Why are you fighting your attraction to the lion shifter, Cosmo, so hard?

Mads: What? What attraction? I’m not attracted to anyone. I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Author: Is that really what you’re going with?

Mads: I’m not attracted to anyone, let alone Mr. Big Bad Alpha Lion. Nope.

Author: He doth protest too much, methinks.

Mads: Jude! Get your ass over here so I can blast her in the face!

Jude: *yells from the distance* Nope.

Mads: Come on, Judikans.

Jude: I agree with her!

Mads: *gasps* Traitor!

Author: Is it because he’s a shifter?

Mads: *glares at author* No comment.

Author: Oh come on. You agreed to this interview.

Mads: Don’t you have a book to write?

Author: *sighs* You’re a pain in the ass.

Mads: *smirks* I know, but you wrote me this way.

Author: *groans*
 
 

 
 

•  •  •  •  •  •

 

Author Bio

Michele is married to an awesome guy that puts up with her and all the burnt dinners she makes—hey, sometimes characters are a bit distracting, and who doesn’t plot when they’re supposed to be cooking? They live together in Baltimore, Maryland with two little monsters, three-legged and four-legged fiends, and a little old man (aka their two sons, their two cats, and their senior dog). She hopes to rescue another cat soon, and if her hubby wouldn’t kill her, she’d get more than one… and maybe a few more dogs as well.

She loves creating worlds filled with lots of love, chosen family, and of course, magic, but she also likes making the characters fight for that happy ending. She hopes to one day write all the stories in her head—even if there are too many to count!

Author Website: https://michelenotaro.com/

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