Moving Day!

 Hi everyone! 

Just to let you know, I'll no longer be maintaining this blog. 

My new blog can be found on my website, here: https://www.lisahenryonline.com/blog

Hopefully everything will look a little cleaner over there! 

Not Until Noah - Out November 5

Not Until Noah, the first book in the Star Crossed series, is out on November 5. 

This was a fun one to write, and I got to reminisce about all the school holidays I spent on the Gold Coast, at my grandparents' house. The house is no longer there, unfortunately--it's a block of high-rise apartments now--but I'll always have those wonderful memories of the Coast, and that old house, and of sunlit days at the beach that seemed to last forever. 

Carter Westlake is on the brink of being Hollywood gold. Cast as the lead in a highly-anticipated sci-fi trilogy filming in Australia, he’s primed to be the next A-list action hero: all-American, hot as hell, and straight. The problem is, Carter can only check off two of those boxes. But that’s okay—his bisexuality can remain a secret until these movies are behind him.

Childhood educator Noah Jones has a plan. Work as a nanny for six months, make some extra cash, and move to the UK to teach. He doesn’t expect his new boss to be a Hollywood star. And he certainly isn’t prepared to fall for the guy.

One kiss sends them tumbling into a secret relationship, even though they both agree it can be nothing more than a fling. Carter needs to stay in the closet for the sake of his career, and Noah’s leaving. But when their feelings continue to grow into something deeper, Carter has a decision to make. Knowing that exposing his sexuality could cost him his career, would he rather carry on living a lie, or risk it all to stand tall in his truth?

Not Until Noah is the first book in the Star Crossed series, where regular guys meet famous ones, and sparks fly.

You can preorder it from Amazon. 

Preorder Now: The Star Crossed Series!

The Star Crossed Series, where regular guys meet famous ones, and sparks fly, is up for preorder now at Amazon. 

Not Until Noah releases on November 5. 

Because of Ben releases on January 7. 

Only for Ollie releases on March 4.

This series has been so much fun to write, and I've loved finding out what makes all these guys tick. I hope that you enjoy reading about them as much as I did writing about them. 

Carter Westlake is on the brink of being Hollywood gold. Cast as the lead in a highly-anticipated sci-fi trilogy filming in Australia, he’s primed to be the next A-list action hero: all-American, hot as hell, and straight. The problem is, Carter can only check off two of those boxes. But that’s okay—his bisexuality can remain a secret until these movies are behind him.

Childhood educator Noah Jones has a plan. Work as a nanny for six months, make some extra cash, and move to the UK to teach. He doesn’t expect his new boss to be a Hollywood star. And he certainly isn’t prepared to fall for the guy.

One kiss sends them tumbling into a secret relationship, even though they both agree it can be nothing more than a fling. Carter needs to stay in the closet for the sake of his career, and Noah’s leaving. But when their feelings continue to grow into something deeper, Carter has a decision to make. Knowing that exposing his sexuality could cost him his career, would he rather carry on living a lie, or risk it all to stand tall in his truth?

Marco Chase is the lead singer for Static, one of the world’s most famous and successful rock bands. Marco’s bad boy rock star image isn’t just one he’s cultivated for his fans—it’s Marco all over. Marco’s past is full of one night stands, bad decisions, and blackouts. Marco never saw a cage he didn’t want to rattle—and from the moment he lays eyes on him, he really wants to rattle sweet, innocent Ben Selden’s cage.

Ben Selden comes from a fundamentalist Baptist family. Ben is struggling under the weight of knowing that he’s gay, and a lifetime’s teachings that tell him that his God will condemn him, and his family reject him, if they ever find out. With a future he doesn't want already mapped out for him, Ben’s at a breaking point when he meets Marco.

Marco’s teasing, flirting, and obvious interest awakens a hunger in Ben, and he knows this might be his only chance to act on his attraction to a man—if he’s brave enough to risk his future, and his family, to take it. He doesn’t expect Marco to be his savior, but maybe a savior isn’t what Ben needs—maybe he just needs someone to believe in him enough that he’s willing to save himself.

Xander Finch is a top-ranked MotoGP rider, desperate to get back to the circuit after an injury. He’s going stir-crazy in his parents’ house in Ventura while he works on his recovery. Xander has tunnel vision when it comes to his sport—it’s all he’s ever wanted to do in life. When he hires a massage therapist to help speed up his recovery, he’s not expecting the guy to completely flip his universe on its head.

Ollie Baker is living in his car after a disastrous break-up, and jumps at the chance to earn some extra cash through massage. Xander Finch might be hot as hell, but Ollie’s not going there. He’s never going to let some rich guy screw him over again. Besides, Xander’s straight. Isn’t he?

When their friendship deepens into something more, Xander discovers that Ollie makes him feel a way that nobody ever has before, and maybe motorbikes aren’t his only passion after all. Navigating Xander’s newly discovered demisexuality isn’t the only challenge they’ll have to face if they’re going to be together, because Ollie’s been burned before. It’s hard for him to trust Xander, to believe that he’s really willing to make room in his life for Ollie as well as his racing—assuming he recovers enough to race at all.

A Husband for Hartwell - Out Today!

Yay! A Husband for Hartwell, the first book in JA Rock and mine's Regency series, is out today! 

He must marry, or risk his fortune.

The whole of London Society has long assumed Lord William Hartwell will marry his childhood best friend, Lady Rebecca Warrington. After two Seasons, Hartwell remains quite content with bachelorhood--his parents do not. When Hartwell learns they intend to cut his purse strings unless he makes a match this Season, he resigns himself to a marriage of convenience with Becca, and yet he can't help but be drawn to her younger brother, Warry.

He must marry, or risk his sister's ruin.

The Viscount "Warry" Warrington is used to being viewed as the tagalong little brother. Now a grown man about to enter his second Season, Warry is desperate to be seen. When Lord Balfour, a handsome older peer, takes Warry under his wing, Warry thinks his dream is finally coming true. Until Balfour reveals his true intent--to make public a letter that will destroy Becca's reputation, unless Warry agrees to marry him.

Time is running out for both of them.

When an injury forces Warry to recover at Hartwell House, the two succumb to a secret flirtation. But Warry's sudden announcement of his engagement to Balfour drives Hartwell near mad with jealousy--and right into Becca's arms. With the clock ticking for Warry to save his sister, will Hartwell discover the truth of Warry's feelings before it's too late?

A Husband for Hartwell is the first book in the Lords of Bucknall Club series, where the Regency meets m/m romance.

You can buy A Husband for Hartwell on Amazon. 

March Round Up!

Wow, it has been way too long since I wrote a blog post, hasn't it? So let's get caught up! 

I have a Facebook Group now that I keep forgetting to tell people about. You can find it at Lisa Henry's Hangout. We've got a good group over there, and we do fairly regular competitions and giveaways. Also, if you join the group, you can check out a bunch of exclusive free reads! 

And now for some book stuff! 

The Family Kitchen Box Set is now available in KU, so if you've been waiting to read Family Recipe and Recipe for Two, you can get them both together now! 

You can find it here on Amazon: Family Kitchen Box Set. 

Meanwhile, since I forgot to announce it here when it happened, the third and final book in the Adventures in Aguillon series is out: 

You can find Socially Orcward here on Amazon. 

And the first two books in the series, Red Heir and Elf Defence, are both out in audio, read by the amazing Nick J. Russo! They're available on all audio platforms, but I've included the Audible links here. 

Red Heir on Audible. 

Elf Defence on Audible. 

And Socially Orcward will be coming to audio very soon! 

Meanwhile, if you'd like to be updated much more frequently than I remember to write blog posts, you may want consider signing up for my joint newsletter with JA Rock. You can sign up for that here. 

Elf Defence is out tomorrow!

 Woohoo! 

Elf Defence is out tomorrow. Or the next day if you're in the US, because timezones are a thing that exist. But it's out on the 22nd of October, whenever that happens for you. 

If you enjoyed the raging stupidity of Red Heir, then you'll be pleased to know that Sarah and I didn't hold back at all when it came to writing Elf Defence! There are elves, gingerbread, a hot cowherd in lederhosen, an even hotter lady blacksmith, guards, trolls, a monster, a missing cow, an angry goose, and as many references to The Sound of Music as we could put in without getting sued. 

Elf Defence is available to buy here: https://books2read.com/elfdefence

Royal envoys Calarian and Benji embark on a quest in the alpine duchy of Tournel. Things go rapidly downhill when the duke plummets to his death from the tower wall. Whoops—that's going to be hard to explain. And it’s not as though they can just grab the nearest human and make him the new duke. 

Or can they? 

Enter one Lars Melker, a slightly gullible cowherd built entirely of muscles and sunshine, who happily accepts their word when they tell him he’s the duke now.

Soon Calarian and Benji are knee deep in teaching Lars how to fake it until he makes it. They're also dealing with mountain trolls, a monster, a missing cow, and, most shocking of all, a growing realisation that their elves-with-benefits arrangement might be turning into something with feelings. 

Add in their mutual attraction to Lars, and suddenly the hills are alive with the sound of emotionally compromised collectivist anarchist elves.

Also, what’s the deal with those leather shorts? 

The Dark Space series is coming to audio! Plus, have a free short story!

For anyone who loves some snarky Brady and some patient-as-a-saint Cam, I'm delighted to announce that the Dark Space series is coming to audio! 

You can preorder the first book already, here: Audible

It's out on the 29th! 

And I'm sure you've noticed that cover Brady has had a it of a face lift. This is because, unfortunately, the model for original Brady is no longer available for covers. But don't worry, he'll be staying on the book covers! 

I've also got a tiny freebie for everyone today. New Year's Day was written for the When the Smoke Clears anthology which raised money for firefighters and wildlife following the devastating Australian bushfires. 

And now you can get it for free! 

Download the PDF here. 

Download the mobi here. 

Download the epub here. 

And while I'm remembering in awkward promo mode, have you joined my Facebook readers group Lisa Henry's Hangout yet? This month I'm giving away a signed paperback of your choice, and some Fabula storytelling cards. Also, you can cast your vote there for which characters I have to write a short story about when I hit 250 members, and that short story will be exclusive to the group! So far Nick and Jai from Adulting 101 are in the lead! 

Dreamspinner

After over six months of lies and bullshit, Dreamspinner has finally paid me what I am owed. Well, presuming their sales figures weren't as much a lie as every other damn thing, but I guess I'll never know, will I? 

And, to make it perfectly clear, just because they have paid me in no way excuses the fact that they stole from me--and countless other authors (most of whom still haven't been paid)--to begin with. 

For the absolute biscuits out there (and I am referring to authors, not readers) who are still living in denial: royalty money is meant to remain in escrow. It is NOT the publisher's money to use for other purposes. It is the authors' money. The fact is, Dreamspinner was paid money by retailers, and that money somehow went missing when it came time to pay it to authors. This is theft. 

Dreamspinner has lied repeatedly. Dreamspinner tried to blame a third party, Tipalti, for the fact our royalties hadn't gone into our accounts. Elizabeth North stated in an email to me that "There are parts of what I do that I don't have control over once I initiate the action. I stated that payments would be sent through Tipalti by 1/10 and they were." What she failed to mention, of course, was that the reason the payments didn't go through was because there were no funds in the account. You can check my Twitter for receipts on that from Tipalti. 

Anne Regan stated to me that "We have paid authors over $13.3 million dollars in royalties over the last decade. All of that income has been properly accounted for and paid out. We hit a crisis in 2019 that we are doing the best to correct." She further stated that royalty money was held in an escrow account. 

It's not a crisis when someone raids the escrow account, Anne, it's theft. 

Also, I don't care if you were a fantastic publisher for a decade. That's irrelevant. That's like saying "Well, my wife and I have been married for twelve years, but I've only been beating her for two." What do you want, congratulations? 

During this whole mess of a journey, I've been called a greedy child by a DSP author for having the audacity to want the money that was stolen from me, as though it just vanished due to some bizarre fluke of fate. Could have happened to anyone, right? Well, no. 

I've worked with publishers before that have closed because they could no longer see a way forward. And guess what? Royalty money was still paid when the business was wound up, because nobody had taken the money from the escrow account. 

If you are an author, do not sign with Dreamspinner. Hundreds of their authors are still awaiting payment. Elizabeth North stated that payment plans would be sent out by the restructuring firm Berger Singerman, and that they hoped to contact the majority of authors by March 15. I am in contact with 160+ DSP authors. That's about 10% of the total number of authors, which should be a decent sample size, right? Guess how many have been contacted about a payment plan? If you guessed zero, you would be correct. In fact, the only authors I know who have been contacted by Berger Singerman are those who have hired their own lawyers. 

These are just some of the lies of the past 6 months. There have been many, many more. 

My opinion as an author: Dreamspinner can go fuck itself. 

My opinion as a reader: I will never buy a DSP book, however good it looks, because I have no way of knowing if the author is getting paid. 

And it's not just the authors who haven't been paid. It's also editors, translators, cover artists and more. 

Oh, and if DSP thought that paying me would shut me up, it looks like they were wrong.

Before I go, here's another easily provable lie from Elizabeth North and Dreamspinner: 

"December reports will be uploaded by January 15, and December payments will be made by January 31. Each month after that will report by the 15th and pay by the end of the month." 

That never fucking happened for the vast majority of authors, many of whom haven't received a payment in six months.

Mustard Seeds and Anzac Biscuits

To celebrate the release of The Parable of the Mustard Seed, I thought it’d be a good time to share the recipe for Anzac Day biscuits, which John’s mum makes in the book. If you’ve never tried Anzac biscuits, they’re very simple and easy to make, and, when properly stored, they last for ages. 

For any US readers who want to give it a try: please note the temperatures here are in Celsius, so you’ll need to convert. 

Ingredients

110 g (1 cup) rolled oats

150 g 1 cup) plain flour

120 g (2/3 cup) brown sugar

70 g (2/3 cup) desiccated coconut

125 g butter

2 tbs golden syrup see recipe notes

1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda 

Instructions

Preheat oven to 160 degrees celsius (fan-forced). Grease and line three flat baking trays with baking paper.

Combine the rolled oats, flour, brown sugar and coconut in a bowl.

Place butter, golden syrup and 2 tablespoons cold water into a microwave-safe bowl and heat for 3 minutes, 50% power or until melted. (Or do it on a stove top.) 

Stir through the bicarbonate of soda.

Pour the butter mixture over the oat mixture and stir to combine.

Roll level tablespoons of mixture into balls.

Place on trays, 5cm apart and flatten slightly.

For chewy ANZACS, bake for 10 to 12 minutes or until light golden. For crunchy ANZACS, increase cooking time to 12-15 minutes.

Leave on the baking trays for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy! 

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is out now from Amazon and is available in KU. 

The past never stays buried forever. 

John Faimu is an Australian-Samoan police officer who deals with hurt kids every day. He loves what he does, but he’s tired of the grind of shift work, and of trying to find a balance between his job, his family, and the young man who straddles the increasingly blurry line between both. 

Caleb Fletcher was the teenager John saved from a cult eight long years ago, and he’s now the young man John wants in ways that neither of them should risk. 

Eight years after his rescue, Caleb is still struggling with PTSD and self-harm. John has always been his rock, but now Caleb wants more. Can he convince John to cross a line and love him the way they both crave? And when the monsters from Caleb’s past come back seeking to silence him for good, will John’s love be enough to save him? 

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is an mm gay romance featuring hurt/comfort, first times, found family, and angst with a happy ending. 

Recipe For Two - Out Now!

Recipe for Two, the second book I've cowritten with the amazing Tia Fielding, is out now on Amazon and other retailers!

Recipe For Two can be read as a standalone, although it is set in the same universe as Family Recipe. It's not quite a sequel though! If you liked four-year-old Wyatt in Family Recipe, then you can read Recipe For Two to see how he's all grown up! 

Wyatt Abbot is 19. On the outside, he lives the perfect life. He has a loving family, he’s wealthy, and he has just been given the opportunity to travel to Paris and train under one of the world’s best pastry chefs. But underneath all that, Wyatt is struggling. He’s battling anxiety, he’s scared of the future, and he’s struggling to come to terms with the fact that he’s genderfluid.

Izzy Kostas is 28, and on parole. When he gets a job at Abbot Organic Produce, it’s a chance for a new start. Izzy has his own demons he’s trying to overcome, but meeting Wyatt throws even more complications his way. Izzy has always thought of himself as straight, and certainly didn’t expect to fall for his boss’s little brother.
When Izzy is blamed for putting the Abbots at risk, it jeopardizes everything he and Wyatt have begun to build together. Izzy knows how important family is to Wyatt, and he doesn’t want him to have to take sides. But when it comes to found families, nobody is perfect, and there’s always room for another seat at the table.


Buy it here at Amazon. 

The Parable of the Mustard Seed - preorder now!

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is now out for preorder on Amazon. It will be released on April 3. How gorgeous is this cover by Natasha Snow? 

The past never stays buried forever. 

John Faimu is an Australian-Samoan police officer who deals with hurt kids every day. He loves what he does, but he’s tired of the grind of shift work, and of trying to find a balance between his job, his family, and the young man who straddles the increasingly blurry line between both. 

Caleb Fletcher was the teenager John saved from a cult eight long years ago, and he’s now the young man John wants in ways that neither of them should risk. 

Eight years after his rescue, Caleb is still struggling with PTSD and self-harm. John has always been his rock, but now Caleb wants more. Can he convince John to cross a line and love him the way they both crave? And when the monsters from Caleb’s past come back seeking to silence him for good, will John’s love be enough to save him? 

The Parable of the Mustard Seed is an mm gay romance featuring hurt/comfort, first times, found family, and angst with a happy ending. 

Preorder now from Amazon. 

When the Smoke Clears

When the Smoke Clears is a gay romance anthology that contains stories related to the 2019-2020 Australian bushfires and the heroes who helped control them and save lives. It is a multi-author anthology raising money for the Country Fire Authority and Wildlife Victoria. 

Authors include Ann Grech, Becca Seymour, Bronwyn Heeley, L.J. Harris, L.J. Hayward, Lisa Henry, Louisa Masters, Meg Bawden, Naomi Aoki, Nic Starr, T.A. Bellmond, & Zoe Piper. 

Stories included:

A Little Bit Like Love by Ann Grech 

High Alert by Becca Seymour 

Safe in His Arms by Bronwyn Heeley 

Every Picture Tells a Story by L.J. Harris 

Flying Embers by L.J. Hayward 

New Years Day by Lisa Henry 

After the Blaze by Louisa Masters 

Smoke and Ash by Meg Bawden 

Wild Heat by Naomi Aoki 

Facing the Heat by Nic Starr 

When Sparks Fly by T.A. Bellmond 

Cinders by Zoe Piper

You can buy it here on Amazon. Paperback and other retailers coming soon. 

I'm so glad I was able to contribute to this anthology.

The devastation of the fires in Australia was on an unprecedented scale, and if you'd like to do something to support two very worthy organisations, then please consider buying a copy of this anthology. 

All proceeds go to Country Fire Authority (Vic) and Wildlife Victoria. 

And thanks, of course, to the organisers and other contributors of the anthology, including all the amazing editors who donated their time and their skill to this cause.

Audio titles - coming in 2020

I'm super excited to announce that today I signed a contract with Tantor Media, meaning that in 2020, Anhaga will be coming out in audio. 

And that's not all! I hope fans of the Dark Space series are as happy as I am when I tell you that Brady and Cam are coming to audio as well! 

Thank you to everyone over the past few years who asked about getting Dark Space into audio. This was a huge step into the unknown for me as all these titles are now self-published, but you gave me the boost to get out there and find out if there was a way to make it happen. 

You can now find my back catalogue on KU

I hope everyone is having a great start to 2020. 

I figure sometime around June I'll stop calling it 2019 and finally catch up. 

For all my old readers out there, and hopefully for some new ones, I just wanted to let you know that you can find my back catalogue on Kindle Unlimited as of this month. This isn't a decision I undertook lightly. I hate Amazon's business practices of strangling all the competition, but this is a decision I could no longer put off for financial reasons. 

I hope that doing this will enable me to keep writing and publishing books that my readers enjoy. 

I have a few new releases coming out soon from a publisher that of course won't be available on KU, and should go wife, but my back catalogue will remain on KU for the foreseeable future. 

Happy New Year!

I hope that everyone is having a great start to 2020, and that we all have a fantastic year. 

I have a few things planned for this year: I have two books coming out early in the year from JMS Books, co-written with the amazing Tia Fielding. I can't wait to share more info about them! Our first is an age gap romance with a lot of angst, and a lot of feels to make up for it! I'm also working on the next Playing the Fool book with J.A. Rock, so get ready for some more Henry and Mac. In addition to that, I'm working on a WIP called The Parable of the Mustard Seed, set in Brisbane, about a police officer and the boy, now a young man, he rescued from a cult nine years ago. And if that's not enough to be working on, I'm also going to be starting a modern (and dark!) retelling of The Emperor's New Clothes. One word: voyeurism! So that's probably enough on my plate for now, right? All those other plot bunnies can shush up for a month or two in the meantime. 

Also, 2020 is the year that I'm going to be moving my self-published works to KU. Make no mistake, I hate KU and I hate the Amazon model that basically sucks the life out of every other marketplace, but unfortunately I'm not in the position where I can ignore the financial benefits of KU any longer. If I want to keep writing, and I do, then I think that KU is the best way forward for me. 

In other news, I've finally started a Facebook reader group, and I'd love it if you joined me in Lisa Henry's Hangout. 

I'll be doing regular giveaways there, as well as sharing snippets from WIPS, and creating some polls so you guys can tell me what I should be working on next, and what you'd like to see in my next book! Not gonna lie, there will also be lots of pictures of my cats. So come along and join the fun! 

Happy 2020, everyone! 

New Release Roundup!

So this is what it feels like to have a productive few weeks... huh. Clearly I should hold onto this, since it will probably never happen again! 

So, in exciting news, Starlight (Dark Space 3) is up for preorder here on Amazon, with other sites to follow in the next few days. It will be out on December 1. 

Brady Garrett is back in space, this time as an unwilling member of a team of humans seeking to study the alien Faceless and their technology. It’s not the first time Brady’s life has been in the hands of the Faceless leader Kai-Ren, and if there’s one thing Brady hates it’s being reminded exactly how powerless he is. Although dealing with the enigmatic Faceless might actually be easier than trying to figure out where he stands with the other humans on board, particularly when one of them is his boyfriend’s ex. 

Cameron Rushton loved the starlight once, but being back on board the Faceless ship forces him to confront the memories of the time he was captured by Kai-Ren, and exactly how much of what was done to him that he can no longer rationalize away. Cam is used to being Brady’s rock, but this time it might be him who needs Brady’s support.  

This time Brady is surrounded by the people he loves most in the universe, but that only means their lives are in danger too. And when Kai-Ren’s fascination with humanity threatens the foundations of Faceless society, Brady and Cam and the rest of the team find themselves thrust into a battle that humans have very little hope of winning, let alone surviving. 

It has been super fun to get back into Brady's POV after all this time, and discover just how much I missed that bad-tempered little ball of angst and angry outbursts! I hope that you guys have missed him too!

In other news, I now have the rights back for Anhaga and it's available now in ebook through all major retailers, and paperback through Amazon. 

And Dauntless, my fun little cozy mystery very much inspired by Norfolk Island, is out at all major retailers, and the paperback will be available through Amazon within the next day or so. 

So it's been a productive few weeks, and for once I have something to show for it! 

Obligatory writing update post:

It has been so long since I actually did anything, let alone told anyone what I was doing, but here's the news! 
Firstly, I've asked Dreamspinner for the rights to Anhaga back. So I'm in the process of that happening, which means that there may be a period when it's unavailable, but I'm going to get it back out again as soon as I can. 
In the meantime, I hope to have a cosy mystery novella to share with you soon, called Dauntless. There's an island, two guys, an old shipwreck, a lost diary,a Labrador who bounces a lot, and (insert suspenseful music here) MURDER... Despite the murder, it's a cute little story, and I'm hoping to have it out some time very soon! 
And in news that I hope nobody was holding their breaths for, because you all would have asphyxiated by now, the third and final book in the Dark Space trilogy will be out soon! Fans of Brady will be pleased to know he's just as much an intractable shit as always The book is called Starlight, and I have it slated for a December release at this stage! I'm super excited to finally have some news to share on that front!

Objects in Space

Davey Macquarie is a strung-out junkie on a decrepit seeding ship somewhere deep in space. 

Daniel Marsden is the dead man hunting him. 

And one of them isn't going to survive this.

For anyone interested in a slightly weird, very experimental, half-the-story-happens-in-the-footnotes kind of thing, I'll be uploading a chapter a week of Object in Space to AO3. You don't need to be a member there to read it, and you can download it to the format of your choice if you wish to. 

You can check it out here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18449114

It's a wholly original work, but I have no interest at this time in publishing it commercially. 

Make of that what you will! 

2018 Roundup - but not really

I mean, I say this is a roundup of 2018, but let's be real, I can't remember what happened last week let alone earlier this year. 

I will say that 2018 was the year I planned to get a lot more writing done--and then didn't. But I also ended the year on a high note by signing a contract with Dreamspinner for Anhaga, an m/m fantasy romance about a guy who gets railroaded into kidnapping a rich man's recalcitrant grandson and delivering him back to his awful family. There is magic, kings and noblemen, an awesome sidekick who might just steal every scene he's in, and a surprising number of mentions of eels. 

Here's the opening scene of Anhaga, which may or may not survive the editing process: 

The dawn limped in like some boot-scraping bastard, slow and lame, and dragging the sunlight behind it like a crippled limb. Min groaned, and rolled over to put his back to the window. 

“You’re lying on my hair,” someone told him. 

Min peeled his eyes open. “Ah,” he said. 

He had a vague recollection of this woman. Vague enough that he remembered sharing a smile and more than one drink with her last night. And sadly vague enough that he doubted he had acquitted himself well. The woman’s arched eyebrows told him as much. 

He shifted back slightly, and let the woman tug her tresses of red hair back to herself.

“Aiode,” she told him, holding out a pale, freckled hand. She kept her other arm clasped across her chest, keeping the blanket from slipping down and revealing what Min was sure was a lovely bosom. “Aiode Nettle. Since I’m sure you don’t remember.” 

The surname surprised him a little. Min wasn’t in the habit of bedding the Gifted, even though with the name Aiode had chosen she was probably ranked no higher than a hedgewitch. Clearly he’d made an exception because Aiode, even with her tangled bed hair and lines on her face from the pillow, was beautiful. 

“Aramin Decourcey,” he said, shaking her hand. 

“That’s quite a mouthful,” she said. 

“I’m more than a mouthful, sweeting.” 

“So you promised last night,” Aiode told him. She raised her eyebrows again. “Sadly, you did not measure up.” 

Min was too hungover to be truly offended. He rolled back over and squinted at the shaft of light stabbing through the sagging shutters and then, figuring that the day was already ruined, sat up and swung his legs over the side of the bed. His soles met the gritty floor. 

The garret room was cheap; its only recommendation. That, and the view over the back alley behind the Footbridge Tavern. Min did most of his work out of the tavern. His work wasn’t exactly reputable, and Min liked to know if it tried to follow him home like a tick-ridden stray. The view of the alley afforded him at least a little forewarning. 

Min blinked around the room. 

Pants. Pants pants pants. 

He wasn’t much of a gentleman, not in any sense of the word, but pants were probably in order. He spotted his breeches in a rumpled heap over by the damned window, and levered himself off the bed to go and fetch them. He picked them up, shook them out, and stepped into them. When he turned back to face Aiode, she had the look on her face of a woman who had very much enjoyed the view but wasn’t going to puff up his pride by mentioning it.  

Please. Min knew his ass was a thing of beauty. 

He smirked at Aiode, and then bent down to pick up his shirt. He tugged it over his head. “Well, I’d invite you to stay and break your fast with me, but…” He gestured around the room. “As you can see, I have neither a kitchen, nor food.” 

“Even if you had both, I’m sure I would decline,” Aiode said, casting a critical gaze at the grimy floor, the spider’s web hanging in a corner of the water-stained ceiling, and the collection of empty bottles that littered the floor. “I’m expected back at the shrine in any case.” 

The closest shrine Min knew of was the Shrine of the Sacred Spring. Aiode was definitely a hedgewitch then. Of all the Gifted, hedgewitches were the least objectionable. Their powers were generally benign, and grounded in nature. They helped to ensure good harvests, and rains, and although most were based in the city they regularly travelled the countryside to offer their service to the kingdom’s farmers. Hedgewitches were generally looked down upon by the rest of the Gifted, which Min felt was a point in their favour. The singlepoint in their favour. 

“Well then,” Min said. 

“Well,” Aiode echoed, narrowing her eyes slightly. 

Min feigned interest in a book Harry had left lying around. Harry and his damn books. The boy was too curious for his own good. Besides, books were expensive. Although Harry had undoubtedly stolen the one Min picked up and leafed through. Min had taught him well. 

Behind him, Min heard the rustle of fabric. He was tempted to turn around and at least give himself a good look at what he’d missed out on last night, but Aiode gave the impression of a woman well versed in testicle kicking, and Min didn’t want to provoke her. Also, she was Gifted. True, a hedgewitch probably couldn’t do much but try to curse him with a few warts here and there, but there was no point in risking it. Not the warts, of course, but exposure. 

Min had a gift of his own as it happened, and he preferred to keep it secret. 

“I shall see myself out,” Aiode announced. 

Min set Harry’s book on the rickety table and turned around again. Aiode was wearing a plain green kirtle over a white smock. How disappointingly modest. 

“I’ll walk with you to the street,” Min offered. “Some of my neighbours, alas, are not at all gentlemanly.” 

Aiode raised her eyebrows. “Do you think me incapable of protecting myself?” 

Min flashed her a smile. “Not at all. In fact, I was relying on you to protect me.” 

Aiode laughed, the sound genuine and boisterous, and, for the first time since he’d fumbled into wakefulness, Min realized why he’d invited her back to his bed the night before. He’d always fallen hardest for women who didn’t put up with any bullshit. And Aiode’s bullshit detector, Min guessed, was as finely tuned as his own. 

Clearly he needed to never see her again. 

Anhaga will be out from Dreamspinner in the third quarter of 2019! 

And as we close out 2018, I hope that 2019 brings you and your families everything you've been hoping for.