Thursday, February 29, 2024

Reads: February, 2024


February continues my streak of great reads with new research books and a review for an old favorite! All highly recommended for those interested in these topics/genre.

Clay and Bones: My Life as an FBI Forensic Artist by Lisa Bailey

In Death Lamented: The Tradition of Anglo-American Mourning Jewelry by Sarah Nehama

Still Life with Bones: Genocide, Forensics, and What Remains by Alexa Hagerty 

Among the Living (Psycop: Book One) by Jordan Castillo Price

My reviews are linked to Goodreads, but I cross-post to BookBub and new followers are always welcome!

Wednesday, February 28, 2024

Translation: À la recherche du Docteur

The French edition of The Doctor (Magic & Steam: Book Three) is now available with Editions Bookmark and entitled, À la recherche du Docteur!

Blurb: 1882. Autrefois agent respecté du Bureau fédéral de la Magie et de la Vapeur, Gillian Hamilton se retrouve désormais sans titre, sans badge et derrière les barreaux. La révélation de son identité et de ses pouvoirs l’a fait tomber en disgrâce. Pour ne rien arranger, Gunner le Mortel a disparu dans les contrées sauvages de l’Ouest sans laisser de trace.

Mais, même au fond de son cachot, des rumeurs inquiétantes à propos d’un mystérieux médecin, connu sous le nom du Chirurgien, lui parviennent. Ce dernier aurait accès à des formes illégales de magie et, si tel est le cas, la violence, le chaos et la mort s’abattront sur New York. Gillian sait qu’il doit intervenir. Il demeure l’ultime rempart contre ce nouvel ennemi, avec ou sans l’aide du BFMV.

Pour réussir cette mission périlleuse, il lui faudra plus que son courage. Gillian aura non seulement besoin du talent inné de Gunner, mais aussi de son amour s’il veut mettre le Chirurgien aux arrêts avant que des dommages irréversibles ne soient causés au monde magique.

Publisher: MxM Bookmark
Series: De Magie et de Vapeur
Book #: T3

| Amazon | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo | 7Switch | Editions Bookmark |

Friday, February 16, 2024

Translation: Il mistero delle curiosità

The Italian release of The Mystery of the Curiosities (Snow & Winter: Book Two) is now available and entitled, Il mistero delle curiosità!

Blurb: Sebastian Snow è felice. L’Emporium va a gonfie vele e la sua relazione con il detective della Omicidi Calvin Winter è tutto ciò che ha sempre desiderato. Con San Valentino alle porte, la sua unica preoccupazione è decidere se invitare Calvin fuori per una cena romantica. Ma quando uno sconosciuto sfonda la vetrina dell’Emporium con un mattone lasciandosi dietro uno strano biglietto, i suoi programmi romantici passano in secondo piano.

In breve tempo Sebastian si trova coinvolto in una serie di macabri delitti il cui unico elemento comune sono i riferimenti alle “curiosità” del Museo di P.T. Barnum. Nonostante i tentativi di Calvin di tenerlo fuori dal caso, è evidente che l’assassino sia determinato a giocare la sua partita proprio con Sebastian, che ancora una volta si troverà a rischiare la vita per risolvere il mistero.

Publisher: Triskell Edizioni
Series: Snow & Winter
Book #: 2

| Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Google Play | iBooks | Kobo | Triskell Edizioni |

Monday, February 5, 2024

Release: Curio

Today is the pseudo-surprise release of my newest short story: Curio! A gay romcom palate cleanser perfect to read in between larger books, with lots of laughs and low angst to put a smile on your face.

Blurb: Llewellyn Cooper and his aunt Julia run Curio Cabinet in New York City’s West Village, where the clientele is as strange as the junk being amassed in their secondhand shop. Llewellyn and Julia have been as thick as thieves his entire life, and Llewellyn can’t imagine being anywhere else six days a week—even if Julia’s bizarre habits and inappropriate conversations drive him crazy. That’s family, though, right?

When Llewellyn drums up the nerve to chat with a routine customer—in part due to curiosity, as Henry McLaughlin returns time and again to purchase nothing but old photographs, but also because the bearded and bow tie–wearing man is the finest thing to ever step foot inside Curio—it seems like Llewellyn will finally have a plus-one for future RSVPs. But just when things start looking up in the romance department, it turns out Henry might be too strange for the Cooper family.

And that’s saying something.

Purchase: Available Online Retailers
Title: Curio
Cover Art: Reese Dante

Add to your Goodreads and BookBub today!

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Reads: January, 2024


January has been great in the reading department! I'm one of those readers who, once I begin a book, even if it's not for me, I read in its entirety. But I decided this month that a research book—riddled with historical inconsistencies, errors, and general lack of citations—wasn't worth my time. So instead, I enjoyed some new titles, reviewed some old, and it was a joy!

Grave Danger (Critter Catchers: Level Up: Book One) by Hank Edwards

Gentleman Bandit: The True Story of Black Bart, the Old West's Most Infamous Stagecoach Robber by John Boessenecker

Impeccable Credentials (Town Bronze: Book Three) by Ellie Thomas 

As always, I post my reviews at both Goodreads and BookBub and always welcome new followers!

Wednesday, January 31, 2024

Winner: Goodreads M/M Romance Members' Choice Awards 2023


Thank you to readers for your incredible support during the annual Goodreads M/M Romance Members' Choice Awards in December, 2023! Because of you, the Memento Mori series got some incredible recognition:

Best Mystery/Whodunit
2nd place, Broadway Butchery

Best Law Enforcement
2nd place, Broadway Butchery

Best Main Character in a Series
2nd place, Everett Larkin

I'm especially humbled by your choosing of Everett Larkin as one of the best leading characters of all 2023 releases, and can honestly say I was speechless when the winners were announced! Thank you so much for reading this series. Memento Mori is so near and dear to my heart, and knowing these books are resonating with others is the greatest gift I could ever receive.

Tuesday, January 2, 2024

Status Update: The Councilman

I've been creatively burned out since mid-2022, which if you hadn’t seen me mention on various social media platforms, or heard me talk about in-person at book events, you might have simply noticed a decline in my production—from a cornucopia in 2021 to two books in 2022 to only one in 2023. While I feel like I’ve finally broken free of that rut, am writing consistently again, and at a level of quality I feel to be on par with previously published titles, it’s been slow-going. Writing is like a sport in that sense, and after sitting on the sidelines for so long, my muscles and stamina aren’t what they used to be. It’ll take some time for me to get back to a pre-burnout pace.

I’m sharing this backstory to explain why, if you had The Councilman (Magic & Steam 4) pre-ordered, you probably got a notification from the retailer that the pre-order has been cancelled and the book is not currently being released in January.

The reason is simple: I couldn’t get it written in time. Either the story would have suffered or the editing would have been subpar. I am very proud of providing readers with nothing short of my absolute best, and to have cut corners to meet a retailer due date wouldn’t have sat well with me or you.

But let me reiterate: The Councilman is still being written! It will still be published!

The book is halfway done, the cover art is, of course, complete, and there’s a working blurb. I’m not going to estimate an exact release date right now, but will keep readers informed through social media, my website, and newsletter. And when The Councilman is done, you’ll hear me shouting from the rooftops, I promise.

Thank you so much for your support of the Magic & Steam series, and thank you for supporting my writing. Whether you’ve only recently begun reading me, or have been around since my 2015 short story debut, this career would not be possible without your love of books and commitment toward stories representing LGBTQ people in a positive light.

Gillian and Gunner are returning in 2024! Declan Winters is returning for the audiobook production!

Just give me a bit more time to really nail that story into place.