And we think you should take advantage of this sale and get up-to-date with Sam and Rufus... for no reason whatsoever. Definitely tell your friends, too.
I’ve been recovering from creative burnout for the last year, which led me to trashing the original (and half finished) manuscripts to both books mentioned above because they weren’t up to my storytelling standards. Unfortunately, those decisions put me behind schedule, and Amazon only allows authors to extend their pre-order once by an additional thirty days—which is rarely helpful. The only call to make, tough as it might be, was to cancel these pre-orders and finish writing the books at my own pace.
I love Larkin and Doyle (as well as Gillian and Gunner) so much, and writing these stories brings me such joy. I don’t want to lose what makes writing special in a mad dash to reach the finish line, and I don’t think readers would like those books either. I know this is disappointing, but I promise I’m hard at work on Hudson River Homicides and our favorite cold case detective and forensic artist aren’t going anywhere!
I’m going to avoid assigning a specific release date until I’ve finished writing the book. (It will be 2024!) But once Hudson River Homicides goes into edits, the schedule becomes surefire, so I’ll be able to share the date publicly! And when Book 4 releases, yes, Kale Williams will return to narrate the audiobook too.
I really appreciate your support of my writing and the excitement you share with me for Larkin and Doyle. I can’t tell you how incredible it is, how happy I am that these two unconventional heroes have found so much acceptance with readers.
Below is the official blurb for Hudson River Homicides, as well as a little excerpt for your reading pleasure! Thank you again, my friends, and I promise to keep you updated via newsletter and my social media channels.
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Blurb: The Cold Case Squad has a problem: someone won’t stop taunting Detective Everett Larkin. He’s been able to apprehend some of the worst criminals to ever stalk the streets of New York City, thanks in great part to forensic artist and boyfriend, Ira Doyle, but after their last case, events have taken a turn for the worse.
A body recovered from the Hudson River bears a message addressed to Larkin, as well as another token from Victorian mourning culture. And as nineteenth century hair jewelry leads Larkin deeper into the growing tangle of interconnected crimes, it becomes evident that solving these mysteries will come at a profound cost. To be a good detective, Larkin will have to put his relationship on the line by revisiting the past and enduring sleepless nights—lest the sender act on their threat against Doyle.
What began as a game of cat and mouse has turned into a fight for love and life itself.
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Excerpt: Doyle wore a light gray suit that morning—a color he didn’t typically favor, but in Larkin’s professional opinion, it really complimented his physical blessings—paired with a powder blue button down, sleeves rolled back of course, and a navy tie with the knot just the slightest bit askew.
In other words: Ira Doyle was perfect.
Doyle smiled, big and bright, like he only had eyes for Larkin. The strap of his portfolio bag crossed his chest from left to right and he held two of the same coffee cups and sandwiches as Porter—sans bacon, Larkin guessed.
Porter tilted his head sideways in reference to Doyle while saying, “Look who I bumped into at the food cart downstairs.”
Doyle said to Larkin, “I figured you’d probably be jonesing for some calories about now.”
“He’s a real peach, Grim,” Porter interjected.
“Thank you, Porter,” Larkin answered, holding the phone to his chest.
“I’m just saying—my ex-wife was never so thoughtful.” Porter set his breakfast on his messy desktop. He tossed his coat over the back of his chair and pocketed the handkerchief before adding, “Come to think of it, I don’t recall your husband ever coming ‘round with coffee, either.”
“Ex-husband,” Larkin corrected. “Because he was expected to be at his job.” And as Doyle approached Larkin’s desk, he said, more quietly to his partner, “You have a job too.”
“It’s still early,” Doyle insisted, voice dropping to match Larkin’s tone. He stood close enough that Larkin had to tilt his head back, but not so close that their intimacy was on public display. “How’re you?”
“I suppose making a spectacle over subpar hold music has given me away.”
“A bit.”
“I’m happy to see you.”
Doyle’s sympathetic smile bloomed like a recording of a time-lapsed flower on fast forward. “Yeah?”
“I’m always happy to see you.” Larkin heard the jazz music cut and he promptly raised the receiver to his ear.
Nine years ago on June 1st, my very first professionally published short story debuted in a summer anthology. Love Has No Expiration has been out-of-print since my rights reverted in 2020 and I opened up shop as Emporium Press, but I promise that delightful little contemporary romance will get the princess treatment soon enough—an all-new cover, entirely re-written and expanded content, with fresh edits—and be available for sale once again.
Readers took a chance on a fresh-faced no-name, and the success of that one short story made the Snow & Winter series possible. Readers continued to take chances on content publishers and agents alike insisted had no audience, allowing me to publish my passion-project: Magic & Steam. And when I introduced an unreliable narrator named Everett Larkin, readers gave him a chance, making the Memento Mori series some of my most successful books to-date.
Your support, whether you've been reading me since 2015 or just began yesterday, has helped make all of these books possible. Your support allows me to write full-time, to keep coming up with bigger and better stories, and even allows me to tell the government: yes, this is my actual job! But most importantly, your support allows me the opportunity to hire other artists in the industry—which in these uncertain times of AI technology scraping and stealing data—can make all the difference.
2015 - 2024
5 short stories
5 novellas
12 novels
2 co-written novels
18 audiobooks
12 French translations (+8 contracts)
3 German translations (+2 contracts)
2 Italian translations (+16 contracts)
And I've got plenty more happening behind-the-scenes! Books being written (hello, Hudson River Homicides), audio productions penciled onto calendars, special collections in planning stages, and three confirmed events in the upcoming year, including: GRL '24 in Olathe, Kansas and Coastal Magic Convention '25 in Daytona Beach, Florida! (The third is still under wraps, per the organizer.)
Thank you so much for taking a chance on me, for trusting in my storytelling abilities, and supporting indie LGBT authors! Here's to many more years of reading together.
Release Date: Summer, 2024
Series: Memento Mori
Book #: Four
Cover Artist: Reese Dante
Audiobook Narrator: Kale Williams
Blurb: The Cold Case Squad has a problem: someone won’t stop taunting Detective Everett Larkin. He’s been able to apprehend some of the worst criminals to ever stalk the streets of New York City, thanks in great part to forensic artist and boyfriend, Ira Doyle, but after their last case, events have taken a turn for the worse.
A body recovered from the Hudson River bears a message addressed to Larkin, as well as another token from Victorian mourning culture. And as nineteenth century hair jewelry leads Larkin deeper into the growing tangle of interconnected crimes, it becomes evident that solving these mysteries will come at a profound cost. To be a good detective, Larkin will have to put his relationship on the line by revisiting the past and enduring sleepless nights—lest the sender act on their threat against Doyle.
What began as a game of cat and mouse has turned into a fight for love and life itself.
Add to your Goodreads bookshelf today!
April 10 - 15, my ebooks are all on sale for 10% off with coupon code at checkout: BNPOE10
Collect short stories like my newest release, Curio. Grab Broadway Butchery and be up-to-date on the Memento Mori series. Begin The Mystery of Nevermore, the novel that kickstarted my career! All of these and more are on sale until April 15.
Please note: Coupon is not applicable for the purchase of pre-orders or co-written books.
Joy can be purchased in paperback at Amazon and is in queue for immediate distribution to Barnes & Noble as well.
Blurb: Down on his luck is Gideon Joy’s default state. He doesn’t know why he expected a different outcome on his cross-country trip, but unsurprisingly, the hits keep coming—literally this time. Gideon strikes a moose with his car in New Hampshire, not only totaling his own vehicle, but damaging one belonging to local construction worker, Silas Bright. He has no choice but to stay in Lancaster and take on a job that’ll pay for the repairs. And in a town so small, Gideon’s constantly running into Silas. What starts as annoyance between them soon blooms into something much more intimate. But when Gideon’s notorious bad luck rears its head yet again, how many disastrous dates will Silas be willing to weather before realizing Gideon’s not worth the effort?
The quaint community has accepted Gideon as one of their own, but past fears of inadequacy threaten the very joy he left Los Angeles to discover. If he’s to find a happily ever after with Silas, Gideon must learn to accept that sometimes it’s okay to not be the best. And true happiness might be an everyday life in a small town.
Entirely revised and freshly edited 2nd edition.
Also included, exclusive to the paperback edition: Kneading You (A Lancaster Story: Book One)
18 Tiny Deaths: The Untold Story of Frances Glessner Lee and the Invention of Modern Forensics by Bruce Goldfarb
My reviews are always posted at both Goodreads and BookBub—please give a follow!
