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Author Interview

On Circus Lane by Lily Morton (Wright Brothers Book 1): Release Blitz, Exclusive Author Interview and New Release Review

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The first time Bee Bannister met Tom Wright, he couldn’t stand him.

Everything about the man aggravated him—his perfect hair and body, his confident arrogance, and the way he looked straight through Bee.

Which is why it’s such an unpleasant shock to find that he’ll be sharing space with him while on a Christmas holiday with friends in Scotland.

However, as the days fly by and snowy Edinburgh begins to work its magic on him, Bee discovers that sometimes first impressions can be very misleading. Tom is kind and funny, and somehow, rather than looking through Bee, he actually sees and likes all of him.

The two men grow closer, but will Bee follow his heart or his head when the holiday ends? And can relationships that start so badly ever lead to love?

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a festive romantic comedy about enemies to lovers and the magic of Christmas.

This is the first book in the Wright Brothers series.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

EXCLUSIVE Q&A WITH THE AUTHOR:

What is a behind-the-scenes anecdote or interesting fact about the creation of On Circus Lane?

In the book Bee is very busy in the run up to the holiday and doesn’t pay attention to the group chats. When he gets to Edinburgh he finds that he can’t get into any of the tourist attractions because he didn’t know you had to buy tickets. This actually happened to me, and it changed the trajectory of the book.

I’d gone to Edinburgh with my husband to do a research trip and I’d planned to take my characters into the big tourist attractions like Edinburgh Castle and Holyrood Palace. However, we couldn’t get tickets for the castle, and when we went to the palace they were cleaning it. I was so upset because I needed that info for the book, but then my husband said, “Isn’t it more fun to find unusual things, rather than just focusing on what everyone else is doing?” This led us on a quest to find little things for Tom to show Bee and in the process make him fall for him.

Do you read in the same genre you write? Do you have any favourite series or books?

I do read in the same genre. I love MM. I’m an avid reader so I have far too many favourites to list all of them. Some series that are at the top of my reread list are the Snow and Winter books by CS Poe, Adrien English by Josh Lanyon, the Marshalls series by Mary Calmes, the Soulbound books by Hailey Turner, and the Better Than series by Lane Hayes. There are so many more but those are the ones that came to mind immediately.

Now that you’re finished with this book, what’s next on your writing schedule?

I’m torn between the next book in my Model Agency series, or the final book in my paranormal romance series, Black and Blue. I’m writing both stories next year, so it’ll come down to which character has the loudest voice – Xavier or Blue. It’s Clash of the Titans!

If you could spend the day with one of the main characters in your book, which would it be, and what would you do together?

It would be Tom. Bee is incredibly clever and very focused on his lists of things to see and do in Edinburgh, while Tom is much more relaxed and easygoing. He has a way of taking the seriousness out of everything for Bee and finding off-the-wall interesting things for them to do. I like the care and attention he pays Bee and his innate understanding of what makes the man tick. We all need someone to understand us like that and love us for who we are.

What are your favourite tropes or themes to write in a book? Is it/are they in this book?

I love writing forced proximity. It’s so much fun to see how being close together can override preconceptions or provide the spark to make friends turn to lovers. On Circus Lane features forced proximity. Bee dislikes Tom intensely when he first meets him, but then he finds himself sharing an apartment with him while on holiday with a group of friends. The closeness lets him see how wrong his first impression was of the man as they’re thrown together in Edinburgh.

As I settled in and started reading this book I was quickly confused. Jack? Arlo? Friends? But they are together?

*does some digging*

I see. Lily Morton wrote Merry Measure a few years ago and is officially Wright Brothers Book 2 and this newest is book 1. Once I got that sorted I was ok. It also helped to know that Steven, Jack’s boyfriend, wouldn’t be around forever.

Back to the story. Bee and best friend Ivy and a rag tag group of friends and relations decide to go on vacation in Edinburgh. And although there was a bit of a miscommunication? Missed connection? between Bee and Tom and a lot of stony glares thrown at Tom during the drive, Tom felt that gut punch of “this is my person”. Too bad Bee is not a relationship kind of guy.

I did love that Bee, the child prodigy academic who tends to miss most of what is going on around him, is the one and done guy. Nice flip on the stereotype.

He’s also confident in himself and knows he can catch a guy for a night. But apparently not Tom.

And so Tom courts him in a way. Sneaking on his phone to google things to do that Bee would like. Offering to take him shopping and sight seeing. Offering tea and toast in the morning in their shared accommodations. It’s really rather sweet.

Bee is semi oblivious to this because he is still stung that his masculine wiles haven’t worked on Tom. Everyone else sees it though.

I love both the romantic nature of the story as well as the reading about the various spots in Edinburgh they visit. The group of friends was fun as well. Not expecting the group to stick together during the day, only hoping that they can get together for a meal every night. Except for the aforementioned Steven. Why he got so much page time in Bee and Tom’s story, I’ll never know. He was a pompous ass and too much energy was devoted to him.

Toward the end of the book we get to visit with Tom’s (and Arlo’s) parents again which is always fun. They are unique and fun characters.

And I adored the romance of Tom and Bee being present for each other. Tom at first especially. He LISTENED to Bee. He was interested in what he had to say and made sure to give him his focus. That, to me, is one of the most romantic and intimate things between 2 people.

I really enjoyed this book (except for Steven) and when I finished it, I reopened Merry Measure because On Circus Lane ends where Merry Measure begins and I wanted to see Jack get his happily ever after again.

For reference, Merry Measure review here.

4.5 pieces of eye candy

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008647656545

Facebook Readers Group: www.facebook.com/groups/SnarkSquad

Twitter: www.twitter.com/LilyAuthor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lilymortonauthor

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LilyMorton-Newsletter

Free Me (Love in the Pacific Northwest Series, Book 4) by Beck Grey: RB, Exclusive Author Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway

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A gender-fluid cutie, a workaholic hottie, and a hookup gone right.

Blake
No romantic relationship could ever compete with my dream job. Sure, it gets lonely, but that’s what occasional hookups are for. Work-life balance? Who cares? I certainly don’t. Until chest pains bring me to my knees and land me in the emergency room.

It’s a wake-up call I can’t afford to ignore.

When my well-meaning family encourages me to make some major life changes, like hiring a meditation and physiotherapist, whatever that is, I’m worried enough to agree.

Imagine my surprise when my practitioner turns out to be the hookup I haven’t been able to forget.

Stef
What’s a fabulously vivacious genderfluid beauty to do when stress is high and Prince Charmings aren’t lined up at their door? Head to the club to recharge my sparkle on the dance floor. I have no intention of hooking up with anyone. Hookups are not my thing.

I may be sassy, but I keep it classy. Usually.

Then I see the slightly older hottie in the Tom Ford suit, and all my self-restraint goes up in a blast of glitter.
When it turns out he’s my new meditation client and my friend’s older brother, I’m sure the universe is messing with me.

Because mixing business with pleasure is a huge no-no.
So why does my heart keep shouting yes?
Free Me is a low-angst, opposites attract, worlds collide, LGBTQ romance about a genderfluid cutie, a slightly older hottie, and a hookup gone right. It contains no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.

Title: Free Me
Authors: Beck Grey
Length: 75k
Series: Love in the Pacific Northwest Series, Book 4
Genre: Contemporary, Low Angst.
Tropes: low-angst, opposites attract, worlds collide.

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited – All Regions

Goodreads

Book 1: Save Me: Love in the Pacific Northwest

Book 2: Embrace Me: Love in the Pacific Northwest

Book 3:  Choose Me: Love in the Pacific Northwest

Book 5: Heal Me: Love in the Pacific Northwest (Out Jan. ’24)

  • If you could sit down with one other writer, living or dead, who would you choose, and what would you ask them?

Neil Gaiman. And what wouldn’t I ask him? The guy is absolutely a wealth of information on about a billion subjects and he’s married to another fascinating person, Amanda Palmer. I’d ask him book related questions and questions about writing, and characters, but I’d also ask him about trips he’s taken and life experiences he’s had. He’s incredibly interesting and listening to interviews he’s given, his life-views are thoughtful and humane.

  • Tell us more about your forthcoming release? What’s this book about?

Free Me is the story of Stef Evans, an out and proud genderqueer physiotherapist and meditation coach, and Blake McCarthy, a workaholic book publisher. It’s a low-angst, opposites attract, worlds collide, LGBTQ romance about a genderfluid cutie, a slightly older hottie, and a hookup gone right. It contains no cheating, and a guaranteed HEA.

It’s book four in my Love in the Pacific Northwest series. All of my books can be read as standalones, but most of the characters make appearances in other books. So we’ve met Stef before in their brother Jules’ book, Choose Me, and in their friend Quinn’s book, Embrace Me. But in the time between books three and four, they learned they were genderfluid.

I would like to take credit for making Stef genderfluid, but they told me that bit of information as I was writing the first chapter of Free Me. They were very insistent, so what could I do? But I love it, because having representation matters. I’m non-binary and it’s nice to put some of that representation in my books. Especially with what’s going on in the world right now with people’s civil rights.

  • What inspired you to write this particular story? What were the challenges in bringing it to life?

Representation of all kinds is what inspires me to write. My series follows a group of LGBTQ friends as they find their people and their happily ever afters. They all have their challenges—social anxiety, Deafness, long distances—but the characters never question who they are. I won’t write main characters who are questioning their sexuality or identity. There are a ton of incredibly powerful, well-written books that address these issues. I love writing situations where being part of the LGBTQ community is just another aspect of someone’s life, like having brown eyes, or being a certain height. It’s something that is, and can’t be changed. So, all of my characters will always be accepting of who they are in and out of the LGBTQ community.

Stef’s book was always going to be next in my series, and I had initially intended it to be more of an age-gap kind of focus, but neither character really seemed overly bothered by the age difference between them. It’s nine years, and while Blake considers it, he doesn’t dwell on it. And then once Stef revealed they’re gender-fluid that really became the focus of the book. So the trick was to walk the line between having this new revelation in Stef’s life be part of their new identity without making it “an issue” for them. Stef does worry it will impact Blake’s career, but Stef never questions who they are, or considers changing, or hiding it.

  • Where can readers find out more about you and your work?

I’m on FB, Discord, TikTok, Instagram, BookBub and Goodreads. All of those links can be found on my Langtry: https://linktr.ee/beck_grey

Check out my website if you’d like sneak peeks of upcoming releases and lots of other stuff! https://www.beckgrey.com/

My Newsletter signup: https://www.subscribepage.com/beckgrey

I walk out to the bedroom balcony and look down at the patio. Blake is lounging by the pool in swim trunks and sunglasses, reading a book. He looks incredibly relaxed, and it makes my heart happy. “Hey, handsome.” He glances up and his face breaks into a wide grin. Okay, yes, we’ve been together for a few months, but his smile still makes my insides all melty and warm. “You want to come in and eat, or should I bring the food out?”

“Put on a suit and come down. This is my big plan for the day.” He gestures to the pool area and waves his book.

I lean my elbows on the railing and grin down at him. “If you’re trying to seduce me, it’s working.”

“Excellent. Step one in my evil plan is complete. Now come down here. I missed you.”

“Be down in a sec!” I hurry inside, strip out of my work clothes, then lather myself in the sunscreen that smells like coconut. Blake loves the scent, and I love how he nuzzles my neck when I use it. I pull on my tiniest black and white print swim briefs, grab a beach towel from the closet and the food bags from the kitchen counter, and hurry down to the game room and out to the patio. “Should we eat at the table or on the loungers like heathens?”

Blake glances up from his book and his eyes lock on my tiny swimsuit. I do a slow spin, giving him a good view of my ass. “Like?”

He pulls his sunglasses to the end of his nose and peers over them. “That’s new.” His voice is thick with lust. Oh, yeah. Mission accomplished.

“It is! And it’s so adorable!”

Blake licks his lips. “And so tiny.”

“I had a feeling you might like it.” I skip past him to the table and deposit the bags.

Blake practically growls and grabs my hips the moment I put the bags down. “Come here.”

I laugh as he manhandles me, hauling me close and inhaling my skin. He drags his nose across my abdomen and my cock stirs, eager to join in the fun, but my stomach growls with hunger. “Mmm. I’m fully on board with whatever you’re planning here, Darling, but we should eat before the food gets cold.”

Blake bites my hip. “We can heat it up.”

My laugh quickly turns to a gasp as his tongue teases above the edge of my suit. It’s all I can do not to press his head a few inches lower. “Blake, Darling, I have souvlaki and Greek salad.”

He hums and sits back, waggling his eyebrows at me. “You know I love Greek.”

I snort at his double entendre. “As do I, my darling. So let’s eat.” I wink at him. “Then we can eat.”

His chuckle warms every part of me. He pushes to his feet with a sigh. “If we must, we must.”

“We must.” I press up on my tiptoes and pucker up.

He obliges me, but turns my expected quick press of lips into a lingering kiss that curls my toes and has me second-guessing my stance on eating first. As I’m about to give in, he lets me go and pats my backside. “C’mon. Let’s feed you so we can move on to other enjoyable things.”

Beck is a non-binary writer of sweet, sexy, LGBTQ happily ever afters. They live in the Northeastern United States with their two adorable dogs. Weekdays are spent working their day job, but nights and weekends are devoted to writing stories involving hot characters, favorite tropes, and happy endings. Any additional time includes reading, laughing with friends, drinking red wine, and playing D&D. If there’s cake involved at any point it’s a win!

Connect with Beck:
https://linktr.ee/beck_grey a Rafflecopter giveaway

His Fake Boyfriend by Hurri Cosmo: Blog Tour, Exclusive Author Interview, Excerpt and Giveaway

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Noah is Griffin Colewater’s best friend and absolutely no one knows him better. Certainly not any of the parade of girlfriends he’s had over the years. Even his most recent, Lauren, whom he has been with the longest.

And just broke up with.

Does it make Noah a terrible friend if he’s just a little bit thrilled about that?

It doesn’t really matter, though. Griffin is the oldest son of the owners of Colewater Properties, a multi-gazillion dollar hotel conglomerate. He is also next in line to take over when his father retires which makes Griffin the most sought-after bachelor in the city. So, another girl is right around the corner.

The issue? Griffin’s mother claims to be desperately tired of his playboy antics. She is demanding Griffin settle down with a wife and family “or else”. Being that Griffin has never actually been able to please his mother in anything, Noah doesn’t understand Griffin’s hopeless mission to make that happen now.

Which makes the huge charity bash his parents are throwing a bit problematic. His mother is insisting on meeting Lauren. Yep. Griffin has yet to tell her he’s single again. And he insists he’s not going to. Instead, Griffin does something insane. He hires a fake girlfriend. Yah. A fake Lauren. Well ― not fake. She’s a ‘Lauren’, too. But that’s not the point. Griffin asked Noah to provide the “girlfriend for months” knowledge to Lauren number two so she could pull this whole ‘girlfriend’ thing off.

Honestly. What can go wrong with that?

Everything.

Because Griffin is not only Noah’s very best friend in all the world, Noah is also so crazy in love with the man, he hurts. A stupid stunt like this could reveal that very thing and freak Griffin’s parents out so badly, he’s sure they will gift Noah with cement boots and personally pitch him off the pier themselves. But the bigger problem in Noah’s mind? Griffin is totally not gay and if he ever found out Noah’s true feelings?

Damn.

Griffin would more than likely be the one mixing the cement.

Title: His Fake Boyfriend

Author Name: Hurri Cosmo

Word Count: 53,000

Genres: Contemporary

Keywords/Categories: friends to lovers, hurt/comfort, rich man/poor man, discovery of self, millionaire boyfriend, friends to lovers, fake boyfriend, contemporary, gay romance, mm romance, gay, romance, MM, new release, announcement, giveaway, bi, bisexual, gay

Amazon – All Regions

What was your first published work? Tell me a little about it.

That would be “Until You”. It was actually a fan fic for the “Finder” Manga which I converted into a novel by changing some of the details. I love the “Finder” series. I also wrote a few others for that series that I converted into books. “I Believe Now”, which is a sequel for “Until You”, “Baby, Think It Over” which became “Unexpected Heart”, “Ladders” which is not available at the moment and even “The Astral Mage” had an influence from that Manga.

Have you ever taken a trip to research a story? Tell me about it.

We went to New Orleans for a wedding and the “Crow Boy” story manifested in my mind. I didn’t GO to New Orleans to research it, but once I was there, I had to do that. It will be about a boy who can enter people’s memories and can change them. He also has a “pet” crow but I think the crow is actually a shifter that has yet to show himself. I don’t have the entire premise for that story yet. I have the cover for it though. Great, odd, creepy cover. Bits and pieces. Soon.

What is your writing Kryptonite?

Noise. People talking to me. Too many things on my plate.

Do you use a pseudonym? If so, why?

Hurri Cosmo is a pen name. I also wrote a novel under the name Teri Yorek. Teri was my sister. When she passed away way too young and more than twenty years ago now the family went through her things and found a number of notebooks where she had written stories. I asked if I could have those notebooks because someday I was going to be an author and I swore to my mother that when I did I would publish her story. I pieced together all of the writings and finally came up with “Every Breath”. Painted Hearts Publishing published it for me. That was amazing. Thankfully because my mother had become ill as well so prior to my mother passing away it was done. When the book came out, my mother put it on Teri’s silent piano on a small easel. That was a bigger compliment then any five star review I could get. However, I DID get two five star reviews for this book.

Do you ever base your characters on real people?

Absolutely. In fact, most of my characters are based on “real” people. They have to be. I used to consider myself an artist. But the problem was, even though I came up with stuff in my head, I couldn’t get it down on paper. So in my stories I use personalities that I know. Even so, often times, they go off in directions I am totally not prepared for. But I love that.

How long do you write each day?

I don’t write every day. I do WORK at my craft every day. I read, research, write, think, dream. All that stuff. It all contributes.

Do you read your book reviews? How do you deal with bad or good ones?

It’s hard not to read the bad ones. It’s hard TO read them, but if I do, I try to pull from them something I can use. The good ones uplift me, just like any other author. But it’s the bad ones that stick. Scar.

How long on average does it take you to write a book?

In the past it was just months. I was working parttime back then and now I am working fulltime. More than fulltime. I get up at three in the morning to get that time alone but that is often interrupted these days since my husband gets up shortly after that now, loving those early morning hours. With less and less time to myself, it unfortunately takes upwards of a year.

Why did you choose to write in your particular field or genre?

I am not sure why I write Gay Romance. All I know is that when I discovered it, started to consume it, I knew this was the genre for me. At least for now. I have written one romance that had a man and woman. That was the story I wrote for my sister, Teri. I also have one mystery story I wrote. No romance at all. Paranormal. It’s not published. I need to update it. It is truly the first book I wrote. I might get it out. We will see. I have all of these ideas written down, too. Mystery, fantasy, paranormal. Prior to discovering gay romance, I was writing all kinds of genres.

Are you a full-time or part-time writer? How does that affect your writing?

Part time. I wish it was full time. Someday when I retire I can maybe say that I am full time. It affects my writing by me not being able to actually get my ideas out as quickly as I want to and I don’t have a great memory. So… I lose a lot.

Do your books spring to life from a character first or an idea?

Both. It really depends. Many things.

How do you approach covers for your indie stories?

In the past I had to rely on someone else to “see” my vision because I published through small publishing houses. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t. I have also bought pre-mades. Most recently, for this book, I employed an artist. That was great.

“Ahhhhhhh!”

The scream jarred Noah awake and nearly off the couch. With eyes wide and his heart in his throat, he darted his gaze around the large living room, expecting big foot or murderers or at the very least a hot guy running naked across the floor. But there was none of those things. Just Griffin’s latest, his longest actually, standing there trying to cover her nakedness with perfectly manicured fingers. Her hair was only a bit out of place. However, she had no doubt gone to bed with her makeup on.

“What’s wrong?” Noah croaked out, trying to calm his heart as Griffin came tearing―okay, stumbling―up the hallway behind her, yanking on a robe.

“Lauren? What the fuck?” Griffin made it into the living room to stand beside Lauren. He, too, had perused the room with eyes that were barely open, squinting against the bright early sunshine already pouring in the windows. “Why are you screaming?”

She pointed a finger, having to bare a plump breast to do it, right at Noah. “There’s a man in our house.”

Griffin glanced at Noah and grinned. “Where?”

“Funny,” Noah deadpanned as he flopped back into his pillow, blood still pumping loudly in his ears. “What time is it, anyway?”

“Fuck,” Griffin grouched. “Six. Lauren, what the fuck are you screeching at six in the morning for?”

“I’m not screeching!”

Oh, she so totally was, and it grated on every nerve in Noah’s body.

“There’s a stranger sleeping on the couch in my living room!” she insisted.

Wait. Her living room?

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Griffin yawned. “That’s Noah. You know Noah.”

Which was true. It would be hard not to know him if anyone met Griffin even a little. They were pretty much inseparable.

“How did he get in here, and what is he doing in our condo at six in the morning?”

“He has his own… wait…” There was movement and suddenly Griffin was hunched down near Noah’s head. “Hey buddy, she has a point. What are you doing here? What happened?”

“I was kicked out,” Noah moaned sleepily.

“What? That asshole!”

“Who’s an asshole?” came that shrieking voice again. Evidently, she felt it safer to shout from a distance.

“Can you tell her to tone it down a bit?” Noah whimpered.

“I can tell her. She won’t listen.”

“Quit talking about me like I’m not here!”

“Pretty tough to forget that,” Griffin murmured.

She squealed again but seemed to storm off because it was blessedly quiet again. Noah really did need to learn to like her better. Or at all. The problem was, she hated Noah.

“You’re going to pay for that,” Noah said.

“Believe me, I already am. Tell me what happened.” Griffin picked Noah’s head up, scooted himself under it so he was sitting on the couch and laid Noah’s head in his lap.

“You need to go do this with Lauren.”

“Do what? Besides, I want to find out what happened.”

Damn. Noah should never have come here. He wished now he had barged in on Genny and Marcus instead. Of course, he didn’t have an open invitation there like he did here. Still… “Sorry for… well, ruining your morning with Lauren.”

“You didn’t ruin anything. Quit stalling. Was it that asshole, Sabastian?”

“Who else? He…”

“He what?”

“He’s a jerk. They’re both jerks. They threw me out last night.” Literally. But he didn’t say that out loud. He was still pretty freaked out about it.

“Fuck, Noah, you’re the one on the lease. Not that asshole you let move in with you. Why do you…? Wait. You’re shaking. What else happened?”

“I’m… just cold.” Lie.

“Hmmm. Well, never mind. I’ll deal with it.”

Oh shit. “How?”

“I don’t want you to worry about it.” He patted Noah’s head and smoothed his most likely wild hair. “What time did you get here?”

“About two.” He had somehow misplaced his wallet. Most likely it was laying on his living room floor having fallen out during the scuffle. Having no money or bus card meant he had to walk instead of being able to take a taxi or even mass transit. Thankfully the doorman knew Noah, and Griffin had left explicit instructions with the building’s staff that if Noah ever needed anything, including a spare key card to Griffin’s condo, he would be given it.

“Really? Wow. Go back to sleep.” He continued to stroke Noah’s hair. “Even I got more sleep than that.”

Noah opened his eyes and turned his head to stare up at Griffin. “Are you serious? Two o’clock, Griffin. You guys were going at it like… like…” His anxiety tamped up a bit. “Well, whatever. I shouldn’t have come.” Especially since it always depressed him to be reminded Lauren was front and center. And other things.

“Of course, you should be here, you know that. Why didn’t you just sleep in the guest bedroom?”

Noah rolled his eyes and turned back away. “You mean the one next to your room? You know why.”

Griffin harumphed. “Really? What? We were noisy?”

“You were deafening. Earsplitting. God. I hate the sound of hetero sex.”

I am Hurri Cosmo and I live in Minnesota where I hold tight to the idea that here, where it’s cold a good part of the year, I won’t age as fast. Yep, I avoid the truth as much as I avoid mirrors. But one of the reasons I love writing is reality doesn’t always offer up a “happily ever after” and being able to take control of that is a powerful lure.

Being a happy ending junkie, writing just makes them easier to find. Oh, I don’t mind “real life” and I do try to at least keep it in mind when I write my stories, but I truly love creating a wonderful couple, knowing they will fall in love and have their HEA. Every – single – time. And, of course, that is exactly the reason I love reading this genre, too.

Give me a glass of red wine, some dark chocolate, and my computer, whether I am reading or writing, and I will entertain myself for hours. The fact I actually get paid to do it is Snickers bars on the frosting on the cake.

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

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

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

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6466687.Hurri_Cosmo

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hurri-Cosmo

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A Right To Know (County Durham Quad) by Jude Tresswell: Exclusive Author Interview and Excerpt

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“A son! A child! How? Why? Fuck! Phil! You can’t have! And does this sperm-child want to see you?”

Abandonment, trust, suspicion and compromise—integral parts of a mystery that involves industrial espionage, sperm donation and coming to terms with oneself and the truth.

Sperm donors know that now, under UK law, offspring who reach eighteen have the right to learn a donor’s identity and last known address, but Phil Roberts donated before the law was changed. He is shocked and dismayed to learn that he has a son called Lewis who intends to visit. Phil’s husband, Raith, is furious—and very scared.

What does Lewis Lennon really want? The man he has always called ‘dad’ is dead. Was his death suicide or was he murdered? Lewis wants Phil to find out. So, Phil, Raith, Mike and Ross, the County Durham Quad, plus their special friend, Nick, are embroiled in another investigation, but, as always, their relationships come under scrutiny too.

Title:  A Right To Know

Series: County Durham Quad 7

Author: Jude Tresswell

Publisher: KDP

Release Date: 31st July 2021

Heat Level: 2 – Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Male/Male Menage

Length: 57300

Genre: Mystery, asexual/sexual relationship, family drama/biological father, polyamorous relationship

Amazon – Kindle Unlimited

Goodreads

When did you write your first story and what was the inspiration for it?

I wrote a 60,000+ word fan fic in 2015.  It was based on a detective series by the British author, Reginald Hill. I was fascinated by one of the secondary characters, a gay detective. I wrote the story around him and gave him a choice: be loyal to his job or to his lover. I knew I couldn’t publish: I’d have been arrested for copyright infringements! I liked the idea, though, so I altered the characters totally and turned the plot on its head to suit them, not Reginald Hill’s original ones. My main guy was Mike Angells and the book became Badge of Loyalty, my first published novel.

Do you have a writing schedule or do you just write when you can find the time?

I’m definitely a morning person. In fact, I’m writing this at seven am. I write or do research most mornings. However, whenever thoughts come, no matter how rough they are, I’ll write them down and if that means getting out of bed at midnight, I’ll get out.

Briefly describe the writing process. Do you create an outline first?  Do you seek out inspirational pictures, videos or music? Do you just let the words flow and then go back and try and make some sense out it?

No outline. No inspirational music etc. The springboard is nearly always something on the news. Once I have something that interests me, the plot develops automatically. That’s because I know how my characters will react to events. We’re talking four polyamorous men, though, plus a fifth one somewhere on the sidelines.  So, although non-dialogue words come fairly easily, I do have to think at times about the words and language they use. Easy to distinguish Mike and Raith. Phil, too, because he’s always so worried and careful. Ross and Nick, though…similar backgrounds and education. Harder. I’ve become much better at giving each of the men a unique voice. I can definitely see an improvement over the series.

Where did the desire to write LGBT romance come from?

I appreciate that people can be aromantic (non-romantic).

I don’t write heavy romance, but I do write about care and concern and the willingness to sacrifice yourself for the people who mean most to you. To me, that’s love and it’s at the heart of the Quad’s polyamorous relationships. Everything represented by the Infinity Heart tattoos they have. (The infinity heart is also my logo.) Nick and Mike’s relationship is also based on love. Nick is asexual. Mike isn’t. Exploring and developing their relationship is very important to me because it’s a means of voicing some ace rep. Sex and love are different. You can be asexual and romantic. Like Nick, and like me too.

How much research do you do when writing a story and what are the best sources you’ve found for giving an authentic voice to your characters?

I certainly research the facts. Both Mike and Nick are cops who become ex-cops as the series develops, so, as I write mysteries where crime is prime, I have to ensure that the two of them sound knowledgeable.  Luckily, I enjoy reading factual stuff – reports etc. It probably shows in my writing, which is very stripped down and non-descriptive. I read a lot of UK government legal stuff on the internet. For example, for Polyamory on Trial, I researched laws and procedures relating to asylum applications. For A Share in a Secret, I read up on sentencing guidelines so’s I’d know what Raith could expect when he stood trial for assault. From then on, it’s anything that will make my characters sound as though they know what they’re talking about. Phil’s a surgeon. He often uses his professional knowledge. Ross is an art dealer. His background knowledge is crucial in Ace in the Picture. Searching the net on key words usually gives me the website of a useful specialist organisation. For example, searching on ’sperm donor’ for A Right To Know gave me the HFEA (Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority).

What’s harder, naming your characters, creating the title for your book or the cover design process?

I’ve posts on my polyallsorts blog about my covers and the characters’ names, but I’ve never written about the titles. That’s strange because the titles are the hardest in a way. I always want there to be more than one level of meaning. Badge of Loyalty – which badge? Mike’s professional police badge or the infinity heart tattoo that represents his personal relationships? Ace in the Picture – the picture, literally, is a forged painting, but the story introduces Nick, who is asexual, so he is the ace in the picture. A Share in a Secret – yes, Nick learns of an old secret’s contents, but will doing so bind him to the Quad irrevocably? Almost like having a share in a business or a property. And the new tale, A Right To Know – a right to know your parents, a right to know how your dad died, freedom of information… lots of ways of applying the title. The others, Polyamory on Trial, Body Parts and Mind Games, Fast Free and Flying…they all have more than one meaning. Definitely a future blog post there!

“How do you answer the question “Oh, you’re an author…what do you write?”

I used to be very coy about saying what I do. Not now. I say that I write gay mysteries. Responses vary, but the most common one is shock! Not necessarily shock horror (though I have been asked, ‘What do you do that for?’) More just surprise at not getting the expected response. I’m assuming that the expected response would be historical novels or mysteries without the ‘gay’ bit. Something less niche, anyway and more appropriate for a none-too-young, long-married-to-a-man lady!

Do you have any advice for all the aspiring writers out there?

For aspiring writers who don’t have many personal or professional contacts, yes, one thing anyway. I think you have to ask yourself why you are writing. If it’s for fame and fortune, then you are probably going to have to spend a lot of time and money achieving your goal. If you write mainly for your own enjoyment though, then you can budget your PR (if any) accordingly. It’s something to think about.

We’ve all got a little voyeurism in us right?  If you could be a fly on the wall during an intimate encounter between two characters, not your own, who would they be?

One of my favourite books is Jack Dickson’s Some Kind of Love. Similar genre to my own, but more brutal but, actually, no, I wouldn’t want to watch Jas and Stevie, the protagonists, doing anything in real life. I love reading about their relationship, but, watch them? No! Never. I’m asking myself why not. I haven’t come up with an answer. Don’t think it’s connected with being asexual, tho’ maybe it is: I like the fantasy but not the real thing. Ugh! No! Not even Jas and Stevie. (So I’m not voyeuristic.)

If I were snooping around your kitchen and looked in your refrigerator right now, what would I find?

I’ll go and look… Actually, very little. It’s been an odd couple of years with Corona Virus altering the way we do things and shopping is one of the changes. I wait until I’ve run out of everything before I venture to the supermarket. I’ll have to go soon. The only things in the fridge are eggs, cheese and yoghurt in the main part, a wrinkled pepper and some limp-looking celery in the veg compartment and some frozen raspberries and green veg in the freezer bit. I wish I were a more creative cook!

If you could trade places with one of your characters, who would it be and why?

Any of the Quad. That is, Mike or Ross or Raith or Phil. Not Nick. Reason – the first four like partnered sex. Like Nick, I’m ace. That’s not necessarily a problem, but there are times when I think that it would be good to experience the sorts of intense sexual experiences the Quad have. (Experiences that are rarely explicitly there on the page. The books have a low flame count.)  On further thought, I’d discount Phil too. He’s too much of a worrier. And on even further thought, I’d discount Raith. He’s a total one-off and much misunderstood. Not Mike either! He’s too emotionally intense. Sooner or later, he’s going to get into a spot that he can’t wriggle out of. That leaves Ross. Okay, Ross.

If you could sequester yourself for a week somewhere and just focus on your writing, where would you go and what would the environment be like?

Definitely Upper Weardale in County Durham, northeast England. It’s the setting of the stories. It’s remote. It’s harsh and bleak on the moors. It’s green and pastoral in the valleys. The only problem would be that internet connections are somewhat hit and miss. I might have to do everything on paper. If you would like to see what it looks like, I’ve a series of videos on YouTube where I read story extracts over drone and road footage shot by a local guy, Andy Ditchfield. There’s a shortened version of one of the vids on my Amazon page. If you like bikes, you might like it.

What’s the one thing, you can’t live without?

Mental one thing: fantasizing. Imagining stuff keeps me sane. It’s a great escape.

Physical one thing: English-style tea. Leaves not bag.

What internet site do you surf to the most?

YouTube. I don’t have a TV and nor do I have access to streaming but I look at a heck of a lot of YouTube. That’s especially so in the evenings when I’m too knackered to do much else. (Knackered = worn out/tired) I’ll watch anything to do with British industrial history, lots of stuff on geology… loads of things really. I subscribe to quite a few channels: Foxes Afloat is one.

When you got your very first manuscript acceptance letter, what was your initial reaction and who was the first person you told?

I’m self-published so it’s not something that has happened to me. However, I used to write occasionally for a national sports magazine and I can recall my delight when they accepted the first article I wrote. I phoned my husband, who was equally delighted. The thing was, they paid me!

Phil sat at the big kitchen table. His beard, neatly trimmed as always, failed to hide the lack of colour in his face. He looked shocked. He was holding a letter.

“You alright, Phil?” Mike was puzzled and concerned. “Bad news?”

“Not ‘bad’ exactly. Unexpected. Very.” He sighed. “I’ve an eighteen-year-old son. Sperm donation.”

Raith, Phil’s husband, dropped the glass of juice he was drinking. It rolled off the table and smashed as it hit the floor.

“A son! A child! How? Why? Fuck! Phil! You can’t have! And does this sperm-child want to see you?” Raith snatched the letter from Phil’s hands. “I can’t read this fucking stuff; it’s in joined-up. Why didn’t he type it?”

“He probably felt that this was more personal,” Mike suggested, retrieving the letter from the floor where Raith had slung it in disgust and shaking it free of orange juice.

“It’s fucking personal alright. You always said they couldn’t identify you, Phil. What the fuck’s gone wrong?”

“It looks as though we might find out,” said Ross, the fourth member of the quad. He was reading the letter over Mike’s shoulder. “He intends to visit. I think we need to talk.”

I’m a long-married, asexual, cis-gender female who lives in southeast England. I’m from northern England though, and the north is the setting of all my stories. You can see the setting on my Youtube channel. This isn’t a #ownvoice tale, though there’s certainly some ace-rep in it. Part of the motivation was my dismay at receiving, unasked for, the results of an ancestry test earlier this year. A different situation from Phil in the story, but I felt for him! A TW: parental suicide. Again, it’s something I have experience of. I hope I have dealt with it sensitively.

Author Links

Website: https://www.polyallsorts.wordpress.com/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17706061.Jude_Tresswell

Seducing the Sorcerer by Lee Welch: Exclusive Author Interview and Excerpt, Release Day Review and Giveaway

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Homeless and jobless, Fenn Todd has nearly run out of hope. All he has left is his longing for horses and the strength of his own two hands. But when he’s cheated into accepting a very ugly sackcloth horse, he’s catapulted into a world of magic, politics and desire.

Fenn’s invited to stay at the black tower, home of the most terrifying man in the realm: Morgrim, the court sorcerer. Morgrim has a reputation as a scheming villain, but he seems surprisingly charming—and sexy—and Fenn falls hard for him.

However, nothing is as it seems and everyone at the tower is lying about something. Beset by evil hexes, violent political intrigue and a horse that eats eiderdowns, Fenn must make the hardest choices of his life.

Can a plain man like Fenn ever find true love with a scheming sorcerer?

Release date: 23 September 2021

Length: 100,000 words

Genre: fantasy m/m romance

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Two Chicks Obsessed: At the end of Seducing the Sorcerer, I felt everything was primed for a book 2. When’s it going to happen?

Lee Welch: Never say never, but I wrote Seducing the Sorcerer as a standalone, so there’s nothing planned. But I love that you feel there could be a second book because I hope that means the characters are living on in your imagination, having more adventures and a future together. So, it makes me very happy you would ask that question!

TCO: Are there plans to expand the world or write another book in that world but with different main characters?

LW: I’m not sure, because I created the world specifically for the story I wanted to tell about Fenn and Morgrim. Everything about the world—from the history to the geography to the politics—serves the themes of their story.

For example, one of the themes of the book is hope: hope lost and found, false hopes and real ones. Therefore, at the beginning of the book, Fenn is weary, middle-aged and nearly out of hope. He’s homeless and jobless and in many ways he’s been done out of these things by magic, because that’s the recent history in this particular world. That bit of history heightens Fenn’s particular situation. And it means he has a jaded view of magicians, so when he stumbles across some magic himself and is catapulted into Morgrim the court sorcerer’s world of magic and power—that means the situation is particularly interesting for Fenn. Because of the history.

And Fenn’s particular history makes things tense for Morgrim too, because Fenn’s from a place Morgrim failed to defend years ago. So, there’s already tension between them.

I feel other stories and other characters might need different worlds?

Mind you, I have wondered about the magician who developed crystal magic. Because while that whole discipline is almost a side detail in Seducing the Sorcerer, there’s a strong hint that it’s not as safe and convenient as everyone thinks. And if there are side-effects, I suspect the magician who developed it might one day feel he has to redeem himself. And since I’m a romance author, I’d need to discover who could fall for a man who’s regretting his whole life’s work…so now you’ve got me thinking!

TCO: I’d love to know the story behind the worple horse. Was it a complete figment of your imagination, or something else? I ask because Worple was the name of an Australian thoroughbred racehorse so I’d be fascinated to know.

LW: OMG was there really a racehorse named Worple?! *laughs*

But no, there’s no connection. The worple horse in my book was a figment of my imagination, inspired by a very bad sketch of a horse as drawn by my daughter.

The name was inspired by our cat, whose name is Turple (itself a corruption of Turtle) and who is also sometimes called ‘Wurple’. He’s a very worple-ish kind of cat; always following you about, getting in your way, staring at you in the bath, having inconvenient ideas about things. He’s a bit of a derp, but we love him and he makes us laugh. So, when I was looking for a name for a ridiculous kind of horse, ‘worple’ sprang to mind. It feels right to me.

TCO: What dialect was Fenn’s accent based on? Because you’re a New Zealander, but I looked it up and I’d swear it was Northern Brit.

LW: Yes, I’m a New Zealander, but my mother and grandmother were from County Durham in the north of England, and my husband and his family are from North Yorkshire. I know people who talk a tiny bit like Fenn—saying ‘give over’ instead of ‘stop that’ for example, ‘grand’ to mean ‘good’, and ‘right’ as an intensifier (as in ‘it’s right cold today’). But don’t go to the north of England and expect to hear people talking like Fenn! Because I played around and mixed it up and added some Victorian era slang to his vocabulary because I love old-fashioned slang.

But that’s one of the joys of fantasy worlds for an author like me. I can play with language and nobody can tell me I’m wrong, because I can assure you that all working-class people from the Essurean Isle of Mandillo speak like Fenn. Although he’s got a particular gift for metaphor, I think.

Seducing the Sorcerer is out on 23 September.

The sorcerer gave his staff a vicious twirl and pointed it at Fenn’s chest, clearly ready to destroy an army. Fenn gritted his teeth against whatever hideous hex was about to kill him. How much would it hurt? How unnatural would it be? He ought to run, but he could barely move. He hunched, eyes closing of their own accord, and clutched the horse’s sacking mane as if the coarse twine could help him keep a grip on life.

At least he’d die astride a horse.

But nothing happened. The rain pattered cool on his head and hands. He opened one eye, then the other, and risked a glance at Morgrim. A shadow of doubt passed over the sorcerer’s narrow face. It was almost confusion, if a hunting hawk can ever be said to look confused.

“Well?” Morgrim said.

His tone said “and how dare you keep me waiting”. It was clear Fenn was expected to make the next move.

“Er, evening, sir. My lord.” Fenn ducked his head. “I’m right sorry for the intrusion.”

“You’re sorry?”

There was such vicious scorn in the sorcerer’s voice that Fenn flinched. Morgrim cocked his head to one side, raptorlike. He hadn’t lowered his staff. “Who are you?”

“Fenn Todd. Er…your grace. Sir.” Gods, what were you supposed to call a court sorcerer? “Um…your honour.”

“Fenn Todd.” Morgrim sounded as if he were sizing it up to put in a spell.

Fenn shivered. Should have given a false name. Why hadn’t he thought to give a false one? Now Morgrim would be able to find out that Fenn had a criminal record and all. Oh Gods, this was going to be bad.

“And what is your purpose here?” Morgrim snapped.

“There ain’t one, your worship. It was a mistake. The horse brought me. I didn’t mean to trespass. I’ll go, eh? Quick as you like.”

Morgrim frowned as if Fenn’s answer hadn’t made sense.

“Who sent you?”

“No one. Honest. I came by the horse sort of…accidental. Tried riding it, only it took off in the air and…well, then it came down here.” Fenn had never felt more stupid or incompetent in his life. The whole thing was a ludicrous humiliating nightmare. “But I don’t want no trouble. I’ll be off, eh? Sorry to disturb you…er…sir.”

“You came to the Unket Tower by accident? You expect me to believe that?”

The name made Fenn shiver. He’d heard of it, of course, because court sorcerers had lived here for over a thousand years. The name was synonymous with magic. The place was reputed to be haunted. It was a giant trap.

He glanced about the courtyard again. There were several doors but they were all closed fast. The stone walls were five yards high and slimy with wet that flickered red in the torchlight. And there was that young bloke with the sword to think of, let alone the angry sorcerer. If the horse wouldn’t fly there’d be no escape. Why in blazes had the creature brought him here?

“Aye, by accident. Gods’ truth,” Fenn said grimly.

“And what magic did you use?” Morgrim still hadn’t moved from the top step. The tower door stood open to the dark behind him.

“Magic?” Fenn shook his head. “No. No, no. I know what it looks like, but I ain’t a magician.”

“You’re lying. Worple horses can’t fly. Don’t antagonise me, Mr. Todd. You’ll regret it.” Morgrim’s glare intensified. “I repeat: What magic did you use?”

“A worple horse?” It was Fenn’s turn to frown. “Wait. Is that a thing? What is that?”

“I’m asking the questions.”

There was an edge to the sorcerer’s tone, like anger and yet not quite. Fenn found he’d raised his hand in a reassuring gesture.

“All right, sir. I meant no disrespect.”

“What. Magic. Did. You. Use?” Morgrim demanded.

“None. Honest. I know the horse has a rune on its chest but that weren’t me. That just appeared. I can’t do magic.”

“Liar.”

“You think I’d come here if I could?”

“You are trespassing in my courtyard in the middle of the night. Are you now also being insolent?” Morgrim sounded as if he couldn’t believe his ears, but he lowered his staff.

Some of the tension went out of Fenn. It seemed Morgrim wasn’t going to do anything unnatural to him just yet.

“No, sir. It was an honest question. If I could do magic, why would I come here? Wouldn’t I be lying on silk sheets somewhere with a glass of wine and a valet peeling me a grape?”

Morgrim gave him one of those quelling looks that folks who liked to be in charge often gave. Fenn had weathered plenty in his time, though never one from the most powerful sorcerer in living memory. It made his blood run cold, but he kept his face plain. It didn’t do to be too easily cowed. It could make these domineering types worse. No, Fenn must strike the right balance between deference and dignity, and never mind that he felt too rattled to be up to the task.

It wasn’t helping that it was still raining. Even though the moon was right there, clearly visible over the yard wall to the east. It was raining only on the tower. Fenn shivered.

That was right uncanny. It certainly looked as though Morgrim had stolen all the rain clouds like people said.

This whole situation was unimaginable. Perhaps Fenn was dead after all.

There was a change in the solid body of the horse beneath him. It was sinking, deflating like a pricked balloon. Its legs bowed and then slid outwards. Its body grew thin and its head nodded towards the ground. Fenn jumped off with a muttered curse and it sank into a sad pool of sacking on the wet cobbles at his feet.

Fenn scratched his beard. “Blame thing.”

There’d be no flying out of here on it now. Not that it had seemed inclined previously, but now he was definitely stuck. Perhaps that quelling look of Morgrim’s had been more than just a look. Perhaps it had been some sort of evil eye.

Fenn glanced up. “You do that? Sir.”

Morgrim made a scoffing noise that said, “of course I did, but your question is beneath me”. He was glaring at the horse with a sort of outraged curiosity. He looked like a bloke who did a lot of glaring. His eyebrows were two perfect curves, positively made for the job.

Fenn nudged the horse with the toe of his boot and it gave a plaintive whinny. So, it hadn’t gone lifeless. It just wasn’t standing up any more.

In a way, Fenn sympathised. His knees felt right shaky. But Morgrim didn’t seem about to strike him down with a bolt of lightning just yet. And if Fenn was flung in a dungeon for a few nights, well, it wouldn’t be pleasant, but it wouldn’t be the first time. Who knew what would happen to the horse, but he himself would at least be fed and watered. Probably. Regular prisons had to feed you these days, though it was quite possible that Morgrim was a law unto himself.

“Well. I know it’s an ugly great thing to have littering up your courtyard,” Fenn said, wiping a raindrop off the end of his nose. “And I’m right sorry to have bothered you, and I hope you’ll be a gentleman and forgive the nuisance. I’ll be off now, eh? I won’t trouble you again. I promise.”

“All in good time.”

Morgrim came down the stairs in a ripple of black silk. He moved like a snake and in spite of himself Fenn was impressed. The man’s grace was mesmerising. It was hard to look away. And not just because Morgrim was so bloody terrifying.

“I have questions for you, Fenn Todd.”

Fenn was hardly in a position to refuse. “Aye, sir. Ask away.”

“You, Mr. Todd”–the sorcerer gave a graceful inclination of his head towards Fern–“are dealing with wild magic.”
I’ve read fantasy books for at least twenty years and it takes a lot for one to take me by surprise with such a unique twist.
Fenn Todd is desperate. He’s been betrayed, cheated, lost his home and countless jobs and the only work he can find that might keep him from starvation is digging a cesspit for a local farmer. Fearing he is being cheated and ridiculed because he is promised a horse for his labors when all he expected was water and a couple of coppers. He knows it can’t be true, a valuable horse for poor labor? But horses are his real love, and the thought of even touching one again makes him agree.
All I will say not to spoil the plot, is that the horse isn’t anything you would expect, but it sets off with Fenn and eventually takes him to an enchanted tower where where Morgrim, the court sorcerer rules.
Nothing is as it seems.
I love the plot and I adore the characters. Both older men that expect no kindness or hope from the world but find it in each other. The love story is adorable. The action fabulous, and the twists very satisfying.
The real star of the show is Squab. Just don’t let him anywhere near your clothes, or your bedding, or your curtains.
Five pink silk stars! (You’ll have to read it to understand)

Lee Welch lives in a house on a hill in the windiest city in the world, Wellington, New Zealand. She shares the house with her partner, two kids, two cats, a dog and quite a lot of spiders. Lee studied ancient history at Auckland University and creative writing at Birkbeck, University of London. By day, she works as an editor and business communications adviser for a large government department. By night, she writes escapist romances, usually with magic in them.

Contact information

Email: leewelchwriter@gmail.com

Website + newsletter sign up: https://leewelchwriter.com/

Twitter: @leewelchwriter – https://twitter.com/leewelchwriter

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/leewelchwriter/

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The Prince’s Vow: Starian Cycle #3 by Iris Foxglove: Blog Tour, Exclusive Author Interview, New Release Review and Giveaway

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Adrien de Guillory may be the heir to the throne of Staria, but no one in court believes that the submissive, meek-minded prince will ever be king. What they don’t know is that Adrien is hardly the meek, shy creature he pretends to be and that he has his own plans for the future. To see those plans through, Adrien embarks on a journey to Mislia, the land of his mother’s ancestors, to seek an answer to controlling his magic of foresight.

The one thing Adrien’s visions don’t predict is Isiodore de Mortain, his father’s confidante and the subject of Adrien’s long-standing, deeply embarrassing infatuation. Isiodore intercepts Adrien on his way to Mislia. But it’s too late to turn back—the two of them are now stranded on foreign soil, forced to rely on each other in order to get home in one piece. With Isiodore set on keeping Adrien safe and Adrien determined to become the most troublesome prince in Starian history, a storm is brewing over Mislia…one that will surely sweep both of them out into uncharted waters.

(The Prince’s Vow is an m/m dark fantasy novel, set in a fictional world where everyone is biologically either a dominant or a submissive and compelled to satisfy those urges. As such, the biological imperative kink in this story is pure fantasy, and not intended as a representation of real-life BDSM practices or dynamics.)

Title:  The Prince’s Vow

Series: Starian Cycle #3

Author: Iris Foxglove

Release Date: 6/22/21

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 64,000

Genre: Romance, Fantasy, BDSM, AU

(The Prince’s Vow is an m/m dark fantasy novel, set in a fictional world where everyone is biologically either a dominant or a submissive and compelled to satisfy those urges. As such, the biological imperative kink in this story is pure fantasy, and not intended as a representation of real-life BDSM practices or dynamics.)

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When did you write your first story and what was the inspiration for it?

Foxglove: My family couldn’t afford a computer for some time, but we did have a typewriter for homework purposes. The big rule was that in order to use the typewriter, what you were writing had to be worth it. The first story of mine that was deemed worthy featured a group of fairies who caused a hurricane because they partied too hard, and a girl who told them to kindly knock it off, please. I wasn’t a big fan of hurricanes, to be fair.

Iris: I’m older than Foxglove and brought a word processor to college, LOL. But my first story was honestly very similar to Duke’s Demon — I joke that I’ve been writing some version of that story since I was twelve, but it’s true. I wrote a screenplay (I don’t know why it was a screenplay, to be honest) about a ballerina who was magically transported to an Irish castle and lived with a duke who was possessed by a demon. It was absolutely awful, but I still have it, and it makes me smile to think about how years later I published a (much better) version! I probably have had dozens of old Trapper Keepers filled with half-finished fantasy stories, but that was the first thing I ever finished in its entirety. It was called “At the Edge of Midnight” and my dad made me a cover on Print Shop on our family computer. To be honest, it would be a horrible movie but the concept was there, ha!

Where did the desire to write LGBT romance come from?

Foxglove: Well, I came out pretty young, which was rare in my conservative town, and I spent years carefully cultivating a small collection of LGBTQ fiction. It was important to me to know that there were writers out there who thought that people like me deserved love. Eventually, my room was searched and the collection was discovered—only one book remained hidden. I decided then and there that I would write my own stories to make up for the ones that were lost.

Iris: I’ve been a voracious reader all my life, especially of fantasy, and always wanted to see a story with someone like me in it. Especially because I always wanted romance in my stories, and the characters I wanted to get together were never the ones who did! I also wanted to write stories where people were accepting of all sexualities and genders, especially since so much of my love of fantasy is centered around the “found family” trope.

Briefly describe the writing process. Do you create an outline first?  Do you seek out inspirational pictures, videos or music? Do you just let the words flow and then go back and try and make some sense out it?

Foxglove: We mostly babble at each other excitedly until a plot happens. There are a lot of moments that tend to go like this:

“So what IF, bear with me, but what IF this character…”
“Yes?”
“What if they did THIS?”

“OH MY GOD YES AND WHAT IF THEY DID THIS OTHER THING?!”
“AND THEN THIS OTHER THING HAPPENS?”
“YES!!!!”

It can get a little out of hand, but our brainstorming sessions are ridiculously fun.

Iris: It’s true!! We have so many books planned it’s unreal — the world that we’ve created is so fun, and we’re apparently going to write a story for the entire population 😀 We’re pretty good about writing a scene, then saying, “Hey, do you want to jump in, here?” and switching off. Usually we each gravitate toward a character and write their POV. Sometimes we outline, but it’s normally more of a general plot idea that we tweak as we go along.

We did write one of the books in the Starian Cycle out of order — look, we really love the pairing in The King’s Mage, okay — and after we went back and wrote Exile’s Gift, had to rewrite the fifth one!! So there’s two versions of book 5 floating around our Gdocs, lol.

I write best, personally, with music or thunderstorm sounds. Background noise is essential, but it can’t be anything I’m TOO interested in or I’ll get too distracted!

If you could sequester yourself for a week somewhere and just focus on your writing, where would you go and what would the environment be like?

Foxglove: Is this a magical place where I don’t have to cook anything? Can I go there? Also, my kingdom for a comfortable desk chair! I am a creature of simple needs.

Iris: Honestly if I could go somewhere it was raining and/or snowing constantly, with me in a comfy chair with sixteen blankets and a sweater with too-long sleeves and a huge mug of Earl Grey, I would still find a way to play a mobile game and be distracted. But I have such fond memories of finishing Traitor’s Mercy — I woke up at 5 am after I couldn’t sleep due to the excitement of nearly being done, and went to my then-office in our house and watched the sun rise with tea while I wrote Laurent being dramatic in the snow with Sabre. Then, I watched in real-time as Foxglove finished the epilogue, and immediately opened a doc to start Duke’s Demon! It’s such a happy memory, that feeling of excitement when you type “The End” (which I always do) is so satisfying.

I want to say right off that this is book three in the series and I haven’t read one or two. Which might have made a lot of nuances and sub-plots in this book easier to understand. I love fantasy and this had a really good start. In and amongst a fantasy plot the book had dominant and submissive tendencies which if that’s your jam was well done.

I think the plot got lost in detail a little in the middle, but there are a wealth of characters I am interested in discovering how their story progresses.

Adrien as a character is a delight and very well balanced. Isiodore is good for him even if a little too patient sometimes. I wished I had read the previous two books first.

4 pieces of eye candy

Iris Foxglove is a shared pen name between two longtime fantasy readers who are committed to writing fun, escapist dark fantasy featuring decadent, kinky stories, intricate world building and unforgettable characters.

Author Links

Twitter: https://twitter.com/irisfoxglove

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21219026.Iris_Foxglove

Email: irisfoxgloveauthor@gmail.com


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