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luninosity...but, er, I probably ought to do that! Especially since the first one's out in three days, on the 9th! (And for some mysterious reason I can't find it on my Amazon author page yet, though it IS up on JMS Books for pre-order, for 20% off!)
So...
First up, this Sunday - the 9th! - we get "The Featherbed Puzzle," which is roughly 47,000 words of pure weightless confectionery fluff, honestly! - but I needed that, so perhaps other people do as well? It's an m/m rom-com retelling of "The Prince(ss) and the Pea," set in a sort of vaguely alternate-history 18th century (there're artificers and self-warming serving dishes and such, but no real ~magic~), and it's got, oh, a dark & stormy night, and far too many prospective suitors to juggle, and breakfast pastries, and accidental falling in love over a jigsaw puzzle, and definitely too many featherbeds, and of course a fairytale happy ending.
Also this one has one of my favorite covers ever, for one of my stories. I love it - it matches the mood and the theme so effortlessly.
Grab it at JMS Books here!
Next, "October by Candlelight," my autumn-themed story, will be out from JMS October 20! Also currently on pre-order sale at JMS for 20% off! This one's just under 12,000 words (literally - it had to be <12k, and mine's...11,988 words...not counting the author's note... *laughs*)
"October by Candlelight" might've ended up somewhere among my favorite things I've written, honestly - it just flowed so well, and I knew Wes and Finn as soon as I started writing them, and I knew what the next scenes were, and before I knew it I'd written so many words... Anyway, it's essentially a soft candlelit "we've only just moved in together and we're working things out" domestic story, low angst, maybe a bit of emotional hurt/comfort, but not even really much hurt, just something they need to talk about, and it's full of candles and autumn decorations and tidbits about medieval history research and tender romantic sex scenes and a whole lot of love and wanting the other person to be happy.
Also in my head this story exists in the Character Bleed universe, though it doesn't explicitly tie in anywhere. But Wes and Finn have absolutely gone on a date to see Jason and Colby in Steadfast, and Jason and Colby would probably recognize Finn's name, less from the teen idol days and more from the more recent character work and indie films, though they've never worked together, for reasons of timing of their careers, mostly. I like to think they'd all get along.
Find all the candlelight at JMS Books here!
Finally, a book rec! I finished Lee Welch's Seducing the Sorcerer a few days ago, and I ADORE this book. It's a delight - m/m high fantasy romance, sparkling and heartfelt, by turns atmospheric and funny and sexy (oh yes) and emotional and clever and intricate and kind, and I want a worple horse now (go read it, it'll make sense). You absolutely need this book in your life. In fact I'll probably go read it again very soon, just to bask happily there.
So...
First up, this Sunday - the 9th! - we get "The Featherbed Puzzle," which is roughly 47,000 words of pure weightless confectionery fluff, honestly! - but I needed that, so perhaps other people do as well? It's an m/m rom-com retelling of "The Prince(ss) and the Pea," set in a sort of vaguely alternate-history 18th century (there're artificers and self-warming serving dishes and such, but no real ~magic~), and it's got, oh, a dark & stormy night, and far too many prospective suitors to juggle, and breakfast pastries, and accidental falling in love over a jigsaw puzzle, and definitely too many featherbeds, and of course a fairytale happy ending.
Also this one has one of my favorite covers ever, for one of my stories. I love it - it matches the mood and the theme so effortlessly.
Grab it at JMS Books here!
Next, "October by Candlelight," my autumn-themed story, will be out from JMS October 20! Also currently on pre-order sale at JMS for 20% off! This one's just under 12,000 words (literally - it had to be <12k, and mine's...11,988 words...not counting the author's note... *laughs*)
"October by Candlelight" might've ended up somewhere among my favorite things I've written, honestly - it just flowed so well, and I knew Wes and Finn as soon as I started writing them, and I knew what the next scenes were, and before I knew it I'd written so many words... Anyway, it's essentially a soft candlelit "we've only just moved in together and we're working things out" domestic story, low angst, maybe a bit of emotional hurt/comfort, but not even really much hurt, just something they need to talk about, and it's full of candles and autumn decorations and tidbits about medieval history research and tender romantic sex scenes and a whole lot of love and wanting the other person to be happy.
Also in my head this story exists in the Character Bleed universe, though it doesn't explicitly tie in anywhere. But Wes and Finn have absolutely gone on a date to see Jason and Colby in Steadfast, and Jason and Colby would probably recognize Finn's name, less from the teen idol days and more from the more recent character work and indie films, though they've never worked together, for reasons of timing of their careers, mostly. I like to think they'd all get along.
Find all the candlelight at JMS Books here!
Finally, a book rec! I finished Lee Welch's Seducing the Sorcerer a few days ago, and I ADORE this book. It's a delight - m/m high fantasy romance, sparkling and heartfelt, by turns atmospheric and funny and sexy (oh yes) and emotional and clever and intricate and kind, and I want a worple horse now (go read it, it'll make sense). You absolutely need this book in your life. In fact I'll probably go read it again very soon, just to bask happily there.
releases
Date: 2021-10-07 02:36 am (UTC)Re: releases
Date: 2021-10-07 11:17 pm (UTC)It's entirely possible that I've written little snippets for both that might someday turn into full bonus stories. Actually, there's definitely going to be one bonus story for "Featherbed" - Arthur's friend Justin's story - but I might've spent a few minutes just now (in virtual office hours, but no student appointments, so...) writing a draft of one specific scene of the follow-up story in which Alan actually moves in with Arthur. :p
And Finn and Wes...well, there're a couple of things that get mentioned in the author's note, like the actual hurt/comfort story in which someone (accidentally!) knocks Finn over at a bookshop, and that is A Bad Thing given old injuries (cue Wes panicking, and trying not to) (and Finn making the Actual Worst Puns about not having a leg to stand on, as a coping mechanism and a distraction for them both)...or the, er, proposal...which Wes has absolutely been thinking about, and his grandparents keep asking loudly in Korean when they get to go to his wedding, they're not young anymore and that's such a nice young man, he makes you smile and he likes your father's jeyuk bokkeum, marry him already!...and the thing is, Wes knows Finn's picked up a few words of Korean, but that's in fact kind of not the whole truth, because as it happens Finn's picked up a pretty decent amount of Korean and has heard almost every word, and now has some plans, too.. :D :D
Snippets
Date: 2021-10-11 12:21 am (UTC)Re: Snippets
Date: 2021-10-12 11:50 pm (UTC)Honestly we probably won't ever get too much because Wes grew up speaking English (he's like third-generation, in terms of Americanization) and he doesn't practice using his Korean enough (and feels guilty about it)...but he does use it for talking to his grandparents and at family gatherings and such, so, y'know, food and family and domestic things. It's sort of what my husband does as far as speaking Tagalog. :p (My husband occasionally tries watching YouTube videos in Tagalog, and then says things like, "I know what she said...like, I know what she means...but I don't know the word she used there...but I get the idea, and I know what she wants, but I don't know how to say it in English now...help, I've forgotten all my words.")
Also there's this...
#
“Wes,” Finn said.
“Oh, right, sorry, I’ve got you, come here—”
“Wes.” Finn’s voice was excruciatingly calm. “I can’t stand up.”
Wes whipped his gaze downward. Finn’s right leg seemed okay. His left—
His left knee looked wrong. Not bleeding, but starting to swell, under jeans. Twisted somehow. Not right.
The world dropped away. Gravity lurched. Nothing else existed, except his hand in Finn’s and that sight and this moment.
He wrenched his gaze back to Finn’s. He couldn’t speak.
A book slid off the shelf. It hit the carpet beside them, with a thud.
Finn, face pale but voice still deliberately calm, said, “Probably going to need you to call someone, or I can call if you want, it’s fine, and hey, I’ve felt worse, trust me.” His eyes, warm green-blue, held Wes up like a life-preserver. “Got your phone? Mine’s in my back pocket and I don’t think I should move much.”
“Don’t move…oh, God, Finn…I can do it, you don’t have to.” He could breathe, too. He could do that. “How…how bad…no, let me call first, so they’re on the way—” Phone. Fumbling. 911. Emergency services.
As he dialed, the boy from behind the counter came running over. His hair bounced, blue and spiky; he knelt down at Finn’s side, too. “Hey, are you guys okay, or—” And then he choked on words. “Holy shit, are you actually Finn Ransom?”
Finn waved a hand weakly, leaning back against the shelf. “Hi there.”
“Holy shit—”
The dispatcher’s voice came on. “911, what’s the nature of your emergency?”
“So,” Finn said to the boy, who’d kept goggling at him, “what’s your name? Jon, I’m guessing, from the name tag? Do you like working here?”
Wes clutched his phone. “I. We. My—my boyfriend, he’s…his leg is…” Exhale. Focus. Like giving a lecture, a conference talk. Professional. Providing information. “He tripped—someone ran into him—and he can’t get up and his knee is…we need an ambulance.” Finn gave him a thumbs-up.
Finn was also breathing faster. That was worrying.
And then Finn tipped his head back against the shelf and shut his eyes, and Wes’s heart froze, and the dispatcher was saying something but he couldn’t hear, he was saying Finn’s name, begging, reaching out, until Finn’s eyes opened and he looked up, exhausted and wry—
“Sir? Are you there?” The dispatcher. Right. “Sir, I need you to stay on the line, so I can ask you some questions. Can you tell me your name, and your boyfriend’s name? It’s fine if you’d prefer not to say, but it’s helpful information. Where are you and your boyfriend located?”
“Sorry. Um. Wes. Is me. And Finn. And I…we’re in…the bookshop. Cat’s Corner Books. I…don’t know the address, I…”
“864 Turner Street,” put in Jon, an employee on autopilot, and Wes had never been more grateful.
He relayed that. The dispatcher asked him for more detail about the incident, how recently it’d happened, how life-threatening it appeared to be. Wes looked at Finn’s leg, flinched—it was worse—and tried to answer.
Jon offered to bring a first-aid kit, or try to elevate his leg, or find some sort of ice-pack, if it’d help. Finn put his head on one side, considering. “Elevation means moving. Let’s not. Ice would be very cool, though, if you could find some.”
Jon opened his mouth. Then stared at Finn as the pun registered. Then plainly mentally asked himself whether an injured Finn Ransom really had just made a terrible joke about coolness. “Um. Ice. Be right back!” He fled.
The dispatcher promised an ambulance within two minutes. Wes breathed, “Thank you,” collapsed at Finn’s side, holding his hand. “Thank you. Should I—stay on the line, or…?”
She asked about any first aid measures they’d taken. Wes mentioned the ice, and the fact that Finn said any motion at all was painful.
Jon sprinted back, waving a towel-wrapped bag of cubes. “Here!”
Finn gasped aloud as it settled next to his knee, but then visibly bit back any further reaction that might be distressing. Wes saw him do it, a performance. “Thanks…where’d you get the ice? There’s not a café in here…”
“I emptied all the trays from our freezer! In the break room!”
“Oh…wow. Thanks again.” Finn’s voice sounded more shaky. “Good thinking. Um. Keeping a…cool head?”
Jon stared at him. “Are you always like this?”
“No,” Finn said. “Not at my best right now, sadly.” His breathing had grown more uneven. Rapid. Hit by pain.
Wes, on the phone, swallowed hard.