And does so with some confidence – after all, how can 2017 fail to be better than 2016?
(Don’t answer that. Please, please don’t answer that!)
Here’s a snippet from my lesbian fairytale, Capture the Moon, which came out for the first time as a standalone ebook today:
They kissed, and Adrien felt as though her body were on fire. Her breasts tingled where they pressed against Selene’s, and there was a throbbing between her legs she’d never known before. Selene’s mouth was hot and spicy, and her darting tongue teased at Adrien’s lips with a promise of yet sweeter pleasure to come. Adrien’s breathing quickened, and her chest heaved as Selene broke the kiss at last. “My own dear one,” Selene breathed. “But I have not yet freed you!” So saying, she took the key that Ned had given her and unlocked the chains that still bound Adrien’s hands. “There! You are free now, my love!”
Adrien smiled and took her princess in her arms once more. “Is it treason to gainsay a princess?” she asked. “For I fear you are wrong, my lovely Selene. Those iron chains about my wrists may be gone, but there are chains around my heart that will never be loosened.”
***
Don’t forget to check out the rainbow snippets Facebook group for more little excerpts from a whole host of talented authors.
***
Accompanied only by her faithful piglet Ferkel, country girl Adrien disguises herself as a boy and sets out on a journey of discovery—not least to evade her several suitors. Rescuing a young monk, Felix, from brigands, she agrees to accompany him on his journey to the King’s castle to present the princess with a telescope he has made.
Princess Selene has sworn to marry only one who can give her the moon—but does she mean it literally? As Felix loves another, Adrien, still dressed as a man, takes the telescope in his stead. Adrien falls in love with the lively, beautiful princess and is amazed to find Selene loves her in return.
But will Selene’s love die when Adrien reveals her true gender? And in any case, two women cannot be married—can they?
Now out for the first time as a standalone ebook:
(This story was previously published by Less Than Three Press in Fairytales Slashed Vol. 4 and has had only minor changes for this edition)
I’m delighted to say that my f/f fairytale, Capture the Moon, is out for the first time as a standalone ebook today.
Accompanied only by her faithful piglet Ferkel, country girl Adrien disguises herself as a boy and sets out on a journey of discovery—not least to evade her several suitors. Rescuing a young monk, Felix, from brigands, she agrees to accompany him on his journey to the King’s castle to present the princess with a telescope he has made.
Princess Selene has sworn to marry only one who can give her the moon—but does she mean it literally? As Felix loves another, Adrien, still dressed as a man, takes the telescope in his stead. Adrien falls in love with the lively, beautiful princess and is amazed to find Selene loves her in return.
But will Selene’s love die when Adrien reveals her true gender? And in any case, two women cannot be married—can they?
Now out for the first time as a standalone ebook:
(This story was previously published by Less Than Three Press in Fairytales Slashed Vol. 4 and has had only minor changes for this edition)
And that’s not all: also published today:
“Me and My Big Mouth” by Becky Black
“Captive” by T.A. Creech
“Love Lost, Love Found” by Rebecca James
“Accidentally His” by Shawn Lane
“A Pint of Beer, a Bag of Chips, and Thou” by JL Merrow
“For the Last Time” by A.R. Moler
“First and Goal” by Terry O’Reilly
“It’s Not Yule, It’s Me” by Michael P. Thomas
“In His Line of Work” by Tinnean
“And This is Ed” by J.D. Walker
And today’s snippet is taken from To Love a Traitor, my historical novel set in the winter of 1920-21 but looking back to the Great War ( I did warn you Christmas makes me go all historical! *g*)
Our hero George is undercover investigating whether disabled veteran Matthew could be the traitor who cost George’s older brother his life during the war – and finding it ever harder to be objective. Especially when the disarmingly friendly Matthew invites him to stay with his family for Christmas:
“Wake up, sleepyhead! It’s Christmas morning!”
George opened one bleary eye to find Matthew’s boyishly grinning face not six inches away. “Bah, humbug,” he muttered only half in jest, pulling the pillow over his head.
It was torn away from him without ceremony. “I hope I don’t have to turn up clanking in chains to convince you of the error of your ways. Come on, come on! It’s Christmas! Time to get up!”
As he punctuated his last sentence by pulling the blankets from George’s bed, George was left with little choice but to follow orders. Still protesting grumpily, he swung his feet to the floor and stood to stretch.
“I can see at least six inches of stomach when you do that,” Matthew said teasingly. “You’ve no idea how tempting it is to poke it.”
Rather embarrassed, George dropped his arms abruptly.
***
Don’t forget to check out the rainbow snippets Facebook group for more little excerpts from a whole host of talented authors.
***
Wounds of the heart take the longest to heal.
When solicitor’s clerk George Johnson moves into a rented London room in the winter of 1920, it’s with a secret goal: to find out if his fellow lodger, Matthew Connaught, is the wartime traitor who cost George’s adored older brother his life.
Yet as he gets to know Matthew—an irrepressibly cheerful ad man whose missing arm hasn’t dimmed his smile—George begins to lose sight of his mission.
As Matthew’s advances become ever harder to resist, George tries to convince himself his brother’s death was just the luck of the draw, and to forget he’s hiding a secret of his own. His true identity—and an act of conscience that shamed his family.
But as their mutual attraction grows, so does George’s desperation to know the truth about what happened that day in Ypres. If only to prove Matthew innocent—even if it means losing the man he’s come to love.
Warning: Contains larks in the snow, stiff upper lips, shadows of the Great War, and one man working undercover while another tries to lure him under the covers.
Now available in ebook and paperback:
I’m travelling back to Victorian times today – I’m off to see Conan Doyle and William Gillette’s Sherlock Holmes play in London in a mo. So why not travel with me? Here’s a snippet from my time travel novella, Trick of Time (which is, appropriately enough, set in and around the Criterion Theatre in Piccadilly):
My present companion had on a single-breasted jacket that was open to display a dark waistcoat and a sort of white cravat. His clothes suited the scene a damned sight better than my jeans and T-shirt—suited the temperature better too; I shivered and wrapped my arms about myself. He had dark hair, slightly curly, and a full mouth, bringing to mind the cherubs from the Cri’s ceilings. His features, though, were far finer than theirs, his elegant cheekbones starkly visible, not hidden by a layer of puppy fat. He was a pared-down Lord Alfred Douglas, the highborn beauty who’d brought a playwright to his knees.
My lip quirked in a self-mocking smile. I was no Oscar Wilde, that was for sure.
The lad looked me up and down slowly then smiled without warmth, showing crooked teeth that were disconcertingly engaging—a touch of flawed humanity in that perfect face.
Then he spoke. “Oi, piss off, will yer? This is my patch.”
***
Don’t forget to check out the rainbow snippets Facebook group for more little excerpts from a whole host of talented authors.
***
A lover from another time
When Ted Ennis steps out the doors of the Criterion Theatre for a cigarette and finds himself in Victorian London, he begins to doubt his sanity. At first he thinks it’s all a film set, and is sure that the strikingly handsome young man leaning against a lamppost must be the leading man…
What starts as a sordid transaction with a beautiful rent boy quickly turns into something much deeper, drawing him back again and again as he gets to know Jem and craves meaningful encounters with him.
But Ted doesn’t understand the exact conditions necessary for his trips through time—and for Jem, time may actually be running out. Now Ted has one last shot to get back to Jem and save their relationship, before it’s too late…
The annual Women and Words Hootenanny has begun, and already there are shedloads of books up for grabs – including a copy of my forthcoming f/f fairytale, Capture the Moon.
Most, but by no means all, prizes are likely to be of the Sapphic persuasion, so if that’s what floats your particular rainbow-coloured boat – and even if it’s not – head on over and leave a comment on the hootenanny postto be in the draw. Good luck!
And there will be new giveaways every day until Christmas, so make sure you keep heading back to Women and Words!
Capture the Moon
Accompanied only by her faithful piglet Ferkel, country girl Adrien disguises herself as a boy and sets out on a journey of discovery—not least to evade her several suitors. Rescuing a young monk, Felix, from brigands, she agrees to accompany him on his journey to the King’s castle to present the princess with a telescope he has made.
Princess Selene has sworn to marry only one who can give her the moon—but does she mean it literally? As Felix loves another, Adrien, still dressed as a man, takes the telescope in his stead. Adrien falls in love with the lively, beautiful princess and is amazed to find Selene loves her in return.
But will Selene’s love die when Adrien reveals her true gender? And in any case, two women cannot be married—can they?
Due out 31st December 2016 for the first time as a standalone ebook:
JMS Books | ARe | Smashwords
(This story was previously published by Less Than Three Press in Fairytales Slashed Vol. 4 and has had only minor changes for this edition)
…over at the very lovely Elin Gregory’s blog today where she’s asking me about my love of Jane Austen and my story in A Certain Persuasion
She’s also included an excerpt from my story, A Particular Friend, which is a lesbian romance based on Mansfield Park (and no, Fanny is not involved *g*).
This is Trans Awareness Week, so to celebrate, today’s snippet is taken from my novel Out! (3rd in my series of romantic comedies, The Shamwell Tales – and I’m also celebrating finishing writing #4, which has the provisional title of Spun! and should hit the shelves sometime in 2017). Out! features as a secondary character Lex, who is non-binary and uses they/their pronouns.
Here’s Lex musing on relationships to Patrick, who they work with:
“I just think you never see what people are really like before you go out with them, so you might as well get on with it. Saves time, dunnit?” Lex looked up, face earnest. “And well, before you go out with someone, you sorta build them up in your head, don’t you? Like, you start thinking they’re all brilliant and well fit and stuff. So when you finally go out with them, yeah, and they’re just like a normal person who farts in bed and picks their nose, right, you’re gonna be way more disappointed than you would of if you’d just gone out with ’em straightaway.”
“Bollocks,” [Patrick said.] “I don’t go putting blokes on a pedestal.”
Lex looked at him thoughtfully. “Nah, s’pose not. You’re more the he’s a wanker until proven innocent sort.”
And there’s still time (until around Sunday teatime) to enter the draw to win an e-copy of Out!, which you can do by leaving a comment on my post over at Trans Fiction Week: Gun Control.
***
Don’t forget to check out the rainbow snippets Facebook group for more little excerpts from a whole host of talented authors.
***
When the costs are added up, will love land in the black?
Mark Nugent has spent his life in the closet—at least, the small part of it he hasn’t spent in the office. Divorced when he could no longer deny his sexuality, he’s sworn off his workaholic ways and moved to Shamwell with his headstrong teen daughter to give her a stable home environment.
His resolve to put his love life on hold is severely tested when he joins a local organization and meets a lively yet intense young man who tempts him closer to the closet threshold.
Patrick Owen is an out-and-proud charity worker with strong principles—and a newly discovered weakness for an older man. One snag: Mark is adamant he’s not coming out to his daughter, and Patrick will be damned if he’s going to start a relationship with a lie.
Between Mark’s old-fashioned attitudes and a camp, flirtatious ex-colleague who wants Mark for himself, Patrick wonders if they’ll ever be on the same romantic page. And when Mark’s former career as a tax advisor clashes with Patrick’s social conscience, it could be the one stumbling block they can’t get past.
Warning: Contains historically inaccurate Spartan costumes, mangled movie quotes, dubious mathematical logic and a three-legged pub crawl.
My post for Trans Fiction Week is now live, and there is an e-copy of my romantic comedy Out! (which features a non-binary character) on offer. All you have to do to be in the draw is pop on over and leave a comment on the giveaway post:
(And no, it’s not what you think!)
To celebrate the recent release of A Certain Persuasion, an anthology of stories set in and around the writings of Jane Austen, featuring LGBTQIA characters, I’m over at the Macaronis blog today talking about a couple of Regency ladies, the Ladies of Llangollen, who were so famous in their day they even merit a couple of shout-outs in stories in the anthology!
They were devoted friends – but were they more than that?
Read more at the Macaronis blog
An anthology of stories set in and around the writings of Jane Austen, featuring LGBTQIA characters.
Thirteen stories from eleven authors, exploring the world of Jane Austen and celebrating her influence on ours.
Being cousins-by-marriage doesn’t deter William Elliot from pursuing Richard Musgrove in Lyme; nor does it prevent Elinor Dashwood falling in love with Ada Ferrars. Surprises are in store for Emma Woodhouse while visiting Harriet Smith; for William Price mentoring a seaman on board the Thrush; and for Adam Otelian befriending his children’s governess, Miss Hay. Margaret Dashwood seeks an alternative to the happy marriages chosen by her sisters; and Susan Price ponders just such a possibility with Mrs Lynd. One Fitzwilliam Darcy is plagued by constant reports of convictions for ‘unnatural’ crimes; while another must work out how to secure the Pemberley inheritance for her family.
Meanwhile, a modern-day Darcy meets the enigmatic Lint on the edge of Pemberley Cliff; while another struggles to live up to wearing Colin Firth’s breeches on a celebrity dance show. Cooper is confronted by his lost love at a book club meeting in Melbourne while reading Persuasion; and Ashley finds more than he’d bargained for at the Jane Austen museum in Bath.
My story: A Particular Friend
When Susan Price leaves Mansfield Park to accompany her aunt, Lady Bertram, to take the waters in Bath, she little expects to meet an old ‘friend’ of the family. Initially scandalised, Susan finds herself drawn to the former Mary Crawford, now a widow, Mrs Lynd.
But Lady Bertram will surely never countenance Susan’s intimacy with a woman whose brother caused her daughter’s disgrace – and Mrs Lynd’s true identity cannot be kept a secret forever.
Available in ebook and paperback: Smashwords| Amazon | ARe
Charley Descoteaux posted a picture of skulls for Day of the Dead over at the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group this week, which reminded me of this little snippet from Fall Hard, my romantic suspense novel set in Iceland. Our amnesiac hero, Paul is visiting an exhibition on Egil’s Saga, and has come across the exhibit of a Viking scorn-stick. It’s jogged a memory – but not necessarily a pleasant one!
I’d seen something like this before. But not here. And it had been different; the head had been a skull, its bones shining whitely in the grey light that came through our window…
Our window. There had been a horse’s skull in our flat. Mine and Sven’s.
I stumbled out of the exhibition, tearing off the headphones.
***
Don’t forget to check out the rainbow snippets Facebook group for more little excerpts from a whole host of talented authors.
***
Some memories are better off lost in the mist…
Eight months ago, British academic Paul Ansell lost his lover—and all the memories of their time together—in an accident at Iceland’s Gullfoss Falls. Returning to the misty island country to resume his study of the bloodthirsty Viking Egil Skallagrimsson is tough as he struggles to pull his life back together.
First, there’s his colleague, Mags, who treats him like glass, and summer student Alex, who peppers him with discomforting questions. Then there’s Icelandic jet-boat driver Viggo, a tattooed, modern-day Viking who won’t say much about how they know each other. Leaving Paul to wonder if their volcanic attraction is fuelled by a desire to make a fresh start, or desperation to forget the past.
As more fragments of his lost memories fall into place, Paul is unsure if he can trust himself, much less anyone around him. And he begins to suspect his accident was nothing of the kind.
Warning: Contains a modern-day Viking whose boat has V8 engines for oars, and a harsh land of hot springs and hotter passions that won’t forgive any false steps.
I’m delighted to say that Haunting Muses is now available in ebook and paperback, just in time to get you in the mood for Halloween:
In this collection of lesbian stories, ghosts, be they actual or the metaphorical ghosts of memories, aren’t necessarily evil and hauntings may or may not be bad. How do we move beyond the foul spirits or integrate the shining beings who haunt us in the cruelest or the best ways? And how do we or our characters reconcile these ghosts into transformation and healing within present reality?
Includes stories by Sacchi Green, Deborah Walker, Pascal Scott, Bonnie Jo Stufflebeam, Elaine Burnes, Doreen Perrine and my own story, Dance With Me.
I love a good anthology call, and this one really intrigued me with its wide interpretation of hauntings – and the chance to write a story about a very different kind of love from my usual. Here’s a little snippet from Dance With Me:
“Read to me,” Helen says, perched up on the kitchen counter, her stockinged legs swinging. “Read some more of that book about the girl who faked her own death to frame her husband. I like that one.”
“You would,” I say. “But I can’t. I’m cooking. See?” I hold up the knife I’ve been using to chop the courgette. It’s larger than the one I’d usually use for vegetables, but it’s beautifully curved and I like the way it feels in my hand. “Maybe after tea.”
“You’re soooo booooring,” she moans, slouching in a parody of teenage ennui. Then she smiles and sits up straight again. “If you don’t want to read, how about putting on some music? We could dance. You like dancing. I could teach you some more steps.”
I look at the knife, its surface too dull to show my reflection. It does feel good in my hand…
I put it down firmly. It’s only for a short while. “All right. But just a few dances.”
Available in ebook and paperback: Amazon
Today’s snippet comes from my story in A Certain Persuasion, the upcoming anthology from Manifold Press, which features modern LGBTQ+ fiction inspired by Jane Austen’s novels.
Here we see the former Mary Crawford from Mansfield Park, now a widow, proving she’s not lost her sense of fun (and also proving just how many more words you get for your six sentences in Regency style prose!)
It was undoubtedly a fault, Mary reflected, to have retained at the staid old age of nine-and-twenty that playfulness, that lack of regard for consequences, which men found so captivating in a girl of nineteen. And yet, she could not help herself, nor indeed would she, if she could. Let others wait for old age to excuse their eccentricities; she would have what fun she might while still young enough to enjoy it.
And was it so very bad a sin, merely to introduce oneself to a young lady whose handsome face and tall figure had caught one’s eye across the pump room?
By no means, were it not that Mary needed no introduction to tell her this young lady’s name – and was, moreover, quite aware that the young lady’s family would not wish for the acquaintance. Mary felt her spirits lift with the prospect of mischief as she crossed the room with unhurried tread.
***
Don’t forget to check out the rainbow snippets Facebook group for more little excerpts from a whole host of talented authors.
***
Now available to pre-order:
I’m delighted to be part of this upcoming anthology from Manifold Press, which features thirteen stories from eleven authors, exploring the world of Jane Austen and celebrating her influence on ours.
A Certain PersuasionModern LGBTQ+ fiction inspired by
Jane Austen’s novels
Being cousins-by-marriage doesn’t deter William Elliot from pursuing Richard Musgrove in Lyme; nor does it prevent Elinor Dashwood falling in love with Ada Ferrars. Surprises are in store for Emma Woodhouse while visiting Harriet Smith; for William Price mentoring a seaman on board the Thrush; and for Adam Otelian befriending his children’s governess, Miss Hay. Margaret Dashwood seeks an alternative to the happy marriages chosen by her sisters; and Susan Price ponders just such a possibility with Mrs Lynd. One Fitzwilliam Darcy is plagued by constant reports of convictions for ‘unnatural’ crimes; while another must work out how to secure the Pemberley inheritance for her family.
Meanwhile, a modern-day Darcy meets the enigmatic Lint on the edge of Pemberley Cliff; while another struggles to live up to wearing Colin Firth’s breeches on a celebrity dance show. Cooper is confronted by his lost love at a book club meeting in Melbourne while reading Persuasion; and Ashley finds more than he’d bargained for at the Jane Austen museum in Bath.
My story: A Particular Friend
When Susan Price leaves Mansfield Park to accompany her aunt, Lady Bertram, to take the waters in Bath, she little expects to meet an old ‘friend’ of the family. Initially scandalised, Susan finds herself drawn to the former Mary Crawford, now a widow, Mrs Lynd.
But Lady Bertram will surely never countenance Susan’s intimacy with a woman whose brother caused her daughter’s disgrace – and Mrs Lynd’s true identity cannot be kept a secret forever.
Due out from Manifold Press 1 November 2016 and now available to pre-order
Smashwords| Amazon | ARe
Happy Banned Books Week everyone!
I’m delighted to be celebrating Freedom to Read over at The Novel Approach today – why not pop on over, read some Tales of the Unexpurgated and maybe let me know about your own favourite banned books?
All commenters over at The Novel Approach will be entered into a draw to win an ebook from my backlist. Good luck!
In celebration of Bisexual Visibility Week, here’s a snippet from Lovers Leap where, for a change, the bi guy really is confused. Only not about his sexuality. It’s about everyone else’s.
In this snippet, Liz is explaining to Michael that her romance with a trans woman doesn’t mean she’s attracted to guys:
Liz got right up in Michael’s face, her eyes narrowed to little slits like a snake’s. “I’ve got no problem with dicks. Well, not actual dicks, anyway. It’s the man on the other end I’ve got a problem with.”
“Why?”
“Jesus, do I have to spell it out? Lesbian.”
“Yeah, but . . . Girls are great, yeah, don’t get me wrong. But blokes are too. And if it’s not the actual tackle you’re objecting to, what is it?” He whirled to face Rufus. “Come to that, what you got against tits?”
Rufus hesitated, put on the spot. “Um, they wobble?”
***
Don’t forget to check out the rainbow snippets Facebook group for more little excerpts from a whole host of talented authors.
***
If they looked, would they ever leap?Good-looking, confident, and doted on by his widowed mum, Michael is used to thinking only of himself. Getting shoved off an Isle of Wight pier by an exasperated ex ought to come as a wake-up call—but then he meets Rufus and he’s right back to letting the little head take charge. Rufus is cute, keen, and gets under Michael’s skin in a disturbing way.
Would-be chef Rufus can’t believe his luck when a dripping wet dream of a man walks out of the sea on his birthday, especially when Michael ends up staying at the family B&B. Life is perfect—at least until Michael has to go home to the mainland.
Rufus can’t leave the island for reasons he’s entirely neglected to mention. And though Michael identifies as bi, breaking his mum’s heart by coming out and having an actual relationship with a guy has never been his plan. With both men determined to keep their secrets, a leap of faith could land them in deep water.
Previously only available on the ‘zon, you can now get this anthology of some of my short fiction from all the usual outlets – or, if you so desire, you’ll be able to pick up a paperback copy from me at UK Meet.
This anthology, available in ebook and paperback at a fantastically low price, comprises 12 stories, all by JL Merrow, which are also available from JMS Books as standalone e-books.
Ranging from gritty to giddy, all feature two men finding their happy ever after—or at least for now—with a dash of the author’s trademark humour.
Read about boys from the wrong side of town, boys from the right side of town, and boys from a town you really wouldn’t want to live in. Meet a rent boy with a secret, a very earthly version of Cupid, and men with a definite tinge of the supernatural. Opposites attract, wishes come true, and old enemies find forgiveness in this variety pack of eight contemporary stories and four paranormal tales that’s a perfect introduction to the writing of a very British author.
Available in ebook: Amazon | ARe | JMS Books | Smashwords
and in paperback: JMS Books
Contains the following (all of which have been previously published, and are also available as standalone ebooks):
Love Found on Lindisfarne
Free Ride
Light the Fire
Dead Shot
Stronger Where it Counts
Jack in the Green
A Ghoul Like You
Batteries Not Included
Making it Pay
Trick or Treat
Good Breeding
A Pint of Beer, a Bag of Chips, and Thou
…over at the lovely Elin Gregory’s blog, where I’m talking about the inspiration for my story in the Shakespearean anthology, A Summer’s Day, and more widely, my favourite bits of the bard.*
*No, not those bits!
And, appropriately, the sun is beaming down on the bard’s native England (or at least, my corner of it!)
A Summer’s Day – Shakespearean Anthology with a TwistAre you a fan of Shakespeare? Of MM romance? Or maybe both?
To celebrate the legacy of Shakespeare, who 400 years after his death continues to inspire many of us, we created an Anthology based on his works. An M/M anthology, just the way we like it, containing 12 unique stories.
Includes my story, Nothing Like the Sun:
Hollywood darling Jerome Winter always defined himself by his looks—until a fire destroyed them.
His oldest friend and still-loyal manager, Sam, has long carried a torch for him, but with his looks—and earning power—gone, what does Jerome have left to offer?
(Sonnet 130)
All proceeds will go to It Gets Better
Available in ebook: Amazon | Smashwords
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