What Manner of Man – Serial Fiction with St John Starling on Right Here Write Queer

There’s a new episode of Right Here Write Queer waiting for you in your favorite podcast app!

From Victorian penny dreadfuls to 21st century fanfiction and everything between and beyond, St John Starling chats with Sebastian Nothwell about serial fiction, Gothic romance, and bold strategies for telling stories.

St John Starling (he/him) is the author of the queer Gothic romances What Manner of Man and The Sacred Sins of Father Black. You can connect with him on tumblr @stjohnstarling and join his newsletter at stjohnstarling.substack.com

Ch. 8 – Theo – transmasc MM romance on Patreon

Chapter Eight of Theo – a transmasc historical MM romance inspired by Little Women – is up on Patre♡n, wherein our heroes prepare for a ball.

~

“There!” Myrtle declared. “A perfect little woman!”

Against his better judgment, Theo opened his eyes.

A young woman stood before him. She had a strong jaw, a long nose, sharp cheekbones, full brows, and long lashes. Her chestnut hair had gathered in a pile atop her head, and the neckline of her gown sank very low indeed, leaving nothing in between to hide her slender neck or her shoulders as straight as a soldier’s. Indeed, her gown came down far enough to reveal the top of her bosom, not particularly ample but appearing moreso as her corset forced it up. Her narrow waist kept the fashion, as did her voluminous skirts. No trace of a smile graced her lips, though their curve and color compelled the eye regardless. She had altogether a proud stance, as if the cage of the crinoline could scarce contain her, and she seemed the sort of woman Theo would like to know.

Then her lips parted for breath in time with his own, and with a horrible jolt, he recalled the face he stared into supposedly belonged to him.

~

Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You’ll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!

A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]

Currently posting…
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)

Completed works…
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas – John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job – Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 – Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)

See you on Patre♡n!

Sentiment – Oak King Holly King short story on Patreon!

Surprise! We interrupt your regularly-scheduled Theo to bring you a rough draft of a short story featuring Shrike and Wren from Oak King Holly King.

~

“Sentiment,” Shrike had told him, “is the highest value any artifact may attain. It would grant powerful magic to its wielder. Your milk-teeth, imbued with a child’s innocence and a mother’s love, would prove potent indeed.”

~

Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You’ll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!

A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]

Currently posting…
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)

Completed works…
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas – John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job – Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 – Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)

See you on Patre♡n!

Oak King Holly King on Ask A Medievalist

E. H. Lupton very kindly interviewed me on the Ask A Medievalist podcast about Oak King Holly King and the Peasants Revolt!

See also…

  • the Shakespeare’s Histories fandom
  • the ties between the Peasants Revolt of 1381 and the Chartist movement of the early 1800s
  • Victorian fascination with medieval history
  • the Eglinton Tournament (possibly the first Renaissance Faire? discuss.)

Listen now on Spotify or wherever you find your fave podcasts!

Ch. 7 – Theo – transmasc MM romance on Patreon

Chapter Seven of Theo – a transmasc historical MM romance inspired by Little Women – is up on Patre♡n, wherein our heroes endure a Christmas.

~

“All right!” Annabelle cried. “Open your eyes!”

Theo dropped his hands. His well-practiced smile froze on his lips as his eyes fell upon the waist-high white cage assembled in the center of the room.

Myrtle and Mother stood on either side of it, holding it up and beaming with pride, while Annabelle hopped around them both, bursting with excitement.

“Isn’t it marvelous?” Annabelle cooed, looking as if she’d like to crawl under the cage’s domed roof herself.

“Yes,” Theo lied, and put all his effort into maintaining his smile as he stepped forward to touch the cage—a whalebone crinoline, to hang under his skirts. He hoped his shocked dismay would read as wonderful disbelief.

“Don’t pout just because it isn’t steel,” said Myrtle.

~

Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You’ll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!

A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]

Currently posting…
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)

Completed works…
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas – John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job – Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 – Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)

See you on Patre♡n!

I Want That Twink Obliterated with Trip Galey on Right Here Write Queer

There’s a new episode of Right Here Write Queer waiting for you in your favorite podcast app!

“Even back then, they wanted that twink obliterated.”

Noah Hawthorne (he/they) interviews Trip Galey (he/him) about paying queer artists to make queer art, fae morality, identification with the alien, drawing inspiration from boredom, resonating with queer experiences outside of your own, writing the weirdest story of your heart, and the wildly entertaining I Want That Twink Obliterated anthology.

Trip Galey (he/him) is the author of the queer fantasy novel A Market of Dreams and Destiny and the cozy cosmic novella Apple Pies and Eldritch Skies as well as the co-founder of the small press Bona Books Ltd and co-creator of the I Want That Twink Obliterated anthology of queer spec fic. You can connect with him at linktr.ee/tripgaley and keep up with all the cool things Bona Books Ltd is up to at bona-books.com

Noah Hawthorne (he/they), also writing as Aelina Isaacs, is the author of the queer cozy fantasy series Adventures in Levena, beginning with Phantom and Rook. You can connect with him at their website: neshamapublishing.com

Smashwords End-of-Year Sale!

Now is your best chance to find my entire ebook collection for a steal at Smashwords as part of their End of Year Sale through the end of 2024!

Including…
Oak King Holly King, a Victorian fae romantasy between a fae warrior and a mortal clerk.
Fiorenzo, a fantasy-of-manners romance featuring swordplay, hurt/comfort, and a happily-ever-after.
Mr Warren’s Profession, a Victorian cross-class romance featuring hurt/comfort and a happily-ever-after.
Hold Fast, a Victorian romance between a whaling harpooner who inherits a baronetcy and the estate agent tasked with turning him from sailor to gentleman.
The Haunting of Heatherhurst Hall, a Victorian gothic romance rife with horror and heartache, wherein an American heiress makes an ill-advised marriage to bring herself closer the woman who’s stolen her heart.

Mental Health in the Latine Community with Valerie Gomez on Right Here Write Queer

There’s a new episode of Right Here Write Queer waiting for you in your favorite podcast app!

Writing from personal experience, Carolina Cruz (they/them) interviews Valerie Gomez (she/her) about mental health in the Latine community and portrayals in queer romance.

Valerie Gomez (she/her) is the author of the contemporary queer Latine romance Cover Story and its sequel novella Coming Home, as well as the cozy queer romance novella A Handyman for the Holidays. You can connect with her on instagram @valeriegomez_writes

Carolina Cruz (they/them) is the author of the vampire horror romance Blood in the Water and the queer fantasy series The Creed of Gethin (beginning with The Unwanted Prophet). You can connect with them on instagram @ninawolverina

Ch. 6 – Theo – transmasc mm romance on Patreon!

Chapter Six of Theo – a transmasc reimagining of Little Women – is up on Patre♡n.

~

Many times, when they thought themselves out of earshot, the staff discussed how foolish Leslie had been to try to skate across the middle of the lake, and whether the first freeze was always the safest or most dangerous ice of the year. Occasionally they spoke of Theo himself and his kindness in doting on the invalid—though one particular housemaid, he knew not which, considered him “too clever by half” in insinuating his way into the household with “an eye for the young master’s hand and the inheritance with it.” Once Theo overheard the nurse talking with one of the footmen and calling him “a perfect little angel of the house,” and had to force himself to think of it as the compliment she’d intended, rather than the sickening twist he felt in his guts.

~

Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You’ll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!

A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]

Currently posting…
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)

Completed works…
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas – John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job – Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 – Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)

See you on Patre♡n!