Happy Book Birthday to Tales from Blackthorn Briar

Happy Autumnal Equinox! Three years ago today, Shrike and Wren embarked on their second voyage out into the world – alongside Mr Grigsby, Daniel Durst, and all their other friends from Oak King Holly King, with new friends gathered along the way.

Shrike and Wren hold a special place in my memory for getting me through some rough moments, and I am so beyond grateful for every single reader who has taken their story to heart.

If you enjoy happily-ever-afters, hurt/comfort, and catching up with old friends, I wrote this book for you.

Tales from Blackthorn Briar is a collection of sequels to the fae romance Oak King Holly King – including…

Mabon

Wherein Shrike and Wren repay their debt to the Court of Hidden Folk.

Mr Grigsby’s Clerk

Wherein Mr Grigsby finds a replacement for Wren – and perhaps more than he bargained for.

Jack in the Green

Wherein a certain Horse Guard wanders into Blackthorn Briar.

Winter Solstice

Wherein the Holly King surrenders to the Oak King.

The Holly King’s Peril

Wherein Wren and Shrike discover danger in the wilds of the Fae Realms.

The Ballad of Daniel Durst

Wherein Daniel embarks on his authentic life in a bold new land.

Amazon • Apple Books • Barnes & Noble • Bookshop dot org • Kobo • Payhip • Scribd • Smashwords

Ch. 25 – A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – m x nb romantasy on Patreon

Chapter Twenty-Five of A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – a historical m x nb romantasy featuring dark academia, hurt/comfort, and dragon royalty – is now on Patre♡n! Wherein secrets begin to fester.

“I’ve told Alistair,” Emlyn announced.

Having remained at the library with Griswold until the librarians all but chased them both out at midnight, Rat was surprised to find Emlyn awaiting him in their dormitory. It felt even more shocking to his system to hear xir speak so frankly of what still felt illicit to him.

“And Quince,” xe added.

Rat realised he’d remained silent for entirely too long. He forced himself to speak. “All well?”

Emlyn beamed. “Of course.”

Rat wished he could believe xir. Or rather, that he could believe Mordaunt. For while doubtless Emlyn believed xe spoke true, Rat doubted Mordaunt had been entirely honest when giving their newfound bliss his blessing. Then again, Rat supposed, perhaps he had misjudged Mordaunt, and he was as capable of making himself happy on xir behalf as Rat. As for what Quince made of it all, Rat could hardly guess either way. Though if he were granting Mordaunt the benefit of doubt, he thought it would be boorish not to offer Quince the same grace, even if only in his own mind.

Belatedly, Rat remembered to mirror Emlyn’s smile.

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]

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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+)
♡ Theo. (transmasc historical mm romance)

See you on Patre♡n!

Ch. 24 – A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – m x nb romantasy on Patreon

Chapter Twenty-Four of A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – a historical m x nb romantasy featuring dark academia, hurt/comfort, and dragon royalty – is now on Patre♡n! Wherein a complex navigation is attempted.

Moreso than confessing everything, moreso than kissing, and even moreso than consummation, was the sheer relief Emlyn felt to sleep with Rat in xir arms again.

It wasn’t that xe hadn’t realised xe missed it. It was that xe hadn’t permitted xirself to grieve the loss. Now to have it returned filled xir heart to bursting and xe drifted off to a slumber as deep as it was serene, as if xe were Endymion—or perhaps Selene, with Rat as Endymion tumbled limp and languid in xir grasp, more at peace than xe had known him since their return to the realm. No drowning night-mare could reach xir.

This tranquility was broken with a single whispered word.

“Sorry.”

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♡ A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)

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The Mr Warren’s Profession audiobook is here!

I’m so excited to finally share with you just how Gary Furlong has brought our Victorian lads to life.

Kickstarter backers have already received their download links. It will take a while for the audiobook to upload to all the major retailers (Audible, libro.fm, Chirp, etc.) as well as library apps like Libby and Hoopla.

In the meantime, however, you can preview the first chapter in the YouTube video above, and you can listen to the whole book right now thanks to my author storefront over on Payhip!

To celebrate this new audiobook release, use the coupon code “Nothwell” at check-out for 20% off your entire purchase. (A wonderful opportunity if you wanted to grab the Oak King Holly King audiobook or any of my ebooks while you’re over there.)

However or wherever you acquire your audiobooks, thank you for listening.

Contemporary Romance with D.C. Emerson on Right Here Write Queer

There’s a new episode of Right Here Write Queer waiting for you wherever you listen to your fave podcasts!

D.C. Emerson (they/them) graciously joined me for a chat about finding yourself and creating community through contemporary storytelling.

D.C. Emerson (they/them) writes queer romance, including the Not So Normative series and the spin-off series Conflict Mediation. You can connect with them on Instagram @authordcemerson

Ch. 23 – A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – m x nb romantasy on Patreon

Chapter Twenty-Three of A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – a historical m x nb romantasy featuring dark academia, hurt/comfort, and dragon royalty – is now on Patre♡n! Wherein the best of intentions begin to go horribly wrong.

Rat forced his voice to remain even. “I’m not going to keep you from—whatever you need.”

Emlyn’s brow did not unfurrow. “What I need is for you to be honest with me.”

Trust Emlyn to ask for the impossible.

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Ch. 22 – A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – m x nb romantasy on Patreon

First, some out-of-context spoilers.

And now, the excerpt – wherein the slow-burn simmer becomes an inferno.

The word hung in the silence between them.

Emlyn’s dark eyes had flown wide with shock.

Rat knew what would follow. Disgust. Anger. Betrayal. He braced to see the worst of it in Emlyn’s gaze. If Emlyn would even deign to continue to look upon him.

But instead Emlyn smiled.

Soft and handsome and radiant as ever. Rat’s heart thrilled to see it despite the wretched circumstances.

“Me?” Emlyn said with soft wonder, as though xe couldn’t believe it—ludicrous, for who wouldn’t want a prince, and moreover one so strong and beautiful and kind. “What for?”

Perhaps Emlyn had misunderstood him. Rat supposed he’d better make his meaning plain. “I want to kiss you.”

Unmistakable joy flashed through Emlyn’s dark gaze. Xe quickly tempered it. “You don’t have to—”

“I want to.” Rat felt as startled by his own honesty as Emlyn evidently felt to hear it, judging by xir astonished blink. He pressed on nonetheless. “And more. Worse.”

Emlyn’s brow furrowed. “Worse?”

“I want to do things to you.” Rat swallowed hard and forced out the confession his prince deserved. “Terrible things.”

Rather than horror, a hopeful and unaccountable smile lit up Emlyn’s already-brilliant features. “Such as?”

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Ch. 21 – A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – m x nb romantasy on Patreon

Chapter Twenty-One of A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – a historical m x nb romantasy featuring dark academia, hurt/comfort, and dragon royalty – is now on Patre♡n! Wherein a confession is made.

Before he could think of anything intelligent, wise, or prudent to say to his long-neglected prince, however, Emlyn spoke.

“Please—may I have a word?”

Rat bit down his instinctive reply; that Emlyn could have anything xe damned well wanted from him, and half of it without ever needing to ask. But he couldn’t shake the disquietude he felt at that one particular word, please. Princes didn’t beg.

Belatedly, he replied, “Of course.”

Brisk. Efficient. Plain-spoken. Toneless.

None of which seemed to ease the unaccountable grief in his prince’s gaze.

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Ch. 20 – A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – m x nb romantasy on Patreon

Chapter Twenty of A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – a historical m x nb romantasy featuring dark academia, hurt/comfort, and dragon royalty – is now on Patre♡n! Wherein desire is suspected.

“D’you think,” Alistair murmured, gentle as ever, “he might be in love with you?”

A thunderbolt couldn’t have more thoroughly shattered Emlyn’s ease.

Alistair hesitated. “Forgive me, I don’t mean to—It’s only, from the glimpse I caught of his face, I thought I saw something like… well, jealousy, I suppose.”

A traitorous fluttering of hope stirred beneath Emlyn’s breast-bone. If xe alone had beheld envy in Rat’s gaze, xe could tell xirself it meant nothing. But if Alistair had seen it, too, then—

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Alistair hastened to add.

“No, no,” Emlyn told him just as quickly. “You were quite right to. Your honesty is everything to me.”

A bashful smile plucked at Alistair’s lips. His soft palm graced Emlyn’s cheek. “Would you forgive me for offering an opinion alongside it?”

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Ch. 19 – A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – m x nb romantasy on Patreon

Chapter Nineteen of A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – a historical m x nb romantasy featuring dark academia, hurt/comfort, and dragon royalty – is now on Patre♡n! Wherein feelings are denied.

“Have you done that before?”

“Done what?”

“Kissed someone.”

An unaccountable shame bloomed in Emlyn’s chest. Xe’d never felt xe’d done anything wrong in this regard before. Now, however, with Rat asking xir the simplest question… Still, xe could do no less than answer honestly. “Yes.”

Rat deserved that much, at least.

Though he didn’t seem happy to hear it now. Nor did he say anything. No matter how dearly Emlyn wished he would. A horrible silence drew out between them.

Before Emlyn could stop xirself, xe added, “And more.”

This did nothing to improve Rat’s aspect. Nor did it induce him to speak. His eyes darted away from Emlyn’s. Over the room. Clear across it. Fixing on a point in the middle distance and focusing on nothing at all. His jaw clenched and unclenched. Yet he remained silent.

“Does it bother you?” Emlyn asked—though the answer was already evident.

“No,” said Rat.

There was something off in the answer. Too quick. Too sharp. It had a strange undercurrent that sounded utterly unlike the Rat that Emlyn had come to know and love.

All at once, Emlyn realized xe couldn’t recall Rat ever lying to xir before.

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