Ch. 4 – Booksellers and Bone Setters – a new Oak King Holly King story on Patreon

The fourth chapter of Booksellers and Bone Setters – a brand new Oak King Holly King tale – is now on Patreon! Wherein the bone-setter arrives.

Ephraim knew not what to expect of a fae bone-setter.

He’d already begun on the wrong foot from the first mention of the trade by assuming the practitioner was a man rather than a woman. From there he struggled to return to the proper track. As he knew even less of women than he did of the fae, his assumptions ran thin and in the vaguest possible direction. What little imagination he had to spare in the face of his dear Hull’s agonies summoned a wispy willowy sort of creature with damselfly wings and diaphanous garb—a sort of nymph to Hull’s apparent satyr, he supposed, though he knew full well that Hull was a huldrekall and satyrs merely his distant cousins. How such a delicate individual as a lady nymph would do something so visceral as setting bones he did not know. Magic, perhaps. A wave of a wand, a whisper of a spell, and Hull’s leg would knit back together in its proper shape as if no dreadful accident had ever befallen him.

The trudging step up the stair forced Ephraim to reconsider his theory.

Joining me on Patreon 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…
♡ A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow (historical m x nb romantasy)

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 Patreon!

Ch. 3 – Booksellers and Bone Setters – a new Oak King Holly King story on Patreon

The third chapter of Booksellers and Bone Setters – a brand new Oak King Holly King tale – is now on Patreon! Wherein Mr Grigsby and Hullvardr have a hurt/comfort adventure.

The icy sweat trickling down Hullvardr’s scalp felt at odds with his fevered brow. The pain in his broken limb remained a constant—but, as one might grow accustomed to the howling of hounds after enough hours of ceaseless noise, so the searing agony had become just another part of the world, like the rattle of wagon-wheels over cobblestones and the crackling hearth-fire. Part of him felt better for having beheld the wound; now that he understood the shape of it, no longer did the possibility of worse torment him. The pain burst into something louder and brighter only when he moved his leg, and so he did not move it. His molars ground together to keep the more pitiful moans at bay. Giving voice to his pain would not change matters. He had but to wait for Grytha’s arrival. Until then he need only endure. And with seven centuries behind him, he could endure well enough.

The more pressing matter, to his mind, was how to look after Ephraim.

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

See you on Patreon!

Booksellers and Bone Setters – a new Oak King Holly King story on Patreon

The first two chapters of Booksellers and Bone Setters – a brand new Oak King Holly King tale – are now on Patre♡n! Wherein Mr Grigsby and Hullvardr have a hurt/comfort adventure.

The ringing of the downstairs bell as the office’s outer door opened didn’t surprise Ephraim. After all, Hull had gone out hours ago and was due to return at any moment.

Rather than the expected click-click-click of Hull’s hooves trotting up the stairs, however, the subsequent sounds to reach his ears were a series of unsteady arrhythmic thuds lurching in ascent. Perhaps a client, then—though not any whose footsteps Ephraim recognised, unless they’d developed a very bad limp since he’d seen them last. His clerk being out, he arose to get the door himself before his unknown visitor need knock.

What he beheld when he opened the door left him aghast.

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!

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

See you on Patre♡n!

Barnes & Noble Book Signing – Now on Friday, October 24th!

Quick change of plans!

Due to a slight inventory mix-up, the signing has been rescheduled to Friday, October 24th, from 6pm onward. It will still be at Barnes & Noble in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts – just evening instead of afternoon, and pushed back far enough to allow for the books to arrive.

Apologies to those of you who had already intended to swing by. I only hope the plans made may be easily amended.

I’ve met so many wonderful readers at events like these, and I look forward to meeting you at the book signing on the new date and time – so please do come over and say hello!

(And if you’re searching for more fun things to do in the region, check out my guide to New Bedford!)

WHAT
Sebastian Nothwell book signing!

WHEN
Friday, October 24th from 6pm onward

WHERE
Barnes & Noble
Dartmouth Towne Center
392 State Road Route 6
North Dartmouth, MA

The Star with Tess Carletta on Right Here Write Queer

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

Tess Carletta reveals her tarot-inspired cozy fantasy story, The Star, wherein a lighthouse keeper who influences the fate of her people by wrangling misbehaving stars back into place must remedy her own constellation.

An Outstretched Hand releases November 11th—preorder wherever you find your fave books! And stay tuned for more sneak peeks into the anthology on Right Here Write Queer.

Tess Carletta (she/her) is the author of Kit & Basie, a queer cozy fantasy romance, its sequel collection Patchwork, and the fantasy novel Goldheart. You can connect with her at her website: tesscarletta.com

An Outstretched Hand: A Tarot Spread of Queer Stories

The secret is out at last—save the date for something exciting and new coming on November 11th!

A hand reaching to you from the shadows. Six cards over-turned. Six enchanting queer tales inspired by the magic of tarot. Explore the forest, meet the fae, pray to the gods, shepherd stars, or fight creatures of myth. An offering for you, if you accept the Outstretched Hand.

This fantasy anthology includes…

The Star by Tess Carletta

A lighthouse keeper who influences the fate of her people by wrangling misbehaving stars back into place must remedy her own constellation.

The Hierophant by Carolina Cruz

A knight who was disabled in battle gives up on asking the gods for healing and turns to something dark in the woods for help instead.

The Chariot by RK Ashwick

Two witches vie desperately for a goddess’s blessing—but the fortune they seek might be right in front of them.

Strength by Luna Daye

A warrior is sent to investigate the rumors of a raided village and is forced to face the trauma of his past, and has to battle more than his grief after a terrifying discovery.

Temperance by Noah Hawthorne

A grieving mercenery searches for the tallest mountain to throw himself from, but a mystery and curious folk keep him grounded for a little while longer.

The Devil by Sebastian Nothwell

Wherein a repressed Victorian finds fleeting release in a fae courtesan’s arms—until iron chains threaten their growing bond.

If you’d like to grab an Advanced Review Copy of the anthology, you can access the epub from BookFunnel here.

And as always, thank you for reading.

A Visitor’s Guide to New Bedford for a Book Signing

On Friday, October 24th (just over a week away!), from 6pm onward, I will be signing books at the Barnes & Noble in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts.

This is the most local-to-me signing I’ve ever done, so if you’re able to attend I have plenty of recommendations for tasty treats and cool sites to visit just a hop, skip, and jump over in scenic New Bedford!

Consider…

Izzy’s Restaurant – Incredible Cape Verdean fare; the cachupa rafugado is divine.
BesTeas – Delicious boba with actual brewed tea; my personal faves are the Salty Girl (salted caramel oolong), the Early bird (earl grey), and the Ride-or-Thai (precisely what it says on the tin).
The Baker – A wonderful bakery and cafe that has thrived despite throwing everyone who tries to verbally recommend it into a Who’s-On-First skit, and creator of the only yeasted cinnamon roll I will accept into my heart.
Aviary Books – Why visit just one bookshop in a day when you can visit two? Aviary Books has a skillfully-curated selection of fine pre-loved books, stationery, and a charming shop cat. The shop’s first anniversary will be the same day as my signing, so what better excuse to celebrate?
Acushnet River Antiques – Chock-a-block with vintage treasures and conveniently located right next door to Kyler’s Catch for the freshest seafood in town. (And given that New Bedford is one of the biggest fishing ports in the whole country? That’s saying something.)
The New Bedford Whaling Museum – I’m biased for Hold Fast reasons but the jewel of New Bedford is jam packed with exhibits of ecological, historical, and artistic interest. Wonder at the suspended whale skeletons, climb aboard the half-scale whaleship model, and stare at scrimshaw both shocking and sublime.

Regardless of how much of my hometown you take in, I’d be thrilled to meet you at the book signing – so come over and say hello!

A Draught for a Dragon with RK Ashwick on Right Here Write Queer

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

RK Ashwick (she/her) chats with me about her upcoming cozy fantasy novel, A Draught for a Dragon—featuring every Dungeons & Dragons player’s dream of dragging your favorite NPCs along for the quest.

RK Ashwick (she/her) is the author of the Lutesong trilogy beginning with The Stray Spirit, as well as the cozy fantasy series Sidequest Row beginning with A Rival Most Vial. You can connect with her at her website: rkashwick.com

Ch. 27 – A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – m x nb romantasy on Patreon

Chapter Twenty-Seven 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 grand gala is anticipated.

“Will you attend the ball with me?”

If tasked to conjure the seven most unlikely words to emerge in sequence from his prince’s lips, Rat thought he could do no better. And yet Emlyn had said them nonetheless. The cogs in Rat’s brain whirred wildly to make sense of them until, several seconds too late for a reasonable reply, the answer struck him. His shoulders released a tension he hadn’t realised they’d acquired. In a tolerably casual tone, he replied, “Join your friends, y’mean?”

A bashful smile flitted across Emlyn’s lips, accompanied by a softly-fluttering laugh. “No, I meant… may I escort you to the ball? As your partner.”

The most cursory medical education would tell its poorest student that the human heart did not wander throughout the ribcage or beyond. It certainly did not fly. Yet Rat, with a full semester of medical college under his belt, nonetheless felt his own heart take wing and flutter all the way up to his throat. Joy and panic alike kept it aloft.

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

See you on Patre♡n!

Ch. 26 – A Mirror for the Prince’s Shadow – m x nb romantasy on Patreon

Chapter Twenty-Six 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 tentative acquaintanceship is attempted.

Emlyn didn’t oft feel intimidated.

Part of it was xir natural disposition. Xe was always eager to make fresh acquaintances. As Alistair had so aptly put it once upon a time, “Every stranger is just a friend Aemilianus hasn’t met yet.”

As optimistic as xe felt in this regard, xe remained well aware of the other factor ever looming in the equation; xir rank. Few would dare to cross a mortal prince. Fewer still would dare to cross a dragon. A draconic prince in xir own realm was rarely challenged—for better or for worse. Which left very little room for intimidation.

Griswold, however…

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

See you on Patre♡n!