Nova Praetorian
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Good Morning Monday ~ Tallowwood Cover and Blurb Reveal!
Last week I promised to share the cover and blurb for Tallowwood, so wait no more!
This amazing cover is by Reese Dante. I had originally played around with the cover myself but something was missing and I couldn’t get it quite right. Conceding defeat, I passed it off to Reese and HOLY MOLY she nailed it!! Guys, check this out…
BLURB:
Cold cases, murder, lies, and an unimaginable truth.Sydney detective August Shaw has spent the last decade of work solving cold cases. Since the death of his boyfriend eight years ago, August works alone, lives alone, is alone — and that’s exactly how he likes it. His work is his entire life, and he’s convinced a string of unsolved cold-case suicides are linked to what could be Australia’s worst ever serial killer. Problem is, no one believes him.Senior Constable Jacob Porter loves his life in the small town of Tallowwood in the middle of the rainforests in northern New South Wales. He runs summer camps for the local Indigenous kids, plays rugby with his mates, has a close family, and he’s the local LGBTQIA+ Liaison and the Indigenous Liaison Officer.When human remains are found in the camping grounds at Tallowwood Reserve, Jake’s new case turns out to be linked to August’s cold cases, and Jake agrees they’re not suicides at all. With Jacob now firmly in August’s corner, they face one hurdle after another, even when more remains are found, they still can’t seem to gain ground.But when the body of a fellow police officer turns up under the same MO, it can’t be ignored anymore. August and Jake must trace the untraceable before the killer takes his next victim or before he stops one of them, permanently.~
Release date: September 25th
I cannot wait for you to meet August and Jacob. They would have to be two of my favourite characters I’ve ever written. Which is a pretty big call. I probably say that with most characters when I’m writing their book, but these guys are special to me. I hope you love them too!
WIP UPDATE
Oh my GAWWWWD, I finally finished the first draft of my WIP from hell. LOL It ended up at 40K words, and took weeks longer than it should have. But it’s finally done!!!
Release date will be early December. I know I’ve been having around 8 weeks between releases, but this will be approx 9-10 weeks from Tallowwood to this new one. It’s just how it worked out with schedules etc.
AUDIO RELEASE
Nova Praetorian is OUT NOW!
You can find it at AUDIBLE
And it’s already whispersynced. Which means if you bought the ebook, you can grab the audio for just $3.47usd. And that’s an absolute bargain!
THIS WEEK:
This week I’m headed to the Hunter Valley to spend a few days with Nic Starr, a fabulous and talented Aussie m/m author. There will be writing, reading, wine, and laughs, and I’m sooooo looking forward to it. I’m feeling burned out and this will be just what I need to recharge my batteries.
I have to fix my first draft of the WIP from hell, and sort out some proofing revisions of Tallowwood. I’m also working on a super short extra fun scene as a giveaway later this month. And maybe I’ll start doing some research for my next novel… I know right? Lather, rinse, repeat. It never ends! But it is STILL the best job in the world.
Until next week!
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Good Morning Monday ~ Avoidance and distraction, thy name is procrastination!
Procrastination. I haz it, and I haz it bad. I should have had my current WIP finished two weeks ago. It’s only short – currently 26K words and another 5K should see it done. But can I do it? My brain says no, apparently.
I should preface this by saying I have actually been doing other work. I’ve managed some accounting stuff, some edits, more edits, formatting and releasing ARCs. I’ve also managed to clean, scrub bathrooms, watch TV (which I don’t normally do), organise shipping of book orders, sooooo much laundry, and a whole range of other things… anything to avoid actually writing.
I’m pretty sure I know why. The thing I’m supposed to be writing is weird. Actually, it left weird and drove straight to crazy-town. And while the left side of my brain thinks this is awesome, I’m pretty sure the right side of my brain is telling me to pull back. So while there is a civil war in my brain, all else is lost.
I know I’ve been hellabusy. And I’ve also been/still am sick. I know my productivity for the last twelve months has been crazy. I’ve written and released a LOT of words. Maybe this is my brain’s way of telling me to take a breather. But then not being productive gives me hives. So this is quite the conundrum. It adds to the anxiety and that exacerbates the issue.
I need someone to *make* me sit down and write this goddamn book. I know I can fix it later. I know I can’t fix a book that isn’t written. I KNOW THIS. But damn, I’m avoiding this ending like I’ve never avoided anything.
So, I’ve decided I’m going to finish this book this week, or scrap it. That’s what I’ve come down to. I can shelve it for a while if need be. But I can’t keep doing nothing. My next characters are ready and talking to me. I don’t *want* to scrap it, but I need to think of the bigger picture.
Anyway, we’ll see what my brain lets me do 😉
So, the ARCS for A Soldier’s Wish were sent out yesterday. This is my first stand alone Christmas book. All my other Christmas stories were short snippets of existing characters but these boys are brand new. A Soldier’s Wish is part of a series with six other authors, where a Christmas angel gets passed down throughout history to help give some guys a nudge into the love they deserve.
My story involves two guys who meet on their way to Woodstock, before one of them is shipped off to the Vietnam War. It does involve some sad truths about that war, but it’s a love story at heart and hopefully you’ll enjoy their journey towards their HEA.
It was a joy to write this story. Admittedly, it’s not overly Christmassy, but then again, neither am I. LOL You can find it on Goodreads, it will go live on Amazon on December 2nd.
The Christmas Angel Series page with all the books by these amazing authors can be found on Goodreads HERE
In some more exciting news, I have the cover for the Thai translation of Sixty Five Hours!! It’s so cute and fun, and I love it!
The book will be out later this month. I’ll post links when I have them!
And I’d love to say thank you to everyone who has read and reviewed Nova Praetorian!!
It still has the pretty #1 Best-Seller banner in LGBT Historical <3
And the paperbacks are simply stunning! The photo doesn’t do it justice.
Okay, so that’s it for this week! Wish me luck with this bloody book that doesn’t want to be written! LOL
Until then…
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Good Morning Monday! All the things…
After a crazy-busy few weeks, I’m now back to regular scheduling. I’m exhausted – the travelling and lack of sleep has brought on a cycle of chronic fatigue. To the point where even if I do anything (like laundry, cleaning, cooking) I need to sit down afterwards, like I’ve just done a workout at the gym. This is how bad it was when I was first diagnosed, and I’d been managing it fairly well. But yes, too much is too much and apparently I now know where my limits are. And, those limits are a two week whirlwind trip, travelling 30 hours straight, running between gates at airports, a hectic GRL schedule, and insomnia. LOL
But at least I know what I’m dealing with this time, so I can better manage it.
On to less depressing issues… 😉
Nova Praetorian’s release has been wonderful. I never had high expectations with this book – historicals aren’t for everyone. I knew that when I was writing it. But a lot of folks have told me they read it (even though it’s a historical) and thoroughly enjoyed it! And that’s all I can ask for. <3
Nova is definitely one of my most favourite books I’ve ever written. I love Quintus and Kaeso so much, and I loved writing the period/era. I think it’s important for writers (or any creative person, tbh) to try new things, to flex creative muscles they might not have tried otherwise.
🖤 On sale for $3.99 for release week only! 🖤
If you love a romance that can stand the test of time, with some action and intrigue thrown in, a little violence and a lot of love and steaminess, you’ll LOVE Nova Praetorian.
🖤
Blurb:
Quintus Furius Varus is one of the best lanistas in Rome. Tall and strong in build, fearsome in manner, and sharp of wit, he trains the best gladiators bound for the arenas of Rome. When Senator Servius Augendus seeks personal guards, he attends the Ludus Varus for purchase of the very best. He puts to Quintus an offer he cannot refuse, and Quintus finds himself in Neapolis, contracted as a trainer of guards instead of gladiators.
Kaeso Agorix was taken from his homelands of Iberia and delivered to Rome as a slave. Bought by a senator to be trained as a guard, his fate is handed to the man who would train him. Absent free will, Kaeso knows his life is no longer his own, though he soon realises the gods have favoured him when he learns his new master has a kind heart.
Quintus and Kaeso forge a bond that far exceeds the collar at Kaeso’s neck, and together they discover the senator’s move for promotion has an ulterior motive. Thrown into a world of politics and conspiracy, of keeping enemies close, they move against time to save Rome before traitors and the gods themselves see to their end.
And in doing so, see the dawn of the nova praetorian—the new guard—rise.
🖤
Universal link: mybook.to/NovaPraetorian
Or the individual links…
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JPHHDLM
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07JPHHDLM
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07JPHHDLM
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07JPHHDLM
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07JPHHDLM
I have a cover reveal coming up soon for A Soldier’s Wish. I can’t wait for you guys to read this book. It’s my first full-length Christmas story. I’m not a fan of Christmas so this book was a bit of a challenge. It’s definitely not shmooopy-Christmas-glitter-and-unicorns LOL But there is a Christmas scene in it, so that counts, right? LOL
That’s all for today. I’ll get some GRL pics uploaded soon and share my experience when I have some more time.
Until then… <3
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NOVA PRAETORIAN IS OUT NOW!!
🗡️ ★★★ NOVA PRAETORIAN IS OUT NOW ★★★🗡️
🖤 On sale for $3.99 for release week only! 🖤
If you love a romance that can stand the test of time, with some action and intrigue thrown in, a little violence and a lot of love and steaminess, you’ll LOVE Nova Praetorian.
Blurb:
Quintus Furius Varus is one of the best lanistas in Rome. Tall and strong in build, fearsome in manner, and sharp of wit, he trains the best gladiators bound for the arenas of Rome. When Senator Servius Augendus seeks personal guards, he attends the Ludus Varus for purchase of the very best. He puts to Quintus an offer he cannot refuse, and Quintus finds himself in Neapolis, contracted as a trainer of guards instead of gladiators.
Kaeso Agorix was taken from his homelands of Iberia and delivered to Rome as a slave. Bought by a senator to be trained as a guard, his fate is handed to the man who would train him. Absent free will, Kaeso knows his life is no longer his own, though he soon realises the gods have favoured him when he learns his new master has a kind heart.
Quintus and Kaeso forge a bond that far exceeds the collar at Kaeso’s neck, and together they discover the senator’s move for promotion has an ulterior motive. Thrown into a world of politics and conspiracy, of keeping enemies close, they move against time to save Rome before traitors and the gods themselves see to their end.
And in doing so, see the dawn of the nova praetorian—the new guard—rise.🖤
Universal link: mybook.to/NovaPraetorian
Or the individual links…
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07JPHHDLM
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B07JPHHDLM
Amazon AUS: https://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B07JPHHDLM
Amazon CA: https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B07JPHHDLM
Amazon DE: https://www.amazon.de/dp/B07JPHHDLM
And I’ll be back next Monday with a full GRL and holiday post!
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Good Morning Monday!! Nova Praetorian has a release date!
Good morning!! Yes, Nova now has a release date! Nova Praetorian will be going live and exclusive to Amazon on October 26th and I cannot wait for you all to meet Quintus and Kaeso!! I just love these two guys so much, I reeeeally hope you guys do to!
So, some quick facts about Nova:
- It’s 103,000 words long.
- It’s a historical. While some events are factual, all senators and the emperor are fictional. A lot of creative license has been taken.
- It’s a romance. There is love and honour and heart-swoony moments. There is definitely a HEA.
- It’s set in the Roman era – the story begins in 62 CE. That means there is also going to be things like slavery, brutality, murder.
- It uses language and vernacular of the era. Like all historicals, this is important for it to be true to its time. There are no/few contractions, and the absence of words like yes, left, right, friend, love, etc because those words didn’t exist then. Basically, if the etymological root of the word was in Latin, I went with it. And yes, there is even some Latin. Did I get 100% correct? Probably not. Please bear in mind this is a fiction novel, not an essay. So while it needed to be truthful to its era, it also needed to be readable for today’s market.
- Kaeso is pronounced Kai-so, or Ky-so. He is not Spanish cheese LOL (a proofer thought it sounded like Kay-so LOL)
- Quintus is not Qantas. LOLOL (one of my pre-readers kept calling him Qantas LOL)
- And it was one of my most favourite stories to write, ever.
OFFICIAL BLURB:
Quintus Furius Varus is one of the best lanistas in Rome. Tall and strong in build, fearsome in manner, and sharp of wit, he trains the best gladiators bound for the arenas of Rome. When Senator Servius Augendus seeks personal guards, he attends the Ludus Varus for purchase of the very best. He puts to Quintus an offer he cannot refuse, and Quintus finds himself in Neapolis contracted as a trainer of guards instead of gladiators.
Kaeso Agorix was taken from his homelands of Iberia and delivered to Rome as a slave. Bought by a senator to be trained as a guard, his fate is handed to the man who would train him. Absent free will, Kaeso knows his life is no longer his own, though he soon realises the gods have favoured him when he learns his new master has a kind heart.
Quintus and Kaeso forge a bond that far exceeds the collar at Kaeso’s neck, and together they discover the senator’s move for promotion has an ulterior motive. Thrown into a world of politics and conspiracy, of keeping enemies close, they move against time to save Rome before traitors and the gods themselves see to their end.
And in doing so, see the dawn of the nova praetorian—the new guard—rise.
WIP update:
I’m currently 12K words into my next story. It’s going to be around 20K all up – so only a short one. But this time we’re revisiting some familiar faces. Yes, existing characters! But this time it’s a side character who gets the stage. No hints or clues, but I will say it is NOT in the Red Dirt Heart universe.
I’m having so much fun writing this story! The words are really flowing and I am hopeful I can have the first draft done this week.
I leave for the US on Saturday morning and it’s school holidays here, and I’m running around after my kids like crazy, plus I have appointments before I leave, and my mother in law will be visiting so I’m not confident I’ll get it finished, but I’ll be happy if I get a chunk of it done.
I don’t know what I was even thinking when I had considered the chance of getting Nova out before I left for the US! I got through a round of edits (on 103,000 words) and still managed to write 10K plus a bunch of admin stuff, but pushing a release that wasn’t ready would have been foolish/crazy.
Speaking of leaving for the US, I don’t know if there will be a Good Morning Monday post next week. I’ll be in Virginia doing sight-seeing and touristy things 🙂 I’ll be posting pics on my Instagram and in my Readers Group on Facebook, or in the M/M Daily Grind. Follow me or join the groups – we have a lot of fun!
Okay that’s enough for this week! I’ll be sure to post when I can! I’m SO excited for GRL this year!!!! For just one week of the year, I get to be with my tribe. Until then…
<3
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Good Morning Monday! Nova Praetorian Blurb and Cover Reveal!
Yep, you guessed it! It’s been another busy week. They’re all so busy, at this point we should just take busy as a given and I’ll let you know if I have a non-busy week LOL
I did manage to finish my Christmas Angel story. OMG I didn’t think it would ever end! LOL But A Soldier’s Wish is now done at 55K words. I’m so relieved!! And I do love these boys – they’re super sweet and truly deserve their HEA.
So this week I’ll be working on edits on Nova, writing a blurb for A Soldier’s Wish, and doing some research for a short (20K-ish) story with some characters you’ve already met. My lips are sealed though! I can’t say anything because it’s a surprise. (No, it’s not Charlie and Travis… 🙁 They’re off living their HEA and don’t need me anymore *sobs*)
But I’m excited to start it, and I have another two characters who have been waiting ever so patiently for me to start their story. I’m getting there, guys… I promise.
NOVA PRAETORIAN COVER AND BLURB:
I have the blurb, though it still might be tweaked or polished yet, so this is the unofficial version. I can’t tell you how much I adored these two men and if more Ancient Roman characters decided they needed a story I wouldn’t be too upset. LOL
You’ve seen the cover, but because it’s so beautiful you can have it again 😉
Blurb:
Quintus Furius Varus is one of the best lanistas in Rome. Tall and strong in build, fearsome in manner and sharp of wit, he trains the best gladiators bound for the arenas of Rome. When Senator Servius Augendus seeks personal guards, he attends the Ludus Varus for purchase of the very best. He puts to Quintus an offer he cannot refuse, and Quintus finds himself in Neapolis contracted as a trainer of guards instead of gladiators.
Kaeso Agorix was taken from his homelands of Iberia and delivered to Rome as a slave. Bought by a senator to be trained as a guard, his fate is handed to the man who would train him. Absent free will, Kaeso knows his life is no longer his own, but soon realises the gods have shined upon him when he learns the man who trains him has a good heart.
Quintus and Kaeso forge a bond that far exceeds the collar at Kaeso’s neck, and together they discover the senator’s move for promotion has an ulterior motive. Thrown into a world of politics and conspiracy, they move against time to save Rome before traitors and the gods themselves see to their end.
And in doing so, see the dawn of the nova praetorian—the new guard—rise.
<3
As I said above, I still might tweak it… blurbs are a weird thing. So if someone adds this to Goodreads and the official blurb is different, that’s not my fault. 🙂
Still no update on release date. I’m hoping to have it out before I leave on October 13th but I can’t guarantee that. If not, it will be when I return in the last week of October.
Galaxies and Oceans is now available at other retailers!!
Kobo and Apple Books aren’t live yet but they should be sometime today 🙂
And Amazon of course.
Oh, and my paperbacks are being migrated to Ingram Spark. Because of the number of them, it will happen in stages. You may see them disappear from Amazon for a day or two, but they’ll be back up asap!
Okay that’s it this week! I have much to do and I’m running out of time. I leave for the US in 19 days but my kids only have 4 more days of school this term and then my writing/work time will be cut. Busy, busy!
Until next week… <3
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Good Morning Monday! A Cover Reveal, News, and Some Book Signing Info!
I hope everyone’s had a great week! Mine’s been busy (always) but productive which always feels good.
So I promised a cover reveal for Nova Praetorian!! And I shall deliver – but there is no edited blurb yet and no update on the definite release date, but I do have the cover. So behold! I found this cover on a pre-made site (Go On Write) and LOVED it! So feast your peepers on this!!
It is my first dive into Historical waters, and I loved writing it. So, a quick Q&A:
Is it Historical? Yes. The dates, Roman customs etc, and some historical events are accurate, though the names of senators and the emperor are fictional.
Is it Romance? Yes. LOL
Is it a little different from my usual books? Yes. Apparently. Or so I’ve been told. It’s written in third person POV which I think gives it a different feel. And the language/word usage is more formal – because it’s set in Roman times.
Anyway, I’m suuuuuuper excited for everyone to meet Quintus and Kaeso. I adored writing them. I hope everyone loves them as much as I do! If release date is not before GRL (October 18) it will be after I get home (late Oct/early Nov). I’ll keep you updated!
My WIP now has a title and I’ve seen the prelim cover, so I’m getting excited! It’s called A Soldier’s Wish, and it’s part of a group Christmas anthology. A bunch of awesome authors are writing a story with a continued theme of a special Christmas Angel ornament that gets passed along throughout history. Each story is about the Angel and the men she helps along the way. Each book can be read a stand-alone, they will each have their own special cover, and they don’t have to be read in order.
I’m excited for this! I just need to finish writing my story… and yes, I’m very well aware how close to the deadline I am for this. LOL A Soldier’s Wish is now at 42K and I’m really hoping there is only 6-8K to go. I know I say that a lot and it ends up much longer LOL Considering I thought this story was only going to be 15K in total, my estimates are a complete shot in the dark.
Release date is December 2nd! So mark it on your calendars!
With GRL fast approaching, I’d like to remind you that I will not be doing pre-orders and I cannot sell books at the event. If you want me to sign a book, you’ll need to bring your own copy with you. You can buy my paperbacks from my Author Page at Amazon.
SOME OTHER BOOK EVENTS!
Next year, I’ll be signing at Sydney Books By the Bridge on February 23rd. You can pre-order books for that HERE!
And I’ll also be signing at Book Marked and Sexy in Brisbane on March 2nd. You can pre-order books for that HERE!
Okay, that’s it for this week!! I reeeeeeally need to get this WIP finished this week. It’s pushing my whole schedule back because it’s taken me so long to write it. If you see me online, kick me in the pants!!
Until then!
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