Writing Update, Future Plans, and Character Art

Greetings readers!

This issue, I have a packed email for you, with Writing Updates, Future Plans, Character Art, so read on for all the bookish goodness...

My sci-fi-romance mailing list exclusive, THE ADVENTURES OF JOSAIN JOVENNE, is now complete at just over 30k words. It's now being edited before I send it out to you all for free!

Here's the blurb:

Raised in an orphanage in a star system beyond the Earth’s, now an adult, Josain Jovenne seeks adventures.

In her trusty spaceship, Stone Ocean, Josain has travelled far and wide. And in every spaceport, there’s another notch on her bedpost.

Naturally curious, Josain is drawn to the planet Kralis by a royal ritual. And, determined to see what’s happening inside the obsidian palace, Josain sneaks inside. 

But she isn’t the only one.

Savrion is a Kralian on the wrong side of the law and intends to use the royal ritual as his chance to steal from the obsidian palace. There’s only one thing standing in his way — Josain.

Josain is many things, but she isn’t a thief. She won’t let Savrion walk away with countless jewels. Even if that means risking her life for a race of beings that aren’t her own.

But perhaps the adventurer and outlaw can come to an agreement that involves far less bloodshed, and instead an outlet for their mutual attraction. 

THE ADVENTURES OF JOSAIN JOVENNE is a short story set in the Throvani Ethrionth Star System Series and is intended to serve as an introduction to the forthcoming full-length THE STARLIGHT PRINCE.

And for those who might not have seen it before, here is the art of Josain and Savrion that I commissioned by Lainey T. 

And speaking of character art, I have some brand new art to share!

I commissioned a piece of Maddie and Kalas from my forthcoming sci-fi romance THE STARLIGHT PRINCE.

Here's the blurb for THE STARLIGHT PRINCE:

A love story written in the stars.

Hunted for being a witch, Madelyne longs for somewhere to belong and performs a full moon spell to find her true love.

Across the galaxy, Kalas completes the aeons-old celestial ritual to show him the location of his fated mate. Enchanted by Madelyne’s beauty, Kalas flies to Earth to find her.

And, with nothing left for her on Earth, Madelyne agrees to accompany Kalas to his home planet.

But as Madelyne adjusts to her new life, old doubts linger, and she just cannot understand why someone like her would be worthy of the crown prince.

Madelyne has spent her entire life being told she doesn’t belong, and now Kalas must convince her it’s more than just ‘fate’ that makes him want to claim her as his own.

The first 25k words of The Starlight Prince release on November 19th, as part of the BEYOND STARLIGHT: AN ALIEN FATED-MATES COLLECTION. The complete story will release on February 25, 2025 and I will have a cover reveal and pre-order announcement for the book coming in the next couple of months. ;)

Now, onto what you've all been waiting for, the art. I commissioned this piece from fellow WH, WN member N.S. Armstrong, who is not only an exceptional artist, but a talented author too. He's close to completing his debut novel, a sassy story about the son of the demon Lilith. I cannot wait to read it.

Here's their rendition of Maddie and Kalas...

 

Speaking of the Write Here, Write Now Community, last week I posted on my blog about why finding your community is so important for authors.

In the post, I went on to explain why I think the Write Here, Write Now Community is a great place for authors to join if they're looking for support, encouragement and a plethora of knowledge.

No, I'm not just celebrating my love for A Song of Ice and Fire's House Stark -- though they are the best! -- With the beginning of September the weather is slowly changing and we're getting into my favourite time of the year. 

Usually, I'm always focused on Halloween (and that's still true to the extent of me wearing bat leggings, bat earrings and bat hairclips on a recent meet-up with some of the WH, WN Crew. Pic here for those interested.)

But Christmas is on my mind much earlier than typical for me, because of my current WIP. The WH,WN Community will be releasing a Christmas-themed anthology in November, and I'm well underway with my submission. 

It's a spicy, fantasy-romance story inspired by the song FROSTY THE SNOWMAN. Here's the blurb:

Felicity usually loves Christmas, but this year, her perpetual singleness casts a shadow over the holiday cheer. To shake off her gloom, she agrees to babysit her niece and nephew, Mia and William, while her sister Emily gets some much-needed Christmas shopping done.

Building a snowman with the kids brings a smile to Felicity's face, but it’s a temporary distraction from the loneliness she feels. When she confides in her sister, Emily teases, “If only Frosty the Snowman could come to life like in the children’s song.”

Later that night, Felicity is startled awake by a strange noise outside. Expecting to find a stray animal rummaging through the trash, she's stunned when she sees the snowman she and the kids built earlier moving.

With Emily's teasing words echoing in her mind, Felicity rushes outside, unable to resist the impossible notion that Frosty might have come to life.

Under the winter moonlight, Felicity watches in awe as the snowman sheds his frosty exterior, revealing a breathtakingly handsome snow-elf named Talvi, summoned from the faerie realm by a surge of solstice magic.

Felicity’s first thought is to find Talvi some clothes before the neighbours catch sight of his chiselled, naked form. Her second thought is just how irresistibly sexy this snow-elf is.

Inviting him inside, the two warm-up over mugs of hot chocolate. Felicity muses that maybe Emily's joke was more than just that—perhaps Talvi has been sent to melt away her loneliness.

Rather than being put off by her theory, Talvi smiles and reveals that in the faerie realm during Yule, there's a tradition for keeping warm—a tradition he'd love to share with her.

Despite his icy origins, things quickly heat up as Felicity leads Talvi to her bedroom, where she soon discovers that his ability to control his body temperature makes for some very tantalizing experiences under the covers.

I'll be sharing more about the anthology in the coming weeks, including a cover reveal, with an advent-style countdown starting on September 17th, so keep your eyes on my social media platforms for that. If you want to sign up for the cover reveal, you can do so here: https://forms.gle/kPfZtUmqv7zQyDhy9 

With FROSTY THE SNOWMAN currently at 10k words of the 15k word limit, my attention is shifting to my next work in progress, another fantasy-romance, this time for StoryTellerPublisher22's Sorceress' Kiss Collection.

I've already settled on a story, which I've titled THE LAST MAGIC SHOP, and I've even written the blurb:

Magic has been but a whisper of the past in Aldwyn for decades, its powerful enchantments long faded into legend.

The only remaining trace of that bygone era is a dilapidated magic shop, its once-mighty doors now cloaked in mystery and dust.

Mira, a determined young woman with an unyielding belief in the impossible, is convinced that the key to reviving magic lies within those forgotten walls. Her relentless search leads her to the last magic shop, where hope and danger intertwine.

Inside, Mira discovers a spellbook brimming with untamed potential. But when her eager experimentation transforms her beloved younger sibling into a goblin, her quest becomes one of desperation and redemption.

Rushing back to the shop, she uncovers its hidden guardian: Alaric, the last sorcerer of Aldwyn, cursed to become a fearsome beast with each nightfall. Bound by his own tragic past and the confines of the shop, Alaric offers Mira a pact—he will help restore her sibling if she agrees to aid him in breaking his curse.

Thus begins a perilous journey that will test their courage and ignite an unexpected passion. As Mira and Alaric navigate treacherous lands, confront dark forces, and unearth ancient secrets, they find their fates irrevocably entwined.

Together, they must conquer the shadows of their pasts to bring magic back to Aldwyn—and discover a love powerful enough to transform their world forever.

But there's one element I'd LOVE your help deciding on. As mentioned in the blurb, the sexy sorcerer Alaric is cursed to transform into a fearsome beast every night. What beast that is, I'm unsure and would appreciate your imput.

The choices are:

1. A Were Bat

2. A Gryphon

3. A Were Rat

4.  Your Own Suggestion

That's all I have for now.

Thank you for reading. I'll be back on 27th with some more Book Funnel swaps.

Until then, take care and stay creative,

T.T.F.N