CategoryLand Mysteries

Nocturnal Quarry is in flight

In Announcements, Land Mysteries
7 months ago
N

Which is to say, if you wanted some more Alexander in your life, here it is! (This novella is an enjoyable read on its own, but will make much more sense in context if you’ve already read Best Foot Forward.)

In 1938, Alexander is sent off to American to tend to some diplomatic matters on behalf of the Council. While there, he hopes to tidy up some loose ends – figuring out what’s happened with Geoffrey’s long-term nemesis, see what information he can get from American magical connections, that sort of thing. America has plans for him, in the form of several unexpected meetings.

Want a copy of your own?

(Kobo and Barnes and Noble Nook are still in the process – I’ll send a note to my newsletter and update here when those two stores are available.)

Oh, and if you’re curious about the art Alexander looks at while at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, there’s a post here for you!

Read on

What I got up to in 2022

In Land Mysteries, Mysterious Powers, Novellas
9 months ago
W

It is the time of year where a roundup of what I did seems useful for a variety of reasons. (Come back next week for what’s coming in 2023!)

The cover of Best Foot Forward, displayed on a phone, resting on a mess of papers with a letter sealed with wax. The cover has a deep red background with map markings in a dull purple. Two men in silhouette stand, looking up at a point in the top left. An astrology chart with different symbols picked out takes up the left side of the image, with glowing stars curving up to the title.

What came out in 2022

I put out four novels, two novellas, and a substantial extra in 2022. That’s a lot! Links here that aren’t the title (in the header) will take you to my public wiki. There you can see more details about people and places.

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Best Foot Forward is out!

In Announcements, Land Mysteries
11 months ago
B

Best Foot Forward is the one Kiya (my friend and editor) described as “M/M aroace/bi-allo-(incidentally polyam) enemies-to-it’s-complicated there-was-only-one-bed espionage and WWI trauma-healing romp”.

Cover of Best Foot Forward displayed on a phone, resting on folded golden linen with a mug of coffee. Yellow flowers lie on a book with Scrabble tiles spelling out "spring is in the air". The cover has a deep red background with map markings in a dull purple. Two men in silhouette stand, looking up at a point in the top left. An astrology chart with different symbols picked out takes up the left side of the image, with glowing stars curving up to the title.

Best Foot Forward also contains:

  • Vienna and Berlin in 1935
  • The power of spring
  • Healing and becoming who we were meant to be
  • Love of music
  • Egyptian theology
  • Land magic and the good it can do
  • Chosen family

Music turned out to be a big part of this book, so there’s an additional playlist and explanation of the music references. (It does contain spoilers for the book, but there’s a link in the author’s notes to remind you to go look and listen, or from the book page here on my website or on the authorial wiki.)

[mybooktable series=”land-mysteries”]
Read on

The Music of Best Foot Forward

In Land Mysteries, Research adventures
11 months ago
T

Best Foot Forward is full of music. It’s not only full of music, but it gave me classical music back. There’s so much music that I’ve written a full explanation (complete with a playlist you can listen to). Learn more about the music in what I’ve been calling Best Ear Forward).

Note that it does contain spoilers for the book!

Copy of Best Foot Forward lying on a wrinkled silk cloth, with a violin lying across it. The cover has a deep red background with map markings in a dull purple. Two men in silhouette stand, looking up at a point in the top left. An astrology chart with different symbols picked out takes up the left side of the image, with glowing stars curving up to the title.
Look at how nicely that violin goes with the cover! : The Music of Best Foot Forward

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A glimpse into editing Best Foot Forward

In Land Mysteries, Research adventures, Writing and publishing
August 25, 2022
A

I’m currently in the editing process for Best Foot Forward, and thought you might find a glimpse into the process interesting.

I do most of my writing on the desktop that lives in my bedroom. However, I do most of my editing on the laptop that lives in the living room, which has fewer distractions.

Here’s a shot of what that looks like. Read on for a description of both the image and the process.

A laptop with a black fountain pen with shimmery metal lying on the keyboard on top of some index cards. The screen shows a Scrivener window with multiple areas of text and notes, in shades of dark green, black, and gold backgrounds. The content of the screen is described in the following text.
Getting ready to edit Best Foot Forward
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New and exciting!

The cover of Upon A Summer's Day shows a man in a suit silhouetted over a map of northern Wales in a muted green. He is gesturing, holding his cane in one hand, a cap on his head. Behind him is an astrological chart, with Jupiter and Saturn highlighted in the sign of Taurus.

Upon A Summer's Day

Explore my blog posts

Explore posts about each book

Ancient Trust Appearances Authorial Wiki Best Foot Forward Bound for Perdition Carry On Casting Nasturtiums Chasing Legends Complementary Country Manners Eclipse Folklore and traditions Fool's Gold Forged in Combat Four Walls and a Heart Goblin Fruit History In The Cards Magician's Hoard Mistress Of Birds Nocturnal Quarry Old As The Hills On The Bias Outcrossing Pastiche Point By Point Sailor's Jewel Seven Sisters Shoemaker's Wife The Fossil Door The Hare And The Oak The Illusion of a Boar The Three Graces Trellech Upon A Summer's Day Wards of the Roses website Winter's Charms With All Due Speed WorldAnvil

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My contact page has all the latest on where you can find me (and a form if you'd like to email me directly).