Hi Dear Readers!

I hope you're all well and enjoying spring (or fall if you're in the Southern hemisphere)! This month we celebrated Easter with our Brazilian friends and ate lots of yummy Brazilian foods. Then we celebrated Greek Easter with our Greek friends and ate lots of delicious Greek foods. I could eat my weight in paximadia (Greek biscotti). In case I haven't mentioned it before, I'm very food focused and tend to speak of holidays in terms of what I'm eating. 😂 After the turmoil of the last couple years, being with friends and family this year has been a breath of much-needed fresh air. I hope those of you who celebrate had as happy an Easter as I did. Also, a belated Happy Passover to my Jewish readers and an early Eid Mubarak to my Muslim readers!

This month's newsletter has some big news! See below for details. (No spoilers! 😉)

I've also added another edition of World Fantasy News. This time the Shrood is on the hot seat. If you haven't had a chance to read Demon for the Win in the FREE Prolific Works giveaway, well, Shrood is an, ah, interesting guy. Some of you have picked up that his quirky personality has some commonalities with The Dude from the Big Lebowski. With that in mind, I think it's fair to say that he's a bit of a free spirit. He brings "special" brownies to his interview. Because, of course he does. If consensual drug use is a trigger for you, please skip this one! Also, I've included the link for YBBB in case anyone wants to pick up my story or the 100+ others that are available FREE until the end of 2022.

Gimme YBBB Freebies!

Big News: Starfig Recover, Sign and Ship, and a Sale for You

Due to a plethora of reasons, I'm giving the Starfig Investigations series a new look. *ducks and hides* This has been a really hard decision since I love these covers. Lou Harper has done such a fantastic job with them and I really admire her talent. However, Alexandria Corza is currently working hard to finish up the first four re-covers and she's already done a mock up of book 5 for me. I'm loving the direction she's taking the series. I should have at least the first—and maybe more—new covers to share with you in the next newsletter.

In the meantime, I want to open up a "Sign and Ship" to US-based readers so that anyone who'd like to own the old covers can do so and have them signed. Once the sign and ship is over, I'll begin uploading the new covers and replacing the old ones. International readers can also have them shipped, but you'll want to talk to my PA NolaKim about it because shipping is expensive! She can be reached at nolakimpa@gmail.com. I'm looking into book plates and may be able to do something with those a little later in the year for international readers or for those who already own my paperbacks.

You'll also have the option of buying my other titles in paperback. If you're interested, you just need to fill out the form by May 10th. All paperbacks will be ON SALE for $10. I usually sell Starfig paperbacks for more (even at conferences) since they're pretty thick, so here's your chance to snap up any of my backlist for $10 each! The form will explain the shipping costs, et cetera. Click on the button below to go to the form.

Sign and Ship Form

Logos, Logos Everywhere

I don't know if I've mentioned it before, but I have a THING for logos. It's a bit of an addiction. I always wonder if readers even notice them or identify authors based on them. I've been keeping Alexandria Corza really busy lately, but she managed to squeeze in time to create a new logo for me. I really love the heart-shaped bottle and depending on what book you're reading the contents would be quite different. 😜

World Fantasy News: The Fairest and Impartialist News Source Anywhere

“Hello, dear readers! Welcome to another issue of World Fantasy News: The Fairest and Impartialist News Source Anywhere. I’m Geoffraie Aumberden, star reporter and nympho extraordinaire. A reminder that I’m referring to myself as a nympho because male nymphs are commonly known as nymphos. As EVERYONE knows. But management is still insistent that I have to make that clear to my readers, lest you all think of something far less savory . . . but much more fun.

Anyway, enough borrring stuff. Today I’m welcoming a, uh, truly, er, unique individual to the hot seat. Let’s all welcome Shrood, ah, he didn’t give a last name, but he’s a wood elf.” I shrug. I mean, who doesn’t have a last name? “He’s a sous chef at La Tempete, one of the premier restaurants in his realm.”

I wait, but he doesn’t enter on his cue. I clear my throat. Loudly. Still nothing. Gah, you can’t get good production assistants anymore.

“Introducing Shrood the wood elf,” I call out.

Still nothing. This may be the shortest interview of my career. And that's saying something.

The door opens and a cloud of lunar apple tobacco smoke wafts in the room. I cough.

“Hey, man, sorry I’m late.”

Shrood the wood elf is . . . strangely hot. He has green, gorgeous dreadlocks, pointy ears, lightly tanned skin, and a squarer jawline than most elves I’ve met. He also isn’t as tall, but he moves with a loose grace that is sexy AF. The tight white trousers don’t hurt either. And he has a soul patch. Which I should hate. But I don’t. This interview just got a little more interesting.

“Thanks for the compliments, man. You’re making the Shrood blush.” He manages to pinch out his spliff with one hand while holding a tray in the other. “I wanted to bring you something for hosting the Shrood. Special Brownies.”

I blink. The Shrood?

He drops the roach into a pouch at his waist, then points to himself. Okay, we’re doing third person. And no last name. My eyebrows couldn’t lift any higher.

“Wow, dude, Nico said I’d be able to hear your thoughts. This is so rad.” He hands over the tray of brownies.

I have to admit they smell divine.

“They are, man. But they pack a punch, if you know what I mean.” He winks.

I didn’t join a social guild while at the academy for nothing. I’m well-versed in special bakery items and know how to tap an ale barrel with the best of them. I’m an expert at ale pong, too. Not that I’d want management to know that. She . . . they’re kind of uptight. But since he brought them . . . I shove one in my mouth.

Oh, fornication and fawns, I think I’ve transcended this realm.

Shrood laughs. “They’re pretty good.” He looks around before taking a seat. “I like the carpet. It really ties the room together.”

I’d never noticed the rug before. I guess it does.

He sits in the hot seat then reaches over and grabs a brownie, and takes a bite. “So, man, what do you want to talk about?”

Uh . . . I blink, the room going fuzzy for a moment. “What?”

“The interview. You’re supposed to ask the Shrood questions, right?”

Oh! Right. Interview. I can’t remember what I was going to ask. That never happens. Damnation, these brownies are gooood.

“Potent is the word you’re looking for.” He takes another bite. 

I watch. He’s got a nice mouth.

“The interview?” he asks.

I look at my notes. Ah, okay. I got this.

“How’s Sheila? I understand she’s really got the hots for you.” I snicker. Sheila’s some kind of tree. Management said wood elves usually pick a tree to bond with and live in. That’s some kind of trippy hocus pocus. Can you imagine living in a tree? How would you fit? Does the tree like it?

Shrood frowns. “She’s fine. But I think you misunderstand. The Shrood isn’t ready to settle down with a tree yet. I’m a free wood elf, man. I go where the wind takes me.”

“So, you don’t live in a tree?” I reach for another brownie.

“Hey, man, I wouldn’t do that if I were you. One’s the limit, you know?”

I laugh. “Pshaw, I can handle my brownies.” To prove my point, I stuff another in my mouth. So, so good.

“Don’t say the Shrood didn’t warn you.” He shrugs, and finishes off his first one. Amateur.

I swallow down every last brownie crumb, and even lick my fingers clean. Delish. Smacking my lips, I grab another. Now, where were we? Something about trees.

Shrood rolls his eyes. “Wood elves and dryads generally live in trees. We’re one with nature and shit.”

“Why are we talking about trees?” I ask. That’s a really boring subject.

“Trees aren’t boring.” He huffs. “They’re majestic.”

I snort and spittle flies from my lips. He doesn’t smile. Oh, he wasn’t joking.

“That’s so lame. Didn’t know you were a dendrophobist. That’s gross, man. The Shrood wouldn’t have brought his special brownies to a dendrophobist.”

“A what now?” My voice sounds a little slurry to my ears, but I don’t mind because the room is extra bright and colorful. I take a big bite of my brownie. Did I mention these are really good?

“Tree hater.” He crosses his arms.

“I never have, nor will I ever hate trees.” There, I said it. For some reason I can’t stop giggling. I shuffle my notes, squint at them. “Ah, right, so Sheila isn’t your tree?”

“That’s a little personal, don’t ya think?”

“I don’t know. Is it? I mean, is bonding with a tree like having a lover or something?” Freaky.

Shrood wrinkles his nose. “Ewww, man, that’s over the line. No, we don’t have sex with our trees. We take care of them. Nurture them. And they do the same for us.”

I eat the rest of my brownie. Before I can grab another, Shrood swipes the pan away. Rude.

“You don’t need any more, dude. Trust me.”

“I don’t even know you.”

“That’s because you haven’t finished the interview yet.”

My eyes flutter closed and colors dance behind my lids. Whoa. Cool. I blink them open when someone taps me on my shoulder.

“Think you’re cashed, man.” 

Mmm, yeah, pretty sure, I’m done. Imma go lie down. “Wait, what am I supposed to be doing?”

“Signing off, man.” Shrood chuckles.

Right. “Signing off. Until next time.”

I really hope Management doesn't get wind of this one.

Prepare to Preorder!

Just a reminder that I have two preorders up: One set in Verona (A Demon's Dilemma, Az's story) and one set in Baltimore (Cat's Chance in Hell, Carter's story). Once I have blurbs, I'll share them with you all.

Preorder A Demon's Dilemma (Verona)

Preorder Cat's Chance in Hell (Baltimore)

Thanks so much for reading! I'll be in touch. Also, if you're around Facebook, come join my reader group: Maslow's Mischief, Magic, and Murder and hang out with me and my fantastic readers! We'd love to have you.

Happy reading!