Release Tour - Thunder Road by Morgan Brice

 

RELEASE TOUR - Thunder Road by Morgan Brice

Simon and Vic are home from their honeymoon, just in time for a brand new case!

Length: 204 pages

Series: Badlands, 7

Prior Reading: not required

Heat Level 4/5

Genre: paranormal, urban fantasy

Tropes: established MM relationship (newlyweds), monster hunting, ancient monster, found family, magic, psychics, ghosts

BLURB:

"Simon and Vic are home from their honeymoon, just in time for a brand new case!

Mysterious missing person reports, a cursed motorcycle club, and an ancient entity add up to trouble. A bad bargain to stop a long-ago gang war requires a yearly sacrifice from a tightly-knit group of riders, and even their coven of witches hasn’t been able to stop the deaths.

Then the granddaughter of a former lighthouse keeper comes to Simon for help. When the lighthouses were automated, they lost their live-in guardians, who worked protective spells to shield the coast from killer storms and a murderous creature. Those protections are fading, and an old evil has gained power, growing stronger with every life it claims.

Can Simon and Vic end the deaths and disappearances, or have they finally found a foe too powerful to stop?

Thunder Road is an action-packed MM paranormal romance chock full of old magic, protective guardians, found family, an ancient monster, brave motorcyclists, helpful ghosts, loyal friends, psychic visions, hurt/comfort, supernatural suspense, and an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels."

GRAB IT NOW

EXCERPT:

“You look lost.” Simon glanced up as he unpacked from their honeymoon. Vic stood in the bedroom doorway of their blue bungalow.

Vic shook his head to clear his zoned-out expression and smiled. “Not lost. Just a little surprised.”

Simon tossed a shirt into the laundry basket. “About what?”

Vic shrugged. “I guess I thought being married would feel different somehow.”

Simon cocked his head and gave him a look. “What, like the ghost of Freddie Mercury would show up and sing ‘Crazy Little Thing Called Love’?”

Vic laughed. “Not exactly, although I wouldn’t turn down ‘We Will Rock You.’” He did the signature stomp rhythm and Simon chuckled.

Simon came around to Vic’s side of the bed. “Seriously—like what?”

Vic looked away, blushing. “Never mind. It’s silly.”

Simon touched Vic’s chin with his forefinger and lifted his face. “Not silly. Tell me.”

Vic sighed. “I honestly don’t know. More earth-shaking, somehow?”

“I thought we shook the earth pretty well last night,” Simon replied with a sexy tone that made Vic redden even more.

“Yes, we did. But I meant the everyday stuff feeling changed, I guess. And it’s just like normal—only with rings.”

Simon took Vic into his arms, enjoying the height difference of his husband being a few inches taller. “We’ve been living together for a while now. I think that was the big adjustment. Now we’re just us again, but with a spiffy certificate and some new jewelry. Didn’t even change names.”

“Kincaide-D’Amato or D’Amato-Kincaide doesn’t really fall trippingly off the tongue,” Vic replied.

“Dunno. You’ve got a very talented tongue.” Simon leaned in for a kiss, deepening it from a press of lips to demonstrate his point.

“I don’t know what I expected,” Vic said when they separated. “That’s why I said it was silly. It’s a big thing to be able to get married. And I loved our wedding and the reception and honeymoon. But I’m still me, and you’re still you, and we’re still us, if that makes any sense.”

Simon dove in for another quick kiss. “Yes, in a weird way. I think I know what you mean. And you’re right—we did the whole adjustment over what drawers to use and how to navigate sharing the bathroom and kitchen when you moved in. So while getting married was a big emotional and legal milestone, we had already done the adjusting.”

“It was all wonderful, and everything passed in a blur. The bachelor parties, the wedding, the honeymoon all absolutely perfect. But it was a whirlwind. Now we’re back to normal, and I’m trying to sync up, I guess.”

Simon laughed. “That’s as good a way to put it as any. Nothing’s changed—but everything changed.”

Their friends and families had given them the best bachelor parties Simon ever imagined, followed by the wedding of their dreams. They honeymooned at a haunted castle in England, which was memorable for many reasons, both personal and paranormal. Now that they were home, the past few months seemed like a fantasy.

“I imagine it was a lot different back when people didn’t live together first and waited to have sex,” Vic added.

Simon snorted. “Yeah, like that was going to happen.”

“I’m just sayin’,” Vic protested with a naughty grin. “Theoretically.”

https://getbook.at/ThunderRoad

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic and urban fantasy, with less romance, more explosions. She is also a huge fan of the TV show Supernatural.

Find Morgan at www.MorganBrice.com and her reader group at www.facebook.com/groups/WorldsOfMorganBrice.

She's @MorganBriceBook on Twitter/X, @MorganBriceAuthor on Instagram and TikTok and can also be found on Bookbub, Goodreads and Pinterest (as GZMartin).

Also on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/c/GailZMartinAuthor/ and on Bluesky as @MorganBrice.

Sign up for her newsletter here:

https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/f3v0s8

Promo Blitz - Cold Winter Nights, by AE Via

PROMO BLITZ - Cold Winter Nights by AE Via

Cold Winter Nights is a heartfelt hurt-comfort story of second chances, and the unexpected healing that comes from opening your soul to someone who’s just as broken as you are.

Length: 159 pages

Series: Standalone

WIDE RELEASE

Genre: Contemporary, Small town

Tropes: Silver Fox, Damaged Guy, Age Difference, Small Town Romance, Gruff Bear,

Second Chance Romance, Size Difference

Blurb

Beauregard Stone lives a life of solitude in the snow-blanketed town of Windeville, Maine. The burly, gruff lumberjack is a man of few words and even fewer smiles. He hasn’t spoken much since his husband died eight years ago. Now, each day bleeds into the next as Stone loses himself in his woodshop and lumber- hauling business. Returning to his empty cabin exhausted is how he survives his achingly lonely nights.

But when Royal Peterson, a burnt-out corporate finance executive from Manhattan, stumbles into Windeville everything changes. Royal has just left his high-pressure job after a medical scare, unsure what his future holds or what kind of life he even wants. In the tiny town, everything feels painfully slow and too peaceful—two things Royal didn't even know existed. But there's something about the place, the history, its friendly people, the vibrant winter holiday decorations, that calls to his soul.

Stone isn’t the kind of man who fawns over the strangers who wander into town, especially not ones who look like Royal. Stone's too rough around the edges, convinced he's too old, too grizzled, too broken for someone as young and gorgeous as Royal. But when he sees the same sadness in Royal's warm brown eyes that's reflected in his own, Stone’s defenses began to crumble. Something about Royal’s vulnerability tugs at his heart in ways he can’t explain.

As Stone and Royal’s paths continue to cross in unexpected ways, they start to realize healing and loving aren’t always as complicated as they seem. But just as their bond begins to grow, Royal faces a difficult choice: does he stay in Windeville, with its peace and simplicity, or does he return to his fast-paced life, leaving Stone to face the cold, lonely winter nights once again?

Stone knows the sting of loss better than anyone, but can he risk letting love in, only to lose it again?

AVAILABLE NOW

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

A.E. Via is an international, best-selling author of LGBTQIA+ romance.

She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Criminal Justice from Virginia Wesleyan College in 2008, that she barely used before writing called to her.

She's been an avid reader of gay literature for twenty plus years before she picked up her own pen to place her kiss on this genre.

A.E.’s writing embodies everything from hopelessly romantic to adventure, to fantasy and everything in between. Her stories often include intriguing edges and twists that take readers to new, thought-provoking depths.

She’s known for her hardcore, play rough and love hard, alpha, contemporary romances. However, she does like to push herself out of her comfort zone and explore different tropes, such as paranormal and fantasy.

FOLLOW A.E. Via

Author Official Website: http://authoraevia.com/

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/A.-E.-Via/e/B00GMNMS4U

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aeviaauthor

Facebook Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/636610423028342 

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/authoraevia.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mmauthoraevia/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authoraevia

Promo Blitz - The Summer of Us (audio) by Lily Morton

 

PROMO BLITZ - The Summer Of Us (Audiobook) by Lily Morton

AUDIOBOOK DETAILS

Narrator: Joel Leslie

Length: 7h26m

Series: Standalone

Genre: Contemporary

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Summer Romance, Bisexual Awakening

AVAILABLE NOW

"It’s going to be a long hot summer.

John is an exceptionally good lawyer. He’s driven, arrogant, and hides a warm heart beneath a façade of cool politeness. He’s used to people disliking him, but for some reason, when meeting Matt in London, the other man’s open dislike bothers him.

He’s therefore surprised to find himself offering Matt a place to stay in his villa in the South of France while he’s working nearby. He’d actually planned to spend the summer working on his book and plotting to get his ex-wife back. However, his perfect plans take a blow as the long hot summer progresses and the two men get closer, and John starts to nurse an unexpected attraction to his houseguest from hell.

Matt is John’s polar opposite. He’s warm, funny, sociable, and scruffy. He loves people, and they love him back. However, to his consternation, he hates John. His arrogance, public school voice, and the air of superiority that he carries around aggravate Matt unbearably. So the idea of staying in his home with just him for company sounds torturous and not in a good way.

However, as the summer days slip by, he’s forced to realise that maybe he’s not such a good judge of character because underneath that arrogance is a warm, vulnerable man who’s incredibly sexy. The only problem is that while Matt is gay, John is straight, and Matt now wants him more than he’s ever wanted anything in his life.

See what happens when two men who think they have nothing in common apart from a past mutual hatred find out that they might be each other’s future.

From bestselling author, Lily Morton comes a scorchingly hot romantic comedy. This is a spin-off from the Beggar’s Choice series. It features characters from the series but can be read as a complete standalone."

https://geni.us/SummerOfUsUS

FIND LILY MORTON:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008647656545

Facebook Readers Group: www.facebook.com/groups/SnarkSquad

Twitter: www.twitter.com/LilyAuthor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lilymortonauthor

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LilyMorton-Newsletter

Release Tour - On Circus Lane, by Lily Morton

 

RELEASE TOUR - On Circus Lane by Lily Morton

From bestselling author Lily Morton comes a festive romantic comedy about enemies to lovers and the magic of Christmas.

Length: 70,000 words

Series: The Wright Brothers, book 1

Genre: contemporary

Tropes: Holiday Romance, Enemies to Lovers, Forced Proximity

Trigger/Content Warnings: Description of child neglect but it's off page and happened years ago

BLURB

The first time Bee Bannister met Tom Wright, he couldn’t stand him.

Everything about the man aggravated him—his perfect hair and body, his confident arrogance, and the way he looked straight through Bee. 

Which is why it’s such an unpleasant shock to find that he’ll be sharing space with him while on a Christmas holiday with friends in Scotland.

However, as the days fly by and snowy Edinburgh begins to work its magic on him, Bee discovers that sometimes first impressions can be very misleading. Tom is kind and funny, and somehow, rather than looking through Bee, he actually sees and likes all of him.

The two men grow closer, but will Bee follow his heart or his head when the holiday ends? And can relationships that start so badly ever lead to love?

This is the first book in the Wright Brothers series

EXCERPT:

Mariah Carey is fully embracing her time in the festive spotlight, as “All I Want for Christmas Is You” pumps out over the pub speakers. Even so, she’s barely managing to compete with the noise of party revellers. It’s one week before Christmas, and everyone seems to be throwing their all into the festive cheer.

I relax back in my chair and lift my drink to my mouth while idly looking around the converted Victorian warehouse. The bar is part of a big chain, and opened only last year. The heavy use of company colours in the space makes it look like an uneasy mash-up between Christmas and their annual general meeting. However, even their version of corporate holiday chic can’t stop the happy atmosphere. 

A red-headed man leans over the bar, watching me with a sultry expression. I drop him a wink, and he brightens and immediately makes his way over. 

“Hi,” he says.

I smile at him. “Hey.”

“Fancy a drink?” he asks, coming closer and gifting me a waft of his expensive cologne.

I look him up and down. “I’d love one. Rum and Coke, please.”

Smiling, he wanders over to join the huge queue.

My best friend heaves a heavy sigh next to me.

“What’s up with you?” I ask.

Ivy grimaces at me. “Well, look at you. It’s just not fair.”

“My combination of looks and brains?”

She rolls her eyes. “And your modesty. Don’t ever forget that.” I laugh, and she nudges me. “I can’t believe you. You only looked at each other once, and now you’ve pulled. Meanwhile, I can’t even get a bloke to give me a second glance.”

I drain my glass. “You’d have loads of blokes giving you third and fourth glances, but they don’t fit in with your marital timetable.” 

“I told you. I don’t want casual one-night shags anymore. I’ve been there and done that, and now I want someone to spend the next fifty years with.”

“That’s alarmingly precise. What happens if he lasts beyond the time scale? Will he wake up and find you’ve chucked him in the dustbin?”

She grimaces. “I just want a bloke with a few years of monogamy in his tank. I know you don’t understand.” 

“I don’t. I just want a man who’s capable of maintaining an erection for twenty minutes.”

There’s a sudden silence at the table next to us where a group of women wearing sparkly veils have been celebrating a hen party. Either that, or they’re contemplating entering a nunnery. They look at me and then immediately hoot and holler.

I grin at them, and Ivy rolls her eyes. She says, gloomily, “Good luck with your Erection Plan.”

“Is that a thing?” I ask, amused.

“By midnight, most of the men in here will be drooping like a daffodil on Mothering Sunday.”

AVAILABLE NOW

http://getbook.at/OnCircusLane

MEET THE AUTHOR

Lily lives in sunny England with her husband and two children, all of whom claim that they haven’t had a proper conversation with her since she bought her first Kindle.

She has spent her life with her head full of daydreams and decided one day to just sit down and start writing about them. In the process she discovered that she actually loved writing, because how else could she get to spend her time with hot, funny men!

She loves chocolate and Baileys and the best of all creations – chocolate Baileys! Her lifetime’s ambition is to have a bath in peace without being shouted by one of her family.

Facebook: www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008647656545

Facebook Readers Group: www.facebook.com/groups/SnarkSquad

Twitter: www.twitter.com/LilyAuthor

Instagram: www.instagram.com/lilymortonauthor

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/LilyMorton-Newsletter

Release Tour - Moody's Grumpy Holiday by Lane Hayes

 

RELEASE TOUR - Moody's Grumpy Holiday

The geek, the cowboy, and a not-so-grumpy holiday…

Release Date: December 12
Length: 39,000 words
Series: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary, Holiday
Tropes: Grumpy-sunshine, Bisexual, Holiday, Rom-Com, Small-Town
https://geni.us/MoodysGrumpyHoliday

Moody

Living in Christmas Town hasn’t made me a fan of the holidays. Quite the opposite. In fact, eleven months of the year, I’m perfectly happy running my bookstore in peace and quiet. Of course, that changes in December when it’s mistletoe madness and mayhem. Ugh.

But this year, there’s a new cowboy in town and it’s not as easy to grumble about…anything. I admit, Hudson is handsome and hunky, but everyone knows I’m not myself till January, so he’ll have to buzz off and charm someone else. 

Bah humbug. 

Hudson

Moving to California wasn’t in my plans. I could use the change of scenery, though, and the Oak Ridge Ranch is a good investment. That’s not a sneaky way of saying I’m hiding from my past—no siree. I’m following a new path to a new town, that’s all. 

So far, so good. Except…my attraction to the nerdy bookstore owner is throwing me off my game. 

Look, I’m not interested in anything other than a casual hookup. But Moody is a mystery, and I want to know more about the adorable geek with a sunny disposition who turns into a holiday grump every year. 

For some reason, he feels like home away from home. December may be the last month of the year, but something tells me this is our beginning.

Moody’s Grumpy Holiday is an MM grumpy-sunshine, romantic comedy featuring an adorkable geek, a hunky cowboy, and a little seasonal magic.

AVAILABLE NOW

EXCERPT:

“Honestly, I’m just passing through town. The soup next door looks good, but I thought

I’d check out your shop first. I could use a good book. Can you recommend anything?”

He cocked his head and pursed his lips. “Of course. What are your interests? Are you in

the mood for fiction, nonfiction, historical, contemporary, mystery-suspense, romance,

biographies—”

“Okay, okay.” I set the book I’d tucked under my arm onto the shelf and held my hands up

in surrender. “I get it. Lots of choices.”

“An abundance,” he agreed in a prim and proper tone that seemed more suited to someone

closer in age to the old ladies he’d scolded.

Not gonna lie, I was intrigued.

I pointed at the large M affixed to the wall behind the register. “You’re Moody?”

“I am. Louis R. Moody, PhD, MA, amateur ornithologist, and bookseller at your service,”

he pronounced, extending his hand.

“Hudson. Nice to meet you.”

We established that I was a big guy, right? Well, my palm practically swallowed his. He

glanced down at our joined hands and cleared his throat, blushing as he raked his teeth over his

plump bottom lip.

Fuck, he had a pretty mouth. Perfect for sucking dick or—

Whoa! Wait up. Where the hell did that come from?

Yes, it was true. Moody was pretty in a nerdy, kind of adorable way, but it was weird that

his brand of hot registered with me at all. Christ, but I couldn’t recall the last time I’d noticed

anyone new. Male or female.

I’d been afraid my shocking lack of libido would take a year or two to rebound after recent

events.

Well, I guessed this was me rebounding.

Huh.

“It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Mr. Hudson,” Moody replied, oblivious to my

pervy internal sidebar.

“Actually, Hudson is my first name,” I corrected for no apparent reason. This guy didn’t

need details. I was a potential customer, nothing more, so I should shut up already. Too late. I

was yappin’ again. “Hudson Babineaux, rancher and occasional mystery novel fan…at your

service.”

I winked.

Holy crap, I was flirting now too.

Me.

I couldn’t believe I still knew how to do that. Remarkable. Amazing. It needed to stop

immediately, but hey…this was progress.

https://geni.us/MoodysGrumpyHoliday

About the Author:

Lane Hayes  lives in sunny Southern California with her amazing husband, who thankfully doesn’t mind cooking, and their fabulous fox red Labrador, George, who’s pure mischief. Both provide oodles of inspiration for the low-angst, humorous books Lane loves to write.

She’s been telling stories about sexy, funny, sometimes geeky and quirky men who find love for a dozen years now and loving every minute. In her previous life, she sat at a desk and dealt with numbers, so yes…romance is much more satisfying!

Lane loves tea, travel, and chocolate…in any order. Add a book and she’s set!

AUTHOR LINKS

My Readers’ Group, Lane’s Lovers: https://bit.ly/3aIbMYg
My Newsletter: https://bit.ly/3cICfaK
Website: www.lane-hayes.com
Twitter: twitter.com/LaneHayes3
FB: facebook.com/LaneHayesAuthor
Amazon Author Page: amazon.com/author/lanehayes
BookBub: bookbub.com/authors/lane-hayes
Instagram: instagram.com/lanehayesauthor/
Goodreads: goodreads.com/LaneHayes
Tiktok: tiktok.com/@lane_hayes

Blog Tour - Deck the Hulls by Kat Cassidy

RELEASE TOUR: Deck the Hulls by Kat Cassidy

"This Christmas, he’s hiding more than his identity…

Length: 25,000 words
Series: Silver Shoals, Book 1
Genre: Contemporary, Small Town Holiday Romance.
Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, Forced Proximity, Small Town, Holiday Romance.
Content: Brief mentions of unsupportive family, past relationships, addiction and enabling, light gore.
Heat: 2 out of 5

https://getbook.at/DeckTheHulls

Fresh from a life tangled with the Greek mob in LA, Adam Sgouros is starting over in witness protection—but he feels unmoored in his new small-town existence. When a sudden need to dispose of a body without drawing attention arises (Not his fault! He can explain!), Adam realizes his first Christmas in the sleepy, wintery little town of Silver Shoals is shaping up to be anything but merry.

Elijah Jensen has always been an optimist, but this year, even he’s struggling to keep his head above water. A head-cold from hell and a boat that’s falling apart at the seams seem determined to sink his holiday spirit, and all he wants is to get through the season without any more complications. Complications like a musclebound ex-gangster hijacking his boat (Accidentally! He can explain!)—and taking him along for the ride.

Stranded on the water by a snowstorm, this unlikely pair must navigate through a holiday filled with danger, unexpected warmth, and enough secrets to sink them both. Can Adam's tough exterior thaw under the force of Eli's unyielding optimism, or will the storm—and Adam’s past—prove too much to weather?

Set course for a low heat, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity MM novella with a comedic noir twist. Featuring a relationship between a cisgender male and transgender male main character, Deck the Hulls promises a small-town holiday romance full of festive mayhem, surprising sparks, and a love that just might break through even the iciest of hearts.

EXCERPT:

“What’s on your mind?” U.S. Marshal Gillian Reynolds, his WITSEC handler, asks with her signature blunt style of concern that always makes Adam squirm. These check-ins aren’t just about ensuring he’s keeping his nose clean and being a productive member of society; they also want to make sure he hasn’t wandered off the deep end. The shrinks say he’s ‘emotionally volatile,’ and he knows if he said half of what he was thinking, they’d haul him back to the proverbial couch faster than he could say ‘antisocial tendencies.’

Amidst the clatter of plates, the rattle of coffee cups, and the shouts of “order up,” Adam seizes the opportunity for a deflection. “Just wondering if Santa will have any trouble finding my new chimney.”

Reynolds carves into her egg-white omelet with surgical precision, her brow furrowing just a touch. “As I tell the kids, Santa has special dispensation from WITSEC. So he can find you, just as long as nobody else does this time,” she shoots back, a reminder of his less-than-stellar record in witness protection. She’s got him there. He hasn’t exactly been the poster child for low-profile living.

Of course, it wasn’t his fault they stashed him in the same Idaho backwater as some washed-up enforcer from the Iwamoto crime family. A week in, and they’d both reached for the last gallon of milk at the only supermarket in town. The guy was jumpy and assumed anyone he recognized had to be here to kill him. One thing led to another, which, naturally, led to a fistfight in the frozen foods section, and the next day their faces were splashed all over the local paper. Adam finished the fight, but he hadn’t even started it.

AVAILABLE NOW

ENTER THE GIVEAWAY NOW:

https://kingsumo.com/g/3eovlkm/deck-the-hulls-release-giveaway

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Kat Cassidy is a queer romance author. She’s a dreamer, a schemer and, above all else, a believer in true love. She lives in Canada with her family and her lovable mutt, and she likes loud guitars and strong IPAs.

Website: https://www.katcassidyauthor.com/
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/katcassubcribers/
Instagram: katcassidyauthor
Newsletter signup: https://katcassidyauthor.squarespace.com/newsletter

Read Around the Rainbow - Retellings

It's that time of the month when a group of like-minded authors discuss the chosen topic of the month. #readaroundtherainbow. And yes, it does appear that I'm here two months in a row. Shocker!

The topic this month is retelling. But what is a retelling? 

Mark Twain quote: “There is no such thing as a new idea. It is impossible. We simply take a lot of old ideas and put them into a sort of mental kaleidoscope. We give them a turn and they make new and curious combinations. We keep on turning and making new combinations indefinitely; but they are the same old pieces of colored glass that have been in use through all the ages.” 

If we accept this quote from Mark Twain, then everything is a retelling. Or to paraphrase that comedy legend, Eric Morecombe, I'm using all of the same ideas, just not necessarily in the same order. And yes, that is a valid argument but it's not what we're going for. 

As more and more classic reads fall out of copyright, then an influx of books about that character by new authors become available. You only need to look at the number of new Sherlock Holmes stories that have flooded the market in recent years. But again, I'm not here to discuss the morally grey area of riding on a dead author’s coat tails, especially since I'm not 100% certain where I sit in this particular argument. 

The purpose of these posts are to discuss direct reworkings of other authors' stories. By this I'm talking about taking the plot and certain character traits and changing it up. How do we do that? Oh let me count the ways: 

• Genderbend the characters. 
• Make it contemporary. Or set it in the future. 
• Or add vampires, witches, werewolves, zombies.

Alternatively the option is there to use the characters before you but in a totally different way. 

• Take two random side characters and give them their own story. 
• Rewrite fairy tales or bring the the Gods of Myths and Legend to life and settle them on our mortal plane. 

Which of these takes do I prefer as a reader? Probably the last one. But let's consider them all. 

If it's a classic book and you're going to make it queer, then quite often you'll need to genderbend one of the leads. This is done effectively in Anyta Sunday's Love, Austen series, where she writes Jane Austen novels with male leads and in a contemporary setting but loosely follows the plot and various traits of the characters. The first book in the series is a retelling of Emma, with misunderstandings and an oblivious MC, just as you'd expect. Of course, a retelling of a story with two male leads often just requires removing the obligatory female love interest. Where these style of stories sometimes fail for me, is when the author sticks too closely to the source material. These can then be bland and predictable without any flair. Maybe those stories need Twain's kaleidoscope twisting a bit more. 

Adding the supernatural. Recently Rebecca Cohen has been retelling her own Crofton series but putting a supernatural twist on it. I'm thoroughly enjoying the darker versions of familiar characters as vampires and fey.

Giving side characters their own story. Well, don't we all do that as soon as we write a series but obviously in this case the characters aren't our own. The first work that came to mind is actually a play not a book, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard. Stoppard takes these two characters and creates the story of what they are doing while they aren't on stage in the main play. I must admit that I struggled with applying this concept to gay romance until I remembered the swashbuckling, evil doings of The Henchmen of Zelda by KJ Charles. Telling the tale from the morally dubious pov of the henchmen of the ‘tache-twirling bad guy, certainly puts a new spin on a classic Victorian pulp novel. A Romance with a capital R it is not, but it’s a cracking read, especially if you cast Rupert as the ever gorgeous Douglas Fairbanks Jr. 

So, we come to my favourite type of retelling, fairy tales and myths. Whether it’s Clare London’s take on Little Red Riding Hood in her new Christmas story, or Eli Easton’s Beauty and the Beast retelling, ‘Billy & the Beast. Or maybe it’s the more complex world of Greek gods and demi-gods who walk the Earth, falling in love, and fighting for humanity in Sam Burns & WM Fawkes Lords of the Underworld/Sons of Olympus series. Why do I like this type of story so much? It’s hard to say. Maybe it’s because the source material goes back hundreds or even thousands of years, that we’re far removed from the word of mouth origins. Maybe it’s because the source material is somewhat dark and yet favourite authors turn them into Romances with that capital R and multi book series full of action and swoon-worthy heroes. 

Have I written any retellings? Well, yes, but none that you’ll find for sale. Back in my fanfic days I turned both Around the World in 80 days and The 39 Steps into stories from my fandom of choice. But I know that several of my fellow RATRs have turned their hand to a retelling or two. Check out their posts to find out. 

Nell Iris - Read Around the Rainbow: Retellings

Ofelia Grand - Read Around the Rainbow | Retellings

Fiona Glass - Read Around the Rainbow: retellings

Ellie Thomas - Read Around the Rainbow: Retellings

K. L. Noone - read around the rainbow: retellings

Addison Albright - READ AROUND THE RAINBOW :: Retellings #RAtR