Halloween sale, cover sneak peek, book reviews, and more
In this issue:
MY LORD: $0.99 eBook sale & hidden free code
Free MY LORD bookplates
Interview: The IndieView
THEY CALL HIM LUCIUS: Cover Sneak Peek
Book reviews: Everything is Wonderful Now and Open Wound, by Shane Blackheart
MY LORD: $0.99 eBook sale
Special Halloween sale! 🎃 MY LORD is now just $0.99 over on SmashWords 😱
Also… There’s another code hidden in this newsletter that will allow you to claim a FREE copy—but only if you’re fast as there are limited uses for that code 👻
So as you read on, be on the lookout for a SmashWords code 👀 (eg AB34E)
Oh, and for anyone who doesn’t know: you can put ebooks from SmashWords on your eReader or kindle 🙌 You can read how here.
Free MY LORD bookplates
If you got a physical copy of MY LORD, post a photo of it to social media and tag me. I’ll be sending people free signed bookplates (& goodies) 😄
Don’t have social media and/or not comfortable sharing? Not to worry! Just fill in this form ♥
The IndieView
I had another really fun interview with The IndieView, which you can read here.
Cover Sneak Peek
I’m currently preparing THEY CALL HIM LUCIUS, a contemporary horror novel set in the same universe as MY LORD (featuring several familiar characters 😏), for publication. The cover art will be by Holly Bunn, who also did the magnificent MY LORD cover and internal art.
As a special treat for all my newsletter subscribers, here’s a little sneak peek from the current concept drawing 🥰
<redacted—sorry, this part was for subscribers only 🙈>
Book reviews:
A double review because book 2 of The Requiem Series just came out 🎉
Everything is Wonderful Now, by Shane Blackheart
This book is quite unique and doesn't fit neatly into any one box or genre.
TL;DR review:
A semi-autobiographical novel that's best defined as literary urban fantasy. Come for the angel getting his ass kicked, stay for Sean figuring out his past and his own, dark, nature.
Longer, more in-depth review:
On mental health:
With this book being based on the author's life, the mental health rep is very on point. It's personal and real—because it is—which really make this hard to read in certain bits. (Eg when Sera's dad is being abusive.) Because the story has been fictionalised, it remains unclear which bits are indeed fiction and which aren't.
I'll be honest and add that I'm friends with the author, so aware of certain personal details. This made reading this book all the more of a ride because I knew some events really happened, while others left me guessing (and hoping it was fiction-only).
On LGBTQ+:
The MC is trans and the book follows them as a kid to an adult. As a kid, gender questions start to rise but only as small notions, small hints—that bring a smile to Sera's face.
As an adult, Sean is already living as his authentic self. We do see some flashbacks to earlier but most details of the turbulent teen years where he settles are in the time skip.
Sexuality is also a thing because Sean is ace but very sexual (he needs sex on a spiritual level, just seldom feels sexual *attraction*). A combo not represented enough in books imo, so very happy to see more of that 💜
Most relationships shown are achillean. Also, relationships, plural, because this is a polyam book! 🤘
It was really nice to see supportive and loving partners, esp in regards to dealing with mental health issues.
On angels & demons:
Angels are a pain in the ass and the antagonist in question truly is one pigeon you'd <swallows words>. Ahum. Umabel is cruel and def puts one in a stabby mood.
Fallen angels though? Just golden. 10/10 would recommend getting one to protect you. (Good luck convincing one though to actually take an interest in you 😅)
As for demons? How about we just get a cuddle pile going because these boys are precious and our dear Sean deserves every single one of his lovers, esp after everything he's been put through <eyes a certain pigeon>.
On style:
This book is written in third person and has scenes from various point of views. Because of the semi-autobiographical nature, it blurs the line between fantasy and reality. If literary urban fantasy isn't a genre, it should be because *this* is it 🔥
Final notes:
I'll be honest and say this book isn't for everyone. If you're here for a fast, light read with angels and demons fighting it out: stop.
If however you're here for depth, character growth and exploration of trauma in various shapes (incl dealing with dark thoughts), and want to see a character deal with all that, getting to the bottom of their own psyche (and finding fear incarnate) and embracing it? Then 😩👌 you'll absolutely LOVE this book 🙌
👻 WH25S 👻
Open Wound, by Shane Blackheart
OPEN WOUND continues where EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL NOW left off.
TL;DR review:
Just like the first book, OPEN WOUND is semi-autobiographical and is best defined as literary erotic horror. It's dark, sensual, and explores trauma in a very unique way.
Longer, more in-depth review:
On mental health:
With this book being based on the author's life, the way Sean deals with his trauma is very real and I can imagine some people might balk at certain scenes. Let me make it clear that there is no one way to dealing with trauma and all coping mechanisms are valid if they help the person dealing with the trauma.
Sean's partners are very supportive, perhaps even too much? The level of trust in some situations left me in suspense because I was not trusting Vexis just yet. Their ways of helping Sean were surely very unconventional (and the book actually has an author's note at the end discussing this which I very much appreciated 🙌).
While some sessions helped, others seemed to make things worse; a case of 2 steps forward, 1 step back... Which was still a forward movement, so YAY progress!
But yeah, this book is dark and heavy (it's about dealing with trauma, what do you expect?) and it's quite real so no waving a magic wand and poof! All better. Nope, this book shows that some *real work* is needed to work through past traumatic events. This is done in "sessions" of which some aren't unlike ones an actual therapist might do (partly lol), except *talking* about past events is not the same as actually *revisiting* your memories and dealing with it all over again (for better or worse).
Vexis is a merciless guide to Sean as they attempt to help him work through everything, and I was with Sean's partners: unsure about it all but eventually relenting and trusting Sean's judgement...
On LGBTQ+:
The MC Sean is an asexual trans man in a mostly achillean polycule. The other MC is Vexis and they...are...
...
Fear incarnate. Yep, let's just stick with that.
Vexis' gender is and they are very much aroace. At first they seemed very much sex averse but then there appeared to be some reciprosexuality going on that changed their stance to a more neutral one (which would promptly revert back after).
On the erotic horror:
Where book one was urban fantasy, OPEN WOUND falls more under erotic horror. Horror, because of all the places in the void Sean travels too, how some traumatic memories are dealt with, and the weird "limbo" Vexis seems to be in in their memories 👁
Erotic because sex is one of the ways Sean copes with trauma and how he recharges his energy. He faces certain fears too... I mean, slight spoiler but the monsterfckers might go ! so: Sean ends up with a shadowman and Vexis uses tentacles 👀 Just don't expect a "typical" erotica-kind of writing (which will be a yay for some and a boo for others).
On DID/plurality:
The author is plural and while for book 1 it seemed a lot more clear that everyone around Sean is very much there in real life, for OPEN WOUND there were several times where I wasn't as sure and wondered if Sean was plural too instead of having all his partners there with him, physically.
I found this added to the uncanny feeling of the book, because, esp with Sean traversing void spaces, what even is real?
Also, Vexis' whole deal is rooted in plurality with Sean, as it's clearly stated on page that they used to share the body (I mean, Vexis wanted to be in control and kick Sean out), and how Vexis having affected Sean means Sean can also affect Vexis. (That "link" never went away, not even now Vexis is their own being.)
On style:
This book is written in third person for Sean's point of view, but in first for the several chapters following the apparent memories of Vexis. This change in pov can feel a bit jarring, but it adds to the disturbing and uncanny nature of the book/Vexis themself, because the world they are in is uncanny and jarring and all sorts of WTF.
Because of the semi-autobiographical nature, this book too blurs the line between fantasy and reality, though compared to the first book it has a lot more seemingly "fictional" scenes set in the void.
Final notes:
This book is best read as the sequel it is. If you skip book one, you'll miss out on crucial details regarding Sean's partners and his past—especially as his traumas are at the core of this book, you really do need to know their origins.
Just like EVERYTHING IS WONDERFUL NOW, this book isn't for everyone. It's dark, it's queer, it's erotic in a very different way, and how it deals with trauma is not for the faint of heart.
If you crave answers after reading book 1, this will give you some. If you want to see Sean go on his journey of recovery and wish to see him face his fears and deal with his traumas directly? Get that satisfaction confrontation can bring? 🔥 Go and grab your copy now 🤘
~*~
Well, that's it for this issue. If you have any feedback (things I can improve, things you like, anything really) please let me know 💜