Guest Post | December with Peppermint by K.L. Noone

December 8, 2021December 4, 2021 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ 1 Comment

Guest-Post

Today we have K.L. Noone on a visit! She’s here to share a little about December with Peppermint. Welcome!

Hi, everyone – happy December! And thank you to the lovely Ofelia for letting me drop by! It’s always a pleasure.

The weather’s getting colder and the holiday decorations are going up—so I wanted to share a little bit about my new release, “December with Peppermint,” which is all about handmade decorations, terrible puns about mint, and definitely no one making a holiday-themed sex tape, no matter what Finn’s agent suggests!

“December with Peppermint” is a short little holiday follow-up for Finn and Wes from “October by Candlelight,” my autumn-themed moving-in-together story—here, they’re getting ready for their first Christmas in their home together! Which comes with families wanting to visit, and Finn wanting to decorate everything in sight, and Wes needing to grade papers…and, on top of that, Finn’s agent worrying that he’s not visible enough, not memorable enough, not someone casting directors think of, these days…in need of something drastic, perhaps, to get people talking. (The sex tape suggestion isn’t entirely serious. Though…if Finn and Finn’s boyfriend might be willing to go along with it…) (Wes: “Not in this or any other universe, as much as I love you.”)

Fortunately, Wes is good at solving problems. And he might have an idea.

There’s also a lot of holiday baking, cozy blankets, seasonally flavored lube, and holiday movie-watching, cuddled up together! (Including a not-really-very-subtle nod to the main characters from my Character Bleed series—not a crossover as such, but Wes and Finn are watching a Colby Kent romantic comedy, at one point…I couldn’t resist!)

So I hope you can cuddle up, sip a seasonal beverage, and enjoy December along with Wes and Finn! And thanks again to Ofelia for letting me share it with you here!

Buy links

Amazon :: JMS Books

Author Bio

K.L. Noone teaches college students about superheroes and Shakespeare by day, and writes romance – frequently paranormal or with fantasy elements, usually LGBTQ, and always with happy endings – when not grading papers or researching medieval outlaw life. She is currently the servant of a large black cat named Merlyn, who demands treats on a regular basis.

Blurb

december with peppermint

Wesley Kim absolutely, positively refuses to film a holiday sex tape. And that might be a problem.

His boyfriend’s agent thinks it’ll be good publicity for Finn’s career. In good fun. Tasteful. A deliberate leak to announce to everyone that former adorable teen idol Finn Ransom’s all grown up and definitely sexy. Finn’s already said no, but now he’s worried about his image. He does want to be himself for the world, openly loving holidays and handcrafted ornaments and terrible puns and his boyfriend.

With some holiday decorations, candy canes, and a lot of love, Finn and Wes just might find a compromise that’s a little bit nice, a little bit naughty … and flavored with peppermint kisses.

Excerpt

Getting dressed, Wes paused to slide an arm around Finn’s waist and tug his other half close; Finn leaned some weight against him. Wes offered, “Coffee? More candy cane hot chocolate? That salted caramel tea you bought? Want me to put up those garlands for the windows?”

“Yes, if you would.” Finn was still shirtless, though he’d pulled on a pair of loose soft pajama pants covered in gallivanting reindeer. He looked cheerful, though Wes noticed the faint lines at the corners of his eyes. Not the most painful, but also not the lightest kind of day, then. That was fine; they had routines for that. And nothing pressing to do, anyway.

It’d be a day of curling up together, grading some papers, reading some scripts, and watching some holiday classics. A massage, maybe. Not moving much, but some stretches, to keep stiffness at bay. Lots of comfort. With candy cane hot chocolate and salted caramel tea.

Finn took a step back to sit down on the bed, over snowflake-patterned blankets and sheets. Wes, heart skipping a beat or two, sat down with him.

“I’m fine.” Finn waved a hand. “I was just thinking …”

“Should I be afraid?”

“Thanks. About yesterday …”

“You,” Wes said. “Your career. Being visible. Janice.” He really might have to have a talk with Finn’s agent. He could do that. Department meetings were good practice as far as getting heard.

“All of that. And you and me, this morning, and how happy I am. I think I’ve figured it out, kind of.”

Wes gathered up both of Finn’s hands. Held them, fingers cradled in his. Tried to shout, yes, go on, tell me everything, with every atom of his being.

“Janice says I’m too wholesome,” Finn said. “I don’t think it’s that, exactly. It’s just that …” He paused; the rain picked up, inviting more words, commiserating. “Everybody has an idea of who I am. Maybe they remember the kid from Finn & Cody’s Upside-Down Life, or maybe they’ve heard my voice in an animated movie about dragons, all heroes and kindness, y’know. Or maybe they feel sorry for me, if they look at me with the cane or needing to sit down between takes, and then it ends up being about pity. But none of that’s really …”

“The person who makes anatomically correct gingerbread men and terrible puns about mint lube?”

“You adore me. So I was thinking … no, not the whole sex tape thing, but … maybe a little bit naughty? Or at least nice. Something that’d be about me, and us.”

Possibilities hung in the air. So many, in light of everything they’d done already this morning.

Exposure. Nakedness. Metaphorical and literal.

Wes took a deep breath. He could be brave about this. He trusted Finn. With all of himself, he did. “I do adore you. And the gingerbread, and the mint. What’d you have in mind?”

Guest Post | Surfacing Again: Ginger biscuit recipe by A.L. Lester

December 7, 2021December 6, 2021 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ 1 Comment

Guest-Post

The lovely A.L. Lester is with us today, and they’ll share a little something from their new release, Surfacing Again, as well as a recipe. Welcome, Ally!

Thank you so much for having me here today to visit, Ofelia! I am popping in to tell everyone that I have a new short story out for the holidays.

Surfacing Again is part of my contemporary Celtic myth collection and is a short sapphic Christmas story. Like the others in the collection it’s based on an old British tale that has some connection to creatures; and this time I’ve chosen St Cuthbert and the legend about otters coming and drying him after he’d been standing in the sea praying. It’s a very low heat story with more scenes with otters than actual kissing; and it turned out to be a cozy meet-cute, which isn’t my usual style at all!

Rowan, the woman Melinda meets as she’s stranded on the island of Lindisfarne for Christmas, owns a café and she bakes these delicious ginger biscuits for Lin on Christmas day. They’re a recipe we use at home and have been tried and tested many times here at Lester Towers. I hope you like them!

You need:

350g plain flour plus a little extra for dusting
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ground ginger
100g butter
175g soft brown sugar
4 tbsp golden syrup
1 egg

Follow the instructions:

Preheat the oven to 190c/375f.
Sieve the flour, baking soda and ginger into a large bowl.
Add the butter and rub it in with your fingers until the mix is crumbly.
Stir in the sugar.
Break the egg into a cup and add the syrup. Stir it up and then pour it into the bowl.
Stir it all together with a big spoon and then with your hands.
When it’s a proper dough, roll it out on a dusted board to about 5mm thick and cut it into shapes.
Line two baking trays with parchment and arrange the biscuits.
Bake for about 10 minutes.
Take out, leave for a couple of minutes on the baking trays to firm up, then lift them onto a wire rack to cook properly.

Will store for a couple of weeks in an airtight container, but ours barely last a day.

Surfacing Again is the fourth of my Celtic retellings, the first one that features a lesbian couple (and otters!). I really hope you enjoy it. You can find the others on my website. Or read on for an excerpt!

Surfacing Again

Surfacing again cover

Melinda is staying on Lindisfarne for a Christmas break with her old friend when an unexpected argument leaves her alone for the holiday.

It’s the first Christmas since her mother died and the island’s peace and wild tranquillity bring balm to her wounded heart. Two chance meetings, first with a pair of wary otters and then with cafe-owner Rowan, bring her genuine joy.

Will her tentative relationship with Rowan survive the end of her holiday and the turning of the year?

A short sapphic Christmas story. With otters.

Buy at Amazon US – Buy Everywhere Else!

Excerpt from Surfacing Again

Chapter 2: Christmas Eve

“You look like you could do with a hot drink. Your lips are blue,” the small woman wrapped in the huge green apron said. She was sweeping the windswept grey pavement outside the little cafe on the corner in the village as Melinda peered through the window at the menu, wondering whether they were open.

“Are you serving?” she asked.

The woman was about her own age, with a geometric blonde haircut and an impish expression as she looked at Lin over her broom.

“I’m not actually open for another couple of hours,” she said, smiling and leaning the broom against the wall. “But come inside while I set up. You must be frozen. It’s a bitter wind.”

Melinda smiled at her. “Why are you bothering to brush the pavement then?” she asked.

The other woman smiled again. “Habit,” she said. “It’s habit. I like my routines. Come on, come in. I’ve lit the log burner already, so it’s toasty inside.”

There were a couple of sofas set at angles in front of the log burner and a few small tables squeezed in around them. It really was a tiny cafe, probably converted from someone’s front room that had been knocked through into the room behind at some time in the past.

“Here,” her saviour said. “Sit down, take your coat off. “What would you like to drink? I’ve got…well, anything really. Tea? Coffee? Hot chocolate?”

“Tea would be wonderful, actually,” Lin said. “I haven’t had any yet this morning. I got up early to watch the sunrise.” She was determined to make the most of her stay on the island of Lindisfarne, despite the drama of the last couple of days.

She sighed.

The other woman flashed her another grin before she could get too lost in her thoughts. “It was beautiful this morning,” she said. “I’m Rowan,” she said in a friendly fashion, going behind the counter and putting a kettle on.

“I’m Lin,” Melinda said. “Is this your place?” She hunched forward and stretched out her frosty hands to the fire.

“Yes. Me and my girlfriend started it a couple of years ago, but it’s just me now.” She shot Lin a sidelong glance.

Melinda smiled back. “It’s lovely,” she said. “Very cosy.”

“It’s tiny, but it works. I live upstairs.” She nodded toward the back of the cafe where there was a closed door beside the one that led out to the kitchen, presumably leading to some stairs. “We only do drinks and cakes, and soup and sandwiches and breakfast rolls; a very limited menu. But it’s all people need if they’ve come over to the island for the day. No-one wants to waste time with a full sit-down lunch.”

She put a tray with a pot of tea, a jug of milk, and two mugs down on the low table between the sofas, sinking into the one opposite Lin.

Lin nodded. “Yes, that makes sense. It’s quieter at this time of year, though?”

“Yes, very much so. Although it can get busy now for a bit, around Christmas. And people stay in the self-catering properties and guest houses all year round, obviously. If I didn’t need the income to live, I’d say I prefer it when it’s quieter.” She said that with an open smile. “Present company excepted, of course!”

She leaned forward and poured them each a cup of tea. She seemed to have all the time in the world to chat to a random stranger she’d rescued from the freezing morning.

Buy at Amazon US – Buy Everywhere Else!

Surfacing again

About A. L. Lester

Ally Lester writes queer, paranormal, historical, romantic suspense and lives in the South West of England with Mr AL, two children, a terrifying cat, three guineapigs, some hens and the duckettes.

She likes permaculture gardening but doesn’t really have time or energy these days. Not musical, doesn’t much like telly, likes to read. Non-binary. Chronically disabled. Has fibromyalgia and tedious fits.

Join my newsletter, for a free copy of the novella An Irregular Arrangement or find me on social media via my link-tree.

Ally

Guest Post | Lion’s Hero by Alexis Woods

December 5, 2021December 2, 2021 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ Leave a comment

Guest-Post

Today, Alexis Woods is here to share an excerpt from her story, Lion’s Hero. Lion’s Hero was first published in 2014 but has now been revised and expanded.

Eights Nights to Fall in Love

Excerpt:

Ari peered past the guard as he made his way to the end of the line. Excitement filled him as he saw the area jammed with bodies, lights flickering, humans singing, and… is that dancing? The humans were pressed so close together, jumping and writhing, waving their arms, Ari wasn’t quite sure what he was looking at. On the far side of the room, a huge, pulsating sign caught his attention. Club Haven flashed in colors of purple and green. A club! He’d never been in one though he’d heard plenty of stories from some of the other angels. Finally, a chance to explore this realm like I always wanted.

Excited, he ran his hands down his body—his very human body—taking in his clothing, checking to see if he fit in with these other humans. He wore a black logo shirt that clung to his chest and dark jeans, along with a kick-ass pair of boots on his feet. Interestingly, there was a braided silver ring adorning his left thumb. Sliding his hands over his head and ears, he discovered a short, spiky hairstyle and pierced ears. Fingering the earrings, four on one side and four on the other, Ari mumbled, “Really, my Lord?”

A group of riotous young women rushed past him going in the opposite direction of those standing in line. One of them, a long-haired girl dressed in black and silver, spun and ogled him. A silver bar ran through one eyebrow and a ring through her lip.

“Nice shirt,” she threw his way, before twirling around and running to catch up to her friends.

“Thank you,” Ari replied to her retreating back before he slapped his hands to his face to check for further piercings. “Well, thank you for that, I guess.”

He pulled his shirt away from his body to see what was imprinted on it. Satan’s Thorn, the shirt proclaimed, complete with rampant lion brandishing a wicked-looking stake.

“Funny, my Lord,” Ari muttered with a laugh. An answering chuckle filled Ari’s mind followed by a reminder of Father. “Right. Father. So, my other half… Do I get a hint? It’d be nice to know who I’m looking for.” Instead of the woman he expected, the profile of a man filled his mind: dark hair, the ends curling at the collar of a white shirt with his sleeves rolled up displaying an array of colors on his skin. Club Haven’s neon sign flashed in the background.

Ari gasped and fell against the nearest wall, leaning hard on it for support. He palmed his face as Father’s oration came back to him: He’s a man of God. He finds faith in Me. He’ll be yours… He’s, he, he’ll. Ari breathed deeply, pressing his palm to his heart as he attempted to calm his racing heart.

My other half is a male like me. Shocked, and in awe of this strange turn, Ari slumped.

Father so rarely granted his devoted angels a chance to meet their mate on Earth—his mentor Leo, had been one of the few—but he’d heard through the angelic grapevine that the chosen were always women for the mates of male-presenting angels. Never had a man been chosen as an other half, except when the angel presented more as female.

“Hey, are you alright?” a deep voice asked, coming from Ari’s right.

Ari cautiously spread his fingers to see a white button-down shirt, the top two buttons undone in front of him. A thick gold chain bearing a Star of David sat atop golden skin. He dropped his hands to gaze slightly up at a smooth oval complete with a solid chin, straight nose, and warm brown eyes he immediately wanted to get lost in. Oh, Dear Lord!

I’m right here, Ari. No need to yell.

Those impressive eyes dipped and came closer. Ari jerked his head up, knocking it into the wall. “Ow!” He moaned as he rubbed the sore spot and, with his head down, Ari didn’t realize the newcomer—Your other half, Father kindly supplied—had stepped even closer until his shoes entered Ari’s line view. When the man tried to pull Ari’s hands away, Ari slid to the right, his military reflexes kicking in. The move put distance between him and his other half, and he immediately wanted to zip back into place, but he held still, unsure what the right move should be. His brain was in overdrive. Never had he been in figurative knots, tongue-tied and dizzy.

“Skittish,” the man mumbled, obviously mistaking Ari’s side-step. A woman shrieked and he glanced towards the club’s entrance, just long enough for Ari to see his profile and the bar in the background, confirming that this tall, handsome man was Father’s choice for him.

Blurb:

Eight nights to fall in love.

Ari’s mission: meet the man chosen for him by God. The catch: he only has eight nights to both fall in love and have his chosen fall in love with him—the eight nights of Chanukah.

Gabriel’s test of faith: in reaching out to a young man, he finds himself confronted with the unbelievable. Believe, and the Festival of Lights may herald a miracle leading to a lifetime of love.

http://getbook.at/LionsHero