Category: My Stories

#PictaBook | Contract Signed

~ Ofelia Gränd ~ 3 Comments

Today, I started my day by pouring myself a cup of coffee and walking over to my computer to sign a book contract. #PictaBook is a 36k long contemporary gay romance story, and it might be my favourite of all the stories I’ve written. Maybe… It’s always hard to say which story is your favourite, but I loved writing this, and I wasn’t even bored with it by the time I sent it in.

That’s unusual

Starting a story is always fun. Once you’re halfway through it, it’s not as fun anymore. Towards the end, you just want it done, but then the editing starts. Normally, I reach a f*ck-it stage where that delete button looks mighty inviting.

It didn’t happen with #PictaBook. Jules made me smile, even on the final read-through.

Pictabook logoJules Rose took a sip of his red wine and scrolled through his PictaBook feed. There were several new books, and he made a note of checking if they’d be available to order for the library where he worked. Not all books were, especially not in niche genres.

The speech bubble in the right hand corner showed someone had commented or liked one of his reviews. It had turned to green. Jules’ heart sped up.

He liked PictaBook because it was simple, and it was about books, so what was not to like? But the main reason he liked it was because no one tried to interact with him. He had approved no one for personal messages, and he’d searched a long time for a way to remove people’s ability to comment on his reviews, but apparently there was no such option.

Staring at the green speech bubble, he blew out a breath and tapped on it. SexyDoornail69 has liked your review of The Empty Egg. Jules frowned. He couldn’t remember that book, and wanted to get back to the one he was reading.

Closing PictaBook, he opened his reading app, took another sip of wine, and popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth. He loved Friday nights—wine, chocolate, and a book were all he needed in life.

As he was about to open the book, another notification from PictaBook showed at the top. SexyDoornail69 commented on your review. It stayed there for a few seconds before it disappeared, leaving the screen free of interruptions. Damn.

For too long, Jules held his breath. He didn’t want anyone to comment on his reviews, but it would be rude not to reply, wouldn’t it?

He opened PictaBook again and clicked on the speech bubble. SexyDoornail69 had commented on The Empty Egg. Jules went to check. The picture he’d uploaded was of a lumberjack, and the hashtags he’d used were: #MMRomance #Contemporary #Lumbersexual #OppositesAttract #EstablishedCouple #Fetish #DualPOV #ShortAndSweet #BonerWorthy.

Ah, he remembered it now, but it had been years since he’d read it. A blush crawled up his cheeks as he read the comment, and he quickly took a sip of wine to calm down.

SexyDoornail69: Hi, ReadingInACorner! Love the hashtags. How boner worthy are we talking?

Jules took a long, deep breath, and hit the reply arrow.

ReadingInACorner: Read it and find out, though read the first book in the series first.

He closed the app and put away the phone as if it had burned his fingers. Standing, he righted his glasses and took more deep breaths to calm his racing heart. Booksy, his beloved, super lazy and slightly murderous cat, was resting in his usual spot on the windowsill in the bedroom, and Jules went to pick him up.

Booksy wasn’t the cuddly kind. Jules had gotten him from a shelter two years ago, only days after having moved in, and the scars on his ears and face spoke of a harsh life. They deemed him to be around three years old when Jules had adopted him. The hostile glare Booksy had given everyone who passed him, had made Jules pick him over all the other cuter, more social, well-behaved kittens.

Booksy was a kindred soul, and they understood each other. Neither of them liked people, neither of them liked to be cornered, and neither of them liked conversations.

Jules Rose leads a quiet life working as a librarian. He’s happy to spend his spare time reading books and talking to his homicidal cat. What more could he wish for? But when his cozy Friday night is shattered by a friend request on his book community app, politeness gives him little choice but to accept. Jules doesn’t want to talk to anyone, but he can’t be rude. Besides, if he had to talk about something, books is the topic he’d pick.

Phoenix Ford is dyslexic and avoids everything that has to do with the written word, but when the colleague he’s trying to impress calls him stupid, he decides to convince the other man, he’s mistaken. All he needs is the right book to make him look smart, a perfect balance between intelligent and short. And who better to ask for help than a guy who loves books so much, he labeled one boner-worthy on a book app?

When Jules finds out Phoenix never has read a book from start to finish, he’s on a mission. He will find the right book, the book that will make Phoenix fall in love—with reading. Phoenix’s plan might have been to listen to the book Jules picked for him to impress his colleague, but that was before he got to know him. Talking about books is a sure way to Jules’ heart, but is it enough for him to agree to go on a date?

Alternative Prime Day Sale

~ Ofelia Gränd ~ Leave a comment

Sale

Every year, Amazon has a Prime Day Sale, and JMS-Books is having a sale for all of us (and those who are) who aren’t Prime members.

Today and tomorrow, all ebooks in the entire shop are 50% off, and you get paperbacks for $8 only.

My books are:

  • Banger Challenge – contemporary road trip story with a super shy cop
  • Black Bird – paranormal mate-or-die story with a werewolf and a caladrius bird
  • Crazy Joe – a contemporary second chance story about a teacher running into his teenage crush
  • Cup o’ Sugar – super-short werewolf romance with a psychic barista
  • Elevator Pitch – A bear and bat shifter with claustrophobia are stuck in an elevator
  • Jaeger’s Lost and Found – a psychic trying to save a vampire’s life by finding his coven
  • Legendary Loves Vol 1 – three stories about mythical beings
  • Nine Stones – a cat shifter has the hots for his neighbour, the neighbour prefer birds
  • Pine Tree Mary – Hush is a pine three mary, a forest nymph, who trades with a drug dealer and end up meeting a cop (part of Legendary Loves)
  • Quinny, Focus! – contemporary story about clueless Quinny who flirts with his neighbour during lockdown
  • Soul Eater – Thaddeus is a wizard who happens to call forth a ghost who happens to be a werewolf and he happens to be the werewolf’s mate. Too bad he hates werewolves and the werewolf in question hates wizards. Coming October 31st, 50% off on pre-orders
  • Turning Wood – contemporary Christmas hurt-comfort story
  • When Skies Are Gray – contemporary age-gap story

And you’ll find them all here!

Cover Reveal | Soul Eater

~ Ofelia Gränd ~ Leave a comment

Can you guess what showed up in my inbox this morning? A cover!

Soul Eater is a 51k long paranormal story about  Sandulf Hunter, a dead werewolf, and Thaddeus Ezax, a useless mage – or so he believes. He comes from one of the most powerful mage families in the world, and yet he’s never been able to do even the simplest spells a mage is supposed to do. Things aren’t always what they appear to be, though.

Thad is a detective working in the Paranormal Investigations Department. He and his colleagues are trying to catch a serial killer, but when Thad comes across a spirit trapped in a skull, his life changes forever.

As he rounded a corner, he came into the main cavern. Table after table were filled with anything a magic user could need. Herbs, potions, knives, stones, and a lot of things he didn’t want to acknowledge.

The howl of a cat in a cage had blue sparks rain from his fingertips, but he tried to suppress it as he hurried past the market traders.

Pickering had the last table in the row—of course, he had. By now, Thad should have learned nothing ever went quick and easy. He held his breath as he stopped by the table.

“Thaddeus.” Pickering had short, red hair, and his face was filled with freckles.

“Einar.” Thad nodded at him.

“What can I do you for? Looking for a familiar?” He grabbed a cage with the largest toad Thad had ever seen.

“Ah… Eh… no. I was wondering—”

“A love potion?” He held up a tiny, red flask with a skull painted on it, and Thad almost laughed.

“No, thank you. Have you heard about—”

“Shrunken head?” He bent down behind the table.

“No!” Thad hoped he didn’t have a shrunken head back there. Could he ignore a shrunken head or did he have to report it at work? If a raid came out of his visit here, he’d be hunted for the rest of his life, and he did not want the wizards running the largest black market for miles and miles at his tail.

“This then?” Pickering tossed something at him, and Thad caught it. A buzz spread into his fingertips as he held up the…skull. Swallowing hard, he studied the sharp canines. The dog must’ve been massive when it had been alive.

“W-What is it?”

Pickering looked nervous as he leaned in closer and lowered his voice into a whisper. “Werewolf skull, very powerful. But I guess it’s wasted on you, mage.”

Werewolf? Was someone killing werewolves now or was it an old skull? Thad swallowed hard.

“Yes.” Why did it buzz? Thad was a mage, everyone in his family was a mage. Spirits meant nothing to him.

souleater

Detective Thaddeus Ezax is in over his head. He’s the only wizard in Rockshade’s Paranormal Investigations Department, and it was his name that got him the job. The Ezaxs are known as some of the most powerful wizards in the world, but Thaddeus isn’t your average Ezaxs. Is it any wonder his family shuns him?

When a kidnapping case is dropped into his lap, Thaddeus must act fast. While most five-year-olds can cast a location spell, Thaddeus can’t and is forced to get creative. When he finds himself in possession of a black market werewolf skull with a ghost trapped inside, accidentally releases the spirit, and somehow forms a connection with it, things get even crazier.

Sandulf Hunter doesn’t remember dying, but he remembers the last thing he saw before everything went black—a wizard. All wizards must die! The only problem is, the wizard standing next to him smells too damned good, so good Sandy thinks he might have to keep him.

And since wherever Thaddeus goes, Sandulf finds himself yanked along, he might not have a choice in the matter anyway.