Cover Reveal | Cold Room

November 18, 2025November 16, 2025 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ Leave a comment

We have a cover!!! I was about to say that’s the first time this year I’ve written those words here, but then I realized The Magic of Shoes was released this year. Funny, feels like ages ago.

Anyway, remember last year’s Advent Calendar over at JMS Books? My contribution then was Frostbite. I had so much fun writing it that I decided it needed a sequel. I wasn’t ready to let go of Noel and his trusty companion, Fluffers the fish LOL.

This year’s contribution is called Cold Room, and Noel is in a spot of trouble. Again. If anything, this story will teach you to stay away from Christmas parties. They’re never a good idea.

Cold Room will be free on December 18, so mark the date! There won’t be any preorder links or anything like that. It’ll be free in the JMS shop on the 18th, and then on the 19th, it’ll be available in the shops. If you miss the free day, you’ve missed it.

Want to see the cover?

Cold Room

Kidnapping isn’t as exciting as it’s made out to be—especially not when your unhinged ex is doing the kidnapping.

All Noel Chance wanted was to leave the boring Christmas party he was attending and go home to pet his Siamese fighting fish, Fluffers, and cuddle up in bed with his overprotective boyfriend, Detective Bo Nicholas. Waking up tied to a chair in a cold room was never part of the plan.

What does his ex want? For them to stage a rescue and for Noel to turn him into a hero via Noel’s true crime podcast. Noel doesn’t see another way out, so he plays along while plotting his escape.

Luck is on Noel’s side, and he manages to escape, only to realize he’s in the middle of nowhere, running on his socks in the snow, and his ex has not only stolen his shoes but also the key to his apartment. Fluffers is in danger, Noel can feel it in his too-cold bones. Will he make it back into town in time to save his fish?

Read Around the Rainbow | Comfort Reads

August 29, 2025September 24, 2025 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ 1 Comment

It’s Read Around the Rainbow time! On the last Friday of every month, we’re a bunch of authors who blog on the same topic, and since we’re heading into autumn, we figured we’d tell you about our comfort reads this time around.

Up until a few years ago, I never reread books. Nowadays, I hardly pick up new ones LOL. Nah, that’s not true, but I reread a lot of books. It’s relaxing in a different way than reading new (to me) books. When the world is going up in flames, it’s comforting to be able to disappear into an alternative reality where you know what will happen.

So, what are my comfort reads? I have a few, and which I pick depends on what I’m in the mood for.

First out is probably The Magpie Lord by K.J. Charles. I don’t know how many times I’ve read this book. Many. Maybe too many. Though it was a few months ago now, so maybe it’s time again LOL.

Next up in times of how many times I’ve read it is probably Frog by Mary Calmes, which is funny, because if you’d ask me, I’d say it’s much too sweet for me, waaayyy too cringy at times, and yet… But I have to be in a certain mood, or I’ll only roll my eyes.

Then we have the Hidden Species series by Louisa Masters. It’s another one I’ve read many times. I have them individually, and I have the box set, and while I do not listen to a lot of audiobooks, I’ve listened to Joel Leslie read these a few times as well. Sometimes I read on through the Here Be Dragons series, too, but not always.

If I need to laugh, I’ll read the In Darkness series by Alice Winters. Fair warning, this is over the top, so even though it’s a contemporary trilogy, don’t go into it expecting everyday life.

Another one I sneak in like once a year is Too Stupid to Live by Anne Tenino. Sam *sigh*

Those are probably my most frequently read stories, but the Big Bad Wolf series by Charlie Adhara is making its way up on this list. I only first read it last year, but I’ve read it a couple of times since then. I’ll read Think of England by K.J. Charles semi-regularly. And I’ve read the Spectral Files series by S.E. Harman twice in one year, so… maybe it deserves a spot too.

And look at that! We got ourselves a list post LOL

Check out which books are the others’ comfort reads!

Frog

Too Stupid to Live

Amazon

Think of England

Amazon

Read Around the Rainbow | Contemporary Re-Reads

May 30, 2025May 29, 2025 ~ Ofelia Gränd ~ 4 Comments

It’s Read Around the Rainbow time! On the last Friday of every month, we’re a group of authors who blog on the same topic. This month, the topic is: What book could you read over and over again?

I never used to reread books. Never. Then I broke my brain fifteen years ago. I hit the famous wall, and since then, I’m changed. My brain doesn’t work the same. It’s not capable of doing the same things it did before, and some days all I want to do is to sit in quiet and read, but the idea of opening a new book, take in a new world, get to know new characters, and so on, is too overwhelming.

Nowadays, I have periods when all I do is reread old books. I can rest in that.

I figured I’d list a few contemporary re-reads here and do some paranormal over at Holly’s site.

Frog by Mary Calmes – I don’t know how many times I’ve read this book. Many. It’s too sweet for me, too predictable, and if you’ve read more than one Calmes story, you know what you’re in for. And some days, that’s exactly what I want. It’s short, easy to read, and fluffy. So if you’re looking for an escape from the doom scrolling…

Too Stupid to Live by Anne Tenino – This is silly, Ian is an ass, and I’m uncomfortable with Ian calling Sam kiddo when they’re hooking up, but Sam *deep sigh*. I laugh every time I read this one. Sam, Sam, Sam.

Hidden in Darkness by Alice Winters – It’s not too long ago I read this for the first time, but I’ve already reread it a few times LOL. It’s over the top, Felix is unreal, but if I’m in the mood for light and funny, I read this.

In the Middle of Somewhere by Roan Parish – I haven’t read this as many times as, say, Frog, but I have read it a few times. It’s a little longer, not super long, but not a book I read in one go. I like the characters here. David is snarky, and Rex is so sweet.

Between Sinner and Saints by Marie Sexton – I don’t know why I keep rereading this because it always annoys me. I love Levi and Jamie, but I wish all horrors upon Levi’s family. I’m not religious, I’m not part of a church, I’m not baptized, my kids aren’t baptized, and so on. And Sweden isn’t like I imagine the US or the UK is. You really can go through your entire life without having to partake in anything religious. When I went to the UK, I was dragged to church despite telling everyone I didn’t believe. They just smiled and said it’s a social thing *deep sigh*. It would never happen here, and I was deeply uncomfortable. Anyway, I’m all for religious freedom. I will fight for your right to believe because a world where we start to decide what people are to believe is a scary place (and one I dare say we’re very close to experiencing).

The reason I get so angry with this book is that in the end, Levi’s family, learn to tolerate him despite him being a filthy queer, and that is the HEA. I mean it’s not the real HEA, the HEA is between Levi and Jamie, but *spoiler* they move to live closer to Levi’s family, and I just want to burn their house down with them trapped on the inside… sort of. And yes, I’m aware they’re fictional characters, but they represent everything that’s wrong with religion. No real parent wants to torture their kid, and yet they do it over and over again in the name of the lord, and that makes it okay because it’s their belief.

*Steps down from the soap box* Sorry. I like this book, otherwise I wouldn’t have reread it as many times as I have, but simply writing about it pisses me off LOL.

I think I’ll leave it at that before I start lecturing about something else.