E.J. Russell's Blog, page 3

Rainbow Snippets, February 23-24, 2019

Rainbow Snippets, February 23 – 24, 2019

In the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group, readers, writers, and bloggers share short (six sentences) snippets of their LGBTQIA+ fiction or book recs each weekend. Our theme this week is…the weekend, and keeping the year moving forward on a prosperous/productive note. This weekend, I’m at a writing retreat with some of my fabulous writer friends. I’ve got a list of things I’d like to accomplish, which put me in mind of Bad Boy’s Bard, where the Fae Out of Water gang has some serious work to do to untangle a spell that’s threatening Faerie (including two of the Kendrick brothers, who are trapped inside).

In this scene, Bryce has been working with the druid circle to decipher the spell, and he’s been pumping Niall (who’s had a glimpse of the spell’s construction) for information.

Bryce spread a chart on the table and pointed to some kind of colorful arcane code. “This is what we’ve been able to determine from the sources available to us—which we’re pretty sure are the same ones that the magician is using too, since they came from the same place.”

“Where’s that?”

“Originally? The library at Alexandria.”

Niall blinked. “The one that burned?”

“Yes. But luckily, a circle of druids had seen this first, and since their—our—traditions are all oral, they’d committed it to memory and it got passed down, then transcribed by a few heretic monks who were burned for their trouble in the Spanish Inquisition.”

“Nobody expected that, I’ll bet.”

Bryce blinked at him. “Seriously? Monty Python?”

Niall smirked. “What can I say? The ethera are fans.”

(Incidentally, the ethera are voices Niall hears–keeping him up to date on changes in the Outer World that he’s missed by being incarcerated in the underworld for two centuries.)

 Don’t forget to check out Rainbow Snippets to see what other authors have to offer!

Rainbow Snippets, February 16-17, 2019

Rainbow Snippets, February 16 – 17, 2019

In the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group, readers, writers, and bloggers share short (six sentences) snippets of their LGBTQIA+ fiction or book recs each weekend. This week, even though Valentine’s Day has passed, the Snippeteers are still thinking about hearts and flowers. I’ve never written a book with a Valentine’s theme, and because I’m not a very sentimental person, when my characters do give gifts, they trend more practical than poetic.

In this snippet from The Druid Next Door, Bryce (who’s recently discovered his druid nature and gotten apprenticed to a very strict taskmaster) has just presented Mal (an exiled fae warrior with a non-functional sword hand) with the ultimate practical gift: a paintball tagger. (Newsflash: this tagger makes an appearance in Demon on the Down-Low, which releases a week from Monday, so watch this space!)

“My first druid homework was an anti-evil potion and a spell for sympathetic magic. I can use the spell to transform the paint inside the balls into the potion. Then, with the gun as the delivery system, you’ll have a weapon to use against the Unseelie.”

Mal lifted his gaze from the gun, a look on his face as if he’d just witnessed a miracle. “You did this? For me?”

The intensity of Mal’s gaze caused the usual effect below Bryce’s waist. “Anyone could have done the same.” He smiled and shrugged. “If, you know, he was a druid and had a spare paintball gun lying around.”

*Snicker.* Yeah, so last week’s snippet paired druids with Sharpies (although indirectly), and this week, it’s druids plus paintball. What can I say? Since the ancient druids left no written records (Julius Caesar’s smear campaign doesn’t count), we’re free to imagine them getting up to all kinds of shenanigans!

Don’t forget to check out Rainbow Snippets to see what other authors have to offer!

Rainbow Snippets, February 9-10, 2019

Rainbow Snippets, February 9 – 10, 2019

In the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group, readers, writers, and bloggers share short (six sentences) snippets of their LGBTQIA+ fiction or book recs each weekend. This week, the cold weather that locked the Midwest in a deep freeze has taken a detour to the Pacific Northwest, and although we’re not anywhere close to subzero, snow in Portland and Seattle tends to freak PNWers out a bit.

In this week’s snippet (from Stumptown Spirits), folklorist is Riley freaking out a bit as well, searching for a way to keep his boyfriend from flinging himself into a supernatural abyss. You know, the kind of thing anyone might need to do.

Riley located the little charm bag (“Unbleached muslin, dried in the sun on the summer solstice! Stitched with sterling silver needles! Gluten free!”) and dropped in a pinch of verbena, mint, and meadowsweet. Then St. John’s wort. A couple of rowan twigs. A rough turquoise the size of his pinkie fingernail.

“Flat stone, flat stone, where the heck is that flat stone?” He found the tiny disk under the bag of sea salt, and studied the sketch of the double-headed axe he had to paint on the stone. The clerk told him that paint made with natural dyes would be most effective, but he could draw the thing with a Sharpie if necessary.

God. A Sharpie? Now there was an authentic ingredient. “I’m sure the druids used them every day and twice on Samhain,” he muttered. Could any of this possibly make a difference?

Stay safe, warm, and dry, everybody! Don’t forget to check out Rainbow Snippets to see what other authors have to offer!

Rainbow Snippets, February 2-3, 2019

Rainbow Snippets, February 2 – 3, 2019

In the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group, readers, writers, and bloggers share short (six sentences) snippets of their LGBTQIA+ fiction or book recs each weekend. This week, given the festive occasion of Groundhog Day, the Snippeteers were contemplating the end of winter. Since I have zero stories set at this time of year (I think I’m in perpetual February denial), here’s a snippet from Cutie and the Beast, at the turn of a different season. 

Here, David, Alun, and Mal have been forced to make an unexpected and somewhat precipitous exit from the Midsummer Revels in Faerie.

They picked up the pace—not hard to do since this way was almost straight downhill. David had never been afraid of heights, but his stomach tried to hide behind his spine at the nearly vertical view. Alun and Mal must have been half mountain goat, because they never put a foot wrong.

As they barreled down the slope, David heard the baying of hounds over his own wheezing breath.

“Shite.” Mal’s grip tightened on David’s arm. “They’ve called out the pack.”

“Dogs?” David tried to look over his shoulder, a little hard to do in their headlong rush. “Seriously? They’ve set dogs on us? What the hell did you do, Alun?”

“I didn’t swear an oath to the damned Consort, probably violated six different traditions, and broke protocol by leaving without the Queen’s permission, but they’re not chasing me.”

“Hello? Running? Dogs after us? I think that qualifies as a chase.”

“They’re not chasing me, Dafydd. They’re chasing you.”

Don’t forget to check out Rainbow Snippets to see what other authors have to offer!

Rainbow Snippets, January 26-27, 2019

Rainbow Snippets, January 26 – 27, 2019

In the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group, readers, writers, and bloggers share short (six sentences) snippets of their LGBTQIA+ fiction or book recs each weekend. It’s the last snippet of January, and since one of the Snippeteers is about to become a cat parent, here’s a feline-related snippet from the end of Clickbait to cheer the process along!

Gideon set Ianto on the floor amid the crumpled remains of the seven other sheets of cat-shredded paper. The kitten batted at a couple of them, then suddenly arched his back, fur puffed along his spine, and bounced forward, stiff-legged.

“It’s an empty box, you ninny, and it’s been sitting in the same spot all afternoon.”

Apparently that didn’t matter to Ianto. He crouched, his little butt wiggling, then leaped for the top of the box. Unfortunately for him, the box had no lid, and he plopped into it, claws scrabbling on cardboard, before his head popped up above the box rim, a picture of feline outrage.

I hope your New Year is off to a rousing start–whether or not kittens are involved! Don’t forget to check out Rainbow Snippets to see what other authors have to offer!

Rainbow Snippets, January 19-20, 2019

Rainbow Snippets, January 19 – 20, 2019

In the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group, readers, writers, and bloggers share short (six sentences) snippets of their LGBTQIA+ fiction or book recs each weekend. This weekend, the Snippeteers were inspired by the snow storms hitting many parts of the country. However, I’m, er, not one of those affected. Since most of my published books are set either in Oregon or in an imaginary universe, I’ve never dealt with snow on the page. So instead, I’ll offer a snippet from Mystic Man, which is set in Connecticut–and while I know for a fact that Connecticut endures snowfall (I spent three years in New Haven as a grad student), this book takes place in autumn, not winter.

Rainbow Snippets, January 12-13, 2019

Rainbow Snippets, January 12 – 13, 2019

In the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group, readers, writers, and bloggers share short (six sentences) snippets of their LGBTQIA+ fiction or book recs each weekend. This week, our theme is random, because (randomly) why not? And what could be more random than having an ex-lover sit at one of your tables in a restaurant and being forced to serve him? Of course, if you’re an ifrit and your ex is a fire demon, the situation can turn a bit…incendiary, particularly when tempers run, er, hot.

Hashim wound through the other tables, purposely ignoring anyone’s attempts to catch his eye, and burst into the kitchen. The kebab was still on the grill. He snatched it up.

“Hashim!” Omisan slapped his arm. “You’ll burn yourself. And that’s not done yet.”

“Don’t worry. I’ll finish it off myself.” If I don’t finish him off first.

He strode back into the dining room and straight to table nineteen. “Your kebab, sir.” He held up the skewer with his gaze riveted on Smith’s stony face, pursed his lips, and exhaled fire onto the meat, igniting it, turning it into an approximation of his fire-eating brand. When the flame was well established, he held it out. “I believe you asked for it well-done?”

This is still release week for Devouring Flame, and the blog tour is ongoing. Check out this post for a list of sites and stop by to comment. There’s a tour #giveaway on the line: a backlist ebook and $25 Dreamspinner gift card! 

As always, don’t forget to check out Rainbow Snippets to see what other authors have to offer!

Devouring Flame Release Day!

Devouring Flame Releases Today!

Today marks the wide release of Devouring Flame, the second in my Enchanted Occasions series with Dreamspinner Press’s Dreamspun Beyond line. In this book, the Enchanted Occasions Event Planning staff has been hired to stage the annual vampires’ conference, and of course things get complicated, especially for Smith, EO’s tech demon, who’s forced to confront Hashim, the ifrit who stole his heart–and his true name–six months ago.

To celebrate the release, I’ll be touring these lovely blogs. I’m offering a tour prize of a backlist ebook plus a $25 Dreamspinner gift card to one commenter (chosen at random across all the tour posts), so come along for a chance to win!

January 1, 2019 – Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words Vampire vs. vampire: the differences between Supernatural Selection and Enchanted Occasions.

January 8, 2019 – My Fiction Nook Exclusive excerpt! Despite his residual anger at Hashim for running out on him, Smith stands up for him–and has a fiery snack.

January 9, 2019 – Boy Meets Boy Reviews More about Chef–and how Hashim heats things up in the kitchen.

January 11, 2019 – Dreamspinner Press Blog The MacGuffin that drives Devouring Flame–and some of my other favorites from other books and movies.

Rainbow Snippets, January 5-6, 2019

Rainbow Snippets, January 5 – 6, 2019

In the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group, readers, writers, and bloggers share short (six sentences) snippets of their LGBTQIA+ fiction or book recs each weekend. In the first snippet of the new year, we’re looking forward (or in some cases, back).

In this snippet from Nudging Fate, Andy, a half-norn event planner who has been strictly forbidden by Asgard from meddling with peoples’ destinies, is certain that his unexpected (and unwilling) masquerade as a candidate for the hand of Reyner of Maidencourt, the One True Prince of Faerie, will put him in Odin’s crosshairs for sure. That’s provided other revenants from history don’t get him first!

(BTW, Nudging Fate is the first in my Enchanted Occasions series with Dreamspinner Press. Book two, Devouring Flame, releases on Tuesday!)

“If it seems like the prince prefers me to any of the other candidates”—And really, how likely was that?—“do you think anyone will believe that I didn’t nudge Fate to make it happen?” Andy slumped in his chair. “I mean, how likely is it that all candidates were incapacitated at once?”

“That was Johan. And Talus.” Brooke tapped her lip with one silver fingernail. “I have to admit, I like the way Talus handled that.”

Andy shuddered. “You need to read The Faerie Queene. You won’t be so eager to see him revert back to that type.”

“Blood? Gore? Death and untold destruction?”

“Pretty much.”

She grinned, baring her extra-pointy incisors. “Sounds like my kind of party.”

Happy New Year! And don’t forget to check out Rainbow Snippets to see what other authors have to offer!

Rainbow Snippets, December 29-30, 2018

Rainbow Snippets, December 29 – 30, 2018

In the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group, readers, writers, and bloggers share short (six sentences) snippets of their LGBTQIA+ fiction or book recs each weekend. This week, we’re reflecting on the past year and/or looking forward to the new year. 2018 was the first full year I’ve been without a day job since I graduated from grad school in 1984. I also released eight books (nine, if you count the Art Medium omnibus edition, which includes both The Artist’s Touch and Tested in Fire). Whew!

I also started a Facebook group, Reality Optional, where we talk about books, tea, dance, cake, and random travel pictures. (BTW, the travel is accomplished by my kids, not me!) I’d love to have you join me there!

This snippet is from the first book I released this year, The Artist’s Touch, which is a revised, retitled, and expanded version of my very first published book, Northern Light. It’s one of my supernatural suspense stories, and it’s a second-chance romance featuring art forgery in the wilderness! Okay, so not exactly the wilderness, but art investigator Luke Morgenstern, a Sarasota, Florida, resident, is not initially impressed with the Oregon scenery.

A trio of brawny workmen on the top tier of the scaffolding were giving the gallery sign a face-lift, removing the three-foot-high gold letters. North Coast Gallery was currently No Cost Gall. Maybe the workmen had a sense of humor lurking behind those stoic expressions, Carhartt jackets, and—whoa—Utilikilts.

Nice. Calves.

Luke’s scowl transformed into an appreciative grin. Maybe Oregon had its good points after all.

Don’t forget to check out Rainbow Snippets to see what other authors have to offer! Happy New Year!