Hi, and welcome to #Rainbowsnippets*! This one is uniquely mine, but there are lots of other great snippets to read so after you finish here click the FB link at the bottom of the post to discover other great LGBTQIA authors and their works.
This week I’m sharing from Keeping House, the second novel in the Appalachian Elementals series. If you like folklore, magic, ghosts, history, and a tiny touch of romance wrapped in a lovely rainbow wrapper, this series is definitely for you.
Keeping House blurb:
Centenary Rhodes is caught in a deal she didn’t make. Thanks to her eternal lover, Stowne’s, quick thinking, she’ll live forever, but there’s a hitch. Cent’s now fey, and three months out of the year she’ll live on the other side of Embreeville Mountain among the Hunter Fey, serving their king, Dane Gow.
As Cent begins wading through the anachronisms that come with being a Hunter, she learns that nothing is what it initially seems. Cent shares several past lives with Dane, who wants her back, and Stowne’s lied to Cent so many times that she’s having doubts about their marriage. To make matters worse, the past Hunter Kings are influencing Dane’s behavior, and the youngest Hunter, Brinn, might well be the most dangerous of them all.
It’s going to be a cold, dark spring, and Cent needs to unite both sides of Embreeville mountain before her eternal life, her relationship with Dane, and her marriage to Stowne come permanently undone.
Another rich Contemporary Appalachian tale about fantastic people and the magic they possess, including LGBTQIA+ characters Human and otherwise.
Appalachian Elementals Series Blurb:
Come dance with the Appalachian fey and drink a little moonshine under the full moon while you hear Earth, Air, Fire, Water, and Death share tales about families of our blood, families of our making, and magic both long ago and flowing through us now.
On to this week’s snippet! Cent’s leaving Stowne’s side only because she has to, because a deal, as they say, is a deal.
Note: The section in orange comes from last week’s snippet. Cent’s in the air now, struggling to keep up with Dane and her guards, and now she’s not only ticked off Conall but brought further unwanted attention on herself too.
“Not a good idea.” Pyre hooked their black-smoke arm through hers, urging her along. “You’re cold.” They sent warmth into her, but she still shivered.
“Let us give you the energy to do this.” A thread of Exan’s black mass wrapped her left arm. “Come along.”
“What’s the holdup?” Dane flew back to face them. “Havin’ trouble keepin’ up, girlie?” She moved closer. “Guess Conall’s right after all. You need him to carry you the rest of the way?” Dane snickered when Conall returned to hover, scowling, behind her. Their beating wings stirred the air more than Cent’s, and her teeth chattered to the point she couldn’t hide it.
“I’ll get there.” But she knew she’d be struggling even with Pyre and Exan’s help, and she was so cold their warming energy wasn’t enough.
It has to be cold aloft in on February first, don’t you think? And they’re in the mountains too. No wonder Cent’s teeth are chattering. (This is North America we’re talking about.)
Right now, Cleaning House is available for $.99 in ebook format. This extends across platforms, but the Amazon one is directly below.
Also available on Kobo, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, and Smashwords.
Before you go, take a minute to celebrate with me. Cleaning House is being released in audiobook form by the end of June! Look for it on Audible and on iBooks a week or two before the release of Keeping House in print and ebook formats.
*RainbowSnippets is a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ authors, readers, and bloggers to share 6 sentences each week from a work of fiction—published or in-progress—or a book recommendation. Feel free to join in!
Poor Cent. It’s tough enough trying to keep up when you’re not as conditioned as the rest, even worse to be freezing on top of it. 🥶
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Yeah, I’m afraid she’s getting a real taste of what she should already know but doesn’t.
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Uh oh, looks like Cent is in trouble!
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Yes, she is. But she’s also among those who are protective of her, so she’ll be okay… at least for now.
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I do feel sorry for Cent here. She seems to have a hard furrow to hoe in that company.
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I know, but at least she has two helpful friends along. Let’s just hope they can do enough.
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Dane’s in there making a bad situation worse.
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That’s what Dane does best.
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Poor Cent. I really feel for her.
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Cent needs all the support she can get right now.
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