The Magi Accounts #5
Publisher: Michele Notaro
Pages: 419
Characters: Mads/Cos
POV: 1st
Genre: Urban Fantasy, Series
Blurb: I made a promise to the enemy… and I intended to keep it.
Thank the goddess I have my pride and my wonderful, amazing mate—whose patience matches no other—because the world is in chaos, and Cosmo is my rock, my safe place inside the storm. If only I could find the time between witches, work, politics, and family to prove it to him.
The Shifter and Magi Equality Act is in full effect, supposedly making us equals, but the people themselves—the humans—are still treating us as lesser. Every time I turn around, we’re running into trouble between humans and non-humans.
To make matters worse, witches are everywhere in Fairview City, and the Red Cloth is encouraging humans to join their forces and challenge the equality my people have fought so hard to get.
And now, Anderson is back. Back and gunning for me.
But he doesn’t realize I’m gunning for him, too.
Only Unity Will Spare Us is the fifth and FINAL book in the MM urban fantasy series, The Magi Accounts. It’s recommended to read the series in order because the romance and plot progress throughout the series.
*Intended for adults only. Please read the trigger warnings at the beginning of this novel.
Wow, what a spectacular, emotional, gut-wrenching end to a fabulous series. I’m going to miss Mads, Cos, and the rest of the Ono-Nai Pride, but the author has left them all in a good place, although I was seriously worried about who would make it through to the end of the series.
I love Mads and Cos. Their relationship is one of the highlights of this book, and series. I love how far Mads has come since the beginning, and how their bond factors into how this all plays out. Cos is such a sweetheart, and so protective.
I love Mads and Jude’s relationship and bond. I love how Jude finally gets recognition in this story. All the characters have come so far, but their victories are very hard won. Harriet still totally rocks.
And Anderson… just when I hoped he wouldn’t get any worse, he totally did!
The tension builds to a new high in this story. I had to keep reading to make sure they all get their HEA. I was the edge of my seat!
This series has been a very satisfying read from start to finish, with the novels, and side novellas. I loved the extended epilogue.
Collier’s Creek #3
Publisher: One Hat Publishing
Pages: 153
Characters: JD/Ben
POV: 1st
Genre: Contemporary, Series
Blurb:
A grumpy, small-town sheriff loves his dispatcher with the heart of sunshine. And no one is ever going to find out, especially the man he loves. Then danger rolls into town. Will the sheriff step up and protect his love?
Sheriff JD Morgan loves his job as the sheriff of Collier’s Creek. It may be a small town, but he loves the place and its people. His roots run deep, and he can’t see himself living anywhere else.
He’s a little grumpy as he settles into middle-age, but that’s okay. He has two passions in life. One secret, one not. Everyone knows about his addiction to coffee, but no one knows he has a secret crush on his young dispatcher, Ben. JD fully intends to keep it that way. He’s too old for the kid.
Ben has two ambitions in life. The first is to become a deputy sheriff somewhere far from Collier’s Creek, and the second…that one’s proving more difficult. He makes it his mission to make his sheriff smile every morning as he hands him coffee. JD is his, make no mistake about it. The sheriff just doesn’t know it yet.
Then trouble rolls into town on the back of a Harley and JD discovers Ben has been hiding a secret past. A husband who wants Ben back and won’t take no for an answer.
JD is crushed. Ben is terrified.
Will they handle the unexpected husband problem together or will JD leave Ben to face danger alone?
Find out in the small-town romance, the Sheriff of Collier’s Creek.
Sheriff of Collier’s Creek is the third book in the multi-author series. Each book is stand-alone, but if you enjoy swoon-worthy romance set in a small town, then stay a while. You’ll fall in love with the men of Collier’s Creek.
I love Collier’s Creek with its small town vibe, and supporting cast of quirky characters. JD and Ben’s story was a wonderful read, with its mix of romance and the past rearing its nasty head. I was invested in both characters and their HEA as soon as I started reading.
I loved JD and Ben’s romance, and the complications of them working together. I love how that’s addressed at the end of the story. A perfect solution. They’re sweet together, and their difference complement each other.
I enjoyed catching up with other characters from previous stories. The community is one of the highlights of this series, and how all the books fit together. I love how their circle of friends is growing, and how everyone rallies together when things come to a head towards the end of the book. Geraldine and Barkasaurus Rex are always a highlight too.
I like how not everyone in town is nice, which is realistic, although I was very happy to see the back of someone. Ben’s ex is nasty. I liked how his family situation is resolved.
I enjoyed the peek into their future, and their HEA.
A big welcome to RJ Scott & V.L. Locey as part of their release of Dance on Ice.
Young Adult, GLBTQ, MM, Hockey Romance – Trope: opposites attract, figure skater & hockey player, eating disorder, closeted
Publisher: Love Lane Books Ltd
Series: Chesterford Coyotes
Length: 52,000
Cover Design: Sarah Chreene Goodreads
For the figure skater and the hockey player, their sport demands total devotion, but can falling in love come first?
My name is Shaun Stanton, and I’m bisexual.
In hockey-obsessed Chesterford Academy, Shaun Stanton stands out as the star player and captain of the Chesterford Coyotes, and his exceptional skills have already attracted the attention of NHL scouts. He lives and breathes hockey, but there’s more to his story. His father wants Shaun to be the star he never was, and their relationship is a complex mix of guidance and intimidation. Worse, while hockey is Shaun’s sanctuary and a key part of who he is, he harbors a secret his dad can never discover: Shaun is gay He’s caught between the future career he’s destined for, and the truth he has to hide. There’s one bright light in his life, the vibrant figure skater who shares the early morning practice ice, a friend he worries about, but has now become something more—Kenji is everything Shaun wants and can’t have.
My name is Kenji Kelly, and I need to be perfect.
Kenji Kelly is a young man who walks two worlds: his family is a beautiful mix of American and Asian cultures. He loves both figure skating and hockey, and he’s a out and proud pansexual teen. While it seems to the world around him he has it all, deep down Kenji has a secret that’s slowly becoming harder to conceal. His life is the ice and his coach does not believe in failure. The one person who knows his hidden secret is Shaun, the captain of the Coyotes and a friend from youth hockey days. Shaun’s gaze towards Kenji, once filled with concern, now seems to hold something deeper, unsettling Kenji but also igniting similar giddy, burgeoning feelings in him. As their feelings for each other become stronger, the secrets both young men carry grow heavier and more distressing with each passing day.
This is book three in the Chesterford Coyotes Hockey Trilogy series from RJ & VL. It can be read on it’s own, but is probably best read as part of the series and in order Off The Ice | On Thin Ice | Dance on Ice
Excerpt
There was a heated exchange of words, Kenji skating backward and away, almost at center ice. All I needed to do was to push forward on one skate, and glide there, and we could say hello. We’d been best friends once, and if I apologized—if I was honest with him about how I’d messed up—maybe we could go back to being friends. As the argument escalated between my dad and Kenji’s coach, I felt a knot form in my stomach and I was paralyzed by my own insecurities. I watched Kenji and cursed myself for not having the courage to reach out to him.
Dad was becoming more animated, Kenji’s coach just as loud, gesticulating wildly.
I didn’t have the balls to skate to the center ice.
And Kenji didn’t turn to look at me.
Dad returned, as scarlet as me, but where my reaction was shame and confusion, his was temper and hatred.
“You’re sharing the ice,” he snapped.
He was so angry, and I didn’t know how to feel. He’d sacrificed everything for me; worked three jobs to keep me in hockey gear, drove me to every practice and game, and even volunteered as a coach for the team. The thought of letting him down filled me with guilt.
I owed him.
He’d poured his heart and soul into my hockey career, and it all centered on us practicing six days out of seven on this ice, and today we didn’t have the ice.
I should feel territorial, right? It was what Dad wanted me to feel, I was sure. Instead I felt… weird. Then something hit me. Why was I sharing the ice that was for the school? I was somewhere for the Academy teams to practice and play, and it wasn’t open to the public, courtesy of a shit ton of funding from very rich benefactors at our very wealthy campus. Why was someone from outside Chesterford Academy on our ice?
“They’ll let anyone join this damn school, freaking twirly shit getting in our way. Fucking girls out here on our ice.”
“He’s—”
“No!”
I wanted to defend Kenji, to explain that figure skaters were as valid as hockey players, same as I’d done when Kenji had left hockey for the figure skating and begged to be allowed to be friends with him still. But my dad’s hatred had spilled over and scared me.
“Shut your mouth and listen up,” Dad snapped. His reaction stung, his threats left me feeling powerless and defeated, and small.
So small.
“Figure skaters are boys as well,” I word-vomited, thankful the boards were between me and him when Dad stiffened and sent me a stare that would kill other people. Dad had never touched me, apart from fixing my hockey hold, or straightening my back, but his expression was murderous, and that meant the curses would fly and he’d take out his impotent rage on me with words. He leaned over the barrier, and my heart skipped, my chest tightened. I held my position and tilted my chin as he lowered his voice, hate dripping from every word.
About The Authors
RJ Scott, author of M/M romance.
Writing love stories with a happy ever after – cowboys, heroes, family, hockey, single dads, bodyguards
USA Today bestselling author RJ Scott has written over one hundred romance books. Emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, single dads, hockey players, millionaires, princes, bodyguards, Navy SEALs, soldiers, doctors, paramedics, firefighters, cops, and the men who get mixed up in their lives, always with a happy ever after.
She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn’t with family either reading or writing. The last time she had a week’s break from writing, she didn’t like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a box of chocolates she couldn’t defeat.
V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, yoga, belly laughs, walking, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee.
(Not necessarily in that order.)
She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, one dog, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and two Jersey steers.
When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand.
Alex, Imara, and Sirenī thwarted the Unified Government’s relentless edicts and fled their homeworld of Gaea to seek refuge elsewhere in the Ring of Worlds. Hunted by the elite squadrons of Zeta Force and the Tèng Empire’s Dragon Guard, the Three encountered a new problem as soon as they arrived on Earth: Jack Carter, the man tasked with killing them. Carter expected to kill the Three or die trying, but instead, he traveled along with them. The four strangers must settle into a new life on their adopted world with the people they first met: Jordan McInerney and Richard Bryson.
Maria McInerney, Jordan’s grandmother, helped Alex, Imara, and Sirenī decades before when they briefly stopped on Earth during their quest to defeat Sogma. Meeting Jordan is like coming full circle, and the travelers work to settle into their new life. While adjusting to Earth, the people of Gaea quickly realize that their grand reunion was merely the beginning of their journey. Not everything on Earth is as it seems, and the dark magic of the necromancer has yet to manifest.
Please note:
The central narrative follows a group of main characters engaged in a polyamorous relationship. Initially, the relationship comprises one man and two women, evolving to include an additional man, forming a balanced quartet where each individual shares a deep, equitable connection with the others. Although the story is rooted in the genres of epic and urban fantasy, rather than romance, it includes moments of intimacy that encompass a spectrum of orientations and identities, including interactions among women, men, and supernatural beings such as vampires. Additionally, the narrative features a secondary character who identifies as non-binary. The same gender relations are blatant.
Excerpt
“Carter says those two people have been following us since we left the house,” Jordan whispered to Imara and Sirenī as she pretended to browse the women’s clothes. “He added that if you don’t do something about it, he will.”
“I know,” Imara said placidly. “They’ve been talking about us. I think they’re also flirting, but I’m not certain.”
Jordan watched Imara turn her gaze to Sirenī; she swore she could feel a conversation between them even though neither said a word. After a few seconds, Imara smiled and glanced at the suspected spies. The man looked to be in his forties, while the woman seemed younger.
She was an athletic-looking natural blonde, clearly of Scandinavian extraction, and had bright blue eyes. They weren’t as luminous as Alex’s, but they had that icy look that so many people found alluring.
“We’ll handle it,” Sirenī assured Jordan. “I’d prefer not to make a scene. Muscles probably isn’t the most discreet at things like this.”
***
Drëndi breezed by in feigned excitement as she looked at a shirt that, Brent thought, would flatter her lithe, fit form.
Contemplating Drëndi’s fitness made him think of his own, which was poor. Watching the jacked fellow who’d gone into the dressing room made him think about his health. Brent wasn’t obese and out of shape, but he wasn’t as fit as his partner, either. She took her health more seriously than he took his, but maybe it was time for him to change that.
Fabric rustled nearby. He looked up from the shirt he was pretending to contemplate and froze for an instant as he stared into the sharp eyes of one of the two women. She stood two steps away, studying him.
Damn it! How’d she get so close?
***
Drëndi flinched and clapped a hand to her cheek. It felt like someone just flicked her! She looked around and saw one of the women they’d been surveilling next to Brent. The woman raised a hand and beckoned haughtily, and Drëndi slunk over, still rubbing her cheek.
“Did you do that?” she asked the stranger.
The PID agent was more curious than upset. The woman stood still and appeared to study Drëndi and Brent. She noticed that the stranger’s pupils didn’t contract or dilate, but was that odd? Walmart’s lighting wasn’t great.
The woman spoke; her voice was calm and strangely resonant. Drëndi looked at her partner and wondered if the hairs on the back of his neck were standing on end, too.
“I did. I’m curious why you’ve been following us. I’ve heard you two talking about us since you were out in the parking lot.” She paused, then added, “And Carter noticed you following us in your vehicle when we left the house.”
“Huh…” Brent grunted.
He looked at Drëndi, and she knew he was thinking the same thing: if the stranger had heard the two agents talking from such a distance, her hearing was well beyond the average.
“That’s some sharp hearing you have,” her partner observed.
Drëndi looked at him like, Really, Brent? He shrugged with a small, crooked smile.
“You have no idea,” the woman said dryly. She narrowed her dark eyes slightly. “We’re not being secretive, you know. My name is Imara Inanna. My companions are Sirenī Adamma and Jack Carter. Our Earthen companion is Jordan McInerney. Now, why are you following us?”
About the Author
I’m an artist and author who’s been crafting stories since my childhood. My debut series, ‘The Ring of Worlds,’ is inspired by my love of high-fantasy and science fiction. When I’m not writing, I enjoy gaming, reading, and exploring new worlds—real and imaginary.
A big welcome to Artemis Glass as part of her tour with Other Worlds Ink for The Paradox of Life and Death.
Artemis Glass has a new FF contemporary romance out: The Paradox of Love and Death. And there’s a giveaway.
Funeral crashing has been the best way for Noemi Moretti to release her pent-up emotions after the death of her parents. But on the anniversary of their passing, she meets Amara Forsythe, a beautiful UCLA student mourning her grandmother. Fate brings them together again at another funeral, but Noemi hides her true intentions from Amara. As their relationship blossoms, so do the lies that threaten to tear them apart. Can Noemi find a way to make things right before it’s too late?
The Paradox of Love and Death follows Noemi as she navigates through her grief and falls for Amara. But with secrets and guilt weighing heavily on her conscience, Noemi must confront the consequences of her actions before it’s too late. Fans of emotional and thought-provoking sapphic romances will love this poignant tale of love, loss, and what it means to truly live. As their connection deepens, so do the lies, and Noemi doesn’t know how to make it right. She soon becomes caught in a tangled mess that threatens to tear her, and her burgeoning relationship, apart.
For readers who enjoyed The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, you won’t want to miss out on this powerful and heartfelt novel. The Paradox of Love and Death is a profound and heart-tugging sapphic adult romance about death, love, and what it really means to be alive.
Warnings: grief, loss of loved ones, abortion, family dysfunction, depression
Amara looks at me and her eyes widen. “Oh my God. It really has. My grandmother’s funeral on the same day as my ex-best-friend’s funeral, and then I get caught up in the horribly tragic family soap opera that was his life? It’s been the shittiest day of my life.”
“I’m so sorry,” I say. I rest my right hand on her elbow as a gesture of sympathy and kindness. She responds by wrapping her fingertips around my wrist.
Her touch feels like something more than kindness. It feels intimate. It feels like an invitation.
“What I can’t understand,” she says, her voice shifting ever so slightly. “If it’s been the shittiest day of my life, then why do I feel so, I don’t know… like, jittery—but almost happy right now? Why do I feel like—like I have butterflies flitting around inside my ribcage?” I feel her graze the length of my fingers.
“Why do you have butterflies flitting around inside your ribcage?” I ask, my own heartbeat suddenly flitting wildly, too.
“Because,” she whispers. “I really want to kiss you.”
“Oh.”
“Is that okay?” I nod and let her tug me closer to her.
She wraps her fingers around mine and breathes in my hair. I feel the soft skin of her fingertips trace my jaw. She moans, and I feel my whole body alight with possibility.
I haven’t felt like this since Valeria—and we haven’t even kissed yet.
Fuck, is this really happening? I pull back. What am I doing? Am I really going to make out with a stranger at a funeral?
Her hands loosen in response to my hesitance. “Shit, sorry,” she says. “I thought I felt something between us. I shouldn’t have—”
“I want to kiss you, too,” I hear myself say, and then I pull her towards me. I place my lips on hers, and I feel her body relax and her mouth smile.
Our kiss is clumsy at first—we nearly bump noses, we’re both so nervous. Once we move past our awkwardness, though, we settle into each other’s touch, each other’s breath, each other’s rhythm. Amara’s lips are soft, her skin smooth.
The coarse tips of her long curls graze my cheeks, my forehead. Every time she steals another taste of tongue, every time she bites my bottom lip, ever so gently, she whimpers in pleasure.
My own body is enlivened, too.
It’s been so long.
This feels so good.
Fuck.
I am making out with a stranger at a funeral. This might be a new low, even for me.
Author Bio
Artemis Glass is a multi-genre author of sensually empowering queer adult romance who is on a lifelong journey to reclaim her sources of pleasure.
Her first full-length queer adult romance, The Paradox of Love and Death, is a profound and heart-tugging sapphic HEA about love, death, and what it really means to be alive. Available now on Amazon/KU.
Her Amazon bestselling series, Audrina’s Year of Yearning, follows Audrina Axler-Perez as she undergoes a funny, joyful, and spicy LGBTQ+ midlife awakening.
The novellas, Book 1: A New Year and Book 2: Valentines, Book 3: Lucky, and Book 4: True Colors now available! More coming all year. (Insert Michael Scott joke here.)
Foreseeing the annihilation of Gaea by the Tèng Empire and the demonic Sogma, Alexander Eldred and his allies, Imara Inanna and Sirenī Adamma, marshaled their magic to thwart the calamity. Their triumph brought them back to their homeland of Demurria, only to be sundered by a government edict citing their immense combined strength as a threat: Alex is a magical prodigy and never forgets a spell once he’s seen it written or cast. Imara hears the universe as a symphony and can control reality with her voice. Sirenī is blessed with fatal beauty, a power so great it can compel into obsession any who behold her.
After fifty years of enforced separation, compelled by a fresh premonition, Alex challenges the mandate to reunify with Imara and Sirenī. This time, the peril extends beyond Gaea, endangering the entirety of the Ring of Worlds, threatened by a formidable necromancer’s dark influence. To prevent the spread of this malignant corruption across myriad planets, the trio must reunite and elude the Unified Government’s grasp, racing against time to safeguard the future.
Please note: The central narrative follows a group of main characters engaged in a polyamorous relationship. Initially, the relationship comprises one man and two women, evolving to include an additional man, forming a balanced quartet where each individual shares a deep, equitable connection with the others. Although the story is rooted in the genres of epic and urban fantasy, rather than romance, it includes moments of intimacy that encompass a spectrum of orientations and identities, including interactions among women, men, and supernatural beings such as vampires. Additionally, the narrative features a secondary character who identifies as non-binary. The same gender relations are blatant.
Excerpt
Barefoot, Alexander left the primary bedroom and walked through the quiet halls of Eldred Manor. He descended to the first floor and passed the library on his way to the workroom. Once there, he stepped through the large double doors and shut them.
The room was massive and had Spaera Mystica—arcane circles for conjuration—etched into the floor in varying sizes. He stepped over to a small one and held out his hands with his palms facing up. An orange-red glow flared around them, and he began to chant in his natal tongue.
Within moments, mist began to swirl above the sigils etched into the floor. He continued to chant until a hemispherical dome flared into existence, shimmering with striations of faint color like a rainbow. He turned his palms down and changed his chant.
Now the ancient syllables of Darhavil rolled from his lips, and mist filled the Spaera Mystica. Alexander finished his spell, dropped his hands to his sides, and waited. It took several minutes for a figure to appear in the mist, insubstantial and amorphous but irradiant.
“Alexander,” the figure said. The voice had a tremulous quality but was easy to hear. “Why have you reached out to me?”
Alexander bowed his head briefly. “I apologize, Valas. I have been feeling something, a sensation at the back of my mind. The only thing I could think to do was contact you.”
The agglomeration of colors spun like fluid inside the mist-filled hemisphere of the magic circle. The flashes of light occasionally suggested a beaked head, wings, and a long, feathered tail. Alexander watched the manifestation patiently. Subtle anxiety had been building in his mind, urging him to action.
“The patterns suggest an inflection point formed sixteen million years before this moment. Beginning now, the probabilities unravel,” the figure told him.
That was interesting information. Opaque but interesting. What is the inflection point? Was it related to the events of my dream? Can I recover them with a waking dream enchantment?
The Grade Five magic was only as reliable as the ephemeral threads of the mind—so not very.
The sorcerer bowed his head again. “Thank you, Valas. I appreciate your willingness to communicate with me.”
“You are welcome.” The figure began to dwindle; the light faded at the edges into eldritch sparks that winked out as they drifted toward the floor. “I would add one last thing: the time is upon you. You cannot wait.”
Alexander froze. “Are you certain?” he stupidly asked.
Valas Amris is a celestial being. Of course, it is certain! he thought scathingly.
The figure faded until only the mist on the floor remained within the Spaera Mystica, but Valas murmured one last sentence.
“Yes. Complete your work with Skawen’na’há:wi. You are close.”
Alexander took a deep breath as the mist drained into nothing. He released the magic circle with a snap of his fingers and stood there for a long time. His thoughts were jumbled and raced in circles. He felt excitement, anticipation, nervousness, and fear.
After several minutes of stillness, he stirred and turned from the symbols carved into the floor. He retreated from the workroom and planned to return to his bedroom. Instead, he detoured into the library and sat in his favorite chair. Around him were more than a thousand books, including tomes, treatises, and grimoires. He looked at them with unseeing eyes, wrapped in his thoughts. They ran to the two people he loved most: Imara and Sirenī. He hadn’t seen them in a long time, but that was about to change.
Once he finished his training, of course.
Alexander remained in the library until dawn. He blinked when the sun shone through the windows and stabbed his eyes. Turning his head, he cracked his neck and looked around. He’d contemplated and discarded a dozen plans in the few hours it took for the sun to rise.
What is the best way to make contact? he wondered.
Imara lived in Louden, Sirenī in Glendale. He drummed his fingers on his thigh, brow furrowed. Nothing came to him.
Still, he left the library with a bounce in his step. In his heart, he felt excited by what was coming. For almost fifty years, he’d had a lump of stone in his chest, but now he felt it begin to soften and pulse once more.
About the Author
I’m an artist and author who’s been crafting stories since my childhood. My debut series, ‘The Ring of Worlds,’ is inspired by my love of high-fantasy and science fiction. When I’m not writing, I enjoy gaming, reading, and exploring new worlds—real and imaginary.
A big welcome to Joe Cosentino as part of his release of the audiobook of Drama Daddy.
Q&A with Joe Cosentino, author of Drama Daddy, the 17th Nicky and Noah mystery
now an audio book performed by Brian Cheney
Joe Cosentino, congratulations on the release of the seventeenth audio book in your award-winning and popular Nicky and Noah gay cozy comedy mystery series, Drama Daddy.
Thank you, but don’t call me daddy. (smile)
You’ve written five Jana Lane mysteries, two Player Piano mysteries, five Cozzi Cove books, and seventeen Nicky and Noah mysteries. Why so many Nicky and Noah mysteries?
Nicky and Noah keep begging me for more. So do the readers. Plus, the books are so much fun to write. I often laugh out loud when writing them. Each story has humor, quirky characters, sweet romance, cozy settings, plot twists and turns, a show business background, and a shocking whodunit ending. I even continue to shock my husband, which makes me very proud. The first 17 are now available as audio books. The 18th and last book will become an audio book soon. Stay tuned.
Why do you think the Nicky and Noah mystery series has lasted over a decade now?
I haven’t found any other cozy MM comedy mystery romance series set in the world of academia and theatre. Also, nobody else has my warped sense of humor.
This is your first novelette in the series.
Yes, after sixteen novels Nicky and Noah mystery readers asked for a Nicky and Noah mystery novelette. It’s lower in price and pages, but not lower in laughs, mystery, and romance.
Why did you pick a musical about the founding of our nation as the show within a story for the seventeenth mystery?
As a kid, I was fascinated by United States history, particularly how the Continental Congress severed ties with Britain and became the United States in 1776. The Broadway musical 1776 was one of my favorites. How I admired the courage, strength, and commitment of John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and the other early Americans who worked tirelessly on their Declaration of Independence for freedom. I played the cast album so many times my parents threatened to get their independence from me. I get misty-eyed every July 4th as I gaze at the fireworks in the sky and think about the meaning of freedom, democracy, and liberty and justice for all. So I decided Nicky, Noah, and their theatrical troupe at Treemeadow College would stage an original musical production of the founding of our nation entitled, I Do Declare.
Tell us about Drama Daddy, the 17th Nicky and Noah mystery.
It’s summer stock time at Treemeadow College. Professor of Play Directing sexy Nicky Abbondanza directs the show and takes on the leading role (What else did you expect?) of John Adams. Nicky’s gorgeous and faithful husband, Associate Professor of Acting Noah Oliver, is cast as Adam’s love interest, Thomas Jefferson.
It’s great to see our favorite characters back.
Of course! Nicky and Noah’s best friend and department chair, Martin Anderson, grabs (among other things) the plumb role of Adams’s beard Abigail. Electricity sparks fly as Martin’s long-suffering husband, Ruben Markinson, plays a frisky Benjamin Franklin. Nicky and Noah’s son, Taavi, and Martin and Ruben’s son, Ty, threaten to call Child Protective Services until Nicky casts them as the Couriers. Nicky’s nemesis, the oblivious Detective Manuello, worms his way into the cast as King George III with a roving eye for muscular male servants. Nicky’s dog, Asterisk, shows his molars until he secures the treat role of the king’s dog Georgie.
Who are the new characters/suspects in book seventeen?
New to the cast are hunky Sami Zaman, Graduate Assistant of Music, Musical Director, and Edward Rutledge, who has a yen for handsome Haku Yamato, Assistant Professor of Dance, Choreographer, and John Dick-in-son. Hot Theatre majors, Hector Alvarez and Philippe Laurent, play the father of our country George Washington and his French kiss lover Guy Raffleur III, giving new meaning to the term, “Sugar Daddy.” When the actor playing John Hand-cock finds snarky Professor of Music Hank Tobias (Caesar Rodney) murdered in the theatre wing, Nicky and Noah take flight to solve the case—before the murderer clips their wings.
Are you pleased with the audio book?
I couldn’t be more pleased. It’s perfect! I think Brian Cheney is the most talented audio book performer around. He creates over 20 character voices, has perfect comic timing, displays his acting chops in the dramatic scenes, and sings beautifully. He is also a wonderful collaborator and person. Who could ask for anything more?
What makes the Nicky and Noah mystery series so special?
It’s a gay cozy mystery comedy series, meaning the setting is warm and cozy, the clues and murders (and laughs) come fast and furious, and there are enough plot twists and turns and a surprise ending to keep the pages turning (as Nicky would say) faster than the Proud Boys storming the Capitol at the insurrection. At the center is the touching relationship between Professor of Play Directing Nicky Abbondanza and Associate Professor of Acting Noah Oliver. We watch them go from courting to marrying to adopting a child, all the while head over heels in love with each other (as we fall in love with them). Reviewers called the series “hysterically funny farce,” “Murder She Wrote meets Hart to Hart meets The Hardy Boys,” and “captivating whodunits.” One reviewer wrote they are the funniest books she’s ever read! Another said I’m “a master storyteller.” Who am I to argue?
How are the books cozy?
Many of them, like this one, take place in Vermont, a cozy state with green pastures, white church steeples, glowing lakes, and friendly and accepting people. Fictitious Treemeadow College (named after its gay founders, couple Tree and Meadow) is the perfect setting for a cozy mystery with its white Edwardian buildings, low white stone fences, lake and mountain views, and cherry wood offices with tall leather chairs and fireplaces.
For anyone unfortunate enough not to have read them, tell us the titles of the novels in the series.
The Nicky and Noah mysteries are: Drama Queen, Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle, Drama Dance, Drama Faerie, Drama Runway, Drama Christmas, Drama Pan, Drama TV, Drama Oz, Drama Prince, Drama Merry, and now the Drama Daddy novelette. The last novel is Drama King.
Many of your characters are of various ethnicities and sexual identities. Is that deliberate on your part?
Absolutely. We live in a diverse world. A story taking place at a college and/or in the world of theatre would be unbelievable if everyone were the same.
I’m sure you’ve been told that the books would make a terrific TV series.
Many many times! Rather than Logo showing reruns of Golden Girls around the clock, and Bravo airing so called reality shows, I would love to see them do The Nicky and Noah Mysteries. Come on, TV producers, make your offers! I’ve written a teleplay of the first novel and treatments for the remaining novels!
How would you cast the TV series?
Here’s my wish list: Matt Bomer as Nicky, Neil Patrick Harris as Noah, Rosie O’Donnell and Bruce Willis as Noah’s parents, Valerie Bertinelli and Jay Leno as Nicky’s parents, me as Martin Anderson (nepotism!), Nathan Lane as Martin’s husband Ruben, Wanda Sykes as Martin’s office assistant Shayla, and Luke Macfarlane as Nicky’s brother Tony. Or Luke Macfarlane as any character!
How can your readers get their hands on the Drama Daddy audio book, and how can they contact you?
The purchase links are below, as are my contact links, including my web site. I love to hear from readers! So do Nicky and Noah and Brian. I tell them everything!
Thank you, Joe, for interviewing today.
It was my pleasure. As a past professional actor and college theatre professor/department chair, I know first-hand the hysterically funny antics, sweet romance, and captivating mystery in the worlds of theatre and academia. The Nicky and Noah mysteries are full of them! I’m more excited, as Nicky would say, than a priest leading a group of altar boys to the wine cellar, to share this audio book novelette with you. So take your seats for the fireworks. Not only Ben Franklin’s kite will rise as the men in the Continental Congress find romance, rollicking fun, and rousing murder!
DRAMA DADDY (a Nicky and Noah mystery novelette)
Nicky and Noah mystery 17 by Joe Cosentino
now also an audio book performed by Brian Cheney
Listen to a sample of the audio book here
Summer stock, romance, and murder blossom at Treemeadow College on July 4th when theatre professors and husbands Nicky and Noah and their thespian cohorts stage an original gay musical adaptation heralding the signing of the Declaration of Independence entitled, I Do Declare. Nicky and Noah need to use their drama skills to catch the killer before the frills on their collars are tied in a knot—around their throats. You will be applauding and shouting Bravo for Joe Cosentino’s fast-paced, side-splittingly funny, edge-of-your-seat entertaining first-time novelette (mystery #17) in this delightful series. Take your seats. It’s Independence Day! The curtain and fireworks are going up on an enamored John Adams and Thomas Jefferson who raise Ben Franklin’s kite, Daddy John Dick-in-son, John Hand-cock, George Washington and his French squeeze Guy Raffleur, and murder!
Praise for the Nicky and Noah mysteries:
“Joe Cosentino has a unique and fabulous gift. His writing is flawless, and his plot-lines will have you guessing until the very last page, which makes his books a joy to read. His books are worth their weight in gold, and if you haven’t discovered them yet you are in for a rare treat.” Divine Magazine
“a combination of Laurel and Hardy mixed with Hitchcock and Murder She Wrote… Loaded with puns and one-liners…Right to the end, you are kept guessing, and the conclusion still has a surprise in store for you…the best modern Sherlock and Watson in books today…I highly recommend this book and the entire series, it’s a pure pleasure, full of fun and love, written with talent and brio…fabulous…brilliant” Optimumm Book Reviews
“adventure, mystery, and romance with every page….Funny, clever, and sweet….I can’t find anything not to love about this series….This read had me laughing and falling in love….Nicky and Noah are my favorite gay couple.” Urban Book Reviews
“For fans of Joe Cosentino’s hilarious mysteries, this is another vintage story with more cheeky asides and sub plots right left and centre….The story is fast paced, funny and sassy. The writing is very witty with lots of tongue-in-cheek humour….Highly recommended.” Boy Meets Boy Reviews
“Every entry of the Nicky and Noah mystery series is rife with intrigue, calamity, and hilarity…Cosentino keeps us guessing – and laughing – until the end, as well as leaving us breathlessly anticipating the next Nicky and Noah thriller.” Edge Media Network
“A laugh and a murder, done in the style we have all come to love….This had me from the first paragraph….Another wonderful story with characters you know and love!” Crystals Many Reviewers
“These two are so entertaining….Their tactics in finding clues and the crazy funny interactions between characters keeps the pages turning. For most of the book if I wasn’t laughing I was grinning.” Jo and Isa Love Books
“Superb fun from start to finish, for me this series gets stronger with every book and that’s saying something because the benchmark was set so very high with book 1.” Three Books Over the Rainbow
“The Nicky and Noah Mysteries series are perfect for fans of the Cozy Mystery sub-genre. They mix tongue-in-cheek humor, over-the-top characters, a wee bit of political commentary, and suspense into a sweet little mystery solved by Nicky and Noah, theatre professors for whom all the world’s a stage.” Prism Book Alliance
“This is one hilarious series with a heart and it just keeps getting better. I highly recommend them all, and please read them in the order they were written for full blown laugh out loud reading pleasure!” Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
Joe Cosentino was voted Favorite MM Mystery, Humorous, and Contemporary Author of the Year by the readers of Divine Magazine for Drama Queen, the first Nicky and Noah mystery novel. He is also the author of the remaining Nicky and Noah mysteries: Drama Muscle, Drama Cruise, Drama Luau, Drama Detective, Drama Fraternity, Drama Castle, Drama Dance, Drama Faerie, Drama Runway, Drama Christmas, Drama Pan, Drama TV, Drama Oz, Drama Prince, Drama Merry, Drama Daddy, Drama King; the Player Piano Mysteries: The Player and The Player’s Encore; the Jana Lane Mysteries: Paper Doll, Porcelain Doll, Satin Doll, China Doll, Rag Doll; the Cozzi Cove series: Cozzi Cove: Bouncing Back, Moving Forward, Stepping Out, New Beginnings, Happy Endings; the In My Heart Anthology: An Infatuation & A Shooting Star; the Tales from Fairyland Anthology: The Naked Prince and Other Tales from Fairyland and Holiday Tales from Fairyland; the Bobby and Paolo Holiday Stories Anthology: A Home for the Holidays, The Perfect Gift, The First Noel; and the Found At Last Anthology: Finding Giorgio and Finding Armando. His books have won numerous Book of the Month awards and Rainbow Award Honorable Mentions. As an actor, Joe appeared in principal roles in film, television, and theatre, opposite stars such as Bruce Willis, Rosie O’Donnell, Nathan Lane, Jason Robards, and Holland Taylor. He received his Master of Fine Arts degree from Goddard College, Master’s degree from SUNY New Paltz, and is currently a happily married emeritus college theatre professor residing in New York State.
Brian Cheney, hailed by KUSC Los Angeles as the “next great tenor”, protégé of legendary tenor Jerry Hadley, has gained international acclaim for his portrayal of characters such as Radamés in Aida, Don José in Carmen, Mario Cavaradossi in Tosca, Rodolfo in La bohème, the Duke in Rigoletto, and Canio in Pagliacci. “It is tenor Brian Cheney as the brave painter Cavaradossi who really blew me away. Cheney has that terrific tenor sound: the power, richness, and vocal color of a high baritone combined with ringing, awe-inspiring high notes” (Stage and Cinema.) Highlights from last season include Mr. Cheney’s creation of the role of Victor Frankenstein in the world premiere performance of Gregg Kallor’s Frankenstein in New York to critical acclaim and his National Philharmonic debut as the tenor soloist in Leonard Bernstein’s Mass and West Side Story. “Cheney’s ringing tenor voice carried well in the stone catacombs, conveying the fear that the deep bass sound of the monster summoned. And as the section of the sketches went on, Cheney’s voice bloomed to match the action and threats of the creature.” (Operawire) Recent engagements include Radamés in Aida with Virginia Opera, Antonin Scalia in Derrick Wang’s Scalia/Ginsburg with Toledo Opera, and Salute to Vienna performances in Miami, West Palm Beach, Nashville, and New York City (Lincoln Center). In audio books, Mr. Cheney performed Drama Christmas (the 11th Nicky and Noah mystery novel) by Joe Cosentino, Drama Pan (the 12th Nicky and Noah mystery novel) by Joe Cosentino, All the King’s Men by Scott Leddy, Swarm by Guy Morris, The Last Ark by Guy Morris, and Pressure by Barry Napier.
A serial killer stalks the streets of Boggslake, Ohio. The victims are always found in pairs, one human and one vampire.
Simon Hawthorne has been a vampire for nearly a hundred years, and he has never seen anything like it. Neither have the other supernaturals he works with to keep the streets safe for both their kind and the humans.
One meeting with Simon finds Ben Leyton falling for a man he knows is keeping secrets, but he can’t ignore the growing attraction between them. A recent arrival in Boggslake, Ben finds it very different from his native New Zealand, but something about Simon makes Ben feel as though he’s found a new home.
After a close friend falls victim to the killer, Simon is torn between revealing his true nature to Ben, and walking away to avoid the reaction he fears. But with the body count rising and the murders becoming more frequent, either, or both of them, could be the killer’s next target.
Author’s note: This story was originally released by another publisher. This edition has been revised and re-edited with the end result being a better, stronger story.
We have some intriguing tales for you! Our historical fiction combines great storytelling with reliable research and diverse representations of places, times and peoples.
Anne Barwell, Julie Bozza, Bryn Hammond, Narrelle M. Harris, Charlene Newcomb, Laury Silvers
Bertram Drake, the most mysterious Drake brother, leads a life shrouded in secrecy. Taken from his brothers at a young age and shaped into a weapon to be used by the dragon council, he has one sole purpose: obey the orders given to him, no matter what they might be.
Once a perfect jewel of the Pedigree, Sorin’s sparkle has been dulled. Taken from his cloister and sold regularly to the highest bidder, he has learned two vital truths.
The first: that dragons are monsters who will stop at nothing to get what they want.
And the second, most terrible truth of all: that egg madness is a lie—omegas are not saved from a lifetime of pain even when they are separated from their eggs.
When Sorin’s newest buyer mysteriously dies, Sorin sees it as his chance to escape from the hellish life he’s been forced to lead. The only obstacle? A handsome agent of the council who has been tasked with ending his life.
… and who has custody of his eggs.
Raven: Part One is a 100,000 word omegaverse mpreg-ish romance set prior to the events of the Forbidden Desires series. It contains action, adventure, heartbreak, laughter, and more than its fair share of steam. For maximum enjoyment, Raven: Part One is best read following the events of Clutch, Bond, Mate, Swallow, Magpie, Finch, and Peregrine.
Please use the Look Inside or Download Free Sample feature to read the Content Warning for possible triggers.
Bertram Drake, international man of mystery, leads a double life. By day he is the council’s most valuable pawn, but by night he is a traitor, aiding and abetting the dangerous leader of the organization looking to undermine dragon society—a man who goes by the name of Raven, and who is none other than the father of Bertram’s children and his beloved mate.
Kept from his family by his dangerous wild magic, Sorin is a man on a mission. As Raven—the leader of the Vanguard—his life’s purpose is to save and rehabilitate the omegas being mistreated by their cloisters, but when an unexpected discovery puts all Pedigree omegas in mortal peril, his goals shift. He must do whatever it takes to ensure no omega ends up suffering like him.
Even if it means playing the part of the villain and severing ties with his mate.
Raven: Part Two is the 92,000 word conclusion to the Forbidden Desires series. It contains eye-opening revelations, new outfits for little lizards, extremely scientific field studies, and a love that manages to conquer all. For maximum enjoyment, Raven: Part Two is best read following the events of Clutch, Bond, Mate, Swallow, Magpie, Finch, Peregrine, and Raven: Part One.
Please use the Look Inside or Download Free Sample feature to read the Content Warning for possible triggers.
Piper Scott’s love of reading began at age ten, when she discovered that the magical worlds in adult fantasy novels were way more exciting than playground politics. As she grew up, so did her reading habits, and now not only does she like to read books on the steamy side, but she loves to write them, too.
A Canadian by birth but an American by marriage, Piper currently resides in Southern Illinois, where she leads a quiet life with her husband, their dog, a very demanding cat, and her office mate—her pet rabbit.
If you love Piper’s omegaverse, mpreg, and paranormal romance books, be sure to check out her work as her gay contemporary romance alter ego, Emma Alcott!
Piper’s books are interconnected. For complete immersion, the recommended reading order is as follows:
Rutledge Brothers Series: Love Me > Save Me > Keep Me
His Command Series: Obey > Beg > Stay > Heal > Breathe
Single Dad Support Group Series: The Problem > The Proposal > The Solution > The Decision > The Promise > The Answer > Single Dad Sundays
*The Forbidden Desires series, co-written with Virginia Kelly, takes place concurrent to the events of Breathe. All other co-writes are not directly connected to Piper’s omegaverse.
Some of the stories mentioned on this website contain content that is not suitable for those under the age of eighteen. If you are underage, I suggest you turn back now.
All works on this website are copyrighted and belong to their creators. Please do not use without permission.
Any questions etc please don’t hesitate to contact me.
Drops of Ink 