Wrap Up

Well, the tree is up, the family is on its way. We’re off to be heathens and watch the Raptors play on Christmas Day. If you’re not a basketball fan, but maybe you’re a book fan, then here’s yet another one of those ubiquitous end-of-year posts that will undoubtedly clog up your TBR.

Step 1: Gratuitous Self-Promotion

I published three books this year. I know everyone is proud of their book babies, but I am super proud of these boys. I’ve been living in various versions of Seacroft for close to five years and to see these books out in the world and to hear from people who loved them is just about the best thing over.

If you haven’t read about Seb and Martin, Nick and Oliver, or Avery (oh Avery) and Linc, you can find them all on Amazon, or read for free from KU!

Step 2: Notes from the HBR

If you get the A-List (and why wouldn’t you? It’s just about the best author newsletter out there) then you’ve seen my now pretty regular feature, Notes from the TBR. I’m a very slow reader, and I read a lot on audiobooks, which slows me down even more. So I’m not usually up to date and hip with the kids and all their new releases, but I’m always happy to recommend older titles that you may have missed.

Here are some from my HBR (Have Been Read) pile that I loved this year. In no particular order, they are:

For Real, Alexis Hall - The first in my year of Alexis Hall. This book won a RITA a few years ago and even if kink isn’t your thing, it’s pretty easy to see why this book is so acclaimed. The writing is compelling from page 1, and Toby and Laurie have to fight so hard for their happy ending. Read and enjoy.

Rule Breaker, Lily Morton - The first in my year of Joel Leslie. Seriously. This would be a fabulously funny book to read all on its own, with snarky Dylan and terminally grumpy Gabe butting heads and other bits from beginning to end. But Joel Leslie’s narration takes it from funny to heartache and back again in that “hurts so good” way I love.

How to Bang a Billionaire, Alexis Hall - The culmination of my Alexis and Joel obsession this year is Arden St. Ives - a very small queer in a purple unicorn onesie - who you can’t help but root for, even when you know Caspian is only going to break his heart. It’s 50 Shades if it were super queer and super amazing, and definitely one of my favourites of 2019.

Red, White, and Royal Blue, Casey McQuiston - This one’s on nearly everyone’s ‘best of’ list, and with good reason. An MM romance that hit the mainstream. The voice is so fresh and millennial, and it builds an optimistic world where a divorced woman of color is president and the First Son can have a princely bisexual crisis and no one really cares but him and the prince in question.

Gideon the Ninth, Tamsyn Muir - A completely different kind of fish. Gideon is a servant to the necromantic house of the Ninth. Yes, this book is lesbian space necromancers, but it’s also a futuristic Agatha Christie novel where strangers meet in a creepy house and someone slowly starts killing them one by one. Throw in a sword-wielding cavalier with a thing for aviator sunglasses, and I promise you’ve never read anything quite like Gideon.

So what did we learn? Basically my jam is voicey sarcastic contemporary romance…and necromancers.

Step 3: How About a Free Book?

If you had a hopeless crush on your downstairs neighbour and accidentally received a discretely marked package addressed to him that was full of sex toys, what would you do?

Clearly the answer is to download this story and see what shenanigans Gray and Tyler can get up to in just one short weekend. Toy Story is free and ready for you to download.

Step 4. Make Resolutions

I have to admit, this year was hella fun. From the rush of release day to meeting so many amazing readers and writer friends at GRL in Albuquerque, this was the first year I felt like a real author. I can’t wait to do more of that in 2020.

While I was at GRL, a few of you asked what I had coming next. I don’t have dates yet, but I can tell you that I’m working on a new series that will be ready to go in a few months. The Out & About series is centered around the team who runs the fictional Out & About queer film festival in my hometown of Toronto! The series got everything you love. Grumpy silver foxes, smart mouthed IT consultants, fake husbands, seduction at a trivia tournament and so much more!

Details on pre-orders, release dates, cover reveals and ARC giveaways will be coming in the new year. To hear it first, join the A-List and get all the news that’s fit to print straight to your inbox!