What's New?

Currently I am work on two projects simultaneously. The first project is The Seven Names of Desire, a collection of homoerotic stories set in seven different kingdoms, some of which you know (Tajhaan, Rhodeen, and Shivar), and some which you don't yet. At present, I am into writing the fifth story. To whet your appetite, the stories include a sexy harem tale about the reunion of a handsome young concubine and his princely master; since the boy's name means "peach bottom," you can imagine there will be some hot sex. Also included are a tale of love-turned-to-hate set in pseudo-Egyptian Juva, the steamy, angry make-up sex between a conquering jaguar king of Ambaza and his male consort, the tale of two Water-lovers of Emerrás whose antler-butting rivalry over a beautiful love interest turns to passion, and the ultra-erotic story of a purveyor of exotic sex manuals in Rhodeen. The second project, which is going more slowly due to the enormous amount of research, is an untitled het (yes, I hear the collective gasp) set in Minoan-era Knossos. The period is a particular favorite of mine. Look for bare-breasted high priestesses, snake goddesses, hot-blooded Myceanaean warriors, and the big bang of the Santorini eruption. Why yes, the heroine's name is Ariadne, a genuine Minoan name from the period. Her hero may recall the Theseus of legend, though this isn't a retelling of that particular myth. The real story of Knossos, Santorini (called Thera by the ancient Greeks), and the Mycenaean takeover of Late Bronze Age Crete is far more interesting than that. And who knows? I may be able to work some of the details of the legend into my tale, since most legends have some basis in fact. To the right are (above) a dolphin fresco from the Queen's Megaron at Knossos, and (below) a reproduction Minoan oenochoe (wine vessel) from my collection.

Current Publications

The current release is House of the Swallows, (pictured). To clear up some confusion, this particular short story is set in an alternate universe Minoan Crete, not the real one, meaning the volcanic eruption played out in the story is not the real Santorini eruption. There is an inside reference to real-life historical events in Chapter Two, where if you take the geographical coordinates in the field report and plug them into Google Earth, you will get Santorini. I put that there only so astute readers would get my inspiration for the tale; the story's seaside town of Attio/Attoro is only modeled on real-life Akrotiri. House of the Swallows is an easy read at only 8,000 pages, with some exceptionally steamy sex scenes (click here for an excerpt), and is only $2. Now some of you may prefer buying your books from places like Fictionwise, where you have to have a $5 minimum credit card purchase. In that case, let me suggest a short work like The Golden Lotus to go along with House of the Swallows. It, too, is short and doesn't require that you have prior knowledge of my books. Click here for an excerpt of The Golden Lotus. House of the Swallows is the first in a new series, Eromenos, which follows the relationships between older men and their teenaged lovers on the island of Thrindor, a kingdom owing much to Minoan Crete. Some readers have asked if there will be a sequel to House of the Swallows. The answer is: maybe. The second book in the series, due out on March 8, is The Red Sash, which is set fifty years after the first book. If there is a third book, I may very well tell readers what happened to the characters at the end of House of the Swallows. Having said that, don't miss out on picking up The Red Sash. It has hot sex, plenty of it, and a great cover.

Upcoming Releases

On March 8, The Red Sash, second book in the Eromenos series, will be released. I have not yet posted an excerpt for this book, but the gorgeous cover can be seen at right. In April, look for Seventh, second book in the Water Lovers of the Islands series. This book follows the trials and tribulations of Elantho né Hethigal, the unfortunate, haughty young Water-lover who lost his love interest in the first book. It also introduces a very new, very different kind of Water-lover, the surano. Some readers have been confused by the blurb for The Fifth House, first book in the Water Lovers of the Islands series. It is marked as a follow-up to the Water Lovers of Sirilon series, meaning some people did not realize it was actually a sequel. You do have to read Water Lovers of Sirilon first, or you will not understand The Fifth House or Seventh. Fortunately, the three books in the collection (Ki'iri, Becoming, and the print extra Still Life) are available in a single ebook or print volume. The novels Dead to the World and Twice Born are also part of the Water Lovers of Sirilon series. However, they are optional. A third volume is planned for the Water Lovers of the Islands series, but I want to gauge reader response to the first two volumes before starting the third, which would not appear before 2010. So if you like The Fifth House and Seventh, speak up! In May, look for Aneshu's Folly, second book in the Aneshu series. This book, coming in at 35,000 words, is set three years after the first book, Aneshu, and follows the actor Aneshu to a remote desert stronghold, where he and a troupe of dancers comes up against an unscrupulous vizier. And judging from the cover, I think a certain jackal god may make an appearance. Elami, Aneshu's lover from the first book, appears, as do other members of the troupe. In June, look for West of the Moon, the third and final book in the Sun, Moon, and Stars series, and is set five years after A Crown of Stars. The book comes in at about 92,000 words. The cover has not yet been completed.

Molly Has The Last Word

Note: For those of you unfamiliar with my LiveJournal, Molly is a three-year-old brown/gray tabby female adopted in 2006 from the Burbank Animal Shelter, where she had been dumped with a broken paw (now healed) at 11 weeks old. She's a rather odd little thing and, yes, does speak in LOLcat. Molly wants to say hello and let you know that she and other Phaze authors' pets will be featured in the next Phaze newsletter. She also receives her own fan mail at granamyr AT yahoo.com. Molly is also here to make sure I let you know what features are coming up in future newsletters: a map of my entire shared universe, excerpts from upcoming releases, progress reports on works-in-progress, and new cover images.