A Sneak Peek and a Slew of D&D Romances
As another month draws to a close, I struggle to come up with a good tagline for this space.
We made it through September, and spooky season draws ever nearer. I’ve got my annual Shirley Jackson read all lined up, (I read something of hers every October), and I made scones last weekend. Now I just need to it finally cool down so I can make my favorite soup in the world.
But, in the meantime, how about a newsletter?
D&D Romances Galore
I thought I’d take some time this month to make sure you all know about three D&D-inspired romances coming out this fall. I’ve gotten connected to these amazing authors through Instagram via our shared love of romance, gaming, and representation of people like ourselves in our writing. Do yourself a favor and check them out!
Confessions of a Virgin on a Dating App by Sydney Wilder just released this month. It’s got amazing endometriosis rep and doesn’t shy away from dealing with sexual dysfunction, all while bringing our main character Avery on a journey of discovery and love with game shop owner Devin.
Di-Curious by Erin Branch comes out next week, and you can pre-order it now. It’s a sapphic, bi-awakening romance between June and Nova, two former besties who team up for public gaming opportunities (a la Dimension 20) and find a connection both in and out of game.
Love Across the Tabletop by Kait Disney-Leugers is out November 5th, so pre-order it now for some escapist election day reading! Y’all, Kait is one of my ride-or-dies, and this book is so good. We met through D&D after being randomly put at the same table during open play night at our local game store. A few years of gaming and sharing smutty book recs later, and we both decided to write D&D romances. I can’t wait for you to read Ash and Mika’s story. It’s got anxiety rep, bi rep, post-abusive-relationship rep, and just… so many wonderful gaming scenes.
And of course, if you haven’t picked up my book yet, you can always grab it here or at your favorite ebook retailer.
A Sneak Peek at What I’m Working On
My romantasy manuscript is scheduled to go off to a developmental editor in exactly one month (this is fine), so that’s what I’ve been working on. I have a ton of notes about what changes I want to make, but if I’m honest, actually getting them done has been a challenge.
My day job has sucked a lot of mental energy away from my creative brain this month. It’s also kind of overwhelming to think “I need to find places to cut during this revision” and then look down and see that the word count has grown by 1,000 words in just the first 3 chapters because I also have to add more foreshadowing. And then I have to fight against the part of my brain that gets overwhelmed and says, “It’s good enough as it is; just send it to the editor like this and revise it when you get it back.” Because I know I can make it better before I send it off, and working on those things now will allow the editor to (hopefully) point out any issues I haven’t found yet.
Le sigh. I know I’ll get there. My brain will eventually kick into high gear, probably about two days before I’m supposed to submit this. Yes, I wish I were farther along at this point, especially with all the autumnal plans I’ve got coming up on weekends in October. I even took Friday off of work with the goal of working on it but ended up being productive on other things like laundry and dishes and grocery shopping.
But this is the process. It’s hard. It’s time-consuming. It’s messy. And at the end of it, I’ll have a story I’m (even more) proud of that will capture readers that much better.
Because I do love this story and these characters. It’s the book of my heart—the one I wrote when I was discovering a big piece of who I am. And I want to share it in its best form someday.
So, for now, because I want to celebrate the things I love about this story while I wrangle the things that still need work… here’s a small snippet of my two romantic leads, Nieve and Xavier, sharing a quiet moment before their wedding feast.
The king was waiting for me outside the closed doors of the hall. He was dressed in black trousers, a white shirt, and a red vest with two rows of brass buttons that went almost all the way up to his neck. An open, buttonless black jacket lay perfectly against his torso, widening his already broad form. And over the entire thing, he wore a floor-length black cape: the twin to mine, down to the large red crocuses embroidered on the hem. It only exaggerated his silhouette all the more. He looked massive.
When he noticed me coming toward him, Xavier smoothed his hands over the front of his jacket and tugged at his cuffs. He brushed back his hair and watched my approach, pupils wide in the dim light.
I curtsied deeply to him, my back knee hovering mere inches above the floor. “Your Majesty,” I said in my most regal voice.
“You look beautiful,” he breathed.
“And you look quite dashing,” I said, straightening up. “I didn’t know we’d have matching capes.” I rubbed the edge of his cape between my fingers. It was the same warm, lightweight material as mine. I’d never felt anything like it.
“Neither did I,” he said with a tilt of his head. “It was in a box in my chambers just now. There was a note from my tailor that said I should wear it tonight. This jacket was in there, too.”
He held out his arms so I could see the tiny red crocuses embroidered around the cuffs. The craftwork was so impeccable the flowers almost seemed alive. I imagined that if I pressed my nose to the threads, I’d be able to smell their fragrance.
“I think our seamstress and tailor deserve a raise,” I said. “What do you think, sire?”
“An excellent idea, madam,” he replied with a grin. “I’ll see to it tomorrow. In the meantime, there are some very hungry noble families on the other side of those doors. We probably shouldn’t keep them waiting any longer.”
“I suppose not,” I said and took the arm he held out to me. I lightly ran a finger over the delicate crocuses on his cuff. They even felt like real flower petals.
We marched forward to the double doors, each grasped a handle, and pushed them open. The murmur of conversation ceased and, as one, the crowd in the dining hall rose to stand. A voice somewhere called out, “King Xavier the Third and Queen Nieve the First!”
The hall erupted in applause.
What I’m reading
If you were a youth group kid in the 90s, you have to check out Youth Group by Jordan Morris and illustrated by Bowen McCurdy. It’s a funny, spot-on take on what youth group in the 90s might have been like if there had been actual demon hunting going on behind the scenes.
What I’m playing
When my brain has been too tired to write, I’ve been making potions and solving puzzles in Potion Craft. There’s something very satisfying about crushing up little plants and stirring them around in a pot to make healing potions. And the aesthetics are 100/10.
What I’m listening to
This Dreamy Fall playlist I made last year on a whim. I’ve been listening to it at least once a week all month. It’s the perfect accompaniment to a cozy evening with a cup of hot tea, a blanket, and a cat or two.
Side note: If you click through to that Spotify account, you can also find my playlist of Felix’s workout music, which was on constant rotation while I drafted Taking Initiative.
I think I’ll call it there, folks. Thanks for following along with my monthly ramblings updates. I hope to have good news next month about finishing up this revision!
With renewed determination,
Elle <3
No idea where to find grains of paradise or toasted cumin for the lentil soup. Do you usually follow that recipe exactly? Alternatives or suggestions?