How to Build a World – #EpicFantasy #Imagination #Inspiration

By Alex Zenk (Guest Blogger)

World-building is a dynamic process, and my approach blends structure with creative freedom, adapting to the story’s needs. I don’t rely on a rigid “bible” upfront, but I do maintain a mental or loose digital framework that evolves as I write. Here’s how it works:

Initially, I focused on core elements: geography, culture, history, and systems (magic, technology, politics). I sketch these broadly, say, a coastal city with a rigid caste system or a desert with sentient storms, drawing from inspirations like faith, landscapes, or literature. These act as anchors, ensuring consistency without boxing me in. For example, a faith-based society might have rituals tied to mining the gems, which I work out as I write the various scenes dealing with the gems.

As I draft, inspiration drives details. A character’s dialogue might reveal a cultural taboo, or a setting description might spark a historical event. I let these organic moments shape the world, keeping notes on key details (e.g., names, rules, timelines) in a lightweight document, more a living sketch than a formal “bible.” This avoids overplanning, which can stifle spontaneity.

If the project grows complex, I’ll organize notes into categories, geography, factions, and lore, referencing them to maintain coherence. Tools like Notion or a simple text file work fine. The goal is flexibility: I build enough to ground the story but leave room for inspiration to shift the world’s edges.

Blurb

In a world where ancient magic is fading and darkness grows, one dwarf mage stands between his realm and destruction.

Ordi, a gifted mage with the rare ability to command all elemental magic, is summoned by his king on a perilous quest. Accompanied by his loyal posh hound Mira and his warrior brother Verdun, Ordi must recover the legendary Otthroite Gems—powerful artifacts thought lost to time.

As they journey through forbidden forests, abandoned dwarven cities, and haunted valleys, they discover these gems are the only hope against the rising threat of the long-banished Dark Lord. With each step, they uncover secrets of ancient magic and face betrayals that test the bonds of brotherhood.

Rich in world-building and filled with magical encounters, The Chronicles of Ordi blends classic fantasy elements with fresh perspectives on courage, loyalty, and the price of power.

Excerpt

A hellhound emerged from the swirling smoke, its eyes burning with an evil fire. Two towering demons flanked the beast, their twisted forms radiating dark energy. Accompanying them was a horde of monstrous spiders, their grotesque legs and mandibles glistening in the dim light. Ordi's heart pounded in his chest; he hated spiders—no, he was terrified of them. These were no ordinary arachnids; they ranged from five to eight feet tall, their massive forms looming menacingly. The challenge before him was immense. Hellhounds could withstand most mortal magic, and the demons posed a threat he had only read about in the academy's ancient tomes. Desperately cycling through spells in his mind, Ordi cursed under his breath, doubting whether any would suffice against such formidable adversaries.

About the Author

Alex Zenk brings a fresh voice to the world of epic quests and magical realms. Born and raised in the midwest, Alex's love for fantasy was kindled early by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and nurtured through years of immersive role-playing games. As a pastor by day and a storyteller by night, Alex brings a unique perspective to his writing, weaving themes of morality, redemption, and the complexities of good and evil into his narratives.

Drawing inspiration from his experiences in World of Warcraft, Alex has crafted a rich and immersive world in his debut series, The Chronicles of Ordi. His background in theology and his deep understanding of human nature inform the complex characters and intricate plot lines.

When not writing or tending to his pastoral duties, Alex can be found exploring the natural beauty of Iowa with his family, using these adventures to fuel his imagination and inspire new fantastic landscapes. With plans for multiple books set in the world of Asheros, Alex Zenk is poised to make a significant impact on the fantasy genre, offering readers a blend of classic epic fantasy with a modern, thoughtful twist.

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apzenk/

Amazon: https://a.co/d/g00TgiA

Website: https://apzenk.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61565462734987

Alex Zenk will be awarding a $25 Amazon gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

 

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The die is cast – #Steampunk #EroticRomance #MFRWHooks

It’s Wednesday again, time for another whirlwind tour of Romancelandia provided by members of the Marketing for Romance Writers group. 

By the way, if you write any sort of romance, you should consider joining us, for emotional support, practical advice and promo opportunities. Just go here to sign up for groups.io. Then go to https://marketingforromancewriters.groups.io/g/main, scroll down, and click on “Join this group”. Be sure to introduce yourself, once you’re part of the email conversation.

For my MFRW Books Hooks post today, I’m moving to the third novel in my Toymakers Guild series, The Master’s Mark. Rafe and Gillian’s relationship has progressed and strengthened. But in this book, they face new challenges.

Blurb

How do you train a steampunk sexbot?

Gillian Smith’s promotion to journeyman proves she’s ready to lead the Toymakers in producing astonishing new erotic artifacts. Creative, brilliant, and debauched, she’ll stretch her capabilities to the limit as she juggles a talent shortage and a pair of jealous rivals. Then there’s the challenge of their latest commission—a life-sized programmable sex doll intended to replace a client’s deceased paramour.

Normally she would consult the enigmatic Master Toymaker, but he seems preoccupied with his own concerns. Though her lusty crew of sexual renegades can offer technical and carnal assistance, Gillian is ultimately responsible for delivering the promised, near-impossible technology.

It’s fortunate she’s not one to give up—not even when events threaten the Guild’s very survival.

The Hook (Rated R)

With a rustle of silk, the director swept out of the room. The two older men followed close behind.

Springing up from his seat, Rafe grabbed Gillian and pulled her into a wet, lingering kiss. “So,” he said, “you’re off to the Continent. Without me!” Despite his accusation, he did not seem upset in the least.

“Are you jealous?”

“Only that you’re going to Paris. You’re going to have such fun!” He ran his fingers through her auburn tangles. “I know you’ll come back to me.”

“I will. My life is here, at Randerley.” She planted another kiss on his smiling lips. “You’re a big part of that life.”

He nodded. “Meanwhile, I want you to enjoy yourself.”

“I’ve never been to France,” she added.

“You’ll love it, Jill.” Seizing her by the hips, he pulled her body against his. His delicious hardness prodded her belly. “It’s your kind of place,” he murmured, nuzzling her throat and palming her buttocks.

With a sigh of pleasure, Gillian melted into his arms.

“Rafe?” The office door opened unexpectedly and Amelia stepped inside.

For a long moment, Rafe ignored her, persisting in his delightful caresses.

“Mr. Wystock! The Master has an assignment for you.”

With obvious reluctance, the dark-haired journeyman released Gillian from his embrace. “Yes, ma’am?”

“You’re to go to London, first thing tomorrow. The Master has some important business at one of the banks. He’s waiting for you now, in his chamber, to give you detailed instructions.”

So, thought Gillian as Rafe and Amelia hurried out. The die is cast.

Excitement bubbled through her. Rafe’s attentions, the novelty of her upcoming trip to France, the prospect of seeing Sébastien again – everything combined to raise her pulse and dampen her nether regions.

Not to mention the challenge of building an anatomically-correct sexual playmate for the mysterious Count Volk. That might have been the most thrilling notion of all.

 

Find all the buy links here: https://www.lisabetsarai.com/mastersmarkbook.html

Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today’s Book Hooks!

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Join us for Charity Saturday, 31 August 2025 #CharitySundaySignup #Altruism #Marketing

Image by Pete Linforth from Pixabay

Since 2017, I’ve been devoting the last Sunday in each month to a post which features some worthy cause. Often, other bloggers join me in this effort, turning the event into a blog hop. This month’s Charity Sunday blog hop will take place this coming Sunday, the 31^st of August.

Charity Sunday is a meme designed to give authors and bloggers a chance to give back to the world, as well as to attract new readers.

How does it work? Each participant selects a favorite charity. Before the date, you should prepare a blog post that: 1) talks about the charity and why you support it; 2) provides a link to the charity; 3) includes an excerpt from one of your books; 4) includes the code to show links to other participating blogs.

It’s fun if you can make the excerpt relate somehow to your chosen charity, but this isn’t required.

For every comment left on your post, you commit to giving some amount to the relevant charity. The specific charity and the amount to donate are up to you. You can set an upper limit to your donation if you want.

If you’d like to participate in the next Charity Sunday on August 31^st, sign up using the Linky List below. Please be sure that the link you enter will lead directly to your Charity Sunday post, not just to the home page of your blog.

Please download the new Charity Sunday banner for 2025!

https://www.lisabetsarai.com/2025CharitySundayBanner.jpg

For an example post, check out this link from my last Charity Sunday:

https://lisabetsarai.blogspot.com/2025/07/charity-sunday-education-means-hope.html

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She’s a 1940s ghost whisperer… #HistoricalFantasy #Paranormal #Giveaway

Blurb

Burdened with her empathic gift, Elizabeth Reilly wants to be free of it and fit in with normal people. Nevertheless, when the spirit of an old man asks for her help, she travels across the country to help him return home.

He’s the son of a ghost.

Gio Clemente is still angry with his father who abandoned him as a child. To help the father pass on, Elizabeth must persuade Gio to let go of his anger. Though he resents her intrusion, they are both stunned to find themselves fighting a profound attraction.

Elizabeth can accept his headstrong brand of love, but can Gio accept her gift—and believe in her?

The Passenger, a 1940s ghost story set in the California wine country, tells a tale of family connections, life-changing choices, and love—lost and found.

Excerpt

Elizabeth sat bolt upright in bed. She gathered the hand-knit blanket up around her shoulders to fend off the cold hovering around her. “Is someone there?” she whispered. The hairs on her arms stood on end. “I-I know there is, but I can’t help you.”

A presence vibrated within the room as if the air contained a beating heart. While no sound met her ears, Elizabeth sensed one building, and she braced herself for a shriek.

She glanced around the room, letting her eyes adjust to the darkness. Nothing appeared and the room remained silent.

Throwing back the covers, she swung her feet to the floor. The softest touch brushed her shoulder, sending chills scoring up her spine. Elizabeth bit back her own cry. She stood up and fumbled at the foot of the bed until she found what she was looking for. She grabbed her soft, cotton robe and threw it over her shoulders.

“I can’t help you.” Her voice trembled.

This wasn’t Paolo. He didn’t terrify her. She’d known from the start he wouldn’t bring her harm. He was her friend. This apparition frightened her down to her core.

“I can’t help you,” she said again and edged toward the door. “So leave me in peace and don’t come to me again.”

The air grew arid, and electricity sizzled through her. Visits like these terrified her as a child. They weren’t all like Paolo.

About the Author

Award-winning Minnesota-based author Joie Lesin is a life-long fiction writer and poet. She is most recently the author of The Passenger (The Wild Rose Press, 2024) and her work is also featured in Scribeworth Magazine. She has long been fascinated by anything otherworldly including mermaids and ghosts. Joie writes character-driven, emotional, atmospheric tales about heartache and hope.

Social Media Links

Website: https://www.jlesin.com

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/joielesin.bsky.social

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorjoielesin

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JoieLesin

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joie.lesin

Goodreads BookPage: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/214564853-the-passenger

 

 

Buy Links for The Passenger

The Wild Rose Press Book Page: https://wildrosepress.com/product/the-passenger/

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0D6WBVJB9

Apple Books: https://books.apple.com/us/book/the-passenger/id6504288982

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-passenger-joie-lesin/1008401528?ean=2940185717905

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-passenger-48

Joie Lesin will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN gift card to a randomly drawn winner.

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What could she possibly say? #MFRWHooks #SteamPunk #AltVictorian

Welcome to this week’s MFRW Book Hooks blog hop! My snippet from The Journeyman’s Trial seemed pretty popular last week, so I thought I’d share another excerpt from later in the story, after Gillian and Rafe have become lovers. Enjoy!

Blurb

If she builds it, will they come?

Technically brilliant and thoroughly wanton, Gillian Smith has found her vocation: designing innovative erotic devices for the Toymakers Guild. Lust is a lubricant to creativity at Randerley Hall. But what happens when two Toymakers fall in love?

The Guild’s tribe of talented, uninhibited engineers has embraced Gillian as one of their own. Edward Thorne, the perverse genius who founded the Guild, undertakes to train her in the skills she’ll need as a journeyman, from practical mind-reading to transcendental orgasms.

As Gillian labours to impress the charismatic Master, her enigmatic fellow journeyman Rafe both entices and frustrates her. Their passion seems to go beyond mere appetite, but in Randerley’s promiscuous and permissive environment, does love make any sense?

When the Toymakers receive a commission to equip London’s most exclusive brothel with the latest sexual technology, Gillian has the chance to demonstrate her formidable abilities as well as to help Rafe exorcise the demons of his past. She doesn’t realize she’ll be forced to choose between Rafe and her future in the Guild.

If you like intelligent, lusty women and kinky steam punk sex toys, pick up a copy of The Journeyman’s Trial.

The Hook

“Why did you play with me for so long, making me believe the Master had enjoined our abstinence? I’ll agree, I’m not the most patient woman in the Empire, but what about you? I sometimes worried that you didn’t want me.”

“Self-discipline has intrinsic value.” His voice was unexpectedly solemn. “It’s a dark world, Jill, dark and cruel. To survive, you’ve got to rein in your passions and sharpen your intellect. I’m training myself for the future.”

“Surely you have a bright future as a member of the Guild.”

He ran his fingers through her auburn tangles, then planted a tender kiss on her lips, but she felt a distance grow between them. “That may not be my destiny.”

Gillian remembered the Master’s story about Rafe’s background. Losing his parents under such horrific circumstances could not help but burden his spirit. “Put the past behind you,” she murmured, holding him tighter. “You’re not responsible.”

“The past?” He extricated himself from her arms so he could search her face. “What are you talking about?”

“The Master – hmm – he told me about your mother – and your father...”

“My father was framed!” Pushing her away, he threw off the quilt and bolted upright on the bed. “My cursed uncle engineered the entire charade because my mother refused his advances!”

“What?” Gathering the bedcover around her shoulders, she sat up beside him. She huddled closer, offering him her warmth.

“My father’s brother – the devil himself – lusted after my mother for years. Derrick is a wealthy barrister, influential and outwardly respectable, but my mother chose his younger brother, a lowly chemist, instead. Derrick never forgave either of them, and never gave up pursuing the woman he wanted. Long after I was born, the bastard continued to hound her. I’ve seen some of his disgustingly lewd letters. They served as evidence during the trial.”

“Your father’s trial?”

Rafe nodded. “The official story was that master chemist Peter Wystock discovered his wife’s infidelity and concocted a cunning poison to punish her for her indiscretions. In fact, my uncle stole the poison from my father’s laboratory, making sure that the labelled bottle would be found after Mama’s death.”

Gillian struggled to make sense of the story. “Didn’t anyone suspect your uncle’s involvement? From the letters, I mean?”

“He used a pseudonym, obviously. Mama knew who sent them, though.”

“But modern graphology—”

“And wrote with his non-dominant hand. He clearly spent years planning the crime, even as he continued to work at seducing my mother. Mama discarded the offensive missives, but Derrick bribed one of the servants to retrieve the most recent ones from the rubbish and plant them in her bedroom after her death.”

“That’s horrible. But how do you know—?”

“The filthy wretch told me himself, after the hanging. Gloating, he was, positively jubilant at the success of his scheme. You see, I was only sixteen. He’d been appointed my guardian. He loved seeing me suffer – hammering more nails into my parents’ coffins.”

Gillian seized his hands. “Oh my God, Rafe!” His face twisted with pain; he seemed a stranger. She wanted to comfort him, but what could she possibly say? Her own sorrows, the loss of her parents and her aunt’s shabby treatment, seemed trivial by comparison to this tragedy – this vicious crime!

Find all the buy links at https://www.lisabetsarai.com/journeymanstrialbook.html

Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today’s Book Hooks!

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Review Tuesday: A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern -- #Memoir #Leadership #ReviewTuesday

A Different Kind of Power by Jacinda Ardern

Crown Publishing Group, 2025

On the day that thirty-seven-year-old Jacinda Ardern learned that she was going to be the fortieth Prime Minister of New Zealand, she also discovered she was pregnant.

During the formal opening of Parliament a few weeks later she was so ill with morning sickness that she barely made it through the ceremony without rushing to the bathroom. She met that challenge, though, just as she did the many others of her premiership—most notably the vicious 2019 terrorist attack on two Christchurch mosques and the Covid pandemic. Through a combination of intelligence, stubbornness and compassion, along with a leader’s skill for recognizing and relying on the abilities of her team, she made significant progress in implementing her Labour Party’s liberal policies and unifying her country behind her.

In A Different Kind of Power, Ms. Ardern offers a very personal history, sharing her experiences, her doubts, her mistakes, her vision and her accomplishments with an honesty and humility that’s rare among public figures.

I almost never buy hard cover books. After encountering an interview with the author in my local newspaper, though, I knew I had to read this memoir, as soon as possible. Right now, I need hope. I think many of us do. A Different Kind of Power reminded me that human values matter and that a committed individual can make a real difference.

I’d admired the author when she was PM. I’m not ashamed to say that my political and philosophical views align quite closely with hers. However, I didn’t know anything about her background or her rather unexpected rise to prominence. She grew up in a rural community, in a close-knit family of devout Mormons. When she later left the Mormon church because she disagreed with its views about sexual orientation, her parents and siblings continued to support her. From a young age, she had passionate convictions about many social issues, but she didn’t choose politics. Rather, other people recognized her strengths and encouraged her to use them for the good of her country.

Some readers might find this book boring or trivial, with its accounts of the daily conflicts between the demands of her public role and the pressures of her private life. I found this remarkably ego-free presentation refreshing. So many of today’s leaders are narcissistic to the point of megalomania. The memoir’s title is very apt. While Jacinda Ardern clearly understood the need to present herself as strong, competent and in control, she never succumbed to the illusion that she was some sort of super-woman—even though the media sometimes presented her that way. She wielded her power in softer, more subtle, but perhaps more effective ways than the ranting, self-aggrandizing leaders who currently dominate the world stage.

When Ms. Ardern was in power, her government accomplished remarkable things, including the implementation of widely supported laws that banned assault weapons within ten days of the Christchurch attack. Although she has been castigated in some quarters over her strict Covid policies, the New Zealand fatality rate was one of the lowest in the world, well below 0.1 percent of the population, more than four times lower than the U.S. She increased the availability of education, reduced urban and rural poverty and introduced policies that cut suicides dramatically.

The day she was sworn in as PM, a veteran journalist asked her “What to you want to do?”

Her reply sums up the whole book for me: “I want this government to feel different. I want people to feel that it’s open, that it’s listening and that it’s going to bring kindness back.”

Naive and overly optimistic? Maybe, but she and her team largely accomplished this during their tenure, without a lot of posturing or fanfare.

For me, that’s an inspiration.

Welcome back to Trapper’s Cove... #BeachRomance #PTSD #ChocolateLab

Sadira Stone has a steamy new contemporary romance—with just a hint of Halloween magic—set in her atmospheric Pacific Northwest beach town, Trapper’s Cove. Grab your copy today!

Blurb

A ghostly encounter transforms a Halloween fling into a life-changing about-face.

Battle-scarred Army surgeon Addy Connor faces an agonizing choice. Will she continue her military career despite unrelenting PTSD, or return to her stifling hometown to care for her venomous mother—or dare to reinvent her life?

After surviving an oil rig disaster, Kieran Gallagher has finally found peace as Trappers Cove’s lighthouse keeper. But the nightmares are returning, triggered by his passion for a beautiful military doctor whose struggles are so like his own.

Together, they confront haunting memories and a legendary ghost. Can these two wounded birds learn to fly again, or is their fiery fling doomed to crash?

Come to Trappers Cove for a midlife romance with passion, mystery, second chances, and an adorable retired military K-9 named Snoot!

Buy Links

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0F1DW4B6F

Apple: https://books.apple.com/us/book/kierans-light/id6746349792

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/kierans-light-sadira-stone/1147462722?ean=2940184606828

Kobo: https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/kieran-s-light

Smashwords: https://books.apple.com/us/book/kierans-light/id6746349792

Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/books/details?id=7WxfEQAAQBAJ&pli=1

UBL: https://books2read.com/kieranslight

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/books/kieran-s-light-a-midlife-beach-town-halloween-romance-trappers-cove-romance-book-6-by-sadira-stone

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/229115516-kieran-s-light

Excerpt

She sighed. “When I tell people what I do for a living, they tend to ask a lot of questions. Sometimes, it’s nice to be anonymous, you know?”

Was she some kind of spy or special ops assassin? Images of sexy, bad-ass movie heroines dazzled his imagination, but he tamped down his curiosity. “Sure, of course. Everyone’s entitled to a few secrets.”

And keeping his ugly secret from her was his only chance to enjoy her company a little longer. Once women found out about the disaster and its aftermath, they inevitably bailed.

“Thanks for understanding.” She crossed the narrow room and sat beside him on the squeaky cot. Sandwiched between them, the dog thumped the mattress with his tail and laid his head on her lap, eyeing Addy with heart-melting adoration. She absently stroked his fur and stared off into the distance.

“Most people wouldn’t thrive in this kind of isolation.” She nudged his shoulder with hers. “Do you?”

“Ah, who’s asking questions now?” he teased.

“Sorry, that was too personal, wasn’t it?” Her gaze dropped. “This is my week for asking hard questions, I guess. I find myself at a turning point, and there’s a lot I need to figure out pretty quickly.”

“Like whether you enjoy isolation?”

“Sort of. And whether I could thrive in a small town.”

“Small like Bumfuck, or like Trappers Cove?”

“Are they that different?”

“Very much so.” He slapped his thighs and pushed to his feet. “Well, Ms. Mystery, are you ready to go up topside?”

“Lead on, Lighthouse Keeper.”

At the top of the final staircase, Kieran opened the heavy metal door while Addy clipped the dog’s leash to his collar. “Heel, Snoot.”

Unlike many visitors, this beauty displayed not the least hesitation stepping onto the platform. And like the well-trained soldier he was, the dog glued himself to her side, calm despite the swooping seagulls overhead, and contented himself with sniffing the wind that lifted his mistress’s hair.

It was always interesting to see how people reacted to the view up here. Some plastered themselves to the sturdy wall, jaws tight, lips bloodless. Some giggled, made giddy by the height. Some winced at the wind’s power. But not secretive Addy. She rested her hands lightly on the railing and slowly scanned the horizon.

“Wow,” she said at last, “I was about to turn back when Snoot tugged me toward this place. It’s…” She sighed through a misty smile. “What an amazing view. Makes me feel like I’m above it all, you know? All the petty day-to-day bullshit, the complications, the…” She trailed off, spread her arms wide, and closed her eyes. “The wind blows it all away.”

Kieran stepped up beside her, awed by how perfectly she expressed the comfort he felt up here. “It’s an excellent place to have a think.”

She gifted him a brilliant smile. “You’re a lucky man, Kieran Gallagher.”

“I am today,” he agreed, drinking in the sight of her—jade eyes shining, dark hair whipping in the wind.

She tossed off a laugh. “Are you flirting with me, sir?”

“Just a wee bit, ma’am. Do you mind?”

Her gaze held a playful twinkle. “I suppose not. What happens at the beach stays at the beach, right?”

About the Author

 

Award-winning contemporary romance author Sadira Stone spins steamy, smoochy tales set in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. Her stories highlight found family, friendship, and the sizzling chemistry that pulls unlikely partners together. When she emerges from her writing cave in Las Vegas, Nevada (which she seldom does), she can be found shaking her hips in dance class, playing her guitar (badly, but getting better), exploring the Western U.S. with her charming husband, cooking up a storm, and gobbling all the romance books. For a guaranteed HEA (and no cliffhangers!) visit Sadira at https://sadirastone.com

Visit Sadira on All the Socials!

https://linktr.ee/SadiraStone

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sadirastone/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18568049.Sadira_Stone

Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/sadira-stone

Amazon author page: https://www.amazon.com/Sadira-Stone/e/B07KWK5FBX

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sadira0641/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sadirastone/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/sadirastone.bsky.social

Author newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webforms/landing/q7x4c6

Tiktok: https://tiktok.com/@sadirastone

Author website: https://www.sadirastone.com

Author page on Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/SadiraStone3467

I can’t believe you’re pleading modesty! – #MRFWHooks #SteamPunk #AltVictorian

Happy Wednesday! I’ve had guests for the past two weeks, so I didn’t participate in MFRW Book Hooks. Did you miss me?
Today’s hook comes from Book 2 of my steam punk trilogy The Toymakers Guild. This series has elements of both erotica and romance. In particular, The Journeyman’s Trial focuses on the deepening relationship between my heroine Gillian Smith and her fellow journeyman in the Guild, Rafe Wystock.

Blurb

If she builds it, will they come?

Technically brilliant and thoroughly wanton, Gillian Smith has found her vocation: designing innovative erotic devices for the Toymakers Guild. Lust is a lubricant to creativity at Randerley Hall. But what happens when two Toymakers fall in love?

If you like intelligent, lusty women and kinky steam punk sex toys, pick up a copy of The Journeyman’s Trial.

Series Blurb

Defying the repressive morality of the Victorian era, the Toymakers Guild uses advanced technology to fabricate bespoke sexual artifacts for the discrete pleasure of select clients. Its members are not only brilliant engineers but also sexual renegades seeking freedom from the prudish society that surrounds them. These are their stories.

The Hook

The obviously deserted cottage scarcely looked waterproof. However, a stout padlock secured the warped plank door, which yielded to Rafe’s key. The hinges groaned as it opened, revealing not the damp, musty, vermin-infested interior she’d expected, but a snug, neat space with clear signs of human occupation. To the left stood two rush-bottomed chairs and a rough pine table, flanked by a set of shelves holding pots and bowls. On the right there was a wooden bedstead covered with a red wool blanket, a tin trunk at its foot. Rush matting covered the packed earth floor. The far wall boasted a stone hearth. Though cold now, it held charred remains that looked recent. And wonder of wonders, several split logs sat piled to one side, along with a basket of apparently dry twigs for tinder.

Gillian stumbled into the dim room, falling to her knees in front of the grate. Though her hands shook with cold, she managed to prop one of the logs up against the wrought iron and stuff some of the tinder underneath. She found a covered terracotta jar of matches tucked into a natural alcove on one side of the chimney. Her teeth chattered as she tried to get one to light. After a dozen failed attempts, she tore off her gloves and tossed them aside. Finally she succeeded in igniting the twigs. A tiny flame strained upward, licking the underside of the log.

Wearied by her efforts and still racked by shivering, she half-collapsed in front of the hearth, watching the flickering red-gold filaments twine, merge and grow.

“Oh, well done, Jill! A fire’s exactly what we need!” Chill, damp air swept into the cottage as Rafe pulled open the door, then subsided as he shut it behind him. “Are you all right, then?”

He knelt by her side. His garments were as soaked as her own, but somehow he seemed to radiate warmth.

“I – I’m – so cold...” She wanted to throw her arms around him, to clutch him to her chest and bask in his heat, but she didn’t have the energy.

“Better get these off.” Without ceremony or hesitation, he started unbuttoning her jacket.

His touch shocked her out of her lethargy. “Wa – wait! What are you doing?”

He swept his damp hair off his forehead and smiled. “You’re drenched. You’re shivering so hard you can hardly talk. If you don’t shed those wet clothes, you’ll catch a fever or worse.”

“I – we – we scarcely know each other...” She crossed her arms over her chest, hugging herself. The sodden wool of her sleeves almost froze her palms.

“Gillian – we’re both members of the Guild. I can’t believe you’re pleading modesty!”

Indeed, what was wrong with her? Since she’d come to Randerley, she’d been naked, or nearly, more times than she could count. Why was she acting so weak, so cowardly, so ordinary?

“I – I don’t know – I...” Tears shimmered on her eyelashes.

“Hey there!” He stroked the wet tangles covering her head with a hand so gentle it made her chest hurt. “Don’t cry, Jill. You’re a bricky tart, just exhausted, that’s all. Look – tell you what, I’ll go first.”

Rising to his feet, Rafe shrugged off his overcoat and top coat, letting them fall to the floor. His vest and shirt soon followed. Before she had time to figure out how she felt about the whole situation, he stood bare-chested before the fire, which now burned merrily.

His lean, subtly muscled torso narrowed from sturdy shoulders to a slender waist. Aside from a sparse dark fuzz between his brownish nipples and a more pronounced trail disappearing below his belt, he was nearly hairless. His pale skin gleamed in the firelight, seeming whiter than her own. A livid scar made a shocking contrast, stretching from his ribs on the right almost to his navel.

Gillian bolted upright. “My God, what happened to you?”

“The one sword I didn’t manage to avoid, back in Kandahar.” He gave a wry grin. “I was lucky to survive.”

Buy Links

Kinky Literature – https://www.kinkyliterature.com/book/618-the-journeymans-trial-the-toymakers-guild-book-2/

Amazon US – https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09MQV4Y86

Amazon UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09MQV4Y86

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/1118032

Barnes and Noble - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-journeymans-trial-lisabet-sarai/1140567579?ean=2940165096259

Kobo – https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-journeyman-s-trial-the-toymakers-guild-book-2

Add on Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59740783-the-journeyman-s-trial

Audio Book (narrated by Mala Zhelanyiye)

Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Journeymans-Trial-Toymakers-Guild-Book/dp/B0BT8KBJV9/

Audible: https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Journeymans-Trial-Audiobook/B0BT8KKK5Y

Also available on iTunes

Be sure to visit the other authors participating in today’s Book Hooks!

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