Tag Archives: Sapphic

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Stuck in Repeat by Anastasia Lynette

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Today on the site I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Stuck in Repeat by Anastasia Lynette, a Sapphic Cozy Murder Mystery releasing in September! Here’s the story:

Being on tour with an alt-punk band isn’t what George expected to be doing at thirty. House, husband, kids, and a steady paying office job is what her mum had expected. George not so much. But being an all-round problem solver, adult-baby-sitter, and a wise  “lesbian guru” to curious-but-definitely-straight lead singer, Millie, hadn’t been on her cards either.

Nor is waking up to Millie’s sleeping pout after a drunken night of celebrations.

But George is nothing if not adaptable and if Millie wants to pretend it didn’t happen–it didn’t happen. (George knows all about pretending things didn’t happen!) And they have a tour to finish. Only one more stage. George intends to make sure nothing brings the good times down.

Of course, Millie getting murdered is a blindside.

Reality fractures, an cranky old batty-lady spews curses, and a broken ankle sends George back to the morning-after, waking up once again to that adorable pout, given a second chance to make things right.

Unfortunately, ‘fixing mistakes’ has long been an area George has had difficulties in. (Not that she’d admit it!) And any attempts to save the day seem to result in more deaths, including hers.

Guess she’ll just have to take it again from the top again.

Second thought, put it on repeat.

And here’s the dazzling cover by Dayna!

Follow the author on Smashwords!

Lynette‘s recent dip into the steamy waters of spicy romance comes after a long career writing young adult stories. She feels a bit in Wonderland! When not writing, or working the day job of doom, Lynette enjoys time with her two cats, Coco and Chanel, teasing her partner. and exploring new cafes and judging their coffee.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Assassin’s Guide to Babysitting by Natalie C. Parker

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Today on the site, I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Natalie C. Parker’s The Assassin’s Guide to Babysitting – a YA adventure billed as John Wick meets Adventures in Babysitting with superpowers, found family, and enemies-to-lovers sapphic romance – releasing January 7, 2025 from Candlewick! (Fun fact: Adventures in Babysitting is the first movie I ever saw in theaters, and Natalie C. Parker wrote one of my favorite books from my author debut class, so this is extra fun on multiple levels!) Here’s the story:

Tru has been hiding all her life. Her parents taught her to conceal her bastion Talent: indestructible skin, muscles, and bones. In a world where Talents are common and varied, no one trusts a bastion—they’re too powerful. Hiding failed to keep Tru’s parents alive, but moments before their murder, Tru’s mom pointed her to Logan Dire, a famed recluse assassin who adopted and trained orphaned Tru. At seventeen, she’s still hiding. Not even her closest friends know her true name or Talent, or that she’s balancing high school with knife and stealth training (while crushing on her BFF’s older sister). When assassins interrupt a mundane babysitting job booked through BountyApp—where lethal hunters find work and babysitters for their kids—Tru flees with a one-year-old strapped to her chest and spiraling questions: Who killed her parents? Whom can she trust? What does it mean to be a bastion? And is it ever OK to kiss a girl who’s trying to hunt you down? 

From an award-winning author comes a masterfully plotted thriller that holds character and relationship on a par with action and nail-biting suspense.

And here’s the electric cover, designed by Maria Middleton with art by Jonathan Bartlett!

A teenage girl climbs a fire escape with a baby in a sling on her back

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | B&N | Books-A-Million | PRH

(c) Georgia Shae Photography

Natalie C. Parker is the author and editor of several books for young adults, among them the acclaimed Seafire trilogy. Her work has been included on the NPR Best Books list, the Indie Next List, the TAYSHAS Reading List, and Junior Library Guild selections. Natalie grew up in a Navy family, finding home in coastal cities from Virginia to Japan. Now she lives with her wife on the Kansas prairie. Find her at nataliecparker.com.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Mighty Millie Novak by Elizabeth Holden

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Today on the site I’m delighted to reveal the cover of Mighty Millie Novak by Elizabeth Holden, a Sapphic YA contemporary releasing August 20, 2024 from Flux Books! Here’s the story:

Social anxiety, her parents’ divorce, and messy friendships won’t stop Millie’s pursuit of what she wants—in roller derby or in love. But her own lies might . . .

Sixteen-year-old Millie Novak is stuck in an “if only” rut. If only she were stronger and faster, maybe her roller derby teammates would take her seriously. If only she had the guts to go back to in-person learning, maybe she’d have a social life. If only she weren’t such an awkward mess, maybe she could get the attention of that cute girl on the all-star derby team. And don’t get her started on her family!

After the one-two punch of her beloved older brother’s departure for college and her parents’ overdue split, Millie decides it’s time to reinvent herself. With the help of her new friend Pumpkin and a little bit of deceit, Millie crafts a plan to cement her status on the team and get her crush to fall for her.

 But reinvention isn’t easy. Millie’s constantly shown up by show-off teammate Stork, and the only way she can get her crush’s attention is through increasingly elaborate lies. Worse, she begins to suspect Pumpkin is not the supportive friend she’d imagined. Toughest to handle? Realizing the person she’s in love with might not be her longtime crush, after all.

And here’s the kickass cover, illustrated by Chloe Friedlein and designed by Karli Kruse!

Buy it: Flux | B&N | Amazon

(Note: it’s 30% off to preorder through Flux using code FALL2024!)

Like Millie, Elizabeth Holden is an avid roller derby player, a blocker with Madison Roller Derby since 2015. Liz’s league-mates know her as Auntie Matter; her derby name is a reference to her job teaching college physics. (And, yes, she is also an aunt. Hi, William and Hugo!) When not busy writing, playing derby, or teaching, Liz is most likely leading international trips with her company, Leaping Hound Travel. Liz also co-hosts an X-Files podcast, We Want to Believe, with her sister. Liz’s tattoos are vibrant and numerous, her laugh is loud, and her heart belongs to her pet greyhounds. Learn more about her at elizabeth-holden.com.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: A Feast for Flies by Leigh Harlen

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Today on the site, we’re revealing the cover for A Feast for Flies by Leigh Harlen, a sci-fi space noir releasing from Dancing Star Press on November 14, 2023! Here’s the story:

Zira once had a life. A girlfriend. A favorite bar. A hairstyle. And a secret. But when her father sells her out as a Reader, she has to leave every part of that old life behind. Now she’s forced to work for law enforcement, reading and erasing memories of those who violate the Golden Nova’s few and corruptly enforced laws. She’s hated and feared by everyone who would prefer to keep their memories private and intact. The only thing making her new life bearable is her working partner, Bea, her service dog who has the ability to shut out all the thoughts of the people around her.

When Zira makes the decision to omit a memory from a report to protect a stranger, it arouses suspicion. Suddenly she’s in trouble at work, and a vindictive casino boss and the queen of a massive drug empire are vying to get her under their control. Caught between three corrupt factions and the vacuum of space, can Zira keep her loved ones safe, and be able to live with herself in the end?

And here’s the badass cover, illustrated by Vitalii Ostaschenko!

Cover of A Feast of Flies by Leigh Harlen. Cover image is of a woman in uniform holding the leash of a spotted dog sitting at attention at her feet, aboard a decaying starship.

Buy it: Dancing Star Press

Leigh Harlen is a queer, trans non-binary writer of horror and other dark speculative fiction who lives and works in Seattle. Their debut novella, Queens of Noise (Neon Hemlock Press), and their short fiction collection, Blood Like Garnets (TKO Studios), are available everywhere books are sold.

You can find links to their work at leighharlen.com and follow them on Twitter @LeighHarlen for updates on future publications.

New Release Spotlight

New Release Spotlight: Forget Me Not by Alyson Derrick

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You may already know Alyson Derrick as half of the married writing pair behind the fabulous She Gets the Girl, but her solo outing is definitely noteworthy all on its own. Forget Me Not hearkens to Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind with the story of a girl named Stevie, who loses two years of her memory, not realizing just how consequential those two years were when it comes to her identity, her relationships, and her heart. The only person who knows absolutely everything is Nora, who was not only there for the accident, but is also the key to it all. Fearful of how the truth would land and all it might uproot if heard all at once, Nora’s determined to let Stevie fill in her memories on her own, even if it means she might be obliterated from them entirely. Sound utterly heartbreaking? It is! Sound beautiful? It is! Sound like a must read? Sure is!

What would you do if you forgot the love of your life ever even existed?

Stevie and Nora had a love. A secret, epic, once-in-a-lifetime kind of love. They also had a plan: to leave their small, ultra-conservative town and families behind after graduation and move to California, where they could finally stop hiding that love.

But then Stevie has a terrible fall. And when she comes to, she can remember nothing of the last two years—not California, not coming to terms with her sexuality, not even Nora. Suddenly, Stevie finds herself in a life she doesn’t quite understand, one where she’s estranged from her parents, drifting away from her friends, lying about the hours she works, dating a boy she can’t remember crushing on, and headed towards a future that isn’t at all what her fifteen-year-old self would have envisioned.

And Nora finds herself…forgotten. Can the two beat the odds a second time and find their way back together when “together” itself is just a lost memory?

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

New Release Spotlight

New Release Spotlight: How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow

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Love light Sapphic YA romance? Love queer holiday romance? Excited to see a book mesh the two and be resplendent with nerdery? It’s got enemies-to-lovers! It’s got Jewish rep! It’s cozy and funny and basically exactly what you want to read as the fall turns to winter, and I loved it so much I blurbed it, so I’ll throw that in here too, because why not:  “With wit and chemistry that crackle like a roaring fire, the warmth and sweetness of gourmet hot cocoa, and the surprising softness of a gentle snowfall, How to Excavate a Heart truly gave me the romantic winter break of my dreams. You’ll want to savor every word, and then run and recommend it to everyone you know.” (Let the record show I am not usually so annoyingly flowery with blurbs, but like, the perfect winter vibes are so strong, it was beyond my control!) Anyway, it’s out now from HarperTeen, so go get it!

How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow

55348105. sy475 It all starts when Shani runs into May. Like, literally. With her mom’s Subaru.

Attempted vehicular manslaughter was not part of Shani’s plan. She was supposed to be focusing on her monthlong paleoichthyology internship. She was going to spend all her time thinking about dead fish and not at all about how she was unceremoniously dumped days before winter break.

It could be going better.

But when a dog-walking gig puts her back in May’s path, the fossils she’s meant to be diligently studying are pushed to the side—along with the breakup.

Then they’re snowed in together on Christmas Eve. As things start to feel more serious, though, Shani’s hurt over her ex-girlfriend’s rejection comes rushing back. Is she ready to try a committed relationship again, or is she okay with this just being a passing winter fling?

Buy from an indie using Jake’s very comprehensive website!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon

Special Edition: Dazzling Book Box

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: Out of Character by Jenna Miller

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Today on the site I’m delighted to be revealing the cover for Out of Character by Jenna Miller, a debut f/f YA romance releasing February 7, 2023 from Quill Tree Books/HarperCollins! Here’s the story:

If you asked seventeen-year-old Cass Williams to describe herself, she’d happily tell you she’s fat, queer, and obsessed with the Tide Wars books. What she won’t tell you—or anyone in her life—is that she’s part of an online Tide Wars roleplay community. Sure, it’s nerdy as hell, but when she’s behind the screen writing scenes as Captain Aresha, she doesn’t have to think about her mother who walked out or how unexpectedly stressful it is dating resident cool girl Taylor Cooper.

But secretly retreating to her online life is starting to catch up with Cass. For one, no one in her real life knows her secret roleplay addiction is the reason her grades have taken a big hit. Also? Cass has started catching feelings for Rowan Davies, her internet bestie…and Taylor might be catching on.

As Cass’s lies continue to build, so does her anxiety. Roleplaying used to be the one place she could escape to, but this double life and offline-online love triangle have only made things worse. Cass must decide what to do—be honest and risk losing her safe space or keep it a secret and put everything else on the line.

And here’s the cover, designed by David DeWitt with art by Nicole Rifkin!

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | IndieBound

Jenna Miller (she/her) writes young adult books about fat, queer, nerdy girls who deserve to be seen and have their voices heard. When she’s not obsessing over words, she can be found making charcuterie boards, befriending people online, cross stitching, or adventuring in the Minneapolis area. Out of Character is her debut novel. Visit her at jennamillerwrites.com to find out more.

Cover Reveal

Exclusive Cover Reveal: The Marble Queen by Anna Kopp and Gabrielle Kari

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Today on the site, I’m thrilled to reveal the cover of the upcoming graphic novel The Marble Queen, written by Anna Kopp and illustrated by Gabrielle Kari, which will be published in November by Dark Horse Comics! (It’ll be available in comic shops on November 9, 2022, and bookstores on November 22.) Here’s the story behind the Sapphic political fantasy:

The Marble Queen brings the political drama of Nimona together with the heartfelt romance of The Princess and the Dressmaker, now presented in a sapphic romance surrounded by a mist of magic.

Princess Amelia’s kingdom is in shambles after months of trade routes being ravaged by pirates. Now, the only option left to save it seems to be a marriage alliance. When Amelia gets an exorbitant offer from the royalty of Iliad—a country shrouded in mystery—she accepts without question and leaves her home to begin a new life. However, she lands on Iliad’s shores to find that her betrothed isn’t the country’s prince, but the recently crowned Queen Salira.

Shocked, Amelia tries to make sense of her situation and her confused heart: Salira has awakened strange new feelings inside her, but something dark hides behind the Queen’s sorrowful eyes. Amelia must fight the demons of her own anxiety before she can tackle her wife’s problems, all while war looms on the horizon.

And here’s the stunning cover by Gabrielle Kari!

Buy it:  Amazon | B&N | IndieBound

Anna Kopp is a children’s author who lives in Ohio with her husband, two boys, and two cats. Anna loves creating fantastical stories for children of all ages, from picture books to young adult novels. When she’s not writing she’s playing video games or reading the latest books about lost princesses.
 
Gabrielle Kari is a freelance lesbian artist whose work is largely inspired by shoujo fantasy and romance. She loves creating comics and illustrations centered around queer stories whether it be science fiction, fantasy, or horror.
New Release Spotlight

New Release Spotlight: Tripping Arcadia by Kit Mayquist

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Combining the luxurious partying vibes and outsider perspective of The Great Gatsby with a revenge plot, budding queer romance, and some deadly botany, Tripping Arcadia is a lush Gothic thriller that definitely deserves a space on your shelf, whether you grab it brand new, pick it up for gardening vibes in the spring, or embrace its creepiness come Spooky Season. It releases on the 22nd from Dutton Books, and we’ve got preorder links for your convenience below!

55073801. sy475 Med school dropout Lena is desperate for a job, any job, to help her parents, who are approaching bankruptcy after her father was injured and laid off nearly simultaneously. So when she is offered a position, against all odds, working for one of Boston’s most elite families, the illustrious and secretive Verdeaus, she knows she must accept it—no matter how bizarre the interview or how vague the job description.

By day, she is assistant to the family doctor and his charge, Jonathan, the sickly, poetic, drunken heir to the family empire, who is as difficult as his illness is mysterious. By night, Lena discovers the more sinister side of the family, as she works overtime at their lavish parties, helping to hide their self-destructive tendencies . . . and trying not to fall for Jonathan’s alluring sister, Audrey. But when she stumbles upon the knowledge that the Verdeau patriarch is the one responsible for the ruin of her own family, Lena vows to get revenge—a poison-filled quest that leads her further into this hedonistic world than she ever bargained for, forcing her to decide how much—and who—she’s willing to sacrifice for payback.

Buy it: Bookshop | Amazon | IndieBound