Happy New Year!
Happy New Year and Mahalo Postmate,
Wow! We survived 2020 and now here we are on the last day of the first month of 2021 and…it’s something. Is it not?
I’m writing this edition of The Writer Gal letter listening to the soundtrack that is going to sneak into the next two releases - The Foes’ Reunion and The Geek’s Wedding! And it’s the totally epic soundtrack from Julie and The Phantoms.
Circling back to how New Year impacted me and let me just say this - this year is already promising to be insane. For me. For the words. And for the world, at large.
I’ll discuss world events (political and otherwise) when we start talking about the Royals of Stellangard (which should be in April :P) but, for now, here is a brief update on the characters that inhabit Aarti V Raman’s universe.
The Foes’ Reunion Snippet
The amount of love these four men have received has changed my life and the way I think about my writing. But, more than that, Ansh, Jamie, Jordan, and Mason have permanently carved a place in my heart that writing them this reunion novella seems like saying goodbye to them.
And I don’t know if I want to. Even though two series and tons more writing beckon me over to the other side. What a delicious dilemma to be caught in, am I right?
Anyway, I figure that I shouldn’t be the only one to suffer with love, so I’m sharing a little snippet from the Foes’ Reunion. If I finish this novella today (and I sooooo hope I can), I’ll announce the release date tomorrow, so be sure to check Instagram for that.
In the meantime, here’s a sneak peek into Reunion.
Coomi didn’t growl but it was a close thing. “Mason, stop messing around and tell me the bad news already.”
“Bad news? What bad news?” He was befuddled.
“You texted me, didn’t you? Something about an emergency and to come to an address on the Lower East Side? I can only assume someone has died or been maimed in a horrible accident and you’re griefstricken, which is why I texted me.” She took a slight breath. “Also, why did you leave your own party, the one you’re hosting to go to this McManus?”
“That’s way too many questions for a man in my condition, Mrs. C,” Mason answered loopily.
Coomi stopped talking. A passerby on the sidewalk brushed rudely against her shoulder. She gave the man’s departing back a glare.
“What condition are you in, Mason?” She hated that her voice shook, but some things were inked in her DNA now.
After the tragedy of the Towers coming down, Coomi did not do well with certain words. ‘Condition’ was one of them. Because, when the cops had come to her door to tell her of her beloved Pesto’s passing they’d first informed her of his critical condition. It had been their way to soften the blow of his passing on the spot after being crushed by tons of concrete and steel on his head as he sat working in his office in Tower 1.
“Don’t mind him, Mrs. C,” Jordan said, coming on the line. He sounded remarkably cheerful, given whatever condition Mason was in. “Mason’s drunk. And we don’t want you coming out here now. He’s an ass too. I apologize for the inconvenience.”
“Language, Jordan,” she snapped automatically, resuming walking. “I don’t understand. What is going on? Are you and Mason out drinking somewhere?”
“Well, not precisely. And it’s not just Mason and I, ma’am,” Jordan said defensively. “Ansh and Jamie are here too.”
Coomi heard manly chatter in the background. “Will one of you boys explain to me what is going on? Is Mason alright? Are you?” she demanded, still having visions of one of them bleeding in her head.
“We’re absolutely fine, ma’am,” Ansh yelled from the background.
“We’re all a little drunk,” Jordan admitted sheepishly. “But we’re fine. In fact,” he hesitated. “We might even be going into business together.”
“Not business,” Mason protested. “Business implies profit and this is most definitely not for profit.”
“What?” Coomi was bewildered. “What are you talking about, Mason?”
Jordan sighed. “Ma’am, maybe it’s best if you do come down here. If it’s not too late for you. Mason’s already texted you the address hasn’t he?”
“Where do I have to come and for what purpose?”
And, surprisingly, it was Jamie Smith who answered. “Well, Ms. Coomi, we were hoping to have your help in fleshing out the details of a project…we’ve decided to work on together. And it falls absolutely in your area of expertise, so your inputs will be invaluable.”
“Planning events?” she asked with a slight smile.
“No,” Jamie answered. “Helping people become what they’ve always been, Mrs. Cooper.”
I hope you get the context of the scene. And I’d love to hear back from you if you can guess what it is? :)
The Geeks Say Hello!
I’ve spent the second half of 2020 living with the Foes but I haven’t and, I hope, you haven’t forgotten our beloved Geeks. Dev, Shiv, Kit, Drake, and Bharat are looking to come back with a spanking new series title, HOT AF covers and a Wedding Novella that has been three years coming!
Confession: It feels really weird writing these happy ever afters after writing a whole book full of angsty conflict and even more amazing sex. :P But, I hope you are satisfied with the way things are set up for the Geeks and every other Aarti V Raman hero.
Anyway, here is the cover for The Filthy Rich Geek$ Wedding, one of two Geeks’ releases I have planned for this year. The other being, cough, Drake’s story.
Isn’t this just such a pretty cover?
I can’t leave you with just this cover so here is a SUPER tiny special peek into the Geek’s Wedding Novella!
“You look exactly like how I imagine a bride would be,” Lily said lightly as she came in, holding a garment bag that was taller than her. She also carried another garment bag that was more her size.
“Stressed?” Zara smiled wanly at her from her favorite spot in her home office. A deep reclining chair with amazing back support. It had been one of Dev’s birthday presents to her, a practical but deeply needed one.
He’d also given her goofier presents and one amazingly beautiful gold chain with intricately detailed angel wings made from hammered platinum. Best of all, he’d whisked her away on a surprise holiday to Vail where they’d made love to by the fireplace, shadows flickering gold over the man she loved the most in the world.
Lily’s lips twitched but she wisely did not answer. Instead, she held the garment bag out. “Your dress awaits, my lady.”
SO MUCH MORE to share…
I honestly have so much to share with you, my dear Postmate but I have all the words to type as I finish the Reunion novella so I’ll just leave you with a small appeal.
If you can, would you review the Foes' (especially Jordan!) books on Goodreads or Amazon?
If you need the links, I’m sharing my Goodreads and Amazon author page as buttons and you can click on either one to do the needful. I totally understand if you cannot but I figure what’s the harm in asking. Am I right?
I promise to write to you VERY very soon, both with release dates for the novellas and a *juicy* story that I need at least two hours to share with you about how Writer Gal’s Foes are going to the damn moon.
Till then, I hope you stay safe and awesome,
Xx
Aarti aka Writer Gal