Tag: new release

new release

1 Week More!

Kristbethke

Are you as excited for Take a Chance as we are!

Well, maybe not. Tia and I can’t wait for this book to be in the wild, and hope you all fall as in love with Crew and Mal, and the Harringtons, as we are.

This was a blast to write and we have so much planned for the rest of the series. So many tropes and personalities, storylines and shenanigans, to explore. We’re thinking right now it’ll be a 6 book series. But of course, there’s always room for more and we have thoughts.

Today I thought I’d introduce you to Malachi Trevino. He’s a mess but also not. He’s down on his luck, through no fault of his own, and he’s got his adorable, precocious, too-smart-for-his-own-good, four-year-old son to worry about. Not that Payton is a worry in any way. But Mal has to make sure Payton has everything he needs to grow and thrive.

And first that means getting a job. He grew up on a farm, raising cattle and working the land. It’s what he loves. It’s in his blood. And though he has a lot of skills, they’re geared toward farming and ranching. He’s pulling out all the stop just to find work. He only wants to do an honest days work for a fair wage. So he can take care of himself and Payton.

Mal’s perseverance pays off, or maybe fate steps in, and he lands a job at Blue Creek Ranch. The Harringtons seem too good to be true. Eventually, Mal learns the family is exactly what they seem. But he still keeps his walls up and his heart guarded. Because he knows how quickly everything can come crashing down.

When he catches feelings for the handsome, enigmatic Crew, he doesn’t trust it. He can’t let go of his hang ups. Except Crew is everything he didn’t know he wanted. And he’s great with Payton. But Mal’s worried, so worried, about what would happen if he and Crew crash and burn.

Luckily, he takes a chance and finds his happily ever after. And a new place to call home.

Join Mal and Crew as they fall in love. Preorder here!

new release

Charity Anthology New Release

Kristbethke

What do authors do when human rights are being threatened? They contribute to an anthology where all the proceeds will be donated to the ACLU.

It’s hard to believe that in 2025, we’re still fighting this fight that we’ve fought for so long and so hard. But we are. And we’ll keep fighting. Because that’s all we can do when those in power what to negate our existence, shove us into boxes, or closets, and tell us we can’t live the way we want. It’s heartbreaking. Soul crushing. But still we persist.

The authors, and editors, at JMS Books got together, wrote some stuff, donated our time and our stories, so that we could bring you the Love is Free anthology. As mentioned, all proceeds of the book will be donated to the ACLU so that those in a position to can keep challenging the unjust bills and laws that are being put forth.

This is a collection of over 50 stories that show love in all it’s forms. If you can, grab a copy, enjoy the stories, and know that you’re helping to fight against injustices.

You can get it here from the publisher or from Amazon. The other usual places will be coming along soon. So keep an eye out! And thank you for your continued support.

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What Kind of Year Has it Been

Kristbethke

Well, 2024 is officially coming to a close. And it’s been a heck of a year! I worked from home and so was able to write more, which was a boon to my soul. Here’s a quick recap!

Tia Fielding and I wrote and released the first two books in our Black Dog Inn series. Rebuilding Charlie and Renovating Law were labors of love. We love this world and characters we created. It’s got all the good small town feels, some heavy themes, but a lot of love and joy and fun too. Restoring Felix is up next and we hope to have it out in the beginning of next year!

In July, I released another book in the Landry’s Fall series, for JMS Books’ anniversary. Falling in a Fortnight took a while to get started, but once I got rolling, I was able to crank it out. Jay has been around for a while, if you’ve read the other books in the series. He first showed up in Twas the Play Before Christmas and ever since, I’ve been wanting to write his tale. He also made an appearance in last year’s As Luck Would Have It, and in turn, Kyle is a side character in Jay’s story. It’s got more of those small town feels, a healthy dose of BDSM, and two men falling in love quickly and easily. When it’s right, it’s right! Like all Landry’s Fall books, there’s no need to all of them or read in order to get the whole story, but if you choose to, you’ll see plenty of cameos!

And to round out the year, I released my holiday novel Home for the Hawley-Daze. I love holiday stories, and punny title aside, it’s one of my favorite things I’ve ever written. Something about these two just hit home for me. Once again, I set it in a small town (catching a theme here?). Hickory Hollow is vaguely based on the region where I spent a great deal of my childhood and absolutely loved writing it. So much so, I accidentally created a series. That should come as no surprise to anyone who has been following along. I love series. I love to read them and I love to write them. Hickory Hollow is quite a town and I can’t wait to revisit it. Barrett and Morgan are adorable, and with holiday shenanigans as a backdrop, they fall in love. And Barrett finds his home.

So what am I planning for 2025?

Well, as I mentioned, Tia and I will be releasing the next book in the Black Dog Inn series. We also have thoughts about a new series we are planning on hashing out, so look for more from this writing duo!

As for my solo work, I’m definitely diving into to Hickory Hollow again. I have a rough idea for 3 more books. If you’ve ready Home for the Hawley-Daze, you might be able to guess who is up next. Any guessing on who else will be getting books?

Other than that, we’ll see where the muse takes me!

I also have a short story in a charity anthology called Love is Free that will be coming out in January! All proceeds are going to the ACLU. With the US in the state it’s in, and what may be coming, we need to keep fighting for equality for all. I’ll post links when they’re available. Definitely check it out.

Here’s wishing you a healthy and happy New Year! Remember to take care of yourself.

new release

Coming Soon

Kristbethke

This Saturday, July 6th, in fact!

Ready for another story set in Landry’s Fall? Jay Turner first made an appearance way back in ‘Twas the Play before Christmas. He showed up again, briefly, in last year’s As Luck Would Have It. I have always intended, from the first time he appeared on page, to give him his own story. But it’s never quite worked out. Until now.

Jay Turner is a helper by nature. So when his best friend ropes him into helping Leith Porter finish repairs on his house, Jay is happy to lend a hand. It doesn’t hurt that Leith is easy on the eyes and injured to boot. Everything about Lieth brings out the caretaker in Jay. And when one moment between them sparks Jay’s inner Daddy Dom, things shift between them.

With only two weeks to get the repairs done, the men spend a lot of time together. Jay didn’t expect to find a perfect submissive in Leith. But the man pushes all the right buttons, and their kinks align. The closer they get, the more they want to explore the dynamic between them. The easy way they fall into their roles and the connection between them, only spurs them on. It might be fast, but they both want more.

But they’ve been living in a bit of a bubble, together all the time, and it’s only a matter of time before that bubble will burst. Fourteen days is too fast to fall in love. To want to build a future. Except both men know they’ve found their forever and maybe a fortnight is exactly the right length of time.

If you want to pick it up on preorder, you can do it here, right from the publisher. It’s on sale! It will be for a bit after release as well.

I’ll have buy links at other e-tailers when it releases.

As with all Landry’s Fall books, they don’t need to be read in any particular order, or read at all, to enjoy this story. But if you have read the other books, you’ll see some cameos from other characters. And if you’ve read Rebuilding Charlie then you’ll spot a familiar face and cupcake as well!

new release

Out Now!

Kristbethke

Rebuilding Charlie is live! It’s now available to buy or borrow here.

We’re so excited that this book is out in the wild. As I said the other day, we love this book. We loved writing it, we love the characters, and we can’t wait for readers to get a chance to fall in love with Charlie and Teague, with small town of Fairville and the Black Dog Inn and the host of secondary characters.

As I also said, there’s some heavier themes in this book. You can find the whole list of content warnings here or check out the preview of the book. We did our very best to handle those things with care. And there’s plenty of funny and sweet and hope and love to balance all that out.

One day at a time, one cupcake at a time, I was determined to win him over.

Charlie Caldwell has hit a breaking point. With more than just his mental health on the line, he makes the decision to move across the country to work for his best friend, leaving his brother and niblings behind. A new start isn’t going to fix him. His dysmorphia isn’t going to magically go away. But his hope is that being in a new place and going no contact with his toxic mother will at least allow him to breathe. 

Teague Mulligan might look like a lumberjack, but he’s really a marshmallow. And he likes it that way. He’s a doer, a fixer, and his wide shoulders are big enough to handle any problem. He’s always going to put himself between the world and the people he loves. But when he first meets Charlie, Teague doesn’t make a great first impression. Fortunately, he gets a chance to apologize and explain. Though Teague is immediately attracted to Charlie, he recognizes the other man has built walls around himself. Teague vows to go at Charlie’s pace, even if friendship is the only thing he can have.

The more they get to know each other, the more the attraction blooms. But Charlie’s past trauma keeps him from leaping. As much as he likes Teague, he knows the road blocks his mental health puts in the way. But Teague is as patient as he is kind, and as the days go on, trust is built. Slowly and surely, Charlie lets Teague in. Neither Charlie nor Teague were looking for love, but day by day, and cupcake by cupcake, love is exactly what they find.

And if you’d be so kind, and are so inclined, please leave a review. It’s so helpful for visibility. We really appreciate it!

new release

New Release–Free Today Only!

Kristbethke

As the title says, I have a new book out today! And for today only, Friday, December 22, it’s free! Follow this link and you can pick it up at no cost to you! After that, it’ll go on sale at all the usual places.

This book gave me some trouble. I’d had Bran in my head for a long time, and I was just trying to find the right story for him. When I finally did, I wrote half the book and then hit a wall. So it sat. For months. Doing absolutely nothing and I was sure that I didn’t have the right story. I tried several different iterations (and several other stories) before I revisited this one. And lo and behold, the rest of the words flowed. Introducing Bran and Gage, the witch and his wolf shifter mate!

As a favor to his brother, witch Bran Corbin agrees to host a wolf shifter pack for their winter solstice celebration. But Bran’s entire life turns upside down when meeting the wolves and recognizing one as his soulmate. For Gage Harrison, the connection is also instant. But shifters finding a mate is nothing surprising. A witch’s soulmate is something else altogether. Because the bond is not just for this lifetime, but for all the lives that have come before.

Bran may have been raised by raven shifters, but he’s not one himself. Not only does he need to figure out how to navigate pack politics, but he has to convince Gage of just how deep their connection goes. There’s no denying the instant attraction and affection between the two men, and both Bran and Gage readily accept that. With Bran’s emotions running higher because of the new bond, a pack of wolves in his space, and solstice looming, Bran is a bit overwhelmed. That doesn’t stop him from seeing Gage’s heart and wanting to solidify their connection.

But in order for the bond to fully form between them, Bran needs to see their past. Gage, on the other hand, isn’t sure about magic he isn’t familiar with. It’ll take patience and conversation before Gage is on board, but when they finally take that step, their lives are irrevocably changed. Solstice is the first day of their new forever.

If you get a chance to pick it up, I hope you enjoy these two, and the pack, as much as I do. There’s fate and magic and love, and all the warm and fuzzy feels you can expect from one of my books. Plus some holiday celebration and a whole host of side characters to make the story fun. Happy reading!

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Worth It…Again

Kristbethke

Ten years ago, on this very day, I became a published author. If you’ve been here for any length of time, you might be familiar with my story. Heck, it’s a familiar one for many an author. But for those of you who are new here, let me sum up:

I fell in love with writing at the tender age of ten. Thus began my dream of publishing stories. And even back then, I leaned toward romance (I read far above my age level, I know I’m not the only one!) and always wanted to tell stories of people falling in love. First it was teen romance, and then more Harlequin style stories (like the ones I craftily stole from Oma). Eventually, I also fell in love with fantasy and PNR. When I stumbled into MM romance long about 2009, the stories in my brain shifted as well. But it took my four more years before I finally wrote a story that I thought might be worthy of publishing.

That story was Worth It a short second chance romance about a Christmas tree farmer and the man he loved. I was thrilled when it was picked up, enamored with the process, excited to be a part of the event. It was the beginning of my career and I haven’t stopped since.

Ten years and nearly forty stories later, I’m still here. When the press that shall not be named did what they did, and I got all the rights back to all my titles, I republished them quickly. Except for that first short story. I was a far different writer, and a different person in 2019 than I was in 2013. Better in both aspects, I like to think. And that short story, didn’t quite fit any more. I decided it would keep it in my back pocket and maybe revamp it one day.

Today is that day. Not only has it been re-edited more in keeping with my author’s voice, but an additional 8K words have been added. It’s now twice as long as it was before, bringing it to a novelette length. There’s more of Jack and Ryan, which is awesome, and has a beautiful new cover, done by the amazing Morningstar Ashley. And I thought, what better way to celebrate my tenth anniversary than by republishing the story that started it all.

If you read the original, some minor plot points have changed and, as I said, a whole bunch of new content added. But at it’s heart, it’s till a story about Jack, a man who let’s the love of his life go to pursue his dreams, and Ryan doing exactly that, all while knowing he was coming back for Jack. It’s about how they can move forward with their lives now that they’ve found each other again. And yes, it’s mostly fluffy, with a lot of love and very little angst. With a bit of Christmas magic thrown in.

Jackson Bennett and Ryan Hennigan met and fell in love while Ryan worked on Jack’s family’s Christmas tree farm. Back then, Jack broke his own heart by convincing Ryan to leave and pursue his future. Ryan went, but only after Jack agreed to reunite when Ryan graduated from college. Now, five years later, it’s time, but Jack is convinced Ryan won’t show—and when he does, Jack is certain Ryan can’t possibly want to stay. Ryan, however, has no intention of being anywhere other than in Jack’s arms. Loving each other is easy, but finding a way through challenges to a future together is worth it.

Buy or borrow here!

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Out Now

Kristbethke

Gareth Evans is on his last chance. If he doesn’t manage to call a familiar this time, then the High Council will strip his magic and he will no longer be a mage. Gareth thinks he’s prepared for the worst, but never expects the wolf shifter. Who just so also happens to be his mate. Owen might be a surprise, but he’s exactly what Gareth needs.

Solidifying their bonds would be a whole lot easier if the High Council wasn’t breathing down their necks. With their bond on the line, Gareth and Owen take a stand. If they want their bond to continue, they have to fight for it. And that’s only the first hurdle the pair must face.

All Gareth wanted was a familiar, but he got so much more in Owen. Their bond is strong, Gareth’s magic is growing, and Owen’s support and care mean everything to Gareth. Just as things seem to be settling, a new threat emerges from an unexpected place. With Owen by his side, Gareth can do what is necessary. Love and a mate were the last things Gareth anticipated, but what started out as not so familiar has become the mage’s everything.

It’s live! If you’ve been waiting for the expanded and edited version of Gareth and Owen’s story, you can get it now. For now, it’s only available on Amazon, but it’s in KU as well, so if you have subscription you can enjoy it for no additional cost.

There’s additional content, more scenes than I put here, and has been cleaned up and polished. And check out that cover by Morningstar Ashley! Isn’t it great? I love it, and I think it perfectly captures Gareth and Owen (in his shifted form obviously). I loved revisiting these guys, and am working on Lane and Walker’s story now, so look for that in the coming months. Hopefully, there will be more to come after, as we have a few characters who want their story told as well. 🙂

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Coming Soon

Kristbethke

JMS Books is celebrating a lucky 13 years in business. To join in the festivities, I’ve written another addition to the Landry’s Fall tales!

Some of you may recognize Kyle Swansie, the fun and flirtatious server at Swansie’s Diner. Here he finally gets his own love story. You can pre-order it now directly from the publisher (with a discount!) It releases on July 1st, when it will be available at other e-tailers.

Kyle Swansie loves his hometown of Landry’s Fall. An extrovert who loves talking with people, managing and serving at his family’s diner is the highlight of his day. Even when he has to deal with the occasional cranky patron. When a stranger cops an attitude, Kyle doesn’t hesitate to put the beautiful man in his place. But Xavier Ormsby is so much more than Kyle’s first impression and it doesn’t take long for the two men to find common ground. Neither Kyle nor Xavier expected to find a connection.

Xavier might be in Landry’s Fall on a forced vacation of sorts, their time together quickly moves from friends to more. Xavier is everything Kyle never realized he wanted. Kyle provides a light Xavier didn’t know he needed. Though their worlds are very different, there’s no denying the depth of their attraction. With each day that passes, both Kyle and Xavier start looking to a future.

Things that should be obstacles — their age gap, Xavier’s diabetes, the financial disparity — simply aren’t. But it’s still not easy to find a way to fit their lives together. With their love on the line, can they find a way to have their happily ever after?

I adored writing this book. Kyle is such a joy. Xavier was a blast too, as I delved into the world of Type 1 diabetes and the way that affects this character. This book might be the very definition of sweet with heat, as these two men were in the right place at the right time to find their HEA. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I didn’t writing it!

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New Release!

Kristbethke

Crystal Clear is out in the world!

With everything going on, I missed actual release day. *hangs head in shame* But the sequel to The 12th Witch is out now. You can get it here from the publisher (with a discount!) or click here if another platform is your preferred method.

You definitely need to read The 12th Witch first, so if you haven’t gotten it yet, then I suggest you start there. But if you’re looking for continuing love, Samhain, and just a bit of drama, make sure you check this out!

Sequel to The 12th Witch

Justin Trews lucked out when he found Cole Demauro and the coven he’s joined. He’s still working through his trauma, but he now knows what it’s like to be supported and cared for. His magic is thriving, and so is he. And of course, dating Cole has proven to be the best part. The past three months have been the happiest of his life.

When the veil is the thinnest, Justin experiences Samhain as it is meant to be. It’s a far cry from how he celebrated in the past. With the coven gathered, he participates in the ritual to honor the dead and the end of the harvest season. His magic is full and so is his heart.

But when Justin’s past rears it’s ugly head, he’s faced with dealing with his family. Old hurts run deep and insecurities resurface. Its hard not to feel like a burden and an imposition. With his coven behind him, and Cole’s love buoying him up, Justin finds the strength not only to confront his family but to rely on his coven for help. And when the dust settles, Justin has taken great strides toward healing. Now Justin needs to show Cole just how much he loves him.