This should be Writing to Order Chapter 5. I’m sorry to leave you on a balls-deep cliff-hanger for another week but one of my internal organs (only a minor one) rebelled and has only lately been reclaimed.

Which is to say, I’ve been very slightly ill but am absolutely fine.

Writing to Order will pick up again next month on the 14^th … when we find more about where Jamie is and who the debauched gentleman currently buggering his page may be.

In the meantime here’s what I’ve reading recently:

KJ Charles’s The Secret History of Simon Feximal releases on the 16^th June and is, forgive my language, fucking amazing. I loved The Caldwell Ghost, Butterflies and Remnant, so I was thrilled to bits to get the full story of Robert and Simon.  Definitely somewhat darker in tone that some of Charles’s other works, it’s also her most ambitious – as here we find a love story that spans a lifetime. So much of romance concentrates on the beginning of things, TSHoSF uses interwoven stories to give us continuance. I should probably say that I’m a huge admirer of Charles, and I’m all up in her grill whenever I can be, so feel free to take this is a wholly biased recommendation, but this book resonates for me, much as Think of England did. Charles uses to the vehicle of the Victorian ghost story to explore the lost stories inherent in queer history. And, by telling this story, of two men who love and sacrifice and ultimately find happiness together … redeem them.

AJ Cousins’s The Girl Next Door. So this is technically het but it’s queer het and if you’re a fan of AJ Cousins’ Bend or Break series you’d be doing yourself a real disservice by skipping it on account of there being girlparts within. And if you haven’t yet treated yourself to this wonderful series, you can start here because it pretty much stands alone. For those already familiar with AJ’s work, this is Cash’s book. CASH’S BOOK!!! For those who aren’t, Cash is simply an amazing character. Sort of a dudebro with a heart of gold, he’s just one of the most feel good fictional humans I’ve ever encountered. Not flawless, but self-aware and well-meaning, tactless and goofy – and deliciously open minded when it comes to sexuality and sexual experiences.  This is a completely non-traditional romance: it’s told from the man’s POV, the sexing is, shall we say, equally non-standard (though hot as all hell) and, while Steph is wonderful she occupies what would more usually be the ‘hero’ role of sexually forthcoming and emotionally distant. But despite all the ways it can be considered atypical, it’s still purely and breathtakingly romantic. This series is going from strength to strength. I can’t wait to see what Amy Jo does next.

Chaos Station by Jenn Burke & Kelly Jensen. I’m totally late to the party on this one and only halfway through it … but, god, yes, bring me all your queer space opera. Bring it right now. Great characterisation, solid world building, sexual tension, angst, drama and adventure … this is book turned out to be exactly what I was looking for. And the second book has just released so I’m really looking forward to settling into this series.

Focus on Me by Megan Erickson. I loved Trust the Focus and, ye gods, I think this might be even better. Another story of physical and emotional journeying, it goes to some dark places, but it has what I think of as Erickson’s trademark tenderness … which sounds kinda mushy but is more about this fundamental belief in the human capacity to care and care-take. I love her queer stories for their emotion and their truth – and this one is no exception.

Channelling Morpheus by Jordan Castillo Price. I came back to the second volume after slightly losing patience with the first only to discover my patience-losing was a mistake because this is awesome. I struggle sometimes with JCP’s plotting because I like to have some sense of where a book is going and … well … that’s not a thing you get here. But everything else is so fucking good it’s ceasing to matter: sexy, brutal, tender and full of vampires. Like PZB but … God … maybe better. Is that heresy?

And if this hasn’t sated your hunger for books, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point that Riptide Publishing Pride Month Blow Out sale is still, errr blowing out. Right now it’s $4.99 week. You can get some my stuff reduced (including Glitterland) but I would also recommend:

• Towchester Blues by Alex Beecroft – stunningly written English-set contemporary
• The Two Gentleman of Altona by JA Rock and Lisa Henry – mapcap, hilarious, yet utterly real when it needs to be. Snappy dialogue, great characterisation. This is the first in a series of Shakespeare-themed mysteries about an FBI agent and a con-man.
• Home the Hard Way by ZA Maxfield – it’s ZAM for God’s sake, need I say more? I really loved the setting in this one and I’m kind of a sucker for ‘homecoming’ type themes. Quite a dark book, but very worth it.

Alexis Hall is wastrel with a good hat. You can find him on his website, onTwitter, and occasionally on Facebook, which he doesn’t know how to use. He’ll be at Love Bytes on the 14th of every month, writing something he doesn’t yet know.