Sebastian Nothwell's Blog

Surprise, it’s a brand new fantasy tale!

What is this?

This is a short story (6k words) about what happens when a wastrel prince takes drastic measures to preserve his wayward love.

It is not a romance. While the story revolves on the axis of a romantic relationship, it does not end in a happily-ever-after. If you are wildly optimistic, it ends in a happy-for-now.

It’s gory, it’s toxic, it’s harrowing. Perfect for the season of All Hallow’s Eve.

Why is this?

Halcyon and Noll have lived in my heart for over a decade. Now they are out in the world for you to read. Enjoy!

Any relation to the Halcyon in Fiorenzo?

Absolutely none, I just like the name.

Where can I read this story?

You can download the epub from my Payhip as well as from my Patreon store.

And as always, thank you for reading.

This September marks the third anniversary of Fiore and Enzo's sword-crossed romance. How shall we celebrate?

For those who are just now joining us, a few words of elucidation may prove prudent. Fiorenzo is a queer fantasy-of-manners romance featuring swordplay, hurt/comfort, and a happily-ever-after. It tells the story of Fiore, a courtesan with a plan, and Enzo, a masked aristocrat whose arrival in Fiore's life absolutely annihilates that plan, to both their benefit. Both Fiore and Enzo are near and dear to my heart, and I'm delighted to celebrate the third year since their story first reached readers like you.

And as for celebrations... first, I'm officially releasing the Enzo face-reveal postcard print, illustrated beautifully by Katabay (@katabay on tumblr).

This illustration will be available as both a postcard print and as a sticker from my Etsy shop starting this September.

To further celebrate...
♡ all annotated books will be 30% off for the whole month with the coupon code FIORENZOANNIVERSARY,
♡ and for September only, the postcard print will also be included as a freebie with every Etsy order of a Fiorenzo paperback, signed and annotated alike!

However you celebrate Fiore and Enzo's love this September, thank you for reading!

Pride Month is a whirlwind of activity for queer romance authors, and my experience this past June was no exception. Even so, it came with an enormous and wonderful surprise that I could never have anticipated.

As a big research nerd into history, medicine, botany, and increasingly more obscure fields with every book I write, I cannot begin to express the elation I felt when Dr. Markéta Šmídová tagged me on bsky alongside the illustrious names of KJ Charles, Arden Powell, Freya Marske, Lee Welch, Emily Tesh, and Harper Fox, to announce that they had just successfully defended their doctoral dissertation, promisingly titled, “Kissing for Dear Life in a Dead Land: English Folkloric Liminality in Queer Paranormal Historical Popular Romance.”

In a further extremely generous gesture, their post also links to a free download of said dissertation.

Not since “The Philomena of John Bradmore and its Middle English derivative: a perspective on surgery in late Medieval England” by S.J. Lang have I so swiftly, feverishly, and delightedly read an academic work. It is a fascinating read for anyone interested in queer romantasy, and an incredible honour to be included. Highly recommend checking it out if you’ve enjoyed the oeuvre of any of the authors cited within.

If you're intrigued by the contents of Fiore's sea chest, this is the event for you.

Come Hither of New Bedford will host an 18+ Fiorenzo-focused event, featuring a live reading, author Q&A, and book signing from yours truly.

Come Hither is a welcoming space for all sexualities and relationships. Riding crops, ropes, and more abound. I cannot imagine a more perfect venue to host this auspicious event.

WHAT
Fiorenzo reading, Q&A, and book signing!

WHERE
Come Hither on the third floor of the Kilburn Mills
127 West Rodney French Blvd
New Bedford, MA

WHEN
Saturday, August 1st
noon to 4pm

In less than three days since announcing the massive $700 book return and resulting signed book sale, as of right now I am over 75% of the way to recouping the loss.

And it is all thanks to you.

I'm absolutely stunned and humbled by your response and so grateful to you for helping me get over this unexpected financial hurdle. Thank you to everyone who has picked up a book (or several!), who has passed the word along to others, and who has read these missives.

There are still some copies remaining of...

• Mr Warren's Profession, a gay Victorian cross-class romance featuring the wonders and horrors of the industrial revolution.

• Hold Fast, a gay Victorian romance between a whaling harpooner who inherits a baronetcy and the estate agent tasked with turning him from sailor to gentleman.

• Fiorenzo, a fantasy-of-manners mm romance featuring swordplay and hurt/comfort in an alternate version of 18th century Venice.

• The Haunting of Heatherhurst Hall, a Gothic lesbian romance rife with horror and heartache, wherein an American heiress makes an ill-advised marriage to bring herself closer to the woman who’s stolen her heart.

And again, thank you for reading. ♡

When life gives you lemons (massive $700 return from Ingram), you make lemonade (put the books up on Etsy to recoup the loss).

Anyway for the first time ever I’m offering signed books shipped straight to you – limited quantity; once they’re gone, they’re gone.

Annotated books are also available and 25% off!

Check ’em out on my etsy shop.

And as always, thank you for reading.

The tenth chapter of Oak King Holly King IV - a brand new Oak King Holly King tale - is now on Patre♡n! Wherein it's Shrike's turn on the hurt/comfort ride.

Please enjoy this excerpt below.

~

“A quest!” crowed the ambassador the moment the door shut on the glasswork fae’s workshop. “A true quest!”

“Have you ever quested before?” Wren asked.

“Oh, many a time,” the ambassador assured him.

Despite the flowery gesture that accompanied his words, Wren felt inclined to believe him.

~

Joining me on Patre♡n will give you access to “drawer fic” – aka the 500k+ words worth of manuscripts that have been shelved until I figure out how to fix or finish them. You'll also be invited to join an exclusive Discord server just for patrons!

A new chapter will go up every week. Missing (unwritten) scenes will be indicated by brackets describing what would probably happen if the scene were written. Example: [in this scene Aubrey and Lindsey ride a carousel]

Currently posting…
♡ Oak King Holly King IV

Completed works...
♡ the Aubrey & Lindsey solar fantasy project (mm)
♡ A Willing Canvas - John Halloway x Lord Cyril Graves (mm)
♡ The Train Job - Rowena Althorp x Rebekah (ff)
♡ Hold Fast 2 - Hold Faster (mm)
♡ Vampires Vampires Vampires (mmm)
♡ The Sebastian Nothwell Contemporary Expanded Universe (mmm+)
♡ A Mirror for the Prince's Shadow (dark academia historical romantasy)

See you on Patre♡n!

The Summer Solstice has arrived, and with it, the new adventures of Shrike and Wren!

To celebrate, please enjoy this excerpt from Bookseller & Bone-Setter .

~

London, England

1846

Hullvardr perused the book-seller’s stall with an intensity that seemed to unnerve the book-seller himself. An unusually fine spring day had dawned over London, the sun so bright its rays penetrated the perpetual fog. Most other clerks on a Saturday afternoon would probably take the opportunity for a pleasant stroll through one of the myriad parks. If any bothered to buy books, they likely would have taken themselves to Holywell Street rather than the semi-respectable stall Hullvardr had found as an outlet for a gentleman’s reading club. Every quarter the clubbed gentlemen winnowed down the stock of their lending library and sold off the titles they didn’t wish to re-read in order to fund the acquisition of new material. All the better for Hullvardr, to whom all mortal literature felt new, and for Ephraim, who didn’t mind waiting a few months to read the latest novels.

Still, even with Ephraim’s assurances that he would happily read whatever his clerk chose for him ringing in Hullvardr’s ears, the latter took especial care in selecting such titles as he hoped Ephraim would enjoy.

Wagons and carriages rattled back and forth through the street behind Hullvardr’s back, some coming within scarce inches and lifting the hem of his frock coat in the breeze of their wake. He kept his tail wrapped snug around his left leg lest it fall victim to a passing wheel. The glamour covered all, so it remained up to him to protect what parts of him passersby couldn’t see. The mortal children playing in the street had far less concern for their own well-being as they darted to and fro to chase a shared hoop with sticks clutched tight in hand.

“Five shillings for Roderick Random,” the book-seller blurted in a gruff tone.

Hullvardr paused in flipping through the pages of said volume. A glance up to meet the book-seller’s gaze showed a man trying to hide his nerves with bluster. Perhaps the book-seller thought him a thief or a distraction to cover for an accomplice who would scuttle about filling their pockets with novels. Or perhaps the book-seller had no patience left for those supposed customers who’d read entire books on the pretence of “just browsing” and walk away buying nothing. Or, Hullvardr considered as he gazed into the man’s eyes, perhaps this was another case of a mortal man forced to confront his own attraction to masculine beauty and finding himself uncomfortable with his own desires. That happened more often than Hullvardr had expected upon his return to the mortal realm. He took no offense but did feel a sort of pity for them, tearing their own souls in twain for what purpose he couldn’t fathom.

Five shillings sounded a fair price, however, and the book seemed interesting enough. Hullvardr dipped his hand into his waistcoat pocket to pay.

A horse’s shriek tore through the fog.

Hullvardr whirled towards the sound. An omnibus which had rattled past now verged on over-turning as the geldings drawing it reared. The rolling hoop tangled amidst their hooves. The children who’d driven it had scattered—save one, who seemed frozen with fear as the horses threatened to bring their full weight down upon his head.

The book fell from Hullvardr’s hand as he bolted into the street. Fae fleetness brought him to the horses in three leaping strides. He had no command over steeds, but the boy he could grab and fling out of danger’s path.

And half a heartbeat after, the hooves fell upon him.

A dozen blows knocked him to the paving-stones. He curled in on himself and tried to roll out of their way. He made it—barely—but not before several spaded kicks struck his body, and one in particular hit his left leg with a sickening snap like breaking tinder.

One could hardly survive seven centuries altogether unscathed. And while he’d never yet tried his hand at the hunter or warrior life, he’d still had his share of slips and falls over the years. He’d cracked several ribs while ice-skating in his youth—which allowed him to recognize the same sensation now as the severed edges creaked with every breath. The pain in his leg was worse by far, but still not the worst pain he’d ever endured. That dubious honour belonged to a particular incident in his first summer of beekeeping wherein he’d enraged several skeps into swarming him at once. He tried to keep that in mind as he endeavoured to rise and bit back an agonized yelp.

By then, mortals had swarmed the scene. A pair of tradesmen seized the horses by their bridles whilst the driver regained command. Passengers gave belated cries of alarm at the chaos. A man in sailor’s slops halted before Hullvardr and proffered his hand. Hullvardr grasped it gladly and hauled himself upright, bracing against a lamp-post to stand.

The sailor went on his way. No one else seemed particularly concerned with Hullvardr, for which he gave thanks. The less notice he attracted now, the better. With another glance ‘round to ensure he remained unobserved, he dared a peek down at himself.

Nothing appeared amiss. Beneath the glamour, however… Hullvardr swallowed hard, glad he couldn’t see the extent of his own injuries. He could feel the broken ends of bone grinding together, nonetheless. Something between ankle and hoof had gone very, very wrong.

Wandering the mortal realm whilst wearing glamour was a bit like strolling along whilst eating an apple. Easy enough to perform both tasks in tandem without particularly concentrating on either. But choke on the apple, and strolling would suddenly become very difficult indeed. The glamour of straight trousered legs and practical boot covered up his caprine joints and cloven hooves. For now. He forced himself to look away.

A boy stood not far off—the self-same boy, Hullvardr realised, whom he’d shoved out of the horses’ path.

“You there, lad!” Hullvardr shouted, willing his voice not to crack with the pain.

The boy’s eyes flew wide. He didn’t appear ungrateful, exactly, but he did have the look of one about to bolt.

Hullvardr knew what would make him stay. “A shilling for you if you see me back safe to Staple Inn.”

~

You can read A Nest Within Briars wherever you find your fave books.

Amazon • Apple Books • Books2Read • Kobo • Payhip • Smashwords

A Nest Within Briars will arrive on June 21st!

You can preorder it here or wherever you find your favorite books.

The Kings of Oak and Holly have woven their fates together in an unbreakable bond. The further adventures of Wren Lofthouse, Shrike the Butcher of Blackthorn, and their friends continue in this collection of short stories, including...

Bruises Bloom in Blackthorn Briar
...wherein a moment’s comfort is sought between Cemetery Gate and the Solstice Duel.

Sentiment
...wherein the Oak and Holly Kings return to Wren’s ancestral home to retrieve certain articles of a sensitive magical nature.

Bookseller & Bone-Setter
...wherein an unfortunate accident forces Hullvardr to reveal certain fae truths to his mortal beloved, Mr Ephraim Grigsby.

The Unveiling of Daniel Durst
...wherein Daniel shows his true self to his guardian for the first time.

A Quiet Solstice
...wherein the Oak King yields to the Holly King.

A Nest Within Briars will be the newest anthology in the Oak King Holly King series. It will collect four stories into a single volume, including…
• The Unveiling of Daniel Durst – wherein Daniel shows his true self to his guardian for the first time.
• Bruises Bloom in Blackthorn Briar – a secret moment from Oak King Holly King, taking place between the confrontation at Cemetery Gate and the Summer Solstice Duel.
• Bookseller and Bone-Setter – wherein an unfortunate accident forces Hullvardr to reveal certain fae truths to his mortal beloved, Mr Ephraim Grigsby.
• Sentiment – wherein the Oak and Holly Kings return to Wren’s ancestral home to retrieve certain articles of a sensitive magical nature.

The Kickstarter campaign will end on the Vernal Equinox, March 21st. (Fitting for Shrike and Wren as denizens of the fae realms.) Back it on Kickstarter today!

And as always, thank you for reading.