QSFer Amanda Cherry has a new queer urban fantasy romance out (bi, lesbian, poly, pan characters*): Time & Again.
As far as Ruby Killingsworth is concerned, life could not possibly get any better. She is the wealthiest and most influential she’s ever been. Her entertainment empire continues to grow and thrive, her personal life is uncomplicated and fulfilling, and she continues to explore the unequaled magic she’s been granted access to.
In Ruby’s world, magic and money can solve just about any problem.
But when an email from the future arrives in her inbox—one that threatens her entire business and especially the career of one up-and-coming rock star—she finds neither of her usual solutions adequate to the task. She’ll need help getting to the bottom of this, and there’s only one person she knows who’s qualified to take on an adversary as esoteric as a possible time traveler.
The problem? That person is Jaccob “Stardust” Stevens, Cobalt City’s pre-eminent superhero, world-leading tech genius, and professional Good Guy, who also happens to be Ruby’s next-door neighbor and former flame.
With the help of a team of young heroes led by the legendary Kara Sparx, Jaccob and Ruby must find a way to work together to find the time travelers and stop them before they destroy everything Ruby has worked so hard to build.
And maybe, in time, they might just find each other again.
*Author Note: The main character is a polyamorous pansexual cisgender woman currently involved with another cisgender woman; the main love story in the book is the MC & a cis/het man. The supporting cast includes a sapphic couple (a bi girl & a lesbian girl, both cisgender) and a genderfluid individual. So it’s a queer book, even though the romance arc happens to be between a cis man & a cis woman.
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Excerpt
…The door to Jaccob’s office blew open, seemingly all on its own. He snapped his head upward at the sound of the door hitting the stop. His breath caught in his throat when he realized who was walking through it.
He’d been prepared for a media rep. He’d even been prepared to field questions related to his recent divorce, his ex-wife, his grown children, and his personal life. He had not, by any stretch of the imagination, been prepared for her.
Jaccob’s past had come calling, and not a piece of his past he was strong enough to deal with at the moment.
“I can’t see you now, Ruby,” Jaccob said, his voice breaking a little. Ruby didn’t so much as slow her walk. The office door closed itself softly behind her. Jaccob swallowed hard. “I have a noon appointment.” He was proud of how normal he’d managed to sound.
“The appointment’s at twelve-twelve,” she corrected him. “And I’m it.”
Jaccob took a deep breath, stroking his beard in a vain attempt to soothe his nerves as he tried to figure out someplace–anyplace–appropriate to look that wasn’t back at Ruby. Finding none in evidence, Jaccob finally met her gaze just as the silence was beginning to grow awkward.
Ruby had stopped a little more than halfway to his desk from the doorway. She stood stock still, looking back at him with a hint of a smile on her face. Was she giving him a moment to gather himself, or keeping her distance for her own reasons?
Jaccob breathed in deep again, realizing as he did that he could smell the familiar floral note of her perfume. That … did not help.
Her crimson-colored blouse was all but see-through, and her black skirt hugged her hips perfectly. Her hair was down, falling onto her shoulders in loose waves that turned under at the ends. Her lips were as red as her top, and her tiny diamond earrings set off the sparkle in her eyes. She looked flawless. And he couldn’t stand it.
Jaccob had never been much for reading noir novels, but in this moment, he suddenly felt like he was living inside of one. She walked into my office like a blast from a furnace on the coldest day of the leanest year … He had half a mind to adjust his air conditioning.
He’d seen Ruby precious few times in the two years since he’d abruptly ended their romance on the heels of learning she’d kept the secret of her magic from him. They’d even worked together briefly not long after their breakup when, desperate and out of options, she’d called him for help exorcising a demon that had taken up residence both in her building and in the person of his former flame, Vivienne “Lady Vengeance” Cain.
That moment, when he’d watched Ruby save Vivienne, and almost die trying … It was a lot. He’d walked away from that encounter with his heart mostly intact, and with every intention of continuing to stay the hell away from all things magical–especially those involving Ruby Killingsworth.
So much for good intentions.
Author Bio
Amanda Cherry is a Seattle-area queer, disabled nerd who still can’t believe people pay her to write stories. She is the author of five published novels as well as TTRPGs, screenplays, and short fiction, and a cast member in the Dungeon Scrawlers GREYMANTLE game on Twitch. Her nonfiction writing has been featured on ToscheStation.net, ElevenThirtyEight.com, and StarTrek.com. Amanda is a member of SAG-AFTRA, SFWA, & Broad Universe. Follow Amanda’s geekery on Twitter, BlueSky & TikTok @MandaTheGinger or visit www.thegingervillain.com
| Author Website | www.thegingervillain.com |
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| Author Twitter | https://twitter.com/MandaTheGinger |