Category Archives: Author Posts

Guest post by A.L. Lester

Hello there! Firstly, happy anniversary to JMS Books! I’m so pleased I found the company in 2017 and I’m even happier that I was given the opportunity to publish with them. I have four novels out now, all with JMS, the most recent of which is The Flowers of Time. Like all my books so far, Flowers is a historical-paranormal-romantic-suspense. It follows the relationship between Edie, a plucky lady botanical artist and Jones, a non-binary, possibly grey-ace explorer. It takes place in England and India in the 1780s.

Flowers is the first #ownvoices novel I have written and in retrospect, I think I used it to work through some of my own feelings about being non-binary. I was really pleased that JMS took a chance and accepted it, as so many publishing houses still won’t consider books with trans protagonists. It felt very close to my heart when I submitted it and it was a relief in a way to know that other people felt it was good enough to put out there.

Jones and Edie are going to be around for a while I think—I have another couple of books coming to the boil as I work down my to-be-written list. I can see them becoming paranormal-trouble-shooting detectives, traveling the world. The 1780s was a new period for me to write in and the historical research is fascinating. Before I get to that point I have a release in September (Taking Stock, another #ownvoices book, but this time the #ownvoices is chronic disability) and currently I am in the middle of the third in the 1920s Lost in Time cycle, following Will and Fenn. After that I might need to tackle the story of Edie’s brother Hugh and his friend Bennett, who accompanied Edie and Jones across the Himalayas. But then … I should be able to write more Edie and Jones.

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Guest post by Ellie Thomas

As I write mainly historical romance, I am compelled by the forbidden love aspect of LGBT stories set in past centuries. Relationships between those of the same gender were not only disapproved of, but for gay men, were against the law and could have consequences of draconian punishment. I find it so moving that people suffered simply because they were attracted to the same sex.

In my stories, the pressure of my main characters to hide their sexuality from their family and even deny relationships is something I feel drawn to explore. The ‘guilty secret’ aspect of the emotional dilemma for so many generations of LGBT people really touches me. Thank goodness times have changed.

In this short extract from Another Chance For Love, my latest story with JMS Books (released on July 4th), set in 1920, my main character Adam, having failed in the past, tries to resist his mother’s pressure to marry him off.

Continue reading Guest post by Ellie Thomas

Guest post by Sarah Hadley Brook

Writing Through the Chaos

If there’s a word to describe the first half of 2020, it’s chaos. Depressing, scary, frustrating, also spring to mind, but I’ve begun personally referring to this period as “Life in Chaos.”

I’m usually a glass half-full kind of gal, but it’s been a daily struggle to find that optimistic outlook. Of course, that inevitably leads to setting aside the writing. I know a lot of great authors wrote masterpieces during times of great sadness, but I’m a “happily-ever-after” writer. I love to write about soul-mates, true love, and finding your forever!

But when I stopped writing, giving in to everything, I found that only made things worse. What happens when we give up something we love? Well, I found out I felt like a part of me was missing! And then, as I began writing again — just a little bit every day — I realized my outlook was changing. I was seeing things in a different light.

Yes, there was chaos swirling around us, but there was also hope. In the middle of a pandemic, we’re seeing people march for change — demanding our country do better. We get knocked down, but humanity certainly gets back up!

2020 still has a long way to go, and I expect there will be a lot more dips, but I’m no longer going to hide from it. I’ve got a laptop, free time, and lots of pent-up creative energy — and three stories to finish. Chaos be damned!

Save 40% off all my ebooks today only!

We’re giving away a free ebook every day this month! Starting tomorrow, one winner will be drawn daily. So enter to win today!

Guest post by Drew Hunt

Back in 2003 I was bored. Not saying I wasn’t bored prior to that date or after it. But in 2003 I decided to tackle my boredom by writing a story and sending it to a free online site. I got plenty of feedback, most of it positive. Looking back on that story later, it was pretty amateurish, but it was a beginning. I wrote several more stories for that website and got varying amounts of feedback, but I was beginning to get a bit disillusioned. It took a lot of effort to write these stories and I wasn’t receiving any financial recompense.

Then, ten years ago this month, my friend JM decided to start JMS Books and asked if I wanted to take my stories down from the net, polish them up, and publish them with her. I agreed. Gosh, what a lot of polishing some of them needed. One thing I’ve learned from writing these past 17 years is that you never stop learning. I’m always picking up new ideas, new ways to hone my craft.

An example of a new (to me) idea is my current work in progress. Although superheroes are certainly not new, I’d never tackled the subject personally. I’m also adding in MPREG, which is a more modern trope. I got the idea from talking with my friend Tami. I would joke with her that her brother, Troy, is something of a hero.

It took me a few months to think up a suitable opening, but when I began writing, I started sharing the story each week with Tami.

Tami has become a valued beta reader. That’s another thing I’ve learned as a writer, you need honest beta readers who aren’t afraid to tell you if something doesn’t work.

Some of the antics I’ve had my Troy do has made Tami laugh, and probably blush, too. I’ve found adding humour to a story helps make it more readable. My Troy is gay, Tami’s brother is not. And my Troy can fly, I’m assuming hers cannot. But it’s amazing how many real life events one can alter slightly and work into a story. Again, adding in real events makes a story more believable. If you can suspend disbelief enough to accept a man being able to fly and shoot bursts of energy from his fingertips. I did worry that anyone who read the story and who knows the real Troy might be able to make the connection. Tami told me not to worry. The real Troy does know I’m writing a story very loosely based on him. However, it’s highly doubtful he’ll read it. Which is probably for the best. You, dear blog reader, can see a sneak peek below.

Continue reading Guest post by Drew Hunt

JMS Books turns 10!

Guest post by J.M. Snyder

In 2010, I was publishing with a number of e-pubs who, unfortunately, are no longer around (Amber Quill, Aspen Mountain, Torquere). Before any of them, though, I had been self-publishing with minor success. At that time, Amazon wasn’t the heavy hitter it is today. In fact, the bulk of my sales came from the now-defunct website, Fictionwise (which was purchased by Barnes and Noble at some point and then phased out). As e-pubs folded and I got my rights back, I had to self-publish the stories if I wanted to get them back out to readers. Trouble was, Fictionwise required exclusivity from authors who sold through their site … but not from publishers. With that in mind, I created JMS Books, publishing my own books as well as those of a few friends.

Ten years later, Fictionwise is gone, Amazon is king of the e-publishing world, and I’m happy to say JMS Books has expanded into a niche small press with a roster of over 175 authors. I want to thank all the readers — and authors — who have taken a chance on us in the ever-changing world of publishing online. We’ve grown larger than I first dreamed we could.

So some celebration is in order!

First, we’ve gathered together the best-selling gay romance or M/M short stories from each year into A Decade of Gay Romance, an anthology along the lines of our Top Ten Gay Romance series. If you’re new to us and want to pick up some of our back titles, this is a good place to start!

We’re also having daily sales — 40% off all ebooks by a particular author(s). Today all my titles are discounted! You have until midnight EST to save on books by J.M. Snyder, J.T. Marie, J. Tomas, and Shawna Jeanne!

And we’re giving away a free ebook every day this month! Starting tomorrow, one winner will be drawn daily. So enter to win today!

Thank you for all you’ve done to help us get this far! Here’s to the next 10 years!