đşHello, From Xanthe Walter
May 16th, 2026
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đ In This Newsletter
- I’m just back from an AMAZING trip to New York! I hadn’t been there in decades, and it was busier than ever, but so much fun. We had a wonderful time. Details (and piccies!) below. I’m still very jet-lagged, but it was worth it. We saw some brilliant shows – you know how much I love musical theatre.
- If you’ve read the Dark Water box set, please consider leaving an honest review on Amazon. There are some lovely reviews for the other books in the series, but because the box set came last, the review section there looks a bit lonely!
- The Dark Water box set is just $9.99 and contains an exclusive bonus story (ebook only). It’s also available in KU and as an audiobook (the audiobook doesn’t have the bonus story.)
- Poll results: An unsurprising majority of you prefer a soft dom to a strict dom – the soft doms won by a whopping 29 votes! Those strict doms can glare all they like, but cuddles and praise are clearly the way to go.
- Talking of soft doms – have you read my standalone BDSM novel Ricochet yet? The main character, Rick, is the softest of soft doms – it’s a dom-com ;-).
- Crocodile Tears was back at number one in its category on Amazon last week – thank you! It’s been nearly a year since I first published it, and it’s rarely been out of the Top 20 in all that time and is often in the Top 10 which is just amazing.
- This newsletter’s poll asks a very cheeky question – check it out below!
- If you’d like any of my book covers on merch, such as t-shirts, mugs, bags, notebooks, etc., check out my Redbubble store.
In Other News:
- The featured author for this newsletter is Steven A. Coulter with Eury the Greek, a dark twin story about Procles and Eurysthenes, who are separated by divorce and raised in very different worlds.
- There’s also the usual selection of MM-themed promotions and book fairs for you to enjoy.
- Enjoyed any of my books? Honest reviews, social media posts, and personal recommendations all help them reach new readersâand I’d be so grateful.
đ Dark Water Box Set
A four-book series featuring broken boys, epic MM romance, and a dark, compelling plot with twists nobody ever sees coming… will you?
KU | Audio | Ebook | Paperback
All About Romance Favourite Book 2025Â |Â Joyfully Jay Reviews Best of 2025
All four books also available individually. Series must be read in order!
Crocodile Tears | Ghost Eye | The Lost Zone | The Quarterlands
đĽÂ Ricochet
Set in a world where BDSM is the norm, and featuring one hot mess of a dom and one control freak sub battling fame, desire, and each other to find the love that was right under their noses all along!
KU | Ebook | Paperback
đď¸Â Big Apple Adventures
Trip of a Lifetime!
As part of my 60th birthday celebrations, we decided to go on some holidays this year, having not been abroad since 2018. We chose New York because we’re both massive fans of Luke Evans, who is playing Frank N Furter in a revival of The Rocky Horror Show at Studio 54. And OMG, he didn’t disappoint! His sheer physicality onstage was impressive, and he can really sing. The actress playing Janet was also fantastic. Some of the other performances weren’t as top-notch, but with Luke commanding the stage like that, who cares?!
A surprising last-minute highlight (we booked it the night before) was Chess, starring Lea Michele. This turned out to be the best event of the week – all the more so for being so unexpectedly brilliant. Lea Michele’s voice is incredible, and this was a fantastic production. We absolutely loved it.
We did many other things – lots of wandering and shopping in SoHo, Nolita, West Village, and Greenwich Village. We mooched around all the big department stores on 5th Avenue for the experience, but it was too pricey to buy anything.
I had my picture taken outside the Friends apartment building, and we dropped by the Stonewall Inn and the National Monument to the Stonewall riots in the park opposite.
We went to MoMA and saw iconic paintings like Starry Night and The Persistence of Memory. And we wandered through Central Park and visited the John Lennon memorial.
The Ground Zero and 9/11 Museum and Memorials were sobering but necessary, and so tastefully done.
Another unexpected highlight was the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens on a gloriously warm day – absolute perfection with a lovely lunch as well!
We had an AMAZING time, jam-packed full of fun activities. Exhausted now from all the walking, but it was brilliant.
Piccies below:
Stonewall National Monument and John Lennon Memorial.
9/11 Memorial and Chess.
 
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đ Events
I’m attending some book signings and events in 2026. I hope to see you there!
- ShiMMer: June 27th, Birmingham (UK). Pre-order form HERE if you are attending.
- Rainbow Readers Cruise:Â August 10-14th, Florida (USA).
đ Walter’s World Gifts
- Free Stories: Bonus novellas and short stories including Safe Harbour, A Willing Lad, and more.
- Extras & World-Building: Spotify playlists, character photo stashes, Rising Radio shows, a London flood map, and The Daily Lowdown news site.
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đ Useless Fact About Me đ
I LOVE pickleball and play every week. I have a wicked backhand spin but am a sadly inconsistent server.
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