🌺 Special Edition!
19th August, 2025
Greetings, my lovelies!
MAJOR GIVEAWAY ANNOUNCEMENT! ALL THE NINES!
- I’m giving away NINE signed copies of Crocodile Tears to celebrate the 9/9 launch of the Dark Water series finale, The Quarterlands, and also the fact that Crocodile Tears is STILL only 99c/99p!
- This is a social media promotion running across Tiktok, Instagram and Facebook. Rules in the Giveaway section below.
In other news:
- In this special edition newsletter, I feature Jem Blackwing and her Heirs of the Empire series.
- I first noticed Book One in Jem’s series way back in March. It’s called Spoils of Victory, and you can find full details below.
- I noticed it because it looked VERY MUCH like the kind of thing I’d enjoy ;-).
- I’m a newbie on the author scene, despite having first published way back in 2012. I don’t know many people, and I’m a little bit shy about approaching other authors.
- So I was delighted when Jem got in touch on Tiktok. She’s another UK author, so we’re hoping to meet up at some point.
- I’m equally delighted to be showcasing her as my Featured Author in this newsletter.
- There’s also a very small selection (just the two in this newsletter) of book promos!
Here’s the Instagram Entry Post: The 9/9 Social Media Giveaway!
I couldn’t resist the perfect timing – so I’ll be giving away 9 SIGNED copies of Crocodile Tears to celebrate the 9/9 launch of The Quarterlands, the final book in the Dark Water series! And the Crocodile Tears ebook is still priced at 99c/99p!
Here’s how to enter:
📱 Instagram: Follow me + tag 2 MM romance-loving friends + tell me what you’re hoping happens in Book 4, or your favourite moment from Book 1 if you’re new to the series, or just your favourite MM romance trope if you haven’t started reading yet!
Here’s the Instagram Entry Post
📱 TikTok: Follow me, repost the entry post + comment with what you’re hoping happens in Book 4, or your fave moment from Book 1, or your fave MM romance trope!
Here’s the Tiktok Entry Post
📱 Facebook: Share my post + comment with what you’re hoping happens in Book 4, or your favourite moment from Book 1, or just your favourite MM romance trope if you’re new to the series!
Here’s the Facebook Entry Post
You can enter on one platform or all three – totally up to you! The giveaway runs until August 24th. I’ll pick three winners from each platform, so if you’re lucky enough to win on multiple platforms, you’ll get to choose different Dark Water series books along with Crocodile Tears. Enter on all three platforms and you could potentially win three signed books from the series!
But don’t worry if you don’t win – I’ve got some exciting things planned for the Book 4 launch that newsletter subscribers will hear about first 😉. One of them in particular is VERY special…!
Feel free to share this with any friends who might be interested!
When you kiss the one man you really shouldn’t…
Josiah gazed at him helplessly. “I couldn’t save him… I tried…”
“Of course you did.” Alexander’s eyes were full of compassion. “It wasn’t your fault.”
“I failed him.” He was back by the car again, Peter’s body resting in his lap, his blood soaking him to the skin.
He glanced over Alexander’s shoulder at the punch bag. He had to do something – anything – to block out the memory.
“Stop it,” Alexander ordered.
“I can’t. It’s in my head. It’s always the same dream… nightmare… memory. I can’t sleep. I need… I need…”
“This.” Alexander leaned in and kissed him gently on the lips.
Josiah hung there, in surprise. He was acutely aware of Alexander’s hard body pressed up against his own, and the softness of his lips… and then he was lost.
He grabbed Alexander’s hips and pulled him close, returning the kiss ferociously, forcing his lips open and exploring his mouth savagely with his tongue, like a wild animal. Wrapping his hand in Alexander’s hair, he rutted against him, keening with desperate desire.
Alexander held steady beneath Josiah’s frenzied caresses, absorbing all of his turmoil. He was a rock beneath the onslaught of his frantic passion, and it was that, finally, that broke through the fog and brought him back to himself.
“I’m sorry… oh shit… I’m sorry.” He came to, his chest heaving. He released his grasp on Alexander’s hair, and the sexual fire raging inside him died, abruptly, leaving him desperately ashamed. “I’m so sorry… I don’t know why I did that. I never lose control.”
Detective Josiah Raine hasn’t touched anyone since his husband’s murder 7 years ago 💔 Bad boy Alex Lytton destroyed his life to become Britain’s most hated man 😈 When Josiah arrests Alex for murder, the last thing he expects is to fall in love…
Your fave tropes:
Enemies to lovers | Slow burn | Hurt/comfort | Broken Boys
KU | Ebook | Audio | Paperback
🧑🏻🤝🧑🏻 Featured Author
I feature another MM author’s work in each newsletter to share the MM love. In this newsletter, it’s Jem Blackwing.
The gift of a male war prize is meant to insult him.
It ruins him.
The last thing Damon needs is to return home from war with this heavily-scarred, beautiful man amongst his spoils. But Damon’s jealous brother threatens to put the frightened creature to the sword if Damon refuses his gift.
The rumours about Damon’s preferences for men in his bed have dogged him all his life. Preferences that are a crime in the Azurian Empire. An empire that has owned Damon as an indentured soldier for two decades.
And as the illegitimate son of the Crown Prince, Damon has many enemies. Enemies who would love to expose his secrets. If his true nature were uncovered now, just as he gains his hard won freedom, he’d lose everything to shame and exile.
But every time Damon looks at his unwanted treasure, he is tempted by the only thing that could destroy him.
And Damon’s war prize has terrible secrets of his own. Secrets in the scars that cover his skin.
📚 Book Promotions
Below is a small selection of themed book promotions – mostly MM romance – but make sure before downloading. Many of the titles are free or available through Kindle Unlimited – but again, please check. Your next favourite read could be just a click away!
🐱 Oh, Indy!
This cat is very silly… but also very pretty!
👨💻👩💻Do You Want To Be On My ARC Team?!
As an ARC (Advance Reader Copy) member, you’ll get a free copy of my upcoming books, in eBook or audiobook form (your choice) before they are officially released. In return, you will be expected to leave an honest review on sites like Amazon and Goodreads. This is important, so please only apply if you can do this. Find out more by clicking on the link below.
👥 Join Me On Social Media
You can find me on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook, Goodreads, Bookbub, X, Bluesky, and Threads – and don’t forget to join my friendly Facebook group, Xanthology! All my links are on my Linktree.
👋 That’s All, Folks!
Until next time, my lovelies!
XOXO
Xanthe
PS Remember to download The Worlds of Xanthe Walter to read the first two chapters of Crocodile Tears!
