QSFer Kaje Harper has a new MM paranormal romance out, Necromancer book 7: Found by Jasper.
Jasper’s curiosity has carried him through adventures with ghouls, demons, world gates, and megalomaniac sorcerers. He plans to spend the next few years cataloging the mansion’s vast and moldering library, and experimenting with magical construction. Professor Xsing, the raccoon not-quite-familiar who’s decided to work with him, has fascinating opinions. Hamish, the sorcerer they rescued, is becoming a friend. It’s silly for Jasper to wish for anything more.
Hamish spent months chained in one small room. Now he lives free in a mansion full of books and friendly people, but adjusting isn’t as simple as it should be. When his past weighs heavily, he can ramble the woods and fields. When he can’t sleep, there’s a nocturnal raccoon happy to share his explorations. But he’s lonely, he misses his own long-lost familiar, and when he thinks he hears her ghost— even though familiars don’t have ghosts— his life is about to be overturned.
Something’s afoot— ghost, spirit, familiar, wood mouse? With Silas, Darien, and their familiars headed off to France, Jasper and Hamish join forces to help those in need. And as they work together, an unexpected chance at love may fill the lonely corners of both their hearts.
Found by Jasper is a novel in the Necromancer series, with our past heroes as side characters. Older MCs, friends to lovers, first times, demisexual.
**Content warning for secondary character self-harm.**
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Excerpt
Jasper hovered while trying to appear not to. Sometimes Hamish appeared pale and lightheaded when he first got up, and although his broad frame could make two of Jasper’s lean one, Jasper was almost as tall and not emaciated. He was ready to lend an arm if needed.
Hamish gave him a rueful glance from under bushy, graying brows. “I can walk on my own, y’know.”
“When you stop calling two slices of bread a sufficient meal, I’ll stop worrying.” Jasper surprised himself with the tartness of his voice.
“I don’t mean to worry anyone.” Hamish looked down. “Sometimes it’s just…”
Hard. It was sometimes hard to leave captivity behind. Jasper had only been held in chains a couple of days, months ago now, compared to Hamish’s many weeks as a prisoner and recent escape, but Jasper still woke in the dark convinced he was tied down. No surprise that Hamish also was struggling, just days after being cut free. Or that he preferred no one noticed.
Jasper lightened his tone. “Well, I count on you to make me look less of a glutton. I don’t know where Silas found his butcher, but the man does come through with succulent cuts. And Silas baked yesterday, so we must pay our respects to his bread.”
Hamish managed a smile. “Very well, I’ll support you at the breakfast table.” He was still leaning his weight on one hand planted on the desk.
Jasper pretended not to notice, turning for the door. “Come along. I, for one, am eager to hear about the council meeting Silas was called to last night.” As he headed down the hall, he listened with careful attention to the steadiness and rhythm of Hamish’s steps behind him. That’ll do, for now.
In the kitchen, Silas sat at the table slicing bread, while Darien stood frying bacon, Pip beside him gazing up with rapt attention. Darien called, “Hey, just in time,” over his shoulder as he flipped the slices.
Silas looked up. “Good morning. I hope you all slept well.”
“Just fine, thank you,” Hamish clearly lied.
Despite Grim’s green stare from where he sat up on a corner of the table, Jasper echoed, “Yes, just fine.” He pulled out a chair for Hamish and grabbed his own. “What did the council want with you, Silas? Still trying to get you to join them?”
“Not lately. They’re leery of me these days, and now Hamish is here, I think they’re eyeing him instead.”
“Not interested,” Hamish said. “I did enough sorcerer-wrangling in the war to last me several lifetimes.”
“I’ll let you tell them that.” Silas began distributing the bread on plates, his long-fingered hands deftly stacking slices two at a time as he spoke. “No, this meeting actually had a good reason. They’ve okayed nine demon bounties payable to me for Coilingbroke.”
“Nine?” Darien glanced over his shoulder, frowning. “You banished twelve demons.”
“The council decided,” Silas’s tone went dry, “that since Worthington transferred power to me for the banishments, he was entitled to some of the reward. They suggested a fifty-fifty split. I suggested he might then be called upon to handle half of all future demons. We settled on nine bounties.”
Grim chuckled. “Ferngold’s face turned an interesting shade. I almost wished for better color vision to enjoy it fully.”
Darien clapped a theatrical hand to his chest. “Are you admitting a cat’s physical form isn’t perfect?”
“Bite your tongue, young sorcerer.” Grim licked one extended claw.
Author Bio
I get asked about my name a lot, but it’s not something exotic. “Kaje” is pronounced like “cage” – it’s an old nickname; my pronouns are she/her. My books are primarily M/M romance, often with added mystery, fantasy, historical, SciFi, paranormal… I also have a few Young Adult stories.
After decades of writing just for fun, my husband convinced me I really should submit something, somewhere. My first professionally published book, Life Lessons, came out in May 2011. I have a weakness for closeted cops with honest hearts and teachers who speak their minds, and I was delighted and encouraged by the reception Mac and Tony received. I now have a good-sized backlist in ebooks, print, and some audio, both free and professionally published, including Amazon bestseller The Rebuilding Year and Rainbow Awards Best Mystery-Thriller Tracefinder: Contact. A complete list with links can be found on my website “Books” page.
| Author Website | https://www.kajeharper.com/ |
| Author Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/KajeHarper |