Else-Moored (Immortal Holmes, No.2) has arrived! ::confetti toss:: I’ve been adding personal touches and inscriptions for those who want author signed copies.
Book Boxes
Category: Immortal Holmes
Release Eve
Else-Moored (Immortal Holmes, No.2) is releasing tomorrow, August 25, 2026. You’ll be able to secure it in print, digital, and audio editions, wherever books are sold. I screencapped the first couple of pages when I uploaded the ebook. (Sneak peek!) If you were to cross-check the timestamp, you’d notice that Chapter 1 of Else-Moored takes place mere knicks after the end of Folk-Spelled, picking up where we left off, with a summons to the palace.
There’s still time to pre-order!
Pre-order the e-book on Amazon (link is to the U.S. storefront)
Shelve this book on Goodreads > Else-Moored (Immortal Holmes, No.2)
Oh! And don’t miss out on the DROP that’s happening over on my Patreon. We’re counting down to the unlocking of the first chapter of Else-Moored narrated by Travis Baldree.
Follow me there for more behind-the-scenes details & art peeks! forthrightly on Patreon >>
Counting Down to Else-Moored (Immortal Holmes, No.2)
August 25, 2026. We’re days away from the release of the next book in my steampunk mystery series. I’m awaiting word from the printer that book boxes have shipped. In the meantime, I’m taking orders from those who want author-signed copies. Details on that are over on the Signed Books tab.
Cursed to lie, Weller learns he can detect a lie.
Sherlock Holmes can hardly refuse when he’s summoned to the palace to consult on a dognapping case. He brings along Varti Weller, who’s compelled to lie because he’s folk-spelled. In the midst of their investigation, a new knack comes to light. Varti can tell when someone else is lying. So he knows that the Selcouth Queen isn’t telling the truth. Or at the very least, she’s left out an important detail about the reason she needs Holmes’s expertise.
Newcomb is besieged. Enzo fulfills his duty. Arty expands his crew. Kel spills royal tea. And the Hound is back on the hunt.
A steampunk mystery. An alternate history
Cozy suspense with a paranormal twist.
Pre-order the e-book on Amazon (link is to the U.S. storefront)
Shelve this book on Goodreads > Else-Moored (Immortal Holmes, No.2)
Illustrations are by Mart Lett
Guidance Deck: Eleventh of Forest
Release Month Art Card. Since we’re nearing the release of Else-Moored (Immortal Holmes, No.2), I decided that August’s monthly mailing should be especially splendid. I’m bringing out the next art card inspired by Philtrum Kemp’s guidance deck. Eleventh of Forest is first mentioned in Folk-Spelled, and it’s going to be the frontispiece illustration for Else-Moored. Sneak peek:
Art cards arrive in the mailboxes of patrons whose tier includes the perk. Eleventh of Forest is the second card we’ve seen in the forest suit. Next time, I think I’ll have series illustrator Mart Let mix it up with a different suit. ::twinkle:: Interested in receiving mail from me? forthrightly on Patreon. Lots more behind-the-scenes details and teasers can be found there, plus I’d appreciate the follow.
Release Day: August 25, 2026
pre-order on Amazon (US storefront) | shelve on Goodreads
Badge Kel Mirza
“I’ll have you there before the tick can tock.” As we get ready for the release of Else-Moored later this month, I’ve been unveiling (and sending out) cast portraits. Kel Mirza is one of the people who works under Varti Weller in Files & Evidence. He suspects that she was placed there to keep an eye on him because of his folk-spelling. She’s a strong woman who likes fast bikes … and she’s an avid royal watcher. [art by series illustrator, Mart Lett]
More buzz about Else-Moored is piling up over on my patreon, so join us over there!
Release Day: August 25, 2026
pre-order on Amazon (US storefront) | shelve on Goodreads
Else-Moored (Immortal Holmes, No.2)
Release Day will be August 25. We have a final manuscript, which we’re readying Travis Baldree, who’ll begin narration this coming Monday, July 27. If you’re able to drop in, he’ll be reading Else-Moored LIVE, and it’s always a treat to watch him work. His Discord server is Cryptid Audio. Join the server, then on the day, join other listeners in the Live Narration channel. We’ll be able to chat in the Listener’s Lounge.
In the meantime … you can pre-order the e-book on Amazon (link is to the U.S. storefront), and you can shelve this book on Goodreads to help get the word out > Else-Moored (Immortal Holmes, No.2) And if it’s been a while since you read Folk-Spelled (Immortal Holmes, No.1), I’d encourage a weekend re-read, because the second book picks up mere knicks after the first book ends!
Cursed to lie, Weller learns he can detect a lie.
Sherlock Holmes can hardly refuse when he’s summoned to the palace to consult on a dognapping case. He brings along Varti Weller, who’s compelled to lie because he’s folk-spelled. In the midst of their investigation, a new knack comes to light. Varti can tell when someone else is lying. So he knows that the Selcouth Queen isn’t telling the truth. Or at the very least, she’s left out an important detail about the reason she needs Holmes’s expertise.
Newcomb is besieged. Enzo fulfills his duty. Arty expands his crew. Kel spills royal tea. And the Hound is back on the hunt.
A steampunk mystery. An alternate history.
Cozy suspense with a paranormal twist.
You’ll find lots of behind-the-scenes details over on my Patreon, where I’ve been offering little teasers and behind the scenes details. And mailing out cast portraits.
This is just so exciting!
The Selcouth Queen
Queen Aelia. Although it’s only a passing mention in Folk-Spelled, we do learn the Selcouth Queen’s name. Aelia [pronounced uh-LEE-uh] and her human counterpart represent the peace between realms. Since Else-Moored (Immortal Holmes, No.2) will be sending us to the palace, I’m quite sure we’ll be meeting these regal ladies soon. ::twinkle::
More behind the scenes details & Else-Moored teasers to come over on my Patreon!
ART: The Speckled Hen
“That Cock of the Walk?” Ramage owns an eatery in Newcomb called The Speckled Hen. Their specialty? Egg dishes. Which have become Varti’s absolute favorite.
More behind-the-scenes details about the Immortal Holmes series can be found on my Patreon, where we’re gearing up for the release of Else-Moored (Immortal Holmes, No.2)!
Art by Mart Lett
When it all goes wrong…
I had so much fun creating the lingo used by the people of Newcomb in the Immortal Holmes series. Slang and colloquialisms. Oaths and idioms. They lend ambiance and even nuance. For instance, you may have noticed that city-dwellers use more steampunk-y slang (eg. “rust it all!”), but woodfolk like Philtrum Kemp lean more toward nature-based sayings (eg. “that’ll flourish!”).
Widdershins. It’s a quirky term I’ve always loved. Widdershins is just another way to say counterclockwise, so it’s perfect for a town that’s full of coggers & steamworks.
Begging your pardon, gents. I happened to overhear a bit of what you were saying, and I’ll confess myself curious. What you’re saying. It’s all widdershins. I’d swear you’re having two entirely different conversations.”
— Folk-Spelled (Immortal Holmes, No.1)
Harpy Feet
I … I have no excuse. Ashes and rust, don’t let Ramage see me like this. It’s embarrassing.
:: blush ::
Navigating Newcomb
Bridge District. This section of the city is under the royal view, since the palace sits atop the center of the wall overlooking the James, its six bridges, and the gardens. Fun Fact: there’s a saying about letting things go: “water under the nine bridges.” That’s because there are three additional bridges (much less ornamental) downstream in the Academy District.
Posts like this, that dish details from behind the scenes in Folk-Spelled and the upcoming Else-Moored turn up at regular intervals over on my Patreon. I hope you’ll consider following me there!
Quarterly Art Card
Philtrum’s Guidance Deck. I’ve begun a new series of illustrations that I’m turning into art cards for my patrons. They’ll be based on the cards in Philtrum Kemp’s guidance deck in the Immortal Holmes series. You may recall the frontispiece illustration from Folk-Spelled, which was Fifth of Forest.
::twinkle::When you love a word…
Feeling Daring? I have a stash of obscure words that I think would make splendid names. When the time came to name my gorgon character, Durst fit beautifully.
What’s in a Name
In Folk-Spelled (Immortal Holmes, No.1), we meet Ramage, who’s a friend from back home for Philtrum Kemp. Ramage is a harpy and a small business owner. He helps to feed the people of Newcomb. You’ll find his restaurant near Rowan Station in the Trestle District.
If you like these kinds of background details, you’ll find lots more on my Patreon.
Introducing Arty
Sketch Peek. While most of my behind-the-scenes posts about Folk-Spelled (and the upcoming Else-Moored) can be found over on my Patreon, I don’t mind sharing a few peeks here on my blog. This is an early sketch of Arty, a student at the Academy of Mages. He’s a street artist and a skater boi and a friend indeed to out-of-towner Enzo, who’s his next-door neighbor.
Series illustrator Mart Lett and I are already working on a new set of cast portraits to help with promotion in 2026. If you don’t want to miss any early news and sketch peeks, you know where to find me. ::twinkle::
FORTHRIGHT 