Santanoās been away from his mate and boyfriends, now itās the New Year. Itās time for his family and all the minions to celebrate with a special party! Mostly sans clothes, lots of sex and energy to celebrate his return and the New Year!
Itās all charming characters on board and their new family dynamic on sexy loving display.
Fun, sexy and a great addition to this series.
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees :
The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer #1
The Trouble With Trying to Save an Assassin #2
The Trouble with Trying to Love a Hellion #3
The Trouble With Trying to Hook a Harbinger #4
The Adventure of Sterling Jones: A Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees Sidequest
How to Start the New Year Right: According to the Minions
In preparation for Santanosās return from a retreat in the Alps, the minions are putting on a New Yearās Eve party, but if one more person touches Edovard, the celebration is going to get bloody.
Hassan:
My mate is adorable, but heād be even cuter with bloody hands. If only that wouldnāt upset Edovard.
How to Start the New Year Right is a 6k short story featuring a New Year’s Eve party with fewer clothes than people and the minionsā evil New Yearās resolutions.
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees is one of my favorite unhinged series. Jennifer Codyās fabulously eccentric characters and wildly imaginative
storylines that swing from the humorous to the horrifying to the absurd and adventurous and back are always captivating.
The Trouble With Trying to Bag a Blood Witch, the fifth book in the series, is another resounding hit. With one twist after another popping up in the story, the reader is still firmly centered on the growing relationship between otherworldly finder Darcy Hellspinner and very chill human Elijah Penn as they face numerous challenges and overcome attacks from villains unknown.
Itās a wildly chaotic journey thatās well constructed, layered with strange creatures and beings, and goes to unexpected places that even our main characters didnāt anticipate.
I believe that there is one more book in the series. Thereās a wedding that still needs to happen for Arlington Fox and Romily, our original couple. That should be utter joy and a great universal celebration of the most unhinged storylines and these fabulous zany characters. I canāt wait.
I highly recommend this series and story. Read these in order, it does help. Great covers.
Cover Design by Tammy, Aspen Tree E.A.S.
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees :
The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer #1
The Trouble With Trying to Save an Assassin #2
The Trouble with Trying to Love a Hellion #3
The Trouble With Trying to Hook a Harbinger #4
The Trouble With Trying to Bag a Blood Witch #5
The Adventure of Sterling Jones: A Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees Sidequest
Imagine coming home from an extended stay in a foreign country to find a letter from a house sitter you didnāt hire warning you to get a protection order against your ex and informing you that youāre a terrible plant dad.
I mean, I am a terrible plant dad, and I probably should get a protection order against Stalker Steve, but that letter isnāt the weirdest thing to happen to me today. I think the teleporting alien baby whoās decided to make me their perch probably takes the prize for Weirdest Thing in Elijah Pennās Life.
Fortunately, the babyās parents hired a bounty hunter to bring me and my new buddy back. Unfortunately, Darcy Hellspinner might be the sexiest man Iāve ever met in real life, and if it isnāt clear from the fact I call my ex Stalker Steve, I have terrible taste in men. I have the sneaking suspicion that Darcyās going to be my next big mistake, but thatās okāIām probably going to be his too.
The Trouble With Trying to Bag a Blood Witch is a 87k paranormal romance with a little bit of sci-fi mixed in, two MCs who think this is just an extended hook up, and a baby alien with impeccable timing. The Foxily family is growing again. Itās Darcyās turn to bring in a mate, but heās lodging an official complaint because this isnāt what he signed up for.
Jennifer Codyās new book, Where Fools Have Tread, is featured in the new multi author series, Tales From The Tarot.
Situated in the authorās Murder Sprees and Mute Degrees universe with crossover characters, this is an absolutely engaging story that promises to bring the reader additional books about this world and gargoyle guardians.
Cody weaves magic, science fiction, romance and the mystical powers of the Tarot cards into a narrative where a lonely young man of indecision finds his path, his origins, a fated mate, and a family. All with a little magical charm and assistance.
Iām a longtime fan of Codyās, especially her ability to create beautifully realized characters and then deliver a highly imaginative, engaging storyline for them to explore and journey to their own endpoint, whatever that means.
Here Dec Scion, an aimless young man, still mourning the loss of his uncle who raised him, ends up a butler working for the unusual wealthy Staiano family. Who happen to be guardian gargoyles.
Dec, a great character who continues to reveal depths of personality and strengths of his own, meets Thoren, and the attraction sets off an highly snarky, fun relationship that allows each to learn about each other as it turns into a fated mates relationship.
Thereās other gargoyle brothers and uncle, Maxime, who clearly need further exploration and stories. And great housekeeping staff equally well developed and crying for more details.
I was thoroughly entertained and delighted with this couple and new beginnings. I look forward to more novels, both in this series and from Cody.
Iāve never really had much in the way of direction in my life, until I walk into an eerie shop where a strange man charges me more than I should pay for a tarot reading of one card. Next thing I know, Iām graduating school to be a domestic servant and find myself employed by someone elseās weird uncle in the strangest mansion. Everyone is great even if theyāre all a little… off. Except Thoren. Heās a thorn in my side, and Iām not sure how I feel about him dropping his cards all the time just to make me pick them up for him. (My ass is not what heās looking at because… what?)
Thoren:
Iāve known since I was a child the path I would take in life. Iām a guardian, one of the Trustworthy, and I am excellent at my job. I take my pleasure wherever I can find it, because Iāve earned every second of my leisure with the hours, days, and weeks of work I put in on every mission. Finding pleasure in teasing the new butler is new, but Dec seems to like it just as much as I do, no matter how often he tries to hide in the cleaning closet. (Iām definitely looking at dat ass because… yum.)
Where Fools Have Tread is an MM paranormal romance set in the Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees universe with a human butler who finds his calling serving a household full of paranormal protectors and a gargoyle with resting bitch face who takes delight in teasing him.
Where Fools Have Tread is a standalone MM romance novel as part of the multi-author collaboration Tales from the Tarot. This book is based on the major arcana card The Fool.
Publication date: August 19, 2024
Language: English
Print length: 179 pages
Tales from the Tarot is a massive multi-author paranormal & fantasy MM romance collaboration. These 22 books, each by a different author, highlight the Major Arcana cards in a traditional Tarot deck – with some liberties taken, such as The Empress card being The Consort, for an all MM or gay romance focus.
The Trouble With Trying to Hook a Harbinger is another absolutely wild unhinged story in Jennifer Codyās Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees series and Iām loving every single bit of this.
No, itās not over yet. This is the penultimate tale of battles, families, universal balance and gods, shopping, engagements, ginormous rings, new adoptions, and just outright chaos in the best way possible. With blood and swords and lots of sex.
Cody does give Romily (and the reader) a further explanation into his muteness and past trauma. Itās typical of Codyās writing that this aspect of the story, while it offers Romily an explanation for his tragic past and mutism, it wonāt resolve it. Instead this storyline gives him a new perspective about this part of himself as well as sees another intriguing being added to the family.
Codyās characters are so well written, grounded in their emotions and respected relationships that we stay connected with them no matter what happens to the world around them. Here, with the incredible imagery and imagination thatās been brought by Cody to this moment, itās a very wild ride!
Thatās why I just love this entire series and story. Even the smallest scene can contain ramifications for the larger plot, or even for a characterās story later on in the series. Codyās plot is complex even when appearing at its most simplistic stage. Itās never one dimensional. Crazy, zooming off into the wilderness of the universe and who knows what else could possibly happen next but thatās what makes this work. Characters that love each other deeply amidst chaos and way too many tables.
Gotta love this. I do and canāt wait for the next one to come out. Plus I heard that there will be a new sequel series to follow. Highly recommended!
Stay tuned.
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees :
ā The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer #1
ā The Trouble With Trying to Save an Assassin #2
ā The Trouble with Trying to Love a Hellion #3
ā The Trouble With Trying to Hook a Harbinger #4
ā The Adventure of Sterling Jones: A Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees Sidequest
Welcome back to Will-They-Wonāt-They? The Engagement: The Foxily Edition. Thatās the name of the show that Iām planning to pitch to a producer thatās based on my life. Will Fox ever give me a ring? Who knows! I donāt, and I donāt think Fox does either. If the rock currently sitting not-on-my-finger is any indication, we might be doomed.
In the meantime, let me introduce to you my new best friend: a cherub. (Are we surprised by this turn of events? No. I flipping love cherubs.) Akile Aristide walks into my life, declares that Iām his bestie, and then flips the world on its three way axis. Whatās a Harbinger to do except announce, āIncoming!ā and hope everyoneās buckled in?
The Trouble with Trying to Hook a Harbinger is a 63k MM Paranormal Romedy with a Harbinger who gets to change his title to The Chosen One, a slightly manic Reaper whoās out for a little blood, and the family that theyāre building one adoption at a time.
The Ashes of Ackonir by Jennifer Cody is a fantastic standalone novel that has the breadth and depth to be the foundation of a great series.
The author has gone to incredible detail in creating the world of Maldrin. Cody has referenced at the beginning of the book a glossary of terminology, cultural references, historical and geographic information. Itās astonishing. Right after this comes a list of the Deities, starting with Ackonir, god of blood, seduction and immortality. A god worshiped by vampires.
Then, equally important, comes a list of trigger warnings. Theyāre too complicated and long to repeat. But do read them carefully before making your decision to continue on.
The story is a two person narrative, which is hugely important as thereās a purposeful power imbalance from the beginning to the relationship of the main characters. Itās implicit in their political stations and more importantly, in their personal dynamics.
Sparrow, whose painful adolescence is slowly revealed over the course of the story, is the son of King Edrickās roaming late wife and Consort, Mara.
Both Sparrow and his mother share a complex relationship and labyrinthine history that weaves together cult like religious beliefs, hidden ancestry, and, heinously, an abandonment that left Sparrow to his fatherās cult members for raising. A child raised within such an environment has no connection to the outside world or any idea that some of the rules or practices arenāt common elsewhere. Thatās Sparrow. And sexual activity was practiced by all members .
Edrick is a son of Ackonir. What exactly that means will become clear later on in the narrative. However, what Codyās story brings is an immediate, and perhaps inevitable mating between the two men.
Edrickās character is powerful, supernatural, explicitly sexual in nature, with that base of seduction and dominant sexuality laid out everywhere, from the clothes heās wearing to the designs within the palace. Their sexual dynamics is layered with the dominance and submission thatās part of each manās nature, carved into them by their past history, and current roles. Cody has built a very strong and compelling relationship. One that reveals itself to be even more complex than it initially appears.
The narrative is equally complicated, containing multiple storylines and all woven together to create a mystical experience and unforgettable tale of love, death, and gods.
Iām highly recommending this and hoping that Cody continues on with this universe and characters with another story.
Life beyond the walls of Eoam, the commune where my mother raised me, has never tempted me. My needs are fulfilled as long as I work, and if my life is full of more sorrow than most, itās because I was born for it. But even I have my limits, and when the people whoāve raised me do the unthinkable, I burn the walls down and walk away.
My first steps away from the commune lead me straight into the company of someone I barely knew existed. Edrick was once married to my mother, but the life she lived in the palace never touched me, and Iām surprised when Edrick brings me there.
I thought Iād be walking into a world similar to what Iād been taught, but the more I see of Maldrin, the more I realize that I was made powerless by the people who were meant to love me. As my anger stirs, so does Edrickās, and he decides to empower me with a title, tutors, spies, and maybe even real, actual love.
Iāve never known what love is, but if anyone can convince me I was born for more than sorrow, itās Edrick Dastropha, the Emperor of Maldrin.
Edrick:
I never got to live in my wifeās company more than a few months at a time, and as much as I wanted her to myself, I couldnāt keep her wild heart caged in the palace. She lived in a commune with her other lovers when she wasnāt with me or traveling, but she kept that part of her life private because she knew my ability to control my jealousy had limits. Now, more than a decade after sheās gone, she has one last surprise for me.
Sparrow is as beautiful as his mother was and far more tempting. I invited him to live with me to honor her, but when the first thing I notice about the young man is how needy he is and how beautifully he fits in my arms, the best I can offer is my solemn oath that he will always have a place under the wing of my protection.
Preparing him for life in the palace requires more than I expected, and as I spend time with him, it becomes clear that the commune I allowed to exist because my wife loved it hurt him in infuriating ways. I will do everything in my power to give him what he needs, even if that means making another sacrifice to the god of blood and seduction.
If anyone can rise from the ashes of Ackonir, Sparrow was born for it.
The Ashes of Ackonir is a MM steampunk fantasy romance between an emperor with vampiric tendencies and the tempting little lost lamb with blood that sings to him. This book includes a heavily imbalanced power-dynamic, political intrigue, war, and other complex tropes. Readers should consult the content warning at the beginning of this book before reading.
The time has come, the wizard says, for all great adventures to come to an end and all the fabulous adventurers to tend to their wounds, gather their treasures, and head back home.
Necromancer Lawton, Half Orc Berklak, and the rest of the Beefcake Brigade are still on their quest to find the reason for the dreaded miasma thatās spreading over the lands, causing the females of various species to turn on the males in a murderous frenzy.
Now they are headed into the frozen southern landscape of Gwafellaw. There awaits such wondrous things as dragons, a crazy wood elf, and the solution to the murderous rage thatās seeping over the continent.
Codyās final chapter in this fabulous adventure is a doozy. She gives us a bit of fatherly acceptance for Lawton, forest love for Berklak and new magical powers, some wildly inspired battles, and an ancient, devastating origin tale that is the beginnings of all the woe here.
Yes, that does contain mention in an ancient poem of multiple SA to a woman long dead. Be warned.
Cody pulls together all the pieces of the journey, the events of carnage, and magical scenarios to create one monumental experience as a cap to the adventure and a final chapter in this epic tale. Loved it.
What a strange and glorious romp this has been! I shall miss this motley, powerful, magical crew. And hopefully, one day, Cody will decide to send them forth to adventure once more.
Until then, Iām highly recommending all five chapters of this excellent adventure. Make sure to read them in order.
I honestly thought passing through the ward to the freezing land of Gwafellaw would be more miserable than it turns out to be. Who has time to be miserable when everything in the land wants to kill you? No one, thatās who.
Between fighting dragons, finding a new species, and saving a crazy druid, Berklak and I are learning exactly what it means to be anchored, tied together, bonded, and in love. Weāre going to defeat the aelysou hurting Fasgard no matter what it takes, because Iām the high sorcerer of Fasgard and the most powerful necromancer alive. I wonāt let anything separate me from the love of my lifeānot my father, not a goddess, not even death.
Berklak:
Iāve been adventuring for over fifty years, and Iāve adventured in Gwafellaw before, but Iāve never seen so much hostility. The only good thing walking this land is Lawton, and Iād follow him to the portals of death herself if thatās where he wanted to go.
I might not be sure exactly what weāre going to find in this frozen wasteland, but if itās not my happily ever after, I wonāt have done my job right. Iām proficient in weapons, and Iām confident weāll prevail, but itās a good thing we have Lawton to keep us from permanently making the ultimate sacrifice. Iād hate for him to lose me before we even figure out where weāre going to live after this.
I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc is a five chapter serial fantasy adventure with a light-hearted, fun TTRPG vibe. Expect big magic, lots of cuddles, plenty of steam, and a team of characters that might not get a natural 20 on every roll, but they make up for it with creative solutions to both magical and mundane problems.
What a lot of fun Jennifer Cody must have had writing this story. Specifically, the character of Sterling Jones and his seemingly endless highly playful, exaggerating teenage ish propensity purple prose for names for the his sexual organs and his partners, plus the physical reactions that their bodies make during their sexual encounters. Sterling is also a murderous, incredibly kinky, one-armed, adventurous adorable menace with a propensity for kidnapping people to add to his growing found family.
With the exception of a middle chapter or two, this story is narrated by the wildly āout there ā Sterling. Honestly, this is an addictive voice. it just invites the reader calmly into the madness, where we happily stay for the roller coaster ride.
Especially when we start adding Sterlingās best friend and then new addition (aka Hennessey and Re) as the journey rolls along, like some murderous Toadās Wild Ride but on a perverted sentient motorcycle and a fated mate ghost hunter werewolf, Jethro, at the helm.
Jethro is amazing. So is that perverted sentient bike. They need their own review. Heart eyes.
Itās all a āpowā and āKazaamā but with kinky sex , occasionally tentacles, kidnapping, and always paranormal wildly weird stuff happening.
Iām definitely down for that.
And at the very end, like a very long joke youāve been waiting for a punch line for but didnāt was coming, we get a series tie in to another previous book. Which will send me running back to read that all over again.
Honestly, Iām not sure this is everybodyās jam. But itās definitely mine. Hilarious, over the top madness.
Yes please. More.
Related Series:
Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees (3 book series)
ā The Trouble with Trying to Date a Murderer #1
ā The Trouble With Trying to Save an Assassin #2
My life has been full of danger and fun since the day I realized what widening my big, blue eyes a bit could do for a boy like me. Guys the world over have fallen into that look-at-me-Iām-so-innocent trap, and Iāve never regretted it, even when I was staring down the muzzle of some poor straight boyās weapon after confusing him with the best bj of his life (they donāt usually try to murder me, and he didnāt succeed, so obviously Iāve never learned my lesson). I love a good adventure, and now Iām looking at the greatest one Iāve ever seen.
Jethro Jones knows exactly what hits him the moment I sidle into his personal space, and itās not because I only have one arm and an off-putting manic grin (Iām very cute, even with the psycho smile). Itās definitely the boner Iām rocking. The ride I offer him after his motorcycleās been stolen? Well, thatās just the beginning, isnāt it? Besides, Iām adorable, fun, and only inclined to kidnap people I like.
The Adventure of Sterling Jones is a 32k word, insta-love/insta-lust MM paranormal romance, Murder Sprees and Mute Decrees sidequest featuring a thrill-seeking trouble magnet and his dangerous werewolf mate with more heat than is probably advisable for how combustible these two are and a stolen engagement ring.
Heading towards the end of this crack fantasy adventure and I find it hard to believe Cody will be able to wrap it all up in the next chapter.
Thereās a lot here to take in, more information and plain ol magical stuff about the mystery of the evil miasma thatās threatening Fasgard and the Underthyr, the darkness that started the quest and the gang out on their journey.
Cody gives us more road trip puzzles to solve , entertaining dwarven family dynamics, the emotional ramifications of the deepening new bond between Lawton and Berklak, and revelations of what might be behind the female animosity thatās causing such suffering and chaos across the land. Itās one wild roll of the dice after another as the group interpersonal relationships form new romances and hopes for future adventures.
I canāt wait to see what happens next. And just a note! I love the names here, especially the towns. This is a fabulous example of otherworldly names done right! They fit, they sound astoundingly familiar yet not, and as though they fit in this world. Love them.
I donāt know if I appreciate learning new things about myself. Bonding with Berklak has been eye-opening, but I might be a tiny bit terrified by it, because suddenly I have more magic than Iām supposed to, and now I kind of understand why other necromancers have rampaged across thyr. Iām not saying Iām going to start leaving a trail of bodies behind me, but Iām not saying Iām incapable of it either. And that might have me a tiny bit worried.
Berklak:
My necromancer is worried. I donāt know what’s going on in that beautiful head of his, but his heart beats in the bond between us, and something is stressing him. Iāll get him to talk it out, and then weāll make a plan, and somehow weāll figure out what is happening in Fasgard and the Underthyr. But first, Iām going to make sure Lawton relaxes for at least a minute and takes a few deep breaths. Nothing is so bad that we donāt have time for a little self-care.
I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc is a five chapter serial fantasy adventure with a light-hearted, fun TTRPG vibe. Expect big magic, lots of cuddles, plenty of steam, and a team of characters that might not get a natural 20 on every roll, but they make up for it with creative solutions to both magical and mundane problems
Necromancer Prince Lawton, his lover, the half Orc barbarian and founding member of the League of Extraordinary Rage, Berklak, and their merry crew of mismatched otherworldly beings are off on an adventure, Iām mean, mission to find out whatās plaguing the Kingdom of Fasgard. Turns out, itās quite a lot.
So many mysteries , bodies, zombies, and magic gone awry.
Codyās having a blast rolling the dice in a serialized story thatās , in the authorās words, playing out in a ālighthearted, fun TTRPG vibeā. For those who donāt know what this is, itās a tabletop role-playing game. You grab paper, pencil or pens, and game is on with a bunch of people in various roles. Dungeon & Dragons being the hallmark here.
This has all the feels and more. I love the characters and, especially in this chapter, we get more growth and history along with the āevent a minute ā storyline. Dwarves and every aspect that even has a side dwarven element is just amazing. From the dwarven mead to their ability to accept any other being as a dwarf if they have grown up in a dwarven environment is incredible. We absolutely believe in these dwarves, yes, we do.
Armus and Inghramās relationship is looking intriguing, Darian, Frost (the Unbearded, which Iām still giggling about) and Tavia, all the crew members are developing further. So is the sexy bond between Lawton and Berklak.
Codyās expanding the boundaries of the darkness plaguing the Kingdom while giving us and the intrepid crew very little answers. Hopefully more will come soon in the next chapter.
Until then, enjoy these short wonderfully entertaining stories for the format as well as the spontaneity that it narratively captures so well!
I expected challenges along the way in this adventure, but I didnāt expect to come face to corpse with the work of another necromancer. It pains me, but I canāt let just anyone carry on creating potential wights and contagious zombies. Fortunately, I know exactly how to fix the problem, even if it drains me dry. Thankfully, I have a Berklak to help me recover.
Berklak:
Meadāthatās all I need. At least thatās what I think, until my little necromancer reaches for a weapon that could kill him, and I realize that I might need a little bit more in life than the drink of orcs. Itās a good thing Lawtonās ok with me setting boundaries, because I need him to be safe, whole, and energetic, even if I have to give him everything I am to make that happen.
I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc is a five chapter serial fantasy adventure with a light-hearted, fun TTRPG vibe. Expect big magic, lots of cuddles, plenty of steam, and a team of characters that might not get a natural 20 on every roll, but they make up for it with creative solutions to both magical and mundane problems.
I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc is a 5-chapter serialized fantasy story by Jennifer Cody. Itās one that, if you ever wondered how an author plots a storyline, here she cheerfully notes this oneās by dice throw. Rolls one way, and oopsy, the current battle may not go in this characterās favor! Fun chaos ensues.
Thereās a powerful necromancer (Lawton) thatās comes in a adorable compact size, a green half orc with a mean soul hammer and a love affair with his mead (Bertlak) , a clumsy paladin with a dark god as a dad, an assortment of fascinating fellow adventurers with mysterious pasts , all on a epic journey to save the kingdom.
We meet more of this intriguing group of characters that are accompanying Prince Lawton and Bertlak out into the country. To start thereās two more women warriors as well as a bumbling paladin with dark parentage with the face of an innocent who added just before they leave, a traveling band already assembled of mixed paranormal beings.
Cody adds in additional world building along with character growth and scenes of action and magical derring do! Here there be nasty spiders galore and necromancy battles.
Itās fun, itās sexy, and five chapters will probably not be near enough time for me to have these characters in my life. Iām enjoying this series that much.
Starting an adventure is always an exciting time. Iāve gone on a few by myself, but nothing compares to gathering a full party and seeing how everyone will mesh. We might have a clumsy bard and a chaotic paladin, but with everyone working together, weāll figure out whatās happening in Fasgard. We may have to break a few laws to do it, but I donāt think thereās anything an orc would change about that.
Well, I might change how quickly Iām getting attached to the necromancer, but thereās nothing to be done about that now; heās mine.
Lawton:
Iām finally getting out of the palace, and I even manage to do it without breaking too many laws! Only, like, two, maybe three depending on your interpretation of āsmugglerā and āspy.ā My adventuring party is amazing. They like me, donāt flinch when I touch them, and are genuinely interested in my magic, and I donāt know if a necromancer could ask for anything more.
Well, except for maybe a few more hours of alone time with his traveling companion; I could definitely get behind (or rather in front of) that idea.
I Went on an Adventure and All I Got Was This Barbarian Orc is a five chapter serial fantasy adventure with a light-hearted, fun TTRPG vibe. Expect big magic, lots of cuddles, plenty of steam, and a team of characters that might not get a natural 20 on every roll, but they make up for it with creative solutions to both magical and mundane problems.
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words 