Starting Over

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Four months or so ago I was seriously considering making a static website and trying to educate myself on how to do that.

Today, I need to say my health won’t allow for that in any reasonable time frame, so I’m stuck with my WordPress site.

Not happy with it, but I can live with it for now.

It’s been a bit over a year since I set myself the challenge to publish a book a month for one year. I knew going in I was pushing myself hard and had a high chance of failing, but I felt backed into a corner by Trump’s Big Fucking Bill and the need to quickly increase my income.

I actually did a bit better than I expected — managed to keep the stories coming for over half the year before I had to cut back hard to avoid burnout. Then of course I hit burnout over the summer anyway and haven’t published anything since then.

It was a good experience and I’m glad I tried it, but it’s not a viable path forward for me.

But that leaves the question…

What now?

Well, I’m finally writing again. I finished drafting Hunted and Called (formerly A Smear of Blood) and I’ll start drafting Our Girl Fangday (working title) on Nov 1. I’m also working a bit on world building for the sequel to Planting Life on the side.

I don’t have a publishing date for Hunted and Called. Sometime in 2027.

I’m done with publishing goals, at least for now. My attention is going to be on my writing and I’ll publish as and when I can.

This website is going to get an overhaul, and I’m going to start blogging again. I’ll try to get up at least one post a week, even if that post is just a haiku about the view out my window. I don’t have a plan yet for what I’m going to blog about. In the past I’ve tried to come up with a plan first and never found my feet. Instead I’m going to be pantsing this blog. I’ll write whatever feels right on the day and go from there.

I still have hopes to build a larger readership for my books. I’m still not entirely sure how to do that. I’m hoping blogging can be a start in that direction. Especially since a blog can double as an rss feed and newsletter.

(The url for this blog feed is http://jessmahler.com/feed if anyone is interested.)

Beyond that?

I’m taking it as it comes.

Thanks to all the friends and readers who have supported me this far. I’ll talk at you more next week. 😉

Lună’s Vision: Coming Feb 15

Jess MahlerLeave a comment
Book cover. (Mostly) white text on dark blue background. “Book 2 of Clan Lună” at top. “Lună’s Vision” with “Lună” in red and “Vision” in white above an image of a half moon. “Jess Mahler” at the bottom. Image is framed on two sides by decorative scrollwork.

A month ago I was alone.
My mother was dead, my clan scattered. Now I have my mates, a former mercenary team who didn’t know vampires existed before they met me. We had a rough start, but we’re working together now. Which is good, because my enemies found me. Luckily, Lună was looking out for us.
We’re in hiding now, trying to plan our next move, and figuring out how we all fit together. But before we can make our move, our enemies make theirs.
Just when I thought I could finally get laid.
Lună’s Vision is a slow burn paranormal romance and the second in a series about Natalia of the Lună vampires, her five mates, and the future they will build together. Contains FF, MM, and FMF relationships. No AI.

Find it on Smashwords, Itch and other booksellers.

Meadowsweet

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Central image is a sleek, almost triangular spaceship flying in a starry void. Image is surrounded by a black oval on a brick red background. Text: ‘Meadowsweet’ above and ‘Jess Mahler’ below the central image

Anonymous post to the Galactic AITA

I’m the captain of a small trading ship, and I have a problem.

I have a ridiculously high sex drive thanks to that damn parasite from Verda, and I can’t afford surgery to remove it. I tried to control it, but I nearly destroyed my crew a dozen times before I found something that worked: A sex slave.

I buy a slave from people who are going to work her to death, give her good quarters, good food, and a percentage of each trading run. All I expect is that she be available for sex, mostly with me, sometimes with the crew. A lot.

I’ve had 3 so far. Two saved enough to buy themselves free and got a nice set up on the world of their choice. The third kept trying to escape so I ditched her at our next planetfall with the clothes on her back. We’re on our way to a so-called ‘Personnel Processing Platform’ to buy the next one.

Am I the Asshole?

Content warning: This is essentially a heavy non-consent/dubious consent story set in space. If you are uncomfortable with noncon, explicit sex and/or rape, or fictional slavery, this story isn’t for you. No AI

On Smashwords.

Dracula and the Wolfman?

Jess MahlerLeave a comment
Book cover, everything in shades of yellow-orange. A smiling face with beard look out at the viewer from the left side of the image. Text "Dracula and the Wolfman?" and "Jess Mahler"

If anyone finds out what Nick and Daniel get up to in their spare time, there will be hell to pay.

Vampires and werewolves have been on the edge of war for generations. They aren’t supposed to be friends. They certainly aren’t supposed to be dating. And the idea of them submitting to each other would horrify even the most broad minded of their families.

But as long as no one knows, they can enjoy their kinky lives to their hearts’ content. Right?

This M/M short story features pet play, vampire and werewolf switches, explicit sex, and a curious witch.

Now available

Planting Life in a Dying City

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Book cover. Central image is a seedling growing out of a small pile of dirt, surrounded by a golden oval. Text: “Planting Life in a Dying City” “Jess Mahler”. Background is a faded image of an ancient city.

Left alone after a tsunami destroyed eir village, Lefeng would have walked into the mountains and not looked back. A child lost on the trails redirected eir course and another survivor planted the seed of an idea – a new family. Lefeng’s commitment to those ey comes to love will take em to the hated city and a new way of life. But in a slowly dying city, Lefeng’s determination can only carry them so far.

Set in a genderless world of polyamorous marriage, communal care work and multi-generational families, this queernormative tale abounds with details ranging from trauma recovery and neurodivergence to winter romance and city politics. Lovers of cozy narratives can soak in the story of long, steady, unsung work in these pages, the effort and joys of building lives together and building each other up. It’s an experience that will stay with you for a while.

If you can’t get enough of found family and queer fiction in fantasy, you’ll love Planting Life in a Dying City.

Now available

The Last Lady of Lună

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Book cover. (Mostly) white text on dark blue background. “The Last Lady of Lună” with “Lună” in red overlaying the image of a crescent moon. “Jess Mahler” at the bottom. Image is framed on two sides by decorative scrollwork.

I was a child when enemies destroyed our clan. 

My mother escaped and raised me in secret. Without my fathers’ blood, she aged and died. Now I am the last head of Clan Lună. My enemies think I am dead, my clan is scattered to the winds, and I am just coming into my powers. I will claim my birthright, rebuild my clan, and destroy our enemies. I’m just going to need a bit of help.

Luckily I know where to find it. A hot team of human mercenaries specializing in security is looking for their next job. They’re exactly what I need. Now I just need to convince them to believe me, keep my secrets, and rain hell on my enemies.

And if Lună is still watching out for me, maybe I’ll finally get laid.

The Last Lady of Lună is a slow burn paranormal romance and the first in a series about Natalia of the Lună vampires, her five mates, and the future they will build together. Contains FF, MM, and FMF relationships. No AI.

Now available for on most retailers: https://books2read.com/u/m0LQYW

His New Master

Jess MahlerLeave a comment
Left cover is image of a man with dark hair and goatee wearing glasses. On the right is text, "Jess Mahler" in the top cover and "His New Master in bottom corner. Background is orange gradient.

Sold into slavery to pay his parents debts, Sam is happy with his kind mistress and predictable life. Until the day his mistress tells him he’s been sold… with no information on the person who now owns him, not even a name, Sam faces an uncertain and unknown future with His New Master.

A short mm fantasy romance of fresh starts and a massive mind f*ck.

Available on most retailers.

Safer Sex for the Non-Monogamous

Jess MahlerLeave a comment
Dark purple on light purple line drawing of three people in bed together. A dark purple blanket is pulled up over them and on the blanket it reads 'Safer Sex for the Non-Monogamous by Jess Mahler'

Non-monogamous folks talk about the importance of having safer sex alot, but there don’t seem to have too many discussions about what it is, how to have it, and what happens when things go wrong anyway.Plus, there seems to be this ideal that safer sex is just about preventing STIs. (And sometimes pregnancy.) Safety in sex is a whole lot more than that. It’s injuries, and trauma, and consent, and having some important discussions with other people, and making real choices about what risks you will and won’t take, and… well, enough to fill a book.So I did.As usual in these books, I don’t offer much in the way of answers. You need to do you. What I offer is a lot of information and some questions to help you figure out what you want to do with that information.

On Amazon and other retailers