I'm Charlotte Ashe. This is my blog.

Greetings and Salutations! Please make yourself comfortable; I am so very glad you're here. I write critically acclaimed LGBTQ high fantasy and romance that has been filtered through a slightly dirty mind. Maybe you want to check it out? I'm pretty sure you do.

[charlotteashe]

Happy New Year everyone! I made a thing!

[charlotteashe]

How the Bechdel Test helped make my books (SO. MUCH.) better

“For such a feminist book, you really need some women in it.”

This was a piece of advice I got from a dear friend after he read an early draft of The Sidhe, my first novel in The Heart of All Worlds series. It was true and I knew it, but I wasn’t sure where to make these new characters fit, and I didn’t like the idea of just jamming in female characters for the sake of the Bechdel test.

But still...essentially no women? With so many feminist principles--the crushing effects of oppression, the vital importance of sharing power,  the restriction inherent in rigid gender roles--embedded in the narrative, insisting that the book had to remain that way without even giving it some real and focused thought was a cop-out. So I looked at the manuscript again.

And then I saw it. And it changed everything.

Continue Reading at CharlotteAshe.com...

[wingsofwriting]

This. This is exactly why I love Tash and Firae. @chazzam @charlotteashe

[charlotteashe]

Now is a great time to catch up on the Virtual Book Tour for The King and the Criminal! Most recently, I talked with What the Log (who also reviewed my book) and Prism Book Alliance (who has an exclusive excerpt you won’t find anywhere else). And at both sites you can enter to win FREE ebook copies of The King and the Criminal, as well as a $25 gift card good for print or ebooks from Interlude Press!

[interludepress]

I knew I would enjoy this book as soon as I could read it. But oh man did I underestimate how good it was going to be.

Molly Lolly Book Blog review of The King and The Criminal by Charlotte Ashe

The King and The Criminal is now available from the IP Web Store and other online book retailers.

(via interludepress)

[interludepress]

Bisexual Author Finds Delicate Balance Between Her Fiction and Southern Home

Editor’s Note: This commentary by author Lilah Suzanne is part of an ongoing Foreword Reviews series called #IndieVoices, in which we invite small publishers and indie authors to address the 2016 US presidential election and its aftermath....

Lilah Suzanne, author of the Spotlight Series, Spice, and Pivot & Slip, on striking a balance between her love of her North Carolina home and her commitment to the LGBTQ community, from Foreword Reviews.

[charlotteashe]

Summary of toay’s VBT stops: One Review, Eight Cat pics, and a whole slew of opinions from His Majesty, King Firae!

Today I had TWO very fabulous (and very different) Virtual Book Tour stops!

For a review of The King and the Criminal and an essay from Firae’s P.O.V. on his favorite possession, head on over to Molly Lolly!

And for a bunch of silly gushing about my perfect cats, plus arguably too many pictures (and some stuff about my book as well, now that you mention it), check out my stop at The Novel Approach!

And at both stops you can enter a raffle to win FREE ebook copies of The King and the Criminal, or a $25 gift card to Interlude Press!

(p.s.  Tumblr is being fussy and not allowing me to upload pictures today, but for a full schedule of my Virtual Book Tour, including stops you may have missed, head on over HERE!)

[charlotteashe]

Remind me what the anchors we know of so far are? I can think of 4: earth, fire, water, and life. Air is a conduit. What am I missing?

Essence. An easy one to forget, as it can also be used as a stand-in for magical ability altogether, but magic can anchor other magic through essence as well. :)

[charlotteashe]

Your bookcase looks lonely. Perhaps it’s time to put some elves on those shelves? My books also make great gifts for any lovers of queer epic fantasy novels on your list!

And if you’ve spent too much on gifts already, fear not! For TODAY ONLY, all books are 25% off at the Interlude Press store plus 24 hour shipping on print editions!

And if free is more your style,  you have 10 days to enter to win a FREE ebook of my new novel, The King and the Criminal, or a $25 gift card to Interlude Press! https://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/fbb786de77/

You can’t go wrong!

[interludepress]

Today I've got a special treat to share with you: a short but sweet deleted scene. As with all books, The King and the Criminal existed as numerous drafts befor...

Charlotte Ashe shares a deleted scene from Book Two in The Heart of All Worlds series, The King and The Criminal, which is now available from the IP Web Store and other online book retailers.

[charlotteashe]

I know you didn't just end a book like that. Did you end a book like that?? You did, didn't you? Why did you do that to me? Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo! In other words, I loved it, when does the third book come out? Please say tomorrow. Tomorrow, right?

Does next year count as tomorrow? 😬

As a fellow book lover, I’m sorry about the cliffhanger! But as an author, I promise it will be worth it. I’ll be posting deleted scenes from The King and the Criminal as well as snippets from The Sixth Anchor (a.k.a book 3) on my website periodically, so you may want to subscribe & get notified when I post stuff. Hopefully that can tide you over!

As for a release date for The Sixth Anchor, I don’t have one yet. But it should be out in about a year (give or take). I promise to write as fast as I can!

[charlotteashe]

If you haven’t checked out the Virtual Book Tour for The King and the Criminal yet, now is the time to catch up on the first 2 stops at Parker Williams and Havan Fellows! Read book excerpts, my plans for future books in the series, and Tash and Firae’s thoughts on Spring cleaning, elfin footwear and broken hearts. You can also enter to win free copies of The King and the Criminal as well as gift cards for the Interlude Press store! 

[charlotteashe]

HAPPY RELEASE DAY! There is so much to love about this novel--I hope to post a review soon. It truly is magical, and worth the wait!! Please go get The King & The Criminal, friends. It is stunning. <3

You are so sweet and I am so happy you enjoyed the book! I look forward to any review you might post! <3

[charlotteashe]

The King and the Criminal By Charlotte Ashe

The King and the Criminal By Charlotte Ashe Summary The Heart of All Worlds series continues with Sehrys and Brieden living in Khryslee. But when King Firae is trapped by an ancient pact and Sehrys…

Check out my first VBT stop at Parker Williams and hear Tash and Firae’s personal thoughts on spring cleaning and broken hearts. You can also enter to win free books or a free Interlude Press gift card!

[charlotteashe]

Charlotte. You cruel, incredible, sensational person. There are tears in my eyes and I am distraught and full of feelings and someday I might recover, but not today. This book is beautiful. The only thing more beautiful would be to travel through time so The Sixth Anchor would be available now, but alas.

I can’t believe you’ve read it already! Thank you so much--I am sorry to have distressed you...but not so sorry that I won’t do it again, I must admit--the next book will not be easy on the emotions either, though I can promise no cliffhanger ending.

I am working on The Sixth Anchor as fast as I can! I’m so excited to share it with you!

In the meantime, there will be some tidbits coming up to tide you over. Have you checked out my VBT stop at Parker Williams today? There’s a bunch of questions answered by Tash and Firae themselves!

[moriahgemel]

The Heart of All Worlds Book 2: The King and the Criminal (a review)

I was lucky enough to receive an advance copy of Charlotte Ashe’s second novel. And let me tell you–I don’t even know what to say. I’m going to try. But frankly, this book has stolen my words away. It used all its words so beautifully and entertainingly that I feel small in the face of it.

The first book was about Sehrys and Brieden. They appear in this book, and I love their relationship struggles–it’s very real, and I have relationship problems like they do myself. It’s hard to have those kinds of probems–miscommunication (not the overwrought melodramatic kind, though, thank the Sidhe gods) and confusing in the face of huge feelings and obstacles to those feelings. I get it, boys, you’re not alone. Even heroes of this caliber can be human–even when they’re Sidhe.

But the book’s main focus is on Tash and Firae. And I love these two with a fiery burning passion that matches their own. They’re not perfect for each other. They kind of drive each other crazy. But that works. Tash is secretive and angry. Firae is obnoxious and arrogant. They’re both so passionate, though, and when those passions turn to each other, it’s as inflammatory as their elemental fire powers.

My favorite in this book, however, is Brissa. Queen, fighting a civil war, young but seasoned. She’s clever and diplomatic but she can kick ass when she wants to. She’s sexual and at ease in battle or in bed or in court, and I want to learn more about her. She’s destined for great things, already doing them of her own will, and she’s a force to be reckoned with.

My only issue? The book ended too soon. I was so wrapped up in the magnificent story of political intrigue and war and impending doom that I didn’t pay attention to how many pages I had left on my ebook, and when the final words were read and the promise of another book was on the page, I almost wept. It CAN’T end there, I thought. It can’t. We’re not even close to done. But alas, I will have to wait for the next installment to see where our characters go.

[charlotteashe]

Well look what we have here! I’m so excited for this tour–not only do I answer some fabulous questions, but some stops include answers from Tash and Firae’s P.O.V.–stuff you’re not going to find in the book! You can also enter a raffle to win FREE BOOKS if you check out the tour stops! Also, check out my new website, which includes a fairly extensive sidhe language guide!

Oh–and if you haven’t already, you should really buy my book! It’s LGBT romance, high fantasy, adventure, and political intrigue! What are you waiting for?