isabelle adler – A. L. Lester

#ReadAroundTheRainbow: My favourite creepy story

Read Around the Rainbow

As you’re probably aware, #RAtR is a blogging project I am doing with a few friends who also write LGBTQIA romance. You can find everyone by clicking here or on the image to the right.

This month we are, obviously, writing about our favourite creepy or Halloween story. This is a dead easy post for me to write, as I have an outstanding all-time-favourite Halloween story–The House on Druid Lake by Isabelle Adler.

It’s kind of a cosy mystery as well as a Halloween story, which should be counter-intuitive but turns out not to be at all.

The House on Druid Lake

Oliver’s a bit of a mess–his last relationship was abusive and he’s moved from Florida to Baltimore for a new job and a fresh start. He moves into a flat in an interesting old house, sight unseen except for the photos in the listing on the internet. The very attractive landlord is a bit odd as are the rest of the tenants. It was such a set-up…creaky old house, mysterious tenants…I loved it and immediately began working out what particular kind of entity each person was.

The house turns out to be the target of an unscrupulous developer and Oliver and his new landlord have to outwit them. Nym, the landlord, has his own secrets and hang-ups and I found their relationship development satisfying and well-rounded. There are some pleasingly inexplicable little bits…I don’t like my magic systems to be spoon-fed to me and there were little loose threads independent of the main story that gave me things to ponder once I’d finished. It’s a very happy Halloween book and I love it!

Here’s everyone else who wrote this month:

Amy Spector : K. L. Noone : Ellie Thomas : Nell Iris : Holly Day

Interview: Isabelle Adler

Let’s welcome Isabelle Adler to the blog today to talk about her recent release and answer some nosey questions!

I’m very happy to be here today to talk about my newest release, The House on Druid Lake. It’s a Halloween-themed M/M romance, sweet and emotional with just a tiny bit of spooky thrown into the mix, which I believe is the perfect fit for the autumn season. The story follows Oliver Foster, an aspiring young architect embarking on a successful career in Baltimore, who rents an apartment in an old Victorian house overlooking Baltimore’s Druid Lake. As he gradually meets his quirky neighbours and develops feelings for Nym, his enigmatic, gruff landlord, Oliver becomes convinced there is more going on at Lakeside Lodge than meets the eye, and Halloween might be just the right (or the wrong) time to unearth some supernatural secrets.

Where do you write?

I’m very lucky to have my own little writing nook with a built-in desk and shelves. It’s not very private, but I rely on my noise-cancelling headphones to filter the sounds of a busy household when I want to focus on my work. Sometimes, when I feel I need an even quieter space and a change of scenery, I take my laptop to a coffee shop or a library.

What do you like to read?

I used to read across different genres of speculative fiction (sci-fi, fantasy, historical adventure), but in the recent years I almost exclusively read romance, leaning heavily into queer romance. What can I say, with the world being currently the mess that it is, I feel like I need the assurance of a happy ending in my reading. Besides, the romance genre, and even LGBTQ romance in particular, is so broad, encompassing every kind of plot and setup one could wish for – mystery, paranormal, historical, etc. – that I’m never stuck for choice, depending on my mood and current interests. In my writing, I also dabble in a variety of different subgenres, which allows for a larger creative freedom.

Writing is an intrinsically solo occupation. Do you belong to any groups or associations, either online or in the ‘real’ world? How does that work for you?

I don’t currently belong to any writer groups, though I know authors who absolutely swear by them. I’m a very private and solitary person, and I’m rather shy when it comes to talking about myself or asking for opinions about my work – and I’m even worse about offering my opinion to others, unless specifically asked to do so. I tend to let ideas percolate in my brain until I feel they’re ready to become stories, and then it’s all about fleshing them out on my own.

That being said, I really enjoy interacting with readers and other authors on Twitter, sharing snippets of works in progress and bits of inspiration. That has become a huge part of my author experience, and I’m very glad that modern social media (as bad as it can be sometimes in other respects) has allowed me to be a part of a large writing community.

Tell me a little bit about your most recent release. What gave you the idea for it? How long did it take to write? What did you enjoy about writing it? What did you hate?

My recent release is called The House on Druid Lake. It’s a Halloween-themed M/M romance, published October 4^th, 2021, with NineStar Press. I simply adore holiday romances, and have written several stories centred around Christmas in the recent years, but I’ve always wanted to write a Halloween story. I’m not a huge horror fan, so I aimed for it to be more comedically spooky than truly scary. I had this initial idea about an old house inhabited by strange and mysterious creatures that are doing their best to blend in with human society (not always successfully), and it all developed from there. The thing is, because of my busy schedule, I didn’t have a lot of time to draft it before the fall release, so I had to complete the entire thing in about three months, which is an incredibly tight timeline for me! It was difficult, but also fun and challenging, and certainly made for an interesting experience. Still, I think I wouldn’t choose to work on such deadlines again!

The House on Druid Lake

A new city, a new job, a new home—things are definitely looking up for Oliver Foster. An aspiring young architect, embarking on a successful career in Baltimore, all he wants is to put the pain of a broken heart and broken trust behind him. The last thing he needs is another ill-advised romantic entanglement. But despite his best intentions, Oliver can’t help his growing fascination with Nym Brown, the mysterious owner of Lakeside Lodge.

When Oliver rents an apartment in an old Victorian house overlooking Baltimore’s Druid Lake, he expects it to be quaint and shabbily charming. But as Halloween draws near and all things spooky come out to play, Oliver becomes convinced there is more going on at Lakeside Lodge than meets the eye, aside from the faulty plumbing. His neighbours are a whole new definition of quirky, and his enigmatic, gruff landlord is both intimidating and dangerously attractive.

Dark and sinister secrets lurk behind the house on Druid Lake’s crumbling façade. Unearthing them might yet put Oliver’s future—and his heart—on the line.

Buy from Nine Star Press : Amazon US : Amazon UK : Kobo : B&N : Add on Goodreads

Meet Isabelle

A voracious reader from the age of five, Isabelle Adler has always dreamed of one day putting her own stories into writing. She loves traveling, art, and science, and finds inspiration in all of these. Her favorite genres include sci-fi, fantasy, and historical adventure. She also firmly believes in the unlimited powers of imagination and caffeine.

Email : Twitter : Website : Goodreads : Amazon

Am Reading

This week, a climate-driven dystopia by Premee Mohamed, a spooky gay romance by Isabelle Adler and a murder mystery with a background gay romance by C. S. Poe.

The Annual Migration of Clouds by Premee Mohamed

Wonderful novella set in a world ravaged by climate breakdown. Millions have died. Those remaining scrape out an existence in the remaining cities, spinning fibre out of reclaimed plastic bags, getting their protein from eggs twice a week, scavenging through what once was in the Back Then, about eighty years ago, as far as I could work out. A percentage of people are infected with Cad, a sort of symbiote that can manipulate its host in a limited sort of way…through fear or excessive caution to improve survival. Our hero is Reid, a young woman who has been contacted by one of the domes, centres where knowledge and tech is supposed to have survived. She’s offered a place at the University. But it’s days travel away. And no-one ever comes back.

I’ve read Premee Mohamed’s Apple Tree Throne and loved both her writing and storytelling. Similarly this…it’s delicate and thoughtful and the worldbuilding and attention to detail is beautiful. Reid’s world is completely believable. The shadow of ours hangs over it–its a howl against what we’ve already done to our descendants as well as a fantastic story. It’s a beautiful dystopia, with hope. Recommend.

The House on Druid Lake by Isabelle Adler

This is kind of a cosy mystery and also a Halloween story, which I find counter-intuitive but turns out not to be at all. Oliver’s a bit of a mess–his last relationship was abusive and he’s moved from Florida to Baltimore for a new job and a fresh start. He moves into a flat in an interesting old house, sight unseen except for the photos in the listing on the internet. The very attractive landlord is a bit odd as are the rest of the tenants. It was such a set-up…creaky old house, mysterious tenants…I loved it and immediately began working out what particular kind of entity each person was. The house turns out to be the target of an unscrupulous developer and Oliver and his new landlord have to outwit them. Nym, the landlord, has his own secrets and hang-ups and I found their relationship development satisfying and well-rounded. There are some pleasingly inexplicable little bits…I don’t like my magic systems to be spoon-fed to me and they were little loose threads independent of the main story that gave me things to ponder on once I’d finished. It’s a very happy book and I recommend it. Also, I love the cover!

Madison Square Murders by C. S. Poe

This is the opener of a new series by C. S. Poe. Everett is a desperately unhappy cold case detective who’s marriage is on the rocks, in part because a traumatic brain injury means he has memory issues. He can’t remember small things–he has to write everything down. Big things, he can’t forget.

A body found in the roots of a tree in the eponymous Madison Square Park begins a professional partnership with facial reconstruction artist Ira that soon turns into something more. Ira makes his interest in Everett clear, not realising he’s married. Both the emotional plot and the murder plot are complex and very well drawn. I love Poe’s stories and the way her characters often have disabilities they are living with as best they can. Disabled people live fulfilling lives centred around things other than dealing with their disability; and her writing embraces this. I’m looking forward to the next in the Memento Mori series.

Isabelle Adler: The Wolf & the Sparrow

Today I’d like to welcome Isabelle Adler, on the anniversary of the publication of her The Wolf and the Sparrow!

Hello all! Today I would like to talk about my latest book, The Wolf and the Sparrow. It came out almost a year ago, on November 25, 2020, and I can’t believe it’s been that long!

The Wolf and the Sparrow is a fantasy romance, full of magic, dangerous intrigue, and lots of tender moments. It focuses on two heirs of noble families that enter an arranged marriage for political reasons and are initially less than impressed with each other. But as the plot progresses and the political situation around them threatens to escalate into a full-blown war, they team up, driven by the duty to protect their subjects. Together, they must face sea-raiders, hostile magic-wielders, and old enemies, but the hardest trial of all are the dark secrets from their past that might yet tear them apart.

What is the significance of the title?

The story takes place in the imaginary realm of Ivicia, which unites many smaller fiefdoms (duchies, counties, and principalities). All the nobles of the Realm bear a heraldic animal on their family crest. Derek, the newly-minted Count of Camria, has a sparrow on his crest, whereas Callan’s family’s sigil is a wolf’s head. The symbolic animals also represent the differences in their personalities and upbringing—Derek is used to a lush, peaceful scenery of fields and forests and his manner is mild and courteous, some might even say soft. Callan, on the other hand, had known strife his entire life, being brought up on the windswept coast, where attacks by sea pirates are a regular occurrence. He’s curt and withdrawn, hardened in the way of seasoned warriors.

But as they learn to get to know one another as partners, they must also delve deeper into their own souls and find that they might not be as different as they initially thought. Derek learns to draw on his inner strength and resolve to save the man he grows to love and admire, while Callan learns to deal with the emotions he’d kept buried for years.

Can you share something about the book that isn’t in the blurb?

There is so much going on in the story, that the blurb barely touches the surface! It was actually rather difficult to choose what to put out there without spoiling too much of the plot and yet make it enticing. However, I don’t think it would be too much of a spoiler if I share that one of the main characters is kidnapped, and the other must come to his rescue—at a great personal risk. And then, of course, things go terribly awry…up until the very (happy) end!

What is the key theme of the book?

The main theme of the book is self-acceptance and how important it is to come terms with the mistakes and failures we all carry with us throughout our lives. It is only when we learn to forgive ourselves and let go of this burden that we find it easier to trust other people to be close to us, and appreciate everything life may still hold in store.

What does the future hold for the characters? Will there be a sequel?

The Wolf and the Sparrow was written as a standalone novel, and I’m quite content with how it came out. Subsequently, I’m not planning on revisiting these characters or make the novel into a series. However, I’m not opposed to the possibility of writing more stories set in the same world. So, I guess we’ll see!

What would be your main characters’ favorite songs?

The Wolf and the Sparrow is set in a fictional pseudo-medieval world, so this is pure speculation! But I think that Callan would absolutely love Warriors by Imagine Dragons! That songs really suits him to the T.

Derek, I feel, would like Skipping Stones by Claire Guerreso, and its lyrical poignancy.

If you could describe each of your main characters in three words, what would they be?

Derek – loyal, smart, compassionate.

Callan – private, dutiful, caring.

If your book was to be made into a movie, who are the celebrities that would star in it?

This is always such a difficult question to answer! Of course, everyone conjures up their own mental image of the characters when reading a book, and it can differ wildly from that of the author (which is perfectly fine!). But if I had to choose, I’d go with a young Gerard Butler for Callan and Eddie Redmayne for Derek.

Where can readers find out more about you and your books?

I have a website where I post all the information about my books and upcoming releases, as well as some extra content for my readers. I’m also pretty active on Twitter, talking about books and posting snippets of my works in progress, so if you ever want to chat, follow me there!

The Wolf and the Sparrow by Isabelle Adler

Publisher: NineStar Press
Genre: Fantasy M/M romance
Release date: November 25th, 2019
Book length: 72,000 words
Warnings: Depictions of violence, battle scenes, physical injuries, mentions of torture, allusions to domestic abuse, dealing with grief, death of secondary characters.

Derek never wished to inherit his title as a result of a bloody battle. With the old count dead and the truce dependent on his marriage to the rival duke’s son, Derek has no choice but to agree to the victor’s terms in order to bring peace to his homeland. When he learns of the sinister rumors surrounding his intended groom, Derek begins to have doubts—but there can be no turning back from saying I do.After the death of his wife, Callan of Mulberny never expected to be forced into another political marriage—especially not to someone like the new Count of Camria. Seemingly soft and meek, it’s only fitting that Derek’s family crest is a flighty sparrow, worthy of nothing but contempt.Another war with the seafaring people of the Outer Isles looms on the horizon, and the reluctant newlyweds must team together to protect those caught in the circle of violence. Derek and Callan slowly learn to let go of their prejudices, but as they find themselves enmeshed in intrigue fueled by dark secrets and revenge, their tentative bond is all that keeps their world—and their lives—from plunging into chaos.

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About the Author

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