Archive for the ‘Series and Books’ Category
A Suspicion of Serpents
Monday, April 6th, 2026
Consulting Magic Book 5
It’s a manor house mystery for book five of the Consulting Magic series!
Alex Benedict-St. Albans is a mage with a myriad of skills to his name, from investigating murders to warding a household. Other nobles exacerbate his usual grumpiness, but underneath everything he cares for his chosen few.
Julian St. Albans-Benedict is a plant mage and Alex’s husband, drawn into the murder investigations despite himself. Alex’s sweeter half, Julian has a kind word for everyone.
Lucas Chudleigh is a good friend to both, and when he invites them to a weekend party at his manor house to celebrate his completed renovations, they reluctantly accept. The good doctor Geoff Tamlinson, Chudleigh’s beau, is at least there to help alleviate the boredom of high society.
When there’s a murder at the snowbound party, even the police can’t get through to investigate. Alex and Julian are left on their own to try to catch the killer before anyone else dies.
This cosy magical mystery revisits our romantic heroes for a fifth time, following their established relationship, their cats, and their friends into another adventure!
Tags: mm romance, established relationship, murder mystery, food, cats, cosy mystery, cosy fantasy, found family, modern fantasy, contemporary setting, magic as science, science as magic, grumpy/sunshine, go read book 1 first if this sounds good to you, tw: emetophbia
Categories: Series and Books, Words Words Words
Tags: book, consulting magic
February 2026 Patreon Sketches
Thursday, April 2nd, 2026
Almost forgot to post these here!
- Gil asked for a birthday cake – happy late bday, darling! (sold)
- Kelly asked for a willow, wisp or tree, and got one of my spooky tree and ghost arts (sold)
- SaraBeth wanted Gonzo, and Gonzo wanted turtles on his shirt (sold)
- Amy B wanted a Cheshire Cat, and got this odd little creature with sparkly pink and also a rainbow tail (sold)
- Jefferson prompted “WTFebruary” and tbh I just wanted to draw this cat I saw on tumblr (sold)
- Karla asked for a dust bunny dragon, and gets this scruffy gal (sold)
- Nick asked for a Beautiful Disaster so I drew him Lestat
- Eric wanted 2×1, so he got his Gundam Wing boys in bad stick figure glory (sold)
- Andria wanted a sparkly purple birthday cupcake – happy late bday to you as well!
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange
Tags: amy b, andria, cat, copic marker, dragon, eric, gil, gundam, jefferson, karla, kelly, lestat, muppets, nick, patreon, pen and ink, sarabeth, watercolor
Harvest Moon 7
Sunday, March 22nd, 2026
Harvest Moon 7, 8″x8″ mixed media on paper, sold
I painted this in 2024 and apparently never posted it to the site! Some darling person bought Harvest Moon 5, which then got lost in the move to NY, and I promised her I would (eventually) paint a replacement.
This one’s different but, I think, absolutely gorgeous, with the acrylic ink texture in the moon and acrylic paint mixed with watercolor to give the sky a tumultuous texture. There’s only one crane this time but I think it makes a really nice contrast to the moon and sky all by itself, and my buyer agreed.
The mix of media really makes it shine, and makes me want to get my acrylics back out — but first I have to clean the table of detritus, because acrylics are a lot messier than watercolor.
Categories: Completed Commissions, Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: acrylic, acrylic ink, brush and ink, harvest moon, nfs, sold, watercolor
Debris Field
Tuesday, March 10th, 2026
Debris Field, 7″x5″ watercolor on paper
This abstract watercolor painting is loosely part of a series I’m calling Formations, although it doesn’t follow the naming convention.
The red and metallic gold seem like they’d make a striking contrast, but it’s only when the light hits that you really see the outlined field of brush-strewn droplets as separate and discrete. I have my own absolutely dorky interpretation of this art, but you’re free to see whatever it is that makes you happy in the shapes.
Debris Field, detail, watercolor by Amy Crook
Categories: Abstract and Just Plain Weird, Series and Books
Tags: formations, map, metallic, nfs, watercolor
Three Crows 3
Thursday, March 5th, 2026
Three Crows 3, 5″x7″ watercolor and brush & ink by Amy Crook
After a long hiatus, I’m working on getting back into a regular art practice along with my writing. This first finished piece is technically part of a series, mostly because I wasn’t feeling original about the title.
I had this background painted already from months ago, but I hadn’t had the motivation to finish it until I did a short mentorship with the wonderful Sarah Lacy, who gave me “finish one work in progress” as homework. The very darkest blue at the top has a subtle sparkle, fading down to a more demure vivianite and then just that first blush of pink and gold as the sun comes up to outshine the moon.
The twisted tree is one of my favorite types to paint, brush and a dark matte india ink really making it stand out from the background along with the titular birds. There’s more focus on the tree than the birds in this painting in the series, but I think that’s okay.
I have another abstract coming soon, as well as a pair of more spectacular sunrises, so keep an eye out! This one’s for sale if you’re inclined, but the point was more to get back into an art practice than to make a sale, if you know what I mean. Contact me if you’re interested, though!
Categories: Flowers, Trees and Landscapes, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books
Tags: brush and ink, crow, for sale, three crows, watercolor
October 2025 Sketch Cards
Thursday, December 4th, 2025
The holidays made this one run a little late, but I got there in the end! The cats helped, of course. They’re helpers.
- JoVE asked for “escaping the gloom” and got this wee painting/drawing
- SaraBeth wanted Pod as the Winter Soldier and I decided to do Bucky’s correct missing leggie and not Pod’s for the visual (sold)
- Eric prompted Muppets Haunted Mansion and I couldn’t resist Hatbox Fozzie (sold)
- Kelly asked for a witch, a pumpkin, and a dragon, and got some of each heh (sold)
- Jeff prompted “forest shuffle” and I can never do a prompt from him straight (sold)
- Lila wanted a Halloween dryad and got this lovely lady
- Amy B prompted “spoopy” so I did one of my ghosties
- Andria prompted “not my circus, not my monkeys” and well, yeah (sold)
Categories: Angels, Cthulhu, and Other Myths, Completed Commissions, People, Figures and Faces, Sea Creatures and Other Animals, Series and Books, Things I'm a Fan Of, Whimsical and Strange, Zombies, Skulls, and Other Morbid Things
Tags: amy b, andria, cat, copic marker, eric, ghost, halloween, jefferson, jove, kelly, lila, mcu, muppets, pen and ink, poddleston, sarabeth, watercolor
A Flutter of Fae audiobook
Tuesday, October 21st, 2025
The wonderful Keval Shah is back for another audiobook! The fourth Consulting Magic audiobook includes both the novel, A Flutter of Fae, but also the short story Friends in Low Places, which is the completion of the series so far!
A Flutter of Fae
Alexander Benedict-St. Albans and Julian St. Albans-Benedict are back for another book!
Fourth in the Consulting Magic series, A Flutter of Fae starts the next phase in Alex and Julian’s lives. As Guardians of the Charmer’s Way and newlywed husbands, they’re learning to function together as a household and a part of society. Alex has taken the role of Charmer while Julian is becoming a sought-after Grower, but their busy new life hasn’t gotten them out of Alex’s previous job—solving murders.
When a high elf turns up dead right in front of the Queen’s Way, Her Majesty herself requests Alex and Julian’s input on the problem. The problem is, their victim doesn’t seem to have any enemies, or even serious business interests on the human side of the way. With no clear motive and time ticking away, Alex and Julian have to live their new, complicated lives while still making time for old friends, new acquaintances, and, of course, solving the murder.
Friends in Low Places
Con and Old Sprout drop in for an unexpected visit during tea time, and they bring an unusual mystery for Alex and Julian to solve. In the course of their investigation, Julian and Alex get to explore the forest around the Source, meet some of the local fae, and consult with Cody. They solve the mystery and catch the culprit and put everything to rights just in time to spoil the kittens.
Categories: Series and Books, Words Words Words
Tags: audiobook, consulting magic
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