Today I am so pleased to welcome Iris Foxglove to Joyfully Jay. Iris has come to talk to us about their latest release, Daybreak. The authors also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving Iris a big welcome!

Exclusive Excerpt

“Most supplicants would kneel,” Astra said, unfolding slowly from his sleeping position. Cillian looked him up and down.

“I’m not a supplicant.” Cillian’s brogue sounded different out loud, less pronounced than in dreams. “Your trees sent me here. Something to do with cutting out the rot.”

“Mm, yes.” Astra stretched. When was the last time he’d truly woken? A few years, at least, when his brother Azaiah had walked the forest, flirting with his trees. They’d spoken of nothing else for months. “The one who follows you. Only a god can aid you with that. But oh—I forgot, you don’t believe in gods, do you? I suppose I’m simply a hallucination.”

“You could be,” Cillian said, eyeing Astra’s horns.

Astra smiled and leaned toward him, letting his silky black hair fall over one shoulder. “Go on. You can touch. I’m real enough for you, Cillian Aislinn.”

Cillian gave him a dubious look, then stepped forward, one hand up. He touched the curve of Astra’s right horn, and the brush of his fingers sent a shiver through Astra’s body. It was warm and startling, and unlike anything Astra had felt before. Cillian slid his palm over the horn, and another shiver rolled through Astra like a wave.

“It feels like glass,” Cillian said, rubbing his thumb over the surface. He tugged on it, just a little, and Astra felt a lurch in his stomach that made him want to gasp and lean into it. Instead, he twisted out of Cillian’s grip and stood.

“Now you know,” he said. He tossed his hair back, making his crown of stars tremble, and adjusted his cloak. “So you’re willing to help tear down the one who plagues my realm? She’s been at her work for centuries.”

“I’ve lived for centuries as well,” Cillian said, which was news to Astra. He tried not to let it show. Cillian sighed heavily, and Astra wondered why he was still standing after so long in the clearing. Most mortals collapsed after a single step. Even a human summoned by the forest would be kneeling by now. Astra stepped forward, but when he tried to touch Cillian’s jaw, Cillian jerked away.

“I won’t hurt you. You’re too useful,” Astra said.

“Wonderful. That’s always been a personal dream of mine, being useful.” Cillian moved away again.

Blurb

Immortals Descending, Book 3

Cillian Aislinn is elated when he receives an invitation to dance for a renowned patron of the arts, Lady Thora, in a beautiful lakeside manor in the hills of Kallistos. But all is not as it seems at Cladach Manor. By the time Cillian discovers the horrifying truth hiding behind a glamor of luxury, it will be too late; Cillian makes an enemy of Lady Thora. Cursed to suffer an immortal existence where even the comfort of sleep is taken from him, Cillian becomes the leader of a nomadic troupe of dancers, seeking what joy he can in the art that he once loved. Following a series of prophetic dreams, Cillian is desperate to find something that will banish his curse for good. What he finds is Astra, the god of dreams, who reveals who Lady Thora really is…the corrupted former goddess of art, now a spirit of decay whose influence is beginning to spread into Astra’s realm.

Astra was a child when he was summoned to the Dreamer’s Throne, and has chosen to spend more and more time asleep, weaving dreams in the dark. But when Pallas’ ire threatens his dreamers, Astra follows her influence to Cillian, a cursed mortal who may be the key to defeating her. In exchange for the restful sleep he’s been denied for so long, Cillian agrees to be Astra’s guide. Together, they might find a way to defeat Pallas before her influence smothers all inspiration and art from the world.

As they travel across Iperios, they also must navigate the growing attraction between them. Astra is a god who lived mostly in the realm of dreams, and Cillian’s curse has kept him in a state of numb exhaustion for centuries. As they awaken to their mutual desire, the truth of who Cillian is and why Pallas is so determined to destroy him becomes clear…and so is what is at stake if they fail.

Featuring a very tired immortal without a natural alignment, a brat of a dominant dream god who has forgotten how to be human, an evil spirit with a grudge and a wild dash across Iperios to restore the balance between art, inspiration, and dreams.

• Universal Link
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• Check out the Immortals Descending series: Universal Series Link

Bio

Iris Foxglove is the shared pen name of Avon Gale (she/her) and Fae Loxley (he/him). Avon and Fae met in fandom in 2019, and began writing fanfiction together in 2020 during lockdown. They eventually decided to collaborate on original fantasy fiction, and haven’t looked back since.

They write queer fantasy with an emphasis on biological imperative, natural power exchange dynamics, complex worldbuilding, and unforgettable characters.

You can follow Iris on Twitter @irisfoxglove, or sign up for Iris’ newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hrhA6z

Iris also has a brand-new Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/irisfoxglove

• Iris’ Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php
• Instagram: Irisfoxglovewrites
• tik-tok: irisfoxgloveauthor
• Twitter: irisfoxglove

Giveaway

To celebrate the release of Daybreak, the authors are giving you a chance to win the book of your choice from their backlist! Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

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