Guest Post: Song of Flames by M.D. Grimm

Today I am so pleased to welcome M.D. Grimm to Joyfully Jay. M.D. has come to talk to us about her latest release, Song of Flames. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

Good day lovely readers! I’m M.D. Grimm, and I want to thank you for joining me to promote my newest release, Song of Flames (Sisters of Song 1). This is the first book in a duology about two sisters, their adventures, growth, and romances with magical beings. This story is about Venya, the eldest sister, and her unexpected romance with two special dragons who want her for their mate. This is my second MMF romance, and it was a hoot to write. The characters came alive for me, and it was one of the easier projects I’ve worked on. I enjoyed diving into the sister dynamic, their friendship, love, and how they supported and encouraged each other to be better people and find their happiness. I don’t think there’s enough depictions of positive women relationships, and I was satisfied with the results of my own attempts.

As with most of my books, this story has been kicking around in my head for a while. It went through a lot of updates once I started writing it. But one thing that always remained the same was the opening chapter, where Venya climbs up a cliff and wakes her dragons. It amused me to play on the old trope of a thief stealing a piece of treasure from a dragon, thereby awakening that dragon’s ire. It happened it Beowulf, and it happened in The Hobbit (because Professor Tolkien took inspiration from a lot of Old Norse and Anglo-Saxon works).

It started out as a single story but morphed into two when I realized Venya’s sister also deserved a story (I’m sure many of you can see a pattern, it’s a struggle to restrict myself to a single title). But that also allowed me to tie up any loose ends that might linger after Venya’s story concluded. There’s a time jump toward the end of the story, and I wanted to fill in the gaps as well as give Venya’s sister, Alaiya, her own time to shine. And since I’ve written the first (very rough) draft of Alaiya’s story (Song of Howls), I can safely say that adding a second book did a lot for the world building, character evolutions, and coming full circle to a satisfying conclusion. And just as a heads-up, Alaiya’s story will be a FF romance, which is the first one I’ve done! I love challenging myself.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between the three leads, Venya, Abyss, and Ray. I’ve always been tickled by the grumpy/sunshine contrast, and I wanted the dragons to embody those personalities. Also, all the characters are wounded in some way and help heal each other. Many of my stories deal with characters who have self-esteem issues or doubts about their self-worth. I think it’s a universal struggle that we all face at least once in our lives. My greatest delight is writing stories that touch on those subjects, and then show how my protagonists overcome their insecurities to become stronger people who let themselves love deeply. It’s cathartic, you could say.

Venya is very special to me, and she’s definitely living the life I wish I could have—loving and loved by two awesome dragons. I hope you enjoyed reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it!

Watch out for the sequel, Song of Howls, due out October 2024.

For my next projects, I’ll be jumping into the next Stones of Power book, Opal: Master and Puppet later this year, and then I shall finally return to the On Wings saga with the great dragon Asagoroth and his beloved angel, in On Wings of Shadow.

My next release should be Blood of the Whirlwind (The Shifter Chronicles 16) due out in January 2024.

Until next time, stay safe, stay sane, and may dragons guard your dreams,

M.D. Grimm

Blurb

She tried to steal treasure from the dragons’ hoard… and stole their hearts instead.

To save her sister from a lascivious lord, Venya must steal a piece of treasure from a legendary dragon’s hoard. Dragons haven’t been seen in several generations, so imagine her surprise when she wakes not one, but two dragons from their hibernation. While the battle-honed Onyx is intent on having her for lunch, the graceful Gold appears more curious than angered by the theft.

Abyss and Ray have very different ideas about what to do with the thief when they catch her. Abyss wants to punish her while Ray is intrigued by her audacity. After Ray turns his mate’s anger to desire, the dragons set out on a rescue mission, intent on capturing the brazen thief and learning more about her. And to see if her Song matches theirs.

Neglected and discarded by her parents, Venya has never bonded with anyone except her sister. Now she has two mighty dragons wanting to woo her and take her as their mate. While she finds delight in their company, she must reassess her own self-worth before she can trust them enough to love them.

But the dragons have exposed themselves to the outside world, and many covet not only their hoard but Ray’s golden scales. And when Venya’s closely held secret is revealed, she becomes a prize worth killing for.

Warnings: abusive parents, childhood trauma

Series Blurb:

Venya and Alaiya are sisters born to greedy and selfish parents. One is neglected and the other exploited. Despite this–or because of it–they cling to each other, best friends as well as family. They find freedom in the mountain range beyond their city of birth… as well as unexpected chances at love with extraordinary beings.

Forging a new future is never easy, but with their unbreakable bond, and lovers and allies at their side, the impossible just might be attainable.

Universal Buy Link: https://books2read.com/u/bQeB90
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/195043820-song-of-flames
Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com) Link: https://www.limfic.com/book/song-of-flames/
QueeRomance Ink Link: https://www.queeromanceink.com/book/song-of-flames/

Bio

M.D. Grimm has wanted to write stories since second grade (kind of young to make life decisions, but whatever) and nothing has changed since then (well, plenty of things actually, but not that!). Thankfully, she has indulgent parents who let her dream, but also made sure she understood she’d need a steady job to pay the bills (they never let her forget it!). After graduating from the University of Oregon and majoring in English, (let’s be honest: useless degree, what else was she going to do with it?) she started on her writing career and couldn’t be happier. Working by day and writing by night (or any spare time she can carve out), she enjoys embarking on romantic quests and daring adventures (living vicariously, you could say) and creating characters that always triumph against the villain, (or else what’s the point?) finding their soul mate in the process.