Freydís ☾ — The Clergy : Tea Collaboration & Saint, Sorrow, Sinner!
An exciting new book-inspired product, an expanded Recommended Reading list, and an exciting pre-order...
Welcome to The Clergy: a free monthly newsletter for fans of speculative fiction, poetry, eroticism, religious mysticism, and divinity. As most of you know, I’m Freydís (fray-DEES) Moon, a storyteller, diviner, and book lover. EXODUS 20:3, WITH A VENGEANCE, THREE KINGS, HEART HAUNT HAVOC, and WOLF WILLOW WITCH are available now!
♡
Hola, mi gente! I hope you’re all enjoying the colder, darker months and having a lovely holiday season. Mercury is in retrograde as I write this and I think we’ve all really been feelin’ that lately. Autumn flew by, as it always seems to do, and December brings the close-out of yearly intentions, deadlines, and goals.
If you were around on social media this month, you probably saw some awful behavior unfold on the science fiction and fantasy side of the book world. It’s not worth it to rehash what’s done and buried, but it’s good to remember that kindness and community last much longer and are far more fulfilling than giving into insecurity and envy. Please take a moment to browse the recommended reading at the bottom of the newsletter and support some upcoming authors with exciting debuts. You might also find a new favorite from my standard list of phenomenal peers.
I have some exciting stuff to share this month! Let’s get to it—
Old Growth Alchemy Tea Collaboration
I’m thrilled to announce a new partnership! Old Growth Alchemy has created a delicious tea blend inspired by my cozy fantasy Three Kings—black tea, cacao husk, orange peel, cinnamon, star anise, clove, and vanilla bean. This beautiful dessert tea is the perfect spicy, sweet treat and I’m so excited for readers and tea lovers to try it! You can order your own batch here!
P.S. Old Growth Alchemy has partnered with other authors to create blends inspired by their books. Take a peek around their website and find some new favorites!
Three Kings is available wherever books are sold and on Kindle Unlimited ♡
Saint, Sorrow, Sinner — pre-order available!
The third and final book in The Gideon Testaments is now available for pre-order! You can reserve your Saint, Sorrow, Sinner eBook right now. If you’re interested in a signed paperback, my Etsy store will re-open on February 2nd for a limited pre-sale. Every Etsy pre-sale will come with an exclusive Gideon Testaments art print. Standard paperbacks will become available for pre-order sometime in February.
An exploration of religious mythos, burjería, and spiritual ascension…
Sophia De’voreaux never expected to escape Haven, but after a bloody confrontation in the Gideon Preserve, she finds herself under the protection of a rogue witch, her menacing guard, and their cautious friends.
Crumbling beneath an onslaught of ancient power, Sophia must put her reservations aside, because the Breath of Judas is no ordinary relic and trusting the strange, dysfunctional group might be her only chance at ridding her body of its dangerous magic.
Before it’s too late.
Guided by Colin, Bishop, Tehlor, and Lincoln, Sophia leaves Colorado, seeking help from a mysterious mystic, Juniper Castle, and enters a race against time, chasing salvation, redemption, and a second chance at freedom.
March 5, 2024
Fae Crate Opus Collection
The Gideon Testaments Opus Box Set is now available to purchase! Make sure to grab your box of this exclusive special edition set before they’re gone. The trilogy is getting beautiful foil hardcovers, fully illustrated dust jackets, illustrated and foil endpapers, and signed tip-ins. All three books - HEART HAUNT HAVOC, WOLF WILLOW WITCH, and SAINT SORROW SINNER will be included. The set is only $65/USD ($21.60 a piece!) ♡
Vote in the Indie Ink Awards!
The Indie Ink Awards are officially open for voting! I was so thrilled to be nominated in several categories this year especially after EXODUS 20:3 took home first place in three categories in ‘22. There are so many wonderful books nominated, so please browse the website, select your favorites, and cast your vote ♡
Etsy Shop - Low Stock
My Etsy Shop is still open with limited stock! If you want a signed paperback or an exclusive faux leather bookmark be sure to visit my store before I close in a couple of weeks. Once the store is closed, I’ll do a soft reopen on February 2nd (Saint, Sorrow, Sinner pre-orders). The shop will be restocked and completely open in March for Ostara ♡
Recommended Reading
☆ I had the immense pleasure of reading K.M. Enright’s MISTRESS OF LIES early and I absolutely loved it. It’s the perfect blend of sensuality, mysticism, and intrigue, and will appeal to readers of V.E. Schwab, Leigh Bardugo, and everyone desperately looking for the next Kushiel’s Dart. A beautiful series starter. Stay tuned for my official blurb.
☆ Kamilah Cole’s SO LET THEM BURN is a Young Adult Jamaican-inspired fantasy packed with magic, intrigue, dragons, and intense family dynamics. A perfect holiday gift for a teen reader looking for high-octane fantasy and a wonderful addition to anyone’s collection. This one is a pre-order with an early ‘24 release.
☆ THE POISONS WE DRINK by Bethany Baptiste follows a gunslinging potion brewer, Venus Stoneheart, who creates illegal love potions to support her family. This is a contemporary fantasy filled with familiar social commentary, a whip-smart and vicious main character, and a mysterious witch-centric plot.
☆ VOYAGE OF THE DAMNED is an epic high-seas adventure penned by Frances White. The story follows a fatal mystery on a twelve-day voyage packed with flawed, realized characters. Wonderfully queer and full of heart, VOYAGE presents as the perfect whodunit set in a lush fantasy world.
☆ R.M. Virtues’ GODS OF HUNGER series is the optimal Greek myth retelling done right. For fans of Katee Robert and darker, high-heat romance, these books pack a punch. I like to call these elevated romance—for readers looking for trope-driven writing delivered flawlessly.
☆ THE HURRICANE WARS by Thea Guanzon is a classic fantasy that delivers on everything it promises. Epic battles, forbidden love, light and dark, and enemies-to-lovers. Another romantic fantasy with complicated characters, powerful magic, and unlikely allegiances.
☆ I’m a huge fan of cooking shows, so when I heard about KNIVES, SEASONING, AND A DASH OF LOVE by Katrina Kwan I knew I had to put it on my TBR. Sparks fly in this Contemporary Romance set in a high-profile kitchen. This feels like the kind of book that’ll make anyone smile. Lighthearted, fun, and swoony!
☆ Laura R. Samotin’s THE SINS ON THEIR BONES is a complex fantasy brimming with political intrigue and mystery. I’m thrilled to get my hands on this book and explore Samotin’s rich, deep, and unapologetically Jewish world. I’ve heard this is perfectly sexy, too, and I sincerely can’t wait to snatch it from my local bookstore in May ‘24.
☆ TO GAZE UPON WICKED GODS by Molly X. Chang is a magical, epic, Young Adult fantasy grappling with themes of colonization. One young woman, cursed with death magic, must decide if saving her family is worth betraying her country. Early reviews call this one a delicious villain romance with a love story a la Beauty and the Beast.
♡ Elle Porter’s delightfully cozy romantasy collection filled with eroticism, humor, lush prose, and witty characters continues to live rent free in my mind. I fell in love with this book and had this to officially say about it: "Charming, cozy, and unapologetically sexy, HEIR TO THE AUTUMN COURT is a celebration of gender and sexuality that should not be missed." If you’re a fan of the Rowan Blood series, wished LEGENDS & LATTES was hotter, or found yourself yearning for something sexy to read after a Dungeons and Dragons session, run don’t walk.
♡ Morgan Dante’s newest book KING OF HELL is a villain x villain paranormal romance with a trans main character! Perfect for fans of Tamara Jerée (who I’ll rec below) and dystopian horror.
♡ THE FALL THAT SAVED US by Tamara Jerée sets the mood for paranormal romance readers. It’s the devilish sapphic book, full of wit, longing, and darkness, that lovers of queer women and femmes have been waiting for.
♡ Kellen Graves is an auto-rec for me. I highly recommend their high-fey ROWAN BLOOD series for fans of Holly Black and Maggie Stiefvater. It’s the queer academic fantasy we’ve all been waiting for. The third book in this series just launched and I’m waiting on my paperback to arrive in the mail as I type this. Go, go, go!
♡ MERCY by Ian Haramaki is a beautifully written angelic paranormal romance with religious overtones. If you enjoyed THE TERAS TRIALS or ANGELS BEFORE MAN, do give this one I shot. I had the pleasure of reading it early and had this to say: "Haramaki blends forbidden romance, religious iconography, and dark ritualism in this perfect Paranormal Fantasy. For fans of Lucien Burr and V.E. Schwab, MERCY is bold, queer, captivating, and adventurous."
♡ Rien Gray’s incredible sapphic assassin series is complete and ready to be binged. You can get this gritty, bloody romantic quartet right now. Think JOHN WICK meets ATOMIC BLONDE.
♡ SINCLAIRE SILVER by Rien Nadie and C.J. Twining is the first book in a queer vampire mafia series. If you enjoy erotic romance, bloody paranormal, and crunchy writing then give this series a go.
♡ Lucien Burr’s THE TERAS TRIALS is perfect for the darker wintery season. A monstrous and sexy good time with a gothic, academic setting. This book blends horror, romance, and action/adventure perfectly.
♡ Oliver J. Kelley’s beautiful new cozy lighthouse romance AS THE LIGHT GOES OUT. A departure from their debut, Kelley takes on a short and sweet romance. Per the author, this little bite-sized book is about peace, the sea, and healing. There’s now a Christmas companion story to pair with this—A VERY LIGHTHOUSE CHRISTMAS.
♡ Saint Harlowe’s cannibal dark romance is for the edgiest of readers. Lyrical, character-forward, and densely poetic, RAPTURE and RAVAGE take you on a journey through glorified Stockholm syndrome, toxic romance, flesh-eating heroes, and decadent desires. He just released a Halloween short, too. Everything is on Amazong, but you can download them for free on itch.io.
♡ My dear friend Aveda Vice is back with CHRISTMAS WITH THE HORNED GOD! Coming out December 22nd, Vice’s newest holiday book will make the perfect Nochebuena read. Pre-order it today! If you’re looking for Monster Romance, please one-click through her catalog, collect some books, and fall in love with dynamic, beautifully flawed characters.
♡ MODERN DIVINATION by Isabel Agajanian is an excellent urban paranormal story with cozy vibes, big feelings, and beautiful writing. I can’t wait to see where the rest of this series goes!
♡ I probably don’t need to give much of an introduction for Harley Laroux, but the final installment in her souls trilogy, SOUL OF A WITCH, is out in the world! The print rights to this wonderful series was just acquired by Kensington, so be sure to keep your eyes peeled for the updated paperbacks in 2024!
Find Me
You can find me haunting Instagram. Check out my Linktree for buy-links, social media platforms, my website (with content warnings), and to find my Etsy shop!