Written by: Amy Crook

Narrated by: Gabriel McKnight

Diffidence Obedience Atonement Smythe is a grad student who prefers to never use his full name. Ever. He’s finishing a PhD in extemporaneous magic, and his research project for his dissertation is closing the Rift between worlds that he accidentally opened when he was thirteen. Obviously, caffeine is an important part of his life.

Ergi Thusol-Von Klempt is a half-orc who works in the infamous Goblin Market, selling magical pastries to those who need them—or, in Diff’s case, just want them. He’s got bubblegum-pink hair, lovely lilac skin, and a smile like sunshine, at least if you ask Diff. Ergi is intrigued by his frazzled, but handsome, frequent customer.

The Goblin Market is a magical space that anyone can find if they truly need it, and most people visit once or twice if at all. Diff is there several times a week as he untangles the layered mysteries of the Rift, and has had years to develop his crush on Ergi.

In this cozy urban fantasy, Diff and Ergi find some solutions to life’s problems in the Market, along with the courage to talk to each other.

Diff might even find a future beyond the Rift that has consumed over a decade of his life.

Available now!

Everyone’s in a spring mood this month, including a commemorative coin from ancient Rome.

• Andria wanted a lucky fox, and gets this cheeky fellow
• Joanne asked for a hare gazing at the moon
• Amy B wanted Raccoon (and specified the cat) so here she is in her ideal form, a sphere (sold)
• Gill prompted, “Beware the Ides,” and I found this coin that Brutus put out after the assassination. Cold, Brutus, really cold. (sold)
• SaraBeth wanted ART from Murderbot saying, “Make peace or else.” Since ART doesn’t have a physical body the same way some of us do, we get word art! (sold)
• Molly asked for an Easter egg
• Sky wanted something spring-ish, and suggested tulips, so here we are (sold)
• Jeff prompted “Onlyferns” and reminded me of Opus, so this is the result (sold)
• Lila asked for a fox amongst flowers and frolicking occurred
• Eric wanted one of the cats, and since I was already doing Raccoon, here’s Trotsky! (sold)

Sunrise 1, 9″x12″ ink and watercolor on paper

I waffled for days about the title to this before hitting on the very simple, easy, descriptive title, lol.

A while ago Shayla Maddox did a whole photo series where she woke up every day at sunrise to photograph it from her Hawaiian home. These were so colorful I got inspired to paint some backgrounds in the same palette and then immediately did nothing with them, oops. I have one other of these, which I actually have a plan for, so hopefully that’ll be April’s finished art piece.

This is a larger painting, as is the second one coming up, so it doesn’t entirely fit on my scanner. I decided to go with scanning what fit rather than trying to piece together multiple scans, so the scanned image is technically a detail shot.

Sunrise 1, 9″x12″ ink and watercolor on paper

Coming April 29, 2026!

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

Pre-Order it today!

• 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!

Monk, 7″x5″ pen & ink and Copic marker on paper, sold

First off, I will not be doing these regularly, they stress me out, man. But, this person asked very sweetly and I’m a sucker, and was patient with my anxiety delays, lol, so they got their doggo. Just, you know, to be clear, not becoming a pet portraitist.

Monk is a big shaggy good boy, black with the dignified white of old age on his muzzle, chest, and paws. They sent me a bunch of reference photos and we decided on a pose and then they took another, even better photo to help me get everything right on the final product.

This was always meant to be a bit cartoonish, so I kept to Copic markers for the colors, which give it that nice warm grey on his body and cool grey on his silver parts. I scanned the inks before I colored anything just in case, but fortunately they are very happy with their old man as is.

Also, full credit to Danielle Corsetto’s current spate of pet portraits for demonstrating how to color a black dog that isn’t just a blob of darkness. She’s great, we had her draw our Lenin & Gramsci for a Christmas present for Dr. Dan.

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.

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

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!

• Eric asked for hot air balloons and I went a little nerdy with the designs. (sold)
• Nick said “Six!” and I made a muppet six for him. Purple is the most muppety color and I will not take any notes on this.
• SaraBeth wanted one of my cats as a salt shaker, so I chose chonky Lapis, although of course her actual spots are different than shown. (sold)
• Shannon asked for warmth and got tea and a rather swampy sort of dragon.
• Amy B wanted a party crow so I found some crows playing and drew this jaunty fellow in a hat. (sold)
• Andria wanted a studious white squirrel. (sold)
• Allison wanted one of the small fae from Friends in Low Places and I drew Stick. (sold)
• Jefferson prompted Happy New Fears and we are peeking monstrously through the door. (sold)
• Kelly wanted a space cat and this guy is floating happy and free. (sold)
• Jo asked for a dragon in a quilt, and has received.

• Jeff asked for Christmas beer and I was feeling stein-y (sold)
• Jo wanted a summer day in a meadow
• Amy B wanted a Krampus
• Eric asked for Minter, his favorite season (sold)
• Karla requested holly & ivy cats, so here’s some green kitties for you (sold)
• Rebecca S wanted a beach bonfire, and got this guy
• SaraBeth asked for Trotsky the Snow Cat; Trotsky does not love snow (sold)
• Andria wanted fireball & apple cider with a dragon, so the dragon is fireballing the cider (sold)
• Kelly requested a snowy owl, so I went simple with the colors, just inks and pencils (sold)
• No one requested this, I was just warming up with some yupo paper & pens (sold)

To Make and to Mark is out!

• Jefferson asked for Kobold in San Diego, and he’ll understand this (sold)
• Rebecca S asked for butterflies and got some colorful little paint doodles
• Eric asked for “forgot September” referencing Earth Wind and Fire, and thus we have water here wondering what the big deal is (sold)
• SaraBeth asked for cosy Meadowsweet, and here is our boy in one of his many rag nests (sold)
• Kelly wanted a dragon with a teapot, and got this lovely earth-toned duo (sold)
• I did a pair of low-color galaxies for filler reasons, this is one
• Amy B wanted spoopy festive, so I dressed up a ghost in a Santa hat (sold)
• and here is the other galaxy