Hi Reader!
We're now just two weeks away from the December 19th release of His Elder, and I wanted to send a quick reminder that the book is still available for pre-order. If you've been on the fence, now's the time!
Missed last week's exclusive excerpt?
For those who didn't catch it, last week I shared the first three chapters of His Elder exclusively with newsletter subscribers. If you missed it or want to revisit Samuel and Eli's first collision, you can access it at the button below. It's the perfect way to get a feel for their dynamic before release day.
More reviews are pouring in:
The ARC reader responses continue to blow me away. This week, I want to share two that really captured what I hoped this book would be.
One reader wrote: "Another wonderful read from C.G. Macington! Everything I've read of his has been so beautifully articulated, heartfelt, and at times devastating. The way he brings the story to life, it's like you are in it. You know their struggles, their own self hatred and doubt, and then the mind opening realization that things can be how they truly want them to be. Their happiness is what matters, not anybody else's thoughts or beliefs."
Another reviewer said they won't be able to put this book out of their mind. They praised the dual perspective between Samuel and Elias, calling out how the story explores whether a loving God would truly ostracize someone born with same-sex attraction. They described the institutional church's cruelty as vividly demonstrated and noted that despite the excommunication both characters face, they ultimately find their love in each other.
These reviews mean the world to me. This story asks hard questions about faith, love, and the courage it takes to choose yourself when everyone else has already decided who you should be. Hearing that it resonates, that it stays with readers... that's why I write.
What's next?
I've been thinking a lot about where to go after His Elder. Writing His Elder felt natural in some ways because I grew up in a part of Canada where the LDS church had a significant presence, and that personal familiarity helped me approach Samuel and Eli's story with the nuance it deserved. Similarly, with Sacred Hearts, I drew on my own family's Catholic background combined with extensive research to tell that story authentically.
But now I'm drawn to exploring other faiths, particularly Islam. The intersection of faith and queer identity in different religious contexts fascinates me, and I think there are powerful stories to tell. At the same time, I'm hesitant for a few reasons. I don't have personal experience with Islamic faith or culture the way I did with the LDS church or Catholicism. I worry about getting it wrong, about offending people whose lived experiences I don't share, or appearing to co-opt stories that aren't mine to tell.
There's also another concern that's been nagging at me. If I keep writing faith-based romance, am I typecasting myself? Like Sylvester Stallone and action movies, or Keira Knightley and period pieces. Will readers start to expect only religious angst from me and nothing else? I love writing these stories, but I don't want to become so associated with one subgenre that I lose the freedom to explore other themes and dynamics.
Part of me also wonders if I should return to the medical world, going back to one of the first areas I released in this year with Emergency Contact and Liam and Noah. There's something comforting about revisiting familiar territory, and I've had readers ask about more medical romance. I wouldn't necessarily be in the same universe as Liam and Noah, but the same medical context and themes are always intriguing.
I'd love to hear your thoughts. Have you read queer romances set within Islamic contexts that resonated with you? Do you think there's a way for authors outside a community to write these stories respectfully with proper research and sensitivity, or is it something better left to own voices? And honestly, would you be disappointed if I branched out into different types of stories, or do you want more of what I've been doing? Should I return to medical romance, or keep pushing into new territory? Your perspective would mean a lot as I figure out what comes next.
Two weeks to go
December 19th is coming fast. If you haven't pre-ordered His Elder yet, here's your chance!
Thank you for being here, for reading, and for supporting stories that refuse to shy away from the messy, complicated truth of falling in love against all odds.
With love and gratitude,
C.G. Macington
