Saturday, March 26, 2016

Rainbow Snippet March 26th

Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation (no spoilers please!).

In this group you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexytimes, anything goes content-wise. The only rule is snippets will be 6 sentences long–one for each color in the Pride flag.

I would invite everyone to please come check out the Rainbow Snippets group, click on a link, read and comment on the writing available and get involved yourselves in this awesome exercise. The link to the group can be found HERE

As with last week, today's snippet is from my current work in progress Serpent's Kiss. (A Snakeshifter Novel)

“I am really growing tired of your stubbornness!” Zaiden hissed. “Must you fight me at every turn?”

“Where. Are. We?” Darrell bit out.

“Deep below the forests of Washington State, or at least we will be, if you will stop making everything difficult and follow me into the tunnels.”

“As long as it’s clear that I can leave any time I want.”

Zaiden sighed and ran a hand through his hair, grimacing a little. Darrell knew the feeling, he was dying for a shower, but he’d be damned if he followed him one more step without any assurances.


“You do realize that you’ve already come too far to just turn around and go back,” Zaiden pointed out. “As I said before, if I had wished to bring you here by force, I would have simply compeled you, just as I am fully capable of doing to get you to follow me into the tunnels. 

Friday, March 25, 2016

Happy Freebie Friday....And All Shall Fade to Black (new update)



It took all of the nerve he could muster up to walk up to Danny after rehearsals on Monday afternoon and tap him on the shoulder.

“Hey, what’s going on?” Danny asked when he turned.

“I got the office finished, and the mouse, I was wondering if you had a moment to take a look,” Jax replied.

“Sure,” Danny said, before following him to the back.

Grinning, Jax pulled down the sheet he’d hung over the set, and watched Danny’s eyes light up. A smile slowly crossed Danny’s face as he walked around the piece, admiring the way Jax had weathered the wood and hung all the old posters up. The glass pane had been streaked and caked with enough residue to make it hard to see more than a shadow moving around inside, just the way Danny needed it, and the mouse.

“I can’t believe you were able to make this,” Danny said as he held the small remote control prop in his hands.

“Go ahead and put it down and I’ll show you how it works,” Jax said. So Danny set it on the floor and Jax drove it all around, showing Danny the mobility of the piece.

“It’s perfect, we’ll be able to do exactly what we need to do in that scene,” Danny said.

“Awesome, I’m glad to hear it. I’ll have the spare finished by opening night, just in case something goes wrong with this one,” Jax said.

“I didn’t even think of that, thank you.”

“You’re welcome.”

Danny leaned against the wall and just looked at everything for a while, then shook his head. “I’m in awe. I really thought we were going to have to cancel. I was ready to give up on the whole thing and just, I don’t know, look into getting certified to teach drama or something.”

Jax laughed.

“Well, judging from the look on your face, I’m guessing that wasn’t something you really wanted to pursue, so I’m glad I was able to spare you the misery of it all.”

“Don’t get me wrong, I love working with others and directing, and teaching playwriting courses, but drama, no, everyone likes to think they are an actor, even when they just don’t have the chops for it and some of them are downright divaish in their attitudes.” Danny explained.

“I guess that would be no fun at all to deal with.”

“Exactly.”

“Hey umm,” Jax suddenly found himself stammering and not very confident that Danny was going to say yes. “I’d umm, really like to take you out Friday night if you’re free. I was thinking we could go to a murder mystery dinner and then if you umm wanted to go out dancing?”

“Don’t you work on Friday nights?”

“Yeah, but I told Steph about the conversation we had about wanting to attend one of those dinners and check it out and she said to go for it, that is, umm, if you’ll agree to come out with me.”

“Jax, I, I’m really not sure that’s the best idea, I mean look what happened last time. I like being your friend, I don’t want us to wreck that by trying to turn it into something more.”

Jax nodded and looked away, biting his lower lip to keep from protesting. Of course Danny wouldn’t want to go out on a date with him.

“Umm..what if it wasn’t a date?” Jax blurted.

“Huh?”

Danny looked confused, giving Jax the opening he needed to just plunge right ahead with the thought that had suddenly popped into his head.

“What if it’s just two friends hanging out?” Jax suggested, thrilled when Danny smiled.

“You know what, I can work with that.”

^^^

Sitting beside Jax at the murder mystery theater, Danny fought the urge to cover Jax’s hand with his own and lace their fingers together, if only to stop the uber thin and rather chic looking young man across from them from flirting with Jax. He’d been doing it all night, from the moment they’d sat down. At first it was just striking up a conversation, asking their names and their favorite mystery authors, but after that it had moved from speaking to both of them to asking Jax a question whenever there was a lull in the conversation around them.

For his part, Jax seemed to be ignoring him, or oblivious, Danny couldn’t be sure which. The one thing that was certain was that Jax’s head was nearly touching his own as they were bent over the notes they’d taken.

Roughly a quarter of an hour before the lights had flickered and gone out. Someone had let out a scream, which was followed by a few gasps before the lights came back on again. Looking around it was discovered that there was a bloody handprint on the arm of a woman in a lavender evening gown and her diamond necklace was missing.

A search of the area around her had yielded a few drops of blood on the floor as well, but try as they might, no one had been able to locate a body yet. Several people were quick to throw out speculation as to who the woman was and why she would be a target, and they had all been told to remain seated until inspectors came.

Of course, they all knew there was more coming and there was conversation and light laughter as meals were nibbled on and drinks were sipped.

Danny had been pleased to see that Jax had finished the food on his plate, but he was careful not to mention it, not wanting to spoil their night by making Jax upset with him.

“I think she’s the killer,” Jax whispered, his mouth so close to Danny’s ear that it made him shiver and think of inappropriate things. Keeping himself detached from the desire he felt for Jax was proving to be difficult. Hell, not viewing this as a date was getting to be difficult and they weren’t even halfway through the evening. Smiling, Jax was charming, his eyes sparkled and there was an enthusiasm to him that Danny had only been able to catch a few glimpses of in the past.
“What makes you say that?” Danny whispered back, willing himself to focus on the conversation.

“She was too calm about the blood on her arm, all of her focus was on the necklace and finding it. I don’t think she worked alone either, did you notice how much attention the sever paid to her when he was taking her order and pouring her wine. They were whispering to each other.”

“Maybe they were flirting,” Danny suggested, frowning a little as he tried to think back to those early moments at the table, but the only thing he’d really been paying attention to was the way Mr. Super Chic Gregory had been flirting with Jax.”

“Maybe, but diamonds and a gown like that flirting with the help right off the bat?” Jax shot back. “I don’t know seems kind of sketchy to me. Lady like that, I doubt she’d have a hard time attracting attention from guys, or at the very least, could have afforded a high priced escort if she’d really wanted attention tonight.”

“Good point, you think she’s one of the actresses?”

“I’d bet on it.”

“Really?” Danny said, and before he could give much thought to the plan already formulating in his mind, he grinned at Jax. “What kind of stakes.”

Jax licked his lips and looked deep into Danny’s eyes, making him blush a little as he fought to hold Jax’s gaze.

“If I’m right, you let me kiss you goodnight at the end of the evening,” Jax said.

Danny’s breath caught in his throat as his eyes widened. Jax was grinning and Danny couldn’t find it in himself to be upset, after all, he’d asked and kissing Jax had been spectacular.

“Fine, if you’re right you get to kiss me, but what do I get if you’re wrong?”

“What do you want?” Jax asked, the look of confidence on his face never wavering.

“A nightcap,” Danny said, enjoying the idea of Jax hanging out in his apartment with him, having a few drinks.

“You’re on,” Jax said as the lights went out again.

Danny gasped, then felt the warmth of a hand enveloping him, long fingers tangling with his and the press of Jax’s head against his own.

“Wonder who’ll be dead next?” Jax whispers, his lips brushing against the shell of Danny’s ear.

Me. Danny wanted to reply as warmth surged through him. He was going to go up in flames if the dance between him and Jax didn’t end soon. He kicked himself for not accepting this as a date. He really wanted this to be a date. He wanted to kiss Jax, he wanted to tangle his fingers in Jax’s hair, he wanted to feel the press of Jax’s body against his and a nice, long make out session that would leave them both longing for more. He just hopped that no matter how the night ended, there would be more without Jax pulling away again first.

The lights came back on again and everyone looked around. It was easy to spot the victim, as it was the very waiter that Jax had referenced before.

“Looks like an awfully dead accomplish,” Danny snickered.

“Doesn’t mean she didn’t kill him too,” Jax shot back, though some of his confidence looked to have slipped.

Danny couldn’t help but chuckle and stand along Jax and the rest of the diners as they moved to ‘investigate.’

“There’s blood on her dress that wasn’t there before,” Jax whispered to Danny, who glanced over at the woman and noticed nothing except the way she adjusted the fold of her skirt.

Danny walked around the ‘body’ making notes on the little pad he carried. Jax meanwhile, walked around the woman before checking out the body, saving his notes until they were back at the table together.

Dessert was served, a three layer cake with liquor flavors running through it. Danny savored it and watched as Jax ate most of his and sipped his coffee. ‘Investigators’ arrived taking statements about the robbery and murder, and while the poked around, a second body was revealed, and with it, brought the moment of truth and the participants were each invited to give their explanations of how, why and by whom the murders took place.


Mix 'N' Match Blog Tour w/Giveaway and Author's Note on Forbidden

Mix 'N' Match tour banner

Title: Mix ‘N’ Match
Authors: Layla Dorine, Eddy LeFey, Eric Gober, Asta Idonea, Kevin Caucher, Alina Popescu, A Lusch, Lily Velden, Kassandra Lea, Dale Cameron Lowry
Genre: Gay Romance, Interracial, LGBT
Length: Anthology/Novel-length
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Synopsis

The heart wants what the heart wants.

Race…

Culture…

Creed…

Become little more than words in the dictionary when the heart sets its sights on its desire.

Join our authors as they explore interracial themes ranging from the challenges of loving someone from another culture to fighting for the right to love at all.

MIX ‘N’ MATCH

Celebrate diversity with us.

MnM_Final_1000x1595

Buy Links

Don’t miss the March Sale! All Wayward Ink Titles titles are 35% off on the WIP website and 30% off on AllRomance, and 30% off on Amazon.

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/mix-n-match-a-wayward-ink-publishing-anthology/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CYM24GE/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CYM24GE/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01CYM24GE/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B01CYM24GE/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-mix039n039matchawaywardinkpublishinganthology-2000013-166.html

Book trailer

Stories Included

Forbidden

LAYLA DORINE

Sage never imagined a trip down south would lead to so many discoveries.

He also never expected to meet Eugene, who is as different from Sage as north from south.

Two young men from different backgrounds.

Can they find friendship and love while surrounded by those who consider their desires to be forbidden?

Author's Note:

Forbidden is the first short story I’d ever written for an anthology, and I have to admit that when I started working on it, I was a bit terrified as to if I would be able to portray the era in which I was born based only on the stories I’d listened to and the people who were willing to sit and talk to me about what life in rural South Carolina was like at the time.

Talk about culture shock, I wrote Forbidden while visiting my mother’s hometown in rural South Carolina and meeting family that I had never had the opportunity to know before. Growing up, I’d always felt like the odd one out, at least on my mother’s side of the family since I was the lightest one. My parents had an interracial marriage, they met in Japan while they were in the Navy and they came home to the states to face complications at times, even from family members.

I wanted Forbidden to reflect the kind of issues that they faced, but with the added strife of the characters also facing prejudice due to their sexual orientation. Even now, the word ‘funny’ was used by several of my family members to describe LGBTQ individuals, which is why I chose to include its use when I was writing Forbidden. As hard as it was to face some of the personal aspects of the story, I am extremely proud of the finished result, and hope you will enjoy Forbidden.

Through The Front Door

EDDY LEFEY

A front door could be many things:

Hope, fear, a fresh start, a cold expanse of nothingness.

What will Thomas Ng’s front door mean for Daniel Grimm?

Deceptive Histories

ERIC GOBER

When Miguel falls for Van, he gets caught in the crosshairs of an angry spirit.

A spirit who cursed Van’s family long ago.

Can Miguel and Van break the curse?

Or will their lives end in ruin?

Meschianza Meetings

ASTA IDONEA

Philadelphia, 1778
Lieutenant Penton has two problems: dealing with society functions and hiding his passion for Isaac, a slave.
When invited to assist with preparations for the Meschianza, he sees it as a brief escape from both.
However, the night will prove to have more to offer than he ever would have dreamed possible.

A Hopeless Mirage

KEVIN CAUCHER

After hearing “no rice” enough times, Guy decided to swear off dating apps and men, only to find himself falling for his best friend’s boyfriend.

A Touch of Paradise

ALINA POPESCU

Hauled to work in Hawaii, Tudor has little time to enjoy the island paradise.

His obnoxious friend Radu has it much easier, using his free time to set Tudor up, dangling a willing Hawaiian beauty in front of him.

Having been burned by long-distance relationships before, Tudor stubbornly resists Kahoni’s advances.

But can Tudor be worn down enough to enjoy a touch of paradise?

MnM_3D

A Surprising Service

A LUSCH

It’s another frustrating chore in Nick’s day: getting the boiler serviced.

But when Prince walks through the door, it’s not just the heating that gets hot.

Belong

LILY VELDEN

Sent by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to curb an outbreak of influenza in an Australian outback aboriginal community, Dr. Dan is ready for anything.

Except Tommy…

A half-caste aboriginal who feels he doesn’t belong…

Anywhere.

Kiss of the South

KASSANDRA LEA

The north and south have been divided by war. But love has other plans for Joseph Calder and Ephraim Pickett.

Home

DALE CAMERON LOWRY

What if the man you thought you could never have was waiting for you all along?

Giveaway

Prize: $10 WIP Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Monday, March 21, 2016

Nature of the Beast Blog Tour

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Nature of the Beast Tour Banner

Title: Nature of the Beast
Author:  Aimee Brissay
Series: Tangled Bonds, Book One
Genre: Fantasy, Paranormal, MMF, Shifters
Length: Long Novella
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Synopsis

After sorceress Alexandra tries to kill her insane father, her fae uncle expels her from the Otherworld in an attempt to keep her safe. Living among humans, she keeps her connection with the supernatural by working for vampires and werewolves.

When she stumbles upon a hurt werewolf pup her efforts to heal him inadvertently break the bonds tying the young lycan to the pack, making her his new alpha.

This is the least of Alexandra’s worries though, for back in the Otherworld her father has not forgotten her. He dispatches an assassin to kill her. But just who is this mysterious foe, and what will their arrival mean not only to Alexandra but to the delicate balance of the world?

Nature of the Beast is the first book in the Tangled Bonds series.

NatureOTheBeast_600x956

Buy Links

Don’t miss the March Sale! All Wayward Ink Titles titles are 35% off on the WIP website and 30% off on AllRomance, and 30% off on Amazon.

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/nature-of-the-beast-by-aimee-brissay/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CJ4RVYW/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CJ4RVYW/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01CJ4RVYW/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B01CJ4RVYW/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-natureofthebeast-1993709-145.html

Excerpt

“Why should I trust you?”

“Because I could have killed you already if I wanted to.”

“You will kill me anyway.”

“Try me.”

Nicolae opened his mouth, but no words came out. I was starting to get annoyed.

“He’s gay,” Chris said.

“Huh?” That wasn’t what I was expecting. Chris wasn’t familiar with pack politics and couldn’t have known that was the reason behind the attack, so that left the elusive gaydar he was always joking about. Perhaps it existed after all.

“I’m right, aren’t I, kid?”

Fear replaced anger in Nicolae’s eyes and he sank lower in his chair, poised to flee.

“Nicolae?”

His gaze dropped, his whole body tensing. Watching him closely, I motioned my friends to be prepared. Nicolae balled his hands again and hit the table top with a sharp blow that almost toppled it.

“So what if I am? Are you going to beat me up, too?”

“That’s why they beat you up?”

“Will you kill me now?”

“Nope. I’m starting to like you, kid.” I kept my voice as calm as I could, trying to hide the turmoil inside.

I knew that being gay was taboo in the werewolf community, but was something so trivial a death sentence? Was life this cheap? Having spent half my life fighting a father with the exact same vision of life, I found this appalling. But was he telling the truth?

“What?” The kid looked up, his eyes wide in shock.

“But I still want to know why they hurt you in the first place. Is it because you’re gay?”

Book trailer

Giveaway

Prize: $4.99 WIP Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Nature-of-the-beast-3D-render

About the author

aimee-brissayBorn in Romania, land of the Iele and Vlad the Impaler, AIMEE BRISSAY has spent all her life surrounded by books. She has ridden side by side with d’Artagnan and The Three Musketeers to retrieve the Queen’s diamonds, set sail on the Erasmus in search of the Japans, fell in love with Rhett Butler and roamed the Wild West along Old Shatterhand. She has walked on the footsteps of the Olympian Gods and searched for Zalmoxis’ sanctuary in the Carpathians. In her mind, she’s never been the damsel in distress but rather the knight in shiny armor fighting for a cause.

With a background like this, turning to writing was no surprise.

Aimee discovered erotica early on in life and has never looked back. Now she can write anywhere, even in a crowded room or a busy subway station, but she loves solitude.

When she’s not at her evil day job, she can be found writing or playing with her cat. She welcomes messages from readers and promises to answer all of them as soon as possible.

Aimee Brissay can be found at:

Website: http://aimeebrissay.blogspot.ro/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100006586754683
Twitter: https://twitter.com/aimeebrissay

Saturday, March 19, 2016

Rainbow Snippet March 19th

Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation (no spoilers please!).

n this group you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexytimes, anything goes content-wise. The only rule is snippets will be 6 sentences long–one for each color in the Pride flag.

I would invite everyone to please come check out the Rainbow Snippets group, click on a link, read and comment on the writing available and get involved yourselves in this awesome exercise. The link to the group can be found HERE

As with last week, today's snippet is from my current work in progress Serpent's Kiss. (A Snakeshifter Novel)

There are many things that will need to be explained to you but now is not the time for it, nor is a crowded city street the ideal place.”

“No, couldn’t have the human’s know there are freaks walking among them,” Darrell muttered, then winched when Zaiden’s grip on his arm turned punishing.

“Do not ever refer to our people that way again.”

“You’ve very fond of giving orders, you know that?”

“I am aware of it, yes.”

“Yeah well here's something you might want to make yourself aware of,” Darrell hissed before snatching his arm away. “I am not very fond of taking them.”

Thursday, March 17, 2016

Cover Reveal – Mix ‘N’ Match, A Wayward Ink Publishing Anthology

Cover Reveal – Mix ‘N’ Match, A Wayward Ink Publishing Anthology

Synopsis
The heart wants what the heart wants.
Race…
Culture…
Creed…
Become little more than words in the dictionary when the heart sets its sights on its desire.
Join our authors as they explore interracial themes ranging from the challenges of loving someone from another culture to fighting for the right to love at all.
  MIX ‘N’ MATCH
Celebrate diversity with us.
Pre-order Links
Don’t miss the March Sale! All Wayward Ink Titles titles are 35% off on the WIP website and 30% off on AllRomance, and 30% off on Amazon.
Stories Included
Forbidden
LAYLA DORINE
Sage never imagined a trip down south would lead to so many discoveries.
He also never expected to meet Eugene, who is as different from Sage as north from south.
Two young men from different backgrounds.
Can they find friendship and love while surrounded by those who consider their desires to be forbidden?
Through The Front Door
EDDY LEFEY
A front door could be many things:
Hope, fear, a fresh start, a cold expanse of nothingness.
What will Thomas Ng’s front door mean for Daniel Grimm?
Deceptive Histories
ERIC GOBER
When Miguel falls for Van, he gets caught in the crosshairs of an angry spirit.
A spirit who cursed Van’s family long ago.
Can Miguel and Van break the curse?
Or will their lives end in ruin?
Meschianza Meetings
ASTA IDONEA
Philadelphia, 1778
Lieutenant Penton has two problems: dealing with society functions and hiding his passion for Isaac, a slave.
When invited to assist with preparations for the Meschianza, he sees it as a brief escape from both.
However, the night will prove to have more to offer than he ever would have dreamed possible.
A Hopeless Mirage
KEVIN CAUCHER
After hearing "no rice" enough times, Guy decided to swear off dating apps and men, only to find himself falling for his best friend's boyfriend.
A Touch of Paradise
ALINA POPESCU
Hauled to work in Hawaii, Tudor has little time to enjoy the island paradise.
His obnoxious friend Radu has it much easier, using his free time to set Tudor up, dangling a willing Hawaiian beauty in front of him.
Having been burned by long-distance relationships before, Tudor stubbornly resists Kahoni’s advances.
But can Tudor be worn down enough to enjoy a touch of paradise?
A Surprising Service
A LUSCH
It's another frustrating chore in Nick's day: getting the boiler serviced.
But when Prince walks through the door, it's not just the heating that gets hot.
Belong
LILY VELDEN
Sent by the Royal Flying Doctor Service to curb an outbreak of influenza in an Australian outback aboriginal community, Dr. Dan is ready for anything.
Except Tommy…
A half-caste aboriginal who feels he doesn’t belong…
Anywhere.
Kiss of the South
KASSANDRA LEA
The north and south have been divided by war. But love has other plans for Joseph Calder and Ephraim Pickett.
Home
DALE CAMERON LOWRY
What if the man you thought you could never have was waiting for you all along?
Giveaway
Prize: $10 WIP Gift Card
<a class="rcptr" href="http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d3e3d66a73/" rel="nofollow" data-raflid="d3e3d66a73" data-theme="classic" data-template="" id="rcwidget_6e55fx5r">a Rafflecopter giveaway</a>
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Saturday, March 12, 2016

Snippet March 12: Serpent's Kiss




Rainbow Snippets is a group for LGBTQ+ authors, readers, and bloggers to gather once a week to share six sentences from a work of fiction–a WIP or a finished work or even a 6-sentence book recommendation (no spoilers please!).
In this group you’ll find anything from romance and historical fiction to mystery and YA. The common thread is that every story’s main character identifies as LGBTQ+. The snippets could range from zero flames to full-on sexytimes, anything goes content-wise. The only rule is snippets will be 6 sentences long–one for each color in the Pride flag.

I would invite everyone to please come check out the Rainbow Snippets group, click on a link, read and comment on the writing available and get involved yourselves in this awesome exercise. The link to the group can be found HERE

Today's snippet is from my current work in progress Serpent's Kiss. (A Snakeshifter Novel)




Darrell took the photo, studied it, then handed it back with a shake of his head. “Sorry, I don’t recognize him, and if he’d been one of my marks I would remember.”

“Look at it again, you hardly glanced at it,” Zaiden insisted.

Darrell rolled his eyes and took the photo back, studying it longer this time. The guy looked a little like his ex, to be honest, which shook him for a moment, but there were too many differences for it to be Kyle.

“I’m sorry,” he said, handing it back a second time. “But I haven’t seen him.”

Kaandhal sighed heavily. “You speak the truth.”


“No shit, I don’t make it a habit of lying to freaky snake people who might decide I’d make a good meal.” He pointed out. 

Friday, March 11, 2016

It's Freebie Friday Time!

“So are you really going to be an ass and avoid mom while she’s in town.”

“Pretty much,” Jax said as his sister poured them both a cup of tea. The scent of oatmeal and warm fruit compote filled the kitchen and Jax’s stomach rumbled loud enough that neither could ignore it.

“At least you brought an appitite.”

“Uggg, what the fuck is it with everyone going on and on about me eating.”

Steph shrugged and dropped into the chair across from him. “Wouldn’t have said a word if your stomach wasn’t broadcasting so loudly.”

Jax groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “Sorry, just getting sick and damn tired of people thinking I don’t eat enough.”

“You don’t, you know it, and the only reason you’re getting mad is because people are getting concerned and you don’t want to hear it. Really Jax, who do you think you’re fooling?”

“No one, I guess, but that still doesn’t give Danny license to give me shit about it.”

“Was he giving you shit, or was he expressing concern, ‘cause there’s a difference you know.”

“Hrumph.”

She laughed and Jax scowled and flipped her off.

“Un-huh, the things you don’t say speak volumes,” she said before taking a sip of her tea. “So, cut the bullshit and tell me what’s going on.”

“Not a lot, been working  on the set for Danny, kinda looking forward to seeing it all come together on opening night. Saw this flyer the other day for a Tattoo and Piercing Convention up in Minneapolis, was thinking maybe we should get a booth, show off what we can do.”

“I saw that one too. Was thinking that it might be a good idea. We should. It would be a fun road trip and who knows who we might meet.”

“Exactly, besides, I’ve always wanted to see the twin cities, maybe we can take a few extra days and do some sightseeing.”

“I’ll consider it,” Steph said. “But on three conditions.”

Jax nearly choked on his tea. “Three? What the hell, next you’ll be asking for blood and the soul of my firstborn.”

“It’s not quite that drastic, yet, but I’m serious Jax, if you want us to go, then I need you to do three things first.”

“Do not say come to dinner with you and mom.”

“You know me too well,” Steph said and Jax squirmed as she studied him intently. “That’s thing one.”

“Oh for fuck’s sake.”

“Jax. You need to ease up on mom, you need to ease up on yourself, and you need to give me a fuckin’ break here. You’re not being fair to her, hell you’re not even being fair to yourself comparing all of her past mistakes with every potential relationship you might have. You’re self-sabotaging, and it’s getting really hard to watch.”

“So look away.”

“I can’t, we work together every evening, remember, and it sucks seeing you come dragging in there looking miserable. You like Danny, a lot, but you got freaked out by having to break things up between him and his ex and you’ve been using that to keep him at arms-length. He’s genuinely a nice guy and that scares you too because you can’t find a real reason that things wouldn’t work out between you so you’re creating issues. Which brings me to thing two.”

“Just forget it, Steph, forget I mentioned the convention at all.”

She shrugged and got up, stirred the oatmeal, turned off the heat and stirred in a little cream until it was just the right consistency, then ladled it into bowls before spooning mounds of fruit on top of it. She plunked a bowl down in front of Jax before sitting across from him with her own.

“If you really want to forget about it, then fine, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask you to give mom a chance, find a new therapist, and take Danny out one more time before you decide there’s nothing there worth trying for.”

He sighed and dug into his food, avoiding her eyes as he stirred the fruit into the oatmeal in between bites. The first taste was such a rush of flavors and textures that he let out a low moan of appreciation and slowly savored the food.

“God I love it when you make it this way,” he groaned.

“It was mom’s recipe you know.”

“Yeah, but she rarely made it, you were always the one who made it for me.”

“And you can’t forgive her for that, can you?”

“I just don’t see why I should drop everything and have dinner with her when all of her spare time while we were growing up was spent with whoever was the flavor of the month.”

Jax was startled when Steph reached out across the table and covered his hand with her own. “She loves us. She knows she made mistakes, and she’s sorry. She was lonely and she handled it bad. She thought her and dad was going to be forever and when it wasn’t, she didn’t know how to handle that loss. She felt diminished by him leaving her, like she was less of a woman somehow for not being able to keep her man. So she tried to find one she could keep and it took her a long time to realize that her self-worth wasn’t tied to anyone else.”

“How do you know all that?”

“Because we talk, and I was willing to listen,” Steph explained. “We’ve talked a lot since Karl died. She understood what I was feeling, even if our losses weren’t exactly the same.”

Jax pulled his hand away and crossed his arms. “So if she realizes so much, why is she getting married again?”

“For the right reason this time, love.”

Jax sighed heavily and took another bite of food. For a while they ate in silence, until there was little left in the bowl but sticky blue residue from the berries.

“I don’t wanna see another therapist,” Jax remarked after he polished off his tea.

“Then we’ll look into a group for people with eating disorders, either way, you need to have other people to talk to who understand what you feel when you’re flipping between overeating and starving yourself.”

He tapped his fingertips on the table before giving a nod. “Fine, a group I can handle, but no therapist.”

“Sold. Now how about the other two?”

“I wouldn’t mind taking Danny on another date. I kinda feel like an ass for shying away after our last one.”

“Why did you?”

Jax knew he was blushing as soon as his face started feeling hot. “’Cause kissing him was mind blowing.”

“You idiot, that should have been a reason to see him more, not less.”

“I know, I know, but I panicked. I kept wondering what the fuck he could possibly see in a fatass like me.”

She got up from the table and came around to give him a hug. “You are beautiful, inside and out. One day I hope you’ll be able to see that.”

He hugged her back and rested his head on her shoulder, muttering in her ear.

“What was that?” she asked as she stroked his hair.

“I said I really wanna go to the convention. So yeah, I’ll come to dinner with mom.”

She hugged him tighter then. “Thank you. I promise. You won’t regret it.”


“I already do,” he grumbled, hugging her more. 

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Devouring Red by Asta Idonea


Devouring Red
Asta Idonea
24 February 2016
Torquere Press
Short Story/MM



Straying from the path on the way to his grandmother's house, Redd is pursued by a vicious, hungry wolf. Help arrives in the form of a mysterious stranger, but will Redd wish he'd taken his chances with the wolf when he comes to learn there is more than one way a handsome young man can be devoured?

Audio Excerpt: https://soundcloud.com/nickijmarkus/devouring-red-mm-short-story-excerpt-by-asta-idonea

Excerpt
Redd crashed through the forest as fast at the trees would let him. The space between their trunks appeared to be shrinking. Were they closing in on him? He put on a burst of speed. Branches stretched toward him, grasping at his clothing with jagged wooden fingers. Twigs and dead leaves cracked and crunched beneath his feet, and his crimson cloak billowed out behind him, flapping in the breeze and brushing over the foliage.
Then one of the trees got lucky. Its slender limb caught on the hem of Redd’s cape and sent him tumbling to the ground. The shock of the fall was enough to snap him out of his panic, and he lay there until his short, sharp breaths steadied to slow and deep inhalations. Once calm, he pushed up onto his elbows and assessed his surroundings.

The woods encircled him, dense and dark. He knew it was still daytime because here and there the sun’s rays penetrated the thick foliage, creating glistening puddles of light that made the reddening leaves shimmer. However, there was a faint bluish tinge to the illumination that told Redd dusk was not far off. The thought of being forced to spend the night in the forest sent a new shudder of fear through him and he scrambled to his feet.

Why had he done it? His whole life he’d been warned about straying from the path and he’d never been tempted to disobey before now. But then he’d never had any incentive until today. His grandmother was sick. Dying. No one had said the word aloud, but Redd had seen it in their faces when they spoke of her illness. Getting weaker, they muttered. Growing frail. Others spoke of the long years she’d enjoyed as if that somehow made up for the inevitable loss. For Redd, there could be no positive to numb the pain.

Author Bio & Links


Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J Markus) was born in England, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.

Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!

As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theatre, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel; all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.

Blog: http://www.nickijmarkus.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4567057.Nicki_J_Markus
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamarkus
 

Saturday, March 5, 2016

Rainbow Snippet March 5


It's here, it's here, it's finally here and with it come my final Snippet from my new release, Desolation Angel. In this book i wanted to celebrate differences and the importance of accepting the fact that we might not be like everyone else but we're special just the same. For all the other wonderful Snippets this week, click on the link and check them out HERE. 

                                     BLURB: DESOLATION ANGEL
Dare gets lost in music only he can hear.
Since childhood, it’s rolled through his mind, drowning out the rest of the world. When he comes back to himself he has the notes and lyrics for the songs his band plays. But he wonders if such talent is worth it, when the rest of his life is such a mess.
All Sionn ever wanted was Dare’s attention.

But that won’t happen as long as Dare has his ‘musical dreams’, so he keeps his attraction a secret. Too bad it’s impossible to keep anything secret when you live with your three best friends. When Sionn’s temper reaches breaking point, he sets Dare on a quest to ‘fix’ himself, in the hopes of gaining the love of the man he adores.

But Fate has a funny way of twisting things.
And ‘normal’ is just a state of mind, isn’t it? While Dare struggles to change, secrets are revealed, loyalties are tested, and the band is offered the chance of a lifetime. Can they pull themselves together fast enough to take advantage of it, or will Dare’s desire to be ‘normal’ unravel all their lives?

FINAL SNIPPET: DESOLATION ANGEL
“What about when you’re on stage? Do you ever get lost in the music while you’re playing it?”
Dare shook his head. “No, never. I’m too busy feedin’ off the rest of the band and the crowd’s reactions. It’s like I can look out there at all those faces and see what my words, my music, are doing to them, and sometimes it’s fast and frenzied, and sometimes it’s so slow and personal it’s almost like I’m fu.... Um, it’s just an amazing feeling.”
Dr. Hozman cocked his head, a curious look in his eyes. “It’s almost like what, Dare?” he prompted. 
Dare blushed and stumbled over his words. “It’s, um, like sex with the crowd.”


Wednesday, March 2, 2016

Blog Tour: The Guy With the Suitcase

The Guy With The Suitcase Banner

Title: The Guy With The Suitcase
Series: Once Upon a Guy, Book One
Author: Chris Ethan
Genre: Gay Romance, Contemporary, New Adult
Length: Novel

Synopsis

Pierce is homeless.

Young and strong-willed Pierce has been living in the streets of New York City for six months, since his parents kicked him out of their perfect, Christian, suburban house. Pierce is gay. And he is suffering the consequences for being true to himself.

Rafe is homeless.

He is also sick. Impressionable, but far from innocent, Rafe ran away from home almost a year ago. His sickness is slowly killing him. But Rafe is not a hopeless case. He has learned to get by. Nights of paid passion turn to sheltering warmth from the imminent New York winter.

And then there’s a suitcase. Pierce’s suitcase, which holds secrets from everyone including its owner.
When their worlds collide, their lives intertwine and when the world seems bent on bringing the two souls to their knees, fate has other plans for them.

Caution: Contains adult language, New York City streets, tough life choices, sexual tension, stubborn brutes and swoon-worthy romance.

The Guy With The Suitcase Cover

Excerpt

He felt like punching himself. What the fuck was wrong with him? Why was he focusing on all the cons? What had happened to him? He used to be such a positive person. A healthy man with a passion for his body and an empathy for the planet he lived on. He was a recycler, an energy and water saver, and a vegan bodybuilder in the making. To an outsider’s eye, he would be the epitome of a hipster, coming from a middle-class Christian family from Upstate New York. But he was nothing like his parents. They were the reason he’d become so pessimistic. Before they kicked him out, he was his own man. Now, he was a nobody at the mercy of the kindness of strangers.

No. Pierce dismissed the negativity for now. He was going look at everything good about his life at that particular moment. He had a job. In a few months, he’d have a room, hopefully sooner if it paid well. His own room. Maybe next year he could resume college too. If to have all that he had to sleep wherever he could for another month or so, he would brave the winter. He would sleep in the subway. He would sleep at Central Park. He wouldn’t even care if he’d get pissed on or mugged again. If that’s what it took to kick start his life, he would do it.

A shout permeated his ears and he turned to find the source. He couldn’t see anything, but a second scream guided him down the road he was walking and in to an alley between two apartment buildings. Two men were knelt on the ground pinning someone from the hands and legs while a third guy was unbuttoning the victim’s trousers, shutting his mouth with his hand.

The victim was also a guy. Pierce knew because he tried to ungag his mouth and grunted.

“Shut the fuck up, boy. When you give up your ass, you ain’t screaming.”

“Hey!” Pierce shouted at the guys before he could control himself. The guy who was doing the unbuttoning turned and, seeing Pierce, stood up. Pierce etched closer. The only streetlight in the alley hit the victim’s face and Pierce recognized it. It was Rafe.

Review

Talk about an opening, wow, I was certainly pulled into the story from the first line. To see Pierce find himself in that situation, with such an unscrupulous jerk making that kind of request, well, let’s just say it made me very curious to see where the story was going to go. This novel certainly tackled some tough subjects, not just with the homeless issue either, which was, at times, hard enough to read, emotionally. The story itself is beautifully written and doesn’t gloss over what things are like for Pierce and Rafe.

I love the way the two men’s stories entwined from their initial meeting to all the subsequent ones. The way chance worked in a city of that size was very nicely done, and none of it felt forced. The conversations were smooth and at times amusing, and through them we come to learn a bit more about each of the characters. The idea of being vegetarian and homeless was such a unique challenge, and I love the way it was handled and the way Pierce tried to hold on to that aspect of this life when he could while coming to learn it wouldn’t always be an option. Like the suitcase it was part of his past life that he held on to.

There were so many raw and gritty moments in the book, so many times when I cringed for the characters or wanted to look away from the pages because it was all a little bit too real. A gripping, powerful read for certain.


Buy LinksAmazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B018RE9K7E/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B018RE9K7E/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B018RE9K7E/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B018RE9K7E/

Giveaway

Prize Bundle: The Guy With The Suitcase Mug, Chris Ethan pen, and $5 Amazon Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway

About the Author

Chris Ethan is a book whore. He enjoys selling his feelings for money and other pleasures and is blatantly unashamed to do so for as long as he breathes. Chris Ethan is also a persona for Rhys Christopher Ethan, author of fantasy and sci-fi. He uses Chris Ethan to share stories of adult queer romance with those who need it. Before you delve into his books however, be warned. He likes putting his characters through shitstorms and hates anything conventional. But then there’s that darned happy-ever-after. Also, he likes swearing. Deal with it!

Social links:
Website: http://www.rcethan.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/Rhys_Ethan
Facebook: http://facebook.com/rcethan1