Thursday, March 31, 2022

Warrior Wednesday: Protecting his boys

 


Now Available for Pre-order!


As much as he would have liked to take a tire iron and break both of Grover’s arms and his old man’s for good measure, it wouldn’t help his boys any for him to wind up in jail. That was more what he had in mind for Maitland. Calling in a few favors had been easy, especially considering two of his former bodyguards had formed a private investigative service, and to Devin’s way of thinking, the best way to ensure that Grover couldn’t hurt anyone else was to see him locked away somewhere. His threats to Moon and the fact that he’d slammed his hand in a god damned door, coupled with the assault on Derrick couldn’t have been the first time he’d done things of that nature. Devin doubted it would be the last time he tried, either, which was exactly what Bruce and Jerimiah would be gathering proof of.

Having eyes on Maitland also meant that Grover and his minions wouldn’t be able to get the drop on any of his boys when they were out of his sight, especially Mikal. Guys like Maitland wouldn’t be able to swallow having their plans fall through and that included the loss of their intended target. They’d look to rectify that, and when they did, Bruce and Jerimiah would shut them down cold.

He could only hope it required a great deal of force to accomplish it.

Right now, his focus was on lunch, homemade lobster rolls, in particular, lightly toasted with a cucumber salad and cider vinaigrette.  In the four days they’d been feeling out one another’s playing styles, he’d discovered several interesting and rather quirky things about each of his boys.

Moon hated eating alone, preferring to skip meals if he had no one to eat them with. That nothing processed crossed his lips wasn’t shocking but finding out how little in the way of proper organic foods the town grocery store carried, had been. Mikal had been the one to explain that to him when he’d come in trying to shop, suggesting that Devin’s best bet would be the farmer’s market, where people brought excess fruits and vegetables from their gardens. It hadn’t surprised him one bit to run into Mama Calypso and June manning a booth and of course, they refused to let him pay one cent for the baskets of things they sent home with him.

Derrick was extremely devoted to the cats he’d rescued over the years, so much so that Devin’s house now had three litter boxes and four furry residents who liked chirpy early morning menaces even less than he did.

They’d also evicted three mice Devin hadn’t even known were in the house and for some inexplicable reason two of the cats, the Russian gray and the snowy white one, found him interesting enough to perch on whenever and wherever he sat down.

The hardest to get a read on was Mikal. As far as Devin could tell, work and music were the only things he had going on in his life, outside of the things he did with Moon, but Moon had confided in Devin that they weren’t things Mikal was truly interested in. Perhaps developing some independent hobbies was something Devin could help him with.

“Hey!” Devin called out as he set the pitcher of fresh-squeezed lemonade on the table. He’d missed that in his years on the road. “Food’s ready.”

They came to the table empty-handed, something he’d insisted upon from day one. No notebooks, no pens, no trying to write on the napkins or in Moon’s case, the back of his hand. Ideas were good, but they’d keep. Mealtimes were about togetherness, at least that’s what his old man had always stressed.

“Yes!” Derrick declared, doing a little fist pump as he sat down. Turning to Moon he grinned and stuck out his tongue. “Pay up.”

Giggling, Moon straddled his lap and kissed him until Devin was forced to clear his throat to get their attention.

“If that was the payoff what was the bet?” Devin asked as he ran his fingers through Derrick’s hair.

“I said lobster rolls, he said you were just going to boil them and put one on each plate,” Derrick explained.

“And kisses are win-win,” Moon exclaimed, gracefully sliding out of Derrick’s lap. 


Wednesday, March 30, 2022

Tantalizing Tuesday: Better than Better than Sex Cake

 


Available for Pre-order here!

“Chew your food, don’t inhale it,” Devin cautioned when Mikal choked on a bite. Moon pushed his glass closer to his hand, which was all the prompting Mikal needed to take a drink, his face turning a hint of red before he got his breathing under control. “Damn, I appreciate the enthusiasm, but choking to death would severely curtail the activities I have planned for the rest of the afternoon.”

“What, you mean necrophilia isn’t on your list of favorite kinks?” Derrick teased.

Snorting, Devin nearly choked, forced to take a drink of his own to wash down his food. “I’ll pass on the ice packing, thanks, but I’m down for a good snow blow once the weather turns.”

Moon nearly fell out of his chair scrambling for the ice dispenser on the front of the fridge, hitting the button and letting a few pieces tumble into the palm of his hand. He put one in the cat’s water and gave one to Mikal, the two on their knees and crawling across the floor towards him, while Derrick blinked, clearly lost until he saw what they intended to do.

“Why wait for winter?” Moon asked.

“Snow melts much too fast,” Mikal murmured.

His being seated wasn’t a deterrent in the slightest and he was soon treated to what Derrick had been referring to regarding Moon and denim. The way he rubbed his face along Devin’s crotch, fixing him with beguiling eyes before easing the button open with his teeth then slowly unzipping him was smoldering.

Mikal fished him out of his boxers, the two moving in perfect tandem as Moon was waiting to slide his mouth over him and…

“Cold cold cold shit, fuck….” Gasping, he tried to marshal his thoughts, gripping the table when Mikal’s warm mouth slid over him after Moon pulled off. Sighing, he let himself relax again, only to yelp and bang his knee on the bottom of the table when they switched a second time. It felt like his brain was melting while they took turns driving him out of his ever-loving mind. Just when it felt like Moon’s piece of ice had melted to a sliver, he was reminded there was another piece. Now Mikal had the ice and Moon’s mouth was so not warm yet. Devin tangled his fingers in both of their hair, head thrown back, groaning because it was so, so good and yet not enough to cum.

Someone was licking his balls, someone else was sucking him, the entire front of his boxers was wet and he couldn’t give a damn. One of them hummed the opening bars of the last song they’d been working on and Devin lost it, growling, cursing, and babbling unintelligibly as he came, the moment made that much hotter by the fact that one of them sucked him through it, swallowing every drop.

He was still panting and trying to figure out which way was up when he cracked his eyes open to see Mikal and Moon making out, a smidge of cum slowly sliding down the side of Mikal’s face.

“Fuck…” Derrick breathed, mouth half hanging open.

Words were tumbling around in his mind, but none of them solid, most popped like bubbles on a summer breeze. Blinking, Devin watched Moon lick the cum off Mikal’s face, then crawl over to where Derrick sat, going up on his knees to kiss him, sharing a taste of Devin with him too. Somehow, he’d lost complete control of the meal and that was fuckin’ fine with him.

Moon was the first to resume his seat, a shit-eating grin on his face as he picked up what remained of his lobster roll. “See, now wasn’t that better than snow?”

“Was better than better than sex cake,” Devin remarked as he reached for his drink.

“Try saying that five times fast,” Mikal quipped.

“Better than better than sex cake, better than better than sex cake, better than….” Moon began.

“Okay, okay, damn, you truly have a talented tongue, ya know that?” Mikal grumbled.

“If there is any doubt in his mind, he can feel free to practice whenever he wants,” Devin muttered before downing the last of the liquid in his glass.

Instead of acknowledging them, Moon sing-songed the words again, only this time it sounded like he was playing with a rhythm. The fingers of one hand were tapping on the table, there was a faraway look in his eyes, and as Devin watched, Moon missed his mouth and wound up with mayonnaise smeared across his nose from his lobster roll.

He looked so surprised when it happened, all he could do was blink. Derrick passed him a paper towel, Mikal giggling while Moon wiped it away.

“Don’t stop playing with that,” Devin said, as he picked up what was left of his sandwich. In his head though, he was playing with varying rhythms, hard on each syllable, a little extra slap at the end.

Duda da duda da du da  Duda da duda da du da

His hands itched for his drumsticks, shoulda known his little declaration about no work stuff at the table was gonna come back and bite him on the ass.

So soft and sweet.

Better than better than sex cake.

So wild and willing.

Better than better than sex cake.

Want you on your knees.

Moon sang the descriptors, but it was Derrick who filled in the repeated line, voice edged with a growl. Not a damned thing country about it at all. His cadence played out similarly to the drumline in his mind, leaving Devin with a bit of a dilemma.

Take his boys to the music room and sort out the song, or take them to the bedroom, and sort out the best way to sate their very eager appetites. 




Available for Pre-order here!




Tuesday, March 29, 2022

Matesummer Monday: Death Growl....Painting Snow Snakes

 


“We should go sledding now,” he whispered.

“Yeah,” Cormac murmured, letting out a shuddering exhale before finally letting go of Zane. Still, he was hesitant to pull away from all that warmth, and when he finally did, and saw Cormac smiling up at him, he was tempted to crawl right back into his arms.

“So let’s get a look at these hills, huh,” Cormac said as he stood and brushed himself off. Together they tugged the sled between two trees, into the wide-open space beyond the copse. Whisps of translucent clouds drifted in an otherwise azure sky, and as they pulled the sled up the first hill, Zane start humming one of the band’s songs. Such an automatic gesture he gave no thought to the fact that he’d even done it until Cormac began humming along.

“You know our songs,” Zane said softly, glancing over to see his mate nodding.

“I do,” Cormac admitted.

Zane felt his cheeks start to hurt from how widely he was smiling as they reached the top of the hill. The view was spectacular, nothing but trees, sparkling, crystalline powder and the mountains looming in the distance.

“Wow,” Zane breathed, taking it all in.

“Beautiful, ain’t it?” Cormac said.

Nodding, Zane turned, taking it all in, until he was back facing his mate.

“Yeah, but you’ve got it beat hands down,” Zane replied, staring up at him.

It was the best feeling in the world to see Cormac blush from his complement.

“Wanna be in the front, or in back?” Cormac asked.

“Front, I wanna see everything flying by while you hold me.”

“Well then climb on and lets see if this baby can fly,” Cormac said, waiting for Zane to be settled before he climbed on behind him and rocked the sled, sending it rocketing down the hill. Gasping at first, Zane let out a shirk as they gained speed. Cormac was laughing and holding him tight as they bounced along, racing through the snow and eradicating their footprints before slowly coming to a halt.

“That was amazing!” Zane declared, scrambling off they could run back up the hill with the sled and come racing down again. The wind against his face and all the colors rushing past was like being in a life sized kaleidoscope. Each time they did it the view changed, morphing with the acceleration, imprinting memories Zane knew he would never forget.

They must have gone down those hills over a dozen times. Comparing them to one another before deciding on a favorite and sledding down it a half dozen more. By then, they were getting colder and a little tired from all their running up the hills. Pressed to Cormac’s side, Zane stood with him, staring out at all the sled trails they made.

“Kinda looked like giant snakes slithered through the snow, doesn’t it,” Zane mused.

“Not sure snakes could manage all this cold without hibernating.”

“They could if they were snow snakes or ice snakes, or iceacondas.”

“Icea….Cormac began, before bursting into laughter. “You either need to turn that into a song or let someone out in California in on the concept so they can turn it into a movie.”

“Why, so it can play just after Ice Sharks and right before Ice Spider?” Zane remarked, laughing.

“Don’t forget Ice Crawlers and Snow Sharks.”

“I think we’ve just stumbled upon the theme for our next movie day.”

“I wonder if the bakery can whip up a few ice and snow themed treats with some hidden surprises in them.”

“Like gummy sharks?”

“And gummy spiders.”

“Do you think they have gummy bugs?”

“We can ask. Not sure about the snakes though, we might have to settle for worms and using our imaginations.”

“That’s okay, snakes or worms it would still be fun to see them pop out of a creamy center or pressed into glittery dusted ice cubes,” Zane said.

“I like that. I’ll see what they can do,” Cormac offered. “Until then would you like to create your own snow snake?”

Looking around, Zane didn’t see anything they could use to do that, even as a joke, but when his mate reached for the backpack and opened it to reveal several cans of spray paint, Zane realized that he hadn’t finished with the surprises yet.

“We could trace some of our paths through the snow and create our own,” Cormac said, shaking a can in his direction.

“Seriously?” Zane remarked, digging in the bag and pulling out green, purple and silver paint. “This is so awesome!”

Biting his lower lip, he took a minute to survey the tracks until he happened upon just the one he wished to trace. Moving carefully, to not mess up the other tracks, he worked his way to the top, while Cormac picked out his own trail nearby, and began painting. With such a calm day, it was easy to keep the paint on the snow where they wanted it, and while Zane’s looked more like a cartoon snake, Cormac’s looked slick and scary, like something someone might have on the side of a bike.

“I love it,” Zane called out as he kept working on his.

“Thanks!”

Near the bottom of the hill their snakes entwined, necks winding around one another and it was so much fun to see the clash emerge, ending with the snakes ‘hugging’ one another and staring into each other’s eyes, forked tongues flicked out and touching.

“Thank you for an amazing day,” Zane told Cormac as they stood, taking pictures of their creation. The temperature was steadily dropping along with the sun, and they had a bit of a ride ahead of them.

Smiling Cormac leaned in and kissed him, Zane catching a close up of Cormac’s eyes on his phone as he did. “So glad you enjoyed it.”

“I don’t want it to end,” Zane admitted, trying not to shiver and failing miserably.

“Neither do I, but perhaps we can continue it somewhere warmer?”



***Death Growl, Book 3 of the Comet Lake Chronicles will be released this summer ***


You can find books 1 and 2 on Amazon Here!




Saturday, March 19, 2022

Rainbow Snippet 3/19/22: From Devin's Boys

  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.  

This week's Rainbow Snippet comes from Devin's Boys, part of the All-American Boys small-town romance series I am a part of. You can see the graphic below for the other authors in this awesome group. A little more than 6 lines this week, but this is the final snippet from Devin's Boy's which is now available for preorder Here. 

“I heard the door,” Derrick said softly, slightly averting his gaze. “Didn’t want to tell them that ‘cause I didn’t wanna say why I didn’t turn around.”

Gently, he pressed against Derrick’s cheek until Derrick looked him in the eye again. “Can you tell me why?”

The flush spread, pinking up his cheeks even more. “Thought it was Moon.”

“Okay.”

“I…”

The barest shrug, but Devin had a good idea where this was going, so he decided to wait him out and see if he’d open up on his own. Derrick’s fingers lifted the strands of Moon’s hair to his face, inhaling them.

“He smells like rain on the ocean.”

“He got drenched yesterday, took a while to get him warmed up but he still insisted we bring him home to you.”

“None of this feels real. I’m afraid I’m going to wake up alone, that this will all be some crazy amazing dream. I got hit in the head, didn’t I, that’s what this is? I’m really unconscious and floating on pain meds.”

Chuckling, Devin lightly glided the pad of his finger along the bruise on Derrick’s jaw, making him tense.

“Are dreams supposed to hurt?”

“No.”

“Then you’re not dreaming.”




Wednesday, March 16, 2022

Warrior Wednesday: Protecting what's ours

 


Coming April 


When that door banged shut behind them, the energy in the room changed. Wreck was still desperate, and Cody was horny as hell. Clothes were damaged in the ensuing pull and tug of Wreck and Cody getting in each other’s way while trying to get their clothes off.

Turning, Bellamy secured the door, took a deep breath, and decided it was time to take charge. If he’d needed any confirmation that it was the right decision, Wreck gave it to him moments later, when he yanked Cody towards him by his recently healed arm, forgetting to check his strength as he crushed Cody to him.

Bellamy saw him wince, some of the spark in his eyes dim a little as a flash of pain hit. Knowing Cody’s tolerance for it, Bellamy knew that yank had to be a rough one, but rather than say anything, Cody melted in Wreck’s arms, allowing himself to be spun around and flung over the arm of the couch. When Wreck reached to yank Cody’s jeans off him, Bellamy grabbed both of his wrists and gave as hard a squeeze as he could.

“You need to take it easy before you break our pet.”

Those words, and how tight he held on to Wreck clearly had an impact as the man blinked and straightened up, looking from Cody to Bellamy who met his lust-blown gaze.

“We will all get where we want to be,” Bellamy told him, keeping his voice low and firm. “But you’re on the wrong side of rough right now, so let’s tune it down some and lay some groundwork, yeah.”

Wreck blew out a long breath as he stroked one hand over the curve of Cody’s ass, squeezing, but since Cody only moaned and shook his ass at Wreck like he was wanting more, Bellamy let it go. “Okay, yeah, I hear ya.” Wreck said. “Cody, you good?”

Tongue poked between his lips, Cody looked back over his shoulder at them, confusion, and hesitation evident in his gaze.

“What’s the rule?” Bellamy asked sternly.

“Truth, even if it’s not what someone wants to hear,” Cody replied. He needed no further prompting to turn his attention on Wreck. “I need you to not be so rough.”

“Done.” Wreck said reason and concern dulling the burn of all that lust raging in him.

“Thank you,” Cody said softly.

“Now, clothes off,” Bellamy declared, licking his lips as he watched them strip. Only after he was done did he calmly remove his clothing and leave them in a pile beside theirs. “Safewords?”

“Genesis,” Cody declared.

The look Wreck gave him, like he didn’t understand why Bellamy had used the plural variation of the word, left Bellamy smiling.

“You want rough, I’m going to make sure you get everything you need."




Tuesday, March 15, 2022

Tantalizing Tuesday: Devin, Mikal, and Moon...that first step.



“Okay, that’s enough, both of you,” Devin snapped. “I’m glad to see the real issue coming out here, and it has nothing to do with music.”

“It’s no concern of yours,” Mikal said, feeling like he was spinning out of control with no clue which way this situation was supposed to turn out. Was Moon right? In a lot of ways, yeah, but there had to be a way to stop feeling so raw and pissed off. “Moon and I should go; we’ve wasted enough of your time. Since this doesn’t have fuck all to do with the music anymore, you can consider your debt to Linus fulfilled.”

“That’s where I know you from!” Moon said, slowly turning to face Devin, hands sliding off Mikal’s shirt too fast for him to stop them. He was slipping away from Mikal too, moving from straddling his thighs to hobbling on that wounded ankle, sleep pants so loose and baggy on him Mikal could see the top curve of one pale cheek.

“Wasn’t sure if you remembered me, considering you always hid beneath the front porch and pulled the vines closed like curtains whenever the band visited. Don’t know why, we’d have played with you. Always thought Linus was bragging when he talked about how good you were. Okay and let’s face it, those were some not-so sober years so damn near anything he said sounded bigger than it probably was.”

“Wait….” Mikal said. “How old are you?”

When Devin flipped him off, the mood in the room lightened a bit. “Old enough that either of you screaming daddy wouldn’t exactly be wrong.”

Moon gasped, freezing for a moment, a shiver tearing through his body. Mikal could see the goosebumps rising on Moon’s arms and this time it wasn’t from the cold. His shoulders heaved a little deeper, and Moon had to physically hug himself to keep from hurling himself at Devin, Mikal could see it in the way he carried himself.

Moon must not have trusted himself either. The word embodied what he wanted from someone, the same something Mikal could never be. It wasn’t in his nature. Not when he wanted that too. The word had sent a quiver down his spine, drawing him forward to cross the room as well, shoulder pressed to Moon’s shoulder as they stared down at Devin in his chair.

“I see,” Devin murmured, holding one hand out to each of them. They took them and found themselves tucked against Devin’s sides, one of them on each knee, their heads on Devin’s shoulders.

Fuck, Mikal realized then what a jealous fool he was for not seeing him and Moon as the mirror images of one another, which was exactly what they were, a package deal. Moon had seen it long before Mikal could, but then how had that led him to Derrick, who couldn’t be what either of them needed?

Even as Devin cuddled them and let them slowly match their breathing to his, he kept thinking about that one niggling little detail, and how persistent he’d been.

It took a caravan of jealousy-fueled images before it dawned on him. If they were mirrors for each other, then it was possible Devin had a mirror too. His thoughts were drawn to Derrick, and the same fierce protectiveness, patience, and encouragement Devin had been showing him. It had been there all along, he’d just been too stubborn to see it.



Coming home was supposed to be the end of something, until Mikal barreled into his life….and he wasn’t alone.

For Devin McKay, music has been his lover, his drug, and his best friend for as long as he can remember, but there was always something he denied himself while he pursued it. Now that his band has broken up and he’s returned to his hometown of Stoney Brook, he’s settled into a new, somewhat drunken routine, while he tries to get accustomed to this new phase in his life. The last thing he expected was an old friend to send a troubled young musician his way.

Mikal needs help, or rather, his best friend, Moon, needs help getting over the blinding bouts of stage fright that have been plaguing him for the last year. He’ll do anything to get to the root of Moon’s issues, even follow along with the unorthodox methods Devin prescribes for them. After all, Devin was a success in the industry, while Mikal and Moon have been struggling to get a foot in the door.

They aren’t the only ones struggling. Moon’s longtime friend with benefits, Derrick, spends most days rudderless and pretending to be okay. There are things he needs that Moon tries desperately to give him, but Moon has needs too. All their pieces have jagged edges, but with a little twisting and turning, and a lot of songs, they might discover a way they can all fit. 



 AABS MM Series Announcement:

🌈🌈 ï¼³ï¼¥ï¼²ï¼©ï¼¥ï¼³ ANNOUCEMENT🌈🌈

I am pleased to announce that I am a participating author in the next round of All American Boy Series, a shared world collective of books coming this April.

Each book is a standalone written in a connected series and all will be available on Kindle Unlimited.

SERIES DESCRIPTION:

Ahoy, mates!⚓️⛵️

Welcome to Stoney Brook, Maine, a quaint New England town filled with hot lobstermen, entertaining establishments, and the annual summer Tall Ships Festival where you may get swept away in the sea of love.

Come aboard and fly your LGBTQIA+ flag to find love as tourist season is in full bloom in this small, coastal fishing town.

The All American Boy Series is proud to deliver brand new gay romance books by 9 authors in a shared world experience. All books are standalone but may include cross-over in characters or scenes.

Join us now and be in the know when this series releases in April 2022.

Monday, March 7, 2022

Matesummer Monday: Death Growl and the slow process of earning a mate's trust



“You look like shit, I’m gonna guess you didn’t sleep last night because you didn’t have him to hold while you did.”

“And I’m gonna guess that makes you happy,” Graham growled.

“Nope, ‘cause I know how shitty that feels. Every single member of the band has fallen asleep cuddling him, like having a life-sized stuffed animal. Speaking of which, has he showed you his collection yet?”

“Collection?”

“Of stuffed toys, I’ll guess not from the confused look on his face. He’s probably got them hidden in the music room thinking you’ll laugh or something when you see them.”

“The only one I’ve seen is the one Brooks gave him the other night after dinner,” Graham admitted. “It was a moose. I joked that Zane was trying to replace me in bed, but I would never laugh at him for collecting them.”

Dalton nodded. “I believe you. He’s special, and the fact that you’re so stressed out right now over one day apart from him tells me you recognize that, so, I’m gonna help you out this time. Let’s not make it a habit.”

“Deal.”

Yet, instead of opening the door, Dalton stepped out into the hallway, pulled it closed behind him and headed for the stairwell. “You coming or what,” Dalton remarked when Graham didn’t move fast enough.

“Yeah,” Graham said, hurrying to catch up with him. “I wasn’t sure you were being serious when you said he wasn’t there.”

“I was. I don’t believe in those kinds of games. If he’d been here, I’d have told you, and I’d have told him you were at the door so he could decide if he wanted to speak to you or not.”

Dalton led him back outside and down the block to, of all places, the daycare center, where the lights were on and almost a dozen wolves were hard at work, covering the walls in bright, vivid colors. Among those hard at work were Wilder, Emrys and Zane.

“I’m not sure if you’ve noticed yet, but when Zane is stressed or anxious about something, he tends to resort to cleaning to help settle himself down. Wilder and Emrys are the same way. They need something physical they can do that’s so repetitive it’s like meditation for them. When they got wind about this project, they decided to volunteer their time, rather than dwell on the issues that were bothering them.”

“I’d noticed, about the cleaning.”

“When the weather gets nice, he’ll be out in the yard. I hope you don’t mind him putting in flower beds and a garden.”

“Not in the slightest.”

Staring through the window, Graham watched the way Zane was so focused applying even strokes up the wall. Someone had given him a roller with a long handle on it so he could reach the full length of the surface, and from his vantage point, Graham saw a few splatters of paint decorating that silvery-white hair he loved running his fingers through. He’d missed doing that last night.

“I don’t want to pull him away from this,” Graham said.

“Then don’t. The coffee shop across the street is open. We can grab some cocoa ‘cause lets face it, coffee at this time of night wouldn’t be good for either of us. You can talk to him when they’re done.”

“Fine, maybe they’ll even have some chocolate chip cookies left.”

“Can’t hurt to hope,” Dalton replied as they headed across the street. As they went, Graham caught sight of a stuffed koala in the window of the shop next door.

“Does he have one like that yet,” Graham asked, pausing and pointing it out to Dalton.

“Nope. It’s cute as hell though. And now that you’ve taken my personal Koala away, I might have to resort to buying stuffed companions myself.”

“As long as it’s not that one,” Graham said. “I intend for that to be the first in what I hope doesn’t turn into a long line of apology gifts I bring home for him.”

“Good luck with that,” Dalton replied. “Though if I were you, I’d put in a standing order with the Gunderson’s and be done with it. Their family has been making critters like that for years. You might wanna keep a few on hand for nights like this, save you the trouble of running out searching for one the next time you forget to think before sayin’ the wrong thing.”

“You might be on to something with that.”

“Trust me. When it comes to saying the wrong shit, I’ve got a PHD. Unfortunately, it’ll take far more than a stuffed animal to undo the messes I’ve made.”  


Death Growl, book three of the Comet Lake Chronicles is slated for release this summer. In the meanwhile, you can enjoy books one and two, available on Amazon now.