RECENT RELEASE BLITZ Book Title: Synthetic Code for Sincerity Author and Publisher: Naya Zayn Release Date: May 25, 2023 Genre: Sci-fi MM romance Tropes: wealthy heroes, dark themes, tragic past, morally grey characters, HFN, slow burn Heat Rating: 4 flames Length: 260 pages It is the first book in the series and does not end on a cliffhanger. HFN Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited AI has evolved into lifelike synthetic humans called alphas. Blurb AI HAS EVOLVED INTO LIFELIKE SYNTHETIC HUMANS CALLED ALPHAS. Alpha, Vincent Zakari is as roguishly handsome as he is cunning. Made to feel, yet with callous disregard for most people, he hides his synth identity beneath a charming smile. To foil a major political threat, he worms into the life of an orphaned billionaire, but soon finds himself at the mercy of his own emotions. Plagued by horrors from a tragic past, Yugo Jordan has shields for days, and never leaves his New York estate. When another disaster forces him outside, he meets the insanely attractive Vincent, and is quickly undone by dark eyes and honey-slick words. To Vincent, Yugo's a fatal error in the making. And to Yugo, Vincent is weakness personified, steadily breaking down those walls. Both are helpless against the pull between them, even while confronted by stubborn inner demons and looming external threats. As they navigate this heated, uncharted territory, they must also unravel the lies and secrets surrounding them… or cave beneath all-too-human flaws. Synthetic Code for Sincerity is an addictive blend of light scifi and heavy MM romance — deeply sensual, evocative, and marked by thrilling moments sure to stay with you long after turning that last page. It's the first in a series where each installment has a different couple, but follows an overarching plotline. Readers can expect a host of morally grey characters, a smug bastard MC who's brought down to his knees, another MC who's shoved out of his comfort zone, first times, and a happy-for-now ending. **Warning: This book has content which may not be suitable for all audiences. Check the author's website for more information. Reader discretion is thoroughly advised. Excerpt "Strip for me, Yugo. Nice and slow." He opened his eyes, blinking repeatedly to clear the haze. As he focused, he spotted Vincent—already several paces away, and seated on the high back. His dark eyes locked on Yugo, fiercely intense and with hidden depths, pulling Yugo to a trance-like state. Yugo couldn't help it, he lost himself completely and before he knew it, he began to strip. He removed his jacket, took off his shirt, slipped out of his pants, all without looking away. He should've been wracked by nerves, but those eyes had him in the tightest grip and he'd never felt more powerful, more desirable. He cracked a smile and took his time with his shorts, inching here and there as he slowed things down to an aching halt. Something wicked flicked across Vincent's stare. In a flash, Yugo was fully naked and up against the window. The glass sent chills down his spine. A solid weight crowded over him, filling his nose with spicy-sweet as lips met lips. Things unraveled quickly from there, flying into a whirlwind of tongue, heat, and very few breaths, becoming a kiss of greed. It seared through Yugo, stealing moans and cries too wanton for common decency. He hadn't known he could sound like this. Wild and desperate. Like his life depended on it… About the Author It all started when she received that first picture book during her diaper days. Naya Zayn, aka NZ, has binged on stories since then. As a consummate daydreamer, she spends many hours exploring the horizons of her own mindscape — lurking around terrains flush with gay romance and happy endings. There, she embraces the gripping elements of scifi and fantasy, then ventures into darker outskirts where many rogues and anti-heroes reside. Though troubled, her morally grey men pine hopelessly and flirt shamelessly. They're also persistent, haunting her in the waking world, till she finally puts pen to paper… bringing them alive. Social Media Links Blog/Website | Facebook | TikTok Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway Prize for a chance to win one of two $5 Amazon gift cards. Colt leaned forward. “I need to say something to you.” Mal put his fork down and sat back in his chair. He moved his plate to the side and folded his hands in front of him before nodding. “We haven’t really talked about what happened in Nashville. I wanted you to know you surprised me, but I don’t think you did anything wrong, and since I was the only other person involved, I think it’s my opinion that matters the most.” “You’re my employee. What I did was wrong.” Mal tilted his head and raised his eyebrows for a second. “Wrong, but I don’t regret it. I’ve been thinking about it and if we might do that again.” “If I weren’t your employee, would you feel the same way?” Colt asked. Mal shook his head. “Not as long as we’re two consenting adults.” He heaved a sigh. “Look, we’ve spent a lot of time together, and dinner with you has become the highlight of my day. I don’t want you to feel—?” Colt cut him off. “I haven’t had friends since I was a kid. Yeah, there were others I knew and hung with in shelters and camps, but they weren’t really friends. It was more like we stuck together because we were in the same situation. People here talk to me. They care about what I think and how I feel. I haven’t known any of you very long, but it feels like I have friends.” He paused, and when Mal didn’t say anything, Colt reached out and took Mal’s hand for a few seconds as he added, “Does that make sense?” “It does,” Mal said quietly. “Are there rules about being friends with your employees?” “There are rules against using your position of power,” Mal said. He turned his hand over and gave Colt’s a squeeze, then let go. “I don’t think you’d ever do that.” Colt leaned back in his chair and rested his arms on the table. “As long as you know you’re free to say no to anything and it won’t affect your job here,” Mal insisted. “Does that mean we’re friends?” Colt ventured. Mal smiled. He reached across the table and offered Colt his hand. As they shook on it, he said, “It does.” My teaser this week is from For the Long Run. The obnoxious cop-show theme ringtone Jay had put on his phone blared. Sighing and smiling, Eric rolled over and grabbed the phone, wondering why Jay got the cop-show ringtone and not him. “Hey, buddy,” he yawned out. “I just about gave up on you tonight.” Jay’s soft, wet “Eric” had him sitting up, turning on the light, and any smart-ass comment died before it got out of his mouth. “Jay, are you okay? What’s wrong?” “I… God, my dad, he….” “He what?” Eric shouted, picturing Jay’s cringe and immediately feeling guilty. He was suddenly frustrated and afraid some harm had come to Jay. “Don’t yell, I’ve had enough of that crap for one night,” Jay snapped, though his voice was a low, raspy whisper. Throwing the blankets off, Eric swung around until he was sitting on the edge of the bed. “I’m coming to get you. Are you at home?” “Eric, no. Don’t come here. I—I just wanted to hear your voice. My dad went ballistic over the locks to the house, like I should be grounded or some stupid shit. He’s an asshole. My mom told me they split up, and she moved to an apartment almost six months ago. Which, according to him, is my fault too.” “Don’t be absurd, of course it wasn’t your fault.” Eric ran his free hand through his hair and took a few deep breaths. Jay’s words were coming too fast, slightly slurred and unsteady. “Did he hurt you? I want you to come here if you don’t want me there, but you’re not staying alone with him right now. Your mother needs to be out of there too.” Images of too many domestic violence victims—adults, children, men, women, gay, straight—that Eric had seen over the years thundered through his head. For the Long Run is available in eBook, paperback
and through Kobo Plus. BLOG TOUR Book Title: Butterflies In The End Zone Author and Publisher: Jacob Gelman Release Date: June 15, 2023 Genres: Contemporary M/M Young Adult Gay Romance, #ownvoices Tropes: strangers to friends to lovers, bi awakening Themes: coming out, communication, sports Heat Rating: 3 flames Length: 72 000 words/169 pages It is a standalone book and does not end on a cliffhanger. Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited Blurb Alex has everything going for him. He’s the quarterback of the football team. He has a great group of friends. He’s popular. He’s got stellar grades. So, why is he so enamored by the new kid from the Bay Area? Meanwhile, Jamie doesn’t understand why the quarterback of Scalia’s football team could possibly want to be friends with him: the closeted Jewish kid. It’s the last thing he needs to worry about after leaving California for Jacksonville. He planned on just keeping his head down and finishing his senior year quietly to get into his dream school. Against the odds, though, they become close friends in an area that would teach them to be enemies. But, over time, their friendship turns into something deeper – scaring the both of them. Will their love survive the trials of being in a homophobic environment? Or will it all prove to be too much for them? Excerpt I’ve been in Florida less than a day and already I’m in a life or death standoff. The gator stares at me, his eyes glowing against the moonlight. I stare at the gator, my eyes wild with fear. Shit, I’m gonna die. He could have been small as a chihuahua or large as Godzilla, but in my California brain he was the most terrifying thing I’d seen in my life. This was not how I expected my senior year to start. Me dying was the cherry on top, really. It wasn’t like I had much to live for anymore, after leaving the Bay Area and all. My friends. My childhood. My family. It was all gone now. I had come out just a month before, ready to live my truth in an accepting area until...poof. “We’re moving,” my mother had told me. “To Florida.” “Just like that?” I’d asked her. “Just like that,” she’d told me. “Why?” I’d prodded, hoping maybe there could be some solution to this unbearable fate. There wasn’t. We weren’t even in Miami either. We were in Jacksonville. Not even in Jacksonville, an hour away in some nowhere suburb called Scalia – whatever the heck that is. San Francisco to Scalia: the name of my personal horror movie. My parents were architects. Their company decided to move them to Florida. I was suddenly in Florida. Suddenly about to become the dumbest news headline possible: LOCAL GAY KID DIES FROM GATOR. That simple, I guess. My heart leapt towards my throat. His tail, is it...moving? The gator began walking, or waddling, or slithering – whatever it is gators do when they move – away from me. I stood beside my bike, nearly ready to collapse from fear and adrenaline. Finally, he crawled out of sight – back to the depths of whatever abyss from which he came. I let out a sigh, almost sad to live another day. I got back on my bike, slowly peddling back home, tears lining my path. I was sad. Sad about everything. Sad about leaving my friends behind. Sad about leaving my family behind. Sad about no longer being in a Jewish area. Sad about no longer being in an accepting area. I wasn’t only sad, either. I was scared. Terrified, even. My whole life people had talked about the south like it was some far off universe, some faraway hell the Bay Area would forever be safe from. I had heard stories of how unaccepting it was, how women couldn’t choose what happens to their bodies, gay people couldn’t be teachers, trans students were expelled. Now here I was: in the south. In Florida. Back in the closet. My eyes were red from tears by the time they stared at my bedroom ceiling, my pillow resting against my neck. I had only a week before I started school at Scalia High. What would that be like? Visions of people with confederate flags, driving trucks, and listening to country music came to my mind and immediately I was near tears once more. I wasn’t sure about many things, but I was certain of this: nothing good would come of this year. About the Author I'm a staunch advocate for lgbt rights. I'm originally from Melbourne, Florida. I am a board member for colectiva queer and a founder of the political action group Florida Fighting Fascism. I have worked with the Brevard Democratic Party, Equality Florida (twice), Congressman Darren Soto, and am a current fellow with People for Power Florida. I am a current student at Brown University studying political science. At university, I am part of the philosophy, politics, and economics society and the Brown Debating Union. I have written for Queerty, OutTraveler, and Florida Today. I am the author of the young adult gay romance novel entitled Butterflies In The End Zone (2023). Author Links Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for a chance to win a PR Box with candy, the book, a bookmark, stickers, and a media kit RECENT RELEASE BLITZ Book Title: The Star (Charleston Condors Book 1) Author and Publisher: Beth Bolden Cover Artist: The Book Brander Boutique Release Date: June 7, 2023 Genre: Contemporary MM sports romance Tropes: Best friend’s little brother, bisexual awakening, roommates-to-lovers Themes: Unconditional support, brotherly/familial love, team-as-found-family Heat Rating: 4 flames Length: 107 000 words It is the first book in a new series, which is a spinoff of the Miami Piranhas, but reading those is not necessary before starting this series. Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited Universal Link | Amazon US | Amazon UK Blurb Tight end Landry Banks knows the score when he signs with the Charleston Condors in a rebuilding year. Rookie quarterback Riley Flynn knows what it takes to make it in the NFL. He’s in Charleston to prove himself—to the world and to his teammates, but mostly to his older brother, who’s never believed he could be a star. The last thing he expects is for his brother’s best friend Landry to welcome him with open arms and an offer to become roommates. Riley’s always believed Landry was straight—but the way Landry keeps checking him out leaves him suddenly unsure. And Landry’s hot looks certainly don’t help squash the crush he’s always had on his brother’s best friend. Revisiting his teenage crush isn't part of the plan. But as he and Landry fall into a rhythm of thrilling plays on the field and sizzling tension off it, there's no denying their connection. Excerpt “How many years do you and Aidan have between you?” Landry answered Riley’s question by asking one of his own. Riley leaned against the counter, clearly at home with a knife in his hand. Even a big shiny chef’s knife. If Landry tried to use that, he’d probably accidentally cut off a finger. At the very least, an emergency room trip would’ve been in his future. But not Riley. And more than anything else, that confirmed what Riley had just claimed. They didn’t know each other very well, despite the fact Aidan had been his best friend forever. “Almost eight years,” Riley said. “So yeah, when I wasn’t the annoying little brother anymore, you guys were gone and busy with your own lives. I get it.” He shot Landry a look. Were his eyes full of heat, or was that just Landry’s currently overactive imagination? “I guess we’re gonna be making up for lost time now.” Landry swallowed hard. “Guess we are.” “Don’t sound like I’m gonna march you down to the cliff and push you right off,” Riley said, laughing. “I promise it won’t hurt too much to get to know me.” Oh, it wouldn’t hurt at all. What was going to hurt the most was keeping his hands off. “Is that what all the boys say to you?” Landry teased before he could reel the words back. Riley fluttered his eyelashes. God, he was temptation incarnate. “The girls, too. I don’t discriminate, baby.” “Right.” Landry wanted to say, me too, as long as the guys look like you, but he didn’t because what if this wasn’t what this was? What if he was wrong? Then there was the fact he knew enough about coming out that it wasn’t necessarily right to do it just because he enjoyed flirting so much with Riley—and wanted him to keep doing it. “Though,” Riley said, shooting him another look from underneath those killer lashes, “I do tend to prefer the boys, so you’re not entirely wrong.” Landry swallowed hard. “Is that…is that a thing? Can that be a thing? A preference even if you’re bisexual?” “Of course it can. Sexuality is a pretty fluid thing when it comes down to it. Surely I don’t have to tell you that.” Riley had gone back to chopping lettuce, like their conversation wasn’t sending shockwaves through Landry. He means: surely, your brothers explained that to you. Not that you personally are…well…fluid. But maybe he was. More than he’d ever imagined he was. “Logan and Levi are less on the fluid side of things,” Landry explained. “Ah yes, your brothers. The ones who would’ve apparently found me irresistible.” Riley grinned. They wouldn’t be the only ones. Landry flushed. The way Riley was looking at him with those gorgeous eyes, like he could see right through him, down to the place where he was questioning everything, and unlike Landry, it was like he knew exactly what all this meant. Even if he couldn’t possibly. “Don’t tell me that isn’t normal for you,” Landry said, trying to equal Riley’s casual approach to the subject of just how fucking hot he was. But Riley just shrugged. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t love it if, every once in a while, people saw you as more than a pair of pecs and a head of blond hair? I kinda liked it better when I was that scrawny kid nobody paid attention to.” Even if Landry ignored how he looked, giving his looks the barest attention in the mirror every morning, he knew people still watched him. Approached him. Felt like they deserved a piece of him. “Yeah, I get that,” Landry said quietly. Now, suddenly, it was hard to see Riley as just his abs and his biceps and those dreamy eyes. About the Author A lifelong Pacific Northwester, Beth Bolden has just recently moved to North Carolina with her supportive husband. Beth still believes in Keeping Portland Weird, and intends to be just as weird in Raleigh. Beth has been writing practically since she learned the alphabet. Unfortunately, her first foray into novel writing, titled Big Bear with Sparkly Earrings, wasn’t a bestseller, but hope springs eternal. She has published over forty novels and novellas. Author Links Blog/Website | Facebook | Twitter | BookBub Instagram | Newsletter Sign-up Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon gift card. Wyatt turned when he heard movement behind him, expecting to see Lily had returned. It wasn’t Lily, and the person who now confronted him caused him to square his shoulders, straighten his spine, and sidestep so he was between the newcomer and Val. “Kevin,” Wyatt said. It was an effort to keep his tone cordial. “Wyatt,” Kevin replied, voice tight. His gaze slid almost at once to Val, who’d turned away from the telescopes, taken a few steps toward them, and froze. “This is Kevin Fells,” Wyatt said, turning far enough to look at Val. “Vladimir Mihalic, my fiancé.” Val stepped forward, held out his hand, and shot Wyatt a curious look. Clearly he caught the fact Wyatt introduced him as Vladimir not Val. He smiled at Kevin. Kevin looked Val up and down, shrugged, and walked to the bar. He snatched a glass from the table and a bottle of whiskey from the bar. He poured more than a shot’s worth into the glass and downed it, then poured another one. Wyatt resisted the urge to shake his head. Kevin had already smelled of booze when he came in, and his eyes were bloodshot. “So, my brother is barely cold in his grave and you get yourself a brand new boy toy.” Kevin’s voice was so cold Wyatt had to make a conscious effort not to shudder. Find great snippets in the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group!
A Barlow Lens is available in eBook and paperback. Check my translations page for French and Spanish editions. M.D. Grimm has a new MM fantasy romance out (ace, bi, demi): A Priest, a Plague, and a Prophecy. And there's a giveaway. “Orcs are the answer but what is the question?” Elias is a priest at the Temple of the Divine Sibyl. When he becomes lost in the woods after his brother’s hunting party abandons him, it’s just his luck that he’d stumble upon an angry orc caught in a trap. Unable to stomach the suffering of others, Elias throws self-preservation to the wind and frees the orc. Then Gurrkk—that’s a name?—ends up leading him to safety. Gurrkk finds himself rather smitten by the sweet, awkward human. He’s always been fascinated with his people’s sworn enemy, and now he has a life debt to fulfill to maintain his honor. Hiding an orc among the temple’s crypts wouldn’t have been Elias’s first choice but Gurrkk is stubborn about leaving. As they learn each other’s languages and spend more time together, Elias realizes they’ve become friends… and maybe more. And when the dying sibyl gives her last prophecy, Elias knows it wasn’t chance that brought them together, it was the gods. But why? This is a sweet, ace romance, so no sexy times, but plenty of snuggles and cuddles! Universal Buy Links | Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | SmashwordsGiveaway M.D. is giving away a $10 Amazon gift card with this tour: Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47285/? Excerpt Elias closed his eyes and clasped his hands under his chin, sending a fervent prayer to the gods, asking for a sign. Any sign that would lead him home. Seconds passed. Minutes. He cracked open one eye to look around. Seeing nothing, he glared and set his fists on his hips. So much for divine intervention. “I’m one of your priests, and you don’t give me the time of day,” he mumbled as he set off down the left-hand path. He was hungry again. Even as he was contemplating the pros and cons of eating one of his last apples, he stumbled around a thick tree before halting in shock. An orc sat on the ground, his greenish-gold skin glistening with sweat and his coal-black eyes glaring with menace. He was almost bald, except for a spiky strip of green hair running from his forehead to the back of his skull. The lack of hair accentuated his large ears that moved independently of each other. Two pronounced fangs jutted up from his lower jaw, which was square and blunt, and more sharp teeth showed when he growled. Elias stayed frozen, taking in the long black tunic cinched at the waist by a gold cord. The short sleeves were trimmed with gold thread, baring muscled arms. The stately garb struck Elias, making him wonder as to the status of the orc. Did they have hierarchy as humans did? The tunic ended around his knees, leaving the rest of his muscled legs bare. Also, this orc wasn’t of monstrous size, so he couldn’t be of the mountain variety. He was certainly taller and broader than Elias, but also leaner, corded with muscle, like that big cat Elias had spotted earlier. And his face was… not horrible. Brutish and sharp but not hideous or even ugly. Those illustrators of tomes really set out to depict orcs as the most horrific creatures ever to grace the earth. The urge to run made his palms grow damp and his breath to quicken. Not that he could run for more than a few steps before wheezing because he was so damn out of shape, and why the hell didn’t he train with his brother? I’m going to die, I’m going to die…. Then his gaze traveled down to the reason the orc was sitting on the ground and not eating his face. Vicious steel jaws had the orc by the ankle, piercing deeply into his flesh. The jaws were attached to a chain that was buried into to the earth. The fact the orc hadn’t freed himself meant this was one of the trick jaws. One specifically made for capturing orcs. The scoured earth around the chain proved that the orc had tried to dig himself free but clearly hadn’t succeeded. His ankle was a mess of torn flesh and caked blood, and only then did Elias notice the buzz of flies. How long had he been sitting there, in pain? In fear? Sympathy rose with anger not far behind. Elias and the orc stared at each other, and Elias found himself stepping closer without consciously deciding his actions. The orc growled deeper, eyes narrowed in warning. Elias stopped again, wondering what he was doing. This was an orc! The enemy! The beasts that kept trying to take their lands. Attius’s tirades whirled through his mind even as the battle songs about marauding orcs jangled in his memory. He’d never joined in. He’d never had anything personal against orcs. He never thought one way or another about them. Fighting them wasn’t a part of his world. Most of his life had been spent ensconced in the Temple of the Divine Sibyl, which was safely behind fortified stone walls and separated from the general populace of the city. He was sheltered and he knew it. To see such ugly pain in another living creature struck him to the core. That was one of the reasons he didn’t eat meat. He couldn’t reconcile killing just to feed himself when there were plenty of other things to consume if he simply looked. At that moment, this orc was no different than any other wild animal caught in a trap. And would he let such a creature die so horribly? No, he would not. Taking a deep breath, and with more courage than he would profess to have, Elias crouched before slowly pushing off his pack. He kept his eyes on the orc and opened the top flap before tilting it to show the orc that it only held medicines, plant samples, parchment, and ink. “I don’t want to hurt you,” he said gently. “Can you understand me?” The orc made no indication either way. He continued to growl and glare. “I want to help you.” Elias took the one weapon he had, a long dagger, and showed the orc the blade before tossing it away. The orc stopped growling and blinked in apparent surprise. Elias shuffled closer on his knees, keeping his demeanor as non-threatening as possible. He almost snorted—as if a soft priest like him could be threatening. He kept speaking in low tones as he would to a frightened animal. He kept his pack held out in front of him, hoping the harmless items would convince the orc he wasn’t a hunter. The orc’s large nostrils flared, and he squinted into the bag. He must have smelled the remaining apples, the plant samples, and the few healing ointments Elias carried with him everywhere. Elias set the bag within easy reach of the orc just in case he wanted to investigate. Then he took a good look at the steel jaws and winced. The orc didn’t wear shoes, his sturdy, rough feet tough enough not to need them. His nails were more like claws, almost identical to those on his fingers. The trap would have been covered, and he’d stepped directly onto the triggering mechanism. The blades had barely missed his foot to cut into his ankle, probably scraping against the bones and tendons. Elias took a moment to fight nausea. “Damn. Once I free your leg it’s going to bleed profusely. I have to wrap it fast and tight.” He glanced up and met the orc’s eyes. Grim determination stared back at him and Elias blinked. “You do understand me.” Author Bio M.D. Grimm has wanted to write stories since second grade (kind of young to make life decisions, but whatever) and nothing has changed since then (well, plenty of things actually, but not that!). Thankfully, she has indulgent parents who let her dream, but also made sure she understood she’d need a steady job to pay the bills (they never let her forget it!). After graduating from the University of Oregon and majoring in English, (let’s be honest: useless degree, what else was she going to do with it?) she started on her writing career and couldn’t be happier. Working by day and writing by night (or any spare time she can carve out), she enjoys embarking on romantic quests and daring adventures (living vicariously, you could say) and creating characters that always triumph against the villain, (or else what’s the point?) finding their soul mate in the process. Author Website: https://www.mdgrimmwrites.com Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001710645622 Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4574220.M_D_Grimm Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-grimm/ Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-grimm/ Author Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/M.D.-Grimm/e/B00I0KZMY6/ My teaser is from Jewel Cave, book 3 of the Circles series. It can be read as a standalone. They were in the car driving back to their office when Griff’s phone rang. He put it on speaker. “We got lucky big time,” Jim said. “The park where Clint’s phone was dumped was a city park a block from a police station. Not only was the phone found in a trash can along with clothes, jeans, and a T-shirt, but security cameras caught what happened. They sent us footage and pictures of the clothes. The jeans had been soaked in urine, which was dry when they found it. We should have analysis by tomorrow.”
“Can you e-mail the pictures?” Candice asked. “Already got them,” Griff said. He didn’t have to spend a lot of time looking at the pictures. “Those are the clothes Clint was wearing when I left yesterday morning.” Closing his eyes for a few beats, Griff bit down on his lip. He wanted to say he’d bought that shirt for Clint, but it was impossible to put that additional detail into words. “We also found out Dylan Hatchet had a second part-time job for a landscaper. About ten days ago, Hatchet reported the company van he was driving that day was stolen. Get this: the plates were recovered three days ago… in Toledo, Ohio,” Jim said. “So,” Candice said, tapping her fingers on the steering wheel. “Hatchet has a stolen van he could have painted by now and likely stolen plates that could be from any state between here and Minnesota.” “Griff, despite your best efforts to screw up evidence in Clint’s car when you searched it, there were trace amounts of blood found inside, soaked into the seat fabric. Matches the blood we found in your house,” Jim said. RELEASE BLITZ Book Title: Butterflies I Have Known Author and Publisher: Kristoffer Gair Cover Artist: Kris Norris Release Date: June 6, 2023 Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance, Comedy Tropes: Destined to be together Themes: Trust, destiny Heat Rating: 3 flames Length: 72 728 words/271 pages It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger. Buy Links Even time cannot stop love. Blurb Even time cannot stop love. University professor Matthew Richter hates complications. Planning his every day down to the second leaves no opportunity for a social life, which he doesn’t feel the need for anyway. Jian Wei helps run his family’s business. The only thing he enjoys more than tormenting his parents and siblings with endless pranks is plotting his next trick on a certain uptight customer. Though so different, chance inexplicably draws them both to a World War II photography exhibit, and the aging photographer Milton Glass. Milton shares the story of two soldiers brutally cut down on the battlefield—which has haunted him for the better part of his life—and his suspicions that the soldiers shared a bond they never fully realized. Now, in the twilight of his life, Milton can’t help but wonder if Matthew and Jian share a potential bond of their own. Could they possibly be the same men from so long ago, returned for a second chance at being together? Milton can hope. Excerpt Jian opened a cardboard container filled with lemon tea and grabbed two six-packs. Mister Important Professor could afford to buy two, especially since he’d inconvenienced Jian in the first place. He then checked the incoming produce, and when he didn’t find any lychee, grabbed a third six-pack of the tea. Jian’s father was nowhere to be seen when he returned. So much the better. “Here you go, Mister Important Man.” Jian transferred the tea from his arms to the arms of the object of his discontent. “Thank you for waiting so patiently while your humble servant retrieved what he could of your most profound wishes. No fresh lychee either.” He started to head away, then stopped. “Or is it Mister Important Professor?” The professor’s face turned beet red. “I never said I was important.” Thinking of the professor as the professor felt…odd. The name suggested someone much older, like in their fifties or sixties. This one didn’t look much over Jian’s age. Maybe he was an old soul acting like an old man in a younger man’s body. What a waste of good genetics. “True. My father says you’re important.” Jian knew he could be accused of being rude, but he switched to speaking Cantonese to avoid insulting the professor in a language the man understood. “You almost never talk when you come in here, and you give off the impression you don’t want to talk to anybody, like they’re beneath you. You might even be handsome if you learned to smile and changed everything about your personality. Right now, you’re just another uptight white man. But, we do appreciate your business.” The professor stared at Jian for at least a solid ten seconds. While the man remained silent, he moved his lips, though almost imperceptivity. Jian swore the professor must be continuing the conversation in his head. Seriously? Who does something like that? Is he even human? The professor finally took a deep breath and exhaled. “Thank you for the items.” Jian watched him start walking away. Much to his surprise, the professor paused and looked back over his shoulder. “Oh, I don’t think I’m better than anyone else, and I’m not trying to be something I’m not,” the professor spoke in perfect Cantonese. “Also, I come here because I love the food. Finally, you don’t know me well enough to talk about my personality. That would be like me saying you come across as someone who enjoys annoying his father and the customers for no other reason than because you can, and you probably admire yourself in the mirror every morning, too.” Jian felt his jaw drop, which he then shut with a loud snap. “What? Seriously? You’ve been shopping here since we opened two years ago and you couldn’t mention you speak Cantonese? You’ve understood everything we’ve been saying about…I mean to you?” He decided to change tactics and switch to Mandarin. “You sure talk when you want to.” See how Mr. Important Professor liked that! “I only speak when I have something to say,” the professor replied back to him in Mandarin. Jian felt his own face burn with the sudden rush of blood. “Don’t let my father hear you speak Mandarin! He’ll probably offer you my bedroom and I’ll wind up in the basement. Why are white people so weird?” He stormed off and caught a Caucasian woman glaring at him. “Not you. Him. He’s weird. You’re perfection. Have you tried the new Thai milk tea packets we just got in?” “Jian!” His father’s voice bellowed throughout the store. “Huh.” Jian looked up at the ceiling. Had his father installed cameras he didn’t know about? “He doesn’t even have to see me do something wrong anymore to know I did.” About the Author Kristoffer Gair grew up in Fraser, MI and is a graduate of Grand Valley State University. He is the author of 10 novels—some written under the pseudonum Kage Alan—been a part of 6 anthologies, and currently lives in a suburb of Detroit. Author Links Blog/Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram SERIES TOUR Book Title: Jamari and the Manhood Rites Trilogy Author: R. Roderick Rowe Publisher: RWCollins Publishing Cover Artist: Farland Publishing Genre: Fantasy Fiction, Epic Fantasy, Dystopian Fiction, Future Fiction Tropes: Forbidden love, Magical Realism Themes: Coming of age, Sexuality, Heat Rating: 3 flames This is the introduction to the world of Paradigm Lost, which currently includes this trilogy and also two Gay Erotica books. The trilogy is a very long story divided into three parts. BOOK 1 Title: Jamari and the Manhood Rites Length: 211 pages This book does not end on a cliffhanger. Buy Links Blurb A forest paradise surrounded by lands gutted from corporate greed. The Elk Creek Tribe holds the hope for mankind’s future. One young man becomes paramount in bringing spirituality back into a desolate and hostile world. But first he must find himself. Follow the life of a young man in the year 2115 as he decides to take on the challenge of the Manhood Rites. Journey with Jamari as he discovers his world, his community and his culture. BOOK 2 Title: Jamari Shaman Length: 242 pages This book ends on a cliffhanger. Buy Links Blurb A forest paradise surrounded by lands gutted from corporate greed. The Elk Creek Tribe holds the hope for mankind’s future. One young man becomes paramount in bringing spirituality back into a desolate and hostile world. But first he must find himself. Jamari must take on the challenges of The Manhood Rites before he can become a full citizen of The Elk Creek Tribe. He doesn't expect the spiritual challenge that awaits him when he breaks into the spirit realm in his daily meditations. And he's not sure he's ready to accept what it means when he does. Can he accept his fate and transform into the respected spiritual leader he is destined to become? Is he ready to face the passage into his own spirit and soul? Travel with Jamari as he embarks on a journey down through tribal lands to the coast. Watch as he learns of other peoples outside the Elk Creek Tribe. Be a part of Jamari's long journey home when tragedy strikes. BOOK 3 Title: The Founder’s Sons Length: 316 pages This book does not end on a cliffhanger. Buy Links Blurb A forest paradise surrounded by lands gutted from corporate greed. The Elk Creek Tribe holds the hope for mankind’s future. One young man becomes paramount in bringing spirituality back into a desolate and hostile world. But first he must find himself. When Native American Mythology meets Celtic Druidism in a culture built around Gnostic Christianity, strange things come to life! Journey with Jamari as he discovers his world, his community and his culture. Jamari works to understand a repeated spiritual vision as he also learns shamanism from the powerful Peter Shaman, 2nd Knight Shaman of the Elk Creek Tribe. He finds himself caught up in struggles, both physical and spiritual, as the world around him explodes in chaos and conquest. In the world of 2115, nearly 100 years after the Pacific Rim erupted in a series of quakes, The Tribe remains the Pacific Northwest's best hope of survival. Promoting peace, harmony, and the sharing of resources, The Tribe yet maintains a ferocious ability to defend itself from outsiders and wildlings. The Elk Creek Tribe, located near the town of Yoncalla, in Southwest Oregon, is the strongest civilization remaining in the region that has been long-abandoned by the mega-corps who decided that the sparse lands weren't viable investments to rebuild roads and infrastructure to bring back into the fold. The Tribe has defied all reason and logic, building a culture and a community that not just survives, but thrives, on the isolation, learning to live closer to the land, honoring the land and animals in return. Jamari has encountered spirit animals before, having earned two totems that have been recognized as his very own link to the Great Spirit. Over all, Eagle has visited him and marked him as His own. He has to go on a frightening quest in order to satisfy a driving Vision. His friends, teachers and mentors guide him through this portion of his journey, building relationships that will span all time. Jamari has been traveling Tribal Lands for two years in his quest to master the Manhood Rites and become a full citizen of the Elk Creek Tribe. It's now 2117 and he's getting his first views of the outer world. The outer world has been described as rapacious and vicious but, that information has not prepared him for what can happen when his world becomes the target of the Mega Corps who rule those other lands and governments. They've exhausted Oregon's resources and now they're setting eyes on the forest lands the Tribe has managed for over 100 years. Along with threats and incursions from outside, Jamari is battling to understand why he disagrees with some major ethos of his own Tribe. His Shamanistic talents are growing and he's becoming a reluctant legend within the Tribe. Hints of a top spot in Tribal Management and control are battling with growing internal unrest as he realizes just how big the changes the Tribe must make really are. Can he earn the position that seems so readily his? Can he use it to make changes to better the Tribe? Can he gather the courage to let God fully enter into his corporeal body? What will he become if he does? Excerpt From “Jamari Shaman” This is the first evidence that Jamari may have shamanic abilities. The winter woods were a quieter place. With his breath restored from his climb, he turned and headed up again. In just over a half hour, he reached his tiny little ridge-top meadow. He paused there, wondering how he was going to settle himself in for his meditations on the water-soaked ground. He turned around a couple times, looking for a suitable place. With the bare branches of the oaks and the occasional maple offering scant shelter to form a dry spot, he simply emptied his leather carry pouch of the lunch items and settled the pouch onto the ground in a tuft of brown grass stems. He sat his bow beside the seat and settled himself for meditation. As he was bringing himself to focus, he watched a hawk circle into view from above the rise to his south. Seeming to catch the piercing gaze of that hovering hunter, he imagined what those keen eyes might be finding in the wintry day. A mouse maybe. Or a chipmunk. If it’s lucky, maybe a small rabbit. Jamari’s eyes lost their focus on the real world as he entered into this imagining. He is floating in a careful circle when he sees a twitch of grass below. He immediately enters into a hover, with wings shifting to a fast flutter to hold him in place, using his tail feathers to balance himself on the cushion of air. Another twitch in the grass. It’s a squirrel! Drawn out into the meadow to dig up a cached nut. Seeing an opening, he shifts his wings into dive mode, making his whole body into a sharp arrow, diving down unseen, unheard, until his shadow crosses over the prey. It’s too late, though. He’s opening his wings, turning up his body, and swinging his clawed feet down to snag the furry body in a spine-snapping jerk, then using the remaining momentum of his dive to pull the lifeless body aloft. Hunger. Hunger that should be satiated. Driving him on, turning him toward the largest prey he’s ever taken on. But the hunger! Jamari jolted out of the trance in sudden knowing and leapt to his feet, grabbing the bow and turning around as he pulled an arrow into draw. He wasn’t even fully drawn, or truly aimed, when he realized that the arrow must go now! He released and watched the arrow slip into the breast of the springing cougar. Too late! The cat’s momentum was going to carry it into him anyway! Jamari flung up his left arm, still holding the bow for some level of shielding and reached for his knife with his right hand. The weight of the cougar carried him over backward as he saw the jaws clamp onto the wood of his bow, saw and felt the wood crush under the pressure, then felt claws penetrating his heavy leather sleeve and an intense pummeling at his abdomen as the hind legs dug in. He got the knife in hand and plunged it into the side of the maddened animal just behind the shoulder. When the cougar turned a snarling set of fangs to Jamari’s head and neck, he was very convinced that it was all over for him. He kept pushing away with his injured left arm. He twisted the wrist of his knife hand to force the blade up toward the spine from the inside in a final attempt. Relief as the cat slumps and the sliding blade reached something vital. It’s snarl of rage turned to a gasp as it collapsed down onto Jamari, with only enough energy remaining for a feeble clawing attempt that didn’t even penetrate the leather. Shocked, Jamari pushed the body aside, leaping to his feet to run. He saw the lifeless eyes, though, and held fast, shaking: all-over shaking, tremors so strong he lost his grip on the knife he hadn’t even noticed that he still held. When he reached down for the knife, he felt a stabbing pain as the leather of his left sleeve shifted over the open wound in his forearm. Gasping, he looked down to see blood dripping from the hole in his sleeve and felt a crawling sensation as a red rivulet dripped from his wrist. Sitting back down onto the somehow-undisturbed leather pouch, he held his left arm in his right hand for a moment, before remembering that he should get to the wound and stop the bleeding. He found it awkward, trying to remove his shirt with only one arm as he favored the injured one. He suffered a couple of bumps that made him feel as though his skin was being freshly violated each time. He persevered, though; and once he got the jerkin off, he realized that two claws had penetrated to give him a double cut. Deep enough that it would certainly need stitches, but not life-threatening. He used his knife to cut the damaged part of the sleeve from his jerkin, which he then cut into strips, and used a wad of sanitary cloth from the pouch to form a bandage. Once he had the arm bandaged, using his teeth to hold the leather strip on one end while he tied the knots, he knelt down beside the cougar, laying his good right hand on her head. “I thank you for giving yourself so that my tribe will not go hungry. You honor me with your gift.” He offered the Hunter’s Thanks, hoping that it was appropriate in this circumstance. He hadn’t actually set out to hunt a cougar, after all, and, do you thank the one who was hunting you? He donned the mutilated jerkin for its warmth. About the Author Roderick Rowe studied writing in college for several years, working as assistant editor and then editor for his school’s literary magazine. He also spent a term as copy editor for the campus newspaper. He is a gay man and uses this “affliction” to build characters and situations in his fictional work. Rowe has published several short stories and an occasional poem. After ending a twenty-year career unexpectedly in 2015, Rowe decided to write his first novel. “Jamari and the Manhood Rites, Part I” was completed in two months, then he settled in to conduct editing – complete new landscape design with a new Koi pond, a new library built into the spare room in his home, the cleanest his house had ever been – but the editing eventually got completed. Social Media Links Blog/Website | Facebook | Twitter | |
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