 Colt hadn’t expected Mal to come after him. He’d hoped it would happen but was still unprepared when Mal showed up. Phillipe was meeting him at a coffee shop and then would drive Colt back to Phillipe’s apartment. It was a nice day, so Colt decided to walk the few blocks, grab some coffee and a snack, and wait for Phillipe in a small park across the street. Hands full of his order, Colt slid out the double front door as a group of people walked in the other side. He had to hold the bag with his name on it up when a small child ran by so he didn’t bash the kid’s head with his bacon-and-cheese sandwich. Once on the sidewalk, he juggled everything in one hand for a few seconds so he could wrestle his phone from his pocket to let Phillipe know where he’d be waiting. Someone bumped into him from behind, and he almost lost the coffee and chai. “Sorry,” he grumbled, even though he wasn’t at fault. The person behind him shoved harder against his back, and Colt thought he, or she, had stumbled and fallen, using Colt to catch themselves. He started to turn around and see what was going on—possibly he could assist—when a second person pushed him from the side. “What the…?” The cardboard tray with the hot drinks tumbled from Colt’s hand and hit the pavement. Colt barely had the chance to process that when someone grabbed his arm from behind. The second person slapped the bag of food from his other hand and grabbed his other arm. He was trapped between them and hustled around the corner into an alley. Colt tried to yank his arms free and turn the tables with a few of the moves Mal had taught him. He failed miserably and ended up with his face slammed into a wall. “Look at you, all dressed up. I tried to talk to you in Nashville, but I guess you’re too good for your old buddies.” He knew that voice. The hair on the back of his neck rose, and gooseflesh pebbled his skin. A shudder ran down Colt’s spine. “Nice clothes, fancy haircut, and little Colt thinks he’s all that and a bag of chips,” a second voice sneered. Memory of pain accompanied the voice. “Saw you on TV. We want in on your scam.” “There’s no scam. It’s a legit job,” Colt ground out, then grunted at a sharp punch delivered to his lower back. His knees buckled, and he would have crumpled to the ground had his assailant not been holding him against the wall.  Whiskey and Moonshine is available in eBook, paperback, audio and through Kindle Unlimited.     BOOK BLAST 
Book Title: The Witch Who Owned Time Author and Publisher: Mia Story Release Date: February 6, 2024 Genres: Contemporary bisexual transgender romance (MtF) Tropes: Prostitution, witchcraft, persecution, evolution Themes: Coming out, forgiveness, personal growth, pursuit of happiness Heat Rating: 3 flames Length: 446 print pages It is a standalone book. The book ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited 
A transgender witch survives. Blurb Mira has survived climate change and social upheaval. She lives in a deserted part of a small town in Iowa. Mother Nature has blessed her as have many spiritual beings. Mira finds a partner and lots of friends. She takes on the cause of Robot equality mostly because of her experiences as a transgender girl years ago. Due to climate change the ocean is now very near her town. Mira is instrumental in helping her community grow and evolve. Excerpt But all these thoughts just dissolved as they entered the water. For awhile Mira and Septa stood on the edge of the water and sand and let the little waves surge about their feet. Soon their feet were sunk in the sand. “Why does the sand eat away from under my feet with the water Mira?” “That is the tidal action sweetie. Tides are more than that little action however. They pull the water en masse out to sea and then bring it closer in. Soon Angelica and Mixy will have to move their umbrella and towel as the water will be lapping at their feet! You can see Mixy’s little castle is already in danger of wave invasion!” Septa glanced over to Mixy and her castle and laughed as Mixy tried to keep the waves from destroying her creation. “Maybe we should go and help poor Mixy?” “No, she is learning about waves and the beach just like you. Besides it’s time you got wet!” Mira grabbed Septa’s hand and pulled her out into an oncoming wave! Septa sputtered as she emerged from the wave breaking over her head. “My nose is full of water! It hurts!” “That is the salt water. Don’t try drinking it!” Then Mira realized bots did not drink water and paused for a second. “Mira do you think it is OK if I swallowed some sea water?” Septa had a desperate look on her face. “It is OK Septa. I swallow it all the time. And my nose hurts too when it gets into it. Best to keep mouth closed and breathe out a little when the nose is covered in water. Why don’t we practice breathing out in the sea?” Mira dipped her face into the water and made bubbles with her nose. Septa did the same thing and came up rubbing her eyes. “Now my eyes hurt!” “Oh yes, remember to close your eyes in salt water! We will bring masks and fins next time so you can open your eyes underwater.” Mira and Septa spent a half hour playing in the shallow water, dodging the waves and splashing each other. “OK dear, it is time for your first body surfing!” Mira and Septa held hands as they walked out into the heavier surf. The waves looked so large close up! The waves came up as huge walls of water. Septa noticed that the waves were in groups, starting off little and getting larger, and then smaller again. One really big wave was coming at them. “Now watch me closely Septa and then duck under the wave!” Both girls could feel the tug of water out to sea as the wave came closer and closer. It was just about to break when Mira plunged ahead of it with her arms above her head and her hands coming to a point. The huge wave carried Mira away! Septa ducked under the wave and watched Mira get pushed into shore. She kept her head down and her body straight and looked like a human fish! Soon Mira was swimming back outto Septa. “Your turn!” “Oh Mira I’m afraid!” “I will go with you. Just keep your eyes and mouth closed and body straight. Everything will be OK. If you get into trouble just stand up! I will help you if things feel too weird.” Septa got low in the water. She could feel the tug backwards as the wave approached. She glanced back at the towering wave high over her head. She could see the very top was super thin and getting ready to break. Septa put her arms straight over her head and pushed off with her feet. She remembered to keep her eyes closed and breathed a small amount of air out of her nose. She could feel the wave catch her and propel her forward! She felt the wave break on her back as she surged forward! All was a tangle of water and foam and breakneck speed. But inside she felt calm, like this was nature speaking to her through the water. She felt like a baby being cradled by mother ocean! Septa kept her back and legs straight and felt like an arrow speeding to shore. She could sense someone beside her in the water. Then she felt the water torrent ease up and become shallow. Septa lifted up her head. She was already on the beach! She turned on her side and there was Mira lying next to her. They looked at each other and began to laugh! About the Author I have been writing short stories since my children asked for them. My first was about a skunk family and their interaction with a pig! I suppose my grad school experiences with art and English charted my course a bit. When I moved to Iowa from North Carolina I missed the ocean so much I wrote a whole novel about it. About that time I was studying the Ramayana and wrote a fairy story based on that. My first fairy friend was Coleste, a fairy that inhabited my computer. She is still with me today. My grandmother passed down many fairy stories and some knowledge she had inherited from her family. As best as I can figure it my family was in America to escape the witch hunting in England. But I could never be certain except for all the clues that were handed to me. Today I am truly grateful for my spirit friends. They helped me snap out of a downward spiral when my son died. To believe in fairies and spirits is not something I have to struggle with. It is something that is just part of me. Author Links 
 Blair shook his head. “Could the Qiguan possibly be involved?” “I doubt it,” Declan said. “That organization is made up of werewolves who target other werewolves and want to get rid of technology. This would hardly be worth their time.” “Unless they were using it for funding,” Forge added. “We should check to see if there are any higher-level werewolves involved in this sort of thing.” Blair nodded and switched the video so they could see another one. “I ran face recognition, and other than the show organizers, there weren’t any matches from one show to another.” “Another glass just vanished,” Forge said. This time he took the tablet and replayed a portion of the video. “Off the tray that man is carrying around. Same thing, whiskey glass with what looks like whiskey in it.” “Let’s try this one. It wasn’t held here but in Germany.” Blair loaded another one and again they finally saw a whiskey glass vanish off a bar. “Looks like whoever it was got pretty chatty with the bartender,” Lucas said. He sighed and leaned his elbows on the tabletop. “You know, using electronic means to aid in a big heist and one of the only solid clues was the type of whiskey the thief drank sure sounds familiar.” He looked at Forge. Forge nodded. “I was thinking the same thing. This story is getting old.” Declan looked between them. “You’ve run into this before?” Holding up two fingers, Forge mouthed the word, “Twice.” He turned the tablet to face him and played another video, stopping it where another glass vanished from a man’s hand. “In fact, it was the first case Lucas and I ever worked on together in the police department.” He turned to Blair and smiled softly. “Your dad was in on it as well.” “Yeah?” Blair’s interest was definitely piqued. He sometimes forgot Forge had known and worked with Robert Turner, an FBI agent, and knew things about him Blair probably didn’t. “It was also about the time when things got a little…warm for me in Ohio, and I left for Europe,” Declan said. “’Cause the big guy here”—Lucas play-punched Forge’s shoulder,—“Was a cop and you’re—” “Not a cop,” Declan interjected and chuckled. “Yes. Jonas was very entrenched in Boggslake’s police department then, and it was better my face wasn’t seen for a while.” “First time in about a hundred years that when you left for other parts, I didn’t go with you,” Forge added. “Most importantly it was the first time a werewolf and a vampire worked together on something, publicly no less. At least in that part of the world—that we were aware of. Not only did we work together, we hung out at his house, almost living in sin.” Lucas snatched an onion ring and ate it. Forge rolled his eyes and Lucas snagged another onion ring and said, “Rocked the bedrock of social conventions and was a huge scandal!” Blair grabbed an onion ring and stuck it in his mouth, grinning as he chewed. “So, are you going to tell us how you two changed the course of history and all?” Quarry is available in eBook, paperback and through Kindle Unlimited.   Boy One (Coming of age inside the controversial world of the Spartacus Gay Guide) by Jaap Cové6/3/2024
BLOG TOUR 
Book Title: Boy One Author and Publisher: Jaap Cové Cover Artist: ricacabrex (Fiverr) Release Date: April 1, 2024 Genres: Gay, M/M Memoir, non-fiction Tropes: Secret love Themes: Coming out, shame, fear, intergenerational relationships Heat Rating: 3 flames Length: 55 000 words/ 203 pages It is a standalone book and ends on a sort of cliffhanger. Buy Links 
Coming of age inside the controversial world of the Spartacus Gay Guide Blurb It is 1981. Jaap, a Dutch teenager, is a boy taking his first steps towards becoming a man. He’s reclusive, a wallflower with a handsome face and curly blond hair. He loves playing tennis and plays drums for a student rock band. He is attracted to men and afraid of desires that he has not acted upon. By fortuitous accident, the Dutch teen meets Briton John D. Stamford, and his life changes. Stamford is the eccentric middle-aged editor of Spartacus International Gay Guide, the crucial book for gay male travelers. It listed both welcoming destinations and countries that carried strict penalties for homosexuality. Jaap likes mature men; John prefers youths. BOY ONEis the record of their relationship, the deluxe global travel they did for John’s work, the eye-opening experiences of a sheltered teen, and the obsessive sexual relationship that developed. Amid the glamor of five-star hotels and restaurants, conflicts arise. Jaap still thinks about having a girlfriend and wonders if he is bisexual. John is trying to push his young lover into something he’s not ready for—being openly gay all the time. Moreover, Jaap notices the Spartacus Guide lists opportunities for sex with underaged youths in places like Thailand. He suspects this is wrong. So do the police, who begin investigating John. Despite the excitement and eroticism of their relationship, the moral issues grow until the two are at odds. In BOY ONE, Jaap Cové tells the honest and gripping story of a remarkable part of his life. Revealing and outspoken, it is a unique, colorful and compelling coming-of-age story. It captures the excitement of international gay life in the early 80s, but it is also a troubling saga about morality and intergenerational relationships. Excerpt John picks me up at the airport with a taxi. We drop my bag in the RV that’s parked just outside Basel’s old center, but don’t stay there. John has other plans. I’m in for a romantic weekend. It’s snowy and below freezing point. I never expected the city to be so beautiful, or is it because we’re together again? We lunch in an upscale Konditorei, then walk arm in arm past the historical buildings in the old center. People on the pavement glare at us, but John doesn’t let go of my arm. It feels warm and safe. We visit the Gothic church and head to the quay of the river Rhine, where we kiss. There are people watching, which makes it more exciting. Protected by John, I don’t feel any embarrassment. I exist in a constant state of being crazy in love. He takes me to my first gay sauna in the old town to warm up. As we enter a dimly-lit steam room, I lose John in the mist. In no time, there are many hands all over my body, touching my ass, my cock and my torso. I am scared. As I adjust to the light, I look into the faces of the young men groping me and start to panic. I want to break free, but they won’t let me. Someone shoves his tongue between my lips. I wriggle to get away from the mass of bodies. Just as I reach the point of using force, I feel a hand pull me from the crowd. John pulls me close and embraces me. He smiles and tries to calm me. ‘You didn’t like that?’ he asks. ‘No, I panicked.’ ‘Come, let’s get out of here.’ He takes me to a private room where we make love on a rubber bed covered with towels. Our session isn’t long and elaborate as it would have been in the RV. It turns me on just the same. I’m quickly positioned on my belly by his big hands, feeling the cold KY-jelly on my ass, after which he carefully pushes his warm cock inside. Pleasing John, giving my lover what he wants, in the way he wants it, excites me. I become hard as a rock. This man owns me when we make love. Downstairs in the bar area later, we have a drink. I play with the thought that John planned the episode in the steam room. At the same time, the thought is ridiculous. I can’t imagine him telling all those guys that his lover from Holland would be visiting, and asking them to give me a warm welcome. ‘It was almost like they were waiting for me,’ I say. ‘All those hands on me.’ ‘Why is that strange? Have you looked in the mirror lately?’ ‘Huh?’ ‘You’re very handsome, Jake. You’re a fucking knockout.’ I don’t know what to say, since no one ever told me that. I know I’m not ugly, but a knockout? I’m tall and slender, not muscled. And I’ve always been on the shy side, not confident about my looks. All my life people have told me that my blond curls are beautiful. But women couldn’t keep their hands off my hair when I was a young boy and I didn’t enjoy that. ‘And you have such a hot ass,’ he adds with a big smile. Then he kisses me. As I take a sip of my drink, I think about how my life has changed. In less than three months, I have made the metamorphosis from Dordrecht wallflower to Basel knockout. My self-esteem balloons. But something is gnawing at me. ‘So when you’re here on your own, I suppose those hands are on you, too, right?’ ‘Why do you ask?’ ‘I don’t like that thought.’ ‘No, that doesn’t happen to me. I’m getting too old, Jake. Older gay people are less appealing in this world. You’ll find out.’ ‘I find that hard to believe. When you walk around here naked, people look.’ ‘I’m glad you think so.’ He smiles and looks past me, like he’s checking out the other guys. ‘But to answer your real question, yes, I do play around when I’m on my own.’ ‘What… you mean, you still do, even though we’re lovers?’ ‘Yes.’ ‘Seriously?’ ‘Remember that black kid we met in a bar in Nice on our last evening? I fucked him soon after you left.’ That’s a sudden bucket of ice water. I put down my drink and sit frozen. I want to go home. Now. John continues sipping his drink. ‘It’s all right, Jake; it meant nothing. I love you.’ About the Author Jaap Cové (1962) studied anthropology and debuted in 2011 with his novel Walking Among Us, followed by Cajú (2012) and The Girl in the Web (2017). Dog Gone (2023) was his first nonfiction narrative. Boy One is his first memoir. From my website: Jaap Cové is an anthropologist, a drummer, a flautist, a globetrotter, and an author of fiction and nonfiction. His novels are filled with mystery, spirituality, symbolism and music. His nonfiction is a reflection of his eventful life. Author Links Blog/Website | Facebook | Instagram 
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