My snippet this week is from Strays, a post apoc, scifi romance. Daniel might not have particularly been a people person, but he wasn’t cruel either. Above all he was almost driven to watch over his newfound roommate, something he still didn’t understand, but couldn’t ignore either. “I don’t know what to do about this.” Daniel flicked one finger at the pictures. “I’ll have to turn them over.” “I know,” Kyle whispered. “I want you to trust me, too.” “So you want in the Militia, really want in?” “I’ve been lied to my whole life and they, the government I trusted, wants me dead.” Daniel quirked an eyebrow and sighed. “Good point. Okay, if you really want in, yeah, you need some training either way. Next guy you steal from might not be so nice.” Kyle grinned, making Daniel’s heart do a little flip flop, and followed him out the door. Read more snippets in the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group. September 10-16 Strays is only 99c (89c if you buy direct from me).
BLOG TOUR Book Title: Roustabout: A Carnival of Mysteries book Author: Morgan Brice Publisher: Darkwind Press Cover Artist: Dianne Thies Release Date: August 23, 2023 Genre: Paranormal MM romance Tropes: adversaries-to-lovers, hurt/comfort, forced proximity, rogue with a heart of gold, secret agent/con man, redemption arc Themes: overcoming the past, settling old wrongs, second chances Length: 230 pages Heat Rating: 4 flames It is a standalone book, but also part of the shared-world, multi-author Carnival of Mysteries series and is connected to Morgan's Kings of the Mountain series. It does not end on a cliffhanger. Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited A con man and a government agent walk into a carnival… Blurb Bartlett Gibson is a necromancer and an agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Supernatural Investigation. He’s hot on the trail of RJ Tucker, a psychic con man who has eluded him at every turn and led him on a merry chase. Pursuit leads to grudging respect in their game of cat and mouse, which becomes a high-stakes game of seduction. Bart chases RJ to the Carnival of Mysteries and realizes that nothing is as it seems. A dark witch’s curse ups the ante, creating a deadline for revenge and redemption, and the clock is ticking. Falling in love breaks all the rules. Can Bart and RJ stop the witch, break the curse, and find a way around RJ’s spot on the “most wanted” list before time runs out? Roustabout is a fast-paced MM paranormal romance filled with supernatural suspense, snarky humor, crafty carnival workers, sarcastic ghosts, midway magic, hurt/comfort angst, adversaries-to-lovers tension, and a very happy ending! Part of the multi-author, shared-world Carnival of Mysteries series. Can be read as a stand-alone. Excerpt But first, reckless as it might be, RJ had a date. He knew he was fussing too much over his hair—manicuring his stubble and manscaping— but it had been a long time since there’d been anyone to notice, and he was going to make the most of it. RJ wore his best shirt, a russet one that complemented his hair and warmed his pale complexion. Together with a new pair of jeans and a pair of Timberlands that were a rare splurge, he knew he cleaned up well. He drove to Rosco’s Barbecue and parked, then realized his palms were sweating as he gripped the steering wheel. It’s just dinner, he told himself. But nobody had ever made him feel like Bart did. He grew up fast on the circuit surrounded by roustabouts and wranglers who didn’t follow convention and largely lived outside the restrictions of polite society. RJ had plenty of boyfriends and lovers over the years. Those in the carnival life rarely expected permanence, and relationships seldom lasted more than a season. Moving from place to place had been a necessary distraction in those years. He hadn’t wanted more than temporary connections since he still mourned the people he had loved and lost. The dream of vengeance had sustained him, and for a long time, that was enough. But now, with the end of his quest in sight, RJ found himself wanting more. Maybe he could never tell a partner everything about his old life and the recompense he had dealt out, but perhaps he didn’t need to live in self-imposed solitude. After all, people in WITSEC get married. This isn’t too much different. God, I’ve got the cart before the horse. We haven’t even fucked properly, and I’m picking out china patterns. It’s just dinner. And maybe a blow job if I play my cards right. He went inside and looked for Bart. When he didn’t see the tall man waiting, his stomach tightened, fearing he had been stood up. Bart came in a moment later, looking harried. “Sorry. Work ran over. Have you been here long?” He looked like he really cared whether RJ had been worried. RJ relaxed and gave a broad smile. “Just got here myself.” His stomach growled. “It smells so good in here, and I’m starving.” They followed the hostess to a table. RJ saw Bart slip her a twenty to get a spot out of the thick of the fray. Rosco’s did a booming business, with food that deserved the buzz. “Did you have a good day?” Bart asked after they had ordered. RJ thought it was charming that Bart seemed flustered. Maybe he’s as out of practice as I am. About the Author Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic and urban fantasy, with less romance, more explosions. All of the modern-day Morgan Brice and Gail Z. Martin series crossover, so characters from one series appear in cameos and on page in important secondary roles in books from other series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but the more you read the more the expanded universe of friendships and connections becomes clear. Morgan and Gail believe that paranormal elements make any story even better, and her worlds are full of ghosts, psychics, shifters, creatures, vampires, monster hunters, and magic. She's also a huge fan of the TV show Supernatural. (Chibi art by Kamidiox) Author Links Website | Audible Profile | Amazon profile Facebook Group | Facebook Page Pinterest (for Morgan and Gail) | Twitter Sign up for my newsletter and never miss a new release Read a copy of my Badlands short story Restless Nights here for free Giveaway Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win a $10 Amazon gift card There's a new hopepunk book out in the Writers Save the World anthology series from Other Worlds Ink: Transform the World. And there's a giveaway. FOURTEEN WAYS TO CHANGE THE PLANETIncome inequality is worse than it was in the Roaring Twenties. Corporations are moving fast and breaking things, and the social contract seems to be falling apart, aided by social media disruption and division on steroids. There has to be a better way. We asked fourteen sci-fi writers to come up with innovative ways the world could work better. Universal basic income, smaller communities, AI voting, and learning to live in harmony with nature are just a few of the ideas explored inside these pages. So buckle up and settle in for a look at the world of the future. The world’s not going to transform itself. “A satisfyingly diverse set of visions of the future that come from a single question: how could the world work better?... these short stories encourage dialogue and discussion about what elements could work better for the planet and its people. Libraries and readers looking for especially diverse, thought-provoking sci-fi forays into not only what works, but why, will find Transform the World a potent gathering of forces that juxtapose tales of hope, social inspection, and a feeling of peaceful opportunity into the sci-fi short story world.” — D. Donovan, Senior Reviewer, Midwest Book Review About the Series Every year, we ask science fiction writers to tackle a "save the world" theme with an ultimately hopeful story about how the world might be changed for the better. Publisher | Amazon | Liminal FictionUniversal Buy Link | Goodreads Giveaway Other Worlds Ink is giving away a $20 Bookshop.org gift card with this tour. Enter for a chance to win: Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d47296/? Excerpt by Stephanie N Greene Today I swam through MOMA. I’d already trained myself to not think about how filthy the water must be, or of sea snakes, both favorite topics of my boyfriend, Leon. Anyway, they say the water inside is filtered. By the time I got to the third floor, I was exhausted, despite the audio-guide retrofitted with a breathing apparatus. Perhaps it was just the excitement of it all coming together at last. Leon says it was a waste, encasing the art, then flooding the museum—frivolous and elitist. Do the homeless in Queens give a rat’s ass about some stunt like flooding MOMA? How many millions did it cost? I say it was a gesture of optimism. A Nothing Can Keep New York Down sort of thing, and for that triumph of technology and political will, priceless. Did folks in Queens get off on the first moon landing? You bet they did. It was mostly private donations anyway, which also galls Leon—that such big money would show up for the MOMA project. They even reinstalled Guernica. Treading water, I wondered what Picasso would say to his masterpiece becoming an aquarium decoration? The art can’t all be moved to the Poconos. Those of us remaining in the city need art more than ever. But this is a topic I’ve learned to avoid with Leon, so I argue both sides, back and forth, with myself. We work in what’s left of the city planning office. There’s an esprit de corps among us Remainers that we all try to sustain. Leon’s actually being pretty gracious about having been outvoted on the MOMA thing. I stayed for the longest time, studying Guernica. The agonized faces. The horror of war. In my darker moments I’ve wondered if it wouldn’t be better to get it over quickly, with fire, instead of this slow drowning. Then I looked to my side, and there was a giant grouper, equally entranced. I had to smile: I doubt he had to pay 50 bucks admission. There’s still a lot to rethink, not even counting underwater commerce. But by God, the docents all wore matching pink wetsuits. What spirit! I love New York. I’ll never leave. Well, not alive. The trick to survival is to remind ourselves that it’s not all bad: now certain high rises have saltwater swimming pools. Upping the rent for the privilege, of course. Swimming is standard in kindergarten curricula. You can buy a snorkel at corner kiosks that once sold only periodicals and candy. On high water days, gondolas cruise Houston Street. The fancy knee-high rubber boots fashionable New Yorkers used to sport when there were a few puddles are now standard. Even mid-emergency, we find ways to adorn ourselves, decorating boots with patterned duck tape and waterproof decals. Author Bios B. Morris Allen: B. Morris Allen is a biochemist turned activist turned lawyer turned foreign aid consultant, and frequently wonders whether it’s time for a new career. He’s spent the last few decades working on building public participation in government decision making. He’s been traveling since birth, and has lived on five of seven continents, but the best place he’s found is the Oregon coast. When he can, he makes his home there. In between journeys, he works on his own speculative stories of love and disaster. His story collection Chambers of the Heart came out in April 2022. Beth Gaydon: Beth Gaydon is an internet analyst living in Tennessee with her husband, kids, and dogs. She tries to be nice to the environment, though her thumbs are chartreuse at best. When she’s not busy with her family, she writes about whatever topic intrigues her that day. You can find her most recent work in The Sirens Call, The First Line, and On the Premises. Derek Des Anges: Derek Des Anges lives and works in London, UK, where the weather is getting less and less Classically British by the year. His work has appeared in anthologies from Parsec Ink, Calyx Press, and Ghoulish Books, among others. Gustavo Bodoni: Gustavo Bondoni is a novelist and short story writer with over four hundred stories published in fifteen countries, in seven languages. He is a member of Codex and an Active Member of SFWA. He has published six science fiction novels including one trilogy, four monster books, a dark military fantasy and a thriller. His short fiction is collected in Pale Reflection (2020), Off the Beaten Path (2019), Tenth Orbit and Other Faraway Places (2010) and Virtuoso and Other Stories (2011). In 2019, Gustavo was awarded second place in the Jim Baen Memorial Contest and in 2018 he received a Judges Commendation (and second place) in The James White Award. He was also a 2019 finalist in the Writers of the Future Contest. Holly Schofield: Holly Schofield travels through time at the rate of one second per second, oscillating between the alternate realities of city and country life. With not-so-hidden twin agendas of promoting environmental causes and inclusivity, Holly has had over 100 speculative short stories published in genres ranging from hard science fiction to magical realism. Her works have appeared in such publications as Analog, Lightspeed, and Escape Pod, are used in university curricula, and have been translated into multiple languages. J. Scott Coatsworth: Scott lives with his husband Mark in a yellow bungalow in Sacramento. He was indoctrinated into fantasy and sci fi by his mother at the tender age of nine. He devoured her library, but as he grew up, he wondered where all the people like him were. He decided that if there weren’t queer characters in his favorite genres, he would remake them to his own ends. A Rainbow Award winning author, he runs Queer Sci Fi, QueeRomance Ink, and Other Worlds Ink with Mark, sites that celebrate fiction reflecting queer reality, and is the committee chair for the Indie Authors Committee at the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (SFWA). Jana Denardo: Jana is Queen of the Geeks (her students voted her in) and her home and office are shrines to any number of comic book and manga heroes along with SF shows and movies too numerous to count. There is no coincidence the love of all things geeky has made its way into many of her stories. To this day, she’s still disappointed she hasn’t found a wardrobe to another realm, a superhero to take her flying among the clouds or a roguish star ship captain to run off to the stars with her. Jaymie Heilman: Jaymie Heilman is a daily swimmer and ocean geek with a PhD in history. She has written two books about the history of Peru and her climate-focused Young Adult novel is under contract for publication. When she’s not reading or writing books for kids, she’s usually gardening, biking to the library, or dreaming about the ocean. She lives in Edmonton with her husband, son, and a ridiculous number of books. JoeAnn Hart: JoeAnn Hart is the author of a prize-winning fiction collection, Highwire Act & Other Tales of Survival, the winner of the 2022 Hudson Prize, forthcoming from Black Lawrence Press, September 2023. Her most recent book is the crime memoir Stamford ’76: A True Story of Murder, Corruption, Race, and Feminism in the 1970s (University of Iowa Press, 2019). Her novels are Float (Ashland Creek Press) a dark comedy about plastics in the ocean, and Addled (Little, Brown) a social satire. Her short fiction and essays have appeared in a wide range of literary publications, including the Future Tense column of Slate.com, Among Animals 3, Fire & Water: Stories From the Anthropocene, Orion, The Hopper, Prairie Schooner, The Sonora Review, Terrain.org, Black Lives Have Always Mattered, and others. Her work explores the relationship between humans, their environments, and non-human creatures. O.E. Tearmann: Bringing their own experiences as a marginalized author to the page with flawed and genuine characters, O.E. Tearmann’s work has been described as “Firefly for the dystopian genre.” Publisher’s Weekly called it “a lovely paean to the healing power of respectful personal connections among comrades, friends, and lovers.” Tearmann lives in Colorado with two cats, their partner, and the belief that individuals can make humanity better through small actions. They are a member of the Science Fiction Writers of America, the Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, and the Queer Sci Fi group. In their spare time, they teach workshops on writing GLTBQ characters, plant gardens to encourage sustainable agricultural practices, and play too many video games. Stephen B. Pearl: Stephen B. Pearl is a multiple-published author whose works range across the speculative fiction field. His writings focus heavily on the logical consequences of the worlds he crafts. Stephen’s Inspirations encompass H.G. Wells, J.R.R. Tolkien, Frank Herbert, and Homer, among others. Stephen uses local settings in his works where appropriate. His Chronicles of Ray McAndrews series, Nukekubi and Revenant, are set in the GHA and surrounding areas. His Tinker’s World series, The novels, Tinker’s Plague and Tinker’s Sea, and the short stories Tinker’s Toxin and Tinker’s Well are set in a future Southern Ontario. Stephen’s training as an Emergency Medical Care Assistant, a SCUBA diver, and his long-standing interest in environmental technologies have factored into all his Tinker series. Stephen Sottong: Stephen Sottong writes Science-Fiction and Fantasy. He is a 2013 winner of Writers of the Future and lives in Northern California behind the Redwood Curtain. A list of his publications is at: Stephanie N. Greene: Stephanie Greene’s short fiction has been published in Nostoc Magazine, Green Mountains Review, Sky Island Journal, The New Guard, Flash Fiction Magazine and The Writing Disorder. Her work has been long-listed for the Lascaux Prize for Short Fiction, nominated for inclusion in the Best of the Net Anthology and for a Pushcart Prize. As an organizer of the Brattleboro Literary Festival for the past decade, she has a blast championing new fiction at the LitFest every October. She is revising her second novel, A Perm For Mrs. Medusa, and lives on the family farm in Vermont with her husband, writer and artist Marshall Brooks. Xauri'EL Zwaan: Xauri’EL Zwaan is a mendicant artist in search of meaning, fame and fortune, or pie (where available); a Genderqueer Bisexual, a Socialist Solarpunk, and a Satanist Goth. Zie has recently published short fiction in The Sprawl Mag, the Simultaneous Times podcast, Neo-Opsis, Cossmass Infinities, and Galaxy’s Edge. Zie lives and writes in a little hobbit hole in Saskatoon, Canada on Treaty 6 territory with zir life partner and two very lazy cats. The vampire stood silent, looking Blair up and down. For a minute he thought the vampire was going to turn him down, walk away, and blow their entire plan. Blair suppressed a shiver and swallowed, then offered his most charming smile. “Stay cool. I’m ten feet away and will be with you the whole time,” Forge said in Blair’s ear as a gentle reminder. Blair mentally squared his shoulders. “Just one drink and a name?” He touched the vampire’s forearm for a few seconds. “Varian.” Varian held out his arm, motioning to the exit and the bar. “So, how incredible is this stuff?” Blair asked as they walked. His admiration and near gushing over the art wasn’t an act. “It’s hard to imagine something so small and mundane could be turned into beautiful and valuable art.” He shook his head and slipped onto a bar stool. “And to think I’ve spent half my life working with this sort of technology.” He signaled the bartender. They ordered their drinks. Blair’s phone announced a text. He read it quickly and scowled, grumbling, “Jerks.” “Is there a problem?” Sighing heavily, Blair shook his head. “Nothing I haven’t dealt with before. Juvenile records are supposed to be sealed.” He shrugged and rolled his eyes. “But if I can get into them and get information on someone, there are people who can get it on me. I’ve tried to put something I did when I was young behind me, but I can’t. I’ll never get any further in any company than I am now. Got passed over again for promotion. Kicker is, the guy who got the job can’t do a quarter of what I can and doesn’t even have a PhD, and I helped train him.” “What do you do?” “Computers. Specifically, cyber security. No one wants a man in charge who has a federal record, even if it’s supposed to be sealed. When I was a kid, I dabbled in the Darknet, hacking into a lot of things I shouldn’t have. I thought being a black hat was cool until I got caught.” Blair held his glass in both hands and leaned on the bar, sulking. “I can build a kickass computer and network, set up an entire system for a company, and train people how to use it, but beyond that no corporation is going to trust me. No one will allow me to have passwords for anything more than superficial layers of a system. I wanted to go into cybercrimes or analysis for the FBI or CIA. Can’t do those things either. I get to spend my life fixing font sizes.” Varian’s phone rang. “Excuse me. Business. I have to take this,” he said and turned so his back was partially to Blair. “You’re late. Where the hell—” Blair smiled and sipped his drink when he heard Sayyna’s voice in the phone. “He’s going to be very late, probably ten to twenty years late.” “Who is this?” Varian snapped. “That’s not important. I have something you want, and you have the means to help me get something I desire. Your colleague’s phone contains some very interesting information,” Sayyna said smoothly and hung up. Varian snarled and stabbed at his phone’s screen for a minute before he shoved it into his pocket. “Something I can help with?” Blair flicked his earlobe. “Vampire, so the hearing has improved since we last met.” He smiled. “But you knew that already.” Leaning closer to Varian, Blair lowered his voice. “Truth is, I’ve been looking for you ever since our night together. Damn hard tracking down a man who leaves no photographic evidence.” “You came here because of me?” Blair nodded and said, “It took me a few years, but I can be persistent.” Forge snorted and Blair cleared his throat. “But you didn’t even know my name.” Varian seemed very interested in this piece of news. “You left fingerprints and some…DNA. There’s nothing I can’t find. The trick is knowing where to look and how. Do you think cybersecurity is all about putzing around online putting up firewalls to prevent viruses? For instance, I found evidence of why you’re so interested in this exhibit. Now me, I like the art for the sake of what it is and how it looks. But you…” “You and the woman who called are working together?” “She thinks we are. She hired me to make some… adjustments to the alarms here,” Blair said. Varian leaned back and studied Blair. “Show me what you can do.” Blair pulled out his phone. “Connect to the hotel private Wi-Fi, issue a few command prompts, and…” Blair looked up and grinned when the lights in the room dimmed, then brightened, then flickered. “How would you like to make more money than any corporation will pay you in two years?” “And if I want more than money?” Varian smiled and laughed softly. “I think that can be arranged. The first thing I need is the phone the woman has. Bring it to me and we’ll talk some more.” “I’ll call you when I have it.” Blair finished his drink and stood up. “You’ll need my—” Varian stopped abruptly when Blair turned his phone around and showed him the screen. “I can get the contacts and numbers of everyone in a twenty-foot radius.” Blair turned the phone’s screen off and pocketed it. “Like I said, nothing I can’t find in the digital world.” Smirking, Blair tapped the top of the bar then walked away. Click the banner to see the collection.
My teaser this week is from Shifting Chaos, book 4 of The Sleepless City (series cowritten with Anne Barwell). “We can do that,” Blair said. “Can I ask you a question?” Jasper nodded and Blair continued. “Why do you, werewolves, hate vampires so much? We’re not trying to wipe out werewolves.” He turned to Forge. “And for that matter, what do we have against them? It’s not as if they’re a threat to humans and trying to take over the world.” “I was raised in that culture. A thin excuse, but it’s the only explanation I have,” Jasper said. “I suppose at one time in the distant past there was a reason. Predators competing or something.” Forge chuckled. “According to Lucas everything has an evolutionary basis.” “That sounds like Lucas. He’s probably correct.” Jasper stood up and shoved his hands into his pockets, looking up at the sky. “It’s a lovely evening. Enjoy your walk, gentlemen.” Forge watched him stroll toward the ball field. “He’s odd.” He stood and dipped his head toward the lake. “I don’t hear any engines, do you?” Blair shook his head and swung his long legs around to the other side of the bench, stood, and stretched. “It’s nice out here. Other than driving by, I haven’t been here much except for when I first arrived.” “I’ve been cooped up inside too much lately. Let’s take that walk for real. You’ll like the view down on the beach.” Once again, he took Blair’s hand as they walked, this time heading to a path that would lead closer to the lakeshore. The air was still cool enough, and it was close to dinnertime, so there weren’t many people in the park. Being here with Blair was nice, and for the first time in a while, Forge didn’t feel as if he had to be chasing after something. Or that something was pursuing him. Sometimes he had to remind himself he was allowed to relax and enjoy the moment. “It must be horrible to be so afraid of your own brother. Or father for that matter,” Blair said. “I don’t think either Jasper or Lucas are so much afraid of Jacob, at least not because of their safety. I think it’s more a case of afraid of the trouble he’ll cause in general.” “I should have known what was going on,” Blair said after a few minutes. “That something was wrong with you.” “How could you possibly know?” “Something was up. I thought you were upset, depressed even, because of what happened at city hall. We’re really only starting to get to know each other well and I didn’t know what to do. I missed you so much.” Forge stopped walking. They’d come to a small pavilion near the beach. He turned Blair to face him and cocked his head. “I never left the castle.” Blair laid his palm over Forge’s heart. “I could barely feel you, and when you did that full shift thing, I couldn’t feel you at all. It hurt. Physically. Worse than that, it was horrifying. Declan said my connection would come back, and it did, but….” Forge ran his hands up and down Blair’s arms a few times. “In case you haven’t noticed, I’m kinda hard to get rid of. You had no way of knowing what was happening. None of us did.” “I should’ve said something, at least to Lucas, but I figured everyone’s bond seems to be a bit different. I attributed it to that.” He applied the gentlest pressure to Forge’s chest, making him back up a few steps until they were in the pavilion. “I missed you so much,” Blair repeated. In one fast, fluid motion Blair hooked an arm around Forge’s neck and jumped so he straddled him. He held Forge’s face in both hands, and his eyes were solid hazel as he took Forge’s mouth, slipping his tongue inside. Forge moaned into the kiss, tightening his grip on Blair and boosting him a bit higher. Their kiss broken, Forge pressed his lips to Blair’s neck, nipping with the very points of his fangs and licking over the same spot in the next instant. He stepped back a few paces until his back was firmly against one of the cement supports. Blair ground his pelvis against Forge, bent his head, and claimed another hungry, desperate kiss. “I want you. Need you.” Blair exhaled. “Suck me.” The pavilion was a roof held up by cement supports, but it was open-air. Not a wall in sight to hide behind. Still, Forge gave serious consideration to stripping Blair down and giving him anything he wanted. Sounds of a dog barking and children shouting in the park above conjured up images in Forge’s mind of the police blotter reporting “Head Detective Arrested on City Beach for Giving Head.” “Not here.” Forge garbled the words out and gradually eased Blair to his feet. “It’s not like they’ll get any pictures.” Blair smirked. He stood close to Forge, hand cupping Forge’s crotch and fingertips pushing up with steady, maddening pressure. Shifting Chaos and the entire The Sleepless City series is available in eBook, paperback and through Kindle Unlimited.
My snippet this week is from Electric Candle, book 2 of The Sleepless City (series cowritten with Anne Barwell). Lucas erupted in a way Forge rarely saw. Pointing at Forge and Blair, Lucas shouted at his sister. “Do you know who the hell this man is? He’s a detective. He’s trying to find out who murdered people, including a man from our pack. Forge doesn’t give a rat’s ass who the victim is, he works for them all, human, vampire, and werewolf. And this guy,” Lucas’s voice deepened to a growl and he got louder while he pointed at Blair, “Has never hurt a soul. He needs help, and this is the only place I can take him. I sure as hell can’t take him to a hospital.” “Lucas, they’re vampires!” “Look at him, Anita. He’s my age. He could be me.” Picking Blair up, Forge turned to Anita. “Please.” “I’m a werewolf,” Anita snapped at Lucas. Lucas snapped back. “You’re a doctor! We stood side by side and took that oath. I don’t remember any mention of denying care for vampires.” Anita’s gaze flicked to Blair, sweeping over him. Holding one arm out, motioning to the door on the other side of the stone archway, she sighed, nodded, and said, “Bring him this way.” Don't miss all the other wonderful snippets in the Rainbow Snippets Facebook group. Electric Candle is available in eBook, paperback
and through Kindle Unlimited. RELEASE BLITZ Book Title: A Star to Sail By Author and Publisher: Joy Lynn Fielding Cover Artist: Getcovers Release Date: August 30, 2023 Genre: Historical/pirate M/M romance Tropes: Enemies to lovers, forced proximity, hurt/comfort Themes: Emotional scars, self-forgiveness, self-discovery, finding home Heat Rating: 4 flames Length: 88 000 words It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger. Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited Abducted by pirates, a naval officer is torn between duty and desire. Blurb All Crispin Merriott has ever wanted is to be a captain in the Royal Navy. Placed on half-pay after the war, he’s reduced to serving on a merchant ship. When pirates board his ship and force Crispin to join their crew, his dream has never seemed further away. Billy loves the freedom he has as a pirate. As master gunner aboard the most beautiful ship to sail the seas, he couldn’t be happier. But then his captain tasks him with guarding the naval officer they’ve taken on board. Billy loathes the navy. He hates its officers even more. Crispin is looking for a way to escape when disaster strikes the ship. Beset by danger, Billy and Crispin have to work together. But how can they trust one another when they detest everything the other stands for? Trigger Warning: Please note this book contains material some people may find upsetting. The content warning page on my website gives further details. Excerpt Down in the dark, stifling bowels of the ship, where the stink of bilge water and damp made Crispin’s eyes water, Billy gave him a lantern and a ledger. “Start here and mark the precise quantity of everything against its entry on the list.” The hold contained an esoteric selection of goods—cotton, spices, cocoa, rum, and those were merely the first things Crispin saw. The only things they had in common were that they were easy to transport and of high value. At least they were all lashed down tightly. In his poor opinion of pirates, he kept forgetting they were experienced sailors. The afternoon crept by as they worked in silence, and the hold grew ever more claustrophobic. Still Crispin worked diligently. His throat grew parched and he needed a drink, but he wasn’t going to ask for anything. Occasionally he’d look at Billy, who appeared immersed in his own work and entirely unaware of Crispin’s presence. Yet something in Billy’s fierce concentration suggested he was very aware of Crispin’s scrutiny. Completing his counting of boxes of cocoa, Crispin made a neat entry in the ledger, and moved a couple of paces to investigate a large chest. He dragged it forward to open it, kicking away the rat his movements disturbed. Puzzled by the clothes the chest contained, he sorted through the top few layers and swiftly realised this wasn’t cargo taken from a ship but stolen personal effects. Crispin’s breath caught as he lifted out a blue brocade frock coat, splendidly embroidered in gold thread. He knew the coat, as he did the gold silk waistcoat lying beneath it. Mr Spencer had worn them every Sunday when conducting the service. His eyes misted red with impotent fury. It took him a moment to compose himself. When he called out to Billy, his voice was unsteady from the anger he couldn’t banish completely. “How should I record these?” Billy slipped around the edge of the crowded hold with the ease either of long practise or natural grace. “Clothes to go before the mast for distribution,” he said, as he saw the chest’s contents. “We don’t need any further details.” “These are going to be pawed through by the crew to take whatever they like?” Outrage surged through Crispin. “What about the people you stole them from? What are they supposed to wear?” Billy looked at him then, for the first time all afternoon. He’d tied his hair back earlier, and it somehow emphasised his cheekbones, making his beauty even more unearthly. But the Archangel Gabriel would never have had such scorn in his eyes. “They’re rich. They’ll buy more.” Crispin shook his head as he thought of Mr Spencer’s cabin. He’d certainly had better victuals than the crew and his own supply of wine, as well as a painting that Crispin had presumed was of his wife, but it had been nothing like Captain Smythe’s cabin. That had been filled with luxury, with furniture designed for beauty as well as use, and his dining table had seen meat served every day on china plates alongside wine in glass goblets laced with silver. “This coat belongs to the master on the Eurydice,” he said, lifting it up to show Billy. “You have no idea if he’s rich—you stole it from him because he couldn’t stop you.” The pirate simply raised an insolent eyebrow before wandering back to what he’d been doing. Crispin carefully folded Mr Spencer’s coat and decided not to dig any further into the chest, for he realised he would probably find his own best coat. And then a thought hit him, and he searched swiftly through the clothes, hoping to find his razor or knife. He’d like his compass back as well, but that wouldn’t be so immediately useful. Disappointingly, he found the chest contained only clothes. He stood, aimed a fulminating glare at Billy, who was silently engaged in cataloguing everything he and his crew had stolen, and returned to his task. About the Author Joy Lynn Fielding lives in a small English market town, where she indulges her passions for vintage aircraft, horse riding and gardening (though not all at the same time). Joy tends to wax lyrical about the fascinating facts she discovers during her research for books. Thankfully, she has a very patient Labrador who has a gift for looking interested in what she’s saying while he waits for the food to arrive. 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