 Hi Elizabeth. Thanks for giving me this opportunity to tell you about my upcoming release. Yield is the fifth book in the Bay Area Professional Series. The main characters from the previous novels weave in and out of this story seamlessly, but Yield can be read as a standalone. With that being said, Ethan and Rino from Forged in Trust (#4) are prominent secondary characters in Yield. Their story continues, where it left off, with enough background to fill in the gaps if you decide to start the series with this book. Yield focuses on a new pairing. Sami and Jay are at their lowest when they meet at a crowded airport. Each is ensnared in the past and can’t find a moment of peace without administering or receiving pain. Rino and Ethan are innocent bystanders inadvertently dragged into their mess. When I was plotting this novel, I had every intention of portraying this couple realistically rather than romantically. Hardly ever politically correct, Sami makes choices others might find repugnant. Jay has bone-deep abandonment issues. They are a toxic pair, but, in their own fucked-up way, perfectly right for each other. I’d like to share an exclusive excerpt of Yield and offer one e-book from my back list as a giveaway. Leave a comment to enter the drawing. Elizabeth will choose a winner after a week and give me the necessary details so I can contact you. Blurb A promising encounter takes a dark turn. Captain Sami Soros and Father Jay Blackstone cross paths at a major European hub. When systems shut down due to a cyber-attack, flights are delayed and the resulting chaos is unprecedented. After having served three tours in Afghanistan, recently discharged Sami struggles with his new civilian status. Emotionally depleted, and dangerously edgy, he views most of his fellowmen with utter contempt. Jay is returning to his parish in San Francisco after a month-long retreat meant to shore up a crumbling vocation. All vestiges of spirituality melt away when he sets eyes on Sami. They begin a clandestine affair fueled by a shared addiction to extreme forms of BDSM. Their relationship goes off the rails, and Jay reaches out to Rino Duran, a former seminarian. With the help of Dr. Ethan Marshall, Rino’s full-time Dom, the established couple attempt to separate truth from lies to give Jay and Sami a shot at happiness.  Excerpt I’d never been in business class before and was delighted by the wider seats and extra legroom. I stored my carryall in the overhead bin and asked Sami if he preferred the aisle or window seat. He chose the aisle, which worked for me. I enjoyed watching terra firma drop away as we climbed into the heavens. Plus, I liked having the wall to brace my pillow. Once again, I attempted small talk, but Sami’s responses were clipped and put a damper on my enthusiasm. It was after dinner was served and the cabin lights were dimmed when I realized he was waiting for this quiet time to make his move. The hand on my thigh shouldn’t have come as a surprise. Everything had a price and my upgrade was about to be repaid in a way I’d read about but never experienced. The most shocking part of the encounter was my body’s reaction to Sami’s touch. I’d always assumed my first time would be with a woman, but I found myself responding to this man. “Are you okay with this?” he whispered. I nodded. Even if I wanted to say no, my traitorous body wouldn’t let me. I was finally going to experience what I’d been dreaming about for umpteen thousand years. The blue blanket I’d been given upon embarking was spread out on my lap, so I knew our movements were hidden from the general public. The all-seeing eye didn’t factor into my current plans. I was beyond redemption at this point, and no amount of conscious thought would keep this from happening. I spread my legs and trembled in anticipation as his hand moved toward my groin. “How long has it been?” he asked in a husky voice. I turned in his direction, and the passion in those feral eyes set fire to my starving libido. “Too long.” “I thought so,” he said. “We can both use a little reprieve.” None of my fantasies came close to the real thing, and I struggled to keep my voice down as he undid my fly and reached into my briefs. When his warm fingers gripped my cock, I released within seconds. “You sure were hard up,” he commented, following it up with a low chuckle. I was mortified but swamped with a new wave of lust when Sami licked cum off the palm of his hand. His satisfied purrs were baffling. I’d always considered ejaculate a filthy byproduct of a weak moment, yet here he was lapping away with satisfaction. What was I missing? “You look shocked,” Sami commented when he was done. “I’m sorry.” “Don’t apologize; just return the favor.” Matching his movements with far less expertise, I applied myself to the task, admiring the way he managed to keep himself under control even while he spent. I caught most of it in my cupped hand, and he indicated my next move with a jerk of his head. My humiliation was superseded by a craving I couldn’t explain. The starchy odor of his spend combined with the fire in his eyes made my cock thicken once more. I might have whimpered as I licked my hand. “Good boy.” His approval worked wonders on my flagging cock. “You must be used to sex on the go,” I remarked after I licked up the last drop. Sami tasted like nothing I’d expected, but I was going to remember this forever. “It’s the only kind I’ve known for the last decade.” “Must have been difficult.” “Doing without would have been worse,” he commented ruefully. “We learned to take it the minute it was offered.” “Are you in the military?” “Not anymore,” he said, sounding disappointed. “Aren’t you glad to be heading home?” He shook his head. “Not really. What about you?” “There isn’t much to tell,” I said vaguely. Revealing my vocation after what just happened was impossible. “I’d rather not talk about me.” “Are you married?” My eyes widened in shock. “Absolutely not.” “What about work?” he probed. “Will anyone in the Bay Area miss you if you show up a day or two late?” “No.” “Would you consider getting off in Chicago for a few days?” “To what end?” “R and R.” Dear Lord. If this was a test, Sami’s unexpected question had pushed me to the edge of a precipice. Once I got off the plane, there would be no turning back, and my fall from grace would be nothing short of spectacular. “What did you have in mind?” “I haven’t thought of much beyond fucking you into the mattress for the next few days.” His comment sent a fresh wave of desire throughout my body, and I closed my eyes to avoid his scrutiny. When I opened them again, he was smiling. “Why me?” He shrugged. “Everyone deserves a few days of mindless sex.” “The thing is,” I began, searching for the right words. “I’m not a man of the world. You could do better.” “I disagree,” Sami countered. “Your inexperience is a huge turn-on.” “We barely know each other.” “By the time we’re done, there won’t be any mysteries left to unfold. Are you game?” At the retreat, I’d asked for some sign to guide me in the right direction. Placing forbidden fruit directly in my path couldn’t have been some random event. It had to be part of a larger plan. Best-case scenario, I’d get these cravings out of my system, seek absolution, and move on with my old life. Or the more likely outcome would have me abandoning the priesthood and leaving the high expectations behind. I’d discover the man I was meant to be before I’d been adopted and sanitized. I took the plunge. “Why the hell not.” “Atta boy,” he said softly. “You won’t regret it.”  Yield is available for pre-order and will release on November 13. Exclusive to Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. Meet Mickie B. Ashling Mickie B. Ashling is the pseudonym of a multifaceted woman who is a product of her upbringing in multiple cultures, having lived in Japan, the Philippines, Spain, and the Middle East. Fluent in three languages, she’s a citizen of the world and an interesting mixture of East and West. A little bit of this and a lot of that have brought a unique touch to her literary voice she could never learn from textbooks.
By the time Mickie discovered her talent for writing, real life got in the way, and the business of raising four sons took priority. With the advent of e-publishing—and the inevitable emptying nest—dreams of becoming a published writer were resurrected and she’s never looked back. She stumbled into the world of men who love men in 2002 and continues to draw inspiration from their ongoing struggle to find equality and happiness in this oftentimes skewed and intolerant world. Her award-winning novels have been called "gut wrenching, daring, and thought provoking." She admits to being an angst queen and making her men work damn hard for their happy endings. Mickie currently resides in a suburb outside Chicago. 
Leopold – First story to latest release
Good day folks! Thanks for joining me to celebrate my newest release, Leopold (Saga of the Bold People 1). It is an m/m romance sci-fi epic, and it’s the first book of a 6-book saga. I am super excited to finally release this bad boy that’s taken me around eight years to revise and edit. Leopold might have been one of the first true stories I wrote and certainly my first novel. But he—obviously—wasn’t my first to be released. That honor goes to the novella, “A Giant’s Friend.” It was released by a publisher that has since shut down because of shady financial practices and shall remain nameless. I’ll be honest and say that “A Giant’s Friend” wasn’t ready to be published. I was proud of it but it wasn’t up to snuff to be seen by the reading public. However, the publisher saw potential in it and released it anyway. Then some reviewer left a rather nasty review of it that was completely uncalled for—you’d think I had just personally insulted her or something—and it crushed me pretty hard. I kept publishing in spite of her and eventually had “A Giant’s Friend” removed with the intention on rewriting it and re-pubbing. Years went by. Other books were released but I never forgot my first book. Then last year the time rolled around for me to yank it back out and read it over. Yeah, it was bad and could be so much better! I loved the characters, the setting, and the plot, so I rewrote it completely and it became the story it should have been in the first place. I released it in an anthology titled “Guardians of a Giant’s Treasure” along with two short stories that were a part of two other multi-author anthologies by the same nameless publisher. It was amazing to realize how much I’ve grown as a writer since those early days. After re-reading “A Giant’s Friend” I was blown away how well I could fix and flesh out a story I thought was finished years earlier. The same thing happened with Leopold. The first draft sucked. The second draft sucked. Every other subsequent drafts became slightly less sucky until finally, in the last two years, I mercilessly slashed and cut and burned and realigned many details and events until I pummeled out what is now available for purchase. I bit off more than I could chew years ago, yet now I feel far more able to handle this bad boy and the five books to come after it. So there you have it, folks. You never stop learning. You shouldn’t stop learning. Every new book is an opportunity for me to flex my writing muscles and challenge myself. To risk. Sometimes you’ll go down in flames. Sometimes you’ll fly. Sometimes both. I truly hope Leopold will fly and that I can continue his story. Though it’s hard to give him up. I’ve been tweaking him for nearly a decade now. But no more. Now I need to move on. It’s surreal. I am currently working on four series simultaneously (because I am a glutton for punishment, apparently) and several stand-alones with plans for a couple of trilogies. I have three stories contracted with Dreamspinner Press for 2019: a vampire story, the latest shifter book (#13), and the prequel to “On Wings of Thunder.” Until next time, May dragons guard your dreams, M.D. Grimm 
M.D. Grimm has a new MM sci fi book out: How does a human survive in an alien dominated InterGalactic Community? By becoming an assassin, of course. At least, that’s what Leopold thought when he became an assassin for the elite. Pretending to be an alien known as Voidstriker, Leopold feeds his appetite for vengeance, killing aliens as well as taking their money. It's a win-win to his mind. That is, until a bounty is placed upon his head. With his true identity now revealed to the IG Community, Leopold knows it's only a matter of time before the powerful family members of his victims come for blood. Far worse is the fact that the one who put the bounty on his head, is the one he most fears. A routine job three cycles ago brought him face-to-face with Mastrodai, a prince of the powerful Mrrog Nation. Not only did Leopold—accidentally—destroy part of Mastrodai’s moon, but one glimpse of the mighty alien had him feeling desire for the first time in his life. He ran, and like predator after prey, Mastrodai never stopped hunting him. Leopold is convinced that Mastrodai wants bloody revenge. But when he finally confronts the mrrog, he is stunned to realize Mastrodai wants something very different. Something surprisingly intimate—the one thing that scares Leopold more than torture. Amazon | SmashwordsGiveaway M.D. is giving away one eBook copy of her book Ruby: Lost and Found with this tour. Enter via Rafflecopter: Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d4729/? Excerpt
I climbed out the broken window onto the platform and tried to activate my holo-cuffs again. After several failed attempts, I realized they weren’t going to help me. Damn things were shit! Swallowing my curses, I jammed on my helmet and started to climb down. By the third floor, the ladder had been broken. I would need to jump. Fantastic. Three levels down. If I landed slightly wrong I would at worst break something, at best sprain something. I had no choice. My helmet impeded by vision so I took it off. I dangled it from my fingertips for a moment before letting it drop. To me, the sound it made upon impact was like a crack of thunder, but it was merely a thud. I took a deep breath and crawled down as much of the ladder as I could, and hung there a moment, gauging my descent. One, two... three.I let go and hit the ground on my feet and rolled, taking off most of the pressure. It jarred me, but nothing sprained or broke. Success! I stood, about to grab my helmet, when I saw figures coming toward the mouth of the alley. I froze. I recognized them. They were mrrogs, and that meant he couldn’t be too far behind. I shivered violently, demanding my legs to move. It took them a moment before they finally got the idea. I crouched slowly on the ground before moving silently backward. One foot, one hand, one foot... on and on until I reached the other end of the alley. I kept myself against the wall, in the shadows, and knew they hadn’t seen me. They were too busy contemplating my land cruiser. If they tried to deactivate the security system it would blow them up, along with the cruz. I would lose my baby, yes, but I would rather it be trash then have it in their hands. I reached the end of the alley and continued to crouch until I turned the corner, and was out of their line of vision. My heart thundered annoyingly in my ears, and I bowed my head, steadying my breathing. Okay, my cruz was screwed. I couldn’t open fire on them without alerting everyone in the vicinity. I couldn’t run the distance to my ship and needed another way to get to it. I would have to steal a transport. Great, I had a plan, such as it was. I stood, took two steps back for good measure, and ran into something. I stilled. It wasn’t a building and it wasn’t a transport as I was on the bloody sidewalk. No, it was a body. My heart fluttered, and I knew who it was without a doubt. My body knew, my damn, traitorous body. I could feel his heat pump against my own cold body, and I felt his chest move as he breathed. How did I not sense him behind me? My mouth opened in a silent scream because I knew this was it, I was caught. I shouted mentally at my legs to move but it was as if they were rooted to the blasted ground. A small breeze blew from behind me, behind us, and I caught his scent. My stupid cock jumped to attention. Kill me now, please. He smelled wonderful. I wanted to close my eyes and wallow in it without any other thought in my head. I wanted to melt against him and have those strong arms-- My eyes had nearly closed when I popped them open. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw something move. I tracked the large arm, covered in a black sleeve, and the golden hand as it lifted and came toward me. My legs finally kicked into action, and I ducked agilely and rolled under his raised arm before straightening, and running faster than I ever had in my life. I heard him shout out orders in a deep voice. I realized it was the first time I’d ever heard him speak. Despite the situation, I thought he had a lovely voice. I jerked out of that stupid thought when I heard rapid footsteps behind me. Was he chasingme? I glanced behind, saw the truth in those blazing yellow eyes, in that golden face, and pumped my legs faster. I wove and dodged around large trash bins, unable to keep myself from glancing back. Mastrodai simply leapt overthe trash bins, landing on his hands, and continuing on all fours to chase me, quickly gaining ground. Shit, shit, shit! Clouds rolled in overhead, and the moon grew darker, mistier. I needed to lose him. How? His large nose indicated his overdeveloped scent glands, and the way his eyes glimmered in the dark, when I dared another look behind, told me he had no problem hunting in the shadows. I was so dead. Recognizing the buildings around me, I swerved sharply to my right and raced down several narrow alleyways. The confined spaces forced him to throttle his boosters. He was still way too damn agile for someone his size, but he couldn’t use his full speed in the alleys unless he wanted to run into a wall. The turns forced him to slow down just enough, and more and more I was starting to lose sight of him whenever I glanced back. I let my own nose lead me to the large, festering trash pile set along a creek with questionable cleanliness. Trash was rarely collected this far out and, in this case, it would prove to be my savior. Granted, I enjoyed being clean, but survival called for disgusting measures, at times. After a few more turns, I burst out in the opening and dashed to the trash. I took a deep breath, closed my eyes, and dove inside. Eewwww!I swam through the garbage and shut down my mind from speculating what it consisted of. After what felt like forever, I popped out the other end and sucked in a gigantic breath of the foulest air I’d ever tasted. That would kill his ability to track me, no matter how powerful his nose. Without stopping, I rolled forward and dropped to the ground. I didn’t look behind for Mastrodai before staggering toward the creek and jumping it. The water was swift and sure and carried me farther down the city. I managed to lose him for now, but it wasn’t over, yet. Not even close. The hunt was on. 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 (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100001710645622 Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8=%E2%9C%93&query=md+grimm Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-grimm/ 
Blaine D. Arden has a new MM sci fi book out:
“It’s not all about serving coffee and typing reports.”
Working for a secret organisation specialising in alien cover-ups, Connor Smith is no stranger to the abnormal or dangerous. His love life on the other hand… not so exciting. Until he reluctantly agrees to a blind date and meets the perfect bloke, Jason. Things are finally falling into place for Connor, so of course that’s when he attracts an alien stalker. Noah Jones, ex-alien, has been stranded on Earth and forced to live as a human since 1648. Alone and detached from the world around him, Noah has spent centuries observing and recording humankind. In all that time, he’s only experienced a connection with a human once… until he finds Connor. Even knowing Connor is in a relationship, Noah can’t ignore their potential bond, or stay away. While dealing with missing alien artefacts, a dangerous and shadowy group of collectors, and the ever-present Noah, Connor finds his orderly life crumbling around him. At least he still has the perfect boyfriend… When Noah goes missing, Connor is forced to face the feelings growing between them and the mounting evidence that Jason isn’t who he says he is… Amazon | QueeRomance Ink | GoodreadsGiveaway Blaine is giving away two sets of "A Triad in Three Acts" & "Oren's Right" with this tour – enter via Rafflecopter: Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d4731/? Excerpt 
The Dross Woods, four-bloody-something in the morning, hunting for six-armed, two-legged white creatures. Agent Connor Smith, personal assistant of Chief Security Lieutenant Natalie Tallis of Primrose UK, yawned. The lingering mist clung to his ankles as he tightened the straps of his field gear. He took his tranq out of its holster and flicked his torch on. The dense, tall trees hampered visibility, and the smattering of shrubs didn’t help, either. The path, at least, was wide enough for two. “How many were there again?”Agent Simpson, team Alpha’s leader, asked. His dark, bald head gleamed in the early dawn as he moved to stand next to Connor. “Ten, I think.”Or eleven. Connor hadn’t been awake enough to pick up everything during the interview with the Cleaton brothers, two aging sheep farmers, who had called it in. Why have a sheep farm so close to this vast and dense piece of forest? It was asking for trouble. “They kept them in the stables, right? So, what happened?” “Broke out,”Connor said as he trailed into the woods after Simpson. Though Connor outranked the stocky but agile team leader, Simpson had at least a decade of field experience on him. Simpson’s torch lit up the uneven, knobby-rooted ground, and Connor used his to search the shrubbery next to the path. He wished he’d brought an extra coffee, because he was not awake enough for this. Hopefully, the pale colour of the creatures made them easier to spot. “So, broke out?” “Have you seen the thing they called stables? It’s nothing more than a rickety old shed. Even one-armed creatures would have had no problem breaking out, let alone these... Noren, I think the brothers called them.” “All I understood was that we’re here to catch us some aliens.”Simpson veered left, following the whimsical bend in the path, and looked back. “It was a late night.” “Right, you were chasing another missing artefact. Lieutenant Tallis filled me in. File’s probably making its way to my desk as we speak.”Connor squinted, aiming his torch at the shrubbery to his left. A mix of red, yellow, and purple flowers brought some colour to the otherwise dreary looking forest. “It’s the eighth time this has happened. It’s becoming a problem.” “Don’t I know it. So, did they say how big these fellas are?” “Chest height or about. Why? Spot something?”Connor pointed his torch along Simpson’s. The shrubs shuddered and shook until Simpson stepped forward. A twig snapped, followed by meowing. A cat. Just a cat. Connor shrugged at Simpson and they moved forward again. Somewhere a shout rang out: a high-pitched screech that caused goose bumps. “One down!”someone called through the commlink—team Bravo’s Forente or Briers, Connor guessed. “There are at least two others here.” “That way,”Simpson said, pointing to their right, onto a narrow path overgrown with creepers. Connor nodded, but Simpson had already turned away. Step by step, they followed the narrow path, the darkness only broken by the light of their torches. They were hampered by the creepers as they moved along—listening, stopping, and listening again—as well as having to push low branches out of their way every other step. One by one, more teams called in their catches. “They seem to like sheep,”Forente commented after his first catch. “I heard one bleat, and the next thing we know, one of those Noren is coming right at us.” “Good to know,”Simpson said. “Keep up the good work.” “How many is that now?”Connor eyed the shrubbery in front of him, squinting as he pointed the torch at it. Eerie how dark a forest could be at daybreak. He preferred the smell of fresh moss to the damp, woodsy smell that now hung around him. “Seven. I think.” So, three to go, and he and Simpson had yet to run into any. Something rustled behind them, and Connor turned, aiming his tranq. He hoped it wasn’t another cat. More rustling, but no movement in the shrubs. The foliage was denser here—they must have reached the middle of the woods by now. Satisfied a Noren wasn't stalking them, Connor went to catch up with Simpson. when a sudden crunching of leaves to his right stopped him again. Something whitish moved behind a tree, too large to be a rabbit. He wished he’d paid more attention when Tallis had told them what to look for. Not that she’d been any more awake than he was. Simpson wasn’t the only one who’d been working late. The-- Another crunch, nowhere near, though. If there were two Noren around, he'd need Simpson. He tapped the commlink. “Simpson?” “That was me. The path circles back onto itself.” That was a relief. “There’s one behind a tree in front of me.” “Right. Want me to move around it?” “Good idea.”Then he remembered the comment about the sheep. “Wait. You don’t have to. Draw it out, bleat if you have to. All I need is a clear shot. I can’t take a shot as long as it’s hiding behind that tree,”Connor said, keeping an eye on the tree the Noren hid behind. He hoped it was just the one, even though they didn’t seem violent towards humans. Simpson’s imitation of a sheep sounded nothing like the real thing, yet the Noren thought it genuine enough, since it came out from behind the tree, straight into the dense shrubbery next to it. “Bugger.”Connor tracked the movement, but the shrubbery blocked his view. “I don’t have a shot. It fled right into the bushes.” Simpson didn’t reply. Instead, he made his way around Connor, judging from the flashes of torchlight jumping around, and repeated his sheep imitation. The leaves shuddered, and Connor narrowed his eyes, hoping to get a clear shot. Simpson bleated again, and this time the Noren came running out of the shrubbery. Connor aimed and pulled the trigger. The Noren went down hard. Hit in one. He knelt next to the creature, taking the cuffs out. “Nice shot, Smith,”Simpson said when he reached them. “Thanks.”Connor cuffed all three sets of arms. It seemed like overkill, but he knew better than to take any risks. He was about to activate his earpiece to ask how many were still on the loose when a shrill whistle sounded, calling them back. “Well,”Simpson said as he helped Connor pick the Noren up, “I guess that’s that.” “All in a day’s work, Simpson, all in a day’s work.”At least, for a personal assistant at Primrose. Author Bio 
Blaine D. Arden is a purple-haired, forty-something author of queer romance mixed with fantasy, magic, and suspense who sings her way through life in platform boots. She is an EPIC Award winning author, and her scifi romance “Aliens, Smith and Jones” received an Honourable Mention in the Best Gay Sci-Fi/Fantasy category of the Rainbow Awards 2012. Born and raised in Zutphen, the Netherlands, Blaine spent many hours of her sheltered youth reading, day dreaming, making up stories and acting them out with her Barbies. After seeing the film “An Early Frost” as a teen in the mid-eighties, an idealistic Blaine wanted to do away with the negativity surrounding homosexuality and strove to show the world how beautiful love between men could be. Our difference is our strength, is Blaine’s motto, and her stories are often set in worlds where gender fluidity and sexual diversity are accepted as is. Author Website: https://blainedarden.com Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/BlaineDArden Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/BlaineDArdenAuthor Author Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/BlaineDArden Author Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5043444.Blaine_D_Arden Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/blaine-d-arden/ 
QSFer Eric Alan Westfall has a new MM historical romance out:
It’s April of 1816 in Another England.
And Jeremy—a whore from the Dock—is living in a guest bedroom at the London home of the (in)famous Iron Marquess, with over fifteen days missing from his life. For someone who remembers everything from his third birthday on, it’s unnerving not to know. Fine, fourteen days for the coma and the infection delirium. But those first thirty-six hours. Do they explain how he got hurt, how he got to Ireton House, and why his lordship’s mountain-sized valet is taking care of him? Or why his ironness looks at him with nothing iron at all in his eyes? Jeremy and the Iron Marquess both have dark secrets. Forced engagements, an inheritance, a scheme to clap Jeremy in Bedlam, the revelation of the missing hours, a problem with plumage, some numbered accounts, and a long sea voyage, all seem to mean there’s no way out of the snares surrounding them. Or is the old saying true: where there’s a waltz, there’s a way? All royalties will go to a local LGBT organization. Giveaway Eric is giving away two backlist eBooks (ePub or mobi) to one luck winner. Enter via Rafflecopter: Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/b60e8d4726/? Excerpt 6 April 1816 1:38 p.m. Ireton House, London no way out The voice was back. Inside my head. Still I swiveled, twisting to look behind, knowing I would see what I always see when the words are said—nothing. The unpainted, scuffed wooden floor was empty. The door to second story elegance had not creaked since we passed through, shutting it behind us, moments ago. The stairs to lesser third-story elegance and fourth story no elegance at all were both bare of bodies who might whisper words only I could hear. I turned forward again, teetered, and reaching out, slapped my palms flat against the walls of the narrow servants’ stairs. Pressing hard, I tilted back, but my socked foot slipped on the slick wooden edge. When I landed, the floor made known its displeasure with a sharp splinter through the rope-belted loose trousers, ill-fitting smalls, and into my bum. I yelped. The cold voice of Thomas, the senior footman, rose up the stairwell from the landing below. “His lordship is waiting.” I shifted my weight to my left hip, and rolled to my knees, giving him a fine view of my bottom if he was watching, which was by now instinctive. I made a point of lifting my left leg with great care, and with equal care placing my foot on the floor, again in case he was watching. A right foot repeat and then some clearly awkward struggling to get myself as upright on the landing as I could—although a boy with a twisted spine and a twisted leg can never be truly upright—followed by a shuffle-step away from the edge. I suppressed the temptation to rub my right arse cheek. Without turning around I called down, “Well, bugger ‘is bleedin’ lordship! Me feet ‘urt ‘n me arse ‘as been ‘urt, too.” My feet didn’t hurt much any more. Though bandaged still, and covered with the thick wool stockings sagging around my ankles, they had almost healed. But the pretense might keep me here, with a comfortable bed, and good food, for just a while longer. I grinned a small, wicked grin to myself, and wiped it away as I turned to face the stairs. “Right, then. Shall I drop me britches, turn ‘n bend and you can see what’s stickin’ in me bum, ‘n maybe come up ‘n pull it out?” It was amazing how much disdain could be contained in stare and stance. Thomas even managed to look down his nose while looking upthe stairs. “Orright, orright. Jus’ wait a bleedin’ minute. ‘n you might want to close yer eyes so’s y’don’t see somethin’ what might ‘orrify you, just in case me grip slips, ‘cause I ain’t goin’ nowhere with somethin’ stickin’ in me arse.” My hands were on the knot in the rope, and I grinned broadly when the footman closed his eyes, with a stern “Be quick about it then, boy.” I untied the knot, loosening the waistband since whoever supplied the trousers was much thicker around the middle than me, using my left hand to hold the pants up. I reached behind, and working my right hand into my smalls and found the painful little bugger. With thumb and forefinger I wiggled it free, brought my hand round to the front, and looked at the bloody, bloody thing. I shouldn’t have, but I did. I lifted the three-quarter-inch sliver before my face. “Oi! Is this a dagger wot I see before me?” Bloody hell. Bloody, bloody, bloodyhell. Maybe Thomas wouldn’t.... Well, bloodyhell all over again, he did. The footman was looking at me now, his eyes wide, his mouth open to say something, and then he slowly shut it. It would only make it worse if I tried to cobble together an explanation of why, or how a sixteen-year-old street boy (the age I gave) could paraphrase The Scottish Play. I shut my own mouth, dropped the splinter, retied the knot, and began descending the stairs with care, one thumping step at a time. I braced one hand against the wall—his lordship did not believe in hand rails for his servants—in case of another slip. The footman waited until I was almost at the landing before turning away. Watching my downward struggle, he was unconcerned about the possibility of another fall, his expression informing me if I fell I was on my own. I followed in silence as we went through the halls of the first floor to the front of the house. Ah, his lordship’s library. I stared at the door. I’d been in there, just the once, when I shouldn’t have been. But then, I shouldn’t have been in the house in the first place, but I was, though I didn’t know why. Or how I came to be here. Both were part of what was missing. I could remember every...bloody...thingin my life up to the night before...whatever...happened. Remember the Dock on the 12th, the clock in my head saying it was ten thirty at night when I finished the last man. I remember the glint of the shilling as it spun through the air, making me get off my knees, bend and stretch to reach it in the muck. The feel of the metal between my fingertips as I picked it up. Then the twist and roll away, my back taking the brunt of the kick meant for my belly. The man was one of those who, once done, and eager to be tucked and buttoned away, feels guilty and lashes out at the one responsible for his sin. I remember his silhouette as I got to my feet, his realizing how much taller I was, and how the silhouette turned and hurried away. Then nothing more until I woke up too damned many days later in a bloody nobleman’s house, in sobbing agony, weak, my feet, head and thigh throbbing with pain. Author Bio Eric is a Midwesterner, and as Lady Glenhaven might say, “His first sea voyage was with Noah.” He started reading at five with one of the Andrew Lang books (he thinks it was The Blue Fairy Book) and has been a science fiction/fantasy addict ever since. Most of his writing is in those (MM) genres. The exceptions are his Another England (alternate history) series: The Rake, The Rogue and the Roué(Regency novel), Mr. Felcher’s Grand Emporium, or, The Adventures of a Pair of Spares in the Fine Art of Gentlemanly Portraiture(Victorian), with no way out(Regency) coming out a month after Of Princes. Two more fairy tales are in progress: 3 Boars & A Wolf Walk Into A Bar(Eric is sure you can figure this one out), and The Truth About Them Damn Goats(of the gruff variety). Now all he has to do is find the time to write the incomplete stuff! (The real world can be a real pain!) Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/eawestfall43
 AUTHOR NAME: Jessie G BOOK NAME: Rebuilding Hope SERIES NAME: A Kindred Story, Book #1 PUBLISHER: Jessie G Books, Inc. PAGE/WORD COUNT: 200 pages, 64K words CATEGORIES: Gay, Contemporary, Shifter COVER MODELS: TankJoey & Connor Jay PHOTOGRAPHER: CJC Photography COVER ARTIST: Andrew Reyna BLURB: Holden Bancroft was born with a better than average brain and not much else. Often described as strange and sickly, his attempts to conform only made him look foolish and a life-long diet of pills hasn’t provided a cure. Deciding to strengthen the only tool in his arsenal was liberating and learning became his greatest joy. But each episode is another reminder that his time is limited, and Holden intends to use everything he’s learned to help the small town of Hope before he dies. Alpha Crowley Lomond, Zenith of the Americas, isn’t exactly happy with his ascension. Leading isn’t the problem, it’s acting like he’s somehow better than every other shifter that chafes. But while living and working beside them may seem noble, Crowley is more than just an alpha. As Zenith, he’s their example, their teacher and guide, and the one they will turn to when their way of life is threatened. Meeting changes them in ways they never could have predicted and unveils a web of deceit that began long before they were born. Together, they will have to unravel the lies and reconcile the consequences if they are to protect the shifter way of life. Along the way, Crowley will become the Zenith his Kindred was born to love and their enemies will learn that there's nothing more dangerous than fated mates.   Meet Jessie G Like many readers, I've dreamed of being a writer most of my life. Thanks to social media, I was able to follow my favorite authors and hoped to glean some words of wisdom as I pounded out half-formed ideas with alarming regularity. It isn’t always easy, but it’s definitely been worth it and with four series in the works and a full schedule of releases planned for the next two years, it's been amazing to have made this dream my reality.
I am a firm believer in marriage equality, love at first sight, power dynamics, and happily ever after. I'm a lover of strong secondary characters and series filled with families—biological or chosen. All are themes you'll find throughout my books. Contact Links: Website: http://www.jessiegbooks.com Email: [email protected] Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bhuja1 Social Links: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessieGBooks Google +: google.com/+Jessiegbooksmm Instagram: https://instagram.com/jessiegbooks Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jessiegbooks/ Tumblr (NSFW 18+): http://jessiegbooks.tumblr.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessieGBooks Website: http://www.jessiegbooks.com Author Pages: Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/jessieg Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jessiegbooks |
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