Title: On Andross Station
Author: J.C. Long
Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC
Release Date: August 27, 2018
Heat Level: 2 - Fade to Black Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 37000
Genre: Science Fiction, science fiction, adventure, romance, gay
Title: On Andross Station Author: J.C. Long Publisher: NineStar Press, LLC Release Date: August 27, 2018 Heat Level: 2 - Fade to Black Sex Pairing: Male/Male Length: 37000 Genre: Science Fiction, science fiction, adventure, romance, gay Add to GoodreadsSynopsisHikaru Adachi has come to Andross Station to discover what happened to colleague and fellow Inquisitor Katya. Thane, a tracer, has arrived at the station seeking a bounty on Galen Horn, one of the Unity of Planets’ most wanted men. They will find their paths cross as their interests intersect, and soon they are on a hunt that is more dangerous than they know, for Horn has enlisted some dangerous allies, including one from Thane’s past. If Thane and Hikaru together can’t bring Horn down, he will set in motion a plot that will see the entire station destroyed in an attack of massive proportions.ExcerptOn Andross Station J.C. Long © 2018 All Rights Reserved Hikaru One second the café was calm, the next it exploded into chaos. Tables flew and chairs tipped and slid over the floor as people scrambled away from sudden gunfire. Only one person at the café seemed to maintain her calm. She dropped behind the table she sat at, taking shelter from the bullets. The shooter moved with purpose, seeming to seek an angle to make her his next victim, but she was not going to be so easily caught off-guard. She drew her legs back and then slammed them into the table as hard as she could. The table, made of some sort of ultra-light plasteel material, soared, slamming into the gunman’s knees. The woman jumped to her feet, efficiently disarming the shooter before pistol-whipping him with his own gun. With a harried look, she walked away from the café. “Rewind image five seconds.” The hologram projector obeyed Hikaru Adachi’s command, playing back to the moment right after the woman disarmed and incapacitated the gunman and looked toward the camera. “Freeze image.” The image’s movement halted. Hikaru squinted, focusing on the woman’s face. This was the last moment recorded of Katya—no other camera in the station caught sight of her. It was as if she walked out of the frame and then disappeared. No matter how many times he combed through the security footage, he couldn’t find a single sign of her again. “Vi, time to arrival at Andross Station?” “We will be arriving in just under two standard hours,” answered the “voice” of his personal VI, which he called Vi. It was a generic voice, free of any identifying inflection, the same sort of VI used throughout the Unity of Planets for ease of communication. The voice was easy for those not accustomed to speaking Terran—not too fast, not too slow. Only Hikaru could hear it, its “voice” processed directly to his brain. Hikaru rolled his head, trying to release tension in his neck. “Reaccess information regarding Katya’s current assignment.” “Note that access to some of the information is listed as restricted,” the AI informed him, as it did each time he asked to access it. “Most recent updates to assignment were made twenty-nine standard hours ago.” That time significance was not lost on Hikaru, even though it was probably lost on the VI. She’d received an update on her assignment an hour before the shooting at the café. It was unlikely to be a coincidence. He examined the material on a secure personal access point, as was proper protocol. It didn’t do much to alleviate his confusion. According to the files, Katya was assigned to Andross Station to monitor what might be a hotspot for subversive activity—not much surprising; Katya was, like Hikaru, an Inquisitor, enacting the will of the Unity of Planets as they were ordered. Inquisitors often found themselves in the role of watchdogs, keeping an eye on pockets of discontent that might boil over into open rebellion. The assignment was classified level two—which meant discontent was high, and in certain conditions might spill over into violence. Twenty-nine hours ago, it was upgraded to a level four—danger imminent. After that, everything was sealed. When given the assignment to investigate Katya’s disappearance, Hikaru was granted a temporary higher security clearance, which gave him access to one more piece of information, and it was probably the most critical piece he could get: approximately thirty-one hours ago, the Unity learned that Galen Horn, a notorious terrorist and murderer, was on his way to Andross Station. Two hours later, the threat level was upped, and an hour after that, Katya was gone. Hikaru didn’t believe in coincidences. Galen Horn was somehow related to Katya’s disappearance. If the connection was there, he’d find it. He was one of the best; it was why they sent him. Hikaru disconnected the data stream with a sigh, sat back in the chair, and stared at the bulkhead of the small fast-cruiser all Inquisitors used to convey themselves to their missions. He’d set out from Engiminon VI with little notice very late in the night; when an assignment came, you didn’t wait until morning; you boarded the cruiser and set off. Once on board, he opted to review all the material he could relating to the assignment, foregoing sleep. Now he was too close to his destination for sleep to be a valid option. Instead he would spend the time remaining in his transit to reinforce his psychic walls. Being a telepath was difficult, but it was most challenging on a space station or vessel. People crammed into contained areas while recycled air swept through, carrying the emotional vibrations of every passenger with it. If given the choice, Hikaru would never go to space stations, never make a transit on a crowded ship. But he was an Inquisitor, and he didn’t have the luxury of choice. He sat on the bed cross-legged and then closed his eyes in preparation for the mental exercises to come. He spoke aloud to Vi. “Has the station’s security been notified of my arrival?” “Affirmative. Their head of security will meet you at the docking bay.” “Thanks, Vi.” Inquisitors and local security or police forces never got along well; the security teams didn’t take kindly to an “outsider” stepping on their toes and taking over. Not that it mattered, in the end. Inquisitors had the authority, and Inquisitors did not work with other forces. The security team would just have to take a step back. They wouldn’t like it, but what they liked wasn’t of great concern to Hikaru. “Notify me when we begin docking procedures,” Hikaru instructed Vi. With a deep breath, he began building his mental walls, visualizing impenetrable steel panels falling into place one by one, until he was encased in a psychic Fabergé egg. Something told him he was going to need them on Andross Station.PurchaseNineStar Press, LLC | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | KoboMeet the AuthorJ.C. Long is an American expat living in Japan, though he’s also lived stints in Seoul, South Korea—no, he’s not an army brat; he’s an English teacher. He is also quite passionate about Welsh corgis and is convinced that anyone who does not like them is evil incarnate. His dramatic streak comes from his life-long involvement in theater. After living in several countries aside from the United States J. C. is convinced that love is love, no matter where you are, and is determined to write stories that demonstrate exactly that. J. C. Long’s favorite things in the world are pictures of corgis, writing and Korean food (not in that order…okay, in that order). J. C. spends his time not writing thinking about writing, coming up with new characters, attending Big Bang concerts and wishing he was writing. The best way to get him to write faster is to motivate him with corgi pictures. Yes, that is a veiled hint.Website | Facebook | Twitter | eMailGiveawaya Rafflecopter giveaway
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It's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets. The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ+. Today's snippet is from The Dragon's Devotion. I wasn't sure what to snippet this week, so I opened the book and picked almost at random. (It's been that kind of week!) After, Corentin let himself rest against Bastien for a moment. He wanted to stay there, cradled on Bastien’s body, but he’d crush him soon. It was just that if he stayed, right there, he didn’t have to think about how being with Bastien this way had shaken him. He’d been thinking about what he and Bastien would be like together, imagining having Bastien like this, but he’d never come close to the reality of it. He’d done his best to drive Bastien insane with wanting, to drive the sadness from his eyes, and ended up utterly undone himself. You can find out more about The Dragon's Devotion here. Thanks for reading!
Title: Trouble's on the Way Series: Outcasts, Book Two Author: CL Mustafic Publisher: NineStar Press Release Date: August 20, 2018 Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex Pairing: Male/Male Length: 52500 Genre: Paranormal, shifter, bonded mate, menage, lycanthrope, werewolf, bigender, gender fluid Add to GoodreadsSynopsisAfter leaving the Outcast pack, Clay Anderson and Damian Macoon head to Alabama where they’ve both secured a job with the construction company that employs Damian. Their new relationship is off to a good but not too harmonious start in no small part due to Clay still holding a grudge against Damian for turning him into a werewolf. So when they walk into the office trailer parked on the job site and Clay realizes that their boss is none other than Damian’s fated mate, things get even more tense between the two. Billy Ray Hicks was raised believing he was going to find his mate and be a cherished member of whatever pack he ended up in, but those dreams came crashing down when his bonded mate ran away and disappeared from his life before the mate bond was completed. Billy Ray always figured he’d run into Damian again but never suspected his mate would have a boyfriend when he did. With tensions mounting between Clay and Damian, Billy Ray becomes the focal point of their ire. Damian ends up in the middle of two men—one he wants and one he needs—who both want him. Now he needs to convince them that they all belong together before he loses both.ExcerptTrouble’s on the Way CL Mustafic © 2018 All Rights Reserved Chapter One Clay Almost nine hours of sitting in the pickup with Damian gave me plenty of time to think. Part of me thought going with him to Alabama was an okay idea. Sure the money would probably be decent, and since I was no longer gainfully employed, what did I have to lose? Another part of me thought I was crazy for not only shacking up with the guy who’d turned me into a werewolf, but now I was letting him drag me halfway across the country. Maybe contracting lycanthropy had messed up my ability to make a good decision. I glanced over at Damian, who was concentrating on the road signs because he was looking for the exit just outside Iowa City that would lead us to one of the campgrounds. I couldn’t lie to myself enough to pretend I wasn’t attracted to him. Hell, who didn’t have a fantasy about the tattooed bad boy? Reminding myself Damian wasn’t the stereotypical bad boy, I tore my eyes off him before he could feel me staring. I spotted the exit we were looking for, but before I could point it out, Damian switched lanes and pulled off the interstate. “You sure you don’t want to drive? We could make it to Tuscaloosa by morning and sleep the day away,” Damian asked for the millionth time. “I told you I don’t want to drive this rig and I’m tired anyways.” I’d dozed some but not enough to stay awake and drive all night. Plus, I wasn’t confident about my ability to drive the pickup with a thirty-five-foot trailer attached to it. “You’d only have to drive for about four hours, and then I’d be fresh enough to take over, but if you’re too scared to drive, I’m fine with that.” A grin tugged at the corner of his lip at his dig, but all I had to do was let a growl rumble up out of my chest to kill his urge to smile. Pulling up to the campground’s reception building, Damian got out of the truck and stretched before turning back to me. “I’ll go pay for the night. You want to run into the store and maybe get us some snacks and beer?” “Sure. You want anything special?” I opened my own door but waited for his response instead of getting out. “Maybe some ice cream, chocolate, oh, and some nachos and gummy worms.” “Are you pregnant?” I snorted and shook my head at his request as I dropped down to the ground from the pickup. “You know those are just stories, right?” Damian called over the hood of the pickup at me. “Hey, I have no idea what to believe anymore. I used to think werewolves were just stories.” I made air quotes around “just stories” to get my point across, making him roll his eyes at me. “Go get me my junk food.” Turning, Damian went to pay for our stay while I went into the little convenience store. The woman behind the counter watched my every move as I loaded down the little red basket with Damian’s requested junk food and then grabbed a case of beer to go with it. She rang up the sale but before she was done, Damian came in the door. Her eyes widened and I could smell the change in the atmosphere around her. Apparently, she also liked bad boys, and her interest in what my beast thought of as his brought out its jealousy. “Hey, are you buying the whole store or what?” Damian’s sexy grin was at full wattage as he sauntered up to the counter. Turning it on the woman, he nodded a greeting, making her blush like a school girl. “Not my fault your cravings are so weird.” I managed to swallow the possessive warning my beast wanted to growl out at the woman. Instead, I put my arm around Damian’s waist and pulled him to my side, making his smile falter. Taking it a step further when the woman’s scent didn’t change once she saw Damian wasn’t on the market, I pointed to the row of condoms behind her. “Give me three boxes of the magnums too. I have a feeling we’re going to need them tonight.” I winked as Damian stiffened at my side. “Clay–” “Make it four.” I reached down and squeezed Damian’s ass. His arousal wafted up to join that of the woman’s, who’d turned to get the requested condoms. She didn’t make eye contact with either of us as she finished tallying the items and took my card. “Have a good night.” I practically sang the words as we walked out the door. Damian pushed away from me when we hit the parking lot. “What the fuck was that all about?” His glare would have been much more menacing if I hadn’t found his mismatched eyes to be so damn alluring; plus his anger only made my beast want to make him submit to it. “What was what all about?” I shrugged and held out the bags I was carrying in one hand. “Just getting stuff for the night.” “And what do you expect to do with twelve condoms?” His eyes narrowed as he tried to cross his arms over his chest, forgetting he was holding the case of beer, so he had to drop them back down to his sides. He had me there. We didn’t use condoms, since neither of us could catch anything, so did he think I’d intended to go out and find someone else for the night? Shit. That was not my intention, but just to see how pissed off I could make him, I decided to throw the possibility out there. “Well, maybe there will be a hot guy in the spot next to us. We should be prepared, right?” “You’re an asshole.” Damian stomped off to the truck and before I could get in, he pulled away, leaving me to walk behind. He was right. I was an asshole, but he knew that, so it was his fault for sticking around. Our spot was a bit down the road from the lodge and when I got there, Damian had already hooked up the power and was standing by the door pressing the button that pushed out the pop outs on the camper. I’d only glanced inside before we’d left so when I stepped past him, I had to stop and stare. “Holy shit, this thing is huge.” I looked over my shoulder at Damian, who was squatting to pet Stumple and Grumpkin, his cats. “I wanted there to be enough room for both of us so we wouldn’t have to be tripping over each other.” Damian stood and walked across the kitchen to the living room at the end of the trailer where I was inspecting the entertainment system. “There’s only one bedroom but if you want to bring someone back here, I can always sleep on one of the convertibles.” I turned to look at him because I could tell he was hurt, and though I’d wanted to keep the space between us, I didn’t much like him feeling he didn’t matter to me. He did mean something to me; I just wasn’t sure what. I crowded him up against the wall, pressing my body to his, making his breath catch. “You’ll sleep where I tell you to sleep. And if I want you in the bed with me while I’m fucking someone else, you’ll lay there and watch,” I growled. Where the fuck did that come from? Damian whimpered. He knew when my beast was talking and his beast deferred to mine, always. It still boggled my mind how his huge wolf was afraid of my tiny puppy one. “I hate you sometimes, you know that?” he asked through clenched teeth. “I know, and the feeling’s mutual.” I stepped back and let him go about taking care of the cats and then hooking up the water. I would have helped, but I had no idea how to do any of the things that made the camper run. I went to the bedroom on the other end of the trailer and grabbed a fresh pair of underwear before going into the bathroom and taking a shower. When I came out of the steamy little room, Damian had changed into a pair of low-hanging sleep pants. He was curled into one of the arm chairs in the corner, watching a movie with Stumple purring on his lap and his array of snacks on a folding tray next to him. I grabbed a beer from the fridge and sat on the couch. Grumpkin jumped up and sat next to me, and after sending a look at his owner, he lay his head on my lap and started purring. “Fuck you too,” Damian mumbled to the cat before shoving a handful of gummy bears in his mouth. “How can you eat all that shit?” I shook my head in disgust as he chased the gummies with a spoonful of ice cream. “Fast metabolism. If I don’t eat like this, I’ll start looking like you.” He let his eyes run over my upper body, which I’d noticed lately was getting a little scrawnier than it normally was. “I told you, the beast needs food; either you feed it or it eats away at you.” He shrugged and filled his mouth with chips so his next words were interspersed with crunching noises. “Take advantage of it while you can, eat the good shit before the beast gets old and tired and then you get a pot belly.”PurchaseNineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | KoboMeet the AuthorCL Mustafic is a born and bred American mid-westerner who mysteriously ended up living in one of those countries nobody can ever find on the map of Europe. Left with too much time on her hands—let’s be honest here: it was the lack of television channels in her native language–and too many voices in her head trying to fill the silence, she decided to give her life-long dream of writing a novel a shot. So now, between shuttling kids back and forth from various activities and risking her life on the insanely narrow, busy streets of her new hometown, she loses herself in her own made-up world where love always wins.Website | Facebook | TwitterGiveawaya Rafflecopter giveawayTitle: Tale of a Dragon Princess Author: Lizzie Colt Publisher: NineStar Press Release Date: August 20, 2018 Heat Level: 1 - No Sex Pairing: Female/Female Length: 21600 Genre: Fantasy, dragon, witch, princess, warrior, curse, lesbian, PTSD, disability, prosthetic Add to GoodreadsSynopsisThe day Princess Mellie turns sixteen, her parents reveal she was cursed as a baby and will spend the rest of her nights as a dragon. Two years later, she discovers a chance to break the curse, but it will take a quest with only her chosen bodyguard, a brave female warrior who has lost her lust for fighting but has developed an attraction for the princess.ExcerptTale of a Dragon Princess Lizzie Colt © 2018 All Rights Reserved Waking up on the day of her daughter’s sixteenth birthday should have been a joyous event, but Queen Jasmine awoke to a feeling of dread in the pit in her stomach. Almost sixteen years had passed since the ice witch, as they had dubbed her, had visited their castle that mid-winter’s night and laid a curse on their sweet Mellie. Now it was spring, and they had learned little about the witch and her magic, and they hadn’t been able to break the curse. Jasmine had been praying that when this night fell nothing would happen, that the curse would simply be a terrible lie or a nasty trick. She had even prayed nightfall wouldn’t come. “Come, my love. It’s time to get dressed and greet our princess.” Magnus’s voice called from the other side of the room. “Are we doing the right thing, acting like it’s a normal day and telling her just before dark?” Jasmine asked, slipping out of bed. “We’ve talked about this. We agreed to give her a normal life for as long as we could. For sixteen years, she’s been like other princesses she’s met, lived a similar if sheltered life. We’ve protected her but let her grow. Let’s watch her have one more perfect birthday,” Magnus said, and Jasmine nodded in agreement. She wanted to see her daughter smiling, to watch her opening gifts and being spoiled. “Go wake her. I’ll get dressed.” Jasmine smiled faintly, hoping her worry didn’t bleed through and show itself to Mellie. Her sweet young lady was very perceptive of other’s emotions, she always spoke softly when people needed to be calmed, but knew how to raise her voice when it was needed. She’d make a good queen one day because she read people well. She was also fair and kind. “Would you like my help with that?” Magnus glanced in her direction raising an eyebrow. “Your Majesty, you flatter me, but we do not have time for such distractions. Go to Mellie. I’m sure she’s nervous about the presentation.” Jasmine loved that her husband still desired her after all these years. They had finally come to terms with the fact that Mellie would be their only child, the damage from her birth too much to allow her to have a sibling. But Magnus had only to look at her, and Jasmine felt like a young princess again, and a beautiful one at that. “She is her mother’s daughter, so shy in the face of grand ceremonies. Who would know what a handful you both are?” Magnus laughed and headed for the door. “Are you complaining?” Jasmine asked, pulling the cord to ring the bell for her dresser. Some days, she dressed herself, taking time to comb her long dark hair and line her blue eyes with kohl, but today, she’d be presenting herself in a fine corseted gown to face those coming to visit the castle. The birthday celebration and acknowledgement of Mellie as the future queen of Silver Kingdom had drawn lords and ladies, dukes and duchesses from near and far. It would be a long, busy day. “Never. I wouldn’t trade my girls for anything, not the silver in the hills, not the diamond mines in the west or the gold in the east,” Magnus said, his brown eyes gleaming with pride. Jasmine laughed in delight, waving him away. He could make her laugh even on days like this, when darkness lurked closer with each passing hour. Jasmine only hoped Mellie found someone who would do the same for her.PurchaseNineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | KoboMeet the AuthorLizzie Colt is a writer in her late twenties who has always loved writing and has been doing it her whole life. Lizzie is bi and disabled and she wanted to see more of characters like her in YA books. She loves fantasy but will turn her hand to any genre and hopes to share many stories. Lizzie loves animals and hates being cold.Facebook | TwitterGiveawaya Rafflecopter giveawayIt's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets. The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ+. Today I have a snippet from The Sorcerer's Guardian for you. Loriot and Savarin were sent out on a mission by the princes and find themselves forced to take shelter at an inn one night when a bad storm rolls in...and of course there's only one room left with only one bed in it. This snippet is from the next morning. When Loriot woke, he thought it was still night, and it took him a moment to get his bearings. The bedchamber was dark, lit only by the embers of the dying fire. His sleep-fogged mind was slow to identify the sound of rain pounding at the shutters. Then he remembered—the storm, the inn. Savarin. He became aware of a weight across his chest, another over his legs, and turned his head. In the dim of the room, he could just see Savarin sleeping sprawled out on his stomach beside him in the rumpled bed, an arm thrown over Loriot’s chest, a leg over Loriot’s. Half of Savarin’s face was buried in the pillow, his fine hair mussed. The covers tangled around them, those that hadn’t slipped to the floor anyway. They’d spent most of the night awake and doing their best to consume each other, something entirely unexpected but quite pleasurable all the same. You can find more about The Sorcerer's Guardian here. Thanks for reading!
Super for You, Bad for Me Asta Idonea Dreamspinner Press 14 August 2018 60k/200 pages MM/Fantasy/Superheroes Struggling actor Oswell Outterridge thinks he’s hit the jackpot when he’s chosen to play a scene opposite his idol, Kane Teague, in a superhero movie. However, things take an unexpected turn when the slime he accidentally ingests gives him telekinetic powers. Then Kane asks him out, against all expectation, and it seems that life couldn't get any better—aside from the little matter of keeping his identity secret from his celebrity boyfriend. Oswell goes from a nobody with little social life and few prospects for the future to dating the man of his dreams and using his superhuman abilities to defend innocents. Everything is perfect, and it seems he’s finally achieved a happily ever after worthy of the silver screen. But when a supervillain arrives, determined to defeat Oswell and win Kane's affections, everything falls apart. In the ensuing conflict, Kane gets caught in the crossfire, and Oswell faces his toughest fight yet. Can he remain the hero he’s always imagined himself, or will a dark desire for vengeance change him forever? SoundCloud Excerpt YouTube Excerpt Buy Links: Dreamspinner Press Amazon US The Book Depository Barnes & Noble Kobo About Asta:Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J. Markus) was born in England but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages. Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind! As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theatre, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel, all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing. Blog / Facebook / Twitter / YouTube / Instagram / Goodreads / Amazon Title: In Vino Veritas Author: Sydney Blackburn Publisher: NineStar Press Release Date: August 13, 2018 Heat Level: 2 - Some Sex Pairing: Male/Male Length: 33200 Genre: Contemporary, contemporary, family drama, gay Add to GoodreadsSynopsisAnthony Beretta inherited the family winery at the tender age of twenty-four. It’s a struggle to keep it up, but he loves it and is determined to make it work even if it kills him. That is, if a motorcyclist doesn’t kill him first. He initially judges the man, attractive as he may be, on the basis of his appearance and apparently limited vocabulary. He soon discovers he’s wrong, but by then Oscar Kennett has already judged Anthony on his appearance. Oscar thinks Tony Beretta is uptight and snobbish, and Tony’s speech for the charity they’re working on together reinforces that, even when he finds out Tony did it just to push his buttons. His adorable curls and sexy glasses might not be enough to change his mind, but maybe there’s more to Tony than meets the eye.ExcerptIn Vino Veritas Sydney Blackburn © 2018 All Rights Reserved One: Beretta Estate Winery Anthony Beretta hovered in his office, listening to his cousin Katie extol the virtues of their Concord wine. “It’s a heritage grape,” she was saying, “the kind they make grape juice from.” Because wine that tasted like commercial grape juice was so popular. Still, there were customers to extol its dubious virtues to, and that was something. Didn’t mean he wanted to meet them, not over the Concord. “It makes a great spritzer and is the perfect base for a sangria,” she continued. “Not too sweet, but with a full fruity flavour.” He had to hand it to her. She knew how to sell it. Then again, Katie loved the winery almost as much as he did. He moved away from his office door and sat behind his desk, looking once more at the open agenda. The winery hosted events, mostly weddings, and provincial regulations had recently changed. He had an appointment with his insurance broker in Bayham in little more than an hour. Which was why he was wearing his suit, instead of the jeans, T-shirt, and heavy cotton button-down he normally wore when he worked at the tasting room. He tugged at the lavender tie that felt like it was strangling him. After checking the time on his phone once more, Anthony cleared his desk and locked the files away. No one else needed to know how shaky the winery’s finances were. He got to his feet and patted his jacket pocket for his car keys. There was a mirror beside the door, so one could double-check one’s appearance before going to talk to customers. Anthony gave himself a critical look, pushing his glasses up his nose automatically. The mirror showed him what he was—a rail-thin man just shy of six feet tall, with hair that would never look anything other than dishevelled and dark-framed glasses. At least the glasses went some way towards disguising the shadows under his eyes. He looked like an upended mop, albeit a well-dressed mop. He scowled. He’d much rather be in his jeans and work boots, out with his stubborn Foch vines. Three years ago, he’d put those bastards in, after his father had the gall to die of a heart attack. His mouth tightened. He couldn’t think of his father without a sour mix of anger, grief, and guilt. A discordant jangling let him know the customers had left, and he pushed his door open wider just as Katie rounded the corner. “Ant,” she said, “so glad I caught you. Could you pick up some of that jalapeño sauce from the Mexican store? It really shows off the Viognier. It’s a hard sell on its own.” He refrained from scowling. Ant was a childhood nickname he’d long outgrown. His name was Anthony. She was right about the Viognier, though. “Jalapeño sauce. Yes.” “I don’t suppose you’ve thought about giving me Friday off,” she said, her tone rising at the end of the sentence, but not quite enough to make it a question. He stifled a sigh. “And you’re not asking Leigh to switch with you because…?” “Because it’s her wedding shower. Jesus, Ant, pull your head out of your ass once in a while.” He ground his teeth as he bit back a sharp reply. “Fine. You have Friday off.” It wasn’t like he had anything better to do on a Friday. The tasting room closed at seven. He could catch up on the paperwork while he ate, and on Saturday, he could spend the day in the vineyard, trying to discover why the Foch vines were underproducing. “You’re a prince,” Katie replied, but her snark had hardly any bite. Happy employees were long-term employees, his father had always said. Katie really did care about the winery. She just had a social life. He shouldn’t be so hard on her. And what about my happiness? As the owner of the winery, there was no one around to see to his happiness. He didn’t even know what would make him happy anymore. “Sorry, Katie.” He forced a smile. “Do you mind picking out a gift the estate can give her?” “Yeah, give me a hundred dollars. It can be from the winery, you, Aunt Rosie, and me.” “Take it from petty cash.” “There’s no petty cash left, remember?” He turned to hide his wince. “I’ll take some money from the account while I’m out.” She hesitated. “The Wine and Song event will go on this year, right?” “That’s why I’m going to town.” “I know. It’s just… Is there anything I can do?” His answering smile was forced. “Be careful what you volunteer for, cuz. Keep your fingers crossed the insurance hasn’t gone up too much.”PurchaseNineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & NobleMeet the AuthorSydney Blackburn is a binary star system. Always a voracious reader, she began to write when she couldn’t find the stories she wanted to read. She likes candlelit dinners and long walks on the beach… Oh wait, wrong profile. She’s a snarky introvert and admits to having a past full of casual sex and dubious hookups, which she uses for her stories. She likes word play and puns and science-y things. And green curry. Her dislikes include talking on the phone, people trying to talk to her before she’s had coffee, and filling out the “about me” fields in social media. Besides writing, she also designs book covers for poor people.Website | Facebook | TwitterGiveawaya Rafflecopter giveawayIt's weekend, and time for more Rainbow Snippets. The Rainbow Snippets group on Facebook asks its members to share six sentence snippets from their work each weekend. Check out the group's Facebook page to read all the snippets and add lots of great books to your TBR. You'll find all sorts of books with the common thread that the main character identifies as LGBTQ+. Today, I'm sharing a snippet from The Artist's Masquerade. It's a little longer than it should be, but I thought it was necessary for context. This is when Flavian learns about the secret of Cathal's magical Talent. “What am I about to see?” “A demonstration of the royal family’s Talent.” Cathal’s smile was a bit smug, a touch gleeful, as if he was enjoying Flavian’s reaction or perhaps anticipating what it would truly be. “What kind of demonstration?” “I’m going to show you what I can do.” Cathal stepped back several paces and stood facing Flavian. He smiled. “You’ve read the legends. Don’t be afraid.” Cathal was enjoying the whole thing far too much, which did not alleviate Flavian’s confusion or his rising annoyance. “Why would I be afraid? And what legends? Do you mean the cat legends? What do they have to do with—?” Cathal hushed him and laughed quietly. “Just watch.” Flavian folded his arms over his chest and glared at Cathal, which only made him laugh more. Not the reaction Flavian had hoped for, but before he could say anything else, Cathal closed his eyes and a shimmering amber-gold light surrounded him, swirling, sparkling, obscuring Cathal from view. A moment later, the gold faded away. Cathal wasn’t there anymore. You can find out more about The Artist's Masquerade here. Right now, The Artist's Masquerade and my other Dreamspinner books are all 30% off. Thanks for reading!
We're all going to ignore the fact that it's August as I write this because I'm not ready to acknowledge how quickly the summer is passing. That said, here's what's going on with me: A Dance of Water and Air is with the copy editor, still on track for an October 1st release. I'm excited (and nervous, as always) to share this story with you. I gave a little glimpse of it for Rainbow Snippets this past weekend, which you can find here if you missed it. I also saw the draft cover art for the book, and it is so pretty. Natasha Snow did wonderful work again, and I'm so lucky in my cover and cover designer. I'll share it with you as soon as I have the final version. I'm continuing to write Tournai 7, which is Alexander and Marcus's story. I'm nearly at 50k words. It took me much longer than I'd hoped to get this far, but I'm pushing along with it and building up some momentum finally (fingers crossed it continues). Finally, my Dreamspinner books are 30% now for National Book Lovers Day. If you haven't read them, now it a great time to catch up. Title: A Tangled Legacy Series: Legacy, Book One Author: Mickie B. Ashling Publisher: NineStar Press Release Date: August 6, 2018 Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex Pairing: Male/Male Length: 70900 Genre: Fantasy, fantasy, intersex, magic, royalty, gay, age gap, witches and warlocks, bisexual Add to GoodreadsSynopsisPrince Colin of Sendorra would have been the spare instead of the heir if fate hadn’t intervened. Like his father and forefathers, Colin is expected to marry and father a child or his principality reverts to Spain at the time of his death. Filling the royal nursery with healthy babies seems easy enough until Princess Charlotte—his childhood friend and intended bride—breaks off their engagement. Nobel Prize winner—and powerful gray witch—Alain de Gris isn’t looking for love. Science and research have taken center stage for years until he walks into a club and lays eyes on Colin, thirteen years his junior. Bisexual by nature, Colin seeks to avoid another engagement repeat by shying away from a same-sex relationship. There are no acceptable alternatives to provide legitimate offspring if he follows his heart. But Colin can’t stay away from Alain and the witch finds him irresistible. Ignoring the absolutes isn’t easy when a legacy is in jeopardy. And while magic may offer a solution, it could also create more problems.ExcerptA Tangled Legacy Mickie B. Ashling © 2018 All Rights Reserved Chapter One Colin I slipped through a break in the eight-foot hedge that separated my granny’s rose garden from our garage. It was the same gap I used whenever I snuck out of the palace. Familiar with the prickly branches, I knew how to get through without a tear or a scratch. My bodyguards would be frantic the minute they realized I was missing, but the chance to sample nightlife as an ordinary man instead of a prince was too tempting. Saddled at birth by a title I didn’t deserve, I’d spent all my life trying to convince everyone, myself included, that I had a right to exist. It wasn’t my fault that my twin, older by five minutes and thus the legitimate heir apparent, had been stillborn. Survivor’s guilt weighed heavily on my psyche, although it was pure chance that he died and I didn’t. More than likely, the problem had lain with my method of conception. That story was glorified in the annals of our nation’s history. Male pregnancy had been risky from the word go, and no one knew this better than the man who gave me life, my father’s consort, Errol, the Duke of Maitland. He was a commoner who’d received the title after he married my other father, Prince Sebastian, who was heir apparent at the time. They’d been delighted to welcome me into the world, but it had been bittersweet after they were informed that my brother hadn’t made it. Nonetheless, I was loved and pampered from the moment I first opened my eyes. Everyone doted on me, and I had a wonderful, albeit lonely, childhood. Once in a rare while, someone heartless would point out that I was the spare who’d usurped his brother’s title, but the incidents were few and far enough apart to be ignored. Of course, no one bothered to ask me how I felt about having two dads and no mother. Not that they were bad parents—far better than most, or so I’d been told—and my granny, the Dowager Princess Alexandra, and her ladies-in-waiting provided all the feminine influence I could possibly need, but that didn’t stop me from wondering if I’d be a different person had I been created conventionally. As things stood, I was determined to cram as many life experiences as possible before assuming the throne. Hopefully, my father, the current ruler, would live well into his seventies so I could achieve my goals. Since my twin was watching me from somewhere beyond these earthly boundaries, I wanted him to take comfort knowing I was doing a fine job with the role I’d unintentionally usurped. My red Beemer purred to life, and I inched my way out of the garage, hoping no one would hear the engine. Most of the staff had already gone for the day. It was late, way past dinner, and the odds of being stopped were slim. Thankfully, my exit was uneventful. I drove slowly until I hit the open road and gassed the engine when the palace faded from view. Dancing was on my mind, and the songs blaring from my radio helped to put me in the right mood. Since I had succeeded in a clean getaway, I decided on something different tonight. There was a new club in town—one that catered to a sexually fluid crowd—and this would be the perfect opportunity to check it out. My interest in exploring my gay side wasn’t something new. I’d been attracted to both sexes growing up but had chosen my childhood friend, Princess Charlotte of Navarre, for my future bride. My fathers had been delighted, but they warned me things might change. A first crush seldom worked out, they’d cautioned, but I was determined to make it work, and thus avoid the complications that might arise from a same-sex union. Rather than risk another man’s life, or that of my unborn child, I would go the conventional route and marry a woman. Charlotte was the perfect choice, until she wasn’t. My best friend, the sweet girl who’d promised to be my forever love, no longer held my interest, nor I hers. Our recent breakup—remarkably amicable thanks to multiple shots of vodka—signaled the end of childhood dreams and aspirations. And now, I was single again, trying to figure out what to do with the rest of my life. Until I turned twenty-one. Then the invisible clock would start ticking, and pressure to marry and begin a family would escalate. At the club entrance, I scanned my surroundings. Across the mass of heaving bodies, someone caught my eye. The stranger’s dark hair was combed back, probably tied in a low tail, but I couldn’t say for sure. He was surrounded by people but ignored the crowd after our eyes locked. Even from a distance, the tingling in my groin led me to believe we’d be a good fit. My royal status precluded random pairings as the inevitable fallout would be disastrous in more ways than I could count; however, the intensity in the brunet’s gaze was pushing me to break a few of my own rules tonight. I was wearing a tight navy-blue sweater to complement my eyes, and a pair of skinny jeans. The sweater’s fabric stuck to me like a second skin, the perfect showcase for hard-earned shoulder and arm muscles. My blond hair was chin length, and I normally tucked it behind my ears. Even though I’d been told many times that it needed to be at least two inches shorter, I resisted because it was one of the few things in my regimented life I could control. As next in line to the throne, I’d been brought up with a strict code of conduct, and I did my best to adhere to tradition. But with my formative years behind me, there was less room for mistakes. Eyes were on me twenty-four seven, and slipping through the proverbial cracks was always a thrill. My energy was on high alert tonight. Although I had Prince Sebastian’s fair coloring, I was built more like my other father, Errol. My wide shoulders, narrow waist, and muscular thighs combined with my height—six two on bare feet—were imposing, especially in formal attire. My facial hair was more a heavy scruff than a beard, but it was a disguise I’d adopted after my sixteenth birthday. Some know-it-all mentioned I was too young to be in such a position of power. The beard seemed to have the desired effect, adding the necessary years and a certain flair that drew men and women in equal measure. My stranger disappeared from the dance floor, and I headed toward the rear of the club. There was a room, where one could presumably get more intimate, and I glanced around, hoping to spot him. He seemed to have vanished. Irritated that he’d eluded me, I went back to the main area and ordered a beer and a shot. Killing time until someone else caught my eye, I ordered another one-and-one after inhaling the first, and one more after that. The sudden buzz didn’t do much to improve my mood. I’d been looking forward to a few hours of mindless fun, and sex had been high on my list. I cleared my tab with cash to stay incognito and decided to make one more attempt to find the brunet. As soon as I entered the dark room, I felt the man’s presence. He was leaning against a wall, staring at me with purpose. We met halfway, and I was hypnotized by catlike eyes, an interesting mix of browns and greens. The chemistry between us was sending shock waves directly to my groin. I didn’t want to appear inexperienced, but I hadn’t been with a guy in a long time, and I was nervous. It took a boatload of willpower to keep up my cool façade. Finally, the stranger broke the silence. “Are you alone?” “Yes.” Circling my waist with strong arms, he dragged me against his body. We were the same height, and as our mouths got closer, so did our hips, but I avoided his kiss. I wasn’t ready for that yet and hoped he’d get the message. Without faltering, my hookup deftly moved to my neck and slowly licked his way up to the outer shell of my ear, whispering dirty nothings along the way. I could feel the barriers crumbling as my need took over, and the next time he tried to kiss me, I let him. His lips were surprisingly soft, but stubble against stubble was a sensation I’d never felt before. Gradually, I responded to his questing tongue and let his strong hands clutch my ass cheeks and drag me against his growing erection. The jolt of desire made him reckless. “Can we get out of here?” I asked hopefully. “You bet,” my mystery man answered. He held my hand and led me toward the exit. A few seconds before we’d made a clean getaway, I felt a heavy hand on my shoulder. David, the royal event planner, and his partner, Sam, stood in our way. “What are you doing here?” David asked, ignoring the guy beside me. I was surprised to see him and went on the defensive. “None of your damn business.” David was visibly shocked by my combative attitude but stood his ground. “You’ll be sorry in the morning.” “Take your hands off him,” the stranger snarled. “He’s with me.” “Look,” David said, trying a more amicable approach. “You don’t know who you’re dealing with, and he’s obviously had too much to drink.” “He gave me a clear message, and I’m acting on it.” “Think again.” Sam and David sandwiched me and headed toward the exit. My hookup was probably fuming, but our connection had been broken, and I couldn’t find the energy to put up a fight. David got behind the wheel of the car, and Sam sat in the back seat beside me. After a few mild protests, I slumped against Sam and drifted off…PurchaseNineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | KoboMeet the AuthorMickie 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 fulfilled in April 2009. Mickie discovered gay romance in 2002 and continues to draw inspiration from the LGBTQA community and 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 characters work damn hard for their happy endings.Website | Facebook | Twitter | BlogGiveawaya Rafflecopter giveaway |
AuthorAntonia is a writer and a reader and a copy editor/proofreader. She loves books, travel, art, photography, baking, pasta, and shoes. Archives
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