Wednesday 30 December 2015

The Sky People Trilogy by D C Juris

theskypeople1400 Author Name: DC Juris

Book Name: The Sky People Trilogy

Release Date: December 30, 2015

Pages or Words: 33,000 words

Categories: M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly, Romance, Science Fiction, M/M/M Romance, Twincest 

Publisher: Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kris Norris



Blurb: 
Driven by visions of his soul mate, Tristan, Jinsu steps through the portal to Earth, leaving all he has ever known behind..

Seven months into their fairy-tale romance, and Tristan and Jinsu couldn't be happier. But when Jinsu falls ill with a mysterious, lingering condition, everything changes. Jinsu's magic is dying and taking him with it. Suddenly the couple's desire to find a way back to Jinsu's home world is more than just a dream–it's a necessity. With Jinsu's time quickly running out, Tristan is forced to seek help from someone he'd hoped to never, ever lay eyes on again.

Tristan awakens on Torottu, but the portal wasn't meant for humans, and he's been near death since his arrival almost ten months ago. Even worse, Jinsu has no idea who Tristan is—the return trip through the portal erased his memory of Earth, of their relationship, or Tristan himself. Winning Jinsu's heart again won't be easy, especially if Kelan, Jinsu's twin, has anything to say about it. Kelan loves Jinsu, too, and he won't be put aside for Tristan. Not again. Tristan knows his only chance for happiness—and the only chance for Jinsu and Kelan—is to follow his heart.

Previously published by Breathless Press.

Friday 25 December 2015

Silver's First Christmas


Christmas is a special time for everyone. It's also stressful and confusing, especially for someone like Silver who is still trying to get used to the world as a free man, after seven years as a slave.

Silver's story is told in Enigma and Enigma II - Fighting the Man

Here is a story about Silver's first Christmas as a free man.

I don’t understand Christmas. River has tried to explain many times but gets frustrated because, really, he doesn’t understand it himself.
The Nativity is very confusing. There are pictures and little models everywhere of a baby, with animals and angels and sheep. River has tried to explain what it means and it’s a pretty story but he seems to think it’s real. Lots of people do.
I find religion as a whole confusing. There are too many questions with no answers. When I get to a hard one people say things like ‘It’s in the Bible’, or ‘You just have to have faith’. I’ve read the Bible but it’s a horrible book. They kill babies and destroy whole civilisations because God tells them to. God seems to be cruel and harsh and the whole situation reminds me a lot of when I was a slave. You obey your Master in all things, no matter what you might think of them, and if you don’t you’re horribly punished. To me, faith is fear - you have to do it even if you don’t want to because if you don’t something bad will happen.
To me, all religions are the same. You have to just accept that things are true when they can’t be true. It’s the ‘have to’ that scares me. I have a lot of trouble with ‘have to’. There’s still such a strong compulsion to obey unquestioningly that I have to remind myself I have a choice. And that’s another thing that scares me; having to make that choice.
River and I talked about this one day, when I was reading about religion a lot. I got really upset because I was torn in different directions.  I knew in my heart it was wrong but the compulsion was so strong I couldn’t let it go. I read all the ‘Holy Books’ and went to different churches, trying to find a way I could comply with all the commands but not compromise my heart. It was a horrible time and I’m still not easy with the whole thing, which is why Christmas scares me so much.
I’m trying very hard to listen to my inner voice, as River taught me, but it’s not easy, especially when the world is full of commands I have to struggle with every day. ‘What do you want’ is a really hard one and I get asked that a lot, every day. Even River asks me and I try my best to listen to my inner voice but half the time I just say what I think he wants because it hurts me to make decisions like that.
Then there is the whole thing about Father Christmas. I see him everywhere; a big fat man with a beard dressed in red. He’s supposed to come down the chimney on Christmas Eve and leave presents underneath a tree that grows inside. I can’t see how a man that big can come down a chimney, or how he could give presents to everyone in one night. At first, River told me it was ‘magic’ and that worried me a lot because I was being told to ‘believe’ again and I was torn between the compulsion and the inability to comply.
When I told River I was having a hard time, he admitted none of it was true; it was just a story, but not like the Nativity, because the Nativity was true. People tell their children the story about Father Christmas is true even though they know it isn’t. I tried to tell River it’s wrong to lie to children but he said it was an okay lie and warned me that if I told anyone’s children Father Christmas doesn’t exist I’d get into trouble. Thank goodness Ben is old enough to not believe the stories anymore.
The lights are pretty though. Lots of people have them in their windows and on the outside of their houses. Some of the houses in the streets with front gardens have lit up reindeer, or moving Father Christmases, and there’s lots of snow everywhere.
I love snow. It makes me feel shivery inside, but not in a cold way. I was so excited the first time I saw snow. I danced in the garden and felt so light, as if the snow swirled me up and made everything new. Of course, it doesn’t because when the snow melts everything underneath is still the same, only muddier, but for a while everything is sparkling and still and silent. I like that; I like it a lot.
In the art shop where I work they have all kinds of ‘seasonal displays’ which means everything has a Christmassy theme, with lots of reds and greens and snow. We stock craft kits and Rusty, the manager, ordered in lots of Christmas related things. I made River get some and we did them with Ben. It was a lot of fun.
We each have our own decoration hanging on the Christmas Tree. Ben’s is all black with silver squiggles on in. River’s is red and green with real holly stuck on it and mine is frosty silver with snowflakes painted on. Did you know that no two snowflakes are the same? So many of them fall and they all look the same, just soft white feathers falling from the sky, but they’re not the same, not at all.
I made another tree decoration as a surprise. I worked on it at the shop. It has miniatures of Ben and River on it; Ben on one side and River on the other. It’s beautiful. It was a surprise. They were very excited.
We also made a snow scene for the window. I don’t know why people do that, and neither does River, not really, but they’re so pretty we did it anyway. I brought some kits home from the shop to do the tiny houses, and some fake snow that came in a glass tube and got bigger and bigger when we put water on it. Ben painted glitter on the roofs and some of the snow to make it look like the way snow glitters. River and I made tiny trees and roads and a river and… well, to be honest, I did it. River was supposed to be helping but he just sat and looked at me most of the time. I like it when River does that; looks at me with that expression on his face. It makes me feel warm inside.
All in all, Christmas is quite a stressful time. River has been running round like a crazy man, and getting cross all the time. I hope it will get better when Christmas is over.
My favourite parts were getting the tree, it makes the house smell so lovely, and, of course, the presents. I don’t have much money but I had so much fun shopping. Ariel came with me and I laughed the whole time. Ariel’s like that; he makes me laugh no matter what and I can’t be scared when he’s around. It’s not that I’m scared of being out in the world anymore…well… Actually, I am still scared but I can control it now. I’ve told River I’m not and that’s the closest I get to lying to him. If I told him the truth he’d worry and he’d get all protective. My independence is too important to jeopardise by confessing how hard it is to maintain.
Today, is Christmas Eve. The whole house is glittering with lights and decorations, the presents are all wrapped and under the tree and there’s a saucepan of mulled wine keeping warm on the stove for when Ben goes to bed. He’s pushing things with River. It’s already an hour past his bedtime and River’s getting impatient for ‘our’ time. They’re squabbling. I’ll go over in a minute and sort it out. Ben always listens to me. I don’t know why, but he never argues with me like he does with River. I guess it’s because they’re brothers and I’m not.
It’s snowing. The white flakes are so soft and silent. I like to follow them down from the sky to the ground. They’re not like rain. Rain is fast and makes a lot of noise, at least when it’s this heavy it does. Snow doesn’t make any noise at all at it seems to suck all the sound out of the rest of the world. It makes everything soft, white and silent. Oh boy do I love snow.
“Watcha looking at?”
I can’t believe I got so caught up with the snow I didn’t even notice Ben going to bed. “Snow.”
“I thought so. That’s what I told Ben.”
“Ben?”
“He wanted to say goodnight, but you looked so beautiful with that misty expressions on your face, we decided we’d let you stay there for a while.”
“You should have called me, River. You know Ben likes to say goodnight to me. I wouldn’t have minded.”
“You were far away, darling.”
“Not that far.”
“Far enough to not notice that I’ve been sitting there for almost ten minutes since Ben went to bed, watching you.”
“Really?”
“Do you have any idea how beautiful you are when you’re dreamy like that?”
“I don’t, but you keep telling me, and I trust you so I guess I have to believe you.”
I turn in River’s arms and look down at him. He hates that he’s shorter than I am. I like it. It means he can tuck himself into my chest and I can put my arms around him and feel protective. River protects me so much, sometimes it’s nice to feel I’m protecting him.
River’s eyes are shining and he raises his head to kiss me. River’s kisses are so sweet. They’re not slick and accomplished like many I’ve had, but they’re full of love and very, very sweet.
“I’ve got something for you,” River says in a husky voice. “A very special Christmas Present.”
“You have? Where is it? Can I have it now?”
“Yes, you can have it now. I want to give it to you when it’s quiet, just the two of us. Tomorrow is all about Ben but tonight, tonight is just about us.”
“I have something special for you, too. I was going to give it to you with all the others tomorrow but I’ll give it to you tonight. It won’t be fair if I have one and you don’t.”
“Okay, I’ll get mine and you get yours. Meet me in front of the fire with glasses of mulled wine in five minutes.”
A thrill of excitement shoots through me. I love surprises and this one sounds so lovely.
My present to River is under the tree and it only takes seconds to grab it. I put it carefully on the floor at the side of the sofa and hurry to the kitchen to pour some mulled wine. It smells delicious. On a whim, I put it into some nice crystal glasses. I hope it’s not too hot. I didn’t realise quite how hot it was. How hot does something have to be to break crystal glasses?
I carry them very, very carefully to the living room and put them on the low table, then curl up on the sheepskin in front of the fire with my back against the sofa.
I look up and smile when River appears. I’m so excited. I wonder what his gift is. I hope he likes mine.
River sits next to me and cuddles up. For a moment the presents are forgotten and I’m lost in my beautiful River. He keeps telling me how beautiful I am but he’s the one who’s beautiful, really beautiful. In this flickering firelight his hair shines with an almost metallic sheen, a kind of dark red, with flashes of gold. I have to touch it. It’s getting long and curling at the ends. I think it’s growing because he can’t be bothered to have it cut but I hope he keeps it this way. I wind one of the curls around my finger and tilt it so the hair catches the light from the fire. It looks like I’m holding a flame in my hand.
“Earth to Silver.”
“What?” I glance up at him, feeling warm and cosy and kind of mushy inside.
“You were far away again.”
“I was just thinking how beautiful your hair is. It looks like fire.”
“Nah.” He takes his hair back and examines the end of it. It’s just long enough to bring round into his line of vision.
“Hold it up to the fire, like this.” I tilt his hand until the hair catches fire and he laughs.
“I guess you’re right.” Catching me around the waist with both arms he draws me close and kisses me in that way he has, the one that makes me feel special and breathless.  “Only you, my love. Only you could make it a good thing that my hair catches fire.” He kisses me again, gently. “I shouldn’t be surprised. You’ve already lit a fire in my heart.”
“Oh, that’s a beautiful thing to say.”
“I’ve had a great teacher for making beautiful things.”
That makes me blush. I know he means me.
“Speaking of beautiful things,” River says. “I have one for you. At least I hope you’ll think it’s beautiful.
Handing me a large, flat package, River gazes at me hopefully. I’m going to tell him this present is the most beautiful thing in the world no matter whether it is or isn’t.
The wrapping paper is so lovely, silver with snowflakes all over it, I can hardly bear to remove it. The snowflakes are raised up and if I close my eyes when I run my fingers over them I can imagine they’re real; except they aren’t cold, of course.
“Silver?”
“Huh?”
“You’re getting lost again.”
“But it’s beautiful. If you close your eyes the snowflakes feel real – except for the cold.”
“The paper isn’t the present. You have to take it off to see the present.”
“I know.”
Very carefully, I slip off the silver ribbon and loosen the tape.
“For goodness sake, Silver, just rip it off.”
“I can’t rip it, it’s too pretty to tear. Under the paper is a white box. I fold up the paper and lay it to one side then stare at the box.” It’s perfect. Smooth and white with crisp edges and a raised part in the middle that looks like a curled up dragon. I run my fingers over it and––”
“Silver, if you don’t get on with it I’m going to open the present myself.”
“Oh. Sorry.”
Inside the box is some tissue paper and when I push it aside I can’t believe my eyes. It’s amazing. The smell of leather tickles my nose and the touch of it under my fingers is silky soft. In the middle of the book is a raised place. It’s a dragon, curled around two silver letters, an S and an R.
“It stands for Silver and River,” he says unnecessarily. I raise my head, feeling stunned and fuzzy. I forget to say thank you. It’s just too much. No one has ever given me anything so beautiful before. I have very few possessions and this is worth more than all of them together. “Take it out.”
“Can I?”
“Of course you can. It’s yours. You can do whatever you like with it.”
Running my fingers over the dragon again, I carefully lift the book out of the box. It’s quite heavy.
“Open it.”
“Oh, I can’t do that. It’s too beautiful to open.”
“Silly. What good is a book you never open?”
I think about it and realise he’s right. The book is filled with thick, creamy paper. I can tell it’s the highest quality. I could use this for all kinds of things – sketching, water colour, acrylic maybe. Inktense would look lovely in here. No, the book’s just too nice to spoil.
“I thought you could use it for special paintings, maybe make a collection just for us – you know, grown up ones JUST for us.”
I don’t understand what he’s saying – until I see the expression on his face. “Oh.” My imagination starts racing. I’ve done a few sketches of River naked. He has such a beautiful body and it gives me a lot of pleasure to render it on paper, although I’m not good enough to really do him justice. The thought of making a whole book full of pictures of River’s naked body in different positions and mediums makes me shiver and my body tingle.
I can’t help giving him a dirty look, it’s the way I’m wired. He certainly doesn’t complain. “You’re going to have to learn to lie still in all kinds of weird positions.”
“I can manage that.”
“Hmm… We need to practice. Maybe we could try right now.”
“Can I open my present first? I have a feeling if we start ‘practicing’ I’ll forget all about it.”
“Oh, yes, I forgot. Go on then.”
I’m excited all over again, nervous too. What if he doesn’t like it?
River doesn’t unwrap his package carefully. He rips off the ribbon and the paper, throwing it into an untidy pile at the side of the sofa. I didn’t put the present in a box so as soon as he takes off the paper he has it in his hand.
River stares at it for so long I get really nervous. What if he doesn’t like it and he’s trying to think of a way to tell me that won’t hurt my feelings?
It’s very simple. I made it at the shop. I’ve been experimenting with porcelain sugar sculptures. It’s a particular kind of sculpting where the porcelain is hand rolled and pulled until it’s very, very thin, like spun sugar. This one is a picture frame formed by two trees. The trunks are the two sides. The spun branches spread out, meeting in the middle to form the upper edge and the roots forming the bottom.
On one side a squirrel is climbing the tree, on the other an owl sits in the branches. There are birds on the branches and flowers around the base of the trunks. All the extra details have been hand painted with a tiny brush. Inside the frame is a photograph of me, River and Ben. It was taken in Sam’s garden, with the oak tree behind us. None of us noticed at the time that there was a squirrel in the branches. It looks as if it’s about to jump on Ben’s head. It was the photograph that gave me the idea for the frame.
“It’s amazing,” he says at last, sounding breathless. “How did you do it? Where did you fire it?”
“Rusty has a friend. He let me experiment. He wouldn’t normally, but Rusty told him I was trustworthy. I tried a few things that weren’t right, but none of them exploded.” I’m really proud of that. Many novices use the wrong clay and if there are too many impurities they can explode. In the worst cases it can damage the kiln. Most professionals wouldn’t dream of letting a novice use their kiln. I don’t know what Rusty said to him to make him trust me but he was very nice, even about the ones that didn’t work out. He has a shop and wants me to make more for him. I don’t know if I will. It was fun to do; something new and special for River, but I’m not sure I want to do it again.
River hands me the frame and for a moment I think he’s giving it back. A pang of pain shoots through me before he gets to his feet and holds out his hands for it. Taking it as if it’s the most precious thing in the world, River places the frame on the mantle, moving candles and photographs to make room.
“That’s better. I was scared I’d break it but it looks perfect there.”
“Thank you,” I whisper, getting to my feet. “Do you know what else looks perfect?”
“No, what?” From the smile on his face, I know he knows what I’m about to say.
“You,” I breathe and this time when we kiss it such a different kind of kiss.
Hours later, we’re lying in bed, tired, sated and content. I’m wound around River in the way I like best and he’s stroking my hair. I love it when he strokes my hair. It’s one of my favourite things.
“So,” he says, sounding sleepy, “what do you think of Christmas so far?”
“I think it’s very stressful,” I say, thinking about it, “There’s so much to do and everyone seems to be doing it at the same time. There are too many people around and too much glitter everywhere. Shopping makes my head hurt, and if Ariel hadn’t been there, I don’t think I could have done it. I’m glad we’re going to Sam’s for dinner tomorrow because it seems to me that’s the most stressful thing of all. There are so many television programs about it, and different ways of doing it, and… well all kinds of things. Hannah’s a really good cook and I’m looking forward to it.”
“It was nice of them to invite your parents, too.”
“Yes. I can’t wait to see them again. It’s been ages.”
“I’m sorry we didn’t get to go up in the summer.”
“You can’t help it if your car was broken. Besides…. I wasn’t…. I couldn’t have….” I sigh. Even now I have times when something scares me and I can’t go out again for ages. That place inside my head where I go to be safe is still there. Fortunately I know my way back out again now, and River knows how to help me, but it takes time.
“Don’t worry. You can’t help being ill and you’re getting better every day.”
“I know.”
Is it an illness? Really? Fear? That’s what it is; fear. Fear of everything. Fear of being free. Is that an illness? I don’t know.
“I like the sparkle,” I need to change the subject. Thinking about that is making me sad. “All the glitter and lights. Some places are really beautiful, like the shops. Rusty let me help decorate the shop. I’m glad about that because if it had been up to him there would have been nothing but glitter and holly.”
“That might have been nice.”
“Not as nice as the forest I made. We used some of our kits so people can see how nice they look when they’re made up.”
“No one who buys one of your kits will be able to make it look as nice as you do.”
“But it doesn’t matter. As long as they make it look as nice as they can it’s worth it. It brings beauty into the world, so it’s beautiful.”
“What’s your favourite part?”
I have to think about that. I have so many favourite parts. Going shopping with Ariel. Choosing presents. Making River’s surprise. All the pretty things. But none of that is my favourite.
“My favourite part is that everyone’s nice to each other. People smile at me, even when they don’t know me, and say ‘Merry Christmas’. It makes me feel happy inside whenever someone does that. Usually, people don’t talk to me at all, so that’s special.”
“Yes, yes that is special. Just like you.”
“I’m not special. I’m just…”
“Unique, that’s what you are. My very own, unique, enigma.”
I feel really sleepy but find enough energy to kiss River’s shoulder.
“Merry Christmas,” I whisper and hear him echo it as I slide into sleep.
Merry Christmas.

You can find short flashes with more details about aspects of the story at

Wednesday 23 December 2015

Wednesday Briefs - Silver's First Christmas - Mistletoe


This is the last of my short flashes about Silver's First Christmas. The rest can be found here


For those of you who haven't read the Enigma series. Silver is a former sex slave who, after having been beaten almost to death for loving another slave, ended up lost inside his head in a care home where River worked. With River's help he is slowly learning to live in the world outside his head, but isn't finding it easy because seven years ago everything that was essentially him (except for that little bit he managed to keep safe and inviolate) was wiped out to be replaced by someone who knows nothing but how to serve and to bring pleasure to men. 

Despite his past, Silver is the sweetest and most beautiful person I have ever written. To see the world through his eyes is refreshing and invigorating for me.

In the next few flashes, we join River, Silver and River's twelve year old brother, Ben for Silver's very first Christmas. On Christmas Eve I will post a short story I wrote for a Special Edition of books I and II which was available for only a very short period of time, which gives us a slightly more in depth look at what Silver really things about Christmas

The tree is very pretty, much prettier than the one in the shop, and we have other decorations, too. Red and white stockings hang on the fireplace, big garlands of tree branches hang on the shelves, and there are table cloths, coasters and all kind of bits and pieces in red, green and gold, and mostly covered with tiny lights.
Not everything is decorated, though. River has left the windowsill for me. I think I might have bought too much of the little houses and trees that the art shop where I work, have set up in their window. I forgot it was so much bigger than ours. Besides, I got excited and couldn’t choose.
Ben is supposed to be helping, but he isn’t really. In fact he is getting in the way. He’s already broken two of the houses. River gets cross with him, but I don’t mind. I like to see him so excited. This is his first Christmas since his parents died, and River was worried he would be sad. River is hiding how sad he is, but I catch him sometimes, dreaming with his eyes open. I know he’s thinking of them. I don’t know my parents very well, but I would be very sad if they died.
When the houses are finally built, Ben helps me arrange them, with the tiny trees and sparkly cotton stuff that looks like snow. Ben has the idea of putting some of the tiny lights in the trees and around the houses. It looks very pretty.
River puts his arms around my waist and rests his head on my shoulder. “You look happy.”
“I am.” I really mean that. “I’m happier than I can ever remember.” That’s not entirely true, but I wouldn’t tell River I was happy when I was a slave, too. I know it was a bad thing to happen to me, and all the people who did it to me are bad, too, but…. Life was simpler then. For the last four years, my Masters treated me well. I was quite famous. I rode in limousines, wore beautiful clothes, and had the best cosmetics. Alright, I wasn’t free. I was still a slave, but I felt pride in what I did, and when my Master was pleased with me, I was happy.
River would never understand. He thinks everything that happened to me was bad, and I can’t blame him, considering how it ended. My Master was good to me – until he discovered I had fallen in love with another slave and ordered us both beaten to death. With David, they succeeded. With me, they almost did but, of course, ultimately they failed.
I am not going to think of that now. Although I have been free for well over a year, it’s my very first Christmas. I wasn’t really aware of Christmas when I was a slave, and last year I was in a coma…or in the dark place inside my head where I lived for a long time afterwards. Maybe I would still be there if River hadn’t found me and rescued me.
I’ve heard a lot about Christmas miracles, although I’m not sure why they’re different to any other miracles. It took a lot of miracles to get me where I am now, and I haven’t even had a Christmas yet.
“Now, where did that frown come from?”
“It’s not a frown; it’s just my thinking face.”
“Oh really? So what are you thinking about?”
“Just that this is my first Christmas. I know it isn’t; not really, but it’s the first I remember.” I turn in River’s arms and gaze into his beautiful face. It looks sad now, and I know why. He’s thinking about the same things I was, but in a much worse way. “There is no one I would rather spend my first Christmas with. You make my whole life light up, like the little lights on the tree, and everything is sparkly, and pretty, and bright. Just like the way you make me feel.”
“Sparkly and pretty and bright?”
“Yes.” I lean in to kiss him, but he pulls away and draws me across the room.
“Kiss me over here.”
“Why? Why does it matter where I kiss you?”
River looks up, and there’s a little bundle of green twigs hanging over our heads, with pretty bow–shaped leaves, and little round berries. I’ve noticed it before, and I thought it was a different kind of holly. Holly is much prettier, because the leaves are shiny, and the berried a pretty red colour.
“This is mistletoe,” River says. “It’s traditional for everyone to kiss under the mistletoe. It’s just for kissing.”
“Everyone?”
“Absolutely everyone.”
“Even Ben?”
“No, not Ben; not for a few years, I hope. Just for grown–ups.”
“Oh. Well, it sounds like it’s quite important. This kissing thing.”
“It’s a tradition. Do you remember what I told you about traditions?”
“Yes, something that’s passed on, from one generation to another, over and over, right?”
“That’s right. And traditions have to be honoured.”
“I suppose, although I really don’t need traditions to kiss you. Maybe we can start a new tradition of kissing under the mistletoe, and under the tree, and in the kitchen and…well all over the house, and in as many places as you don’t get embarrassed in, outside the house.”
“That sounds like a good tradition to me.” River’s eyes are very bright. He has the prettiest eyes, and they shine brighter than the Christmas lights. I glance up at the mistletoe and wonder how many times, over the years, people have used it as an excuse to kiss someone they really want to kiss. We don’t need the mistletoe, but it’s nice to think about all those other kisses, as our lips meet and the mistletoe, the lights and everything else fades into one absolute certainty – I love River, and he loves me. That’s enough of a Christmas miracle for me.

Okay, you know the drill. Go check out the rest of our wonderful flashers, and don't forget a short story that tells you more about Silver and his first Christmas will be posted on Thursday


Tuesday 22 December 2015

Safe Limits by Morticia Knight

safelimits_800 Author Name: Morticia Knight
  Book Name: Safe Limits
Series: Kiss of Leather Book: Two Series should be read in order Release Date: December 22, 2015
Pages or Words: 51,265 words, 164 pages
Categories: BDSM, Contemporary, Erotica, Gay
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Cover Artist: Posh Gosh
 






Blurb: 

The men from Kiss of Leather gather together to rescue a terrified young sub. But it’s Master Derek who wants to keep him for good.

  Master Gavin and his boy, Kyle are celebrating their newly established bond when Master Josh calls requesting their help. Josh’s sub, David, needs the men to help his best friend from childhood while they’re away at a BDSM convention in San Francisco. 

Corey ran away from his Master after a horrible scene, but he blames himself for everything that happened. No Master would ever want him if they were to find out what he did. Corey’s not sure if he’ll ever feel safe enough to give himself to a Master again anyway, even if all he’s ever wanted was to belong to somebody.

  Master Derek agrees to watch over Corey until Josh and David return from the convention. All he needs is another pretty twink messing with his head and his heart, so the older, growly bear of a man determines to keep his distance. But when Corey wakes up screaming after a devastating nightmare, Derek is more drawn than ever to the young sub - the need to keep Corey safe from whatever or whoever has hurt him becoming his main priority.

Kyle and Corey develop a friendship when Corey assists Kyle in the dungeon furniture workshop. Kyle has his own fears – the ones that make him feel he’s broken because of the things he desires to do with Gavin. 

Through helping Kyle, and receiving his own help through Derek, Corey decides he’s ready to let go of the demons from his past and move forward into a new life. Now if Corey can only get Derek to believe that he’s ready – and to finally do something about it. 

Monday 21 December 2015

COVER REVEAL Unquiet by Hansen

Unquiet Author Name: Melanie Hansen

Book Name: Unquiet

Series: Resilient Love Book: Three

Unquiet can be read as a standalone

Release Date: January 22, 2016

Pages or Words: 102,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

  Blurb: 

Loren Smith has been in love with Eliot Devlin almost his entire life. During their turbulent childhood and teen years, Loren didn’t always understand Eliot, and sometimes he could be a challenge, but Eliot was the only one to ever truly ease Loren’s deep loneliness and accept him. When Eliot’s increasingly erratic and self-destructive behavior culminates in a suicide attempt at seventeen, Loren is devastated.

 Upon meeting again by chance nine years later, Loren is enjoying a successful career as a police officer while Eliot’s life has been a constant struggle for stability. In and out of mental hospitals, with a rap sheet a mile long, he continues to be buffeted by the twin storms of mania and depression. 

Loren’s love and protectiveness for Eliot are deeply ingrained in him, however, and their feelings for each other are quickly rekindled.

 Loren has issues of his own he’s dealing with, and trying to understand and cope with Eliot’s bipolar disorder isn’t easy. They believe they’re meant to be, and Eliot brings a fulfillment to Loren’s life that no one else will ever match. But as they both come to realize, love by itself can’t cure all.  

Nicolas by Dianne Hartsock


Blurb
Betrayed by a lover, Jamie rents an isolated cabin on Lake Huron, wanting only to be left alone. Instead, he is pulled from his solitary existence as an artist and tumbles headlong into the legend of Saint Nicolas.
As a young man, Nicolas accidentally killed a man intent on murdering three children, only to have the man’s malicious spirit rise up against him. Fleeing through the centuries from the Krampus, the evil troll-like creature that dogs his steps, Nico finds refuge with the young artist who takes him into his home and bed. But Jamie has questions. Who is Nicolas, and why does the Krampus want to destroy him?

When the Krampus begins to torment and torture anyone Nico comes in contact with to punish him, Jamie’s life is put in danger. And Jamie isn’t sure whether he can help Nico defeat his nemesis or if he’s merely a pawn in the Krampus’s game.



Excerpt
Agonizing minutes crawled into an hour, Jamie starting a dangerous sweat under his layers of clothing from the added exertion of half carrying his suffering guest. But then Nico slumped to his knees, head bowed while a barking cough shook his body. Jamie knelt in the snow, lifting his goggles to look deep into Nico’s feverish eyes. The hazel gaze showed no recognition, only pain, and then the heavy lids closed, and Nico collapsed.

God, what was he to do? Sleet mixed with snow pattered against his back and fear jolted through him. He could never carry him. His gaze went to the surrounding trees. Maybe he could find two broken branches and drag Nico to the cabin. Pulling his pack from his shoulders, he dug in a side pocket for his knife, then lifted his head. What…? He blinked at a faint sound on the wind, the improbable tinkle of silver bells.

He waited as the chimes grew closer, and then a snowmobile emerged from the trees and swept toward them. Jamie shook his head, wondering why he hadn’t heard the roar of the engine before, then forgot the question as the vehicle came to a stop beside them. The driver lifted his goggles, and Jamie’s mouth fell open at the glitter of amazing green eyes.

“You!” He instinctively drew back, shielding Nico with his body. The stranger’s low chuckle made his stomach churn.

“You remember!” He sounded pleased as he dismounted and walked up to them. Jamie rose to his feet and the man crowded close, his warm breath brushing his cheeks. He licked his lips as his gaze seemed to strip Jamie naked. His voice dripped honey tinged with desire when he spoke. “I, for one, can’t stop thinking about you.” He peered behind Jamie. “What have you done with our lovely Nico?”

Jamie fought off the irrational fear whispering in his mind. This was the man he’d dreamed of the other morning. But how could he be here? Was he real? Jamie had never seen him before. He wouldn’t have forgotten those striking eyes and face.

Dread slithered along his nerves. Had the man been in his room after all? How had he gotten in? Jamie’s heart lurched. Had he somehow been drugged?

The man watched him, amused, and leaned forward, pressing his mouth to Jamie’s through his scarf. “Shall I show you just how real I am, baby?”

The sensual tones wound through Jamie, draining his strength and leaving him panting with want. Damn, the man was dangerous. Could he be using hypnosis? Jamie felt bewitched. But he also sensed the falseness behind his smile and clung to that despite his traitorous body’s reaction.

“Can you help me get Nico to the doctor’s? The cabin’s nearby but I don’t think he has the strength to walk any farther,” he asked, not trusting the man, but he had few options at the moment.

Brilliant green eyes looked into his and his scarf was tugged from his face. “I can, but you will owe me something in return.” The man gripped his chin and kissed him, a hard thrust of tongue and a nip on his lips. He pulled away and smiled at Jamie’s obvious confusion. “I’m Piter Rupert, by the way, an old friend of Nico’s.”

Jamie blinked at him, unwilling to make him any promises, even at the risk of Nico’s health. There was something about the man he found frightening.

Buy links:


Review
I’m not the sort to start off with a summary of the book. If you want that, read the blurb. I’m much more interested in getting right in to what I liked and didn’t like about this book.

I have to start by saying this is not my favourite of Dianne’s books. That’s not to imply it isn’t good, just that I personally prefer others. I was introduced to Dianne’s work through ‘Alex’ and ‘The Shed’, and I suspect they will always be my favourites. If you haven’t read them, drop everything and do so now. For me, they were perfect, with spine–chilling horror, deep love of many kinds and a plethora of complex characters (and of course the torture – wow).

Nicolas was an altogether gentler book. Although there were moments of suspense, horror, and a pretty nasty character, it never had the emotional brutality of the other books. They were like being punched, this is more like being tickled mercilessly. Not that I don’t like being tickled, or that I don’t like this book, because I do.

Jamie falls in love extremely quickly, as did Nico, although he fought it long and hard, and some of you might be put off by this. Some people believe insta love is impossible and get impatient with it. I, on the other hand, think insta love is perfectly possible, and perfectly understandable in the context of this story. Go with it.

Jamie was in a constant state of confusion throughout most of this book, and I don’t blame him. Although we had a pretty good idea of where was going to go from the start, we really didn’t – if that makes sense. There’s so much more to this book than the re–telling of a myth translated to modern 
times.

True, the story was a little slow in places, and there were times when I thought it was building to a crescendo, but it didn’t. However, I was kept on the edge of my seat and Dianne did what she does so well – she throws in horrifying images to stir the pot and explanations come much later.

My favourite part of the book without doubt was the end, and no, that doesn’t mean I was glad to finish it. When the crescendo did build to a climax, it was an explosive one, and left no loose ends. I found myself with some sympathy for the bad guy, but still more than happy when he got what he deserved.


All in all this was a very satisfying read. There are moments of horror, moments of sweetness and, although it’s not quite an edge–of–the seat read, it pulls you along nicely.

Meet the Author

Dianne grew up in one of the older homes in the middle of Los Angeles, a place of hardwood floors and secret closets and back staircases. A house where ghosts lurk in the basement and the faces in the paintings watch you walk up the front stairs. Rooms where you keep the closet doors closed tight at night. It’s where her love of the mysterious and wonderful came from.
Dianne now lives in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon with her incredibly patient husband, who puts up with the endless hours she spends hunched over the keyboard letting her characters play. She says Oregon’s raindrops are the perfect setting in which to write. There’s something about being cooped up in the house with a fire crackling on the hearth and a cup of hot coffee warming her hands, which kindles her imagination.
Currently, Dianne works as a floral designer in a locally-owned gift shop. Which is the perfect job for her. When not writing, she can express herself through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage.


Saturday 19 December 2015

Men in Uniform Anthology from Wayward Ink Publishing

Mini Blog Tour – Men in Uniform, A Wayward Ink Publishing Anthology 



MIU_Alt_Banner]

Title: Men in Uniform
Authors: Eric Gober, CJ Baty, Alina Popescu, Kassandra Lea, Asta Idonea, Eddy LeFey, Lily Velden, Jim Dunaway, Carol Pedroso, Jo Tannah
Genre:  Gay Romance, Military, Contemporary, Fantasy, Mystery, Science Fiction
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publshing

Synopsis

Like your boys in blue keeping the… peace?
Hot firemen dealing with… heat?
Naval Officers getting in way too… deep?
Perhaps you have a ‘thing’ for marines…
Or do you prefer your Men In Uniform to belong in the future?
Another galaxy?
Another time?
Wherever your love of a uniform leads you, MEN IN UNIFORM has something for you.

Men In Uniform Cover

Buy Links

Don’t miss WIP’s Christmas Sale – 30% off all titles till December 24th!
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/men-in-uniform-a-wayward-ink-publishing-anthology/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-meninuniformawaywardinkpublishinganthology-1939285-166.html
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Men-Uniform-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B018VB6HJW/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Men-Uniform-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B018VB6HJW/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Men-Uniform-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B018VB6HJW/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Men-Uniform-Wayward-Publishing-Anthology-ebook/dp/B018VB6HJW/

Stories Included

IssueNo.1
Issue No. 1
ERIC GOBER
Come to a land…
Where epic battles rage…
Among monsters, superheroes, and a very sexy cop.
Love and war are funny business in Hollywood, U.S.A.
PinkertonManThe Pinkerton Man
CJ BATY
A blackmailer forced Stiles to leave his perfect life behind.
Along the way, he found a new friend, a job as a Pinkerton Agent, and murder.
Can Stiles find the murderer before he kills again?
ProtectTheExMission: Protect the Ex
ALINA POPESCU
Sean never thought his military career would ever have him babysitting his ex who Sean hasn’t seen in six months.
When best friend Tom finds out his younger brother Aiden is targeted, Sean drops everything to protect the man he still loves.
Can two former lovers survive a weekend alone in the woods, or will the threat from within be more devastating than the one from outside?
SparkInTheShadowsA Spark in the Shadows
KASSANDRA LEA
Love beckons Officer Warden Brooks to the shadows of a desolate place.
But his lover Tate Eldridge is so much more than a criminal, he’s a beautiful mystery.

HHHHHis Heart Held Hostage
ASTA IDONEA
When his father loses the battle against Hrafnaheim, Prince Darius finds himself a political prisoner.
Taken in chains to a dark and unfamiliar land, he begins to lose hope.
But then Captain Morten Gunnarsson of the Palace Guards is assigned to watch over him.
Now it is not just Darius’ body being held hostage, but also his heart.


EXCERPT

“Another hour and we will reach the castle, Prince Darius,” the general said, his sneer morphing into a self-satisfied smile.
Darius hadn’t failed to notice the tone the general used when he spoke the word ‘prince’, as if he would deny Darius his title if he could, but Darius chose not to react. The general’s comment had been a statement, not a question, and it was no breach of etiquette not to respond.
The manacles weighed Darius’ arms down, the iron chafing his wrists. But pride kept him from complaining. That he was chained at all was a disgrace, an insult of the highest degree. He wasn’t supposed to be a prisoner of war but a political hostage, surety that his father would launch no future attack against the kingdom of Hrafnaheim. With the battle lost, Darius’ father, King Javor of Slunícková, had reluctantly relinquished his only son and heir in order to keep his kingdom, and Darius couldn’t blame him for that. Even so, Darius was sure his father had expected his son to be treated with greater care and respect than was currently being shown.

Either Darius’ mind had been more occupied than he’d realized or else he’d drifted off to sleep, because the next thing he knew the carriage was shuddering to a halt, and General Eiríksson grabbed hold of his arm and jerked him from his seat.

EmperorsSlaveThe Emperor’s Slave
EDDY LEFEY
When the Draaduuri arrived on Earth many humans died.
Captain Timothy Kellerman’s family was among them
Now, a truce has been struck. He is the prize.
Crown Prince Yuuhaan has instantly bonded with his slave.
Can the prince keep his baser instincts in check long enough for Timothy to transform?
To become the next great hope of the Draaduuri and the human race?
YesYesYesYes! Yes! Yes!
LILY VELDEN
Go to Portsmouth, said my friends. It’s quieter. You’ll be able to write without distraction.
They obviously hadn’t met my mysterious and elusive neighbour, Finn.…
After all, what would a Friday night be without hearing Moaner, Gusher, or Squeaker screaming out their joy at being shagged senseless by the obviously talented Finn?
Come to think of it, what would a Saturday, Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday night be without it either?
Thank God for Mondays!
FirefighterMarineThe Firefighter and the Marine
JIM DUNAWAY
Apartment building fires are always tragic, even if everyone makes it out alive. But what happens when a person can’t make it out on their own?
Brave firefighters must risk their lives in order to rescue trapped people.
Lieutenant Kenny Whitfield is one such firefighter. Brave and somewhat reckless. 
Lance Corporal Steve Martinson is one such person in need.
When Kenny and Steve meet face to face in the hospital, well…
BlueKnightBlue Knight
CAROL PEDROSO
Franc has resigned himself to yet another year of pain and humiliation in order to complete his on ship training.
Then along comes Zyph, with his sexy blue skin and probing questions…
Will he be Franc’s Blue Knight?
RoyalGuardianThe Royal Guardian
JO TANNAH
Warrior and Dragon Seek to Destroy Those Who Had Dared Harm Their Prince.

Giveaway

Prize: $10 WIP Gift Card
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thursday 17 December 2015

Haven's Creed by Parker Williams

HavensCreed-400x600 Author Name: Parker Williams
Book Name: Haven's Creed
Release Date: December 14, 2015
Pages or Words: 95,000 words
Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, Thriller, some romantic elements, some dark and violent imagery
Publisher: Parker Williams








Blurb: An act of violence destroys his family and ends the life he knows. To escape his haunted past, he joins the military, where, as a sniper, he is trained to kill with precision and detachment.

 When a covert organization offers him a new purpose, he becomes Haven, an operative devoted to protecting the innocent when he can and avenging them when he cannot.

 After ten years of battling the evil in the world, the life no longer holds the attraction or meaning it once had, and he’s ready to walk away. Then he meets Samuel, a young man forced from the age of twelve to work as a sex slave. If ever a man had a need for Haven, it is this one. Yet nothing about this growing relationship is one-sided. Sammy gives Haven a stability he’s never known, and Haven becomes the rock upon which Sammy knows he can depend.

 When Sammy reveals something about the enemy Haven has been hunting for months, Sammy fears it will destroy what they’ve built and he’ll lose his home in Haven’s heart.

Warning: This book contains violent and dark scenes

Wednesday 16 December 2015

Wednesday Briefs - Silver's First Christmas: Decorating.



Another tidbit for Silver lovers. Today, Silver decorates the Christmas tree and, while struggling with memories of his past, takes pleasure in the little things.

Next Wednesday Silver will help with the rest of the decorating, and on Christmas Day I'll post a short story I wrote a few years ago that will explore more of Silver's thoughts about Christmas.

If you want to read the previous installments of this short flash story, you can find them here

Silver's First Christmas - Trimmings
Silver's First Christmas - Tree

When the tree was cut down, I didn’t like it. I had to go back to the truck. The sound of the axe on the wood reminded me a little too much of fists on flesh, and snapping bone. I didn’t like it much better when they dragged the tree across the gravel to the truck. If I closed my eyes, I could picture a body. Far in the distant recesses of my mind, a gunshot cracked. So many flashbacks in such a short space of time. I tried really hard to pretend everything was alright, but River knew it wasn’t.
All the way home I struggled to remain present, to stop my mind slipping back into the past, and into the safe place where I used to hide. It exhausted me, and I would have liked to rest, but Ben was so excited about decorating the tree, what could I do?
My hand shakes as I lift the lights from their box. River takes them from me and steers me to the sofa. “Sit there for a while. Ben and I can do the tree.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. Silver’s just a bit….”
“Was it me?” Ben sounds so anxious. It makes me feel bad. “Was I too excited?”
“I like it when you’re excited.”
I don’t like it when my voice shakes, though. I wish it didn’t because it quenches the light in Ben’s eyes.
Ben sits down and cuddles in to my side. River tries to stop him, but I don’t mind. The solid, living presence grounds me, makes me feel better.
“Were you scared? Did it make you remember things?”
Sometimes, Ben is too perceptive. “Yes, something like that.”
“It’s okay. We’re here. You’re safe now. It’s okay to be scared out there. It’s a scary world when you’re not used to it. When I was little, I used to cry when they cut down the tree, but my father said it’s what the tree was born for and, even though cutting it down makes it die in the end, we allow it to fulfil its life’s purpose when we decorate it.” Ben sits up and grins at me. “Of course, that’s a load of bull, but it helped me when I was little. Does it help you?”
Strange, but actually it does. Thinking about little Ben crying about the tree, and his father telling him stories to make it better…. I’m sure my own father used to do that. I don’t remember, but he’s the kind of man who would have. Thinking about my parents always makes me feel better. I haven’t known them for very long, at least that I can remember, but I like them a lot. Maybe I even love them, but not like River.
“Yes, thank you. Can I help with the tree?”
“Of course.”
Ben jumps up and pulls me to my feet. I’m the tallest so I’m nominated to put the lights at the top of the tree. Left up to Ben he would just wind them round and round without thinking about how they look. I, on the other hand, care a lot about how they look, and keep twitching them until they’re just right.
Then, River hands out little shiny balls. They are light as air in my hand and must be very thin. I should be careful not to drop one. Oops, there goes one of Ben’s. Yes, just as I thought, it shatters. Ben doesn’t seem upset. Why? These are beautiful things, and should be cherished.
“Don’t you care that it broke?”
“What? Oh. No, we have loads. And if there’s not enough, we can get more.”
I lift the globe to my eyes. It is silver. Part of it is frosted and rough to my fingers. The other half is shiny and bright. It’s beautiful. Truly beautiful. “But it’s beautiful. Everything beautiful is precious. There’s not enough beauty in the world to be so careless with it.” I pick up another ball. This one is light purple, with a swirly pattern. “Can’t you see? Look how it catches the light.”
River and Ben are staring at me with wide eyes. Then River smiles. “Yes, I can see,” he says.
I don’t think he’s talking about the globe.
“I never thought about it like that,” Ben says, holding a ball in front of his eyes. “I’ll be more careful, I promise.”
I help Ben clear up the pieces of the broken bauble, then we go back to decorating the tree. When it’s finished, it really is beautiful, with many coloured balls. When the lights are on, it will be amazing; so much prettier than the one in the shop.
“Just one more thing,” River says.
“I don’t think we can fit on any more balls.”
“It’s not a ball.” Reaching into the box, River brings out something that sparkles. He hands it to me. “As you’re the only one who can reach without standing on something, you can have the honour of placing the angel this time.”
“Angel?” I take the sparkly thing carefully, and hold it up. I have never seen anything so beautiful. It’s a doll. She’s wearing a dress made of stiff gold net, and sparkling crystals on wires bend to make her dress look as though it’s floating around her. From her back two wings rise that can also be bent so it looks as if they’re fluttering and she’s hovering above the tree, rather than sitting on it.
“She’s beautiful,” I breathe. “So beautiful.”
I’m so lost in the angel I forget about everything else, until Ben tugs on my arm. “Put her on the tree,” he prompts and I’m sure my smile is dazed. With a glance at River, who is gazing at me with an expression of wonder on his face, I turn and place the angel on the very tip of the tree which bends and sways until her weight settles. She’s perfect.


Now go check out the rest of the amazing flashes this week