eBook Feature: Be My Alien

Hey readers! Yesterday I reviewed a story with not so hot aliens *shudders* ... and I'm bringing you more today featuring something from the opposite end of the spectrum. I had the honor of doing an initial beta read on this story and I loved it! Check out this eBook promo from M.A. Church and Julie Lynn Hayes, and come back tomorrow for some of my very own aliens!

Hey guys! Be My Alien is on the Coming Soon page and ready for pre-order. It’s scheduled for release by Dreamspinner on May 8th. This is the first a series of novel length books written by Julie Lynn Hayes and me. J

 

 

What’s an alien to do? Dumped at the Empire State Building by the very male he’s been trying to get a date with forever, Taz is stranded on a backwater planet called Earth with no money, no idea where the motel they rented is located, and… he’s starving to boot! The lovely moonlit skies he had admired no longer holds any appeal for him.

Where can he go, what can he do? The answer comes in a form of a human named Reed… and a love that will travel across the universe.

Blurb:

A man too busy for love…

Reed owns an upscale men’s boutique with a naughty back room. While making a late delivery to a client, he runs into Taz.

A man on a disastrous date…

When Taz agreed to come to Earth on a date, he didn’t expect to be dumped and left with no way home. Then he falls into Reed’s arms—literally.

A coffee date soon becomes a trip back to Reed’s apartment. But when Taz’s stripes begin to show, Reed discovers Taz comes from a planet far, far away.

Reed never believed aliens existed, but he’s facing one now. What in the world is he going to do?

Excerpt:

“Are you okay? Hello?”

Reed dragged his mind away from those sexy green eyes. “Ah, huh? What?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall on top of you like that. You see, it was like this. I was pushed, and you just happened to be there and….” The stranger grinned at Reed. “And down we went.”

Reed shifted under the body lying so contentedly on top of him. Hell’s bells, the guy fit against him perfectly. From the feel of things, they were both close to the same height. Which also meant certain things were… aligned. “Oh yeah, I’m okay. Banged my head a little, but I’m fine.”

The stranger bit his bottom lip, his teeth worrying the tender skin. Reed debated slamming his head against the floor a few more times in the hopes of rattling his brain back to normal as the stranger rolled off him.

“I really am sorry.”

“No harm done.” Reed sat up and looked at the guy once again. Well, not much harm, anyway. His libido just had to pick now to perk up, didn’t it? But damn, this guy was sexy. Reed struggled to his feet and held his hand out to the man still on the floor, looking up at him. The guy took his hand and let Reed pull him up. “Name’s Reed. Are you okay?”

“Hi, Reed!” The guy hopped to his feet in a single, lithe movement, as if it was the most….world. “My name is Taz. Nice to meet you, and yes, I am.”

For a moment there was a flash in the guy’s eyes that belied his statement. “Good, that’s good. Glad to hear it. Well, I guess I’d better be going—”

A forlorn expression crossed Taz’s face and his pretty eyes clouded. “Oh.” 

Reed hesitated. There was something about the guy that pulled at him. When was the last time he’d felt that pull? Way too long ago. Taz was cute, sure. But there was this look of hurt. Dammit, Taz just looked so lost. Insane as it was, he wanted to make it all better.

 

Author bio:

M.A. Church

M.A. Church lives in the southern United States and spent many years in the elementary education sector. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have two children. Her hobbies are gardening, walking, attending flea markets, watching professional football, racing, and spending time with her family on the lake.

But her most beloved hobby is reading. From an early age, she can remember hunting for books at the library. Later nonhuman and science fiction genres captured her attention and drew her into the worlds the authors had created. But always at the back of her mind was the thought that one day, when the kids were older and she had more time, she would write a book.

By sheer chance she stumbled across a gay male romance story on the web and was hooked. A new world opened up and she fell in love. Thus the journey started. When not writing or researching, she enjoys reading the latest erotic and mainstream romance novels.

 

My links:

Blog http://machurch00.blogspot.com

Twitter @nomoretears00

Facebook: M.A. Church http://www.facebook.com/pages/MA-Chur...

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141393.M_A_Church

 

Publishers:

Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_650

Romance First Publishing: www.rfppublishing.com

Changeling Press: http://www.changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=177

Storm Moon: http://www.stormmoonpress.com/authors/MA-Church.aspx

eXtasy Books http://www.extasybooks.com/  (coming soon)

 

 

Author Bio:

Julie Lynn Hayes was reading at the age of two and writing by the age of nine and always wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Two marriages, five children, and more than forty years later, that is still her dream. She blames her younger daughters for introducing her to yaoi and the world of M/M love, a world which has captured her imagination and her heart and fueled her writing in ways she'd never dreamed of before. She especially loves stories of two men finding true love and happiness in one another's arms and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and two cats, loves books and movies, and hopes to be a world traveler some day. She enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, knitting and needlepoint and loves to cook. While working a temporary day job, she continues to write her books and stories and reviews, which she posts in various places on the internet. Her family thinks she is a bit off, but she doesn't mind. Marching to the beat of one's own drummer is a good thing, after all.  Her other published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, MuseitUp Publishing and No Boundaries Press, and coming soon with both Extasy Books and Torquere Press. She has also begun to self-publish and is an editor at MuseitUp.  

 

My links:

Blog  http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com

Twitter @Shelley_runyon

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.l.hayes.7?ref=tn_tnmn

My Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes

 

Publishers:

Museit Up Publishing:  http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php

Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_222

eXtasy Books http://www.extasybooks.com/  (coming soon)

Torquere Press http://torquerepress.com/  (coming soon)

Weekly Review: Signal to Noise by Talya Andor

Signal to Noise by Talya Andor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Signal to Noise was a very interesting story. Okay... it has underage twincest, which really isn't my thing but I could overlook the actual sex scenes and still really enjoyed the story. If you can't do that, then don't read it. Fortunately the author does warn prospective readers.

The complex universe with the various groups wasn't as fleshed out as the immediate military hierarchy but I still was able to understand the 'bigger picture' of the setting. The compound on Noise, the descriptions of the planet, and the 'bad aliens' *shudders* were very vividly described.

In many ways, this story was really well done. There were diverse 'villians' and I felt the character progression of the human ones were done quite well. The supporting characters were a larger pool than a lot of stories use in such a short plot period, but I was able to keep the different people straight-in part because as part of a military group they were so very regimented into specific roles.

If I had any complaint, it would be that the twins were too 'similar'. I'd have liked to see them have more distinct personalities ... but would that have fit in with the story as plotted? They had a unique bond (not just about the sex, so if you read this and skip that, it still makes sense)and they spent a lot of their formative time alone. I wasn't unredeemably confused ... it's just something I noticed as I read that keeping them apart and remember which had which physical appearance/personality was hard.

This story was good, enough so that I check back from time to time to see if a sequel is in the works. I'd like to read more about the twin's journey and the war overall.

View all my reviews

Wednesday Briefs: One Night Part 17

It's that time again! This week, for my 1k flash story with the Wednesday Briefer's I chose the line prompt, "Don't stop until I tell you to..." ;) You can imagine maybe what's going to be going on. Mebbe. Read on!

 

One Night Part 17

Kameron rolled over and looked at Bear. He had a small line between his eyebrows even though he was asleep. Absentmindedly, Kameron scratched his chest, then winced when he hit a sore spot. Bear needed his pills, but he needed to take them with food.

When he drove in, Kameron saw a grocery store about two miles away. He’d go pick up a few things and bring back something from their bakery for breakfast. To do that, he’d have to leave the bed though, and Kameron didn’t want to leave Bear.

The line on Bear’s forehead didn’t disappear when Kameron gently rubbed it with a fingertip. He jerked his head and then whimpered.

Okay, he was definitely hurting.

“Bear.” Kameron gently rubbed his shoulder. “Hey, Bear, wake up.”

Blinking his eyes, Bear slowly woke up. “Hey.” He cleared his throat and winced. “Damn. I hurt.”

Kameron nodded. “We slept all night and you haven’t had any pain pills in a while. I was going to run to the store, but I need you to get up and lock the door behind me and then let me in when I come back. I thought you could bunk down on the couch and watch some TV or something.”

“Yeah. I gotta pee anyway.”

Only, when Bear tried to sit up, he collapsed backward with a sharp cry. He pressed his arms over his chest. “Motherfucker!”

“Let me help.” Kameron got up and moved over to Bear’s side of the bed.

“Don’t pull your stitches,” Bear warned him when Kameron leaned over the bed.

“I’m fine; let me worry about that.” Kameron slid one arm under Bear’s shoulders and held the other one out in front of him. “Okay, just like at the hospital, nice and smooth.” Bear held on to his arm and together they swung him around until he could swing his legs over the side of the bed and sit up.

Kameron kept his face smooth when the cut under his left nipple pulled.

“I’m fine now.” Kameron let Bear sit on the bed as he used the bathroom first, then grabbed their toiletries and got cleaned up. He stood in the living room and watched Bear slowly make his way to the bathroom.

“I’ll take our bags into the bedroom and get dressed.” Kameron put their suitcases on the bed. Once he was dressed he grabbed the top blanket and a pillow off the bed and took them out to the couch. Bear was already sitting on the end.

“It’s pretty comfortable,” he said when Kameron asked him if he would be able to lay on it.

“Good.”

Once he had everything ready for Bear, he picked up his phone, keys, and wallet.

“Cash only,” Bear reminded him.

They weren’t sure how smart the Zbrane gang was, or if they’d have electronic means of tracking them. Criminals, even thug ones, were getting technology smart.

“I know.”

At the door, Kameron leaned down and kissed Bear, unable to resist. Anyone could have walked in on them while they were in the hospital, so they hadn’t had the chance to kiss properly. Kameron licked at Bear’s lips until he parted them, then sank in, stroking Bear’s tongue and tasting him.

He pulled back before they could get too carried away. His cock was already half-hard. They were finally in a private place and Bear wasn’t mad at him. Maybe later he could convince the small man to fool around, once he’d eaten and had some pain pills. “I like the cinnamon toothpaste. Spicy.”

Bear licked his lips. “Okay, you need to go so you can come back and we can do that some more.”

Maybe he wouldn’t have to work too hard to convince Bear. Kameron chuckled. “I’m going. Lock up behind me and don’t answer unless I call you and then knock five times.”

Raising an eyebrow, Bear shook his head. “Do you think that’s really necessary?”

Kameron undid the locks. “I don’t care if it’s silly. I won’t risk you again.”

***

Bear couldn’t find anything good on TV; he didn’t want to check his email, and he certainly didn’t want to work. All of his clients had gotten a message when he first got hurt, so he was ostensibly on vacation. He decided that dozing would mean he wouldn’t feel the stabbing pains in his ribs. Of course, when his phone rang his cock was painfully rigid and tenting his sweats. He’d been dreaming about Kameron.

“Hello.” He sounded like he’d been chewing on rocks.

“Hey, it’s me. I’ll be up in a few minutes.”

“Okay. Bye.”

Bear set his phone down on the coffee table and reached into his sweats to arrange himself. He grunted, tempted to jerk off, but he didn’t. He needed the few minutes before Kameron caught the elevator to get to the door.

Rolling onto his side, Bear used the arm of the couch to slowly lever himself up. Sweat broke out on his forehead and his cock wasn’t on his mind at all by the time he was up and on his feet.

Kameron noticed it right away though.

“Ouch babe, that looks painful.”

“So does carrying,” Bear counted quickly, “seven bags of groceries! Go put those down.”

He shuffled into the kitchen and used his good hand to help take things out of bags for Kameron to put away.

“Croissants, fruit salad, and ….” Kameron produced a bag of coffee that Bear actually liked that could be bought in a grocery store.

“Oh, thank you.”

They ate sitting on the couch. Putting their plates on the table, Kameron knelt between Bear’s legs.

“I know we haven’t done this before, but I want to suck you.”

Bear’s erection hadn’t really gone away and it came back in a flash when the tall man between his legs reached for the waistband of his sweats. “I’ll stop if you want.”

Bear glared at him. “Don’t stop until I tell you to! Which I won’t.”

TBC

 

 

Okay, check out more flash stories by the other great Briefers!

Nephylim  

Lily Sawyer   

MA Church    

J.A. Harmon 

Michael Mandrake    

Julie Lynn Hayes

 

 

You could win eBooks by Nephylim!

One of my fav peoples, Sid Love, is hosting a series of giveaways on his Wordpress blog. Today is the last day for a chance to win 2 of Nephylim's eBooks, Enigma (soooo good, love this story) PLUS!! The Unfairness of Life.

All you have to do is comment on the theme of her guest post, Love is ... and you're entered. I posted mine today (I got all sappy *blushes*) and you should really go check it out and post too!

Sid Love's Blog

All about HORROR from Julie L. Hayes!

Please enjoy this interesting conversation with Julie L. Hayes about her love of horror, and then read on to find out about her latest new release chock full of shudder inducing scariness!

Horror Comes in Many Flavors

I unabashedly admit to being a horror story aficionado, whether in print or on the small or large screen.  I love to be scared, although I have to say I seldom am. Maybe because I don’t find it so realistic that I fear someday I’ll be up against a chainsaw-wielding maniac or a random slasher or a madman intent on creating hybrid creatures for strange intent. I found Blair Witch more realistic than most, because I can totally see myself getting lost in the woods like the hapless victims of that film.

Alfred Hitchcock was the king of horror films, and he did it in a way that was graphic for its time, but would not be considered so now. And yet, who doesn’t remember the shower scene from Psycho? After seeing that, it was years before I’d take a shower while alone in the house. And there are parts of the film that make me jump, not from fear but from being startled, which is not the same thing. Hitchcock could elicit horror from supposedly everyday normal things. Remember North by Northwest? Cary Grant standing on the highway in the literal middle of nowhere, waiting for a bus, when a crop plane innocently appears and quickly changes into a menacing presence that causes him to flee for his life!

 

Nowadays, the sky is the limit on what you might find in a horror film. I’ve seen all seven Saw films, and I would hate to find myself caught up in any of John Kramer’s horrific scenarios, but hopefully I’ve never done anything bad enough to qualify as one of his victims. Prepare to see the grossest of the gross, ditto with the Hostel series, of which I’ve seen all three. For something slightly different, there’s the Human Centipede. I haven’t seen the second one yet, but I hear it’s better than the first. In the first film, a doctor performs a strange experiment on three unwilling subjects, surgically connecting them to form his “human centipede”, mouth to ass, and connecting their digestive systems as well. What a macabre experiment, but the film was not badly made at all, surprisingly, subject matter aside.


 

The latest trend in horror films seems to be zombies. They’re popping up everywhere, and even beginning to show up in young romance films, like Warm Bodies. Whodathunkit?

When it comes to horror stories, the undisputed master is Stephen King, who’s been entertaining us with his gruesomely delicious tales for years. I have a number of his hardbacks on my shelves, although I’ve fallen behind in recent years, not having the time to read, or money to purchase.  One of my favorites is It, which has a very creepy feel to it. Someone who can make you feel horror from the printed word is a master indeed.

What about the horror villain? Or should I say the hero? For often times in a horror story, the villain is actually the hero. Well, the main protagonist, anyway. And often times, the most interesting character. Can you blame Clarice Starling for being fascinated by Dr. Lecter? And Dexter Morgan—who doesn’t love Dexter? Sweeney Todd, too. Gretchen Lowell. If you haven’t guessed, I have a thing for serial killers. Michael Myers. Leatherface. Jason Voorhees. Fascinating character studies, even if their manners leave a little to be desired.

While I’ve primarily written books and stories in the m/m romance field, I don’t consider myself limited to that genre by any means. And so I decided to branch out when I learned that one of my publishers, MuseitUp, was going to run a locked door series of horror stories. I thought I’d try my hand, although I wasn’t sure how good I’d be at it, or if I could even do it. I surprised myself by not only finishing a story and subbing it, but having it accepted. Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night releases April 5^th, and is my first foray into horror, but hopefully not my last. While it is not necessarily horror in the splatterpunk, gory tradition of some modern writers and filmmakers, I think you might say that it is more psychological.

It follows the not uncommon trope of strangers drawn together by the hands of Fate. In this case, travelers who have taken refuge at an inn because of inclement weather. And what happens to them there as their stories converge.

I believe that it would be really hard to write for a genre that you do not enjoy, although some people might argue with that. Sure, you can get things technically correct, but there is a certain feel that I believe only someone who reads it can impart. I’ll let the readers be the judge of whether I have succeeded or not, for I am a true horror fan.  In fact, I love serial killers so much that I’m developing one of my own, and look forward to presenting him in time.

Thanks for having me today, Cia! A pleasure, as always!

Julie's New Release!

Blurb:  On a dark and rainy night, a group of travelers takes refuge at the Black Raven inn, seeking shelter from the storm: Two knights who are brothers, and who believe in diametrically opposed doctrines. A brother who questions the path his sister has chosen to take. A mysterious doctor whose presence gives the innkeeper’s daughter chills. A handsome dwarf, half owner of a traveling troupe of actors. Will they find more than they bargained for?

What is the mystery of the locked door?

Excerpt: Lightning sliced across the night sky like a jagged scar. It briefly illuminated the countryside, throwing twisted-limbed trees into momentary sharp relief. The thick ripe foliage of summer was long gone, and the land was left naked in the barrenness of winter. Several heartbeats later followed the thunder, a dull drumming in the background of the heavens that steadily increased in volume with each repetition.

The horse was skittish and pulled against the reins at the sound, but its rider pressed a reassuring hand against its heaving flank and it grew still once more; the clop of its hoofs echoed eerily in the momentary peace between the waves of sound. A second steed stood beside the first; it, too, pawed the ground in disquiet, its ears flattened against its head, expressive of its disapproval.

“The storm approaches,” the second rider observed. His flat voice revealed nothing. “Perhaps we should seek shelter for the night?”

“Perhaps,” the first rider agreed. “But it changes nothing. Simply delays that which is inevitable, Jintaro.”

A wry smile curled the younger man’s lip. “Nothing is written, Kaorin, until it is written. Much can yet happen. It is not for us to know until it does.”

“You are right, nothing is written in stone. You can still change what will be. Tell them what they wish to know. Give them the names of the others with whom you conspire, and you will feel their mercy.”

“Do you think so little of me that I would betray my comrades as well as my ideals?”

“You were always the foolish dreamer, wasting your time with ridiculous schemes. And what have those dreams gotten you? You have betrayed the queen, and for that you shall die.”

“At least I dared to dream, elder brother. At least I have had hopes. What have you? A life given to a faded ideal whose time is long gone. That is no life at all.”

Kaorin stiffened and turned away as another flash of lightning illuminated the landscape, the accompanying thunder growing louder. “I too have had my dreams,” he murmured, but the wind held his words as it swirled between them, and the horses stamped nervously, anxious to move on, away from the elements that threatened to engulf them at any moment.

What was that? Kaorin turned his head and in the light of the next flash, he saw what appeared to be a woman’s pale face, framed by long blonde locks, floating in the air before him. He blinked and the illusion was instantly dispelled.  He wasn’t entirely convinced it hadn’t been there, though.

“I know of a place we can stop for the night. Let us go.” He would not concede it was not his idea, nor give his brother the satisfaction of being right. He kicked his horse’s flank; the other horse followed automatically, having no choice, as they were tethered together.  Jintaro said nothing, but Kaorin was sure he heard a soft snort of laughter, which he chose to ignore.

 

Buy Link @ Muse It Up Publishing

 

Author Bio:

Julie Lynn Hayes was reading at the age of two and writing by the age of nine and always wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Two marriages, five children, and more than forty years later, that is still her dream. She blames her younger daughters for introducing her to yaoi and the world of M/M love, a world which has captured her imagination and her heart and fueled her writing in ways she'd never dreamed of before. She especially loves stories of two men finding true love and happiness in one another's arms and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and two cats, loves books and movies, and hopes to be a world traveler some day. She enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, knitting and needlepoint and loves to cook. While working a temporary day job, she continues to write her books and stories and reviews, which she posts in various places on the internet. Her family thinks she is a bit off, but she doesn't mind. Marching to the beat of one's own drummer is a good thing, after all.  Her other published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, MuseitUp Publishing and No Boundaries Press, and coming soon with both Extasy Books and Torquere Press. She has also begun to self-publish and is an editor at MuseitUp.  

You can find her on her blog at http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com, and you can contact her at tothemax.wolf@gmail.com.

 

 

 

Weekly Review: Never A Hero by Marie Sexton

Never a Hero by Marie Sexton
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Never a Hero is yet another installment set in the small town of Tucker Springs. This eBook, written by Marie Sexton, was full of a lot of angst regarding personal appearance and conditions, much like Dirty Laundry by Heidi Cullinan.

Owen has a physical disability that created a lot of emotional blocks. He’s drawn to his new neighbor, though, despite misgivings on both their parts. A big part of Owen’s draw to Nick is his complete comfort with his disability … which makes sense since Nick’s sister has the same one! That was a tiny bit too convenient a plot device, but hey, it could happen.

There are a lot of twists and turns in latest novel set in Tucker Springs. We got to see a lot of cameos by earlier couples, or parts of couples, like Seth. We also got a sneak peek at who I hope is coming up next. *fingers crossed*

I think what impresses me the most about this series is that the authors have blended their styles so well that I would never guess that they were written by different people. They all seem to have a good balance of plot and action versus sex and emotional bonding. The couples all face obstacles, but nothing so dramatic that I can’t believe that these are ordinary people I could meet if I could just find this Tucker Springs on a map.

All in all, a definite 4 star read. I didn’t give this 5 stars because of the somewhat contrived plot device and the clichéd ‘villian’ as it were. I’d have liked more depth to the wicked witch, as I’ll call her, to flesh out her character more, since she was such an integral part of the plot motivation.


View all my reviews

LHNB: Excerpt #2

Part of my distraction lately has been the side story I've been working on for Love Has No Boundaries with the MM Romance Group on Goodreads. Today inspiration was with me and I was able to write 3.5k more, bringing the story up to 23,500 words... and more yet to write. This story will come out sometime this summer, totally free of course, both at the Goodreads group, and as a download, and then later in the year as part of the anthology books the hardworking volunteers will compile with the *187!!!* stories authors are writing.

I'm excited about taking part in this to hopefully find some find more fans, but never fear, I won't be neglecting you guys. I'm including the teasers here on my blog, and when the story posts I'll make sure to let you guys know, both on the group forum (you must be a member to read them) and for download.

Now... for today's excerpt. This is the rough draft, so forgive any mistakes/awkward wording as this hasn't been polished in any way. You also get to find out the name of my Dom!


The skin wasn’t very tight yet, but when he added the weights …

“This is going to look amazing.”

The two tear drop shaped weights matched the ring, the metal colored with all the hues of the rainbow. They were tiny, just an ounce apiece, but he had others that got bigger and heavier in the set. He licked his lips. “I can’t decide … should I put these on one at a time or at the same time?” He leaned over, heat already rising from the sub to warm his lips, as he kissed the slender neck from shoulder to ear.

He nipped at the soft lobe, then sucked the sting away. “What do you think, hmm? Do want me to prolong this and add the weights to your balls slowly, one at a time so you can feel them stretch gradually, or do you want it all at once?”

“Wh-Whatever you want sir.”

Stroking one hand down the stretched skin, Cason tugged on the ring. “Are you sure you want me to decide?”

“Yes! Please!”

He stood up straight. His hand were sure as he threaded the chains of the weights on both rings, holding the weighted tear drops in the palms of his hands. Cason watched, intent, his own cock hard in his jeans waiting for the right moment …

He dropped the weights and let them swing free.

“Fuck!” (For me to know and you to find out later) cried out. He shuddered and strained at the cuffs holding him down, his back arching and making the weights swing again. “Oh God!”

TBC (Come back next week for another peek at the story!)

Wednesday Briefs: One Night Part 16

 

It's that time again! Weekly flash with the Briefers! This week I used the prompt, "Hold on there, I'm no..." but I changed no to not. I wasn't really inspired by the prompts to do anything really creative, but I hope you enjoy this update nonetheless!

One Night Part 16

 

“Fuckity fuck … fuck!” Kameron smacked his phone against his leg.

“What?” Bear rolled his head over and looked at him.

“I can’t get the rental on the beach I wanted.” Kameron scratched at his chest.

Bear scowled at him. “Stop scratching, you’ll pull your stitches.” He sighed, and then winced. He kept forgetting his broken ribs. Sighing for effect was a bad habit and had to go. “Besides, going to the beach or a hideaway cabin in the mountains? Total cliché.”

“Well what do you want to do?”

Bear tapped his fingers on the bedrail. “Why don’t we just go to another city? Get one of those by the week rental places or something? I need high speed internet anyway, and you can’t get those in little hick towns or out of the way places.”

“That’s it, just go to another city and hole up in an apartment?”

Shrugging, Bear said, “Why not? We could use some downtime, you know? We shouldn’t have to hide like we did in the safe house. We just need some time to heal and for John to close this case.”

“You think you can stand to spend a few weeks in an apartment with me?” Kameron grinned at him.

“Well, you’re tall enough to reach the high stuff. Can you cook?” He kept himself from smiling somehow.

“Some.” Kameron held up his phone. “I’m really good at Chinese. And Italian.”

Bear couldn’t hold it in anymore. He started laughing. “Okay, okay. We could use the time to get to know each other better I guess. The real you, this time.”

Kameron scooted closer in the chair, covering Bear’s tapping fingers. “I know I’ve said it before, but I’m sorry. Jimmy just wanted you safe without having to scare you about how bad those fuckers in the Zbrane gang are. It was a bad idea, but I can’t say that I’m not glad that I met you.”

“Jimmy’s still going to get his ass kicked when he’s all better. Or maybe I’ll figure out someone to set him up with.” The annoying client of his, with the voice like it could scratch diamonds, would be a perfect blind date set up. And if Jimmy just so happened to piss her off enough to make her decide not to work with Bear anymore … well, his bank account could take it. He could happy dance while picking up a few extra shifts at the bar when everything was over.

“Okay. So an apartment it is. Any preferences?” Kameron was typing away on his phone.

“Nothing on a ground floor; too fucking noisy. No pool, obviously,” he gestured at Kameron’s bare chest with bandages, “but maybe an exercise room? I like to run when I’m thinking.”

“Not with your ribs, you won’t.”

Bear shrugged. “Okay, so I can send you off to go walk or something when you hover too much. Whatever. Just someplace we can relax and not have to look over our shoulders constantly.”

It was all very surreal when Bear and Kameron were released. Bear made Jimmy promise not to be a shit to the nurses and get better. Then they said goodbye. All the way to the car, which was parked by a deserted alley entrance by the morgue, Bear had to struggle to hold in his fear, which made him surly and angry.

He was afraid for Jimmy. He was afraid for John, and Loren, and everyone else that fucker Chaska could get his hands on. Vilem was the only one who really knew where the hell the gang’s drugs were and John had better make him talk, and fast.

As much as Bear was looking forward to spending some time with Kameron, he also wanted to get his life back to normal. He had avoided becoming a cop like so many of the men in his family had because he didn’t like the uncertainty of the job. Of course now he had a brother and a boyfriend that were cops.

“Ouch. Can we try not to bang me into the wall?” Bear snapped when they went too fast around a corner.

“Sorry,” Kameron said. They’d managed to sneak off without staff knowing it either, other than their doctors. The chief had an idea of where they were going, and a number to reach them, but Kameron had told Bear that he was keeping their location a secret only they would know.

Now they just had to get there safely. The drugs Bear was on made him sleepy, so once they got in the car and Kameron started driving Bear was out like a light, leaning against the door with a balled up coat under his head.

“Bear.” Kameron was stroking his arm when Bear blearily blinked and looked around. He rubbed his eyes.

“Where are we?”

“Our humble abode. This is the parking garage. I thought off the street parking would be best.”

Bear groaned as he levered himself up and out of the car. Thankfully Kameron had gotten a pair of suitcases with wheels on them. They were both breathing hard by the time they got to the elevator and up to the third floor apartment Kameron had secured for them.

The door had three different locks. Bear watched Kameron lock and then test all of them before he turned to look at the rest of the place. It was furnished with a couch, medium sized TV, a table and chairs. Everything was better quality than his college guy style apartment, but the bland tans and whites were boring.

“Bathroom then bed.”

“To the left.” Kameron led the way. The décor didn’t change, but Bear couldn’t find it in him to complain. He used the bathroom and then went into the bedroom.

There was a king sized bed with several pillows. Bear eased himself down next to Kameron. Reaching across the surprisingly comfortable mattress, he laced their fingers together and rested his forehead against Kameron’s shoulder.

“Much better.”

 TBC

 

Check out these updates by the members of the Briefer's group participating this week!

 

Nephylim  

J.A. Harmon

MA Church  

Andrew Gordon 

Michael Mandrake     

Julie Lynn Hayes

 

 

 

 

Weekly Review: Covet Thy Neighbor by L.A. Witt

Covet Thy Neighbor by L.A. Witt
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this eBook and delved right into it. I adored Tucker Springs #3 and couldn't wait for books #4 and #5 in this series. Each book focuses on a different couple, so they can be read alone, but couples show up from each in the community in this series.

In Covet Thy Neighbor, Seth's conflict was quite well done and clear. He was obviously the main character and had a lot to deal with. I agree with another reviewer in that he didn't come across necessarily as a non-believing atheist, but a person whose faith had been nearly obliterated by bad experiences in a judgmental and hostile religious environment.

His inability to believe he can be accepted by Darren, when they have this major difference, creates a rift inside him that he doesn't know how to bridge. The fact that Darren doesn't just believe, but is a pastor, freaks Seth out. He cannot seem to see past how he believes Darren must act, as a Christian, to how Darren is acting.

Darren's character wasn't nearly as fleshed out in my opinion. He had less emotional conflict about the situation between him and Darren. I liked his interpretation of faith more than most religious characters. A fundie Christian would probably scoff, but then I don't think most fundies read MM romance, lol.

I enjoyed the story, and while I wouldn't say the plot wasn't complete, I felt like it was understated. The complex emotions just didn't resonate with me, and I felt like that was less to do with me as the reader, as to the immediacy of the writing of those emotions. Even with that, L.A. Witt's ability to craft a well written story has to be applauded. I would recommend this, but not as readily as other eBooks in the series that I enjoyed just that much more.

View all my reviews

Love Has No Boundaries Teaser Pic

Love Has No Boundaries Novella

For this teaser... I made a custom cover for my story, which I hope everyone will love. Not going to show it now, but I thought a sneak peek at ... part ... of my leading man might be in order. *wicked grin* You'll just have to wait for more!

Wednesday Briefs: One Night Part 15

 

 

Hey all. More Bear and Kameron, yay! This week there were a bunch of prompts; I chose to include a whining diva as my choice ... can you guess who it is? :P LOL Read on to find out.

One Night Part 15

“Jimmy’s okay, right?” Bear asked Kameron. They were finally going to see his brother and Kameron could see how nervous Bear was. The drugs were keeping him from feeling too much pain but transferring into the wheelchair with his broken ribs had left Bear’s forehead sweaty. His face was pasty and he was already grimacing.

Kameron nodded. They’d been visited by Loren and John and a few of the guys in their precinct but everyone left after dinner. “You don’t have long before visiting hours are over, and then you both need to be in bed resting, so let’s go,” said the nurse who’d helped Bear. “You’ll see, Officer Orveng will be just fine.”

Wearing hospital scrubs to replace his ruined clothes, Kameron led the way gingerly to the room next to theirs, nodding at the two cops on duty outside their doors. It hurt every time he had to move his chest and stomach, which pretty much meant every breath he took. He stretched to open the door to Jimmy’s room.

Fifty-three. It had taken fifty-three stitches to close up all the stab wounds and cuts on his torso. Chaska was going to fucking pay when Kameron testified.

“Here, let me get that.” The officer leaned over to open the door.

“Thanks.”

Jimmy’s eyes opened when they came in. They were dull but he smiled at Bear. “Hey,” he croaked. “You look like shit.”

Bear snorted, then pressed one hand against his ribs gently, his lips going white. “Fuck.”

“Be careful.” The nurse patted Bear gently on the shoulder. “Ten minutes guys, then you all need to get some sleep.” She left the room.

Jimmy slowly turned his head and looked at him. “Hey man. Heard what happened.”

“Yeah, your brother saved us both. Chaska used me for carving practice but Bear kept his cool and figured out how to get help. He even knocked the fucker and one of his goons out with a hurt arm and ribs.”

“Course I’m paying for it now.” Bear was slumped in the wheelchair as much as the wrapping around his ribs would let him. “I look awful.”

“Whining diva.”  The way Jimmy was squeezing Bear’s hand belied the insult.

“I’m glad you’re going to be okay, Jimmy.” Bear looked at his brother, his eyes shiny. “We were really worried about you. You scared the shit out of all of us, Jimmy.”

“Ditto, once John told me what happened once you guys were on your way here.”

Kameron made his way to the chair between Bear and Jimmy, sitting down gingerly. “We’re gonna be here for a bit, then the Chief wants us all off somewhere hidden, I think.”

Jimmy didn’t look any happier than Bear. “This is my job. I’m not hiding from the bastards just because they hurt me.”

“They hurt you because Chaska thinks I know where his drugs are, even though I have no fucking clue. I don’t want anyone to be in the line of fire, Jimmy. I know we’re going to be out of here before you’re discharged, but damn it, I need you to be safe just as much as you need me to be.”

Bear was panting by the time he was done snapping at Jimmy. Kameron leaned over and rubbed the arm that was back in the sling. It hurt, stretching like that, but it was worth it when Bear took a small breath and then let it out, closing his eyes.

“Jimmy won’t be going back on the job anytime soon either, babe. John promised he’d kick his ass if he tried and you know Loren will.” Kameron had gotten to know everyone quite well over the last few weeks. It was something else, being a part of these guys. He’d never connected with his old partner the way he had with his new ones.

He sat there quietly while the brothers talked for a few more minutes. If he and Bear had to leave town, and this Chief had told them that was probably their best bet, he wanted to take him somewhere nice. There was a little town on the coast he’d heard about from a friend in the academy a few years back that spent every summer there growing up. He’d raved about the cabins on a really remote private beach.

Kameron could see him and Bear getting some fresh air and sun, plus some much needed alone time. They hadn’t had time to really talk once Bear decided to forgive him before the shit hit the fan. They were due a few days of peace and fucking quiet.

There was a knock on the door and Bear jumped and then hissed. The nurse came in. “Just me guys; sorry, but it’s time to go.” Bear squeezed Jimmy’s hand one last time and then sighed.

“See you in the morning, okay?”

Jimmy nodded. He yawned. “I’ll be here.”

Kameron stood up, wobbling a little as every damned slice on his chest burned. The numbing medication they’d shot up the wounds with before they stitched him up was wearing off. “Night man.”

Holding up a finger, Jimmy stopped him. “You take care of my brother, you hear? I guess you guys work pretty well together, even if that wasn’t what I thought would happen when I asked you to start dating him.”

Bear rolled his eyes. “Which was the stupidest thing anyone has ever thought up, by the way. I’m going to get you back one of these days.”

“You’re welcome to try.” Jimmy rubbed at his eyebrow with one finger, his middle one, of course.

The nurse unsuccessfully smothered a laugh. “All right, men, let’s go.”

Once they were back in their rooms and in their beds, Bear sighed. “We’re going to all be okay, right Kameron?”

“Yeah, Bear. We will.”

Kameron hated being in separate beds. He was definitely booking that rental just as soon as they were sprung from the hospital with their too narrow to share beds.

TBC

Now go check out all the other great stories/updates by the other Briefers participating this week!

Lily Sawyer     

MA Church    

Michael Mandrake     

Andrew Gordon

Julie Lynn Hayes