J. Alan Veerkamp's Blog, page 11
February 19, 2016
Blog Tour – Callum’s Fate by Dianne Hartsock #excerpt #giveaway
Title: Callum’s Fate
Author: Dianne Hartsock
Genre: Fantasy, Gay Romance, Erotic Romance
Length: Novella
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing
In 1780, Scotland, following a harsh year of drought, Callum Mackenzie is forced from his father’s farm in the hopes of finding work.
But as fate would have it, Callum is lured onto the moors by the will-o-the-wisp. Lost in the dark, he falls into enchantment, encountering faeries and nymphs, until he stumbles into the arms of a licentious Barrow-Wight who lays claim to his soul.
Hearing his silent pleas, Donal sends Liam the gruagach (faery) to rescue Callum and bring him to his farm, a place of refuge from the Fae.
Callum is happy working on Donal’s farm, slowly falling in love with the beautiful, silver-haired gruagach.
Yet there’s something wrong in the nearby forest….
Despite Donal’s warnings, Callum is lured into the forest and becomes tangled in its magic, easy prey for the Barrow-Wight.
Will Liam be able to strike a deal with the Barrow-Wight to save Callum’s life, or has Callum found his last resting place instead?
Buy Links
Don’t miss the Valentine’s Day Sale (February 11-17) 50% off on WIP’s website and 40% off on ARe!
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/callums-fate-by-dianne-hartsock/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Callums-Fate-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B01B383YP0/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Callums-Fate-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B01B383YP0/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Callums-Fate-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B01B383YP0/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Callums-Fate-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B01B383YP0/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-callum039sfate-1973471-143.html
Giveaway
Prizes: $5 ARe Gift Card & $2.99 WIP Gift Card
Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d3e3d66a67/
Video Trailer
Excerpt
He blinked his eyes open and stared at the stranger’s rough coat under his cheek. Moonlight caught in pale strands of hair mixed with Callum’s own auburn locks across a shoulder and down the man’s arm. Something twisted inside him; he longed to see this every morning he awakened. The person’s chest rose on a deep breath, his arms tightening briefly, and Callum grew conscious of the strong thighs and hard press of an erection against his hip.
A sigh escaped him. He wanted this to be real. He’d been a week on the road with no prospects of work, looked at with mistrust and unfriendliness by the people he met. It tore at his lonely heart, though he understood their reticence. The moors were a harsh, dangerous place to live. He hadn’t wanted to come north, but as the youngest son he had to take the direction that was left after his brothers chose the safer paths.
Ashamed of the tears that pricked his eyes, he tried to sit up, and turned in surprise when he wasn’t released from the stranger’s hold. His breath caught in his throat. The man was everything Callum found beautiful: carelessly handsome, with silver-blond hair falling in waves past his shoulders. Deep blue eyes met his, dancing with mischief, then without warning the man leaned forward and kissed him on the mouth. Callum moaned when the soft lips pressed against his, warm and sweet, and whimpered when the stranger drew away. A brilliant smile leaped across the lovely face, as if the man knew he wanted to be kissed again.
Callum touched his lips, confused. Had he been bespelled? “I don’t understand.”
About the author
DIANNE HARTSOCK is the author of m/m erotic romance, both contemporary and fantasy, the psychological thriller, and anything else that comes to mind. Oh, and a floral designer. If she can’t be writing, at least she has the chance to create through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage to bring a smile to someone’s face.
Currently, Dianne lives in the 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.
Social links
Website: https://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
Twitter: https://twitter.com/diannehartsock
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/diannehartsock/
February 17, 2016
Free Reads!! Wednesday Briefs – Innocence & Carnality Part 32
Welcome to the next part in my Wednesday Briefs flash fiction serial, Innocence & Carnality! Each chapter has to be between 500 and 1,000 words and this week I skipped using a prompt. No prompt this week, my head was elsewhere.
Nathan reacts to his accidental moment of voyeurism.
Click here to start from the beginning
Part 32
I was so humiliated, my feet refused to move. How deviant must I have been to stand watching? I wanted to knock and apologize, but the obscene noises resumed.
Leave now, before something else happens.
Stumbling backwards, I spun and found my way back to our bedroom. Leaning back against the door, I pushed it closed, making a point to turn the lock.
“Where’s your treasure?” Rother asked.
I tried in vain to swallow my embarrassment and the agitation it spawned. “Um… Harston was preoccupied.”
“How so?”
“He seems to be getting along better with Blythe than I expected.”
Rother’s brow cocked as he scrutinized me. “As in…”
“Intimately.”
“You saw Blythe undressed?” he growled as his posture stiffened. This was not the reaction I expected given Rother’s profession.
“And my valet, but not on purpose. I may be scarred for life.” My attempt at levity didn’t smooth my husband’s scowl. It was strangely endearing and somewhat offensive.
Either way, his reaction did little to dim my racing pulse. It made me pay attention to the cut of his clothes, and how well he filled them out. The growth along his jar caught my fascination, and how it burned my skin when he bit me.
The reason behind his displeasure was absurd—I would never betray him in such a manner—but the sight of Blythe and Harston’s heated rutting left Rother’s earlier suggestion of how we could spend our time far more appealing. Flashes of the sights and sounds were stoking my ardor. However, if he continued to stew in his unhappiness, this would end in an unsatisfying argument. And given my state of arousal, I needed him. The thought of tending to myself left me uneasy. Rother’s participation was also the only scenario I found myself comfortable. Propriety demanded it.
Not wanting to add to the confrontation, I attempted to defuse it. Stepping close enough to brush our chests together, I stroked his broad shoulders. We were no longer strangers to each other’s bodies, but touching Rother elated and terrified me. “There’s no competition when you compare a man to my husband.”
“Really? Tell me about him.”
I inhaled deep, squirreling away the nerves choking my part in this roleplay. “He’s daring. Handsome.” The more I spoke the braver I felt. “A devilish rogue who brings out my carnal side. Who makes me want to embrace it.”
Rising onto my toes, I feathered a soft kiss to his lips, trying to entice him. If I came off too eager Rother might resist, and I couldn’t afford that. Staring into his dark eyes, I watched them gleam with desire. With a graveled moan, he snatched a fistful of my hair and devoured my mouth. He ground against me as his tongue relieved me of any last hesitations. The swollen evidence of his interest pressed hard into my hip.
When Rother released my hair, I tore away at my restrictive clothing. His smoldering gaze watched every piece of skin I revealed with a fresh hunger until I was completely bare. Pulling me close, he resumed the kiss. He squeezed and kneaded my backside as my wandering hands dismantled his belt and trousers. Rother wasted no time kicking them away, not even breaking our connection. Unbuttoning his shirt, he moved to slide it off.
“Leave it on,” I whispered against his mouth.
Chuckling, he pulled back, licking his lips. How decadent he appeared partially dressed, and I refused to look away as I walked backwards, leading him to the bed. I climbed up onto my hands and knees, my rear right at the edge where he could reach me.
Coming up behind me, Rother pressed his sex into the valley of my ass. The silky hardness drew a shudder over me. I wanted my husband, but the idea of lovemaking fled with each second.
He bent over my back, his chest hairs tickling my skin as he breathed in my ear. “You want me to take you like this?”
“Please.” I rubbed my cheeks up and down his length in response.
Standing upright, Rother’s hands roamed my back as he made sure I knew how hard he was. He leaned over to the night stand and gathered the oil. I closed my eyes as his fingers defiled me, and I silently begged for more. His movements were rushed, the preparation hurried, and I welcomed it.
Holding my hips, Rother pushed into me. I fisted the sheet as I pushed back, determined to get deeper. Once his balls touched my own, he drew back and sank into me again.
“Harder,” I gasped.
My husband complied. He pounded into me, the slap of his skin a sharp contrast to the brush of his shirt along my thighs. Shoving back, I met each of his thrusts. The impacts jolted my backside, sending shocks through to the front, each surge rushing into my groin. I cried out in matching rhythm, marking the cadence. The charge built into a torrid fire, and it threatened to detonate. My wanton pace left me on the fringe of self-control and I willingly leapt off the precipice.
A guttural howl ripped out of me as I exploded without touching myself, spraying the bedding under me. Rother gasped, his grip tightening into my flesh. Driving shorter and deeper, he shouted a string of expletives and spilled inside me.
My body shivered, the quaking of my release continued far beyond the finish. When Rother finally slipped out of me, I fell forward, not caring about the damp covers beneath me. He climbed up behind me, leaving soft bites along my shoulder and neck as his sated gasps ghosted over my skin.
As my giddy high leveled itself, it brought a wave of guilt with it. My thoughts were elsewhere rather than on the lewd moment I just shared with my husband. I wasn’t sure how to cope with reenacting the scene I shouldn’t have been exposed to in the first place.
Check back next Wednesday for the next installation… Be sure to take a read at the other briefers free reads this week here: Wednesday Briefs
February 10, 2016
Free Reads!! Wednesday Briefs – Innocence & Carnality Part 31
Welcome to the next part in my Wednesday Briefs flash fiction serial, Innocence & Carnality! Each chapter has to be between 500 and 1,000 words and this week I skipped using a prompt. No prompt this week, they were all V.D. filled stuff. Didn’t fit.
Nathan shows Rother his new purchases.
Click here to start from the beginning
Part 31
In front of the dressing mirror I held a new garment against me. The color was bolder than I liked, but Blythe had wasted no time reminding me the outing was to make me more indigenous. He had spouted commentary on every choice, lewd or otherwise. When we approached the undergarments, I sent him outside. Some opinions did not need verbalizing.
“Excellent choices,” Rother said, looking through the wardrobe. “So how much of my money found it’s way into shop owners’ pockets today?”
“None even the smallest coin. I have my own funds, thank you very much.”
“Since when?”
“I brought some savings from Victoria. We stopped at the usury and exchanged it for Francinian currency before visiting the clockwork foundry.”
“You were walking the streets with all that money in your pocket? Are you a complete fool?”
I stopped my task at his harsh tone, turned slowly, and skewered him with a glare of my own.
“No. I was not walking the street with all that money in my pocket. Blythe was. You’ve seen the man, haven’t you? What idiot would take the chance at robbing him? Besides, I’m not familiar with your denominations.” I refused to admit Victorian nobles never carried hard cash on themselves. It was considered common. Trying to shed the more pompous aspects of my past, I decided it was in my best interests to keep the practice to myself.
“Very well.” Rother continued perusing my clothing selections, nodding with a tiny approving smile, when he noticed I’d yet to stop glowering at him.“What?”
“I dare say you owe me an apology.”
We locked eyes for an extended pause. Frowning, he grunted and straightened. “I may have been quick to judge. That was a clever solution. You’re acclimating a little too well. I’m not sure if you should be spending so much time with Blythe after all.”
While it was hardly a proper apology, I was learning to accept the small victories. Rother’s dominant streak gave up little in a battle of wills. It was one of his most frustrating and attractive qualities.
“He does his job well,” I said.
“Yes, he does.” Rother sidled over to the table where more of my purchases rested. “Are these from the clockwork shop?”
“They are.” I couldn’t help but grin at my acquisitions. Each tool and gadget helped ground me, settling my nerves inside Delaga House.
“Are you going to tell me about them?”
“Am I going to bore you to tears in the process?”
Rother stepped in close. “Perhaps, but I like to think if you become excited, you’ll be more… willing afterwards.” His lusty words made me shiver. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t find my husband attractive. I did. Very much so. But I was hardly going to undress and debase myself at his whim like a tawdry mistress. I had standards of seduction and I intended him to meet them.
Even so, I was ecstatic over my new items and wanted to show them off. I jabbered about a few of my new tools until I reached my favorite.
“I found the most brilliant magnification monocle… Hold on…” I scanned over my collection. “Ugh. I bet Harston still has it. He was carrying some of my packages.”
“Well, go get it.”
“You want me to?”
“I’d hate to see your enthusiasm dimmed. Go. You can give me a demonstration.” He gave me a heated stare. “Then I’ll give you one.”
With a glance over my shoulder, I hurried out the door, knowing my fate if I hesitated. Rother’s appetites were insistent, and I was determined to complete my presentation before beginning to submit. I composed myself as I travelled the hallway down to Harston’s room. The door was ajar and ignoring the noises coming from inside, I pushed it open without thinking. The sight froze me at the threshold.
On his hands and knees, Harston crouched naked at the foot of his bed. Behind him, Blythe held a vise-grip on Harston’s waist. My bodyguard thrust his hips forward, over and over, growling as he hammered into my valet. Wearing nothing more than his unbuttoned shirt, it flew about with each thrust, giving me an indecent view. Both men grunted and growled as the tempo held an almost violent cadence.
Even from the doorway, I could scent the sweat and musk. Their coupling was nothing like my encounters with Rother. Lacking the subtlety of a lover’s tryst, this was hedonism on another level. Blythe was little better than an animal and with each pained moan, Harston urged him for more. Bracing his arms, he pushed back into each brutal slam. I swear I could feel each impact, and it made my pulse race. From this angle, I could see the entry point, and the girth shocked me.
My face heated. I didn’t know what to do, and I couldn’t tear myself away from the spectacle. In the end I didn’t have to. It all stopped when Harston gasped.
“Nathan!”
Harston scrambled up the bed, madly trying to cover himself. With hazy eyes confused with lust, Blythe turned towards me, huffing in exertion. He approached me, his open shirt doing nothing to make him decent. It couldn’t hide the glistening slabs of his fur covered chest. His stomach was made up of hard ridges leading to a pair of chiseled thighs. Jutting out between them from a sweaty snarl of hair, his veined and fearsome cock glistened, unwavering with each footstep. The foreskin drawn fully back, the flared, purpled knob looked ready to burst. His physique was nothing like Rother’s sculptural proportions. Blythe was a beast.
We stood staring at each other for far less than it seemed. So stunned by the scene, I couldn’t bring myself to speak. The scar on Blythe’s face making him unreadable. Was he furious at me or not for interrupting?
To answer my question, he reached out and slammed the door shut in my face.
Check back next Wednesday for the next installation… Be sure to take a read at the other briefers free reads this week here: Wednesday Briefs
February 7, 2016
Blog Tour – Deep by A.L. Bates with BONUS #EXCERPT #GIVEAWAY
Title: Deep
Author: A.L. Bates
Genre: Science Fiction, Gay Romance, Gay SciFi
Length: Long Novella
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing
Synopsis
Fleeing from a troubled past that left him feeling tarnished and used, Sean finds work as a medic aboard the deep sea mining ship Ariel, on a distant planet.
Under the leader ship of the infuriating, yet charismatic, Captain Joel Riley, Sean settles into his simple, but dangerous, new life. It’s a life he soon comes to love; albeit one in which he conceals his sexuality and avoids intimacy.
But Sean’s new world is turned on its head when an old face threatens to expose him for the man he used to be.
With Joel’s help, will Sean learn to come to terms with his past and become a man he can be proud of?
Buy Links
Don’t miss the Valentine’s Day Sale (February 11-17) 50% off on WIP’s website and 40% off on ARe!
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/deep-by-al-bates/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-deep-1969763-177.html
Book Trailer
Giveaway
Prizes: $10 WIP Gift Card + $4.99 WIP Gift Card
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/d3e3d66a65/”; rel=”nofollow” data-raflid=”d3e3d66a65″ data-theme=”classic” data-template=”” id=”rcwidget_io874t9t”>a Rafflecopter giveaway
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Excerpt
Sean stopped him, pushing his hand away before it could make contact. “What are you doing?”
With a sigh, Joel stepped back. “Trying to take care of you.”
“Why?”
“You know why.” Joel twisted his lips, struggling to get out his next words. “I-I care about you. I care about you a lot and I want to care for you.”
A pang of guilt surged through Sean. He’d never expected Joel to be so open with his feelings. He thought the captain would try to ignore what had happened between them, or discard it as a moment of madness. He should have remembered that Joel never made anything easy for him.
“Captain, Joel, I….” Sean toyed with the blanket. “I meant what I said. What happened that night was a mistake.”
Joel gave him a challenging look. “You don’t find me attractive, is that it?”
“It’s not that.” It definitely wasn’t that. “I just don’t want to do this. I don’t want you to care for me and I’d be grateful if you stopped.”
Joel looked bemused. “You want me to stop caring about you?”
“Yes, please.”
“Sorry, Doc, you kind of stirred up a lot of deep feelings I didn’t even realize I had. I’m not sure I can simply cut them out. Not sure I want to, either.”
“I’d be grateful if you could try for the remainder of the voyage, since I’m stuck here.” Sean fixed him with his most serious look. “If you do care about me, then that would be the caring thing to do.”
About the author
A.L. BATES has a keen interest in Sci-fi and adventure novels and enjoys writing stories with strong characters in imaginative backgrounds. Although an avid writer, Deep is the first published novella by A.L. Bates.
A.L. Bates can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralbates
February 4, 2016
Release Day – Callum’s Fate by Dianne Hartsock
Synopsis
In 1780, Scotland, following a harsh year of drought, Callum Mackenzie is forced from his father’s farm in the hopes of finding work.
But as fate would have it, Callum is lured onto the moors by the will-o-the-wisp. Lost in the dark, he falls into enchantment, encountering faeries and nymphs, until he stumbles into the arms of a licentious Barrow-Wight who lays claim to his soul.
Hearing his silent pleas, Donal sends Liam the gruagach (faery) to rescue Callum and bring him to his farm, a place of refuge from the Fae.
Callum is happy working on Donal’s farm, slowly falling in love with the beautiful, silver-haired gruagach.
Yet there’s something wrong in the nearby forest….
Despite Donal’s warnings, Callum is lured into the forest and becomes tangled in its magic, easy prey for the Barrow-Wight.
Will Liam be able to strike a deal with the Barrow-Wight to save Callum’s life, or has Callum found his last resting place instead?
Buy Links
Don’t miss the sale on Amazon! 30% off for the first 48 hours after release.
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/callums-fate-by-dianne-hartsock/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Callums-Fate-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B01B383YP0/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Callums-Fate-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B01B383YP0/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Callums-Fate-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B01B383YP0/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Callums-Fate-Dianne-Hartsock-ebook/dp/B01B383YP0/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-callum039sfate-1973471-143.html
Video Trailer
Excerpt
Mists closed around him and hid the moon in a veil of cold grey. He came to a stumbling halt, fear pounding through him in time to the wild beat of his heart. As he caught his breath, he heard the unmistakable sound of flowing water, perhaps a creek winding through the heather. Callum gnawed his lips. Danger lurked on the water’s edge for an unwary man.
On the other hand, men built homes along the waterways and learned to guard against the faery folk. He sighed. Either choice spelled risk, but hunger and loneliness won out and sent him in search of the water’s path through the thick heath.
The gray fog made it hard to see his way and he cursed when he stepped into the creek before he knew he’d come to it. An icy chill raced up his leg and he glanced around, feeling as if he’d been startled from a dream. The mists were gone, leaving the fields bright with moonlight. Faint music caught his ears and he spied several globes of light in the distance. Will-o’-the-wisp? He didn’t know, but the haunting melody tugged at his heart and he walked toward it, careful of his footing.
It was caution that saved him before he made the fatal mistake of stepping into the faery ring that suddenly appeared at his feet. He might have become lost in their dark realm. He stared down, delighted with the brightly dressed wee folk fluttering and dancing in the circle of mushrooms. Laughter floated up to him and he smiled reflexively. Several of the pretty creatures spied him and flittered up to tug at his clothing with tiny hands. These were male, scantily dressed, and one saucy lad winked a bright eye and flew up to nibble at his lips.
Callum laughed and shooed them gently off. “I’m not fool enough to join you,” he told the three hovering near his face.
About the author
DIANNE HARTSOCK is the author of m/m erotic romance, both contemporary and fantasy, the psychological thriller, and anything else that comes to mind. Oh, and a floral designer. If she can’t be writing, at least she has the chance to create through the rich colors and textures of flowers and foliage to bring a smile to someone’s face.
Currently, Dianne lives in the 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.
Social links
Website: https://diannehartsock.wordpress.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/diannehartsock
Twitter: https://twitter.com/diannehartsock
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/diannehartsock/
Book 3 is on its way!
I just signed the contract for Priest & Pariahs – Ship Logs of the Santa Claus – Book 3 with Wayward Ink! Get ready for a new adventure!
Stay Tuned! More details to come!
February 2, 2016
Free Reads!! Wednesday Briefs – Innocence & Carnality Part 30
Welcome to the next part in my Wednesday Briefs flash fiction serial, Innocence & Carnality! Each chapter has to be between 500 and 1,000 words and this week I skipped using a prompt. This week’s prompt was: Use honor, burr, pride.
Blythe gives Nathan some history.
Click here to start from the beginning
Part 30
“Now you have nothing to say?” I asked.
The uncharacteristic discomfort Blythe met me with intrigued me. It was not like him at all.
“You won’t think much of me if I tell you.”
“I don’t think much of you now. How will that make any difference?”
Blythe snorted as he tried to suppress his grin. I wasn’t sure goading him would work, but he looked around the shop, making sure no one was close by, and lowered his voice.
“Only Rother and Samantha know. You can’t breathe a word to anyone. Even Harston.”
“You have my word.”
“I was waiting to hang when Rother found me.”
Now I was the uncomfortable one. “I don’t understand. For what?”
Blythe threw a glance at the shopkeeper across the store. “Piracy…”
“You were a pirate?” I wanted to laugh—the whole idea sounded ludicrous—but Blythe was so earnest I kept quiet. My bodyguard was repulsive in many ways, but a liar? No. “How is that even possible?”
“Some men find themselves with few options. No money, no home. You take what you can get. We’re not all so fortunate.”
Intended or not, I felt a sting at his words. One hears stories of brigands on the seas, but men of my upbringing were hardly expected to meet one. “You’re right. I guess I can’t picture that kind of existence.”
“It gave me purpose, such as it was. I loved being at sea. We prowled the North Straits. No rules. Taking what we wanted.”
“And a man hangs for that?”
“No. A man hangs for murder.”
Dread pinched at my chest, but I refused to overreact. “What happened?”
“On the way to Demanthia, a crew member wound up dead. Turned out he was an officer spying on us. We weren’t exactly law abiding citizens. Heard he got drunk and spilled his guts. When he missed a meeting in port, the Naval fleet boarded us and the captain gave me up.”
I hesitated, not knowing whether I truly wanted the answer. “You didn’t…”
Blythe shook his head. “I barely laid eyes on him and I never even spoke to the man.”
“Why in the world would the captain blame you? Did he have no honor?”
“Pretty sure he was responsible… and his boy liked my cock better.”
Unprepared, I cringed and my cheeks heated, embarrassed by the crude statement. A quick check to be sure the owner hadn’t heard, I drifted further down the aisle, pretending interest in a series of clockwork springs.
“How does Rother enter into this?”
“He was traveling, looking for hired muscle. Delaga House was brand new. I was scheduled to hang in forty-eight hours. I’ve done a lot of shitty things in my day, but I didn’t kill that man. Rother was the only one who believed me.”
“How did you avoid your sentence?”
“Rother had Samantha distract the guards. They stole the key and all the criminal records at the guard house. They broke me out.”
“How did Samantha distract… never mind. Stupid question.”
“We changed my name, cleaned me up and I became a new man of Francine. I’ve never looked back.”
“What happened to the legal documents?”
“Rother keeps them in his safe as insurance, but he doesn’t need them. My pride is all I need to be loyal. I’m a good man with means now. I owe Rother my life.”
Blythe’s current definition of what constituted being a good man made me wonder how corrupt he’d been before his arrest. Perception was relative, no doubt. Even so, his conviction couldn’t be mistaken and I had to reserve any judgements on that basis alone. Not counting his willingness to confide such sensitive information, of course. Something else bothered me. Blythe’s past, while alarming, was not the burr in my heel.
Rother went shopping in a prison and used the situation to conscript the man into service.
It was a subversive thought. One which could create any number of difficulties if I explored it. My husband’s business practices were not becoming easier to accept. The immoral aspects were troubling enough, but was there a common theme? Samantha indebted herself to Rother after being rescued. Coincidence? Rother understood people and their needs and desires; his industry required it. Would more of his employees have similar tales? Was I searching for conspiracies where none truly existed?
“Thank you for telling me. I’m sorry I pressured you. It wasn’t exactly fair of me.”
Blythe shook his head. “You should know what kind of man works for you.”
“Well, for Rother, at least.”
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s the same thing.”
Harston’s recruitment still needled me. While only serving drinks, could an argument be made for a future agenda? The longer he stayed, what else would be expected of him? And when I extrapolated that direction of thinking, one other scenario reared its paranoid face.
“Could you answer me something?”
“Sure.”
“You’ve known Rother far longer than I have. He’s very good at bringing people into the fold. Do you ever think Rother would expect me to perform services for Delaga House?”
I felt ridiculous for asking as soon as I uttered the question.
“You mean shagging clients?” Blythe stared at me, the scar on his face keeping me from seeing whether he was smirking or sneering at my idiocy. I averted my eyes, unable to let him see my shame.
Blythe grunted. “Never. Rother’s always been way too possessive to share his boys.”
“Boys, plural?”
“Figure of speech.” This time I could see his grin. “I imagine he’ll be worse with a husband.”
I shook my head, ridding myself of the notion. “Thank you. I don’t know what got into me.”
“I’d tell you, but you’d slap me after. Come on. Gather your purchases and we’ll collect Harston and get to the clothier. Your day is wasting.”
Blythe was right. It was time to improve my wardrobe to better find my place among Delaga House.
Check back next Wednesday for the next installation… Be sure to take a read at the other briefers free reads this week here: Wednesday Briefs
January 29, 2016
Release Day Blitz – Deep by A.L. Bates
Fleeing from a troubled past that left him feeling tarnished and used, Sean finds work as a medic aboard the deep sea mining ship Ariel, on a distant planet.
Under the leader ship of the infuriating, yet charismatic, Captain Joel Riley, Sean settles into his simple, but dangerous, new life. It’s a life he soon comes to love; albeit one in which he conceals his sexuality and avoids intimacy.
But Sean’s new world is turned on its head when an old face threatens to expose him for the man he used to be.
With Joel’s help, will Sean learn to come to terms with his past and become a man he can be proud of?
Buy Links
Don’t miss the limited time 30% discount across Amazon sites!
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/deep-by-al-bates/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-deep-1969763-177.html
Book Trailer
Excerpt
Joel Riley was a difficult captain to work under, and for his first season in the Deep, Sean was pretty sure he despised the man. But another season in he’d grown accustomed to the captain’s volatile temper and inability to compromise. Joel had been a miner all his life, born on Titan to a family of miners. He had the sea in his veins and Ariel was his heart. There was a confidence to Joel that drew the crew to him and an arrogance that kept him slightly out of reach. Rugged, strong, and built for hard labor, he was the exact opposite of Sean—and yet of all the crew, Sean felt closest to Joel. Sean understood the captain’s approach, his passions, and he trusted the older man with his life.
“Captain, is everything all right?” Sean said from the entrance.
Joel jumped, knocking his knees on the control board. “Jesus, boy! What you doing creeping around in the middle of the night?”
“I wasn’t creeping,” Sean said.
“Skulking around, spying on people, and you reckon that’s not creeping,” Joel grumbled.
Sean thought better of continuing into an argument. If Joel’s mood was testy they were going to go around in circles annoying each other.
“I was about to turn in,” Sean said, deciding it was best to be passive.
“You looking for permission?” Joel’s tone was still curt, but it wasn’t really directed at Sean. Something else was bothering him.
“No, I just thought I’d come in and say good night.”
Joel sighed, apparently appeased by the lack of confrontation. He gave Sean a weak, tired smile. “Better get some rest, Doc. Couple of hours and Harvey will need you to stitch something, no doubt.”
Wasn’t that the truth. Harvey, their engineer, was pretty good when it came to mineral mining and keeping the ship moving, but he could injure himself getting into his dive suit.
“What about you, Sir?”
“I’m not planning on cutting anything,” Joel said, his smile strengthening.
“I meant are you turning in?”
Joel hesitated. Usually the captain was impossible to read, but every so often Sean got hints of the man behind the muscle. There was a softness to him, hidden behind the square jaw and piercing eyes. Sean had always been drawn to his vulnerable side. It crept in from time to time, reminding Sean that the captain, despite liking to pretend he was a demigod, was just a man. A good man.
“Not yet.” A shadow seemed to be hanging over him.
“Would you mind some company?” Sean offered, sensing the captain had something he needed to get off his chest.
“Suit yourself.” It was as close to an invitation as Joel ever gave anyone.
About the author
A.L. BATES has a keen interest in Sci-fi and adventure novels and enjoys writing stories with strong characters in imaginative backgrounds. Although an avid writer, Deep is the first published novella by A.L. Bates.
A.L. Bates can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralbates
January 26, 2016
Free Reads!! Wednesday Briefs – Innocence & Carnality Part 29
Welcome to the next part in my Wednesday Briefs flash fiction serial, Innocence & Carnality! Each chapter has to be between 500 and 1,000 words and this week I skipped using a prompt. I couldn’t figure out how to fit it in and this chapter had to be specific.
Nathan goes shopping with Harston and Blythe.
Click here to start from the beginning
Part 29
“I thought you were shopping for clothes,” Blythe said.
I didn’t look his way as I entered the shop, Harston at my side. “I am. I need more clothing with a Francine sensibility.”
Blythe sounded utterly confused. “Then why are we here?”
“Because there’s more to me than a new wardrobe.”
My head spun at all the lovely gadgets. The machinist shop appeared to have every conceivable tool and piece of clockwork known to man. My personal form of heaven. I managed to pry the address from Rother and added it to our route. It had been some time since I had something new and shiny.
The shop was impressive. I strummed my fingers along the rows of bins containing gears, springs, and gauges. My first outing within my new environment, this was something I found familiar. Each tiny part made me smile, the warmth inside me growing with each step.
“So this mess gets you hot?” Blythe asked.
I was in too good a mood to answer. Along one display, I found an intriguing monocle.
“What does that do?” Blythe asked.
I thumbed the dial, watching a variety of lenses spin into place. “It magnifies your view so you can work on devices with miniature parts.”
“Will that help fix the windup toy Rother has sitting next to the bed?”
“Ugh.” I nearly dropped the device. “How could you bring up such a topic?”
“So you’re saying you haven’t played with it?” Blythe’s grinned, no doubt pleased he gained a reaction from me.
“When he told me what it was for, I couldn’t bring myself to touch it. I also told him to keep it away from me. It can stay broken.” The vile thing had multiple appendages. No. Just no.
“So Rother’s not encouraging your hobby so you can create a bunch of toys for the house?”
“I should say not.”
Harston looked aghast at Blythe. “Your ideas are amazingly shameless.”
“Thank you.” He straightened his vest, wearing a mocking smirk.
“It’s not a compliment.”
“That’s just ‘cause you’re new.” Blythe’s grin turned into a leer. “You’d change your tune if you got a little shameless all up in you.”
Harston went scarlet. Deciding it wasn’t worth ruining my good day, I walked away as they began to argue. Well, Harston argued. Blythe was far too entertained over the exchange. The poor shop owner looked lost. I wandered to the opposite side, pretending to be alone.
I lost track of time playing with new clockwork baubles, imagining all sorts of new and wonderful possible creations. The shop was quiet once more when Blythe appeared next to me. Alone.
“Where’s Harston?”
“Waiting for us outside. I may have offended his sensibilities a bit.”
“No doubt.”
“I’m not on the payroll to be pretty.”
“I never would have guessed.”
After seeing Harston out the front window, I continued my tour. I added a number of tools to my collection. One could never have enough. With every step, Blythe was my constant shadow. From his expression, there was nothing of interest in here.
“You must find this all incredibly boring.”
He shrugged. “Yeah. But at some point you’ll move on, start shopping for clothes, and we’ll get to the undergarments.”
Two weeks had passed since my unfortunate introduction to Delaga House’s mysteries. Blythe’s penchant for shocking me had less power than when I arrived, but he still managed to catch me off guard regularly. I was adjusting, but slowly. I found if I treated his barbs as a challenge, they unsettled me less. However, it didn’t mean I approved of his abhorrent outbursts.
“Do you ever spend time thinking about something other than young men in their undergarments?”
“I often spend time picturing young men out of their undergarments.”
He was so earnest, I wanted to scream. Rother had his bawdy side, but Blythe’s uncouth manner bordered on corrupt. He reveled in his lusts and harbored no regrets for them. Five minutes in his presence would make my mother faint. And not with one of her stage-faints, either. It would be real.
In contrast, he held an uncanny loyalty. At no time did I ever feel he shirked his duty; he’d already proved his dedication to protecting me. So much so, he insisted on escorting Harston and I, and I realized it wasn’t to be an isolated incident.
“Am I to assume every time I step out the door I’m to be saddled with you?”
“My job is to protect Rother’s interests. So, yes.” He nudged me with his giant shoulder, nearly knocking me into a wall of bolts and screws. “Admit it. You like me.”
“I tolerate you. And my offer to drag you behind the moving carriage still stands.”
“If it keeps me employed, I’m good with that.”
Verbal sparring aside, he still chaffed me.
“How exactly did you come into Rother’s employ? I can only imagine the sordid stories most of the men and women have and Rother gave me an abbreviated history on how he and Samantha became acquainted.”
Blythe’s off-color attitude sobered, his voice roughening. “I imagine he gave you enough details.”
I paused, my curiosity in full bloom. Nothing fazed the man, but he sounded reluctant to answer.
“Not enough to fashion a story.”
“How much did he say?” I hadn’t known the man long, but he’d never spoken in such cautious tones to me.
“Only that you liked the boys, but were never one of them.”
“That’s true.”
“It still doesn’t tell me how you met.”
“Why would you want to know?” He stepped in close, lowering his voice and towering over me. No doubt it was an attempt to intimidate me. I was far too intrigued to be shooed away, so I raised my chin.
“You know more about my history than I do about yours. I think it would only be fair. After all that’s gone on, I deserve to know more about the man assigned to protect me.”
Check back next Wednesday for the next installation… Be sure to take a read at the other briefers free reads this week here: Wednesday Briefs
January 22, 2016
Cover Reveal – Deep by A.L. Bates
Fleeing from a troubled past that left him feeling tarnished and used, Sean finds work as a medic aboard the deep sea mining ship Ariel, on a distant planet.
Under the leadership of the infuriating, yet charismatic, Captain Joel Riley, Sean settles into his simple, but dangerous, new life. It’s a life he soon comes to love; albeit one in which he conceals his sexuality and avoids intimacy.
But Sean’s new world is turned on its head when an old face threatens to expose him for the man he used to be.
With Joel’s help, will Sean learn to come to terms with his past and become a man he can be proud of?
Pre-order Links
Don’t miss out the 30% pre-order sale on Amazon, the ARe 25% off sale till January 23rd, WIP’s Unzipping 2016 Sale – 35% off all list titles till January 24th, or the huge Australia Day Sale–January 25 to January 27—50% off all titles on WIP’s website and 35% off on ARe!
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/deep-by-al-bates/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-deep-1969763-177.html
Book Trailer
Excerpt
THE HARDEST THING about working on Ariel was the absence of day and night. That deep in the ocean the hours passed in meaningless numbers as the ship floated in the endless depths of Titan, a rich oceanic moon orbiting Jupiter. Sean’s body clock had never adjusted. Three seasons underwater and he still found himself falling asleep during his shift in the infirmary or staring up at his bedroom ceiling, wide awake.
His head dropped sharply, the suddenness of it waking him up. He looked about, checking that no one had been in and caught him napping. Any of the five other crew members onboard were capable of tormenting him when his guard was down. During his first season the pranks were unbearable, but Sean had been a different man back then. He didn’t understand how to fit in and be part the crew. He took their games to heart for a long time.
It was better now. He was better. They still played their pranks, and sometimes he still got annoyed, but he appreciated them. The crew were family, and he cared for them all deeply. He never thought a man from his walk of life, with all his wealth and all his privilege, would happily settle on a rusty old mining ship with a group of feral deep-sea laborers. He expected the rest of the crew thought the same.
Sean stretched and yawned. His body had changed dramatically since he’d taken his first dive, too. You had to be strong and maintain good physical health working this deep. His body was toned and lithe and bigger than it had been when he first showed up on Titan looking for a job.
“You’re a bit young and scrawny to be a doctor, aren’t you?” the captain had said to him that day in the docking station, seeing a man barely scraping twenty-three and not fit for more than standing around and looking pretty.
Sean had given him some pompous reply that still made him cringe when he thought back to it. Sometimes he suspected the captain only took him on to try to break him. Captain Riley could be a sadistic bastard when he wanted to be.
About the author
A.L. BATES has a keen interest in Sci-fi and adventure novels and enjoys writing stories with strong characters in imaginative backgrounds. Although an avid writer, Deep is the first published novella by A.L. Bates.
A.L. Bates can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralbates
