Kaje Harper's Blog, page 3

Happy Holidays

Very best Holiday wishes to all of you - may your days be filled with sweet moments and small pleasures.



I didn't publish a Holiday story this year, but I do have a two part Thanksgiving + Christmas 16K short novella on my website as a free read.

This is a fake-relationship meet-cute hurt-comfort type story. I hope readers enjoy Serendipity The story begins here: https://www.kajeharper.com/?p=3671

And that means my last published book for the year is
Avocado Protection - readers seem to be having fun with this somewhat tropey bodyguard-scientist novella.

https://books2read.com/AvocadoProtection

Rocking Karma is out now!

I've had great fun working on the first book in this year's The Road to Rocktoberfest 2023 and now Rocking Karma : The Road to Rocktoberfest 2023 is available on AZ in ebook, paper, and in KU. - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C...

Dax is a mixing tech, a loner, focused on the success of his brother's band. Lane, the band's bassist, is juggling a secret label-exec "boyfriend" and his love of doing drag. But when the boyfriend shows his ugly face, and the two men figure out what they have in common, it's time to give karma a helping hand.

* opposites attract
* slow burn
* rockstar and mixing technician
* emotional abuse
* the love of a little white dog
* the pillow-destruction of a little white dog
* hurt-comfort and karma

Cam and Erik from Hidden Blade have a cameo, but this book stands alone. If you like rockstar romance, you'll have a great time with the whole new series for this year: The Road to Rocktoberfest 2023 - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CCDHNZ7B

Out today - "Midnight in the Renaissance Elevator"

Midnight in The Renaissance Elevator: A Charity Anthology - Release day for this charity anthology https://www.amazon.com/Midnight-Renai...

Imagine, if you will, a hotel elevator lobby. On one side, two normal, well-behaved elevators carry guests up and down.
On the other side, a lurching, scraping, door-slamming, foot-grabbing, malevolent conveyance.

It's almost midnight, you press the lobby button, and the doors only open on that elevator. Do you wait for another? Do you get in and ride the haunted Renaissance elevator at midnight?

My story is a contemporary tinged with a hint of the mysterious - Saved by the Bell - Kyle leaves his boyfriend sleeping to head out to a get-together, but when he convinces himself to ride the "death" elevator, it takes him up, not down. There, a hulking teen athlete gets on, hoodie pulled up, not looking happy about seeing Kyle. Thoughts of Kyle's teen tormentors years ago make his heart race...

29 authors give you our take on the haunted elevator in paranormal, fantasy, and contemporary short stories (most with HEAs) - come, ride the elevator if you dare.

On AZ in ebook and paper, and in KU with proceeds going to the Trevor Project.

Upcoming book - Rocktoberfest 2023

Last year, I had great fun giving readers Cam and Erik, two musicians dealing with roadblocks on their way to Rocktoberfest, the huge concert in the desert.

Now get ready for The Road to Rocktoberfest 2023 - 12 new stories, leading off with my own "Rocking Karma." on OCT 3.



Meet Dax, a talented mixing technician who left his painful past behind and chose his new name, but can't quite shake the echoes that haunt him.

Meet Lane, a young bass player striving to meet the challenges of his new band. The music part is easy. Swimming in the shark-infested waters of fame, including a possessive and toxic relationship with an older man? Not so much.

Meet "Corvus Rising" - a band that knows family is what you create, not where you're born.

Preorder Rocking Karma : The Road to Rocktoberfest 2023 on AZ - https://www.amazon.com/Rocking-Karma-...

And check out the whole series, with books by
10/3/23 Kaje Harper
10/6/23 Gabbi Gray
10/10/23 Ari McKay
10/13/23 Angelique Jurd
10/17/23 Blake Allwood
10/20/23 BL Maxwell
10/24/23 Lynn Michaels
10/27/23 Layla Dorine
10/31/23 JP Sayle
11/3/23 TL Travis
11/7/23 Christie Gordon
11/10/23 CJ Barlowe

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C...? See less

Magic Burning is out!

Magic Burning - my story in the Carnival of Mysteries - is now available.

snarky matchmaking familiar
closeted firefighter dodging his big family
elementary teacher and sorcerer, of sorts
fire elemental on the loose
a Carnival where all things are possible

. Check out Magic Burning on Amazon (sorry folks, not wide until the series contract us up in about 9 months, but paper is available on Amazon) - [Buy on Amazon US]

excerpt:

Chapter 3 - Alan

…

Jason picked up his menu. “So, are we going for the known goodness of chicken, or having an adventure?”

“Adventure, definitely.” I scanned mine. “Shrimp fettuccini, then.” The seafood wouldn’t be Bellingham-just-caught, like my mother insisted on, but should still be fresh.

“Steak for me.”

“That’s an adventure?”

His lips twitched. “Could be, depending how hard they cook it.”

I was struck by the shape of his face, less angular and more square-looking without the shadow of stubble. “You shaved. I like it, although I like the rugged look too. Or you could rock a close-cut beard. Have you ever tried one?”

“Can’t do it. The mask of our breathing apparatus might not seal right over a beard, and I’m kinda fond of oxygen.”

A sudden arrow struck me under the ribs, the realization that he sometimes wore that mask to keep from dying in the middle of a fire. What am I getting myself into?

Just sex, hopefully. I calmed myself and focused on the bulge of his biceps under the T-shirt sleeves and the width of his chest. Hot sex. “A pity. I like a beard on my thighs.” That got me another flush across his fair skin. “Just to be clear, I’m gay, hoping you’re some form of gay-bi-pan. I’m definitely hoping you’re interested in exploring our horizontal, and vertical, options.” There, get this on the correct solid footing, no emotional mess.

…

This story was great fun to write, and the first two books out show how the common Carnival element can be played with in different ways. Magic Burning stands alone, but expect a few Necromancer cameos, despite the 60 year jump forward in time. :)

I hope readers will enjoy this one. I think it's going to be one of my own favorites.

 

Jasper is here

Found by Jasper - Necromancer book 7 is now available!

Jasper, Hamish, and the Professor have no intention of seeking out adventure, but adventure comes looking for them.

universal link: https://books2read.com/FoundByJasper

* Hamish has been rescued, but sometimes freedom is harder than it should be.
* Jasper now has time to dive into his books and his work, but that can be lonely.
* Professor Xsing of the Transitional Dynamics Laboratories is having the time of his life, but he's not sure if he can ever bring all his discoveries back Home.

Then a faint magical plea for help brings them together in a desperate mission, with hope and love at its end.
First times, demisexual, friends to lovers, and a very curious raccoon.

And if you haven't tried this series yet, book 1 - Marked by Death - is FREE on all ebook vendors: https://books2read.com/u/4ERMRY

Magical New Series

I'm thrilled to announce I have an upcoming book in a fun new series - Carnival of Mysteries - a shared-element story (like the Magic Emporium), but in this case, the MCs in each book will visit Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. The Carnival changes to suit the world it’s on, so each visit is unique and special.

The first 4 books (of a total of 16) will be :

Crow’s Fate , by Kim Fielding - July 12
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5PNQ1NY

Step Right Up by L.A. Witt - July 19
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5S7SW3X

Magic Burning by Kaje Harper - July 26
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5TVRH9C/

Night-blooming Hearts by Megan Derr - Aug 2
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5SZKG16

In my book, Magic Burning :
(GR link - https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...)

Alan
I haven't been out with a guy in the last two years. Partly because I'm a gay elementary-school teacher in a fairly small, conservative town. Partly because I'm a sorcerer, and dating ordinary humans only leads to trouble. Sleeping with one though? That's doable, so when my birdbrained familiar Sunny lines up a tall, muscular firefighter for me, I'm not going to say no. Just once, though. Maybe twice. I don't need more trouble in my life.

Jason
I don't regret moving back to my hometown and my big family. Well, not much. I'm not out to them, and I miss the anonymity of the big city, but I like the local fire house and the slower-paced life. Still, when I see my niece's teacher, Mr. Hiranchai, in gray sweatpants talking to a mini-parrot on his shoulder, something inside me (or maybe something in front of me) perks up and says "I want that one." I can't have an actual boyfriend, but I sure wouldn't mind getting laid, and Alan's slim, dark-haired, smart-assed style rings all my bells.

It's no surprise we turn out to be great together, even if my job and his responsibilities make it hard to find time. It is a surprise when I realize I want more than just an occasional night. But some weird fires out in the brush keep us firefighters hopping, and when this strange carnival comes to town and lands me with a pair of magical doll shoes, life gets truly confusing. There's more to Alan than he's telling me, and I'm getting a bad, bad feeling about all this.

Magic Burning is a story in the Necromancer universe, 60 years after Marked by Death, and is part of the multi-author Carnival of Mysteries Series. Each book stands alone, but each one includes at least one visit to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries, a magical, multiverse traveling show full of unusual acts, games, and rides. This book contains a snarky, matchmaking bird, a lonely young teacher, and a gay firefighter finally coming out to his large family.

A word to my wide readers - this series will begin in KU (sorry, folks), but will go wide 6 months after all the 16 stories are released.

"Unseen Past: A Hidden Wolves Prequel" now available

I wasn't going to write more wolves, but when I started a little prequel flash fiction as an Advent story, Sawyer and James hijacked my heart and mind and I ended up with a novel. Unseen Past is now available on all vendors.

Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/mgPkpD
Amazon US : https://www.amazon.com/Unseen-Past-Hidden-Wolves-Prequel-ebook/dp/B0BX9WTY5H/

excerpt:
Sawyer stared down at the unconscious man. If the guy’d been hit on the head and needed any care more complicated than rest and warmth, he was shit out of luck. Still, wolves were tough. If they didn’t die right away, they usually healed. Sawyer knelt and ran his hands through the wet, black hair, feeling the man’s scalp. As his fingers brushed a slight roughness in the skin, the man’s eyes snapped open.

Gray. Yeah. For an instant, their gazes met and held. The man took a sharp breath, which Sawyer echoed.

Then the stranger scrambled to get off the couch, naked long legs and arms flailing inelegantly. Sawyer could’ve pinned him in place, but he could read fear in the man’s posture and scent. Sawyer rose and backed off, hands raised, palms out. “Hey, chill out. You’re fine. James, right?”

“Who’re you?” James’s voice came out deeper than Sawyer expected, with a hint of Southern drawl.

Still baritone to Sawyer’s bass, of course. “This is my cabin.” For the week, anyhow. “I get to ask the questions.”

“I’m naked on your couch. The hell you do!” That angry flash of gray eyes was a good effort, but Sawyer figured he could put James in his place with one hand tied behind his back.

Sawyer narrowed his gaze. “What was that, pup?”

James scrambled to his feet, put his hands on his hips, then hissed in pain. “Ouch, dern it, my fingers.” He swayed on his feet. “And toes.” Shaking his hands gingerly, he eyed Sawyer. “I’m not a pup. I’m a full pack member. Are you…” He glanced around the small cabin. “Are you a lone wolf? Are you Sawyer Holt?”

Sawyer leaped and shoved James back two steps, pinning him against the log wall of the cabin, a hand on his throat. “Where’d you hear that name?” He got up in James’s face, leaning heavily on him, using his size and weight to dominate.

For a scrawny youngster, James didn’t flinch or drop his eyes the way he should’ve. “I was sent to look for you. Let go of me, you lunkhead. My feet are killing me.”

“Boohoo.” Sawyer didn’t back off an inch. “Who sent you?”

“Rick Brown, the Chicago Alpha. You ever heard of him?”

Heard of him? Hell, yeah. I know Rick Brown… Memories cascaded, jolting Sawyer into loosening his grip on the pup’s throat. “How do you know Rick Brown? Why’s he giving you orders?”

“He’s not my Alpha.” James pushed Sawyer’s hand away with a forearm and Sawyer let him go. “My Alpha’s in Roanoke, but he sent me and—” He shook his head. “The details don’t matter. Alpha told me to make myself useful to Chicago’s Alpha while I was there. Rick Brown looked me over like he knew the color of my underwear, said, ‘I have an errand for you,’ and here I am.”

“But how?” The cabin was well off the beaten path. Sawyer didn’t think even Rick was that psychic.

“He sent me to a man named Bill Stoltz in Minot with a freaking code word. Stoltz looked at me, said, ‘Oh, you’re the kid,’ and told me how to find this place. I’ve been driving twenty-four hours to deliver the Chicago Alpha’s message.”

At least that made sense. “What message, precisely?”

“He said to tell you—” James’s eyes unfocused. “Three can keep a secret if two of them are dead. Oscar isn’t dead, and he’s good friends with Leon now. It’s time for you to move on.”

“Fuck.” Sawyer whirled away, restraining his impulse to sweep every loose item within reach to the floor, make everything smash. His boss would take the damages out of his paycheck, and apparently he was going to need all his money. “Fuck!”

“What does the message mean?” James stepped toward him, then hissed in pain. “I’m gonna sit down. My toes feel like they’re fixin’ to fall off.”

“Because you’re the idiot out in a snowstorm dressed like a Sunday picnic.”

James dropped onto the couch and felt carefully around his reddened nose. “Wolves can handle cold better’n humans. Don’t need much protection. Everyone knows that.”

“Cold, yeah, up to a point. But below freezing, a blizzard? Have you ever even seen snow?”

“Hey, it snows in Norfolk. Some.”

“Yeah, right.” Sawyer strode over and tapped on the frost-edged front window where the thermometer hung against the glass. “It’s five below out there and dropping, and there’s at least ten inches on the ground by now. You get that in your precious Norfolk?”

James blew on his fingers without answering.

“Thought not.” Seeing the guy flinch and then shiver, Sawyer backed off his attitude a bit. He snatched the throw blanket off the back of the couch and draped it over James’s naked shoulders. “Let me see those fingers.”

The look in James’s eyes wasn’t friendly, but he held up his hand. Sawyer caught his wrist and peered at the skin. He held back a whistle, seeing the ends of each pale finger red, swollen and shiny. Not blue or black, at least, but… “Gonna lose some skin, I’d bet. Let me check the rest of you.”

James growled under his breath but didn’t push Sawyer away as he checked James’s extremities. Toes… might lose a couple of tips there. Gonna be a mess. Ears and nose, just a little damage. He restrained himself from checking the man’s dick. That would be bad.

“Frostbite, for sure. You’d be best off shifting if you can. Get some healing started.”

“You aren’t afraid of me being wolf while you’re in skin?”

Sawyer let himself laugh because he had a feeling humor was going to be hard to come by. “You planning to challenge me, boy?”

James flushed and shrugged. “Just wanted to ask. But before I shift, I need to know. What did that message mean, and why’d it make you cuss like that?”

Saying none of your business would be true, but it might be best to warn James, at least a little. “Leon’s an old enemy of mine in the Chicago pack. Oscar was a friend. When I left the pack and came here, Oscar was one of the few who knew where I’d gone.” Or that I survived. Rick made my death look good.

“And Rick Brown thinks that Leon guy might come after you? All the way out here? Jeez, it must be five hundred miles. What did you do to him?”

Humiliated him after stealing our father’s affection, if you were to ask Leon. And then escaped my punishment. After fifteen years, he’d hoped Leon would’ve cooled off and given up, but since Rick had sent that warning, then clearly not. “Why is none of your business. You just need to know, if some other wolf shows up here looking for me, it won’t be a friendly reunion…”

Read more about Sawyer and James in Unseen Past - Universal Link

The Distant Hills and Other Stories now out

I'm happy to see this collection - The Distant Hills and Other Stories - go out into the world. New love and old, hurt-comfort and humor, meet-cutes and second chances, young men, older ones (and a zombie raccoon) - stories from flash fic to 10K to entertain you, make you chuckle, or touch your heart.

Now on Amazon in ebook and Paperback and coming next week wide. (Sorry for the delay, wide-release folk. It will be out wide March 2nd, and is currently on preorder; there was a distribution glitch that delayed it a week.)

I'm grateful to the members of my Facebook group - Kaje's Conversation Corner - who read and loved the rough drafts, and whose encouragement to put together an easy-to-peruse collection of my favorites kept this project moving forward. I reread some of these last night, checking the released book, and I'm proud of these stories. Though written just for fun, there is some of my heart in all of these. I added the Life Lessons and Changes short stories that were not yet published to the book. I hope readers enjoy this collection.

* Amazon ebook: https://www.amazon.com/Distant-Hills-...
* Amazon paperback: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BW2GFQFC/
* Universal link : https://books2read.com/u/38Vgr7 (preorder until release March 2)

Free short story fun

The RoM/Mantic Reads online 'zine is once again featuring one of my short stories for readers.

https://rommanticreads.wordpress.com/

.

In this one, you'll find a fun little start to a workplace romance; (was also on my FB group)
Redefined



Check out the site for a bunch of short stories from a group of talented authors, along with some other M/M articles and fun.