Kaje Harper's Blog, page 6

"Where the Heart Is" rereleased

Back in 2011, MLR Press invited me to do a short story for their Advent calendar. Short and sweet hasn't been my usual style, but I wrote Where the Heart Is and had a lot of fun with my young veterinarian figuring out his life and what really matters. I'm delighted to have this warm holiday story back out, with a cover that matches. (Thanks to DC Williams for the help.)

Where the Heart Is

Trevor Carson’s life changed the day his father died. After working as a small-animal vet in the big city, Trevor’s now back in his remote hometown, trying to keep his dad’s practice afloat while he figures out his next step.

He expected he’d want to sell up and flee back to civilization as fast as possible, but the town is beginning to feel like where he belongs. Except every day he spends there is a day away from his partner Michael, back in the city. As Christmas approaches, with a much-anticipated visit from Mike, Trevor’s going to have to decide what “home” really means.

(This warm, established-couple holiday romance is a lightly-edited rerelease of the 2011 story. Content warning for veterinary-related pet loss. 14,000 words.)

Just .99 on all vendors.
Universal link - https://books2read.com/u/bpw0L9
Amazon US link - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09MJ9VFH9

Life Lessons back, new covers, and in KU

I'm delighted to finally have my most popular series - Life Lessons - coming back into print.

I decided, for this series that has been wide for a decade, I would take the chance to, for once, put it up on KU, to see if new readers might find it. (And if previous readers want to see the minor changes I made, they can read the new version without buying it.) It will go wide later. And also in audio with JF Harding, who did an awesome job. (Release date pending Audible's review process)

Book 1 - Life Lessons is now available (AZ link - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...)



Meet idealistic young teacher Tony who stumbles across a dying man. And homicide detective Mac, a closeted single father, who has no plans to ever come out. As they deal with murder and danger, in the private moments, these two begin building something special together.

And don't miss the FREE shorts 1.5 and 1.8 in And to All a Good Night + Getting It Right - on AZ -https://www.amazon.com/All-Good-Night...- this is also still available wide, but best read after book 1.
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Part of the fun of rereleasing books is seeing new readers encountering my men for the first time. And this time, their wait for the next installment will be short. I had readers asking already how to get Life Lessons Book 2 - Breaking Cover - it's now available on AZ for preorder for a Dec 14 release date. (And to my very appreciated wide readers - this is the only series I'm going to bring back first in KU - it has been wide for a decade, and will be again, so this time I'm giving KU readers a first chance. It will go wide again later.)
Preorder Breaking Cover on AZ US - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09LYXYQQ8/
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Another part of the fun is NEW COVERS - Cate Ashwood created a big, dark, broody Mac for the next two volumes (Tony will be back on Book 4) and I'm delighted to show him off.





Home Work will return in January 2022. (And OMG that we're so close to 2022; where did the year go??)

I hope new readers will enjoy the series.

Unplanned Coda released; book 2 on sale

Today I released the final wrap-up ―(hush, Simon, yes, actually final)― novella of the Hidden Wolves series - Unplanned Coda. Paul has a few rough moments in here, and Simon wanted the story, and their triumph of an HEA against those impossible odds they first faced in Unacceptable Risk, on the page.

You can find Unplanned Coda - Book 7 on almost all vendors. It's up on Google Play, but may not be live yet for you.

Universal link: https://books2read.com/u/m2l5R6
Amazon US link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09GW8HZ67

(If you have the original series, only books 6 and now 7 are new, but consider getting the FREE book 1 Unacceptable Risk, which had a polishing edit. And Book 2 - Unexpected Demands is on sale for .99 until Oct 31st, for those new to the series.) My werewolves should be read in order.

Unplanned Coda - Book 7 excerpt:

Paul knelt beside Lucas, who was stretched out on a mattress on the cabin floor with his eyes closed, blood soaking his ribs all down one side, seeping into his shorts. After a quick hand-gel cleaning, Paul reached to check the injury. Lucas rebuffed his touch with a snarl, intimidating despite being on Lucas’s human face.

“Let me.” Aaron bent over them. Lucas was decades older than Aaron, more muscular, and had an acid tongue when he chose, but one command of “hold still” from his Alpha, and he let them strip off his shorts, then lay motionless for Paul’s touch.

Two deep, raw holes in Lucas’s side and stomach trickled blood. On Lucas’s human skin, those two spots didn’t line up into any kind of straight path for a bullet. On his wolf… Paul kept stumbling across little things that brought home werewolf reality.

“Looks like the bullet went right through his abdomen in wolf form.” Paul dug a stethoscope out of his bag and listened to Lucas’s steady heartbeat. “He could be bleeding internally. Or have a punctured bowel.”

“What do you need to do?” Aaron set a hand on Lucas’s shoulder to keep him quiet.

“If he was a dog, I’d operate, go in and check things out. A bleeding spleen or leaky intestine could be a slow death sentence.”

Lucas grunted. “Fuck if I’m letting any fucking butcher chop me open.” At a growl from Simon in the doorway, he added, “Not even a decent vet.”
Aaron said, “You’ll do as you’re told.”

“I can shift again.” Lucas opened his eyes to look up at Aaron. “I’ve already done it once, so probably any bleeding is stopped. I’ll be fine.”

Paul wanted to argue, because “I’ll be fine” sounded like a form of Russian roulette, but he had far less experience with shifter healing than any of these men.

Aaron said, “All right. One more shift and then you eat. And stay wolf for a bit. Then if you do need surgery, Paul can borrow the local veterinary clinic facilities.”

When the wolves came out, Paul had figured his days as medical provider to werewolves were numbered. After all, they could now take full advantage of a human hospital. He’d planned to point that out to Aaron the next time someone was hurt, but somehow at this moment, with Aaron’s eyes on him, he said, “Yeah, I guess so.”

He stood and backed up as Aaron took Lucas’s hand in his, squeezing Lucas’s fingers, while a look that was almost intimate passed between them. If Paul hadn’t known how hung up Aaron was on Zach, he might’ve imagined something more there than Alpha and Third. But that closeness was just pack, like a family. Family the way it ought to be, not like what I grew up with. He pushed the bitter thought away and focused on watching Lucas’s breathing as the older werewolf settled down to shift.

Simon came up behind him and slung an arm across his chest, pulling Paul back against his sturdy, muscular body. “Pack,” he murmured in Paul’s ear. “It’s there for you too, you know. Even if something were to happen to me, you have family now.”

Paul didn’t question how Simon had read his thoughts, just let himself be held, and watched as a member of his family writhed and deformed, and reformed, in gray fur and narrow muzzle and long, panting tongue. Nice and pink. Good color. Breathing easily enough. Focusing on the veterinary side let him shove the personal back out of mind.

When Lucas was fully wolf, Aaron checked him out, demanding nods and headshakes to verbal questions, blocking Paul from approaching. Simon murmured, “Sometimes after a rough shift, we get lost in the wolf for a bit.”

His arm across Paul’s chest was an iron bar, until Aaron said, “Right, Lucas, Paul will check you over now. And you’ll do what he says for tonight. I’ll fetch you some food.”

As Aaron left, Paul knelt beside the hundred-and-seventy-pound werewolf on the mattress. A thorough exam got him a couple of muffled rumbles from Lucas, and the suggestion of a thermometer up his butt was rebuffed with a whip of heavy, plumed tail, but Lucas looked good, for now. Paul settled in the doorway to the bedroom, where he could see the sedated elderly lone wolf sleeping peacefully on the bed, despite his bound legs, and also monitor Lucas on the other side.
Lucas’s muzzle wavered, lowered to the mattress, and he took a slow, snoring breath.

Simon sat beside Paul on the lone wolf’s side, tucked a pillow under Paul’s ass that he wasn’t stubborn enough to reject, and slung an arm across his shoulders. “Never a dull moment, huh?”

“You could say that, yeah.” He let his tone sound acid, but when Simon’s face fell, he added more warmly, “But I wouldn’t have chosen to do vet med if I liked dull, right?” It wasn’t Simon’s fault some idiots had shot up the pack. It wasn’t even Aaron’s fault, as much as Paul liked to give his Alpha Majesty a hard time.

“We could back away from the pack a bit.”

Paul elbowed his mate gently and leaned against him. “Right after you got done telling me this was my family? Nah. What would I do with my time?”

Simon nuzzled his ear and breathed, “I might have some ideas.”

A wash of sweet affection went through Paul. How the hell did a bitter loner like me with no idea how to do relationships end up with a guy like Simon? Paul knew he was the difficult one, the one who pushed and picked at the love that lay between them, while Simon patiently gave way and mended and kept his faith. Paul tried to ease their mate bond wide open. I love you. Could Simon feel that? I don’t deserve you, but you mean everything.

Simon nipped at his ear, then kissed his temple and laid a cheek on his hair. Satisfaction echoed between them, and trust, and contentment, in a cycle that built from his heart to Simon’s and back again, sweet and warm.

The click of the door latch made Simon raise his head, but not with any feeling of urgency, and Paul realized he’d identified Aaron before the door opened. A sharp meow heralded the arrival of their two feline family members as well. Nimbus trotted over and jumped into Paul’s lap with the entitlement of a thoroughly spoiled cat, rubbing long, white hairs off on his chest. Fractal hovered at Aaron’s feet, winding around him so the Alpha had to dance to avoid tripping, the cat’s tabby face intent on the bowl of food in Aaron’s hands.

“Simon, control your cat,” Aaron snapped.

Simon snickered…

~~~~~

Aaron has the big picture in hand, or so he hopes. But back home, Paul's past is about to meet his future. Find out how that happens in Unplanned Coda - Book 7 .

Coming Releases and blogging thoughts

I'm looking forward to the release of the unexpected seventh story in Hidden Wolves - Unplanned Coda , releasing on the 23rd, and in preorder on AZ now. (Will be released wide, but the timing was too tight for preorders.)

I'm also delighted that JF Harding is now busy recording the audio for Life Lessons - I love his work.

...

How do you define Happy Ever After?

I'm blogging today on Love Bytes Reviews about expanding the definition of a romance HEA - because [ Happy is what you say it is ] - check my post out on the link.

Going to GRL

I'm looking forward to GayRomLit - the M/M romance book conference happening in St. Louis MO this year, October 6-10. I have books to bring, swag (including some cute stickers and buttons with Necromancer art by Catherine Dair), and some other stuff. (The book signing on Oct 9th is open to the public BTW.)

You can get FREE books from 41 of the attending (or in a couple of cases were attending but had to drop out) authors from Prolific Works - check out the GRL authors Giveaway - https://claims.prolificworks.com/gg/epYNoTU1ZWXgZSU9PWC2
I have "Don't Plan to Stay" available for free download there.

I'm super not-organized this year. But I can drive there, which helps because not everything has to fit in a suitcase. I'm a bit nervous about a group event, but it's going to be all masked, and I'm vaxxed and we'll try to distance a bit (sad about no GRL hugs, but we want to live to have them next year.)

I'm also watching a very, very slow tire leak on my car, and trying to decide if I really have to get new tires before leaving, or if carrying a portable pump is good enough. Decisions, decisions.

If you're going, I look forward to seeing you there. If not, feel free to grab the free books. I want to say a huge thank you to the organizers Carol Lynn, Reese Dante, and Teresa Emil. With COVID issues last year and this, they've done an enormous job making things as safe and as fun as possible and working with the venue. Hopefully next year we can do a full GRL with the hugs included. If we do, it will only because those folks worked tirelessly on their own time to make GRL survive these hard 2 years.

Blog celebration and many books to win

One of the best parts of the M/M community is all the blogs that review, discuss, promote and share our stories.

"Joyfully Jay" has been doing this for years, with excellent reviewers and a lot of fun.

Today kicks off Joyfully Jay's "Reading Challenge Month" - Each week has a different reading challenge. As a blog, they review books that week that fit the challenge. They encourage readers to get involved by commenting on challenge reviews and reading along and writing their own mini-review of their book. For every review comment readers make, they earn one entry, and they can earn 10 entries for writing a mini review each week.

Each week has a sponsored prize and the first week ( New-to-Me Author Week) has a ton of ebooks and other prizes.

Find Reading Challenge Month on Joyfully Jay : https://wp.me/p2vyAS-myz

Nelson & Caleb now available

Today I've rereleased Nelson & Caleb - my novella that was part of the Storming Love hurricane setting series (all stand-alones). Nelson was one of those characters who is fun for a pantser. He started talking to me, and I loved this ordinary big guy with the three therapy dogs and a kind heart. But I didn't know why he didn't already have a boyfriend and 2.5 kids - he seemed like the type. And as I wrote, he told me why, and it was a surprise that made me pause for a moment and say "Oh." And of course, Caleb was the guy to get past those walls.

I hope readers who haven't met these guys will enjoy them.

AZ US - https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09...
Universal link - https://books2read.com/u/3yadKn

Author Interview and giveaway

I was given the chance to do an author interview on the blog of a favorite author of mine - R.J. Scott (Check out her excellent hockey fic, in particular.) Come read a bit about my writing process and plans. If you comment, there is also a drawing for a set of the first three Necromancer books.

RJ has been amazing at opening up opportunities for other authors, and I'm delighted to have a showcase on her website today.

http://rjscott.co.uk/interview_KH

Trapped by Greed released

Trapped by Greed- Necromancer book 4 is now available.

When Darien vanishes, kidnapped by persons or forces unknown, Silas will turn over heaven and earth to find him. And those same people injured Darien's familiar Pip. Grim may pretend indifference, but when he finds them, the guilty parties will learn not to anger a cat.

You can buy Trapped by Greed wherever ebooks are sold. [ Universal Link ]

I hope readers will enjoy the ongoing adventures of Darien, Silas, Grim, and Pip.

excerpt:

Darien sobered. “I’m bummed that you can’t come along, settle some more of the local ghosts, and hang with us. What do you think your Guild meeting on Tuesday is about?”

“I don’t know. Locke’s being very closed-lipped about the whole affair. After insisting I attend. It would serve him right if I urgently needed to leave town.”

“I’ll make a rebel out of you yet. Are you seriously thinking about splitting?” Darien took a step closer, head tilted, lips parted.

That mouth needed to be kissed, so Silas set his mug on the counter, put a hand behind Darien’s head, and did so. Thoroughly.

“And once again, mating behavior gets in the way of substantive discussion,” Grim muttered, jumping onto the counter to nudge Silas’s elbow. “And in the way of opening the tuna can.” He reached out a large, hairy paw to push Silas’s mug an inch closer to the edge.

Silas pulled away from Darien reluctantly, ignoring Grim, although not without a little worry for the fate of his coffee. “Unfortunately, I can’t leave town. I promised Worthington I’d be there.”

“Don’t let them talk you into saving the world without me.” A hint of worry clouded Darien’s dark eyes.

“I’m more likely to be asked to do discounted ghost-clearing for some powerful friend of theirs.” He meant that as reassurance for Darien, but on reflection, a demand for his services was a definite possibility. Worthington’s ponderous “You must commit to being there” could as easily be because he wanted to please the Governor or some millionaire, not any actual necromantic crisis.

Grim said, “You can count on me to make sure Silas is paid what he’s worth, young Darien. Although only if he opens the tuna.” A little coffee slopped out of the mug with the next push.

Darien pulled a drawer wide, fished out the can opener, and passed it to Silas. “Better feed him before he starves to death.”

“Wouldn’t want that.” Silas cut the lid off the tin and set the fish down on a clean plate, then put half a tin of dog food for Pip in a bowl.

Pip’s tail became a white blur as Silas placed the bowl on the floor. “Oh good. I really, really like this food.”

“Processed mush,” Grim muttered over his meal. “Probably hooves and tails and whatnot.”

Pip pulled back a moment, ears drooping, then dove back in. “It’s tasty. I like it.”

“You tell him,” Darien encouraged. “You get to like what you like. Anyway, Silas buys top quality for you.”

Pip cleaned the bowl with a sweep of his tongue and licked his lips. He cocked his head. “Now what?”

Darien drained his mug. “Now I need to pack before our dinner.”

“I’ll keep you company.” Pip trotted out, and Darien followed. A moment later the scamper of toenails on the steps was followed by Darien’s bounding strides. The sounds died away upstairs.

Silas picked up his coffee and sipped it slowly. He realized he was still listening, tuned to the occasional creak or thump from overhead. “It’ll be awfully quiet with those two gone for a week.”

Grim huffed and daintily licked up another bite of tuna. “A restful change.”

Silas couldn’t resist tweaking him. “Come on, you’ll miss Pip. Admit it. He’s like family now.”

Grim sat back and cleaned his whiskers. “Perhaps. Like the half-wit younger brother I never asked for.”

“Don’t you think that’s a bit harsh?”

The big cat tilted his head, as if considering. “No.” He stalked out, plumed tail waving, paws silent on the tiles.

Silas smiled after him, but gradually his smile faded. Life was going to be quiet. He and Darien hadn’t spent a night apart since that gorgeous, ghost-ridden young man fell in across his threshold almost three months back. He set my entire life on its ear, and damned if I don’t like it…

Danger, adventure, and a few more cans of tuna are in store, as the story plays out in Trapped by Greed. I hope readers have fun with this one.

Bonus stories - fun or frustration?

Today I'm blogging on Love Bytes Reviews about bonus fiction - finding it, not finding it...

https://lovebytesreviews.com/2021/07/...