Calvin Westbrook's Blog, page 2

Rainbow Snippets – December 2nd 2017

The festive season is fast approaching, and to celebrate I have decided to release another snippet. For those of you who don’t know, Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group where you share a set of sentences from a work that has LGBT related content. If you want to check out this great community for yourselves, be sure to check them out for yourself.

Before I start, I would like to thank AuldMisdione for purchasing a piece of art as a commission from SourShockX from deviantArt. This talented artist drew a picture of Phoenix Brannigan from Our Second Chance. Late in the story, after a series of unusual events, Phoenix is transformed into a genie. Here he is in all his magical glory emerging from a magic lamp.

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This week’s snippet is our latest visit to the world of The Shifting Secrets: Written In Blood. This time around, we focus on Alex as he is greeted by an old friend.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned around, and bumped straight into a man holding an umbrella. Getting to his feet, he apologised profusely.

“You still bumping into me?” said the stranger with a smirk.

Alex was about to question his words, when he realised that he had walked into Lanley. The werelion smiled, and brushed his wet hair away from his eyes. It was hard to believe in seven years, but the man had got more handsome with every day that passed.

“It seems that way,” Alex joked, but his good mood quickly faded and he returned to his sullen expression.

“So what’s got you down in the dumps?”

On a side note, I would like to thank every member of the group who has offered me kind words so far. Your support and friendship mean the world to me. I hope you enjoyed everyone enjoyed this little snippet, and will consider having a glimpse at the completed work.

Final Cover Reveal – The Shifting Secrets: Written In Blood

The journey to becoming an author is a long and winding road, filled with twists, turns and yellow bricks. It is also filled with experiences that changed my life forever. One of these was when I attended my first NaNoWriMo meet. During that November, I wrote the first draft for a story that grew and evolved far beyond anything I could have imagined. Now, many years later, that story is finally making it’s way to eBook shelves.

Without further ado, I would like to reveal to you the final cover of one of my future books.

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This excellent cover for Written In Blood, the first book in The Shifting Secrets series, has been designed by the excellent JC Clarke. If you are curious about the plot of the book, here is the newly written blurb I have made for it.

“I swear to watch over this man, as he has done my kind a service. He may come to us in need, as we may look to him. I hereby name this man a friend of my pack.”

The towns of Shinelake and Duskhaven stand in the middle of a supernatural pocket world situated in the middle of England. They both have tall buildings, forests in the suburbs, and a long standing turf war between two vampire clans. In the town of Shinelake, there exists the Graiabluds who respect human life, while the Crimbluds from Duskhaven desire to control them. Caught between the two factions are the various breeds of shifters who are simply trying to live their lives in peace.

Dr. Alex Marsden is a young man from Shinelake who assists the shifters using his talents as a shifter therapist, against the wishes of his Crimblud supporting father. When a horrifying series of events occur to those closest to him, Alex is forced to make some life changing decisions which will alter the course of his destiny forever.

As a special treat for my loyal readers, and anyone who loves supernatural fiction, here is a short sample from the beginning chapters of this reimagined book.

When he opened them once more, he was looking into the eyes of the most beautiful man he had ever seen in his life. His muscular frame held no excess fat, and his t-shirt showed every curve of his perfect physique. This kind of man was not made using weights, or born naturally. He had been involved with physical labour, and the effects would last for the rest of his life.

Strands of golden silk fell from his head, covering his eyes in a matter that made Alex want to gaze upon him forever. In the middle of the stranger’s face, sapphire irises rested in two stunningly white eyes. Before he could move, Alex felt himself being lifted off the floor. The man’s soft hands supported his throbbing head, and soothed one of the bruises on his lower back.

“Are you alright?” he asked, his voice as soft and golden as his hair.

Words failed Alex for a moment, and he felt a rush of heat flooded his face and spread straight to his cheeks. The man pushed Alex forward, so his head rested on his shoulder, and gently raised him onto his feet. When the stranger was sure he could stand, he pulled his arms away to give him some space. Alex checked himself for any major injury, but there was only a headache and minor bruising. He turned to his rescuer, who was himself sporting a blush to equal a radish’s complexion.

“Thhh, thank you for helping me up,” Alex said, his voice slightly strained.

The other man grinned, showing his perfect teeth.

“It was my fault you fell down in the first place, it’s the least I can do.”

Alex shook his head.

“It was my fault. I should have been looking where I was going. I’m really sorry. If you want me to do anything for you I will, just name it and I ….”

He was stopped from finishing his sentence by something completely unexpected. His knight in cotton armour had planted his lips on firmly on Alex’s own, and was brushing the tips of his teeth with his soft lustful tongue. It only lasted a few seconds, then the man pulled away with his eyes shining with emotion.

Hope you liked this cover and snippet. I will have more information about this latest book very soon, as well as more snippets from future projects.

Final Cover Reveal – Blitzen’s Gift

As an author, I have worked on several projects over the years. Some of them have developed to their full potential, such as Frozen Heart and A Treasured Find, whereas others have fallen by the wayside. With the National Novel Writing Month just over a week away, I decided to take one of my older projects and give it the revamp it deserves. Without further ado, I would like to reveal to you the final cover of my newly rebooted book.

This excellent cover for Blitzen’s Gift, the first book in my Herd of Men series, has been designed by Sapphire Designs. If you are curious about the plot of the book, here is the newly written blurb I have made for it.

In the town of Reisford which lies in the north of England, snow falls on almost every day of the year. One of the residents of this mystical place is Ryan Yorke, a young orphaned man who lives an isolated existence despite his wealth. After rescuing a wounded animal from the nearby woods, a series of unnatural events transport him to the magical parallel world of Snowflake’s Pass.

In this supernatural haven, he is introduced to a group of magical reindeer shifters. These men will change his outlook on the world, and give him the family he has longed for since the day he was born. Among these handsome males is Blitzen Krin, the alpha of the reindeer herd. This handsome stranger is a tortured soul, one who fuels a passion within Ryan that has never been awakened.

Before Ryan can begin his life anew, the two men will need to overcome the obstacles of their pasts, and accept that they are destined to be each the other half of each other’s soul.

 

As a special treat for my loyal readers, and anyone who loves supernatural fiction, here is a short sample from the beginning chapters of this reimagined book.

“Another great show Rye,” came the voice of Meredith, one of the station’s directors. Her loud Glasweigian dialect rang through the corridors next to the recording booth. Ryan looked up, and saw the voice’s owner walk around the corner. As she smiled, a faint shimmer of silver glitter from her lipstick stretched across her smile.


 


Having worked for her for three years, Ryan had learned that you could always tell her mood by her lipstick. Silver meant that she had found another boyfriend and was ready to settle down. Gold lips meant that Meredith was having a stressful encounter. When her lips were black, it would be best to vacate the building. If anyone crossed her, the nearest hospital would have another patient on their books.


 


“Just doing my job Merry,” Ryan replied, crushing his plastic cup and putting it in the bin.


 


Taking his phone out his pocket, he saw that he had a few notifications on his social media accounts. Seeing that they were mostly spam, Ryan decided they could answered later in the day.


 


“I suppose it helps when your job is also your passion,” she laughed. “It’s almost like you have been doing it since you were nothing more than a wink in ya father’s eye.”

 

Hope you liked this cover and snippet. I will have more information about this latest book very soon, as well as more snippets from future projects.

Rainbow Snippets – September 30th 2017

Now that Autumn has arrived, it’s time to warm up with your fellow men. As a special gift, here is another snippet to sate your appetite. For those of you who don’t know, Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group where you share a set of sentences from a work that has LGBT related content. If you want to check out this great community for yourselves, be sure to check them out for yourself.

Before I start, I would like to thank my friend Ryan who drew a picture of Caleb and Varron from A Treasured Find aboard a magic carpet.

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This week’s snippet is our latest visit to the world of Our Second Chance. This time around, we focus on Dustin and Phoenix as their lives are about to change.

“Why did you have to agree to that wish?” he pleaded. “We could have found another way to save my life.”

Phoenix kissed Dustin’s face where the tears had run, and gave him a resigned expression that was hard to decipher.

“Dustin, it doesn’t matter what he wished for. I love you, and that will never change. Agreeing to his conditions was the only way I could keep you safe. Maybe now I will be the hero that you have always believed that I could be.”

Dustin slapped his lover across the face.

“Phoenix, I don’t need you to be a hero! I need you to be here! These last four months have been in agony without you. I don’t know if I can go through the pain of losing you again.”

On a side note, I would like to thank every member of the group who has offered me kind words so far. Your support and friendship mean the world to me. I hope you enjoyed everyone enjoyed this little snippet, and will consider having a glimpse at the completed work.

Rainbow Snippets – September 16th 2017

The fall has almost arrived, and not in the Persona 3 sense. The autumn leaves are about to fall, and here is another sneak peek for you all. For those of you who don’t know, Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group where you share a set of sentences from a work that has LGBT related content. If you want to check out this great community for yourselves, be sure to check them out for yourself.

This week’s snippet is our latest visit to the world of Our Second Chance. This time around,we focus on Dustin as his perception of reality is shattered forever.

Dustin had always prided himself on his steadfast belief that the supernatural was nothing more than superstition. Now, here he was, seeing a grown man believe so readily that the object he held in his hands was a magic lamp? Dustin would have burst out laughing if the situation wasn’t quite so fraught.

As he saw Elliot’s hand brush over the metal surface, he closed his eyes, and silently prayed that the police would arrive before the man lost his mind altogether. Phoenix’s former lover had already proved he was criminally insane, so there was no determining what the man would attempt to do next.

Before Dustin could try to imagine anything, an enormous clap of thunder broke the fear induced silence. Opening his eyes, Dustin saw a sight that made his stomach fall through the floor, and every single belief of how the universe worked was shattered into pieces.

Thick pink smoke was drifting out the spout of the lamp that Elliot held, and as it had risen, it had formed into the figure of a gigantic muscular genie.

 

On a side note, I would like to thank every member of the group who has offered me kind words so far. Your support and friendship mean the world to me. I hope you enjoyed everyone enjoyed this little snippet, and will consider having a glimpse at the completed work.

Rainbow Snippets – August 12th 2017

It’s time once again to walk the rainbow brick road to the city of romantic fiction. For those of you who don’t know, Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group where you share a set of sentences from a work that has LGBT related content. If you want to check out this great community for yourselves, be sure to check them out for yourself.

This week’s snippet is our latest visit to the world of Our Second Chance. This time around, I have included a picture of the two main characters, Dustin and Phoenix, which I created using a combination of The Sims 4 and Paint.NET.

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This Rainbow Snippet focuses on Dustin as he speaks to a detective regarding Phoenix’s sudden disapperance in the middle of the book.

Dustin spun around at being addressed, and found that he was no longer in the door less corridor. He was now in a standard looking interview room, with dull Brown wallpaper and a small desk with two reasonably sturdy looking chairs on either side.

Sat on the one furthest away from him was Detective Sarenshore. Her hair now flowed freely across her wide shoulders, and she was looking at Dustin with a kind but firm expression.

Dustin didn’t need to be asked to sit down, so he slowly walked across the newly formed room and got himself into the most comfortable position he could. It wasn’t easy, as the seats cushion could have done with being replaced around twenty years ago.

“I’m glad that I could offer my assistance Detective.”

She gave a smile of appreciation.

“Before we begin, It is my duty to inform you that this is not a formal questioning. I do however need to clarify some information before we can charge the current suspects with a crime.”

The detective shuffled her papers, took a sip from her coffee and continued.

“I have also been informed during my previous interview with Lord Rafius Sahir that he used a memory clouding spell upon you after the incident took place. We have checked with him, as well as our resident magical neural health specialist, to ensure that the spell has run its course.”

Dustin had almost drifted off whilst the detective was speaking her legalese, but when he realised what she was referring to, he sat bolt upright in his chair.

“You know about the fact he used magic on me? More to the point, you believe that magic exists?”

The detective gave him a blank smile.

“No Mr Pliskin. I do not believe that magic exists.”

On a side note, I would like to thank every member of the group who has offered me kind words so far. Your support and friendship mean the world to me. I hope you enjoyed everyone enjoyed this little snippet, and will consider having a glimpse at the completed work.

Final Cover Reveal – Our Second Chance

It’s time once again to walk the rainbow brick road to the city of romantic fiction with a visit to one of my upcoming projects. The book is named Our Second Chance, and focuses on the lives of Dustin Pliskin and Phoenix Brannigan. These two men have had an eventful relationship, which takes a turn for the mysterious when Phoenix uncovers a powerful magical artefact.

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The cover was designed by J.C. Clarke, who is a good friend that has helped me in my author endeavours. This excerpt from the book focuses on Dustin and Phoenix as they reunite after some time apart.

The sound of his doorbell made Dustin look up from his video game endeavours. It had been a while since he had heard the object ring, because most people that visited used the knocker instead of it.

Throwing the controller onto the sofa, Dustin went across the room and unlocked the door. On the other side, was the man who gave his life its meaning, and had also broken his heart to pieces.

“Phoenix…” Dustin gasped.

Like always, the man everything that Dustin dreamed about. His long black hair fell down his back, and his green eyes dazzled like shining emeralds. His six foot frame was quite lean and understated, but his muscular tone more than made up for his apparent physical weakness.

“Can I come in?” he asked softly, as if he felt he didn’t deserve to be welcomed.

On a side note, I would like to thank every member of the group who has offered me kind words so far. Your support and friendship mean the world to me. I hope you enjoyed everyone enjoyed this little snippet, and will consider having a glimpse at the completed work.

Rainbow Snippets – July 21st 2017

It’s time once again to walk the rainbow brick road to the city of romantic fiction. For those of you who don’t know, Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group where you share a set of sentences from a work that has LGBT related content. If you want to check out this great community for yourselves, be sure to check them out for yourself.

This week’s snippet is our latest visit to the world of Our Second Chance. This time around, I have included the cover which was designed by J.C. Clarke, who designed the cover of Sheltered which has been featured in my previous snippets.

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This Rainbow Snippet focuses on Dustin and Phoenix as they reunite after some time apart.

The sound of his doorbell made Dustin look up from his video game endeavours. It had been a while since he had heard the object ring, because most people that visited used the knocker instead of it.

Throwing the controller onto the sofa, Dustin went across the room and unlocked the door. On the other side, was the man who gave his life its meaning, and had also broken his heart to pieces.

“Phoenix…” Dustin gasped.

Like always, the man everything that Dustin dreamed about. His long black hair fell down his back, and his green eyes dazzled like shining emeralds. His six foot frame was quite lean and understated, but his muscular tone more than made up for his apparent physical weakness.

“Can I come in?” he asked softly, as if he felt he didn’t deserve to be welcomed.

On a side note, I would like to thank every member of the group who has offered me kind words so far. Your support and friendship mean the world to me. I hope you enjoyed everyone enjoyed this little snippet, and will consider having a glimpse at the completed work.

Rainbow Snippets – July 7th 2017

It’s time once again for the rainbow coloured fiction to shine through the clouds. For those of you who don’t know, Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group where you share a set of sentences from a work that has LGBT related content. If you want to check out this great community for yourselves, be sure to check them out for yourself.

This week’s snippet is our first visit to the world of Our Second Chance, and focuses on Dustin Pliskin, one of the main characters, as he makes small talk with a powerful individual who you may remember I revealed some time ago.

A thunderous crash came from the direction of the patio doors. Looking around, Dustin saw the after-effects of a giant wave splashing against the railings of the rooftop patio. Smiling, Dustin went over to the door and opened it wide. A waft of fresh sea air came over him, relaxing him to the tips of his toes.

“Is this really happening, or is it a wonderful dream?” Dustin said aloud to himself.

“I assure you my dear friend, you are very much awake,” said a familiar voice.

Dustin turned about-face, and saw that Rafius Sahir was standing by the front door. The pink haired giant of a genie was now wearing a blue button up shirt, tan three quarter trousers and a golden chain with a peach shaped locket hanging loosely around his neck.

Dustin walked over to the genie, and reached out his hand to greet him. Rafius grinned, and gripped the archaeologist hand and gave it a firm but gentle shake.

“I must admit I didn’t expect to see you so soon,” Dustin laughed.

“Neither did I,” the genie replied, “But the timing of your housewarming happened to coincide with some excellent news.”

On a side note, I would like to thank every member of the group who has offered me kind words so far. Your support and friendship mean the world to me. I hope you enjoyed everyone enjoyed this little snippet, and will consider having a glimpse at the completed work.

Rainbow Snippets – June 24th 2017

It’s time once again for the rainbow coloured fiction to shine through the clouds. For those of you who don’t know, Rainbow Snippets is a Facebook group where you share a set of sentences from a work that has LGBT related content. If you want to check out this great community for yourselves, be sure to check them out for yourself.

One thing that I try to do when I imagine my characters in my mind is to create them using a game such as The Sims, or use a doll maker like the ones provided by Doll Divine. This is one of the screenshots I took, of the characters I imagined for Sheltered.

[image error]Connor, Lucas and Sam (Pictured from left to right)

This week’s snippet is our third visit to the world of Sheltered, and focuses on Lucas and Connor as the alpha makes a surprising discovery. To make things work in this brief excerpt, Lucas is referring to Sam at the start of the sample.

 

“Do you know where he went?” Lucas asked his lover.

“He told me that he was going to answer the door when you arrived. That’s all I know.”

Lucas frowned. His enforcer Damien had greeted him when he arrived, and had told him that the owner of the house was nowhere to be seen. Now he came to realise it, it did seem awfully strange that his ailing mate would be abandoned in his rescuer’s home. 

“Luke?”

Lucas turned his attention to the younger wolf shifter.

“What is it honey?”

Connor shuffled uncomfortably.

“There’s something you need to know about Sam.”

Lucas was suddenly filled with dread. Was his mates rescuer a criminal, a vampire or maybe something even worse?

“Sam is going to be someone very important in our lives from here on out.”

 

On a side note, I would like to thank every member of the group who has offered me kind words so far. Your support and friendship mean the world to me. I hope you enjoyed everyone enjoyed this little snippet, and will consider having a glimpse at the completed work.