M.A. Church's Blog, page 117
November 23, 2015
RRW stands against plagiarism, by Deanna Wadsworth
*The post was written by Deanna Wadsworth, and I'm just sharing it. I am also a member of both RWA and RRW.
~M
“Notice of Disciplinary Action from RWA for Plagiarism
The RWA Ethics Committee reviewed the complaint of plagiarism brought by Becky McGraw against Laura Harner. After examining and assessing all corresponding documents, Laura Harner received lifetime expulsion from membership in Romance Writers of America due to plagiarism, which includes a permanent ban from participating in or attending any RWA-sponsored events or activities including conferences, workshops, classes, and any chapter activities. Ms. Harner was notified on November 16, 2015.”
Now that the RWA Ethics Committee has made this official decision, Rainbow Romance Writers wants our members and the public to know that these incidents have not gone unnoticed nor have they been taken lightly. We are grateful RWA acted swiftly to protect its members and we fully support the ruling.
Plagiarism is an immoral act and a betrayal of everything we stand for, therefore, RRW has also revoked Ms. Harner’s membership and banned her for life.
Stealing books from other authors is copyright infringement and that is a serious crime. Ms. Harner’s actions cast a bad light on the romance genre as a whole, especially the gay romance and self-published books. Authors of gay romance and indy authors face enough obstacles. To have one of our own betray us and damage the positive reputation we’ve worked so hard to build is simply unacceptable and unforgivable.
RRW would like to extend our deepest condolences to Becky McGraw and Opal Carew for the blatant theft perpetrated against you. No author should be betrayed by one of their own and we hope you will find justice. Please don’t allow this duplicity to discourage you from writing. The romance community and your fans have your back!
We also wish to express our sympathy to the readers who have been deceived by Ms. Harner’s theft. Thank you for your love of romance and your devotion to the genre. Without you, we would not be able to do what we do, and for that we are eternally grateful. Romance fans are the best!
On a personal note, I was flabbergasted that plagiarism on this level could happen. College term papers get plagiarized all the time, but copying entire books? Inconceivable! But it did happen, and that made me think, “How can I protect my books from plagiarism?”
First, don't panic.
Your book is already copyrighted and protected by the US Government. The following are five of the frequently asked questions from the US copyright website, http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/
What is copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.
When is my work protected?
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.
Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.
Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic?
Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within five years of publication, it is consideredprima facie evidence in a court of law. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration” and Circular 38b, Highlights of Copyright Amendments Contained in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), on non-U.S. works.
Is my copyright good in other countries?
The United States has copyright relations with most countries throughout the world, and as a result of these agreements, we honor each other's citizens' copyrights. However, the United States does not have such copyright relationships with every country. For a listing of countries and the nature of their copyright relations with the United States, see Circular 38a, International Copyright Relations of the United States.
For decades, the honor system among authors, publishers, editors etc. has always been dependable. I believe it still is. But in light of recent events, you may feel that registering your book is the right decision for you. "Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation." That is obviously an important detail, because without the registration, you can't get back the money someone else made on your book if it is stolen. If you are already published, first check with your publisher to see if they registered the copyright, though more than likely they did not. If you are unpublished, you may also feel that a registration is a wise decision to fully protect your work.
There is no right or wrong answer here, but as my Grandma Helen always said, “It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”
For a more comprehensive explanation of copyright laws, check out this link:http://copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf
The romance writing community cannot dismiss an admitted act of plagiarism as mere online mudslinging, something to be quickly forgotten until the next time our Twitter feeds blow up with the latest drama. But we will come out stronger and wiser in the wake of this incident. The reminder to educate ourselves about our rights as authors is already a positive outcome to take away.
Remember: one person’s actions cannot reflect who we are as writers, nor can it define our genre in any way shape or form. RRW is a strong community full of supportive and wonderful people. We are proud of our members and the original books they create every day. Romance writers of all genres stand together because we are a community of friends who support one another. Stay positive, stay proud, and keep writing!
Thank you for taking the time to read and share this post.
~Deanna
Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has served multiple board positions at her local RWA chapter and is currently the Social Media Coordinator and Secretary of Rainbow Romance Writers of America and will be President-elect of RRW in 2016.
Website │Facebook │ Twitter │Pinterest │goodreads
You can also find her young adult alter ego, K.D. Worth Facebook│Twitter
~M
“Notice of Disciplinary Action from RWA for Plagiarism
The RWA Ethics Committee reviewed the complaint of plagiarism brought by Becky McGraw against Laura Harner. After examining and assessing all corresponding documents, Laura Harner received lifetime expulsion from membership in Romance Writers of America due to plagiarism, which includes a permanent ban from participating in or attending any RWA-sponsored events or activities including conferences, workshops, classes, and any chapter activities. Ms. Harner was notified on November 16, 2015.”
Now that the RWA Ethics Committee has made this official decision, Rainbow Romance Writers wants our members and the public to know that these incidents have not gone unnoticed nor have they been taken lightly. We are grateful RWA acted swiftly to protect its members and we fully support the ruling.
Plagiarism is an immoral act and a betrayal of everything we stand for, therefore, RRW has also revoked Ms. Harner’s membership and banned her for life.
Stealing books from other authors is copyright infringement and that is a serious crime. Ms. Harner’s actions cast a bad light on the romance genre as a whole, especially the gay romance and self-published books. Authors of gay romance and indy authors face enough obstacles. To have one of our own betray us and damage the positive reputation we’ve worked so hard to build is simply unacceptable and unforgivable.
RRW would like to extend our deepest condolences to Becky McGraw and Opal Carew for the blatant theft perpetrated against you. No author should be betrayed by one of their own and we hope you will find justice. Please don’t allow this duplicity to discourage you from writing. The romance community and your fans have your back!
We also wish to express our sympathy to the readers who have been deceived by Ms. Harner’s theft. Thank you for your love of romance and your devotion to the genre. Without you, we would not be able to do what we do, and for that we are eternally grateful. Romance fans are the best!
On a personal note, I was flabbergasted that plagiarism on this level could happen. College term papers get plagiarized all the time, but copying entire books? Inconceivable! But it did happen, and that made me think, “How can I protect my books from plagiarism?”
First, don't panic.
Your book is already copyrighted and protected by the US Government. The following are five of the frequently asked questions from the US copyright website, http://www.copyright.gov/help/faq/
What is copyright?
Copyright is a form of protection grounded in the U.S. Constitution and granted by law for original works of authorship fixed in a tangible medium of expression. Copyright covers both published and unpublished works.
When is my work protected?
Your work is under copyright protection the moment it is created and fixed in a tangible form that it is perceptible either directly or with the aid of a machine or device.
Do I have to register with your office to be protected?
No. In general, registration is voluntary. Copyright exists from the moment the work is created. You will have to register, however, if you wish to bring a lawsuit for infringement of a U.S. work. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration.
Why should I register my work if copyright protection is automatic?
Registration is recommended for a number of reasons. Many choose to register their works because they wish to have the facts of their copyright on the public record and have a certificate of registration. Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation. Finally, if registration occurs within five years of publication, it is consideredprima facie evidence in a court of law. See Circular 1, Copyright Basics, section “Copyright Registration” and Circular 38b, Highlights of Copyright Amendments Contained in the Uruguay Round Agreements Act (URAA), on non-U.S. works.
Is my copyright good in other countries?
The United States has copyright relations with most countries throughout the world, and as a result of these agreements, we honor each other's citizens' copyrights. However, the United States does not have such copyright relationships with every country. For a listing of countries and the nature of their copyright relations with the United States, see Circular 38a, International Copyright Relations of the United States.
For decades, the honor system among authors, publishers, editors etc. has always been dependable. I believe it still is. But in light of recent events, you may feel that registering your book is the right decision for you. "Registered works may be eligible for statutory damages and attorney's fees in successful litigation." That is obviously an important detail, because without the registration, you can't get back the money someone else made on your book if it is stolen. If you are already published, first check with your publisher to see if they registered the copyright, though more than likely they did not. If you are unpublished, you may also feel that a registration is a wise decision to fully protect your work.
There is no right or wrong answer here, but as my Grandma Helen always said, “It’s better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.”
For a more comprehensive explanation of copyright laws, check out this link:http://copyright.gov/circs/circ01.pdf
The romance writing community cannot dismiss an admitted act of plagiarism as mere online mudslinging, something to be quickly forgotten until the next time our Twitter feeds blow up with the latest drama. But we will come out stronger and wiser in the wake of this incident. The reminder to educate ourselves about our rights as authors is already a positive outcome to take away.
Remember: one person’s actions cannot reflect who we are as writers, nor can it define our genre in any way shape or form. RRW is a strong community full of supportive and wonderful people. We are proud of our members and the original books they create every day. Romance writers of all genres stand together because we are a community of friends who support one another. Stay positive, stay proud, and keep writing!
Thank you for taking the time to read and share this post.
~Deanna
Deanna Wadsworth might be a bestselling erotica author, but she leads a pretty vanilla life in Ohio with her wonderful husband and a couple adorable cocker spaniels. She has served multiple board positions at her local RWA chapter and is currently the Social Media Coordinator and Secretary of Rainbow Romance Writers of America and will be President-elect of RRW in 2016.
Website │Facebook │ Twitter │Pinterest │goodreads
You can also find her young adult alter ego, K.D. Worth Facebook│Twitter
November 20, 2015
Trouble Comes in Threes audiobook on sale now!
~Buy link~
OMG guess what's up at DsP??? Trouble Comes in Threes in Audio!!! Yup, Kirk and the werecats are now an audiobook! It just hit DsP New Product page. :)
Click on the buy link and that will take you to my author page. You can get it from iTunes, Audible, and Amazon. This is also my first audiobook and I'm very excited. :) It also won Honorable Mention in the Rainbow Awards!
~M
November 19, 2015
Pride Promotions presents 959 Brenton Street by Thianna Durston and a Giveaway
Author Name: Thianna Durston
Book Name: 959 Brenton StreetSeries: Men of Falcon PointeBook: One
Release Date: November 20, 2015
Blurb: Trent Farnsworth moves to Falcon Pointe to get as far away from his controlling family and religion as he can. While his conservative upbringing makes it hard for Trent to admit he’s gay, he accidentally outs himself in front of his four new roommates. None of the men living at 959 Brenton Street are what the world would consider normal, but all four accept him for who he is. And when Trent falls for his much older landlord, Dr. Cory Venerin, he’s as surprised as anyone, but discovering Cory feels the same makes Trent realize he’s truly in the right place at the right time.Until he tells his family he’s gay. His father uses any resource at his disposal to destroy him, including Trent’s love for Cory. As his father schemes to send Trent to a hospital whose sole purpose is to rip the gay out of him, Cory battles to save not only Trent—but also the possibility of a future together.
Pages or Words:200 pages
Categories:Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance
Excerpt:Cory stood up and left the room, his footfalls a staccato beat on the stairs.“Damn,” David said, grimacing. “I was kind of hoping to let you know about this later on. I mean, hell, you’ve just come out today. That should be enough of a shock.”“What?” he asked nervously, beginning to wonder what they hadn’t told him. What the hell could they be covering up?“Uh, this house is….” Alan said.“Discipline based,” Greg filled in, handing him another muffin.“What does that mean?” he asked. He took the sweet confection and nibbled on the corner.“It means we keep to the rules or we come to a meeting with a very hard paddle,” David said wryly as Cory came down the stairs carrying in his hand what looked like a small breadboard. “Meet the enemy.”They couldn’t possibly mean what he thought they meant. They were all grown men. Surely nobody paddled anyone else. That was… barbaric. He widened his eyes as he crossed one leg over the other. And a turn-on apparently. What kind of freak was he, anyway?
Buy the book: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7082
Amazon Link: http://www.amazon.com/Brenton-Street-Falcon-Pointe-Book-ebook/dp/B017OLFCNC/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1447886167&sr=1-1&keywords=959+brenton+street
Meet the author:
Thianna likes to say she’s eclectic, fun, and just a bit naughty. She can also add, subtract, multiply, and divide in her head, but if people ask her to do it at parties, she isn’t impressed. While she would love to say there wasn’t a genre she had read that she didn’t enjoy, it would be a lie. For some reason, she keeps skipping to the ends of mystery books to find out who done it.
The creator and acquisition editor for the Corbin’s Bend Romance series, she wants to know: Who else wants to be safe, secure, and spanked in Colorado?
Where to find the author:
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/ThiannaDurstonAuthorTwitter: https://twitter.com/ThiannaDurstonWebsite: http://mm.thiannad.com/Blog:http://blog.thiannad.com/
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27266137-959-brenton-street?ac=1 Tour Dates& Stops: Parker Williams , Decadent Delights , Full Moon Dreaming , Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words , Jessie G. Books , Bayou Book Junkie , Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My , Inked Rainbow Reads , Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents , The Jena Wade , Havan Fellows , Happily Ever Chapter , Up All Night, Read All Day , Iyana Jenna , BFD Book Blog , Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews , MM Good Book Reviews , Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings , Butterfly-O-Meter , Ogitchida Book Blog , The Hat Party , Nephy Hart , Divine Magazine , Velvet Panic , My Fiction Nook , Three Books Over The Rainbow
Rafflecopter Prize: $5.00 Amazon gift card
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
November 16, 2015
Welcome to the MM Veterans Day Scavenger Hunt and a Giveaway~
Welcome to the MM Veterans Day Scavenger Hunt
~Today I'm hosting Gigi from Gay Book Review~
My Favorite Vet by Gigi
My favorite veteran is my husband. He is strong and brave and constantly thinks of others over himself. One of the many reasons I feel in love with him!When we met in 1994 he had already been in the Army for 6 years. He served in the Iraqi war as a military police officer and was overseas for 9 months. He and his until spent their time in the desert making sure others were safe and enforcing the law, no matter who's side you were on. He was miserable and hated every minute being away from his family, but he did his duty and did it well. I didn't know him them, but I already loved him.
Yes, this is short, but my husband doesn't like to talk about his time overseas. We've been married for 21 years and I've heard more from friends from his unit then him. He is also very private so I'm not going to name name here. I am sending one picture along, taken in 1991.
Support our veterans!
~Gigi
Gigi's Rapid Fire Q&A answers:
Chocolate/Vanilla Vanilla: I know it is strange, but I've never been a chocolate fanatic like most people. I think that's a good thing for my waistline!
Coke/Pepsi Coke: I just can't eat a burger without being able to wash it down with a real sugar-laced Coke.
Morning/Night Night: Getting up early is something I never did get used to after college. Hate morning.
Coffee/Tea Coffee: 2 cups a day (LARGE cups!) or I can't function.
Summer/Winter Summer: I live in Minnesota so our summers are disgustingly short. I crave it 9 months of the year!
More from Gigi and Gay Book Review:http://gaybook.reviews
gaybookreviews@gmail.com
Follow the Scavenger Hunt for more chances to win!
11/11 - Jessie G Books, N.R. Walker, Talon P.S. & Princess S.O., Two Chicks Obsessed with Books and Eye Candy11/12 - Ki Brightly, Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews, Sloan Johnson, Wickedly Innocent Promotions11/13 - Aria Grace, Chris McHart, Sassy Girl Books, Gay Book Reviews11/14 - Carly's Book Reviews, Kai Tyler11/15 - Lissa Kassey, Prism Book Alliance11/16 - KathyMac Reviews, Stephen del Mar11/17 - 2 Bibliophiles Guide, M.A. Church11/18 - Charlie Cochet, Lexi Ander11/19 - J.K. Hogan, Book Lovers 4Ever11/20 - BFD Book Blog, Bike Book Reviews11/21 - T. Strange, Book Lovers 4Ever
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The Sacrifice and Other Stories by Kim Fielding - all royalties donated to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontiers and a Giveaway!
** Hey everyone! Today I have the fabulous Kim Fielding on the blog. Please note that all royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontiers**
The Sacrifice and Other Storiesby Kim Fielding
A sickly man seeks recovery in a seaside cottage.
A temple slave tends a man due to be sacrificed.
A soldier releases a genie.
In seven fantasy short stories and novellas, men find passion with other men in the most unexpected places, and even the gravest circumstances may open the door to hope and love.
This anthology includes two brand-new short stories. In “The Sacrifice,” Rylo is a temple slave tasked with comforting a man who is scheduled to be killed in the morning. In “Chasing Away Cold,” Daku builds an ice sculpture of the god Jarli in order to ensure the end of winter. The collection also includes three novellas and two additional short stories, gathered for the first time in a single volume. “Treasure” introduces Jules, a young man who travels to the quirky seaside town of Urchin Cove to regain his health—and finds an unexpected treasure washed up on the beach. Xolani, a soldier in “Three Wishes,” picks up a small glass bottle and unleashes a surprise. Another soldier, Volos in “Guarded,” will risk everything to save Prince Berhanu. In the sequel, “Mato’s Tale,” an unassuming innkeeper gets a chance for adventure. And in “The Downs,” Enitan is unjustly banished and comes to discover that the demons he must face aren’t the ones he expected.
Join Kim Fielding on journeys through imagined worlds where magic is commonplace and romance lies just around the next bend. All royalties from the sale of this book will be donated to Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontiers.
***
Available now for preorder from Amazon. Releases November 27. http://www.amazon.com/Sacrifice-Other-Stories-Kim-Fielding-ebook/dp/B0180W71RY/
***
Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.
After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.
You can find KimOn her blog: http://www.kfieldingwrites.com/On Facebook: http://facebook.com/KFieldingWritesOn Twitter: @KFieldingWritesOr via email: kim@KFieldingWrites.com
***
For more on Doctors Without Borders/Medecins Sans Frontiers or to donate directly to them: http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
***
Excerpt (from “Chasing Away Cold”):
She knelt, scooped a handful of snow, and stood to hold it before her. “This is nothing special—simply water that has frozen and melted and frozen again. But sometimes something very important may come from nothing at all. It depends on the heart of the maker.” She dropped the snow and pressed her hand against Daku’s chest. “The contents of a heart can change everything.”Although he didn’t understand, he nodded. Then he gave her the cup and turned to complete the ice man.He took particular care over the face: a narrow chin and broad cheekbones, far-set eyes with a slight downward tilt at the outside, a strong nose, and lips stretched in a wide smile. The ice man’s hair was straight, falling well below his shoulders.“You’ve made him beautiful,” Yalamay said. Daku couldn’t say whether she’d gone and returned or had been standing there the entire time.“He is beautiful. I only… I only tried to show that.”Yalamay nodded as if this made perfect sense. “I knew you were the right one for this.”Aside from Daku’s mother, people rarely praised him, and Yalamay was always sparing with her commendations. Daku should have preened under her rare words. But he was too preoccupied with what he had created. The ice man looked so real, so joyful. And in a few short hours he would be destroyed.Daku swallowed with difficulty, but he managed a small smile when Yalamay patted his back. “Thank you for letting me do this,” he said.“I won’t always be here, my boy. And none in the tribe but you could make Jarli so well.”“Don’t go!” Daku cried, as if she could somehow stop death.She chuckled. “I am pleased to be appreciated. But Daku, everything changes eventually. Winter becomes spring becomes summer becomes autumn becomes winter. Youngsters grow old and babies are born. Even hard stone is worn away”—she gestured at the rock on which the ice man stood—“but new plants grow.” She gestured toward the forest. “Someday this world will see changes that are so far beyond the tribe’s dreaming. But a few things remain unaltered. Do you know what those things are?”“The gods?”Her laughter startled a nearby crow from its branch. “Oh no, my boy. Gods and goddesses change too. More slowly than humans, perhaps, but no less inevitably. But the world contains magics even more powerful than gods, and the strength of those magics never changes. What are they?”At first his mind was as blank as a fresh layer of snow. But Yalamay looked at him expectantly, and Daku remembered the conversation he’d had with his mother earlier in the day. “Love and courage.”“Very good! There are others too, but I think those are an excellent start.”
***
a Rafflecopter giveaway
November 15, 2015
Pride Promotions presents Negotiating Love by Morticia Knight and a Giveaway!
Author Name: Morticia Knight Book Name: Negotiating LoveSeries: Sin City UniformsBook: Five Release Date: October 27, 2015
Blurb(s): Can the kinky billionaire owner of Dark Fantasy Resort Casino capture the heart of a muscled SWAT officer with a secret fetish?SWAT Team Hostage Negotiator, Steve, wonders why he can’t stay away from the spoiled rich Allistair, owner of Dark Fantasy Resort Casino. They have mutual kinks - ones Steve can’t find with other lovers—but there’s something else about the emotionally detached, beautiful man that calls to him.
Billionaire Allistair stays alone in his luxury penthouse apartment at the top of Dark Fantasy, terrified of the real world and of opening himself up to genuine emotions. He takes lover after lover, all of them allowing him to do whatever he wants to their bodies, in the hopes that they can scam something from him.
One night is all he ever shares with a plaything—he knows they only want the money and luxury he can offer them and nothing more. But the down to earth Steve is different. They share the same kinks and are explosive when together. But could the muscled law officer ever want more than the lust-filled encounters that have become such an addiction?
As they grow closer, they discover they also have to find a balance between Steve’s everyday world and Allistair’s entitled world before they can truly find an ever after. They also have to make sure Allistair stays safe. Filthy rich playboys are too tempting to those who seek the ultimate payday—and who aren’t afraid of hurting someone to get it.
Reader Advisory: This book contains scenes of BDSM and fetishism.
Pages or Words: 50,851 words
Categories: BDSM, Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Erotica, M/M Romance, Mystery
Excerpt:After Kenny exited the apartment, Allistair flopped down on the sofa, sprawling across it. “What a perfectly gruesome day.” He glanced up at Steve. “Do you have to go back to work right now?”
“No. I asked if I could leave early. Fortunately, I wasn’t on patrol today. We had to…
Well, there were still some things that needed to be wrapped up from the mall shooting.”
Allistair shot up, his legs still spread out. “Oh my God. I’m such a selfish bitch. It’s your first day back. Are you okay? Would you like to talk about it?”
Steve lowered himself on the couch, lifting Allistair’s limbs as he did. He draped them over his lap, then eased Allistair’s slippers off. He rubbed his lover’s feet, gratified the moment the tension left Allistair and he groaned, melting against a fluffy throw pillow.
“You’re scrambling my brains.”
“Just relax, gorgeous. This has been a stressful day for you.”
He was treated to Allistair’s pouty lip again. “But what about you? It’s been all about me.”
Steve dug his thumbs in Allistair’s instep then moved his way up to the ball of his foot. Allistair’s head lolled back. His plan of relaxing Allistair appeared to be working.
“I want it to be all about you right now. We can worry about me later.”
Allistair jerked his head up again. “I know! It can be all about the both of us.”
Steve brought Allistair’s foot to his mouth then kissed his big toe before setting it down again. “Okay. Both of us it is.”
Allistair eased back on the cushion, closing his eyes, a peaceful smile on his lips. “Good.”
Buy the book: https://www.pride-publishing.com/book/negotiating-love Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Negotiating-Love-City-Uniforms-Book-ebook/dp/B015WFNVP8/ref=sr_1_10?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1444555387&sr=1-10&keywords=morticia+knight
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Negotiating-Love-City-Uniforms-Book-ebook/dp/B015WFNVP8/ref=sr_1_3?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1444555455&sr=1-3
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/negotiating-love-morticia-knight/1122705074?ean=9781784308292
ARe: ttps://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-negotiatinglove-1913944-145.html
Meet the author:Morticia Knight spends most of her nights writing about men loving men forever after.
If there happens to be some friendly bondage or floggings involved, she doesn’t begrudge her characters whatever their filthy little heart’s desire. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty tales for more years than she’d like to share – her adventures as a published author began in 2011.
Once upon a time she was the lead singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently resides on the northern Oregon coast and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men she takes walks along the ocean and annoys the local Karaoke bar patrons.
Where to find the author:
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/morticiaknight Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authormorticiaknightGoodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/26256076-negotiating-lovePublisher: Pride PublishingCover Artist: Posh Gosh
Tour Dates & Stops:
26-Oct: Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My , Foxylutely Book Reviews 27-Oct: Nautical Star Books , Nephy Hart 28-Oct: Velvet Panic , Bike Book Reviews 29-Oct: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words , Divine Magazine 30-Oct: Just Love Romance 2-Nov: Mikky's World of Books , Bayou Book Junkie 3-Nov: Havan Fellows 4-Nov: My Fiction Nook , Jessie G. Books 5-Nov: Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance 6-Nov: Happily Ever Chapter 9-Nov: Love Bytes 10-Nov: MM Good Book Reviews 11-Nov: Prism Book Alliance 12-Nov: V's Reads , Inked Rainbow Reads 13-Nov: Parker Williams
9. Lately, Steve has been questioning his job as a hostage negotiator.
Rafflecopter Prize: Signed paperback and a Halloween goodie bag
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
November 14, 2015
Tap, tap, tap...
PSSSSST...
I'm back! Haahahahahaha!!
Okay, I have to say, being without my laptop for the past week was a huge PIA. I have it back now, and I'm still not really sure what exactly happened. I do know that the Geek Squad about caused me to lose my ever lovin' mind.
Thursday my comp suddenly stopped working. I could get to my startup screen, but I couldn't open any tabs. I could open it in safe mode, but I still could not get on the Internet. Well off the Geek Squad we went. I told the guy what it was doing and they told me that it sounded like my operating system had crashed. I brought my recovery disk up there, and they said that should be sufficient. Well obviously it wasn't.
I get a phone call telling me that I need to buy a disk with an operating system on it. So I buy Windows 7, wait for it to come in then take it back up there. A few days later it's supposedly fixed again. I go pick it up. I get home that night and I cannot get on the Internet
YET
AGAIN.
Back to the Geek Squad. This time I wasn't quite as nice. So here we go again… this time when I got it back it was working. Now here's the funny thing. Remember that new OS disk I bought that they said I needed? Well it hadn't been opened.
I know it hasn't been open because it's still sealed shut. So basically, best I can tell, they just set my computer back to the factory settings. Which of course meant I had to download Chrome again and Spotify... and a lot of other stuff I'd lost. Fortunately I had all my documents and pictures backed up so I didn't lose any of my WIPs.
And Best Buy, bless their little pointed heads, sent me a survey to fill out. Bad idea. *shakes head* They really don't want to know what I think about their customer service. And I still don't have a answer as to what caused my operating system to crash to begin with.
~M
*oh, and they lost my charger too.
November 9, 2015
Pride Promotions presents Flesh Market by Kate Lowell and a Giveaway
Author Name: Kate Lowell
Book Name: Flesh Market
Release Date: November 10, 2015Blurb:
Special Agent Leo Gale is up a creek. A year and a half of deep cover is about to go up in flames. He needs help – something, someone to salvage the operation and save the lives of untold numbers of trafficked teenagers.
But he wasn’t expecting the partner they sent, or his own gut-punch of a response to the man.
Julian worked hard for that FBI Honors Internship. It was supposed to be a foot in the door. He’d never expected it to catapult him into the middle of a major undercover operation. Yet here he is, sleeping on a filthy mattress and using every trick in the book to avoid torture—and worse. He’s never felt so scared, or so alive, in his entire life, and he’s not sure if it’s the danger, or Leo, that’s making his heart race.
There’s no time to think about it, though. The operation is heating up, and Leo and Julian are running out of time and options. As choices become more difficult, they must find a way to take the traffickers down, or risk becoming just another set of organs for sale.
Pages or Words: 75,000 words (pre-edits).
Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance, Thriller
Excerpt:Inside the bathroom, DeGraff peered behind the door and moved an OUT OF SERVICE FOR CLEANING sign from the back to the front.
Julian was at the sink at the far end of the room, staring into the mirror with water dripping off his face. DeGraff stepped into one of the stalls, and Leo went to wash his hands at one of the other sinks. Julian glanced up at him, then tore off some paper towel and wiped his face dry. He tossed the towel in the overflowing garbage can and slunk past Leo with all the angsty self-consciousness of a hormonal teenager.
Leo wished he had time to appreciate the performance, but he had a job to do. As Julian passed him, Leo spun and grabbed him from behind, pinning Julian’s arms to his side and covering his mouth. Julian made a startled noise, muffled by Leo’s hand, and began to thrash. He kicked Leo painfully in the shin, but by then DeGraff was out of the stall and had jabbed his syringe into Julian’s shoulder. Leo fought the young man down to the floor while DeGraff stood watch by the bathroom door. Five tense minutes later, Julian was completely spaced out, limp as a rag in Leo’s arms.
Buy the book: http://www.loose-id.com/bodies-and-souls-1-flesh-market.html?___SID=U
Meet the author:
Kate lives on the east coast of Canada, in an old farmhouse in the middle of nowhere. She has one horse now, who still has medical issues, and three cats, all of which still have mental issues. She still refuses to get a dog, because who knows what would be wrong with it?
Kate loves to read and write. She also likes playing with computers and is going back to school to do a programming degree, just for giggles. Or the opportunity to take over the world. (Oh, who are we kidding? Think of all the work that would mean.) She also likes pictures of pretty men and keeps many of them on her computer. (The pictures, not the men.) She would dearly love a cabana boy to mow her lawn and maybe rub her shoulders after a long day of making men fall in love with each other, then cackling evilly and raining frustration and danger on them.
Where to find the author:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100008313548018Twitter: @Kate_LowellWebsite: www.katelowell.com
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7132484.Kate_LowellPublisher: Loose IDCover Artist: April Martinez
Tour Dates & Stops: 3-Nov: Jessie G. Books , KathyMac Reviews 4-Nov: BFD Book Blog , 5-Nov: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words , MM Good Book Reviews 6-Nov: The Blogger Girls , Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance 9-Nov: Cheekypee Reads and Reviews
10-Nov: Release Day Book Blast! Parker Williams , Bayou Book Junkie , The Hat Party , Decadent Delights , Nephy Hart , Andrew Q. Gordon , BFD Book Blog , MM Good Book Reviews , KathyMac Reviews , Dawn’s Reading Nook , Gay Book Reviews , Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words , Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents , Bonkers About Books , Charley Descoteaux , Sassygirl Books , Chris McHart , The Day Before You Came , The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat , Moonbeams Over Atlanta , Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews , Nautical Star Books , Alpha Book Club , Iyana Jenna 11-Nov: Divine Magazine , Hearts on Fire , QUEERcentric Books 12-Nov: Kimi-Chan , Love Bytes , Havan Fellows 13-Nov: Happily Ever Chapter , Bayou Book Junkie 16-Nov: Inked Rainbow Reads 17-Nov: Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings, My Fiction Nook
Rafflecopter Prize: E-book copy of one of the recommended reads Kate used in her research for Flesh Market.Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
October 31, 2015
Nighttime Promises is up for sale!
Nighttime Promises is now up for sale. Click on the title to take you there. :) It'll be out at all other places shortly. For now, it's only for sale at ARe.
NOTE: This is a previously published work. The title, author, and/or publisher may have changed.
Blurb: Things have gone downhill since Sheriff Bryan Coltrane got involved in the FBI’s investigation of a recent UFO crash. Not only is a homophobic agent pushing his buttons, but he’s made contact with one of the aliens…who wants him for a mate!
Daroshi, a warrior with tentacles from the planet Maz’Rar, monitored the rescue of his captain, Ziang. Impressed by the courageous and brawny human male, he wants Bryan for his own despite knowing little about the race. Neither man is prepared for the problems arising from Daroshi’s desires, or the passion exploding between them.
What’s an alien to do when his mate harps on his civil rights and makes demands? He makes the wishes come true.
Excerpt:
“Gods,” Daroshi whispered as Bryan fired the strange-looking device.
When he and Ziang had transported down into Bryan’s backyard he hadn’t thought this could happen. The night was pitch black, the moon behind layers of fluffy clouds. Branches in the trees danced soothingly to gentle breezes.
An abundance of shrubs moved silently in the quietly swirling wind. Bryan’s small house was set away from the main road and deep in the woods, alone and isolated. Much like the owner. They crept around the house, moving carefully though the darkness.
Both activated their face shields for night vision. They blended with the night, silent hunters that became one with the darkness and shadows—predators with a mission. The prey was inside, unaware of what was closing in on him. Ziang opened his wrist weapon and pinpointed Bryan in the house by his body heat.
He motioned for Daroshi to follow him to the back of the house. They’d enter through the back door in the kitchen. As they passed the open window, Daroshi came to a stop when he heard Bryan’s comment about his hand and a big red dildo. His body came alive, and his tentacles jerked against his back.
A low growl of desire slipped out. Ziang immediately sliced his hand through the air, calling for silence. Daroshi couldn’t help himself. The very image of Bryan working a dildo up his ass inflamed him and sent his desire for the human spinning out of control.
Daroshi respected this human’s bravery and his dedication to an often thankless job, but now there was more. He could scent Bryan’s arousal. The scent was unlike anything he’d ever smelled—sharp and musky.
From the depths of his soul the word mine exploded in his head. He wanted Bryan with a passion he hadn’t felt, ever, and he’d do whatever it took to ease him into his new life. In his excitement, he made a rookie mistake. As he passed the window, he didn’t bend down low enough to conceal himself, and Bryan had seen him. Stupid, stupid, stupid of him.
Unsure of what the thing Bryan held was, he raced toward Bryan. The stricken look on Bryan’s face disturbed Daroshi—fear and horror coated his human’s face in heavy layers. Was that look aimed at them?
When Bryan yelled he hadn’t betrayed them, Daroshi’s heart stuttered in his chest. Without words, there was no way he could communicate to Bryan they knew this and that wasn’t the reason they were there.
Of course, if Bryan had known the real reason, he still may have acted as he did. When Bryan pointed the gun at Ziang, he’d been impressed with Bryan’s calmness and bravery. Coming through the window wasn’t ideal, and he’d frightened Bryan, but there was no other way into the kitchen.
“Are you okay?” Daroshi hissed at Ziang, and then lifted his arm. He didn’t want to have to do this, he really didn’t. Shawn warned them Bryan wouldn’t come without a fight, but Daroshi hadn’t believed him. He should have listened. Why hadn’t he listened, dammit?
Now the human had a weapon, and he was unsure what harm the thing could actually do. With regret he fired, and a beam of light came from his weapon unit. Bryan dropped to the ground.
“Ziang!” Daroshi hissed again.
“I’m fine.” Ziang shook his head. “Ego is more hurt than anything. Damn primitive device packed a punch. My head is still spinning.”
“What was that thing?” Daroshi rushed over to Bryan, who lay on the ground.
“A very primitive stun type weapon, I would guess. I believe they call it a ‘taser.’” Ziang moved next to Daroshi. Both stood over Bryan.
“Not the best way to start things off,” Daroshi mumbled.
October 30, 2015
A Haunting We Will Go
Looking for the Halloween blog hop? No problem! Go HERE
* * * *
Chapter One - Travis“Tell me again why I’m doing this?” Travis huffed.“Oh come on, it’ll be fun.” Lewis flipped on his blinker and cut into the other lane of traffic. A horn blew behind them.Travis grabbed the ‘oh shit’ bar, heart pounding. “Christ, did you even look just then? Know what? Never mind. You didn’t hit anybody so we’re calling that win. And as far as fun goes… I’m not sure what you’re talking about qualifies as fun. And Jesus, would you stop? I hate that sound.” Lewis had finished his drink but was still sucking on the straw which resulted in that hair-raising sound when there was no liquid left in the bottom of the cup.“Oh? You mean this?” Lewis sucked hard on the straw again.Travis cringed. If Lewis wasn’t driving, he’d smack the hell out of him for that.“And what’s your deal, man?” Lewis scowled down at the cup he held as if he suddenly realized it was empty. “You know it’s nothing more than just a bunch kids in masks running around screaming and shit.”Travis glanced out the passenger side window. “I’m not a moron. I know it’s just kids. It’s just… I’m not a big fan of being scared shitless.”“It’s a haunted hayride. How scary can it be? I mean, seriously. Besides, this’ll be a good chance for you to meet some of my friends.”“Fine.” Lewis had a point. He moved in with his friend a little over a month ago. Travis and the asshole he’d been living with for a year had broken up, and since the apartment was Darnell’s, Travis found himself out on street. Darnell had been in his forties and was a lawyer. He hated to admit it, but he might’ve been slightly dazzled by the older man. Fortunately for him, Lewis’s roommate had just moved out, and Lewis needed help with the rent. Thank God Lewis had been there for him even though they’d fallen out of touch.“How much does it cost?” Travis reluctantly asked.“Tell you what. If you’ll go, I’ll pay your way. How does that sound?”“You got a deal.” Lewis parked in front of the automotive shop. “You want me to hang around until you leave?”“Naw, no need. Someone called earlier and said it was ready. All I had done was an oil change.”“Okay. I guess I’ll see you at home. The hayride starts at dark, but I want to get there about nine. Does that sound good to you?”“Yeah.” Travis checked the radio’s digital clock. It was only five. “I need to run by the store and pick up a few things, and then I’ll be on my way home. Need anything?”“Pick up a box of condoms, would you please?”“Funny how that’s the first thing that came to mind. I swear, you’re such a horn dog.”“And your point is?” Lewis snickered. “Come on, man. I’ll pay you back at home. Don’t make me go to the store for just that one thing. You’re going anyway. Pleeeeease? Huh? Will you?”“Jeez, if it’ll stop all the whining, sure.”“Aw, you’re so good to me.” Lewis punched Travis in the arm good-naturedly. “I’ll split them with you.”“I just got out of a relationship. The last thing I’m looking for is another relationship.”“Who said anything about a relationship? You, my man, need to get laid. Badly. What do they say about falling off a horse? You gotta back up on it and ride.” Lewis held his hands up like he was holding reins and made a motion like galloping.“Now I have that burned in my mind, thank you.” Travis started to say something about pony play, but let that slide. It would take too much explanation. “So, you use that line with the female persuasion?” “Of course not. Jesus, man, are you insane? I’d never say that to a woman. She’d probably punch me. Probably in the nuts.”“Can’t say I’d blame her. That was pretty lame.” Travis got out, shut the door, and leaned against it. The weather in the South was just beginning to turn cool, so Lewis had the windows down. “Any more pearls of wisdom?”“Not the moment. I don’t want to overwhelm you, so I have to dole them out a little at a time.”“Un-huh. Right.” Travis stood up. “I’ll see you shortly.”“See you later.”Travis walked to the entrance of the automotive shop. Behind him he heard a loud radio thumping. How Lewis stood it that loud was a mystery. Dude was going to be deaf by the time he was thirty, which wasn’t too far off. Lewis was twenty-eight and he was twenty-six. He paid for the oil change and retrieved his key. The guy behind the counter was hot, but didn’t flip his switch. Since the breakup no one had got his motor running. He got in his Jeep and drove to Walmart. He was low on cash so he wouldn’t be getting much. He and Lewis split the grocery bill and also took turns cooking dinner. Tonight was Lewis’s night. Travis had a job with an advertising agency, but of course it was ground level. He barely made enough to support himself, but eventually that would change. Lewis was a computer tech for a cable and satellite television news channel and was doing pretty well.After a quick trip to Walmart, he drove back to the apartments. Since he had an armful of groceries, he used his foot to knock on the door. When the door didn’t open, he kicked hard. “Hey Lewis, it’s me. Little help please? Hellooooooo? Come on, dude, these are getting heavy.” What the hell was Lewis doing in there? Travis kicked the door again.Still no answer. Mumbling under his breath, Travis kicked the door again. “Probably jerking off, the ass. Swear to God—”The door opened with a snap.“Oh good, so glad you could be bothered to….” Travis gulped. That wasn’t Lewis standing at the door. “Who the hell are you?” Whoever was blocking the door was extremely tall. A board chest stretched out in front of him, and oh man, he loved the good chest. Travis licked his lips. He looked up into some of the darkest, sexiest chocolate brown eyes he’d ever seen. His hair was a mess of golden red curles and quite eye-catching. He wondered if the rest of the hair on the guys’ body was quite as… fiery. His cock jumped as it slowly filled. Oh jeez. Now you want to show some interest in somebody? Lovely. He seriously needed to get his mind out of the gutter and get his dick under control. He wasn’t sure the guy was even gay.“My name is Red.”Of course it is.“Lewis asked me to get the door since he’s busy cooking dinner. Need some help?”Of course I do.“You okay, man?”“Huh? Oh! Ha! Yeah. I, ah… I, ah… sure. Help. Thanks.” Dear God, this dude had reduced him to stuttering. Been a while since that happened. Travis handed over one of the heavier bags of groceries. “Are you, ah, a friend of Lewis’s?” “I am.” Red took one of the bags and moved out of the doorway. “Known Lewis since about the fifth grade.”Lewis came out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a dishtowel that he then threw over his shoulder. “Hey Trav, this is my friend, Red. Red? This is Travis Walker. Trav? This is Red Crawford.”Travis shifted the bag he held and threw his keys into a little bowl on a table next to the front door. “We just met.”“I forgot to tell you he was coming over,” Lewis said. “He works part-time for the tattoo shop located on Main.”“Oh, oh yeah, I know who you are.” Travis followed Red and Lewis into the kitchen where they deposited the grocery bag on the counter. “You did the tattoo on Lewis’s shoulder, didn’t you? You’re thatRed. Lewis talks about you all the time.” Travis stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”Red shook his hand. “Nice to meet you too.”Indeed it was. Travis freely admitted he had a thing for tall, muscular guys, but this is the first time he’d been attracted to a ginger. Red had a firm handshake but hadn’t tried to crush Travis’s hand. Was it his imagination or did Red hold his hand a little bit longer than was strictly necessary? “Anybody want a beer?” Travis asked after Red released his hand.“Sure, I’ll take one,” Lewis said.“I’ll get them, Lewis. You keep an eye whatever you got cooking on the stove over there. It smells too good to let it burn,” Travis said. “Red? You want one too?”“No thanks. But I’d take a soda if you got any.”“Sure thing.” Travis opened the refrigerator door and looked inside. “We got Dr Pepper that’s cold, and I picked up a twenty-four pack of Coke today. Any of that sound good?”“Dr Pepper, please.”“You want it over ice or still in the bottle?” “Over ice, please. And thank you.”Travis took the drinks out of the refrigerator and shut the door. When he turned around he caught Red staring at his ass. That was encouraging. It was odd, though. Normally he went after men with dark hair. Red’s name—and he assumed Red was a nickname—fit him. After everyone had a drink, he wandered over to the stove. “What’s for dinner?” Travis asked.A big pot had pasta boiling, and a skillet had spaghetti sauce cooking merrily away. The oven was on so he cracked open the door and peeked inside. The smell of garlic had his mouth watering.“Spaghetti. Hope that’s okay,” Lewis said.Travis shut the open door and straightened up. “Okay? Man, it’s more than okay. It smells fantastic. What possessed you to do this?”“Red hates pizza,” Lewis said.“Hey now, it’s not that I hate pizza, it’s just… well, being a bachelor and all, it’s easier to order a pizza than try to cook for one.” Red sipped his soda. “If I had to decide between a home-cooked meal, and a box of bread and tomato sauce, guess what I’m going to take?”“I’m not sure this exactly falls into the category of a home-cooked meal.” Lewis stirred the pasta. “I bought the pasta, and the spaghetti sauce is Ragu. I just added spices and hamburger meat. Hell, I even bought the garlic bread.”Red grabbed a hand towel and popped Lewis on the ass with it. Lewis yelped. “Hey!”“I’m trying to give you a compliment.” Red twirled the towel as he readied it to deliver another blow. “Shut up take it.”I’d love to, thanks. Travis coughed then cleared his throat. He barely managed to get his mouth shut before the words popped out. “You okay over there?” Red asked.“Erm….” Travis cleared his throat. Lewis held the spoon he used to stir the spaghetti. Red held the towel he used to pop Lewis. Both of them stared intently at him. “What? Why are you two staring at me like that?”“You, ah, made this weird sound.” Lewis shrugged and then went back to stirring the spaghetti.Red regarded Travis, one red eyebrow lifted high. He passed by Travis and laid the hand towel on the counter. “Frankly, it’s one of my favorite sounds,” he whispered. Well, that certainly answered his question of whether or not Red was gay. Or at least bi. He choked back another needy whimper.“Check him out. He’s as red as your hair.” Lewis snickered.Travis picked up the hand towel next to him. “Apparently Red didn’t hit you hard enough. Here, let me fix that.” Travis rolled the towel up.“Hey, hey, hey!” Lewis danced in front of the stove waving the spoon around. “See this? I’m not afraid to use it.”“Please.” Travis rolled his eyes, but did drop the towel back onto the counter. “It’s a spoon.”Lewis shot him a glare. “It a wood spoon. You don’t want to know what can be done with a wood spoon, trust me.”Travis hiked an eyebrow. He didn’t even know where to begin to ask what that meant so he ignored it. Until later. Maybe. Jeez. A wooden spoon?Satisfied he made his point, Lewis turned back to the pot of spaghetti. “Not sure if that look is supposed to be one of terror or interest. But that’s a discussion for another day. I’m trying to cook here, so be nice, or all you’ll get is a cheese sandwich.”Red leaned against the counter. “I think he’s serious.” “You bet your ass. This stuff is ready. Red? If you’ll get the plates, Trav can get the salad out of the refrigerator.” Lewis turned everything off. “I’ll get the garlic bread out of the oven.”Pretty soon everything was set up and ready to go.“Where are we eating?” Red asked.Lewis picked up his plate and walked out of the kitchen. “Den.” Travis frowned at his plate. Den? Why were they in the den? Usually if Lewis caught him even glancing in the general direction of the den with food screaming commenced. Shrugging, he grabbed his plate and followed Lewis. Lewis immediately plopped his ass in the recliner. Well, hell.The only other seat available was the couch they had. It was apartment sized, which meant it only fit two people comfortably… and Red was already sitting there. His plate and glass sat on the coffee table in front of him. Travis shot a look at Lewis. O-o-okay, what was going on here? Since when did his friend play matchmaker? Stomping down his nerves, he joined Red on the couch. He no sooner put his plate on the coffee table when Red’s knee touched his. A tingle raced through his body. Jesus, don’t pop a boner. Boner bad. Bad boner.It was like having a personal electric stove sitting next to him. Aw man. He popped a boner, sure enough. Thank God his shirt was untucked. The heat from Red soaked into him. There was plenty of room, but Red’s left knee remained resting against his. Did he always pump out this much heat? Lucky dude. Travis was cold natured, and damn near froze to death in the winter. Bet sleeping with him is like having your own personal electric blanket. He shivered at the thought. He barely met the guy, and he was already thinking about sex. Talk about jumping the gun. I’d rather jump him.At this rate his cock was never going to go down. After they finished eating—and he talked his cock down—Travis washed the dishes since Lewis cooked. He heard the TV click on. Over the mindless drone Lewis and Red’s voiced drifted to him, but he couldn’t understand hear what they were saying. The hair on the back of his neck rose. A cool breeze kissed the skin on the back of his neck, and he shivered as chill bumps broke out. A few seconds later he felt the heat of someone standing behind him.“Need some help?” Red’s breath whispered across the back of his neck. “Sure.” Damn urge to whimper hit him again.Red moved next to him finally, and Travis could breathe easier. He handed Red the sudsy plate. Their fingers touched, and once again he felt that tingle bolt up his arm.Red rinsed it and set the plate on the drying rack. “No dishwasher, huh?”“Nope. The apartment didn’t come with one. I don’t really mind washing dishes, but Lewis tends to leave his plates in the sink. Half the time he doesn’t clean the food off. Which means I have to really scrub to get them clean.”“Okay, that’s just gross.” Red held his hand out for another dish.“I agree.” Travis handed him another plate. “I’m ready to start buying paper plates.”“I’d take the nasty, crusted things and set them on his nightstand. Maybe if that was the first thing he saw when he first woke up, he’d get the message.” “Oh, that’s evil.” Cackling, Travis handed Red a glass. “I like it. I may have to try that.”“Credit me with the idea.” Red shoulder-bumped Travis. “I ain’t scared.”Travis caught his breath. Every time they touched, his body tingled. Every single time. He’d never experienced that before, and he liked it. “I’ll remind you of that when you get a phone call.”“He has a ring tone.”“Like I said, evil.” Travis handed Red another glass. “Lewis roped me into going to the haunted hayride tonight. You going?”“Now isn’t that funny? He invited me along too.” “Really?” Travis handed Red a couple of forks he just washed. Red caught his hand, and Travis looked over at him. “Really. He also told me about his good friend who recently moved in with him—his friend who happens to be gay. Like me.”Dammit, he knew it. He was going to kill Lewis the first opportunity he got. Then again, that damn wooden spoon of his might be a deterrent. “Aw jeez, he set this up, didn’t he?” Red squeezed Travis’s fingers before releasing them. “He did, yes, but I asked him to. Does that bother you?”Oh wow, Travis asked Lewis to set this up? “No, I’m just surprised. I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m glad he did.”“Good. Now, about this hayride….”“It’s been years since I’ve been on one, but I’m actually looking forward to it.”“Me too.” Red tossed the towel he’d been using to dry the plates and glasses onto the counter. “I don’t remember what time Lewis said he wanted to leave.”“He wanted to get there about nine.” Red checked his watch. “We have an hour, then.”“Yeah.” Travis dried his hands on the towel and placed it on the counter too. “You okay with watching TV for a while?”
Chapter Two - RedRed leaned against the counter. Even from here he could smell Travis’s natural scent. The guy smelled like cinnamon rolls. “Whatever you want sounds good to me.” “TV it is, then.”Red was more than okay with sitting on the couch and watching TV. From the moment he’d seen a picture of Travis on Lewis’s cell, he’d been interested. More than interested. That simple look had told him how important Travis would to him. The combination of dark brown hair and icy, light blue eyes intrigued him. It was such a striking combination.Lewis had flipped through the channels until he found some stupid reality show that totally engrossed him. Red followed Travis back to the den and sat down beside him. Now he found himself in a bit of a pickle. Should he take it slow? Or should he move right in? He didn’t want to frighten Travis, but on the other hand…. Oh, what the hell. Faking a big yawn, he stretched one arm out, and then flopped it down on the couch cushion behind Travis. Okay, so far so good. Now, should he leave it like that? Or should he pull Travis in close to him? He crossed his legs, letting his right ankle rest on his left knee. Okay, Travis was still sitting there so that was a good sign. Maybe he should just….“Seriously, dude? The 80s called and they want their move back.” Lewis snickered.And there went a blush crawling over his cheeks. It was the one thing he really disliked about having red hair. While the freckles didn’t bother him, there was no hiding that damn blush. Luckily for him, Lewis seemed to be the only one who triggered such a reaction. Well, it was settled. As much as he hated it, he was going to have to kill Lewis. Red shot Lewis a glare. “I’d tell you to bite me, but you probably do it.”“I do consider biting foreplay,” Lewis countered. “But as hard as it is to resist your manly physique, I’ll try. So not biting. Sorry.”Red spluttered.Travis patted Red’s knee. “Ignore him. I do. And besides, do you hear me complaining?”Red shot a glare at Lewis, who just rolled his eyes in return. Yep, murdering him was looking better and better. But then he pursed his lips. Lewis had a hand in throwing him and Travis together. Well, hell. Maybe he wouldn’t kill him after all. He decided to put that little chore on the Things-to-Consider-Later list. Now that he was sitting so close to Travis, all he could smell was cinnamon rolls. He was so hard he hurt. He wanted to bury his nose in Travis’s neck and sniff around. Maybe even nibble a little. Yeah, nibbling was definitely going on his To-Do list. He moved his arm off the back of the couch and moved it around Travis’s shoulders. Seeing he still had the green light, he let his fingers trailed across Travis’s shoulder. That earned him a small smile and a slight giggle. He was so mesmerized by Travis’s soft skin that when Lewis spoke he damn near jumped off the couch.Lewis picked up the remote and clicked off the TV. “You guys ready to go? I think we better leave now so we have plenty of time to get there. I bet the place is going to be packed.”“Where where we going?” Travis asked as he patted Red’s knee and stood.“Cedar Lake Farms,” Lewis said. “They have other things going on out there beside the haunted hayride. There’s also a corn maze. I thought maybe we could do that too.”“Yeah, just what I want to do. Go run around in a field of corn. Wasn’t there a horror movie based on that?” Travis asked. Red stood. “Several. And everybody dies.”“Lovely.” Travis shook his head.“So, everyone riding with me?” Lewis asked.“Sounds good to me.” Travis looked at Red. “What about you?”“Yeah, I can do that.”Red followed Travis and Lewis out to Lewis’s car. The night had definitely cooled off. Travis immediately went to the back door of the car.Red laid his hand on Travis’s arm. “Oh hey, I can sit in the back seat.”“It not a big deal. Besides, your legs are longer than mine, and there’s more room in the front seat.”“Well, I’d sit the back with you but…” Red glanced in the back seat. Unfortunately Lewis had a milk crate full of odds and ends sitting in the other passenger seat.“Sorry about that. That’s some stuff I packed up that was in my office. I haven’t taken the time to get it out of the car,” said Lewis.“Wait, what? You’re packing up your office? Travis asked.“No, no, no. I’d didn’t mean to make it sound like I was packing up my office. I’m not. I just had a bunch of stuff in there, and it was getting too crowded. That’s all,” Lewis said. He thumbed his keys fob, and the car headlights blinked as it unlocked.“Thank God.” Travis opened the car door. “There’s no way I could handle the rent and everything else on my own. I just don’t make enough.”“No worries. My job is solid. Now let’s go have fun.”Red opened the door and got in the front seat. Lewis had hinted heavily to him that Travis didn’t have a lot of money, so his remark came as no surprise. They listen to the radio on the way there so there wasn’t a lot of conversation. It turned out to be a good thing they had left a little early since there was a line waiting to get into the farm. There were people stationed in various places with flashlights who directed the incoming traffic where to park.Once they parked, everyone got out, and Lewis locked the car. “Okay,” he said putting on his coat. “Haunted hayride or corn maze walk. Which one do you guys want to do first?”“Haunted hayride.”Travis looked at Red, then Lewis. “I never said I was going to the corn maze.”“I’ll be there to protect you.” Lewis winked at Travis. “I won’t let anything get you.”Travis rolled his eyes. “Great. Who’s going to protect me from you?”“Me.” Red quickly patted Travis on the ass. “Promise.”The cute little ‘eep’ sound from Travis made his night as did the perky firmness he felt under his hand. He couldn’t wait to get a hold of Travis’s ass. It promised to be a fine one.
As they walked through the gate to the farm, off to the side, was an old looking yellow tractor. On the ground in front of the tractor was a gigantic weathered board. Written in drippy red lettering were the words Halloween special: Bodies buried $5. Really deep $10.Travis snorted as he pointed out the sign. “Someone has a twisted sense of humor.”Lewis busted out laughing but didn’t say anything thing.Red grinned at the oversized sign. “Appropriate though, don’t you think?”Travis just shook his head as they long walk along the gravel drive leading up to where they had to pay the admittance fee. “I’ve never been here before, but I’ve heard good things about it.” Travis looked over at the huge hay bale painted to mimic a jack-o’-lantern’s face. “They’ve certainly have gone all out.”Lewis looked at the numerous hay bales, pumpkins, and mum’s place all around the entrance of the farm. “A doctor here in town and his wife bought it a long time ago.”“Probably use it as a tax write off,” Travis said as they joined the rest of people in line. “I heard the wife was pretty much in charge until a couple years ago,” Lewis said. “Apparently the doctor retired, and he and his wife concentrated on the farm, but they turned the running of it over to the son.”“Wow. How big is this thing?” Travis asked.“About 120 acres.” Red rested his hand on the small of Travis’s back and urged him to move up in line. “It’s called Cedar Lakes because there are several ponds on the property, and the entire farm is enclosed with a cedar fence.”“That’s a lot of fence.” They finally made their way up to a table where several people were taking money and handing out wristbands for all the activities at the farm. Lewis held out the money and received the three armbands which he gave to Red and Travis.“Thanks, man,” said Travis.“Thanks.” Red slipped the band on his arm, a slight smile on his face when several of the ladies taking tickets did a double take at seeing him. “Okay, hayride? Corn maze?”“Jeez, you guys aren’t going to let it go, are you?” Travis zipped up his jacket. “Fine! Hayride, then. We’ll see about the corn maze.”Lewis lightly shoved Travis. “Ha! I knew it. Man, you’re so easy.”Travis scowled at Lewis. “I’m easy? Right. I can’t keep up with all the people parading in and out at your bedroom.”Lewis waved his hand airily. “Spice is the variety of life.”“Uh-huh. Well, here lately you’ve been rolling in it. And I’m still not sure about going to the corn maze.”Read leaned in close and whispered into Travis’s ear, “You want to go through the corn maze. Trust me.”Travis shivered. Unable to help himself, Red pressed a small kiss to the shell of Travis’s ear.“Oh my goodness.” Travis jumped like he’d been electrocuted.Oh, so sensitive. Where else was Travis sensitive? Red quickly grabbed Travis’s elbow to steady him. “Easy there.” “Trust you, huh?” Breath hitching, Travis faced Red. This close he could see how enlarged Travis’s pupils were. The temptation to lean forward and kissed those full lips were strong, but he didn’t. Not yet. Standing so close to the other man, Travis’s scent wrapped around him, teasing him.“Oh, yeah.”“Okay then,” Travis said, beginning to pant. “I’ll go.”Travis’s sweet breath whispered across his face. He must’ve been sucking on a breath mint or something earlier. “Good.” He eyed Travis’s lips and was pleased to see Travis respond by licking his lips. The urge to sink his hand into Travis’s hair and jerk
Chapter Three - TravisHoly shit. Travis trembled. His body was on fire. Okay, not really, but it sure felt that way. Desire coursed in his veins, and he was so hard he could pound nails. He’d never really understood that phrase until now. His cock pressed against the zipper, and it ached. It was a damn good thing his coat was one of those long types that came down around his thighs, otherwise everyone who glanced at him would see how hard he was.When Red whispered in his ear Travis’s eyes threatened to roll back in his head. The soft, warm breath against his skin felt amazing. There were moments he could have sworn Red was going to kiss him. And he wanted him to. Hell, he wanted to do a lot more than kiss. There was something about the other man that flipped a switch in ways no other man ever had. Not that he’d had a lot of experience, but still. Naughty, naughty thoughts crowded his brain as they waited in line for the hayride.Red stood very close to him, their bodies almost touching. There were lots of people around, and random electric poles with bright utility lights on them, but the darkness still afforded some measure of cover. There was the urge to do something wicked, but he dared not. This was the South, after all. They were lucky they lived in a fairly open-minded community, but there was always a chance a redneck was around.
A tractor pulled up with a trailer behind it. There was hay scattered on the floor of the trailer, but there were seats instead of random hay bales passengers sat on. The driver counted out fifteen people then waited as they climbed into the trailer. Once everybody was seated, the driver went over the rules. The main rule was staying in the trailer, especially when it was moving. Under no circumstances was anyone on the hayride supposed to get out of the trailer. The driver stressed that over and over. Somehow Travis found himself sitting between Red and Lewis. After the driver finished covering the rules, they were off. The darkness immediately swallowed them up. They weren’t moving very fast, but the trailer groaned and squeaked as they made their way down the dirt road. The smell of a bonfire reached him first as they rattled along. Maybe it was him, but the woods on either side of the road seemed creepier than normal. Then he heard the moans. Oh God. His stomach tightened, and he grabbed the edge of the seat. Between one moment in the next, Red unclenched his fingers from the bench and held his hand. The warmth of Red’s hand surprised him. It was a cool night, after all. The trailer grinding to a halt quickly dragged his attention away from Red. On the side of the road sat one of those old, square business-type vans that was used to transport either the mentally ill or prisoners. It looked like it had caught fire at one point. The entire back of the burned-out van was an awful grayish white. Red squeezed his hand then suddenly the van’s doors burst open. Inside was a partially decomposed zombie in a straitjacket who wailed and moaned.
It struggled up from its knees and slowly made its way to the ground… then lumbered toward the trailer, its eerie moaning rising in intensity. People on the trailer screamed as other zombies slowly and painfully dragged themselves from the woods. A low, unnatural chant of ‘brains’ rose from them. The sound sent chills up his back. He knew it was just kids with makeup done from kits they probably bought from Walmart, but it still left him panting with the urge to jump out of the trailer and run. Good thing Red had a hold of his hand.The tractor started up and pulled the trailer away from the moldy zombies. They made several more stops. One was a shack with a couple rednecks out front; one was paying the banjo while another one held a shotgun.
The guy with the shotgun was talking to the people in the trailer when suddenly someone covered in blood burst out from the shack’s screaming horribly. As the rednecks chased the bloody person, the trailer pulled off from the shack. They did a couple more stops: one was a graveyard where body parts stuck up from the ground and a casket was partially open with something trying to climb out. Another stop was a pirate ship where a couple of the people jumped off the ship and made a run at the trailer.
They also stopped randomly along the dirt road so creatures could come rushing up to the trailer. There was one guy with a rabbit mask, but the damn thing look like it was a rabbit hyped up on drugs with creepy eyes and awful teeth.Some of stops were kind of interesting, and made his hair stand on end, but some were kind of lame. There were a couple teenage girls on the trailer who screamed at everything. They were shrill enough to peel paint when they screamed. They’d been out there for quite a while, so Travis figured the ride was about to come to an end even thought it felt like they were slowing down, which was odd. Then there was a popping sound.“Are we stopping?” Travis asked. “And what was that?”Red said something under his voice and then looked up toward the cab of the tractor. The cab door opened, and the guy driving the tractor hopped down. He held a flashlight and walked toward the trailer.“Dammit.” Red sighed and turned toward Travis. “No, this isn’t part of the ride. There’s something wrong.”“Red?” The driver continued walking down the trailer calling Red’s name. “Mr. Crawford?”“What’s going on?” Travis asked. “Why is he looking for you?”“Well, hell. Short answer is I do tattooing part-time at the shop, and when I say part-time it’s more like just a few hours a week. You see, I run the farm. My parents owned it. That’s why the driver is looking for me.”“Oh, okay.” Travis scratched his head. “Not really sure why you didn’t tell me that earlier.”Lewis snorted. “Because dummy, his parents are filthy rich.”“Um, his parents are filthy rich… doesn’t mean he is.” Travis looked between Lewis and Red. “Over here, Paul.” Red waved at the driver, and then looked at Travis. “Thank you for that. You’d be surprised how many guys want to date me because they think I’m rich. I do okay, but Mom and Dad’s money? That’s their money, not mine.”“Don’t forget the inheritance left you by your grandmother,” Lewis added.“Shut up,” Red said.“I don’t want to date you because you’re rich,” Travis said. “But you do want to date me, right?”“Oh yeah.”“Excellent.” Red pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Let me take care of getting somebody out here with another trailer to get these people back, and we’ll talk.” Lewis acted like he was wiping his hands off as he grinned. “My job here is done.”It took about a half an hour to get a tractor out there, get the people loaded, and get them on their way. Lewis and Travis stayed behind with Red. The driver went back with the other trailer, but he left his flashlight with Red. “So what are you going to do about this tractor?” Lewis asked.“Not much we can do about it tonight. Paul’s going to bring back some reflective traffic cones to put around it. Thankfully he got it somewhat off the main road. The other tractors with trailers can go around it.” “That’s good,” Travis said.“Yeah.” Red frowned at the tractor. “I’ll have to call someone tomorrow to either come out and fix it or move it off the path.”“Well, at least Paul left the flashlight with us,” Travis said.“Worried?” Lewis joked.“I’m not fond of the dark, as you well know.” Travis moved a little closer to Red since he was holding the flashlight.“I’ll protect you.” Red winked at Travis.Travis started to say something, but he paused. What is that? He glanced around but couldn’t see anything, although he could have sworn he heard something. “Guys? Did you hear that?”Lewis looked at Travis and then looked at toward the woods. “Shit.”Travis stared off into the woods. “It sounds like… like… running.” Red suddenly shouted. Travis’s head stepped around as he stared at Red. “What?”
Suddenly something dark and hairy darted from the woods—something with glowing red eyes and long fangs. Really long fangs. Are those dogs? Wild dogs? “What the fuck?” Travis stepped toward Red.Growls and snarls filled the air as the things converged. The next thing Travis knew, one of them flung itself at Red and knocked him down to the ground. “Shit!” Travis yelled. Desperately he looked around for something to use as a weapon.Red rolled on the ground with the dog. He had his hands wrapped around the dog’s throat, trying to keep it from his own neck. The dog snapped and snarled, biting at Red madly. “Lewis! What do we—”Lewis shrieked as he went down with a dog on top him.“Oh fuck,” Travis whispered. This can’t be happening. A growl caught his attention. Without turning his head, he stared off to the right. Another dog stalked him. What do I do? Oh God, what do I do? Travis took a step toward Lewis, but stopped then turned around took a step toward Red. The dog stalked him bared his teeth and barked furiously. Oh God, oh God. He felt sick. His stomach cramped and heaved, threatening to send its contents up. Panic strangled him as he turned in a circle, unsure what to do. He wrung his hands. He took another step toward Red when one of the most god-awful sounds he’d ever heard froze him in his tracks.It sounded like bones breaking. He wanted to gag. Then he wanted to pass out because there, right before his very eyes, Red turned into a dog. His clothes were scattered on the ground. Now he and the other dog were rolling around viciously fighting each other. Spots danced before Travis’s eyes, but they cleared up real quick one when another dog suddenly jumped in front of him. It backed into him, stepping on his foot. Holy crap this thing weighs a ton.Unable to move his foot, Travis went down. Next thing he knew he had a face full of furry butt, and he was pinned against the tractor. Facing outward, the dog protecting him barked and snarled at anything that came near. Only then did he realize that what he thought were dogs, were actually wolves. Fucking wolves. And Lewis was nowhere to be seen, but his clothes were. And there was a blond wolf now in front of him, trying to protect him.The blinking lights were back and dancing a jig. The dog—wolf—was a beautiful platinum blond. Just like Lewis. He glanced at where Red had been standing a minute ago. Now there was a huge, dark auburn wolf fighting with another wolf. Jesus God how he wished he’d stayed home and…. Holy crap, he shared his home with a wolf. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” He couldn’t believe it. Any of this. Something tickled his nose, and he glanced up. That was a tail, and the tail was attached to… yeah. It was hard to ignore the furry butt of his best friend in his face. Werewolves, shifter—whatever the hell they were—they existed, and several of them surrounded him. He heard a sharp yelp, and one of the wolves went flying across the road. He was pretty sure it was the one Red had been fighting. It didn’t get back up. The huge auburn wolf bound across the road toward where Travis sat against the tractor and he recoiled as fear screamed through his body. He jumped up… and slammed his head against something on the tractor. Grabbing his head, pain howled through his head as his vision wavered. Well, something howled. Oh God, he was going to be sick. He fell to his knees and swallowed repeatedly. The pounding in his head increased as his vision darkened around the edges. He noticed how large the wolf was compared to the rest in the clearing. It crashed into the wolf barking at him. The two of them rolled across the dirt road. The other one was a dirty brown and not as large as the auburn one. The sounds of them fighting were awful. Snarls and growls came from the tangle of limbs and sharp teeth. It left his heart pounding furiously as fear raced through his body. Slumping over, everything went black.* * * *
Groaning, he opened his eyes. Not again. Since the end of September he’d been having that same nightmare over and over. Each time a little more was revealed. What did the damn thing mean?He crawled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was pale, but other than that he looked fine. He turned on the faucet, cupped his hands, and filled them with water. After he quenched his thirst, he brushed his teeth and showered. Silently he returned to his room and dressed and then made his way to the kitchen. Lewis was sitting there eating breakfast. He nodded to his roomie, grabbed a bagel, and headed out the door. Last thing he needed to do was be late for work. As he drove one word echoed through his mind…. Red.
Now he just needed to figure out who or what that was.
* * * *
Chapter One - Travis“Tell me again why I’m doing this?” Travis huffed.“Oh come on, it’ll be fun.” Lewis flipped on his blinker and cut into the other lane of traffic. A horn blew behind them.Travis grabbed the ‘oh shit’ bar, heart pounding. “Christ, did you even look just then? Know what? Never mind. You didn’t hit anybody so we’re calling that win. And as far as fun goes… I’m not sure what you’re talking about qualifies as fun. And Jesus, would you stop? I hate that sound.” Lewis had finished his drink but was still sucking on the straw which resulted in that hair-raising sound when there was no liquid left in the bottom of the cup.“Oh? You mean this?” Lewis sucked hard on the straw again.Travis cringed. If Lewis wasn’t driving, he’d smack the hell out of him for that.“And what’s your deal, man?” Lewis scowled down at the cup he held as if he suddenly realized it was empty. “You know it’s nothing more than just a bunch kids in masks running around screaming and shit.”Travis glanced out the passenger side window. “I’m not a moron. I know it’s just kids. It’s just… I’m not a big fan of being scared shitless.”“It’s a haunted hayride. How scary can it be? I mean, seriously. Besides, this’ll be a good chance for you to meet some of my friends.”“Fine.” Lewis had a point. He moved in with his friend a little over a month ago. Travis and the asshole he’d been living with for a year had broken up, and since the apartment was Darnell’s, Travis found himself out on street. Darnell had been in his forties and was a lawyer. He hated to admit it, but he might’ve been slightly dazzled by the older man. Fortunately for him, Lewis’s roommate had just moved out, and Lewis needed help with the rent. Thank God Lewis had been there for him even though they’d fallen out of touch.“How much does it cost?” Travis reluctantly asked.“Tell you what. If you’ll go, I’ll pay your way. How does that sound?”“You got a deal.” Lewis parked in front of the automotive shop. “You want me to hang around until you leave?”“Naw, no need. Someone called earlier and said it was ready. All I had done was an oil change.”“Okay. I guess I’ll see you at home. The hayride starts at dark, but I want to get there about nine. Does that sound good to you?”“Yeah.” Travis checked the radio’s digital clock. It was only five. “I need to run by the store and pick up a few things, and then I’ll be on my way home. Need anything?”“Pick up a box of condoms, would you please?”“Funny how that’s the first thing that came to mind. I swear, you’re such a horn dog.”“And your point is?” Lewis snickered. “Come on, man. I’ll pay you back at home. Don’t make me go to the store for just that one thing. You’re going anyway. Pleeeeease? Huh? Will you?”“Jeez, if it’ll stop all the whining, sure.”“Aw, you’re so good to me.” Lewis punched Travis in the arm good-naturedly. “I’ll split them with you.”“I just got out of a relationship. The last thing I’m looking for is another relationship.”“Who said anything about a relationship? You, my man, need to get laid. Badly. What do they say about falling off a horse? You gotta back up on it and ride.” Lewis held his hands up like he was holding reins and made a motion like galloping.“Now I have that burned in my mind, thank you.” Travis started to say something about pony play, but let that slide. It would take too much explanation. “So, you use that line with the female persuasion?” “Of course not. Jesus, man, are you insane? I’d never say that to a woman. She’d probably punch me. Probably in the nuts.”“Can’t say I’d blame her. That was pretty lame.” Travis got out, shut the door, and leaned against it. The weather in the South was just beginning to turn cool, so Lewis had the windows down. “Any more pearls of wisdom?”“Not the moment. I don’t want to overwhelm you, so I have to dole them out a little at a time.”“Un-huh. Right.” Travis stood up. “I’ll see you shortly.”“See you later.”Travis walked to the entrance of the automotive shop. Behind him he heard a loud radio thumping. How Lewis stood it that loud was a mystery. Dude was going to be deaf by the time he was thirty, which wasn’t too far off. Lewis was twenty-eight and he was twenty-six. He paid for the oil change and retrieved his key. The guy behind the counter was hot, but didn’t flip his switch. Since the breakup no one had got his motor running. He got in his Jeep and drove to Walmart. He was low on cash so he wouldn’t be getting much. He and Lewis split the grocery bill and also took turns cooking dinner. Tonight was Lewis’s night. Travis had a job with an advertising agency, but of course it was ground level. He barely made enough to support himself, but eventually that would change. Lewis was a computer tech for a cable and satellite television news channel and was doing pretty well.After a quick trip to Walmart, he drove back to the apartments. Since he had an armful of groceries, he used his foot to knock on the door. When the door didn’t open, he kicked hard. “Hey Lewis, it’s me. Little help please? Hellooooooo? Come on, dude, these are getting heavy.” What the hell was Lewis doing in there? Travis kicked the door again.Still no answer. Mumbling under his breath, Travis kicked the door again. “Probably jerking off, the ass. Swear to God—”The door opened with a snap.“Oh good, so glad you could be bothered to….” Travis gulped. That wasn’t Lewis standing at the door. “Who the hell are you?” Whoever was blocking the door was extremely tall. A board chest stretched out in front of him, and oh man, he loved the good chest. Travis licked his lips. He looked up into some of the darkest, sexiest chocolate brown eyes he’d ever seen. His hair was a mess of golden red curles and quite eye-catching. He wondered if the rest of the hair on the guys’ body was quite as… fiery. His cock jumped as it slowly filled. Oh jeez. Now you want to show some interest in somebody? Lovely. He seriously needed to get his mind out of the gutter and get his dick under control. He wasn’t sure the guy was even gay.“My name is Red.”Of course it is.“Lewis asked me to get the door since he’s busy cooking dinner. Need some help?”Of course I do.“You okay, man?”“Huh? Oh! Ha! Yeah. I, ah… I, ah… sure. Help. Thanks.” Dear God, this dude had reduced him to stuttering. Been a while since that happened. Travis handed over one of the heavier bags of groceries. “Are you, ah, a friend of Lewis’s?” “I am.” Red took one of the bags and moved out of the doorway. “Known Lewis since about the fifth grade.”Lewis came out of the kitchen wiping his hands on a dishtowel that he then threw over his shoulder. “Hey Trav, this is my friend, Red. Red? This is Travis Walker. Trav? This is Red Crawford.”Travis shifted the bag he held and threw his keys into a little bowl on a table next to the front door. “We just met.”“I forgot to tell you he was coming over,” Lewis said. “He works part-time for the tattoo shop located on Main.”“Oh, oh yeah, I know who you are.” Travis followed Red and Lewis into the kitchen where they deposited the grocery bag on the counter. “You did the tattoo on Lewis’s shoulder, didn’t you? You’re thatRed. Lewis talks about you all the time.” Travis stuck out his hand. “Nice to meet you.”Red shook his hand. “Nice to meet you too.”Indeed it was. Travis freely admitted he had a thing for tall, muscular guys, but this is the first time he’d been attracted to a ginger. Red had a firm handshake but hadn’t tried to crush Travis’s hand. Was it his imagination or did Red hold his hand a little bit longer than was strictly necessary? “Anybody want a beer?” Travis asked after Red released his hand.“Sure, I’ll take one,” Lewis said.“I’ll get them, Lewis. You keep an eye whatever you got cooking on the stove over there. It smells too good to let it burn,” Travis said. “Red? You want one too?”“No thanks. But I’d take a soda if you got any.”“Sure thing.” Travis opened the refrigerator door and looked inside. “We got Dr Pepper that’s cold, and I picked up a twenty-four pack of Coke today. Any of that sound good?”“Dr Pepper, please.”“You want it over ice or still in the bottle?” “Over ice, please. And thank you.”Travis took the drinks out of the refrigerator and shut the door. When he turned around he caught Red staring at his ass. That was encouraging. It was odd, though. Normally he went after men with dark hair. Red’s name—and he assumed Red was a nickname—fit him. After everyone had a drink, he wandered over to the stove. “What’s for dinner?” Travis asked.A big pot had pasta boiling, and a skillet had spaghetti sauce cooking merrily away. The oven was on so he cracked open the door and peeked inside. The smell of garlic had his mouth watering.“Spaghetti. Hope that’s okay,” Lewis said.Travis shut the open door and straightened up. “Okay? Man, it’s more than okay. It smells fantastic. What possessed you to do this?”“Red hates pizza,” Lewis said.“Hey now, it’s not that I hate pizza, it’s just… well, being a bachelor and all, it’s easier to order a pizza than try to cook for one.” Red sipped his soda. “If I had to decide between a home-cooked meal, and a box of bread and tomato sauce, guess what I’m going to take?”“I’m not sure this exactly falls into the category of a home-cooked meal.” Lewis stirred the pasta. “I bought the pasta, and the spaghetti sauce is Ragu. I just added spices and hamburger meat. Hell, I even bought the garlic bread.”Red grabbed a hand towel and popped Lewis on the ass with it. Lewis yelped. “Hey!”“I’m trying to give you a compliment.” Red twirled the towel as he readied it to deliver another blow. “Shut up take it.”I’d love to, thanks. Travis coughed then cleared his throat. He barely managed to get his mouth shut before the words popped out. “You okay over there?” Red asked.“Erm….” Travis cleared his throat. Lewis held the spoon he used to stir the spaghetti. Red held the towel he used to pop Lewis. Both of them stared intently at him. “What? Why are you two staring at me like that?”“You, ah, made this weird sound.” Lewis shrugged and then went back to stirring the spaghetti.Red regarded Travis, one red eyebrow lifted high. He passed by Travis and laid the hand towel on the counter. “Frankly, it’s one of my favorite sounds,” he whispered. Well, that certainly answered his question of whether or not Red was gay. Or at least bi. He choked back another needy whimper.“Check him out. He’s as red as your hair.” Lewis snickered.Travis picked up the hand towel next to him. “Apparently Red didn’t hit you hard enough. Here, let me fix that.” Travis rolled the towel up.“Hey, hey, hey!” Lewis danced in front of the stove waving the spoon around. “See this? I’m not afraid to use it.”“Please.” Travis rolled his eyes, but did drop the towel back onto the counter. “It’s a spoon.”Lewis shot him a glare. “It a wood spoon. You don’t want to know what can be done with a wood spoon, trust me.”Travis hiked an eyebrow. He didn’t even know where to begin to ask what that meant so he ignored it. Until later. Maybe. Jeez. A wooden spoon?Satisfied he made his point, Lewis turned back to the pot of spaghetti. “Not sure if that look is supposed to be one of terror or interest. But that’s a discussion for another day. I’m trying to cook here, so be nice, or all you’ll get is a cheese sandwich.”Red leaned against the counter. “I think he’s serious.” “You bet your ass. This stuff is ready. Red? If you’ll get the plates, Trav can get the salad out of the refrigerator.” Lewis turned everything off. “I’ll get the garlic bread out of the oven.”Pretty soon everything was set up and ready to go.“Where are we eating?” Red asked.Lewis picked up his plate and walked out of the kitchen. “Den.” Travis frowned at his plate. Den? Why were they in the den? Usually if Lewis caught him even glancing in the general direction of the den with food screaming commenced. Shrugging, he grabbed his plate and followed Lewis. Lewis immediately plopped his ass in the recliner. Well, hell.The only other seat available was the couch they had. It was apartment sized, which meant it only fit two people comfortably… and Red was already sitting there. His plate and glass sat on the coffee table in front of him. Travis shot a look at Lewis. O-o-okay, what was going on here? Since when did his friend play matchmaker? Stomping down his nerves, he joined Red on the couch. He no sooner put his plate on the coffee table when Red’s knee touched his. A tingle raced through his body. Jesus, don’t pop a boner. Boner bad. Bad boner.It was like having a personal electric stove sitting next to him. Aw man. He popped a boner, sure enough. Thank God his shirt was untucked. The heat from Red soaked into him. There was plenty of room, but Red’s left knee remained resting against his. Did he always pump out this much heat? Lucky dude. Travis was cold natured, and damn near froze to death in the winter. Bet sleeping with him is like having your own personal electric blanket. He shivered at the thought. He barely met the guy, and he was already thinking about sex. Talk about jumping the gun. I’d rather jump him.At this rate his cock was never going to go down. After they finished eating—and he talked his cock down—Travis washed the dishes since Lewis cooked. He heard the TV click on. Over the mindless drone Lewis and Red’s voiced drifted to him, but he couldn’t understand hear what they were saying. The hair on the back of his neck rose. A cool breeze kissed the skin on the back of his neck, and he shivered as chill bumps broke out. A few seconds later he felt the heat of someone standing behind him.“Need some help?” Red’s breath whispered across the back of his neck. “Sure.” Damn urge to whimper hit him again.Red moved next to him finally, and Travis could breathe easier. He handed Red the sudsy plate. Their fingers touched, and once again he felt that tingle bolt up his arm.Red rinsed it and set the plate on the drying rack. “No dishwasher, huh?”“Nope. The apartment didn’t come with one. I don’t really mind washing dishes, but Lewis tends to leave his plates in the sink. Half the time he doesn’t clean the food off. Which means I have to really scrub to get them clean.”“Okay, that’s just gross.” Red held his hand out for another dish.“I agree.” Travis handed him another plate. “I’m ready to start buying paper plates.”“I’d take the nasty, crusted things and set them on his nightstand. Maybe if that was the first thing he saw when he first woke up, he’d get the message.” “Oh, that’s evil.” Cackling, Travis handed Red a glass. “I like it. I may have to try that.”“Credit me with the idea.” Red shoulder-bumped Travis. “I ain’t scared.”Travis caught his breath. Every time they touched, his body tingled. Every single time. He’d never experienced that before, and he liked it. “I’ll remind you of that when you get a phone call.”“He has a ring tone.”“Like I said, evil.” Travis handed Red another glass. “Lewis roped me into going to the haunted hayride tonight. You going?”“Now isn’t that funny? He invited me along too.” “Really?” Travis handed Red a couple of forks he just washed. Red caught his hand, and Travis looked over at him. “Really. He also told me about his good friend who recently moved in with him—his friend who happens to be gay. Like me.”Dammit, he knew it. He was going to kill Lewis the first opportunity he got. Then again, that damn wooden spoon of his might be a deterrent. “Aw jeez, he set this up, didn’t he?” Red squeezed Travis’s fingers before releasing them. “He did, yes, but I asked him to. Does that bother you?”Oh wow, Travis asked Lewis to set this up? “No, I’m just surprised. I wasn’t expecting it, but I’m glad he did.”“Good. Now, about this hayride….”“It’s been years since I’ve been on one, but I’m actually looking forward to it.”“Me too.” Red tossed the towel he’d been using to dry the plates and glasses onto the counter. “I don’t remember what time Lewis said he wanted to leave.”“He wanted to get there about nine.” Red checked his watch. “We have an hour, then.”“Yeah.” Travis dried his hands on the towel and placed it on the counter too. “You okay with watching TV for a while?” 
Chapter Two - RedRed leaned against the counter. Even from here he could smell Travis’s natural scent. The guy smelled like cinnamon rolls. “Whatever you want sounds good to me.” “TV it is, then.”Red was more than okay with sitting on the couch and watching TV. From the moment he’d seen a picture of Travis on Lewis’s cell, he’d been interested. More than interested. That simple look had told him how important Travis would to him. The combination of dark brown hair and icy, light blue eyes intrigued him. It was such a striking combination.Lewis had flipped through the channels until he found some stupid reality show that totally engrossed him. Red followed Travis back to the den and sat down beside him. Now he found himself in a bit of a pickle. Should he take it slow? Or should he move right in? He didn’t want to frighten Travis, but on the other hand…. Oh, what the hell. Faking a big yawn, he stretched one arm out, and then flopped it down on the couch cushion behind Travis. Okay, so far so good. Now, should he leave it like that? Or should he pull Travis in close to him? He crossed his legs, letting his right ankle rest on his left knee. Okay, Travis was still sitting there so that was a good sign. Maybe he should just….“Seriously, dude? The 80s called and they want their move back.” Lewis snickered.And there went a blush crawling over his cheeks. It was the one thing he really disliked about having red hair. While the freckles didn’t bother him, there was no hiding that damn blush. Luckily for him, Lewis seemed to be the only one who triggered such a reaction. Well, it was settled. As much as he hated it, he was going to have to kill Lewis. Red shot Lewis a glare. “I’d tell you to bite me, but you probably do it.”“I do consider biting foreplay,” Lewis countered. “But as hard as it is to resist your manly physique, I’ll try. So not biting. Sorry.”Red spluttered.Travis patted Red’s knee. “Ignore him. I do. And besides, do you hear me complaining?”Red shot a glare at Lewis, who just rolled his eyes in return. Yep, murdering him was looking better and better. But then he pursed his lips. Lewis had a hand in throwing him and Travis together. Well, hell. Maybe he wouldn’t kill him after all. He decided to put that little chore on the Things-to-Consider-Later list. Now that he was sitting so close to Travis, all he could smell was cinnamon rolls. He was so hard he hurt. He wanted to bury his nose in Travis’s neck and sniff around. Maybe even nibble a little. Yeah, nibbling was definitely going on his To-Do list. He moved his arm off the back of the couch and moved it around Travis’s shoulders. Seeing he still had the green light, he let his fingers trailed across Travis’s shoulder. That earned him a small smile and a slight giggle. He was so mesmerized by Travis’s soft skin that when Lewis spoke he damn near jumped off the couch.Lewis picked up the remote and clicked off the TV. “You guys ready to go? I think we better leave now so we have plenty of time to get there. I bet the place is going to be packed.”“Where where we going?” Travis asked as he patted Red’s knee and stood.“Cedar Lake Farms,” Lewis said. “They have other things going on out there beside the haunted hayride. There’s also a corn maze. I thought maybe we could do that too.”“Yeah, just what I want to do. Go run around in a field of corn. Wasn’t there a horror movie based on that?” Travis asked. Red stood. “Several. And everybody dies.”“Lovely.” Travis shook his head.“So, everyone riding with me?” Lewis asked.“Sounds good to me.” Travis looked at Red. “What about you?”“Yeah, I can do that.”Red followed Travis and Lewis out to Lewis’s car. The night had definitely cooled off. Travis immediately went to the back door of the car.Red laid his hand on Travis’s arm. “Oh hey, I can sit in the back seat.”“It not a big deal. Besides, your legs are longer than mine, and there’s more room in the front seat.”“Well, I’d sit the back with you but…” Red glanced in the back seat. Unfortunately Lewis had a milk crate full of odds and ends sitting in the other passenger seat.“Sorry about that. That’s some stuff I packed up that was in my office. I haven’t taken the time to get it out of the car,” said Lewis.“Wait, what? You’re packing up your office? Travis asked.“No, no, no. I’d didn’t mean to make it sound like I was packing up my office. I’m not. I just had a bunch of stuff in there, and it was getting too crowded. That’s all,” Lewis said. He thumbed his keys fob, and the car headlights blinked as it unlocked.“Thank God.” Travis opened the car door. “There’s no way I could handle the rent and everything else on my own. I just don’t make enough.”“No worries. My job is solid. Now let’s go have fun.”Red opened the door and got in the front seat. Lewis had hinted heavily to him that Travis didn’t have a lot of money, so his remark came as no surprise. They listen to the radio on the way there so there wasn’t a lot of conversation. It turned out to be a good thing they had left a little early since there was a line waiting to get into the farm. There were people stationed in various places with flashlights who directed the incoming traffic where to park.Once they parked, everyone got out, and Lewis locked the car. “Okay,” he said putting on his coat. “Haunted hayride or corn maze walk. Which one do you guys want to do first?”“Haunted hayride.”Travis looked at Red, then Lewis. “I never said I was going to the corn maze.”“I’ll be there to protect you.” Lewis winked at Travis. “I won’t let anything get you.”Travis rolled his eyes. “Great. Who’s going to protect me from you?”“Me.” Red quickly patted Travis on the ass. “Promise.”The cute little ‘eep’ sound from Travis made his night as did the perky firmness he felt under his hand. He couldn’t wait to get a hold of Travis’s ass. It promised to be a fine one.
As they walked through the gate to the farm, off to the side, was an old looking yellow tractor. On the ground in front of the tractor was a gigantic weathered board. Written in drippy red lettering were the words Halloween special: Bodies buried $5. Really deep $10.Travis snorted as he pointed out the sign. “Someone has a twisted sense of humor.”Lewis busted out laughing but didn’t say anything thing.Red grinned at the oversized sign. “Appropriate though, don’t you think?”Travis just shook his head as they long walk along the gravel drive leading up to where they had to pay the admittance fee. “I’ve never been here before, but I’ve heard good things about it.” Travis looked over at the huge hay bale painted to mimic a jack-o’-lantern’s face. “They’ve certainly have gone all out.”Lewis looked at the numerous hay bales, pumpkins, and mum’s place all around the entrance of the farm. “A doctor here in town and his wife bought it a long time ago.”“Probably use it as a tax write off,” Travis said as they joined the rest of people in line. “I heard the wife was pretty much in charge until a couple years ago,” Lewis said. “Apparently the doctor retired, and he and his wife concentrated on the farm, but they turned the running of it over to the son.”“Wow. How big is this thing?” Travis asked.“About 120 acres.” Red rested his hand on the small of Travis’s back and urged him to move up in line. “It’s called Cedar Lakes because there are several ponds on the property, and the entire farm is enclosed with a cedar fence.”“That’s a lot of fence.” They finally made their way up to a table where several people were taking money and handing out wristbands for all the activities at the farm. Lewis held out the money and received the three armbands which he gave to Red and Travis.“Thanks, man,” said Travis.“Thanks.” Red slipped the band on his arm, a slight smile on his face when several of the ladies taking tickets did a double take at seeing him. “Okay, hayride? Corn maze?”“Jeez, you guys aren’t going to let it go, are you?” Travis zipped up his jacket. “Fine! Hayride, then. We’ll see about the corn maze.”Lewis lightly shoved Travis. “Ha! I knew it. Man, you’re so easy.”Travis scowled at Lewis. “I’m easy? Right. I can’t keep up with all the people parading in and out at your bedroom.”Lewis waved his hand airily. “Spice is the variety of life.”“Uh-huh. Well, here lately you’ve been rolling in it. And I’m still not sure about going to the corn maze.”Read leaned in close and whispered into Travis’s ear, “You want to go through the corn maze. Trust me.”Travis shivered. Unable to help himself, Red pressed a small kiss to the shell of Travis’s ear.“Oh my goodness.” Travis jumped like he’d been electrocuted.Oh, so sensitive. Where else was Travis sensitive? Red quickly grabbed Travis’s elbow to steady him. “Easy there.” “Trust you, huh?” Breath hitching, Travis faced Red. This close he could see how enlarged Travis’s pupils were. The temptation to lean forward and kissed those full lips were strong, but he didn’t. Not yet. Standing so close to the other man, Travis’s scent wrapped around him, teasing him.“Oh, yeah.”“Okay then,” Travis said, beginning to pant. “I’ll go.”Travis’s sweet breath whispered across his face. He must’ve been sucking on a breath mint or something earlier. “Good.” He eyed Travis’s lips and was pleased to see Travis respond by licking his lips. The urge to sink his hand into Travis’s hair and jerkChapter Three - TravisHoly shit. Travis trembled. His body was on fire. Okay, not really, but it sure felt that way. Desire coursed in his veins, and he was so hard he could pound nails. He’d never really understood that phrase until now. His cock pressed against the zipper, and it ached. It was a damn good thing his coat was one of those long types that came down around his thighs, otherwise everyone who glanced at him would see how hard he was.When Red whispered in his ear Travis’s eyes threatened to roll back in his head. The soft, warm breath against his skin felt amazing. There were moments he could have sworn Red was going to kiss him. And he wanted him to. Hell, he wanted to do a lot more than kiss. There was something about the other man that flipped a switch in ways no other man ever had. Not that he’d had a lot of experience, but still. Naughty, naughty thoughts crowded his brain as they waited in line for the hayride.Red stood very close to him, their bodies almost touching. There were lots of people around, and random electric poles with bright utility lights on them, but the darkness still afforded some measure of cover. There was the urge to do something wicked, but he dared not. This was the South, after all. They were lucky they lived in a fairly open-minded community, but there was always a chance a redneck was around.
A tractor pulled up with a trailer behind it. There was hay scattered on the floor of the trailer, but there were seats instead of random hay bales passengers sat on. The driver counted out fifteen people then waited as they climbed into the trailer. Once everybody was seated, the driver went over the rules. The main rule was staying in the trailer, especially when it was moving. Under no circumstances was anyone on the hayride supposed to get out of the trailer. The driver stressed that over and over. Somehow Travis found himself sitting between Red and Lewis. After the driver finished covering the rules, they were off. The darkness immediately swallowed them up. They weren’t moving very fast, but the trailer groaned and squeaked as they made their way down the dirt road. The smell of a bonfire reached him first as they rattled along. Maybe it was him, but the woods on either side of the road seemed creepier than normal. Then he heard the moans. Oh God. His stomach tightened, and he grabbed the edge of the seat. Between one moment in the next, Red unclenched his fingers from the bench and held his hand. The warmth of Red’s hand surprised him. It was a cool night, after all. The trailer grinding to a halt quickly dragged his attention away from Red. On the side of the road sat one of those old, square business-type vans that was used to transport either the mentally ill or prisoners. It looked like it had caught fire at one point. The entire back of the burned-out van was an awful grayish white. Red squeezed his hand then suddenly the van’s doors burst open. Inside was a partially decomposed zombie in a straitjacket who wailed and moaned.
It struggled up from its knees and slowly made its way to the ground… then lumbered toward the trailer, its eerie moaning rising in intensity. People on the trailer screamed as other zombies slowly and painfully dragged themselves from the woods. A low, unnatural chant of ‘brains’ rose from them. The sound sent chills up his back. He knew it was just kids with makeup done from kits they probably bought from Walmart, but it still left him panting with the urge to jump out of the trailer and run. Good thing Red had a hold of his hand.The tractor started up and pulled the trailer away from the moldy zombies. They made several more stops. One was a shack with a couple rednecks out front; one was paying the banjo while another one held a shotgun.
The guy with the shotgun was talking to the people in the trailer when suddenly someone covered in blood burst out from the shack’s screaming horribly. As the rednecks chased the bloody person, the trailer pulled off from the shack. They did a couple more stops: one was a graveyard where body parts stuck up from the ground and a casket was partially open with something trying to climb out. Another stop was a pirate ship where a couple of the people jumped off the ship and made a run at the trailer.
They also stopped randomly along the dirt road so creatures could come rushing up to the trailer. There was one guy with a rabbit mask, but the damn thing look like it was a rabbit hyped up on drugs with creepy eyes and awful teeth.Some of stops were kind of interesting, and made his hair stand on end, but some were kind of lame. There were a couple teenage girls on the trailer who screamed at everything. They were shrill enough to peel paint when they screamed. They’d been out there for quite a while, so Travis figured the ride was about to come to an end even thought it felt like they were slowing down, which was odd. Then there was a popping sound.“Are we stopping?” Travis asked. “And what was that?”Red said something under his voice and then looked up toward the cab of the tractor. The cab door opened, and the guy driving the tractor hopped down. He held a flashlight and walked toward the trailer.“Dammit.” Red sighed and turned toward Travis. “No, this isn’t part of the ride. There’s something wrong.”“Red?” The driver continued walking down the trailer calling Red’s name. “Mr. Crawford?”“What’s going on?” Travis asked. “Why is he looking for you?”“Well, hell. Short answer is I do tattooing part-time at the shop, and when I say part-time it’s more like just a few hours a week. You see, I run the farm. My parents owned it. That’s why the driver is looking for me.”“Oh, okay.” Travis scratched his head. “Not really sure why you didn’t tell me that earlier.”Lewis snorted. “Because dummy, his parents are filthy rich.”“Um, his parents are filthy rich… doesn’t mean he is.” Travis looked between Lewis and Red. “Over here, Paul.” Red waved at the driver, and then looked at Travis. “Thank you for that. You’d be surprised how many guys want to date me because they think I’m rich. I do okay, but Mom and Dad’s money? That’s their money, not mine.”“Don’t forget the inheritance left you by your grandmother,” Lewis added.“Shut up,” Red said.“I don’t want to date you because you’re rich,” Travis said. “But you do want to date me, right?”“Oh yeah.”“Excellent.” Red pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. “Let me take care of getting somebody out here with another trailer to get these people back, and we’ll talk.” Lewis acted like he was wiping his hands off as he grinned. “My job here is done.”It took about a half an hour to get a tractor out there, get the people loaded, and get them on their way. Lewis and Travis stayed behind with Red. The driver went back with the other trailer, but he left his flashlight with Red. “So what are you going to do about this tractor?” Lewis asked.“Not much we can do about it tonight. Paul’s going to bring back some reflective traffic cones to put around it. Thankfully he got it somewhat off the main road. The other tractors with trailers can go around it.” “That’s good,” Travis said.“Yeah.” Red frowned at the tractor. “I’ll have to call someone tomorrow to either come out and fix it or move it off the path.”“Well, at least Paul left the flashlight with us,” Travis said.“Worried?” Lewis joked.“I’m not fond of the dark, as you well know.” Travis moved a little closer to Red since he was holding the flashlight.“I’ll protect you.” Red winked at Travis.Travis started to say something, but he paused. What is that? He glanced around but couldn’t see anything, although he could have sworn he heard something. “Guys? Did you hear that?”Lewis looked at Travis and then looked at toward the woods. “Shit.”Travis stared off into the woods. “It sounds like… like… running.” Red suddenly shouted. Travis’s head stepped around as he stared at Red. “What?”
Suddenly something dark and hairy darted from the woods—something with glowing red eyes and long fangs. Really long fangs. Are those dogs? Wild dogs? “What the fuck?” Travis stepped toward Red.Growls and snarls filled the air as the things converged. The next thing Travis knew, one of them flung itself at Red and knocked him down to the ground. “Shit!” Travis yelled. Desperately he looked around for something to use as a weapon.Red rolled on the ground with the dog. He had his hands wrapped around the dog’s throat, trying to keep it from his own neck. The dog snapped and snarled, biting at Red madly. “Lewis! What do we—”Lewis shrieked as he went down with a dog on top him.“Oh fuck,” Travis whispered. This can’t be happening. A growl caught his attention. Without turning his head, he stared off to the right. Another dog stalked him. What do I do? Oh God, what do I do? Travis took a step toward Lewis, but stopped then turned around took a step toward Red. The dog stalked him bared his teeth and barked furiously. Oh God, oh God. He felt sick. His stomach cramped and heaved, threatening to send its contents up. Panic strangled him as he turned in a circle, unsure what to do. He wrung his hands. He took another step toward Red when one of the most god-awful sounds he’d ever heard froze him in his tracks.It sounded like bones breaking. He wanted to gag. Then he wanted to pass out because there, right before his very eyes, Red turned into a dog. His clothes were scattered on the ground. Now he and the other dog were rolling around viciously fighting each other. Spots danced before Travis’s eyes, but they cleared up real quick one when another dog suddenly jumped in front of him. It backed into him, stepping on his foot. Holy crap this thing weighs a ton.Unable to move his foot, Travis went down. Next thing he knew he had a face full of furry butt, and he was pinned against the tractor. Facing outward, the dog protecting him barked and snarled at anything that came near. Only then did he realize that what he thought were dogs, were actually wolves. Fucking wolves. And Lewis was nowhere to be seen, but his clothes were. And there was a blond wolf now in front of him, trying to protect him.The blinking lights were back and dancing a jig. The dog—wolf—was a beautiful platinum blond. Just like Lewis. He glanced at where Red had been standing a minute ago. Now there was a huge, dark auburn wolf fighting with another wolf. Jesus God how he wished he’d stayed home and…. Holy crap, he shared his home with a wolf. “Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.” He couldn’t believe it. Any of this. Something tickled his nose, and he glanced up. That was a tail, and the tail was attached to… yeah. It was hard to ignore the furry butt of his best friend in his face. Werewolves, shifter—whatever the hell they were—they existed, and several of them surrounded him. He heard a sharp yelp, and one of the wolves went flying across the road. He was pretty sure it was the one Red had been fighting. It didn’t get back up. The huge auburn wolf bound across the road toward where Travis sat against the tractor and he recoiled as fear screamed through his body. He jumped up… and slammed his head against something on the tractor. Grabbing his head, pain howled through his head as his vision wavered. Well, something howled. Oh God, he was going to be sick. He fell to his knees and swallowed repeatedly. The pounding in his head increased as his vision darkened around the edges. He noticed how large the wolf was compared to the rest in the clearing. It crashed into the wolf barking at him. The two of them rolled across the dirt road. The other one was a dirty brown and not as large as the auburn one. The sounds of them fighting were awful. Snarls and growls came from the tangle of limbs and sharp teeth. It left his heart pounding furiously as fear raced through his body. Slumping over, everything went black.* * * * 
Groaning, he opened his eyes. Not again. Since the end of September he’d been having that same nightmare over and over. Each time a little more was revealed. What did the damn thing mean?He crawled out of bed and stumbled to the bathroom. His eyes were bloodshot, and he was pale, but other than that he looked fine. He turned on the faucet, cupped his hands, and filled them with water. After he quenched his thirst, he brushed his teeth and showered. Silently he returned to his room and dressed and then made his way to the kitchen. Lewis was sitting there eating breakfast. He nodded to his roomie, grabbed a bagel, and headed out the door. Last thing he needed to do was be late for work. As he drove one word echoed through his mind…. Red. Now he just needed to figure out who or what that was.
