M.A. Church's Blog, page 37

Pucker Up Monday

Welcome to Pucker Up Monday. It’s not what you think, lol. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I thought I’d try to start the week off right for y’all.

Tuesday Teaser - Chasing Shadows

 

This will be the last excerpt from Chasing Shadows since it releases Sept 2. I've started book 2, but there's not title as of yet. I'm waiting on the book to give me some idea of what it is lol. 

~M

* * * * 

“Yes, I waited for you to grow both in mind and body.” Kage scooted across the couch until he was sitting right next to Austin. “You’re no longer a child now.”

He was done waiting.

Austin set his drink down on the end table next to him. “No. No, I’m certainly not a child anymore.”

Kage leaned in. “I would like to kiss you, Austin.”

“You’d damn well better.”

Kage chuckled softly as he cupped Austin’s chin. “Demanding.”

“I mean, really, that shouldn’t come as a surprise. You’ve met me, right? Now shut up and kiss me.”

Happy to follow the demand, Kage nipped those sexy lips that had been driving him crazy ever since seeing them wrapped around Austin’s straw. He wanted to see them wrapped around something else.

With only inches separating them and their breaths mingling, he brushed his lips against Austin’s. The softness against his made him want more. The plumpness made him want to bite them.

Kage watched those beautiful blue eyes of Austin’s drift closed. Austin sighed as he rested one hand on Kage’s leg. His lush lips opened—the invitation was clear.

Unable to resist, Kage let go of Austin’s chin and slid his hand around the back of Austin’s neck, holding him still. He covered Austin’s lips with his own and explored.

The sweet taste of strawberries and vanilla ice cream exploded across his tongue, along with the unique taste that was Austin. Kage growled softly, which triggered Austin into groaning into the kiss.

It was a low, guttural sound of need. As their tongues dueled, Austin clutched Kage’s leg. Desire perfumed the air around them—the scent was undertone that was mouthwatering and pure Austin.

The kiss turned harder. Hotter. More aggressive. Austin’s tongue chased Kage’s. The hold Kage had on his desire slipped, and he pushed Austin back against the couch, trapping him between the cushions and his body.

He took all that Austin offered, drinking down his moans and breathy sighs. Then Austin suddenly shoved against Kage’s chest and, concerned that maybe he had overstepped, Kage leaned back.

But before he could ask if something was wrong, Austin became the aggressor. He reversed their positions, pushing Kage until Kage’s back was against the couch… then Austin straddled Kage.

The frail hold Kage had on his desires snapped. His hands grasped Austin’s hips as Austin sank down on him. Lips plastered against his, demanding that he open and allow access.

Kage’s mind shorted out. Austin’s sweet scent surrounded him, the heaviness grinding against his dick inflamed him, the wetness of Austin’s kiss—it all destroyed the hold he had on the other side of himself.

A low growling purr emitted from his chest. The need to take what was his surfaced with a vengeance. The tips of his fingers tingled, and his hands flexed on Austin’s hips. Warmth burned through his body. His breathing strangled in his chest when Austin moaned against his mouth.

Austin ended the kiss and leaned back slightly. “Whoa, your eyes are completely black.”

Lost in the whirlwind of desire, the words didn’t make sense. All Kage could do was stare up at Austin.

Austin gently patted Kage’s cheek. “The black veins are back. Are you okay?”

Black veins? Black eyes?

“Kage?”

The words, and the concerned tone, finally penetrated his mind. “Dear gods.” He’d lost control over himself—something that had never happened before. “Yes, yes. I’m okay.”

Embarrassed but okay.

This was unbelievable. He’d started a partial shift all over a kiss. A kiss! He glanced up at Austin, who didn’t look the least bit concerned by what he was seeing. Of course, he’d already seen Kage partially shifted, but certainly not while Austin was kissing him.

“I apologize. It appears that I, um, that I, ah—” How in the world was he supposed to explain he’d gotten so horny he’d lost control of himself?

By the dead gods, his claws even came out. Gently he removed his hands from Austin’s hips. Hopefully he hadn’t pierced Austin’s new pants.

Austin glanced down at Kage’s hands, looked back up at Kage, then smirked. “I got you hot, didn’t I?”

“Imp.”

Austin laughed. “I seem to be collecting all sorts of names—sweet boy. Imp.”

“Pain in the ass.”

Austin plastered himself against Kage’s chest and whispered in his ear, “I would love to be a pain in your ass. But I promise the pain won’t last long.”

Pucker Up Monday

Welcome to Pucker Up Monday. It’s not what you think, lol. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I thought I’d try to start the week off right for y’all.

Thursday Book Recommendation

These are books I’ve read and really enjoyed. Most of what I talk about will probably be paranormal/scifi but not always. Although it’s rare, I do read some contemporary. 

This week is: How To Summon A Boyfriend by Aja Foxx

Blurb: 

Herby

I needed a boyfriend to keep my father from marrying me off to a man handpicked by him. What better way to get one than to summon a demon? When I found a book of shadows in my grandfather's attic, I knew I'd found the answer, but something went wrong. Instead of summoning a demon, I ended up in hell. What was I supposed to do now?

Hades

Judging souls was boring. Ruling the underworld was boring. Everything was boring. I needed something to happen to keep me from going insane. I never imagined the fates would answer my unspoken prayer by dropping a human into the underworld, and I'd certainly never met a human quite like Herby. He confused me, amused me, and drove me crazy. Why else would I agree to be his boyfriend?

Note: This story was originally part of the Fate's Call Anthology - Manlove Edition. It has been revised and extended by 21,000 words.

Warning: Gay erotic romance. The material in this book contains explicit sexual content that is intended for mature audiences only. All characters involved are adults capable of consent, are over the age of eighteen, and are willing

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09ZRNWJJN

Tuesday Teaser - Chasing Shadows

 

“How did it go last night?” Hudson asked.

“Very well, actually,” Kage said, sipping his coffee. “I haven’t told Austin everything, but I did hit the high points about what I am. We’re having dinner tonight. I’ll explain more then.”

“I’m glad to hear that. I know you’ve been waiting on this for a very long time.”

“That’s true.” Kage stared out the window at the Bay Bridge. “I wish it hadn’t come about under these circumstances.”

“Speaking of those circumstances, It’s another avenue to follow.”

“I’ll ask Austin tonight.”

“Conrad is also going through the files we have on known hunters.”

“I’ll get Maia to go through the files we have.”

“I also alerted the master vampire of the city, the two werewolf packs that are here, the gargoyle clan, the witches, and the merpeople so far this morning. I have a few more shifters to contact.”

“Been busy, haven’t you?”

“Not all of us sleep until eight in the morning, you slacker.”

“You’re just jealous I had a sexy man keeping me up late last night.”

“Hey! Who said I didn’t?”

“Who the hell did you find that late at…. Know what? Never mind. I don’t want to know.” But it didn’t surprise Kage. “Anyway, back to the subject at hand. The more paranormals who know that hunters are here the better.”

“Do you remember that weapon Tom had? Austin relieved Tom of it, and I asked to see it. Good thing I did. It’s a dagger.”

Kage set his coffee down and massaged his temple. It was entirely too early in the morning for this. Dragonbone daggers were deadly. They were made from bones of a dragon, of course. Hence the name.

They were indestructible. Even dragon fire didn’t melt them. They were deadly sharp and could penetrate any armor, including dragonscale armor or a gargoyle’s stone exterior.

Nothingcould withstand that blade or deflect it. No spell or shield or portal. Not even hiding in a shadow could protect his kind from that weapon.

To a human it was nothing more than another dagger. To a paranormal, there was no protection against it. It was one the very few things that could kill any paranormal.

“Tell me you have that cursed thing.”

“You bet your ass I do. I’m going to make sure it disappears. No one needs to have access to something like that.”

“Which begs the question, how did those hunters get a hold of it?”

“That’s a very good question. They’re very hard to come by because we dragons guard the bones of our dead jealously. But someone, somehow, managed to get a hold of a dragon bone and create this monstrosity. If I ever find out who made this, I will personally gut them.”

Yeah, Hudson would, after he tortured that person for weeks on end. A pissed off dragon was nothing to play around with.

“I’m sorry somebody committed such a grave offense as disturbing a grave of a dragon. My condolences, Hudson.”

Even though it was very likely Hudson didn’t know the dragon the bone came from, he would still mourn any dragon’s grave being disturbed.

“Thank you.” Hudson blew out a deep breath. “Anyway, I wanted to let you know about that dagger and what actions I’m taking in regards to the situation with the hunters. I hope your date goes well tonight.”

“I’m looking forward to it. And thank you for letting me know. If I happen to come across new information, I will certainly pass it along. I’ll touch base in a few days, okay?”

“Yes. Please do. I’ll talk to you later.”

“Have a good day.” Kage ended the call and turned his chair so he was fully facing the floor-to-ceiling windows.

A hunter with a dragonbone dagger was alarming. The weapons were deadly, of course, but they were also insanely expensive. These hunters appeared to be well-funded. Whoever was backing them needed to be found and dealt with.

He made a mental note to gather his clan and inform them of the danger before his date tonight. Turning back to his computer, he started reaching out to his connections, not just there in the United States, but also throughout the world.

If there was a new group funding hunters and targeting paranormals, surely someone had information about them. What had started out as a worry about hunters possibly targeting Austin had turned into something much, much bigger.

Pucker Up Monday

Welcome to Pucker Up Monday. It’s not what you think, lol. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I thought I’d try to start the week off right for y’all.

Thursday Book Recommendation

These are books I’ve read and really enjoyed. Most of what I talk about will probably be paranormal/scifi but not always. Although it’s rare, I do read some contemporary. 

This week is: Infinite Bond: (slow burn mmmm paranormal romance) by L. Rose

Blurb: 

With three hearts to worry about, as well as my own, time will tell if I’m up for the task.

I’ve always been normal. Okay, maybe more of an average guy, who’s quiet and awkward. Just someone who’s trying to survive living in my trailer while dodging my mom’s debt collectors.

Everything changes when a power within me surfaces, and my eyes are thrown wide open.

Humans aren’t the only ones who walk the earth.

Read that again, but slowly. I know. I can hardly believe it either.

There’s more. With my newfound power, I’m expected to attend a college to learn how to use my slightly terrifying and temperamental telekinetic ability, a power I apparently should have received when I was a kid, not at twenty-one.

Throw in my new roommates and my brain threatens to overload while my heart can’t figure out who or what it wants. All my traitorous heart is sure of is that it’s greedy and beats far too fast when any of the three not-completely-human men are around.

Not that my wanting will do me any good. There’s Cade who hates me, Zeke who’s super nice and understanding but way out of my league, and Hyde who’s as scary as he is quiet.

I have no idea if I’ll survive the changes, but I really want to. Just wait and see for yourself. As soon as you meet these guys, you’ll understand and see our undeniable connection. Just be warned, nothing but death will stop me protecting my hearts.

Note: this is a standalone, slow burn, paranormal romance for adults only.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09VKJRTBZ

Tuesday Teaser - Chasing Shadows

 

Chapter Five – Austin 

“SO, WHAT are you?”

Oh man, did he blurt that out? Yeah, yeah he did. He didn’t always think before he opened his mouth. The lack of a filter was embarrassing at times.

“Crap. Should I have asked that?” Austin was tempted to take his eyes off the road and look at Hudson, but he didn’t. He’d already pressed his luck enough tonight. “Was that rude? I feel like that was maybe rude. If so, I’m sorry. I hope I didn’t offend you.”

Hudson groaned softly as he tried to get comfortable. “You’re certainly not a shy little thing, are you?”

Austin darted around an asshole poking along in the fast lane on the Interstate before answering. “Aw, man. I pissed you off, didn’t I?”

“You’re fine, and no, you didn’t. It takes much more than innocent questions to do that. Generally speaking, we don’t ask other paranormals what they are. There are some who would take offense.”

Austin turned down the music since it appeared Hudson was willing to answer questions. “Then how do you guys know?”

“Again, generally speaking, paranormals have an excellent sense of smell. We all have a scent, and that helps us identify each other.” Hudson glanced out the passenger window. “For example, merpeople tend to smell like the ocean—a little salty and briny.”

“Merpeople? Like… mermaids?” 

“Yes. And mermen. Vampires have a slight metallic scent. Magic users tend to smell like the ozone.”

Whoooo boy, plot bunnies were springing up all over the place. “Magic users? Like, witches?”

“Yes.”

Austin was solely tempted to pull over, dig out his phone, and start taking notes for his next book. But he wasn’t sure how Hudson would react, so he didn’t. “What about Kage?”

“Ah, he has a vanilla-almondly scent. Reminds me of night blooming jasmine.”

“Yes! That’s it exactly! Night blooming jasmine, huh? I need to smell that. Wonder where I can find some. It’s a plant, right?”

“Yes, it is, and I imagine you can find it at any garden center.” Hudson glanced out the passenger window again. “You say you’ve noticed Kage’s scent? That’s very interesting. Humans usually don’t notice such.”

“As a kid I thought it was flowers. It always was there when he was. It was how I knew he was around, even if I couldn’t see him.”

“That is truly fascinating. Does Kage know this?”

“No. I mean, I never thought about it, honestly. Usually when Kage showed up, it was because I needed help.” 

“That makes sense.”

Austin tapped his fingers on the steering wheel. “Now that I think about it, that’s not necessarily true. Sometimes, after I went to bed, he’d be there—under the bed, I mean. We’d talk about whatever. Our conversations depended on my age, I guess.”

“Really?”

“Yeah. Sometimes it was about the latest Disney movie I’d seen. Or a new toy I got. Then there were times he read me a story when I was a kid. It was sort of weird since he was under my bed, but I got used to it.’’

“I never knew that.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.” Austin passed another slow car. “I have the feeling Kage is considered a badass in your world.”

“Oh, he most definitely is that.”

“Yeah, well, he was also my friend. My best friend. I told him all about my failures and my accomplishments. But he was also my protector. He was there when I needed him. I don’t know if I can explain how important he is to me.”

Pucker Up Monday

Welcome to Pucker Up Monday. It’s not what you think, lol. Since Mondays do tend to suck, I thought I’d try to start the week off right for y’all.

Chasing Shadows preorder is live!

 

Blurb: 

The monster: They say I am powerful. They say I am the darkness. They say I instill fear in the minds and hearts of many.

They’re right.

I am powerful. I am the darkness. I should be feared. Then I heard his cries and everything changed. Power can be tempered. There’s safety in the darkness. And the monster isn’t always the one under the bed.

Now only the heart and mind of one human interests me. He is mine. I wait, watching over him until the time is right to claim what belongs to me.

Austin: Do you believe there are monsters under the bed? I do. I don’t just believe; I know for a fact they exist. I’ve met one. Sort of. Okay, I haven’t actually seen the monster, I’ve only spoken to it.

Kind of hard to see much of anything when you’re hiding under the covers while waiting on your father to beat your ass. The monster saved me. Literally. He says I’m his, and he’s waiting for the right time to claim me.

Someone tell him to hurry the hell up.

Preorder Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B95P38H6