M.A. Church's Blog, page 38

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: Sledge and Claw (Hammer and Fist Book 1) by Jennifer Cody

Blurb: 

Lex:

I work, I sleep, I fuck. That's what I do.

My alphabet soup agency recruited me because of my unique blend of magic and innate talent, but those come with a steep price and it’s getting harder to pay with every investigation.

I never thought Knoxville would be the place that kills me, but between someone targeting me to get me fired (or start a war; could go either way), taking on a naïve new trainee, and investigating a non-human trafficking ring, it looks like I'm about to bite off more than I can chew.

The question is, can I figure out what’s going on before it all blows up in my face?

Sledge and Claw is an MM Urban Fantasy with triggers for the horrors of slave trafficking and consent issues. There also happens to be a cliffhanger ending.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09TFZQLQ5

Tuesday Teaser - Chasing Shadows

 

~excerpt from Chasing Shadows

“For one, we don’t attack random humans for no reason.”

“That you know.”

“I know those who belong to me don’t. It’s not allowed, plus it can bring unwanted attention to paranormals. Besides, do you go around randomly attacking people?”

“Of course not!”

“Then why assume we do?” That sort of thinking annoyed Kage. “There’s no reason for us to. As for your second question, I’d kill anyone who laid a finger on you.”  

“That’s kinda sexy but also slightly terrifying. I don’t…. How are humans still at the top of the food chain? I mean, why haven’t you taken over the world?”

“Do you mean my species or paranormals in general?” Kage asked.

“It doesn’t matter which he meant, because the answer is the same for vampires, werewolves, or any other paranormal beings,” Hudson said.

“Shit, vampires exist?” Austin suddenly smiled. “I know some folks who would love to know that.”

Hudson laughed softly. “Yes, they exist. As do werewolves. And many others. But the answer to your question is this: There are nearly eight billion humans on this planet. Even if you add all the paranormals together, we still don’t come close to that. Not even close.”

“We don’t reproduce as often as humans do,” Kage said. “

“Oh, so you’re like an alpha?”

Kage opened his mouth then shut it as the bar’s door opened then slammed closed. “That’s a very good question. One that I’m willing to answer, but let’s do this elsewhere.”

“I agree,” Hudson added, also glancing at the bar.

“I guess you’re right, but where? It’s not like I know where you live,” Austin pointed out.

Kage tracked the two men until they got in an old truck. “Have you heard of ?”

Kage snorted. “You’re kidding, right? It’s one of the top three apartment complexes in San DeLain. It’s crazy expensive and horribly exclusive.”

It was indeed. Kage had made sure of it. It did annoy him that it wasn’t considered the very best, though.

“It’s mine,” Kage said. “Park in front of the building. Tell the doorman your name. He’ll have valet park your car in our private parking garage.”

Kage wanted Austin out of there. The men who walked out of the bar had left, but Kage worried. They were out in the open there, and this wasn’t a territory he was familiar with.

He had no idea if it was claimed or not or by whom. Last thing he needed was for some paranormal to show up and get snarly. He didn’t need the headache.

Plus, Austin had given that hunter his real name. There was a distinct possibility there was a cell of them there. It had been years since they’d tried to infiltrate the city. They would need to be found and exterminated before innocent paranormals were killed.

“Go to the desk,” Kage continued. “Mr. Newson will be expecting you. He will escort you to where you need to go.”

“Okay. How are you two getting out of here?” Austin asked.

“The same way we got here—the shadows,” Kage answered.

Austin glanced at his watch. “I don’t know if you realize this are not, but it’s eleven already. It’s getting late.”

“Then isn’t it fortunate that, as an author, you get to set your own hours? Come to my home, Austin. You have always wanted to know about me. I’m going to give you the chance.”

Austin chewed his bottom lip for a few seconds before finally nodding. “Okay. Yeah, I want answers.”

“And you will get them.”

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: Get It Together (The Undead Detective Agency Book 1) by Shelby Rhodes

Blurb: 

Hello, there! I’m Octavius Evander. And this is the beginning of my story—well…sort of. It’s not the very beginning. As a vampire, that story would be way too long to write down—think, before the Romans. Rather, this story is about how I met the love of my unlife. Okay, it will be mostly about the cool and fancy detective agency I opened and solving mysteries, but also a little about love too.

So, what does one need to open a detective agency, you may ask? Well, for one, a detective. As it was my idea, and I paid for everything, I, of course, filled that role. Next, I needed a secretary. My beautiful and marginally dangerous best friend Scarlett filled that role. Now, I will admit, at that time, I had not thought further than that, and simply skipped to getting my detective license, an office, and some other necessities.

My mind might have been too full of the fun adventures I was about to have. My hope was that those in and out of the paranormal communities would keep me entertained for a very long time. I quickly realized I still needed a driver, a tech person, and a witch that was good with ghosts. This is the story of how I found those people. And who would have thought the first to walk through the door would be human, with no knowledge of the paranormal—my precious Turney.

CONTENT WARNING: This is a slow burn M/M paranormal romance book. There will be blood, violence and death. Please do not read if you find any of the previous triggering.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B6QD2GRX

Update on Chasing Shadows

 If you're in my author group, then you know that I'm finished with the book! It has a few chapters left to beta-read then it's off to editing. The cover and blurb are also done, whoot! I don't have a preorder yet, but that will be coming soonish!

~M

Tuesday Teaser - Chasing Shadows

 

Chapter Four - Kage

ONCE MORE this human robbed Kage of his ability to speak. He was powerful. He was the darkness. He was feared by all… except for Austin.

From the moment he’d come into that child’s life seventeen years ago, Austin had never been afraid of him. Kage was the nightmare that lurked in the dark of night. Paranormals actively avoided his kind, and for good reason. And yet this human trusted Kage. Always had.

It was humbling.

“Also, shadow demon is a nickname. The so-called demons from the Christian Hell do not exist.”

“Okay, so…? The demon part of that makes sense, I guess. Can you explain the shadow part?”

“My kind travel via the shadows,” Kage said.

“Think of it like a portal,” Hudson added. “They use them to go from one place to another.”

“Yeah, except those aren’t supposed to exist,” Austin pointed out.

“Surprise!” Hudson grinned. “You’ll find there’s a lot of things which exist humans don’t know about. Anyhow, it’s how Kage and I arrived. Daemons can also send someone from one place to another via shadows.”

“Ah, like Tom?” Austin asked.

“Yes. As long as there is a shadow, that’s all we need,” Kage said. “Even on the brightest of days, there are always shadows. We can also manipulate them to do our bidding.”

“I’m not gonna lie, that’s terrifying,” Austin said.

“Now you know why paranormals avoid his kind, because yes, they are terrifying,” Hudson added.

Kage glared at Hudson. That was not helpful. Not at all.

“What happened to Tom and the other guy who you threw at the shadows?” Austin asked.

Kage studied Austin for a brief moment. “Are you sure you wish to know?”

“Usually, if that question has to be asked, then the answer is usually no. But I’ve been searching for answers for so long, and I’m finally getting them. So, yes. I want to know.”

“Very well. .” Kage shrugged. “They might live.”

“But it’s highly doubtful, I’m guessing. And all your kind can do that?”

“Yes.” Kage scowled as Austin’s heart rate rose. “I’ve scared you.”

“No, no, not you,” Austin said. “But can’t you see how frightening that is? I could be walking along, minding my own business, then boom! I’m floating in the ocean. My God. What’s to stop a daemon from doing that to me?”

“For one, we don’t attack random humans for no reason.”

“That you know.”

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: Lesser Known Monsters by Rory Michaelson

Blurb: Being the chosen one isn’t always a good thing.

Oscar Tundale is not a hero. Anxious, indecisive, and awkward, he can barely get through a normal day. Now he’s about to find out monsters are real. Oscar’s friends: brave, stubborn Zara, and hyperactive, paranoid Marcus, might help discover what hunts him, and unravel the truth about the handsome doctor he pines for. But only heroes can save the world, so maybe the best Oscar can hope for is to not end it by accident.

The LESSER KNOWN MONSTERS series is a dark queer fantasy featuring diverse characters on a found family adventure. Perfect for fans of horror and paranormal romance who seek LGBTQ+ heroes.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08JD4PDL4

 

Tuesday Teaser - Chasing Shadows

 

~excerpt from Chasing Shadows

Austin blinked some more, but Tom didn’t miraculously reappear.

“Don’t frighten him, Hudson,” the black-headed one said as he drew nearer.

Hudson? That was the red-headed man’s name? That wasn’t a name he heard often these days. “I’m not really—”

“His heart rate just spiked cause of you,” his monster said.

Wait. They could hear his heart beating?

“Right. It had nothing to do with the human falling into a shadow and disappearing.”

Austin glanced back at the red-headed man, or whatever he was, standing beside him. He blinked again. At this rate he was going to sprain his eyelids.

“Most likely it was due to your slitted pupils. Or possibly the yellow eyes.”

Austin’s attention returned to the black-headed man.

“I’m thinking it’s the black veins all over you. And have you seen your eyes?”

“Guys! Can I get a word in here?” Austin said, jumping in. “I’m not really frightened.”

His monster stopped in front of him. “I’m sorry you had to see that. I tried so hard through the years for you not to witness such. My name is Kage. Kage Dargan.”

“My monster,” Austin whispered.

Kage inclined his head slightly. “Your monster. The being next to you is Hudson Redmond. He’s a very good friend of mine.”

Austin raised an eyebrow.

Hudson snickered. “That’s not an euphemism for anything. We truly are only friends.”

Heat raced up Austin’s face. Had he been that obvious? Okay, so what if he had? That was his monster. Hudson could go get his own damn monster.

Actually, what was Hudson? What supernatural creature had scales besides the obvious one? For that matter, what exactly was a shadow demon? That was what Tom called Kage. And speaking of Tom, what the hell kind of shadows made folks vanish? Questions. He had them.

“Cat got your tongue?” Hudson asked.

Austin scowled at the man next to him. Could the dude give him a moment to get his thoughts in order?

Kage cleared his throat, drawing Austin’s attention back to him. “Are you okay? What happened?”

Well, crap. He really, really didn’t want to explain how he’d gotten himself in trouble. Then again, if his monster hadn’t been so insistent on not being seen, they probably wouldn’t have ended up in this predicament. Honestly, it was his monster’s fault.

Kage. Got to remember to call him Kage. That was going to take some getting used to. For as long as he could remember, he’d referred to the creature under his bed as his monster or Mr. Monster.

“Austin?”

“Really, I’m blaming you for all this.” Nodding, Austin folded his arms across his chest. Best to establish that up front.

Hudson snorted.

“Oh?” Kage asked, leaning against some random battered truck in the parking lot. “Do tell?”

That was a nonchalant pose if he’d ever seen one. Too bad Austin wasn’t buying it. “Okay, see, if you would’ve just shown yourself like I’ve been asking for all these years—”

Kage groaned. “Please tell me you weren’t trying to get information on me.”

“Okay. I won’t tell you I was trying to get information on you.” Austin slapped his most innocent look on his face.

Hudson outright laughed. “Damn, I wish I would’ve thought to video this.”

“Do it, and I promise that cell phone will disappear,” Kage snapped.

“Yeah, speaking of disappearing, what the hell happened to Tom?” Austin asked. “How does somebody fall into a shadow and vanish?”

Hudson laughed again.

“And you!” Austin swung around and pointed his finger at Hudson. “I’ll get to you in a minute.”

“I can’t wait,” Hudson said, grinning from ear to ear.

Kage pinched the bridge of his nose. “Austin? What happened here?”

“It’s like I said. You wouldn’t tell me what you are—hell, you wouldn’t even let me see you—so I took matters into my own hands. I started trying to research what you could be. There’s this thing called the Internet—”

Hudson shook his head. “Good gods.”

“Hey! No comments from the peanut gallery.” Hands on hips, Austin glared at Hudson.

“I like your human, Kage. I think he’s going to be great fun.”

“As I was saying, I was looking for information. I found some message boards and chat rooms”—Austin shot a warning look at Hudson who was groaning again—“and struck up conversations with some people. Tom was one of those conversations.”

“Of course he was.” Kage pushed off the truck and prowled toward Austin. “Let me see if I have this right. You met a complete stranger—”

“He wasn’t a complete stranger! I’d spoken to him a few times.” Holy shit, he’d written characters who prowled toward their love interest before, but whoa. He had no idea it was so damn sexy.

“Forgive me,” Kage said, voice deepening. “I’m sure speaking to him a few times made a world of difference.”

That voice tugged on something in the pit of Austin’s stomach, making his belly tight. The tone could use some work, though.

“And then you met this stranger in one of the less desirable sections of this city. By yourself.” Kage stopped in front of Austin. “You, a well-known author, who just happens to be rich.”

Austin gulped. That voice, the black eyes, those black veins… how was that sexy? Kage was so close he could smell Kage’s cologne. It reminded him of… vanilla? Almonds too. His cock twitched. It turned him on, just like the man standing in front of him.

Only this wasn’t a man.

“Whatever could go wrong with that?” Kage asked softly.

Austin swore he felt Kage’s breath against his skin. They were practically nose to nose. “And if you had just shown me yourself, none of this would have ever happened.”

“Gods!” Kage’s eyes dropped to Austin’s lips then snapped back up. “You’re as stubborn as you were when you were a little boy!”

“Pot? Meet kettle.” Kiss me, kiss me, kiss me.

Hudson cleared his throat. “If I could interject for a—”

“No!” Both Kage and Austin yelled. Startled, they moved back a few steps from each other, breaking the spell.

“I swear by all the dead gods, you two need to fuck and get it over with. You both stink of arousal.”

Austin spluttered. There was no way Hudson knew Austin was horny. He couldn’t. Shit. Could he?     

“Austin? Kage is a daemon.”

“What? A… what? A demon?”

“No, no, it’s pronounced day-mon. He’s a supernatural being who can shift into a humanoid form,” Hudson said. “Their skin tone in daemon form ranges from gray, to dark gray, to black. He’s partially shifted right now.”

Kage glowered at Hudson. “I am more than capable of explaining who and what—”

“Really? Because I’m still not sure if you two are going to fight or fuck.”

“Hey!” Austin exclaimed.                                    

“Anyway, as I was saying, some of his kind have wings. Others don’t. Some have tails. Others don’t. Some have fangs. Others don’t. But they are notdemons.”

“No, we most definitely are not,” Kage said.

“The confusion comes from the spelling for daemon and demon. Both words are often used interchangeably,” Hudson continued. “Thank the Medieval monks for confusing the subject.”

“I never thought he was a demon,” Austin said, gazing at Kage. “Even as a kid.”

“I know.” Affection tinged Hudson’s voice. “He was your monster.”

“Yeah.” Austin stared steadily at Kage. “My monster.”

The stiffness in Kage’s body left. He lifted his hand and ran a knuckle down Austin’s cheek. “And yet you never feared me.”

“The real monster in my life back then was not you. It was never you.”

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.