M.A. Church's Blog, page 39

Thursday Book Recommendation (on a Friday lol)

 

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: The Scars That Bind Us: The Magi Accounts 1by Michele Notaro

Blurb: What kind of mage would be crazy enough to crush on a shifter? Me. Apparently me.

The world is a messed-up place. Especially for those of us who have magic, and I know just how terrible it can be firsthand. Which is one of the reasons I try to stay away from people… humans and shifters especially.

Unfortunately, the NHSO forces magi to work alongside shifters to help protect the humans from taragorians—scary beasts from another realm. Which means I’m thrown onto a new team and forced to work with Cosmo Ono-Nai, a lion shifter.

And for some reason, I can’t keep my eyes off him.

The Scars That Bind Us is a 115K word novel and the first book in the MM urban fantasy series, The Magi Accounts.

*Intended for adults only. Please read the trigger warnings at the beginning of this novel.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09L57W5KN

Tuesday Teasers

 

Excerpt from Chasing Shadows (was previous called untitled new book lol)

Chapter Three - Austin

STILL HOLDING Tom’s arm, Austin stabbed the attacker in the rib area with Tom’s own weapon.

The odd-looking blade sliced through skin like a hot knife through butter. Tom screamed, fighting to get free. Austin broke Tom’s hold on the weapon, stepped back, then kicked Tom in the side of the knee.

Tom staggered away, holding his side. His shirt was already turning red, and he dropped to one knee. Austin gripped the funny looking weapon, ready for the next attack.

A man stepped out of the mist, seized the injured human, and hauled him to his feet. “Who are you?”

Austin’s mouth dropped opened as he stared at the man who stood under a light pole—a light pole whose light was no longer flickering? He blinked rapidly.

Did he just see a man step out of the mist? Okay, sort of a man. He had two arms. Two legs. A chest and waist. And he wasn’t overly muscular, which was exactly Austin’s type. The full, kissable lips and a five o’clock shadow, along with black hair, finished out the sexy picture.

The completely black eyes were a little bit of a trip. As were the black veins that webbed the visible skin of his body—a very nice body—Austin noted.

Oh, and the hand that was currently wrapped around Tom’s neck was completely black, with long black nails. Black tendrils of smoke or mist floated up from that hand. Yeah, that wasn’t weird at all.

Nevertheless, he was the most gorgeous man Austin had ever laid eyes on.

“Fucking monster,” Tom gasped. “We’ll kill you all, shadow demon. All of you! Every last fucking one of—”

The man in the monster’s grip gurgled.

Shadow demon?

“For fucks sake, Kage, just get rid of him. What the hell are hunters doing in our city anyway?”

Hunters?

Kage?

Austin whipped his head around to see a tall man with auburn hair walking toward them. Were there… were there scales on his face? Reddish golden scales that were disappearing right before Austin’s eyes?

The red-headed man stopped next to Austin. “You’re Austin, right?”

He could only nod, because holy shit, the guy’s eyes were yellow with slitted pupils—like a cat or lizard.

“Are you injured?”

“No, no I’m not.” Look at that. A whole four words.

“Excellent.”

“Yeah. Excellent.” The Twilight Zone vibe was getting the best of Austin. The entire conversation was bizarre. “Um, are you okay too?”

“Aren’t you sweet? I’m fine. Thanks for asking. And speaking of asking, would you mind if I took a look at the dagger you’re holding?”

“Huh? Oh.” Austin glanced down at his hand. “Yeah, sure. It’s not mine. Here.”

“I know it’s not yours.” The red-headed man glared at the weapon Austin handed him. “It’s a dragonbone dagger. The bone comes from a dragon. Damn things are deadly. I wonder how the hell that human got a hold of one,” he said slipping it in the back of his pants.

“I, ah, I… dragonbone? As in a dragon?”

“Yes. Hey Kage, finish up, will you?” the red-headed man yelled. “Time to introduce yourself to your human.”

Scowling, the monster tossed the man toward the shadows. With a scream, Tom fell into the darkness, then he fell through it. Like a rock sinking under the waves, he was just gone.

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

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: NOX: Wolves Incarnate Book I by Adrienne Wilder  (book 2 is out)

Blurb: 

A nude man invades Luca Suarez's home and protects him from creatures who cannot exist. Creatures hunting him. The stranger can't tell Luca why. He can't even tell Luca his name. He remembers nothing until the moment he sees Luca. 

The only hint Luca has to the stranger's identity is a tattoo on his wrist: N o X. Nox doesn't know who he is, but he's sure of three things, his memory loss is temporary, the monsters chasing Luca are called Anubis, and his Alpha, Koda, sent Nox to protect him. 

There's just one problem… Koda is Luca's brother who was murdered five years ago. With each passing hour, Nox fills in the pieces painting an impossible truth. And with each passing hour, both men find themselves unexplainably attracted to each other. Something Luca is willing to embrace because he has nothing left to lose. 

And one Nox can't let happen because it could get Luca killed. Nox is a HEA/HFN m/m paranormal, science-fiction romance. But be warned, these are NOT the shifters you are used to reading about.

*A fast pace, twist and turns, edge of your seat, dark paranormal suspense, passionate, high-heat, Egyptian lore, protective alpha male, size difference, hurt/comfort, reluctant lover, mm, m/m gay romance, that will "knock your fluffy socks off" (according to readers).*

Amazon link:

Tuesday Teaser

Excerpt from the WIP I'm working on (it's still untitled lol)

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Austin. He’s calling me. Fuck, he’s scared.” Kage’s voice trembled with anger. “There’s something wrong. He’s terrified. I need to go now.”

“Okay, okay, calm down.” Hudson glanced around. “There’s a few humans around. You can’t just mist out of here. Get a hold of yourself and concentrate. Make the power go off long enough to disappear.”

“Fuck.” Kage closed his eyes, and the house lights flickered then went out. Voices raised in alarm.

Hudson rested his foot against Kage’s under the table. “Take me with you. You might need backup.”

“Are you sure?” Kage asked, opening his eyes. “You hate the shadows.”

“I’ll close my eyes.”

Kage snorted. As if that would do any good. Centering his thoughts, he reached for the nearest shadow and dragged himself and Hudson into it. Following the link he’d given Austin, they entered the darkness.

The absolute absence of light deprived all beings of their senses. The nothingness swallowed up everything. No sound could be heard as they traveled through the portal Kage created. The silence was heavy and oppressive. Isolating. Unnerving.

He loved it. Only his kind did, though.

From the edge of the shadows, he saw a parking lot. Near the back, a small group of people fought.

“Did you miss the part where I said I don’t have a—hey!”

“Get him into the van!”

“Let go of—”

The fear and anger in Austin’s voice inflamed Kage. Even though they had not stepped out of the portal yet, he could see one of the men had grabbed Austin. How dare they touch his human.

The few lights there were in the parking lot flickered. The men who surrounded Austin froze, their eyes wide and panicked as they glanced frantically about.

He wasn’t able to stop the growl that exploded from him as he stepped out of the portal. Once he was sure Hudson was safely out too, Kage closed it. With a flick of his wrist, he sent nearby shadows crawling toward the men who surrounded Austin.

Dissolving into a foggy-like mist, he sped across the asphalt toward the group.  

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 (on a Friday lol)

 

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: Kick at the Darkness: Shifter Gay Romance by Keira Andrews

Blurb: 

To live through the zombie apocalypse they have to survive each other first.

College freshman Parker Osborne is having the worst day ever. He humiliated himself trying to pick up a cute guy, he hasn’t made any friends at school, and his stupidly hot jerk of a TA gave him a crappy grade on his paper. He’s going to drop Adam Hawkins’ film class and start fresh tomorrow after he’s had a good sulk.

But Parker’s about to find out what a bad day really looks like—if he can survive the night.

A virus is unleashed, transforming infected people into zombie-like killers. After these quick and deadly creepers swarm campus, Parker only escapes thanks to Adam swooping him onto the back of his trusty motorcycle. Now they're on the run—and stuck with each other.

When they’re not bickering, they’re fighting off the infected in a bloody battle for survival. Their only hope is to head east to Parker's family, but orphaned Adam has a secret he’s not sure Parker will accept: he’s a werewolf. Can they trust each other enough to find some light in these dark days?

Kick at the Darkness by Keira Andrews is a gay romance featuring enemies to lovers, sizzling first times, forced proximity, two young men finding love in the zombie apocalypse, and of course a happy ending. Book one in the Kick at the Darkness M/M shifter romance series.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00YD5XLP4

Tuesday Teaser

Time to meet Kage, y'all! Still don't have a damn title for this, but it's coming right along. I'm at 20K, which is chapter 9 for my books. My chapters tend to be a bit on the long side.

Chapter Two - Kage

SITTING IN the backseat of his Rolls-Royce, Kage stared out of the window at the night sky. A full moon played hide and seek the with towering skyscrapers of San DeLain. 

Definitely not the best night to be out, but anything worshipping that chunk of rock in the sky normally was on packlands by this time of the month. 

That was not to say a few rogues weren’t in the city, prowling the dark alleys, looking for entertainment. Such was life. You were either the hunter or the hunted. 

He watched the expensive retail shops, exclusive museums, and posh restaurants that lined a street nicknamed Millionaire’s Row in San DeLain flash past. 

Humans thought they were at the top of the food chain. Adjusting his Patek Philippe 1518 watch, he grinned. Little did they know what they welcomed into their businesses and social circles.

His driver maneuvered the car into the private parking garage located below Apex, a nightclub Kage owned. Once the car was in its designated spot, Harrold got out and opened the rear passenger door. 

Kage slid out and smoothed his hand down his shirt. “I’ll be a couple of hours.”

“Yes, sir.”

With a wave, he stepped into the private elevator and leaned against the wall, mentally checking through the list of things he needed to accomplish over the next few days. The many businesses’ he owned required so much time, even with the staff he employed. 

The elevator stopped and opened into the ground floor of his club. Everywhere he looked people danced. He sniffed discreetly. The majority of the patrons were human, but there were definitely paranormals in attendance. 

The vampires were easily identified thanks to their otherworldly beauty and slight metallic scent. Since anything that shifted was busy tonight, vampires were the most popular with the humans.

Salt and brine rode the air currents. Glancing about, he spotted a few merpeople. Their androgynous features marked their species. Like the vampires, they needed blood, but unlike the vampires, it didn’t have to be human. 

A couple of magic users moved in and out of the human throng on the dance floor. They tended to smell of ozone even when not using their powers. They blended in with the human crowd the easiest. 

A lone gargoyle sat at a table, his earthy scent tangy and fresh but also sharp. Seeing him was a surprise. They didn’t often leave their territories. 

Kage moved through the crowd. As he passed those he was acquainted with, he nodded. His destination was the secluded booth at the very back of his club where there was more privacy and the music wasn’t so loud. 

A handsome man with long auburn hair sat there, sipping what appeared to be red wine. 

There were paranormals, then there were the dragons, with their scent of burning leaves on a fall night and never-ending arrogance. In his opinion, they were the most dangerous. Well, outside of his kind. 

“I was beginning to worry you got lost, my friend.” 

Kage sat and a server appeared immediately. “I’ll have what he’s having,” Kage said, pointing to Hudson’s wineglass. 

“Yes, Mr. Dargan,” the waiter said quietly. 

Hudson watched the waiter walk away, licking his lips. Kage had to admit, the waiter was a tasty little morsel, as far as humans went. He’d probably end up in Hudson’s bed tonight. 

The asshole across from him was his best friend and sometime partner-in-crime, so to speak. They had several joint ventures that paid nicely, and they shared similar tastes in both stock and bonds… and men and women. 

The two of them together were striking—Kage with his olive complexion, scruff, and dark hair and eyes, and Hudson with his lovely deep red hair, green eyes, and pale skin. 

Even he wasn’t sure how old Hudson was, but he was an Ancient. Which meant he was an old and damn powerful dragon. They’d met when Hudson had fished Kage out of the River Thames during the late eighteen hundreds. Ah, the Victorian era. What fun that had been.

Within moments, Kage was sipping a dark and sweet red wine. “Mmm. Nice. Good choice.”

“I thought so. It came from your private stock.”

Kage laughed softly. “Of course it did.”

Hudson just smirked. 

“I’m surprised you beat me here, since your home is so far away,” Kage said, leaning back in his chair.

“Took the helicopter.”

“Ahhh. No wonder then. I had traffic to deal with.”

“You mean Harrold had traffic to deal with.” Hudson lifted his wineglass and toasted Kage with it. 

“Very true. There’s not enough money in this world to deal with this traffic. That’s why I pay Harrold his weight in gold.” Not really, but it was close enough. Harrold had proved his worthiness a long time ago and Kage took care of those he trusted.

They kept the talk light because with that many paranormals around with keen hearing, nothing was ever a secret. Besides, this was not a business meeting. 

Once a week they met for no other reason than the enjoyment of each other’s company. There weren’t many Kage trusted enough to lower his guard, and Hudson was one of the precious few. 

“There’s a private showing for that new Cruise movie,” Kage said, taking another sip of his wine. “Want to—shit.”

Kage placed the wineglass back on the table with a thump. Every nerve in his body lit up as the summons pulled at the very core of his being. Anxiety hummed through his bloodstream.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s Austin. He’s calling me. Fuck, he’s scared.” Kage’s voice trembled with anger. “There’s something wrong. He’s terrified. I need to go now.”

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: Mortal Skin: MM Fae Romance (Folk Book 1) by Lily Mayne

Blurb: 

I first saw the Folk when I was a little boy. When they started appearing in my garden, with their unnatural, cruel beauty and honeyed words and veiled taunts. I grew up with big green eyes watching me from the forest. Whispers from the trees. Shimmering skin darting between the bushes. Black creatures always lurking in the shadows.

While they were here, I thought nothing of them. It wasn’t until they were gone that I realise it wasn’t… normal.

But it isn’t until I’m twenty-one, when my life is in ruins, that they come back to take me away.

They say I’m not fully mortal. They say I should be among them. The Unseelie Ruler wants me on her land for reasons no one will explain to me, but it’s her aloof, painfully beautiful son who captures my attention and refuses to let go.

The cold, black-eyed assassin prince who strikes fear into the hearts of all Folk. Who I’ve been warned about, repeatedly.

Who watches me always.

I don’t trust the Folk, so I ignore their fearful advice to stay away from him. I ignore all of them except him, despite everything telling me that he can’t be trusted—that he’s just as bad as the rest of them, that he’s playing games with me, the clueless mortal held here against his will.

But I want him.

Mortal Skin is the first in a mm fae romance trilogy about a dark fae assassin prince and a mortal who is thrown into the cruel world of the Folk.

Warning: This m/m love story contains explicit sexual content and is not suitable for young readers. It also contains depictions of violence and deals with the death of a close family member. This trilogy will follow the same couple who get their HEA eventually, but book one ends on a cliffhanger.

Amazon link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09NZ56LLP