N.R. Walker's Blog, page 12

Good Morning Monday ~ Tallowwood Excerpt!

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Release day for Tallowwood is getting closer!!  And I promised an excerpt so, without dragging it out, here it is…

 

Chapter One

Detective August Shaw sat in his old, cramped office, tucked away from the rest of the bustling Police Headquarters in Parramatta, Sydney. He preferred it that way. He didn’t even mind the shoebox-sized office if it meant people left him alone.

His colleagues would smile at him and some even tried to make small talk about weekend football or local festivals, but August would simply pretend to smile behind his coffee cup and make his excuses to go back to hiding in his office.

He felt at peace there; productive and useful. As the lead, and only, officer dedicated to his particular division of Sydney’s cold cases, he would immerse himself in the past, trying to make a quiet and unassuming difference to a cold and cruel world. Every day he locked himself away in his tiny office, and every day he fought to bring justice to victims long forgotten and closure for those who were left behind.

August felt older than his forty-one years. It wasn’t the fact his greying beard belied his brown hair or his recent acquisition of reading glasses. It wasn’t how his body ached when he stayed too still or if he pushed himself too hard at the gym, and it wasn’t the small lines at the corners of his eyes that made him feel old. It was the weariness in his bones. Weariness and the sullen weight of responsibility for the unsolved cases that surrounded him in his office. They bore a kind of weight that sometimes made August unsure if it was trying to pull him under the surface. Or if it was keeping him afloat.

They weren’t just file numbers to him. They weren’t faceless names. They weren’t just archive boxes full of folders or statistics.

They were family.

Each one was a human being, a son or daughter, a person whose life was cut short. Each cold case in his care was someone who identified as LGBTQIA+.

Family.

August’s days were mostly filled with paperwork. That probably would have driven most cops crazy, but August didn’t mind the hours of cross-referencing numbers, evidence, and report data. He made phone calls, did internet searches, and sent evidence away for analysis. The beauty of modern technologies that had been so lacking thirty, twenty, ten, or even five years ago, now opened new possibilities of identifying killers. He could utilise pathology, DNA, ballistics, toxicology that didn’t exist at the time of these deaths. Sometimes he struck gold, sometimes he struck out, but he never stopped trying.

He’d make phone calls and speak to the family and friends of victims every so often. Some took tracking down. They were either long gone, moved on, or deceased. Not everyone was contactable; not everyone wanted to be found. It wasn’t like the movies or the TV shows. There was no glamour, no accolades. Maybe that’s what August found the most gratifying. He didn’t do this for the esteem or the reputation other homicide detectives found in recent, high-newsworthy, front-page fame.

August did this for the victims.

He did it for those who no longer had a voice. For those whose spotlight had been extinguished and whose deaths were filed under Unresolved or Inconclusive.

He also very deliberately buried himself in work. Days, nights, and weekends were spent poring over details, which didn’t leave much time for any kind of social life.

Which was very much the point.

Some days, the only time he spoke to anyone was when he ordered coffee or lunch, if he got forensic or ballistic reports, or if his boss called him into his office. He didn’t dislike his boss exactly. August didn’t exactly dislike anyone. He didn’t like them much either, but August avoided human interaction if he could manage it. Except for anyone in the periphery of a case, of course. But it was usually him who had to make those calls, which was why, when his desk phone rang, it scared the shit out of him. It also took him fifteen seconds to find the handset under open files and papers.

He snatched up the phone. “Detective Shaw.”

“Hello, Detective Shaw, this is Senior Constable Jacob Porter from the North Coast Area Command. How are you today?”

August frowned. “I’m fine. Is there anything I can help you with?”

“Yes, actually, I think there might be. I have a case I could use your help with.”

August’s frown deepened. “My help? With what, exactly? I work cold cases.”

“I know who you are, Detective,” he replied. “And while this particular case is new—we found human remains two days ago—this body’s been there a while.”

“I’m not the only cop in the state who specialises in cold cases.”

“No. But you are the best.”

August almost smiled. “If it’s a homicide, call homicide.”

“Detective—”

“I have enough cases of my own to get through, Senior Constable.”

“That’s just it,” Porter answered. “I think this is one of your cases.”

“One of mine . . .” August’s frown became a scowl. “How so?”

“The victim was gay,” Porter answered.

“That hardly makes it mine.”

“It was made to look like a suicide,” he added.

“And you don’t think it is?”

“No. That’s not all, Detective. The medical examiner suggested I call you. Said it would be familiar. The body was found with a note in his pocket, a quote from a poem. And a silver cross.”

August’s stomach dropped and he could feel the colour drain from his face. “Oh.”

“So yeah, I was wondering if you could help with some finer points. I could email—”

August looked at the file he’d been reading and reread the name. Mustafa Holzieg. Mustafa, like the others, in all the files that surrounded him, deserved better. August nodded, more to himself than anyone else. “I can be there first thing tomorrow morning.”

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Update:

My next book begins!! Well, I’ve been researching a little and I want to start actually writing this week but I’m away until Monday arvo, then my Mother in Law gets here for a week. Which is fine, but people think “working from home” actually means “you don’t have to do anything” and countless interruptions aren’t a problem, right?  Ugh. Drives me crazy! LOL

But busy times… I’m away until Monday, my MIL gets here and stays until Friday. Then I fly to Sydney on Saturday (6am flight, what was I thinking?) with two 17 year old girls and we get home Sunday night, just in time for my daughter’s Year 11 exams to begin. Busy’s fun, right?

Oh, and the audio of Upside Down should be out in the next 2-3 weeks!! I’m so excited for this!

That’s all for this week! Thanks for reading and I’ll be back next week!

Until then…

Good Morning Monday ~ Date Changes, And The Week That Was

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I spent most of this last week away, taking a lovely few days in the Hunter Valley with fellow MM author Nic Starr.  It was a much-needed recharge and catch up. We chatted and laughed, and discussed the industry goings-on. It was a lot of fun! I finished going through my WIP first draft and tidied that up, considered what I want to start writing next, and managed to get in some reading time!

So, more on my WIP…  It was scheduled for release in the first week of December (as I explained last week with regards to my usual 8 weeks between releases) but that has now changed to the end of October. It’s really only 4.5 weeks earlier. Being a part of a multi-author anthology (with separate releases) another author needed to swap and given my first draft was done, it was a no brainer. Yes, self-publishing comes with a certain freedom but real life should always come first.

I had originally planned to have a late Sept release with Tallowwood, then a ten-week wait until early Dec release with the anthology/charity novella, then having a February release and maintaining my usual 8-week release schedule into 2020. But that has now changed and the ten-week wait between books has come forward.

What this means for my readers is that my release schedule now looks like this:

Sept 25 – Tallowwood

Oct 29 – anthology/charity release

Mid-January – next release, and continue on with the normal 8-week release schedule from January.

So really not much is changing, just the shuffling of dates. The upside is that you guys will get to see the cover sooner, and of course get the book sooner as well!! So yay!

Upside Down Audio

Coming Soon!!!  Not sure on exact dates, but I’ve listened to the proof which means it’s on the home straight. Maybe three weeks-ish?  It will depend on how long ACX decide to hold it hostage…

BUTTTTTTT the amazing narrator, Glen Lloyd killed this performance. He was the PERFECT choice for Jordan and Hennessy!  Such a true Aussie voice and I’m reeeeeeally hoping he’ll be on board to narrate other books as my finances allow.

 

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Translations

I’m very excited to announce the release of Imago in Italian!!  I absolutely LOVE working with Triskell Edizione, and Imago is already listed as a best-seller on their site!!!  It goes live on the 9th!!

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You can pre-order it from Triskell or find it at Amazon

And of course we kept the cover because Lou Harper is a genius and this cover is AMAZING!!

Also Switched will be out in German soon!! I’ll post links when I have them!!

Okay that’s it for this week. Next week I’ll have an excerpt from Tallowwood to share, so stay tuned for that. This week I have a super short scene to write for a newsletter swap (more on that later) and some research to do (because when can I ever write a book that doesn’t require a shitload of research? LOL)

Until then…

 

Good Morning Monday ~ Tallowwood Cover and Blurb Reveal!

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Last week I promised to share the cover and blurb for Tallowwood, so wait no more!

This amazing cover is by Reese Dante. I had originally played around with the cover myself but something was missing and I couldn’t get it quite right. Conceding defeat, I passed it off to Reese and HOLY MOLY she nailed it!! Guys, check this out…

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BLURB:
Cold cases, murder, lies, and an unimaginable truth.

Sydney detective August Shaw has spent the last decade of work solving cold cases. Since the death of his boyfriend eight years ago, August works alone, lives alone, is alone — and that’s exactly how he likes it. His work is his entire life, and he’s convinced a string of unsolved cold-case suicides are linked to what could be Australia’s worst ever serial killer. Problem is, no one believes him.
Senior Constable Jacob Porter loves his life in the small town of Tallowwood in the middle of the rainforests in northern New South Wales. He runs summer camps for the local Indigenous kids, plays rugby with his mates, has a close family, and he’s the local LGBTQIA+ Liaison and the Indigenous Liaison Officer.
When human remains are found in the camping grounds at Tallowwood Reserve, Jake’s new case turns out to be linked to August’s cold cases, and Jake agrees they’re not suicides at all. With Jacob now firmly in August’s corner, they face one hurdle after another, even when more remains are found, they still can’t seem to gain ground.
But when the body of a fellow police officer turns up under the same MO, it can’t be ignored anymore. August and Jake must trace the untraceable before the killer takes his next victim or before he stops one of them, permanently.

~

Release date: September 25th

I cannot wait for you to meet August and Jacob. They would have to be two of my favourite characters I’ve ever written. Which is a pretty big call. I probably say that with most characters when I’m writing their book, but these guys are special to me. I hope you love them too!

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WIP UPDATE

Oh my GAWWWWD, I finally finished the first draft of my WIP from hell. LOL  It ended up at 40K words, and took weeks longer than it should have. But it’s finally done!!!

Release date will be early December. I know I’ve been having around 8 weeks between releases, but this will be approx 9-10 weeks from Tallowwood to this new one. It’s just how it worked out with schedules etc.

AUDIO RELEASE

Nova Praetorian is OUT NOW!

You can find it at AUDIBLE  

And it’s already whispersynced. Which means if you bought the ebook, you can grab the audio for just $3.47usd. And that’s an absolute bargain!

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THIS WEEK:

This week I’m headed to the Hunter Valley to spend a few days with Nic Starr, a fabulous and talented Aussie m/m author. There will be writing, reading, wine, and laughs, and I’m sooooo looking forward to it. I’m feeling burned out and this will be just what I need to recharge my batteries.

I have to fix my first draft of the WIP from hell, and sort out some proofing revisions of Tallowwood. I’m also working on a super short extra fun scene as a giveaway later this month. And maybe I’ll start doing some research for my next novel… I know right? Lather, rinse, repeat. It never ends! But it is STILL the best job in the world.

Until next week!

 

Good Morning Monday ~ Coming Up & Audio Update

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Sorry for not posting my weekly update last week. Kinda out of spoons lately, not gonna lie. I’ve been taking some mental health days off social media and it has helped me regroup and recharge. Some days we just need to unplug for a bit and take a breath.

I’ve been struggling to make headway on my WIP. It’s at 27K words and honestly, I should have finished it weeks ago. But I can almost see the finish line (It’s a novella) but I really do love these characters. They’re cute and authentic, and their story is about being true to one’s self and finding people who appreciate the real you. It’s supposed to be Christmassy but it’s really about as festive as I am (spoiler: I am not festive LOL).  I can’t give too much away just yet, but I can tell you my WIP is part of this amazing line up:

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What:

Ace’s Wild is a multi-author series of novellas that take place in the same fictional town. The connecting element in the Ace’s Wild series is an adult store owned by a gay couple–Ace and Wilder! The main characters from each novella will make at least one visit to Ace’s Wild, where they’ll buy some kind of fun toy to use in their story. Each novella can be read as a standalone. The only characters who crossover to each book are Ace and Wilder. And with various heat and kink levels, there’s sure to be something for everyone!

Who:

Me, obv. LOL Riley Hart, Christina Lee, Devon McCormack, Annabella Michaels, SE Jakes, Morningstar Ashley, Neve Wilder, Lane Hayes, Jaclyn Quinn, Luna David, Davidson King, Alice Winters, Max Walker.

When:

The first novella will be released September 24th with one coming out each Tuesday for fourteen weeks!  Given you know mine is a Christmas novella, I can say my release is early December

Good Morning Monday ~ Busy Again!

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It’s been another busy week, but then again, I haven’t had a non-busy week in years LOL.  Though my daughter got her drivers license last week and it has really freed up a lot of my time. I used to spend a lot of my days driving kids all over town – sometimes leaving the house 8 or 10 times per day – but now she’s mobile, I don’t have to do that anymore. It’s like I’m getting a little bit of my life back! So yay for that!

I didn’t manage a great deal of words this week, but my WIP is now at 10K and should be about 50% done. It’s only a super short story, but it’s taking longer than I wanted it to. Real-life and dealing with some professional changes as well has really cut into my time. It’s all good, and positive, just time-consuming. But I’m hoping to almost wrap up the WIP this week. It’s fun and flirty, and will be my 2019 Christmas story. Anyone who knows me knows I’m not a huge fan of Christmas so in keeping with that theme, one of the main character’s hates Christmas, and the other is a little more festive, but it’s certainly no Hallmark Christmas movie. LOL  The book itself is a little bit secret-squirrel stuff, but as soon as I can disclose more, I most certainly will. Though I can say there is a Christmas themed masquerade ball and you may never think of Rudolph the same way again. 

Good Morning Monday! What a Week…

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What a week indeed.  The release of Sir was fabulous, so a HUGE thank you to everyone who read and reviewed Sig, Levin, and Hunter’s story. Sir broke into the #1 in six or seven countries on release day, and is still doing really well. I’m so glad people are loving that little book! It was fun and very different, and I love using creative muscles I don’t get to use very often. Thank you guys, for supporting me and reading my books.

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You can find Sir at Amazon

Be quick!

Upside Down is still on sale at all retailers, but only for another couple of days. If you haven’t grabbed it yet, I strongly urge you to do so today. It will also be leaving wide distribution and heading back into Kindle Unlimited.

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You can find it at:
Amazon

B&N

Apple

Kobo

Smashwords
Google Play

 

Audio Releases

 

After a lifetime in purgatory, Audible has FINALLY released THROUGH THESE EYES!!
You can find it HERE!

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The audio of Finders Keepers is OUT NOW!!   You can find it HERE!

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And the audio of Galaxies and Oceans is up for pre-order!!
You can find it HERE!
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Audio update: 

I know at the beginning of the year, I had said there would be a range of audios coming out in 2019. That has since changed, and all future audio productions are on hold for the moment. Thus far, this year alone, I’ve had 9 or 10 already, which is a LOT.  The production of Sir has been scheduled for later in the year and that will be happening. I also believe Nova Praetorian will be out sometime soon as well, but apart from these two titles, audios will slow down for a while.

Thank you for understanding.

 

WIP UPDATE

Tallowwood is now with my editor (yay!) and I’ve started something new! It’s only very new – this week has been kinda stressful in dealing with some stuff and was not kind for productivity and words, but I have started it so that’s something I guess. I can’t say much more about this new book than that at this point because it’s secret squirrel stuff. But it will be a lot of fun and I’m certain my readers’ will love it!

Okies, that’s it for this week. Until then…

 

Sir is OUT NOW!

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UNIVERSAL BUY LINK

 

I’m so excited to announce that Sir is OUT NOW!  Just so you know, this is very different to my usual thing.

Good Morning Monday! An Excerpt from Sir and a SALE on Upside Down

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It’s been a super busy week in Walkerville. I finished the first draft of Tallowwood, and it’s now with some beta-readers. It came to a total of 96K words (before edits, obv) and I’m waiting for feedback to see how much it sucks. LOL

It’s release week for SIR!!!! I’m so excited for you all to meet Sig, Levin, and Hunter. Though I would warn you all, it’s a stretch from my usual thing, there is quite a LOT of sex but it is relationship-based, as all my books are. And last week I promised an excerpt, and so I shall deliver…

 

Excerpt

The Mercedes slowed around the grand driveway, stopping in front of the huge manor. The Casa di Salvezza was a remarkable nod to history and grand architecture, and a buzz thrilled through me every time I came here. One of Colton’s boys, Phillip, opened my door. He offered a polite smile before bowing his head. “Good evening, Sir.”

I nodded my acknowledgement and stepped out of the car. I straightened my jacket and ran my hand through my hair. A touch of grey flecked at my temples, but the brown mostly matched my eyes. It was otherwise short and tidy; impeccably neat, like everything in my life. Structured, organised, understated but distinguished. I glanced up at the huge stone building, the windows glowing warm and inviting, and I walked to the door, knowing Levin would follow. Without prompting, without even a look, he read my cues.

The perfect submissive.

My perfect submissive.

Levin had been in my care for two years. He had dark hair, blue eyes, and fair skin that flushed beautifully when he laughed and when he orgasmed. Other Doms would probably say I was too lenient on the boy or I spoiled him, but Levin was different. He was smart, sometimes a little cheeky, warm and kind, and completely insatiable. He has been chosen for me by Colton. Colton, my old Master, my Master still, had an uncanny ability to choose the perfect partner.

Dominant to submissive, Master Colton had a gift for forging bonds between pairings. As far as I knew, he’d never failed.

I hadn’t been Colton’s sub for nearly a decade. He taught me everything I know. I had no obligation to fall to my knees in front of him, but I would. No matter how long it had been since he called me his sub, he would always be my Master.

Even though I’d been a Master in my own right for ten years, we would still meet regularly and talk over coffee. At least every six weeks, not including play sessions. He was my mentor, my adviser, but I’d like to think he was also my friend. We’d discuss the trials and tribulations of being a Master, of having the responsibility of subs, the latest goings on in this dominion, and in the other dominions in other countries.

This dominion I was part of, like all dominions in the Sanctus, had three Grand Masters: Jürg, Valente, and Colton. Each had a specialty, an area of expertise. All three were exceptional men. With traditions spanning centuries and unimaginable wealth, the Sanctus was an exclusive, elite community, and one I was honoured to be part of.

Each member was chosen with a specific purpose—mine being medicine—ensuring the dominion remained self-sufficient. We didn’t have to look outside of our own dominion for expertise. Real estate, stock markets, even our mechanics and house cleaners were all part of the dominion.

There were rules. Many rules, but none more important than the first.

Silence.

Keep the secret.

As I approached the huge wooden front doors to Master Colton’s manor, I knew Levin was following. I could hear his quiet footfalls two steps behind me. I didn’t have to turn around to know he’d be walking with his head slightly bowed, his shoulders squared, and his hands clasped behind his back.

Master Colton was right.

Levin was perfect for me. He read me, as I did him. He was dedicated and willing, his submission to me a true gift.

Colton had matched other Doms perfectly with their subs, which was why I was surprised he called me, requesting to see me urgently.

He’d gotten one wrong, he’d said.

He needed me to come, it was a matter of importance, he’d said.

Bring Levin, he’d told me.

Which was why we were here.

The doors opened before me, and we stepped inside. The marble foyer was impressive, as was the entire estate. Stefan, Colton’s first sub, a pretty, dark-haired boy, greeted us with a nod. “Master will be pleased,” he said quietly, and ignoring the immense staircase in front of us, we turned to the left and walked through to the sitting room, where I was asked to wait. The doors closed silently behind him.

The room was delicately dressed in fine antiques; ironic, considering the furniture in the several playrooms downstairs. There were two French provincial chairs, and I deduced I was to sit on one of them.

Levin silently knelt beside me. Dressed in my standard required attire of faded jeans, he also wore a black T-shirt, a coat, and boots for the weather. He rested on his heels.

A sight to behold, my sub.

He hid his anxiety well. Kneeling beside me now, no one would guess he was nervous about coming here. He’d wondered why Colton had insisted on his presence. He thought for one horrible, fleeting second that he was being recalled.

“I don’t want you to leave me,” he’d whispered. “I could never belong to anyone else. Not as I belong to you.”

I’d dismissed that, reassuring him Master Colton had not implied any such thing. I’d reassured him ultimately it was my decision if I kept him as my own or even his decision if he wished to remove his collar. “Never,” he’d whispered, so then I’d reassured him with my cock.

Just how he liked it.

When the doors reopened and Colton walked in, he held a piece of paper, and I could tell he was uneasy. Colton sat in the chair across from me, worry lines marring his brow. His third sub, Mikhail, knelt quickly beside him, assuming the same position as my Levin.

“Thank you for coming on such short notice,” Colton said.

“Of course.”

“Sig,” he started. “You know me well.”

I nodded. “And I can tell you are troubled.”

He frowned again and sighed. “I am.”

“What is it?”

“I failed a submissive,” he said quietly.

Instinctively, I was quick to leave the chair and kneel in front of him, in a pose that mirrored Levin’s. “I don’t believe it.”

“It’s true,” he admitted. “I paired a Dom and sub, and they were . . . not compatible.”

Compatible. I didn’t like how the word sounded. Not all bonds are for life; some last years, some don’t. But this sounded . . . different. I couldn’t quite marry what he was saying with the man I knew. “Please explain so I understand.”

“A boy was brought into the Sanctus a few weeks ago. I oversaw him. He’s a dear boy; a boy who needs strict boundaries. I paired him with Lazzaro.”

I winced at the mention of his name. I knew many Doms who practised S&M and they were good people. But Lazzaro had a coldness about him. He had the hollow stare of a manipulator, a sociopath.

Colton didn’t miss my reaction to the mention of Lazzaro’s name and he let out a sad sigh. “Yes. Last night, Lazzaro brought him here to do a scene and I noticed marks on him that contravened his hard limit. Valente and I recalled him. Lazzaro has been relegated to a sub in training with Valente.”

Quite a demotion indeed. Stripped of his rank, stripped of his sub, and sent back to training. Valente would not tolerate such blatant abuse of power and disrespect of a sub in his care. His retraining would be harsh and thorough. Though Lazzaro was not my concern.

“Does the boy need medical attention?” I asked, my first priority.

Colton gave a slight shake of his head. “Please, sit as equal with me,” he said, nodding to the seat I’d been sitting in.

Equal? Never . . .

Though I did as he asked, choosing silence over disagreeing with him. “The boy is physically fine. He’d used a whip on him, and that breached his hard limits. The welts weren’t that bad; he’d provided good aftercare.”

Sig frowned. “If he broke his trust and hurt him, then provided aftercare . . . That’s an abusive powerplay. Did he hurt him then soothe him and tell him it was his fault, that he wouldn’t have been whipped if he’d behaved better? Master Colton, that’s—”

He raised his hand. “I know. And Lazzaro will learn this lesson, believe me.” He sighed heavily. “But now the boy has been recalled. He’s had his trust breached, he had his submission thrown back in his face, and now, he’s struggling mentally.”

My field is medical; I’m a doctor, not a psychologist. “Why have you called me? If the boy needs a psychologist, surely Ephraim is better equipped.”

Colton smiled, almost sadly. “I need you to take him. I need you to take him as a second submissive.”

I blinked, turning his request over in my head before glancing toward Levin, who had not moved a muscle.

“I know Levin is your first concern,” Colton admitted. “I know you to be a strict but fair Dominant. But I also know you’re compassionate; one who punishes and uses as required but who also cares deeply for his subs.”

“Tell me about him.”

Colton handed me the piece of paper he was holding. “His name is Hunter Vargo. He’s twenty-three. He’d been with a Dom outside of our dominion who feared he lacked the skills required for such a boy. He needs twenty-four seven submission. I took him in; he’s very dedicated. I found him to thrive under strict domination, but . . .”

“But?”

“Look at his form,” Colton said, nodding to the piece of paper. It was a sexual soft and hard limit form. Each and every person who entered into the Sanctus was required to fill it out, and any Dom worth his salt would insist a sub’s forms were redone often, discussed and negotiated at length.

This form was decidedly empty, except for one hard limit. “He has a hard limit of whipping,” Colton said.

“That’s not uncommon,” I conceded.

“Whipping of any kind,” Colton added quietly. “When you see him, you’ll understand.”

I nodded. If Colton said as much, then I took it as truth and would wait until I saw the boy for myself. But this form . . . I turned the paper over in my hand. It was blank. “There’s nothing else marked or noted.”

“Yes. An oversight. The system we have in place has never failed anyone before . . .”

I frowned. “But his one and only hard limit was breached? The failure was with Lazzaro.”

“All responsibility and failures stop with me. I allowed Lazzaro a position of Dom, and clearly he’s not worthy. When Hunter was ready to go with a Dom, after his initial training with me, he said he understood everything, he was ready . . .” Master Colton shook his head. “I think he told me what I wanted to hear. He wanted to please me, so he agreed. I should have seen that. I should have known better. For me now, the incident with Lazzaro is a separate issue. The first issue is mine. I failed this boy. Not just the Sanctus and our traditions. Me.”

We were both quiet for a moment. While Master Colton was responsible for all members in this dominion and would bear the weight of blame, I had a hard time agreeing that he was entirely at fault.

Colton sighed. “I want you to take Hunter. I wouldn’t ask anyone else. He’s a special case. And he needs a Dominant I can trust, Sig. And there is no one I would trust more.”

“I’m honoured.”

But a second submissive?

“I already have three subs. I am unable to take on another,” Master Colton continued. “Otherwise I would. I let this boy down, and now I feel obligated to ensure his care. Someone who I know will do right by him.”

As alarming as this was, I could never have denied Colton. He asked me to take this boy on. And so, I would. Again, I left my chair and knelt before my old Master. “It would be an honour to do as you have asked of me.”

A smile graced his voice when he spoke again. “One of my greatest subs,” he whispered. Colton threaded his fingers through my hair, pulling my head up so I looked at him. “It’s why I ask you to do this. Because I know you will teach him as I taught you. Care for him as I care for you.”

A rush of pride warmed my chest. I smiled at the compliment, at the gentle touch of his hand. “Of course.”

“I have told Hunter that in light of his recent mistreatment and the betrayal of his Dom, I would impose a one-week trial with you.”

I looked up at that, shocked. The Sanctus rarely applied such trials. “Oh?”

“Yes. And I know you like to pet your boy and reward him with a hand in his hair. And I will allow that. You can reassure him and reward him with gentle touch, though I would impose a rule of no sexual contact in that time. I want him to trust you and be sure it’s right. I want him to feel safe before he is used again in that way. Let him see how you operate before he decides if you’re a match.”

I gave him a nod. “A cautious and fair decision.”

Colton’s fingers found my hair again. “Though you can let him watch, if he wishes. I’m sure Levin would like that.”

I smiled and kissed Colton’s palm.

“Come,” Colton said as he stood. “I want you to meet your new sub.”

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Sir will be live on the 25th – there will be no pre-orders. It will be exclusive to Amazon and Kindle Unlimited. I’ll post again with the buylinks when I have them.

 

 

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UPSIDE DOWN IS NOW JUST 99c!
For a short time only – grab it now!

Amazon

B&N

Apple

Kobo

Smashwords
Google Play

 

This week will be spent doing some research for my next book (which will be a short 20K-word story) and of course release day for Sir on the 25th. I will be away with my son’s basketball next weekend so there won’t be a Good Morning Monday post next  Monday, but there will be one on the 25th (Thursday) for release day with the buylink for Sir on Amazon!

Hope you all love Sig, Levin, and Hunter as much as I do…

Until then…

 

Good Morning Monday ~ First Draft From Hell Is Done!

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OMG finally finally finally!! The first draft of this bloody book is done!! It’s very rough and needs a mountain of work and fixing before I can send it off to beta-readers, but it’s DONE!!  It came in at a rather plump 95,400 words. I had originally thought it would be three x 30,000-word novellas, but the characters were adamant it be one book. The word count was pretty much the same either way, but I think it will make for a better reading experience.

And the title?

Tallowwood.

Tallowwood is a fictional town where the majority of the book takes place. It’s set in Australia, the two main characters are Detective August Shaw and Senior Constable Jacob Porter. August is from Sydney, and he’s a reclusive guy, isolated and kind of grumpy. He works the cold case division. Jacob is an Indigenous man, lots of fun, very smart, very sociable. Jacob’s next case is tied to August’s and so the two have to work together.

It was daunting as hell to write. I’ve never done a murder/mystery style book before and considering I don’t plan or outline a single thing, it made it rather difficult. LOL  My brain is my worst enemy!

I’m so relieved it’s done. This week will be spent fixing it, adding and deleting accordingly. And I will probably add an epilogue, just to wrap it up with a bow. Because that’s how I like my books written

Good Morning Monday! July 1st…

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I don’t know how the hell it’s July 1st already, but holy shit. The year is half over! Pretty sure it was just February last week, so I’m not sure how the hell it’s July but here we are LOL

Just a super quick post this week.

I’m still waiting for Through These Eyes and Sense of Place to go live on Audilbe. I can’t believe it’s taken this long! (See? I can complain about time going too fast and too slow at the same time – it’s a talent I have LOL)  Though I’m sure they’ll go live as soon as I hit publish on this post. Because that’s how Murphy’s Law works