K.A. Merikan's Blog, page 2
January 31, 2017
The Black Sheep and the Rotten Apple – QUIZ
The Black Sheep and the Rotten Apple is the kind of book that just needed to be written, despite our already tight schedule. The idea first came to us when we watched a documentary about highwaymen, but we promised ourselves to wait. And then we went to Cornwall for a month, and initial plans collapsed. As we walked through the woods, watching the lush nature and the old stone cottages peppered on both sides of a valley where we were staying, the characters and story steadily came to us. Our aim was to write a historical book that provides as much excitement as readers learned to expect from our contemporary romance.
RELEASE DATE: 7th February 2017
If you want to see our inspiration photos for this book, check out the ‘Black Sheep and the Rotten Apple’ Pinterest board: https://uk.pinterest.com/KAMerikan/the-black-sheep-and-the-rotten-apple/
The Black Sheep and the Rotten Apple is our baby. It’s been a year since we started working on this book, and to celebrate its release, we’re organizing a quiz for readers who follow The Black Sheep and the Rotten Apple blog tour. Answers to all questions will be provided in the blog posts, and we will then randomly pick the lucky winners. You can win:
a signed paperback of The Black Sheep and the Rotten Apple + a selection of Cornish treats (main prize – for one person)
3 ebooks of choice from our backlist + a surprise treat from Cornwall (will go to 3 more people)
For a chance to win, follow the instructions in blog posts and solve this quiz. Please, send answers to kamerikan@gmail.com with ‘Black Sheep Quiz’ in the subject line of the email.
Winners will be randomly chosen from readers who sent us correct answers by 17th February 2017.
LINKS TO ALL POSTS (go live on the dates):
02/03 Crime in 18th century Britain
02/06 Inspiration behind Tredele
02/07 Inspiration behind Fairfield Park
02/08 Highwaymen
02/09 Claude Duval
02/09 William Nevison
02/10 Dick Turpin
02/10 Jerry Abershaw
02/11 Gentlemen Robbers?
02/12 Janosik
THE QUIZ:
1) How did Jerry Abershaw’s mother imagine his death?
2) Which servants were considered excellently equipped to become highwaymen, were they to lose their job?
3) What was the name of the courtesan who “Galloping Dick” Ferguson regularly called on?
4) What was the inspiration behind neoclassical architecture?
5) Which highwayman is famous for asking a lady for a dance during a robbery?
6) What is the name of the great house that inspired Evan’s home, Tredele?
7) What illness did William Nevison fake to get out of jail?
8) Who was executed in Bodmin on July 23rd 1785?
9) What was the name of the group Dick Turpin joined before he became a highwayman?
10) What does Evan use at the house to hide his identity? What’s the origin of this item?
11) Janosik’s execution was unusual. Why?
GOOD LUCK!
Leo’s Beach Wheels Challenge
Lately I often find myself overwhelmed by the all the bad things going on in the world, and even though I’m looking for ways to help, nothing feels like enough. So when I saw my friend Leonie’s initiative, my heart totally melted. Especially that it instantly made me think of our character from Special Needs, Ryan who runs a hotel by the beach, but can’t go onto the sand because of his wheelchair. Of course he’s just a book character, but Leo’s cause resonated with me. You can read much more about it all on her Just Giving page.
In her own words:
“Hafan Y Waun is home to up to ninety older adults, many of whom live with dementia. Getting out and about is vital for our residents’ wellbeing; we live in a beautiful part of Wales, with award-winning beaches and stunning countryside close by.
Unfortunately, accessing these places with a regular wheelchair can be difficult, if not impossible, as sand, pebbles and country paths are hard to navigate safely.
When I discovered all-terrain and beach wheelchairs, I realised there was a solution to the problem. (…)
I love spending time with our residents – many of them come from a rural background so being outdoors is something they value – and I know that increasing their opportunities to enjoy the great outdoors will have a positive impact on their lives, which is a great source of inspiration to me.“
Leo will be doing physical challenges to raise the money for the wheelchair, and you can check those out on Facebook – Leo’s Beach Wheels.
Us on the other hand, we will donate all royalties from Special Needs (that includes “Special Needs” Book 1, 2, and Complete Story edition) in February 2017 to the cause. This is not to say “BUY OUR BOOK!”, but that if you were considering reading it, February might be the best time to get it :). Other than that, we encourage you to donate a few bucks to Leo’s cause (even better!).
April 23, 2016
‘Loki’s New Job’ and ‘The Cattery’ :)
April has been extremely busy for us so far. We finally moved into our new place, and while we are still working on making the house presentable, I am writing this while the living room is cluttered with furniture and cardboard boxes so thoroughly we had to make a “corridor” through the piles of stuff. But the worst of the move is over, so we can finally focus on work again. We have two upcoming books, The Werewolves of Chernobyl (written with L.A. Witt), and the next installment of the Sex & Mayhem Series, Heart Ripper.
LATEST RELEASES
— ROLE-PLAYING A CAT FOR SIX MONTHS? YOU SAID YOU’RE PAYING HOW MUCH? —
Goran’s mouth has no filter, and it’s losing him job after job. Desperate and a week away from being homeless, he finds an offer online that sounds too good to be true. Spending six months in a mansion by the beach in return for a hundred thousand dollars as long as he sticks to the house rules.
This might be the one job where his unruly mouth doesn’t get in the way. After all, saying the wrong thing is impossible… when you’re role-playing a cat.
Meeting all the other guys at the cattery seems to be the icing on the cake, but the inconvenient truth he dishes out turns out to be too much. Goran makes everyone his enemy, but worst of all, Ollie, the prettiest cat of the bunch, the one who’s been in the cattery the longest, and the one who makes Goran’s heart skip a beat.
Ollie’s big blue eyes hold secrets Goran is intent on cracking, but to do so, he will need to learn to bite his tongue and listen. Too bad the pretty blond ice prince is set on getting Goran kicked out of the cattery for good.
Themes: debt, enemies to lovers, cat-play, Miami, immigrant, billionaire, love triangle, social anxiety, rent boy, backstabbing
Genre: M/M contemporary romance, sugar kink
Length: ~61,000 words (standalone novel)
WARNING: Adult content that might be considered taboo. Explicit content, strong language, multiple partner scenes. Reader discretion advised.
This is a sequel to Red Hot.
Life hasn’t been a bed of roses for Loki, and he is painfully aware that his idyllic relationship with Red Jack has to be tended to if it is to last. So when Jack starts disappearing for longer and longer each day, Loki is on edge. But when Jack comes home smelling of women’s perfume, Loki knows it’s time to act.
His man might be evading questions, but Loki will find out where Jack disappears to, and he will make sure everyone knows Jack is his and his only.
Themes: Outlaw motorcycle club, established couple, jealousy, secrets
Genre: M/M erotic romance,
Length: short story
WARNING: Adult content. Explicit gay sex, strong language.
February 9, 2016
Grim -related Q & A on the release day! :D
January 1, 2016
Goodreads M/M Romance Group Awards 2015
We have been nominated in this year’s Member’s Choice Awards! If you’d like to vote, click on the badges 
December 6, 2015
Twice the biker ;) – One Step Too Close
One Step Too Close is our sixth M/M biker-themed book, but as we talked about all of them one thing became clear: in none of our earlier novels did both the MCs belong to a biker club. So far, one of the characters was either related to a biker (Lucky in The Devil’s Ride), gravitating to the club because of business (Zak in Road of No Return and Jason in Bare-knuckle Love), or just a guy who happened to fall for an MC member (Loki in Red Hot and Luca in No Matter What). This new book on the other hand will explore the love between two bikers from the same club.
Ryder and Jed are not only brothers in arms, they were also both raised by Ryder’s father, which makes them stepbrothers, but a taboo relationship like theirs becomes even more difficult in a homophobic environment. They are both very masculine, but they express it in different ways. Ryder is calmer, more focused on the greater good and prepared to make tough decisions. Jed, on the other hand, is aggressive and reckless, always in trouble, and always on the radar of his helicopter brother
November 12, 2015
One Step Too Close – pre-order and sample chapters
One Step Too Close is just a week away from its release, and for those who want to get it first thing after it’s published, we set up the Amazon pre-order. Those who still aren’t certain whether they’re interested in this book can now sample the first two chapters
— One love. One motorcycle club. Two stepbrothers. —
Ryder. Controlling. Ambitious. Protective.
Jed. Self-destructive. Trapped. Lonely.
Their love? Forbidden. Taboo. All-consuming.
For Jed, the Coffin Nails Motorcycle Club is family. With them, he learned how to think, what to enjoy, and how to fight, but there is one thing he knows his friends can’t find out about. They would never accept him as gay, and so his life is a constant struggle with desires that fill him with despair. Only there is a much darker secret lurking in Jed’s heart. His feelings for his stepbrother, Ryder, go far beyond brotherly. Trapped with a yearning that can never be fulfilled, Jed spirals out of control and unwillingly puts the love of his life in danger.
Ryder is climbing up in the ranks. Recently promoted to Sergeant-at-arms, he has it all: drive, respect, and the love of his biker family. When his stepbrother gets into trouble with the law, Ryder decides to take the blame and save him from a long sentence. Deep inside, he knows there is nothing he wouldn’t do for Jed, but through a desperate attempt to suppress his own hidden desires, he might irreversibly break the man he secretly loves.
But finding out what they feel for each other will test their loyalty to the Coffin Nails MC and change their lives for ever.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
Themes: Outlaw motorcycle club, criminal activity, forbidden love, stepbrothers, blackmail, homophobia
Genre: M/M erotic romance, suspense, drama
Length: ~135,000 words (standalone novel)
WARNING: Adult content that might be considered taboo. Explicit content, strong language, violence. Reader discretion advised.
PRE-ORDER ON AMAZON:
July 24, 2015
The Stablegirl – excerpt
Since this blog is for all things Merikan, today’s post will be about our new het book, The Stablegirl. We have a blurb and short excerpt It’s a fetish romance about pony play, set in the same universe as The Copper Horse, and it even features Reuben and Erik as prominent secondary characters. The story revolves around a young slave girl, who fell in love with Coal, the breeding stud from The Copper Horse: Pride. During the year she spent as his groom, he became a friend of sorts, and the end of his contract with Master Alexander is the source of heartbreak for Annie. But Annie told Coal that she wants to lead the carefree life of a mare, and she is surprised when he comes back to make her dream come true. But is it what she really wants?
— Be careful what you wish for. —
Annie is trapped in a life of slavery as a scullery maid. Her world gets turned on its head when she becomes the groom of Coal, the most devilishly handsome man she’s ever seen. She couldn’t help but fall for his charm even though he never spoke a word, and was kept at the mansion as a human horse. She was there for him when he was upset, she was there for him when he wanted to play, and she was even there for him when his stud libido needed taming.
Now, Coal is leaving, after a year in service as a stallion, and Annie’s heart is breaking. If he is to go, she wants one last chance at truly connecting with Coal. What she doesn’t expect though is that after a night of passion, Coal comes back for her, and as Dante, buys her from her former master. She’d always imagined the life Coal led as a comfortable existence, but it is when she becomes Dante’s mare that she realizes there is much more to being a pony than she thought.
With Dante being Annie’s new master, she is thrust into a debauched world she never imagined existed, but she isn’t sure anymore if being his mare is what she truly wants. All she knows is that she wants her beloved stallion Coal back.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
Themes: Pony-play, theatre, steampunk, post-apocalyptic world, hurt/comfort, abuse
Genre: fetish erotic romance, dark, alternative history, BDSM
Length: ~50,000 words (Standalone novel, no cliffhanger.)
WARNING: The Stablegirl is a kinky erotic tale with themes of fetish and pony-play, strong language and violence. Reader discretion advised.
Excerpt from the book
His voice made Annie shiver. She’d never feared him this much when he was Coal. They had an understanding back then. But now? How was she to navigate the situation with him being a man?
“Where should I put my things, sir?” Not that she had much. A blanket a friend knitted for her years ago, before she’d even met Jack, a small gas mask for just the bottom of her face, a pair of goggles too big for her, and a deck of cards.
He walked past her and opened the wardrobe to put back his suit jacket and accessories. “I think I should call you Crema. You have such a lovely, pale coat.”
Annie looked up into his eyes, unsure what to make of it. “Excuse me, sir?”
Dante frowned at her, his dark eyes flaming up with something she couldn’t read. When he put his index finger against her lips, she fought the sudden urge to kiss it and stayed silent. Pay attention to her surroundings and stay aware of danger was all she could do.
Slowly, he stepped even closer and turned her around to face away from him. Annie stiffened when he pulled on the belt of her apron and then pushed the garment off her. The way it fell to the floor had her stiffen. A part of her did want to repeat the sex they’d had a few days ago, but it felt as if it had been a different life, a different man.
“I think there might have been—”
“Hush, Crema,” said Dante. He put one of his large hands on the front of her neck, and as she opened her mouth, gasping, he gently pushed something between her teeth. It was rubbery, with something hard inside.Now it finally clicked. After a year spent with Coal, she knew exactly what this was. A bit. He shushed her with a bit! This couldn’t be really happening. Sure, she’d said she wanted the life he’d had, that she’d wanted to be his mare, but the fantasy was getting all too real. Before she could fight against it, Dante closed the halter the bit was attached to at the back of her head. She was left with a little whimper for protest.
“Shh, easy, girl. It’s all right,” he said softly as he pulled her against his warm chest. His hands squeezed around her waist before trailing up her chest.
Annie’s breath quickened once his hand reached her breasts. He’d never touched her there before. That is … he did nuzzle her, but never like this. Coal would always get only as much as she would allow. Dante? Dante took whatever he wanted. But it seemed that he did want to keep her. Annie’s head spun. He didn’t just keep her. He owned her. He named her.
July 15, 2015
Red Hot – long excerpt
The release date of Red Hot is just two days away, and so here it is, a long fragment from the book. Hope you enjoy this ride
April 22, 2015
No Matter What PREORDER and release
The book is now available for PREORDER on Amazon
— A gentle heart has no place in an outlaw’s chest —
Ghost. Not a member of the Coffin Nails MC. Not a doctor anymore. Not gay.
Luca. Bent, not broken. Will not let go of Ghost. No matter what.
Ghost finds out the hard way that people you meet online aren’t always who they seem to be. When he met ‘Zara’ five years ago, they became inseparable. She’s been with him through the rough and the smooth. He’s been there for her when her abusive boyfriend had her in tears.
She is The One, and despite all his friends considering him crazy, Ghost is about to propose.
But ‘Zara’ turns out to be Luca, and Luca is most definitely a guy. Yet Luca is the same person with big dark eyes, so desperate to be saved that Ghost can’t help but fall head first.
Luca’s so-called boyfriend is not just abusive. He is a Sicilian drug lord, a man dangerous and ruthless. If Ghost is to ever save the person who wreaked havoc on his heart, he has to make a deal with the Coffin Nails MC. But being a member is a destiny he’s always tried to avoid. And when a life of violence becomes too much to bear, he might be the one needing Luca to catch him when he falls.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
Themes: Outlaw motorcycle club, criminal activity, hurt/comfort, abuse, catfishing, independence, sexual orientation issues, mafia, PTSD
Genre: M/M erotic romance, suspense, drama
Length: ~98,000 words standalone novel
WARNING: Adult content. Explicit gay sex, strong language, violence, potentially triggering sexual abuse scenes. Reader discretion advised.
