A.L. Butcher's Blog, page 141
March 2, 2017
Dirty Dozen Character Interview – The Ghost – Fantasy
CHARACTER NAME: I’ve had so many names–Ahearn, Pandaros, Darhour, Sigurd . . . You can call me The Ghost. It will due.
Tell us a little about yourself. Which self do you mean? The son of a whore whose mother threw him out when he was a child? The royal stable groom who had an affair with the queen? The exile starving in the streets of a foreign land? The mercenary soldier fighting a war he never bothered to understand? The infamous assassin whose taken more lives than he can count? The king’s Master of the Horse? The chief bodyguard of the crown princess? The oath-breaker who is bound for hell? I’ve been too many people to know which is myself.
Do you have a moral code? If so what might it be? I had one once, but I’ve broken the vow I made at the goddess’s holy altar. If I’d do that, what wouldn’t I do?
Would you kill for those you love? I have, repeatedly, and I’d do so again without hesitation. You threaten my daughter, and you will learn how I earned the name, The Ghost.
Would you die for those you love? I’ve done that too. I ripped my heart out of chest when I left my daughter. I couldn’t risk corrupting her with my darkness or of anyone noticing a resemblance between us. If the court learned she is a bastard, it could cost her her throne or even her life. But without her, I might as well be dead.
How do you define ‘heroism?’ Heroism is a pretty word people use to justify killing others. As Phelix once taught me, whether you kill someone in battle or slit their throat while they sleep, dead is dead, and all end up in Hades together.
Tell us about your family? My mother sent me to her brother when I was seven because her latest man demanded she get rid of me. Whether my mother or any of my brothers and sisters are still alive, I don’t know. I don’t even know how many siblings I have. I went to visit my mother was I was fifteen, and she didn’t recognize me. I told her who I was, and she made it clear I wasn’t welcome and closed the door in my face. I haven’t heard from her since. Still, being sent to my uncle was probably the best thing that ever happened to me. Uncle Barris worked in the royal stables, and he not only took me in with no questions, he treated me like a son and taught me everything I know about horses. I loved him completely. He died when I was fifteen in an epidemic that swept through the capital. I still grieve his death, but I think it fortunately he didn’t live to see what I have become. The only relative that matters to me now is my daughter, the result of an affair with the queen, which caused my exile. My daughter is now queen of Korthlundia and has only recently discovered that the king wasn’t truly her father. For awhile, I served as the captain of her personal guard, but that couldn’t last. She is far too good of a person to be my daughter.
What is your greatest skill/asset? I think you’ve probably guessed by now. My skills as an assassin have made me infamous throughout the known world. I’m so good at getting into my victim’s rooms, some believe I can walk through walls. That’s why they called me, The Ghost. When I worked for the Saloynan king, it was known that if The Ghost was on your tail, it was time to start making funeral plans. I’ve never missed my target.
Do you believe in god(s)? How could I not? I accompanied my daughter to Sulis’s holy shrine on an island that cannot be found without the goddess’s blessing. I knelt there in the presence of Sulis’s holy priestess who knew every secret in my soul. My entire being shook with the Holy Mother’s presence as the priestess pronounced my daughter the goddess’s choice to rule Korthlundia even thought the king isn’t truly her father. Oh, yes, Sulis is the Mother of us all. But not even she can forgive what I’ve done.
What is your greatest fear? That someone will discover that instead of the king, I am Samantha’s father. I deserve anything bad that happens to me, but she must be safe.
What do you think of your author/creator? She’s cruel. But she better not treat my daughter in her next book like the way she treated me in this one, or she’ll wish I really was a ghost.
Do you believe in magic? That’s like asking if I believe in air. Magic is a part of this world. You can’t escape it.
Tell us about your greatest achievement. Fathering my daughter is the only good I’ve ever accomplished in the world. Samantha will be a wonderful queen, but that is only because I had no hand in her rearing.
For the author
Books in which this character appears:
The Goddess’s Choice and The Ghost in Exile
Links, short author bio…
My links:
Website: http://jamie-marchant.com/
Blog: http://jamie-marchant.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Jamie-Marchant-Author/164706710298768?ref=hl
Twitter: @RobrekSamantha
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5258855.Jamie_Marchant
The Goddess’s Choice Links
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14652563-the-goddess-s-choice
The Ghost in Exile
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32727154-the-ghost-in-exile
Bio
Jamie began writing stories about the man from Mars when she was six, and she never remembers wanting to be anything other than a writer. Everyone told her she needed a back up plan, so she pursued a Ph.D. in American literature, which she received in 1998. She started teaching writing and literature at Auburn University. One day in the midst of writing a piece of literary criticism, she realized she’d put her true passion on the backburner and neglected her muse. The literary article went into the trash, and she began the book that was to become The Goddess’s Choice, which was published in April 2012. Her other novels include The Soul Stone and The Ghost in Exile. In addition, she has published a novella, Demons in the Big Easy, and a collection of short stories, Blood Cursed and Other Tales of the Fantastic. Her short fiction has also appeared in the anthologies–Urban Fantasy and Of Dragons & Magic: Tales of the Lost Worlds—and in Bards & Sages, The World of Myth, A Writer’s Haven, and Short-story.me. She claims she writes about the fantastic . . . and the tortured soul. Her poor characters have hard lives. She lives in Auburn, Alabama, with her husband and four cats, which (or so she’s been told) officially makes her a cat lady. She still teaches writing and literature at Auburn University. She is the mother of a grown son.
February 28, 2017
Swift Six Author Interview- TM Lakomy- Fantasy
Name: T. M. Lakomy (Tamara Lakomy)
What attracts you to the genre in which you write? I was always attracted to the darker aspects of fantasy, the fabric of our dreams and nightmares, where our wildest imaginations often have free rein. I find that this genre allows the story to be raw and cutting to the bone, with a realistic touch, lending fantasy a feel of authenticity. It makes it easier to believe as it reflects the darker aspects of human nature and existence.
What piece of writing advice do you wish you’d known when you started your writing adventures? That the amount of rejection has nothing to do with the quality of your work but rather a reflection on whether someone thinks they can sell and market it, it is nothing personal but rather a business transaction. So basically, keep pushing and don’t be discouraged, write for yourself, pour your heart into it and someone will see the merit eventually. It takes time but perseverance pays off.
If you could have dinner with any famous person or character who would you chose? Tolkien, I would love to hear him describe his own works, and hear his opinion on current events and literature. I am sure he had such a wealth of wisdom exceeding what he bequeathed to his books and I would have loved to have seen his writing through his own eyes.
Who has been the greatest influence on your own work? William Blake. His poetry touched me very deeply, especially the religious/spiritual streak in it. I am deeply spiritual and most of my writings have some sort of message, questioning and seeking answers to divine enigmas. Poetry has always been my weakest spot, the outpouring of the soul in its most poignant form.
Do you think the e-book revolution will do away with print? No, I think people will always treasure a beautiful library and collect their favourite and previous books, but as we have hectic lives and schedules, it is easier to transport all your books in one small device and read them at leisure. It is a question of convenience. We like that which simplifies our lives.
Which 3 books would you take to a desert island and why?
The Silmarillion: that book deeply influenced me, it helped me through some dark times in my teenage years. It was pure escapism into a wondrous world that allowed me to develop and discover my own literary talents.
Any book by Mircea Eliade: I was fascinated with shamanism while studying archaeology. I was mostly enamoured with the occult and the spiritual and Eliade’s books are an amazing source of knowledge.
“A collection of works” by Guy de Maupassant; I grew up in a francophone environment, exposed to French literature, and his writings deeply marked me, the morality behind his stories are quite striking and often bitter. I learned a lot and became enriched by his style.
Author bio and book synopsis
Please introduce yourself (250 words or so): I am T. M Lakomy (Tamara Lakomy). I was born in London, but grew up as a tribal girl in a North African repressive regime. I spent my childhood between the slums of Mellasine and the affluent neighbourhoods in Tunis.
I studied archaeology and became enamoured with the shamanistic practices of indigenous people.
I am an author and poet who seeks to challenge our notions of reality, and see life with a different perspective.
I work in East Africa with indigenous tribes studying the origins of mankind and the salient golden thread in the tapestry of humanity’s beliefs.
Tell us about your book(s) – title, genre etc (short) My novel is called “The Shadow Crucible: The Blind God”, it’s Dark Fantasy.
Synopsis: in a world where angels, demons, and gods fight over the possession of mortal souls, two conflicted pawns are ensnared in a cruel game. The enigmatic seer Estella finds herself thrown together with Count Mikhail, a dogmatic Templar dedicated to subjugating her kind. But when a corrupted cardinal and puppet king begin a systematic genocide of her people, the two become unlikely allies.
Taking humanity back to their primordial beliefs and fears, Estella confronts Mikhail’s faith by revealing the true horror of the lucrative trade in human souls. All organized religions are shops orchestrated to consume mankind. Every deity, religion, and spiritual guide has been corrupted, and each claims to have the monopoly on truth and salvation.
In a perilous game where the truth is distorted and meddling ancient deities converge to partake of the unseen battle, Estella unwittingly finds herself hunted by Lucifer. Traversing the edge of hell’s precipice, Estella and Mikhail are reduced to mere instruments. Their only means to overcome is through courting the Threefold Death, the ancient ritual of apotheosis—of man becoming God.
Links
Social media Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/RedFernManor/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Shadow_Crucible?lang=en
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February 25, 2017
Book Spotlight – The Shadow Crucible – Dark Fantasy
Title: The Shadow Crucible: the Blind God
Author: T.M Lakomy (Tamara Lakomy)
Genre: Dark Fantasy
Main character description. Estella Delcour (Tsura) A seer and the Lady of Redfern Manor. She is the most far-seeing of all the Twilit folk, who sees the divine game played between Samael (the blind god) and the Goddess.
Synopsis:
In a world where angels, demons, and gods fight over the possession of mortal souls, two conflicted pawns are ensnared in a cruel game. The enigmatic seer Estella finds herself thrown together with Count Mikhail, a dogmatic Templar dedicated to subjugating her kind. But when a corrupted cardinal and puppet king begin a systematic genocide of her people, the two become unlikely allies.
Taking humanity back to their primordial beliefs and fears, Estella confronts Mikhail’s faith by revealing the true horror of the lucrative trade in human souls. All organized religions are shops orchestrated to consume mankind. Every deity, religion, and spiritual guide has been corrupted, and each claims to have the monopoly on truth and salvation.
In a perilous game where the truth is distorted and meddling ancient deities converge to partake of the unseen battle, Estella unwittingly finds herself hunted by Lucifer. Traversing the edge of hell’s precipice, Estella and Mikhail are reduced to mere instruments. Their only means to overcome is through courting the Threefold Death, the ancient ritual of apotheosis—of man becoming God.
Brief Excerpt 250 words:
“I want to liberate you from your thraldom,” he said. “I have watched over you all, my tender flock. I am Lucifer, the morning star, the first to greet you with my love into this life, and the last to claim you on my dark stallion of death. I have come to free you.” His persuasive voice was soothing and nurturing, like a gentle river rippling mildly over soft bedrock. The cardinal found himself in a daze of awe, and within him woke his longing for power and lust for dominion. “Come to me, let me free you, and we shall destroy the Twilit world that has robbed you of the gifts that you so deserved.” The fatherly voice of the angel was indignant yet gentle, and he beamed at the cardinal who nodded back eagerly. “Let me into your heart, then. Lead me into your house, in this false edifice erected in the name of God, and let us together find the lost sheep in the house of God. I am his true son, after all, prince of the world.” He glided towards the cardinal, his numerous nacre wings extending into the chamber. They shed their own pearly light, and it seemed he floated like a silver vision. The angel knelt beside the cardinal, gazing into his watery eyes. “Let me into his house.” The voice was slightly more pressing now. The cardinal, dazed, nodded in agreement. With a satisfied smile, the angel touched the cardinal’s chest with a slender finger, right at his heart, and breathed over him. The cardinal groaned, falling instantly asleep
Why should readers buy this book (50 words max)?
The novel challenges the reader to examine the roots of their beliefs and explore the other aspects of the Abrahamic faiths that are seldom discussed. It questions the disparity between paganism and current religions, finding the salient thread that connects our subconscious thinking. It also interprets Gnosticism in a modern way specifically the topic of apotheosis.
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Links etc.
Zweihander Interview – Prince Skylon and Prince Dorien
Welcome to the first of one of the new formats for interviews – a zweihander. This features TWO characters who either take turns answering questions or give an answer each, responding to the other’s comments.
Today we welcome Prince Skylon – lord of the Snowy Sky and Prince Dorien – lord of the Dawn, from the Kingdom of the Sky – who feature here: Tales of the Golden Mask on Amazon
Relationship: brothers.
World: Kingdom of the Sky
Book(s): Tales from the Golden Mask: An Initiate’s Tale
1) How and where did you meet?
Skylon: Does birth count as meeting? We are brothers, raised in the Zenana together. We have always known one another.
Dorien: As my brother says, although of course I was first born, and my mother is the Principal Wife of the King. Skylon’s mother is one of the lesser consorts. We were born on the same day – I at dawn when as the sun rose over the mountains, and Skylon later on – during a snowstorm.
2) What is it you like most about the other person
Skylon: His daring. He has no fear, no hesitation. He just… does what needs doing without pause.
Dorien: I don’t like to admit it but my brother is far cleverer than I. He’s the scholar, destined to serve the Temple and a be far better diplomat than I’ll ever be.
3) What is it you hate most about them?
Skylon: hmm… hate is such a strong word. I do become… annoyed with his… pleasure seeking. Every pretty face and curvy body is an opportunity to him. I feel no such urges to sow my seed. Once I am anointed to the Goddess I will have no need of a harem, so I see no reason to collect ladies for my boudoir.
Dorien: He must think everything through for so long! Even when we were children he was cautious. I like to have fun, amuse myself and such activities are far better with a companion-in-mischief. Skylon is timid, especially with women. I love all women, the more the better! Skylon should be spreading his seed!
4) Do you work well as a partnership?
Skylon: Yes, we consult together on most things. I do my best to keep him from too much mischief, and he pushes me to experience life away from the libraries and scholars.
Dorien: I think so. Although we disagree on things overall our skills complement one another.
5) Do you think your partnership will last?
Skylon: That, I believe, is a question for the Goddess. Only she can determine my future as her anointed. But, most likely, I shall spend the rest of my days in her temple serving her while he rules from the palace across the gardens.
Dorien: We know it cannot. When father dies, or abdicates, I shall rule. Skylon is already destined to serve the Goddess. Of course, we’ll always be brothers but our paths will diverge.
6) Describe the other person (max 100 words)
Dorien: Skylon is pale of skin and hair, trustworthy and kind. He’s clever and thoughtful.
Skylon: Dorien is smaller than me, but bolder. He has the sunny complexion of warmer climes and boundless energy. He always wants to be doing something, usually something fun.
7) Describe how you think the other person sees you.
Dorien: Arrogant, reckless and pleasure-obsessed. None of these are bad, in my view. I am sure my brother would disagree.
Skylon: probably as mousy, hesitant. I stop to think through all things before acting. I like to study a situation before entering into action.
8) Tell us a little about your adventures.
Dorien: Life within the palace was rather dull. I mean we are men now, not children. Beyond the gates is a whole world to be seen, to be pleasured and to be experienced. I suppose one could describe it as an adventure of discovery – a visit to the carnival, and then to the ‘playhouse’. I never knew sure delights could await a man as to be found in the rooms of Tatia and of Felicity, in the Golden Mask. You should visit that house of fun – women can be served too.
Skylon: I’d have to say – unplanned, and unexpected. A “short jaunt about the provinces,” he said. “Sample the local colour,” he said. I thought we were going to view one of the little local customs that still prevail outside of the city. I had no idea that we would end up… *cough* participating… *ahem* in… colourful customs.
9) Tell us about your world – and your part of it.
Dorien: As we’ve said, we are the highest of the high-born. One day our duty will mean we must serve, but until then WE are served. Our world is one of luxury and pleasure. We have fine things, beautiful women, tasty food and elegant garments.
Beyond that our people live their lives. I know little of the lives of the common folk – they are born, they work, they make new peasants, they die. Sometimes the most comely are sent to the Zenana as potential consorts. If they are chosen then they become wealthy and elegant, if they bear fruit then their families are rewarded. Even those not chosen are rewarded by some means. It can make a great difference to those of poor status.
Skylon: I think my brother has offered a good introduction to the world as we experience it. As to my place in it, I am destined to serve the Goddess at her temple. Once I have completed the bonding ritual, I will never leave the grounds of the great temple except to renew the Goddess’s strength at provincial temples or as a diplomat in the other provinces. Any women I have in my harem will become servants of the temple, and any heirs I have fathered will be raised in my brother’s harem to one day act as consorts or ambassadors for the court. Until then, I enjoy my studies and time with my lovely consort.
10) Where do you see yourselves in five years?
Dorien: If our father is like his own father, he will still be hearty in health, so I guess I’ll be doing my duty making heirs to my line, and amusing the ladies of the court. There has been talk of travel to the outer regions of the Kingdom, but that is for when I tire of the home-grown girls.
Skylon: Five years time… hopefully still enjoying my time in the Zenana. I am in no rush to reach my bonding. An heir or two would be welcome, but I feel no need to fill the Zenana with “comely lasses” as my brother puts it. The temple has well enough ladies in service already.
Dorien: (winks) if you wish to know more about our adventures then you might like to seek us out. In more opinion the more the merrier!
Skylon: (Eyes roll).
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Book Synopsis
Sultry and sensual adventures to warm your cold winter nights or steam up your long summer days. Set in a fantasy world where nothing is quite what it appears, an old book and a strange golden mask bring power and pleasure.
The first instalment in the Tales of the Golden Mask
Adult rated – sexy mischief.
Alexa Lynsey walks the paths of fantasy regularly; she enjoys writing sultry fiction and ‘sex and sorcery’ stories and reading a wide variety of fiction and fact. A passionate historian and nature lover she sees beauty and knowledge everywhere. When not writing saucy tales her other self is a poet, fantasy writer and blogger.
Belle De Ver is a lover of the beautiful things in life and enjoys sharing poetry and stories about beautiful things. Her writings combine fantasy settings with erotic situations for sexy, fantastical good times. Writing with her favourite partner, Alexa Lynsey, they invite you to share their journey into the sensual realms.
The book is available on Amazon, Amazon print, Kobo Adult, Barnes and Noble, I-books and Smashwords.
February 24, 2017
Outside the Walls by Diana L. Wicker @feyrontales and A. L. Butcher #bookreview #FridayReads
What a great review of Outside the Walls:)
POTL: All Things Books, Reading and Publishing
Title: Outside the Walls
Author: Diana L. Wicker, A. L. Butcher
Genre: Fantasy, Short Story
Book Blurb:
When the tide of war flows many are caught in its wake. Who will gain entry to the city and who will be forced to remain outside the walls?
A short fantasy tale of love, loyalty and courage in war.
My Review:
Can one woman change her kingdom just by being kind to those deemed useless?
War has come to Havenforth and while her husband is off fighting, Duchess Eleanor is home, safe and sound behind the town walls. But this war has created such destruction that refugees are flocking to be let inside the walls and the Council has taken over the government. The Council will only allow in those refugees who serve a purpose for them and can work for food, clothing and shelter. The rest of the refugees, namely women…
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Outside the Walls by Diana L. Wicker @feyrontales and A. L. Butcher #bookreview #FridayReads
Title: Outside the Walls Author: Diana L. Wicker, A. L. Butcher Genre: Fantasy, Short Story Book Blurb: When the tide of war flows many are caught in its wake. Who will gain entry to …
Source: Outside the Walls by Diana L. Wicker @feyrontales and A. L. Butcher #bookreview #FridayReads
Politics, War and the vagaries of life #
Politics, War and the vagaries of life #poetry #shatteredmirror https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01IL6L8FK
February 19, 2017
I, the Sun – reblog – History Rocks
I love this book. Exceptionally well written, with accounts of a remarkable and interesting man, and a little known period of history.
If you like ancient history this is a must-read.
https://historyrocks.us/2017/02/19/i-the-sun/
From the annals of the ancient Hittite king, Suppiluliumas, from the Amarna Letters of Egypt and the court records of a wealth of “lost” civilizations, comes this saga of kingship and greatness, love and death, politics and treachery in the second millennium, BCE. Beyond a few cursory references to the Hittites in the Bible, for thousands of years nothing has been known of this first mighty Indo-European culture. 
Now, based on translations of the ancient texts themselves, comes the story of Suppiluliumas, Great King, Favorite of the Storm God, King of Hatti, who by his own count fathered forty-four kings and conquered as many nations, who brought even mighty Egypt to her knees. Tutankhamen’s widow sent him an urgent letter begging for a son of his to make her husband. The earliest Hebrews knew him as their protector. The entire Mediterranean world revered and feared him.
But although he conquered…
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February 18, 2017
Book Spotlight – Don’t Look Back – SW Frontz – mystery/romantic suspense
Title: Don’t Look Back (Book Two in the Land’s End Series)
Author: S.W. Frontz
Genre: mystery, romantic suspense
Main character description (short). Kellyn Grindstaff, forty six years old, college professor and former sex crimes cop
Synopsis: Last autumn Sheriff Andy Patrick rescued his wife, Samantha, after being kidnapped by Matt Ruiz. Since then, Samantha has retreated into a protective shell. She won’t leave her home, and worse, she has pushed away the people that love her the most.
Her daughter, Delaney, decides to enlist the help of family friend, Kellyn Grindstaff. As a former sex crimes cop, therapist, and now professor of psychology, Kellyn has had plenty of experience helping victims of sexual crimes. Kellyn comes to Land’s End, unknowingly bringing her own troubles with her. By saving Samantha, will Kellyn be able to save herself?
Brief Excerpt 250 words: prologue
Coral Gables, Florida
Christmas Eve, 1995
Kellyn Garcia snapped the lid shut on her husband Danny’s lunch box. She had just finished packing it full of Christmas goodies, along with a couple of sandwiches made from the meat of the roast pig that had finished cooking earlier in the day. Usually the traditional Cuban way was to roast a whole pig outdoors on the day before Christmas Eve. Kellyn was eight and a half months pregnant and Danny was working the third watch, which meant he went to work at four p.m. and didn’t get off until midnight which made it difficult for them to be able to roast the pig outside. Kellyn had decided to put one in the oven late the night before.
Danny came into to the kitchen buttoning up his uniform shirt. He was a patrolman for the Coral Gables Police Department. The two of them had met about three years ago at the police academy. They both started as patrol but where Danny was content to stay in uniform, Kellyn was ambitious and wanted to become a detective. A spot had opened up in the sex crimes unit and she had applied. It wasn’t the sort of position that many people wanted because of the type of cases that were investigated so Kellyn got the job.
Danny and Kellyn had gotten married two years ago, and Kellyn became pregnant in the spring of this year. She had worked up until her seventh month and the doctor told her to go home and take it easy.
Danny walked up to her and put his arms around her. Kellyn stared up into his dark brown eyes framed by outrageously long eyelashes. His hair was almost black and he kept it cut short.
He stroked her blond hair away from her face and said, “I guess it’s time for me to leave for work. I hate to leave you here alone with your due date so close.”
“I’ll be fine,” Kellyn replied. “Don’t worry about me; You take care of yourself and come home to us. Just think, this time next year we’ll celebrate Christmas with our baby.”
“I know,” Danny said. “I can’t wait.” He kissed her cheek and said, “I gotta go.”
Kellyn picked up his lunch box and gave it to him. “I put in a couple of roast pig sandwiches.”
He smiled and made a big smacking noise as he kissed her cheek again. “Babe, you’re the best. I can’t wait until lunch time.”
She walked him to the front door and watched as he pulled out of the driveway. She went back to the kitchen to clean up her mess.
Danny called her on his supper break to thank her for the sandwiches and tell her how delicious they were. He told her he loved her and would see her about 12:30 a.m.
Kellyn was dozing on the couch in front of the Christmas tree when a sharp rapping noise woke her up. Disoriented, she stumbled to the front door and looked out of the peep hole. There stood Danny’s partner, Kevin, looking at the ground.
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Links etc.
https://www.facebook.com/swfrontzauthor/
https://twitter.com/swfrontzauthor
https://www.instagram.com/s.frontzauthor/
https://plus.google.com/u/0/103970886480515076244
https://www.pinterest.com/sfrontz/
February 14, 2017
Book Spotlight – Toys for Boys by K D Grace -M/M Erotica
Mini post 1 Inspiration On the Hoof:
One of the best holidays I ever had was a fourteen-day192 mile walk across England on the Wainwright Coast to Coast Path. The path begins at St. Bee’s Head, on the Irish Sea. It crosses the entire Lake District, then the Yorkshire Dales and finally the North York Moors, finishing at Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea. It was one of the hardest, most inspiring, most spectacular things I’d ever done. I don’t mind saying there were times I wasn’t sure I could finish it and there were times when I was a little bit scared, but I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Doing it again is exactly what I did when I wrote Toys for Boys. While Doc and Will’s adventure unfolded in my imagination, I got to live the whole experience of that wonderful walk over again while at the same time adding a few challenges and unexpected surprises for my boys.
Toys for Boys Blurb:
Alpha nerd Will Charles teams up with Caridoc ‘Doc’ Jones in a coast to coast walk across England reviewing outdoor gift suggestions for the Christmas edition of Toys for Boys—an online magazine dedicated to the latest gadgets to tickle a man’s fancy. Will is recording their adventures with the latest smart phone technology. Doc is reviewing the latest outdoor gear. The two quickly discover the great outdoors provides even better toys for boys, toys best shared al fresco, toys that, in spite of Will’s great camera work, will never be reviewed in Toys for Boys.
Note: Toys for Boys has been previously published as part of the Brit Boys: With Toys boxed set.
Buy Toys for Boys Here:
Universal Amazon link: http://mybook.to/toysforboys
Barnes & Noble: http://bit.ly/2jPjrN2
iBooks: http://apple.co/2jpYvxK
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2kbYbQa
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/2kmFbRg
Toys for Boys — Rough Beginnings — Excerpt:
(Excerpt 1 PG)
“You’re late,” Doc said to Will fucking Charles, who was supposed to meet him at St. Bees Head an hour ago.
At Toys for Boys, Will Charles’ moniker was ‘The Alpha Nerd.’ Doc had read some of his reviews and articles but never met him. Since T4B, as they all called it, was an online magazine, he’d never met any of the people who worked there, and he liked that just fine. The best part of freelancing was no neurotic colleagues and no idiot supervisor looking over his shoulder. Will Charles reviewed computers, smart phones, and games—rubbish like that, while Doc reviewed all the stuff that gave the outdoorsy blokes a hard-on. It was late in the season to be walking the Coast to Coast, but T4B wanted the walk and the boys’ toys that would accompany Will and Doc on said walk to be a part of their big Christmas issue, which was always driven by shameless consumerism and chock full of the expensive shit to buy for the man who has everything. The article would be atmospheric, they said. It would be fun, they said.
Alpha Nerd, his left nut, Doc thought. The skinny geek with the expensive-looking iPhone could have passed for a twelve-year-old—spotty face, heavy-rimmed glasses and all. Looked like Doc’s dream walk was about to become a babysitting job for some wimpy-arsed kid who would whine every time he didn’t have a WiFi connection for his little games on his little phone. Doc wondered how the hell the bloke could even heft the backpack sitting on the floor beside him, and those brand new, straight-out-of-the-box walking boots guaranteed major blisters. This was supposed to be twelve glorious days alone on the Wainwright Coast to Coast path across England. This was supposed to be total outdoor bliss. He had been looking forward to it for months and then, at the last minute, T4B ruined it all by insisting Will fucking Charles tag along with his expensive little camera phone to record the event. Bromance, they said. Adventure and companionship, they said. Merry fucking Christmas! T4B didn’t pay him nearly enough for this shit.
“We’ve got fourteen and a half miles to walk today, and the rain isn’t going to make it any easier.” He nodded to where his own pack sat by the table in the corner of the Seacote Hotel where he’d slugged back enough coffee to guarantee he’d be caffeine-fuelled for at least part of that distance; the rest he’d be off in the bushes, pissing.
As he turned to go, the lad just looked at him like he’d spoken Chinese. “Is that the smart phone you’re supposed to be reviewing?” Doc snapped. “Do you need it to translate for you, maybe? Hope it’s smart enough to figure out how we can make up for the lost time you cost us.”
“That’s just an iPhone,” came a voice from behind. “This is the device I’ll be reviewing.” To Doc’s horror, he turned to find himself being videoed by a man who definitely passed as an alpha—an alpha bastard at the moment. The sleek black device he pointed at Doc was labeled urBrain in gold letters. Seriously? Were T4B having a laugh?
Doc gritted his teeth and tried to count to ten, but only made it to three. “Perhaps you’d like to turn off urBrain before I cram it up urArse?”
Undaunted by Doc’s threat, the bloke continued to video as he added, “As for young Nigel here, well, I rather think his boss at the Seacote might have something to say about him following us on the Coast to Coast. Nice boots,” he said to the kid.
Just then, an American tourist the size of a bus blew in through the door, tipped Nigel and thanked him in a very southern accent. He hefted the backpack with a grunt, and headed out into the rain. “As for this little jewel,” Doc turned his attention back to the real Will fucking Charles, “well if I hadn’t had this lovely piece of kit to guide me on an alternative route, I’d still be sitting in traffic behind the overturned tractor with everyone else heading for St. Bees Head this lovely morning. So there, you see. It’s already saved us time. Oh, sorry,” he said, offering his hand. “I’m Will.” Before Doc could do more than gawp, the man slid an arm around him and guided him seamlessly into a selfie.
“Day one of the Wainwright Coast to Coast, and after a near disaster,” he spoke for the camera, “I’m here with Caradoc ‘Doc’ Jones, the Welsh woodsman and outdoorsman extraordinaire, about to head into the rain towards our first stop at Ennerdale Bridge. Say hi, Doc.”
Doc managed a wave and a grimace of a smile at urBrain, and Will continued. “We have 192 miles and twelve days to get from St. Bees Head on the Irish Sea all the way across England to Robin Hood’s Bay on the North Sea, with fourteen and a half miles to make today, so best get on with it.”
About K D Grace/Grace Marshall
Voted ETO Best Erotic Author of 2014, and a proud member of The Brit Babes, K D Grace believes Freud was right. In the end, it really IS all about sex, well sex and love. And nobody’s happier about that than she is, otherwise, what would she write about?
When she’s not writing, K D is veg gardening. When she’s not gardening, she’s walking. She walks her stories, and she’s serious about it. She and her husband have walked Coast to Coast across England, along with several other long-distance routes. For her, inspiration is directly proportionate to how quickly she wears out a pair of walking boots. She loves mythology. She enjoys spending time in the gym – right now she’s having a mad affair with a pair of kettle bells. She loves to read, watch birds and do anything that gets her outdoors.
KD has erotica published with Totally Bound, SourceBooks, Xcite Books, Harper Collins Mischief Books, Mammoth, Cleis Press, Black Lace, Sweetmeats Press and others.
K D’s critically acclaimed erotic romance novels include, The Initiation of Ms Holly, Fulfilling the Contract, To Rome with Lust, and The Pet Shop. Her paranormal erotic novel, Body Temperature and Rising, the first book of her Lakeland Witches trilogy, was listed as honorable mention on Violet Blue’s Top 12 Sex Books for 2011. Books two and three, Riding the Ether, and Elemental Fire, are now also available.
K D Grace also writes hot romance as Grace Marshall. An Executive Decision, Identity Crisis, The Exhibition, Interviewing Wade are all available.
Find K D Here:
Websites: http://kdgrace.co.uk/ http://www.thebritbabes.co.uk
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/KDGraceAuthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/KD_Grace
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/kdgraceauthor/
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