Amanda Meuwissen's Blog - Posts Tagged "teaser"
The Incubus Saga - Book 1: Incubus OUT JULY 1, 2013
And we have an official release date for Incubus! I have also decided that the trilogy will be called The Incubus Saga, the first book being Incubus, second Changeling, third Sidhe. I'm very excited to start kicking up my promotion.
In honor of this excitement, here is a teaser of the cover art:
In honor of this excitement, here is a teaser of the cover art:
Incubus Season 8 Premiere This Week!
This Thursday premieres the final season of Incubus book 2. Season 8 will run through April, when I'll then take a break to work on the release of book 2 before returning with season 9 later in the summer. Check out the two-part season premiere this Thursday at BigWorldNetwork.com!
And if you read or listened to the season 7 finale, you'll understand that this little teaser fanart isn't of Sasha.
But don't get too excited! There are many surprises ahead. Stay tuned!
And if you read or listened to the season 7 finale, you'll understand that this little teaser fanart isn't of Sasha.
But don't get too excited! There are many surprises ahead. Stay tuned!
New Incubus FREE Days to Usher in Spring!
The Incubus eBook, book 1 in The Incubus Saga, is available FREE today thru Saturday. A long three days to celebrate the start of Spring.
As Nathan, Sasha, Jim, and Alex enter the final chapters of Book 2 at BigWorldNetwork.com, here's a teaser image.
Red on black for Malak, a yellow/amber for Jim, white for Jim at the end of Book 2 (muwahahaha!), and black for Shadow Immortals.
As Nathan, Sasha, Jim, and Alex enter the final chapters of Book 2 at BigWorldNetwork.com, here's a teaser image.
Red on black for Malak, a yellow/amber for Jim, white for Jim at the end of Book 2 (muwahahaha!), and black for Shadow Immortals.
Missing Scene from Incubus, Book 2!
For those following along with the current Incubus chapters at BigWorldNetwork.com (and something fun without much spoilers for those who have only read Book 1), I thought I'd share a missing scene that didn't make the cut.
I hated to cut this, but as they say, you have to know when to kill your babies. But that doesn't mean I can't share it with you here!
Set during season 8, the last arc in the end of Book 2. Enjoy!
-----
“Hey,” Sasha said, snapping his fingers in front of Nathan’s face. He had been sitting at the little table in their room, staring out the window at the dark, empty streets while Sasha unpacked. Jim was in the shower.
When they first arrived, they had briefly discussed with Alex that they would get up early and head over to the county library first thing. Being in Castle Rock had Jim more and more on edge as if he could feel that whatever presence was pulling at him was close. He seemed certain that it wasn’t mere dark fae or anything normal they’d encountered with dark sidhe before, but he still couldn’t pin down what he was sensing. They needed to do some local research.
“Are you okay?” Sasha pressed, slipping into the other chair.
“I got a bad feeling about this.”
“About the lead?”
“About everything.” Nathan shuddered, feeling the cold seeping in from the window since he was sitting so close to it. He allowed Sasha to scoot the other chair closer so he could pull Nathan into his side against that wonderful warmth the incubus always seemed so full of. Nathan hated being the one taken care of but he had to admit that it felt good from time to time.
“You’re not starting to doubt Jim, are you?”
Nathan couldn’t shake his head fast enough. “It’s not Jim. I just feel like one wrong move and the whole thing will crash down around us. Death isn’t the worst thing Malak can do to me.”
Sasha merely smiled and rested his head on Nathan’s shoulder. “Things can’t go bad, Nathan. Not with Alex along. She’ll keep us in line.” And maybe it was because Sasha said that so lighthearted and used ‘us’ instead of ‘you’ that Nathan actually felt a bit better.
“Okay, that’s enough. I’m not having any more late night pillow fights with you two,” Jim said teasingly as he came out of the bathroom. He was damp and tired looking and hadn’t brought any clothes in with him when he went to take his shower, so he came out in just a towel and started scrounging through his duffle.
Sasha chuckled from his place against Nathan’s side but, when he looked over at Jim, Nathan couldn’t help noticing that the incubus’ gaze drifted a little too far south down Jim’s body.
“Hey, knock that off,” Nathan growled, half-serious as he pulled away from Sasha and smacked his shoulder.
The incubus chuckled again and turned back to Nathan. There was something sparkling in his eyes that had nothing to do with Jim in a towel. Sasha grabbed the front of Nathan’s T-shirt and pulled, claiming a swift but deep kiss.
“Mmm…okay, you’re off the hook this time. But I don’t like your thoughts going there. Ever.”
Sasha looked at him with a thoughtful tilt of his head. “Am I only half in trouble if you’re included in those thoughts too?”
“Hey, hey, hey,” Jim said before Nathan had time to really register that, “I can hear you, ya know.” Jim had pulled out clean shorts and a T-shirt to change into. He made a little turn around gesture with his hand at Sasha even though there was a smile on his lips too.
Nathan promptly did the job of covering Sasha’s eyes for the incubus, holding his whole hand tightly over those bright blues so Jim could change. “The twins can do what they please, but you better knock that fantasy right out of your head. Never. Going. To. Happen.”
The incubus laughed heartily, allowing Nathan to cover his eyes. “I’m not saying it would. Or that I want it to. Though it did cross my mind as funny that, for whatever reason, the only person I would ever feel comfortable sharing you with is, well…Jim. Guess threesome’s are out for us, then,” he grinned cheekily.
Nathan was having a real tough time not breaking into like laughter. He could tell Jim was the same. But really, Nathan didn’t need those kinds of images playing through his mind.
“I don’t know if all that should be flattering or disturbing,” Jim said as he climbed into bed.
“Can’t it be both?” Sasha said.
Since Nathan had a tendency to take the side of the bed closest to the door, this often put Sasha on the side closer to Jim. In a weird way the Grier brothers already did share the incubus, but Nathan was not about to add any new arrangements.
As he and Sasha climbed under the covers, Nathan nudged the incubus to turn off the lamp on the nightstand between the beds. “Better find yourself a girl fast, Jim, or we’re at risk of Sasha trying to get us drunk and compliant some night,” Nathan said as he rolled closer to Sasha and pulled the incubus to him.
Sasha cupped Nathan’s face and kissed him, soft and slow on the lips. “Mmm…now there’s an idea.”
“I can still hear you,” Jim said, sounding both mortified and amused from the other bed.
“See, Jim,” Nathan called even as he was staring into Sasha’s eyes that glowed back at him in the dark, “guess we’re gonna have to get you and Alex together pronto.”
“I marvel at your logic, Nathan.”
“Damn right.”
“Good night, Nathan.”
Nathan kissed Sasha again, a tight connection, deep, with a slow twirl of his tongue just along the inside of the incubus’ lips. It made Sasha shiver, and Nathan grinned before pushing on the incubus’ chest. “Night, Jim.”
I hated to cut this, but as they say, you have to know when to kill your babies. But that doesn't mean I can't share it with you here!
Set during season 8, the last arc in the end of Book 2. Enjoy!
-----
“Hey,” Sasha said, snapping his fingers in front of Nathan’s face. He had been sitting at the little table in their room, staring out the window at the dark, empty streets while Sasha unpacked. Jim was in the shower.
When they first arrived, they had briefly discussed with Alex that they would get up early and head over to the county library first thing. Being in Castle Rock had Jim more and more on edge as if he could feel that whatever presence was pulling at him was close. He seemed certain that it wasn’t mere dark fae or anything normal they’d encountered with dark sidhe before, but he still couldn’t pin down what he was sensing. They needed to do some local research.
“Are you okay?” Sasha pressed, slipping into the other chair.
“I got a bad feeling about this.”
“About the lead?”
“About everything.” Nathan shuddered, feeling the cold seeping in from the window since he was sitting so close to it. He allowed Sasha to scoot the other chair closer so he could pull Nathan into his side against that wonderful warmth the incubus always seemed so full of. Nathan hated being the one taken care of but he had to admit that it felt good from time to time.
“You’re not starting to doubt Jim, are you?”
Nathan couldn’t shake his head fast enough. “It’s not Jim. I just feel like one wrong move and the whole thing will crash down around us. Death isn’t the worst thing Malak can do to me.”
Sasha merely smiled and rested his head on Nathan’s shoulder. “Things can’t go bad, Nathan. Not with Alex along. She’ll keep us in line.” And maybe it was because Sasha said that so lighthearted and used ‘us’ instead of ‘you’ that Nathan actually felt a bit better.
“Okay, that’s enough. I’m not having any more late night pillow fights with you two,” Jim said teasingly as he came out of the bathroom. He was damp and tired looking and hadn’t brought any clothes in with him when he went to take his shower, so he came out in just a towel and started scrounging through his duffle.
Sasha chuckled from his place against Nathan’s side but, when he looked over at Jim, Nathan couldn’t help noticing that the incubus’ gaze drifted a little too far south down Jim’s body.
“Hey, knock that off,” Nathan growled, half-serious as he pulled away from Sasha and smacked his shoulder.
The incubus chuckled again and turned back to Nathan. There was something sparkling in his eyes that had nothing to do with Jim in a towel. Sasha grabbed the front of Nathan’s T-shirt and pulled, claiming a swift but deep kiss.
“Mmm…okay, you’re off the hook this time. But I don’t like your thoughts going there. Ever.”
Sasha looked at him with a thoughtful tilt of his head. “Am I only half in trouble if you’re included in those thoughts too?”
“Hey, hey, hey,” Jim said before Nathan had time to really register that, “I can hear you, ya know.” Jim had pulled out clean shorts and a T-shirt to change into. He made a little turn around gesture with his hand at Sasha even though there was a smile on his lips too.
Nathan promptly did the job of covering Sasha’s eyes for the incubus, holding his whole hand tightly over those bright blues so Jim could change. “The twins can do what they please, but you better knock that fantasy right out of your head. Never. Going. To. Happen.”
The incubus laughed heartily, allowing Nathan to cover his eyes. “I’m not saying it would. Or that I want it to. Though it did cross my mind as funny that, for whatever reason, the only person I would ever feel comfortable sharing you with is, well…Jim. Guess threesome’s are out for us, then,” he grinned cheekily.
Nathan was having a real tough time not breaking into like laughter. He could tell Jim was the same. But really, Nathan didn’t need those kinds of images playing through his mind.
“I don’t know if all that should be flattering or disturbing,” Jim said as he climbed into bed.
“Can’t it be both?” Sasha said.
Since Nathan had a tendency to take the side of the bed closest to the door, this often put Sasha on the side closer to Jim. In a weird way the Grier brothers already did share the incubus, but Nathan was not about to add any new arrangements.
As he and Sasha climbed under the covers, Nathan nudged the incubus to turn off the lamp on the nightstand between the beds. “Better find yourself a girl fast, Jim, or we’re at risk of Sasha trying to get us drunk and compliant some night,” Nathan said as he rolled closer to Sasha and pulled the incubus to him.
Sasha cupped Nathan’s face and kissed him, soft and slow on the lips. “Mmm…now there’s an idea.”
“I can still hear you,” Jim said, sounding both mortified and amused from the other bed.
“See, Jim,” Nathan called even as he was staring into Sasha’s eyes that glowed back at him in the dark, “guess we’re gonna have to get you and Alex together pronto.”
“I marvel at your logic, Nathan.”
“Damn right.”
“Good night, Nathan.”
Nathan kissed Sasha again, a tight connection, deep, with a slow twirl of his tongue just along the inside of the incubus’ lips. It made Sasha shiver, and Nathan grinned before pushing on the incubus’ chest. “Night, Jim.”
Paladin Pawn by Michael Young - New Release this Friday!
Fitting that today is my 70th blog post here, as I'm happily part of one of my fellow BWN author's blog tours with Silverbow Promotions.
Michael Young has been one of our dream authors; always on time, always with something new, and with a very fun variety of stories, from historical fantasy, religious supernatural, and even sci-fi end of the world.
Michael is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Western Governor’s University with degrees in German Teaching, Music, and Instructional Design. He puts his German to good use teaching online German courses for High School students. Though he grew up traveling the world with his military father, he now lives in Utah with his wife, Jen, and his two sons. Michael enjoys acting in community theater, playing and writing music and spending time with his family. He played for several years with the handbell choir Bells on Temple Square and is now a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
He is the author of the novels The Canticle Kingdom Series, The Last Archangel Series, and the Chess Quest Series. His also authors several web serials through BigWorldNetwork.com. He publishes anthologies for charity in his Advent Anthologies series. He has also had work featured in various online and print magazines such as Bards and Sages Quarterly, Mindflights, Meridian, The New Era, Allegory, and Ensign.
Follow Michael...
Facebook
Twitter
Blog
Pinterest
Today's featured book for Michael is his upcoming middle grade fantasy release with Trifecta Books, Paladin Pawn, which comes out this week on Black Friday.
Book Synopsis:
When nerdy Rich Witz unwittingly becomes a Paladin, a white knight, in training, he is thrust into a world where flunking a test can change the course of history and a mysterious bully is playing for keeps with his life.
Rich’s grandmother leaves him with one thing before disappearing for good: a white chess pawn with his initials engraved on it. The pawn marks him as the next in an ancient line of white knights. He must prove himself in a life or death contest against his Nemesis, a dark knight in training, all while dealing with math homework and English projects. With the ghost of an ancestor for his guide, he has seven days to complete four tasks of valor before his Nemesis does, or join his guide in the realm of the dead.
As Rich rushes to complete the tasks, he realizes the chilling truth: his Nemesis is masquerading as someone at school and will stop at nothing to make him fail. As the tasks grow ever harder, the other knights reveal to him that his failure will break a centuries-old chain and bring the Paladin order to ruin. If he fails, the dark knights win the right to control the fate of the world, a world without hope or the possibility of a new dawn. So this is one exam Rich has to ace, with no curve and no extra credit.
And finally, here is a teaser to get you hooked on wanting to pick this up this weekend!
On the way to the door, something caught Rich’s eye, two boxes about the size of harmonicas sat on his dresser. One was wrapped in shiny silver paper and the other in black paper. His mother’s calls momentarily forgotten, Rich reached for the package and fumbled to find a place to tear the paper.
And it’s not even my birthday.
Working rapidly, he peeled back the paper and lifted the lid on the first box, ready for either surprise or disappointment.
What he felt next was a mixture of both. Inside the box in a black velvet casing, lay a hand-carved chess piece, a white pawn. He turned it over in his hands and found that the letters HWW had been etched into the surface.
“My initials,” he muttered, turning the piece over in his hands. He knew right away that he wasn’t going to put this piece where anyone could see it. They might ask him about his name.
As he had lifted the lid, a slip of paper had fluttered out. He replaced the pawn in its case and picked up the paper. Squinting in the low light, he made out the words written in his grandmother’s familiar script.
“For Heinrich—you will know when to use it.”
Rich laughed out loud. He already had a chessboard, and all of its pawns were working great. The last thing his social life needed was for him to join the chess club.
“With a monogrammed piece. That takes me from nerd to über-nerd.” He shook his head and replaced first the paper and then the lid. His curiosity piqued, he turned to the second box, picked it up, and shook it as he might a mysterious Christmas present. It did not make a sound. He thought his grandmother might have gotten him a black pawn to match, but the box didn’t feel heavy enough for anything like that.
He unwrapped the black paper, and the instant he slid off the lid, a fine black powder exploded from within and hung in the air. Rich jumped back, at first wondering if this was some kind of prank. It wouldn’t have been the first.
The sparkling black dust swirled in the air, forming into the form of another chess piece: a black pawn as long as his forearm. The lights in the room dimmed, giving it the feel of night though it was still the late afternoon.
Feeling his skin prickle, Rich stepped forward, thinking that if this were a prank, he’d have to ask how they pulled it off.
“You have been challenged,” came a deep voice from within the cloud of particles. “Do you accept?”
Rich glanced around the room, trying to see if someone had managed to hide in his room, or plant some kind of speaker. This was one committed prankster.
“Uh, who’s challenging me?” asked Rich. “Are we playing chess? ‘Cause I just got a lucky new piece.”
“Answer yes or no,” came the voice again.
Rich rolled his eyes, and played along. “Sure. Why not?”
“Answer yes or no,” insisted the voice.
He checked around his room to see if he could see the light of a camera somewhere filming him. Even if he couldn’t see it, he decided to give whoever was watching a good show. He bowed theatrically and said in a dramatic voice.
“Yes.”
The dust swirled back into the box and the lid snapped shut of its own accord. The lights returned to normal, and not a speck of the blackness remained in the air.
Michael Young has been one of our dream authors; always on time, always with something new, and with a very fun variety of stories, from historical fantasy, religious supernatural, and even sci-fi end of the world.
Michael is a graduate of Brigham Young University and Western Governor’s University with degrees in German Teaching, Music, and Instructional Design. He puts his German to good use teaching online German courses for High School students. Though he grew up traveling the world with his military father, he now lives in Utah with his wife, Jen, and his two sons. Michael enjoys acting in community theater, playing and writing music and spending time with his family. He played for several years with the handbell choir Bells on Temple Square and is now a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.
He is the author of the novels The Canticle Kingdom Series, The Last Archangel Series, and the Chess Quest Series. His also authors several web serials through BigWorldNetwork.com. He publishes anthologies for charity in his Advent Anthologies series. He has also had work featured in various online and print magazines such as Bards and Sages Quarterly, Mindflights, Meridian, The New Era, Allegory, and Ensign.
Follow Michael...
Blog
Today's featured book for Michael is his upcoming middle grade fantasy release with Trifecta Books, Paladin Pawn, which comes out this week on Black Friday.
Book Synopsis:
When nerdy Rich Witz unwittingly becomes a Paladin, a white knight, in training, he is thrust into a world where flunking a test can change the course of history and a mysterious bully is playing for keeps with his life.
Rich’s grandmother leaves him with one thing before disappearing for good: a white chess pawn with his initials engraved on it. The pawn marks him as the next in an ancient line of white knights. He must prove himself in a life or death contest against his Nemesis, a dark knight in training, all while dealing with math homework and English projects. With the ghost of an ancestor for his guide, he has seven days to complete four tasks of valor before his Nemesis does, or join his guide in the realm of the dead.
As Rich rushes to complete the tasks, he realizes the chilling truth: his Nemesis is masquerading as someone at school and will stop at nothing to make him fail. As the tasks grow ever harder, the other knights reveal to him that his failure will break a centuries-old chain and bring the Paladin order to ruin. If he fails, the dark knights win the right to control the fate of the world, a world without hope or the possibility of a new dawn. So this is one exam Rich has to ace, with no curve and no extra credit.
And finally, here is a teaser to get you hooked on wanting to pick this up this weekend!
On the way to the door, something caught Rich’s eye, two boxes about the size of harmonicas sat on his dresser. One was wrapped in shiny silver paper and the other in black paper. His mother’s calls momentarily forgotten, Rich reached for the package and fumbled to find a place to tear the paper.
And it’s not even my birthday.
Working rapidly, he peeled back the paper and lifted the lid on the first box, ready for either surprise or disappointment.
What he felt next was a mixture of both. Inside the box in a black velvet casing, lay a hand-carved chess piece, a white pawn. He turned it over in his hands and found that the letters HWW had been etched into the surface.
“My initials,” he muttered, turning the piece over in his hands. He knew right away that he wasn’t going to put this piece where anyone could see it. They might ask him about his name.
As he had lifted the lid, a slip of paper had fluttered out. He replaced the pawn in its case and picked up the paper. Squinting in the low light, he made out the words written in his grandmother’s familiar script.
“For Heinrich—you will know when to use it.”
Rich laughed out loud. He already had a chessboard, and all of its pawns were working great. The last thing his social life needed was for him to join the chess club.
“With a monogrammed piece. That takes me from nerd to über-nerd.” He shook his head and replaced first the paper and then the lid. His curiosity piqued, he turned to the second box, picked it up, and shook it as he might a mysterious Christmas present. It did not make a sound. He thought his grandmother might have gotten him a black pawn to match, but the box didn’t feel heavy enough for anything like that.
He unwrapped the black paper, and the instant he slid off the lid, a fine black powder exploded from within and hung in the air. Rich jumped back, at first wondering if this was some kind of prank. It wouldn’t have been the first.
The sparkling black dust swirled in the air, forming into the form of another chess piece: a black pawn as long as his forearm. The lights in the room dimmed, giving it the feel of night though it was still the late afternoon.
Feeling his skin prickle, Rich stepped forward, thinking that if this were a prank, he’d have to ask how they pulled it off.
“You have been challenged,” came a deep voice from within the cloud of particles. “Do you accept?”
Rich glanced around the room, trying to see if someone had managed to hide in his room, or plant some kind of speaker. This was one committed prankster.
“Uh, who’s challenging me?” asked Rich. “Are we playing chess? ‘Cause I just got a lucky new piece.”
“Answer yes or no,” came the voice again.
Rich rolled his eyes, and played along. “Sure. Why not?”
“Answer yes or no,” insisted the voice.
He checked around his room to see if he could see the light of a camera somewhere filming him. Even if he couldn’t see it, he decided to give whoever was watching a good show. He bowed theatrically and said in a dramatic voice.
“Yes.”
The dust swirled back into the box and the lid snapped shut of its own accord. The lights returned to normal, and not a speck of the blackness remained in the air.
A Hero with the Best of Intentions
The following is a teaser, the opening for my current WIP, The Royal Spark.
I'm very excited to work on this next endeavor, as a superhero fan, to delve into a world where some though few people have powers, or magic, some merely amazing tech, and to explore the dynamic between what makes someone a hero or a villain. Like all my stories, there is also a M/M romance element to be found. So enjoy! And stay tuned for more as this story takes shape.
-----
Knight filled the syringe to the brim. Every last ounce needed to be injected into the subject in order for his plan to work. He had synthesized the formula to match the one he had given himself exactly, with one variation. Undetectable unless someone knew what they were looking for, the miniscule nanomachines he’d added produced a substance that would react like a time release drug over several months, manipulating the subject’s personality to such a small degree the change would seem natural. A man slowly losing his mind, growing colder, harder, and more twisted to his base desires.
Satisfied, Knight replaced the cap on the syringe, and slipped it carefully inside his jacket pocket, where it would wait, as he watched the subject throughout the day, until the ideal opportunity presented itself.
Knight had chosen the subject after years of careful planning and insinuating himself into the man’s life. The subject wasn’t the hero type upon first glance. Tall but altogether too thin rather than well-muscled. Not a natural Power or a Mage. Merely a man, a high school teacher, pushing thirty. He had few close friends. Minimal family. No romantic attachments. He lived alone, and kept his schedule clear most nights save the time he spent on classwork. Yet despite this, anyone who knew him loved him deeply.
His charm wasn’t in being the strongest, or the smartest, or best looking. His body was weak, often sickly. His talent for biochemistry reached no further than the classroom; not the type to make new discoveries or affect drastic change in the field. And while some might consider him handsome, he hid behind thick black-framed glasses, tousled hair, and cardigan sweaters that made him look more like a twenty-something grandfather than a lonely young man.
It was his sincerity that swayed people who got to know him. His stalwart belief in others. His ability to triumph over obstacles and tragedy in his life with an unwavering smile. He also desperately, his entire life, had always wanted to be a Power. An unassuming good person who would never squander any abilities he was granted. And that was the most important detail of all.
Because who would ever suspect a hero with the best of intentions?
I'm very excited to work on this next endeavor, as a superhero fan, to delve into a world where some though few people have powers, or magic, some merely amazing tech, and to explore the dynamic between what makes someone a hero or a villain. Like all my stories, there is also a M/M romance element to be found. So enjoy! And stay tuned for more as this story takes shape.
-----
Knight filled the syringe to the brim. Every last ounce needed to be injected into the subject in order for his plan to work. He had synthesized the formula to match the one he had given himself exactly, with one variation. Undetectable unless someone knew what they were looking for, the miniscule nanomachines he’d added produced a substance that would react like a time release drug over several months, manipulating the subject’s personality to such a small degree the change would seem natural. A man slowly losing his mind, growing colder, harder, and more twisted to his base desires.
Satisfied, Knight replaced the cap on the syringe, and slipped it carefully inside his jacket pocket, where it would wait, as he watched the subject throughout the day, until the ideal opportunity presented itself.
Knight had chosen the subject after years of careful planning and insinuating himself into the man’s life. The subject wasn’t the hero type upon first glance. Tall but altogether too thin rather than well-muscled. Not a natural Power or a Mage. Merely a man, a high school teacher, pushing thirty. He had few close friends. Minimal family. No romantic attachments. He lived alone, and kept his schedule clear most nights save the time he spent on classwork. Yet despite this, anyone who knew him loved him deeply.
His charm wasn’t in being the strongest, or the smartest, or best looking. His body was weak, often sickly. His talent for biochemistry reached no further than the classroom; not the type to make new discoveries or affect drastic change in the field. And while some might consider him handsome, he hid behind thick black-framed glasses, tousled hair, and cardigan sweaters that made him look more like a twenty-something grandfather than a lonely young man.
It was his sincerity that swayed people who got to know him. His stalwart belief in others. His ability to triumph over obstacles and tragedy in his life with an unwavering smile. He also desperately, his entire life, had always wanted to be a Power. An unassuming good person who would never squander any abilities he was granted. And that was the most important detail of all.
Because who would ever suspect a hero with the best of intentions?
Lovesick Gods - Chapter 1
One of the first teasers I posted on this author site was for The Royal Spark, a superhero novel idea I had that was intended to be my next title after Life as a Teenage Vampire. I may still return to that concept, but over the months, a very different superhero idea formed and I found myself writing the first draft of my actual next novel in only six months.
Deep in the throes of final editing for this book, Lovesick Gods, with MSP ComiCon coming up in a little over a month at the Minnesota State Fair Grounds (my favorite event of the year!), I felt it was time to give you all a new teaser. This, I assure you, is the next novel you will see from me later this year in 2017.
I am aiming for a Summer or Fall release, depending on how things go with finishing editing and the cover design (the artwork is complete and GORGEOUS, as you see in the teaser above), but if anyone wants to discuss more with me at the upcoming spring convention I'll be attending, or right here online, either through my contact form or on my various social sites, I'd love to field questions.
For now here is the synopsis below and the first chapter at my personal site for your enjoyment!
-----
LOVESICK GODS
The elements touch everyone on Earth—Fire, Water, even Light—but every so often someone becomes more attuned to their elemental leaning and develops true power. When an evil Elemental known as Thanatos arrived in Olympus City, it saw the rise of its first hero—Zeus. But the death toll caused by defeating Thanatos changed Zeus, who by day is young detective Danny Grant.
It’s been six months now since Thanatos terrorized the city. Danny should be used to his duty behind the mask, but the recent past haunts him, because his partner and his mother were among Thanatos’s victims. His girlfriend left him, he snaps at the barest provocation, his life feels empty—he needs an outlet, any outlet to pull him out of his depression.
Enter notorious thief Malcolm Cho, the Ice Elemental Prometheus. There was a time when Danny welcomed a fight with Cho, filled with colorful banter and casual flirtations that were a relief compared to Thanatos. Even as a criminal, Cho recognized the threat Thanatos posed and promised to help Danny stop him, but the day Danny needed Cho, he never showed. Cho was the reason so many people died that day.
At the end of his rope, desperate for release, Danny decides to teach the man a lesson by fanning the fire of their attraction into something more. At worst, he’ll get some no-strings-attached sex out of the deal and finally blow off steam; at best, he’ll get Cho to fall in love with him and then break his heart to spite him.
Danny doesn’t expect to fall for Cho in the process, and he certainly can’t predict the much darker threat on the horizon.
CHAPTER 1
-----
