Valentine’s Countdown Releases – Preorder Now
Foreplay is everything. And to help that along here’s a couple of upcoming February releases to prime the passion, so to speak. Valentine’s Day Countdown. The month of love and red velvet and silk, and chocolates. All things that include a bit of sweet temptation. Two releases, now ready for preorder on Amazon. Eye Candy & Achy Hearts, a gay contemporary erotic romance is set for release on February 7th. And then on February 13th, The Forever Heart, a steampunkish fairy tale, involving a woman guilder who heals hearts, an automaton with a clockwork heart, and a king – the king of hearts.
Here’s a little more about these stories.
Eye Candy and Achy Hearts
[#MM #romance #erotic #kinkylace #chocolate #flirtyD/s]
Love has eluded Jeffrey all his life. In desperation late one night he signs up for an online dating site. What began as a way to ease Jeffrey’s aching lonely heart erupts into a real-life sexual encounter when he invites his online younger friend, EyeCandy2933 to join him in a steamy one-night hook-up, just for sex. Online fantasies can easily devolve into disappointment when confronted with real life. Will that be the case on this February night? When AchyHeart1945 finally meets EyeCandy2933, everything changes. Jeffrey may discover that love and romance at any age can be an amazing thing.
Teaser for you–
Friday night. It had been a long, exhausting week of not-so-happy surprises. I was desperate. I did this, perhaps selfishly, just for me.
I guess the devil had me by the balls when I sent off that message asking if he wanted to hook up in RL. That’s real life for those not in the know. I went full-out and revealed, in what felt like anonymous fashion, ’cause it was online and one can hide so easily behind a computer screen, my deepest, sexiest wet-dream fantasy. An online relationship can give you that kind of freedom. Makes you feel like you can just throw your fantasy out there, be someone you’re not. Be someone you want to be. I took my chances.
An email response from EyeCandy2933 told me I could have that fantasy. He wanted to give it to me. Sure, we’d been corresponding for several months now. Little flirtations, some pretty hot and sexy. Other times, late at night, we’d chat into the wee hours of the morning about anything and everything. The story of my life with relationships, I guess. I could ignore the email response he’d just sent me. I could ignore my yearnings. After all, I wasn’t the type to adventure out. I was a simple nerdy accountant who worked in a dusty little corner office with no windows. I was someone who didn’t have steamy, hot love affairs.
I thought about it for several days. There was something between us—EyeCandy2933 and me. We hadn’t just exchanged one-handed steamy explicit messages. We had actually “talked” about stuff that seemed to matter. So I took a chance, and almost gave myself a heart attack in the process.
I’ll be there.
I sent the message off, my heart pounding. What had I just done?
The Forever Heart
[#fai
ry tale #fantasy #erotic #romance #MMF]
Valentina Peacock of the Kingdom of Hartfall is a hearthealer guilder; her lover, Flavio, is an automated man with a ruby heart. Valentina’s past is lost to her and her craft of mending broken hearts and her lover at her side are all she needs or wants. Suddenly her calm, well-ordered world is shattered when Flavio brings her a summons from the heart-king–it is a royal command to attend his court. Will a journey to court bring back her memories of a forgotten love? Or will it shatter her finally and forever?
A short excerpt–
Flavio was an automaton man, infused with magic—her best friend, her lover. She couldn’t remember how or when they had first met, but it seemed as though he’d been a part of her life forever. He never asked for more than she could give and always knew when she needed him.
A slight skip and a shudder in the movement of his heart had required her immediate attention. A hearthealer guilder, a precise and intimate craft to be sure—she would allow no one else to administer to the heart of the man whom she could not bear the thought of losing.
Even though she couldn’t remember the exact circumstances under which her own human heart had been broken, she remembered the undeniable devastation of loss. It was a feeling she did not wish to experience again.
The repair turned out to be minor, but necessary—a warped pinion replaced, the delicate toothed wheel realigned, the casing and other workings cleaned and glossed. Having replaced the cover, polished the ruby veneer to a flawless finish, she then carefully lifted the remarkable heart from the table and turned to the inanimate man positioned on the other side of the room.
She drew closer, looking at him, admiring the fine breadth and dimension. How she could have come to care so deeply for an automaton often surprised her, but care she did. He was beautiful with his long dark, silky hair, strong features and sensual lips. Her gaze lowered to the flaccid cock that rested quietly against his body. The magic that fueled his human qualities now rested dormant while she worked on his heart. But when he was animated, by the stars what a wondrous creature he was.
Valentina placed the precious mechanism into the opened cavity of his chest, securing it meticulously into the casing filled with delicate wiring, tiny springs, and shiny slotted wheels. Once satisfied, she closed the panel to his chest, fastened it securely, then pulled the brass key from the pocket of her white apron. She fitted it to his navel, and twisted it.
It took a delicate, steady hand—one attuned to the mechanism to wind properly without shifting and causing irreparable injury to the workings. The mechanism should not be wound too tightly, nor allowed to remain too loose. The key fitted properly, she then fused her open palm flush to the pliable stretched muscle in the vicinity of his fine, solid chest. She willed a measure of her special hearthealer magical energy into his casing as she carefully turned the key, feeling the tension tighten in the mechanism surrounding the keyhole. Beneath her touch his skin warmed, the heat radiating through him as he slowly revived like waking from a long sleep.
Ear to his chest, she listened, her finely attuned hearing vigilant to the least nuance of change in the rhythm. Almost immediately the steady hum and whiz of perfectly weighted clockwork met her hearing. A smile of relief curled her lips when she felt a large hand cup the back of her head, pressing her close.
“As always,” a deep, rumbling voice said, “your work is unparalleled, my beautiful hearthealer.”
Happy February, everyone!
Eluria’s Enforcer #Free this weekend
This weekend I released the third, and final story in “the Argadian Heart” trilogy, “Ravager’s Redemption.” Thus, through Monday, October 10th, I’m giving away the first in the series, “Eluria’s Enforcer” for #free on Amazon.
An excerpt from Eluria’s Enforcer
She’d hesitated long enough. It was time to engage the restraints. Again, she leaned back on her heels. With his eyes closed, his face was in repose, softened, reminding her of the youth she’d once known. They were strong features, but not hard, a square jaw, and high, defined cheekbones.
Unable to resist, she reached up, and touched his hair. It was thick and silky beneath her fingertips. The texture much as she remembered. But the color had changed. It was now pure white, a consequence of the Nanus process. Thus, it was a trademark of every Enforcer. When she’d known him, hishad had been black as a night sky without moon.
His body was firm, muscled, sculpted. She was unable to resist and ran her hand along his shoulder, down the contours of his smooth, hard chest. Life, warm and pulsing, thrummed beneath her fingertips. So beautiful. She closed her eyes in painful remembrance as the Before washed over her.
“Come watch this old Earth film I bought on the black market today,” Devon urged her, a grin on his lips. There was an eager light in his beautiful turquoise eyes. He reached for her hand and pulled her into the viewing room, urging her down onto the long comfortable lounging chair. She curled up beneath his arm as they watched the science fiction movie from long ago.
He looked down and grinned. “I’m glad you came over, Eluria. I’ve missed you. You’ll be at the Celebration tomorrow, won’t you?”
“Yes, I’ll be there. You know I wouldn’t miss it,” she responded, tucking her head against his shoulder, inhaling his warm, musky scent. She loved spending time with him. Wanted the moment to go on forever.
How could she have known that within the space of a sun’s rising he would be torn from her life? The spirits of Before haunted her often. When he’d been taken away, her heart had broken knowing she’d never see him again. Even if she did, he wouldn’t remember her. But when she’d found out the truth, her whole life had shattered. That’s when it had become imperative to find the antidote and set him free.
The antidote! She raced out to the velocitor and retrieved the small box containing the vials, handling it reverently. She carried it back inside.
Devon was the reason she was here now. She looked at him and then down at the small box. She had a decision to make. Was this why Guardian had brought them together on this planet? Did she dare attempt to use it on him now? Did she really have any other choice?
No. It would either work or it wouldn’t. It was apparent someone wanted them both dead. If he killed her and went back, they would probably find a way to kill him anyway. If she left him the way he was, he would try to destroy her, complete his mission. And he would succeed because she couldn’t kill him. Either way they were both dead.
She wanted Devon whole again. She needed to give him back his life. Guilty knowledge from Before washed over her. And if it did work, there was a chance it would work on others and the rebellion could be successful.
Placing the box on the lid of a trunk, she opened it, removed a syringe and one of the clear vials marked Nanus-X. She remembered the instructions. First, she must inject him with Nanus-X. If all went well, twenty-four hours later, she must inject him with the neutralizer, Nanus-Z.
After filling the syringe, she walked back to him. Eluria’s hands shook at the enormity of what she was about to do. She chanted to the protection goddess.
“Symion, if ever I needed your guiding hand, I need it now. Don’t let me make a mistake. Please let it work.” Slowly, she lowered her hand with the filled syringe to Devon’s hip.
This weekend download it #free on Amazon.
Devon Andromeda, a nanus-altered Argadian Enforcer of the First Level, is assigned the mission to hunt down and eliminate Eluria Zydon, a rebel leader, who also happens to be the daughter of an Elite Tribunal Commander. Enforcers are altered and trained assassins who retain no memories, or humanoid emotions which would hamper their purpose. Aggression is the only emotion unblocked in an Enforcer; the Tribunal directs their existence.
Eluria Zydon’s life is filled with more than enough memories and emotions for both Devon and herself. She lives with the guilt of past injustice and her life has been dedicated to finding the cure to set Devon Andromeda and those like him free. It is a payment she hopes will also free her soul once and for all from her tormenting past.
Confrontation on the lifeless planet, Serdion, will change them both forever. An explosion delivers Devon into Eluria’s hands. An experimental drug opens the floodgates to Devon’s emotions…and his memory. The first emotion he faces, and must learn to control is desire. Eluria has been trained as a twilight companion and has the knowledge to help him harness his passions. Will he accept her help? Or is his only intent to complete his mission…her death…
Feel the Fear
Fear, not in destroying it, but acknowledging it, and accepting it as a part of my life. Claiming it and saying, “OK, we have to live together. It’s time to figure how how to do that.” Not a battle, not a war; let’s call it an uneasy alliance. And exciting things are often uneasy experiences. Growing isn’t painless.
A new book (to me) I just started reading. “Feel the Fear And Do It Anyway” by Susan Jeffers, Ph.D. Her Truth No. 1. I guess sometimes we spend so much time fighting fear, not just in writing, but on so many different levels. We call it different things, like procrastination because we have other things to do, we get sidetracked. Self-protection. Or it’s just plain too hard. I have all sorts of reasons sometimes. Second-guessing myself tends to be a constant.
One thing I know is that when I’m writing a story, and I get to a section and I go back and forth in my mind and I say – because I talk to myself a lot, “I can’t write this or that, because it’s just too far out there,” that’s fear trying to override where my muse wants to take me. And once I’ve written that passage or that scene, that rush of adrenaline bursts inside. That scary moment, that moment when I think I’m crazy for taking chances, but also says, this is authentic, this isn’t about acceptable, it’s not about all the rules, all the political correctness, it’s about flying free. This is raw, this is what I want to write. But there is fear, and far from ever going away, or getting past it, I embrace the fear because it means I’m pushing myself to challenge boundaries, to challenge myself. I guess the day my writing doesn’t scare the crap out of me, I’m done. So, the one thing I need to do is recognize it, embrace it, and keep on moving.
Eclectic Alchemy 