Thursday, November 30, 2023

New Release-Excerpt & Giveaway: RED FLAGGED by Elle Keaton (Reclaimed Hearts #3)

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Red Flagged
By Elle Keaton

Red Flagged - Elle Keaton - E-Cover

Reclaimed Hearts, Book 3

Ex-US Marshal turned Cooper Springs Chief of Police, Andre Dear isn’t looking for love. He’s too busy hunting a killer.

The last person Andre expected to see in Cooper Springs was Dante Castone. He left Dante and the rest of his old life behind him when he moved to Washington State and what he thought would be a quiet job in a small town by the ocean.

Dante Brown went into WITSEC for his sister’s kid--sort of.

In reality, Dante's DIYing it; he isn’t the trusting sort. Daniella was the only witness to her mom’s brutal murder and needs both protection and anonymity--plus as normal a life as possible. It's just a bonus that Cooper Springs has Andre Dear too.

He and Andre have a history, and Dante wants to see if they might have a future. Someone is gunning for Andre and, like it or not, Dante is going to protect him. And yeah, feed him too. Does the man never eat?

Andre needs Dante’s help even if he doesn’t want to accept it. Dante's ready to settle down but he’s going to have to prove himself before Andre lets him in again.

Together, they need to catch a killer and maybe find each other in the process.

Red Flagged is book three in the Reclaimed Hearts series. A second-chance, older-lovers redemption story and thrilling romantic suspense set in the wilds of the Olympic Peninsula.

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Excerpt

André’s evening reading was interrupted by a banging against his front door. The hammering was loud, purposeful, and, in André’s opinion, full of false promise. He briefly contemplated not answering. The reverberation alone told him who was on the other side.

He had a choice to make.

For f*ck’s sake, the thundering knock hadn’t even startled him.

Damn.

Annoyed, he set his mystery novel—a British cozy he’d been half paying attention to while listening to the rain pound against the roof—face down on the arm of the couch and rose to his feet. Traitorous anticipation bloomed slowly, languorously, alongside the growing exasperation in the pit of his stomach, rising like the steam from a freshly brewed cup of tea.

“Dear, I know you’re in there. Answer the f*cking door. It’s pissing down out here.”

Wasn’t forty-five too old for a booty call? Was it a booty call when the ass in question showed up unannounced and, well, uncalled?

André didn’t have time to answer any of that in the short distance between his couch and the front door. Reaching out, he flipped the lock open and then twisted the handle, his hand shaking slightly.

This would be the last time.

Seconds later, André was slammed back against the living room wall, his hands automatically slipping under Dante’s leather jacket and cotton t-shirt, his fingertips sliding against Dante’s chilled, damp, skin. Dante murmured something and then his mouth was on André’s, claiming him as he always did.

Always. But never forever.

Within minutes, they were mostly naked and stumbling into André’s bedroom. A trail of clothing was strewn behind them, much like Hansel and Gretel’s trail of breadcrumbs so they could find their way back out of the wicked forest.

André felt his personal forest was much more complicated than Hansel and Gretel’s, but he’d finally found a way out of it.

This was the last time they were doing this.

At least this time, they made it to the bed and hadn’t just ended up on the couch like so many nights before. Falling onto the mattress, André had landed on his back and currently was gazing down his body, watching an equally naked Dante press his nose into André’s crotch. He liked it.

God, he liked it.

His c*ck did too. His c*ck was a fan of everything Dante. But it needed to stop. It had to. A relationship that consisted of late-night knocks on the door (followed up by the best sex André had ever experienced) and an empty spot next to him in the morning was not what he wanted.

The sex was incredible but what happened afterward made him intensely lonely.

As ridiculous as it was for a man of his age and profession—a U.S. Marshal, for godsakes—André wanted a partner. A real partner.

Dante Castone, an undercover operator for the DEA, was not the man for the job.

He wanted someone who’d stand by his side through good and bad times and vice versa. Dante was not that man. No matter how f*cking incredible his lips felt as they closed around André’s c*ck.

“Jesus,” André groaned, arching his back.

Since a partner didn’t seem to be in the cards for André at this late stage in the game, he’d decided to settle for a job that wasn’t actively trying to kill him. He wanted to head into his twilight years like a cop on The Andy Griffith Show or Mayberry R.F.D., giving advice to innocent kids and chatting with senior citizens who would end up having the answer to everything.

“You’re distracted tonight,” Dante rumbled as he let André’s c*ck slip from between his lips so he could begin licking his way up André’s body. He was heading toward André’s neck, which seemed to be a favorite place of his.

“Don’t leave marks,” André complained, his hips jerking as Dante nibbled on a sensitive nipple. “I don’t want to have to explain anything to my coworkers.”

“So many rules. You know I love breaking rules.”

Dante did love breaking rules—André’s rules, at any rate.

“Quit thinking so hard.” Dante punctuated his demand by biting and then sucking hard on André’s nipple, tracing around the nub with his hot tongue.

“F*ck.” André’s c*ck throbbed with anticipation of what was to come—himself and Dante—and he writhed desperately underneath Dante’s pleasantly heavy, muscular body, needing more contact, more of everything.

Tomorrow he’d tell Dante they couldn’t do this anymore. No more rule breaking.

Red Flagged Teaser 3

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Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of Red Flagged, Elle is giveaway away a signed paperback of the winner's choice (Open Internationally)!
 
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!
 
 
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About the Author:

Do you love inclusive, swoony, and often suspenseful small-town romances featuring complex characters and a unique sense of place? I do too! My characters start out broken and, maybe, they’re still a tad banged up by the end, but they find the other half of their hearts and ALWAYS get their happily ever after.

In 2017 I pressed the Publish button for the first time and have never looked back—making this the longest period of time I've stuck with a job in my entire life.

Currently, there are over thirty Elle Keaton books available for you to read or listen to. I love cats and dogs. Star Wars and Star Trek. Pineapple on pizza, and have a cribbage habit my husband encourages.

Connecting with readers is very important to me. If you are so inclined, join The Highway to Elle newsletter, and keep up to date with everything Elle-related (or join my Ream page and get in on the novels early plus swag and extras). Random topics Include, but not limited to, ‘where are Elle's glasses?' and, ‘why are there cats?’. I can also be found on Facebook, Instagram, and occasionally TikTok.

Website - Newsletter - Facebook Page - Instagram - Amazon - BookBub - Goodreads


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Monday, November 27, 2023

Cover Reveal & Excerpt: LONELY DINER by Dann Hazel (Some Like it Haute! Book 3)

Lonely Diner

by Dann Hazel

Publisher: The Original Press

Cover Artist: Josh Fippen; Photograph by Cura Photography

Release Date: December 4, 2023

Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Military Romance, Coming Out, Overcoming Adversity, Second Chances.

Themes: Dealing with Trauma, Gay in a New City, Forgiveness

Heat Rating:  4 flames   

Length:  109 000 words

It is part of a series, but each novel can be read as a standalone. 

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Pre-Order Buy Links

Amazon US  |   Amazon UK

Blurb

Two conflicted military men. A longing for happiness. One Lonely Diner, where people often search for a recipe for love. (The food is good there, too.)

One man plays it straight. Another grieves over a lost best friend with benefits.

Everyone thought they were meant for each other. Lance, an Air Force computer engineer, and Ryan, a former submariner in the Navy and now a military college professor, are gay men blinded by the painful wounds of their past decisions. Both men are ready for love. But because of their pasts, they’ve slammed the brakes on their desires.

Now thirty years old, a younger Ryan Ball decides he can be happy only by conforming to social expectations. So what does he do? He decides he must have a wife and kids. Though he acknowledges that he can never be straight, he is convinced that with effort, determination, alcohol and erectile dysfunction meds, he can play the necessary roles.

Vikki, Ryan’s girlfriend in high school and now his wife, begs to differ.

At thirty-one, Lance Dingle falls for his best friend and roommate, Randy, a stunt pilot who agrees to a friends-with-benefits arrangement. From Lance’s perspective, there’s a spark in their arrangement that Randy denies. Then, tragedy strikes. Lance finds himself alone and lonely, living with memories of Randy and an ever-expanding list of “what-might-have-beens.” Finally forcing himself into the dating scene, Lance discovers that Mr. Right is more elusive than he ever imagined.

Then, Callie Yenti, transwoman, drag performer extraordinaire and entrepreneur, enters the picture. She owns the popular Lonely Diner and possesses an uncanny insight into the workings of the heart.

Even the complicated hearts of her two hard-headed friends, Lance and Ryan.

An HEA gay romance.

Trigger Warning: This novel includes scenes from a sexual assault and a PTSD episode.

Excerpt

Soon, the table beside Lance became available. A gorgeous, dark-haired man with biceps on the verge of bursting through his shirt sleeves sat down. Lance noticed that he was drinking Liquid Death, often a signal that a bar patron wished to avoid alcoholic beverages. Lance also noticed that his haircut was similar in style to his own. Lance wondered if the body builder might also be a member of a branch of the military.

Lance’s face turned crimson when the man caught Lance cruising him. Rather than heightening Lance’s embarrassment with silence, the man, who also had a well-conditioned chest and stomach, asked Lance to join him.

Lance noticed the tremor in the man’s voice. 

Ah, he’s an introvert, like me, Lance thought.

Lance cast him a beaming smile. “Why not? No need for the two of us to monopolize a pair of tables when one will do.”

Lance grabbed his ale—his third for the evening—and carried it with him as he sat in the chair next to the man. “My name is Lance Dingle,” he said. He reached across the table for a handshake.

“My pleasure, Lance.” A very brief pause. “Wait! I think you’re the fellow the infamous Callie Yenti has been devoting so much time finding a way to introduce us.”

“Holy sh*t! Then you must be Ryan Ball. Finally, we meet!”

Ryan laughed. “I guess she’s included us both in her match-making scheme.”

“It’s a talent she’s very proud of,” Lance said. “You’re an English professor at The Citadel, right? And before that, you served in the Navy?”

“Damn! She’s thorough.” Then, Ryan reciprocated with a fact of his own. “And I think I remember her saying that you’re an Air Force man.”

“Yep. That’s me. A computer geek. Not a pilot.”

The men chatted about their backgrounds, their experiences in the military and navigating the tricky terrain of being gay in the service, despite the revocation of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. Naturally, there were parts of their biographies they were unwilling to share—like the sexual assault in DC and Lance’s torch-carrying for Randy. Lance unwittingly—and because of the buzz the drinks precipitated—came very close to telling Ryan how many physical similarities he and Randy shared. Fortunately, he caught himself before he provided Ryan a very good excuse to abort their conversation.

Then, Ryan popped the same question that was also on Lance’s mind. “Would you be interested in hanging out sometimes? I mean, it’s fine with me to call it a date. Y’know, to see if Callie still has her magic touch.”

But Lance had no chance to respond.

Because a nervous James Manigault appeared at their table, without his cute young diversion, and kissed Lance squarely on the mouth. Lance could taste the rum he’d drunk and smell the pot he and the young man shared before heading to the club.

Then, Lance caught a glimpse of Ryan’s face.

But a look long enough to see that sexy face fill with disappointment, vulnerability and perhaps even distress.

Abruptly, Ryan rose from his chair. It almost toppled over, but Ryan grabbed it on its way to the floor. “I don’t want to intrude,” he said. “I’ll leave you to it. And Lance? It was nice to meet you.”

Now, it was Lance’s voice that quivered. “Likewise, Ryan.”

They shook hands like two businessmen closing a deal. Ryan quickly pulled his hand away and headed toward the exit.

Lance looked with a mixture of anger and annoyance at James, who was now sitting in Ryan’s chair.

And then, James had the f*cking nerve to ask if they were still on for their date the next night.

About the Author

Dann Hazel has been writing both fiction and nonfiction for more than twenty years. 

Besides writing romance, he has taught high school English and journalism, college psychology and human sexuality, directed federal grants and worked as a therapist in a psychiatric hospital. His fiction genre interests include thrillers, horror, literary and gay romance. He has published the Some Like It Haute Gay Romance Series, including Room for DessertMy Own Private Biscuit and Lonely Diner.

Nonfiction works include Witness: Gay and Lesbian Clergy Report from the Front and Moving On: The Gay Man’s Guide for Coping When a Relationship Ends.

Dann’s personal interests include reading and writing, cinema, jogging, Broadway, keeping abreast of current events and travel.

Currently, Dann lives in Central Florida with his husband, Josh, and their American Eskimo canine, Flurry.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website  |  Facebook (Some Like It Haute)  |  Instagram

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Tuesday, November 21, 2023

New Release-Review & Excerpt: GET FROSTED by Amy Aislin (Christmas Falls) - Includes Giveaway!

Get Frosted 

Author and Publisher: Amy Aislin

Cover Artist: Morningstar Ashley

Release Date: November 21, 2023

Genre: Contemporary m/m romance

Tropes: brother’s best friend, Christmas, rivals to lovers

Themes: A story about home and finding the place where you belong.

Heat Rating: 3 flames   

Length: 58 000 words 

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

Blurb

For years, Mik has wanted nothing more than to put coal in Rudy Snow's stocking.

As former pro hockey players, they’ve been rivals for years. It started in Mik’s rookie season, when a reporter pitted him against his older brother's best friend. Rudy pushes Mik’s buttons like no one else, going out of his way to one-up him at every turn.

Now they manage pubs in a small town that takes Christmas to a level best seen in Hallmark movies, but not much else has changed. They’re still rivals, this time pitting gingerbread martinis against pomegranate sangria.

But when they’re forced to work together to plan a special holiday party, sparks ignite. Maybe it's a bad idea to put coal in Rudy's stocking after all. They both might just catch fire.

Then again, what better way is there to stay warm on a cold winter's night?

Christmas Falls is a multi-author M/M romance series set in a small town that thrives on enough holiday charm to rival any Hallmark movie.

All books in the Christmas Falls series:
Nov 14: Grinch Kisses by DJ Jamison
Nov 17: Snowbody Loves Me by Jacki James
Nov 21: Get Frosted by Amy Aislin
Nov 28: Silent Knight by Beth Bolden
Dec 1: Under the Mistle-Tome by Sammi Cee
Dec 5: Clausing a Scene by Casey Cox
Dec 8: No Elfing Way by Hayden Hall
Dec 12: Ready, Set, Glow! by Rye Cox
Dec 15: Scrooge You! by Brigham Vaughn

Excerpt

“You certainly know how to make a splash,” said a dry voice at his elbow, shaking him out of his irritation.

And setting into motion a new kind of annoyance that fizzled in Mik’s blood. “No one asked you,” he said to his brother’s best friend.

Rudy Snow raised one dark eyebrow, because of course he could do that. When Mik tried, he ended up with both eyebrows at his hairline.

“It’s certainly . . .” Rudy cast his gaze around, taking everything in. “Unique.”

“It’s majestic.”

“It looks like the Island of Misfit Toys. All you’re missing is a Charlie-in-the-Box.”

Crossing his arms over his chest, Mik clenched his teeth. “You’re not allowed to judge. You don’t even have a wreath on your front door.”

Rudy made a sound in the back of his throat, a rumbly laugh that made the back of Mik’s neck itch. “Do you often happen to find yourself outside my house, Miki?”

Mik’s stupid feelings went all gooey at the nickname. Or maybe that was just hunger. “It’s on my way to work.”

“Sure. If you take the long way.”

God. Why did he have to be so annoying?

And hot.

And annoyingly hot. All dark-haired and dark-eyed and scruffy-jawed, with a natural tan to his skin that perpetually made him look like he’d just come from the beach. He stood a couple of inches taller than Mik’s five feet eleven. At a year older than Mik’s thirty-one, Rudy was as fit now as he’d been when he’d played in the NHL, even two and a half years post-retirement.

Mik had considered himself lucky to be drafted to his brother’s team’s rival. With Mik playing for Washington and Josh playing for Pittsburgh, it had given Mik the chance to step out of his brother’s shadow and assert himself as his own person. And playing up the rivalry between their teams had been all sorts of fun at family get-togethers.

The problem Mik hadn’t anticipated had been twofold.

First, because Josh’s rookie year had been the gold f*cking star of rookie years, Mik had been instantly compared to him when he’d been drafted a year later, forevermore casting him in the role of Josh Gilmore’s little brother.

Second, there was Pittsburgh defenseman Rudy Snow. And Pittsburgh defenseman Rudy Snow wasn’t shy about checking his teammate’s little brother into the boards during Mik’s first Washington versus Pittsburgh game.

“It’s no secret in the league that your brother and his teammate Rudy Snow are good friends,” a reporter had said to Mik during the post-game interview after that game. “What do you have to say to your brother’s best friend after that check in the second period?”

Um, nothing?

He’d barely known Rudy. Plus, checking was what hockey players did.

While both those things were true, that hadn’t been what the reporter wanted to hear. So Mik had smirked and said, “That he better watch out. He won’t get the jump on me again. In fact, next time, I’m going to swipe the puck out from under him and score. Just wait and see.”

Mik had later learned that Rudy had responded to that with a pithy, “He can try.”

And that was it. Instant rivalry.

Carra's Review


Okay, this was what I would consider a fun, sweet with a bit of snark, low-angst holiday romance.  It’s also got a touch of hockey in there as well, plus the rivals-to-lovers aspect to keep things interesting.  Though I’d probably classify their rivalry as more friendly and teasing ;-)


Mik and Rudy were excellent characters, I really liked them both and would never be able to pick a favorite between them.  They’re the perfect duo to develop from a long-time sorta friendship into more, and they go together so well.  The rivalry between them when they were playing hockey spills over a little into their holiday decorating, which makes for some fun exchanges as Mik’s competitive streak rears its head, Particularly when you add his Bigfoot obsession to that.


Most of the story is relatively lighthearted, though Rudy does have some things to work out for himself.  When he was younger he lived a pretty nomadic life with his parents, so he does need to reconcile this with what he wants for his life.  


Get Frosted was a great story, and I’m giving it 4.5 stars.  It’s one of those holiday stories that will make you smile, and I’d even say it’s a feel-good holiday romance.  

About the Author

Amy’s lived with her head in the clouds since she first picked up a book as a child, and being fluent in two languages means she’s read a lot of books! She first picked up a pen on a rainy day in fourth grade when her class had to stay inside for recess. Tales of treasure hunts with her classmates eventually morphed into love stories between men, and she’s been writing ever since. She writes evenings and weekends—or whenever she isn’t at her full-time day job saving the planet at Canada’s largest environmental non-profit.

An unapologetic introvert, Amy reads too much and socializes too little, with no regrets. She loves connecting with readers. Join her Facebook Group to stay up-to-date on upcoming releases and for access to early teasers, find her on Instagram, or sign up for her infrequent newsletter.

Blog/Website  |  Facebook  |  Instagram

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Giveaway!

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

a signed paperback of Get Frosted

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Saturday, November 18, 2023

New Release - Excerpt & Giveaway: MU; LEGEND OF A LOST CITY by M.D. Neu


Mu; Legend of a Lost City

by M.D. Neu


Release Date: Saturday, November 11 2023

Publishing Company: Spectrum Books

Cover Artist: Spectrum Books

Word Count: 81,000


Primary Plot Arc: Speculative Fiction

Genres: Fantasy, Mystery-Thriller, Science Fiction

LGBTQ+ Identities (if applicable): gay with secondary characters who are non-binary

Keywords/Categories: Lost City, Atlantis, Mu, Underwater Fantasy, Under Sea Adventure, sci-fi, science fiction, fantasy, thriller, mystery, gay, non-binary



Blurb


For years, the whispers and legends of a lost city hiding in the Pacific Ocean were just that; legend. On the day Kaimi discovers his parents, the Queen and King of Mu, murdered, Mu’s most powerful weapon fired, sending a pulse rushing towards the North American west coast.


After the 2025 Great Pacific Pulse Event, or Pulse, vomited up much of humankind’s trash in the Pacific Ocean along the North American west coast. The mysterious occurrence causing the largest environmental disaster in human history, people are no longer certain there is nothing concealed in the depths of the ocean.


Scientist Karen Linn and billionaire investor Michael Donovan want to find out what actually happened that day five years ago. Will Michael’s life in the adult entertainment industry and Karen’s moniker in pseudoscience keep them as social pariahs, or are they on the cusp of finding a civilization that has been kept out of our grasp, deep in the world’s largest ocean? How does the event from five years ago tie into the murder of the Queen and King of Mu? 


What lies under the sea may be bigger than anyone can imagine, and neither civilization may be ready for the truth.



Excerpt


~ Chapter 1 ~


Five years ago.


The dripping crimson on his hands contrasted the polished blue stone floors in front of him. Iron permeated around him, the scent made him want to vomit. But he couldn’t leave or move, he was frozen by pain and action. Soft warm light from the energy crystals reflected off the walls and floor, filling the space with a bright, cheerful glow, reminding Kaimi of all the wonderful memories this chamber held for him. The birth of each of his younger siblings. The day he introduced Makani to his family, followed by the celebration of their marriage two years later. Watching as Nohealani and Malo were joined in the presence of their gods. Seeing each of their children brought forth and presented to the family and the gods upon their births.

So much joy. Now this.

A burble of air. A cough. A gasp of pain forced him to see what lay before him.

“Help!” His voice yelled out.

Everything sparkled in those memories, but now the red slowly muted not only the bright glow of the veins running through the floors but also his pristine white shirt. From this day forward, the crimson liquid and the pungent fragrance of death would taint each of his happy memories.

More memories pushed forward, forcing out what stretched before him. Kaimi witnessed the day Kai Malina received the gift of sight from the gods of Mu, and was welcomed by Mana Lani into the arms of the world of Spiritual healers and Māhū. Something Kaimi didn’t fully believe in, well, not as much as he did when he was younger, but everyone had been pleased. Even he found himself excited. Past images of joy played out in his mind. The music, the fire dancing, the tumblers and dancers, the fragrances of meats for the prepared feast. So much elation that day.

How had Mana Lani or Kai Malina not seen this coming? They are gifted with foresight. They are the Māhū. Perhaps they only see what suits them.

“No.” Kaimi whispered. “Please, someone.” His voice called out again. “Help!” He bellowed.

More family memories rushed as his mind continued to process the scene. The recollections of Nohealani, Ulani, Koa, Kai Malnia, and him running around when court wasn’t in session. Were they all there? He was barely more than thirteen, too old to play with the babies, but somehow, they had managed to engage him. How many times did he and Nohealani have to usher their younger siblings off to bed, or back to bed, after sneaking out of their sleeping chambers only to find them playing here?

A growing collection of scarlet pooled closer to him. Pouring from her body, the thick fluid marred the sparkle of her dress, crystals handstitched into the gown to reflect not only the light of the kingdom, but the light of her soul.

This can’t be happening. How did this happen? Who would do…

Troubling recent memories leaked into his mind as more crimson oozed through his fingers, even though his hands remained firmly in place. Rust continued to overpower every other scent around him. The disagreements about how and if to engage the above worlders. The concerns and potential for discovery by those who live in the sun. Koa arguing with both the Queen and King about how encounters with those above would be the end of them and their world here in Mu. The Queen believing now the time had come to reveal themselves, hoping their presence to be a positive influence on the world above.

“We can help them. Teach them.” She pointed to the ceiling. “We have so much to offer each other. Our worlds have been separated for too long.”

However, when challenged and asked, neither Kai Malina nor Mana Lani were able to interrupt what the Gods had to say on the matter. He wasn’t sure what their gods would say, assuming they commented at all. But if the Queen believed in joining the world above, who was he to argue the point? The rest of his siblings offered what he hoped to be agreement.

Well, not all. They didn’t argue in public, but in private we spoke freely with each other, even loudly when the need arose.

“I need assistants.” Kaimi called out, pleading with each word.

In the distance, the splashing of the tide pools outside the windows past the royal gardens filled his ears. Or were the sounds only his recollection bringing the noises to him? So many memories. Now this.—so much pain.—He peered over to the jeweled ornate windows, each crystal pane hand carved to reflect as much light as possible, while bringing the scenes of the world they once occupied to life with movement. Small shells from the creatures who filled the tide pools adding to the created images. A small breeze pushed the smells of water through the slightly opened windows, riding the air as more light shone through. The warmth on his skin and the taste of the salt water from the tide pools on his lips tingled all the way to his soul. He wished to be down there now, walking with Makani hand-in-hand, not here.

The blaring of sirens rang out, calling him from his thoughts, the piercing sound canceling out his calls for help. The puddles of red expanded around his knees and feet, beginning to soak his sarong.

A gift from Makani now ruined.

Kaimi forced himself to focus, his hands covered the wound before him. He glared up. As if seeing Koa for the first time. Koa stood over the body of the King on the floor. Koa stood and glanced down, offering no help. Red droplets on his white shirt and tan sarong created a similar pattern as the light crystals shown down on the kingdom when the light cycle recharged. At night, the crystals patterns were beautiful. Here, on Koa, the image made his stomach turn. Koa stayed quiet as he continued to hold the crystal pike in his hand.

Just as I found you. What happened? Why?

“Why?” Kaimi adjusted the pressure on the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood. The chest of the Queen raised and lowered slowly, but the inhalations were becoming much more irregular. He forced his stare up at Koa, his eyes moving from the weapon in his hands to the bodies on the palace floor.

“I… It…” Koa backed away, dropping the weapon to the ground, the clatter almost as loud as the siren still screeching to every corner of the palace, if not beyond. His head shook as he stared at his hands.

The main doors of the chamber burst open. “Koa!” A female voice called.

Upon hearing the doors, Koa made for the rear of the chamber.

“No!” Kaimi called out, wanting to rush after him, but if he did, there would be no one to care for the Queen or the King.



Universal Buy Link: 


https://books2read.com/Mu-Legend-of-a-Lost-City


Goodreads - Liminal Fiction - QueeRomance Ink




Giveaway!


Marvin is giving an ebook of Volaria to three different winners:


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About the Author



M.D. Neu is an international award-winning inclusive queer Fiction Writer with a love for writing and travel. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley (San Jose, California) and growing up around technology, he’s always been fascinated with what could be. Specifically drawn to Science Fiction and Paranormal television and novels, M.D. Neu was inspired by the great Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, Stephen King, Alice Walker, Alfred Hitchcock, Harvey Fierstein, Anne Rice, and Kim Stanley Robinson. An odd combination, but one that has influenced his writing.


Growing up in an accepting family as a gay man he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was. Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world.


When M.D. Neu isn’t writing, he works for a non-profit and travels with his biggest supporter and his harshest critic, Eric his husband of twenty plus years.


Website - Facebook - Instagram - Goodreads - Liminal Fiction - QueeRomance Ink - Amazon