DEEP

Synopsis

Fleeing from a troubled past that left him feeling tarnished and used, Sean finds work as a medic aboard the deep sea mining ship Ariel, on a distant planet.

Under the leader ship of the infuriating, yet charismatic, Captain Joel Riley, Sean settles into his simple, but dangerous, new life. It’s a life he soon comes to love; albeit one in which he conceals his sexuality and avoids intimacy.

But Sean’s new world is turned on its head when an old face threatens to expose him for the man he used to be.

With Joel’s help, will Sean learn to come to terms with his past and become a man he can be proud of?

Buy Links

Don’t miss the limited time 30% discount across Amazon sites!

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/deep-by-al-bates/

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/

Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/

Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-deep-1969763-177.html

Book Trailer

Excerpt

Joel Riley was a difficult captain to work under, and for his first season in the Deep, Sean was pretty sure he despised the man. But another season in he’d grown accustomed to the captain’s volatile temper and inability to compromise. Joel had been a miner all his life, born on Titan to a family of miners. He had the sea in his veins and Ariel was his heart. There was a confidence to Joel that drew the crew to him and an arrogance that kept him slightly out of reach. Rugged, strong, and built for hard labor, he was the exact opposite of Sean—and yet of all the crew, Sean felt closest to Joel. Sean understood the captain’s approach, his passions, and he trusted the older man with his life.

“Captain, is everything all right?” Sean said from the entrance.

Joel jumped, knocking his knees on the control board. “Jesus, boy! What you doing creeping around in the middle of the night?”

“I wasn’t creeping,” Sean said.

“Skulking around, spying on people, and you reckon that’s not creeping,” Joel grumbled.

Sean thought better of continuing into an argument. If Joel’s mood was testy they were going to go around in circles annoying each other.

“I was about to turn in,” Sean said, deciding it was best to be passive.

“You looking for permission?” Joel’s tone was still curt, but it wasn’t really directed at Sean. Something else was bothering him.

“No, I just thought I’d come in and say good night.”

Joel sighed, apparently appeased by the lack of confrontation. He gave Sean a weak, tired smile. “Better get some rest, Doc. Couple of hours and Harvey will need you to stitch something, no doubt.”

Wasn’t that the truth. Harvey, their engineer, was pretty good when it came to mineral mining and keeping the ship moving, but he could injure himself getting into his dive suit.

“What about you, Sir?”

“I’m not planning on cutting anything,” Joel said, his smile strengthening.

“I meant are you turning in?”

Joel hesitated. Usually the captain was impossible to read, but every so often Sean got hints of the man behind the muscle. There was a softness to him, hidden behind the square jaw and piercing eyes. Sean had always been drawn to his vulnerable side. It crept in from time to time, reminding Sean that the captain, despite liking to pretend he was a demigod, was just a man. A good man.

“Not yet.” A shadow seemed to be hanging over him.

“Would you mind some company?” Sean offered, sensing the captain had something he needed to get off his chest.

“Suit yourself.” It was as close to an invitation as Joel ever gave anyone.

About the author

A.L. BATES has a keen interest in Sci-fi and adventure novels and enjoys writing stories with strong characters in imaginative backgrounds. Although an avid writer, Deep is the first published novella by A.L. Bates.

A.L. Bates can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralbates

DEEP

Synopsis

Fleeing from a troubled past that left him feeling tarnished and used, Sean finds work as a medic aboard the deep sea mining ship Ariel, on a distant planet.

Under the leader ship of the infuriating, yet charismatic, Captain Joel Riley, Sean settles into his simple, but dangerous, new life. It’s a life he soon comes to love; albeit one in which he conceals his sexuality and avoids intimacy.

But Sean’s new world is turned on its head when an old face threatens to expose him for the man he used to be.

With Joel’s help, will Sean learn to come to terms with his past and become a man he can be proud of?

Pre-order Links

Don’t miss out the 30% pre-order sale on Amazon, the ARe 25% off sale till January 23^rd, WIP’s Unzipping 2016 Sale – 35% off all list titles till January 24^th, or the huge Australia Day Sale–January 25 to January 27—50% off all titles on WIP’s website and 35% off on ARe!

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/deep-by-al-bates/

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/

Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/

Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/Deep-L-Bates-ebook/dp/B01AOB6VW0/

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-deep-1969763-177.html

Book Trailer

Excerpt

THE HARDEST THING about working on Ariel was the absence of day and night. That deep in the ocean the hours passed in meaningless numbers as the ship floated in the endless depths of Titan, a rich oceanic moon orbiting Jupiter. Sean’s body clock had never adjusted. Three seasons underwater and he still found himself falling asleep during his shift in the infirmary or staring up at his bedroom ceiling, wide awake.

His head dropped sharply, the suddenness of it waking him up. He looked about, checking that no one had been in and caught him napping. Any of the five other crew members onboard were capable of tormenting him when his guard was down. During his first season the pranks were unbearable, but Sean had been a different man back then. He didn’t understand how to fit in and be part the crew. He took their games to heart for a long time.

It was better now. He was better. They still played their pranks, and sometimes he still got annoyed, but he appreciated them. The crew were family, and he cared for them all deeply. He never thought a man from his walk of life, with all his wealth and all his privilege, would happily settle on a rusty old mining ship with a group of feral deep-sea laborers. He expected the rest of the crew thought the same.

Sean stretched and yawned. His body had changed dramatically since he’d taken his first dive, too. You had to be strong and maintain good physical health working this deep. His body was toned and lithe and bigger than it had been when he first showed up on Titan looking for a job.

“You’re a bit young and scrawny to be a doctor, aren’t you?” the captain had said to him that day in the docking station, seeing a man barely scraping twenty-three and not fit for more than standing around and looking pretty.

Sean had given him some pompous reply that still made him cringe when he thought back to it. Sometimes he suspected the captain only took him on to try to break him. Captain Riley could be a sadistic bastard when he wanted to be.

About the author

A.L. BATES has a keen interest in Sci-fi and adventure novels and enjoys writing stories with strong characters in imaginative backgrounds. Although an avid writer, Deep is the first published novella by A.L. Bates.

A.L. Bates can be found on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/authoralbates

Release Day Blitz Kit

 Law and Crucible Saga 1 & 2 & 3 by Ioana Visan

 Release Day Blitz Date: December 15

 

Series: Law and Crucible Saga

Titles: No Port to Land, Point of Origin, Bonds of Steel

Author: Ioana Visan

Release Date: December 15, 2015

Genre: Science Fiction, Space Opera

Length: Novella, short story

 

No Port to Land

Nia is one of the few souls left aboard a drifting tomb known as The Pacific. The spaceship carries a deadly plague, and by the time they receive a distress call from an approaching shuttle, they are all close to losing hope they might ever escape alive. When the will of the shuttle crew and that of the survivors on The Pacific clash, Nia has to pick a side to save what she holds most dear.

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27400618-no-port-to-land

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017DT8LJM

 

 

Point of Origin

Suffering from neural degeneration, Thea is fading away in an asylum with no hope of ever leaving it.

 

When Captain Law offers her an opportunity to board his ship in return for her help, the astrophysicist is faced with having to learn to trust them or end up in another asylum with slim chance for recovery. And then her secret will be lost.

 

With a contract that they are desperate to obtain and a rogue asteroid in enemy territory, Captain Law and his crew must keep Thea free from harm, but a missing crew member and a band of misfits thwart their efforts and send them on a mission no one was prepared for.

 

Can Thea and Captain Law learn to work together for one goal or will long-held secrets and mistrust shake their resolve and destroy their efforts?

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27400633-point-of-origin

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017ERF84E

 

Bonds of Steel

On a routine trip across the asteroid field, the robot, Del, and unregistered AI, Vee, meet trouble. With Captain Law and his crew having been put into stasis, their only chance of survival will mean placing themselves at the mercy of what few resources they have. Without a human to assist them, Del and Vee will be vulnerable and so too will the ship and all the lives on board.

 

Despite their best efforts to avoid unwanted visitors, another ship is en route. Their arrival does not guarantee the safety of those on board, and may ultimately lead to their demise.

 

With his position on the ship on the line, can Del stave off an attack or are their deaths inevitable?

 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/27400651-bonds-of-steel

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B017ERSKTO

 

Price: $0.99 each

Free with Kindle Unlimited

 

About the Author:

Award-winning writer Ioana Visan has always dreamed about reaching the stars, but since she can’t, she writes about it.

After fighting the apocalypse aftermath in Human Instincts, she played with shapeshifters in Blue Moon Café Series: Where Shifters Meet for Drinks, she dealt with vampires in The Impaler Legacy series, she designed prosthetics in Broken People, and she helped wingless fairies in The Weight of a Wing before tackling a space opera saga.

Aside from publishing short stories in various Romanian magazines and anthologies, she published a Romanian short story collection, Efectul de nautil, and the Romanian edition of Human Instincts.

She received the Encouragement Award from The European Science Fiction Society at Eurocon 2013.

 

Social Links:

Website:      http://www.ioanavisan.tk

Blog:            http://weirdvision2001.blogspot.com

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/AuthorIoanaVisan

Twitter:         https://twitter.com/weirdvision

Amazon:      http://amazon.com/author/ioanavisan

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/ioanavisan

 

Rafflecopter Giveaway Code:

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Time for the Lost – Cover Reveal

Calla’s disappearance leads her family and friends to suspect that she’s lost. In a desperate attempt to find her, Valcas seeks help from a man he betrayed. A new search begins, one that sounds promising, even if it forces Valcas to confront his past.

The travel team reunites for a mission they never saw coming: a journey to a world caught between life and death, and hidden within the deepest recesses of time. Ivory rediscovers a friend and Ray learns the meaning behind his tattoo. But the connections they make between travelers and the lost may twist the core of the Time and Space Travel Agency inside out.

Time for the Lost is the third installment in The Call to Search Everywhen serial series.

Catch up with Calla and Valcas’ adventure before the third book releases in February 2016!

Amazon ~ Barnes & Noble ~ iTunes ~ Audible

About the Author

Chess Desalls is the author of the YA time travel series, The Call to Search Everywhen. She’s a longtime reader of fantasy and sci-fi novels, particularly classics and young adult fiction. Her non-fiction writing has led to academic and industry publications. She’s also a contributing editor for her local writing club’s monthly newsletter. The California Writers Club, South Bay branch, has awarded two of Chess’ stories first place for best short fiction. When she’s not reading or writing, she enjoys traveling and trying to stay in tune on her flute.

Connect with Chess on:

Twitter
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Goodreads
Pinterest

Renovo

G Wakeling terrified me with his book Inside Evil, now he’s back with an amazing sci-fi novella, Ronovo, which of course isn’t scary at all. I mean what could be scary about waking up on a spaceship that’s falling apart!!!! Needless to say I’m still having nightmares.

Up to her eyeballs in debt, Dr. Rachel Galliance jumps at the chance of a last-minute rotation on Mars, despite being terrified of hypersleep. This is her last chance to get life back on track, and it’s only one stint on Mars – how bad can it be?

When she awakes, her vessel – the Renovo – is eerily quiet; that’s before it begins to disintegrate around her. Fighting for her life and struggling to save her crewmates, Rachel realises something is very wrong. The question’s not will they reach Mars, but will they ever see Earth again?

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A Few Quiet Beers with God

A Few Quiet Beers with God

‘A Few Quiet Beers with God’ is a two-part novel in a sci-fi/comedy genre, set in the year 2031.

The plot unravels through the eyes of Dave, a roguish unemployed knockabout who spends most of his time in his local pub, the Stranglers Bar. Just as he is beginning to inwardly doubt his fruitless lifestyle, he meets the girl of his dreams, Alexandra. She becomes a new focus for his existence.

Meanwhile two very powerful enemies, the arrogant, obese Morgan W. Morgan and the conceited, handsome Harry Hieshler, are battling for control of the global television market. In order to lift his station’s ratings, Hieshler enlists the aid of his only non-enemy: a breathtakingly handsome, athletic, machismo, megastar soccer player who is simply known as ‘God’ to his adoring public.

Hieshler’s staff (he does little work himself) creates a marketing ploy – a competition that can only be entered by watching their station. The winner receives the ultimate prize – a date with God! Their ratings soar.

Meanwhile Dave has the night of his life with Alexandra and promises to call her the next evening. But alas! From there things go astray, and Dave gets drawn into the murky world of competition between Morgan and Hielshler, coupled with his yearning to find Alexandra. Part one ends with a resolution that you definitely won’t see coming.

Part two begins with … no, even a hint would spoil it!

If you enjoy offbeat, irreverent comedies, and crazy sci-fi adventures, then you’ll love A Few Quiet Beers with God. It has shades of Douglas Adams’ Hitch-hikers Guide to the Galaxy, Grant Naylor’s backwards-ness in Red Dwarf, and even the future para-realism of Ben Elton’s Stark.

The story references, among other things, adaption to new technologies, the explosion of social media sites, the all pervasive nature of the media, and, of course, lost pens.

Best suited to ages 12 and up. New adults and adults who are young at heart will enjoy the oblique references to “the old days” of the early 21st century.

Links Web: www.JPpublishingAustralia.com

Read a sample: https://jppublishingaustralia.wordpress.com/sample-a-few-quiet-beers-with-god/

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Few-Quiet-Beers-God-ebook/dp/B00T6RSN9I/

Amazon Australia: http://www.amazon.com.au/Few-Quiet-Beers-God-ebook/dp/B00T6RSN9I/

Amazon Author page: http://www.amazon.com/John-Perrier/e/B00CJ3JKU2/

Goodreads Author page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4083632.John_Perrier

The Klockwerk Kraken

Amazon ~ Barnes and Noble ~ iBooks ~ All Romance ~ Kobo ~ MLR Press

Synopsis

When the right space pilot walks into his bar, a desperate bartender uses all his wiles (and tentacles) to talk the man into business and his bed–but the spacer is still enslaved by his past and isn’t sure he can deal with a two-handed lover, much less one with six.

As the supply shipments stop coming, Teo Houdin needs all his tentacles to keep his waystation bar open. Facing a riot by thirsty miners stranded in the backwater of the galaxy, Teo helps a greenie space pilot buy a ship in return for a regular haul of liquor. But he longs for the courage to invite the enigmatic spacer to fill his lonely bed as well.

Still smarting from his newly implanted navigational ports, Jimenez knows owning his own ship will prevent him from ever being bought and sold again. For a former slave, transporting cargo through the emptiness of space sounds like paradise, but after meeting the compassionate and sexy Teo, his heart feels empty, too.

At the edge of the galaxy’s spiral arm, can Teo convince Jimenez that the heart has its own tentacles and theirs should be entwined forever?

Excerpt

Jimenez opened the bar’s airlock and the urge to run out again washed over him like a splash of cold water. He commanded his frozen legs to shuffle forward and inside. This could turn ugly if he lost his concentration for even a moment. But he wouldn’t. He’d been practicing, becoming accustomed to groups larger than this for revs now.

He could be just like everyone else.

None of them would see the scars on his back or the brand of his tattoo that had marked him since puberty.

Men and women filled half the tables and booths, some laughing and drinking, a few puffing blue smoke. The gaming tables on the side were empty, while a lone player at the billiard table opposite pocketed ball after ball. The room rang with loud voices, clinking glasses, and raucous music.

Jimenez slid into an empty spot at the pale stone bar and caught sight of the clearest, happiest eyes he’d ever seen, a shade lighter than the man’s tousled brown mop above. A dimple quirked at the side of his full lips, mesmerizing Jimenez. The loud voices behind him slid away and for a moment, it was quiet in his mind. Jimenez flinched when his shoulder was jostled and the spell broke.

“Hey, you okay, buddy? First time? What can I pour for you?”

Jimenez blinked, realizing the tall bartender was speaking to him. The man’s smiling eyes crinkled at the corners of his bronzed face. Jimenez swallowed, and he ducked his chin, trying not to stare again, trying to hide his hot cheeks. He’d never been so close to such a handsome man.

“Did you want a drink?” The bartender quirked an eyebrow.

“Yeah… I mean yes. Whiskey neat.” His voice came out gruffer than he expected.

“Bourbon, Scotch, Rye…?”

“Surprise me.” It was a game Jimenez played. He’d order whiskey and discover what the bartender served. If he reached for the rail bottle closest to hand, it meant he would pour either the cheapest or the local favorite. If he pulled something from the top shelf, the bartender angled for a bigger tip. But if he grabbed a decanter off to the side or behind another bottle, he’d score the bartender’s personal pick.

“Coming right up.”

The bartender raised a tentacle in greeting, calling out to another patron.

Oh, God. The man was a Pod.

Of course he was.

In a joint named the Klockwerk Kraken, who better to tend the bar than a tentacled man?

About the Author

Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at twelve years old but took a hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons, produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it has been a lifelong dream of Aidee’s to write both romance and erotica with a little science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the paranormal thrown in to add a zing.

You can find her on her blog at http://www.aideeladnier.com or on her favorite social media sites:

GIVEAWAY CENTRAL

Coloring Contest

Aidee is holding a Coloring Contest!! Visit the link below and download one of her coloring sheets and upload it once you have finished coloring for a chance to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card plus a signed LIMITED EDITION of the Klockwerk Kraken. So get some crayons and grab the kids because the more you enter the more chances you have to win.

http://www.aideeladnier.com/2015/01/coloring-contest.html

Blog Tour Giveaway

Aidee is giving away a prize pack filled wth gift cards and lots of Kraken style goodies!

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Bigfoot, Big Deal

Today I have an extract from Michelle Vongkaysone‘s Bigfoot, Big Deal. Take a look.

---

Within it, Inanna tried to apologize profusely, her attention darting from her companions to the elder Boulder. As hot pink flashed all about, she noted Duncan and Tanner’s renewed talk, now focused on food, albeit not of the thrown variety. While the latter held a bit of biscuit for “ammo”, he tried to be polite, listening to his superior’s rapid, lively chatter.

“Dad, how the hell should I know what he eats?!” Tanner shot back, his voice striking through those of all around him. “We just saw him this morning!” His right hand suddenly balled into a fist, the likes of which met their table. A clatter of dishes and silverware vibrated in the air, sending the eyes of all upward. Magenta orbs set wide, their owner stared at him with a shared indignant. “Ina, you got anythin’ to say?”

As the woman bit her lip on fresh nerves, her gaze shifted from Tanner to the younger Boulder, who remained focused on his dinner. Three drumsticks sat within view, stripped bare of their flesh and coating. Stray crumbs and red potato skins also lay on his plate, aside some lingering green beans. “Um, it appeared to be a large ape,” Inanna replied to the men, now deeply concerned for Benjamin’s well-being. He sat eerily silent, a restrained ire painting his motions. “So, I presume like them: Omnivorous, with emphasis on wild fruits and vegetables?”

She peered at the pale man, attempting to drive away his unease as such. His head eased up, revealing a small, civil smile upon pale lips. Now invigorated by his approval, Inanna turned back to the other men, her own lips parted. “See, isn’t that better?” she asked to the elder Boulder, his burning gaze upon her features. “Sir, doesn’t that make sense? I presume it’s like any other primate: Strong, agile, primarily feeds on fruits and such-”

“Right, like he’d have a body like that on plants,” Tanner abruptly stated, his eyes upon the hush puppy speared on his fork. “But, that’s the difference between Ina and vegetables: Some people actually want to eat her, ya know.” As he shuffled its doughy form in creamy gravy, the collected Boulders and Inanna herself stared at him. When a livid silence surrounded them, the man became aware of his grand error.

“Oh, dear,” Inanna softly sated through his given silence, her curious eyes upon his hunched form. “I’m sure he didn’t mean that! Forgive him, things have been really interesting at the house-” A slim brow raised up, its amethyst stripe imparting the woman with a rakish air. From their own seats, the elder Boulders glanced to each other, a hushed question on their lips. Duncan was the first to eye her head on, his own silver brows furrowed in his given objections.

His steely gaze bore through Inanna’s still form as full lips twitched with an eager anticipation and unease. His booming voice shot off at once, sending another torrent of questions upon her and Tanner. Their senses pushed to their limits, the pair retorted back to him, their voices panicked and fretful. As the trio argued among themselves once more, Betty and her kin sat idle, their forms abruptly paralyzed by shock and restraint.

“Because it wouldn’t be Sunday Dinner without some stupid comment,” Benjamin quietly groused to himself in vain. “Tanner, man, what’s gotten into you? Usually, I’m the one about that!” His head lowered once more, concealing his indignant eye roll from all. In the midst of their given racket, he tried retain his decorum as he pushed stray green beans around his plate.

Despite his growing embarrassment, the man manged to glance at his mother, scanning her for any such feelings. Betty’s painted lips were in a straight line, with only her left eye as any indication of her true mood. The bare orb twitched slightly, its movements tailored to accompany a well-meaning head shake. “Good Lord, it’s sad when we’re the sane people ’round here,” Benjamin teased to her, bearing a polite grimace of his own. “Isn’t it, Mom?”

“Dear, don’t say that,” the elder Boulder reasoned under her breath, her gaze drawing close to his slumped form. As a secondary caution, her mouth eased into a gentle smile, calm and invincible to any outside intrusion. “I’m sure Dad and Tanner, and Inanna have reason to go on like this.” To further her instilled serenity, Betty’s eyes snapped shut, shielding violet orbs as the trio’s heated arguments vibrated throughout their space. “I have pie, do you want some?”

“Of course,” he replied back as he released his fork from his grasp. “In the kitchen, right?” In an instant, it fell to his plate, releasing a clatter as warm metal met ivory china. His eyes darted to his mother’s side, and then to the thoroughly engrossed trio close by. More unruly notions pushed aside for the moment, Benjamin got up from his chair and tapped at Betty’s shoulder. In no time, she stood up as well, eyes open to the chaos around them.

On barely audible steps, the pair shuffled by their companions, en route to the elder’s now empty kitchen. When Inanna caught sight of them in the corner of her bright eyes, her hand rose, its pointer finger up straight. Such a gesture called Duncan and Tanner’s attention forth, prompting them to speak in hushed tones. “Oh, Benjamin and Betty left,” she stated in a small, shaky voice. Milky lids fell upon her orbs, blurring their internal flame. “They must be sick of us yelling at each other about everything.”
“That may be true,” Duncan remarked to her on a raw, authoritative cadence. “Far be it from me to impose on my clan on purpose, but I worry about you three.” His pale orbs fixed upon her frame, attempting to bore through its concealed curves. The left corner of his mouth curled into a bemused smile, the likes of which gave him a sly expression. With no vocal warning, the elder turned to Tanner, his full lips parted slightly. “After all, it’s not like you to be so perverted! Really, what’s gotten into you, son?”

As the pair stood in front of their towering refrigerator, crayon-drawn images entered their sight, long past relics of the pale man’s childhood. With a gentle, nostalgic nod, Betty reached for its handle, a large claw of silver. She drew it towards herself, revealing the devices contents in full. Soft light from within surrounded numerous plastic containers and bottles, like a trove of prized vessels. That pure calm the elder radiated beamed upon them, as though nothing could affect them with such notions.

“So, what’s all that ruckus about?” Betty inquired to her kin as she pulled a chilled concoction from its rack. Though she grasped its glass frame in both hands, the woman tried to shut her device closed. In the midst of her scramble, Benjamin shuffled over to ease its door shut himself. When violet met crimson, she smiled warmly at him, and propped her hands up to her chest. “Caught me there: Anyway, what happened with you and Inanna? Must be somethin’ big for them to be hollerin’ like that.”

“It’s a long story, Mom,” Benjamin replied, his gaze shifting from his mother’s face to kitchen walls. “It’s not just Bigfoot, either. Some stuff happened that made us rethink some things.” As bright eyes darted to and fro, Betty fixed her attention on his form, silently coaxing his focus to one point. As the pie rested in her hands, its top of whipped cream caught artificial light, making it appear like a cloud. “But, don’t worry! I’m sure we’ll take care of things eventually.”

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The Running Game on Audio

If you’re on the road, cleaning the house, or out in the garden you still need to read a book right? Well now you can download The Running Game as an Audio book. Check out the sample and listen to the wonderful Mil Nicholson as she narrates my paranormal thriller.

http://www.audible.com/pd/Mysteries-Thrillers/The-Running-Game-Audiobook/B00T82F3S0/ref=a_search_c4_1_3_srTtl?qid=1432565805&sr=1-3

Craving Stains

I’m very excited today to be bringing you a guest post from amazing author Alina Popescu, who isn’t just a great writer and promoter, but she’s a good friend who has held my hand for more than a year now. Check out her book, I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

 

Find the Author in the Character Details

They say the devil is in the details, and they probably are right, just because everything is in the details. You idiot in a text can be an insult or it can show anger. Add an emoji that’s winking or sticking its little tongue out and the meaning changes. But I digress! Authors follow the way the devil likes to play it. Sometimes, you can find them hidden in character details. Is this an extension of write what you know? Maybe. Or maybe we spend so much time with our characters that we just can’t help it and we put a bit of our very souls in them. Or some of our ideas, feelings, fears. It’s an anything goes sort of deal!

I’ve been quite honest in saying that Alexa, my female lead in the Bad Blood trilogy is probably 90% me. She had my background, a lot of my physical traits, even more of how I think, react, and talk at times. She ran away to the one place I considered running away to. Yup, she’s me, no doubt about that. It’s the closest I’ve ever come to writing myself into a character, and that is probably why the trilogy was both therapeutic, cathartic, and challenging for me to write.

However, Alexa is not the only character I added parts of me to. I added my need to get away and break free to Wynn. Sure, I did not have it as bad, but while I wrote Craving Stains, I was also staring out the window at the beautiful weather and hoping I could just forget about work and run way somewhere. Writing is always easier and better when you’re on vacation, isn’t it?

Doyle did not escape either. I gave him all my love for bikes, tattoos, and adventure. In a way, Wynn and Doyle were two sides of me that were arguing with each other at the time. They went ahead and ganged up on me, making me write their story, but that’s okay!

I did not stop there. Vicks, one of the main characters of my werewolf universe, got my dog, Ares. She refuses to walk him when I tell her to, even if he actually listens to her… Bad character! Shiki—who shares the same universe of the Tales of the Werewolf Tribes series and whose book, Strength to Let Go, you’ll get in early July—got my otaku side (he’s into video games, manga, and anime as much as I am), and some of my emotional hiccups, such as blaming himself for everything that goes wrong in his relationship.

Putting bits and pieces of yourself into the characters you write is not good or bad. It just is for a lot of us. I also happen to think it makes the characters real, easy to relate to. Sure, I am trying to keep it subtle and not get swept away by my god complex… I have one, I just try not to be obvious about creating my characters in my own image 😀

 

Title: Craving Stains

Author:  Alina Popescu

Length: novella

Genre: gay, gay fiction, science fiction, paranormal, gay romance

Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Synopsis

Wynn Brenwood has been trapped by his mother since birth, shut away in a sterile, hospital-like apartment.

Is it her desire to keep him safe that sees him locked up in his pristine cage? Or are her motives less innocent and well-intentioned?

Wynn longs to break free to experience the world he sees beyond his window.

Desperate to escape, he meets Doyle, a handsome, leather-clad, and enigmatic stranger.

But is Doyle real, or is he just a figment of Wynn’s imagination?

Book Trailer

Buy Links

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UUE58SU/

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00UUE58SU/

Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B00UUE58SU/

Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B00UUE58SU/

WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/craving-stains-by-alina-popescu/

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-cravingstains-1766728-145.html

Giveaway

Prizes: 1 x $20 WIP Gift card and 3 x ebook copy of Craving Stains by Alina Popescu

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About the author

Writer, traveler, and coffee addict, Alina Popescu has been in love with books all her life. She started writing when she was ten and she has always been drawn to sci-fi, fantasy, and the supernatural realm. Born and raised in Romania, she finds her inspiration in books of all genres, in movies, and the occasional manga comic book. She is a proud geek who needs her fast Internet and gadgets more than she needs air.

Social Links

Site & Blog: http://alina-popescu.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/authoralinapopescu

Twitter: http://twitter.com/alina_popescu

Instagram: http://instagram.com/alinapopescuwriter

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/alina-popescu

Google+:  https://www.google.com/+AlinaPopescu

Amazon:  http://amazon.com/author/alinapopescu

 

Extract

A young and happy-looking hostess whom Moira barely acknowledged greeted her and walked her to the Director’s office. They know how much of a screw up they have to weasel their way out of, Moira thought, a cold smile curving half of her mouth. She was going to make them sweat, and she was going to get everything she wanted from them.

Doctor Miller, the chief physician on Wynn’s case, the Director, and some mousy-looking little man who Moira suspected was an accountant or something along those lines were all waiting for her. They first offered her any and all treats and beverages in the universe, and when met with her brusque refusal, they slouched in their chairs and prepared for the onslaught.

“Gentlemen,” Moira started, smiling broadly, yet having no warmth reflected through her eyes. “I hear you’ve sent a report to the Finance Bureau, claiming my son is in perfect health,” she went on, her voice turning icier with every word. “Maybe it’s time for us to end our contract then. No use paying you that obscene monthly fee to have you do nothing but hold his hand.”

“Miss Brenwood, it was simply the truth,” the accountant said in a bitter voice, but reconsidered under the murderous stare of the Director.

“Moira, darling, please ignore him,” the Director said, his heavy breathing being for once caused by something other than his obesity. “We clearly stated that this qualified as proactive care, preventing any other future illness in your son’s case.”

“Well, Clifton,” Moira said, stressing the man’s first name with a curl of her lip. “You weren’t very convincing apparently. They are going to investigate me for money laundering. As I have all the proper documents and invoices from you, I assure you, they will find nothing wrong with my papers. But as your reports indicate otherwise, I am sure they’ll think someone in your lower financial ranks isn’t in on it, thus forgetting to cover your tracks, and have your hospital investigated as well.”

She watched the man pale, his jaw dropping, making an obscenely gaping hole. She rolled her eyes, and then shook her head. What the hell had these idiots thought would happen? That when the Bureau came a-knocking and found nothing, they’d just go home with their tail between their legs? Of course they’d always investigate both or all parties involved in a potential fraud.

“Clifton, you really have no idea how the world works. How on earth do you manage this hospital?” She graced them with her special, mocking smirk, the one she’d developed in the many decades of being a rich wife with seemingly too much time on her hands.

“Mrs. Brenwood, I assure you, we will fix this,” the Director said, turning to look at the accountant sternly.

“Oh, I am sure you will. Now, Dr. Miller, I need a private moment with you.” She stood and left the office without saying goodbye, walking straight to Miller’s own

office. Moira ventured a glance over her shoulder and saw the good doctor following her like the obedient little dog he was.