Book Excerpts

Tempting Jordan by Andrea Dalling: Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

July 24, 2015 by Denise

Jordan Callahan is disillusioned about dating since he caught yet another boyfriend cheating. He’s tired of giving his heart to men who only want his body. At his five-year high school reunion, he meets up with old flame Rick Ferguson. Tall, dark, and bisexual, Rick has been his dream guy since sophomore year. But Rick is in the closet and has dated a string of women since high school. If he gives in to the temptation of Rick’s kisses, his lost love could be his future—or just another in a string of men to break his heart.

Rick has tried to live up to other people’s expectations. Everyone in his small home town is waiting for the former captain of the football team to settle down with a nice girl. Well, girls aren’t in the cards for him, and he’s done trying. He wants Jordan, his best friend since first grade. But a relationship with Jordan means coming out—disappointing his family and inviting ridicule from friends. His golden boy reputation will be shattered if he follows his heart to the only love he’s ever wanted.

Author Name: Andrea Dalling

Book Name: Tempting Jordan

Series: Second Chances

Book: Two (Can be read as a standalone)

Release Date: July 20, 2015

Pages or Words: 34,000 words

Categories: Bisexual, Erotica, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Artesian Well Publishing

Cover Artist: Andrea Dalling

Jordan’s muscles slackened, and cold anticipation formed a lump in his stomach. Rick isn’t really jealous?

But the feral look in Rick’s eyes said he was.

The hand on his shoulder nudged him toward the ballroom. Did Rick want him? Was that why he’d agreed to come stag?

Rick’s fingers idly tapped the small of Jordan’s back as they walked. The whisper of contact was odd and possessive, and it sent Jordan’s blood surging to all the wrong places. He shouldn’t have had that second scotch. He was relaxed and horny, especially with Rick so close, when he needed to keep his wits about him. Rick would never forgive him if he let something slip about their past together in front of their high school friends.

The tapping continued, revving his nerves into high gear. His fly pressed painfully against his flesh. He turned to Rick. “Will you stop touching me?”

Rick’s easy smile fled. “Why?”

He grabbed the collar of Rick’s shirt and said in his ear, “Because, dumbass, you’re making me hard.”

Rick raised his brows and smirked. They moved forward again. The tapping slowed but didn’t stop.

Amazon

Andrea Dalling lives in the sexy Southeast, where the summers are hot and the romance hotter. During the day, she’s an award-winning technical writer, but at night, she writes steamy stories. She loves to torture her characters but eventually rewards them with a happily-ever-after. Married to her college sweetheart, she’s a progressive Christian and an advocate for LGBT rights. You can follow her on Facebook (andrea.dalling.romance) or on Twitter (@Andrea_Dalling).

Tour Dates & Stops: July 24, 2015
Parker Williams, Bike Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Havan Fellows, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Molly Lolly, Inked Rainbow Reads, Jessie G. Books, Amanda C. Stone, My Fiction Nook, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, 3 Chicks After Dark, Boys on the Brink Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, MM Good Book Reviews, Christy Loves 2 Read, Velvet Panic, Nic Starr, The Hat Party, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Chris McHart, Kimi-Chan, Mikky’s World of Books

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Uncommon Valor by Rachel Ravenheart: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Giveaway

July 22, 2015 by Denise

“Lil’ Bro,

If you’re reading this, then something obviously happened and I’m not going to be around. I wanted to let you know how much I love you, and you don’t have to tear yourself up over this. I’m the one who chose to enlist, and I believe I’ve served proudly for the last few years. I know this won’t ease your mind any, but I believe I’m probably in a better place now. Please don’t be sad. I died doing what I loved, fighting for my country. I wish I could be there for you when you tell Mom and Dad about you being gay. Just know that I am with you in spirit. Look to Chase for guidance. I know he’ll be the big brother for you I can no longer be. The guys will be a great support for you, and they won’t care that you’re gay. They’re a great group of guys, and they’ll treat you just like I would. They’ll be a support system for you when Dad blows up, and you know he will. Be safe and know I will be watching out for you from the other side.

Love, Sam.”

Uncommon Valor is not just a story of a gay man, it is the fulfilling story of a young man who is on the verge of discovering his true self and he has the perfect prop to do that. He is also about to become a Dad. Will he pull through as a gay man and a Dad? Or will he fall upon the wayside and reject his newborn child, and in so doing, also reject the man of his dreams?

Author Name: Rachel Ravenheart

Book Name: Uncommon Valor

Release Date: July 22, 2015

Pages or Words: 172 pages, 48,661 words

Categories: Gay fiction, M/M Romance, Military

Publisher: Cool Dudes Publishing

Cover Artist: Louis C. Harris

Goodreads Link

Last weekend with the platoon was great.

I met a ton of new people, and the guys were really supportive when I told them. I hadn’t heard anything from my Mom, so I wasn’t sure what to think about that, but I’d decided I wasn’t going to worry too much. I was on cloud nine from having spent time with people who didn’t care I was gay and treated me like one of the guys even though I wasn’t a Marine.

That all came to a halt when I ran into Tina in the dining hall on campus during the week.

Tina uses her beauty to her advantage. She’s medium height with red hair and green eyes. Whatever she said was right and she was of the opinion that no one could outsmart her. Personally, I tried to stay away from her if I possibly could.

But, she had a crush on me.

I never got the chance to tell my brother that during a night of drunkenness I had slept with her. There was a part of me that always felt something else had been involved, but I couldn’t prove it. I didn’t even know if we did anything. All I knew was I woke up the next morning in the same bed with her and both of us were naked. It wasn’t something I was proud of, and I honestly hoped I would never see her again. Unfortunately, we were both in law school together, so I knew that wasn’t going to be an option.

I’d almost completely forgotten about the incident because it had happened at the end of the semester and I had taken the summer off. The new semester had just started, and I had been lucky enough to not see her in any of my classes or around campus.

I was shocked to see her with what I would consider a baby bump, but I didn’t want to make any assumptions. I pretended to not see her, but she saw me.

“Jason! I need to talk to you,” she said, and grasped my elbow from behind.

“What do you want, Tina?” I yanked my arm out of her grasp with a snarl.

“It’s a private matter.”

“We can talk tat my house, but that’s all that’s going to happen.” I turned and walked away, expecting her to follow me to the parking lot. As it turned out, we were parked fairly close to each other, and I motioned for her to follow me as I got into my car.

We arrived at my house and I was still trying to figure out what she wanted to talk to me about. I had a feeling I wasn’t going to like it.

Inside, she headed for the lounge. “Would you like something to drink?” I asked. When I turned to face her she held her stomach in a protective manner.

“Water would be nice.”

“Have a seat and I’ll be right back.” I said, placing my bag on the floor by the door.

When I returned, she was standing in front of the bay window looking out over the park. “Here you go.” I held out a bottle of water to her as she turned around.

“Thanks, Jason. I’m sorry to put you out like this, but I needed to talk to you and I didn’t want to do it with people around.”

“What’s going on? I haven’t seen you since the end of spring semester.” I walked over and took a seat on the couch and waited to hear what she had to say.

“I went home for summer break and some surprising news came up just before I came back to school.” She came over and sat down next to me.

“Spit it out,” I said, frustrated. I just wanted her gone; something about her really irked me.

“The thing is, just before I came back I realized that I had missed my period so I went to the doctor and took a pregnancy test. I’m pregnant.”

“What’s that got to do with me?” It felt like I had been punched in the gut.

“Well, I hadn’t been with anyone for a while before you and I hooked up at the end of the semester.” She licked her lips and wrung her hands.

“We didn’t hook up. I got way too drunk and don’t remember anything until I woke up the next morning with you by my side and naked.”

“Why do you refuse to believe that what we shared was something special?” she whined. “You know you love me, you only need to admit it and we’ll be happy together as a family.”

“It wasn’t special. What do you want from me?”

“I want you to be a father to our child. I want us to be a family.” She tried to put her hand on my arm. I pulled away.

“We will never be a family. What the HELL were you thinking? Obviously you weren’t; that’s the problem.” I walked over to the bay window and glared out. “If the child is mine I’ll support it and even take custody of him or her, but we will never be together. As soon as the baby is born I’m going to fight for custody and before I commit to anything there needs to be a paternity test, until that time you are nothing more to me than a pregnant woman. Until you have further information, I think this is all we have to talk about.”

“We’d make good parents together. Why are you refusing to admit that?” she cried.

“I have no doubt that we will be good parents, but we won’t be a couple. I’m gay and will not be in a relationship with any woman. Now, if there’s nothing else, I think that it’s time for you to leave. Let me know when you set up the paternity test and I’ll be there. We’ll talk more after the test results come back.” I opened the front door and waited for her to leave. I was being mean and harsh, but I was pissed about what had happened, mostly at myself because I let myself get wasted at that party. I wished I could remember what happened that night.

She stormed past me and went out to her car mumbling under her breath. Part of me hoped I was the father, but there was a greater part of me that hoped I would have nothing more to do with her.

Rachel Ravenheart is new to the literary world, but has had the desire to write since she was in junior high school. She moved from a small town in Iowa in time to start high school in Louisiana.

Rachel lost sight of writing as she got bogged down with sports and school. Her dream of being a writer forgotten as she looked to the future to study Political Science with the hope of going to law school when she moved to Texas.

To make her way in the world she got wrapped up in the field of nursing when she got a job as a C.N.A. and soon even her dream of law school was forgotten. Strangely, thanks to an injury she was at home recuperating and was bored when she remembered her love for writing. Never thinking she would ever get published she began.

It was writers like Rob Colton, Mann Ramblings, and Alicia Nordwell that inspired her creativity. She found GayAuthors.org and after some encouragement she decided to post her first story. With the enthusiasm of readers her confidence grew and she took the step to send off her first story to be published. It was with great delight when she was offered her first contract. Hopefully, the first of many.

Where to find the author:

Facebook Author Page

Twitter: @wolfwriter1492

Other: http://rachelravenheart.weebly.com
Tour Dates & Stops: July 22, 2015

Parker Williams, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Divine Magazine, Velvet Panic, Molly Lolly, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Bayou Book Junkie, Inked Rainbow Reads, BFD Book Blog, Havan Fellows, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Bike Book Reviews, Ogitchida Book Blog, Jessie G. Books, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Happily Ever Chapter, Multitasking Mommas, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Mikky’s World of Books, Hearts on Fire
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Resurrecting Elliot by Cate Ashwood: Blog Tour, Excerpt, Giveaway

July 21, 2015 by Denise

Nightmares and panic attacks following a horrific tragedy leave Professor Elliot Lawrence a prisoner in his own home. After months of relying on his sister as his only connection to the outside world, Elliot is desperate for a sliver of independence. But leaving the safety of his home isn’t an option, not yet, and he reaches out in the most innocuous way he can think of: grocery delivery.

Colton Kelly, retired porn star and recent college grad, is struggling at two minimum wage jobs to make ends meet. During one of his grocery deliveries, he meets Elliot. Although the attraction between them is instant, they must first traverse the long road of putting Elliot back together. When disaster strikes yet again, this time in Colt’s life, Elliot’s not sure he’s strong enough to be the man Colt needs him to be.

Author Name: Cate Ashwood

Book Name: Resurrecting Elliot

Series: Newport Boys

Book: Two (Can be read as a standalone, but you get background character on Colt in book one)

Release Date: July 20, 2015

Pages or Words: 200 pages

Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Goodreads Link

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Brooke Albrecht

TEN MINUTES. He was going to be here in ten minutes. Maybe. The website had given Elliot a window of an hour, but with ten minutes to, he was beginning to feel anxious. His heart was racing. His palms were already sweating. No one other than his sister and Dr. Mazur had crossed the threshold of his front door since it happened.

Nothing like throwing himself into the fire.

Elliot paced around the house, tidying what had already been tidied. He didn’t want this guy thinking he was a hoarder on top of being a shut-in. He double-checked that there was no clutter on his coffee table, that the newspapers his sister brought were neatly stacked and ready for the fireplace. The side tables had been dusted—twice—and the blanket on the back of the couch straightened. Pulling down the blinds on his front windows, he peered out, looking for a strange vehicle, but the street was deserted.

He walked back into the kitchen. Spotless. He wasn’t really sure how the whole delivery thing worked, if the guy just left his things at the door or if he brought them all the way into the house. Glancing at the clock again, he saw he had just enough time to fix—

There was a loud knock at the door. This was it. He hoped he wouldn’t puke on this guy’s shoes as soon as the door opened. He felt like he might. As calmly as he could, he walked to the front door and unlocked it.

Deep breaths, just keep breathing, he reminded himself before he clutched at the doorknob, turned it, and pulled his front door open.

He almost forgot to keep breathing.

The man that stood on the other side of his door, backlit by the sun, looked up and gave a crooked smile that made Elliot’s already rapidly beating heart hustle.

“Hi, are you Elliot Lawrence?” the man asked, his southern drawl warm and comforting somehow.

“Yes,” Elliot said unintelligently… and then forgot how to speak.

“I’m Colt.”

Amazon

Dreamspinner Press Ebook

Dreamspinner Press Paperback

All Romance ebooks

Barnes & Noble
Kobo

Cate Ashwood wrote her very first story in a hot-pink binder when she was in the second grade and found her passion for writing. Her first successful foray into romance writing came five years later when she wrote her best friend, who was experiencing a case of unrequited love, her own happily ever after.

Cate’s life has taken a number of different and adventurous roads. She now lives a stone’s throw from the ocean, just outside of Vancouver, British Columbia with her husband, her little boy, and their two cats. Her life is filled with family and friends, travel, and, of course, books.

Where to find the author:

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/cate.ashwood

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Cate-Ashwood-Author/288329491267435?fref=ts

Twitter: @cateashwood

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/cateashwood/

Tour Dates & Stops: July 21, 2015

Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Havan Fellows, Bayou Book Junkie, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Molly Lolly, My Fiction Nook, Bike Book Reviews, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Kimi-Chan, Happily Ever Chapter, Christy Loves 2 Read, Inked Rainbow Reads, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Reviews by Jessewave, MM Good Book Reviews, Iyana Jenna, Mikky’s World of Books, Love Bytes, Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My, The Hat Party, Andrew Q. Gordon, Divine Magazine

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Plaid Nights Anthology: Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

July 14, 2015 by Denise

In Plaid Nights, men in kilts are as varied as they are hot. Whether they’re caber tossers, rugby players, Highland warriors, country dancers, or time-traveling vampires, they’re up for surprises and sexy good times.

Rob Rosen starts us off with humor in “Tossing It.” Contemporary men discover love in unexpected places in “Whiskey and Want” by Megan McFerren, “Some Like It Scot” by Julia Talbot, “Perfect Working Order” by Elizabeth Coldwell, and “Off-Kilter” by Racheline Maltese & Erin McRae. We get a taste of the paranormal in “Sir WW” by Angelique Voisen, “Feumaidh Mi Ruith (I Have to Run)” by Missouri Dalton, and “Kilt in the Closet” by Logan Zachary. And we’re treated to forbidden love in historicals “Hunting for a Highlander” by Lila Mathews, “A Time to Heal” by Anna Mansel, and “As Fair Art Thou, My Bonny Lad” by McKay.

In these stories, some tartan-clad men wear their kilts in the “traditional manner,” while others are less daring. But all find love, and of course, a happy ending—especially at night, when the plaid comes off.

Book Name: Plaid Nights Anthology

Author Names: Rob Rosen, Megan McFerren, Julia Talbot, Elizabeth Coldwell, Racheline Maltese & Erin McRae, Angelique Voisen, Missouri Dalton, Logan Zachary, Lila Mathews, Anna Mansel, and McKay

Release Date: July 15, 2015

Pages or Words: 65,000 words

Categories: Contemporary, Erotica, Gay Fiction, Historical, M/M Romance, Paranormal (Please note: As an anthology, not all categories may relate to all stories.)

Publisher: Torquere Press

Cover Artist: BSClay

From “Tossing It” by Rob Rosen:

He took a spoonful of stew into his mouth, green eyes sparkling in the daylight. He was cute in a lanky, pale, freckled sort of way. He sighed contentedly as he set the spoon back down. “Just like mom used to make.”

“Back in the old country?”

He laughed. “Back in New Jersey. Though Newark is sort of old.”

We continued eating together, side by side. His leg brushed mine. It stayed brushed. I didn’t move mine away; he didn’t move his either. This was an odd turn of events. Was he gay? Not a clue. Still, most guys would’ve moved their legs away. Maybe he was simply oblivious. Straight guys sometimes had a habit of that. You just never knew. Then again, you could test the theory if you were so inclined. Me, I was always so inclined.

I pointed to a throng of kilted behemoths off to the side. “What’s with the skirted mountain men?”

He chuckled. “Caber tossers.”

“That some sort of Scottish slang for rednecks?”

He turned my way, eyes locking with mine. It was like staring into a field of emeralds. Guess I’d been too busy staring at his crotch before to notice. Shame on me. “Caber tossers. They toss logs. Poles. Big ones.” Well, he’d certainly know about big poles, I figured. “They’re up to twenty feet tall and almost two hundred pounds.”

“And they toss them? Why?”

“For sport.”

I ate a couple more bites of my fish. It was perfectly cooked, greasy and flaky. My stomach settled down. “Sport? Like tiddlywinks for giants?”

He nodded as he continued eating his stew. His eyes rarely left mine. I was all too glad to return the favor. I stared at his freckles, connecting the dots, constellations hidden in the patterns. “Something like that.”

Amazon US

Torquere Books

Goodreads Link

Tour Dates & Stops: July 14, 2015

Parker Williams, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Bayou Book Junkie, The Hat Party, Inked Rainbow Reads, My Fiction Nook, Havan Fellows, Hearts on Fire, Jessie G. Books, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, BFD Book Blog, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Bike Book Reviews, Kimi-Chan, Iyana Jenna, Dawn’s Reading Nook, VS Reads, Happily Ever Chapter, Charley Descoteaux, MM Good Book Reviews, Velvet Panic, Molly Lolly, Boy Meets Boy Reviews
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Held Hostage (Sin City Book 4) by Morticia Knight: Blog Tour, Excerpt and Giveaway

July 13, 2015 by Denise

SWAT officer Cole can handle just about anything, until he rescues Brett – a man who makes him question all he’s ever believed about love.

As a member of the Las Vegas Police Department’s SWAT team, Cole has seen his fair share of danger, but he’s never taken a chance on love. He’s willing to have some fun when the mood strikes him, but he’s married to the job. Called in on a hostage situation, Cole is prepared for anything and everything… except for the brave and beautiful Brett.

Brett has been burned before, most recently by Officer Parker McLean. He’s hoping to settle down in Vegas, perhaps find someone he can build a life with. The last thing Brett’s looking for is another man in uniform. But when he meets Cole, there’s an attraction that can’t be denied. Still, he hadn’t expected to fall for the chiseled alpha.

What begins as nothing more than two people experiencing a great night together spirals into something far deeper. But will Brett be able to handle the stress that comes with having a lover who constantly puts his life in jeopardy? And can Cole risk his heart on an everyday hero, or will the job he knows so well remain his top priority?

Author Name: Morticia Knight

Book Name: Held Hostage

Series: Sin City

Book: Four

Release Date: July 7, 2015

Pages or Words: 50,244 words

Categories: Thrillers and Suspense, Crime, Gay Fiction, Gay Romance, M/M Romance

Publisher: Totally Bound

Cover Artist: Posh Gosh

Brett had already grabbed both of them a beer and had brought it straight to the bedroom. Instead of jumping him the minute they’d entered the apartment, Cole had simply followed behind, eyeing him, as Brett had moved through the motions of being a good host and getting comfortable. He wasn’t going to stop and analyze why a man who’d just told him the night before that he didn’t do relationships had shown up unannounced at his job and was once again in his bedroom less than twenty-four hours later.

“Stop.”

Brett let go of the tie that he’d half unknotted already. He’d already hung his suit coat in the closet and had toed off his loafers then pushed them out of the way over by the dresser. Banner300x250 (1)

“How important is that tie to you?”

Brett glanced down at the royal blue silk neck accessory that had an elegant silver paisley design woven into the fabric. He liked it. Liked it a lot even. But was it important? Not really. He’d purchased close to a hundred ties since he’d been employed by Jon Martin. He wore one every day and preferred to have on the most recent seasonal styles when he went to work. It had no significance beyond that.

“Not important at all.”

Cole stepped toward him and Brett’s heartbeat accelerated. Cole reached down to finish untying the knot then pulled one end, sliding the thin strip of fabric out from under his collar. Cole wrapped the ends around each of his large hands then snapped them. It went taut. It was strong. Brett couldn’t wait to find out what it would feel like when Cole bound him with it.

Amazon US

Amazon UK

Totally Bound

Author Morticia Knight spends most of her nights writing about men loving men forever after. If there happens to be some friendly bondage or floggings involved, she doesn’t begrudge her characters whatever their filthy little heart’s desire. Even though she’s been crafting her naughty tales for more years than she’d like to share – her adventures as a published author began in 2011. Once upon a time she was the lead singer in an indie rock band that toured the West Coast and charted on U.S. college radio. She currently resides on the northern Oregon coast and when she’s not fantasizing about hot men she takes walks along the ocean and annoys the local Karaoke bar patrons.

Where to find the author:

Goodreads

Tour Dates & Stops:

7-Jul

Bayou Book Junkie

Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My

Up All Night, Read All Day

8-Jul

Prism Book Alliance

Jessie G. Books

9-Jul

Because Two Men Are Better Than One

Inked Rainbow Reads

10-Jul

TTC Books and More

VS Reads

13-Jul

Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

Molly Lolly

Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy

Guitars and Cages by Layla Dorine: Blog Tour

July 10, 2015 by Denise

Asher Logan is a bartender and a pretty wicked guitar player, when he isn’t wrecking his hands fighting in a cage. With a past he keeps hoping to outrun, Asher’s been on a downward spiral for longer than he can remember. When his sister-in-law leaves Rory, his eight-year-old nephew, in his care, Asher is forced into two things he’s never been good at: sobriety and responsibility. As he struggles to care for Rory, his own life begins to unravel.

When Asher’s brother, Alex, turns up, presenting as a girl and announcing her new name is Alexia, it further complicates matters, as does the arrival of his new neighbor, Conner. Both, in their own way, compel Asher to look at his own closely-guarded views on sexuality.

When the siblings’ older brother, Cole, reacts violently to Alexia, Asher is placed squarely in the middle of a family conflict which compels him to confront who he pretends to be versus who he really is.

Asher must choose who to trust and who to finally walk away from.

Title: Guitars and Cages

Author: Layla Dorine

Genre: gay fiction, urban drama, contemporary, M/M fiction

Length: Novel

Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Don’t miss the Wayward Ink Publishing Tickle Me Pink Sale – 25% off all list prices!

Links:

“Uncle Asher, Uncle Asher!”

Oh God, one more hour of rest, please, is that too much to ask? One more hour, and then I swear, I’ll get up and take the kid to the park or the zoo or the aquarium or the movies or wherever the hell it is that he’s gonna beg for me to take him today. I’ll get him McDonald’s, an ice-cream sundae, a slice of his favorite pizza, anything for sixty more minutes of sleep. And yet still the bouncing continued, as well as the loud repeating of my name. Apparently, silence wasn’t making the point and the kid wasn’t gonna go away without some sort of verbal acknowledgement from me. I groaned, and he began his singsong chant again. When the hell did they grow outta that shit, anyway?

“Uncle Asher, Uncle Asher, Uncle Asher, Uncle Asher!”

Every word punctuated with a bounce, goddammit all; whoever said you had to die to be in hell was a bloody fool.

“Rory!” I roared, realizing as he toppled from the bed and landed on the floor with a thud that I’d likely scared the hell out of him.

Silence, oh blessed, blessed silence.

“Uncle Asher?” he asked hesitantly now, and much, much quieter. I groaned, as the silence had been far too fleeting.

“Rory, is the apartment on fire?” I asked, refusing to pull the pillow away from my face and acknowledge the sunlight that I knew was shining into the room.

“No.”

“Are the cops at the door?”

“No,” he responded with a bit of a sigh.

“Is the whor… err, my girlfriend at the door?” I asked, hoping he hadn’t caught my little slip.

“Uh-uh,” he said solemnly. Well, that was a good thing, anyway; I was beginning to not be as fond of her as I’d once been.

“So, is the Super at the door demanding rent?” I asked, figuring that was a bit of a long shot since I’d paid the rent at the start of the week.

“Nope,” he said, and I could feel him climb up and sit on the edge of the bed.

“Has the zombie apocalypse started?”

“Uhh no, but wouldn’t that be awesome?”

I chuckled into the pillow. Awesome wasn’t quite the word I’d use, but hell, if several people I knew managed to get themselves turned into walking corpses at the very least I could shoot them in the head and actually get away with it.

“Have aliens landed on the roof?” I asked him, and now he was laughing.

“Don’t they only land in cornfields?” he replied, and I groaned and let out a long-suffering sigh.

“So let me get this straight. There’s no mass hysteria, no flames, no one at the door, and no zombies on the streets, and yet you’re waking me up a whole hour before I told you it was okay?”

“Well, yeah, but you gotta get up or you’re gonna be in trouble,” Rory said in a quiet voice that sort of scared me. It certainly got the pillow from over my face, and I opened my eyes, blinking at the soaking-wet form of him sitting on my bed. Why was he soaking wet and fully dressed and getting water all over the place? And did I really want to know?

“What did you do?” I groaned. I don’t wanna know, I don’t wanna know, I don’t wanna know, a voice inside my head practically screamed as I could hear what sounded like running water hitting the floor in the other room. I threw the sheet aside and bolted toward the sound—too fast, because as soon as I hit the next room I went skidding across the damned linoleum floor and crashing into the kitchen cupboards.

Book Trailer

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LAYLA DORINE lives among the sprawling prairies of Midwestern America, in a house with more cats than people. She loves hiking, fishing, swimming, martial arts, camping out, photography, cooking, and dabbling with several artistic mediums. In addition, she loves to travel and visit museums, historic, and haunted places.

Layla got hooked on writing as a child, starting with poetry and then branching out, and she hasn’t stopped writing since. Hard times, troubled times, the lives of her characters are never easy, but then what life is? The story is in the struggle, the journey, the triumphs and the falls. She writes about artists, musicians, loners, drifters, dreamers, hippies, bikers, truckers, hunters and all the other folks that she’s met and fallen in love with over the years. Sometimes she writes urban romance and sometimes its aliens crash landing near a roadside bar. When she isn’t writing, or wandering somewhere outdoors, she can often be found curled up with a good book and a kitty on her lap.

Layla Dorine can be found at:

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Twitter: @layladorine