New Novel, New Cover, New Release

My first fantasy novel is about to be released. I’m so excited about Obsidian Sun! I know, I always say that. This one is different though. It was my first NaNoWriMo so its even more my baby than usual. And I love reading fantasy stories.

Here’s the blurb:

Differences must be put aside when vengeance becomes all-consuming.

Anan, a spellweaver of the Talac people, returns from a hunting trip to find his village decimated, his mate dead, and everyone else captured by Varas slavers. The sole survivor is Terja, a young man without the velvet that covers most Talac, marking him as a spellspinner. Since Talac magic requires both a weaver and a spinner, Anan and Terja must move beyond their ingrained mistrust. All that remains is revenge and a desperate plan to rescue their tribesmen before they are sold to Varas pleasure houses. A goal Anan and Terja are willing to die for.

With the blessing of the Talac gods, they discover new and surprising ways to complement each other’s power. But as they race through terrain full of enemies and dangerous creatures to reach their people before they pass into Varas lands, they must take drastic steps to face the overwhelming odds against them. Understanding their connection might be their only hope.

Sales Info:

You can pre-order on Dreamspinner’s website

You can get it either as an ebook, or this one is available in paperback!

The release date is July 10th. As fast as this summer has been flying by it’ll be the 10th before we know it. Oh, you want to see the beautiful cover? Okay, if you insist.

 

Double Trouble: Chapter 40

For more free flash reading check out the list of authors at the bottom of this post.

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Chapter 40

The past few days had been tense to say the least. Mitch had thought Ben would have called long before now. Unfortunately he’d been wrong. Darrin wasn’t dealing well with the lack of information either. He’d actually thrown a coffee mug at Mitch in a fit of pique that was something he never saw from Darrin. But he’d taken it as a sign that he wasn’t needed in the house.

He decided this would be a good time to straighten the shop, and was soon busily coiling cords and putting tools back in their proper spots. He was sweeping the concrete floors when he heard a vehicle turn into their driveway. He stepped out to see the sheriff’s car stopping beside the yard gate. The sheriff stepped out of the SUV, but Mitch could see he had someone in the vehicle with him. Not in the back, but sitting in front beside him.

“Hey, Jim. What can I do for you?”

Cover Reveal: Spurred On

It’s here! This is the reveal for Spurred On. It’s a novella that is part of Decadent Publishing’s Beyond Fairytales collection and is a retelling of Cinderella.

Stay tuned, it should be released soon. Until then, here’s the unofficial blurb.

Kegan’s new stepfather and stepbrothers are out to make his life miserable. Between the bullying and being overworked, he’s nearly at his wit’s end. When his mother leaves on an annual cattle buying trip for the ranch, he’s determined to suffer through. He must, if he expects to protect her like he promised his dying father.

When the family of a young man he’s been infatuated with holds a rodeo, Kegan can’t see a way he can compete. Not until a mystical medicine hat stallion walks into his life. It’s not long before they are the talk, and mystery, of the rodeo.

The only thing more daunting than keeping his identity secret is how Kegan is going to balance all this with his draw to the man of his dreams. Will Cole end up being his magical prince, or is Kegan going to find himself left in the dust?

Double Trouble: Chapter 39

For more free flash reading check out the list of authors at the bottom of this post.

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Chapter 39

Darren let the pickup roll to a stop in front of their home. He sat there, feeling heavy hearted. What had happened to turn a slightly obnoxious teenager into a rampant asshole. He and Mitch had been afraid the situation was going to spiral out of control sooner rather than later. He’d hoped somehow Ben’s fear would override his anger and whatever else had cause him to become so—so whatever it was he’d become. Darren had worried about drugs, but Mitch had dismissed it out of hand. He didn’t think it fit.

“Stop beating yourself up about it.”

“Damnit! You scared the shit out of me.” Darrin turned to his husband and popped him.

Guest Post – When Will I Be Loved by Julie Lynn Hayes

Blurb:

Fairy tales can come true…

Miller Fenwick wants the kind of happy ending his best friend got, with the hunky werewolf of his dreams. Trouble is, there doesn’t seem to be a Prince Charming on the horizon, and casual encounters don’t cut it anymore. Now that Alexx and Raoul are engaged, Miller is becoming resigned to being the bridesmaid, never the bride. But a chance encounter with a sexy stranger at Charisma has his hopes soaring, and his heart is wide open to possibilities.

Holt Wynne is the head of Helios, the largest vampire organization in the country. He’s a very influential and wealthy man, with a deep-seated hatred of werewolves. His running into Miller at Charisma isn’t entirely accidental. He’d meant to wait, but his emotions got the better of him, and he couldn’t stay away. And now see what he’s done…

Wait until Miller finds out he’s sortof just gotten married to the sexy vampire who hates the people who are Miller’s best friends. Sparks are gonna fly—and not just in the bedroom. One thing for sure—life in Crescent Bay is never dull!

 

Excerpt:

Miller forced himself to take a breath, unaware until he did that he’d stopped breathing.

Quit being ridiculous. Wine going to your head already?

But he’d only had the one glass. And he hadn’t even finished that. He wasn’t such a lightweight, when it came to holding his alcohol, and he knew it.

He told himself it was just his imagination. But just to be safe, he began a slow cautious turn, looking around him, without appearing to be searching for anything—or anyone.

And there he was.

Standing a heartbeat away from Miller was one of the sexiest men he’d ever seen in his life. A man every bit as sexy as Raoul Marchand, although not in the same feral way as the werewolf.

This man was light where Raoul was dark. His hair was a honey blonde which stood out by virtue of being obviously natural, in a place where most blondes were either created by the sun or came from a bottle. He stood a little taller than Miller, exuding a presence that went beyond the merely physical, possessed of the bearing and mien of a veritable god.

But it was his eyes that drew Miller in and held him spellbound. Blue and green, like staring into tropical waves, flecked with bits of pure molten gold. And the way he was staring at Miller was sending the most delicious shivers traveling up and down his spine.

The man took a step toward Miller, his hand outstretched. Before Miller quite realized what had happened, he’d placed his own hand inside of the other man’s, and he found himself being drawn onto the dance floor.

Sales link: http://www.amberquill.com/store/p/2200-When-Will-I-Be-Loved.aspx

 

Bio:

Julie Lynn Hayes first began publishing short stories and poetry in the 1990’s, when it was a different ballgame altogether, and Ebooks hadn’t been dreamed of yet. That changed in 2010 with the acceptance of her first romance novel. She’s come a long way since that first book appeared, and is finding the journey a very educational one.

She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and her cat Ramesses. She often writes of two men finding true love and happiness in one another’s arms, and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She likes to write in different genres, to stretch herself in order to see what is possible. Her great challenge is to be told something can’t be done—she feels compelled to do it.

When she isn’t writing, she enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, needlepoint and knitting, and she loves to cook, spending time watching the Food Network. Her favorite chef is Geoffrey Zakarian. Her family thinks she’s a bit off, but she doesn’t mind. Marching to the beat of one’s own drummer is a good thing, after all. Her published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, eXtasy Books, Wayward Ink Press, and Amber Quill Press.

 

My links:

Blog

Twitter

Facebook

My Goodreads

Dreamspinner

eXtasy Books

Amber Quill

 

Double Trouble: Chapter 38

For more free flash reading check out the list of authors at the bottom of this post.

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Chapter 38

Darren started slightly when the back door slammed hard enough to rattle the framed photographs on his desk. Great, more drama. He sat back, knowing he was going to be dragged into the never-ending war. Just as he’d feared, Ben appeared in the doorway.

“I don’t have to put up with this shit! I’m not your fucking servant.”

Darren put his pen on the desk with an audible click and swiveled his chair to meet Ben’s angry expression.

“What are you talking about? No one is treating you bad.”

“The hell they’re not! I’ve been working my fucking ass off all day on the goddamn fence. And I don’t get paid a fucking thing.”

“You mean the allowance, food and a place to live don’t count for anything?” Darren crossed his arms and felt the anger bubbling up from inside him. The young man who had been living with them since last fall was pacing back and forth. His face was flushed red and obviously beyond any reasonable conversation.

“Benji, why don’t you clean up and I’ll finished supper. Then we can talk about what’s bothering you,” Darrin said.

“Ben! I’ve told you my name is Ben! Not Benji! I’m not some little kid. I’m a grown man.”

Darrin scowled. “So this is grown man behaviour?”

He hadn’t thought it was possible, but Ben’s face turned an even deeper shade of red. “Fuck you! Fuck you, you old man!”

“Real mature. I can see why you consider yourself an adult,” Darrin said.

He heard the door open and close again. Mitch had followed for the fireworks that were about to set everything ablaze. His husband stopped in the kitchen doorway, crossed his arms and smirked at Darrin. He’s wanting me to rip him a new asshole. I might just be able to pull it off too. He changed his focus back to Ben and realized he was starting up again.

“I’ve done nothing but be your slave since I got here. Everything you want some shitty job done you dump it on me. I can’t have my friends over. This whole thing is total bullshit.”

Darren considered his response. One thing was certain, there was going to be a response. He frowned and studied the quivering youngster standing in front of him.

“I’d be careful about throwing the word slave around. We offered you a place to stay. Fed you. Mitch and I took you in when you got to be too much for Trent and Josh. There’s nothing you’ve done here that we haven’t been working side-by-side with you. Running a ranch is hard work. You have to pull your weight. There’s nothing else to it.”

Darrin thought for a moment he’d gotten through, but knew that wasn’t the case when Benji started off on another tirade as if he’d not heard a word that was said. Darrin listened to the profanity filled diatribe for several minutes before he turned and started down the hallway.

“Hey! Old man! I wasn’t finished.”

Darren popped open the door to Ben’s room and motioned inside. “You’re welcome to leave anytime. We aren’t going to make you stay if you don’t want to. But if you stay, you are going to have to follow the rules and help with the work. No one gets a free ride.”

Ben studied him for a moment before walking past him to grab a duffle bag and begin filling it with clothes. Darrin wondered if it occurred to the kid that everything he was packing had been given to him by one of them. But after a minute, he realized this had gone too far for Ben to step back.

He turned and walked back into the living room to find Mitch occupying one of the chairs.

“Didn’t go too well from what I heard,” Mitch said.

“No, it went piss poor.”

The crashes and cursing flowed from the bedroom with Darrin and Mitch both cringing at some of the noises. Then there was a minute of silence that was almost the worst. But when they heard footsteps coming down the hall and they stood to meet him.

“Yeah. I guess I’ll take off. Hmm, thanks. You know. But I can’t stay any more.”

“How are you getting into town?” Darrin asked.

Ben shrugged. “Hitch, I guess. Someone will pick me up.”

Darren stood and grabbed his keys. “Come on. I can at least take you to the bus station. From there it’s up to you.”

“You don’t—“

“Yeah, I do. Come on, I’ll give you a ride.”

There was a moment of tension and then Ben relaxed and nodded. He followed Darrin and soon they were traveling to his destination. There was no conversation as the two drew closer. The silence had not broken as they pulled into the parking lot where the bus would pick up passengers.

“This is it. The bus comes by sometime late afternoon,” Darrin said.

“Yeah. Guess so.” Ben opened the door and started out.

“Hey, this is yours.” Darren held out a large envelope that was filled to capacity.

Ben took the packet and turned it in his hands. He looked back at Darrin with a quizzical look on his face. “What is it?”

“Nothing much. Emergency kit I guess.”

Ben opened it and peered inside. He looked at it for a moment, then looked back at Darrin as he reached in. He pulled out a pile of bills and a cell phone.

“Mitch and I thought you could use a little extra cash in case there was an emergency. The phone’s one of those Go phones or something like that. No contract and we prepaid for some minutes for you.”

Ben nodded and Darrin thought for a moment there was going to be a hug. But Ben seemed to withdraw. He jumped out of the pickup and closed the door behind him. He walked to the bus stations without a backward glance.

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If you’d like to see a snippet from the other Wednesday Briefs authors you can go to the groups website. Or click on the name listed below to go directly to the story.

• Carol Pedroso
• Jon Keys
• Nephy Hart
• Avery Dawes
• Cia Nordwell
• Johayan
• Jim Dunaway
• Ravon Silvius
• Julie Lynn Hayes

Guest Post – Disappear With Me by Dean Pace-Frech

Disappear With Me Spotlight Post & Giveaway

I am happy to announce that the Second Edition of Disappear With Me is available from Amber Quill Press!

Blurb:

Love is greater than hope or faith, but can Reverend Leander Norris convince a jury that the love he shares with another man is natural?

In 1910, the United Kingdom was in turmoil. King Edward died after only nine years on the throne. The social class system that upheld British society for centuries was being chipped away by social, political, and economic unrest across the Commonwealth. Amidst this backdrop, Reverend Leander Norris is accused of sodomy. After discovering his own self-worth and unconditional love, Leander finds the courage to stand up for what he believes is right and pleads not guilty to the charges. Throughout the trial, Leander’s past is revealed, including the temptations that bring the accusations against him. By the end of the trail, Leander is once again reunited with a romantic interest from the past, but it may be too late to rekindle any love that might remain, given the circumstances of the era and Leander’s likely sentence.

Excerpt:

“Are you not a scholar?” Weeks asked. “Do you not know the Bible that you preach from each Sunday?”

“I know it very well,” Leander answered. “But the Bible has many interpretations. I think you can guess that mine might be a little less than conventional.”

Weeks reclined back in his chair. He made a steeple with his fingers and rested them on his pursed lips. “You’re actually sitting here telling me that, as a man of God, you’re all right with buggery and feel you’ve done nothing wrong?”

“Mr. Weeks, do you realize you keep asking me the same question over again, using different words?”

“As your counsel, I need to be sure that I understand your position, the one you expect me to defend.”

“You sound shocked that I would suggest such a thing. I can’t have you defending me if you don’t believe it yourself.”

“Reverend, my beliefs about the situation are irrelevant; it doesn’t matter what I believe. I need to be able to defend our position in court and hope our defense can refute what the prosecution will present.”

“I have to have conviction in my sermons each Sunday morning. I think you also know you need to have conviction when defending your clients.”

“And I can assure you that I have that same conviction to make sure that you receive a fair trial. I will do my best—”

“Do your best to what? Go through the motions and make sure that the I’s are dotted and the T’s are crossed so it looks like I’ve been given a good defense?”

Weeks didn’t answer and that was all the answer that Leander needed. After a moment, Weeks tried to start again. “Look, Reverend, I am your assigned counsel for this trial. I am on your side. I want to see you get a fair trial, but you must understand what we’re up against is quite overwhelming.”

“I know; I’ve never done anything the simple way.”

“Sir, you must understand that we are going up against laws that are rooted in two thousand years of Christian tradition and about as many years of British attitude.”

“Mr. Weeks, do you love your wife?”

Weeks let out an impatient sigh. “Of course, but here you go asking intimate questions about me that have no bearing on my defending your case.”

“Humor me, sir. Do you love your wife?”

“Yes, I very much love my wife and family.”

“What if you woke up tomorrow and a constable showed up on your doorstep and arrested you because they said the love you share with your wife was illegal?”

Weeks didn’t answer him. Instead, in a quiet voice, he said, “You know you and I are just two people. We’re not going to change these laws overnight.”

Buy Links:

Get it directly from Amber Quill Press this week, it’s 20% off !

About Dean Pace-Frech

With inspiration from historical tourism sites, the love of reading, and a desire to write a novel, Dean started crafting his debut novel, A Place to Call Their Own, in 2008. After four years of writing and polishing the manuscript, it was accepted and originally published 2013. His second novel, Disappear With Me, set in Edwardian England was published later that same year. Both novels were re-released in May 2015.

Dean lives in Kansas City, Missouri with his husband, Thomas (legally as of February 14, 2015), and our two cats. They are involved in their church and enjoy watching movies, outdoor activities in the warmer weather and spending time together with friends and family. In addition to writing, Dean’s hobbies include reading and patio gardening.

Dean is currently working a standalone title, Need Your Love, set in 1966, and The Higher Law, a continuation of the story of Frank and Gregory’s family set in the 1930s.

Connect with Dean Pace-Frech

Email deanfrech@aol.com

Blog: Dean’s Web Site

Facebook: Dean Pace-Frech, Author page or send a friend request Dean Pace-Frech.

Twitter: @deanpacefrech

Google+: +deanpacefrech

Goodreads: Dean Pace-Frech

Pinterest: Dean Pace-Frech

 

Giveaway:

In celebration of History Week Part II, I will be giving away an Ecopy of my first novel, A Place to Call Their Own, which is available from JMS Books.  Comment and follow me and the other folks on Twitter to enter to win!
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