Perils of Forgotten Pain, on sale today!

Hey everyone,

Part 1 of The Perils of Forgotten Pain is on sale today only over at Extasy Books--available for 1.29! Grab it while you can!

New Release!

As you saw in the Teaser Tuesday, today I have a short story available at Amazon and All Romance Ebooks!

A short story set in the future...

Bernard has served on Europa for the past three years, focusing on his work with the help of libido inhibitors. But when it's time for him to leave his post and head back home for Earth, he has to undergo a physical exam--with the attractive Dr. Severian Bell. And this physical is more in depth than most.

As a cyborg, Bernard isn't used to physical closeness. But Severian will show him how.

This is the first in a series of erotic M/M short stories featuring cyborgs.

Special Teaser Tuesday--Come To Leave

Today we have an excerpt from a short story that will be released this Friday!

A short story set in the future...

Bernard has served on Europa for the past three years, focusing on his work with the help of libido inhibitors. But when it's time for him to leave his post and head back home for Earth, he has to undergo a physical exam--with the attractive Dr. Severian Bell. And this physical is more in depth than most.

As a cyborg, Bernard isn't used to physical closeness. But Severian will show him how.

Bernard placed the bottle of pills on the table. As soon as the plastic bottle hit the metal, weight lifted off his shoulders.

His last week on station. His first tour of duty since completing his training at 21, in the boring wastelands of Europa for three years, was done. No more libido inhibitors. No more constant vigilance to make sure every machine that mined the precious resources they needed back home was working perfectly.

He could go back to Earth, and hopefully get an assignment that actually allowed some relaxation, not to mention make real use of the enhancements he had as a cyborg and the skills he had trained. He would be able to see blue skies out the windows, not the pea-green soup that passed for atmosphere here.

Of course, before he could leave he still needed to get through the medical exam. And judging by how David, the only other cyborg who had served on Europa twice, had laughed when he heard Bernard was leaving, it was going to be interesting.

“Ah, Bernard.” Dr. Severian Bell stepped through the door, raising a pale blond eyebrow. “Going home, eh?” he said, eyeing the pill bottle with his one good eye. A patch covered the other. 

Bernard’s face heated immediately. “So, when will I feel it?” Bernard asked. “I mean, you know.”

            “When will you feel arousal again?” Bernard’s face heated further at the doctor’s careful words. Doctor Severian tended to Bernard and all of the cyborgs who were stationed on Europa. The tall blond man was completely unflappable, and every cyborg suspected he too took the libido inhibitors that aided them in their vigilant watch of the mining operations on the planet.

            “Um, yes.” Bernard swallowed hard.

            “Have a night planned?” Severian scribbled something on the notebook he held and then placed it on the table. “I hate to tell you, you will have to remain here.” He lifted the bottle of pills, stowing them in a glass case on the wall next to an assortment of other bottles. “I will have to make sure everything is in working order before you leave.”

            “I…what?” Bernard squeaked.

            “Did no one tell you?” Bernard shook his head. “It’s part of the medical exam,” Severian continued, his voice neutral. “We have a room prepared for this sort of thing. Some individuals can have unpleasant reactions when stopping the medication.” He met Bernard’s gaze. “Relax, please. It’s very rare, I assure you. But the other half of it is simply making sure everything works. After all, each of you cyborgs gets different enhancements. Remind me, you…?”

            Bernard swallowed down a thick combination of embarrassment and anxiety. He held up his hands, both made of cruel metal. “Dexterity work. And increased lung capacity.”

            “Hm. Nothing out of the ordinary to consider then. It’s the cardiac enhancements that always cause trouble. Of course,” he snapped on a pair of white gloves, “those hands are going to make masturbation difficult.”

            Bernard choked.

            Severian grinned, turning toward the door. “Don’t worry. That’s not how we have to do things. Come, and let me show you to the space you’ll be occupying.”

Teaser Tuesday-Freshmen Blues

Today we have something a little special--a scene from Freshmen Blues, the first few chapters of which are still available for free on the website!

____________________________

“Nothing to eat?” Skye asked. He held a steaming cup of coffee, cream flecking the sides. The girl at the counter scowled at his back while they walked toward the door, and Chris wondered if it was because of the uniform jacket.

“No, I’ll eat later. Or drink later, I guess.” Chris wished, for once, he could not say something dumb.

Chris paid close attention as he followed Skye through the winding halls of the student center. He still wasn’t used to the entire campus—it was way too big—and hadn’t even known that small café in the basement was there. They passed tables of chattering students, and one girl working on a laptop looked up as they walked by, but Skye made no move to sit down until he found a table, by itself, on the edge of the room.

“Ah,” he sighed when he sat down. “I watched the entire club fair. You saw the most exciting event of the day.”

“Oh.” Chris wished he had bought something so he had something to do with his hands. “Um, is getting written up bad?”

“If it happens three times you get pulled into a disciplinary hearing.” Skye sipped his coffee, the steam curling around his face. “And then depending on the case, you can end up with lots of different outcomes.” He checked his watch. “But that’s not what you’re concerned about, is it?”

“No.” Chris took a breath, trying to get his stampeding thoughts in order. “I was just…thinking about Frederick.” Skye smiled into his drink and nodded. “Um, I’m picking up psychology. I’m hoping I can get an ability so I can talk to Frederick more. Or help him.”

Skye hummed, setting his drink down. “I don’t really know what to say about that, honestly. But you’d have a better chance than I did, for sure.”

“Huh?”

“I know you’re not necessarily majoring in psych, but I did, along with criminal justice. There are two types of people who major in it, and they each tend to get the same kinds of abilities. Those who really want to help people end up with things like enhanced empathy or an ability that will help you figure things out about people, like how at risk for mental illness someone is. One guy I knew could monitor someone’s dopamine levels.” Chris didn’t know what that was. “Alternatively, you get people like me, who can tell if someone is lying, or even people who can convince someone of things—they usually end up in marketing.” Skye grinned. “Point is, if you want to help people, you’re probably going to end up with abilities like that. I mean, I don’t research them, but that’s what I’ve seen.”

Chris nodded. It made sense.

“Anyway, you want to help Frederick? Why? Is something wrong?”

Chris wondered how Skye could have dated him and not noticed. Of course, it was possible Chris was just being paranoid or oversensitive. “Well, I don’t know…Oh. Did you know he gets migraines?”

“Yeah. Bad ones, too, but he only mentioned them, I never saw him sick.” Skye frowned. “Why?”

“I don’t know…” Chris tapped the table. He felt like he was being weird. “I just feel like he’s sad.”

“He’s lonely, I know that much. I told you before.” Skye sipped his drink again. “And I guess he might be stressed if he doesn’t have an ability yet as a senior.”

Chris kept quiet. Skye was partially right—Frederick was worried about graduating, but it was because he thought his ability wasn’t useful, not because he didn’t have one.

That thought brought him back to his own fears about getting abilities. He was so concerned with Frederick, when he should be worrying about his own college career.

“I take it you aren’t dating him yet?” Chris glanced around the room, making sure no one had heard. Skye raised an eyebrow. “And I also take it you’re still snug in the closet.”

“I…I might go to the GSA meeting this Monday,” he said.

Skye smiled. “That’s awesome,” he said. “I’ll see you there. Are you curious about it?” Chris nodded.

“Well, the first meeting of the semester after the club fair is usually for freshmen, so if you’re going to come, now is a good time for it. Not everyone who comes to the meetings is gay, though, so don’t go expecting to find a date. Not that I’d think you would, but some do.” He waved a hand. “We usually go over events, and introductions, of course, though if you’re nervous you don’t have to talk. We do have a coming out day sometime in the future, which may be helpful for you. Do your parents know?”

“Yeah.” Chris ran a hand through his hair. “It’s just…college, you know.”

“Like I said before, college is more open than you’d think. Oh, and Frederick might open up to you more if you tell him you’re gay.” Skye shrugged. “It’s worth a shot, although he always refused to join the GSA too.”

Chris’s face heated. “Right.” Somehow, he didn’t think Frederick would care if Chris was gay or not. Frederick certainly hadn’t shown any interest.

“Anyway, I should be getting back to work. I’ll see you Monday evening, though.” Skye stood, coffee cup in hand, and paused for a moment before speaking. “You know, if it doesn’t work out with Frederick, you have my number.” He grinned. “No pressure, of course, but you’re pretty cute for a freshmen.”

Chris froze for a second. “Thanks,” he stammered. Skye clapped him on the shoulder before heading off down the hall.

Chris waited until he was sure his face wasn’t flaming red before getting up. He had way too much to think about.

New Cover!

Today we have a cover reveal for the series of short stories I'll be putting out soon. They are all erotic short stories, about 25 pages each, featuring cyborgs.

The cover was designed by the awesome Kim Killion. Now, without further ado:

Expect a release date announcement for the first story soon!

Teaser Tuesday-A scene from Alpha

Today we have a short scene from Alpha!

Nick arrived to work late, though no one would notice, considering the building didn't tend to fill up until ten. The first message on his screen told him that the coffee machine had broken on the twenty-seventh floor—the precinct. Great. 
 

Just keep your head down. That‟s the advice Riki had always given him when dealing with police in any fashion and wandering into their domain, especially when they hadn't yet had their coffee, could be a nerve-wracking proposition. 

At least the dogs were cute, and Nick patted one of the enormous shepherds on the head as he passed by. 

He groaned when he saw the mess. The coffee machine hadn't just broken, it had exploded. Half- finished coffee dripped from the base of the machine onto the floor, and the entire area smelled like burnt french roast. Now he had to act like an old-fashioned janitor as well as mechanic because the cleanerbots couldn't wipe down the innards of the coffee machine. 

He knelt down on the ground, swiping at the spreading puddle of coffee, and for the next half hour, he became absorbed in his profession, ignoring the graceful movements of the Alpha officers around him and their snide grumblings about not being able to drink coffee. Fucking Alphas and their ten hour a night sleep requirement. 

“Nick!”

Nick jolted and sat on his heels from his kneeling position. Was that Julian? 

“Hey, you should have told me you worked in this building.” 

He turned around to see the tall brunette, clad in the uniform of an investigator. Nick's heart hit his throat and stuck there. One thought boomed in his head—if Riki found out, he would kill him. 

“What are you working on there?” Julian smiled down at him, his eyes kind, a sharp contrast to the vicious glare that Riki was currently giving Nick in his mind. 

“It...it will be fixed soon,” he managed, turning back to his work. 

“Hey, don't worry,” Julian‟s voice sounded distant, drowned out by the humming of the machine. “People here don't mind that much. Hey, can I call you tonight?” 

Why didn't he just go away? Nick's hands shook as he reached his keycard around the machine to fiddle with the settings. “Sure. Later though. Like eight or so?” 

“Sure thing. I guess I'll leave you to it then.” Julian sounded confused, almost hurt, but Nick couldn't risk looking at him. 

The Alpha would be sure to see the panicked fear in his eyes. 

As soon as the job was done, Nick retreated back down to the basement. His heart pounded in his head and his stomach roiled.

He had fucked up. He had fucked up royally, and all for two nights of arguing and fucking with a man—an Alpha, for fuck's sake! As soon as he had realized Julian was an Alpha, he should have told him to get lost. Now he was stuck trying to stay unnoticed and accomplish his dream with an investigator attracted to him. 
 
An investigator...no wonder he had been able to tell Nick's emotions that first night and pick up on his arousal. Nick thought he was just sensitive, not a fucking trained questioner with enhanced vision. 

He slumped in his desk chair, ignoring the beeping that told him a sink was broken on the thirtieth floor. He had to break it off, tonight.

First review is in!

The reviews page is updated--5 star review for Capture from the TBR Pile!

Teaser Tuesday: A scene from Noble Magic

Last week we got a snippet from Capture, but now lets flash back to the original book in that series. Thorn and Kenneth's first kiss!

Kenneth breathed deep. A date. He wanted another date. He was actually considering seeing an inventor—a talentless! His mother had been disappointed enough when she learned that Kenneth liked men.  

“...Perhaps we can...explore more of this area. I don’t know it well.” He would have liked to show Thorn more of what he did, but other magi would raise eyebrows at his bringing a talentless around the collegium. Staying in the slums was safer. 

Thorn smiled. “I would like that, but why not come to my lab tomorrow afternoon? We’ve talked about your alchemy, but I want to show you my work too.” 

Kenneth squashed disappointment. He wanted to spend time with Thorn, but he didn’t relish looking at what was sure to be inventions for war. “That sounds nice,” he managed. “I can do that.” 
 

“Excellent.” Thorn stepped close, and Kenneth froze as the brunette grabbed his arm, his grip like a vise, and kissed him on the lips, a light question. 

Kenneth put his arms around him and deepened the kiss, thoughts of other magi and talentless and what his father would think vanishing. Thorn pushed him lightly, up against the wall of the alley, flicking his tongue against Kenneth’s lips. 

Kenneth could barely breathe, but he didn’t much care. The man against him was strong, his lips soft, his tongue slick and wet. Kenneth opened his mouth, twining their tongues together, panting at the heat and wetness. Thorn moved so that his body was flush against Kenneth’s, pressing against his hardening length, and Kenneth fought not to move his hips. 

Impossibly, his magic responded too, a light thrum, like the unfolding petals of a flower. Strength flared, and for a moment, he wondered if this was what finding a lifemate must feel like. 

As quickly as it had begun the moment ended, Thorn pulling away, his face flushed. “I’ll see you tomorrow then. I should get Chocolate back to the stables.” He leapt up into the saddle, a playful smirk on his face.

Kenneth adjusted his suddenly too warm robes, aware that his erection was obvious. “Tomorrow, then,” he said after a moment to collect his thoughts. 

“Good luck with your alchemy.” Thorn clucked his tongue, Chocolate setting a quick pace, and soon he had vanished out of the alley.