Category: Torquere Books

Love a Shifter Romance? Don’t Miss Out on DC Juris’ Alpha’s Redemption Book Blitz and Giveaway

Alphas Redemption 1000x400

Author:  DC Juris

Title:  Alpha’s Redemption

Series Title and Number: Alpha/omega Verse #3

Publisher:  Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kristin Norris

Release Date:  July 27 2016

Heat Level: 5

Pairing: male/male alien

Length: 17,651

Genre:Gay Romance, Science Fiction, Alternate Universe, Aliens

Alpha's Redemption Cover

Synopsis

Tondreau has spent the last four years helping raise Cadajen’s terminally ill daughter, Linea. Though not mates, they’ve carved out a happy life with each other. It all comes crashing down when Linea’s health takes a turn for the worst. Together, they must face the hardest decision of their lives. Will it tear them apart? And can Tondreau put aside his fears and be the Alpha Cadajen needs him to be? .

Excerpt

Tondreau faced him, shaking his head. “You love her, and you show her that love every day, every chance you get.” He frowned, his brow furrowed. “Do you know how many of us walk through life without love? How many of us would give almost anything for four years of love?”

Cadajen had expected the first half of the statement. But the second half… “You’re not without love.”

Tondreau’s frown deepened and he shrugged. “I didn’t mean me, specifically.”

“But you’re not. You have to know that. Linea and I both love you. You must be able to smell it on us, at least.”

The Malorcian shuffled his papers, shoved them into his bag. “Should I bring home something for dinner, or did you have a plan?”

Cadajen couldn’t help but sigh and shake his head. “It never fails to amaze me.”

“What?”

“You Alphas. You’re supposed to be so strong and brave, but the simple things throw you.”

“Love isn’t simple,” Tondreau countered.

“It’s the simplest thing in the universe. It’s all the mating and linking that complicates it, but that’s on us. We scramble it up. You shouldn’t be afraid of love.”

“I’m not,” he refuted. “The scrambling it up part concerns me, though.”

“I don’t think we’d scramble it up.”

“There are things you don’t know about me.”

“Nothing that would change how I feel.”

Red shimmered faintly at the edges of Tondreau’s irises, his Alpha instincts responding to the words.

Cadajen reached out but stopped short, frowning at the material of Tondreau’s long sleeved coat. Wasn’t that just so metaphorical? There was always a barrier between them, wasn’t there? Not physical, like the clothing — they’d been naked with each other hundreds of times. He knew Tondreau’s body as well as he knew his own. But they’d never been bare together, had they? Well, Tondreau hadn’t. There was always something. Some deep dark secret Tondreau feared to reveal and it kept him just out of Cadajen’s reach.

He looked back up. The red was receding now. Cadajen wanted nothing more than to rip his glove off and press his hand to Tondreau’s skin, chase that fleeting emotion, catch it to him and hold it close. Prove himself worthy to Tondreau. Without truly thinking it through, he stepped forward into Tondreau’s space. They were close; close enough to feel the warmth of each other’s breath, the heat of each other’s bodies, and their lips… Cadajen leaned in a tiny bit closer and stopped when Tondreau tensed. He looked up then and his heart shuddered. “Am… am I wrong?”

Seconds ticked between them, the question hung in the air, and just when Cadajen was certain he’d made a mistake, Tondreau sighed softly. “You’re not wrong.”

Cadajen reached for him.

Tondreau stepped back. “We can’t.”

“Why?” Cadajen barely recognized the voice as his own as the word forced its way out his throat. He knew he sounded like a petulant child, but he couldn’t help it. His omega instincts screamed at him to make Tondreau understand, to beg if he had to. “You said I wasn’t wrong.”

“Daj…” Tondreau sighed again, heavy this time, and raked his fingers through his hair. “You’re not…”

“Don’t you dare say I’m not worthy.” Not that. Anything but that.

Tondreau’s eyes widened and the red threatened again. “I’d never say that. That’s not… It’s me who isn’t worthy. You don’t understand.”

“Then explain it to me,” he pleaded. “We’ve known each other for seven years. You’ve helped me raise my child. We practically live together. I love you. I’m in love with you. Don’t tell me you didn’t know. And don’t tell me you don’t feel the same. Don’t lie to me like that.”

“I’d never lie to you.” He opened his mouth to continue, but the alarm on his pager interrupted him. He glanced down at it.

Cadajen recognized the alert as the ‘if you don’t leave now, you’re really, really going to be late‘ tone. They’d set it up years ago, after Tondreau had lingered too long with Linea a few mornings in a row, and the Academy had slapped his wrists for it. He laid his gloved hand on Tondreau’s arm. “Go. It’s all right. But we’re going to finish this conversation. Promise me. You owe me an explanation.”

Tondreau nodded. He stepped close quickly, pressed a chaste kiss to Cadajen’s cheek, and fled, no doubt grateful for the reprieve.

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Torquere Press

Alpha's Redemption SquareMeet the Author

Romance author, sci-fi fan club Captain, cosplayer, reigning Queen of Monkeyland, and random menace. Yep, we’re talking about DC Juris. She’s a cupcake-making, football-watching, rubber-duck-collecting, drag-show loving, full-of-fabulous-with-a-capital-F kinda gal. She’s also an ordained minister and an amateur photographer. She lives in Upstate New York with her husband, three dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her favorite chair watching Star Trek and Supernatural repeats on Netflix, or surfing the web for porn. Er…research. Surfing the web for research. She may speak softly but she lives and loves loudly. Just ask the neighbors. ::wink::

https://www.facebook.com/danielchristianjuris

www.twitter.com/dcjuris

@dcjuris on Instagram and Periscope

http://dcjuris.blogspot.com

Giveaway

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Jump Into the Fantasy World of Love and Magic by RE Andeen (Excerpt and Giveaway)

Love and Magic 1000x400

Title:  Love and Magic

Author: RE Andeen

Publisher:  Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Release Date:  7-27-2016

Heat Level: 2

Pairing: F/F

Length:: 10,000 words

Genre: Lesbian Romance, Multi-Cultural, Fantasy

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Love and Magic Cover

Synopsis

Kiv never expected to see a battle, let alone fight in one. She came to the island kingdom of Escot to use her magic to help people, not to kill them, but a petty, pointless civil war has made her job as Court Wizard difficult and then impossible. When the hostilities come to a head, Kiv finds herself on the battlefield, supporting one army against another.

On the other side, there is Tallas, a wizard more dangerous than three thousand swords and a woman more intriguing that than any Kiv has ever met. The battle will end in blood and death, as battles do, but for Tallas and Kiv, the end is only the beginning.

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Excerpt

Kiv woke with a start, wondering if she was dead. She cast about with her senses, both physical and magical, and decided she was alive after all. She was lying in a bed of golden wood on soft white cotton sheets under a green wool blanket. Overhead, she saw the silky blue canopy of a large tent, with the curtains on all four sides tied back to let in the morning sun, set in an open field without another structure in sight. The rain had finally stopped, though the sky was still gray.

She climbed out of bed, noticing that she was in nothing but her underthings, and looked for something to wear. Her clothes – long wool skirt, wide leather belt, white cotton blouse, and heavy wool cloak – were folded neatly on a table beside the bed, all the grime and gore of battle washed away, with her purple silk Court Wizard hood and her gnarled manzanita wand sitting next to the pile. She dressed and went looking for the kind soul who had taken care of her. Tallas – of course it was Tallas – was just outside the tent, her back to Kiv, cooking a skillet of something over a low fire that smelled amazing.

“Oh, good. You’re awake,” Tallas said, without turning around. “I trust you’re feeling alright. I checked you over myself last night, and I could find no injury or ailment beside exhaustion.”

Kiv walked over and sat on a rock next to the fire. “I’m fine,” she said. “I suppose I should thank you…”

“It was nothing,” Tallas said. “You’re a Wizard of the Guild, and we take care of our own.”

“I know,” Kiv replied, “but I’ve never had anything like yesterday happen to me before.”

“Haven’t you?” Tallas asked, looking up from the fire, and Kiv suddenly felt that those jet black eyes were boring a hole right through her. “I suppose you haven’t…”

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Torquere Press

Love and Magic Square
Meet the Author

RE Andeen is a writer, software developer, Klingonist, and general nerd. After a lifetime of immersion in science and technology, he discovered writing, quite by accident, in 2014. He lives in downtown Seattle.

Facebook: Eric Andeen (https://www.facebook.com/eric.andeen)
Facebook Author Page: RE Andeen (https://www.facebook.com/reandeen/)
Twitter: @REAndeen
Other: Personal webpage/blog (http://reandeen.com/)
Amazon: Author page (http://amazon.com/author/reandeen)

Giveaway

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A Barb, A Zany Old Lady Review: Left of Center by Zathyn Priest

Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Left of CentreBrandon Faulkner has a thing for Goth guys and hangs out in the Goth chat room hooking up with strangers. He hasn’t met any of them yet, but since he can’t decide between the three that he considers the hottest or most intriguing, he decides to play all three as if they were the only man in his life. Making plans to meet with all three over the course of a weekend leads to a few shocking discoveries when his “dates” turn the tables and he’s the one sent off-balance.

Pre-meeting them, Brandon finds the most interesting, and stunning, of the three to be Enigma. And in person he turns out to be a youthful, but domineering, guy with purple bangs and a bizarre set of behaviors. When Brandon finds himself in hot pursuit, despite Enigma’s obvious dislike of him, he can’t believe that this time he’s the one who can’t seem to walk away.

I liked this story and discovered that it had much more depth of characterization than is usually found in something this short. Brandon appears to be no more than a shallow, self-involved slut of a man who can’t even count how many men he’s been with, but with Lewis’s help, he taps into self-discovery and is horrified at what he learns. Lewis, aka Enigma, turns out to be a very complex character with secrets of his own, and he manages to flip Brandon’s world upside down.

I liked the storyline and the author’s ability to create these very three-dimensional characters. And I especially enjoyed watching the way Lewis got Brandon to face some surprising self-truths.

Cover Art by the author’s company, Scarlet Tie Designs, features a black-and-white floor resembling a game board with one man sitting on a stool slightly to the left and another balancing on a plank to the right in the background. The cover cleverly represents both MCs: one who seeks to be the center of attention and the other who is slightly off-balance.

Sales Links:  Torquere Press |

Book Details:

ebook, 1st Edition, 47 pages
Published January 2010 by Torquere Press
Original TitleLeft of Center
ISBN139781603709132
Edition LanguageEnglish

Let the Romance Heat Up with the Summer Lovin’ Anthology (giveaway and excerpts)

Summer Lovin 1000x400

Title:  Summer Lovin’

Author: LJ Hamlin, Janelle Reston, Eric Thornton, Jessica Chase, A. M. Leibowitz, Sarah Hadley Brook

Publisher:  Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Release Date:  7/20/2016

Heat Level: ranges from 1-4

Pairing: F/F and M/M

Length: 44,000

Genre: Contemporary Romance, Historical Romance, Gay Romance, Lesbian Romance, Anthology

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Summer Lovin Cover

Synopsis

Back in the 1950s, leather jackets, white t-shirts, and poodle skirts were the biggest styles, and going “parking” was all the rage. Summer flings were the thing to do, whether it be with the cute tomboy that caught your eye in school, your older brother’s friend, or the hot mechanic who fixes your car just right. In Summer Lovin’, love doesn’t only have to last the summer.

These six stories are penned by both seasoned scribes and new authors; the anthology provides readers with the perfect opportunity to explore offerings from their favorite storytellers as well as find a new favorite or two.

Containing F/F and M/M stories from authors LJ Hamlin, Janelle Reston, Eric Thornton, Jessica Chase, A. M. Leibowitz, Sarah Hadley Brook, Summer Lovin’ is sure to have something for fifties loving readers.

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Excerpt

 

“You okay, little man?”

Billy startled at the deep, husky voice near his ear and turned to see his new acquaintance leaning into the car, watching him closely. He swallowed and tried not to focus on the musky scent rolling off the dark haired stranger. Fighting the urge to lean in and breathe him in, Billy’s eyes swept over the chiseled jaw, dark stubble and, oh god, those full rosy lips, before rising back up to meet his gaze. Deep chocolate eyes peered into his green ones, searching for something. Wait… He asked something, right?

“Umm, what did you say?”

A smile spread across his face and Billy trembled. God, he was the sexiest man Billy had ever seen.

“I asked if you were okay,” he repeated slowly.

Billy’s eyebrows furrowed then, and he looked down at the keys in his hand, his mind trying to process something. His eyes widened at the memory and he turned his gaze back at the stranger. “Wait! Did you call me ‘little man’?” he asked, incensed.

The sexy man nodded.

Billy harrumphed, his irritation obvious.

“Give me your name and I’ll stop calling you that,” the greaser offered, still smiling. The dimple in his left cheek only upped his sexiness.

“William Hadley. Billy,” he whispered, his cheeks heating up. “And, I’m five eight,” he huffed. Why did he say that? Why did he care what this guy thought of him?

“Well, Billy,” he leaned in closer, letting his breath ghost across Billy’s face. “I’m Gene Milgram and it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Gene,” Billy repeated, letting the name roll around on his tongue for a minute and swallowing hard when he realized Gene was still leaning into the car. “Um, I guess I need to call someone to tow it, huh? I wonder if there’s a pay phone anywhere near.”

Gene grinned. “Nope. But I can help you.”

Billy’s eyes widened. “You can? On a motorcycle?” He glanced back uncertainly at the small bike. “Um, yeah, I don’t think that’s strong enough to—”

Gene’s laughter rumbled out into the darkness and Billy looked him as if he was crazy. Did this guy seriously think a motorcycle could tow a big car?

“Sorry, Billy,” he chuckled. “No, I didn’t mean my bike. I own an auto shop and I just closed up a little while ago. Why don’t we just head back and get the tow truck and take care of things?”

“We?” Billy squeaked, glancing at the motorcycle again, his heart hammering in his chest.

Gene waggled his eyebrows at him, laughing. “Well, yeah, I can’t just leave you here in the dark. What if another opossum decides to pull something crazy again?”

Billy felt his face heat up. He knew Gene was just being friendly, but it had been a long time since another man had made him feel so off-kilter, even though he was sure Gene was straight. He looked back over his shoulder again and wrestled with his fear of motorcycles. Something told him that he could trust this man, though.

Sighing deeply, he finally nodded. Gene pulled the car door open and waited, his hand on the door handle. Once he climbed out, he felt a little lightheaded, swaying a little before Gene’s arm snaked around his waist, holding him close to his side.

“Whoa, there. You feeling dizzy?” Gene’s mouth was so close his breath caressed Billy’s neck, sending a shiver down his spine.

Billy nodded a little, feeling foolish. “My head hit the steering wheel, but my arms cushioned the blow. I think…I think I’m just a little dazed.”

Gene nodded his understanding and helped him up the short hill to his bike, parked on the side of the road. Billy startled when he saw it up close.

“That’s a 1947 Triumph Speed Twin! Is that a custom paint job?” Enthusiasm won out over his fear as he leaned in and traced his fingers along the seat.

Gene’s eyes widened in amazement and he finally let his arm slip away from Billy’s waist. “You know about bikes?”

“Yeah, a little. When I was a kid, I dreamed of owning one, but my mom always said they were too dangerous, of course. Then when I saw James Dean riding one, I decided to learn more about them. Last year, I finally decided to try taking a spin and I…I…” His face reddened and he looked at the ground. “I fell off the bike before I even started it,” he admitted.

Gene chuckled a little, but wisely kept his thoughts to himself.

Billy smiled, “Yeah, it wasn’t funny at the time, but…” He cleared his throat. “So, um, how do we do this?”

The greaser handed him the helmet. “Only got one and no way am I letting you ride without one.” He grinned. “You seem a little accident-prone to me.”

 

From “The Great Pretender” by Sarah Hadley Brook

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Torquere Press

Summer Lovin SquareMeet the Author

LJ Hamlin – L.J.Hamlin is a twenty something (getting older every day) writer, who has been writing all her life, mainly in notebooks no one else ever saw. But then she found M/M groups online and was encouraged by friends to share her stories. After a while (with a lot of pushing) she got brave enough to try getting published, so she could share with more people, and she hopes to never stop. LJ loves cats, and pretty much all animals, is a collector of many things, often weird, but most of all books.

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/L.j.hamlin91

Twitter: https://twitter.com/LjHamlin

Blog http://ljhamlinbooks.blogspot.com/

 

Janelle Reston – Janelle Reston is a pansexual powerhouse whose F/F and queer romance has appeared in numerous anthologies. Hobbies include watching The X-Files and making sexual innuendos. She lives in a northern lake town with her partner and their black cats.

Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/janellereston/

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/janellereston

Tumblr: http://janellereston.tumblr.com

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/jreston

Goodreads link: http://www.goodreads.com/janellereston

 

Eric Thornton – Eric Thornton tends to write what comes to mind. You never know what could come from him next. He lives in the south with his spouse who supports his work.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eric.j.roberts.5

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/ericbkroberts/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Eric_Thornton_1

 

Jessica Chase – : Jessica Chase has been writing for what seems like her entire life, and finished her first short story at the age of five.  It wasn’t very good.  Since then, she’s improved a great deal, but writing has continued to be her passion.  She loves reading and enjoys exploring the worlds of others as well as creating her own and has been involved in several writing groups.  She writes all kinds of relationships and is always looking to write more, but M/M and F/F romance is something she is particularly fond of.  She enjoys fantasy and horror, and loves putting her own spin on the genres and creating interesting characters and worlds.  Jessica studied at Oxford University and fell in love with the city and its weird quirks and traditions.  She still reads anything she can get her hands on and spends her weekends wandering around various museums and old houses, walking through the countryside looking for inspiration, or sitting in the garden and playing with her pet tortoises.  She is lucky enough to have the support of some wonderful friends.

Website: http://chasestories.webs.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessica.chase.96387

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jchasestories

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jessicachasewri/

Other Social Media: http://JChaseStories.blogspot.co.uk

 

A.M. Leibowitz – A.M. Leibowitz is a queer spouse, parent, feminist, and book-lover falling somewhere on the Geek-Nerd Spectrum. Ze keeps warm through the long, cold western New York winters by writing about life, relationships, hope, and happy-for-now endings. Hir published fiction includes four novels as well as a number of short works, and hir stories have been included in anthologies from Supposed Crimes, Witty Bard, and Mischief Corner Books. In between noveling and editing, ze blogs coffee-fueled, quirky commentary on faith, culture, writing, books, and hir family.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/amymitchell29

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/UnchainedFaith/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/amyunchained

Pinterest: https://twitter.com/amyunchained

Web site: http://amleibowitz.com

Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8544236.A_M_Leibowitz

 

Sarah Hadley Brook – Sarah Hadley Brook lives in the Midwest and is a mother of two wonderful young men. During the day, she works in the non-profit world, but reserves evenings for her hobby-turned-passion of writing, letting the characters she conjures up in her mind take the lead and show her where the story will go. When not working or writing, she can be found reading, working on dollhouses, trying her hand at new recipes, or watching old movies and musicals. She believes in “Happily Ever After” and strives to ensure her characters find their own happiness in love and life.

Website: www.sarahhadleybrookwrites.com

Giveaway

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Love Zombies? How About Cats and Romance? Combine all 3 with My Zombie Cat by T. Strange (Excerpt and Giveaway)

My Zombie Cat 1000x400

Title:  My Zombie Cat

Author: T. Strange

Series Title and Number : The Undead Canadian Series, Book 2.5

Publisher:  Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kristian Norris

Release Date:  July 13, 2016

Heat Level: 1

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 7000 words

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Horror, Gay Romance

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My Zombie Cat Cover

Synopsis

Edward Grey has hardly spent a night away from his cat, Boo, since before he was in preschool. Not even death could separate them, as Edward resurrected Boo as a zombie when he was five. Now, Boo has gone missing, and the cat isn’t in any of his usual haunts.

Excerpt

Kit was at work, and I was —miraculously—caught up on my coursework. I was full of restless energy after spending the previous day sitting on the couch watching TV with Kit, so I decided to give Boo a bath. He doesn’t groom himself very often, and when he does, he usually just makes his fur worse. He was definitely getting a little…ripe.

Unfortunately, Kit came home from work partway through the bath, and I don’t even want to imagine what he thought was happening when he walked in and heard Boo’s unearthly howls and me pleading with him—loudly, to be heard over him—to hold still so I could rinse him off and it would all be over.

I heard Kit shout for Winston, so he could be heard over Boo’s yowling, and then he burst into the master bathroom, holding a purring, contented bundle of blue-grey fur.

Boo and I were frozen in an epic tableau of wet, reeking cat and equally wet—and, probably, reeking—medical student.

Kit paused in the doorway, then started laughing. “Oh. God, I thought something was really wrong. You shouldn’t scare me like that.”

“You could help,” I grumbled, as Boo got his head free of my hand, which he proceeded to bite. Hard. And not let go of.

Kit looked at the…less than clear, decidedly murky…water and shook his head. “Ew. I don’t think so. Doesn’t that hurt?”

“Yes, of course it hurts! Being undead doesn’t turn his teeth into…candy corn!” With a sadly practiced motion, as Boo bites me on a regular basis, I wedged my free thumb into the corner of the cat’s mouth and pried his jaws apart. My hand was white where he’d bitten me, and then each depression slowly filled with blood.

“You’re not going to turn into a zombie, are you?” He’d gotten a little more relaxed about the ‘Z’ word, though last week he left his browser open to a site called the Zombie Rights Campaign. I wasn’t sure if it was a joke, or something he’d made himself. I try not to snoop on his computer.

I also hadn’t asked him about it. I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

“Kit, if I turned into a zombie every time Boo bit me, I’d be…”

“It only takes one time, Edward.”

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Torquere Press

My Zombie Cat Square
Meet the Author

Strange didn’t want to learn how to read, but literacy prevailed and she hasn’t stopped reading—or writing—since. She’s been published with Torquere Press since 2013, and she writes M/M romance in multiple genres, including paranormal and BDSM. T.’s other interests include cross stitching, gardening, watching terrible horror movies, playing video games, and finding injured pigeons to rescue. Originally from White Rock, BC, she lives on the Canadian prairies, where she shares her home with her wife, cats, guinea pigs and other creatures of all shapes and sizes. She’s very easy to bribe with free food and drinks—especially wine.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tq.strange

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTStrange

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TqStrange

Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/tqstrange/

Blog: http://tqstrange.blogspot.ca/

Tumblr: http://tqstrange.tumblr.com/

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T. Strange is Back with More Zombies with My Zombie Fiance’ (excerpt and giveaway)

My Zombie Fiance 1000x400

Author: T. Strange

Title:  My Zombie Fiancé

Series Title and Number: The Undead Canadian Series #2

Publisher:  Torquere Press

Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Release Date:  July 13th, 2016

Heat Level: 2

Pairing: Male/Male

Length:  63,000 words

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, Horror, Gay Romance, Bisexual, Humor

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My Zombie Fiance Cover

Synopsis

Edward Grey is no stranger to the undead; since raising his cat as a zombie when he was a child, he and his mentor Mariel have explored and developed his power as a necromancer. Despite everything he’s learned, as a necromancer and a medical student, he’s never encountered a ghost.

While Mariel is unreachable in Haiti on mysterious business, a ghost wakes Edward in the middle of the night, claiming to be his grandfather. When the ghost offers to teach him about this different form of undeath, Edward has little choice but to trust the spirit.

After receiving a phone call from a young girl claiming her father is possessed, Edward and his Undead Canadian fiancé, Kit, must travel to an acreage in Kingston…Ontario.

The haunting proves far more complicated than Edward could ever have guessed, and he finds himself pitted against an ancient evil determined to engulf everyone on the farm.

Edward’s love and connection to Kit will be tested, and his necromancy stretched to his limits as he has to find—and destroy—a twisted spirit more powerful than anything he’s ever encountered.

Excerpt

“Edward, answer the phone.” In our hurry to undress so we could ‘get Kit to sleep’, my phone had ended up on Kit’s side of the bed. He passed it to me, narrowly avoiding smacking me in the face with it. Miraculously, it was still ringing.

 

“’lo?” I managed.

“Is this Edward?”

It was a little girl’s voice, I thought. I didn’t know many little girls, so I made my best guess.

“Tia? It’s the middle of the night; I can’t come over to play right now. Isn’t it way past your bedtime? Go to bed. Bed is nice.” I closed my eyes, almost dropping the phone when my hand relaxed.

My neighbor two houses down has a very precocious four-year-old niece. She likes to play actual doctor with me—nothing creepy! I’ve taught her a few basic stitches for fixing her toys and dolls, though I suspect she may damage them on purpose so she can practice with me. Whoops. I also let her use my stethoscope and a few other safe, child-friendly pieces of medical equipment. I’ve heard her tell her aunt she wants to go to uncle Edward’s house, so I also suspect at least part of the reason she visits her aunt is to see me.

“Who’s Tia? This is Sarah. Mariel said that I should call you if it happened again. It happened again.” There was an expectant pause.

I don’t know anyone named Sarah, never mind a young girl. “Mariel told you to…? In case what happened again?”

“My daddy’s possessed,” she said, very calmly and matter-of-factly.

I felt goosebumps prickle along my arms at the word. I knew precisely as much about demonic possession as anyone who’d watched The Exorcist, and I had no idea what had, well…possessed…Mariel to refer this girl to me for help. “What exactly did Mariel say?”

The girl, Sarah, sighed deeply. She probably thought I was pretty slow, and at the moment I couldn’t blame her. “She said, call Edward, he’ll know what to do.” She sounded impatient, but not frightened. Maybe her father was possessed by something more benign than a demon.

Mariel had told her I could help, so I would do my best. Even though it was 3 AM and I knew nothing about possession. “What’s your daddy possessed by?” Not words I ever thought would come out of my mouth.

“Mister Jenkins.”

Mister Jenkins. That didn’t sound very frightening. “And what does Mister Jenkins do while he’s possessing your father?” Had she named the…spirit? It sounded like something a child might come up with.

“Not very much. He makes breakfast.” She lowered her voice. “Mister Jenkins is a better cook than daddy.”

Not much of a haunting, if movies were anything to go by. I envisioned a comedy, sort of like Three Men and a Baby, but with a ghost. Besides the one apparently caught on tape when they’d filmed that movie, come to think of it. “Does he…scare you?”

She laughed, high-pitched and genuine. “No, silly! I like Mister Jenkins, but Mariel says it’s bad for daddy if he stays too long.”

This was one of the strangest conversations I’d ever had, and I’ve lived with Kit for more than a year. And I’d dated Bone. It was even stranger than my recent conversation with my grandfather. “Where do you live, Sarah?” If there was a way to do an exorcism-by-telephone, I didn’t know it. Not that I knew any kind of exorcism, but hopefully I had enough time to find a solution before Mister Jenkins…burned toast or something. Maybe I could come up with something if I was physically present.

“Kingston.”

I had to go to Jamaica? If Mariel was in Haiti, she was much closer. I didn’t know why she didn’t just pop over and take care of Mister Jenkins.

Kit would love a tropical vacation—I wondered if his fair skin would tan or burn, or if his undeath made him immune? I wondered if he would be upset about it, one way or the other.

I was less than thrilled by the thought of the tropics. I don’t like heat, or the diseases that tend to accompany it.

“It’s in Ontario,” Sarah said, sounding very pleased with herself.

Oh. Kingston, Ontario. That was a relief, even if it was black fly season.

Great, now I’d have that song stuck in my head for days.

“Okay, I’ll be there as soon as I can. Can you tell me your address?” I would have to fly—driving would take several days, even if Kit and I switched and we drove continuously.

“No, but Mister Jenkins can.”

Her voice was replaced by a man’s, gentle and with a hint of a British accent. Part of his directions were, “Past Kingston Family Funworld”, which definitely sounded like a place to avoid. He apologized that he couldn’t meet me at the airport because he was bound to the house.

That was a good excuse. I wished I could use it.

My grandfather hadn’t been bound to a particular place, but he had reminded me over and over that he wasn’t a typical ghost. I wondered if most ghosts had a limited range, or if Mister Jenkins was unusual in that regard.

I told him I’d call when we landed, and he hung up.

I turned on my bedside lamp. “Kit, sweetie?” I poked him, gently.

“Mmm…”

“I have to go to Kingston.” It was a good thing I had a few weeks off from school. Hopefully I would get time to study during this trip. Study medicine, that is, not necromancy.

That got Kit’s attention. He gave a happy shriek and grabbed my hand. “Oh my God, no way! I’d love to go to Jamaica!”

“Kingston, Ontario.”

“Oh. Ew.”

“Why ew? Have you ever been there?”

“I don’t think so.”

“Then why—never mind. Do you still want to come with me?”

“Who calls you at three in the morning and tells you to go to Kingston, Ontario?”

“Sarah.”

He raised an eyebrow.

“I’m sorry! I’m still half asleep. This little girl, Sarah…Mariel told her to call me if her father got possessed again.”

“Mariel’s father? Is that why she left?”

“Sarah’s father.”

“Possessed again? Like, this is a regular occurrence?”

“Apparently. I have to book a flight.” I hunted beneath the bed for my laptop.

Kit had found his phone and was furiously typing on it. “Oooooh, Florence and the Machine is playing there! We can totally go!”

“Sure. Of course.” I found a flight that left early the next morning—in a few hours, really—and bought our tickets. “I don’t know if it’s worth going back to sleep; I’ll make us some coffee.” Not that coffee did much for Kit, except make him ill if he drank too much. Or, for some reason, if he used non-dairy creamer. It seemed to be some sort of…zombie kryptonite. I’d like to tell you I didn’t give some to Boo to see how he’d react, but I would be lying. The results: not pretty.

“What about the cats?”

Of course, the cats couldn’t come with us. While Winston could happily stay at the pet spa while we were gone, Boo could…not, and if we had someone taking care of one cat, it made sense for Winston to just stay at home. I felt a pang at the thought of being away from Boo for any length of time. “My parents can take care of them.” They wouldn’t be pleased—they’d actually thrown a “Boo is out of the house” party when I’d moved out, but they’d also get to spend time with Winston, and that was always a treat.

“I guess I’ll start packing. For both of us.”

He was welcome to do so.

In the meantime, it was definitely time to call Mariel. I wasn’t sure what time it was in Haiti, but I could definitely use her advice. For several panicked minutes I was worried that I’d lost the piece of paper she’d written the number on, when I remembered that she’d put it directly into my phone. I let it ring, over and over, but no one answered so I eventually gave up. Well, if Sarah had been able to get ahold of Mariel, she wouldn’t have needed to call me. Though she probably didn’t have Mariel’s number in Haiti…I’d just have to deal with the situation on my own for now, and call Mariel again when I had the chance.

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Meet the Author

Strange didn’t want to learn how to read, but literacy prevailed and she hasn’t stopped reading—or writing—since. She’s been published with Torquere Press since 2013, and she writes M/M romance in multiple genres, including paranormal and BDSM. T.’s other interests include cross stitching, gardening, watching terrible horror movies, playing video games, and finding injured pigeons to rescue. Originally from White Rock, BC, she lives on the Canadian prairies, where she shares her home with her wife, cats, guinea pigs and other creatures of all shapes and sizes. She’s very easy to bribe with free food and drinks—especially wine.

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A Barb the Zany Old Lady Review: Becoming Rory (College Rose Romance) by Ashavan Doyon

Rating: 3 stars out of 5

Becoming RoryRory Graeble is a returning college sophomore and a new man. Or at least he’s trying to be a new man. Outed last year when a gay bashing turned the campus upside down, the former “Lawrence” Graeble, a geeky introverted guy who sucked men off in the steam tunnels off-campus, is now out-and-proud Rory, the sole leader of the Queer Alliance. Showing up early for orientation with other student leaders, Rory meets Danny Smits at a party, and the two literally make sparks fly together.

Contrary to his past introverted behavior, Rory decides to pursue Danny, who is the leader of the Young Entrepreneurs on campus. A skater, Danny and his group have designed a new board and are trying to find funding to move their ideas into reality. In the meantime, Rory’s RA, Barry, is becoming a close friend and is pursuing a relationship with Rory’s BFF, Stacie. Getting the support of his friends while he pursues Danny, who is sometimes like quicksilver, is important to Rory. But catching Danny, and defining their relationship is very difficult, and when he finds out why, Rory allows self-doubt to cloud the picture.

Danny suffers from a <spoiler> that has led to some very destructive behaviors in the past, including drug addiction and a criminal record. When the bank turns down the loan application to get the skateboard business up and running, he nosedives into a deep depression, knowing the cause is his criminal record. Rory has seen this disorder up close in a family member in the past, so he decides to find out more about it before he makes any commitment to his volatile lover. Will he go or stay? Will Danny’s moods even allow him to recognize his own feelings toward Rory? And what about Danny’s friends, his crew as he calls them; will they allow him enough slack to decide for himself about Rory? After all, they’ve been his rock and been his only stabilizing influence in the past. Will they now allow that role to be held by Rory?

There’s so much to this story that it’s difficult to sift through all the facts, emotions, and drama. There’s also a subplot surrounding Barry and Stacie, and there are references to the past gay bashing on campus and to the characters involved. I suspect these were featured in previous stories by this author and it was difficult to get them all straight, so this story should be labeled as part of a series. It can still be read as a standalone, but readers like me may be confused and long to have that backstory filled. I liked the basic premise of this story, however it felt too long. And there was a lot of sex, very rough sex, bordering on abusive sex. By the latter part of the book, I glossed over the sex scenes to get back to the rest of the action.

The disorder wasn’t revealed until later in the book, and it was treated with so much gravity that if I happened to suffer from it, I would have definitely tipped into depression. I don’t mean to make light of it, not at all. It’s just that it was treated like something insurmountable and fatal, and yet I’ve known many people with the disorder who have stabilized with treatment. But in this book it felt quite hopeless.

One other thing, perhaps minor, perhaps not—there was a concurrent romance between Barry and Stacie that I felt that would have been okay as a quick mention, but quite a bit of time was spent on it and I didn’t particularly care for what happened or the time spent on them in the story.

Overall, the storyline felt very dark and depressing. I honestly don’t recommend it if you are looking for a sweet young adult romance, but if you like hurt-comfort stories and don’t mind some dark angst mixed in, you might want to consider this one.

~~~~~

Cover Art by Kris Norris fits the story quite well as it features a headshot of a young man with a skateboarder jumping in the background.

Sales Links:  Torquere Press | ARe | Amazon

Book Details:

Kindle Edition, 240 pages
Published June 8th 2016 by Torquere Press LLC
ASINB01GLQA3KS
Edition LanguageEnglish
SeriesCollege Rose Romance