Category: Torquere Books

When One Book Isn’t Enough! The Sky People Trilogy book blast for D.C. Juris (excerpt/contest)

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The Sky People Trilogy by DC Juris
 Release Date: December 30, 2015

Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Blurb

Driven by visions of his soul mate, Tristan, Jinsu steps through the portal to Earth, leaving all he has ever known behind.. Seven months into their fairy-tale romance, and Tristan and Jinsu couldn’t be happier. But when Jinsu falls ill with a mysterious, lingering condition, everything changes. Jinsu’s magic is dying and taking him with it. Suddenly the couple’s desire to find a way back to Jinsu’s home world is more than just a dream–it’s a necessity. With Jinsu’s time quickly running out, Tristan is forced to seek help from someone he’d hoped to never, ever lay eyes on again.

Tristan awakens on Torottu, but the portal wasn’t meant for humans, and he’s been near death since his arrival almost ten months ago. Even worse, Jinsu has no idea who Tristan is—the return trip through the portal erased his memory of Earth, of their relationship, or Tristan himself. Winning Jinsu’s heart again won’t be easy, especially if Kelan, Jinsu’s twin, has anything to say about it. Kelan loves Jinsu, too, and he won’t be put aside for Tristan. Not again. Tristan knows his only chance for happiness—and the only chance for Jinsu and Kelan—is to follow his heart. Previously published by Breathless Press.

 

Pages or Words: 33,000 words
 Categories: M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly, Romance, Science Fiction, M/M/M Romance, Twincest

Excerpt

After taking Jinsu home and grabbing a light dinner for himself, Tristan drove across town, up and down streets once all-too familiar, to see the only person he could think of who might be able to help him. He pushed open the office door, taking note of the little faded metal welcome sign and the open 9 to 5 banner hanging crookedly underneath it. He’d arrived just in time.

“Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in. How you doin’, sugar?”

Tristan smiled at the petite platinum blonde behind the desk. He’d always liked Nancy. Despite the fact that she looked like something out of an old mobster movie—big hair, low-cut blouse, gaudy makeup, chewing gum and all—she had that rare work ethic that made her more than just a receptionist. “I’m good. Is Bryan in?”

“Sure, hon. Have a seat. I’ll let him know you’re here.”

Tristan sat on the edge of a metal folding chair—god, Bryan was such a cheapskate—rested his left foot on his right thigh.

Before Nancy could stand up, the door behind her opened to reveal a tall, heavy-set man with closely cropped dark hair just beginning to thin. Older than Tristan, Bryan had started to show his age. “Nancy, do me a favor and—”

Nancy nodded toward Tristan. Tristan stood, the scrape of his chair on the tile far louder than he would’ve liked.

“Tristan?” Slight upward inflection in Bryan’s voice, as if he couldn’t believe Tristan was actually there. Well, that made two of them.

“Long time no see, huh, Bryan?” It was a lame way to break the ice, but how did one approach his former lover when he showed up at said former lover’s work, out-of-the-blue after three years?

“Hold my calls,” Bryan said, with barely a glance at Nancy. “C’mon in, Tris.”

Tristan cringed at the old nickname and followed Bryan into his office. The place was surprisingly neat—neater than Tristan had ever seen Bryan’s surroundings before.

“I’ve gotten better at housekeeping, as you can see.” Bryan gestured to the chair opposite his desk. “Have a seat. At the risk of sounding clichéd, to what do I owe this honor?”

“I need your help with something.” Tristan took a deep breath. Best to get right to it. He didn’t want Bryan getting any ideas or false hopes. Leaving out as many personal, private details as he possibly could, Tristan filled Bryan in on the events of the past seven months: Jinsu’s arrival—he didn’t mention the part about the dreams that had brought them together—his subsequent illness, and what Tristan had learned of Torottu.

“So…that brings you up to now,” Tristan finished. Bryan had sat quietly and listened throughout his speech, fingers steepled together in front of him, elbows resting on his desk, with that just-this-side-of-predatory gleam in his eyes that most people found alluring but Tristan had always hated.

“Huh. Well…it’s not really my line of work.” Bryan leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms.

“What do you mean it’s not your line of work? You investigate the freaky and abnormal.”

“Paranormal, to be specific. This…” Bryan shrugged. “I’m not saying I won’t help you. You know I’d do anything for you. I owe you after what I put you through.”

Tristan ground his teeth. Damn him for bringing up their past. Patience was a virtue when it came to dealing with Bryan, but Tristan could hit below the belt too. “I need your full efforts and attention. You can’t half-ass this. It can’t be like Detroit.”

Bryan straightened and curled his lip, looking away quickly. “Detroit wasn’t my fault.”

“You may not have caused it, but you did nothing to help. Understand, I won’t let Jinsu fall to a witch hunt.”

“What happened in Detroit—”

“What happened in Detroit didn’t have to. You involved the wrong people. You hung innocents out to dry; you threw your partners under the bus and nearly caused a citywide riot. I won’t let you sell Jinsu’s story and I won’t let you endanger his life. You keep the press out of this one. No glorious headlines, understand?”

“You’ve been back to the alley?”

Tristan bit back a conceited chuckle at Bryan’s change of topic. “Several times. There’s nothing there. Everything’s perfectly normal.”

“That may be and it may not. There are things that can’t be seen with the naked eye.” Bryan turned and pulled a book off the over-stuffed shelf behind him, thumbed through it quickly and then tossed it down on his desk. “You know that.”

“Jinsu’s certain he would be able to feel the magic if it were there.” Of course, that was only a theory, but having Bryan second-guess him was annoying.

“Sure, but you said he’s sick. That could be affecting him. I assume you’ve done some other research of your own?”

Tristan nodded. “I’ve been over every book of mythology and the occult that I could get my hands on.”

“Bah. We won’t find what we’re looking for in there. This kind of stuff doesn’t get listed in the public record.” Bryan folded his hands together and gave Tristan a long, lingering, thoughtful look. “I made a mistake with you.”

“Yeah, you did. Look, I didn’t come here for this. This isn’t about you and me. This is about someone’s life. It’s far more important than any petty bullshit.” On the verge of insulting, and definitely risky, but Bryan had never been good with subtlety.

Bryan quirked an eyebrow. “So we were petty, were we?”

“One of us was. I don’t want to argue about the past. Are you willing to help us?”

“Of course I am. I’ll need to gather my resources, make some calls. It may take time.”

Tristan sighed. Time was one thing they didn’t have.

Buy the book:  Torquere Books

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Meet the author:

Romance author, sic-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 NY 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::

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops: December 30, 2015

Parker Williams, A.M. Leibowitz, The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Charley Descoteaux, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, Molly Lolly, Nephy Hart, MM Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Andrew Q. Gordon, Velvet Panic

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘The Sky People Trilogy.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter. Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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In the Spotlight: ‘Life is a Stevie Wonder Song’ by V.L. Locey (excerpt and giveaway)

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Life is a Stevie Wonder Song by V.L. Locey
Release Date: December 30, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

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Blurb

Authors know that their muse is a fickle creature. Best-selling spy novelist Stephen Ramsey has been in a hate-hate relationship with his inspiration for months. Stephen’s publisher lays a legal ultimatum upon him, with a rapidly approaching deadline, he knows he must do something to kick-start his creativity or face the unemployment line. His daughter comes up with a possible answer: a summer camp for the creative soul. With nothing to lose, Stephen packs up his laptop, phonograph and beloved record albums and heads from Manhattan to the Catskill Mountains.

There, among a horde of college students attending for extra credits, is Declan Pomeroy, a photographer of fey creatures who is twenty years younger than Stephen. The woods are a magical place, and he quickly finds himself falling under the spell of the free-spirited photographer. Confusion wars with desire inside Stephen as he succumbs to the feelings welling up inside. But, sadly, summer camp always has to end. Can a man who has just found himself really leave the person that makes his heart sing?

 

Pages or Words: 24,600 words
 Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance, Gay For You, May/December

Excerpt

Then he appeared from the tree line, a lithe, pale creature of the Finnish goddess Mielikki’s woods if ever I had seen one. Yay for that semester of world mythology back in college finally paying off. Declan wore nothing but a scrap of linen tied around his lean waist and a camera around his neck. I swallowed and stepped down off the porch, anxious to get closer to him. He waited patiently for me. As I drew closer, I could hear him humming. A smile tweaked my lips. It was Stevie Wonder’s Signed, Sealed, Delivered.

“You look like you have too much on,” Declan announced when I stood in front of him. I glanced down at my attire. Gym shorts, a T-shirt, and sneakers sans socks. “How would you feel about doing this nude?” My sight knifed back from my clothes to my guide into the Twilight Zone.

“You’re not naked,” I pointed out once I could speak around the knot of desire clogging my throat.

“I usually am, but I figured you’d be far too uptight to not have clothes on, so, I fashioned a makeshift chiton to cover my goodies.”

“Okay. Yes, I’m not comfortable with our goodies hanging out.” He glanced up at the fat moon over our heads, then sighed dramatically. “I can do no shirt and no shoes, however.”

Declan’s gaze returned to me from Madame Luna. He made a sort of cooing sound then rose to his tiny toes to press his lips to mine. It was a soft peck, our mouths touching for a mere second, but it did things to my perceptions of who Steven Ramsey is that I still cannot fully explain.

“I think I’d like to see you without a shirt,” he whispered over my lips.

“What are you doing?” I croaked. He shrugged a shoulder, then dropped back down to stand flat-footed. “Stop it, okay? I’m old enough to be your father.”

He smiled then spun around, his bare back gleaming pure white. I wanted to touch his skin, trace the knobs of his spine with my tongue. This whole thing was pure insanity, yet I hurried to strip off my old T-shirt and kick off my sneakers. Declan glanced over his shoulder, smiled again, and then rushed off into the night, the coquette. I followed because what else could I do? Not traipsing after the kid was impossible. The grass was cool and wet under my bare soles. The high whine of a mosquito zipped past my ear. I would be nothing but a massive bug bite in the morning. I walked behind Declan, swatting at the air, hoping I didn’t step on something that would require stitches or a tetanus shot. We stepped into the woods. I debated going back for my shoes.

“We have to be as silent as possible,” Declan, standing on my right, whispered.

“Shoes are quiet,” I replied, my hand resting on the scraggy bark of an old pine.

“Shoes don’t allow you to touch the earth.”

“They also don’t allow thorns to penetrate your flesh,” I parried. My guide grunted in consternation then set off once again. A million questions bounced around my head as I tenderly placed one foot down then the other. What kind of camera did he use? Was there a special ethereal film for capturing fey? Did I need therapy? Did I just step on a slug?

We walked deeper into the woods. The farther we traveled, the more I wanted to speak up or at least scoff. I was working on a good zinger when I ran into Declan’s bare back. He threw up a hand to silence me. My body tightened from a weird combination of fear and desire. The kid felt wonderful pressed against my chest, his clammy skin resting against mine. I peered over his head, my hand coming to rest on his left hip. Declan leaned back into me just the slightest bit. My cock began to swell. My eyelids drifted down as he wiggled enticingly closer still.

“Look at the hazy ring around the moon,” Declan whispered. My fingers dug into his bony hip. I opened my eyes and looked up. We were on the edge of a small glen. He lifted up his camera and snapped several images as I stared at the milky white fingers of magic tickling the moon. “Now look at the ground.” I did. There, in the center of the small glen, was a small, perfectly circular ring of mushrooms perhaps ten feet wide. “That’s known as a fairy ring.”

“Huh,” I grunted, my body trying desperately to take over the show. Declan had to feel my erection resting against his pert ass. He seemed perfectly as ease with a hard dick between his buttocks. I, on the other hand, was slowly going mad. I longed to lower my mouth to his neck and lick the sweat from his skin. I also wanted to run away screaming to the world that I was not a faggot, but was I? It certainly looked it. Declan lowered his camera and took a few shots of the white mushrooms.

“I’ve heard tales of the fey blessing those who stand in a fairy ring under a full moon. Would you like to go stand in the ring, Steven?” he asked. I nodded. He slid out of my grasp and reached back to find my hand. His fingers were thinner than mine. He pulled me into the glen. I glanced up, then back. “Are you afraid that someone will see us cuddling in the fairy ring?”

“At the moment,” I stepped carefully over several large mushrooms,” I’m afraid of everything, mostly you.”

 

Buy the book: Torquere Books

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Meet the Author

V.L. Locey loves worn jeans, belly laughs, reading and writing lusty tales, Greek mythology, the New York Rangers, comic books, and coffee. (Not necessarily in that order.) She shares her life with her husband, her daughter, two dogs, two cats, a flock of assorted domestic fowl, and three Jersey steers.

When not writing spicy romances, she enjoys spending her day with her menagerie in the rolling hills of Pennsylvania with a cup of fresh java in hand. She can also be found online on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and GoodReads.

Where to find the author:


Tour Dates & Stops: December 29, 2015

Parker Williams, The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie, Havan Fellows, Just Love Romance, Happily Ever Chapter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, BFD Book Blog, The Jena Wade, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, 3 Chicks After Dark, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, MM Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Velvet Panic

Final updated Life is a Stevie Wonder Song

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘Life is a Stevie Wonder’ song by V.L. Locey.  Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

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Is Love a Crime? Check Out Rob Rosen’s ‘The Love Triangle Gone Wrong‘ for the Answer (excerpt/giveaway

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The Love Triangle Gone Wrong by Rob Rosen
 Release Date: December 16, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Blurb

Five actors, one play, a murder, and a security guard who seeks the truth, not to mention love, all set the stage for this hilarious tale of mystery and intrigue in small town America. You’ll never guess what, or who, is going to come next!

 

Pages or Words: 10,100 words
 Categories: Contemporary, Crime Fiction, Erotica, Gay Fiction, Humor, M/M Romance, Mystery, Romance

Excerpt:

I turned to glance at the audience, saw that everyone was suddenly and surprisingly alert and then quickly whipped my head back around to see all the actors in the play each pointing a gun at someone else in the play. It was an interesting plot twist given that the first act was more comedy—intentional or not—rather than murder mystery.

Then, BOOM, a gun went off on stage.

I jumped. The theater jumped in unison. Several people sucked in their breaths. I hoped no one was about to choke on a lozenge because mouth-to-mouth on the elderly is never fun—trust me on that one. The actress ran to one of her lovers. She knelt down by his side. Her eyes went wide. She screamed. I almost applauded. It was the best acting she’d done all day. Then she screamed again. “He’s been shot!”

“Um, duh,” I whispered to myself.

“Someone call the police!” she added.

No one moved, though I heard a few people behind me shift nervously around in their seats. One old guy coughed. I waited for a choking sound. Thankfully, it was just a cough and nothing more. Phew.

The other actors suddenly looked uneasy. I reached for my gun on instinct. Well, I reached for my can of mace actually, which was all I was allowed to legally carry, but it was still a weapon—you now, mostly. I mean, a shot of mace to the eyes can take a man down right quick. I know because I accidentally on purpose shot myself in the face with it once, just to see if mace had an expiration date. Turned out, it doesn’t.

“He’s dead!” shouted the actress hysterically.

The other actors rushed to their downed brethren. Suddenly, they didn’t all seem so, you know, acty. I too rushed the stage, taking the stairs off to the side two at a time. “Nobody move!” I shouted, can of mace held up high.

They all stared up at me and grimaced. The cuckolded husband shouted, “Call the police! He really has been shot!”

Buy the book:  Torquere Books

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Meet the Author

Rob Rosen (www.therobrosen.com), award-winning author of the novels Sparkle: The Queerest Book You’ll Ever Love, Divas Las Vegas, Hot Lava, Southern Fried, Queerwolf, Vamp, Queens of the Apocalypse, Creature Comfort and Fate, and editor of the anthologies Lust in Time, Men of the Manor and Best Gay Erotica 2015 and 2016, has had short stories featured in more than 200 anthologies.

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Happily Ever Chapter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Sassygirl Books, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, The Hat Party, Andrew Q. Gordon, Velvet Panic, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, Mikky’s World of Books, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Divine Magazine, Molly Lolly, MM Good Book Reviews

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘The Love Triangle Gone Wrong’ by Rob Rosen.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.


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WillPride

Coffee Sip and Book Break with DC Juris’ ‘137 Owens Street’ (excerpt and contest)

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137 Owens Street by DC Juris
 Release Date: December 16, 2015

Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Blurb

Matthew is going insane. How else can he explain remembering things he doesn’t own or trips his wife never took? Not to mention the visions, and the phantom in the café. But when the man in the visions reaches out to him with an explanation, and the phantom from the café tracks him down, things start to make a little more sense.

Morgan is a devout Christian. He believes in God, Heaven, Hell, and the Bible. But his world spins out of control when his husband Matthew disappears and a mysterious man tells a tale outside the realm of reality. How can Morgan put his faith in something so far-fetched? And what will happen to Matthew if he doesn’t?

Previously published by Breathless Press.

 

Pages or Words: 16,400 words
 Categories: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Religious Theme, Sweet Romance

Excerpt

A burst of white light surrounded him, and he held his hand up against the glare reflecting from his car. His red car. Not the black one he’d gotten into this morning. He’d known something was off when he’d cranked it up, but hadn’t been able to place what. Now he knew—the color wasn’t right. He took a step toward the car, and a pair of arms encircled his waist from behind.

“Come back to me!” a soft, deep voice pleaded against his ear.

Matthew turned as quickly as he could, but the light and the man had vanished. He closed his eyes and leaned back against his once-again-black car, his heart hammering, his throat thick with emotions he didn’t understand. He’d recognized that voice the moment he’d heard it, yet now he couldn’t place it. Now his mind relegated it to the hazy depths of forgotten things, like half-remembered tunes that went like da-da-da-da-da-something…la-la…and nebulous gray snatches of faces from childhood. But in that moment, he’d known, and he’d thrilled in it. The voice had evoked a response from him so intense and swift, like suddenly finding something he’d been missing for years in some random place he’d looked a million times.

He wondered what the speaker had meant. Come back to me. He looked around quickly, cleared his throat, and straightened his clothes. Thankfully, no one else had seen…whatever had just happened. He took a deep breath and headed back into the office. So he was having visions of a different color car and hearing a mysterious voice. That didn’t make him crazy. At least, not if he kept it all to himself.

He went back into the building, to his office, and stopped in the doorway. Where was his Chinese dragon? He distinctly remembered buying a print of a colorful Chinese dragon and hanging it right there on the opposite wall. Right where anyone could see it from the hallway. Or…had he? Matthew walked over to the wall. No picture hanger. No hole. Had he dreamed the piece of art too?

Buy the book:  Torquere Books

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Meet 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 NY 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::

Where to find the author:

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Full Moon Dreaming, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Bayou Book Junkie, Foxylutely Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Happily Ever Chapter, Sassygirl Books, Jessie G. Books, Nephy Hart, Velvet Panic, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, The Hat Party, Book Lovers 4Ever, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Kirsty Loves Books, MM Good Book Reviews

 

Final

Giveaway

Enter to win a Rafflecopter Prize: E-copy of ‘137 Owens Street’ by DC Juris.  Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prizes provided by the author and Pride Promotions.

 

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WillPride

Book Spotlight is on Tivi’s Dagger by Alex Douglas (excerpt and giveaway)

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Tivi’s Dagger by Alex Douglas
 Release Date: December 2, 2015

Goodreads Link
Publisher: Torquere Press
Cover Artist: Kris Norris

Blurb

The son and heir to a noble, Nedim Melchion has always been used to the more illicit pleasures in the high society of the Divine Kingdom of Lis, where laws are harsh and punishments harsher. So far his money and status have protected him from the grim realities of life…but now that the Protectors who police the land have a new leader, life has taken an unwelcome turn for the worse.

What could be more unfashionable for a noble in his prime than being forced to wear a pilgrim brown tunic while trudging through the dangerous mountain kingdom of Methar to pay homage to the Gods at an ancient shrine? Bound to serve by a Rite invoked by his devout older brother, Nedim can do nothing but count the footsteps until he can get back to his friends, his favorite tavern and his decadent ways. But as he and his traveling companions are guided through the land of the love gods by a handsome young monk, will Nedim find reason to change his ways?

 

Pages or Words: 61,000 words
 Categories: Erotica, Fantasy, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance

Excerpt

The monks had provided so much breakfast that by the time we finally set off, I felt bloated and idle. Mother Kiti had offered Brin some bottles of wine for the journey, which – much to everyone’s disappointment – he had refused. My spirits dipped as I contemplated what lay ahead, all of which was to be endured in a condition of unwelcome sobriety. A foot-numbing trudge through a land full of poisonous creatures and mistrustful inhabitants – not to mention the apparently treacherous cavernous pass Brin had neglected to inform us of – to a little-known shrine in the back arse of nowhere, where I would kneel to the Thirteen, none of whom I believed in, and force words of penance I did not mean to spill from my mouth, all in order to satisfy my brother.

It was remarkable how firmly Brin believed that I would return to Lis a changed man – not the same wretch who would, after having visited the holiest of sites, resume drinking and fornicating as I had every intention of doing. Brin’s convictions had always been his strength and his tragedy. He had fully believed the Protectors would welcome him back into the fold right up until the moment they stripped him, held him down and forced the burning brand against his flesh. For a moment I felt sorry for him, but then I stumbled on a stone and wrenched my ankle. When I’d limped off the pain, I trailed sullenly behind the group, cursing my brother once again and feeling more than sorry for myself.

What would they say at the Duck and Swan if they could see me now? Nedim Melchion, heir to the Melchion title and fortune, a desirable bachelor in his prime who had the pick of the most beautiful and discreet women the city had to offer – not to mention the finest wardrobe – now to be seen trudging along behind a donkey on a rocky mountain path sporting muddied leathers and a dismal brown pilgrim’s tunic. The situation could not be any worse. I would be a laughingstock, and would surely not hear the end of jokes about “filthy adventurers” – the travelling, sword-for-hire types upon whom the nobility of Azmara looked down from great heights.

I was no stranger to travel, but even in the most basic surroundings I had always prided myself on maintaining at least a modicum of style and grooming. From what I had learned from others who had undertaken such a journey, it appeared that pilgrims were required to show their devotion by being dirty and unkempt at all times, concerned only with spiritual matters. Taking in the mountain landscape around me, I comforted myself with the thought that at least there were few about who would see me in such a dismal condition.

Lana was striding along at the front with Brin and Kari while Kel led the donkey back down to the bottom of the path, where Matativi’s statue sat staring blindly into the distance, the dagger tucked once more behind its back. We turned left onto a narrow path which maintained a gentle downhill trajectory. The air was lush and smelt of rain on pine leaves and the mist had lifted a little, revealing thick forest to the left side and a plunging drop on the other. When the pebbles I kicked went over the edge, their fall was a distant rattle.

Snippets of conversation drifted to my ears over the crunch of my boots and the song of morning birds.

“So you know a little of our language,” Kari was saying to Lana.

“When I was a girl my family employed a nanny who hailed from these parts. She spoke of Methar often and sadly, as if she could never return home. I never really understood why.”

Kari scratched his chin, deep in thought. “Perhaps she was a criminal or an apostate, an outcast. Only the truly desperate among us seek employment in Lis.”

Brin’s hands formed fists, but he said nothing.

Lana tugged at her long braid thoughtfully. “Perhaps. But I do not understand. We also do not favor your God, yet you freely allow us passage through your land.”

Kari seemed to consider Lana’s words for a moment. “There is an old saying here, selire meteen. It means something like look to your own. The affairs and beliefs of outsiders do not concern us. But for those who have turned their backs on our Lady, Methar can be a cold place.”

“Perhaps it is not so different from Lis after all,” Lana said with a sidelong glance at my brother, then began making safer conversation about the beautiful scenery around us and the different birds and beasts she hoped to see on our journey. Thoroughly depressed, I tuned out Lana’s gay chatter and listened to the rush of a nearby stream and the silence of the mountains that loomed all around us.

On a normal day back in Azmara I would not yet have arisen from my bed. The servants would be laying out the finest silks and leathers for me to don before I would indulge in a long and lazy lunch on my balcony, gazing out over the harbor where the trading boats were docked, a hive of colorful activity. When the wind blew in from the east, it would carry the scent of spices and fruit and jasmine. In the evening I would make my way to my private rooms at the Duck and Swan where my friends – men and women like me, heirs to nobles, idle and beautiful and completely lacking in devotion – would be lounging on the plush cushions, eating fat purple grapes from golden bowls. The innkeep would serve the finest smuggled wines and any woman I chose, and then the evening would begin – drinking games, filthy jokes that would have made the Protectors’ ears wither and fall off, culminating in some wholesome bedplay, should the whim seize us. All of which I was supremely talented at, and enjoyed immensely.

The beauty of being born into money meant that as long as I took a few rudimentary precautions, none of Lis’s harsh Immorality laws would ever apply to me. If I’d been a believer, I would have kissed the feet of all thirteen Gods in gratitude for my privilege. The Protectors were powerful, but they did not have enough men to prevent all the land’s sins. To compensate, they employed private citizens as their eyes and ears, and a coin purse slipped into a pocket could render them blind and deaf in no time.

I was so deep in my memories of those wonderful nights at the Duck and Swan that I had not noticed that Kari had fallen into step beside me until he spoke.

Buy the book: Torquere Books

 

Meet the author:

Alex Douglas is an author at Torquere Press.

 

 

Where to find the author:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B015D83KHS?ref_=pe_1805931_64002121

 


Tour Dates & Stops:

December 9:

The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie, Chris McHart, Bonkers About Books, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Charley Descoteaux, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves, KathyMac Reviews, Velvet Panic, BFD Book Blog, Book Lovers 4Ever, A.M. Leibowitz, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Cheekypee Reads and Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Jessie G. Books

December 10:

Havan Fellows, Parker Williams

 

Giveaway

Enter to win a E-copy of ’Tivi’s Dagger’ by Alex Douglas, must be 18 years of age or older to enter.  Link and prize provided by the author and Pride Promotions.
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