Book Review – House of Cards by Garrett Leigh

Porth Ewan Bay
Publisher: Fox Love Press
Pages: 214
Characters: Brix/Calum
POV: 3rd
Genre: Contemporary, Series

Blurb:
What’s better than one broody tattoo artist? TWO, that’s what. Hurt/comfort, friends-to-lovers, and forced proximity combine in this gorgeous second chance MM romance.

Calum Hardy’s life has unravelled. Reeling from the betrayal of a man he once loved, he boards a train heading south, with no real idea where he’s going except a world away from London.

Brix Lusmoore can hardly believe his eyes when he spots one of his oldest friends outside Truro station. He hasn’t seen Calum since he fled the capital himself four years ago, harbouring a life-changing secret. But despite the years of silence, their old bond remains, warm and true—and layered with simmering heat they’ve never forgotten.

Calum takes refuge with Brix and a job at his Porth Ewan tattoo shop. Bit by bit, he rebuilds his life, but both men carry the ghosts of the past, and it will take more than a rekindled friendship and the magic of the Cornish coast to chase them away.

*Previously published as part of the Porthkennack shared world series, these titles have been significantly reworked and re-edited, with strong links to the Rebel Kings MC universe*

Buy Link

Review

I loved the first book in this series, and am now hanging out for the rest. Calum and Brix feel very real, and the setting adds another layer to the story with its scenery and inhabitants. I also enjoyed the links to, and cameos from, the Rebel Kings.

I thought the author did a great job in showing Calum’s relationship with his toxic ex. That guy is a narcissist, nasty piece of work. I loved how Kim matter-of-factly dealt with yet another phone call. I loved Calum and Brix reconnecting, and learning about what had happened during the years they’d lost contact, and their protectiveness of each other. This author writes flawed characters and the angst and raw emotion that goes with that wonderfully well.

Brix’s relationship with his family is interesting. They have quite the history. I liked that everything they’re doing isn’t always above board. I loved the chicken rescue, and Calum’s instant connection to them.

Zelda has a personality all of her own. I always enjoy MCs having cats.

Port Ewan feels like a character in its own right. I loved the small community atmosphere, and the supporting cast who totally need their own books. I’m very pleased this is the first in a series.

5 out of 5 stars

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Rainbow Snippets – 12/5/24 – Shades of Sepia


Rainbow Snippets is a group who post 6 sentences each week from LTBTQ+ fiction or a book rec. Check out the FB page for more. #RainbowSnippets

This week’s snippet is from Shades of Sepia, Book 1 of The Sleepless City.

The knock on his door was quiet, tentative. “Simon?” Ben called. His voice had a reserved quality Simon hadn’t heard before.

“The door’s not locked.” Simon undid the top button of his shirt. His skin felt flushed, and he’d discarded the constriction of the tie around his neck when he’d begun pacing.

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Book Review – Miracle by RJ Scott

Single Dads #7
Publisher: Love Lane Books
Pages: 304
Characters: Arlo/Jax
POV: 1st
Genre: Contemporary, Series

Blurb:
An abandoned baby, a poignant note from his long-lost twin, and unexpectedly, Jax’s world is turned upside down.

Despite being adopted by a loving family when he was a child, Jax feels part of his life is missing, and driven by dreams of his brother being in danger, Jax is consumed by his search for his biological twin. Shocked to find a surprise delivery on his doorstep, Jax discovers that not only is he an uncle, but apparently, he’s a legal guardian to baby Charlie. He calls on the unwavering support of his friends and family to solve the mystery surrounding the new arrival, but also finds help from an unexpected source—Arlo, the enigmatic bear of a man who works for him.

Arlo is no stranger to caring. When his parents passed, he dropped out of college to care for his siblings, working construction to pay the bills. With his brothers grown and having left home, it’s Arlo’s turn to live, but when the next stage of his life means owning up to his love for Jax, he can’t find the words to be honest about how he feels. The problem for Arlo is that he’s been in unrequited love with his boss for three years and can’t bear to not be part of his life. Is it too much to wish for a miracle to make Jax fall for him too?

Buy Link

Review

I’m loving this author’s single dads series, and especially how the characters from each of the books all connect. This story is very much about family, and siblings, and I now need to read about Jax’s brother!

I love Arlo and Jax’s friendship, and their cluelessness about their true feelings for each other. They fit together so well, and are fabulous parents to baby Charlie. I liked how neither is a stranger to raising children, whether it be their own or younger siblings. I also loved how Jax is instrumental in getting Arlo, Sutton, and Trace to finally talk.

I love Jax’s parents, and how loving, supportive, and practical they are. The scenes with Jax’s siblings, and Arlo’s brothers are fun. I enjoyed their relationships and how they’re all there for each other.

The scenes with Panda adopting Arlo are fun, and he’s very much his own character. Typical cat.

The epilogue is wonderfully feel good, and I loved the glimpse into the future.

5 out of 5 stars.

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All Flavours of MM Romance in May

Searching for your next favorite MM read? We’ve teamed up to help you find it!

The all flavours of MM Romance promotion runs until the end of May.

Anne Barwell, Alexa Piper, Flynn Woods, Brina Brady, Leta Blake, Abrianna Denae, Marie Sinclair, Lucy Felthouse, Antonia Aquilante, Tessa Kane, Riley Long, D Alex, A.D. Ellis, Gabbi Grey, Lynn Michaels, Drew Duncan, Aldrea Alien, CD Rachels, Vasha Crow, Tavia Lark, S.A. Pavlik, Aurora Crane, Sienna Moreau, MN Bennet, Christie Gordon, Andrea K. Stein, Delcan Rhodes

#annebarwell #lacedragonpublishing #thesleeplesscitysharedworld #echoesrising #mmromance #mysteryfiction #gayfiction #supernatural #paranormal #contemporary #newzealandromance #WWII

You can find all the books here.

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Release Blitz – Blood and Bone by Patricia Logan

A big welcome to Patricia Logan as part of her release blitz with Gay Romance Reviews for Blood and Bone.

Blood and Bone RB Banner

Release Blitz, Excerpt & Giveaway:
Blood and Bone
By Patricia Logan

Blood and Bone Cover

U.S. Marshals I.S.R. (Interspecies Response), Book 2

Aristotle Brown is starting to like his new job with the U.S. Marshals Interspecies Response unit. If anyone would have told him vampires, shifters, werewolves, and space aliens existed a few months ago, he would have called them crazy. But meeting his new partner has proven to be the best part of the I.S.R. He’s settling into the new job and the new man nicely. When he moved out to Los Angeles from Lexington, Kentucky a few months ago, he thought he might try finding a guy, but he never expected to feel that way about his new partner.

Eoghan Sapphire thinks Ari is beautiful and brilliant, and that’s probably a good thing since they spend a lot of time together. Very quickly, he realizes that the feelings he’s having for the man, aren’t purely professional. He wishes things would slow down for just a minute but when work gets in the way, he realizes they can’t stop moving for even a minute. On the way to northern California to help the local sheriff locate a fugitive shifter Eoghan once put behind bars, he and Ari drop in on a friend before coming face to face with a couple of unexpected predators. If their life wasn’t crazy enough, a couple of cephalopods give chase.

Better still, a case involving a vampire with a very unusual oral fixation, has both of them grateful for the blood-sucker’s restraint. Just when both men think things might settle down and there’ll be an end to the madness, they’re tasked to meet a couple of the scariest shifters they’ve ever heard of. And just to put a cherry on top of the assignment, it turns out these guys aren’t exactly the forgiving kind. As Eoghan and Ari enter a world neither could have prepared for, they come face to face with something thought to live only…in legend.

Universal Link

Check out the Series on Goodreads

Blood and Bone Teaser 3

Blood and Bone Teaser 1


Excerpt:

Ari was completely unprepared to witness the change of the two shifters. If he’d thought his life was strange before, standing in the dining room of a modest home in the middle of suburbia watching two men become drooling predators in a matter of seconds, really took the cake. And seeing two huge grizzly bears where the sheriffs had been only moments before, totally freaked him out. His hand went reflexively to his sidearm, pulling the Glock before he knew what he was doing.

Only Eoghan’s near-painful grip on his wrist, stopped him from killing their fellow law enforcement officers as the men lunged at what appeared to be a large opossum where Colt Wilkins had been standing seconds before. The opossum made a squealing sound as it propelled itself backward, slamming against the wall and wedging itself into the corner, doing its best to make itself invisible.

“Stand down, Ari!” Eoghan shouted as he moved in between him and the grizzlies. He tugged on his wrist until his senses came back to him, and he lowered the weapon. Even as the weight of his gun dropped, Eoghan was turning and shouting at Two Trees and his deputy, telling them something similar to the order he’d given Ari. The buzzing in his ears was making him feel disoriented as they stared at the scene in front of him. Both bears had lowered their heads and were roaring at the opossum which stared at them with wide, glowing, violet eyes. Ari had fleeting thoughts about how it would look if he shit himself right there in Riversong’s living room every time one of the bears roared.

Blood and Bone Teaser 2


Enter the Giveaway:

To celebrate the release of Blood and Bone, we are giving away 2 e-copies and 2 Audible codes (US or UK) of the release!

Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway for your chance to win!

A Rafflecopter Giveaway

Direct Link: http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/cc0f2a57863/?

Blood and Bone Teaser 4


Check out Book 1 in the U.S. Marshals I.S.R. (Interspecies Response) Series: Tooth and Nail
Tooth and Nail Cover

The very last thing U.S. Marshal Eoghan Sapphire wants is a new partnership. Worse yet, the transfer from Lexington, Kentucky is a civilian. That means it’ll be Eoghan’s responsibility to break him into the I.S.R. and the unique way their particular U.S. Marshals Service unit operates. He decides being a jerk to him and keeping him at arm’s length just might be the way to handle things…until he meets him.

Aristotle Brown isn’t like anyone Eoghan’s ever known before. He’s polite, willing to learn, and most of all, devastatingly handsome. Eoghan’s actually happy they’re thrown into a dangerous situation with a WITSEC protectee the first day his brand-new partner is on the job. Dealing with this particular man will let Eoghan know what Ari Brown’s made of. Will he break under pressure?

Dealing with humans is standard everyday stuff in the U.S. Marshals Service but other non-human species like shifters, other paranormals, and aliens from distant star systems…well, that’s where things promise to get downright interesting. Their second day on the job is no different. And he’s not prepared for Ari’s cool-headed composure when he comes face to face with an example of everything the I.S.R. deals with every day.

To top it all off, the marshal sent to back the two men up when things get dicey in Griffith Park isn’t as reliable as Eoghan had hoped. The impulses of the guy nearly get them all killed but fortunately, Ari performs like a dream, helping extract everyone when things go from bad to worse. Eoghan is sure of a couple of things…acting as this man’s training officer isn’t going to be such a struggle after all, and keeping his hands off him is going to be the hardest part about this assignment.

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Tooth and Nail Teaser 4.2


author pic

About the Author:

International bestselling author Patricia Logan, resides in Los Angeles, California. The author of several #1 bestselling romances in English, Italian, French, and Spanish lives in a small house with a large family. When she’s not writing her next thriller or paranormal romance, she’s watching her grandchildren grow up way too soon, and raising kids who make her proud every day. One of her favorite tasks is coaxing nose kisses from cats who insist on flopping on her keyboard while she types. Married to a wonderful man for 36 years, she counts herself lucky to be surrounded by people who love her and give her stories to tell every day.

Pick up your favorite Patricia Logan Book from Amazon

Check out her Audio titles at Audible.com

Email her at patricialogan.author@yahoo.com. She loves to hear from readers more than anything and will respond to all emails.

Connect with Patricia:
Website: http://www.authorpatricialogan.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ploganauthor
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Twitter: https://twitter.com/PatriciaLogan1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authorpatricialogan/


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Release Blitz – Jagged Ends by Thom Collins

A big welcome to Thom Collins as part of his release blitz with Gay Book Promotions for Jagged Ends.

NEW RELEASE

Book Title: Jagged Ends

Author: Thom Collins

Publisher: Pride Publishing

Cover Artist: Kelly Martin

Release Date: April 30, 2024

Genre. Contemporary M/M Romance

Tropes: Suspense, thriller, small town

Themes: Second chance, revenge

Length: 61 912 words/ 248 pages

Heat Rating: 4 flames

It’s a standalone romance that forms part of a wider series

and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

 

Buy Links

Publisher | Universal Amazon Link | Kobo

 

Jerico is about to meet two figures from his past.

One filled with love, the other consumed by vengeance.

 

Blurb

The coastal town of Nyemouth is the perfect location for celebrity chef Jerico Osman to fulfil a lifetime ambition. With it’s stunning harbour and brisk holiday trade, there’s no better place for him to open his first restaurant. It’s a dream that has been a decade in the making. But there’s another attraction in Nyemouth, one Jerico was completely unaware of.

Andy Quinn is content with his life. He has a great job managing Quay House, the popular waterfront hotel, and a peaceful home with a cat called Patches. Andy spent his twenties working in the cruise industry, exploring the world and has finally settled in his home town of Nyemouth. Those years at sea were a time of adventure and discovery, including a ship bound romance with a young Jerico. After fifteen years, Andy doubts the famous chef will even remember him, but from the moment they reconnect, the time they spent apart falls away.

Andy isn’t the only figure from Jerico’s past. A week before the restaurant is due to open, an act of reckless sabotage puts everything he cares about in danger, including Andy. Jerico has made an enemy, someone who will stop at nothing to see his long-realised dream become a nightmare. As a plan for vengeance is played out, who will survive until the end?

Fall in love with compelling new characters and rediscover some old favourites in the fifth and final instalment of the Jagged Shores series.

 

Excerpt

The evenings in Nyemouth were beautiful in the summer, when the blue sky was transformed to the most startling shades of purple, pink and red. It was Andy’s favourite time of the year, and tonight, it was even better, as he walked the South Point cliff with Jerico.

“It reminds me of all those sunsets we saw when we were at sea,” Jerico remarked.

Andy nodded his agreement. “I come up here a lot when I have the time, if I get finished at the hotel early enough. It helps me to relax. At this time of year, there’s nothing I like more.”

“It seems like you’ve always been drawn to the sea.”

“Mmm, probably. I grew up at the coast, worked on ships. I can’t imagine ever being far away from it.”

He was aware of Jerico watching him and tried to keep his gaze on the path ahead, though the temptation to turn and feast his own eyes was huge. Instead, he filled his lungs with the salty air coming from the water. Up here, the sticky heat of the hotel and the town centre was forgotten.

“What did you do?” Jerico asked. “After we lost touch. You have me at a disadvantage. You can find out about me online, everything I’ve ever done is there. But you, apart from your professional CV, there’s nothing.”

Now Andy could not resist looking at him, raising a bemused eyebrow. “So, you’ve been cyber-stalking me?”

“Doesn’t everyone?”

His brown skin looked glorious in the evening light. Andy’s mouth was dry. Jerico looked more handsome than he’d ever known him. How had they come to be here, after all this time? Andy knew he wasn’t dreaming. This was very real.

He wet his lips. “It’s a similar story to your own. I kept working at sea until I was around thirty.”

“Doing the same as before? Excursions and tours?”

“For a while, yes. But when I moved to another cruise company, an opportunity arose to join the hotel management side of the ship, and I found I enjoyed that even more. I became Deputy Hotel Manager after just two years. I loved being on the ships. I’m so glad I did all that. For a young guy in his twenties to travel the world and see all those places, how many people are lucky enough to do that?”

Jerico nodded. “It was great, though I don’t miss the force-eleven gales and ten-metre waves.”

Andy laughed. “Yeah, I think I’ve pushed those to the back of my mind and just remember the calm waters and sunsets.”

“I remember some really bad nights, trying to sing and dance while the stage was going up and down beneath my feet.” He gave a dramatic shudder and chuckled.

“But look at it now,” Andy said, gesturing to the peaceful North Sea. Tonight, there wasn’t even a white cap to ruffle its surface. “When I see it like this, I do miss being out there.”

“Would you ever go back? To working on the ships?”

“Nah. Been there, done that. I’m happy here. I’ve got my dream job and my family close by. I’ve seen almost all the world has to offer, so now I’m content to stay home. How about you?”

“I’ve done a couple of themed culinary cruises in the last few years—guest speaking and cookery demonstrations, that kind of thing. It’s a lot different on the other side. The guest staterooms are a lot nicer than those tiny crew cabins we had to stay in.”

“I’ll bet. That’s something I’ve never done, experiencing a cruise ship from a passenger perspective. I imagine it’s a different world from what we were used to.”

“Yeah, but when you’re young, you don’t care, do you? You just need a place to sleep and shag. They could have put me in a cupboard, and I’d have been happy.” He gave Andy a flirtatious wink.

“I remember what you were like, all right.”

They paused and stood side by side and looking out to sea together. For a moment, Andy lost himself in those memories…of standing on the deck of a ship or the shores of exotic countries with Jerico. Were those the best days of his life? No, he decided. The best days were still ahead of him. Be positive and keep moving forward.

It had gone eight o’clock. “I’m getting hungry,” he said. “Do you fancy something to eat?”

“Starving,” Jerico said. “What do you suggest?”

 

Check out the other books in the Jagged Shores series

 

About the Author

 

Jagged Ends is Thom Collins’ tenth novel. As well as the Jagged Shores series, he is the author of the Anthem Trilogy and Closer by Morning. He has lived in the North East of England his whole life. He grew up in Northumberland and now lives in County Durham with his husband and cat. He loves all kinds of genre fiction, especially thrillers, romance and horror. He is also a cookery book addict with far too many titles cluttering his shelves. When not writing he can be found in the kitchen trying out new recipes. He’s a keen traveler but with a dislike of flying that gets worse with age. Since 2013 he prefers to see the world by sea.

Check out his website for news updates and a free ebook The Night.

 

Social Media Links

Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Newsletter Sign-up

 

 

Giveaway

Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win

one of 5 ebook copies of Jagged Ends

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

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Throwback Thursday – 9/5/24 – Shadowboxing

My #throwbackthursday this week is Shadowboxing, book 1 of Echoes Rising.

#WWII #action #drama #spies #diversecharacters #enemiestolovers #friendstolovers #hurtcomfort #mmromance #seriesstarter #gayromance #MMWarRomance #MMHistoricalRomance

Complete their mission or lose everything.

Berlin, 1943

An encounter with an old friend leaves German physicist Dr Kristopher Lehrer with doubts about his work. But when he confronts his superior, everything goes horribly wrong. Suddenly Kristopher and Michel, a member of the Resistance, are on the run, hunted for treason and a murder they did not commit. If they’re caught, Kristopher’s knowledge could be used to build a terrible weapon that could win the war.

For the team sent by the Allies—led by Captain Bryant, Sergeant Lowe, and Dr Zhou—a simple mission escalates into a deadly game against the Gestapo, with Dr Lehrer as the ultimate prize. But in enemy territory, surviving and completing their mission will test their strengths and loyalties and prove more complex than they ever imagined.

Author’s note: This is the third edition of Shadowboxing. The first and second editions were released by another publishing house. This story has been re-edited, and uses UK spelling to reflect its setting.

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Universal Link | Paperback | Series Link

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Book Review – Last Resort by Morgan Brice

Treasure Trail #3
Publisher: Darkwind Press
Pages: 157
Characters: Erik/Ben
POV: 3rd
Genre: Paranormal, Series

Blurb:
Weird things are happening again in Cape May and the ghosts of old mobsters never rest easy.

Erik Mitchell gets a strange delivery of antique poker chips with odd markings tied to a casino that burned a century ago. Ben Nolan finds a dead guy in one of his rental units—turns out the guy’s been missing for twenty years and is linked to a long-lost treasure.

The ghostly energy of the old Commodore Wilson hotel juices up all the town’s spirits, and a stranger shows up with an unhealthy interest in both cases. Ben and Erik have just moved in together, and they’re still navigating the next step as partners and blending their lives.

Murder, missing persons, hidden treasure, and haunted poker chips. Can Ben and Erik put the pieces together to solve the case, or when the cards are dealt, will they be left holding the dead man’s hand?

Last Resort is a suspenseful MM paranormal romance mystery-adventure filled with second chance love, hurt/comfort, true soulmates, old curses, hidden treasure, dangerous secrets, restless ghosts, psychic visions, powerful witches, angry mobsters, and a very haunted hotel.

Buy Link

Review

I love this author’s paranormal stories and how they’re all part of one big world, so characters cameo in each other’s stories. This series is a wonderful mix of romance, mystery, and the paranormal.

I like how Ben and Erik’s relationship is growing as they get to know each other while risking their lives with ghosts etc. Their romance is sweet and protective, and I like how they don’t move in together immediately, and when they do, they find a way to make their differences fit in a shared home.

The supporting cast is great. I love Susan, Jaxon, and Sean in particular. I also like how Ben and Erik’s pasts come back to haunt them. Literally. And how the mob always has them looking over their shoulders. I also enjoyed the addition of the convent, and the tie ins with the Deadly Curiosities series.

I like how the mystery unfolds, and that the information doesn’t just fall into their laps. I always appreciate research being done at libraries! Love the final showdown – lots of action and everyone working together.

5 out of 5 stars.

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Release Blitz – The Brotherhood Vol 1 by Willa Okati

A big welcome to Willa Okati as part of his release blitz with Indigo Marketing and Design for The Brotherhood Vol 1 from Changeling Press.

Title: The Brotherhood Vol. 1

Author: Willa Okati

Publisher: Changeling Press

Release Date: May 2, 2024

Heat Level: 4 – Lots of Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 294 pages

Genre: Action Adventure, Box Sets, Dark Fantasy, New Releases, Paranormal Women’s Fiction, Romance, Romantic Comedy, Urban Fantasy

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Welcome to Amour Magique, where gay paranormals come to find love…

Amour Magique – the notorious sex club owned by Liam, an incubus. His friends call themselves The Brotherhood. The Brothers have the perennial problem of gay men everywhere: finding a hottie who doesn’t turn out to be a loser or abuser. They’re down on their luck, and looking for love in all the wrong places.

Bite Me — Tattoos. Piercings. Leather. Attitude. Do anything, say anything, and damn the consequences. That’s Bree of the Brotherhood, and he’s not about to apologize for a thing.

The Dragon’s Tongue — Collin was born with the power to make men burn with lust. He’s been burned himself, though, and now he’s working himself into an early grave. Might just be worth the trip if he can get it right this time.

Good Luck Piece — Conned into putting in an appearance at the notorious sex club, Amour Magique, Simon holes up in a shoddy bar aptly called Last Chance. Then an Irish stranger with flashing green eyes and a mouth made for wickedness buys him a drink…

Excerpt

The Brotherhood Vol. 1
Willa Okati
All rights reserved.
Copyright ©2024 Willa Okati
Excerpt from Amour Magique

Silence. Intense silence. Chilly air smelling of pine and citrus rushed through painfully neat rooms and corridors, whisking over nothing but bare furniture and knickknacks free of dust. Surfaces sparkled, yet had an opacity that lacked any élan vital. Solemn strains of a Beethoven requiem filled the air.

This was a place where happiness went to die.

In one room, though, a spark of life remained. A scented candle, fragrant with bayberry and red as blood, crackled to life in the semi-darkness. It passed from hand to hand, lighting taper after taper in a circle, until twelve flares of light burned brightly in the gloom. Each candle, held tightly or cautiously in a strong male hand, was lifted high in a circle as the men holding them glanced at one another, took a simultaneous deep breath, and chanted:

“Long live the Brotherhood. May our harmony and companionship be a beacon in the darkness of an unfriendly world. Let the Brotherhood bring light to the murky corners and sweep away the shadows of hostility.”

Again, they glanced at each other. Faint smiles lifted the corners of mouths plump and thin, narrow and wide.

“Here are the bylaws of the Brotherhood, long may they live. Act smart. Look cool. Share your prick, not your heart. Long live the Brotherhood!”

Smothered laughter broke out as all twelve men tilted their bayberry candles toward a vast central pillar and set its many wicks alight.

“So let it be done,” intoned the man in the position of leader. “So may it be.”

Silence filled the air for a long moment.

Then the doorbell chimed.

“Hot damn — food’s here!” Micah, closest to the door, jumped up, shoved his candle into a holder, and, with a deft flick of a switch, turned the chandelier lighting on in the main room. “Who ordered tonight? David? What did you get — Chinese or Thai?”

“Chinese,” David called as he put his taper into another holder, as did the other men. “Moo shu pork, egg rolls, wonton soup, sweet-and-sour chicken, beef with broccoli, sesame beef, General Tso’s, cashew chicken, lo mein –”

“Holy fuck, David! We’re not an army!”

“– and dessert, too.” He blushed a little. “Well, you guys always say there’s never enough when someone else orders. I figured I’d get plenty.”

“Yeah, plenty of food, since that’s all you’re getting,” retorted Micah.

“Not nice,” Simon, their leader, rebuked, folding his hands. “And would you open the door before the nice delivery gentleman thinks we’re either crazy or not at home and goes away?”

“Don’t get your panties in a bunch. I’m on my way.” Micah smoothed his indigo silk shirt more neatly into his tight-cut jeans, ruffled a hand through his hair, and swung the door open. A delighted grin split his face. “Hwong Li! How did they know to send you? Was it just for me?”

“You are a horn dog,” the young Asian man retorted. His arms overflowed with boxes. “I drew the short straw.”

“There is nothing short about me.”

“So you say. Ninety-three ninety, please.”

“Ninety-three — David, how much food did you order?” Micah turned, hands on his hips. “It’s obvious you don’t care, but some of us are watching our figures.”

David blushed a deep, dusky red. “I just wanted to get enough –”

“You got enough, all right. Lose about ten, and maybe you’d get something else, too.”

“Gentlemen!”

“All right, all right.” Micah folded his arms. “I’m not paying for all this myself, men. Pony up the cash.” All around the room, men dug into their pockets. David produced a twenty and handed it over, his cheeks still pink. Micah snatched all the cash, counting it with a quick hand before passing over a hundred dollars. He riffled the bills in front of Hwong’s eyes, letting him count the cash, before cracking a nasty smile and slipping the money into the delivery boy’s front pants pocket.

His fingers lingered.

“Why, Hwong, do I feel a spring roll in there?”

“Your touch would make bamboo soft.”

“Prick!”

“Yes. But not on the market for one such as yourself.”

“Fuck you.” Micah jerked his hand away as if he’d been burned. “Keep the change.”

Hwong Li regarded him disdainfully. “Shitty tip.”

“You want a tip? Don’t insult me next time.”

“Aw, come on,” the youngest of their group piped up. “Hwong’s a hottie. Treat him with the r-e-s-p-e-c-t a sister, uh, brother deserves.”

Hwong glanced past Micah. “Hello, Christian. Got a kiss for me?”

“You bet.” Christian dug into the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt and pulled out a handful of chocolate drops. He unwrapped them. “Here, catch!”

Hwong did a nifty little seal impersonation and snaffled every treat in his mouth as they flew through the air.

“Someday, I’ll give you the real thing,” Christian teased.

“You wish you were so lucky.” Hwong stuffed the boxes of food into Micah’s arms, leaving him no choice but to grab them or drop them. “Night, ladies.”

“Asshole!”

“No, that’s your specialty.” Hwong turned and walked away.

Micah kicked the door shut and moved somewhat awkwardly toward the table in the center of the circle they’d sat in earlier. “Does someone want to help me with this? Simon? Laurence? Bree?”

“Nope!”

“You’re on your own.”

“No way.”

“You’ll sure as hell eat it, though.” Micah dumped the boxes down. “Fine, then. Chow down, but leave me the plain white rice.” He patted his flat stomach. “I don’t want to get a pot belly.”

“You’re in about as much danger of getting fat as you are of getting anything else,” Alex said bluntly as he flopped down in a chair and reached for a container marked Lemongrass Chicken Special. “Pot, kettle, black?”

“I don’t see you bragging about your conquests.” Micah’s voice was prickly.

“Honestly! Hwong wasn’t far wrong in calling you ladies. Quentin, you and Harrison get the beer and wine. The rest of you, sit.”

“Aye, aye, Simon!”

Micah sat in the middle of a buttery-soft leather couch and crossed his legs. “I think you’re all carrying this whole Brotherhood thing too far… or not far enough. Help each other out, everyone doing their part… then it all lands on someone like me.”

A slight, lithe, curly-haired man who had not spoken as yet murmured, “You need each other, Micah. Such is the purpose to this group.” He toyed with a blue crystal that dangled from a chain around his neck. “Even you need these others, deny it as you will.”

Micah regarded the man with distaste. “All I need, Liam, is one good night on the town with a decent fuck who knows how to treat a man.”

A youngish, multi-pierced man flopped down on the couch beside them. “You want a man who’ll treat you like a god.”

“So what if I do?” Micah retorted. “You just want anyone who knows how to make the bedsprings bounce, Bree.”

“Yeah, and?” Bree reached for some extra-spicy General Tso’s. “At least it’s been less than a year for me.”

“Not by much.”

“Liar, liar, pants not on fire.”

Simon sighed and rolled his eyes to heaven. “Enough! No one else says a word until we’ve eaten. I invoke Brotherhood Head status.”

“Yeah, you wish you could get some head,” Bree muttered.

However, despite his defiance, he fell silent, as did the rest of the men. Falling into place on chairs, divans, and sofas, they dug into the hot Asian food. Small moaning noises of pleasure filled the air as rich spices and tangy flavors crossed eager tongues, and sighs of satisfaction were heard as one or another discovered a favorite among the boxes and cartons. Even David, picking at white rice himself, found the courage to reach for a packet of soy sauce and then, with a shy glance up, took a vegetarian egg roll.

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Meet the Author

Willa Okati (AKA Will) is made of many things: imagination, coffee, stray cat hairs, daydreams, more coffee, kitchen experimentation, a passion for winter weather, a little more coffee, a whole lot of flowering plants and a lifelong love of storytelling. Will’s definitely one of the quiet ones you have to watch out for, though he — not she anymore — is a lot less quiet these days.

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Earth 2100 Anthology

Check out the Earth 2100 Anthology as part of the tour with Other Worlds Ink.

Other Worlds Ink has a new near-future sci-fi anthology out: Earth 2100.

Earth on the Cusp of the Twenty-Second Century

How the world has changed in the last seventy-six years. In 1948, scientists ran the first computer program, and “the Ultimate Car of the Future,” the futuristic, three wheeled Davis Divan, debuted. Since then, a succession of inventions—the personal computer, the internet, the World Wide Web, smart phones and social media—have transformed every aspect of our lives.

The next seventy-six years will change things too, in ways we can barely even begin to imagine. Culture, climate change, politics and technology will continue to reshape the world. Earth in 2100 will be as unrecognizable to us as today would be to someone from 1948.

Eighteen writers tackled this challenge, creating an amazing array of sci-fi possibilities. From emotional AI’s to photosynthetic children, from virtual worlds to a post-urban society, our writers serve up compelling slices of life from an Earth that’s just around the corner.

So dive in and take a wild ride into these amazing visions of our collective future.

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Tin Lizzy

Gail Brown

Chaos filled several of the workshop tables. Material overflowed a table with a sewing machine. Some heavy duty, water proof beige fabrics had drifted to the floor.

A thick vegetable and meat soup simmered on the stove in the tiny central kitchen area. Next to the stove was a table set for two. Without any chairs.

Celina rode her power chair over to the counter top stove to stir the soup. The counter was a few inches higher than was comfortable. Today she needed to cook more than her usual single serving. Maybe her height measurements had been off. The counter could be an inch shorter, and not be in her lap.

It was challenging to figure out how to build it low enough to see into a pan, and stir the food, while tall and sturdy enough to not knock it over when Lizzy slid under it.

There was only about a foot of space to work with, if she didn’t want the pan higher than her face, and not able to stir without her elbow at maximum height. Which risked boiling food splashing on her face.

Figuring out how to make furniture the correct height, so she could slip her non-functioning legs under it had consumed her waking hours, and even sleeping hours, for the last year.

The stainless steel pan reflected her face. Down to the pointed lines above her eyebrows. Even the eyebrow she had singed an hour before.

She turned the power chair back to her wood and metal design workstation. Another stainless steel surface. Covered with scars from the many experiments needed to build lowered objects, with a glimpse of personal beauty in their functionality.

What would Henril and Trinkle think of her newest achievement? Her former hiking partners no longer walked the trails as much without her.

Certainly not on the narrow bluff overlooking the river. Henril had avoided out of concern for Trinkle’s safety. Or so he said.

Hopefully, they would soon all be hiking together.


The Authors

  • Tim Newton Anderson
  • nathan bowen
  • Elizabeth Broadbent
  • Gail Brown
  • J. Scott Coatsworth
  • Monica Joyce Evans
  • Isaiah Hunt
  • Blake Jessop
  • E.E. King & Richard Lau
  • Morgan Melhuish
  • Eve Morton
  • Christopher R. Muscato
  • Jennifer R. Povey
  • D.M. Rasch
  • Joseph Sidari
  • Mike Jack Stoumbos
  • Joseph Welch
  • KB Willson

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