Welcome to the Hot Halloween Hero Hop!

Jaxx Steele here offering big hugs to warm you on the upcoming warm days and cool nights. This is my favorite time of year. 

Though I am not a fan of horror, gore or brutal dismemberment that is usually associated with October, I do love Halloween- mostly because it gives me reason to dress up. I am a visual writer. The stories unfold in my head and I write what I see. If some horrific scene was stuck in there I would never get to sleep!

Anyway, knowing that I still wanted to stretch my "writing wings". So I decided to take the step into horror...well soft horror. 

Today I have Healing the Beast Within. Lots of voo-doo-esk rituals, curses, strange transformations, all that. Keith Turner is my Hot Halloween Hero!

Cursed for a crime he did not commit, Keith Turner had given up on love. Even after making that decision, he still spent every night being tortured. His brother Kevin was confident that they could find a way to break the curse, but it wasn’t until Keith met Marcello that he ever took Kevin’s ideas to heart.

Excerpt:

It was just before his lunch hour when Keith finished with his last client of the morning. Instead of waiting in his office, as usual, he went in search of his brother. Kevin’s office was on the other end of the building. As he walked the long corridor, his leisurely gait slowed to a stop. Something out of the ordinary was on the air. He inhaled deeply then turned slowly to look up and down the hall. His brow crinkled in confusion.

Fire? Smoke? Burnt popcorn? No...something else.

He took another breath. Woodsy and spicy scents filled his nostrils. His cock responded to the smell readily. A chill snaked down his back, making his nipples hard and goose bumps rise on his skin.

What is that?

He shook off his anxiety and moved on. The scent grew stronger as he walked along the hallway, the effects causing havoc on his senses. He popped his head into Kevin’s office.

“Kev?”

Keith closed the door and continued to look for his brother. He stopped just outside of exam room one. The unknown aroma was now overwhelming, as it wrapped around him. A sudden burst of heat surged through his body. His cock throbbed mercilessly and pressed against the inside of his pants. The sound of his breathing filled his ears. Beads of sweat formed on his forehead and rolled down his temple. He griped the door frame to steady himself. His lab coat grew tight on his back and his tie felt constricting. He yanked at the knot gasping for air.

What the hell is going on?

The smell came from inside the room. He was positive of it. His brother was in the room, Keith sensed him, but Kevin was not alone. The scent did not come from Kevin. It had to be from whoever was with him. It was an intoxicating fragrance, something Keith had never experienced before. His perception was on high alert. The smell was so strong that he could almost taste this person. He was salivating at the thought of savoring him.

Him?

It was a man! Never before could he perceive the scent of another person without being in his other form. His awareness had not been so precise during the day.

Why could he smell this man now?

The question floated through his consciousness leaving him stunned and more confused, but no answer followed it.

Oh my God! What if I’m changing now? During the day!

Suddenly, he was very aware that anyone could walk down the hall and see. Fear and adrenaline added to the lust that already surged through his blood. It took a huge effort on his part to calm his breathing and will his coursing blood to slow. Success left him wet with perspiration and gripping the doorframe so hard that it splintered beneath his fingers. Once he regained his composure, Keith fixed his clothes and straightened his tie before finally knocking on the door. There was a slight pause before a reply came.

“Yeah! Come in.”

Keith was calmed somewhat by his brother’s voice, but when he opened the door he was struck with wave of consciousness from the unknown man. It was as if he had stepped into a sauna. Keith’s nostrils flared as the scent that drew him down the hall assailed his nose once again. Kevin had his back to him as he kneeled before his patient. Keith’s breathing accelerated immediately as he looked at the patient’s face.

He was an older man with more black than grey in his short cropped hair. Although pain filled the man’s intense brown eyes, Keith could see sparks of intelligence. His strong jaw line was covered in a five o’clock shadow that made him look ruggedly handsome. His skin was dark from the sun. A heavy tan lined his biceps, another rounded his shoulders and one more was at the top of his shoulders. All were visible in the tank top that he wore. The sweat on his chest caused the flimsy shirt to cling to his stocky torso invitingly. The muscles beneath were defined and full from obvious manual labor. The patient gripped the edge of the exam table, his muscles taunt. The man made low grunting sounds as Kevin moved one of his legs up and down. Keith stared transfixed on the hand identical to his own as it massaged the knee, then push the patient’s jean shorts up further.

Keith easily imagined the hand was his. The thought made his nostrils flare again. His eyes closed as he let the scent saturate his entire body. A visual of flipping and bending the man over the table formed in his mind.

“Hey, bro, I’m almost done here. Have you met Mr. Torres?”

Keith’s eyes popped open and the vision vanished. The sound of his brother’s voice broke the trance he was in.

 Healing the Beast Within is available now at Phaze!

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Welcome Wicked Warriors Hoppers!

 

Greetings Everyone!

Welcome to the Wicked Warriors Hop! I am happy to participate and introduce you to one of my wicked warriors. My warriors are not “wicked” as in bad, instead they are wickedly good. J Today I would like to introduce you to Mark DeLonco from Marked for Life. He is a wolf shifter from a strong and proud clan. Extremely handsome, fiercely loyal and unwavering patience would best describe him. When he set his site on Victor nothing would stop him from claiming him as his mate…not even time.

When he finally has Victor to himself their time together is nothing short of ‘wickedly good’. I will give you a short peek of their meeting.

 

Victor Bradley was raised by a tree sprite after the death of his parents. When he became an adult he moved to the city, but the pull of the forest never left his heart. He took a leave of absence to take care of the only mother he ever knew, but was it his concern for her that brought him back to the forest or was it fate?

Excerpt:

"So who are you? Why do you seem so familiar to me? Have we met?"

The stranger smiled and relaxed back as well. "Yes, we have met, but it was many years ago." He looked around the room. "Where is the sprite?"

Eyes widening, Victor sat up with a gasp. "How do you know about Yaya?"

"The sprite and I have met on several occasions. I am Mark DeLonco. Has she told you about me?" he asked, extending his hand.

Victor took his hand and opened his mouth to speak, but gasped instead. The moment their hands touched, images formed in Victor's mind. He closed his eyes, trying to get a lock on something to bring understanding to what he was seeing. They were mostly incoherent pictures, flashes of wolves and men he didn't recognize. He became dizzy from trying to decipher the knowledge. Suddenly the imagery started to slow and some things started to make sense. Victor's heart sped up as things fell into place. As a child he'd dreamt of a black wolf all the time and thought nothing of it, but now…

Mark is the man and the black wolf, he thought with a gasp.

The knowledge didn't frighten him, but intrigued and comforted him somehow. Now he remembered a wolf watching him play in the back of his house from the opening of the trees when he was a small boy.

Could that have been him?

He cleared his head with a shake and opened his eyes. "Do you know why the other wolf attacked me today?"

"He sought to destroy you because he smelled my mark on you."

In his mind's eye, Victor saw the two wolves fighting. Yaya saved the dark wolf. That's when she took me in.

Victor let go of Mark's hand and reached up to touch the scar on his left shoulder. He knew now how he got it.

"I thought I got this when I was young from falling or something," he murmured.

Mark shook his head negatively. "I gave you the mark when you were an infant so that when we met again you would know me. With it, no other male could claim you."

Victor nodded. Although he was not a virgin, he'd never had a real relationship with anyone. He'd had many partners, but only to experiment with sex and sexual positions. Victor realized at an early age that he was interested in men and not women, but neither managed to satisfy him completely. Over the years he became more selective about whom he took to his bed. His lovers came few and far between and they didn't stay long. He always found something wrong with them and eventually broke everything off.

"Why are you here, Mark?" he asked, giving the man a sideways glance.

"You know why I am here, Victor," Mark answered with a sly grin.

Victor thought for a moment and Mark was right. He did know. Mark was there to claim him. What the hell did that mean? How did a wolf-shifter claim a man? As a wolf, or as a man? Would it be painful? Would he die? Would he like it? Would he turn into a wolf, too?

He had a life in the city; not a great life, but it was the only one he knew. Did Mark want him to give all that up? The questions slammed into his brain one after the other. Fear started to well up inside him. Victor blew out a breath. His chest heaving, he rested his arms on his knees and lowered his head, taking deep breaths to calm his rapidly beating heart.

"Victor…"

Mark's smooth voice soothed him. He turned his head to Mark.

"There is no need to fear me. I could never hurt you. I have known who you were since the day I laid eyes on you." He let out a soft chuckle of surprise. "I must say, gazing upon you as an infant gave me no idea you would grow to be such a handsome man." Mark moved closer. "Your dark skin is intoxicatingly beautiful. I especially love the way your almond-shaped eyes glisten when you speak. Your body is strong and firm and very appealing. It is a relief to know that."

"A relief? I don't understand."

"It is a relief to know my embrace will not harm you," Mark explained. "The sprite fed you from her body. Her enchanted milk made you stronger than what you would have been." Mark stared at him for a moment and then continued. "I have loved you from the moment I tasted your blood, but I had no idea your physical appearance would be so pleasing to me."

Victor was speechless at Mark's description of him. He sat very still, staring at him as he continued to speak, his tone changing from adoration to desperation.

"Being this close to you and not being able to have you is driving me to the edge of insanity, but if it takes me a lifetime to ease your fears so you can come to me on your own, I will wait. I have waited twenty-five years to be here with you; I can wait a little longer."

Mark's confession struck a chord in him. "Are you saying you haven't been with anyone else?"

"There is no one else for me."

Shocked, Victor sat up and shook his head. "Wait, you mean you haven't had sex with anyone in twenty-five years? You've been waiting for me to grow up?"

********

Marked for Life is available now at Silver Publishing!

I will be giving away a copy of Marked for Life. Leave your comments below if you are interested in reading Mark and Victors journey. 

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Welcome to the Slippery When Wet Hop!

Hello M/M lovers!

Welcome to the Slippery When Wet Hop! This hop will be lots of fun for those who enjoy hops. We have many excellent M/M authors showing off their books. Each one will do their own giveaways but their will also be a grand prize giveaway to the person who visits the most authors. A Barnes and Noble GC! If you want it to be yours be sure to leave a comment with your email addy on each page you visit. In honor of Halloween and this hop, I will be giving away a copy of Ghost of a Second Chance! Good Luck!

I do lots of hops during the beginning and the end of the year and the biggest issue I always have is what to write. This time, however, with a title called Slippery When Wet a wanted to do something that had to do with water! A Day on Plunderer’s Pride fit the bill.

I love pirates! They are usually sea roughened men hardened by the choices they have made in life. Most pirates are not educated men thus their code of conduct is simple. If they want your shit they’re going to take unless you’re man enough to stop them. It is crude and hardly accepted among common society so they stay on the seas where other men like themselves are.

Captain Hazard is the leader of several men of this nature. He is also a man like that, but he possessed people skills as well having dealt with his government from time to time. Pirates were issued a Letter of Marque and told to ambush ships and bring back the goods. They were given a small percentage for services rendered, but then were hunted and executed without trial for doing what they were told.

On Plunderer’s Pride you will find men like this, but I wanted to show another side of them. As we know no matter how tough your man is, you are privy to a different side of him. Let me introduce you to Captain Julian Hazard and his quartermaster, Nigel.

 "A pirate’s life is for me!"

Life is hard, but worthwhile on the pirate ship Plunderer's Pride. Follow Captain Julian Hazard and his band of ruffians as they go about their daily business. As you endure their daily struggles and nightly rewards you may find that a pirate's life may be for you, too.

Excerpt:

Captain Hazard walked along the empty deck toward the gang plank. All off-duty crew members were in town, adding to the usual chaos of Port Royal. Nigel hardly ever left the ship when they were docked, preferring to stay by his captain’s side in all things. Julian liked it that way as well. Nigel was not only his quartermaster, but his favorite as well.

“The men are on standby, Nigel?” he inquired as they walked along the pier.

Julian knew the answer even as he asked the question. Nigel was an exceptional quartermaster. He knew what Julian expected from him and his crew and he had not been disappointed since Nigel officially took the position.

“Aye, sir, waiting for my call.”

“Good man.”

The governor’s house was not far from the shoreline but away from the denser streets filled with taverns, homes, and the noise that filled the heart of small coastal city. In a short while they were on the stone pathway that led them directly to the door of his stately two-story home.

“Good day, Captain Hazard. You are expected,” a servant told him. “Please follow me.”

The governor was an Englishman with all the comforts his position afforded. The house was large and immaculately decorated. Crystal chandeliers hung from the vaulted ceilings, plush crimson carpet covered the floors, while the walls showed the succession of the men in his family in large golden frames.

“The governor will be with you shortly.”

The oversized room they were left in was scarcely furnished: a few cushioned chairs and small tables to separate them and a circular staircase leading to the upper level. The ceilings and walls were as bejeweled as the rest of the rooms they passed. Captain Hazard looked around the room, frowning before he turned his gaze to his companion. Nigel stood unmoving, staring straight ahead. His sturdy legs were spread as he stood erect with his chest out and hands clasped behind his back. A light sheen of perspiration glistened faintly on his bald head in the light of the room. His wide chest rose and fell steadily under the tattered tan shirt he wore.

Julian glanced at Nigel several times as he paced the floors, admiring his quiet patience. Luckily, before Julian’s intolerance for waiting wore too thin, he heard the clump of heeled shoes on the steps. He turned to the sound. Sir William Pendleton smoothed the ruffles on his pristine white blouse as he descended the staircase slowly. Two large silver buttons on his abdomen closed the black satin overcoat that swayed along the back of his calves. He exaggerated each step, overextending his legs, causing his foot to hit the stair heavily.

“Greetings, Captain Hazard. So good of you to stop by.” His voice was light and jovial.

“I am here at your request, Governor,” he stated just as cheerfully, walking over to meet him.

“Quite so. Well, in that case, I thank you for answering my summons,” the governor amended, offering the captain a limp wrist handshake. “I am a blunt man, Captain. I will come right to the point of this meeting. You have a reputation of attacking other ships, taking whatever riches they have on board, the crew as well. Is there truth to this accusation?”

Captain Hazard wrapped his arms around his chest and raised a brow. “Aye. I take what I want and trade what I don’t need.” Irritation tinged his voice as he confirmed the allegation without faltering.

The governor raised his hands in surrender. “That is not a criticism, my good man, by no means. I ask because I am in need of such skills.” Governor Pendleton produced another scroll from a nearby desk draw. “This is a Letter of Marque. I would like you to stop a trade ship on its way back from the Americas. It is a Spanish galleon that makes birth out of Santa Domingo. It is said that they carry gold, silver, spices, silks, ivory, and the like. Whatever the cargo is I want it.”

Captain Hazard looked over the letter and nodded. “What is my cut?”

“Bring me half of the goods, and the other half is yours. That seems fair, does it not?”

Hazard thought on his offer. “What of the galleon’s crew?” he asked with a raised brow.

Sir Pendleton waved away his question. “Do what you will with them. Lay waste to whole lot for all I care. They are of no concern to me, only the treasure matters. Do we have an agreement?” he asked impatiently.

Captain Hazard looked over his shoulder at his companion. They had been sailing together for many years. He could read the man very well. Julian looked for signs of caution in Nigel’s handsome but blank expression, but saw none. Satisfied, he re-rolled the scroll and handed it over to Nigel before turning back to the governor.

“Aye, Governor, we have an accord.”

“Excellent! My spies tell me that the ship was due to leave the Americas just this morning in route to Santa Domingo loaded to the brim with my riches. If you leave with the rising sun you should be able to intercept them as they move past Cuba toward Haiti. I do not wish them to return to Hispaniola with riches I have already determined to be mine, Captain Hazard. Do not disappointment me,” Governor Pendleton added pointedly with an air of arrogance before turning on his heels to return to the stairs, abruptly ending their meeting.

The captain and his mate left the room quickly. “Gather the men and meet me on the ship, Nigel. We leave before dawn.”

“Aye, sir,” he said, lagging behind him, already in motion to do his bidding.

Plunderer’s Pride is available now at  Muse it Hot

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