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Winners

Here are the winners from Amber’s contests:

3 $5 Amazon Gift cards

LUCI

KAYMTEE

DAWN ROBERTO

5 Ebook Winners

JENNIFER HORN

LEEANNLOVINGTHEBOOKS

ROWENA B.

MPRIETO13

AMANDA LOGAN

$50 Amazon Gift Card

LAURIEP

All winners, please email Sheri at authoraccomplice@gmail.com!

Thank you everyone!

I want to thank fans and author friends who joined me for my birthday month. This has a been a hard month for me. I had so many great plans of all the things I would go out and do to celebrate my 50th birthday, but with the pandemic none of them were possible. Now I’m done with my self-indulgent whine 🙂

December is next and I hope to be back to writing full force. I spent a lot of this month working on story ideas and hope to bring new ones to you soon. I’m getting super close to finishing something (I know you’ve heard that before).

Let’s get through December and hope 2021 is a much better year! If you have questions for me I am always available at amberkellwrites@gmail.com.

*birthday hugs all around* (safe and virtually)

Welcome Birthday Guest Talia Carmichael!

Happy Birthday month to Amber! Thanks you Amber for letting me come and join the fun. Yay! Let’s party.

I’ve written a little interlude featuring characters from my Zander Oaks series.
Birthday Photo Shoot
By Talia Carmichael
An Zander Oaks Interlude
November 2020
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Zander Oaks
Length: Interlude


Turner smiled as he heard him approaching through the door. He lifted his camera and got ready. The front door opened and he took his first shot.
“That is priceless.” He laughed as he lowered the camera.
Jaxx scowled and his light grey eyes were stormy. “What the heck are you doing?”
“Taking your picture.” He lifted his camera and took another shot. “Another priceless shot.”
“Why are you taking my picture?” Jaxx scowl deepened.
“To make this wonderful day that you get older.” He said cheerfully.
Jaxx sighed. “I knew he was an alien. Mama said not to get involved with people from out of space.”
Turner smirked at his words. It had been one of the first things he asked him when they meet, if he was an alien. “You should have known better than to let stranger into your house like that. Now you’re stuck with me.”
“Yeah I know.” Jaxx sounded disgruntled.
“Hush you know you love me.”
“Must have lost my mind.” He grumped.
“No need to be pissy.” Turner paused then. “Just because it’s your birthday and you’re getting old.”
Jaxx glared at him. “That’s not what you said last night.”
Turner eyes widened and his mouth dropped open. Jaxx closed the door and sauntered over to him. When he was standing before him he stopped then put his finger under his chin and gently closed his mouth. Turner rolled his eyes. Jaxx smirked then leaned down and kissed him softly before he nipped his lip.
“Hey.” Turner protested as he licked his lip.
“That’s for the old crack.”
Turned opened his mouth.
“And no jokes about that.” Jaxx held up his finger in warning.
“Come on you laid it right out there for me.” Turner said. “So grumpy when you get older. Come on I have something to sweeten your mood.”
“No party.” Jaxx narrowed his eyes.
“Later.” Turner interrupted already seeing he was about to argue. “But before I have our own way of marking this occasion. You, me and this camera.”
“Look Mister big shot photographer who is in such demand.” Jaxx crossed his arms over his chest. “You don’t need to take my picture to butter me up to go to a birthday party. I’m not going.”
“Ohhh…butter.” Turner headed for the kitchen.
Jaxx followed him. “Why do you need butter? Never mind. I am not going to whatever cockamamie party you have cooked up.”
Turner ignored him and went to the fridge and grabbed the butter. “Come on.”
“No.”
Turner pushed past him and headed to his studio they had set up in the house.
“Turner you are not listening to me.” Jaxx followed him.
Turner turned and walked backward as he took some more shots of him. Jaxx strode toward him. The strength and raw masculinity was all on display.
“Stop taking my picture.”
“Nope.” Turner lowered the camera. “These are for the party so I can show in public.” He lifted his hand with the butter. “The others will be between us.”
Jaxx looked at the butter then him. “I see that devious look and I’m not sure if I want to know what you have planned.”
“Two words.” Turner turned and walked to the door of the studio paused and looked over his shoulder. “Birthday Suit.”
Jaxx eyes darkened and he smirked. “Naughty photographer. What would people say that Mister Award Winning Photojournalist is taking nude shots?”
“Lucky Man.” He stared at Jaxx then narrowed his eyes. “But I might change my mind since someone is being all grumpy birthday boy.” He turned and went into his studio.
Turner turned to the door and waited. Moments later Jaxx strode into the doorway.
Turner blinked. “Damn how did you get naked so fast?”
Jaxx put his hands on his hips. “I’m an alien.”
Turner laughed. Jaxx came toward him and pulled him into him. He rested against his naked body.
“Now as for this photo shoot.” Jaxx leaned close to his ear. “I hope I’m not the only one who will be in their birthday suit.”
“If you go to the party without complaining.”
Jaxx snorted.
“too much. I might be persuaded too.” Turner smoothed his hand over his side.
“You know this is going to become a birthday tradition.” Jaxx kissed the side of his neck. “Birthday suit.”
“I’m hoping it will.” Turner whispered.
“Definitely.” Jaxx turned his head to him. “And for your birthday I will be the one behind the camera. And,” He paused. “We won’t be having an indoor shoot.”
Turner breathed out. “Well damn. If I knew I could get you to agree to take some shots outside I so would have done that.”
“Never said for me.” Jaxx stroked his finger down his cheek. “You’d look good spread out in the sunshine.”
“I so would.”
“Mister Modest.”
Turner laughed. He pulled Jaxx closer and kissed him. He was one lucky man. A birthday suit photo shoot with this man who he loved. It was the best way to spend a birthday. And yep he’d make sure it would become a birthday tradition.
Copyright Š Talia Carmichael, 2020.
All Rights Reserved.

To see how Turner and Jaxx got together check out Fall Into Me…


Here is the blurb:
Fall Into Me
By Talia Carmichael
Series: Zander Oaks, Book# 3

Universal: http://bit.ly/fallintome
Amazon: http://amzn.to/2DcElNGhttps://amzn.to/37eVWVn
Nook: http://bit.ly/2BbuusY
Apple Books: https://apple.co/2EFDLt0
Kobo: http://bit.ly/2EDvk1u

Blurb:

When a man who doesn’t like disorder meets a man who embraces it they find they are made to fall into each other…

Jaxx Coulter doesn’t like change. He’s used to things a certain way and in its place. When a man comes to his ranch and shakes up his orderly world, he’s not in the mood to deal with it. But this man doesn’t seem to get he’s not one to mess with. He challenges him and Jaxx is surprised he finds himself drawn to Turner who is unlike anyone he knows.

Turner Black doesn’t follow anyone’s rules. He walked away from a fortune because he refused to be dictated to. Now he’s here on a ranch at the request to help out a friend. Yet when he arrives, he finds that he’s not expected and confronted by a man who needs to loosen up. A man who pushes all his buttons. Now it’s time to show Jaxx that sometimes disorder can be a good thing. You just needed to embrace it.

Will Jaxx be able to release his need for control and embrace what Turner has to offer?

Contest: From the comments below, 1 winner will be selected at random from all the comments and the prize for winner will be a $5 Amazon egift card! (This is open to all. Note you will need to be able to get an egift card from Amazon)


The contest will go until 11:59 pm Eastern time on November 30, 2020, so you have time to enter. Please enter an email address when you post your comment below. Once I announce the winner your email is how I confirm I am sending the prize to the person who commented below for the contest.


I will post winner and instructions to claim the prize on December 1, 2020 on my blog here http://taliacarmichael.com/blog.
Good Luck!

I have some party favors for you all. Here are 3 free books that are part of my Palmer Series.
★.¸¸,.✶´.¸¸,.✶ FREE BOOKS ✶´.¸¸,.✶´`´*★
Maximum Exposure
Palmer, Book # 1
It will take an exposure of a maximum kind for them to admit what they want.
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/a00vqfn9mf
☆☆Note: This book is set in Palmer.

Forever His Fake
Palmer, Book # 2
What happens when two men afraid to take a step to get what they want enter into an arrangement – fake boyfriends with real dates for practice?
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/5ha4ptlhd5
☆☆Note: This book is set in Palmer.

Risk Everything
Palmer, Book # 3
To get what he wants he’s willing to reveal to his good friend how he feels and risk everything for a chance at making him his.
https://dl.bookfunnel.com/4xpyhxhr10

☆☆Note: This book is set in Palmer.

Bio: Talia Carmichael is a romantic who believes that family, no matter if it is by blood or those you choose as family, is integral to who you are. She is an author who writes sexy stories in a variety of genres. She believes in creating stories that encompass all that falling in love or lust entails, from the highs of that first blush of attraction to the lows of not knowing if you can make your coming together as a couple work, and then finally to the acceptance of the reality of making a life together. It’s all about the journey.


Among her books you’ll find contemporary, futuristic, fantasy, and paranormal settings with M/M themes that will have a happily-ever-after. Her books are passionate, intense, and real… to fill the craving.

Check out more about Talia at http://taliacarmichael.com or http://taliacarmichael.com/blog. Contact her at http://taliacarmichael.com/blog/contact
or check her out on facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TaliaCarmichaelAuthor.
facebook group – https://www.facebook.com/groups/TaliaCarmichaelBookNook
– Twitter: @taliacarmichael Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talia_carmichael

Welcome Birthday Guest Aja Foxx!

“Roses red, violets blue, sugar sweet and so is you, but roses wilting, violets dead, sugar lumpy, and so is you head. So is you head. You head. You head. Lumpy you head.”
“No lumps this time, Bug.”
“Eeep!” I jumped back, pressing a hand to my heaving chest. A man who stood six and a half feet tall should not be able to sneak up on me like that. I pointed a threatening finger at Bear. “You no scare Bug!”
Bear chuckled as he drew me into his arms. “I wasn’t trying to scare you, Bug. Promise.”
“What you want?”
“I can’t just come to see you because I want to?”
I thought about it and then shook my head. “You working. Bug no bother you. Boss man get mad.”
“Well, I just so happen to be done working and thought we could go for a ride.”
“Mate ride or club ride?”
There was a difference.
“It’s not a club ride because it will be just you and me, and if it was a mate ride, we’d be headed upstairs.”
I wasn’t opposed to that.
“Mate ride good.”
Bear chuckled again. “How about we go for a ride on my bike now and then come home for a mate ride?”
I didn’t even have to think about that one. “Okay.”
Bear leaned down and brushed his lips across mine then gave me a little swat on the ass. “Go get your gear.”
I hurried upstairs to our room and grabbed my heavy riding jacket, gloves, and helmet. Bear never let me ride without them, not even in the summer time. Something about not getting road rash or a broken skull if we crashed.
Considering how much I loved being on the bike behind Bear, it wasn’t worth arguing, even when it was so hot I felt as if my skin was going to melt right off.
Bear was waiting for me out back, straddling his bike. It wasn’t until I climbed on behind him that I realized Bear’s bike was the only one in the garage. “Where everyone?”
“Oh, Ryder took them for a ride,” Bear said. “I wanted to ride with you.”
I was pretty good either way. I enjoyed the rides Ryder, the Soldiers of Fortune road captain organized, and I enjoyed the rides I took with just Bear. I just liked being on the back of Bear’s bike. I didn’t care who else was along for the ride.
Once we were on the road, we had to make it through weekend afternoon traffic before we reached the outskirts of the city and then it was nothing but hills and valleys and trees. Lots and lots of trees.
When we stopped at a four way stop and Bear turned right and started following the road that went along the river, I smiled. I knew where we were headed. “Bear play chase?”
It was one of Bear’s favorite games. He’d bring me up to this spot in the woods, I’d go hide, and he’d track me down. If he found me within a certain amount of time, he got to do whatever he wanted with me. More times than not, I purposely made noise so he’d find me.
Still, it was a fun game for both of us.
“Not today, Bug,” Bear replied through the comm. unit built into our helmets. “I have something else planned for you today.”
I was intrigued.
But I was also confused when Bear pulled onto the dirt road that led to the camp spot used by the club and not the one he usually took me to when we played chase. That was a little farther up the road.
“We miss meeting?” It was the only way I could think of to explain all the bikes parked in front of the trail that led down to a large wooden park pavilion where we had our outdoor meetings and get-togethers. “We in trouble?”
Bear parked next to the other bikes then turned the engine off. He grabbed me and pulled me around in front of him.
One of my favorite spots.
“No, Bug. I promise we’re not in trouble.”
“We miss meeting?” I asked again.
“There is a meeting, but we didn’t miss it.” Bear lifted me up in his arms and climbed off his bike. I groaned when he released me and I slid down his hard body. “In fact, they are waiting for us.”
“Why?” Yes, technically, I was a member of the Soldiers of Fortune MC. Butch had given me the patch right off his own cut. That didn’t mean I was involved in every aspect of the club. There were some things Bear didn’t want me involved in. Other things I just didn’t understand.
“How’s your tummy?” Bear asked.
I frowned. It acted up when danger was about. Since it wasn’t acting up, I figured I was safe. “Tummy okay.”
Shouldn’t it be fine?
Bear grinned. “Good.”
“You being weird.” Considering I was talking to a bear shifting biker, that was saying a lot. “What wrong?”
“Nothing is wrong, mate. I promise.”
Promises were important.
Bear gripped my hand and gave it a little tug. “Come with me.”
I’d follow him anywhere.
He led me down the trail that led to the through the trees to the wooden pavilion. I loved this spot. Not only was the pavilion right next to the river so we could go swimming, but it was set in the middle of a small field. Bear and the other members of the MC could shift and lay about in the sun or play in the river or just hunt for berries.
I could hear music playing and people talking before we reached the field. When we broke through the trees and I saw the small crowd of people, I could help feeling a bit apprehensive. “We not in trouble?”
“No, babe.” Bear’s arm settled on my shoulders. “We’re not in trouble.”
“What meeting for?” I don’t remember anyone saying anything about there being a meeting.
“Soldiers of Fortune,” Butch shouted out. “Front and center.”
Uh oh.
I swallowed tightly when every patched member of the club lined up next to Butch. Tex even stepped into line, and he was still a prospect.
Bear stopped me several feet in front of the line of men and stood behind me, his hands on my shoulders. “We don’t know exactly when you were born, Bug, so Butch and I decided to pick out a birthday for you, and that day is today, so happy birthday, Bug.”
One by one, the men standing in front of us brought out a present they had been hiding behind their backs. They all had grins on their faces, even Tex.
“Bug birthday?”
I didn’t remember ever having a birthday.
“Yeah, baby. This is all for you.”
It was good to be me.

To learn more about Bug, Bear, and the Soldiers for Fortune, check out their story in:

FORGIVENESS
Soldiers of Fortune 1
His name was Bug. I assumed it was because he was nuttier than a bed bug until he saved me when I was attacked. For reasons known only to him, Bug thought it was his duty to keep me safe. I was the sergeant-at-arms of the Soldiers of Fortune MC. I didn’t need saving, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him so, especially not after I discovered he was my mate.

His name was Bear. It fit. He was tall and scary and built like a bear. He was also my savior, even if he didn’t know it. When I saw someone attack him in an alley one night, I knew I had to save him. When everyone brushed off my concern for his safety, I knew I was the only one who could save him. But, when he started talking about mates and bear shifters, I had to wonder if he was even crazier than I was.

When troubles comes for the Soldiers of Fortune MC, convincing Bear and his club brothers to listen to the whispers I hear from the shadows might be harder than accepting the fact that shifters are real and I’m mated to one of them.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B088HBT2N4/

EXCERPT:
~ Bear ~
“Roses red, violets blue, sugar sweet and so is you, but roses wilting, violets dead, sugar lumpy, and so is you head. So is you head. You head. You head. Lumpy you head.”
I cracked an eye open and looked up at the man softly singing as he stroked his fingers through my hair. I wasn’t exactly sure what was going on. The world around me was a bit fuzzy, all except the man hovering over the top of me.
Pale skin, a thin face with high cheekbones, hollow, sunken eyes, and a wicked looking scar that went from his cheekbone back into his hairline. Long, stringy hair that might have been blond if it hadn’t been so matted and dirty. But it was the pale moss green eyes that held my attention the most. There was a world of pain and anguish in those little green orbs.
I frowned when a flower was placed on my cheek. When I went to reach for it, the grungy little man gasped then scurried back several feet. He stayed crouched on the floor, hunkering down as if trying to make himself as small as possible and covering his head with his arms.
“Lumpy, lumpy, lumpy,” the man whispered, but maybe he was more of a boy.
I couldn’t quite tell.
I started to sit up then groaned when shards of pain sliced through my skull. When I reached up and felt the nice sized egg on the back of my head, I suddenly understood what the man had meant by lumpy.
No wonder my head ached so damn much.
I sank back down onto the cold concrete and closed my eyes. I breathed in through my nose then out through my mouth, trying to calm myself enough to get through the pain slamming into me.
I opened my eyes again when I heard a scraping noise. The man moved closer, once again placing flowers on my face and down my neck, then over my chest as if the last thirty seconds had never happened.
He started chanting that stupid rhythm again.
“What is your name?” I asked.
The man froze. He didn’t even blink. He might not have even been breathing.
“What is your name?” I asked again, in the softest tone I knew how to make, which wasn’t easy. I didn’t exactly have a soft tone, but I didn’t want to scare him.
“Bug. I’m Bug. I scurry around and hide in dark, so yeah, I’m Bug. Not bad Bug. Not cockroach Bug. Good Bug.” He held up a handful of flower petals. “Maybe ladybug, but not lady. No, no, not lady. Boy Bug. Boy Bug. So, I’m Bug.”
Okay then.
“I’m—”
“Bear.” Bug nodded and started with the flowers again. “Bear. Bear. Big, bad Bear. Teddy Bear.” Bug patted my chest just open the collar of my shirt. “Furry Bear.”
Okay, apparently he knew who I was.
“Where are we, Bug?” It was dark and all I could see were shadows cast by a sliver of light coming in through a crack in the wall.
“Hole. Hidey hole. Small little hidey hole.” Bug’s brow flickered. “No bad guys here. No. No. Safe here. Bug keep Bear safe.” Bug shot up and hurried over to the corner. I watched as he dug into a pile of stuff stacked on the floor. It looked like garbage, but what did I know.
When he came back, he set a gun down on my chest then held his closed fist out. When I opened my hand, he dropped a handful of bullets into my palm. “Safe. Yes, Bug keep you safe. No more wilting flowers. No more lumpy.”
I moved slowly when I sat up, trying not to scare Bug, but he still scurried out of arm’s reach. I checked over the pistol. It wasn’t mine. I had no idea who it belonged to.
“Is this your gun, Bug?” For some odd reason, it didn’t sit well with me thinking that Bug needed a gun to protect himself.
“No, no.” My eyebrows shot up when Bug laughed. “Bug no like guns. Guns hurt. Guns loud. Guns make people go away. Guns bad.”
All of that was true.
“Where did you get the gun, Bug?”
“Mmm,” Bug hummed to himself as he tapped the side of his head with his fist. “Bad man, bad, bad, bad man. Hurt Lumpy. Hit Lumpy. Make Lumpy bleed. But Bug got him, yes he did. Bug make bad man go away. Bug keep Lumpy safe.”
Holy shit!

The vicious bite of an enemy, a shout, a cry in the dark. A lover’s touch, the whisper of a kiss. A sigh, a groan, heart beating faster, desire surging through a body. Love words spoken in the shadows. The yearning for a soft caress. I’m a writer of fiery passion in all its glorious forms. Paranormal, Contemporary, Sci-Fi, Fantasy, MM Romance books.
There is no limit to my imagination.

www.ajafoxx.com
www.twitter.com/Aja_Foxx
www.facebook.com/aja.foxx.69
www.amazon.com/author/ajafoxx
www.smashwords.com/profile/view/AjaFoxx

Winners

Everyone who entered did a great job. I picked the ones I thought I could make a cute short out of. Winners should contact my assistant Sheri at authoraccomplice@gmail.com. Thank you for entering!

For those who participated in the Storymatic contests the winners are:

#1 Jessica Parsons
Ever since becoming a ex-super hero i have lost count the number of times i have been stood up just because i no longer did any hero stuff and wanted to enjoy my dream job at a aquarium. Even my lucky underwear couldn’t help with my dating prospects unless you counted the sea creatures feeling me up when i wore them.

#2 dejamaw

It served him right. It should have been just another one night stand. One night with the most beautiful man he had ever met. He had spent one glorious night with him and then left for the mission at 0 dark hundred. He should have claimed him; instead, he had left his unclaimed mate to finish his mission. He was supposed to be back in just a few days. He had promised.

Instead he was sent on a mission that lasted 7 months with no contact stateside. As soon as he was back, he went to Marcus’s apartment and received his first shock of the night. His apartment was empty. Marcus didn’t live there anymore. In fact, Mrs. Kravitz, the neighborhood tattle-tale took great relish in telling him all about how “that boy” had been gone for over 6 months. Just packed up one weekend and left without a forwarding address. All that was left behind was a small package that had arrived for Marcus. With dismay, he realized Marcus had never received his contact information. Marcus would think he had abandoned him. Mrs. Kravitz was more than happy to give it to him when he said he would deliver it. His second shock arrived after he had to call in few favors from his old team, and found that Marcus had been admitted to the hospital. Now, he was sitting in the waiting room at OHSU with the unexpected box for Marcus containing his plans for their life together waiting to find out if his mate-to-be was suffering from separation angst or pregnant. Either way, he had some ‘splaining to do. Now all he had to do was wait, and survive the grilling that awaited him from Marcus’s guard dog of a best friend. He always cut to the chase, and never shied away from asking the questions no one else would dare ask an alpha.

#3 gameistress77
there he sat, all by himself – ostracized, ignored — yet you could tell it didn’t matter to him. his confidence surrounded him, filling that empty corner of the cafeteria where he alternated between eating, tapping away on his laptop and scribbling in his notebook. that thick sandy blonde hair kept just long enough to start to curl a bit in waves and dark wire rimmed glasses still made me feel things I knew I shouldn’t, couldn’t allow myself to feel. if only i hadn’t made those promises to my father before I met him, hadn’t said I’d follow thru on the agreements father and his business associate had entered into to unify their companies via marriage between their heirs. if only I was truly free. when he raised his head and looked straight at me, it was as if he could read my thoughts from across the room. looking into his deep blue gaze, even from that distance, it brings back all the feelings to the fore front, making me long to return to those secret meetings where it was just the two of us and reality could be forgotten. how will i ever manage to be happy again?

#4 Maria Ellner with
“Casey was down on his luck after the mishap in the laboratory. The only thing between him and poverty was the heirloom that he was getting readyt to pawn. That’s when he saw the poster announcing the beauty contest. The prize was $50,000.00!!! With that money he could do something! He would have to dress as a woman, but that was no problem for him. He loved to dress up. Did he dare?”



Welcome Birthday Guest Arden Steele!

Hi Everyone!

First, I wanted to offer my gratitude to Amber Kell for allowing me to be a part of her celebration, as well as wish her a very Happy Birthday!

Secondly, I guess I should introduce myself. I’m Arden Steele, and I write both contemporary and paranormal M/M romance. To find out more about me, including a list of my available titles, check out www.ardensteele.com.

In the spirit of giving, I wanted to offer a little something to everyone! Just click the link to get your FREE copy of my short story, Only You. (Please note that signups for my newsletter are appreciated when claiming your free book but are completely optional.)

And now, without further ado, I give you Asher Dare and Cameron Stone. If you want to read more about them and find out where it all started, check out the beginning of their story in Flirt. (Side note: the third and final book of their trilogy will be releasing next year!)

Fortune

Copyright Š 2020 by Arden Steele

Darkness had settled over Mission Grove, blanketing the sleepy, Texas town in shadows. The music, laughter, and conversation from the boardwalk across the lake had faded away, leaving only the frogs and crickets to serenade the night. A singular streetlamp outside the two-bedroom bungalow filtered through the slats in the blinds, casting skewed rows of amber across the hardwood floors.

Seated on his worn, but perfectly comfortable sofa, Cameron Stone flicked aimlessly through the channels on his television. Finding something to watch might have been easier if his attention hadn’t been constantly drawn to the clock in the corner of the screen, the numbers mocking him as they silently inched toward midnight.

It was tradition, and it had been ever since he’d first left home for college. Even when he had to wake up at an ungodly hour for work, he still stayed up every year on this day until the clock struck midnight—the official beginning of his birthday.

Precisely after the clock changed over, his phone would ring, and his mother would be on the other end of the line, always the first to wish him happiness and good fortune in the coming year. Then, she’d pass the phone to his father, who usually interspersed his congratulations with some tidbits of “dad wisdom.”

It was something Cameron looked forward to every year…until now.

“Happy Birthday to me,” he muttered under his breath when the display finally showed twelve o’clock. Picking up his cell phone, he held it ready, waiting for it to ring. And it did. Right on time. Sighing, he connected the call without really looking and brought the phone to his ear. “Hi, mom.”

“Nope,” came a familiar yet unexpected voice. “I’m hijacking her call this year.”

“Asher?” Cameron sat up straighter, all traces of weariness gone.

Warm, rich laughter drifted over the line. “Of course, it’s me.”

“Hey, Ash.” Cameron couldn’t help but smile at the edge of cockiness in Asher’s voice. “How are things going there?”

He’d known from the beginning that he would have to share Asher with the world. Such was the price of being in love with a successful author who had more than a dozen bestsellers under his belt. Even if that meant Asher was in California, on the set of the film adaptation of his latest mystery novel, instead of home for Cameron’s birthday.

“Everything is fine, but I don’t want to talk about me. It’s your day.” His tone took on a more subdued quality. “Tell me what you’re thinking right now.”

“I miss you,” Cameron blurted before Asher had even finished speaking.

“I miss you, too.” There was a long pause, then, “Hey, I got you something.”

“Oh?” All he wanted was Asher, but the guy was trying, so he did his best to feign enthusiasm. “Something from the movie set?”

“In a manner of speaking,” Asher said around another chuckle. “It should be there. Check your front porch.”

Cameron looked over his shoulder toward the windows that bracketed the front door, his brows drawn together. It was far too late for a delivery, but then again, it wasn’t the most outrageous thing Asher had ever done.

“Okay, one second.” Taking the phone with him, he made his way to the door, unlocked it, and pulled it open. “What exactly did you—”

His voice cut out abruptly, the last word still stuck in his throat as he gaped at the man standing in the circle of light cast by the porch lamp. He was dressed casually—well, as casually as he ever was—in fitted jeans and a lightweight shirt the same color blue as Cameron’s eyes. He looked tired, and maybe a little thinner than the last time Cameron had seen him, but the smile on his face seemed to light up his entire being.

“What are you doing here?”  The last he’d heard, Asher had another three weeks left in Hollywood before he could return home.

Reaching across the threshold, Asher grabbed him around the waist and pulled him into a crushing hug. “You really didn’t think I was going to miss your birthday, did you?” With a finger under Cameron’s chin, he tilted his head up for a hard, heated kiss. “I love you.”

Being with Asher meant fame and fortune were forever a part of their lives. Cameron had no interest in fame, but the lifestyle suited Asher. As for fortune, he enjoyed living comfortably, but he’d give it all up just to be in Asher’s arms. That was all the fortune he needed.

“I love you, too. I’m glad you’re here.”

“Me, too.” Taking his hand, Asher led him into the house and closed the door quietly behind them. “It’s good to be home.” Then, he caught Cameron up in his arms again and planted another kiss on him that made his head spin and his knees tremble. “Happy Birthday, sweetheart.”

Night and Fae

Blackhaven Manor, Book 2

Colorful and eccentric, Leelan Rivers knows he’s a little too “extra” for some people. Since those people are exceedingly boring, he couldn’t care less about their opinion. Yet, when a night out leads him right into the arms of fate, he never expected the broody vampire to deny the connection between them.

Wealthy and powerful, Sebastian Delgado is used to people wanting things from him. He’s not even surprised at the lies they’ll tell to get them. So, when Leelan claims to be his mate, he’s skeptical to say the least. Leelan might be beautiful and enchanting, but Sebastian has been disappointed too many times in the past not to be suspicious. 

All it takes is one bite to reveal the truth but claiming Leelan comes with its own set of problems. Especially when he realizes he’s not the only vampire at Blackhaven Manor interested in the faerie.

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Excerpt

“No need to play hard to get. You know you want it, or you wouldn’t be dressed like that.”

While true Leelan had been hoping to attract someone to take back to his room for the evening, that didn’t mean he lacked standards or self-respect. “I really think you should leave.”

Too fast for his eyes to follow, the vampire reached across the table, grabbing Leelan’s wrist and squeezing it roughly. “I think you should be nicer—”

“Now, now,” a smooth accented voice interrupted. “Is that any way to behave?”

Leelan’s eyes rounded as the most gorgeous specimen of male he’d ever seen stepped up behind his date and wrapped a hand around the back of the vampire’s neck. Dressed impeccably in a tailored black suit that molded to his broad, muscular frame, the stranger looked like he could have stepped right off of a runway.

No visible tattoos marked his tawny skin. He had no piercings, wore no jewelry, not even a watch. His dark hair was cut short and styled in a conservative though fashionable side part. While not really the type Leelan usually went for, he still somehow managed to embody every wet dream Leelan had ever had.

But that wasn’t why he couldn’t stop staring.

“Get your fucking hands off me,” the vampire growled as he struggled against the hold on his nape.

The new guy stroked the side of the male’s neck with his thumb. “Even a limited vocabulary doesn’t excuse poor manners.” As he spoke, his thumbnail grew, lengthening nearly two inches before ending in a sharp point. “Now, apologize.”

While he spoke calmly, danger practically radiated from his very being. The vampire must have felt it, too, because he subsided in his chair and lowered his head in obvious submission.

“I apologize,” he mumbled.

Leelan’s rescuer smiled then, revealing long, lethal-looking canines. “Not to me, fledgling.”

The guy seemed far less inclined to offer Leelan an apology, but he eventually lifted his head just enough to meet his gaze. “Sorry.” He winced when the sharp claw dug into his skin. “I’m sorry for being such a dick.”

The other vampire—Leelan was pretty sure the newcomer was a vampire as well—turned his dark, penetrating stare on him. “Well, it wasn’t very eloquent, but will that suffice?”

Leelan nodded numbly.

“Very well.” Releasing the younger male’s neck, he grabbed the collar of his tank top instead and dragged him to his feet. “Off you go.”

The guy wasted no time getting the hell out of there, and honestly, Leelan really couldn’t blame him. That had been simultaneously the sexiest and most terrifying thing he’d ever witnessed.

“Thank you,” he blurted. “For, well—” He waved his hand vaguely toward the exit. “—you know.”

“Of course.” Lowering himself into the now vacated seat, he reached across the table with another of those oddly chilling smiles. “Sebastian Delgado.”

Leelan took the proffered hand and shivered as a jolt of electricity raced up his arm from the contact. Distracted by the sensation, as well as the misty haze of pure golden light that surrounded the vampire, he lost all train of thought.

He knew he should say something, but by the fae, he couldn’t even remember his own name. Everything in his brain had been shunted to the side, allowing just one word to repeat on an endless loop.

Mine. 

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