Mary Barrett
and
Dreamseeker
you two are the winners!!!
Tuesday, September 30, 2014
Welcome Ashley Ladd - Her Man
Her Man
This is a male/female/male erotic romance.
Where I get My Story Ideas
By Ashley Ladd
I have a few books on tour and thus I’ve been interviewed
several times recently. One of the questions I’m often asked is where I get my
story ideas from and do they ever come from real life events.
Let me segue a bit. I went to the movies last night and saw ‘This
Is Where I Leave You’ with Jason Bateman and Jane Fonda. Jane Fonda’s character
is an author. Her children are mortified when she starts taking notes during a
Shiva. They’re upset because this signals she’s about to write things about
their lives in her next book. Supposedly she has a habit of using their most
embarrassing moments as her book fodder.
I’ve read author interviews recently in which authors admit
to doing this too.
Okay, I confess. I’ve done this also, much to the
mortification of my daughter. In fact, my daughter has forbidden me from using
real life events in my stories.
Thus I haven’t used actual events—lately. Usually I’m merely
influenced by real life and change the events to protect the innocent. Aren’t
we told to write about what we know? Research is good and necessary, but we
have to rely on other people to relay and teach the truth in that case.
Well, maybe that isn’t true. My father is suffering from
dementia and so is Guy’s father in ‘Business or Pleasure’, one of my recent
releases. My dad became paranoid that his neighbors were out to get him and
thus so is Guy’s father. It’s a sad sad thing but something that sometimes
comes with dementia.
Also, in my soon to be released book ‘Pretend Lover’, the
heroine has a cleft palate—like me.
Because I know my children don’t want me to use their lives
as fodder for my stories, I haven’t used any of their funny stories for a long
time. But about thirteen years ago my oldest child hacked into his school’s
computer system and changed his vice principal’s user name to “Jack Ass”. After
the vice principal read me the riot act and threatened felony prosecution, I
was scared. But it turned out that’s all that happened and the school actually
hired my son to work in their computer department after school. Whenever I told
anybody about this story, they rolled on the floor laughing so I knew I had a
gem. That gem became the basis of a story, sadly out of print now. But it was
funny.
I’ve based other characters on me as well. Rick in ‘Self
Defense’ is a disabled vet with hearing loss just like me. And Haley in
‘Purrfect Justice’ has a disability that prevented her from joining the police
force (I wanted to join the FBI). Molly in my work in progress is an erotic
romance writer who hasn’t come out of the closet to her friends, family, and
coworkers which is also a lot like me. Lucky Julie in ‘Her Men’ is an ex-FBI
agent. She was able to do what I wasn’t and which I could only dream about.
So now you know. Sometimes we (I) use real life events in
our stories. We have to get our inspiration and our knowledge somewhere. That’s
not to say I don’t ever dream up scenes or get ideas from news stories, TV, and
movies because I absolutely do.
Title: Her
Men
Publisher:
Totally Bound
Genre:
Contemporary Erotic male-female-male romance
Book Length: 22,000
words
Forty-four year old Julie Weston has loved Timmy and James
since her college days twenty something years ago. She's fantasized about both
all these long years, never able to choose between them.
Hoping Tim and James will attend, she attends their college
marching band reunion. When both men show up her dreams are answered. They're
sexier than she imagined and she hopes they won't be disappointed by her older
self.
It turns out both men came just to see her again and neither
is happy about the other’s presence. They fight over her, confusing her more
than ever. It takes a hot ménage…or two…for her heart to decide which one she’s
in love with.
EXCERPT:
Oh God. She couldn’t make up her mind, just as she’d
feared. They were both fulfilling her dreams and almost her fantasies. Why couldn’t she be like Connie and love just
one man?
“I’m single. And confused,” she admitted
unhappily, hoping and praying her answer wouldn’t drive either man away before
her heart could decide who it wanted. She held her breath, waiting for James to
drop her on her ass and leave in disgust.
But he stayed. His eyes darkened. His fingers
bit into her arms, but he didn’t walk away. Instead, he kissed her again,
rubbing his groin against her. When he finally released her, he promised, “Game
on.”
Tim stomped over and shoved James away. “What
the hell was that?”
James pushed him back. “What in the hell does
it look like?”
“Keep your hands off her.”
“I don’t see a ring on her finger, and she
started it.”
Tim wrinkled his brow, captured her hand and
yanked her to him. “She’s had too much to drink.”
Again she help up one finger and repeated, “I
just had one.” She thought it best not to mention the Benadryl.
With sad eyes, Tim asked, “Who do you want? Me
or him?”
Fighting back sudden, scalding tears, she freed
herself, stepped back and regarded both men. “I don’t know.”
Tim’s expression grew incredulous as if she’d
struck him. He echoed, “You don’t know? Since when do you like him?”
“Maybe since you dumped her,” James said with a
sneer. He puffed up and faced off with Tim. “If you don’t like it, back out.
I’m going to fight for her—like I should have before.”
Tim’s eyes grew large as saucers. “I had no
idea. You were with Theresa…”
“Theresa dropped me like a hot cake. And you
disappeared.”
“And I heard she was going out with Gus, not
you.” Tim looked around as though to make sure Gus wasn’t about to pop out of
nowhere.
She heaved a sigh. “Gus was my friend. He fell
for me, not vice versa. I feel bad if I led him on. It wasn’t intentional.”
“Like me? You never realized I liked you as
more than a friend,” Phil interjected as he danced nearby with Anita.
She blanched and wanted to evaporate.
James winked. “It seems you were quite the
siren, leaving all of us shipwrecked in your wake.”
Stunned, she clasped her hand to her throat. “I
swear, I had no clue. I’m so sorry.”
“Yet you’re still leaving us in your wake,
honey.” Tim glared at all of them and fisted his hands on his hips.
Honey? She didn’t like the sound of that.
BUY LINKS:
AUTHOR
BIO:
Ashley Ladd lives in South Florida with her husband, five children, and beloved pets. She loves the water, animals (especially cats), and playing on the computer.She's been told she has a wicked sense of humor and often incorporates humor and adventure into her books. She also adores very spicy romance, which she weaves into her stories.
How you can contact Ashley:
Monday, September 29, 2014
Pride Promotion Presents Wet Paint by Will Parkinson and a Giveaway!
Book Name: Wet Paint
Author
Name: Will Parkinson
Author
Bio:
WILL PARKINSON
believes that no matter what obstacles are thrown in the path of young love, it
will always find a way to win in the end. He wants his characters to have their
happily ever after, but that doesn’t mean that it’s going to come easily.
None of this would have happened if
he had followed the advice he was given many years ago. “What are you wasting
your time on that for? It’s never going to amount to anything.” He believed it
for the longest time, abandoning characters he’d created in his childhood.
He picked up his very first m/m
story by a writer named Eden Winters, who was an absolute joy when they
corresponded. She asked him if he wrote and he told her the story. Eden
explained to Will that the voices in his head would never go away and how he
needed to let them out. With that thought in mind, Will put e-pen to e-paper
once more. It was truly a liberating experience and one he has no intention of
giving up again.
Author
Contact:
Cover
Artist: Reese Dante
Publisher: Harmony Ink Press
Although Addy’s heart
and body bear the scars from his life before he was adopted by the Deans, he’s
ached for something he thought he would never find. Until he met Benny. He
isn’t sure how anyone can care for someone as broken as he is, even though he
wants it desperately.
High school senior
Benny Peters has his whole life planned out for him, until a chaste kiss at
summer camp opens a new world of possibilities. Determined to erase Addy’s
insecurities, Benny works to take away his boyfriend’s pain and replace it with
love.
When
Addy’s past intrudes on their future, it’s going to take everything Benny can
muster to show that no matter what – or who – they face, they belong together.
Excerpt:
ADDY SAT in the car, worry
creasing his brow. Not even an hour ago, he’d been so happy. Why was he so
nervous now? His thoughts drifted back to his conversation with his
dad. Would Benny still want him when he found out what had happened? Would he
think Addy was too broken? Addy shivered. He tried to tell himself Benny would
never be like that, but how could he know for sure?
“What’s up, little man? I can
hear you thinking from over here.” Benny chuckled.
“Nothing, Benny. I’m okay.”
“Addy, c’mon. I can tell you’ve
got something on your mind. I need to know what it is. I can’t help if you
won’t let me.”
Addy took a deep breath. “I’m
afraid,” he admitted. “Of what? Camp?” “No... of losing you.”
“I don’t understand. Why would
you think you’d lose me?”
“Benny.” Addy sighed. “I need to
tell you some stuff. It’s not going to be easy, and it’s really not going to be
nice.”
Tour Dates/Stops:
Rafflecopter
Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Rafflecopter
Prize: A $25 gift card to Amazon or ARe
Sales
Links:
Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5418
1. What drives
you to write books for kids and teenagers?
When I was growing up, there were no books
geared to young adults. If there had been, I wondered how many lives would have
been different or saved. I write YA because I want young people to know that
there ARE others out there, and that life can have a happily ever after, no
matter how rough it seems.
2. As a young
adult, what were your favorite books and how does that compare to your
favorites today?
As a young
adult I loved to read. My favorite book (which still ranks high on my list) was
‘My Side of the Mountain’. Today’s books deal with a lot tougher subjects.
Books are not nearly as sanitized now as they were when I was a kid, and I
think that helps them relate better to young adults now.
3. How
much of your writing is based on your own experiences as a child or teen?
Most things I
write have some kernels of fact in them (though not everything). Taylor’s
father isn’t happy with his art. Mine wasn’t pleased with my writing. Jackson
wants to fit in somewhere. I knew that feeling.
4. What
do you envision happening in the YA field in the next five to ten years?
The YA field
is growing by leaps and bounds as people find out the stories are not just for
young adults, but anyone who is interested in a story. Sex is not required to
make a strong story, in my opinion.
5. What
challenges do you think teens face today that you did not?
I think young
adults are faced with a lot more bullying. With social media and the Internet,
it’s impossible to hide. Things go viral so quickly and there is no way to keep
others from seeing it, so like a school of piranha they pile on because they
think destroying someone else makes them cool.
6. As an
adult, how do you keep your finger on the pulse of today’s youth?
My stories are
a little different, I think. Youth today are a lot more worldly in a lot of
cases. Benny, for example, talks more like an adult. Addy still retains some of
his youth. But I don’t think it does a lot of good to try and pretend that I’m
a young adult writing young adult stories. I’m not. I think kids need someone
who will talk to them like they’re adults, and not try to be anything else.
Friday, September 26, 2014
The Harvest:Taken (#2nd edition) giveaway
Book 1
Aliens?
Spaceships?
Breeding programs?
And life-changing events that’ll
take you on a journey which will lead to the love of a lifetime.
Blurb:
In the year 2050, humanity finds
out they are indeed not alone.
Massive space ships appear without warning above the capital cities of all major nations. The planet Tah'Nar is dying. Chemical warfare has reduced the once-intersexed warrior race to sterility. They need fresh DNA in order to reproduce and have an idea for a harvesting program... and so they turn to Earth.
Earth governments negotiate a lottery, and Dale Michael assumes he's safe since he's under the Harvest age limit. How wrong he is. He's illegally harvested and claimed by Tah'Narian starship captain Keyno Shou. From the moment Keyno sees Dale, he knows he must claim the spirited human male for his own. What he doesn’t expect is a spitfire with a mind of his own—and a deadly disease that will require a risky procedure to cure.
Massive space ships appear without warning above the capital cities of all major nations. The planet Tah'Nar is dying. Chemical warfare has reduced the once-intersexed warrior race to sterility. They need fresh DNA in order to reproduce and have an idea for a harvesting program... and so they turn to Earth.
Earth governments negotiate a lottery, and Dale Michael assumes he's safe since he's under the Harvest age limit. How wrong he is. He's illegally harvested and claimed by Tah'Narian starship captain Keyno Shou. From the moment Keyno sees Dale, he knows he must claim the spirited human male for his own. What he doesn’t expect is a spitfire with a mind of his own—and a deadly disease that will require a risky procedure to cure.
Yes! I have a new cover. And about 5K of new material has been added to the beginning of the book, and the scene with Ti and Colt has been put back closer to the original. Notice I said closer lol. It's still not as... brutal as what was on Lit.
YES-I think there are aliens out there and why
or
NO-I don't believe there are aliens and why not
Make sure to leave your email addy for me too. :) I'll announce the winner late on the 30th.
~M
Pride Promotions Presents Hidden Gem by Lissa Kasey and a Giveaway!
Book
Name: Hidden Gem
Author
Name: Lissa Kasey
Author
Bio: Lissa Kasey lives in St. Paul, MN, has a Bachelor’s
Degree in Creative Writing, and collects Asian Ball Joint Dolls who look like
her characters. She has three cats who enjoy waking her up an hour before her
alarm every morning and sitting on her lap to help her write. She can often be
found at Anime Conventions masquerading as random characters when she's not
writing about boy romance.
Author
Contact:
Twitter:
@parisbvamp
Cover
Artist: Siobhan
Bio
Lissa Kasey
lives in St. Paul, MN, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing, and
collects Asian Ball Joint Dolls who look like her characters. She has three
cats that enjoy waking her up an hour before her alarm every morning and
sitting on her lap to help her write. She can often be found at Anime Conventions
masquerading as random characters when she's not writing about boy romance.
Available from
Dreamspinner Press:
Inheritance
Reclamation
Conviction
Ascendance
Hidden
Gem
Available from
Lissa Kasey:
Friction
Resolute
Consequences
Decadence
Jamie
Devotion
Samhain
Dominion Shorts (compilation)
Available from
Lissa Kasey/Xara X. Xanakas
Sink or Swim
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Blurb(s):
Misaki
“Aki” Itou is a psi—a person with mutated DNA granting him psychic abilities.
He’s also a contracted companion—a whore. It may not be the perfect profession,
but having a roof over his head, food to eat, and not being subjected to
torture is a dream come true. He is the top companion at the Hidden Gem, and it
makes him enough money to buy the prettiest, most sparkly shoes he can find.
Shane McNaughton is an Irishman who survived the
Third World War and works as a cop. Head of Missing Persons, he’s good at finding
people, but after the plague of the Third mutated his DNA, he has a hard time
letting anyone see the monster inside. He’s been paying for Aki’s services for
two years, both the psi and the sexual kind, but he wants more from the
companion.
Shane needs Aki’s ability to see into another
person’s past to track down a serial killer murdering the children of rich and
powerful men, but the more they work together, the clearer it becomes that they
are linked through a darker past than either of them realizes.
Excerpt:
First Glimpse by
Lissa Kasey
Aki
swept up a bottle of McNaughton’s favorite scotch and headed toward the broad
Irishman. The man’s shoulders were arched forward, back tense, hair a sexy
mess, and face covered with a couple days’ growth. Obviously the cop was on a
difficult case. The detective hadn’t yet asked for him, just for his usual
meal—almost bloody steak with a baked potato.
“You
look like you could use a drink,” Aki told him as he slid into the chair beside
him. He turned an empty glass over and poured three fingers of the golden
liquid.
McNaughton
sighed, his dark eyes roaming over Aki’s small body, platinum blond hair pulled
up and styled with sparkling pins, see-thru knit top, and super-short skirt,
then over his bare legs down to the gleaming heels. The shoes were a silver mesh
of crystals that slid up just past his ankles. A gift from McNaughton. The cop
sucked in a deep breath and slid his hand over the covered part of Aki’s thigh.
He knew better than to touch bare flesh to bare flesh. Aki was a cognitive psi,
could see entire lives of horrors with a single touch, and he was sure
McNaughton’s past was filled with a lot of nasty memories.
“Wish
you had time for me tonight. But I’ve got a feeling you’re booked up tight.” He
glanced back at the room bustling with companions and potential customers. Aki
was the only psi in the room, his pale-pupiled blue eyes telling the world that
he was different.
“I’m
sure Bart can fit you in.” Aki’s eyes scanned the room until he found his boss,
who was engaged with negotiations with another client. “Looks like you need
some trouble eased tonight.” He leaned in close enough his breath ran across
McNaughton’s cheek.
McNaughton
turned his head, lips nearly close enough to touch. “Would love a bit of time
with your shine.”
“Words
like honey, McNaughton.”
The
cop flashed him one of his rare, heart-stopping smiles then nodded as Bart
appeared beside them. “Table seven is ready, Aki. Number one.” Bart told him.
Aki
grabbed Bart’s wrist with a gloved hand. “The cop needs some time tonight. You
can make that happen, right?”
“Of
course.” Bart nodded to them and took Aki’s vacated seat and Aki made his way
to his next client of the evening. There were only two services Aki performed.
A hand job and a blow job, one and two. This client wanted number one—which
meant he was cheap since rarely did anyone ask for a hand job from him. But his
prices were astronomical anyway.
“Hello,”
Aki smiled at the man as he slid into the chair opposite him. The client was
dressed nice, button down shirt, pressed pants, but he was bald and a little
heavier around the waist. A politician probably. “If you’re ready we can head
upstairs.”
The
man barely spoke, but he leered, eyes tracing over Aki’s form more like he was
cattle than a night of entertainment. Even in his worst moments McNaughton had
never done that. It wasn’t appreciation, but something darker. Aki sighed
internally and hoped this would be fast. He knew a thousand ways to get a man
off in minutes. Something about him just set off Aki’s creep radar.
“I
hear some wait months for the pleasure of your time,” the man said with
slightly accented speech.
Not
usually. The only ones who waited weeks were because their schedule and Aki’s
conflicted or because they’d done something to upset him or Bart. Most clients
got in within a few days if not the same day of requesting Aki’s time. And
regulars were always given precedence over someone not yet vetted like this
client. “If I don’t please you I can see if Preston or Royce is available.”
“I
was hoping for Candy originally.”
Was
always good to be told he was second choice. Aki gritted his teeth. “Candy only
serves a special kind of client. And he does have a wait list.” Mostly because
he took clients who wanted a little more kink than any of the other male
companions preferred. Aki was going to recommend this client be removed from
the premises after the service was over.
“I
guess you’ll have to do then. Won’t you?” He gave Aki a chilling smile.
Bastard.
Aki got up from his seat and offered his gloved hand to the man who followed
closely. They’d reached the stairs when the man grabbed him, yanked Aki against
him and shoved his hand up Aki’s skirt, groping him and sending him into a
spiral of nightmares.
A
dark room. The metallic stink of blood. Screams. The sound of knives being
sharpened. Metal bars clanking. Crying. Pain. The music of an ice cream truck.
How odd. It was all ripped away a moment later, but Aki’s stomach was already
heaving. The small plate of fruit and yogurt he’d had for dinner was not going
to stay down.
Someone
carried him unceremoniously to the private companion bathroom near the kitchen
and set him in front of the toilet just as the mash of fruits and dairy came
up. Aki heaved a couple of minutes, his brain swirling with the images that
thankfully began to fade just as quickly as they’d come. With any luck he’d be
able to brush his teeth, wash his face and go about his work day.
He
glanced up to find Manny, the head of security standing at the door. McNaughton
knelt beside Aki. Had held his hair back and even used his jacket to cover
Aki’s bottom. The skirts really were too short.
“Bart
is already having the guy removed. He should never have touched you like that.
Sorry I didn’t get to you quicker,” Manny told Aki. “Grateful to you,
Detective, for responding so quickly.”
McNaughton
stroked Aki’s back, using the soft material of the sweater to run circles over
his spine. “Want to talk about it?”
Aki
sighed. “Same crap. Just weird. Darkness, crying, smelled blood. Heard knives.”
He shook his head. “The guy could work at a butcher for all I know. The
memories get so jumbled.” Often with his own horrific past. “Thought I heard a
kid. And bars rattling like in a jail. And the music from an ice cream truck.”
McNaughton
nodded like it made perfect sense to him and helped Aki get up and make his way
to the sink where there were spare toothbrushes and endless varieties of paste.
The cop leaned over and kissed Aki’s hair. “Gotta go. I’ll have Bart reschedule
me sometime this week though. Love that you wore my shoes.” He was gone a
moment later.
Aki
cleaned up and made his way back to work. At least the night was almost over.
He was sad that McNaughton hadn’t stayed. Would have liked to see that smile
another time or two. At least the rest of the night flew by without incident,
even if the detective didn’t return.
“Sleeping
with me tonight?” Candy asked as he stripped out of their work clothes, leaving
just a pair of bright pink underwear and crawled into bed. His purple hair was
already brushed and eyes heavy with sleep.
“Please,”
Aki whispered. He stripped off everything but his underwear too. After putting
his shoes and pins away, he washed his face.
“Heard
that guy touched you. What a jerk.”
“He
wanted you to begin with.” Aki curled up beside his best friend.
Candy
flicked off the light. “I would have brought him down a few pegs.”
Aki
smiled, but he didn’t want to think of the horrible man at all. Those memories
just needed to go away. He had enough of his own to battle with each day. He
fell asleep hoping to wake up with less nasty memories each day.
The
next afternoon Aki was up early and at Artie’s for breakfast—best 24/7 diner in
the area—when McNaughton arrived. The man sat down at his table without asking
and pushed a pair of slim, jeweled, yellow flat sandals into Aki’s hands.
“What’s this for?” Aki asked.
He
just shook his head. He threw a stack of cash on the table and motioned to the
waitress. “Anything he wants is on me.” He then got up from the table and
headed for the door.
“Well
that was weird,” Aki said to LuAnn, the waitress.
She
pointed at the Vid screen. “He had a rough night. Caught the guy who was
killing kids.” The Vidscreen was turned to the news. Something about a man
named the “Ice Cream Killer” had been captured. Apparently he used an ice cream
truck to lure kids in, kidnapped them, raped them and killed them. Real
monster.
A
picture popped up of the guy. It was the client from the Gem. Maybe that’s why
McNaughton was at the Gem. No matter what he hoped the detective visited him
tonight. The new yellow shoes would need a new skirt to match…
Categories per
the author: Contemporary, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Romance
Tour Dates: 9/26/14
Tour
Stops: Parker
Williams, Emotion in Motion, Velvet Panic, Decadent Delights, Book Whores United, Scattered Thoughts
& Rogue Words, Book Reviews,
Rants, and Raves, Amanda C. Stone, The Hat Party, Jade Crystal, Iyana
Jenna, Nephylim, Elisa - My
Reviews and Ramblings,
MM
Good Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Boy Meets Boy Reviews, Sinfully Sexy, Cate Ashwood
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Rafflecopter
Prize: $20 Amazon Gift Card
Sales
Links:
Aki
swept up a bottle of McNaughton’s favorite scotch and headed toward the broad
Irishman. The man’s shoulders were arched forward, back tense, hair a sexy
mess, and face covered with a couple days’ growth. Obviously the cop was on a
difficult case. The detective hadn’t yet asked for him, just for his usual
meal—almost bloody steak with a baked potato.
“You
look like you could use a drink,” Aki told him as he slid into the chair beside
him. He turned an empty glass over and poured three fingers of the golden
liquid.
McNaughton
sighed, his dark eyes roaming over Aki’s small body, platinum blond hair pulled
up and styled with sparkling pins, see-thru knit top, and super-short skirt,
then over his bare legs down to the gleaming heels. The shoes were a silver mesh
of crystals that slid up just past his ankles. A gift from McNaughton. The cop
sucked in a deep breath and slid his hand over the covered part of Aki’s thigh.
He knew better than to touch bare flesh to bare flesh. Aki was a cognitive psi,
could see entire lives of horrors with a single touch, and he was sure
McNaughton’s past was filled with a lot of nasty memories.
“Wish
you had time for me tonight. But I’ve got a feeling you’re booked up tight.” He
glanced back at the room bustling with companions and potential customers. Aki
was the only psi in the room, his pale-pupiled blue eyes telling the world that
he was different.
“I’m
sure Bart can fit you in.” Aki’s eyes scanned the room until he found his boss,
who was engaged with negotiations with another client. “Looks like you need
some trouble eased tonight.” He leaned in close enough his breath ran across
McNaughton’s cheek.
McNaughton
turned his head, lips nearly close enough to touch. “Would love a bit of time
with your shine.”
“Words
like honey, McNaughton.”
The
cop flashed him one of his rare, heart-stopping smiles then nodded as Bart
appeared beside them. “Table seven is ready, Aki. Number one.” Bart told him.
Aki
grabbed Bart’s wrist with a gloved hand. “The cop needs some time tonight. You
can make that happen, right?”
“Of
course.” Bart nodded to them and took Aki’s vacated seat and Aki made his way
to his next client of the evening. There were only two services Aki performed.
A hand job and a blow job, one and two. This client wanted number one—which
meant he was cheap since rarely did anyone ask for a hand job from him. But his
prices were astronomical anyway.
“Hello,”
Aki smiled at the man as he slid into the chair opposite him. The client was
dressed nice, button down shirt, pressed pants, but he was bald and a little
heavier around the waist. A politician probably. “If you’re ready we can head
upstairs.”
The
man barely spoke, but he leered, eyes tracing over Aki’s form more like he was
cattle than a night of entertainment. Even in his worst moments McNaughton had
never done that. It wasn’t appreciation, but something darker. Aki sighed
internally and hoped this would be fast. He knew a thousand ways to get a man
off in minutes. Something about him just set off Aki’s creep radar.
“I
hear some wait months for the pleasure of your time,” the man said with
slightly accented speech.
Not
usually. The only ones who waited weeks were because their schedule and Aki’s
conflicted or because they’d done something to upset him or Bart. Most clients
got in within a few days if not the same day of requesting Aki’s time. And
regulars were always given precedence over someone not yet vetted like this client.
“If I don’t please you I can see if Preston or Royce is available.”
“I
was hoping for Candy originally.”
Was
always good to be told he was second choice. Aki gritted his teeth. “Candy only
serves a special kind of client. And he does have a wait list.” Mostly because
he took clients who wanted a little more kink than any of the other male
companions preferred. Aki was going to recommend this client be removed from
the premises after the service was over.
“I
guess you’ll have to do then. Won’t you?” He gave Aki a chilling smile.
Bastard.
Aki got up from his seat and offered his gloved hand to the man who followed
closely. They’d reached the stairs when the man grabbed him, yanked Aki against
him and shoved his hand up Aki’s skirt, groping him and sending him into a
spiral of nightmares.
A
dark room. The metallic stink of blood. Screams. The sound of knives being sharpened.
Metal bars clanking. Crying. Pain. The music of an ice cream truck. How odd. It
was all ripped away a moment later, but Aki’s stomach was already heaving. The
small plate of fruit and yogurt he’d had for dinner was not going to stay down.
Someone
carried him unceremoniously to the private companion bathroom near the kitchen
and set him in front of the toilet just as the mash of fruits and dairy came
up. Aki heaved a couple of minutes, his brain swirling with the images that
thankfully began to fade just as quickly as they’d come. With any luck he’d be
able to brush his teeth, wash his face and go about his work day.
He
glanced up to find Manny, the head of security standing at the door. McNaughton
knelt beside Aki. Had held his hair back and even used his jacket to cover
Aki’s bottom. The skirts really were too short.
“Bart
is already having the guy removed. He should never have touched you like that.
Sorry I didn’t get to you quicker,” Manny told Aki. “Grateful to you,
Detective, for responding so quickly.”
McNaughton
stroked Aki’s back, using the soft material of the sweater to run circles over
his spine. “Want to talk about it?”
Aki
sighed. “Same crap. Just weird. Darkness, crying, smelled blood. Heard knives.”
He shook his head. “The guy could work at a butcher for all I know. The
memories get so jumbled.” Often with his own horrific past. “Thought I heard a
kid. And bars rattling like in a jail. And the music from an ice cream truck.”
McNaughton
nodded like it made perfect sense to him and helped Aki get up and make his way
to the sink where there were spare toothbrushes and endless varieties of paste.
The cop leaned over and kissed Aki’s hair. “Gotta go. I’ll have Bart reschedule
me sometime this week though. Love that you wore my shoes.” He was gone a
moment later.
Aki
cleaned up and made his way back to work. At least the night was almost over.
He was sad that McNaughton hadn’t stayed. Would have liked to see that smile
another time or two. At least the rest of the night flew by without incident,
even if the detective didn’t return.
“Sleeping
with me tonight?” Candy asked as he stripped out of their work clothes, leaving
just a pair of bright pink underwear and crawled into bed. His purple hair was
already brushed and eyes heavy with sleep.
“Please,”
Aki whispered. He stripped off everything but his underwear too. After putting
his shoes and pins away, he washed his face.
“Heard
that guy touched you. What a jerk.”
“He
wanted you to begin with.” Aki curled up beside his best friend.
Candy
flicked off the light. “I would have brought him down a few pegs.”
Aki
smiled, but he didn’t want to think of the horrible man at all. Those memories
just needed to go away. He had enough of his own to battle with each day. He fell
asleep hoping to wake up with less nasty memories each day.
The
next afternoon Aki was up early and at Artie’s for breakfast—best 24/7 diner in
the area—when McNaughton arrived. The man sat down at his table without asking
and pushed a pair of slim, jeweled, yellow flat sandals into Aki’s hands.
“What’s this for?” Aki asked.
He
just shook his head. He threw a stack of cash on the table and motioned to the
waitress. “Anything he wants is on me.” He then got up from the table and
headed for the door.
“Well
that was weird,” Aki said to LuAnn, the waitress.
She
pointed at the Vid screen. “He had a rough night. Caught the guy who was
killing kids.” The Vidscreen was turned to the news. Something about a man
named the “Ice Cream Killer” had been captured. Apparently he used an ice cream
truck to lure kids in, kidnapped them, raped them and killed them. Real
monster.
A
picture popped up of the guy. It was the client from the Gem. Maybe that’s why
McNaughton was at the Gem. No matter what he hoped the detective visited him
tonight. The new yellow shoes would need a new skirt to match…
Bio
Lissa Kasey
lives in St. Paul, MN, has a Bachelor’s Degree in Creative Writing, and
collects Asian Ball Joint Dolls who look like her characters. She has three
cats that enjoy waking her up an hour before her alarm every morning and
sitting on her lap to help her write. She can often be found at Anime
Conventions masquerading as random characters when she's not writing about boy
romance.
Available from
Dreamspinner Press:
Inheritance
Reclamation
Conviction
Ascendance
Hidden
Gem
Available from
Lissa Kasey:
Friction
Resolute
Consequences
Decadence
Jamie
Devotion
Samhain
Dominion Shorts (compilation)
Available from
Lissa Kasey/Xara X. Xanakas
Sink or Swim
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