Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Glamour Casting 101

June 28, 2015 by Alexis Duran

Love Wins – Huzzah! And that’s what my erotic romances are all about, ultimately, be they fantasy, science fiction or contemporary and wether they take place in worlds where gay love is the norm, where it’s forbidden, or in today’s world, where we’re inching slowly towards total acceptance. My new release Betwixt and Between takes place in modern day Seattle and for Ian, the fact that his soul mate is a man is the least of his worries.

Welcome to another round of Weekend Writing Warriors. This week I’m sharing another snippet from Betwixt and Between, now available for pre-order! In this bit, Ian is figuring out that the handsome violinist at the Pike Street Market is not quite what he seems.

***

The man radiated magical energy but otherwise looked perfectly normal except for the outfit, which could be considered normal among the odd musical and dramatic types that wandered the market. For a while he made no indication of being aware of Ian, but then with a flick of his head he tossed the hair out of his face and quickly moved his gaze from the violin to Ian. That was when Ian knew for sure the man was some sort of magician.

His eyes were smoky blue or stormy gray or some combination of dusty sapphire and silver. Whatever they were, they weren’t human. And he was ridiculously handsome like he should be fronting a rock band, not busking for quarters in a dark stairwell. This made Ian wonder if it was lust rather than magic drawing him in. Could just be an ordinary guy. He doubted it. The music was penetrating Ian’s soul, rooting him to the spot – he’d fallen for glamour casting 101.

***

Release date June 30th. Available for pre-order now at Loose Id.

Cover art by April Martinez

Blurb:

Obsessed with magical creatures since childhood, tabloid reporter Ian Evers never experiences satisfying proof that the magical realm actually exists until he falls into an entrapment spell set by a handsome but dangerous elf. Barely escaping with his soul intact, Ian is able to undo the hex, but he can’t escape the very real infatuation he’s developed for the fierce elf.

Ezekiel Stormshadow is a svarta, a dark elf who serves the queen of the dark realm. The realm of darkness needs the power of light to survive, and while hunting the last few magical beings on earth, Ezekiel discovers Ian, a light elf who’s unaware of his true nature and ripe for the plucking. Their brief encounter awakens a great hunger in Ezekiel, and he’s determined to feast on the light elf’s power and body before the queen intervenes and claims Ian for herself.

Driven apart by the ancient imbalance between the dark and light realms, an evil queen starved for power, and their fear of each other, Ian and Ezekiel are relentlessly drawn together even though their union might destroy them both.

My Sexy Saturday ~ Hexed

June 27, 2015 by Alexis Duran

Welcome to My Sexy Saturday. It’s steamy hot here in the pacific northwest, but who can’t use a little more heat? Today’s theme is Our Sexy Man, which I’m happy to say fits rather well with my new release, Bewixt and Between, a contemporary m/m fantasy featuring two terribly sexy men. Actually this theme works for all of my books, but hey, what’s not to like about that?

Here are seven paragraphs where Sexy Man Ian checks out photos he took of Sexy Man Zeke, who happens to be an elf. Dijeree is Ian’s roommate and Alistair is the shifty shaman who’s going to help unhex Ian. Maybe.

***

“Holy hottie, Batman,” Dijeree said. “Why is it you haven’t fucked him yet?”

“I was wondering if the camera would catch the same thing I saw.”

It did. Ian had taken his film to an associate at the paper who developed film quickly for a steep fee. Ian and Dijeree sat in the corner café and passed the photos back and forth between them over a table littered with coffee cups, half-eaten scones, the weekly copy of The Cosmic Eye, and Ian’s notes.

Most of the photos were too dark and blurry, but not all. In one of the shots, he’d caught the svarta as he looked up, a shaft of sunlight reflecting off his violin. He was every bit as handsome as Ian remembered, with an aquiline nose, high cheekbones, incredibly thick lashes, and those eyes. The photo couldn’t do them justice. As it was, they looked like mirrors reflecting a wind-tossed sea. When the sea started to swirl, Ian looked away.

“Are you okay?” Dijeree asked, placing a hand on his wrist.

“No. I’m hexed.” He struggled to breathe regularly.

“Let’s hope Alistair gets back soon.”

***

Release date is June 30th. Be the cool kid on the block and get your copy first (at 10% off!). Betwixt and Between is available for pre-order now at Loose Id.

Blurb:

Reporter Ian Evers, obsessed with magical creatures since childhood, never experiences satisfying proof that the magical realm actually exists until he falls into an entrapment spell set by a handsome but dangerous elf. Barely escaping with his soul intact, Ian is able to undo the hex, but he can’t escape the very real infatuation he’s developed for the fierce, alluring elf.

Ezekiel Stormshadow is a svarta, a dark elf who serves the Queen of the dark realm. The realm of darkness needs the power of light to survive, and while hunting the last few magical beings on earth, Ezekiel discovers Ian, a light elf who’s unaware of his true nature and ripe for the plucking. Their brief encounter awakens a great hunger in Ezekiel, and he’s determined to feast on the light elf’s power and body before the queen intervenes and claims Ian for herself.

Ian knows only he can save Ezekiel from the grasp of the dark queen. Driven apart by the ancient imbalance between the dark and light realms, an evil queen starved for power, and their fear of each other, Ian and Ezekiel are relentlessly drawn together even though their union might destroy them both.

***

Don’t forget to continue the hop to check out more sexy snippets from the other participants. Seven words, seven lines or seven paragraphs of steamy fun await at My Sexy Saturday main page.

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Magic Afoot

June 21, 2015 by Alexis Duran

Happy Summer! Thanks for taking time out of your hopefully glorious Sunday to stop by Weekend Writing Warriors. This week I’m continuing with snippets from the opening chapter of my soon to be released (June 30th!) m/m contemporary fantasy, Betwixt and Between. Hey, it finally dawned on me I haven’t posted a blurb yet, so today you’ll find that after my 1o lines.

I’ve skipped ahead a bit from last week to Ian’s point of view. Unbeknownst to him, he’s about to stroll into a trap set by a svarta, a dark elf.

***

Ian sensed magic afoot and couldn’t pass it up. That was his job, after all—finding and cataloging the magical creatures lurking in Seattle’s shadows. Readers of the tabloid he worked for, The Cosmic Eye, gobbled up his stories, and with every contact, however dubious, he inched a bit closer to unlocking the vast magical mystery that shrouded his life.

A flash there, a ripple here. A haunted rowboat, a flying spoon, a burning book, a talking cat. All these things added up to something. He just didn’t know what yet.

His first impression of the musician in the stairwell was that, yes indeed, he’d stumbled across a magical creature. Shadowed lines resolved into a dark-haired figure in a long, heavy coat and high leather boots. The outfit looked like something a down-and-out musketeer might wear, the coat being old-fashioned, fastened with two rows of brass buttons, and well-worn.

***

The Blurb:

Obsessed with magical creatures since childhood, tabloid reporter Ian Evers never experiences satisfying proof that the magical realm actually exists until he falls into an entrapment spell set by a handsome but dangerous elf. Barely escaping with his soul intact, Ian is able to undo the hex, but he can’t escape the very real infatuation he’s developed for the fierce elf.

Ezekiel Stormshadow is a svarta, a dark elf who serves the queen of the dark realm. The realm of darkness needs the power of light to survive, and while hunting the last few magical beings on earth, Ezekiel discovers Ian, a light elf who’s unaware of his true nature and ripe for the plucking. Their brief encounter awakens a great hunger in Ezekiel, and he’s determined to feast on the light elf’s power and body before the queen intervenes and claims Ian for herself.

Driven apart by an ancient imbalance between the dark and light realms, an evil queen starved for power, and their fear of each other, Ian and Ezekiel are relentlessly drawn together even though their union might destroy them both.

***

This post is part of an ongoing blog hop hosted by Weekend Writing Warriors. Every Sunday, participating authors post eight to ten sentences from a published work or perhaps their current work in progress. Then we hop to our fellow warriors’ blogs and check out all the fabulous fiction that’s happening! I heartily invite you to participate as a reader, writer, or both. It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book. Click here or use the address: http://www.wewriwa.com

My Sexy Saturday~ Face the Fire

June 20, 2015 by Alexis Duran

Welcome to My Sexy Saturday, the hop where writers share in seven words, lines or paragraphs, a snippet of their smokin’ hot fiction. This week’s theme is Our Sexy Best, inspired by the Tina Turner song, The Best. Personally, when I heard the theme I thought of Carly Simon’s Nobody Does it Better, especially the refrain, Baby, You’re the Best. And because it’s a song from the James Bond film, The Spy Who Loved Me, I think danger and excitement, and how when you meet the one who really is the best, no amount of risk or common sense will stand in the way.

My seven paragraphs are from the soon-to be-released (June 30th!) contemporary fantasy, Betwixt and Between. I thought I’d share a moment when Ian begins to admit to himself that Zeke is definitely the best.

***

Ian sensed heat radiating next to him as if he slept beside a campfire. His heart started to pound. Which was real, the bed or the fire? Was he still trapped in the dark realm? No use putting it off. He opened his eyes and turned his head to face the fire.

Zeke lay beside him, eyes wide open, staring at him.

“That’s kind of creepy, you know, watching someone sleep,” Ian said.

Zeke didn’t respond but reached out and brushed sweaty hair out of Ian’s face. Ian’s skin instantly electrified. He stopped himself from grabbing Zeke’s hand and kissing it. Having the amazingly fierce and powerful svarta in his bed scared Ian more than the dark realm had. If he didn’t set some boundaries right away, Zeke would overwhelm him, dominate him, enslave him. And the pathetic thing was, it sounded so good Ian would have a hard time standing up for himself.

“Listen, Zeke, we need to talk.”

Zeke grabbed his shoulder and pulled him close. He pressed his lips against Ian’s, and all thoughts of talk vanished in a surge of lust. Zeke nibbled on Ian’s lower lip, then thrust his long tongue deep into Ian’s mouth. The flow of dark energy was like a nectar Ian couldn’t get enough of. Just when he thought he never wanted to stop kissing, Zeke broke away. He slid on top of Ian and began to kiss and bite his neck. The weight of Zeke’s body pressing him into the mattress and immobilizing him reminded Ian of his fears.

“I know you’re used to being in charge and all, but we need to set some ground rules—”

***

Don’t forget to continue the hop to check out more sexy snippets from the other participants. Seven words, seven lines or seven paragraphs of steamy fun await at My Sexy Saturday main page.

Weekend Writing Warriors~ As Good As Caught

June 7, 2015 by Alexis Duran

Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors, a great place to share, discover and enjoy an amazing range of fiction. This week (and the rest of June) I’ll be sharing from my upcoming release, the m/m contemporary fantasy, Betwixt and Between. I hope to have the blurb and cover soon! Release date is June 30th.

This is from the opening chapter. Last week we watched as Ezekiel used his violin to spin a musical trap for an unsuspecting liosa (light elf).

***

Ezekiel pulled some of the liosa’s essence toward him along the strings and conjured a clearer picture. Human male, slim and tasty. Ezekiel’s favorite form. The man had the dark mocha-colored eyes of a High-Wood alfar, but Ezekiel recognized no clan markings, no talismans, no link to the past. This was most excellent. No one would miss him. A fresh, unclaimed source of power, his for the taking. Even the dark queen Ysolde might not be aware of him.

The liosa held a camera and was about to take Ezekiel’s photo. He was as good as caught.

***

This post is part of an ongoing blog hop hosted by Weekend Writing Warriors. Every Sunday, participating authors post ten sentences from a published work or perhaps their current work in progress. Then we hop to our fellow warriors’ blogs and check out all the fabulous fiction that’s happening! I heartily invite you to participate as a reader, writer, or both. It’s a great way to discover your next favorite book. Click here or use the address: http://www.wewriwa.com

My Sexy Saturday~ Most Definitely Enhanced

June 6, 2015 by Alexis Duran

Welcome to My Sexy Saturday– the hop guaranteed to get your weekend off to a steamy start. This week’s theme is My Sexy Galaxy, which gives me the perfect excuse to play with my m/m space-opera-in-progress, From Mars, With Love. I toyed with the idea of sharing the tentacles, or rather tendrils, scene but decided instead to share the moment my two heroes meet. Eli was abducted by a slave ship on earth and after proving troublesome, stuck in a stasis pod for the long trip to Titan. Lucky for him, the marines have arrived.

***

Eli’s rescuer returned the laser rifle to a shoulder holster and undid a latch to remove his helmet. He pulled it off and hooked it on his belt. His black hair was cut in a decidedly unmilitary fashion, longish around the face and shorter in back, but the eyes were what really caught Eli’s attention. They were bluer than any blue Eli had ever seen, like a glacier mashed up with the sunny skies of Earth’s glory days. Must be enhanced. Most definitely enhanced.

His blue-eyed rescuer reached out a gloved hand and helped, or rather jerked, Eli to his feet, vice-like grip digging bruises into his forearm. He held Eli at a distance, probably not wanting to slime his nifty super-secret uniform. He was about a hand taller than Eli and a good deal broader. After determining Eli wasn’t going to collapse he released him and stepped back.

“Got one earth rat down here,” he said into his mic, which turned out to be attached to the stiff collar of his jacket. “Seems to be intact and mobile.”

The hard blue eyes turned on Eli again and looked him up and down. Eli suddenly felt much more naked but refused to cower. He moved away in case the man in black decided to shove him back inside the pod.

“Ask them to bring a robe or something, why don’t you?” he asked, putting the pod between them. The man didn’t react, but continued to watch him with a wary sort of bemusement. He was stunningly attractive in that rich habitat dwelling sort of way, and didn’t look like a typical jarhead at all. Eli was only used to seeing beautiful people in holos, or the enhanced variety in the clubs that always looked a little strange, no matter how expensive the procedure.

He changed his mind. Probably not enhanced, except the eyes, which were most likely implants. Eli realized they were staring at each other without speaking, and imagined the man had opposite thoughts about Eli, like how he wasn’t used to seeing earth rats in the buff. He didn’t look disgusted, but Eli felt angry anyway.

His rescuer finally broke his mesmerizing gaze and started to poke around the room. He kicked at the corpse of the security crab. “Looks like we got here in the nick of time, eh?”

***

Don’t forget to continue the hop to check out more sexy snippets from the other participants. Seven words, seven lines or seven paragraphs of steamy fun await at My Sexy Saturday main page.