Weekend Writing Warriors ~ Look Who’s Come Out To Play

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Welcome to Weekend Writing Warriors and another Sunday of fun and exciting snippets.  This week I’m celebrating winning Runner Up in Love Romances Cafe’s Best Fantasy 2015 Category for Blood of Salar, Book 2 in my Masters and Mages series.  It’s nice that the middle book is getting some attention for a change, and I’ve had fun revisiting the story.  This scene continues from the last snippet I shared .  M’lan, headmaster of the temple of Ka’alar, is facing off with rebel soldiers who are looting the chapel.

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M’lan walked toward the great stone fountain carved in the shape of the serpent god. One of the men stood on the lip of the pool, trying to reach the line of small emeralds embedded in Ka’alar’s throat.

What utter stupidity, M’lan thought. He recalled the simple magic trick he’d used to expose Abbess Renee, when he’d made it appear as if the statue had come to life. He had both hands on Ka’alar’s smooth side before anyone noticed him.

“Hey there!” shouted the man picking away at the statue with a blunt knife. “Come to join the fun?” He leaned jauntily against the neck of the statue with one palm, the other hand on his hip. “Hey, Raffe, look who’s come out to play!”

***

BloodOfSalar

 

M’lan, headmaster of the order of Ka’alar and Jamil Jarka, king’s assassin, find their impossible love challenged to the utmost as a rebellion sweeps them apart, sending Jamil on a dangerous mission to assassinate the rebel leader, General Charvat. Unknown to anyone, Charvat is on his way to the temple to exploit the headmaster’s magical abilities.

When the rebel army arrives, M’lan is thrust into a struggle against political and sexual dominance as Charvat attempts to break his resistance. Violence and death mount, awakening within M’lan both the powers of destruction and the desire for revenge.

On the trail of his prey, Jamil begins to question his devotion to M’lan as his once innocent lover transforms into a mage and invades the assassin’s thoughts and dreams. The closer Jamil draws to M’lan, the more he puts his life and his very soul at risk. Jamil soon realizes that his lover might prove to be more deadly than the man he was sent to kill.

A final confrontation between assassin and monk might destroy them both, but Jamil is relentless in his determination to rescue M’lan, for he knows that only his love can master the mage.lrc2015runnerup

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Blood of Salar on Amazon   Loose Id

All Romance eBooks  Barnes & Noble

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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

Seductive Studs ~ Unexpected Urge

 

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Happy Saturday!  Welcome to another round of Seductive Studs, the blog hop dedicated to m/m romance.  This week’s snippet is from my new release, Curse of Salar, available now on Amazon and all the usual places. I’m continuing from where I left off last week.  Captain Rayn Nevar is reluctantly discussing Prince Dezra with Minister Havran, Rayn’s boss.  Havran speaks first.

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“So you think the prince is harmless? A mere pretty bauble for Skala to wear about his neck?” Havran persisted.

“Harmless as long as he’s kept well away from the cultists of Ka’alar and those few madmen who think we need a mage to return Armazin to greatness.” Rayn drained his cup and blinked to keep his vision from blurring. The last thing he intended was to defend Dezra against Havran’s rancor, but an odd and entirely unexpected urge to protect the prince muddled his thinking.

Determined to turn the conversation to safer ground, Rayn asked, “But what do you think of Tovias and his continued incursions across the Rakkan border?”

Havran seized on one of her favorite topics with drunken glee and launched into a litany of Tovias’s failures as a leader. Rayn nodded at appropriate times and tortured himself by recalling his encounter with Dezra, if one could call it that. A look. A stare. A sort of understanding, if Rayn deluded himself enough to believe the prince had actually shown an interest in him and wasn’t simply bored out of his mind.

***

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Blurb for Masters and Mages 3: Curse of Salar

In the desert kingdom of Jahar, the rule of mages has been overthrown and the ancient lineage of sorcerer kings wiped out. Prince Dezra and his sister are the last living members of the royal family and are held prisoners in their ancestral palace.

Prince Dezra lives a life of lies and deceit. In order to stay alive, he must pretend to be a drug-addicted wastrel, trusting no one, isolated from even his sister who has chosen to cooperate with the government that executed their parents.

Into his lonely existence comes a man who should be his sworn enemy; Captain Rayn Nevar. Dezra is irresistibly drawn to the rough soldier and his longing for a simple sexual encounter quickly morphs into a dangerous obsession.

Captain Rayn Nevar knows he should stay far away from Prince Dezra, but his desire for the beautiful young man overrides all common sense. Despite the fact that Dezra’s ancestors destroyed Rayn’s family, the captain finds himself in a position of protecting the prince from the many schemers who believe the last of the mages should be annihilated.

When treachery leads to Dezra’s escape, he is at last free to bond with the serpent god Ka’alar and develop his long repressed powers. Only the arrival of a mysterious monk with powers greater than Dezra’s stops the prince from using black sorcery to destroy all who stand in his way, including Rayn.

As Jahar edges toward another war between masters and mages, Rayn must question his devotion to his increasingly deadly lover while Dezra must decide if ultimate power is worth the ultimate sacrifice.

Buy on Amazon    All Romance Ebooks (ARe)    Loose Id

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Don’t forget to continue the hop at the Seductive Studs home page.  Lots of steamy m/m goodness goin’ on.

Seductive Studs ~ He Is Our Enemy

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Happy New Year! Welcome to another year of tantalizing snippets from the writers of Seductive Studs, the blog hop dedicated to m/m romance.  I’m excited to start out 2016 with the release of the third book in the Masters and Mages series: Curse of Salar.  Release date is January 5, but it’s available for pre-order now on Loose Id. (And it’s on sale!)

Okay, enough of the sales pitch.  This week I’m sharing a snippet in Captain Rayn Nevar’s POV. He’s having a discussion with his boss Minister Havran, and fellow soldier Arn Gilder, about just how dangerous Prince Dezra really is.  Minster Havran speaks first:

“Prince Dezra is heir to the throne of Armazin. Therefore he is our enemy. Yours in particular, Captain Nevar.”

“The throne no longer exists. The royalist rebellion is defeated.”

“Doesn’t it bother you that the great-grandson of Reva Luzan, the mage who destroyed your family, sits beside Grand Premier Skala, sipping wine and plotting his return to Armazin?”

Gilder snorted. “The prince isn’t plotting anything except which serving boy to take to bed next.”

“Reva Luzan was mad,” Rayn said. “Until I learn of some reason to fear the royals, I won’t let ancient history cloud my judgment of what’s happening today.”

“How very cultured of you.” Havran sniffed and lifted her cup but didn’t drink. “As a member of the council of Armazin, I can’t afford to be so forgiving.”

Rayn shifted uncomfortably. The furniture didn’t suit him any better than it did Gilder, nor did the conversation. The delicate trappings of the palace made Rayn feel like an ox in a pottery shop, and discussions of political intrigue reminded him he was a soldier first, a diplomat far second.

***

CurseOfSalarFinal

Cover Art by Fiona Jayde

Blurb for Masters and Mages 3: Curse of Salar

In the desert kingdom of Jahar, the rule of mages has been overthrown and the ancient lineage of sorcerer kings wiped out. Prince Dezra and his sister are the last living members of the royal family and are held prisoners in their ancestral palace.

Prince Dezra lives a life of lies and deceit. In order to stay alive, he must pretend to be a drug-addicted wastrel, trusting no one, isolated from even his sister who has chosen to cooperate with the government that executed their parents.

Into his lonely existence comes a man who should be his sworn enemy; Captain Rayn Nevar. Dezra is irresistibly drawn to the rough soldier and his longing for a simple sexual encounter quickly morphs into a dangerous obsession.

Captain Rayn Nevar knows he should stay far away from Prince Dezra, but his desire for the beautiful young man overrides all common sense. Despite the fact that Dezra’s ancestors destroyed Rayn’s family, the captain finds himself in a position of protecting the prince from the many schemers who believe the last of the mages should be annihilated.

When treachery leads to Dezra’s escape, he is at last free to bond with the serpent god Ka’alar and develop his long repressed powers. Only the arrival of a mysterious monk with powers greater than Dezra’s stops the prince from using black sorcery to destroy all who stand in his way, including Rayn.

As Jahar edges toward another war between masters and mages, Rayn must question his devotion to his increasingly deadly lover while Dezra must decide if ultimate power is worth the ultimate sacrifice.

***

Don’t forget to continue the hop at the Seductive Studs home page.  Lots of steamy m/m goodness goin’ on.

Weekend Writing Warriors ~ A Fair Match

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It’s Weekend Writing Warrior time again. This week I’m continuing the time honored tradition of shameless self-promotion and sharing an excerpt from my soon to be released m/m fantasy, Curse of Salar, available January 5th.

I skipped ahead a little bit from last week’s snippet.  Prince Dezra is excited for the chance to test his skills against someone besides timid servants and teachers.

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The idea of sparring with Nevar sent a ripple of excitement coursing through Dezra’s body. Before anyone could say anything that might ruin his fun, he stepped out on the field.

“Do you know the shibar, Captain Nevar?”

The captain looked at the spear in his hand almost guiltily, as if ashamed to be caught with it.

“I learned it young and have kept up with it as a form of exercise, Prince Dezra.” He belatedly inclined his head ever so slightly in respectful greeting.

“Then perhaps you’ll do me the favor of sparring with me. No one here will give me a fair match. They’re all afraid to hit me.”

Lanz scurried forward, saying, “Pardon me, Prince Dezra, but that is not… It is against…”

***

Blurb for Masters and Mages 3: Curse of Salar  ~ Release date January 5,2016

In the desert kingdom of Jahar, the rule of mages has been overthrown and the ancient lineage of sorcerer kings wiped out. Prince Dezra and his sister are the last living members of the royal family and are held prisoners in their ancestral palace.

Prince Dezra lives a life of lies and deceit. In order to stay alive, he must pretend to be a drug-addicted wastrel, trusting no one, isolated from even his sister who has chosen to cooperate with the government that executed their parents.

Into his lonely existence comes a man who should be his sworn enemy; Captain Rayn Nevar. Dezra is irresistibly drawn to the rough soldier and his longing for a simple sexual encounter quickly morphs into a dangerous obsession.

Captain Rayn Nevar knows he should stay far away from Prince Dezra, but his desire for the beautiful young man overrides all common sense. Despite the fact that Dezra’s ancestors destroyed Rayn’s family, the captain finds himself in a position of protecting the prince from the many schemers who believe the last of the mages should be annihilated.

When treachery leads to Dezra’s escape, he is at last free to bond with the serpent god Ka’alar and develop his long repressed powers. Only the arrival of a mysterious monk with powers greater than Dezra’s stops the prince from using black sorcery to destroy all who stand in his way, including Rayn.

As Jahar edges toward another war between masters and mages, Rayn must question his devotion to his increasingly deadly lover while Dezra must decide if ultimate power is worth the ultimate sacrifice.

***

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 ~ Bells on Their Toes

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Happy Last Shopping Weekend Before Christmas!   This week on My Sexy Saturday the theme is Our Sexy Holidays.  I’ll admit to stealing an idea I saw on a blog last week, in which writers took characters from one of their books and dropped them into the chaos of Black Friday.  I couldn’t help but imagining my dark elf Zeke from Betwixt and Between coming in contact in with Santa’s elves in the mall, and what he might think about how his race is depicted. If I get ambitious I might finish the story and post it for the holidays.  In the meantime, hope you enjoy these seven paragraphs.

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Ian squeezed out of the mob in the games aisle with the last box of Star Wars Legos clutched in both hands, and was horrified to find himself face to face with a twenty foot tinsle-swathed Christmas tree, a bleary-eyed Santa, three irritable elf impersonators and line of squealing, screaming, crying, shouting kids and their parents that extended all the way to perfumes. Where the hell was Zeke? They had to pay for the damn toy and get the hell out of this winter nuthouse land.

Through the muzak version of Jingle Bells and the tumult of the Meet and Be Terrified by Santa line, a deep voice growled in his ear, “Those are supposed to be elves? In my entire life I’ve never seen an elf who looked like that.”

Zeke’s heat enveloped Ian and he relaxed, the crowd becoming a distant whirlpool of color and noise.

“That is what happens when elves hide from humans for a thousand years. Memories become distorted and, well, wrong.”

They both stared at the humans with enormous plastic ears, extended red noses and huge padded slippers ending in curled toes with bells on the tips, not to mention the entirely ludicrous attire of tights, odd little tunics and pointy hats.

“If anything, they look like trolls. Skinny little trolls,” Ian said.

“Trolls wouldn’t be caught dead with bells on their toes.”

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Don’t forget to continue the Sexy Saturday hop.  There’s a lot of sexy snippets out there for your enjoyment, only a click away.

 

Seductive Studs ~ Disturbing His Calm

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Welcome to Seductive Studs, the blog hop dedicated to m/m romance by the people who read, write and review it.

This week I’m sharing another excerpt from Curse of Salar, Book 3 in the Masters and Mages series, release date January 5, 2016.  In this scene Prince Dezra is being tended to by one of the many attractive servants sent to seduce and spy on him.

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“I am most grateful for your blessing, my lord.” Jai filled the cup and bowed again. They always spoke formally, even during sex. It amused Dezra and saddened him.

Jai stood a hand taller than Dezra and was muscular for a house servant, lean with hair the color of desert sand and pale blue eyes. He had a smooth, attractive face, which was why the premier’s agents picked him. Dezra’s watchers were always trying to guess who might entrance Dezra enough to earn his trust. So far they’d failed. He trusted no one. Sometimes he pretended in order to keep the watchers content.

“How goes things beyond the palace walls?” he asked, lifting the cup to his lips and keeping his gaze on Jai’s face. The servant raised his eyes. Despite his exemplary training, he stared hungrily at Dezra, an expression of desire disturbing his calm.

***

Masters and Mages 3: Curse of Salar ~

In the desert kingdom of Jahar, the rule of mages has been overthrown and the ancient lineage of sorcerer kings wiped out. Prince Dezra and his sister are the last living members of the royal family and are held prisoners in their ancestral palace.

Prince Dezra lives a life of lies and deceit. In order to stay alive, he must pretend to be a drug-addicted wastrel, trusting no one, isolated from even his sister who has chosen to cooperate with the government that executed their parents.

Into his lonely existence comes a man who should be his sworn enemy; Captain Rayn Nevar. Dezra is irresistibly drawn to the rough soldier and his longing for a simple sexual encounter quickly morphs into a dangerous obsession.

Captain Rayn Nevar knows he should stay far away from Prince Dezra, but his desire for the beautiful young man overrides all common sense. Despite the fact that Dezra’s ancestors destroyed Rayn’s family, the captain finds himself in a position of protecting the prince from the many schemers who believe the last of the mages should be annihilated.

When treachery leads to Dezra’s escape, he is at last free to bond with the serpent god Ka’alar and develop his long repressed powers. Only the arrival of a mysterious monk with powers greater than Dezra’s stops the prince from using black sorcery to destroy all who stand in his way, including Rayn.

As Jahar edges toward another war between masters and mages, Rayn must question his devotion to his increasingly deadly lover while Dezra must decide if ultimate power is worth the ultimate sacrifice.

***

Don’t forget to continue the hop at the Seductive Studs home page.  Lots of steamy m/m goodness goin’ on.