Old Favorites and New reviews

I was so lucky to get linked up with JMS books, a great outfit devoted to LGBT fiction where several of my favorite gay romances are now available again and a new one also found a good home. There will be more of both in the coming months.

Anyway, the first of my work they released was The Mule Man, last summer. It was followed the next month by a new spin-off, A Mule for a Princess. Both these stories received glowing reviews . I was just thrilled to pieces. Here is a snippet from each and a link to them.

This from Gay Guy Reads by Diane.

http://ggr-review.com/the-mule-man-by-deirdre-odare-book-review/

"If you like westerns in a contemporary setting, if you love city and country going head-to-head, if you love anything of the long-eared persuasion, you are going to adore this novella. The ending is realistic and definitely upbeat. I know my heart did a wee flip at the end.

I’m giving The Mule Man two enthusiastic thumbs up, five stars and a recommended read."

And for A Mule For a Princess, same source:

The narrative skips across time, never lingering long on any phase, and that is where I would find fault because—quite simply—the author’s enchanting style and knowledge about her subject matter begs for leisurely dallies with the mules and the men who tend to them with such love and devotion.

Yes, it is a fairytale, you must suspend disbelief about certain steps in getting from point A to B, but the outcome is never really in doubt and the ending, though on the vague side, is still sigh-worthy.

This is a solid Four Star read that begs for a follow-up. I simply must know what happens to Bobby and Doyle and the precocious young girl Fiona who gives them all purpose.

Another tale that is close to my heart which JMS released this past fall, is A Cop and A Con. It was reviewed by Kenna at Joyfully Jay.  http://joyfullyjay.com/2016/11/review-a-cop-and-a-con-by-deirdre-odare/

"The final quarter of the book was filled with suspense and action. I was completely caught up in the story, and once again, I wis A Cop and A Con could have been longer, simply to explore the bad guys a bit  more.

I highly recommend this novella if you have about an hour to spend and you're looking for something exciting and sexy. Also...the last few paragraphs were awesome. I won't give them away, though. Just read it!"

And here are the yummalicious covers of all three books! You can order any of the books here: http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=191

A "Yule Tied" tale

Okay, I promised and here I am! I think the first thing is to tell you about my holiday story at Changeling. They do a special group or series each December at the rate of several each week and have a super giveaway in conjunction with it. This year the title for the group is Yule Tied and of course when you give a bunch of authors a theme and turn them loose the results can be a real mixture! Although unlike some of my publishers, Changeling does the whole gamut of erotic romance tales from regular m/f to all sorts of ménage and other groupings and of course m/m and f/f.  Being kind of used to doing the gay guys for my main characters, that was what I wound up with here.

There is just one cover for all of the stories with the title and author’s name the only difference so that’s a good marker at their website and elsewhere to grab one of these—or a handful if you are so inclined! Here is the link to the Changeling site and the cover.

Link: http://www.changelingpress.com/

 

My tale is titled Gift of Love. For a variety of reasons, I just can’t seem to write a real “Christmas” story so this one is a Yuletide story (as opposed to Yule Tied!) and centers around a group of Wiccans and their celebration of this midwinter season. Here is the blurb and then I will give you a short PG-13 excerpt although the story is hot.

Blurb:

Scarred by an abusive stepfather who destroyed his confidence and faith, Rob is adrift. Trying to live on the street, he falls under the domination of Daniel, an older man who is only marginally kinder to him. This man, self-proclaimed leader of a Wicca coven, is very arrogant and self-centered. Through this mentor , Rob obtains a job in a book store. He also serves as an assistant to Daniel in rites and ceremonies, albeit living in fear of making mistakes. At a sabbat gathering, he meets Sean

Sean grew up in a Wiccan home and only left following his parents’ death in an accident. He has floundered along alone and now works as a nurse. Seeing a notice of a coven meeting in his new home town, he attends a sabbat gathering. There he meets and is instantly drawn to Rob, seeing the gentle, truly good soul behind his shyness. Sean recognized he must woo the other man carefully and win his trust before they can begin a real relationship. Daniel stands in the way. When Daniel’s overbearing ways finally create a rebellion in the group, Sean sees a chance to step in. Will he manage to show Rob that sex can be about caring, trust and love instead of domination and harsh control? Can Rob accept a yuletide Gift of Love?

Excerpt: This is Rob's and Sean’s first meeting:

(After he saw the notice in the news)  Sean decided he’d go. He was off the next day and even as he went about his small personal chores,  he felt a building excitement. Maybe it would be good to be among people who shared at least some of his background, who spoke and acted in ways familiar and once well-loved. Maybe he would even find some real friends among the group. Hope seemed an alien emotion but it felt good, all the same. 

            Sean made sure he arrived early. Only a few people were there when he entered the room. One couple came over to greet him and then two guys who seemed to be alone as he was approached to introduce themselves. Good start so far.

Right after he met Mike and Sam, everyone turned toward the doorway. A tall man with iron gray hair down to his shoulders swept in, trailing a heavy purple cape. Clearly used to attention and perhaps even servility, he nodded to everyone but did not smile.

“Hey, Daniel, good to see you.” That was Mike. The man frowned slightly at the casual address. “Hello Michael. I see you decided to join us again.”

The female half of the couple smiled as she said, “Well met, Arch Mage. I’m glad to see you’re feeling better after missing our last gathering.”

At that point, Sean’s attention wandered as another man appeared, almost as if he had stepped out of Daniel’s shadow. Slender and fair, he held himself with a kind of diffidence as he carried in his arms a bundle of furnishings for the ceremonial part of their gathering. With exaggerated care, he approached the table that clearly served as the alter and juggled the armload as he tried to extract the cloth from around the bundle and spread it out.

Sean hurried over. “Here, let me help you. You’d need five hands to do this all by yourself. I’ve set up altars before, maybe a little differently than you do it here but I can at least help hold things so nothing falls on the floor.”

The fair man looked up, a flare of gratitude in his pale blue eyes. “Oh, thank you. That’s so very kind. It would be terrible to drop something.” His gaze cut quickly to the caped man but the “Arch Mage” seemed to be occupied, greeting other arrivals. “I—I’m sure it will be all right even if you are a visitor. Just so we do everything to Daniel’s exacting specifications…”

The blond man seemed almost fearful, which struck Sean as odd, but up close, Sean could see he was very nice looking. He had a quality Sean could only term sweetness about him, something almost childlike and clearly eager to please. Sean’s fingertips brushed the other man’s hand as he took the athame and two candles from him to hold for a moment. A quick tingle of energy zipped up his arm. From the other man’s sudden tension, Sean felt sure he had sensed the same thing.

Together they soon had the altar arranged and ready. “I guess I should introduce myself,” the fair man said. “I’m Rob Cantwell. I—I’m kind of an understudy or assistant to Daniel Costeau, the Arch Mage. He has such a huge responsibility that he needs someone to do the grunt work. I try to do the best job I can because it’s all so very critical, so essential. I just wish I was more capable.”

Sean smiled. “I’m Sean Cassidy. It’s been awhile but I grew up in a coven with my folks. They weren’t the leaders but senior members and had a share in the sabbats and ceremonies.  It looks to me like you have the set-up all down to the gnat’s eyelash.”

Rob sighed. “I try. I often mess up but I do try. I want so much to learn and become reliable, error-free. I think I’m just a natural klutz and fuck-up though.”

“Hey, don’t put yourself down like that. If you didn’t grow up in a coven or circle how could you expect to know everything right off? I take it you’re not a life long Wiccan?”

Rob showed a rueful grin as he shook his head. “Oh no, my stepfather was a fire-eating Baptist preacher. I’ve just been–well, Daniel took me under his wing a few months  ago.”

Sean wanted to reach out and give the other man a hug. Something told him Rob had endured a lot of tough times and brought a heavy load of bad baggage into his adult life. Although he was no expert, Sean saw abused children and teens in his medical work and Rob displayed many similar cues.

Maybe that was why he seemed younger than his apparent age. Sean guessed Rob was about twenty-five, no more than a couple of years younger than he was, even though the fair man acted about sixteen. Despite that, he found Rob very attractive and a strange desire to protect him had emerged almost at once.

Catch Up Time

The last time I posted here I was about to head off to Alaska. I did and I've been back for some time but it has been a wild ride both for the country and for me personally with many disruptive things going on. I'll try to get caught up in the next few days with the latest releases, some great reviews, and looking ahead to the future. Meanwhile I apologize for being very scarce for three months!!

Alaska was great. You can read about it at gwynnmorganalaska.blogspot.com if you are curious. If not, check back tomorrow and I will do my best to update you all on Deirdre's plans, new and rereleased books and similar stuff!!

Two releases, one out and one coming!

This may be my last chance to post for awhile since I will be out in the wilds of Alaska for something between 45 and 90 days as a "working guest" at an expedition and mid-range racing  sled dog kennel. They are 'off the grid' but do have some internet access. I am sure  my time will be limited though. Anyway, here is the latest scoop:

Out tomorrow and ready for  pre-order already (It's up at ARE!!) This is a  revised and lightly expanded version of the first of my Thin Green Line stories, then called Beyond the Shadows. The new version is retitled Crossing Borders with a lot of layers of meaning in that title. Here is the blurb and the buy link at Changeling.:http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2512

Blurb: First year Border Patrol officers Rhys Davis and Liam Malone have been friends since second grade. When their new assignment puts them on the front lines in tracking down a vicious and inhuman killer along the southern border, they must call on every resource at their disposal.

The most potent of these turns out to be memories from a life they shared two thousand years ago in the British Isles, one in which they were partners in every way, forming an eternal bond that allowed them to defeat this same enemy in that life. Will crossing the line from friends to lovers in this life destroy their friendship or build on it?  Will it allow them victory over the “Soul Eater” before the monster destroys them both?

Then, coming on October 22 from JMS books is a reissue of my story A Cop and A Con. It has not been revised but I'm pretty sure a lot of readers have not gotten their copy yet. It is a very special story to me, covering a lot of issues and situations that I've been on the periphery of and wanted to bring out in the venue of a powerful and unusual love story. It will be up for pre-order very soon and of course discounted the week of its release. So if you missed this at Amber Quill the first time around, get it this time!

Here's the link for it: http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=coming_soon 

It will be up there in a few days, moving closer to the top as the release date approaches. 

Here is a blurb and the great new cover.

Blurb: When a cop and a newly released convict cross paths, few cons can expect anything positive. Struggling toward a home he knows no longer exists, Ike Hernandez meets a cop who seems different. He isn’t sure he can believe the kindness, but he wants to learn to trust again and regain his lost self respect.  

Perry Parker became a law enforcement officer to help people. He learned there wasn’t much he could do, but now and then he found someone he could help. Would the lost man with the little dog that he picked up one stormy night be one of them? 

Pursuing tales about a new drug dealer, Perry starts to doubt the man he’s befriended but something inside still feels Ike is a decent person. When the real dealers take advantage of the convict’s past, Perry, his unofficial canine partner Badger and the little stray Ike adopted save the day. Can a cop, a con and two dogs make an unorthodox family? 

So enjoy these reads and I will see you again, at the latest shortly before the Winter Holiday Season gets into high gear!

Out today--with PG-13 excerpt (m/m)

Smoke and Spots is back on the market. Another one of my previous best sellers, it is now available--on sale the first week--at JMS Books.  If you missed this one in the past, it has a loveable dog, an endearing little boy and a couple of great fire fighters who get quite a blaze going between them. I wrote it to honor the volunteer fire fighters who serve in many small rural communities which otherwise would not have local fire protection and often not nearby EMT or first aid support.

My late hubby and I were involved with such a group for four years while we lived in Falcon, CO and I pay tribute in this story to a couple of people who were there when we were. There was a Judy who was small and spunky; her name was not Diaz but otherwise my description is not far off. She had a daughter who was one of our daughter's friends. The others I touch in composite.

Here is the cover, a link to the page at JMS and then a short excerpt.
http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29_94&products_id=1872&zenid=pjnTLuS1WxS1FGlb4IjVK0

Excerpt:
Grady managed to keep the hose steady until Sully reached him. Together, they shot water into the nearest edge of the fire, watched the flames flicker and fall, but the upper reaches continued to burn and there was no way they could spray the water that far.
“I hope Sandy got through to the Forest Service. If they can hit the upper ridges with slurry before it gets too widespread, we can nip this sucker.”
Sully grunted his assent, twisting the valve to shut off the water, which had dwindled to a trickle.
They’d emptied both trucks. Grady knew he should send the
smaller one back for more water, but the fire had moved far enough
he doubted they could get water on it now. In a minute, they’d
gather tools and trudge up the hill to help Judy and her partners.
They dragged the hoses back to the truck and loaded them.
That chore done, they paused for a minute, assessing
their next move as they took a short break. The two of them
stood there, feeling the weight of frustration. Grady glanced
across the hose, met Sully’s keen hazel gaze and felt an electric
jolt all the way to his toes.
“We’ve actually got a lot in common,” Sully said after a
few tense seconds. “I’m thinking maybe we should bury the
hatchet. I’ll go first because I know I’m the one who’s made this
harder than it had to be. When you got the job I wanted worse
than anything I ever hoped for at Christmas, I was mad as a
scalded skunk and about as mean. I’m sorry. I realize now you’re
a lot better suited to be the chief, a real leader, than I’ll ever be.”
“I started to realize what the problem was,” Grady
responded, “so no hard feelings. I probably would’ve been just
as cantankerous if things were reversed. You’ve helped me a lot
in spite of everything, and I appreciate it. You’re a man I’m glad
to have at my back—anytime.”
Dropping his heavy glove, he held his hand out to meet
Sully’s. The next thing he knew he was enveloped in a hug, an
awkward one because of their bulky protective gear, but no less
evocative. He was a bit the taller of the two of them, but stood a
step farther downhill, which put them face to face. Sully’s
freckled mug was suddenly right there—close enough their
helmet brims clashed, close enough…
“I reckon the connection worked, eh?”
Ambrose came chugging up the track. Thank all the
powers, he yelled before he rounded the tanker. Otherwise, no
telling what he might have witnessed. As it was, Sully jerked
back like he’d been hit with a cattle prod, while Grady fumbled
with the handle on the nearest toolbox, needing anything he
could use to distract himself. Still, his voice sounded odd when
he answered the old man. “Yeah, it did. You and Bob did good,”

Coming Soon!

We have a cover for Smoke and Spots! It will be available at JMS books http://www.jms-books.com/ on September 3. This is a perfect date, too. That was my wedding anniversary and my late DH and I were very active in the volunteer fire department of Falcon,  Colorado some years ago. That experience was a huge inspiration in writing this story.  In fact it is dedicated to that group, many of whom are no longer with us..

Falcon is much larger now but then it was quite rural with no real "town" and had only a volunteer fire department, A Colorado Springs fire department officer was the chief. I borrowed some of the people and mixed and mingled them to create the secondary characters in Smoke and Spots. Grady and Sully are pure imagination, though, as is Jamie, Grady's nephew/recently adopted son. And so is Lottsa Spots, Jamie's new canine buddy.

Fires have been in the news a great deal lately, especially forest and wildlands fires, with the drought in the western regions and their tragic and destructive result. I also wrote Red Tails in the Sunset to celebrate the brave pilots who fly the slurry bombers and water transports and I will try to get it released again soon. For this story, I just chose a couple of incidents from things I had experienced or heard about in the past to showcase how such a department operates and let readers get to know the real character of the two heroes. As usual, I fell in love with both of them and would happily take either one. Almost sorry they are gay ;-) but this is their story, not mine!! I had my years with my hero fire fighter, policeman and former Marine so I cannot complain, There is a bit of him in all my heroes, too.

I can't speak for other writers, but I find I put somethiug of one or more of my life's heroes into just about every one of my good guys, a bit of me into the heroines when I write hetero stories, and now and then "honor" a non-friend but weaving him or her into a villain! From conversations with other writers, that is not too unusual, really!

Check back in the next couple of days for an excerpt and a bit more about this story! Meanwhile the Canine Cupids initial trio is coming along and so is Crossing Borders. There should be a cover for it soon.

More News!

My canine cupids stories which have always been my best sellers have found a new home and will be coming out about three at a time with two reissued tales and a new one in each collection. The publisher is Loose Id who is well known in ebook circles and has been around for quite a long time so appears to be pretty stable and a sure thing--as much as any can be these days.

The first group will be out in September or early October and consists of the new tale, A New Leash on Life and reissues, The Maltese Terror and Rescued by Love. The second group will be titled Cops and Canine Cupids and will feature the new story, Dog Jacked along with reissues Schnickelfritz in Love and Saved by Sam. No dates on this one yet but it is in the works. Actually  I am putting the finishing touches on Dog Jacked right now.

Meanwhile JMS will be re-releasing Smoke and Spots in September while a somewhat revised version of Beyond the Shadows, the first Thin Green Line tale will be coming from Changeling as Crossing Borders. I will do my best to get covers and more details up as soon as I have them.

A warning, though, I will be in Alaska working at a sled dog kennel for 60-90 days or possibly even more  starting in mid September doing deep research for my non-fiction book, Women Whun With The Dogs about the ladies who race their teams in the long distance races in Alaska and Canada. It is likely I will have very limited time, both internet access and composing time since those kennels are very labor intensive. But I will keep in touch as best I can. So do stay tuned!!

Great Review for The Mule Man

I am so glad I have a Google alert for Deirdre O'Dare. It picks up reviews that I might otherwise never see. It also reveals various pirate sites where my books are being given away with not a cent coming to me. I don't have the time to do the take down notices to all of them and that is almost an exercise in futility anyway these days. So the results from that search are good and bad. Today at lesat one was good. Here is a link to a wonderful five rating review that truly made my day. It is so validating when a reader or reviewer really "gets" what you've said!

http://ggr-review.com/the-mule-man-by-deirdre-odare-book-review/

A snip:

The Mule Man hit all—and I do mean *all*—of my bullet points for a proper short story: compelling characters, tight knit plot, character growth and development, a balance of description and dialog that provides page turner narrative flow and most important…

…a doggone rousing story filled with authentic details, location-location-location, and two leads—Orr the mule man and Jase his client looking for an adventure—both of whom captured my heart and had me rooting for them from the get go.

Thank you, Diane of Gay.Guy Reading for your kind words and support. You made an often discouraged author's day. I hope you will read and like A Mule for a Princess, too. 

Jumping Jack Flash--Excerpt 2, (m/m adult, NC-17)

And this comes from a bit farther into the tale, Jack and Doug's first intimate encounter...

***

While the coffee pot burbled and dripped, he turned to Jack who now stood in the doorway from the front room to the compact kitchen. “Want some?”

The teasing glint that danced in the carnie’s changeable eyes should have warned him but the words still caught him by surprise.

“Depends on what you’re offering,” Jack said. “I’m known to be opportunistic. I’d take a BJ, a hand job or even a cup of coffee.”

Emboldened by this turn of the conversation, Doug found himself grinning.  Maybe this was what he’d wanted all along. “How about all the above?”

“Yep, I’d go for that, too,”

Doug set the mugs on the counter and turned around. He started toward the other man. “Sitting or up against the wall?”

“I was thinking more of going sixty-nine, really. The couch?”

Arranging themselves took no more time than accepting the idea. Jack sprawled on the futon, unfastening the fly of his jeans as he stretched out. Doug approached Jack’s head, eased down with a knee on either side of the mass of wild red hair and then remembered to unfasten his own waistband and zipper. He bent forward and reached for Jack’s eager cock which had shot up nearly as fast as one of those knives—but a lot more tempting.   The next breath he felt Jack’s nimble fingers close around his dick. Oh man, oh wow.

           The electricity was still there, to the tenth power at least. Every nerve in his body seemed to leap, twitch and then scream out in eager hunger. More and more and more. Yes!! Then he felt the hot moisture of Jack’s lips and tongue and gave himself up to pure and total sensation. Belatedly he remembered he was supposed to be doing his part too. The requirement took multi-tasking to a whole new level even while it added to his own arousal and excitement. Jack was hung very well and he tasted salty, spicy and hotter than a mouthful of chiltepines. .

Jumping Jack Flash--Story behind the story

At a previous publisher, we often worked off a theme where a number of authors contributed a story to a series that extended over some weeks or months of releases. At the time they closed their doors, we'd just begun to consider a group of tales based on the titles of Rolling Stones songs. Unfortunately that did not get off the ground before the firm ceased operation and I set aside the story I had begun for awhile. After I submitted Jack to Changeling, the idea caught on like wildfire.  You can watch for more Set in Stone stories from some of your favorite Changeling authors in the months ahead--right now I think they are running well into 2017 and maybe even farther!

At the start, I'd played around with two or three of my favorite songs and nothing quite gelled. Then I decide to try Jumping Jack Flash as my point of inspiration. Good choice! Very quickly the character that was to be Jack came out of the mists and the first scene, which later became the prologue ,took shape. I knew at once that this was going to be a very special and unusual man!   Then on Facebook I saw an old postcard and that really got me going. Not Jack but...  But who would be his foil and eventually his perfect partner?

Well, next I suddenly saw a guy driving down Central in Phoenix, Arizona. I never actually lived in Phoenix but as a long term resident of Arizona, I had certainly driven up and down that infamous thoroughfare more than a time or two and as an invisible passenger in Doug's red GTO, I started letting him speak to me. He was unhappy and depressed. Why? A user druggie boyfriend had just moved out and although he knew he'd be better off, he was hurt and lonely. Then he saw a carnival on the south side of town--Phoenix was a lot smaller in the early 1970s than today's sprawling mega-city. The next thing I knew, he parked, saw the poster advertising a knife act and was inexplicably drawn to get a ticket and go in.... What ensued is the scene I just shared in the first excerpt.

From that point on the story seemed to pretty much take off on its own. That happens to me a lot. I am a total seat-of-the-pants plotter and shun outlines and their ilk like a bad case of hives. This one threw me curve balls just about every time I put fingers to keyboard! But gosh, it was one fun, wild ride. Before it was over, it had become a prequel to my Thin Green Line rural fantasy stories about the new arm of the U.S. Border Patrol which has been established to resist the most dangerous and unusual aliens ever to invade the USA!

I can't tell you a lot more without giving away far too much and I do not believe in spoilers but I promise you will meet some amazing characters, share some very sizzling scenes between Jack and Doug and encounter some Smurfs-gone-bad critters that are part of the first wave of other-worldly invaders! I had a great deal of fun with this story and I hope my readers will enjoy it, too. There is humor but also plenty of angst, action and adventure. I also have a vague hunch that we may cross paths with Jack and Doug in a future tale as I fill in some of the gaps between Jumping Jack Flash and say, Bonds of the Runes, which released last month as a package of two prior novellas, edited, heated up a tad, and combined so the whole story of Clay Chiles and Arondel Wanderer is available at once. Others of the previously released Thin Green Line stories as well as new ones will be coming along soon. Stay tuned for one more excerpt of this one, an adult level excerpt at that!

Jumping Jack Flash--Excerpt 1 (PG-13)

Jumping Jack Flash http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2484


This comes from Jack and Doug's first meeting, early in the story.

***

The nextr instant, the man in the poster seemed to materialize right through the wall.  He entered with a hand stand and sprang to his feet, capered  around a moment and then spoke a single syllable. The music muted to much less that the ear-splitting shriek while the noise from the other box seemed to pick up, both in pitch and volume.

Before Doug could wonder what came next, a swarm of knives shot out of the mysterious box. They seemed as thick as a bunch of killer bees and all flying straight at the man who had stopped abruptly, going dead still.

The whole audience gasped. A woman screamed. Doug could not see the scarlet and gold clad man move so much as a muscle yet somehow not one knife actually touched him.  Some seemed to halt in midair for a blink while others swerved, bent, changing course a degree or two before thudding into the wall. It had to be pretty solid because not one went through.

This’s got be a trick. Doug blinked a couple of times, sure he was not seeing reality. How in hell did he do that? And what the fuck was that? While Doug sought to wrap his mind around what he had just seen, Jack calmly gathered the knives and pitched them back toward the humming box. After that he pulled a much longer blade from a hidden spot in the stage side of the box. He ran a fingertip up and down the blade and then extended it to a kid in the front row.

“It’s real,” he said. “Touch it, run your finger along the edge—slow, real careful now or it’ll cut ya.” The child did. Doug could not see the lad’s face but he could imagine the awed expression. Then Jack took the sword back, lifted one leg and laid the blade across his knee. It sure looked like he bore down hard. The sword bent very slightly but did not break. When he released the pressure it emitted a high pitched sound.

By now, Doug was mesmerized. He had no idea how this stranger managed but the guy was damn good, whether a trickster or as magical as he appeared.

The redhead straightened, held the sword vertical as his lips moved, seeming to chant some silent mantra or spell. Then he pulled a lighter out of a hidden pocket in his flashy costume. He sparked it and then ran the blue flame up and down the cutting edge of the sword. Blue flame tipped in red and gold sparkled to life along the blade. Again he held the sword aloft. He flipped it to change his grip on the pommel which looked to be wrapped in dark red leather beneath the huge red stone that twinkled at the apex.

Then without further theatrics, he tipped his head back and to all appearances took a good half the blade into his mouth and down his throat. He pulled it up and did the same thing again.  This time he ran a fingertip down the sword’s length which made the flickering flames fade and vanish. As he lowered the blade to his side, he seemed to speak a single syllable although Doug could not hear it.

As had happened earlier, a cluster of short daggers shot forth from the humming box. This time they sang too, with shrill tremolo sounds, whispery yet keen.  Again they all came close, some even making some of the dags and tatters of his costume flutter. One clipped a single lock of hair as it passed him. The crowd broke into spontaneous applause. Coins rattled and a few bills fluttered toward the stage and settled around Jack’s feet.

He smiled, bowed and vanished back through the partition without a glance at the money. Once again the wall, solid enough to stop knives, did not deter his exit at all.

Doug stood with the rest and followed them out of the tent. He might have been able to stay and watch it again but it was too late now. He’d have to get another ticket to go back. On impulse he went back to the gate where a blowsy blonde dispensed tickets from a big roll and stashed the money in a noisy old cash register.

“Good show, ain’t it? That Jack is groovy. Here ya go, darlin’. There’s a lot more to see and great games to try your skill and luck, though. Hang around, there might be even more fun to be enjoyed later.” Her bold wink left little question as to what kind of fun that might be but Doug was not interested.

He wandered around for awhile, watched a couple of other shows which were obviously faked and not well done. Then he got a couple of corn dogs, a sno-cone that tasted like the scent of cheap cologne and a serving of funnel cake. Finally, as he had known he would, he went back to Jack Flash’s tent. This time he sat through the whole performance twice. He still could not figure it out. If the red headed carnie was a fake, he was a damn good one. The sword swallowing part was probably done by some mechanism that collapsed the blade by sections although it certainly looked seamless, catching the light without one ripple or distortion.

How Jack managed to elude those knives, though, was something else. The blades belched out of the machine in clusters and did not spread very far yet they hit the wall behind Jack in many places. He did not seem to move. Was there some clever distortion in the light that tricked the eye? Doug felt a compulsion to find out. The third time he moved forward and took a seat right in front, just behind and to the left of the humming box from which the knives emerged.

This time Jack noticed him. He went through the whole routine and disappeared behind the wall only to emerge again as soon as the rest of the crowd had left. He came back through the partition which Doug had decided was subtly divided, this time without a handspring or any capers. He stopped a long arm’s length from Doug, and planted his fists on his hips.

“What’s with you, Dude? Do you get off on steel or something?”

Up close, Jack was a striking looking man. His face was tight and clean, more angles than curves. When he parted his lips in a mocking smile, he revealed even, white teeth. His eyes were a changeable mixture of colors flickering from blue to gray to green. When he shook his head, Doug would have sworn the ears that peeked for an instant through the wild red locks were as pointed as Spock’s.

For a breath, he hesitated, not sure what he wanted to say. “I can’t figure out what you do, how you’re doing this, the knife thing. I’m pretty sure the sword folds in on itself but this other—it’s the weirdest trick I ever saw.”

That was when Jack grinned, an honest but mischievous grin that made him look like some kind of elf. “I move things,” he said. “No trick, really. It took some practice and refining a talent I guess I was born with but it’s easy. At least for me it is. A mechanism in the machine lines them up and then shoots them out by pneudraulic force—that’s compressed air power, actually.”

“But they don’t stay in a cluster and they don’t fly straight.”

“Nope. That’s ‘cause I make them move.”

It's a Gas.!!.

Get ready for Jumping Jack Flash! It will hit the market this coming weekend, first at the Changeling site on Friday and soon thereafter at the regular ebook sales venues. And sale priced the first week of release! This is a brand new story, loosely linked to the Thin Green Line rural fantasy series as a kind of prequel. It is also the kick-off story for the new Set in Stone themed group of tales coming at Changeling from many of your favorite authors. All of these will take off from the title of one of the Rolling Stones many great songs and the way different authors interpret that inspiration will blow you away!

Here is a quick scoop on Jumping Jack Flash:

http://www.changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2484

Jack never knew his father, and his carnie mother died when he was in his teens. The carnie is the only family Jack’s ever known. He perfects a knife and sword act where he keeps himself safe by making the steel blades go exactly where he wants them. Getting his GED and working to educate himself while keeping up his carnival act leaves Jack no time for a social life, but he’s been too busy to miss what he never had.

Doug’s a pretty ordinary guy with a college education and a boring IT job. When his loser druggie boyfriend moves out, Doug’s lonely and hurt. Looking for distraction, he goes to a carnival. When he sees the mercurial red head, he’s enthralled. Jack Flash is the opposite of everything Doug’s ever known. Can two men with such widely different lives find common ground on which to build a bond?

Stop by tomorrow for an excerpt and some story behind the story!

Mule Tails--and Tales

Again I am running to catch up. Too much going on at once. I'm leaving for a short trip to Alaska on my "Women Who Run With the Dogs" project and almost let the release of The Mule Man slip past me! It is now available from JMS Books right here: http://www.jms-books.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=29_94&products_id=1716   I'll repost the
cover so you can spot it easily.

The next cool thing is I have a cover for A Mule For A Princess and it is going to be released at JMS also, on  9  July. I'll post a link when it is up but you can go to www.jms-books.com and new releases to find it when it's there. It's already appearing in the coming soon page.

If you are wondering why I would write stories about such a strange and almost obscure kind of animal as the lowly mule, well, I have a lot of history with mules! From about age twelve to twenty three I worked as a 'ranch hand' and trainer in business with my dad. We bought, trained or re-trained and sold a lot of good horses and also mules. We had some the Grand Canyon decided would not make it for tourists and sold them some that would. We had ads in Western Horseman magazine and sold mules for trail riding all over the USA! I rode many a rough and mountainous or desertish mile on muleback and came to have a deep respect and admiration for those long eared critters. They were amazing in very rough terrain, tough and savvy about taking care of themselves and a rider if you stayed on top. They also were less disease and accident prone than most horses, especially the "hot blooded" pedigreed type. With this background ,I always knew in the back of my mind that they'd pop up in some of my fiction. That finally happened. Here is a photo of me with two of the mules we had back then just to verify that I've 'been there and done that'. The big one saddled is Annie and the other is Mindy who had a Quarter Horse mama that got messed up with a jackass. Hey, she wasn't the first and I am betting too many of us could say the same. ;-) LOL. To meet the handsome prince you sometimes have to kiss a bunch of frogs and even a horny toad or two!

Before the Pages--Bonds of the Runes

I suppose there are as many reasons why a writer will create a specific book as there are books and writers! This particular one has a lot of background.

I had not been a fan of fantasy until my late husband introduced me to Tolkien when we were going together. Of course I fell in love with the Lord of the Rings and then went on to read many of the authors that were popular then and some that are still around and writing. From there I also got into Science Fiction.  Near the same period, my husband and I became very interested in the early Celtic peoples and their myths, legends, spiritual practices and such. I knew my ancestry was mainly Irish and Welsh and Jim's was Scots. We were soon reading all sorts of scholarly books on these peoples, listening to the Celtic revival music that burst onto the scene  about the same time and becoming major Celtophiles. I saw the LOTR movies, of course, and was not too disturbed with the way the elves were portrayed. They might not have been exactly as I envisioned but close enough.

Although I did not try to write in the F&SF genres for a long time, more and more of it began to creep into my fiction. A previous publisher encouraged authors to select themes and write stories based on them which came out in groups of five.  One of those themes was friends to lovers. For that I wrote Beyond the Shadows (this will be re-released later this summer) and before I quite knew what had happened, I was writing what I came to call rural fantasy.  You are all familiar with Urban Fantasy, tales set in our contemporary world but with a difference--some kind of other worldly, paranormal or mythical elements are part of that world. I am not a city person and very rarely set a story in a city so my first efforts in this direction became rural fantasy, happening in the more remote or wild areas. In time this evolved into a loose and continuing series.

From Beyond the Shadows, the idea of a Paranormal Operations Unit of the real U.S. Border Patrol began to take shape. In the second tale of the series, Wings of Love (currently under revision) I introduced Clay Chiles, the head of this new organization. He was a very peripheral character in Wings but even then, I began to sense he needed his own story. Clay is very loosely based on a real person, a dear friend and co-worker, who would not recognize himself should he ever accidentally read this tale! No, he was not gay! There are many other bits and pieces of course; the eyes and a bit of the early life are all I actually used.

Once I got this pair in my head--or maybe out of it?-- things began to evolve. I "met" Arondel, and he let me know at once that he was Elven. Wow! From then on, both he and Clay came out of the mists and began to tell me their story.  I freely admit that elements of the tale came from many places, mostly my reading in the F&SF genres. Still, they emerged in  new or modified forms from what they had been in those books, many read thirty or more years ago.

Oh, the first setting in San Antonio came from my trip to that city to attend an EPIC conference. EPIC is the electronic publishing's professional organization. I loved the canals and went on an evening cruise which was wonderful! I knew I would have to use it in a story, at least a bit, and so it came to be. I may go there again either in fiction or reality someday.

From all this, Runes of Revelation and Runes of Redemption came to be.  Although they were initially published separately and some months apart, they really are one story. Many things are not answered or resolved in Revelation only to come out in Redemption. When I had a chance to revise and reissue these two stories, my new publisher, editor and I decided to put them into one package.  Bonds of the Runes tells the whole story. There is some new material and it is hotter!! I am sure Aron and Clay will appear in cameo roles in future stories in this loose series,  but essentially they have reached their HEA and at least I am satisfied that they will remain a couple throughout this life and probably in future lives as well! I hope readers will also gain this confidence, That is what romance is all about and I *always* write romance, no matter what the other genre of a piece may be!

My next release from Changeling will be a kind of prequel to the Thin Green Line series (I will explain that title in a future post) even though that was not my initial plan for the story! It is titled Jumping Jack Flash and will be a kick-off tale in the Set in Stone group that you will be reading from Changeling for the next year! Yes, there are fantasy elements in Jack too!  More I will not give away just yet.., It is due out in July.  When I have a cover and a final edit, I'll share some on it. Meanwhile enjoy Bonds of the Runes! It is available now at Changeling and will soon be at all the major ebook venues.

Whoa, time got away from me! Bonds of the Runes is all but here!

Somehow I had gotten the mistaken notion into my mind that Bonds of the Runes was to be released early in June. No, it is May 27!!! And I am hardly ready. Still I want to get this news out everywhere I can, as quickly as possible.  I want all my old readers to know that Deirdre O'Dare is baaaccckkk!!
Here is the cover and the buy link info for Bonds of the Runes,
On the cover I think the artist interpreted Clay and Aron very well and the  somewhat cartoon quality works very well for fantasy, paranormal and other 'different' genre stories!
A few of you may have read Runes of Revelation and/or Runes of Redemption. Still you might find it worth your time to try Bonds because there are quite a few small changes and a good deal more heat in the new package here!  For one thing the significance of the runes is brought out more. It is still vintage Deirdre, though,  and you can look forward to more tales, both some reissued old ones and some new ones currently in progress about the Paranormal Operations Unit of the Border Patrol in my version of rural fantasy. That's urban fantasy outside of the city!

Bonds of the Runes (Duet)

by Deirdre O'Dare $4.99/Sale Price: $3.99

Two Elven warriors face overwhelming odds to save Earth and their love.

Genre(s): Paranormal, Urban Fantasy, New Releases, Romance
Theme(s): Magic, Elves, Dragons & Magical Creatures, Men and Women in Uniform, Gay
Length: Collection
Page Count: 136

http://changelingpress.com/product.php?&upt=book&ubid=2486

All New Releases 15% off at ChangelingPress.com. 2nd Edition and Box Sets 20% off.

And here is an excerpt to get you into the mood. This is near the end of chapter one where Clay and Aron have met and talked for the first time and they are both trying to come to terms with the instant spark of arousal and attraction they have felt.

When Aron reached across the table and laid his long-fingered hand atop Clay’s, a jolt of strange energy flashed through him, akin to an electric shock. His heart sped up and his cock twitched. It wasn’t quite wholly sexual, but certainly a bit of that was there. He wanted to draw back and yet he couldn’t.

“You need to trust, to believe, cousin. You are one of us. You have powers, such as the ability to sense others who have them, do you not? And I’d wager you’ve got others as well. Things you’ve kept hidden and been almost ashamed to acknowledge, no?”

“Grandma and Grandpa said all that stuff came from Satan. I learned to hide it from them and others until it got to be a habit. I grew up in Bible Belt, USA, Aron. Anything unusual was suspect. We may have quit burning witches, but the distrust and fear is still strong.”

Aron pressed his hand and then drew back. “I know. I’ve been coming back to Earth for centuries and I’ve seen these things. I can give you a few days to think on this, but only a few. The danger is too close, growing too fast. We must be ready to act very soon.”

Clay found himself nodding as he fought the feeling of bereavement when Aron broke the touch. Besides the excitement and energy, he had found comfort in their brief connection.

“I know that much, have known it for some time. I have about three dozen special agents now, men and women I trust completely, but the invaders are coming in faster, with more new tricks and weapons. They’re becoming harder to find. It seems they’re learning to blend in with humanity and pretend to be normal. I’m worried. Hell, I’m scared shitless. If you’re willing and able to help and bring others, I can’t turn you away.”

Aron stood. “Well and good. I’ll be back in a few of your days. Go on about your business. I’m not trying to take over this effort or make decisions for you. That’s not my job. Your President and other high officials entrusted it to you. I’m sure they had good reason.”

This stranger was about to leave, at least for now. Clay sensed this even before Aron stood. At this knowledge, a strange emptiness began to grow in him. He needed, wanted…no, that wasn’t right but still, it was there.  Clay rose  and took a hesitant step around the table, holding out his arms.

Aron took the cue and came to him. They embraced for a few seconds, just long enough for Clay to feel as if he had suddenly come home. In a few short moments, this stranger who claimed he was an ancient Elf felt like kinfolk, a partner, even a lover. That frightened him, but also somehow felt too true to dismiss.

* * *

Aron let himself out as quietly as he had entered and skimmed down the long stairs to the river’s edge. He should have blinked out while he was still in Clay’s home, where no one would see him vanish, but he’d been distracted. The minute they touched, even before, a peculiar heat had flashed through him, an awareness like he seldom experienced. The Wanderer didn’t have time for attachments, not even  casual, quick ones.

Despite that knowing, for a few seconds he visualized Clay, naked in his arms, mouths fusing in a searing kiss. Cocks stiff and eager, reaching, seeking, as they fell to the green grass of another world, tangled in each other’s arms. They merged  in a blaze of demanding need, lust but more than lust—a mating of spirits and bodies at once.  How, why when he’d never known a union like that? Yet the vision seemed almost like a true clairvoyance. It left him aroused, aware, scared and yet eager. That would happen, perhaps not now but soon. 

“Be careful,” Miradel had said, “but expect good.” Secrets and acceptance and change…