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… 

Details of The Mule Man

Okay, first posting although it will be other places soon also but I promised!! Here is the cover and I really do like it! The book will be released by JMS Books on June 18. I'll get a link to the proper page up well before that date which is just a month in the future.

Next is the blurb and a short excerpt to kind of whet your appetite. Later I will post some of the background and history behind this story. Yes, it has been published before but is out of pint now and I wanted it to be available when a brand new spin-off comes out in July, A Mule for a Princess

Blurb: Orr Loveless is exactly where he knows he belongs, rescuing and training mules. Despite their reputation, which he feels is undeserved, he knows they are smart, sure footed and great mounts for trail riding and outdoor adventures. He has no tolerance for anyone who mistreats them or any other animals but he can’t always give such folks the “what for” they deserve. The only thing he lacks is a human partner to share the work and the fun and he knows his lifestyle is not likely to attract one.

Jase Keller has been drawn back to New Mexico where his forgotten roots have remained. His high finance job is about to destroy him and he desperately needs a big change of pace for this vacation. Once he gets a taste of adventure, it’s the opposite of the farm boy seeing the city for the first time.  Jase has now seen another life and it’s the one he wants. But how do you persuade a stubborn mule man? Perhaps by showing him that he need be “loveless” no longer!

Excerpt:
                 Orr glanced back now and then to see how his guest fared. The four pack mules trundled along behind him, well used to the routine. He knew Horatio was offended to be carrying a mere pack instead of leading the way with Orr on his back. That was necessary because the big mule was the strongest one in Orr’s string and ideal for carrying the heavy load of feed. Behind him came Rojo, a stocky red john mule. Dull and steady, he was not one of Orr’s favorite mounts and usually ended up in the pack string.

Next came gray Lulu, who still had a few rough edges. He didn’t  know much about  her background, but  figured she’d  had more than her share of harsh treatment. In time he felt she’d get over being so spooky. Penny was last, carrying the lightest load. He knew she was still too young to have to bear very much weight. She was not ready yet to carry a rider in rough country all day, either. Still, she seemed to be holding up well, and her sweet disposition, despite the abuse she’d received, had already won her a favored place with him.

Katie kept up a steady pace at the rear. Jase, however, slumped in the saddle. Orr could see the pain and weariness on his face as well as his posture. Oh-oh. Maybe I got a little too ambitious for him. Being gym-athletic isn’t the same as being a regular saddle- wise cowboy or mule man. He’s going to be one hurting puppy tonight.

If he could, Orr would have stopped right there and  made camp. That wasn’t possible. Both the mules and their riders would need water, and it was still several miles to the spring in a pleasant little valley that was one of Orr’s favorite campsites. The place had some trees edging the meadow that were just right for picketing the mules, a nice level place to pitch the tent, and a good stone fire pit he’d used many times. Another hour would see them there. Jase would just have to tough it out. Still, he edged off the trail and beckoned the other man to come up alongside.

“How you doing? Is ole Katie giving you a good ride?”

Jase made an obvious effort to straighten his back and pull his shoulders out of a slump as he reined in beside Orr. “Oh, I’m doing fine, and she’s a great mule for sure. Never stumbled once. You were right about her taking everything in stride on that trail. Even when there were a few kinda nervy spots, she never missed a step.  I did like you said and just left it to her.”

Orr  looked the  other  man over,  noted  how  he  shifted  in the saddle, taking first one cheek and then the other off the leather and stretching one leg at a time. “You’re gonna be kinda stiff, I reckon. I probably should’ve made the first day a little shorter. Could have, if I’d taken a different trail, but this is one of my favorites. In hunting season, there’s a lot of game up this way, too. Can you make it about an hour more?”

Jase nodded. “Oh yeah, I’m okay.”

Orr knew the other man was lying through his teeth. Still, he had to admire the stubborn gumption he showed.

“Okay, it’s not that far, really. The mules will smell the water  in another mile or two and pick up their pace. They know the area pretty well, except Penny. This is her first trip. Bet she’ll  remember next time. Mules are smart that way.”

They reached the campsite about an hour later. Just as  Orr knew they would, the mules had picked up their pace to  their fastest walk about a mile out. A glance back told him Jase clung grimly to the saddle horn and alternated between bouncing a few steps on his ass to trying to stand in the stirrups. Even if Orr had adjusted them carefully so he could, Jase was clearly not that familiar with the easiest way to sit a saddle. Orr smiled with a grim twist. He’ll learn.

Orr allowed the mules just a few sips of water from the stream because they were still too warm to drink a lot. Then they walked directly to the cable strung between two big pine trees that served as a picket line. They lined up from left to right without any direction in the order they were traveling. Katie took the last place, stopped and stood quietly. Orr got down and began to tie each  mule in its place as he watched Jase out of the corner of his eye.

The other man grimaced, shifted experimentally and finally swung his right leg up and over Katie’s rump. Before his right foot quite hit the ground, his left slipped from the stirrup. Both feet hit, and his knees buckled. Although he made a frantic grab for the saddle horn, missed and then tried for the stirrup, he could not catch himself in time. He sprawled to the ground, falling more than halfway under Katie’s belly.

Cover coming

I have the initial proof of my cover for The Mule Man. By tomorrow I should be able to share it!! It's good, too!!
Cover for Bonds of the Runes coming any day now also. Can't wait. Watch this space!!

Correction and Update!

Mostly good news. First as I already mentioned, Bonds of the Runes will be released by Changeling in May! The tentative date is May 29. This might possibly slip into early June but it is pretty much on track. I loved the two stories in this bundled pair, Runes of Revelation and Runes of Redemption as they were originally written and released some months apart. This new format has them together where they can be read in a close continuity. There are some new steamy additions and I also made sure the rune aspect was tied into the tale, as I had not fully done in the originals. I'm still waiting for a cover but I am sure it will be available soon. Half the edits are done and we're very pleased with progress thus far.

On Jumping Jack Flash it is now slipped to late July or August, which is fine with me since it is still a work in progress although the first draft is nearly done. As most of my stories do, this one has taken off on some unexpected and unforeseen twists but I think my readeres will enjoy it. I found there were ties from it, although it is set in the early 1970s, to the ongoing loose series, The Thin Green Line of which Runes and several other tales are part. What fun! Jack is one of the most unique characters to emerge in one of my stories while Doug is almost too ordinary but then there are depths to him you won't expect that appear nearer the end of the tale. Characters are supposed to grow as part of a story and it's been fun to watch this happen. More on this one as a firm schedule and the final version emerge!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...I always wanted to use that! Anyway, an old and a new pair of ranch set stories that are loosely connected have been contracted by JMS Books. I am really excited about this since JMS is almost an heir or spin-off from Amber Quill and a lot of the AQ authors will be there. Even Trace Zaber, one of AQ's owners and cover artist extraordinaire is there but so far not doing covers. He is actually going to be my editor, at least for now. Some of you may recall the story, The Mule Man,  It was released well over a year ago. It's going to be available again with a  new cover but little else changed come June. Then in July, a spin-off story, A Mule for a Princess will be out. This is a brand new tale and one I had all kinds of fun with. It's almost a present day fairy tale and some things probably happen too easily and painlessly so I'll be asking readers to suspend a little bit of disbelief and just enjoy it. And I think they will. I also think the covers will be eye-catching and  I am eager to show them off. You'll get first peek!

You may ask why mules? Well, in a prior lifetime--at least it seems that way--I was involved for several years with an enterprise focused on training and selling saddle mules and came to be very fond of the long eared equine cousins. Like Orr, my first hero in The  Mule Man, I think they are misunderstood and stereotyped in a most unfair fashion. So I decided to give them a break and let some of them be the secondary heroes in a couple of adventurous stories. Who knows, there may be mules and horses in some future tales also and more ranches. In fact I am almost sure of it, and of course many more "canine cupids" since those have always been my best sellers. Stay tuned for possible news on that front soon.

Quick Update

No covers yet but Bonds of the Runes will be released on May 29 and Jumping Jack Flash on June 10 barring unforeseen complications. I will share some short excerpts in a week or so and keep you all in the loop as further news comes to light!

Am I excited? Damn straight! It is so very good not to be a homeless orphan hanging out in the old publisherless writers' home!!

Deirdre O'dare, unlike the Old South, will rise again!

I have some good news and for now no bad that I know of. I just signed contracts with Changeling Press for a re-release of my two stories, Runes of Revelation and Runes of Redemption as a boxed set under the title Bond of the Runes. I don't have a release date yet but anticipate early summer. Then I am also busy finished for them a tale I started some time back called Jumping Jack Flash. I guess one could call it urban fantasy although I never was one for labels and boxes! Contracts signed for all, anyway.

Outside of my Facebook friends, you are the first to know and will be truly first to see the covers and get some excerpts when these works have a release date and I have the cover art. I also expect to have some other announcements soon involving two other publishers and a mixture of previous and brand new titles to be coming out this year.

I hope all my old fans and friends will follow me to my new home(s) and continue to enjoy the hot and adventurous tales a raft of fascinating characters choose me to transcribe and publish for them!

Sneak peek, a snippet of a WIP novel

This is a book I have postponed and thought about for years.It seems the time to write it has finally come.  It was inspired by a hero/crush of my teen years who was the scion of a well-known Montana family. Of course I changed a lot of the little I knew and most of the tale is imagination anyway. Calhoun Chronicles (working tittle) is one of those family saga 'big novels' that will cover several generations of these folks, a bit like Dallas and Dynasty, the newer Blood and Oil,  and Edna Ferber's Giant. Yes, it will have some very steamy and explicit parts because that was the kind of people they were: larger than life, rich and living by their own rules. Here is just a snip to introduce Tom Calhoun Jr, one of the main characters. Although Gwynn will be the principal author, some sections will definitely have to be written by Deirdre! Note or warning: this book is emphatically not a romance by any means and not all the relationships will have happy endings! Also this is totally unedited and basically a first draft level of effort.

  

Section One: Young Tom

Chapter 1

Butte, Montana

November 1910

The twenty three  young men who made up the varsity squad of Butte High School’s football team huddled beneath the bleachers awaiting the signal that would send eleven of them onto the field where swirls of snow threatened to obscure the yardage lines.

“Good thing this is our last game for the season,” one lad grumbled.

“Aw, come on. Don’t let a little snow get you down,” Tom Calhoun joked. “Aren’t we all tough Montana boys?”

“Yeah,” another teammate put in. “We don’t let a little thing like a blizzard slow us down.”

Just then the coach’s whistle called them out to start the game. As quarterback, Tom led the Butte Broncos  onto the field. Not only was it the last game of the season, it was also homecoming, and the final game for the seniors, such as he.

Two rosy-cheeked girls warmly clad in black coats with orange mufflers around their necks and heads held a hoop framing a likeness of a bald eagle, the mascot of the opposing team. Tom charged through, ripping the damp paper to shreds, tearing the eagle asunder. The rest of the team followed.

“Give ‘em hell, Tom,” one of the girls said, saucily.

Glenda Crocker was the only daughter of the city’s widowed bank president. She’d grown up motherless and most of Butte’s society matrons derided her as a fast minx. She did not have many girl friends, but the boys thronged to her.

Even if there had not been a ratio of at least five boys to every girl in the last two classes of the high school, she would have been popular. She had already promised every dance on the program for the after game festivities but there was no question which boy would see her home.

The Broncos formed up to receive the Eagle’s kick off as the game got underway. Tom called for a fair catch and moved in under the ball as it arced downward. The other ten players fell into place and they all charged down the field in a flying wedge. They were finally stopped at the twenty-five yard line in a melee of tangled bodies.

The Eagles proved to be a worthy opponent and made it a hard-fought game. The final score was 24-21 in the Bronco’s favor. Tom’s strong passes were responsible for two of the touchdowns and he made one himself with an interception.

The locker room reverberated with post game jubilation. The Broncos had fought to an impressive nine and one record for the season. It was thus no real surprise that the head coach of the University of Montana paid the team a visit that evening. Before they headed off to attend the Homecoming Dance, Ton and two teammates had a wide range of perks to consider if they elected to attend UM the next year and try out for the team. That they would gain places was almost a foregone conclusion.

“I’ll think about it,” Tom promised, too cagey to commit himself so early.

“You do that, young man. You have the makings of a fine athlete, a real star. With the right coaching and exposure…” But Tom had already wandered away, more interested for now in the charms of Glenda Crocker than a vague future as a college football hero. He knew he had no need for a scholarship. He had no doubt his father had already arranged to pay his way to any university he might choose to include Harvard, Yale or the newer Leland Stanford.

The Homecoming dinner and dance were to be held in the Lodestar Hotel, Butte’s newest and most luxurious. Before the dance, Tom would escort Glenda to dinner at the Chez Louis, indisputably Butte’s finest restaurant. Then they would move to the ballroom to dance until midnight.

***

The orchestra began to play “After The Ball” as the hands on the large clock at one end of the ballroom edged toward twelve o’clock. There was a momentary flurry as couples paired off for the last dance of the 1910 Homecoming celebration. Tom, who had just been to the men’s room to share a nip with his friend Justin Everhart, emerged from the corridor to glance around the room, seeking Glenda.

In a moment her blazing hair and bright azure blue gown caught his eye. Almost at the same moment she saw him and started around the edge of the ballroom his way. When they met at the end, she stepped into his arms. There was nothing coy about Glenda. She met his blue gaze frankly and smiled, a very warm and inviting smile.

“After the ball is over, I intend to go right on having a wonderful night,” she declared.

“Count me in,” Tom replied. Though far from intoxicated, he felt a pleasant warm, relaxed and anticipatory glow. Although it was only a few blocks to the elegant house Glenda shared with her widowed father, he had rented a neat little buggy in which to take her home, and if the snow had not gotten too bad, they might take a round about route to get there.

They waltzed around the room as the gas lights slowly dimmed. Most of the young couples on the dance floor took advantage of the crush of people and the reduced illumination to press more closely together and those farthest from the group of teacher and parent chaperones stole eager kisses as the orchestra played the final refrain.

Glenda’s modish gown, straight from Paris she’d been told, was cut to enhance her fine figure, making her waist appear even smaller and her bosom fuller than they actually were. It might have been deemed a bit daring and overly mature for a young lady of high school age, but without a mother to advise her, perhaps she did not know or so some of the more generous among the chaperones allowed.

None of the speculation disturbed her enjoyment of the masculine appreciation it won for her, though. Even Mr. Perleman, the dapper, young, bachelor English teacher danced with her once and surreptitiously ogled the lush white expanse of flesh bared by the deep cut sweetheart neckline.

She tossed her head and made the dangling ringlet curls dance against her neck. So what if some of the girls whispered behind her back and used terms like hoyden and even harlot to refer to her. Her father could buy and sell theirs by the half dozen any day and she could steal a beau from the prettiest one without half trying.

But for tonight, she was quite content to be seen as Tom’s girl. After all, was he not the hero of the hard-contested game as well as the handsomest boy in the room? He could have been Homecoming King hands down except he’d let it be known he didn’t wish the title. It had gone instead to the other quarterback, Peter Scott, although he’d sat out over half the season with injuries sustained in the year’s second game.

Tom had even ditched Annabelle Ryan, who’d been elected queen, for her, the red-headed bad girl Glenda. She had danced every dance, only two previously with her escort, and she’d flirted with every partner but not enough to make Tom jealous or cause him a moment’s worry. Now she felt safe and yet excited in the circle of his strong embrace.

The music stopped at last and the dancers began to move toward the doors, There they  claimed their coats. Tom helped Glenda into her fur-collared wool lined with eiderdown. She turned the fluffy collar up around her ears and wound a soft muffler around her neck. Tom shrugged into his sheepskin lined leather coat before they stepped out into the snow.

While they were inside the wind had all but died, yet the snow continued to fall, even thicker and faster than it had during the game. Glenda clutched Tom’s arm. “Oh isn’t it beautiful? I always love the first real snow of the winter. After that—well, it gets tiresome but the first big one is magic!”

Tom laughed as he handed her up into the buggy and tucked the thick lap robe around her. He unclipped the horse from the iron weight, set it on the floor and then climbed up beside her. “What’s magic is you right here beside me.” He slipped off one glove to brush a few snowflakes off her face.

“Straight home or around to look at the snow a few minutes?”

“What do you think?”

“It’s cold…”

“But I’m a Montana girl, and if we sit close enough together, we won’t notice the chill now will we?” She slipped over to tuck herself against his side. He shook out the reins and clucked to the horse. The beast clearly didn’t relish leaving the relative shelter of the hotel’s portico.

Once they were moving, Tom put his arm around Glenda and drew part of the lap robe over his legs. Even so, they soon had to admit it was cold. Away from the higher buildings along main street, the wind still blew, swirling snow so that the street lights were all but obscured and the few windows still lit at midnight looked dim and far away.

Glenda pressed her face against Tom’s shoulder, ducking away from the stinging flakes.

“Papa is not home,” she murmured. “He’s back east with your brother in law on business. Mina Bowers, the housekeeper, sleeps behind the kitchen and with the hot toddy she takes at bedtime, the dead would wake before she would.”

Her voice was low and muffled but he heard every word. She knew he did although he did not answer her directly. At the next corner he twitched the reins and turned the horse toward the Crocker home. He started to rein in at the front.

“No, the poor horse will freeze, standing out here in the wind. There’s room in the barn. For the buggy too….”

“I was just going to let you go in here, save you the walk in the snow.”

“Oh.” She giggled, feeling giddy and breathless at what she had decided to do. “Oh well, it’s all right then.” He jumped down, helped her alight and then held her for a moment, kissing snowflakes off her face.

“Hurry,” she whispered. “I’ll be in the parlour. Don’t knock. I won’t lock the door.”

He swung back into the buggy and turned toward the rear of the house. A few minutes later she heard him stamp the snow off his feet and then he carefully, quietly opened the door and stepped into the foyer.

“I’m in here,” she called. “To your right. There’s a bit of a fire still and it’s cozy.”

Glenda had shed her coat and stood at the fireplace, warming her hands over the glowing coals. Tom hung his coat beside hers on the bentwood tree at the door and then strode to her side.

“Here, let me build the fire up a bit.” He gathered a few smaller kindling splits and arranged them on the coals and then laid two larger logs across them. Within moments, the fire danced merrily. He turned then and took her hands. His felt warm while hers still seemed icy. He curled his fingers around hers, leaning closer, his breath sweet and warm across her face. Fine tremors shook her body. It wasn’t so easy now to meet his eyes for they had gone from warm to blazing hot, glowing like a barely banked fire with an urgency she had never seen before.

“I…maybe you should know I’ve never done this before. Even if Papa was away I never told anyone, never asked them to come in. I mean, well I know everyone says I’m fast and no better than I should be, but I never did this before.”

“I didn’t think you had. You wouldn’t, not with just anyone. I don’t think you’re fast or bad, just not some starched up prude like most of the girls. I don’t think anything bad at all about you, Glennie, honest I don’t.” He tugged gently on her hands until she stepped closer, into the circle of his arms. It was no different than when they danced, she told herself, but it felt different. It felt very different.

For a time he just held her, one hand stroking slowly up and down her back while the other rested in the hollow of her side. She buried her face against his shoulder, feeling the soft tickly-scratch of the wool in his suit coat. Beneath it the solid warm muscle of his body—radiating more heat than the fire behind her. Her hands finally found their way beneath his jacket, slid along his sides over the satiny broadcloth of his shirt. There at last they grew warm.