Sunday, March 31, 2019
March Book of the Month: In the Arms of the Beast by KA Merikan
--- The real demons live within ---
Laurent. Time traveller. Devoted husband. Stubborn as the devil himself.
Beast. Kings of Hell MC president. Will stop at nothing to protect his family.
After everything Baal put them through, neither Laurent nor Beast considered ever making another pact with a demon, but in the spur of the moment, temptation becomes too great, and they decide on one more deal.
This time, with Mr. Magpie.
But the gift might prove to be more than they can handle. The danger to the human world has already strained their relationship, but Magpie’s offering brings out the worst in both Laurent and Beast. Confronted with each other’s flaws, they need to decide if, despite all they’ve been through together, perhaps they’re just not meant to be.
With the world on the brink of collapse, and their pact binding them in new and unexpected ways, they have to put their differences aside to stand a chance at saving their family.
POSSIBLE SPOILERS:
Themes: motorcycle club, alternative lifestyles, demons, tattoos, secrets, crime, gothic, opposites attract, biker, commitment, family, sacrifice, relationship issues, established couple
Genre: Dark, paranormal M/M romance
Content: Scorching hot, emotional, explicit scenes
Length: ~105,000 words (Book 5 in the series)
FINAL BOOK IN THE SERIES. NOT A STANDALONE.
WARNING: This story contains scenes of violence, offensive language, and morally ambiguous characters.
When a pact with Mr. Magpie is made, both Laurent and Beast have differing reactions and they are both determined and stubborn towards the pact. Will this be one too many pacts for the Kings of Hell?
HOLY HANNAH BATMAN! I warred with myself whether to read In the Arms of the Beast, not because I didn't want to but because I didn't want to say goodbye to this series and knowing this was the finale made me want to prolong it as long as I could. HOWEVER, my need to know what happened to my favorite motorcycle club won out and in I jumped. Boy am I glad I did because as I already stated: HOLY HANNAH BATMAN!!!
Now, I won't touch on the plot but I will say if you have been reading Kings of Hell MC as I have from the very beginning this is definitely one you don't want to skip because you already know how amazing this group of people are and if you haven't started or you were waiting for it to be completed to begin, well now you can and trust me you will not be disappointed. This one starts off from where Gray's Shadow ended which means it truly grabs the readers attention from page one. There's love, hate, twists, turns, good, bad, hope, defeat, wins. losses . . . well I think you get the idea that Arms has a little bit of everything that we've come to expect from the Kings and their enemy, Baal. That's all you're going to get from me about the plot as everything is important and I refuse to ruin anyone's adrenaline rush that I know you'll experience as I did when reading.
Now as for Laurent and Beast, well it was a no-brainer that the series should end with the same couple we first met but don't think that doesn't mean they are the same as they were in Laurent and the Beast. Beast is still gruff, straight forward, and takes no BS from anyone but he's also got a side that is, well I refuse to use the word "soft" because no one is going to accuse Beast of being soft and live to tell the tale, but he definitely lets his heart show more but the tough guy we've come to know and love is certainly his goto side. As for Laurent, well he's still a bit naive when it comes to life in the 21st century but he is learning more and more every day. One thing I found to be interesting with Laurent in book one was his love of everything plastic(don't ask me why other than its the last thing I would have thought of in a time travel story😉) and though he still loves plastic, circumstances cause him to learn that not all plastic is a good thing for the future. This is a minor element but for me it showcases the authors' talents for making the little things more than just a plot device to fill in pages and that even when characters grow they always retain a small bit of who they were.
Who knew such a dark and twist filled series good be so inviting? Who am I kidding, of course it would be inviting. Kings of Hell MC has a little bit of everything and I can honestly say "everything" because since book one started with some time travel it even has a little sci-fi factor(okay that might be stretching it because its down to demonic elements that the time travel occurs but I'm sticking to the "has everything" statement😉). In the Arms of the Beast is a fitting end to the series, although after reading it I have to be honest that I don't think we've seen the end of this group of guys(or at least some of them) but I won't elaborate on what made me come to that decision because you'll have to discover that on your own just as I did.
In the Arms of the Beast is a win-win from beginning to end but it is definitely not a standalone. Sure, you'd still enjoy the book if you started here without reading the first four but you'll be scratching your head and going "huh, wonder what that's about" a lot so I highly recommend reading Kings of Hell MC in order, you won't be sorry.
A hot flash pierced Laurent and trailed all the way to his toes when Beast’s blue eyes met his. The red neon above the entrance shed a colorful glow on his powerful figure, but his face, scarred as it was, softened with tenderness. Beast hadn’t expected Laurent’s presence, but he’d appreciate it nevertheless. Laurent might not be competent at using guns or fighting, but he would support Beast as best as he could on the difficult path his man needed to walk.
When Gray started talking to Beast outside, taking away his attention, Laurent refused to wait any longer. He put his notebook away and went straight for the door, itching to put his arms around his man. He doubted thinking of Beast in such a way would ever grow old. His. Man. A concept unthinkable in year 1805, the time Laurent had left behind.
“How did it go?” he asked when Beast had finished the hurried conversation.
Beast didn’t answer at first, instead sweeping Laurent to his chest until Laurent’s feet left the asphalt. Relief was like warm water splashing down Laurent’s back, and he circled the thick, warm neck with his arms, bumping their foreheads as tenderness took root in his heart.
“We have it,” Beast whispered into Laurent’s ear.
Laurent kissed Beast with a smile, itching to see the jewel. “But are you not injured?” he asked when he spotted dried red dots on Beast’s vest.
Beast shook his head and gave Laurent another peck on the lips. If the blood wasn’t Beast’s, Laurent didn’t need to know who it belonged to.
When Gray started talking to Beast outside, taking away his attention, Laurent refused to wait any longer. He put his notebook away and went straight for the door, itching to put his arms around his man. He doubted thinking of Beast in such a way would ever grow old. His. Man. A concept unthinkable in year 1805, the time Laurent had left behind.
“How did it go?” he asked when Beast had finished the hurried conversation.
Beast didn’t answer at first, instead sweeping Laurent to his chest until Laurent’s feet left the asphalt. Relief was like warm water splashing down Laurent’s back, and he circled the thick, warm neck with his arms, bumping their foreheads as tenderness took root in his heart.
“We have it,” Beast whispered into Laurent’s ear.
Laurent kissed Beast with a smile, itching to see the jewel. “But are you not injured?” he asked when he spotted dried red dots on Beast’s vest.
Beast shook his head and gave Laurent another peck on the lips. If the blood wasn’t Beast’s, Laurent didn’t need to know who it belonged to.
Author Bio:K.A. Merikan are a team of writers who try not to suck at adulting, with some success. Always eager to explore the murky waters of the weird and wonderful, K.A. Merikan don’t follow fixed formulas and want each of their books to be a surprise for those who choose to hop on for the ride.
K.A. Merikan have a few sweeter M/M romances as well, but they specialize in the dark, dirty, and dangerous side of M/M, full of bikers, bad boys, mafiosi, and scorching hot romance.
EMAIL: kamerikan@gmail.com
Series
Monday's Mystical Magic(Sunday Edition): Sometimes Demons Whisper by Lynn Michaels
Kayden and Bryan find a way to deal with the demons that the consultants at WCPC can’t handle.
WCPC handles all your paranormal needs. Poltergeists, ghosts, or mystical apparitions, we can help. We employ the most talented wranglers who can control even the toughest demons around. Call the consultants of Watercrest Cannon Paranormal Consultants to help.
Broody wrangler and tactile psychic take on the mystery at Brown-Blythe Manor - Sometimes Demons Whisper.
I'll be honest, this short novella seemed to get off to a bit of a slow start, ALTHOUGH the book I read before this was a completely different genre and I wasn't 100% in the mood for a paranormal so I'm sure that factored into how my mindset grasped what I was reading. After I hit around the 15% mark I was getting into the swing of things and after that the story started to speak to me. Sometimes Demons Whisper is a really great introduction to this new WCPC Paranormal Consultants series by Lynn Michaels, I don't know just how many entries the author plans on but the possibilities are vast and you get a great sense and feel for whats to come.
Bryan and Kayden have this amazing chemistry that has so much promise but that's all I will really say to the plot as Sometimes Demons Whisper is a paranormal and personally I think most paranormals need to be experienced "cold turkey" without much given away. I will say be in the mood for a paranormal/fantasy genre when you pick this one up or you might be like me and take a bit to connect but once you do it is definitely worth the read. As I stated above, because it took me a bit to really get my teeth sunk in I am pretty sure I'll be re-reading Sometimes Demons Whisper again when I go to read the next entry and I am already looking forward to doing so and seeing what kind of demons and mysticals the WCPC Paranormal Consultants will be facing.
I paused at the door, listening to the crunch of the lock turning, not believing Bryan had left me alone. Again. He should have been there, should have picked me up from the hospital. This thing…this emptiness inside me…was Bryan's fault. Couldn't the man give me just an ounce of support?
I shoved the door open and dropped my duffle bag inside on the crappy linoleum floor that was supposed to look like tile, but didn't. I wouldn’t really need anything in my bag immediately. I could deal with unpacking later. I needed to relax and be happy that they’d let me go home.
Walking into the dining area, I stopped. The hairs on the back of my neck rose like minuscule heads turning into a scream. I could smell his cologne before I even saw him sitting there at my dining room table. Parts of his gun were spread out across the cheap formica table. Bryan cleaned his weapon with oil and really long cotton swabs, fingering the parts expertly and making little clicking sounds that I had always associated with the task. He couldn’t fucking pick me up, but he could use my table to clean his weapons?
“What are you doing here?”
“Hey, babe…” He didn’t even bother looking up at me.
Something was wrong. Off. I could tell by the tone of his voice—the way he wouldn't even glance in my direction, and maybe the overly intense concentration he gave his weapon. Clearing my throat, I asked again, “Bryan? What are you doing here?”
He stopped and set the main stock and barrel on the table before taking a long drag of a cigarette. He flicked the ashes on the floor. Bryan didn't smoke, and if he did, he wouldn't be so rude as to flip the ashes on my floor, even if it was cheap linoleum that had seen better days with stains from drinks and holes and rips from furniture being slid too roughly across it. This wasn't my Bryan.
“What the fuck? What are you doing? Bry?”
“Eating. It's breakfast, isn't it?” He snapped the final pieces of his gun in place and flipped it around, tucking the barrel into his mouth, between his sweet lips. The cigarette hung precariously between his two fingers the whole time. Those familiar lips plumped around the metal suggestively.
Too many sleepless nights and long, drawn-out days rushed over me. “Stop, stop! What the hell? Stop it, Bryan!” I grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
He laughed. Laughed like he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world—the kind of laugh that left kinks in your side. His weapon disappeared, and he hugged his ribs. Who was I looking at? Who was this?
“You're not Bryan.” I stepped back, wanting to put distance between us. My fingers where I’d touched him turned cold—numb.
“Everyone leaves, Chad,” he said, his voice husky with more rasp than it had ever had before. “Everyone leaves you! Even your precious Bryan. You don’t deserve anything else…” He pointed one long finger at me. His words hung in the air. I realized the voice was all wrong, and it creeped me the fuck out. It wasn't Bryan's voice at all, but my own, nearly an octave higher than Bryan's. The man that looked like Bryan yelled and spat. “Even the demon left you…Chad. What do you expect?”
I didn't hear the end of his tirade over my own screaming.
I shoved the door open and dropped my duffle bag inside on the crappy linoleum floor that was supposed to look like tile, but didn't. I wouldn’t really need anything in my bag immediately. I could deal with unpacking later. I needed to relax and be happy that they’d let me go home.
Walking into the dining area, I stopped. The hairs on the back of my neck rose like minuscule heads turning into a scream. I could smell his cologne before I even saw him sitting there at my dining room table. Parts of his gun were spread out across the cheap formica table. Bryan cleaned his weapon with oil and really long cotton swabs, fingering the parts expertly and making little clicking sounds that I had always associated with the task. He couldn’t fucking pick me up, but he could use my table to clean his weapons?
“What are you doing here?”
“Hey, babe…” He didn’t even bother looking up at me.
Something was wrong. Off. I could tell by the tone of his voice—the way he wouldn't even glance in my direction, and maybe the overly intense concentration he gave his weapon. Clearing my throat, I asked again, “Bryan? What are you doing here?”
He stopped and set the main stock and barrel on the table before taking a long drag of a cigarette. He flicked the ashes on the floor. Bryan didn't smoke, and if he did, he wouldn't be so rude as to flip the ashes on my floor, even if it was cheap linoleum that had seen better days with stains from drinks and holes and rips from furniture being slid too roughly across it. This wasn't my Bryan.
“What the fuck? What are you doing? Bry?”
“Eating. It's breakfast, isn't it?” He snapped the final pieces of his gun in place and flipped it around, tucking the barrel into his mouth, between his sweet lips. The cigarette hung precariously between his two fingers the whole time. Those familiar lips plumped around the metal suggestively.
Too many sleepless nights and long, drawn-out days rushed over me. “Stop, stop! What the hell? Stop it, Bryan!” I grabbed his shoulders and shook him.
He laughed. Laughed like he’d just heard the funniest joke in the world—the kind of laugh that left kinks in your side. His weapon disappeared, and he hugged his ribs. Who was I looking at? Who was this?
“You're not Bryan.” I stepped back, wanting to put distance between us. My fingers where I’d touched him turned cold—numb.
“Everyone leaves, Chad,” he said, his voice husky with more rasp than it had ever had before. “Everyone leaves you! Even your precious Bryan. You don’t deserve anything else…” He pointed one long finger at me. His words hung in the air. I realized the voice was all wrong, and it creeped me the fuck out. It wasn't Bryan's voice at all, but my own, nearly an octave higher than Bryan's. The man that looked like Bryan yelled and spat. “Even the demon left you…Chad. What do you expect?”
I didn't hear the end of his tirade over my own screaming.
Author Bio:
Lynn Michaels lives and writes in Tampa, Florida where the sun is hot and the Sangria is cold. When she's not writing she's kayaking, hanging with her husband, or reading by the pool. Lynn writes Male/Male romance because she believes everyone deserves a happy ending and the dynamics of male characters can be intriguing, vulnerable, and exciting. She has both contemporary and paranormal titles and has been writing since 2014. Her stories don't follow any set guidelines or ideas, but come from her heart and contain love in many forms.
B&N / KOBO / EXTASY BOOKS
Blog Tour: Black by Quin & Perin
Title: Black
Author: Quin & Perin
Genre: M/M Romance, Kitty Play
Release Date: March 5, 2019
“Meow!”
There it was.
The sound that made my knees buckle.
He purred, neck stretched, eyes half-lidded.
With those cat ears, in his hair.
And the tail, that he flicked.
A ray of sun in the drizzling rain. I’d been a traveler, floating adrift, while he’d stayed in one place. How was I supposed to know he’d become my anchor? My light. My everything. But would I ever become his?
A standalone romance, “Black” features detailed adult m/m content, a hurt/comfort relationship as well as "kitty play."
A shove and he fell into a seated position. His hands were all over me. Squeezing at my thighs, shoving my shirt up. Stepping back, away from him, I grabbed the bottom of my shirt and pulled it over my head. I draped it over the coffee table and worked on my pants next. Kitties didn’t wear clothes after all. If I was going to be a kitty, I was going to be a good one.
Naked, body free in the cool air of my apartment, I lifted my arms above my head and stretched out. Flaunting. I wanted him to touch my cock. Heated, it swayed with each of my movements, begging for attention. That was for later though. Now we played.
Dropping to my knees, I turned my face towards him and angled my head to the side. Hands hit the floor, and I crawled towards him. Strutted as best as I could. It was like the evening before when I’d tried to seduce him. Except I’d already succeeded in my goal this time. Now it was all icing on top.
I crawled up to him, hands going to his knees. “Dima,” he murmured, reaching for my hair. He laced his fingers through, but I jerked my head away from him.
With a hiss, I narrowed my eyes and bit down on his fingers. It made him laugh, but he didn’t touch me again. If he wanted me to get into character, we were going to have to do it properly. I wanted to be something different, and he was going to have to deal with that.
Tony spread his thighs to accept me between them. I scratched and then dipped my head. With the skill of my tongue and teeth, working in tandem, I popped open the button of his jeans. The zipper was much easier, and then he helped me. While he worked on getting his pants out of the way, I showed off my body. Elbows rested on the floor behind me, back arched sharply as I waited. The skin stretched tight over my ribs, stomach a little dip. I was tiny, and I knew it, but Tony definitely seemed to like it.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he murmured.
I purred at the compliment, and when the couch stopped its faint squeaking from his movements, I was at my place between his thighs again. He’d not moved from his spot, making it easier on me. Without much ado, I dove face first into his lower stomach, brushing my nose into his tuft of pubic hair. He smelled faintly of soap and musk, sweat. A distinctly manly smell that drove me crazy. His cock flexed, the heat of it against my cheek. Too heavy to stand on its own when he was seated like that, it pointed towards his hip.
I nipped at his stomach and turned my head so my cheek rested against him. Keeping my eyes closed, I flicked my tongue against the side of his cock. He groaned and shifted, legs spreading wider.
Poor Tony.
He thought he was going to get what he wanted. One thing he would learn was kitties didn’t much care to do what other people wanted.
This time when I scratched at his thighs, I was attacking bare skin. He jerked against me, hissing between his teeth.
“Fuck,” he grumbled.
He might have caught the smirk that danced over my lips, but if he did, it was only a brief moment as I bypassed his cock and went straight to his balls. My tongue lapped across the tender flesh, tasting salt and heat. I swore I felt his heart beating as my nose brushed the base of his cock and my tongue worked him over. Curious, I mouthed at his sack before letting out a tiny “meow.” He arched so hard and quickly, I thought he was gonna jump off the couch.
If he liked that, Tony was in for a long night.
Naked, body free in the cool air of my apartment, I lifted my arms above my head and stretched out. Flaunting. I wanted him to touch my cock. Heated, it swayed with each of my movements, begging for attention. That was for later though. Now we played.
I crawled up to him, hands going to his knees. “Dima,” he murmured, reaching for my hair. He laced his fingers through, but I jerked my head away from him.
With a hiss, I narrowed my eyes and bit down on his fingers. It made him laugh, but he didn’t touch me again. If he wanted me to get into character, we were going to have to do it properly. I wanted to be something different, and he was going to have to deal with that.
“God, you’re beautiful,” he murmured.
I nipped at his stomach and turned my head so my cheek rested against him. Keeping my eyes closed, I flicked my tongue against the side of his cock. He groaned and shifted, legs spreading wider.
Poor Tony.
He thought he was going to get what he wanted. One thing he would learn was kitties didn’t much care to do what other people wanted.
“Fuck,” he grumbled.
He might have caught the smirk that danced over my lips, but if he did, it was only a brief moment as I bypassed his cock and went straight to his balls. My tongue lapped across the tender flesh, tasting salt and heat. I swore I felt his heart beating as my nose brushed the base of his cock and my tongue worked him over. Curious, I mouthed at his sack before letting out a tiny “meow.” He arched so hard and quickly, I thought he was gonna jump off the couch.
If he liked that, Tony was in for a long night.
What is the biggest influence/interest that brought you to this genre?
Perin got me into the genre and influenced me into writing it. Or coerced me. Whichever way you wanna say it. ;)
When writing a book, what is your favorite part of the creative process(outline, plot, character names, editing, etc)?
It's the toss up between coming up with specifics scenes and the actual writing.
When reading a book, what genre do you find most interesting/intriguing?
Lately, it's been a lot of non-fiction but in general, I read most genres.
If you could co-author with any author, past or present, who would you choose?
Perin.
Have you always wanted to write or did it come to you "later in life"?
Always wanted to write. Wrote two terrible, awful plays in elementary school as well as a bunch of short stories. All terrible.
Author Bio:This is Quin&Perin. We are a team of Sultry Gay Romance writers who focus on detailed, toe-curling, and realistic smut scenes with a fair share of dirty talking (Oh, boy). We cannot wait to share our boys with you. Thank you for stopping by!
That said, it is time for the next level of smut: stories featuring fire, lust & desire.
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