Showing posts with label knotting. Show all posts
Showing posts with label knotting. Show all posts

Sunday, July 19, 2026

πŸŽ…πŸŽ†πŸŽ„Sunday's Safe Word Shelf-Xmas in JulyπŸŽ„πŸŽ†πŸŽ…: Temporary Santa's Knotty Workshop by Lorelei M Hart & Jena Wade




Summary:
Temporary Santa 69 makes sure he’s not the only one coming this Christmas.

When my brother asks for a favor, I don’t hesitate! Of course I’ll help at his workshop while he and his new family take a vacation. I can handle one holiday season. And maybe I’ll use some of the magic at the naughty workshop to make a product to match my… essence.

Elf Willy doesn’t have time for nonsense or new products or anything that doesn’t fit in the perfectly crafted schedule. According to him, the elves just need to get through the season without any issues.

Having Nick’s brother Campbell there as the temporary santa isn’t going to get in the way of Willy’s goals.

Temporary Santa’s Knotty Workshop is a sweet with lots of knotty heat MM Mpreg Christmas romance featuring an omega elf who just wants to get through the season, an alpha, who happens to be Santa’s brother, who wants a special product made just for him and his… essence, a very naughty workshop getting presents ready for adults on the nice list, true love, fated mates, a whole lot of Christmas fun, an adorable baby, and a guaranteed happy ever after. This book answers the questions: What do grown-ups on the good list get in their stockings from Santa on Christmas morning?





Chapter 1
Willy
I smelled disgusting. Absolutely, positively, disgusting. I didn’t even want to be around myself. That’s how gross I was.

One would think, since I had been working in the edible-lube station, affectionately called Lube Lagoon, filling up bottles of various sizes for the past six hours, that I would smell fantastic. After all, each lube was flavored and scented with all sorts of delicious things: blueberry, cotton candy, bubble gum, chocolate, peppermint. And oddly enough, we had an up-and-coming, popular flavor of lemon. I wrinkled my nose at the idea of that on my tongue.

Each variety was a bright color to match their flavor and with a scent just light enough that you could identify it, but without being overwhelming. Unless of course you were in the room with all the flavors, then you smelled like a sugar explosion, so much so that my tongue had gone dry.

I was tempted to plug my nose, perhaps find a nipple clamp to put on it so that I couldn’t smell anything anymore. It was awful.

Finally, I filled the last bottle for the day, put it in the sample pack, and shipped it off to the wrapping station. We were three months away from Christmas and working diligently to stay on target. Looking at the calendar, it was easy for us to convince ourselves we had plenty of time. But the reality was, we were always just one mistake, one long lunch, one off shift away from being behind.

It was a lot better than it used to be, though. There was a time when we were always racing to catch up. I did not miss those times.

Thanks to Percy’s organization changes in the past two years, we would likely meet that deadline without any issue. It was the first time in a long time we’d have a Christmas season without a hiccup. But even as I had that thought, I knew better than to get too confident.

“Elf Willy, please come to Nick’s office.” The intercom boomed throughout the room.

There were giggles. There always were. Being “Willy” in the adult toy department lended itself to being the butt of many jokes. Not that I minded. I thought it was hilarious, too. I even joked that my name was an asset when I first started here.

“Perfect timing,” I said.

I slipped off my apron and tossed it in the laundry chute, then made my way to Nick’s office.

For most people, being called to the boss’s office was anxiety-inducing. It was the elf equivalent of being called into the principal’s office; 99 times out of 100 it was because you did something wrong. And it didn’t matter if you had the world’s nicest principal or not, it still sucked.

Nick was the world’s best boss, but even so, you didn’t want to be in trouble with him. And it actually made it worse, because not only did you mess up, but you disappointed someone as great as he was.

But I wasn’t worried about any of that. My best friend was his mate, and I knew that I hadn’t done anything to get in trouble. I was on the good list. I always was. If there was a best list, I’d be on that. Maybe I should put that in the suggestion box.

I knocked before going in, but the door opened right away.

Inside the office, Nick sat at his desk, wearing his red pants, white button-up shirt, and candy-cane-striped suspenders. He was not like the other, round Santas. Our Santa was more of a Daddy bear-looking type with biceps the size of most men’s thighs.

He was definitely a good-looking man, but I wasn’t looking because this man was taken. Plus, he was my boss.

Percy, his mate and my bestie, was also there. The two of them were the perfect couple. Just being around them had me thinking about what it would be like to have a mate of my own. Not that I was looking. Who had time for that? Making sure the workshop stayed on target meant I had zero time for a social life.

“You wanted to see me, sir?”

“Yes, sit down.” Nick gestured to the chair.

Percy came over and sat on Nick’s knee. “We have a really big favor to ask. You’re the only one we trust.”

“Oh, what is it? How can I help? Do you need me to watch the little guy? Cause you know I’ll always do that.”

Their young son was named after me, and I had a deep love for the little guy. Being Uncle Willy was the best. I got to play with him, and then when it was time to go home, I went on my merry way to my nice quiet home and sleep for a week.

“Well, you know, things have been a little crazy for the past two years, what with getting mated, having a kid, and all of that.”

“Of course. You both have done great, though. Things are running smoothly.”

They exchanged a glance. “Things are running smoothly, and there’s absolutely no reason why we won’t remain totally on target for this season. This is shaping up to be one of our smoothest seasons of all.”

“Of course,” I said. “And that’s all thanks to you two.”

“Don’t sell yourself short, Willy. You’ve done a lot to help us out as well,” Nick said.

Was I getting a raise? No. They said they were going to ask a favor. And really, I didn’t need a raise, but a nice bonus and few extra days off wouldn’t hurt.

“What do you need?” I asked. “I’m more than happy to help.”

“Well, we’d like to go on vacation,” Percy said.

I’d been pestering them to take some time away together for what felt like ages. They had a great life here, but one thing that had to be rough on them was that they were never “off” of work. They could plan a whole entire day of family fun, and one issue at the factory and Nick was back to work. It was the way of things when you were Santa.

“That’s a wonderful idea! I can start planning that for January. That’s our slow time. Are you thinking beach resort or more of a family-friendly type of place? Maybe somewhere in the mountains?” I’d never planned a vacation, but I was addicted to the travel shows. I was sure I could come up with something amazing.

“Not January, Willy.” Percy looked at his mate, who nodded in reply. “We want to go on vacation now.”

My eyes widened. “Before Christmas?”

“Through Christmas,” Nick said, and I nearly fell out of my chair.

I gasped. “You can’t do that. Who will deliver the presents?”

Nick cleared his throat. “Apparently, it is a requirement of all Santas to have a certain number of vacation days. And you have to take them. No one ever told me this.”

“And unfortunately, Nick has not been complying with the policy. So he needs to take twelve weeks off before the end of the year,” Percy added.

I did the math in my head. It was not pretty.

“Twelve weeks puts us AT the end of the year!” The very end. Meaning Christmas would have already happened.

“It does. We leave tomorrow.” Percy sounded thrilled by what was happening, and I could see why. Twelve weeks with his family and no work responsibilities, but still… tomorrow?

My jaw hit the floor. “Tomorrow?” Well, spank my ass and call me a dirty boy. We were fucked. Well and truly fucked.

“But we need a Santa. We need—”

Nick raised a hand. “I’ve called in a favor with my brother. He’s going to fill in, but he’ll need help, and that’s where you come in.”

I knew Nick had a brother but hadn’t met him. What could he possibly know about this side of Christmas present fun? Not much.

So many scenarios ran through my mind. Without Nick here to keep everyone in line, there would be chaos. “Surely they will give you an exception. Just this one time. You can take three months off at the beginning of the year. They have to know that you can’t take time off during Christmas.”

“The decision has been finalized. It’s out of our hands. This came from up top.” Nick sounded as unpleased about it as I did. He’d never been one who liked being told what to do with his factory. I’d seen elves on the receiving end of his ire when they decided to butt in and demand he change something. It was not pretty.

I didn’t know where the candy canes up top was or who ran it, but I’d like to have a conversation with them. I took a deep breath. We could do this. This wouldn’t be a big deal. It would be like taking one of our monster dildos up the ass without lube, but we could do it.

“Does your brother have any experience being Santa?” I asked.

“No. We actually haven’t even spoken to him yet.”

Never mind the fact that he had just told me his brother had agreed to do it. “Oh, goodness, but he would do an okay job, right?”

“Of course,” Nick said, although for the first time in perhaps my entire career here, I did not believe his words. I wasn’t sure he believed them either.

His entire plan was based on his brother, who had no Santa experience, not only having the time available to come, but then agreeing to drop everything to do so. That was a whole lot that had to fall into place for this to have half a chance of working.

“So you’ll do it, you’ll help?” Percy looked at me with his eyes wide open, his puppy-dog face slapped on. It wasn’t as if I’d have been able to turn him down. He was my ride-or-die.

I didn’t think I had a choice. “Of course, sir. I’m the right elf for the job.”

My voice sounded more sure than I actually was. I was great at the parts of this division I worked in, but helping train someone to do Nick’s job? I wasn’t sure I even understood all it entailed. This was going to be a true test of faking it until you made it, only in this scenario, it wasn’t me who was on the line—it was Christmas.




Sunday Safe Word





Lorelei M Hart
Lorelei M. Hart is the cowriting team of USA Today Bestselling Authors Kate Richards and Ever Coming. Friends for years, the duo decided to come together and write one of their favorite guilty pleasures: Mpreg. There is something that just does it for them about smexy men who love each other enough to start a family together in a world where they can do it the old-fashioned way ;). 










Jena Wade
Jena began writing in January of 2013 as a New Year's Resolution--and so far she has stuck to it!

She lives in Michigan. By day she works as a web developer, and at night she writes. Born and raised on a farm, she spends most of her free time outdoors, playing in the garden, or riding her horses. She also helps run the family dairy farm.









Lorelei M Hart
EMAIL: Lorelei@mpregwithhart.com

Jena Wade




Temporary Santa's Knotty Workshop

Santa's Knotty Workshop


Sunday, July 5, 2026

πŸŽ…πŸŽ†πŸŽ„Sunday's Safe Word Shelf-Xmas in JulyπŸŽ„πŸŽ†πŸŽ…: Naughty Elf-Sugar by Wendy Rathbone



Summary:
Santa's Naughty Elf Mates 
If I don’t find my fated mate by Christmas, I’ll be banned from the North Pole forever.

I’ve messed up bad for the last time.

My life is a series of mistakes. The first happens when I am born and dumped unwanted at the door of Santa Christero, who immediately adopts me.

Being raised by a Santa from the revered consortium of Santas sounds like an omega elf’s dream come true, right? Wrong. While he loves me a lot, my father, Christero, is one of the busiest of all the Santas and spends very little time at home. I revere him, but I rarely see him. Sno, his housekeeper, is the one who raises me. He is wonderful, but old, and my spoiled and lazy behind gets away with a lot of mischief.

When I turn nineteen, my father decides I should work in his toy shop to learn responsibility. I take advantage of the job by not showing up on time and having three-hour lunches.

One day, I fill a thousand fancy stockings with candy and gum only to discover they are the diabetic gift stockings and have to be scrapped. You’d think someone who goes by the name of Sugar could get that right, but not me.

My father is so furious he conjures a spell that turns me into an elf figurine.

My final instructions before being boxed up and mailed to some unknown destination are: Find yourself. Find love. Find your mate. You have until Christmas or you will become an elf figurine forever.

I have only eight weeks and no idea how to make that happen.

MM romance, omegaverse, alpha/omega, holiday romance, rescue, blizzards, cabin in the woods, only one bed, heat, knotting, mpreg, HEA.

Santa’s Naughty Elves brings you a new series of Christmas magic, fated mates, and adorable babies from some of your favorite mpreg authors. Be sure to grab them all and see what knotty fun Santa has brought good alphas and omegas this holiday season.




PROLOGUE
Sugar
Colorful lights glittered up and down the empty street. The first major storm of fall had hit Santa’s Village and here I stood on the school walkway looking ridiculous in my red velvet pants and blazer, no winter coat, and lightweight black boots.

I heard him before I saw him. The tapping of his cane. The heaviness of his boots.

Sno’s hunched figure turned the corner, the gray silhouette of my 90-year-old elf nanny appearing through the thickly falling snow. His red and white striped cane tapped the concrete as he limped toward me.

Even though magic spells protected the village from the worst of the north winds, snow still got through. No one else was out in this weather. They were all in school or doing their jobs. No one but me and Sno, and I felt terrible.

I ran toward him, slipping and sliding as I went. Even though I was only in second grade, I knew better than to run. My shoes weren’t made for the ice. But I didn’t care. I was mad and sad and very very bad.

I nearly slid into Sno, who caught me easily with his free arm, holding me close as he spoke.

“I hear you’re banned from the Christmas party this year. And suspended for the next two days.”

I stomped my foot and tightened my shoulders. “I don’t care. I don’t like the other elves and shifters. I called them bad words.”

“Your teacher called and told me what happened. You ran out of class and into the storm.”

I kicked at a tiny drift of ice. “My teacher doesn’t know anything.”

He sighed, the snow making the sound seem loud against the silent, empty town. “Thank you for waiting at the gate for me to come and get you.”

That was my father’s rule. He didn’t want me walking alone even though his huge house was so close to my school.

Snow held out a bundle of wool. “You forgot your coat this morning. I brought it.”

Even with the cane, he was quite adept at getting me into it, fastening the buttons and bringing the hood over my head. Then he put his hand on my shoulder and escorted me home.

Within five minutes, we were both inside the warmth of the mansion, shaking off the snowflakes and hanging up our damp coats.

Sno led me into the kitchen where the air was warmer and wonderful things were bubbling in big pots on the big shiny stove. “Sit,” he said.

I took my usual chair, put my elbows on the table and, with my chin in my palms, sulked.

Everything smelled so good. It was safe here. Comforting. But I was still mad.

Sno kept his back to me while he took things from the fridge, puttered a bit, and then brought out fresh cookies from the oven. He set the tray on the table on two soft pads in front of me, then placed a glass of milk by my right hand.

Slowly, because of his aching bones, he sat to face me. “Now,” he said, voice soft and gentle. “Can you tell me why you ran away?”

“I already told you.” I reached for a hot cookie.

His hand came over mine so fast I barely saw it. He gently pushed it away from the cookie tray. “These need to cool a bit.”

I pouted.

“Why did you say bad words to the others?” Sno’s voice was calm. He never raised it, not even whenever I got loud, screaming, shouting in anger and hurt. He only spoke lower and lower until it was a whisper and I had to stop myself to hear what he was saying.

“Because they called me names first,” I replied. Like spoiled and brat and son of a Santa. The other kids teased me about my father who was one of the Santas who delivered gifts to kids on Christmas Eve. Without even trying to get to know me, they decided I must be conceited living in a mansion in Santa’s Village while they all lived in small townships on the outskirts.

“Oh, I see,” Sno said, nodding. “So, you thought it was okay to do to them what they did to you.”

I nodded, biting my lips. “I said they were monkey poop milk chunks. Only I didn’t say poop. And I said they were penis breaths, too. Our teacher heard.”

Sno’s mouth twitched. His blue eyes grew large as he rapidly blinked several times.

I continued. “Then my teacher said I had gone through all my warnings and now I couldn’t go to the Christmas party.”

“And you ran out of class?”

I bit harder on my lip, a strange sound escaping through my nose as I nodded.

“Come here,” Sno said, gesturing for me to get up.

It was like a lot of air was filling me up fast, yet I couldn’t breathe. Numbly, I got up and went to him. When I was standing in front of him, I said, nearly yelling, “I don’t want to go back!”

Sno just looked at me. That was all it took, and I burst apart, sobbing like a baby. I’d disappointed my teacher, the other kids and now Sno who’d had to come out in the cold to get me. And then there was my father. Santa Christero. He’d be so mad when he got home.

Sno held out his arms and I immediately fell into them, crying against his shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” I babbled. “I’m sorry I messed everything up for Christmas.”

“Baby, you said a few bad words. We’ll work on that later, but right now you need to know as the son of a revered and highly respected Santa, life won’t be fair. More will be expected of you. You’re just a little one now, baby, but you’ll understand better as you get older. I promise.”

Sno rubbed my back and kissed the top of my head. I wiped my face on his collar, but he didn’t seem to mind.

When I sat back, the tears finally slowing, he had a holly embroidered hanky in his hand and gently stroked my cheeks and eyes.

“You can be a big boy and help me around the house for the next two days, right?”

Begrudgingly, I nodded. I hated chores but I loved Sno. I’d do what he said.

“And then when you go back to school⁠—”

“But I don’t want to go back!” My eyes welled up again.

Sno cupped my chin. “Baby, your teacher and I talked. The other boys are being warned not to name-call again.”

I crossed my arms. “But they still get to go to the party.”

“We’ll have a party here. Make a cake. Plus, you’ll have a real Santa at your party,” he offered.

I shook my head. “It won’t matter. They’ll keep teasing me next year and the year after that.”

Sno turned me to face the table. “There, there,” he said, picking up one of the tree-shaped cookies. “It’s cooler now but still warm.” He handed it to me, then dragged my glass of milk closer.

Later, when my father got home, I heard Sno telling him, “It can’t be helped that you are his father. You rescued him as an orphaned baby and adopted him. The other kids are jealous.”

When Father tucked me into bed that night, I prepared myself for a lecture on using bad words. Instead, he said, “Don’t worry, Sugar, everything will work out. I’ll make sure.”

By third grade, when things had most definitely not worked out, Father took me from the school permanently and hired a tutor.

By then it was too late. I’d already formed a firm belief system inside my mind that I was a bad boy. The tutor felt like further punishment because I couldn’t do anything right.

I was a fuck up and that was that. What was the point of paying attention to lessons, or doing my homework? Besides, my father was, in essence, royalty. I was merely an elf with no magic, and I wouldn’t ever become a Santa like him. Plus, he was super rich. Which meant I was rich, too. Which meant I’d never need to work anyway.

When I became a teenager, sneaking away at night to hang out with other errant and wild elf kids, I knew Sno and Father had all sorts of words between each other about me. About how to better handle me.

Sno, ever patient and loving, still called me baby. I felt most guilty about being a disappointment to him. He had given me all his love and caring, and this was how I repaid him. But that didn’t change how much I didn’t fit in here in Santa’s Village, and how angry that made me.

Father liked to say to me, “You just need to grow up and be more mature.”

I hated that word. Mature. What in all the elven hells did it even mean to me in an environment where so many of my fellow elves were jealous while at the same time looking down on me.

I secretly continued to run the streets at night. I had my first sexual experience as an omega during a snowstorm, the alpha elf topping me underneath the green and pink-lit Christmas pavilion stage in Candy Cane Park.

I could’ve frozen my ass off. I could’ve gotten pregnant if I’d been in my first teen heat and didn’t realize it. Also, it was a terrible first time and hurt badly. Who knew sex totally sucked?

One more thing I couldn’t do right.

One more thing to reinforce what a bad, naughty elf I was.








Wendy Rathbone
Hi, I'm Wendy and I'm a voracious reader as well as an author.

Currently, I write all male/male romances and am lately focused on omegaverse. For many years mm has been my first love.

The stories of my characters rattle around in my brain until I have to write them down or lose sleep!

All my books are available in Kindle Unlimited. Happy reading!


NEWSLETTER  /  B&N  /  FB GROUP
BOOKBUB  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS




Naughty Elf: Sugar

Santa's Naughty Elf  Mates Series


Tuesday, June 30, 2026

πŸŒˆπŸ’»Blogger ReviewπŸ’»πŸŒˆ: Fireworks Flame by Lacey Daize



Summary:

Holiday Surprise #6
Rick only meant to go to a conference in Vegas, but he ended up with more than he'd bargained for.

Rick loves his son Dennis more than anything, and never regrets that one night with the handsome alpha—Alan. But he does wish that he knew enough about the other man to tell him that he's a father. However, his search is renewed when it's clear just how much their son wants to know his missing parent.

Alan can't stop thinking of the one who got away, but is he ready for a family?

Alan's first major accounting conference came with the unexpected bonus of handsome omega Rick. But even after they've all gone home, he can't get the other man out of his mind. He never thought he had a child from that night though. When he learns about his son, he can't wait to meet him, and to reconnect with the man who'd caught his eye so long ago.

But can one night turn into forever?

Fireworks Flame is an 18K word , non-shifter, M/M, mpreg, omegaverse romance


Original Review June 2026:
I finally got around to reading Fireworks Flame, the last entry I had left of Lacey Daize's Holiday Surprise series. Just so good. I expected more 4th of July experience/setting but the "fireworks" in the title have more of a surprise style meaning than heavy on the holiday.  That's okay because it still made perfect summer reading and don't get me wrong, the holiday is definitely there just IMO not as prevalent as some of the other holidays in this series.

Here we have Rick and Alan, ships who pass in the night, alpha and omega who are literally drawn together from across a crowded room, and a pairing where timing is everything.  The author could have taken the opportunity to create heartbreak and overwhelming drama that can often go with this scenario but instead, no excess dramatic baggage was added to weigh it down. Don't get me wrong, there is some heartache and drama but it's well balanced and heightens the fun and romance of the journey these two find themselves on.

My mpreg author list is still pretty limited so I can't say Daize will remain at the very top of the list but in my experience so far, I gotta give the author that spot. Such a great blend of fun, drama, family, friends, and of course romance makes for a very happy reader. I certainly look forward to checking out more from the author's backlist. 

RATING:




Chapter 1 - Rick
~6 Years Ago - June~
Istretched, luxuriating in the feel of hotel sheets. There was nothing quite like waking up on the first day out of town.

It wasn’t exactly a vacation, but I was going to enjoy it nonetheless. It was my first major industry conference as a CPA. Las Vegas this time, instead of a smaller regional conference.

Of course I’d scheduled myself two extra days off work in order to play tourist once the conference was over. But that still didn’t qualify as a vacation.

I rolled over and grabbed my phone off the nightstand. I’d made myself a list of all the sessions I’d signed up for, but still had to find the rooms.

Well, that was what the morning was for: check in and figure out how long it would take me to get around.

I laughed. I was acting like a teenager, just excited to be somewhere new. But I couldn’t help it. I loved my job and four days of information and continuing education seminars meant I could be even better at it.

Everybody, even my parents, had assumed that I’d gone into accounting because it was a safe career. There would always be people who needed help with money, which meant that there would be a job wherever I went.

But the truth of it was that I loved helping others manage their money. Seeing people reach their goals, and knowing that I helped them get there… Well, there was nothing like it.

One advantage of a large conference was that there were sure to be others who were as enthusiastic as myself, and not just in it because of the stability. I couldn’t wait to meet like-minded people and talk with them.

I chuckled. None of that would happen before a shower.

I climbed from the bed and strolled into the bathroom to get the water started. Then I turned to the counter to rummage through my toiletry bag for my soap and shampoo.

Finding what I was looking for, I pulled them free, and caught a glance of myself in the mirror.

I laughed. My red hair was sticking up in all directions in a classic case of bed head. I ran my fingers through it, but it was never so easily tamed.

“Oh well. A shower always fixes it.”

A shower which was calling my name.

Great things were going to happen. I just knew it.

∞∞∞

I’d known the conference was huge, but I’d thoroughly underestimated the logistics of such an event. Even in a hotel that was prepared to handle the nearly ten thousand participants, a crowd of that size meant that some seminars had us all packed in like sardines.

My planning had paid off, and I’d known to book it from the previous session, but as more people crowded in around me I felt just the tiniest bit of claustrophobia.

It was jarring. Tight spaces had never bothered me before, but the jostling as people tried to find seats was disconcerting.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to force the unease away. That was when I smelled it: alpha.

Delicious alpha.

I opened my eyes. Of course I would smell alphas. They were all around. Saying I smelled alpha at the conference was like saying I smelled popcorn in a crowded theater.

But it wasn’t just any alpha. It was a single one, and it called to me.

I took another breath and focused on it. There was no mating drive, nothing indicating that fate was in play. But it was soothing in a way that made me want to curl up next to him—and I could tell by a subtle sharpness that it was definitely a him.

I looked around, but there was no way to figure out which of the couple hundred people in the conference room was the one I was smelling—especially since I was about halfway back so couldn’t see faces.

Another deep breath, and I blew it out slowly.

My claustrophobia was gone. I felt safe just smelling him, and that was enough.

Still, the omega part of me wanted to know who the mystery man was.

∞∞∞

The strange alpha and his delicious scent were like a security blanket that followed me around the conference. Every time I found myself in a seminar that was too crowded for my comfort, all I needed to do was close my eyes and take a deep breath.

He was almost always there, with only a couple times he wasn’t in the same room.

Still, after five days, I hadn’t been able to figure out who he was, and as the conference came to an end I realized that I’d probably never meet the man who’d unknowingly helped me handle the overwhelming nature of the event.

As the farewell luncheon ended I paused by the door for one more look around. But it was all a sea of faces, and no good way to pick one scent from them.

I sighed. Maybe two days of fun would help me put the man from my mind.

∞∞∞

The hotel bar was only moderately crowded, but I guess that was to be expected of a Monday night. Most of the convention-goers had dispersed the night before in order to be back to work.

My own flight was the next morning, and I was satisfied with my break. I’d collected a small mountain of business cards during conversations with other professionals, and had a few people whom I was already looking forward to connecting with later.

I’d done a few touristy things, probably put on a few pounds from the delicious food, and was walking away with ten dollars more than I’d budgeted for gambling.

The only regret: not figuring out who the mystery alpha was.

I held up my hand to catch the bartender’s attention and motioned to my almost-empty beer.

He nodded in understanding, and knowing that the next round was coming I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

I was going home with the continuing education credits my license required. But more than that, I’d learned things that I hoped I’d be able to put to practical use. If even one thing helped my clients, then I would consider it a successful trip.

Another breath for the memories. It was a milestone in my career after all.

My breath caught. The scent—his scent—was back.

My eyes flew open just as the bartender placed my beer in front of me. I handed over the cash for it and a tip, then looked around.

No longer was I trying to find one person in a sea of nameless faces. There were only about forty people there, and I was a man on a mission.

I quickly narrowed the direction I could smell him from. Then I froze.

There he was, with broad shoulders and black hair that begged me to run my fingers through it. He was sitting alone at a table, reading something on his phone.

I studied him for several seconds, and smiled when I didn’t see the glint of a ring on his hand.

Maybe it was reckless to flirt with a man whom I’d never see again, but it felt right.

I took a sip of liquid courage, stood, and made my way to his table.

“Is this seat taken?” I asked.




Saturday Series Spotlight

Cutie  /  Cupid  /  Date
Beau  /  Flame  /  Crush



Lacey Daize
Lacey lives in New Mexico with her four critters. She’s a Jill-of-all-trades by day, but loves writing in her spare time. She dabbles in a variety of pairings, but jumped feet-first into the deep end of omegaverse the first time she read it. She loves the play on social expectations and the different ways to express romance.


FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  FB FRIEND
WEBSITE  /  AUDIBLE  /  FB GROUP
YOUTUBE  /  LINKTREE  /  TIKTOK
BOOKBUB  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS



Fireworks Flame #6



Tuesday, June 23, 2026

πŸŒˆπŸ’»Blogger ReviewπŸ’»πŸŒˆ: Artist Kisses for the Omega by Lacey Daize



Summary:

Mountain Springs Omegas #7
Benjamin thought he'd escaped his mother's machinations, but something is calling him home.

Benjamin escaped Mountain Springs once before: eight years ago when he decided to enlist rather than have his mother foist an alpha on him. His original plan had been to stay as far away as possible, but when the time to re-enlist arrives, he finds he can't do it. He returns home, unsure of his decision. Then he runs into his old high school crush.

Philip wants a mate, but without being tied down by all the alpha stereotypes.

Philip lives in a world of expectations. An alpha-born alpha, he's expected to be among the best of the best. But that's not what he wants for himself. He pursued painting rather than a typical job like business, and he wants a strong omega, rather than one who will expect all the traditional alpha mindsets. He's starting to wonder if love is in the cards for him when he comes across a former soldier, and the most beautiful man he's ever met.

The attraction is mutual, and instant. But can love blossom when meddling parents have other plans in mind?

Recipe for Romance
One Artist Alpha
One Veteran Omega
A Chance Meeting
A Meddling Mother
The Push of Fate

Artist Kisses for the Omega is a 15.2K word , non-shifter, M/M, Mpreg romance, featuring a tough-as-nails omega, a gentle alpha, some knotty fun, and plenty of being true to oneself



Original Review June 2026:
It was such a treat reading this one with the alpha/omega relationship not what you usually see. It's a nice blend of typical and a-typical when it comes to Benjamin and Philip's roles in the journey. It really isn't that huge a part of the overall journey but it just adds an extra level of entertaining joy.

One thing that really stood out for me here is the Benjamin's mother. I had an amazing relationship with my mom so reading bad moms always stands out and in standing out they also tend to fall under my sharper eye.  What seems like a mom who wants her son to find a mate is masking something far worse, I won't say more as I feel I've leaked too much already. Just know if you want happy happy moms, be aware.

Artist Kisses is just an all around joy(despite the above mentioned mom) that entertains and warms the heart, all the things I've come to love in the Mountain Springs Omegas series so far.

RATING:





Chapter 1 - Benjamin
I hefted my duffel bag over my shoulder and stepped down from the bus. The door swished closed behind me since I was the only one getting off in Mountain Springs.

It was only as the rumble of the departing bus sounded behind me that I acknowledged that I’d come home. The noise of the engine and tires signalled the end of a major chapter in my life.

“Thank you for your service,” a random passerby said, nodding in my direction.

“Thank you,” I replied methodically before reminding myself that I needed to change into civvies when I got home.

Home… could I really call it that? Those starting years in the barracks had felt more like home in a way. At least there the expectations were clear, and not based on something as stupid as alpha or omega. I was to follow the same rules as everybody else on base, keep myself and my things tidy, and report for duty as ordered.

Nobody tried to go behind my back to set me up with alphas, and nobody cared if I didn’t want to do all those traditionally omega things. None of that mattered. My superiors wanted to see a good soldier, and I’d worked hard to be just that.

Even when I’d moved off-base with a friend the expectations were clear and reasonable.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath before turning to walk to my family home.

I still didn’t know what had made me decide not to re-up. When I’d left Mountain Springs just after high school I’d been determined to never come back. I’d even stayed on active duty for all eight years, watching people who’d enlisted at the same time as me go to reserve status. But just as I was getting ready to sign on for another eight I found I couldn’t do it. 

Something was calling me home.

I stopped and looked around. I’d made a point of staying away from Mountain Springs for my whole term. When I saw my parents and brother it was because they came to visit me. Instead of coming home I’d spend my leave doing all those things omegas weren’t supposed to enjoy. I went hunting with my buddies, did wilderness survival adventures, discovered beautiful places on the back of a dirt bike, and went whitewater rafting.

Nobody would have questioned my love of adventure if not for my damned womb. I was a man after all. But male omegas weren’t supposed to like manly things. We were supposed to have some sort of natural paternal instinct.

Fuck that.

My entire life had turned on its head the day I went into heat for the first time. Instead of standing up to bullies when they picked on smaller kids I was expected to let an alpha protect me instead. I was supposed to give up all my interests in order to learn how to cook, clean, and knit.

Just the thought of all that stereotypical omega bullshit made me see red.

I realized I was near the park, and decided that I wasn’t quite ready to face my parents. I found a bench in the shade and sat on it.

“Why the fuck did I come back?” I asked myself. “I left for a reason, and in eight years mom and dad never seemed all that likely to change their ways.”

One thing was for sure, just because I was back in Mountain Springs didn’t mean that I had to live with my family. Finding an apartment would be one of my first priorities. I’d socked almost everything I’d earned into savings. After leaving the barracks I’d roomed with another omega from my unit in an off-base apartment, and would carpool in with him. We’d both kept our expenses low, and I’d managed to set aside a tidy sum. I was far from rich, but I had enough of a cushion to allow me to decide what I wanted to do next.

Coming home was likely just a longing for some nostalgia, and once I got it out of my system I’d move onto someplace where my family couldn’t meddle in my day-to-day life.

I grimaced at a cramp.

“Great,” I muttered. “Just what I need: to be stinking of pre-heat just as I get home. Mom will probably have a line of alphas to introduce me to before dinner.”

I felt slick start around my entrance at the thought of alphas. It had been a while since I’d last taken a knot, and my instincts were more than happy to remind me that I currently didn’t have any other obligations, so it was the perfect time to get pregnant.

I shook my head, grabbed my duffel and resumed the walk to my parent’s house.

I wasn’t a kid anymore, and I wouldn’t let my mom walk all over me. Just because she was baby-crazy didn’t mean she could push me into having a kid before I was ready.

Even if I did feel my biological clock ticking some days.




Saturday's Series Spotlight




Lacey Daize
Lacey lives in New Mexico with her four critters. She’s a Jill-of-all-trades by day, but loves writing in her spare time. She dabbles in a variety of pairings, but jumped feet-first into the deep end of omegaverse the first time she read it. She loves the play on social expectations and the different ways to express romance.


FACEBOOK  /  TWITTER  /  FB FRIEND
WEBSITE  /  AUDIBLE  /  FB GROUP
YOUTUBE  /  LINKTREE  /  TIKTOK
BOOKBUB  /  AMAZON  /  GOODREADS



Artist Kisses #7