Crymsyn Hart's Blog, page 7

At his pack leader’s request, Samuel, pack security agent, accepts an assignment to escort Nia to meet the new Shaman of her bear sleuth at Logan Airport in Boston. Something about Hannia rubs Samuel the wrong way — he doesn’t want Nia alone with the Shaman, and his wolf can’t get Nia out of his mind.

Nia’s had a crush on Samuel since they were teenagers. She hasn’t seen him in years, but now she finds she’s still attracted to him — so her mouth waters just thinking about putting her lips on his. However she needs to look out for her bear clan, not dwell on her desires. Given the chance, her bear would sink its teeth in Samuel’s perfect butt. And then there’s Hannia, the handsome and mysterious Shaman skinwalker, and his vampire-partner, Ananias. Could she be mate — to both of them?

Beneath the complex relationships lies a horrible curse Hannia has been running from for centuries. The only way he can break the curse is to kill his mate, but Samuel’s wolf is not going to let anything happen to Nia.

As the sparks fly, and the curse awakens, Hannia must make a decision which will change the lives of all four of them.

EXCERPT

She snapped her fingers before his face. He blinked again and withdrew from his daze. “Samuel.”

“What?” he barked. It seemed as if he was awaking from a sleep. Then again, the fitful nights were grating on him.

“It’s me. Nia.”

He forced his lips into a smile. “Hi. Sorry. I didn’t recognize you.”

“Uh-huh. It has been forever. God, you must remember the pain in the ass following you guys around all the time.”

“Sounds about right.”

“There you two are. Nia, did you find your phone in the car?” Booker asked her, tugging on Samuel’s shirt to get his attention. “Where were you?”

“Sorry, boss.” He threw the pack alpha a smile.

“Hey, Booker. I did find it.” Nia held up her phone showing she had retrieved it. “Slipped between the seats. Happens a lot. God, I’m starving. I hope Walter hasn’t been a bear. I know my father can get rather loud.”

“Not at all. Come on and sit down. We ordered a few appetizers while we were waiting for everyone to get here.”

Samuel followed the two of them. The sway of Nia’s hips made his wolf howl within his mind. He winced at the sound but enjoyed the way the black fabric of her skirt spread over the round mounds of her ass. She had curves in all the right places. He always preferred a woman with some meat on her bones. This certainly wasn’t the girl he remembered. She had come into her own.

Nia slid into her seat across from him. The vee neckline of her purple sweater rested just on the dip of her breasts. She laughed at something Booker said. Her lips spread into a dazzling grin, and her eyes twinkled under the overhead lights.

A sharp pain in his thigh made him tear his gaze from Nia. Booker shot him a murderous look. He bit his lip and tried to hide the chuckle bubbling up inside of him. Booker lifted an eyebrow, and Samuel knew he wanted him to pay attention to their potential clients rather than check out Nia. His wolf wasn’t listening to him. His gaze moved back over to Nia. Her lips moved again and all he could think about was tasting them.

BUY LINKS

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Changeling Press, Kobo, Apple Books

To break the curse each raven must find his heartmate before he loses his humanity.

Caleb was cursed to Raven form five thousand years ago. In order to free himself, he must watch over Keeleigh. With her pointed ears and magickal gifts, she has always felt like an outsider. Keeleigh craves to learn more about her Elvin heritage. Caleb must face the Shadows to protect his charge. He asks for the help of his fellow Ravens.

Jet must keep an eye on Paget. He must find the Shadows who are out to kill her. Paget’s icy suitor, Malik, wants her all to himself. Before he can claim her, the Shadows attack. Jet will do anything to save her and asks the other Ravens to help him so he won’t lose the one he loves.

EXCERPT

A silver dagger hovered over his palm, a razor sharp edge ready to slice his flesh. Caleb knew he was breaking a most ancient taboo. He was calling on the goddess Morrigain, the Raven Mistress, who ruled the path of the dead. It was forbidden to breach the land of the dead and reunite souls with their bodies. The magick went wrong in most cases, creating horrible, twisted creatures. This was why the magick was banned centuries ago, but the knowledge was still available if one knew the correct people to ask. Caleb had learned the ritual from a priestess who time had forgotten. He gazed down at his beloved in her emerald dress. The garment she was going to be married in. It brought out the color of her dark chocolate hair.

“I will bring you back to me. We were meant to be together. You are my heartmate, for now and always.” He ran his free hand over her cheek one last time and then brought the dagger across his palm. Caleb gritted his teeth. He squeezed the blood from his hand onto his beloved’s chest, over her heart, and drew a crude symbol of Morrigain, three ravens in a circle touching beak to tail. He then removed a small pouch from his waist and sprinkled a handful of fresh hemlock over the blood. The herb was poisonous to humans, but if used in a ritual like this, it could summon the dead back from the other realm.

“Hear me, Dark Mistress, Ruler of the Dead. I ask you to bring the soul of Betha back to me from beyond the Gray.”

His beloved’s eyes opened. They were not the sea-blue ones he knew. They were white. The corpse’s mouth opened. “Who is it that invokes the Mistress of the Dead?” The voice coming from Betha’s throat was not hers. Blue energy crackled around the corpse.

“I, Caleb, son of Horat, have called upon you.”

“Caleb, what are you doing?” his father asked from behind him.

At that moment, the lifeless body sat up and grabbed Caleb around the throat. Its dead eyes peered into his. This was not the woman he loved. He was speaking with the goddess herself.

“A sacrifice is required in order to ferry the souls of the dead back to the living. Will you pay?” The soft hair of the woman he loved began to turn white. Her skin grew gray and flaked off until he could see bone underneath. Betha’s teeth grew pointy.

“I will.”

“Dark Mistress, Morrigain, please! He’s my only son! You must not take him,” his father pleaded.

“Father, stay out of this!” Caleb wheezed. He had done everything he could so that his father wouldn’t find out what he was doing because his father would condemn it.

The corpse smiled and turned its attention to his father. “And what will you give me in return for this one’s soul? Already his bargain has been struck, but I can amend his sentence.”

His father got to his knees and clasped his hands, prostrating himself before the goddess. “Anything, my soul, eternal servitude, what it is you wish, Great Mistress? He’s my only son.”

The corpse now inhabited by Morrigain glanced between him and his father. A wicked smile spread on her thin lips. “I curse you, son of Horat. I curse you with immortality to be one of my Ravens. You will be at my beck and call watching over those you’re charged with. You have paid your price in blood to have the one you love returned to you, but even then there’s a hefty fine to pay. She will live, but not the way you think. You will see her. You will know her to be your Queen, to do her bidding for she will rule you. Three days and nights of the full moon, along with the Eight Sacred Holidays, I grant you to be a man. Never will you be able to know the touch of a woman unless it is your heartmate. If you defy me in this, then you will turn into a raven the minute you wish to take her. To be a man again, your heartmate must accept you for everything that you are. Will you live by this curse so that you’ll see your beloved and save your own soul?”

Caleb shut his eyes and tried to breathe. Her grip was killing him. He had no choice but to accept or he’d die. This way he could see Betha again and watch over her for all time. He would do anything to have that. He would do anything to bring her back. It was all he wanted. “Yes.”

Morrigain didn’t hesitate. She ripped his shirt with her sharp nails and placed her hand on his left shoulder. Something seared his flesh. “Bear my mark so those who see you will know for all time you are my Raven Warrior.”

BUY LINKS

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Changeling Press, Kobo,

Cursed to live forever as a Raven, these Warriors can only be human on the days and nights of the full moon.

Charged with protecting Maili, Tremain realizes she has gone missing. Linnea helps Tremain to find her friend, using her budding magickal powers. She feels the burn from the thread which is binding her to Tremain.

Alena’s estranged family begs her to return home. Granted a semi-reprieve from his Raven Warrior curse, Darius has been assigned to investigate the death of two werewolf children. Darius uncovers who is hunting the pack. All the while fighting the rising emotions he has for Alena.

Seth’s flown the skies for two thousand years. Jayd employs Seth, not knowing his true nature. He keeps his distance. Jayd craves to feel his lips, but doesn’t dare approach him. Shadows are whispering and Jayd’s terrified to go home. Seth finds the shop empty and employs the help of his Raven brothers to find her.

EXCERPT

The flautist gazed at her chewed nails with the chipped purple polish on them. She had tried to stop biting them and let them grow, but with playing the flute so much, long nails would hinder her playing, so she reverted back to her habit of gnawing. It didn’t matter if she had fake nails on either. She bit into those, too. Linnea shook her head and stared up at her friend, who was inhaling a drag from a cigarette. Linnea waved her hand to move the smoke away. She didn’t know how many times she had told her friend to quit sucking on those things. Eventually it would ruin her beautiful voice.

“You should stop that you know. Some of us need our lungs to make a living. Besides, you don’t want to damage those pipes of yours.” Linnea struggled to get her foot back into her shoe since her big toe had swollen to the size of a golf ball. A regimen of soaking in Epsom salts and lavender followed by a bag of ice was what she was up for when she got home. Hopefully then she could walk on it without looking like a crooked monkey.

Maili chuckled. It sounded like the tinkling of breaking glass. “I’m down to three a day. That won’t kill me. Then again I still have one after sex. I guess my habit is about seven a day.”

Linnea blushed at the mention of her friend’s sex life. The whole cast knew she was fucking the scarecrow. Whatever Maili saw in Jason, she didn’t know. He was as bad a singer as he was an actor. He might be sleeping with Maili, but that doesn’t mean any of her talent is going to rub off on him. He’s an idiot. Why can’t he get a clue? Why can’t Maili just get rid of him? He’s got no brains. Just like his character. Jason was so concerned about his looks, the whole show stopped if he had a pimple. Linnea knew he was cute. Blond hair, blue eyes and a six pack for a stomach. He might not have been so bad, if he didn’t think everyone around him was there to wait on him hand and foot.

No matter. Linnea knew her friend would get tired of her boy toy sooner of later and move onto someone else. She had seen it before. The flautist doubted Maili ever really loved anyone. If Linnea brought it up over their late night sessions of rocky road ice cream and orange vodka, Maili laughed it off and changed the subject. The singer had confided in Linnea once that she was not going to get married. Her mother had already arranged one for her. How many flings she had didn’t matter just as long as she knew when it was time to get married, and that was it.

Linnea didn’t press the issue further as she had heard the resentment in her voice. She didn’t understand the whole idea of an arranged marriage, but it was obvious Maili was from a different kind of family and society. She didn’t need to worry about money and always treated when they went out. Linnea had never met her best friend’s mother. That Maili had a mother who didn’t interact with her made Linnea feel bad. She would have killed for that. She didn’t remember her parents, just the photographs her grandmother had of them at their wedding when they seemed to be happy. How happy she would never know.

“Even still, Maili. Those things can cause cancer. You shouldn’t –“

A large shadow passed over the near full moon. Linnea heard the flutter of wings next to her ear. An ominous caw echoed in the alleyway. She jumped. The largest raven she had ever seen had settled on the dumpster. Chills tap-danced on her spine as the night suddenly got colder. It almost reminded her of Halloween when the atmosphere was ripe with spirits.

No matter, she couldn’t know what was hiding in the darkness. Staring at the bird, she saw the blue-black sheen of its feathers. She’d never been close enough to a bird of this size to see how beautiful it was. Its slender onyx beak looked deadly should it decide to use her fingers as dinner. Nearly the size of a toddler, it must have had a wingspan of at least five feet. She wondered if it was an eagle in disguise.

The bird fixed her with his dark eyes like it was reading her soul. The flutist got an eerie sense, as if someone were stepping on her grave. Something about the raven was off and yet it seemed vaguely familiar. It was a crazy notion.

Maybe it had lost its way. Yet, there was a spark inside of her that recognized the animal...

BUY LINKS

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Changeling Press, Kobo,

Clive and Aniston must escape before Krampus can feed them to the cannibal gingerbread men!

Aniston awakens to find an intruder in his house kneeling in front of his Christmas tree. Expecting a white beard and a jolly laugh, Aniston is shocked to find this is not Santa. Aniston is kidnapped and whisked away into a world of giants where Krampus is the master of the house.

Clive rescues Aniston and together they survive among cannibal gingerbread men, oversized nutcrackers, and tin soldiers roaming the house and guarding over Krampus’ sack. Aniston can’t help but be drawn to Clive and finds comfort in his arms. They only know of one way to get home. They must escape or spend Christmas a long way from home.

EXCERPT

“Hush.” A firm hand pressed against the middle of his back. Aniston tried to see who was talking to him.

“Stop moving. Don’t make a sound,” the man said in a hurried whisper. “He’ll hear us.”

Dread filled Aniston at those words. He had no idea where he was. The last thing he remembered was being rushed by a creature who had invaded his house. His heart slamming in his chest, he tried to stay calm. The ground quaked. More weight fell on top of him. It felt like he was suffocating.

Aniston tried not to panic. The presence of another man behind him kept him grounded. He bounced off the ground several inches from the tremors as they got closer. The same grotesque odor from earlier infused the air. He tried to hold his breath, but a gag had been stuffed in his mouth. A loud crash exploded a few feet from him. The impact made him wince. The following roar chilled him to the bone.

He whimpered.

“Shhh.” The man behind him jabbed him in the ribs.

Aniston squeezed his eyes shut, trying to quiet himself. His pulse echoed in his ears. He tried to take in slow breaths as his body shook. Another growl sounded above him. It might have been words, but he couldn’t make them out. The ground shook more as the large footsteps moved away as if going out of a room. Once they were gone, something cold slipped against his fingers.

“I’m going to cut this tinsel and free you. Then I’m going to ungag you. You have to be silent. Do as I say until I can get you out of here. Understand?”

Aniston nodded. What the hell had happened to him? After a moment, his hands were cut free. The man behind him released the gag and pressed something into his hand. “Cut your feet free.”

He did what he was told and saw he had a shard of something wrapped in cloth. Aniston sawed through the silver rope. He touched the bindings and felt its waxy surface. Tinsel. What the fuck is going on here? Where am I?

Once free, he turned around to the man behind him. He had on a black hat with a chin strap and a red uniform with silver buttons and black boots.

“What the hell are you?”

“Shh.” He grabbed Aniston’s hand and yanked him backward.

He followed him through the green spikes toward towering square structures. All the structures were in different colors. Gold and green. Red with white stripes. As he was yanked backward, he realized the green spikes were pine needles. The man tugged on his arm and dragged him toward a crack in the wall. He wanted to stay and examine his environment. The toy soldier shoved him into the crack in the wall out of sight.

Inside, he slid down the wall. Aniston looked around. A gathering of threads and cotton were fashioned into a couch. Scraps of cloth were blankets. Wooden thread spools acted as tables. Someone had been living here and it wasn’t a mouse. He glanced back at the man who had rescued him.

“Where I am? Who are you?”

BUY LINKS

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Changeling Press, Kobo,

When Krampus gets called to help find a missing Incarnation, he finds himself in over his head. It takes a little bit of magic and a help from a couple friends to win the day. More than one surprise looms that will turn his whole world upside down. Krampus has to get with the holiday attitude or lose all that he holds dear.

EXCERPT

Krampus glanced up over Emerald’s horns into the dark form of Nyx, the Incarnation of Night. Her black dress illuminated in a starburst pattern. The remains of the comet flew across her chest and down her dress until it disappeared. Her silver hair hung in waves around her back. She took a seat on a kitchen stool and picked up one of the undecorated gingerbread men. Nyx broke off one of its arms and a muffled scream from the dough filled the kitchen. “These are good.”

Emerald straightened up and wiped her hands on her apron. Krampus slung his arm around her and kissed her, tasting the nutmeg and vanilla on her lips. He trailed his fingers through her hair and over her small horns until she squirmed. He couldn’t get enough of her no matter where they were or what she was doing. If he didn’t need to prepare for his holiday duties, he would’ve spent every moment he could fucking her. Krampus broke the kiss, leaving his wife breathless as Emerald moved out of the way for him to get at the dough. She was having a rough time rolling out on this batch.

Krampus rolled up his sleeves and latched onto the wooden handles of the two-foot marble rolling pin. The brown dough quivered as it tried to get away, but he pressed down and rolled it into submission.

“What do you want, Nyx?” Krampus asked.

Emerald went over to their guest and sat on her lap. Nyx — along with several other Incarnations — had been welcomed into their bed over the past few months. Nyx slid her hand along Emerald’s face and met her lips. Krampus tore his gaze away from them making out. Knowing that Emerald enjoying being with others in their bed made it all worthwhile. She didn’t get jealous when he slept with someone else. She knew he always came back to her.

“Your lips taste like cinnamon, Em,” Nyx crooned. “How about we get upstairs and take advantage of the alone time?” She skated her hand under Emerald’s dress.

“That’d be nice.”

“What alone time? Nyx, you’re not here just to enjoy our flesh. Why are you here?” Krampus pounded the rolling pin down on the dough.

His wife moaned when Nyx stopped her caresses. “Right, business first. Pleasure later. Your help has been requested.”

He rolled his eyes. “Not this again. It’s getting close to Christmas. I have things to do and a lot of new bells to forge. A lot of naughty children have cropped up this year, and I’m particularly hungry for flesh that doesn’t come from my farm. The human meat I have here is a bit lean for my taste. The children are all fattening up while they wait for the Claus and baking him cookies.” He gritted his teeth as he thought about his arch nemesis. He might have rescued him and the Mrs. one time, but that didn’t mean all things were kosher between them. Although, he did make Claus promise to visit Emerald since she had nothing to do with their rivalry.

“Sorry, Krampus. They asked for you specifically. They’ve done me a few favors in the past. I couldn’t turn them down.” Nyx got up.

Emerald came back behind the counter and began mixing up another batch of gingerbread, so they could fix some of the older ones whose crumbs littered the house. Sometimes the older ones got a bit ornery and hungry and ate the newer ones. The cannibal gingers were a part of his special creation, but they listened well and got along with the tin soldiers and nutcrackers who kept guard on his property.

“Come on, Clo. You enjoy helping people. You just hide behind that gruff exterior. Big and scary with the horns. The clomping around of your hooves as you chase those poor children,” Emerald joked.

He licked his lips when he thought about the children he would catch. “It’s not just children, love. You know I bring back men, too.”

Emerald made a disgusted face and poured the flour into the mixing bowl. “That’s all you. I’m not into eating human. Remember, I was human until I was cursed because a certain god didn’t like what I told him in the cards.”

Krampus slapped her ass. “You are beautiful with horns or without. Nyx, who am I supposed to be helping now?”

BUY LINKS

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Changeling Press, Kobo, Apple Books

When Jack Frost appears at Krampus’ house asking for help to save Santa, Krampus knows with his arch-enemy gone, Christmas could be his for the taking. But Jack is willing to sweeten the deal, so Krampus goes to help Jack on his mission.

What they find is the Elves running amok in Christmas Town and Mrs. Claus held prisoner. Racing against time, Krampus must face an even darker energy to rescue Santa.

EXCERPT

“Jingle balls. Jingle balls. Swinging all the way. Oh what fun it is to squeeze…”

Krampus followed the sound of Emerald’s off-key singing into the kitchen. He stood in the doorway and watched the cook. Her scarlet hair was bound up between the two curled horns on her head. She once told him she got the horns and her hooves from a god who cursed her because he didn’t appreciate her psychic predictions.

Krampus adored every bit of her — except her singing.

She rolled ground meat between her hands and set the finished ball into a pan. From the smell of the cooked ones, he suspected sausage and ground turkey. They weren’t made with the human meat he enjoyed more. His taste for long pig was an acquired one. It came with the office. Still, his stock had thinned during the winter and he needed them to fatten up. He listened to a few more bars and cringed before he went into the kitchen.

Emerald glanced up from her task. Her smile dazzled him. “You’re back early. Dinner’s not ready yet.”

He nuzzled her neck. His forked tongue flicked along her flesh until she shivered. A small moan escaped her lips as his hands slipped underneath her apron and skirt and over her luscious thighs. “I needed a break. And then I smelled this wonderful aroma and heard your god-awful singing.” Krampus bit her throat and rubbed her clit.

Emerald quivered as he pleasured her. “You need to stop doing that or I won’t be able to finish these. The ones in the oven will burn. The meat…”

“What about the meat?” Krampus took a couple of her fingers covered in raw meat and sucked on them, savoring the taste of the mixture of herbs. His hunger for all things was amped up this time of year because it was nearing Christmas. He scraped his sharp teeth along her flesh until no tidbit remained. Emerald shook as she came. He nearly spread her legs and thrust inside of her, claiming her right there. His cock ached at the thought of it.

“Clover, you have to stop. I gotta make dinner. We have guests coming over, remember? We need to save our energy for later,” she said between pants.

Krampus buried his face in her hair and unwound from Emerald. “You’re right. I forgot. Where would I be without you?”

“Lost.”

Krampus grabbed a warm meatball and plopped it in his mouth. “Yes. Lost is the word for it. No more singing. It hurts my ears.”

“Sorry. I sing when I roll my balls around. Jingle balls, all the way.”

“The humans sing Jingle Bells. The song has nothing to do with balls. Although, I don’t mind when you roll mine around.”

“Really? I hadn’t heard that one. Mine is from a werewolf. He said he got it from a cousin who fell in love with a human chief or something like that. He traveled with the rodeo for a couple of seasons. It’s quite a catchy tune.”

Krampus smirked. “This werewolf sounds like an interesting fellow.”

Emerald washed her hands. “He was very interesting. Taught me a few things. Maybe if you’re good, I’ll show you later.”

“Have you been holding out on me?”

She gave him a quick peck and dried her hands. “Go take a bath. You stink. I have to get this made. Samhain and Nyx are coming over tonight. We’ve been planning this for weeks. I don’t want to ruin it.”

“God, I love you, woman.”

“I know. Remember what I said. I don’t care who your dick goes into, because your heart belongs to me.” She winked at him.

Krampus chuckled and went upstairs to get cleaned up for dinner. Emerald was correct. They had tried to get Nyx and Samhain over to the house for weeks. Emerald wanted both of them in bed. Sometimes her requests surprised him. Jealousy never darkened her feelings for him when he told her about his most recent foray with another Incarnation or creature.

Sometimes her appetite was nearly as insatiable as his.

BUY LINKS

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Changeling Press, Kobo, Apple Books

Krampus is busy forging bells for the upcoming holiday season when Nyx, the Incarnation of night, informs him there’s a new Incarnation in town. Samhain’s in the mood to meet up with Krampus and rock his world, but something’s eating away at Samhain’s realm.

Krampus is the only one who can discover what’s happening and keep the darkness from spreading to other realms. As he investigates, an old foe rears his head, determined to take out Krampus.

Krampus must save Samhain’s realm and see how thankful the other Incarnation really is. Forging bells has never been so stimulating.

EXCERPT

Krampus snapped his fingers. The bell lifted from the branch and reappeared in his palm. The design on the bell’s body was of him torturing humans with his whip. He smirked as he thought about it. His power was growing as the season turned toward winter. He could feel it in the air around him. Even his tree was greener as autumn set in. Summer tried to rear her head once more. Winter dueled with her and was winning. Krampus wondered how Autumn felt being in the middle of the war.

With the bell in working order, Krampus closed his eyes, focused on the bell’s counterpart in the mortal world, and sensed someone on the other end. They didn’t feel human.

“Hey.” Emerald’s arms looped around his waist. Her fingers snuck underneath his robe. “I missed you in bed.”

“I heard one of the bells.”

“I didn’t hear anything. Are you sure it was one of your bells?” She stroked his prick until he stirred once more.

He trailed his fingers over one of her nipples and touched the stone. “This brings out the color of your cheeks.”

“I love it. Where did you get it again?”

“Found it among some old things when I was moving boxes around the other day in the forge. I thought you might like it.”

“I don’t plan on taking it off.”

“What about other things?”

“What about the bells?” she countered.

“I’m sure there’s someone on the other end ringing it. Fuck, woman.” Krampus closed his eyes and thought about nothing more than how her hand slid along his cock. She pressed against him until he moaned. He closed his hand over the bell and crushed it. It dropped to the floor with a heavy clunk. Emerald worked him faster until his hips bucked forward. He was close to coming, but she stopped. Emerald went to her knees before him. She took his shaft in her mouth and sucked all of him in. Krampus grabbed her horns as her head bobbed. Emerald moved her tongue around his length. She had done this to him the other night, but only after he made her scream his name five times.

He clutched her horns as the pleasure rode up in him. The coldness of his power lingered in his fingertips. Krampus rocked his hips.

“Master?” the gingerbread man asked timidly.

“Fuck. What do you want? Can’t you see I’m busy?” Krampus bellowed.

“Forgive me, someone’s come to see you.”

He glanced at the gingerbread servant. It was a fresh one Emerald had made the other day. Its raisin eyes were bright. Its teeth were sharp underneath the white frosting mouth. His green gumdrop buttons glistened in the morning light. As the rays passed through the crystalized sugar, rainbows hit the walls. “Who is it?”

“Nyx. She’s in the study. I was cleaning and she appeared. I can tell her to go if you like.”

BUY LINKS

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Changeling Press, Kobo, Apple Books

Krampus never thought he would find someone to care for again. Then he met Dallas when the rodeo came to town. Surprises continue with the new man in Krampus’ life when Stephen shows up looking for Dallas. Krampus won’t let Dallas out of his sight, but when Dallas is called back to the rodeo, Krampus is in for the ride of his life.

EXCERPT

He glanced up from his meal when the noise level dropped. A group from the rodeo entered the tavern. One of the thugs who had stopped him approached the bartender. The group followed behind him.

“A round of ale for the lot.”

The bartender crossed his arms over his chest. The corner of his mouth twitched. “Your kind ain’t wanted here. Best if you get out before I have someone throw you out.”

“We have a right to be here just as anyone else.” The thug sat at the bar. The rest moved into a table that emptied out since they had come in. The rodeo participants all looked as though they had a difficult life. All were tanned and wrinkled from years in the sun and hard work. Krampus didn’t envy them. The tension in the bar grew. He sat back. The bartender and the other patrons surrounded them.

A cloaked figure slipped past them and hovered by Krampus’s table.

“Why don’t you sit here? It looks like everywhere else is taken.” Krampus found himself saying.

The man looked at him. “Why do you care?”

“I don’t. Sit or don’t sit.”

Krampus pushed the plate aside and laid a couple of silver coins on the table. They would more than cover the cost of his meal and the ale. He didn’t want the waitress to hassle him any longer. The man glanced at the coins and the unfinished bowl of stew. He sat down and reached for the stew. Then the stranger pulled his hand back.

“You going to eat that?”

“Have at it.”

The stranger’s hands were dark, almost like polished black marble. His arms were decorated with long-healed-over scars. The man took the bowl and brought it in close to him, protecting it. When he ate, the hood of his cloak fell away, revealing a bald head, a strong jaw and a flat nose. His eyes were gold when he looked up at Krampus. Something in that gaze stirred Krampus’s desire.

“What?” the man asked around a mouthful of bread.

“Nothing. I just noticed you were hungry. I could make it worth your while if you wanted to come back to the house with me.”

“So you can fuck me? I’m not a whore. I see how you’re looking at me.”

Krampus held back a smile. “No. I wasn’t considering sex. I just meant I have better food than what you have there. Plus, you can sleep in a bed. It looks like you might need it. No strings attached.”

The other man eyed him. “I thought you said you didn’t care.”

“It’s obvious your companions don’t care about you or you would’ve come in with them. And you wouldn’t have been hiding your appearance. I’m surprised you’re still with them. Of course, I could be way off on my observations. Come or not, but I’m leaving.” Krampus got up from the booth and left the tavern. After he rejoined the darkness, the tavern door slammed shut.

“Where are we going?”

“Follow me.”

BUY LINKS

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Changeling Press, Kobo, Apple Books

When Krampus’ gingerbread men bring him a man caught in one of his nets, all thoughts of eating him fly from his mind. Krampus learns his guest is Cupid, the Incarnation of Love.

With Cupid missing from the real world all love is at stake of evaporating. But Krampus intends to claim Cupid for his own — even if it kills him.

EXCERPT

“Master.”

Krampus looked down at the one who had disturbed him. A two-foot-tall, battle hardened gingerbread general with a missing gumdrop button and a bite taken out of his head. A frosted eye patch had been filled in where his raisin left eye had once been. His edges had started to crumble the way cookies did. They could fix that by charring the cookie edge, but Krampus wasn’t sure how long this cookie had left to serve him.

“What do you want? Has some of the livestock escaped again? Did you catch one of your men snacking on my humans again? I’ve given them enough warnings not to be lenient. I do get a hankering for gingerbread once in a while.”

“No, Master. Nothing like that. We found something in the nets. It didn’t look like a sugar plum fairy, so I wanted to bring it to you.”

“Let me see it.” Krampus was intrigued. His gingerbread hardly ever brought him something interesting. Sugarplum fairies were a delicacy and went well with human meat pie, but they were difficult to snare even with the finely woven nets he had cast in the garden. At the thought of their sticky sweetness, Krampus’ mouth watered.

His gingerbread men, along with a couple of toy tin soldiers, dragged in something caught in a golden net. The creature was unlike anything he had ever seen. It looked human. Was the same size as one of them, but it had large white fluffy wings. One of the tin soldiers took something slung over his shoulder and presented it to Krampus. “We found these on him.”

Krampus bent down and took a golden quiver of arrows with feathered hearts on the end and a large bow from the soldier. It was tiny in his large fingers. This being was not from his world. If he was then they would have been the same height, but Krampus could fix that.

“Release him and leave us.”

The tin soldiers left the room, but the general remained.

“Uh, Master?”

“What is it?”

“When you’re done with him, me and the boys were hoping we could have the leftovers. He looks tasty.” The gingerbread general licked his lips, revealing needle teeth.

“If there is anything left, then yes. If I keep him, you’re welcome to three of the human stock. But wait for my orders on that.”

The corner of his mouth twitched trying to hide his excitement. “Yes, Master. Thank you.” The general left the room and closed the door.

Krampus slowly unwound the fine golden net from the strange creature. He took care when removing the weave from the large fluffy wings. When he untwined the strange being, he turned him over to find the most perfect specimen of humankind he had ever seen. Shiny bronze skin with light blond hair that curled around a heart-shaped face. Perfectly pouty lips were relaxed in unconsciousness.

A nasty gash across his forehead marred the beauty of this captured angel. Dread rolled through Krampus as the recognition set in. If this being is a real angel, I’m in for some shitty luck. He had to make sure this creature recovered. First thing to do was to make him the same size as Krampus.

The realm he lived in made him a giant. When he interacted in the human world, he was a looming figure of seven feet. To mortals he brought here, Krampus towered twenty feet tall. This creature was no ordinary human. He lifted him in both hands and laid him on the sofa. The angel appeared to be a small child as he lay on the couch. Krampus waved his hand over the being

The cold grip of the spell sapped his energy. His powers had waned because Christmas had passed and spring would soon be upon him. They would return in full force as the summer turned to fall. The room frosted over in a white film to include the angel. Once the film cleared, the angel had grown to match Krampus. He found a rag, got a bowl of water, and pressed it to the cut. The blood came away easily.

Once he was done, Krampus took in the rest of the angel’s physique. His abs were toned and expertly cut. Gold shorts clung to his hips and left nothing to the imagination. His desire stirred as he studied the bulge hidden by the golden cloth. He tore his gaze from it and admired the shapely thighs and calves. Brown leather sandals encased his feet and twined around over his ankles and were tied with a neat heart-shaped bow.

Nothing else about him seemed to be hurt. Krampus hoped his wings were intact. The golden net was meant to snare the sugar plum fairies and break their wings.

“What are you and why did you wander into my realm? Unless you wanted to become a real live tree topper for me next year.”

BUY LINKS

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Changeling Press, Kobo, Apple Books

April is brought to Hell’s Gate, the most exclusive Goth club in town,by her best friend to check out one of the famed fetishes at Hell’s Gate. Cindy drags April into the bowels of the club to be kissed by a mysterious hooded man.

April returns home without being kissed and finds her dreams haunted by the mystifying man. Those erotic visions draw her back to Hell’s Gate only to discover who or what is underneath the hood and maybe be kissed herself.

EXCERPT

The line moved slowly. Women who went in the room came out after a couple of minutes. All who emerged were unsteady on their feet. They were paler than they had been going in. One woman staggered into her. April wrapped her arms around her to catch her.

She was in a daze and smiled dreamily. “Thanks, babe. You’re going to love it when he kisses you. It’s like he moves through you. He learns you from the inside out and presses all the right buttons.”

April helped her up. Fear trembled her nerves. She drew in a sharp breath and tried to remain steady while assisting the woman. “Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. Do you need any help? You look like you’ve had too much to drink. I’m sure someone could call you a cab.”

The woman waved her off. “I’m fine. Just fine. Don’t need to worry about me.” She continued to stumble down the hallway and headed back up into the club.

“Don’t you think that someone should help her?” April asked Cindy.

Cindy giggled. “Don’t worry about it. He doesn’t hurt you. One kiss. That’s all he wants. You’ll love it. Like I said, all the girls who come out of here say that it’s the best experience of their lives. It’ll be fun. And you don’t need to worry about her. Cleo told me that if you get into any trouble here, the club will make sure you get home okay. If not, then I think there are rooms here you can spend the night. This whole place is set up to for you to have a safe experience. It’s fine. Stop being such a worrywart.”

April rolled her eyes, but she didn’t respond. The line moved a little faster. One by one women before them were ushered into the room. Right when Cindy was about to go in, a man appeared in the doorway.

The bouncer’s body was muscular. His dark eyes matched the color of his vest. His nipples were pierced with large, thick metal hoops. A row of metal spikes jutted from the top of his bald head. Knee-high black boots with white laces hugged his legs. Tight leather shorts encased his cock. Cindy tried to peer around the big man, but he blocked the entire doorway.

He held up his hand. “Wait here, please.”

“Oh, come on. We’re just trying to have a little fun. Won’t you let us in?” Cindy giggled.

April couldn’t believe that someone had an obsession for just kissing. Then again, the man upstairs was so enthralled with her feet he was ready to do anything to take her shoes off. She was a little leery about kissing a stranger, but Cindy always said she had to take a few risks, and this was one for the books. If he’s kissed that many women, I wonder what else he’s done with them.

“I’m sorry. But you have reached the end of the line. It’s too late, and he’s done for the night.”

“But we waited all this time. Look, if you won’t take me in, at least take my friend. She’s the one who needs this the most.”

“I’m sorry, Ma’am. But I am not the one who makes the rules.”

The guard backed into the room and put a rope across the doorway so no more could enter. Several women behind them groaned. Others filtered past them as the line broke up. April glanced at them and then peered around the bouncer. A cloaked figure, shrouded by the fog that wafted from the room, leaned against the wall. It appeared his arms were crossed over his chest. His face was hidden, but from the angle he was at he had a clear view of the hallway, observing everything that was going on. She could feel his eyes on her even through the mist. Could that be the mystery man everyone is so anxious to lock their lips with?

Cindy was about to respond when the cloaked figured stepped forward. He didn’t come all the way into the light so that he was visible, just enough to make himself heard. “I’m finished for the night. But I would appreciate it if you would come back next week. Aldon, will you please give these lovely ladies wristbands so they may come to the front of the line.”

His voice was soft, yet caressed her skin like soft velvet. However, there was a dark undertone to it. She wondered what it was he truly wanted from them. All the while he didn’t take his gaze from her. April could feel his eyes penetrating her soul. She shifted and glanced at the floor.

“Are you sure about that?” the bouncer asked.

“Quite.”

BUY LINKS

Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, Smashwords