Monday, August 3, 2015

Virtual Tour: M/M ~ Breeding Stations by Chris T. Kat ~ (ARC Review, Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Virtual Tour: M/M ~ Breeding Stations by Chris T. Kat ~ (ARC Review, Author Interview, Excerpt + Giveaway)

Author Name: Chris T. Kat
Book Name: Breeding Stations
Series: Alliances
Book: One
Release Date: July 27, 2015
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Anne Cain

Buy The Book:


Blurb:
Spunky commander Berit Turner is known for two things: his huge libido and his lack of a filter—he says what he thinks. Berit sets his mind on being part of the mission to Ligador, to make sure the planet is habitable for humans. He’s ecstatic when his team is assigned to the task force. A delegation of Nadisc, a humanoid alien race, accompanies them, and passion ignites between Berit and their commanding officer, Tom. But Berit is determined that Tom is just another notch on his bedpost, as he doesn’t do relationships.
The excursion to Ligador goes wrong from the beginning, when they discover Ligador has been established as a breeding station by their worst enemy: the Tash’Ba. Dinosaur-like creatures become the team’s worst nightmare, and staying alive is going to take everything they’ve got… and then some.

Pages or Words: 204 pages or about 65,000 words
Categories: M/M Romance, Science Fiction



Excerpt:
Excerpt from Chapter Two

Several alarmed shouts warned me of something going on, but I had no time to process what happened. Something roped around my waist and yanked me over to the side. I crashed into Tom’s chest as a harsh growling sound erupted from his throat.
I tried jerking myself free, but he held onto my wrists with one hand, while his tail kept me tethered to his body. “What the hell?”
Niyara squared off in front of Tom, her dark eyes gleaming with an eerie, demonic red glint where her pupils should’ve been. Her long tail swished from one side to the other and her arm muscles flexed.
“What the ever-loving fuck is going on?” I asked.
“Quiet!” Tom hissed.
My mouth fell open, and I gaped at him. Okay. Enough was enough. I caught the tip of his tail in my hand and pinched it—hard. He roared, but I used the chance to slip free. A Nadisc’s tail tip was the most sensitive part, which came in handy during sex but was a real disadvantage in a fight. Or maybe not. I’d never heard of someone winning a fight against a Nadisc when—
Niyara’s fist closing around my shirt stopped all my pondering. She lifted me off my feet, hissing and boring her eerie gaze into mine. Maybe I should’ve stayed with Tom. He’d felt slightly less dangerous than she did.
Carson appeared next to Niyara’s side, eyes as large as saucers but an equally determined look on his face. He reached out. As soon as he touched her arm, her head whirled around. I held my breath. Would he be able to save me from Niyara’s wrath? She’d seemed rather taken with him earlier. What the hell had I done, anyway, to agitate her?
As I wracked my brain, Carson and Niyara gazed at each other. The next instant he rose on tiptoes and placed a gentle kiss on her lips.
She let go of my shirt, and I would’ve landed flat on my ass if Tom hadn’t snatched me around the waist. Niyara rested her head on Carson’s shoulder, which meant she had to stoop because of her height. No one said anything, and no one moved for what seemed like a long time. When she lifted her head, several people—including me—hissed, afraid of what she’d do next.
Niyara bowed her head toward Tom. “I apologize for my outburst. I’ve never encountered a jealousy spell before.”
“Jealousy spell?” I echoed.
She gazed at me, suddenly looking sheepish. “Feeling such a strong connection is new to me, and I didn’t like Carson using an endearment toward you.”
I blinked, then looked over at Carson. He gawked, and his eyes were the same size as before. Would they stay like that forever?
Niyara swept an arm around to include everyone in her proclamation, which resulted in startled jerks and coughs. “I’m claiming Carson as my mate. Anyone who’d like to object has to fight me.”
No one objected. Everyone seemed busy inspecting their boots or the ceiling. I never noticed before how very ugly the hatch’s ceiling was.
“Berit!” Carson wheezed out.
I sighed and transferred my gaze from the ceiling to Carson. “Congrats?”
Someone cheered and the others followed suit, clapping their hands to add to the noise. Carson was so pale I feared he’d faint, but Niyara cupped his face in both hands and kissed him. After that, he didn’t seem to mind that much, not anymore.
Chuckling, I told the others to open the hatch and take up their position. The hatch opened with the usual buzz, but when I started to walk, Tom’s arms around my waist tightened to an almost painful level.
“Tell them to secure the area and wait for further instructions,” he whispered into my ear.
“Dream on. I won’t do—” My words ended abruptly when the steel bands around my waist left me no room for breathing.
“Now.”
Tom allowed me more breathing room, and I gave the desired order. No one looked twice or questioned my instruction, for which I’d have been grateful on any other day, just not today. Ticking off a Nadisc was a bad idea. One of the worst, really.
We waited until everyone had cleared the hatch’s area. Tom spun me around in his arms and lifted me up until we were face-to-face.
“You accepted me as your leader on this mission, remember? That means no punching me,” I said, “or doing anything that would harm me.”
Tom’s gaze intensified, and my mouth went dry when he spread out a red and orange speckled frill around his neck. I’d read about this display, but had never seen it before. Only a few Nadisc still had those frills—most opted for surgery because it gave away their emotions too easily—and those that did had a very tight control over it.
“But it’s okay for you to hurt me?” he rasped.
I tried to reason with him. “I… look, I’m the commander here. You can’t just order me around or hold me captive, okay?”
“Niyara could’ve killed you.”
I shrugged. “She didn’t, and she’ll just have to get used to the way Carson and I talk to each other.”
The frill around his neck unfolded even more. He said, “I’m not fond of the way you talk to each other.”
I had an inkling where this conversation was headed. I had an even bigger inkling that I’d panic if Tom said anything, so I closed my eyes, wrapped my arms around his neck—over the frill, which was kind of awkward—and sought his mouth with mine.
He opened up immediately, and I dipped my tongue into his mouth, licking along his teeth and eliciting an approving hum from him. Somehow I ended up with my legs wound around him and one of his hands steadying my ass.
When we broke apart for air, he said, “I won’t forget what you did.”
“I’ll make it up to you,” I replied. His eyes lit up with interest, so I added, “Deal?”
“Deal.”
Author Interview:

Thanks for being with us and taking the time to answer some questions today! This book sounds out of this world (haha, see what I did there)!

Yep, I see what you did. ;-)

What inspired this story?

I’ve wanted to try my hand at a science fiction story for a while, when suddenly Berit, one of the main characters, popped into my head and started chattering about this great adventure he survived. I was a bit tentative to try my hand at writing this story, but my worry was unfounded. I followed my characters through a fantastic adventure and had a blast. I should also mention that I’ve wanted to write about gigantic creatures and a life-and-death hunt for a really long time. It’s so exciting that Dreamspinner Press published Breeding Stations, and will also publish the sequel, Final Battle, in fall of 2015.

What are your favorite qualities about each of these two main characters?

Berit is one of my all-time favorite characters. He’s spunky and he’s mouthy, but he’s also loveable and very loyal. His heart is always in the right place, and he doesn’t hold back—anything—which sometimes gets him into trouble.
Tom (an abbreviation of his real name, which is unpronounceable to humans) is a Nadisc. That means he belongs to a humanoid alien race and harbors some interesting physical details. ;-) I had a blast writing about his tail and frill, the way his usage of them spoke of his emotions, and everyone’s reactions to them. He’s a much quieter, down-to-earth guy than Berit, and they fit together perfectly.

What is your favorite genre to read?

My favorite genre is the m/m genre, but within that genre I don’t really have a favorite genre, since I enjoy a lot of them. It also depends on my mood. Sometimes I need to escape reality, which means I’ll read tons of fantasy and paranormal books. At other times, I enjoy contemporary romances. Sometimes they include BDSM elements, sometimes not. Then there are the genres science fiction and historical, which I don’t read often but enjoy nonetheless.

Besides writing, what else do you enjoy doing?

When the weather allows it, I enjoy being outside. We have a big garden, so there’s always something to do. Our family enjoys going on bike tours and going hiking. My main hobby is, and will forever be, reading. Other than that, I like to cross stitch and crochet, or any kind of craft, really. I like for my fingers to be busy.

You have a private yacht or jet at your disposal – which would you use, where would you go, and who would you take with you? 

I’d use a private yacht. I’m way more comfortable on the water than Iam in the air. To be honest, I’m terrified of flying, so getting me on a plane is a major feat.
Where would I go? That’s a good question. I’d probably go to Norway and Sweden. I’ve got very nice memories of a two-week stay in Norway with my husband about ten years ago. The land is wonderful, the people were incredibly nice, and we simply had a blast there. I’d like to spend some time there again, this time with the kids.


Mari's Review:

*ARC provided to Bayou Book Junkie by author/publisher via Pride Promotions in exchange for an honest review*

Breeding Stations is an action-packed, fast-paced story set in space that just draws you in. I have to admit I haven't read all that many sci-fi stories before, but I'm hooked now! And I wasn't ready to let go of this fascinating set of characters that Chris T. Kat created and I don't mean just the main pairing, so I'm definitely looking forward to book 2 to read more of what they'll be up to. If the second book is anywhere near as good as this one, we're in for quite a treat!

While this is Berit Turner's story, and told in his POV, his best friend Carson, and their Nadisc (an allied alien species) mates, Tom and Niyara, and even the adorable Fleur—who was such a wonderful addition to the last third of the book—are featured prominently in the story and add much more depth to it. 

Berit is cute, but can be kind of annoying in an enchanting way, he can practically get away with anything because of his charm. He's witty, funny, sarcastic and lovable and you can't stop rooting for him, he's flawed, but that just makes him even more real. And he has no clue how to react when he meets Tom, a Nadisc prince, who turns out being his mate, especially considering he's a self-proclaimed manslut and finds it so difficult to reconcile all the feelings Tom elicits in him with all he's always thought of himself. 

Tom is strong and very alpha, but he's also very loving and patient with Berit. Carson and Niyara are awesome as well, same as the other array of secondary characters we get to meet as Berit and Tom lead an excursion to Ligador to investigate what the Tash'Ba, another alien species, might be planning against them. What they find there is beyond anything they ever expected and they end up going through several life-threatening situations, that both test and strengthen their newly formed bond. 

The story is engaging, interesting and I didn't want to put it down because I wanted to know what else they might need to endure in Ligador. It had me at the edge of my seat, and I for one, can't wait for the sequel to see what other adventures they might encounter as they fight against the Tash'Ba. 

Rating: 5 Stars!!! 




About the author:

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there's any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Where to find the author:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat
Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat
Other: GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat
Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com
Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

3 comments:

  1. Thanks for the excerpt and interview!! Sounds great!

    ReplyDelete
  2. what is the meaning of life???
    I don't know any good questions :P
    LOL

    ReplyDelete