Blog Tour ~ Travels Through The Scarlet Equinox Anthology ~ (Guest Post with Freddy MacKay, Excerpt + Giveaway)
Back at his beloved stomping
grounds, Zak is ready to say hello and goodbye one last time. But when a cry
from the frigid Lake Superior waters throws him into the role of a rescuer,
more than just his life hangs in the balance. Little did Zak know how much one
person giving a damn mattered to him.
Anticipation rode Zak hard. He knew what he had to do. Planned it. Came determined. This trip, the two-week cabin retreat he could never afford, the rowboat—my accident—had been in the works for months. And now… now Zak cowered in his waterlogged rowboat.
Second Winner’s Prize: Mischief Corner Books Swag
From RedBubble.com
TITLE:
Travels Through The Scarlet Equinox
AUTHOR:
Toni Griffin, J. Scott Coatsworth, Angel Martinez, Freddy MacKay
COVER
ARTIST: Freddy MacKay
LENGTH:
475 Pages
RELEASE
DATE: November 18, 2015
BLURB:
The Autumnal equinox—when the trees dress
in their formal scarlet and gold and the crisp air whispers of chance and
change, when bright days turn into sudden storms and the veil between reality
and imagination thins. Join the Mischief Corner authors as they share stories
evoking this often unpredictable time of year.
A
Bear’s Bear by Toni Griffin
Matthew Warner's been a
Chicago Bears fan as far back as he can remember. What other team was a young
bear shifter from the Smokey Mountains supposed to root for? When his college
friend gets tickets to the next home game, Matthew jumps at the chance for a
holiday. It's his favorite time of year and Nic promises him pumpkin carving
and a visit to the world's largest corn maze, what more could he want?
What Matthew doesn’t
expect is finding out the defensive tackle for the Bears is his mate. Between
fainting at the realization, meeting family, and dealing with the media fallout
of his mate's coming out Matthew is in for a hell of a rocky Halloween.
The
Autumn Lands by J. Scott Coatsworth
Jerrith is running.
Kissed by an elf, he can't remain in his hometown of Althos anymore. Not that
he wanted to stay.
Caspian still hasn't
figured out why he kissed Jerrith, but he's running too. Since he was exiled
from the Autumn Lands, his past has been hazy, and his future uncertain. But
when a stray memory brings things into focus, the two decide to run toward
something together. What they uncover will change how they see the world, and
themselves, forever.
Beside
a Black Tarn by Angel Martinez
When Shax stumbles
across rumors of an experimental house that responds to the occupant’s brain
functions, creating scenarios to please and delight, naturally he wants to
steal it. But with the return of a
troubled and hunted Julian Parallax and an overabundance of Poe references,
even Shax’s scheming may not be enough to get the Brimstone crew out alive this
time.
Eternity
in the Tides by Freddy MacKay
Autumn has always been
Zak's favorite season for hiking and camping. Not to mention breathing in all
that crisp fall air and sitting around toasty bonfires. That all changed year
and a half ago when a rich prick high on prescription pills sideswiped Zak
while he was out biking.
Now his days are filled
with pain and limited mobility. No more camping. No more trails. Zak's life as
he knew it is gone forever.
A Bear’s Bear
by Toni Griffin
"Take a seat," Christian said as he closed
the door behind them. The Alpha was acting strangely, especially when he
checked the hall just before the door closed. Christian walked over to where
Matthew was sitting. Instead of taking a seat behind the desk as Matthew would
have expected, Christian hiked a leg and leaned against the edge of the desk
just to the side of him.
"Thank you for taking a minute to speak with
me."
"Anything you need, Alpha." Matthew
nodded. His hands were already sweating. Matthew rubbed them back and forth on
his pants, hoping to dry them.
"There's no reason to be nervous,"
Christian assured him, chuckling lightly. "You've done nothing
wrong."
Matthew nodded as he sighed in relief.
"I know we don't know each other very
well," Christian started and Matthew nodded again. "However, you've
known my younger brother for years."
"I have. He's a good guy."
"He is. Can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but
I love him nonetheless." Christian chuckled.
Matthew was too nervous to do anything more than
smile.
"Anyway, I happened to overhear a conversation
you had earlier on the phone."
Matthew swallowed and fisted the denim of his jeans
in his hands. Would Christian stop him from going on vacation? Was there a
sleuth in Chicago? Did he need to notify them of his travel plans?
"Yes?" he asked quietly.
"You're planning to travel to Chicago, is that
correct?"
Matthew nodded slowly.
"Excellent."
Matthew furrowed his brows. Why on earth would
Christian think his travel plans were excellent?
"I don't understand."
"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind doing me
a favor."
"A favor? Me?"
Christian nodded. "I'm trying to go through the
sleuth, one by one, and get to know everyone as the Alpha. But Bobby trusts
you. And I was hoping I could too."
Trust
me? To do what? Matthew went back to rubbing his hands
on his pants. If he could comfortably put them in his pockets sitting down, he
would have, but he couldn't. When Matthew didn't say anything, Christian smiled
kindly at him and continued. "I have an item that I plan on purchasing
that I don't feel comfortable with the postal system handling. I was wondering
if you wouldn't mind picking it up while you're in Chicago and bringing it back
for me."
Matthew's mind raced. What exactly was his new Alpha
into? Surely it wouldn't be anything illegal; drugs and guns were just a couple
of the things that popped into his mind. Matthew shook his head. There was no
way Christian would put a member of his sleuth in danger like that, but he
couldn't help but ask.
"I won't get into trouble for doing this, will
I?"
"No." Christian laughed. "Although if
Vinnie finds out, he might have a few words to say to you.
"Vincent?" Why would Christian's mate want
to talk to him if he did this?
"The item in question is from Tiffany's,"
Christian said, raising his brow. Matthew's eyes widened as everything suddenly
made sense. Oh wow!
"Yes," he blurted. "Yes, sure, okay,
I would be honored. Anything you need."
Christian chuckled, placed a hand on his shoulder,
and squeezed.
"Thank you. You can understand why I don't want
an item such as this being posted or even couriered to me."
"I can. I'm touched that you trust me to
collect it and deliver it into your hands."
"You're of my sleuth. I would trust you with my
life."
Matthew's eyes teared up at the absolute sincerity
he felt from his Alpha. No one before had ever had so much faith in him.
"Thank you. I won't let you down."
The Autumn Lands by J. Scott Coatsworth
Jerrith Ladner ran down Dyer's Alley in Althos,
winded but not daring to stop. He swung left down Chaplain's Lane where the
lanterns cast a crazy patchwork of light across cobbles, uneven enough to give
even the Night Guard pause. His lungs hurt, but he didn't slow down and didn't
dare glance back.
The occasional passerby stared at him as he flashed
past, but he ignored them. Several times he stumbled and fell, and blood
dripped down his bare leg from a skinned knee. The outskirts of town were
silent, with almost everyone already indoors for the night.
His recent past was a blur, with snatches of it
flitting by in his head like birds, flapping and confusing him with their
unsteady rhythm:
The kiss.
The unexpected shock of it.
The glimpse of the Autumn Lands through the Nevris
man's golden eyes.
At last, exhausted, Jerrith ducked behind a low wall
that ran along the fields just outside of town and looked back.
It was quiet. There was nothing but blackness
crisscrossed by lamplight at even intervals.
Almost sobbing, he sat down with his back to the
wall and curled up into himself, scarcely noticing the pain that traced the
lines of his rib cage or even the bright line of red on his leg.
Ever so slowly, his heavy breathing eased and his
jumbled mind began to sort things out.
He had been walking to the Smithy in the early
morning when the Nevris caravan had passed him by, six wagons of merchandise
from the Autumn Lands covered with heavy tarps, crossing through town on its
way to the stables on the far side of the village. A stranger had drawn his
attention—an outrider for the caravan.
Tall and slender where Jerrith was stocky and
muscled, he was a young man, more or less Jerrith's own age. His blond hair had
been pulled back behind his pointed ears, the mark of the Nevris. He moved with
a quiet and restrained grace.
His eyes were wide and golden, and they'd met his as
Jerrith crossed the town square on the way to 'prentice to the blacksmith. The
man's gaze had filled Jerrith with something hot and impulsive, a sense of
anticipation. Something that he had no name for.
Then he'd been gone.
Jerrith had spent the long, dizzying hours of work
in the Smithy, hammering out heated metal into a new plowshare for Farmer
Angus, the hot breath of the bellows tempered only by the cool springtime air
from outside. Trying to forget those eyes.
The heat of the oven only served to fuel the heat he
felt inside, until he thought he might explode.
Sent home at last well after nightfall, he'd heard a
whispered voice from the dark alleyway between the Alchemist's shop and the
Rutting Crow. Jerrith had looked around to see if anyone was watching, then
slipped into the alley, his heart beating faster and the bulge in his pants
stiffening.
The man had kissed him hard and rough, and he'd
returned the kiss passionately as the Nevris man pulled him close.
Beside a Black Tarn by Angel Martinez
"Do you have your
route planned?" Shax asked Leopold as he tucked the field glasses into his
jacket.
"Up the long
drainpipe. On the side without windows. The master suite first."
"That's my boy.
Remember, only what's out in the open tonight. No looking for safes, trapdoors,
or hidden rooms."
An irritated peep
followed his advice, accompanied by what Shax was beginning to recognize as a
hedgehog glare. "I have it, Captain. You gave simple instructions. I am
not Heckle."
"Now, now. None of
that." Shax ran a hand through his hair to complete his artful mussing.
"Heckle's not stupid. Just… easily distracted."
"And impetuous.
And clumsy and so twitchy. Curious fingers."
"He did apologize
and has orders not to enter your burrow again. Please let it go." Shax
unfastened the first three buttons of his shirt. "Here we go, then. I'll
do the best I can to give you time, but when you hear me leaving or when I call
for you, it's time to go."
With a last pat to
Shax's leg, Leopold dropped to all fours and scurried off through the
vegetation. This would be classic accomplice distraction technique, nothing
fancy. Start with the basics. He tapped in the code for the Brimstone's pilot pod where Ness was
monitoring. "We're going in, cupcake. Radio silence, please. I'll yell if
we need you."
"Please be
careful, my love." Ness's soft voice caressed his nerves.
"Easy job. Nothing
to worry about."
"You do know
you've said that before."
"Hush. No more.
I'll see you soon."
He started for the
front door, keeping in plain sight, dragging his right foot a bit in case
anyone was watching. Tonight, Leopold was the second-story man while Shax was
just the diversion.
He waited until Leopold
had made it around the side of the house before he lifted the handle on the
gargoyle knocker and hammered on the door. "Hello! Is anyone home? Please,
please help! There's been a terrible accident!"
A thin, terrified wail
seeped through the heavy door. Shax tilted his head to listen. No, this was
getting too ridiculous. A clank of chains accompanied heavy footfalls toward
the door. Something on the other side let out an eerie moan. Then the door
swung open on creaking hinges to reveal a dim, cobweb-festooned chandelier in a
much-neglected front hall.
Oh,
for all the sulfurous pits' sakes. Shax decided to play
along and performed the requisite action by calling "Hello?" at the
dark and sinister interior.
He jerked back when a
face suddenly popped up before him. Pale, cadaverous, sunken eyes wide, the
apparition regarded him openmouthed for a single instant.
"Bells and
whiskers!" the apparition whispered in obvious horror. "What in all
elements are you doing out there?
You're supposed to be in here. Oh my
goodness."
A skeletal hand closed
around Shax's wrist and he blinked in confusion as he was dragged inside.
"Pardon?"
"It's really
rather rude of you. If you're going to answer the summons, you should at least
do it properly."
"I'm… sorry?"
Eternity in the Tides by Freddy MacKay
Crimson,
hot pink, burnt
orange, and a
dark purple lit
the sky and splashed
over the calm
waters of Lake
Superior. Dusk had
fallen in all
its beauty, gracing Zak
with the perfect
moment at his
favorite stomping grounds. If he had
to go, and
well… yeah, he
couldn't ask for
anything better than this.
Tonight was the
night. Had to be.
Water
lapped at the
boat, rocking it
gently. A breeze
wafted over Zak. He
shivered, then hugged
himself as he
looked over the
lake, back at Madeline
Island. Like each
night over the
past few days,
a pang of
longing hit him. Zak
had said his
goodbyes, accepted the fate handed
to him, knew better
than to hold
on to dreams
he could never
have. He should
have been able to take
the next step.
But he couldn't.
Each
night he rowed
back to his
rental cabin, Quiet Bequest,
in defeat. What the
hell he held
on for, Zak
didn't have a
clue. His heart
thumped heavily, his palms
slipped over the
oars, and the
hair on his
arms stood up —goose
bumps everywhere—as if something big were about
to happen.
Well, yeah, something
huge if
Zak could get
his head on
straight. Well, maybe not
straight—his plan was
utter ridiculousness to
the outside observer. Made sense
to him, though. But then it would.
Anticipation rode Zak hard. He knew what he had to do. Planned it. Came determined. This trip, the two-week cabin retreat he could never afford, the rowboat—my accident—had been in the works for months. And now… now Zak cowered in his waterlogged rowboat.
Guest Post with Freddy MacKay
Finish It
By Freddy MacKay
The hardest part for me as an author is finishing the story. Not because I don't want to. Life interferes more often than I wish it would, but it also has to do with me as a writer.
The best thing you can do for yourself as an author? Finish the damn story.
It puts me in quite a conundrum then.
I know what I need to do for my stories. I have plot points I know need to hit. I have characters talking to me. I have arcs working themselves out. I need to finish.
I can get tripped up on things in the story, though. Small things that stop me. I can feel when something is missing or not quite right for the story or the characters. Problem with my life is, though, I have an every day job and family that needs taken care of. Real life interjects so that when I have to walk away from a stumble in the story I can't get right back to it. I don't even get a breather to think about how to solve my problem. I'm always going.
Am I complaining? No. But it does make writing go slower for me. I think that's what is the most frustrating part. Not being able to focus like I want to. I know some people who can pick up and write whenever, wherever in short bursts, but I have found that process is detrimental to my writing.
I need long blocks where I can focus and m y thoughts lead me. When I get interrupted. Poof. Gone.
Advice from others? Keep writing. Finish it. Once you're done then you can go back and fix.
That's the hardest part. To keep going when I know something is wrong. Some authors are perfectly capable of doing it. Hell, I know I've done it. But it's hard when time is precious and you don't get many opportunities to go back.
I do, though, find time to think. I will work on the problem and think it through until I can write again—because the story does need to be written. You do have to finish it. The story can't breathe or get a chance if you never know how it ends.
And yes, I do go back and fix. First drafts are exactly that. First. Once done you have learned your characters. You know your story. You have figured out what it means. Sometimes it just takes me a while to get there.
So, yes, I can be slow. Life interferes. But I do finish it. The story must go on.
About Toni Griffin
Toni
Griffin lives in Darwin, the smallest of Australia's capital cities. Born and
raised in the state she's a Territorian through and through. Growing up Toni
hated English with a passion (as her editors can probably attest to) and found
her strength lies with numbers.
Now,
though, she loves escaping to the worlds she creates and hopes to continue to
do so for many years to come. She's a single mother of one and works full time.
When she's not writing you can just about guarantee that she will be reading
one of the many MM authors she loves.
For
a complete list of books, go to: http://tonigriffin.net/Current_Books.html
:: Website :: Facebook Page ::
About J. Scott Coatsworth
Scott
is the admin for the Queer Sci Fi site. He has been writing since ele- mentary
school, when he and won a University of Arizona writing contest in 4th grade
for his first sci fi story (with illustrations!). He finished his first novel
in his mid twenties, but after seeing it rejected by ten publishers, he gave up
on writing for a while.
Over
the ensuing years, he came back to it periodically, but it never stuck. Then
one day, he was complaining to Mark, his husband, about how he had been
derailed yet again by the death of a family member, and Mark said to him
"the only one stopping you from writing is you."
Since
then, Scott has gone back to writing in a big way, finishing more than a dozen
short stories—some new, some that he had started years be- fore—and seeing his
first sale. He's embarking on a new trilogy, and also runs QSF, a support group
for writers of gay sci fi, fantasy, and supernatu- ral fiction.
:: Website :: Twitter :: Facebook Page ::
About Freddy MacKay
Freddy
grew up in the Midwest, playing sports and running around outside. And
honestly, that much has not changed since Freddy was small and throwing worms
at other kids, expect worm throwing has been replaced with a healthy geocaching
addiction. Freddy enjoys traveling and holds the view a person should
continually to learn about new things and people whenever possible.
Freddy's
contemporary LGBTQ book, Incubation: Finding Peace 2, won 3rd Place - Best Gay
Erotic Fiction in the 2012 Rainbow Awards. In 2013, Freddy's story, Internment,
tied for 3rd Place - Best Gay Fantasy in the Rainbow Awards. Freddy's
steampunk/SF story, Feel Me, was a finalist and honorable mention in the 2014
Rainbow Awards for SF. You can email Freddy at: freddy.m.mackay@gmail.com
About Angel Martinez
While
Angel Martinez is the erotic fiction pen name of a writer of several genres,
she writes both kinds of gay romance – Science Fiction and Fantasy. Currently
living part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware, (and full time
inside the author's head) Angel has one husband, one son, two cats, a changing
variety of other furred and scaled companions, a love of all things beautiful
and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.
:: Website :: Facebook Page :: Goodreads :: Email ::
Winner’s
Prize: $20 Amazon/ARe Gift Card
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