THE DARK SIDE by Angela Knight, Sierra Dafoe, Will Okati #LGBTQ+ #BDSM #ParanormalRomance @changelingpress

LGBTQ+, BDSM, Paranormal Romance

Date Published: May 16, 2025

 

Welcome to The Dark Side, where the line between love and lust blurs with dangerous passions.

The Dark One by Angela Knight

Matia of Ruza is one of the legendary Battlemaids -- a woman warrior who has taken an oath of celibacy in service of the Maid of Light. Kaska intends to make Matia the centerpiece in a sizzling erotic ritual in honor of his god.

Chain of Thorns by Will Okati

Riven finds himself trapped and enslaved by a powerfully seductive alien. Where is the line between fantasy and reality -- slavery and love?

BloodWolf by Sierra Dafoe

Centuries ago an ancient evil turned Baudouin Delacor into a beast for which there had never before been a name -- the BloodWolf. Delacor has only one hope left: that by destroying the succubus, he can free himself of its curse.

 

EXCERPT

Excerpt from The Dark One (Angela Knight)

 

Kaska of Artane slowed his stallion to an easy amble. Prince Britar's fortress lay a full day away, and he'd ridden poor Warbringer hard this past month. He knew the Prince awaited the intelligence he'd gathered as a spy in neighboring Trovan but laming his horse would serve no purpose.

Particularly with war on the horizon.

Besides, the last time Kaska had come this way, he'd had to battle the local brigands. Two fell to his blade before the rest fled, but that left five. And they might be in the mood for revenge. I don't care to ride headlong into an ambush.

"Whoreson bastards!" A woman's roar of fury brought Kaska's head up. He drew Warbringer to a prancing halt.

Swords clashed, interspaced with male taunts and laughter. The laughter had a distinctly ugly note. The woman swore again, an edge of grim desperation in her voice.

The thieves had found a new victim.

Kaska set his heels to Warbringer's flanks and thundered up the road toward the sound. Rounding the bend, he saw five men fighting a lone female traveler they'd managed to unhorse. He recognized the dented, rusted armor and unshaven faces; it was indeed the same band of thieves.

But their victim was no common woman. Her armor and sword marked her as a follower of the Maid of Light -- a female warrior. She was tall for a woman, with a lithe, muscular build and pretty breasts barely contained by her intricately embossed breastplate. Long black hair swirled around her face as she spun and hacked at her tormentors with a slim sword designed for a woman's hand.

One of the brigands already lay dead at her feet, but four others remained, odds too great even for one of the legendary Battlemaids.

A grin of sheer, savage joy spread across Kaska's face. With a howl, he drew the blade sheathed across his back and kicked Warbringer into a thundering charge.

The nearest of the brigands whirled too late. Kaska took his head with a single stroke.

Another of the men jumped at him, hacking for his thigh with an axe, but Kaska spun Warbringer aside and thrust his blade into the thief's chest. The man tumbled off the lethal point, gurgling out his life.

Meanwhile, the third brigand fell to the Battlemaid's sword. His head tumbled from his shoulders.

The fourth man looked from Kaska to the thieves' would-be victim, calculated the odds, and took to his heels.

Kaska snatched a dagger from his thigh sheath and hurled it at the coward with an expert flip of his wrist. The man went down, the blade buried to the hilt between his shoulder blades.

Scarcely breathing hard, Kaska turned to the maid. "Are you well?"

"Well enough." She studied him, her dark eyes level. There was a sharp and elegant beauty to her face, with its broad, high cheekbones and square little chin. Her lush mouth could inspire a monk to carnal fantasies.

"My thanks, warrior," she said at last in a low, husky voice, pushing the long black hair out of her face. "There were too many of them for me to best alone." She considered him, appraising the width of his chest and the strength of his sword arm. Female appreciation lit her gaze, mixed with a warrior's caution.

She had reason for that caution, for he meant to challenge her himself. He worshiped the Dark One, and his god relished nothing as much as the moans of a defeated Battlemaid.

Imagining the tight grip of her virgin ass, Kaska felt his cock swell behind his loincloth.

Give her time to rest, and then...

Of course, the maid might well kill him instead, but looking at her long legs and full, sweet breasts, Kaska thought it a chance well worth taking.

But as he opened his mouth to warn her of his intent, all color left the Battlemaid's face. Her eyes rolled up. Kaska threw himself from Warbringer's back as she collapsed in a heap.

Two long strides carried him to the maid's side. Dropping to one knee on the dusty road, Kaska began an anxious examination. He found no wounds on the front of her body, so he rolled her onto her back.

The maid groaned and lifted her head. "Wha --?"

"Seems one of your cur attackers landed a blow after all," he told her grimly. "There's a stab wound in your back just under your backplate, over your left hip."

"Aye," she said, letting her head fall. "One of them had a dagger."

"'Tis not deep, but it bleeds still," Kaska said. "I can treat it, if you permit."

"Aye," the maid said, breathing now in shallow pants. "My thanks."

Kaska nodded and rose to retrieve his pack of battlefield medicines from Warbringer. Well, he thought as he walked to his horse, I won't be challenging her any time soon. Not with that wound.

Later, perhaps. When he'd examined her, he'd noticed she had a truly delicious ass.

He wanted it.

 

About the Authors

Angela Knight:

New York Times best-selling author Angela Knight has written and published more than sixty novels, novellas, and ebooks, including the Mageverse and Merlin’s Legacy series. With a career spanning more than two decades, Romantic Times Bookclub Magazine has awarded her their Career Achievement award in Paranormal Romance, as well as two Reviewers’ Choice awards for Best Erotic Romance and Best Werewolf Romance.

Sierra Dafoe:

An award-winning author who received three CAPA nominations in her first year of publishing, Sierra Dafoe has gone on to receive numerous awards and recommended reads for her work. Check her website for free stories, a link to her readers' group, sneak peeks, and all her latest news. Sign up for her newsletter to be entered in her monthly contest, and reach out through the "contact" page -- she loves hearing from her readers!

Will Okati:

Will Okati (formerly known as Willa) has lived through a few Interesting Times, but come out the other side a little grayer, a little wiser, and ready to get writing. Still as passionate about coffee, cats, and crafts as ever, but knowing that to your own self you must be true. Also still one of the quiet ones to watch out for, but life -- like storytelling -- is always a work in progress.

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

Pre-Order Today

Hawk by Marteeka Karland #MCromance @changelingpress

 

(Kiss of Death MC 3)

Motorcycle Club Romance

Date Published: May 16, 2025

 

May God have mercy on Carrie’s enemies, because I have none.

Carrie -- When I stumble out of the fog into a motorcycle club compound, the guys seem more freaked out over my name (something about an old movie?) than the fact that I’m covered in blood and asking for a jug of sulfuric acid. Not my best moment. Then Hawk steps in. His smile and the careful way he takes care of me steal my heart. I’m asking for heartache, but my whole life has been nothing but pain and disappointment. Just this once, I want to take control, take what I want. And I want Hawk. No matter what happens when my family finds me.

Hawk -- I knew Carrie was trouble the second I laid eyes on her. Of course, she was covered in blood, so, easy call. What I didn’t count on is how completely and quickly I fell under her spell. I might not be ready to admit it, but my brothers know and plan accordingly. Carrie is mine. Even though she’s proven she can take care of herself, whatever trouble she has coming for her will have to go through me.

Warning: Graphic violence and adult content which may be triggers for some readers. As always, there is a happily ever after with no cheating.

Excerpt

Copyright ©2025 Marteeka Karland

 

The family reunion continued. Unfortunately, the women weren’t here. “Unfortunately” because I really wanted to see some fireworks tonight. Probably just as well because that feeling I had before was becoming an itch between my shoulder blades I couldn’t ignore.

I stood, acknowledging my brothers as I passed them on the way to the door. I stepped outside and took a deep breath. It was barely summer and already the air was humid and thick with moisture. I welcomed it, though. Inside our little corner of the city we’d created a haven of sorts. One whole city block in the center we turned into a small forest. In the center of that, was a park of sorts where we had a couple of vegetable gardens and several flowerbeds. Wasn’t a very “biker” thing to do, but it was peaceful. At one time or another, after getting out of prison, we all needed the relative quiet and solitude.

“What’s goin’ on, Hawk?” I looked over my shoulder to find Chains. He’d been my cellie for a while, and after I’d gotten out, he found me and brought me to Kiss of Death. We’d helped clean out the trash in the club when they’d picked a fight with the wrong club.

“Don’t know. Somethin’.”

Chains nodded as he stepped beside me. He leaned against the rail in front of the main clubhouse. Crumbled concrete, gravel, and dirt lined the paths that made up the “roads” in our territory. It looked exactly like what it was. A prison of our own making. Only this one was to keep the rest of the world away from us instead of the other way around.

“You got that feelin’ again?” Chains lit a cigarette, the flare of his lighter briefly illuminating the hard planes of his face. He’d been with me long enough to recognize when my instincts kicked in.

I nodded, scanning the perimeter of our compound. “Yeah. Like somethin’s comin’ our way.”

“Something or someone?”

“Fuck if I know.” I rubbed the back of my neck, trying to shake the sensation. My instincts had saved my ass more times than I could count, both on the inside and out. When they started screaming like this, shit was about to go down.

We stood in silence for a few minutes, Chains smoking and me just watching the night. Our guard posts on top of each building were manned. Security lights flooding lights flooding the area close to our fencing provided a little extra protection for the buildings around us. If nothing else, the extra lighting made it easier for their own security cameras to get good imaging of whomever was trying to rip them off.

The sound of laughter and music drifting from the clubhouse behind us usually filled me with contentment. Tonight, it was an irritation. I needed to hear the night around me, to get an idea what was about to hit us.

I ducked under the railing and walked down the gravel path, not sure where I was going but needing to get away from the noise and light. Though the area around our compound was well lit, the interior was dark except for inside the various buildings. The paths between buildings and everything other than the center garden were covered in camo netting. We were as protected as we could be here. So why were my instincts screaming at me? The feeling got worse with each passing moment.

“Hawk?” Chains fell into step beside me, his gaze sweeping the area above the fence line. “You see somethin’?”

I didn’t answer. Wasn’t sure I could because with every second ticking by, my anxiety increased. It wasn’t late, but the high humidity and milder temperatures made the fog coming off the Cumberland River roll in thick as pea soup. Every breath in was heavy and wet, the water vapor tickling my nose. The security lights reflected back, making visibility very far outside our walls nearly impossible.

The moment I saw the small figure emerge from the thick mist, it felt like all the hair stood up on my body. It was definitely a woman, but there was something off about her. I took a step forward. Then another. I was stopped when Chains grabbed my arm.

“Easy, brother. That’s creepy as fuck and I don’t fuckin’ know…” He trailed off. Which is when I got my first good look at the woman, courtesy of the flood lights as she came closer. No mistaking she was heading straight for us with a purposeful stride. “Why’s she covered in mud?”

“Don’t think that’s mud, Hawk.” Chains puffed his chest out and called out to the would-be intruder. “Stop there, little miss. Private property and all that.”

She stopped directly in one spotlight so there was no mistaking her appearance and physical state. “That your blood?” Private property or not, need for secrecy and privacy or not, I absolutely would not deny a woman help who’d lost that much blood.

“What?” She had a confused look on her face, then looked down at herself. “Oh! That. Nah, not my blood. I’m good.” She gave me a bright smile and a big thumbs up. “But I’m kind of in a bit of a bind?” She actually looked like she was genuinely sorry to take up our time. Like she wasn’t covered in blood looking like something out of a horror movie.

I glanced over at Chains. His fists were clenched at his side, his eyes wide. Guy was superstitious as fuck, but I’d never seen him like this. Looking back to the woman, I started to answer when a light flashed over her blood-splattered face and I had to fight off a shudder. Never show weakness. It was a mantra that had served me well. Yet, here I was about to piss myself because of one tiny woman with a little blood on her. OK, so a lot of blood, but how did I know it was even blood? Might be fake blood. Might be animal blood, which was disturbing in itself. Maybe it was mud after all, and the lighting and mist were distorting the colors.

“Yeah, small bind.” She winced and held her thumb and finger an inch apart. “Very small. Almost nonexistent, except it’s not.” Her expression fell slightly. “Um, anyway. I gave the guys every chance to walk away. I swear.” Her eyes were almost comically wide. Like she was a kid trying to talk her parents out of a punishment for something she’d done.

“Gave who a chance to walk away?” The question tumbled from my lips without my consent. I didn’t need to know. Didn’t want to know. The less I knew the better. Ex-con and all. I saw Chains out of the corner of my eye. He gave me a sharp look, but didn’t say anything, either unwilling to show division or to stop the carnage he knew would follow. Yeah. We were sick bastards like that.

“Oh, the guys I stabbed.” She gave a slight, nervous laugh. “I wouldn’t have hurt either of them if one of them hadn’t pulled the knife after I broke the other guy’s leg. And I wouldn’t have broken his leg if he hadn’t tried to hit me.”

“Tried to hit you.” Could I sound any more stupid?

“Yeah. They were trying to rob me and I took exception.”

 

About the Author

Marteeka Karland is an international bestselling author who leads a double life as an erotic romance author by evening and a semi-domesticated housewife by day. Known for her down and dirty MC romances, Marteeka takes pleasure in spinning tales of tenacious, protective heroes and spirited, vulnerable heroines. She staunchly advocates that every character deserves a blissful ending, even, sometimes, the villains in her narratives. Her writings are speckled with intense, raw elements resulting in page-turning delight entwined with seductive escapades leading up to gratifying conclusions that elicit a sigh from her readers.

Away from the pen, Marteeka finds joy in baking and supporting her husband with their gardening activities. The late summer season is set aside for preserving the delightful harvest that springs from their combined efforts (which is mostly his efforts, but you can count it). To stay updated with Marteeka's latest adventures and forthcoming books, make sure to visit her website. Don't forget to register for her newsletter which will pepper you with a potpourri of Teeka's beloved recipes, book suggestions, autograph events, and a plethora of interesting tidbits.

Author Contact Links

Author on Instagram & TikTok: @marteekakarland

Author on Facebook

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

Pre-Order Today

Open Education by Matt Bowman and Isaac Morehouse #NonFiction #Education

How to Reimagine Learning, Ignite Curiosity, and Prepare Kids for Success

 

Nonfiction (Education)

Date Published: May 13, 2025

Publisher: Elite Online Publishing

 

The world is changing faster than ever before, and our education system is falling behind. As technology reshapes the way we live, work, and play, it's time to rethink how we educate our children for a future full of innovation and uncertainty. In Open Education, Matt Bowman and Isaac Morehouse challenge the outdated norms of traditional schooling and offer a bold vision for the future of learning—one that’s flexible, individualized, and designed to ignite a child’s natural curiosity.

For over a century, schools have been rigid in their approach:

- Grouping kids by age rather than ability

- Teaching at a standardized pace, ignoring individual needs

- Confining learning to strict schedules and physical classrooms

- Grading on an arbitrary A-F scale that doesn’t reflect real-world skills

But the future requires something different. Today’s job market values creativity, adaptability, and lifelong learning—qualities often stifled by conventional education. Matt and Isaac argue that children should be given more freedom and autonomy in their learning, allowing them to explore their interests, embrace failure as a stepping stone, and cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset that will serve them no matter where life takes them.

Open Education is your guide to reimagining the learning journey. If you're ready to break free from the one-size-fits-all approach, rekindle your child's love of learning, and prepare them for a rapidly changing world, this book will show you how.

Prepare your child for a future where thinking outside the box is the key to success.

Excerpt

STUDENTS AREN’T STANDARD

One evening, when our youngest daughter was about seven, she skipped into our bedroom just to tell us she was going to read a

book. As she skipped back out, I turned to my husband, Matt, and asked, “At what point does life take that skip out of you? When do we lose that pure joy in learning?” That question has stuck with me ever since.

Too often, I have seen how our traditional education system slowly replaces that natural joy with rigid expectations and standardized measures. As we raised our five children—all in the same home environment and with the same routines, house rules, and opportunities—we noticed something that every parent before us already knew: each child is profoundly different. But what struck me wasn’t just their different personalities or interests, it was how differently each one learned and developed.

Like many parents, we started with traditional approaches. I volunteered at the local public school and ran the book fair. Matt coached every sport until our kids were teenagers. We did all the “right” things. But our perspective began to shift when our oldest son wanted to transfer to a brand-new charter school, something almost unheard of in our community at the time. Back then, leaving your assigned district school was seen as a rejection of public education. The pushback was immediate. “What are you doing?” people asked. “Do you even understand what you’re giving up?”

We were more concerned about our child feeling validated and successful than following the expected path. Each year we asked if he wanted to return to his district school. He chose to stay, and he thrived. Later, when our younger children reached the same age, they chose a different path entirely. Each choice was different, but each was right for that child.

During this time, we sat down with a calculator and made a startling discovery. Our children spent about seven hours a day in school for 180 days, roughly 1,260 hours per year. That left 2,390 hours of potential learning time at home. The math was undeniable. Time spent outside the classroom matters. Parents are ultimately their children’s primary educators, whether they plan for it or not. This realization led us to ask a bigger question. If our own children need more flexible, personalized education options, how many other families face the same challenge?

In 2009, we created My Tech High (now OpenEd) to help students access different classes, resources, and opportunities that spoke to their individual interests and learning styles. Years later, our conviction about personalized learning was reinforced in a deeply personal way. One of our sons was everything the public school system could want. He was a student body officer, a top varsity athlete in multiple sports, and he earned excellent grades. He was well-rounded, well-liked, and loved to learn.

Yet, when it came time to take the ACT, he consistently scored below what colleges expected, despite multiple attempts.

Watching him pour his heart and soul into studying, only to feel crushed by the results again and again, confirmed what we already knew. Standardized testing measurements can never capture a child’s true potential nor accurately reflect what they have learned.

During this journey, I felt God speaking to me, helping me understand something crucial: God is the author of diversity. A child’s learning style isn’t a flaw to be corrected by the system, it’s a divine design to be celebrated. Each child’s unique way of learning is beautiful, intentional, and worthy of honor. This understanding transformed how we saw education itself.

One year, we were excited to see several OpenEd students  earn their associate degree before they turned eighteen. Matt suggested we might want to host an event to celebrate this major accomplishment. I asked him, “Who decides which achievements are worthy of celebration? Why not host an event to celebrate  students who started their own business, or mastered a musical  instrument, or achieved their academic goals in their own personal way through art, dance, sports, or an industry certification?” 

We’ve been guided by this perspective ever since. Today, at various in-person OpenEd events, parents I have never met approach me with tears in their eyes, grateful that their children finally have the freedom to learn in ways that work for them. I’ll never forget one parent who shared with me that her eight-year-old son was deeply discouraged. He was profoundly gifted in science and was convinced he had learned everything there was to know. He believed his local school had no more challenges to offer him. When he was given the opportunity to attend a college physics class with his grandfather, the professor opened his eyes to ongoing discoveries in quantum mechanics and dark matter. His natural curiosity reignited, and he realized that human knowledge wasn’t finite. We’re all still learning, still discovering. This changed his life forever.

As a teenager, my father encouraged me to become an expert in something people would seek out. I struggled with that advice as I thought every field of expertise was already claimed. Now I see the irony. Through building OpenEd, I have been fortunate to become an expert in finding ways to help families trust their instincts about their children’s education. Today, even as two of our own children are public school teachers, we understand that education isn’t about choosing between traditional and alternative approaches, it’s about having the confidence to combine different learning opportunities in ways that work for your unique child. That’s Open Education.

This book offers a roadmap for that journey. Matt and Isaac break down the practical insights and systematic approach we’ve developed over fifteen years of working with families who want more for their children. The tools to build something better are already in your hands, and they’re simpler to adopt than you might think.

– Amy Bowman, Co-founder, OpenEd, mother of five children (all married), Grammy to four grandchildren

About Matt Bowman

Matt Bowman is an innovator in education and technology, and is deeply dedicated to transforming the way children learn. He and his wife, Amy founded OpenEd together, and the Bowmans have spent over three decades championing personalized education, combining cutting-edge technology with an entrepreneurial spirit to help students thrive in a rapidly changing world. Matt and Amy focus every day on empowering young learners by offering them the tools and flexibility to pursue their passions and develop the skills necessary for future success.

A former sixth-grade teacher and tech executive, Matt has been at the forefront of online education since the 1990s. He holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education, and is an alumnus of Stanford’s Executive Business Management program. In addition to his professional accomplishments, Matt has been a speaker and panelist at numerous educational and technology conferences. His insights into the future of education have been sought after by educators and industry leaders alike.

The Bowmans’ unique approach to education has earned them recognition across the country, with OpenEd collectively serving more than 100,000 student enrollments over the years across multiple states, including many military families worldwide. Their work is driven by their core belief that “Learning happens inside learners, not inside classrooms.”

Matt and Amy live in the mountains of Utah, where they enjoy spending time with their five adult children and their spouses, plus four grandchildren (and counting). They continue to explore new ways to innovate within the educational landscape to help all children access the resources to help them be successful, today and in the future.

About Isaac Morehouse

Isaac Morehouse is the CEO of OpenEd, working to open up all education options to all learners. He has founded and built several companies, served as a CEO and CMO, and loves rallying people around a vision and building teams to do the things he can’t.

Isaac is dedicated to the relentless pursuit of freedom and is deeply passionate about education and entrepreneurship. He loves writing, music, his wife Heather and four kids, a good cigar, and getting angry about sports (especially the Detroit Lions).

He has given hundreds of talks and interviews, authored, co-authored, or ghostwritten over 3,000 articles and twelve books, helped thousands of people launch their careers, and dozens of businesses tell their stories. He is a firm believer in learning out loud and making a daily commitment to creation in all forms. He currently lives with his family in Bradenton, Florida.

 

Contact Links

Website

Blog

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

Youtube

LinkedIn

Pinterest

Purchase Today

The Belmont by Anthony Cocco #Fiction

Fiction

Date Published: February 28, 2025

Publisher: MindStir Media

The Belmont is a tale of a young man's struggles with a heartbreak he cannot get past, set against the backdrop of a bacchanalia-filled weekend centered around the 1998 Belmont Stakes horse race, which ended with a Triple Crown bid thwarted by a photo finish. During a long "weekend" spread out over six days and in three different states, a weekend fueled by alcohol and sexual tension, but also filled with reflective, heartbreaking, exhilarating, hilarious, and heartwarming moments, Tommy Cippolini embarks on a journey of self-discovery, experiencing just about every single human emotion along the way. In between episodes filled with anger and frustration, anticipation, anxiety, disappointment, sexual arousal and temptation, binge drinking, daringness and trepidation, hilarity and debauchery, and longing and sadness, Tommy confides in good friends, casual friends, strangers, and family members about his feelings and past trials and tribulations.

About the Author

My name is Anthony Cocco.  I’m 59 years old and a native of Malden, Massachusetts, but I’ve spent most of the last 21 years living about 20 miles north of Boston. Since 1997, I’ve worked in the financial services industry (some asset managers and some retirement services providers), in various roles, and recently started my fifth different job in that industry in February of 2025. Prior to that, I worked (out of college) in the health insurance field, mainly in customer and provider relations (three different companies in two different states—Massachusetts and Florida).

I am the fourth (and final) child born to the late Morris and Dorothy Cocco. I have two living (and one recently deceased) siblings, one brother and one sister (my eldest sister passed away suddenly in July 2024 at age 72).

I have no children of my own and have never been married, but I do have five nieces and nephews (3 of the former and 2 of the latter), two of which are the daughters of my late sister. Since I’m the only one of our parents’ kids to have remained living (for the most part) in Massachusetts, the rest of my family (except for some cousins) is somewhat spread out across the country.

I attended the State University of New York at New Paltz from 1984-88, where I earned a (largely unused) degree in Journalism (I wanted to be a sports broadcaster but got sidetracked when someone convinced me I needed to be a sportswriter instead). It wasn’t long before I realized that vocation wasn’t a good match for me, but my years at New Paltz weren’t entirely wasted because it was during that time when I met one of my lifelong friends, the guy who introduced me to the “Belmont Stakes crew”—his friends from his youth and from his undergrad college years. One of the main characters in my book is based on him, and all of the characters that make up the entire Belmont “tribe”, as I call it in the book, are based on his friends and other acquaintances.

Contact Links

"X"

LinkedIn

 

Purchase Link

Amazon

IMMORTAL HEAT by Kira Stone #BDSM #Romance @changelingpress

 

BDSM Romance, Gay, Dark Fantasy

Date Published: May 9, 2025

 

 

Three vampires battle the lives they left behind to build a future out of the ashes of their pasts.

 

Immortal Steps: Tain, a renowned Celtic dancer, has bitter memories of his first crush and the trainer who left him without a word. For years he's flung himself from one brief romantic encounter to another, the subject of tabloid gossip and speculation, always insisting he's not gay. When Kyle, Tain's old mentor, comes back into Tain's life, the last thing Tain wants is to give the man, or the vampire, a place in his heart.

Hidden Depths: Pat's devoted his life to locating the wreck of The Pelican's Flight, sunk in 1692, along with forty other ships, when the infamous town of Port Royal slid into the Caribbean. Jamie lost more than his lover when The Pelican went down. Pat offers Jamie hope at finding his ship, along with a chance at rediscovering love. Will the secrets they share bring them together? Or tear them apart?

Vampires In Heat: Humans in Seattle are dying as a result of domestic cat vampires and demonesses working together. The latest victim is Erron's neighbor and best friend. Nolan, the leader of Seattle's Pacifistic Vampire Clan, and Erron, an albino who is commonly mistaken for a vampire, team up with the cat vamp leader to find the rogues who are killing needlessly and trying to discredit vampire-kind. And just maybe, between them, they'll find more than a remedy for this vampire scourge -- like love!

Publisher's Note: Immortal Steps, Vampires In Heat, and Hidden Depths have been previously published as stand alone novellas.

 

 

EXCERPT

Excerpt from Immortal Steps

 

Alone, Kyle Lohan entered his private balcony at the Grampian Theater in Edinburgh, Scotland. As he sat down, the house lights dimmed briefly to signal a two minute warning before the show began. The box smelled faintly of sex, although he doubted anyone without a vampire's heightened senses could detect the erotic scent. Regardless, it was his own fault for sneaking in to watch rehearsals the previous evening. He'd been unable to resist tugging his cock in time with the heavy beat of the dancers as they practiced.

Okay, not all the performers excited him. Just one.

Tain O'Halloran.

Tonight Kyle had better prepared for the public performance, or so he'd thought. The quick release during his shower should have calmed his libido enough to sit through the performance without a hard-on. But as the first strains of a flute solo poured across the stage, the anticipation proved to be more than his body could resist and his cock rose to an aching fullness.

Tain. On stage. His stage.

How long had he waited for this? Worked for this? Dreamed of this? Sometimes it seemed like forever. And yet, very soon, the moment he'd been preparing for would arrive. One way or another, he would finally end his long pursuit.

He adjusted the fit of his tuxedo pants as the chorus sprinted across the stage. Their shoes hit the wooden floor in rhythmic, staccato beats, flirting with the notes. Kyle couldn't stop his own feet from scuffing against the floor in a pale imitation of the dancers' fancy footwork. Had his heart been prone to beat, it would have been racing as fast as the music.

A few more seconds...

Then, appearing out of a flash of light and smoke, bam! There he was. Tain O'Halloran. The male lead's long, sleek black hair floated behind him as he bounced in perfect synchronization with the little blond at his side. His grey eyes flashed with pure joy and a little arrogance. A smile curved his thin pink lips. And what that black leather did for his ass...

Kyle groaned softly as his cock twitched with longing, but he refused to slake his lust. Privacy wasn't an issue, even during a public performance. No, nothing mattered more than soaking up every moment of this night to tuck away in his memories. If the evening didn't go as planned, this could be all he had left to remember the talented young man come morning.

The first dance ended, and Kyle felt the tightness in his chest ease as Tain exited stage right. He'd reappear several times throughout the performance.

Kyle itched with anticipation for the next time, and the next... and the next... By the second act, Kyle could pick out Tain's unique sweat from the morass of odors permeating the air. The scent teased his cock like nothing else. His whole body tensed as he imagined jumping over the balcony's rail to land on top of the dancer's young bones, then fucking him to within an inch of his life, claiming him on stage for all the world to see.

Well, that's one way to announce that you're back in his life, Kyle thought with a rueful shake of his head. Definitely not one of your brightest ideas though.

If anything, such a bold, stupid move would get him thrown out of Tain's life for good. Kyle's goal was quite the opposite. If he had his way, nothing would separate him from Tain ever again.

The show ended with a roar of applause that pulled the dancers back on stage for a second encore. Vibrant and smiling under the lights, Tain looked like he could hold out for a third reprise if the director let him. However, the rest of the troupe wasn't fairing as well, so when the curtains closed again the house lights came up.

The show was over, but Kyle's performance of a lifetime was about to begin.

About the Author

Kira Stone has been around the block…the writer’s block, that is.

From vamps and witches to historical heroes, from futuristic scientists to paranormal corporate executives, from Canadian werewolves to off-world shifters, Kira has written about them all. Manlove has sparked hot and heavy in many of her plots, but Kira also finds a lucky lady to keep the sexy heroes company from time to time. While Scotland remains her favorite place in the world, Kira is constantly in search of new adventures to add to the creative primordial ooze where her best stories are born.

Author’s Website

Author on Facebook

Author on Goodreads

Publisher on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok: @changelingpress

Pre-Order Today