Tag: paranormal

Guest Post | Returning to the Werewolf

~ Ofelia Gränd ~ 2 Comments

Hiya! I’m here as Holly Day today. On November 5th, Returning to the Werewolf was released. It’s a story I wrote to celebrate Drowsy Driving Prevention Week.

Lex is in Warwood, a tiny place surrounded by wide stretches of forest, to attend his grandmother’s funeral. Instead of staying in the motel where he has rented a room, he decided to drive home. But it’s a long way, and it’s in the middle of the night, and he’s tired.

When a naked man appears on the road, Lex slams the brakes, and when he sees the man turn into a wolf, he’s convinced he’s fallen asleep and dreamt what he saw.

He didn’t, but Lex doesn’t know werewolves exist, and he doesn’t know that Cash, the only man he’s ever loved is a werewolf. He doesn’t know anything about packs or fated mates, and it’ll take some time to wrap his head around it.

This is an interspecies, fated mates, second chance story, and I love Lex and Cash, but I also have a soft spot for Samus.

Samus is a low-ranking wolf who tries to help Cash win Lex back. Sadly, Cash doesn’t always understand what’s best for him LOL

Returning to the Werewolf

returningtothewerewolf

Lex Gray was in love once. He was young and gave his heart to Cash Udolph, who he believed would be with him forever. When his world fell apart, Cash was nowhere to be found. Lex left Warwood, the tiniest village ever placed on a map, and swore never to come back. Seventeen years later, he’s there to attend his grandmother’s funeral. 

Lex needs to get out of Warwood, but driving in the middle of the night might not have been his best idea. A naked man jumps up on the road only to turn into a wolf before his eyes, and Lex slams the brakes hard enough to slide off the road. When Cash is called in to sort a situation with a human, he never expected the human to be his Lex. He’s been given a second chance, but Lex wants to leave as soon as possible. Can Cash convince Lex to allow him back into his life before the tow truck gets there? 

Buy links

Paranormal Gay Romance: 20,870 words

JMS Books :: Amazon

Returning to the Werewolf

Excerpt:

“Has Lex been in touch?”

Anyone else and Cash would’ve snarled in their face. “Not for a few days.”

“Maybe you should go see him.”

Cash frowned at him. “In Cottleway?”

“Doesn’t matter where, only to show you’re willing to…” He shrugged.

“Willing to what? I’m willing to do anything, but I can’t leave here. If I leave the pack, you’re without an enforcer. I don’t think Arric ever would allow Gordon to take the position, but it could be someone equally unfit.”

“You’ll give up your mate to protect the pack? It’s a noble cause, Cash.” Samus nodded, but it didn’t come across as sincere.

“I never… What would I do in Cottleway? Given Lex would have me.”

Samus laughed. The sound stunned Cash, and he realized how seldom Samus laughed. Shit, why wasn’t he laughing more often?

“What’s so funny?”

“If he’d have you.” He chuckled. “He’s your mate. He might not understand the pull since he’s human, but there will never be anyone else for him. His brain might not comprehend, but he reacts to your scent as you react to his. He reacts to your touch as you react to his. He is your mate, and you are his. He’s scared.”

“Scared?” Lex couldn’t be scared, could he?

“Shitless.”

Cash frowned at him. “How would you know?”

Samus raised an eyebrow at him. “Common sense, my friend. We grow up knowing there are mates. He didn’t. And I don’t know all the details about your past, but enough.”

“Enough?”

“Enough to know he once placed his heart in your hands, and you dropped it in the dirt.”

Cash winced. “I did not! I didn’t want to drop anything. I—”

“Was young, was treated unfairly, was forced to take on your position earlier than you should have. Lex doesn’t understand any of it. He didn’t know werewolves existed until a few weeks ago. He still doesn’t understand pack structure or what you do. He has no idea what your dad did to you—”

“And you do?” Cash had believed Arric was the only one who knew.

“Not in detail, but I’m a submissive wolf people ignore since I have no value.”

What the fuck? Who had ever told him he didn’t have any value? “You have value.”

“They talk as if I’m not there. I learn things.”

Cash was back to snarling again, but not for his own sake. “You have value, Samus. You’re important, and probably my favorite pack mate.”

“Probably?”

He shrugged but grinned. “Your only other competition is Arric.”

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is you need to show Lex he can trust you.”

“How?”

“I don’t know, but this is the grand gesture moment in all the movies.”

Cash stopped and stared at him. “The what?”

“Don’t you ever watch romantic movies?”

“No.” Cash hadn’t meant to sound horrified, but no.

“Oh my God. You need me.” Samus pushed on. “Movie night tonight.”

“What?”

“We’ll watch Romeo and Juliet, Pretty Woman, Dirty Dancing, and… do you sing?”

Cash gaped at him. “Do I look like someone who sings?”

“I was thinking I love you, baby, in 10 Things I Hate About You. You can show up where he is and sing to him. So romantic.”

“Have you lost your mind?” Disgust was dripping from his words.

Samus huffed. “You’ll thank me later.”

Cash doubted it.

About Holly Day 

According to Holly Day, no day should go by uncelebrated and all of them deserve a story. If she’ll have the time to write them remains to be seen. She lives in rural Sweden with a husband, four children, more pets than most, and wouldn’t last a day without coffee.  

Holly gets up at the crack of dawn most days of the week to write gay romance stories. She believes in equality in fiction and in real life. Diversity matters. Representation matters. Visibility matters. We can change the world one story at the time.  

Connect with Holly on social media: 

Website :: Facebook :: Twitter :: Pinterest :: BookBub :: Goodreads :: Newsletter 

Giveaway | November

~ Ofelia Gränd ~ Leave a comment

Book Giveaway

Time for the 11th giveaway of the year!

Last year, Holly published How to Soothe a Dragon in November to celebrate National Button Day. It’s a… I would call it a paranormal romance with dragon shifters, but the dragons are aliens, so I guess we’re meddling in sci-fi too.

I don’t have anything that’s a good match, but we’re throwing in Nine Stones since both stories have crazy neighbours. Nine Stones is a paranormal story about Felix who has a neighbour, Kirk. The problem is he keeps killing Kirk’s cat, but every time he runs over there to tell him of his crime, Kirk is gone. And then the dead cat is gone too. And Kirk looks like someone’s run him over with a car…when Felix has run his cat over with his car.

If you want in on the draw, hop on over to Kingsumo and type in your email address. You’re not subscribing to anything, but make sure you use an address you check since it’s the one I will contact you on if you’re the winner.

Join the draw!

howtosootheadragon

Derek Herman is living a nightmare. Long before he was born, the planet was taken over by a mind-controlling alien race, and everyone is affected except for him. Derek does his best not to draw attention to himself, but it’s not going well.

Ocren Starburst is obsessed with his human neighbor. Every time he sees Derek, he wants nothing more than to grab him, hold him, and keep him forever. And four years of chasing him up the stairs in their apartment building has resulted in Derek refusing to even acknowledge his existence. That is, until Derek accuses Ocren of breaking into his apartment.

Derek found a button on his living room floor, the same kind of button Ocren wears on his police uniform. And while Ocren hasn’t broken in, he knows the button means someone has. Ocren’s race has kept their shape-shifting abilities secret for years, but now his other form wants out to slaughter everyone that dares to get too close to Derek. And staying in control proves hard when threats toward Derek increase.

Will they be able to keep Derek safe without Ocren losing control of his dragon self?

28,195 words

Read an excerpt

Nine Stones

The only thing worse than having a hot neighbor you’re too intimidated to talk to is accidentally hitting his cat with your car.

Felix Lane was perfectly content to spend the rest of his days with Sunny, his canary life companion, in their quiet little corner of the suburbs. But then Kirk Shoo with his unusual eyes moved in across the street, and Felix’s carefully constructed life is starting to unravel.

When your every bad-boy fantasy lingers at the mailbox, stands too close and smells too damn good, what’s an under-appreciated administrative assistant to do? Besides sneak out the backdoor to go to work? But when Kirk’s cat runs out in front of Felix on his way home, he has no choice but to face the music and his dream man. Unless …

What starts as a tragic accident turns into something far more bizarre. And when Felix’s backyard begins to look like a pet cemetery, he has no choice but to come clean. That is, if he can manage to find his sexy neighbor at all.

24,139 words

Read an excerpt

Wrap-Up | October

~ Ofelia Gränd ~ Leave a comment

We’ll do a Wrap-Up Saturday this month. I’ve spent most of my time this week in the hospital with my mother, and writing a blog post was the last thing on my mind, so I missed my ordinary Wrap-Up on the last Wednesday of the month.

It’s okay, I can hardly remember what I’ve read anyway. I’ve mostly been rereading old books when I have been reading. I’ve read a few old MF books, and I read Crowbones by Anne Bishop which was new to me. It’s the 8th story in The Others series. It’s not a romance, but I love that series. One day, I’m gonna write something similar… maybe LOL. 

But okay, let’s see if I can remember what I’ve read…

The Gravedigger’s Brawl by Abigail Roux

I love this one! It was the reread of the month over at Holly’s so you can read all about it there. It has ghosts and my favourite bartender in the whole wide world, or at least one of them.

The Gravedigger's BrawlWhen the past comes back to haunt you, order a double.

Dr. Wyatt Case is never happier than when he’s walking the halls of his history museum. Playing wingman for his best friend at Gravedigger’s Tavern throws him way out of his comfort zone, but not as much as the eccentric man behind the bar, Ash Lucroix.

Ash is everything Wyatt doesn’t understand: exuberant, quirky, and elbow deep in a Gaslight lifestyle that weaves history into everyday life. He coordinates his suspenders with his tongue rings. Within hours, Wyatt and Ash are hooked.

But strange things are afoot at Gravedigger’s, and after a knock to the head, Ash starts seeing things that can’t be explained by old appliances or faulty wiring. Soon everyone at Gravedigger’s is wondering if they’re seeing ghosts, or just going crazy. The answer to that question could end more than just Wyatt and Ash’s fragile relationship—it might also end their lives.

https://books2read.com/TheGravediggersBrawl

A Charm of Magpies by K.J. Charles

I reread the first two stories of the A Charm of Magpies books. I was in the mood to read them, and I was having a debate with myself if it was okay to reread them once again. It’s not that long ago I read them, but I decided my poor brain deserved to rest in the familiar, and reading is for me, not to have some new to write about in a blog post.

A lord in danger. A magician in turmoil. A snowball in hell.

Exiled to China for twenty years, Lucien Vaudrey never planned to return to England. But with the mysterious deaths of his father and brother, it seems the new Lord Crane has inherited an earldom. He’s also inherited his family’s enemies. He needs magical assistance, fast. He doesn’t expect it to turn up angry.

Magician Stephen Day has good reason to hate Crane’s family. Unfortunately, it’s his job to deal with supernatural threats. Besides, the earl is unlike any aristocrat he’s ever met, with the tattoos, the attitude… and the way Crane seems determined to get him into bed. That’s definitely unusual.

Soon Stephen is falling hard for the worst possible man, at the worst possible time. But Crane’s dangerous appeal isn’t the only thing rendering Stephen powerless. Evil pervades the house, a web of plots is closing round Crane, and if Stephen can’t find a way through it—they’re both going to die.

https://books2read.com/MagpieLord

A Case of Possession

Magic in the blood. Danger in the streets.

Lord Crane has never had a lover quite as elusive as Stephen Day. He knows Stephen’s job as justiciar requires secrecy, but the magician is doing his disappearing act more than seems reasonable—especially since Crane will soon return to his home in China. When a blackmailer threatens to expose their illicit relationship, there’s only one thing stopping Crane from leaving the country he loathes: Stephen.

Stephen has problems of his own. As he investigates a plague of giant rats sweeping London, his sudden increase in power, boosted by his blood-and-sex bond with Crane, is rousing suspicion that he’s turned warlock. With all eyes on him, the threat of exposure grows. Stephen could lose his friends, his job and his liberty over his relationship with Crane. He’s not sure if he can take that risk much longer. Crane isn’t sure if he can ask him to.

The rats are closing in, and something has to give…

https://books2read.com/ACaseOfPossession

The Duality Paradigm by Lia Cooper

This is also a reread. I remember liking it a lot when I first read it. I still liked it, but the epithets! How could I have overlooked the epithets the last time I read it?! They make me itch LOL.

Everyone knows magic users and werewolves are intrinsically diametrically opposed…

Seattle Police Detective Ethan Ellison, born into a long line of Quebecois magicians, leads a fairly unassuming life working Theft and consulting on magical misdemeanors. He’s spent eight years building a life for himself in Seattle, far from his father’s shadow. He works hard, lives under the radar, and fucks whoever catches his eye.
Detective Patrick Clanahan, beta-heir to Pack McClanahan, is a tightly wired bundle of rage and guilt, still trying to come to terms with the murder of his last partner.
When a human woman is murdered in werewolf territory under suspicious circumstances, Ethan is reassigned to worked the case with Clanahan in the hopes that he’ll be able to balance out the wolf’s rougher edges.
Too bad they mostly just rub each other the wrong way.

https://books2read.com/Duality

Johnnie by Cardeno C.

This was different from the shifter stories I normally read, and I’ve read a few shifter stories in my day 😇 This has suicide attempts, so if that’s a trigger for you, skip it. For me, it was more the orgy at the beginning that had me close to quitting. I don’t have a poly bone in my body, yeah, I’m boring that way LOL, and as soon as there are more than two people in a bedroom I get really uncomfortable. But there is none of that after the opening scene. Hugh is more than a little slow on the uptake, but I liked it.

JohnnieA Premier lion shifter, Hugh Landry dedicates his life to leading the Berk pride with strength and confidence. Hundreds of people depend on Hugh for safety, success, and happiness. And at over a century old, with more power than can be contained in one body, Hugh relies on a Siphon lion shifter to carry his excess force.

When the Siphon endangers himself and therefore the pride, Hugh must pay attention to the man who has been his silent shadow for a decade. What he learns surprises him, but what he feels astounds him even more.

Two lions, each born to serve, rely on one another to survive. After years by each other’s side, they’ll finally realize the depth of their potential, the joy in their passion, and a connection their kind has never known.

https://books2read.com/Johnnie

I have the feeling I’ve missed a story or two, but I’ve scrolled through my apps, and I can’t find anything else. If some titles pop up in my mind, I’ll add them to next month’s wrap-up.