Breathless Monday: Haunted by the Past

Jared didn't believe in ghosts or love, until he moved into his new house and found both.

Finding a house that suits him, Jared makes the move to reclaim his independence.  However, he doesn't expect to find himself both attracted to and concerned for the almost-reclusive gardener, Evander.

Jared believes Evander is hiding an eating disorder. But the appearance of old photographs and love letters in the house cause him to wonder about the stoic man. As their friendship becomes more, he wants to help and uncover the secrets he knows Evander is hiding. Each of them are haunted by something, and it's not the house.

When a ghost from Jared's past appears, they must fight for their own happiness, even if it means exposing themselves and the truth. 

Buy Link

http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=13&products_id=679

 

Excerpt:

A couple of hours later, Jared returned. Hands on his hips, he glared at the thick, muddy mess on his boots. No matter, the hose is right there. I'll switch on the tap, rinse the worst of the mess off, and carry them into the house to clean properly. Blindly, Jared reached around the corner with one hand as he crouched down to snag a hold of the hose with the other.

With a surprised grunt, he fell back onto his butt. His hand hadn't come into contact with cold metal but cool flesh. He stared up at the man who stepped into view. His dark hair was pulled back into a pony tail, and from this angle the man looked like he towered over six feet.

For someone who worked outdoors, his skin was remarkably fair, and the expanse of pale, smooth skin temporarily robbed Jared of his wits. His eyes seemed determined to focus on either caramel colored nipples or the 'v' lines disappearing into well-worn denim. The man stared down at him, and Jared wondered what kind of impression he was making sitting open-mouthed in a mud puddle.

"I...you startled me." Great opening line. Real smooth, Jared.

"I was about to clean the equipment. You were out."

The stranger's voice was soft, his expression morose, and he tilted his head as if Jared's appearance was a shock to him too. His eyes were a shade of gray Jared had never seen before, and they reflected concern and intelligence.

"Ah, yes, I did go out, but I wandered off the track, got stuck in mud, and since my boots were covered in the stuff, I decided to come back. When I saw the hose, I thought I'd rinse them off before going back into the house."

"Oh. Well. I can wait if you want."

Jared blinked. That's it? He isn't even going to help me?  "Um, could you help me up?" Considering he'd spent the best part of the last six months not wanting anyone to look twice at him, he couldn't understand why it was suddenly so important that this man did.

"I guess so." The man held out his hand and pulled Jared upright with an ease his slender frame belied.

Now standing up, the difference in their height diminished rapidly. In fact, they stood almost shoulder to shoulder, the stranger was maybe an inch or so taller than Jared's modest five foot ten inches. "I'm Jared, the new tenant here. Obviously, you're the gardener, but I wasn't told your name."

"Evander. My name's Evander."

Neither man released the hand of the other. Jared wasn't sure he wanted to be the first to let go, but Evander seemed to realize he still held Jared's hand and released him. He took a couple of steps back.

"I have other things to do. You can use the hose."

About the author:

Pelaam lives in clean, green New Zealand. She is a multi-published author of gay male romance and erotica across time and space. When not writing, she indulges in her other passions of cookery and wine appreciation. She can be found on Facebook, and a full list of her published works are on Lazy Beagle Entertainment. 

Breath of the Feathered Serpent

Adam's mission is to investigate the theft of an Aztec statue, but he falls for a suspect. Is Elijah innocent or a deadly thief?

When the theft of an Aztec statue threatens to destabilize the provinces on the Texas border, Federal Marshals Adam and Madison are called in to go undercover and investigate. The last thing Adam expects is to be attracted to a young man from one of the ranches they are investigating. With time running out, Adam must face his growing love for Elijah while keeping his true identity a secret and locating the Breath of the Feathered Serpent. But he and Madison are facing a thief as deadly as he is elusive and a statue with powers of its own.

Buy Link

http://www.breathlesspress.com/index.php?main_page=product_free_shipping_info&cPath=1&products_id=558

1.       How did you start writing erotic romance?

I’d written for years, for my own pleasure, and always wrote what most likely be labelled ‘bromance’ with my male characters. Then I discovered slash fanfiction. As soon as I read it, I knew this was for me. It felt perfect to have my male characters move into a romantic situation

2.       Plotter or pantster?

Almost always pantser. I may write a middle section, then something at the beginning, then the end, and all points in-between. It’s rare I start at the beginning and work steadily to the end based on anything specifically plotted.

3.       What are three things you have on your writing desk?

A flash drive for saving the work. A pen, and a book I use for jotting down the title, main characters, and their names. Most of my characters’ names are specifically chosen for their meaning.

4.       Favorite food?

Macaroni cheese

5.       Tell us a little about your new release. What character in the book really spoke to you?

Adam. The book’s in his POV. Strong, good at his job, outwardly decisive and sel-assured, but with that inward lack of confidence about being ‘good enough’. Adam has no worries about trying to find the missing Aztec artifact, or handling himself in a dangerous situation. But when he realizes just how much Elijah means to him, and how little he thinks he has to offer in return, his securities are very evident.

6.       I write because ____...

The characters and plot bunnies would be very upset if I stopped.

7.       What is your favorite type of character to write about?

I like strong characters, but with a weakness or flaw. Even a hero is just human.

8.       What is the sexiest scene you ever wrote?

That’s really difficult to answer. Each scene I write I think is sexier than the last one.

9.       What advice would you give new authors in the erotica/romance field?

Keep the dream. Don’t stop writing. Check publishers for open anthology calls. Don’t stop writing. Don’t give up. Don’t stop writing.

10. What is next on your writerly horizon?

My ‘next big thing’ is looking ahead to NaNo with a view to writing a steampunk, time-travel  themed work. I have an outline in mind already.

Excerpt:

Adam smirked and then looked at the other rider who'd dismounted. To Adam's surprise, it wasn't another woman as he'd assumed. The young man had the same lean build and auburn hair as his sister, but as he came closer, the masculine angles of his face were clearly visible, as were the lush, full lips that made Adam lick his own, suddenly dry ones.

He stared at the youth. In his time, Adam had bedded, or been bedded by, more men than he cared to count, let alone remember. He'd become jaded, and he knew it. But there was just something about this man that piqued his interest. Adam was quite certain that in a month, a year, or even a decade from now, if he lived that long, he would remember the plaid-shirted, beautiful young man.

The stranger came to stand by his sister. "That's Charlie. Or it was." He looked from Madison to Adam and back again. "You fellers find him?"

"That's right, Mister..." Madison waited for a name.

"Elijah. I'm Elijah."

"Did he discuss coming here with you?" Ellen asked, looking at Elijah. "I saw the two of you talking together."

"Nope. Not with me. He said he wanted to have a word with Uncle and see you about something. He never mentioned anything about riding out here."

Adam pursed his lips. It seemed to him that a whole heap of attention was focused on one dead cowpoke. But then again, not many ranch hands ended up dead from allegedly bad water on a supposedly deserted ranch. More surprisingly was the disappointment he felt realizing that Elijah might have been the last man to see Charlie alive. That made him a potential suspect.

"Well if it's all the same to you, Sheriff, Adam and me will be getting along and head into town. Maybe we'll see you tomorrow, Miss Ellen. We're short of funds right now and hoping to find some ranch work." Madison tipped his hat to Ellen, who remained stone-faced.

"Given we've lost Charlie, we could do with some help, Sis," Elijah said.

"Maybe. But the final say will be Uncle's. Don't forget that," Ellen said. "Let's go. We need to let him know what's happened. If you fellers are thinking of calling 'round, make it before noon. Uncle likes to take a nap in the afternoon, and we never disturb him when he's resting. I take it you'll take care of the remains, Sheriff? Or maybe you will, Mr. Carter. Another one of your charitable acts." Not waiting for a reply, Ellen headed toward her horse with Elijah a step behind.

Walking towards their own horses, Adam watched the twins from the corner of his eye.

"She's a fiery one," Madison muttered. "Must be the red hair. Pretty enough though."

"Yes, he was." Adam realized his slip too late to censure it.

About the author:

 Pelaam lives in clean, green New Zealand.  She is a published author of gay male romance and erotica across time and space. When not writing, she indulges in her other passions as a foodie and wine buff.

She can be found on Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/pamela.pelaamone and a full list of her published works are on Lazy Beagle Entertainment, http://www.lazybeagleentertainment.com.