Hot Summer Romance Giveaway Hop!

Welcome to the Molly Church stop on the Hot Summer Romance Giveaway Hop bus tour!

Today I'm offering up a sneak preview of my upcoming (September) Torquere Press Charity Sips release, Ad Astra (To the Stars). Torquere Press Charity Sips are an annual drive where both Torquere and the authors involved donate their profits to a QUILTBAG cause -- this year's recipient will be OutServe-SLDN, a non-profit that provides legal services and support to LGBT military individuals and families, working toward equal representation and benefits. 

BUT! Before I get to the sneak preview, let me remind you that it's not called a giveaway hop for nothing! Comment here for a chance to win your choice any of my currently available stories (available in pdf format), which you can check out here. And that's not all! Insatiable Reads are offering two grand prizes: a Kindle Fire and a $50 Amazon.com gift certificate -- and there are many other prizes to be won, so please make sure to hop around. The hop is open through the 21st, and I'll be picking/posting a winner sometime on the 22nd.

And now... to the stars: Ad Astra (To the Stars) features Jacob and Nicholas, two naval pilots/astronauts, and is set a little bit into Earth's future. Jacob is recovering from an injury that's left him with frequent vertigo and near-constant nausea, neither of which are doing anything to help his restless mood. Nicholas, however, is just glad that his husband is recovering, and is happy to be there for him while he does. It's 4K long, light sci-fi, and has just a sprinkling of kink.

(As well as a snippet, there is also a mood board available for those so inclined.)

The following snippet is so very Not Safe For Work:  

Free Story: Easter at the O'Leary's

"Easter at the O'Leary's" is a short sequel to Summer Storm, written for the Torquere Social Happy Hour, to prompts supplied by the members. It contains no spoilers for "Summer Storm", and it's not necessary to have read "Summer Storm" to follow it. (For those interested in such things, "Summer Storm" now has a pinterest board.)

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Slinky had fit into Cathal's family's hodge-podge of celebrations with supernatural ease. Admittedly, his parents called Slinky 'Caelan', a name which meant 'slender person' (the best Cathal could do at short notice), and they didn't know he was a shapeshifter out of ancient lore, but Cathal knew when to count his blessings and when to cut his losses. Still, Cathal had no misgivings about  bringing Slinky home for Easter.

That might have been a mistake.

It started fine: Saturday, on the beach -- Slinky up earlier than Cathal, sunning himself under the bright but freezing early-morning late-March sky. Cold did not bother Slinky (it didn't bother Cathal, much, either, but there was a difference between doesn't bother me, much and I revel in it, peasants. Slinky skated over such distinctions without ever noticing, but his lover's alien-ness bothered Cathal even less than the cold.

Cathal found Slinky at the end of the shore without trouble; there were a few fishermen checking their nets, and Slinky lay on the beach entirely unselfconscious of curious human eyes.

The hardest part was always the drive. Slinky found human transport stifling, even when Cathal's family was at the other end. Still, he manfully swallowed most of irritation during the long trip to Cathal's parents' place. It didn't always help. Sometimes Slinky got, well, epically car sick. By the time they got to Chez O'Leary, Slinky was looking more like a leprechaun than a selkie.

Cathal's mother immediately packed Slinky off to bed, before dispatching Cathal with a cup of tea and a reproachful look. It didn't last too long; by the time he was back downstairs, Cathal too had been provided with tea. Cathal didn't last much longer than supper; the early start and Slinky's travel sickness had taken something out of both of them. Cathal put himself to bed beside his lover, ready for it to be Easter Morning already.

The next morning, Cathal found Slinky out under his parent's oak tree. Slinky had fortunately recovered much of his color, and Cathal was only too happy to canoodle with him until his parents got back from Mass and the celebrations could properly begin. Slinky, however, having diligently absorbed Catholic Christmas traditions, had apparently turning up with gifts for everybody. An amber necklace for Cathal's mother. A driftwood sculpture for Cathal's father. A fountain pen for Cathal, accompanied by a parchment-heavy envelop marked only "sealed with a kiss" that Cathal dared not open in company.  But Cathal's parents only smiled indulgently, and passed around the chocolate Easter eggs, and a hammer, and it was Slinky's turn to be confused.

Buy Link for Summer Storm

Saturday Spankings Blog Hop!

Welcome to my little stop on the Saturday Spanking's Blog Hop!


My contribution:

Yare'ach genuflected before his Lord, grateful that the posture hid his face, for he was certain his regret was writ bold across it. When Lord Ayve order him naked, he felt only relief that he would be permitted to expunge his fault so easily. The minor pain of a beating was worth it. He'd have taken a thousand and still fallen to his knees in gratitude. 

The context:

A Hope in Hell  tells the story of the meeting and beginning of the love affair of Yare'ach, an angel trapped in Hell, and the demon Lord Ayve. A Hope in Hell attempts to create a unique and plausible vision of Hell, and sympathetic but strong characters who, in trying circumstances, find a way to reach out to each other. Sympathy, the sequel to a A Hope in Hell, also included in this edition, continues their romance.

Click here to read an excerpt.

Buy link for A Hope in Hell