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Once Upon a Time in the Weird West was released yesterday. As I’ve said before, I was very happy to be asked to be a part of the anthology. Some of my favorite authors were involved, include a few I look up to and admire.  The reviews for the book as a whole and Time Zone is my contribution, have been very positive.  Here are a Couple:

Divine Magazine:

About Once Upon a Time in the Weird West: 4 Stars “Combining some of the biggest names in MM fiction into one anthology, Once Upon a Time in the Weird West is a keeper!”

About Time Zone: 5 Stars “I liked the characters and great writing, world building and the easy flow of the story….”

Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words:

About Once Upon a Time in the Weird West: 4.75 Stars “Its been quite a while since I’ve  read such a strong and outstanding anthology.  I can recommend almost every story and most are 4 to 5 stars.  Its remarkable.”

About Time Zone: 4.5 Stars “Another strong story. Time Zone and Andrew Q. Gordon delivers great characters and a fascinating world.  Wesley Blake in particular, a vulnerable gifted man with a dependancy on his handler Lothar, who he’s never met.  How the story unfolds, its revelations, including the spectacular one at the end?  It kept me involved and connected to Wesley and his path to love.  Outstanding story.”

Blurb:

Once Upon a Time in the Weird West:

This isn’t the same old Wild West. The usual suspects are all present: cowboys, outlaws, and sheriffs. There’s plenty of dust, tumbleweeds, horses, and cattle on the range, but there are also magical gems, automatons, elementals, airships… even dinosaurs and genetically modified insects. Roaming among the buffalo and coyotes, you’ll encounter skinwalkers, mad engineers, mythical beings cloaked in darkness, and lovers who stay true to their oaths… even beyond the grave. On this frontier are those at the mercy of their own elaborate devices as well as men whose control of time and space provides a present-day vision of the West. There might even be a dragon hidden amongst the ghost towns and wagon trains.

If you like your Westerns with a splash of magic, a touch of steampunk, and plenty of passionate romance between men, these genre-bending tales will exceed expectations.

Hold on to your hats, cowboys and cowgirls. The West is about to get weird, and you’re in for a hell of a ride.

Time Zone;

Some people possess gifts that allow them to change the world. For Wesley Blake, it’s all a matter of time. He can stretch a handful of seconds into a whole day. But his ability hasn’t saved Wesley from being hurt by others. As a field agent for the Department of Gifted Americans, Wesley throws himself into his work to forget that he is alone. The only person Wesley trusts is his handler, Lothar.

Then a vital mission brings a new partner, Eric, who refuses to let Wesley shut him out. As they train for their assignment, a friendship builds between them. Wesley cautiously lets Eric into his life, until he learns Eric and Lothar lied to him. Betrayed and angry, Wesley struggles to control his powers, and when things take a dangerous turn, even Wesley might not have enough time to get out with his life.

And here is something special, the wonderful Lex Chase did her artist rendition of what the main character, Wesley Blake, looks like. I think she captured him pretty well. Thanks Lex!

Buy Links:

Dreamspinner Press:

Amazon:

Barnes & Noble:

Kobo:

Today, please welcome Rachel Ravenheart as she stops by to show off her latest release, Your Alpha, My Mate, book 1 in her new Lonestar Chronicles series.

Blurb:

Jamie is a shifter.
But he can’t shift. That’s what he wants his pack to think.
Truth is, Jamie is a white wolf. The biggest, best, strongest kind of wolf. He refuses to shift because his pack, and his parents, treat him as a misfit. An outcast. And when he takes matters into his own hands by fleeing to join the Lonestar Pack, his fate is already determined.
There will be sacrifice.
There will be war.
There will be death.
Above all, there will be love.
And love always wins.

About the Author:

Where to Find Rachel:

https://www.facebook.com/wolfwriter1492

https://twitter.com/wolfwriter1492

https://www.amazon.com/Rachel-Ravenheart/e/B0110E3CG8/ref=dp_byline_cont_pop_ebooks_1

http://www.cooldudespublishing.com/rachel-ravenheart/

Please welcome Angel Martinez to the Land of Make Believe. Angel is here today to discuss the re-release of Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters.  She agreed to let me ask her some questions about her, her works and the series.

An Interview with Angel Martinez

Welcome Angel. Since this is your first interview on the blog, tell us about yourself.

Hi Andrew! Thank you letting me visit. I come from an academic family, so I’m something of a black sheep having “only” earned a BA in English Lit. Hey, I fought that degree hard, going to school with the clear goal of genetic engineering, but when something keeps calling, you can’t ignore it forever.

But love for a subject doesn’t guarantee employment. I was a job jumper for thirty years, retail, nursing, banking, health insurance, yaddah, yaddah, with job tracks and titles that have no meaning outside the corporate world and almost less inside it. I reached the point a few years ago where the kid was grown, we were on stable financial ground, and I could leave the corporate world to write full time. Have to be honest with you. Don’t miss it even a little.

Other than that? I live in Northern Delaware—where I’ve always lived—with one husband, (still the original) two regular sized cats and one oversized Maine Coon mix who is a talented paperclip thief. I write science fiction and fantasy with queer content, often with a strong romantic thread mixed in, though that’s not a must for me.

Before we talk about the new release, Lime Gelatin and Other Monsters, talk about the Offbeat Crimes Series. What was the inspiration for the series?

This one’s a little unusual for me. Stories come from everywhere—from snips of conversation, bits of dreams, an article, a poem, a joke. This one came from a prompt, which doesn’t happen for me terribly often. I can write to a prompt, but they’re rarely inspiring.

The call was for a paranormal precinct tucked away in a city’s police department (with the author’s choice of city.) Sure, I knew what other authors might write. Werewolf cops. Vampire cops. Cops with psychic abilities. They would all be deadly serious, full of violence, angst, and horribly broken characters. I wanted to subvert that, to write something humorous, something different…the opposite of a powerful, competent paranormal precinct. It’s maybe a character flaw that I’m drawn to the contrary, but damn it, it’s fun.

As a native Philadelphian, I see references to places I know well. Why Philadelphia?

I like Philadelphia. Seriously, you have to understand that Delaware has no large cultural centers. Newark is a nice college town, and Wilmington has some cultural things going for it, but neither are on the scale of a large city. Philadelphia is and always has been the major cultural center in my life. We go there for unusual movie screenings, for concerts, for museums, for historical sites, and for good restaurants. All the amazing restaurants.

So it’s my adopted big city. I don’t live there, but I’ve spent a lot of time there. I so often use settings of my own devising that it was both a challenge and a joy to include places I had actually been, streets I had actually walked. A reader and friend was visiting last fall and I was able to take her on an Offbeat Crimes tour of the places mentioned in the book. How fun is that?

This is an urban fantasy, can you tell us a bit about how abilities work?

Abilities, for the most part, are inborn and manifest later in life, often under extreme duress. As to how they work, they mirror old-school paranormal mental abilities—telekinesis, pre-cognition, that sort of thing.

How are ‘broken’ talents different from ‘unbroken?’

Unbroken talents are ones that work as advertised. If you’re a telekinetic, you should be able to move objects at will. If you’re someone gifted with apportation, you should be able to teleport objects from one place to another. Our squad of rejects at the 77^th Precinct have abilities that don’t work well, don’t have a full range of effect, or simply are too bizarre for the State Paranormal unit in Harrisburg.

Shira Lourdes is a stress telekinetic. Her mind only moves objects when she’s upset. Jeff Gatling can only teleport fruit. Vance Virago is a firestarter but it can’t be wet or humid or he can’t get a spark. Carrington Loveless III (son of a wealthy Main Line family) is a skim blood vampire. He can’t drink whole blood. And so on.

Tell us about your main characters.

Kyle Monroe was happy being a normal cop until his “talent” manifested. He’s still adjusting to life at the 77^th but he’s a well-adjusted, cheerful person most of the time. He’s managing. He’s a Philly boy, born and bred, loves geeky things and has a meat allergy that ambushed him late in life.

Vikash Soren, his new partner, is cool and reserved, far too calm and far too perfect as far as Kyle’s concerned. He grew up a bit farther to the west, so he’s new to the city, and his paranormal talent is neither immediately evident nor something he wants to talk about.

The second book, The Pill Bugs of Time¸ is coming out in August. Do you plan to write any more in the series after that.

As a matter of fact, yes. There are four more scheduled, some that will follow officers we know from the first two books and some that will follow new officers. The titles tentatively, in order are: Skim Blood and Savage Verse, Feral Dust Bunnies, Dropbears and Snipe Hunts, and All the World’s a Condemned Stage.

Tell us something interesting that isn’t in the blurb?

The head of the department, Lieutenant Dunfee, is the anti-priestess of an elder god and must conduct regular rituals to keep said god from manifesting.

Since there is always another story to tell, what’s next?

There are always “what’s next” stories stacked up in my doorway. As to what’s immediately next, I’m writing the next story in the Brandywine Investigations series (gods in the modern world) which involved Charon the ferryman and a certain raccoon god, but I don’t want to say too much on that yet.

The last question is all yours, share whatever you like with the readers.

I once had a reader say they wanted to live in my brain. You really don’t want to do that. It’s very messy in here. Envision an episode of Hoarders with bad flooring. You step wrong and you have no idea where you’ll end up. We’d have to send out search and rescue dogs with flashlights and emergency supply packs and even then, I can’t guarantee we’d get you out. I’m happy to keep handing things out through the window. Just…don’t come in here.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Angel!  -AQG

Blurb:

Kyle Monroe’s encounter with a strange gelatinous creature in an alley leaves him scarred and forever changed, revealing odd abilities he wishes he didn’t have and earning him reassignment to a precinct where all the cops have defective paranormal abilities.

Just as he’s starting to adjust to his fellow misfit squad mates, Kyle’s new partner arrives. Tall, physically perfect, reserved, and claiming he has no broken psychic talents, Vikash Soren irritates Kyle in every way. But as much as he’d like to hate Vikash, Kyle finds himself oddly drawn to him, their non-abilities meshing in unexpected ways. If they can learn to work together, they might be able to stop the mysterious killer who has been leaving mutilated bodies along the banks of the Schuylkill.

Publisher:          Pride Publishing

Cover Artist:     Emmy Ellis

Release Date: Pride store release 7/19/16, General release 8/16/16

Series Info:

Offbeat Crimes:

Every region has them, but no police department talks about them—the weird crimes, the encounters with creatures out of nightmares. The 77^th Precincts exist in certain cities to handle paranormal crime and containment, usually staffed with experienced officers exhibiting psychic abilities.

In Philadelphia, through an odd mix of budget issues and circumstance, the 77^th is manned entirely by officers with bizarre or severely limited psychic talents. The firestarter who can’t get a spark when it’s humid. The vampire who can’t drink whole blood. These are the stories of the misfits, the outcasts from even the strangeness of the paranormal community. Call them freaks, but they’re police officers first, serving and protecting, even if their methods aren’t always normal procedure.

Excerpt:

Kyle sat up straighter, shifting to see between the heads in front of him. Soren looked like a poster boy for the model police officer, tall and straight, uniform crisp and sharp. He stood at parade rest beside the lieutenant impassively surveying his new colleagues. A little knot of resentment lodged in Kyle’s stomach. At his own introduction to the Seventy-seventh, he’d been nervous and fidgety, freaked out by the collection of…freaks. How can he be so calm?

“Officer Soren transferred from the Harrisburg PD—”

“Don’t they have enough freaky shit of their own up there?” Wolf called out in his rasping growl.

“—since Harrisburg is in our jurisdiction,” she continued with a quelling glance. “He’ll start out partnered with Monroe.”

“What does he do, ma’am? That it’s safe to put him with Kirby, er, Kyle?” Shira Lourdes asked as she flicked nervous glances across the room at Kyle. An empty chair slid away from her and fell over. Her partner, Greg Santos, shook his head and righted the unfortunate piece of furniture.

“Officer Soren’s abilities are his business, which he may or may not choose to share if you ask. And don’t bully him about it either, any of you.” Lieutenant Dunfee swept the room again, pinning each of her officers with her needle-laser gaze like captive butterflies. “Monroe, my office after briefing. Info on your current case.”

She dismissed them, stalking from the room with thunderclouds in her eyes. Kyle found himself approaching the new guy and trying his best not to be awkward. Did he offer to shake hands? Was it safe? Would the guy flinch like so many people did at the sight of Kyle’s scarred hands? Soren was even taller up close, six-foot-three of lean inscrutability, his blue eyes startlingly bright against smoky bronze skin.

“Um, hi, I’m Kyle Monroe.” Kyle fidgeted when Soren didn’t offer his hand either. “You’re with me, I guess. I’ll show you our spot in the squad room.”

Soren followed him silently and Kyle was starting to wonder if he was like Krisk in the not-speaking department until he finally spoke in a smooth, soft baritone, making Kyle startle and miss a step. “Why do they call you Kirby?”

“You’d hear it sooner or later, I guess.” Kyle shrugged. “It’s this thing I do, absorbing other people’s talents temporarily. If they’re close to me. Or touch me. Like Kirby, the little pink dude in the video game.”

“Ah.”

Just that? Soren didn’t edge away, or change expression at all. Was he made of stone? “It’s a thing. Everyone here has a thing.”

After a few more steps, Soren asked, “Always?”

“What…oh, was I always like this? Who knows? I mean, maybe I’ve picked up stray thoughts or something, but no. It’s pretty recent. Knowing that I do this.”

Kyle took a wide arc around Vance as he entered the squad room, pointing to the double desk in the far corner, well removed from everyone else. “That’s ours. Coffee’s over there, but you might not want that coffee. Let me grab my file and we’ll go see the lieutenant.”

“So what’s your story, Soren?” Vance called across the squad room. “What flies your freak flag?”

“Yeah, what do you do?” Jeff Gatling stopped ’porting his banana from one corner of his desk to the other.

“I don’t really do anything,” Soren answered as he hefted the empty coffee pot. “Guess I’ll make fresh since I’m the new guy.”

He opened the top to remove the filter and every human voice in the squad room yelled out, “No!”

Most people would have startled, maybe dropped the carafe. Soren just blinked at the roomful of people gesturing wildly. He took the filter out and emptied it over the trashcan. “Why not?”

“You don’t want to do that.” Kyle stayed by his desk, a nice safe distance from the coffee station. “That’s Larry’s job.”

“Larry’s not keeping up then.”

The container of sweetener packets began to rattle. It shivered across the counter and leaped to a messy end, ceramic shards skittering across the floor. The desk that Krisk and Wolf shared rose from the floor several inches and slammed back down. Wolf fled with a squeaking yelp just before the desk flipped on its side.

Soren glanced toward Kyle. “Larry’s not a cop, is he?”

“He is…he was! A dead cop. Larry’s a ghost. He gets ticked if anyone else makes the coffee. Put the stuff back, please!”

“Larry?” Soren raised his voice but to all appearances remained completely unruffled. “I’m new here. I’m very sorry I invaded your jurisdiction. See? I’m putting the carafe back. Closing the top. Are we good, Larry?”

A breeze ruffled through a stack of papers, but no further mayhem ensued. The carafe slid from its pad on the coffeemaker and floated to the water cooler where Larry, who never manifested in a visible form, whistled tunelessly while he filled the carafe.

From his dim corner of the room, Carrington said in his dry, genteel way, “Welcome to the Island of Misfit Freaks.”

Buy Links:

Publisher:

Author Bio:

The unlikely black sheep of an ivory tower intellectual family, Angel Martinez has managed to make her way through life reasonably unscathed. Despite a wildly misspent youth, she snagged a degree in English Lit, married once and did it right the first time, gave birth to one amazing son, and realized at some point that she could get paid for writing.

Published since 2006, Angel’s cynical heart cloaks a desperate romantic. You’ll find drama and humor given equal weight in her writing and don’t expect sad endings. Life is sad enough.

She currently lives in Delaware in a drinking town with a college problem and writes Science Fiction and Fantasy centered around gay heroes.

Author Links:

Website: angelmartinezauthor.weebly.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/amartinez2

Twitter: @AngelMartinezrr

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/angelwritesmm

Email (if you want it to be included): [email protected]

I’ll admit one of my favorite subjects in college was mythology. Hell, Thor was my favorite comic well before Chris Hemsworth assumed the role for the movie. So this book ticks off a few boxes for me. Check it out, read the excerpt and see if it doesn’t tick a few off for you too.

Title: Hector and Anatolius
Author: Vanessa Mulberry
Series: Trojan Men #1
Release Date: May 9th 2016
Genre: Historical MM Romance, Paranormal

Blurb:

Hector has been a dutiful son and prince his whole life until his father orders him to marry. The Trojan was meant for no woman, and when he meets a handsome youth named Anatolius, he is more determined than ever to rule one day with a man at his side. However, after he is betrayed by his brother Paris his fate seems unavoidable. Hector needs all the courage he has learned in battle, and the assistance of a goddess, to win the hand of the man he loves.

This is a gay (MM) romance novel set prior to the events of the Trojan War. It depicts romantic and sexual love between two men in a broadly tolerant society.

Hector and Anatolius is the debut novel of British author, Vanessa Mulberry.

Buy links:

Amazon US 

Amazon UK

Excerpt:

After the meal, Hector drew the lad to him, and they relaxed on the shared kline to talk about their histories and their beliefs. Both drank strong wine, but Hector watched Anatolius carefully, mindful of its dizzying effects. “Just a little,” he said when Anatolius asked one of the servants for a third cup. “I won’t touch you if you’re sotted, and you will have to wait another day for my attentions.”

Anatolius appeared embarrassed, but when the servant stepped away, he whispered, “Thank you. I don’t want to wait.”

When the conversation lulled, Hector scooped his guest up and carried him from the room.

Anatolius put his arm around Hector’s neck and rested his head against the prince’s powerful shoulder. He laughed and said, “I will walk to your bedroom if that is where we are going. I’ll run if you like.”

Hector strengthened his grip, pulling him a little closer. “You may race me there another day, but tonight you go in my arms.”

“Don’t you think you can beat me?”

“It wouldn’t worry me if you did. I carry you because I want it to be known I will be your man tonight. Tomorrow I will follow you to the bed if you wish.”

Soon they reached his private apartment. It was a magnificent space: large and airy, with room on one side for cozier entertaining than the andron permitted and a soft bed for afterward. It led onto a terrace, which looked down over the city, and, as the night was warm, the imposing doors to it stood open, their silver casings glowing faintly in the moonlight.

The lamps were already lit, illuminating murals dedicated to Eros. Hector set Anatolius down and saw the lad’s eyes widen as he looked around at the walls. “Gods,” he murmured, “is this a shrine or a bedchamber?”

Hector had worshiped a lot of men in that room, but he didn’t think the pictures so unusual. He reminded himself that Anatolius hadn’t been in as many beds as him.

“Do you want to pray? I don’t usually conduct rituals in the palace, but we can if you like.”

Anatolius continued to stare at the walls. Hector saw his eyes rest on an image of two men making love. One was bent over, being penetrated by the other who kissed his back.

“Do you think we should? I want my first time to be pleasurable.”

“You needn’t ask Eros for such a blessing. I will ensure that.”

About the Author:
Vanessa Mulberry lives in England with her husband and daughter. Her achievements are numerous and of no interest to anyone reading this. Her hobbies include cheap alcohol and romance novels. Growing up, Vanessa dreamed of becoming Mr. T, but the position has not yet fallen vacant. She has settled for being a romance novelist instead.

Links: Website | Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads

Tour Stops

9th May – Bonkers About Books

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11th May – Molly Lolly, 3 Chicks After Dark

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13th May – Hearts on Fire Reviews

16th May – AM Leibowitz, Because Two Men are Better Than One

17th May – Loving Without Limits, Velvet Panic

18th May – MM Book Escape

19th May – Making It Happen

20th May – My Fiction Nook

23rd May – The Jena Wade, Joyfully Jay

24th May – The Novel Approach

25th May – Drops of Ink, The Purple Rose Tea House

26th May – Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

27th May – The Land of Make Believe, GGR Review

30th May – Diverse Reader, Prism Book Alliance

31st May – Meg’s Blog

1st June – Alpha Book Club

2nd June – TTC Books and More, Mikky’s World of Books

3rd June – Bayou Book Junkie

Giveaway:

Win a $10 Amazon Giftcard

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Lane Hayes reveals the beautiful cover art of her next book titled A KIND OF ROMANCE coming out from Dreamspinner Press.

It releases on June 06, 2016.

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BLURB

Zeke Gulden is a ruthless Wall Street exec. His hard-edged, no non-sense attitude has served him well in the cutthroat business world, but less so in his personal life. When he finds out his ex-boyfriend cheated on him with a coworker, Zeke can’t let go – not until he finds a way to get even. However, his meddlesome father has other ideas. The new hire at the family-owned bagel store is somewhat colorful, but his dad is sure he’s the perfect man for Zeke.

Benny Ruggieri is a fiercely proud New Yorker who dreams of making it big as a costume designer in the theatre. In the meantime, he’s working two part-time jobs in the food biz. When his new boss sets him up with his successful son, Benny has zero expectations. If nothing else, he figures he can entertain himself by making the uptight businessman squirm. Instead, the two become unlikely friends with an inexplicable attraction they can’t ignore. Benny might be the one to help Zeke set aside his quest for revenge, if he’s willing to let go and forgive what he can’t forget… and give in to an unexpected kind of romance.

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PRESENTING

Cover Art by Aaron Anderson

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EXCLUSIVE EXCERPT

He moved like a dancer one minute and seemed to shift nervously in his chair like a kid the next. He was fascinating in the way odd people could be at times.

Read more exclusive excerpts on –

:: Rick R. Reed :: MM Book Escape :: Gay Book Reviews :: :: Bayou Book Junkie :: The Purple Rose Tea House :: Diverse Reader :: Sue Brown :::: TTC Books and More :: Cia’s Stories :: BFD Book Blog :: Alpha Book Club :: Man2ManTastic :::: Carly’s Book Reviews :: Love Bytes Reviews :: Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents :::: Wicked Faeries Tales And Reviews :: Lea’s Book Blog :: JP Barnaby :: Loving Without Limits :: The Day Before You Came :: MM Good Book Reviews :: The Kimi Chan Experience ::Cheekypee Reads and Reviews :: Unquietly Me ::

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PRE-ORDER LINK

Dreamspinner Press (eBook)

Dreamspinner Press (Paperback)

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lane Hayes is grateful to finally be doing what she loves best. Writing full time! It’s no secret Lane loves a good romance novel. An avid reader from an early age, she has always been drawn to a well-told love story with beautifully written characters. These days she prefers the leading roles both be men! Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. Her first novel was a finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Awards and her third received an Honorable Mention in the 2014 Rainbow Awards. She loves travel, chocolate, and wine (in no particular order). Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband and the coolest yellow lab ever in an almost empty nest.

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RAFFLECOPTER GIVEAWAY

Winner’s Prize: $10 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Love Unlocked is a collection of seven short stories and novellas – unique LGBTQ romances inspired by the Love Lock Bridge.

THE STORIES:

The Trap by Claire Davis and Al Stewart

Writer’s Lock by Victoria Milne

Locked in the Moment by Dawn Sister

The Weekend by J P Walker

The Scarlet Lock by Caraway Carter

He Melted Us by Ofelia Gränd

Chain of Secrets by Debbie McGowan

(more…)

Blurb:

Five actors, one play, a murder, and a security guard who seeks the truth, not to mention love, all set the stage for this hilarious tale of mystery and intrigue in small town America. You’ll never guess what, or who, is going to come next!

(more…)

Today I get to host Lexi Anders, which is pretty exciting since I have a signed addition of Twin Flames, book one of Sumeria’s Sons. (Hint, if you’ve not read it or the others in the series, you’re missing out.)  So when I was given the chance to host part of her tour I was thrilled.  {Update – yep thrilled and a bit stupid as I forgot to post this on time today SMH – Sorry Lexi.}

Lexi is going to enlighten us with some background on the Sumerian Pantheon and then give you an exclusive excerpt from book five in the series, Dragon’s Eye. Read on, enter the contest, but most of all, buy the books.

Sumerian Pantheon

When Surrounded by Crimson came out, there was a question about which gods were the good guys and which were bad. That was a little hard to split up because the Sumerian gods weren’t categorized as good/bad or angels/demons until much later in history after the patriarchal views were more firmly established in the culture. What I can do is divide out and identify the gods who are villains in the series. Something else to note, the Glossary of Gods in the back of the books has been updated with the release of Dragon’s Eye. There were certain things I couldn’t add without giving away spoilers. ^_^

The first three tiers of the pantheon make up the primordial gods. Then comes the major gods and then the minor. The gods used in Sumeria’s Sons have been placed in bold. One thing to remember is that all the Gods/Goddesses procreated with many others, related and not. Some have primary consorts but that has a looser meaning that what we would think of today.

Tier One: The Creation Gods

Tiamat – Goddess of Salt Water

Abzu – God of Sweet Water

In my world, Tiamat isn’t evil. She was lied to by Kingu which started the Igigi War. Her power has diminished but she’s still a force to be reckoned with.

Tier Two: The Cosmos

Lahamu and Lahmu – meaning parent stars or constellations. Sometimes called the “Muddy Ones” because they represented the silt beds. Together they gave birth to the Mesopotamian Pantheon

Mummu – God of Knowledge, craftsman, life giving force

Nammu – Mother of Anu and Ki and Enki, Goddess of the Sea,

Tier Three – The Celestial Poles

Anshar (Ashur) – Sky Father, Skypivot, Horizon of Heaven, Whole Heaven

Kishar – Earth Mother, Earthpivot, Horizon of Earth, Whole Earth

Ashur is essentially good, he just doesn’t explain his actions.

Tier Four

Anu (An) – Son of Anshar and Kishar, God of the Sky (Heaven), Judge (His attendant and minister of state, the god Ilabrat, bit off his penis and Ilabrat became pregnant and gave birth to three gods.)

Enlil – Son of Anshar and Kishar, God of Breath and Wind

Ninlil – Consort to Enlil, Goddess of Harvest

Uras – Consort of Anu, Goddess of the Earth, Mother of Ninsun

Ninsun – Dau of Anu and Uras, “lady wild cow”, mother of Gilgamesh, tutelary of Gudea and Lagash

Enlil is not one of my favorite Gods, but I don’t paint him in a good or bad light. You decide.

Major Gods:

Ereshkigal – God of Irkalla, Queen of the Underworld

Gugalanna – The Great Bull of Heaven, Consort to Ereshkigal, Sumerian Deity known today as the constellation Taurus.

Enki (Ea) – Son of Anu and Nammu, Twin to Ereshkigal, God of Sweet Water, God of Wisdom

Shamash (Utu) – Son of Ningal and Sin, brother to Ereshkigal, God of the Sun, God of Justice, God of Truth

Ishkur (Adad) – Son of Ningal and Sin, brother to Shamash, God of Storms, Inspector of the Cosmos,

Ki (Ninhursag) – Goddess of the Mountains, Fertility Goddess, Consort of Anu, Consort of Enki

Sin (Nanna/Su’en) – Son of Enlil and Ninlil, God of the Moon

Kingu – “Unskilled Laborer”, Consort of Tiamat, I’ve never come across text that stated what he was God of.

Nergal – Son of Enlil and Ninlil, God of the Noontime Sun, God of the Summer Solstice, God of War and Pestilence, The King of Sunset, Consort to Laz,

Inanna – Goddess of Sacred Sex and Fertility, Consort of Dumuzid, Not originally from Sumer. Later she claims sisterhood with Ereshkigal.

Dumuzid – “The Fisherman”, Consort to Inanna, King of Uruk to rule 36,000 years.

Ngeshtin-ana – Sister to Dumuzid, sacrificed to the underworld with Dumuzid by Inanna, Goddess of the Heavenly Grapevine, Consort of Ningisida God of the Underworld, Dau of Enki and Ki (Ninhursag)

Enkimdu – God of Farming

Lesser Gods:

Marduk – Son of Enki and Damkina, God of Storms, Solar Calf, Later associated with water, vegetation, judgement, and magic, Consort of Sarpanit, rival of Ashur (Assur)

Uttu – Dau of Enki and Ninkurra, Goddess of Time, Weaver of the Web of Life, the Spider.

Ishara – Goddess of the Binding Oath/Promise, Goddess of Love, Goddess of Oath

Damgalnuna (Damkina) – One of Enki’s consorts, Consort to Enlil, Mother of Marduk, Goddess of Vegation, she doesn’t leave Dilmun.

Ninurta – Son of Enlil and Ki (Ninhursag), God of Hunting and War

Nisaba – Dau of Enlil and Ninlil, Goddess of Writing, Learning, and Grain

Pabilsag – Son of Enlil and Ninlil, tutelary God of Isin, Consort of the goddess Ninsun (Nininsinna)

Enbilulu – Son of Enlil and Ninlil, God of Rivers and Canals, deity of irrigation and farming

Nungal – Dau of Ereshkigal, Goddess of the Underworld, Queen of the Ekur, Holder of the Tablet of Life, Consort to Birdu.

Birdu – Consort to Nungal, God of the Underworld

Namtar – Son of Ereshkigal and Enlil, God of Death, Minister and Messenger of Anu, Ereshkigal, and Nergal

Ninazu – Son of Ereshkigal and her consort Gugalanna, generally benevolent, God of the Underworld and Healing, Consort of Ninsutu.

Ningisizida – Ninazu and Ninsutu, God of the Underworld, Lord of the Good Tree, Guardian of Anu’s Celestial Palace.

Ninsutu – Consort to Ninazu, dau of Enki and Uttu, Goddess of Vegetation.

Nabu – Marduk’s son, God of Wisdom

Ningal – Dau of Enki and Ningikuga, Consort to Sin, Goddess of the Reeds

Damu – Dau of Ninsun and Pabilsag, Goddess of Vegetation and Rebirth

Lahar – Both God and Goddess of Cattle, brother to Ashnan Goddess of Grain, both children of Enlil.

Humbaba – The Terrible, Guardian of the Cedar Forest

Uttu is a semi-neutral Goddess in the series although you can guess that she does side with Tristan, even if she can’t ‘help’ him. Ishara was invoked when Tristan accepts Blood Oaths. As for Marduk, I don’t like him. You can find out more during the tour. He has his own blog post. ^_^

A huge thank you for allowing me to be a guest on the blog today! Throughout the blog tour for Dragon’s Eye, I hope you enjoy the behind the scenes look at the gods and mythos, and how they play a part in Sumeria’s Sons. For a visual representation, please visit my Pinterest page. (https://www.pinterest.com/lexiander1/sumeria-sons-inspirations/) During the tour I discuss the Sumerian pantheon, about who and what the Gods/Goddess are, and how I use them. Make sure you stop by the other blogs to get a complete look at the Gods and Goddess the Lycan’s follow.

Also, Less Than Three Press is running a special sale on Sumeria’s Sons from September 23^rd through October 7^th (dates inclusive).

Twin Flames is $0.99.

Amazon:

LT3 Press;

25% off Songs of the Earth

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LT3 Press:

25% off Dreams of the Forgotten

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LT3 Press:

25% off Surrounded by Crimson

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Thank you for stopping by and reading!

Blurb:

In the wake of birth and betrayal, Ushna takes the God Ashur to Tristan in a last desperate bid to save Tristan’s life—and is helpless to do anything but watch as Ashur instead buries him in a grave. Though he has no desire to go on living, having now lost Brian and Tristan, Ushna has no choice. Not only do their children need him, the mysterious Simurgh has come out of hiding and forces him to continue on—for there is much to do and little time to do it, especially with treachery and danger closing in on them from every side.

Dragon’s Eye

Book Five: Sumeria’s Sons

(Series should be read in order.)

Publisher: LT3 Press – 

Cover Artist: London Burden

Release Date: October 7, 2015

Excerpts:

Chapter One

**Ushna**

The God Ashur followed behind me carrying Tristan, whose body was battered and broken. The cry of our newborn pups preceded me. Their birth was supposed to be a wondrous occasion, but through treachery and lies, that was stolen from us. Instead of enjoying the happy moment, I feared Tristan was dying.

There was so much blood. The damage to his body overwhelmed my senses. I was afraid if I didn’t keep my eyes on him, if I turned my back for a second too long, his Flame would slip away. We ran through the cursed caverns that wouldn’t allow me to touch my wolf or feel the song of the earth. Ashur’s harsh commands to hurry spurred me on faster but I had to look behind me, I had to see with my own eyes that Tristan was still with us, still fighting.

The scars… I couldn’t care less but Tristan might. I vowed I would spend the rest of my life showing him how beautiful he was to me—but first we had to get him out into the open.

I glanced back. “Hurry, Ashur.”

The corridor seemed much longer than when we’d come in. Glancing over my shoulder again to ensure Ashur followed closely, my impatience caused a snarl to rumble in my throat. Tristan’s skin was a gray-blue, stark and sickly against Ashur’s rich mahogany tone. With every passing moment, we were losing him.

“Please.” I don’t know if I begged Ashur to go faster or if it was a plea to the Gods to spare Tristan’s life.

When we entered the darkened corridor carved from the bedrock, I heard Tristan sigh. For months, he’d been teaching me how to listen to the Earth and I could practically feel her rush to him. I climbed the stairs, my foot slipping on the wet step in my hurry to get outside.

The open air had never smelled so good, filling my lungs with the scents of life. My wolf stirred, frantic for our mate. I reached to take Tristan from Ashur, but he dodged my grasp, moving off to the side. His low voice had a musical tone as he chanted in a language I didn’t recognize and next to him, a hole formed in the ground.

“What are you doing? You said all we had to do was get him outside!” Why was Ashur not singing the song for healing? I reached again to take Tristan from Ashur’s arms. Tristan was teaching me the complex chant, but Ashur was Tristan’s tutelary. He knew what to ask the Earth for and how. Why was he not begging her to save Tristan’s life? She wouldn’t say no. She’d never say no to Tristan because she adored him.

It took a moment for the haze of my frantic thoughts to subside enough to realize Ashur was talking and then another for me to process the meaning of his words. What did he mean he couldn’t restore Tristan’s health?

With rising alarm, I said, “You’ve been teaching him how to sing to the Earth. Why can’t you do that now?”

Ashur dodged me, laying Tristan in the hole atop the dark loamy soil. Something eased in me seeing Tristan in contact with the ground, although the Earth didn’t rush up to him as I’d expected. She never missed an opportunity to touch him… until now. Instead, I felt power build until my bones ached and the snakes on my chest writhed in discomfort.

Staring down, I searched for the source of the energy, sure that at any moment, whatever it was would show itself. My gaze continued to return to Tristan with his ruined eyed, his torso ravaged and gaping. Never had I seen him so vulnerable, so small, the very sight calling to the caretaker within me.

Tearing my gaze away, I confronted Ashur who was pleading with me. “I teach him the songs but She doesn’t respond to me.”

An ancient sadness shone in Ashur’s visage but I didn’t care. I had trusted him to save Tristan. Never before had I been filled with such useless rage. I didn’t understand what Ashur was saying. Who was he talking about? The Earth? He was the king’s tutelary, so why wouldn’t the Earth answer his call?

Desperation rose up and I barked, “Why the fuck not?”

“Because I took the wrong side in a war, now I’m forever separated from Her.”

What did that have to do with the here and now? What did it matter he’d lost something or someone? My Tristan was dying and all he could do was talk. Ashur’s pleading gaze held mine and I suddenly understood. I glanced back down at Tristan, lying in a bed of fresh dark soil.

A grave.

“No! You cannot mean to do this. He’s not dead!” I jumped into the hole; Tristan’s single eye stared at me with clarity, despite the state of his body. His chest rose and fell with each labored breath. There was still time. I could save him.

With the strength of the God he was, Ashur wound his arms around my waist and easily hauled me away from Tristan.

I went mad.

I fought, screamed and begged. First Brian and now Tristan. How was I to stay behind? I pleaded with Ashur to allow me to go with Tristan. We’d travelled through the Earth together before, we could do it again. I could sing to the Earth and beg for Her help.

It wasn’t too late.

Then Ashur chanted and the soil covered Tristan, taking him from my sight. I roared with fury, thrashing and clawing at Ashur’s hands. I vowed vengeance for this act of betrayal. Silently, Ashur held me as I beat and wailed upon him, trying to free myself from his steely grasp. He whispered continuously, “I am sorry but this had to be done,” in my ear. Tears of grief stained my cheeks and I hated him all the more because it didn’t have to be like this. He had no right to take Tristan from me.

Exclusive Excerpt #1

Only when I was utterly spent and left gasping for breath, my muscles weak and trembling, did Ashur release me. Collapsing onto my hands and knees, I dug my fingers into the loose dirt and sang, my voice hoarse and broken. I bid the earth to come and help Her child in need. Were we not created from Her soil? Did we not rest in Her bosom, waiting for rebirth? Did She not love Tristan above all? I thought She did. Desperately I wanted to believe that Her behavior toward Tristan meant he was special to Her.

I raised my voice in song, pushing everything I felt for Tristan into my request. In the end, She rose up to sooth me, but She didn’t reply to my plea. She didn’t bring Tristan back to me.

About the Author:

Lexi has always been an avid reader, and at a young age started reading (secretly) her mother’s romances (the ones she was told not to touch). She was the only teenager she knew of who would be grounded from reading. Later, with a pencil and a note book, she wrote her own stories and shared them with friends because she loved to see their reactions. A Texas transplant, Lexi now kicks her boots up in the Midwest with her Yankee husband and her eighty-pound puppies named after vacuum cleaners.

Where to find Lexi Ander:

Web site: http://www.lexiander.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lexi.ander.9

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LexiAnder1

Blog: http://lexiander.blogspot.com/

E-mail: [email protected]

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6521302.Lexi_Ander

Tour Dates & Stops:

24-Sep Andrew Q. Gordon, Christy Loves 2 Read

25-Sep Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Dawn’s Reading Nook, Bayou Book Junkie

28-Sep Decadent Delights, Hearts on Fire, MM Good Book Reviews

29-Sep Amanda C. Stone, Jessie G. Books, The Novel Approach

30-Sep The Jena Wade

1-Oct   Louise Lyons, Lee Brazil, BFD Book Blog

2-Oct   Love Bytes, Chris McHart, TTC Books and More

5-Oct   Molly Lolly, Wake Up Your Wild Side

6-Oct   Three Books Over The Rainbow, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, GGR Review

7-Oct   Inked Rainbow Reads, Prism Book Alliance, Crystal’s Many Reviewers

Giveaway:

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4. e-book copy of Dragon’s Eye
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