Saturday Sips - Mon Frere Facing Our Fears

Here is a snippet from the newest book

Ryland and Ryder are in danger…

Celebrating their 298th birthday, the Durand brothers are still at an impasse over their third, Dale Mooney, and the cause of their maker Gren DuMont’s death. As they battle personality clashes, Ryland and Ryder set out to slay Gren’s killer as well as conquer their own fears; Ryder’s fear of losing Ryland to Dale and Ryland’s fear of the unknown lurking around their safe haven in New Orleans.

With little help from the demon Valios, the twins travel to Paris to meet the murderer face to face but will their own insecurities impede their goal of slaying the killer? At this point they only have each other to rely on and the fate of all vampires lies in their hands.

All Romance     Smashwords

“Happy birthday, dear Ryland and Ryder! Happy birthday to you! Yay!” Dale, Kajika, and Waylon sang the dreaded song for the twins to celebrate their two hundredth and ninety-eighth year on earth. Although this was a joyous occasion, Ryder could think of a million other places he wanted to be.

My brother doesn’t love me anymore.

Ryder sighed inwardly and thought about the moment he and his brother had alone a little while ago. Everything was perfect. They were at the club, inside the office, alone, just the two of them, as it had always been. Ryder asked for Ryland to let him drink from him while they made love. Not fucked but made love. No one would satisfy him as much as Ryland could despite anything anyone had tried to throw at him. Everyone, including the luscious Kyla, tried to tempt him into bed, but like Ryland, he had a conscience. A fucking conscience to tell him no, don’t fucking be with anyone other than your brother and Dale. Why? Why the hell should Ryder care so much when his brother didn’t give him the same regard?  Ryder bristled at the thought of turning down all those offers to have mindless sex with others while Ryland got his fill of the human.

Damnit.

Ryder clicked his teeth and glared at Ryland who shared a kiss with Dale. Of course he wouldn’t kiss him in front of Kajika. Their nephew had no knowledge of their relationship.

“Happy birthday, brother. Mon frère!” Ryland gently kissed the side of Ryder’s head. “I am thrilled we made it to this point.”

“So am I.” Ryder shrugged his shoulders and got up from the table, wanting to get away from the party. He wasn’t in the mood to celebrate anything right now.

“Unc, what’s wrong, huh? Would you like a little cake? I know you don’t really eat this, but… I was hoping you and Unc Ry would for your party.”

Ryder shook his head. “No thanks, Kajika. I’m good.” Ryder walked to the window, aching to go outside and hunt for food, but he knew Ryland would be upset if he did. It was the perfect time to do so too; a perfectly clear night and cool air, meaning there were plenty of good tasting humans walking around to prey on in the Quarter.

After all, it was almost the end of summer festival season. Many tourists were still in town, getting drunk at wild parties, not caring about their welfare. Ryder loved to prey on them because in his mind, if they were too stupid to pay attention, they didn’t deserve to live.

“Mhmm, Ryder, come have a little, please? It is actually very good. Kaj made sure the color was similar to blood, and it isn’t overly sweet. You must try a little, my dear brother. It’s our party, Ryder. Come enjoy yourself.”

Ryder only shook his head and kept looking at the moon, wishing he was outside. Despite the happy time this was for him and Ryland, he refused to be part of this celebration after Ryland rejected him earlier. His eyes narrowed, looking out the glass at the bright full moon in the sky. “Ah, Gren, wherever you are, I wish I was there with you right now.”

* * * *

Ryland shook his head and stopped eating the small piece of cake his nephew had given him. Suddenly, he’d lost his appetite for human food and set the dish down on the table. “I’ve had enough, Kajika. Thank you very much.”

Kajika nodded and hugged Ryland. “You sure, Unc? Are you all right? And what’s wrong with Ryder? Did something happen between the two of you earlier?”

Ryland inhaled and twitched his nose. “No, nephew, nothing to worry your pretty little head about.” Ryland softly stroked Kajika’s hair and pressed his lips to his temple. “Why don’t you go and talk with Waylon a little bit, hmm, and send Dale back over here. There’s something I want to ask him.”

Kajika flashed him a smile and did as Ryland asked.

Ryland watched Kajika with interest, hoping he didn’t read too much into his brother’s poor attitude and lack of hospitality. It was hard enough to keep things from Kajika and Dale without Ryder acting like a spoiled brat.

Ryder, you need to stop acting like a petulant child! You’re making me angry, and you felt a taste of my wrath earlier tonight. Don’t push me anymore, mon frère. Don’t fucking test me on our birthday!

Ryland closed his eyes tight, sending the message to his brother across the room. When he opened his eyes, he noticed Ryder look back at him with a slightly startled expression but then he looked back out the window. Obviously Ryland’s threats didn’t concern him all that much.

“Yeah, babe, what’s up? Ready to have our own little party, hmm? I mean, I’m enjoying hanging out with Kajika and my older brother, but I want you so badly tonight.” Dale wrapped both arms around Ryland’s waist and pulled him close.

Dale’s touches caused a tent in Ryland’s tight leathers. He sighed inwardly. “Just tonight?” Ryland elbowed him in the chest and flashed him a wicked smile. “Lover, we need to ask Kajika and Waylon to leave. I have a very upset twin over there that needs our attention. He’s acting like a spoiled brat, but I need to at least attempt to make him feel better.”

Dale glanced in that direction before turning Ryland around to face him. “Oh, yeah? You mean…”

“Yes, that, love. I refuse to allow him to be the gloom and doom of our birthday celebration. And actually, I might need to have a little alone time before you come with us. Is that all right?”

Dale’s smile turned down, and he dropped his gaze. “Aw, shucks, sugar, I suppose. I mean, I know you guys are brothers and all, but even if I don’t participate at first I’d like to watch, you know? It’s hot seeing the two of you together.”

Ryland stroked the side of his face and planted a firm kiss on his lips. “I would agree that it is, but I believe he needs a little brotherly nurturing first. He thinks I don’t love him anymore. I need to settle his fears before he goes out amongst the masses and kills everyone in his path. He can get that way, you know. I’m saving the world heartache by reeling in his energy and allowing him to unleash it all on me.”

Dale looked sheepish, disappointed. “Oh damn, man. All right. I’ll wait in the other room or something. You wanna say bye to Kajika and Waylon right now then?”

Ryland sighed and kissed his lover once again. He really hated disappointing Dale, but his brother’s mood bothered him a lot more. He’d read things from his mind and heart that needed urgent attention, and that meant leaving his lover alone for a while. Ryland leaned his head against Dale’s and caressed his chin. “Yes, Dale, let’s do that. The quicker we can say goodnight, the faster I can get to my twin and make him happy.” 

Mon Frere: Facing Our Fears is OUT

Shar just uploaded Mon Frere 

Here are the links.

ARe

Smashwords

I'll share a snippet for Saturday Sips

and thanks again to Sara York for the cover

Power of Gay Love Bloghop - CONTEST

Greetings readers! Welcome to the Power of GAY Love bloghop. Shar is posting about the appeal of twinlove and we're promoing Ryland and Ryder's books in this post. Take a listen!

My topic is the appeal of twin love or twincest which derives from the word incest. Yeah I know, you think it’s yucky. Sex between family members is totally taboo. I used to think this and actually some of the “cest” still doesn’t do it for me but it’s something about twins, especially twin men that makes it hot as hell.

Why? Two men who look exactly alike in most cases and they’re making love to one another. It’s like having sex with yourself with a mirror nearby. *giggles* Yes that’s how I view it. Not that long ago, I didn’t see myself actually writing it but then, a reader came to me and requested a story. You might know her, Judie S, who is also known as Honey Bunny. At times she does promo for several authors and when I started writing as Michael Mandrake almost 3 years ago, she put a request in the comments on my blog to write a twincest story. I was really flattered that someone was reading my freebie and asking me to write a story, then I said, twincest? OMG, how can I do that? I worried about how I’d do it and what kind of story. Most of all, I was challenging my own moralities sort of speak because I’d always been taught any kind of incest is wrong. But if we totally went by the “book” then every erotica book would be banished right? Seems that way with how retailers are going after erotica authors but that’s another topic for another day.

Mon Frere #1

Going back to my point, it took me awhile to get around to it. Not only because of my own fears but also the books I was working on. Michael was pretty prolific when I first started writing under him. Now, he fades back in the shadows and waits his turn but when me and the muse discussed doing an erotica story, he jumped at the chance. Although he is usually the least “sexual” muse, he loved the idea of tapping into a taboo fantasy of twin brothers in love. And when we finally talked to Judie, Ryland and Ryder Durand were born. Twin vamps who are identical but with different personalities. Ryland is the more conservative, stuffy, and timid character while Ryder is ragged, bold, and fearless. In the story, you can clearly tell by their speech and their dress how different they are. I’m sure this happens in real life too and being immortal is what makes them special.

Mon Frere #3

So what is the appeal? Love between brothers, hot scorching love and sex. The vampire thing makes it easy too and even though they aren’t human, they wrestle with the fact it isn’t accepted but hey, it happens in books and in real life. I wanted to bring that reality to my tale and I hope I succeeded. Ryland and Ryder are on their fourth book with one more to go. And thanks to Judie as well as awesome authors like Lee Brazil and Sage Whistler, I was able to do this series with confidence. 

So, if you’re into erotica, any kind, don’t dismiss some subgenres quickly just because it seems yucky. I’ve read some other “cests” since then and I enjoyed a few. I learned to expand my mind as a reader and author, and because of that, I created a story I’m very proud of.

What about you? What are some of the taboos in fiction you’ll never touch? Is twincest one of them and if so, tell me why. Thanks for listening.

Once again, Sara York has created an awesome cover. 

Mon Frere: Facing Our Fears should be released in the next couple of weeks.

To check out a preview, please click this link

And if you haven't read the series, please buy them from ARe and Smashwords. Amazon has banned two of the books, #1 and #3. #2 is still up but you must read all three to follow the series!

CONTEST ALERT Alright then. I do have a contest. A randomly picked commenter wins 10 ARe bucks and all 4 ebooks in the Ryland and Ryder series. So that means when book four is done in a couple of weeks, you'll be the first to have it. So comment away and good luck!

Check out the other awesome bloggers here

Saturday Sips - Mon Frere: Facing Our Fears

Greetings readers. Welcome to Saturday Sips. The next Mon Frere is finally done. Well first draft anyway. It came in at 23k which was quite a surprise to me. In this book, the twins are finding out more about themselves, their relationship with Gren as well as their future with Dale. Here is an excerpt from the story.

Unedited Excerpt

Together we stand, together we fall. I am your brother always and forever.

Ryland tucked the card on the side of the bouquet he’d handpicked for their birthday dinner’s adornment and set it in the center of the table. He inhaled them one last time, enjoying the aroma of freshly cut, red roses. Now more than ever he enjoyed just the simple pleasure in life, especially with Dale Mooney at his side. If only his brother would come around and take pleasure in life as he did.

“Ah, Ryder.” He fluffed out the flowers some more. “I love you more than life itself. Why not enjoy our man as I have asked?” Ryland took one more whiff and headed for the kitchen to find his human lover who was busily preparing food for himself. “Mhmm, Dale what are you cooking my love? Smells scrumptious.” And it did, despite the fact Ryland had no need to consume anything mortals ate. Ryland sauntered into the next room, sliding behind his lover, wrapping his arms around his waist.

“Ohh shi−” Dale flinched at the touch and laughed, turning his head slightly to the side. He met Ryland’s gaze. “Baby you gotta cut that out, huh? I’m real ticklish I tell ya. At least wait until I get away from the oven.”

Dale’s southern accent warmed Ryland’s cold heart. Gently, he planted a kiss on Dale’s right shoulder. “I’ll do more than just tickle you, lover. That is a guarantee.”

“Mhmm, and I love when you do, sugah. Just broiling some fish, babe with a little Cajun rice and veggies. Nothing too much but, I gotta stay healthy so I can give you all the blood you need.”

Ryland cocked an eyebrow, laying his head on the back of Dale’s neck. He sucked in a breath, enjoying Dale’s manly scent. Ryland winced, feeling his cock tent in his trousers and immediately, he stepped back, cursing under his breath about his desires. As much as he wanted to take his lover up on the offer he wasn’t sure he could control himself.

What if I turn him before his ready?

Ryland couldn’t bear to think of the consequences. The last thing he wanted was to take a chance on losing Dale again.

“Ry?” Dale spun around and threw the mitts on the neighboring side counter. His wild blue eyes peered into Ryland. “What’s wrong babe? I was feeling good with your cold body against my back, you know?” Dale flashed a smirky smile and held out his hands. “Come on back, babe. Wanna feel ya against me some more.”

Ryland returned the grin but didn’t move. “What am I your personal air cooling unit?” He chuckled and folded his arms over his chest. “I knew you only wanted me for that, I just knew it,” he chided. “And your own bodyguard so no one will hurt or rob you.”

Dale laughed and ran his slim fingers through his brown locks. “Ah shut it, Ry. You know I want you for way more than that. And like I said, you need me too so you won’t go killing folks as much anymore.”

Ryland’s smile once again faded and he nibbled on his bottom lip until it hurt. He loved that Dale was concerned about him but it still didn’t quell his fear of turning him too soon. “Sweetheart, I know what you said about me feeding on you but, I…I’m not sure I can control that yet. I might turn you…”

“So?” Dale stepped closer and cradled Ryland in his arms, planting a light kiss on Ryland’s lips. “I want that babe. We been seeing one another like three months now, going on four. I mean, don’t you want me to be your eternal lover? No doubt, I wanna be yours.” Dale stroked Ryland’s hair, twirling the strays around his fingertips. “Don’t tell me you’re changing your mind.”

Ryland closed his eyes, loving the feel of Dale’s hands in his hair and underneath his shirt, caressing his cold flesh. “Of course not, lover. I just refuse to turn you before it’s time. I don’t want it to be a situation where I need to or it is done in the heat of passion…at least not without your consent.”

“But you have it, Ry.” Dale cut him off with another kiss, forcing his tongue deep inside Ryland’s mouth. He shoved his hands down the back of Ryland’s pants, tightly squeezing his buttocks.

“Mmph.” Ryland relaxed into Dale’s embrace and grabbed onto his back through the denim shirt. His tongue tangled with Dale’s, causing Ryland to become dizzy with lust. “You are my drug, you know that? I cannot resist you even if I tried.”

“And why would you want to?” Dale squeezed Ryland’s sides and moved his hands from inside Ryland’s pants. “Besides, I feel the same about you, babe. And by the way, when am I moving in? I mean, I love my older brother but he’s starting to wear on my nerves lately, my man.”

Ryland wrapped his arms around Dale’s neck and leaned his forehead against Dale’s. “Soon. I need to make sure Ryder is perfectly okay with you taking residence here and that it is safe to do so. We have something to take care of first.”

Dale stepped back and cocked an eyebrow. “What sugar? Damn man, why don’t you just tell me, hmm? I mean, I’m fully aware of just about every damn thing about you so tell me about the danger Ryder was talking about.”

Ryland sighed and moved away from Dale once again. Immediately he felt the loss of Dale’s warm body. “Lover, I want to be open with you but, I feel I need to keep this part secret. I don’t want you walking around, scared or cause you to run away.”

Dale caught Ryland’s hand and pulled him in. “Babe, I told ya, nothing’s gonna make me run again, you hear? Now, whatever is wrong we’re gonna fight it together, all three of us. And as far as that brother of yours, he just needs to spend more time with us that’s all. I mean, when we all made love together, I swear…” Dale smiled wickedly and gripped Ryland’s sides. “I ain’t never seen or felt anything like that in my life. I’m looking forward to being with both of you even though, in reality you’re all I need.”

Ryland nodded and allowed himself to fall in Dale’s clutches once again. He desperately wished there was a way to tell Dale about the soul sucker demon running around, waiting to strike them down at any moment but there was some things his mortal didn’t need to know.

And how did Dale know about any danger unless he overheard them talking about it or if Ryder mentioned something to him?

Despite Dale’s advances and sweet talk, Ryland wouldn’t give in or hand Dale any keys to the mansion just yet until the demon had been slayed.

He would never forgive himself if he lost Dale because of his need to turn him or the soul sucker’s desire to defeat him and his brother.

Hope you enjoyed. I'm anxiously awaiting the cover art and in the meantime its going to the betas. Look for it towards the end of February.