Stranded Spirits
Easton Thomas, a handsome and wealthy man with a generous heart, owns an historic mansion on Florida’s Gold Coast, a house filled with spirits and secrets from the past. When a hurricane grounds all flights and cruise ship connections, Easton invites a group of stranded passengers to ride out the storm at his mansion. He is drawn to Randy, a shy and insecure man from Atlanta, but Mitchell, Easton’s longtime companion and estate manager, has different plans for Easton.
Excerpt:
Mitchell buttoned his shirt and made his way to the center railing overlooking the downstairs entry. “Easton, is that you?” He could see what looked like a crowd gathered near the front entry casually dropping suitcases and bags. “Did you pick up a tour bus before your cruise?” he asked sarcastically, trying to contain his anger. “Easton, a word please. This is a bad time to have a house full of guests. These people are not stray cats that you found on the highway. They are adults caught up in the same shitty mess as the rest of South Florida, so why do you feel responsible for them?” Mitchell hissed.
“I guess for the same reason I have always felt responsible for you,” Easton smiled, and his eyes glowed in the soft light. He took Mitchell in his arms and kissed him. “We have an ample supply of backup candles and flashlights in the cellar closet. Do you mind bringing them upstairs in case we lose power? I will move the cars to the garage. I don’t want them damaged,” Easton said.
“Let me do that,” Mitchell volunteered as he thought about the apartment over the garage. There was no need to take any unnecessary chances.
Mitchell opened the door and headed out into the fierce wind and rain. He secured the vehicles, closed the garage door, and started up the side stairs to the second floor. He reached the door to the apartment that had initially served as the living quarters for the chauffeurs, stepped inside, and closed the door. “Where are you?” Mitchell whispered.
He saw the shadow emerge cautiously from the adjacent room. “I’m here. I was beginning to worry. I considered leaving, but I wouldn’t make it very far in this weather. Why did Easton come back? I thought he would be away for a couple of weeks.”
“It’s this storm. The flights are grounded and he brought a group of stranded passengers with him to ride out the storm. You will have to stay here until it’s clear to leave.”
“How can I do that? There is no food here, and I cannot get cell service. Maybe we should let Easton know I’m here.”
“Absolutely not! Easton made it clear that you were not to come back here. I have no intention of being out on the street on my ass at this time in my life. I have too much to lose. I’ll bring you coffee and food before everyone wakes in the morning, so just take it easy.” Mitchell leaned in and kissed him. “Goodnight, and try to be patient.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” he grumbled.
“Stranded Spirits,” gay romance and murder mystery by David Edmondson, is available from Amazon (KDP Select). Click to Purchase. Also available in print from Amazon. Our website is http://www.beautobeau.com.
The Escaped Murderer of Somerville
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The man who killed an entire family is on the run and eluding authorities after escaping from the Rockfort Asylum. Claiming he has a Master to please, he hunts the curious teen who is determined to find him. In a twisted and bizarre cat and mouse game, Jerry is lured into the forest by the cries of a woman in distress, but discovers something much more sinister.
Excerpt:
When I first got the idea of checking out the sewers, my friend Nick wasn’t supposed to go down with me.
“What are you doing?” I asked him.
“What does it look like I’m doing? I’m coming with you,” he said with a smile.
We reached a fork in the tunnel when one of the dim bulbs hanging over us flickered and gave out. “Nick,” I said as I shone the flashlight right in front of us. “Look at the wall and tell me what you see.”
“I see all sorts of green icky stuff growing on the walls,” he said.
I peeled off a bit and threw it to the ground.
Nick let out a nervous laugh as he watched me pull down another layer. “Come on, Jerry. Let’s get out of here.”
“Nick, turn off that bulb.”
He gave it a pull and the room fell into darkness. After a few seconds I began to see patterns form, but they didn’t make any sense to me. The best I could tell was that they were a mathematical code of some sort. I scribbled down the florescent code as best as I could.
“It looks like mathematics,” said Nick. “Do you think this entire room has some sort of codes written on the walls?”
“It’s possible,” I answered.
***
“It was good of you to finally come to me,” he said. A sinister grin was on his face as he stared at me.
“What do you want from me?” I asked.
“I want to make sure the deed is done,” James Pritchett smiled at me.
“What deed are you talking about?”
“It seems you haven’t been able to figure it out,” he grinned.
“Figure what out?” I asked.
“You found my hideout,” he said. He started to step towards me. “You found my notebook. You read my plans.”
“It was all gibberish to me,” I answered. “Where’s the girl?” I asked him.
“What girl?”
“The girl who was screaming for help,” I answered. “What did you do to her?”
“Your mind must be playing tricks on you,” he said. He wouldn’t stop smiling. “No one shouted for help.”
Forcing my body to listen to what my mind wanted it to do, I ran from him.
“I love it when they run,” he laughed in mirth.
“The Escaped Murderer of Somerville,” young adult mystery by A.J. Raven, is available exclusively from Amazon. Print book is also available from Amazon. Our website is http://www.beautobeau.com.
Vegas Stripped
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Loner and con man Sam is a love ‘em and leave ‘em kind of guy. Born into a world of scams, hoaxes and schemes, he settles in Miami after making a major art swindle, only to lose his heart to the wrong man. Broke and broken, he rockets out of the sunshine state only to be detoured to Las Vegas. Running from the problem is nothing new to this flim-flam man, but he has always worked alone until now. Pulling off the scam that his life now depends on, he is forced to join a motley crew of amateurs, including a former reality star, a retired showgirl, and a disabled vet and his stripper brother, who is running a con of his own.
Love, loss, redemption and sex are set against the bright neon of the Las Vegas strip in this sizzling romance!
Excerpt:
I owed a guy money.
A lot of money.
And I made a deal with the devil.
Yeah, I’m a thief. Not proud of that, but not disturbed by it either.
No moral compass at all, survival of the fittest was what it boiled down to with us – Dad, Mom and me. Poppa was a rollin’ stone. Wherever he laid his hat was his home…the old man was as good looking as my mother was beautiful, but they could never make it together. He would bounce back to us for a caper now and then when we needed to make a larger than average hit, and then he’d be off again. But even when we were together we were like sharks, moving from town to town. We lived as high as we could for as long as we could, and then we would be on the hunt for another sucker to take down. There truly is one born every minute, as P.T. Barnum famously said, and we were always ready to help that fool to be parted with his money.
First I was just a prop. Food, clothing, cigarettes, and booze were stuffed into the stroller net and to my tender, but thickening, hide. As a toddler, my carriage became a getaway buggy for auto parts, jewelry, rare books, and once, a few furs. I can still remember the soft brush of chinchilla against my skin. As I got older, I followed the lead of my parents. Scheming and scamming were their stock and trade, and I took to it like a baby duck to water, never questioning any of it because it was the only life I knew. I learned to hotwire a car, pick a pocket, forge a check, and dodge rent. Our coat of arms would have consisted of a piece of broken hanger and a pair of soft gloves to prevent fingerprints.
***
South Beach has beautiful Art Deco buildings and is packed with hot guys of all shapes, sizes and types. South beach is also packed with thieves, scammers, and con people like me. I was running an art deal, a specialty that I was becoming known for. It was an international arrangement in which I managed to smuggle two Dutch Master works out of the country on yachts. I knew a guy who had done amazing replicas of the works. With properly aged canvas (it’s amazing what plain old tea bags and the South Florida sun can do to age canvas), he used only the best materials to make the correct formulas of old pigment, and hand made his own brushes. The pieces were as close to the originals as anyone was going to get.
The haul was big. Following the way I had lived my entire life, I took a sublet in one of the glittery high rise buildings that dot South Beach, and lived a little. I like stability, but had gotten used to life on the go, settling in quick and not staying in the same place. But every now and then, when I was flush with cash, I would splurge and settle in for a little while. I was enjoying South Beach, so I hit the clubs, spent some time in the gym and at the beach, and met Carlos.
Carlos had large eyes the color of a melted Godiva chocolate, skin like satin, thick black hair landing nearly to his shoulders, and that body… he was built like he was made of steel coils wrapped in suede. The attraction was mutual and instant.
“Vegas Stripped” by James Brock, is a romance and con scheme mystery that combines a motley crew of amateurs, including a former reality star, a retired showgirl, and a disabled vet and his stripper brother, who is running a con of his own. Available exclusively from Amazon. Click on Cover Above to Purchase from Amazon. Also available in print from Amazon. Our website is http://www.beautobeau.com.
Aquarian Angels – Lake
When Dan and his friends fly into a small Wyoming town to film scenes of a project they’re working on together, they stay at Dan’s parents’ old summer house on Walter Lake. Once they arrive, Dan feels something strange at the lake. His sense of home, the smells and sights seem to have vanished. When the appearance of a Lake Angel named Whisper comes to haunt him, he discovers that another Lake Angel has been kidnapped and is trapped in one of the houses surrounding the lake. Whisper can’t leave the lake, so he asks Dan to find the Angel and bring him back. Seduced by Whisper’s beauty, Dan accepts the mission, but he fears the power and strength of a person or thing with the capability of capturing a Lake Angel and keeping him hidden away.
Excerpt:
Emerging from the water was a beautiful man with sun kissed skin, an abundance of brown hair flowing to the back of his neck, a swimmer’s build beyond perfection, pectoral muscles so big they appeared to be floating in the water, innocent hazel eyes with long angelic eyelashes, and lush lips. Each stroke he made was as graceful and gentle as the sound of a wave crashing onto the shore.
“I didn’t know there was anyone else out here,” Dan said.
“I’m a quiet swimmer,” he said in a voice so delicate that Dan felt a rush of tingles hit the back of his neck.
“What’s your name?” Dan asked.
“I’m Whisper,” he said. “I’m the one who makes every sound in the lake as delicate and soft as they are now,” he added. “I want to ask you a favor.”
“What kind of favor?” Dan asked.
“I wanted to ask if you could find someone for me. His name is Sensory,” Whisper said. “Sensory has been gone for over a week and has taken mortal form. He’s in that house,” Whisper said, pointing directly at Judy Manor.
“If you know where he is, why don’t you get him?” Dan said, surprised that Whisper wasn’t smart enough to think of that first.
“I can’t leave the lake,” Whisper explained.
“So all you want me to do is go there and find out what Sensory is doing in Judy Manor?” Dan asked.
Whisper nodded. “Find a way to get inside the house and look for him,” he said. “But It won’t be easy,” he added.
***
The door opened to reveal a man with white hair combed back, flawless tan skin, dressed in a royal blue robe and nothing else. His eyes were marble black and he was younger than Dan had expected.
“I’m Professor Perry Van,” he said, offering to shake hands.
Dan had a suspicious feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. The man greeting him was scantily clad, good looking, and immediately offered him alcohol, but Dan wasn’t going to be seduced by an older man easily. He entered the manor, and Perry closed the door behind them. He led Dan into the living room which was dark with black and scarlet colors in the rugs and drapes, in the color of the walls, and in the sofa and furniture. Books lined the shelves between the curtained windows, and the only lights in the room came from the antique lamps.
“Welcome to my home. I don’t usually have guests,” Perry said, opening a bottle of cognac and pouring himself a glass. “You must stay awhile. You can take a shower after your swim in the lake. I was just about to take a swim myself,” he said as he pointed out his bathrobe and slid his hand along the edge, revealing a bit more of his chest than necessary.
Dan had older men come on to him in the past, so he knew what Perry was up to. The strange part was, even though there was something not quite right about the man, Dan found Perry charming and sexy.
“A shower sounds good,” Dan said.
A huge grin filled Perry’s face. “Let me show you the master bath,” he said, sliding out of his chair.
“It’s beautiful,” Dan said, hypnotized by the bathroom’s allure.
Perry stepped into the room. “Can I get you anything before your shower?”
Dan turned his head. “I think I’ve got everything I need in here already,” he said.
Without telling Perry to leave, Dan pulled the Velcro fly of his swim trunks and undid the string. Perry moved in closer and looked at himself in the mirror above the sink, and began playing with his hair. Dan noticed Perry’s reflection in the glass of the shower. It was clear that he was pretending to fix his hair while he waited for Dan to strip. Dan dropped his swimsuit to the floor, revealing himself to Perry.
Perry watched as Dan entered the shower. As the water poured down on Dan, Perry undid the sash of his robe, revealing his body underneath. His chest hair was trim, his skin tan all over, with his most private area a nice golden color. His stomach was flat and smooth, his legs thick and toned.
Dan could feel Perry disrobing behind him. Perry stepped into the shower slowly, closing the door. Dan lathered his body down to his groin area, and it was then that Perry took the bar of soap from him and reached around to lather the rest of his guest. Perry let out a groan as soft as a whisper, as Dan watched the hands of his seducer.
“How do you live out here without this?” Dan asked.
Perry nibbled at Dan’s ear, “Good things come to those who wait,” he whispered against Dan’s ear.
Cover Model: Grigoris Drakakis http://www.4modelactor.com
“Aquarian Angels-Lake,” a shifter romance by Justin Kayser, is available from Amazon, All Romance ebooks, Kobo, Google, Apple, Barnes & Noble, and Coffeetime Romance. Also available in print from Amazon. Our website is http://www.beautobeau.com.
Shadow of Self
By choice or by chance, life finds a former college foursome in the dynamic city of Dallas, Texas.
Daniel Self, former hero of his college football team, is handsome, smart, compassionate, and loved by many, but for very different reasons. The former head cheerleader, beautiful Jenna Samms, wants Daniel as a temporary charm on her bracelet of life, but she has no idea he has a secret desire that she can never satisfy. He leaves one night, giving little information about his destination. Dunnelly Knight hides his feelings for Daniel, becoming a popular newscaster and partnering with a powerful and wealthy businessman in Dallas. A shy and tortured soul, Jamie Barnes is a night club performer with gender identity issues, making his twisted journey forward and giving himself to wealthy clients for money. He thinks of Daniel often, as he was the man who awakened him to what he wanted most.
When one of them is murdered, questions and accusations are raised, but few answers surface.
And then, Daniel returns.
Excerpt:
The MASQUERADE was the hottest show bar in Texas, and it was there that Jamie Barnes from Willow, Texas found his true calling. The drag shows were always followed by male strippers, and on weekends lines waited at the door for entry. Jamie headed to the makeshift mirror and makeup table of the cramped dressing room behind the stage. “I thought it went well. I was feeling the love for that drag from New Orleans. She should come back again.”
“Yeah, the audience loved her, but what was with that arch of the back on her last song. I thought she might be trying to limbo under the rainbow,” Lauren, formerly Larry, cattily laughed.
“Don’t be bitter because the audience loved her,” Jamie snickered.
“Okay, I’m not trying to get into your business, but you’ve had the picture of that hunk in the football uniform stuck on your mirror since we’ve been with this club. Who is he? Is he some mystery man from your past?”
Jamie’s expression darkened. “Don’t go there, okay, his name is Daniel, and that’s all you need to know.”
Jamie looked into the mirror as he wiped off the makeup. He watched his gender change and the reflection of one Jamie became another looking back at him. He looked up at Daniel’s picture and set the hairbrush on the table.
***
Denton was a bit of a spoiled narcissist who went for what he wanted and felt entitled to have it. Dunnelly knew from the beginning that he and Denton had very different values. Dunnelly thrived on work and career as Denton went through the motions of working at an oil company downtown, a job snagged through connections of his father. It was a clash of values they both tried to work through, but the sex and passion was the glue that held them together.
“Okay Denton,” Dunnelly shouted into the open door of the den. “Do you think you could at least pick up after yourself?”
Denton looked up from the computer with the same glazed look in his eyes that was the giveaway that he had already had a few too many beers. “Whoa… go easy on me, handsome. I’ve had a long day myself,” he smiled with his usual sarcasm.
“Denton, you know the cleaning service only comes in once a week, and they don’t seem to be doing a very good job. It was your idea to hire a cleaning service with handsome guys that clean in the nude, but I don’t think it’s too much to ask that they do the job they’re hired to do, with or without clothes! Could it be you who is getting all the service rather than the house?”
Denton followed behind Dunnelly as he turned to leave the room. “Hey, maybe you just need a little loving to get you out of that bad mood,” he said softly as he kissed Dunnelly’s neck.
The howling north wind outside the bedroom window woke him from a deep sleep the following morning. He could hear the gentle rise and fall of Denton’s breathing as he lay asleep beside him. He switched on the downstairs TV as he headed into the kitchen to make coffee. He poured his first cup of the day and headed for the computer in the den. He took out his laptop and set it on the edge of the desk, but he noticed the desktop was flashing signals of unopened mail. Denton must have failed to sign out of his mail account. Dunnelly prompted the sleeping screen to sign him out, but couldn’t help but notice that he had six new mails. He noticed that all them were from the same she-male site sent to the in box of BIG TEX.
BIG TEX may have been a tongue in cheek clichéd euphemism but it was all too familiar to Dunnelly. That was how Denton had signed off on all his e-mails to him when they first got together. Hmmm…let me see what has been keeping you busy in your off hours, Dunnelly thought as he went to the first e-mail and clicked open. ‘D… you’re still feeling it, I see,’ the first line of the message read. ‘You lasted longer this time, was it because it had been a while or were you just taking your time? Don’t make me wait to see you so long between visits. You know how I want to make you feel. I’m waiting to hear from you. You know where to find me. Yours alone, J/ME!’
Dunnelly logged out of the computer knowing all he needed to know. He didn’t know who J was, and he wasn’t certain he wanted to. Big Tex indeed, he thought, as he shook his head in disbelief. It came as no real surprise, but only validated what he already suspected. He was more disappointed than angry, and the loss of trust hurt more than the infidelity.
***
“You requested your usual room, 503…is this still acceptable for you?”
“Yes, and it’s always a pleasure to see you at the desk again,” Denton replied as he presented his American Express card.
“The pleasure is indeed mine, sir. “Enjoy your stay, and please let us know if there is anything we can do to make your stay more comfortable.”
Denton picked up his briefcase and headed across the lobby to the bank of elevators.
Jamie Barnes never had to deal with the stigmas that other transgender had to deal with. Her female was nothing contrived and nothing she had to work on. She was small in stature, with no visible Adam’s apple. She didn’t need makeup or an exaggerated gait to be female. The feminine part of her nature was a natural manifestation, and this butterfly was spreading her wings. She was making fast money, and many of the wealthiest men in Dallas waited in line for her services. Some of the men found her on stage and would slip her a fifty or hundred dollar bill, but she never took chances with new clients. She used only the best hotels and she was well known enough that most of her clients were repeat high paying customers. Some played rough, but they all knew her limits and would honor her boundaries. She was good at what she did and there was no better pro in Dallas.
The doorman opened the massive glass door when he saw her approach. “Good evening, ma’am,” he said as she walked through and greeted him with a sly smile.
She tapped on the door of 503 as Denton opened the door. Jamie stepped inside quickly as Denton put the security lock in place.
“Big Tex, you look like you’re ready for me. Well, let’s see if the third eye of Big Tex is ready to see me,” Jamie said as she slid down on her knees.
“Shadow of Self,” a romantic suspense/murder mystery by David Edmondson, is available from B&N, Amazon, All Romance ebooks, Kobo, Google Books, Apple, and Coffeetime Romance. Also available in print from Amazon. Our website is http://www.beautobeau.com.strong>
His Unexpected Mate
Living in a small wooden cabin at the edge of a forest while solving the mystery of recent murders, Eli learns that the locals believe a man-beast is responsible. As an outsider, he is watched very closely, even though he is working with the local sheriff, a man whose effect upon him is uncomfortably arousing.
Excerpt:
The forest near Eli’s cabin had only squirrels, deer, and other such animals inhabiting it, so the fact that two people had been killed by a wild beast clearly had the citizens worried. Why was Eli’s firm involved in such a case? Eli’s father and the county’s sheriff, Stanley Blake, were friends. Stanley had called Eli’s father, and after a flight that lasted a few hours and a short taxi drive later, Eli arrived in the area.
He looked at his wristwatch. Stanley would be coming up to the cabin in a few minutes to meet him. Eli patted his black hair down, but before he could walk out of the bathroom there was a knock at the front door. “Eli, are you there? Can I come in?” asked a voice, a voice that surprisingly made Eli’s heart jump excitedly.
Eli walked out of the bathroom and standing in front of him was a handsome, black-haired, tall, well-built man, and the fact that he was in his sheriff’s uniform wasn’t helping the matter.
“You must be Eli?” the man smiled.
Eli tried not to stare. “Yes,” he nodded. “Stanley?”
“At your service,” Stanley smiled. “I’m so glad you could come.”
“My pleasure,” Eli smiled back and shook Stanley’s hand. He couldn’t explain it but he could feel his body grow warm as Stanley took his hand in his. “So…so, the murders,” said Eli as he let go of Stanley’s hand. He felt uncomfortable, even a bit aroused. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen handsome men before, but something about Stanley felt different to him.
***
He didn’t know if it was his imagination but he felt as if he were being followed. He quickened his pace as he noticed someone just a few feet behind him. Becoming annoyed, Eli spun around to confront his supposed stalker.
“Why were you following me?” Eli asked.
“I noticed you come out of the pub,” answered Rupert. “You’re new here, right? Why are you here? Why would you come to a small county where two murders have already taken place?”
“Hold up, kid,” said Eli. “That’s a lot of questions you’re asking me.”
Rupert rolled his eyes. “It’s not every day that one gets to meet a man-beast.”
“A man what?” asked Eli.
“Don’t act as if you don’t know what I’m talking about,” laughed Rupert. “You know! A man-beast! Half beast, half man, with an unquenchable thirst for human flesh and blood. “You are a man-beast, right? Can you make me one, too?”
Eli looked at Rupert as if he were crazy. Not only was he being accused of being a man-beast, but he was asking him to turn him into one, too. “Just go home, kid,” said Eli.
“Oh, come on!” said Rupert. “I won’t tell anyone. No one needs to know.”
“Go home, Rupert,” said Eli.
“If you ever change your mind, you can always track me by my scent,” Rupert yelled at Eli as he continued walking towards the station.
Eli rolled his eyes. There was definitely something weird about the people living in the county. Eli knew about werewolves from the books and movies he had seen, but he had never read about man-beasts.
“His Unexpected Mate,” paranormal romance by T.L. West, is available from Apple, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, All Romance ebooks, Kobo ebooks, and Coffeetime Romance. Our website is http://www.beautobeau.com.
Dangerous Love
In Bradley’s line of work there is no place for love. There is only lust and rich men willing to pay a lot of money to get what they want. Bradley’s private and work life are two separate entities, and he intends to keep them that way. Unaware someone has been watching him, he falls into a trap of the most dangerous kind, one that includes lust, envy, greed and…murder.
Excerpt:
Bradley liked making his clients wait. It made them hungry for him. And why wouldn’t they be? He was one of the best. He had a list of regulars, some of whom had offered to buy him a place of his own. But Bradley knew better than to fall for such offers. In his line of work, there was no such thing as love.
He tried to ignore the people staring at him, but he didn’t blame them for staring. At six feet tall, with a handsome face and piercing green eyes, he would have been offended if people didn’t stare. He was dressed expensively, and he knew they were wondering why such a man would take the subway. Bradley preferred traveling by train. He would have hired a driver to take him places but it was a risk he wasn’t willing to take, especially not with the way things were at home.
He moved his hand through his silky brown hair and noticed two women whispering to each other near him. He knew they were talking about him. Tough luck, he thought to himself. You’re not my type.
The train came to a stop and Bradley made his way through the crowd and onto the street. He felt his cell phone vibrate. It was probably a text from one of his regulars who had his number, but he wasn’t going to answer it. He never answered texts from any of his regulars, no matter who they were. His handler, Rick, was in charge of such things.
He walked through the carpeted corridor of the hotel, stopping at door number ‘512’ and placed his hand on the doorknob. The man’s name was Thomas Pierce, an accountant from a respectable firm. Bradley opened the door and entered with a confident air. It wasn’t something he hadn’t done before, so there was no need to be hesitant. Thomas, on the other hand, was someone who hadn’t done this before and Bradley looked forward to teaching him a few things.
Bradley was a master at kissing. It was a skill he had perfected through the years. He gently placed his arms on Thomas’s shoulders and made him lie down on the bed. He unbuttoned Thomas’s shirt and planted little kisses on his neck. Thomas felt little surges of sensual electricity as Bradley worked his way downward.
***
“Edward’s dead,” said Rick before Bradley could say anything.
What? Bradley didn’t know how to respond. It was as if his entire world came crashing down around him. He heard sirens outside his house, and he ran to the door and unlocked the gate.
“I’m Officer Kern and this is Officer Millhouse,” a man standing six feet tall introduced himself and his partner to Bradley. “Can we come in?” Bradley stepped aside and the two officers entered the house.
“I take it you were the last person who met Mr. Edward McCain?” asked Eugene.
“Yes, probably,” answered Bradley.
“Please, sit down,” said Kern. Bradley nodded and sat down on one of the chairs.
“Now Mr. Bradley, I need you to tell me about Mr. Edward.”
“He asked me to meet him,” answered Bradley, and he told him everything. He didn’t give away much detail about what they did in the room, but Kern got the gist of it. “After that I came back home. How…how did he die?”
“He was stabbed several times,” said Kern. “It was Rick who alerted us about the murder. He had called Edward to talk about payment but he didn’t answer. So he asked one of the hotel maids to check on him. That’s when she found him dead on the bed.”
“And you think I did it?” asked Bradley.
“Dangerous Love,” erotic romantic suspense/murder mystery by T.L. West, is available from Apple, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, All Romance ebooks, Kobo ebooks, and Coffeetime Romance. Our website is http://www.beautobeau.com.
Right Turn on Royal
Elliot Andrews finds his way to New Orleans intent upon opening his own psychic shop. A big-hearted landlady, Mona May Markey, introduces him to Dennis Jordan at his first pre-Mardi gras party. Dennis is an older, well-respected entrepreneur known for his support of the street boys in and around the French Quarter. Elliot falls hard for the kind gentleman of many secrets, but soon after the two become lovers, he begins to have dark visions and night terrors of rainstorms and dark waters. With the use of Tarot cards, he struggles to understand what it all means, but nothing prepares him for the truth about Dennis.
Excerpt:
Dennis owned and operated one of the most successful Italian restaurants which flourished for more than twenty years. This was a major success story in and of itself in a fluid and sporadic restaurant town. Dennis had also invested wisely in several real estate ventures. He bought a couple of houses along the broad and shady Esplanade, thoughtfully renovated the properties, and turned them into updated condominiums.
“Nice to meet you,” I said as I took his hand. I felt a tremendous warmth and connection to this man instantly, but I felt a feeling of forced gaiety with a cloak of sorrow behind the eyes of the smiling face. Dennis was someone I wanted to know better and by the impression I got, everyone else did as well.
Dennis was solidly built, well maintained, with a dazzling smile I’m sure must have cost a fortune. He had a mane of light auburn hair which came off as blond under the glow of the gaslights. He grabbed a beer and joined the party. I had not eaten and knew it was time to do so before I had anything else to drink, so I grabbed a gold paper plate and loaded up. I retreated to a corner where I could eat in some semblance of solitude, but I found I had led the charge to the food table and everyone followed suit. I was half way through the piece of purple and gold king cake when I bit down on something and screamed, “What the…?” I pulled out of my mouth a little plastic baby still half covered with frosting. “What is this?” I shrieked half mad and half curious.
“Elliot got the baby.”
“What is the baby? I almost broke a tooth.”
Dennis took it upon himself to explain the plastic baby was a good luck tradition, that every king cake was baked with one plastic baby, and whoever found it in their piece of cake would have a wish come true within the coming year.
“You mean I need to wish for something other than a good dentist?” I asked laughing.
*****
It was a cool night as I made my way to the restaurant. I caught Dennis’s eye across the bar. He beamed his amazing smile and headed in my direction. He grabbed my hand and kissed me on the mouth which was a surprise, but a pleasant one.
“El, let me get you a drink,” he said as he escorted me into the banquet room.
I turned and said, “You sure know how to make a guy feel like a queen.”
Dennis and I gravitated toward the bar to wait for the remainder of the arriving guests. I took a high stool at the service bar and noticed a tall and thin sandy blond bending into the ice bin to fill a glass. I heard Dennis say “Arlen, I want you to meet someone here. Arlen Williams, this is Elliot Andrews. Elliot is a master psychic, and we want to make him feel especially welcome.”
“Right Turn on Royal,” a romantic suspense/murder mystery by David Edmondson, is available from B&N, Amazon, All Romance ebooks, Kobo, Google Books, Apple, and Coffeetime Romance. Also available in print from Amazon. Our website is http://www.beautobeau.com.
Accidental President
Political Thriller/Romantic Suspense
When President Alvarez dies unexpectedly, Enry Pruitt is forced into the foreground where he fears his long held secret may be exposed. The new president is gay, and the object of his affection is an officer in the armed forces of which he is commander-in-chief. Navigating his way through the rough seas of a country in crisis, the inexperienced young president must deal not only with his desires, but with a trail of horrendous atrocities from an unknown assailant as well. When an old friend tries to locate him, Enry fears that a lost weekend in Singapore years ago may threaten his career and so much more.
Excerpt:
Greg Downs crashed into the Newark City diner and crumbled his large frame into a booth. The world was spinning around him with adrenalin pumping out of proportion. He managed to order a cup of coffee from the waitress who wondered if he was on an acid trip. His breathing was labored and he wasn’t sure if he was in the grip of a panic attack. Newark was used to street people living on the edge of sanity. They were merely ignored, and for this moment in time, Greg was grateful that he was blending in. Waves of nausea held him hostage, and he struggled to maintain some kind of poise in the tiny little world of his booth. The mug of coffee arrived and he couldn’t keep his trembling hands around it long enough to lift it to his lips. Thankfully, the waitress had thought to bring him some ice water, and he put his head down to the glass to sip on the liquid coolness. He was hyperventilating and the diner was growing dimmer and dimmer in his vision. Everything was a blur when he finally passed out in his booth, overcome by excitement and the thrill of the most dangerous escapade of his life. He had just blown up the junior U.S. senator from New Jersey.
*****
“My wife and I met when I was in flight school as a dashing young officer and she was a senior in college. We met in a bar of all places and began dating almost immediately. One of the things I loved about her was that she had a streak of nymphomania running through her. I found her terribly exciting and open to almost anything sexually. A few years into the marriage she confessed that she had no desire to have children, which was contrary to everything we had talked about while we were courting. Then she said she wasn’t satisfied in bed and wanted to experiment with another man in our bed, the three of us. I foolishly agreed to it, and one thing led to another, but I discovered I was fonder of having sex with a man than with my wife.”
Enry sat there enthralled and fascinated, and moved. Michael was opening up his deepest secret and shame, and it drew the president more closely into the mystery of General Michael Shimibura.
“One thing evolved into another, and all I wanted sexually was the pleasure and strength of another man. Valerie’s presence began to turn me off completely. I was away a lot on tours of duty, and after ten years of marriage, we were merely orbiting each other, and I officially moved out. I send her an allowance every month and we agree to live apart until I retire. Mr. President, tell me about President Alvarez.”
The question caught Enry off his usual poise, and Michael could tell that the president’s emotions were rising to the fore. Enry stood up, walked behind the sofa, and put his hands down on the back as he faced Michael to answer the question. Michael watched Enry gather the soul within him to answer a question he had not had the time to deal with in the days since the death of Diego Alvarez.
“Diego, sweet Diego. I can’t imagine a better president. He was genuinely gracious, genuinely kind, and genuinely intelligent. He was a peacemaker. He could bring in members of congress who hated him and they would leave offering to polish his winged-tip shoes. And he was personally gracious towards me.
“Diego was a damned good friend, and I wish he were still president.” He was embarrassed by his emotion but couldn’t contain it. For the first time, he had unearthed his sentiment towards his fallen friend and mentor, and felt exposed by the display of his emotion.
Michael rose from his seat and went to his president. “Mr. President, you’ve been through a terrible ordeal, and you need to get all of this out of you. From the beginning, you have handled this with great purpose, and I was genuinely impressed at your swearing-in ceremony, when you held the head of the chief justice to your chest and comforted him. You are a man of great ability to love.”
Enry could feel Michael’s strong hand massaging his shoulder in comfort.
“Mr. President, Enry, in case you haven’t heard it from anyone lately, you’re a wonderful man and a beautiful human being. The most exciting thing I’ve ever known in life has been the past few weeks with you.”
Enry’s ears melted in the calming voice of Michael Shimibura, and after a shared three bottles of wine, he stepped into the abyss. As he looked into Enry’s eyes, his hands moved to unwrap the presidential belt buckle.
“Enry, don’t say a word. I’ll say it for both of us.”
“Accidental President,” political thriller/romantic suspense by Dominic Lacerva, is available from Apple, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookstrand, All Romance ebooks, Kobo, and Coffeetime Romance. Also available in print from Amazon. Our website is http://www.beautobeau.com.
Thursday at Ten
Murder Mystery/Romantic Suspense
At Turner’s, gossip and beverages are as important as sharp scissors, but clients know they are safe from having anything repeated. Leaking any privacy is as fireable an offense as putting a side pony on the wrong head. Despite the fact that gossip stopped with Aaron Turner, the owner of the high end salon, the prominent hair stylist wouldn’t miss being out on the floor listening to the stories traded like pirate currency. The murder of a senator is the talk of the day, and the young man accused had been with Aaron only two weeks earlier. He had been a hot fling, but a murderer – no way. When a few more murders occur, including the stylist’s best friend, Trixie aka Robert Landers, who in full makeup was a star, a sexy new detective makes an unannounced visit to Turner’s.
Excerpt:
Stretching his arms, he yawned, twisting his lithe body. The lakeside house had the feel of old money, and the client had been easy, but this patron was the exception. Clean and polite, he took his time and never asked for anything kinky. It was rare for the young man to go to a trick’s home, preferring ‘in calls’ at his tiny apartment. In this case, the money was always worth the time. This trick would arrange a meeting downtown and then bring him back to the large house. Glancing around the room, the young man continued to note how expensive everything looked. The place was obviously taken care of by a staff, or a trophy wife. Many of his best clients were married men of means who would always live buried deep inside the closet.
A trim middle aged man walked in from the master bathroom wearing a robe. Bringing a fold of bills from the pocket, he handed them down to the younger man who was still in bed. Smiling from his nest in the pillows, the ‘for hire’ leaned up to accept the money. The still grinning client was proof that he had done his job well.
Two weeks earlier the prominent hair stylist and owner of Turner’s salon had a long late night make-out session with the same young hustler. “Wow, that kiss is like your superpower,” Aaron told the young man with a grin after the first hot meeting of their lips. “I’m all weak in the knees!” Cody had just laughed as they went at it again on a dark banquet on the bar’s second level.
Aaron knew how Cody made his living. Everyone knew. The stylist was not a client, but he liked his guys the way he liked his salad greens – a little wild. The short, hot fling had not come to equal love for either of them, but Aaron had liked Cody a lot. Hearing that the young hustler had been booked on murder charges for killing a senator was hard to believe. Powerful men often held powerful secrets, but even if the senator had hired Cody, Aaron could not imagine the young man killing anyone.
*****
The entire salon went quiet as two handsome officers entered and were led to the back where the senator’s former wife (Babs) sat. Aaron, scissors in hand, was behind her. Missy and Franny, two well known socialites who had watched the handsome young officers enter the salon along with everyone else, cut looks at each other while brushing away salon attendants who were trying in vain to get the women to return to their stylist’s stations. It would have taken an avalanche bomb squad to unseat the pair from their front row perch to the drama playing out in Turner’s that rainy afternoon.
“How did you know I was here?” Babs flirted with Detective Matt Stone as she perched herself on the edge of the desk, folding a long, toned leg behind the other one. Aaron was thankful that she didn’t reach up and unclasp the top button of her blouse as she ate the hot blond Officer Stone with her eyes as if he were made of sugar and whipped cream.
“We appreciate the use of your office, Mr. Turner. Could we have a few moments alone with Mrs. Hickman?” Matt asked. Despite the age difference, the young officer appreciated the well preserved cougar in front of him.
“Of course,” said Aaron, who had nearly been panting with lust at the sight of the other detective, sexy Eli Young. The uniform on the hot officer was icing on the cake, as far as Aaron was concerned.
“Do you know Cody Patterson?” the detective asked.
“Yes. Not well, but I know him.”
Eli traded a knowing glance with his partner, and then turning to Aaron he said, “Perhaps we should speak somewhere else, Mr. Turner.”
“Let’s go to the storage room,” Aaron answered as if he had been planning to couple up with the man he just met. In his mind he had already turned down the lights, folded back the sheets, and shot the cork off of a bottle of Veuve Clicquot 1996. Aaron led Eli to the small storage room, stepping aside to allow the officer entry. The stylist had to physically restrain himself from reaching over and stroking the smooth dark skin of Eli’s cheek as the officer began to question him.
“Thursday at Ten” by James Brock, is a murder mystery packed with zany hair stylists, over-the-top drag queens, shallow socialites, sexy detectives, too many suspects to mention, and is available from Apple, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Bookstrand, Kobo, All Romance ebooks, and Coffeetime Romance. Available in print from Amazon.
