Blog Tour + Giveaway: Roman (Demon Rising #1) by Hurri Cosmo


The Roman (Demon Rising #1) blog tour visits today! Author Hurri Cosmo and Other Worlds Ink promotes the new urban fantasy and share more details about the new series. Check it out and don't miss the $20 Amazon gift card giveaway!


Hurri Cosmo has a new MM paranormal/sci fi romance, book one of "Demon Rising Book One": "Roman - Demon Rising."


Hurri Cosmo has a new MM paranormal/sci fi romance, book one of "Demon Rising Book One": "Roman - Demon Rising."

I belong to a Demon Lord. His name is Roman. He’s tall, strong, has long dark hair, a deep sexy voice and, let me tell you, absolutely f-ing gorgeous. Yep. I even wear his ring. Third finger, left hand.

Except – its’s not a wedding band. Far from it, actually. It simply means I’m his submissive.

Well – it doesn’t really mean that either, although I wish it did.

No. The ring’s function is only to give me “sight”. Being human, once I had it on, I could suddenly see Roman’s stupid lost legions; very nasty scary things that would as soon kill me as look at me. And because I wear the ring, guess what? It’s now my job to recapture all those creatures for him. Yay me, right?

At least I get to be close to Roman… sometimes.

But, to tell you the truth, I was tricked into putting this damn ring on by Cathy, some random woman I met at a park, who unfortunately likes Roman, too. A whole lot. She brazenly flirts with the demon every chance she gets and right in front of me, too. Crap, it pisses me off. In fact, she brags she was the one who found me, got the ring on me and then offered me up to Roman like I was a T-bone steak or something.

Well – honestly – that part’s okay.

However, there’s something else going on. Something big. Because there’s another gorgeous Demon Lord in our little earth realm and he will stop at nothing to capture Roman’s loose legions for himself. Not only that, seems he’s out to catch me, as well.

Huh. My name is Micah and things just got very interesting.


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Giveaway

Hurri is giving away a $20 Amazon gift certificate with this tour. Enter via Rafflecopter for a chance to win:

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Excerpt


Roman - Demon Rising Meme

What? You’re kidding, right?” Micah fully turned to the woman. “This took place over seventy-five years ago. How is it this guy is still alive, not to mention that no one has ever heard this story? Or seen those monsters before now? How could he not unlock the doors? Why would there be a lock on those doors in the first place? A big hall like that? Cathy, none of this is making sense.”

She laughed bitterly. “Yeah, but what you’re seeing outside is? I’m telling you the truth.”

“Okay, you have a point, but what it seems to me you’re telling me is some made up concoction that covers upthe truth.” Her eyes narrow in anger. “But, let’s say I believe you. What does he have to do with this? What is this ‘passing on of the talent’ shit and that… that ring have to do with all of this?” They were interrupted again with a loud crashing sound. It was still outside but it was clear what they were trying to do. “Look, Cathy, kudos to your circle and all but I would feel a lot better if we were able to get away altogether from those… whatever they are out there. Somehow, we need to get back to my car. Any ideas?”

She glared at him, obviously hurt by, first, him not going all jelly and drama with her story and, then, with his distrust in her hastily poured salt circle. Then something clicked behind those big brown doe-like eyes. “Actually, there’s a tunnel. It goes back…” She seemed to stop to think. “Oh. To the park. It goes to the park. Well, I mean, it goes to the sewer system and you can get to the park by it.”

Micah did laugh this time. “A tunnel? For real? Dark and dank, just like in all those slasher movies? Man, I did not see that coming. Although I admit, I should have.” He laughed again.

“It’ll all make sense, I promise. There’s so much more to tell you.”

“Oh, believe me, none of this is ever going to make any sense. But don’t worry. I’ll still listen to your story as soon as we get away from here. I suppose the entrance to this tunnel is in the basement?” She sighed, then nodded. “Perfect. Just fucking perfect.” He rose to his feet just as the shuffling noises increased, this time the sounds of crackling wood joined in. He found himself questioning the intelligence of these demons. Wouldn’t it be far easier to come through a window instead of a wall? “Lead away.”

It was an old house. Old houses had scary, smelly basements. The stairs were always narrow and creaky and there was ever only that one naked light bulb hung on a thin wire that once you pulled on the chain to turn it on, it pushed out only enough light to define the deep shadows, not chase them away. It would also swing on that thin wire making those deep shadows move with a life of their own. Common sense told you it was nothing, your fiercely beating heart told you it was every ghost and goblin from your childhood come to steal your soul.

Cathy had grabbed a flashlight, an indication the basement itself was going to be their first challenge, and when they reached the bottom of the stairs, she turned it on. The shadows scattered like leaves before a storm. It felt almost powerful; like it released some kind of energy with its beam. He shook his head. The only powerful thing in this basement right now was his imagination. He stuck close behind Cathy as she moved haltingly toward a far wall. Micah gazed up at that wall trying to see a door or an opening, but he saw nothing. Possibly the tunnel was hidden and would only open to those who knew which brick to push. Maybe the wall itself was an illusion. You simply walked right through. Perhaps that wall was not where she was going.

It might even be she brought me down here to murder me and eat my beating heart.

Crap. Get a hold of yourself, you idiot.

She stopped in the middle of the floor and swung the light around as if looking for something.

Are you kidding me?

“You… you do know where this tunnel is, don’t you?”

“Well, not really. I’ve never used it. I only know it exists.” She swung the light back fast, again making the shadows dance. Micah had a feeling the shadows did not like to dance.

“Give me that thing.” He grabbed the flashlight from her and stepped in front, moving the beam of light slowly this time along the walls. There. Right there. Micah spotted an indent in the wall. He walked quickly over to it, trying hard to ignore the fact that several small, and maybe some not so small, animals skittered across the floor at his approach, the light and his eye just catching the movement, not the actual sight of any of them.

Oh man. This was sooo not good.

But the light did illuminate that indent in the wall and, hallelujah, yes indeed, this was a door. He handed the flashlight to Cathy and reached out to the recessed handle, sticking his hand into the ugly hole, feeling ancient spider webs bar his way. He swallowed hard but pushed through, grabbing the cold metal of the handle and twisted it. It screamed, metal against metal, but it turned, and he felt it release the door as the plunger inched back. Keeping a hold on the handle he pulled, but the door didn’t move. “Shit.” He knew on some level that was what would happen. He absolutely knew the door would be stuck and they would be trapped down here, like rats. The flesh-hungry zombies, dressed like school children, would lumber down the stairs and…

Just as he was about to finish that gruesome and bloody fantasy in his head, there was a crash upstairs.

Demons were in the house.




Author Bio



Hi, my name is Hurri Cosmo and I am a happy ending junkie. I always have been. You can be pretty rest assured everything I write will have one. I am not big on angst. I believe we get enough of that in real life so when I go to read something, to make the real world go away for awhile, I will most likely not chose something that will make me cry.

So I write for those people who, at least occasionally, feel the same way. I’m okay with the fact I will probably never write anything “important” but I guess I will have to see where my imagination takes me. I would love it if you would come along.

Author Website: https://www.hurricosmo.com

Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/hurri.cosmo

Author Facebook (Author Page): https://www.facebook.com/OfficialHurriCosmo/

Author Twitter: https://twitter.com/HurriCosmo

Author Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6466687.Hurri_Cosmo

Author QueeRomance Ink: https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/hurri-cosmo/

Author Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Hurri-Cosmo/e/B00IZNFSXS


LOGO - Other Worlds Ink

Review: Shades of Henry (The Flophouse #1) by Amy Lane

One bootstrap act of integrity cost Henry Worrall everything—military career, family, and the secret boyfriend who kept Henry trapped for eleven years. Desperate, Henry shows up on his brother’s doorstep and is offered a place to live and a job as a handyman in a flophouse for young porn stars.

Lance Luna’s past gave him reasons for being in porn, but as he continues his residency at a local hospital, they now feel more like excuses. He’s got the money to move out of the flophouse and live his own life—but who needs privacy when you’re taking care of a bunch of young men who think working penises make them adults?

Lance worries Henry won’t fit in, but Henry’s got a soft spot for lost young men and a way of helping them. Just as Lance and Henry find a rhythm as den mothers, a murder and the ghosts of Henry’s abusive past intrude. Lance knows Henry’s not capable of murder, but is he capable of caring for Lance’s heart?


The Johnnies series is among my favorites. They’re reliable reads that’ll rip to you pieces and stick you back together. A spin-off with lots of character overlap sounded right up my alley.

So I was really rooting for ‘Shades of Henry’ to be a slam dunk. Unfortunately, Lance and Henry’s love story just didn’t work for me.

The set-up is classic angst-and-pain Amy Lane. Henry, Dex’s asshole brother, finally owns up to the truth and escapes his abusive relationship. He ends up on his brother’s doorstep, and agrees to help Lance run the porn star flophouse.

The two men have their respective demons. They come from entirely different backgrounds, but one thing draws them together - the need to love and be loved.

Very early on, I found it difficult to focus on Henry and Lance’s story. I felt they were continuously drowned out by the flophouse.

It’s acknowledged from the outset that the residents of the apartment are young and hormonal. But there’s a difference between young and hormonal and just outright mind-numbingly immature.

The roommate drama and inanity was just distracting.

The other problem - a good chunk of this story (the murder mystery at least) occurs in Fish on a Bicycle, an entirely seperate book in an entirely seperate series. Neither of which I’ve read.

I kept feeling like I was missing parts of the story, or entering scenes mid-conversation. It didn’t help with being unable to immerse myself in the book.

That all being said, I did like the dynamic between Henry and Lance. Henry slowly lets down his guard and Lance learns to be a healthier version of himself - and each man does it to build a relationship with the other.

And I absolutely loved seeing my favourite Johnnies boys and their chosen family again.

In the end, I never really got into the book. Lance and Henry’s story was just washed out by other storylines and the way the book was written.




A review copy was provided.


Blog Tour + Giveaway: What He Really Needs by Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood



The What He Really Needs blog tour visits Boy Meets Boy Reviews today! Join authors Ryan Taylor & Joshua Harwood, along with IndiGo Marketing, as they celebrate the new release! Not only do the authors host a $25 Amazon gift card giveaway, but main character Cayo Suárez shares a special recipe from the book! Don't miss today's tour stop!



Title: What He Really Needs
Author: Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood
Publisher: Wainscott Press
Release Date: March 20, 2020
Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex
Pairing: Male/Male
Length: 85,000 words
Genre: Romance, Gay romance, M/M romance, Legal romance, Gay suspense and adventure romance

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Synopsis





Sometimes, it takes a second chance to
get things right.

Cayo Suárez, who is gay, and Ben Roth,
an admitted Oblivious Straight Guy, were roommates in law school, but two years
after graduating, they have lost touch. After an accidental meeting, Cayo
invites Ben to stay with him while Ben looks for his own apartment. There’s
only one complication, but it’s a big one—Cayo has been in love with Ben since
they met.

What begins as a heartwarming reunion of
old friends heats up quickly, and Ben starts to wonder if he’s as straight as he
always thought he was. Cayo and Ben reconnect in a most unexpected way, but
their jobs complicate things. Cayo works for low-income people at Legal
Assistance, and Ben works for the man.

When Ben and Cayo become involved in a
controversial case, powerful people with a lot to lose seize control of the
situation. They want to bend the case’s outcome to their own nefarious ends,
and they’ll destroy anyone who tries to stand up to them. Will Cayo and Ben
find a way to save Ben’s career, and their budding relationship, before it’s
too late?

What He Really Needs is an action-packed
book full of warmth and humor, a first-time bisexual awakening, a healthy dose
of suspense, steamy sexy times, and an extraordinarily happy ending.


Excerpt

Excerpt from Chapter One

Saturday, August 19: Washington, DC

Cayo



The sticky air was thick with the ripe smell of horny men. Johnny’s was the big gay sports bar in town, and on Saturday nights there was always a kickass drag show. At two in the morning, the drag queens had come and gone, and I lost myself in music loud enough to rattle my teeth. It was that time of night when everybody was dancing together, and all eyes were on the lookout for an interested man.



I turned around, and just as I noticed a cute blond twink giving me the once-over, I saw him. A dozen yards in front of me was the man I’d moved to DC to get away from. I’d know him anywhere. Dripping with sweat and obviously a couple of sheets to the wind, Ben Roth was dancing his ass off.

You’re out of your mind. That last vodka tonic was one too many.



The flashing lights made it hard to see, so I started moving in his direction. Since Johnny’s was packed, crossing the busy dance floor wasn’t the easiest thing in the world. I sneaked under and around gyrating bodies, and slid between a few couples who were eye fucking each other for all they were worth. Soon, I was next to him, and there was no doubt. None other than Ben Roth was in one of the most popular gay nightspots in the District.



Eyes closed, head thrown back, he seemed oblivious to the madness around him. He still looked like a cross between a teen heartthrob and Prince Charming, with his wavy brown hair and boyishly handsome face. Broad shoulders, muscular pecs, and a trim waist were tantalizing under the damp T-shirt that clung to his torso.



He must have sensed someone watching him. Opening his eyes, he scanned the room and slowly turned his head to the side, toward me. His gaze, loosened by too much alcohol, immediately sharpened as he shook his head and blinked his brilliant amber eyes. He curled his lips into the smile that had launched a thousand ships—as well as countless jack-off fantasies—and he jumped at me.

“Cayo?” He engulfed me in a bear hug. Lime and honey tickled my nostrils, immediately followed by the unmistakable scent of Ben’s spicy musk. For the three years we had lived together, that peppery, mossy smell gave me a semi every time he came home from a run.



I wrapped my arms around him and reveled in the way his toned muscles resisted my squeeze. He pulled me closer, and I felt safe for the first time in who knew how long. I’d honestly thought I would never see him again. Just as his spicy-sweaty essence began to make me feel giddy, I—



Started getting hard! Shit! After the way things ended, the last thing I needed was for him to get the idea that he was giving me an erection. Which he wasn’t, of course. It was the excitement of seeing him again, the air in the club being so laden with testosterone, the feel of another man’s arms around me when I’d come here knowing I needed a good fuck. It certainly had nothing to do with—



Alarm! Get loose before he notices your cock poking into his leg! I braced my hands against his chest and pushed, successfully extricating myself from his grip. “Ben! What the hell are you doing here?”



Confusion and something else—panic?—flashed across his face as he swiped at the moisture on his forehead. He moved his hand to his throat and tugged at the collar of his T-shirt while his eyes darted around. “Let’s go outside. It’s hard to talk in here.”



Without waiting for me to respond, he took my hand and led us off the dance floor. It was slow going, but I was so distracted that I hardly noticed. Ben is in DC? In a gay club?  As I tried to process that, it occurred to me that he had my hand and was leading me toward the exit of said gay club. His own hand was warm, and the calluses from his workouts were frighteningly sensual against my skin. I used to hope I might get to suck those long, supple fingers one day. Actually, his fingers weren’t the only thing I’d wanted to suck. I remembered—



“There, that’s better!” Ben turned, glancing to the side as he took a deep breath.



It was ridiculously hot and humid outside for two o’clock in the morning, but the fresh air was a definite improvement over the sweltering heat inside the club. Better still was that the insanely loud music had receded into a dull thud. Ben trained his amber eyes on me but didn’t let go. I shouldn’t have glanced down, because as soon as I did, he dropped my hand like it was on fire.



“I’m surprised to see you here,” I managed to say, a little breathlessly, barely resisting the urge to touch my hand to my face. “You’re in town?” Kill me now.



He snickered. “Your astute powers of observation haven’t failed you, I see.” Ben had this low voice that had always gotten me going, and it did nothing to deflate the hard-on that had started when he hugged me, and which hadn’t flagged in the least.



I had difficulty forming words. My lips moved but nothing came out, and an eternity passed before I was able to say anything. “Why are you here, Ben?”



He shrugged, as if what he was about to say was of no importance at all. “I live here now.”

The implications of that were too much to consider right then, so I decided to start with the question that buzzed around my brain like a plane caught in a thunderstorm, the question I had to have an answer to right this minute. “At Johnny’s? You live at Johnny’s?”



It wasn’t exactly the sentence I’d wanted to put together, but it seemed to telegraph my concern to Ben. He shuffled back and forth on his feet for a moment before he met my eyes. “Let’s go get coffee. We need to talk.”



Still struggling to come to terms with the reality that Ben Roth was standing next to me, I was slow to respond.



“Or maybe not? Are you with someone?”



With someone? Did he mean at Johnny’s  with someone, or in a relationship  with someone? Stop overthinking things—the answer’s the same either way. “No, I’m not with anyone.” I nodded toward Vermont Avenue. “There’s a late-night diner down the street. We can walk there.”



Over Easy was crowded, not unusual for a weekend night. A lot of the men who hadn’t found love at Johnny’s had moved the party down here, and the debriefing was in full swing. The pink plastic booths were all occupied, most of the tables were taken, and people were milling around everywhere, a few of them still in drag.



Despite the rowdy throng, we were seated at a table right away. Ordinarily, I’d have resented the claustrophobic location—in a corner in the back, between a supply closet and a wall—but the privacy would be good tonight. Ben and I were apparently going to have a conversation I’d avoided for two years.



After we ordered coffee, he passed some time drumming his fingertips against the tabletop. I stayed quiet. Acting like a bastard wasn’t my style, but I wasn’t going to make things too easy for him. After all, the last time we’d been together, he sure hadn’t made things easy for me.



The waitress brought our drinks, and Ben finally looked at me when she left. “So, Cayo…?”



Really? That’s all you’ve got?  “Still my name.” I took a sip of coffee. “So, Ben…?”



“It’s not what you’re thinking.” He glanced between me and the tabletop, and kept reaching up to scratch his cheek.



I forced my lips into a smile. “You’re going to dig a hole in your face, if you don’t stop that.”



“What?” He jumped, almost like he’d forgotten I was there, before he met my eyes. “Oh, sorry.” His little snicker sounded as sweet as ever. “You always used to tell me that.”



“It’s good to see you, Ben. What’s going on? You said you live here now?”



He put both hands on the table, palms down. “I’m sorry, Cayo. Like really, really sorry.”



The din from Over Easy’s drunk and disappointed customers closed in on us while I decided what to say. I kept my gaze on Ben but had to focus on his forehead because his eyes were too dangerous. “You are?” Memories washed over me—it had been raining in Durham, the day after we graduated from law school—and I couldn’t breathe for a few seconds. “Sorry for what, exactly?”



He made a humming noise while he shook his head. His eyes got shiny, and since I knew that, I was obviously looking at them now.



“For everything.” His voice was lower than usual, and it had a quake I’d never heard before. “For being an absolute bastard to my best buddy. For being a total jerk, somebody you know isn’t me and never was.”



The emotion on his face surprised me. “Tu campo? Is that what I was? Your best buddy?”

It was perhaps the tiniest scoff in the history of the world, but I heard it. “Well, yeah. How can you even ask that?”



Because even now, I want what we had to have been more. Maybe I still believe it was more.



“Why did you act like that, Ben? Treat me like that? It fucking hurt, worse than you’ll ever know.”



“I was….” He cleared his throat and took a sip of coffee. “I don’t know. You shocked me. It had only been a year since Amy left, and I…. You and I were….”



My stomach clenched into a painful knot, and I decided that perhaps I wasn’t ready for this conversation, after all. “You said you live here now? You mean in DC?”



He opened his mouth and tried to say something. When that failed, he took a deep breath. “I tried to call you so many times. Sent you dozens of emails and texts, kept it up for a year.”



“You did?”



He flattened his lips into a small frown. “Come on, man. You never blocked me. The phone would ring and ring before it went to voicemail.”



At least I knew you were thinking about me. I stared at his forehead again. “I wasn’t ready to talk to you, Ben.”



He gave a small nod. “Fair enough. I left you alone for a while, but last Christmas something woke me up, and I’ve wanted to talk to you so much since then.” He set his coffee down and leaned over the table. “I’ve almost called you so many times. I decided last week to get in touch as soon as I got to DC, which was only this morning, actually. I was going to find you, Cayo.”



“Well, you found me, so talk.”



He sat back in his chair and put out his hands. “I panicked. I don’t really understand why. You know I don’t have any issues with gay people. My brother’s gay, for God’s sake.”



“I know, but you still—”



In a flash, he reached across the table and grabbed my hand, words rushing out of him in a torrent of emotion. “I love you, Cayo.” He opened his eyes wide but didn’t slow down. “I mean, not like that, but you were my best friend. We always had so much fun together, were there for each other in so many ways. When Amy left, I was so broken and needy, and you got me through it. I started depending on you, way more than I had any right to. I—” He caught himself and lowered his head, though he kept my hand.



It must have been about sixty degrees in the overcooled restaurant, but a bead of sweat rolled down the back of my neck. “You what?” He remained quiet, and I squeezed his hand. He still didn’t move. “Look at me, Ben.”



Slowly, he raised his head.



“You were saying…?” I prompted.



He exhaled, puffing out his cheeks and lips. “I’m not going to deny it. I felt things, about you. I got confused, and it weirded me out.”



I cocked my head, needing to be sure I understood him correctly. “You felt what about me?”



“I wanted you!” His voice was loud, and he brought it back down. “I wanted you in bed, but it wouldn’t have been right. I would’ve just been projecting feelings onto you because I didn’t have a girlfriend. You deserved more.”



I squeezed his hand again. “Go on. Please.”



His eyes, already bright, grew wet. “You were family to me for three years, all through law school. We shared so much, Cay. Remember how we used to talk all night long? I never pulled an all-nighter studying, but who knows how many all-nighters we pulled hanging out, talking about anything and everything?” He smiled. “We had such great times. All those road trips—going to ride roller coasters around the country, visit places neither of us had ever been. If we thought a game might be good, we’d just jump in the car and go see it. Didn’t matter where it was.” He chuckled. “I wore out a car in law school having the time of my life with you.”



His voice choked, and he struggled for control before he went on. “You were the best friend I could ever imagine. When I started having all those crazy thoughts, I was barely able to manage them. Then, when you told me you’d been in love with me all along, when you kissed me, I panicked. You needed somebody who could offer you a future, and since I’m not gay, that wasn’t me. It was either get uber pissed off, or say to hell with it and use you, but that would have left both of us feeling like shit.”



I glared at him until I could get words out. “Well, what you chose to do certainly left both of us feeling like shit.”



He still held my hand and squeezed it hard. “I’d give anything to change what happened.”



“Why didn’t you talk to me that night?” I had to clear my throat. “It took me so long to work up the courage to tell you how I felt, to ask if there was a chance you might feel the same way.” Sadness rushed into my heart and I did my best to push it away. “I had to ask, Ben.”



His voice was very soft. “I knew even then how much you trusted me, to be able to tell me, but I acted like a crazy fool and treated my best friend like a piece of shit.” He shuddered. “When I realized what I’d done, how I’d—”



Tears spilled down his cheeks, and my heart skipped a beat. I leaned across the table toward him. “Hey.” He squeezed his eyes shut and the cascade of tears continued. When he sobbed, I let go of a breath I’d been holding onto for two years. “Oh, Ben.” I sat quietly until he calmed down.



“Please forgive me, Cay. I was a damned coward, and I should’ve told you what I was feeling.” He shook his head. “I’ve been a damned coward ever since. I could have come to see you, gotten right in your face until you listened to me.”



My own eyes overflowed at that point, and there we sat—two guys, holding hands, crying in public. Anywhere else in town, we’d have probably attracted some attention, but sitting in Over Easy at two forty-five on a Sunday morning, no one even turned a head.

Purchase at Amazon

Author Visit

A Special Recipe from Cayo Suárez

His Appearance on the TV Show Good Morning, DC

By Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood



REPORTER: (All smiles.) We’re so glad to have Cayo Suárez with us this morning. Cayo was born in Phoenix, Arizona, where he grew up. His parents are originally from Guatemala. Cayo attended the University of Arizona in Tucson, where he majored in history and played varsity lacrosse. After graduation, Cayo attended law school at Duke University, where he graduated magna cum laude. He now works for Legal Assistance in Washington. Cayo, thanks for getting up so early to be with us today. I have to say, you’re the handsomest lawyer I’ve ever met.
CAYO: (Rolling eyes and grinning.) Okay, okay. Tell me a mystery next time.
REPORTER: Seriously, a good-looking guy like you, a successful lawyer who can cook, you must be pretty popular with the guys. You won’t be a bachelor long.
CAYO: (Blushing.) I stay pretty busy with work.
REPORTER: Oh, come on. Isn’t there a special guy for you?
CAYO: (Breaking into a broad grin.) There’s this guy named Ben. We were roommates in law school and he recently moved to DC, so he’s staying with me while he looks for his own place. (Loses a little of his smile.) We’re just friends, though.
REPORTER: Mm-hmm, just friends. Got it. (Smiles conspiratorially.) I’ll bet Ben likes it when you cook for him.
CAYO: (Nodding.) He likes to eat, that’s for sure. He appreciates the things I cook.
REPORTER: I’ll bet he does. When did you learn to cook, Cayo?
CAYO: I don’t ever remember not cooking. Mom had my brother and me in the kitchen with her all the time. We liked to eat, so it seemed natural that we’d cook.
REPORTER: Did you learn everything you know about cooking from your mom?
CAYO: No. I learned a lot of things from Mom, but my Abuelita—my grandma—taught me a lot, too. We went to visit her every other year, and she’d come to see us in Phoenix. She’s an amazing woman, and I wanted to spend every minute with her I could. She taught me some fantastic recipes.
REPORTER: (Smiling.) That’s very sweet. What are some of your favorite things to make?
CAYO: I think simple things are the best. Buy the highest quality ingredients you can afford, give them some TLC, and you’re almost guaranteed to have a great meal.
REPORTER: Do you make anything complicated?
CAYO: (Nodding, with a smile.) A few things. My Abuelita taught me how to make Chicken Pepián. It’s sort of like a complicated chicken stew with some delicious spices. It takes a while to make, but it’s perfect for a special occasion.
REPORTER: (With another conspiratorial smile.) I’ll bet Ben likes that, huh?
CAYO: (Laughing.) He does, and here’s a funny story. Once, in law school, he wanted to help me make it. Now, you have to understand that Ben is not a cook—Ben is so not a cook! Anyway, I asked him to cut up potatoes and he ended up slicing his finger so badly we had to go to the ER.
REPORTER: Wow, was he okay?
CAYO: Yes, they fixed him up. (Winks at the reporter.) Ever since, I’ve only let him be in charge of opening the beers.
REPORTER: So, what recipe are you sharing with us today?
CAYO: I brought my recipe for mixtas. They’re fun, quick to make, and everybody loves them.
REPORTER: Is it one of your mom’s recipes?
CAYO: Part Mom, part Abuelita, and part me. There are as many recipes for mixtas as there are people making them, but the one I’ve brought today is the way I like to do it. They’re pretty simple, but really delicious.
REPORTER: (Waggles eyebrows.) Does Ben like mixtas?
CAYO: (Big smile.) He loves them. (A little chuckle.) He actually calls it Cayo’s Guatemalan Hot Dog. (Blushes.)
REPORTER: (Snickering.) Okay, we’ll let that be. Thank you for the recipe, Cayo, and for being with us today.
CAYO: You’re welcome, thanks for having me. And I hope everybody enjoys the mixtas.

CAYO’S GUATEMALAN HOT DOG

Ingredients:
Corn tortillas
Best quality hot dogs
Guacamole (homemade is by far the best)
Shredded cabbage
Diced tomato
Mild green chiles (from a can is fine), or chopped bell pepper
Mustard
Mayonnaise
Ketchup
Lime
Hot sauce or small hot peppers (optional)
Shredded cheese (optional)

Procedure:

  1.  Boil the shredded cabbage for four or five minutes, just long enough to wilt it—you still want some crunch. Drain it and set it aside to cool.
  2.  Cook the hot dogs. I like to boil them and then brown the weenies a little in a skillet or grill pan.
  3.   Heat the tortillas. I usually do it with tongs over a flame for a little bit on each side, but a skillet or even the microwave works just fine.
  4. Assemble the mixtas. Spread some guacamole on each tortilla. Top that with a hot dog and a little of the cabbage. Add the other ingredients to taste, and don’t forget to top with a drizzle of lime juice.
  5. Eat them like a soft taco and be sure to enjoy with a cool drink. Ben likes a cold beer with his, but my Abuelita likes a cola on the side.


Meet the Author

 


Ryan Taylor and Joshua Harwood met in law school and were married in 2017. They live in a suburb of Washington, DC, and enjoy travel, friends, dogs, and advocating for causes dear to their hearts. Josh and Ryan love writing, and the romance they were so lucky to find with each other inspires their stories about love between out and proud men.


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