C.S. Poe is here today with an exclusive short story involving the characters from her popular Snow & Winter series to promote The Mystery of the Curiosities in audio format. Enjoy!
Title: The Mystery of the Curiosities (audiobook)
Series: Snow & Winter
Publisher: DSP Publications
Author: C.S. Poe
Narrator: Derrick McClain
Length: 7 hours, 15 minutes
Release: July 31, 2017
Hey there, everyone! I’m C.S. Poe, author of the mystery-romance series, Snow & Winter. Today is the second stop of the blog tour for The Mystery of the Curiosities on audio, narrated by the wonderfully talented Derrick McClain. If you’ve missed the first post— this is a short story about Sebastian and Calvin taking a vacation to Colorado, inspired by my Highway to Heck road trip and attendance at GRL. Be sure to read Part 1 at The Novel Approach!
Make sure you check out the complete story at the following blogs:
October 23 – The Novel Approach
October 24 – Boy Meets Boy
October 26 – Two Chicks Obsessed
October 27 – Love Bytes
“The Strater?” I asked.
Calvin paused at the steps. He looked down, giving me another smile. “Do you know it?”
“Sure! Well, I know of it,” I corrected. “It was built in 1887 by Henry Strater. It cost around seventy-thousand dollars at the time of construction. Do you know how much that is today, with inflation taken into account?”
Calvin was still smiling. “A lot.”
“Over a million dollars. This was the social hot spot of Durango.” I stared at the doors for a moment. “We’re really staying here?”
“For the weekend,” Calvin answered. He motioned in one direction with his free hand. “There’s a history museum I want to take you to. All the trip advisors say it’s a ‘must’ on the Durango to-do list. There’s also the Durango & Silverton Railroad, which seemed like something you might enjoy. And Downtown is registered as a Historic District, so I thought—“
I grabbed Calvin by the front of his shirt and pulled him down into a kiss. I didn’t care we were standing on a busy street. I didn’t care folks were coming and going from the hotel doors and we were probably in the way. And I didn’t care that our gay kiss might potentially offend someone outside of my safe neighborhood of the East Village.
No boyfriend had ever done something like this for me before. I didn’t know how else to respond. I had been swept away for a romantic weekend, complete with a historical tour, that I had to do zero planning for. If I wasn’t already sleeping with Calvin….
“Happy?” he murmured after breaking the kiss. Calvin pressed his forehead to mine and ran his hand through my hair.
I had a stupid lump in my throat, so I just nodded a little.
“Let’s check in.” Calvin took a step back and hiked up the stairs to the front door. He held it open and I followed inside.
There were several people mingling about in the lobby of the hotel. Calvin walked to the desk, but I remained standing in the middle of room, turning in a slow circle as I took in the décor. It had been restored to its historical glory, and was a simply perfect combination of Victorian America meets Wild West.
Even the lighting was subtle and relaxing, compared to most hotels.
I could live here.
“Seb?”
I glanced away from the sitting area beside the large front window and joined Calvin’s side at the counter. “This is beautiful,” I said. “I need to take some pictures to show Pop.”
He smiled and touched my back lightly.
“Mr. Winter,” a young man said as he handed over a small, room key booklet. “I have you on the third floor, but it only has one bed. Is that— okay?” He glanced between the two of us.
Yes, I know. I’m not what most people expect when they realize I’m Calvin’s significant other. I should be taller. Stronger. Bigger. More handsome….
“That’s perfect,” Calvin said, accepting the key.
The hotel clerk smiled, maybe a bit relieved like he thought he’d made a mistake as to our relationship. “We have a bar and restaurant directly next store, which I highly recommend. They have a great atmosphere.”
“Romantic?” I sort of blurted the question out, but who could blame me? I was all smitten at the moment.
The clerk’s smile got a bit bigger. “I think so. You gentlemen will love it.”
“Thank you,” Calvin said. He put a hand on my shoulder and we walked toward the stairs. “You know,” he began, after we were making our way up the first set. “They say the hotel is haunted too.”
“Really?” I paused at the top.
“That’s what I heard.” Calvin turned the corner and kept walking.
I went after him. “What inspired you to come out here, anyway?”
“Water cooler talk.”
“You gossip at work?”
Calvin laughed quietly, leading the way up the next set. “An officer stayed here on his honeymoon. He said his history teacher wife loved it. It sounded like a very Sebastian-friendly place.”
I knew Calvin meant the history part of the trip sounded like it would appeal to an old fart like me, but had he also associated something as romantic as a honeymoon with— us?
I stumbled, tripped, and grabbed at the railing in a blind panic.
Calvin turned, reached out, and gripped my shoulder to keep me from face-planting. “Jesus. You okay?”
“Y-yeah, sorry.” I cleared my throat. “The— stairs. They’re shorter than what I’m used to.”
Calvin gave me a funny look. “You look a little pale. Do you feel okay?”
“Huh?”
“Maybe it’s the altitude.”
I let go of the banister and waved a hand. “No, I’m fine. Really.”
Calvin stared a moment longer before nodding and hiking up the rest of the stairs. He stopped outside of a room and removed the key from the envelope.
End of Part 2
Blurb:
Life has been pretty great for Sebastian Snow. The Emporium is thriving and his relationship with NYPD homicide detective Calvin Winter is everything he's ever wanted. With Valentine's Day around the corner, Sebastian's only cause for concern is whether Calvin should be taken on a romantic date. It's only when an unknown assailant smashes the Emporium's window and leaves a peculiar note behind that all plans get pushed aside in favor of another mystery.
Sebastian is quickly swept up in a series of grisly yet seemingly unrelated murders. The only connection tying the deaths together are curiosities from the lost museum of P.T. Barnum. Despite Calvin's attempts to keep Sebastian out of the investigation, someone is forcing his hand, and it becomes apparent that the entire charade exists for Sebastian to solve. With each clue that brings him closer to the killer, he's led deeper into Calvin's official cases.
It's more than just Sebastian's livelihood and relationship on the line - it's his very life.
Purchase Links: | Audible | Amazon | iTunes | Goodreads |
Author Bio:
C.S. Poe is an author of gay mystery, romance, and paranormal books.
She is a reluctant mover and has called many places home in her lifetime. C.S. has lived in New York City, Key West, and Ibaraki, Japan, to name a few. She misses the cleanliness, convenience, and limited edition gachapon of Japan, but she was never very good at riding bikes to get around.
She has an affinity for all things cute and colorful, and a major weakness for toys. C.S. is an avid fan of coffee, reading, and cats. She’s rescued three cats, including one found in a drain pipe in Japan who flew back to the States with her. Zak, Milo, and Kasper do their best on a daily basis to sidetrack her from work.
C.S. is a member of the International Thriller Writers Organization.
Narrator Bio:
Ever since my voice dropped, people have been telling me I “should go into radio”…
What people don’t realize is that you don’t go into radio just because people like the sound of your voice. You go into radio because you have a passion for what’s on the radio – for music, or for news, or sports. While I can appreciate these things, I don’t have a passion for them.
Now, books on the other hand…books I can get behind.
After eight years of professional and competitive public speaking and (live) oral interpretation of literature, Derrick has turned his powerful voice to the world of audiobooks.
While he enjoys reading, listening to, and narrating a wide variety of genres, he has a particular affinity and passion for romance novels of all types.
Derrick records in a professional quality studio at his home in Tallahassee, FL, where he enjoys the quiet North Florida lifestyle along with his fiance and insanely hyper dog. He has previously lived in rural Pennsylvania as well as Orange County California, and has extensively traveled the United States, becoming familiar with a wide range of American accents and sub-cultures.
