Release Blitz + Giveaway: Stray (Outcast Mates #3) by Lee Colgin

 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title:  Stray: MM Paranormal Fantasy (Outcast Mates 3)

Author and Publisher: Lee Colgin

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date:  August 25, 2022

Genre: MM Paranormal Romance

Tropes: Grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, age gap

Themes: Steamy, romantic, 

Heat Rating:  4 flames

Length:  65 000 words/250 pages

 It’s the 3rd book in the series but can be read as a standalone. It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

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Stray is a steamy MM romance featuring a cranky panther shifter, a freshly-made vampire, & lamb-on-a-stick. A grumpy/sunshine, age gap, opposites attract, reluctant-fated-mates pairing that must overcome the odds to win their HEA!

Blurb

Leonas is a cranky panther shifter set in his ways. He handles security for an exclusive brothel and takes the safety of the staff at The Twig and Berries seriously, to the extent of sacrificing his love life for work. 

When a young vampire called Jeno shows up with heart eyes and disturbing news, Leonas is taken aback. Who is this curious youth and why is he hitting on Leonas of all people? More importantly, when is he leaving? Because Leonas has no time for romance. 

Though Jeno is running from a dark past, he can’t help but to stop in his tracks for Leonas. The grumpy cat shifter might be prickly on the outside, but inside? Well, Leonas is prickly there too. He needs someone like Jeno to escape the lonely trap of his own making.

Can Jeno evade the snare of Hungary’s notorious opium slingers? Will Leonas break the chains of his past? Together, they stand a chance, but suffering alone is all they’ve ever known.

***

Stray is a steamy MM Paranormal Romance featuring lusty incubi, greedy goblins, and mouthwatering lamb-on-a-stick. A grumpy/sunshine, age gap, opposites attract, reluctant fated mates pairing that must overcome the odds to win their forever HEA!

Excerpt 

He takes the stairs two at a time in a bounding, clumsy sort of fashion unlike most vampires I’ve encountered. A wide grin stretches across his youthful face, but you never know with a vampire. He could be older than me, though for some reason I doubt it. He doesn’t just look young, he acts it too, flopping into the small room, into my space without so much as a by your leave, and dropping his pack on the little table next to me. The urge to bat it right off again strikes, but I resist. 

“Wow. You must be Leonas. You’re even scarier looking than Ivaz warned. But he also said not to worry. That you would act mean but that you weren’t really mean. ‘Just a kitten,’ he said. That true? I’ve never met a panther before.”

Irritation crawls beneath my skin and settles at the back of my neck and the tip of my tongue. I’ll have a few words for Ivaz when next I see him. “And you are?”

“Jeno!” He says his name like it’s a prize rather than a basic introduction and thrusts his hand toward my center, dopey grin still intact. 

I stare at it through lowered lids. No. Will not be touching him. He’s already acting too familiar for my comfort. I don’t plan to encourage it. “What’s your business here?”

His brows crumple as he withdraws his hand. “Letters.” He regains a modicum of his former exuberance. “I’m the new messenger.”

Since when do the vampires allow messengers to be this young? I study him. His tanned skin still retains human pores. His mouth, a rosy shade of pink with slight protrusions where fangs lay hidden beneath, trembles as if he’s finally realizing he stands before a true threat and not the harmless kitten Ivaz so erroneously made me out to be. 

My own lips part as I take in his wide eyes, hazel jewels sparkling with questions, staring at mine as if it’s I who hold the answers. They spell me with their beauty. A rush of warmth fills my chest.

I shake myself out of it with an irritated huff. “And so? Hand over the letters, then.”

He squints. It’s cute. I hate him.

About the Author 

Lee Colgin has loved vampires since she read Dracula on a hot, sunny beach at 13 years old. She lives in North Carolina with lots of dogs and her husband. No, he's not a vampire, but she loves him anyway. Lee likes to workout so she can eat the maximum amount of cookies with her pizza. Ask her how much she can bench press.

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Giveaway 

Enter the King Sumo Giveaway for a chance to win

 a $20 Amazon Gift Card and your choice eBook from the author's backlist

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Release Blitz: Over the Emerald Valley (Immortal Jewels) by Lee Colgin

 Author Lee Colgin and Gay Book Promotions share new paranormal fantasy release, Over the Emerald Valley! Read more about the standalone today!

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Over the Emerald Valley: MM Paranormal Fantasy Romance

Author and Publisher: Lee Colgin

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: April 28, 2022

Genre: MM Paranormal/Fantasy Romance

Tropes: Forced Proximity, Sex-worker, Only One Bed

Themes: Things are never black and white, they’re usually grey

Heat Rating: 4 flames    

Length: 61 000 words/ 250 pages

It is a standalone story within a series that you don’t need to read at all to understand this book.  

It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads 

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

Blurb

Life as a concubine to the devious Viceroy Abasi isn’t so bad. Temaj has food, shelter, and every inch of his skin is draped in emeralds. What’s freedom worth when weighed against the luxury of the palace?

Solon’s dutiful life earned him the rank of army general to the pharaoh. But when he’s sent on a diplomatic mission to an emerald mine rather than into battle, he senses the end of his career and a lonely retirement.

Temaj is gifted to Solon for his stay, but the last person Solon wants in his bed is a slave sent to spy on him—even if he is a gorgeous, silver-tongued vixen of a man.

Trouble brews when emeralds go missing. With only a clever concubine and the viceroy’s harem on his side, can Solon solve the mystery and escape with his life, or are he and Temaj destined to haunt the walls of the palace forever?

***

Over the Emerald Valley is a gay paranormal romance full of snarky banter, dangerous secrets, steamy stolen moments and only one bed. It’s a stand alone novel within the Immortal Jewels series and can be read first or last with no spoilers, no cliffhangers, and always a happily ever after!

Excerpt   

“Ah, fear not.” Abasi raised a bejeweled finger with a flourish and beckoned forth a new group. “I’m told you prefer men, and I’m nothing if not accommodating.”

Solon preferred willing partners, not slaves, but he wouldn’t risk insulting Abasi with his morals.

There was no easy way to get out of this. He’d have to select one of them.

As the newest line of elegant, supple bodies drew close, Solon caught the gaze of a tall man who moved with the feline grace of a street cat. His honey-colored hair hung in long, loose waves over his shoulders, and his pursed lips said he knew what a gem he was.

That light hair marked him as foreign among all the black silken tresses of the other concubines. Northern. From distant lands. How did he end up in an Egyptian harem so far south?

Solon stared. The man wore no paint, no kohl, and no gaudy decorations, just a simple green linen shift belted at the waist. His beauty needed no enhancement.

Rather than cast his gaze demurely at the floor, as the others had done, the blond met Solon’s stare…and winked.

A real smile at such a display of gumption replaced the fake one on Solon’s lips.

Abasi stood, and a servant bustled to move his chair out of the way. “Come, have a look. Shall I introduce them?”

Solon followed his host to the line of concubines. There were fewer men than women, but still quite the selection. Six men and nine women in total.

“That won’t be necessary.” Solon would prefer to retire alone for the night, but if he had to pick… “I’ve made my choice.”

Abasi knocked him on the back so hard Solon nearly stumbled. “I like a man who knows what he wants. Which will it be?”

The blond, without hesitation, stepped forward. Bold. He peered at Solon through half-lidded eyes, gaze intense, as if daring him to suggest anyone but himself.

“Him.” Solon gestured to the brazen slave, who only then deigned to lower his gaze.

“Ah, well chosen. That is Temaj, a beauty from the north and a wild cat beneath the sheets, or so I’m told. My tastes don’t run toward men.”

“Then why have them in your harem?” The question was out of Solon’s mouth before he could think better of asking. Luckily, the viceroy didn’t seem offended. Rather, the man laughed.

“A proper harem must contain both, dear Solon, for how else are you to please all your guests?”

Solon would never understand the lives of the rich or the royal. When he retired from the army, he wanted only a plot of land, a good mule, decent tools, and, if he was very lucky, perhaps someone to share it with, though he expected to end up alone.

“How do you want him?” asked Abasi.

Solon cocked his head. “What do you mean?”

Abasi gestured to Temaj, who stood silently as if he didn’t mind two men discussing him as if he weren’t there. “How do you want him dressed? Done up? What are your preferences?”

“Oh. Nothing,” said Solon.

Temaj startled and bestowed on him a glower that would send a dog’s tail sticking between its legs.

About the Author 

Lee Colgin has loved vampires since she read Dracula on a hot, sunny beach at 13 years old. She lives in North Carolina with lots of dogs and her husband. No, he's not a vampire, but she loves him anyway. Lee likes to workout so she can eat the maximum amount of cookies with her pizza. Ask her how much she can bench press.

Social Media Links

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Newsletter Sign-up  |  BookBub

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Changeling (Outcast Mates #2) by Lee Colgin

 Author Lee Colgin and Gay Book Promotions celebrate the release of Changeling (Outcast Mates #2)! Read more about the paranormal romance and enter in the giveaway for a chance to win a $20 Amazon Gift Card and Direct-to-kindle copies of Mongrel and Changeling!

 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title:  Changeling: MM Paranormal Fantasy Romance (Outcast Mates)

Author: Lee Colgin

Publisher: Colgin Enterprise

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: February 10, 2022

Genre: MM Paranormal/Fantasy Romance

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, found family, grumpy/sunshine, forced proximity

Themes: Finding yourself

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 65 000 words/ 260 pages

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK

When a fae changeling on the run is forced to hunker down with a grumpy incubus, will enemies become lovers or is an ancient curse too much for them to bear? 

Blurb

Dominus—an incubus who runs a brothel called The Twig & Berries—is bored with his life and customers alike.

Sebastian—a changeling faerie swapped at birth for a human infant—is reeling with the knowledge of his true heritage. Unsafe among humans, he travels north to meet others of his kind.

But danger lurks, and when Sebastian is forced to hunker down with Dominus for safe harbor, the tension between them flares hot.

Sebastian is the only person that’s piqued Dominus’s interest in ages, but he’s fae. And Dominus has reason to despise faeries.

Forced together as trespassers infiltrate the territory, will enemies become lovers or will a curse keep them apart forever?

Changeling is an MM Paranormal Fantasy Romance featuring enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, a steamy love story, lamb on a stick, and surprise visitors from other novels. If you enjoyed Beneath the Opal Arc, this book's for you.

Excerpt 

A creature strolls into the room so stunning I must blink to be sure he’s real.

Aside from the massive horns and gently swaying tail, he doesn’t look like any demon I’ve ever imagined. He’s gorgeous, with gray-dappled lavender skin, and he’s huge—taller than me even without considering the coiled horns that add another foot to his already astounding height.

His sapphire blue eyes, sparkling with an interest that rivals my own, catch my gaze. Silver brows—the same color as his long braided hair—arch to elegant crescents high on his forehead.

“What treasure has arrived at my door this morning?” A sly smile forms across lush pink lips. His skin is simply otherworldly, shining with an aromatic oil spread from neck to toes.

I inhale the fragrance of a bouquet of fresh spring blossoms plucked to gift a lover.

“Dominus, meet Sebastian, who finds himself in need of safe harbor.” Ivaz makes a sweeping gesture from him to me. “Sebastian, meet Dominus, who’s agreed to take you in.”

I let my gaze wander over the length of him. Practically naked, he wears only a sheer shift of shimmering fabric the color of ripe plums. It’s pulled tight over each hardened nipple, crossing just above his pierced belly button, then draping loosely around his lean waist and bulging thighs. Silver strappy sandals adorn his otherwise bare feet, the toenails painted purple to match the shift. Amethysts dangle from each ear.

Dominus is a glittering jewel of a man—of an incubus, I suppose. His attention brushes over me like a touch, grazing my skin and bristling the little hairs on my neck in its wake. We stare at each other until I remember my manners.

Clearing my throat, I extend my hand. “Thank you for offering me shelter.”

Dominus takes it within his larger one, his grip soft and warm. “My pleasure.” He brings my hand to his lips and presses a kiss to the backs of my fingers.

I’m baffled by the boldness of the gesture, wondering how he knows I prefer men. It’s usually a back-and-forth dance of daring mixed with self-preservation to determine whether another fellow might be like-minded, but Dominus doesn’t hesitate in the slightest.

To my chagrin, heat sears across my cheeks. Surely they’re pink as petals. I’m not often so taken by another person, but Dominus is a magnificent presence. His energy steals all the space in the room, spins it to his will, and returns it much improved upon for having been under his control.

My tongue is thick and heavy in my mouth, but I force it to work before I look like an idiot ogling him. “I’ve never met an incubus before.”

“And I’ve never met such a charming…” He studies me, eyes raking over my lean form.

I open my mouth to answer, my flush deepening under his scrutiny, but he shakes his head.

“No, let me guess. It’s more fun. Wood sprite?”

His guess brings a grin to my face. “There are wood sprites?”

“Ah, so not a wood sprite, then.” He leans in close to me and reaches for my hair. “May I?”

I bite my cheek and give a little nod. He takes a lock of my hair and curls it through his fingers. Then he sniffs.

“Hmm, not a shifter. At least not one I recognize.” His eyes sparkle with a new idea. “A jinn? But are you benevolent or malevolent?”

“I’m not that either. What’s a jinn?”

Dominus purses his lips, still twirling my hair. “Not a jinn. Hmm.”

Ivaz groans before Dominus can answer my question. “Glad to see the two of you hitting it off. Now where do we sleep?”

“Has our new guest worn you out already, old man?” Dominus says to Ivaz.

“Hardly,” Ivaz scoffs. “But I have a letter to write before dawn.”

“This way.” Dominus extends his elbow to me, and I take it. His muscles flex beneath my fingertips.

We head down a narrow hallway with decorated silk drapes hung crisscrossed over the ceiling and pass several doors on each side. Just how big this place, and how many people sleep within these rooms? In the quiet, I hear only the thumping of my heart and our soft steps muted by layers of thick rugs.

We stop by one of the doors. Dominus uses his free hand to push it open. He glances to Ivaz. “Here you are.”

“Thank you.” Ivaz steps over the threshold.

I gasp as Dominus’s tail circles my waist and tugs me closer to his side. It’s not unwelcome, but it’s quite surprising.

“Sorry,” he says, sounding anything but. “It has a mind of its own sometimes.”

About the Author 

Lee Colgin has loved vampires since she read Dracula on a hot, sunny beach at 13 years old. She lives in North Carolina with lots of dogs and her husband. No, he's not a vampire, but she loves him anyway. Lee likes to workout so she can eat the maximum amount of cookies with her pizza. Ask her how much she can bench press.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website   |  Facebook Group  |  Twitter

Newsletter Sign-up  |  BookBub

Giveaway

Enter the KingSumo giveaway for a chance to win

a $20 Amazon Gift Card and Direct-to-kindle copies of Mongrel and Changeling

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Mongrel by Lee Colgin

Author Lee Colgin and Gay Book Promotions share new release info for Mongrel! If you enjoy historical paranormal romances, check out today's blitz! Plus, enter in the Kingsumo giveaway for a chance to win a series and an Amazon gift card!
 

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Mongrel

Author: Lee Colgin

Publisher: Colgin Enterprise

Cover Artist: Natasha Snow

Release Date: November 18, 2021

Genre: MM Paranormal Romance

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length:  76 000 words

It is a standalone story and does not end on a cliffhanger.

Goodreads 

Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited

Universal Link  |  Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

A misfit wolf

A guilt-ridden vampire

A chilling mystery

Blurb  

Mongrel, a creature more wolf than man, leads a lonely life on the fringes of pack society—until the night a handsome vampire shows up with a mysterious request.

Bowie—a vampire cursed to a life of endless nights—maintains close ties with his human family. When young girls in their village go missing, he must act quickly. But to find them, he’ll need to convince the local werewolf pack to loan him their best tracker—a wolf known as the Mongrel.

Though he hates the slur, Andras is used to being called Mongrel. When Bowie refuses to refer to him by anything but his given name, Andras can’t help a flicker of unexpected trust toward the stranger. He volunteers to help Bowie, risking banishment.

Can two tender-hearted men overcome their traumatic pasts and work together to rescue the girls before it’s too late? Or will the world’s most prolific killer snuff the flames of their passion along with the lives of her captives?

***

This steamy love story spans the country of Hungary as Andras and Bowie journey through cities and wilderness on their quest to right a killer’s wicked wrongs. Mongrel features a sweetly possessive werewolf, a cinnamon roll of a vampire, and the worst serial killer in history. A surprisingly fluffy MM Paranormal/Historical Romance considering the subject matter.   

HEA guaranteed with loads of laughs along the way and no cliffhanger ending!

Excerpt 

The Kingdom of Hungary, 1610

I watch the ground pass by beneath my paws rather than risk meeting the eyes of the other wolves. They probably aren’t looking anyway, having better things to do than greet the mongrel, even on a full moon. I’ve spent so long pretending not to care it’s almost worked. Who needs them? Not me.

I give a full-body shake to settle my fur how I like it and amble toward the heart of the village, a cool night breeze keeping me company. The chattering of insects pings from the forest beyond a row of humble cottages as I continue past.

Anticipating tonight’s run has me eager. I imagine the frantic heartbeat of my prey as I target my dinner. Pent-up energy dances in my muscles, tickling every nerve and rumbling in my chest. 

I love the hunt. Nothing else in my life brings the satisfaction I take from stalking, chasing, and tearing into my prize. It’s one of the few activities where the others tolerate my presence. Though they’ll never admit I’m the better predator, they’re always willing to devour the feast I provide.

Only Ava treats me as equal. She’s too old and frail to hunt for herself these days, but I’ll be sure to bring her a choice portion. Nothing beats a fresh meal, and she deserves the pleasure more than anyone.

It wasn’t always like this. I had friends once when childhood still sang with innocence and the world had yet to slam its doors on me. But remembering better times only brings sorrow, so I move forward to whatever tonight might hold.

Voices sound from fifty paces ahead. Odd because most of the pack would normally have shifted by dusk. Among them, a voice I don’t recognize floats to my ears.

“I must speak with your alpha,” says a smooth tenor, calm, though his timbre vibrates with urgency. “The matter is vital.”

Risking an upward glance, I scan the gathering. Jolan and Ozor, the pack’s enforcers, stand in their human forms facing the speaker, both tense and braced for a fight. But the stranger’s posture isn’t threatening. He’s neat, wearing charcoal stockings under a crisp blue tunic. Knee-high black boots gleam with a recent polish. Spine straight, shoulders back, weight settled in the heels, not the toes. Nut-brown hair hangs tied at his nape, most of it hidden beneath a fashionable black hat. If his features weren’t puckered with annoyance, he might be handsome. 

I creep closer on silent paws, ears flicked forward.

“We’re busy,” barks Ozor. “Or hadn’t you noticed the moon? Come back another night.”

The stranger’s lips part, but before he can reply, Farkas storms through his front door.

Clad only in a pair of worn tan breeches, the pack alpha thunders down the porch stairs and into the commons. Even barefoot, Farkas is intimidating, towering head and shoulders over the others. His black eyes land on the stranger in a threatening glower, but the man isn’t shaken.

“You’re the alpha, I presume?” The stranger extends a hand, his movement graceful, as if he’s been invited to a friendly tea instead of invading hostile werewolf territory on a full moon.

Farkas ignores the proffered hand. “Your kind isn’t welcome here.”

Your kind. Wondering what that means, I inch forward so I can scent him for myself.

The stranger returns his arm to his side, fingers curled but not fisted. “And you have my apologies, but this couldn’t be avoided.” His eyebrows arch as he inclines his head. “We must speak.”

I sniff the air. His scent is masked by soaps. Lavender was used for his clothes, rose for his skin and hair, but beneath the added fragrance lies the spiced scent of blood—his own, yes, but also…someone else’s? That’s odd.

“Then speak,” growls Farkas. “What do you want from me, vampire?”

A vampire! I’ve never seen one before. He looks so…human. Fragile. Not what I’d expect of a blood-drinking night terror at all. 

About the Author 

Lee Colgin has loved vampires since she read Dracula on a hot, sunny beach at 13 years old. She lives in North Carolina with lots of dogs and her husband. No, he's not a vampire, but she loves him anyway. Lee likes to workout so she can eat the maximum amount of cookies with her pizza. Ask her how much she can bench press.

Social Media Links

Blog/Website   |  Facebook Group  |  Twitter

Newsletter Sign-up  |  BookBub

Giveaway 

Enter the Kingsumo Giveaway

for a chance to win

a $10 Amazon Gift Card to celebrate the author's 10th release 

and 

an ebook Bundle of the Immortal Jewels Series (three books)

Hosted by Gay Book Promotions

Release Blitz + Giveaway: Beyond the Ruby River (Immortal Jewels #3) by Lee Colgin

Author Lee Colgin and Gay Book Promotions celebrate the release of paranormal, Beyond the Ruby River (Immortal Jewels #3)! Find out more and enter in the giveaway for a chance to win: a $10 Amazon gift card, a direct-to-kindle copy of Beneath the Opal Arc, and a direct-to-kindle copy of Across the Sapphire Sea!

RELEASE BLITZ

Book Title: Beyond the Ruby River 

Author:  Lee Colgin

Publisher:  Colgin Enterprise

Cover Artist:  Natasha Snow

Release Date: June 17, 2021

Genres: M/M Historical Romance, M/M Paranormal/Fantasy Romance,

Tropes:  Mixed species, second chance romance 

Themes:  Longing, betrayal, forgiveness, grief, reunion

Heat Rating: 4 flames

Length: 72 000 words/ 260 pages   

It’s the third in a series but can be read as a standalone.

Add on Goodreads

Buy Links - Available on Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US  |  Amazon UK 

When an incubus half-breed falls for a mortal Egyptian man, will their love span centuries or are they destined to pine for each other for all eternity?

Blurb  

In Ancient Egypt when the pharaohs ruled the banks of the Nile, Mahu led a simple, if somewhat melancholy, life. Making papyrus filled his days. His needs were provided for, but deep in his soul, Mahu longed for companionship.

Dakarai, born of a demon mother and a human father, craved independence. A young incubus constantly in the shadows of his full-blooded siblings, Daka set out for a new city and a life of his own. 

While a starving Daka roams the streets hunting for a meal, the sight of a beautiful man walking alone stops him in his tracks. The handsome stranger is just what he needs to quench his spiraling thirst.

But Mahu turns out to be more than Daka bargained for, and his heart falls for the lonely man.

What betrayal shatters their foundation, can Daka and Mahu find their way back to each other, or is each soul destined to long for the other for all eternity?

Beyond the Ruby River is an MM Paranormal Romance featuring a steamy love story, a second chance romance, and the mysteries of an ancient world. This is book three of a series and can be read as a standalone with its own HEA and satisfying conclusion.

Excerpt

Dakarai 

Hunger stirred deep in Daka’s core, an emptiness with claws and teeth demanding to be filled. It was his first night in Naukratis, and already he wondered if he’d

made a mistake abandoning the safe cocoon of his family. Though eager for a taste of independence, Daka’s nerves flut‐ tered with unease as he stalked the unfamiliar streets.

With only a warm sea breeze for company, Daka let loose his extra sense, the one that would lead him to a meal. Entering the wide market square, he cast his gaze over dozens of stalls, their colorful awnings muted in the evening light. Laborers celerated the end of a day’s work with beer, bread, and conversa‐ tion. Street vendors peddled their offerings. Naukratis smelled of fresh spiced fish, baking bread, and candied nuts—all of which appealed to him, but none that would quench this particular hunger.

What Daka needed would be found past the town’s main market, perhaps down a side street or along a narrow alley. Inhaling through his nose, sorting the myriad array of scents, he searched for the alluring aroma of pleasure. A brothel would suit perfectly.

Daka’s intuition guided him forward, but before he could cut south to chase the divine smell of arousal around the corner, his gaze landed on an elegant man and refused to budge. His eyes possessed a will of their own, such was the man’s appeal.

He was taller than Daka’s average height, long of limb with wide shoulders and perfect posture. He wore cornflower blue linen, belted at his narrow waist, skirt hanging to a svelte pair of thighs. Dark onyx tresses hung past his chin, straight and prob‐ ably silken to the touch. Daka couldn’t be sure of the texture at this distance and it was suddenly of the utmost importance to find out.

Though brothel workers would make for an easier target, Daka veered off course to pursue the handsome man instead. To seduce him and touch his lovely hair for himself. He followed through the square—dodging people and slinking amongst the crowd, stealthy as a cat and just as light on his feet—until he was no more than ten paces from his quarry.

This close, Daka could pick up the scent lingering in the man’s wake. Earthen and woody, like the papyrus that grew in the marshy lands nearby. He inhaled greedily. What would he smell like aroused? Daka had to know.

The man left the busy center of town, turned west, and continued between rows of mud brick houses, his pace steady as a pulsing heart. He had the stride of a man to a purpose. Daka’s curiosity grew with each step. Instead of catching up to begin the seduction, Daka shoved his appetite aside in favor of learning the man’s destination.

They walked for another quarter hour until the chirps of bugs overtook the noise from town and houses gave way to farmland. Daka spotted the neat rows of tumuli leading to an ancient mastaba, and their endpoint became clear.

The man had led him to the final resting place of Naukratis’ dead.

Well-maintained burial mounds, with funerary gardens throughout, lined the landscape. Daka hung back so as not to be noticed or to disturb this man in his grief. The perfect posture he’d noted earlier began to sag, shoulders drooping forward, head bowed as he knelt by a triad of graves. He sat back on his heels, long thighs stretched thin, the blue linen of his skirt revealing smooth bronzed skin.

Daka could not help his appetite, inappropriate as it may be, though he would strive to contain it. This man was in no mood for the sort of amorous encounter an incubus like himself fed on. He needed a warm, familial embrace, not the frenzied release Daka itched to provide.

He slunk back into the shadows to watch from under a sweet-smelling date palm. The man sat with the dead. Daka sat by himself, wondering who the man had lost.

Daka’s family possessed immortality. At least, his mother and siblings did. His father was human, but Daka had never met him. As a half-blooded demon, he’d staked claim to immortality but not to all the gifts that came with it. His powers of sway and persuasion were paltry in comparison to his full-blooded brethren. Unable to bend people to his will, Daka could only nudge. He might never develop the skill of astral projection. But he would live forever, a feat which seemed unfathomable at only twenty-two years into eternity.

The man bent over the graves had a decade or so on Daka in age, perhaps more. Maybe thirty-five or forty, Daka couldn’t tell. A man in his prime but worn around the edges with the melancholy that loss thrusts upon the living.

About the Author 

Lee Colgin has loved vampires since she read Dracula on a hot, sunny beach at 13 years old. She lives in North Carolina with lots of dogs and her husband. No, he's not a vampire, but she loves him anyway. Lee likes to workout so she can eat the maximum amount of cookies with her pizza. Ask her how much she can bench press.

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Review: A Bridge to Love by Lee Colgin

Everyone knows a proper troll must never leave his post. Arlo is thrilled to have his own bridge to guard, though it’s a lonely job. A troll should enjoy being alone, but Arlo has never been very good at being a troll. He longs for companionship, but guards that secret like he guards his bridge.

Toby, a cheerful wolf shifter, serves as a messenger between villages. When his route is suddenly blocked by a fearsome troll, he must charm his way across the bridge. Little does he know, he’s charming his way into Arlo’s heart as well. But Toby has his own secrets he dare not reveal.

As the season’s fly by and the holidays approach, their friendship blooms and begins to flourish into something more. But can Toby risk his heart for a troll bound so tight to duty? Will Arlo leave his bridge for love?

Admittedly, the thought of a troll and a wolf shifter caught my eye, and I was pleasantly surprised by this sweet holiday story.

Yes, Arlo is a troll. Convention tells him he must stand guard and diligently take care of his newly designated bridge, never to leave it until he’s ready to start his own family. He’s an assumed solitary sort, and despite his love of bantering for tributes, deep down Arlo is lonely.

When wolf shifter Toby, traverses Arlo’s bridge, a friendly connection is created. Toby’s a runner between his family’s packs, and he soon finds himself meeting up with Arlo on the regular. This is a slow burn and over months, Toby and Arlo form a friendship that becomes more and more meaningful with each encounter.

However, each is held back by not wanting to ruin the friendship but each also yearns for so much more. How can two very different beings, with two very different life goals and expectations, ever find a middle ground?

Look, this breaks no extraordinary literary barriers. However, it’s different because who has ever read a troll as a main protagonist? Not I! Arlo is quite the gentle giant. He’s uncomplicated, guileless, and earnest in his desire to be loved and accepted. Toby, in turn, is friendly and full of generosity and thoughtfulness and is ready to work with Arlo to get their happy ending just in time for Christmas!

Overall, if you want a slight fantasy/supernatural twist with a seriously sweet (albeit seriously simple) love story, then this will satisfy! Cheers!

Release Blitz + Giveaway: A Bridge to Love by Lee Colgin

Author Lee Colgin and IndiGo Marketing host release blitz for A Bridge to Love! Find out more about the sweet Christmas fantasy story between a troll and a wolf shifter! Enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway! 

Title: A Bridge to Love

Author: Lee Colgin

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: December 7, 2020

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 27300

Genre: Paranormal, LGBTQIA+, wolf shifters, paranormal, seasonal, troll, holiday, sweet, friends to lovers, slow burn, christmas

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Synopsis

Everyone knows a proper troll must never leave his post. Arlo is thrilled to have his own bridge to guard, though it’s a lonely job. A troll should enjoy being alone, but Arlo has never been very good at being a troll. He longs for companionship, but guards that secret like he guards his bridge.

Toby, a cheerful wolf shifter, serves as a messenger between villages. When his route is suddenly blocked by a fearsome troll, he must charm his way across the bridge. Little does he know, he’s charming his way into Arlo’s heart as well. But Toby has his own secrets he dare not reveal.

As the season’s fly by and the holidays approach, their friendship blooms and begins to flourish into something more. But can Toby risk his heart for a troll bound so tight to duty? Will Arlo leave his bridge for love?

A Bridge to Love is an MM Fantasy Romance featuring an adorable gay troll and the sweet wolf shifter who falls for him. Tropes include friends to lovers, slow burn, and hurt/comfort. Sappily ever after guaranteed!

Excerpt

A Bridge to Love
Lee Colgin © 2020
All Rights Reserved

December

Tobias

Adjusting his scarf to block out the chill, Tobias trotted along the path to Red Elk River. There, he would cross the bridge and hang a left onto the trail that led to the Fern Pack’s territory. His satchel was filled to bursting with gifts because it was the night before Christmas Eve.

A roundtrip to visit his sister’s family, one he’d made many times, took from sun up to sundown, especially during winter when days were short and nights long. Toby enjoyed his role as messenger between the wolf packs. He preferred spending his time outdoors. The exercise sent blood pumping through his veins. If he dawdled enough, the stars would keep him company as the path guided him home.

Snow threatened. Toby scented it on the cool breeze. He hoped the weather would hold out until he’d returned safely to his little cottage, but then he’d love to see his village blanketed in white for Christmas.

Toby heard the river before it came into view. The rippling waves of the Red Elk never froze over. The water simply moved too quickly to be captured by a force as fickle as frost. No matter how cold the winter, the wolf shifters could catch fish there. As a youngster, Toby spent lots of cheerful summer afternoons splashing along the moss-covered banks with his many siblings and countless cousins. The memory brought a smile to his lips.

His grin remained as he stepped on the footbridge’s wooden planks that spanned the narrowest section of the river. He ambled across, gazing at the rushing water and protruding rocks below.

“Ho! Who’s there?” came a booming voice from beneath his feet.

Toby startled and hopped back.

The rumbling baritone continued, “Who dares to cross Arlo’s bridge without first paying tribute?”

With unexpected grace, a large troll, his skin as grey as granite, climbed from under the rafters to block Toby’s way. He stood a head taller than Toby, with coppery-orange hair cropped close to his head. Eyebrows that could be mistaken for caterpillars drew tight together, and broad shoulders flexed beneath layers of dingy wool. His cheeks were flushed and puffy. But what Toby found most startling were his robin’s-egg-blue eyes, watery and glazed over as though he’d been crying.

“Hello, Arlo. My name is Tobias.” Toby offered his hand. “My friends call me Toby.”

Arlo sniffed and stared at Toby’s hand as if he had extra fingers that had been dipped in slime. After some awkward consideration, he reached out and swallowed the smaller hand in his giant one with a gentle grasp. Arlo’s warm hand felt so good, Toby didn’t want to let go.

“Well then, what should I call you?” Arlo grunted.

“I meant we should become friends.” Toby gave Arlo’s fingers a squeeze. “So call me Toby.”

Puffing out his chest, Arlo dropped Toby’s hand and roared, “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re playing! You only want to be friends to avoid paying tribute. I won’t have it, Tobias. I guard this bridge, and if you’d like to use it, you must earn it fair and square.” He crossed his arms and glowered.

Toby scanned the landscape. A lush canopy of trees on either side, chipmunks scurrying to their burrows, clouds overhead. Which of these threatened the footbridge of Red Elk? And since when did this bridge have a pouting resident troll?

“Guard it from what?” asked Toby, curious.

Arlo shrugged like that wasn’t important. “What will you give me to cross?”

“Well I suppose I must give you my apologies as I’ve brought nothing extra on my journey. And I would like to be friends. You look as if you need one.” He studied Arlo’s expression and saw a longing there that hinted at melancholy. “Are you quite all right, Arlo?”

Their gazes locked; Arlo’s teary blue eyes glared with scrutiny, even as Toby offered a smile. The troll glanced away and exhaled, breath wispy in the wintry breeze.

“Looks like you have plenty.” Arlo gestured to the bulging sack over Toby’s shoulder. “What’s in the bag?”

“These are gifts from my family and friends of River Pack to my other family and friends of Fern Pack. They are mostly for the children. I’m sorry, but none were meant for you.”

Arlo huffed and turned up his nose. “I will take your apologies this time, but next we meet you’d better have a tribute.” The troll stepped aside to let Toby pass.

Reluctant to leave Arlo alone and unhappy, Toby asked once more. “Are you sure you’re all right?”

“Perfectly fine.”

“You can come with me if you like.”

Arlo’s pupils widened. His mouth hung open.

Toby moved one step closer, within an arm’s length, his gaze lingering on Arlo’s face. Handsome features, though not typical: rounded cheeks framed an angular jaw, a sharp nose sat over his plump finely shaped cupid’s bow of a mouth, and upon close inspection, a smattering of charcoal freckles fell across his silver-grey cheekbones. Toby rather liked Arlo’s looks, except for the puffy eyes. Why had Arlo been crying?

“Go on,” said Arlo, the rough timber gone from his voice. The words now came in a gentle rumble. “I have things to do.”

Toby gave a little nod. “If you’re sure.”

Arlo grunted.

Toby crossed the bridge. When he got to the other side, he glanced over his shoulder to find Arlo still watching. With a friendly wave Arlo didn’t return, Toby continued on his journey. He wondered what he should bring back for Arlo on his way home.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read Universal Link

Meet the Author

Lee Colgin has loved vampires since she read Dracula on a hot sunny beach at 13 years old. She lives in North Carolina with lots of dogs and her husband. No, he’s not a vampire, but she loves him anyway. Lee likes to workout so she can eat the maximum amount of cookies with her pizza. Ask her how much she can bench press. If you enjoyed this book, pick up Lee’s debut novel Slay My Love to find out what happens when you’re attracted to the very person who want to kill you an enemies to lovers 56,000k novel available now.

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Release Blitz + Giveaway: Forbidden Need (They Bite #3) by Lee Colgin

 

Author Lee Colgin and IndiGo Marketing host today's release blitz for Forbidden Need (They Bite #3)! Read more about the latest from the paranormal series! Enter in the $10 NineStar Press credit giveaway!

Title: Forbidden Need

Series: They Bite, Book Three

Author: Lee Colgin

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: September 7, 2020

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 53900

Genre: Paranormal, LGBTQIA+, vampires, shifters, were-coyotes, romance, paranormal, fantasy, mates, HEA, slow burn

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

As Rudy adapts to life in a new town, he lays eyes on a man whose very presence steals his heart. The man is bewitching. Bewitching…and grumpy.

Samuel has no interest in the coyote shifter who’s been following him around like a lovesick pup, even if he is adorable. Adorable…and persistent.

Born a vampire before the Great Wars, Samuel’s had plenty of time to make enemies. If he can’t discover and kill the one who’s been stalking him, it could be Rudy who pays the price. Samuel doesn’t do relationships, and he won’t bend the rules for Rudy, but that doesn’t mean he wants the coyote hurt. Stuck together as Samuel plots revenge, Rudy finally has his chance to win over his mate.

Can they harness the power of their fated bond, or will Samuel’s dark past overcome the future they’ve yet to claim?

Excerpt

Forbidden Need
Lee Colgin © 2020
All Rights Reserved

Rudy

Admiring the quaint architecture along each side of the narrow street, Rudy strolled through the small town he would call home. He’d chosen Stonesburg to be near his friends from university, but he couldn’t fathom why they’d picked it. The old mill town rose and fell with the textile industry. When the mills closed, humans abandoned the place and supernaturals moved in. The rolling hills of a nearby mountain range held some appeal, but Rudy found the nightlife lacking.

He wandered downtown in search of the Eternal Knight Club, where he’d meet the other coyote shifters for drinks. Crisp night air chilled his nose and flushed his cheeks. Spying two ornately carved doors that stood out from the other entryways with their whimsy, Rudy found the place. He pulled open the massive mahogany door and stepped into a spacious, dimly lit interior hazy with cigar smoke. Spotting his rowdy group holding down a corner booth, he headed their way until a fleeting glance toward the bar revealed a sight that stopped Rudy in his tracks.

Who is that?

An exquisite being perched elegantly on a stool, smoking a pipe, his attention on the bartender. Rudy couldn’t help but gawk. Black shining hair, dark as charcoal, fell in waves past his shoulders. He leaned toward his companion with his spine straight, shoulders squared, and one leg crossed neatly over the other. As if he knew someone stared at him, his brown eyes flashed upward and homed in on Rudy. The stranger’s face went from neutral to annoyed in a flash. Rudy knew he should look away, but he couldn’t tear his eyes from the vision before him.

And the vision before him was clearly irritated.

Unable to resist, Rudy drew close.

The man’s glare darkened.

Rudy turned his hands out, palms up in an “I mean no harm” gesture. He glanced at the fellow in the next seat and to the bartender, who both watched his approach, then focused his gaze back to the pretty… Hmm, what was he? Vampire? He had that otherworldly stillness older vampires possessed.

Desperate to make a good impression, Rudy meant to say something clever, but words tumbled out before his brain caught up. “Who are you?”

The man glanced over his shoulder to the bartender. “Mabel, is he talking to me?”

“I’m afraid so,” she replied.

“Can’t you make him leave?”

Her eyes narrowed. “Be nice.”

With an exasperated sigh, the man turned back to Rudy, lips pressed in a hard line, one ebony eyebrow raised. “Well? Let’s have it. What do you want?”

Rudy found him more striking up close, his dark features a beautiful contrast against skin so pale he nearly glowed. “You’re the most handsome person I’ve ever seen.” That was true enough, but it wasn’t only his looks drawing Rudy in. There was something else tugging on his insides, fueling his need to be close to this stranger.

The man rolled his eyes. “You must get out more. Or on second thought, don’t.”

“Can I buy you a drink?” Rudy asked, hopeful.

The gorgeous creature opened his mouth and drew back his upper lip, revealing fangs. He all but hissed, threatening. The sight only enthralled Rudy further. Definitely a vampire.

“No drink, then. How about a smoke?” Rudy offered instead.

The man narrowed his gaze and lifted the cigar he already had. If you could say “duh” with a facial expression, he’d done it.

“Right. Dance with me?” Rudy extended a hand in one last bid to keep his attention.

“I think not.” The vampire turned back to the man sitting next to him, who radiated amusement with the whole situation.

Realization dawned, and an unwelcome tension invaded Rudy’s chest. Perhaps this vampire was here with the other man. “Oh, I’m sorry! You’re here together?” His hands fluttered between them. “I didn’t mean to… Well, I’m sorry.”

The other man grinned. “No, no, he’s all yours.” Laughter filled his voice. “Single and ready to mingle. Isn’t that how the saying goes?”

The raven-haired vampire stared daggers at his friend. “Benjamin, really?” he chided before shifting his attention back to Rudy. “Listen, pup, since you don’t seem to pick up on much, I’ll speak plainly. I’m not interested. Fuck off.”

Rudy’s face fell. “You don’t have to be mean.” He couldn’t hide his disappointment. The desire to be near this vampire didn’t diminish even after the rejection. “If you change your mind, I’ll be over there.” Rudy motioned to the table of coyote shifters in the corner. “I’d love to dance with you.”

The vampire’s exasperated expression burned into Rudy’s memory with an unpleasant flush of heat. Discouraged, he slunk to his friends, all of whom had watched the exchange and were in various states of laughter and confusion.

“Did you seriously hit on that vampire, Rudy?” asked Emerson. “What were you thinking? You’re lucky he didn’t squash you like a bug, because it looked like he wanted to.”

“Slide over, Em.” Rudy nudged his way into the booth. “He’s cute is all.” He shrugged, downplaying the inexplicable attraction, meanwhile glancing over his shoulder to make sure the vampire hadn’t left.

“You’re crazy,” said Morris from across the table. “That’s a good way to get yourself killed. You go pissing off vampires for fun nowadays?”

Carlotta elbowed her boyfriend and gave Rudy a sympathetic smile. “He seemed kind of rude.”

“Rude?” Morris scoffed. “Murderous would be more accurate.”

“Can we drop it?” Rudy squirmed in his seat. “It didn’t work anyway.”

“What didn’t work? What were you hoping to achieve?” Emerson asked.

Rudy’s shoulders lifted. “Wanted to dance is all. He said no. End of story.”

Mabel came to collect drink orders with humor twinkling in her eyes. “Sorry, champ. You picked an impossible target. What can I get for you folks?”

His friends requested refills, and Rudy asked for a beer and hoped the conversation would veer to something less embarrassing. It did, thanks to Carlotta, who mercifully changed the subject.

“How do you like Stonesburg?”

“It’s great!” he lied with enthusiasm. The town wasn’t all that impressive, but he’d needed a change, and Stonesburg was as good a place as any. “I mean, there’s you guys and the mountains, so I’m sure I’ll love it soon enough.”

“Wait until you get settled,” Morris encouraged. “We’ll shift and take you for a run in the forest.”

“Sounds great.” Rudy grinned. “It’s past time I stretch my legs.”

Mabel set an ice-cold beer in front of him and placed the other drinks around the table. They thanked her, and Rudy took a big gulp. Delicious. His eyes drifted back to the grumpy vampire at the bar.

Mabel noticed and laughed under her breath. “Wasting your time on that one, babyface. He doesn’t date, not in the time I’ve known him,” she said, not unkindly, but Rudy didn’t care for her message nonetheless.

“Why not?”

She shrugged. “Don’t know. And I wouldn’t ask if I were you. You don’t want to get on his bad side. He’s dangerous.”

Rudy tucked into his beer as she left, letting the conversation happen around him. It was nice being with friends again. He’d been sad and lonely at home with his family.

Risking another glance to the bar, he caught the vampire staring back at him.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon

Meet the Author

Lee Colgin has loved vampires since she read Dracula on a hot sunny beach at 13 years old. She lives in North Carolina with lots of dogs and her husband. No, he’s not a vampire, but she loves him anyway. Lee likes to workout so she can eat the maximum amount of cookies with her pizza. Ask her how much she can bench press. 

If you enjoyed this book, pick up Lee’s debut novel Slay My Love to find out what happens when you’re attracted to the very person who want to kill you an enemies to lovers 56,000k novel available now.

Website | Facebook | Twitter

Giveaway

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