Release Blitz + Giveaway: Left in the Dark by Zev de Valera

Welcome author Zev de Valera and IndiGo Marketing as they promote new release, Left in the Dark from NineStar Press! Check out more information and enter in the $10 NSP credit giveaway! 

 

Title: Left in the Dark

Author: Zev de Valera

Publisher: NineStar Press

Release Date: 04/12/2021

Heat Level: 2 - Fade to Black Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 53200

Genre: Contemporary, LGBTQIA+, contemporary, mystery, artist, PT, temporary disability and amnesia, accident recovery, PTSD, age-gap, over 40, kids, cheating, deception, family drama

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Description

Cal Restrepo, victim of a road rage automobile accident, emerges from unconsciousness into a world he does not recognize.

Under the care of the doctors at Wending Hills and the help of his friends and neighbors, Cal gradually recovers his memory and the full use of his body. Yet, so many of the memories do not fit what he feels is the “real” Cal.

Are his memories still clouded and unreliable, or was the Cal Restrepo who existed before the accident someone entirely different than the man who survived?

Excerpt

Left in the Dark
Zev de Valera © 2021
All Rights Reserved

“I’d like to keep you, but I have to let you go.”

The words immediately conjured in my mind the lyrics of some old country tune. They seemed incongruous coming from the mouth of the grim-faced, matronly South Asian woman seated before me. But, then, she merely appeared forbidding and matronly. Dr. Malhotra was a sympathetic person, and it was only her professional garb and tightly chignoned hair that gave a suggestion of the matron. Still, I found it difficult to imagine her plucking at guitar strings and warbling in a sad, twangy voice.

“Rothman and his physical therapy team have given you the green light,” continued Malhotra, “so there is no reason for continuing your—”

“Imprisonment?”

“For continuing your stay at Wending Hills.”

“But?”

Dr. Malhotra removed her glasses. After closing the file that lay on her desk, she folded her hands over it and addressed me with an earnest expression. A classic physician’s pose—almost a parody.

I’m not a doctor, but I play one on television.

“I realize that asking you to reconsider staying on is a waste of time,” Malhotra continued. I nodded agreement. “However, I can—and must—insist on a period of home care.”

“Home care?”

I imagined myself as a frail old man accepting soupçons of saliva-laced gruel from a sadistic nurse.

“Yes. Just for a few weeks. To ensure that you’re not experiencing any unanticipated cognitive impairment and to continue your physical therapy. POW will send someone to your home tomorrow morning.”

“POW?”

“Practitioners on Wheels. They do excellent work.”

I sighed, accepting defeat. I trusted Malhotra—though I’d always argued with her on principle.

“Whatever you say, Doc.”

Malhotra’s eyes narrowed. “I’m not sure I’m convinced by this sudden acquiescence, but I’ll take it.”

“So, I’m officially sprung?”

“Yes. A pity you don’t have an orange jumpsuit to take with you as a memento.”

“Funny.”

I pushed myself up from the chair, feeling suddenly awkward. Like a kid saying goodbye to his mother as he set off for college. Happy, excited, nervous and sad all at the same time. Malhotra stood and pulled a business card from her lab coat.

“Please keep in touch, Cal,” she said, handing me the card. “My mobile number is on the back. Let me know how you’re getting on.”

I tucked the card into the pocket of my chinos, accepting this as a gesture of friendship. The visiting nurse would keep Malhotra apprised of my progress. There was no need for the extra effort.

“Of course. Thank you, Dr. Malhotra.”

I hoped I would never speak to her again.

I smiled, she smiled, and I turned to walk to the door, leaning heavily on my cane. I depressed the lever and pushed.

“Cal.”

“Yes?” I asked, looking over my shoulder.

“You’re going to be all right.”

I passed into the hallway and closed the door carefully behind me.

All right.

I was going to be all right.

Sure.

I’d spent more than a month in physical therapy, recovering the use of my battered body, and an equal amount of time with Malhotra, striving to recover my memory and work through the issues of a near-death experience and survivor guilt.

All right.

A relative term.

Purchase

NineStar Press | Books2Read

Meet the Author

Born in New York City and raised in the San Joaquin Valley of California, Zev now divides his time between Brooklyn, NY and Stratford, CT, where he lives with his husband, two cats, and two dogs.

Zev began writing when he was a child, scribbling observations of relatives and neighbors in a Mead notebook while the adults paid him no mind, and all the time devouring the works of Agatha Christie, Edgar Allan Poe, Jules Verne, and Phyllis A. Whitney.

Although Zev’s future career path would lead him far afield from fiction writing, Zev continued to scribble and—many years later—found himself a published author.

Giveaway

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Anniversary Shenanigans: Author Visit + Giveaway - Zev de Valera

Zev de Valera has brought us an eerie, but hopeful tale, The Elegant Solution that will leave you wanting more!

The Elegant Solution

“Mirror.”

I wasn’t being rude - a despot barking orders from his gilded divan. No, it was simply the only word of my intended sentence that I could manage to speak.

Nothing fractured, nothing broken. Just banged up. The doctor’s words, not mine. He was one of those irritatingly cheery types – big smile and blue eyes magnified by the lenses of his Coke bottle glasses. He did seem kind, though – unlike Nurse Sourpuss, who handed me the requested item with a reptilian stare.

“Thanks,” I said, vocalizing something closer to ‘shanks’.

Sourpuss twitched a smile and fiddled with some sort of electrical device.

Electrical? Why was this significant? Electrical, not computerized. I held the mirror to my chest and squeezed my eyes shut, trying to concentrate. Memories were like snippets of dreams – familiar yet distorted. I remembered Kyle. I remembered that I loved him.

What else … what else …

The bunker. Yes. Just the two of us after Johnson blew his brains out …

Kyle’s voice was clear in my head:

“This is what we signed up for, remember?”

I could see his face, tight with emotion, his dark eyes holding my gaze as he gripped the key that hung on a chain between his pecs; the twin of the one that shown against the black of my own t-shirt.
It all came back in a rush, giving credence to the cliché.

Operation Time Bomb. DARPA’s ‘elegant solution’. Deterrents were a joke. Eventually, some wacko would press the button and the world would end in hellfire. The answer: stop it all from happening. Create a temporal distortion piggy-backed on a massive EM pulse, thereby hurling the world into a previous point in time; a quantum weapon nicked-named OTB.

In theory, it worked.

Then, the first strike was launched and the time for theories ended.

“Now or never, James.”

We slipped the chains from our necks, inserted them in their designated slots, and then pulled each other close as we observed the brief countdown.

I remember Kyle’s tongue against mine, the pounding of my heart and the fearful rumble of my bowels …

Then a fierce whump!

Then …nothing.

I opened my eyes, fresh panic gripping me as my hand held the mirror like a talisman of reality.
“Go on,” said Sourpuss. “Take a look. It’s not so bad. The bruises, swelling and discomfort are temporary.”

I looked.

“Chrishe almiegy!” I slurred as I gazed at my reflection.

“Well, aren’t we the gloomy Gus. Consider yourself lucky. You look like Rita Hayworth compared to some of the other boys I’ve treated.”

Other boys …

“Kyle,” I said. “Where ish my – my fwiend.”

“Kyle? That’s your buddy? The guy who’s been ranting about time bombs and something called ‘darpro’”?

I nodded, feeling tears of relief begin to flow. Sourpuss looked almost human as her expression softened.

“You’ll both live.” She gave my hand a soft squeeze. “We all will, thank God. It’s official. The Japs surrendered.”

So much story for so few words, it's amazing how authors can do it. Let Zev know your thoughts in the comments!

About the Author:

I started writing my first novel when I was in high school. I finished it when I was forty-seven. Of course, it wasn’t the same book – more like an amalgam of all the stuff that I’d started over the years but never finished. It was a messy, self-published creature with whom I continue to have a love-hate relationship. Readers seem to have had the same reaction to The Ultimate Submission. As a character in my latest novel says: “It’s like cilantro. Either you love it or you hate it.”

Immediately following the publication of The Ultimate Submission, I began work on an historical/para-normal/time-travel novel. This was not a love-hate relationship. This was over-the-top, rapturous love. A word to the wise writer: Do not fall in love with your work. Two and a half years of lovingly laborious research and writing managed to produce a spawn of large and hideous proportions. I have yet to put it out of its misery. It remains in stasis. I continue to believe that one day I shall be able to rehabilitate it, to reanimate it in a more aesthetically pleasing form. I live in hope, you see.

During the last few months before the birth of this pitiful creature, I happened upon a Call for Submissions from MLR Press. The original idea was an anthology of short stories about super heroes. It sounded like fun and I was in need of distraction. The result was The Talisman Ring of Amenhotep. I had fun writing this and I thought it sucked. The publisher liked it. I saw the inkling of a pattern developing. The anthology never happened, but Talisman Ring was published as a stand-alone novella and was the beginning of the Talisman Ring of Amenhotep series. It was intended as a trilogy, but I ended the last book with a little bit of a tease … just in case.

My new novel, Blood Relations, is due out soon. It’s in the “line edit” stage right now, so I use the term ‘soon’ very loosely. No, it is not a vampire story. I like to think of it as a ‘New Gothic’ romance. I’ve tried to play with some of the conventions of the romantic suspense genre – which has always been one of my favorites – and I’m pretty happy with the result. Hopefully, you’ll agree.

Blogger's Note . . . .

I read and reviewed Blood Relations and I can't recommend it enough. It's a beautiful story and if you are a fan of Southern Gothic tales and love in its many forms than you will definitely love Blood Relations.

xoxoxo

Ann

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Review: Blood Relations by Zev de Valera

Six years into a 'together but separate' relationship, Simon Melville is engaged to be married. Almost. While Simon's lover is making wedding plans, Simon has yet to say 'yes'.

Following the death of his father -- a man who cut himself off from his family at the age of seventeen -- Simon is stunned when he receives a letter informing him that he is now heir to the Melville fortune and the historic southern estate known as Melville Hall.

Intent on liquidating his assets and returning to civilization as soon as the ink is dry on the paper; Simon finds his plans altered when he discovers clues to his family's past and his own secrets -- long buried -- begin to haunt him.

Can Simon resign himself to marriage? Or will he rise to the challenge of a new relationship with his handsome cousin and risk the consequences of the Melville family curse?

I couldn’t put Blood Relations down once I started and it’s what happens every time I read something by this author. His writing just flows beautifully and his characters are so perfectly flawed and appealing at the same time I can’t help but get caught up in their lives. I do love me a nice fluffy feel good romance as much as the next person, but reading a story with “real” characters who aren’t perfect and don’t fit into any stereotypes is so refreshing and I can’t recommend it enough.

I’m not going to ramble about the story specifics because this is the kind of tale you need to discover on your own as you read. The fewer preconceived notions you have the better. I’m just going to talk about all the love I felt for the smartly written words and the people the author introduced me to. 

Blood Relations is a southern lightly-gothic story about family, love and trust. The really appealing aspect of the story is the multi-dimensional treatment of each theme. It’s about family both by blood and chosen, love in all forms and trust on every level. It’s not a ghost story, but the historical home and the artifacts left behind by Simon’s ancestors are characters themselves. Simon changed and grew as he discovered his family’s secrets (and who doesn’t love to uncover someone else’s drama?). As the secrets came to light both in the present and the past I was glued to my Kindle waiting for every new little nugget. I wanted to know everything and the author doles out the knowledge in a deliciously paced way.

Simon is a great character. Did I love everything he did? Nope. But you know what? Neither did he. So I could sympathize with him even when I didn’t agree with his actions. I loved Simon’s journey very much though. I felt like I was there with a good friend going through some big changes in his life. Simon is a grown ass man chronologically, but he’s not a man in control of his own destiny and until he gets the summons to “come home” he’s good with floating along, not making waves, letting life happen to him. The change is a real butt kicker though and he gets a taste of what life and love can be when you learn to trust yourself and others fully. It’s not easy for him, but the changes that come with going to the estate are cathartic for him.

Blood Relations has romance, most definitely, but it’s not a one note love story and the romance is not necessarily center stage throughout. It’s more realistic than that. Simon has a lot going on in his life and to think he’d just be concerned with his love interest wouldn’t ring true for the characters or the pace of the story. The romance is also not easily resolved or overly dramatic, the author truly kept the pace perfectly balanced for every aspect.

The overall atmosphere of the story is very romantic and I felt it as soon as Simon pulled up to the estate for the first time. Simon is the main character but the tale would be for naught without the supporting cast. They were just as memorable and had just as much depth as Simon did. Every conversation enlightened the reader to a little more information and I wanted to know everyone’s history and how they all tied together from generation to generation. It was honestly just so interesting and the kind of thing I eat up with a spoon.

Simon’s journey was a truly lovely ride and the only thing I want is an epilogue. Not because it needs one, the way it ends fits with the rest of the book. I just want one because I want to read it.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Review: Origins (The Talisman Ring of Amenhotep #2) by Zev de Velera

Determined to find answers to the mysteries surrounding the ancient electrum ring he inherited from his late lover, Egyptologist Theo Barojas, Julian Wingate and his new partner, Dinesh, seek out the help of Theo's aging mentor. When the lively centenarian reveals secret knowledge that ties him to Julian's nemesis, the Directrix, the trio unit to seek out the truth. But not all the secrets that will be revealed are ancient ones. Dinesh must deal with demons from his past, Julian will struggle with his attraction to the seductive Hiroshi Sato, and Dinesh's daughter, Rachna, will be torn between loyalty to her father and the demands of her charismatic new employer. And then there are the questions that nag at Julian. What strange bond does he share with the Directrix, who possesses the mate of his talisman ring? Why can only they wear the relics with impunity? To find the answer to these and other questions, Julian must return to the point of origin; the tomb of Amenhotep Son of Hapu.

I’ve always been fascinated by Egyptology and the lore and legend that goes along with it. This series is so unique and speaks to my fascination in a big way. There’s history, romance, a mystery or two and the edge of paranormal that you need to have to make a story like this complete. I was hooked after the first book and the second one continues the story of the characters I thoroughly enjoyed in The Talisman Ring. Dinesh and Julian are back and their relationship is moving on to the next level of commitment. It’s obvious they are totally in love with one another and reading about them nesting together have the mystery and the drama of the story it’s balance of sweetness.

What is fun about their characters is their uniqueness. You know that feeling you get when you watch a great classic movie on TCM? Everyone in the movie is classier, fancier and prettier than your average schmoe. That’s how it is reading these characters. And it’s not like reading snobbery or anything like that, they are just naturally in a different world and it’s so pretty to read. At the same time, they are accessible and relatable on an emotional level so you can appreciate all the fancy and still connect with the story.

In Origins there are some new characters introduced, including a double agent of sorts that I’m dying to know more about. You have to read it, but this could end up going so wrong or so right depending on this character and I really want to know! Hiroshi is back and I’m still up in the air about how I feel about that slutty little number. I don’t trust him at all, but he’s totally piqued my interest. He better not keeping messing with Julian too much though, Dinesh is way more understanding than I am. The connection between Julian and the Directrix is revealed. Sort of. There’s a lot more to that story and I’m going to anxiously await the next installment.

This is one of those series that is written in a way that makes me want to see it as a movie. The visuals the author paints are so vivid and I’ve already mentioned the pretty so you can get where I’m coming from there. I’d highly recommend this series to anyone with a fascination for history in general and Egyptology in particular. It’s a great old-fashioned mystery with memorable characters and a couple I’ve come to love reading about. Their banter is endearing and their sexy times are quite sexy. Highly recommended.

For more information on Origins, check it out on Goodreads.

**a copy of this story was provided for an honest review**

Review: The Talisman Ring of Amenhotep by Zev de Valera

Can one innocent act change your life forever?

When mild-mannered veterinarian Julian Wingate picks up an unusual bauble for a song in Cairo's Khan-al-Kalili, he has no idea that the acquisition of this ancient ring will alter the course of his future. Recently widowed from the famous Egyptologist Theo Barojas, Julian finds himself on the point of tossing aside all reminders of the past; eager to start his new life with an old love .... but the curious ring - boxed away for almost a year - beckons ... Once Julian slips the artifact upon his finger, nothing in his well-ordered life will ever be the same.

Well, this was a lot of fun and the beginning of this series had me hooked in the 60-ish pages that made up this first installment. It’s got adventure, colorful descriptions and memorable characters. The author was able to really pack a lot into a small package without any part of the story feeling overwhelmed or muddled.

Julian Wingate is in Egypt with his partner, noted Egyptologist, Theo Barojas. Julian is shopping through the market at Cairo's Khan-al-Kalili market and he always brings back trinkets from their travels for their friends. He’s just finishing up when he is drawn to one stall that he doesn’t recognize and that piques his curiosity. He has a decidedly strange encounter with the shop keeper that insists he take a ring as a gift. Julian is a little disconcerted with the encounter and heads back to the hotel to meet Theo. Julian is a little embarrassed and is just waiting for Theo to give him some good natured ribbing for coming away from the market with the ring, instead Theo is stunned by the find as it backs up the theory that Theo has been proposing relating to the Anunnaki and Amenhotep. Theo calls the ring a Talisman, while for Julian it becomes the symbol of the end of Theo’s life as Theo is taken from him tragically just a few days later.

The mystery of the ring remains unsolved and it’s packed away. Fast forward a year later to the point when Julian is pulling his life back together and getting ready to move forward again and he finds the ring. He slips the ring on, he really does like how it looks and he asks himself “Why keep it locked away? It can be a symbol of a new beginning as well as an end.” Well, it is a beginning all right, this is when the mystery really gets going. Strange things start happening, strange, but kind of subtle things that keep the story believable.

The story is strong and interesting, but I have to say I really love the characters. Since this is the first installment, there is still some mystery to most of them, but there is plenty of information there to get attached to. I like Julian a lot. He’s a little fussy, but in the most charming of ways. He’s at the beginning of a potential relationship with a man who has been a friend and business partner for years, Dinesh. I have a serious book crush on Dinesh, he’s the epitome of charming. How do you not fall for a man who declares that champagne is “essential for a proper bubble bath”? He’s a great match for Julian and I liked reading about the start of their world as a couple.

Every great adventure story has to have a villain and the Directrix is the perfect, classic, old school villain. She’s beautiful, brilliant, powerful, and she wants Julian’s ring. She knows what the ring means, she knew Theo and she’s not going to stop until she gets what she wants. She’s got a reluctant handsome henchman with a story of his own, Hiroshi Sato and an assistant, Vivan Loving who has an air of mystery about her as well that I really liked.

This story has a little bit of everything. There was a really sweet new romance, an exotic mystery, some seriously sexy sexy-times and they were all wrapped up in a well written package. I highly recommend this one and I’ll definitely be on the lookout for the next installment. I’ve actually already nagged the author :D.