Blog Tour + Giveaway: Moro’s Price by M. Crane Hana

Welcome M. Crane Hana to the blog! The sci-fi erotic novel, Moro's Price blog tour stops by today with an exclusive excerpt and a NineStar Press eBook giveaway!

Title:  Moro's Price

Author: M. Crane Hana

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: June 26

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Female, Male/Male

Length: 107000

Genre: Science Fiction, sci-fi, aliens, abuse, captivity, abduction, dark, slave

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Synopsis

Crown Prince, techno-geek, and secret sadomasochist Valier has lusted for years after the gorgeous gladiator called “The Diamond.” Meeting the escaped slave on a rooftop, Valier discovers Moro Dalgleish wants suicide before his former masters can reclaim him.

Infected with a deadly symbiont, Valier proposes empty sex to satisfy his urges and grant Moro’s release from a horrible life. Neither man plans for Moro to survive, or how the morning after will shake three empires to their foundations.

Exclusive Excerpt

Moro’s Price
M. Crane Hana © 2017
All Rights Reserved


The sound techs cut all music and extraneous sound, focusing their drone sensors so tightly the whole arena heard the rasping, wet sound of DaSilva’s labored breaths. Somewhere far up in the cheaper seats, someone shrieked, “Jace, Mara damn you, no!”

Kott said, “This isn’t funny anymore. Diamond, kill.”

The Diamond canted his body slightly off-balance, poised on his left boot-tip spike. The holo screens lingered over the image of his taut opaline flesh. He kicked out three times with his free leg. Three awful snap-cracks broke the arena’s vast silence, as he carefully and precisely broke Jason Kee-DaSilva’s right arm, left arm, and right thigh.
The Leopard folded sideways and fell over. Even as the Diamond turned to face his now-standing master, DaSilva tried to crawl after the other fighter.

“I said kill,” Kott repeated as he strode forward. At his impatient wave, the fifteen-meter-wide filigree steel Cage lifted on its gold-washed chains, high enough for the nearest audience rings to see more clearly.

The three referees in bright red stood up from their own bench. “Bondmaster Kott, this match is over. The Leopard is down.”

On the prize screen, DaSilva’s sixty-thousand-credit match-price disappeared, adding to the Diamond’s tally. Judging by the jeers and shouts from the crowd, a few too many people had gambled in the Leopard’s favor and lost as badly.
Another screen showed the Shemua representative, his face impassive as stone.

“I don’t give a wet crap about DaSilva anymore,” Kott said. “I care why my best investment has suddenly lost his mind over a sick, broken freeman not even worth betting on. Diamond, do you love this idiot?”

“N-n-no,” the Diamond said and knelt with his wrists held up in the trained obedience of an arena slave.

“Then why defy me?”

The Diamond jerked his sharp chin sideways. “S-s someone d-does.”

A lanky young man in a flapping, oversized blue coat skidded down the last of the stairs toward the arena, his wrist-com aimed toward the referees. “You’ve got to let me through, I’m approved kin! Mateo DaSilva. One of his freeborn cousins. We may be poor, but we’re still an original Cedar Buyout Family!”

“Confirmed,” said one referee, after checking him against the wearable computers wrapped around her left forearm. “We’ve seen you at his earlier matches, Sero DaSilva. You’ve been helping his rehab? He obviously needs more medical attention than he claimed on his entry forms.”

The Leopard groaned on the floor and went still.

“Jace!” yelped the young man, crouching to check the Leopard’s pulse. He got a good sniff of the fighter’s scent and looked ready to cry until he took three deep breaths. “He’s breathing but shocky. I need to get him to the nearest hospital. Where are his attendants? His dressers and medics?”

One of the male referees shrugged. “He posted a waiver fee, saying he wouldn’t need them. He paid for only one attendant, up through his first matches of the day.”

“Huh,” said Kott. “Likely, he couldn’t afford them after leaving Shemua last year.”

“Lend me your crew, Sero Kott,” said the younger DaSilva. “You liked Jace earlier, when he was mopping the arena with your trainees!”

“I would have liked him more if he’d agreed to work for me…and earned his place. I can’t use washed-up fighters, and I won’t lend them valuable personnel,” said Kott. “Ask Shemua if they’ll take him back.”

“Never,” snapped the younger DaSilva.

The Diamond cleared his throat. “I p-pay. M-mmy er-er-earnings.”

“Some of your freedom fund? For him?” Kott jeered. “When you save every credit the law allows? Why waste anything on him?”

The Diamond gave his master a slow, filthy grin, took a deep breath, and said clearly, “He did. M-ma-make m-me c-come.”

Purchase

NineStar Press | Amazon | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble | Kobo

 

Meet the Author

M. Crane Hana lives in a flat place filled with cactus. She writes romances in all flavors, spends too much time world building her sword & planet fantasies and space operas, and makes museum-grade artifacts from cultures that never existed. Publishing credits: (as Marian Crane) ‘The Blood Orange Tree’, Such A Pretty Face anthology, Meisha-Merlin 2000. ‘Saints and Heroes’, Thrones of Desire anthology, Cleis Press 2012.

Website | Twitter | eMail | Tumblr | Wattpad

Tour Schedule

6/26    Bonkers about Books

6/27    Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words

6/28    MM Good Book Reviews

6/29    Boy Meets Boy Reviews

6/29    Love Bytes

6/30    Erotica For All

6/30    Dean Frech

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Unicorn Favourites: Love is an Open Road: Week Nine.

The M/M Romance Group on Goodreads hosts a Don't Read in the Closet event each year where they invite members to submit a photo with a story prompt. Interested authors then volunteer to write the requested stories, which are published for free for everyone to read. It's a fun/exciting/stressful process, and a great opportunity to read stories from favourite authors. And chances are, you'll also discover some new authors, who hopefully have a back-list of goodies to check out :)

This year's event was named Love is an Open Road and they started releasing the completed stories on June first. Here at BMBR, we've been following along on comment threads, anticipating the stories from our favourite prompts, and now greedily reading the stories as they become available.

Lorix: Death Chasing Metal Dreams by Kaje Harper

The stories that have come from the DRitC event this year have been amazing. I have read many stories I wouldn't normally have and loved them. I have found new authors and revisited authors I know I love and basically been blown away by the fiction produced. Of course not everything is to my taste - but to get to try all this stuff, for free, is such a wonderful opportunity. 

It is quite often said these days you don't get something for nothing, but in this event that is absolutely not true. Sometimes what you get is more than you dreamed. I know this is the case for me, and this week it was Kaje Harper's 90k novel, Chasing Death Metal Dreams, that blew me away. I totally and utterly loved it.

Let's not beat around the bush; I am a huge Kaje Harper fan, for many, many reasons, and they all held true in this story.

First - and possibly most important to me - characterisation. I know I harp on about this in my reviews, but it is characters that make the story for me. They are the people I empathise with, sympathise with, laugh or feel angry with. They are the core of the world into which I fall in the pages of a book. They are who I fall in love with. They are the story, and Kaje writes great characters. Better than great. Her characters come from the heart (and I should imagine a heck of a lot of research, because they are all so true to themselves). She can write elderly gentlemen, tough cops, grateful partners. She can write about the world weary or optimistic, about young and old. She never writes a boring characters. She never writes characters that feel like the same old, same old. Each voice is unique and genuine, and by gum do I wish I had that skill.

Carlos' voice in this story was absolutely no exception. In fact it is one of the best examples I have read of real character. Born male in a female body, Carlos knew from a very young age that he needed his outside to match his inside. I truly cannot imagine what it is like to not feel like me. To not be the person I really am. I may not (always) like the package I come in, but it feels like me from the tips of my toes, to the top of my head. 

I imagine writing a trans character and not turning them into a caricature or political statement is especially hard. Kaje writes about Carlos though,and she makes the character more than an f to m trans person. He is more than gay, he is more than a death metal musician, he is more than the Mexican boy sent to live with his aunt and uncle in America. He is more than a dental assistant, more than a tattooed musician, more than a scared 14 year old. He ismore than all those thing yet all those things are part of him. All those things combine to make him, him.

The focus of this story is Carlos dreams to be in a successful death metal band. He writes and plays guitar and lives for his music. The death metal scene though - it's not a place where being openly gay is, at least in Carlos' opinion, viable. 

Carlos is full of attitude. He loves his music, but he takes no shit. Not from fans, band mates or the general public. I could picture him so clearly, with his swagger, his presence, his attitude. He is fun. He is dedicated. Hard working. Focused. Ambitious.

He is brilliant. I loved every single moment spent with him.

Nate is the man he falls in love with - even if all Carlos was after was a quick fuck. Nate's twin brother is also in the death metal band scene and Nate helps him out roadying from time to time. Nate is out and proud, more the kind of guy who likes long term over one night. An artist who is still dealing with lies fed to him by his exes. Together Carlos and Nate are brilliant.

Kaje Harper takes their characters and the story and makes it feel real in a way many other writers would struggle to do (IMO). Never one for an easy get out or an unnecessary amount of angst (i.e. angst for angsts sake) the troubles her characters face feel real. They are led by emotion and circumstance, and not the desire to write a thrilling storyline. (Although obviously the desire to write the thrilling storyline is there, otherwise there would be no story, but it is written so damn well you forget that). I always feel I've learnt something when I've finished one of Kaje's stories. I also know I'm going to have a terrible book hangover.

Because this review is already going on a bit, I would just say - please read this story. It really is fabulous.

Optimist King's Wench: Full Exposure by Amy Jo Cousins and The Supreme Might of Love by Christina Tomlinson

Amy Jo Cousins, welcome to my neighborhood.

*pats sofa cushions*

Come. Sit a spell. Whisper more of your delightful words in my ear.

And this story is delightful. Cousins allows Riley and Evan's relationship to bloom and grow into a palpable thing of beauty right before our eyes.

They meet on a photo shoot and ooze chemistry. It is a foregone conclusion that they will spend the weekend together. We're given glimpses of that weekend. Each window gives kernals of truths about each of these characters.

They compliment each other but neither are perfect. Riley is a bratty and moody rock star who reminded me of The Bieb. Evan is a sci-fi geek with a tendency to word vomit when nervous. Together they are extraordinary.

"What would you pay me to do to you, Riley Flood?" He whispered the words against that mouth, feels Riley's lips open to speak and Riley's breath on his face.

"Everything."


They take advantage of their weekend together, neither wants to part, but obligations call. Promises are made. And broken. Only a grand gesture can possibly rectify the situation.

This story captured my attention from the get go. True, it was the name drop of Neiman Marcus that made my eyes glassy and pupils dilate, but it was the writing that kept me invested and left me with squishy good feels.

The side of kinky power dynamics didn't hurt. I especially loved how sensual the writing was without being explicit and how tactile they are with one another. And that edging bearskin rug scene.

*stares into space*

Bearskin rug cheesy, you say?

Bearskin rug hot, Cupcake replies.

I will be on the lookout for more from this author in the future and my thanks to her and her team for contributing to the LOR event.

******************************************************************

Gladiator?
Roman soldier?
Ancient Rome?
God of War?

Frothing at the mouth?

Oh, that was me. My mistake. 

There's something about alpha power struggles that is so titillating. I also lurve me a big un bottom. 

A lot.

Titus is a gladiator who's recently earned his freedom. He's also caught the eye of Kasen, Roman Legate. Kasen antagonizes Titus at every turn.

In fact, these two are at each other so much and so often that they have garnered the attention of Mars on Olympus.

Mars decides he wants to be the creamy filling of that manwich, so he fashions an alluring disguise and goes after his men.

He becomes treasurer of Aquileia and hires newly freed Titus as his bodyguard.

Marius (Mars) has all sorts of hotness working for him. Young, nubile slaves that would look fantastic bouncing on Titus' lap, but he keeps getting cock blocked!!!!!

HE'S A GLADIATOR! HE HAS NEEDZ!!!!!

When Marius makes his move Titus is stunned and thrilled since he didn't think he stood a chance with the nobleman not to mention hornier than a colony of rabbits.

Marius has to use some pretty fancy skills (read: manipulation) to complete the triangle.

You know that saying, "there's a fine line between love and hate"?

Titus and Kasen may have drawn that line. 

I was hopeful for some hate fucking, but they realized their feels prior to the boinking. *sadz*

However, there was some rough sex and a loin cloth wrestling match!!!!!!

The writing and story arch were solid. The storytelling idea and how that worked out in the end, I really liked. Just the right amount of squishy goodness.

The author nailed the prompt and I thank her and her team for the contribution to the LOR event.

SheReadsALot: First Dance by E. Davies and Black Horse River by Robin Studwick

I saw stripper and I got excited. Anytime I see stripper tag attached to a romance I think:



I get my singles ready and everything. 

But this isn't that kinda romance.

This is Fluffy McSugarson with a bowl full of Aw! 

No sex (not necessary), full of college geek awkwardness and a stripper who likes to memorize poetry to help with his anxiety. 

I'm glad both main characters has similar anxieties and their conversations tapped into my barrel of aw! Because they were awkward kinda cute. I'm not really amazed by poetry memorization but I picture Danny (the stripper) and his Scottish accent reciting Shakespeare and I smile.

Maybe do some of this too:

Danny, you could have had a thong full of singles if you turned it into that kinda romance.

His loss. ;P

Sweet and funny at times. Not extremely memorable but there's something about this that made me root for the nerdy bookstore worker protagonist (Kyle) finally coming out of his shell and possibly meeting the other half to his nerd soul.

I'll round up

So I'm going to take my singles and hit the road. The search for that kinda romance with the essence of ratchetness continues.



My thanks to the author and the team behind the event.

********************************************************************************************

I've never watched the entire Princess Bride movie.



Do bits and pieces count? 



*holds out hands* It's on my bucket list of things to do. 

I don't know if this story is close to the movie or not, but I'm going to hazard a guess there aren't kelpies in there. 

I liked the fantasy/historical edge. I liked the legend feel to it. Based on the story written, the tone was subtle and formal. It's told a young, virgin Scottish lord Fionn's POV. It worked for me. I see what the writer was going for keeping the tone like that, some parts read a little stilted because of it. 

Sweet story though. My favorite part is the sensual undertone of Fionn and Bran's sexual tension. It wasn't overt and it fit what was written of the men. Fionn lusts for his stablehand Bran. Always probably since he could have a cockstand. And he thinks Bran doesn't notice. But he wants him to notice.

*grins* He does. 

Men being together back in that time is forbidden but they ride away from prying eyes. Together, they discover the gifts of sweet yearning.

I do wish this was longer, just to see the fantasy world really. I found the kelpie angle unique. But I get to keep in tone with the legend theme, it wouldn't be required.

I'd read something else from this author in the future. I'm curious to read contemporary or paranormal from her, see what she can do. (Just leaving this bit here for future reference ;])

My thanks to the author and the team as always behind this event. The event tends wreak sweet havoc to my reading schedule (Ha!) too many good choices to choose from.

Review: Unbound, Unbroken by Nasia Maksima

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Review: Slave Eternal (In His Arena #1) by Nasia Maksima

When novice gladiator Lucan is stolen from his patron house and enslaved by the wicked Stratos to be a pawn in a dark scheme, he finds himself fighting for his life in the cruel Spectacles of the arena. His only hope is to undertake training under Hektor Actaeon, the arena’s greatest champion. 

From the moment he meets Hektor, Lucan’s life is changed. He expected to be trained. He expected to win glory in the arena. He never expected to fall in love. With every challenge, Lucan rises in power and glory, and what begins as a desperate bid for survival quickly spirals into a whirlwind of lust and love as he fights--both for his life and for an impossible future with Hektor.

But Hektor is harboring his own dark secret--one that could very well keep him from loving Lucan in return. Even worse, the menace of Stratos’s plan looms over them, sending them into the arena in a final battle to the death. Against each other. 

Can Lucan and Hektor overcome Stratos's dark designs and the cruelties of the arena, or will their secrets drive them to ruin in the final battle against each other?

It's Gay Spartacus!!!


Hella raunchy smutterific Spartacus, but still. It's filled with crude language and filthy hot sex.

There's enough plowing and seeding going on in here to rival the entirety of the American breadbasket. 

There are poles and rods and loads and wads, drippy cum and needy holes and even an anal star thrown in for good measure. The essence of Slave Eternal is fucking and fighting, sex and blood. It's total brain candy. There is a weak plot that leaks like a sieve. I'm not even going to go into that for two reasons:  (1) it would be spoilery and (2) it really doesn't make any sense even if I were to try… 

Don't even worry about the plot. Plot schmot. Did I mention it's brimming with gladiator cocks who fight, fuck, fuck in public occasionally, have angry, slightly kinky sex and the biggest gladiator of them all wants to bottom? 

Still not sold?

Now?

Oh alright. Lucan is a novice gladiator for House Vulpinius. Hektor is primus palus of House Actaeon and he's charged with training Lucan to be ready for The Grand Melee (big gladiator event) that's in two months. How Stratos scores Hektor as mentor for Lucan is beyond me. There are seven houses and each house has its own "top" gladiator but, I guess, Hektor is the crème de la crème. There is decent world building with the houses and the Empress, but the fighting and fucking are the centerpiece.  

Lucan has a crush on Hektor from the start and Hektor isn't truly over his last gladiator boyfriend, Leander, who was killed under dubious circumstances and, oddly enough, looked a whole lot like Lucan. Alas, they fall in love. It wasn't instalove but it was circling the instalove block. However, there is dark magic afoot that precludes Hektor's declarations of love which, naturally, leaves Lucan bereft. 

The "I love him but I can't tell him because reasons" was the only thing that got tiresome for me. The sex and gladiating are crazy, stupid hot and rife with some of the cheesiest, most awesome verbiage ever. The arena fighting can end one of two ways-fucking or death. If the Empress decides to show mercy on the defeated then he is sent to The Claim to be chained and pounded by the victor the following morning. I really would've liked for the pounding to happen in the arena, though. I think that's only fair. If you can get killed in the arena cheered on by the bloodthirsty masses then you can get plowed in the arena.

I am just saying.

Recommend to gladiator enthusiasts and fans of copious plowing.

p.s. I will totes be reading the next installment for reasons.

A review copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.

Find out more on Goodreads.

Review: The Knife of Narcissus III by Carolyne Chand

Lucius Sentius had always assumed the debauched and corrupt days of Nero were over. He was wrong. Being celibate and sober may be good for the reputation, but it’s a dead-end path for an ambitious Roman looking to rise to wealth and power in the city.


His friendship with the man he loves has been broken by the flare of passion between them, his wife has a better command of his household than he does, and gossip around the city about his hedonistic lifestyle is growing faster than any actual attempt to be wanton. When his new brother-in-law hires him to take on a mysterious task for a powerful, unidentified patron that requires someone willing to set aside all scruples, Lucius throws himself into a chance to prove his worth.


It’s enough to make a man turn to the gods for help. In Lucius’s case, the one goddess who seems to listen—to the right sort of worship—is Venus….

Building Block Episode, Folks.

I don't know why I'm calling them episodes. Just humor me.

If you've not read the first two it's probably a good idea to step away now. 

Lucius is fumbling throughout this episode, trying to figure out what prompted Trio to bolt and coming up with very few answers. After they did the deed (and during) in II some warning signals went off that something was amiss. I had a feeling that Lucius seems to realize as well during this episode, and let's just say what's good for the goose is not good for the other goose in Lucius' opinion. What's a wealthy Roman to do without his beloved? This is Lucius we're talking about so… 

I like him. I really really like him. Trio leaving has vexed him. Trio absconds to the country and is MIA in this episode. Lucius tries celibacy but he is not cut out for it. He's just not. Dude likes to get his groove on and everyone wants in his toga. It's a public service he's performing. Really it is. Besides Venus told him to! You shouldn't go against a Goddess. Bad things could happen. Very bad.

He also decides he's going to get in shape to increase his wooing chances when Trio returns and meets a former gladiator. Close. I'm getting closer to MORE GLADIATORS gladiating!!!!! His trainer, the gladiator, his new regimen are all very amusing as are his discussions with himself. My ¢2 are Lucius needs to go into politics. He can rationalize just about anything. This skill likely will come into play soon with this mysterious shipment for the brother in law out of Alexandria not to mention retooling his reputation. Seems word is out on the cobblestones that Lucius plays on his side of the fence ONLY. 

Lucius ain't going down that pigeon hole like that! It's on like Sean. Pretty sure things are about to get interesting in the Lucius household.

I liked this episode but I wanted more insight into why Velleia treats Lucius with seemingly such contempt. I have a few working theories which are all just conjecture at this point. I'm still thoroughly invested in this series and would recommend to Roman enthusiasts. If you're going in, it's in for a penny, in for a pound.

I would like to thank the author for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

Find out more on Goodreads