Review: Barrel Proof (Agents Irish and Whiskey #3) by Layla Reyne

FBI agents Aidan "Irish" Talley and Jameson "Whiskey" Walker can't get a moment's peace. Their hunt for the terrorist Renaud seems to be nearing an end, until a fire allows him to slip through their fingers—and puts Jamie's life in danger. When Jamie is nearly killed, Aidan learns how many forms loss can take.

Aidan says I love you just moments before learning that Jamie's been keeping a devastating secret about Aidan's late husband. How quickly trust and love can go up in flames. When Aidan requests a solo undercover assignment, Jamie hopes Aidan will find a way to forgive him.

But the explosions are far from over. Aidan's cover lands him in the heart of the terrorist's conspiracy, and Jamie will have to put his life, his career and his freedom on the line to save the man who has become his entire world. Partners, always is a promise he intends to keep.

This series owns me and it owns me hard. It’s been awhile since I have felt this much emotion for two characters on the page and I cannot recommend the Agents Irish and Whiskey series enough.

Barrel Proof starts with a bang and it was a rush of a first chapter. It picks up right where Cask Strength left off and delivers heartbreaking feels and intense emotions right along with the amazing cinematic action that I have come to expect from the series but never to the level has it actually delivered. As I read the first chapter, I swear I didn't’ breathe. Between Danny’s angst of finding Mel, Jamie knowing what Aidan would find out the truth of his lies, Aidan knowing those he loves have betrayed him and Jamie almost following in his father’s footsteps... How could I take a breath?

I honestly don’t know what to say without saying too much so Rambling Red is gonna go vague with y’all but I will try to be somewhat comprehensible... Kay?

Wow! Where to begin?

Through the first two books there is so much we already know about Renaud and his ties to Aidan’s late husband Gabe and his partner Tom. But what he thought we know, isn’t all of it. This book digs way freaking deeper and takes Jamie and Aidan further into the twisted world of a man whose end game is hell bent on destroying everything and everyone Aidan loves. But the love Aidan has, the love he is learning to trust not only in Jamie but with Mel, Danny, the Talley family unit, and others who come to his aid, is a love far stronger than any game Renaud could have planned.

If you’ve read the previous books, you know that Aidan finding out that Jamie lied to him is huge. You know the angst that lies there and how much it hurts. But what I love about this book and these two men is how much they are growing in their relationship and partnership that though it’s hard to watch Aidan and Jamie be hurt by the lies, it’s how they deal with it that makes me fall hard for their romance. The intimacy between the men is obvious when they are simply sitting in a meeting after a separation while a new member is added to the unconventional team to bring Renaud down. Though it’s only been months the men have been together, their connection is deep, palpable and so very swoony that they make slow dances sans music sexy as all get out.

Now, I am an emotional reader (shocker, I know) but it’s a rare author who can make me feel so much during a sex scene that I am reduced to tears. Honestly, only Josh Lanyon has the honor of making me sob while dudes are getting it on but now Layla Reyne joins the ranks of Lanyon because there is a beautiful and intimate scene in this book that had me a sobbing mess. Good lord, it hurt like hell but I am a masochist for the feels and it was worth it.

I have to say how freaking much I love Mel and Danny throughout the series. Seeing Mel, who is not only Aidan’s boss but his sister-in-law from his first marriage to Gabe and his best friend, fall for Aidan’s baby brother Danny was gorgeous. I wouldn’t mind a short with the two of them even in vignettes of their time together during this series. They are a fantastic couple and really, Danny saying “Melissa” turns me into goo even if the circumstances are intense AF!

But back to Jamie and Aidan. As the lies come out, more details of why Renaud went after Gabe and Tom and how he uses leverage to gain more accomplices to do his dirty work things gets way crazy. This book, once again is full of cinematic scenes that could rival that of Bourne films or the like. It’s detailed but not overly so you get bored or frustrated, the book is the purest blend of action, mystery, romance and literature that keeps on you the edge of your seat while trying not to melt off it into a puddle of goo. Reyne is a talented author in this genre that delivers time and time again. This book is breathtaking in the sense that you literally can’t breathe because everything is turned up to 11, and I mean everything.

Phew. Just writing this makes me hold my breath and I know how it all turns out. And let me tell you that it turns out perfectly! I was worried toward the end how things would go with a certain character and I am more than happy with the outcome. BUT that end, literally that end? I stayed up to finish last night and was rewarded with the most perfect ending that brought happy tears to my eyes. Just. So. Freaking. Good.

Barrel Proof… again the title is amazing in how it blends and lends to the story. When bourbon says “barrel proof” on the label it means it was bottled at the actual proof an aged bourbon was barreled at. As whiskey ages through the years, you lose part of it through evaporation and when that happens, your proof in the barrel goes up, making it stronger. It’s like the partnership and romance between Jamie and Aidan. At its originality, it’s decent and based on a mutual respect for agency skills but as the men turn into “partners always” and lovers; they learn to love, to trust each other and as all the lies are evaporated out of their life, they only become stronger for it.

So yeah.
Yup.
This was an amazing series.
Gorgeous romance.
Fantastically action packed and full of the best emotions.

Wow.
I’ll shut up now.
Just read the books. Kay?
Thanks.

Check out the Barrel Proof blog tour stop HERE!

Giveaway + Blog Tour: Permanent Ink (Art & Soul #1) by Piper Vaughn & Avon Gale

Piper Vaughn & Avon Gale are here today promoting their first joint endeavor, Permanent Ink!

Be sure to enter the giveaway below. One word, SWAG! Good luck!

Hi! This is Piper Vaughn and Avon Gale and we're here today to talk about our sexy new contemporary romance, Permanent Ink, in which the worlds of street art and tattooing collide when a silver-fox tattoo artist falls for his much younger apprentice - who also happens to be his best friend's son.

About Permanent Ink

At twenty-three, Poe Montgomery is going nowhere. He still lives in his father’s basement and spends most of his time tagging with his friends. When an arrest lands him in debt, Poe accepts the front desk job at Permanent Ink, the tattoo shop owned by his father’s best friend, Jericho McAslan. Jericho is nearly twice Poe’s age, but with his ink and prematurely graying hair, he quickly takes the starring role in Poe’s hottest fantasies.

Jericho is known for his ability to transform poorly designed tattoos into works of art, but he was once as aimless and misdirected as Poe. Wanting to pay it forward the way someone once did for him, Jericho makes Poe his apprentice and is determined to keep things strictly professional. Easier said than done when Poe makes his interest—and his daddy kink—abundantly clear.

Jericho can’t resist Poe or their intense chemistry for long. But between the age gap, tension with Poe’s father, and Poe’s best friend calling him a sellout, they’ll need to ensure they’re both on the same page before they can rewrite their rocky start into something permanent.

Now available from Riptide Publishing. http://www.riptidepublishing.com/titles/permanent-ink

About Avon Gale

Avon grew up in the southern United States, and now lives with her very patient husband in a liberal Midwestern college town. When she’s not writing, she’s either doing some kind of craft project that makes a huge mess, reading, watching horror movies, listening to music or yelling at her favorite hockey team to get it together, already. Avon is always up for a road trip, adores Kentucky bourbon, thinks nothing is as stress relieving as a good rock concert, and will never say no to candy.

At one point, Avon was the mayor of both Jazzercise and Lollicup on Foursquare. This tells you basically all you need to know about her as a person.

Connect with Avon:

●     Website: www.avongalewrites.com

●     Blog: www.avongalewrites.com/category/blog/

●     Facebook: www.facebook.com/avongalewrites

●     Twitter: @avongalewrites

●     Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/avongalewrites/

●     Instagram: www.instagram.com/avongale/

About Piper Vaughn

Piper Vaughn wrote her first love story at eleven and never looked back. Since then, she’s known that writing in some form was exactly what she wanted to do. A reader at the core, Piper loves nothing more than getting lost in a great book—fantasy, young adult, romance, sci-fi, she loves them all (and has an over-two-thousand-book library to prove it!). She’s an avid tea drinker, a hockey fanatic, a vintage typewriter collector, and loves to travel so much she has “wanderlust” tattooed on her ankle and dozens of countries on her bucket list. Recently, she discovered the world of nail art and realized she’s pretty handy with a paintbrush—as long as it’s a miniature one.

As a bisexual and Latinx person, Piper takes great pride in her heritage. She grew up in an ethnically diverse neighborhood and strives to put faces and characters of every ethnicity in her stories, so her fictional worlds are as colorful as the real one. She currently resides in the suburbs of Chicago with her husband, son, and a cat that has Piper wrapped around her little paw. Above all, she believes that everyone needs a little true love in their life … even if it’s only in a book.

Connect with Piper:

●     Website: http://pipervaughn.com/

●     Blog: https://pipervaughn.wordpress.com/

●     Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pipervaughn

●     Twitter: https://twitter.com/pipervaughn

●     Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/pipervaughn7/

●     Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/piper.vaughn/

●     Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/104698982870458063898

To celebrate the release of Permanent Ink, one lucky winner will receive a $20 Amazon gift card and a “Poe” coffee mug! Leave a comment with your contact info to enter the contest. Entries close at midnight, Eastern time, on August 12, 2017. Contest is NOT restricted to U.S. entries. Thanks for following the tour, and don’t forget to leave your contact info! 

Review: Suspicious Behavior (Bad Behavior, #2) by L.A. Witt & Cari Z.

Detective Darren Corliss is hanging by a thread. In between recovering from a near-fatal wound and returning to work at a hostile precinct, he’s struggling to help care for his ailing brother. His partner and boyfriend, Detective Andreas Ruffner, wants to help, but doesn’t know how. And with his own family crises brewing, Andreas is spread almost as thin as Darren.

For cops, though, life takes a backseat to the job. When a stack of unsolved homicides drops into their laps, Andreas and Darren think they’re unrelated cold cases. But when a connection surfaces, they find themselves on the tail of a prolific serial killer who’s about to strike again.

Except they’ve got nothing. No leads. No suspects. Just a pile of circumstantial evidence and a whole lot of hunches. Time is running out to stop the next murder—and to pull themselves back from their breaking points.

Suspicious Behavior picks up shortly after where Risky Behavior left off. Technically this could be read as a standalone but I would not recommend it since most of Darren and Andreas' relationship development and backstory took place in the first one. That's not to say they're at a standstill here but they are solidly a couple and while there are touching moments between the two the primary plotline is finding a serial killer who's been on the loose for an extended period of time.

This is in my wheelhouse. And I gobbled it up.

I affectionately refer to this kind of read as a popcorn read. It's heavy on the investigative side of finding a serial killer e.g. gathering evidence, finding patterns, following intuition, the two of them working together to piece together the evidence they were given from another precinct and trying to make it stick to their guy. The nitty gritty as it were. I thought the case was well crafted, it held my attention with some nice twists and turns and I found the pattern clever. It also highlighted each of their strengths and how much they compliment one another.

They are still persona non grata in this city due to the events of Risky Behavior. Another reason why I wouldn't recommend this as a standalone. Some of these asshats need lessons in how not to be a child masquerading around in an adult's body. Seriously? Busting taillights? *eye roll* As much as these antics annoyed me I have a feeling they're probably closer to reality than not.

The storyline involving Asher continues to be heartbreaking and takes up a significant part of the narrative. It shows the ripple effect of this illness and how it impacts not just Darren but Andreas too.

So with all of the above going on coupled with the fact that Darren is still recuperating from his injuries the sexy times are pretty much nil. What did happen, though, was a strengthening of their bond. There are several poignant quiet moments that showcased their connection. They spend every night together regardless of other obligations or the lateness of the hour and both are cuddlers which I found to be an unexpected dollop of cuteness from hardass Andreas.

There is no cliffhanger with the case though there is still a big looming question hanging over Darren and Andreas that hopefully will get answered in the next book and won't cause my face to leak.

I'm still loving this series and what these two authors are accomplishing with it. Both these characters are well developed and they've added some great secondary characters that helped push the narrative forward.

If you're a thriller fan you'll likely enjoy Suspicious Behavior too.

An ARC was provided by NetGalley.

Guest Review: His Quiet Agent by Ada Maria Soto

Arthur Drams works for a secret government security agency, but all he really does is spend his days in a cubical writing reports no one reads. After getting another “lateral promotion” by a supervisor who barely remembers his name, it’s suggested that Arthur try to ‘make friends’ and ‘get noticed’ in order to move up the ladder. It’s like high school all over again: his attempts to be friendly come across as awkward and creepy, and no one wants to sit at the same table with him at lunch. In a last-ditch attempt to be seen as friendly and outgoing, he decides to make friends with The Alien, aka Agent Martin Grove, known for his strange eating habits, unusual reading choices, and the fact that no one has spoken to him in three years. 

Starting with a short, surprisingly interesting conversation on sociology books, Arthur slowly begins to chip away at The Alien’s walls using home-cooked meals to lure the secretive agent out of his abrasive shell. Except Martin just might be something closer to an actual secret agent than paper-pusher Arthur is, and it might be more than hearts at risk when something more than friendship begins to develop. 

Please note this book has a Heat Rating of zero.

Guest Reviewer - Annery

The most mundane things can change your life. For Arthur Drams, a mid-level analyst at “The Agency”,  it’s wondering if the ficus trees at his job are real or plastic. After four years Arthur feels a promotion is due, along with better plants, so he requests one. What he gets is a lateral move to a higher floor but in the same position largely because he’s a bit of an invisible man at work. No one knows him. But all that is about to change.

This book has zero sex, no extended conversations about feelings or people being struck by Eros or Cupid’s Arrow, what touching there is could be termed accidental or even clinical, there’s no on page action, or even intrigue and yet … it’s perhaps one of the most romantic and emotionally satisfying books I’ve read in a long time. I liked it so much I read it twice. This is a first installment *fingers crossed* in the story of a relationship between Martin Groves, who is possibly ace, and Arthur Drams who begins to identify himself as demi. Ultimately Arthur’s friend Carol puts it best:

“... no one ever said you have to define yourself. I mean, some people feel better with a definitive definition, others don’t. You’re you, first and foremost, and don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.”

Ada Maria Soto is a ‘new to me’ author and one who I’ll be eager to follow.

The story is told from Arthur’s P.O.V. and what a great head to be in. Arthur is funny and self conscious but also brave in all the ways that really matter. He has a family background which I won’t go into but that did touch very close to the bone for and thus endeared me to him and I immediately knew that appearances to the contrary he was no shrinking violet but rather a male version of a steel magnolia. Coming from a family that can best be described as complicated Arthur has learned to compartmentalize, keep secrets and make-do which comes in handy when he meets Martin Grove, a colleague on his new floor. His person.

Martin is a mystery wrapped in an enigma inside a safe stored in an arctic underground bunker. At work he is known as The Alien. He speaks to no one and in turn no one knows him. By the end of the book you could say that patient and resourceful Arthur has thawed him out without ever violating Martin’s trust or crossing any lines. Impressive.

After working for over two months in his new department and trying to make friends or at least acquaintances with varying levels of success Arthur strikes up a what could generously be called a relationship with Martin which consists of sitting at the same lunch table. Martin reading and Arthur having his lunch, offering some food and watching Martin:

“It would often be in silence, but Martin never told him to leave. On ‘conversation’ days he could get maybe four sentences back and forth (not counting the offers of food), on whatever Martin was reading.”

All this changes when Martin has a health crisis which allows Arthur to become more intimately involved in his life and later when Arthur needs it Martin has a chance to reciprocate. The relationship evolves to the point that the two are sharing social time outside of work and though prickly Martin continues to be a coiled cypher the reader wants to unravel, Arthur and Martin form a meaningful connection. Martin is decidedly less overt in expressing his emotions but they are there to be seen in his actions.  

These aren’t people prone to grand declarations, particularly so Martin, so when he approaches Arthur and does this I had palpitations and almost swooned because it’s more affecting than the much bandied “I love you”:

“... he raised his hand and touched his fingers to his forehead. “I can give you this.” He lowered his hand and pressed the tips of his fingers to the center of his chest. “And I can give you this. But not the rest. It’s not who I am. Or what I am.”

I don’t want to say much more because Ada Maria Soto has done an excellent job of deftly and elegantly telling a different kind of love story, one I was completely drawn to and 100% invested in. I’m eagerly awaiting a second installment which will hopefully delve into the evolving relationship between Arthur and Martin and hopefully Martin’s past. Unless it turns out that Ms. Soto is a delicious sadist in which case we have just enough story to let our imagination fill in the blanks and dream these two into a beautiful HEA. In a few short pages she has managed to make Martin a man of mystery akin to James Bond without all the extraneous nonsense and bring Arthur to life as a full fledged individual and she does so in ingenious ways: Arthur’s love for cooking and where it comes from which leads to his family history and even touches on his past relationships, how he uses food and the cooking of it as a place for peace but also as a way of talking to Martin when words are too dangerous or not adequate. Perfect. Just perfect. Also the food descriptions left me craving some Vietnamese spring rolls. I may try my hand at them or more likely just go to a Vietnamese restaurant.

Another big plus is Carol, Arthur’s friend from work, who brings levity with her caustic sense of humor. Here she is describing Arthur’s courtship of Martin:

“IT’S LIKE a weird version of that scene in Lady and the Tramp where he’s shoving the last meatball at her.” “I doubt he’d appreciate that analogy,” Arthur told Carol as they both stirred their coffee. “Unless you two spend an hour on the phone chatting each night, I doubt he’s said more than two hundred words to you.” There is more than one way to communicate,” he stated, Carol hitting uncomfortably close to the truth. “I’m sure there’s a culture somewhere where silently shoving finger food at someone is an acceptable form of courting. Hobbits maybe.”

Those who are questioning what love is and what should it look like particularly in a society where we are continuously bombarded with certain images from films, IG, books, music etc. about what is sexy or desirable here’s proof that there are other ways to be and love that are just as valid and satisfying and Arthur and Martin are on their way to finding it.

“Better than a fumbled kiss or faked affection. It was strong and true. And it was theirs.”

I’d recommend this book to everyone. And as for those ficus trees, what is the difference between the real and the plastic? They look the same to the point of being indistinguishable. So what does it matter? Maybe there is no distinction. They are the same.

*Suggested listening: “Something Just Like This” by The Chainsmokers & Coldplay*

A review copy was provided.

Review: The Play of His Life by Amy Aislin

Former best friends turned lovers Christian and Riley haven't seen or spoken to each other in six years...is there a better time than the holiday season to reconnect with your favorite person? 

The last person Christian wants to run into on a visit home to spend time with his mom over the holidays is his former best friend-turned-lover-turned-ex. But there Riley is, in all his tall, chiseled, blondness. The same guy who walked out on him six years ago, breaking his heart in the process. Who knew he's still in love with the jerk? (Oh yeah, he did. What? Who says denial isn't healthy?) 

Two years ago, Riley was injured out of the NHL, but he's got his own bakery now and a quiet life selling quiches and cupcakes to his customers. Then Christian unexpectedly walks back into his life, forcing Riley to question his choices. Especially that one choice he made six years ago that walked him out of Christian's life. Now if only he had the courage to tell a boy how he really feels about him...

I really loved the idea of this story. Reunited lovers and second chances can be the best of bittersweet tales. People make decisions when they are young that are sometimes so different than the ones they make once they get some time and experience behind them. And it makes sense, we’re different people as we age and all the experiences to that point make up who we become. It’s what we do with those experiences that make the difference. So, I’m generally pretty forgiving to the youthful version of the MC’s in second chance romances. And while both guys in The Play of his Life did something to end their young relationship and yes, Riley’s was worse because, young and dumb, but there was nothing insurmountable to these two getting back together.

Yes, I loved the idea of this story. The execution really didn’t work for me though. There was some inconsistency with the continuity, unnecessary breakdowns in communication, a few hockey things that didn’t work and the absolute most frustrating; the completely unresolved plot point, repeatedly. 

When Christian walked into the bakery he was shocked Riley was there, yet later on when Riley is looking at the scrapbook Christian made there was an article in there about the bakery opening. That was the whole opening to the book, the first sighting that led to the reunion and it wasn’t at all what was presented in the beginning.

The two of them start talking, walls start coming down and they agree to start seeing each other again. That is really the big hurdle, they admitted to still having feelings, to wanting more, but then as Christian’s time home is coming to an end, they get all flummoxed again. It felt so manufactured. They already did a pretty big talk, just keep talking a smidge more, just a smidge and they’d be good. They each did some seriously romantic OTT gestures while they were apart, there was no question of the love they still felt for one another, the drama at the end about Christian leaving was unnecessary.

There were two unresolved points that drove me nutters by distraction and killed the good points for me. Riley has a nickname for Christian, he calls him ‘T’. He’s called him that since they were kids, he had a custom necklace made for Christian with the letter ‘T’, but he’d never tell Christian the significance, which means I didn’t know either. It was obviously pretty important but then completely negated by having no meaning. There was also a lot of reference to ‘Shimmer’, some label-less, mysterious alcoholic beverage that is served at the bakery. It changes flavors and smells depending on what it’s served with. It apparently has different effects on the drinker depending on how it’s served as well. For a bit I thought I stepped into a paranormal story but then you know what happened? Nothing. Shimmer was referred to throughout the story, but it added no value, just distraction. This novella was way too short to have two big THINGS just hanging out there with no resolution.

Riley and Christian got there HEA and I believed it for them. As I said before, there was no doubt about the love the two had for one another, I just really wish there had been some reining in of the random diversions that took away from an otherwise potentially good story.

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

Giveaway + Blog Tour: Dalí by E.M. Hamill

Welcome E.M. Hamill and Indigo Promotions who have combined forces to promote Dalí, a space opera romance. See the exclusive excerpt and be sure to enter to win a Ninestar Press ebook of your choice below!

Good luck!

 

Title:  Dali

Author: E.M. Hamill

Publisher:  NineStar Press

Release Date: 8/7/17

Heat Level: 3 - Some Sex

Pairing: Male/Male

Length: 85200

Genre: science fiction, space travel, third gender, interspecies sex, kidnapping, genderfluid, space opera

Add to Goodreads

Synopsis

Dalí Tamareia has everything—a young
family and a promising career as an Ambassador in the Sol Fed Diplomatic Corps.
Dalí’s path as a peacemaker seems clear, but when their loved ones are killed
in a terrorist attack, grief sends the genderfluid changeling into a spiral of
self-destruction.

Fragile Sol Fed balances on the brink of
war with a plundering alien race. Their skills with galactic relations are
desperately needed to broker a protective alliance, but in mourning, Dalí no
longer cares, seeking oblivion at the bottom of a bottle, in the arms of a
faceless lover, or at the end of a knife.

The New Puritan Movement is rising to
power within the government, preaching strict genetic counseling and galactic
isolation to ensure survival of the endangered human race. Third gender
citizens like Dalí don’t fit the mold of this perfect plan, and the NPM will
stop at nothing to make their vision become reality. When Dalí stumbles into a
plot threatening changelings like them, a shadow organization called the
Penumbra recruits them for a rescue mission full of danger, sex, and intrigue,
giving Dalí purpose again.

Risky liaisons with a sexy, charismatic
pirate lord could be Dalí’s undoing—and the only way to prevent another deadly
act of domestic terrorism.

Exclusive Excerpt

Dalí

E.M. Hamill © 2017

All Rights Reserved

I had to pass the terminal’s arrival gate to reach my assigned quarters in the lodgings district—nothing but a tiny room with a bunk and a desk. More than I needed. I hunched my shoulders and pulled the collar of my coat up. It wasn’t enough to evade electronic eyes.

Goddamned media bots. The week after the bombing, they descended upon me every time I stepped outside my door, wanting tears, statements, something juicy to regale the holo viewers at home. Charges of destruction of the networks’ property got dropped after I was diagnosed with PTSD. But no one else could verify what I’d seen the media bot do in Luna Terminal. They were all dead.

Six months later, the things still recognized me whether I leaned toward male or female, but followed me at a safer distance. This one hovered outside the gate to spy for any late celebrities who might sneak in after the championship game began. It buzzed and floated in my wake.

“Ambassador Tamareia? Would you care to make a statement on the latest developments in the Senate regarding the Remoliad negotiations?”

“No. I’m on bereavement leave.” I didn’t turn around.

“How about a statement regarding Sol Fed’s stance on third-gender reproductive rights?”

This was a human voice and made me pause. I turned slowly. “Kiran Singh. Waiting for the next big human tragedy?”

His answering smile was brilliant and manufactured for holo audiences, white teeth blinding against dark-brown skin. Tall and slender, Singh’s features shared the same androgyny as mine, the kind of facial structure that earned a double take. His plum-colored kurta glittered with embroidery, the tips of shiny black boots visible beneath its folds. I hadn’t seen Singh since the memorial service on Luna, but I’d been barely cognizant of anything in those first days of mourning. Except when I punched Singh in the face. I remember that.

“Yours?” I jabbed a thumb at the patient, hovering bot.

“It’s my network’s.”

“Make it go away or it’s scrap.”

“Stand down, Geraldo.” The globular bot obeyed and floated back to the gate.

Singh stood in front of me. The smile faded. “You look like shit.”

“Thanks. Good to see you too.” I wanted nothing more but to go back to my room and surround myself with a cloud of illegal vaping chems. I turned away.

“Seriously, Dalí. What the hell?”

“What do you want, Kiran?” I kept walking.

“Stop and talk to me. We used to be friends at university.”

“We were never friends. Is this off the record?”

“Give me a statement against the New Puritan Movement. The NPM’s stance on our reproductive rights is nothing less than selective genocide under the guise of recovering our species. Your opinion still matters to Luna. You can help us make a difference.”

“I don’t agree with your form of journalism or your tactics. Gresh’s opinions were the ones that mattered.”

“Gresh was the judicial heart of the equal rights movement, but he wasn’t a third. You were the voice. You still could be.”

“Not for you and the Third Front.” Kiran and his activist friends played along the borders of extremism, where Gresh and I had preferred reason and legislation.

“Dalí. Listen to me.” Singh grabbed my arm. I wrenched it away but stopped walking. He moved closer. “I know the bastards got you ousted from your appointment to the Remoliad. The NPM is poison, and it’s gaining momentum in the Senate. Do you even watch the news?”

“Not if I can help it.”

“So you’ve given up.”

“What do you want from me?”

“You do know that isolationist prick Hyatt won the nomination, don’t you?”

“What nomination?”

“To be Head of the Senate, Dalí! Where have you been?”

“In hell.”

“Okay.” Singh’s voice quieted. “I understand. But you need to wake up. Our rights to be treated as the equal of every other Sol Fed citizen are being threatened. Europa introduced new bills into Senate deliberation. With Hyatt’s election, they’re going to pass and make parthenogenesis mandatory for our reproduction. Guess whose research they’re using to fuel the hysteria?”

“Dr. Atassi’s, I presume.”

“The witch has been busy. They’re going to use the law to eliminate the entire third gender.”

I blinked at Singh with disbelief, even in my still-numbed state. “That isn’t legal under galactic statutes. It’ll never pass.”

“Wake up! Sol Fed isn’t Remoliad yet, and if the NPM gets its way, we never will be.” Kiran stepped closer to me. “Changelings are disappearing from the Colonies, and nobody is investigating. They’re ignoring hate crimes. In our government’s eyes, we don’t serve any greater good to further the human race if we can’t reproduce.”

“Maybe they just wanted to disappear.”

Singh’s expression grew ugly, and his disgust pricked my empathic senses with needle-sharp derision. “You never did get it. You think more like a galactic than a human being. You were never one of us.”

Purchase

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

 

Meet the Author

E.M. Hamill is a nurse by day, sci fi and fantasy novelist by night. She lives in eastern Kansas with her family, where they fend off flying monkey attacks and prep for the zombie apocalypse. She also writes young adult material under the name Elisabeth Hamill. Her first novel, SONG MAGICK, won first place for YA fantasy in the 2014 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction.

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8/7      MM Good Book Reviews

8/8      Love Bytes reviews    

8/8      Boy Meets Boy Reviews        

8/9      Bayou Book Junkie    

8/9      Divine Magazine       

8/10    MillsyLovesBooks      

8/10    The Novel Approach  

8/11    My Fiction Nook        

8/11    Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews   

8/11    Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words           

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