Friday, December 4, 2015

Travels Through The Scarlet Equinox Anthology - Blog Tour with Guest Post and Giveaway

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AboutTheBook
Travels_FS
TITLE: Travels Through The Scarlet Equinox

AUTHOR: Toni Griffin, J. Scott Coatsworth, Angel Martinez, Freddy MacKay

COVER ARTIST: Freddy MacKay

LENGTH: 475 Pages

RELEASE DATE: November 18, 2015

BLURB: The Autumnal equinox—when the trees dress in their formal scarlet and gold and the crisp air whispers of chance and change, when bright days turn into sudden storms and the veil between reality and imagination thins. Join the Mischief Corner authors as they share stories evoking this often unpredictable time of year.

A Bear’s Bear by Toni Griffin

Matthew Warner's been a Chicago Bears fan as far back as he can remember. What other team was a young bear shifter from the Smokey Mountains supposed to root for? When his college friend gets tickets to the next home game, Matthew jumps at the chance for a holiday. It's his favorite time of year and Nic promises him pumpkin carving and a visit to the world's largest corn maze, what more could he want?

What Matthew doesn’t expect is finding out the defensive tackle for the Bears is his mate. Between fainting at the realization, meeting family, and dealing with the media fallout of his mate's coming out Matthew is in for a hell of a rocky Halloween.

The Autumn Lands by J. Scott Coatsworth

Jerrith is running. Kissed by an elf, he can't remain in his hometown of Althos anymore. Not that he wanted to stay.

Caspian still hasn't figured out why he kissed Jerrith, but he's running too. Since he was exiled from the Autumn Lands, his past has been hazy, and his future uncertain. But when a stray memory brings things into focus, the two decide to run toward something together. What they uncover will change how they see the world, and themselves, forever.

Beside a Black Tarn by Angel Martinez

When Shax stumbles across rumors of an experimental house that responds to the occupant’s brain functions, creating scenarios to please and delight, naturally he wants to steal it.  But with the return of a troubled and hunted Julian Parallax and an overabundance of Poe references, even Shax’s scheming may not be enough to get the Brimstone crew out alive this time.

Eternity in the Tides by Freddy MacKay

Autumn has always been Zak's favorite season for hiking and camping. Not to mention breathing in all that crisp fall air and sitting around toasty bonfires. That all changed year and a half ago when a rich prick high on prescription pills sideswiped Zak while he was out biking.

Now his days are filled with pain and limited mobility. No more camping. No more trails. Zak's life as he knew it is gone forever.

Back at his beloved stomping grounds, Zak is ready to say hello and goodbye one last time. But when a cry from the frigid Lake Superior waters throws him into the role of a rescuer, more than just his life hangs in the balance. Little did Zak know how much one person giving a damn mattered to him.


Excerpt

A Bear’s Bear by Toni Griffin

"Take a seat," Christian said as he closed the door behind them. The Alpha was acting strangely, especially when he checked the hall just before the door closed. Christian walked over to where Matthew was sitting. Instead of taking a seat behind the desk as Matthew would have expected, Christian hiked a leg and leaned against the edge of the desk just to the side of him.

"Thank you for taking a minute to speak with me."

"Anything you need, Alpha." Matthew nodded. His hands were already sweating. Matthew rubbed them back and forth on his pants, hoping to dry them.

"There's no reason to be nervous," Christian assured him, chuckling lightly. "You've done nothing wrong."
Matthew nodded as he sighed in relief.

"I know we don't know each other very well," Christian started and Matthew nodded again. "However, you've known my younger brother for years."

"I have. He's a good guy."

"He is. Can be a pain in the ass sometimes, but I love him nonetheless." Christian chuckled.

Matthew was too nervous to do anything more than smile.

"Anyway, I happened to overhear a conversation you had earlier on the phone."

Matthew swallowed and fisted the denim of his jeans in his hands. Would Christian stop him from going on vacation? Was there a sleuth in Chicago? Did he need to notify them of his travel plans?

"Yes?" he asked quietly.

"You're planning to travel to Chicago, is that correct?"

Matthew nodded slowly.

"Excellent."

Matthew furrowed his brows. Why on earth would Christian think his travel plans were excellent? "I don't understand."

"I was wondering if you wouldn't mind doing me a favor."

"A favor? Me?"

Christian nodded. "I'm trying to go through the sleuth, one by one, and get to know everyone as the Alpha. But Bobby trusts you. And I was hoping I could too."

Trust me? To do what? Matthew went back to rubbing his hands on his pants. If he could comfortably put them in his pockets sitting down, he would have, but he couldn't. When Matthew didn't say anything, Christian smiled kindly at him and continued. "I have an item that I plan on purchasing that I don't feel comfortable with the postal system handling. I was wondering if you wouldn't mind picking it up while you're in Chicago and bringing it back for me."

Matthew's mind raced. What exactly was his new Alpha into? Surely it wouldn't be anything illegal; drugs and guns were just a couple of the things that popped into his mind. Matthew shook his head. There was no way Christian would put a member of his sleuth in danger like that, but he couldn't help but ask.

"I won't get into trouble for doing this, will I?"

"No." Christian laughed. "Although if Vinnie finds out, he might have a few words to say to you.

"Vincent?" Why would Christian's mate want to talk to him if he did this?

"The item in question is from Tiffany's," Christian said, raising his brow. Matthew's eyes widened as everything suddenly made sense. Oh wow!

"Yes," he blurted. "Yes, sure, okay, I would be honored. Anything you need."

Christian chuckled, placed a hand on his shoulder, and squeezed.

"Thank you. You can understand why I don't want an item such as this being posted or even couriered to me."

"I can. I'm touched that you trust me to collect it and deliver it into your hands."

"You're of my sleuth. I would trust you with my life."

Matthew's eyes teared up at the absolute sincerity he felt from his Alpha. No one before had ever had so much faith in him.

"Thank you. I won't let you down."

The Autumn Lands by J. Scott Coatsworth

Jerrith Ladner ran down Dyer's Alley in Althos, winded but not daring to stop. He swung left down Chaplain's Lane where the lanterns cast a crazy patchwork of light across cobbles, uneven enough to give even the Night Guard pause. His lungs hurt, but he didn't slow down and didn't dare glance back.

The occasional passerby stared at him as he flashed past, but he ignored them. Several times he stumbled and fell, and blood dripped down his bare leg from a skinned knee. The outskirts of town were silent, with almost everyone already indoors for the night.

His recent past was a blur, with snatches of it flitting by in his head like birds, flapping and confusing him with their unsteady rhythm:

The kiss.

The unexpected shock of it.

The glimpse of the Autumn Lands through the Nevris man's golden eyes.

At last, exhausted, Jerrith ducked behind a low wall that ran along the fields just outside of town and looked back.

It was quiet. There was nothing but blackness crisscrossed by lamplight at even intervals.

Almost sobbing, he sat down with his back to the wall and curled up into himself, scarcely noticing the pain that traced the lines of his rib cage or even the bright line of red on his leg.

Ever so slowly, his heavy breathing eased and his jumbled mind began to sort things out.

He had been walking to the Smithy in the early morning when the Nevris caravan had passed him by, six wagons of merchandise from the Autumn Lands covered with heavy tarps, crossing through town on its way to the stables on the far side of the village. A stranger had drawn his attention—an outrider for the caravan.

Tall and slender where Jerrith was stocky and muscled, he was a young man, more or less Jerrith's own age. His blond hair had been pulled back behind his pointed ears, the mark of the Nevris. He moved with a quiet and restrained grace.

His eyes were wide and golden, and they'd met his as Jerrith crossed the town square on the way to 'prentice to the blacksmith. The man's gaze had filled Jerrith with something hot and impulsive, a sense of anticipation. Something that he had no name for.

Then he'd been gone.

Jerrith had spent the long, dizzying hours of work in the Smithy, hammering out heated metal into a new plowshare for Farmer Angus, the hot breath of the bellows tempered only by the cool springtime air from outside. Trying to forget those eyes.

The heat of the oven only served to fuel the heat he felt inside, until he thought he might explode.

Sent home at last well after nightfall, he'd heard a whispered voice from the dark alleyway between the Alchemist's shop and the Rutting Crow. Jerrith had looked around to see if anyone was watching, then slipped into the alley, his heart beating faster and the bulge in his pants stiffening.

The man had kissed him hard and rough, and he'd returned the kiss passionately as the Nevris man pulled him close.

Beside a Black Tarn by Angel Martinez

"Do you have your route planned?" Shax asked Leopold as he tucked the field glasses into his jacket.

"Up the long drainpipe. On the side without windows. The master suite first."

"That's my boy. Remember, only what's out in the open tonight. No looking for safes, trapdoors, or hidden rooms."

An irritated peep followed his advice, accompanied by what Shax was beginning to recognize as a hedgehog glare. "I have it, Captain. You gave simple instructions. I am not Heckle."

"Now, now. None of that." Shax ran a hand through his hair to complete his artful mussing. "Heckle's not stupid. Just… easily distracted."

"And impetuous. And clumsy and so twitchy. Curious fingers."

"He did apologize and has orders not to enter your burrow again. Please let it go." Shax unfastened the first three buttons of his shirt. "Here we go, then. I'll do the best I can to give you time, but when you hear me leaving or when I call for you, it's time to go."

With a last pat to Shax's leg, Leopold dropped to all fours and scurried off through the vegetation. This would be classic accomplice distraction technique, nothing fancy. Start with the basics. He tapped in the code for the Brimstone's pilot pod where Ness was monitoring. "We're going in, cupcake. Radio silence, please. I'll yell if we need you."

"Please be careful, my love." Ness's soft voice caressed his nerves.

"Easy job. Nothing to worry about."

"You do know you've said that before."

"Hush. No more. I'll see you soon."

He started for the front door, keeping in plain sight, dragging his right foot a bit in case anyone was watching. Tonight, Leopold was the second-story man while Shax was just the diversion.

He waited until Leopold had made it around the side of the house before he lifted the handle on the gargoyle knocker and hammered on the door. "Hello! Is anyone home? Please, please help! There's been a terrible accident!"

A thin, terrified wail seeped through the heavy door. Shax tilted his head to listen. No, this was getting too ridiculous. A clank of chains accompanied heavy footfalls toward the door. Something on the other side let out an eerie moan. Then the door swung open on creaking hinges to reveal a dim, cobweb-festooned chandelier in a much-neglected front hall.

Oh, for all the sulfurous pits' sakes. Shax decided to play along and performed the requisite action by calling "Hello?" at the dark and sinister interior.

He jerked back when a face suddenly popped up before him. Pale, cadaverous, sunken eyes wide, the apparition regarded him openmouthed for a single instant.

"Bells and whiskers!" the apparition whispered in obvious horror. "What in all elements are you doing out there? You're supposed to be in here. Oh my goodness."

A skeletal hand closed around Shax's wrist and he blinked in confusion as he was dragged inside. "Pardon?"

"It's really rather rude of you. If you're going to answer the summons, you should at least do it properly."

"I'm… sorry?"


Eternity in the Tides by Freddy MacKay

Crimson,  hot  pink,  burnt  orange,  and  a  dark  purple  lit  the  sky  and splashed  over  the  calm  waters  of  Lake  Superior.  Dusk  had  fallen  in  all  its beauty,  gracing  Zak  with  the  perfect  moment  at  his  favorite  stomping grounds.  If  he  had  to  go,  and  well…  yeah,  he  couldn't  ask  for  anything better than this.  Tonight  was  the  night. Had to be.

Water  lapped  at  the  boat,  rocking  it  gently.  A  breeze  wafted  over  Zak. He  shivered,  then  hugged  himself  as  he  looked  over  the  lake,  back  at Madeline  Island.  Like  each  night  over  the  past  few  days,  a  pang  of  longing hit  him.  Zak  had  said  his  goodbyes,  accepted  the  fate  handed  to  him,  knew better  than  to  hold  on  to  dreams  he  could  never  have.  He  should  have  been able  to take  the  next  step.

But  he  couldn't.

Each  night  he  rowed  back  to  his  rental  cabin,  Quiet  Bequest,  in  defeat. What  the  hell  he  held  on  for,  Zak  didn't  have  a  clue.  His  heart  thumped heavily,  his  palms  slipped  over  the  oars,  and  the  hair  on  his  arms  stood  up —goose  bumps  everywhere—as  if something big were  about  to happen.

Well,  yeah,  something  huge  if  Zak  could  get  his  head  on  straight.  Well, maybe  not  straight—his  plan  was  utter  ridiculousness  to  the  outside observer. Made  sense  to him, though. But  then it  would.

Anticipation  rode  Zak  hard.  He  knew  what  he  had  to  do.  Planned  it. Came  determined.  This  trip,  the  two-week  cabin  retreat  he  could  never afford,  the  rowboat—my  accident—had  been  in  the  works  for  months.  And now… now  Zak cowered in his  waterlogged rowboat.

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Myths and Folklore of the World
By Freddy MacKay

Werewolves. Elves. Vampires. Dwarves. All pretty familiar creatures to a western reader. What they look like, how they act, what they mean have changed over time—and they should. Any growing and living culture that adopts mythos and folklore as there own is trying to give meaning to it that is relevant to them. They are modifying the known to fit the ideals and hopes, or sometimes, fears of the time. The storytellers carry the legends on, giving us something familiar and new.

It also means we as readers have background knowledge to draw on. That we have specific ideas or expectations of what the creatures will be like in certain genres. It can be a comfort to the reader and allow them to escape.

What's fun, though, is when someone breaks those rules and expectations and makes the creatures something new. Yes, people will grip about how the elves are behaving like they should, but you know what? Fucking-fantabulous. Setting us up and destroying those expectations can be thrilling when done well. It allows us to move forward with *our* culture instead of holding onto the past. In my head, I see it as a tribute because the authors are allowing the vamps or werewolves to breathe again. To shake loose those shackles and surprise us.

But there are other ways to do that too.

We are a global community. We have relations and friends all across the world. And across our big, beautiful, blue world there are many different kinds of stories and mythos to play in—not just werewolves, vamps and elves, oh my! There are so many different cultures and folklore to pick from why limit ourselves? The different creatures from Africa, the Amazon, Japan, allows us to bring new life and breath to our fantasy and paranormal worlds. They bring different perspective and mythos to play up or break down, to shake the worlds as we know them. But at the same time, many cultures share similar mythos, but have their own unique twist on them—which allows interjection of new plots, new conflicts, and a trove of stories for us to explore.

How fun is that?

Why stay with werewolves when we can have demon cats (nekomata) or fox-shifters (kitsune)? And did you know Chinese mermaids did not have fishtails like western mermaids? Nope, they really don't. But they did have mermaid stories too. So why not have fun with different mythos from around the world? Shatter expectations and build up a world mythos anew, sharing concepts and ideas from the world over?

As an American I know my background mostly comes from Europe, but not everyone here is from western ancestry. They come from all over, and with them they brought stories of what they thought demons were, or what kind of creature was helpful (or not), or their idea of a shifter (hyena shifters are a thing - spooky too.) Native Americans have their own rich lore to explore, allowing us to see the world in a new perspective. It's amazing to be able to pull these different characters and diversify what I can do as an author.

Using mythos to bring unique characters together is thrilling. It's exciting to introduce readers into an exciting new world and types of creatures. They may be different, but we already have certain mythos to draw on and compare, which gives us something to think about and build new expectations. They can help us shatter limitations—and isn't that something we strive for in ourselves?

To strive higher? To not set limits? To tear down the old so we can build something new? To explore the world through our books?

So go on, find a new creature or mythos to explore. Give yourself a breath of fresh air. You may surprise yourself.

AuthorBio
About Toni Griffin

Toni Griffin lives in Darwin, the smallest of Australia's capital cities. Born and raised in the state she's a Territorian through and through. Growing up Toni hated English with a passion (as her editors can probably attest to) and found her strength lies with numbers.

Now, though, she loves escaping to the worlds she creates and hopes to continue to do so for many years to come. She's a single mother of one and works full time. When she's not writing you can just about guarantee that she will be reading one of the many MM authors she loves.

For a complete list of books, go to: http://tonigriffin.net/Current_Books.html


About J. Scott Coatsworth

Scott is the admin for the Queer Sci Fi site. He has been writing since ele- mentary school, when he and won a University of Arizona writing contest in 4th grade for his first sci fi story (with illustrations!). He finished his first novel in his mid twenties, but after seeing it rejected by ten publishers, he gave up on writing for a while.

Over the ensuing years, he came back to it periodically, but it never stuck. Then one day, he was complaining to Mark, his husband, about how he had been derailed yet again by the death of a family member, and Mark said to him "the only one stopping you from writing is you."

Since then, Scott has gone back to writing in a big way, finishing more than a dozen short stories—some new, some that he had started years be- fore—and seeing his first sale. He's embarking on a new trilogy, and also runs QSF, a support group for writers of gay sci fi, fantasy, and supernatu- ral fiction.


About Freddy MacKay

Freddy grew up in the Midwest, playing sports and running around outside. And honestly, that much has not changed since Freddy was small and throwing worms at other kids, expect worm throwing has been replaced with a healthy geocaching addiction. Freddy enjoys traveling and holds the view a person should continually to learn about new things and people whenever possible.

Freddy's contemporary LGBTQ book, Incubation: Finding Peace 2, won 3rd Place - Best Gay Erotic Fiction in the 2012 Rainbow Awards. In 2013, Freddy's story, Internment, tied for 3rd Place - Best Gay Fantasy in the Rainbow Awards. Freddy's steampunk/SF story, Feel Me, was a finalist and honorable mention in the 2014 Rainbow Awards for SF. You can email Freddy at: freddy.m.mackay@gmail.com

:: Website :: Twitter ::

About Angel Martinez

While Angel Martinez is the erotic fiction pen name of a writer of several genres, she writes both kinds of gay romance – Science Fiction and Fantasy. Currently living part time in the hectic sprawl of northern Delaware, (and full time inside the author's head) Angel has one husband, one son, two cats, a changing variety of other furred and scaled companions, a love of all things beautiful and a terrible addiction to the consumption of both knowledge and chocolate.


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Winner’s Prize: $20 Amazon/ARe Gift Card

Second Winner’s Prize: Mischief Corner Books Swag From RedBubble.com


TourSchedule


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November 19
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November 20
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November 23
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November 24
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November 27
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November 30
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December 1
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December 12
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