QSFer ‘Nathan Burgoine has a new Paranormal/Urban Fantasy book out:
The law of three is unbroken: three vampires form a coterie, three demons make a pack, and three wizards are a coven. That is how it has always been, and how it was always to be.
But Luc, Anders, and Curtis—vampire, demon, and wizard—have cheated tradition. Their bond is not coterie, pack, or coven, but something else. Thrust into the supernatural politics ruling Ottawa from behind the shadows, they face Renard, a powerful vampire who harbors deadly secrets of his own and wishes to end their threat. The enemy they know conjures fire and death at every turn. The enemies they don’t know are worse.
Blood, soul, and magic gave them freedom. Now they need to survive it.
Giveaway
I’m happy to do a giveaway as well. I have one other novel (unrelated), Light, which is gay sort-of-superhero story set in Ottawa.
To enter to win a copy of Light, just comment below with your email and your FB page (if you have one) so we can find you if you win.
Excerpt
I am awake, Luc thought. And that is sunlight.
Luc stood at the top of the stairs, the threshold of the kitchen, content to watch the last of the red-orange glow that bathed the room creep along the floor. For a brief time he simply waited. The light of a sunset was no better to his kind than that of the highest point of noon, but he enjoyed seeing this moment in time and knowing it belonged to him.
Then the demon showed up.
“Lurking again?” Anders asked. He tossed a small pile of papers Luc assumed was the mail onto the kitchen table. Then, he turned one of the kitchen chairs around backwards and sat, crossing his arms and resting them against the back of the chair. Anders wore his usual plain sleeveless shirt, faded jeans, and a cocky smile that bordered on a smirk. Luc imagined the demon would be heading out soon to leech off the soul of some young lustful trash.
“There are a few more minutes of daylight left,” Luc said, though he knew Anders knew this well enough.
“Aww.” Anders’s smile was far from sincere. “Poor vampire.”
“Hardly,” Luc said.
The demon opened his mouth to say more, but then their third came in from the hall and stifled a yawn on the way.
“I take it we’ve begun the bickering part of the evening?” Curtis said. He rolled his shoulders and turned his head to the left and right. He had obviously gone for a run after his classes. Luc pulled air into his lungs and caught the scent of sweat just below the plain soap Curtis must have showered with at the university.
“How were your lessons?” Luc asked. Despite feigning nonchalance to Anders, he did feel a little foolish lurking at the top of the basement stairs, waiting for the last of the sunlight to fade.
Curtis passed by Anders, stopping to touch the demon’s shoulder and kiss him on the top of his head, and then met Luc at the top of the stairs. Curtis leaned past the last few moments of the day’s light into the shadow, and kissed him on the lips.
“They were great,” Curtis said.
Allowing the tip of one fang to show, Luc smiled. “You taste like magic, lapin.”
“I get that a lot,” Curtis said. He returned to the table and sat beside Anders. He looked at the table. “This the mail?”
Anders grunted. It wasn’t an eloquent sound, Luc thought, but then again, nothing about the demon ever seemed cultured to him.
Curtis looked at him. “What’s wrong?”
“He gets a kiss, I get a peck on the head?”
Luc didn’t bother trying to hide a smug smile.
“Seriously? You two are worse than Mal and Jayne sometimes,” Curtis said.
Anders stared at Curtis blankly. Curtis leaned back.
“Malcolm Reynolds? Jayne Cobb?” Curtis stared. “You don’t know the hero of Canton? Captain Tight Pants? Firefly?”
Anders shrugged. Curtis looked at Luc, but the vampire could only shake his head.
“Wow. I can’t believe I kissed you guys.”
“You didn’t kiss me,” Anders said.
“You are such a big baby,” Curtis said, but he leaned forward and when they kissed, Anders grabbed the back of Curtis’s head and made it last longer than the kiss Curtis had shared with Luc.
Luc felt the last moment of sunlight pass. He knew the night truly began when a shiver of coolness spread through his body, so he joined them at the table.
Curtis leaned back, obviously having enjoyed the demon’s kiss, and picked up the first letter. His expression soured. “Ugh.”
“What’s wrong?” Luc asked.
“It’s the realtors again. You’d think they’d get the hint.” Curtis tore the letter in half without opening it.
“Realtors?” Anders asked.
“It started right after my parents died. Vultures. I get letters asking me if I’d like to sell. I assume they watch the obituaries. I guess a lot of people sell when their folks die.” Curtis picked up the next envelope and handed it to Anders. “Yours.”
“Pay day,” Anders folded the unopened envelope in half and slid it into the pocket of his jeans.
“You have a job?” Curtis said. He paused, holding the next piece of mail.
Anders shrugged.
“Really?” Curtis pressed. “Like a real job? For grown ups? What is it?”
Luc waited for the demon to answer, but Anders just shrugged again.
Curtis shook his head. “Huh.” He looked at Luc. “He has a job. Did you know that?”
“I didn’t,” Luc said. “I assumed he pilfered the wallets of his street trash.”
Anders rolled his eyes. “You’re both fucking hilarious.” He reached out and grabbed the envelope Curtis was holding. “Occupant. I’m an occupant.”
He slid his finger under the flap, and the letter burst into pale yellow-white flames.
Buy Links
Bold Strokes Books (paperback/eBook bundle): Click Here
Bold Strokes Books (eBook only): Click Here
Amazon: Click Here
Author Bio
‘Nathan Burgoine grew up a reader and studied literature in university while making a living as a bookseller. His first published short story was Heart in the collection Fool for Love: New Gay Fiction. Since then, he has had dozens of short stories published, including Bold Strokes titles Men of the Mean Streets, Boys of Summer, and Night Shadows as well as This is How You Die (the second Machine of Death anthology). ‘Nathan also has a series of paranormal erotic short stories that begins in the Bold Strokes anthology Blood Sacraments, and continues with further installments inWings, Erotica Exotica, and Raising Hell. His standalone short erotic fiction pieces can be found in the Lambda Literary Award finalist Tented, Tales from the Den, and Afternoon Pleasures. ‘Nathan’s nonfiction pieces have appeared in I Like it Like That and 5×5 Literary Magazine. Nathan’s first novel,Light, was a finalist for a Lambda Literary Award.
A cat lover, ‘Nathan managed to fall in love and marry Daniel, who is a confirmed dog person. Their ongoing “cat or dog” détente ended with the rescue of a six year old husky named Coach. They live in Ottawa, Canada, where socialized health care and gay marriage have yet to cause the sky to cave in.
Author Web-page: www.NathanBurgoine.com