Sunday, March 31, 2013

His Salvation Blog Tour Grand Prize Winner!



What a ride! There were 109 comments across the 2 months of blog posts! I'm so excited that there were that many entries into the Grand prize drawing and that there were so many participants! Thank you to everyone who commented and followed me through the tour. Despite how hard it can be sometimes to come up with a post every week, I am sad to see it end. :( This is my first time doing a blog tour as well as a prize give away of this magnitude. It's been an interesting and informative journey, and I hope to have the opportunity to do another in the near future with another new release.


Unfortunately there can only be one winner each week and this week's is a very very lucky lady indeed. The Grand Prize drawing includes a special tote bag with three of my DSP covers on it, four swag charms, two paperback copies of my books, a bookmark, and two posters. It also included a name brand e-reader, either a Kindle or Nook, OR if the winner already has an e-reader then they would be able to choose an equivalent gift card. What a haul, right?!

To keep it fair for everyone I took the name of every commenter throughout the tour and placed them into a spreadsheet in the order of which they commented. Then I took the total count (109) and popped the number into Random.Org and randomly generated a number. I am including a snapshot of these to show the number pulled and after the announcement below will post the shot of Excel showing the person at that number. I really do wish I could give something to everyone who participated, but I'm afraid right now that isn't possible. :-/ 



Time for me to stop procrastinating and give the people on the edge of their seats what they've been waiting for. LOL. Drum roll please!

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The winner of my first blog tour Grand Prize drawing is... Patricia Nelson! Congratulations, Patricia! Please email me at jrloveless @ gmail (dot) com to confirm your preference of gift card or e-reader as well as the color of the swag charms you'd like to receive. Thank you for participating every week and for following the tour as I posted. :)


Also, thank you to everyone out there who took the time to read my posts. The number of page views were higher than the comments so I know there were a lot more readers out there. Don't think just because you didn't comment I wouldn't recognize you! :D  I am grateful to everyone for supporting me and encouraging me just by being there, whether vocally or silently.

This is the official close of the His Salvation Blog Tour. I am sadface. :(

Signing off with lots of hugs and kisses,

J.R.

Author Spotlight: Andrea Speed - Night of the Leaper

Today and tomorrow's author spotlight is on Andrea Speed. I'm afraid I'm a little late in posting this. :(  The only excuse I have is a mental breakdown and *facepalm* stupidity.

Andrea has provided us a short from her world of Josh of the Damned with three prompts sent to her by me. LOL. The prompts sent to Andrea were: Easter Bunny, red hot chili pepper, and a wig.

I couldn't stop laughing. :) Please enjoy Andrea's short and make sure to leave a comment to let her know you were here!

****
Night of the Leaper

Josh was crouched down behind the counter, trying to find a dropped dime, when he heard the brass bell over the door chime. The store had been weirdly busy tonight, for unclear reasons. The lizards had pretty much cleared out the bags of Ruffles, but they were always such chip hounds. He just hadn't expected about two dozen of them in a row.

A shadow fell over the counter, and he heard a guy with a thick English accent say, “Oi, mate.”

Josh was surprised – a genuine human? And what was a British guy doing here?- so he stood up, and instantly staggered back when he saw what was on the other side of the counter.

It was a seven foot guy in a full body, pastel yellow bunny costume. A really good costume, as his fur seemed to ripple in the slight breeze from the air conditioner, and it almost looked like one of his ears twitched. His oversized eyes looked weirdly real, as did the wet pink pad of his nose. “Do you sell these?” he asked, putting a frozen burrito on the counter. The way his lips moved, it really looked like he was talking, like he had a mouth and everything.

“Is, um, that a costume?” Josh asked. He had to ask. The things that came from the hell portal were so batshit sometimes it was like there was a gas form of LSD being pumped through the vents.

His nose wrinkled, and one of his long ears twitched back, like it wasn't structurally sound. (Well, it wasn't.  There was no way it could be! They were nearly foot long ears.) “What the hell kinda question is that? Yeah, I'm dressed up like a banana bunny 'cause that's how I get my jollies. What kinda  weird ass freak do you think I am?”

A seven foot tall Easter bunny was asking him that. Holy shit, how did he answer that question? “Umm ... sorry? I've just never seen a person ... er, rabbit like you.”

He made a noise that could have been a snort. It also could have been a fart, a cough, or a sneeze. Josh had no context in which to judge a large bunny man. “I’d hope not, mate. I’m one of a kind.” He then patted the frozen burrito on the counter. “You sell these or what?”

Josh had to force himself to look down, and then look past the hairy paw/hand to the open plastic wrapper of the burrito. He recognized it from logo color alone. It was the zombie’s favourite. “Yeah, we do. Why?”

“’Cause normally they ain’t spicy. But this was spicy. I hate spicy. Plays hell with my digestion.”

He wanted to say ‘And the burrito doesn’t?’, but that probably wasn’t the response he was looking for. “So, um, what do you expect me to do about it? I’m not in charge of changing the recipes.”

“I want my money back.”

“Do you have a receipt?”

The bunny’s eyes narrowed until they were almost the size of an orange. Pretty small for him. “Where else would I have bought it?”

“I don’t remember selling it to you.” Josh was trying hard not to fidget, because he really wanted to fidget. Something about this giant bunny was making him intensely nervous.

The bunny rolled its huge eyes, and made a noise that could have been a tongue click. It also could have been a gnashing of teeth, or a burp. “Yeah, no shit. I had a zombie do it for me. You think I can go anywhere? I’m a giant fucking yellow rabbit!”

It wasn’t policy to return money without receipt, but Josh was in no particular hurry to get into an argument with a big rabbit. Besides, it was what, a buck? He probably had that in loose change from the lizard guys. “Fair enough,” he said, opening the register. “So, uh, are you the Easter bunny or something?”

“No. There’s no such thing as a bloody Easter bunny, although I’m pretty sure some bastard ripped off my image for the thing. Do you know who I can sue about that?”

Josh thought he was joking, but as he gave him a dollar bill, he realized the bunny was staring at him with unnerving intensity. “Um … Hallmark? Paas? Organized religion?

The bunny made another noise he couldn’t interpret, and his nose wrinkled in an adorable manner, which was still somehow creepy. “Those bastards are always tryin’ to make a buck offa me.”

Josh wondered which bastards he meant, but wasn’t brave enough to ask.

He took his money and turned away, muttering to himself, “Shoulda trademarked myself, would have made enough for a mansion of my own, building their goddamn holidays on my back …” Josh watched him leave, and felt strangely relieved when he was gone.

A lizard guy came in, looked back at the bunny, and then fixed Josh with a knowing stare. “Don’t ask me,” Josh replied. “I just work here.”

Boy, did he have some questions for Colin. What else was waiting over in Dev? Living yard gnomes? Leprechauns? Men who looked like Santa but were in fact cannibalistic trolls?

On second thought, maybe he didn’t want to know. 

***

Upcoming Release:  Closet Capers - Tempest For a Teacup - April 22, 2013  



A dash of intrigue keeps any relationship fresh: laughing breathlessly over a little thrill, feeling clingy after a shiver of suspense, mucking through a minor mystery. This anthology offers a dozen light and humorous romantic short stories in which a quickly solved caper may be just the ticket to spice up any romance.

Stories included are:
  
Kitsch Me by Mari Donne
Leveling Up by Jude Dunn
Philip Collyer vs. the Cola Thief by Amy Rae Durreson
A Kiss in the Dark by Eli Easton
Calberg's House Specialty Blend by Skylar Jaye
Small Change by Danni Keane
Lawrence Frightengale Investigates by Aidee Ladnier & Debussy Ladnier
The Whole Kit and Kaboodle by Ari McKay
Le Beau Soleil by Christopher Hawthorne Moss
Joie de Vivre by Pinkie Rae Parker
Made Good Under Pressure by Maja Rose
Tempest for a Teacup by Andrea Speed

Buy Link: Dreamspinner Press eBook

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Author Spotlight: An Interview With Hayley B. James



Today Hayley B. James, author of Undercover Sins, Water Waltz, and Fire Tango is here today to answer some probing questions about her background as a writer and a person! Please be sure to comment and let her know you stopped by! :)

***

Welcome Hayley, can you tell us a little bit about your background?
Thank you for having me J.R.! My first novel was released in March 2011, and since then I’ve published three more—two of which are a fantasy series.

When did you start writing m/m romance and why were you drawn to it?
I guess I officially started in 2006. I was drawn it to because I never really liked reading women in romance novels or fanfiction. I couldn’t relate to them or understand why they dropped in IQ level when it came to seeing rippling muscles on a man’s chest. Besides, two dicks are better than one, right?
Undercover Sins

Do you write full time?
I write in my spare time around my full-time day job. 

How long did it take you to get published? Was your book/novella accepted on the first submission or did you have to submit to more than one place before it was accepted?
Undercover Sins was accepted the first submission. I didn’t take being published seriously because I never pictured myself as good enough, but luckily I had some awesome friends to encourage me.

What event(s) in your life helped you to decide to become a writer?
I started writing when a friend of mine died. Writing allowed me to stop thinking about it, but also to vent things I felt but couldn’t voice.

Are you the type of writer who edits as they go along or do you finish and then go back to the beginning to start the 'polishing' process?
I edit as I go because I often forget what I wrote. Since I write in my spare time, I have to reread a prior chapter or two so I can remember where I left off. If I wrote full time, I imagine I could just write and only stop when I reach the end.

Do you write from experience or are you the type who researches a subject until you feel you know it inside and out?
I mostly use research, but I often look at a situation in my life and think “this is an experience I could write about.” It leads to some dumb decisions sometimes. But I can now say I’ve been hit by a Tazer gun shot by a police officer. (It was in a controlled environment.)

How do you come up with the title of your works? Is it during the writing process, before, after? Do you outline or fly by the seat of your pants when you start a new piece?
Sometimes it’s during, sometimes before, and, lately, agonizing about it after. Tangible Soul is named but stuck in rewriting hell. Book 3 is nearly complete but obviously not named. Sometimes the story just screams out a title, and other times it refuses to be named.

I outline a little, but mostly go by my pants. When I first start a new idea, I like to write scenes with the main character dealing with the secondary character or a situation so I can get a feel of him before writing anything toward the story itself. For Water Waltz, I wrote 4 different versions of Varun (the main character) before he finally emerged and I could get writing.

How much of yourself do you incorporate in your characters? Is it intentional or does it come out subconsciously? Do you ever use people in your life for inspiration?
Sometimes pieces of myself are in the characters, but not always. I write what I know, so sometimes how a character would deal with distress is how a part of my personality did or would. I can’t say I ever do it intentionally, but I write what I know.

In Paid Leave (my latest police story out in May 2013) I used parts of friends’ personalities for parts of character personalities, but no one character is modeled completely after anyone.


Fire Tango
What do you hope your reader feels or experiences as they read your work?
It depends on the book. In Fire Tango, I want readers to sympathize with Fremont while understanding what’s behind his façade, and cheer for Leandre because they see the side of Fremont he does. The love story follows the mystery/conspiracy plot—which I hope intrigues readers enough to keep them up past bedtime—but isn’t hindered or distracted by it. 

Since your first publication, have there been any surprises or funny/interesting stories you'd like to share?
One that my friends still mention came a few weeks after Undercover Sins was released. There’s a character in it named Leon who is a very very minor one. At the time of publication I had just broken up with a boyfriend named Leon. (I didn’t name the character after the guy.) I got an email with the subject line on “Leon” and the body was a rant about how cruel I was to Leon and how he didn’t deserve his fate. It ended with a thank you and a hugs and kisses. I was quite confused. I didn’t remember being cruel to Leon, and the ending made no sense in the context of my breakup. After several minutes of reading and rereading the email, I realized, the person was talking about that minor character in Undercover Sins—not my ex.

What are you currently working on?
Right now I have a few things on my plate. First and foremost is Elemental Attraction book 3. The minor importance WIPs are Tangible Soul (a sci-fi story about removing the human soul), Seeking Solace (a rewrite of an old story with a PI and a suicide survivor), and another rewrite named Hunting the Prophet (a long fantasy with angels & demons living among humans).

And I’m finishing up publisher edits for Paid Leave.

How do you overcome writer's block?
I read. I’ve learned I have to ignore the block for it to free up, so I catch up on reading or watching television shows.

Do you like to read as well as write? What types of books do you enjoy? Do you ever find yourself incorporating pieces of books you've read into your stories?
Yes I love to read. I read a lot of romance, of course, but I love regency murder mystery novels. Mystery novels themselves are my top to read genre, but make it sent from 1850 to 1900 with a male lead and I’m sold. I’ve recently got into 20s and 30s era mysteries which are just as lovely.
I’m influenced by what I read and watch, so yes I incorporate pieces of book I read into my stories. Fire Tango has a bit of a regency murder mystery feel since it’s set at a country estate. Elemental Attraction series is heavily influenced by British crime novels because I was rereading my favorite series when I started Water Waltz.

Where does your inspiration come from?
It comes from all over. Anything I read, listen to, watch, or hear in passing conversation on the street are filed away in my brain. Science blogs especially add inspiration to my sci-fi novel.

Any special projects coming out soon that we should watch for?
I’m very excited for Paid Leave coming out in May. I talked to police officers in Albuquerque, NM to get some details for it, and I’m very proud of how it turned out. The editors at Dreamspinner Press also really helped refine the story.

What do you like to do in your spare time?
I write, read, watch TV shows or anime, and tumble down Tumblr for hours. That site is a time machine. You go on at 8 pm and 5 minutes later it’s already midnight. 

Please tell everyone where to find you on the internet.
I’m all over the place! I try to be active on social networks, but seem only to be successful at Twitter and Tumblr.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HayleyBJames
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HayleyB_James
Tumblr: http://hayleybjames.tumblr.com/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/118191274876570621165/about

Water Waltz
Water Waltz blurb:

In a land where humans are enslaved as sexual toys, angels and demons are in constant conflict with their playthings. The demon Varun works with STAR, an organization devoted to human liberty, and it’s a never-ending battle.

 Two years ago, the angel Triste broke Varun’s heart by choosing to be his butler instead of his beloved, giving Varun no explanation and no hope. However, that doesn’t mean that Triste will simply sit back and watch as Varun takes the human Elden under his protection, and Triste’s secret investigation will unearth terrible secrets, including the kernels of a pernicious plot.


Despite appearances, Triste and Varun are still in love, and Varun may well risk everything to protect Triste and discover why the angel left him heartbroken. But a still worse danger hangs over them as they seek to calm the threat of a catastrophic war.




Monday, March 25, 2013

Author Spotlight - Grace R. Duncan and a Cut Scene from Choices

Today's author spotlight is on Grace R. Duncan and she is here to share a cut scene from her Dreamspinner Press release Choices. Be sure to comment and let her know you stopped by! ;)

***

Do be sure to leave a comment below and let me know what you think! Everyone who leaves a comment will be entered to win a bag of swag and a chance at a signed paperback copy of Choices to be drawn at the end of the month!

The following deleted scene was taken from roughly the middle of the book, while they are on a trip. As I wanted to stay with Teman and Bathasar's points of view, this bit had to go. However, it's a nice look toward the second book, Deception and even a hint about the third book I've got planned, as yet unnamed.

------

Darius requested that Cyrus and Nadir spend time with the guards who were along for the trip.  The two of them had agreed, surprised to be asked.  They would have been willing, anyway, but knowing it wasn’t mandatory just made them that much more agreeable to it.

The captain escorted them to the entrance of the main tent for the garrison.  “They are not as refined as the masters you normally serve at the palace,” he warned them.  “They don’t play games, for the most part and are really just looking for some relief.  They will probably not remember to command you to finish, so please feel free to tell each other.  I also want you to know that you are not there to take brutality from them, either. If any of them do treat you poorly, please tell me. I want to know, because I will not allow it among my guard.  There are people in the palace that I have no control over,” Darius said and both Cyrus and Nadir knew he was referring to the malik.  “But I have control over them and I will not stand for it.”

“Yes, Captain,” Cyrus said and they both bowed their heads to him.

“Thank you again, for agreeing to this. You didn’t have to,” Darius said and Cyrus and Nadir smiled.

“We don’t mind,” Cyrus said and they glanced at each other, grins on both faces.

“When you are through, come to my tent. You can clean up and sleep there,” Darius said, and the other two nodded again. “Very well,” he murmured, pulling the tent flap back and stepping through, Cyrus and Nadir following.

“Stay seated!” Darius called as they moved to the center of the tent. All of the guards had started to stand at the sight of their captain, but they settled back on the pallets at his words.  Cyrus looked around to see a long row of pallets on either side of the tent, similar to the ones he was used to sleeping on in the slaves’ wing.  Most of them had a guard in the standard desert uniform of white pants and tunic.  Most had their headdresses and shoes off and their tunics hanging open.  A few were playing card games.  A few others were sitting and talking. And a few more were dozing quietly.  Cyrus saw bottles of wine and ale sitting open on low tables as well as small plates of dinner remnants.

“This evening, I present to you Cyrus and Nadir, pleasure servants of the palace,” Darius introduced them.  “They have kindly agreed to provide you entertainment this evening.”  Most of the guards sat up a little straighter at this and several cheered.

Cyrus and Nadir exchanged grins and winks before looking back over the assembled company.  “But before I leave you with them, I want a few things made clear. They are to be treated with respect.  They are not common whores.  They are valued highly by the malik, the amirs and the palace.  They have been given a choice to be here tonight and have willingly offered to come here. If you misuse them in anyway, you will lose your boots, your horse and will find your own way home.”  Darius paused to allow the seriousness of his edict to sink in.  “As long as you treat them with respect, you have nothing to worry about. Their limits are their own, do not cross them.”

He waited another beat then turned to Cyrus and placed a hand on Cyrus’s back. “This is Cyrus,” he said, then did the same to Nadir. “And Nadir.  Please enjoy your time with them,” Darius said, then turned to Cyrus and handed him their keys, lowering his voice. “What you do and how much you do is up to you and Nadir and only you.  Remember that.  Please enjoy this, as well.”

“Thank you, Captain,” Cyrus said, taking the keys.  Captain Darius nodded once more to them and left.

He and Nadir were still dressed, wearing dark green and brown cotton robes, now hanging open over their matching pants.  Cyrus turned to Nadir and realized that Nadir looked... nervous.  “Nadir?” he asked, reaching up and touching his lover’s cheek.

“Sorry, I’ve never been in front of this many before. Even the dinners are different, really...” he said and swallowed around his dry throat.

“I know what you mean,” Cyrus said and glanced around. A few of the guards were looking at them rather anxiously, one or two looked ready to jump out of their clothes that very second but most were watching them curiously to, Cyrus thought, see what they would do.  He turned back to Nadir and tilted his lover’s face up to his.  He leaned in and gave Nadir a long, thorough kiss, then pulled back and looked into his lover’s eyes. “You will please many tonight, Nadir, including me and Captain Darius by helping these men out.  They look forward to your service and will be very happy with what you do for them. Now, I am going to remove your clothes and your cage so that I might show off my beautiful lover to these men. Remember that I love you and that you are good at what you do: serve.”

Nadir took a deep breath then nodded and took a half step back, turning around.  Cyrus reached up to pull the robe off of Nadir’s shoulders.  He folded it quickly, laying it to the side, then turned Nadir to face him, untying his lover’s pants.  Nadir stepped out of them and handed them over and, after they joined his robe, Cyrus unlocked his cage and removed it and the ring.  Nadir’s cock hardened and Cyrus’s own length twitched inside its cage. He handed Nadir a small bottle of the oil he’d brought and left one more kiss on his lover’s forehead.

He turned to the guards, shifting Nadir to face them. “This is Nadir. Who would like to be the first to spend time with him?” Cyrus asked and several men moved at once.  Cyrus grinned and leaned into Nadir’s ear. “See? They can’t wait to be with you,” he murmured, then pushed gently at Nadir’s back, spurring him to start the walk down the aisle between the pallet rows.

He didn’t even reach the second pallet when one of the guards reached out. “Nadir, is it?” he asked and Nadir nodded. “Would you sit with me?” When Nadir agreed, kneeling next to the first guard that asked, three others moved over to sit near him. Cyrus smiled, proud of Nadir and turned to take care of his own clothing.

He made quick work of undressing, his robe and pants landing neatly on top of Nadir’s. Then he turned his attention to his cage and unlocked and removed it quickly.  The few times over the years that he’d removed his own cage always felt weird to him.  He much preferred to have someone else do it, even Nadir, but expediency was more of an issue here and so it came off and landed with his clothes.

He grabbed his own bottle of oil then turned around and he found two of the other guards standing nearby. “Cyrus?” One of them asked and Cyrus nodded.

“That I am, can I help you?” he asked, grin in place.

He was led over to a pallet about halfway down the row on the opposite side from Nadir. He’d noticed Nadir still sitting, mostly untouched amid the guards.  They were talking to him, asking him questions. He caught one about duties and Cyrus smiled. They were making him comfortable before they started.

Cyrus turned to his own group.  There were still two guards toward the back of the tent who hadn’t awakened.  Darius had told him that there were two on patrol that may come in before they left and wish to spend time with him.  That left eight guards remaining:  four of them surrounding Nadir, and four who had formed a group to wait for him.

“Hello,” he greeted them, kneeling in the center of the four men.  “I am Cyrus,” he said, bowing his head. “It’s my pleasure to serve you this evening.”

“I am Akil,” said the guard who had approached him.  “And this is Sabir, Khayri and Bassam,” he finished, pointing to each guard in turn, who nodded.

Cyrus again bowed his head. “Akil, Sabir, Khayri and Bassam, it is good to meet you,” he said, smiling.  “How can I serve you?” he asked, looking from one to the other.

It was Akil who spoke up again. “What do you do?”

Cyrus chuckled. “Most things, really,” he said, turning to face Akil.  “I like to give pleasure,” he continued then watched as Akil’s eyes dropped to his cock. “With my mouth,” he said, his voice dropping slightly as his cock jumped with the inspection. “Or my body.”  He felt a hand on his back and looked over his shoulder at Khayri who had reached out, running a hand over his skin.

“WIll you stroke yourself for us first?” Akil asked and Cyrus nodded, wrapping a hand around his cock and slowly pulling it along the length.  His eyes slid closed as he let the pleasure flow through him.  He moved his hand slowly, drawing it out, moaning softly with it, letting them see how good it felt.  He heard ragged breathing next to him and he opened his eyes to see Khayri with his cock out and in his hand, stroking it to the vision of Cyrus stroking his own.  He groaned softly and moved his hand a little faster, allowing himself to get closer to the edge.  His head fell back and he spread his legs a little more, putting on a show for them.

He heard a grunt to his left and he turned his head, opening his eyes again to see Akil this time with cock in hand, stroking it and as he looked around, the other two, were, as well.  He leaned back, rocking his hips and thrusting into his hand, letting the real moans at his pleasure come through.

He heard a voice in his ear that he recognized to be Akil’s. “Are you allowed release?” he asked and Cyrus nodded.

“Yes, but I must be commanded.  We are trained to command, as well as arousal. I can finish and recover very quickly, if it pleases you for me to.”

Akil nodded and Cyrus went back to pleasuring himself, rocking his hips, moans getting louder as he got closer. His hand moved faster, he bit at his lip and he could feel his balls tightening.  Another grunt, more groans as his body poised itself on the edge.  “Nngh... close,” he moaned, “So close...”

He continued to stroke, his cock red and hard, the tip swollen, his balls tight against him. His body wanted climax, his face was twisted in pleasure just out of reach.  Then he heard a command he hadn’t expected. “Come for us, Cyrus,” Akil murmured in his ear.

He shouted in surprise, an “Ahhh!” louder than he’d meant to as his climax hit.  He coated his chest and stomach is his cum, his hand still moving as he milked the last of the pleasure from himself.  He braced himself on one hand, his breath coming in pants as he tried to calm down.  But then a finger slid through the cum on his chest and gathered some of it up, offering it to him.  He opened his mouth and his eyes met Khayri’s as he took them in, sucking his own seed from the fingers.  His eyes dropped to see Khayri’s cock hard and straining.  Cyrus licked his lips as he looked at it then his eyes darted up to meet Khayri’s again to see naked want that took his breath away.

*************
 
Since the scene ended up so long, I thought I'd spare poor J.R.'s blog and cut it here. For the rest of the deleted scene, head over to: http://www.grace-duncan.com/deleted-scenes.html
 

Blurb:  

Born and raised a gypsy in the late eleventh century, Teman values freedom over everything. He and his best friend, Jasim, are thieves for hire—until one night they're caught and their precious freedom is revoked. Given the choice between the dungeons or palace pleasure slavery, they become slaves, but Teman vows to escape someday.

Bathasar doesn’t want the throne. He supports his brother instead, which suits their sadistic father, Mukesh. When Teman, the handsome slave Bathasar has secretly been watching, saves his life, Bathasar requests a slave for the first time. Before long, Bathasar and Teman fall in love. But all is not well. One day Mukesh brutalizes Teman before the court, angering the empress of a neighboring nation. To appease her, he then offers her Jasim as a gift, and Teman decides to stay with Bathasar for now—despite the abuse he may suffer.

The peace doesn’t last. Mukesh plans to invade Jasim's new country, and Bathasar must find a way to stop the destruction. But if he succeeds, he'll ascend to the throne and have the power to grant Teman his liberty. Then Teman will surely leave him. What other choice could a gypsy make?

 Buy Links: