Showing posts with label yaoi. Show all posts
Showing posts with label yaoi. Show all posts

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Sleight of Hand is now my bestselling title!



In recent months, Sleight of Hand had gone from languishing midlister to my next best selling title behind Blue Ruin 1: Some Kind of Stranger. Well, I'm here to announce that as of March, Sleight of Hand has officially taken the number one spot.

What can I say? It's nice to see Sleight of Hand getting some love. The gorgeous Anne Cain cover has always been popular and even won an award, but the story itself has, at times, lingered in the shadows. It's like everyone wanted to pet the pretty, but didn't want to bring it home and feed it. The lesson to be learned here? The publishing journey remains as unpredictable as always.

Thank you to those of you who've faithfully supported this story from the beginning and helped spread the word. If you haven't given Sleight of Hand a chance yet and want to bring home the pretty, you can find it at the following venues. It's labeled and priced as a short story but only 200 words shy of having made novella length:

Samhain
Kindle
Nook
Google Books
Books on Board
Fictionwise
All Romance


Cheers,
Katrina Strauss
Dark romance for daring readers
http://www.katrinastrauss.com/


Friday, August 7, 2009

Beautiful Boys


The last few weeks have been a crazy whirlwind of (good!) activity, which included stops in DC for RWA and San Diego for COMIC-FRICKIN-CON (only the funnest place on Earth for geeks to unite in a state of Nerdvana). As always, I have lots of illustration and desin projects in the works, but I also managed to get some writing done amidst the hectic-ness. Beautiful Boys releases this month from Loose Id, and I'm so excited for everyone to have fun with this book. It's a very summery, light-hearted, and sexy (duh!) read about the interlocking stories of four couples. I hope folks enjoy while sipping lemonade or chillaxing in the air conditioning somewhere. :o)

Here's a sneak peek at the blurb:

Sometimes Dean is too hard-headed for his own good, and his brother, Neil, warns that he’s about to make a huge mistake. But when Dean refuses to back out of a Mediterranean vacation with the ex, he finds his stubborn ass stranded on a desert island. Hopefully the gorgeous, naked guy he discovers on the beach knows what Dean needs to get over the ex once and for all.

Neil has his own issues. Destiny, the cosmos, and God-knows-what-else seem to have it in for him when it comes to romance. He’s too scared to a take a chance until the klutzy stripper at his birthday party reminds him how sweet love can be. The one catch? His new honey is named Jinx for a reason…

Things aren’t much easier for their friends. Nathan has the hots for his tragically hetero roommate, and the two designers working for Neil’s magazine are so caught up in professional rivalry they don’t notice the sexual tension getting ready to go Pompeii between them!

With eight quirky, beautiful boys and four chances for romance in this collection of interlocking stories about love, sex, and polyester rabbit’s feet, it’s going to be a hot summer.

Friday, December 26, 2008

Merry After-Christmas!

I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday full of all the good things that make life precious--friends, family, yummy eats and something warm to drink. :) Is it just me, or do the holidays seem to go by faster and faster every time? It feels like December just started and here we are: Christmas was yesterday and the new year is less than a week away!

While we all continue to recuperate from the holiday-madness, I'm thinking about what to do for my year-end illustration. I always try to cram in at least one personal project before midnight on New Years Eve, and I'm leaning towards this drawing I doodled last night:

Bedroom Eyes

Happy holidays, y'all. :o)

Friday, November 28, 2008

Pawprints: Giving & Taking

Eee--the holidays are here!!! It didn't really hit me how fast this year has gone by until I was sitting down in front of that big Turkey dinner spread yesterday. (BTW, happy post-Thanksgiving everyone!) And in a couple of days, the next Pawprints story goes on sale at LooseId. W00t!

Pawprints: Giving & Taking
Anne Cain
On sale: December 2, 2008

Adrian and his sexy, dual-Natured boyfriend, Lal, are headed to San Juan for a Christmas cruise in the Caribbean with their close friends Marty and James. While fun-in-the-sun and piña coladas are on the agenda, the one desire burning inside of Adrian is to spend as much time as possible between the sheets with his boyfriend. Adrian adores this “cat” more than he can say with words, so he plans to show his devotion with a special present: for the first time, he’s going to bottom for his lover. But the gift might be too much for Lal to take, especially when his former life as a sex slave taught Lal that’s the one unbreakable rule.

For Marty, his relationship with his lover is put to the test when James’ family balks at the idea of them as a couple. He can’t imagine what his life would be like without his kind, attractive boyfriend, but is his love worth the sacrifice to James? The only way to find out is to put it all on the line and make a promise, sealing it with a ring.

This holiday, these four friends will learn that love is all about giving and taking.

Friday, June 13, 2008

Summer ficlet

This is what happens when I get lassoed into taking friends and family to the nearby theme park over the summer. I witness a totally innocent moment between two guys at a snack stand, and my imagination runs free like a kid on a sugar rush. *g* So I'm blaming this short ficlet on my sunburn, and the really sweet possibilities for love between men that seem to pop up everywhere I look lately. Enjoy~* :)


After his first week at Seven Banners amusement park, Sandy had learned (the hard way) that the longest a kid could tolerate waiting for a snow cone was thirty seconds. From the moment a frazzled parent pulled up to the stand and slammed down a fiver with the order for an extra-large Blue Vanilla Monster, he’d better be digging out the ice and packing it into the mammoth paper cone or else. Underline that word several times and put it in boldface, please. The white polo shirt he’d worn to his first day at work still had the lake-sized, neon-blue stain down the front from when he’d disappointed a very feisty and surprisingly strong toddler. Who knew little girls could flail their stuffed animals around with a batting average that would’ve made Barry Bonds proud? There had to be a way to earn extra cash for college that didn’t put his laundry at such high risk.

A harried-looking dad with sweat-stains on the sides of his baseball cap and on his T-shirt trotted up to the snow cone stand. “I need an…”

“Extra-large Blue Vanilla Monster,” Sandy finished for him, already scraping ice from inside the freezer. He eyed the dad’s little boy, who was bouncing up and down like his sneakers were made of flubber, and started counting the seconds to meltdown. Ten, nine, eight…

“Here you go, squirt,” Sandy leaned over the counter and handed the kid his snow cone.

“Thanks!” The boy grabbed the treat and ran off, his dad chasing after him. When Sandy straightened to collect the scattered paper bills left on the countertop, he found himself staring into the most gorgeous eyes he’d ever seen. Damn…he didn’t even think it was possible for people to have the same vibrant, practically neon blue color as the syrup he used in the cones, but there it was.

“These any good?” the guy smiled, showing off two adorable dimples on his cheeks.

“Hell, yeah,” Sandy nodded very enthusiastically. When the guy reached for his wallet from the back pocket of his red board shorts, that’s when Sandy realized he’d meant the snow cones and not the dimples.

Oh God…red board shorts. Sandy gawked. This was The Guy in the Red Board Shorts -- the hottie with the tall, lanky body and sexy ass Sandy had spent the last couple of weeks ogling from the snow cone stand. Almost every afternoon, the guy showed up on the boardwalk with a kid in tow, probably a younger brother or cousin, and waited on one of the benches across from the stand while the kid bounced from ride to ride. They must have been the only pair who visited the park and never stopped to buy a Blue Vanilla Monster, leaving Sandy to stare at the guy’s backside and fantasize about all sorts of things that would probably make even that randy skunk who was part of the park’s stable of costumed characters blush.

“What should I have?” the guy asked, still grinning.

Me, naked, would be great. Sandy shook his head, trying to clear the worst of his oversexed imagination before he slipped up and said something that would get him fired. “Yeah, let’s see…”

His mind went blank. What the hell did everyone keep ordering? The name totally slipped him.

“I see a lot of people eating that blue thing.”

“Right! The blue thing!” Sandy laughed like a boob. He cleared his throat and reached for a paper cone from the dispenser on his right. “That’s the extra-large Monster. Everyone loves ‘em big.” Did that seriously just come out of Sandy’s mouth? He swallowed a groan and hoped to God the guy hadn’t noticed. Unless he was gay too, in which case that might turn out to be a great pick-up line.

The way he looked at Sandy did change, but not for the worse. The guy’s gaze flicked up and down the parts of Sandy he could see above the countertop, and he opened his mouth to say something. But then he seemed to think better of it and clamped his lips together. A blush spread across his cheeks, bringing out the freckles on the bridge of his nose and making him about fifty times more adorable.

“What?” Sandy asked, extremely hopeful.

“Nothing.” The guy flashed him a quick grin before handing Sandy five bucks and refusing to meet his eyes. “I’ll take one for my brother.”

“Sure.” Sandy tried not to let his disappointment show. He finished making the snow cone, and then added an extra squirt of syrup to make the thing even sweeter. “I hope your bro likes it.”

“Yeah, thanks.” The guy moved off to let a mom with three sweaty tots crowd the counter. Sandy watched him leave while working on autopilot to whip up a cone for the lady. The guy went back to his usual spot across the way, where he handed the cone off to his brother before slumping down on the bench.

Sandy wished he’d said something to the guy -- if not to ask him out, then at least to get his name. Anything.

To hell with ogling from afar, and damn the thirty-second rule. Sandy hopped over the counter with the drippy, extra-large Blue Vanilla Monster in his hand, and asked the mom to wait just a second or two. He jogged up to the bench where the guy was slouched forward, elbows on knees. When Sandy dropped down in front of him, the guy looked up, surprised.

“Have you ever tried one of these?” Sandy asked, handing over the cone. “It’s good to try different things. You might find something or someone you really like.”

The guy stared from the cone to Sandy. The corner of his pretty lips turned up in a smile.

“So what’s your name?” Sandy wiped his hand on the back of his khaki shorts. “And what are you doing tonight?”

“Derrick,” the guy laughed. “And nothing.”

“I’m Sandy and I get off work at nine.” Sandy shook hands with him, their skin sort of sticking together from the syrup residue between their fingers. The touch was nice and Sandy looked forward to feeling Derrick’s hand again later, and maybe on other parts of his body. Acting on pure impulse, he dipped forward and kissed him on the cheek. “Don’t bring your brother.”

“I won’t.” Derrick’s blush deepened.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Pawprints - Second Nature



yaoi
Earlier this week, I had my latest release with Loose Id, Pawprints 2: Second Nature. This installment in the series gives man's other best friend a shot at the limelight in this yaoi-inspired gay romance. I really enjoy writing these books, and I hope readers have fun with them too! *hearts*

But now that I've written about both cats and dogs, I'm curious what everyone's favorite pets are. Some of my friends are strict dog-people, but I say they just haven't met the right cat yet. ;) At one time or another, I've had a rabbit, cats, dogs, a bird, a mole, a crab (don't ask)...I've always loved all animals, and I don't think I can choose a fave. *g*

Pawprints - Second Nature
by Anne Cain

Blurb
Gabe and Hayden have been sweethearts since high school, and as college seniors, they can't keep their hands -- or mouths -- off each other. As hot as things are in the bedroom, it's their love that really keeps the fire burning in their relationship. But there's a problem that makes Gabe nervous about accepting Hayden's proposal to spend forever together. Gabe is actually a dog...and Hayden is terrified of them!

Bitten as a kid, Hayden runs from anything that barks, and that's kept Gabe's lips firmly muzzled until now. There's no way he can keep his four-pawed, tail-wagging side a secret when he's supposed to share everything with the man he adores. Just as Gabe decides to come clean with the truth that he's not human, Hayden makes a shocking discovery of his own: he's not human either.

Caught between two worlds and the sex-driven beings known as Wairs who inhabit both realms, Gabe and Hayden have no idea if their love can survive. Especially when the full moon brings out a demon sorcerer set on coming after Hayden -- to either claim him or destroy him.

Publisher's Note: This book contains explicit sexual content, graphic language, and situations that some readers may find objectionable: Anal play/intercourse, male/male sexual practices...

Saturday, November 24, 2007

All-day M/M Author chat

On Wings of Blue - Anne CainNow that Turkey Day is over and the first, worst shopping day of the holiday season is at an end, unwind with an all-day M/M author chat hosted by Literary Nymphs. Lots of great folks will be there sharing excerpts and prizes, including Luisa Prieto, Jet Mykles, Matthew Haldeman-Time, Katrina Strauss, Ally Blue...and me! I'll be drooling over everyone's excerpts, er, talking about some latest books like Pawprints and the upcoming ChildsPrey novel, Secret Moon, co-authored with the fab Barbara Sheridan.

I'm also jazzed about the release of On Wings of Blue this past week. The fairytale-themed story is short, but sweet, and one I hope readers enjoy. One thing is for sure--if you never imagined that butterflies could be slashed, guess AGAIN. :o)

Friday, September 28, 2007

Guest blogging & contest

Barb and I are guest blogging today at the awesome-tastic blog, It's Not Chick Porn!. We're the first m/m authors to ever run amok on her blog, so please come out and join us! We'll be giving away a signed print copy of "Soul of the Night" along with a $20 Amazon Gift Certificate, so drop us a line in the comments section to be entered in the contest.

We're talking about favorite books, movies, manga--anything with a gay/yaoi twist. Feel free to share your personal recommendations too!

Friday, September 14, 2007

Coming Soon...like next week!

On Monday, Sept. 18th, Barb and I will be celebrating the release of our fourth book from Loose Id, Parallel Process! We can't wait for readers to meet Matt and Haku, the two cuties who star in this paranormal-yaoi-funfest. Since I've been hearing some pretty great comments about the cover, I'd like to share some of the character studies I did before working on the final art. :)

Matt & Haku
These sketches were made while I tried to figure out out how the two guys should look, and also how they'd act around each other. Matt is very playful while Haku tends to be more mature, but their different personalities don't stop them from sharing a deep intimacy.

Haku trying to work
See? Even when Haku is trying to focus on grading a term paper, his thoughts have a tendency to drift over to Matt...or certain parts of Matt, anyway. ;)

Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket
Meet Maaya, the demon god who stirs up some trouble for Matt and Haku. Maaya's design is based on two major influences: sexy Bollywood hottie, Arjun Rampal, and the Prince of Persia. In this early sketch, he even raided the Prince's closet. >_> And who is the woman getting cozy with the demon god...? The curious will have to read "Parallel Process" to find out...

Friday, June 29, 2007

Yaoi Manga

Anyone who’s read our work knows Barb and I are huge fans of yaoi. The genre’s popularity keeps growing with Western audiences, with certain titles moving 10,000 copies a month, according to this article in Publisher’s Weekly. Meanwhile, a number of online publishers include a category for fiction written in a yaoi-style.

So whaddaya mean you haven’t picked up a yaoi manga yet?!? It's time to dive in!

These are three of my favorite titles, which also make good starters for newbies to the genre. The next time you’re shopping online at Amazon or visit your local Barnes & Noble, drop one into your basket and give it a try. :D


Gerard & Jacques

Gerard & Jacques by Fumi Yoshinaga

This two-volume series is the first one I suggest for anyone who’s never picked up a yaoi manga before. With the French Revolution serving as the story’s backdrop, Gerard is an aristocrat-hating author (famous for penning scandalous tales about lesbian lovers) who surprisingly rescues Jacques, a young man indentured to a brothel in order to work off his father’s debts. The series has its moments of political intrigue, drama, humor and tenderness that tug on your heart strings as the two men realize their love for each other is more than platonic. Meanwhile, the art is simple, expressive and compliments the story beautifully. (And for those of you worried about such things, the sex scenes are not too graphic.)



Last Portrait

Last Portrait by Akira Honma

This manga offers readers two thoughtful, artistically rendered stories with memorable characters. The first story focuses on a young artist who discovers he’s in love with his sister’s fiancé, but prepare to be pleasantly surprised by the second story in particular. In it, a wet-behind-the-ears FBI agent must work with an ex-member of Bureau who is only days away from being executed for a crime he didn’t commit. It's not the kind of plot I've come across often in yaoi manga, and the action coupled with drama makes for some great tension. As with Gerard & Jacques, there is sex, but not depicted in an overly graphic manner.



And because I can’t resist a good romp…



But I'm Your Teacher

But…I’m Your Teacher by Yoshino Somei

This volume collects a number of short mangas, all of which *do* contain graphic sex. If cute, blushing penises on every other page aren’t your thing, leave this book carefully tucked away in its shrinkwrap. But for a series of fun, sometimes over the top stories, But I’m Your Teacher will not disappoint. (There is just one short near the end of the book that takes a dark, unexpected twist—but it’s handled in a very interesting way.)

Friday, May 18, 2007

Blood Brothers: Whispered Promises



It's hard to believe it's been one whole year since Barb and I had our first story published together. To celebrate the anniversary of Blood Brothers' release, we have a special treat: an original, 12-page doujinshi. The mini-comic takes place just prior to the events of the novella, and stars both Kiyoshi and Sakurai.

Warning, the doujinshi is NOT worksafe by any means. (Particularly the first 4 pages...*g*). Keep this in mind if there are little ones nearby ,or art with graphic m/m smexing is not your cup of tea.

Thank you to everyone who's been so supportive over the past year, and we hope you enjoy!

Blood Brothers: Whispered Promises

Friday, May 4, 2007

Free Story: Kitsune Part 4

Time for another chapter in this strange, strange adventure. The story thus far has vampires Ryuhei and Kiyoshi in 19th century Paris, where they hope to enjoy the City of Lights. After meeting a mysterious young woman who seemingly puts a thrall over Ryuhei, the couple head off to their hotel. Once in their room, pleasuring each other is now their only concern...

*Warnings: This chapter continues some graphic scenes of Les Man Sex (and I can hear some of you in the back, muttering "finally." *g* What can I say? I like building things up!) There's also gratuitous rooftop hopping and duck quacking, so you've all been suitably warned.* Please enjoy!

~Anne

Kitsune
Chapter 4

Luggage in tow, Kiyoshi and Ryuhei climbed up the stone steps. They entered the hotel’s mostly empty lobby. With the dawn nothing more than a pink haze starting to tint the Parisian cityscape outside the windows, only two sleepy-eyed attendants manned the counter.

Ryu got try some more of his French on the staff, and quickly secured a room. To Kiyoshi’s relief, Ryuhei didn’t seem to be as interested in the mysterious girl now that they were some distance from the station. Once they were inside the room, Ryu’s main focus was on getting into a hot bath.

“After that long trip, we need to relax,” he insisted as he drew all the curtains shut. Glancing over his shoulder at Kiyoshi, Ryu smiled coyly. “If we share the tub, I can wash your back and you can wash mine…”

Kiyoshi finished lighting a candle at the bedside table before joining him at the window. “That sounds wonderful,” he murmured, picking up on Ryuhei’s arousal. The desire rolled off his body strong enough for Kiyoshi to taste it. Not that they were going to do much bathing once they were in the tub together…

A knock sounded at the door, interrupting them just as they leaned in for a kiss. “Damn,” Ryuhei sighed. He stepped out of their embrace and crossed the room to let in one of the hotel girls.

“Breakfast is served in the dinning room at eight,” she explained, as she carried a pot of hot water to the bathroom and tucked some loose curls of blond hair back under her white cap.

“We’d prefer not to be disturbed,” Ryuhei let out a long, overly dramatic yawn from the opposite. “We’ve had a tiring trip.”

“Of course, Monsieur.”

As soon as the girl drew them a bath, Ryuhei shooed her out. He leaned back against the closed door. “Finally alone.

Completely alone, in fact. The room was empty, Kiyoshi gone from beside the bed. A soft rustle sounded in the adjacent bathroom, the orange glow of candlelight spilling out from the doorframe. Unfastening the button on his collar, Ryuhei drifted over.

Kiyoshi stood at the head of the porcelain tub, his clothing discarded in piles across the tiles. He glanced over his bare shoulder to smile at Ryu, the toned muscles of his lithe form highlighted by the candle.

“The water will get cold if we wait any longer,” Kiyoshi whispered.

“Let’s not.”

Soon Ryu’s clothing joined those of his lover on the floor, and he drew Kiyoshi into an embrace. Their lips met a moment before their hardening cocks rubbed together as the two men pulled close.

Ryu murmured wordless sounds of pleasure into Kiyoshi’s mouth as their erections swelled. Dropping his hands to cup the smooth, flawless curve of his lover’s backside, he urged Kiyoshi to rock forward at the hip. The hot flesh of Kiyoshi’s sex pushed into his upper thigh as his own cock surged at the touch.

Together they stepped into the tub and sank into the warm depth water. While Ryuhei settled back against the inside of the porcelain basin, Kiyoshi straddled his upper thigh. The heat radiating from Kiyoshi was enough to make the water feel room temperature by comparison, the intensity of his desire enough to enflame Ryuhei’s lust. The tips of their swollen organs grazed underneath the soapy surface, sending another.

Coaxing Kiyoshi forward with a gentle nudge from his thigh, Ryu arched up. He brushed his lips along Kiyoshi’s neck in a series of fleeting kisses, inhaling his lover’s fragrant scent. Blood murmured beneath the surface of the skin to tickle Ryu’s lips. “You must taste wonderful,” he breathed, the throbbing in his fangs matching the pulsing between his legs.

Kiyoshi tilted his head just off to the side, giving Ryu all the invitation he needed. Parting his lips, Ryuhei’s fangs lengthened to pierce the skin. He closed his mouth over the tiny wounds, drawing in the salty, metallic flavor of Kiyoshi’s blood—his life. Below his abdomen, his cock jerked in reaction and a groan vibrated in his chest.

Gripping the edge of the tub and pulling himself forward, Kiyoshi lowered himself over the stiff, slick organ. A gasp hitched in his throat as his opening stretched to welcome Ryuhei’s thick erection into the passage. Muscles clenched around the cock, tightening and flexing as it drove deeper.

Thrusting in time with each suck of his lips, Ryuhei didn’t stop until the entire length was buried within Kiyoshi. With a trembling hand, he stroked Kiyoshi’s swollen organ and they rocked together in a rising crescendo. Together, they slammed into their climax—Ryuhei spilling inside of his lover as Kiyoshi spurted through his fingertips into the bath water.

The appetite for both sex and blood satisfied, Ryuhei broke away from Kiyoshi’s neck, panting. He closed his eyes, melting into Kiyoshi’s caresses as the other man cradled both sides of his face. The silky touch of Kiyoshi's lips brought a soft sigh to Ryu's own. He toyed with the soft damp strands of hair falling across Kiyoshi's face as the two men settled back into the tub.

"Hold me," Kiyoshi nuzzled against the side of Ryu's neck, his eyelashes fluttering across the skin.

Exhausted and happily sated, Ryuhei draped both arms over Kiyoshi. They would drift off to sleep away the daylight hours in contentment, enjoying each other’s company in every way. Later, they would--

“Did you hear that?” Kiyoshi interrupted Ryu’s silent musings.

“Hmm?” Ryu mumbled, drowsy. “I don’t think I was talking out loud.”

“I thought I heard someone out in the hall crying,” Kiyoshi frowned.

Ryuhei made an admittedly half-assed effort to focus his hearing beyond the beating of their hearts. “It doesn’t seem like there’s anyone out there,” he yawned, tightening his embrace to hold Kiyoshi closer. “Never mind.”

“There it is again,” Kiyoshi slipped through his grip. “It’s a young woman.”

Kiyoshi did have more developed senses that could perceptive things beyond Ryuhei’s ability. Even if Ryu couldn’t pick out the sound of her tears, there probably was a girl weeping somewhere out in the hall. Kiyoshi rose to leave the tub.

Groaning, Ryuhei reached for his wrist. “Don’t go,” he pleaded sleepily. “It’s probably nothing serious. If you leave, I’ll start crying too.”

Splashing some water into Ryu’s face, Kiyoshi stepped out. “Let me just make sure she’s okay. I’ll be right back.”

“Oh, all right,” Ryuhei sighed as Kiyoshi slipped on a bathrobe and padded out the door. “Leave me to sit here alone and keep the water warm while you console her, whoever she is. No one will be here to dry my tears--”

Kiyoshi doubled back and closed the bathroom door on the rest of Ryuhei’s words. “Hey…!” Ryuhei huffed and scowled at the door. “So that’s how it is.”

Closing his eyes, he relaxed under the water and let the warmth relax his tense muscles. After their exertions, the bath felt wonderful, though it would’ve been nicer with Kiyoshi sharing it as well. Sinking lower until the water covered his mouth, he released another sigh that brought bubbles to the surface. But as Ryu started to feel drowsy again, and he allowed himself drift off into a lazy half-sleep.

A thud sounded in the hall, loud enough for Ryu to hear it.

He opened one eye. Another bang followed, this one a little louder, accompanied with some scuffling noises. He sat up, and there was as muffled cry for help.

“Kiyoshi!”

Ryuhei shot out of the bath, shrugging into a robe as he darted through the hotel room. Throwing open the door, he whipped around. At the end of the hall to the right was a large glass window overlooking the city. A woman dressed in a blue kimono pushed out the pane and climbed up to the sill. Draped over her shoulder and tied with coils of thick, gold rope, was Kiyoshi. He stared up at Ryuhei and gave another stifled cry through the piece of rope acting as a gag as he tried to flail around.

“What the hell?” Ryuhei’s eyes widened.

The girl glanced over her shoulder. Ryu gasped as he recognized the young Japanese woman from the train station. “Kaomi?” he blinked.

“Sorry, I only have room for one new toy,” she flashed him a wicked grin, her eyes flickering with a golden light. She had two ears the same color and shape as a fox, and they swiveled towards him in a playful gesture. “I’ll come back for you, later.”

“Wait!” Ryuhei started. A kitsune—a fox demon—here in Paris!

Giggling, the young woman jumped. She disappeared over the edge of the sill with Kiyoshi in tow, and Ryuhei raced to the edge. He caught site of her running across the rooftop of the next building, her bare feet moving deftly across the shingles.

“Gods, I can’t believe I’m doing this,” Ryuhei clutched the sill. There was a good fifteen-foot gap and two-story drop between the buildings, which seemed like a damned big distance regardless of whether or not Ryu was a vampire. But the demon girl was getting away, with Kiyoshi bouncing on her shoulder and unable to get free. The first rays of sunlight breached the horizon, making Ryu’s exposed skin itch.

Quickly running out of time, Ryu gulped down a breath and made the jump. He landed on the roof, almost slipping on the bath water dripping from his robe. Ryuhei pulled himself up and sprinted forward. “I’m coming, Kiyoshi!”

The girl jumped across to another roof and Ryu gave chase.

She was fast, but weighed down enough by Kiyoshi that Ryu closed the distance. Kaomi was only a hundred feet away by the time they cleared the next two roofs and each time she glanced back at him, her cheeks were pink and flushed from effort. She made a turn were the buildings became spaced further and further apart. Just up ahead, the girl ducked below the crest of a pitched roof.

At the top of the crest, he skidded to a stop. The next rooftop stood a hundred feet away, separated by a garden, complete with a pond where ducks were splashing around in the water. There was no sign of the demon girl below, and just as Ryuhei realized she’d somehow doubled back without being seen, he felt a hard shove from behind.

“Fuck!” Ryuhei yelled as he pitched over the edge, arms pinwheeling at his sides while tumbled off the roof. He caught a glimpse of the demon girl waving at him while Kiyoshi shook his head, looking clearly embarrassed.

“Sorry,” Kaomi grinned. “Watch out for the landing.”

Ryuhei slammed head first into the pond with a huge splash. He sank straight to the shallow, sludgy bottom, the silt oozing all around him. Dazed, he swallowed what must have been have the water and tadpoles in the pond before surfacing from the muck.

“The bitch!” he spat up a mouthful of…well, he preferred not to think about what it might be. Overhead, the roof was empty save for a few displaced ducks. The fowls stared down at him with beady eyes, clearly pissed at having a strange man fall from the sky into their pool.

Soaked, muddy and suffering one hell of a crick in his neck, Ryuhei trudged out to the slippery bank. There was no time to start looking for the demon girl now, not with the morning sun bearing down on him. He held his bathrobe closed with his hands, the tie lost somewhere in the pond. One of the ducks fluttered down, watching him closely.

“It’s all yours,” Ryuhei muttered sourly.

The duck quacked and headed in to reclaim the pond.

***

Friday, April 20, 2007

Free Story--Kitsune Pt. 3

Continuing the misadventures of our over-sexed vampire lovers, I bring you Part 3 of Kitsune

part 1 available HERE
part 2 available HERE


***

Kiyoshi joined him at the archway and leaned over to look out at the darkened street as well. "Where did she say she was going?" he furrowed his brow.

"She didn't have a chance to," Ryu said. "The poor girl was completely distraught and in tears."

"Hmm," Kiyoshi took the first couple of steps down from the platform. "I don't sense her, and definitely none of those strong feelings you mentioned."

Ryu squinted at him. "Are you focusing correctly?" he touched his chin and cocked his head thoughtfully to one side. "She's young, about eighteen or so. Very beautiful, with the blackest hair and these lovely green eyes. Her name is Kaomi, she's dressed in an indigo kimono, and she's very beautiful."

"You said beautiful twice," Kiyoshi raised his eyebrows.

"Well, she was," Ryuhei blinked and shrugged weakly. He waved his hand through the air and continued down the steps. "But more importantly, she's very frightened and alone. So we should try to find her and help her."

Following a few steps behind, Kiyoshi pursed his lips. "What about finding our hotel room with the silk sheets?"

Ryuhei came to an abrupt stop and dropped his luggage trunk to the floor. "Oh, the hotel isn't going to grow legs and runaway," he gave an exasperated sigh and put his hands on his hips. "But that girl does have legs and she is getting away. So start focusing."

Kiyoshi leveled him with a very, very dry look. "I am, Ryuhei. She's not here."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive."

Ryu looked away with a sigh. "That poor girl, lost and alone in a country full of strangers," he clicked his tongue. "How will you be able to sleep today, Kiyo-kun?"

"It'll be easy if I have that nice big bed all to myself while you take the divan," Kiyoshi brushed past him.

Ryuhei watched him go by, his mouth open in shock. "How cold!" he picked up his trunk and followed after Kiyoshi. "I'm just worried for the--"

"'Poor girl', I know," Kiyoshi gave him another dry look.

"You don't have to get snippy," Ryuhei pouted.

Kiyoshi sighed, his expression softening. "Ryu-san, trust me when I tell you the young woman is not anywhere near us. I know how to control the powers of mind, and very well at that."

More a than three hundred year difference in their ages existed between the two men. Kiyoshi's face and lithe, graceful body were forever frozen in the form of a nineteen-year-old boy, but he carried the wisdom of a man who'd lived several very long lifetimes. The thought humbled Ryuhei.

"I'm sorry, Kiyo-kun," he said quietly.

Regretting he'd sunk some of Ryuhei's spirits, Kiyoshi bit down on his lower lip. He presed his had gently against Ryu's shoulder as they continued walking down the avenue. "Whoever, or whatever, you saw--she's gone. It's unusual, yes, but best to leave that way. I think."

“You’re right, of course.” But Ryu sounded a little less than convinced, glancing back towards the station. Rolling his eyes again, Kiyoshi nudged Ryu forward so they started for the hotel. The ‘girl’ was certainly a mystery, and who knew what kind of strange supernatural creatures were native to Europe. Ryu was still young a kyuuketsuki, and blood drinkers had two strong appetites to keep in check. Whatever Ryu had seen might’ve been trying to prey on his lust.

And Ryu certainly has plenty of that, Kiyoshi snorted. During the course of the train ride, they’d fucked more times than he could count. So how needy for with sex could Ryuhei still be?

“I shouldn’t bother asking,” Kiyoshi muttered.

“Ask what?” Ryuhei gave him a purely innocent look.

“Never mind.” Kiyoshi sighed and the two men came to stop as they reached the hotel.

***

Thursday, April 12, 2007

Free Story--Kitsune Pt. 2

Continuing with the story Anne began posting the week before last I give you Part 2 of Kitsune

part 1 available HERE
* * *

He pulled away, kissing Ryuhei on the cheek. “We’re only a few minutes away from Paris now,” Kiyoshi said. “I checked with the conductor.”

Ryuhei’s shoulders drooped. “How many minutes?”

“Ryu-san…”

“Fine,” Ryuhei sighed. He lowered his voice to a sensual whisper. “Only because there’s a nice, soft bed waiting for us there. While I make love to you naked between satin sheets, I’ll whisper dirty, dirty words to you in French.”

Kiyoshi rolled his eyes and bit down on his lower lip to hide his smile. Ryuhei caught his expression despite the faint glow of the compartment’s lantern swinging overhead.

“Ha, I knew it!” he accused. “You’re teasing me.” His closed his eyes and slumped back against the seat, distraught. “My French is terrible, isn’t it? All those damned ‘L’s…”

“Your French is wonderful,” Kiyoshi laughed again. “You are terrible.”

Outside, more and more people were bustling around in the aisle. The train started to slow down and Ryuhei pressed up to the window. “Paris! This is going to be a wonderful stay. There’s so much art in this city, so many things to do. We could stay here for years, I think, and never see it all.”

Drinking in his lover’s enthusiasm and the energy radiating from his body, Kiyoshi leaned across the seat and wrapped his arms around Ryuhei’s waist. “We can stay however long you like,” he said.

Ryuhei looked away from the window and touched the sides of Kiyoshi’s face. “Thank you, kimi,” he smiled.

Kiyoshi dipped in for another kiss, this one long and passionate. “Let’s find our hotel.”

“Right away,” Ryuhei nodded.

They gathered their things and joined the other travelers as they spilled out into the Gare Montparnasse train station. In spite of the early morning hour, dozens of people crowded the building with their luggage cases while workers milled about the depot. Posters for local cabarets and shops and boutiques covered the walls, scattered newsprints and other bits of rubbish gathered in corners after having been trampled underfoot by the daily traffic.

“This way,” Ryu tugged on Kiyoshi’s shirt sleeve and headed towards an open archway that lead out to the street below. He slipped through the crowd with graceful ease, not once brushing against a mortal as he cleared the distance. It was strange then that he bumped into a woman just as he reached the edge of the platform.

“Excuse me,” he said, startled.

The woman turned around and bowed apologetically. “I’m so sorry,” she said quietly, her hands pressed across the front of her kimono.

“Oh, you’re Japanese,” Ryuhei blinked in surprise.

“I just arrived on the train and I’m afraid I’m lost,” the young woman furrowed her brow, her small, plum-colored lips turned into a pout. Tears formed in her eyes, two shimmering orbs of viridian the same color as the flower print on her haori. “Will you help me?”

The girl was quite lovely, and the pleading look she gave him tugged at Ryuhei’s heart…among other things. He gave her a reassuring smile and returned her bow. “Of course,” Ryu said, straightening and reaching out to tilt her chin up. “How could we leave a young thing like you to wander alone in this city?”

“Thank you,” her face brightened as Ryuhei gently wiped away her tears.

“What’s your name?” he asked.

“Kaomi,” the young woman took his hand rather boldly and pulled him forward. “Help me find my way home.”

“We’re missing my companion,” Ryu stopped and the girl let go of his hand. He glanced over his shoulder as Kiyoshi finally caught up with them.

“Kiyo-kun, we have to help this poor girl,” he started to explain.

“Where did she go?” Kiyoshi frowned.

Ryuhei turned, the spot where the girl had been only a second before now empty. “That’s odd,” he leaned out of the archway and stared down the steps leading to the Avenue du Maine. The girl had vanished.

to be continued...

Friday, March 30, 2007

Early Friday musings with a free story!

Anyone remember Ye Old Dial-Up Internets? When computers used those archaic 56K modem thingies to literally dial into ISPs, and the horrible screeching sounds of a thousand cats being bathed occupied your phone line? Oh yeah, gooood times. *cringes*

What really sucked about Ye Old Dial-Up were the frequent and annoying drops in the connection. Sometimes I’d be working on a story with Barb or RPing, and without warning—POOF! Then would come the long re-dialing process, and it took me a mother of a time to figure out how to mute the modem speaker because DAAAAYUM that bugger was really loud at 3am!

But the Dark Dial-up Age ended once I finally moved into the 21st century (sometime in 2006) and got me some High Speed Internets. Now, a new era of uninterrupted online time has led to the creation of many stories chock full of m/m smexing (and *gasp* occasionally m/f or m/m/f too) with my partner-in-crime! A few have already been published, bunches more are on the way, and some are just short little trysts for fun.

KITSUNE is one of those short stories, taking place a few years after the events of Soul of the Night. There aren’t many beings powerful enough to prey on vampires, but Kiyoshi and Ryuhei find themselves having to deal with a pretty demoness who’s got some plans of her own with the two lovers.

Over the next few weeks, Barb and I will be serializing the Kitsune here at Slash-and-Burn, so please remember to bookmark this blog and check back often. We hope you enjoy~!

**
KITSUNE

Chapter 1

France, 1880

Kiyoshi made his way down the empty aisle towards their compartment, his shoes making no sound on the carpeting. The train bounced along the tracks as it raced towards the city, now only a few miles away, and slivers of moonlight darting across the compartment walls as it streamed in through the windows.

Muffled noises and yawns came from behind the closed doors as passengers started to wake. A man with sleepy eyes and disheveled hair popped out of the compartment in front of Kiyoshi, mumbled something groggily in French and stumbled past him towards the dining car no doubt for some coffee.

Giving a polite bow as the man walked away, Kiyoshi stopped at the next compartment and slipped inside.

“Ask me how to say something in French,” Ryuhei dropped the newspaper he’d been reading on to his lap and peered at Kiyoshi over the top of his wire-rimmed glasses.

“Why are you wearing those?” Kiyoshi cocked his head to one side, sliding the door closed behind him. He hadn’t even realized when during their trip across Europe Ryuhei had gotten the glasses. He certainly didn’t need them, Ryuhei’s vision being far sharper than any mortal’s could ever be.

Ryuhei blinked. “Don’t you think they look sexy?”

“They do, actually,” Kiyoshi confessed, crossing the tight little compartment to sit down on the seat next to Ryu.

Everyone else on the train had just started to wake after the long train ride through the night. For Kiyoshi and Ryuhei, there was nothing unusual about being up at four in the morning. Ryuhei leaned back against the cloth seat, dressed in ash gray trousers and a crimson vest, his coat carefully folded on the empty bench opposite him.

“Now go on, ask me,” Ryuhei insisted, playfully waving the folded newspaper through the air. “I’ve been practicing for this trip.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Kiyoshi laughed and sat down on the cloth seat next to Ryuhei, drawing his knees up under his chin. He reached over and fingered the hem of Ryuhei’s vest, tracing his fingertips over the embroidered silk. “Anything is fine, Ryu-san.”

Je t'aime.” Ryuhei turned in his seat, leaning into Kiyoshi’s touch. He tossed the newspaper onto the seat across from them, placing his hand over Kiyoshi’s.

“That’s beautiful,” Kiyoshi breathed.

Ryuhei leaned in, gently brushing his lips across Kiyoshi’s. “They say French is the language of love,” he murmured, moving his free hand to tug open Kiyoshi’s collar. His kiss deepened and Kiyoshi felt the small prick of Ryuhei’s fangs on his lips.
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