This is the kind of blog I like: when an author has a new release and wants to promote it, and all I have to do is run the article. Today I’m featuring J. J. Collins, who shares my love for M/M stories and all things Supernatural. Her first release, Lost and Found, comes out today from Evernight Publishing. Collins writes shorter works than my preferred novella/novel lengths, and if she’s smarter than I am, she’ll write faster.

Lost and Found is a paranormal tale of two shifters, an arrogant alpha wolf and a freewheeling hawk, who come together and learn to rely on each other. There’s sex between two guys in this one. Be warned.

This story had its start here on Shapeshifter Seductions; you can read the original opening here. You can check out the book page at Evernight at this link. Maybe next week I’ll have J. J. do an interview. Take two weeks off in a row. I am evil. And lazy.

Blurb

Injured and driven out of his forest pack, wolf-shifter Declan escapes to the prairies. Here he encounters hawk-shifter Killian. The hawk is snarky and annoying, but he's Declan's only hope for survival. Alpha Declan needs a pack. Solitary Killian doesn't need anyone. The two form a partnership, based on hunting and their unacknowledged mutual loneliness. The relationship quickly deepens into something stronger, maybe something lasting. Then Declan gets the chance to regain control of the wolves. Will he return to the pack he lost, and give up the love he's just found?

Excerpt

 After fish and mice and rabbits, the antelope—proper wolf food, finally—tasted like the venison of the gods. Declan crammed in as much as he could before he even thought about talking. “This is how a wolf pack eats.” He patted his belly contentedly. “How do you like it so far?”

Killian didn’t answer. He couldn’t, with his mouth stuffed with antelope. Declan chuckled and waited him out. Killian chewed hurriedly, gulped, and said, “I’ve never tasted anything like this.”

“Hell, this is nothing. There’s this herb in the woods…the she-wolves know where to find it. You get some of that, some mushrooms, make a sauce from the blood…damn.” He licked the drool from his lips. “Told you I wasn’t a savage.”

“No. No, you most definitely aren’t.” He leaned back against the earthen support of the bluff, where Declan already reclined with his legs stretched out before him. Their kilts made rounded humps over their full bellies.

Not only their bellies, Declan noticed idly. That little bump on Killian’s thigh wasn’t a twig. It wasn’t all that little, either. Declan had romped with wolves who had less, and wolves who had more but few ideas on what to do with their bounty. His own kilt tented as his wolf raised its head in a tentative howl.

“Your she-wolves cook for you, then? Of course they would. You’re the alpha,” Killian answered his own question. “Or does being alpha mean you cook for them?”

“The women do most of the preparation. Those who are good at hunting, hunt. The rest forage. Some have learned how to grow things. I think that’s a good idea. Even when there’s no meat, there’s still something. No, I don’t cook, but I can. I pay attention to everything the she-wolves do with the food. I like to eat, and I like to eat well.” He flashed a hearty grin. “Do you cook? You carry flint.”

“Not often. I just don’t take the time. Too hungry. Bird. High metabolism.” Killian whistled a happy sigh. “Though not just now. I won’t be flying for hours."

Grounded, eh? Good to know. Declan wondered if Killian was aware of how close he was sitting to the wolf. Or how absolutely lovely he looked—full-fed, his lazy smile at last devoid of snark, his nervous energy momentarily calmed. Even the wild ferocity in his eyes had mellowed. Perhaps he might be in the mood for a little after-breakfast fun. Nothing ventured…

Recalling how the man had flinched at even a casual touch, Declan made his move slow and easy. His tentative rub of Killian’s shoulder sparked another flinch, though not a violent one. Killian slanted a wary look at him through hooded eyes but said nothing. More importantly, he didn’t move away.

Emboldened, Declan slid his hand from Killian’s shoulder to the back of his neck. Dammit, he was stiff as rock back there. He rubbed and kneaded until he coaxed a bit of grudging relaxation out of Killian’s muscles. “So tense,” he teased. “I don’t bite. Not unless you ask.” He took a risk and leaned in closer. “Do you bite?”

For answer, Killian rested his hand on Declan’s leg. His nails pricked the skin of Declan’s thigh, even through the protection of the kilt. “I’m more of a scratcher. You might want to remember that.”

“Oh, I will. And you’re going to remember this for nights to come.”

Their lips were barely a breath apart. He closed that tiny gap and laid claim to Killian’s mouth.

Killian stiffened but didn’t pull away. Nor did he respond, not at first. Declan nibbled at his lips. Killian seemed to reach a decision and kissed back.

Great gods above and below. Kissing the hawk was like putting his lips to a lightning storm. The man was pure energy, electric and wild, like some primal god of the sky. Desire shot through Declan’s entire body as he drank it in, this fierce font of passion that was Killian. All of a sudden he wanted—no, needed—to climb aboard this feathered whirlwind and ride to its end, all the way to the clouds if need be.

Encouraged by Killian’s reaction, Declan pulled the smaller man into his brawny arms. His hands explored the angular geography of Killian’s narrow body, mapping every wiry inch. That downy not-hair covering extended from his clavicles downward, where it formed a dark, cozy nest for his dick. Similar down coated his arms, his legs, and—oh fuck yeah, his balls. Its enticing softness, contrasted with the rocklike solidity of Killian’s muscles, was driving Declan over the edge.

Most of all, he wanted to ram his mighty wolf into the hawk-shifter’s hole. He had no doubts what he’d find in there: wet heat and a grip like talons. He almost came right then just thinking about it.

The Winged Ghost of Room 306

Wow, looks like I was long winded today.  It's been a rare occasion lately, but Hawke, Ally and little Rosie sure had a lot to share with me...

Rosie's looking forward to next weeks Halloween thrills in Talbot's Peak, and so am I!  I wonder what gems will be appearing on the blog hopping trail from our wild and unruly residents.

Have a great weekend, everyone!

~~~

“Mama, mama…”  

Ally smiled at the sound of her youngest as she finished checking in the next guest at the counter.  “Room 306, ma’am…and remember,” she whispered in a conspiratorial voice.  “That room is said to be haunted by the ghost of this hotel’s original proprietor, Chief Eagle - Flies by Moon.  There’s and oil painting of him in your room, I’m told, and he comes to admire it on a nightly basis.”

“Oh lands be, I hope he does child.”  The sturdy, grey haired Mrs. Ryneson who, for all the world, reminded Ally of a rhino, snorted through her ginormous nose.  “See, I reserve this room every year before Halloween in the hopes of seeing sexy Chief Eagle’s ghost, spending some quality time with Mr. Ryneson in Talbot’s Peak and ending the week by going to the annual trail ride.  I’ll tell you young lady, if I had a few less years on this body I’d be leaving here with another calf on the way…”

Ah calf… Ally didn’t have time to dig any deeper into the strange wording Mrs. Ryneson seemed to be using before she had her own calves tugging at her shirt.

“Mama…”

“Where’s the food…”

“This town is boring…”

“I’m off to scout for Chief Eagle, child…good luck with this brood of your own.”  Mrs. Ryneson smiled as she moved off in the direction of the stairs.

“Mama, guess what…”

“What is it Rosie?”  Her youngest had really come out of her shell in the last few months of living in Talbot’s Peak, but had yet to make any ‘real’ friends.

“Yo, mom…food.”

“Yo, Silas, can the rudeness.  There are fruits and veggies in the room.  Go eat some.”  Ally watched him storm away with his everything bores me brother tagging along behind.  Those two were going to be even more of a handful once girls and cars entered the picture, and with no male figure in their life it was going to be hell on her, but that was a problem for another day.

Today, right this moment, it was about the pouty nine year old in front of her.

“I’m sorry, Rosie, what did you want to tell me?”

“Guess what I heard today?”

“Hmmm, let’s see, you heard about the Great Pumpkin?”

“That’s pretend, mama…”

“Well,”  Ally stood there with her finger tapping her lip, pretending to think and waiting out the exuberant girl who was dying to tell her the news. “Could it be that you passed your test, today?”

“No, ah, I mean,” her daughter’s struggle to gather her thoughts was written plainly on her lovable face. 

“Yes, I passed the test, but that’s not the news.”

“Good job, Rosie!  See, with study…”

“Mama!”

Ally took Rosie’s hand and moved her away from the desk and over to the cushiest of couches in the lobby and sat them both down.  Intent on focusing only on what her sweet flower had to say.

“Sorry, Rose, you have my attention.  Why don’t you tell me what you heard today…”

And so began the animated telling of all things Halloween and Talbot’s Peak.  Almost all the businesses went all out with decorations, some places offered special brews for adults, and it was said that the costumes in this town were out of sight in their accuracy.  Ally wasn’t sure what that was all about, but she’d planned on taking Rosie out this weekend to find one of the special outfits.

“…And then next weekend there’s a trail ride and haunted house!  Mommy, can we go?  Can we?”

“I’m sure we can make that work, Rosie.  Tell me though, did you hear about this at school?”

“Nope, Hawke told me all about it.”

Ally’s stomach dropped at the mention of the figment of her daughter’s imagination.  It had been at least a month since she’s talked about the imagined ghost friend she’d named Hawke.  A month since Ally had sat her daughter down and explained that ghosts were not real and that it was okay to make real friends here in Talbot’s Peak, because they were not leaving.  She’d been convinced that Rosie had understood.  She’d hoped that since she’d heard no more about the elusive Hawke that Rosie was ready to let go of her imaginary friend.  Yet here they were again, talking about the ghost as if he were real.

“Rosie, what did we say about Hawke?”

Her daughter looked down and pressed her lips into a frown, anger rich in the taut hold of her body.  “You don’t think he’s real, but he is mama, he is and he’s right here with us…”

***

Hawke hurt for the child of his heart, the little girl he intended on making his daughter upon returning to the land of the living, but he understood a mother’s fears for her child’s mental and emotional health.  Rosie was shy around others of her own age, not due to lack of self-esteem, but because of her unusual gift.  She could see the dead surrounding those around her.  They couldn’t reach her, yet.  Her psychic shields were still strong, but as she grew, they would erode; leaving her defenseless and at the mercy of too many voices and demands. 

He would not allow that to happen.  She was touched by the greater being, given a gift only few had and it was his duty to teach her how to handle them.

“Little Flower, don’t be angry with your mother, she’s only worried for you.  Because she is unable to see me, she fears for you.”

He watched the two women who would become central points in his life, relax.  Their bodies lost the tension and their faces softened.  They were like two little chickadee’s sitting on a log.  So similar in looks yet vastly different in attitude.  The younger he would raise and teach the ways of his people, but the older he would marry and mate.  He would offer her, his soul and ask for hers in return.

First though, it was time to start convincing the luscious Ally that there was nothing imaginary about him, and to do that, he needed a bit of Rosie’s help.

“Little Flower, would you tell your mother something for me?”

The smallest of nods told him she’d heard his request.

“Mama, Hawke asked me to tell you something…”

The tension in his soul mate returned at her daughter’s words, but she listened.

“What’s that, Rosie?”

“He said, what he comes to admire in the dark of the night is not the ab-h-horrent oil monstrosity in room 306, but rather the lovely lady in suite 102.  He prefers the moon light as it reflects over you beautiful, chestnut hair.”

Hawke smiled at the eye widening shock fluttering over Ally’s face.  He was awfully glad they had remained sitting as his mate had just gone as white as his insubstantial body.    

Why Do We Have To Go?

Wow, Hawke and the crew were quite verbal today.  ~wink~  Enjoy!

~~~

Ally stepped from the manager’s office determined to keep the tears at bay until she could get to their room and get packed.  The death grip she had on the room keys spoke volumes to her exhausted, overwrought brain.  She hadn’t even gotten to the point of begging for a reprieve before…

“Mom, Rosie’s crazy.”

“Am not!”

“I’m bored.”

“Enough!”  Ally reprimanded her crew in a quiet tone, hoping to get them upstairs without any full on temper tantrums. “We are going back to the room, quietly.”

“But mom, I need to tell you something.”  Rosie’s excitement was clear as she jumped up and down while pulling at Ally’s shirt.

“Can it wait, Chick-a-pea, please?”  She only had an hour to pack herself and her kids up and vacate the room.

“Ma’um,” Rosie whined as only a nine year old girl could. “I hate when you call me that.”

“Sorry, hun…, ah Rosie.”  Ally had to remember that her baby had decided not long ago that she was too old for nicknames now. No more sing-songy names for her little miss.  “I forgot, but we are in a hurry.  Can we keep moving?”

“I need to tell you something…”

“Please Rosie, later, okay?”  She moved her independently minded daughter further up the stairs and waited for her twin terrors to move past as well.

“She wants to tell you she’s crazy, loco in the cabasa…,” Ally pinched Silas on the underside of his arm as he taunted his sister with the finger swirl at his temple.  “Ow…hey that hurt.”

“Stop harassing her, Silas.  Now is not a good time for me to have to discipline you.”

“…She’s on the last train to Nutsville, swinging wide around the bend, off her rocker…”  Daniel, not wanting to be left out, picked up where his twin had left off in finding additional ways to tease his sister. 

“Shut it, Daniel.”  Ally flicked his ear and looked at him with a disdainful eye.  “Both of you keep moving and be nice to your sister.”

“Aah fine.”  They replied in unison, reminding her of when they were very young and had their own way of communicating with each other.  She wondered if they’d ever really moved past that stage or just stopped letting her see their interaction.

At the top of the steps, all three kids waited at the door to their room.  Silas was angry, Daniel was clearly bored and her Rosie-posy was pouting.  Somehow she would make this summer up to them, but for now they had to pack.

***

Hawke hovered quietly in the corner watching his new family gather their things.  He remained invisible so as not to cause his sweet’ling any more problems with her brothers just now.

“Okay, guys and gals, we need to keep moving here and get packed up.  We’re down to a half an hour before we need to be out of here.”

“Why do we have to go?”

“Screw that question, Daniel.  Where are we gonna go?”

“Mama…” Rosie followed his beautiful Ally around the room as she frantically threw stuff in her bags.  How had Bob given her the news that she was so hurried?

“Keep packing, Rosie.  Silas and Daniel, everything is going to be fine.  Please trust me.”

Damn straight it would be okay.  The feathers ruffled in his hair reminding him how close his bird was to being ready to accept him, but the hawk wasn’t equipped yet to handle his soul.  Getting riled up would just impede the process.

“Do we have to live on the street now?”

“Yep Daniel, in the gutter since mom won’t get a job to pay for the room.” 

Hawke swooped down and gripped the boy’s neck with a mental touch.  There would be no physical marking, but the cold grasp would be felt deep into this young ones bones. Frustration simmered inside him at Silas’ hurtful words towards his mother.  He understood this male’s anger, but could not allow him to treat his life giver so shabbily. 

Show your mother the respect she deserves Silas.

“Ouch…back off, Daniel.”

“I didn’t do anything, butthead.”

“Don’t call me butthead, dillhole!”

“Moooooom,”

“Boy’s, stop it, both of you…”

“umpth…” “ow…” “jackass…” “Motherf…” “Mom, mom, mom…”

“ENOUGH!”

Hawke was stunned by the madness ensuing and swore to visit his mother before he left this place to return to his body.  He needed to apologize for the sheer craziness he and his siblings put her through.

“All three of you, sit down now.”  Ally paced the room with her hands on her lower back and her head hung low.  She breathed deeply as if holding back words she really wanted to say.  Hawke was impressed by her control. 

“But mom…”  Silas again, the boy really liked to test his mother’s restraint.

“No, it’s my turn to talk.  Silas, Daniel, your DS’s please…”

Hawke had no idea what these DS things were, but the boy’s seemed reluctant to hand them over.

“No way, mom, please don’t take away our only source of fun…”

“One week with no games better help you improve your mouths and attitudes.  Now, Rosie, what do you need?”

“I don’t want to leave my friend.”

“Rosie, we are not, exactly, leaving the…wait, did you say friend?

Hawke stood next to Ally, watching and waiting for Rosie to drop the paranormal bomb.  How would she handle the truth?

“Yep, Hawke.  He’s a ghost.”

"What Do You See In That Stone?"

“It was only a dollar fifty for fu…”

“Silas!  Don’t you dare finish that sentence.”  Ally’s patience was wearing thin with her son’s anger and foul mouth.  Her fear of the ever increasing mountain of shit she knew was nearing the point of collapse and her constant refusal to agree to any bit of fun for her kids was sending her natural mother guilt in to overdrive.  Silas was right, not that she could tell him that, but it was a dollar fifty cone for fucks sake—a simple cone she could not provide.

“Fine, but it was just a stupid, plain cone.  I want one.  I’m hungry!”

“If Silas gets an ice cream, I should get to go to the movie.”  I’m bored complained over his twins whining.  The only one acting like a big kid was her nine year old and that was just because she was currently engrossed in a rock she’d found at the park.

“No one’s going to the movies or getting ice cream.  Now please be quiet while we’re in this lovely lobby and let’s head up to our room.”

“Not…”

“…Fair.”

“Mommy…”

Ally smiled an apology at their fellow hotel guest who’d raised an eyebrow at her as she directed her brood through a lobby, filled with authentic old west décor.  Desperation and desolation did not belong in such a beautiful place, but those were the high ranking emotions filling her soul these days and she worried they would remain for some time to come.

“Mrs. Swans, excuse me…Mrs. Swans.”

Please, oh please, not now… Ally stopped the kids and turned toward the man calling her name, a name she was ditching just as soon as humanly possible.  “Yes, can I help you?”

“Robert Ferre´t, ah you know, how about you just call me Bob.  I’m the hotel manager.”

Ally gave the short, rat-faced man an assessing glance and wondered how far her pleas would go towards extending their stay for another week.  Sick with the fact that she would have to do this in front of her children, she wondered where to start.  “Mr. Ferr…”

“Bob, please,” he interrupted, waving his hands to cut off her appeal before it started.  “If you don’t mind stepping back this way into my office, Mrs. Swans.”

“Sure.”  Ally moved the kids in front of her as they all made their way to the hotel office.  There were chairs enough for her crew, set beside the door.  At least she could be shamed in private, but they’d still have to drag what little remained of their personal effects down and out into the street when this was all over.  She hoped her kids could handle it without too many tears.

“Mom, I’m bored, can I have a quarter to play the video games while we wait?”

“No, Daniel.”  She cringed at hearing that word come out of her mouth yet again.  “Kids, please wait for me in these chairs…no moving.  I’ll be right back out.”

Ally turned and followed Bob into the office, determined to do whatever it took to keep a roof over their heads as long as possible.

***

Hawke squat in the corner of the waiting room and watched the young Swans fidget in their chairs while waiting on their mom.  Each one of them made him smile.  The oldest, Silas his mother had called him, struggled with the order to remain in his seat.  His legs were stretched as far as he could get them with the smallest amount of his butt remaining on the chair.  

His twin, Daniel, kept on with the sighing that all young children seem to master along the way.  Even the children of yesteryear knew how to sigh.  It must be instinct.

The sweet little girl, a replica of her mother, sat quietly observing her rock.  “What is it you see in that stone, sweet’ling?”  He asked, but didn't really expect an answer.

“A ring or a bracelet maybe, I’m not sure yet.”

Hawke looked into the honest eyes of a child who could see him.  She smiled so prettily at him with no fear and a trust he wasn’t sure he deserved quite yet.

“Shut-up, Rosie, no one cares about your stupid rock.”

“Sorry about my brother’s bad manners,” Rosie whispered to him from behind her hand.  “He just wants an ice cream.”  

“Crazy…”  Silas once again took his anger out, verbally, on his sister.  Hawke would be correcting that behavior as soon as he was again corporeal.  Silas would be learning what it meant to be a man through hard work and encouragement.  He would, along with his siblings, find out what it meant to be a person of honor. 

First though he had a little girl to introduce himself too.

“Hello, Rosie.”  He waved and smiled at the accommodating child.  “Can you see me?”

“Of course.”  She chimed with a nod of her head.  “Are those real feathers in your hair?”