Hi. Welcome to Wonky Word Wednesday. Today is the day following the general release of Hound and Harmony. What I’m posting is the blog entry I wrote for Divine Magazine. I think it was replaced with the fabulous five-star review the book received, and that is A-okay. I’ll take a glowing review anytime. I just wanted to share with you my thoughts on the release and an excerpt from the book, which I hope will whet your interest.

I’m also unveiling my new logo. How do you like the gorgeous rainbow hued butterfly?

Once again, a big thank you to the fine folk of Divine Magazine for giving me the opportunity to introduce my latest book to the world. I began this journey of a published author with my first book Heartache and Hope and Divine’s platform to unveil my boys—Kevin, Rafael and Robbie. Today, less than a year later, Pride Publishing is releasing Hound and Harmony to complete the Beyond Heartache Trilogy.

In Heart and Home, Kevin’s and Rafael’s dreams were realized with their long-time-coming happily ever after. But, theirs was a future that didn’t include Robbie. We last saw him leaving the bright city lights of Vegas to come to terms with his mysterious past.

In Hound and Harmony, Retired Master Sergeant Cassidy O’Connor is asked by a mutual friend to follow Robbie and keep him safe. Reluctantly Cassidy agrees to his friend’s strange request. From the glitter of Las Vegas, the Golden Gate Bridge of San Francisco, the splendor of the Canadian Rockies, and to the solitude of the New Mexico mountains, Cassidy and Robin follow the stirrings of their hearts.

In this excerpt, Cassidy has trailed Robin to San Francisco and has agreed to spend a couple of days with him to see the sights.

Excerpt

We reach Market Street and board our cable car for the Castro. Once we locate a seat on the crowded trolley, Red answers my question. I pay close attention, and I listen just to hear the honeyed sound of his voice, now that the seductive tone is back. It helps me to maintain my calm in this cackling crowd of jarring humanity.

“It’s important that we honor our history, Cassidy, and all those who came before us, who fought and sacrificed for the rights we have today.” Red continues our conversation, unmindful of the people crowding us.

“What do you mean ‘our history’? The only sacrifices I know about are those made on the battlefield—in blood. Those sacrifices give you your so-called rights. Those are the sacrifices I honor.”

“Our history. Gay men. Don’t think we haven’t made our share of blood sacrifices, too. And you’re right, absolutely. The others should be honored. But, I’m talking about gay rights. Surely you understand that Harvey Milk’s murder, Matthew Sheppard’s murder, and even Ryan White’s death from AIDS, has brought us to where we are today.”

I don’t understand what he’s talking about, but I admire his passion, and the way he vibrates with its intensity. I wonder if he’s this impassioned in bed. Stop it, Hound!

“I don’t know who those folks are, nor what you mean when you say bringing us to where we are now.” I knew I sounded belligerent, and I couldn’t pinpoint what had set me on edge. One minute, I’m admiring Red’s lips wondering how they’d feel wrapped around my dick, and the next I’m spitting mad.

 

“Hey, we’re here.” Red’s enthusiasm at his first sight of the Castro district is enough to settle my unexplained and unwarranted anger. He hops from the cable car, holding fast to his guitar case. I toss the duffle bags onto the sidewalk and step off the trolley.

Shouldering the bags, I glance up and down the street. “Where to, Red?” His sheepish expression has me barking, “What’s that look for? Did I do something?”

“Nope. I have reservations there.” He points to a row of houses, all attached to one another. Bright pink flowers decorate the window boxes of the narrow building Red indicates. The colorful blooms seem out of place on the busy thoroughfare. I take a second gander and notice the lacy curtains hanging in the windows. Lace, for God’s sake. The sign above the door, Castro Bed and Breakfast, is hand wrought. The place screams expensive, and likely costs more than a retired Master Sergeant’s pension can justify.

“I don’t know, Red. Strikes me as kind of classy, and out of my price range.”

“Don’t worry about it, I’ve got it covered. That is, if you don’t mind sharing a bed.” More of the ‘get in trouble’ behavior Logan cautioned me about?

I wonder what it is about me that says I’d be okay sleeping in the same bed with him. I hadn’t mentioned that I’m gay. In fact, that’s what pissed me off earlier. Red assuming I’d know all his gay icons, and that I’d be fine sharing his bed. It’s true, I wouldn’t mind Red sleeping next to me, but that’s beside the point. I’m a big bull of a man, wearing Wranglers, an old T-shirt, combat boots and a D-back ball cap. There’s nothing about me that shouts, ‘gay man here’. Besides the fact I like sucking dick, I’m ‘straight’ as an arrow.

“The room I booked has a king-sized bed, and you can see I’m not exactly king-sized. You won’t even know that I’m there. Please, Cassidy. I don’t want to be alone.”

His begging and pretty eyes has my heart and stomach doing double-time calisthenics. I have my doubts about this, but if I get a room somewhere within my budget, I may lose him. Besides, I don’t know where in Canada he’s going, and I can’t afford to lose him. I mean I can’t lose his tail…trail. I mean trail. Besides, I understand loneliness more than most. So, reluctantly, I agree.

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