I met Nicki Marcus (pen name Asta Idonea) during the editing process for a short story I have coming out with Wayward Ink Publishing later this month. She’s a great copyeditor, and it turns out she’s an accomplished writer, too, with a special interest in fantasy and speculative fiction.
Her latest release is Devouring Red (Torquere Press), a fun, sexy m/m take on the Red Riding Hood story:
Straying from the path on the way to his grandmother’s house, Redd is pursued by a vicious, hungry wolf. Help arrives in the form of a mysterious stranger, but will Redd wish he’d taken his chances with the wolf when he comes to learn there is more than one way a handsome young man can be devoured?
The ebook is available at Torquere Press, All Romance, Amazon US, Amazon UK. (I recommend buying directly from the publisher whenever you can, because the author and publisher both get a higher percentage of the sales price than when you purchase from other sources. In this case, that’s Torquere Press.) Update on Feb. 1, 2017: After the closing of Torquere Press, Nicki/Asta decided to make Devouring Red available as a free read for a limited time on Tablo. Check it out, then let her know you enjoyed it by “liking” it and sharing on social media!
Enjoy a taste of Devouring Red below!
Text Excerpt
Redd crashed through the forest as fast at the trees would let him. The space between their trunks appeared to be shrinking. Were they closing in on him? He put on a burst of speed. Branches stretched toward him, grasping at his clothing with jagged wooden fingers. Twigs and dead leaves cracked and crunched beneath his feet, and his crimson cloak billowed out behind him, flapping in the breeze and brushing over the foliage.
Then one of the trees got lucky. Its slender limb caught on the hem of Redd’s cape and sent him tumbling to the ground. The shock of the fall was enough to snap him out of his panic, and he lay there until his short, sharp breaths steadied to slow and deep inhalations. Once calm, he pushed up onto his elbows and assessed his surroundings.
The woods encircled him, dense and dark. He knew it was still daytime because here and there the sun’s rays penetrated the thick foliage, creating glistening puddles of light that made the reddening leaves shimmer. However, there was a faint bluish tinge to the illumination that told Redd dusk was not far off. The thought of being forced to spend the night in the forest sent a new shudder of fear through him and he scrambled to his feet.
Why had he done it? His whole life he’d been warned about straying from the path and he’d never been tempted to disobey before now. But then he’d never had any incentive until today. His grandmother was sick. Dying. No one had said the word aloud, but Redd had seen it in their faces when they spoke of her illness. Getting weaker, they muttered. Growing frail. Others spoke of the long years she’d enjoyed as if that somehow made up for the inevitable loss. For Redd, there could be no positive to numb the pain.
Author Bio & Links
Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J. Markus) was born in England, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.
Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between M/M and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theater, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel; all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.
- Blog: http://www.nickijmarkus.com
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus
- Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4567057.Nicki_J_Markus
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamarkus
- Amazon Author US: http://www.amazon.com/Asta-Idonea/e/B00RMGGVYO
- Amazon Author UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asta-Idonea/e/B00RMGGVYO
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