Virtual Tour - Freaked Out (Midnight Rodeo, #5) by Kiernan Kelly

Freaked Out

Midnight Rodeo, #5

by Kiernan Kelly

Date of Publication:  November 1^st 2016

Publisher: All Romance eBooks

Cover Artist: Erin Dameron Hill

Genre: Gay, Paranormal, Romance

Love and compassion, when least expected, helps the hopeless soar.

From The Book Junkie Reads . . . Freaked Out (Midnight Rodeo, #5) . . .

A quick read into the forging relationship between and gargoyle and a snake shifter. What was it about Micah that drew in the gargoyle Killian? What was it about Killian that drew snake shifter Micah and allowed him to trust? These two were an unusual match for two of the rarest kinds of shifters in the paranormal world. 

Killian has been a protector for most his life. Then to have a new act move in and it looks to have some abuse going on triggers his protective instincts. Investigating gave him more than he would have ever dreamed was possible. For Micah life had been difficult at best and now to have someone interested in finding out what was going on was new. Will this bring more difficulty to his life?

I have to say that I was thrown a bit by the mix but intrigued enough to continue my read further. I was excited to find out what lay in-store for the two rare shifters. I had my protective instincts keep up a notch or two. I enjoyed this latest edition to the Midnight Rodeo series.

Midnight Rodeo series:

Welcome to the Pack – Midnight Rodeo, #1 SEE REVIEW

Oklahoma Rain – Midnight Rodeo, #2  SEE REVIEW

Big Bear, Little Bear – Midnight Rodeo, #3  SEE REVIEW

Light a Rocket – Midnight Rodeo, #4

Freaked Out – Midnight Rodeo, #5   ABOVE

Tails and Whiskers – Midnight Rodeo, #6

BLURB

Gargoyle Killian has the unenviable job at Darque and Knight Rodeo of wrangling the sideshow acts. When he meets Micah, one of the freaks from a new troupe contracted to perform, he's instantly drawn to the poor, pathetic creature. The more he learns about Micah’s situation with his reprehensible handler, the more determined he is to protect Micah.

Trapped painfully between two forms—man and snake—Micah knows nothing about his past except for what his handler tells him. The attentions of the gargoyle boost his mood, but what can Killian do to help him find the truth he seeks?

Buy Link: ARe

Killian recognized the setup in an instant. It was a typical ten-in-one layout. An elevated walkway was constructed for marks to walk across, which overlooked “pits,” — curtained, sectioned off spaces on ground level where the freaks were exhibited.

“Hey, you! We’re closed. We don’t open until four. Get your ass out.”

The voice was rough and carried an edge of both arrogance and contempt, which made it clear the speaker thought highly of himself and was used to being obeyed without question. Its owner was an ogre, creatures known for their craggy faces and sour dispositions. Unlike most of his ilk, though, this one was less muscled and far fatter than other ogres with the show. His jowly cheeks sagged on his face, softening the coarseness in appearance his species were known for and almost melding with the deep rolls of fat on his neck. A ponderous belly strained the buttons on his frayed and faded black tuxedo jacket. He kept his sausage-like fingers hooked into the jacket’s lapels.

“Are you Emmet?”

“Yeah. Are you deaf?”

Killian bristled. Swallowing the anger summoned by the ogre’s disrespectful tone took what felt like a Herculean effort. That Emmet assumed at first glance Killian didn’t belong in the tent, that he was nothing but an insignificant mark, didn’t sit well with him. His ego was already bruised by his earlier conversation with Phillip; he felt the sting and the resulting need to hurt back was strong. “Listen, I’m here to—”

“I don’t give a sack of flying pig shit why you’re in here. Fucking brainless local yokels. Don’t you get it? Nobody gets a free show. You pay your money like every other fucking mark if you want to see my acts, and you do it after we open for business.”

“I’m not a mark! I’m—”

“Who are you, then? One of the rodeo roughnecks? Don’t you have a stake to pound or a pile of cow shit to shovel somewhere? Get the fuck out before I break you in half and feed you to the Snake Man.”

Killian felt his instant dislike for the ogre deepen into active loathing. That is the sound of an asshole speaking, he thought. His breath must reek of the shit he’s spewing. He tried to fight against his rising temper. A confrontation with a pissed off gargoyle rarely ended well, and he didn’t really want to explain to Phil and Cody why he’d murdered their newest hire. “I’d check my tone if I were you, jerk-off. Unless you want to find yourself and your acts booted out of the show, that is. I’m Killian, and I run the fucking sideshow.”

The ogre had the audacity to laugh at him. “Are you now? Well, I say you don’t run jack shit when it comes to me and my acts. I make the rules here, and you can fucking suck my dick if you don’t like it, little man.”

Little man? Seriously? He wants a pissing contest? Okay, then. No problem. Killian shifted into his gargoyle form, and noted with satisfaction the glitter of fear as it swiftly replaced the arrogance in the ogre’s expression. Damn skippy, you fucking overgrown troll doll. “Nobody fucks with my sideshow. This is how it works here, fuck face. You report to me, and I report directly to Darque and Knight. You got a problem with the chain of command, you’re free to voice your concerns with them. Of course, that might be hard to do after I rip your tongue out of your mouth and strangle you with it.”

“H-hey, now. No need for threats, friend.” Emmet held up his hands, palms facing outward, as if to ward off an impending attack. Not that anything short of a brick wall could stop Killian if he attacked while in his gargoyle form. His talons would shred the ogre as easily as a sushi chef could slice sashimi. “Just trying to protect my investments, is all. You understand, right?”

Typical of a bully, Killian thought. All bluster and no balls. “I want to see your acts. Now. Darque and Knight may have signed you on with the show, but I’m the one who decides whether you stay on.” Not really, but he figured Emmet-the-Asshole didn’t need to know that nugget of information.

“Sure, sure. I’ll send them into their pens. Give you the full show.” Emmet moved quickly for as such a hefty man, although the catwalk trembled under each of his steps. He disappeared behind a black curtain hung at the rear of the exhibit.

Killian swore softly under his breath. He’d only meant to wander around, observation without interaction and all that psychobabble crap. He had no intention of meeting the attractions face-to-face, but now he was stuck with a private viewing. He felt like a naughty little boy caught doing something he knew he shouldn’t. He felt anxious and guilty, and pissed off at himself for feeling that way.

I’m not doing anything wrong, he reminded himself. This is my job, right? I’m supposed to make sure the acts are legitimate. Except he hadn’t hired these acts — Darque and Knight had. He wasn’t responsible for them, Cody and Phil were.

Then why, he asked himself, do I feel like I am?

Buy Link: ARe

Author Info

Kiernan Kelly's stories of gay romance envelop diverse themes ranging from paranormal, to fantasy, and science fiction to contemporary romance. She is the author of over eighty titles available in both print and ebook.

Kiernan also writes young adult GLBT romance under the pen name, Dakota Chase.

Author Links:

Website  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads

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Virtual Tour - Oklahoma Rain (Midnight Rodeo, #2) by Kiernan Kelly

Oklahoma Rain

Midnight Rodeo, #2

by Kiernan Kelly

Publisher: All Romance eBooks

Cover Artist: Erin Dameron Hill

Genre: Gay Paranormal Romance

From The Book Junkie Reads . . . Oklahoma Rain (Midnight Rodeo, #2) . . .

I find that prejudice/bigotry/hatred of another living, breathing being to be appalling no matter who/what is doing it. To read this piece and find that the centered hatred is on a child makes me feel very angry. For this read this was a good thing. Strong fighting mad emotions gives me a bond to the material that I am reading. Along with the battle against the hate, there was a bond of trust and respect being built between Blaze and Zack.

Zack having more a reason to not trust that most with his past. The reasoning behind rescuing young Mikey and the protection he offers all makes sense. Time heals. It also allows for a bond to grow and strengthen.

Blaze finds a kindred soul. Regardless of the risk to himself he offers Zack a home, even with having Mikey. The relationship takes a lot of work and have hurdles to clear but time will prove be a friend to them.

Oklahoma Rain was a light suspenseful read, with romance, trust, respect, and touchy subject matter of hatred and bigotry. I look forward to more of the Midnight Rodeo.

**This eBook was provided via Bewitching Book Tours in exchange for an honest review.**

Midnight Rodeo series:

Welcome to the Pack – Midnight Rodeo, #1

Oklahoma Rain – Midnight Rodeo, #2

Big Bear, Little Bear – Midnight Rodeo, #3

BLURB

Blaze offers Zack a home, but is love enough to keep him?

Psychic Blaze scouts locations for the rodeo company, Darque and Knight. While checking out a possible venue he finds another psychic talent, Zack, who’s hot as the Fourth of July.

Zack is complicated, though, thanks to his sidekick, Mikey, a damaged kid. Blaze invites the pair back to the rodeo, but not everyone is as happy as Blaze to have them there.

Buy Link: ARe

“Hello?” Blaze rapped on the door. “Come on. I know you’re in there.” He rolled his eyes at the silence that answered him. “Look, we can do this all afternoon, or you can just open the fucking door. I know what you are. I’m not here to hurt you.” Still nothing. “Oh, for… I really don’t want to break the door down. I bruise like an overripe peach.”

After another few moments, he heard the floor creak, and the lock on the door slide free.

The door swung inward, revealing a man who looked only slightly younger than himself, and a boy. The child looked no older than ten years. He was a slight thing, skinny, but his wide, liquid brown eyes glittered with fear and a spark of curiosity.

The man stepped in front of the boy as if to protect the child from Blaze. His green eyes were hard with suspicion, but that didn’t stop Blaze from noting his high cheekbones, and lean, hard body clad in a tight, worn t-shirt and denim, or the inky black hair that fell in a sleek sheet past his shoulders.

Blaze cleared his throat. “Look, I know you’re a supernatural. So am I. We’re on the same side. My name is Blaze.”

“Supernatural? What’s that?” The man’s lips mashed into a thin, tense line.

“Come on. Neither of us is stupid. You can sense it in me. I know you can.”

The man chewed on his lip, staring hard at Blaze for a moment, then seemed to come to a decision. He gave a short nod. “I’m Zack. The boy is Mikey. At least, that’s what I call him. I don’t know his real name. He doesn’t talk.”

Blaze glanced at the boy. Small for his age, almost scrawny. He had brown hair, huge, dark eyes, and milk-pale skin. Blaze spotted the faint markings of faded bruises on the child’s face. “Mind telling me how a supernatural came to be squatting in a farmhouse with a mundane kid?”

Zack reached behind him, as if to prove to himself Mikey was still there, and all right. “It’s not much of a story. I was in Kansas City, working for a supe who owned a pizza place. I made deliveries, helped clean, that sort of thing.”

Blaze nodded. “Go on.”

“I had a delivery in a part of town that was pretty worn down. You know, tenements, some abandoned buildings, drug dealers, hookers on the corner, that sort of thing. I made the delivery in a building that was only one-step up from condemned. When I was walking down the hallway, I heard a kid screaming.”

“Let me guess… you played hero and busted down the door to save him.”

Zack cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. “There was a child screaming bloody murder. You wouldn’t?”

Blaze tried to stare Zack down, but couldn’t. He rolled his eyes and tried to hedge instead. “Only someone stupid or with a death wish would do it.”

Zack’s lips tilted in a smirk. “Which one are you?”

Blaze snorted. “Never mind. So, what happened?”

“The door was unlocked, so I opened it and went inside. There was a male mundane, big guy, six-foot easy, maybe two-twenty, two-thirty, and he’s wailing on this little kid. The kid is crying, and saying ‘no, please stop, please stop.’ What was I supposed to do? Walk away?”

“Most supes would say yes.”

“Yeah, well, not this one. I know what it’s like to be on the wrong end of a fist. I got the kid out.”

Blaze gave Zack the once-over. “You’re lean, and going up against a human weighing in at two-thirty? How did you manage that?”

“I never had to touch him.” For the first time, Zack smiled, and the effect was devastating. His curved lips transformed his face from merely good-looking to truly gorgeous. Twin dimples winked at Blaze, and his green eyes flashed with humor. “I’m telekinetic. I picked that big bastard up and floated him right out of the window. Let him hover in the air until he fucking wet his pants, then put him up on the roof of the building next door. Took the kid and split. That was the last time I heard Mikey speak. I think maybe his throat was injured in the beating.”

“Look, I understand you helping the kid and all, but isn’t that kidnapping?” The last thing Blaze needed was to get involved in a criminal activity which might bring the eyes of the police on the rodeo.

Zack shook his head. “No. When we got away, I gave him a pen and paper, asked him if that was his dad. He said no. Said the guy stole him from the orphanage.”

“He’s an orphan?”

“That’s what he says. Or writes. He doesn’t want to go back there. It’s not a nice place, I think. The other kids are bigger, and mean to him, and the nuns who ran it weren’t much better.”

Blaze sniffed. “Who is this kid? Oliver Twist?”

Zack glared at him. “Nobody is asking for your opinion or your permission.”

“You’re right, you’re right. My apologies. You’re a good man for taking care of him.”

Zack seemed mollified. “Who are you, anyway?”

“Like I said, my name is Blaze. Blaze Morgan. I’m the patch for the Darque and Knight Rodeo. Ever heard of us?” He looked back and forth between Zack and Mikey, noting the blank expressions on both faces. “We’re the only professional rodeo staffed by and performing for supernaturals. We travel the country every year performing in little towns just like this one. Gonna be setting up here in a few hours. Which brings me to my, er… little problem. You see, you’re squatting in what’s going to be the middle of our rodeo.”

“We got no place else to go. And we were here first.” Zack’s expression grew hard again, the muscles in his arms bunching as his hands curled into fists. It was obvious he was gearing up for a fight.

Blaze held his hands out. The last thing he needed was a busted nose from some hayseed Supe squatter. “Whoa. Now, we don’t want any trouble. I understand. Really, I do. But the kid can’t stay here. He’s human. You can, since you’re a supe, but not him.”

“If I stay, he stays, and no matter what you say, neither of us is going anywhere.”

“Come on, Zack. Be reasonable. There’s going to be a whole shitload of supes pulling in here in the next few hours. If they see the kid, they’ll go apeshit.”

“Then tell them to go somewhere else.”

Blaze shook his head. “I can’t. I’m not the one in charge.”

“Then we’ll talk to the person who is.”

Buy Link: ARe

Author Info

Kiernan's stories of gay romance envelop diverse themes ranging from paranormal, to fantasy, and science fiction to contemporary romance. She is the author of over eighty titles available in both print and ebook.

Kiernan also writes young adult GLBT romance under the pen name, Dakota Chase.

Author Links:

Website  Facebook  Twitter  Goodreads

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