"Of course I have sympathy for monsters. I'm a monster too.”

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Kouji Devereaux has returned to his old stomping grounds, but intends to take a break from The Capital-B Business. However, his step-mother can't leave well enough alone.

Jocelyn Devereaux has taken it upon herself to play matchmaker for her step-son. Setting him up with Mercy Khosla, one of the Aesir, she thinks she's finally found him a partner that can withstand the Iskariot curse.

But as time goes on, it becomes clear that Mercy has curses of her own to contend with - secrets that even a half-indestructible oni like Dev may not survive.

Where's the Watcher for Deceit when you actually need him?

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Content Warnings: Unreliable narration. Cursing and blasphemy. Death and discussions of mortality. Drugs. Drinking. Gang and non-gang-related violence, blood, gore, and body horror. Sexism. Cannibalism. Supernatural horror. Existential peril. Discussions of past/systematic abuse and implied SA. Self-harm. Dad jokes. Sad puns. Long, lingering looks. Hand holding, kissing, heavy petting, and nudity.

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This is a follow-up to "Shabbat", which can be found pinned on my profile. It takes place two weeks after the events in the first book.

“I know what you are. Does your angel?”

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Kouji Devereaux goes into seclusion in the far north, hoping to heal from wounds inflicted by his longtime rival, Adelaide Walker.

But instead of getting to take in the scenery and catch up on some light reading, the gangster finds himself the target of a holy sorcerer and his summoned minions who all threaten to finish what Adelaide started.

Thankfully, he's been given a disillusioned guardian angel who just might turn the tide in his favor… if Dev doesn't eat him first.

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Content Warnings: Unreliable narration (sorrynotsorry). Cursing and blasphemy. Death and discussions of mortality. Drugs. Drinking. Gang and non-gang-related violence, blood, gore, and body horror. Toxic work environments. Misandry and misogyny. Cannibalism. Supernatural horror. Existential peril. Discussions of past/systematic abuse and implied SA. Dad jokes. Sad puns. Long, lingering looks (so many). Hand holding. Nudity.

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This book has a sequel. "Racham" is available on my page, so check it out after finishing "Shabbat" if you're curious to see where our boys' cursebreaking takes them next.

"Let's Talk About..." is where Blondie waxes about things she hasn't written yet, talks about writing as a process, reviews recent stories she might have read, and basically puts off actually writing anything of value.

This is considered an unofficial, open discussion - so there will be SPOILERS for any and all Warlord Team publications.

For all official announcements, please refer to K. M. Mayville's Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18508414.K_M_Mayville/blog

"If you don't want the skin off their bones turned into jackets for what remains of my collection... you'd best find my stolen books, Ms. Fairchild."

Tesni Fairchild received a letter from her sister after some months of silence on the latter's part. Invited to celebrate her newborn nephew's first showing at church as his Godmother, Tesni puts her life in Birmingham on hold to journey to Argostine, an isle just off the coast of Blackpool. But all is not what it seems. The talk around Argostine's queer reputation constantly assails her motivation, and when Tesni at long last crosses the threshold of her sister's estate, babe and mother are decidedly absent.

Assured by the Lord and the governess of the house that the Lady of Cathair Estate is simply seeking post-natal solace in Argostine's Lonely wood before the showing, Tesni familiarizes herself with the small, craggy town... and, upon meeting the dubious characters that make up the emerald-soaked township, becomes more and more certain that something has gone terribly, terribly wrong and she has arrived all too late to prevent it.

But then she meets Leabharlannaí, a Courtless trickster Fae, and a deal is struck betwixt them.

Caught between storm, superstition, and the supernatural, Tesni must keep her wits and her sanity about her if she even hopesto leave the island with every one of her pieces still attached.

Will continue to write in this one if there's any interest.

Short Story Content Descriptions:

Issue One - "Executable Forgiveness" (Drama, Sci-fi) - Estin is the first robot to be given agency; that is to say, given full human rights. However, his project is called into question after he's hacked and his integrity is compromised. Can he convince his wife it was only a one-off?

Issue Two - "Love on a Bed of Leaves and Letters" (Drama) - Julius Pessoa struggles with his guilt over the death of his young wife and his indecision to receive the gift she has left him in her craft room. Fall is a time of melancholy, but it is also one of promised renewal...

Issue Three - "In the Garden" (Sci-fi, Time Travel) - Dr. Leandra Hayes meets with her long-time colleague and ex-lover, Terence Whitaker, to approve a new companion-model robot he's about to release. When Lean meets Ema though, her understanding of reality is ripped apart.

Issue Four - "Forget Me Not" (Sci-Fan, Tragedy) - Spomenka and The Bounty Hunter fall in love on the dark-side of a terraformed Mars. However, disappointment and bloodshed are just around the corner.

Issue Five - "Cloven Dreams" (Tragedy) - These five sentences were written for a flash contest titled "Break My Heart".

Issue Six - "Penny" (Mystery) - Blue and Penny grow up together, bonding over fairies and magical gardens. Blue struggles to maintain that lifelong connection as they get older, but  Penny has a secret that will make or break Blue's understanding of the word "lifelong".

Issue Seven - "John Ghost" (Humor, Sci-fi) - A crude take on the traditional ghost story. Poops are made, phones are dropped, lessons are learned. An on-the-clock mechanic realizes that cheating the system might be inviting the company of strange bathroom-fellows.

Issue Eight - "The Mold" (Tragedy) - Fraya wants to be more than just a friend, so she makes Laura Lane into more than her best friend. She turns Laura Lane into a fallen angel, thus transforming herself into God's written word. Of course all Hell breaks loose.

Soon to be published on Amazon - with four more exclusive stories - on the 15th of September.

His queen took a deep breath and blurted, "I want to go with the revelers when the gates open, King."

His bored facade shattered and his hands went to grip the arms of his throne. "No." But he held up a hand before she could voice a protest. "Why? You plan on sticking that black blade of yours into Wolf's eye?"

"I... I want to see my family." She shifted nervously, flattening out a ruffle in her dress.

"No you don't. You want to cause yourself pain." When her expression caved in on itself and he almost heard the resignation squeezing the life from her heart, he grit his teeth and waved a dismissive hand, conceding, "But that is your right." Her face brightened and the trepid smile that graced his gaze made his heart skip a beat. He rested his chin back on a fist and mumbled, "Just be back by midnight, Bastard Queen. And don't part from your queensguard."

Rowena, proud to die, is offered to her village's seasonal deity, The Spice King, so that the god can be reborn and herald in the Spring... only to discover that her sacrifice is completely unnecessary, machined into import through the schemes of the power-hungry shaman, Wolf.

But her Lucky Star convinces the King Himself to bring her back to life to aid Him (and his poorly equipped pantheon) in The Great Game of cosmic politics unseen and untenable to the rest of Mankind.

Prepare yourself for a far-flung tale of theology, romance, and fantasy - based in part on the Hades/Persephone myth!

NEXT UPDATE: TBA