NEW RELEASE
Book Title: Home of the Strange (Worldwalkers 1)
Author and Publisher: J.K. Hogan
Cover Artist: Wicked Pixel Designs
Release Date: December 19, 2024
Pairing: MM
Tense/POV: First person, present tense, alternating POV
Genres: Near-future, semi-apocalyptic urban fantasy romance with monsters/cryptids
Tropes: monsters, a bit of mystery
Themes: Neurodivergence, unconventional heroes, did I mention monsters?
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 245 pages
It is part of a series but it’s the first book. There's no cliffhanger. Each book in the series is about different characters so there is an HEA for these two, although the epilogue is a little teaser about the next book.
Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited
What will happen when worlds collide?
Blurb
Maddox is just trying to get by. Navigating a world that’s not built for people like him—people who are different—can be hard, but he keeps his head down and muddles through. Until his strictly ordered life gets turned upside down by a sighting of something that just…should not exist.
Driven by their shared love of mysteries—and cryptids—Mads and his small group of equally outcast friends get pulled into the mystery of a lifetime. In this new reality, one where supernatural beings exist and the world might be ending, Mads somehow finds the confidence to throw himself headlong into the fray. Because nobody’s going to worry about how different he is when nothing is normal anymore.
Kisa has one mission: track his targets and dispense justice or rescue, depending on who he is pursuing. He was most certainly not supposed to become infatuated with the native creatures of this strange place—well, one in particular—yet he finds himself unable to stay away. When he begins to understand that Maddox and his friends have a part to play in all this madness, all he can do is go along for the ride and try to keep them all alive.
Excerpt
KISA
His scent is intoxicating. I have decided the creature is male based on physical features and the sound of his voice, but I am prepared to be corrected if I have misinterpreted. No matter what he is, his aroma has ensnared me with its sweetness. I keep edging nearer, wanting only to be close to him. I wish I could touch him, but any move I make only seems to frighten him more.
I try to ask him if his head is paining him, but of course, he cannot understand my language any more than I do his. The only information I have been able to glean from him is that he is indeed a hue-mann, the dominant species of this sphere—a fact which still surprises me—and I am able to tell him that I am Daemalian, though that will mean little to him.
I inch closer to him once again but freeze when he flinches and squeezes his eyes shut. It is so frustrating to be unable to communicate with him. I like the sound of his voice and wish he would say more, even though I cannot understand the words. I splay my hand across my chest once again and say, “I am Kisa, son of Kamiel, son of Kumandra. What is your name?” I point to him at the end.
He blinks those big, strange-colored eyes at me with no sign of understanding. I try again. Tapping my chest, I say simply, “Kisa.” Then I point to him.
His eyes widen, and his lips curl slightly as if he wants to smile but cannot quite manage it. Then he touches his chest and says, “Maddox . . . Mads.”
Two similar names with unfamiliar words in between. Maybe the second one is a familiar title. Some of my kind have both a formal title and a familiar one. I do not know this creature well enough to be familiar, so I will use his formal title until he tells me otherwise. I test it out on my tongue, trying to bend my lips to make the awkward sounds. “Mad . . . dox,” I say carefully.
This time he does smile, brilliantly. His teeth are small and blunt, that of a prey animal—so odd for an apex species—but the act transforms his face from intriguing to beautiful. I shuffle closer and give him my best smile. I realize too late what he would see—a mouthful of sharp fangs on full display.
With a gasp, his entire body jolts, and his eyes roll back before he topples over, unconscious. At least, I hope he is only unconscious. I will have a lot of explaining to do to my superiors if they learn I have frightened a hue-mann to death. But when I hold my hand under his nose, I feel his warm breath. I puff out a sigh of relief. Successfully avoided an interspherical incident. Barely.
Not frightened to death, just frightened into fainting. With a sigh, I climb to my feet and gently lift him. As I carry him to his nest, I try to ignore how much I like the feel of him in my arms. Once he is deposited on his bed, I do something I know I should not. I brush his hair away from his face, luxuriating in the soft silkiness of it. A shiver ripples through me. Why does this creature affect me so?
For now, I must leave him alone to process all he has seen. He was frightened, yes, but not as terrified as I would have expected a prey animal to be. I want to find out more about this species—for research purposes, of course—and for better or worse, this creature and I have made a connection. I will leave him to sleep, but I will return. I am far from finished with . . . with Maddox.
About the Author
J.K. Hogan is a pan/demi nerd living in North Carolina with her husband, two sons, and their pets. She’s been telling stories for as long as she can remember, beginning with writing character lists and storylines for her toys growing up. In addition to being an author, J.K. is an autist, an artist, and an activist, with a special place in her heart for Star Trek. When she isn’t writing, J.K. can be found designing book covers at Wicked Pixel Designs, creating fiber art and supplies at Earthbound Fiber Arts, watching Hurricanes Hockey and, of course, reading!
For more information, visit her Website
Social Media Links
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