Life as a concubine to the devious Viceroy Abasi isn’t so bad. Temaj has food, shelter, and every inch of his skin is draped in emeralds. What’s freedom worth when weighed against the luxury of the palace?
Solon’s dutiful life earned him the rank of army general to the pharaoh. But when he’s sent on a diplomatic mission to an emerald mine rather than into battle, he senses the end of his career and a lonely retirement.
Temaj is gifted to Solon for his stay, but the last person Solon wants in his bed is a slave sent to spy on him—even if he is a gorgeous, silver-tongued vixen of a man.
Trouble brews when emeralds go missing. With only a clever concubine and the viceroy’s harem on his side, can Solon solve the mystery and escape with his life, or are he and Temaj destined to haunt the walls of the palace forever?
***
Over the Emerald Valley is a gay paranormal romance full of snarky banter, dangerous secrets, steamy stolen moments and only one bed. It’s a stand alone novel within the Immortal Jewels series and can be 5
read first or last with no spoilers, no cliffhangers, and always a happily ever after!
Excerpt
“Ah, fear not.” Abasi raised a bejeweled finger with a flourish and beckoned forth a new group. “I’m told you prefer men, and I’m nothing if not accommodating.”
Solon preferred willing partners, not slaves, but he wouldn’t risk insulting Abasi with his morals.
There was no easy way to get out of this. He’d have to select one of them.
As the newest line of elegant, supple bodies drew close, Solon caught the gaze of a tall man who moved with the feline grace of a street cat. His honey-colored hair hung in long, loose waves over his shoulders, and his pursed lips said he knew what a gem he was.
That light hair marked him as foreign among all the black silken tresses of the other concubines. Northern. From distant lands. How did he end up in an Egyptian harem so far south?
Solon stared. The man wore no paint, no kohl, and no gaudy decorations, just a simple green linen shift belted at the waist. His beauty needed no enhancement.
Rather than cast his gaze demurely at the floor, as the others had done, the blond met Solon’s stare…and winked.
A real smile at such a display of gumption replaced the fake one on Solon’s lips.
Abasi stood, and a servant bustled to move his chair out of the way. “Come, have a look. Shall I introduce them?”
Solon followed his host to the line of concubines. There were fewer men than women, but still quite the selection. Six men and nine women in total.
“That won’t be necessary.” Solon would prefer to retire alone for the night, but if he had to pick… “I’ve made my choice.”
Abasi knocked him on the back so hard Solon nearly stumbled. “I like a man who knows what he wants. Which will it be?”
The blond, without hesitation, stepped forward. Bold. He peered at Solon through half-lidded eyes, gaze intense, as if daring him to suggest anyone but himself.
“Him.” Solon gestured to the brazen slave, who only then deigned to lower his gaze.
“Ah, well chosen. That is Temaj, a beauty from the north and a wild cat beneath the sheets, or so I’m told. My tastes don’t run toward men.”
“Then why have them in your harem?” The question was out of Solon’s mouth before he could think better of asking. Luckily, the viceroy didn’t seem offended. Rather, the man laughed.
“A proper harem must contain both, dear Solon, for how else are you to please all your guests?”
Solon would never understand the lives of the rich or the royal. When he retired from the army, he wanted only a plot of land, a good mule, decent tools, and, if he was very lucky, perhaps someone to share it with, though he expected to end up alone.
“How do you want him?” asked Abasi.
Solon cocked his head. “What do you mean?”
Abasi gestured to Temaj, who stood silently as if he didn’t mind two men discussing him as if he weren’t there. “How do you want him dressed? Done up? What are your preferences?”
“Oh. Nothing,” said Solon.
Temaj startled and bestowed on him a glower that would send a dog’s tail sticking between its legs.
About the Author
Lee Colgin has loved vampires since she read Dracula on a hot, sunny beach at 13 years old. She lives in North Carolina with lots of dogs and her husband. No, he's not a vampire, but she loves him anyway. Lee likes to workout so she can eat the maximum amount of cookies with her pizza. Ask her how much she can bench press.
Welcome to The Vampire Guard, where legend and myth meet science and technology.
Vampires and werewolves live long lives. The Sleepless City saga might have ended but the story continues…
Vampires make the best spies. Throw a smart-mouthed werewolf in with three vampires, mix well, and The Vampire Guard's newest team is bound to become one of their greatest assets. Super spies with a full range of skills. Warrior, hacker, thief, and scientist. They get in, do the job and get out before the bad guys ever know what hit them.
They employ a combination of supernatural powers and cutting-edge technology to hunt down terrorists, thieves, biological weapons… and sometimes even their fellow vampires and werewolves. An eclectic organization comprised of individuals with diverse personalities, backgrounds, and abilities, this guard has bite—and they’re not afraid to use it.
Vampires and werewolves live long lives. The Sleepless City saga might have ended but the story continues…
Welcome to the Vampire Guard, where legend and myth meet science and technology.
Vampires make the best spies. Throw a smart-mouthed werewolf in with three vampires, mix well, and The Vampire Guard's newest team is bound to become one of their greatest assets. Super spies with a full range of skills. Warrior, hacker, thief, and scientist. They get in, do the job, and get out before the bad guys ever know what hit them.
Forge, Blair, Declan, and Lucas are thrust into the world of high-tech spies and top-secret espionage conspiracies. Recruited into the world’s most elite and secret organization with one singular mission. Protect those who can’t defend themselves from ruin.
Together they must thwart an assassination attempt on the open waters of Lake Superior while tracking a previously unknown biological weapon controlled by the Qiguan—a weapon which may very well mean death for one of them.
BOOK 2
And this time it’s personal.
Book Title: Quarry (The Vampire Guard Book 2)
Length: 66 300 words/ 185 pages
Release Date: May 18, 2021 (2nd Edition)
Heat Rating: 1-2 flames
It is not a standalone story, but does not end on a cliffhanger.
Four members of The Vampire Guard—Forge, Blair, Declan, and Lucas—face a dangerous and elusive enemy. And this time, it’s personal.
When massive tech outages impact everything from Wi-Fi to traffic control, Blair, Forge, Declan, and Lucas think it’s a simple matter of catching troublesome hackers. But they quickly realize far more is at stake.
Millions of dollars in art are the target of a thief who’s not afraid to kill---and he’s no stranger. Not only has he escaped capture, twice, a decade ago, but he’s had a hand in life-altering tragedies throughout their lifetimes.
Once it becomes clear that art theft is just a fraction of his plan for mass destruction, they realize time is running out. The clock’s ticking. Catastrophe is imminent. Can they find and disarm all the bombs in time or will countless lives be lost?
BOOK 3 - NEW RELEASE
A werewolf and seven vampires are all that stand between the world and complete annihilation.
Book Title: Endosymbiont (The Vampire Guard Book 3)
Tracking an organism deadly to not only humans, but vampires and werewolves alike, brings Kai and Ori into The Vampire Guard. Decades later, they, along with Operative Team Jack Rabbit, come face to face with the horrors that same virus produces. Dead bodies are coming back to life, and rational people are becoming violent and brutal killers.
A massacre is taking place nearly a mile under the Atlantic Ocean. Two teams of The Vampire Guard are in the thick of it, fighting to survive.
Excerpt from Endosymbiont
“How do werewolves fit into this grand plan?” Ori asked. “When we first began chasing Sauer, he was collecting tissue samples and blood from werewolves too.”
“And humans,” Kai added.
“I’ve been giving that some thought as well,” Lucas began. “Both vampires and werewolves are more powerful than humans, but in different ways. As a species each has slightly different skill sets than humans. A werewolf is born, unlike a vampire. They have strong family and pack ties, so recruiting them as soldiers would likely fail unless it was something an individual wanted to do. Getting large numbers to join up for a cause outside a pack would be difficult, if not impossible. Yes, there might be German packs siding with the Nazis, but there would be an equal number, or more, of packs from other regions willing to fight on the opposing side. However, if there was a way to incorporate werewolf attributes to enhance vampires, that would be valuable if the goal were to create a super soldier.”
“Werewolves have, historically, fought in wars. However, as a group they fared much better, particularly afterward. Because of their pack system, soldiers returning from battle have a phenomenal support system. They don’t have the homelessness and mental health problems many human soldiers do,” Ori chimed in. “Humans are only now beginning to catch up to werewolf mental health.”
Lucas nodded. “Another desirable quality for a super soldier. Mental and emotional stability. There’s also the possibility he was hoping to create more than one generation of super soldiers by incorporating werewolves. I’m starting to think this guy had a clear idea of what he wanted, but not how to achieve it.”
“And then somewhere along the way in his quest to create some sort of super soldier, Sauer discovers an organism that can be weaponized,” Jonas said.
“There’s a gap in the research. A jump from analyzing the three species to what we’re dealing with now,” Lucas said. “I’m guessing the biological weapon is still a fairly new idea. Eighty years ago there simply wasn’t the technology to make this thing useful. However, as a group, scientists are hoarders and packrats. We never really throw anything away.”
“And once an idea is out there, it never goes away,” Jonas added and grinned.
“Sauer became a vampire at some point, and I bet it didn’t take long for him to realize all he had to do was hang around and wait for technology to catch up to his ideas,” Sophia said. “He might’ve been a horrible and evil man, but he certainly wasn’t stupid.”
One of the computers started chirping.
“This place is annoying,” Kai grumbled.
Blair wheeled his chair away from the table to the terminal. “It’s a heat signature. A new one.”
“From where?” Ori demanded. “How would someone get into this place without us knowing.”
Shaking his head, Blair stared at one of the monitors, moving the cursor around. He did something that dulled the noise. “Whoever it is, they didn’t come from outside, they’ve been hiding. There must be pocket areas that aren’t covered by any sensors.”
“Heat signature, so not a vampire,” Declan said.
Blair nodded. “Too high for human.” He turned to face them. “The werewolf we couldn’t account for.” He swung back to the computer when it began making a different noise. “Kruger is in his office, but the werewolf and a human is heading that way.” Moving to another computer, Blair pressed a few keys on the keyboard and the quarters Kincade and Madison occupied appeared on one of the other monitors.
Madison was sitting on the side of his bed, reading. It was obvious by how he yawned and stretched he’d probably only recently woken up. Kincade’s room was empty.
Blair blinked at the monitor for a few seconds before he exclaimed, “How the hell did he get out? The door is locked from the outside.”
“Air vents, or maintenance shafts.” Declan like the others, was up and moving in seconds.
Porter started issuing orders. “Kai, Declan, Forge, with Sophia.” He turned to Ori. “You stick with Blair if he has to leave this section.”
Ori nodded. “Yes, sir.”
About the Author
Mystery, action, chills, and thrills spiced with romance and desire. ELIZABETH NOBLE lives by the adage "I can't not write." She doesn't remember a time when she didn’t make up stories and eventually she learned how to put words on a page. Those words turned into books and fan fiction that turned into a genuine love of M/M fiction. A part of every day is spent living in worlds she created that are filled with intrigue and espionage. She has a real love for a good mystery complete with murder and twisty plots as well as all things sci-fi, futuristic, and supernatural.
When she's not chronicling the adventures of her many characters, Elizabeth is a veterinary nurse living in her native Cleveland, Ohio. She has three grown children and now happily shares her little, brick house with two spunky Cardigan Welsh Corgis and their feline sidekicks. Elizabeth is a fan of baseball, basketball (go Cavs and Cleveland Baseball) and gardening. She can often be found working in her 'outside office' listening to classic rock and plotter her next novel waiting for it to be dark enough to gaze at the stars.
Elizabeth has received a number of amateur writing awards. Since being published, several of her novels have received Honorable Mentions in the Rainbow Awards. Jewel Cave was a runner-up in the Gay Mystery/Thriller category in the 2015 Rainbow Awards. Ringed Love was a winner in the Gay Fantasy Romance category of the 2016 Rainbow Awards.
