The Bond (Elemental Book 1) a MM Horror Fantasy by Xavier Axelson ➱ Join us for the Book Tour and Enter for a chance to win
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Book Title: The Bond (Elemental Book 1)
Author: Xavier Axelson
Publisher: JMS Books
Release Date: October 1, 2022
Genres: Contemporary M/M Horror/Dark Fantasy/Bisexual/Paranormal
Tropes: Vampire/stranger comes to town/strange things start to happen/good versus evil/transformations/magic/suspense/creepy beings/witches/goblins
Themes: Loyalty, forgiveness, obligation, acceptance commitment
Heat Rating: 3 flames
Length: 155 459 words/392 pages
It is Book 1 in the series and ends with a HFN. There are unresolved plot points but it's not necessarily a cliffhanger.
Buy Links
JMS Books | Amazon US | Amazon UK
In a small New England town, three men, each facing unthinkable horrors, must rely on their friendship to destroy an evil beyond imagination.
Blurb
Four men are about to discover things are definitely not what they seem…including themselves. Declan Makavoy, small town farmer and single father, finds out it’s not just his thumb that’s green. Ivan Soresceau, a local reporter, who always plays with fire in life and love, is about to discover what it means to be burned. Chester Silberglocke, the ailing but sage chiropractor, finds his death only the beginning of an atmospheric afterlife. Vinny Pirelli, the local swimming champ may make waves inside and outside the pool but has no idea he is the last piece in a dangerous and life-changing puzzle. Seduction and unearthly occurrences are only the beginning in what proves to be a race against time as Declan, Ivan, Chester, and Vinny are pitted against a dark force beyond imagination, in the ultimate battle of good versus evil.
Excerpt
The wind carried the unpleasant smell of decay. In the heat of summer, the odor is nectar sweet, but in autumn, decay is unexpected. In the summer, it could be tomatoes left too long on the vine, fresh roadkill or sewage wafting up from the dank sidewalk grates. Autumn chilled the stench, offered it bite and acid. The hair on my neck stood on end. I dug my hands deeper into my pockets.
Coming out of the tree-lined path leading to the fields reminded me of emerging from a dream. Overwrought and graphic, like an illustration in a bad comic, the scene unfolded block-by-block, piece-by-piece. The fields were barren, except where remains of gourds and pumpkins jutted from the earth like fevered skulls, things emerging to the cold dreary light. The distant pine trees lined the border of my property like sentries sent from a general to contain the scene. Beyond the trees, the forest appeared a black mass; empty and full at the same time. Perhaps Adam’s body—or Adam himself—waited, hidden in the woods.
They hadn’t found a body.
Hadn’t found…
A new but not unfamiliar wave of pain welled within my chest so I thought I’d burst. Adam was dead. Dead…How could he be…?
Chester turned toward me, his eyes wide. He pointed.
Antonia sat, facing him. She’d been playing house or school with her gourd-squash students. Her singsong contrasted with the fouled air, unnerving me.
Behind her, centered in the field, something either unaware or unconcerned with our presence was consuming the remaining pumpkins.
Some thing.
“Declan,” Chester breathed, “stay still.”
The stench coming from the field hit like a ton of putrid bricks.
“Get her.” I heaved, trying to breathe through the stink. “I have to get her.”
Chester restrained me with more strength than I thought he possessed. “She must stay still.”
“What is it?” I asked.
“I don’t know.”
Just then a huge crow dove and we watched as the creature reached with a massive clawed paw, grabbed the bird and crushed it. It then stuffed the bird into its mouth and made horrific bone-sucking sounds of pleasure.
Antonia smiled and called, “Daddy, have you seen the goblin?”
Author Interview
Tell us about your new release. What inspired you to write it?
It’s called The Bond and it is the first in a series called Elemental. I was inspired by the balance of nature and how each element is both kind and cruel.
What are you working on at present?
I’m starting book two, but think I must finish this fantasy story about two brothers called “The Free Folk”
Would you like to share a snippet?
The man lingered around the stalls, hand out and tongue wagging in hopes of a charitable bit of fruit or crust of bread. He’d not eaten well in days. He stared up at the blazing morning sun. He’d been in his cups and time slid past like rain on glass. He adjusted his stance, assuming an air of importance. A woman selling lupine’s brushed him off when he bowed his head to her overflowing, purple-blue blooms.
“Whore,” he spat and shoved past. Her breasts were creamy and plump, restrained beneath her corset and other trappings. His fingers itched to undo such private things. She probably stole the lupines from a better woman’s garden. No one traipsed the woods and picked wild lupines what with the wheel turning from winter to spring.
Strange things moved between the seasons. The woods couldn’t be trusted.
What is the hardest part of writing any book?
Sitting and doing it.
Did you learn anything from writing your recent book?
A million things. What was it? Don’t rely on good intentioned people.
Do you have any advice for other writers?
Don’t take a single thing personally.
Are there any genres you prefer to write, and if so, why?
Horror/Dark fantasy/Magical realism I like these genres as they gravitate to intense, extreme circumstances and I find that to be inspiring.
Is there a book you wish you had written?
The Haunting of Hill House
What book are you reading at the moment?
Blonde by Joyce Carol Oates
What novels do you adore/re-read?
Watership Down, The Last Unicorn, A Streetcar Named Desire
Do characters and stories just pop into your head, or do you take your time thinking about and planning them?
They come randomly. Velvet was inspired by the Last Look in Vogue magazine, it was a picture of a velvet shoe and the description taled about 14th century laws of sumptuary and all of a sudden and entire book came forth!
Are you a panster or a plotter?
Pantster
How often do you write?
I try to write every day in the morning, I shoot for 1000 words.
What are your writing and personal goals for 2022 and beyond?
Hmmm…write the second book in the series and possible a couple novellas so I can clean up my desktop. I do have a short story based on one of the characters in The Bond, kind of an origin story, I used it to get into that character a little more intently. I’d like for that to find a home.
If you could choose any superpower or magical ability, what would it be and why?
Something between Poison Ivy and Venom.
About the Author
Xavier Axelson is a writer and columnist living in Los Angeles. Axelson’s work has been featured in various erotic and horror anthologies including Best Gay Erotica 2016 Volume 2, Best Gay Erotica 2015.
Longer written works include “The Incident”, “Dutch’s Boy”, “The Birches”, “Earthly Concerns”, “Velvet,” and “Lily”.
Author Links
Blog/Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Giveaway
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