RELEASE BLITZ
Book Title: Touch in the Night
Author: S. J. Coles
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Release Date: November 7, 2023
Genre: Paranormal M/M Romance
Tropes: Vampire, BDSM, Single Dad, Billionaire
Themes: Self-worth, self-acceptance, overcoming prejudice
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 85 673 words/344 pages
It is Book 1 in the ‘Blood and Bonds’ Series. Books 2 & 3 due for release in 2024
This book does not end on a cliffhanger
Buy Links - Available in Kindle Unlimited
Jesse Truelove never felt a part of his own family. But can a vampire really give him a new one?
Blurb
With a criminal record, no steady job and a penchant for kink, Jesse Truelove has spent most of his life feeling like an outsider. He tells himself it doesn’t bother him, that he never needed human connections anyway.
Now the Undying Baron, Emory Von Magnusson, a vampire—or, to use the modern term, ‘haemophile’—has reclaimed his ancestral home north of Jesse’s hometown, and the human population isn’t sure how to react. Jesse knows a thing or two about what it’s like to be misjudged, so he keeps an open mind. But when a bungled break-in at Emory’s home brings them face-to-face, Jesse finds it’s much more than his mind that’s stimulated.
However, building a relationship with an undead blood-drinker was never going to be straightforward, especially when that undead blood-drinker reveals he wants a family.
Excerpt
“This is about last night.”
“Yeah,” Jesse rasped. “It is…” Magnusson didn’t move or speak, but Jesse thought he saw warmth gathering in his eyes. “So we don’t talk about it. Is that it?”
“I’m more than happy to talk about it.”
“It was…something.”
“It was. Something you enjoyed, I think.”
Jesse’s skin rippled. “Where did it come from, huh? You don’t even know me.”
“I know you’re not regretting it, Jesse. Why are you pretending you are?”
Jesse frowned. “You think you know what I’m feeling?”
A small smile turned up the corners of the full lips. “Humans don’t realize how little of what they feel is secret. It broadcasts, like a beacon. It’s one of the things that makes you so fascinating.”
“Whereas you feel nothing?” he said, putting the glass on the table with more force than was necessary.
“That isn’t true.”
Jesse made a noise of frustration. “So, what? What was last night?”
“Has no one ever cared about just what you need before?”
“You jerk off all your employees if they have a bad day?”
“No,” he said, smile warming, “just you.” Jesse went very still. His heart was slugging in his chest. Magnusson bent close and inhaled. The air brushed over Jesse’s temple. He shivered. “I’ve upset you.”
“You haven’t upset me. I’m not a kid.”
Magnusson gazed down at him. “I’m sorry. I thought I knew what you wanted.”
You did. More than any other guy I’ve ever known…but you’re not human. Just my luck.
Jesse kept his mouth firmly closed over the words, not wanting to admit them, even to himself. Instead, he said, “I just don’t get…why?”
“You won’t believe the answer to that question until you’re able to answer it yourself,” he said. “But I can see what I did has made this difficult.”
“You’re my boss…”
He blinked once, slowly.
So he does blink.
“I currently employ you. That is correct. But after last night…and considering the way you looked at me when we first met…” He paused. Jesse held his breath. “Forgive me. You are a fascinating human. And my instincts told me there was more to your interest than professional curiosity.”
Jesse looked away.
“I’m sorry,” Magnusson continued after a moment. “It has been a very long time since I understood the nuances of human emotion. I sometimes forget that.”
“No kidding…Sir,” he added after an awkward moment.
“I think you really had best start calling me Emory.”
Jesse’s skin heated. “Okay…Emory.”
Jesse is the black sheep - the screwup
His decisions aren't the brightest but he's not a bad guy
His life is about to change when his bff, and IMO the driver of his trouble bus, Trixy talks him into helping her get her next great story
Let's just say things did not go as planned - or maybe they did?
Emory is fighting his own battles. Besides the bigotry against his race, he has another issue that is truly the heart of why he has returned home
Turns out Emory needs Jesse to accomplish this
I am not giving spoilers here - the way the author revealed this was so perfect.
I was so happy to be back in this universe!
I was first introduced to the haemophiles in Blood Winter duet-
Alec's story
Don't worry you do not need to read it first as this is a standalone, but I can guarantee you'll want to after finishing Jesse and Emory's tale
This story had me hooked from beginning to end dragging me through a gauntlet of emotions
Watching Jesse question his worth. His feelings toward Emory.
Emory's battle to be seen as more than just a monster.
This served up a little bit of everything
Then when you add in the insane chemistry between these two that was so palpable it bled off the pages - Not just the smexy (which was off the rails), but the way they fit together so seamlessly filling in all those empty spaces
I laughed, blushed, shed those silent tears and so much more
There are also a couple of secondary storylines that run in the background simultaneously that IMO just add to the overall enjoyment of Touch in the Night
I do wish we had the chance to see some of the events from Emory's perspective, though that may just be me being greedy
About the Author
S.J. Coles is a Romance writer originally from Shropshire, UK. She has been writing stories for as long as she has been able to read them. Her biggest passion is exploring narratives through character relationships.
She finds writing LGBT/paranormal romance provides many unique and fulfilling opportunities to explore many (often neglected or under-represented) aspects of human experience, expectation, emotion and sexuality.
Among her biggest influences are LGBT Romance authors K J Charles and Josh Lanyon and Vampire Chronicles author Anne Rice.
Author Links
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