BOOK TOUR: Mythical Desires by M.L. Eaden (Excerpt & Giveaway + Guest Post)
The Saint George Chronicles
The Saint George Chronicles Book 1
A Mythical Desires Universe Novella
by M.L. Eaden
Genre: LGBTQ Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
A Mythical Desires Universe Series
Gregor Lyndon became a public safety officer to help people. Greg thought he left his family’s legacy of canonized heroes that rescued maidens from dragons. What he can never get away from is his family’s ability: the power to take down a dragon with one killing blow.
Xavior Brantley has lived a somewhat reckless life for a dragon. He’s been an explorer, an investigator, traveled to parts of the world that individuals have barely ventured. When he became bored, he turned to public servant work. A transfer to a local headquarters makes things a lot more interesting when he meets Greg and discovers the secret of the Saint George Knight.
The Saint George Chronicles is a spicy/slow burn gay dragon shifter romance with a HFN. The Mythical Desires Universe is a queer-centric world where myth and legends exist alongside advanced science and technology.
Content Warnings can be found in the front matter or at mleaden.com
Bookfunnel link: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/yji6nberzl
From Chapter 4 of The Saint George Chronicles:
I saw a flash of magic even though the external imagers hadn’t picked up anything. It looked like the shop’s stop-goo device was triggered. I sprinted from my vehicle to the front door with another stop-goo pack in hand. What I saw suspended in the goo was definitely new. That alone made the transfer to Jefferson headquarters worth it.
The small being jabbered while they held the bag of stolen goods in one hand and a knobby stick in the other. They were barely taller than a ten-year-old human, their skin was a pale green, and they had a black, pencil-thin mustache that extended past their rather predominate chin. While I didn’t understand everything they said, the context indicated they were upset, to put it mildly.
“Lyndon? Mr. Kim?” I asked, while the chatty figure in the stop-goo continued. “Is everyone alright?”
“We’re fine, Brantley,” Greg said in a shaky voice. “We’re behind the counter.”
I walked around the corner to see Greg and Mr. Kim hugging each other, shaking. “You don’t look fine. I’m calling for EMS.” I pulled out my phone and called central.
“Brantley,” Greg said, with a tone of warning.
“Lyndon. You both look like you’re a few shivers away from shock. The paramedics will have something they can use to counter whatever they did.”
“The stop-goo worked?”
“Yeah. I’m looking at them right now. They sound upset based on what little Korean I know. Mr. Kim, do you know what they’re saying?” I hoped so, or it was going to be a long night with a linguistic witch.
Mr. Kim let go of Greg and sighed. “More or less. Grandmother had a little ritual she would do once a month and said it was for her little helper, that they brought good luck. We thought she did it out of habit, just something she learned as a child, but I guess it was more than that. That’s a Dokkaebi.”
The small person went quiet. Mr. Kim frowned as they glanced in the being’s direction, even though they couldn’t see them from behind the counter. I shook my head and asked, “What’s a Dokkaebi?”
“A kind of spirit, I guess. A little like a goblin, maybe. There are all kinds, but some cause mischief if you don’t do a ritual to keep them happy. As long as you keep them happy, they bring blessings and good fortune, so the stories go.” Mr. Kim sighed again.
“Can we contact your grandmother to see if she can help?” I would be upset too if something stopped from doing what was in my nature to do, especially if it was because of a particular family. It reminded me of Greg’s predicament a little.
“No, unfortunately, she’s not with us any longer,” Mr. Kim sounded like his teeth were clacking together as he tried to speak. “And I don’t know the ritual myself. My mother might, if grandmother told her.”
When EMS showed up, Mr. Kim and Greg were treated for their symptoms while I coordinated with the other two patrol units and the linguistics witch. The stop-goo would not hold for much longer, so I dissolved it with a neutralizer and asked the Dokkaebi to wait. If their face was anything to go by, my Korean was horrible.
Mr. Kim called a local family friend who had experience dealing with spirits. After an hour with a linguistics spell and the friend, Mr. Kim had the basics for the ritual requested by Hyun-Shik, the Dokkaebi.
Additional Excerpt from Chapter 35:
Xavior showed up at work the next day with two coffees and a smile on his face. I felt the weight of what I had to tell him like a millstone around my neck. When he handed me my coffee, I thanked him, and at the same time, we said, “We need to talk.”
He nodded, and I tried to be casual about it. “Let’s go for a walk.”
Xavior followed, and we walked a block or two, drinking our coffees, before I spoke up. “I’m going to request a transfer.”
“Really? Why?” I thought I heard a note of concern in his voice, which wasn’t surprising, but he must have known this was coming.
“We’re doing alright as a team, but we keep avoiding each other. It’s not like when we first started. Things have shifted between us. I’d like us to go out on a high note. They offered me a promotion. It might be time to take the captain up on that. I could transfer to another department, and we can move on with our lives.”
“No.”
I stopped walking. “What?”
“You heard me. I said no.” He had his arms crossed over his chest, coffee cup tucked under one shoulder, with frustration and worry etched into every inch of his body.
“You don’t have a choice, and I think it would be easier on you, considering your situation.”
“What the fuck do you mean by that?” Xavior asked, as his voice rose in volume.
“You’ve been erratic and somewhat emotional.” I could hear the frustration in my voice. Why did he have to be so stubborn about this? “Does any of that sound familiar?”
“Maybe,” he said, and looked away.
The flippant answer pissed me off. “Don’t maybe me, asshole. You either are or are not in an aging cycle. Which is it?”
“You know about aging cycles?” He looked at me with wide eyes and seemed to be on the verge of a panic attack.
I nodded. “It was part of my training. Right now, you are at your most vulnerable, regardless of my ability.” Especially if he was in the process of mating, which might be why he was with Jordan last night.
Xavior rocked on his feet as he stood next to me and looked at the ground. “Maybe I am, but that has nothing to do with us working together.”
If you could catch a dragon in their cycle, then you had leverage. I hated to think that way, but you don’t forget things when they were drilled into your brain throughout your childhood.
I took a sip of my coffee. “It’s dangerous, Xavior.” He didn’t respond to that. “You’re taking an unnecessary risk by working with me. It’s for the best.” When he stayed quiet, I decided I had said enough. I started to walk back toward headquarters. He didn’t deny he was in an aging cycle. I wanted to ask if he and Jordan were mates now, but I couldn’t bring myself to do it.
I was half a block away when Xavior yelled, “Best for who?”
I turned around and shook my head. “Xavior, go home. I’ll square things with the captain and tell him you took a couple of days off. When you come in on Monday, you can start over with a new partner and not worry about me.”
He caught up with me, grabbed my arm. “Like fuck you’ll square it with anyone.”
He pulled me a few steps into an alleyway. I assumed he wanted more privacy since we were practically yelling at each other. Instead, Xavior pushed me up against the brick wall and kissed me. Xavior’s lips. Fuck, it was all I wanted for months, and now that it was happening, and I’d frozen up. I was afraid of the contact, yet I wanted it more than anything else in the world.
Xavior pulled back, and I read a hint of fear in his eyes. I knew I had to chase his worries away. I turned us and pressed him against the wall instead and kissed him with everything I had, determined to let him know he had done nothing wrong. He moaned, and I could feel it vibrate through my body.
When we finally stopped, we were holding each other between two recycling units, our coffees painting the pavement under us.
“Okay, new plan,” I offered, as I pressed my forehead to his. Xavior chuckled. I was still trying to think of one when Xavior spoke up.
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Death Warmed Over
Vampire Accords Book 1
A Mythical Desires Universe Novella
by ML Eaden
Genre: LGBTQ Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
A Mythical Desires Universe Novel
During the height of the Necromancer War, Mason’s fate was decided. While grappling with the transition from human to vampire, Mason assists in the infected ward, continuing her work as a medic. That’s where she meets Ian. Not Everyone survives to become a vampire and Ian becomes her mentor in all things undead.
Over a century later, Mason seeks Ian’s help after she rescues a young girl. The reunion isn’t the stuff of fairytales as Mason discovers Ian has a new lover, Jason. And Dorothea, the mysterious young girl, is more important than they realize.
Each answer Mason discovers leads further into a plot to retaliate against the one person who mediates between vampires and the rest of the world—The Envoy, Lennix Creighton. With so many lives in the balance, Mason risks her own undead existence to discover the truth.
Death Warmed Over is a spicy vampire polyamory speculative fiction with a HFN. The Mythical Desires Universe is a queer-centric world where myth and legends exist alongside advanced science and technology.
Content warnings can be found in the front matter or at mleaden.com
Bookfunnel link: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/w0jxnsvjhb
Excerpt from Chapter 20:
I was waiting for the bathwater to drain when Ian and Jason appeared at the bathroom door.
“Little one all tucked in?” Jason smiled with his arm wrapped around Ian’s shoulders. Ian had an odd look on his face.
“She’ll be out for a few hours at least. I’m not sure what happens later when she’s awake during the day and we’re all dead.”
“I left out some cereal and fruit if she wakes before us.” Ian shrugged. “And I asked one of my relatives to come over and check on her in the morning.”
“I’ll make sure to leave out the tablet. Hopefully, that will keep her entertained.” I sighed. “Best we can do at this point besides make sure we spell the doors shut.”
“Easy enough. I’ll leave a key for my relative. It will get them through the magic wards.”
The guys stood there and stared. “Well, if there isn’t anything else, I’m going to take a shower.”
They exchanged a look. “Would you rather take a bath. . . with us?” Ian offered.
The smile that formed on my face must have been comical because they chuckled. “Is that a yes?” Jason prompted.
“That sounds lovely.”
Ian came into the bathroom and offered his hand. I took it. He led me past Jason. I grabbed Jason’s hand, and we all went to the other wing of the house which I hadn’t seen it in quite some time.
When we arrived at the main bedroom, there was a banked fire, three robes on the bed, and three glasses of wine already poured. I heard what sounded like whirlpool noises coming from the ensuite.
“You two were rather sure of yourselves.”
“Oh please, you’ve been giving us ‘fuck me’ eyes most of the night. We’d already be here if we didn’t have to worry about half-pint. She’s cute, but a handful.” Jason’s bluntness made me laugh and Ian blushed. I missed that blush. Ian handed me a glass, then handed one to Jason.
“A toast?”
We held up our glasses. “To odd circumstances, old lovers, and new. Here’s to new memories together,” Ian said.
The glasses made a soft clink as we tapped them. I didn’t have the heart to tell them I’d be gone after I’d figured out how to get Dorothea back to her father. No sense in ruining the mood. Ian reached over and rubbed my shoulder. When I glanced at him, he gave me a slight nod.
Our connection. He knew this was temporary for me. It might be why Jason agreed to it, or wanted it. Ian always wanted me, which was nearly the only thing that was consistent with our relationship. It wasn’t a bother, because I always wanted him, too.
I took another drink of my glass, and then Jason tried to take it from me. Instead of giving up the last quarter, I drank it off. “Well, okay then,” he said, as I set the glass down. He took my hand and led me into their bathroom. Ian followed close behind.
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Rare Temptations
A Dragon Shifter Sapphic Romance
A Mythical Desires Universe Novella
by ML Eaden
Genre: LGBTQ Fantasy, Paranormal Romance
A Mythical Desires Universe Novella
When a very curious fire dragon approaches a demi-goddess for a job in her BDSM club, a subtle chemistry only a dragon can sense leads to a surprising attraction for both of them. As the resort’s summer season ends, they each have to sort through their feelings for the other and decide if this was a fling or something more.
Rare Temptations is a spicy dragon shifter romance. The Mythical Desires Universe is a queer-centric world where myth and legends exist alongside advanced science and technology.
Content Warnings can be found in the front matter or at mleaden.com
Bookfunnel link: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/n9vn7015az
Excerpt from Chapter 2:
And tonight, I came home, made a drink, and put on my comfiest nightie. Then went to my private porch, lit a fire in my chiminea, then flopped on my outdoor loveseat with the romance novel I was in the middle of reading.
It was so comfortable, in fact, I must have dozed because sometime later, I woke up to something licking my face. With my eyes closed, I swiped at it, and whatever it was left only to return. It tickled a little, and that’s when I opened my eyes.
Ever wonder how your life might end? I’ve had a long one, but when you have a dragon staring you in the face in the middle of the night, it makes you wonder if you’ve reached the end of the road, so to speak. Not that dragons had actually eaten anyone in centuries, that we knew of, but there was always a first time, maybe?
Adrenaline shot through me, and I had to remember my training. Dragons respond to fear, sudden movements, and have excellent eyesight in the dark. With that in mind, I tried to slow down my breathing so I could communicate.
“Hello. Are you aware that you’re in a private area?” Lee, seriously, that was wishy-washy, even for you.
The dragon’s head moved, and they blinked like they suddenly realized where they were. They took a step back, and I sat up and waited to see what they would do next. Though now that I didn’t have a face full of dragon teeth, I could admire the individual in front of me.
The red and black dragon, which was the approximate size of an African elephant, had beautiful golden-brown eyes and a crown of spiked protrusions. Their eyes reminded me of someone. “Ms. Morgan?”
She made a startled noise and leaped into the air, then was gone with a few beats of her wings. Something was clearly wrong, but I had no idea what. Whether it was brave or silly, I’d soon find out. I grabbed my empty glass, shut down my holo book, put out the fire with a flick of my wrist, and headed inside.
After throwing on a pair of jeans, a cotton tee, a hoodie, and tennis shoes, I left my bungalow to head to the apartment block where Francesca lived. I remembered her apartment number from the paperwork.
Once I reached her apartment, it occurred to me that maybe she would like to be left alone. But licking someone and flying off deserved an explanation, or so I thought. So, instead, I knocked.
I half expected her to not open the door, but when she did, she reached for my hand and pulled me inside. I stood there in my least flattering outfit and practically had to put my eyes back in my head when I realized Francesca was still nude.
Dragons were comfortable with nudity; I knew that. Maybe she assumed because of my job, it would be alright. And usually, that would be true, but fuck, she was gorgeous, slightly taller than me, and had natural hair with curls that cascaded around her head. I might be a goddess by birth, but she looked like one in the low light of her apartment. With her golden-brown eyes that could mesmerize you and beautiful brown skin that looked flawless, she took my breath away.
“Ms. Eilidh. I’m sorry.”
“For what?” Because my brain was scrambled and remembering why I’d come to her apartment was the last thing on my mind. “Oh, that. It’s okay. I was worried about you, though. Are you alright?”
“I don’t know.” She moved to her couch and curled up on it. Her response gave me cause for concern, so I followed and sat next to her.
We didn’t speak for a long time. I broke the silence when it looked like Francesca was too lost in her thoughts. “Is there someone I could contact to help you?”
“Oh, well, not really. I don’t know what’s happening to me, and it wouldn’t be a good idea to involve other dragons until I do.” The disconcerting nature of her tone and the frown on her face compelled me to offer what help I could.
“I’m familiar with some things regarding dragon senses. Would it help to describe it? I’m willing to help if I can.”
She looked at me, then turned her gaze to the window. “At first I thought it was another aging cycle. My first one was last year, and it’s rare, if not impossible, to have two so close together. I didn’t have this kind of response working and meeting people here last summer. Something about your smell makes me feel like I’m high on lust or a drug specifically tailored to make me desire someone. Does that make sense? It’s distracting and pleasant, and I find myself drawn to it because desire and lust are very unfamiliar sensations for me.” Her gaze found mine.
While I had clients describe our sessions as a kind of high, or causing a similar response to a drug—because pain and pleasure can do that—I’ve never caused that response indirectly that I knew of, until now. “Would it be better if I left?”
“Probably, but I don’t want you to.” She moved, and I watched like a mouse. It was an odd sensation. No one ever made me feel like I was small. I’m not a small woman. My eyelashes were the only thin part of me, and I wore a glamor to fix that. But I wasn’t wearing my tradecraft now. Nor was I dressed to meet clients or help with the club. I was me, unadorned and completely vulnerable to whatever the dragon in front of me did next.
Which was to kiss me.
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How did you come up with the concept and characters for the book?
I was stuck on another project and a good author friend of mine (Kharma Kelley – awesome stuff btw, definitely check them out) suggested I work on some flash fiction prompts to break me out of the writer’s slump I was having. I took their suggestion and that’s how Xavior and Gregor came into existence. I still have the original flash fiction. The prompt said to write a story about a famous piece of art. For whatever reason, the iconic image of St. George spearing a dragon came to mind first. From there I went, what if this was the present day, and now it’s an entire universe.
Do you have any “side stories” about the characters?
I still love the short story format. I have several side stories about the characters. Some I’ve even shared, and others I’ve kept to myself. I’ll have ideas pop into my head all the time about little scenes that happened or could happen. I try to write them down so I have them, and maybe that becomes a full story, or it stays as is, I never know until I know.
What can we expect from you in the future?
In 2023, I’m releasing the second volume of The Saint George Chronicles. Now that Xavior and Gregor are together, they have to take the next step. What they don’t expect is for Xavior’s ex to show up and cause problems.
In May, I’m releasing Prince’s Tide. It’s a merfolk story about a fishing boat captain who met a merman, then lost him. Then the merman shows up on his boat a year later, and he’s not sure if it’s real or not. While they do spend time above the water, the real story happens in the ocean and the reader gets to explore life with the merfolk.
I also have another novella planned for the Vampire Accords series, and I’ll be working on another series that I’m calling the Artificial Phoenix. All of it will be some flavor of queer, and have plenty of spicy scenes for readers to enjoy.
M.L. Eaden works by day in the tech industry, but at night, she reads books, writes stories, throws axes, and is an avid gamer with a current addiction to Azul. Originally from the sunflower state, she migrated to one with a lone star—and more sun and tries desperately to keep up with two adorable cattle dogs that still act like they are five years old instead of the seniors their vet says they are.
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3 Comments
debby236
The books look amazing. The covers are amazing as well.
M.L. Eaden
Thank you! 🙂
neverhollowed
You’re welcome! 🙂