SERIES TOUR: Two Tribes by Kristian Parker (Excerpt & Giveaway + Q&A with Author)
SERIES TOUR
Two Tribes Series by Kristian Parker
The mean streets of Manchester are the scene for a blood thirsty gang war. But with battle lines drawn, three heroes find themselves falling in love at the worst possible time.
The war for supremacy has begun.
NEW RELEASE – BOOK 1
Book Title: Fool’s Gold
Author: Kristian Parker
Publisher: Pride Publishing
Cover Artist: Erin Dameron-Hill
Release Date: March 14, 2023
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Tropes: Forbidden love, opposites attract
Themes: Gangster, action
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 52 069 words/233 pages
It is not a standalone book, but does not end on a cliffhanger
Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited
First for Romance | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Falling in love can be a deadly business.
Blurb
Liam Moseley has been living a lie ever since he joined Manchester’s notorious crime boss Jonny Wellingham ten years ago. Liam is gay, and that could get him killed in the deadly world he has fallen into.
When he meets handsome Italian Marco Ponti, Liam’s whole world is turned on its head. Marco is in town looking for business opportunities for his uncle in Rome, and makes Liam see his life in a brand-new light.
But all is not as it seems, especially when Marco shows Liam the past isn’t always as it appears and the future can change in the blink of an eye. In a dangerous world where each job could be Liam’s last, he finds himself fighting for love as well as survival.
Liam will have to put everything he holds dear on the line to make his dreams come true.
Excerpt
“So you’re Manchester born and bred?” Marco asked.
“Can’t you tell by the accent?” Liam replied.
Marco beamed. “I love the Manc accent. It’s so…expressive.”
“That’s the first time I’ve heard it called that before,” Liam said. “I’d rather have an Italian one.”
“You find it sexy?”
Marco’s eyes dared him to answer honestly. Something about this guy gave Liam confidence. No man had ever had this effect on him. “Yeah, I do,” he replied before glancing down.
“Why do you do that?” Marco asked, leaning forward, his elbows on the table.
“Do what?” he asked.
“Break eye contact every time you say something. Are you ashamed?”
Liam shifted uncomfortably. “No, it’s not that.”
“Tell me what it is, then?” Marco asked, his voice soothing and sincere.
“I guess I don’t think I have anything to say worth listening to,” he replied, eventually.
To his astonishment, Marco’s foot connected with his leg. The pressure told him it was absolutely on purpose.
“I respectfully disagree, Liam. I think I’d listen to you. Whatever you had to say.”
He had that burning sensation on his neck again. It had made him so paranoid at school.
“Sorry, I have made you blush,” Marco continued.
“Don’t worry about it. I always bloody blush. They called me Po at school because of it.”
Marco frowned. “What?”
“The red Teletubby?” Liam expected him to burst into that laughter again. Most people did when he confided this, but instead, Marco just shook his head.
“Kids can be so cruel. But who cares? They are in your past.”
“Yeah, they’re probably sweeping up shit in the hospital now. Serves them right.”
This time Marco did seem amused. “Said with true passion. I like it. So, what do you do, Liam?”
Here it came. The inevitable question. He could hardly say he was a lackey for one of the biggest gangsters in the northwest of England, so he reverted to his stock answer. “Oh, you know, bit of this, bit of that. How about you?”
“As I said, my uncle works in shipping. I’m over here seeing if there is any potential to expand to Manchester.”
Liam nodded. “The city is booming. You could do a lot worse.”
“That’s what I thought. I like what I see more and more.”
The look which followed that statement practically oozed with intent. This time, Liam forced himself to meet Marco’s gaze. “I’ve never been to Italy, but maybe I should,” he replied. “Rome seems pretty good from where I’m sitting.”
“Ah, you definitely should,” Marco said, leaning back. “It is beautiful. I’ve been the length and breadth of it with my job. I worked in Venice recently. Bellissima.”
Liam had seen pictures of the water world on television. “Better than the canals in Manchester. They’re just full of shopping trolleys and used condoms.”
Marco laughed again. It was so loud and carefree that Liam had to stop himself from looking around to see if anyone noticed. But he forced himself to relax and ended up giggling along with him. It had been so long since he’d done something like this.
“This is better,” Marco said.
“What is?”
“You are relaxing. You seemed very tense earlier,” Marco said. “I thought perhaps you’d changed your mind about me.”
“Oh, nothing like that,” Liam said hurriedly. “It’s just that I’m not out, you see. I don’t normally do this.”
Marco’s stunning eyes widened. “Who isn’t out these days?”
Shaking his head, Liam took a swig of his drink. “Me,” he said, placing the drink down. “In my line of work, it isn’t the done thing.”
A group of lads banged through the door. Liam frantically scanned each face but didn’t recognise any of them.
“Wow. I can’t imagine being in the closet. At my eighteenth birthday party, I came out. I figured if I had to enter adulthood, people should know what they were dealing with. Although I like to make a statement now and then. It keeps them on their toes.”
The lads were being quite rowdy. Even the barman appeared nervous.
“You’re very brave,” Liam said.
“Not really. My uncle is gay too, so it was a well-beaten path. No one in our family cares as long as you’re healthy and happy.”
“Sounds perfect.”
Marco chuckled, but Liam couldn’t relax. He watched the group of lads out of the corner of his eye. He could spot trouble a mile off, and these lads were desperate for it.
“We’re a long way from perfect, believe me,” Marco said. “But we get by.”
Liam drained his glass. “You want another?”
Marco shook his head. “There are a lot of things I’d like from you, Liam…but another drink is not one of them.”
The change in tempo took Liam by surprise. Heat crept over his face and he didn’t know what to say in return. He had never been any good at the whole game-playing thing. “Just nipping to the loo,” he managed before bolting for the door.
BOOK 2 – COMING SOON
Book Title: Everything Changes
Author: Kristian Parker
Release Date: April 11, 2023
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Trope: Close proximity
Themes: Gangster, action
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 50 578 words
It is not a standalone book, but does not end on a cliffhanger
Buy Links – Available for Pre-Order
First for Romance | Amazon US | Amazon UK
Blurb
Fear can open doors we never dreamt possible.
Shaun Moseley is in a trap and it’s all his brother, Liam’ s fault.
Living a normal life running a B&B in Blackpool, he finds himself right in the middle of a gang turf war in Manchester. Shaun is an alien in this horrifying new world of drugs, guns and violence.
Shaun rebels against everyone, isolating himself in the process. But a terrifying experience opens his eyes to gang member Enzo Ponti. Shaun may be trapped for the time being, but that doesn’t mean he can’t have a little fun along the way, right?
He dismissed Enzo as just another hired killer but when he scratches the surface, he finds much more there.
But evil gangster, Jonny Wellingham, wants revenge on the gang and has set his sights on Shaun. Can he live long enough to find just how deep Enzo’ s waters are?
BOOK 3 – COMING SOON
Book Title: Don’t Look Back In Anger
Author: Kristian Parker
Release Date: May 30, 2023
Genre: Contemporary M/M Romance
Trope: Second chance love
Themes: Gangster, action
Length: 50 123 words
Heat Rating: 4 flames
It is not a standalone book, but does not end on a cliffhanger.
Available for Pre-Order
Blurb
Revenge is best served cold, yet old embers can burn hot.
Lorenzo de Luca has come back to Manchester with revenge on his mind.
Supposedly killed by evil gangster Jonny Wellingham’s hitmen fifteen years ago, Lorenzo has waited a long time for this. He has to stay focused. And he does…until a past lover comes back into his life.
But old embers can spark a flame and the couple pick up where they left off—but the war has only just begun, and everyone is fair game…and Lorenzo’s distraction gives Jonny the opportunity he needs to strike a deadly blow.
Torn between his burning need for vengeance and the scorching heat of love, which will Lorenzo sacrifice?
Reader advisory: This book contains scenes of violence, murder, organised crime, sex work, and drugs trafficking. There are also instances of homophobia.
Q&A with Kristian Parker
Tell us a little about yourself and your writing goals.
Hi, my name is Kristian Parker and I’ve been writing M/M for two years now. I am having the best time. What a wonderful world to find myself in. My goals are to keep producing stories I am proud of and keep learning to improve my writing.
Congratulations on your new release. Please tell us a little bit about it. What’s your favorite aspect or part of the story? Do you have a favorite character? Who/Why?
Two Tribes is a gangster story set in Manchester, England. In the first book, Fool’s Gold, we meet Liam Moseley. He’s been in a gang for ten years and has no real direction. He’s also gay which is not acceptable in his world. Marco Ponti appears on the scene, and nothing will be the same again.
Book two, Everything Changes, is Shaun Moseley’s story. His younger brother, Liam has dragged him into a vicious turf war, and he is furious. Assigned a bodyguard in the shape of Enzo, Shaun dismisses him as a thug. Yet when he looks a little deeper, he finds so much more.
Don’t Look Back in Anger is the final instalment and sees the battle come to a thrilling conclusion. Lorenzo de Luca is back with a thirst for revenge. He doesn’t expect his own past to come to haunt him.
My favourite character is probably Marco. Even though he doesn’t get a story from his point of view, he is big in all three of the books. He is cheeky yet flawed. Those are the kind of characters I love to write.
Are you a planner or a pantser? How much do you know about your story before you start writing? How often does your plan change? Why does this work best for you?
Total planner. I tried pantsing for a short story and found the whole experience very stressful. I am in awe of people who can do it though. I do an outline, then put the main points of each chapter down. Then I go for it. That way, if ideas do crop up, they can be used. Maybe there is a touch of pantser in there somewhere.
Do you schedule a certain amount of time for writing each day/week, or do you just work it in when you can? Would you like to change this, or does your current method work well for you?
I get up at 5am every day and do two hours writing. Sad but true. I’m also lucky enough to have a writing day from work once a fortnight. My dream would be to do this full time. Who knows, maybe one day.
How do you develop a story idea? Do you always use the same method? Specifically, which do you develop first in your story building, the characters or the plot?
This is an interesting one because I’m not all that sure. Sometimes it can come from chatting with my editor, other times ideas appear out of nowhere. Usually when I’m in a dull meeting at the day job and my mind starts to wander.
For Queens Crescent, the idea of a series set on a billionaire’s row appeared and I just went with it. I wrote a list of all the interesting people who might be able to afford a house there and it built up.
Two Tribes was fairly easy. I know Manchester very well, having lived and worked there for over twenty years. I really wanted to write a series in the city. The idea for a gay gangster story set there had been going around in my mind for many years, so it seemed a no brainer.
What are your favorite genres when it comes to your own pleasure reading? Do you prefer to read ebooks or print?
Okay, I have a weird rule to myself. Don’t judge me. I like to read autobiographies in hardback, general fiction in paperback and m/m on the kindle. Don’t ask me why, I don’t make the rules.
What is your writing Kryptonite?
Blurb! I hate it so much. However, I am determined to win this particular war. Perhaps when I’ve written 100 books, I’ll have nailed it.
What is the best money you ever spent as an author?
Getting the professionals to do my PR. It is not as expensive as you would think, and it makes a huge difference. I still bumble around on social media of course, that’s different. Having someone to deal with ARCs and promo, is such a worthwhile thing to do.
What do you find to be the most difficult thing about writing characters from the opposite sex?
I honestly don’t find it difficult. I am blessed to have an army of strong women in my life, so I draw from them such a lot. Two have recently had beautiful babies so expect some new mothers to appear in my stories at some point. When I’ve stopped cuddling these little treasures.
How do you select the names of your characters?
I have to be careful that I don’t repeat. I’ve had two Andrews now. I may have to keep a log. I also try not to use names of people in my life for main characters. Let’s say, certain scenes would be impossible to write then.
For secondary characters, my life is fair game haha. I mix and match friends and colleagues’ names all the time. One of my friends who reads my stories finds it hilarious when she spots them. It’s like an i-spy side game for her.
What are the three best things about you?
My sense of humour. I do love to make people laugh. To the point of annoyance.
My curly locks. When it was lockdown, they got to frightening proportions. Think Joan Collins circa 1986. I still love them though.
My world. I’m lucky enough to have wonderful friends and family. I know it’s a bit cheesy, but I really would be lost without them.
What is your favorite ice cream flavor?
Chocolate. There’s a shop across the moors from where I live that does chocolate curly wurly ice cream. Curly Wurlys are chocolate covered caramel deliciousness. It’s worth the drive.
Who would play you in a movie about your life? Oh blimey, I’m going for Benedict Cumberbatch if he filled out a bit. He has the right hair ha
About the Author
I have written for as long as I could write. In fact, before, when I would dictate to my auntie. I love to read, and I love to create worlds and characters.
I live in the English countryside. When I’m not writing, I like to get out there and think through the next scenario I’m going to throw my characters into.
Inspiration can be found anywhere, on a train, in a restaurant or in an office. I am always in search of the next character to find love in one of my stories. In a world of apps and online dating, it is important to remember love can be found when you least expect it.
Author Links
Blog/Website | Facebook | Twitter
Instagram | Newsletter Sign-up
Giveaway
Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway for a chance to win
signed paperbacks of each book in the series.
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