Released: December 2014
Publisher: MLRPress
Blurb
While on
a break at Martin's Department Store, Derek Campbell, aka Santa, wishes aloud
for a little something for Santa and he gets it, and more.
Derek
Campbell loves his job as Santa at Martin's, but finds himself wishing for a
little something for himself. He's surprised when an elf hears his request and
answers him. Derek gets more than he bargained for when he meets young Michael
and then Max, who just happens to own Martin's. He falls in love with both of
them and they him, then something happens, something bad. They overcome because
they're strong together, and they have a good Christmas. But then, even worse
things happen. What now? What follows is a wonderful holiday story filled with
love, adventure, fear, hope, and kittens. This is a re-release but has been
greatly expanded and re-edited.
Excerpt
“And what do you want for
Christmas, young man? Have you been a good boy this year?” Derek muttered,
leaning back against the wall in the dark hallway. He answered himself, too.
“I’ve been an exemplary boy,
Santa. All I want is someone to love me. Is that too much to ask? A little
something for Santa for a change. No more losers and no more rough stuff. I
just want someone nice, someone who’ll see me.”
Derek was tired of guys who were self-centered or who expected things from him
that he wasn’t into, like pain, for example. So, he was cute. He’d heard it all
his life. Big f’ing deal. Cute didn’t pay the bills. Hard work and several odd
jobs were barely doing it.
“I see you,” said a small voice
to his right, about knee level.
Derek jumped and nearly said a
word Santa really wouldn’t say, especially in front of a young…his eyes
widened…elf?
“Okay, I’m the only Santa on
today and I know you’re not one of mine. So, who are you?” Derek looked down at
the little tow-headed elf with big sky-blue eyes by his side. Holding his
little hat in his hand, the young elf looked up at him with quiet contemplation,
then nodded his head as if having decided something.
“I’m Michael, not Mike, but
Michael. Do you know anything about main headaches?” Michael asked, seriously.
Derek was a little lost, but he
still had about forty-five minutes before he had to go back for another three
hours before the store closed. He could see what Michael, not Mike, wanted.
“I know some. My mom used to have
them.” Derek figured Michael was talking about migraine headaches. His mother
had suffered greatly and Derek had eventually gotten pretty good at easing her
pain. He missed her terribly, having lost her after heart surgery that just
didn’t happen in time. Those bills were part of why he was so strapped for
money now. He had a good way to go before the bills were paid off, but he sent
some regularly and was thankful the hospital was allowing him to pay if off
slowly.
“If you come with me, I will meet
you to someone who is not a loser and he’s never rough with anybody. But he’s
got a really main headache again.” With that, Michael took Derek’s hand and
tugged. Intrigued, Derek let the funny little elf lead him to an elevator that
he’d never noticed before.
“Where are we going?” Derek
asked.
“To see my dad, but we have to be
quiet ‘cause he’s really sick right now.” Ah, so his elf was really a child
whose father must work for the store.
When the elevator doors opened,
they were facing an office door. This was certainly not an area that Derek had
seen before. The carpet in the hall was thick and soft and the colors and
decorations screamed “Money”. This must be the place where the high,
mucketymucks, as his mom used to call the rich, must work. Michael again took
his hand and led him to it, opening it slowly and putting his other hand up to
touch his lips with his finger.
Derek nodded his understanding
and followed the boy into the darkened room. Michael closed the door and they
stood a few seconds, letting their eyes adjust to the low light. Derek could
see a huge desk on the other side of the room, in front of big windows that were
now curtained. There was a sound from the right and Derek saw a big man lying
on a long couch, his arm over his face. He knew that position, like there
wasn’t any way to get it dark enough to keep the pain away.
Michael stepped over to the man
and touched his arm, leaning down to whisper into his ear.
“Hmm?” Derek could barely hear
the word, the faint question.
Derek had never seen such a long
couch. The man, probably six feet four or five was stretched out and there was
still room, with big pillows, at both ends. Derek moved closer, his experience
kicked in, and he took over. Sitting with his back toward the end of the couch
by the man’s head, he leaned over and told him, “Shh, relax. Let me help you.”
“Can’t. Hurts. Michael, honey,
what’s…oh…” His questioning stopped and he groaned. Derek took hold of the
man’s shoulders and scooted closer to him, putting one leg behind to lie along
the back of the couch, thus enclosing the man. The other leg, he brought up,
close, making a warm soft cocoon for the man’s head and shoulders.
“Hey…” the man tried to sit up
and question what was going on, but pain made him subside again. Derek thought
he’d have to relieve his mind before he could relieve any of his pain.
“Michael brought me up here. I’ve
got about half an hour on my break left. I can help you if you’ll let me. Shh,
relax, my fat Santa suit makes a nice soft pillow, huh? I’m going to try what
used to work on my mom’s migraines, okay?”
There was no answer, but the man
relaxed back onto the V of Derek’s legs. Softly, Derek put his long fingers to
work, starting at the forehead and slowly, gently, stroking along it to the
temples. After a few minutes of this, with nothing but quiet acceptance from
the man in his lap, Derek moved a bit further back into the thick, dark blond
hair. With just a bit of light coming from a partially opened door, which led
to what Derek figured was a bathroom, Derek could see the lines of stress and
pain on the man’s face.
Looking around for Michael, he
found him sitting on the floor beside the couch, hand touching the fist that
was beside the man’s leg. Care and love for his parent radiated from the little
boy’s face and his posture.
“Relax you muscles if you can,
unclench your fist, let peace take you. Hold Michael’s hand.” Derek knew that
touch was a big part of the release of tension and pain. Clearly there was a
bond between these two. He watched as the man slowly opened his fingers and
Michael slipped his hand into the big man’s. The man sighed and Michael smiled
just a little.
About
AKM
I love to read M/M books. It’s hard to find me
without my Kindle in my hand. I never want to lose an opportunity to read and
have so many authors that I enjoy. The idea of being an author that readers
enjoy fills my heart. I’ve wanted to write since I was in high school and I
did. I wrote a short story for the school newspaper. Hooked.
I wrote three mainstream novels and got rejections
and just kind of lost interest. Then along came Brokeback Mountain and I
ordered the movie and got the script with it. Loved it. Then I went on line to
see if there way anything else like it. I found Cowboy Up from Torquere Press.
It was an anthology and had such good stories. I was more than hooked. I wanted
to do this. I wanted to write a story. Soon after that I went to a drag show in
my little town, heretofore unheard of, and watched these two guys dance. That
scene is in my first novel, Smart Alex. I couldn’t stop then.
You will find that I like to have my characters
meet, have feeling for each other, start a relationship, and then face some
kind of conflict together, instead of it being about whether they really like
each other or not. That’s just the way I like it. I want them as a unit facing
whatever comes. I also like to do series. I try to populate my books with
wonderful side characters that just beg for their own stories. Life is full of
side characters, right? Sometimes they just need their story told, too. (And
then you get to revisit the first couple and see how things are going!)
I now write for four different publishing houses
and love being an M/M author. Want to know what I like most about it? Oh, I
love getting good critiques from places who specialize in that, but it’s the
readers who blow me away. I can’t believe the response I’ve gotten to some of
my books. They inspire me and make me want to do more and better. I love love
some of the connections with people in the industry.
Through ups and downs this career has kept me
going with the warmth I’ve received from other authors, publishing people, and
fans. I’m excited about future books that are swimming in my head right now. I
hope you love them, too.
Find AKM
Here
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