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Born to write legends in manlove, Skye is a full time writer living in a ivory tower. Though no dragons currently occupy the space, three werecats, a irritatingly chipper parakeet, and a very understanding partner in crime provide endless entertainment. You can usually find her curled up in the den, watching bad reality TV, and dreaming up her next set of heroes. She welcomes comments and questions from her readers on her Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/SkyeDragen or just shoot her an email at [email protected].
LEGENDS OF AVALON: DRAGON TAMER
EXCERPT
Aden seized one of the knights. Tjaden’s eyebrows furrowed. He clearly couldn’t see the error that had allowed Aden to claim his piece. He hadn’t deliberately sacrificed the knight, though he could have if he’d been paying more attention to the games.
Aden licked his lips in a reptilian fashion. “Remove your tunic,” he commanded. Surprise flickered in his expression before the defiance built in Tjaden’s gaze. Aden’s eyes narrowed and smoke rose from his nostrils in a darkening cloud. “As per our agreement. You owe me a boon for claiming a higher piece.”
A muscle in Tjaden’s jaw ticked, but he obeyed, unbuckling the belt at his waist before drawing his tunic over his head and then folding it neatly into a pile next to him. Aden was again struck by the human’s beauty. He was quite intriguing. The idea of keeping Tjaden as a servant appealed more and more as the game wore on.
Their game resumed, and it wasn’t long before Tjaden sat naked in front of their match, his clothing in the same neat pile that he’d started. His arrogance was fading in slow degrees with every advancement Aden made.
“Och,” Tjaden murmured under his breath. “You’ve quite a wicked mind, dragon.”
“And you quite a wicked body, human. We’re both paying for my curiosity.” The idea of distracting Tjaden had backfired. Aden was the one distracted by Tjaden’s naked flesh.
The first board was almost empty by the time Aden gave a slow, triumphant smile. “Checkmate.” A string of curses exited the human’s mouth that would’ve made a sailor proud. “Regretting your choice of game yet, boy?”
“Tjaden,” the boy said in a steady voice. “Tjaden or Moore, whichever you prefer. But I’m not a boy or a lad or anything resembling a bairn. I’m a man.”
Yes, yes you are. He wasn’t normally so intrigued by human nakedness. “Fine.Tjaden then.”
Their game resumed with two chess boards remaining. Then something surprising happened. Aden started to lose.
He frowned, studying the boards closely. He couldn’t figure out where the traps were, but he was certain they were there. Without intending to, he’d fallen into the mindset that Tjaden’s human inferiority would also make him an inferior chess player. Like poker, chess required a bit of bluff. I’m going to lose. Everything in him rebelled at the thought, but he could say with a reasonable degree of certainty that he’d been set up nice and proper. The little sneak had let him win the previous match on purpose.
He gritted his teeth, unwilling to let Tjaden know he understood his strategy. Maybe there was time to correct the boards…
“Checkmate,” Tjaden said, smiling softly.
His eyes zeroed back on the board he’d been ignoring while he tried to correct the third board. A low growl issued from his throat before he could resist it. He abhorred being bested by a human, even a handsome one. “Tricky, tricky, Tjaden Moore. I won’t underestimate you again.”
“You’ve already lost, wee dragon, and you know it.” The human sounded downright giddy as he spoke.
“The game has not concluded as of yet,” Aden reminded. However, the human was correct. He was going to lose. Sighing heavily, he pouted. It wasn’t the most dignified way to conduct himself, but it was the only way he could resist the urge to lash out in frustration.
When Tjaden called checkmate for the final time, Aden was unsurprised. It’s only one day. One day as a human being. I don’t remember it being too terrible of an existence. He comforted himself with the knowledge.
“Per our agreement, Aden Canicus, I command you to assume human form,” Tjaden said, staring up into Aden’s eyes.
BEHIND THE SCENES
Q: What can we expect from you in the future?
A: Definitely more Legends from Avalon, a new series called Sidhe Bound, a Steampunk novella called Clockwork Romance, and a full-length novel called Twisted Roses where all the fun legends from Legends of Avalon and Sidhe Bound come from.
Q: What can readers who enjoy your book do to help make it successful?
A: Leave reviews, spread the links, and let people know what you thought of my piece.
Q: When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer?
A: I’ve wanted to be a writer since I could hold up a pencil in elementary school
Q: How long does it take you to write a book?
A: It really depends on the book and how well the words are flowing. Sometimes, it goes really fast and I can finish a piece in a couple days. Other times I will be working on a piece half that length and it will take four times as long.
Q: Where do you get your information or ideas for your books?
A: I am a little bit of a research nerd so I tend to do a lot of it. Sometimes a little piece of history or an odd fact will strike me and that will inspire a whole slew of new ideas.
Q: What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
A: When I’m not writing I like to park my butt on the couch and watch TV. Right now I’m really into Under the Dome and Grimm.
Q: What do you think makes a good story?
A: A good story will take the readers on a journey. Even if it is a story purely for entertainment, the story should pull them along and immerse them in whatever situation your character is in.
