We’d like to welcome the great people behind Riptide Publishing to The Book Pushers, as they celebrate their first anniversary with blog tours, giveaways, excerpts and more!
Thank you for joining us for The Flesh Cartel virtual book tour! All week long, we’ll be giving readers an up-close look at our new psychosexual thriller, The Flesh Cartel. The first episode in this serial story, Capture, is now available for purchase via the Riptide Publishing website. Because October is also Riptide Publishing’s Anniversary Blog Hop Bash month, we’re giving away an extra special reader prize at every stop along this tour—and all month long! One commenter from every stop we make in October will win a $10 credit to Riptide Publishing. Simply leave a comment below by 11:59 pm on Sunday, Oct 7th (email address included) to enter. Visit the First Anniversary Blog Hop Bash page for our complete October schedule, and make sure to check out each stop to increase your chances of winning great prizes all month long!
Today, we’re bringing you an exclusive excerpt from the second episode of The Flesh Cartel, available November 1st, 2012.
Mat was done fighting.
When they lead him out of the exam room, he went willingly, head down, mouth shut. Good dog. It sickened him, how pliant he’d become, but he recognized the irrationality of that feeling. Coach Darryl had spent the last twelve years teaching him to be patient, pick his battles, go on the defensive when he needed to and strike only when the right opportunity arose. He was in no shape to fight right now—Tasered twice, beaten repeatedly, stuffed into a tiny cage for ten hours . . . not to mention the actual three rounds he’d gone in the ring before this clusterfuck had gone down. He couldn’t remember the last time he’d eaten. Was so thirsty it hurt him as much as his cuts and bruises. He’d be good to no one if he got himself killed.
Besides, what if they were taking him to Dougie?
They didn’t, though. Just an empty cell in a long line of them—twenty or thirty, maybe—though who knew if the other ones were empty or not. He dug his heels in instinctively at the narrow door with its little arrow-slit window at head height, the tiny cell no bigger than a walk-in closet, closed in on three sides with solid, padded walls and a padded floor. No bed. No sink. No toilet.
No way to kill yourself.
Like some third-world prison or backwater mental institution. For one horrifying moment, he couldn’t let them shove him inside. Couldn’t.
The blow to the kidney was so vicious he saw spots. He must’ve screamed, could feel the echo of it scraping in his throat.
“Mat!”
Dougie, oh God.
He threw himself forward against the closing door, but too late. Locked in. “Dougie? Dougie! Are you—” Okay? How patently fucking ridiculous. Of course he wasn’t okay. “Are you hurt? Did they hurt you?” He pounded the door with both fists. So padded he barely felt the shock of it. “Dougie, answer me, kiddo!”
A pause, and then, “I’m . . .” Was he in the cell right next door? Oh please God let him be as close as he sounded. “I’ll live,” he said finally, echoing Mat’s own typical post-fight reply, minus any hint of the usual glibness. “You? Did they . . .” A hitch, maybe a little sob. His voice sounded sandpaper rough, wet with tears. “. . . make videos of you?”
Mat found himself just as choked when he said, “Yeah.” The thought of Dougie being raped on camera, tortured like they’d tortured Mat, and for what? Would they end up on some BDSM porn tube with a bullshit disclaimer that all models were having fun? In some sick old fuck’s private wank collection?
“They microchipped me.”
Fuck. “Me too, Dougie.”
“Why would they do that?”
Mat leaned his forehead against the little slit in the door, let his eyes close for just a moment. That question had been haunting him from the moment the doc had tagged him. “I don’t know, Dougie.”
Another sniffle. A too-long pause. Then, “My arm hurts.”
“Mine too.” And then, even though he knew it was ridiculous, a flat-out lie, “It’ll be all right, Dougie. Just . . . just try to get some rest, okay? Close your eyes. Go to sleep. I’ll—” Stand guard. Protect you. More lies. “I’ll be right here, I promise.”
# # #
Thanks so much Riptide for sharing with us!! The Book Pushers wants to wish you all a very Happy Anniversary!! To win the $10 store credit at Riptide, just leave a comment with your favorite Riptide book, or which book you are most looking forward to getting. Giveaway is open internationally. Good Luck!
*covers eyes and skips right to comments section to tell you* I’m not reading, I’m not reading!! Having to read it in episodes is torture enough! ;D
Just like in book 1, this excerpt…my heart hurts…for Mat, but mostly, for Dougie. Please, please Rachel/Heidi…be gentle w/ him the rest of the way. He’s already been through so much… *sigh*
I just want to cuddle those boys and give them each a cookie, AAGH! I don’t know if I can take seeing them suffer, but the excerpt is so engaging that I can feel its siren call…
vitajex(at)aol(dot)com
I can’t believe it has been a year, already. Happy One Year Anniversary, Riptide! You have published some remarkable works and I look forward in reading more.
Loved the excerpt and have added this to my must have list.
Thanks,
booklover0226 at gmail dot com
@Trix:
Isn’t that just the toughest part?
Thanks for stopping by!
@Trix:
I uh. . . I can’t promise anything on that front, sorry. :-X
Maybe eventually?
@Aija:
You are a stronger woman than me! LOL!
@Tracey D:
Thanks Tracey! Good luck on the drawing. 🙂
Happy Anniversary Riptide! I would say my favorite 3 books (couldn’t choose just one!) so far from Riptide are: Country Mouse by Amy Lane, Second Hand by Marie Sexton & Heidi Cullinan and Stars and Stripes by Abigail Roux.
I’m looking forward to reading Stars and Stripes.
Argh…didn’t mean to read the excerpt but couldn’t help myself! I’m really, really hoping that at some point in the overall set a lot of people come to very nasty ends. I can hope anyway!
Just bought the season of this, although I probably won’t read until the end of the month.
I am also anxious to read the Power Play books. They are currently in my cart at Riptide.
I am looking forward to Santuario…sounds really good.
chellebee66(at)gmail(dot)com
I hope I can take more torment! Congrats, Riptide on your first year,
Poor Mat and Dougie. 🙁 Heartbreaking to see what they are going through.
lkbherring64(at)gmail(dot)com
Count me in please. Thanks!
Playing catch up! I love finding new to me books, authors, and blogs on these hops. Thanks!
I would love to read the Power Play books. Still catching up on my reading though. It may take me a bit to get there.
mel
bournmelissa at hotmail dot com
Bought lots, but always nice to get one free. Just pick me and I will pick a wonderful book to read. Thank you!
I’m so glad for the excerpt. After I read the first episode, I was desperately trying to make new pages appeared. MAke me glad I already preordered the season 2…
Good job girls!
MC
contact at mchoule dot com
It sounds so intense that I want to read,I tell myself I can’t read but have to,already hooked by excerpt.Thank you.
@AlbertaGirl:
I loved Country Mouse! So funny 🙂
@Stephanie:
You and many, many others, judging by how the Riptide site crashed the night it came out!
@Sarah:
My lips are sealed! :-X
@Jody:
The Powerplay books are so fantastic! Super intense, but by the second book there’s a great romance developing, too. 🙂 Thank you!
@Michelle (MiMi):
Thanks for stopping by! I’m looking forward to Santuario too. 🙂
@Urb:
Thank you for reading! 😀
@Lisa H:
And it only gets worse 🙁 Thanks!
@Gigi:
Counted! Thanks for stopping by!
@Mel Bourn:
The Powerplay books are SO worth it. I read both in one sitting!
@Donald Hamilton:
Good luck Donald! Thanks for stopping by, and for reading Riptide. 🙂
@MC Houle:
Glad to help tide you over. Did you read the character interviews, too? Less than a month to go until episode 2!
@Cornelia:
It is DEFINITELY intense. If you’re not sure if it’s for you, Riptide has really detailed warnings and a looooooooong excerpt to help you make up your mind. 🙂 Thanks for stopping by!
Happy Anniversary. Thanks for the giveaway. Tore923@aol.com
Happy Anniversary Riptide and thanks for the great books this past year.
Nice teaser! Cant wait to read more! Thanks!
shadowluvs2read(at)gmail(dot)com
Thank you to The Book Pushers for hosting Rachel Haimowitz & Heidi Belleau on their ‘The Flesh Cartel Blog Tour’ & celebrating Riptide Publishing on their One Year Anniversary.
I’d like to Congratulate Riptide for their Great accomplishment & wishing them many, many more years! You have brought your Readers the most Incredible Group of LGBTQ Authors & their Amazing Books. I’m definitely a Riptide Fan.
Also a BIG Thank You to Rachel & Heidi for taking the time out of your busy day to spend with Us & giving Us a LQQk inside “The Flesh Cartel #2: Auction” to be released on Nov. 5th. Ladies, you continue to keep me on the edge of my seat, to pull me right into the scenes you treat Us to & always leave me wanting MORE!!! OMG I “really” felt for Mat & Dougie, I wanted to rescue them myself & let them know everything would be Ok! That is the impact this Book is having on me. All I can say Ladies is….AMAZING!!!!
I will most definitely be purchasing “The Flesh Cartel, Season 1: Damnation”, consisting of “The Flesh Cartel #1: Capture” & “The Flesh Cartel #2: Auction” & the 4 Books in Season #2 to start, “The Flesh Cartel, Season 2: Fragmentation”.
I would very much appreciate the opportunity to be considered in your very generous giveaway.
Take Care Rachel, Heidi & Brief Encounters…& Stay Naughty,
PaParanormalFan (Renee’ S.)
paranormalromancefan at yahoo dot com
Happy anniversary! Nice excerpt. I’m looking forward to all their books.
bn100candg(at)hotmail(dot)com
These stories sound like they are must reads. I have already added them to my must have list and can’t wait to read them. Thanks so much for the post, excerpt and giveaway.
June
manning_j2004 at yahoo dot com
Happy Anniversary! I would say wither of the Power Play books.
acm05atjuno.com