ON THE RUN by Michael Mandrake: Blog Tour with Guest Post and Excerpt

I’m delighted to welcome Michael Mandrake to The Way She Reads today to tell us all about On The Run. Enjoy the quest post, information about the book and the series it’s part of, as well as an excerpt.

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For me, writing stories is fun, especially when you have inspiration to draw from, and in my case that could be anything. Current events, something that happened in my life, a picture or two I found on the net, sports, music lyrics, you get the picture. So, I’m saying basically ANYTHING could inspire me to write something and for this story, On the Run, it was a news report.

Since I love baseball, I pay special attention to the ongoing stories about players using steroids or performance enhancing drugs. If you’re familiar with Barry Bonds, you know he broke the home run record over a decade ago, and later it was revealed he might’ve been using steroids at the time.

So, you may ask, how did this become a story? Well, over a year ago, Yankees star Alex Rodriguez was caught and suspended by major league baseball for using performance enhancers or better known as PED’s. A report on 60 minutes came out about his supplier and how he was possibly targeted by Alex Rodriguez and threatened if he came forward about his involvement. Naturally, my brain started crafting a story based on that, and before I knew it, I was taking notes and researching for the story.

Now, months later, it’s about to be released and I’m stoked about people reading this tale. It’s a story of catch and chase with some m/m romance and a saucy female sidekick. I’d like to think James Bond with a gay main character and le gasp, he just happens to be a black englishman. This story starts a collection of books I call PROTEKT where all the characters are good guys and gals who get the job done, playing by their own rules.

I hope you’ll check it out. It’s up for pre-order and releases October 6^th.

Thanks for listening to me ramble.

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Book One of the PROTEKT SERIES

Living a double life is very dangerous…

Even more so when higher authorities and military agencies are envious of the position you hold and the money you make.

In the life of a PROTEKT agent, intelligence is key and the knowledge of guns must be second nature. Their sole mission—to get the job done swiftly with little mistakes. They’re paid well to handle all situations and hired to do things their own way, often disregarding the laws. Chief Wes gives them this freedom because being ruthless is usually required to finish the job.

When the world’s governments have run out of options, they request the assistance of PROTEKT to handle the situations no one else is able to solve. Only one thing could stand in the way of the agents success—his or her own desires for permanent companionship.

Tagline: Who would’ve thought that a British hit man would fall in lust at first sight with an American felon? This desire could become deadly for both.

Blurb

Aiden Moriarty is a Florida ‘herbalist’ who developed a performance enhancing drug many athletes have used. One of them is baseball star Ivan Salerno, who was caught using the drugs and is now on the brink of getting suspended. Because of Ivan’s connections with a rogue mob boss, Aiden is taken into a witness protection program, working along with baseball higher ups until he testifies.

The mob boss, Augustine Ora, has hired former British military officer and his best hitman, Devlin ‘Brit’ Crawford, to do the job. Ora has instructed Devlin to go to Miami, kidnap Aiden and take him to the local airport to be transported to Havana ,Cuba, to be executed by Ora’s top officers.

However, when Devlin receives the email, the pictures of the blue-eyed felon catch his eye and he is moved to go in a different direction. Instead of delivering Aiden to the airport, he has thoughts of taking him away and saving him from Ora’s wrath.

This move puts him, Aiden, as well as his assistant Miranda Ashley in huge danger. Will Devlin keep Aiden safe despite the odds or will he fail, causing Ora and his men come after him?

Links

Pride Publishing               Amazon                 Barnes and Noble

Excerpt

“Um.” Aiden cleared his throat, hoping Miranda didn’t have a quick trigger finger. “I know it’s a risk what you’re doing—a huge one—but I can make it worth your while. I really can. And, uh, after the talk we had in the car—”

“You were thinking we could have something, hmm?”

Aiden swallowed hard and looked down at his feet. He clasped his hands together as if he was praying for something. “We could if you don’t deliver me to Ora.”

“Aw, isn’t that so cute, D? The American is begging you to spare him. He’s so adorable. Don’t let that overweight sonofabitch win, yeah? You need someone and hell, you’ve been saying how much you’ve wanted to get away from Ora for a while.”

“True, very true. See, Aiden? It’s not really all about you. My bird is right when she says I need a chap in my life. However, my reason for keeping you away is more about being a rebel. I haven’t been happy with the way Ora does things for quite a while. Additionally, I’d like to see that cheater Salerno go down in flames, because I don’t really like cheaters.”

“Neither do I,” Aiden responded.

“But you helped these men get ahead with drugs so, obviously, you take no real issue with it.”

“Yeah I do.” Aiden laughed nervously. “I just wanted to do something different and make some cash.That’s all. Hey, if you keep me alive, you can help me expose him and Engel, too. I’ve got no doubt the guy may be working for Ora—or even Salerno.”

“You might be right there, but the question still remains…” The man walked closer to Aiden, still mostly naked. He dragged his finger over Aiden’s forehead and twirled one of his curls around the tip. “Is the cause to bring a cheater down and have a good-looking American on my arm worth my life and the money Ora has offered me?”

Aiden’s eyes met his kidnapper’s deep brown gaze. His breath caught in his chest while he got lost in the man’s heated stare. His heart thumped against his ribs and his cock, already hard, strained in his underwear.He stuttered, “I-I’d say, yeah.”

He raked Aiden’s hair away from his eyes. “Of course you would.”He flashed a pearly white smile and swiped his tongue over his lips.

Dear God!

Watching Brit’s sexy gesture, Aiden’s erection grew more. If this man didn’t have a pistol pointed at his temple, he’d grab Brit and plunge his tongue down his throat.

“Miranda, let the man take a bath and get ready to move. We’ll be going to Miami very soon.”

Just that statement caused Aiden’s erection to deflate, and his heart sank. The thought of his impending doom made his gut twist in ways he couldn’t explain.

Miranda clicked her teeth and frowned. “But, D?”

“Now, Miranda. No buts, right? This is my life on the line for someone I don’t even know. Like I said, I can get a real nice bang at home for what he’s paying me. And you never know—something real might come out of that, hmm?”