TIOGAIR

Book pitch:

It's 2067. 

It's been 3 years since the Gatecrash, the cataclysmic event that mutated a quarter of the human population.
Magic - known as Ether - returned to the world, and monsters roam again in the wilderness, crossing the portals opening to unknown worlds that appear throughout the globe. 

As a constant reminder of this event stands the azure sphere of chaotic energy, glowing in the hills northeast of ex-Colorado Springs, now rebaptized Cerulean Springs due to that unending glimmer: a city that changed its face just as quickly as its name, becoming an enormous metropolis with its own dark sides in the span of a few decades.

These sudden, worldwide changes caused chaos at first - but, with the 'humanitarian' support of the corporations, the flash-fire riots were quelled, and the population settled - the rise in power and standing of the corps being just a side effect, of course.

Society evolved, assimilated the new and adapted: from fear to unease, from unease to new business venues and research fields, just as it did in the last decades with the blindingly fast development of technology and the discovery of the almost mystical Essences. After all, what's a new weirdness in a world where mechanical implants are common and the body is nothing but a canvas to change and adapt to one's wishes?

Despite all this, certain things never change: there's still the need for shadowy figures able to do things that others wouldn't.
Zoe is one of them: a mutated human - a Gatecrasher - and a combat mage by trade, introduced into the life of an underground mercenary after the Gatecrash riots.

She's minding her own business between jobs, when the disappearance of a woman working in her favorite Pleasure House pushes her to go on the hunt to uncover the dancer's fate - free of charge.

Once on the trail, though, she will quickly realize she might have bitten more than she can chew: what started as a simple investigation will bring her to uncover darker and more dangerous secrets, forcing the Irish mage to use all her tricks and delve into the dirtiest parts of Cerulean Springs to keep her word, while trying to keep sane indulging in the pleasure of the flesh.

One of the ways she keeps her mind busy from the painful memories of a past she's still trying to cope with.

My experience writing it

This is my second novel!

And...it's been quite a surprise, really. Last year I was working on Elemental 2 and I was starting to get a tad burned out (I was coming out of translating, formatting, etc Elemental 1, and the whole publishing thing, which can be somewhat stressful), so I decided to write a short just for the heck of it.

Just for kicks, I decided to make it an erotic short.

In the meantime I was continuing to promote Elemental on Twitter, where I've seen some erotic books being promoted.

And that was pretty much the moment I decided I wanted to try my hand writing something that still had erotic contents, but had a serious story and well rounded characters into it.

I had the Cerulean Springs setting in mind for quite a long time now, and I always had an intention to write in that universe. And I thought to myself "Why not now?"

Soooo... I did!

I wrote the first draft in about a month or so. I was completely engrossed in the story, and in the end I got this missing person thriller going, with some spicy elements to it - elements being the keyword since in the end the erotic parts are more tied to character fleshing out and development than the story itself. It's a story about someone who's extremely sexual, but the driving plot is actually something much darker and 'detached' from sex, to the point that in one specific pitch (which I still hold dear to this day!) I've been told the naughty bits took too much of a backseat to the story for that house. And that was the most brilliant and helpful rejection letter I received, one that I still am thankful for.

This experience helped me cement my views on sexuality in fiction, which I talked about in detail in this blog post.

And in the end, Tiogair had its big launch party during #MCchat on Twitter last week!

There are a lot of projects I'm tying to this universe as well - one that I'm currently working on a Tabletop Roleplaying Game based in it, still in the works - and I do intend to write more stories in this setting, along with Elemental 2.

Where can you find it?

First, a warning: Tiogair contains mature themes that place it in the 'adult only' category (graphic sex and violence, use of substances, foul language). With that out of the way you can find it through these links:

English Versions:

- Tiogair - Kindle eBook

- Tiogair - POD Paperback on Amazon

Italian Versions:

- Tiogair - Kindle eBook

- Tiogair - POD Paperback su Amazon

Goodreads:

- Tiogair page (all editions available)

The Heart's Delight

Foreword: In preparation for tomorrow's #MCchat on Twitter and the launch of Tiogair, here's a little story to know where the chat is taking place - The Heart's Delight, Cerulean Springs most prominent Pleasure House, for the night made into a normal nightclub for all the characters to meet up.

Needless to say, this is an 'alternate universe', non-canon with Tiogair, since it requires quite a bit of dimension hopping and time-space continuum breaking. Enjoy!

And remember: #MCchat is tomorrow, and along with Zoe, the other guest bartenders are gonna be:

-Thierry Adler, the smart-ass warlock from Avrin Kelly's 'Trigram' novel and

-Hayden Howell, the tough Charleston homicide detective from Hollie Hausenfluck  Deja Vu!

And you can see them both in the upcoming novella Coup De Grăce

Come one come all, let's get our characters together!

------

There was still a bright daylight when the tigress walked towards the short corridor at the corner of the three story building. With the lights still on, she couldn’t see well the neon lights of the Pleasure House’s insigna: hanging over the corner entrance, it was a big red heart with the ‘Heart’s Delight’ stylized logo inside it. It was hugged by a buxomy pink feminine shape and a blue, buff, sultry shape, outlined in neon.

With her Augmented Reality vision on, the tigress spent just a second to admire the animated figures in that virtual layer, sensually hugging and caressing the motionless neon outlines, with their hands under the heart doing unspeakable things.

The tigress opened in a grin, shaking her head and heading inside. The corridor was dark, the spotlights on the floor that would usually give some atmospheric, warm glow unlit.

The small nook for the bouncer was empty, since the place was still closed to the public.

She sent a short message to the people inside, trying not to spend too much time outside and give people the wrong idea, and the sturdy, big wooden doors were opened from the inside by a muscular man dressed in a black shirt and jeans. The most prominent feature of his bald head the mechanical third eye in the middle of his forehead, scanning her mercilessly as always.

“Still no chrome, housecat?”

“Oh, feis ort Ludwig. It’s way too early for me to answer that question.” she greeted the head bouncer, shaking her head and moving inside.

“I’m just saying. Lots of redecoration to do for tomorrow. You could have used the boost in strength.”

“I can bloody move shit with my mind. I don’t need implants for that.” she replied in a showily annoyed tone. It was a typical conversation opener for them, the man trying his best to convert people to mechanical prosthetics - of which he already had quite a few.

“Bah. Suit yourself, housecat. If you’re looking for Paula, she’s in her office, sorting the invitations and the organization for tomorrow.”

“Thanks.” the tigress replied, taking off her jacket and remaining in her hoodie and cargo trousers. Considering she was going to help with the redecoration, at least she wanted to be comfortable.

Holding her jacket, she took a moment to appreciate the place. Despite being a regular, it was always a pleasure to be in the nightclub - the tall ceiling had soft, moody lights, giving the dark red decor of the walls, interrupted by tall windows capable of obscuring at a simple command to give a fumé effect. The ground floor was peppered with circular tables and comfortable chairs, surrounding the various pole-dance stages where the entertainers would present themselves. The AR integration was still showing the night before’s schedule and ratings to have some private ‘fun’ with them in the upper floor rooms, accessed from the stairs on the far right corner of the spacious floor. A longer catwalk and circular, bigger stage was dead center in the far side of the room, with the DJ booth closeby, used for main events.

On the lefthand side of the room there was the long, old-style wooden counter, with a glass countertop. A vast array of liquors was standing on the shelves mounted in front of a mirror.

Avoiding the various stools, the tigress waved at the other workers still redecorating for the big event night, the buxomy demoness making sure the access to the upper floor was closed. It was a somewhat clean event after all.

Zoe moved behind the counter, opening the door to the office - the difference was stark. Where the public space was atmospheric and geared towards entertainment and sensuality, the office was brightly lit and functional. Behind the glass desk there was the bulky shape of Paula, her muscular body relaxed on the comfortable office chair and her mechanical arm tapping its finger on the desk surface. A small icon in AR over her head indicated she was in a call, so the tigress took the time to check the protection seal she traced some time ago.

Luckily, the potted plant wasn’t there anymore, so she simply checked the runeset for any smirch or imperfection.

Satisfied, she simply waited for Paula to finish her call.

“I told you I need the catering by tomorrow, and if you know what’s good for you, you better get it. I swear, I paid good money for it, you don’t want to screw this up. Clear? Good.”

With a huff, the bodybuilder-built woman closed the call, readjusting her neon pink hair flowing down the right side of her head, the left side partially shaven in a stylistic haircut.

“Fucking unprofessional people. Speaking of which. Hey Tiogair.”

Zoe gave her a deadpan stare. “Haha. Hey. So, getting everything ready?” she asked, settling the jacket on the coathanger and sitting on the guest chair in front of the desk.

“Girls and boys have their couple days off, catering is gonna come through even if I have to go kick their ass personally and I arranged transportation for those guest bartenders...Thierry Adler and Hayden Howell. They seem nice. You three are gonna go along well.”

“I still can’t believe ISSTAR managed to pull this stuff off. We’re talking full dimensional hopping here.”

“I guess someone up there really wants to showcase their tech. And hey, this means more people will get to know our stories, doesn’t it?”

“Well yes, that’s true. Gonna bet on me on the next popularity polls?”

“I wouldn’t be caught dead doing that after last time. Sorry, Tio.”

“Bitch.”

Paula chuckled, and gave her a long stare, with a creepy smile on her lips. Zoe frowned.

She didn’t like that expression.

“You know” the Pleasure House owner started. “Funny thing you should say that now. ‘Cause I was just about to say that tomorrow you have the first two hours shift behind the counter at the event.”

The tigress laughed heartily, shaking her head. “Hah! Right, and there I was getting worried. Good one.”

“I’m not kidding, Tio.”

“...what.”

“You know” Paula continued “interesting byproduct of ISSTAR doing this whole thing? I saw that interview you had on...Twitter? That’s what’s called, right? That social media. That stool isn’t going to pay itself…”

“B-But it’s the big night!” Protested Zoe, taken aback by those news.

“I know. And I thought, what better way to have people like you and get to know you than you actually serving some drinks. And in the meantime repaying my stool.”

“It wasn’t my fault, that asshole was harassing me!”

“And that is why I have security staff. You broke the no violence rule, and you destroyed property. You’re covering first shift.”

The tigress tried to find some other point to counteract. She suddenly widened her eyes. “I can’t mix a drink to save my life!”

“Nice try, but no. You’re gonna log on the AR assistant. It’s gonna be easy as pie.” before the tigress could rebuke, Paula rose her mechanical hand with her index up. “Or, I tell Aisha about it.”

That last threat made it. With a defeated huff, the tigress slumped back on the chair. “Aight. Boss. Just this time, though.”

“Good girl.” Paula chided with a satisfied grin.

Zoe sighed. And smiled herself, shaking her head. At least it would be an interesting night.

Short - Tryouts (NSFW)

 I don't remember exactly what made me write this short. I just remember that, shortly after I finished the first draft of Tiogair, I had someone talk about 'putting unicorns in the WIP' on Twitter, and so, considering my new book's setting is quite apt for that, I did.

 Set in the Heart's Delight, Cerulean Springs' best sex club, it depicts a 'normal' casting day for a new dancer. Meet Zoe, the MC of the new book, Paula, the owner, and Ian, the heavily-augmented DJ.

 And George, the unicorn.

“You think it’s real? I mean, it can’t be. It has to have had some work done, an implant or something.”

The tigress was sitting on the chair in front of the stage, her eyes completely fixed on the spectacle that was being presented. The slow, obvious, ridiculously sexual saxophone and bass accompanying the dance echoing in the empty club, soundwaves reflecting in the spacious room making them distort slightly.

Not that she cared. Or the other two people along with her. They were way too distracted.

“Mh. Dunno. If he had some work done, it doesn’t really show.” Paula replied, arching her eyebrow as she scuttled a bit on the chair to get more comfortable. “The coat is absolutely gorgeous, though.”

“Whiter than the snow in December~” the melodic tone of the dj chimed in. The metal plates forming his features were curled and contorted in a sly, appreciating smile.

The music picked up the pace as the tryout gyrated around the pole, well defined muscles bulging under the short, brisk fur and skin, the three spectators all letting out varied stupefied sounds as they saw the body contorting and hanging masterfully in mid air.

“Dìa, that is impressi- Cac naofa!” The tigress widened her eyes as she felt a swift Ether manipulation in the air surrounding them, and the bottom clothes of the tryout were ripped off by a magic surge in the middle of the rotations, revealing everything underneath.

Still stunned by the sudden discovery of the tryout having Ether talent, the tigress lost her chance to compete in the short-lived, one-sided battle ensuing, with Paula using her mechanical arm and bodybuilder physique to push the DJ away and catch the prize.

An electronic, disappointed hiss rose from the internal speakers of the scorned showman.

Finally stopping his swirls on the pole, the perspective dancer spreaded his legs, giving the back to the audience to show the chromed shaft slide across the perfect buttocks to a graceful halt kneeling on the stage floor.

The slightly equine-featured head tilted back, a seductive smile barely visible and, as the music stopped, he tapped the pole with the long, spiralled horn protruding from his forehead, his free hand holding a massive, hung shaft already hard and pointing, just to the side enough for his audience to notice the tip and the jet-black skin.

A very long silence weighed in the room as the three judges blinked, Paula still squeezing way too tightly onto the easily discardable trousers that were tossed their way.

George, the dancing unicorn trying out for the club, frowned. “Was...something wrong…?” he asked. “I’m still working on the Ether control, but-”

“I think” Paula interrupted “that you have talent, George, but you do know dancing is only part of what we offer here at the Heart’s Delight.”

Both Zoe and the DJ opened in a wide grin.

Paula ignored them both, clearing her throat and trying to hide at least part of her blushing cheeks with the cascade of now pink hair flowing on one side of her head. “As the owner of the club, I do think it is just fitting that I’m the one to put you through the rest of the tests to-”

“Oh, I disagree!” Zoe, outraged, interjected, her tail swiftly flapping from side to side, ready for battle. “As a representative of the general customer population, -and- with the capacity to judge from -both- sides of the spectrum, I’m clearly the most qualified person in this room, nay, in this entire -club- to judge his performance!”

A sneering, distorted hiss came from Ian’s speakers. “And with the sense of rhythm of a drunkard, hip-challenged middle aged man. I have the equipment to clearly analyze every aspect of his performance, and especially make sure it’s up to the standards not only of a sex club but of a dancing club as well. You know music does play a part on some of the play scenes upstairs too.”

“I am going to fry that goddamn metal face of yours, I can dance!”

“No you can’t.” Paula retorted.

“I so can! And besides, he needs to know how to fuck the brains out with style not only do it on a beat!”

“This is why I don’t invite you two to tryouts! I am the club owner, I get first dibs!”

“But come ooon, have you seen him!?” Ian pouted.

“Hands off, tincan! He needs to behave when he gets oral. Guess who doesn’t have a speaker in the way of our throats?” the tigress victoriously smirked, pointing at her and Paula. All under the confused looks of the poor aspiring dancer.

The three looked at each other angrily, still bickering on first dibs before Paula shushed them rising her hand.

Bopped on the nose with the flailing pants, the tigress scrunched her face, glaring at her.

“So. George. I know you didn’t write anything about it, but you do know we offer the option for group sex, right? How do you play with numbers?”

“Ah, I’m quite apt. Had my experiences.”

Immediately the bickering stopped, and all three opened in a wide grin, standing up in unison.

“Well then. If you care to follow us-”

“Wait!” the tigress moved to the unicorn, her eyes fixed unashamedly on a very specific spot, biting her lower lip. “So, before we do this, I need to ask. Is that real? Can I touch it?”

George chuckled, with a knowing smile and presented himself openly. With a childish grin, the tigress rose up on the tip of her toes and wrapped her hand around it, giving it a long stroke, gasping.

The spiraled curves of the horn felt so interesting under her palm, and the consistency was clearly natural. “Do you…”

“Yes.”

“In both-”

“Oh, yes. It’s a very common request.”

“RIGHT, PAULA, GET THE ROOM READY!”

//END//