Coming Friday August 4 -- Only Skin Deep

 

PREORDER

Born at the 2022 GayRomLit Convention, Enchanted Ink is a paranormal world filled with witches, shifters, and other things that go bump in the night. Authors Kelex and JP Sayle are collaborating on this series. Book 1 - Only Skin Deep arrives August 4, 2023 from Kelex and Book 2 - Magic, Demons, and the Hunter arrives August 25th from JP Sayle.

Welcome to the world of Enchanted Ink! For a price, master tattooists can place a beautiful spell directly onto your skin. Want to be wealthy? Beautiful? Loved? You’ve come to the right place. Just make sure the price you’ll pay is worth it as the cost isn’t always in gold.

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Luca Galioto can tattoo just about any spell, but he specializes in healing tattoos. He’ll need to create his masterpiece after his mate, and Salem PD detective, Ash Montgomery brings in a human suffering a curse to end all curses. Luca uses every ounce of strength to save the man—because they both sense he’s their third.

Colby Kennedy doesn’t believe in witches, demons, fated mates, and the things that go bump in the night. Yet he struggles to ignore the deep-seatd lust he feels every time he looks at Luca and Ash. No matter his need, he has his brother to care for and a business to run. He doesn’t have time for nonsense.

The demons don’t stop coming, putting everything he holds dear in jeopardy. Luca and Ash, and the coven at Enchanted Ink, are the only things keeping him and his brother from losing everything.

But can he accept their world and his place in it before it’s too late?

Suicide Bridge in Born to Stand Out

TW: Mention of multiple suicides/attempts

In Born to Stand Out, there's a place mentioned by the name Suicide Bridge—which is a very real place from the area where I was born: Dorchester County, Maryland.

I was never really told specifics of what happened there (at least, my family would never really say.) They just replied that, "a lot of people killed themselves there" and moved on.

The bridge itself isn't very interesting. It's quite short and crosses Cabin Creek, a tributary of the Choptank River (where the best oysters in the world come from, in my opinion. You can't get any better!) 

From my research, the name of the bridge was originally Cabin Creek Bridge, but the events that transpired over the years gave it a colloquial name. That eventually became its official name somewhere down the road. It was always Suicide Bridge to me.

Back in the mid to late seventies, right at one end of the bridge, was a honky tonk bar. Later, in 1983, it was purchased and renovated into the only "fancy" restaurant I knew of in the northern part of the county (there's still a bar, too). People suddenly went to Suicide Bridge Restaurant on special occasions. It was THE place to eat before prom when I was in high school. Could you imagine it being your anniversary or your fiancé popping the question here? Ugh. A place where multiple suicides took place? SO ROMANTIC!

I've avoided writing about the rural area I grew up in because it's not a place I really enjoyed. As I described Matt's struggle at home, I realized the parallels to my own past, to some regard, specifically how much I wanted OUT. 

Hopefully the area has changed since I lived there, but I somehow doubt it. It's okay to visit every once in a blue moon, but not somewhere I'd ever want to live again.

From the restaurant's website, I found this article about the bridge's tragic history. Be forewarned, the article is a bit blunt, and likely has a bit of age to it.

Secretary - The first victim of Suicide Bridge was a postmaster from Hurlock, who shot himself and then fell into the waters of Cabin Creek. The second victim was a farmer who also shot himself and fell from the bridge to the swirling waters of the Dorchester county creek. 

Next was a man who some say willfully drove off the 21-foot-high bridge, while others say he met with foul play. Pete Moxey, a lifelong resident of the area was eight or nine years old when this incident happened. "It's the first one I remember. A fellow who was short, stocky and black with the nickname of "Frog." They say he jumped off the bridge and struck his head on one of the pilings. But the word was going around that there was foul play involved. I don't know" 

He remembers that once the body was found, "they put him on a table over there in a picnic area and did an autopsy, right in the open." Mr. Moxey was only a youngster then, so he was sent home before the autopsy was performed. (my addition: talk about some hinky shit going down there... no that doesn't give murder vibes at all... *eyeroll*)

The original bridge was a wooden structure built around 1888. The second bridge, also wooden and only one lane, was built around 1910. The third bridge was also wooden but covered with asphalt, was built in 1967 and dedicated in 1968. 

Locals apparently have always called it Suicide Bridge. Mr. Moxey said he was surprised at how quickly another suicide occurred after the third bridge was built. "It was up for 6 months  and then bingo, somebody went off," he said. "I helped pull that guy out of the water. He had been a long-time employee of Continental Can in Hurlock and was just coming off a long vacation," Mr. Moxey said. "Instead of going back to work, he drove here, parked his car and jumped off the bridge." After rescuers located the body, Mr. Moxey said, the ropes got tangled and he got into his boat to help bring the body out. The body was then placed on the dock. 

"The blood soaked into the wood on the dock and it wouldn't wash away," said Moxey. "It was there for about five years until I tore it down and built another one." Another man who was born and raised within a half of a mile of the bridge, moved away for quite a few years, came back, parked his car by the foot of the bridge and shot himself.

"I don't think the bridge is jinxed. Maybe it's just the name that brings them here," Mr. Moxey said of the suicides. 

In a more recent incident, Dave Nickerson, who lived across the creek next to the bridge, was awakened one morning by calls of, "Help.. Help. " Seeing a car parked on the bridge, he immediately got into his skiff and zoomed to the area where the calls were coming from. He pulled a woman from the icy waters who had apparently changed her mind about committing suicide. Nickerson immediately took her ashore, ran to her car, which was running and parked on the bridge and drove it closer to the skiff. When he tried to get the woman into the warm car she replied, "I don't want to get the seats wet—it's a new car!"

(The bridge was rebuilt again in 2005.)  

The Born to Stand Out Toy Gear Guide

In my most recent novel, Born to Stand Out, UNICORN PLAY is featured! What's unicorn play? Pony play with a lot more rainbows and glitter! Oh, and a horn.

Since my last pony play story—which was almost a decade ago—a lot has changed in the world of pony play gear! I was amazed at how many awesome items were available, some of course, thanks to many cosplayers and folks who create items with them in mind, as well.

I know some of you might not be as familiar with the tack and gear that Matt wears, so here's a few photos from my research that helped develop the story. Remember, his might not be exactly like the images shown, but they helped guide what I was envisioning.

I wish I could share an image of the plug with a shaft in it with room for anal sex WHILE wearing it. Mr-S-Leather out of San Francisco had one on their site way back when (and I included it in another BDSM story I wrote years ago...) but they don't seem to have it, nor can I find one exactly like it. It DID exist (without a pony tail) at some point in history, though.

I will also add that I'm just a writer, sharing a little bit of her research. I am NOT an expert on pony play by any means. If you're interested in learning more about the pony play community, I suggest you start at this site: https://www.cpony.com/home/

The Boots

via Furry Fantasy

The Gloves

via Fetish-Pets-Store

The Bridle

via Leder Gummi Studio

The Harness

via Porthos Stable

The Mask

via Etsy

The Plug

Via Dallas Novelty