A Hero’s Blog Hop!

Over 100 Authors and Bloggers are sharing their favorite things about romance heroes, a character post from them, or what we love about romance and men in general.

And while we do that, we are EACH doing a giveaway. Yep. There will be over 100 giveaways on each blog hosted by that Author or Blogger.

But that’s not all….

We have THREE grand prizes. You as a reader can go to EACH blog and comment with your email address and be entered to win. Yep, you can enter over 100 times!

Now what are those prizes? 1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Table 2nd Grand Prize: A $50 Amazon or B&N Gift Card 3rd Grand Prize: A Fabulous Swag Pack!

My Hero, Taden

 The first Hero:

Hero (mythical priestess), in Greek mythology, priestess of Aphrodite, goddess of love, at Sestos, a town on the Hellespont (now Dardanelles). Hero was loved by Leander, a youth who lived at Abydos, a town on the Asian side of the channel. They could not marry because Hero was bound by a vow of chastity, and so every night Leander swam from Asia to Europe, guided by a lamp in Hero’s tower. One stormy night a high wind extinguished the beacon, and Leander was drowned. His body was washed ashore beneath Hero’s tower; in her grief, she threw herself into the sea.               

-Wikipedia

In this legend, it seems to me that Leander was the true hero, risking his life to be with the person he loves. In my m/m erotic fantasy ‘Nathaniel’, Taden has met his dream man, the enchanting Nathaniel, who wields powers far beyond anything Taden has seen before.

He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling out of his depth with Nathaniel. He’d never felt so drawn to anyone before. Maybe the young man had bewitched him. He certainly wasn’t acting rationally. And it frightened him that he didn’t care. Not so long as Nathaniel needed him.

Taden’s life has left him ill-prepared for the wonder that is Nathaniel. He’s a titled landowner, master of the family home and lands, and although he hasn’t seen war in his lifetime, uneasiness is growing between his country and the Sutherlin’s pushing at their border. He’s heard of magic users, but they belong to the far past when the witches had been driven from his continent.

And there was Nathaniel, beautiful and ethereal and broken, needing his aide. What was a man to do?

Nathaniel at last raised his eyes from buttoning his tunic. “Corin told you why I’m here, didn’t he?”

Taden steadied his features, cautious not to say the wrong thing. “Yes.”

Agony crossed Nathaniel’s face and he threw out his hands in a hopeless gesture. “I hadn’t meant it! I can’t always control…” He put a trembling hand over his eyes. “You must hate me. I’ll find my boat in the morning and leave you in peace.”

Taden ached to pull him into his arms. Nathaniel’s pain tore at his heart. But the man didn’t need his pity. He needed Taden to take control—now.

“Nattie, look at me,” he demanded.

Startled eyes met his, then Nathaniel drew a hard breath. “My lord?”

“We’re both tired and in need of dinner. Will you gather wood for a fire while I fetch my saddlebags? We can talk while we eat.”

Nathaniel looked baffled. He opened his mouth as if to speak, then surprised Taden by flushing dark red. Not from anger, Taden noted. Something else…

How could Taden leave him after that? He couldn’t, but as the author of this story, I needed to be careful here. How do I show Taden’s acceptance and love for Nathaniel without him appearing a weak man? Nor did I want him to sound too needy. Who wants a whiny hero with no back bone? I had to show the strength beneath his surrender.

Nathaniel lowered his eyes as he stirred the fire with a charred stick. “I’m not a witch. Not in the sense your people hold for that word.”

 “Then what are you?”

Pain crossed the averted face. “I’m a man, same as you. Only I have certain abilities I was born with that other men don’t. There’s no magic or enchantment, no curses. I have only to want something, and it happens.”

“You wanted to kill those soldiers?”

“No!” Nathaniel’s gaze clashed with his, and Taden winced at the panic in his darling’s face. “I had to defend myself. Don’t I have that right?”

Taden wrapped his arms around his knees, fighting his heart. “You never should have come to our continent.”

Nathaniel gave him a stricken, heartbroken look. “Do you mean that?”

Taden stared back, searching his beautiful face. A single tear hung on a dark eyelash. Taden’s heart lurched, and he knew he would protect Nathaniel with his life, if need be. He’d fallen in love, perhaps from the moment of their first meeting when Nathaniel, as a prisoner, had raised his eyes so bravely to him, not knowing if Taden was a friend or another tormenter.

“Are you bewitching me?” he asked softly, not caring if he were. Nathaniel shook his head, then closed the short distance separating them.

“I’ve never influenced you, Taden. I felt no desire to do so at first, and now…” A shy smile touched his lips and he darted Taden a fond glance from under his lashes. “As sensitive as you are to me, you would know the moment I tried.”

“Is that so?” Taden caressed the inviting mouth with his thumb, moving closer until their lips almost touched.

As you can see, the hero of ‘Nathaniel’ is not the all powerful magic user, but the courageous, honorable man who loves him. Taden risks everything, even his life, to keep Nathaniel safe. What more can anyone want in a hero?

Give-away time! Please comment below with the name of your favorite hero for a chance to win a PDF copy of my m/m erotic fantasy Nathaniel! Don’t forget to leave your contact info!

 Nathaniel  Amazon 

From the moment Taden rescues Nathaniel from the Sutherlin soldiers’ torture, he finds himself caught in the gaze of the most beautiful eyes he’s ever seen; amazing eyes that hold him thrilled and confused. The Sutherlins are planning to invade the beautiful TahonValley, but as Taden secrets Nathaniel from their reach, he finds himself drawn to the young man. Not only does he feel the urge to protect him, but he feels an ache he hasn’t felt in many long years.

Nathaniel claims to be a traveler from a distant continent, saying he comes in peace. True or not, the youth has powers beyond anything Taden has seen—control over men and animals and the very weather. Taden falls hard for the strange traveler, protecting him not only from the Sutherlins but from his own mistrustful people, who don’t understand Nathaniel’s powers and accuse him of being a witch…

Excerpt:

Taden’s scalp prickled, a shiver running through him. He twirled, hand on his belt knife, and found Nathaniel standing inches from him. They were almost touching, and Taden watched, fascinated, as Nathaniel’s green eyes darkened under his stare. The heat from Nathaniel’s body wrapped around him, caressing him in that intimate moment.

“Miranda’s finally asleep,” Nathaniel told him shakily.

“That’s good. She appeared exhausted.” Taden didn’t ask who she was. At that moment, he didn’t care. He touched Nathaniel’s gold-flecked curls, as silken as he’d imagined them to be. Enthralled by the dimple at the corner of Nathaniel’s luscious mouth, he impulsively cupped his cheek, stroking the alluring hollow with a gentle finger. His pulses hammered at the contrast of pale skin and his own sun-darkened hand, picturing the exotic tangle of their bodies.

He slid an arm around Nathaniel’s waist as desire seared him. “Come with me,” he said huskily, aching to love Nathaniel as gently and tenderly as he could and drive the anxiety from his lovely eyes. Nathaniel lifted his shoulders but didn’t resist as Taden urged him into the trees.

Nathaniel remained silent as Taden spread the blankets on a fragrant carpet of pine needles. Taden gave him a close look. With a pang he realized that the young man stood passively, waiting for whatever Taden chose to do with him. As much as he hungered for him, Taden didn’t want Nathaniel like that, unresponsive. He reached for Nathaniel’s hand and pulled him down beside him on the blankets.

 “I would never hurt you,” he said as he leaned into Nathaniel’s body and slid his tongue over his full lips. He played with the laces of Nathaniel’s tunic, loosening them further. Fire licked through him as Nathaniel’s chest rose on a quick breath. Taden slipped two fingers inside the soft fabric to stroke the lean muscles of Nathaniel’s chest.

He nudged Nathaniel’s lips wider and groaned as the young man’s tongue darted into his own mouth, jolting him with lust. He caught the tongue with his lips, sucking, wanting to swallow Nathaniel whole.

Taden lingered over his kisses, slowly undoing the rest of the ties on Nathaniel’s tunic. He shifted on the blankets and thrilled at Nathaniel’s sigh as he bared his chest. Taden slid his tongue along Nathaniel’s chin with a fond murmur, savoring the saltiness of skin and the prickle of unshaven hair. He kissed the slim column of his throat and paused to suck gently on a vein pulsing in the heated skin.

He glanced lower and suddenly leaned on an elbow, his eyes ravaging the intoxicating sight of small nipples sitting like jewels on white skin. A single mole, innocent, utterly provocative, lay within kissing distance and drew his lips. Taden teased it with his tongue, smiling slyly when Nathaniel made a startled sound and gripped his shoulders.

Taden circled each hardening bud with his tongue, tenderly kissing the fading bruises. He slid a hand across Nathaniel’s abdomen and felt his muscles tighten. He slid a finger along the edge of Nathaniel’s pants, then moved his hand upward to brush his thumb over a sensitive nipple. Heat slammed through him as Nathaniel arched his back with a guttural cry. Unable to resist the temptation, Taden dropped his lips to the free bud, flicking it with his tongue, nibbling and nursing on it until Nathaniel was panting, a pleading note in the sound.

The tone changed suddenly to panic, and Taden jerked his head up in surprise, clashing with eyes wide with fear and arousal. He watched a trickle of sweat follow the curve of Nathaniel’s cheek. Surely the Nathaniel wasn’t afraid of him?

“I won’t hurt you,” Taden assured him again. Unexpectedly, Nathaniel gave him a tentative smile and touched Taden’s hair. The shy, heated glance undid him, and he had to fight the urge to strip Nathaniel then and there and thrust his arousal deep into the enticing body.

Taden dropped his head on Nathaniel’s chest. “Give me a moment,” he whispered hoarsely, concentrating on control. He wanted their joining to be perfect. It was hard when Nathaniel continued to thread his hands through his hair. With a growl, Taden straddled him, pinning the wandering hands over his head. “Careful, or I can’t promise to be gentle.”

Nathaniel’s eyes were hooded, and Taden watched, enchanted, as the tip of his pink tongue slid across pale lips. “Do anything you like,” Nathaniel invited.

Continue the Hop here!