Beastly Businessmen and Guitar Gods

Title: Beastly Businessmen and Guitar Gods
Author: Asta Idonea
Genre: Gay Romance, Contemporary Romance
Length: Short Story Collection (novel length)
Publisher: Wayward Ink Publishing

Synopsis

Fairytales and Myths for the Modern Gay
The modern age is devoid of magic.
Or is it?
How else could a stolen guitar or a lost shoe lead to love?
What but magic could spark romance at a workplace assessment?
Or turn a mean-spirited monster into a man?
Six fairytales and myths are given a contemporary MM twist in this collection of stories, proving that sometimes the mundane can be magical too.
DRAGGED INTO LOVE (Þrymskviða)
When Theo’s landlord steals a prized guitar in lieu of rent owed, he informs Theo he will return the instrument on one condition: he wants a date with Theo’s twin sister.
LOVE’S CODE (Ariadne and Theseus)
Andre must pass the examination if he wants to keep his job.
However, he is distracted by his unspoken love for fellow programmer, Eren.
GUESSING GAMES (Rumplestiltskin)
Sasha told a little white lie in his job interview and it won him the role.
Only now he is faced with a pile of work he doesn’t know how to complete.
ASSIGNATIONS AND ULTIMATUMS (The Strange Elopement of Tinirau)
Hunter and Ross are in love, but Ross’ father keeps trying to set him up with undesirable, yet powerful, older men, the latest of whom happens to be Ross’ boss.

EXCERPT—Lost and Found

“There’s an office party at the weekend.”

Trisha spun around to give whatever was in the saucepan another stir. “That hardly seems like the end of the world. Free food and drink?”

“Yeah, all night. But everyone’s gonna to be there, Trish. Country wide. You know how I feel about socialising in big crowds. Besides, to make it worse, it’s bloody fancy dress. A masquerade.”

“So don’t go. Come down to the theatre if you like. You can sit with me in wardrobe and listen to the opera. Mozart this weekend. Your favourite.”

“Wish I could, but it’s like compulsory or something, and I don’t want a black mark against my name, not with the biannual performance review looming.”

Trisha switched off the gas and carried the saucepan to the sink. She proceeded to ladle the contents into two deep pasta bowls while Cillian opened the cutlery drawer to find them some forks. “That does suck a bit. I guess this is the part where you tell me you need a costume, hmm?”

“Could you, Trish? I’ll love you forever.”

“I thought you already loved me forever for fixing the hems on your trousers the other day.” She picked up the bowls, carried them to the table, and settled down in one of the wooden dining chairs, accepting a fork from Cillian. “Don’t worry though, I’ve got you covered. Ooh, am I going to get you into a dress at last?”

“No dresses, no way!” Cillian put on his best expression of horror, though it quickly descended into a laugh as he sank into his seat and set about eating.

“Shame. You have such gorgeous legs. What do you want then?”

Cillian finished chewing a mouthful of pasta as he considered. “I don’t know. Nothing too flashy. The invite was silver, black, and gold. I just want to blend into the background without making an arse of myself.”

“Black and gold? I can work with that. What about a ballet th—”

“No tights!”

Trisha laughed. “Spoil sport. I wasn’t going to say tights anyway. I was thinking along the lines of fitted black trousers with some gold trim, a loose white undershirt, and a black and gold jacket. Then we could make you a matching mask, one that just covers the eyes so you won’t feel too suffocated. What do you reckon?”

Cillian let out a puff of air he hadn’t realised he’d been holding. “Thanks, Trish. You’re the best. Just let me know how much I owe you for material and such.”

“Don’t worry about that. I have plenty of odds and ends around the place. You can even get dressed at the theatre so you don’t have as far to travel in the costume.” She forked a couple more pasta spirals and grinned at him. “You know what? I’m practically your fairy godmother.” She waved her fork in the air like a wand. “Cillian Ellison, you shall go to the ball!”

LOST AND FOUND (Cinderella)
Cillian is dreading the work masquerade ball, but once there he finds himself romanced by a dashing stranger, only to flee when he discovers the man’s identity.
A DEBT IS A DEBT (Beauty and the Beast)
Dunstan Griffin is not a man to let a debt slide, so when debtor Alfred Siskin offers the EA services of his son, Wynn, in lieu of payment, Dunstan accepts.

Book Trailer

Buy Links

Don’t miss the March Sale! All Wayward Ink Titles titles are 35% off on the WIP website, 30% off on AllRomance, and 30% off on Amazon.
WIP: http://www.waywardinkpublishing.com/product/beastly-businessmen-and-guitar-gods-by-asta-idonea/
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B01CUNOSB6/
Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01CUNOSB6/
Amazon AU: http://www.amazon.com.au/dp/B01CUNOSB6/
Amazon DE: http://www.amazon.de/dp/B01CUNOSB6/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-beastlybusinessmenandguitargods-1997418-149.html

Audio Excerpt

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About the author

NICKI J. MARKUS was born in England in 1982, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her husband. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.
Nicki launched her writing career in 2011. She published works through Wicked Nights Publishing and Silver Publishing before both companies closed their doors. She is now self-publishing some of her works, including the novella Time Keepers and the fantasy novel The Ragnarök Chronicles.
Nicki also writes M/M fiction under the alternate pen name of ASTA IDONEA and has had several short stories published by Wayward Ink Publishing. She is currently working on her first M/M novella.
Nicki works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys: music, theatre, cinema, photography, sketching, and cross stitch. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel.
Social links:
Website: http://www.nickijmarkus.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus