I wish I was a better cook. This is not to say I'm at a loss
in the kitchen. I love to cook. I'm actually halfway decent at it. I love
watching Food TV and if I had the time, I'd be trying my hand at dinner parties
that would make you cry.
However, I don't get to cook really cool meals as often as
I'd like. The hubby takes offense at the eventual mess made because I don't
clean as I go and his practicality loves meals that can be made in a single
pan. (I rarely do the dishes, so his stance is not groundless.) Hubby likes my
cooking, but it content with simpler meals. The artist in me sometimes rages at
that. LOL
I suppose I shouldn't be surprised by choosing to focus on
the cook and chef of The Santa Claus in A Cook's Tale. In a military setting,
the chow line is either seen as something to look forward to, or something to
endure. With the crew living on board, I saw the mess hall as being the center
of their lives and pictured Captain Danverse employing a kitchen staff to
reward the crew for their work. On this ship, work, food, and sex are the
staples of life.
Gamin makes an appearance in Book One – The Luxorian
Fugitive. Even there, he serves meals with a maternal/paternal hand, taking
care of the crew. In A Cook's Tale, his role is no different. The crew see him
as a father figure of sorts. Not as a leader, like Captain Danverse, but as the
one who feeds them and make their lives worthy of the sacrifices they've made
in their lives to live in space.
I always intended for Gamin to be a key player in the second
book, and the best way to keep on screen was to bring in a new crew member who
would be interacting with him daily. Namely, a new cook, his long lost
surrogate child, Erron. But Erron's all grown up now, and definitely not a
child anymore.
As the new boy in town, the story may be Erron's, but Gamin
isn't far behind.
A
COOK'S TALE
Book Two: Ship Logs
of the Santa Claus
by Mann Ramblings
M/M Sci-fi Romance by Wayward Ink
Publishing
Giveaway for Book One – The
Luxorian Fugitive below!
Buy Links:
Blurb:
The trials and tribulations of the crew and passengers of
interplanetary transport vessel, The Santa Claus continues in A Cook’s Tale.
After a horrific breakup, Erron Murfin is bitter, homeless,
and friendless. When the cook’s position on the Santa Claus presents itself,
Erron decides to escape his current circumstances and join the crew. On board
he reconnects with family friend Gamin Wells, whose own secrets and issues
begin to surface upon Erron's arrival. The least of which is the reason the
pair haven't laid eyes on one another in over twelve years.
As Erron settles into his new duties, the men on board take
an interest in their newest crew member. Among those intrigued by Erron are polyamorous
couple, Barrus and James. Despite Erron's cautious nature, he’s drawn into a
triad relationship with the pair.
But there’s something about Gamin…
Is Erron too damaged to confront his own feelings?
Will his
past prevent him from finding what he needs?
Excerpt:
Beta
Deck was situated like a large dormitory. All the rooms ran in a loop with a
central facility containing a gymnasium, lockers, lavatories, and shower room.
On a non-hetero vessel, the layout was dubious to say the least.
Since the majority of the crew was
off-ship, Erron felt bold enough to enter the locker room. In his quarters,
he'd stalled for a bit, deciding how to proceed. What was considered normal on
the Santa Claus? Did the men walk around half-dressed? Less than half? There
were a lot of factors in fitting into an established community. Towel over his
shoulder, he stepped through the doorway into the locker room. The gymnasium
could be seen down one end and the shower room was visible down the other. He
wondered what it would be like with a dozen men all stripping down and
showering together in one room together. The likelihood for something tawdry to
happen seemed high.
Gamin's clothes lay over the bench
and the sound of water running told Erron the chef beat him here. Not
surprising really, Gamin had been on the ship for years, this was his home, and
Erron hoped he'd soon feel the same.
Stripping off, Erron dropped his
garments in the same fashion as Gamin. Peeling off his briefs, he felt a sudden
surge of awkwardness. He was about to get in the shower with Gamin. The nervous
giggle tried to rip out of his mouth, so he choked it down. He was being
childish.
“Took you long enough.” Gamin
said. The chef hadn't looked in Erron's direction as he held his head under the
spray.
“I had to find my towel.”
Erron hung his towel on the hook
near the doorway, and selected a shower with a buffer of one nozzle between
them. The control panel beeped as Erron touched it, but nothing happened. Over
and over, he touched the pad only to be mocked by the same tone.
“It's voice activated,” Gamin
said, barely looking over his shoulder. “Just tell it the temperature you
want.” Erron's face heated up; he couldn't bring himself to admit he couldn't
muster the nerve to use the shower last night after they turned in. The ship
was too quiet, and too new.
Ducking his head slightly, Erron
leaned forward and spoke to the black panel. “Forty- two degrees Celsius.” A
torrent of heated water rushed over Erron, the delicious heat the first step in
washing away what felt like months of grime and sad reminders of his derailed
life. The cheap inns he'd been forced to rent after being evicted had lousy
facilities. This... this was a small piece of chocolate decadence.
“Like your showers pretty hot?”
Gamin continued to face the wall as he soaked himself.
Erron angled his hips, keeping his
privates out of view. “I'd forgotten how nice it feels.”
For the first time he could
remember, Erron felt self-conscious. The fitness membership expired shortly
after the breakup, but Erron hadn't lost too much tone. He'd never be large and
imposing, his frame didn't allow it. A lean body and smooth skin could still
turn heads. The treatment responsible for his hair growing in green made all
the rest on his body the same color. Jade colored hair on his arms and legs was
too odd and a green pubic zone made him feel like a perverted clown, so it had
to go. There was nothing wrong with him, but why he felt the need to hide
himself, he couldn't say. He certainly never acted this shy in front of the
troops during the war. It was more than a bit hypocritical when he peered over
his shoulder at his showering partner.
Tall and thick, with coarse hair
on his arms and legs, Gamin's size and sturdiness were a stark contrast to
Erron's smaller stature. Wisps of fur reached around the sides of the chef's
rounded belly that matched the meaty globes of his behind. Everything about
Gamin was solid and manly. The peppering of gray on his head and beard fit him
as well.
It was true, he probably shouldn't
be looking, but Erron had never seen Gamin this way in all these years. Not
even shirtless at the park when he was growing up. From what he could see, the
view wasn't half bad; Gamin had nothing to be ashamed of. What he did notice
was how deliberate Gamin was being at not looking at him.
“You're a lot bigger than I
remembered.” Erron couldn't help watching Gamin soap his body while continuing
to face the wall. It had been a long time since he'd had any opportunity to be
with a man. While it wasn't his plan to be with Gamin, as long as he didn't
turn around, Erron could enjoy the show. He prayed Gamin wouldn't turn around.
That would be mortifying.
“Yeah well, I've had time to eat a
few good meals.”
“It looks good on you.”
Gamin chuckled as lines of lazy
suds followed the contours of his back and between the crevice of his haunches.
“Thanks. You've changed a lot over the years too.”
“I'm not a kid anymore.”
“No. No, you're not,” Gamin said,
drenching his head under the spray.
Giveaway:
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About the Author:
Like many
gay men, when MANN RAMBLINGS grew up, there weren't any heroes he could relate
to. The world held him back while he tried futilely to hide the real person
inside. So much has changed since those hollow days. He finally found his
voice, the voice that says it’s all right to revel in the so-called
inappropriate joys, laughs, and loves that storm inside a man's head. It took a
long time to find that courage and now that it's here, he plans to use it well.
While
spending years more focused on visual arts, he never let go of his innate
passion for storytelling—he wanted to write and draw comic books when he grew
up. Once he discovered M/M fiction, a whole new world opened with new
possibilities. Why couldn't you have fantastic and dynamic tales with an M/M
cast? He started reading the online tales of authors like, Night Tempest, Rob
Colton, and Alicia Nordwell, which only fueled within him the need to create.
Eventually he found GayAuthors.org, and with a little coercive nudge from Night
Tempest, started sharing his tales with an unexpected level of positive
response. That experience and support gave him the courage to cross his fingers
and aim for the world of M/M publishing.
Born and
raised in Michigan, Mann Ramblings continues to type away, wishing it was
practical to use a noisy, old fashioned keyboard that clacks with each strike,
if only to annoy his loving partner and spoiled miniature dachshund.
MANN
RAMBLINGS can be found at:
Blog: http://mannramblingsblog.wordpress.com
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/mannramblings
Twitter:
@mannramblings
