Morgan Brice – Roustabout | Maggie Blackbird

Today, I have author Morgan Brice in the interview chair. We’re discussing her latest release Roustabout, part of the Carnival of Mysteries series, a m/m paranormal romance. Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

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1. Hello Morgan, I’ve had you in the interview chair many times, and it’s great to have you here again. Your latest release is part of a shared universe known as The Carnival of Mysteries. How did you become involved in this, and what piqued your interest enough to write a full-length novel for it?

Morgan: I was fortunate to be invited by the series founder, and so pleased to be part of it! I love the idea of a spooky carnival where things aren’t what they seem. The Carnival of Mysteries, unlike some spooky fairs, isn’t evil, but it can still be dangerous and it’s wise to be wary because the magic is real! I have always loved going to carnivals and amusements parks and fairs, so one with magic was right up my alley!

2. Why did you choose a con-man and necromancer/agent to star in the novel?

Morgan: Bart and RJ were side characters in Sins of the Fathers (book 2 of Kings of the Mountain). I knew they would have an interesting backstory, and when the chance came to write for the Carnival, I figured it was time to tell it! I had already developed some of their backstory for their original appearance, but the Carnival of Mysteries was the perfect place to flesh it out.

3. Give us one positive and negative attribute for Barlett Gibson.

Morgan: Bart takes his job as an agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Supernatural Investigation seriously—sometimes too seriously, in that he’s used it as a reason to not get involved with anyone after the death of his fiancé a few years ago. On the positive side, he is very fair and compassionate, and he wants to make sure that the bad guys don’t get away with murder.

4. The same for RJ Tucker.

Morgan: RJ had a rough time growing up, when several major injustices were done to his family and the people who caused the problems were above the law. He’s out to right those wrongs, but he has a moral code so while he does break the law he’s doing it to fix where the law failed to live up to its premise. He’s brave and has a wicked sense of humor.

5. What do you think readers will like most about Barlett?

Morgan: I hope it’s his big heart and his willingness to risk everything to save RJ once he realizes what is really going on.

6. The same for RJ.

Morgan: RJ is an irrepressible, loveable rogue with a heart of gold, but he’s also tenacious and smart, and very brave.

7. How did you come up with the title?

Morgan: A ‘roustabout’ is a worker at a carnival or circus who does the hard work of putting up tents and exhibits and handling the behind-the-scenes chores. RJ spent a lot of time on the road with various traveling shows and being a roustabout is how he got his start.

8. How is the novel connected to the Kings of the Mountain series, and why the connection?

Morgan: Bart and RJ show up as side characters in Sins of the Fathers (book 2) with hints of their backstory. All my modern-day Morgan Brice (and Gail Z. Martin) books cross over with each other and tie together. I think that makes for a more intriguing, larger universe for readers, and it’s easier for me to keep straight in my head! Of course I also hope that if readers like one book, they’ll follow the trail of breadcrumbs and discover others!

9. Will readers have to read the Kings of the Mountain series to understand Roustabout?

Morgan: No. Roustabout doesn’t reference anything in the Kings of the Mountain series (it happens a number of years earlier) and is a complete stand-alone.

10. What are you currently working on?

Morgan: I’m deep into the first draft for Witchbane #7! Looking forward to Seth and Evan’s next big adventure.

11. Is there anything else you’d like to add?

Morgan: Be sure to check out all the books in the Carnival of Mysteries series, since we all share the super-spooky carnival and key characters!

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Title: Roustabout
Series: A Carnival of Mysteries book
Author: Morgan Brice
Genre: Paranormal MM romance
Tropes: adversaries-to-lovers, hurt/comfort, forced proximity, rogue with a heart of gold, secret agent/con man, redemption arc
Themes: overcoming the past, settling old wrongs, second chances
Release Date: August 23, 2023
Length: 230 pages
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Publisher: Darkwind Press

A con man and a government agent walk into a carnival…

Blurb: Bartlett Gibson is a necromancer and an agent for the Tennessee Bureau of Supernatural Investigation. He’s hot on the trail of RJ Tucker, a psychic con man who has eluded him at every turn and led him on a merry chase. Pursuit leads to grudging respect in their game of cat and mouse, which becomes a high-stakes game of seduction. Bart chases RJ to the Carnival of Mysteries and realizes that nothing is as it seems. A dark witch’s curse ups the ante, creating a deadline for revenge and redemption, and the clock is ticking.

Falling in love breaks all the rules. Can Bart and RJ stop the witch, break the curse, and find a way around RJ’s spot on the “most wanted” list before time runs out?

Roustabout is a fast-paced MM paranormal romance filled with supernatural suspense, snarky humor, crafty carnival workers, sarcastic ghosts, midway magic, hurt/comfort angst, adversaries-to-lovers tension, and a very happy ending!

Part of the multi-author, shared-world Carnival of Mysteries series. Can be read as a stand-alone.

Note: It is a standalone book, but also part of the shared-world, multi-author Carnival of Mysteries series and is connected to Morgan’s Kings of the Mountain series. It does not end on a cliffhanger.

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Buy Links – Available in Kindle Unlimited

Amazon US | Amazon UK

But first, reckless as it might be, RJ had a date.

He knew he was fussing too much over his hair—manicuring his stubble and manscaping— but it had been a long time since there’d been anyone to notice, and he was going to make the most of it.

RJ wore his best shirt, a russet one that complemented his hair and warmed his pale complexion. Together with a new pair of jeans and a pair of Timberlands that were a rare splurge, he knew he cleaned up well.

He drove to Rosco’s Barbecue and parked, then realized his palms were sweating as he gripped the steering wheel.

It’s just dinner, he told himself. But nobody had ever made him feel like Bart did.

He grew up fast on the circuit surrounded by roustabouts and wranglers who didn’t follow convention and largely lived outside the restrictions of polite society. RJ had plenty of boyfriends and lovers over the years. Those in the carnival life rarely expected permanence, and relationships seldom lasted more than a season.

Moving from place to place had been a necessary distraction in those years. He hadn’t wanted more than temporary connections since he still mourned the people he had loved and lost. The dream of vengeance had sustained him, and for a long time, that was enough.

But now, with the end of his quest in sight, RJ found himself wanting more. Maybe he could never tell a partner everything about his old life and the recompense he had dealt out, but perhaps he didn’t need to live in self-imposed solitude.

After all, people in WITSEC get married. This isn’t too much different.

God, I’ve got the cart before the horse. We haven’t even fucked properly, and I’m picking out china patterns. It’s just dinner. And maybe a blow job if I play my cards right.

He went inside and looked for Bart. When he didn’t see the tall man waiting, his stomach tightened, fearing he had been stood up.

Bart came in a moment later, looking harried. “Sorry. Work ran over. Have you been here long?” He looked like he really cared whether RJ had been worried.

RJ relaxed and gave a broad smile. “Just got here myself.” His stomach growled. “It smells so good in here, and I’m starving.”

They followed the hostess to a table. RJ saw Bart slip her a twenty to get a spot out of the thick of the fray. Rosco’s did a booming business, with food that deserved the buzz.

“Did you have a good day?” Bart asked after they had ordered. RJ thought it was charming that Bart seemed flustered.

Maybe he’s as out of practice as I am.

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Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy MM paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic and urban fantasy, with less romance, more explosions.

All of the modern-day Morgan Brice and Gail Z. Martin series crossover, so characters from one series appear in cameos and on page in important secondary roles in books from other series. Each book can be read as a standalone, but the more you read the more the expanded universe of friendships and connections becomes clear.

Morgan and Gail believe that paranormal elements make any story even better, and her worlds are full of ghosts, psychics, shifters, creatures, vampires, monster hunters, and magic.

She’s also a huge fan of the TV show Supernatural. (Chibi art by Kamidiox)