Maggie Blackbird

Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. Readers can jump from one author to another who share hooks from their current WIP (work in progress) or any previously published books.

For this week’s edition of Book Hooks, I give you a teaser from Blessed, book one in The Matawapit Family series, a second-chance, enemies to lovers, m/m contemporary romance that is 50% off when you purchase from Extasy Books.

A mixed-blood Catholic seminarian struggles to discern his true calling: the priesthood or his ex-lover, a proud but damaged Ojibway man.

It’s been ten years since Emery Matawapit sinned, having succumbed to temptation for the one thing in his life that felt right, another man. In six months he’ll make a life-changing decision that will bar him from sexual relationships for the rest of his life.

Darryl Keejik has a decade-long chip on his shoulder, and he holds Emery’s father, the church deacon, responsible for what he’s suffered: the loss of his family and a chance at true love with Emery. No longer a powerless kid, Darryl has influence within the community—maybe more than the deacon, and he intends on using his new-found power to destroy Deacon Matawapit and the church.

Hoping to save the church, Emery races home. But stopping Darryl is harder than expected when their sizzling chemistry threatens to consume Emery. Now he is faced with the toughest decision of his life: please his devout parents and fulfill his call to the priesthood, or remain true to his heart and marry the man created for him.

Genre(s):  Multicultural, M/M Contemporary Romance, First Nations Romance, Adult, LGBTQ+, Inspirational.
Heat Rating:  Level 3
Publication Date:  July 6, 2018
Publisher:  eXtasy Books

PURCHASE A COPY FOR 50% OFF AT EXTASY BOOKS

“What’s wrong?” Bridget stirred her coffee.

“Nothing. What did you need to talk about?” Emery asked.

“I can’t believe he used to be your… best friend.” She shook her head.

A hot coal burned inside Emery’s stomach. Bridget was referring to Darryl. Emery stood and turned to the counter. He couldn’t let her see his face. “What do you mean?”

“Do you know what he’s doing?”

The moisture in his throat vanished. He shook his head.

“Did you know he moved back to the rez?”

Nodding, Emery opened the fridge and reached for a container of water. He poured a glass and sipped. The cold liquid washed away the heat in his throat, but sweat formed in the pits of his arms.

“I never thought he’d do this to us.” Bridget’s tone almost froze the ice water Emery held. “Especially after everything Mom and Dad did for him. Y’know, I used to really like him. I mean, whenever I’d go up to the rez and visit, he seemed genuine about his beliefs and so nice. But he’s taken this Traditionalists Society a bit too far.”

“What’s he done?”

“First, he joined team Clayton. Dad speaks about that weasel a lot. He’s always giving the church grief.”

Dad wouldn’t mention any problems the church was encountering. Whenever they spoke on the phone, he insisted Emery stay focused on his discernment. “I remember Clayton. Vaguely.”

“Darryl’s on band council. So’s Clayton. Put the two of them together at the leadership table and they think they’re Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse.”

“I see…” As for Darryl’s rise in the political ring, this wasn’t news to Emery. He checked Ottertail Lake’s web site on a weekly basis. Seemed Darryl had made part of his dream come true.

“At the band council meeting, they voted against the donation Mom and Dad requested for Healing the Spirit. According to Darryl and Clayton, anything Catholic goes against their so-called traditional beliefs. You know what this workshop means to us. Especially Dad. He wants to give everyone the same chance he had to put the past behind them and move on.”

Darryl did… what? Perfect. There went Emery’s chance at making amends. Why was Bridget telling him about their parents’ problems anyway? If she expected him to fly home and confront Darryl, she was asking the wrong person. Returning to the reserve meant a fist in Emery’s face, or maybe two fists.

Wait. He must try to make amends. If he didn’t, he couldn’t write to the bishop in January. Still, only a fool would think to approach Ottertail Lake’s most stubborn, opinionated, hard-headed man.

Emery chastised himself for being a tad negative and judgmental. Darryl behaved in an all-or-nothing manner because he was passionate about his causes and beliefs—which had drawn Emery to Darryl in the first place.

Imagine being bold and courageous, the kind of man ready to stand proud and face ridicule, instead of silently obeying and quietly accepting. If Darryl had lived during the Indian wars, he would have tossed down the pen instead of X-ing the dotted line on the Treaty and died fighting for their freedom.

“Are you even listening?” Bridget was still speaking.

Emery pivoted. “Yes.”

She raised her black brows. “No, you weren’t.”

“Yes, I was. Tell me what else he’s done.” He sank in the chair to listen. Afterwards, he’d help Father Arnold serve evening Mass, then venerate in front of the Exposition of Christ to ascertain God’s will.

If anyone could help Emery sort out this mess, Father Arnold was the man. He’d saved Emery’s shaken faith ten years ago and served as his spiritual director while in Thunder Bay.

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