Morgan Brice – Last Resort | Maggie Blackbird

Today, author Morgan Brice is guesting. She’s talking about her latest release Last Resort, book three in the Treasure Trail series, a m/m paranormal romance. Don’t forget to enter the Rafflecopter giveaway.

“Weird things are happening again in Cape May and the ghosts of old mobsters never rest easy.”

****

How Morgan blends the romance with the external plot:

For my books, there are two parallel plots—the romance one, and the suspense one. They tend to develop together. I start by thinking about where the characters are in their relationship, since after they get together in book one of the series, I tend to follow established couples (except for the Fox Hollow books). I think about where they’ve come from and what challenges might be facing them at this new stage in their relationship, whether they’ve just moved in together or are getting engaged or married, or just moving from the initial swoon of new love into the nitty-gritty of working out the hard parts. At the end of the book, they should move forward in some way, big or small, as their relationship grows deeper. And of course, there are the sexy times!

At the same time that I’m developing the romance story, I know what the suspense plot is, and where the dangers and challenges lie. To solve the problem, it will require the special skills or insights of both characters. They also usually gain perspective on their relationship over the course of the investigation. I love hurt/comfort, so there’s going to be danger. Since one or both characters have some sort of paranormal ability, that needs to factor into the external plot and the hazards they face. Their unique skills both human (like being ex-law enforcement) and paranormal (like being a psychic) need to play a big role in resolving the suspense plot, so that it wouldn’t be solved in the same way without them.

****

Title: Last Resort
Series: Treasure Trail, Book 3
Author: Morgan Brice
Genres: MM paranormal romance & supernatural suspense
Tropes: Moving in together, second chance at love, healing from the past, dealing with past issues, hurt/comfort
Themes: Evolving relationship, learning to trust, forgiving yourself, letting go of the past
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 216 pages
Release Date: March 6, 2024
Publisher: Darkwind Press

Can Ben and Erik put the pieces together to solve the case, or when the cards are dealt, will they be left holding the dead man’s hand?

Blurb: Erik Mitchell gets a strange delivery of antique poker chips with odd markings tied to a casino that burned a century ago. Ben Nolan finds a dead guy in one of his rental units—turns out the guy’s been missing for twenty years and is linked to a long-lost treasure.

The ghostly energy of the old Commodore Wilson hotel juices up all the town’s spirits, and a stranger shows up with an unhealthy interest in both cases. Ben and Erik have just moved in together, and they’re still navigating the next step as partners and blending their lives.

Murder, missing persons, hidden treasure, and haunted poker chips. Can Ben and Erik put the pieces together to solve the case, or when the cards are dealt, will they be left holding the dead man’s hand?

Last Resort is a suspenseful MM paranormal romance mystery-adventure filled with second chance love, hurt/comfort, true soulmates, old curses, hidden treasure, dangerous secrets, restless ghosts, psychic visions, powerful witches, angry mobsters, and a very haunted hotel.

Note: It’s the third book in the series, but can be read as a standalone It does not end on a cliffhanger.

Add to Goodreads

Purchase at:

Amazon US | Amazon UK | Kobo | Nook/B&N

“This brings back memories.” Ben Nolan and his partner carried the last boxes up the stairs. “I spent too many Saturdays in my twenties helping my friends move in and out of apartments for free pizza and beer.”

“Look at it as a built-in fitness workout,” Erik Mitchell, his boyfriend, replied. “The good thing is that most days, you don’t need to go up and down more than once.”

“I’m sure I can come up with reasons to stay in.” Ben dripped his voice to a sexy growl and gave Erik a knowing look.

Erik shook his head fondly. “Sounds good—but we still need to go to work sometime.”

Erik owned Trinkets, the antique shop in the first floor of the old Victorian house where their apartment took up the second level. “Can’t beat the commute,” he added.”

“True—and mine’s still totally walkable unless the weather is foul.” Ben managed Nolan Resort Real Estate, owned by his aunt and uncle. Until recently, he had stayed in one of the company’s rentals. Ben had moved in with Erik a few months ago, but forgotten about a stack of boxes that were still stored in Trinkets’ back room.

The important stuff had already found a place in the apartment. Now Ben needed to figure out what in these last boxes to keep or toss. He’d packed long enough ago that he had forgotten what remained.

“Actually, I was surprised how fast I got used to the stairs,” Erik told him. “My place in Atlanta had an elevator, but nowhere near the charm.”

Both Ben and Erik had recently moved to Cape May, New Jersey to make a fresh start after their old lives went off the rails. Ben stepped away from being a Newark cop after a betrayal and a near-fatal shooting, and becoming a private investigator had left him burned out and bitter. Erik left his high-profile work stopping art fraud and antiquities smugglers when a bust gone wrong nearly got him killed—and his boyfriend cheated. Differing circumstances led them to Cape May and chance brought them together, but Ben thanked his lucky stars every day for how things had turned out.

“Now we just have to figure out what’s worth keeping.” Ben surveyed the stacks of boxes in the living room. “We already have an interesting decorating style.”

They had found a quirky way to blend his statues of Spider-Man and Optimus Prime and wall art of some of his favorite comics and sci-fi movies with Erik’s more traditional taste, honed by his work for art museums.

“Bring it on,” Erik said with a laugh. “It’s good to shake things up.”

Ben reeled him in for a kiss. “I can think of ways to get a whole lotta shakin’ going on,” he growled.

Erik kissed him and stepped away. “Hold that thought. We need to be able to navigate through the living room, so the boxes can’t stay—which means unpacking.”

“Spoil sport,” Ben grumbled good-naturedly.

****

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)