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 Real Warriors, the fourth and final book in the When We Were Young series, a m/m contemporary, new adult romance. Be sure to check out other participating author posts here.

The courage of a warrior is a must on their new path, or they’ll never grasp their happily ever after.

Blurb:  Just when eighteen-year-old Billy Redsky believes he’s holding his happily ever after in the palm of his hand, he must practice what he’s learned in ceremony to face two more tests—share with the world his love for René, and let go of the past.

But that’s not so easy.  René is terrified of exposing their secret to anyone else but his family.  As for Billy’s brother, he has no intention of changing his criminal ways.

Only a miracle can help Billy reach his final destination on the red road his Ojibway ancestors once walked.  For his dream to come true, he must look deep inside of himself and trust the creator he follows.

Genre(s): Multicultural, M/M Contemporary Romance, LGBTQ+, First Nations Romance, New Adult.
Heat Rating: Level 3
Publication Date: August 13, 2021
Publisher: eXtasy Books

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When light hit Billy’s face, he squeezed his lids tighter. He curled himself snugger around René’s warm body, whose deep breaths said he was fast asleep. The dim light became brighter, as if someone had thrown on a lamp in the room.

“What the… “ Billy scrambled to sit up.

Mrs. Oshawee stood in the doorway, hand on the switch. A blue bathrobe draped her slim body. Her hair, always nice and tidy, was a sleepy mess. “Billy…” she whispered. “I went to your room. You weren’t there…”

Oh great, busted. Why, of all nights, did the Oshawees need to find him? “Uh yeah…” The saliva drained from Billy’s mouth. “We… uh… had a bit too much champagne… err… and must’ve fallen asleep.”

“It doesn’t matter. We need to talk. Get dressed. Quickly.” Mrs. O left the room, leaving the light on.

Something wasn’t right. Billy had no robe or cotton pants to grab, so he was forced to slide into his jeans.

René stirred. “What’s going on?” he mumbled.

“Go back to sleep. Your mom needs to talk to me.”

“Huh?” René’s eyes cracked open. He sat up. “Mom was in here?”

“Yeah. She even turned on the light. She was looking for me in my room. This doesn’t sound good. Maybe she’s mad.”

“Perfect. Not.” René cast aside the sheets and snatched his bathrobe. “It’s one fucking night,” he said under his breath. “If they don’t start giving me space…”

Billy inched into the hallway.

Disbelief was painted on Mrs. O’s face.

“Look, we can explain—”

She held up her hand. “Warren called. He said he tried to call earlier but nobody answered. I told him we were out for dinner and you two probably never heard the phone.”

“Warren?” Something dreadful climbed up Billy’s spine.

“Did you say Warren called?” René padded from the bedroom.

“Yes, Warren. Something terrible happened. Warren got word from dispatch. The city police asked him to contact you.”

“Huh? The cops are looking for me?” Billy was aware how territorial the city police were with the First Nations constables. “What do they want? Is this about Hoyt?” What the fuck had his brother done now?

Mrs. O nodded. “There was a horrible… something very horrible happened at that bar your brother frequents.”

“The Busy Bee?” The dread turned into cold rain washing over Billy.

“He was shot.”

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