Lexi.dehalo@gmail.com
Lexi DeHalo lived in
the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina until she left for college to
study Chemistry and Forensic Science. After graduation, Lexi decided to pursue
her love of the arts by writing erotic romance. When she’s not too busy in the
lab, you can find her working on her latest inspiration or playing with her
fur-babies.
Last Kiss
Goodbye
The
Southlands
Haunting memories
and shattered dreams of a life he left behind lead Karson Maddox back to
Southlands, Montana and the one man he can’t forget, Marcus Deveraux. But
Karson is a changed man, scarred by the chains of his past that are unwilling
to let him go, and he doesn’t know if he can be the man Marcus once loved or if
he will be forever bound to the horrors that plague him.
With his lover’s disappearance, Marcus repressed his pain
and heartache by devoting his time to his family’s ranch. When Karson shows up
on his doorstep five years later, battered and bruised, Marcus is torn between
protecting the one man who stole his heart and the fear of betrayal.
As desire and passion reignite, the secrets surrounding
Karson’s past threaten to tear them apart once again, and Marcus will learn
just how far he’s willing to go to keep Karson safe from the demons that
threaten both of their lives.
Excerpt
The Southlands End. The orange, neon words hung high above
the doorway, glowing brightly in the nighttime sky. The loud music playing
inside could be heard clearly from the crowded parking lot. This place was
meant to serve as a safe haven for the shifter kind who resided in Southlands,
Montana, but to Karson Maddox, it only served as a reminder of the life that
had been stolen from him.
He took a deep breath and inhaled the smell of the familiar
rugged landscape. Montana had been the place he’d called home for many years,
until that fateful night had changed his life forever. After five years, Karson
had finally made it back home, but now, he was uncertain of what awaited him on
the other side of those metal doors, and frankly, he didn’t care. The only
thing he cared about was finding Marcus.
Reaching out with a shaky hand, he opened the door and
stepped inside. He was instantly greeted by the bouncers, set in place to keep
wandering mundanes—a shifter term for the majority of the human population—out.
“Passcode,” the large one on the left requested in a less
than pleasant manner. His voice was deep and his intimidating stare was enough
to stop any sensible person from advancing.
Karson ran a nervous hand through his shaggy hair. “I don’t
know it, but—”
Before he could even get the rest of his sentence out, the
other bouncer, who had yet to speak, grabbed ahold of his arm and pushed him
back outside.
“Hey, wait a minute. Lemme go!” Karson struggled against the
painful grip. “I’m here to see Marcus.”
His words did nothing to stop the two shifters from removing
him from the building. They tossed him to the ground like a ragdoll, and the
sting from the gravel scraping against his exposed flesh burned like a son of a
bitch.
He glared up at the two men, his temper flaring from their
harsh handlings as his mind was taken back to the past five years of abuse he’d
endured in one moment. He could feel the animal inside him rise to the surface,
itching for a release that couldn’t be sated. His inability to shift only
fueled his desire to defend himself as he lunged at the taller man His fist
collided with the bouncer’s jaw, but despite the pain that radiated up his arm,
his target appeared to be unfazed by the blow.
“Fuck,” he cursed as he shook his hand in an attempt to free
it from the ache that emanated from his knuckles.
“Is there a problem here?”
His heart caught at the sound of the slight southern drawl.
He knew the man who had spoken those words even before he turned around and his
rage was instantly calmed by the familiar voice. A wave of nervousness washed
over him as his hands began to tremble. Turning slowly, he met Marcus’s eyes
for the first time in five years and the world around him seemed to fade away.
Marcus Deveraux stood in front of him, dressed in a pair of
dark-wash Wranglers and his favorite pair of cowboy boots. His white shirt was
left partially unbuttoned, no doubt to showcase his well-muscled chest. Strands
of his blond hair fell in front of his ice blue eyes as he stared down at
Karson. The soft features of his face had hardened with the years, but
everything else was just as he remembered.
Karson’s mouth went dry. He tried to find the words he’d
rehearsed earlier in the day, but nothing came to him. Instead, all he could do
was stand there like a deer caught in headlights.
“Karson?” Marcus whispered as recognition finally kicked in.
A look of shock and confusion fell upon his face as the pain and agony of the
past few years shimmered inside the depths of Marcus’s piercing eyes.
The desire to reach out to him was overwhelming. It was an
impulse that had surprised Karson given that he’d changed so much in the past
few years. Something shifted inside him, awakening a mixture of emotions he
hadn’t felt since the day he was taken from Marcus. Tears pooled in his eyes
and he tried desperately to hold them back. He wouldn’t cry. Not here. Not now.
“Sir, you know this man?” the large shifter Karson had
punched questioned Marcus.
Marcus gave a slow nod, his eyes never leaving Karson. “Yes…
he’s my mate.”
Behind
the Scenes
What are your current projects?
My current projects include starting a new pen name for a
M/F BDSM piece I’ve been working on entitled, Beautifully Broken [A Limitless
Novel] and supernatural suspense novel that has yet to be titled.
How do you think you’ve evolved creatively?
Hmm. An interesting question. I think I have come a long way
since my first book was released a year ago. I have found my own voice, so to
speak, and I’ve quite enjoyed experimenting with different genres. I’m excited
about my upcoming works in progress J
What was the hardest thing about writing your latest book?
The edits. I switched editors with my latest book and while
I was extremely happy with the feedback I got, I also spent many hours working
on their suggestions. It really pushed me as a writer and helped shape the book
to be what it is today.
Do you think that the cover plays an important part in the
buying process?
Yes, I do. The cover is the first impression that a buyer
sees and it needs to reflect the quality of writing, the reader can expect. A
cover doesn’t need to be flashy or over the top, but it does need to be
professional.
What would you say are the main advantages and disadvantages
of self-publishing against being published or the other way around?
Being published is great route for a writer so long as it is
a reputable publisher that does their share of the work. Realistically, I don’t
want to do business with a publisher if their editing, cover art, and
promotions are not worth 50-60% of my royalties. If I’m doing most of the work
and even having to correct their edits, then I don’t feel like the publisher is
holding up their end of the contract. In that case, self-publishing would be an
ideal situation, especially with today’s technology. Hiring you own editor and
cover artist can be an up front, out of pocket cost, though and if an author
doesn’t earn back enough from their self-published title to cover those costs,
it will be a direct loss that they have to take. For new authors, I feel that
being published is a great introduction into the industry. It gives the author
a feel for the expectations of the industry and is a good place to start. For
more experienced authors who feel like they aren’t getting what they need from
their publisher, they may want to try their hand at self-publishing.
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