Did someone say Bad Boys?

One of our themes this month is Bad Boys. Oh, whatever will I write about? I think a gambling demon thief and con man who happens to be a BDSM top and a celestial brothel owner—as well as one of Russia’s vory v zakone—probably qualifies.

In the upcoming third installment in my Demons of Elysium series, Master of the Game, the aforementioned bad boy, Belphagor, is up to his usual tricks. But Master of the Game also features another bad boy: Silk.

In Book 2, King of Thieves, readers meet Silk, a 21-year-old demon pretending to be a 16-year-old at an underage brothel. More than a few reviewers and readers mentioned curiosity about further adventures with Silk—along with trepidation about whether he could be trusted. The answer to that question depends on who you are. Silk looks out for himself, but he’ll put his life on the line for those he cares about if he has to. Then again, if there’s money in it for him, he may just put your life on the line. You just never know.

I had a lot of fun writing Silk, precisely because he’s so hard to figure out. Belphagor and his lover, the firespirit Vasily, are fairly easy to read. They may have a few secrets, but their hearts are worn on their sleeves. What they’re feeling is pretty much never a secret, particularly with Vasily, who speaks (or roars) before he thinks. But Silk, even as a character in my own head, was full of secrets. I never knew what would happen when he walked into a room, and half the time, I didn’t even know if I believed him when he said something.

Whether you trust Silk or not, there’s never a dull moment when he shows up. And my cover artist at Samhain, Kanaxa, captured him perfectly:

Love is the ultimate game changer…and this time it’s winner take all.

Now that his lover is back in his arms, Belphagor is taking his own sweet time to say the words Vasily longs to hear: “You’re my boy.” And savoring the sweet torture of driving the firespirit into a frenzy of unfulfilled need.

As the undisputed master of Heaven’s gaming tables, Belphagor never plays unless he’s certain of winning. But this time, political machinations send the game—and Vasily—tumbling to the brink of even his formidable control.

Vasily can’t deny enjoying their delightfully edgy play—until the airspirit auctions him off for a night to the one demon with a gift for taking things too far. Seductive Silk, tight-lipped about the end of his relationship with the sweet submissive Phaleg, may also be involved with a new faction threatening the pregnant queen of Heaven.

Belphagor couldn’t be less interested in the games angels play, but when angelic and demonic intrigues overlap, he’s drawn in against his will. And forced to break his one inviolable rule: Never gamble what you can’t afford to lose.

Warning: Contains more than a mouthful of m/m ménage, with intense D/s situations featuring intricate rope work, balaklavas, and a flurry of snow.

Master of the Game, coming August 5 from Samhain Publishing, is available now for pre-order:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | iBooks | Kobo | Samhain