KC Kendricks and Rayne Forrest now on Audible

 

September 10, 2025

Well, here's an update I wasn't sure I'd ever make. I've added all my books to Audible. Yea!

Why wasn't I sure about doing it? I don't really like the automated voice, but the plain truth is I can't afford to hire a reader. So there ya go. 

I'm actually glad I've finally taken the plunge if for no other reason than to add the audio book to my private library. 

I listened to the beginning of a few of the books and I confess, I was pleasantly surprised at how well the AI did. I haven't tried the 'read and listen' feature yet, but I will. 

Remember, if you already own the book, you can get the Audible book for half price. That's not a bad deal. 

One of these days, I'm going to be an old. old woman in a home, and I'm going to turn up the volume when I get to certain parts of my own books. I bet I'll get in a lot of trouble for that! 

_*_*_*_*_*_*_

KC Kendricks
My home on the web- Between the Keys: 
http://kckendricks.blogspot.com
Visit my bookshelf at: 
https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@KCKendricks

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

KC Kendricks, Rayne Forrest, Audible, Between the Keys, contemporary gay romance, sci-fi romance, LGBT, m/m romance, Kindle romance, shapeshifters, Amazon romance

Winding down 2023 and making decisions

December 17, 2023

Every year ends. I always get to this part of December and have a moment of panic. Christmas Eve is in one week. Twenty years ago that meant I'd be preparing for our annual open house, but the world shifted, friends scattered and drifted away, and now, for us, Christmas Eve is a quiet evening. 

It's not a bad thing. We're older now, and the spousal unit is ten years older than me, so he appreciates a quiet evening more than I do. We may take Deuce for a little ride to check out some Christmas lights, but we won't be joining with other people. It's our choice. 

I'm currently working on putting together my retrospective for 2023, which will publish on January 2, 2024.  That's a look back and today I'm looking forward, down a road that has a few twists and turns on the horizon. There are no wrong turns, only choices to make. 

Do I want to try to maintain a website or hire someone? I'd like to do it myself, but can I learn new software right now? 

Do I want to continue to keep Holly Tree Manor as a separate blog, or post everything here? If I post everything here, I can still post over there and send people this way. I don't monetize my blogs so does it matter which way I go?  And do I want to incorporate more videos on the blog and also post them on Facebook? 

I admit to allowing things in my writing realm to slide while I prepared for and settled into retirement. I look around on social media and the girls I "came up with" seem to be gone. I suspect a lot of them didn't want to go indie when so many of the epubs closed. I don't blame them. I miss the camaraderie of being in a group and exchanging ideas that actually work. 

A lot of what I do will be a continuation of what I've always done. If it's not broken, don't fix it. If you enjoy doing it, why stop? 

I've set a deadline of December 31st for myself to decide which road to take. It's likely I'll look to the words of Robert Frost for counsel: "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I - I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference."

One can only hope I recognize it when I get to it, and I'm brave enough to take that first step out of my comfort zone. 

      _*_*_*_*_*_*_

 KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/bookshelf.html

Social media links:

Life through the eyes of my black Lab, Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

My country life at The Hideaway/Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Snips and clips on my YouTube channel: KC Kendricks Between the Keys

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

KC Kendricks, Between the Keys blog, Rayne Forrest, m/m gay romance, romance fiction for Kindle, LGBT gay romance, sci-fi romance, shapeshifters, contemporary gay romance, a writer's life, life decisions, Holly Tree Manor, New Year, Robert Frost, life choices

Six Sentence Sunday: Beneath Dark Stars

November 4, 2012

When I decided to create my shapeshifter, Sundown, I knew he would young-at-heart with a wide streak of mischief in his soul. I had to explain how his people got to Earth, how they blended in and how they survived. It was so much fun I'm currently working on the fourth book in the Sundown series! 

This week's six sentences come from the second in the series, Beneath Dark Stars. There's a lot of things about humans Sundown is in the process of figuring out for himself. But he knows one thing for certain - Fallon is his. Of course, Fallon enjoys teasing Sundown from time-to-time.

 
His eyes flashed an angry red as his spine straightened. “This is a young man you must now work beside?”

“Don’t get excited, babe. He’s only a kid, a rookie, and Juny and I wi—.”

“How young? I will meet this boy and explain to him he would be in error to desire you!”


BENEATH DARK STARS 
Gay romance with a paranormal shift
available now at Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 


KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com

Six Sentence Sunday: The Back Stairs

September 23, 2012

Welcome to my first Six Sentence Sunday! I chose six sentences from The Back Stairs, which is the first book in the Sundown series. When Fallon tells Sundown he expects Sundown to be nothing but trouble, Fallon has no idea just how much. But he quickly finds out.

Shapeshifters? Really? Fallon didn't believe it either - at first.

From The Back Stairs:

“Carlton’s parents are flying in to claim the body and I need to have answers for them.”

His fingers grazed mine, the gentle touch heating my blood. "I knew you were a good man. I trust you, Fallon. Will you trust me?”

“I trust you to be nothing but trouble.”


THE BACK STAIRS
www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thebackstairs-2004038-145.html
Gay romance with a paranormal shift

KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys

River Walk reviewed by Literary Nymphs Reviews

September 15, 2012

River Walk has received a 4.5 Nymph Review from Literary Nymphs Reviews. The review is short and sweet at only 180 words but like any good author, Chocolate Minx makes great use of the language. 

I, too, love the concise, but the review doesn't really offer up a good snippet to help out my promo needs. But a 4.5 out of 5 is great, and so are words like "favorite," "humorous," fascinating," and "very enjoyable." What it all means is if you want to read any or all of the review, you have to hit the counter at Literary Nymphs and read it there.

http://literarynymphsreviewsonly.blogspot.com/2012/09/river-walk.html?zx=21a63964cde1fc2d

RIVER WALK

Gay romance with paranormal shift
available now at 

Amazon

https://www.amazon.com/River-Walk-Sundown-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B01F7LMN8S

iTunes

itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1098576743

Barnes and Noble/Nook

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/river-walk-kc-kendricks/1113758621?ean=2940153172361

Kobo

www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/river-walk-1

Book three of the Sundown series

Never ask a shapeshifter a question

unless you're prepared for the answer....

Detective Fallon Roxbury has a big problem. A twenty-year old cold case turned hot threatens to expose his secret - shapeshifters exist and they’re living in Montgomery Circle under his protection. Between a new witness and a group of fanatical alien watchers, Fallon’s scrambling to uphold the law and keep his promises intact. He already knows no power on earth can keep his shapeshifter lover from stepping into the mix.

Sundown has come into his own with his human lover by his side. Fallon is his compass, and shield, as he seeks to keep his Clan united and teach them most humans can be trusted. A catalyst, Sundown is rare among his kind, a descendant of heroes. The status of his Clan rests on him and he’s determined to see his people prosper on this world owned by humans - without the humans knowing shapeshifters walk among them.

Secrets have a way of being exposed. Fallon’s not the only one who knows about Sundown’s kind. A cop used to right and wrong being black and white, Fallon struggles to learn shades of gray. Their relationship is tested as Fallon and Sundown race against the clock to find a kidnapped shapeshifter before the Clan takes matters into their own hands. Because if they fail, Fallon knows his lover will be forced to stand with his people and act against him.

KC Kendricks

website at: http://www.kckendricks.comblog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys

River Walk

July 28, 2012

Having a new book come out is a great way to cap off a very busy month. RIVER WALK is the third book in the Sundown series. And if there's one thing to remember about Sundown, it's never ask a shapeshifter a question unless you're ready for the answer. 

RIVER WALK
Gay romance with paranormal shift
available now at Amazon

Book three of the Sundown series

Detective Fallon Roxbury has a big problem. A twenty-year old cold case turned hot threatens to expose his secret - shapeshifters exist and they’re living in Montgomery Circle under his protection. Between a new witness and a group of fanatical alien watchers, Fallon’s scrambling to uphold the law and keep his promises intact. He already knows no power on earth can keep his shapeshifter lover from stepping into the mix.   

Sundown has come into his own with his human lover by his side. Fallon is his compass, and shield, as he seeks to keep his Clan united and teach them most humans can be trusted. A catalyst, Sundown is rare among his kind, a descendant of heroes. The status of his Clan rests on him and he’s determined to see his people prosper on this world owned by humans - without the humans knowing shapeshifters walk among them. 

Secrets have a way of being exposed. Fallon’s not the only one who knows about Sundown’s kind. A cop used to right and wrong being black and white, Fallon struggles to learn shades of gray. Their relationship is tested as Fallon and Sundown race against the clock to find a kidnapped shapeshifter before the Clan takes matters into their own hands.  Because if they fail, Fallon knows his lover will be forced to stand with his people and act against him.  

INTRO

“So when do you teach me how to change shape?”

His eyebrows shot up to his hairline. “Fallon, wearing a different skin is not possible for you.” Sundown blinked rapidly, looking more and more shocked. “You would wish it?”

I shook my head. “No, I do not wish it for myself. It’s not normal for a human, Sundown. Come sit on the couch with me.”

I picked up my coffee cup and eased down on the brightly colored scarves covering his sofa. I loved his room with its red and gold brocades, bead curtains, and bright cloths. It made me nostalgic for the days of Woodstock even though I’d not been born until nine months after the Summer of Love changed the world. I lifted my arm and Sundown nestled in against my side. 

“Are you angry with me, Fallon?”

Was I? Some inner knowledge assured me he’d not harmed me in any way.

“I’m concerned. That’s different. What happens if I get hurt and some doctor discovers weird little cells dancing around inside me?”

Sundown sipped his coffee. He licked his full lips and took another drink. He was trying to stall me in the hopes I’d ask something else and give him the opportunity to bypass giving me an answer. I wasn’t going to allow him to get away with such a ploy, not this time. I waited. Sundown finally sighed. 

“It hasn’t happened yet, Fallon.”

His answer didn’t surprise me. The Chal used every means at their disposal to protect themselves and the clan, whether or not we humans would approve their actions. 

“Here’s a news flash for you, lover. Forensic medicine has come a long way in a short time, and it’s possible today’s technology can detect those cells now.”

Sundown sat up straight and twisted to stare at me. I saw Czun Dun Nhunfi, the pride of his clan, before me. His quick intelligence absorbed the information, considered the ramifications, and developed options. I stroked his smooth cheek with my knuckles, and gave his words back to him, gently.

“It hasn’t happened yet, darling. How many humans have you done this to?”

His chin lifted. “You once accused me of using you as my science project. In this, you’re correct. The knowledge handed down to me said it was indeed possible to blend with a human in this way and thus know their thoughts. I needed to know if this were true.”

“You’re avoiding giving me a number, Czun Dun Nhunfi.”

“What was handed down said it was possible for those like me. My ancestors who were catalysts did this to gain knowledge of their captors. It is said without doing this, the Chal could not have escaped slavery on this world thousands of years ago.”

If the folks at SETI only knew how right they were – and how late they were to the game. 

EXCERPT:

“Many years ago, when I was a mere nestling and thus had no part in it, the Chal erred.”

I gnawed on a knuckle to keep from laughing at his apparent need to cover his ass over whatever the hell had happened. It wasn’t very respectful on my part, but I couldn’t help it. I pulled myself together and spoke formally to alleviate his concerns.

“I do not blame you for the actions of others, Czun Dun Nhunfi. Nor do I seek to impose sanctions over honest mistakes. Please, continue.”

“This reassures me, Fallon. And I forgive you your humor as you know me so well.” He leaned over and kissed between my shoulder blades. “It happened at Madison Park, along the river walk.”

“Oh, shit!” I rolled up and dumped him off me. Juny’s cold case file. He knew about it through me. “Either someone thinks they killed a Chal, or they really did manage to off one of you, and the Chal removed the body. Or the Chal killed a human and removed the body.”

“Why do you suspect this?” He blinked at me, rapidly, several times.

“I’m guessing because of what Juny told me this afternoon.”

“Wsie emu.”

Oh, fuck was right. I waved my hand in front of his glazed expression. “I told you, Sundown. Juny knows things. He’s got his hands on a cold case. This one.”

“Beir wsie qite emu tagu.”

I’d been with him long enough to learn a few words and phrases and knew the Chal words he uttered translated roughly to “can it get fucking worse?” I watched him square his shoulders. He was about to attempt damage control, but it was too late. I was a cop. I was trained to extrapolate facts and form theories, and I had. 

“Yeah. What you said.”

“Very well, Fallon. I have not yet advised the Elders, but we will speak. The Chal are involved, but not because one was killed, or died. Some twenty or so of your years ago, Timothy Petrie witnessed a group of young Chal playing in Madison Park.”

Cold shock slammed my system. I’d arrested Petrie for the brutal murder of two young men and in the process Petrie dealt a blow rendering me deaf in my right ear. It was also the case where I’d met Sundown.

Petrie spun a fanatical tale of shapeshifters living among humans to anyone who’d listen, and one who had was Juny Mack. My temper spiked and I grabbed his arms.

“You should have told me this a long time ago, Sundown. The Chal had Petrie under surveillance for years, didn’t they? Something drove him to kill Michael Carlton and Allen Young. Was it some action of the Chal?”

His surprise at the strength of my grip on him gave way to anger. “I did nothing wrong! I put myself at great risk to resolve the situation, so much so the Elders discussed what needed to be done about you!”

I washed cold again, a second icy blast which quickly chilled my blood and sent my pulse racing.

“Are you telling me the Elders wanted me away from you so badly the discussed ‘removing’ me?”

Fear flickered in his emerald eyes. “Fallon. We must move on from this. The Elders did what they thought needed to be done to contain Timothy Petrie, and ultimately failed. They bear the guilt of this.”

His panic seeped into me through our connection. It was a blinding white light inside him but I couldn’t back off, not this time. He’d withheld important information from me time and time again, and it had to stop. 

“I seek the truth, Czun Dun Nhunfi. The truth the Chal, and you, work so hard to hide.”

“We do what we must to protect ourselves. Selisei, please. Please.”

Beloved. Selisei. Had he played me for a fool? He gave me the hottest sex of my life. Had it blinded me to his real agenda? 

“Tell me what happened in Madison Park and do not - do not - leave anything out.” I gave him a shake then released him. 

Sundown stared at me. “Will you confide in me, Fallon? What does Sergeant Mack know of the Chal?”

I very carefully pictured a high, wide brick wall around my brain. “First things first. Now you talk, and I’ll consider what you should learn when you’re finished.”

He gave me a look full of cautious speculation. Did it say the barrier I’d erected worked? Something surprised him. He’d expected to be able to read my mind - and for me to waver because I always had before. Sundown arranged the pillows and beckoned to me to come to him.

We were as far apart from each other as we’d ever been since we met. Maybe he had it right and we needed to touch to find our way back from our sudden anger and mistrust. I nodded, eased down beside him. We shifted positions until we lay face-to-face. I offered him my hand and he slipped his palm beneath mine.  

“Start talking.”

RIVER WALK

Gay romance with paranormal shift
available now at Amazon
www.amazon.com/River-Walk-Sundown-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B01F7LMN8S

Book three of the Sundown series

KC Kendricks
website at: http://www.kckendricks.com/
blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com/
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys

Beneath Dark Stars has been Joyfully Reviewed

June 30, 2011

And sometimes you can score one!

Thanks to Lisa at Joyfully Reviewed for her glowing words about Beneath Dark Stars!

A realistic world where humans unknowingly walk side by side with shape shifters, Beneath Dark Stars is a richly compelling story. Fascinating characters make Beneath Dark Stars a deliciously intense and passionate drama. Fallon is finding his way in a new life with a special lover while the exotic, intense Sundown quietly bridges the human world and his own. This sequel stands on its own easily, yet the world of the Chal is so hazy that it’s frustrating at times, though the reasons for secrecy are obvious. The inexplicable connection between Fallon and Sundown is what sets Beneath Dark Stars apart from other romances. Their love story is fiercely satisfying. - Lisa, Joyfully Reviewed

Read the entire review at: http://www.joyfullyreviewed.com/new-reviews/beneath-dark-stars-by-k-c-kendricks

Beneath Dark Stars

Fallon Roxbury, seasoned detective and special police consultant, knows that appearances can be deceiving. Trained to gather the clues and arrive at logical conclusions, he fits the puzzle pieces of a situation together to find the truth. But there’s nothing reasonable in Fallon’s attraction to the sexy, secretive shapeshifter called Sundown.

Sundown has studied people all his life. Having his very own human male is all he ever wanted. In Fallon, he’s found a man he can trust with his secrets and reveal his true nature. Keeping Fallon happy is a joyful exercise into which Sundown puts his heart and soul—when he’s not teasing Fallon’s police partner by leaving strange footprints at crime scenes, that is.

Fallon’s new case ties into an old one. At a dead end, he knows it’s time to ask Sundown for a little help. With his special abilities, Sundown can get into places Fallon can’t. All Fallon has to do is figure out a way to prove what he already knows. But what’s a cop to do when the truth takes a shift that’s stranger than fiction?



BENEATH DARK STARS 
Gay romance with a paranormal shift
available now at Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 

KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com

4 Divas for The Back Stairs

April 18, 2011
**updated October 27, 2019**

Dark Divas Reviews has given The Back Stairs a 4-Diva review. My thanks to Lasha for her glowing words. I blushed when I read them. (Was she saying that about MY story???)

It's my first Dark Diva review, and I couldn't be happier. The reviewer used words like "original and intriguing," "unique," and "sizzle." Now there are words to make an author's heart go pitter-patter! AND THEN she said she may read Beneath Dark Stars!

Yes, I'll be over the rush by morning, sad but true. Real life will intrude like it always does, but tonight - I gloat!

Here's the scoop, but be a doll and go give the review site a click for their counter. It's good politics.

**Please note that the review shows the original cover and links to the original publisher site, which are both out of date. The links in this blog are correct and active.**

I loved the world-building in The Back Stairs as it brought a depth and texture to the plot. Although the novella is set in the present, it had an other-worldly feel and the backstory of Sundown was original and intriguing. Bring in Fallon and Sundown’s unique love story and this book really begins to sizzle. And since I enjoyed this first novel so much, I am looking forward to reading (and reviewing) the second book in this series, Beneath Dark Stars. Sundown and Fallon are quickly becoming my favorite human-shapeshifter pairing.
Rated 4 Delightful Divas by Lasha!

KC Kendricks
http://www.kckendricks.com
http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
http://www.pinterest.com/kckendricks
http://www.facebook.com/kckendricks
http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com

Amber Allure March Top Ten Best Seller List

April 2, 2017

This post has been updated with the current cover. I left the post active because even though Amber Quill has closed, it doesn't negate the fact Beneath Dark Stars was on the publisher's bestseller list that month. - KC

BENEATH DARK STARS 
Gay romance with a paranormal shift
available now at Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 

_*_*_

April 5, 2011

Thanks to everyone who bought a copy of Beneath Dark Stars and got it to #4 on the bestseller list for March! Don't forget to check in here at Between the Keys tomorrow for E in the A to Z Blogging Challenge. - KC

AMBER ALLURE / March 2011

1. Why I Love Geeks - T. A. Chase (Gay / Contemporary)
2. Accidentally His - Shawn Lane (Gay / Contemporary)
3. Into The Woods - M. L. Rhodes (Gay / Shapeshifter)
4. Beneath Dark Stars - KC Kendricks (Gay / Shapeshifter)
5. Wrong Number, Right Guy - Mia Watts (Gay / Contemporary)
6. (Boys Of The Zodiac) Pisces: From Behind That Black Door - Pepper Espinoza (Gay / Contemporary)
7. Love Matters - Christiane France (Gay / Contemporary)
8. Mask Of Night - Helen Louise Caroll (Gay / Futuristic)
9. The Wild Bunch: Spark - Deirdre O'Dare (Gay / Contemporary)
10. A Favor For A Friend - Stevie Woods (Gay / Futuristic)

KC Kendricks
www.kckendricks.com

Take the Back Stairs - you'll find what you need there Beneath Dark Stars

April 2, 2011
A to Z Blogging Challenge
Day 2 - B



Every so often a writer feels the need to stretch a bit. Step out of the comfort zone. Do something fun. Writing is a unique job. First, it's a calling to put to use a talent that comes from beyond oneself. Second, if you go at it professionally, it quickly becomes a manner of self-employment. 
Here in the States, when they pay you, the IRS demands its cut.

Sometimes when you scamper off to have writing fun, the readers don't follow. I'm very fortunate to be able to report that you, my loyal readers, definitely followed when I started the Sundown shapeshifter series. I thank you!

Sundown is a different sort of shapeshifter. Alien. Non-human. Actually, his entire clan is here among us. And among his clan, he is unique. Their only catalyst, and vital to the survival of his species.

He lives in the city. As wolf, which he certainly can become, he'd be noticed. No, when he wants to go boldly about in a non-human appearance, he wears a different skin. And he's a bit of a prankster. Just ask his lover's best friend, the one with the Bigfoot obsession. Sasquatch has come to town, or so it appears from the strange footprints, but Sundown knows the truth of whose feet have been where doing what.

Yes, I enjoy writing Sundown. I wasn't sure about creating a different kind of shapeshifter, but I knew I couldn't do the whole "big moment shape shift." I didn't want to do it. So many others do such a good job with that, what could I add? So I went...different.

Here are the blurbs and links to excerpts for The Back Stairs (book one) and Beneath Dark Stars (the sequel).

See you again tomorrow for the letter C.

THE BACK STAIRS
available now at Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 

Gay romance with a paranormal shift

Fallon Roxbury has a nose for trouble and the uncanny ability for landing in the middle of it the moment he finds it. While investigating the gruesome murder of a young male prostitute in the red-light district, Fallon gets a whiff of something very strange. Forensics has unidentified hairs. Very unidentified hairs, like nothing in any of the textbooks. Following a tip from a person of interest, Fallon meets Sundown, an apparent hustler who knows a lot more than he will admit.

Getting personally involved with Sundown breaks every rule in the police manual, and in Fallon’s own personal code. Sundown is like a drug, and Fallon can’t stop at just one hit. When Sundown is forced to reveal the truth, Fallon’s world is turned upside down, and he’s left with only two options: check himself in for psychiatric evaluation, or accept a new reality with a strange shift.

Shapeshifters, that is.

BENEATH DARK STARS
Gay romance with a paranormal shift
available now at Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 


The sequel to The Back Stairs...

Fallon Roxbury, seasoned detective and special police consultant, knows that appearances can be deceiving. Trained to gather the clues and arrive at logical conclusions, he fits the puzzle pieces of a situation together to find the truth. But there’s nothing reasonable in Fallon’s attraction to the sexy, secretive shapeshifter called Sundown.

Sundown has studied people all his life. Having his very own human male is all he ever wanted. In Fallon, he’s found a man he can trust with his secrets and reveal his true nature. Keeping Fallon happy is a joyful exercise into which Sundown puts his heart and soul—when he’s not teasing Fallon’s police partner by leaving strange footprints at crime scenes, that is.

Fallon’s new case ties into an old one. At a dead end, he knows it’s time to ask Sundown for a little help. With his special abilities, Sundown can get into places Fallon can’t. All Fallon has to do is figure out a way to prove what he already knows. But what’s a cop to do when the truth takes a shift that’s stranger than fiction?

KC Kendricks
Visit my website at: http://www.kckendricks.com
Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kckendricks
Join my mailing list at: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/betweenthekeys
Read my personal blog: http://www.kckendricks.blogspot.com

Just released! Beneath Dark Stars by KC Kendricks

Sometimes an idea comes along that defies categorization. Like a different kind of shapeshifter. A bit paranormal, a bit sci-fi, and ALL uniquely Sundown. I hope you'll enjoy Beneath Dark Stars. Oh - and cool cover, too, isn't it? - KC


BENEATH DARK STARS 
Gay romance with a paranormal shift
available now at Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 

The sequel to the bestselling The Back Stairs...

Fallon Roxbury, seasoned detective and special police consultant, knows that appearances can be deceiving. Trained to gather the clues and arrive at logical conclusions, he fits the puzzle pieces of a situation together to find the truth. But there’s nothing reasonable in Fallon’s attraction to the sexy, secretive shapeshifter called Sundown.

Sundown has studied people all his life. Having his very own human male is all he ever wanted. In Fallon, he’s found a man he can trust with his secrets and reveal his true nature. Keeping Fallon happy is a joyful exercise into which Sundown puts his heart and soul—when he’s not teasing Fallon’s police partner by leaving strange footprints at crime scenes, that is.

Fallon’s new case ties into an old one. At a dead end, he knows it’s time to ask Sundown for a little help. With his special abilities, Sundown can get into places Fallon can’t. All Fallon has to do is figure out a way to prove what he already knows. But what’s a cop to do when the truth takes a shift that’s stranger than fiction?

INTRO

Sundown slipped into my arms, his supple body pressed to mine. We held each other for a moment, then he pulled away, presumably to accomplish his task. I let him go and concentrated on mine. He was fluffing the pillows as I joined him in the bedroom. I slid between sheets still rich with fragrant sandalwood and knew I’d miss his scent while he was gone. We settled in skin-to-skin with each other. I draped my arm around him.

“So you plan to sneak outta here under cover of darkness?”

He nodded. “I already feel the need to go, Fallon, but the Elders permitted me to spend most of this night with you.”

“Sounds like a conundrum for you.”

He handed me a small tumbler of juice and tapped his water glass to mine. I sipped my drink, sputtering at the lack of alcoholic bite. “This is plain cranberry juice!”

He blinked, a slow, lazy lowering and raising of his eyelids that put me in mind of a big cat causally watching its prey. “I didn’t want you to fall asleep too soon.”

The skin on my thighs and belly prickled. My cock pulsed and lengthened. “You’re just full of wants, aren’t you?”

“I have many, yes, and all will be accomplished in the proper time.”

“Boy, that sounds ominous for me, doesn’t it?” Actually, I liked the implications of him thinking about different things to do to me, and so did my dick. My erection completed.

Sundown lifted his glass, drained it, and set it aside. I took a healthy swig of mine and put it on the nightstand to finish later. I lifted the sheet and pointed at my hard-on.

“Is it the proper time to do something about the little problem I have right there?”


EXCERPT

I missed you, Fallon. I want to stay here all night.”

I hugged him. I certainly wasn’t in the mood to go anywhere. “Then we will, at least until one of us gets cold. Oh, wait. You even have blankets.”

He reached for a pillow. I thought it was a splendid idea and grabbed one, too. We maneuvered around a bit, snagging a few more and getting comfortable. I wanted more of him, but I’d have to wait a while. Unlike him, I couldn’t whip up another woody with a single thought. It would be several minutes before I could get it up again. Sundown settled against me with his head on my shoulder. I rubbed his arm.

“So just where are all your pleasure receptors aligned at now?”

He chuckled softly. “If you keep petting my arm, they’ll be there.”

“Uh-huh. Will you answer a few questions, if you can?”

Sundown was silent for several moments. Were he human, he’d probably think having him fuck me was my way of softening him up so I could get information out of him, and maybe some small—very small—part of it was. Now I wondered if he paused to read my mind, and therefore the intent of my questions, which were purely personal. There were many things about him I refused to allow the cop part of me to consider. He kissed my neck.

“First you must tell me if you truly find this altered appearance unacceptable.”

“I told you—I like it. Why do you worry?” I did like it, even though it meant I’d have to compose a new chapter in the Sundown companion’s manual I’d been mentally creating.

“Because of what caused it.”

Did he mean he hadn’t deliberately changed his outward appearance to reflect a more mature being? I would ask after I reassured him I was fine with the way he looked.

“Sundown, if you were human, I’d tell you that your looks need to please you first, and everyone else can go fuck themselves if they don’t like it.”

I could almost see his brain scrambling to consider my words. I smiled up at the stars at the mental image of neurons doing a rapid-fire dance inside his head, and suddenly, without being told, I knew what had wrought the change in his appearance.

“I think I’m envious of the Chal.” I held my hand up, and he laced his fingers through mine. Once joined, I guided our hands to my rest on my chest. “We are all enriched by knowing others, but it’s more for you, isn’t it?”

Sundown was quiet for so long I began to think he wasn’t going to talk about it. Finally, he spoke. “Yes. When I give of myself, what is returned to me contains the knowledge possessed by the other.”

That was one heck of an exchange. The creation of a new Chal with the knowledge of the old one. “And then all this shared knowledge gets passed on to the next generation. Am I right?”

“Yes. In this way, all Chal are…enriched.”

I lay still, trying to process the myriad implications of what he’d just confessed. Sundown was beyond value to his species, and yet they allowed him free reign of the city. He didn’t merely appear older; the new maturity went soul deep. He’d gained layer after layer of Chal history and individual experiences, all nuanced by the giver. In him it all came together, the bits and pieces reordered to form a cohesive whole. Then, to keep it safe in the event something happened to the catalyst, every Chal passed it all on to their offspring as a form of species memory. But what if some harm came to him before the next catalyst was born, would the chain break? It boggled my mind and made me uncomfortably aware of how fragile Chal existence might actually be.

“So, tell me. Will there be another catalyst?”

Sundown levered up on his elbow to look at me. The city lights cast his face in stark relief, rendering a severity to the angles of cheekbone and jaw. I stroked his cheek, and he smiled, the lines softening into the gentle countenance of the being I knew.

“We are fortunate. There may be four. We will not be sure for some time, but it is likely.”

“Well, congratulations. Should I buy cigars?”

“I don’t understand. Do you speak of a human custom?”

My sudden understanding found a new depth. “Let me guess. In all this exchange of molecules and knowledge, you didn’t learn much about humans, did you? But you taught the others plenty, correct?”

“Is this a problem?”

“That I’m your science project? I don’t know, Czun Dun Nhunfi. I really don’t know...”

BENEATH DARK STARS 
Gay romance with a paranormal shift
available now at Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

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Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

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Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

Beneath Dark Stars

January 28, 2011

**This post has been updated**

I've been gifted with some great covers since landing at Amber Quill Press. Trace Edward Zaber, the resident cover magician, can take a few senseless lines that are equal to verbal grunts off one of those fu....um... forms we have to fill out, and turn them into art.

Beneath Dark Stars - the sequel to The Back Stairs. Coming in March. The web page is under construction. Thank heavens for the weekend and the chance to catch up on my chores!


Update April 2, 2017
The cover displayed is one I made after Amber Quill closed. I like it much better than the original! 

BENEATH DARK STARS 
Gay romance with a paranormal shift
available now at Amazon, iTunes/Apple, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and other online booksellers. 

5 Kiss Review for The Back Stairs

October 2, 2010

It's refreshing to get a review from a reviewer that does what she does simply because she loves to read! Hats off to Tina at Two Lips Reviews, and many thanks.

Here's what she had to say about The Back Stairs.

I found The Backstairs by K. C. Kendricks to be a really intriguing read. I never really knew what was coming next and I found that fascinating. The chemistry between Fallon and Sundown was hot, but it was Sundown's story that I really found memorable. I would love to know more about people like Sundown, so I hope there is a series spin off here in the future. I cannot tell you more - it would spoil the book - but it is really a fresh take on shapeshifters that I really hope is explored more.

This book also touches on the idea of loving someone regardless of gender and about gender being what you feel inside rather than what you are on the outside. I really loved this story on many levels and highly recommend it. It has hot man-love in it for anyone who loves it like I do, but the story itself is unforgettable. I know I am not going to forget it anytime soon. I completely applaud K. C. Kendricks for coming up with a character twist that kept me guessing till the last page was turned. - Tina for Two Lips Reviews

Read the entire review here.

And to answer a question, yes, Tina, there will be more of Sundown soon.

KC

**Update** The Back Stairs is available at
www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thebackstairs-2004038-145.html

The Back Stairs reviewed by Sensual Reads

August 23, 2010

I suppose since this is my blog, it's okay to do the self-promotion bit, right?

Elise Lyn of Sensual Reads reviewed The Back Stairs, and here's what she had to say:

Taking us into an unknown world, KC Kendricks pens an intriguing novel where we can only see this world if we have enough nerve to go up the Back Stairs. Fallon does, and is surprised at what he finds. Sundown is only the tip of the ice berg. Together, these two will be able to survive the revelations that will shake Fallon’s world. Intriguing and compelling, Back Stairs makes for some thrilling reading and excitement . Back Stairs is another electrifying tale from the pen of KC Kendricks.

Thanks, Elise!

The Back Stairs is available at
www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thebackstairs-2004038-145.html

Maxie Briscoe, Werewolf

**Sadly, Melissa passed away several years ago**

Writing is a mixed bag of things. It's great fun, but it can also be great frustration. Sometimes the words pour out so fast, I can't type fast enough to get all the words down, and other times a ten-word sentence can take an hour to compose. (Tag line, anyone?) Sometimes inspirations and ideas are everywhere, and other times the muse is quieter, letting the me rest so I'll be ready when she zaps me with something new.

I think author Melissa Bradley got zapped by something amazing when she wrote Maxie Briscoe, Werewolf. Melissa and I both arrived at Amber Quill Press as 2008 Amber Heat Wave Winners, and I've enjoyed her stories. In Maxie, she's created a character that will shine for years to come, the kind of character we all hope to find.

I asked Melissa what were the first words Maxie Briscoe said to her, and this is what she said:

I was at a real low point, struggling with my writing, when Maxie kicked in the doors of my addled brain and said "The name's Maxie Briscoe and I am a werewolf. That's right, a real live full moon-loving, silver-hating, Halloween icon. Uh, you might want to start writing cuz I'm not gonna repeat myself." I used her words in the story and in the blurb because I loved them and they worked perfectly.

Perfect words to set the tone of the story, Melissa. You nailed it! Or should I say, Maxie nailed it?

Maxie Briscoe, Werewolf is a fun, sexy, extremely engaging murder mystery. It has dry wit and a biting edginess that kept me glued to my Kindle until I'd finished the book. I hope Melissa considers a new adventure for Maxie because Maxie is just too good to let go.

Here's the story blurb, and where you can find Maxie Briscoe:

The name's Maxie Briscoe and I am a werewolf…

That’s right, a real live, full moon-loving, Halloween icon. It’s hard out here for girl like me. To survive, I hide my true self and act the part of a normal human, all while discreetly indulging the Beast within. Talk about walking a narrow ledge. And that’s not even the worst part. Sex is. You see I can bench press a pick-up truck and that spells disaster in the bedroom. I can’t have any real fun knowing I might accidentally crush a lover while in the throes. Kind of kills the mood.


When a friend’s murder shatters the careful existence I’ve carved out, I come face-to-face with Damien and Noah, two of the hottest men I’ve ever laid eyes on. They are also the first werewolves I’ve run across since my conversion. The attraction is instant, but complicated, the sex… explosive.

And now there’s a killer out there with his sights on me …



KC Kendricks

Now available! The Back Stairs by KC Kendricks

May 24, 2010

New releases are always a lot of fun. The Back Stairs is number seventeen for me under the KC Kendricks brand. For what it's worth, seventeen is a recurring number in my life, and it usually brings something good. This is my first shapeshifter story with Fallon and Sundown, and I have a few more adventures for them, because Sundown doesn't give up his secrets easily. Living as a stranger in a strange land, who can blame him?

The trick will be, for me the writer, to balance the time spent with these characters with all the other stories trying to find their way onto the page. Well, the words I type go onto the monitor, but let's not split the proverbial hair.

So, without any more rambling, here's the promo for THE BACK STAIRS, my latest release.



THE BACK STAIRS
available now at

www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thebackstairs-2004038-145.html

Gay romance with a paranormal twist

Fallon Roxbury has a nose for trouble and the uncanny ability for landing in the middle of it the moment he finds it. While investigating the gruesome murder of a young male prostitute in the red-light district, Fallon gets a whiff of something very strange. Forensics has unidentified hairs. Very unidentified hairs, like nothing in any of the textbooks. Following a tip from a person of interest, Fallon meets Sundown, an apparent hustler who knows a lot more than he will admit.

Getting personally involved with Sundown breaks every rule in the police manual, and in Fallon’s own personal code. Sundown is like a drug, and Fallon can’t stop at just one hit. When Sundown is forced to reveal the truth, Fallon’s world is turned upside down, and he’s left with only two options: check himself in for psychiatric evaluation, or accept a new reality with a strange shift.

Shapeshifters, that is...

INTRO:

I took a breath to tell him I was leaving, and caught the aroma of fresh-brewed java beneath the scents of sandalwood and patchouli. I was tired of getting jerked around, even by a man so incredibly sexy. Put it on to brew, my ass.

“You’re awfully sure of yourself, aren’t you? I don’t need pseudo intimate conversation any more than I need to flirt.”

He shook his head. “You didn’t listen very well, Fallon.”

“Listen to what? I’ve a mind to haul your scrawny carcass down to the precinct house, and let someone else pick your brain for answers, but I don’t have a legitimate reason to have you interrogated. Yet.”

“Tough talk, but you don’t mean any of it. Please, Fallon. Come. Sit at my table, and think of nothing but my very good coffee.”

Would it be so bad to spend half an hour talking with this attractive young man? Heaven help me, he drew me, a tired moth to his steady flame. And he had my favorite coffee, already hot.

Words echoed in my memory. I tried to pull them in so I could hear them again. What had Muffin said? More importantly, it was what she hadn’t said. She didn’t actually say anyone here knew Michael Carlton.

“I’ll sit at your table on one condition.”

He tilted his head, a smile teasing his full lips. “Oh? What is that?”

“You tell me your name.”

Was it victory I saw in his green eyes, or desire? I needed to know if they were the same. His chin lifted as his gaze locked to mine.

“You can call me Sundown.”

I trembled as the girl’s words resonated within me.

Take the back stairs. You’ll find what you need there.


EXCERPT:

I was two steps beyond the third landing when a male voice called to me from below. My heart slammed against my ribs.

“Lieutenant Roxbury, wait up.”

I paused and looked over my shoulder as Sundown took the steps, two at a time, to catch up. He stopped on the landing below me and met my gaze, his green eyes alight with amusement.

“I did not expect you to return so soon, Fallon.”

I wasn’t in the mood to waste time in small talk. He’d deliberately sidetracked me the other night and, as wonderful as the diversion had been, he needed to know I was aware of his tactics.

“The girl I spoke with at the crime scene is your sister, and you didn’t tell me. Why?”

“Because she is not my sister. I wouldn’t lie to you.”

I hopped down the two steps to the landing. “Listen, Sundown, or whatever your name really is, I have photos of her, part of the formal record of the crime scene. She looks enough like you to be your twin. If I hadn’t let my dick control me, I’d have put it together last night.”

He glanced away, a quick darting of his gorgeous eyes, then he looked back.

“She is not my sister, but we share a bloodline. She is gone, Fallon.”

“You’re hindering my investigation by hiding her.”

Sundown shook his head. “She didn’t see Michael Carlton, dead or alive, or anyone else go in or out of the alley until your people showed up.”

I clamped down on my anger. “That’s good to know, but I need to hear it from her.”

“Do you?” He cocked his head to the side. “You’re out of luck, Fallon. She is gone from here, and it is beyond my ability to bring her back.”

“Why’d she send me here, then?”

His green eyes flashed with his inner fire, anchoring me where I stood. “So I could give you want you needed, Fallon. What you need me to give you again.”

“Don’t be so damn sure of yourself. I don’t need you.” I lied, and he knew it, the knowledge reflected back at me in his level gaze.

“Come inside and tell me you do not need what I offer you.”

I didn’t think I could. My resolve to bully him into giving up Muffin’s whereabouts waned with every pheromone-laden breath I took. I stood inside the ring of warmth and scent that surrounded him. My erection relentlessly swelled toward completion, and I couldn’t stop it.

“I can’t compromise my investigation further, Sundown. Carlton’s parents are flying in to claim the body. I need to have answers for them.”
His fingers grazed mine, the gentle touch heating my blood.

"I knew you were a good man. I trust you, Fallon. Will you trust me?”

“I trust you to be nothing but trouble.”

THE BACK STAIRS

Available at:

iTunes

itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1098336257

Available at Amazon

www.amazon.com/Back-Stairs-Sundown-Saga-Book-ebook/dp/B01F1J1X46

Barnes & Noble

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-back-stairs-k-c-kendricks/1027224556?ean=2940152768510

KOBO

www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-back-stairs

KC Kendricks

My home on the web- Between the Keys: 

http://kckendricks.blogspot.com

Visit my bookshelf at: 

https://kckendricks.blogspot.com/p/the-bookshelf-of-kc-kendricks-and-rayne.html

Social media links:

twitter.com/kckendricks

facebook.com/kckendricks

pinterest.com/kckendricks/boards

instagram.com/kc_kendricks

My country life at Holly Tree Manor: hollytreemanor.blogspot.com

Life through the eyes of Greenbrier Smokey Deuce: deucesday.blogspot.com

Kicking and Screaming all the way

The Back Stairs

A few days ago, I wrote how I didn't like the 'coming soon' promo - and I still don't. But writing about it, seeing the words on the screen, made me stop and think of why I don't like doing it.

The thundering herd has a certain momentum that sucks everything in and drags one along. That's not a bad thing. It's quite useful. There is safety in numbers, after all. But how does one stand out as a part of the thundering herd? It's easier to get trampled under foot. (Led Zeppelin, anyone?)

I actualy admire people like Rick R. Reed who can promo their butts off and still write a really good book. I'm sure he makes decisions, every day, as to whether to write in the morning, promo in the morning, or do something like eat breakfast and exercise in the morning. We are the choices we make.

Usually, I choose writing first above all else. Except for when I'm at the day job, or fixing dinner, or doing the laundry, or handling some family business/crisis. I'm at the day job now, and while I can be online a bit and blog, I don't dare work on actually writing the story. That's difficult on those days, like today, when I'm waiting for the work to filter through others and get to me. I'm a Gemini. I'm easily bored.

Which leads me back to the 'coming soon' promo. I'm spending this morning with an idle brain, and that is never a good thing unless it can be put to work on self-improvement. Thinking only looks lazy, but it's actually hard work.

So, in an effort to get over myself when it comes to doing the 'coming soon' promo, I have resolved to take each new story and do at least a minimum of the CSP.

Just don't hold me to it, because I'm sure I'll still choose writing the next story first.

You can find The Back Stairs at 
www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thebackstairs-2004038-145.html

KC Kendricks
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