Bea's Book Nook: Trickster Gods Playing Poker - A Guest Post by Jamie Wyman w/a Giveaway

Woo, look at that cover - red hair, attitude, that strong red background - is that an eye grabber or what? Between the cover and the blurb, I knew I wanted to be part of this tour. I also have the book on my wish list. I requested it to review but was turned down; eventually I'll get my hands on a copy and read it.

After a misspent adulthood pursuing a Music Education degree, Jamie Wyman fostered several interests before discovering that being an author means never having to get out of pajamas. (However, she can eat/spin fire, tell you a lot about auditioning to be a Blue Man, and read/write in Circular Gallifreyan.) As an author, Jamie’s favorite playgrounds are urban fantasy, horror and creepy carnival settings. When she’s not traipsing about with her imaginary friends, she lives in Phoenix with two hobbits and two cats. She is proud to say she has a deeply disturbed following at her blog.

Jamie’s debut novel, "WILD CARD", was released this week, thanks to Entangled Publishing. You can also find her short story “The Clever One” in the anthology WHEN THE HERO COMES HOME 2 (Dragon Moon Press, August ’13).

Find Jamie Online:

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When you asked for a guest post telling the story of a poker game among trickster gods, I knew I had just the piece for you. When I was first toying around with the ideas that eventually became WILD CARD, I decided to do a “proof of concept” story. Just a bit of flash fiction to see if this idea of Gods Playing Poker had legs. What follows is that story. Now, the characters have changed from this to the finished book that’s on shelves today. For example, this story has no hints of Catherine Sharp or Marius—a fact he hasn’t let me forget. Also, the relationships between the gods are different, as is E’s personality. Some things are the same, some are different, but that’s what makes this story so special to me. This is the seed that became what (I think) is a pretty rock awesome story in WILD CARD.

I hope you and your readers enjoy this and the book itself. Thank you so much for your time and sharing your blog with me. I really appreciate it.

-j.

Ante Up

By Jamie Wyman

You don’t fuck with my poker night. I don’t care if your house is burning down or if you’re being chased by a rabid horde of Girl Scouts selling Thin Mints. You save me a box and come back tomorrow. So when someone insistently rang my doorbell one drizzly Thursday night, you could say I was surprised.

“Someone better need a goddamn kidney,” I snarled as I ripped open the door.

Standing there, a mess of runny mascara and snot, was my friend Penelope. Her mouse-brown hair pulled at her grief-stricken face to the point she looked like a pathetic clown. I almost felt bad for being inhospitable. Almost.

Her lips quivered and her voice came out in a thick bubble. “He left me and I have no where else to go.”

Before I could respond she charged through the door, her tale spewing out of her. The torrent of her sadness escalated into an unintelligible mixture of hiccups and squeaks that only dolphins could interpret. When her emotions seemed ready to go Chernobyl, I threw a few pretzel sticks at her.

“Pen, focus!” I barked.

She blinked in astonishment. I won’t say that the sun came out and she was miraculously cheerful, but behind her eyes, a new awareness came to life. She looked around as if just now realizing where she was. Her eyes drifted over my living room and then fell on the faces of my poker buddies. All three of them stared with the keen interest.

“Shit, E!” Penelope said. “I forgot it’s Thursday.” She stood up and pulled her purse over her shoulder. “I’ll just go.”

If I’d lit a fire under their asses those punks wouldn’t have moved faster. In an instant the three guys were on their feet and stammering over themselves to get her to stay. Even the old Indian—sorry, Native American—seemed to teleport to Penelope’s side.

It’s bad news when these guys smell blood in the water.

“No,” I said flatly. “Each of you step the hell back. Besides, we’ve got a game to play, remember?”

The old Indian’s worn leather voice rumbled in a deceptively soothing baritone. “Now, now. The girl is obviously in pain and should not be alone. She can join our table.”

And just like that, the vultures ushered her to the table and sat her down in the chair opposite mine.

“Seat’s taken,” I said, trying to remind my friends why they were here.

Loki, blonde and broad, grinned. “Just got a call from Puck. He is unable to make it this evening and sends his apologies.”

I narrowed my eyes. “Really?”

“Cross my heart. Accidents happen I suppose.”

I looked back to find Penelope caught between two wenchers. The old Indian poured a few fingers of his whiskey and passed her the glass. The Hawaiian with the sun in his smile, stroked her hair.

I folded my arms over my chest, scowling at the three of them. At my table. On my poker night.

Over my shoulder, Loki whispered, “Jealousy has never looked good on you, you know?”

It’s true that I’ve always envied Penelope. She is petite and soft and young whereas I’m lanky, lean and I can’t get my dark hair to do a damn thing in this humidity. Penelope’s life is all in order. She knows who she is and what she wants. Perhaps that’s what drew me to her.

I threw a weak fist into the smug bastard’s stomach and took my seat at the table. The spark-hiss of my Zippo called the happy little trio back from their flirtations. I took my time lighting the cigar, enjoying the feeling of being the center of the world.

“Penelope, I’d like to introduce Loki, Cy and Maui. Guys, this is Penelope and she’s got a fiancé to go home to.”

Maui folded a dark hand over Pen’s. “She said he put her aside. Wasteful, if you ask me. Unappreciative, too,” he said flashing his teeth. I’d seen him work this mojo before. Maui’s dark eyes held the girl’s attention. “Tell me,” he said, “have you ever been to Hawaii?”

Smoke plumed out of my nostrils with the flare of my temper. “Enough,” I said. “Penelope, why don’t you go take a nice long bath in my room. Light a few candles, put on some soothing music. You’ll feel better.”

I saw Cy’s eyes gleam like a dog hoping for bacon.

I pointed the fire of my cigar right at the Indian. “No.”

“A bath sounds really good,” Penelope said. She pushed away from the table. “Um, E, I’m really sorry to intrude like this, but do you think I can crash here tonight?”

I nodded. “Of course. You can borrow some pj’s from my closet and tomorrow we’ll go back over to your place and see if we can’t talk some sense into that idiot of yours.”

Relief flooded out of her and so help me she looked even prettier. How do some women manage to be a sobbing mess and still lovely? Bitches, all of them. She held their attentions as she glided over to my side and placed a grateful kiss on my forehead.

“Thanks, E. You’re my lucky charm.”

“Don’t mention it,” I said around my cigar.

I started dealing out the first hand.

When the door to my bedroom clicked shut, Loki cleared his throat. “Lucky charm? Eris, have you been honest with the girl?”

I snorted. “I never said I was good luck.”

Loki tapped his nose. “Touche.”

Chuckling, Coyote refilled his glass. “Shame. She seems such a nice girl.”

“A nice girl with poor taste in friends,” Maui said.

I sneered. “Thief.”

“Jealous hag.”

“ Maui, so help me, I will own you by the end of the night.”

The Hawaiian produced one of my golden apples and took a loud, wet bite. “Wanna bet?”

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Blurb from the author ~

It was bad enough that gods gambled with human souls, but Catherine Sharp’s soul just had to be won by the Greek goddess of Discord, Eris. As if working a dead-end tech support job didn’t suck the life out of her as it was. Now, Cat finds herself performing random tasks for the goddess in her free time.

But when Coyote, the Native American trickster himself, claims to have won her own soul in Mayhem's weekly poker game, Cat wants in on the action. With five sneaky gods upping the ante, Cat needs to find a way to collect the winning chips that could save her soul.

Marius, a handsome yet irritating satyr with his own debt to Eris, might finally come in handy for something. If they play their cards right and work together, Cat and Marius may just get their freedom back. If they don't kill each other or fall in love first.

Publisher: Entangled

Format: ebook

Release Date: November 25, 2013

Buying Links: Amazon* | Are* | Barnes & Noble

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TourWide Giveaway

Giveaway Info:

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Follow the tour:

11/25: Guest blog - Literal Hotties Naughty Book Reviews

11/26: Guest blog - Romantic Reads and Such

11/26: Spotlight - Sizzling Hot Book Reviews

11/27: Interview - Lusty Penguin Reviews