That's right! The Carnival of Mysteries is back again with new adventures and some new authors!

Once more we bid you Welcome, Travelers, to Errante Ame’s Carnival of Mysteries! Join us for another round of fantastic, space-and-time spanning tales by a talented group of some of the best authors to be found in M/M romance. Whether you enjoy mystery, action, danger, or just sweet romance, there is something for everyone at the Carnival! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C5Y5Z1RH

Rook’s Time -- Kim Fielding
The Wrong Familiar -- Megan Derr
The Villain Who Wasn’t -- Liv Rancourt
Blue Lightning -- BL Maxwell
Magic Escaping -- Kaje Harper
Light in the Darkness -- Eden Winters
You Can Save Me -- RL Merrill
Go for the Climate -- Ander C. Lark
Flames of the Arcane -- Nicole Dennis
Airs Above the Ground -- Rachel Langella
Midnight on the Midway -- Morgan Brice
Dust Bowl Magic -- Zam Maxfield
Dragonspark -- Elizabeth Silver

Because I'm so excited for You Can Save Me to get here... I'm going to post the first two chapters here on Goodreads! Today you get part one of Chapter one, so read on:


You Can Save Me
Chapter One
Dane

December 2019

You can get lost
You can be found
You can exist underground

You can bring joy
You can cause pain
You can start your life all over again

You can do magic
You can stop evil
You can run like mad from the devil

But you can’t change your soul
You can’t change your fate
And you can’t escape from the mess you create

Only you can know
What I see
Only you can save me


On a dark desert highway somewhere in California, I walked alone on the dusty shoulder with a borrowed acoustic guitar strapped to my back and my sole possession tucked under my arm in a brown paper bag. I shivered as though evil was breathing down my neck, when in reality, I was the one in pursuit. The sky had a purplish hue with some storm clouds off to the north but directly above me, the stars flickered in a surreal dance.
I walked with purpose, and it was a very important one.
I’m the only one who can stop him.
I passed a sign that said Highway 58 to Mojave, and I pulled my salvaged coat tighter around my scrawny self. The ground was warm beneath my tattered boots, but the air bit into my skin like an icy monster gnashing its teeth, hungry.
I turned to look behind me and spotted headlights coming my way. It had been at least an hour since another car had passed. I stuck out my thumb, hoping they’d stop. The boots I wore were also borrowed, as were my clothes and hat. I chose them because they were the only ones in the carnival storage that were the right size and fit.
I had only one memory from before I’d started working with the traveling carnival, and it was awful enough to make your blood run cold.
The lights hurt my eyes, and my energy flagged, but I kept my thumb out. I had something important to do, and if this car didn’t slow down, I’d keep going until the next one came. Someone had to stop. How else did people get anywhere if not for thumb power?
The headlights grew nearer and were impossibly bright. I had to cover my eyes briefly as I was nearly blinded. I heard the crunch of gravel as the vehicle pulled over and coughed at the cloud of dust that rose. A door opened and a male voice called out.
“Hey, man. What are you doing out here?”
The bright lights faded and only the yellow ones down low on the front of what I gathered was a pickup truck were left on. It was a massive thing, jacked up high, with big tires and a shiny chrome grill.
What does it look like I’m doing? The large concrete sign with the strange name loomed in my consciousness, and though every cell in my body struggled against my purpose, I stood tall and called back, “Need a ride. To Buttonwillow.”
The truck door closed, and I saw the man’s shape pass in front of the dim lights. What was he doing getting out of his ride? I backed up a step, trying to play it cool. He wasn’t the person I was worried about.
Then the passenger door opened, and a much larger man got out.
“Ryan, don’t.”
There were two of them. I didn’t like my odds, but I had no choice. I had to get there. I had to stop…
“Forget it man, I’ll walk.”
“Wait, come back. You can’t walk that far. That’s, like, almost a hundred miles away.”
The driver came closer, but the big man stepped in between us. I reached for the guitar on my back. Maybe I could whack him with it and run away. I was pretty fast.
“Do you have any weapons?” Then the passenger barked an order at me. “Let me see under your jacket.”
“Come on, man. I just need a ride. I don’t have anything.”
The driver pushed past him. “Kal, it’s okay. Hey, kid, what’s your name?”
“Dee Dee.”
The driver held his hand out, and I shook it. “Dee Dee, I’m Ryan, and this is my husband, Kal. Damn,” he said, letting go of my hand and slapping his together, the loud crack making me jump. “I love saying that.” He turned and smiled at the large man, whose scowl seemed to lessen the slightest bit. “We just got married in Vegas.” He held up a hand and the light flashed off of his wedding band.
“Congratulations?” It came out like the question it was. How were they married? Two men? Guess they really do let anything happen in Las Vegas.
“Where’d you come from?” Kal asked, standing next to Ryan as if to protect him from me. Not sure I’d ever been seen as a threat to anyone, but I didn’t blame him for being cautious. Wish I’d had someone to look after me like that.
“Back that way. Was working at a carnival, and I needed to—”
Ryan put a hand on my chest and his eyes went wide. “Did you say carnival? Like, ‘Welcome, Traveler’ carnival?”
“How’d you know?” I tried to step back and my heel caught on a rock. I was about to go down, but Kal caught me—and then I was caught up in his gaze.
“I came from there, too,” Kal said.