Smokin' Hot Reads: Cover Reveal and Giveaway: Unholy by Morgan Brice

Book Title: Unholy (Witchbane #5)
Author: Morgan Brice
Cover Artist: Lou Harper
Release Date: February 8, 2020
Genre/s: Urban fantasy MM paranormal romance
Trope/s: monster hunting, paranormal, supernatural, magic, ghosts, curses, cursed lovers, hurt/comfort, established couple
Themes: loyalty, brotherhood, found family, keeping promises, trust, commitment
Heat Rating: 4 flames
Length: 66 000 words/224 pages
It can be read as a standalone, but is book #5 of the Witchbane series.
Add on Goodreads

Amazon US | Amazon UK

A deadly curse on Seth and Evan means time is running out.
Can they find a way to turn the tables, or is Charleston their final destination?

A cycle of ritual murders. A coven of dark warlocks, drawing their immortality from the magic of their dead master. Two men sworn to stop the deaths, destroy the warlocks and avenge the victims. Except this time, the killer is hunting the hunters.

Seth Tanner swore vengeance on the dark witches who killed his brother, Jesse. He rescued Evan Malone from one of the witches, and they’ve fallen in love despite the danger and chaos, going on the road to complete the quest and bring an end to the ritual murders. Their relationship is still new, tested at every turn by danger and magic.

Seth and Evan head to Charleston to stop the next warlock and save his intended victim. But this time, they’re too late. The warlock has already powered up, and he’s determined to destroy the two hunters one way or another. A deadly curse on Seth and Evan means time is running out. Can they find a way to turn the tables, or is Charleston their final destination?

Unholy is an urban fantasy MM paranormal romance with plenty of supernatural suspense, hurt/comfort, hot sex, found family, dark magic and paranormal thrills. It is part of a series but can be read as a standalone and features an evolving, established romantic relationship with all the feels. Intended for readers 18 years of age and older.

From Chapter 1 - Evan

“IT FEELS GOOD TO BE BACK ON THE ROAD.” EVAN MALONE WRIGGLED TO get comfortable in the front seat of the black Silverado. He laid a hand on his partner’s thigh and gave a squeeze.

Seth Tanner took one hand off the steering wheel and reached down to twine their fingers together as Evan sat back to enjoy the view. Seth’s dark blond hair still looked sleep-mussed, and he hadn’t completely lost the flush to his skin from a round of wake-up sex before they got on the road. Evan’s heart pounded a little faster at the thought that he had put that look on Seth’s face. The glint in Seth’s chocolate brown eyes suggested that there would be another round once they were done with the day’s drive.

“I missed this.”

Seth raised an eyebrow. “The road trip part or the almost-getting- killed-by-witches part?”

Evan gave him a look. “The road trip. The other stuff just goes with the job.”

“I have to admit, it was nice staying in one place for a few months,” Seth replied. “We put some money in the bank, rested up, and did some great hikes on those trails.” They had taken time off and stayed for a while in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina after finishing their last hunt.

“When all this is over—hunting the witch-disciples—I really want to take the RV around the country just for fun. Are you still on board with that idea?” Evan couldn’t help sounding a little wistful. They still had a lot of dangerous work ahead before they could make good on that dream.

“Sure. There’s a lot to see, and I promised you we’d go all the places you wanted to visit,” Seth reminded him. “But eventually it would be nice to have a house. A home base to come back to. We could still take the RV out when we wanted, but it would give us a little more elbow room...maybe even a yard with a garden.” The fifth- wheeler RV they towed was their home for now, inherited from Seth’s parents.

Evan smiled. “I like that. But it could be a while...I have a long bucket list.”

“Bring it on.” Seth grinned. “I’m up for the sightseeing challenge.”

Moments like this made it difficult for Evan to remember that he and Seth had been a couple for less than a year. They had fallen in love fast, outwitted a killer, and gone on the road together after only four days. Then they started the harder work of getting to know each other, while continuing Seth’s quest to track down the men responsible for a century of murders—including Seth’s brother, Jesse.

Sometimes Evan couldn’t quite believe this was his life. He’d been a bartender back in Richmond, not a warlock hunter. Then a dark witch kidnapped him to sacrifice in a ritual. Seth had saved his life and destroyed the witch.

Nearly a year later, here they were, still together, still alive, and still hot on the trail of yet another murderous witch.

“I’ve never been to Charleston,” Evan said. “Do you really think Simon’s cousin will be willing to help us?”

“According to Simon, she and her friends have tackled much bigger bad guys. I guess he didn’t quite realize what all Cassidy was involved in until just a few months ago.”

“It’ll be nice to meet Teag face-to-face, after all the times we’ve emailed and called,” Evan replied. “I’m looking forward to that, even if I’m not exactly excited about going up against another witch- disciple.”

Seth snorted. “You’d have to be crazy to be excited about that. Nice to know you’re still reasonably sane.”

“As sane as I can be, given what we do.”

Three years ago, Seth had celebrated coming home from the Army by going camping with his younger brother, Jesse, near a supposedly haunted underpass with the goal of drinking some beer, making a spoof video, and debunking the ghost stories. Then something dark and terrible attacked in the middle of the night, dragging Jesse away and leaving Seth wounded and unconscious. When Seth came around, he found Jesse’s mangled body. The cops blamed it on drug dealers, but Seth knew what he’d seen hadn’t been anything mortal.

Legend had it that one hundred years ago, a sheriff and his posse killed dark warlock Rhyfel Gremory. Gremory’s witch-disciples scat- tered, but they swore vengeance on the sheriff, his posse, and their descendants. That began a cycle of ritual killings that led to Jesse’s murder, and nearly cost Evan—one of those descendants—his life.

Seth spent almost two years after Jesse’s death learning about the supernatural and how to fight things most people didn’t believe existed. Then he went looking for the witch-disciples, to stop the cycle and avenge Jesse. That led him to Evan, who was the first of the descendants he saved. Falling in love was a bonus.

Morgan Brice is the romance pen name of bestselling author Gail Z. Martin. Morgan writes urban fantasy male/male paranormal romance, with plenty of action, adventure and supernatural thrills to go with the happily ever after. Gail writes epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and together with co-author hubby Larry N. Martin, steampunk and comedic horror, all of which have less romance, more explosions. Characters from her Gail books make frequent appearances in secondary roles in her Morgan books, and vice versa.

On the rare occasions Morgan isn’t writing, she’s either reading, cooking, or spoiling two very pampered dogs.

Series include Witchbane, Badlands, and Treasure Trail. Watch for more in these series, plus new series coming soon!