Guest Post and Giveaway: His Favorite Color Is Blood by K.A. Merikan

We’re so pleased to welcome the writing team of K.A. Merikan today, on the tour for their latest novel in the Sex & Mayhem series, His Favorite Color Is Blood. Enjoy their guest post, and then be sure to click on the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for the chance to win an e-copy of any book in the series.

Good luck!

Grim finally got a story of his own! He was actually the first character created for the Sex & Mayhem series but was kept far in the background, occasionally appearing as a side character. But whenever Grim appeared on the pages, he meant business. We first introduced him as a person mentioned by Tooth in The Devil’s Ride, but the character soon started living a life of his own in our heads. While his “screen time” has been scarce so far, we created a whole backstory for him and with time, we knew we needed to dedicate a full-length novel to this badass assassin.

Those who read the previous Sex & Mayhem books know him as the man the Coffin Nails MC calls when things start getting out of hand. Ruthless in battle and shameless about his sexuality, Grim is much more than his infamous… well, eggplant ;)

Disability theme in His Favorite Color is Blood

Grim is a character, whose personality doesn’t quite fit the mold of a badass alpha male, even though, without a doubt, he is that as well. His biker brothers have a lot of respect for him, because he just doesn’t pull any punches, but there are some elements of his reputation that tend to make them uncomfortable. It’s not even the fact that Grim is unashamedly gay or that he wears very tight leather pants. Grim has a weakness for disabled people. He is also attracted to amputees and actually causes trouble in No Matter What because of it.

Disability seems to be frequently treated as the main theme of books, which feature disabled main characters, and I’m always happy to read a story where such a character has more going on in their life. We even incorporated characters with disabilities into several of our own books, such as Diary of a Teenage Taxidermist and Special Needs. The latter features an antagonist who is a sexual predator attracted to paraplegics, and identifies as a devotee.

Devotee is a slang term for people attracted to various forms of disability, though it is usually used to name those interested in amputees. The truth is that devotees as a group generally don’t have a good opinion among disabled people (as shown in Special Needs). While attraction to any possible trait a person might have can be just that–attraction–in the case of many devotees, it is extended into a fetish. And because people with the type of disability a particular devotee likes are usually scarce, devotees sometimes become obsessive, stalk the person they like, take photographs without permission, etc.

Obviously, the fact that someone’s sexual interest is focused on an unusual trait doesn’t have to imply anything vile. Most people have preferences for body types or even hair color, and the fact that some people are attracted to people with a disability doesn’t make them bad or deny the possibility of a meaningful connection beyond the bedroom.

Grim is attracted to amputees, and when he stumbles upon Misha during a raid, he feels like he’d won a couple million dollars. But Misha himself finds the unknown biker’s interest disturbing. He’d suffered a lot due to the loss of his legs, and the trauma is present in every aspect of his life. Not the most promising start to a relationship, but as time passes, things start to change. Grim might be a ruthless man, but he wouldn’t be able to ever hurt Misha, which gives the other man an advantage he doesn’t hesitate to use.

We really enjoyed writing about the way their relationship develops as they travel together, forced to mostly keep each-other’s company. Grim starts seeing Misha as much more than an extremely attractive man, and Misha stops being uncomfortable with Grim’s adoration. The turning point for them is a scene where Grim helps Misha get out of his shell and for once not just take someone else’s abuse. In that moment, he feels like himself again, something he hadn’t experienced for a long time in captivity. And gradually, he stops hating himself for the way his body is.

For Grim, the relationship with Misha is a first, and he needs to learn how to navigate it. It starts with purely physical fascination, and his obsession is so powerful at first that he keeps trying to bend boundaries Misha sets for him. Gradually, he uncovers all the other facets of Misha as a person, and the initial drive to get into the perfect boy’s pants is turned into genuine caring and love on top of the attraction.

Ultimately, growing as a couple is about understanding each-other’s perspective. While these two men do so in an unusual way, their feelings for one another are what keeps them going against all the monsters from Misha’s past. The love they find transforms them both, and at the end of the book, they are not the same men they were when they first met.

About the Book: — When life gives you blood, make mayhem. —

Grim. Assassin. Leather-clad sex god. Has the most unusual taste in men.

Misha. Mutilated. Afraid. Will never trust again.

Grim is a bloodthirsty killer, and he owns it. Gay in a world of outlaw bikers, he firmly stands his ground if anyone dares to cross him. He takes pleasure in showing homophobes their place and fucking his way through a life of carnage.

But there is a part of him always aching for something he cannot get. When by chance he saves the most perfect guy he’s ever met, he is not about to let him go. Even if it means he needs to smother his broken bird.

When a masked, bloodstained man rescues Misha from captivity, he doesn’t know if he should thank the menacing stranger or stab him and run. Grim is not the kind of man who takes no for an answer, and Misha might now be in more danger than when he was trapped as a sex slave.

Misha cannot deny though that Grim is as alluring as he is frightening, and once Misha realizes what power his body holds over Grim, he understands that taming the beast of a man could be within his reach.

But any possibility of a future together is like a house of cards when Zero, the sadistic crime lord who destroyed Misha’s life, sets out to get him back.

Will the ruthless biker assassin at Misha’s side be enough to conquer the monsters from his past?

POSSIBLE SPOILERS: Themes: Outlaw motorcycle club, organized crime, assassin, chase, disability (amputee), devotee, revenge, redemption, kidnapping, road trip, fear, hurt/comfort, past abuse

Genre: M/M dark erotic romance, thriller

Length: ~110,000 words (standalone novel)

WARNING: This book contains adult content that might be considered taboo. Strong language, violence and torture. Reader discretion advised.

Buy Links: Amazon US || Amazon International

About the Author: K.A. Merikan is the pen name for Kat and Agnes Merikan, a team of writers, who are mistaken for sisters with surprising regularity. Kat’s the mean sergeant and survival specialist of the duo, never hesitating to kick Agnes’s ass when she’s slacking off. Her memory works like an easy-access catalogue, which allows her to keep up with both book details and social media. Also works as the emergency GPS. Agnes is the Merikan nitpicker, usually found busy with formatting and research. Her attention tends to be scattered, and despite pushing thirty, she needs to apply makeup to buy alcohol. Self-proclaimed queen of the roads.

They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and books. When you pick up a Merikan book, there’s one thing you can be sure of – it will be full of surprises.

For more teasers, visit our media page, or the Pinterest inspiration board for the book.

More information about ongoing projects, works in progress and publishing at:

K.A. Merikan’s author page || Facebook || Twitter || Goodreads || Pinterest || e-mail

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