Exclusive Ficlet (Part One): The Mystery of the Curiosities Audiobook Tour with C.S. Poe ~ Narrated by Derrick McClain

Thanks so much to author C.S. Poe for stopping in today on the virtual audiobook tour for The Mystery of the Curiosities, book two in the Snow & Winter series. You may or may not remember, but the original tour was delayed due to Hurricane Irma, so we’re glad to get this show back on the road! Carroll has written a short story for the tour, and we’re so pleased to be kicking things off with Part One.

Enjoy and welcome, Carroll!

Hey there, everyone! I’m C.S. Poe, author of the mystery-romance series, Snow & Winter. Today is the first stop of the blog tour for The Mystery of the Curiosities on audio, narrated by the wonderfully talented Derrick McClain. While thinking about what the content of these posts should be, I was on the Highway to Heck road trip with some close friends. We eventually made it to GRL in Denver, and that’s when I thought—how fun would it be to write a short story about Sebastian going on vacation?

He rarely (read: never) leaves New York City, and after checking out some awesome history in Colorado, I couldn’t resist the idea of sticking our beloved sleuth into a new location for a little fun.

~ The Road Trip ~

“Not to be that sort of passenger,” I began, “but are we almost there?”

“Almost,” Calvin murmured.

I sighed, leaned back in my seat, and adjusted my sunglasses as a glare hit the windshield.

We’d been driving forever.

In Colorado.

I know—I left New York City. And willingly, I might add.

Calvin and I were definitely what I considered to be workaholics. Between him being a lead homicide investigator and me owning a business, we didn’t really leave the city. Our schedules never allowed for more than a day or two away, so why bother? Also, I was a bit of a homebody, but that was neither here nor there.

Well. It was kind of here and there.

I didn’t go on vacation. It just wasn’t a thing I really did, or something Calvin did, for that matter. So color me surprised when he came home one evening and said: “Let’s take a trip to Colorado.”

Okay.

We flew out of LaGuardia and had rented a car in Denver. From there we had been driving. For like six hours. I wasn’t supposed to know where.

It was a “surprise.”

How cute.

“Cal.”

“Baby.”

“My ass fell asleep twenty miles ago. I have to piss, and this altitude is making my hands dry.” I flexed my fingers a few times before holding them out. “See? We’ve been in Colorado for an afternoon and they look like they belong to an eighty-year-old.”

“We’ll be there soon.”

“I’ve already deduced we’re heading to Durango.”

“But you don’t know why,” Calvin countered. He checked his mirrors before making a turn.

I stared at him for a moment. His white— well, I assumed— short sleeve T-shirt showed off muscled and freckled arms. He wore sunglasses and looked damn cool doing it. And Jesus Christ… he was such a sweetheart. I felt kind of like I was being whisked away by Prince Charming or something.

Granted, Colorado hadn’t been where I assumed riding off into the sunset would occur.

“What?” he asked. Calvin knew I was staring without glancing away from the road.

“Nothing.”

That made him turn his head briefly, an eyebrow raised above the lens of his glasses. “It’s never nothing when you fall silent.”

“Compliment or insult?”

Calvin looked at the road again.

“I’m just surprised you dropped work to take an impromptu vacation,” I stated. “Out of the blue.”

“Sometimes not having a plan is romantic.”

“You do have a plan, though,” I said.

“Hm-hm. And you don’t. It’s driving you nuts, isn’t it?”

“You’re enjoying the torture too much,” I answered.

Calvin chuckled. He made another turn. “I wanted to treat you.”

“Why?”

“Because I love you.”

Hell.

I cleared my throat. “I love you too.”

Calvin removed a hand from the steering wheel and held it out, palm up. I took it, and he enclosed his fingers around mine, giving a brief, tight squeeze. “Just relax, sweetheart.”

Easier said than done.

But at least Calvin had been telling the truth about us almost being at… well… wherever we were going. We drove through Durango in the early evening. Main Street was bustling, and it took a few turns around the block before finding a suitable parking place.

“Are we here?” I asked when Calvin shut off the car.

He pulled his sunglasses back to rest on his head. “We’re here,” he confirmed. Calvin opened the door and got out.

I followed, walking to the back as he popped the trunk and took out a small suitcase. “The anticipation is killing me, Calvin.”

He glanced at me and I caught a small smile play across his face. “Follow me.” He moved onto the sidewalk and made his way toward a big, brick building several stories tall.

I hurried after, reached Calvin’s side, and took his hand into mine. “What is this?”

“Can’t read the sign?”

“No.”

“Little closer, then.”

We crossed the street and the lettering on the windows finally came into better view.

STRATER HOTEL.

~End of Part 1

Follow the Tour for More!

October 23 – The Novel Approach

October 24 – Boy Meets Boy

October 26 – Two Chicks Obsessed

October 27 – Love Bytes

About the Audiobook

Title: The Mystery of the Curiosities

Series: Snow & Winter (Book Two)

Publisher: DSP Publications

Run Time: 7 hours and 15 minutes

Genre: Mystery/Suspense

Narrator: Derrick McClain

Blurb: Life has been pretty great for Sebastian Snow. The Emporium is thriving and his relationship with NYPD homicide detective, Calvin Winter, is everything he’s ever wanted. With Valentine’s Day around the corner, Sebastian’s only cause for concern is whether Calvin should be taken on a romantic date. It’s only when an unknown assailant smashes the Emporium’s window and leaves a peculiar note behind that all plans get pushed aside in favor of another mystery.

Sebastian is quickly swept up in a series of grisly yet seemingly unrelated murders. The only connection tying the deaths together are curiosities from the lost museum of P.T. Barnum. Despite Calvin’s attempts to keep Sebastian out of the investigation, someone is forcing his hand, and it becomes apparent that the entire charade exists for Sebastian to solve. With each clue that brings him closer to the killer, he’s led deeper into Calvin’s official cases.

It’s more than just Sebastian’s livelihood and relationship on the line—it’s his very life.

Buy the Book/Audio: DSP Publications || Audible || Amazon || iTunes || Goodreads

About the Author

C.S. Poe is an author of gay mystery, romance, and paranormal books.

She is a reluctant mover and has called many places home in her lifetime. C.S. has lived in New York City, Key West, and Ibaraki, Japan, to name a few. She misses the cleanliness, convenience, and limited edition gachapon of Japan, but she was never very good at riding bikes to get around.

She has an affinity for all things cute and colorful, and a major weakness for toys. C.S. is an avid fan of coffee, reading, and cats. She’s rescued three cats, including one found in a drain pipe in Japan who flew back to the States with her. Zak, Milo, and Kasper do their best on a daily basis to sidetrack her from work.

C.S. is a member of the International Thriller Writers Organization.

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About the Narrator

Ever since my voice dropped, people have been telling me I “should go into radio”…
What people don’t realize is that you don’t go into radio just because people like the sound of your voice. You go into radio because you have a passion for what’s on the radio – for music, or for news, or sports. While I can appreciate these things, I don’t have a passion for them.

Now, books on the other hand…books I can get behind.

After eight years of professional and competitive public speaking and (live) oral interpretation of literature, Derrick has turned his powerful voice to the world of audiobooks.

While he enjoys reading, listening to, and narrating a wide variety of genres, he has a particular affinity and passion for romance novels of all types.

Derrick records in a professional quality studio at his home in Tallahassee, FL, where he enjoys the quiet North Florida lifestyle along with his fiance and insanely hyper dog. He has previously lived in rural Pennsylvania as well as Orange County California, and has extensively traveled the United States, becoming familiar with a wide range of American accents and sub-cultures.

To connect with Derrick, email: voiceofderrick@gmail.com or find him on Facebook, Twitter, and/or Goodreads.