Welcome to author Hailey Turner, who’s joining us today to celebrate the release of Book One in the Metahuman Files Classified Novellas collection, Out of the Ashes, with an exclusive excerpt from the book and a giveaway, so be sure to check out the Rafflecopter widget below to enter for the chance to win an eBook in the Metahuman Files series!

About the Book

War never leaves a soldier behind.

Staff Sergeant Alexei Dvorkin is still healing from his brief stint as a prisoner of war. While his physical wounds have mended, the emotional scars left behind are slow to disappear. Eager to prove his resilience in the face of lingering trauma, Alexei is determined to complete his first mission in three months and get back into the field—but he’s not forging ahead without his lover.

Nightmares will always linger.

Agent Sean Delaney’s recovery from trauma is more slow going than he would like, but he pushes through in order to return to active duty and not be left behind. But every decision he makes leaves him feeling like he’s gone two steps forward and one step back when it comes to Alexei. The guilt Sean feels from what they both endured still colors his interactions with the man he loves. Trying to overcome it is difficult and exhausting, making Sean question his place in Alexei’s heart.

Holding on is the hardest thing to do.

The ties between Alexei and Sean were frayed by the enemy’s hand. Mending what’s been broken between them will require a depth of honesty neither man is ready to face just yet. But if they don’t, they risk losing a future together neither wants to let go.

Out of the Ashes is a 28,000 word novella that follows directly after In the Blood in my Metahuman Files series and builds off of events in that book. It is recommended that you read In the Bloodfirst before reading Out of the Ashes. There are explicit intimate scenes that are not suitable for readers under the age of 18 within the novella.
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The Excerpt

Alexei looked up from the recipe on the holographic display projected above his tablet, the scowl on his face disappearing once he caught sight of Sean. For a moment, Sean was pinned by the younger man’s attention, the warmth in those familiar gray eyes something he never wanted to lose. Sean shrugged out of his coat and hung it on a hook near the door.

“What are you doing?” Sean asked curiously.

“Was surprise. Not surprise anymore now you home early,” Alexei grumbled.

The apartment was an open-plan type they both preferred. The main living area funneled into a hallway that led to the master suite with attached bathroom, a guest bedroom, a separate guest bathroom, and an office used more by Sean than Alexei

Sean headed for the kitchen, leaning up against the other side of the marble-topped island. He curiously eyed the bowl of mashed potatoes, grated cheese, and lumpy, rolled-out dough.

“Are you making vareniki for lunch?”

Sean had tried the dish back in November when Alexei’s mother had made some for the Thanksgiving holiday. To say he’d liked it would be an understatement.

“Is for dinner. Need to set.” Alexei scowled down at his attempt at a homemade meal. “Need to make first. Thought you come back later?”

“Didn’t feel like working,” Sean said as he pulled out a stool from beside the island and sat down.

“How test results go?”

Sean shrugged, reaching across the island to steal a pinch of the cheddar cheese. “I passed.”

“Is good news,” Alexei said, smiling widely.

Sean stared at Alexei, noticing a streak of flour dusting one cheek. He thought about getting up and going over there to wipe it away with his fingers, but the hesitancy which had a stranglehold on his actions over the last few months kept him rooted in his seat.

It wasn’t that Sean didn’t want to reach out and hold Alexei, because he did, he always would. It was convincing himself he had the right to that was difficult. Therapy had helped him come a long way in the last three months, but that one last hurdle still tripped him up. His actions had resulted in Alexei’s torture at Cillian’s hands, and while Sean objectively knew it wasn’t his fault, he didn’t believe it.

And therein lay the problem.

About the Author

Hailey Turner is big city girl who spoils her cats rotten and has a demanding day job that she loves, but not as much as she loves writing. She’s been writing since she was a young child and enjoys reading almost as much as creating a new story. Hailey loves stories with lots of action, gritty relationships, and an eventual HEA that satisfies the heart.

You can keep up with Hailey’s future projects by joining her mailing list.

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The Giveaway

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