Today I am so pleased to welcome O.E. Tearmann to Joyfully Jay. Tearmann has come to talk to us about their latest release, Deuces are Wild. They have also brought along a copy to give away. Please join me in giving a big welcome!

Excerpt

Tweak snarled and launched herself after the bastard who’d snagged her tab. Nobody took what was hers. She was faster than any damned Alpha pickpocket. She’d catch him, and she’d show him. 

He was faster than she expected. That dark body was already out of sight. She only kept up by looking for the drops of blood from his split lip on the concrete, but that wouldn’t work for long. 

Skidding into an alley, she vaulted for a fire escape, and made it onto the roof’s maintenance catwalks. She peered down into the streets she could see from her perch, spotted the running body, and took off, shadowing him from above. Sure she had to scramble in one or two spots, but no big deal. Hopping roofs made the tracking a lot easier than the street did.

The thief was slick. He was quick. But he wasn’t so smart. She waited until he stopped to catch his breath in an empty alleyway, the white outlines of feather tattoos shining dimly on his arms. Quiet as she could, she scrambled down the fire escape, timed it, waited for her moment….and leaped down, bowling the thief to the ground and raining punches as she straddled him. “Give. It. Back. Or. I. Take. Out. Your. TEETH!” she spat, grabbing a fistful of his blue hair.

Something beeped as she did, and the air fizzled. Tweak froze, fist raised, and stared.

The slim Black man under her didn’t have blue hair; that had been a holo image. But he did have ears like nothing she’d ever seen.

On second thought, she had seen those kind of ears in vids, on deer and llamas. But these were hairless, as dark as the rest of the guy. And they were sinking down to press against the sides of his head and throat, the way a dog’s ears went down when they were in trouble. 

“Fuck,” the guy whispered. Grunting irritably, he squirmed and shoved at her. “Beat me up, fine, just let me cover!”

He squirmed until he could work one hand up to touch the silver circle implanted in his neck, just under his ear. “Look, I’ll give you your tab back and all the cash I got,” he panted. “You can even take another shot at breaking my face if you want. Just don’t tell nobody.”

“Holy shit.” Tweak breathed. Another Gamma. She’d been trying to reach people for weeks, and here another Gamma just dropped into her lap. Okay, maybe she dropped into his, but still.

 “Okay. Chill. N-not gonna beat you n-no more. I’m going to let you up. Don’t run. You and me, we got something to t-t-t-talk about.”

“What, the fact I just jacked your tab?” the man asked with as much sarcasm as he could scrape together, but Tweak could hear it when his voice shook a little. She knew the sound of that fear.

“Nope,” Tweak corrected. “More like a list we’re both on. A b-black list?”

Blurb

They say to really free your body, you’ve gotta free your mind…

America is waking up. People are standing up for each other and a future worth living in. But they can’t do it alone.

Now, they don’t have to. The Democratic State Force is calling in all its friends and favors across the nation. Members of Base 1407 and hundreds of other teams across the country are teaching the citizens how to fight back on their terms, with tactics that hit the Corporations right where it hurts; in the wallet and the pride.

The seven Corporations who think they own the country are scrambling to keep control over the citizens’ communications, their decisions, and their lives. Every dirty trick is coming out of their bags as they lose their grip. It’s going to take a lot to beat them at this game for the country’s soul.

Life’s a bitch. She doesn’t play fair. Out-think her with every hand, and you might just win.

Bio

O.E. Tearmann (they/them) is the author of the Aces High, Jokers Wild series. Their books include strong themes of diversity and found family, providing a surprisingly hopeful take on a dystopian future. Bringing their own experiences as a marginalized author together with flawed but genuine characters, Tearmann’s work has been described as “Firefly for the dystopian genre.” Publisher’s Weekly called The Hands We’re Given “a lovely paean to the healing power of respectful personal connections among comrades, friends, and lovers.”

Tearmann lives in Colorado with two cats, their partner, and the belief that individuals can make humanity better through small actions. They are a member of Rocky Mountain Fiction Writers, the Colorado Resistance Writers and the Queer Scifi group. In their spare time, they teach workshops about writing GLTBQ characters, speak and plant gardens to encourage sustainable agricultural practices, and play too many video games. Find out more about them at https://oetearmann.com

Giveaway

O.E. Tearmann has brought a copy of Deuces are Wild to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Wednesday, July 20th at 11:59 pm ET.

• By entering the giveaway, you’re confirming that you are at least 18 years old.
• Winners will be selected by random number. No purchase necessary to win. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning.
• If you win, you must respond to my email within 48 hours or another winner may be chosen. Please make sure that your spam filter allows email from Joyfully Jay.
• Winners may be announced on the blog following the contest. By entering the contest you are agreeing to allow your name to be posted and promoted as the contest winner by Joyfully Jay.
• Prizes will be distributed following the giveaway either by Joyfully Jay or the person/organization donating the prize.
• All book prizes are in electronic format unless otherwise specified.
• By entering you are agreeing to hold Joyfully Jay harmless if the prize or giveaway in some way negatively impacts the winner.
• Readers may only enter once for each contest.  Duplicate entries for the same giveaway will be ignored. In the event of technical problems with the blog during the contest, every effort will be made to extend the contest deadline to allow for additional entries.
• Void where prohibited by law.