Today I am so pleased to welcome Victoria Sue to Joyfully Jay. Victoria has come as part of the Rainbow Readers Cruise Blog Tour to talk to us about her Enhanced World. She has also brought along a great giveaway. Please join me in giving her a big welcome!

I freely admit to writing just about every genre there is, but after nearly ten years of publishing I’m realizing that I love the stories that have a little “extra.”

One of my most popular series is my Enhanced World.

The first series (completed at 8 books) starts with an experimental FBI unit in current day USA crafted with individuals that started being born with enhanced abilities sometime in the late nineteen seventies.
I won’t bore you with the backstory if you haven’t read it because that isn’t what this post is about.
That series was based on the fact that no enhanced were allowed to stay in the unit unless they worked with a (human) partner. And each individual story is based on their partnership.
I mean, come on, I don’t need to spell it out. This is romance!

But what I’m mostly excited about is the start of the second series and how I turn the first on its head.
The first series is an established unit of Enhanced and the humans are the outsiders.
The second series is a tight unit of regular humans and how they bring Enhanced into it.

One Step Sideways is the story of an enhanced who has spent seventeen years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. He is greeted on his release day by the regular human that owns Rawlings Security, a private company that works with the FBI team and sees their worth.
Rawlings Security and their people have featured in series one.
Their data expert Danny has never recovered–even with the help of his service dog–from being kidnapped, and held hostage in Afghanistan. But something about Kane makes him wish he could.
Then it gets complicated…

• To read the first two chapters go here https://reamstories.com/victoriasue?storyKey=lnni7kcqdu
• To see this on Amazon go here: https://readerlinks.com/l/4046027

The Rainbow Readers Cruise celebrates the readers and creators of LGBTQ+ fiction and romance. The cruise departs from the Port of Fort Lauderdale on August 19, 2024 and returns August 23, 2024, with stops at Key West and Coco Cay (Celebrity’s private island). Along the way, meet and mingle with some of your favorite LGBTQ+ fiction and romance authors and creators, as well as attend panels, meet and greets, small group social activities, and the Signing at Sea. Plus, the cruise itself, with fabulous destinations, food and drinks, entertainment, and more. You can find all the details about the Rainbow Readers Cruise on our website: https://rainbowreaderscruise.com.

Excerpt

Kane

I didn’t look back as the gates slid noisily shut behind me, didn’t bother glancing up at the tower and see the high-powered rifles aiming in my direction, just walked to the guardhouse. They were expecting me obviously, but still behaved like entitled dicks. I just stayed silent. Just ten more minutes and I was free and I wasn’t giving them one chance to change their dammed minds. Not that I was on parole. I was done completely. Which was why they were all trying really hard to get me to give them a good excuse to go for life.

Seventeen years for assault with a deadly weapon, except I was the deadly weapon, even if the fucker that called himself my father was trying to add another scar to my back at the time. Because I had nearly killed him, and because I already had a scar on my face amrking me as enhanced, the jury had taken one look, dismissed the self-defense plea, and Georgia State had tried me as an adult and thrown away the key.

“Your ride’s waiting,” O’Connell said and handed me my new ID with a smirk on his face. I resisted, barely, to wipe it off, knowing he wanted just that. O’Connell had been transferred to Ware State four years ago and had tried his best to make me lose it and go down for good. I looked over at the window, but kept my face expressionless. I didn’t have a ride. I didn’t have anyone coming to collect me. I’d just planned on walking to the bus. But as I ignored the clowns that practically pushed me from the door, a man got out of a black Chevy truck and stood there staring back at me. I didn’t know him, and to be honest, he looked a little like a cop, same confident swagger. Maybe ten years older than me. Mid to late forties I would guess, hair graying at the side. He was fit for a human, but I could take him. Not that I wanted that happening where there were witnesses.

For a second I considered not even bothering to stop, but the man quirked an eyebrow.

“Kane Diaz.”

He didn’t say it as a question, more a confirmation, so I didn’t see why I had to answer. The man continued, walked steadily towards me and held out his hand. “Name’s Diesel Rawlings. I own Rawlings Security, and I want to offer you a job.”

I finally returned the shake. “Should I know you?”

“Yep, but your piss-poor attorney told us you’d refused to see us. We sent letters in, but I’m assuming if you don’t know the name you didn’t get those either.” I shrugged as a response. “I was going to get the guys to intervene, but you were two weeks from getting sprung and they’re on their honeymoon.”

I frowned. “Who is?”

He grinned and walked back to the truck. “I’ll tell you on the way back to the office.” I still didn’t move, but Rawlings just continued like I had and climbed in his truck. He started the engine and rolled down the window. “Hear me out. In exchange, I can put you up in an apartment for a week to think about it.” He waited, the engine running, but he didn’t seem to be in any hurry to force a decision out of me, and seventeen years inside gave you a pretty accurate bullshit meter. I’d been offered a night in a place that sounded like some half-way house for parolees, but I didn’t trust anyone in the system, and I wasn’t out on parole. I was done for good.

Taking a moment to wonder if he was insane before I walked over and climbed into the seat, I eyed him warily.

“I work with the guys,” Rawlings started as he put the truck in drive and headed out of the parking lot.

“What guys?” I said, trying to sound bored, but not sure I could pull it off. Everything was all a bit much. I hated enclosed spaces, but right that moment I wasn’t that fond of open ones either.

“The enhanced team in Tampa,” he said, then glanced over when I didn’t say a word. “You have to have heard of them.”

“A little,” I lied dragging myself back to the topic. “I wasn’t allowed much regular TV.” There’d been rumors of guys like me, but all I’d heard was them getting locked up in psych institutions.

“Fuck,” Rawlings said. “Okay, good job we have four hours then.”

I whipped my head around. “Where are we going?”

“Our home base is in Atlanta, but we take jobs all over the world.”

I scoffed. “Then you’d better let me out here so I can get the bus, because I’m not allowed to fly, and I can’t carry a gun.”

“But we both know you don’t need a gun,” Rawlings drawled, which shut me up. Was this why? He wanted someone for some super private army? Not that I’d any better offers, and I wasn’t stupid despite most people’s opinion. He knew I would have spent tonight either on a bus if I could get one, or on a park bench. I didn’t know where the fuck I went come morning either.

I supposed it wouldn’t hurt to listen.

Rawlings started with the history of the enhanced, how the first kids started being born in the seventies, which was a lot earlier than I’d thought. How it was true that a lot of them became the responsibility of the state because their parents were frightened of them. That all rights were effectively stripped from them. Insurance, health care, the list was endless. I knew that. Of course, I did. I just hadn’t known there were so many.

Then some guy called Talon had saved someone’s life, and it had escalated into a full FBI team of enhanced and regular human partners in Tampa. Apparently, they had become so successful there were a lot of different places wanting their own unit. That they still had a huge battle with the public, though.

He mentioned all the names, but I really only remembered Talon and Finn, because they were the two on honeymoon. And apparently they had fucking kids. It was all so normal the whole thing blew my mind.

“But there’s no way anyone like the FBI will give me a job with my record,” I protested.

“I don’t work for the FBI,” Rawlings said flatly. “I’m my own boss. Take on what jobs I want.” Rawlings signaled and pulled into a gas station.

“Fuck,” I said in astonishment at the gas prices. Rawlings followed my gaze.

“I know, right? Want anything? I’m going to find a rest-room.”

I could do with one, and I was hungry. All I had was a basic ID card and a pre-paid debit card or “gate-money” as some of the guys called it, but it wouldn’t get me far as the fees on the card were astronomical and I was loathe to spend any on gas-station junk. I didn’t have so much as a ball cap to hide my face.

Rawlings eyed me when I didn’t answer. “How about you stick with me?”

I nodded and got out, keeping my head down, and followed Rawlings. Rawlings lifted his hand in greeting to the older man behind the counter and headed to the rest room. He went in first while I just hung around and tried to look like I was choosing a magazine.

I heard the click of the gun as I turned around.

Blurb

“The difference between a hero and an ordinary man is One Step Sideways”

New team.
New city.
New heroes.

Bio

Bullets and Babies!

Victoria writes about guys loving other guys in between dodging bullets, kidnappers, and serial killers. She enjoys putting them through hell to get their happy ever after—it’s a character flaw she embraces.

She also believes that family is who you choose, that dogs are often much wiser than human beings, and you should always read “just one more chapter.”

Giveaway

Victoria has brought a copy of any single ebook from her backlist to give away to one lucky reader. Just leave a comment at the end of the post to enter. The contest ends on Tuesday, May 7th 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.