Amylea Lyn and the Nature of the Beast

Hmm… the story behind my book.

Nature of the Beast started out as nothing more than a simple idea of what it would be like to live in a world without color and the beauty of nature. I myself love being outside, gardening and enjoying nature to the fullest. I can’t even imagine not being able to go outside and work in my garden; so the idea came to me of what would it be like to not only be without those things, but have them be illegal. And then the thought came, what would happen if there was a group of people who were the exact opposite of what society approved of. A beast, with no name, craving the love denied to him…

Thus Nature of the Beast was born.

Looking back, I never expected my simple story to turn into the monster it became. LOL. I’ve always read and wrote M/M romance, and knew when I started this story that it was going to be the same. Ash and his little lover Raine controlled my thoughts, not allowing me to work on anything else until their story was done. Everything else got pushed to the side; all other ideas and WIPs were put on hold while Nature consumed my every waking moment. I would actually be sitting in my car at a stop-light, plotting ideas for the next chapter on my cell phone. I worked on it for months, agonizing over every plot twist, every scene change, every interaction between my characters and every new person introduced in the story.

Too soon, the single story turned into a five part series, and I’ve been busy ever since.

Nearly five months later, I had a book the likes of which I had never written before, looking for a home. Silver Publishing seemed to be the most obvious choice, and I was very pleased when my book were accepted only weeks later. Then came the months of edits and tweaks, working with my very wonderful editor who handled all my neurotic moments with the patients of a saint. I don’t think it was until I had the cover in front of me that I realized this was really happening.

Yes, I’d published books with other publishers, but this particular book was a labor of love, delving into a fantasy/science fiction world that I had never tried before. I’ve been very happy and grateful for the wonderful welcome it’s received, and squealed like a child when I started getting fan mail about how much people loved my book. And when I got the print copy of my books, I just about passed out. LOL.

Now I have two more books set to come out this next year, one being the sequel to Nature of the Beast, and I will forever be grateful to my muse, who planted an idea into my head and allowed it to grow into the story I’ll always be proud of.

-Amylea Lyn

Blurb:

The City is a cold, sterile place. What lies Outside it?

Raine O'Kelly has a gift. The very power of nature is his to command. When his gift lands him in trouble with the government, Raine find himself thrown into The Prison; one of the most feared punishment for those citizens who wont conform to The City's ideals.

Abused, scared, and slowly dying of deprivation from the one thing his body truly needs, an accident lands him in the infirmary, which leads him to be given to The Prison’s most feared inmate… The Beast.

When The Beast defends him from the guards, Raine finds himself inexplicably drawn to the misunderstood man. A man with unique abilities of his own, the Beast’s animalistic desires forms a connection between them that cannot be denied. When he learns The Beast comes from Outside the City, is Raine willing to take the chance on escape with the mysterious man?

Escape wont be easy, and there are dangers waiting for them on The Outside, ready to strike at the fragile relationship between the two men. When The Beast’s past come’s to light, will Raine be able to put aside his own fears in order to fight for the life the two of them could have together? Or will he fold under the pressure?

Will he get his happily ever after?

Or will he become just another victim of the Nature of the Beast.

Excerpt:

The others were near. He could smell them, mortal men, hunting him. The stench of their hunger clung to their skins. At one time, he would have called them friend, perhaps even lover, but now they were the enemy, chasing him through the trees, waiting for the perfect opportunity to pounce.

How had his life come to this? A leader among his people, a prophet, guardian and protector; how had he become the prey? He couldn't remember anymore. He knew only fire and pain, the Betrayer's scent clinging to the inside of his nostrils, burning into his soul so he would never forget.

Never ever forget his life was over, thanks to one traitor; someone who he never expected to betray him.

One of his own.

The humans gained ground, and he began to tire. He could practically feel the heat of their torches against his back. The scent of their sweat, stale and bitter, overlapping the once joyous and soothing aroma of the lush forest around them. Gleeful shouts echoed in the wood and all others dwellers were silent; each small animal hiding deep in their burrows, laying silent witness to his last desperate flight.

He knew the woods, deep in his soul he recognized his little earth sister, but his mind went blank. Everything he rushed past, each tree and shrub, every flora and fauna, had at one time been familiar to him. Now everything he saw swirled together in a mash of greens and browns, nothing distinct or unique. He didn't even know his name anymore, only the fact he had once been a man of great importance, and that he had been betrayed by someone he should have been able to trust.

Everything else had vanished.

He'd woken in an unknown clearing, his mind a daze as pain and confusion racked his body. How had he gotten to the middle of the forest? What had happened?

He lifted a hand to his aching head, only to find his hair matted with blood; little drops dripping down the back of his neck. His tongue felt thick and uncoordinated in his mouth, making swallowing seem impossible. The cool night air drifted across his naked skin, leaving him shivering without his clothes and boots. A scent covered him, one he instinctively knew belonged to the person responsible for his unfortunate circumstances, and he growled in fear and anger.

Shouts suddenly filled the air and a half-dozen men raced into the clearing, torches lighting the glade and glinting off dangerous weapons. He could smell the aggression, hate, and fear clinging to their unwashed bodies, and shuddered visibly at the sight of the vermin wriggling in their ratted and matted beards.

He didn't stick around to find out why they were after him. Instead, he ran.

Over rocks and roots. Through bushes and over small streams. A desperate flight to a safer place, one just out of reach of his conscious mind. If he could get a little further, evade his hunters a bit longer, he would be free.

It wasn't meant to be.

He tripped over an unseen root, landing with a pained grunt on the forest floor, leaves and twigs poking the sensitive skin along his front. He tried to get up, to run again, but something large and heavy landed on his back. The stench of his pursuers overwhelmed him; he couldn't get up, trapped and caught.

But he wouldn't go without a fight.

He bucked up, managing to unsettle the man on his back, and then turned over to slash at him with his claws. Fear and desperation fueled him and he racked across the man's face, something primal and angry rejoicing in the bleeding man's screams. He stood, slashing at another, then another, growling and snarling at them, jerking back from the torches thrust in his direction.

Kill, kill, kill. His mind became a haze of aggression, an inner animal bursting forth. Kill, kill, kill!

"He's shifting!" A flurry of movement followed the hollered warning.

Something thick and wooden slammed into his back, possibly a tree branch, stunning him for a moment, only for a short while but enough for the others to act. Something cracked, sudden and loud, leaving a burning trail of fire blossoming on his side. Another loud sound split the air, this one right on center, causing him to double over with a howl as fire seemed to bloom and spread from his midsection upward to his chest and down toward his feet, leaving him numb.

He fell, body twitching, as another object slammed into him, pain blossoming in his shoulder. His body felt heavy, the world becoming disorientated and blurry around him. He fell like a tree to the forest floor, not even able to cry out in agony as the numbness robbed him of speech.

Dark shapes moving around him, circling like a pack of wolves. He tried to get up and defend himself, but his strength continued to wane and he couldn't raise his head off the ground, let alone fight off his attackers. As his world started to go dark, he heard one of the hunters speak, and sent a silent prayer to whatever unknown god may be listening.

"The boss wants him gone. Let's get him tied up and back to the City…"

Buy Link: https://spsilverpublishing.com/product_book_info/glbt-fantasy-c-53_61/nature-of-the-beast-ebook-p-442

Amylea’s Blog: http://www.amylealynromance.blogspot.com/

Amylea’s Website: http://www.amylealyn.webs.com/

Author bio:

Amylea Lyn is a little odd, a lot weird, and just plain strange. At least that's what everyone tells her. She lives in the middle of a desert, filling her laptop with too many stories to count and trying to ignore the yells of her football-obsessed siblings in the background. Most days, Amylea can be found sitting in her favorite chair after work, bugging those around her for fun tidbits to make her stories more interesting. When she's not writing, Amylea spends her time daydreaming her fantasies while talking to herself without realizing it, experimenting with different baked dishes that she force feeds her brothers, and plotting ways to get back at her psychotic cat. All in all, she likes to think of herself as pretty normal... even if it's only by her own standards.