Beneath the Layers, a NineStar Press Anthology. Eight stories of men who like a little satin and lace.

A Linebacker in Lace by Caitlin Ricci This ex-linebacker is impossible for his friend to resist.

Satin Secrets by CL Mustafic Sometimes secrets are better when they’re shared.

Backwards and in High Heels by Elizabeth Coldwell Tonight he has the chance to live out his dream.

Angels in Delaware by Sita Bethel When one finds two partners, it helps to dress for the occasion.

All That Entails by E.M. Hamill A gender-fluid prince with a penchant for gowns finds his unlikely match in an arranged marriage.

After the Dance by Sydney Blackburn Sometimes happily ever after requires a pretty frock.

A Secret Shared by C.A. Blocke One sweet secret shared—and a spicy one returned.

Ruffle My Feathers by Asta Idonea Sometimes love can be found behind a feather boa.

RELEASE DATE: April 17th

Beneath the Layers is our first multi-author anthology and to celebrate, we decided to do something a little different for its release. A scavenger hunt!

An excerpt from each one of the stories in the anthology will be posted at each blog stop along the tour.

The questions for the hunt are listed below and the answers to the questions will be provided in the blog posts. Be sure to visit each stop on the tour to gather all the answers for a chance to win a $15.00 gift code for NineStar Press site!

Once you have all the answers, send them in an email to Raevyn@ninestarpress.com. Make sure BtL Hunt is in the subject line.

Two winners will be randomly chosen from readers who email the correct answers by May 1st, 2017

Look for the answers to these questions at each of the blog stops.

Zipper Rippers Excerpt:

All That Entails by E.M. Hamill— 500 words

Darian remembered clever hazel eyes watching him from behind the black satin mask. Dressed as a fox, auburn fur trimmed her coat and collar, contrasting beautifully with the rusty-red velvet of the jacket. Slim legs were encased in trousers of the same material, white stockings, black boots, and a bustled skirt trailed behind her shockingly exposed limbs in the shape of the fox’s tail. The silver thread and crystal beading on the creamy tip of the tail and vest took his breath away, and he made his way toward her to find out the name of her seamstress. She bowed as he approached, the play of light on the neck-high bodice a dance of stars.

“Who did your needlework, my lady?” he murmured from behind his mask, greedy to have something of his own that sparkled in the warm glow of candles. “I have never seen such beauty in embroidery. It is exquisite.”

“I did, Your Highness.” Her voice, low and throaty, surprised him. “Do you like it?”

“Indeed, I do. It shimmers like frost or snow.” His hand longed to touch the crisp needlework, but it would be inappropriate to brush his fingers over her bodice. To obtain a garment like this would be a dream only, then, for he would never ask her to fashion something for him. A seamstress or tailor could be well paid for their service and discretion. A lady of the court? Ah, now, that constituted something else indeed.

“I am pleased my costume catches your fancy, my lord. Yours becomes you well. Is it Apollo, or Artemis, sir?”

Her bold question caught him off guard. Derision or embarrassment, which invariably seemed to accompany comments on his attire, was absent from her demeanour. Longing gilded her unusually husky voice, and a wistful set to her mouth made him study her a moment. Cheeks warmed in a flush, and she glanced away. A handsome young woman; close to his own age, he guessed. Her ring finger was unadorned: a strange thing in the court, where every man’s daughter seemed desperate to snare a husband. Not ready to be captured, Darian’s appetite for both sexes was as well gossiped as his penchant for gowns.

“Your name, Lady…?”

Eyes met his then in a challenging glance. “Henry.”

Startled, he laughed. “Henry?”

“It’s what I prefer. My given name is Henriette. My father is the Duke of Maldovi.”

He grimaced inwardly. The Duke, a wealthy, arrogant brute, proved more outspoken in his disapproval of Darian’s choice in clothing than most dared within his hearing. His daughter’s costume, however, gracefully tread the line of masculine and feminine like his own. Intrigued, Darian bent over her hand.

“I will tell you since you have guessed. It is both Artemis and Apollo.” His lips brushed her knuckles, while coveting the glitter of the bodice at eye level. “I compliment you again on your costume, Henry. You are an artist.”

About the Author

E.M. Hamill is a nurse by day, sci fi and fantasy novelist by night. She lives in eastern Kansas with her family, where they fend off flying monkey attacks and prep for the zombie apocalypse. She also writes young adult material under the name Elisabeth Hamill. Her first novel, Song Magick, won first place for YA fantasy in the 2014 Dante Rossetti Awards for Young Adult Fiction. Her science fiction novel Dalí is forthcoming from NineStar Press in summer 2017.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EMHamill/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/songmagick

Blog: http://emhamill.blogspot.com/

Website: www.elisabethhamill.com

What color were the first panties Arliss showed Brent?

What was Gavin wearing under the sweatshirt?

Why was Oliver seeing Mia?

What did the perfume Delaware smell like?

What costume did Darian wear?

What did Frances long to do?

What did Tommy shave?

What is Barrett’s stage name?

Which author’s answer surprised you?

Add to Goodreads Synopsis

A Linebacker in Lace by Caitlin Ricci

Brent likes wearing lace underwear, but it’s not something he plans to reveal, and he never thought he’d meet a guy who shared his kink. So when Arliss approaches him at a bar and mentions he can see lace underwear peeking out from his waistband, Brent is embarrassed—until he finds out Arliss has got a thing for guys in lace.

Satin Secrets by CL Mustafic When Dr. Gavin Addison answers his doorbell, instead of the delivery guy he expected, he gets Officer Lex Turner, who takes Gavin’s invitation to step in out of the cold a little too far. Before he leaves though, he investigates the satin lace peeking out between Gavin’s shirt and pants. Will what he finds be the only secret revealed?

Backwards and in High Heels by Elizabeth Coldwell

Dancing cheek-to-cheek with his lover while wearing a beautiful gown has always been Billie’s dream. But how can he persuade a sympathetic teacher that he needs to learn how to dance backwards—like a woman—so he can make that fantasy come true?

Angels in Delaware by Sita Bethel

Stranded at a nightclub, Beau thought he’d have a long, solitary walk home. He never expected to meet two gorgeous strangers willing to give him a different kind of ride instead.

All That Entails by E.M. Hamill

Prince Darian is prepared to set aside his scandalous preference for gowns and take a wife to benefit his royal brother’s treasury. Henry is resigned to the fate his outward sex dictates and determined to follow through with an arranged marriage to the prince, rather than risk his father’s threat of an asylum. But he will enter this union with the truth known—or not at all. In each other, they find unlikely kindred spirits and realize they may finally get the acceptance for which they’ve always longed.

After the Dance by Sydney Blackburn

Mechanic Frank Dixon knows his unrequited love for the boss’s son, Charles Quinn, is an impossible dream, even after he and Charles work together on a special project and become friends. When Charles confides his parents are going to force him to choose a bride during an old-fashioned ball, Frank’s roommate uses his influence to help Frank fulfill his wish to attend the ball in a pretty frock. But after the dance, will his heart be broken, or will all his dreams come true?

A Secret Shared by C.A. Blocke

When Michael told Tommy of his nerdy secret life as a Dungeon Master, after a few months of casual dating that seemed to be heading for serious territory, he didn’t expect anything in return. He certainly didn’t expect his new boyfriend to join him for a game session, and he definitely didn’t anticipate Tommy divulging his desire to dress up en femme. Thankfully, the surprise comes out well—for both of them.

Ruffle My Feathers by Asta Idonea Barrett leads a double life—builder by day and drag act by night. Having successfully kept this from his colleagues, he’s stunned when he spots his boss, Keith, at a performance. Unlike Barrett, Keith is still completely in the closet. And though he promises not to reveal Barrett’s secret, the sight of Barrett in dress and feather boa awakes hidden desires, and he may not be able to keep them at bay.