M.D. Neu has a new MM sci-fantasy mystery out: Mu; Legend of a Lost City.
For years, the whispers and legends of a lost city hiding in the Pacific Ocean were just that; legend. On the day Kaimi discovers his parents, the Queen and King of Mu, murdered, Mu’s most powerful weapon fired, sending a pulse rushing towards the North American west coast.
After the 2025 Great Pacific Pulse Event, or Pulse, vomited up much of humankind’s trash in the Pacific Ocean along the North American west coast. The mysterious occurrence causing the largest environmental disaster in human history, people are no longer certain there is nothing concealed in the depths of the ocean.
Scientist Karen Linn and billionaire investor Michael Donovan want to find out what actually happened that day five years ago. Will Michael’s life in the adult entertainment industry and Karen’s moniker in pseudoscience keep them as social pariahs, or are they on the cusp of finding a civilization that has been kept out of our grasp, deep in the world’s largest ocean? How does the event from five years ago tie into the murder of the Queen and King of Mu?
What lies under the sea may be bigger than anyone can imagine, and neither civilization may be ready for the truth.
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Giveaway
Marvin is giving an ebook of Volaria to three different winners:
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Excerpt
The dripping crimson on his hands contrasted the polished blue stone floors in front of him. Iron permeated around him, the scent made him want to vomit. But he couldn’t leave or move, he was frozen by pain and action. Soft warm light from the energy crystals reflected off the walls and floor, filling the space with a bright, cheerful glow, reminding Kaimi of all the wonderful memories this chamber held for him. The birth of each of his younger siblings. The day he introduced Makani to his family, followed by the celebration of their marriage two years later. Watching as Nohealani and Malo were joined in the presence of their gods. Seeing each of their children brought forth and presented to the family and the gods upon their births.
So much joy. Now this.
A burble of air. A cough. A gasp of pain forced him to see what lay before him.
“Help!” His voice yelled out.
Everything sparkled in those memories, but now the red slowly muted not only the bright glow of the veins running through the floors but also his pristine white shirt. From this day forward, the crimson liquid and the pungent fragrance of death would taint each of his happy memories.
More memories pushed forward, forcing out what stretched before him. Kaimi witnessed the day Kai Malina received the gift of sight from the gods of Mu, and was welcomed by Mana Lani into the arms of the world of Spiritual healers and Māhū. Something Kaimi didn’t fully believe in, well, not as much as he did when he was younger, but everyone had been pleased. Even he found himself excited. Past images of joy played out in his mind. The music, the fire dancing, the tumblers and dancers, the fragrances of meats for the prepared feast. So much elation that day.
How had Mana Lani or Kai Malina not seen this coming? They are gifted with foresight. They are the Māhū. Perhaps they only see what suits them.
“No.” Kaimi whispered. “Please, someone.” His voice called out again. “Help!” He bellowed.
More family memories rushed as his mind continued to process the scene. The recollections of Nohealani, Ulani, Koa, Kai Malnia, and him running around when court wasn’t in session. Were they all there? He was barely more than thirteen, too old to play with the babies, but somehow, they had managed to engage him. How many times did he and Nohealani have to usher their younger siblings off to bed, or back to bed, after sneaking out of their sleeping chambers only to find them playing here?
A growing collection of scarlet pooled closer to him. Pouring from her body, the thick fluid marred the sparkle of her dress, crystals handstitched into the gown to reflect not only the light of the kingdom, but the light of her soul.
This can’t be happening. How did this happen? Who would do…
Troubling recent memories leaked into his mind as more crimson oozed through his fingers, even though his hands remained firmly in place. Rust continued to overpower every other scent around him. The disagreements about how and if to engage the above worlders. The concerns and potential for discovery by those who live in the sun. Koa arguing with both the Queen and King about how encounters with those above would be the end of them and their world here in Mu. The Queen believing now the time had come to reveal themselves, hoping their presence to be a positive influence on the world above.
“We can help them. Teach them.” She pointed to the ceiling. “We have so much to offer each other. Our worlds have been separated for too long.”
However, when challenged and asked, neither Kai Malina nor Mana Lani were able to interrupt what the Gods had to say on the matter. He wasn’t sure what their gods would say, assuming they commented at all. But if the Queen believed in joining the world above, who was he to argue the point? The rest of his siblings offered what he hoped to be agreement.
Well, not all. They didn’t argue in public, but in private we spoke freely with each other, even loudly when the need arose.
I need assistants.” Kaimi called out, pleading with each word.
In the distance, the splashing of the tide pools outside the windows past the royal gardens filled his ears. Or were the sounds only his recollection bringing the noises to him? So many memories. Now this.—so much pain.—He peered over to the jeweled ornate windows, each crystal pane hand carved to reflect as much light as possible, while bringing the scenes of the world they once occupied to life with movement. Small shells from the creatures who filled the tide pools adding to the created images. A small breeze pushed the smells of water through the slightly opened windows, riding the air as more light shone through. The warmth on his skin and the taste of the salt water from the tide pools on his lips tingled all the way to his soul. He wished to be down there now, walking with Makani hand-in-hand, not here.
The blaring of sirens rang out, calling him from his thoughts, the piercing sound canceling out his calls for help. The puddles of red expanded around his knees and feet, beginning to soak his sarong.
A gift from Makani now ruined.
Kaimi forced himself to focus, his hands covered the wound before him. He glared up. As if seeing Koa for the first time. Koa stood over the body of the King on the floor. Koa stood and glanced down, offering no help. Red droplets on his white shirt and tan sarong created a similar pattern as the light crystals shown down on the kingdom when the light cycle recharged. At night, the crystals patterns were beautiful. Here, on Koa, the image made his stomach turn. Koa stayed quiet as he continued to hold the crystal pike in his hand.
Just as I found you. What happened? Why?
“Why?” Kaimi adjusted the pressure on the wound, trying to stem the flow of blood. The chest of the Queen raised and lowered slowly, but the inhalations were becoming much more irregular. He forced his stare up at Koa, his eyes moving from the weapon in his hands to the bodies on the palace floor.
“I… It…” Koa backed away, dropping the weapon to the ground, the clatter almost as loud as the siren still screeching to every corner of the palace, if not beyond. His head shook as he stared at his hands.
The main doors of the chamber burst open. “Koa!” A female voice called.
Upon hearing the doors, Koa made for the rear of the chamber.
“No!” Kaimi called out, wanting to rush after him, but if he did, there would be no one to care for the Queen or the King.
Author Bio
M.D. Neu is an international award-winning inclusive queer Fiction Writer with a love for writing and travel. Living in the heart of Silicon Valley (San Jose, California) and growing up around technology, he’s always been fascinated with what could be. Specifically drawn to Science Fiction and Paranormal television and novels, M.D. Neu was inspired by the great Gene Roddenberry, George Lucas, Stephen King, Alice Walker, Alfred Hitchcock, Harvey Fierstein, Anne Rice, and Kim Stanley Robinson. An odd combination, but one that has influenced his writing.
Growing up in an accepting family as a gay man he always wondered why there were never stories reflecting who he was. Constantly surrounded by characters that only reflected heterosexual society, M.D. Neu decided he wanted to change that. So, he took to writing, wanting to tell good stories that reflected our diverse world.
When M.D. Neu isn’t writing, he works for a non-profit and travels with his biggest supporter and his harshest critic, Eric his husband of twenty plus years.
Author Website: https://www.mdneu.com
Author Facebook (Personal): https://www.facebook.com/mdneuauthor
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Author Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/authormdneu/
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Author Liminal Fiction (LimFic.com): https://www.limfic.com/mbm-book-author/m-d-neu/
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Exclusive Excerpt
Mu; Legend of a Lost City
M.D. Neu © 2023
All Rights Reserved
~ Chapter Two ~
Michael’s eyes fluttered open. The soft scent of lavender tickled his nose, and he took a deep breath, enjoying the smells before exhaling. “Who’s there?” He mumbled to the empty room as the first rays of the morning were starting to break through the curtains covering his windows. He rolled over onto his back, a sigh breaking from his lips as the softness of the bed and pillow engulfed him. The smile, his chest, and those beautiful thighs. “So real.” He glanced at the ceiling fan as the machine spun, a soft moan joining each rotation. The cool air on his exposed shoulders and chest both chilled and tantalized him, especially after such a dream.
He glanced down, seeing the duvet tented up right below his mid-section. “I’ll have to take care of that in the shower.” He peered up at the ceiling fan as the blades spun around.
He remembered each detail, the taste of his lips as they kissed, the playful bites at his ears and neck. Even how their tongues danced around each other for what seemed like hours. The dream played out like a scene from one of his movies, but this was real, not forced for the camera. A gentle moment of passion shared between two people who desperately wanted each other as their souls merged into one.
Not fake.
His chest dropped as what he assumed was a smile faded from his chilled lips. “Clearly a pleasant dream, but a dream nonetheless.” Things like that may happen to everyone else, but not to him. Michael was a pariah, persona non grata, when relationships were in play. Sure, people found him attractive, even at forty, but once they found out what he had done in his past. Where he had come from. Where his money came from.
He shook his head.
They couldn’t handle his past or present, and they would leave. At least those were the honest ones. The ones who pretended not to know about him, professed to understand, and faked wanting to be with him, those hurt. These guys only really wanting to see what being with him, a former adult entertainer, was like. Once they got what they were after, or found out he was a regular person, with feelings and emotions, not a prop for their fantasies, they would leave.
The alarm from his phone buzzed, forcing him out of his thoughts.
He rubbed his hands over the stubble on his face and chin.
Definitely need a shave today.
Michael reached over and tapped the alarm before picking up the phone, swiping at one of the news alerts reading:
Five years since the Pacific Pulse. Scientists still baffled by the occurrence. Swipe to learn more.
“Baffled…well I guess baffled is one word for what happened.” He dropped his feet over the edge of the bed, the cool wood chilling the bottom of his bare feet. He remembered the night the strange signal happened, the pulse interrupted everything, phone, radio, computers, cell service, satellites, all technology. Everyone assumed the Pulse was some new weapon from China, Russia or one of the other countries who didn’t like the US. The west coast was a mess for hours, everyone freaking out. Not only here in the US, but Canada and Mexico. Michael shook his head.
“So much devastation and still not everyone has recovered.”
The Scientists came out and declared they had suffered from a geological abnormality from the Pacific Ocean. “Right.” He huffed.
“Boneheads. What did they know?” He chuckled, “What did I know at the time…hell what do I know now?”
He put the phone down on his nightstand, not needing to turn the light on. More and more of the morning light creeped over the room. Prickles on his flesh quickly appeared as a shiver raced down his spine. All the money he offered for research; Stanford, Santa Clara University, San Francisco University, University of British Columbia. He even offered money to the University of Alberta in Edmonton to open a research center. He did the same in Mexico. But nothing, well, that wasn’t quite true. Sure, people would take the money, but no one wanted to be associated with him or have his name on any of their buildings.
He frowned down to the floor. “Except for my dream man.”
A fresh flash of those soft lips and beautiful dark hair tugged at his visual memory. Another shiver danced down his spine, this time not related to the cold.
“To find a love like that.” He lamented. “In the real world would be nice.”
The more he focused on his dream man, the more details returned to him. “Everything about the dream felt so genuine.”
There was another ding from his phone. He glanced at his device.
“A text message from Karen.” He didn’t bother looking at the message long enough to read. “I’ll deal with you after I shower and get myself ready for the day.” Standing, he allowed the small amount of the duvet covering him to drop to the bed, exposing his nakedness to the morning air. “And now I have to pee.”
He made his way to the bathroom to get ready. His day played out ahead of him. He would go to the office early, meet with his development heads; they were working on another site upgrade for each of his three platforms. After that, he had a meeting with his product development group to go over the series of new adult toys. People might snub their nose at the adult entertainment industry, but explain how, if everyone is against porn, the industry pulls in about $20 billion a year. How do you explain his company being on target to have its most profitable year? He laughed.
“Hypocrisy.” He mumbled as the water from the shower bounced off his face, waking up every cell as the heat warmed him. He tapped a button on the shower and hints of eucalyptus started to fill the steam and the stress washed away with each drop of water.
He would need to check with Sharon about his meeting with Karen. They were going to meet about her expedition…
