Release Blitz & Exclusive Excerpt:
X Marks the Spot by Kit Barrie

Where there is gold, there is also blood.

Beset by bad luck and alone in the world, young Jamie Davis is taken in by widowed antiquities dealer, Squire Harrington. Trapped in debt, the squire decides to risk everything to find the buried treasure of the notorious pirate, Captain Charles Locke, and he and Jamie set off on a whirlwind adventure on the high seas!

Entranced by the handsome Captain Ambrose and befriended by the mysterious one-legged cook, Silas Cross, Jamie wonders if good fortune has finally smiled on him. But there is more to their hired crew than meets the eye. Jamie learns that not every cloud has a silver lining, and trust can be worth its weight in gold.

Will Jamie be able to escape the clutches of the pirates, find the treasure, and return home alive? And if he does, can he ever trust someone with his heart again?

X Marks the Spot is an M/M retelling of the classic tale Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson.

The Queerly Classic Collection is a reimagining of classic stories, with an M/M twist. They contain adult language and situations and are not intended for children.

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The man was older than I, and even older than Captain Ambrose by more than a few years, perhaps in his late thirties. It was hard to tell from the scars that dug trenches into his face, aging him beyond his years. At one time he might have been a handsome fellow, but it was obvious life had beaten him down more than once.

His skin was a deep brown, almost black, and the sun had not been kind to his ruddy cheeks and forehead. He had a large, flat nose that looked like it had been broken at some point, and his hair was so short that it was almost not there. He was a barrel-chested man, with wide shoulders and waist. He had scars that carved gashes into what at one time must have been smooth skin on his cheek, the side of his mouth, and the corner of his left eye, making it droop slightly.

His unnatural movement was understandable, as I saw now that he only had one leg. His left leg was almost entirely missing, his loose trouser fabric tied up to a stump that, at one point, had been the top part of his thigh. Despite the missing limb, he stood easily on his single good one, leaning lightly on his crutch, though it seemed like he could stand fine even without it. His broad shoulders hunched, making him appear shorter than he actually was. If he had been standing straight, I had no doubt he would have been a good foot taller than I, and more than twice as broad.

“Cross. Silas Cross,” the giant said, holding out one large hand. I took it hesitantly, and he closed his fingers in a firm grasp, giving it a hearty shake. I thought he might be smiling at me, but the twist of his mouth under the scars made it difficult to tell.

“Jamie Davis. It’s nice to meet you, Mister Cross,” I said. His hand was rough and calloused in mine, nearly encompassing it.

Silas Cross let out a soft rumble of laughter from deep in his chest. “No need for formality, Mister Davis. Yeh can jus’ call me Silas.”

“Then you may call me Jamie,” I said with a polite smile. I wasn’t sure how I felt about this large man yet. Something about him unnerved me, though I could not place a finger on it.

 

About the Author:

Kit Barrie (she/her) was raised by pirates in a traveling carnival where she learned how to fly and to weave fantasy into reality. She identifies as chaotic bisexual, with good intentions and questionable methods. She lives in an utterly unfantastical state in the Midwestern United States with her very supportive spouse (VSS) and at least 4 food goblins who might just be cats gobblin’ food.

Please visit www.kitbarrie.com or scan the QR code below for more information on Kit and her other available titles.

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