After a lovely road trip to north Jersey, exploring Newfoundland—the location for the film THE STATION AGENT—I’m now scrambling to play catch-up with all things digital.

And goodness! That includes trumpeting, a day late, my Amazon Countdown Deal for THE EAGLE AND THE FOX (A Snowy Range Mystery).

Currently it’s at 99c for the next 18 hours or so, then it goes to $1.99, $2.99, $3.99 and so on, with the deal ending on Oct. 18th.

TE&TF is the one a few readers think should be a shifter tale because… a fox and an eagle on the cover… but I assure you it’s a hard-hitting suspense/mystery taking place in the lee of the Snowy Range in south central Wyoming. It’s also gay fiction with a side of romance.

TE&TF has characters we all know and love: The Strong, Silent Type

It takes a lot to get a man like Josh Foxglove flustered. After all, he’s a vet, a wounded warrior, a rancher. He’s got his bit of hardscrabble dirt to tend and has had more than his fair share of hard times like everyone else. He sees to his family—his sister Becca and her two girls depending on him to do right by them.

And then there’s Marcus…

For two years, Josh and Marcus eyed each other, being neighborly, making small talk. Twice a month, like clockwork. They need a nudge.

Hard times tend to get harder, and Josh needs a favor. Marcus offers a drink, then another, and two men who can barely spit out more than a couple words at a time when they’re around each other find common ground.

Friendship builds on trust, something both men value above all else. The trouble with the strong, silent types… change and adjustments in perception tend to occur at a glacial pace. It’s good to know a man will be there to lend a hand, but what if you want more?

Thank heavens for nosy sisters…

[Becca said], “Why not ask him out for dinner next Sunday? Maudie’s been going on about taking Mr. Colton out on a trail ride ever since you introduced those two.”

Josh stared at his sister, his mouth open. She looked about as innocent as a black widow spider. The heat blowing off his ears was a good indication he was blushing. He gasped, “You mean a date, ask Marcus out on a date?”

“No, I mean invite him here for Sunday dinner. You know I always make enough extra for company whether we have any or not. Besides, Maudie would adore having Uncle Josh’s new friend visit.” Grinning broadly, she said, “So would I.”

The thought had crossed his mind more than once that he’d really like to get to know the shopkeeper better. Was Becca suggesting that maybe… Was it possible he’d crossed his signals, made an assumption, that maybe instead of Marcus being…

He blurted, “He’s straight.”

“What? You have something against having a straight friend, Josiah Foxglove?” Uh-oh. He gulped back a snotty retort and wondered if his ears had combusted yet. She muttered, “Besides, that’s not what I hear.”

A man like Josh Foxglove doesn’t fluster easily. But sometimes hearing what you refused to allow yourself to even consider?

As they say… priceless.

Becca reminds Josh to ask Marcus to come over for Sunday dinner.

[Josh replies], “I will. Just remember, it’s not a date.”

“It is if you want to get laid, bro.”

Greta van der Rol, author of classic SciFi adventures with a dollop of romance, used The Eagle and the Fox as an example when she explored the quandary of reader expectations and slotting a book onto a particular shelf. You can read her blog HERE.

An Amazon Reviewer says:

Nya Rawlins writes with an authenticity that gives voice to her characters, real people of the place. This is literary fiction that gathers elements of many genres but never falls into a pigeon hole of any of them. Her writing is beautiful but never gets in the way of the story she’s telling, and the story is about these people dealing with burgeoning affection, maybe love, danger, loss, and fear. In other words, real life, lived by real people. The book is a mystery with plenty of action and danger. It’s a slow-build love story that never shies away from erotic exploration, but it is not Romance, nor is it Erotica. It’s more.

What more could you want? THE EAGLE AND THE FOX has garnered nine 5* reviews, it’s on sale, and… it happens to be one of my personal favorites, with characters who are still as real and vibrant as the day they said… Hey, have we got a tale for you!

Peace and love to all in these difficult times.