Hi guys, we have N.R. Walker stopping by with the tour for her new release Imagines, we have a great excerpt, a brilliant giveaway and my review, so check out the post and click that giveaway link! <3 ~Pixie~

Imagines

(Imago 02)

N.R. Walker

Imagines is the Latin plural for Imago, and the only thing better than one metamorphosis, is two.

Jack Brighton and Lawson Gale have been together for six months and are very much in love. Lawson’s work ensuring the survival of the Tillman Copper is demanding as ever, and Jack’s work with the regeneration of the bushfire-ravaged national park is just as hectic.

When Jack suggests they take a short trip, Lawson agrees. But then he is offered a two-week research position in tropical Queensland to help determine why the Ulysses butterfly is on the decline. Figuring they could combine work and pleasure, Jack and Lawson go on their first vacation together.

Working alongside renowned professor Piers Bonfils isn’t easy. But personal and professional differences aside, Lawson is offered a more permanent role in Queensland. Torn between his new life in Tasmania with Jack and a dying species of butterfly he feels compelled to save, Lawson has to decide where his fate lies.

But fate changes the rules. On a research expedition into the depths of the rainforest, suddenly it’s not only the butterflies’ existence that hangs in the balance

A butterfly’s life cycle never changes. From larvae to imago, their course is plotted by design. Jack and Lawson need to determine where they stand, if they live through it. Because the only thing more incredible than one imago is two.

Amazon US | Amazon UK

Imago series!

Imago

Nerdy, introverted genius lepidopterist, Lawson Gale, is an expert on butterflies. He finds himself in a small town in Tasmania on a quest from an old professor to find an elusive species that may or may not even exist.

Local Parks and Wildlife officer, Jack Brighton, is an ordinary guy who loves his life in the sleepy town of Scottsdale. Along with his Border collie dog, Rosemary, his job, and good friends, he has enough to keep from being lonely.

But then he meets Lawson, and he knows he’s met someone special. There’s more to catching butterflies, Jack realises. Sometimes the most elusive creatures wear bowties, and sometimes they can’t be caught at all.

Lawson soon learns there are butterflies he can’t learn about it in books. They exist only in a touch, in a kiss, in a smile. He just has to let go first, so these butterflies can fly.

Imago is the story of finding love, bowties, and butterflies.

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Excerpt!

Lawson Gale

The landscape looked blackened and dead, charred beyond any possibility of resurrection.

After six months, I would have thought I’d be used to it, but no. It still gave me a moment’s pause.

I almost died here. Rosemary too.

Jack almost died here when he’d come to save me.

And that caused my heart to squeeze.

Against all odds, though, like Jack promised it would, there were small signs of new life, new green shoots in the scorched earth. While some trees had sprouted new life, some were nothing but vertical pillars of charcoal, waiting for wind or time to crumble them to nothing.

This land had been cauterised.

All Bursaria shrubs were gone; the Tillman Copper butterfly’s only known natural habitat in this area had been singed off the face of the planet.

We still had our captive specimens, and they were breeding well. But it wasn’t the same. It would never be the same.

Jack came up from the edge of the gully. I could tell by his face but asked anyway. “Any luck?”

He shook his head. “Nah. There’s been no activity here since the fire.”

I sighed heavily, taking in the cloying scent of burnt earth. Still, after six months, it was all I could smell.

“You hate coming back here, don’t you?” Jack asked, putting his hand on my back.

I nodded. “It’s not my favourite place.”

“You know, for tens of thousands of years, the Aboriginal people used bushfires as a way to encourage new growth.” Jack’s gaze never left mine. “It’s a cycle, and it means new life will grow. It’s winter now, so it’s slow going, but come springtime, this place will come alive again.”

“Not for everything. And that’s what I hate the most. I hate the loss. I get the regeneration argument, and I understand bushfires can serve a purpose, but it did nothing to help that poor Tasmanian devil mum and her babies.”

“The two you saved are doing well, so Paul tells me.”

“It didn’t help the butterflies.”

Jack pulled me in for a hard hug. “You saved them, remember?”

“Not all of them.”

“You did more than anyone else, Lawson. You’re not responsible for the bushfire. You are responsible for saving an entire species of butterfly. The Tillman Copper exists because of you.”

After a moment of silence, I looked up at him. “Take me home.”

He let go of me, pulled on the lapels of my winter coat, and drew me in for a kiss. “My home or your home?” Before I could answer, he added, “You know, it’d save us all this time deciding if

you’d just move in with me.”

I rolled my eyes, but a smile won out. It wasn’t the first time we’d had this discussion, and I doubted it’d be the last. We walked back to his ute. He called Rosemary, who had gone sniffing about, and buckled her in once she’d jumped up onto the back tray. We climbed in, and Jack expertly reversed down the old track. It was much easier now with the lack of trees and shrubs.

“One day, Mr Brighton. One day.”

“But not now,” he said. I could feel his disappointment in the air between us.

“Are things not perfect enough right now?”

He looked from the road to me. “Yes. But they could be even perfecter.”

“Perfecter isn’t a word.”

“Not yet it isn’t, no,” he said. “Because you haven’t said yes yet. Once you’re living with me, it’ll be a real word.”

I rolled my eyes again but reached out my hand. He slipped his palm into mine and I brought his hand to my lips. “One day.”

“I’ll hold you to that.”

I smiled at him. “I should hope so.” We were quite a ways back to town, then I asked, “So, have you thought more on what you’ll do for time off?”

He was due to have two weeks annual leave; it was winter and it was the quieter time of the year. “Not really. Might just stay at home, get stuff done around the house. I think Remmy and Nico were looking at doing some work around their house, though last I spoke to them, they weren’t sure.” Jack sighed. “Unless I could convince my super hot boyfriend to maybe come away with me for a day or two. I know he’s busy with his work right now, and he’s doing some pretty important things. Not to mention he’s finishing up his doctorate externally because of his commitment to research. I haven’t asked him yet, though, because I don’t want him to say no.”

I was smiling at how nervous he was. At how adorable he was. “You should ask him.”

His eyes went wide. “Really?”

“Yes. His work might be important, but so is his boyfriend. I doubt he’d say no,” I said, playing along. Then I added, “And it helps that butterflies are typically dormant in winter.”

Jack’s grin was huge. “Yes, that helps.”

“Jack?”

“Yeah?”

“You still haven’t asked me.”

He laughed. “Lawson, come away with me for a day or two, or five, or whatever. We can go wherever you want. Melbourne, to see your family, or to New Zealand for some skiing.”

“I don’t think skiing is really my thing. Though I’m happy to stay at a chalet, drinking wine and reading books in front of a fire. I can be your official ski bunny.”

Jack laughed. “I’ve never had a ski bunny before.”

I lifted his knuckles to my lips for a smiling kiss.

* * *

I did love being at Jack’s house. It was peaceful there and felt like home. I did want to live with him, but the sensible part of my brain insisted on not rushing. If this was a permanent thing―and I did think it could be―then there was no need to risk moving in together before we were ready.

And the very last thing I wanted to do was ruin what we had.

Winter had well and truly arrived in Tasmania. The wind was biting, the clouds hung low, and the sun seemed like it was on half-watt. And I loved it. It meant big coats and scarves, boots and woolly socks. It also meant wood fires and blankets on the sofa, cuddles and sleepy TV, and stews for dinner.

And Jack loved my lamb and dumpling stew. Like “devoured it all and asked when I could make it again” kind of loved it. So while he was chopping wood in the backyard, I set a fresh stew to simmer and made him a cup of tea.

When he came in with his arms full of logs and kindling, his nose was red and his cheeks flushed. He stacked his burden by the wood fire and pulled his beanie off, and my god, he smiled at me in a way that made my heart stutter.

I held up his steaming tea. “I made you a cup.”

He took the tea and sipped it gently. “Mmm,” he hummed appreciatively. He put the cup on the counter, then encased me in his arms, giving me a hug. It made me hum. “I love it when you hug me like that.”

He nudged his nose to my ear. “Like what?”

“Like it feeds your soul.”

He chuckled, warm and breathily. “It does.” He pulled back and looked into my eyes. “That’s exactly what it does.”

“I love you, Jack,” I said. I’d told him a hundred times in the last six months, and it still gave me a thrill to say it.

He pressed his lips to mine softly. “And I love you.” He reached over and lifted the lid on the pot of dinner and peeked inside. “And I love your stew.”

It made me laugh. “So, have you given more thought to this holiday we’re taking?”

“I’ll have to get online and have a look,” he said, settling back against me, smiling down at me. “I wasn’t expecting you to say yes, actually.”

“Well, you go look. I’ll finish dinner. My laptop’s on the table. Just use it to Google whatever you want.”

I set about making dumplings for the stew, and Jack disappeared into the lounge room. Just as I was finishing up adding the balls of dough to the stew, Jack called out. “Uh, Lawson? You got an email.”

“Who’s it from?”

“I didn’t open it.”

I slid the casserole dish into the oven. “Well, open it.”

I set the timer and washed my hands. I was wiping them on a tea towel when I walked back into the lounge room.

Jack was squinting at my laptop screen. “It’s from the Cairns Butterfly Conservatory.”

I frowned. “What does it say?”

He held my laptop out. “You read it.”

I sat beside him and took my laptop, reading the email.

Dear Mr Gale,

We have followed your work closely, with regards to the Tillman Copper…

I scanned through the rest of the email, then read it again, slower this time.

“Lawson, what is it?”

“I’ve been invited to assist on a study of the Ulysses butterfly.”

Jack blinked. “Is that good?”

“I don’t know. It’s in Cairns, Far North Queensland, Jack.”

I could see the moment it dawned on him. “How long does a study take?”

“It says the initial invitation extends to two weeks.”

“Can you leave your work right now on the Tillman?”

I nodded slowly, thoughtfully. “Two weeks is fine. Everything is established, and Warner could supervise…”

Jack frowned. “When would you leave?”

I stared at him. Clearly he’d missed my intention. “Correction, Jack. When would we leave is a more pertinent question.”

It took him a second, then a smile pulled at his lips. “We?”

I chuckled. “I think I just solved our holiday destination problem. We’re not going to the snowfields. We’re going to the tropics.”

About N.R.

N.R. Walker is an Australian author, who loves her genre of gay romance. She loves writing and spends far too much time doing it, but wouldn’t have it any other way.

She is many things; a mother, a wife, a sister, a writer. She has pretty, pretty boys who she gives them life with words.

She likes it when they do dirty, dirty things…but likes it even more when they fall in love. She used to think having people in her head talking to her was weird, until one day she happened across other writers who told her it was normal.

She’s been writing ever since…

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Review

Title: Imagines

Series: Imago 02

Author: N.R. Walker

Genre: Contemporary

Length: Novella (147pgs)

ISBN: B06Y599DJK

Publisher: Blue Heart Press (8^th April 2017)

Heat Level: Moderate

Heart Rating: ♥♥♥♥♥ 4 ½ – 5 Hearts

Reviewer: Pixie

Blurb: Jack Brighton and Lawson Gale have been together for six months and are very much in love. Lawson’s work ensuring the survival of the Tillman Copper is as demanding as ever, and Jack’s work with the regeneration of the bushfire-ravaged national park is just as hectic.
When Jack suggests they take a short trip, Lawson agrees. But then he is offered a two-week research position in tropical Queensland to help determine why the Ulysses butterfly is on the decline. Figuring they could combine work and pleasure, Jack and Lawson go on their first vacation together.

But fate changes the rules. On a research expedition into the depths of the rainforest, suddenly it’s not only the butterflies’ existence that hangs in the balance.

Purchase Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B06Y599DJK

Review: This book is part of a series and must be read in order.

Imagine is a wonderful story of a Parks and Wildlife officer loving a nerdy butterfly expert who is just perfect for him.

Jack and Lawson are back, it’s now six months into their relationship and they are both wildly in love and loving their respective jobs. Eager to spend more quality time together Jack suggests a holiday and Lawson agrees, but when he’s offered a chance to help discover why the Ulysses butterflies are dying off Lawson and Jack head off to Queensland for a working holiday.

This is another fantastic story from Australian author N.R. Walker; she gives us glimpses of life in Australia that makes us want to gaze upon the beauty of the surroundings while running from the wildlife!

Jack and Lawson are a beautiful couple, they just have perfect understanding between them and even when one or the other of them is unsure the other one is always understanding and patient. There are a couple of moments of disquiet but it is always quickly settled, especially when Lawson is considering the offer he receives.

While Jack and Lawson’s relationship is beautiful and deepening we have the plight of the Ulysses butterfly leading the story, I became fascinated with Lawson’s zeal to discover the cause of the decline and was charmed by Jack’s willingness to help Lawson in any way he can.

This is a brilliant written story, not only do we have the beautiful relationship between Jack and Lawson, the fascinating butterfly aspect but we also have Lawson falling into danger once again with Jack rushing to his rescue.

I recommend this to those who love fantastic Australian contemporary love stories, two wonderful characters who are quite different but still perfect for each other, who love interesting stories and a very happy sweet ending.