Cocktails & Cock Tales with Angel Martinez's hero Corny DeGroot

Today we have Cornelius DeGroot (Corny) at the cyber bar. Corny is a time-transplanted cowboy in Angel Martinez’s Brimstone series of Science Fiction novels (Angel Martinez now writes full time because she finally can, and has been happily astonished to have her work place consistently in the annual Rainbow Awards. Angel currently lives in Delaware in a drinking town with a college problem and writes Science Fiction and Fantasy centered around gay heroes.)

What we are Drinking

Beer – it’s not a drink, it’s food in a glass ;)

Deanna: First things first, Corny. Where are you and what are you wearing?

Corny: Well, ma’am, I’m not always certain some days where I am (((looks around))) though this doesn’t look too different from the offworld watering holes Verin drags me to. I wear jeans and a work shirt most days, like today. My ten gallon isn’t too practical onboard the Brimstone, but I’m not giving up my damn boots.

Deanna: What’s your poison today, Corny? Vodka? Gin? Beer?

Corny: Beer. I know, cowboys have a reputation for stronger stuff, but I like to keep my head clear. Though I have started getting a hankering for the better ones. That horse piss, begging your pardon, we used to call beer wasn’t hardly worth the name sometimes.

Deanna: (((cracks open a couple cold ones))) Cheers! Now that we’re comfy, tell me about your new book? (((Swigs her beer)))

Corny: Guess it’s really Angel’s new book, but it’s got three of our stories all herded together in a nice little package. Brimstone: Demon Owned and Operated, she calls it. Our Cap’n Shax thought it was hilarious. I’m not in the first story, the one Angel calls Hell For the Company. The floating cows were pretty damn funny, though. I come along in the second story, Fear of Frogs. Damn frogs. And then Shaxy pretty well scared the hell out of all of us in Shax’s War.

Deanna: Do you know where Angel got the idea for this story?

Corny: (((scratches head))) Well, I reckon Angel got ambushed by Shax. He’s the demon prince of thieves, you know, and he’s pleased to tell you so. One day she’s happy writing about spaceships and whatnot and the next, this uppity little demon’s perched on her desk with his shit-eating grin. Pardon the language, ma’am.

Deanna: Another beer?

Corny: Sure. (((gets out a round from the cooler))) Here ya go.

Deanna: Thanks. Now what was the hardest part of writing this story for Angel?

Corny: Oh, I’d imagine it was pleasing Shax. He’s got some high-falootin’ ideas, believe me, and a swelled head sometimes to match. Not like my Verin. Sure Ver’s a big, snarly brute of a demon, but his tastes are more down to earth, so to speak. Don’t get me wrong. We’re all fond of our captain, but he can be a pain in the you know what sometimes.

Deanna: (((tosses her bottle cap then swallows down some brew))) Gotta love a nice cold beer!! Now, what was the easiest thing about writing her book?

Corny: Probably my parts. I’m a lot easier to please. Angel would back me up on that, I’d bet my last silver dollar.

Deanna: Are you a plotter or a panster?

Corny: Ma’am, that sounds like a very personal question. Does your mother know you’re here?

Deanna: (((laughing into her bottle))) Yeah, sorry about that. You’re so cute, I was distracted and just asked you the next question I reserve for authors. Let’s move on to the next one, shall we? How long has Angel been writing?

Corny: Well, I barely know how to write my name, but Angel’s been writing for a long time, so she says. Something close on fifteen years, it sounds like, this writing for other people to read nonsense.

Deanna: This is where I usually ask writer’s if they get writers block. On those occasions that I do, I usually have a cocktail … or three…LOL But that’s just me.

Corny: A drink or two lubricates just about everything, if you take my meaning.

Deanna: Oh yeah, you naughty boy, I get your meaning. Here (((grabs another round from the cooler))) Have another and stop trying to be cute. I know I’m not your type. Now, most of my stories have a theme song, does the Brimstone series have a theme song?

Corny: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly? (((laughs))) Just don’t point to anyone on the Brimstone and say they’re the ugly part. The boys are all a little sensitive.

Deanna: Tell us about a scene that Angel put in your book that shocked you? You know I want a dirty answer (((hint hint)))

Corny: Yeah, I was pretty shocked when Ms. Angel put this in. I mean, a man likes to think some things are private. But…all right, it is exciting to see it, too.

Excerpt:

"I have two rules," Verin growled softly between tugging on Corny's bottom lip with his teeth.

"Yeah?"

"You don't touch my head. I don't like it and I'll walk away faster than you can take another breath."

"All right. Every man's got his preferences. And the second?"

"If you want top, you'll have to fight for it."

Verin expected shock or maybe a return to anger, but Corny laughed. "You got a promise on that. Not in broad daylight where anyone might see, though."

"Yeah. That damn kid'll probably pop up again."

"He does that." Corny slid his hands down Verin's back to cup his ass, sending plasma jolts through Verin's balls. "Tack room. We block the door. I'll give you this first one since you're a guest."

"Think you'd lose?"

"I think I'd give as good as I got but this here's not the time or place."

Not many people surprised Verin. More often, they confirmed all the awful things he knew about humans and their selfish, small-minded lives. This man insisted on surprising him. Instead of anger or fear, this cowboy met his every barb with patient good humor. It started him thinking of all sorts of stupid things.

"Tack room. Lead the way."

Verin snatched a pitchfork from where it leaned against the wall and followed Corny to a little room at the back of the barn. Seemed a little odd to have a room with a door in a barn, but having a clean workspace free of barn dust to work with oils and new leather probably wasn't a bad idea. He shut the door behind them and wedged the pitchfork under the knob with its tines stuck in the wooden floor.

"Strip, cowboy." Verin leaned back against the door, arms crossed over his chest. "Let's see the goods."

Once again, a man could have taken offense. Corny just laughed and even the corners of his eyes crinkling were sexy. Even better, he wasn't the slow tease kind as he shucked his shirt, yanked off his boots, and whipped off his belt, which suited Verin's impatient nature a little too well. The one-piece underwear thing men wore in that century wasn't terribly flattering, but Corny made short work of that, too.

Fuck. The rest of him's just as delicious. Sexy, sexy beast. Verin wasn't sure what he'd been hoping. Maybe that something wouldn't be as advertised, something that was a deal breaker for him, like a tiny dick or a hairless chest. Then he could've walked away and stopped thinking about this damn human who'd gotten under his skin. But, no, of course not. Corny was perfection from his broad hairy chest to the I-beam, pipe-thick erection jutting from his forest of black curls.

"Your turn, Hammer."

Verin took the time to unbutton his shirt before shucking it to the side. A shirt pulled over invisible horns would've been awkward and too bizarre to watch. He undid his jeans and shoved them down to his boot tops, but there was no way in hell or anywhere else that he was taking off his boots. Even Shax wasn't a good enough liar to explain away Verin's scaly, taloned feet.

"Not half bad." Corny's gaze swept him up and down, managing both hungry and amused in the same expression. "Now you gonna fuck me or were you just pulling my leg?"

The growl started low in Verin's belly. It escalated to a full roar as he grabbed Corny, spun him around, and shoved him facedown, bent at the waist over the workbench on the back wall. A gasp followed by a shaky moan let Verin know how Corny felt about the rough handling. Perfect.

If this was some station-side screw, he'd most likely do a spit take and have at it, but Corny was someone he'd see tomorrow and maybe even want to screw again. Verin scanned the shelves above his head in the frantic hope that there might be some appropriate lube. He took down a promising jar and his right horn caught on a stirrup hanging from a hook. Trying to shake it loose, he snagged a bridle from the opposite wall on his left horn.

"Motherfucking pieces of shit," Verin snarled swiping right and left to remove the impromptu ornaments. "I'm not a damn Christmas tree."

"What're you doing up there?" Corny struggled to rise up for a look but Verin kept him pressed down hard.

"Being not graceful. Fucking tight quarters."

"You kiss your granny with that mouth?"

"No."

An uncomfortable silence followed before Corny said, "Right. Sorry."

"Don't worry about it." Finally free of extra bits of metal and leather, he opened the jar and sniffed. Lanolin. That'll do. "You probably had a nice home life, so you don't think about shit like that."

"I'm an ooo—" Corny broke off with a yelping moan as Verin shoved a meaty, lanolin-coated finger in his ass. He continued in a breathy, shuddering voice. "Orphan. Raised by…damn that's good…nuns."

"Really?" Maybe this man had a better chance of understanding him than most. Raised by nuns kind of sounded like growing up in hell. Verin added a second finger, the deep groan tugging at all his nerves. "My sympathies."

"Thanks. Oh…right there." Corny bucked and lifted his ass when Verin tapped his prostate. "Good lord, that's so incredible. You have magic in those fingers."

"Want more than fingers?"

"Yes. Hell, yes."

Verin grunted as he slicked up his cock, already leaking and raring to go. He'd say it had a mind of its own, except they did manage to agree on most things. Corny's ass was definitely one of them. Weird, though. He wanted to go slower than usual and actually stroked those fine, firm cheeks before he spread them, teasing at the hole instead of plunging in.

"Go on, Hammer. I thought you'd done this before."

The good-natured taunt made Verin chuckle, and he pushed forward slowly, stroking Corny's back. When his head popped through the tight ring, he actually stopped, waiting for his lover's breathing to even out and his muscles to relax.

Lover? Really? He couldn't recall even thinking the word before.

Corny didn't give him room for more thought. He shoved back hard, taking half of Verin's shaft inside him. Not the tightest place Verin had ever been, he'd been in some strange whorehouses, but Corny's scent, his deep grunts, and the way his muscles bulged and flexed made Verin's control slide. Verin's fingers dented Corny's cheeks as he gripped harder to keep him still. He pulled out slowly, relishing the slow friction, pulsed a few short thrusts, and slammed in balls deep with a throaty growl.

Corny scrabbled at the workbench, back arching. He fought Verin's hold, shoving against him with all the strength in his tree-trunk thighs. "Let me move, damn it."

Verin relented and leaned in to cover him. He reached around and got a long, guttural moan when he wrapped his fist around Corny's erection. It was a lot like riding a damn bronco with that single hold and Corny bucking up under him, their pelvises meeting with bone-jarring force.

Eyes crossed with the effort of holding back his climax, Verin slammed into Corny repeatedly, jacking him hard and fast. If only Corny wasn't one of those men who couldn't get off while he was taking it…ah, no, there it went. His cowboy's panting escalated from hard grunts to desperate moans. The hard muscles tightened under Verin, then around him.

"God…oh, fuck…Verin!" Corny bellowed his name as he stampeded to climax, his spunk shooting hot and sticky on the workbench and Verin's hand.

Verin wanted so badly to lay his head down on that broad back, but the damn horns. He forced himself to hover above Corny, crying out wordless expletives as Corny tried to squeeze the life out of him. Dizzy waves of ecstasy almost had him passing out as he pumped himself dry inside that constricting channel.

Still panting, Corny reached back and patted his hip. "Damn good ride."

"So I guess you don't care much that we're a pack of filthy sodomites."

"Hell, no. Don't think I'd much care if you were some demon straight from hell."

Verin stiffened and blinked before realizing it was just a colorful expression. Oh, be careful what you call down on yourself, human. "Ha. Good to hear."

He helped Corny up and even brought him a rag to clean up the jizz on himself and the workbench.

This is the part where I say thanks and walk away. Why aren't I walking away? Feet? What's wrong with you?

Corny pulled his jeans back on and stomped into his boots. After he picked his shirt up, he took the two steps to Verin and brushed his knuckles along Verin's jaw. "Thank you. I mean that."

Too stunned to move, he stood there gaping like an idiot as Corny leaned in and planted a gentle kiss on his lips. "Um. You're welcome?"

"I'd be up for another round but we'd better get that hay out to the corrals before Zeke has our hides."

"Yeah." Not walking away. Thank you kisses. What was the world coming to?

Brimstone: Demon Owned and Operated

Blurb:

Due to circumstances completely within his control, Shax, the Demon Prince of Thieves has fled, er, emigrated from Earth to seek his fortunes out in the galaxy. With his faithful friend, Verin, by his side, they acquire a gently used ship with a drag-queen AI.

Hell for the Company: Brimstone 1
Everything's going just fine, thank you very much. All right, the anti-gravity cows are a bit problematic and some of Shax's buyers are bad for his health, but he manages until he comes across an injured angel in a psychedelic alien jungle.

Fear of Frogs: Brimstone 2
While Shax recovers from a near fatality, his shipmates have taken the initiative and found them a lucrative cargo run. Shax is horrified to find out what sort of cargo. Unfortunately, he'll soon discover that a healthy fear of frogs doesn't prevent frog-driven disasters.

Shax's War: Brimstone 3
The boys desperately need a vacation. With the not-quite-ill-gotten gains from the Frog incident, Shax takes the Brimstone's crew to the exclusive resort planet, Opal. What could possibly go wrong?

https://mischiefcornerbooks.weebly.com/brimstone-demon-owned-and-operated.html

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-brimstonedemonownedoperated-1567729-143.html

Amazon links and so on will follow on the official launch date of 7/26

Corny and I would like to give away an e-book copy of Brimstone to one lucky commenter J