About Hardass City
by Kiernan Kelly
109 pages / 24800 words
ISBN: 978-1-61040-041-1
Ebook zipped file contains -
html, lit, Adobe and Sony optimized pdf, prc, epub
Dare Vengeance is tall, gorgeous, rugged, and dangerous. Unfortunately,
he’s also not real – he’s only a character Brad plays in a virtual reality
game called “Hardass City.” He has no idea that the creators of the game
stole the idea from another player until he meets Jeff, who plays Spike
Hammer in the game.
When Jeff -- who looks a lot like his smoking hot character -- enlists
Brad’s help in finding the proof Jeff needs to reclaim his property, Brad
finds out that when the stakes are high, it’s not a game anymore.
Review
Syd McGinley, author of the Dr. Fell books, writes: Hardass City is a
rocking good read.
There’s butt-kicking in the game scenes, and, just like a good game, the
story immerses you in the action. I was as worried for Spike and Dare in
the virtual as I was for Jeff and Brad in the real one! There’s plenty
of risk as they work out their relationship and plan their strategies –
in and out of the game. The story matches the tension and thrills of a
great action game, there’s sexy man-on-man action, and intrigue and
white collar crime to tackle.
A rare mix of thrills, humor, geeky-gaming, and sex!
Sample
Sunsets in Hardass City are
dismal, gray affairs. The ever-present shadows, relegated to deep, sleepy
corners and protected crevices during the day, awake hungry in the early evening
and grow rapidly until they devour the last of the light. Streetlights blink on,
but their false light is weak and barely any defense against the voracious
appetite of the darkness.
Dare Vengeance, six feet, three inches of muscle packed into a tight, black
t-shirt, threadbare jeans, and biker leather, straddled his Harley. He was so at
home on the growling metal monster that the motorcycle seemed a mere extension
of his body. Longish, dark hair framed his ruggedly handsome face, his cheeks
scruffy with a three days' growth of whiskers. A silver chain at his throat
caught the thin light from a streetlamp, glittering against his tanned skin.
Danger lurked in the darkness, and Dare lived for the sun to set and the stars
to wink on. He was a nocturnal hunter, completely at home in the dark, and he
was very, very good at what he did.
He froze, instantly on high alert as an instinct born of long experience told
him something was coming... something big. He turned off the motor, listening
hard, his hand automatically sliding to the cool, familiar butt of his Glock.
If his past had taught Dare anything, it was never to step onto the streets of
Hardass City unprotected. In addition to the Glock at his hip, his broad back
supported a holster for his sawed-off shotgun, a double-barreled, antique Lupara
he'd named Gertie. He also carried a ten-inch knife with a cruel, serrated edge
in sheath strapped to his left thigh, and, secreted within the pockets of his
black leather jacket, extra magazines for the Glock, shells for Gertie, and a
half-dozen, razor-edged shurikens.
These were his weapons of choice, although he'd carried others from time to
time. Grenades, nunchaku, a rocket launcher, and a flamethrower had all found
their way into his arsenal, and his skill level was high enough to turn
commonplace objects like garbage can lids and beer bottles into lethal weapons
when necessary. But he rarely took the black beast out of the garage. He
preferred the maneuverability and speed of his Harley to the bulk of the Hummer.
He admitted that purchasing the Hummer was a vanity thing, more to be able to
say he owned one than for practicality. It was a very limited time offer, back
when he first started playing the game and wanted every bell and whistle he
could afford to buy, regardless of practicality.
A sound caught his ear, the click of a boot heel against asphalt. It was close,
coming from the alley on Dare's right. He held perfectly still, barely
breathing, only his eyes sliding to the right, watching the dark mouth of the
alley for movement. Except for the slight rise and fall of his chest, he might
have been mistaken for a statue.
Two heartbeats ticked by, then three. Suddenly, his eyes picked out a darker
shape moving in the shadows. Tall and extremely broad, it loomed in the darkness
like a huge blot of ink floating in a black pond, staying just out of reach of
the weak glow of the streetlight. His upper lip curled as he whispered under his
breath. "Come on, fuckface. Show yourself."
The figure moved infinitesimally closer, just enough for the dim light to
illuminate its grotesque features.
That was more than enough for Dare.
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