All Acts Of Pleasure: A Rowan Gant Investigation

A ROWAN GANT INVESTIGATION

A Novel of Suspense and Magick

By

E.M.A. Mysteries

This book is a work of fiction. Names,
characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the
author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

Any resemblance to actual events or locales
or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental, except as
noted.

The names
Velvet Rieth
and
Jacquelyn Hunt
, are used with permission, and are
loosely based on actual persons. While some characteristics of the
individuals’ personas are accurate, the characters portrayed herein
do not necessarily reflect the actual personalities or lifestyles
of the aforementioned.

ALL ACTS OF
PLEASURE
: A Rowan Gant Investigation

A WillowTree Press Book

E.M.A. Mysteries is an imprint of WillowTree
Press

All Rights Reserved

Copyright © 2006 by M. R. Sellars

Cover Design Copyright © 2006 Johnathan
Minton

Cover Photo Copyright © 2006 On The Edge
Photography

Cover Model: Ms. Gwendolin “Wendi”
O’Brien

This e-book edition is licensed for your
personal enjoyment only. This e-book edition may not be re-sold or
given away to other people.

If you would like to share this book with
another person, please purchase an additional copy for each
person

This book may not be reproduced in whole or
in part, by any means, electronic or mechanical, without
permission.

For information contact: WillowTree Press on
the World Wide Web http://www.willowtreepress.com

Smashwords Edition – 2010

Once again I find myself with the monumental
task of thanking those who made this installment—and in some cases
even the entire RGI series—possible. As I have said before, with
each book I write, the list of people I feel compelled to thank
grows, and eventually, this roll call will take up an entire volume
in itself. Still, my good and true friends are very important to
me, so this “thank you” list has become like a moral imperative for
me. That said, if I happen to miss someone, I hope you understand
that it was unintentional, so please accept my apologies in
advance. I’m getting old and my brain doesn’t always work the way
it is supposed to.

Finally, while I may simply run down
this list like an
Oscar
winner
getting the “wind it up” signal, please know that you all made this
possible through your love and support (and in more than one
instance, your complete insanity…)—

In all seriousness, however, it is of
utmost importance with regard to this particular book that I
present a big thank you to
eDNA/Genetic
Technologies, Incorporated
and
Genelex Corporation
for the background info on
DNA and genetic identification. And, in that vein, especially EXTRA
HUGE props go out to the entire team at
Genetree
—not only did the folks at
Genetree
give me info, they actually
went out of their way to help me make sure my plotting and
methodology were sound, and for that I owe them big. Thanks
y’all…

Now, on to the usual list of suspects, all of
whom are very dear to me…

Dorothy Morrison—all hail the mighty “Box of
Joe”

Sergeant Scott Ruddle, SLPD—don’t you just
hate that?

Roy Osbourn—don’t worry, it’ll keep ya’
regular.

Trish Telesco, Ann Moura, A.J Drew,
Aimee, and Aubrey;
Mystic Moon
Coven
,
Dragon Clan
Circle
and
The Grove of the
Old Ways
; Duane, Amy, Angel & Randal, Chell, Scott
& Andrea…All of my good friends from the various acronyms:
F.O.C.A.S.M.I., H.S.A., M.E.C., S.I.P.A, I.M.P., etc. (And even the
acronyms that have since disappeared)…Patrick & Tish, Lori,
Beth, Jim, Dave, Rachel, Doug, Duncan, Kitti, Tracy, Edain,
Boom-Boom, Kevin, David, Bella, Annmarie, Marie, Kathy, Shannon,
Denessa, Annette, Boudica, Imajicka, Owl, Breanna, Anne, Maggie,
Gail, Phyllis, Zita, Heather, Lorna, Linn, Jerry, Mark, Christine,
Kristin, Velvet, Rollie, Gil, Hardee, Z, Charlie, Cindy, The
Chunkmeister, Johnathan, and probably twenty or thirty
more…

My parents—you know…I wish you were here.

My daughter—there’s never a dull moment where
you’re concerned…

My wife Kat—all that mushy stuff times
three…

Gwendolin, EK, and
The Evil One—
love you all…

Firestorm Publicity
Services
for keeping the blaze going…

The gang at CAO for the
MX2
and entire
Brazilia
line of cigars…

The Drover
in
Omaha, Nebraska for the killer steaks!

Paper plates, sporks, wet naps, big paper
clips, corkboard, fishnet stockings, hot sauce, butterscotch
pudding, applewood smoked bacon, scotch, gin, vodka, green olives,
and bologna (the deli kind, not that pre-packaged stuff)…

And, as always, everyone who takes the time
to pick up one of my novels, read it, and then recommends it to a
friend.

For

Ken Vanlieu

I’m pointing, looking confused

and giving you the “Columbo salute”…

See you on the other side, my friend.

Dear Reader,

If you have been following the
Rowan Gant Investigations
, you
already know that this book,
All Acts of
Pleasure
, is for all intents and purposes part two of
a much larger three-part story. It all began in the sixth book in
the RGI series,
Love is the Bond.
That installment more or less took on a life of its own and
very quickly grew beyond the confines of the covers betwixt which
the words were sandwiched. Of course, most of you are already
aware, that particular part of the story ended in a gut-wrenching
cliffhanger. I have the angry emails and letters to prove it.
However, you also know that said cliffhanger set the stage from
which
All Acts of Pleasure
could springboard, just as it, in and of itself, will propel
you into
The End of Desire
,
the eighth book in the RGI series and third book in what is now
being referred to as
The Miranda
Trilogy.

However, because of the fact that this
is an ongoing series, you will find that this novel will cover some
familiar ground in order to refresh your memories. This minor
rehash of events is also intended to set the stage for those who
may not have read
Love is the
Bond
. Why? Because someone out there will pick up this
novel and read it out of sequence. Guaranteed. It happens every
time a new RGI novel hits the bookstores, and there is nothing I
can do except say, “Hey, you! Yes, you! Start at the beginning of
the series! Or, at the very least read
Love
is the Bond
before you read
All Acts of Pleasure
!”

There. I said it. Unfortunately, I know
someone out there is going to ignore me, but at least I gave it a
try. Therefore, I am now blameless. (In my mind, at least.)

Another important note—you will find
that
All Acts of Pleasure
is
somewhat different. Not radically, but a little. While all of the
books in the series are truly about the characters and their
relationships with one another, this installment is even more so.
In it, you will explore not only the selfless depth of a couple’s
love for one another, but also crisis in a close friendship, and
desperate issues with family as well.

Fear not, the fabric of the Rowan Gant saga
remains intact—I simply splashed some different colors upon it this
go around. I had no choice as this story arc within a story arc is
taking us across three separate novels, and that simply requires a
change of palette to keep things vibrant and alive.

Also, of note—just because,
The End of Desire,
the novel that is
to follow this one, will wrap up the
Miranda Trilogy
, it does not herald the end
of
The Rowan Gant Investigations
as a series
.
The RGI
stories will continue for some time to come. It is just a basic
fact that sometimes a particular character gets a little big for
his or her britches (or skirt) and demands some extra verbiage upon
the pages. We all saw this happen with
Eldon Porter
in
Never
Burn a Witch
and
The Law of
Three
. It seems that
Miranda
just happens to be one of those
characters with a life, mind, and major attitude of her own. She’s
demanding, to say the least, and try as I might, she isn’t letting
me ignore her need to complete this arc before allowing me to move
on. In a sense, you could say I am at her mercy just like her
victims in the story.

At any rate, I hope that you
find
All Acts of Pleasure
, as
well as the entire trilogy, enjoyable, and that they give you a
little more of a peek into the lives of these characters, most
especially
Felicity
and
Miranda
. I know that writing them has
opened my eyes a bit wider, and I’m the one who created the
characters to begin with. In fact, I sometimes wonder if I am
actually writing these novels, or merely taking
dictation.

One final thing: As promised, questions will
be answered. But, remember, I never swore an oath that I wouldn’t
raise a few more.

Brightest Blessings!

M. R. Sellars

While the city of St. Louis and its various
notable landmarks are certainly real, many names have been changed
and liberties taken with some of the details in this book. They are
fabrications. They are pieces of fiction within fiction to create
an illusion of reality to be experienced and enjoyed.

In short, I made them up because it helped me
make the story more entertaining, or in some cases, just because I
wanted to.

Note also that this book is a first-person
narrative. You are seeing this story through the eyes of Rowan
Gant. The words you are reading are his thoughts. In first person
writing, the narrative should match the dialogue of the character
telling the story. Since Rowan, (and anyone else that I know of for
that matter,) does not speak in perfect, unblemished English
throughout his dialogue, he will not do so throughout his
narrative. Therefore, you will notice that some grammatical
anomalies have been retained (under protest from editors) in order
to support this illusion of reality.