Gearing Up For My First GRL!
by TM Smith
Hello everyone, allow me to introduce myself.. Author TM Smith here. I write Adult Dystopian LGBT fiction. I’m quite excited to be attending my first book signing and convention this year, GRL in Chicago in October. As well, I’m a nervous wreck! What do I wear, what do I bring, what if people don’t like me or my books?? These are just a few of my many questions I’ve asked my author friends these past few months.
I’m already mentally packing my suitcase, which will be stuffed to the brim I’m sure. I’m in the process of getting my book into print so I’ll have some shiny new copies at the event to sign. I have an excellent wingman, or woman in this instance, that is attending the event and has agreed to be my roomie. Author Morticia Knight! And my list of people I want to meet is probably longer than Santa’s naughty list.
Above all though, I just want to go and have fun. I’m going with no expectations and a realization that I won’t get to do everything I want to do while I’m there. I’m probably going to embarrass myself when my brain shifts into fangirl mode when I get to meet some of these amazing LGBT authors who are attending this event. So, I hope that you will all come see me in the Supporting Author’s room when we have our meet, greet and signing. And I do love a good party, so I hope to visit and share stories during each evenings gathering as well.
And now, the good stuff. So my series Opposites is an Adult Dystopian majorly M/M series that is set in a future society where being gay/lesbian is the norm. To be straight labels you an Opposite and makes you the outkast. I say majorly M/M because there are F/F and M/F couples as well. I’m an equal opportunity sexist. And, let’s face it, a dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste, I use mine thoroughly, daily. I say adult because there is lots of sexy, sensual storylines woven into the mix as well.
Book 1, Opposites and The Library, an Opposites novella, are both available for download through Amazon, Smashwords and Are now. Book 2, Appearances, is currently in the final stages and should be available August 31st. For all the up to date info on the series you can follow my blog, www.ttcbooksandmore.com, @TTCBooksandmore or Author TM Smith on facebook.
Thank you to the lovely Blogger Girls for hosting me today as part of the official GRL blog tour for GRL 2014! See you all in Chicago!!!
About Opposites
Opposites, #1
In the year 2081 our planet survived global warming of an apocalyptic scale. When the dust settled and the water receded Dr. Anthony Smith, one of only a few hundred survivors of GWI, started society anew. Having come to the conclusion that injudicious breeding played a huge role in the destruction of Earth as we knew it in the twenty first century, he worked closely with other survivors to isolate the Dionysus gene. This gene has the ability to manipulate human DNA to ensure that all male children be born gay, and all female children be born lesbians. A new society is born.
In the year 2300 Dr. Smith’s descendants are ushering in the twenty fourth century having maintained control of the government that still rules society. Twins Aiya and Aiyan are preparing to meet their matches and take control of House Gaeland, the current ruling House. But not everything is as it seems.
Love is Love.. it knows no gender and doesn’t conform to restrictions and boundaries. Aiyan has found his soul mate in Kaden, the prince of House Devi that he is matched with and eventually marries. But when the person Aiya falls in love with tests the boundaries put in place after GWI, all hell breaks loose. And in the midst of one secret unraveling, another will emerge. There is a growing anomaly that threatens to destroy over two hundred years of progression. This anomaly is known as Opposites.
*WARNING* Opposites is a majorly M/M New Adult novel that contains explicit sexual content and relationships between gay, lesbian and straight couples.
Available at: Amazon, Smashwords & All Romance eBooks
About The Library
Opposites, #1.5
Three gay couples run amuck in this short story where clothing, beds, even four walls are all optional!
Want to know what happened that night in the library?
Cirian and Rian had a fight in the library and Rian ends up naked on the desk, on his back, at Cirian’s mercy.
Want to know how far things went with ice cream?
A romantic evening by the fire feeding his husband ice cream leads to a lot more than heavy petting for Aiyan and Kaden.
Want to know what was going on when those birds fled?
Travelling hundreds of miles, battling the rebels and then travelling back to House Gaeland will take it out of you. But when Tanis wants something, he takes it. Raven is about to be bent over a tree!
A Note from the Author: I’ve taken three scenes from Opposites that were cut short and elaborated on the shenanigans that ensued. I also focused more in the beginning on the relationship between Cirian and Rian, to give readers a chance to know them and their inner workings better. I hope you enjoy this free read set in my world of Opposites!
**Warning, The Library is a novella set in the same world as Opposites. It’s an adult dystopian majorly M/M novel that includes consenting and explicit sexual relationships between gay, lesbian and straight couples**
Available at: Amazon, Smashwords & All Romance eBooks
About Appearances
Opposites, #2
Appearances, can be deceiving.
Raven and Tanis are trying very hard to merge their vastly different lifestyles, but Tanis issues with his own past could prove to be more than their fragile relationship can handle. Is their love for each other strong enough to weather the oncoming storm?
Aiya and Sawyer have fought hard to be together in a world where Opposite relationships are generally forbidden. Yet, they are still forced to keep their relationship a secret while they are outside the walls of House Gaeland.
Everyone assumes that the only threat lies outside their walls, the group of rebels led by Cillian. But something is happening within House Gaeland, something that hasn’t happened since GWI. And with all the attention focused on that, their guard is down. An evil that was under their nose all along strikes, and someone will make the ultimate sacrifice to save another.
Appearances is the second book in the Opposites series, the series should be read in order.
** Warning, Opposites is an Adult Dystopian majorly M/M series that contains explicit sexual content and relationships between gay, straight and lesbian couples. **
Available for purchase on August 31st, 2014.
An Excerpt from Appearances
1 ~
Unyielding
Aiyan walked through the garden, violin case in hand, heading toward the bench that sat in the center. Sitting, he removed his violin and stroked the strings. He hadn’t played in days and needed to feel the instrument in his hands as he poured his pain into the music. It was the only outlet he could think of at the moment that wouldn’t cause someone else bodily harm.
His life had changed drastically over the past several months. He met and married his match who, thankfully, turned out to be his soul mate. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that he loved Kaden like no other almost from the minute he laid eyes on him. He realized just how much and how much he stood to lose when Kaden was kidnapped by his uncle. An uncle he didn’t even know he had until after they’d rescued Kaden and brought him back home where he belonged.
He heaved in a deep breath and brought the instrument up to rest on his shoulder, running the bow across the strings a few times to adjust the tone. Then he closed his eyes and let it all go, let all of the pain and anger flow out of his body and into the music. He thought of Kaden inside the palace, in their room packing for their impending trip to House Devi. He thought back to the first time they’d made love after the incident. How loving, tender and gentle he was with his husband; who was still broken and bruised from his captivity.
For a moment he felt the anger seeping back into him as his thoughts strayed to Gorilla man, his uncle, and the violin screamed out a note in agony. He released a breath and regained his composure, moving his thoughts back to Kaden and how they’d leaned on each other in those days and weeks when they first returned to the palace. The melody leveled out as Aiyan stopped trying to control the emotions and just let them flow freely, the insanely beautiful whine of music filled the night air.
***
Kaden closed the last suit case and lifted it off the bed, carrying it over and sitting it by the door with the others. He stood upright when he thought he heard a shrill cry coming from outside their bedroom window. Their bedroom was just off one side of the garden when you looked out the window, which made sense as the garden was Aiyan’s favorite place to be. Kaden walked over and threw the window open, closing his eyes and smiling when he realized what it was he’d heard.
Kaden quickly made his way out of the palace and out into the garden, hell, he would have just jumped out the window to make the trip quicker if he thought he could do it without hurting himself. Kaden rounded the corner and stopped, soaking in the sight of his husband, completely oblivious and completely sexy.
Aiyan’s eyes were closed and the tip of his tongue just barely escaped his mouth, as his head jerked to the side occasionally with certain notes of the song. Kaden could see how relaxed he was surrounded by the things he loved most. The garden that captured so much color and beauty, and his violin that shared not only the color and beauty inside of Aiyan, but the talent he held as well.
Every emotion Aiyan was feeling played across his face as he felt them, Kaden just stood still and watched. The emotions blended flawlessly with the notes; anger brought on a loud shrill note and a scrunched up face; happiness brought on a flowing, sharp squeal and a slight smile; and then sadness was the lightest note of all as a tear trickled down Aiyan’s cheek.
Aiyan’s eyes opened when he heard a low crack as Kaden moved toward him, stepping on a twig. “Oh, sorry, I was just letting off some steam.” Aiyan said, moving to put away his violin.
Kaden moved quickly over to him, “No, please… don’t stop. It was beautiful my prince, please play more for me.” Kaden slid onto the far corner of the bench, smiling slightly as Aiyan smiled back at him.
“You like to beg, don’t you?” Aiyan said playfully, that crooked grin taking over his face. It was true, Kaden had said those exact words to him the night they met, here in the garden, the first time Aiyan kissed him. “No, please… don’t stop.” Aiyan put his instrument away and then just sat there, silent, staring at the ground. Kaden could not only see, but feel the war of emotions raging inside him. The bond they had seemed to have been there since that first meeting, when they saw the same vision of them kissing on the bed. And it only grew stronger when they were separated. Truth be told, their bond had saved Kaden’s life when Gorilla man had thrown him down that well.
Kaden reached up and pushed Aiyan’s hair back behind his ear, stroking the lobe with his fingers softly as he did. “My prince, tell me what troubles you.” Aiyan didn’t speak, didn’t look up at him, he didn’t even flinch. Kaden scooted a little closer and ran his hand down Aiyan’s arm, joining their fingers together. Still, Aiyan didn’t so much as squeeze his hand back, not even acknowledging Kaden’s attempt to placate him. Kaden brought himself around in front of Aiyan, wedging himself on his knees on the ground between Aiyan’s legs, staring up at him, refusing to be ignored.
They stared into each other’s eyes for several long, intense moments. Kaden toyed with the right words to say, and decided words weren’t what was needed right now. He leaned up and kissed his husband. He just held his lips to Aiyan’s briefly, not attempting to deepen the kiss. When he pulled back Aiyan’s eyes remained closed and he took a few shallow breaths.
“Don’t shut me out Aiyan, not now, we’ve been through too much for you to give me the silent treatment.” That crooked grin was trying to make an appearance Kaden thought, as the corner of Aiyan’s mouth twitched slightly. “There is nothing you can’t tell me. I know you want to deal with these emotions and this anger you feel on your own, but that is the problem Aiyan. Have you thought that the reason you can’t get past this is because you are trying to do it alone? You aren’t alone Aiyan, I am here, right here in front of you, begging you to…….” Kaden didn’t get the rest of his sentence out before he was grabbed and hauled up into Aiyan’s lap. Aiyan’s lips came down on his hard and fierce as Aiyan attempted to tongue fuck him right there on the bench.
Aiyans fingers dug into Kaden’s shoulders and he poured everything he was feeling into the kiss. Kaden moaned into his mouth and melted into his touch as the kiss ignited a fire inside him. The combination of his own hunger coupled with Aiyan’s left his head spinning.
Aiyan pulled back, gasping for breath, when he opened his eyes Kaden saw that they’d turned gold around the rims and he smiled. Aiyan leaned forward until their foreheads were touching, still breathing heavy.
“Okay Kaden, okay. Let’s go back to our room and talk.” He panted out between breaths.
“Just talk?” Kaden whispered. Aiyan barked out a laugh and smacked his ass, which caused Kaden to yelp.
They barely made it into their room before Kaden quickly divested them of their clothing. He pushed Aiyan back against the door and climbed up him, devouring his mouth. Aiyan spun them around as he lifted Kaden up off the floor, and slammed him up against the unyielding wooden door. Kaden wrapped both legs around Aiyan’s waist and thrust his hips up. Aiyan threw his head back and gasped when Kadens thick, hard cock rubbed up against his own. Aiyan kissed him again, his lips as unyielding and hard as the door Kaden was pressed up against. Then he proceeded to fuck Kaden into oblivion, right there up against the bedroom door.
Kaden woke in their bed with the soft touch of Aiyan’s fingers, trailing down his back and over his ass, then tracing back up the path they’d just taken. “Are you awake?” Aiyan whispered.
“I am now.” Kaden just chuckled.
Aiyan didn’t speak again for a while. He just ran his hands along Kaden’s skin, setting it on fire. Finally, he let out a ragged sigh, “I’ve never felt the kind of anger I feel toward him Kaden, and it scares me. I swear sometimes I feel like the hatred will consume me. I want
to kill him, I want him to suffer. What does that say about me Kaden, for Christ sake, he’s my uncle?!” Even if the touch of Aiyan’s fingers on his skin hadn’t gone from gentle to rough, Kaden could feel Aiyan’s anger inside him through the bond they shared.
Kaden rolled over onto his back and Aiyan laid his head on his chest, he ran his fingers through Aiyan’s hair comforting and calming him all at the same time. “It says that you are my husband, my partner and you will do anything to make sure I’m safe. I would do the same for you. Do you feel better, now that you told me this?” Aiyan nodded but didn’t speak. “Then that is enough for now. I love you Aiyan and we will deal with this together. Everything, always together.” Aiyan smiled and Kaden could feel the curve of his husbands lips on his skin, which made him smile in turn, remembering.
Those three words took Aiyan back to the past, to the night they decided to get their named tattoos. When Aiyan first broached the subject just days before their Mehndi ceremony, Kaden had balked at the idea. But then when Aiyan and Raven showed Kaden drawings of what Aiyan was suggesting they do, Kaden couldn’t deny the sentiment in the gesture.
“I want to get our names tattooed on our arms, here.” Aiyan spoke softly to Kaden as he withdrew his fingers from where they’d been wrapped in Kaden’s and rolled up his sleeve, showing the spot on his upper arm.
Kaden scowled at him, “Don’t you think that is a little grandious, my prince? And what would they say? Aiyan and Kaden, respectively. Or M’anam and My Prince?” Aiyan turned that wickedly sexy crooked grin on his partner before he answered.
“I think our given names, and in a calligraphy style of writing with maybe a celtic border?” Aiyan presented his answer as a question, it would seem he had put a lot of thought into this venture. Kaden still wasn’t convinced, until the next day after lunch, when Raven found him and Aiyan in the library and showed them the drawings he’d made in a likeness of what Aiyan wanted the tattoo’s to show.
“Wow, that’s really simplistic. I was expecting something more… just, more.” Kaden was pleasantly surprised with the simple, uniqueness of the designs. He had no ink anywhere on his body, having never found anything he wanted to permanently place on his skin. But this, this was a representation of his commitment to Aiyan, a way to show everyone he belonged to this man. So when Raven told them he could do the tattoos right then, Kaden didn’t allow himself time to reconsider, he just nodded in agreement and followed Aiyan and Raven.
It was a given that Aiyan’s tattoo would be placed on his left upper arm as he already had a large eagle, and a dragonfly on his right upper arm. Kaden thought his should go on his left arm as well, not only to mirror where his future husbands ink would go, but it was also the hand where their wedding rings would be.
Kaden followed as Raven led them to the area of the palace where the guards slept. “The Guardai and The Order are housed in this wing of the palace. And while Raven’s room is in the main area of the palace with the family, he still keeps a room here as well. He has artwork, instruments, some swords he’s collected and his tattoo equipment here.” Aiyan told Kaden as they walked through the never ending hallways within House Gaeland.
“Oh, and the collection of bibles.” Aiyan stopped mid stride and turned to face Kaden. “There are bibles dating back to before Anthony’s time, Raven has, what a dozen or so?” Aiyan turned to Raven who just nodded his response, before turning back to Kaden. “I’ve read several of them. It’s so interesting to see the different translations, how they are all different, and yet… the same.”
Raven entered the room they’d stopped at and Aiyan and Kaden followed him in. The walls were covered almost floor to ceiling with art and drawings, some of which Kaden was certain Raven had created himself. There was a small bookshelf that indeed held a dozen or so bibles, a rack that held several swords and in the corner sat the oddly made chair that could be molded and shaped to hold a person’s body in the correct position for whatever ink they would be getting at the time. Raven motioned for Aiyan to sit as he opened the case with the tools, “You first Aiyan, so Kaden can see what I’m doing and how, since this is his first tattoo.”
Kaden watched as Raven took the wax paper he had drawn the design on and held it over Aiyan’s arm. His gaze continued to roam over Aiyan’s bare chest, those hard muscles and defined abs, up to his adams apple and then landed on that crooked grin. When their eyes met, Aiyan’s dominate brown eyes sparkled, full of love for only Kaden.
“All done!” Raven stated, turning and grabbing a towel from the table next to him. He ran the towel over the design and then applied some type of ointment from a jar. He noticed Kaden watching his every move, a question in his glare. “It’s just a precaution, some healing herbs mixed with the oils from the allive plant. Can you believe they used to apply tattoos with needles, driving the ink into the skin, and there was so much blood. The risk of infection then was much higher than now, the laser pretty much cordarizes the skin as I draw the image, so no risk of infection. But, better safe than sorry, right.”
Aiyan smiled up at him and twisted his body, holding his arm out for Kaden to see. There on his lovers arm was his name, Kaden, in a fancy script with a border across the top and bottom of the words that was somewhere between the design of barbed wire and a trinity knot.
“Your turn.” Raven waved his hand motioning Aiyan out of the chair and all but pushed Kaden into it. Kaden closed his eyes and rested his head on the back of the chair. He felt the tight grip of Raven’s fingers, digging into his arm to hold it still, the heat from the laser as it traced each letter into his skin. A.I.Y.A.N and then the faint trace of the border, but it was never uncomfortable or painful. He opened his eyes when he felt the brush of the towel on his skin.
Aiyan pulled him up and into his body and they were chest to chest, Kaden had to hold in a gasp when their naked nipples brushed together. Aiyan leaned down and kissed him, running his fingers over his name that was now permanently inked on Kadens arm, keeping time with his tongue that brushed over Kaden’s bottom lip. Aiyan pulled back but kept his hand on Kaden’s arm, gently tracing the letters of his name, “Everything, always together.” He whispered.
Aiyan raised his head and smiled down at him, moving his body up and over Kaden’s. His smile widened when Kaden groaned and thrust his hips up, rubbing their groins together. They were both already impossibly hard, again. “Ready for round two? Want me to fuck you into the mattress this time?” Aiyan said, leaning down and running his tongue along Kaden’s collar bone. Kaden just laughed and rolled them on the bed where he was on top of Aiyan.
“Oh no my prince, I’m going to fuck you into the mattress.”
About TM Smith
A military brat born and raised at Ft. Benning Georgia; Smith is an avid reader, reviewer and writer. She now calls Texas home from her small town on the outskirts of the DFW Metroplex. Most days you can find her curled up with her kindle and a good book alongside a glass of something aged and red or a steaming cup of coffee!
At 42 years young, she’s decided to enter the next phase of her life by adding the title of “author” to her list of accomplishments that includes single mom of three disturbingly outspoken and decidedly different kids, one of which is Autistic. Smith is and outspoken advocate for Autism and equal rights for the LGBTQ community.
Her Opposites series is based outside the normal parameters of social acceptability, examining a ‘what if’… What If to be gay or lesbian were the norm? What if to be straight labeled you as an Opposite and made YOU the Outkast?
You can find TM on her Website, Amazon, Twitter, Goodreads, Facebook, Pinterest or Youtube.
The prize in this blog tour giveaway is a change to win a Swag Pack from TM Smith! Here’s what will be in the Swag Pack:
To enter this giveaway, just click the link below!!
Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway but will be welcome anyway.
Good luck!
Check out TBG’s GRL Blog Tour Schedule
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