Honorary Blogger Post

Honorary Blogger Kendall McKenna: Sex, Romance, Love and Dog Tags! + Giveaway!

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Sex, Romance, Love and Dog Tags!

by Kendall McKenna

Hello to everyone! Happy July – ‘love and dog tags’ to all. I hope you’re all having the kind of summer you personally enjoy! Mine is shaping up to be awesome. I’m usually nocturnal, but I might have to adjust my schedule for the next few months, so I can enjoy the sun and the warmth.

Okay, down to business. My name is Kendall McKenna, and I write m/m erotic romance novels (www.kendallmckenna.com). If you love a good military themed story, you probably know who I am. If you love a good military themed story and you don’t know who I am, you’re in luck! I’m here to rescue you by introducing you to my characters and my stories.

Through a happy accident, I learned that I have a special talent for writing authentic military characters, so I’ve made it my niche in the m/m genre. It’s tricky and challenging to write this type of character as falling in love. These military guys are strong, and sexy, but they typically start out emotionally reserved. Then they get indoctrinated into the subculture of the warrior, and they lose a significant percentage of their ability to talk about their feelings! Things get worse for me when both halves of the pairing are Marines, because there’s no one in the nascent relationship who’s willing to try to communicate. (sigh) On the other hand, these hot, alpha males try to distract each other from discussing their feelings, by seducing one another with loud, rough, and sweaty sex!

Part of my success in my happy little niche of the m/m genre, is a direct result of my placing them in realistic, believable situations. One of the reasons my stories feel so realistic to my readers is that I weave the romance all throughout my complex and layered plot. The suspenseful, pulse-pounding action, and combat scenes, moves the plot and the romance forward. Even the super sexy, super hot love scenes serve to propel the story, or a character arc, forward. Some things explode on the battlefield; others things explode in the bedroom! (wink) Yes, I said it, and I said it intentionally!

Even my series that features werewolves serving in the Marine Corps, makes it seem as though the world could wake up tomorrow, and shifters would be serving in the military! As if a bunch of emotionally stunted men, all dressed in camouflage, weren’t enough of an interesting challenge, I’ve added the actual social structure of a pack of wolves to the Marine Corps’ rank structure, along with a full-moon compulsion, and hormone-driven mating drives! Given the number of automatic weapons and incendiary devices that are normally just lying around, it’s a wonder there aren’t more injuries.

The first book in The Tameness of the Wolf seriesStrength of the Pack – kicked the entire thing off with an earnest human lieutenant, and a stoic, alpha werewolf sergeant. They fall in love over the course of year, while fighting a war in the mountains of Afghanistan. Strength of the Pack is a nominee for a Bookie Award, from Authors After Dark.

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Strength of the Pack (The Tameness of the Wolf, #1)Strength of the Pack
(The Tameness of the Wolf, Book #1)

Blurb:
Lieutenant Lucas Young doesn’t know much about shifters. When Sergeant Noah Hammond is assigned to Lucas’ platoon, the Marine Corps’ True Alpha werewolf challenges the Lieutenant’s authority and his self-control. As Lucas learns to dominate and command Noah, he struggles against a strong attraction and deepening emotional bond.

During their combat deployment to Afghanistan, Lucas and Noah begin mirroring legendary partnerships. Their bond and their power grow as they survive dangerous combat and ambushes. When one of them is wounded in battle, they both must embrace the strength of their bond before they lose each other forever.

The second book in The Tameness of the Wolf seriesStrength of the Wolf – paired up a human major, with a civilian werewolf. They also fall in love over the course of an entire year, while battling their own government, at the same time they prepare to take on the leadership of a civilian werewolf pack. Strength of the Wolf helped me to earn the title of MLR’s Best Selling Ebook Author for 2013.

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Strength of the Wolf (The Tameness of the Wolf, #2)Strength of the Wolf
(The Tameness of the Wolf, Book #2)

Blurb:
After a fiery exit from Afghanistan, Tim Madison is promoted to major. Jeremy Wagner is a civilian, just beginning his Transition to True Alpha. As a lone wolf, he has no one to teach him the vital principles of strong leadership. After a volatile chance encounter, Tim and Jeremy form an intimate bond.

As Jeremy prepares to someday lead his own pack, Tim struggles with military werewolves being needlessly maimed in combat, as well as specifically targeted by hostile forces. Despite Tim and Jeremy’s feelings, werewolf and human politics or family conflict could prevent their mate-bond.

The third book in The Tameness of the Wolf seriesStrength of the Mate – nearly cost me my sanity as I wrote from the point of view of a civilian, for the first time. This civilian human, and werewolf Gunnery Sergeant, fell in love quickly, while facing death daily, from a Marine base in Fallujah, Iraq. Strength of the Mate just received outstanding praise in the Happily Ever After section of USA Today.

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Strength of the Mate (The Tameness of the Wolf, #3)Strength of the Mate
(The Tameness of the Wolf, Book #3)

Blurb:
Adam Madison is in Iraq, driving supply trucks for the Marines, but he still can’t outrun his personal ghosts. Outside the wire, insurgents are a relentless threat. Inside, renegade werewolves are a constant danger.

Dawson Rivers is on a mission for the True Alpha—bring the rampaging shifters under control. Adam proves to be invaluable to his task. Their intense mutual attraction explodes into a powerful physical, and emotional connection.

You can find out more about The Tameness of the Wolf series, as well as my other series titled The Recon Diaries, on my website. While you’re there, you can read up on my stand-alone story, as well as my three-author anthology. My books are available at all the usual distributors, but you’ll find buy-links on my website, as well.

I have a substantial social media presence. Please contact me with any questions or comments you might have, regarding any of my books. Don’t be shy! Ask away.

You can find out more about Kendall on her Website, Facebook & Twitter or email her at kendall.mckenna3@gmail.com.

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Now it’s time to put our feet up, and let down our hair! It hasn’t been a successful blog visit, if I haven’t given something away.
To celebrate the June 20th release of Strength of the Mate, I’m offering a chance to win 1 ebook copy of this title! Just click the link below to enter!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway unless otherwise stated but are still welcome anyway.

Don’t forget to check out JustJen’s review of Strength of the Mate to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT | Tags: , , , , , , | 14 Comments

Honorary Blogger Toni Griffin: Why Mpreg? Excerpt +Giveaway!

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Why Mpreg?

by Toni Griffin

Thanks for having me here today. It’s a pleasure getting to visit with you. I’ve been asked the question of why I decided to include MPreg in my series.

I love mpreg books. I’ve been fascinated with them since the first time I came across the concept, and now I just devour them left and right. I don’t know if the reason behind my fascination has to do with men being on a more even keel with women and getting to experience what we go through in childbirth. (Although, it seems to me the men have an easier time of it still, with the pregnancies lasting far shorter than what women have to deal with in real life) Or if it’s because I want everyone to have the opportunity to have a family, no matter what the governments say about surrogacy or gay or single parent adoptions. I do like the idea that if two people love each other then they should be able to create life out of that love.

Even with saying all that, it wasn’t my idea to introduce Mpreg in to my Holland Brothers series. I had often thought of writing my own Mpreg book, but I had planned on it being further down the line. After I had submitted Determined Mate to my editor, at the time, she asked me what my plans were for book three and especially book four. I told her my rough outline of what I had planned and what I was still working out, and it was there in the back and forth emails that she asked me if I had ever considered Mpreg. Right away my brain started ticking over and trying to work out how I could possibly write that in to the series three books in. It fit perfectly in the fact that I needed a reason for Jake and Patrick to have to travel away together. What better reason than to have to find out what was happening to Brian?

Once I had all the details worked out… Why it happened, how long it lasted, how often they could have children, how it was possible and so forth everything just seemed to flow from there and I’m glad I wrote it into the series. Were there some people that disagreed? Sure, there will always be someone that doesn’t like something you’ve done. That’s the nature of the business, I suppose. But for those few that didn’t like the new direction I took the Holland Brothers in there were so many more that did.

Thanks again for having me.

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About Forbidden Mate

http://cache.smashwire.com/bookCovers/61e8efd155b1fa3eb206c3a3333cde8e05482621Finding his mate should have been Patrick Holland’s greatest day, instead it turned into a nightmare with one phone call. His mate didn’t want him. His heart broke, but at sixteen he was too young to do anything. The next ten years—ten long years— of Patrick’s life are spent at odds with his mate. Split by forces he can’t comprehend and a long line of misunderstandings, Patrick doubts he’ll ever get the man he’s both loved and hated.

Jake Richmond never expected to come home from Uni to find the youngest Holland brother was his mate. Knowing the news might uplift his still grieving father, Jake shares the news only to have his young mate threatened. Jake does the only thing he can think of, protect Patrick. The next ten years are nothing but torture for Jake as he watches his mate grow into a remarkable young man.

They say time heals all wounds, but how much time?

Available at: Amazon, All Romance eBooks, Smashwords & iBooks

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An Excerpt from Forbidden Mate

Jake got in his car and drove to the pack running grounds. He had excess energy to burn, and his wolf was demanding to be let out. His was the only car in the car park as he pulled up and got out. Jake stripped where he was, as there was no one else around, and walked into the bush. He shifted, then ran. Several hours later, his thoughts were still stuck on the fact that Patrick Holland was his mate, his very young and inexperienced mate.

The idea of being Patrick’s only lover brought forth a howl of possessiveness. He loved the fact that no other man would ever get the opportunity to touch his mate. Now that he knew exactly who Patrick was to him, it was going to kill Jake not to be near him. Jake had to talk to his father and let him know he’d found his mate, even if he couldn’t claim Patrick yet.

Exhausted after his run, Jake took his time making his way back to his dad’s house.

His mum had died several years before, which had just left Jake and his dad. Jake had never been especially close to his dad, his mum being the one that had held the family together. His parents had been a mated pair. Jake knew his father had loved his mother deeply, they had been very happy together.

Jake unlocked the door and made his way through the house to his old room. He didn’t see the point of having his own place when he was only here for a couple of weeks. He was thankful now that he was staying with his father, even if they didn’t get along great, because if he had his own space, the temptation to have Patrick with him would be great.

He stripped his clothes once again and headed for the bathroom. Jake stopped to look in the mirror. He knew it was silly, but if Patrick liked him with stubble, then he would keep it. He would have to buy a shaver to keep it to the length he wanted as he didn’t want to be sporting a full beard. That look wouldn’t suit him at all, he didn’t think.

Turning the water on to heat up, Jake palmed his still hard cock and watched as a bead of precum appeared at the tip. Jake stepped into the water and hissed as the hard spray hit his aching shaft. Now he could finally do something about it.

He grabbed the conditioner from the shelf and squirted a generous amount in his hand, then wrapped his fist around his dick and squeezed hard. Jake moaned as lightning bolts of arousal shot through his body. His thoughts were firmly back on Patrick wrapped around his body as their mouths met in a spine-melting kiss.

Jake increased his speed, knowing he wouldn’t last long. He had been on edge for hours. Remembering the feeling of Patrick’s hard shaft rubbing against his own sent Jake careening over the edge. His mate’s name escaped his lips at the exact moment of ecstasy as his prick erupted with streams of cum. Jake placed his palm against the wall as he attempted to keep his legs from buckling beneath him as the last shudders of his orgasm left his body.

Once Jake was sure he could stand without his legs giving way, he quickly washed his body and stepped out of the shower. He dried himself, then made his way back to his room. Jake collapsed facedown on his bed and succumbed to the exhaustion that swept through his body.

Jake startled awake several hours later as the front door slammed shut. His dad was home, and it didn’t sound like he was in a good mood. Every time Jake came home from school, his father had more and more mood swings. Jake wondered how his father would take the news that he had a male mate.

He hoped the news would bring his father some joy; after all, the man knew exactly what it was like to be mated. It might be a bit of a shock who Jake’s mate was, however, Alex had come out several years ago and his dad had told him to each his own. This gave Jake hope his father would be fine with his own sexuality. He had never really thought about coming out himself as Jake enjoyed a well-rounded sex life.

Patrick had agreed not to mention their mating to anyone, but Jake wanted to ask his father to keep an eye on his mate until he could finish uni and get back here permanently.

Jake dressed in silence and made his way down the hall, looking for his dad.

He found him in the living room sitting in his favourite chair watching the news. “Hey, Dad, bad day at the office?”

“Yeah, you could say that. Pizza for dinner okay?” Arthur Richmond was a large man, with thick black hair and wide shoulders. He had sharp cheekbones, and his five o’clock shadow was as dark as the hair on his head. He was also one of the more powerful wolves in their pack.

“That’s fine, you want me to order?” Jake took the nod as assent and went to get the phone. He placed their order for pizza and then joined his father. He wanted to give his dad time to relax, so Jake decided to wait until after they’d eaten to bring up his new discovery.

Jake watched the television with his dad until the doorbell rang. He paid for their dinner, grabbed a couple of plates and went back to the living room. They ate in silence until the entire pizza was gone.

Once Jake was sure his dad had relaxed enough, he gathered his courage and turned to face his father. “Dad, can we talk?”

His father muted the television before he adjusted his position in his seat to face Jake. They were catty-corner to each other with Jake sitting on the couch. “How’s school going?” About the only thing his father was proud of Jake for was becoming a lawyer.

“Fine, Dad, school’s good. It’s a lot of information to take in, but I’m doing well.” Jake looked his father in the eye. “That’s not what I want to talk to you about, though.” He really hoped this went well. Jake wanted to be able to ask his father to keep an eye on Patrick when he had to go back to classes.

His dad looked a little shocked, but his expression still showed love and acceptance of whatever Jake wanted to talk about. “Okay, then, what is it?”

Jake sucked in a deep breath, then let it out. It was like ripping off a Band-Aid. “I found my mate.” Okay, so maybe not quite like ripping off a Band-Aid.

His dad’s expression showed nothing but joy. “That’s great! Where is she? Why didn’t you bring her home with you?” He was looking around as if he expected someone else to walk out from around a corner.

Jake winced at his dad’s assumption about the sex of his mate. “It’s a little more complicated than that, Dad.”

“What’s complicated? You claim her and bring her home to meet me.”

“Dad, my mate is Patrick Holland, and he’s only sixteen. That’s why it’s complicated.” Jake watched as the love and joy on his father’s face changed instantly to anger and hatred. Jake was startled at his father’s expression.

“Dad?” he queried when his father had failed to say anything for a minute or two.

“Your mate is who?” his dad screamed at him. Jake sat there shocked, not only at the sudden burst of sound in the quiet room, but also the vehemence he heard in his dad’s voice, a sound he’d never thought to hear from the man who had raised him.

“Patrick Holland, the Alpha’s youngest son.” Jake hoped that the mention of their Alpha might calm his father down, but he was mistaken.

Arthur Richmond seemed to get even angrier. “I forbid you to claim him!” his father roared as he leapt to his feet.

Shock coursed through Jake’s body as he jerked back quickly. God, he hoped he had misunderstood what his father had said. “Dad, Patrick’s only sixteen. I’ve already told him I won’t claim him, at least until after I finish school.”

All Jake’s hopes died when his father’s next words registered. “I don’t care how old the kid is,” his father answered, practically biting off each word through clenched teeth. “You. Are. Not. Going. To. Claim. Him! I. Forbid. It.”

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About Toni Griffin

Toni Griffin lives in Darwin, the smallest of Australia’s capital cities. Born and raised in the state, she’s a Territorian through and through. Growing up Toni hated English with a passion (as her editors can probably attest to) and found her strength lies with numbers.

Now, though, she loves escaping to the worlds she creates and hopes to continue to do so for many years to come. She’s a single mother of one and works full time. When she’s not writing you can just about guarantee that she will be reading one of the many MM authors she loves.

Feel free to drop her a line at info@tonigriffin.net anytime.

Blog_Tour_Giveaway

The prizes in this blog tour include an ebook copy of Forbidden Mate & two $10 Amazon Gift Cards! To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway unless otherwise stated but are still welcome anyway.

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , | 6 Comments

Honorary Blogger EM Lynley: Bound for Trouble + Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Thank you very much to the Blogger Girls for having me visit today! It’s my first time here so I better be on my best behavior.

My new release BOUND FOR TROUBLE is a story I’ve been thinking about for several years. I had the spark for the story while watching TV. There was a scene where a cop or FBI agent has the target of the investigation under surveillance, including cameras in his house. The agent watches the target with the same woman on several occasions. He gets turned on, but he also finds himself falling for the woman and wanting to meet her.

I decided I would use a scene just like this. My FBI agent Deke is watching the target with Ryan, a confidential information. Deke is really turned on, but he has to play it down because he’s not the only one in the surveillance van. He feels a little dirty and guilty, but at the end of the shift, he burns the surveillance footage onto a DVD to take home and watch while he’s alone.

And then I had to figure out a whole story to go with that scene and set-up.

I’m a bit of a voyeur myself, so this scene and how it played into the surveillance appealed to me in a lot of ways. I loved the idea of the agent forming a sort of connection with a confidential informant he watches with the target, and having that be the transition from an on-camera sexual thrill (voyeuristic and one-sided) to forming some real feelings for Ryan as he continues to watch and to work with him, then eventually to a face-to-face relationship that was mutual between the watcher and the watched.

To ramp up the sensuality of the story, I decided to have the FBI target be into BDSM. The FBI agent is not into kink, but he finds himself drawn to it, first by watching and then eventually participating.

And to make it more fun, and a bigger conflict for my FBI agent Deke, I made Ryan a rent-boy turned confidential informant Deke sends to start a relationship with the target, our villain, Maksim Petrov. Ryan’s the complete opposite of Deke in almost every way, but the chemistry between them takes their interactions even beyond their physical attraction.

Don’t worry, there are plenty of scenes with Ryan and Deke together, all of them very sexy. And Ryan never has full-on sex with Petrov. They engage in other BDSM play.

Overall, this was a challenging but very fun book to write. Especially getting to do some hands-on BDSM research!

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About Bound for Trouble

22294377Daniel “Deke” Kane is a broken man, facing the end of his career in the FBI. He’s on desk duty after a botched drug raid left the suspects and two children dead. He’s got one chance to prove himself, or the only thing he’ll be investigating is the Help Wanted ads.

Ryan Griffiths has been on the run for ten years. Forced onto the streets when his father kicked him out, Ryan earns his living in other men’s beds. Finding his john dead in a hotel room drives him under the radar until a favorite client gives him a chance at a safe, clean life. But Ryan’s relatively stable new world shatters when Deke Kane catches up with him.

When Deke’s tasked to take down a drug dealer with terrorist ties and a taste for the dark side of BDSM, his only chance to get close is the suspect’s interest in Ryan, and he convinces Ryan to become a confidential informant. In return, Deke offers Ryan immunity from his past. As Ryan falls under the drug lord’s domination, Deke finds himself falling for Ryan.

Available at: Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Kobo

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An Excerpt from Bound for Trouble

“With Petrov training me, I’ll be at his place more. That’s what you wanted, right?” Ryan glanced at Deke.

“But not at this expense.”

“You should find a way to punish me.” Ryan grinned.

“I can’t exactly spank you now, can I?”

“How about a blowjob?”

“How is that a punishment?”

Ryan shrugged. “It depends how big your dick is.” He reached a hand out, and Deke caught it, smiling.

“Do you ever stop?”

“Do you ever relax?”

Deke stared at Ryan. “Sure.”

“No, you don’t. I don’t think you can. You’re always planning something or analyzing the results of your plan, or worrying about when the plan will work. A blowjob is something you don’t have to plan. Something you can just enjoy. Not something you need to do, or something you think you’re supposed to do. And not for someone else. Just for you.”

Ryan knelt down between Deke’s knees.

Deke put his hands on Ryan’s shoulders, stopping him from moving. “Yes, I can do something just because I want to.” He pulled Ryan in close and pressed his mouth to Ryan’s.

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About EM Lynley

EM Lynley, a Rainbow Award winner and EPPIE finalist, has worked in high finance, high tech, and in the wine industry, though she’d rather be writing hot, romantic man-on-man action. She spent 10 years as an economist and financial analyst, including a year as a White House Staff Economist, but only because all the intern positions were filled. Tired of boring herself and others with dry business reports and articles, her creative muse is back and naughtier than ever. She has lived and worked in London, Tokyo and Washington, D.C., but the San Francisco Bay Area is home for now.

She is the author of Sex, Lies & Wedding Bells, the Precious Gems series from Dreamspinner Press, and the Rewriting History series starring a sexy jewel thief, among others.

Author Links: WebsiteBlogFacebookTwitterNewsletter

Blog_Tour_Giveaway

The prize in this blog tour is for a chance to win a $15 gift certificate to Dreamspinner Press! To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway unless otherwise stated but are still welcome anyway.

Don’t forget to check out JustJen’s review of Bound for Trouble to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , | 5 Comments

Honorary Blogger Jennifer Bray-Weber: Fire In the Hole! + Giveaway!

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Fire In the Hole!

by Jennifer Bray-Weber

Have you ever read a book with pirates or watched a pirate movie that didn’t have a sea battle? Not likely. Pirates engaging in battle at sea are as common as bad pirate puns. Arrgh, shiver me timbers!

In my MUTINY OF THE HEART, pirate captain Joelle Quint engages in not one, not two, but three sea battles. Really, what’s a pirate adventure without some live action?  However, did you know that pirates often avoided going into battle?

Sure, pirates are known for their larceny and rioting. Pillage and plunder, yo, ho, ho. But when chasing down ships under sail, pirates preferred tactical strategy over a blood bath.

Once the pirates spotted a potential prize, they shadowed the quarry, following them for hours, and sometimes even days. They did this to determine several things—the country the ship hailed from, where the ship was headed, how fast she could sail, what she might have in her hold, and if the vessel was well-armed.  How did they determine all this? By being fearless, cunning, and bad ass, of course.  These men were experienced in the seas they prowled, became knowledgeable of the trade routes, and had rats, er, informants staked along in every ports. It was just business, after all.

Armed with this intelligence, the pirate crew voted on whether they wanted to take the ship or let her pass.  Should they decide a ship was a worthy prize, they still didn’t attack. Engaging in battle was the last thing they wanted. What good was a prize if she was damaged, or worse, sinking? And no one wanted to die, right? Pirates relied on the elements of speed, surprise, and bullying.

First, they might show their colors by hoisting their jolly roger. If that didn’t scare the bejeebers out of ’em, they’d fire a single warning shot across the quarry’s bow. You’d think that would be enough. Alas, there were some stubborn fools who needed more persuasion. Pirates would then resort to vapouring techniques, terrorizing victims into surrendering. Fierce shouts and fearsome threats, lively battle music, and brandishing weapons were usually quite effective. Think Blackbeard lacing and lighting fuses into his scraggly beard. Crazy. Giving up the goods spared lives. But those who resisted, well, they were shown no quarter.

So what happens when pirates hunt pirates? Things get nasty. Throw in the Royal Navy, dangerous shoals, and a slave hell-bent on stirring up a mutiny, and Captain Joelle Quint  is having a really bad day. It’s no wonder she’s ready to fire all her guns.

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About Mutiny of the Heart

1Navigating the high seas as the female captain of a pirate ship means always being on your guard—especially when one takes a temptingly handsome slave on board.

Captain Joelle Quint believes the slave claiming to be a cartographer can help her decipher the map her father left her when she was a child. She’s spent years trying to unlock its truths, hoping that it holds the answers to a dark family secret.

Sloan Ricker has no intention of remaining captive. When the fiery, red-headed captain offers him his freedom in exchange for solving her map, what begins as an opportunity to escape becomes a struggle to make the beautiful, intriguing Joelle his mistress in more ways than one.

Amidst a battle with the Royal Navy and a first mate’s jealousy, Joelle also fights her growing lust. And as much as he’d like to deny it, Ricker’s desire for Joelle has overcome his initial disdain. To get the answers, independence and love that they both long for, Joelle and Ricker must relinquish control to each other…or die trying.

Available at: Carina Press, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks, iBooks and Kobo

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About Jennifer Bray-Weber

Award-winning, multi-published author Jennifer Bray-Weber has always wished for real life to mimic adventuresome tales. As if being a mother of two wasn’t enough adventure, she writes pirate historical romances and dabbles in erotica fantasy romance. Her next two books in the Romancing the Pirate series are scheduled to release early in 2014. Connect with Jennifer on her website to join her mailing list for sneak peeks, excerpts, and free giveaways.

Blogger_Giveaway

Jennifer has graciously offered up a chance to win an eBook copy of Mutiny of the Heart to one lucky winner! The giveaway starts now and ends July 12, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. To enter, just click the link below!

Rafflecopter Giveaway

Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Don’t forget to check out Heather C’s review of Mutiny of the Heart to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, M/F, Theme Week | Tags: , , , , | 3 Comments

Honorary Blogger Brina Brady: Brina’s Writing Process + Excerpt & Giveaway!

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Brina’s Writing Process

by Brina Brady

My writing process begins with two characters and then I add more. I fill out a thorough character chart for each. I create in Scrivener because I am able to have pictures of my characters while I type. From this point, I begin writing and have my characters talk to each other. My first draft is dialogue with sparse settings and descriptions. For some reason, I like to focus on 3000 words at a time. I will work it for a week until the skeleton grows some flesh. During this process, I add more action and beats to the tags. The description is more detailed, sometimes too much then later needs cutting.

In Rent Me, I did extensive research on the Russian culture and Russian mobsters located in California. I know California since I lived there. I wanted to make sure Dmitri reacted to his oppressive culture and grew from it. He was suppressed as a child because in Russia you can’t be openly gay. This caused problems for him because he was in love with Brennen, but he married Nika to appease his family and friends. I like to create conflict in each chapter.

I researched rent boys on Twitter to see why they liked their job. Another great resource for me was Tumblr. The pictures fused my imagination for sex scenes. I also investigated some pictures and videos on some Gay sites to get ideas. That was the fun part of researching.

One day I sat down and thought about a backstory for Brennen. Where did he come from? How did he meet Dmitri?

As time went on, I added layers to each chapter. I took many writing classes from Romance Writers of America. I found out I needed some hooks so I added them in later. I joined writing groups and listened to what my beta readers suggested and having a great editor helps, too.

My writing begins in my head and my characters demand time on my screen. I allow them to do as they will for the most part. A couple of times, both Dmitri and Brennen were out of control so I had to rein them in.

Currently, I am working on my new novel Bent Over but the sequel to Rent Me is also in process due to the demands of Brennen and Dmitri. I love writing and will never stop.

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About Rent Me

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Rent Boy Brennen wants to belong to his lover Dmitri Dubrovsky. The Russian mobster controls every inch of his life in and out of bed. Brennen works for Dmitri’s escort service. His only desire is to please his lover. When Dmitri marries Nika, his lover moves him out of their home to an apartment in Beverly Hills and tells him nothing has changed. What is Brennen going to do now?

Warning:

This is a Gay adult consensual story focused on themes of corporal discipline punishment and explicit sex with some elements of BDSM between adult men over the age of eighteen.

Available at: Smashwords, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, All Romance eBooks and Kobo

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An Excerpt from Rent Me

Dmitri pounded his fists on the table and said, “Now, you are being disrespectful to me.”

“Well, you are siding with all our enemies.”

 “What the hell are you talking about? You are under my protection and in exchange, I asked you to respect me. And if you disrespect me, I am in charge of the consequences. You agreed to this. Do you remember our written agreement?”

“Yes, I remember. Sorry if I was disrespectful, but I feel you don’t treat me like an adult.”

“Sorry is not good enough this time. For your punishment, you have three choices. Your first choice is to quit being an escort. Your second choice is for me to take you back to Adrik. Your third choice is to give your consent to be whipped with my belt and it won’t be play discipline.”

“I can’t believe you want to bring me back to Adrik.” Brennen shook his head. “I’m not quitting my job. Especially now since you are married. And you are not going to punish me with a belt. You’re my boyfriend.”

Dmitri got up from the table, picked up the red apple timer on the stovetop, and set it down in front of Brennen. When he had gotten into trouble, Dmitri and Mischa used the timer for time-outs. The timer was their way of giving him some quiet space to think about what he had done wrong.

“Why a belt? Brennen looked up at Dmitri.

“Did you think I would discipline you with our play paddle?”

“But Adrik used to hit me with a belt.” He was annoyed at his own whining voice.

“It’s punishment. Quit your damn escort job, then.”

“I can’t believe you are doing this to me,” Brennen said.

“You have twenty minutes to decide which punishment you want. You only have three choices, but if you don’t accept any of the choices, then you are choosing to walk away from me as your lover.”

“You don’t mean this, do you?” Brennen asked.

“Have you ever known me to lie to you?”

“No.”

“I will always take care of you, but you will no longer be my lover if you don’t choose one of the three punishments. Our relationship is based on me being the top man who makes the rules and you are the bottom man who follows the rules. You knew this when we became lovers.”

 Dmitri set the apple timer. “You have twenty minutes to decide.” He left him alone in the kitchen with the red ticking frying pan clock.

Why was he doing this?

Brennen knew Dmitri could force him back to Adrik. But even if he made him go there, he would probably be able to run away. He did not want to take any chances. No, that was not an option, and Dmitri knew that.

Dmitri playing God again.

This was all about Dmitri forcing him to quit the escort job at the agency. Brennen was not going to quit his job. He loved it, and it made him feel good about himself. But to walk away from Dmitri as his lover was not what he wanted either. The only thing left was to give consent to be punished with the belt. How hard would he hit him? The timer continued to tick along with the clock on the wall. His nerves went to hell.

Dmitri entered the kitchen as the timer buzzed. Brennen covered his ears and slapped it. He picked the apple timer up and returned it to its proper place.

“What have you decided?” Dmitri asked.

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About Brina Brady

I am from Huntington Beach, Ca. I taught various subjects at a Continuation High School in Los Angeles, California for 27 years. I obtained a Bachelor’s of Arts Degree in history, Secondary Social Science Credential and a Master’s Degree in Secondary Reading and Secondary Education from California State University, Long Beach. I also enrolled in some creative writing classes at UCLA. I am currently taking classes from Romance Writers of America. I belong to the Rainbow Romance Writers.

I would love to hear from my readers, so please drop me a line. You can email Brina or check out her Blog.

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Brina has kindly offered up a chance to win an eBook copy of Rent Me to THREE lucky winners! The giveaway starts now and ends July 11, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. To enter, just click the link below!

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Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Don’t forget to check out JustJen’s review of Rent Me to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Debut Authors, Excerpts, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , | 36 Comments

GRL Blog Tour: Clare London – There’s a Brit in the Lobby! + Giveaway!

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There’s a Brit in the Lobby!

by Clare London

So here I am – the short, plump little Brit lady, fresh in from the loooong Transatlantic flight, unnoticed and alone in the big, plush American hotel lobby, shyly picking at the hem of my “Don’t Bite Me” T-shirt, wondering whether I brought enough wacky clothes in my already overstuffed suitcase, and how on earth I’ll ever be heard over the excited and happy US voices at the bar when I want – no, NEED – a frozen Margarita?!

Wait. Let’s re-shoot that scene. That is so NOT how I first experienced GRL LOL.

I went to the first GRL without really knowing many people. I mean, I knew many of the attendee list from online, and I’d met some of them at Yaoi Con and the NY Book Fair, but this was my first real MM fiction event. I even dragged my son along with me as moral support (he loved New Orleans! though he was disappointed in my party stamina, which was much less than his :).) I also arrived late because of flight times. Things were not looking good for me, the newbie.

Then I was invited to grab dinner with the lovely Elisa Rolle and her friend, I bravely introduced myself to Ethan Day so I could find my souvenir T-shirt and bag … and I started to relax.

To be honest, the one thing I learned was that, short of locking yourself away in your hotel room and avoiding every single scheduled and social event – it’s impossible not to mix and make friends. The first big step of any event like this is GOING there. After that, the mere fact of you being around means that people say hello, that you recognise people from online names – and maybe they recognise you too! though I’ve never forgiven Marie Sexton for calling me a “grand dame” (joke!) – that you soak in the enthusiasm and fun, that you’re seated beside people you don’t know at the start of an author reading, but know much better at the end. There’s an overwhelming sense of relaxation, belonging and community that can’t be beaten.

That’s NOT to say that you’re dragged off into huge groups, forced to take part in drinking games, and have to dance on tables! You are still in charge of how much you do or don’t. I’m an introvert, which means I like socialising, but need to recharge by taking time out on my own in the quiet. I told you how my son was disappointed in my lack of party stamina, remember? LOL

Some of my favourite events at GRL are the author readings. If you’re there this year, come and listen to me and my “cute” Brit accent! Though as I often say, it’s not *me* who has the accent ….. LOL.

And ENJOY YOURSELF!

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About No Angel

No AngelFelix’s life is full, juggling a supportive homelife for his disabled brother, a job as a care home assistant, a brand new boyfriend – and now he’s had his arse pinched by a lewd gay ghost on the late night bus!

If only that were the end of it. But Bryn the ghost follows him home and wheedles himself into Felix’s life. That includes sharing his shameless opinions on the patronising way Felix treats his brother, on how Felix should eat more food and put some flesh on his bones, and – worst of all – exactly how Felix should be getting down to it with his seriously sexy new boyfriend Mickey! And in between all that, Bryn finds time to leer at Felix himself and make outrageous suggestions on what they’d be doing if Bryn wasn’t … well … ghostly.

Felix considers he’s a tolerant guy. But the last thing he needs now is to get wrapped up in the mystery of a missing teenage girl, the inhabitants of a local squat, and conversations with a fire-and-brimstone old preacher. However, with a nudge or six from Bryn, the help of his brother Patrick, and some cosy loving from Mickey – Felix starts to wonder how he ever thought his life was busy before!

Available at: Amber Allure & All Romance eBooks

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An Excerpt from No Angel

It wasn’t that Felix had never been touched up, because he had. He was attractive enough, right? But first, it had been a long time since anyone had bothered. Second, it happened in the small hours of a Friday morning, and lastly—and perhaps most importantly—it was on an all-night London bus where he appeared to be the only conscious passenger.

It was a bloody fierce pinch of his arse, too, gripping a good sized part of his buttock and making an impression right through his jeans. Felix gave a shout of surprise and jerked upright in his seat, peering around for the culprit. The only other person in the back of the bus with him was a very old man with his eyes shut, snoring fitfully on the other side of the aisle. His cheek was squashed up against the window and he clutched a half-filled cup of muddy-looking liquid to his chest. A ragged dog slept equally as soundly at his feet, its front paws stretched out from under the seat.

As Felix glared suspiciously at the pair of them, the old man slumped down even farther and snored even more loudly. His cup tipped forward and a trail of cold tea dribbled onto the floor. Felix wrinkled his nose. The old guy smelt dreadful—a mixture of stale urine and the fuel-and-filth smell of living on the streets. What’s more, he didn’t look like he’d be conscious any time soon, let alone try groping anyone.

“Oi!” Felix said aloud, then felt idiotic talking into the silence.

If the driver heard him, he’d be turned off the bus as a drunk. Opposite him, the old man snorted into the worn seat cover and the dregs of his tea plopped onto the floor of the bus. There was no other sound apart from the hissing squeal of the bus’s brakes as it pulled away again from the stop.

Felix tried another low “Hello?”, then glanced around quickly. Nothing moved. No sheepish kid stuck out his tongue, no passing party-goer waved hands at him that had been way too free on his arse already. “Well…just watch out,” he said gruffly, self-consciously, hardly believing he was talking to himself on the bus like one of the nutters who sat next to him so often.

::You felt it! Didn’t you?::

Felix opened his mouth to reply then closed it again, not sure whether he’d really heard something. What or who was he replying to? He couldn’t see where any voice had come from. A shiver ran down his back.

::You heard me, see? Say something, boy. Tell me you heard me. Come on! Hell’s bells, man, do you know how important this is?::

Felix grimaced and glanced back over at the old man. He was still doing a better impression of a corpse than a ventriloquist. The driver had his back to Felix and was right at the other end of the bus. And there was no one else in sight.

But he could still hear The Voice. A bold cadence to the words, a Welsh lilt of an accent. In his head.

::No you’re not going mad. And I’m not that derelict idiot with tea stains down his trousers. I’m me, and I’m trying to have a fucking conversation with you, yet you’re sitting there silent, with your tongue hanging out like some imbecile—::

“Cut it out!” Felix snapped, then dropped his voice. “What makes you think I want a conversation with someone who calls me an imbecile?”

::Bollocks. No, I mean I’m sorry. You’re not an imbecile. Well, you don’t look like you are. And to tell you the truth, even if you were raving and frothing at the mouth and calling yourself the great-grandson of Beelzebub himself, I’d still want a decent conversation with someone other than myself.::

Felix watched another bus stop pass by the smeared window. There were only a few hundred yards to home now. He had, of course, been working very hard recently, taking all the extra shifts. Those long hours were bound to take their toll on his nerves one way or another.

::Look, I said sorry, see? and I’ll say it again if you want. If I knew which way you swung, I’d offer to kiss your arse, whatever you like. Not sure what you young guys do nowadays. Just…say something to me. Something else.::

Felix pulled his jacket tightly around him. “Where are you? I can’t see you.”

::So start with the metaphysical stuff, why don’t you? I have no fucking idea. I’m just…here. Around. I’ve been riding the bus all night, but no one else has felt or heard me, so I guess I’m not occupying any real space at the moment. I’m not here, not like you are. But I am here. In some other sense.::

“That’s not much of an answer, is it?”

::It’s bollocks. But that’s what you asked.::

“You’ve been riding the bus?” Felix lowered his voice even more so it could hardly be heard over the sound of the bus’s engine. “Touching people up? What kind of pervert are you?”

The Voice chuckled—there was really no other description for the soft, surprisingly warm sound that echoed inside Felix’s head. ::You tell me, boy. When you spend your days nudging into people who don’t notice whether you pass around, through or over them, wouldn’t YOU be tempted to shake someone up a bit? To make some impression on them—get some response?::

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About Clare London

Clare took the pen name London from the city where she lives, loves, and writes. A lone, brave female in a frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home, she juggles her writing with the weekly wash, waiting for the far distant day when she can afford to give up her day job as an accountant. She’s written in many genres and across many settings, with novels and short stories published both online and in print. She says she likes variety in her writing while friends say she’s just fickle, but as long as both theories spawn good fiction, she’s happy.  Most of her work features male/male romance and drama with a healthy serving of physical passion, as she enjoys both reading and writing about strong, sympathetic and sexy characters.

Clare currently has several novels sulking at that tricky chapter 3 stage and plenty of other projects in mind . . . she just has to find out where she left them in that frenetic, testosterone-fuelled family home.

Find details of her publications and plenty of free fiction at her website, including an invitation to her mailing list. Visit her today and say hello!

You can find Clare on her Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter, Goodreads and Amazon.
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Clare has kindly offered up the chance to win an eBook copy of her newest release, No Angel, as the prize for this giveaway! To enter, just click the link below! Giveaway ends Thursday, July 10, 2014 at 11:59 pm.

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Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Good luck!

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Categories: Book Promo, Excerpts, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , | 13 Comments

Honorary Blogger Charlie Cochet: The THIRDS + Giveaway!

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Hello everyone! I’m so excited to be here on day three of my Hell & High Water Blog Tour. Thank you, Blogger Girls for hosting me, and thank you to everyone who’s following the tour. Today I’m talking about the organization the series is named after, the: THIRDS. On our last stop, I talked about how a new species demanded the creation of new laws and new branches of government. But someone would have to be equipped to enforce these laws. Humans demanded a law enforcement branch that could handle Therian threats, and Therians demanded a law enforcement branch that was unbiased.

The police force had already purged itself of any Therian officers, becoming the Human Police Force–or the HPF. However, world governments agreed that creating a Therian-only law enforcement branch would cause more of a rift between Humans and Therians, a relationship that was already tenuous at best. This new law enforcement branch was a great opportunity to unite both races with one common goal: justice for all.

The government opened the THIRDS. A military funded organization operating as law enforcement under the US Branch of Defense–which includes both Human and Therian defense, and consisting of an equal number of Human and Therian employees. For this series, I had to build this organization from the ground up. Everything from logos to uniforms, to types of agents. It was fun and at the same time overwhelming. And not every detail makes it into the books, but the knowledge has to be there. Despite it involving shifters, I wanted the THIRDS to be as realistic as possible, so there had to be a solid foundation on which to build from.

The THIRDS is a mixture of military and police, comprising of three types of agents: Intel, Recon, and Defense. If you’d like to get an idea of how far I had to break things down, you can check it out here. On our next stop, I’ll be talking about the THIRDS agents that keep your city safe.

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Tour Schedule

30th June – The Novel Approach
1st July – Boys in Our Books
2nd July – The Blogger Girls
3rd July – Joyfully Jay
4th July – Prism Book Alliance
7th July – Dreamspinner Press Blog Release Party
8th July – Love Bytes
9th July – Attention is Arbitrary
10th July – Live Your Life Buy the Book

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About Hell & High Water

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Action. Comedy. Romance. And that one weird guy.

When homicide detective Dexter J. Daley’s testimony helps send his partner away for murder, the consequences—and the media frenzy—aren’t far behind. He soon finds himself sans boyfriend, sans friends, and, after an unpleasant encounter in a parking garage after the trial, he’s lucky he doesn’t find himself sans teeth. Dex fears he’ll get transferred from the Human Police Force’s Sixth Precinct, or worse, get dismissed. Instead, his adoptive father—a sergeant at the Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron otherwise known as the THIRDS—pulls a few strings, and Dex gets recruited as a Defense Agent.

Dex is determined to get his life back on track and eager to get started in his new job. But his first meeting with Team Leader Sloane Brodie, who also happens to be his new jaguar Therian partner, turns disastrous. When the team is called to investigate the murders of three HumaniTherian activists, it soon becomes clear to Dex that getting his partner and the rest of the tightknit team to accept him will be a lot harder than catching the killer—and every bit as dangerous.

Hell & High Water releases July 7th but is now available for pre-order at Dreamspinner Press in eBook & Paperback.

blogger_bee_transAbout the Author

CCochet100Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From Historical to Fantasy, Contemporary to Science Fiction, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!

Currently residing in South Florida, Charlie looks forward to migrating to a land where the weather includes seasons other than hot, hotter, and boy, it’s hot! When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.

You can find Charlie on her Website, Blog, Facebook, Twitter or email her at charlie@charliecochet.com. You can also sign up for her newsletter and checkout the THIRDS Website.

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As the picture shows, this blog tour giveaway includes a chance to win THIRDS swag goodies and a $15 Amazon Gift Card! To enter, just click the link below the picture!

CCochet Hell & High Water Blog Tour Swag

Swag Goodies are US only. International Winner will receive a substitute gift along with their gift card.

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Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway unless otherwise stated but are still welcome anyway.

Don’t forget to check out Susan65’s review of Hell & High Water to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT | Tags: , , , , | 13 Comments

Honorary Blogger Diana Copland: Writing ‘The Other’ + Giveaway!

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Writing ‘The Other’

By Diana Copland

I sat on a panel at Norwescon 2012. It was called ‘writing the other’, and its subject matter, loosely translated, was how a person wrote a character that was something other than they were, themselves. One of the panelists was a man whose main character was a lesbian. Another was a woman who was white, and her main character was a black woman. Another was a white woman whose character was an alien. And then there was me; the woman who wrote gay men.

Like all of us who write, I’d heard ‘write what you know’. I have to tell you, I’ve always thought that was a load of crap. If Jo Rowling had only written what she knew, Harry Potter and the rich, magical universe that surrounded him would not exist. George R.R. Martin has never been personally involved in a ‘Game of Thrones’. Stephanie Meyer doesn’t know any sparkly vampires. And George Lukas has never been to a galaxy far, far away. I think being a storyteller means finding a way to make our readers feel a kinship with wizards, or a teenage girl with a bow and arrows, or hobbits.

I’m not a fantasy writer. I have enormous respect for those who are, but it’s not what I do. I do, however, like to feel I can tell the story of two men falling in love, even though I’m a woman. The commonality between us would be the subject matter. Falling in love is exhilarating and painful and wonderful and awful, no matter what our sex. But I’ll tell you, when I embarked on writing Danny Redmond for the middle book of the Secrets of Neverwood Anthology, “The Growing Season”, I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite as removed from my protagonist before. The main reason was that, for the first time, I was writing someone considerably younger than I am. In fact, Danny is younger than my children. And that concerned me. A lot.

Part of the problem is people in their twenties now seem to speak a whole different language than I do. They’ve grown up technologically savvy, and the internet is their playground. I will never understand as much about technology as a twenty one year old. There are other things different about when I was twenty one than it is for Danny; music, clothes, rotary telephones. I thought about it long and hard, trying to decide what would be the best way to bridge the gap between Danny and me, so that I could write him from the inside out. And I realized the first thing I had to do was give us something in common.

I was a florist for 35 years. I know plants. If the house, Neverwood, was in dire need of restoration, I figured the grounds must be, too. If Audrey, Danny and his brother’s foster mom and the woman who left them her home, had cancer, there would be at least one growing cycle of neglect. It doesn’t take long for a garden to be overrun with weeds. Gardening would be a way for me to have something in common with Danny; I could make him someone who worked with his hands in the earth, who had a way with growing things. That would give him a tangible connection with Audrey, and it would be a way for him to contribute to the restoration of Neverwood. It would also work well with his desire to keep his distance from his brothers. Danny has his reasons, but he didn’t want anyone too close. Not even the handsome landscape architect who volunteers to help while dealing with family issues of his own.

Once I wrote Danny with a love of growing things, I realized that he and I had other things in common, too. When I feel insecure, I tend to be sarcastic. Danny takes it further than I do, but he has more reason to be insecure. I know about the damage left in the wake of abuse, and the things a person will do to in the name of self-protection. And I know about the healing power of love. Danny is a very pretty twenty one year old with a chip on his shoulder the size of Manhattan, but a mother with two grown children managed to find what we had in common, and to hear his voice.

So, I guess the conclusion I’ve come to is that story telling might just be an exercise in combining both ‘the other’ with what we know. What connects us as readers to a wizard, or a war lord, or a pretty gay boy with a smart mouth is our commonality of experience. We all know fear, and pain, and joy. And love.

Above all else, we know love.

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About The Growing Season

1The four years since Danny Redmond left Neverwood have been heartbreaking, and past mistakes continue to haunt him, even after he returns home. Together with two foster brothers he barely knows, he plans to turn the decrepit mansion into a welcoming place for runaways once again–the dying wish of their foster mother, Audrey.

Danny has nothing to contribute to the restoration, save for a gift for growing things. But his efforts to bring Audrey’s beloved gardens back to their former glory are complicated by handsome landscaper Sam Ignatius…and the feelings developing between them, despite their fiery differences of opinion. One voice gives him hope, the only one he’s always trusted–Audrey’s.

Danny comes to care deeply for Sam, but things look bleak when Sam’s city councilman father threatens to have Neverwood torn down. Why should Danny have expected the future to be different from his past? All his relationships end in disaster…

Available at: Carina Press, Amazon, All Romance eBooks and Kobo

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About Diana Copland

Diana Copland began writing in the seventh grade, when she shamelessly combined elements of Jane Eyre and Dark Shadows to produce an overwrought gothic tale that earned her an A- in creative writing, thanks entirely to the generosity of her teacher. She wrote for pure enjoyment for the next three decades before discovering LiveJournal and a wonderful group of supportive fanfiction writers, who encouraged her to try her hand at original gay fiction.

Born and raised in southern California, Diana moved to the Pacific Northwest after losing a beloved spouse to AIDS in 1995. She lives in eastern Washington near her two wonderful adult children.

You can find Diana on her Website, Facebook, Twitter or email her at Diana.copland11@gmail.com.

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Diana has graciously offered up an eBook copy of The Growing Season to one lucky winner! The giveaway starts now and ends July 5, 2014 at 11:59 pm. To enter, click the Rafflecopter link below!

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Please be aware that the only way to enter the giveaway is to click the Rafflecopter link above. Any comments on this post will not count towards entering the giveaway, except to verify your Rafflecopter entry.

Don’t forget to check out Susan65’s review of The Growing Season to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Published in 2014 | Tags: , , , , | 13 Comments

GRL Blog Tour: Belinda McBride – Memories of New Orleans

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Memories of New Orleans

by Belinda McBride

I’ve been lucky enough to attend GRL every year since it first started. As an author, I attend a lot of events but I have to say, the first GRL in New Orleans was just special. Maybe it was because it was the first event of its kind or that it was in New Orleans, which is my favorite city, but that first year was just magical.

The Bourbon Orleans Hotel is reputedly haunted, and it lived up to those rumors, treating many attendees to ghostly touches, sounds and other haunting experiences. My personal favorite moment happened while sitting in a suite with Lynn Lorenz, Amanda Young and Tara Lain. As we chatted, I started hearing a sound that grew progressively louder and more insistent. Suddenly Amanda said, “Do you hear that?” We all stopped talking to listen to the sound of footsteps circling the room. Once we returned to our conversation, both Amanda and I felt cool touches on our skin. Oddly, my pinky finger grew icy cold while the rest of my hand stayed warm!

Spooookkkyyyy…..!

I met many of my favorite authors and internet friends for the first time in New Orleans. I will never forget being in line as we were stuffing bags, to look up and see Johnny Miles! I got one of his world-class hugs and immediately felt as though I’d known him forever.

Later, I was walking with Zam and we saw Heidi Cullinan, Marie Sexton and Rowan Speedwell sitting outside at a café across the street from the hotel. They invited us to join them for a drink…and who can resist having a glass of Vampire Wine while in New Orleans? LOL! Well, I don’t often drink but agreed to a half glass…because who wouldn’t? Well, a few minutes stretched to well over an hour, and oddly, my half glass of wine never went down. Feeling a bit woozy, I glanced up just in time to catch Heidi “topping” my glass…she’d probably done it many, many times. I just remember being really grateful the hotel was just across the street because walking was a challenge!

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So now Chicago is drawing close, I’m shopping for airfare and stocking up on swag. I’ll have a new book to promote and am already considering what clothing to take along. But over all, I’m looking forward to seeing friends again, to seeing new faces and just having fun talking books. Gay Rom Lit is far more than an industry event for me, it’s a meeting of friends and family, a time to touch bases and recharge my creative batteries.

Four months, and I’m counting every day!

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About Belinda McBride

belindaheadJan14Belinda McBride is an award-winning author of erotic romance and speculative fiction. She lives in Northern California with her family and a little pack of constantly shedding Siberian Huskies. Her hobbies include soap making, dog shows, travel and reading.

You can find Belinda on her Website or Blog.

Watch for the autumn release of An Uncommon Whore 3: The Prince of Faith!

 

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Blog Tour Serial: Hair of the Dog (Part 4) by Rhys Ford + Giveaway!

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Hey! I am Rhys Ford and I’ll be taking over this blog today … sort of. There’s really no cool way of introducing yourself on someone else’s blog and honestly, if you’re following this series of shorts, you’re going to be sick of reading this. So… feel free to jump down to the meaty bits of the short if you like. Go on. I won’t mind.

Now, if you’ve been following the Sinners Series, I am happy to say the third book is either on the brink of coming out or out by the time this post hits. It is called Tequila Mockingbird and features Connor Morgan as he discovers he’s in love with a drummer—a guy drummer. Murder, mayhem, sexing, etc. All of those follow. You know the drill. But wooot! I am very happy to announce Connor’s story.

To celebrate, I’ve written a short serialized string of vignettes titled Hair of the Dog. Please enjoy the story as it goes along. The order of the posts is included at the bottom of the short. Hope you enjoy it.

!Hair_Of_The_Dog

Hair of the Dog • Part Four

Humans are stupid stupid things.

Someone brought death to my house and the swarms of metal-smelling, grumbling men who’d invaded my home spent more time trying to shove me into a box than taking care of my Miki. He was scared and sick. I could smell the sick on him and the Other One—Kane—was doing as best he could trying to calm my human down.

It wasn’t going to work. Miki’d already was covered with the stench of the kill and it made him sick. He was pulling up his stomach and the salty mess of grains he’d eaten were all over the ground. But that didn’t matter either. The loud people were digging into that too, as if they would find anything but grains and bile.

There was death in the house! How could they not smell it? It was not a good death. Not like a hunt or even meat brought back from a food place. This was death with no intent on eating the flesh—the worst kind of horror any Pack could think of.

It was something a cat would do—bring a kill to another cat’s yard to say he was better than the other.

I needed to get to Miki. To tell him it would be alright and Kane would take care of him but one of the humans picked me up—as if he had the right to do so.

So I bit him.

And he did not taste good.

There are very few times when I’ve shown my teeth in anger. Usually mostly to warn another of the Pack away if I’m eating and they are perfectly capable of getting their own food. One does not show teeth to a puppy or kitten. My dam taught me manners before I even pulled away from her teat. I knew that from the beginning. Aggression is stupidity because there were other ways for me to deal with the situation. But in that moment of panic, stress and anger, I could only think of one thing—getting to Miki.

So I bit one of Kane’s people until he bled and dropped me.

Sorry, I am not sorry.

I took two steps to the garage when someone threw something over me and the next moment, I was in the cold, hard room with the water dish I could only reach if I stood on my hind legs. A few pants later, a dish with dry food and more water in a bowl joined me and someone thought to throw in one of the thick bones Miki had another human bring me when they brought his salty bread things.

There was no familiar voices after that. There was chatter. Most of it confused. Some of it worried. A few times I thought I heard Kane but the sound of the voice was different. Not as old. Not as wise but very much of the same litter.

There was nothing more I could do. Just sit there. And wait.

Well, and chew the meat off of my bone. I only hoped someone would take care of my human. And keep death as far away from him as possible.

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Follow all of Hair of the Dog Story at these blog spots:

June 24

Part 1: Rainbow Gold Reviews

June 25

Part 2: Live your Life, Buy The Book

June 26

Part 3: The Novel Approach
Part 4: Hey, that’s us!!

June 27

Part 5: Joyfully Jay

June 28

Part 6: 3 Chicks After Dark
Part 7: Gay List Book Reviews 

June 29

Part 8: Boy meets Boy

June 30

Part 9: Prism Alliance
Part 10: Under The Covers

July 2 

Part 11: LoveBytes Reviews

Additional Posts and Giveaways

June 27

Pants Off Reviews
Mercy Celeste’s Blog
Sinfully Sexy
Smoocher’s Voice

June 28

Kathy’s place 

June 29

Dreamspinner FBChat  (8-11 am)
Moon Over Atlanta

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About Tequila Mockingbird

Tequila Mockingbird by Rhys Ford eBookSequel to Whiskey and Wry (and The Devil’s Brew)
Sinners Series: Book Three

Lieutenant Connor Morgan of SFPD’s SWAT division wasn’t looking for love. Especially not in a man. His life plan didn’t include one Forest Ackerman, a brown-eyed, blond drummer who’s as sexy as he is trouble. His family depends on him to be like his father, a solid pillar of strength who’ll one day lead the Morgan clan.

No, Connor has everything worked out—a career in law enforcement, a nice house, and a family. Instead, he finds a murdered man while on a drug raid and loses his heart comforting the man’s adopted son. It wasn’t like he’d never thought about men — it’s just loving one doesn’t fit into his plans.

Forest Ackerman certainly doesn’t need to be lusting after a straight cop, even if Connor Morgan is everywhere he looks, especially after Frank’s death. He’s just talked himself out of lusting for the brawny cop when his coffee shop becomes a war zone and Connor Morgan steps in to save him.

Whoever killed his father seems intent on Forest joining him in the afterlife. As the killer moves closer to achieving his goal, Forest tangles with Connor Morgan and is left wondering what he’ll lose first—his life or his heart.

Purchase Tequila Mockingbird at: Dreamspinner Press

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About Rhys Ford

Rhys Ford was born and raised in Hawai’i then wandered off to see the world. After chewing through a pile of books, a lot of odd food, and a stray boyfriend or two, Rhys eventually landed in San Diego, which is a very nice place but seriously needs more rain.

Rhys admits to sharing the house with three cats of varying degrees of black fur and a ginger cairn terrorist. Rhys is also enslaved to the upkeep a 1979 Pontiac Firebird, a Toshiba laptop, and an overworked red coffee maker.

Blogger_Giveaway

Oh…and Giveaway! Would you like to win…. Drum roll…..

An Audio Book Code from Audible.
(preferably used on a Rhys Ford book but hey… book!)

If so, please leave a comment below and one name will be selected randomly or randomly selected or one random name will be selected. Sheesh. Language. Good Luck…and thank you. Really. Dudes, you all rock and thank you so much

The giveaway starts now and ends July 2, 2014 at 11:59 p.m. Make sure to include your email address in the comment section so you can be contacted!

Don’t forget to check out Heather C’s review of Tequila Mockingbird to see what she thought of it!

Good luck!

Categories: Book Promo, Giveaways, Honorary Blogger Post, LGBT, Special Treat | Tags: , , , , , | 32 Comments