“So, anyway, Brian,” he said, ending a not uncomfortable lull in the conversation. “I’m looking forward to the ride to airport. I want to hear more about your work, and London, and whatever. But,” he gestured toward the window, “here comes Sonny and Luki and Bear. I’ll get more coffee on.”
He rose, but before he turned toward the kitchen, he faced Brian and leaned forward, kissed his cheek swiftly and softly. He intended to step away, but Brian caught first one of his hands, and then the other, and held them both in one hand.
“Jackie, thank you for that. But what I’d like even more is if you were to kiss me—” Brian lifted the index finger of his free hand and touched his own lips. “—just here. Will you?”
“Yes,” Jackie whispered, and without any conscious decision to do so, added, “Yes, sir.” He leaned forward and touched his open lips to Brian’s, found them soft when he added a bit of pressure, and sent his tongue darting just inside for a taste. They broke the kiss together, but as it ended, Brian sucked and then nipped at Jackie’s bottom lip.
Brian smiled, and after he let go of Jackie’s hand, stroked once over Jackie’s shoulder and arm—a comforting touch, Jackie thought. “Thank you, Jackie,” Brian said, his eyes sparking with something like mischief. “That was lovely.”
Author Bio:
Lou Sylvre lives and writes on the rainy side of Washington State, penning mostly suspense/romance novels because she can’t resist giving her characters hard times but good love. Her personal assistant is Boudreau, a large cat who never outgrew his kitten meow, and he makes a point of letting her know when she’s taken a plot tangent too far. He (Boudreau) invites readers to give their feedback as well!
Where to find the author:
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LouSylvre
Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/AuthorLouSylvre
Twitter: http://twitter.com/sylvre
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Reese Dante
Rafflecopter Prize: Any Vasquez and James book, plus a $10 Dreamspinner gift card
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
Winning the United Kingdom’s favorite singing contest is a challenge for half-Afghani Pasha Trueman. He doesn’t have the best voice, but success would be life-changing. His strategy is simple—he’ll make the British public love him.
Ex-soldier Ed Britten has a different agenda. Winning means he’ll keep a promise made after a deadly Afghan ambush. His voice is his weapon, but he leaves his heart unguarded.
Ed and Pasha’s discovery that the contest isn’t a fair fight calls for creative tactics. Staging a fake love story could bring victory, only there’s more at stake than the prestigious first prize. If winning means surrendering each other, they could both end up losing.
and ARe and Smashwords in mobi, epub and pdf format.
Review
Both Pasha and Ed are contestants in a British version of American Idol type singing show. Pasha tells everyone he wants to win it for his mother and bring it home to Scotland. Ed states he only wants to win it for his dead friend’s family (by winning and singing the song his dead friend wrote the family will get the royalty money).
Pasha has some talent but a lot more style. Ed has a lot of talent, but as Pasha says, he’s vocally lazy and doesn’t have much panache.
Ed and Pasha overhear the producers talking and it looks like they won’t be “voted in” next round due to an overall lack of marketability. So the two men hatch a plan wherein they allude that they are lovers and play it up in social media.
Neither man knows for sure if the other is even gay and both are being cagey about it in front of the cameras.
What happens over the course of the last few weeks of the program is that the “playacting” they do in front of the cameras begins to feel real and secrets are revealed that may ultimately destroy their musical careers.
In the end, the final three competitors must all make a decision because the producer is more or less blackmailing them to get the winner the advertisers want.
Once the show is over, the question remains: do Ed and Pasha have what it takes to be a couple once the cameras are off?
**
Con Riley is a great writer. She has given us two really unique characters who continually surprise us with their personality twists and turns. You can never guess where the story will go next and she does this in a way that is skillfully tricky not blatantly deceptive.
I cringed at the look behind the scenes of the pop-star/reality show life she depicted and it felt real, even if it was all made up.
The secondary characters are wonderful and the bad-guy is villainous without going over the top.
Though there were times when I was a little lost in some of the twists and turns – you have to read this book carefully to appreciate all the nuances – but I enjoyed the fresh writing and the ability to spin a story that wasn’t predictable.
(As a little sneak peek – there is some first time gay sex to enjoy as well – if you like that sort of thing – which I totally do!)
Viral Valentine by L. M. Perrin
When a Valentine’s Day prank goes badly, Paige’s guilt won’t let her watch the victim walk away without a proper apology.
Date Blind by Geonn Cannon
A woman discovers the worst possible blind date scenario when her date turns out to be someone who bullied her in high school.
The Politician and the Pilot by Amber Kinsey
A politician and a pilot make a steamy connection on Valentine’s Day.
Bar Tryst by Rachael Orman
After her roommate blackmailed her into going to an Anti-Valentine’s day party, Vanessa decided to make the best of it especially when the bartender shared that she was looking to have a good time too.
Quarter Life: Energy Feed by Adrian J. Smith
With strange creatures in her path, Faye is determined to get the information she wants no matter the cost.
Property of Cupid by Eva Lefoy
Will an ancient Greek god give up half his powers to love a mere human? Or will Cupid loose his golden arrow, letting Jeremy fall in love with another man?
Private Dance by A. M. Leibowitz
With Alex’s sexy boyfriend, Phin, gone for three weeks, there’s only one option: let his best friend’s kids lead him on a treasure hunt through town to find his Valentine’s gift waiting for him to unwrap.
The Last Mitzvah by Michael DuPuy
One man seeks salvation over love, death, and ice cream.
About the authors:
A. M. Leibowitz is a spouse, parent, feminist, and book-lover falling somewhere on the Geek-Nerd Spectrum. She keeps warm through the long, cold western New York winters by writing romantic plot twists and happy-for-now endings. In between noveling and editing, she blogs coffee-fueled, quirky commentary on faith, culture, writing, and her family at amleibowitz.com.
Adrian J. Smith, aka AJ, loves to write women, and specifically women who are strong, independent and fall in love with other women. She claims bisexuality but is probably closer to omnisexual. She’s a go with the flow type of person. She loves writing urban fantasy and creatures and powers of all different kinds. She also loves writing women in uniform, because let’s face it, a woman in uniform has an irresistible draw. Most of her stories have a romantic element, but if you want action, drama, plot with a hint of romance, she’s the author for you. Find her at adrianjsmith.wordpress.com.
Amber Kinsey is a part-time federal employee, full-time geek, and occasional writer. She lives in a suburb of Nashville, TN with her three cats: one is the light of her life; the other two are just little stinkers.
Eva Lefoy writes and reads all kinds of romance, and is a certified Trekkie. She’s also terribly addicted to chocolate, tea, and hiking. One of these days, she’ll figure out the meaning of life, quit her job, and go travel the galaxy. Until then, she’s writing down all her dirty thoughts for the sake of future explorers. You can find her blog at writery.wordpress.com.
Geonn Cannon is the author of On the Air, Gemini, World on Fire, The Following Sea, Tilting at Windmills, Only Flame and Air, Confused by Shadows, Chasing Dragons, What Matter Wounds?, Silence Out Loud, the Riley Parra series, Railroad Spine, Gunfire Echoes, the Underdogs series, Girls Don’t Hit, and The Rise and Fall of Radiation Canary. He also wrote an official tie-in novel for Stargate SG-1 titled “Two Roads” and contributed a Stargate Atlantis story to the “Far Horizons” anthology. An archive of free stories can be found at geonncannon.com. When he’s not writing, he’s asleep.
L. M. Perrin is an English major who writes fiction to break up the monotony of analyzing novels. She lives in Leelanau County, also known as Michigan’s pinky finger, with her dog and the occasional stray cat, and in her opinion there is nothing wrong with spending a night binging on Netflix and pizza. This is her first published piece.
Michael DuPuy, while not investigating epistemological dead ends, cultivates a greater understanding of the folly of man most often by recreating as many of such folly’s as possible through no intent of his own. Michael turned to writing as a method of perhaps extending his sanity and to justify his coffee consumption. If anything this tactic has backfired.
Rachael Orman: Mother by day. Writer by night. I spend a majority of my day with my children and reading while my nights are filled with the sound of the keyboard as I work on my next work. I have written in F/F, F/F/M, F/F/F and then of course F/M genres…. So, beware, I do not always have the most ‘traditional’ scenes. And one day I will venture into M/M, just have to find the time. I love to try new things and learn from every piece of work I write. I’ll write just about anything once to learn from it. I’ve even ventured out of my normal erotica genre into Monster Erotica. Doubt you’ll find me writing anything not erotic as you can barely get me to even read something out of that category, but then again, you never know what I might try next.
About the Publisher:
Supposed Crimes, LLC publishes fiction and poetry primarily featuring lesbian characters and themes. The focus is on genre fiction–Westerns, Science Fiction, Horror, Action–rather than just romance. That’s how we set ourselves apart from our competitors. Our characters happen to love women and kick ass.
“Supposed crimes” refers to the idea that homosexuality is outlawed, and that our authors are being subversive by writing. As times change this becomes more tongue-in-cheek, but can still apply broadly to our culture. Christians writing lesbians and men writing lesbians are also subversive ideas in this industry, and we promote people bending the rules.
Publisher: Supposed Crimes, LLC
Cover Artist: C.E. Case
Categories: LGBT fiction, Romance, Gay Romance, Lesbian Romance
Pages or Words: 35,000 words, 119 pages
The effects of an attack on SIN, a twenty-nine year old University lecturer, reach out further into his future than SIN could ever imagine. In a story, which seems doomed to start with an end, SIN learns about the forever kind of love, and how family is not just biological. ‘Soul-Mate for SIN’ shows how twists of fate can take a loving, but ordinary family, from a small market town in Lincolnshire, England and turn them into something extraordinary.
Hello, please tell us your name and who you are?
Hello. I’m Julie and I’m an Intensive Care nurse in a hospital in Nottingham, England.
Oh I see Gabriel is a nurse there too. Is that how you became involved with this book?
Yes, Gabriel is one of my best friends, we’ve known each other for donkey’s years, and we work together. I can’t really say how I became involved…Izzy would be upset…but I’m pretty close to Gabriel, SIN and SIN’s family and friends. They are pretty lovely people to know and be around.
Do you have a partner?
As a matter of fact I do at the moment and it’s going quite well. His name is Rob, he gets on very well with Snowy…that’s SIN’s dad. I think they stopped each other running out when we all went to The Rainbow Lounge? (Laughs)
Oh you’ve been there I’ve heard it’s very good?
Oh it is… it’s a gay bar and drag club but it’s pretty inclusive, although quite expensive. I don’t always go when SIN, Gabriel and the boys do, but I go when I’m free, with or without Rob …lol. I have a genuinely good night out whenever I go.
So what can you tell us about the book Soul Mate for SIN?
This is the bit I was dreading, as I really can’t tell you too much without giving away details that Izzy wants kept secret. I will say, I think it’s a lovely story …it contains several different examples of ‘love’ including romantic love of course. I will admit some of it made me laugh out loud while other bits…well I remember how we all felt at the time, so I was quite emotional. There are sexy bits, but of course I skimmed over those, well you don’t want to read about your friends’ sex lives do you? Okay, I read them and they were really hot… just don’t tell Gabriel and the others, right.
Thank you for your time Julie.
Oh, thank you. Is that it? Don’t I have to tell you my favourite colour, or boy band, or something?
Um…not really… do you want to?
Well that’s what they do in interviews for books isn’t it? Or is that music? Anyway, my favourite colour is purple, and my favourite boy band… well of course it’s One Direction! I’m totally a ‘Larry shipper’ and I’m not too old whatever, anyone says. (Glares) Shall I stop now…?
Please…
Oh okay then…Bye.
Meet more of the cast:
SIN …………………………….Prism Book Alliance…………………………………..Tuesday 27th January 2015
Gabe…………………………..Diverse Reader…………………………………………Wednesday 28th Release Day
Snowy …………………………RJ Scott……………………………………………………Thursday 29th January 2015
Charlie …………………………Sinfully Sexy Books…………………………………..Friday 30th January 2015
Sally………………………………The Novel Approach…………………………………Saturday 31st January 2015
Prof McRae …………………..Rainbow Gold Reviews………………………………Sunday 1st February 2015
INTERVIEW WITH IZZY ….The Hat Party…………………………………………….Monday 2nd February 2015
WIN ……………………………….Hearts on Fire Reviews………………………………Tuesday 3rd February 2015
Miss Clitty Sparkles………..J.P. Barnaby………………………………………….Wednesday 4th February 2015
Danny…………………………….Love Bytes………………………………………………..Thursday 5th February 2015
Lady Charlotte……………….GGR………………………………………………………………Friday 6th February 2015
Izzy van Swelm is English, but took her Mother in Law’s maiden name as a pen name. Izzy dreams of a world where all sentient species have rights and respect. A world where LGBTQ lovers and friends, old and young, can walk holding hands meeting nothing more than the occasional affectionate eye roll. A world where intelligence, gentleness and compassion are the overwhelming attributes of politicians, and religion is practiced by those who believe, but never forced on those who do not.
Izzy is a romantic, a dreamer, a vegetarian and just a little eccentric. Izzy writes because she loves to tell stories, and she hopes that her stories will bring happiness, enjoyment and maybe to some…a little hope.
In a land unforgiving of indulgent, dangerous sex, merchantman Eryn does his best to keep his desires in the dark…until the plight of a beautiful prince leads him out of the shadows and into adventures both sensual and terrible.
Capture, curse, and torture litter Eryn’s road to true love, along with carnal delights beyond his most wicked imaginings. His strengths and limitations are exposed—and the hard truth, that nothing holds him back more than the monster of self-loathing in his heart. Prince Wyn might be everything he’s dreamed of in a man—and master—but before Eryn can accept the exquisitely wicked affections of his one true love, he must first save himself…from himself.
This novella was originally published under the title Sweet Son and has been significantly revised.
Slim fingers trailed across Eryn’s brow, down his nose. “I was correct. You are, without question, meant to be my royal consort.”
The fingers traced Eryn’s lips. He had to work not to suck them into his mouth. “Oh?”
“Indeed. In fact, without you, I cannot rule at all.” He shifted to face Eryn more fully, displacing the cloak. He appeared unconcerned with his nakedness—in fact, if
anything, he was bolder. He shifted so his knees straddled Eryn’s thighs, his semi-erect cock resting confidently on the hem of Eryn’s doublet.
Eryn didn’t know where to put his hands. Or his gaze. He stared at Wyn’s throat, the faint, fuzzy stubble of his beard.
“Not that I would want you to feel obligated.” Deft fingers skimmed Eryn’s buttons. Unbuttoned the top one. “We don’t even know if we’re suitable. Likely we should explore that issue further.”
Certain he couldn’t speak properly, Eryn settled for a whimper.
Wyn caught Eryn’s chin, stroking the underside with his thumb so gooseflesh broke out along Eryn’s arms. His gaze, sharp as knives and full of heat, commanded a pull from Eryn’s groin. “You’ve ridden me several times now. It’s well past time you return the favor.”
The last bones left in Eryn’s body evaporated. Wyn, still straddling him, caught Eryn, held him upright.
So much stronger than he appears. Eryn’s cock hummed with joy.
Wyn suckled Eryn’s bottom lip once, then nuzzled his chin. “Don’t worry, darling. This first time, I’ll be gentle.”
Eryn’s cock gave up humming and sang a full-blown shanty. Seizing his last gasp of lucidity, Eryn clamped a hand on Wyn’s sleek, bare ass. “Don’t.”
For a moment, Wyn’s pretty mouth split in a wicked grin. Then he lowered those lips to Eryn’s neck and sucked hard, digging his fingers into Eryn’s back as he went boneless again.
Eryn had been fucked by many men. With that considerable experience, plus the delights and debauchery he’d discovered with the pasha and his men, he felt fairly certain he could keep up with Wyn, who had spent most of his life in hiding. He quickly learned never to underestimate his lover again.
Wyn had him on his back so hard and fast Eryn lost his breath—and while he recovered, Wyn peeled him out of his clothes with the precision of a surgeon. Well, partially— after hefting Eryn up long enough to hike up his undershirt, he tangled it at Eryn’s wrists.
Then he tied it in a knot. Eryn gaped at him. Wyn’s chuckle made Eryn’s balls tuck higher.
“There’s not much to do, when one is in hiding.” Wyn nudged Eryn’s thighs wide with his knee before grinding gently—but insistently—against his groin. “And my godfather keeps such big, handsome, obedient bodyguards.”
Eryn’s belly quaked as Wyn licked his way down his sternum. “Y-yes. I n-noticed.”
“Hmm.” Wyn made this sound against Eryn’s nipple before teasing it with his teeth. “I should like to watch them fuck you.” When Eryn’s cock twitched, Wyn caught it in a grip that was blissfully almost too tight. “One after another. With your mouth on me, your mouth spread wide with a gag forcing it that way.” When Eryn moaned, Wyn kissed his nipple. “But perhaps, when you told me not to be gentle, you meant something different.”
It was difficult to speak, even more work to make his bound arms work enough to drag Wyn to his face, but Eryn did it. He looked into those beautiful eyes, the handsome face, and he bared his soul.
“All my life.” He stroked Wyn’s cheeks with his thumb, his bound wrists resting at the base of his lover’s neck. “All my life I have wanted, yearned for the touch of men. I never wanted gentle. Sometimes not even kind.” He swallowed the old fear of unworthiness—only a ghost now, but it had more power over him still than he would like. “I thought it made me wrong. That I could not yearn that way and know love. That it made me monstrous, a thing fit only for a devil.” He tried to laugh, but it came out almost as a sob. “Certainly I never thought it my destiny to rescue and marry a prince.”
Wyn tucked his chin enough to kiss first one of Eryn’s hands, then the other. “I have it on the authority of the most powerful witch and wizard I know that I will love you more deeply and passionately than I have capacity to understand. As for who you are fit for…” Eyes dancing, he bit, not very gently, at the meaty flesh of Eryn’s palm. “Allow me to show you what this devil will do to you.”
Author bio:
Heidi Cullinan has always loved a good love story, provided it has a happy ending. She enjoys writing across many genres but loves above all to write happy, romantic endings for LGBT characters because there just aren’t enough of those stories out there. When Heidi isn’t writing, she enjoys cooking, reading, knitting, listening to music, and watching television with her husband and teenaged daughter. Heidi is a vocal advocate for LGBT rights and is proud to be from the first Midwestern state with full marriage equality. Find out more about Heidi, including her social networks, at http://www.heidicullinan.com
Today we’re welcoming Shae Connor to the blog. She shares her thoughts on the setting for Unfortunate Son, a delicious excerpt, and there’s a giveaway! Thanks for stopping by, Shae!
Five years ago, Evan Day lost his lover in the Afghan sand, and in the fallout, he lost his military career and his family. With help from friends, he reinvented himself as porn star Trevor Hardball, but his scars are hidden, not healed. When Riley Yeats falls into Evan’s lap in a bar, he awakens a part of Evan he’d thought was dead and gone. Evan’s fascinated by the blond and twinky Riley, even though he’s the opposite of Evan’s usual type.
Then Evan’s family reappears his life, and Evan soon learns Riley has his own family-inflicted wounds—ones that make it hard for him to be there for Evan. A disastrous confrontation between Evan and his parents leaves Evan’s mother injured and Evan overcome by anger and fear. Losing his tenuous hold on his emotional control, Evan makes one bad decision after another, but maybe his final fall will be the wake-up call Evan needs to set things right—with his parents, and with Riley.
Atlanta as Setting in Unfortunate Son
By Shae Connor
When I started writing Unfortunate Son (lo, these many years ago), I knew the setting was never in question. The bulk of the action would take place right where the story was originally conceived: in Atlanta’s Midtown district, and specifically in the heart of the “Gayborhood,” which is anchored at the intersection of 10th Street and Piedmont Road, just down from the edge of Piedmont Park. It’s an area I’m very familiar with, and I knew it wouldn’t take much effort to make its character shine through.
Midtown stretches between Atlanta’s historic downtown and the flashier, richer neighborhood to the north called Buckhead. The area’s crown jewel is Piedmont Park, which is to Atlanta what Central Park is to Manhattan: a huge, open, green space in the midst of an urban location. Piedmont Park is home to the annual Atlanta Pride Festival, in addition to dozens of other local events, and it’s surrounded by both residential and business areas, most of those populated by members of the gay community. Restaurants, bars, clubs, and stores of all types cater to young urban professionals, many of them gay men.
I’ve spent a lot of time with friends in Midtown the past few years, and while most of the businesses named in Unfortunate Son are fictitious, nearly all of them are based on real locations. Piedmont Lofts, where Riley lives, sits in a real building at the edge of Piedmont Park, though it doesn’t actually house lofts like Riley’s. Piedmont Diner, where Evan and Riley have brunch with Evan’s best friends, Cory and Jimmy, similarly doesn’t exist, but it’s an amalgam of several similar restaurants in the neighborhood. And Panther, the dance club the guys visit, is very loosely based on an Atlanta club that I’ve been to, though mostly in the general vibe, rather than any specifics of layout or even clientele.
One business in Unfortunate Son that’s almost exactly like its real-life counterparts is Bernhardt’s, which plays host to Cory’s performance as drag queen Coco Lamé, a member of the Stilettos drag troupe. The real bar, Burkhart’s, is a frequent hangout for me and quite a few of my friends. Burkhart’s hosts regular drag shows and until recently was home to weekly performances by the Armorettes, also known as the Infamous Camp Drag Queens of the South, the troupe on which the Stilettos were based. Most of the time, though, Burkhart’s is a relatively quiet, pub-like location that serves great steak dinners and has an awesome, friendly staff. In fact, Burkhart’s is hosting a release party for the book, and they’ve been awesome.
For today, I’m offering up an excerpt that gives a peek at Bernhardt’s and the Stilettos. At this point in the story, Riley’s friend Mikey has just moved to Atlanta, and they’ve joined Evan to see Cory (Coco) perform. (You’ll get more of Mikey, Cory, and Jimmy in Wayward Son, which will be out in a few months.)
Excerpt:
Another performer finished her Lady Gaga lip-synch with a flourish, and the crowd erupted into cheers as she collected the last of her tips and waved her way offstage. The emcees reemerged and launched back into their trademark banter, laced with suggestive comments and pop culture references. Evan pulled his phone out of his pocket to check the time. With only fifteen minutes left in the advertised performance window, Cory should be up next.
Sure enough, the bearded emcee in the pink dress—cupid’s bow lips painted to match—smiled and spoke louder. “And now, ladies and gentlemen, without further ado—”
“Ado, ado, to you and you and you-ooo!” the other emcee singsonged, earning a laugh from the crowd and a backhanded slap to the stomach from her cohort.
“…without further interruption from the peanut gallery, the Stilettos are proud to present, in her debut headlining performance—the fabulous Miss Coco Lamé!”
The music started back up, lights flashed, and then out came Coco in all her flashy glory. She wore a gold sequined vest with matching fringe over a white, midriff-baring top, though as she moved, Evan could see that the midriff was actually covered with flesh-colored spandex. Her cowgirl-style hat, tight skirt, and boots shimmered with black glitter, and on one hip, she carried what appeared to be a holster trimmed in even more shiny gold.
Evan was too busy trying not to laugh at the overkill to notice the music, but when Riley lifted a carefully groomed eyebrow and leaned closer, Evan leaned in to catch his comment.
“I wouldn’t have figured Cory—excuse me, Coco—for a Pointer Sisters fan.”
Sure enough, Coco launched into an energetic rendition of “I’m So Excited.” She shimmied, she twisted, she pointed and flirted, and the crowd went crazy for it all. Hands waved money at her in all directions, and Coco collected it with hands, cleavage, and that holster, its presence clearly meant for more than just show.
Coco came closer to their end of the bar, and Evan shared a smile with her as she took the fiver he held out and leaned in to give him a kiss on his cheek. She took Riley’s tip the same way, and then turned to Mikey, who stood as if in shock, staring.
Riley’s eyebrow rose again. “Mikey, honey, you’re supposed to tip the nice lady now,” he admonished.
Mikey snapped back to attention, a blush rising high on his cheeks as he held out his offering. Coco slithered closer, taking Mikey’s wrist and giving an assist for him to deposit the cash directly into her cleavage. Maintaining her grip on Mikey, she pulled him in close for a gentle kiss on the mouth, leaving behind a swipe of bright red lipstick to go with the now deep red of his cheeks. She gave him a final lingering glance and a wink and went back to working the rest of the crowd.
Evan couldn’t help smirking at Mikey, who just stared after Coco, dumbstruck. He leaned closer to Riley. “I think your boy might have a little bit of a crush.”
Riley laughed softly. “I can’t imagine where you could have gotten that idea.”
Author bio:
Shae Connor lives in Atlanta, where she’s a lackadaisical government worker for a living and writes sweet-hot romance under the cover of night. She’s been making things up for as long as she can remember, but it took her a long time to figure out that maybe she should try writing them down. She’s conned several companies into publishing her work and adds a new notch on her bedpost each time another story is unleashed onto an unsuspecting universe.
A member of the Romance Writers of America and the Rainbow Writers chapter, Shae was first published in 2010 and has a lineup of short stories, novellas, and novels available from Dreamspinner Press, Wilde City Press, MLR Press, and Amber Allure.
Shae is part Jersey, part Irish, and all Southern, which explains why she never shuts up. When she’s not chained to her laptop, she enjoys cooking, traveling, watching baseball, and reading voraciously, and she’s an annual volunteer for the Dragon Con on-site publication, the Daily Dragon. You can find her hanging out on Twitter most any time @shaeconnor, but for the more direct route, you can email her at [email protected] or visit her website at shaeconnorwrites.com.
Excerpt:
“We are alone,” Sorran said after a few minutes. “Tell me of the cashor. You have intrigued me.”
Tanish thought for a moment how best to begin. “It is worn by the Seruani.” Sorran’s furrowed brow told him what he needed to know. He sighed. “The Seruani are those men and women who provide a special service. They instruct us in the pleasures of the flesh. A husband whose wife no longer wishes to share her bed with him, those who have lost their partners, youths who seek their first experience to be with someone knowledgeable—all these people can pay for their services.”
Sorran’s forehead smoothed out. “Ah, I understand. We have such people in Vencor.” That frown was back suddenly. “But I am still confused. Why would someone not pay us heed if we wear the cashor?”
Tanish stared at him. “Because Seruani are considered the lowest of the low. When a youth is taken to be trained as a Seruan, he or she loses all contact with his or her family. If a Seruan was to be seen in the street by a family member, they would not be acknowledged. In truth, they would be shunned.”
Sorran pulled at Forena’s reins, bringing the stallion to a dead stop.
Tanish halted Nerita and twisted in his saddle to regard Sorran. “What is the matter?”
Sorran shook his head, his expression pained. “In Vancor, such people are revered. They are viewed as mystical.”
Tanish was astonished. “But why?” He could not believe such a difference in attitude could exist.
Sorran tilted his head. “My teachers tell me that when two people make love, their joy can be such that they almost touch the heavens. Surely one who can help you reach such levels is a person to be cherished, valued, revered.”
His description brought tears to Tanish’s eyes. To think that but for an accident of geography, Feyar could have been born into a land where his gifts would have had worth, where he would have been treasured. Tanish bowed his head, eyes closed, overwhelmed with emotion.
A soft hand came to rest on his arm. “What ails you, Tanish?” Sorran’s voice was low and lilting, his concern audible.
Tanish opened his eyes and gave Sorran a feeble smile. “For many years I have wept at the thought of those chosen to be Seruani, shunned by their families and society. I have wished for change.”
Sorran smiled, his dark eyes flashing. “But you are to be king one day, just as I will be. A king wields so much power.” He leaned closer, his gaze fixed on Tanish. “If a king does not like a law, he has the power to change it.”
Tanish shook his head. “To do so would be to insult those who drew up the laws in the first place.”
Sorran quirked his eyebrows. “Who created those laws? And when?”
“I do not know. It has always been so.” Tanish had reflected upon that many times.
Sorran frowned. “That does not mean it must remain so. And laws can be changed a little at a time. Take small steps, but always be sure of your goal.” He patted Tanish’s arm. “Win the people’s hearts first, and then lead them where you will go. If you act justly, your motives clear, they will follow you.”
Sorran’s earnest expression seemed older than his years. Tanish gazed at the prince in wonder. Sorran’s words resonated deep within him, sparking a flame of hope—and something else. For the first time in a long while, Tanish felt at peace with his destiny.
KIMI-CHAN:
49 – Favorite of your books? Oh my. Nope.
50 – Favorite of your characters? Uh uh. Can’t answer that either.
51 – Harry Potter or Twilight? Twilight
Author Bio:
Born and raised in the north-west of England, K.C.Wells always loved writing. Words were important. Full stop. However, when childhood gave way to adulthood, the writing ceased, as life got in the way.
K.C. discovered erotic fiction in 2009, where the purchase of a ménage storyline led to the startling discovery that reading about men in love was damn hot. In 2012, arriving at a really low point in life led to the desperate need to do something creative. An even bigger discovery waited in the wings – writing about men in love was even hotter…
K.C. now writes full-time and is loving every minute of her new career.
The laptop still has no idea of what hit it… it only knows that it wants a rest, please. And it now has to get used to the idea that where K.C goes, it goes.
Where to find K.C. Wells:
K.C. can be reached via email ([email protected]), on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld), on Twitter (@IslandTalesPres or through comments at the K.C.Wells website (http://www.kcwellsworld.com ) K.C. loves to hear from readers.
Author Bio:
M.A. Church is a true Southern belle who spent many years in the elementary education sector. Now she spends her days lost in fantasy worlds, arguing with hardheaded aliens on far-off planets, herding her numerous shifters, or trying to tempt her country boys away from their fishing poles. It’s a full time job, but hey, someone’s gotta do it!
When not writing, she’s exploring the latest M/M novel to hit the market, watching her beloved Steelers, or sitting glued to HGTV. That’s if she’s not on the back porch tending to the demanding wildlife around the pond in the backyard. The ducks are very outspoken. She’s married to her high school sweetheart, and they have two children.
She was a finalist in the Rainbow awards for 2013.
Where to find the author: M.A. Church’s Blog Amazon Fan Page for ‘The Harvest’
So a funny thing happened on the way to a tweet, Greg Tremblay, the fantastic narrator of my Dirty series, texted me and said… hey, you should giveaway a custom ringtone. Or something to that effect. There was some discussion. A few emails and then well, long story short—there may have been some pixilated shots of whiskey and banter but a plan was formed. A plan so cunning I could have stuck a tail on it and called it a weasel.
Mostly, it involved Greg. And your phone. But it was still a plan!
After a furious, intense process of queries, eliminations, debating on who said what, we came up with a set of phrases from Cole, Bobby, Jae, Claudia, Scarlet and one from Maddy then Greg went to work. And returned to me with a brilliant sound bites forged by a narrative master—in the style of the characters’ voices.
So dear reader, as a thank you for everything you’ve done for Greg and me, I’d like to present the entire set of ringtones—twenty one in total—FREE, as a gift to you.
Available in Android (MP3) and iPhone (formats for Android and Apple phones, Greg has also graciously included the WAV files if that’s your thing. Download links to the zipped files are provided below.*
A great humongous thank you to all of the blogs who helped me with this guerilla gifting. This swirled up on Tuesday and Greg just MADE it happen. He is the voice of the series and I am forever grateful for his talent.
If you’ve not tried out Greg Tremblay’s narrations, please do so. He makes audiobooks fun and damn, he brings Cole and the others to life.
Greg Tremblay’s body of work can be found here—and yes, the Dirty series is there but so are many other lovely audio books. I highly recommend one of Greg’s audiobooks, a comfy chair, a pair of headphones and a nice hot cup of coffee… or tea… with or without whisky.
* These are copyrighted and available free for individual use. The files included in the zip cannot be sold by third parties nor can they be altered in anyway as to destroy the integrity of the original work. Animals were test subjects for these sound files and while the cat could not have given less of a shit, the dog seemed mighty interested. Please note, neither own nor use a phone or a computer so results may vary.
Our Publishing Program
We want to tap into the M/M market and expand it using our affiliate editors, beta readers, reviewers and promotional staff. We don’t ask for a penny upfront, however, we do offer contracts and deduct a small percentage of 40% from royalties for the services we offer.
We aim to publish e-books with a strong M/M element but are NOT genre romance and not specific to Happy Ever After (HEA). The work may be darker in nature and reflective of the world gay men face. These are more along the lines of how things really happen with all of the horrors gay men and women have to face through their lives.
But, the romances will be heartfelt and not a guaranteed HEA although we would prefer HEA.
Literary works are welcome.
These are novels that minimize on dialogue and maximize on narrative, but the language must be of a high standard. There are many authors writing literary books as opposed to light romance.
We also publish YA and NA, and we will attempt to control who sees what age wise. We want to open people’s eyes to the fact there is a whole culture of extremes out there in writing Gay Fiction.
We include all types of works about gay men, whether it be relationships written by gay men/women or straight, it doesn’t matter.
Above all, we strive to have this kind of reaction: ‘Oh my God! That’s such a great thriller, and you know what, it’s got two guys in it, but wow! it’s a fab book!’ That way we get the best of both – the hard-core readers who only buy gay romance and perhaps some others who buy it despite the fact it has two gay guys.
Our Submission Guidelines
We accept works that are a minimum of 30,000 words unless it is a solicited short for an anthology.
Maximum word count: 120 000 words.
Please only send a submission query through our website at http://www.cooldudespublishing.com for completed works that are ready to begin the editing process.
Use “Submission query” as your email subject and in the body please give the title of the work, your name, completed word count, and a synopsis which should include details regarding character development, plot, and conflict/story resolution.
Please use Arial or Times New Roman font, 12 point size for queries.
Also tell us the genre(s) and if it is for our adult or YA range.
You should include three sample chapters in Word format and address them to the following address: [email protected].
CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
Your books. Our Books. Their Books. Publishing for our community
Cooldudes started out as a website to showcase wonderful books. And now we’ve diversified into something we think will appeal to all the LGBT writers out there.
PUBLISHING. More specifically, publishing in the LGBT genre.
Yep, there is a reason we only publish gay titles; the market is saturated with mainstream straight titles. We want to widen the market and offer more titles in this rich and ever growing genre.
We include all types of works about gay men. Whether it is about relationships written by gay men/women or straight; it doesn’t matter. The focus is romance, crime, mystery, paranormal with a gay theme (because after all, it’s perfectly normal right? It shouldn’t be set apart because it’s about two men together) rather than gay romance, gay mystery or gay thriller. It means someone buys it for the story it offers.
We strive to have this kind of reaction: ‘Oh my God! That’s such a great thriller, and you know what, it’s got two guys in it, but wow! it’s a fab book!’ That way, in presenting a story, we get the best of both – attraction for the hard-core readers who only buy gay romance and perhaps some others who buy it despite the fact it has two, or maybe more, gay guys.
Submission Calls are now open and we welcome you to submit.
Please read our guidelines and carefully when submitting to us.
OUR SUBMISSION CALL General Call
We want plot driven stories featuring at least one gay male main character. While we do wish to see a romance element within the stories, we do not require the story to have romance as its primary focus. We prefer a happily ever after, but realize that love is often bittersweet, so a happy for now ending is also welcome. We prefer submissions to be at least 30,000 words and will happily consider longer works upwards of 150,000. Stand alone titles are welcome as are series and we welcome both first time and established authors. If a title has previously been self published, it must be removed from distribution before we will consider it.
You, Me, and the Stars
Space ships, alien worlds, galactic conquests… CoolDudes is looking for quality science fiction with well realized worlds, exciting plots, good character development, and while there should be some romance, it doesn’t have to be the primary focus. Submissions should be at least 30,000 words in length and we are happy to accept longer works. Have an epic over 150,000 words? We’re happy to take a look and see if its a good fit. Down in the City
Skyscrapers. Wharf fronts. Shopping malls. We’re looking for some gritty urban fantasy worth sinking teeth into. Vampires, dragon shifters, wizards, fae, and more are all welcome. Submissions should be a minimum of 30,000 words and we are happy to consider works over 100,000 words. Whatever the story, it should contain an element of a romance, though it doesn’t have to be the primary focus. Contemporary Romance
Any setting, as long as the world is our own and it’s set in this era. We are looking for tales featuring two men in love. New couples, established couples, friends to lovers, Love comes in all shapes and sizes and we want their stories! HEA or HFN stories preferred and the stories may contain dark themes or be as sweet as candy as no two love stories are alike. Submissions should be at least 30,000 words.
Young Adult
Here at CoolDudes we firmly believe that youth are our future. We’re looking for positive stories featuring LGBT youth main characters, aimed at readers 12 and up and 16 and up. Please include an intended age range with your submission. Stories can be set within any genre, and romance can be secondary. So whether it’s a young person running for his junior high student council while realizing his first real crush is another boy, or a college student finding the love of his life, we want to hear about it. Stories should be a minimum of 25,000 words.
