Serena Yates's Blog

Fighting for Hope



Published today, on March 3, 2012 at Silver Publishing, Fighting for Hope is a very special book for me.

It was the very first full-length novel I ever finished - 5 years ago. I still remember the relief I felt when I typed 'The End' - I had atually done it, finshed a book. The frustration when I received rejection after rejection was depressing, but honestly? Now I am relieved no publisher took it on. It needed a lot of work!!!! Took me 5 years of writing experience to understad that, and I finally felt ready to tackle the rewrites late in 2011.

Now that Grayson and James will finally see the light of day I am beyond excited!!! Their story has been with me for a very long time - and so has the one about Grayson's best friend, Danny. Hi book will be next and is called Fighting for Love. :-)

I hope you will enjoy Fighting for Hope. Please check here for an excerpt.

The Cellar Hand



Out on Saturday, February 4, this is the newest volume in my Workplace Encounters series. It is not only available for pre-order at Silver Publishing, but has also been chosen as prize for the Silver Publishing eBook Friday Frenzy Giveaway.

If you're interested, all you need to do is enter your name, email address and answer a simple question (hint: the answer can be found in the blurb). Click here to enter the contest. Contest ends February 3 at 11:59 pm EST.

Good luck!!!!!

...I got word from Silver Publishing that my Christmas book from 2010, Araton's Destiny, will be available as audio book on December 10, 2011!!! Narrated by the incomparable J.P. Bowie, it is a true treat for anyone who loves m/m, hot angels grappling with the purpose of their existence, and those who want to close their eyes while following the developments of the first Celestial Justice book.



What if you're a guardian angel and fail to do your job?

Araton has been a guardian angel for less than a century when a moment of distraction causes his human charge to be hit by a car. He expects to be punished - and is surprised to find out there is room for leniency - and even a new job. Will he be any better at being a Christmas angel?

Jake is a former pro-football player whose knee injury has prevented him from fulfilling a lifelong dream. He turns his attention to extreme sports instead. When he falls into an ice cave during a solitary trip just before Christmas he believes it is the end of the road for him. Nothing short of a miracle will save him...


Available for pre-order at Silver Publishing right now!!!

In the past few days, we have been privileged to witness an increasing awareness and understanding within the m/m romance community about the complex issues of gender/s and sexuality/ies.

This has been a significant and positive step forward in healing a rift caused primarily by ignorance and bringing hope where there was once anger, turmoil and devastation.

This is by no means an end, however.

For if there is one thing we have all learnt is that a rainbow cannot easily be grasped or defined.

Rainbows are constantly changing. Rainbows are not fixed. Even when an artist tries to portray them in a photograph or piece of work it is only one moment in time they are capturing, not the full journey of a rainbow.

It is this fluidity we need to embrace and encourage others to do so as well.

To this end, we are sending out a challenge.

A challenge to help us increase awareness, acceptance and support for the trans*, intersex, intergender and questioning people in the m/m romance community and broader community by adding this to your site:



We believe this will stand hard as a sign post symbolising hope as well as a safe space for GLBTQQ people to freely be themselves. Whoever 'they' might be at that particular moment and whoever 'they' might be in different moments in the future.

So, will you accept our challenge?

Perhaps this excerpt from an interview in September 2011 between genderfluid Andrej Pejic and ABC’s Nightline Juju Chang will help you make a decision:

Chang: When you see yourself in the mirror, do you think of yourself more as a man or as a woman?
Pejic: I like to keep my options open.
Chang: What does that mean?
Pejic: I see myself.

‘I see myself.’

That, friends, says it all.

Please help us spread this message.

With hope and love, Aleksandr Voinov, Amara Devonte and Kris for 'embrace the rainbow'.


[Reposted to support the 'embrace the rainbow' campaign.]

Sam's New Family


Today, on September 17, I am proud to announce the release of Sam's New Family, a short story I wrote for the annual Torquere Charity Sip Blitz. All the proceeds will be donated to the It Gets Better Project, matched by Torquere Press. Rainbow eBooks have agreed to sponsor the sale on their site, without taking profits.

I'm very excited to take part in this - what better reason for writing a book for charity can there be than knowing its sale will help improve the lives of GLBT youths, who so often have to suffer injustice and even physical deprivation and pain - just because they are deeemed 'different'? Although, what is that different about wanting to love and share your life with another human being, just becaue they happen to be the same sex, still escapes me.

Please check out the entire series on your preferred site - and remember, every book from the collection you buy will help make someone's life a little better.

Today, my blog at the Total-E-Bound author Hot-Spot is about the signifiance of anniversaries. Come on over and have a look, if you want:

So, what IS the significance of anniversaries?

The Sins of Summer now available at Total-E-Bound


Book one in The Seven Deadly Sins Series

The seven deadly sins: lust, wrath, greed, gluttony, envy, pride and sloth.

The Sins of Summer weaves a general thread of deception loosely tying these tales together. Envy, lust and wrath are explored in these scorching m/m tales involving action, burning hot sex and sinful adventures that will have you cranking up the Air Conditioning.


'Mayze' by D.J. Manly
D.J. Manly tackles the sin of lust in his paranormal tale

Jas’s joy of being reunited with his sister is short lived when one night she is murdered by a madman, a madman his foster brother claims is a vampire. Sent out on a mission to find a monster, Jas meets Mayze, and he’s like no one he’s ever met before. Is he the monster who killed his sister, or could he just be the answer to his prayers?


'Burnt Island' by A.J. Llewellyn
A.J. Llewellyn tackles the sin of jealousy in Burnt Island

Manhattan-based private investigator, Leo Gannet, accepts an assignment to tail his father’s boyfriend, theater director Thane Covey on a clandestine trip to a tiny Greek island. With only three hundred inhabitants and four miles to cover, Leo worries about pulling off his mission. He soon discovers he's got bigger problems: Thane Covey is the sexiest man he's ever seen. And he's not alone. Leo soon becomes insanely jealous, then very worried. To top it off, Thane also seems to have somebody else's attention...a hitman's.


'Summer Escape' by Serena Yates
In Summer Escape, Serena Yates tackles the sin of wrath

New York banker Carlton Jaymes Pearce receives an ultimatum from his doctor: accept a lifestyle change and early retirement to reduce his astronomical stress levels or be prepared to have a heart attack - soon. Being only thirty-eight, Carlton isn't ready to die and decides to finally learn how to sail. Neither he nor his private sailing instructor, Troy Nicholls, are ready for the almost instant attraction that leads to a hot and heavy summer fling. But all is not well because someone from Carlton's past appears on the scene to exact revenge for a perceived injustice. Carlton and Troy are kidnapped and left on a deserted island. Will the mysterious man's wrath cost them their lives?

Now available at Silver Publishing


Could the stability-loving carpenter, Tom, be just what Matt needs to settle down? Could the adventurous safari guide, Matt, be exactly what is lacking in Tom’s life?

It's Total-E-Bound's birthday today, and to celebrate they're giving 25% off all eBooks, all day on Friday, July 8, 2011.

http://www.total-e-bound.com/

To celebrate the release of my first two books in the Workplace Encounters series in PRINT, I'm doing some giveaways for them right here on goodreads.


http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
runs until March 21



http://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/sho...
runs until March 31


Good luck!!!

Serena