Racheline Maltese's Blog, page 32

Do the Thing! There are no days off

Racheline and I are recovering from an all-nighter of being insanely productive in Philadelphia, and now we’re taking advantage of the lull of the holidays (before, of course, the rush of the holidays) to get stuff done.

Of course there will be days this week when we can’t do much work. There’s family and friends to see and food to cook and The Hobbit to watch (although I think that one might just be me). But just because it’s the holidays doesn’t mean we’re going to stop doing work.

It can be hard to fit in Things when there are a million chores and family obligations to attend to. And sometimes at the end of a busy night I just need to sit with my cats and stare at the wall. But there are actually no days off. There are days of getting up half an hour early to check the notes we left each other on the project we’re hoping to finish before the new year, of writing in the passenger seat of a car and of breaking stories in email via phone — with every email an hour after the last one, because I’m playing video games with my cousins.

But it’s okay to take breaks from the crush of everything, both the work and the festivities. Family takes work, whether you like them or not. It’s okay to take time from all of that — both from the family to get a bit of something done for yourself, or even just to catch your breath, and from the work, to recharge and enjoy whatever brings you joy in this season.

There’s never enough hours in a day to get everything done we need or want to, and the holidays just mean there are more things we’re trying to fit into the same amount of hours. So tell us in the comments how you cope with the season, and we wish everyone the very best of luck with work and celebration alike.

 

Free books from Torquere: Day 10

Through December 24, Torquere Press is giving away ebook copies of one or two titles through their website all day every day.  I’ll be posting them here so that you can make sure to grab them.

Today’s books are T.C. Blue’s Conventional Wisdom and Sean Michael’s Between Friends.

Conventional Wisdom

When B-list syndicated TV star Lucas runs into Gaming-goth-geek Trent in the hotel bar the night before the convention starts, he isn’t expecting to become attached. And since Trent is obviously out of touch with television, Lucas figures he’s safe using his ‘con name’, Bill Speare. When Trent– Mainstream Video clerk and goth with big dreams–meets a stellar hottie who seems to be into him, he goes with it, happy to be free of his recent dry spell.

But one night turns into so much more, and when he finds out that his very temporary lover has been lying to him about something as unimportant yet vital as his name, he gets… miffed. Thanks to a new acquaintance, Cindy Lou, Trent works through his anger in a drunken evening, and when he finally goes to see Bill –Lucas– he’s figured it all out.

So has Lucas, and the two men do what comes naturally to them, but can they come to an explosive and enjoyable conclusion?

 

Between Friends

Two very different couples. Two very different lives. Yet somehow they manage to keep things between friends.

Schoolteacher Jason and Harry the cop have a pretty good life together. Or at least they always have in the past. When Harry starts acting strangely, withdrawing from Jason and displaying bouts of mysterious anger, Jason starts to wonder if he’s losing his hold on what he and Harry share.

He turns to his friend Samuel, a college roommate, for a little moral support. Antique dealer Samuel has enough on his plate, buying a new house with his lover, Peter, and keeping up with their inventive love life.

Luckily for Jason, Samuel’s lover, Peter, is also a good friend of Harry’s. When Peter hears about the troubles between Harry and Jason, he forces Harry to confront his demons, and to give Jason the chance to help.

Can Harry and Jason come to terms with secrets that might change their lives forever? With Samuel and Peter’s help, they just might, as they find out what friends are for, and what it means to let someone help share the load.

Sean Michael creates a finely woven web of friendship, where two couples and two sets of friends become family, and where the intricate dance of everyday life comes alive in the most beautiful way.

Free books from Torquere: Day 9

Through December 24, Torquere Press is giving away ebook copies of one or two titles through their website all day every day.  I’ll be posting them here so that you can make sure to grab them.

Today’s books are Carole Cummings’s Aisling Book 1: Guardian and Jane Davit’s Wild Raspberries.

 

Aisling Book 1: Guardian

Constable Dallin Brayden knows who he is, what he’s about, and he doesn’t believe in Fate. ‘Wilfred Calder’ has no idea who he is, what he’s about, and has been running from Fate for as long as he can remember. When Wil is brought in for questioning as a witness to a brutal murder, and subsequently flees, Dallin is dragged by duty into the chaos of ancient myth, fanatical religion, and the delicate politics of a shaky truce between two perpetually warring countries, all of which seem to hinge on the slender shoulders of the man he knows is not Wilfred Calder.

The eventual capture of Dallin’s quarry only makes matters worse. Wil is prickly and full of rage, rebellious and lethal, and tells an unbelievable tale of magic and betrayal that threatens to rock the carefully cultivated foundations of Dallin’s world. Leery and only half-believing, Dallin finds himself questioning not only his own conscience and his half-forgotten past, but the morality and motives of everyone around him, including those who hold the power of his own country’s fate in their hands.

 

Wild Rapberries

When Daniel Seaton inadvertently trespasses on Tyler Edward’s land, things almost go very, very wrong. It’s bad enough that Dan’s a runaway, but when Tyler nearly shoots him on sight, Dan knows he’s in trouble. Tyler’s got a lot of years under his belt, and his past doesn’t let him accept strangers easily. Dan’s situation is dire enough that Tyler takes him home, at least for a little while, and that turns out to be a good decision when Dan decides to stay on and help out with the chores.

Tyler might be learning to trust, and Dan might be settling in to a new life, but things are not always what they seem. Between interfering friends, injuries, and their attraction to each other, Tyler and Dan have plenty of troubles. More trouble turns up in the form of Tyler’s past, which catches up to them with a vengeance, and they decide to start a new life together, one that requires them to leave everything behind. Can they overcome what lies in the past to have a future with each other?

Avian30 Housekeeping

As we’re coming to the end of the year, and ramping up to the release of Doves in January, we’re dusting up around the site.

Primarily,  the links to all our reviews media appearances are here, and now we’ve added our guest blog posts to that collection.

Our blog tour for Starling was busy, and the tour for Doves is already much bigger. We’ll be tweeting and tumblring the Doves posts when they come out as usual, but we’ll also update that page  with all the links, so check back regularly!

Free Books from Torquere: Day 8

Through December 24, Torquere Press is giving away ebook copies of one or two titles through their website all day every day.  I’ll be posting them here so that you can make sure to grab them.

Today’s free books brought to you by Torquere and also Philadelphia, where Racheline and I are holed up for the weekend writing.

Today’s giveaways are Shira Glassman’s The Second Mango and CB Conwy’s A Russian Bear.

 

The Second Mango

Queen Shulamit never expected to inherit the throne of the tropical land of Perach so young. At twenty, grief-stricken and fatherless, she’s also coping with being the only lesbian she knows after her sweetheart ran off for an unknown reason. Not to mention, she’s the victim of severe digestive problems that everybody think she’s faking. When she meets Rivka, an athletic and assertive warrior from the north who wears a mask and pretends to be a man, she finds the source of strength she needs so desperately.

Unfortunately for her, Rivka is straight, but that’s okay — Shulamit needs a surrogate big sister just as much as she needs a girlfriend. Especially if the warrior’s willing to take her around the kingdom on the back of her dragon in search of other women who might be open to same-sex romance. The real world outside the palace is full of adventure, however, and the search for a royal girlfriend quickly turns into a rescue mission when they discover a temple full of women turned to stone by an evil sorcerer.

 

A Russian Bear

To Mischa, life is simple. Doms are Doms and subs are for fucking, flogging, and bossing around. Until he meets Tom, that is. Tom is deeply offended when the stranger in the bar takes him for some kind of slave boy. Well, offended and more than a little excited by the thought of surrendering to Mischa. Mischa being Mischa, their meeting results in Tom losing his virginity in a way that’s hotter than even his wildest fantasies.

Mischa is drawn to Tom and makes another appointment. And then another, initiating Tom to every kink Mischa knows. They aren’t scenes, of course, because Mischa has a “one boy, one scene” rule. But then again, Tom isn’t exactly like his usual boys, and Mischa finds himself falling in love, though nowhere near ready to admit it. Luckily, Tom isn’t exactly your stereotypical slave. Life is good — until Tom gets attacked, and Mischa has to fight harder than ever to make Tom realize that he isn’t going anywhere.

Breaking down Evergreen’s five big adjectives

We keep saying Evergreen is an interracial, biexual, polyamorous, Hollywood, holiday romance (and yes my fingers are starting to hurt from typing that so often). Today on the Torquere blog, we talk a bit about what we actually mean by that.

Free books from Torquere: Day 7

Through December 24, Torquere Press is giving away ebook copies of one or two titles through their website all day every day.  I’ll be posting them here so that you can make sure to grab them.

Today’s giveaways are Voss Foster’s Zirkua Fantastic and Ari McKay’s Herc’s Mercs: The Bigger They Come.

 

Zirkua Fantastic

Zirkua Fantastic has been running steadily since 1753, amazing its patrons with acts of otherworldly skill and prowess. But that talent comes at a steep price: each artist must give a year of his or her life to the circus. None of them know why, only that the circus’ owners will go to whatever lengths are necessary to ensure it. Toby, the hoop dancer at Zirkua Fantastic and son of one of the owners, is content with his life: he enjoys performing and Zirkua’s wandering life, and even has a boyfriend among the circus’ hawkers. But when a new artist arrives, bringing with him a strange flask and a number of odd occurrences, Toby falls face-first into the truth behind the circus: Its contracts bind King Jester, the immortal embodiment of chaos.

Zirkua’s performances and contracts have held King Jester prisoner for centuries, but now something’s amiss. King Jester’s sister, Dragon, has escaped her own bonds and is working to free her brother, and his power is growing. If he is loosed on the world, it will mean the worst war in human history and the end of civilization… unless Zirkua Fantastic can find a way to stop him.

 

Herc’s Mercs: The Bigger The y Come

Cade “Hercules” Thornton is an ex-Marine and soldier of fortune; now he’s the owner of Hercules Security, which provides the best bodyguards in the business. After his leg was crushed and reconstructed, Cade doesn’t do field work anymore – until a challenge is issued to him by wealthy Kate Morgan, who wants her “bookish” grandson protected from a stalker. She insists on having the very best bodyguard available, and that is Cade himself.

But there is nothing laid back or bookish about Dr. Jude Morgan. Having lived under the thumb of his grandmother his entire life, Jude is insistent that he doesn’t need a babysitter. Sparks fly when Cade tries to insinuate himself into Jude’s life, and Cade knocks Jude on his ass – literally.

Yet the danger to Jude is real, and Cade is the only thing standing between him and an increasingly more terrifying stalker. Cade’s protective feelings for his client become something more, while Jude begins to realize that his brawny, neo-Viking protector is a man unlike anyone he’s ever known. Yet as Cade and Jude grow closer, so does the danger.

Cade will stop at nothing to protect Jude, but Jude’s stalker is determined to get his man – even if he has to kill Cade Thornton to do it.

Free books from Torquere: Day 6

Through December 24, Torquere Press is giving away ebook copies of one or two titles through their website all day every day.  I’ll be posting them here so that you can make sure to grab them.

Today’s giveaways are Eden Winters’s The Angel of 13th Street and V.L. Locey’s All I Want for Christmas.

The Angel of 13th Street

The Angel. That’s what the young hustlers call Noah Everett, the man who’ll help them get off the streets. Once a hustler himself, Noah doesn’t take his own good advice, which is, “Don’t let this ruin your life.” Haunted by the past and those he couldn’t save, Noah carefully keeps others at bay until his self-imposed loneliness is shattered by determined, ambitious, but homeless eighteen-year-old Jeremy Kincaid.

A ruthless pimp has targeted Jeremy, but if Noah will fight to get anonymous young men out of the life, he’ll fight harder to keep Jeremy from getting in, even if it means a return to old stomping grounds to make a deal with the devil. To save Jeremy, Noah risks more than just his body. He risks his soul as well, because Willie Carnell, pimp, was once Billy Cordell, Noah’s lover.

Jumping Into Things

Alexander Dawson thought this Christmas would be a lonely one. He has no way of knowing that his cantankerous cat, Mister Tibbets, will turn a simple online shopping trip into a cataclysmic Christmas conundrum. Alex ends up on a madcap dash to another state during a snow storm to return a painting to dreamy wildlife artist, Cooper Reynolds.  Once he stumbles across Cooper’s remote log cabin, he and the sexy but emotionally distant painter end up sharing more than a kiss under the mistletoe.

Things aren’t all holly-jolly for the men though. Cooper gets a terrible case of icy feet, and Alex hits the road as soon as the snowplow clears it, feeling hurt and angry. Can Alex, Cooper, and their feline friends find a way to have purrfect holiday together?

Both books will be available for free on the Torquere website in ebook format until 12 midnight CST.

The Awesome Women of Love in Los Angeles, Part 8: Darcy DeRosier

Of the fabulous new women that are introduced in Doves, Darcy is one of our absolute favorites. She’s eighteen. She grew up in New York. She’s a theater brat and has a bevvy of younger siblings — who are also theater brats. Her parents changed the family’s last name so their kids would have more memorable stage names. She was on Broadway for years before she moved out to L.A. to star in Paul’s new T.V. series Winsome, A.Z. And she has a talent for saying things that are absolutely, completely filter-free, self-interested, and industry-hostile. But since she’s bouncy and pretty and charming, she gets away with it. She’s baffling enough that most people don’t take her too seriously at all, but smart enough that she uses that to get exactly what she wants.

Alex likes her immensely, but whenever he has to deal with Darcy and Liam in too-close proximity, he usually just ends up moaning at Paul about the horror of former child stars. They’re incredibly different people who share a streak of certainty that those around them are interested in their every utterance.

Darcy is smart, fierce, and driven, and she is determined that she’s going to make it in L.A. Of course, because it’s Darcy, it’s not like she has much doubt about the sure success of her own future.  She was a Broadway star, and now she’s going to be a T.V. star, even if that involves making her name for herself playing a recent high-school graduate running a prostitution ring in a tiny truckstop town in the American Southwest. And she doesn’t care in the least if being America’s new favorite call girl is going to ruin her little sister’s chances of playing baby Cosette. That’s her parents’ problem now.

Free Books from Torquere: Day 5

Through December 24, Torquere Press is giving away ebook copies of one or two titles through their website all day every day.  I’ll be posting them here so that you can make sure to grab them.

Today’s giveaways are Huston Piner’s My Life as a Myth and Julia Talbot’s Jumping Into Things.

My Life as a Myth

It’s 1969 and high school freshman Nick Horton has got problems; he’s an easy target for bullies, he’s a social outcast who dreams of being popular, and he doesn’t understand why he’s just not attracted to girls. So after a series of misunderstandings label him a troublemaker, he’s delighted when Jesse Gaston and his gang befriend him. But while Nick just wants to explore his growing attraction to Bobby Warren, Jesse’s campaign to give him a new image soon transforms the shy loser into an anti-establishment student hero and before long, Nick discovers that if it wasn’t tough enough just pretending to be straight, now he’s got to act cool too! As Nick strives to understand his emerging romance with Bobby he also finds himself besieged by would-be girlfriends. At the same time, he also has to deal with increasingly dangerous goings-on at school and the Vietnam War’s destructive impact on his family.

Nick’s freshman year is a remarkable journey of ridiculous misadventures, unexpected psychedelic explorations, and tragic turns of fate.  Is a world still reeling from the sexual revolution and the illicit pleasures of marijuana and underage drinking ready to accept two boys in love? Can Nick and Bobby’s relationship survive a world where acid rock rules, status is everything, and being gay is the last taboo? My Life as a Myth is an often humorous but ultimately heartbreaking story of a boy’s struggle with sexual identity and first love in a violent and hostile world.

Jumping Into Things

What are the odds that two different brothers will find the man of their dreams in one summer?

What are the odds that those two brothers will both like men?

The Thatcher brothers will make you forget the odds. In this double novella, each brother tells his own tale. There’s Jed, pilot and all around good old boy, gets more than the one night stand he bargained for with an adrenaline pumped smoke jumper who makes him as horny as he does crazy. And Ross, Airborne jump instructor and man’s man, finds a sweet young thing he can’t resist, and follows in his big brother’s footsteps.

Likeable men, hot sex, and a great sense of detail make these brothers believable, even when you think the odds are against them.

Both books will be available for free on the Torquere website in ebook format until 12 midnight CST.