Jocelynn Drake's Blog: Announcements, page 18

SURPRISE! Unbreakable Stories: Snow is now available!

Surprise! Happy New Year!

From Rinda:

This has been a rough year for a lot of people, myself included. I thought about going into some of the things that made it difficult for so many but decided not to. Let's keep this wonderfully positive!

You see, Jocelynn and I are doing something a little crazy. We're used to release dates and sending out ARCs and setting up pre-orders...but instead, we said "Screw this, Let's end 2016 on a better note!"

Not only are we revealing this stunning cover—seriously, Designs by Drake rocks hard—we’re also early releasing Snow’s compilation of short stories and novelette. Like Lucas’s, we included the free online stories so they're in one convenient place, but we also made some extra sexy. In addition, you get three completely new stories and a novelette! Revisit all our guys for some laughs and some HOLY HELL HOT Snow and Jude time.

So happy New Year readers! We appreciate you guys more than you know! You actually made 2016 so much nicer for us. Links to purchase below! (I left this cover large because DAMN, right?)



Amazon

Smashwords

Shiver Is on Sale!

Rinda and I are hoping to have some news very soon, including a cover reveal of Unbreakable Stories: Snow .

We are both excited about this compilations of short stories and a novelette. They are sure to warm these cold, winter days. Like, really, really warm. If you've read Shatter , you know that Snow and Jude bring the heat!

But we have something very special going on this week.

You can get SHIVER for only $0.99 and jump into the adventure now before Snow's compilation releases.
It's a great time to start a new series!
If you've not jumped on Shiver yet, here's a quick description of the book:

Lucas Vallois is always in control. He’s building an empire in the glittering city of Cincinnati and created his own family from his three close friends. The self-made millionaire has everything he wants within his tight grasp. But his world starts to crumble after he’s jumped by a trio of thugs late one night after leaving a club. The warning is clear—give up his new property venture or end up dead.

Caving to the demands of his friends, Lucas accepts the help of bodyguard, Andrei Hadeon, as he hunts for the source of this new threat. But as Lucas gets closer to uncovering the danger, he realizes the sexy Romanian bodyguard poses an even bigger risk to his carefully constructed world. Trapped by a need he never expected, Lucas must find a way to deny the shiver of longing he cannot control.

His brother. His warrior. His heart. Four friends. Unbreakable bonds.

And once you finish Shiver, you can get a little more of Lucas and Andrei's story with a special collection called, Unbreakable Stories: Lucas. This collection features several short stories and a novelette about a Thanksgiving you don't want to miss.

Then you're ready to jump into the next novel, Shatter, where you will learn Snow and Jude's story. What's great is that very soon we will have Snow's collection available!

Join the Unbreakable adventure now...

Shiver is on sale at these outlets!

Amazon

Barnes and Noble 

All Romance

iBooks

(We're still waiting for Kobo to update the price.)

Wishing You Many Great Books for the Holidays

Merry Christmas!

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Kwanzaa!

Merry Festivus!

Happy Saturnalia!

Merry Winter Solstice!

and...Happy holidays from Rinda and me!

We hope that you spent this wonderful time of year surrounded by family and friends. We hope your days are filled with love, laughter, and maybe a little magic.

My husband and I have exchanged gifts and I gotta say that I think I made out like a bandit. I got a new Darth Vader t-shirt and Batman t-shirts that kick ass. I also got the Ultima Guide for the new Final Fantasy 15 video game. So when I'm not tinkering with the next Unbreakable Bonds book, I'm going to be gaming for the next few days.

But first... we are going to see the new Assassin's Creed movie!

It's 80 degrees and sunny here in South Florida so it's sometimes hard to remember that it's Christmas, but I'll take it over bitter cold. My husband is prepping the turkey for dinner this evening and I think we're going to snuggle up together in the air conditioning to watch National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation.

As you can see, we've got some great plans for the day. I'm hoping to do a little reading as well. I recently read Merry Christmas, Mr. Miggles by Eli Easton and Found at the Library by Christi Snow. I loved them both and I think you should check them out!

If you're looking for more holiday fun, check out my holiday reading list here.

You can also read the special free holiday short story we recently released for Noah and Rowe. To read Mistletoe, click here.

And don't forget, you can also check out my first Christmas novella. It's not a part of the Unbreakable Bonds series, but it's a lot of fun and set in Cincinnati. To check out Walking on Thin Ice, click here.

Regardless of how you celebrate, we wish you the happiest of holidays during this joyous season. I wish you many great books and many great laughs.

To London and Back Again...

I’m back. If you’re a member of our exclusive Facebook Group -- Unbreakable Readers -- you know that I recently took a business trip to London for my day job. It was my first trip to London and I have to admit that it was absolutely fabulous, even if it was colder than hell. (Keep in mind that I’ve lived in South Florida for a few years now; anything under 65 degrees constitutes “colder than hell” for me.)

Between meetings, articles, and finishing up edits for the upcoming Unbreakable Stories: Snow collection, I got to do some sightseeing, which I’ve got admit was a hard thing to do. We had two days to tackle as much of the city we could. That’s not nearly enough time to seriously chip away at the city, but we made a good attempt.

I will say that one of the best ways to see a lot is through the Hop-On-Hop-Off double-decker bus tours. You get to ride around the city in one of those big red buses and have a tour guide telling you all the bits of history and interesting secrets of the city.

Jumping on the bus, we passed by St. Paul’s Cathedral, which I believe is one of several churches designed by Christopher Wren.

Our first stop was the very necessary Tower of London. While known as a prison, it was first designed as a fortress to keep people out rather than to keep people in. We joined up with a tour led by Billy Beefeater, who in a very loud voice told some absolutely fabulous stories and jokes. We learned about the Traitors Gate, the Bloody Tower, the church where two of King Henry the VIIIth’s wives are buried, and visited the crown jewels. (I’ll admit that while looking at the jewels I couldn’t help but think of the Sherlock episode where Moriarty breaks in and sits wearing them all.

And of course, from the Tower of London you can easily see the Tower Bridge where it crosses the Thames. We were lucky to have a nice, mostly sunny day for wandering around the city and taking pictures.

After tackling the Tower of London, we got back on the bus (warmed up because it was cold out there) and traveled down along the Thames to see Westminster Palace (which is more commonly referred to as Parliament) and Big Ben (which isn’t the name of the clock tower - just the name of the bell in the clock tower). And yes, I did make the National Lampoon’s European Vacation joke several times (Hey, look kids. Parliament! Big Ben!)

By now it was late and cold. We were starving. So we got back on the bus and rode around until we reached a place called Green Park. I can’t tell you exactly where we were, but we found a great place to grab a yummy lunch. And considering how much walking we were doing, we treated ourselves to dessert.

From lunch, we rode a bit and then ended up walking down Regent Street. It reminded a lot of Fifth Avenue in NYC. They had it decorated with these amazing angels in white lights above the streets. We also walked through Picadilly Circus. (Let me just say that this circus didn’t come with elephants or clowns) but had the same kind of lights and insanity of Times Square in NYC.

Our hotel on the Strand was also close to Covent Garden. It has all these great shops and an open market. I might have done a little shopping there. The church there is also known as the Actor’s Church because street performers have been putting on little shows in front of that church since the days of Punch and Judy.

Of course, I also saw Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, and the National Gallery in passing. We attended an amazing in the West End called Peter Pan Goes Wrong. It was the story of Peter Pan, but just imagine everything that could possibly go wrong in a play… well, it happened and it was hilarious. I’ve never laughed so hard.

But one of my favorite places was the British Museum. Oh my god! I loved that place and it was FREE!! Actually many of their museums and galleries are free. We had only a few hours to wander through it on Sunday and I feel like we barely made a dent. I love all the little bits of history. We actually saw the Rosetta Stone!

Unfortunately, there wasn’t time for the mummies, but that just gives me another excuse to go back.

Sadly, I didn’t spend nearly enough time there to write a book set in London from the eyes of a local. However, it might be interesting to write a story set in London told from the point of view of two clueless tourists…. Hmmm….I wonder if I could talk Rinda into a story like that….

And if you haven't joined our Facebook Group yet, you might want to consider it. This is a great place to discuss the Unbreakable Bonds series, get early sneak peeks, and hear news first.

Happy Holiday Reading

We did it! We survived Thanksgiving and now we're rushing headlong into the holiday season that includes decorating, parties, dinners, family, drinking, and hopefully lots of good memories. Even though I'm in South Florida, I still have warm memories of cuddling up on cold nights, a brightly lit Christmas tree, and a cat snuggled in my lap as I watch White Christmas with someone I love.

It's been a divisive year and we're entering the holidays feeling a little battered, bruised, and worried about what will happen next. But I think it's important to enjoy a little holiday cheer. While things are at their darkest, it's important to remember that there are friends and family out there who can shine a light on the shadows. That love will still win.

So in the spirit of love and hope and a little holiday magic, I thought I would create a quick list of some of the newest Christmas stories that have been released. Theses are not listed in order of preference. (In fact, I haven't read any of these yet but I bought them all over Black Friday weekend and I'm digging in through the end of December.)

Merry Christmas Mr. Miggles by Eli Easton

Toby Kincaid loves being the junior librarian in his hometown of Sandy Lake, Ohio. He spends his days surrounded by books and chatting with the library patrons. He especially adores the head librarian, Mr. Miggles, who is kind, witty, knowledgeable about everything, and hopelessly addicted to Christmas. Sean Miggles is also pretty cute—especially for an older guy who wears ties and suit pants every day.

But Sean keeps himself at a distance, and there’s a sadness about him that Toby can’t figure out. When Sean is accused of a crime he didn’t commit, he gives up without a fight. Toby realizes that he alone can save the library—and their head librarian.

Toby will need to uncover the darkness in Sean’s past and prove to him that he deserves a second chance at life and at love too. And while Christmas miracles are being handed out, maybe Toby will get his own dearest wish—to love and be loved by Mr. Miggles.

 

Santa Baby (Minnesota Christmas Book 4) by Heidi Cullinan

Trimming the tree is more fun with three.

Twin Cities developer Dale Davidson has come to Logan, Minnesota, to turn it into Christmas Town, not to give in to Arthur Anderson’s offer to join him and his fiancé, Gabriel Higgins, for a Christmas Eve threesome. Dale is polyamorous, but it’s clear Arthur is offering a night of fun and nothing more. Maybe one night with the couple he admires so much won’t hurt…

Together the three of them light a fire hot enough to boil Lake Superior in January, and one night of fun becomes an extended engagement as Dale puts down some tentative roots in his new hometown. Everyone loves Dale, Logan’s own Santa Claus, and somehow no one knows what wild times are happening right underneath their noses. No one knows, either, the complicated ways they’re falling in love with one another.

But a shadow from Dale’s past emerges, an abuser threatening him with violence and shame. Ronny doesn’t want a happy ever after for Dale, only to draw him back into a consuming darkness. It will take the love of not only Gabriel and Arthur but all of Logan to convince their Santa he has nothing to be ashamed of—and that he will always have a home in their hearts.

Freckles by Amy Lane

A 2016 Riptide Holiday Charity Novel

Carter Embree has always hoped to be rescued from his productive, tragically boring, and (slightly) ethically compromised life. But when an urchin at a grocery store shoves a bundle of fluff into his hands, Carter goes from rescuee to rescuer—and he needs a little help.

Sandy Corrigan, the vet tech who helps ease Carter into the world of dog ownership, first assumes that Carter is a crazy-pants client who just needs to relax. But as Sandy gets a glimpse into the funny, kind, sexy man under Carter’s mild-mannered exterior, he sees that with a little care and feeding, Carter might be Super-Pet Owner—and decent boyfriend material to boot.

But Carter needs to see himself as a hero first. As he says good-bye to his pristine house and hello to carpet treatments and dog walkers, he finds that there really is more to himself than a researching drudge without a backbone. A Carter Embree can rate a Sandy Corrigan. He can be supportive, he can be a hero, he can be a man who stands up for his principles!

He can be the owner of a small dog.

Gingerbread by Avery Ford

"I've been hurt too many times...I'm not giving my heart away again."

Alex MacElhaney doesn't know what to do with children. He's more than satisfied with his two English Setters, Molly and Duke, and his fledgling bakery business. But when an emergency with his sister in law's family leaves him in charge of his two nephews in the weeks leading up to Christmas, Alex buckles in for a crash course in parenting.

"A second chance with the one man who unintentionally broke my heart?"

Police officer Kellen Walker's deepest wish is to have a husband and children. The happy families he sees all around him at Christmastime leave him feeling cold and alone. He'll never have that - coming out as gay would break his ailing father's heart. The only thing he can do to combat his loneliness is to throw himself even further into his work, burying his needs in service to others.

"Is their love strong enough to risk everything?"

When Kellen investigates a break in at Alex’s bakery, he comes face to face with the one man who almost tempted him into defying his father and coming out – but that’s in the past. Kellen resolves to do his job and be the friend that Alex wanted all along. But when Alex suggests a Christmas fling, can they both love the other without their hearts getting attached?

Gingerbread is a steamy, standalone gay romance novel, with a happily ever after ending and no cliffhangers. It is set in the same world as Protector - Reed and Logan's story.

A Cop for Christmas by Jamie Fessenden

Mason Collier isn’t big on authority figures. When Office Steve Coleman pulls him over and gives him a speeding ticket, he doesn’t react well. He’s even less happy when he discovers the cop lives next door to his parents’ house.

No matter where they turn this holiday season, Steve and Mason keep running into each other, and whenever they talk for more than a minute, they piss each other off. But from wayward dogs to Christmas tree hunts to maple syrup festivals, it proves impossible to avoid each other in the small town.

If Mason can see the good man behind the badge, he might just get a cop for Christmas.

 

A Christmas Hex by Jordan L. Hawk

A Hexworld Short Story

Roland knows he will never find love. Everyone views wolf familiars like himself as dangerous beasts, unable to rein in their savage impulses. He’s resigned himself to his fate—or so he thinks, until he meets the dashing Augustus Cao. His witch.

Gus is on the trail of a gang of thieves, and Roland holds an important clue. Even though they can never bond, Roland can’t pass up the opportunity to spend a night with his witch.

Can Roland conceal his secret, while helping Gus catch the thieves? Or will the handsome detective be the one to steal his heart?

 

A Family for Christmas by Jay Northcote

Zac never had a family of his own, but Rudy has enough to share.

Shy, inexperienced Rudy has a crush on Zac from the moment his new colleague walks through the door. On an office night out before Christmas, Rudy finds the courage to make a move, and they form a tentative bond. When he discovers Zac will be alone at Christmas, he invites Zac to come home with him.

Zac prefers to keep people at arm’s length. Yet when Rudy offers him a family Christmas it’s impossible to resist. With no parents of his own, Zac is pleasantly surprised to be welcomed by Rudy’s. The only drawback is that everyone assumes they’re a couple. Unwilling to disappoint Rudy’s mum and make Christmas awkward, they decide not to deny it.

It’s not a chore for Zac to pose as Rudy’s boyfriend, but the pretence makes him want things that scare him—things like a real relationship with Rudy. Zac’s suffered enough rejection in his life already and is afraid to risk his heart. If he can get over his past rejection and let Rudy inside his armour, he might get more for Christmas than he ever imagined.

This story is a standalone book with a satisfying happy ending.

A Christmas Kiss by Anabelle Jacobs

Keeping secrets from your best friend isn’t right, but it’s easier than admitting you’ve fallen in love with him.

Sharing a late-night kiss with his best friend, Alex, is Riley’s dream come true. Waking up to discover Alex was too drunk to remember anything is more like a nightmare. Scared the truth could destroy their friendship, Riley keeps quiet and pretends nothing happened.

Alex can’t shake the feeling that he said or did something stupid on their group’s drunken weekend away—why else would Riley be avoiding him? Although the explanation he finally gets sounds plausible, Riley’s still acting strange, and trying to figure out why that is unearths emotions Alex has worked hard to bury.

Riley knows not telling Alex how he feels is probably selfish, but he wants one last normal Christmas before he has to come clean and face the potential fallout.

 

A Protectors Family Christmas by Sloane Kennedy

It's the holidays for a group of very special men who've managed to become a family in the last year and while all the guys are coming together to celebrate Hawke and Tate's upcoming wedding, a few of them have big plans of their own...

A change of plans...
Newlyweds Ronan and Seth are settling into married life as Ronan considers his return to medicine and Seth starts dreaming of a future that may include the pitter patter of little feet a lot sooner rather than later.

Building a future...
Knee deep in wedding preparations, Hawke and Tate are celebrating something even more important - Matty's final round of chemotherapy treatment. As they anxiously await confirmation that their son is finally in remission, both men strive to give their little boy a normal life including a new house, playdates with Matty's new best friend, Leo, and a new support system of men and women who are starting to seem a lot like family.

An important question to ask...
Meanwhile, Mav is looking to make things official with Eli despite the young man's busy schedule with medical school. But before he can ask the man of his dreams that very important question, he has to get past Eli's family first, including a posse of two overprotective fathers, several intrusive uncles and a little girl who just wants to brush Mav's hair!

Figuring it all out...
With Memphis, Brennan and Tristan settling into their newfound relationship and our favorite threesome from New York visiting for the wedding, there are plenty of chances for old friends to connect and new bonds to be formed.

The best kind of chaos...
And of course, what wedding wouldn't be complete without a little drama including some white hot sexual tension between a not so old grandfather and a certain cocky bodyguard? Add in some more Barrettis, a couple of precocious kids, several dogs, one spoiled cat and a gaggle of new, hot alpha men and you've got the perfect storm for a holiday that only the Protectors could pull off!

*Includes a special bonus scene at the end of the book!

**NOTE: THIS IS NOT A STANDALONE STORY - It features previous characters from all of the "Protectors" series books.***

Alone for Christmas by Ashley John

Noah expected to spend Christmas alone, but he never expected to spend it falling in love with his boss.

With his third divorce looming and his bank accounts frozen, Chip Harington was surprisingly okay with spending Christmas alone, even if he was living out of a suitcase in his office. He had already decided to skip the office Christmas party, until some surprising words from one of his employees makes him change his mind.

Noah always expected the crush for his boss to fade, but after two years working under Chip, his feelings are stronger than ever. With Chip’s personal life in tatters once more, Noah never expected his boss to show his face at the office Christmas party, so he was even more surprised when his drunken attempt to kiss Chip turned into so much more.

Chip assumed his encounter with Noah was nothing more than a one-night stand, but when his employee emerges from a snowstorm on Christmas Eve, they are forced to spend Christmas together in a London office block. With the lines between employer and employee blurred, will either man emerge from the snow the same, or will their Christmas encounter change the course of their lives forever, making them wish they had spent Christmas alone after all?

 

And well.... I couldn't leave this one out:

Walking on Thin Ice by Jocelynn Drake

It’s not easy for Spenser Roland to admit it, but he needs help. Christmas is just a few days away, and he can’t face the idea of showing up to his family’s gathering alone … again. They want to see him happily settled, but Spenser doesn’t date. He can’t risk it if he wants to protect his family. But one unexpected night with Evan Scott has him thinking that maybe he can strike a deal that will make his family happy and give him a little holiday cheer as well.

Evan never should have accepted a ride home from the sexy-as-hell corporate executive, but he’s proud that he stuck to his guns. He’s done with the one-night stand game. He wants something real. Something that lasts. But when Spenser returns, asking him to pose as his boyfriend over the weekend at a Christmas celebration, Evan is sure he’s lost his mind.

But he can’t say no.

Maybe it’s the shadow of loneliness in Spenser’s bright blue eyes that’s too much like his own. Or maybe it’s his heart-stopping smile.

Either way, Evan knows he’s on thin ice with Spenser, risking his own rules and heart, but Spenser is worth the risk.

I hope this list helps to get your holiday season started off right! Happy holiday reading!

Don't Miss the Black Friday Book Sale

Happy Black Friday!

With any luck, you've survived Thanksgiving and slept off the turkey and multiple pieces of pie. For me, it was definitely the mashed potatoes and the homemade rolls that did me in. I can never say no. 

If you are one of the brave souls who has ventured out to take advantage of the Black Friday sales, I salute you. My Black Friday is going to be spent doing one of four things: play video games, watching movies with my husband, working on the Unbreakable Stories: Snow collection, or ... reading books. Because is there really any better way to spend a long weekend?

To help you kick off the holiday season in just the right fashion, Rinda and I are taking part in All Romance Ebooks Black Friday sale! That means that all of the Unbreakable Bonds novels as well as my new holiday novella (Walking on Thin Ice) are 25% off.

This is the perfect time to stock up on books. There are so many authors and publishers who are taking part in the sale. Load up that e-reader right now!

But you have to remember that this sale is for one-day only. Many books will be heading back to full price again on Saturday.

You've survived your first mega holiday with the family.

You've survived the mountain of dishes.

You've survived the inevitable arguments over the presidential election.

And you've survived Black Friday shopping with the rest of the masses.

Don't you think you deserve a treat?  I do.

Now... we are required to be fair to all the vendors... so when Rinda and I have a discount of the books on one site, we technically have to put them up on all the sites. If you prefer Barnes & Noble or Amazon or Kobo or iBooks... our books are on sale there as well. (But if you haven't tried out All Romance Ebooks, I suggest you definitely give them a look. They have some great deals that you're not going to find on the other vendors.)

To make it easy for you, I've got some handy dandy links below to the major vendors and our series:

All Romance Ebooks - Unbreakable Bonds and Walking on Thin Ice

Amazon - Unbreakable Bonds

Amazon - Walking on Thin Ice - Christmas Novella

Barnes & Noble - Unbreakable Bonds

Barnes & Noble - Walking on Thin Ice - Christmas Novella

Kobo - Unbreakable Bonds

Kobo - Walking on Thin Ice - Christmas Novella

iBooks - Unbreakable Bonds and Walking on Thin Ice

Smashwords - Unbreakable Bonds and Walking on Thin Ice

I hope you get the chance to load up on some awesome books. Kick back. Relax. Read a great book!

Release Day: Walking on Thin Ice

It's release day! Happy new book Tuesday! Check your kindle! Check your e-reader! There should be a new book waiting there for you.

Walking on Thin Ice is out today! And I'm so excited to share this wonderful little book with you. I loved working on this one. I think I needed a little holiday cheer and some warmth and sweetness.  That is definitely what you've got with this Christmas novella.

If you haven't heard about this book yet, here is a quick description:

It’s not easy for Spenser Roland to admit it, but he needs help. Christmas is just a few days away, and he can’t face the idea of showing up to his family’s gathering alone … again. They want to see him happily settled, but Spenser doesn’t date. He can’t risk it if he wants to protect his family. But one unexpected night with Evan Scott has him thinking that maybe he can strike a deal that will make his family happy and give him a little holiday cheer as well.

Evan never should have accepted a ride home from the sexy-as-hell corporate executive, but he’s proud that he stuck to his guns. He’s done with the one-night stand game. He wants something real. Something that lasts. But when Spenser returns, asking him to pose as his boyfriend over the weekend at a Christmas celebration, Evan is sure he’s lost his mind.

But he can’t say no.

Maybe it’s the shadow of loneliness in Spenser’s bright blue eyes that’s too much like his own. Or maybe it’s his heart-stopping smile.

Either way, Evan knows he’s on thin ice with Spenser, risking his own rules and heart, but Spenser is worth the risk.

The holiday novella is approximately 42,000 words and is a stand-alone story with an HEA. You can order your copy here:

All Romance Ebooks

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iBooks

Happy reading and happy holidays!

Sneak Peek of Walking on Thin Ice Novella

We are just one week away from the release of Walking on Thin Ice ! This lovely little Christmas novella will be out on Tuesday, November 22.

While I will agree that it's a bit early for a Christmas story -- it's not even Thanksgiving yet and that's breaking my own rules -- I think we've all reached a point where we need a little sweetness and love and laughter in our lives. And that's what this Christmas novella is.

Sneak Peek

For the first time since he’d met Evan, Spenser watched him close up. His smile disappeared and the light dimmed in his eyes. “No, my family is dead,” he softly replied, crossing his arms over his chest. “What about you? Big family plans for this weekend?”

Spenser grunted, trying not to clench his teeth at the idea of being trapped in his family home for four days. “That’s why I’m here. I want to ask a favor.” He paused and licked his lips, trying to find the words to continue. “I want you to come with me.”

“Where?” Evan’s hands slid back down to rest on the edge of the island and his brow furrowed. “To your family shindig?”

“Yeah, as my boyfriend.”

Evan burst out laughing, nearly falling over in his amusement, and Spenser sighed. Yeah, that’s the kind of response he’d been expecting. The whole idea sounded ridiculous, but he was positive this was the only way he was going to stay sane through the entire affair. He needed Evan there as a kind of buffer between him and his family. Evan, with his easy-going nature and gentle smile made everything lighter and uncomplicated.

When Evan finally stopped laughing, Spenser glared at him. He stood with his legs wide apart as if bracing for a fight.

“Shit. You’re serious,” Evan gasped, wiping the tears from the corners of his eyes. He shook his head and moved into the kitchen. “This is going to need something a little harder than milk.” He leaned under the sink and came back up with a bottle of Jack Daniels.

“Oh, now you bring out the alcohol!” Spenser snapped, crossing to the kitchen as Evan pulled out two glasses and started to fill them.

“Hey, I didn’t know this was going to be a drinking conversation,” he sharply replied. “Now why the hell do you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend?” He lifted his glass to his lips and then stopped, his eyes growing wide. “This isn’t how you plan to come out, is it? Just waltz in to Christmas dinner with a boyfriend in tow?”

“No! Of course not!” Spenser snarled before downing half the whiskey in his glass in a single swallow. “I told my parents the summer after my freshman year in college.”

Evan winced, sipping his drink. “How’d they take it?”

Spenser gave a little roll of his eyes at the memory. “My mother kissed my cheek and said, ‘That’s nice, sweetie,’ and my father brushed it off with a wave of his hand before he spent the next thirty minutes bitching about the fact that I didn’t ace my microeconomics and statistics classes.”

“You got lucky.” Evan’s voice was barely over a whisper. Spenser watched him, taking in the haunted look in his wide eyes that twisted something in Spenser’s chest. He had a feeling that Evan might not have been so lucky and he felt for him. Evan seemed to shake himself out of whatever memories he got lost in and looked up at Spenser. “Then what the hell do you need a boyfriend for?”

“I don’t need a boyfriend. I need a buffer. Someone to help distract my family so I can have a little space, a little breathing room.” Spenser drained his glass, willing the burning alcohol to go straight to his head so this damn conversation would go smoother. “They’re good people, but they drive me crazy. If I bring a guy home and call him my friend, they’re going to assume we’re fucking so I’m cutting out the middleman. Saying we’re dating saves time.”

“I don’t like the idea of lying to your family.” Evan shook his head and focused his gaze on the drink in his hand.

“We’re not dating.”

“Technically, we are,” Spenser countered, snapping Evan’s head up. “We’ve had two dates.”

“We have not!” Evan sounded torn between horror and laughter.

“Yes, I bought you a drink at a bar,” he said holding up one finger, “and then I bought you dinner at the restaurant,” he finished, ticking up a second finger.

“Yeah, you bought me a drink, but you didn’t ask me out to that bar. It’s where we met. That doesn’t count.”

“But the restaurant—”

“I asked you there.”

“Still counts.”

“It does not!”

“Why are you arguing about this? I thought you wanted to date.” A slow, evil grin spread across Spenser’s lips as he leaned across the island. “Am I not good enough to date you?”

Evan took a nervous step backward, his mouth opening and closing twice before he could make a sound. “What? You’re fucking insane.”

“You’re saying that you’re not interested in dating me?”

“I’m not answering that question, you psychopath,” he said with a laugh. Evan finished the last of his drink, trying very hard to glare at him. Spenser noticed the flush to his cheeks and he didn’t think it had anything to do with the alcohol. “You just want to ‘date me’ so I can act as this buffer,” he said making air quotes with his fingers. “It has nothing to do with me. And when you no longer need a buffer, I’ll be kicked to the curb. That’s not dating.”

Spenser smiled slowly and stepped around the island so that it no longer separated them. “Don’t sell yourself short. That’s four days and three nights you’re stuck with me. I’m sure we’ll find other ways to get along.”

“No!” Evan said sharply, taking a step backward.

Spenser quickly stepped back as well, holding his hands up. Apparently, his charm wasn’t going to work in that direction, which was unfortunate. Having Evan at his disposal for a few nights had been one of the bonuses to this plan. “I’ll behave as much as you want me to. We go to my parents, hang out, eat some good food. Nothing more.”

“Except lie to them.”

“What lies?” Spenser stepped back to the island and griped the edge. “They ask how long we’ve known each other?

We say, not long. How did we meet? At a bar. That’s about it and not one word of that is a lie.”

“You’re taking me to stay with your family for—how long did you say? Three nights. How do you know I’m not some psychopath, serial killer?”

Pushing away from the island, Spenser stepped closer to within a foot of Evan. To his relief, Evan held his ground, frowning up at him. Very slowly, Spenser reached up and ran his thumb along the stubble lining Evan’s hard jaw before sweeping it over his full bottom lip. “Because I’ve talked to you. Kissed you,” he whispered. He dropped his hand and flashed a wan smile. “I’ve kissed the crazy, stalker types. You’re not it.”

“Spenser…”

His name was a whisper and Spenser tried not to celebrate. Evan was weakening. “I’ll behave or misbehave as much as you want.”

“That’s not helping.”

“Then how about this? Would you rather spend the weekend with a bunch of loud, crazy but sweet people eating good food you don’t have to cook and sleeping in a comfortable bed or would you rather stay here, alone, eating cereal?”

Evan bit his lower lip, trying to hold back a smile. “You know, I think you’re underestimating the versatility and awesomeness of cereal.”

“And I am looking forward to spending the next four days debating the merits of cereal with you,” Spenser said, taking a step forward so that their chests bumped. Dipping his head, Spenser could feel Evan’s quick breaths dancing across his lips. “Now say yes.”

“Yes.”

“Thank you,” he said softly. “Can I kiss you?”

“Maybe.”

That wasn’t a no.

Cupping Evan’s cheek with his right hand, he held the man in place as he swooped in to steal a deep, searching kiss. Evan’s lips parted for him immediately, allowing him to dip his tongue into his mouth. He tasted of whiskey and a little something that was just Evan. The combination was a new kind of intoxicating that had Spenser wanting to stand there kissing him the rest of the night. He loved the contours of his mouth and the soft sounds bubbling up from him, demanding he deepen the kiss.

Evan placed his hands on Spenser’s waist, pushing him backward as they continued to kiss, pinning him against the island while Evan pressed his groin against Spenser’s. There was no missing his hard length as it rubbed against Spenser’s, wringing a groan out of him. Sliding his left hand down to grab Evan’s ass, he ground himself against Evan. This kiss was growing hotter by the second, tempting him to start pulling off Evan’s clothes. He hadn’t intended for this to happen at all and he needed to get it under control before he did something that convinced Evan to back out of their agreement.

Sucking on Evan’s lower lip, he slowly drew away, breaking off the kiss while keeping him pressed against him. Nearly black eyes stared up at him, glazed with lust, stealing Spenser’s breath away. What had he said? He was a good enough guy to deserve tomorrow. Yeah, Spenser was beginning to believe that too, but Evan didn’t fit the tomorrow that he had in mind and he needed to be careful. He had no wish to hurt Evan, especially when he was doing him a favor. But why did he have to be so damn sexy?

“This is going to be a long weekend,” Spenser murmured as he forced himself to release Evan and step to the side, putting some space between them.

With a shake of his head, Evan huffed a soft laugh. “Yeah.”

Spenser shoved his hands into his pockets to keep himself from reaching for Evan again. “That was the last one, I swear.”

“You sure?”

“Yes.” He ignored the pressure in his chest to see the wide, teasing grin return to Evan’s lips. “You deserve a lot more than the kind of tomorrow I have ahead of me. Remember that.”

 

Are you ready to get to know Evan and Spenser even more? Then make sure you pre-order Walking on Thin Ice now! To pre-order your copy, click here. The novella will be out on November 22.

Cover Reveal: Walking on Thin Ice

It's finally here!

I worked with the designer all weekend and we nailed down a cover for my upcoming Christmas novella, Walking on Thin Ice.

Are you ready for the official cover reveal?

 



 

 

I think it turned out lovely! I wanted something simple and eye-catching.

If you've not heard of this novella yet, here is a quick description:

It’s not easy for Spenser Roland to admit it, but he needs help. Christmas is just a few days away, and he can’t face the idea of showing up to his family’s gathering alone … again. They want to see him happily settled, but Spenser doesn’t date. He can’t risk it if he wants to protect his family. But one unexpected night with Evan Scott has him thinking that maybe he can strike a deal that will make his family happy and give him a little holiday cheer as well.

Evan never should have accepted a ride home from the sexy-as-hell corporate executive, but he’s proud that he stuck to his guns. He’s done with the one-night stand game. He wants something real. Something that lasts. But when Spenser returns, asking him to pose as his boyfriend over the weekend at a Christmas celebration, Evan is sure he’s lost his mind.

But he can’t say no.

Maybe it’s the shadow of loneliness in Spenser’s bright blue eyes that’s too much like his own. Or maybe it’s his heart-stopping smile.

Either way, Evan knows he’s on thin ice with Spenser, risking his own rules and heart, but Spenser is worth the risk.

The novella is with the proofreader right now, so we're making sure all the T's are crossed, I's are dotted, and I didn't go rogue with the commas. The 42,000-word book comes out on Tuesday, November 22. Just about two weeks!

Let Evan and Spenser help get you in the mood for the holidays!

To pre-order your copy, here are some links:

All Romance Ebooks

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Kobo

iBooks

Do You NaNo?

It’s November. A time of turkeys, colored leaves, pumpkin spice everything, football, cooler temperatures … and novel writing. If you haven’t heard, November is actually National Novel Writing Month, or NaNo for short. It’s a big deal.

It’s the time when people commit to putting their butt in a chair every day and writing 1,666 words each day. Now, 1,666 words per day doesn’t sound like a lot, but at the end of the month that’s 50,000 words. For some stories, that’s a novel. For others, it’s the start of a novel. The important thing is that you got your butt in a chair and churned out words. You did the thing that, until that moment, you were convinced just couldn’t happen.

I’ll admit that I attempt to NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month) every November. However, I am horrible at NaNo. No, really. I am. Almost every November, I am editing something rather than starting a brand new rough draft. Or I’m working on multiple project – like this year.

But to me, the point of NaNo isn’t hitting that word goal every day (though it does feel pretty awesome when you do). The point is committing to writing a book. It’s carving out time every day to get your butt in that damn chair and writing something.

Yes, I technically fail at NaNo every year. I start strong and fade as other deadlines and things come up. Does that mean I can’t write a book? Hell no. I’ve got well over a dozen completed that argue that I can write a book.

For me, NaNo is a reminder that I need to commit to my craft. That I need to get my butt in a chair and write even when I don’t feel like writing or when all the words hitting the page are pure crap. (Do you know what’s harder to edit than crap words? A blank page.)

So… that’s my call to action. It doesn’t matter if you hit the word count. You gotta just get your butt in the chair every freaking day and work.

What am I writing for NaNo this year? I’ve got quite a few projects in the hopper this year so I’m spreading my words across all of them most likely. Top projects are:


Devour – Book 4 of the Unbreakable Bonds story – I’ve already got a Lucas and Andrei chapter done and I’m so happy.

Novelette for Snow and Jude – We are going to be putting out the Unbreakable Stories: Snow short story collection this winter and we are writing a brand new novelette to include in the collection.

Christmas Novella – I have a Christmas novella (Walking on Thin Ice) coming out November 22 and I want to get started on next year’s Christmas story now.

Secret Project for my niece – My 9-year-old niece has requested that I write a book for her. She even sent me a rough plot synopsis. I’ve been trying hard to clear my schedule to sneak this in. I’ve never written for her age group so this will be an interesting adventure.


If you want to follow my progress on NaNoWriMo, my username is JocelynnD.