J. Alan Veerkamp's Blog, page 4
November 4, 2016
Brougham Hall by Nicki J.Markus #giveaway #romance #paranormal #regency
Brougham Hall
Nicki J. Markus
28 October 2016
Fireborn Publishing
Novel/MF/PNR/Gothic/Historical—Regency
Heat Level: 1
A family estate falling into ruin. A young woman thrown into an unfamiliar world. Two brothers at odds over their secret. And an ancient malice that threatens destruction and death.
December 1822, Wiltshire, England
When Catherine goes to live with her highborn cousin’s family at Brougham Hall, she expects restrictions on her previously free lifestyle and comments on her lack of social grace. What she does not anticipate is the loss of her heart, nor a web of dark family secrets that threaten the safety of everyone in the house.
Vampire twins Hal and James are Lord Grovely’s guests. Though close in some respects, the different approach each takes to his vampiric nature puts a strain on their relationship. Having hoped for a pleasurable sojourn, they find themselves drawn into an unfolding drama in which their brotherly bond will be sorely tested.
Audio Excerpt: https://soundcloud.com/nickijmarkus/brougham-hall-by-nicki-j-markus-mf-novel-excerpt
Fireborn Publishing: http://firebornpublishing.com/store/index.php?main_page=product_bookx_info&cPath=4&products_id=270
ARe: https ://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-broughamhall-2159814-153.html
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01M5GJXGJ
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01M5GJXGJ
Print Promo Offer!
Save an awesome 20% if you buy the paperback direct from Createspace during the first month of release.
Use Promo Code: 8VJLDMWH
https://www.createspace.com/6676311
Excerpt:
She shivered as she peeled off her layers of clothing. It was cold in the room now night had fallen, so she did not dawdle, wanting to get beneath the blankets and warm her frozen skin. She slipped into her shift and bed jacket, and then tucked the loose strands of her hair into her night cap. Ready at last, Catherine turned back the bed, extinguished the lamp, and climbed in.
The darkness in the room was absolute. The lack of illumination in the hallway beyond precluded even a sliver of light from entering the chamber, and Catherine found her other senses heightened by the restriction on her vision. As she lay there, she heard creaks and groans, and the wind buffeted the windowpane as it roared past. Somewhere outside, an owl hooted. Then came whispers. It sounded as if two people were talking in urgent, hushed tones. Their voices were soft at first but grew louder as they approached, even though Catherine could not make out the words they spoke.
“Who’s there?” Her own voice sounded tremulous and high.
She listened, but the voices were gone. No, not gone; they had never been there to begin with. She was exhausted, and this was her first night in a strange house and an unfamiliar bed. It was natural she would feel anxious and hear things that were not there. Nonetheless, if she carried on in this manner, she would soon convince herself a ghost was hovering at the foot of her bed, and that was nothing but nonsense. With this reprimand in mind, she closed her eyes and settled down to sleep.
Author Bio & Links
Nicki J. Markus (aka Asta Idonea) was born in England, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.
Nicki launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, Nicki works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theatre, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel; all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.
Blog: http://www.nickijmarkus.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickijmarkus/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+NickiJMarkusAstaIdonea
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4567057.Nicki_J_Markus
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamarkus
Amazon Author US: http://www.amazon.com/Asta-Idonea/e/B00RMGGVYO
Amazon Author UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asta-Idonea/e/B00RMGGVYO
Giveaway
I am offering an eBook copy of my MF PNR short story Canção do Amor to two lucky readers. To be in with a chance to win, please comment on this post, telling me your favourite historical period. I will review comments across all participating blogs at the end of the tour and will randomly select the winners, whom I will contact privately by 6 November, as well as announcing them on my FB and Twitter feeds. (Prize value US$0.98 / GB£0.99)
November 2, 2016
Innocence & Carnality Part Two – Ch. 2 #mmromance #freereads #steampunk #lgbtbooks
Now continuing our our tale… how will Nathan’s visit to the doctor go?
We’re ready to resume our story of Nathan Valencus and his odious marriage to Lord Rother Marsh Delaga III. We’re going to pick up where we left off, but if you missed Part One you can catch up on the link below which will take you to the story page on Gay Authors.org where it’s hosted:
Click Here for access to Innocence & Carnality Part One
As much fun as doing the weekly Wednesday Briefs posting for Part One, the 1k word limit per week was working against me. Given it’s size, I decided I was too impatient to share Part Two. So each Wednesday I will share a preview of each chapter along with the link to the full chapter on Gay Authors.
So off to Ch. 2!
Ch. 2
Reserved for the lower classes, and highly frowned upon, it was no secret the Victorian elite never set foot inside of a doctor’s office. Physicians were scorned by the apothecarian profession who continued catering to noblemen and royalty even as the medical field flourished in the wake of the Victorian plague before I was born.
I never understood the appeal of the antiquated profession.
On closer study, it made little sense to make such religious use of men whose skills were part alchemist and part tribal medicine man. Steeped in the past, apothecarians balked at any attempt towards innovation to their craft. It was common knowledge they wielded enough ability to be useful, but their social status is what kept us at their doorstep. The Monarchy’s fanatical attachment to apothecary traditions spilled down to those houses who wanted to remain in his royal good graces.
Continue Reading Ch. 2 on Gay Authors.org
or
Start Innocence & Carnality Part Two from Ch. 1
October 30, 2016
The House Guest by Asta Idonea #mmromance #excerpt #paranormal #lgbtbooks
The House Guest
Asta Idonea
28 October 2016
MLR Press
Short Story/MM/PNR
Heat Level: 4
Zach is thrilled with his new flat, until strange noises disturb him. Who wanders his home at night, laughing and singing, and why is the place always spotless when he never cleans? There was no mention of a house guest in the contract, but it seems Zach has a nocturnal visitor.
Bogdan never expected to end up in Zach’s tiny flat, but now that he’s here, he intends to make the best of it. Zach seems preferable to his last master, and he waits for the right moment to announce his presence. He doesn’t count on Zach’s determination to seek out the truth himself in the meantime.
Audio Excerpt: https://soundcloud.com/nickijmarkus/the-house-guest-by-asta-idonea-mm-short-story-excerpt
Buy Links
MLR Press: http://www.mlrbooks.com/ShowBook.php?book=AI_HSGST
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-thehouseguest-2159826-340.html
Amazon US: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MCZ5J4D
Amazon UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01MCZ5J4D
Excerpt
“Ha, ha, ha!”
Zach shot upright and blinked into the darkness. He strained his ears, listening for the smallest of sounds, but the flat was silent, save for the gentle creak of the window when the wind buffeted against it and the refrigerator’s soft hum. For a moment, he could have sworn he heard laughter, but it must have been his imagination, or else the remnants of a dream he had not realized had begun. Chastising himself for his jumpiness, he settled back down.
“Ha, ha, ha!”
This time he was certain it was no dream. There was laughter coming from within the flat. Someone was in the next room. For all he’d joked earlier in the day about how ridiculous the idea was, it turned out there was an intruder in his home.
Zach gripped the covers and wondered what to do. He’d left his mobile in the lounge when he went to bed, so he couldn’t call for help without going out there. What was the best way to deal with an intruder? Should he stay still and quiet and hope the man—the voice had sounded male—left without attacking him, or should he get up and attempt to scare him away by catching him in the act? Either seemed risky, but he needed to decide one way or the other. For a moment, he wished his older brother were there. Steven was a black belt in karate and a weightlifter. His strong build was better suited to putting robbers to flight than Zach’s skinny frame. However, Steven wasn’t present. He had no choice but to handle this alone.
Author Bio & Links
Asta Idonea (aka Nicki J Markus) was born in England, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.
Asta launched her writing career in 2011 and divides her efforts not only between MM and mainstream works but also between traditional and indie publishing. Her works span the genres, from paranormal to historical and from contemporary to fantasy. It just depends what story and which characters spring into her mind!
As a day job, Asta works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys music, theatre, cinema, photography, and sketching. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel; all of which have provided plenty of inspiration for her writing.
Blog: http://www.nickijmarkus.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nickijmarkus/
Google+: https://plus.google.com/+NickiJMarkusAstaIdonea
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4567057.Nicki_J_Markus
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamarkus
Amazon Author US: http://www.amazon.com/Asta-Idonea/e/B00RMGGVYO
Amazon Author UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Asta-Idonea/e/B00RMGGVYO
October 26, 2016
Innocence & Carnality Part Two – Ch. 1 #mmromance #freereads #steampunk #lgbtbooks
Have I made you wait long enough?
We’re ready to resume our story of Nathan Valencus and his odious marriage to Lord Rother Marsh Delaga III. We’re going to pick up where we left off, but if you missed Part One you can catch up on the link below which will take you to the story page on Gay Authors.org where it’s hosted:
Click Here for access to Innocence & Carnality Part One
As much fun as doing the weekly Wednesday Briefs posting for Part One, the 1k word limit per week was working against me. Given it’s size, I decided I was too impatient to share Part Two. So each Wednesday I will share a preview of each chapter along with the link to the full chapter on Gay Authors.
So let’s not waste any time to getting to Ch. 1!
Ch. 1
Sixty-four separate discs were poised to randomly interchange position along the main cylinder. With the clockwork driven spin, their carefully positioned studs would strike the interior metal comb, playing tones which blended into hours of music to fill the Delaga House salon. Its construction was ingenious. The coiled spring inside would continually reset providing uninterrupted play until stopped. Employee and client alike would be entertained through the evening as coin and assignations changed hands.
This should have been a pleasant distraction, except the damned thing didn’t work.
Disgusted, I tossed my monocle on the floor. I’d viewed each gear and piston from every angle and magnification. Precisely balanced, each delicate movement fit perfectly in place and performed when tested, yet still refused to function as a whole. Each machination appeared correct, yet wasn’t.
Continue Reading on Gay Authors.org
October 23, 2016
Book Tour! On Fire by Alicia Nordwell #interview #mmromance #lgbtbooks #contemporary #firefighters
A special thanks to Alicia Nordwell for letting me be part of the blog tour for her new release, On Fire from Dreamspinner Press!
Alicia was kind enough to answer a few question in a mini interview to give us a little background into the author who spends a great deal of her time as an admin for the site Gay Authors.org where I started my own M/M writing.
Alicia also took the photo of the snail below. I love to see people who can dip their toes into multiple genres/creative disciplines.
Let’s get on to the interview and then the book promo! I know you want to read all of it!
What are you wearing (and no fibbing!)?
Green cargo pants, black t-shirt, and my Seahawks Conference Championship hoodie. Go Hawks!! Anything under that is for me to know and none of you to find out! LOL
What’s something personal about you people might be surprised to know?
Social anxiety has a bit of a grip on me. I’m seriously people phobic. Put me in a room with a few people and I’m fine. I can chat casually with strangers and be okay. But I’ve never been to a concert and never will. Black Friday shopping is a no go. My skin crawls, my hands clench on the cart or whatever is within reach, and by the time whatever crowded event is over, I’m exhausted. I’d rather stay home and read!
If you were writing a book about your life, what would the title be?
Bitch. Seriously, I can tell so many stories that revolve around me and my attitude. Most common phrase put on my report cards growing up? Insubordinate. Anger management class at 16 for objecting to the phrase (never kick them when they’re down!). Oh, and the fact that my family laughs whenever I get mad at them for saying I’m going to bitch out customer service for some issue. It’s called constructive hostile negotiations, people! Get it right!
Is there a literary character (in the whole universe of fiction) that you’ve read who you really identified with?
Hester Prynne from The Scarlet Letter. I grew up in a tiny town, and I never felt like I fit in. The things I wanted, the way I acted, were looked at sideways. If they’d known I was bisexual? I definitely would’ve been a complete pariah. I always admired her courage and strength of self when there was nothing to do but endure the evil from other people.
What’s the best part of being an author?
Getting to make shit up. LOL
(Insert Extra Washington Picture and Post Material Here)
Blurb:
Nothing beats getting out of the concrete jungle and into the quiet of the forest. Website designer Scottie Ness is taking a well-deserved vacation from the grindstone, and he plans to spend it in the solitude of Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest around Mt. Adams. He’s prepared for everything—except the lightning storm that traps him in a wildfire.
The firefighter who rescues him sustains serious injuries and ends up in the hospital. Jax Quintero might be abrasive, but the guy saved his life, and Scottie wants to thank him. As they spend time together during Jax’s recovery and exploring the state’s landmarks when he’s released from the hospital, Scottie discovers there’s more to Jax than a smart-ass adrenaline junkie. Jax reassesses his opinion of Scottie as an arrogant city boy who has no business in the mountains. Though Jax’s wounds prevent them from taking things as far as they’d like for a while, they can’t deny the heat building between them—and this is one fire they don’t want to put out.
Buy Links:
Dreamspinner Press: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/on-fire-by-alicia-nordwell-7675-b
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Fire-States-Love-Alicia-Nordwell-ebook/dp/B01M119A79/
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-onfire-2142835-149.html
B&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/on-fire-alicia-nordwell/1124772923?ean=2940157073725
Excerpt:
Chapter One
“WHAT EXOTIC tropical locale are you going to spend your vacation drunk in?” Carter leaned back in his chair so he could see into Scottie’s cubicle. He smirked. “Or are you hitting the casinos in Vegas to make your fortune and leave all of us to toil away in the trenches alone?”
“Neither. Hiking and camping in the Gifford Pinchot around Mt. Adams.” Scottie adjusted a line of code, and the website header widened. “I’m all set to go in the morning.”
“Seriously? You have a week off in August, and you’re going to waste it trudging through the dirt and pine trees when you could be lounging on the beach somewhere?” Carter shook his head. “Wouldn’t catch me doing that. Aren’t there bears and cougars up there?”
Scottie shrugged one shoulder. “I might see a bear, if I’m lucky. Cougars are actually pretty shy.”
“You want to see a bear?”
“It’d make a great picture.” The website he was working on needed to be visually appealing on both computers and mobile devices, and he was having a hard time focusing. “It’s Friday. Don’t you have some reason to duck out and start the weekend early?”
“Nope. Miranda, Tark, and I are all going out for happy hour at Corrigan’s, but not until six. Don’t try to change the subject. You know you can take pictures at the beach, right? White sand, crystal blue water, and palm trees swaying in front of the setting sun.”
“Dime a dozen. I like living in Washington because we have so many places where I can take beautiful nature photos. Coastline, rivers, lakes, mountains, even the desert, all within a few hours’ drive. Besides, I’m still paying off my student loans. I don’t have money for expensive vacations.”
“Two words. Credit cards.”
Of course. Carter wore name-brand shoes with his fancy suits and never brought a lunch, preferring to order takeout. He’d graduated a year before Scottie, so it wasn’t like he made that much more money. “One word. Stupid.”
Carter rolled his eyes. “Whatever, man. When I take my week off next month, I’m going to Hawaii. Hotel on the beach, coconut drinks, and chicks in bikinis. Any women you come across in the campground will probably be covered in pitch and pine needles.”
“I’m not going to stay in the campgrounds. I’m hiking and camping off the trails, and for the most part, I won’t see any people at all.”
A look of horror crossed Carter’s face. “Seriously?”
He nodded. “I used to go camping with my family all the time growing up. We’d hike, fish, roast hot dogs and marshmallows over the fire. It’s peaceful.”
“Whatever, man. When you get munched on by a bear, can I get your chair?”
It was Scottie’s turn to roll his eyes. “I’m not going to get eaten by a bear, and your chair is the same as mine. Why would you want it?”
“I spilled fish sauce on mine earlier this week, and now it smells funny.”
“Well you can’t have my chair, and I’ll notice if there’s a fish funk on mine when I get back, so don’t even try to switch them. Don’t you have a project to finish? I have to get this done before I leave.”
“Fine, fine.” Carter rolled back to his desk. “Have fun communing with wildlife.”
SCOTTIE ROLLED up his backpacking tent with an extra tarp and fastened it to the bottom of his pack. His sleeping bag, a change of clothes, survival kit, portable stove, water filter, and food fit inside. The rest of his camping gear was piled along the wall, taking up most of the living room floor in his postage stamp of an apartment. He plopped down on the couch with a beer and opened his laptop.
Using a red highlighter, he outlined the trails he planned to take and marked his base camp as well as his possible overnight camping sites before printing out two copies. Picking up a pen, Scottie scribbled his full name, the dates of his trip, and what kind of vehicle he was driving on the back of one map. He’d drop it off at the ranger station before he stopped in Trout Lake for some sandwiches. No idea what they did to make them taste so great, but they were way better than anything he could make. He’d have to stop by the ATM on the way out of Vancouver to pick up some cash.
Now that he had all the nitty-gritty survival stuff out of the way, he had to get his photography equipment in order. Scottie didn’t spend much money on himself, but he had a nice Canon camera, lenses, a flexible tripod for his hiking pack, and a bigger telescoping tripod in its own bag. Using a polishing cloth from his cleaning kit, Scottie went over every piece of glass in his camera bag, making sure all the lenses and filters were spotless. Photography might be just a hobby, but he took pride in getting that one shot that made all the hard work worth it.
He’d finished his beer by the time he had the last memory card and battery stowed, and he waffled on what he wanted to do. He’d been up since six, worked a full day, and finished getting all his camping gear ready to load in the morning, but he wasn’t tired enough to go to bed. The weather report he checked promised sunny days and clear nights—though it wouldn’t be nearly as warm around Mt. Adams as it would be in Portland.
Author Bio:
The number one question folks ask Alicia when she shares she’s a MM romance author: “Why gay fiction? Why write men when you’re a woman?” and her answer is: “Why the hell not!” Alicia Nordwell is one of those not so rare creatures, a reader turned writer. Striving to find an interesting story one day, she decided to write what she wanted instead. Then the voices started… Yep, not only does she talk about herself in the third person for bios, she has voices in her head constantly clamoring to get out. Fortunately, with the encouragement of her family and friends, she decided for her own sanity to keep writing.
Now you can find her stories both free and e-published. When she’s not on the computer typing away, she’s a wife and a mom of two in the dreary, yet ideal for her redhead complexion, Pacific Northwest. Except for when she disappears into one of the many worlds in her head, of course! She can also be found quite often at her blog, where she has a lot of free fiction for readers to enjoy or working hard, or maybe hardly working, as an admin on GayAuthors.org under her online nickname, Cia.
Social media:
Cia’s Stories: http://www.ciasstories.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alicia.nordwell
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliciaNordwell
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4479520.Alicia_Nordwell
October 22, 2016
September 30, 2016
Blog Tour! 7 With 1 Blow by Caraway Carter #excerpt #mmromance #bdsm #lgbtbooks
OMG, the title alone makes me want a copy! Check out Caraway Carter’s new release,
7 With 1 Blow as we kick off his blog tour with an exclusive excerpt!
Thank you for hosting me today, Mann. I’d like to kick off this post by tossing in an exclusive excerpt from 7 With 1 Blow.
Excerpt
He spent his days reading, walking, and regaining his strength. The first day, he managed to pace across the room, from the open wall behind the pallet to the toilet alcove, four times. The second day, he increased it to six. By the third day, he was able to rise from the pallet and walk his room eight times, then nine, then ten before his knees started to shake again and he landed in a heap on the pallet.
Over his meals and between walking sessions, he read from the books on the shelves. Books on BDSM, books on bondage, books on slave training—but also Victorian novels, what he thought of as “highbrow smut”—about people more than sex…and first aid. He even made notes, in the crabbed handwriting he’d never been able to teach anyone else to read.
I’ve been talking with a few people about 7 With 1 Blow, and they’ve admitted to me that they were unfamiliar with some specific terms that they don’t use in their day-to-day lives.
Today, I present you with the definition of BDSM. The Urban Dictionary defines it: An overlapping abbrevation of Bondage and Discipline (BD), Dominance and Submission (DS), Sadism and Masochism (SM).
BD: People who enjoy being tied up or tying people up, as well as various forms of discipline (including but not limited to) spanking, flogging, paddling, orders-giving and taking.
D/s: Represented with a capital D and a lower-case s to symbolize the relationship between the two people. This is all about power exchange – the dominant takes power from the submissive.
SM: Sadomasochism, which is the giving or receiving of pain as pleasure.
(definitions from my husbear.)
7 With 1 Blow came about because I had been given the prompt of a fairy tale, the tale I received was The Giant & The Tailor, or The Brave Little Tailor. I almost didn’t write the story, because it’s my least favorite fairy tale. There is no moral, because the Tailor lies and cheats throughout the entire story and gets everything he wanted in the end.
Around and around I went, trying to figure out how I could turn it into a romance, and a mm romance at that. What came out of my head and my pen, was a modern BDSM parable, 7 With 1 Blow: A tale of redemption. In the end, I chose to make my little tailor into Taylor Little, known to many as Dom Seven, with a better, more realistic ending.
It’s not specifically a romance, though there are aspects of love that find their way through the various relationships in the story. There are so many levels to BDSM, that it’s nearly impossible to put them all in one book, and I feel I’ve only scratched the surface in 7 With 1 Blow.
Be sure to check out the other blog posts, I’ve got a few more stops where I’ll have more exclusive excerpts and will explain a few more aspects of BDSM found in my upcoming release: 7 With 1 Blow
AVAILABLE 10/21
7 With 1 Blow
Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing
Cover Artist: Caraway Carter
Genre: Erotic/BDSM
Length: 46,000 Words
Rating: Adult/Mature
PREORDER NOW
Beaten Track Publishing
Amazon: US I CA I AU I UK I DE
All Romance
Barnes & Noble
Kobo
Smashwords
Blurb
When Taylor Little, who styles himself “Dom Seven,” is unwillingly taken into custody by the Cadre, he is put between a rock and a hard place. Either he will go to jail for his abuses against the local BDSM community, or he will accept retraining from the bottom up, learning to be a slave before he ever lays a flogger on another human being again.
In this tale of redemption, Taylor must face his demons as he learns to accept his status with mouth, mind, and heart.
WARNING: This story contains scenes of sexual intimacy and BDSM.
Excerpt
The man of the evening arrived—late as usual, but no one was surprised. It was just his style. During his few short years in the Scene, Taylor Little had gathered quite a following between customers, hangers-on, flatterers, and the occasional scene partner. It wasn’t the most experienced or the most prestigious crowd in the local Scene—in fact, many of Little’s followers were even less experienced than he was—and people had noticed. Important people, people who could make or break a new Dom.
Not that Taylor Little cared. He’d ruined munches, crashed play parties, and generally acted like an arrogant banty rooster in a too-small hen yard. It wasn’t surprising when he would show up at a munch, poach an inexperienced boy, and put him on the web in a BDSM porn shoot a week later; it was just inappropriate.
His lateness was also par for the course. Taylor Little—who called himself “Dom Seven”—made his elaborate entrance. Normally, his slaves crawled before him, regardless of the venue or whether it was appropriate. The sharper-tongued members of the Scene whispered that it was because of his height, which, even with his heavy boots, topped out at five foot seven. But this time, his current slave walked in front of him, shirtless, his neck enclosed inside a black leather collar. A chain snaked away from the collar’s single jump ring and into Taylor’s black-gloved hand.
In an uncharacteristic nod to propriety, Taylor had had this slave wear dirty white Converse tennis shoes and tight black jeans, with a thick black leather belt. As they entered the room, a scowl crossed Taylor’s face. It were as if no one had paid attention to anything he had done with his slave; the crowd was still looking at Mistress Joan.
Taylor and his slave were the only ones not looking at Mistress Joan. Instead, Taylor looked around the room to see if anyone was checking out his new boy while the slave kept his own eyes focused on his shoes. Not a single soul was looking their way. With a frown and a muttered command, Taylor tapped the slave on the shoulder. The boy nodded his head and dropped to his knees as Taylor looked around for an open chair. As the boy fell to the ground, the door of the backroom swung shut so that no one, aside from those gathered in the room, was witness to the slave boy’s further humiliation.
About the Author
Caraway Carter has worn numerous hats. He’s been a furniture salesman, a dresser, a costumer, an actor/waiter, a rabble rouser, a poet and most recently a writer. He married his husband on Halloween and they are the loving parents of an adorable cat, named Molly. He loves words and stringing them together, he loves sex and sexy men. He loves seeing how far his muse will take him and he’s looking forward to entertaining you.
Caraway Carter | Facebook | Goodreads | Instagram | Pinterest | Twitter
Blog Tour Schedule
September 30th: Mann Ramblings Lila Leigh Hunter
October 7th: Dawn Sister
October 14th: A.M. Leibowitz
October 15th: Posy Roberts
October 17th: Hans M Hirschi
October 21st: *RELEASE DAY* Aisling Mancy Louisa Bacio Tammy Middleton April Kelley
October 22nd: Nic Starr
September 26, 2016
Cover Reveal! On Fire by Alicia Nordwell #mmromance #comtemporary #statesoflove
I want to share a big thank you to my host for featuring the cover reveal today for my latest Dreamspinner Press release, On Fire, made by Garrett Leigh. Without further ado…
A fun tidbit: I actually took the picture of the mountain (it was not on fire at the time, lol)
A picture is definitely worth a thousand words when it comes to a cover, and these guys are hot, but I bet you’d like to know more about their story, so here goes!
Blurb:
Nothing beats getting out of the concrete jungle and into the quiet of the forest. Website designer Scottie Ness is taking a well-deserved vacation from the grindstone, and he plans to spend it in the solitude of Washington’s Gifford Pinchot National Forest around Mt. Adams. He’s prepared for everything—except the lightning storm that traps him in a wildfire.
The firefighter who rescues him sustains serious injuries and ends up in the hospital. Jax Quintero might be abrasive, but the guy saved his life, and Scottie wants to thank him. As they spend time together during Jax’s recovery and exploring the state’s landmarks when he’s released from the hospital, Scottie discovers there’s more to Jax than a smart-ass adrenaline junkie. Jax reassesses his opinion of Scottie as an arrogant city boy who has no business in the mountains. Though Jax’s wounds prevent them from taking things as far as they’d like for a while, they can’t deny the heat building between them—and this is one fire they don’t want to put out.
Where can you pick up your copy?
On Fire is available for pre-order at Dreamspinner Press now!
https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/books/on-fire-by-alicia-nordwell-7675-b
Contest!!
Because I love my fellow readaholics, I’m giving away a $5 gift card to Dreamspinner Press to celebrate finally being able to share On Fire’s awesome cover and my photo inspiration for Jax and Scottie.
About the Author:
The number one question folks ask Alicia when she shares she’s a MM romance author: “Why gay fiction? Why write men when you’re a woman?” and her answer is: “Why the hell not!” Alicia Nordwell is one of those not so rare creatures, a reader turned writer. Striving to find an interesting story one day, she decided to write what she wanted instead. Then the voices started… Yep, not only does she talk about herself in the third person for bios, she has voices in her head constantly clamoring to get out.
Fortunately, with the encouragement of her family and friends, she decided for her own sanity to keep writing. Now you can find her stories both free and e-published. When she’s not on the computer typing away, she’s a wife and a mom of two in the dreary, yet ideal for her redhead complexion, Pacific Northwest. Except for when she disappears into one of the many worlds in her head, of course!
She can also be found quite often at her blog, where she has a lot of free fiction for readers to enjoy or working hard, or maybe hardly working, as an admin on GayAuthors.org under her online nickname, Cia.
Blog: http://ciasstories.blogspot.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/alicia.nordwell
Twitter: https://twitter.com/AliciaNordwell
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4479520.Alicia_Nordwell
September 21, 2016
Queer Sci Fi 2016 Anthology – Flight #scifi #lgbtbooks
I’m so freaking excited to having been chosen to be part of Queer Sci Fi’s anthology, Flight.
Get a feel for this amazing project and get your copy below!
Publisher: Mischief Corner Books
Author: Various
Cover & Illustrations Artist: Mila May
Length: 33.6 K
Format: ebook, print
Release Date: General release 9/21/16
Pairing: LGBTIQA
Price: $4.99 eBook, $12.99 print b/w*, $24.99 print color*
*Book contains 5 illustrations inside.
Blurb :
A 300-word story should be easy, right? Many of our entrants say it’s the hardest thing they’ve ever written.
Queer Sci Fi’s Annual Flash Fiction Contest challenges authors to write a complete LGBTQ speculative fiction micro-story on a specific theme. “Flight” leaves much for the authors to interpret—winged creatures, flight and space vehicles, or fleeing from dire circumstances.
Some astonishing stories were submitted—from horrific, bloodcurdling pieces to sweet, contemplative ones—and all LGBTQ speculative fiction. The stories in this anthology include AI’s and angels, winged lions and wayward aliens. Smart, snappy slice of life pieces written for entertainment or for social commentary. Join us for brief and often surprising trips into 110 speculative fiction authors’ minds.
Excerpt:
Smoke, by Zev de Valera
He rubbed his temples and squinted at the soft light of his surroundings through the fans of his thick eyelashes. The last drink had been a mistake.
Was that a shaker he’d felt, or the onset of a hangover?
He clutched a silken pillow and waited.
Suddenly, he felt his home tremble; a few pieces of glass
and ceramic ware teetered and then fell to their demise.
Shit. This is the real thing.
With an effort, he hauled himself from his bed.
How many years had it been since the last one?
Sixty? Seventy?
The shaking ceased, and he looked around his small dwelling. A model unit when he’d purchased it. Now filled with the result of years of collecting: a gramophone, a first generation television set, a water clock. And much more. All of it all had sentimental value—as did the photos of the various men that sat atop or alongside the items in his collection. Some of these men had loved him. All of them had once owned him. Now he owned their memories. That was the bargain.
Another shake. Followed by several unnerving tilts. He willed his cherished possessions to remain in place and willed himself into sobriety and a more becoming appearance as he prepared himself for work.
What to wear?
He selected a red brocade tunic and pants. A classic look always worked best for the initial consultation.
A resounding thud.
He peered up into the small shaftway at the center of the ceiling.
A pop.
Then a small circle of light at the end of the shaft.
He sighed, folded his arms, and transformed into a cloud of red smoke.
Up and away to meet his new master.
Judge’s Choice — J. Scott Coatsworth
Illustration samples inside the book. Gorgeous!
Buy Links Etc:
Publisher (info only, no buy link yet): http://www.mischiefcornerbooks.com/flight-qsfs-third-annual-flash-ficiton-contest.html
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01L0R0JRK
Apple: Coming soon
Barnes & Noble: Coming soon
Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/flight-49
Smashwords: Coming soon
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31686600-flight
Goodreads Series Page: https://www.goodreads.com/series/187509-qsf-flash-fiction
Author Bio:
In the first year of the Queer Sci Fi Flash Fiction contest, we received about 15 entries for the theme “Endings”. In the second year, it was 115 for “Discovery”.
This year, we had more than 170 entries from people around the world, and from all parts of the LGBTIQA rainbow. “Flight” represents 110 of those people and their stories.
The authors:
Colton Aalto
Kiterie Aine
Odin Alexander
John Allenson
Tam Ames
R.R. Angell
Bran Lindy Ayres
Jeff Baker
Jessica Bansbach
J.P. Barnaby
Capri S. Bard
Jonah Bergen
Michael J. Bode
L.M. Brown
Marie Brown
Michelle Browne
‘Nathan Burgoine
Iona Burnfield
A.M. Burns
Katelyn Cameron
Hank T. Cannon
Foster Bridget Cassidy
Skylar M. Cates
H.J. Chacon
M.A. Church
Rebecca Cohen
S.A. Collins
J. Comer
Ross Common
Elliot Cooper
Gretchen Crane
Jase Daniels
Claire Davis and Al Stewart
Avery Dawes
Zev de Valera
Bey Deckard
Jana Denardo
Nicole Dennis
Kellie Doherty
Jude Dunn
Tray Ellis
Rhi Etzweiler
Thursday Euclid
K.C. Faelan
Christina Mary Francis
L.E. Franks
J.R. Frontera
Liz Fury
Elizabella Gold
Ofelia Gränd
S.E. Greer
M.D. Grimm
Jenna Hale
Kaje Harper
Qaida Harte
Saxon Hawke
Kelly Haworth
Cheryl Headford
Valentina Heart
Jaylee James
Jambrea Jo Jones
Michael M. Jones
Ryvr Jones
Ellery Jude
Jon Keys
K-lee Klein
Jennifer Lavoie
A.M. Leibowitz
Mario K. Lipinski
L.V. Lloyd
Clare London
Meraki P. Lyhne
Lloyd A. Meeker
Eloreen Moon
John Moralee
Christopher Hawthorne Moss
E.W. Murks
Rory Ni Coiliean
Jackie Nacht
Thea Nishimori
Bealevon Nolan
Alicia Nordwell
Mathew Ortiz
Nina Packebush
Donald Qualls
Kirby Quinlan
Mann Ramblings
Loren Rhoads
Jojo Saunders
Brent D. Seth
L.M. Somerton
Rin Sparrow
Andrea Speed
Paul Stevens
Ginger Streusel
Jerome Stueart
Julia Talbot
Jo Tannah
Natsuya Uesugi
T. Allen Walton
A.T. Weaver
Missy Welsh
Eric Alan Westfall
Brandon Witt
Alexis Woods
Christine Wright
P.T. Wyant
Victoria Zagar
September 20, 2016
Priest & Pariahs gets a guest spot on JM Synder’s blog. Take a peek!
J.M Synder has graciously offered to host me on his blog! Check it out and show some love! It’s loaded with content and I’m thrilled to see Priest & Pariahs on the page.
http://jmsnyder.com/mann-ramblings-on-priest-and-pariahs/
