Marguerite Labbe's Blog, page 12

Jabbers

On March 18th I'mparticipating in The Romance Reviews Anniversary Party with a little Q&Aabout my latest release All Bets are Off.  This brings me to one of my favoritecharacters in the book, Eli's beagle Jabbers. I'd always been a German Shepherd girl myself, but after meeting myfriend's sweet beagle girl, I knew that was the kind of dog that Eli had tohave.
Jabbers became as much of a character asEli and Ash did.  He caused trouble forthe man who broke into Eli's house.  Hehad an unfortunate fascination with fisher cats.  And he was prone to getting his feelingshurt.  I've had many pets over the yearsand I'm always delighted by how expressive they are.  Jabbers was no exception.

This is how I pictured him as a puppy,thieving and running.  I can just imaginehow Eli reacted to that one given his love of baseball.  Knowing his luck, it was probably signed.  Eli's an English professor and he'sdefinitely a bit of a nerd when it comes to literature.  So of course he'd name his poor dog after acreature from a book.  Here's a littleexcerpt where Eli tells Ash just how Jabbers got his name. 
* * * * *
The sound of a dog's joyful bark came toAsh as he went around the side and let himself into the mudroom that seemed tohave its place in so many New England homes. He'd never understood the reasonfor it until his first winter in New Hampshire.
"Jabbers, don't you dare jump on him.Sit," Eli commanded as a beagle launched himself at Ash. The dog practicallyvibrated, he was so excited, but he sat himself down and looked at Ash withsoulful, pleading eyes and pitiful whines for attention.
"It's okay." Ash knelt down and rubbedJabbers's silky ears, grinning as the dog took that as permission and swarmedover him, tail wagging as he offered sloppy kisses. "Eli, that's cruel. Whatkind of a name is Jabbers for any self-respecting dog?" 
123rf.cp,Eli appeared in the door and leaned againstthe frame with a soft laugh. He'd changed into heavy hiking boots, worn jeans,and a faded hoodie. He'd taken his hair out of its tie and it hung in looseauburn waves around his shoulders. Ash's hands itched to bury themselves in it,but if he did, he'd end up kissing Eli and one kiss wouldn't be enough.
"Actually, his name is Jabberwocky,because he was supposed to be a fearsome beastie to the rabbits. But he turnedout to be the opposite of fearsome. I think he would make friends with a skunk.Trust me, Jabbers fits. He never stops talking. Isn't that right, Jabbers?"
The beagle twisted his head around tolook at Eli and proceeded to give a series of half barks and a soft, drawn-outundulating growl that sounded so much like conversation that Ash had to laugh."I get your point."

Six Sentence Sunday

I haven't done this in awhile.  I've been working on a novella for the lastseveral weeks.  Actually, it was supposedto be a short story, but I'm terrible at staying within word length.  So far it's at 10k.  It was inspired by a friend who wantedstories set in a museum.  I came up witha few ideas, but nothing really stuck at first until I decided to play to mystrengths and make it have a paranormal twist instead of trying to write acontemporary.
Makeme Wholeinvolves reincarnated lovers, an ancient curse and statues come to life.  Here's a little sneak peek at thebeginning.  I hope you enjoy.
* * * * *
Suzane examined each of the crates andthen turned to Galen with a frown and puzzlement in her gray eyes.  "Where is the shipping information?"
"Didn't see any."  His fingers encountered layers of wool andGalen pulled out his pocket knife to carefully cut through the padding as thethrill of discovery made his heart leap. "Come on," he crooned low under his breath, "show me what you've got."
"Four crates show up in the middle of alocked storeroom with no shipping information and you're not in the least bitsuspicious," Suzane said with exasperation. 

My Girls

Not too long after my husband and I gotmarried, I was gifted with a silver tipped tabby for my birthday by a familyfriend.  I love cats, well dogs too, butI was never allowed to have a cat growing up. My mom thought they were evil and out to get her.  My husband never had the pleasure of a petbefore and was pretty wary over the whole idea, but let the kitten stay.  We were assured by friends who had multiplecats that our beautiful little kitty was a girl.  So I dubbed her Sappho.  Only to find out later during a vet visitthat my girl was a boy, only he answered already to Sappho so he kept the name.  He hated me.
Sappho however adored my husband.  He'd take nips at me and sit on my husband'schest for hours on end whenever my husband came home upset over work.  He was a social worker so it happened quiteoften.  As much as that cat disliked me,he hated my son even more because after he was born my husband's attention wasdivided.  I still miss him, because hewas so good for my husband.  He passedthree years ago just before Christmas.
This is Isis and Osiris staring out thewindow.  One of their favorite past timesand this is Osiris.  Isis won't letanyone take close ups of her.  They arealmost exact opposites of each other in some ways.  Isis is afraid of everything.  If there is a loud noise she jumps.  Whenever anybody comes to the door she runsaround the corner and will look at us like we're invading pod people until shecalms.  And heaven help me, she moltswhen she's nervous.
Osiris on the other hand is afraid ofnothing to the point where I wish that she would have a healthy dose ofself-preservation.  She growls at dogsthat go by the window.  Slapped mysister's dog who tried to chase and got them to obey her.  She even tried to stick her nose in a candleflame once.  She's just too curious forher own good.
OsirisThese two girls take turn being cuddlebugs.  They like to come up and rub theirfaces against us.  And if we don't payattention right away they'll trill or meep at us.  I almost never hear them meow at all.  And the love my son, they treat him like he'sone of the litter.  When he sets up histoy soldiers, they'll come and watch, then knock them down one by one.  They steal his legos and put them in boxes tobat around, they even stole his balloon. He's convinced that they scare away ghosts and when he goes to bed, Isiscurls up next to him and Osiris sits in the doorway like she's guarding him.
Please, share some of your favorite petstories and pictures with me.

Andrei Cuza Interview

When I first came up with the idea ofthe ghost story, it was all Dean's fault. He gave me the "what if" that led to the whole mess.  Most of my stories start out as a "what if,"and in this case it was: What if a man is murdered on his way home while justtrying to be a good Samaritan and it's up to his ghost to help his lover trackdown the bad guy?
At first I wasn't going to do write it,but Dean kept poking at me.  He wantedthis question resolved.  He wanted toknow that his partner would be okay when the dust settled and he couldn't dothat until I wrote it.  Dean was a niceguy, but a persistent bugger.
So I started thinking about the man heleft behind.  What kind of a man wouldreadily accept help from a ghost without question?  What kind of circumstances could there bewhere such a man would prefer that his loved one moved on instead of staying tolinger with him as a ghost? Andrei and his sister Ileana came to mealmost fully formed.  I knew theirbackground, their bond, and how that fed into Andrei's fears for Dean.  I finally found this picture of him, too.  Funnily enough, the model's name is Andreitoo.  He's a little prettier than myAndrei who I picture as a little more rugged, but after months of searchingthis is the first picture to make me go ooohhhh, that makes me think of mycharacter.  I'd never attempted a characterinterview before, but I decided why the heck not and sat down with Andrei totalk to him about his relationship with his sister and how it changed his life.  It had some unexpected results.  I hope you enjoy.
* * * * *
I hand Andrei a cup of coffee and take asip of my own.  "Thank you for agreeingto talk to me, Andrei.  I know you don'thave a lot of time since you have a busy case load, so let's get right intoit.  How old were you when you lost yoursister?"
"You go right for the throat don't you."  Andrei paused, his eyes lost in thought.  "Five, she was so sick.  I remember my mother and aunts hovering overher.  I wasn't allowed to get too closebecause they didn't want me to get sick too. I never really lost her though. Ileana's always been rather strong minded and she decided that shewasn't ready to leave her little brother behind without a playmate, so shestayed.  At the time, I thought it wasthe best thing to ever happen to me.  Iadored Ileana.  She always had time forme and I repaid her poorly in the end, when it got to a point when I alwaysdidn't have time for her in return."
Ileana pops in and whispers to me.  "It was the boys.  He started looking at them getting all sillyabout it too."
Andrei frowns at her.  "It wasn't the boys."
"Uh-huh, was too.  You liked to sneak away in uncle's truck tomake kissy faces with them."
I pick up Ileana's stuffed turtle thathad fallen to the floor and hand it to her. "I don't think it was just the kissy facing that dragged him away,Ileana.  That's not entirely fair.  He did get kicked out of his home because herefused to let them exorcize you."
"Only a little!" Ileana glowersfiercely.  "They caught him kissing theboy too!  It wasn't my fault."
Andrei cuts in.  "Wait a minute.  I am here remember?  This is my interview you two.  Yes, I'm sorry Ileana but my relationshipwith you was the main reason why I was kicked out, but I don't blame you andyou shouldn't blame yourself either." Tears fill her eyes and he gathers her in a hug.  "But, you're right, kissing the boy didn'thelp either."
"I'm glad they left you at thechurch.  They were big ole meaniefaces.  And they always yelled atyou."  Ileana wraps her arms around her brother'sneck.  "And then you met Dean.  I like him. He's the best in the whole world."
"They had plenty of reasons, Illygirl.  It wasn't like I was the mostbehaved child in the world."
I clear my throat and realize they bothforgot about me when they look at me in surprise.  "I always found that kind of interesting, Andrei.  You carry some pretty hefty baggage aroundbecause your family abandoned you.  Imean, you did tell Dean that you didn't want to adopt and I know that it stemsfrom your fear of repeating your parent's mistakes."
Andrei glares at me.  "Personal much?  I didn't realize you had your psych degree."
"Okay, that was rude.  I'm sorry, but you do defend them."
"No I understand them.  Big difference.  I broke the rules and they didn't know how tocope with me."  He smiles down at Ileanaand the smile eases the hard lines on his face. "I think the both of us were too much for them.  We both wanted to do our own thing.  I hope for our brother Sergey's sake, he ismore compliant than we were, but we'll never know."
"Sergey is boring."  Ileana rolls her eyes.  "He never wanted to play.  Not ever!"
"So why didn't you ever tell Dean abouthow you could see Ileana?" I ask, before they forget that I'm here again.
Ileana twisted around to look at herbrother.  "Yeah, that was stupid,Andrei.  Dean didn't even blink when Itold him who I was.  You shoulda told hima long time ago."
"You told him after he'd woken up as aghost after being shot.  I think he waspretty shell shocked."  Andrei'sexpression turns thoughtful as he fixes the end of Ileana's braid.  "I wish I had now, but I'd already lost onefamily because I talked about her too much. I didn't want Dean and his family thinking I was unhinged.  I needed that stability."
"Can you make the lady go away?" Ileanamakes a shooing motion at me.  "I wantyou to sing me a song."
"Ileana, not now.  I promised that I'd answer her questions."
Ileana's eyes go round as she shootsAndrei a look of appeal. "Puh-leeeeeeze."  
Faint red spots appear on Andrei's cheekand he doesn't look at me.  "Oh for thelove of God, not here."
I grab my notepad and get up.  "That's okay, Ileana.  He's all yours.  I've gotten what I need.  I think next time, I might bug Dean.  After all, this is his fault."

February Update

I'll have to say that February was a much better month than January. At the moment I'm almost completely pain free with my back. I have occasional days with spasms, but I haven't had any of the spinal compression that made December and January so uncomfortable. And my husband is doing better too. The last time he went to the doctor his blood pressure and oxygen levels were normal. He did his sleep study test and should be getting his sleep apnea machine too.

It was a very busy month though. I didn't get as much reading done as in January because I've been caught up in edits. I finished up the 3rd draft of my ghost story and sent it off for the final beta. I had the pleasure of working with a wonderfully patient police detective who answered my numerous questions about the beginning. Later on this week, I'll do a blog about Andrei now that I've found a picture that kind of reminds me of him. He was a pain to find.

I also picked up an extra project so I could do a little catching up on my electric bill. I'm formatting/editing a 400 page manufacturing manual. *Eyes cross* It's actually, not that bad, but between that, and work and editing my ghost story, I haven't had much time. I only have six chapters left to go and three of them aren't written yet, so I hope to be done with the bulk of it next week, just in time to get my beta back on the ghosts.

I did read two books that stood out to me last month. The first was Wild Within the first book in the Bonded Fantasy series by Mima. It's available through Liquid Silver books at http://tinyurl.com/6r5po65. The worldbuilding had to be the best part. Mima created a really rich and intricate world, one that I'm eager to dive into with the other books in her series. KarRa and Rylan, grew up together in the Dark slums and had a very unique and strong bond that helped them to survive. When Rylan betrayed that bond, KarRa was devastated. At first I thought Rylan was just an arrogant butthole, but as the story went on, I came to appreciate his reasons for doing what he did and understand his fears more. Like KarRa, I didn't entirely agree with them, but I understood. I also liked KarRa's strength and faith in her own destiny. And I really loved her conflict when she came to understand that following her destiny meant having to embrace everything that she was forced to abandon earlier. I thought the emotional conflict was very well written and realistic.

The second I'm actually not finished with because it's the kind of book I like to savor. The New Death and Others is a collection of short stories and poems by James Hutchings. Some of the stories are whimsical, some serious and I enjoy his commentary on life through them. I love the older, mythic feel to some of them, but the poetry is by far my favorite. He has a wonderful sense of rhythm and structure. So far the poem "Under the Pyramids" was my favorite poem. I had to go back and reread it to my husband because he has a love affair with H.P. Lovecraft that surpasses my own. It's a really different kind of book and if you enjoy little off the wall stories, I'd highly recommend this book.  It's available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Smashwords.  http://www.smashwords.com/books/view/92126

Diary of a Gay Nerd by Michel McDonald

I've had a hard time putting into words how I felt when I read Michel's memoir.  Many parts struck a chord in me from my own childhood, though I was far luckier than Michel was and I didn't have the added alienation of being gay.  I've known Michel for several years now, ever since he picked up my vampire trilogy and we started talking.  In that time, I've found him to be a very kind, passionate and determined man.  After reading his memoir I have to add brave to that as well and not just for what he endured and overcame.  To be able to write something like this, with such unflinching honesty, takes a rare kind of person.  Michel doesn't gloss over his own mistakes, but puts them out there just as baldly as the abuse he went through.
I am honored to know such a man and call him my friend.Being born gay isn't easy for anyone, but being born gay in a homophobic family in the 1970's made it more difficult for Michel. Physically and mentally abused by his family and school bullies, he had to learn to grow a thick skin to keep from going crazy. The constant torment from everyone around him drove him to several failed suicide attempts.Tossed aside by his family, Michel was homeless at the age of 15, left to fend for himself in a trailer park in a new city. Taken back by his family after 6 months despite a very public suicide attempt, only to be thrown out of the house a year later when he was pushed out of the closet by his mother.Molested, raped, beat up and tossed aside, Michel felt like life was only going to get worse. Addicted to drugs and alcohol, he cried out for help, but nobody would listen, that was until he finally met his soul mate. He no longer sought self-destruction because he knew life was going to start getting better, and it did.
* * * * *
Michel can be found at the following places:
http://www.diaryofagaynerd.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/diaryofagaynerd
And his book can be purchased at:
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00757W01I
Barnes & Noble: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00757W01I
Rainbow eBooks: http://www.rainbowebooks.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5983
Michel is donating some of the proceeds from his book to charity.  I copied his message below regarding it.
I decided when I wrote this book that I wanted to donate 10% of all profits to charity.  I have published my book with Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Rainbow eBooks.com and CreateSpace through Amazon and their own website.  So 10% from all combined profits will be split between PFLAG Bakersfield and the Gay & Lesbian Center of Bakersfield.
There are lots of charities that I wanted to give to, but I feel like they get enough money from a national audience and I felt better about giving it to something that was more local because they are in desperate need of funding and I want to give them all the help that I can give them.

* * * * *

All Bets Are Off Reviews and Book Trailer

Good morning everyone.  Brrr.  The weather in DC cannot make up its mind.  I think that its really trying hard to be spring and failing.  I wanted to share some wonderful reviews that I've received for All Bets Are Off in the last two months since it came out.  Eli and Ash's story was a hard one for me to write since contemporary m/m is way out of my comfort zone unless I'm writing it with Fae, but I'm really happy that I stuck with it.
Plus I wanted to share with you some pictures I had that reminded me of either the characters or setting as I was writing the story.  Plus there's a book trailer that the wonderful and talented Voirey Linger made for me at the end.  I hope you enjoy. Ash inspiration Queer Magazine Online

It is a very hot story, and not just because of what happens in the bedroom. The sexual tension, desire and sheer need of the two main characters for each other almost jumps off the page.
http://tinyurl.com/866b836
 Guilty Pleasure Book Reviews
http://tinyurl.com/77wv6l4
4 Stars
All Bets Are Off by Marguerite Labbe was a pleasant surprise of a good story with romance, conflict and very likeable characters… I found myself really like both these characters and was totally hooked by the end with them because of their behavior and mannerisms that were so lifelike.


Eli inspiration
Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
http://tinyurl.com/7o96p23
4.5 Stars
In All Best Are Off Marguerite Labbe has crafted a lovely, warmhearted romance. This book has everything I love in a story – great characters, a terrific plot, marvelous dialog and a HEA that had me smiling long after I had finished the book. And I should add hot and sexy! ... Marguerite is such a gifted author that almost immediately you are swallowed up into their lives. Their joys are yours as well as their doubts and aggravations.

Smitten With Readinghttp://tinyurl.com/7e6hfzv A-I really enjoyed both of these guys' characters. Their chemistry was incredible as was their really fabulous friendship. I liked watching their relationship and friendship grow… I was enthralled by the story and the romance from the very start of the book.
Confessions of a Toxic Friend
http://tinyurl.com/7f5vv7c
4.5 Stars
I would recommend this book to lovers of m/m romance that likes the build-up to a sweet romance.
Book Trailer – All Bets Are Off
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJj_mnTfIs0
I had planned on adding a picture of a Jabbers as a puppy with a baseball and another of Eli's house, but Blogger is being a goober and freezing up.  I'll post them another day.  I hope you have a good weekend.  I'll be working on a new short story and diving into edits on my ghost story. 

January Recap

I cannotfreaking believe that the end of January is already here.  At this rate 2012 is going to pass evenfaster than the previous year.  Januarywas a very crazy month filled with upheaval so I apologize now for not updatingmore often.  I have scoliosis andstarting around the beginning of December the pain got to be constant.  Then a had a few days in the 2ndweek of January where I couldn't even walk, sitting up for the next week waseven painful.  Now after several weeks ofchiro appointments I'm pain free unless I'm on the bus.  After 90 minutes of bouncing and jostling,even with wearing a brace, I'm usually achy. I hope that will ease off soon too. It usually comes and goes in stages and only gets really bad every twoyears or so.Then a littleover a week ago I had to call an ambulance for my husband.  He'd been sick awhile, recovering frombronchitis and his bounce-back was slower than we'd both wished.  He'd had an appointment with his doctor thenext week for a follow up when he came to me with swelling in his legs.  Terrible swelling.  One of them looked like a Lincoln Log.  There was absolutely no definition to hisknee or ankle.  Given his past hearthistory I wasn't taking any chances.  Hisblood pressure was ridiculously high, the oxygen level in his blood low and hehad congestive heart failure.They believenow that it was sleep apnea related.  Thenight he came home from the hospital I didn't sleep one bit because every timehis breathing changed I woke up.  He'sdoing a sleep study this week, they're going to fit him with a machine and setit up at our house.  I could really livemy entire life without another scare like that.All in all,this month hasn't been very conducive to writing or editing, though I've beenworking on a few projects when I could. Between the days I couldn't sit up and the hours waiting at the hospitalI managed to catch up on quite a bit of reading though.  Here are the books that really stood out tome.  If I keep picking a book up evenafter I just set it down, it's a winner. Warning, I read all kinds of things, not just m/m.The Percy Jackson & the Olympians seriesby Rick Riordan.  My son got all fivebooks for Christmas and they were still on the coffee table when I was stuck onthe couch.  I picked up the first one outof boredom and because I was a comparative folklore and mythology major.  I had even taken my son to the movie lastsummer and thought it was okay.  Knowingthat the book is always better than the movie I figured why not give it ashot.  I freaking loved it.  I like how Riordan took myth into today's ageand made it relevant.  And the wordsflowed so smoothly.  I like it enoughthat when I finished the first, I picked up the second, then the third and soon until I was done with the entire series. Then I took the first book to the hospital so my husband could readit.  He rarely reads and now he'shooked.  Now if I could just get my sonto pick them up.  He's more intoscientific books.The next bookthat totally blew me away was The Game ofLove by Jeanette Murray.  I'veenjoyed her shorter stories, but after this novel, she's an absolute must readfor me.  I started reading it while inthe waiting room at the doctor's office to get blood drawn.  Normally needles cause me some anxiety but Iwas so wrapped up in the story that I took it in the labroom with me andcontinued to read while I let the vampires at me.  Probably the best thing because the techactually managed to get the vein on the first try.  I can see how some people would have issueswith the heroine Chris St. James, especially at the start with herattitude.  But it's warranted.  The characters were so real to me.  Like people I've actually met and becomefriends with.  And Brett Wallace wasdownright yummy.  Chris and Brett areboth retired pro athletes with a history that makes them distrustful of futurerelationships.  Chris had been involvedwith an abusive hockey player and Brett's wife left him for another pro athleteafter he was forced to retire.  I reallyloved watching them working through their issues and learning to trustagain.  The book can be found at CarinaPress: http://tinyurl.com/6nad8rlI read anumber of m/m books in January but two really stuck out with me.  The first was Burnt Offerings by Pearl Love. It's been already said, but I'll say it again.  I love myths and old tales and this had thefeeling of an old tale.  I loved thedescriptive writing even though it was a little repetitious at times.  It was a short read, only 65 pages, but it'sone that I would pick up again and again when I want to get lost in anotherworld.  Plus I'm a fan of unconventionalendings.  Alen is a boy who's beentormented by his unusual beauty, both coveted and hated by his village, heprefers a solitary existence except for his mother and the being that hecommunes with in his hearth fire.  Whenhe is forced to defend himself and accidentally kills a man, his life isforfeit and he is condemned to die on the altar of a volcano.  If you like myth and fantasy, I recommendit.  It's available through DreamspinnerPress: http://tinyurl.com/7pn7usk. The second m/m book that I really enjoyed wasHer Two Dads by Ariel Tachna.  I really liked watching Sri and Jaime growand learn when baby Sophie burst into their lives.  Sri was never expecting to be a father butwhen his friend Jill died, leaving him as the only parent he tried to do whatwas best for Sophie.  Jaime is hislongtime roommate and close friend.  Therelationship that develops between them is based on friendship and slowdiscovery.  It was such a sweetread.  And I admire Jaime for knowing hislimits too and Sri's insistence on working through his issues to keep them as afamily.  And his fears were groundedtoo.  The emotions that the book evokedwere very tangible.  I felt the samehelpless fear that Sri did when Child Protective Services showed up to see ifSophie was being abused.  It was a good,sweet story.  It can also be foundthrough Dreamspinner Press: http://tinyurl.com/7hxlzfu.More updates to come in a few days.  I hope February is a much calmer month.  I'm eyeballing it with a steely glare.

Time In a Bottle

Good afternoon everyone.  I've emailed the winners from the New Year's Day contest.  In the meanwhile, I've been busy wrapping up the second draft of my lastest story Time In a Bottle.  I just sent it off to beta readers yesterday.  I hope to have it polished and submitted by Valentine's Day so keep your fingers crossed.  In the meanwhile I thought I'd share the blurb, the opening bit and a NSFW picture with you.


* * * * *
Andrei Cuza and Dean Marshall just celebrated the ten year anniversary of their commitment ceremony only to have their happiness shattered.  On his way home from closing a business deal, Dean stops on the side of the parkway to help a young mother with her flat tire when her ex catches up with her.  Blake Olsen murders her and Dean and takes off with his two kids.
Andrei has been haunted by ghosts all of his life and bears the guilt for his younger sister Ileana being stuck in limbo.  When Dean returns to him as a ghost the double-punch of losing him and now having to watch him founder if he doesn't move on is almost more than Andrei can bear.  Ghosts are stuck at the moment they died, unable to adapt to the changes in their living loved ones.
Dean has made a promise though and until he helps Andrei track down the missing kids, he isn't going anywhere.  There are dangers in limbo that Andrei doesn't know about, hounds that devour souls who succumb to their anger and they're hunting Dean.  And dangers to Andrei as well, who pays a price so he can have Dean's touch one more time.  Time is slowly running out as Dean and Andrei try to figure out how to say goodbye while they track down a killer who'd be more than happy to kill again.
* * * * *
Dean Marshall savored the rare morning when he got to linger in bed instead of having to be out the door before the sun rose.  Especially mornings like this, with the sun streaming through the window and with his partner Andrei Cuza curled against his back.  Andrei's calf had slid between Dean's legs sometime in the night, as usual, and his hand splayed against Dean's stomach.  Dean smiled sleepily and let his eyes drift shut again as he burrowed back into the warmth of Andrei's body.  Now this was the only way to wake up right.  He drank in the sun on his face, the scent of fresh brewed coffee in the air and the feel of Andrei stirring behind him.
Breath brushed the nape of Dean's neck followed by a kiss to his shoulder.  The hand on his stomach shifted and long fingers stroked his skin.  "Morning, iubito," Andrei said in a sleep husky voice that made desire stir Dean's blood.  He loved the dark timbre of his partner's tone, the quiet manner he had which made people listen without ever having to raise his voice."Hey, babe," Dean murmured back, turning his head to graze his lips along Andrei's stubbled jaw.  Cool cotton sheets caressed his skin as he shifted and he longed for Andrei's hands to do the same.  "Tell me you don't have anywhere that you have to be in the next hour."
"I have a pile of paperwork waiting for me on my desk." Andrei smiled, his dark eyes lightning up with teasing.  "She's a cruel, demanding mistress."
"Leaving me naked in bed for paperwork is a cardinal sin."  Dean's breath caught as Andrei's hand slid lower between Dean's thighs to cup his morning wood.  He reached behind him and burrowed his fingers into Andrei's thick hair.  "Stay and play with me, Andrei."
"You make it sound like I have any chance of resisting you.  We both know the truth about that," Andrei replied, his lips trailing down Dean's neck to linger at his pulse.  "Besides, I'm not the one with an oh-so-important meeting in DC today."
Dean's eyes flew open with a curse and he untangled himself from Andrei's embrace as he leaned over to check the time on his cell phone.  Andrei started chuckling.  "You should've seen the look of horror that crossed your face."
"Ass, you knew I didn't oversleep."  Dean whacked him with a pillow and leveled Andrei with an accusing glare.  His partner seemed unbothered as he grinned back at Dean, the sheet tangled around his waist and a gold crucifix gleamed against his bare chest.
"It is so much fun to fuck with you.  I rarely get the chance.  Think of it as retaliation for all those times you messed with me on the big days."  Andrei took Dean's hand and lifted it to his lips, kissing Dean's knuckles before turning his hand around to kiss the inside of his wrist as well.  The look in Andrei's smoky, dark brown eyes was warm and seductive as he continued to rain kisses along Dean's arm.
Dean fought a smile and tried to hold onto his glare, but the teasing lift of Andrei's lips beat him.  He grinned and sank back into Andrei's arms determined to relax instead of triple checking and making sure he had everything for his proposal ready before heading out.  He already knew he had it together and obsessing would only get him all worked up for nothing.  Dean wanted to lose himself in the taste and feel of Andrei as they moved together.
"And you call me evil.  I didn't think retaliation was your style."
His partner's black hair was a tumbled mess from sleep and the sun highlighted his swarthy skin that he got from his Romani blood.  He was more rugged than handsome, with his too strong nose that bore a kink from being broken more than once, and his chiseled jaw that had a cleft and which gave him a rough hewn appearance.  Andrei's smile widened into a devilish grin as he tugged Dean over him.  "You do have your moments."
Dean brushed his lips along his partner's jaw again, savoring the familiar sensation of Andrei's long, lean body beneath him.  After all of these years it didn't get old.  The hot rush of teenage hormones had settled somewhat and Dean found the familiarity between them to be a comfort.  He knew every inch of Andrei, knew how to drive him crazy in slow degrees.  If anything, he wanted Andrei more now than when they'd first fallen for each other.
Their tongues tangled in a slow, lazy kiss and Dean sighed in pleasure as Andrei's hands ran over him in a lingering sweep from his shoulders down to the backs of his thighs.  It was easy to dismiss his excitement over the possibilities later on that day in favor of making love to his partner.  Andrei's arms came around him, holding him closer as he broke the kiss and bared his neck.
Dean chuckled and nuzzled Andrei's throat, hearing his partner's soft intake of breath.  "Now where was that spot?" He murmured.
* * * * * Now this man right here *fans self* He reminds me of Dean.  His hair is a little darker than Dean's, but that nice guy smile absolutely fits him so does that beautifully toned  body.  I haven't had any luck hunting down the perfect picture that reminds meof Andrei, but when I do, I'll share that as well.

I hope you enjoy!

A New Year and New Beginnings

Hello everybody, welcome to my new home on the web. Fae created it for me. Isn't it gorgeous? We're moving off in different directions because we both have a number of exciting solo projects lined up. I'll leave Fae to tell you what her projects are, but I'm so excited for her that I'm bouncing. Good stuff, I promise you.

As for me, I'm wrapping up the second draft for my ghost story Time in a Bottle. I should be getting it out to beta readers today. And then I'll work on the blurb and synopsis, as soon as I have the blurb done I'll post it. I really love Dean and Andrei's story. When I first thought of it a little over two years ago on my way to South Carolina, I wondered how a story like that could ever be written and told myself that I should look into other projects. Well Dean wouldn't let me leave it alone and almost a year later he made me sit down and write the first chapter while I was on vacation.

Then I set that aside to finish up the rough draft of All Bets Are Off. I was definitely excited to get back to Andrei and Dean when I was done. I hope to have it submitted sometime during the first couple months of 2012 and I promise to keep you update.

In the meanwhile, here is my Six Sentence Sunday offering from the first chapter of Time in a Bottle.

* * * * *

Cool cotton sheets caressed Dean's skin as he shifted and he longed for Andrei's hands to do the same. "Tell me you don't have anywhere that you have to be in the next hour."

"I have a pile of paperwork waiting for me on my desk." Andrei smiled, his dark eyes lightning up with teasing. "She's a cruel, demanding mistress."

"Leaving me naked in bed for paperwork is a cardinal sin."

* * * * *

In honor of the New Year and New Beginnings, I'll be giving away a couple of prizes. Just leave a comment here with your preferred prize and I'll be grabbing names on Tuesday.

1 signed print copy of All Bets Are Off

1 reader's choice of backlist (both my solo and my stories with Fae Sutherland are eligible)

1 $10 Amazon gift card

I hope you enjoy and Happy New Years!