Jaime Samms's Blog: Stories Between Men, page 10

My Office Chair

Ode to an Office Chair. Okay, well not really. I’m not going to write poetry because trust me, no one wants me to do that. And shhhhh! Don’t tell Amy Lane, but I honestly have no idea what an Ode actually is. Shame on my literary educators for not making that one stick.

So…why am I writing a blog post about my office chair? Because believe it or not, I actually like the damn thing. It’s a bit ugly, I admit it. And it weighs about eight tonnes because it’s made of oak and steel. There is not a plastic flippy lever on this thing.

If I want to adjust it, I have to actually get up and flip it over to get at the giant turn screws that adjust height, tilt and firmness of the back. It makes an odd creaking noise when I lean back, and one wheel falls out. Also, there is a reason they make them with five legs, now, instead of four. Trust me on this. Gravity? It works.

Every day, though, this chair is my friend. He’s adjusted just right to keep me sitting up straight and has enough spring to let me relax after an intense scene. Usually, he’s got four good wheels to get me from one side of my six-by-six office space to the other, and best of all, no one else thinks of spiriting him away because I’m the only one who actually likes sitting in him.

But this chair came with the house when I sort of inherited the place from my grandfather. I have no idea how old it is, or where it came from. I suspect it may have wandered home from someone’s office at some point. Stranger things have happened. And every time I sit down, i think of how my Grandfather always supported me when I went to art school when everyone else thought I was off my head, and when my significant others dumped me, (or I dumped them) and when I moved out of the city with my husband, and again, when I moved back and he offered us and our nearly-born child this wonderful house to start our family. Ten–OMG thirteen!!!!!–years later, we’re still here. Thanks, Papa!

So there. That’s my praise of my favorite bit of my office equipment. How about you? Got a place in your house, a bit of your office you love because of it’s associations?

Oh. heey. this brings me to a good reason for this nonsense post. I haven’t given a book away in ages. I’m thinking maybe it’s time. So here’s the deal. Since in Stained Glass, Laurie and his friends quit (or get fired from) the ad firm where they all worked and decided to start a manga publisher in Laurie’s apartment, and we’re talking about home offices anyway, let’s say I pick a name from those who comment and give a copy of Stained Glass to the winner.

Blurb:

The violent implosion of Lawrence McKenna’s last relationship left him floundering at the bottom of a bottle. Recently unemployed and struggling with his newly discovered submissive tendencies, Laurie needs his best friend, Jeff, more than ever. One sleepless night of detox and a desperate kiss convince him that the attraction they’ve battled all their lives has become too hard to ignore, but Jeff has other responsibilities that take him far away from Laurie and his self-destructive behavior.

When Jeff leaves, all Laurie wants is to be left alone to wallow. Instead, he finds himself riding herd on his friends who have quit their jobs to achieve their dream of starting their own manga publisher. Those same friends return the favor by riding him: about the booze, talking about what happened, seeing a doctor—and about Jeff, whose abandonment left Laurie bitter and resentful. Laurie knows they can’t have a relationship without forgiveness, but when Jeff returns, can he be what Laurie needs?

Little Writer Things

Fist off, as a little writer thing, make no mistake, this happens All. The. Time. I had a few nice, fun little stories to tell and between the moment when I decided it would be fun to make them into a post and the moment when I opened my blog (and it was open already, I didn’t even have to sign in, so that was about one second’s time) I forgot all the little things I wanted to say.

True story.

Oh yeah. I remember…

Story one: I wrote a scene today that is the best illustration I can think of about writing what you know while at the same time, stepping into the skin of a completely foreign character. I wrote an entire conversation these two gay men had over one of them buying new glasses for the other. I know this scenario, because I recently bought my daughter’s first pair of glasses with her and the scenario is fresh in my mind because it *was* new. But at the same time, it was completely weird, because the one doing the spending is a gay guy–which I am obviously not–and his budget is limitless–which as a starving writer, I can only day dream about. So that’s how we do it. That’s how we write what we know while we totally step out of our own  skin at the same time.

Then another author friend of mine, Amy Lane shared this, and if you’ve ever met Amy, you can probably totally hear her say this, as I did, when I read it.

A Writer’s Struggle in One Act

Me: Now I will write some porn.

Porn: HEY LOOK A PLOT

Me: No, put that down.

Porn: I DON’T KNOW IT’S A PRETTY NICE PLOT

Me: No, it doesn’t belong to you! Leave it alone!

Porn: THIS IS A GOOD PLOT. I WILL LOVE IT AND CUDDLE IT AND CALL IT “GEORGE”

Me: Stop that right now, we need to get to the fucking!

No-Longer-Porn: SEE MY SHINY NEW PLOT

Me: ::facedesk::

Because that’s what happens. When they’re supposed to be getting naked, they get romantic. Or scared. Or angry. Or they fall asleep. Or they decide to fold laundry. Honestly. It’s a fiasco….

Friend Release: Ariel Tachna – Outlast the Night

I am ecstatic. Obviously because my friend Ariel has another book out, and I have yet to meet a book of her’s I didn’t like. This is the third book in her Lang Downs series, and (I confess) while I have yet to read them, I feel like I know these guys already, because she talks about them all. The. Time. And they sound so awesome. And really, how can I blame her, when I’m sure she feels pretty much the same listening to me whine (which she doesn’t do, that’s just me) about my latest difficult made-up people.

Anyway, even having not had the chance to read the books yet, which stems, in part, from my desire to have them all ready to read, ie: written, before I start the first one, what I do know about the sheep station in Australia she’s called Lang Downs and all the men living there is enough for me to say; this is going to be another heart-warming read.

Outlast The Night

Office manager Sam Emery is unemployed and out of luck. When his emotionally abusive wife demands a divorce, he contacts the one person he has left, his brother, Neil. He doesn’t expect Neil to reject him, but he also doesn’t expect the news of his divorce—and of his sexuality—to be met with such acceptance.

Neil takes Sam to Lang Downs, the sheep station Neil calls home. There, Sam learns that life as a gay man isn’t impossible. Caine and Macklin, the station owners, certainly seem to be making it work. When Caine offers Sam a job, it’s a dream come true.

Jeremy Taylor leaves the only home he’s ever known when his brother’s homophobia becomes more than he can bear. He goes to the one place he knows he will be accepted: Lang Downs. He clicks with Sam instantly—but the animosity between Lang Downs and Jeremy’s home station runs deep, and the jackaroos won’t accept Jeremy without a fight. Between Sam’s insecurity and Jeremy’s precarious position, their road will be a hard one—and that’s without having to wait for Sam’s divorce to be final before starting a new life together.

Buy the book here 

Excerpt:

“Bloody hell,” Neil spat. “What is he doing here?”

Before Sam could ask what that meant, Neil was striding across the room. The man who had caught Sam’s eye saw him coming and stood, hands at his side but clearly braced for a fight. A third man, one who looked as hard as the granite beneath their feet, interrupted Neil’s progress. “Don’t blame one man for his brother’s faults.”

“What’s he doing here?” Neil repeated.

“Working,” the older man said. “Caine hired him this morning, so unless you want to argue with him over it, back off.”

Sam tensed, knowing how badly Neil reacted to those kinds of orders when his temper was high. His jaw dropped when Neil shook himself and took a step back. “If Caine hired him, I won’t make trouble, but if he starts anything, I will finish it.”

“That’s fair, Macklin,” the other man said from his place against the wall. “You know I’m not going to start anything, so as long as he keeps his word, we’ll be square.”

“I keep my word, Taylor,” Neil ground out. “Unlike some people.”

“Neil, that’s enough.” Another man entered the conversation, a younger one, with short dark hair and an American accent. Sam figured that must be Caine. “Jeremy asked for a place to stay and a job after he left Taylor Peak. I’ve given him that. I’d appreciate it if you respect that.”

“Yes, boss. I’m sorry.”

“Introduce me to your brother.”

“Caine, this is my brother, Sam. Sam, my boss, Caine Neiheisel.”

“Nice to meet you, sir,” Sam said, even though Caine was probably Sam’s age. He owed the man the roof over his head and maybe a job. Sam planned to mind his manners.

“Please, call me Caine. We aren’t formal here. Welcome to Lang Downs.”

“Thank you. I appreciate you letting me stay for a while.”

Caine smiled, and Sam felt warmth bloom inside at the kindness he saw there. It wasn’t sexual. Sam knew Caine was with Macklin, and if Macklin was indeed the man who had kept Neil from attacking Taylor, Caine wouldn’t look twice at someone like Sam. It felt almost familial, like he’d been adopted and hadn’t known it. “Get something to eat and get settled in tonight. Tomorrow I’d like to talk to you. I have some questions, and Neil thought you might be able to help.”

“I’m happy to help,” Sam said. “I don’t know a lot about sheep, but other than industry-specific regulations, the laws don’t vary that much from one business to another. I should be able to help you out. And if I can’t, I might know someone who can get the information we need.”

“Good to hear,” Caine said. “We’ll talk about it after breakfast tomorrow. Did Neil warn you what time the day starts around here?”

“No,” Sam said.

“Early,” Neil replied. “Breakfast is at five. You don’t have to come down then, but if you don’t, you’ll only get cold cereal. Kami has no patience with people who don’t get their lazy arses out of bed.”

“I’ll be up,” Sam said. “I don’t want anyone to have to go out of their way for me.”

“I’m going to finish my dinner,” Caine said. “I’ll look for you both in the morning.”

Sam turned back to Neil as Caine walked back to where he had been sitting before Neil exploded. Sam would ask again later about Taylor and the reasons behind Neil’s animosity. For now, the food smelled delicious, and Sam was getting hungry.

“What’s for dinner?” he asked, smiling at the aborigine behind the counter when he approached.

“Wombat curry,” the man—Kami, Sam thought Neil had said—replied.

“I’ve never had wombat before,” Sam said, holding his plate while Kami ladled a thick stew onto his plate.

“You aren’t having it now either,” Neil said. “It’s either beef or mutton, probably mutton. Kami likes to take the piss with blow-ins.”

“And I fell for it.”

“You’re not the first, and you won’t be the last,” Kami said. “You want some naan with the curry?”

“Kami makes it fresh,” Neil said. “It’s as good as anything you ever got in town.”

“Sure, I’ll have a piece,” Sam said. It wouldn’t hurt to get on Kami’s good side. The man would be feeding him for the foreseeable future. Better that Kami like him.

They found a seat at a table with several other men and a pretty woman who smacked Neil on the back of the head as soon as he sat down. “What was that?” she demanded.

“Not here, Molly, please,” Neil said.

Sam hid his snicker behind a bite of curry. He had never imagined Neil looking quite so henpecked. “Fine,” Molly said, “but we will discuss this when we get home.”

Neil looked so mortified that Sam took pity on him. “Hi,” he said, “I’m Sam, Neil’s brother.”

Molly looked like she wanted to smack Neil again. “No manners,” she muttered. “Nice to meet you, Sam. I’m Molly. Welcome to Lang Downs.”

“Thank you. Everyone has been very kind.”

“It’s that kind of place,” Molly said, “which is why we’re going to discuss Neil’s outburst later. He’s second in line behind Macklin. He can’t go around acting stupid, or he’s going to lose his place.”

“It’s Jeremy Taylor,” Neil said. “What was I supposed to think?”

“That your bosses pay enough attention to who’s in their canteen to realize he was there and that if they know he’s there and don’t have a problem with it, you shouldn’t either?” Molly suggested.

“Taylor?” Sam repeated. “Like the neighboring station?”

“Yes, that Taylor,” Neil said. “Well, the younger brother, but that family. I said I wouldn’t start anything, and I won’t, but I don’t trust him. Devlin Taylor wouldn’t know good management if it bit him in the arse.”

Sam glanced at Taylor across the room, wondering what had led the other man to leave his home and come here instead. Taylor rose as Sam was looking that way, dumped his plate in the bin of dirty dishes, and headed outside. Sam couldn’t help but think the man looked lonely.

 

Awww. I can tell I’m going to really like Sam. Anyway, if you want to know more about Ariel, here are her links:

Web site: http://www.arieltachna.com.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ArielTachna

Twitter: https://twitter.com/arieltachna

Email: arieltachna at gmail dot com.

Book Talk: Matter of Time by Mary Calmes (again, yes)

This is the second time I book talk about this series. The first time was here.

Into book four, I can sort of start forgiving Sam. I mean…he took one for the team. He stepped up. He did the right thing and I can sort of start to trust him again. So that’s working out well.

But Jory. OMG Jory. Does he even know how much trouble he’s in? Seriously? O. M. G.

Also, I’m on chapter 10 of fifteen. When the crime is all but solved, they know who the bad guy is and there are still five chapters…there is no amount of wrap-up in the universe that takes five chapters. Something bad is still going to happen. Like, let’s see, jail time for the jail-bird? Mayhem from the mama? A heart attack for me, since I can’t stand anything else happening to these guys? And just for the record, I was walking to work it IT happened and I stopped dead in my tracks and aother pedestrian literally bumped into me from behind. And I was all….No. She did NOT! Mary Calmes did NOT just do what I think she did. But she did. Sort of. And if that’s too cryptic for you, read the books. Torture yourself as I did, with the roller coaster ride. It’s fun, I swear!

As for the writing itself, well, when IT happened, it was exactly how you’d expect. Out of the blue. Traumatic. Completely unexpected. Very well done.

And no other writer can make me want to slap some sense into her characters so badly, but also make me love them at the same time. Go Mary!

Friend Release: Victoria Bliss – Rob and Lou’s Wild Weekends

I’ve invited Victoria Bliss over today. I’m sure lots of us are familiar with her own Friends Friday posts., I’ve popped in there myself quite a few times, and her Sunday Snog loops, which are always fun, especially if you’re like me and love the moment in the romance when they finally kiss for the first time…So today, Victoria dropped by here to share her new release with everyone. Enjoy!!!

Here’s Victoria:

Getting Real.

I deal in fiction, just to be clear. Rob and Lou’s Wild Weekends may read a little like Lou’s diary, but it is not a true to life document. However, I did set about writing about a really believable couple when I wrote the 4 stories that make up the bulk of my anthology.

It is always fun to write about crazy imaginative things like vampires and werewolves and billionaires but I thought it’d be fun to write a story about a couple you could walk past in the street. We all have different parts to our personas and I had great fun delving into the kinky side of Rob and Lou. I hope people reading realise that anyone can spice up their sex life, it just takes a little imagination.

Introduction to Rob and Lou.

Robert Nimble is thirty-five years old, he’s tech support for a large Internet host, and loves to play computer games to relax. He’s married to Louise Nimble, who’s a child minder, and a year younger than her husband. She bakes to unwind. Taking the old adage that stressed is desserts spelt backwards to heart.

Robert and Louise are more often known by the shortenings of their names—Rob and Lou. They’ve been married for ten years and have two children: Connor, who is six, and Elizabeth, who’s four.  They live in a terraced house in a suburban outskirt of Manchester. As a family, they enjoy their yearly week-long holiday to Scarborough, and visits to the cinema to watch films that the kids and adults giggle at in equal measure.  In the school holidays, they’ll often be found in museums and parks, enjoying the culture and the beauty of Britain.

They’re a smiley family, although Rob can get grumpy when his tech genius isn’t taken seriously enough, and Lou may have the patience of a saint with children, but more than two hours with her in-laws has her pulling out her hair. The children are mostly well-behaved, with an inclination to the curious, and the mischief that goes hand in hand with that. If they do run into the back of your legs, or scare you with their latest pet insect, they will apologise politely and you’re likely to instantly forgive them.

This book is not about the day-to-day life of this family, but those weekends and rare occasions that Lou and Rob get some time to themselves to indulge their sensual natures. Rob enjoys seeing his darling wife in very little clothing, and likes to indulge in intricate and imaginative role plays. Lou enjoys a bit of spanking, some domination, and bondage. She wouldn’t say she was into BDSM, per se; she just likes to dip a toe in the shallow end of that particularly pervy pond.  They both like to flirt with erotic danger, playing about in public places in hopes of possibly being caught.

Rob and Lou’s Wild Weekends are just that, so hold on and enjoy the ride.

Rob and Lou’s Wild Weekends.

 Blurb: Hold on tight, it’s going to get wild! Rob and Lou could pass you in the streets and you’d likely not notice them. They’re in their thirties, have a family and jobs to hold down and they do it with smiles on their faces. But occasionally they get a little time off and that’s when things get seriously sexy.

Light-hearted and fun, this mini-anthology features episodes from this couple’s wild weekends. Making the most of the mud, finding the erotic nature of an apron and even having a sexy visit to a fish and chip shop. Rob and Lou make the mundane much more pleasurable so join them on their kinky ride.

Includes a bonus short story Damsel in Distress and excerpts from other ebooks by the award winning queen of rosy, raunchy and rubenesque erotic romance, Victoria Blisse.

Mud is Good and Wetter is Better.

“I told you this was a fucking bad idea,” I yelled. “How the hell did I let you convince me to go camping on a bank holiday?”

“If I remember rightly, you were the one who suggested borrowing my brother’s tent.”  Rob pulled the door flaps closed and shook the water off his anorak.

“I was just being polite,” I grumbled. “I didn’t think he’d actually lend it to us.”

“And they’ve taken the kids for the long weekend. We really shouldn’t grumble.”

“But it’s cold and it’s wet and it’s miserable and I want to go home.”

“Well, Lou, we could do that but—”

“But what?” I threw my hands in the air. “Don’t tell me you’re actually enjoying this.”

“Well, no, that’s not it. It’s just that, erm, well. Just look out the tent flap and check out the car.”

I muttered and mumbled, shot evils at my darling husband, and crawled past him to look out into the storm. He passed me a torch so I could see into the murk. It wasn’t really late, but the storm had brought darkness early, and even though it was the middle of August, it felt like a dark, oppressive winter night.  I’d told Rob it would be a bad idea. It would rain, I’d be cold, but he didn’t listen. He wanted to go on a grand adventure. Something deep inside him ached to sleep under the stars, separated from nature by a bit of whippy canvas. Being the good and loving wife I am, I gave in. Also, Rob’s brother and his girlfriend had happily acquiesced to have our kids for the weekend, so I was looking forward to some adult alone time, even if it did mean I had to wear my thermals in the middle of summer.

When I spied our well-loved family car standing where we parked it, surrounded by a quagmire of mud, I really did wish I’d persuaded Rob to stay at home and just pretend we went camping. We’d not be stuck in the wild in the middle of a thunderstorm then.  We’d be rolling around in bed, eating snacks we don’t let the children eat, and fucking with abandon.

“Fuck.” I cursed. “I told you we should have parked it in the car park.”

“You did no such thing,” Rob exclaimed. “You dragged me in here and fucked my brains out.”

He was quite right, I had. Well, he looked all sexy with his sweat-beaded brow. I’d enjoyed watching him pitch the tent. It involved a lot of bending over, and my husband has a bloody gorgeous arse. I spent my time pretending to help, but really I was ogling his body and thinking wicked thoughts about having my way with him. So, instead of telling him we needed to park on the tarmac at the car park, I kissed him and pulled him into the tent. I didn’t strip him, I just opened his trousers. I had to struggle out of my own jeans so I could only watch him stroke his cock for a frustratingly long time, but as soon as I could I climbed on top of him. I pushed him down and straddled his waist. The scent of the crushed grass, mixed with his musk was so primal that it added excitement to what we were doing. I pushed down until I felt him stretch me. It was a heady mix and made me feel connected to nature in some kind of primitive way.

 

Buy links and more info: http://victoriablisse.co.uk/books/rob-lous-wild-weekends

Individual Buy links:

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/313229

Amazon.co.uk  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B00CNZCBQQ/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=sexy00-21

Amazon.comhttp://www.amazon.com/dp/B00CNZCBQQ/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=sexy00-21

All Romance Ebooks https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-roblou039swildweekends-1190226-149.html?referrer=9d8e54f3ce71ca2554b388837ebb07e6

 

Book Talk: Matter of Time 3 by Mary Calmes

So there is no secret I love Mary like a sister. Reading her books makes me happy, too. But honestly, somewhere in chapter… About 5 of book three and I so want to drop kick Sam Cage off a high, high cliff. What makes him think he can leave, over and over, for years on end, then come back and demand Jory take him back? Without an apology. Without admitting what he did. Without asking Jory how he feels about any of it or even shutting the hell up long enough to let Jory get a word in edgewise. He’s been a jerk from day one and for the life of me I cannot figure out why I still want the two of them to work out. Dane shod have been gay. I fanfic’d that in my head and if Sam doesn’t get his shit together, I may actually write it to make myself feel better. Just sayin’.

Update; huzzah!!!!! Dillon is awesome personified, even in labour. I love her. She told Sam everything that’s true. To bad he ignored her. I still have to kick him in the shins at least.

Sage Marlowe’s First Anniversary Blog Tour & Giveaway

I’m thrilled to have Sage Marlowe visiting on her blog tour for her new book, Triple Trust. Congrats on the new release, and especially on your one year anniversary, Sage!!!!

Triple Trust

 Hello and welcome to the latest stop of my 1st Anniversary Blog Tour & Giveaway. Thanks for hosting me, Jaime!

One year has passed since my successful debut novel, Sub-Mission, was released on May 14, 2012. A lot has happened during those twelve months. I’m taking the chance to look back and tell you a bit about the background of the books I’ve published, but also about things that happened in my life or that are on my mind. There’s one stop for every book, and of course, there are prizes waiting for you, because as always, good things for me mean good things for you, my dear friends and readers. Please read the “Giveaway” section below for details.

Today, I’d like to talk about ménages. Look at the romance bestseller lists and you’ll find that threesomes in any combination are popular these days, at least in literature. And it makes you wonder, doesn’t it? I think the fascination is definitely understandable. Even in the happiest of relationships, who doesn’t sometimes wish for their partner to show different character traits? Show just that little bit more enthusiasm to go out for long walks with you. Appreciate a cuddle on the sofa instead of always huddling up on their own end far away from you. Enjoy horror movies as much as you do. Take you out to go dancing. Whatever it is, there’s bound to be something where you’re interests just don’t match, and that’s where another, a second, partner might come in handy.

Not to mention the sex. Enjoying the attention of two lovers simultaneously? Blows your mind… Ahem. Excuse me, straying off topic a bit…

But my question is, does it work? Can it work? Well, why not? Just because it’s not society’s common standard doesn’t mean it can’t be the right thing for the people involved. That’s my opinion, but most people I know, at least in real life, either believe in monogamous relationships, i.e. two people together, or they’re single and looking for The One. What does it take to realise that the one person you’re with is not enough and how do you go about finding a third? Or what if you’re in a working relationship and suddenly there’s someone else? Would you take the risk to include him/her? How big is the chance that your partner will feel attracted to that other person, too, fall in love with them, even?

Admittedly, I’m raising more questions than giving answers today, but those were the questions on my mind while writing Triple Trust, a story about three men who come to understand that sometimes, two just aren’t enough. I believe I found some answers to my question as I followed Cole, Seth and Dylan along their bumpy and painful way to love and if you’d like, you can walk that road with them.

Triple Trust

When trust doesn’t come easy and two can’t make it work, then three might be just what it takes to create the perfect relationship.

When Dylan Mitchell hires the indecently beautiful part-time fidelity tester and full-time cynic Cole Peckham to find out how loyal his boyfriend Seth Knowles really is, he is ready to expect the worst. What he doesn’t expect is the immense temptation Cole presents to him—and to Seth. Or the instant attraction Cole feels for both of them.

Deeply disappointed by Dylan’s lack of trust, Seth leaves Dylan both single and heartbroken, but free to turn to Cole for comfort.

A cruel twist of fate soon requires Cole to put much more into this fresh relationship than he’d bargained for. While he is determined to give his best, it looks like Dylan might need more than Cole can give him—especially since Dylan is still in love with Seth. But when two can’t make it work, three might be just what it takes to create the perfect relationship…

Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0096A5H3A

Amazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0096A5H3A

Amazon Ca: http://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0096A5H3A

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/triple-trust-sage-marlowe/1112803658?ean=9781622411641&itm=1&usri=sage+marlowe

Bookstrand: www.bookstrand.com/triple-trust

Giveaway—Here’s what you can win:

#1 – Sage’s Goodie Package:

Contains a signed copy of Sub-Culture, a set of signed book cover photographs and some surprise goodies to spoil you

#2 – Create a character

Here’s your chance to create your very own fictional character that will be featured in one of my next books. The winner gets to pick the name and distinct features like hair / eye colour, height and a few personality quirks of a hero (male characters only, and please keep it doable…). Depending on the specification, I will either include him in a current WIP or use him as inspiration for a brand new story. The winner will also receive a free e-copy of this story once it’s published.

How to enter:

Leave a comment in the comment section asking to be entered in the giveaway. The winner will be picked at random and announced on my blog on May 20th. Multiple entries are allowed and will increase your chances to win. For additional terms and conditions, please go to http://www.sage-marlowe.com/p/contests.html

You can find the full tour schedule here: http://www.sage-marlowe.com/p/blog-tour-may-2013.html

About Sage Marlowe

 Sage is a multi-published author of MM erotic romance novels and novellas and loves exploring the flavours of gay erotic fiction.

A willing slave to all the fascinating guys who keep queuing up and want their stories told, Sage can almost always be found cooking up the next hot story or daydreaming about new ways of rubbing sexy male bodies together to make the sparks fly.

  Contact and buy links

 Sage’s website & blog: www.sage-marlowe.com

Facebook: www.facebook.com/sage.marlowe0

e-mail: marlowe.sage@yahoo.co.uk

Twitter: @SageMarlowe

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/SageMarlowe

Amazon: www.amazon.com/author/sagemarlowe

Canadian Spring

A photo essay. Sort of. Let me explain a bit. Canadian winters can be long. Like eight months long. It first snowed here to stay in mid November. The last snowfall was late April. Okay, so that’s six. But let’s include the month of cold on the front end of that, and this: Squint. It’s like Where’s Waldo. Can you find the colour? It’s there, I swear! but this is what we face, for like, weeks after the snow is gone. This and the garbage and rotting dog poop. Yum. Fun times.   So what’s a writer to do, you ask? Easy. this:

good morning garden. A Canadian Writer’s solution to a bit of stubborn plot.

Oh yes. This mug goes with me everywhere. Well, not when I leave the city, because the last time I did that, I left my coveted Devon Rhodes mug on a Greyhound bus and that was a sad, sad day. (because she lervs me, she replaced it, but that’s another story) But this one goes to work every day (to remind me I’m going to quit that day job one of these days, and this is why) and back, and it follows me through the house and out to the garden. This is morning coffee break. Notice the colour really is there, just like I said.  This is April in the Canadian Garden. It gets better, I promise. Or, I’ve been promised it gets better….Oh, I hope.

But just in case, there’s always lunch break. And to round out the day, BBQ. Oh yes. Yes, that is exactly what it looks like. A plate full of cow. !st BBQ of the season You know we had to go big.

Book Talk: Gasp! by Z.A. Maxfield

 Love can be shocking. Gasp!

Back when it came out, I mentioned Gasp! was available and counseled you all to go bu it based on the fact I’ve loved ZAM’s books in the past. I hadn’t had the chance to read it yet, but now I have, and let me tell you, I still counsel you all to go get it, if you haven’t already, and read it. It is as good as I expected it to be.

Based on the cover, I thought there would be more of a rocker feel, but you  know, once I was invested, I didn’t much care. This is a love story, and what an amazing one it is. There are so many sides to Nigel Gasp that calling him a rocker is selling him short by a long shot. And then looking at the cover again after I’d read the book, there’s that thing you don’t notice for what it really is, and it’s a beautiful echo of everything Nigel is portrayed as inside. His little secrets and insecurities are there, hidden in plain sight, and I’m still marveling at how ZAM did that with his character.

Then there’s Jeff. I found there were a few moments when I wanted to sit Jeff down and have a stern talk with him. He made, well, we’ll say “a few blunders”, because he didn’t trust himself  or his feelings  or, most importantly, Nigel. Granted, Nigel had a rep for not being trustworthy when it came to his love and sex life, but still. He witnessed Nigel changing before his eyes and he still imagined that change would fly out the window as soon as Nigel when back on the road. I thought that was a bit uncharitable of him.

And at the same time, there were moments when he was the most generous, patient and accepting soul imaginable, and exactly what needy little Nigel required at the time.

I loved that about him, and I couldn’t quite get so mad at him I didn’t want to finish the book. In fact, once he figured his shit out, I cheered all the harder when he came to Nigel’s emotional rescue, and their happy ending was that much more meaningful because they both had to grow and improve to finally reach it. For me, that is by far the most satisfying way to end a story, love story or otherwise, and this truly was a tale about real love, between the guys, and the love threaded through their family. Great book. Go read.

You can pick it up at LooseId

Blurb: Jeff Paxton came home from Afghanistan looking to put down roots. Instead his pregnant sister talks him into a job babysitting the volatile megastar Nigel Gasp. Nigel is stubborn, needy, and determined to be the center of attention everywhere he goes. Before long, Jeff realizes that something is bothering Gasp, and that keeping him out of trouble might be more difficult than he thought.

Nigel never planned on getting old. He simply assumed a hard drinking, hard partying lifestyle would take care of that. Now that he’s turning forty, he’s depressed and a little bit desperate. To Nigel, forty seems like a fine age to deposit his DNA and check out while he’s still on top.

The last thing Jeff needs is to fall in love with Nigel Gasp. The last thing Nigel expects is a whole new reason to live. But how can Jeff put down roots with a man who is never in the same place twice?

 

 

Book Talk: Conquest by SJ Frost

I may have talked about this book in the past, because I loved it, and, well, the whole series, actually. a lot. Enough that I keep going back and reading parts of it over again. But today, I invited Shanon over to talk about hr books herself, because it’s always nice to hear from the authors, I think. It’s fun to find out what goes through their heads when they’re writing something, or after they’ve written it. Being an author, I know what goes through my skull. Being a reader, I want to know what makes other writers tick, too.

So, without more rambling on my part, here’s

ROCK STARS GONE COUNTRY by SJ Frost

Rock Stars Gone…Country?

First, I want to give a huge thanks to Jaime for letting me visit here. It’s such an honor and pleasure, and I’m very excited for her and her new rocker story, OFF STAGE: RIGHT. I’m wishing her and her Firefly boys tons of good luck!

As the author of the Conquest series, I know how much fun – and how challenging – it is writing about rock stars. But who doesn’t love them?! Cocky attitudes, tight clothes, strutting across a stage like they own the world. There’s just something about them that’s hard to resist.

Like Jaime mentioned when she visited my blog , I also grew up during the MTV era. Actually, let me rephrase that. I grew up in the MTV era when they played music videos and were focused on music. I feel pretty lucky to have gotten to experience that. It was one of many things that fueled my love for music, especially the rock genre, and that’s carried through even to today.

Between that and other musical influences I had growing up, I suppose I shouldn’t have been surprised when a bold and sexy young rock singer, Jesse Alexander, showed up in my mind a few years ago, bringing his man, his band, and a host of other characters with him. From that moment, the Conquest series was born with the first book, CONQUEST. Little did I know what it would lead to! It’s still hard for me to believe there are, at this moment, seven books in the Conquest “world”, and still a couple more stories to tell.

But while there’s still a little more to go with the Conquest boys, I decided to let them rest for a bit to work on another musician themed story that’s not tied to the Conquest series, A LITTLE BIT COUNTRY: THE NOVEL. And why is “The Novel” tacked onto the end of it? Well, this was originally a short story I wrote over two years ago for the M/M Romance Group on Goodreads. Even when I finished the short for the group, I knew I was going to have to expand it, and now I’m happy to say it’ll be my next rock star themed release, coming to MLR Press in August! And part of this story is rock singer, Ash Ivers, learning just how much fun it is to “go country” when he meets famed country singer, Jackson Abrams.

For me, it was interesting stretching my writing muscles to work with a musician in a different genre other than rock, and also, bringing the two genres together in one book. Of course, I did have some inspirational help as soon as The Voice started up again, and I got to watch the cute banter between Adam Levine and Blake Shelton. Those two are the stuff stories are made of *happy sigh*

And that’s the thing with writing rock stars and musicians. The inspiration is endless! That’s probably how the Conquest series grew to the size it is! That, and I also just couldn’t let go of the boys.   It’s really no wonder why authors love writing about rock stars, or why readers love stories about them. Their antics, their sexiness, their creativity, their attitudes, their passion, it all leads to creating fun and hot storytelling. And in my humble opinion, the world can never have enough rock star stories!

CONQUEST

Published by MLR Press

Buy it

Blurb:

As the vocally gifted lead singer of his band, Conquest, Jesse Alexander refuses to let anything hold him back from achieving his dream of becoming one of the greatest performers to ever hit a stage.

Evan Arden was thought of as a musical genius when at the height of his career, he vanished from the spotlight. Together, their relationship is just as intense as their music careers, but with the pressures of success and fame pushing down on them, Jesse must decide what’s more important to him, his life of music, or his life with Evan.

Excerpt:

Jesse walked further into the room, turning in a circle to fully take it in. Electric guitars of numerous styles and brands hung on one wall with bass guitars and acoustics. Of the electric, Jesse guessed there had to be over thirty. Against one wall, dark walnut shelves displayed several violins and violas with two cellos and a full-sized harp sitting close by. On the other side of the room, shelves and wooden tables held still more instruments, though many of these were exotic, some of which Jesse didn’t even know existed until that moment. He moved across the room to them, his fingers all but twitching to touch.

Evan could see on Jesse’s face how he battled for control to not finger the instruments. “Go ahead. You can touch them. From the moment it’s created, an instrument’s only wish is to be held by a loving and skilled hand.”

Jesse gently laid his fingers on a zither near its strings and caressed the wood. “It’s true, isn’t it? Sometimes I think they’re almost living, the way each one has a unique voice. Kenny thinks I’m nuts. He says, a Strat is a Strat. But to me, every instrument has a subtle pitch difference that makes it its own, and when it gets held in the hands of someone who respects and understands it, the sound of that instrument becomes as individual as the soul of the person playing it.” He looked over his shoulder at Evan and smiled. “You probably think I’m mental, too, for thinking like that, don’t you?”

“No, not at all,” Evan said softly, in awe at the serene beauty that came over Jesse’s face when he was surrounded by instruments.

Jesse stopped before the violins, admiring each one. “They’re so beautiful. I’ve always wanted to learn to play, but I haven’t had the chance.”

Evan headed over to him. “I could teach you. I’ve seen all the instruments you can play. Picking up one more would be easy for you.”

Jesse turned a hopeful smile on him. “You would do that?”

“I would love to.”

Evan pulled down a violin case from the top shelf and set it on one of the lower ones. He opened it, revealing a violin inside with a rich brownish-gold finish. Though it lay silent, as the light in the room washed over it, Jesse swore he could hear the echoes of the countless songs the instrument had known, and all the emotions its voice had evoked from its listeners, joy, sadness, hope, seemed to have become as much a part of it as its neck, body, or stain.

Evan lifted the instrument from its case with the tenderness of a father lifting his child from its crib. He set it against his left shoulder to check the tuning, placing a soft white cloth where his chin would go since the model didn’t have a chinrest, and when the final adjustments were made, he said, “It’s been a while since I’ve played, so don’t laugh at me if I screw up.”

Jesse shook his head and sat down on the stool for the harp. “Never.”

Evan raised the bow and closed his eyes, calling the song he wanted to play to his mind. The music flowed through his mental ear, telling him the notes he needed. He settled the bow on the strings and played the first gentle notes of Pachelbel’s Canon in D major.

Jesse’s lips parted, the pure, divine sound of the violin stealing his breath to add to its essence. Like a heavenly being residing in the mortal realm, Evan wove the notes together with expert fingers and created a blanket of music that wrapped around them both. Though the piece normally called for more violins, Evan’s rendition and skill made it so the other instruments weren’t missed. Enraptured, Jesse stared at him, at his lips that looked so soft, at his fingers of such deft skill, and in that moment, the newly awoken part of himself became fully alert, and he knew then it was his very soul that Evan had roused. It responded to Evan, called to him, and there’d be no silence within himself until Evan was his.

S.J. Frost website

S.J. Frost blog

You can bet I’ll be inviting Shanon back when The Novel comes out. I grew up on country, so I can only imagine how much I am going to love that book!!! Thanks for stopping by, Shanon, and hope y’all come back again soon!