Z.A. Maxfield's Blog, page 26

Sunday Brunch Blog – 12/08/13

Last week we talk about movies! I’m amazed at some of the guilty pleasure movie lovers out there! I watched two of my guilty pleasure movies with the family this week, Red, and Red 2!

Last week’s winner? Jean!

This week my guests will share their answers with us, and you, gentle readers, can give your answer to my question in the comment section below. I’ll choose one random person from the comments and reward them with an ebook surprise, it’s that simple!

Tell me what your answer to today’s question would be in the comments, and you could win an e-book!

This weeks question is:

“Do you have any unusual plans, rituals, or traditions during the holiday season?” (Whatever you celebrate.)

I always make Christmas cookies. It’s a tradition I started the year my daughter was born, which means my first round was me baking with a one-month old strapped to my chest. I made about six different kinds that first year, then gave them away to friends and family. As the years have gone on, I’ve done more, and more, and more, sometimes as many as a dozen different cookies. My daughter takes them to school, to lesson instructors, and everyone who comes to my house or invites me to theirs looks at my arms as soon as I enter. “Are there any cookies?”

Last year was a new twist as I made my cookies dairy and egg free, so I could eat them too: this year I get to add gluten free to that list as well. I admit, I’m a little nervous. Gluten free baking is hard, and I have to do it en masse. I can’t even make some “regular” cookies to give away, because the flour in the air would make me sick. So it’s completely GF or bust. The plus side, though, is that when I figure it out, I’ll be able to share with even more friends, and they’ll be friends who don’t often get homemade Christmas cookies. — Author Heidi Cullinan




 
Purchase Let It Snow :   Amazon   ARE   B&N

The holidays for me can be pretty interesting to orchestrate. After one of my family celebrations, I’m pretty sure I could run a Fortune 500 company and not break a sweat. Right before the holiday, it’s a mad scramble to get some work done so I can take the day before and the day of the holiday off.

Christmas is my all time favorite holiday. My children are under threat of bodily harm if they don’t come home for Christmas. When they have children of their own, they can spend Christmas morning at home with their kids, but then everyone comes to Mom’s house.

Our day starts with stockings. The rule is Mom and Dad get to have one cup of coffee before anything happens. Over the years my kids have gotten smart and show up with Starbucks in hand. Everyone crawls onto the bed with Mom and Dad and opens stockings. As our family grew, this became very interesting. We now have about fifteen people huddled around our bed going through their stockings.

Then it’s off to the presents.

Every year, someone is designated the honorary Santa. Their job is to hand out one present at a time to people in order. Dad made it a habit to make sure everyone got an equal amount of presents. With six kids, you kind of have to or chaos ensues.

As soon as presents are opened, a few of us head to the kitchen to put the turkey in the oven while others do a quick clean up. The usual count for dinner is upwards of twenty five people so cooking is a two day affair at our house (deserts and muchies cooked the day before), with enough food for my army laid out buffet style for the snacks then the good dishes for the dinner. (I got lazy over Thanksgiving and we ate on paper plates).

The rest of the day is spent playing with toys, watching football, and hanging out with the family. I will admit that once everyone is engaged in video games or whatever, I do tend to sneak off and do a little writing. Every little word helps.

So, that’s my holiday…may not sound all that exciting but my entire family looks forward to Christmas the entire year. As my children grow and start their own adult lives, finding a time for all of us to be in one place at the same time is kind of like trying to get the planets to align. This is the one day out of the year I know my entire family will be under my roof…and that may be the best Christmas present of them all. — Author Stormy Glenn

Purchase Not So Simple Simon at Bookstrand

When I still lived in New Jersey, we used to have a few Christmas traditions. The weekend before Christmas, we would have a huge Christmas party at my house. Friends and family would come and stay late into the night laughing, drinking, and eating. We’d have enough food and cookies to feed a couple armies.

Christmas Eve would always be spent at my grandparent’s house in Cape May. On the way home, we’d listen to the Santa Tracker. Christmas morning, the entire family would come to our house for breakfast and all of us kids would open our presents. That evening, we’d all meet at my aunt’s house for Christmas dinner and for the adults to exchange presents.

Those are really the only Christmas traditions we had. When I moved down to SC, those traditions were left behind. The family still in NJ gets together Christmas evening at my aunt’s house still, but that’s it. The only part we still do down here is the Christmas baking where my mother goes on a cookie making binge. Despite the fact that we no longer have our huge Christmas party, she still bakes like we do. — Author William Cooper

Purchase For His Love:   Amazon   ARE   B&N

 

 

 

 

 

And the Winners ARE:

Congratulations to:

Emily, who won the Loose Id Gift Certificate.

AND

Debra, Kat, and Melora, who won iTunes Gift cards.

Eddie and Andrew have dynamite chemistry. But Eddie’s profoundly dyslexic, and Andrew lives to read. Andrew’s pathologically disorganized, and Eddie likes things neat and clutter free.

Andrew’s ashamed of his hoarder father, and Eddie’s embarrassed by his lack of education – secrets that could pull them apart even as a friend’s tragedy brings them together.

When Andrew’s father devolves and nearly dies because of his compulsion, Eddie and Andrew must learn compassion begins with loving one’s self.

Read an excerpt HERE

Purchase Eddie: Grime Deosn’t Pay:  AMAZON  ARE   Loose Id

Tuesday Teaser – Special Guest – KC Burn!

Let’s have a GREAT BIG Tuesday Teaser welcome to KC Burn, another one of my friends from the Orange County Chapter of the RWA!

Here’s what KC says about herself:

I’ve been writing for what feels like my whole life. I’m a sucker for a happy ending (get your mind out of the gutters!) so it’s been romance almost all the way. After moving from Toronto to Florida for my hubby to take a dream job, I discovered a love of gay romance and fulfilled my own dream — getting published. After a few years of editing web content by day and at night, neglecting my supportive hubby and needy cat to write about men loving men, I was uprooted yet again, and now reside in California.

Writing is always fun, despite the hard work, but writing about my guys is more fun than I’ve had in a long time. Love between consenting adults is a beautiful thing, and should be celebrated, regardless of sexual orientation. I hope you enjoy reading my stories as much as I love writing them.

KC, we love it when you do! I looked for a picture of us (I swear I’ve got one somewhere) but I couldn’t find it. Suffice it to say, we would have looked absolutely fabulous!

Don’t Forget!

Readers, your mission is to guess which KC Burn book this comes from, you know the drill. Email me at zamaxfield @ zamaxfield dot com and put Teaser Tuesdays in the subject line. Guess the name of the book and I’ll draw the winner before next Tuesday —— Here’s  KC’s excerpt:
 

*** stood in the doorway, mesmerized. *** had outdone herself. The escort would only reach as high as his shoulder. A hank of deep cobalt blue bisected the glossy black hair, perfectly accentuating the blue eyes gazing at him. This one was only a few years younger than him—mid to late twenties—and a trifle old for a profession that prized youth. But the air of innocence surrounding him—or inexperience—was delectable. How did an escort keep his appearance of inexperience intact? Incredible acting ability?

A few light freckles scattered across the once-broken button nose. With it set properly, he’d be a complete cherub, although the slight crookedness did not detract from his allure. Neither did the dyed-blue hair. Quite the opposite, in fact. It made him even tastier. The wiry, athletic build amplified ***’s desires, and his cock swelled and throbbed in appreciation.

When his escort licked those plump pink lips after directing a gaze at ***’s crotch, he congratulated himself for having most of the day and all night to fuck his misery away. Sex tamed the stress, and he was going to be a fucked-out, come-drained limp noodle when he attended those damned negotiations.

*** deserved a gift for her choice, especially if he could place a standing order. If this cute thing was any good in the sack…forget standing order, he’d ask for an exclusive.

Moving farther into the room, he placed his work console on the desk, gaze never leaving the gorgeous man who was his for the night.

“Strip.” Arousal roughened his voice like he’d swallowed ground glass and he wanted to growl when those blue eyes lifted to his face and widened in shock, pupils dilating.

A couple more steps put him close enough to smell the spicy, earthy scent of his escort’s clean skin. The same skin that pinkened under his gaze.

Fuck, they were going to play.

“Strip… What’s your name?” *** could call him boy the whole time, but he wasn’t a true Dom. He never did scenes; he never needed safe words. But when the stress escalated, he needed a situation where he had control, where no worry surrounded the outcome. He needed the submission, or more specifically, acquiescence, whether it happened immediately or after a bit of a mock struggle.

“***,” was the barely audible reply.

“Strip, ***.” *** was certain *** heard the implied or I’ll do it for you, but he didn’t move a muscle. Not voluntarily, anyway. *** didn’t miss the twitch under his soft workout pants. The man looked like he’d rolled out of bed a moment ago, and *** had every intention of rolling him back in.

After he fucked him against the wall. Or over his work console. Mmmm. Yeah. He was going to make *** come all over that misbegotten chunk of electronics.

A moan welled up, but he forced it back. *** needed to start moaning before he did.

*** slid a glance down that tight body, with the strong, lithe build of a cat burglar. He was welcome to rob *** blind, as long as he gave it up, gave everything up, first.

 

News

Check out the Lost and Found Blog Tour. It’s actually TWO blog tours in ONE! Riptide has a huge promotion right now, and some mighty fine prizes. You can find a link to that, HERE.

December 2, 2013 - Cup O’ Porn
December 3, 2013 - Pants Off Reviews – Spotlight Stop
December 3, 2013 - Joyfully Jay
December 4, 2013 - Book Reviews & More by Kathy – Spotlight Stop
December 4, 2013 - The Jeep Diva
December 5, 2013 - Under the Covers Book Blog
December 5, 2013 - All I Want and More Books – Spotlight Stop
December 6, 2013 - Scattered Thoughts and Rogue Words
December 6, 2013 - Tracy’s Place – Spotlight Stop

You can also find a second blog tour, through Enchantress of blog tours, HERE. 

 

Stops for this second blog tour include I’ll update the links as they become available:

Monday, Dec. 2 - The Blog of Sid Love ,  T.T. Kove
Tuesday, Dec. 3 - My Reviews & Ramblings,  Slitsread
Wednesday, Dec. 4 - The Risque Redhead Reads
Thursday, Dec. 5 - Booker Like a Hooker, Live Your Life, Buy The Book
Friday, Dec. 6 - Ame – That’s A Me, Tara Lain
Saturday, Dec. 7 - BookwormBridgette’s World, Adventures of Piglet Scooter
Sunday, Dec. 8 - ZcrazyAngel Escape

 

Excerpt: Lost and Found

Winter was his favorite season at the resort. Holiday lights brightened the darkness, shimmering in the algae-laden water like sunken treasure. Several of the fancier rigs were overdressed for the occasion, as tacky as they were festive, with mirror balls and singing Christmas trees.

Summers were crowded with people who drank too much. There were way too many small kids to watch out for. Summer gave Ringo ulcers. But in December the weather was mild and color scintillated everywhere, from the bright orange of fires on the beach, to the rigs, to the sparkling trunks of majestic palms wrapped halfway up with twinkle lights.

The glittered reflection of all that luminescence shivered on the water—balm to Ringo’s soul.

Ringo pulled his golf cart up next to Gavin’s place. He was sitting on a canvas lawn chair with one leg propped up, playing Christmas music on a ukulele. He had a good fire going in a black iron fire bowl with Kokopelli cutouts. Bird lay by his side, his muzzle draped contentedly over Gavin’s bare foot.

Ringo thought he’d probably lie down like that with his face on Gavin’s foot if Gavin would let him.

Gavin caught sight of him and lifted his chin. That was all the welcome Ringo was going to get, so he made the most of it. He got out of his cart and stepped onto Gavin’s woven hemp patio rug. He gave Gavin a light kiss on the top of his head in lieu of a greeting.

Gavin broke off playing to pick up his beer and take a swallow, then put it down to play some more. Ringo recognized “Winter Wonderland.”

“I brought you In-N-Out.” Ringo headed toward the door of Gavin’s RV. “Mind if I go in and get some plates and things?”

“Make yourself homely.” Gavin shifted slowly in his chair and grimaced with pain. “Help yourself to a brew while you’re in there.”

Gavin had a bag of peas cooling his knee. “You hurting?”

“Yeah.” Gavin shrugged. “I got pills, though.”

“Peas still cold?”

“I have another bag, maybe you could switch them since you’re going in . . .?”

“Sure.” Ringo plucked the bag off him. The knee itself didn’t look too bad from the outside. A little swelling, a little bruising. He probably had a couple of small incisions under the Band-Aids. Ringo went inside Gavin’s RV and got a fresh bag of peas from the freezer. He didn’t think he’d ever seen Gavin eat a pea. He must have kept them just for their medicinal benefit. While he was in there, he put their burgers and fries on paper plates and got himself a beer.

When he returned, he sat down in a camp chair opposite Gavin’s. Sure as shit, the smoke turned direction and headed his way. He waved and blinked his eyes. “Why does that always happen? No matter where I’m sitting, I get smoke in my face.”

“Smoke seeks out the pretty boys.” Gavin followed that up with a musical rimshot—bah dum bump—on his ukulele.

Ringo rolled his eyes. “So, you had arthroscopic surgery?”

“Yeah. I tore the meniscus. I got a video of the surgery if you want to watch it sometime. It looks like a tiny dragon is tearing off bits of cotton candy in the dark.”

“I’ll pass.” Ringo wasn’t much into that sort of thing. He’d seen all the blood and gore he’d needed to see in the Army. “Should you be drinking that if you’re taking pills?”

Gavin slanted an irritated look at him. “I only had one beer, mami. I’m fine.”

Ringo twisted the cap off his beer. “I like you better when you call me papi.”

Gavin narrowed his eyes at that. “So act like a man instead of smothering me.”

Ringo itched to twist Gavin’s neck. Why did Gavin always have to give him attitude when he was only checking in to make sure everything was okay? Gavin’d had surgery, for Christ’s sake. Why couldn’t Gavin tell him when things weren’t okay?

“You got plenty to eat for snacks and something to drink besides beer?”

“For today.” Gavin looked away. “But I could use some stuff.”

That’s new. Was Gavin asking for help with something? Had the world come to an end and nobody told Ringo? “Like what? I can make a list.”

“I need some first aid shit. Mine’s so old it’s moldy. I think it came with the rig.”

“Like bandages and antibacterial ointment?”

“Yeah.”

“What else? Bottled water? Coffee? Pop? Those cookies you like with the peanut butter?”

Gavin shot him a genuine smile. “You remember that?”

“Yeah.” Ringo felt his cheeks heat up. “I remember. Soft oatmeal with raisins too. You don’t like chocolate chip like normal people.”

“I like chocolate chip.”

“But they don’t make your eyes light up,” Ringo murmured.

Gavin sighed, and his fingers drifted into another song, this one in a minor key so it sounded a little sad.

Ringo shook his head and sat back. Gavin was right there in front of him. Was he feeling lonely? On more than one occasion, he’d used the intel Gavin’s restless musicality sent out and they’d ended up making out or in the sack, despite the fact that they weren’t together anymore.

Ringo generally acted on Gavin’s haunted, lonely music, not on his words, until one or the other of them burst the magic spell he’d woven.

Usually it was Ringo who messed up, and Gavin who chased him away.

Just now, Gavin was more than a little high. If Ringo pushed things, if he approached Gavin like Bird did—like he had a right to Gavin’s affection, or like he was just too dumb to know he wasn’t always so welcome—he’d be allowed to stay the night.

It might be worth it, just to see if he could make Gavin smile for a while.

“You should eat,” he said instead.

If Gavin was frozen inside his melancholy, then Ringo was caught in the web of his macho. He didn’t want to crawl on his knees and beg to be petted like a dog. He wanted Gavin to want him. To ask for what he wanted out loud with his words instead of his goddamn music.

Read more or purchase from Riptide Publishing, HERE.

 

Sunday Brunch Blog 12/01/13

Hey Sunday Brunch lovers! Okay, so last week we learned what everyone is afraid of… Snakes, water, I’m surprised nobody mentioned clowns…or did they? We had a regular fear fest! Maybe talking about our greatest fears will ensure we don’t have to face them, huh?

Last week’s winner? Stacy!

This week my guests will share their answers with us, and you, gentle readers, can give your answer to my question in the comment section below. I’ll choose one random person from the comments and reward them with an ebook surprise, it’s that simple!

Tell me what your answer to today’s question would be in the comments, and you could win an e-book!

This weeks question is:

Do you have a “guilty pleasure” movie? (What is it?)

My guilty pleasure movie is Orange County (not to be confused with the TV show, The OC). It stars Colin Hanks (Tom Hanks’s son), Jack Black, and John Lithgow. It also features cameos by Lily Tomlin, Chevy Chase, and Ben Stiller. Orange County is about a high school senior named Shaun who wants to be a writer. He’s sure that the only way he’ll succeed is by going to Stanford, where his favorite author is a professor. But his high school counselor sends in the wrong transcripts, and his application to Stanford is denied. His girlfriend and his perpetually hung-over brother (Jack Black) come up with plans to save the day…

And Shaun’s day basically goes downhill from there.

Orange County is about the absurdity of high school, the inescapable insanity of family, and the inexplicable bonds that make us who we are, for better or for worse. It’s a bit juvenile, but also has some surprisingly insightful moments, and it never fails to make me laugh.

For what it’s worth, this is also the movie I watch when I’m having a Bad Writer Day. It helps me remember that a certain amount of craziness is just part of the whole author gig. –Author Marie Sexton

Find Orange County’s IMDB page HERE.

Find Never a Hero:  Amazon   B&N   ARE

~~~~~*****~~~~~

When it comes to movies I tend to go for the big bang. Action movies. Something that makes it worthwhile to have a blu ray player, HD, and surround sound. Iron Man, The Avengers, The Expendables, Red, White House Down, Star Trek. Anything with Jason Statham. So when ZAM asks me if I have a guilty pleasure movie, I squirm in my seat a little…because I do and it’s so far removed from action movies as to be a bit embarrassing for me. I have a secret love for The Wedding Date.

Yeah, that’s me, embarrassed to be found liking — owning— a chick flick.

It’s odd that I even tolerate this movie because I’ve never liked that redhead from Will & Grace. She irritates me. In this movie though, I actually sort of like her. Well, the character at least and the way she plays her doesn’t rub me entirely the wrong way. The movie has a couple of really winning points with me though. One is the British cousin “Hello, asshole” and her really funny cracks. The other is Dermot Mulroney. He’s warm and funny and oh my God so sexy. His naked ass causes my breath to stall in my chest. The way he plays the date for hire character, the escort, is so well done that you can’t help but fall in love with him. He completely commands the movie and not just because of his naked ass or the quirky little smile with the scar that clips his upper lip. Some of it can be laid at the door of his looks and some at the smoky voice that makes the hairs stand up on your forearms. But honestly, another reason is because of the script and the acting talent he brings to it. What woman who doesn’t see herself as attractive wouldn’t fall for a man who makes her believe in herself and her ability to attract him? And Dermot Mulroney makes you believe.  When he makes the heroine in the movie believe, he makes the rest of us watching believe that about ourselves too. Oddly, his birthday is the same as mine (Halloween) albeit three years after me. That just makes it all so much better.

So I guess I can’t be embarrassed now that ZAM’s wormed this dirty, guilty little secret pleasure out of me. I think it’s probably the only chick flick I’ve ever truly liked. I know it’s the only one I own. LOL Other than The Wedding Date, I’ll take Loki any day. — Author Lex Valentine. (EDITOR’s Note. I um…want Loki Too…)

Book: Fire Season (Audiobook): Buy at Audible

~~~~~*****~~~~~

I actually have three guilty pleasure movies. First one is Lake Placid. I love B horror movies, but Lake Placid, IMO, is one of the best. It’s got a great cast, and they’re giving it their all, despite the fact they’re making a movie about a giant crocodile terrorizing a small town. The dialogue is amusing, and the gore is shocking but not overdone. Betty White and her swearing was a complete and total bonus.

My second is Sahara. I don’t usually like Matthew McConaughey in anything, and I certainly never pictured him as Dirk Pitt. Steve Zahn was even further from the way I pictured Al Giordino, but holy crap, I thought they batted that one out of the park. Those two guys had great on screen chemistry and I loved the way they interacted with each other and the rest of the cast. Unfortunately, I guess Clive Cussler (and other moviegoers) disagreed, so my hopes of a franchise were smashed.

Finally, my third, and possibly most embarrassing guilty pleasure movie – Josie and the Pussycats. There is something about the campy, cotton candy, tongue-in-cheek humor that completely sucked me in. Hell, I even loved the music, which is really unusual for me since I’m very picky about music. It also had an awesome cast, including Paulo Costanzo (I like everything I’ve seen him do) and Alan Cumming, who is completely adorable.

So, there are my guilty pleasure movies. Feel free to mock me, because you wouldn’t be the first : ) — Author KC Burn

Purchase Pen Name Dr. Chicken:      

 

 

 

Grime Doesn’t Pay – Happy Dance!

I’m happy to share today that Eddie and Andrew got a couple of really terrific reviews –

One came from Ami at the “Boys In Our Books” review site, who said:

“There is a sign that you are reading a good book … when you cannot put it down. I was not feeling well when I read this, I suffered from stomach flu and had been feeling weak for two days, couldn’t even had the energy to read. But when I received the ARC, once I started, I couldn’t put it down.” (you can read the rest of that review, HERE)

And another came from The Blog of Sid Love, who said:

“It put a smile on my face right at the beginning and I got sucked in to never turn back. We find Eddie fixing his hair, trying to look neat and impressive as he drops his neice off at her school. In Grime and Punishment, we have one of the briefest scenes with Eddie where the guys are giving him a hard time about how he dresses up every time he goes to that school, knowing that there had to be a teacher crush involved. So when I read that first scene with Eddie and his adorable neice, my mind soothed back into full concentration. I knew this was going to be the type of book which I’d read without a halt.” (You can read the rest of Sid’s review, HERE)

On top of that, I got notification that Grime Doesn’t Pay is also an All Romance Ebooks best seller, so I think I little happy dancing is in order!

The  Blog Grime Doesn’t Pay Blog Tour: HERE,  is ongoing and the prizes will be a $20 gift certificate for Loose Id (so you can buy a few nice books for holiday reading, and I’m also giving away 3 iTunes gift cards so readers can download the Grime Doesn’t Pay playlist, here:

 

So All that’s left, is the dancing!

Join me!

JOIN ME!

For the next few days I’ll be bouncing around the web, showing off the latest book in the ZAM-iverse — The Brothers Grime : Eddie, Grime Doesn’t Pay.

Today I’m spending my time at Boys In Our Books! There’s a review there by Ami, who says, “There is a sign that you are reading a good book … when you cannot put it down. I was not feeling well when I read this, I suffered from stomach flu and had been feeling weak for two days, couldn’t even had the energy to read. But when I received the ARC, once I started, I couldn’t put it down.”

(Thank you very much, wow!) And also I blogged about how I came up with the idea for the Grime series. What makes me write about men with jobs like that?

Don’t miss out on the fun, please join us, and get in on a chance to win either a $20.00 gift certificate from Loose Id, or one of three iTunes “Grime Doesn’t Pay” Playlists.

Find out what I was listening to when I wrote Grime Doesn’t Pay and stay TUNED! There will be a week-long celebration, blog posts, giveaways, and fun!

Tuesday Teaser – special guest Lex Valentine!

Let’s have a GREAT BIG Tuesday Teaser welcome to my very good pal Lex Valentine! 

Like most authors, Lex has been writing ever since she could hold a pencil. A few years ago, when she posted snippets of her work on her personal blog Sunlight Sucks, multi-published author Jennifer Leeland encouraged her to submit her writing to publishers. That led to her first contract in October 2008.

Now an award winning, multi-published PAN author in her own right, Lex is a member of Romance Writers of America and active in several chapters including her local OCC chapter. Her publishers include: Ellora’s Cave, Loose Id, Jupiter Gardens (formerly Pink Petal Books), MLR Press, and Liquid Silver Books. She is published in both ebook and print.

Born and raised in Salinas, California, Lex moved to Southern California in 1992. She lives in a canyon on the edge of Orange County with her daughter Nikki (aka Motley of Socially Dead),  her long haired tattooed husband Rott (of RottNRoll), and a bunch of cats she calls “babies.” She loves loud rock and alternative music, builds her own computers, and has a propensity for having very weird vivid dreams about Nikki Sixx. Lex works full-time at a 100 year old cemetery as the network administrator, collects giraffes thanks to a character written by her friend Jen Morgan, adores supermodel Marcus Schenkenberg and loves hanging out with author-pal Z.A. Maxfield who never lets Lex be a wallflower.

See? This is us—–>

Last week’s winner: Janette!

Don’t Forget!

Your mission is to guess which Lex Valentine book this comes from, you know the drill. Email me at zamaxfield @ zamaxfield dot com and put Teaser Tuesdays in the subject line. Guess the name of the book and I’ll draw the winner before next Tuesday —— Here’s Lex’s excerpt:
 

“******, I’m sorry.”

The softly spoken words caused ****** to release his breath on a sigh. “I am too, ******.” He turned, his gaze caught and held by ******’s. A wave of emotion, mostly indefinable, rose within him, causing an ache in his chest.

****** swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing slightly. “I shouldn’t have done that.”

****** sensed ******’s discomfort, but stayed silent, waiting for him to finish. He gave the man points for holding his gaze when by rights he probably wanted to look anywhere else.

“I was angry and disappointed and confused. When *** came on to me in the bar…” ****** broke off and swallowed again. “I didn’t think you would care what I did, but that is no excuse. It’s just an explanation of my motivation. I know it was wrong of me to bring him back here on the day I found you. I’m so sorry.”

It had been a long time since ****** had met someone with the level of integrity that ****** had just shown. “I’m sorry too, ******,” he replied in a low voice. “This whole thing was such a shock. And I know that’s not an excuse for my behavior. It’s just an explanation.”

He smiled as he repeated ******’s words. The British man’s eyes lightened as a smile curved his lips. ****** caught a glimpse of brilliant white teeth as ******’s smile flashed out and he suddenly felt sucker punched, his gut twisting with emotion. The urge to reach out and touch ****** overwhelmed him, just like the man’s scent filled his senses, until all he could think about was asking him to repeat yesterday’s kiss.

******’s eyes flickered. “You realize that a lot of what you think and feel bleeds out to me now,” he murmured. “Despite your natural shielding.”

****** sucked in a breath. “If you know what I’m thinking then just do it, ******, ‘cause the gods know I can’t yet,” he said in a shaky voice, feeling his heart begin to race.

****** took the three steps needed to bring their bodies within inches of each other. ****** began to shake a little with fear and anticipation. The first kiss had been a surprise and filled with anger on both sides. This would be their first real kiss. They both acknowledged that they were mates, and that they felt some emotion pulling at them along with a steadily growing attraction. Regardless of the previous kiss, ****** didn’t know what to expect and when ******’s hand came up to wrap around the back of his neck, he stiffened a little at first. Then fire licked through his veins at the feel of ******’s warm palm on his bare skin. He shook harder.

“Don’t be afraid, ******. It’s just a kiss.”

******’s soft whisper accompanied the press of his thumb against the underside of ******’s jaw. Reflexively, he tilted his chin up and ******’s mouth came down on his. Lust swept through his body as ****** expertly parted his lips. ****** gasped a little opening his mouth wider as ******’s tongue glided easily against his own, the wet heat sending lightning bolts of desire shooting through him. This time when ******’s hips brushed his, he didn’t move, letting the man press his growing erection against him. His own cock started to respond, twitching inside his shorts.

Just as ****** was about to let go and kiss ****** back, the British man broke off the kiss on a long shuddering sigh. “I think we need to go downstairs before I forget that you’ve never been with a man before, ******,” he said in a shaken voice.

 

The Brothers Grime 2 – Big, Bad Blog Tour!

Hey ZAMMERS! The second book in my Brothers Grime series is coming out tomorrow, 11/26!

Tune in for details, I’ll be all over the map in the next few weeks. Tomorrow, we’ll kick off the blog tour for

Eddie: Grime Doesn’t Pay

Here’s a blurb for Eddie’s story -

Eddie and Andrew have dynamite chemistry. But Eddie is profoundly dyslexic, and Andrew lives to read. Andrew is pathologically disorganized, and Eddie likes things neat and clutter-free.

Andrew is desperately ashamed of his hoarder father, and Eddie is embarrassed by his lack of education – secrets that could pull them apart even as a friend’s tragedy brings them together.

When Andrew’s father’s condition deteriorates and he nearly dies because of his compulsion, Eddie and Andrew must learn compassion begins with loving one’s self in – Grime Doesn’t Pay.

Tune in tomorrow and I’ll let you know how to participate for a chance to win a $20 gift certificate for books from Loose Id! I’ll also be giving out my Grime Doesn’t Pay Playlist to three lucky winners! Stay with the tour and play along and one of those winners just might be you!

 

Sunday Brunch Blog – 12/24/13

Hey Sunday Brunch lovers! Okay, so last week we learned that everyone wants to go to Josh Lanyon’s Catalina Island Writer’s Retreat if he ever has one. We also know that islands figure big in a lot of people’s secret desires. So does solitude, autonomy, and the occasional mountain cabin where one can get away from the cares of the day!

Last week’s winner? Tawny!

This week my guests will share their answers with us, and you, gentle readers, can give your answer to my question in the comment section below. I’ll choose one random person from the comments and reward them with an ebook surprise, it’s that simple!

Tell me what your answer to today’s question would be in the comments, and you could win an e-book!

This weeks question is:

What is your greatest fear? 

As the author Carol Lynne - This will probably sound really crazy to people, but I’ve lived in the world of Cattle Valley for so many years that I sometimes find myself worrying about the residents. Ezra and Wyn aren’t getting any younger, and Erico has that heart condition. I know bad things can happen to good people, and the longer I continue to explore the residents of Cattle Valley, the more I fear something horrible will happen. The grandstand collapse a few years ago was devastating to the residents, and they are finally starting to heal.

No worries, I have no plans to kill off one of my beloved characters. That’s the crazy thing about this irrational fear. I have to remind myself that I have the control when it comes to the residents of Cattle Valley, but I’ve been living in their world for five years. They genuinely feel like friends, and I think it’s perfectly natural to worry about the people we love.

As Carol Lynne the mom -

I thought long and hard about this question. I hate snakes so much that I spotted one three years ago in my flower garden and haven’t planted a damn thing since. Still, I wouldn’t say that’s my greatest fear.

I’ve never been afraid of dying. I think it has a lot to do with my belief that there is life after death. However, the thought of dying without being able to say goodbye to my girls or help get them set up for life without me, terrifies me. I’m a forty-eight-year-old divorced woman with a twelve and thirteen year old. I started late in life, and I’m scared my procrastination is going to catch up with me.

It’s a fear most people don’t think about, but I’m not most people. So, instead of cluing my girls into my fear, there are a few things I slip in each day. I always, always tell them I love them at least three times a day, morning, afterschool and before bed. I also like to sprinkle my wisdom dust on them each morning as we drive to school. I used to wonder whether or not they were listening, but my oldest daughter’s actions lately proved they are. Both of my girls have good heads on their shoulders. They have a good set of values and the ability to open their minds and hearts to new things. The best thing about them is they make me proud each day. I can almost see the adults they’ll grow up to be.

My job with them isn’t near finished, but I have to admit that it gives me a bit of peace to know they’ll be fine should something happen to me. Still, I want to say goodbye. Some people want to go quickly when it’s their time, but I want to milk every second I am blessed to have them in my life.

(Carol, I put both your answers here because I liked them so much!)

Purchase C-7 Shifters: Seeger at   Amazon    ARE    B&N

What is my greatest fear? You mean I have to pick just one? A few years ago, I might have said failing at this whole writing gig, but I’ve now seen enough royalty checks in the single digits to realize, I’d do it anyway, big payout or not. So maybe…I still fear the same things I feared in grade school. Putting myself out there and having people point and laugh. I’d like to think, as I venture out into the adult world into a group of my peers, that this is something that I could feel confident no longer happens. We all know the truth, though. I’ve been on the outside for a long, long time, and the truth is, it never gets easier.

It’s just this sort of thing that bring Don and Griff together in Not as Easy as it Looks. Don needed a hero, and Griff was his. In fact, Howard needed a hero, too. And Griff came through for them both pretty definitively. Maybe we all want it to look like this; big and bold and in-your-face, but maybe, for most of us. it’s more subtle, like mine was, but either way, it’s nice have a champion. — Author Jaimie Samms

Buy the book: Dreamspinner

Okay– book story. My greatest fear used to be feeling penises in the dark, and then I really felt an actual live penis and that went away immediately! Then my biggest fear became snakes in water. Yup, you know, eels, or fish– touching something slimy, alive, muscular and visceral touching my body where I couldn’t see.

It was laughable, really, because I grew up around Folsom Lake and the American River, and I even learned to waterski in the Sacramento River, which had 1000 lb. sturgeon in it and everything.

I should have been okay with fish nibbling at my toes.

But I wasn’t, and so, in my first book, Vulnerable, I thought I’d exorcise that demon by having a vampire grab my heroine around the ankle after existing under water in wait for her. Oooh, I thought– that’ll get rid of that fear for good!

Uhm, no. Writing as therapy failure of the first water.

Now I freak out in water where I can see my feet. I will swim out (I’m a very strong swimmer) and frolic with the grace of a manatee (who are graceful in the water but not so much out) and as soon as a weed or a fish or an air bubble from a breathing turtle hits my toes–

I spaz out, flounder, and almost drown.

So, yeah. I could go deep here and tell you my most psychological fear, but, really, that’s too much like being naked. So I’m going to go with things touching me under water. Spazzes me the hell out, every single time! — Author Amy Lane

Come visit Amy at www.greenshill.com, at her FB Page Amy Lane Anonymous, and on Twitter under @amymaclane.

Purchase Triane’s Son Learning at Dreamspinner Press!