Andrew Grey's Blog, page 26
January 20, 2013
Love Means... No Limits Releases at Midnight!!!!!
I'm so very excited. Love means... No Limits releases from Dreamspinner Press at midnight tonight. This is the seventh novel and tenth story in the series. In order to help readers I've developed this suggested reading order. Love Means... Courage, No Shame, Simple Gifts, Healing, No Boundaries, Freedom, No Fear, Family, Renewal, No Limits. I really hope this helps.
Blurb:
Bart van Andren, aka Spider, has been running away from life with a lot of chemical help. When he wakes up in a hospital, he discovers he’s picked up a champion. Duane must see something in Bart no one else ever has, because he finds Bart a job at Laughton Farms, where the people show Bart kindness and patience. He might even kick his drug habit with a little help from his new friends Geoff, Eli, and especially Tyrone.
Tyrone Jackson works at the farm despite the disapproval of his traditional black family, who find it suspicious that he works with gay men. Tyrone knows he’s gay, and until now, he’s kept his home and work lives separate.
Though Tyrone resists his feelings for Bart as long as he can—he’s seen enough of the drug culture to last a lifetime—he can’t deny their attraction forever. But before he and Bart reach for more than friendship, Tyrone has to face his family and Bart has to close the door on his past—a past that could put Tyrone, the farm, and everyone he’s come to care for at risk.
Purchase an Advance Copy: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3528
Read an excerpt: http://andrewgreybooks.livejournal.com/132513.html
January 19, 2013
Spend Some Time on the Farm. Love Means... No Limits Releases Monday Morning at Midnight
The next story in The Farm series releases Sunday night at midnight. Here’s a sneak peek excerpt. I hope you like it! I got the idea for this particular story from a conversation I had last year with Amy Lane. So I want to extend a special thank you to her for sparking the idea. She’s a wonderful lady and I adore the time I get to spend with her.
Blurb:
Bart van Andren, aka Spider, has been running away from life with a lot of chemical help. When he wakes up in a hospital, he discovers he’s picked up a champion. Duane must see something in Bart no one else ever has, because he finds Bart a job at Laughton Farms, where the people show Bart kindness and patience. He might even kick his drug habit with a little help from his new friends Geoff, Eli, and especially Tyrone.
Tyrone Jackson works at the farm despite the disapproval of his traditional black family, who find it suspicious that he works with gay men. Tyrone knows he’s gay, and until now, he’s kept his home and work lives separate.
Though Tyrone resists his feelings for Bart as long as he can—he’s seen enough of the drug culture to last a lifetime—he can’t deny their attraction forever. But before he and Bart reach for more than friendship, Tyrone has to face his family and Bart has to close the door on his past—a past that could put Tyrone, the farm, and everyone he’s come to care for at risk.
Purchase an Advance Copy: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3528
Excerpt:
Spider floated in his drug-induced haze. This was going to be a good trip—everything felt perfect. He didn’t give a damn about what was going on around him. Everything was focused inside his head. He could control that. His rotten, pisshead of a family didn’t mean shit and neither did anything else. Spider lay down on his crappy bed and closed his eyes, enjoying his self-administered escape from all the crap, shit, and dirt the rest of the world heaped on his shoulders. Closing his eyes, he flew high above the world, propelled by his own imagination. The euphoria never lasted long enough, and this time was no exception. Just about the time he was really soaring, the wind died, and he fell back to earth.
His head ached and he opened his eyes, shaking the way he usually did when he was coming down. He reached for the bottle of water and drank, staring at the walls of the cheap motel room he’d managed to get for the night. Tomorrow he would have to look for a permanent place to live, somewhere, but for today he was warm and dry. As Spider got up, slowly, the room spun, and he had to steady himself before walking toward the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and sat on the cool tile floor, waiting for the last of the drugs’ effects to leave his body. He drank more water and felt marginally better. His vision slowly cleared, and as it did, the depths to which he’d sunk became readily apparent. The floors and walls were stained with God knew what, and as his mind cleared, he stood up and brushed off his clothes. Who knew what he’d just been sitting in? Breathing deeply, Spider brushed his teeth using the last of his toothpaste.
After using the filthy toilet, which looked like it hadn’t been cleaned in months, he left the bathroom. The rest of the room at this “no-tell motel” wasn’t much better. The bedspread was stained with things that would have made Spider shudder a few years earlier, but now he really didn’t give a fuck. It was a bed, and it was one he wouldn’t have to share with some stranger if he didn’t want to.
His stomach rumbled, which surprised him. Usually he didn’t eat much. After grabbing an old jacket out of his bag, Spider left the room, shoving the key in his pocket before walking two doors down to the greasy spoon.
Inside the restaurant, which had as much cheer as his hotel room, he ordered coffee and a burger from the surly waitress, who scowled at him as she took his order. Spider tried to smile, but then he turned and saw a bit of his reflection in the window. He barely recognized himself. He hadn’t shaved in days, and his eyes were drawn, with dark circles under them. He turned away because he couldn’t stand to look at himself any longer, and waited for his coffee, staring down at the table.
Once the server placed the mug on the table and filled it from the pot, she left right away, without saying anything. Spider reached for the sugar packets, dumping half a dozen into the hot liquid. He stirred it up then sipped and felt the hot liquid warm him from the inside. He felt even better once the sugar hit his system. Waking up further, he peered around the restaurant without looking as though he were looking. The clientele was what he expected: a few off-duty hookers, other guys like him, and, of course, the guy in the corner who looked like he owned the place.
The thing was that Spider didn’t fucking remember exactly where he was. He knew he’d left Grand Rapids in a damned hurry and had simply gotten on the freeway. He hadn’t been heading anywhere special. Searching his addled mind, he tried to remember the last signs he could remember along the drive. But he hadn’t paid any attention and had only pulled off the road when he was low on gas. He gave up, muttering to himself, because it didn’t fucking matter, anyway. He’d eat, sleep tonight, and then fill up the car in the morning and drive some more. In the back of his mind, he knew he’d also need to score some more junk somewhere, but he wasn’t too concerned about that. In places like this, getting what he needed would be easy.
His food arrived, and Spider bent over his plate, concentrating only on his ravenous appetite. He cleaned the plate in a matter of minutes, only stopping to chew and occasionally gulp some coffee. When he finished eating, he waved to the server for a refill, and she brought it, looking even surlier, if that was possible. She filled the mug, and Spider added more sugar before letting the liquid cool and then drinking it down. The waitress brought the check, and he slapped enough bills on the counter to cover it before getting up to go.
The restaurant door swung closed behind him, and he shoved his hands in his pockets, walking back through the night toward the hotel, exhaustion quickly catching up with him.
“You need anything, buddy?”
Spider turned around and saw the guy from the corner of the restaurant sitting inside a brand new BMW with the driver’s window lowered. Without answering, Spider ambled toward the car. They talked very briefly, and he handed over the money, receiving a bag of what he’d need in the next few hours. Spider didn’t stay to watch the window glide up, but he heard the wheels spin on the gravel as the expensive car pulled out and headed up the road.
Spider shoved the bag in his pocket and walked the rest of the way to the hotel. He opened his door and went inside, then closed and locked the door behind him. He took off his jacket, threw it across his bag, and then collapsed onto the bed. He kicked off his shoes, closed his eyes, and almost instantly fell asleep.
Spider never slept very well for very long, and when he woke, the ancient clock by the bed told him it was three in the morning. He rummaged around in the dark for the baggie of pills and popped one, swallowing it dry. He lay back down, closing his eyes, and soon blessed blackness overtook him.
January 14, 2013
By The Creek, My Young Adult Story, Releases at Midnight Tonight
By The Creek is the culmination of an idea that I got from my good friend Mary Calmes. I wasn’t sure I could write a young adult story at first. I’ll admit this story kicked my butt as I wrote it. But I love it. The story really warmed my heart and as I was completely captivated by it. During the editing process, I often got caught up in the story.
There are many things about this story that are me. I used alot of my own teenage experiences and feleings. In alot of ways, this is the story I wish I could have written when I was seventeen. This was what I wanted, but at the time I didn’t have the words. Now I do and I really hope you enjoy this story.
Blurb
Soon-to-be high school junior David Harper hates his family’s move to the country. There’s nothing to do, and he misses his friends in the city. But he doesn’t have a choice. His mother’s job is in Mason County now, so David and his mom are too, and he has to make the best of it.
At first, the only redeeming feature of David’s new home is the swimming hole across the field from his house. Then David meets Benjamin Killinger, and suddenly life stops being so dull.
Benjamin is Amish, and cooling off in the swimming hole is one of the few liberties he and his brothers enjoy. A friendship with an English boy is not—but that doesn’t stop him and David from getting to know each other, as long as it’s on the neutral ground by the creek. After David risks his life to save Benjamin’s father, the boys’ friendship is tolerated, then accepted. But before long, Benjamin’s feelings for David grow beyond the platonic. Benjamin’s family and the rest of the community will never allow a love like that, and a secret this big can’t stay secret forever….
Available form All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-bythecreek-1036132-176.html
Excerpt
David sat on the front steps looking across the yard. He was as bored as he could ever remember being in his life. They’d moved into the house three weeks ago, and he had absolutely nothing to do. His mother was at work, and she’d left strict instructions about what he could and couldn’t do. They’d already unpacked everything, and David had spent the past two days watching television, but there was no cable and they only got three stations, so basically television really sucked. He’d gotten his mother to take him to the video store earlier in the week, but he’d watched all the movies already, and she hadn’t had time to take him back so he could get more. Standing up, David shut the door and decided to walk across the field to the line of trees and see what was there.
The summer sun was warmer than he’d expected, and David wished he’d brought something to drink by the time he was halfway across the field. He thought about turning back, but continued forward, eventually reaching the line of trees that bordered the open field. Turning around, he looked back at their house, which seemed so small and low on the land, before walking beneath the cool shade of the trees.
He hadn’t gone far when he heard the sound of water, and it wasn’t too long before he came upon a small stream that meandered and gurgled over and around rocks in a shallow ravine. With nothing else to do, David looked up and down stream before deciding to follow the flow of the water and see where it led.
The ground near the stream was squishy, but there seemed to be some sort of path, so he followed it, climbing over fallen trees and across grassy spots where the trees parted. Eventually he came to a spot where the stream deepened at what David figured was on old-fashioned swimming hole. The stream widened and for a short time appeared deep and almost still, with a large flat rock on the other side and a fallen tree running along his side of the stream. David sat on the log and took off his shoes and socks, then dipped his feet into the surprisingly cool water. He sat for a while, listening to the breeze, and he was about to get up and start heading back when he heard something or someone approaching. God, he hoped there weren’t any bears out here. For a second he sat still, unable to move as fear gripped him.
Managing to get his brain working, David pulled his feet out of the water. He’d started tugging on his socks and shoes, getting ready to run, when a boy appeared from the woods on the other side, near the rock. David nearly dropped his shoe into the water as he stared silently at the dark haired boy about his own age staring back at him from across the swimming hole. David had known, deep down inside, that he was different from the other boys. For as long as he could remember, he’d dreamed and fantasized about other boys. At school, he’d heard the guys talking about girls and which ones were pretty or hot, but they did nothing for him. Now, show him pictures of strong legs and a handsome chest, and he couldn’t seem to pull his eyes away. Instead of girlie magazines under his mattress, he had men’s underwear catalogs. All through school, David had dreaded gym class, afraid something would happen and he’d get a stiffie in the showers or something equally embarrassing. He’d had a lot of friends, but they were mostly girls. Staring at this boy with dark hair, deep blue eyes, and what looked like the palest, softest skin he’d ever seen made David’s mouth go dry and his breath hitch.
January 10, 2013
Cardio Conditioning is Good for Your Heart and Soul
Blurb
In the battle to regulate his blood sugar, Jerry March joins a new gym, but while working out his insecurity, he overdoes it on the treadmill. His insulin drops and so does Jerry. Fellow gym member Gianni Lappatura rushes to his rescue with a glass of juice and a helping hand.
A few days later, Jerry gets to return the favor. After watching Gianni’s opera-singing strip act, Jerry finds him stuck in the rain with a dead battery and saves the day. As thanks and because he thinks Jerry is cute, Gianni asks him on a date. It’s too good to be true, and Jerry soon learns his Mr. Perfect needs a bit of help of own. But Gianni’s imperfections open Jerry’s eyes to the beauty of limitations.
Purchase a copy: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3484“I should probably spend time on the treadmill,” Jerry responded, looking up to where the machines were located. His doctor had told him that was where he needed to start. “I’ll catch up with you later.” Dan and Lonnie continued on into the club, and Jerry took the stairs upward. When he reached the cardio floor, he looked around for an empty machine and found one toward the middle of the line. Jerry stepped on the machine and began entering the information. Once he was done, the belt began to move slowly and he started walking. After a few minutes, Jerry increased the speed slightly and turned his attention to the televisions that hung from the ceiling.
Jerry let his thoughts wander as he walked. Someone started the machine next to him, and Jerry glanced over. He almost lost his footing when he saw it was the guy from the locker room. The man glanced at Jerry and smiled before turning his attention to the machine. Jerry took a few seconds to watch him. He liked dark men, and this guy certainly fit the bill, with long, jet-black hair that curled slightly, and the beginnings of a black beard that was sexy as hell. As the other man began to walk, Jerry looked away. After a while, he paused the machine and stepped off to get a drink. When he returned, he unpaused the treadmill.
“You should bring a water bottle,” the guy next to Jerry said, and Jerry felt the man’s voice like an earthquake.
“I know,” Jerry answered, turning toward him and getting a look into eyes as deep as the center of the earth. “I forgot to put one in my bag when I packed it.” Damn, the man was smolderingly hot, and while Jerry watched, he actually licked his full lips slightly. “Sometimes I’m in too much of a hurry.”
“Yeah, me too,” the guy agreed. “Are you new to the club? I haven’t seen you before.”
“I joined a few weeks ago, but haven’t had a lot of time to come in,” Jerry said. “I work with the guy using the pulley machine just in front of us down there, and he sort of dragged me in here. Not that it isn’t nice. It’s just that with my schedule, I don’t always have the time.”
“It happens with all of us,” the guy said, but Jerry wasn’t buying it. He looked as though he’d never missed or skimped on a workout in his life. “I’m Giancomo Lappatura; my friends call me Gianni.”
“Jerry March,” he responded with a nod, suppressing a small shiver. “Have you been a member here long?”
“Almost since they opened,” Gianni answered as he pushed buttons on his machine to speed the belt up slightly. Jerry used the few seconds he was occupied to glance at Gianni’s butt, encased in tight shorts that were stretched almost the ripping point with each step by thick, tree-trunk legs. “I work out at least an hour a day, six days a week.”
“I’m shooting for three days a week to start,” Jerry explained. Gianni nodded as he returned his attention to his workout, and Jerry went back to watching the televisions. He continued walking, but was hypersensitive to Gianni walking next to him. So much so that he didn’t notice the beginnings of the jittery feeling until his hands began to shake slightly. Jerry opened his mouth and began to breathe deeply as he slowed the belt down. He should have known better than to exercise without something in his pocket. Jerry stopped the belt and stepped off the machine. The sudden lack of movement had his head spinning, and then the entire room whirled faster and faster. Jerry closed his eyes and tried to walk toward the stairs, but he only took one, maybe two steps before his legs buckled.
Jerry knew he needed to eat. Every fiber in his body screamed for food, and he wanted it fast, but he couldn’t seem to make his legs move right. This was what sucked. Intellectually, he knew what he needed, but he wasn’t capable right now of telling people what was wrong, and his fucking muscles wouldn’t do what he wanted them to do. “Are you okay?” a deep voice asked, and Jerry forced his eyes open. He shook his head, but couldn’t seem to form words. His reactions rarely happened this quickly. He felt fingers on his wrist. “Someone bring me a juice bottle from one of the machines right away.”
Jerry’s heart pounded in his ears as his mind began to float like he was only half awake. Coherent thought seemed beyond his reach. Jerry felt his head being lifted and something pressed against his lips. Instinct took over, but of course it was the wrong one, because he thought he was drowning. “Swallow,” the deep voice said. “Take a few sips.” He did as the voice said and something cool slid down his throat. He swallowed again and again. “That’s enough for a minute.” Jerry waited, and then he was told to swallow again.
He lost all track of time, but eventually the muddle in his mind began to clear. “I’m okay,” he said softly, and he heard a bunch of people speaking around him.
“We called the paramedics,” a woman said. Jerry opened his eyes and saw the container of orange juice being held for him. Jerry reached for it and began to drink again, his mind clearing more and more as his blood sugar rose.
“I’m okay now,” Jerry said as the crowd around him parted and people in uniform worked their way through. “My blood sugar bottomed out,” he explained to the paramedics as one of them gently grasped his hand and pricked his finger. He’d done that so many times in his life that he barely felt it.
“Seventy-eight,” the paramedic said. “It’s on the way back up.”
Jerry finished the juice, and someone held out a package of crackers. Jerry began to eat them, chewing and swallowing as fast as he could. His breathing was quickly returning to normal, and the sheen of sweat that had formed on his skin evaporated and nearly chilled him. He knew all this was temporary. Slowly, he stood up. The room didn’t spin, and with each passing second, he felt better.
“Please, sir, sit down for a while. We need to make sure your blood sugar comes up enough and that you’re okay,” the paramedic said, and Jerry sat back down. It took him a second to realize that while he’d meant to sit on the floor, he was actually sitting on something else, or more accurately, someone else. Jerry turned around and stared into the chasms that were Gianni’s eyes. Jerry struggled to move and ended up plopping his ass on top of the other man’s lap.
“You’re fine,” Gianni said, his voice vibrating through Jerry’s body, settling in his groin.
January 3, 2013
Great Reviews for Cardio Conditioning Already!!!!
I've already gotten a number of wonderful reviews for Cardio Conditioning.
Mistress Anya at House Millar gave it 4 ½ Drops: I thoroughly enjoyed Cardio Conditioning and will be going back to grab copies of the first 6 novellas in the series! Oh, and for any Gene and Dan fans from Spot Me, they are in this one as well, which is the only other Work Out book I’ve read.
Read the entire review: http://apmassie.com/new-release-cardio-conditioning-by-andrew-grey-review-excerpt/
MM Good Book Reviews gave Cardio Conditioning 4 Hearts. The hero of the story, Jerry, has lived with the limitations of this disease from childhood, and can’t see himself as attractive to anyone because of those limitations. It’s Gianni’s job to show him all of his weaknesses as well, and to teach Jerry that it’s not the perfections or imperfections of our bodies that make us special, but the places we meet each other in happiness and love that make life worth living with someone. Really well written. Another plus for Andrew
Read the entire review: http://mmgoodbookreviews.wordpress.com/2013/01/02/cardio-conditioning-by-andrew-grey-2/
Mrs. Condit at Mrs. Condit and Friends Read Books said: This is a nice story by Andrew Grey. I enjoyed the story quite a bit and really enjoyed Gianni’s character. My only problem was the abundance of the word ‘cutie’ in the story. Beyond that it was a very sweet and happy read. (Plus who couldn’t love a story that has two turtles in it named George and Gracie?)
Read the entire review: http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.php/?p=9409
January 1, 2013
Cardio Conditioning Releases at Midnight Tonight
Blurb
In the battle to regulate his blood sugar, Jerry March joins a new gym, but while working out his insecurity, he overdoes it on the treadmill. His insulin drops and so does Jerry. Fellow gym member Gianni Lappatura rushes to his rescue with a glass of juice and a helping hand.
A few days later, Jerry gets to return the favor. After watching Gianni’s opera-singing strip act, Jerry finds him stuck in the rain with a dead battery and saves the day. As thanks and because he thinks Jerry is cute, Gianni asks him on a date. It’s too good to be true, and Jerry soon learns his Mr. Perfect needs a bit of help of own. But Gianni’s imperfections open Jerry’s eyes to the beauty of limitations.
Purchase a copy: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3484“I should probably spend time on the treadmill,” Jerry responded, looking up to where the machines were located. His doctor had told him that was where he needed to start. “I’ll catch up with you later.” Dan and Lonnie continued on into the club, and Jerry took the stairs upward. When he reached the cardio floor, he looked around for an empty machine and found one toward the middle of the line. Jerry stepped on the machine and began entering the information. Once he was done, the belt began to move slowly and he started walking. After a few minutes, Jerry increased the speed slightly and turned his attention to the televisions that hung from the ceiling.
Jerry let his thoughts wander as he walked. Someone started the machine next to him, and Jerry glanced over. He almost lost his footing when he saw it was the guy from the locker room. The man glanced at Jerry and smiled before turning his attention to the machine. Jerry took a few seconds to watch him. He liked dark men, and this guy certainly fit the bill, with long, jet-black hair that curled slightly, and the beginnings of a black beard that was sexy as hell. As the other man began to walk, Jerry looked away. After a while, he paused the machine and stepped off to get a drink. When he returned, he unpaused the treadmill.
“You should bring a water bottle,” the guy next to Jerry said, and Jerry felt the man’s voice like an earthquake.
“I know,” Jerry answered, turning toward him and getting a look into eyes as deep as the center of the earth. “I forgot to put one in my bag when I packed it.” Damn, the man was smolderingly hot, and while Jerry watched, he actually licked his full lips slightly. “Sometimes I’m in too much of a hurry.”
“Yeah, me too,” the guy agreed. “Are you new to the club? I haven’t seen you before.”
“I joined a few weeks ago, but haven’t had a lot of time to come in,” Jerry said. “I work with the guy using the pulley machine just in front of us down there, and he sort of dragged me in here. Not that it isn’t nice. It’s just that with my schedule, I don’t always have the time.”
“It happens with all of us,” the guy said, but Jerry wasn’t buying it. He looked as though he’d never missed or skimped on a workout in his life. “I’m Giancomo Lappatura; my friends call me Gianni.”
“Jerry March,” he responded with a nod, suppressing a small shiver. “Have you been a member here long?”
“Almost since they opened,” Gianni answered as he pushed buttons on his machine to speed the belt up slightly. Jerry used the few seconds he was occupied to glance at Gianni’s butt, encased in tight shorts that were stretched almost the ripping point with each step by thick, tree-trunk legs. “I work out at least an hour a day, six days a week.”
“I’m shooting for three days a week to start,” Jerry explained. Gianni nodded as he returned his attention to his workout, and Jerry went back to watching the televisions. He continued walking, but was hypersensitive to Gianni walking next to him. So much so that he didn’t notice the beginnings of the jittery feeling until his hands began to shake slightly. Jerry opened his mouth and began to breathe deeply as he slowed the belt down. He should have known better than to exercise without something in his pocket. Jerry stopped the belt and stepped off the machine. The sudden lack of movement had his head spinning, and then the entire room whirled faster and faster. Jerry closed his eyes and tried to walk toward the stairs, but he only took one, maybe two steps before his legs buckled.
Jerry knew he needed to eat. Every fiber in his body screamed for food, and he wanted it fast, but he couldn’t seem to make his legs move right. This was what sucked. Intellectually, he knew what he needed, but he wasn’t capable right now of telling people what was wrong, and his fucking muscles wouldn’t do what he wanted them to do. “Are you okay?” a deep voice asked, and Jerry forced his eyes open. He shook his head, but couldn’t seem to form words. His reactions rarely happened this quickly. He felt fingers on his wrist. “Someone bring me a juice bottle from one of the machines right away.”
Jerry’s heart pounded in his ears as his mind began to float like he was only half awake. Coherent thought seemed beyond his reach. Jerry felt his head being lifted and something pressed against his lips. Instinct took over, but of course it was the wrong one, because he thought he was drowning. “Swallow,” the deep voice said. “Take a few sips.” He did as the voice said and something cool slid down his throat. He swallowed again and again. “That’s enough for a minute.” Jerry waited, and then he was told to swallow again.
He lost all track of time, but eventually the muddle in his mind began to clear. “I’m okay,” he said softly, and he heard a bunch of people speaking around him.
“We called the paramedics,” a woman said. Jerry opened his eyes and saw the container of orange juice being held for him. Jerry reached for it and began to drink again, his mind clearing more and more as his blood sugar rose.
“I’m okay now,” Jerry said as the crowd around him parted and people in uniform worked their way through. “My blood sugar bottomed out,” he explained to the paramedics as one of them gently grasped his hand and pricked his finger. He’d done that so many times in his life that he barely felt it.
“Seventy-eight,” the paramedic said. “It’s on the way back up.”
Jerry finished the juice, and someone held out a package of crackers. Jerry began to eat them, chewing and swallowing as fast as he could. His breathing was quickly returning to normal, and the sheen of sweat that had formed on his skin evaporated and nearly chilled him. He knew all this was temporary. Slowly, he stood up. The room didn’t spin, and with each passing second, he felt better.
“Please, sir, sit down for a while. We need to make sure your blood sugar comes up enough and that you’re okay,” the paramedic said, and Jerry sat back down. It took him a second to realize that while he’d meant to sit on the floor, he was actually sitting on something else, or more accurately, someone else. Jerry turned around and stared into the chasms that were Gianni’s eyes. Jerry struggled to move and ended up plopping his ass on top of the other man’s lap.
“You’re fine,” Gianni said, his voice vibrating through Jerry’s body, settling in his groin.
December 31, 2012
Cardio Conditioning the Next in the Gym Series Releases at Midnight the Morning of January 2
Blurb:
In the battle to regulate his blood sugar, Jerry March joins a new gym, but while working out his insecurity, he overdoes it on the treadmill. His insulin drops and so does Jerry. Fellow gym member Gianni Lappatura rushes to his rescue with a glass of juice and a helping hand.
A few days later, Jerry gets to return the favor. After watching Gianni’s opera-singing strip act, Jerry finds him stuck in the rain with a dead battery and saves the day. As thanks and because he thinks Jerry is cute, Gianni asks him on a date. It’s too good to be true, and Jerry soon learns his Mr. Perfect needs a bit of help of own. But Gianni’s imperfections open Jerry’s eyes to the beauty of limitations.
Purchase an advance copy: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3484Excerpt:
“I should probably spend time on the treadmill,” Jerry responded, looking up to where the machines were located. His doctor had told him that was where he needed to start. “I’ll catch up with you later.” Dan and Lonnie continued on into the club, and Jerry took the stairs upward. When he reached the cardio floor, he looked around for an empty machine and found one toward the middle of the line. Jerry stepped on the machine and began entering the information. Once he was done, the belt began to move slowly and he started walking. After a few minutes, Jerry increased the speed slightly and turned his attention to the televisions that hung from the ceiling.
Jerry let his thoughts wander as he walked. Someone started the machine next to him, and Jerry glanced over. He almost lost his footing when he saw it was the guy from the locker room. The man glanced at Jerry and smiled before turning his attention to the machine. Jerry took a few seconds to watch him. He liked dark men, and this guy certainly fit the bill, with long, jet-black hair that curled slightly, and the beginnings of a black beard that was sexy as hell. As the other man began to walk, Jerry looked away. After a while, he paused the machine and stepped off to get a drink. When he returned, he unpaused the treadmill.
“You should bring a water bottle,” the guy next to Jerry said, and Jerry felt the man’s voice like an earthquake.
“I know,” Jerry answered, turning toward him and getting a look into eyes as deep as the center of the earth. “I forgot to put one in my bag when I packed it.” Damn, the man was smolderingly hot, and while Jerry watched, he actually licked his full lips slightly. “Sometimes I’m in too much of a hurry.”
“Yeah, me too,” the guy agreed. “Are you new to the club? I haven’t seen you before.”
“I joined a few weeks ago, but haven’t had a lot of time to come in,” Jerry said. “I work with the guy using the pulley machine just in front of us down there, and he sort of dragged me in here. Not that it isn’t nice. It’s just that with my schedule, I don’t always have the time.”
“It happens with all of us,” the guy said, but Jerry wasn’t buying it. He looked as though he’d never missed or skimped on a workout in his life. “I’m Giancomo Lappatura; my friends call me Gianni.”
“Jerry March,” he responded with a nod, suppressing a small shiver. “Have you been a member here long?”
“Almost since they opened,” Gianni answered as he pushed buttons on his machine to speed the belt up slightly. Jerry used the few seconds he was occupied to glance at Gianni’s butt, encased in tight shorts that were stretched almost the ripping point with each step by thick, tree-trunk legs. “I work out at least an hour a day, six days a week.”
“I’m shooting for three days a week to start,” Jerry explained. Gianni nodded as he returned his attention to his workout, and Jerry went back to watching the televisions. He continued walking, but was hypersensitive to Gianni walking next to him. So much so that he didn’t notice the beginnings of the jittery feeling until his hands began to shake slightly. Jerry opened his mouth and began to breathe deeply as he slowed the belt down. He should have known better than to exercise without something in his pocket. Jerry stopped the belt and stepped off the machine. The sudden lack of movement had his head spinning, and then the entire room whirled faster and faster. Jerry closed his eyes and tried to walk toward the stairs, but he only took one, maybe two steps before his legs buckled.
Jerry knew he needed to eat. Every fiber in his body screamed for food, and he wanted it fast, but he couldn’t seem to make his legs move right. This was what sucked. Intellectually, he knew what he needed, but he wasn’t capable right now of telling people what was wrong, and his fucking muscles wouldn’t do what he wanted them to do. “Are you okay?” a deep voice asked, and Jerry forced his eyes open. He shook his head, but couldn’t seem to form words. His reactions rarely happened this quickly. He felt fingers on his wrist. “Someone bring me a juice bottle from one of the machines right away.”
Jerry’s heart pounded in his ears as his mind began to float like he was only half awake. Coherent thought seemed beyond his reach. Jerry felt his head being lifted and something pressed against his lips. Instinct took over, but of course it was the wrong one, because he thought he was drowning. “Swallow,” the deep voice said. “Take a few sips.” He did as the voice said and something cool slid down his throat. He swallowed again and again. “That’s enough for a minute.” Jerry waited, and then he was told to swallow again.
He lost all track of time, but eventually the muddle in his mind began to clear. “I’m okay,” he said softly, and he heard a bunch of people speaking around him.
“We called the paramedics,” a woman said. Jerry opened his eyes and saw the container of orange juice being held for him. Jerry reached for it and began to drink again, his mind clearing more and more as his blood sugar rose.
“I’m okay now,” Jerry said as the crowd around him parted and people in uniform worked their way through. “My blood sugar bottomed out,” he explained to the paramedics as one of them gently grasped his hand and pricked his finger. He’d done that so many times in his life that he barely felt it.
“Seventy-eight,” the paramedic said. “It’s on the way back up.”
Jerry finished the juice, and someone held out a package of crackers. Jerry began to eat them, chewing and swallowing as fast as he could. His breathing was quickly returning to normal, and the sheen of sweat that had formed on his skin evaporated and nearly chilled him. He knew all this was temporary. Slowly, he stood up. The room didn’t spin, and with each passing second, he felt better.
“Please, sir, sit down for a while. We need to make sure your blood sugar comes up enough and that you’re okay,” the paramedic said, and Jerry sat back down. It took him a second to realize that while he’d meant to sit on the floor, he was actually sitting on something else, or more accurately, someone else. Jerry turned around and stared into the chasms that were Gianni’s eyes. Jerry struggled to move and ended up plopping his ass on top of the other man’s lap.
“You’re fine,” Gianni said, his voice vibrating through Jerry’s body, settling in his groin.
December 7, 2012
5 Star Reviews for the Entire Range Series
Linda from the Paranormal Romance Group read all of the Range books and just posted reviews of each of the stories, I'm so thrilled she loved them all and rated each of them 5 Stars. She said such wonderful things about all of the stories I don't know where to begin, but here's a favorite.
We watch as Dakota and Wally do what they always do, help others. The author once again shows us that all that matters in life is love, and not living a life of lies. There is no happiness for those who closet themselves. If you are not true to yourself, you can never be true to others. This was another warm, touching story about men finding out who they are and accepting themselves. I wish that more people could read these stories and learn that in the end we are all alike. We laugh, we cry, and we love.
Thank you Linda, you really got what I'm trying to say!
Read all of the reviews here: http://www.paranormalromanceguild.com/reviewsandrewgrey.htm
December 3, 2012
An Isolated Range Released Today!!!
An Isolated Range released this morning and it's already received two incredible reviews. House Millar awarded it 5 Drops and an Award of Excellence and Mrs. Condit Read Books, awarded it 5 Sweet Peas. Click on the links to read the entire reviews.
When veterinary assistant Quinn Knepper sees Marty for the first time, his heart nearly stops. He's smitten, and Marty appears interested though shy. There are just two problems: Quinn's father wants him to hide his sexuality from the world, and Marty’s Wyoming Senator father is a homophobe with no idea his son is gay—which Quinn learns when the senator proposes an amendment banning gay marriage.
Dealing with two unsupportive families is a heavy burden, but Quinn vows to make it work. Unfortunately, that may mean putting his life on hold while Marty overcomes his emotional isolation—unless, of course, Marty sacrifices his happiness to his father’s political ambition and ends the relationship before it gets started.
Purchase from Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3426&osCsid=49b2crqfmqbv4lkl9di2k4h1b4
Chapter 1
Marty Green sat with the other players on Wyoming’s Brackett College basketball team. The team bench was packed as they all waited for the game to begin. Marty imagined that all the other freshman sitting near him felt the same butterflies in their stomachs that he did. Marty loved basketball—it was one of the honest and true passions in his life. That, and science. He was thrilled to have made the basketball team, even if he was destined to spend much of the season sitting on the bench. Marty knew he didn’t have the talent to make it to the pros or even to get into one of the Division I basketball programs, but he didn’t really care. He played because he loved the game and loved being on a team. He played because it was in his blood, and because there were those times when he and the ball seemed connected, when everything went exactly right. He lived for those times.
The starters were called to the court, and Marty watched as they ran out and got into position. Marty felt the excitement inside him ramp up. These were his teammates, and even though he wasn’t playing, energy coursed through him. His legs bounced slightly, and he could feel the blood rushing from head to toe. It was like the energy from the entire crowd had centered on him, and he loved it.
The ball was tipped, and play began with his teammates in control of the ball. They raced down the court, dribbling and passing the ball rapidly back and forth in a dance that Marty desperately wanted to be a part of, but he could only wait and hope. A shot was taken, and they scored. The other guys on the bench all turned to one another, smiling, sharing their teammates’ success as they watched, waited, and hoped that they’d eventually get their turn.
They were ahead at halftime. Granted, they were playing Cheyenne, a school slightly smaller than theirs, and one they fully expected to beat. The starters had been rotated out of the game early on, and the second string had still been able to score. The team filed back into the locker room to wait out the halftime while the crowd was entertained by the cheerleaders.After a pep talk, the team returned to the floor and waited for the game to resume.The coach pointed down the bench, and Marty hoped he’d be chosen, but of course he wasn’t. Play began for the second half with many of their best players resting. One of the starters, Kyle, sat next to Marty, with his friend Pat on the other side. Kyle was a senior and he watched the play with eagle eyes.
“He’ll never make the shot,” Kyle said, motioning toward the player from the other team as he was about lift off. “His feet aren’t in the right position and he’s a little off balance.” Sure enough, the ball skimmed around the edge of the rim and then fell back into play, with one of Mike scooping it up and racing full-tilt down the court with the rest of the players behind him. Mike made the shot easily, and Brackett pulled further ahead. Play continued, and Kyle continued his quiet narrative, pointing things out to Marty that he might have missed. “You learn by doing and by seeing other guys’ mistakes,” Kyle said just before throwing the towel he’d had hanging around his neck onto the bench and hurrying back into the game.
Marty watched as the second half continued. They were way ahead now, and as more players came out, Marty heard what he’d hoped for: “Green, you’re in,” the coach said, and Marty hurried onto the court just as the other team called time. The other team’s players all huddled around their coach, and for a few seconds, Marty thought he could hear what their coach was saying. Everything seemed heightened—the sound of the crowd, the voices of the other players—and as he looked over at his coach, he swore he could hear him telling him to stay in the pocket from all the way across the court. Marty knew he had to be hearing things, that he was so keyed up and hypersensitive about playing in his first college game that he had to be his imagination.
The refs signaled the resumption of play, and Marty got his head in the game, paying close attention to the ball and everyone around him. The whistle blew and the ball was in play. Marty knew his assignment and guarded his player while looking for an opening. The ball was passed his way, but one of the other players on his team scooped it off its trajectory and rocketed down the court. Marty followed, his feet pounding on the polished floor, ready to assist if he could, but the shot was good and they scored. Then the other team had the ball, and Marty stayed close to his man when the ball came their way. Marty wasn’t able to get it, but he did manage to bounce it off the other player and out of bounds, forcing a turnover to their team. The ref handed him the ball, and he stepped out of bounds. This was the first time in an actual college game that he’d had possession of the ball. Marty passed it to Clark and jumped into the play, following the others down the court. Clark passed the ball, and then it was passed back to him. Marty watched as a shot was taken, but it missed and then one of his teammates rebounded the ball and put it back in the basket for a score. They were doing well, but he knew his time was limited. There were others guys who needed their chance to play, and if he wanted to stay in, Marty needed to make something happen.
The other team had possession, and he stepped away from his man, watching the ball as it was passed over. Realizing he’d created the opening, Marty instantly closed it and snatched the ball out of the air. He dribbled it and then began running down the court. He felt almost at one with the ball, blood pumping, legs pounding, arms working as he reached the far side of the court and got into position.
Suddenly, almost like a fuse had blown, Marty’s head throbbed and his balance seemed all out of whack. He tried to steady himself with his left arm, but it didn’t seem to want to work. He stopped moving and looked around for a player to pass the ball to, but everything in the room looked distorted. The ball was snatched out of his hand, and Marty could vaguely hear his name being called, but it was like listening through Jell-O and he couldn’t make out anything else. He knew which way the bench was and he took one step. He lifted his left leg and set it down, but he seemed to keep going. He realized he was falling and he could do nothing at all to stop it. He tried, but his muscles ignored the commands his brain sent out, and then he collapsed onto the court.
Marty heard activity all around him. He tried to get up but couldn’t. All he could see was the ceiling above him, the celebratory banners waving and then starting to move in weird patterns. He could hear voices around him, but they weren’t making any sense, their words jumbled and all mixed up. Marty couldn’t take the weird sights going on above him, so he closed his eyes, hoping it would help, but it didn’t. The entire world seemed to have gone haywire. He knew people were talking to him, asking him questions that he tried to answer, but even his thoughts seemed mixed up and confused. Finally, he gave up and gave himself over to the people around him. Whatever was going on, he would have to trust that they knew what was happening, because he didn’t.
The only thing that seemed to permeate the haze that surrounded him was the sensation of flying. He liked that—it felt good. Marty tried to put out his arms so he could fly faster, but he couldn’t seem to, so he gave up and let himself fly wherever he was going. Slowly, the world got darker, and Marty didn’t fight it. He needed to sleep, and he hoped that after he woke up the world would be right again.
“Stay with us, Marty,” someone said, and Marty opened his eyes for a few seconds, but everything was strange and still swimmy, so he closed them again and kept them that way. People said more things to him, but he wasn’t really interested. He didn’t understand most of what they were saying, anyway. All he wanted to do was sleep, and as he gave in to it, the world turned black as Marty embraced the silence.
December 2, 2012
Two Amazingly Wonderful Reviews in One Day for Snowbound in Nowhere
Both House Millar and Mrs. Condit Reads Books reviewed Snowbound in Nowhere. House Millar gave it 5 Drops and Mrs. Condit Reads Books awarded it 4 1/2 Sweet Peas. I'm so glad both of these wonderful reviewers enjoyed my holiday story. I hope you'll give it a try as well. Find out just how special, hot, and romantic being snowbound can be.
Mistress Anya at House Millar said: I’m not one, normally, into the shorter stories but Andrew manages to weave a story of love, struggle, growth, and passion in just a few pages without leaving me disappointed with the length (not easy to do in my opinion) and, I think, my first 5 drops for a short.
Read the rest of the review with an exceprt: http://apmassie.com/review-excerpt-snowbound-in-nowhere-by-andrew-grey/
Mr. P at Mrs. Condit Reads Books said: This is my first book from Mr. Grey and the story is so loving (and, let’s face it, some of the scenes are super sexy) I’m certain it won’t be my last. Thank you Mr. Grey for this great holiday story.
Read the rest of the review: http://mrsconditreadsbooks.com/index.php/?p=8688
Purchase From Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3378
Purchase From Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Snowbound-in-Nowhere-ebook/dp/B00AGB394C/ref=zg_bs_172503011_23
