L.A. Witt's Blog, page 18

NOW AVAILABLE: The Closer You Get

The seduction begins...now!

The Closer You Get is now available from Samhain Publishing. The links to Barnes & Noble and Amazon are active, but may still show as pre-order for a few hours. Additional links will be added as they're available.

Self-described manwhore Kieran Frost is loving the single life. Two years after moving to Seattle, he still has his friends with benefits, Rhett and Ethan, plus a never-ending supply of gorgeous, available men wandering through the bar where he works. A relationship? Spare him the drama and heartbreak. He's got no complaints about his unattached lifestyle.

When Rhett's daughter introduces him to newly-out-of-the-closet Alex Corbin, Kieran's interest perks up. After all, the quiet ones are always the freaks in bed. But Alex isn't just shy and reserved. He's a virgin in every sense of the word, having never even kissed anyone else.

Kieran is no one's teacher, and his first instinct is to run like hell in the other direction. But his conscience won't let him throw the naïve kid to the wolves for someone else to take advantage of. The plan is to introduce Alex to his own sexuality, pull him out of his shell, then go their separate ways.

It's the perfect, foolproof plan…assuming no one falls in love.

Warning: This sequel to The Distance Between Us contains a curious virgin, a shameless slut, a trip to a sex shop, and one stubborn heart. Oh, and a dildo.

REVIEW: The Closer You Get

The Closer You Get, which will be out tomorrow (!!), received 4.5 out of 5 stars from Cameron at Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews:

The slow tempo of the story is actually quite believable and the sex is both spicy and sweet all along the way. [...] This is the first book by L.A. Witt that I have had the privilege of reading but it certainly will not be the last. Ms. Witt is a masterful storyteller and her characters are well developed. (Review)

The Closer You Get will be available November 15th from Samhain Publishing, and can be pre-ordered now from Samhain, Amazon, or Barnes & Noble.

Cover Art: Noble Metals and Search Me

Two pieces of lovely cover art today!

One is for Noble Metals, my first steampunk story:

Ever since he gambled away his chance to make it to Dawson City during the Klondike Gold Rush, Robert Belton has been stranded in Seattle working as a prostitute. When an attractive customer carrying a mysterious wooden box comes into the brothel in search of a bed for the night, Robert's more than willing to oblige. When he learns his customer is also looking for a crew to help him haul provisions to the gold fields in the frozen north, Robert jumps at the chance and volunteers.

Dr. John Fauth is only looking for one thing in Dawson City, and it isn't gold. He needs platinum for his semiconductor research, and if he doesn't find it in the Klondike, the university that employs him will be more than happy to redirect their funds to more profitable scientists. Just getting to the gold fields is a grueling, dangerous journey, especially when a competitor will stop at nothing to get his hands on an invaluable device in John's possession.

As they fall for each other out on the bitterly cold trail, John and Robert may just find themselves with more to lose than they could ever gain in the gold fields of the Yukon Territory.

The second is Search Me, which is the third book in the Cover Me series:

In Cover Me, Detective Andrew Carmichael and paramedic Nick Swain barely escaped Nick's delusional stalker with their lives. Now, months later, the physical scars haven't quite healed, and neither have the emotional ones. Lingering guilt and resentment threaten to tear their relationship apart, but Andrew isn't ready to give up. He's nearly lost Nick once, and he's not giving him up this time without a fight.

In a last ditch effort to keep them together, Andrew suggests a weekend away, but is that enough time to find a reason to keep their relationship alive? Or is it time to let Nick walk away?

Search Me will be out December 7th, and Noble Metals will be out in January 2012, both from Carnal Passions.

NOW AVAILABLE: A Chip In His Shoulder

A Chip In His Shoulder is now available from Riptide Publishing! Additional links to follow here and on my website as soon as they're available:

"Contract killer" is a fitting job for a vampire, and it suits Liam just fine. Cast down from the wealth and status of the Sky for taking a human lover, Liam lurks in the poor and pollution-choked Gutter, killing to survive. Between his natural strengths and his Cybernetix mods, no mark has ever escaped him.

Liam's ex-lover Daniel is the heir to Cybernetix—and its greatest threat. Horrified by people less man than machine and the exploitation of Gutter factory workers, he'd rather destroy Cybernetix than inherit it . . . if his father doesn't destroy him first.

Years of anger and a heap of mods have kept Daniel and Liam apart. When Liam is hired to slaughter a man in his glass Sky tower, he walks right into a Daniel-shaped trap. Daniel's father has betrayed them both, and only by working together can Daniel and Liam survive the coming day. They have no reason to trust each other, but as the dawn looms, a bargain that began with the simple urge to live soon reminds them of the love they once shared. Can they find each other again, or will the Cybernetix assassins find them first?

REVIEW: The Closer You Get

First things first, Light Switch and Cover Me are both up for Book of the Year over at Deep In The Hear of Romance -- click here to vote!
And today, Joyfully Jay Reviews gave 4.75 out of 5 stars to The Closer You Get:

I thought this was a great story - hot, sweet, romantic, sexy. Loved the combination of the shy virgin with the good-hearted manwhore. Definitely a recommended read. (Review)

The Closer You Get is now available for pre-order from Samhain Publishing, and will be released November 15th.

REVIEW: Disengaged -- and vote for book of the week!

Disengaged received 5 out of 5 Books, and is up for Book of the Week at Long and Short Reviews! Click here to vote.

"This story earned its rating because of the author's fluent writing style the fully rounded and likable characters, the conflicts and how the characters make logical assessments at critical stages in the tale and finally the 'feel-good' factor I came away with when I finished the book." (Review)

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REVIEW: The Distance Between Us and some updates

The move from Japan is coming along swimmingly, if a bit chaotically. Expect updates to be a little sparse and probably not incredibly long, but I'm trying to keep up on both my blogs as much as I can.

Some quick updates...

Nine-tenths of the Law is still available FREE from Amazon until October 28, so hurry and pick up a copy!

A Chip In His Shoulder and The Closer You Get are both available for pre-order from their respective publishers, plus the latter is on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.

I'm interviewed over on Leontine's Book Realm, and over at Tracy's Place, I interview Liam, the main character of A Chip In His Shoulder.

And finally, Joyfully Jay Reviews gave The Distance Between Us 4.75 stars:

I really enjoyed this book and found the way Kieran's presence affected the dynamic between them so interesting and deliciously complex. (Review)

More updates and such to come soon, plus a couple of reviews on the horizon!

My mom's cat is an alien.

I made it safely to Seattle, and am now staying with my parents. My cats were less than thrilled about the flights, but they're adapting.

Tubby has discovered the faux suede comforter on the guest room bed:
And Midget has discovered catnip:
Tubby and Midget aren't the only cats here, though. Aside from my ex-cat Garfield and my parents' cat Motor, there is an Oriental Shorthair by the name of Spock.

Meet Spock:
[image error] Because of his various weirdities and oddnesses, I'm convinced, and have been for some time, that Spock is an alien. The other night, I looked at him and realized I may very well be right.

Look at this picture. You will see the alien. It might take you a minute, but once you see it, you won't be able to unsee it:
[image error] "MOM! LORI'S CALLING ME AN ALIEN AGAIN!"
[image error] Yes, Spock. I am. Because you are. I'm on to you, kitty...

Nine-tenths of the Law is FREE for a limited time!

Title says it all! Between now and October 28th, Nine-tenths of the Law is available FREE from Amazon.

"Zach and Nathan were one of the more exciting couples that I had the pleasure to know recently. Great sex, wonderful heat and tender emotions made for an unusual romance. This was a really enjoyable story." - Jessewave Reviews, 4.5 out of 5 stars

"Witt's writing style is friendly and as captivating as the characters she creates. I highly recommend this novel, and l look forward to more from this amazing author." -- Happily Ever After Reviews, 5 out of 5 teacups

"Nine-tenths of the Law is an interesting and somewhat unconventional romance. […] All in all, I greatly enjoyed Nine-tenths of the Law. It's sexy, heartbreaking, and an all-around entertaining story." - Joyfully Reviewed

Without trust, common ground can get pretty shaky…

"I believe you have something of mine, Zach."

Zach Owens doesn't even know who this angry stranger is, let alone what the man is talking about—until he learns what they have in common. Their boyfriend, Jake. Once Jake's out of the picture, Zach's apology to Nathan Forrester leads to a long conversation, a kiss, and a chemistry that goes far beyond revenge sex.

Nathan can't help but fall for the sexy movie theater owner, but it's a long way from sheet-tearing sex to mutual trust. And a series of "coincidences" that throws Zach into Jake's company leaves him unconvinced Zach was the complete innocent in their previous love triangle.

Zach can't seem to make Nathan believe that Jake is up to something. But protesting his innocence isn't working, and Jake's carefully orchestrated campaign to destroy their love could leave them both with nothing…

Warning: Contains explicit male/male revenge sex, sweet sex, angry sex, and make-up sex. Author is not responsible for clothing damage that may result from reading this book.

One Last Outing

Today is going to be a day of packing, obsessively checking OCD-fueled lists, and trying not to think about the fact that my time on Okinawa is really over. Tomorrow, I fly out. Yesterday, though, I squeezed in one last outing with my friend Elisa, this time to the Yomitan Pottery Village, a small village of local artisans who make pottery (duh), glass, etc.

This will be a very photo-heavy blog post, but hey, it's my last Okinawa post, so...indulge me.

The glass shops at the start of the village. The building on the left with the orange crates is where they were blowing the glass, but I couldn't get a decent pic of the inside of the shop. The building on the right and the second from left are where they sell the glass, and the second from right is, I believe, the owner's house.
Shi Shi dog outside the glass shops:
The outside of one of the shops:
And if you're twelve like me, you totally see it:
Elisa sees it...
I have no doubt this place had a "you break it, you buy it" policy. I'm surprised Elisa let me go in:
Pretty vase:
Another glass and pottery shop:
Okinawan pottery:
Pottery shop with the obligatory Coke machine:
I saw this and immediately thought, "Franken-shishis?"
[image error] Huge sake flask with a dragon sculpted onto it:
So cool...
WANT:
Ark of the Covenant? Is that you???
OMG AWESOME WANT:
Okay, maybe I don't want them THAT bad...
(That translates to about USD$750-775)

Unfinished bowls:
For the record, but this point, my long-dormant itch to sculpt was coming back with a vengeance. Methinks I'll be digging my sculpting tools out of storage and buying some clay when I get home.

Random chickens are random:
Insert cock joke here.

The village kiln:
They be cookin' it old school, yo:
I just thought the kiln was pretty cool. Sue me.
The ass end of the kiln, photographed because it looks like a Samurai helmet to me:
Mining for clay:
Bananas!!
Some strange hangy-downy plant I've never seen before:
A lotus in a pot outside one of the shops:
Another lotus:
For all my Magic nerd friends, I'm afraid there wasn't a black lotus in sight.

And I thought my old MR2 was impractical:
"Sup."
Gratuitous cicada pic...
I've been here for three years and only occasionally seen the odd gecko. Now I'm suddenly seeing these everywhere:
Figures they'd wait til I'm leaving to come out. Bastards.

Happy dog is happy:
"Two girls/One cup" reaction:
More shi shi dogs:
Please tell me I'm not the only one who notices:
And there you have it...my last Okinawa outing. Tomorrow, I go from the Land of the Rising Sun to the Land of the Falling Rain, so expect at least one semi-coherent, incredibly jetlagged post in the next few days.

Goodbye, Okinawa!