Marie Sexton's Blog, page 11

30-Day Blogging Challenge, Day 1: What, Where, and Why I Write

It’s somehow fitting, since I’m on a writing hiatus, that the first post on this little journey is supposed to be about what, where, and why I write. The “what” and the “where” are easy. The “why”? Well, we’ll get to that in a bit.

What

I suppose what I write is obvious to anybody visiting this blog: I write gay romance. Or at least, I write stories where men fall in love with other men. Some of them, like Song of Ostend and Release, I tend to think of as something other than “romance”, but with a romantic subplot. Still, however I try to spin it, I’m undoubtedly best known for small-town gay romances on the sweet and cozy side of the spectrum (like Coda, Tucker Springs, and Winter Oranges).

Where

I do a decent amount of my writing in my office. I have one desk in the corner that I use for journaling, and a separate desk (that can be used standing or sitting) for typing. There is no chair. If I sit, I use my therapy ball, which keeps my from slouching. My office is usually the cleanest room in the house, but my bookshelves are in the office too, and they’re usually overflowing. I also (unfortunately) tend to have clutter tucked into every little corner.

 

Despite all of this, I still end up using my laptop at the kitchen table or on the couch far more often than I’d like to admit.

Why

Now we come to the hard question: why do I write?

I am not one of those people who’s been writing since they were six months old. I started writing my first book in 2009 because I woke up with the idea in my head. I’d only ever written one story before, and that was in high school. I wanted to see if I could do it for real.

Since then, most of my stories were written simply because I wanted to.

Because I loved the characters, or the idea, or both.

Because the story needed to be told.

Hopefully, if I ever get back to writing, that’s the “why” I’ll be able to give.

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Random 30-Day Blogging Challenge

I’ve decided to do a (completely random) 30-day blogging challenge. I know, it’s the middle of the month, and I’m supposed to do this in April (I think) when everybody else does it. Or, I’m supposed to wait until November and do 30 days of gratefulness instead. Well…

Whatever.

How does this tie in with my recent announcement that I’m taking a hiatus from writing? I’m not sure except to say that although it’s only been a couple of weeks since I announced my hiatus, I haven’t been writing regularly since January. Now that my daughter’s back in school, the days are awfully long. I need something to do. I need a reason to sit down at the computer and start typing. I’m not sure if or when I’ll be ready to write a book again, but I thought I could at least make my blog a bit more active. I googled “blogging challenge,” and found one to work with.

I’ve chosen this image as my guide.

I have no affiliation with the blog it originated on. I don’t know @fasyaulia. In fact, based on the first page or two, that blog isn’t even in English, so I have no idea what it says. But I suppose it doesn’t matter all that much. This is the list I’m using. Hopefully @fasyaulia doesn’t mind.

Also, even though it might violate the whole idea of the challenge, I reserve the right to switch to a completely different topic on any given day. My plan at this moment is to do book recommendations on days when the topic seems particularly tedious (like #8), or extraordinarily boring (like #10).

The actual posts will begin on September 12. Why the 12th? Because it’s a Monday. Why not just start today? Because I’ll be out of town Friday and Saturday, and I don’t want to start with a third and long. I figure this way, I can get a couple of posts ahead before they start going live.

If anybody’s interested in joining me in this random blogging challenge, let me know! Company is always good. I don’t care if you’re another author, or a reader, or both. It doesn’t matter if the majority of your blog is actually about knitting sweaters for French poodles. I’d still love to have some company.

I’ll add some random giveaways throughout the challenge to keep things fun. Not sure if anybody will even see these posts, since I’m not currently promoting on Twitter or Facebook, but if you happen to be reading, please comment often, even if it’s just to post a little

Stuff You Can Buy (Or PreOrder, at Least)

Making Waves is now available for preorder. You can find that here.

You can also buy the entire Wrench Wars anthology in print here.

Also, if you go here (or click on the “bookstore” link in the menu), you can order signed paperbacks from me directly. You can also buy purses and wallets, handmade by yours truly, if you’re interested in helping support my sewing habit.

No More Rainbows or Unicorns, OR: Becoming a Hermit

I’ve spent the last few months (since January, to be exact) writing and rewriting a blog post that I never managed to publish. It occurred to me yesterday, after talking to a couple of my long-suffering author friends, that maybe the reason I couldn’t commit to the post was because I had the message all wrong.

And so, I’m trying again.

It’s no secret that I’ve had a bit of a love/hate relationship with my career for a while now. I know authors are never supposed to talk about these things. We’re supposed to pretend like being a published author is all rainbows and unicorns. Maybe it is for some people, but it never has been for me.

I’ve been an avid reader my entire life, but gay romance is the only genre I ever wanted to write. It’s the only genre I ever felt passionate about. The problem is, that passion has suffered a thousand painful little deaths over the years.

In previous versions of this post, I outlined all the things that helped kill my love of writing: never-ending genre drama, the changing face of publishing, the fact that I don’t write fast enough to stay afloat in Amazon’s current market paradigm…

The list goes on and on, but after contemplating it for several months, I realize it doesn’t matter. Those are all contributing factors, to be sure, but the real issue is simply that my heart is no longer in it. Not only is the writing gone, but the love of writing is gone with it. I simply have no desire to sit down and put words on the page. I’ve barely written a word since January. Even when I was finishing up Trailer Trash, way back in December, I suspected it would be my last book. I always thought of it as my grand finale.

Well, it didn’t quite turn out that way. Certain developments (like one of my publishers closing) resulted in a few novellas releasing this summer. [Damned If You Do, Roped In, Normal Enough, and Making Waves] I hope you’ll still check those out, because they’re fun little stories. And for those whose first language is something other than English, there are still a string of translations lined up for release down the road. But for me, Trailer Trash is sort of where it ends.

For now, at least.

Which brings me back to those blog posts I never managed to publish.

I thought maybe it was time to call it quits. That’s what every single one of those unpublished posts said: I quit. But I couldn’t quite commit because, as I said before, gay romance is the only thing in the world I’ve ever wanted to write. And so even though I haven’t been writing, the thought of leaving completely scared the crap out of me. So instead…

I’m going on hiatus.

What does that mean? Well, nothing really. I’ve already admitted that I’ve barely written a word since January. Technically, I’ve been hiatus for the last eight months. But it felt like it was time to share it with the world. The way things stand right now, Making Waves (which comes out in September) will be my last book for quite some time.

Will I be back?

I honestly have no idea. Only time will tell.

In conjunction with officially announcing my hiatus from writing, I’m suspending all my social media accounts. Yes, you’ll still be able to tag me on Facebook and @ me on Twitter, because deleting the accounts completely felt extreme. (Are you sensing a trend here? I have a hard time committing to anything.) But for the foreseeable future, at least, I won’t be active on either site. I will not respond to tags or tweets. I apologize in advance for being antisocial, but as I said in a blog post several years ago, I didn’t become an author so I could spend more time on Facebook.

The one thing I will continue to keep track of is this website. I’ve never been a very active blogger, but I will continue to respond to comments on my site. (Except for the mean ones. I’m tired of those. I reserve the right to delete you if you’re only here to insult me.)

I’ll also continue to respond to emails. You can always reach me at msexton.author@gmail.com. (I love receiving emails, as long as they aren’t the mean kind.)

Other than that, I’m going into full-blown hermit mode. I fully intend to disappear for a while. I have no idea how long this will last. Maybe only another week or two. Maybe as long as a year.

Thanks so much to everybody who’s supported me over the last few years. I hope to see you all again on the flip side.

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Roped In, Normal Enough available NOW!

I’ve had two releases in the past month or so, both of which happened while I was out of town, so I’m a bit late getting these buy links posted.

ROPED IN

Graham and his roping partner, Jackson, have been friends since they were boys. They’ve ruled the rodeo scene for ten years running, but lately, Graham’s heart isn’t in the game. He’s tired of the bruises, the cowboy mentality, and the animal rights activists who picket every event. He’s also tired of being in love with Jackson, and nothing’s been the same between them since their disastrous drunken encounter the year before.

Then Graham has a run-in with one of the rodeo protesters, and everything changes. Kaz is young, idealistic, and sexy as hell. But he’s also a know-it-all, animal-loving vegan, bent on saving the world one cow at a time. They have next to nothing in common, but Graham can’t stop thinking about what might happen if they can stop butting heads long enough to give it a try. Unfortunately, no matter how attracted Graham is to other men, he always panics and runs when the clothes start to come off. But Kaz has an idea for getting Graham past his nerves and into bed.

All they need is a bit of rope.

Co-written with L.A. Witt

BUY IT HERE:

Amazon Kindle
Amazon Paperback
All Romance Ebooks
Riptide Publishing

This title was previously released by Amber Allure. It’s been re-edited. We added about a thousand words in revisions, but the overall story is unchanged. 
NORMAL ENOUGH

A Wrench Wars Story

What is “normal”?

When Brandon Kenner shows up at Kasey Ralston’s garage with a 1970 Chevelle SS 454, Kasey is smitten by both the man and his car. But Kasey is hiding an embarrassing secret: his love for old muscle cars goes beyond what most would consider normal. His unusual fetish has kept Kasey isolated—estranged from his family and even distant from his coworkers.

But when Brandon figures out the hot mechanic’s secret, he’s not repulsed. In fact, he finds Kasey intriguing, and he’s determined to have him for himself.

Everything about Brandon revs Kasey’s engine, and he’s more than willing to get down and dirty with the charming man. What worries Kasey is what will happen after. Is there any chance of a future for them? In the past, expecting anything long term has only led to heartbreak. But Kasey can’t help hoping that, despite his fetish, Brandon will be the exception.

BUY IT HERE:

Dreamspinner Press
All Romance Ebooks
Amazon

This title was previously released by Amber Allure. It’s been re-edited, but the overall story is unchanged.

Normal Enough is part of the Wrench Wars series. The stories can be read in any order. The full Wrench Wars series included:

Last Mechanic Standing, by L.A. Witt (available now)

Normal Enough, by Marie Sexton

Wrenches, Regrets, and Reality Checks, by L.A. Witt (coming Aug 31)

Making Waves, by Marie Sexton (coming Sept 28, pre-order link coming soon.)

Reviews for the 1st edition of Normal Enough:

Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews says, “I loved this little story. It’s hot and sexy… but there’s also a really beguiling, captivating love story running alongside the heat.” Read the full review. 

MM Good Book Reviews says, “This is a great sexy little number that is amazingly hot and has two great characters… I recommend this to those who love hot men finding common ground, sparks flying, erotic hot sex, great character development and two men at the beginning of a hot sexy relationship.” Read the full review.

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New Releases and Book Sales and PreOrders – Oh My!

I have not one, but TWO, new releases today (although only one of them in English). I also have a title on sale for only 99¢, and another one ready to be released in just a few days, so read on for more details!

Damned If You Do , available now!

Soul acquisition is a drag, but if Abaddon doesn’t catch up on his quota, he could be demoted to scooping poop for the Hounds of Hell. With a deadline hanging over him, he heads for the Bible Belt, looking for the perfect combination of sweetness and challenge.

Seth is a blind musician, part of a traveling tent revival. He’s cute, mystically talented, and quotes the Bible at every turn. His soul is pure enough to fill Abaddon’s quota for months to come, and Abaddon is determined to claim it.

The problem? There’s the revival foreman who watches Abaddon’s every move. Then there’s the mystery of Seth’s many unusual talents. Lastly, there’s Abaddon himself. He’s beginning to like Seth a bit too much. Maybe Seth deserves something better than damnation.

But Hell’s agenda isn’t negotiable, and time is running out. If Abaddon doesn’t play his cards right, he could condemn both of them to the worst fate of all—an eternity apart.

Warning: Contains a Bible-quoting twink and an irreverent devil. Also, snakes. Lots and lots of snakes.

BUY IT HERE:

Amazon
All Romance Ebooks
Barnes and Noble
Samhain

 

For my Italian readers

Paura, speranza e budino di pane also available NOW!

This is the Italian translation of Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding. You know. That story that finally fulfills the promise made in the very last line of Strawberries for Dessert.

Le famiglie dovrebbero allargarsi, non restringersi. Jon Ketcher lo pensava ancora prima di convolare a nozze con il compagno, il milionario Cole Fenton. Ora che sperano di adottare, Jon e Cole cercano una futura mamma che lasci a loro un figlio da amare, ma l’attesa interminabile li sta snervando.

Jon è vicino a suo padre, George, ma prima di Cole, non aveva nessun altro. Ora George sta spingendo Cole a riconciliarsi con la madre lontana. Quando i tre passano il Natale con lei a Monaco, i risultati sono disastrosi. Jon e Cole riescono a restare ottimisti, ma non c’è speranza senza paura, e non possono fare a meno di chiedersi se per loro il sogno di diventare genitori sia semplicemente destinato a non avverarsi.

BUY IT HERE

 

Winter Oranges on Sale!

Also, for TODAY ONLY, Winter Oranges is on sale for only 99¢ on Amazon and Kobo.

(For what it’s worth, this is one of my favorites of my own work. It doesn’t need to be winter for you to enjoy it. It’s just sweet and cuddly as all get out.)  

Two Great Releases Coming in June!

Coming June 14 from Samhain Publishing

Damned If You Do

The path to temptation is paved with a hellish amount of paperwork.

Soul acquisition is a drag, but if Abaddon doesn’t catch up on his quota, he could be demoted to scooping poop for the Hounds of Hell. With a deadline hanging over him, he heads for the Bible Belt, looking for the perfect combination of sweetness and challenge.

Seth is a blind musician, part of a traveling tent revival. He’s cute, mystically talented, and quotes the Bible at every turn. His soul is pure enough to fill Abaddon’s quota for months to come, and Abaddon is determined to claim it.

The problem? There’s the revival foreman who watches Abaddon’s every move. Then there’s the mystery of Seth’s many unusual talents. Lastly, there’s Abaddon himself. He’s beginning to like Seth a bit too much. Maybe Seth deserves something better than damnation.

But Hell’s agenda isn’t negotiable, and time is running out. If Abaddon doesn’t play his cards right, he could condemn both of them to the worst fate of all—an eternity apart.

Warning: Contains a Bible-quoting twink and an irreverent devil. Also, snakes. Lots and lots of snakes.
Available for pre-order here:

Amazon
All Romance Ebooks
Barnes and Noble
Samhain

 

Coming June 20th from Riptide Publishing:

Roped In (co-written with L.A. Witt)

Graham and his roping partner, Jackson, have been friends since they were boys. They’ve ruled the rodeo scene for ten years running, but lately, Graham’s heart isn’t in the game. He’s tired of the bruises, the cowboy mentality, and the animal rights activists who picket every event. He’s also tired of being in love with Jackson, and nothing’s been the same between them since their disastrous drunken encounter the year before.

Then Graham has a run-in with one of the rodeo protesters, and everything changes. Kaz is young, idealistic, and sexy as hell. But he’s also a know-it-all, animal-loving vegan, bent on saving the world one cow at a time. They have next to nothing in common, but Graham can’t stop thinking about what might happen if they can stop butting heads long enough to give it a try. Unfortunately, no matter how attracted Graham is to other men, he always panics and runs when the clothes start to come off. But Kaz has an idea for getting Graham past his nerves and into bed.

All they need is a bit of rope.

 

PREORDER IT HERE

This title was previously released by Amber Allure. 
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Wrench Wars Cover Reveal

What is Wrench Wars? Well, because I’m lazy, I’m going to direct you to this post (scroll down to the Wrench Wars section) rather than explaining. All caught up? Good. With that out of the way, I thought I’d share my pretty, pretty covers! 

Normal Enough

What is “normal”?

When Brandon Kenner shows up at Kasey Ralston’s garage with a 1970 Chevelle SS 454, Kasey is smitten by both the man and his car. But Kasey is hiding an embarrassing secret: his love for old muscles goes beyond what most would consider normal. His unusual fetish has kept Kasey isolated—estranged from his family and even distant from his coworkers.

But when Brandon figures out the hot mechanic’s secret, he’s not repulsed. In fact, he finds Kasey intriguing, and he’s determined to have him for himself.

Everything about Brandon revs Kasey’s engine, and he’s more than willing to get down and dirty with the charming man. What worries Kasey is what will happen after. Is there any chance of a future for them? In the past, expecting anything long term has only led to heartbreak. But Kasey can’t help hoping that, despite his fetish, Brandon will be the exception.

Available August 3, from Dreamspinner Press. 

And good lord, that cover is HOT. I think I’m in love with that model.

Some reviews for the first edition of Normal Enough:

Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews says, “I loved this little story. It’s hot and sexy… but there’s also a really beguiling, captivating love story running alongside the heat.” Read the full review. 

MM Good Book Reviews says, “This is a great sexy little number that is amazingly hot and has two great characters… I recommend this to those who love hot men finding common ground, sparks flying, erotic hot sex, great character development and two men at the beginning of a hot sexy relationship.” Read the full review.
Making Waves

Best friends since they were teenagers, Ward Kent and Dean Zimmerman work together at Reggie’s garage, where the reality show Wrench Wars is filmed. Outside of work, Dean is a notorious player, and as far as he’s concerned, Ward’s the best wingman ever. Little does he know, Ward is much more interested in the gentlemen than the ladies.

Then Dean’s younger brother, Ash, comes to work at the garage. Ash may be seven years younger, but he’s had a crush on Ward for years, and he’s not shy about going after what he wants.

Admitting his best friend and his brother are gay is one thing. Seeing them together? That’s a bit more than Dean can take, and he’s about to force Ward to make a decision: lose his best friend and his job, or give up Ash forever.

Available September 28. 

Also available on September 28th, the Wrench Wars print anthology, featuring all four novellas.

Preorder links coming very, very soon. 

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Roped In Available for Pre-Order

Graham and his roping partner, Jackson, have been friends since they were boys. They’ve ruled the rodeo scene for ten years running, but lately, Graham’s heart isn’t in the game. He’s tired of the bruises, the cowboy mentality, and the animal rights activists who picket every event. He’s also tired of being in love with Jackson, and nothing’s been the same between them since their disastrous drunken encounter the year before.

Then Graham has a run-in with one of the rodeo protesters, and everything changes. Kaz is young, idealistic, and sexy as hell. But he’s also a know-it-all, animal-loving vegan, bent on saving the world one cow at a time. They have next to nothing in common, but Graham can’t stop thinking about what might happen if they can stop butting heads long enough to give it a try. Unfortunately, no matter how attracted Graham is to other men, he always panics and runs when the clothes start to come off. But Kaz has an idea for getting Graham past his nerves and into bed.

All they need is a bit of rope.

2nd edition* coming June 20th from Riptide Publishing. 

PREORDER IT HERE
*This title was previously released by Amber Allure.
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Summer 2016 Preview

(c) Can Stock Photo

It’s May. My kid has only two weeks of school left, and then it’s summer vacation. It came on so fast this year, I’m completely unprepared. I’ve only written one thing all year (Making Waves, which I’ll talk more about later in this post), and summers are never productive for me, so I’m facing the fact that I’ll probably have a huge gap in releases after September of this year.

Some days I start to panic, just thinking about it. Luckily, I still have some great stuff coming in 2016, so I thought I’d take a few minutes to go over what’s happened so far this year, and what’s down the road.

Trailer Trash, which I originally started way back in 2011 but didn’t finish until late last year, is available now. In many ways, finishing this book felt like coming full circle. It’s strange to me that I still have releases coming after it, because this felt like my curtain call. I’ve been telling myself for years that I couldn’t leave Cody and Nate unfinished. I just loved them too much to do that to them. Once they had their HEA, I felt like all my obligations were gone. (They weren’t. It only felt that way. But that partially explains why I’ve written so little since then.) If you haven’t read Trailer Trash yet, I hope you’ll give it a try. Here’s a quick run-down of what reviewers have to say:

Joyfully Jay said, “I absolutely loved everything about this story.”
Totally Booked said, “We highly recommend this coming of age heartbreaking and beautiful M/M read.”
Boy Meets Boy Reviews said, “I’m not sure if it was a case of the perfect storm of our current political climate colliding with these characters or if it was simply Sexton’s deft crafting of this story that did it for me, but I had a bad case of The Feels reading Trailer Trash.”

Between Sinners and Saints (which was originally published by Amber Allure in 2011) has been re-released. It’s been re-edited, but the content is unchanged. It’s also available in audio. This is a real slow-burn, friends-to-lovers kind of story, and for what it’s worth, it’s my husband’s favorite of all my books.

Never a Hero is now available in audio, and Winter Oranges will be released in audio sometime late this year.

Coming this summer:

Damned If You Do

This was a really fun book to write. It’s sort of a wicked twist on The Devil Went Down to Georgia, but with some tent revivalists thrown in. And snakes. Lots of snakes. And just look at that cover! Damn, that man is hot. It will be released by Samhain on June 14, but you can preorder it here:

Amazon

All Romance Ebooks

Barnes and Noble

Samhain

Roped In (written with L.A. Witt)

This is another title that was originally published by Amber Allure. The second edition will be released by Riptide Publishing on June 20. It’s been re-edited. Do you need to buy it again if you’ve already read it? Probably not. There’s a tiny, tiny bit of new content (about a thousand words, most of them directly related to Kaz), but nothing too profound. The overall story is unchanged.

The Wrench Wars Series

Back in 2013, Lori Witt and I both committed to writing novellas for a Pax (a group of stories written around a central theme) for Amber Allure. The theme was “grease monkeys.” Lori and I decided to set our stories in the same garage. Those stories, Normal Enough and Wrenches, Regrets, and Reality Checks, were released in 2014. Once we learned Amber would close in 2016, we decided to take those two stories, rework them a bit, and add two more stories (one each) to make a four-novella set. They’ll be released by Dreamspinner Press this summer. The full series looks like this:

Last Mechanic Standing (new story by L.A. Witt), July 6
Normal Enough  (re-release by Marie Sexton), August 3
Wrenches, Regrets, and Reality Checks (re-release by L.A. Witt), August 31
Making Waves  (new story by Marie Sexton), Sept 28
Wrench Wars print anthology, containing all four Wrench Wars novellas, also available Sept 28, 2016

I’ll have covers for these very, very soon. (And speaking of hot cover models, the guy on Normal Enough is to die for. I can’t wait to share him with you.)

And because two of those stories are re-releases, I know those of you who read them the first time around will wonder if you need to buy them again. For Normal Enough, no, you don’t. For Lori’s story… maybe. She didn’t just re-edit it. She actually reworked it a bit, so… I’ll leave it up to you.

There are also several translations in the works, including Fear, Hope, and Bread Pudding in Italian, and Trailer Trash in French, but I don’t have exact release dates for any of those.

I won’t be at GRL this year. I’ll definitely miss seeing you all, but I had too many family commitments and just couldn’t make it work. For those anywhere near Colorado, I’ll be at Denver Pride, NoCoPride, and the Rocky Mountain Regional Gay Rodeo, all happening this summer. I’ll also be at WaveCon, next March.

Hubby and I are headed out tomorrow (May 16th) for a 12-day trip to celebrate our 20th anniversary. We’ll start in Seattle and work our way (slowly) down the coast to San Francisco. I’ll share pics on Instagram, and Twitter, and maybe even Facebook. But mostly on Instagram and Twitter, so follow me there, if you’re interested.

That’s all for now. I greatly appreciate every single reader who’s ever taken a chance on one of my books. I would never have made it this far without you. Thanks very much for your ongoing support. I hope you all have a fabulous summer. 

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