Lori Toland's Blog, page 19

My tour stop for today is...

Welcome to Monday! I'm not happy to be back at work with the load of work on my desk from my vacation but I'll muddle through it! Have no fear :D

For the wild and awesome tour for The Long Con, today I'm at Wickedly Sexy Writers and their review. Stop by and say hi. It was a fun interview to fill out and I talk about why one of my characters had a gun to my head. :)


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Hot new M/M news from all fronts! :)

Tomorrow I start my book tour for The Long Con. Stop by and comment to win a $25 gift card!


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And also big news... Coming soon on the Dreamspinner Press website the Time Is Eternity Daily Dose is up for sale. Buy it by April 30th for $49.99

My story Worth The Wait will be included in the package, which you can buy separately starting June 1st.

So this is the post to end all posts. I have about thirty labels on this one.

And because no week is ever complete without cats... here you go!


Hello Mum! What are you doing up there?

Worth The Wait (M/M Contemporary, DSP)

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Worth The Wait
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press (June 1, 2012)ISBN: coming soonFormat: ebook

Purchase The Daily Dose from Dreamspinner Press






Blurb: 
Inventor Henry Wallens accidentally made a time machine out of an old cell phone, and he’s decided it’s the perfect opportunity to make his life less lonely. He goes back in time and poses as his own uncle to try to make himself more outgoing… but when he runs into his old high school science teacher, Ryan, it’s his current—future—self who ends up changing to look forward instead of back.

The Long Con... In the face of danger...

OMG you guys! It's here! :) My long awaited (at least by me) release  of The Long Con!

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You can purchase it at the following retailers:

Loose Id and Amazon and ARe (more to come!)

Also you can try to win a copy. Please stop by this post to win a copy or to follow my blog tour and win a $25 gift cert.

I hope you guys enjoy the book! ;)

The face of autism...

Autism doesn't just affect children. Children with autism grow up to be adults with autism.


This is a hard post for me to write. I usually keep my private life very hidden from my writing (even though it tends to weave its way into my writing) because I like the focus to be on my stories, not on me. I guess that's the salesperson in me.

I have a sister who was born 14 years before I was born. My mom was 15 at the time and she had no other options than to give the baby girl up for adoption. When the baby was born, she was brought in for my mom to spend time with, as the nurse didn't know the baby was being given up.

My mom spent time with her for two hours, holding her and talking to her about she was doing the right thing in giving her up so she could have the best life. When the hospital found out my mom had her, all hell broke loose because they thought my mom would decide to keep her but my mom knew what was best for the both of them was to let her go.

It was their last time together.

The summer my mother was diagnosed with terminal cancer, she had a few wishes. She wanted to see me married to my husband and she wanted to see if the daughter she gave up for adoption wanted to meet her.

So I searched. I had looked for my sister before but not with much luck. Her adoption was sealed on her side so my mom couldn't find her but on my sister's side, it was left open so if my sister ever wanted to try to find us, or know about us, she could.

Low and behold, she had registered on a public adoption site that she wanted to meet her birth parents if possible. So I e-mailed her but got nothing. I kept my mom apprised of my attempts throughout her chemo and radiation but had nothing. I even tried to call but was told my sister was no longer at that number.

As my mom's condition worsened over the year, I tried to find my sister. I later realized I was desperately clinging to my mom and hiding my head in the sand. When my mom's situation reached a critical point, she demanded I do anything to find my sister.

So I did. At first, I called the number I had for her, insisting to get in touch with her. The woman on the other end told me to delete the number I had from my system, thinking I was a bill collector. I explained I wasn't a collector, I was trying to find her because I believed I was her birth sister.

The silence was horrible and after that was when I found out my sister had passed away the year prior, which was the reason I was turned away before when i had tried to contact her. She had just died a couple months before.

My sister DID have a wonderful life. She grew up in a family where she was considered to be blood. There was never a mention she was adopted and she even had a younger sister to look after. She got an MBA and she married an Army man and had two sons, the older of which was diagnosed with autism.

I wish I could get to know my nephews but I've kept my distance, not wanting to cause her beloved family more pain. I have a picture of her, but not of the boys.

I do think about the boys, especially the older one who has autism. I know one day, he'll grow up and I worry about him. He needs full time care now but what about when he is older? Will the younger brother care for him? Some times, it's just too painful to think about.

I hope one day I get to meet them both, that they look me up.


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At first I didn't want to do a giveaway because sharing the story was so strong, I didn't want to detract from it. But my mom's passing has taught me though there is darkness all around, soon there will be light and enjoy life while you can. My mom was one of the reasons I started writing again, so she could be proud of me, even though I wish she was still here to see me and what I've become. 
So without any further ado, here is my giveaway. Win it before you can buy it!

Contest Now Closed!
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Blurb: British Agent Nathaniel Bradley is tasked with bringing home a stolen heirloom. After tracking the Faberge egg all the way to a group of criminals in New York, Bradley infiltrates a ring of con artists and gets sucked into the role of a high priced prostitute.
While hoping for a chance to take back what is rightfully his, Bradley’s sole mission becomes to seduce Tony Terranova, Jr, the heir to a notorious mafia dynasty. Though Tony is strikingly handsome, the usually dominant Bradley is hesitant to submit to the sexual whims of a dangerous Mafioso.

What Bradley doesn't expect is for Tony to fall to his knees so eagerly for him, leaving him blindsided by how intensely their dark tastes complement each other. Now Bradley is caught up in a deadly game of lies and desire, where what he truly wants may not be what duty requires.

And one last plug before I leave. Please support Autism Research and your loved ones who have autistic family. Thank you!

The winner is Tame! Congrats Tame, I'll be e-mailing you!

The Long Con Soundtrack...

This playlist was a long time in the making. I started on this story back in 2009, writing furiously as I could. The only constant character throughout it all was Bradley, even though the original story was focused on a different character, who wound up being Tony. Hm :). Bradley stole every scene and any scene he wasn't in was boring.

So I cut the fat and when my editor said she wanted to see the story, I put my ass in gear. The final story wasn't at all what I started out with. Tony was supposed to be a bit character but he demanded a bigger role (and probably more pay too) and to become Bradley's love interest.

So I let them take the reins. And ended up with their love story. Beware, in these pages lay hot, erotic moments that may burn your screen. I'm not responsible for e-readers catching fire. :)

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1. Numb / EncoreJay Z / Linkin ParkTony's song. Every time I hear it, I think of him.2. For FaithShôji HidenoriFrom Yakuza 4. Oddly Appropriate. :D3. Viva la VidaColdplayBradley's song. He's gonna take over the world.4. What have you done todayHeather Small5. Thank YouDido6. Hands To HeavenBreatheThis song was for a love scene that never happened
but I still love the song.7. Better DaysGoo Goo Dolls8. IronWoodkidI heard this on the AC: Revelations trailer and it just struck
something inside me to write the climax of the book.9. The Edge of Glory (acoustic)Lady GagaIt's about also knowing in your heart that you may
never reach that glorious moment until you die. - Lady GaGa10. FlyNicki Minaj & RihannaI came to win, to fight, to conquer, to thrive
I came to win, to survive, to prosper, to rise... to Fly.11. ApologizeOneRepublic12. Islands In the Stream (With Constantines)FeistFor when Bradley and Tony are at the safe house...13. Leaving On A Jet Plane Chantal KreviazukOn the morning after, when the pieces of Bradley's heart are scattered from New York to England14. Could It BeChristy Carlson RomanoThis song is from Kim Possible soundtrack and it was the first
movie my hubby and I watched when he came to the US. :)15. Brighter Than The SunColbie CaillatWhen I first heard this song, I had the same feeling Tony gets
when he looks at Bradley. I had to have this song for them.

This week I'm at two big stops for the finale of my tour...

This week, my final stop on the big Soul Seduction finale tour (before my lovely vacation!) I'm at the following stops:

The Forbidden Bookshelf and BakinGoddesses

So please stop by and say hi! You will be entered to win a $25 gift card to Amazon, Barnes and Noble or AllRomanceeBooks!

And last but not least, here is a lovely drawing of Luke and Ashlee I had commissioned last year at Yaoi-con by a lovely talented artist. Enjoy!

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The Long Con book tour!

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Welcome to the official tour for "The Long Con"
Releasing 4/17/2012 from Loose Id
For more information and to purchase the bookclick here
On my Goddess Fish tour, I'll be giving away a $25 gift card to Loose Id, Amazon, B&N or AllRomanceeBooks. 
All you have to do is stop by and comment to be entered to win! Leave your e-mail address in secret ninja style like this: lori at loritoland dot comAnd you are entered to win!
April 23: Wickedly Sexy Writers
April 24: Bodice Ripper Novels
April 25: SexyReads
April 26: Rachel Leigh
April 27: Francesca's Mindstream
April 30: Guys Like Romance, Too!
May 1: Ramblings From This Chick
May 2: Writers and Authors
May 2: Wendi Zwaduk
May 3: Words of Wisdom from The Scarf Princess
May 3: Kool Queer Lit
May 4: Erotica For All
Separate from the book tour, we have several stops where you can enter to win a copy of The Long Con.
For this we have the following giveaway stops!
Stumbling Over Chaos - Ends 4/16My Blog (one day contest on 4/16)Fiction Vixen - Link To Come

Weekly update...

This week on the Soul Seduction tour, I'm at Kindle Catching Fire. Remember, I'm giving away a $25 gift card to the e-tailer of your choice.

I'm hard at work on the tour for "The Long Con" and arranging that so if you have any questions for any of my books, leave a comment on this post and I'll answer it.

And last but not least, here is a picture of my inspiration for Agent Nathaniel Bradley. *drools*


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Ooh boy, Tony Terranova better watch out.

Is it Caturday yet?

Dad said I don't have to come out until then!