Christa Tomlinson's Blog, page 9

May 24, 2017

Straight Girl Guilt: Writing M/M Romance

Picture This is a thinky-thoughts post. As I sit here typing, I don’t know if I’ll post it, or just keep it in my documents folder. If you’re reading it, that means I decided to post it. So what am I thinking about? I’m wondering if I’m being exploitative of gay men by writing m/m romance. Before I delve in to it, let me back it up to some of my earliest favorite romances.

I used to love reading historical romances featuring Plains Indians heroes. One, because I’ve always been a giant history nerd, so historicals appealed to me. But also because the heroes and the settings were so romantic to my adolescent brain. Strong men with gorgeous golden skin, long black hair, living wild and free on the prairie? I was all about it.

But as I grew older, I saw the problems with this genre. One, the heroines were nearly always white. Out of the dozens of Plains Indian romances I read, there were only two which featured non-white heroines. Both were bi-racial daughters of the Native and white main characters from earlier books in the series. That left a bad taste in my mouth. It made it seem as if blue-eyed blondes and green-eyed redheads were the only women beautiful enough to inspire the passion of these Native heroes.
Picture Also, as far as I know, none of those stories were written by Native authors. And those books often had a romanticized version of a lifestyle that was destroyed through genocide. And that pushes the novels into fetish territory, since I’m fairly positive not much was done to give back to the communities who inspired the novels. With that in mind, it started to feel icky reading those books. So I let them go. I still have some that I’ve owned for years but I don’t buy them anymore. Actually, I don't think there are many novels being written in that genre these days.

So, looking at the ickiness I felt towards the Native hero/ww trope, I can’t help but wonder if I’m doing the same thing writing m/m. Because I’m not a gay man. Yes, folks, the pictures I post are me. I am a black woman. And I don’t consider myself to be a member of the gay community either. Sure, I’m attracted to men, women and non-binary people. But in the past I’ve only dated cis men, and currently I don’t date at all. So I don’t feel I have the right to claim bi or pan. I haven’t lived the experiences of someone who’s had to come out and/or is in a same-sex relationship.

Would I consider myself an ally? Not really. I donate when I can to various LGBT causes, report abusive posts on social media, sign and share petitions for gay rights, embrace my LGBT friends and family, and if I see anyone being harassed yes, I will help. But that just makes me a decent human being – not capital letter A ally. So, am I being exploitative?

Am I fetishizing gay men by creating and consuming their stories? Am I as bad as men who only want an Asian woman because they lump them all together as submissive porcelain dolls? Am I as bad as people who only want to see black men in porn because of the BBC kink?
Picture Me, thinking all the deep thoughts.
Perhaps looking at why I write in the m/m genre might help.
1) I got bored with m/f.
2) I think dudes are hot.
3) I write and read fanfiction which is heavily skewed towards m/m, which in turn heavily influences the stories and characters that bloom to life in my head.

None of those really do anything to help the gay community. Or maybe it does. I want gay romance to be seen as healthy and mainstream as hetero romance, and I think the m/m genre can help with that. Sort of the same way including black actors in American commercials and TV shows has helped African Americans be seen as mainstream members of American society.

Let’s look at it from another direction. What if I were to only write m/f stories? Then I’m not being inclusive and I don’t want to be that person either. What a conundrum!

I think for ME (bolded & capitalized because everyone’s experience is different), the best thing is to actually be an inclusive writer. I will go with the characters that pop into my head for a story regardless of their gender. That means I’ll be writing m/m, m/f and f/f. Which is what I originally planned to do anyway – I’ll post later on why I drifted away from that plan. At some point, I will have to do my research so that I can include characters that we see even less of in mainstream fiction, such as trans and gender fluid persons.

Will I fuck it up in my first attempts? More than likely. I can promise you that I won’t write a lesbian sex scene where the heroines both have long nails. But just as in m/m, I’ll be writing outside my own personal experience, and I’ll probably get a few things wrong as I learn. I’m not afraid to do this. Kidding! I’m a little afraid but whatever. I’m going for it anyway.

In conclusion (Okay, now I feel like I’m writing a high school essay) I don’t think there is a right or wrong answer to the overall question. And my thinky-thoughts aren't meant to influence, shame, or judge anyone in the genres mentioned. They are me, working through my own issues on the subject. I think determining if m/m is exploitive or fetishizing depends on the individual author and how that author is handling their books and role in the genre and the community. And because I believe in the general goodness of people, I believe that most writers of m/m romance simply want to tell stories featuring characters that they love and are inspired by.

Or maybe I’m just thinking too much. I do that a lot.

I don’t normally post a disclaimer. But I know this is a hot button topic. Honest discussion is welcome. Hate speech, bashing, trolling will be ignored.

Thanks for reading!

Love,
Christa

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Published on May 24, 2017 22:00

May 21, 2017

Using Social Media Filters to Maintain Creativity

Let me paint a picture in your mind. You wake up, ready to start a day of writing. You fix yourself a hot cup of coffee. Sweetened with caramel macchiato creamer of course. You settle down at your computer and log onto Facebook or Twitter to see what the world is up to and BAM!!!
HORROR! AND OUTRAGE! AND INTRIGUE! AND MURDER! AND ABUSE!

Now log off and go write a book. Have fun! Yeah, no. Not happening.
Picture Me, reading my social media feeds.
I know that I’m not the first creative type to blog about this subject. But it’s important enough that I think it warrants repeat posts to further the subject’s reach until every creative is aware of it. Creative Types – Writers, Painters, Musicians, Dancers, Actors, etc. – it is okay to step away from news of current events in order to protect your creativity. I literally could stop there and I think everyone would understand what I mean. But I’ll get a little more in-depth, otherwise this would be a really short post.

The world we live in has never been perfect. There has always been turmoil, war, discrimination, and a host of other issues. But I think we can all agree that 2016 and continuing on into 2017 have been particularly rough politically. It's amplified by the fact that we have instant and constant updates on every major event. Social media is awesome for keeping us informed on what’s going on in the world. But it can also be emotionally draining.

Some days, scrolling through my feed there will be status after status or tweet after tweet on the latest scandal/incident/protest/bill passage/firing/death. My anxiety ratchets up super high every time I see the word BREAKING. Reading those statuses and tweets every day can take their toll. You might start to feel helpless, wondering what you can do to get involved. You might feel guilty for “frivolously” creating when there seem to be so many more important things going on. You might feel hopeless and think the world is going to continue being awful, so why even bother? And once you have those thoughts in your head, it can be extremely difficult to disengage from them and continue on with your creative work. And that’s why it’s important to step away from social media.

Listen. Your work is important. It’s important to you of course, because it is your baby. But it’s also important to others. Your book or piece of fan or original art or hilarious video might be the thing that brightens someone’s day. We all need to consume fine arts and other things we enjoy in addition to keeping up with current events. So do what you have to do in order to keep your creativity healthy and active. Filtering your social media to keep certain topics from showing up is a great start. Here are a few ways you can do that:

1) On Twitter, you can mute words, accounts, hashtags & phrases for specified periods. You can only list one at a time, so it’s a little time-consuming, but it’s worth it. Go to your Settings & Privacy and select Muted Words to use this feature.
Picture 2) If you use Chrome, there are a few extensions you can use to filter the topics that appear on your feed for both Twitter and Facebook. Social Fixer for Facebook and Vital for Twitter are two examples.
Picture Picture 3) Get off social media altogether. Believe me, I know how hard this can be. Social media is super addictive. But you can use an add-on like LeechBlock, which will block whatever sites you specify during certain times of the day, days of the week, etc. It’s also great for staying productive when writing in general.
Picture The above methods can be very helpful in blocking out specific topics so that you can continue to use social media, without feeling overwhelmed by the world. In writing this post, I’m not saying that I don’t want to be informed. I do. I want to keep up to date because I feel it is my responsibility as a citizen and just for my own general awareness.

I also don’t expect people to stop sharing the things that they are passionate about. But at the same time, I don’t want to wade through a seemingly never-ending sludge of awfulness every time I log on to my favorite social media sites. I want to consume politics and other current events on my terms. So I’ve taken steps to filter my feeds and will check on the news at my convenience.

I love creating and I need to be in a positive mind-set in order to do so. If you’re also a creative (or any person who feels overwhelmed by social media) give yourself permission to block/hide/regulate anything that prevents you from doing what you love. You’ll thank yourself for it.

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Christa

Visit my website: www.ChristaTomlinson.com
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Published on May 21, 2017 15:50

April 14, 2017

Setting the Mood

PictureWriting is awesome. It’s also incredibly difficult. It requires you to pull what only exists in your head out and on to the keyboard or page. There are lots of things that help make this process a little easier. A good outline is beneficial. As is a giant mug of coffee. But for me, the most important thing to help me get in the write (get it?) head space is music.
But not just any music. I have to have songs that match the mood of the scene I’m writing. For example, when I was writing Bad Boys Need Love Too, I listened to a lot of Joan Jett, Peaches and Garbage. Bad Boyfriend was actually the inspiration for that story. Those songs all had a raw, gritty feel to them which perfectly matched the roughness of bad boy Gage as he corrupted I mean errr… persuaded Joseph into letting his hair down. Here’s the playlist if you’d like to check it out.

I also have a list of five go to songs for setting the mood. I pull these out when I need a song that’s proven to get me where I need to be. Or, when I’m too lazy to look for new musical inspiration.

1) Smexy Sexy times:  Stroker Ace by Loveage
2) Rough sexy times: Tainted Love by Marilyn Manson
3) Anger:  Shitlist by L7
4) Heartache: The Scientist covered by Willie Nelson
5) Happy Fun Times: Twerk by Three 6 Mafia

My playlist for An Officer’s Submission was angsty and sexy. Two of my favorite songs for that playlist are from movie soundtracks. I wrote the Shibari scene to Silk Road from Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon and Eptesicus from Batman Begins. I loved the way both songs are soft and floaty and airy. They really helped put my head where I could “see” Logan concentrating on binding his submissive and Clay sinking into it until he was rope drunk. Le sigh…
Picture
Anyhoo, I’m always on the lookout for new writing music. Want to help me out with that? Comment below with a song to fit one of my writing mood categories: Smexy times, Rough Sexy Times, Anger, Heartache and Happy Fun Times. One comment/entry per person please. I will randomly select two entrants to win an An Officer’s Submission swag pack. Winners will be chosen next Sunday. Be sure to leave your email or social media contact info in the comments OR turn on the Notify me of replies option so you'll get a notification if you are a winner. You’ll win a signed copy of the book, as well as a book mark and dog tag featuring AOS’s cover art. You know you want it. So hit me with your song recs!Thanks for reading!
Love,
Christa

Visit my website: www.ChristaTomlinson.com
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Published on April 14, 2017 18:54

March 26, 2017

Romance Tropes

Picture Tropes. What are they? They’re what helps us recognize what a story will be about. They also help us identify whether or not we’ll like the general plot that the author has created. Or as Wikipedia says: The word trope has also come to be used for describing commonly recurring literary and rhetorical devices, motifs or clichés in creative works. Here’s a small sample of tropes in the romance genre. I bet you’ve read or can recognize them all.

Secret baby
Friends to lovers
Enemies to lover
Office romance
Opposites attract
May/December
Amnesia
Billionaire
Mistaken Identity
Fake Engagement

Tropes get a bad rep, especially from outsiders to the romance novel world. People set them up as a way to show how romance novels are all the same. But I disagree. First, although the general idea may be the same, no two novels are alike. You can ask five different authors to write you a secret baby romance, and you’ll wind up with five very different stories. One of them might have an alien baby. One of them might have a single dad. One of them might have a woman who found an alien baby abandoned by its single dad.

Second, tropes are everywhere, not just in romance. Good looking fella who goes on a quest for treasure and artifacts, facing danger along the way? The Mummy. Or Raiders of the Lost Ark. Or National Treasure. Or Three Kings. Or… well, you get the idea. 

For creative types, tropes are a great way to build the foundation for the book, movie, or play that will spring forth. For readers, they offer a sense of familiarity. They let us know if it’s something we’ll enjoy. For example, when I’m book browsing, I can tell right off from the back cover copy if it’s the type of story I like or like to avoid. Some of my favorites to read are hurt/comfort, friends to lovers and forbidden love. 

As I plan out my stories, I definitely think about what tropes will be included in the plot. Because I love tropes. I'd roll around in them like a puppy in clover if I could. If nothing else, they at least give me a starting point to build from.

What are some of your favorite tropes? Which do you think are over-done in the romance world? Are there any you'd like to see more of or wish would disappear off the face of the earth? Let me know in the comments! 

*Repost from 2014

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Christa
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
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Published on March 26, 2017 12:47

March 19, 2017

An Officer's Submission is Live!

Picture An Officer’s Submission is now live! That’s right, it released this past Thursday. So if you haven’t snagged your copy yet, head on over to your favorite online bookseller and snap it up! Today is the last day that it’s on sale for .99. Still need to read the first three books in the series? Don’t fret, they’re on sale for .99 too. 

Of course, I’m already hard at work on the next (and last?) in the series. But I can’t mention who it’s about just yet, because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. Once a few weeks have passed I’ll share that with you. I’m excited to write this guy’s story. 

When I first published The Sergeant, I had plans for what I wanted to do with the series. Those plans changed and I abandoned that original idea. I was going to end the Cuffs, Collars and Love series with An Officer’s Submission. But then as I wrote the last few chapters of The Detective’s Pleasure, I looked at one of my characters and realized he needed his own story. So far I’m 21,000 words in and really like where it’s going. So hurry up and read An Officer’s Submission so I can tell you all about it! 

An Officer’s Submission is available on Amazon, Barnes and Noble and Kobo. It’s is .99 this weekend only. Buy links are below. Be sure to let me know what you think once you’ve read part two of Logan and Clay’s story. 

Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/j8o49hu
B&N: http://tinyurl.com/hakngru
Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/zk6ptrz

Thanks for reading!
Love,
Christa
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
Follow me around the internet! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub
View my titles on Amazon
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Published on March 19, 2017 11:47

March 16, 2017

Release Day! 

Picture That's right, folks. It's finally time. An Officer's Submission, part two of Logan and Clay's story from The Sergeant, is now available. I'm so excited! Book birthdays are always awesome, but this one in particular makes me happy.

When I first self-published The Sergeant I had no clue what to expect. I hoped I'd sell 314 copies over several months. I ended up selling a few more than that, and the feedback I received from readers motivated me to write more. So now here we are, on book four (or 3.5 depending on how you count novellas). Logan and Clay had a little more to say and I was very happy to let them get it out on the page.

I'd like to give thanks to everyone who has helped me along in my writing journey. I won't list any names because there's bunches and I like to keep these posts fairly short. So I'll just say thank you to everyone who encouraged me, gave me pep talks, sent me messages letting me know how much they love Logan and Clay, read for me, reviewed for me or, shared their love for the books with their reader friends. Thank you all so much.

I have one more book in the series to write. Once you make it to the end of AOS I'm sure you'll be able to figure out who is getting a story next. I'm planning for a summer release for it. So stay tuned!

An Officer's Submission is now available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble.com and Kobo. It's .99 for a limited time only. The rest of the books in the series are also on sale, so if you or a friend has wanted to try Cuffs, Collars and Love now is a great time!
Picture Thanks for reading!
Love,
Christa
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
Follow me around the internet! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub
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Published on March 16, 2017 06:59

March 12, 2017

Book Series

Picture Hello and Happy Sunday! If you’re anywhere in the US, I’m sure you’re dealing with some chilly weather. I’m in Houston and it’s a rare cold day in March. I’m not pleased, I prefer it when it’s warm. Okay, enough about the weather. I wanted to do a small post on book series today. I thought it appropriate since I’m about to publish book 4 in a series (and the nerves are starting to hit!) and because the Romance Writers Chat Topic this week is book series. If you’re on Twitter, follow @RWChat and the #RWChat hashtag Sundays at 6 pm CST. It’s a lot of fun, you’ll get great tips and connect with other writers.

First things first. Series. Why do readers like them? I can’t speak for all readers, but for me, I love them because I enjoy getting to be in a world for more than one book. It’s nice to finish a story and know that I get to revisit characters and further explore settings in following books. Some series focus on one couple, like Kate Aaron’s Free Men, while others stay in the same world but tell the stories of different couples. I like both formats. Annabeth Albert’s Perfect Harmony series is one that I enjoyed that has different couples in each book. 

As a writer, they’re great for several reasons. First, when we come up with story ideas we often end up with ideas for secondary characters. Writing additional books in the series gives us a chance to set all those ideas free. Sometimes we have a secondary character that gets really loud in our head, or one that needs to be redeemed, like Ryan in The Detective’s Pleasure, and they won’t shut it until they get their own book.  

Another reason writers love series is because it can be easier for us to write them. We already know the world and have some background on the characters, so the research and creation part can go a little faster. And of course, writers love series because we already have a built-in audience. If a reader enjoys book one in the series, she’s probably going to want to come back for books two and beyond. There is some danger in that however. 

I’ve experienced series fatigue with a couple of authors. It gets to the point where I’m just ready to move on and try something new. Or in series where there is an overarching series plot, it can take too long for the author to get to the point. I’ve had to tap out on a couple of series like this. I do love series where the author gets in, writes four or five amazing books, then gets out, leaving me with nothing but good thoughts for the world they created. 

Writing series can definitely be awesome for authors. So if you’re thinking of writing a series, or you’re smackdab in the middle of one, here are a few tips for you.

1. Start a series bible. Do this immediately. Do not pass Go and do not move on to the second book without a series bible. Record character’s names, physical descriptions and backgrounds. This is super helpful. You’ll think you remembered correctly that Mike has brown eyes, only to get an email from a reader asking what happened to his gray eyes. Record those facts, a summary of each book and other important details so that you can easily find them. You can create an Excel spreadsheet, a table in Word or go old school and have a binder full of info like me. 
Picture  2. Have book covers that relate to each other. Your book covers don’t have to be identical. But they should definitely be similar. So if book one is painted art with a purple and gold background with a red dragon on the front, book two shouldn’t be slick black and white photography of a guy in jeans. Try to stick with a similar theme, style or color scheme. It will help your readers identify the books, and they’ll look super pretty when they’re all lined up together. Kate Aaron’s Free Men series has lovely coordinating covers. Picture 3. Have the same general tone to each story in the series. Every couple is different and has a different story to tell. But if books one through three are about happy-go-lucky couples who fall in love after a meet cute, book four shouldn’t be a tragic love story where h and h are reunited after one goes to prison for ten years. That switch is jarring for the reader, and they’ll wonder what the heck happened to their beloved bubbly couples. 

4. Don’t let characters take over stories that aren’t theirs. Readers want couples and characters from book one to make cameos in book two, etc. It’s like saying hi to old friends. But when a new book in the series becomes more about the characters from previous stories, it’s a problem. Some characters are loud and full of life on the page. It’s the writer’s responsibility to keep ahold of them and make sure they don’t steal page time from characters who are trying to find their own love story. 

5. Know when to cut bait. There will come a time when you have to let a series go. Maybe you’re burned out on that world. If you are and don’t have any fresh ideas to share, let it go. Readers will pick up on it if you’re phoning it in. Or, maybe the readers just aren’t there for a series anymore. If you notice sales and readers for a series have dwindled to nothing, put that baby to bed. There’s not much sense spending the time, money and effort on something that you won’t see a return on. You can always revisit it later if interest is renewed. 

There’s lots more information out there on writing series. If you have any tips or thoughts to share, feel free to post them in the comments. I’d love to know what both readers and writers think about book series.
Picture P.S. Don’t forget, An Officer’s Submission, Book 4 in the Cuffs, Collars, and Love series, releases Thursday, March 16th. If you’d like a sneak peek, you can read Chapter One HERE.
Thanks for reading!
Love,
Christa
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
Follow me around the internet! Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Goodreads, BookBub
View my titles on Amazon
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Published on March 12, 2017 17:23

March 10, 2017

What A Feeling! 

Picture Yesterday I got a delivery in the mail, A box of the Cuffs, Collars, and Love books! I was so excited I literally ran with scissors to open it. Picture This is my first time holding An Officer's Submission in my hands. That feeling when you hold your book for the first time is amazing. The box also included reformatted copies of The Sergeant. It was in desperate need of a makeover. The original version was double spaced with a small layout. With as long as the book is, it made for a very hefty tome! I've fixed those errors, so the updated  version isn't so girthy. Whew! In other An Officer's Submission news, I'm sharing the first chapter of An Officer's Submission! You can read it below or go to Goodreads if you'd like to download it. Watch out, it's Not Suitable For Work.  If you want to win a paperback copy of An Officer's Submission, enter on Goodreads HERE. And don't forget, part two of Logan and Clay's story releases March 16th.
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Published on March 10, 2017 07:42

February 26, 2017

Cover Reveal & Excerpt for An Officer's Submission

Picture Hello, gentle readers! As promised, I'm here this week with the cover reveal for An Officer's Submission, Book 4 in the Cuffs, Collars, and Love series. An Officer's Submission is the continuation of SWAT officers Sergeant Logan Pierce and Clay Foster's story.

We first met Logan and Clay in The Sergeant. In Book 1, Logan and Clay started a wild relationship, full of tension and passion as they learned how to love one another as Dominant and submissive. Book 2 gives Officer Ryan Bennett and Detective Sam Roberts their shot at love. Book 3 is a sweet but very sexy Christmas novella for Logan and Clay. And now, we have Book 4, which releases March 16th. I shared the blurb last week. This week, in addition to the cover, I have a little excerpt for you as well.
Picture And there it is. Isn't it beautiful? Now, I know what you're thinking. Christa, that's awful close to the cover for The Sergeant. And yes, it is. Intentionally. I know, I know. I'm supposed to have similar covers for marketing purposes. But in this case, the decision to use the same models was more of an emotional one. Logan and Clay are my first self-published babies, and their cover will always have a special place in my heart. So when it came time to do the cover for the second half of their story, I didn't want to stray too far.

In this case, I think their pose is perfect, we see a little more of Clay, which makes sense, because An Officer's Submission focuses on him. And of course, we have Logan showing his support with a hand on Clay's shoulder. Yay. They make me smiley faced. Okay! We've got the cover revealed. Now, let's talk excerpt and another round of ARC giveaways.

Excerpt from An Officer's Submission

Logan looked at his partner now, watching as Clay quietly undressed.
"You Okay?"
Clay nodded, but Logan saw the vulnerability in his eyes.
"Come here." Logan pulled his sub into his arms. "Talk to me."
"You know how when a cat wants attention from its owner, he wraps around their legs until he gets it?"
"Yeah."
"That's how I feel right now. I want to be wrapped around you." He paused for a moment, breaking eye contact as he lowered his lashes. "And I want to let you take over and control me."
Logan tightened his embrace on his sub. Clay had come a long way since they'd first started their Dom/sub relationship. But Logan knew it was sometimes still a struggle for him to admit to his needs. He tipped Clay's face up. "You know I'll always give you what you need."
Clay nodded. "I know."
He kissed Clay gently, stroking a hand down his back. Clay returned the kiss, his lips soft and parted beneath Logan's. Logan kept one arm wrapped around Clay's waist as he reached out to turn off the light. The moon dimly lit the room as Logan pulled the covers back and got them into bed.
When they were laying on their sides, facing each other, Logan tugged Clay's leg over his waist. He ran a hand over his hip, slipping his fingers into the leg opening of the tight briefs Clay wore. Logan caressed the smooth skin of Clay's ass, kissing him with all the passion he felt for his lover. Clay moaned quietly, his warm breath brushing over his cheek. Logan trailed his lips up to Clay's ear.
"Mmmm, I love that noise. So sweet."
*** 

Gosh, Logan. Can you stop being in love with your submissive for two seconds?
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Published on February 26, 2017 08:00

February 19, 2017

Release Date for An Officer's Submission! 

It's finally time! Time for me to share with everyone more news on the continuation of Logan and Clay's story. First, the title: An Officer's Submission. Do you like it? I sure hope so because it's already on the cover. ;-) (That will be revealed next week!) It was a joy to write them again. I know these characters and they have a very strong presence in my writer brain. It was lovely to hang out with Logan and Clay, even if I wasn't always nice to them.
 
For my second offering - I have the blurb. I'm still tweaking it a bit. But since I like all of you, I'll give you a peek at it before it gets to the final copy.
 
                                                                        **** 
Police Officer Clay Foster is finally at peace and happy with his life. He enjoys his career as a member of Houston’s SWAT team, and he loves submitting to his Dom in the bedroom. Unfortunately, nothing stays perfect forever. The harsh ugliness of the real world destroys Clay’s bubble of happiness. His trust shattered, Clay is forced to reevaluate his career, his relationship, and himself.
 
 
Sergeant Logan Pierce’s job is to take charge and lead Houston’s elite SWAT team. But the most important thing in his life is taking care of his submissive, Clay. Clay is his whole world, and Logan will do whatever is necessary to keep him safe. Even if that means going up against Clay’s stubbornness in order to help him heal.
 
Can Dominant and submissive work together to rebuild their happiness? Or will their love and relationship end before its truly begun?
                                                                         ****
Gasp! What does this mean? What is happening? Well, you'll be able to find out on release day, March 16th.  That's only three and a half weeks away!
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But wait - there's more! I have Advanced Review Copies for three lucky readers. Entering is easy. Just comment below with your favorite memory from The Sergeant. (If you haven't read The Sergeant, don't fret - I'll do other giveaways that don't require prior knowledge.) I will reply to you by email if you are the winner. 

That's all I have for now. Be sure to check back next week for the cover, an excerpt and more ARCs! And while you're waiting, you can add An Officer's Submission to your To Be Read List on Goodreads and bookmark their page on my website so you don't miss any updates. And if you haven't read the first three books in the Cuffs, Collars, and Love series, now is a great time to get started with The Sergeant.
Picture Thanks for reading!
Love,
Christa
www.ChristaTomlinson.com
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Published on February 19, 2017 16:24