Cardeno C.'s Blog, page 30
December 12, 2017
Holiday traditions from BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean
Today we talk traditions!
Sean Michael
Holiday are traditions are something I’ve been thinking more about as I’ve gotten older than I used to.
When I was a kid, we used to drive to both sets of grandparents every single Christmas. So in order not to have to drag our gifts for each other all the way there and then all the way back (it was a seven hour drive to the first grandparents and then another two to the second, with an eight hour trip home). So my folks started having ‘family Christmas’ on the Sunday before Christmas where we’d exchange gifts just the four of us. I always loved those family Christmases.
One of my current traditions is cookies! I usually make about a dozen different types of cookies, then put together cookie plates for everyone on my list. That way, everyone gets 2-6 of each different kind of cookie. There are some that I make every year, others that get retired and always a new kind or two. I’ve been doing it at least a half dozen years now and planning it out and baking the cookies is one of my favorite ways to get into the holiday mood.
A tradition I would like to start is doing something with feeding the hungry. Either spending a day with the family, helping to pack up bags at the food bank, or serving Christmas dinner at a soup kitchen.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday this year, full of family, friends and joy.
Sean
BA and Julia
Since we're married, you get two for one.
As a kid, my mom (Julia) didn't decorate until the 18th. Her birthday was the 17th, and as a child, her birthday had rolled into Christmas, because they were so poor. So Dad said, no, your birthday comes first. Then we left the tree up until about Jan 7.
As a kid, BA's tree went up the day after Thanksgiving, and came down the day after Christmas. Her birthday is January 9, and her mom wanted her birthday to be special.
As adults, we compromise. We decorate the first week of December, and take it down the 29th or 30th. That way we don't take the old year into the new (a BA thing) and I get to look at the tree a few more days (A Julia thing). We have German chocolate cupcakes for my mom's birthday on the 17th and sing happy birthday, even though mom has been gone longer than BA and I have been together, and BA's mom comes over too.
It's a grand thing.
Kiernan will be along soon.
XXOO
Julia
http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com
Julia’s is http://www.juliatalbot.com
BA’s is http://www.batortuga.com
Kiernan's is www.KiernanKelly.com
Facebook:
Sean -- https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelW...
Julia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbota...
BA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortuga
Kiernan -- https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly
December 11, 2017
Free Books! by Cardeno C.
Happy Monday! In case you missed my previous post about this or you're new to the blog, I want to let you know about a great club you can join for free and get a free book every month. The Gay Romance Readers Club is sponsored by twelve romance authors and each month, an author gives away a book to club members. Take a look at our authors here and then sign up for free books!
Have a terrific week.
CC
www.cardenoc.com
December 9, 2017
This is a blog post!
Happy Sunday!
That picture is a note that my wife left me so that I wouldn't forget to write a post for this blog today.
Yep. That's what kind of week it's been.
I had a whole bullet journal full of things to do, and while I managed to do most of it, I added almost as much as I was able to check off. A deadline, a pre-holiday shopping list, doctor visits, a birthday, a concert... all good stuff, but sleep and organization went a little out the window. My sanity wasn't far behind.
And to cap off a crazy week, yesterday it snowed for the first time of the season - and the first time since we've moved into our new house.
When you're in a house for a while snow is one of those things you create a routine for. You know when to go out for a first pass with the shovels; you know how to deal with the situation the end of the driveway when the plows come through; you know which spots you need to put down ice melt or sand in; and you know where you need to put all the snow so you can maneuver your cars.
Well. When you're in a brand new (to you) house, especially one with an entirely different setup... Yeah. Not so much with knowing how to manage all that white stuff.
Worse? Since the move, we have only found one shovel. We think the other got left behind. That made the whole snow removal process sloooow.
Don't get me wrong. I love snow. LOVE IT. I don't mind managing it or driving in it, it's just what we do where I live. But getting my head around what to do with it and how almost drove me off the deep end yesterday.
But now it's Sunday! I'm going to my first NFL football game today - Giants vs. Cowboys - and I'm grateful that it has stopped snowing. But I don't know anything about football so it will be an interesting day. Maybe that will be next week's blog post. ;-)
Enjoy your Sunday! Cheers!
Jodi
jodipayne.net
Things Come and They Go by S.C. Wynne
Morning all! I'm running a little late. I'd love to blame it on too much spiked eggnog, but I don't have any eggnog!A writer friend of mine, Felice Stevens, shared a blog post with me by Kristine Kathryn Rusch about the state of publishing at the moment and how it's just going through the cycle that any business goes through. I kind of have to agree with her.
When e-publishing first exploded, there was a huge hay day, where lots of people made obscene amounts of money, and for some reason, they didn't realize it would one day slow down. Because new things generate a lot of excitement, and then they don't.
I see this happening in mpreg right now. It was an underserved market, and now everybody is writing it and hoping to make bank. (Shhhh even I wrote some) But it will be flooded soon with people trying their hand at it. But I digress....
I liked the article so much and thought it was so spot on, I'm going to link to it and you can read it for yourself. (It is long, just to warn you.) You can decide if the sky is falling, or if the world of publishing is just settling in as a mature business should.
Here Is The Link
S.C.
www.sc-wynne.com
December 8, 2017
Audiobooks on sale! by Felice Stevens
Here's the link!
http://bit.ly/Feliceaudio
Happy Listening!!
December 6, 2017
December Madness by Riley Hart
December is always such crazy, exciting, beautiful, stressful month. LOL. That's a lot for one month to be! We celebrate Christmas, and we have three birthdays this month as well. My birthday is the day after Christmas. I hated it growing up (now it doesn't bother me). I always felt...well, ignored, when I was a kid. I didn't have birthday parties. Much of my "celebration" was combined with Christmas. By the time it was my birthday, they were over it.
I always hoped I wouldn't end up giving my child a December birthday and I did. haha. That's the way it goes though, right? We make sure that she always feels like she has her special day though.
Talk to me about December. Do you have traditions? Birthdays? A favorite December memory? I'd love to hear them.
Fire and Flint from Andrew Grey - Coming Friday
Fire and Flint releases Friday December 8th. I really hope you enjoy it.
Jordan Erichsohn suspects something is rotten about his boss, Judge Crawford. Unfortunately he has nowhere to turn and doubts anyone will believe his claims—least of all the handsome deputy, Pierre Ravelle, who has been assigned to protect the judge receiving the threatening letters. The judge has a long reach, and if he finds out Jordan’s turned on him, he might impede Jordan adopting his son, Jeremiah.When Jordan can no longer stay silent, he gathers his courage and tells Pierre what he knows. To his surprise and relief, Pierre believes him, and Jordan finds an ally… and maybe more. Pierre vows to do what it takes to protect Jordan and Jeremiah and see justice done. He’s willing to fight for the man he’s growing to love and the family he’s starting to think of as his own. But Crawford is a powerful and dangerous enemy, and he’s not above ripping apart everything Jordan and Pierre are trying to build in order to save himself….Will their fledgling romance dissipate like fog in the sun before it has a chance to burn bright?
Purchase a copy at Dreamspinner Press or Amazon
Excerpt:“Not particularly. Your main task is to let me continue to do my job and to ensure I remain safe. I have private security arranged for my home and commute.”Pierre nodded, and the judge gave him the information for the firm so Pierre could coordinate with them. He needed to try to find the source of the letters—which was going to be a difficult task, given how very little there was to go on—and to make sure Judge Crawford had the extra security he seemed to think he needed. The building itself was already secured, with all visitors and employees passing through metal detectors and all their bags X-rayed so nothing dangerous got inside. But if someone was intent on causing harm, they didn’t necessarily need a weapon.“Please work with Jordan. He can give you any information and support you might need.” Judge Crawford turned to the clock on his desk. “I have to be in court in ten minutes.” Any additional information was going to have to come from Jordan, as Judge Crawford’s expression hardened and he turned to his computer. Pierre knew he was dismissed. He left the judge’s chambers and closed the door behind him.“He’s a peach, isn’t he?” Jordan said in the same tone that he might use to ask about the weather. The judge’s behavior was just a part of Jordan’s everyday work, it seemed.“Intense” was about the nicest thing Pierre could come up with.“Judge Crawford isn’t a morning person, and he always needs some time to get ready for court.” Jordan stood and filled a mug from the coffeepot in the corner. He then carried it into the judge’s chambers and returned with an empty mug. “Sometimes I swear he mainlines the stuff.” Jordan rinsed the mug and took his seat once again. “I need to make sure he has everything he requires for his day, and then I can go over anything you want.” He hurried into the office, and Pierre watched him go with pointed interest.Pierre sat back down. He reminded himself that he was working and had to keep his mind on the task at hand, not let it wander to the delicious paralegal who seemed to check all the boxes for the type of man he preferred: lanky, with great eyes, and a backside that bobbed perfectly with each step and made him feel disappointed when Jordan closed the door behind him.
December 5, 2017
New releases and upcoming books from BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean
Since it's that time of year where people are gifting themselves for sanity's sake, we thought we would list our new releases or upcoming books.
We'll start with Sean Michael. Out now!
Blurb:
Dom Dustin Lefevre works hard and plays harder. He attends the Underground Club whenever he can and is always very much in demand by the unattached subs. After one such evening, he runs into King Tamber, the Dom who taught him everything he knows. King and Dustin parted ways after several years of King teaching Dustin how to be the best Dom he can be.
Now, King has come back into Dustin’s life with a new proposal. He wants to recreate Dustin’s club scenes with Dustin in the submissive role. Dustin doesn’t understand why King would want to do scenes with him again, but King is very persuasive and Dustin finds that he can’t resist. Now all Dustin has to do is figure out how to continue without having his heart broken.
Meanwhile, King has regretted parting ways with Dustin every day. Seeing Dustin working the subs at the club has given him an idea of how he can connect with Dustin again. He knows he screwed up with Dustin when they last parted and he can only hope that through his new plan, he can woo Dustin and ensure they both get the happy ending they deserve.
Buy links:
Evil Plot Bunny: http://www.evilplotbunny.com/index.ph...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Protection-Det...
Bio:
Best-selling author Sean Michael is a maple leaf–loving Canadian who spends hours hiding out in used book stores. With far more ideas than time, Sean keeps several documents open at all times. From romance to fantasy, paranormal and sci-fi, Sean is limited only by the need for sleep—and the periodic Beaver Tail.
Sean fantasizes about one day retiring on a secluded island populated entirely by horseshoe crabs after inventing a brain-to-computer dictation system. Until then, Sean will continue to write the old-fashioned way.
Excerpt:
King unlocked the door to his place and ushered Dusty in, watching the strong body move. Fuck, he wanted this man. He’d thought he could get over Dusty, thought it would be better for Dusty if he pushed him away and let him fly on his own. Maybe it had been better for Dusty, but King had never stopped wanting, never gotten over him—too bad he hadn’t realized it until too late.
So now he was making the best play he could. He’d chip away at Dusty’s defenses, make the man fall in love with him.
“You want a drink?” he asked as Dusty set his bag down by the door.
“Sure. What are my options?” Dusty moved toward the window looking like a Roman warrior with his neatly trimmed beard, his dark hair caught back in a tail. Fierce, almost hawklike, and without an ounce of fat, the man made his mouth dry.
“Water, coffee, tea, soda, or milk.” He didn’t currently have any booze in the house. Besides, they were gonna talk and fuck—no booze needed.
“No whiskey? I’ll take water, thanks.”
“I haven’t been home long enough to restock properly. Besides, I want us both sober tonight.” He wanted Dusty’s honest, nonalcohol-influenced reactions.
“So how is this going to work? Practically, I mean. We talk and fuck tonight. Do I spend the night, then wake up, do a scene, and leave? Are we going to do it all tonight?”
Such a strategist. Dusty had been working out how to get out of this from the first. King would stress it if he didn’t know Dusty could have simply said no. There was a part of Dusty that wanted this as much as he did. Maybe even more. He hoped so anyway.
“We talk and fuck tonight. If you’re not on the job tomorrow, that’s when we do the scene.” And hell yes, Dusty was staying the night. He loved sleeping with that solid body next to his. It had never happened enough for his liking.
“I’m off ’til Monday, barring an emergency.”
He almost moaned. That was what he wanted. He craved the idea of breaking Dusty down into his neediest parts, then being there to do the hours of aftercare, the connection.
Now BA Tortuga has an upcoming title!
Blurb: Love is a fragile thing, and it can slip through your fingers if you don’t hold on tight….
When Zack Jung’s AA sponsor and friend commits suicide, he’s desperate to hold it together, and there’s only one place he can turn. He calls Josh and Kris, and they take him back to their ranch outside Santa Fe.
A cowboy to the bone, Cimarron Duran cherishes his orderly life and routine. He likes his neighbors, Kris and Josh, but he has less than no interest in the hipster personal trainer who comes to stay with them—or at least, he plans to fight his interest in favor of his solitary life and his art.
But some things are as inevitable as the weather, and when Zack and Cimarron finally come together, they find they don’t want to let go. It won’t be easy, though, for two men with pasts like theirs to forge a happy future together.
Buy Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/boo...
>“It’s cracked,” Cypress whispered, “right down the center.”
Sort of like him. Sort of like everyone.
“I want to fix it, patch it, but I’m frightened to.” Cypress took a deep breath, held it for a second, waiting for something to happen, but it didn’t. He let it out, knowing he was going to be laughed at.
The laughter never came, so he went on. “If I use slip, it might survive, but what if I get the consistency wrong?”
He could hear the sigh behind him.
“I know, I know, you’re right. I’ve nothing to lose. Nothing at all.”
The silence reigned, and he rolled his head on his neck. “I wish you were a little more forthcoming sometimes. I’m lonely.”
He held the pieces in his hands. Sometimes you couldn’t mend what was broken. Sometimes you simply had to start again.
“Who are you talking to, Cy?” Josh came into the studio, a spark of life and color. “I’ve been hunting you. I want to go play.”
“Play?” He placed the pieces in a shallow crate on his workbench.
“I’m bored. Come out with me. Let’s bubble and invent something wonderful.” Josh took his hand, kissed the corner of his mouth. “Please.”
“Sure.” Bubbles were always good. He had Josh to thank for the hot tub, anyway.
He walked outside, the sun like a spotlight, burning away the ghost of his Lonan. The two of them were like planets in orbit. Passing but never touching.
He stretched, feeling his bones loosen up.
“There you are. I’ve missed you.”
Cypress blinked at Josh. “Where have I been?”
“In your head.” And Josh got that, he knew.
“Ah. Sorry.” They muscled the cover off the hot tub, then fired up the bubbles. “What do you want to drink?”
“I brought strawberry banana smoothies.”
“Nice.” He did like a nice fruity smoothie, and Josh had learned all these recipes from his friend Zack, who was a personal trainer.
He pushed away the thought of the crate with the broken pieces. He’d explore that later. Maybe he’d fix it; maybe he wouldn’t.
Maybe it would return to the earth.
Julia Talbot has a new release in the Dreamspun Beyond line
A Dead and Breakfast Novel
A romance worth fighting for—tooth and claw.
Solitary vampire Fallon Underwood gets all the social interaction he needs being the silent partner at the Dead and Breakfast B and B high in the Colorado mountains. Change is hard for Fallon, so when his business partner, Tanner, suggests hiring a new manager for the inn, he’s adamant that they don’t need help, especially not in the form of bouncy werecat Carter Hughes.
Carter is a happy-go-lucky kitty, and he loves the hospitality industry, so the D and B ought to be a great place for him. He falls for Fallon as soon as he picks up one of Fallon’s novels, and begins to woo the vamp with gifts. When Fallon finally succumbs to Carter’s feline charms, the results are unexpected, to say the least. Their mating will have irreversible consequences—for their bodies and their hearts.
Buy Link: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/boo...
Excerpt: Carter checked his hair in the rearview mirror, nodded, and hopped out of the Jeep.
Time to do this. Interview, ho!
The house was pretty cool, an older three-story with clapboard siding instead of a log place. A few cabins sprinkled the hillside behind the house, and the view? Epic.
There was this bridge you had to cross to get there, the river right there, singing to him. The aspens were whispering, the leaves clacking and clicking together.
He would bet there was a boat landing carved out on the bank back there. Carter itched to see it, but instead he trotted up the steps so he could knock on the door.
Positive, peaceful, competent, joyous. He repeated the words over and over. The mantra was better than “Will work for food.” Desperation was not an attractive trait, especially in a manager.
A stout lady with, uh, hissing hair opened the door. “Yes?”
“Good afternoon.” Smile, focus on the eyes.
His lips started to go numb, his nose itching like someone had cast it in concrete. Oh. No. No eyeball-to-eyeball with this one.
She chuckled, the sound like rocks clacking together. “Come in. I’ll get Tanner.”
“Thank you, ma’am!” No biting, he willed the snakes.
The back half of her hair hissed at him some more when she turned around, but Carter stayed just out of range. He’d never met… was she a gorgon? Was he mixing his mythology?
That was pretty cool, one way or the other. Showed willingness to work with all sorts of beings. He thought the boss was a werebear, but he wasn’t sure.
“Mr. Tanner? This is your two o’clock.”
“Ah, thank you, Glenda.” The Tanner guy was in a wee office nook off the main room. He rose, and Carter confirmed that was definitely bear. Tall and broad with shaggy brown hair and deep brown eyes.
“Sir.” He held out one hand and smiled.
“Carter Hughes?” Tanner shook hands, warm and firm but not squeezy. “I’m Tanner Weiling.”
“Mr. Weiling, pleased to meet you.” No bouncing.
None.
Zero.
Be the antibounce.
Tanner smiled, and the expression seemed to say Tanner knew he was trying not to bounce.
“Come sit down.” Tanner led the way to a neat little bay window where two chairs and a coffee table were all set up.
“Oh, this is lovely. You have an amazing view.”
“Thanks. It makes people feel calm.”
“I believe that.” Carter sat on the chair Tanner indicated. Well, perched.
Kiernan Kelly has an upcoming YA as Dakota Chase
Dakota Chase (Kiernan’s YA alter ego) has a new release coming in early 2018!
Release: Repeating History, Book 2: Hammer of the Witch by Dakota Chase https://www.harmonyinkpress.com/books...
Blurb: History isn’t dead when you’re living it.
Aston and Grant made a serious mistake a while back when they set fire to their teacher’s office—a teacher who is secretly the legendary wizard Merlin. Now they must travel back in time to retrieve the artifacts they destroyed—and they’re about to find out how the Dark Ages earned its name.
They’re on a mission to acquire the Malleus Maleficarum, the book used by the Inquisition to arrest, torture, and execute witches. In medieval Germany, they’ll be surrounded by danger in a time when anyone could be accused and face horrible prison conditions and an awful death. Will they be able to avoid the watchful eyes of the Inquisitors, retrieve the book, and return to their own time?
http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com
Julia’s is http://www.juliatalbot.com
BA’s is http://www.batortuga.com
Kiernan's is www.KiernanKelly.com
Facebook:
Sean -- https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelW...
Julia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbota...
BA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortuga
Kiernan -- https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly
December 3, 2017
Happy Sunny and Warm Holidays!
Hi all!My post today is about holiday madness. I love the holidays, I love the insanity, I love the rush, and the music, and the joy.
So, top 5 things to ponder about the winter holidays season: So many things to celebrate! In my house we celebrate Hanukkah and Christmas, and we always have to be a little flexible because sometimes they overlap and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes the first night of Hanukkah is on Christmas Eve. Sometimes they are two weeks apart. The tree - real or fake? No really, real or fake? I are always done a real tree. And every year I think, I need to go fake this year. And then I go looking and I can’t find a fake one I like. And then I buy a real tree. But right now, I’m looking for a fake one again!Driving - you knew I couldn’t get through this post without complaining about who is not he road and the way people drive this time of year. College kids home and driving like maniacs. Grandma or Grandpa suddenly not only driving on Sunday’s (and driving like maniacs!), mall traffic (I’m in New Jersey, this is a THING), and you can’t find anywhere to park . For anything. Ever. Family - I love waking up with my little family on Christmas morning. We don’t do anything extravagant, but I make breakfast and then we sit by the tree and open our presents. We listen to Christmas carols and we stay in our pajamas until we have to put clothes on for company. It’s a slow, easy-going morning.Food - I mean, what is a holiday without talking about the food? We have all kinds of weird food traditions in my family, but my favorite is the cinnamon bun tree that we make every year. I buy those Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, smack a couple of packages on the counter to open them (or let my kids smack ‘em, they love that) and then make a tree shape. After they are cooked, we use colored sprinkles to make the trunk and the star and the rest of the green tree. It’s so silly easy and it sound so ridiculous, but we’ve been doing it since I was a little girl, and I can’t imagine a Christmas without it!
I’ll be back next Sunday with more holiday-related craziness I’m sure. Until then, stay safe as you travel around out there. Cheers!
Jodi
jodipayne.net
December 2, 2017
Another Indie Publisher Closes It's Doors, But They Do It With Class by S.C. Wynne
I'm a little depressed this morning. The very first publisher who ever took a chance on me, Loose Id, has announced they're closing their doors. I'll never forget how excited I was when they accepted my book. It was my very first MM romance and when they took a chance on me I was over the moon happy. I loved my editor, Kathleen Calhoun, and everyone at Loose Id was always wonderful to me. So it's truly a sad day.
And it's also scary. Because Amazon is slowly pushing all other publishers out of business. They're so huge now, I don't think anyone can truly compete with them. They did their takeover so cunningly. They came up with a great little e-reader and they made downloading books on their site dummy proof. The One Click button is very seductive. They also provided tons of books for their kindle e-readers by revolutionizing the very business of self-publishing. They made it so easy to self-publish books that tons of people flooded in, and both readers and authors were living the dream.
At first.
Like any new, successful thing, it was great at first. I wasn't writing then, but I've heard the stories and I can see the despair of those struggling now that everything has changed drastically. People who used to make bank can't even get on the Amazon lists now. Let's face it, Amazon holds the fate of all who self-publish in the palm of their hand. They could drop our royalty rate tomorrow, and I'm sure once they've destroyed everyone else they will.
I personally think that the giant market share they hold is dangerous. I can think of no other vendor that actually gives them a run for their money. Apple is huge, but I don't buy there very often. My sales at Kobo and Barnes and Nobel don't compare to Amazon so, for me, my readers are mostly at Amazon. But I still stay wide because the idea of having all my books only at Amazon, and depending on them exclusively, would keep me up at night.
And I absolutely detest KU and what it's done to publishing. The pay rate of less than half a cent per page is so insulting. Not to mention the fact that authors have to pump out books at an alarming rate just to make what they might have made a few years ago, putting out way less stories. Burn out is a real thing people, and I personally live in fear of it happening to me and my pals.
Now Amazon is coming up with their Audible Romance package where people can listen to an unlimited number of books. This is going to be interesting to watch. Authors are piling into the program and Amazon hasn't even announced how much they'll pay authors. It's insane. But the first people in will probably make money. Just like with KU. But then once everyone is in, it will be impossible to be noticed. Just like with KU.
But unlike KU, those authors are stuck in the program for the life of their contract. They can't leave for seven years. LET THAT SINK IN. There is no opt out after ninety days like with KU. And no one even knows what they'll be paid yet. Whatever it is, it will benefit Amazon, not us. There is also the added problem of the cost of making audio books. You can't put out an audio book for as little as you can an e-book. Audio books cost thousands of dollars to produce. But Amazon can probably feast on author's backlists for many, many years, so they aren't worried.
It's all complicated and demoralizing. I don't know what will happen in the future with publishing. I only know I'll keep on the path I'm on and continue to produce quality work. I won't use KU for anything but re-releases until the day I'm literally forced into KU.
Sorry for the long rant. I'm angry because I feel Amazon is forcing out the indie publishers like Loose Id, one by one. At least Loose Id is winding down respectfully. They have a good, solid plan in place and none of their authors should be harmed like the debacle of Ellora's Cave. (Yes, I was unlucky enough to be stuck in that closure too.) I appreciate that about Loose Id. I'm happy to know my trust in them was well placed. It makes me appreciate them even more.
So I say a sad farewell to Loose Id. As hard as this is on us authors, I'm sure it's much harder on all of you who've worked so hard all those years. I wish you only the best in whatever you do next.
S.C.
www.sc-wynne.com
