Cardeno C.'s Blog, page 62

My Work Space (Before) by Cardeno C.

I'm not a desk person, never have been. When I was in school, I almost always studied in bed on a lap desk. When I had to go into an office, I was never fully comfortable at a traditional desk. Now I'm lucky to be able to work from home but I've never figured out a good space to do my day job or my writing job. Until now (I hope)!

There's a space in my bedroom that's pretty much unused, other than for dog toys, and I'm hoping it'll be the perfect place for me to work. I'm getting my furniture situation figured out now by online shopping (yay for coupons), antiquing, and repurposing. Hopefully I'll be done next week so I can share "after" pictures. For now, here is the "before".



If you have any "must have" work space suggestions for me, let me know. Have a terrific week. 

CC
www.cardenoc.com

Coming Soon by Felice Stevens

In the next few months I'll be having all my titles formerly with Loose Id, re-released with new content and new covers. The first is Rescued, which has it's two year publishing book birthday today. After that will be the books from the Through Hell and Back series, starting with Ash and Drew's book, A Walk Through Fire.

Here is the new cover for Rescued, and the blurb:

Ryder Daniels is all too familiar with rejection. His parents cut off contact because he’s gay and his boyfriend left him, choosing drugs over love. Aside from his rescued pit bull, his only joy is hanging out with his younger brother. Then his mother does the unthinkable and forbids them to see each other, leaving Ryder devastated and alone. His friends urge him to date, but Ryder would rather throw himself into working at the dog rescue and figuring out a way to see his brother again.

When Jason Mallory’s girlfriend gives him an ultimatum to get married, he shocks everyone by breaking up with her instead. He believes he's too busy for a relationship now that the construction company he started with his brother is taking off. When he discovers a group of abandoned pit bulls and calls the local dog rescue group to pick them up, an uncomfortable encounter with Ryder causes Jason to question feelings he’s hidden deep inside for years.

Jason and Ryder build a friendship, until an unexpected kiss sparks the attraction they’ve been fighting. Jason gives Ryder unconditional love and helps him reconnect with his brother while Ryder shows Jason the passion he’s always missed in relationships. Together they must battle through their family differences and ugly prejudices. Only then can they prove that once you find the right person to love, there’s no turning back.(less)

Cover Artists - Our Face to the World

Book covers are so very important.  They are the visual image of our books.  So I wanted to take the chance to give the artists and huge round of applause.  They use their amazing talents to develop images for us that speak to our readers and give our books a visual face.  I can tell you that this job isn't easy. For one of my covers the artist and I went back and forth 2 dozen times in order to get it right.  But the cover was perfect and her patience was so appreciates.  So to LC Chase, Reese Dante, Paul Richardson, and all the other cover artists, I want to send a huge thank you out into the world.  You deserve it.

Ask Andrew is your chance to ask questions of a gay romance author.  The questions can be about the writing process in general, writing sex scenes, gay men, sex, characters in romance, characters having sex... okay you probably get the picture.    I promise to answer your questions as frankly and with as much humor as I possibly can.

So if you have a question, please send it to andrewgreybooks@comcast.net.  This is different from my usual email so your questions don't get lost.  I will answer one question a week.

Please remember this is meant to be all in fun.  (I was going to say good, clean fun, but who wants that.)    So send me your questions and let's see what mischief we can get into.

Visit Andrew on Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/andrewgreybooks  and you can join Andrew's fan group All The Way With Andrew Grey.

Follow him on Twitter:  @andrewgreybooks

Visit Andrew's web site:  www,andrewgreybooks.com

New releases and coming soon from Kiernan, Julia, Sean and BA!

I suck. I forgot to post our blog.

Coming Monday from Sean Michael at Dreamspinner Press

An Iron Eagle Gym Novel

When Master Damien Richardson (Day to his friends) takes over the front desk manager job at the Iron Eagle Gym, he knows he’s going to need an assistant. But finding the right person for the job is harder than he thought it would be. When he meets Saw, he thinks he’s found the solution to all his problems, and maybe something more.

Sawyer Whitehead lost his master to a tragic car accident some years ago, and since then one opportunity after another has gone sour on him. Thoroughly convinced he’s cursed and a jinx to everything and everyone he touches, he refuses to officially become Day’s assistant because he knows that as soon as he does, something terrible will happen. He’s even more determined not to get involved with Day, despite his attraction, because it would kill him to be responsible for tragedy befalling the lovely man.

Day must convince Saw that he’s not cursed and that together, they can face any challenge that comes their way—in both their professional and personal partnerships.

Buy it here!

New from Julia Talbot

Bear shifter Seamus has a thing for his boss at the Blue Moon bar. Hugh doesn't seem to notice him except to chew his ass about his bar tending skills. Hugh is a wolf shifter who thinks Seamus is the hottest thing he's ever seen, but running the bar leaves him little time for a personal life.

When danger threatens the Blue Moon bar, though, Seamus and Hugh band together, and finally get what they both want. Can it last or will outside forces tear them apart?

Note: This title was previously published in the Bar None anthology.

Buy it here!

Out now from BA Tortuga

A Love is Blind Novel

Dan White is trying to acclimate to civilian life after a long career in the military with multiple combat deployments.

Now he’s home in the Austin area, living with his brother Dixon, Dixon’s husband, Audie, and their two nine-year-olds. During the New Year celebration, Dan meets Abraham Weldon, and the connection is instant.

There’s a kiss. There’s a dance. There’s a proposition.

Then Dan finds out Weldon is bisexual.

And a dad.

With five kids. Five kids, one of whom is a blind fifteen-year-old.

Weldon has been in love twice in his life—with his high school best friend, Blake, and with his wife, Krista, who he met in a Dairy Queen as she was crying over a positive pregnancy test. Love number three hits Weldon like a hammer when he meets Dan.

But since Dan isn’t interested in a guy with kids, they might only get one night together.

Buy it here!

Coming Soon from Kiernan Kelly

NOTE: This is a previously published work. The publisher has changed.

Blaze offers Zack a home, but is love enough to keep him?

Midnight Rodeo, #2

Psychic Blaze scouts locations for the rodeo company, Darque and Knight. While checking out a possible venue he finds another psychic talent, Zack, who's hot as the Fourth of July. Zack is complicated, though, thanks to his sidekick, Mikey, a damaged kid. Blaze invites the pair back to the rodeo, but not everyone is as happy as Blaze to have them there.

Find it here!

XXOO

Julia

Sean’s website is 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

Creating Don't Twunk by Renae Kaye

To me, writing a book is very personal.
It’s personal from the point of view that somehow the characters are actually a part of you… and LOL, I’ve just invited all these readers into their bedroom. But it’s also personal from the view point that my experiences and knowledge flavour the book completely.  Authors often refer to their book as “their baby” and in a way it’s true.  A child of yours is 50% your DNA.  And so I also think my books are about 50% me.  I often wonder about if I get amnesia and couldn’t remember writing a book, would I read it and recognise it as mine?  Can readers pick up their favourite authors’ personality and life between the lines?  Would you recognise your favourite author if they wrote a book under another name?  Would you recognise that a book isn’tyour favourite author’s work, even if it’s published under their name? When I write a passage in a WIP and I have to create something about a character – let’s say their favourite colour – I often think about my favourite colour first and align my love for the colour against the character’s personality.  If the character is very unlike me, I will think of my least favourite colour – so in a way that like/dislike is still me. My characters live in suburbs I’ve lived in or visited often.  They often work industries I’m familiar with.  They eat foods I eat, go to restaurants I go to, and have pets that I’ve had.  And if their house isn’t similar to mine, then it will be somewhere I’ve been to on a regular basis.  For example, Kee lives in my sister’s first house.  The position of the main bedroom and house I visualised when I wrote the scenes were all from her house.  Tate lives in my best friend’s house, but in another suburb.  Kee has the job one of my nephews has, and he hates tofu the same as me.  Tate’s political leanings are mine.  Hank lives in a house my dad used to own.  Shawn lives on a hill near a friend’s house.  Liam shares a profession another friend has.  Lon lives in the caravan my parents had.  Brett, Gavin and Frank are my actual neighbours.  Mitch is the carpenter up the road from me…. And of course, my books are set in Perth (or at least Western Australia) so I’m comfortable writing about the places. My characters aremy creation and are me in someone way.  So offering a new book to the world is both scary and exhilarating.  On one hand I want everyone to see my pride-and-joy, just like a parent wants their child to shine on that stage, dressed in a sparkly tutu with tiny ballerina shoes on their feet.  But I also want to protect my progeny like a lioness protects her cubs from danger.  Everyone who doesn’t love it as much as me gets the evil eye.  (Only half-joking).  But yes – criticism hurts when it’s dished out in an uncaring manner, or in a manner designed to sting. I consider myself a fledgling writer – I have a number of books written, but I’m no expert.  There are authors out there with dozens of titles.  I seriously wonder how they can do it, because do all the characters start to blur at some stage?  Is character M from your third novel the same as character Z from your 24th novel?  What’s it like to even write your 24th novel? When I began thinking of a second story to follow Loving Jay I had some problem creating a new character for it.  Jay is one of the best characters I’ve written because he’s so… him.  He’s unapologetically flamboyant and everything flows from there.  I wanted to recapture the fun and vivacity of that in the second story, but in a new character.  I didn’t want “another Jay” because there could never be another Jay in my heart. I try to retain the flavour of book within the series.  Loving Jay was a bunch of laughs with a bit of seriousness behind it.  In the Safe Series I aim for more seriousness and also amp the flame.  My Tav Seriesis light-hearted, but not as light hearted as the Loving You Series. One day I was thinking about Jay and wondered what ever happens to these slim, beautiful, youngtwinks we often see in pictures or movies.  What happens as they age?  A twink by definition is young.  So what’s an old twink?  And what does a twink’s friend think about him if he sheds the twink image?  For I’m sure that there are a lot of men who get caught up in the image of being a twink and are lost should they lose that moniker. And so I found the perfect two characters for my new book, Don’t Twunk With My Heart.  Tate, the aging twink, and Kee, the twink who’s no longer a twink.  I placed them together in a nightclub, added a little dance music and alcohol, a pinch of competition to liven things up, and then sprinkled desire into the mix.  Bake in a soft bed of white until the sun comes up the following morning.  Allow to cool, but consume while warm…
Don't Twunk With My Heart releases on the 26th of August 2016.  It is available for preorder at Dreamspinner and most other book sellers.
How to contact Renae:
Email:  renaekaye@iinet.net.au
Website:  www.renaekaye.weebly.com
FB:  www.facebook.com/renae.kaye.9
Twitter:  @renaekkaye

A Little Love...One Story at a Time by Felice Stevens

A friend asked me recently, what I hoped to accomplish by writing gay romance. It took me a while to come up with an answer and it surprised both of us. 

A reader once told me she enjoys the fact that I discuss social issues in my books, but I think that's simply a product of the times we live in. Back in the 1970's and 80's romances were focused mainly about women being "rescued" by the man. Occasionally there was a breakthrough book where we had a heroine, always described as "feisty" or "fiery" who stepped out of the mold.  But their world remained rather insular, and outside influences rarely added to or detracted from the romance.

In present day, it would be surprising to read a romance that didn't reflect social issues and their impact on the character's lives and, of course, how it weaves the romance into the story. People have higher expectations of their books and plots and require more than a good looking alpha hunk. (Really we do.)

What I enjoy seeing in gay romance now, is how so many of the stories aren't necessarily focused on "coming out," but rather are love stories focused on  the two people who find each other, whether it's in a small town, or a big city. or a mystical world. But we learn as we grow; condom usage is almost always mentioned. I'm not of the mindset that romance novels, which tend toward fantasy and are not meant to be realistic portrayal of relationships, should be used as teaching methods. There are some things that shouldn't be tossed aside, and safe sex is the most important.

So in closing what I most hope to accomplish with my writing is to make people happy and spread a little love, one story at a time. It's not that complicated but then, in my opinion, it shouldn't be.



Amazon: myBook.to/CarterandReed

iBooks: http://apple.co/29JbH8k

All Romance: http://bit.ly/CarterandReed

Nook: http://bit.ly/29Sff7u

Kobo: http://bit.ly/29PmDF5

Suspense with Your Romance

If you like a little action and suspense with your romance, then you'll love the latest story from Dirk Greyson.  Flight or Fight is  western romantic suspense that will keep you guessing until the end.


Life in the big city wasn’t what Mackenzie "Mack" Redford expected, and now he’s come home to Hartwick County, South Dakota, to serve as sheriff.

Brantley Calderone is looking for a new life. After leaving New York and buying a ranch, he’s settling in and getting used to living at a different pace—until he finds a dead woman on his porch and himself the prime suspect in her murder.

Mack and Brantley quickly realize several things: someone is trying to frame Brantley; he is no longer safe alone on his ranch; and there’s a definite attraction developing between them, one that only increases when Mack offers to let Brantley stay in his home. But as their romance escalates, so does the killer. They’ll have to stay one step ahead and figure out who wants Brantley dead before it’s too late. Only then can they start the life they’re both seeking—together.

Check it out:  https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/boo...

5 Olympic Questions with BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean

With the Olympics having just started, we thought we'd go with five Olympic themed questions today.

1 - Are you watching the olympics?
2 - Favorite sport to watch
3 - Is there one olympic story in particular you're following?
4 - Do you find the Olympics inspiring writing-wise?
5 - What would you like to see an Olympics//world championship of?


B.A.
1. God, yes. Every second.
2. WATER POLO! When I was unemployed years ago I spent hours watching water polo in the middle of the night. I'm an addict.
3. Kerry Walsh-Trainer. I'm a little stupid over her.
4. No. In fact, it's distracting. Usually we don't have the TV on during writing time, but the Olympics are special.
5. Olympic Bull Riding! I would TOTALLY be all for that.

Julia
1. Yes
2. Hmmm. Beach volleyball
3. The little Brazilian girl gymnast who was dead last at worlds and has done well so far this time around
4. Nope. I have to be careful not to get sucked in and forget to write
5. Gay porn


Kiernan
1. I'm not watching the Olympics because I just don't have time. Between taking care of the hubs (who's still out of service with a shattered heel), babysitting the grandkids, and trying to get a novel done by Sept. 1st, I barely have time to breathe let alone watch tv!
2. I'm not a Summer Olympics kind of person. If pressed, I like gymnastics, but I really prefer winter games, in particular, figure skating.
3. Not this time around. Sadly.
4. I'm not an overall sports fan, except for figure skating and hockey, and I rarely write sports-themed stories. Maybe I should change that. How about a hockey player shifter story?
5. Speed writing. I'll bet the four of us win the gold. LOL

Sean
1. Yes, I am watching the Olympics. I watch avidly.
2. Men's swimming, beach volleyball, gymnastics (I think my history with choosing just one favorite and not being able to do so is well documented at this point...)
3. How many medals will Michael Phelps win in his final Olympics (and I am thrilled that he's come back for one more)
4. Well, I already have a new Olympic swimmer story started, so I'd have to go with yes!
5. Olympic Pole Dancing.


Got random questions? Comment or email one of us :)

You can find us on Twitter at @seanmichael09, @juliatalbot, @batortuga and @KiernanKelly

Sean’s website is 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/SeanMichaelWrites
Julia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbotauthor
BA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortuga
Kiernan -- https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly

Sean
smut fixes everything

Have You Tried Audiobooks? by Cardeno C.

Happy Monday! I haven't jumped onto the audio bandwagon as a reader yet, but I hear more and more from readers who have. That's why I've been working on getting all of my books into audio and I'm nearly there. Here are some samples from my newest audiobooks.











You can find the rest of my audiobooks, with a sample of each, on the audio page of my website. And if you're interested in trying audio, you can use this link to get two free audiobooks from Audible.

Have a great week!

CC
www.cardenoc.com

International Cover Reveal, but Renae Kaye

Today on Café Risque I’m giving you a little hint of the international. 
I have been blessed enough to have several of my novels translated into foreign languages.  When this happens, sometimes the book gets a new cover.  And today I’m giving everyone the FIRST LOOK at Safe in His Arms new cover for its Italian version.
What do you think?  I love it.
This book is due to be released on…. **drum roll** … the 26th of August.


Yes.  For my eagle eyed fans you will notice this is the same day as my new release Don’t Twunk With My Heart.
Al Sicuro tra le Sue Braccia has been translated through Triskell (link) and can be purchased here.  At the moment there’s no link to buy – but I will make sure it’s on my website when its live.  It will also be available through all the usual channels including Amazon.
Don’t Twunk With My Heart is available at Dreamspinner (link) and  they fabulously have a 30% off sale until Sunday – so jump to it and grab a bargain while you can.
 

In other international news, The Blinding Light has just been released in German this week… and it looks like it’s resounding with the German readers.  I’m so, so happy.  And I adore the new cover this book received too. 
 

This book is available at a huge amount of retailers, including Amazon and Kobo.


And just because they’re pretty, check out my other international covers.














How to contact Renae:
Email:  renaekaye@iinet.net.au
Website:  www.renaekaye.weebly.com
FB:  www.facebook.com/renae.kaye.9
Twitter:  @renaekkaye