Cardeno C.'s Blog, page 66

What's New from BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean

Today we're sharing a new release from each of us.

Fuck Forgiveness from BA Tortuga

This is a re-writing of a short story with 50% extra story. Werewolves! Drama! Biting! Old lovers coming back together! Hooray!

When reformed shifter Danny comes back to Texas as part of his twelve-step program, Declan couldn't be less interested in forgiving him. Declan thinks Danny got scared when he left five years ago, and has labeled his ex a coward. When he finds out the truth, though, Dec sets about letting Danny know he's welcome to come home anytime.

Buy links:

Changeling Press 
Amazon 
ARe


Out of the Frying Pan from Julia Talbot

Available from ARE!

So much fun to write smokejumpers and firemen again. I love these guys so much!

XXOO

Julia 



Drop Dead Sexy Series from Kiernan Kelly

The dead have arisen, and all they want is their old lives back. Can love eternal exist for those who are dead but not gone? It takes a brave zombie to find out.

As Serious as the Grave: Tyler was only dead for a couple of hours before he reanimated, and he's still handsome and drop dead sexy. What makes his unnatural life worth living? Daniel, a big hunk who just might be the special person Tyler's spent his life looking for. Will his chance for a lifetime of love with Daniel be taken away before they even get started?

Lights, Camera, Zombies! Jericho's never been one to shy away from the facts of life... and death... and re-life. Not everyone gets the memo that Zombies are humans with rights, however. When his life is threatened on the set of a new movie, Jericho and his lover, Dex, must decide which is more important, their Zombie pride or their lives.

Publisher's Note: Drop Dead Sexy (Duet) contains the previously published novellas Serious As the Grave and Lights, Camera, Zombie by Kiernan Kelly.

Buy link: Changeling Press.

Also, look for my BRAND NEW story in the Drop Dead Sexy universe, Destination: Dead, coming soon at Changeling Press!

Zombies need some time off, just like everyone else. But when Cal and Holden, two undead lovers, decide to open an all-inclusive clothing optional resort for zombies on a tropical island, not everyone is thrilled.

As guests begin to arrive for the grand opening of the AfterLife Resort (known to locals as Destination: Dead) trouble arrives with them. It's a race against time for Cal and Holden to find and stop whoever is trying to destroy their resort and send them back into their graves for good.

Buy Link: Changeling Press.

Thank you!
Kiernan


Modifications: Mane and Tail from Sean Michael

A new series! This one has a pair of demons granting sexual fantasies - where men can play without boundaries and explore their deepest and darkest desires. I really enjoyed doing a deeper exploration of Pony Play in this first book of the series.

Eric Martin is a successful businessman, but he’s lonely, he’s stressed, and there’s something missing from his life. At least that is, until he meets Daryus at a conference. Daryus promises he can offer Eric all his fantasies come true. A second meeting at a bar one night, leads Eric through a door into a world where he suddenly finds himself as the ‘pony’ of groom Soren.

Soren is a groom of human ponies who is working off his debt to a demon by training men in pony play. He enjoys his work a lot and one day hopes to have a pony of his own as a reward for all the good work he’s done and to celebrate the payment of his debt. When Eric appears in his stall, Soren believes that day has finally come.

Eric can’t believe the stables he finds himself in are real. His pony fantasies are just that – fantasies. Not only that, he’s never shared them with anyone, so how could Daryus have known? Between Eric’s confusion and lack of experience, Soren has his work cut out not only training Eric, but convincing him that this is real and that Eric doesn’t ever need to go back to his old world. 

With a little demon magic and a lot of care, Eric and Soren just might find everything they need to be both happy and together.

Buy Links:
All Romance Ebooks
Amazon


Got questions? Send them on!

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

where the naughty boys come... and play

The Orlando Shooting – one week on, by Renae Kaye

Last week I felt the need to express my angerover the Orlando Pulse Nightclub shooting.  The fire was raging through me, and I felt a need to say, “Hey – I’m not okay with what just happened.”  Today, not quite seven days later, I’m still feeling that rage, but the grief has started too. Several times in the last week I’ve broken down and cried in front of my computer.  I don’t want to do that, but I think the victims deserve it.  I could shy away from news reports showing their names, faces and stories about them, but I don’t want them to be just faceless victims.  They may be 18,265kms (11,350mi) away, but it doesn’t mean that what happened hasn’t impacted on me. I’ve watched and listened to a lot of reactions over the event and I’ve been saddened, strengthened and (unfortunately) disgusted by some of them. One reaction I’ve been witnessing from my friends, and in private conversations with them, is fear.  “Why were wetargeted?” they ask me.  They can all too clearly see that it could’ve been them.  They attend gay nightclubs, or LGBT events.  They celebrate with their friends.  And they’re scared that it could happen to them.  Even those who live in a different country are scared.  I’m torn in shreds by this, because there is nothing I can say to comfort this fear.  Yes, it could happen anywhere.  The worst thing about an event like this is the copycats who try to do it wherever they are. Some friends are filled with rage and vow to do what they can to change the law, change society, change, change, change.  I stand and applaud this. However, some are filled with an overwhelming sense of despair, that nothing they can do will make people understand or change their actions.  I bleed at this.  Because I understand this as well.  I understand thinking that you’re a lone voice against a cacophony of noise and screaming.  How do we even know where to start? Unfortunately, I’ve also come across dismissive responses in the last week.  People who’ve said, “What does it matter to me?”  This gives me a migraine, because it matters to all of us.  When do you feel empathy with a group of people?  Do we have to be American before we feel empathy with the Pulse victims?  To we have to be LGBT?  Do we need to be American and LGBT? To me, there is only one thing we need to be to feel empathy for the Pulse victims.  Human. And there issomething we all can do.  Stand together. One thing that happened over this past week that I was unhappy with, was the dissent within certain sections of the online LGBT community.  I saw people tearing others down for their response to the tragedy.  It was minor, but it was there.  And not just one person.  I understand their frustration at those who they believe are not acting appropriately, but at a time when we need to stand together, it was sad to see people voicing anger at those who are on the same “side” as them.  Whoever first coined the phrase, “United we stand, divided we fall” was spot on.  We need to put aside petty differences in order to tackle the big issue. Standing together sounds difficult, but it’s not.  And it’s something we all can do.  It doesn’t matter what religion we are, what country we come from, what gender we are, or what money we have.  Our biggest strength lies in communicating to others that we do not support this action that led to 49 innocent people being gunned down.  Whether you believe in gun control or not.  Whether you believe in Allah or not.  Whether you believe in same-sex marriage or not.  They are all things we can disagree on, but at the same time stand together and say “This action was not right.” You may think you’re no one.  But you have a way of communicating.  Whether it be your voice or your words, you can communicate to others that you oppose the actions of the gunman in Orlando and believe a change is needed. Why do gay nightclubs exist?  I’ve seen a lot of people speak of their fear in expressing themselves in public, but how nightclubs such as Pulse allow them hold the hand of their same-sex partner.  Why is this?  Because in public they fear they are a lone voice against a large tide.  Once inside the nightclub, they feel supported.  So let’s voice our feelings over Pulse, and support each other.  There may be people around you who feel the same as you, and are too afraid to speak out.  So please, don’t sit and do nothing.  If you can do something big to prevent this from ever happening again, do something big.  If you can do something to help the victims and their families, then do something.  But if you think you are powerless and can do nothing, please, don’t give up.  Speak up.  Speak out.  Together and in support of each other. For we are all one people. Human.

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

Vacation Views with Andrew Grey

I know this is where I usually write my Ask Andrew post, but this week I am on vacation.  Dominic and I are on our 20th anniversary trip to Germany.  So I thought I would post some pictures of the things we've seen.  I really hope you enjoy them and the Ask Andrew column will be back next week, so be sure to send your questions.

Schwaebisch Hall

Schwaebisch Hall

Dinkelsbuehl

Dinkelsbuehl at night

Bamberg

Hildesheim Marketplace

Part 4 - A Werewolf, A Dragon And A Vampire Walk Into A Bar by BA, Julia and Sean

Sorry we missed a couple of months! Without further ado, here is the fourth installment of the story

Part 1 is here.
Part 2 is here.
Part 3 is here.


Magnus figured he was being incredibly kind, sharing his new boy with Singe. Of course, fighting with Singe could get a man, or vamp, incinerated. He had no time for that. He wanted his share of hot, super-electric werewolf blood. 

They would go to Singe’s room and really pound it out now that Copper had been fed. 

Singe got his door open, only fumbling once with the key. He could be a little clumsy in his human form, but he had plenty of skills in the bedroom that more than made up for it. They all tumbled into the room and as soon as the door was closed behind them, Singe grabbed Copper up and planted a hard kiss on him.

The little hard-body was tight and compact, ass a wet dream in a pair of ancient jeans, broad shoulders draped in a leather jacket that had been through a war.

Magnus stood back for a moment to watch, his fangs itching, his cock hard as a rock. People thought vampires had no blood flow. That was bullshit. They just needed to borrow the red blood cells from another source. 

Singe had one big hand on Copper’s ass, drawing Magnus’ gaze, which was maybe why he was letting Singe monopolize Copper’s mouth. He stepped forward and pressed against that pretty ass and Singe’s surprisingly hot hand, refusing to wait another second.

Singe moved his hand, but not to push him away. Instead Singe grabbed his package, squeezing firmly. Gasping, Magnus bucked, sensation rocketing up his spine to burst in his brain. Oh, this definitely had possibilities. 

A low growl bubbled up from Copper, low and needy and raw. Magnus wanted a bite of that, a long, slow drink and then a hard, comfortable screw.

“Too many clothes,” Singe growled and Magnus had to grin. He’d known they could count on Singe to get them all naked and in bed in short order. Guy was single-minded as hell. Hot, too. Both to the touch and in body when he pulled off his shirt and struggled out of those jeans. Singe was built like a brick shit house. 

Magnus reached about and began to unfasten Copper’s pants, the heavy buckle fighting him. Damn cowboys.

Singe snorted. “Finesse has its place, but this isn’t one of them.” Getting a hold of either side of Copper’s shirt, Singe tore it, pulling it apart. Singe slid both it and the jacket down Copper’s arms. 

“Hey! I only got so many clothes,” Copper said.

“I can buy you something new.” Magnus finally got the jeans moving in the right direction.

Singe grabbed hold of Copper’s arms and began dragging him toward the bed, Copper almost tripping over his jeans before he kicked them off. Magnus made sure to save the boots, although he wasn’t sure the damn things were worth saving.

That ass sure was, though. Damn.

Sweet man. Copper smelled like musk and heat and male energy. Singe, well, his scent was all brimstone, but it was surprisingly sexy. 

“If you don’t get naked soon, Fangs, you’ll be left behind.” Singe pulled Copper down onto the mattress and went back to kissing the sexy little wolf again.

“Never going to happen.” He reached down, popping Copper’s sweet little ass with the flat of his hand. He thought of it as tenderizing the meat.


Tune in next month for the next installment!


Got a topic you'd like us to tackle? Let us know!

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

Sean’s website is http://www.seanmichaelwrites.com
Julia’s is http://www.juliatalbot.com
BA’s is http://www.batortuga.com

Facebook:
Sean -- https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWrites
Julia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbotauthor
BA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortuga


Sean
smut fixes everything
where the naughty boys come... and play

With Pride and Hope for a Better Tomorrow by Cardeno C.

The Time I said No by Felice Stevens

It was the summer of 1982 and I'd just graduated college. My best friend and I had planned and saved for years to go wander through Europe and Israel; we'd stay with her relatives in London and my friend in Jerusalem. We left at the end of June and planned to come home in mid-August.

It was the trip of a lifetime for us middle class, public school kids; first time out of the country for me and I was so excited. We were going to London then Paris, take the Eurail to Venice, Florence and Rome, then a ferry from Brindisi, Italy to Athens, Greece then Israel.

I was heading to law school and she to medical school. We knew our paths would be long and difficult and we wanted to have the best summer ever. The trip of a lifetime.

We arrived in Athens, checked into the hostel and immediately set out for the sights. This city was a treasure trove. I couldn't get enough of the Parthenon, the Acroplis...EVERYTHING. It was Greece. I was a huge Mary Stewart fan and read every book she wrote, loving the ones she set in Greece. She wrote about the places I was now in the midst of. I couldn't believe it.

We ended up in a little cafe where I was persuaded to try my first taste of grape leaves, (not a fan) and some ouzo. Later, we went to a club and were surrounded by so many gorgeous Greek men, who were happy to pay attention to "the girls from NY." It turns out, they told us, that young Greek women weren't allowed on the streets without a chaperone and they rarely came to the clubs. Were they telling us the truth? What did we know? This was the days before the internet, cellphones...anything. We had Frommers and that was it. It was pre-9/11. We thought we were safe...invincible.

I still remember the song playing in the club was Sailing by Christopher Cross. A young, good-looking guy named Stelios ( I can't believe I remember his name) asked me to dance and his friend, John, asked my friend. We spent the rest of the evening dancing and drinking with them. At midnight, they asked if we wanted to go on a motorbike ride to the center of the city and look at the stars. We figured it would be an adventure and said sure, although I had never been on a motorbike and was scared to death.

The wind rushed through my hair and scared but laughing, I held onto Stelios's waist. After about fifteen minutes, we arrived at a park and his friend walked off with my girlfriend and Stelios took my hand and we walked into the park and sat down against a tree. He told me how he wanted to come to America and see the sights; The Empire State Building, the Grand Canyon, Disney World. "Everything!" he said his teeth glinting in the moonlight. "And meet beautiful girls, but none as beautiful as you."

I rolled my eyes, but, hey, I was 21 and a gorgeous guy wanted to kiss me in the moonlight; I wasn't about to say no. Trip of a lifetime, after all. The kisses turned a bit more forceful and he told me to enjoy it. I wasn't enjoying it. I asked him to please stop.

He laughed at me. Said I was a tease; that everyone knew New York girls liked sex. "After all, you came here with me. You wanted it."

I pulled away from him but he grabbed me and held me tighter. He was, obviously, much stronger than I was. I tasted fear; my eyes filled with tears and I kept asking him to take me back to the city, but he said, "No. You leave when I say so."

I looked around for my friend but I didn't see her. (Unbeknownst to me, she had left after a little while; the guy she was with took a cab back to town with her and saw her back to the hostel. He assured her Stelios would bring me home safely. She told me when she saw us kiss, she figured I was okay.) 

In my life, I'd never felt so alone; I was in a park in Athens at almost 1 in the morning with a strange man. I didn't speak the language and I had no idea how to get back to my friend. He grabbed me and pushed me down and pulled at my shirt. I kicked at him, anywhere I could and tore away from his grip, scrambling to my feet and running to the street. A cab was at the curb, the driver sat smoking a smelly, unfiltered cigarette out of the window. I wrenched open the door and slammed it shut behind me. 

"How many drachmas to get back to.." I gave him the name of the hostel. He took off through the street and I thought I was safe, until I looked behind me and saw Stelios on his motor bike, following us. "Please," I asked the cabbie."I need to get rid of him." I jerked my thumb to the back window.

"Okay." With a screech of tires, he took off and with a sigh of relief, I watched the angry face of Stelios recede in the background, as we increased speed. I arrived back at the hostel, where my friend was waiting at the window for me.

That was 34 years ago and I still remember it vividly—the cab ride, Stelios yelling after me in the cab as it pulled away, my pounding heart. I don't think I slept the rest of the two days we spent in Athens; I was afraid Stelios would come after me, find me. I only kept thinking, what if I hadn't gotten away? What if he hit me, knocked me out and raped me? What would I do? It was my fault, I thought. I shouldn't have flirted with him, danced with him, drank with him. I was wrong to take a ride with him, to kiss him. After all, what did I expect? 

I've never spoken of this since; because I was ashamed and embarrassed by my own stupidity. In light of the Stanford rape case, though maybe it was time. Sexual assault can happen to anyone, anytime, anywhere. It doesn't discriminate by age, race or religion. When my daughter graduated high school and she and her friends went to Europe, I agonized that everything would be all right. Five young women traipsing through Europe-a recipe for disaster, It all turned out well, and they were able to send us daily photos of all of them, but I think I got grayer until she came home.

When she went to college I taught her to be aware, to walk in groups and never accept a drink from anyone. She thought she knew everything; after all, she was a kid from NYC. She had street smarts. But she saw things that shocked and upset her and she couldn't control. She assured me she was careful. But for four years I worried.

I know this was a long, rambling post, having nothing to do with books and I'm sorry. I thank you for sticking with me. As this past week has taught us, nothing really has changed much since 1982, when I was that frightened 21 year old running from an angry man I said no to. Judges, defense attorneys and rapists tear the victim apart in hopes of "breaking her." Blaming the victim remains the way to defend a rapist. Woman still wonder if they did anything wrong.

 And that may be the saddest story of all.

Audio, audio, audio by Riley Hart

ROCK SOLID is now out in audio! From what I've seen, audio books are becoming more and more popular. I think they're like ebooks, in a way. At first we were a little unsure, and now so many people love them!

Are you one of them? Do you listen to audio books?


Buy from Audible HERE


Trevor Dixon has made too many mistakes to count. Sober for 13 months, he's determined to do the right thing: rebuild his relationship with his family and help his brother get Rock Solid Construction off the ground. Failing them again isn't an option. Too bad the first estimate Trevor goes on alone is for an uptight doctor with a superiority complex.

A hand injury took away the only important thing in Dr. Simon Malone's life - performing heart surgery. He doesn't do well with people and has no family, but being a damn good surgeon? He always had that. Now he doesn't know who he is. The last thing he wants to deal with is the young construction worker who blows his shot at remodeling Simon's home.

Trevor and Simon form an unlikely friendship. The more time they spend together, the more Trevor starts wondering if maybe Simon's not as straight - or uptight - as he thought...and maybe Trevor's new attraction to Simon runs both ways.

There are too many reasons they shouldn't be together: They have little in common, their age difference, Trevor needing to focus on his sobriety...yet there's something about each other that they just can't shake. They don't feel so lost when they're together. But with their footing so unsteady, forming a relationship that's rock solid seems impossible. There's blow after blow, and the last one just might be powerful enough to crack their foundation for good.

©2015 Riley Hart (P)2016 Audible, Inc.

Sexy Favorites with BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean

10 Sexy Favorites

1 - Favorite kind of kiss to write.

BA: I love the surprise kiss -- you know, the one where he just is either going to kiss the fuck out of his beau or beat the fuck out of him. :D
Julia: Hmm. I like hard, desperate first kisses, where they've waited so long they can't bear it.  
Kiernan: The hard, hot, angry, messy, wet ones that are more like fistfights using lips and tongues.
Sean: All the kisses.


2 - Favorite sexy song.

BA: Drive by Melissa Ferrick. OMG. O. M. G.
Julia: LOL. People would not find my choices sexy. I think self consciously sexual music is a bit weird. I do think Adam Levine is slinky sexy though so maybe Animals or Sugar 
Kiernan: Simon and Garfunkel song. Seriously, when the hubs andI were dating that was our go-to make-out music. Bridge Over Troubled Water, The Boxer, My Little Town... Yes, I know. We're weird. It's part of our charm. LOL
Sean: Brown Chicken, Brown Cow by Trace Adkins - makes me laugh every single time I hear it - sex and laughter are good combos. Then there's Closer by Nine Inch Nails for pure sexual drive. Need You Tonight by INXS... I could go on ;) 


3 - Favorite sexual position to write.

BA: I like rubbing off. Crazy, fully dressed humping like monsters.
Julia: I like blow jobs and frottage 
Kiernan: Doggy Style with a reach-around. Woof.
Sean: All the positions.


4 - Favorite room to write your characters having sex in.

BA: Is outside a room?
Julia: They have to be in a room? I admit, as I get older, the boys want a bed or a couch... 
Kiernan: In the garage in the backseat of the old car they're refurbishing; in the kitchen where all sorts of tasty bits and pieces are available for sprinkling on and licking off a lover's body. Bathroom, with deep tubs or two-person showers for lots of wet, soapy sex.
Sean: All the rooms (are we sensing a theme here?)


5 - Favorite post-sex activity to write.

BA: Oh, the regret that morphs into the morning round. :D
Julia: Laughter 
Kiernan:  Snackage My boys tend to deplete a lot of energy having sex, and most of them want to do two things immediately following - grab some cold pizza and a beer out of the fridge, scarf  it down on the way to the bedroom, then fall face first onto the pillow for a nap.
Sean: Snuggling.


6 - Favorite activity to write that leads to your characters having sex.

BA: FISTFIGHTS! :D :D :D
Julia: Foreplay? I mean, there's not a rule with me 
Kiernan: Arguments often lead to amazing sex. But finally sorting out a longtime  misunderstanding can do it too.
Sean: Talking, especially talking about what they're going to do to each other.


7 - Favorite form of foreplay to write.

BA: FISTFIGHTS! :D :D :D
Julia: Spanking ;)
Kiernan: I love writing bumbling foreplay. A scene in which one of the two characters -- or possibily both -- are inexperienced, or shy, or just plain clumsy. Bumping noses, awkward kisses, tentative touches...until the dam bursts and it's all-out passion war.
Sean: Kissing is good. So is breathing. Looking. Talking. Seeing each other across the room...


8 - Favorite post-coital snack for your characters.

BA: Hrm. My boys make a lot of sandwiches for post-sex munchies...
Julia: Depends. Shifters like meat, my bear shifters like honey and the firemen like pizza 
Kiernan: Anything that can be grabbed from the fridge without cooking, and preferably that can be eaten right out of the container. Pizza is good. A leftover sub sandwich. In an emergency, a jar of pickles will do.
Sean: My guys tend to fall asleep rather than eat...


9 - Favorite time of day for your characters to have sex at.

BA: Broad daylight. Outside. Sunshine on naked bods. :D
Julia: I see a theme here. My guys get off when they can. 
Kiernan: Any time. Hey, it's sex o'clock somewhere, right?
Sean: Are they both breathing? Then it doesn't matter what time it is. (And I suppose if they are vampires they don't even need that)


10 - Favorite kink to write.

BA: Fighting. Not emotional fighting, but a nice fistfight to lube everything up is just charming... Right? ;-)
Julia: Can we go with spanking again? I like the adrenaline pump of it. 
Kiernan: Spanking, I think. Warming up a guy's backside until it's a nice rosy red is uber sexy. :)
Sean: All of them, baby! 


Got questions? Send them on!

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

M/M Memorial Day Scavenger Hunt by Cardeno C.

Welcome to the 2nd MM Memorial Day Scavenger Hunt!
10 Days, 31 Stops, and loads of prizes! The rules are simple: At each stop on the tour you’ll find a military themed picture with a word or words. Collect the words and figure out the secret phrase (HINT: It’s lyrics to a song). Once you think you have the correct phrase, enter it into the Rafflecopter at any of the stops. 

Three winners will be selected from all the correct phrases for the three prize packs. 

Good Luck and Happy Hunting! 

Our stop’s word is:  say  

   
Prize Lists: 1st Place Prize $25 Amazon GC from Sassy Girl Books$10 Amazon GC from Aria Grace$10 Amazon GC from Two Chicks Obsessed$5 Amazon GC from Jessie G$5 ARe GC from Kai TylerWinners Choice of 2 Audio Books from Amy LaneWinners Choice of 2 eBooks Susan MacNicol's backlistWinners Choice of 3 ebooks from The Rock Gods Series from Ann ListereBook of Trouble Comes in Threes by Decadent DelightsWinners choice of any eBook on JR Gray's backlist 2nd Place Prize $10 USD Amazon GC from NR Walker$10 ARe GC from MM Book Escape$10 Amazon or ARe GC from Chris McHart$5 Amazon GC from Andrew JerichoWinners Choice of any ebook on Jessie G's backlistWinner's choice of eBook from Jaime Reese's backlist title (ebook gifted via Amazon)eBook from Brita AddamseBook of The Shape of Honey from Ki BrightlyeBook of My Zombie Boyfriend by T. Strange 3rd Place Prize (US Only) $10 USD Amazon GC from BFD Book Blog$10 USD Amazon GC from Joyfully Reviewed$10 ARe GC from Prism Book Alliance$5 Amazon CG from Carly's Book ReviewsSigned copies of all three published Kethric Wilcox booksebook Hitting Black Ice by Heloise WestSet of Mile High Romance eEooks from Aria GraceeBook of Fire and Rain by Andrew GreyeBoook of Unexpectedly Lucky from Carly Rose a Rafflecopter giveaway 

***Note: all graphics are stock photos purchased from Adobe.  

Nothing to do with writing, by Renae Kaye

Those people who follow me on Facebook or Instagram will know that I love to grow my own vegetables.  I struggle to grow flowers, although I am getting better at it, but vegetables are wonderful and easy.
This morning I read an article on the news about the benefits of organic foods.  The article talked about pesticides and how they affect the human body.  It mentioned that organic is usually better for the environment because the farmers use the earth more responsibly.  These are all good reasons to buy organic, and you can benefit these from growing your own food too. Oranges starting
Last week I was scrolling through a Reddit thread and something popped out at me that I’d never considered before.  It has resounded with me for days.  The Reddit user asked a question about what things does a person do that makes you realise that person grew up in poverty?  There were the usual answers that I expected – buys the cheapest item on the menu, hoards canned goods, doesn’t buy new clothes unless they need it – but then a couple of answers came back, and the responses were… astounding to me.
One person commented that her boyfriend had never eaten fresh strawberries and asked her parents if he could have one when he saw them in their fridge.  Another person said that their new friend was over for a visit and had to ask what that food item was – it turned out to be blueberries.  Many more responses echoed this.
To this! Laden with citrus

Then several people came back and commented – one person in particular using the word “urban poor.”  They pointed out the huge difference between being in poverty in a city, and being in poverty in the country.  In the city, if you’re struggling, you forgo the fresh food.  In the country, if you’re struggling, you end up eating only fresh food that you can grow yourself or forage.
It is an amazing parallel.
As our lives become busier and our block sizes in the suburbs becomes smaller, I am finding more and more people who either don’t have a garden (ie they’ve paved their entire backyard) or have no clue in how to start a garden because they never had one growing up.  Our schools now have a large push to teach the kids how to grow their own vegetables because they don’t have this experience at home.  People come over to my house and are amazed at not only the garden, but the wealth of food that is coming out of my own backyard.
For me, growing my own vegetables isn’t rooted in wishing to be organic, the better taste, saving money, or saving the environment (although all of these things play a part), it’s more to do with being able to fend for myself.  If I know I can make the food myself, I feel satisfied.  It’s more to do with having a space and utilising it.  If you have a swimming pool but never swim in it, why do you have it?  For me, I have a backyard, why not use it?
I’m all for maximising use.  If I need to plant a tree for shade, why not plant a tree that grows fruit as well as providing shade?  If I wish to grow a plant that feeds the bees (which are extremely important in our world and are dying out) then why not grow a plant that has flowers which turn to fruit?  I also believe in recycling – not only for environmental reasons, but why waste something I can use?
I have two worm farms.  If you’re looking for some way to start off, whether in a house or apartment, a worm farm is great.  You can spend lots of money on a proper farm… or you can take a plastic container (an ice cream container, chinese takeaway, etc) and use that.  Seriously.  Find some worms.  I’m not sure about where you live, but I could dig in some leaf litter in the park and find some earthworms.  I find them in the corner of a patio in some rubbish.  Try it.  Find at least three worms, put them in your plastic container with a handful of raw fruit/vegetable food scraps – apple core, potato peelings, that piece of lettuce that fell on the ground – put the lid on and check it every couple of days.  You will see the worms begin to eat the items and leave behind “worm poo” which are called castings.  Make sure it doesn’t get too wet, or too dry.  Put some fresh stuff in when they start to eat.  Rip up an old envelope and put that in.  They love damp paper. Peas, turnips & sweet potato
Castings are brilliant potting mix, fertiliser and seed raising mix.  When replanting a pot, or preparing my veggie garden for the next batch of seedlings, I mix in an ice cream container of castings from my farm to renew the nutrients in the soil.
In my garden I also have four composting bins.  These are filled with scraps and green waste from the garden (leaves, branches cut up, weeds, prunings).  They break down and give me lovely soil that is dug back into my gardens.  Why waste it?
I also have chooks (chickens or hens to you non-Australians).  Not only do they eat the bugs in my garden (especially snails and slaters), but they give me fresh eggs which taste ten times better than the shop ones.  A by-product of chooks is chook manure and hay from their nesting box.  It’s not wasted!  The hay and chook poo is composted. 
Even the pots and gardens are recycled in my house.  Last week I repotted up some strawberries.  We use an old wheelbarrow for a garden bed.  The wheelbarrow has good drainage (because it’s got holes in the bottom which is why we stopped using it!), can be moved around easily if needed, and looks funky.  Strawberries seasonally sent out “runners” on which new strawberry plants grow.  So I had found my wheelbarrow had lots of weeds in it, and the strawberry plants were now all on one side.  So I carefully dug up all the plants and put them aside.  The weeds were stripped out and fed to the waiting chooks, and then I removed all the old soil.  On the bottom of the wheelbarrow, I laid a bucket full of hay and poo from the nesting boxes.  Then I chucked in more poo from the bottom of the chooks’ sleeping area.  Then I returned the soil and chucked in some worm castings, before finally replanting my strawberries and watering them with water from my rain tank.
It didn’t cost me a thing.  And now I will have fresh strawberries through the year.  Cost saving.  Recycled.  Environmentally sound.  Organic.  Tastes great.  Fun.  Easy.
StrawberriesEveryone should be able to grow something in a pot.  A bit of parsley for some flavour?  Some fresh mint or oregano?  A couple of strawberry plants?  A lemon tree?
Try it.
It’s fun, and it’s also a good way to be healthy and environmentally aware.  Just think of slicing fresh strawberries on your corn flakes and knowing that it has no pesticides, it took no petrol or gas to make it to your front door, and it was free?
These websites have some brilliant tips and ideas about gardening without a backyard.  Good luck!


http://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/2...
http://www.urbanorganicgardener.com/2...