Cardeno C.'s Blog, page 73
March 1, 2016
Springtime Top Ten with BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean
March 1 already! Must be time for a Spring themed top ten!
Top Ten Things I'm Looking Forward to in Spring
BA Tortuga:
Oooh! I love this one! Spring is my 100% favorite season.
10. Planting roses.9. Planting tomatoes.8. Planting cannas.7. Planting radishes.6. BUNNIES!5. My hawks come back.4. Grilling and dinner outside every evening.3. Opening the windows.2. Planting more roses.1. FLIPFLOPS AND TSHIRTS! *spins*
Julia Talbot
10. Shirtless boys9. flowers8. rain7. the semi-annual zoo trip 6, capris and t-shirts5. bunnies4. Easter candy!3. grilling out2. nights around the fire pit1. the start of rodeo season
Kiernan Kelly
10. Strawberries! i love 'em, and we grow them big and red down here in the Sunshine State. Early spring is the season for strawberries - we even have a Strawberry Festival every year that draws some of the biggest names in C&W entertainment, and about a half million visitors. 9. Bunnies. Stuffed ones, actually. With Spring comes Easter, and with Easter comes all sorts of adorable stuffed animals that I can manipulate into creatures of my own design. Last year, for example, I made bondage bunnies, bondage ducks, and bondage lambs. 8. Food, glorious food! My family has some traditional foods that we only make in spring. For St. Patrick's Day, it's corned beef and cabbage, and Irish soda bread. For Easter, it's pizzagaina, or Italian Easter Pie. Making it is a three-day process that begins the Thursday before Easter, but it's worth the effort! Eggs, cheese, ricotta, ham, and pepperoni are baked in a thin-crusted pie...yum! 7. The weather. Spring in Florida is absolutely perfect. Not cold, not hot, it's just right for walking or taking a long drive. 6. Alligator mating season. Not that I'm into gator sex -- because that would be weird, even for me -- but spring is when gators start bellowing and travelling . It's the best time of year to see them , since the boy gators (bulls) travel from water source to water source looking for a mate. 5. Babies! I love seeing all the baby ducklings, calves, birds, etc. that come with the spring. 4. Penny Dreadful. I love me some Victorian monsters, which makes Penny Dreadful one of my favorite shows. It usually starts airing new episodes in spring. 3. Game of Thrones. Ditto above. I need to find out what happened to Jon Snow! 2. Pool's open! In winter it's usually too cool to swim, even down here in Florida, but come spring the water heats up quickly and it's time to hit the water. 1. Convention season. The writer/reader convention season is in full swing come spring, and this year I'm psyched for a trip to the Romantic Times Convention in Las Vegas!
Sean Michael
10. having the windows open - I love the crossbreeze, the fresh air coming in9. wearing hoodies and sneakers - hoodies are like my favorite thing, and sneakers are much quicker to put on than boots8. the tulip festival - I try and go every year. It always amazes me how many different kinds there are7. everything turning green/coming back to life - the light green of new leaves, new grass, flower shoots, etc. Spring is the only time you see that green6. all the birds coming back - noisy as they might be in the mornings, it's a beautiful noise - the cardinals are already making their laser bird sounds about a month early5. surprise snow storms - I love it when you think winter is over and all of a sudden there's a snow storm -- almost as fun as the first snow of winter4. new TV shows - there might be some new favorites!3. sitting in the backyard - I do enjoy sitting in the backyard before the mosquitoes show up2. fresh local fruit and veg - they always taste better than the stuff that comes from farther away1. shirtless men! - 'nuff said!
Got a topic you'd like us to tackle? Let us know!
You can find us on Twitter at @seanmichael09, @juliatalbot, @batortuga and @KiernanKelly
Sean’s website is http://www.seanmichaelwrites.comJulia’s is http://www.juliatalbot.comBA’s is http://www.batortuga.comKiernan's is www.KiernanKelly.com
Facebook:Sean -- https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWritesJulia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbotauthorBA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortugaKiernan -- https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly
Seansmut fixes everythingwhere the naughty boys come... and play
Top Ten Things I'm Looking Forward to in Spring
BA Tortuga:
Oooh! I love this one! Spring is my 100% favorite season.
10. Planting roses.9. Planting tomatoes.8. Planting cannas.7. Planting radishes.6. BUNNIES!5. My hawks come back.4. Grilling and dinner outside every evening.3. Opening the windows.2. Planting more roses.1. FLIPFLOPS AND TSHIRTS! *spins*
Julia Talbot
10. Shirtless boys9. flowers8. rain7. the semi-annual zoo trip 6, capris and t-shirts5. bunnies4. Easter candy!3. grilling out2. nights around the fire pit1. the start of rodeo season
Kiernan Kelly
10. Strawberries! i love 'em, and we grow them big and red down here in the Sunshine State. Early spring is the season for strawberries - we even have a Strawberry Festival every year that draws some of the biggest names in C&W entertainment, and about a half million visitors. 9. Bunnies. Stuffed ones, actually. With Spring comes Easter, and with Easter comes all sorts of adorable stuffed animals that I can manipulate into creatures of my own design. Last year, for example, I made bondage bunnies, bondage ducks, and bondage lambs. 8. Food, glorious food! My family has some traditional foods that we only make in spring. For St. Patrick's Day, it's corned beef and cabbage, and Irish soda bread. For Easter, it's pizzagaina, or Italian Easter Pie. Making it is a three-day process that begins the Thursday before Easter, but it's worth the effort! Eggs, cheese, ricotta, ham, and pepperoni are baked in a thin-crusted pie...yum! 7. The weather. Spring in Florida is absolutely perfect. Not cold, not hot, it's just right for walking or taking a long drive. 6. Alligator mating season. Not that I'm into gator sex -- because that would be weird, even for me -- but spring is when gators start bellowing and travelling . It's the best time of year to see them , since the boy gators (bulls) travel from water source to water source looking for a mate. 5. Babies! I love seeing all the baby ducklings, calves, birds, etc. that come with the spring. 4. Penny Dreadful. I love me some Victorian monsters, which makes Penny Dreadful one of my favorite shows. It usually starts airing new episodes in spring. 3. Game of Thrones. Ditto above. I need to find out what happened to Jon Snow! 2. Pool's open! In winter it's usually too cool to swim, even down here in Florida, but come spring the water heats up quickly and it's time to hit the water. 1. Convention season. The writer/reader convention season is in full swing come spring, and this year I'm psyched for a trip to the Romantic Times Convention in Las Vegas!
Sean Michael
10. having the windows open - I love the crossbreeze, the fresh air coming in9. wearing hoodies and sneakers - hoodies are like my favorite thing, and sneakers are much quicker to put on than boots8. the tulip festival - I try and go every year. It always amazes me how many different kinds there are7. everything turning green/coming back to life - the light green of new leaves, new grass, flower shoots, etc. Spring is the only time you see that green6. all the birds coming back - noisy as they might be in the mornings, it's a beautiful noise - the cardinals are already making their laser bird sounds about a month early5. surprise snow storms - I love it when you think winter is over and all of a sudden there's a snow storm -- almost as fun as the first snow of winter4. new TV shows - there might be some new favorites!3. sitting in the backyard - I do enjoy sitting in the backyard before the mosquitoes show up2. fresh local fruit and veg - they always taste better than the stuff that comes from farther away1. shirtless men! - 'nuff said!
Got a topic you'd like us to tackle? Let us know!
You can find us on Twitter at @seanmichael09, @juliatalbot, @batortuga and @KiernanKelly
Sean’s website is http://www.seanmichaelwrites.comJulia’s is http://www.juliatalbot.comBA’s is http://www.batortuga.comKiernan's is www.KiernanKelly.com
Facebook:Sean -- https://www.facebook.com/SeanMichaelWritesJulia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbotauthorBA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortugaKiernan -- https://www.facebook.com/kiernan.kelly
Seansmut fixes everythingwhere the naughty boys come... and play
February 29, 2016
Tea Infused, Steel Cut Oatmeal Recipe by Cardeno C.
Happy Monday! Who likes oatmeal? I do. But I'm not a fan of the instant pre-sweetened stuff. There's a coffee shop I love that has this *amazing* steel cut oatmeal. I decided I had to find a way to make this myself (and save my seven bucks) and I think I succeeded!
Ingredients
3.5 Cups water 8 Tea Bags (I used Earl Gray)1 Cup steel cut oatsDash of saltDollop of cream cheese or something else creamy, like cream ;)Toppings of your choice (raisins, almonds, walnuts, fresh fruit, cinnamon, honey, etc.)InstructionsPour water into saucepan and boil.
Put tea bags in water.
After tea has steeped (three-ish minutes), remove the tea bags.
Pour in the oats and add the salt.
Return to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook for about half an hour, stirring every once in a while and making sure the oats aren't sticking to the bottom of the pan.
When the oats are tender and the water is gone, turn off the heat and add in something creamy. I used a dollop of cream cheese because I had some left from the bagel place.
Stir the creamy stuff in until integrated.
Put the creamy oats in a bowl and top with whatever you like. I used raisins and slivered almonds because I had them on hand. If I plan better next time, I'll use fresh fruit.
I hope you let me know if you try this and have tweaks I should try. Have a terrific week!
CCwww.cardenoc.com
Ingredients
3.5 Cups water 8 Tea Bags (I used Earl Gray)1 Cup steel cut oatsDash of saltDollop of cream cheese or something else creamy, like cream ;)Toppings of your choice (raisins, almonds, walnuts, fresh fruit, cinnamon, honey, etc.)InstructionsPour water into saucepan and boil.
Put tea bags in water.
After tea has steeped (three-ish minutes), remove the tea bags.
Pour in the oats and add the salt.
Return to a boil, reduce the heat to a low simmer, and cook for about half an hour, stirring every once in a while and making sure the oats aren't sticking to the bottom of the pan.
When the oats are tender and the water is gone, turn off the heat and add in something creamy. I used a dollop of cream cheese because I had some left from the bagel place.
Stir the creamy stuff in until integrated.
Put the creamy oats in a bowl and top with whatever you like. I used raisins and slivered almonds because I had them on hand. If I plan better next time, I'll use fresh fruit.
I hope you let me know if you try this and have tweaks I should try. Have a terrific week!CCwww.cardenoc.com
February 25, 2016
Men, Emotions and the Romance Novel by Felice Stevens
If you've read any of my books (and I hope you have) then you know that the men I write about are not shy in showing their emotions. They express disappointment, hug their mothers and grandmothers and aren't afraid to cry.
I've been told that this isn't realistic. That men must remain silent and stoic, only showing how they feel through actions, not words. That a man won't freely say "I love you."
That real men don't show emotion.
Really?
Is that what we want to portray? That men are insensitive people who show more attention to their beer and cars than they do toward the person they love?
I call BS on that.
One of the first things you learn when you take a course on writing is to "write what you know." Anyone who's met me and met my husband knows that he is, for lack of a better word, talkative. He is not the strong silent type. He likes to talk. A lot. And he's emotional—he cries at commercials.
Oh, and did I mention he loves to shop?
Yes I married an anomaly. So I am writing what I know. For almost 30 years I've been married to a man whose personality I've used bits and pieces of all my characters. He has a touch of Micah's arrogance, along with Josh's sweetness, Ryder ad Rafe's love and care of animals and Julian's love of good fashion. My husband was a wonderful son like Zach was to his mom and his love of a good party like Marcus. And like Alex, my husband lost a baby brother, although not his twin.
So I'm here to say that I love writing men who show their feelings. It doesn't make them less manly, or make them wimpy or effeminate (what does that even mean?). I plan to keep writing men who aren't afraid to cry at a corny movie or have a tender moment with their lover. If we are truly striving toward equality, we should want everyone to feel safe to take the hand of the one they love in public and give them a kiss without fear of being laughed at, thought of as weak or " a woman." If we want to insist that love is love and everyone is equal, then we should not only allow men to be emotional, we should encourage it.
What do you think?
I've been told that this isn't realistic. That men must remain silent and stoic, only showing how they feel through actions, not words. That a man won't freely say "I love you."
That real men don't show emotion.
Really?
Is that what we want to portray? That men are insensitive people who show more attention to their beer and cars than they do toward the person they love?
I call BS on that.
One of the first things you learn when you take a course on writing is to "write what you know." Anyone who's met me and met my husband knows that he is, for lack of a better word, talkative. He is not the strong silent type. He likes to talk. A lot. And he's emotional—he cries at commercials.
Oh, and did I mention he loves to shop?
Yes I married an anomaly. So I am writing what I know. For almost 30 years I've been married to a man whose personality I've used bits and pieces of all my characters. He has a touch of Micah's arrogance, along with Josh's sweetness, Ryder ad Rafe's love and care of animals and Julian's love of good fashion. My husband was a wonderful son like Zach was to his mom and his love of a good party like Marcus. And like Alex, my husband lost a baby brother, although not his twin.
So I'm here to say that I love writing men who show their feelings. It doesn't make them less manly, or make them wimpy or effeminate (what does that even mean?). I plan to keep writing men who aren't afraid to cry at a corny movie or have a tender moment with their lover. If we are truly striving toward equality, we should want everyone to feel safe to take the hand of the one they love in public and give them a kiss without fear of being laughed at, thought of as weak or " a woman." If we want to insist that love is love and everyone is equal, then we should not only allow men to be emotional, we should encourage it.
What do you think?
February 24, 2016
Ask Andrew - His Own Chicken and The Egg
Dear Andrew,
Did you always want to be a writer or do you do it because you're good at it?Thx, Kendra
Dear Kendra
That is an interested question and for me sort of a chicken and the egg kind of thing. Which came first? Growing up I never had the urge to write. Not really. In school I avoided English class and creative writing assignments like the plague. I was a very practical kid with goals of going to college and into business. This attitude continued until I was well into adulthood.
I discovered writing and the joy it brought me almost by accident. I was reading gay romance and decided to try writing one. I will admit that my first attempts weren't exceedingly good. But they must have showed promise and I wrote around subjects I knew and loved. The thing was that once I started it opened a part of myself that I never knew or had dreamed existed up till that point. But once it was unlocked, the stories haven't stopped since.
I wrote my first two stories in four months and I was hooked. But I had no idea how good they were ort if they were worth publishing at all. That took much more time and work. So you see my answer is sort of w which came first and the answer is neither fo them. At the beginning I wasn't good at it and I hadn't wanted to be a writer. It wasn't until I had this crazy idea to try writing that I discovered over time that I did love it and that I was good at telling stories.
Hugs and Love
Andrew
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
February 23, 2016
Part 2 - A Werewolf, a Dragon and a Vampire Walk Into a Bar by BA, Julia and Sean
A Werewolf, A Dragon and A Vampire Walk Into A Bar
A paranormal romp by BA, Julia and Sean
Part 1 can be found here.
Part 2
Big and Growly licked his lips and Copper swore he could see smoke and flame in the man’s eyes. One big hand was offered over.
Another man slid onto the stool on his other side, shoulder brushing his. “Oh, now, sweet. You don’t want to play with fire.” This guy had a smooth, low voice, like silk.
The hand held out to him disappeared, a deep growl sounding, settling right in Copper’s belly. “We were talking here.”
Oh, dude. Just what he needed, to be tag-teamed.
Down, puppy. Be good.
Big and Growly thrust his hand out toward Copper again. “I’m Singe.”
“Singe? I like it. Copper. Copper Williams.” He shook the big hand, wondering if what they said about big hands indicating big pricks was true.
“He’s all smoke and mirrors, sweet.” The man on his other side touched his shoulder, cool fingers sending what felt like sparks through him.
Singe looked past him and growled again, showing his teeth. “I saw Copper first.”
“Oh, now, Singe-y. You know I don’t care.”
So these two knew each other? What the hell?
Singe’s eyes narrowed. “Fuck off, Fangs.” Then the big guy turned back to him and gave him another of those toothy smiles. “Ignore him, Copper. He’ll be in hiding by sunrise. But I’ll still be here, looking after your needs.”
“Wouldn’t you rather someone look after your needs in private?” the other guy asked. “I’m Magnus, by the way.”
Singe’s nostrils flared. “I have a room!”
“Y’all! Hey. Chill the fuck out. Everyone needs to take a deep breath, remember that there’s a steak coming, and that I’m not…well, okay, I’m fairly fucking easy and relatively easy fucking, but let’s be nice.” He hadn’t just learned to wag his tail yesterday, after all.
Singe took a deep breath and one hand slid along his back. “My apologies. Food is good.”
“Mmm. I’ll have a glass of the mixed red,” Magnus said. “An appetizer.”
Singe ignored Magnus, focusing all his attention on Copper and Copper had to admit, that was a pretty incredible focus. “We were talking about not being alone.”
“Yeah. I’m not used to it.” And he didn’t like it, not one bit. His kind was built for groups and touching.
Biting.
Lots of biting.
“And I come down to avoid it. I would like to not be alone with you.” Everything Singe said sounded weighted, deep. It was probably the voice.
“A bit clumsy, Singe,” Magnus said. “But sexy.”
“Totally sexy.” Copper sort of wanted to lick them both, just to get to know them, possibly to spread his scent a little bit.
What?
Scent was important.
Magnus rubbed shoulders with him, grinning just enough to show fang. “I’m so much better at biting than he is. He has serrated teeth.”
Singe pressed closer from the other side, one arm going around his waist possessively. “I’m here to fuck, not fight, but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight if pushed. Besides, who gives a fuck what you can do with your teeth? We both know I’ve got the biggest… tool here.” Singe pressed his lips against Copper’s ear. “And I know how to use it. You won’t be disappointed with my meat. Steak first, the rest after.”
Copper blinked, then grinned as he felt an answering heat pressing along his spine, Magnus’ erection like a matching brand.
He chuckled softly, caught in the middle of an approaching storm, which was more than fine with him.
“Just so we’re all perfectly clear, boys. We’re not talking about screwdrivers here, right?”
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
A paranormal romp by BA, Julia and Sean
Part 1 can be found here.
Part 2
Big and Growly licked his lips and Copper swore he could see smoke and flame in the man’s eyes. One big hand was offered over.
Another man slid onto the stool on his other side, shoulder brushing his. “Oh, now, sweet. You don’t want to play with fire.” This guy had a smooth, low voice, like silk.
The hand held out to him disappeared, a deep growl sounding, settling right in Copper’s belly. “We were talking here.”
Oh, dude. Just what he needed, to be tag-teamed.
Down, puppy. Be good.
Big and Growly thrust his hand out toward Copper again. “I’m Singe.”
“Singe? I like it. Copper. Copper Williams.” He shook the big hand, wondering if what they said about big hands indicating big pricks was true.
“He’s all smoke and mirrors, sweet.” The man on his other side touched his shoulder, cool fingers sending what felt like sparks through him.
Singe looked past him and growled again, showing his teeth. “I saw Copper first.”
“Oh, now, Singe-y. You know I don’t care.”
So these two knew each other? What the hell?
Singe’s eyes narrowed. “Fuck off, Fangs.” Then the big guy turned back to him and gave him another of those toothy smiles. “Ignore him, Copper. He’ll be in hiding by sunrise. But I’ll still be here, looking after your needs.”
“Wouldn’t you rather someone look after your needs in private?” the other guy asked. “I’m Magnus, by the way.”
Singe’s nostrils flared. “I have a room!”
“Y’all! Hey. Chill the fuck out. Everyone needs to take a deep breath, remember that there’s a steak coming, and that I’m not…well, okay, I’m fairly fucking easy and relatively easy fucking, but let’s be nice.” He hadn’t just learned to wag his tail yesterday, after all.
Singe took a deep breath and one hand slid along his back. “My apologies. Food is good.”
“Mmm. I’ll have a glass of the mixed red,” Magnus said. “An appetizer.”
Singe ignored Magnus, focusing all his attention on Copper and Copper had to admit, that was a pretty incredible focus. “We were talking about not being alone.”
“Yeah. I’m not used to it.” And he didn’t like it, not one bit. His kind was built for groups and touching.
Biting.
Lots of biting.
“And I come down to avoid it. I would like to not be alone with you.” Everything Singe said sounded weighted, deep. It was probably the voice.
“A bit clumsy, Singe,” Magnus said. “But sexy.”
“Totally sexy.” Copper sort of wanted to lick them both, just to get to know them, possibly to spread his scent a little bit.
What?
Scent was important.
Magnus rubbed shoulders with him, grinning just enough to show fang. “I’m so much better at biting than he is. He has serrated teeth.”
Singe pressed closer from the other side, one arm going around his waist possessively. “I’m here to fuck, not fight, but that doesn’t mean I won’t fight if pushed. Besides, who gives a fuck what you can do with your teeth? We both know I’ve got the biggest… tool here.” Singe pressed his lips against Copper’s ear. “And I know how to use it. You won’t be disappointed with my meat. Steak first, the rest after.”
Copper blinked, then grinned as he felt an answering heat pressing along his spine, Magnus’ erection like a matching brand.
He chuckled softly, caught in the middle of an approaching storm, which was more than fine with him.
“Just so we’re all perfectly clear, boys. We’re not talking about screwdrivers here, right?”
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
February 20, 2016
A new cat in the house by Renae Kaye
There’s a new cat in town.
Or at least in the Kaye house.
Nearly 12 years ago I adopted a stray cat who had been hanging around. Piecing together what I think I know of her history, she probably had kittens and went straight back into heat. Her previous owners dumped her somewhere near my house, and she got knocked up again.
I adopted her when she gave birth to kittens in my trailer. We found homes for the kittens and she went back into heat before I could organise her to be sterilised. We ended up keeping two more kittens from that litter, so we became a household of three cats.
Fast forward eleven-and-a-half years, and mumma cat had to be put down. I was heartbroken. But my heart shattered even further when one of her sons had to be put down just two short months later. My house became a household of one very lonely and lost cat - Einstein.
He’s taken to sleeping just metres away from me and my heart couldn’t take it. He needed a friend.
Einstein sleeps right next to my chairSo this morning we took ourselves off to the Cat Haven. It was more emotional than I thought. We spent over an hour looking at the cats. Patting them, reading their stories, falling in love with ones we just couldn’t have. I wanted the perfect cat. I wanted one who would be friends with my older cat, and happy to lay with him on the lounge during the day. But I also wanted one who would play with my kids.
I wanted my old cats back.
My husband refused to pick, and left it up to me to choose. The kids wanted one that I didn’t think was suitable, so I picked the best I could. We came home with Tyson.
He’s 2.5 years old, and I’m not really sure of his history. But he’s friendly and likes to play. We got him home and left him in the cage while we brought Einstein in to say hello. That was it for Einstein. It was too much. He up and left the house.
Tyson looked like he wanted to be friends, but we were wary. So we made sure Einstein was locked out and opened the cage. He investigated every single room of the house. Then he took up residence behind the lounge for a while. Then, when he was sure, he came out and decided he’s the boss. He’s taken a shine to my husband, and decided to bite me. So after all the emotion, he’s decided to hate me.
Welcome to the family TysonI needed to keep him secure in a room for his first night, to stop potential fights between the cats, and also because Einstein is free to roam in and out of the house and in the yard at will. Tyson can’t be allowed that freedom yet. So I’ve been booted from my writing room. I’ve had to give up my space. My desk is now sitting just outside the door, and as I write this blog, Tyson is meowing to come out, and Einstein is sitting a metre away from me, staring at the closed door of the room he usually uses (because that’s where I usually am). Have I made the right decision? How hard will this be? Will it be worth it?
I don’t know, but I guess it’s the same with writing. Is the story right? The effort level is amazingly hard to get a book to publication. Then we have to ask, will it be worth it?
Life.
It’s hard.
I hope Tyson appreciates his new home and comes to love us.
How to contact Renae: Email: renaekaye@iinet.net.au Website: www.renaekaye.weebly.com FB: www.facebook.com/renae.kaye.9 Twitter: @renaekkaye
February 18, 2016
End of the Series by Felice Stevens
Shameless Promotion Post Ahead:
I've finished with my Breakfast Club guys.
*Sniff.
I can remember the moment I thought about writing this group of men and how I spoke with my friend and beta reader, Lindsey and told her, "I have a fashion designer and his name is Julian Cornell. But I don't know who to match him with."
And she said, immediately, "Make it a fireman. How much more opposite could you get?"
And so Julian and Nick were born, and from them came sweet and shy Zach Cohen and the unapologetic slut, Marcus Feldman. These men and their stories have taken charge of my life and head since last summer and I almost fell at a loss, not having them in my life any more.
When I was asked if I could show Zach and Sam's wedding, I decided to give those two a little bit of drama and angst. They sailed through their book, both figuratively and literally, flying their kites and falling in love, so now I had the opportunity to throw some twists into their smooth road.
And so, What Lies Between Us came out on Valentine's Day and made it to #1 in Amazon LGBT Erotica, and is now #1 on LGBT 2-Hour Short Reads. I'm thrilled people are loving the final chapter for Zach and Sam.....
Or is it?
AMAZONALL ROMANCEITUNESKOBO
I've finished with my Breakfast Club guys.
*Sniff.
I can remember the moment I thought about writing this group of men and how I spoke with my friend and beta reader, Lindsey and told her, "I have a fashion designer and his name is Julian Cornell. But I don't know who to match him with."
And she said, immediately, "Make it a fireman. How much more opposite could you get?"
And so Julian and Nick were born, and from them came sweet and shy Zach Cohen and the unapologetic slut, Marcus Feldman. These men and their stories have taken charge of my life and head since last summer and I almost fell at a loss, not having them in my life any more.
When I was asked if I could show Zach and Sam's wedding, I decided to give those two a little bit of drama and angst. They sailed through their book, both figuratively and literally, flying their kites and falling in love, so now I had the opportunity to throw some twists into their smooth road.
And so, What Lies Between Us came out on Valentine's Day and made it to #1 in Amazon LGBT Erotica, and is now #1 on LGBT 2-Hour Short Reads. I'm thrilled people are loving the final chapter for Zach and Sam.....
Or is it?AMAZONALL ROMANCEITUNESKOBO
Up to my ears in edits by Riley Hart
I would by lying if I told you guys edits were one of my favorite parts of my job. LOL. They're not. They're important, and sometimes they're more fun than others, but my brain is always going write, write, write and I start itching to write while I'm editing, no matter how much I love the book I'm working on.
That's been the case with me recently. I just finished revisions on a gay NA I wrote with my friend Christina Lee (under my Nyrae Dawn name). TOUCH THE SKY is a book we'd discussed in November and started in December. I love it. It's emotional, passionate, important and sexy, so I LOVED being lost in the story again...but still...it's edits. LOL.
I swear not an hour after sending it back to Christina I got an email from one of my Nyrae Dawn publishers with edits on my upcoming Nyrae Dawn YA, TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN. Guess who is jumping right back into edits?
Meanwhile I have TEST DRIVE (book three in the Crossroads series) sitting on my computer yelling, WRITE ME!! I'm 10,000 words into it and so itching to get back to Justin's story.
I need more time. Can anyone help with that? LOL.
That's been the case with me recently. I just finished revisions on a gay NA I wrote with my friend Christina Lee (under my Nyrae Dawn name). TOUCH THE SKY is a book we'd discussed in November and started in December. I love it. It's emotional, passionate, important and sexy, so I LOVED being lost in the story again...but still...it's edits. LOL.
I swear not an hour after sending it back to Christina I got an email from one of my Nyrae Dawn publishers with edits on my upcoming Nyrae Dawn YA, TURN THE WORLD UPSIDE DOWN. Guess who is jumping right back into edits?
Meanwhile I have TEST DRIVE (book three in the Crossroads series) sitting on my computer yelling, WRITE ME!! I'm 10,000 words into it and so itching to get back to Justin's story.
I need more time. Can anyone help with that? LOL.
February 17, 2016
Ask Andrew - The Books We Read
Dear Andrew,
You already explained in this blog how events you witnessed or were part of, or people you met found their way into your stories. I was wondering whether novels by other authors are also a source of inspiration. Obviously, I'm not speaking of plagiarism, but of using a phrase, a situation, a feeling as some sort of a springboard, or as an incentive to spin you own tale.
Kindest regards, Madeleine
Dear Madeleine
Yes there have bene times when a story I've read has sparked an idea. Many years ago I was reading a scene in a romance and I was pulled out of the story completely. This was back in the earlier days of gay romance. This was a shifter story and the one character was scarred. There was a scene when the author finally dealt with that issue and as I read it, I thought the author handled it very wrong. I just thought it should have been done differently.
That error, in my judgement, stuck with me well after I'd finished the reading the story, so in the end I developed characters and situation for a short story and wrote it. The entire purpose was for me to write a similar scene to what the author had done wrong, and this time do it the way I thought it should be done. In the end, the author told their story and I told mine. They were very different, but her work inspired me.
That exact kind of inspiration hasn't happened again, but I do read stories where I see an element or watch a movie where I think a plot devise is clever and file it away because I think that will work well in a story. I will say that the more something moved me emotionally, the more likely it is to inspire something in my writing.
Hugs and Love Andrew
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
You already explained in this blog how events you witnessed or were part of, or people you met found their way into your stories. I was wondering whether novels by other authors are also a source of inspiration. Obviously, I'm not speaking of plagiarism, but of using a phrase, a situation, a feeling as some sort of a springboard, or as an incentive to spin you own tale.
Kindest regards, Madeleine
Dear Madeleine
Yes there have bene times when a story I've read has sparked an idea. Many years ago I was reading a scene in a romance and I was pulled out of the story completely. This was back in the earlier days of gay romance. This was a shifter story and the one character was scarred. There was a scene when the author finally dealt with that issue and as I read it, I thought the author handled it very wrong. I just thought it should have been done differently.
That error, in my judgement, stuck with me well after I'd finished the reading the story, so in the end I developed characters and situation for a short story and wrote it. The entire purpose was for me to write a similar scene to what the author had done wrong, and this time do it the way I thought it should be done. In the end, the author told their story and I told mine. They were very different, but her work inspired me.
That exact kind of inspiration hasn't happened again, but I do read stories where I see an element or watch a movie where I think a plot devise is clever and file it away because I think that will work well in a story. I will say that the more something moved me emotionally, the more likely it is to inspire something in my writing.
Hugs and Love Andrew
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
February 16, 2016
Promo Day with BA, Julia, Kiernan and Sean
Today we're each promo-ing a new book!
Sometimes the moon shines brighter than the stage.
Connor ‘CJ’ Lamont is at the top of his game playing the bad boy of country music. The problem with his ultimate redneck persona is that… well, he’s not. CJ is a wickedly smart songwriter and musician who suffers from an excess of personality. He lives, not for the spotlight, but for the three months of downtime each year when he can finally be himself.
Sexy werewolf Lee Mills is hired as CJ’s new security to keep him safe and assure that he stays on the medication he’s been on since birth. But when Connor’s parents see sparks fly between their son and his new security guard, they are intent on keeping the wolf at bay. Of course, Mills isn’t used to taking orders, at least not from anyone who isn’t his pack alpha, and he has no intention of following the rules.
In fact, if Mills has his way, he’ll be smashing the spotlight and showing Connor the moon.
You can find this one at All Romance Ebooks.
BA: Country music bodyguard secret werewolves! Biting! Naked moonlight swims! Men with guns and guitars! *ahem*
Sometimes a bear is more than just a bear.
The Grizzly List, Book 2
Oscar is a socially awkward bear who's not like the other bear shifters in Colorado. He's a white spirit bear, and he works as a phone psychic. When he decides to try the Grizzly List weekly, he's only looking for a friend, knowing love isn't in the cards for him.
Firefighter Patrick is an outgoing grizzly shifter who's happy to meet Oscar and give him whatever he needs, as long as Oscar doesn't need a mate. Patrick doesn't believe in fated mates.
Can these two teach each other that what they want and what they need aren't the same thing?
One and Only Bear is available for pre-order at All Romance Ebooks.
Julia: I had a ball writing a socially awkward spirit bear, which I owe to Sean Michael for showing me Kermode bears in Canada!
It’s 1968, and Winter King is a young man with an exceptional paranormal talent for healing. Michael Westfield is a scientist charged by the government with capturing and bringing Winter in for examination. When Michael realizes the military wants Winter only to weaponize his power regardless of the consequences, his priorities shift.
And when they discover Winter isn’t the government’s only target, Michael and Winter band together to free the others and find somewhere they can hide from a government bent on hunting them down. Their plan takes them across the country from the Haight in San Francisco to Fancy Gap, a small town in Virginia where others with talents similar to Winter’s are being held against their will.
Along the way, they touch the lives of ordinary people with King’s extraordinary power and find an unexpected love growing between them that makes the success of their journey even more vital. Because if they fail, their love is not the only thing in jeopardy.
You can pick it up at Dreamspinner Press.
Kiernan: I am a child of sixties. Literally - I was in grade school the mid-to-late sixties/early seventies. However, I remember some things vividly, like the music for example, the fashion, and I remember hearing about big events of the time such as the shooting of Dr. Martin Luther King, the riots at Stonewall, and Woodstock. When a long-haired, dual-colored-eyed character with healing powers popped into my head, it seemed interesting to make him a hippie and set his book in the sixties.
Marcus knows Jim is his minutes after meeting the snarly, jumpy ex-professor at the local bookstore. He thinks Jim is a natural submissive, someone who needs order and discipline in his life to help with Jim's anxiety and bad health habits. So Marcus decides to pursue Jim relentlessly, because even if Jim's mouth is saying no, his body is saying yes.
There's a lot more to Jim than meets the eye, and Marcus will have to be careful. Jim knows what it means to lose everything, knows what it's like to be without friends or family. Jim feels broken, and knowing that he likes the kinds of weird things Marcus wants to do to him only makes him scared that he's losing his mind.
Their chemistry is so real, so genuine, that Jim lets Marcus wear him down, lets Marcus take control. Eventually, his trust grows, allowing them to enter into the BDSM lifestyle together, learning about each other every day, with every scene. Jim is still uncertain sometimes, though, and he thinks Marcus might just want him because he's cracked. Can this top and bottom pair find a way to understand their wants and needs, and make a life that works for them alone?
You can get it at All Romance Ebooks and Amazon.
Sean: I'm so glad to have this book available again. This was the first of the Hammer Club books, where the club was first introduced and where the idea of the whole series came from.
Got a topic you'd like us to tackle? Let us know!
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
Sometimes the moon shines brighter than the stage.Connor ‘CJ’ Lamont is at the top of his game playing the bad boy of country music. The problem with his ultimate redneck persona is that… well, he’s not. CJ is a wickedly smart songwriter and musician who suffers from an excess of personality. He lives, not for the spotlight, but for the three months of downtime each year when he can finally be himself.
Sexy werewolf Lee Mills is hired as CJ’s new security to keep him safe and assure that he stays on the medication he’s been on since birth. But when Connor’s parents see sparks fly between their son and his new security guard, they are intent on keeping the wolf at bay. Of course, Mills isn’t used to taking orders, at least not from anyone who isn’t his pack alpha, and he has no intention of following the rules.
In fact, if Mills has his way, he’ll be smashing the spotlight and showing Connor the moon.
You can find this one at All Romance Ebooks.
BA: Country music bodyguard secret werewolves! Biting! Naked moonlight swims! Men with guns and guitars! *ahem*
Sometimes a bear is more than just a bear.The Grizzly List, Book 2
Oscar is a socially awkward bear who's not like the other bear shifters in Colorado. He's a white spirit bear, and he works as a phone psychic. When he decides to try the Grizzly List weekly, he's only looking for a friend, knowing love isn't in the cards for him.
Firefighter Patrick is an outgoing grizzly shifter who's happy to meet Oscar and give him whatever he needs, as long as Oscar doesn't need a mate. Patrick doesn't believe in fated mates.
Can these two teach each other that what they want and what they need aren't the same thing?
One and Only Bear is available for pre-order at All Romance Ebooks.
Julia: I had a ball writing a socially awkward spirit bear, which I owe to Sean Michael for showing me Kermode bears in Canada!
It’s 1968, and Winter King is a young man with an exceptional paranormal talent for healing. Michael Westfield is a scientist charged by the government with capturing and bringing Winter in for examination. When Michael realizes the military wants Winter only to weaponize his power regardless of the consequences, his priorities shift.And when they discover Winter isn’t the government’s only target, Michael and Winter band together to free the others and find somewhere they can hide from a government bent on hunting them down. Their plan takes them across the country from the Haight in San Francisco to Fancy Gap, a small town in Virginia where others with talents similar to Winter’s are being held against their will.
Along the way, they touch the lives of ordinary people with King’s extraordinary power and find an unexpected love growing between them that makes the success of their journey even more vital. Because if they fail, their love is not the only thing in jeopardy.
You can pick it up at Dreamspinner Press.
Kiernan: I am a child of sixties. Literally - I was in grade school the mid-to-late sixties/early seventies. However, I remember some things vividly, like the music for example, the fashion, and I remember hearing about big events of the time such as the shooting of Dr. Martin Luther King, the riots at Stonewall, and Woodstock. When a long-haired, dual-colored-eyed character with healing powers popped into my head, it seemed interesting to make him a hippie and set his book in the sixties.
Marcus knows Jim is his minutes after meeting the snarly, jumpy ex-professor at the local bookstore. He thinks Jim is a natural submissive, someone who needs order and discipline in his life to help with Jim's anxiety and bad health habits. So Marcus decides to pursue Jim relentlessly, because even if Jim's mouth is saying no, his body is saying yes.There's a lot more to Jim than meets the eye, and Marcus will have to be careful. Jim knows what it means to lose everything, knows what it's like to be without friends or family. Jim feels broken, and knowing that he likes the kinds of weird things Marcus wants to do to him only makes him scared that he's losing his mind.
Their chemistry is so real, so genuine, that Jim lets Marcus wear him down, lets Marcus take control. Eventually, his trust grows, allowing them to enter into the BDSM lifestyle together, learning about each other every day, with every scene. Jim is still uncertain sometimes, though, and he thinks Marcus might just want him because he's cracked. Can this top and bottom pair find a way to understand their wants and needs, and make a life that works for them alone?
You can get it at All Romance Ebooks and Amazon.
Sean: I'm so glad to have this book available again. This was the first of the Hammer Club books, where the club was first introduced and where the idea of the whole series came from.
Got a topic you'd like us to tackle? Let us know!
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
