Cardeno C.'s Blog, page 87

Rambling Renae

Today I got out into the garden.
**shock horror**
It was unseasonably warm – 26 degrees Celsius (80F) in the middle of winter.  I had my jumper off (sweater to you Americans) and was shovelling compost and digging in pots to refresh the soil.  It was good.
You see, I’ve been very bad lately.  I haven’t balanced the work-life see-saw very well.  It’s been more work and less life for a couple of months now.  Completely my fault, I agree.
When you work in a 9-5 type job, you have a place that you need to drag yourself to and completely your work.  Then you come home.  Yes, some of us have bring work home, but we try to tell ourselves that work is work and home is home.  In a set job, you get a weekend.
When you’re a writer, you don’t get a weekend.  You don’t get a day off.  You don’t get to go home and veg for a while.  You’re always on, and you have to learn to say, “Guess what? I’m having a break.”  It is very hard to do.  So turning off and going out in the garden today was a lesson I had to learn – it is good for me.  It is good not to be thinking and replying to emails and editing.  It was good to enjoy the sunshine and watch the plants grow.
Self-employment can be like that.  The harder you work, the more reward.  And how much is enough?  Enough is for me that my body is saying, “Time out, Renae!”  I hate to whinge on blogs, but the truth is that as I sit here, I’m in a lot of pain.  My 5yo daughter had a bad nightmare the other night, which meant she ended up in my bed with hubby and me, which meant I slept funny, which meant I buggered my shoulder.  Being a writer means I sit in one position for a long time, not a good look for a sore shoulder and now something drastic has happened. 
My husband (ever so thoughtfully) at 9pm on a Saturday night told me, “You need to see a physio.”
Of course at the time I was nearly crying in pain as he rubbed cream into my shoulder.  I turned around and snapped, “What now?  Should I try to phone them now?”

He was right – I should’ve realised the damage I was doing earlier and stopped. 
So I’m vowing to take better care of me.  And I’m vowing to take more time out.  And I’m vowing to take more time to read other people’s work and enjoy it!  Seriously.  I need to read something other than Renae Kaye for a bit.  Renae is a great writer and I enjoy her work, but I always seem to know what is going to happen in the story for some reason...
Yeah, okay.  Look – it’s late at night, I’m in pain, I took some tablets which are starting to kick in, and I had to be up before the sun rose this morning to take my son to his football game.  Then I shovelled some yucky stuff for a while.  Shit.  Literally.  We have chooks (hens) and they fertilise the garden for us, but they don’t nicely do their poo on the plants.  Someone needs to move it around.  
All this means is I’m dead tired, rubbing at my eyes, and needing to go to bed.
So this is a blog, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to say (pain + tablets = not so clear head) so I will end off with a reminder.  If you haven’t bought my book, try it **hint hint**.  If you don’t want to, I don’t mind – but maybe try another author.  And then sit down, relax and chill for a while.  
Because we all need time out.
And if you’re looking for me tomorrow?  I will be staring at the TV and shouting.  Why? – check this out...  http://renaekaye.weebly.com/renae-blogs/36-muscled-men

GO FREO

My Emotional Men by Felice Stevens

     Let’s face it. We love our heroes. We love to read about them, and lord knows we, as writers, love to write about them. Our bad boys, the broody broken alpha with a heart of gold, our tortured men and our beta-heroes; those sweet and loving men.     I love that emotion of writing the hero who struggles with his inner self. There's nothing like capturing a man's feelings he tries to ignore when he tries to pretend he's not in love. And of course, the epiphany when he finally, finally admits to it.      I love an emotional hero.     There, I’ve said it.      When I first started writing, I was laughed at for being too, “emo.”     I was berated by one person for making my men sound stupid, weak and wimpy, because he talked about his feelings.    “Men don’t act like that. They don’t really talk much. you don’t want to write like that.”     Well, yeah I kinda do.     And I am noticing that quite a few writers and readers do too.     While I do like that mysterious dark and tortured soul, I want to know what he is feeling and I want the reader to know why. It doesn't make him sappy to talk. Not all men merely grunt or stare in silence.     In Beyond the Surface, my newest book, scheduled for release on Monday!! August 17th, my two MC Julian and Nick, are almost-lovers in high school but split apart and reunite after almost 20 years. When they meet again they have a problem communicating at first, but Julian lets Nick know he will be there for him, but he had to talk to him and let him into his heart.


      I love when the book gets all intense and deep. It’s thrilling to take the reader on that emotional journey. Part of what I believe makes a wonderful story that I will want to read over and over again is the build up, the breaking down of defenses of the two men.     We invest time and energy into writing these books. The characters come alive as we create their stories about them. We want to be taken along into their lives as the book unfolds and they reach their happily ever after.     As a writer, I love writing it.     So I guess you can all figure out, when you all read  my books, you will have heroes who are not afraid to bare their soul and are unafraid to show their love.     They just have to get there first.     Oh, and for the record—my husband is one of these types. He loves to talk, he loves to shop and he has been known to shed a tear at schmoopy commercial.     How do you all feel about this? Do you think it’s not true life, or do you enjoy a man who speaks his heart?

wherein we talk about writing

<BA> Boo.
 <sean> eeeek!
 <sean> that never gets old
 <BA> I know, right?
 * BA leans
 <BA> how's it going?
 <sean> it's going
 <sean> you?
 <BA> it's toodling along
 <sean> I'm watching american ninja warrior :)
 <BA> woot!
 <BA> I'm watching So You Think You Can Dance
 <sean> cool
 <sean> is Julia joining us tonight?
 <BA> I don't know. She's having a bit of a headache.
 <sean> that's a shame
 <BA> you may just have to have me
 <sean> I can live with that
 <sean> *grins*
 <BA> *grins*
 <BA> So, did you always want to be a writer?
 <BA> Like forever?
 * sean ponders
 <sean> I was writing before I realized it was something you could be
 <BA> yeah?
 <sean> making up stories and stuff
 <BA> nods
 <BA> my first story was the Magic Muffin Machine
 <sean> oh, I love it
 <BA> it was a cautionary tale about what happens when your mother doesn't make you blueberry muffins
 <sean> *cackles*
 <sean> my first official written story was the The Tomb of King Tutoooooooooooo
 <BA> heeeee
 <sean> and the o's went on for muliple lines in pencil
 <BA> Tutoooooooooooooooooooooooo
 <sean> nods
 <sean> it was a ghost story
 <BA> I love it
 <BA> that's amazing
 <sean> *grins*
 <BA> was there a mummy?
 <BA> I like mummies
 <sean> nods
 <sean> there was
 <BA> excellent!
 <BA> okay, what kind of person haven't you written about that you want to?
 <sean> oh that's an interesting one
 <sean> I'd like to write an astronaut
 <BA> yeah?
 <sean> and I'd like to do a story set in the south pole
 <BA> that would be tough
 <BA> because there's SO MUCH
 <sean> nods
 <BA> that's like a pilot -- that's a whole different world
 <sean> heeee
 <sean> nods
 <sean> what about you?
 <BA> I'd like to write a ballet dancer
 <sean> oh cool
 <sean> I have an ex ballet dancer
 <BA> can you imagine that?
 <BA> a guy raised on a ranch
 <BA> that becomes a ballet dancer?
 * BA grins
 <sean> oh man, his family and friends would not get that
 <BA> nods
 <BA> that's it
 <BA> it's TOTALLY a different world
 <sean> yeah
 <BA> but there are so many people that know that world
 <BA> that would crucify me for getting it wrong
 <sean> nods
 <sean> it would take some major research
 <BA> although, you know
 <BA> I bet if I asked for help online
 <sean> someone who knew would be willing to help
 <BA> folks would point me in the right direction
 <BA> nods
 <BA> is there anything else? Sometimes I think about writing someone from New York
 <BA> someone from a big city
 <BA> but I had a hell of a time writing someone from California
 <BA> AND I LIVED THERE FOR A YEAR
 <BA>  ;-)
 <sean> LOL
 <BA> well, and I don't consider the Texas cities big, somehow
 <BA> they're just home
 <sean> nods
 <sean> I know what you mean
 <sean> Montreal didn't seem like a big city when I lived there, but it does now
 <BA> nodnods
 <BA> I liked when we visited Montreal together
 <sean> nods
 <BA> we should go to Quebec City some time
 <sean> we should - it's an entirely different feel
 <BA> okay! let's go!
 <BA> :D
 <sean> :)
 <BA> Okay, lovely. I need a shower and a snack.
 <sean> okay babe
 <BA> Love you so. Thanks for hanging out with me.
 <sean> I'm pretty tired tonight
 <sean> *smooches*
 <sean> ditto
 <BA> *hugs your neck*
 <sean> night babe
 <BA> night lovely


If you have a topic you’d like us to chat about (or any other favorite things you'd like us to share), please let us know. We’re totally up for that.

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

Ask CC by Cardeno C.

Happy Monday! I haven't written an Ask CC post for a while - time to catch up!

Question: Hey CC, When writing a new story, do you come up with plot first and create characters to fit, or do the characters make themselves known first? Caroline.Hi, Caroline! Thanks for another great question. I had to think of my various books to come up with an answer and after doing that, I'd say, it depends. :)

For my contemporary books, characters come first. I think of the men in my stories, who they are, who they'll become, how they'll fit together. I get to know them in my head, and then I write their stories. My books are very much character-based as opposed to plot-based so the surroundings are there only insomuch as they are part of the characters' lives.


For my paranormal books, there's a bit of both. Characters still come first and I'd still describe my paranormals as character-based, but unlike my contemporaries, these books are set in worlds I create. That means I have to imagine the setting itself, the rules of that setting, the structure, and then I can create people that fit within it and whose stories are interesting within it. For that reason, I'd say the overarching plot comes first, but the characters are still the stars of the show.




Question: If you had the chance to have one of your books made into a movie, which one would it be? Who would you like to see star in it? I have such limited free time that I rarely watch movies anymore so this is the first time I've considered that question. If I had to choose a book, I'd go with Perfect Imperfections because I love music and a movie maker would hopefully add tunes to go with my book. As far as who would star in it, Charlie David is putting the finishing touches on the audio book for this story and as I listen to it, I keep wishing I could see him as well as hear him. Come to think of it, Charlie is an actor and producer. Should we start a campaign for Charlie to make Perfect Imperfections into a movie? Who wants to lead the charge?

Question: Do you write only one book at a time or do you work on multiple works simultaneously? Sometimes while I'm writing one story, I get ideas or inspiration for other books so I jot down a note but as far as actual writing - I do one book at a time.

Question: Hi CC, I've always wanted to know, which of your characters fits closely to your personality in your real life? Thanks, EneoI couldn't come up with an answer to this so I decided to pose the question to a person who knows me and my books. Here's the answer: "I see elements but an entire character? Wow...huh none."
Now, there are certainly aspects of me or people I know in my books. In fact, the folks in my Facebook group know that anecdotes they share often end up in my stories.

Question: Will Reg & Jeremy pop up in a future book?Never say never, but my writing list doesn't include any more of their stories right now.

Question: Who will be the main characters of the next mate series? Do we know them? When I sketched out the Mates collection, I had four books in mind. The three you read and the final book, which I have slated to take place in Miancarem with a character who has been been mentioned in another book. This year has been really busy with my 2nd editions releasing as well as other things going on, so I'm more delayed than I'd hoped in getting that last Mates book out, but it's coming.

Question: What made you choose to write M/M romance books? I wrote a post answering this question. You can check it out here.

Question: Would you consider writing another book in the Home series?  As of right now, I it's unlikely I'll write another Home book. My list of book ideas and series ideas is so long that I don't know how I'll get through it and it doesn't include any Home stories. 



                       
If you want to ask me a question that I'll answer on a future blog post, you can let me know here.

Have a great week.

CC
www.cardenoc.com

The Most Valuable Part of Me by Cardeno C.

My Passports
I’m not a big believer in regrets because life is too short and we learn from everything we do and silver linings and all that. But one thing I sometimes regret is seeing Schindler’s List. I went out of obligation because it was a movie about my relatives and the ways in which they were massacred. I sat in the theater and watched people on the screen who looked like me (many were Israeli actors). And I felt sick to my stomach the entire time. That was over two decades ago and I still actively force myself not to think about those scenes because the pain is just as palpable.

I don’t share much about myself and I get teased about that sometimes. But one thing my readers know about me personally is that I’m Jewish. I identify with that part of myself above all others. It’s number one on my list of who I am.

I’m Jewish. I was born Jewish. I’ll die Jewish. My parents are Jewish. Their parents were Jewish and everyone who came before them on all sides of my family were Jewish.

I’m Jewish and I’m proud of that. My ancestors were proud to be Jewish too. Many of them stopped believing in G-d during the holocaust, but they didn’t stop being Jewish. Most of them were killed during the holocaust, but they didn’t stop being Jewish.

My grandparents escaped from Germany and Poland during the holocaust, and they didn’t stop being Jewish. They were Zionists who founded the state of Israel, where no matter what, our people have a home. Today, in 2015, the State of Israel takes in Jewish people who need a safe haven from all around the world. They might not have much in common, but they, like me, are Jewish.

We say never forget and I believe that to my core so I supported a movie that helped the world remember. But you know what? I didn’t need that movie to remember. I personally won’t forget. I can’t forget. Those people who died aren’t characters on a screen or in books. Those people are my people. Those people are me.

I spent summers during my formative years in an Ashkenazi assisted living home in Israel and I talked to the survivors who lived there. I saw the marks on their skin. I saw how little some of them could eat because of permanent damage to their stomachs. And I heard first hand from some of the women — women who never had children because of the surgeries performed on them by the Natzis — about how they survived because the guards at the camps let them live so they could rape them.

I was fourteen when I knew those people and heard their stories. They’re gone now. I’m not. I won’t forget them.

To Kate Breslin, her publisher Bethany House, the Romance Writers of America, Newsweek, and anyone else who distorts history, either directly or through their support, and to anyone else who thinks Jewish people are “rankled” by that book or that we need or want your “compassion”, and to anyone else who believes the path to my salvation requires destroying the most valuable part of me: I’m still here and I remember something you either choose not to understand or have no capacity to comprehend.

Oh, and in case I haven’t made it clear enough, I’m Jewish. And I’m staying that way.
- Cardeno C.
Background on RWA at K. Locke's blog.

New Release - You Are the Reason

It’s here.  It’s arrived.  It’s happened.
If you’re asking what I’m talking about, it’s my newest release, You Are the Reason.  And if you were unaware that it released yesterday, where have you been???
Okay, okay – LOL.  I know that the impact on other people hasn’t been as intense as on me.  But it is a little amusing to me to emerge for the fog of the lead up to release and go, “Huh.  Look at that.  The world is still turning.”
Several other things that I’ve noted since I’ve emerged that I was unaware of:
 - my floor desperately needs vacuuming
 - we’re out of milk and bread
 - it was Jeans for Genes day yesterday, and I forgot and didn’t send my kids to school in jeans
 - I’m glad it’s raining, because I forgot to water the plants
 - I forgot to pay the electricity bill
It’s quite a relief for Release Day to finally come.  It’s also amusing.  At times I think about the number of hours I put into the creating of the story.  The research, the head-in-the-clouds imagining, the physical writing, the rewriting and tightening, the self-editing, the checks and Google searches, the sixth, seventh and eighth reads, the preparation of submission documents, the waiting, the contracts, the editing, editing, editing, the artwork, the proofing, the blurb creation, the promo documents, the advertising banners, the social media contacts, the HUNDREDS of HOURS.
And then the readers grab the book, and it’s over in THREE hours in some cases.I have to laugh at myself, because I often think it should be a lot more emotional and longer for the readers.  After all that work...
And it’s not even just me who’s put the work in.  The staff at Dreamspinner work extremely hard, and I am forever grateful for their hard work because they polish and prepare so much better than I could ever do.

So people are finding out some little hidden gems in You Are the Reason.  They are finding out that poor Davo threw his My Little Ponies out when he was eleven because of a homophobic teacher.  They get to roll their eyes at the extremes that he has gone to in order to eradicate anything girly from his life.  The readers are meeting Maxine, Jake and Patrick’s newborn daughter, and finding out that although cute, she’s turning their life upside down.  And the readers are also getting to understand the depths of Davo’s fear of vaginas.
Yes.  Vaginas.
But under the laughter and giggles, I hope that a serious message is being spread across the world.  The message is that it’s okay to be gay – and be one of those gays.  I say this sarcastically – “those” gays – because I know it.  But Dave doesn’t.  And there are a lot of people out there who also feel it.  We are reading MM fiction, yet so many of our romantic characters are buff body-perfect, or rich and famous, or even I-have-it-together.  Hey, I understand as much as the next person that this is fiction, but at the same time, I remember what fiction did for me as a teen and adult trying to work out what my place in this life is.  Books were my lifeline.  They were my escape, and in a world where photoshopped images and perfect Hollywood actors are common, they remind me that not everyone is like that.
I love to have non-perfect people in my stories.  I love to have diversity in my characters.  Do I do it deliberately? – Yes and no.
I don’t like to restrict myself to one “type” of character.  I don’t always do twinks, or straight-acting gays, or young guys.  I don’t always have bears, or older guys, or in-the-closet unsures.  I like to switch it up – I’m versatile.  And YES – that was a deliberately bad pun.Is one character easier to write for me than another?  Hmm – yes.  I like to laugh at and with my characters, so flamboyant twinks are easy to write.  Hank from The Shearing Gun was also easy.  He was down-to-earth and could laugh at himself.  Uptight-know-it-alls need not apply at Renae’s door when she’s looking for characters.

Initial reviews are out for my new release, and one thing that I have loved, but have been extremely surprised at, is the adoration for Lee in You Are the Reason.  The book is written from Dave’s point of view, and after I finished writing, I sat back and fretted that I didn’t put enough Lee into the book.  Dave undergoes some enormous changes in his character – his acceptance of himself and Lee just a starting point – but Lee is steadfastly true and doesn’t change at all.  He patiently and wisely waits for Dave to work through his stuff.
But on my second view of the book, this is exactly what needs to happen.  Dave is wrong about how he feels that gay guys must be and act.  Lee is exactly fine how he is.  Lee doesn’t need to change, but Davo does.
So I hope you pick up a copy of the book, and read Davo’s transformation with delight and open hearts.  Because Davo really does need to be loved – he gets there in the end and realises how wrong he’s been.  And how right Lee is for him.

In order to celebrate my release of You Are the Reason, I’ve organised a scavenger hunt.  I will be releasing ONE WORD as the hunt item on several stops of my blog tour.  In order to WIN an eBook copy of the book, follow along the blog tour and find a minimum of FIVE unique words.  Email the five words to me at renaekaye@iinet.net.au before August 16th to be in the draw.
Today’s word is:  DREAMSPINNER
I look forward to hearing from you.

You Are the Reason can be purchased from:Amazon
Dreamspinner
All Romance eBooks
Barnes & Nobleand most other eBook sellers.
How to contact Renae:Email:  renaekaye@iinet.net.au
Website:  www.renaekaye.weebly.com
FB:  www.facebook.com/renae.kaye.9
Twitter:  @renaekkaye

What's Your Favorite Part? by Felice Stevens

Nope, I'm not talking about parts of a chicken, like breast or thigh. I'm talking about Romance books. When I was purely a reader, my favorite part of reading my historical romance novel was that first kiss. And yes, I loved the impossibly obnoxious wealthy Duke or Marquess falling for the innocent but oh so smart and feisty heroine. 

You have to admit that cover to fabulous!!  Brings back all my memories of the wonderful world of romance. I left my romance roots behind when I went to law school and had no time to read anything but case law, but when I returned, and began reading gay romance, I found my tastes hadn't changed all that much. I still love reading about that first kiss, only now it was between two guys. 


And now I get to write it and its all good, all the time. There's something about that split second when they look into each others eyes and know they're going for it that makes for great reading and writing. I want that first kiss to sizzle and show how much these two want each other, no matter what else is going on in their lives.

What I love doing when I write my characters is pairing opposites.  Alex, the life of the party has it bad for the sweet and shy Rafe, only he doesn't want to admit it. He shows it though when they have their first kiss. I've been told by many that the first kiss between Alex and Rafe in One Step Further is hot as hell, truly fan-worthy. I love to hear that; its what I strive for.

With my new book, Beyond the Surface, coming out August 17th, Nick and Julian fooled around in high school, yet Nick was too fearful of being caught and pushed Julian away. It wasn't until years later that they met again and had many, many issues to work through. 

That didn't stop their first, reunited kiss from being just as, or even more intense and steamy-worthy as any I've written before.  

So tell me: What is your favorite part of a romance? 

You can find me chatting it up on FB at: https://www.facebook.com/felice.steve...

Join in the fun at Felice's Fierce Fans where I post exclusive contents, do ARC giveaways and general craziness occurs.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/14492...

Characters

I put a lot of thought into the characters I write. It's really important for me to know them inside out, to feel as though I've lived inside their skin so I can understand them. I definitely consider myself a character writer. I don't typically have crazy, elaborate plots, but I try, and hope I succeed in writing multi-layered characters.

The thing is, who the characters are, also has to tie in with the plot really well. Take my latest release, CROSSROADS for example. It's a GFY book, and it wasn't only one character who originally identified as straight. It was both, which took it to a whole new level of--what the hell am I doing? and Can I pull this off? I had to craft my characters personalities in the best way I could so that it would be believable that these men would be willing to give a relationship a try.

Bryce was my fly by the seat of your pants character. He is up for anything. He's no holds barred in every aspect of his life so it made sense to me that he would be that way in his relationship with Nick, as well. On the other hand, Nick is more reserved and thinks things through, but he also runs off his heart. He's loyal and caring and it's important to him to have a connection with people. He doesn't do one night stands. He likes to feel something for people he's with, which is what allowed him to go there with Bryce. He had a connection to him, Bryce meant something to Nick on an emotional level, and he's the kind of guy to follow his heart.

It's really important to me that characters have a reason why they're willing to do or not to do a certain thing. As a writer, that's my job, to know these characters, to understand them and to try and bring them and their stories to life in the most realistic way possible.

Sometimes Love is a Real Gift

The Gift releases Monday August 10 from Dreamspinner and while writing this story, I really wanted to create two characters who for various reasons thought that true love was out of their grasp.  I know it may sound funny, but what I got to write was a kind of modern day fairy tale.  I, of course, had to skirt the Pretty Woman effect and I really hope I did that.  My Betas said I did.  But this story captured my heart while I was writing it.  Ember and Alejandro both had solid reasons for why they thought that the love they wanted wasn't ever going to come their way.  The magical journey for me was to put these two love lost together and I got to watch the magic. 




Blurb
Ember is a drop-dead gorgeous Las Vegas escort. He notices Alejandro in some of the classes he teaches at his side business—a yoga studio. Then, color-blind Alejandro further captures Ember’s attention when he’s blinded by a quick change in light and needs Ember’s help at a club. What Ember doesn’t expect is the way Alejandro touches his heart.
Alejandro never intended to develop feelings for Ember. He’s in Las Vegas for a year to sow some wild oats. But Alejandro quickly sees more in Ember when he sets out to make some of Alejandro’s dreams come true—including a trip to the Grand Canyon and the beaches of LA. Alejandro’s wild oats could turn into something memorable.
Ember knows keeping his escort job from Alejandro isn’t the right thing to do, but he wants to be liked for who he is. Alejandro keeps his own secrets for the same reason. But Alejandro’s family obligations, along with Ember’s profession, could make it impossible for the two of them to stay together—unless they can figure out how to make the most of the gifts they’ve been given.
 Purchase an Advance Copy: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6722
Excerpt 1
“I’m sorry to bother you,” Betsy said. “When I called to ask Paolo to cancel the class, he said you were here, and the students always love your classes.”
“It’s no problem,” Ember said, still feeling heat on his back. “What’s the deal with the guy behind me?” he whispered to her.
She rolled her eyes. “Sometimes I think you’re almost blind. His name’s Alejandro. He’s a relatively new member.” She turned away. Finally Ember felt the heat from behind him dissipate. “He’s been watching you every time he sees you. But I think today is the first time he’s ever taken a class with you.” Betsy was clearly enjoying this. She was a very competent manager, but people tended to dismiss her because she also had a figure to die for and the face of a model along with incredible naturally blonde hair.
“How come I’ve never noticed?”
Betsy scoffed. “Because you’re so used to guys looking at you that you never pay attention.” She stepped back. “Half the men and women in here have eyes for you, but you don’t see it. I think it’s the whole man-whore thing you have going on.” Ember growled under his breath. “Fine, ‘escort’ thing.” She waved her hand dismissively. “You don’t even see that sort of interest any longer, and I feel sorry for you.”
“Me?” Ember’s eyes widened.
“Yeah, you. I know you always do the best for your clients, and if I was a guy and I needed an escort, I’d definitely look you up, because you have this whole nurturing thing going on too. I’m sure you talk to them and try to make them feel better about themselves. That’s what you do here, anyway. But you don’t have anyone to do that for you, and you’re missing out.”
“Yeah, well, this ‘man-whore’ job I have comes with a price.” He’d seen that firsthand with Hunter and Grant. Hunter had been at the top of the escort game and ended up leaving the business for Grant. “To tell you the truth, I don’t give it much thought. I like my job and I get more intimacy than anyone I know. I’m good to my clients, and I’ve told you before, it isn’t about sex for most people. A lot of the time it’s talking and companionship.”
Betsy rolled her eyes again. “Listen, honey, if you swung my way and I got you alone in a room with all these muscles and that sexy hair thing you’ve got going on, I’d have you flat on your back and I’d ride that bronco until he screamed for mercy.”
Ember’s mouth dropped open.
“You’re surprised by that?” Betsy grinned. “Let me tell you, if I got my hands on a guy who looked like you, I’d certainly not let him go, and if I was paying for his time, I’d make dang sure I got the most from it.” She chuckled at his reaction. “But that isn’t going to get you someone who will be there for you no matter what, and that’s what I’m looking for now. I’ve done the anonymous bump and grind thing and I’m getting too old for that.” She stepped closer. “Besides, I’m getting lonely. I want someone to come home to and travel with and do things.”
“That’s great,” Ember said. It was for her, but he knew Betsy, and when she made a decision about her life, it meant she thought it was the right thing for everyone. Ember wasn’t so sure about that. “So what do you know about Alejandro?” He hoped the guy wasn’t a hanger-on or a serial killer. He also wanted to change the subject.
“I don’t know too much. He has this great Southern European accent that’s rather dreamy and would be at home in anyone’s bedroom. I’d go out with him if I had anything he was interested in. He seems like a stand-up guy. Nice smile, laughs a lot. He comes in three times a week. If you want to know more, you’re going to have to talk to him yourself.” Betsy flashed him another smile and then hurried off to take care of business.
 Andrew grew up in western Michigan with a father who loved to tell stories and a mother who loved to read them. Since then he has lived throughout the country and traveled throughout the world. He has a master’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and works in information systems for a large corporation.Andrew’s hobbies include collecting antiques, gardening, and leaving his dirty dishes anywhere but in the sink (particularly when writing)  He considers himself blessed with an accepting family, fantastic friends, and the world’s most supportive and loving partner. Andrew currently lives in beautiful, historic Carlisle, Pennsylvania.

Email him at:  andrewgrey@comcast.net

His web site is:  www.andrewgreybooks.com

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/andrewgreybooks

Twitter:  @andrewgreybooks

would you rather....

<sean> bonjour
 <BA> hola
 <julia> howdy
 * julia side eyes BA
 <julia> we switched greetings methinks
 <BA> nods
 <sean> heee
 <BA> it's a thing
 <sean> nods
 <julia> well, we are a matched set
 <BA> you know if real people cabbage-headed as much as the CSI people did
 <BA> no police work would ever get done
 <sean> cabbage-headed?
 <julia> info dumping
 <BA> nods -- info dumping
 <sean> ah
 <sean> nods
 <julia> congrats on your #1 Sean!
 <sean> thank you!
 <julia> I'm not bitter that I'm only at 3
 <julia> lalala
 <sean> heee
 <BA> she lies.
 <sean> *cackles*
 <julia> hey!
 <julia> okay, maybe a little
 <julia> so
 <BA> buttons
 <julia> today we're going to play would you rather
 <sean> okay
 <BA> as in would you rather eat a cockroach or a tarantula?
 <julia> yes
 <sean> *gags*
 <julia> a cockroach for me, please
 <sean> although I watched Bear Grills show how to eat a tarantula today
 <sean> so I'm going with it as I know how to cook it properly ;)
 <BA> I guess it would depend if it was a dare (cockroach) or a hunger thing (tarantula)
 <julia> ew
 <julia> Would you rather never have coffee again or live without TV forever?
 <BA> fuck TV
 <julia> how did I know
 <sean> heee
 <sean> easy
 <sean> I don't drink coffee
 <julia> I could give up TV as long as I have books
 <julia> Sean is an abberation
 <BA> well we knew that
 <BA> your turn, Sean
 <sean> would you rather watch Frozen fifty times in a row or get hit by a car
 <julia> bring on the car
 <BA> I'm relatively sure getting hit by a car would be a better story
 <sean> heeee
 <julia> and you could show off the scars
 <julia> with frozen they're all emotional
 <BA> more scars, better stories
 <julia> yep
 <sean> i'll take frozen, 'cause I have a knack for sleeping through animated movies
 <BA> woud you rather get eaten by a shark or die in an airplane crash?
 <julia> hmmm
 <julia> you know I hate to fly
 <julia> but
 <julia> airplane would presumable be fast
 <sean> yeah
 <julia> where a shark is going to go slow and in pieces
 <sean> I'd pick the airplane for that reason
 <BA> airplane for me -- insurance money for the family
 <BA> *tons* of media play
 <julia> heee
 <sean> heee
 <julia> would you rather have an extra toe or a missing finger
 <sean> would you rather be able to fly or be invisible?
 <BA> extra toe and invisibility
 <julia> heee
 <julia> extra toe and flight I think
 <BA> and extra invisible toe would also work
 <sean> extra toe and fly
 <sean> lol
 <BA> would you rather rather eat only sweets or only salty?
 <julia> sweets
 <sean> salty
 <sean> I like the crunch
 <BA> I'm a salty person
 <BA> which is a surprise to no one
 <BA> I can survive on coffee and popcorn
 <julia> heee
 <julia> yes
 <julia> days
 <julia> she can just make a trash bag of popcorn
 <julia> and eat that for 2 weeks
 <sean> would you rarther sing back up for Tim McGraw for one night or have a book on the New York Times Bestseller list
 <BA> give me a bestseller, any fucking day
 <julia> LOL
 <julia> yes
 <julia> she types faster than me
 <julia> I adore Tim
 <sean> heee
 <julia> but damn
 <sean> I too would choose the bestseller
 <BA> would you rather be rich or famous?
 <julia> Rich please
 <julia> famous is too much work
 <sean> rick!
 <julia> who's rick?
 <sean> rich
 <julia> ;)
 <julia> Rick Springfield?
 <BA> *giggles*
 <julia> Ranger Rick?
 <BA> Rick Astley? (isn't that a famous person?)
 <julia> he looks like Howdy Doody
 <julia> okay, one last round
 <julia> everyone has to come up with a sex question
 <julia> Would you rather watch someone have sex, or have someone watch you?
 <sean> I'd rather watch
 <julia> grins
 <julia> me too, for lo
 <julia> I am a writer
 <sean> nods
 <BA> nods
 <sean> technically that's what we already do
 <julia> LOL
 <julia> no
 <julia> we're more like mean kids directing a really complicated game of Twister
 <sean> lol
 <BA> no, we torture characters with the promise of random boinking
 <BA> would you rather write six characters all having sex together at the same time
 <BA> or
 <BA> three characters having sex with one other person and not each other at the same time
 <sean> orgy time!
 <julia> oh god
 <sean> gimme six characters having sex together
 <BA> that's a lot of legs
 <julia> I'll take option 2 because I've never written that
 <julia> I've  people having sex
 <julia> so many pronouns
 <BA> I think it would be interesting to validate the reasons between three people having sex with one person at the same times and not touching
 <BA> there would have to be body condoms
 <BA> and weird wounds
 <BA> and possibly some alien mind control thing
 <julia> you are an odd duck
 <BA> well, duh
 <BA> but YOU  married me
 <julia> huh
 <julia> strange how that works
 <BA> okay, sean. You're up
 <sean> would you rather have sex in the snow or sex in jello?
 <julia> I'll go with the snow. That would be over fast and Jell-O makes me gag
 <sean> heee
 <sean> I love snow so obviously I'd pick it
 <BA> huh
 <BA> would it be soft jello or jello jiggler jello
 <BA> because that makes a difference
 <julia> an important distinction
 <sean> jello jiggler jello
 <BA> then I'm up for that
 <BA> it'd be like having sex on a trampoline
 <sean> heee
 <BA> okay, the dogs need their snack
 <BA> time for pimping
 <BA> I HAVE A HERO IN THE ARE HOT HEROES CONTEST!!!
 <BA> VOTE VOTE VOTE!
 <BA> *ahem*
 <sean> heeee
 <sean> I voted :)
 <julia> I did too!
 <julia> Uh, Gage and Hamish are out
 <julia> Full Moon Dating
 <julia> at ARE and Amazon
 <julia> lalala
 <sean> Wooo
 <sean> Healing Fire is out at ARE :)
 <julia> WOO
 <julia> dragons, yes?
 <sean> nods
 <sean> yeah, it's a fantasy
 <julia> coolios
 <julia> yay us!
 <julia> hugs
 <julia> okay
 <julia> I have 500 more words tonight to get to goal
 <julia> time to sprint
 <BA> love you
 <BA> *waves*
 <BA> night lovely
 <sean> night hon


If you have a topic you’d like us to chat about (or any other favorite things you'd like us to share), please let us know. We’re totally up for that.

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:
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Sean
smut fixes everything