Cardeno C.'s Blog, page 91
June 15, 2015
Lots of Giveaways by Cardeno C.
Happy Monday. I recently re-released a gaggle of books an to celebrate I'm giving away copies all over the place. I'm sharing links below along with the information on the books.
Multitasking Mommas
MM Good Book Reviews
Swept Away by Romance
Perfect Imperfections - Contemporary gay romance, Word count: 65,193
Hollywood royalty Jeremy Jameson has lived a sheltered life with music as his sole focus and only friend. Before embarking on yet another international
concert tour, he wanders into a bar in what he considers the middle of nowhere and meets a man who wins him over with his friendly smile and easy-going nature. Accountant slash bartender slash adventure-seeker Reg Moore has fun talking and drinking with The Jeremy Jameson and can’t say no when the supposedly straight rock star makes him a once in a lifetime offer: keep him company on his tour by playing the part of his boyfriend.
Listening to music, traveling the world, and jumping off cliffs is fun. Falling in love is even better. But to stay with Jeremy after the stage lights dim, Reg will need to help him realize there’s nothing pretend about their relationship.
A Shot at Forgiveness - Contemporary gay romance, Word count: Approx. 18,000
Sometimes to find love, you must first learn forgiveness.
A dozen years, two thousand miles, and a law degree after high school, Rafi Steiner continues to harbor resentment toward Isaac Jones, his childhood bully turned NBA star. When Isaac appears at Rafi's favorite restaurant acting like a long-lost friend, Rafi bluntly dismisses him.
But Isaac is tenacious and he has his heart set on the grown-up version of the boy he always wanted and never forgot. The way Isaac sees it, he and Rafi are perfect for each other, if only he could sink the most important shot of his life: his one shot at forgiveness.
All of Me - Paranormal/shifter gay romance, Word count: Approx. 18,000
To bond with his destined mate, an Alpha wolf must look past what he sees and trust what he feels.
Bonded by their parents before they were conceived, wolf shifters Abel and Kai adored each other since they were children. As teens, the two future Alphas took the next step in their bonding process and vowed to remain true to one another until Kai came of age. But when tragedy struck, Abel felt betrayed and ran from Kai instead of completing their mating.
Abel never stops yearning for the man who was supposed to lead by his side and after years without contact, Kai returns, broken and on death's door. If Abel wants to fulfill their destiny and merge their packs, he'll need to look past what he saw and trust his heart.
Places in Time - Contemporary gay romance, Word count: Approx. 16,000
A relationship-challenged actor unexpectedly finds love in the arms of his childhood best friend.
"Sexiest Man Alive" and Golden Globe winning actor Ethan Baker lights up the screen but fizzles in his personal life. When his latest girlfriend breaks up with him, Ethan turns to his one "forever" person - Jude Harrison. But as Ethan makes the familiar drive to his best friend's house, an unexpected detour and a bewildering passenger take him through places in time he'd long forgotten. Suddenly Ethan sees Jude's actions over the years from a different perspective, but it's his own reaction that's the biggest surprise.
Have a great week!
CC
www.cardenoc.com
Multitasking Mommas
MM Good Book Reviews
Swept Away by Romance
Perfect Imperfections - Contemporary gay romance, Word count: 65,193
Hollywood royalty Jeremy Jameson has lived a sheltered life with music as his sole focus and only friend. Before embarking on yet another international
concert tour, he wanders into a bar in what he considers the middle of nowhere and meets a man who wins him over with his friendly smile and easy-going nature. Accountant slash bartender slash adventure-seeker Reg Moore has fun talking and drinking with The Jeremy Jameson and can’t say no when the supposedly straight rock star makes him a once in a lifetime offer: keep him company on his tour by playing the part of his boyfriend.
Listening to music, traveling the world, and jumping off cliffs is fun. Falling in love is even better. But to stay with Jeremy after the stage lights dim, Reg will need to help him realize there’s nothing pretend about their relationship.
A Shot at Forgiveness - Contemporary gay romance, Word count: Approx. 18,000
Sometimes to find love, you must first learn forgiveness.
A dozen years, two thousand miles, and a law degree after high school, Rafi Steiner continues to harbor resentment toward Isaac Jones, his childhood bully turned NBA star. When Isaac appears at Rafi's favorite restaurant acting like a long-lost friend, Rafi bluntly dismisses him.
But Isaac is tenacious and he has his heart set on the grown-up version of the boy he always wanted and never forgot. The way Isaac sees it, he and Rafi are perfect for each other, if only he could sink the most important shot of his life: his one shot at forgiveness.
All of Me - Paranormal/shifter gay romance, Word count: Approx. 18,000
To bond with his destined mate, an Alpha wolf must look past what he sees and trust what he feels.
Bonded by their parents before they were conceived, wolf shifters Abel and Kai adored each other since they were children. As teens, the two future Alphas took the next step in their bonding process and vowed to remain true to one another until Kai came of age. But when tragedy struck, Abel felt betrayed and ran from Kai instead of completing their mating.
Abel never stops yearning for the man who was supposed to lead by his side and after years without contact, Kai returns, broken and on death's door. If Abel wants to fulfill their destiny and merge their packs, he'll need to look past what he saw and trust his heart.
Places in Time - Contemporary gay romance, Word count: Approx. 16,000
A relationship-challenged actor unexpectedly finds love in the arms of his childhood best friend.
"Sexiest Man Alive" and Golden Globe winning actor Ethan Baker lights up the screen but fizzles in his personal life. When his latest girlfriend breaks up with him, Ethan turns to his one "forever" person - Jude Harrison. But as Ethan makes the familiar drive to his best friend's house, an unexpected detour and a bewildering passenger take him through places in time he'd long forgotten. Suddenly Ethan sees Jude's actions over the years from a different perspective, but it's his own reaction that's the biggest surprise.
Have a great week!
CC
www.cardenoc.com
June 13, 2015
An introduction to my new novel
I hate some reviewers.
Hang on, let me reconsider that…. **considers** Nope. Still hate them.
Oh, not for the reason you’re thinking. Of course I enjoy five star reviews on my work more than I enjoy one star reviews. Be assured, I do read the critical reviews too. I often read reviews to work out if people got the character. Did I do a good job in describing him/her? So I often read the bad reviews to see why people didn’t enjoy my work.
But do you know what I HATE? What I LOATHE? What I SCREAM in frustration at? I DESPISE when a reviewer says to me, “Now what about xxx’s story?”
**tears hair out** Noooo - don't put that idea into my head!
When I write a story, I have a very narrow view. I know that I shouldn’t, but I just write about this one couple, not thinking about anything other than their story. So the first time someone reviewing Loving Jay commented, “I hope they get a sequel,” I froze in surprise. No. This is their story. See – 200 pages and then you just have to use your imagination.
Then, my brain started firing. If I was to write a sequel, what would happen?
When a reviewer said to me about The Shearing Gun, “Are we going to get Mickey Ryan’s story?” I frowned. Mickey didn’t have a story, did he…. *brain explosion* Oh, yeah. Mickey has a story after all.
So now you know why I hate some reviewers. They give me ideas and make me want to write stories that will have me until the end of 2017 still writing…
Which is how my new novel, You Are the Reason came about.
In 2013 I wrote The Blinding Light. At that stage I had submitted Loving Jay to Dreamspinner for appraisal, and was firmly expecting a “no” response from them. I wrote The Blinding Light because I wanted to be an author, and I knew I had to practice putting a story together, but I never thought it would be good enough for publication.
One of the first reviews of this book said, “I love it! Now I want Davo’s story.”
I was perplexed. Davo? He was just a secondary character that was a friend of Jake. I liked Davo, because everyone has a friend like him. He’s blunt and can be very crude at times. He’s the type of guy you roll your eyes at and think, One day he’ll grow up.
I looked back at what I had written about Davo, and tried to see if he was redeemable.
From page 7: My good mate Davo is a top, 100 percent of the time with no exceptions to the rule. Ever. He has a standard pickup line: “Are you a bottom? Yes? Hi, I’m Dave.”When I read this, I was horrified. The guy was an idiot. Who goes around with lines like that? Davo really had no class at all.
Maybe he was redeemable further down.
From page 99: “Davo, have you ever been with a straight guy before?” My mate scratched his beard and considered the question. “I don’t really know. It’s not like I spend time with them. I ask them if they want to fuck and if they answer yes, then I do it. I don’t go around asking guys if they’re straight or queer. You know me, Jake. I’m looking for the quick fuck, not the happily-ever-after, complete with matching rings.”I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes at the truth of that statement. Davo’s fucks were sometimes quicker than the time it actually took you to say the sentence “I’m looking for a quick fuck.”I sobbed. Nope. Who could write a story with this guy as the main romantic lead?
From page 99, Jake asked Davo: “So do you think that straight guys can get turned on by gay guys? Does it matter if the hand on your dick is male or female?” Davo leaned against the wall and gave it serious thought. “To me it doesn’t matter if I’m desperate. I’ve had BJs from women before. You just close your eyes, you know?” “You do?” I was dumbfounded. I’d never realized Davo had been with a girl before. “You don’t?” “No!” “Oh.” Davo was perplexed. “It’s not all that different in the dark.”Oh no, no, no. Davo was worse than an idiot. He was a dick as well. I mean, what sort of guy talked about women like that? What sort of guy couldn’t tell the difference between a man and a woman in the dark…
…
**brain explosion**
…
Renae: Oh, no. No, no, no. I cannot write a story like that.Renae’s brain: Renae, I’d like you to meet your new character – Lee.Lee: Hi, Renae!Davo: Who’s that?Lee: I’m Lee, and I’m your new romantic interest.Davo: But you’re wearing a dress.Lee: I know. Do you like it?Davo: I don’t like anyone who is too girly.Lee: What’s wrong with being girly?Davo: I don’t want to be one of those gays.Lee: You mean one of those gays who likes to slip into a dress every now and then?Davo: Yeah, one of them.Lee: So you don’t want to see what I have on under my skirt?Davo: **hesitates**Renae: **panicking** No, no, no. Lee – just go away. Please? Davo is a dick and you don’t want to get mixed up with him.Lee: But he’s wonderful! I think I’m in love with him already.Renae: **screeching** But he’s a dick!Lee: So? I like dicks.Renae: No. You don’t want Davo.Lee: **pouts** I do. Renae: **huffs** Now you’re being a dick.Lee: You know, despite the dress, I do have a dick, so it’s perfectly reasonable for me to be one as well.Renae: I know you have a dick. I’m the one who created you and your dress. I’m the one who decided whether you were tucked or untucked under that dress. I know all about you. But the problem is that Davo doesn’t know you have a dick. He thinks you’re a girl.Lee: That’s okay. I’ll take him anyway.Renae: **breaks down sobbing** No, Lee. Please don’t take him anywhere. PLEASE! No!! Don’t go home with him! .......Dammit.**opens up a new Word document****begins typing** An introduction to Davo When I was eleven years old, I worked out what it was to be gay.
You Are the Reason, is scheduled to release from Dreamspinner Press on the 7th of August, 2015. Be watching for the cover reveal coming soon.
How to contact Renae:Email: renaekaye@iinet.net.auWebsite: www.renaekaye.weebly.comFB: www.facebook.com/renae.kaye.9Twitter: @renaekkaye Instagram: renaekayeauthor
Hang on, let me reconsider that…. **considers** Nope. Still hate them.
Oh, not for the reason you’re thinking. Of course I enjoy five star reviews on my work more than I enjoy one star reviews. Be assured, I do read the critical reviews too. I often read reviews to work out if people got the character. Did I do a good job in describing him/her? So I often read the bad reviews to see why people didn’t enjoy my work.
But do you know what I HATE? What I LOATHE? What I SCREAM in frustration at? I DESPISE when a reviewer says to me, “Now what about xxx’s story?”
**tears hair out** Noooo - don't put that idea into my head!
When I write a story, I have a very narrow view. I know that I shouldn’t, but I just write about this one couple, not thinking about anything other than their story. So the first time someone reviewing Loving Jay commented, “I hope they get a sequel,” I froze in surprise. No. This is their story. See – 200 pages and then you just have to use your imagination.
Then, my brain started firing. If I was to write a sequel, what would happen?
When a reviewer said to me about The Shearing Gun, “Are we going to get Mickey Ryan’s story?” I frowned. Mickey didn’t have a story, did he…. *brain explosion* Oh, yeah. Mickey has a story after all.
So now you know why I hate some reviewers. They give me ideas and make me want to write stories that will have me until the end of 2017 still writing…
Which is how my new novel, You Are the Reason came about.
In 2013 I wrote The Blinding Light. At that stage I had submitted Loving Jay to Dreamspinner for appraisal, and was firmly expecting a “no” response from them. I wrote The Blinding Light because I wanted to be an author, and I knew I had to practice putting a story together, but I never thought it would be good enough for publication.
One of the first reviews of this book said, “I love it! Now I want Davo’s story.”
I was perplexed. Davo? He was just a secondary character that was a friend of Jake. I liked Davo, because everyone has a friend like him. He’s blunt and can be very crude at times. He’s the type of guy you roll your eyes at and think, One day he’ll grow up.
I looked back at what I had written about Davo, and tried to see if he was redeemable.
From page 7: My good mate Davo is a top, 100 percent of the time with no exceptions to the rule. Ever. He has a standard pickup line: “Are you a bottom? Yes? Hi, I’m Dave.”When I read this, I was horrified. The guy was an idiot. Who goes around with lines like that? Davo really had no class at all.
Maybe he was redeemable further down.
From page 99: “Davo, have you ever been with a straight guy before?” My mate scratched his beard and considered the question. “I don’t really know. It’s not like I spend time with them. I ask them if they want to fuck and if they answer yes, then I do it. I don’t go around asking guys if they’re straight or queer. You know me, Jake. I’m looking for the quick fuck, not the happily-ever-after, complete with matching rings.”I resisted the temptation to roll my eyes at the truth of that statement. Davo’s fucks were sometimes quicker than the time it actually took you to say the sentence “I’m looking for a quick fuck.”I sobbed. Nope. Who could write a story with this guy as the main romantic lead?
From page 99, Jake asked Davo: “So do you think that straight guys can get turned on by gay guys? Does it matter if the hand on your dick is male or female?” Davo leaned against the wall and gave it serious thought. “To me it doesn’t matter if I’m desperate. I’ve had BJs from women before. You just close your eyes, you know?” “You do?” I was dumbfounded. I’d never realized Davo had been with a girl before. “You don’t?” “No!” “Oh.” Davo was perplexed. “It’s not all that different in the dark.”Oh no, no, no. Davo was worse than an idiot. He was a dick as well. I mean, what sort of guy talked about women like that? What sort of guy couldn’t tell the difference between a man and a woman in the dark…
…
**brain explosion**
…
Renae: Oh, no. No, no, no. I cannot write a story like that.Renae’s brain: Renae, I’d like you to meet your new character – Lee.Lee: Hi, Renae!Davo: Who’s that?Lee: I’m Lee, and I’m your new romantic interest.Davo: But you’re wearing a dress.Lee: I know. Do you like it?Davo: I don’t like anyone who is too girly.Lee: What’s wrong with being girly?Davo: I don’t want to be one of those gays.Lee: You mean one of those gays who likes to slip into a dress every now and then?Davo: Yeah, one of them.Lee: So you don’t want to see what I have on under my skirt?Davo: **hesitates**Renae: **panicking** No, no, no. Lee – just go away. Please? Davo is a dick and you don’t want to get mixed up with him.Lee: But he’s wonderful! I think I’m in love with him already.Renae: **screeching** But he’s a dick!Lee: So? I like dicks.Renae: No. You don’t want Davo.Lee: **pouts** I do. Renae: **huffs** Now you’re being a dick.Lee: You know, despite the dress, I do have a dick, so it’s perfectly reasonable for me to be one as well.Renae: I know you have a dick. I’m the one who created you and your dress. I’m the one who decided whether you were tucked or untucked under that dress. I know all about you. But the problem is that Davo doesn’t know you have a dick. He thinks you’re a girl.Lee: That’s okay. I’ll take him anyway.Renae: **breaks down sobbing** No, Lee. Please don’t take him anywhere. PLEASE! No!! Don’t go home with him! .......Dammit.**opens up a new Word document****begins typing** An introduction to Davo When I was eleven years old, I worked out what it was to be gay.
You Are the Reason, is scheduled to release from Dreamspinner Press on the 7th of August, 2015. Be watching for the cover reveal coming soon.
How to contact Renae:Email: renaekaye@iinet.net.auWebsite: www.renaekaye.weebly.comFB: www.facebook.com/renae.kaye.9Twitter: @renaekkaye Instagram: renaekayeauthor
June 10, 2015
Let's talk tropes
Author Felice Stevens brought up the topic of tropes on Facebook the other day. It's one I've thought about before as well. There's that part of me who wants to step out of different tropes when writing and reading, but then...I still love them too. I think it all depends on how they're written and how much I fall in love with the characters, if I'm able to enjoy a trope-centered book, or if it feels like something I've read before.
I have to admit, I'm a HUGE fan of friends to lovers. It's my favorite and think it always will be. There's something special about two people who know each other on that friendship level, who've loved each other on a friendship level and maybe even know each other better than anyone else, and seeing them navigate falling in love with each other. Cooper and Noah's friendship and history were some of my favorite parts of COLLIDE to write.
Fake relationships can be fun, but tricky to pull off I think. I've read a few I really enjoyed.
I'm curious what some of your favorite tropes to read are? Friends to lovers? Enemies to lovers? Fake relationships or mistaken identity? What other tropes to you like? Also, what are some tropes you're getting tired of reading?
I have to admit, I'm a HUGE fan of friends to lovers. It's my favorite and think it always will be. There's something special about two people who know each other on that friendship level, who've loved each other on a friendship level and maybe even know each other better than anyone else, and seeing them navigate falling in love with each other. Cooper and Noah's friendship and history were some of my favorite parts of COLLIDE to write.
Fake relationships can be fun, but tricky to pull off I think. I've read a few I really enjoyed.
I'm curious what some of your favorite tropes to read are? Friends to lovers? Enemies to lovers? Fake relationships or mistaken identity? What other tropes to you like? Also, what are some tropes you're getting tired of reading?
A Ride in the West
Saving Faithless Creek, a western story that I suspect is the start of a new series, releases in little less than a week. As an author, variety is the price of life and there are times when a different setting can spark creativity. That setting can be either in a story or in real life. For Saving Faithless Creek, I took a trip out west to Montana and the scenery sparked an idea that started it all. What if a guy returned to the town he grew up in and found out that the bully who made his life miserable in high school, wasn't the same kind of man he remembered?
Blair Montague is sent to Newton, Montana, to purchase a ranch and some land for his father. It’s a trip he doesn't want to make. But his father paid for his college education in exchange for Blair working for him in his casinos, so Blair has no choice. When he finds out he’ll be dealing with Royal Masters, the man who bullied him in high school, he is shocked. Then Blair is surprised when he finds that Royal’s time in the Marines has changed him to the point where Blair could be attracted to him… if he’s willing to take that chance.
Royal’s life hasn’t been a bed of roses. He saw combat in the military that left him scarred, and not just on the outside. When he inherits his father’s ranch, he discovers his father wasn't a good manager and the ranch is in trouble. The sale of land would put them back on good footing, but he is suspicious of Blair’s father’s motives, and with good reason. The attraction between them is hard for either to ignore, but it could all evaporate once the land deal is sealed.
Reserve your copy: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6498
An Excerpt
“I doubt that’s what my dad had in mind. He and my mother hate each other. Their marriage was rocky. I think Mom married Dad because she thought he’d be able to give her the kind of life she wanted. But my dad wasn’t about to give anyone anything. He made her learn to deal blackjack and then put her to work in one of the casinos. He was making money hand over fist, and she still had to work.” The stingy, miserly bastard.
“Your dad is who he is,” Todd commented philosophically. “God himself couldn’t change him.”
“You’re probably right.” The computer screen went dark, and Blair turned back to Todd. “What did you have planned for tonight?”
“I have a case of the good beer in the refrigerator, and we can order a pizza and veg.”
“Or we could do a project together,” Blair offered. That must have triggered Todd’s imagination because he was already hurrying across the room. “I see you like that.”
“Duh,” Todd said. “What did you have in mind?” He rummaged in the corner and came up with two guns. “How about paintball? We can set up canvases outside once the sun starts to set. There’s enough light from the parking lot lights that we can see to shoot. The colors are primary, so there isn’t any subtlety.”
“It’s about texture and pattern,” Blair said.
“Exactly, and if you want, I could draw a sketch of your father on one of the canvases.”
“That’s it.” Blair picked up one of the canvases. “How about an ‘it gets better’ piece?” Blair closed his eyes. “We both had trouble with bullies in school. So let’s do portraits of them and then shoot the paintballs at them. It can be an anti-bullying statement.” Blair chuckled. “And it would make me feel a hell of a lot better.” Especially if he was heading back to Newton.
“All right. Doing a full portrait will take time.”
“I’m thinking if we make the image ghostly….”
“You do whatever you want with your image, that’s the cool thing. My bully is different from yours and carries a very different feeling. Yours pushed you into lockers, while mine befriended me and then once he could tell I was gay, he spread it all over the school and made my life a living hell. He was supposed to be my friend, and sometimes when we weren’t in school he’d be nice to me, but then as soon as other kids were around, he’d turn nasty again.” Todd set up two work surfaces and then hurried away to the kitchen area, returning shortly with a couple of beers and some snacks. “I have tons of supplies, so do whatever you want with your portrait.”
Blair settled in one of Todd’s chairs. He wasn’t planning to paint, so he didn’t feel it necessary to change his clothes. Todd had put the paintball guns away, so the shooting would have to wait for a while until they were done. “You need to have this done before you get back from Montana. That way we can have a shooting party in a few weeks.”
They worked quietly for an hour. Blair leaned over to see what Todd was doing. His drawing was slightly stylized to make the person seem mean, dark, and cruel. The face itself was normal enough, but the mouth and eyes were chilling. There was no doubt that this person had hurt Todd deeply, the pain evident in every line. Blair’s image wasn’t as blatant, but then he hadn’t thought about this man in quite a while.
“I love the menace in his eyes. Who is he?” Todd asked.
“Royal Masters.”
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
Blair Montague is sent to Newton, Montana, to purchase a ranch and some land for his father. It’s a trip he doesn't want to make. But his father paid for his college education in exchange for Blair working for him in his casinos, so Blair has no choice. When he finds out he’ll be dealing with Royal Masters, the man who bullied him in high school, he is shocked. Then Blair is surprised when he finds that Royal’s time in the Marines has changed him to the point where Blair could be attracted to him… if he’s willing to take that chance.
Royal’s life hasn’t been a bed of roses. He saw combat in the military that left him scarred, and not just on the outside. When he inherits his father’s ranch, he discovers his father wasn't a good manager and the ranch is in trouble. The sale of land would put them back on good footing, but he is suspicious of Blair’s father’s motives, and with good reason. The attraction between them is hard for either to ignore, but it could all evaporate once the land deal is sealed.
Reserve your copy: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6498
An Excerpt
“I doubt that’s what my dad had in mind. He and my mother hate each other. Their marriage was rocky. I think Mom married Dad because she thought he’d be able to give her the kind of life she wanted. But my dad wasn’t about to give anyone anything. He made her learn to deal blackjack and then put her to work in one of the casinos. He was making money hand over fist, and she still had to work.” The stingy, miserly bastard.
“Your dad is who he is,” Todd commented philosophically. “God himself couldn’t change him.”
“You’re probably right.” The computer screen went dark, and Blair turned back to Todd. “What did you have planned for tonight?”
“I have a case of the good beer in the refrigerator, and we can order a pizza and veg.”
“Or we could do a project together,” Blair offered. That must have triggered Todd’s imagination because he was already hurrying across the room. “I see you like that.”
“Duh,” Todd said. “What did you have in mind?” He rummaged in the corner and came up with two guns. “How about paintball? We can set up canvases outside once the sun starts to set. There’s enough light from the parking lot lights that we can see to shoot. The colors are primary, so there isn’t any subtlety.”
“It’s about texture and pattern,” Blair said.
“Exactly, and if you want, I could draw a sketch of your father on one of the canvases.”
“That’s it.” Blair picked up one of the canvases. “How about an ‘it gets better’ piece?” Blair closed his eyes. “We both had trouble with bullies in school. So let’s do portraits of them and then shoot the paintballs at them. It can be an anti-bullying statement.” Blair chuckled. “And it would make me feel a hell of a lot better.” Especially if he was heading back to Newton.
“All right. Doing a full portrait will take time.”
“I’m thinking if we make the image ghostly….”
“You do whatever you want with your image, that’s the cool thing. My bully is different from yours and carries a very different feeling. Yours pushed you into lockers, while mine befriended me and then once he could tell I was gay, he spread it all over the school and made my life a living hell. He was supposed to be my friend, and sometimes when we weren’t in school he’d be nice to me, but then as soon as other kids were around, he’d turn nasty again.” Todd set up two work surfaces and then hurried away to the kitchen area, returning shortly with a couple of beers and some snacks. “I have tons of supplies, so do whatever you want with your portrait.”
Blair settled in one of Todd’s chairs. He wasn’t planning to paint, so he didn’t feel it necessary to change his clothes. Todd had put the paintball guns away, so the shooting would have to wait for a while until they were done. “You need to have this done before you get back from Montana. That way we can have a shooting party in a few weeks.”
They worked quietly for an hour. Blair leaned over to see what Todd was doing. His drawing was slightly stylized to make the person seem mean, dark, and cruel. The face itself was normal enough, but the mouth and eyes were chilling. There was no doubt that this person had hurt Todd deeply, the pain evident in every line. Blair’s image wasn’t as blatant, but then he hadn’t thought about this man in quite a while.
“I love the menace in his eyes. Who is he?” Todd asked.
“Royal Masters.”
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
June 9, 2015
Things you don't know about Sean and BA- aka Julia Takes Over Cafe Risque'
Top ten things y'all don't know about Sean Michael and BA Tortuga by Julia Talbot
That's right, y'all. I'm here, I'm wide awake for a change, and I'm dishing dirt.
10. Sean Michael loves to write sex. Okay, y'all think this is a given, but you've never heard Sean rhapsodize about it, complete with eye rolling and lip smacking and the occasional "eh" because Sean is Canoodlian. Seriously. Also. ask Sean's spouse about the crowning discussion at some point.
9. BA Tortuga gets really goofy at 3 am after working her ass off all day at a conference. Or at 9pm after drinking shots with Kiernan Kelly all night. There was a discussion that nearly killed Chris Owen at Houston RT back in the day about a time-traveling, clockwork butt-plug. There was once a penis balloon hat that rendered her speechless for an hour. It's a thing.
8. Sean has a deep, abiding obsession with with notepads, notebooks and sticky notes. Are you friend? You will receive them for birthdays and Christmases, for Canada Day and for the 4th of July. Sean is remarkably holiday inclusive. Sean also wraps gifts. BA stuffs everything in a Target bag.
7. BA is currently obsessed with sticky notes of all colors for plotting books. It works, but containment is becoming difficult. Send help.
6. Sean buys hats. Everywhere we go. Disney. Austin. Virginia Beach. Montreal. Las Vegas. San Antonio. Hats hats hats. All with city logos.
5. BA is a T-shirt girl. Sherlock. Dr. Who. She has one that says "Andrew Grey's Favorite Lesbian" because he told her so.
4. Sean adores creme brulee. Not kidding. Pumpkin flavored. Passion fruit. Chocolate. Starbucks brand. All of the burnt sugar!
3. BA loves popcorn. Salty. Crunchy. If she could fill a trashbag with popcorn she would just eat that all month.
2. Sean comes to chez BA and Julia for Thanksgiving every year. There's turkey. Sean likes dark meat. BA likes layer salad. Sean likes pumpkin pie. BA pecan. We shop, but not on Black Friday. We giggle a lot. There are leftovers. Yay!
1> Sean and BA are best friends. No, really. Since 1999 or so. They talk online every day. Share all the ideas. It's adorable. If y'all want to know more, tune in to this blog every Tuesday.
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/SeanMichaelW...
Julia -- https://www.facebook.com/juliatalbota...
BA -- https://www.facebook.com/batortuga
XXOO
Julia
June 8, 2015
Second Edition Releases by Cardeno C.
Happy Monday! I have three re-releases available so for today's post, I'm sharing pretty new covers and links.
Places in Time
"Sexiest Man Alive" and Golden Globe winning actor Ethan Baker lights up the screen but fizzles in his personal life. When his latest girlfriend breaks up with him, Ethan turns to his one "forever" person - Jude Harrison. But as Ethan makes the familiar drive to his best friend's house, an unexpected detour and a bewildering passenger take him through places in time he'd long forgotten. Suddenly Ethan sees Jude's actions over the years from a different perspective, but it's his own reaction that's the biggest surprise.
15,000 words, $2.99
Amazon
All Romance
Smashwords Coupon UM38Y
A Shot at Forgiveness
A dozen years, two thousand miles, and a law degree after high school, Rafi Steiner continues to harbor resentment toward Isaac Jones, his childhood bully turned NBA star. When Isaac appears at Rafi's favorite restaurant acting like a long-lost friend, Rafi bluntly dismisses him.
But Isaac is tenacious and he has his heart set on the grown-up version of the boy he always wanted and never forgot. The way Isaac sees it, he and Rafi are perfect for each other, if only he could sink the most important shot of his life: his one shot at forgiveness.
17,000 words, $2.99
Amazon
All Romance
Smashwords Coupon VH57R
All of Me
Bonded by their parents before they were conceived, wolf shifters Abel and Kai adored each other since they were children. As teens, the two future Alphas took the next step in their bonding process and vowed to remain true to one another until Kai came of age. But when tragedy struck, Abel felt betrayed and ran from Kai instead of completing their mating.
Abel never stops yearning for the man who was supposed to lead by his side and after years without contact, Kai returns, broken and on death's door. If Abel wants to fulfill their destiny and merge their packs, he'll need to look past what he saw and trust his heart.
18,000 words, $2.99
Amazon
All Romance
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords Coupon XB55D
Places in Time
"Sexiest Man Alive" and Golden Globe winning actor Ethan Baker lights up the screen but fizzles in his personal life. When his latest girlfriend breaks up with him, Ethan turns to his one "forever" person - Jude Harrison. But as Ethan makes the familiar drive to his best friend's house, an unexpected detour and a bewildering passenger take him through places in time he'd long forgotten. Suddenly Ethan sees Jude's actions over the years from a different perspective, but it's his own reaction that's the biggest surprise.15,000 words, $2.99
Amazon
All Romance
Smashwords Coupon UM38Y
A Shot at Forgiveness
A dozen years, two thousand miles, and a law degree after high school, Rafi Steiner continues to harbor resentment toward Isaac Jones, his childhood bully turned NBA star. When Isaac appears at Rafi's favorite restaurant acting like a long-lost friend, Rafi bluntly dismisses him.
But Isaac is tenacious and he has his heart set on the grown-up version of the boy he always wanted and never forgot. The way Isaac sees it, he and Rafi are perfect for each other, if only he could sink the most important shot of his life: his one shot at forgiveness.17,000 words, $2.99
Amazon
All Romance
Smashwords Coupon VH57R
All of MeBonded by their parents before they were conceived, wolf shifters Abel and Kai adored each other since they were children. As teens, the two future Alphas took the next step in their bonding process and vowed to remain true to one another until Kai came of age. But when tragedy struck, Abel felt betrayed and ran from Kai instead of completing their mating.
Abel never stops yearning for the man who was supposed to lead by his side and after years without contact, Kai returns, broken and on death's door. If Abel wants to fulfill their destiny and merge their packs, he'll need to look past what he saw and trust his heart.
18,000 words, $2.99
Amazon
All Romance
Barnes & Noble
Smashwords Coupon XB55D
June 6, 2015
May I take your order?
Penny pinching #3 - May I take your order?
So for the last two weeks I’ve given some tips on how to grow some of your own food that is super simple and can be done on a budget. Today I’ll continue the theme of food, with this super-duper extra-points tip on how to save money:
~~~~~~DON’T HAVE CHILDREN~~~~~~
Yeah, I know. They’re cute and cuddly, and sometime they come to be without you actually planning them. But gosh, they are money pits! I guess I’m feeling it this week after I signed my son up to football. After purchasing a shirt, shorts, football socks, football boots and a mouthguard for him, I also had to shell out for club fees AND weekly umpiring fees. But no, the costs don’t stop there. I’m now going to have to sit and watch him play – rain, hail or shine. Lightning is the only thing that will send the kids off the oval. So today I purchased a heavy duty umbrella, and after getting saturated today, I will also need to go and invest in waterproof shoes and a bigger raincoat.
My order? Uhh...So how will I make it through the week with what (at times) is little money? Grocery shopping – wisely. Groceries are one of the biggest expenses to a household, and one of the biggest differences between those who have a disposable income, and those who don’t. We are a four-person household – two adults and two primary school aged children. Our grocery bill also covers all the pet food we buy. Yet it is two-thirds of the size of my in-laws’ weekly bill – and there are only TWO of them in the house with no pets.
I’m not making judgements – I’m just saying that there is a lot of scope and savings in adjusting your groceries if you need to get extra during the week.
There are 101 ways to save on groceries – shopping the specials, brand labels, etc – but one of the most HELPFUL things I find is menu planning. Does it sound too hard? It did to me as well. Until, three years ago during playgroup with my children, someone gave us the task of creating a menu board. AND I STILL USE MINE.
My ratty, tatty menu planner
It is torn, splashed, ripped and everything, yet is so so so handy and easy to make.
Use a sheet of corrugated card (or for goodness sake – cut out a box!) and decorate it. Left over wrapping paper, pretty pictures from magazines, photos, anything. Just make it pretty. All you really need to buy is some miniature pegs on which you write the days of the week. Then you put a pocket to keep the slips of paper in. On the slips, write your favourite meals. Not the recipe – just the name. For example, I just wrote “Slow Cooker” to remind me what I planned. It could be chicken or soup or lamb, but whatever I wanted for the slow cooker.
Then find some magnets (I use the ones that the real estate people keep putting in my letterbox) and glue them to the back so you can stick your menu to your fridge.
So how does this help you save money?1. It means you plan the week’s meals ahead, and don’t buy superfluous stuff. For me, it’s not buying the fresh items that will go off. When I don’t use my menu, I buy things like sour cream or lettuce, then never use them. It ends up in the rubbish bin.2. It means you stick to your planned menu, and don’t have a week of expensive meals.3. It means you don’t forget half of the ingredients and have to go back to the shop where you spend more money.
If it sounds hard and restricting, it can be. But a bit of practice means you will be a pro-shopper in no time.
This is how I use my menu board.· First I sigh and remember it’s shopping day tomorrow. Dammit, what do I need to buy?· Then I consult the freezer to see what meat is in there. I use that meat to plan meals first. Don’t go buying more ingredients if you haven’t used up what’s in the cupboard/fridge/freezer.· Then I consult the fruit and vegetable boxes in fridge to see what needs to be used up. For example, if there is beetroot out of the garden to be used, I cook roast vegetables. Zucchini that needs to be used means zucchini slice (which is like quiche).· From these two consultations, I plan what meals I can, remembering the nights I won’t be around to cook. Wednesdays is now footy training, so those nights the meal needs to be prepared before the kids get home from school. Slow cooker, casserole or lasagne will be on the menu for those nights.· Then I plug the holes with other things that look interesting. I try to keep everyone happy by giving them meals they like once a week. My son doesn’t eat tuna, and will suffer through the meal, only half eating it, so I try to follow it the next night with something he likes. My husband prefers stir-fries, but the kids don’t. So I don’t fill the week with stir-fry items, but continue to offer them to the children to get them used to it.· I check to see if the weekly meal total is balanced. I like to have at least one meal of seafood, one meal of red meat that is not mince or sausages, and at least one night using chicken. I try not to have all pasta meals, mixing it up with rice or meals that don’t take either.· Once I know what I’m cooking for the week, I then work out, meal-by-meal, what ingredients I have in the cupboard/fridge/freezer/garden, and what needs to be purchased.
PLANNING DONE.
WRONG.
The hardest bit is sticking to the shopping list. You write the ingredients you need, and try to only buy those things at the shop. No sour cream “just in case we feel like wraps for dinner.” No lettuce in the middle of winter that will just go mouldy.
You should only buy what’s on the list. BUT sometimes there is a really great special on at the shop. I give myself permission to buy THREE specials that weren’t on the list. Bargains are bargains after all.
These guys aren't on the menu
Advantages:· No staring at the shelves in the supermarket wondering just what can you make your family tonight, and was that a tin of pineapple in the cupboard, or beetroot?· You don’t have to think about what you are going to make for the night’s meal. It’s on the list.· You don’t have to think about if you have all the ingredients.· You don’t have to pop down to the shop for that tin of tomatoes and come back with $50 worth of groceries.· You don’t have to stress that your family is not receiving a balanced diet while you pull out chicken for the fourth time that week.· You know what’s coming on the menu, and can plan. No more, “Oh, whoops, I meant to have casserole tonight, but now it’s too late to start cooking.”
Disadvantages:· No spontaneity in the meals. “I just felt like fish and salad tonight.”· Remembering to plan.· When hubby goes off-plan and uses up the sour cream meant for tomorrow night’s wraps in his odd concoction and ruins your menu.
Tips:· Have one meal that you can prepare with minimal effort in your freezer/cupboard at all times. We are living life, and sometimes life goes awry. My “emergency” meal is oven baked crumbed fish and homemade chips. If I get home late because the traffic was atrocious, and don’t have time for making lasagne, then I grab out the fish.· I shop once a week. If you prefer to shop fortnightly, then buy extra pegs and start another week down the other side of your menu board.· Put the meal tickets face down, ask the kids to choose one and let them have a “lucky dip” meal each Friday night.· When you write your grocery list, group the items together according to where they are placed in the shop. For example, anything from the fridge/freezer section of the shop I write on the bottom of my piece of paper, and work upward. Therefore the cold things are grouped together, and it’s easier not to skip over them accidentally in the list while shopping. The items that sit in the first four aisles of the shop are put on the top LH side of my list, then the last four aisles are put at the top RH side of my list. Fruit and vegetable are put on the bottom RH side.
I hope this helps, and remember to practice it. It becomes easier. Good luck. And remember, the next couple of dollars you save should be spent on books - my books preferably, but I could be saying that just for my own sake...
How to contact Renae:Email: renaekaye@iinet.net.auWebsite: www.renaekaye.weebly.comFB: www.facebook.com/renae.kaye.9Twitter: @renaekkaye Instagram: renaekayeauthor
So for the last two weeks I’ve given some tips on how to grow some of your own food that is super simple and can be done on a budget. Today I’ll continue the theme of food, with this super-duper extra-points tip on how to save money:
~~~~~~DON’T HAVE CHILDREN~~~~~~
Yeah, I know. They’re cute and cuddly, and sometime they come to be without you actually planning them. But gosh, they are money pits! I guess I’m feeling it this week after I signed my son up to football. After purchasing a shirt, shorts, football socks, football boots and a mouthguard for him, I also had to shell out for club fees AND weekly umpiring fees. But no, the costs don’t stop there. I’m now going to have to sit and watch him play – rain, hail or shine. Lightning is the only thing that will send the kids off the oval. So today I purchased a heavy duty umbrella, and after getting saturated today, I will also need to go and invest in waterproof shoes and a bigger raincoat.
My order? Uhh...So how will I make it through the week with what (at times) is little money? Grocery shopping – wisely. Groceries are one of the biggest expenses to a household, and one of the biggest differences between those who have a disposable income, and those who don’t. We are a four-person household – two adults and two primary school aged children. Our grocery bill also covers all the pet food we buy. Yet it is two-thirds of the size of my in-laws’ weekly bill – and there are only TWO of them in the house with no pets.I’m not making judgements – I’m just saying that there is a lot of scope and savings in adjusting your groceries if you need to get extra during the week.
There are 101 ways to save on groceries – shopping the specials, brand labels, etc – but one of the most HELPFUL things I find is menu planning. Does it sound too hard? It did to me as well. Until, three years ago during playgroup with my children, someone gave us the task of creating a menu board. AND I STILL USE MINE.
My ratty, tatty menu plannerIt is torn, splashed, ripped and everything, yet is so so so handy and easy to make.
Use a sheet of corrugated card (or for goodness sake – cut out a box!) and decorate it. Left over wrapping paper, pretty pictures from magazines, photos, anything. Just make it pretty. All you really need to buy is some miniature pegs on which you write the days of the week. Then you put a pocket to keep the slips of paper in. On the slips, write your favourite meals. Not the recipe – just the name. For example, I just wrote “Slow Cooker” to remind me what I planned. It could be chicken or soup or lamb, but whatever I wanted for the slow cooker.
Then find some magnets (I use the ones that the real estate people keep putting in my letterbox) and glue them to the back so you can stick your menu to your fridge.
So how does this help you save money?1. It means you plan the week’s meals ahead, and don’t buy superfluous stuff. For me, it’s not buying the fresh items that will go off. When I don’t use my menu, I buy things like sour cream or lettuce, then never use them. It ends up in the rubbish bin.2. It means you stick to your planned menu, and don’t have a week of expensive meals.3. It means you don’t forget half of the ingredients and have to go back to the shop where you spend more money.
If it sounds hard and restricting, it can be. But a bit of practice means you will be a pro-shopper in no time.
This is how I use my menu board.· First I sigh and remember it’s shopping day tomorrow. Dammit, what do I need to buy?· Then I consult the freezer to see what meat is in there. I use that meat to plan meals first. Don’t go buying more ingredients if you haven’t used up what’s in the cupboard/fridge/freezer.· Then I consult the fruit and vegetable boxes in fridge to see what needs to be used up. For example, if there is beetroot out of the garden to be used, I cook roast vegetables. Zucchini that needs to be used means zucchini slice (which is like quiche).· From these two consultations, I plan what meals I can, remembering the nights I won’t be around to cook. Wednesdays is now footy training, so those nights the meal needs to be prepared before the kids get home from school. Slow cooker, casserole or lasagne will be on the menu for those nights.· Then I plug the holes with other things that look interesting. I try to keep everyone happy by giving them meals they like once a week. My son doesn’t eat tuna, and will suffer through the meal, only half eating it, so I try to follow it the next night with something he likes. My husband prefers stir-fries, but the kids don’t. So I don’t fill the week with stir-fry items, but continue to offer them to the children to get them used to it.· I check to see if the weekly meal total is balanced. I like to have at least one meal of seafood, one meal of red meat that is not mince or sausages, and at least one night using chicken. I try not to have all pasta meals, mixing it up with rice or meals that don’t take either.· Once I know what I’m cooking for the week, I then work out, meal-by-meal, what ingredients I have in the cupboard/fridge/freezer/garden, and what needs to be purchased.
PLANNING DONE.
WRONG.
The hardest bit is sticking to the shopping list. You write the ingredients you need, and try to only buy those things at the shop. No sour cream “just in case we feel like wraps for dinner.” No lettuce in the middle of winter that will just go mouldy.
You should only buy what’s on the list. BUT sometimes there is a really great special on at the shop. I give myself permission to buy THREE specials that weren’t on the list. Bargains are bargains after all.
These guys aren't on the menu
Advantages:· No staring at the shelves in the supermarket wondering just what can you make your family tonight, and was that a tin of pineapple in the cupboard, or beetroot?· You don’t have to think about what you are going to make for the night’s meal. It’s on the list.· You don’t have to think about if you have all the ingredients.· You don’t have to pop down to the shop for that tin of tomatoes and come back with $50 worth of groceries.· You don’t have to stress that your family is not receiving a balanced diet while you pull out chicken for the fourth time that week.· You know what’s coming on the menu, and can plan. No more, “Oh, whoops, I meant to have casserole tonight, but now it’s too late to start cooking.”
Disadvantages:· No spontaneity in the meals. “I just felt like fish and salad tonight.”· Remembering to plan.· When hubby goes off-plan and uses up the sour cream meant for tomorrow night’s wraps in his odd concoction and ruins your menu.
Tips:· Have one meal that you can prepare with minimal effort in your freezer/cupboard at all times. We are living life, and sometimes life goes awry. My “emergency” meal is oven baked crumbed fish and homemade chips. If I get home late because the traffic was atrocious, and don’t have time for making lasagne, then I grab out the fish.· I shop once a week. If you prefer to shop fortnightly, then buy extra pegs and start another week down the other side of your menu board.· Put the meal tickets face down, ask the kids to choose one and let them have a “lucky dip” meal each Friday night.· When you write your grocery list, group the items together according to where they are placed in the shop. For example, anything from the fridge/freezer section of the shop I write on the bottom of my piece of paper, and work upward. Therefore the cold things are grouped together, and it’s easier not to skip over them accidentally in the list while shopping. The items that sit in the first four aisles of the shop are put on the top LH side of my list, then the last four aisles are put at the top RH side of my list. Fruit and vegetable are put on the bottom RH side.
I hope this helps, and remember to practice it. It becomes easier. Good luck. And remember, the next couple of dollars you save should be spent on books - my books preferably, but I could be saying that just for my own sake...
How to contact Renae:Email: renaekaye@iinet.net.auWebsite: www.renaekaye.weebly.comFB: www.facebook.com/renae.kaye.9Twitter: @renaekkaye Instagram: renaekayeauthor
June 3, 2015
When Books Take Over Your Life
It's one of my favorite things in the world to fall in love with a book so much that I feel like it takes over my life. I order pizza instead of cooking, or hide in the bathroom to get a few extra minutes of reading time. Books are such a huge part of my life, and I love to get lost in them. To slip into someone else's world and meet new friends or fall in love. That's what reading does for me. If it's a good book, I fall in love write along with the characters. I feel like the secondary characters are my friends and I want to hang out with them.
The thing is, my poor family has to deal with that not only when I'm reading, but when I'm writing! LOL. When I'm in the zone I completely lose myself in the story I'm telling. If I'm really feeling a book, I think about it all the time, and sneak every spare minute I can to write. I again order pizza because it's so much easier than cooking! And most of the time, they don't care about that part of it :) That's the thing about being an author though, we fall in love with books from both sides of the coin, which is pretty amazing!
I'm going through that right now with the book I've been working on. It's called CROSSROADS and I am obsessed with the two heroes, Nick and Bryce. I'm not just obsessed with them, but the whole cast of characters. I want to work on it all the time, and I'm not reading in the evenings because I'd rather be spending time with them. The first draft is actually finished. It has been for a while but I keep tweaking it and reading through it because I want to be with Nick and Bryce as long as I can. It's a pretty awesome feeling.
I have to force myself not to touch it anymore because it's off with readers and realistically, I know it's smart to take a break, but they're still there, on my mind.
To help try and get some space, I need to find a good book to read, so my question for you is, what's the last book that took over your life?
The thing is, my poor family has to deal with that not only when I'm reading, but when I'm writing! LOL. When I'm in the zone I completely lose myself in the story I'm telling. If I'm really feeling a book, I think about it all the time, and sneak every spare minute I can to write. I again order pizza because it's so much easier than cooking! And most of the time, they don't care about that part of it :) That's the thing about being an author though, we fall in love with books from both sides of the coin, which is pretty amazing!
I'm going through that right now with the book I've been working on. It's called CROSSROADS and I am obsessed with the two heroes, Nick and Bryce. I'm not just obsessed with them, but the whole cast of characters. I want to work on it all the time, and I'm not reading in the evenings because I'd rather be spending time with them. The first draft is actually finished. It has been for a while but I keep tweaking it and reading through it because I want to be with Nick and Bryce as long as I can. It's a pretty awesome feeling.
I have to force myself not to touch it anymore because it's off with readers and realistically, I know it's smart to take a break, but they're still there, on my mind.
To help try and get some space, I need to find a good book to read, so my question for you is, what's the last book that took over your life?
Second Chances
Path Not Taken is my latest novella release as part of Dreamspinner's Never Too Late Daily Dose for June. I want to talk about the very beginning of this story. A few months ago in my writer's group, the leader gave us a sentence "A lone whistle echoed in the darkness," and we had to write for ten minutes. What I ended up writing was the first paragraph of Path Not Taken. I happened to have just finished a story and I went right into this one and wrote it the following week.
I'm asked all the time where my inspiration comes from and I have to say that it comes form everywhere. In this case a sentence form the group leader that was supposed to be an exercise in getting the juices flowing. In my case, it definitely worked. So Misty, you're the best and this story is for you.
On the train from Lancaster to Philadelphia, Trent runs into Brit, his first love and the first man to break his heart. They’ve both been through a lot in the years since they parted ways, and as they talk, the old connection tenuously strengthens. Trent finally works up the nerve to call Brit, and their rekindled friendship slowly grows into the possibility for more. But both men are shadowed by their pasts as they explore the path they didn’t take the first time. If they can move beyond loss and painful memories, they might find their road leads to a second chance at happiness.
Purchase: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6546
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
I'm asked all the time where my inspiration comes from and I have to say that it comes form everywhere. In this case a sentence form the group leader that was supposed to be an exercise in getting the juices flowing. In my case, it definitely worked. So Misty, you're the best and this story is for you.
On the train from Lancaster to Philadelphia, Trent runs into Brit, his first love and the first man to break his heart. They’ve both been through a lot in the years since they parted ways, and as they talk, the old connection tenuously strengthens. Trent finally works up the nerve to call Brit, and their rekindled friendship slowly grows into the possibility for more. But both men are shadowed by their pasts as they explore the path they didn’t take the first time. If they can move beyond loss and painful memories, they might find their road leads to a second chance at happiness.
Purchase: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=6546
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
June 2, 2015
BA, Julia and Sean's Top Ten Never To Be Used Again M/M Names
10. Allen -- every single one of Julia's characters starts out as Allen
9. Adam -- BA is an Adam fanatic
8. Devon/Damon/Drake/Damien -- NO MORE D NAMES
7. Peter -- snort Because that's not a Freudian slip
6. Annie -- every BA book has a secondary Annie
5. Tyler/Travis -- Obviously these names are interchangeable
4. Kevin/Keith -- So are these
3. Ogg -- Blame Julia. We all do.
2 Any name with an X. X's are hard to type
1. RICHARD -- everyone stares at Sean
Just because I've got a Dick and a Rick and a Rich and a Richard..... ;)
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
9. Adam -- BA is an Adam fanatic
8. Devon/Damon/Drake/Damien -- NO MORE D NAMES
7. Peter -- snort Because that's not a Freudian slip
6. Annie -- every BA book has a secondary Annie
5. Tyler/Travis -- Obviously these names are interchangeable
4. Kevin/Keith -- So are these
3. Ogg -- Blame Julia. We all do.
2 Any name with an X. X's are hard to type
1. RICHARD -- everyone stares at Sean
Just because I've got a Dick and a Rick and a Rich and a Richard..... ;)
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
