K-lee Klein's Blog: Chaos in the Moonlight , page 3

Gratitude & Giving Day 21 - Sarah Madison

I’m so glad to have this opportunity to speak about gratitude here today because I’ve been conducting a little exercise lately, and I would very much like to share the results with you.
See, I’m a bit of a Human Eeyore. I have a tendency to see the worst case scenarios. I don’t consider this pessimism—instead it feels more like realism to me. In fact, that’s part of why I like writing romances. I believe in happy endings, even though I think few of us get them. Not only does writing make my day a bit brighter, but if a single story makes it easier for someone to get through a bad day, then I feel like I’ve done my job as a writer. That’s what I call success.
You know that scene in Jupiter Rising? The one where the main character wakes up each morning and recites, “I hate my life.” Yeah, that could be me. I’ve been struggling with depression, job burnout, and caregiver burnout for a while now.
Recently I became inspired by several people I follow who have been posting daily about the things they are grateful for in their lives. This prompted me to attempt to do the same, though to be honest, I found it easier some days than others. Still, I was determined to give it my best shot. Every day for an entire year, I would post three things I was grateful for or three things that made me smile.
I haven’t managed to do it every single day, but I’ve been doing it for nearly two months now, and I’m starting to see some changes in my life. First of all, it is seldom the Big Things that make me feel a sense of gratitude. Big Things don’t come into our lives every day. It’s the little things that make the biggest difference in our lives. Taming the feral cat hanging around the house. Getting mentioned on a “Best of 2015” list. Having someone leave an awesome review for one of my stories. A great hug from the person you love most. Getting a surprise gift in the mail. Hearing from a friend that I’d lost touch with. Rain on the roof at night. The ghostly vision of a full moon just after dawn. The intensity of the constellations in a winter’s sky.
I found myself waking, not with the thought of how much I hated my life, but wondering what three things I was going to find to post about that day. Even if the morning started off rocky, I’d remind myself I still had to come up with three things—and that very thought changed my entire attitude toward the day. Little by little, my first thoughts turned to what would I find to make me smile that day, and let me tell you, that’s a powerful thing.
I’ve never been a big fan of ‘The Power of Positive Thinking’ because if I don’t believe something, I can’t fake my way into it. But this exercise has taught me that the mindset of gratitude is contagious—and the more you immerse yourself in it, the easier it becomes to see the good things that you have in your life. And when you see your life as one of plenty instead of one of wanting, then good things seem to find their way into your life. Sounds like voodoo, I know, but I challenge you to give it a try. If you can’t commit to an entire year, at least 30 days. Spend 30 days finding just three things each day that make you smile.  You’ll be glad you did.
What’s making me smile today is the re-release of a book that is dear to my heart: The Boys of Summer is available from Dreamspinner Press today! I hope you’ll check it out. Tell me three things YOU’RE grateful for and leave your email in the comments, and I’ll choose a winner at random to receive an e-copy of The Boys of Summer.
Bio 
Sarah Madison is a writer with a big dog, an even bigger horse, too many cats, and a very patient boyfriend. She is a terrible cook, and concedes that her life would be easier if Purina made People Chow. She writes because it is cheaper than therapy.
Sarah Madison was a finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Awards and is the winner of Best M/M Romance in the 2013 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards for The Boys of Summer. The Sixth Sense series was awarded 2nd place for Best M/M Mystery Series in the 2014 PRG’s Reviewer’s Choice Awards.
Contact links:WebsiteAmazonFacebook (author page) On Facebook (Profile page) TwitterDreamspinner Goodreads Profile Tumblr

Gratitude & Giving Day 20 - Megan Derr

I'm a military brat. I'm very good at not getting attached to things. I have zero concept of what it's like to give a damn about a particular place. I don't mean that in some superiority complex way. I mean straight up I don't get it. I moved every three years until I was in highschool. Home is where my family is, not a particular place.

Home is also knowing that family, blood or made, is there for you no matter what, and you're there for them. Both my parents are former Marines. There were many points of my life where my father was pulled away because of his duties. But we never felt neglected or forgotten, he's a great man and father. My mother is, and has always been, awesome as hell. She showed men how to be Marines back when there were very few women in the military period. Anything that is good about me came from my parents, who defied their families and put up with more heartache and pain than anyone should ever have to endure.

I'm a flake, I'm melodramatic, I'm focused to the point I often come off as cold and/or selfish IRL. I've been called a cold-hearted bitch by people I called friends. Sometimes they're nice enough to call me abrasive or mean instead. My siblings have put up with more shit from me than they ever should have had to, and I love them more than life itself. My parents should be declared saints.

Then there's Sasha, who is the partner in life I never thought I would have. HS and college were hell for me, sexually and romantically speaking. I've never been interested in sex in my life. I didn't know how weird I was until I started realizing that what I felt (or didn't feel) wasn't how the rest of the world felt. I tried boyfriends, always to my misery, and I was unintentionally a jerk to a few of them. It's hard realizing that you just don't feel what other people feel, don't feel what's taken as normal. Nevermind my histrionics and insecurities, my scatterbrain propensities and what feels like a hundred other things that make me unbearable to deal with in my own head. But at my absolute lowest, I got an email from someone who said 'I know exactly how you feel' and now we've bought a house and are planning to get married next year.

And then there are my readers. Once upon a time I posted a dumb story called Rainbow. I was terrified. I knew it was stupid, I knew I'd get zero comments or a bunch of comments telling me how awful my story was. But I've always been a baptism by fire individual, and I knew if I was going to be an author the only way forward was this first step, so succeed or fail I posted it.

That was more than ten years ago. It's kind of crazy to think about. Ten years is a lot and yet nothing at all. I got comments, people started following me on LJ, I went from someone depressed that her friends were succeeding while she was failing miserably to someone who seemed to be doing okay at the one thing she never thought she'd actually be able to do: writing. It was the kind of dream I didn't want to admit was a dream because I just assumed I couldn't do it.

But I've done it, and every follow, email, tweet, and like along the way has meant more than words can ever express. I'm not wealthy, I'm not famous, I wouldn't even say I'm popular. But I get emails and comments that say 'you helped me get through a bad day' and that's all I ever wanted.

So the TL;DR here is that I am grateful for the parents that did not smother me with a pillow every time they should (my nickname is Monster, if you want to know how hellacious a child I was), I am grateful for the siblings that grew up alongside me, I am grateful for the woman putting up with six cats with me, and I am grateful for the friends and readers who have helped me make it this far. I thank you all.
***
Megan is a long time resident of LGBTQ romance, and keeps herself busy reading, writing, and publishing it. She is often accused of fluff and nonsense. When she's not involved in writing, she likes to cook, harass her cats, or watch movies. She loves to hear from readers, and can be found all over the internet.
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In the spirit of gratitude and giving, I'm offering an advance copy of Tournament of Losers to one lucky winner ^_^ Giveaway wraps on December 31st.
All Rath wants is a quiet, peaceful life. Unfortunately, his father brings him too much trouble—and too many debts to pay—for that to ever be possible. When the local crime lord drags Rath out of bed and tells him he has three days to pay his father's latest debt, Rath doesn't know what to do. There's no way to come up with so much money in so little time.
Then a friend poses an idea just ridiculous enough to work: enter the Tournament of Losers, where every seventy-five years, peasants compete for the chance to marry into the noble and royal houses. All competitors are given a stipend to live on for the duration of the tournament—funds enough to cover his father's debt.
All he has to do is win the first few rounds, collect his stipend, and then it's back to trying to live a quiet life…
LT3 listing

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Gratitude & Giving Day 19 - Becky Black

Things I’m grateful for as a writer – I wouldn’t be where I am now without them.
·       The internet . I’m still pretty shy about talking to three dimensional people about writing. The internet makes all of that much easier. It was the first place I could share my writing, because although it brings people together, it’s also a buffer zone between them. It’s easy to melt away from a place on the Internet you don’t feel welcome or supported and never have to deal with those people again. It also makes submitting books and publishing much easier  and faster than when everything was done by snail mail. My first book was published in January 2011, and my latest release in November was my 14th release of a novel or novella length book. Fourteen in five years. And I’m not counting shorts in that total. That simply would not have happened without the internet.
·       Fanfic . Much sneered at, but the apprenticeship of more and more writers these days, especially well represented in M/M and again, strongly facilitated by the internet. It lets writers share their work with people who want to read it, and get feedback to help them improve – which can be difficult to find otherwise. The critique groups and beta readers I worked with as a fanfic writers were important parts of my development as a writer.
·       NaNoWriMo , National Novel Writing Month, the crazy November event where people attempt to write a fifty thousand word novel in a month. NaNoWriMo 2006 was the first year I did it and the first time I wrote
an original novel length story. I’ve done it every year since and five of my published novels began as NaNoWriMo drafts. But it’s by no means just an event for pro writers, or even serious hobbyists. In many ways the people who get the most from it are those who haven’t written any fiction since school, but swear they’ll write a book “one day”.

·       The friend on Live Journal who reviewed some M/M historicals, because that was the first time I learned the genre existed. Gay fiction of course I knew about, but this M/M was something new. So I read some, and then some more. And that was paperbacks, which were bloody expensive to get in the UK. I got a Kindle mainly so I could get more M/M books. After a while I decided, I could have a crack at writing one.
·        All the people over the years who’ve supported me and been beta readers and given critiques, who’ve given me support and advice. The editors who make me look better. The cover artists who make my books look pretty. The publishers who turn a writer’s daydreams into money in the writer’s bank account. And of course the readers who buy the books!

The giveaway I’m offering is of one of the books that started life during NaNoWriMo.
Mapping the Shadows
Blurb
Ash Bowman is lost. Two years ago he and his cop partner, Evelyn, walked in on a murder in progress that left her dead and him maimed. He left the force and became a private investigator, but business is suffering because of his obsession with mapping the Core of the space station Fraxin Yari, where Evelyn’s ghost haunts him as he prowls the dark corridors.
Journalist Gabe Whitfield is on a mission to learn the truth behind that same murder. He doesn’t expect to stay on Frax after he finishes the job. But meeting Ash Bowman changes his plans. He came to the station a man without ties. He isn’t going to leave the same way.
Despite initially mistrusting him, Ash can’t resist his attraction to the fiery Gabe. Gabe responds, though knows he shouldn’t when Ash is one of the subjects of his investigation. But they come to trust each other and join forces to find the answers Ash had almost forgotten he was still seeking. If they are to have any chance of happiness, Gabe must help Ash lay the ghosts calling him back again and again to the deep darkness of the Core.

Published by Loose IdCover art by April MartinezMore details here.
If you’d like to win, leave a comment to enter the draw and I’ll pick out the winner at random after 18:00 (GMT) on 23rd of December. Make sure to leave your email address and tell me your preferred ebook format so I can send you the book straight away if you win.

Author BioBecky lives in the UK and her writing is primarily fuelled by tea and rainy days. After spending far too many years only thinking about writing she finally started putting words down back in 2003 and hasn’t stopped since, still trying to make up for lost time.LinksWebsite Email Twitter Facebook Goodreads 

Gratitude & Giving Day 18 - Shira Anthony

On Being Thankful, by Shira Anthony
Sometimes we should express our gratitude for the small and simple things like the scent of the rain, the taste of your favorite food, or the sound of a loved one's voice. —Joseph B. Wirthlin
Gratitude is a gift in and of itself. It’s a gift we give others. Gratitude is also something we must learn. More importantly, gratitude is the path to happiness. But happiness is also the path.
I hit a “big” birthday a few years ago. One of those birthdays that gets you thinking about your own mortality. It didn’t help that around that time, my family and I lost a very dear friend to cancer. Lanie hadn’t even turned thirty. She’d survived a battle with breast cancer. She’d only gotten married a few years before her first diagnosis. She died less than a year after she gave birth to a beautiful baby boy the doctors never thought she could conceive. I was devastated. A few years later, I lost both my uncles. I nearly lost my father.
I can’t say I reacted well to any of it. I was angry. Frightened, too. I felt human. Fragile. I watched my parents and my husband’s parents grow older and weaker. I watched as time moved forward, and I knew what was coming for me, for them, for all of us.
Last summer was one of the hardest and darkest times of my life. A good friend of mine died suddenly and far too young. So much promise, so much talent, and he was just... gone. I learned of his death on the first day of a three week sailing trip. That loss overshadowed my trip. How was it fair that he was gone, his loving husband left alone, and I was taking three weeks off of work to sail? There were other challenges and losses as well, all of which left me shell-shocked and sad. The summer ended with my saying goodbye to my youngest as my husband and I left him at college in Colorado.
I took nearly three months off from writing. I licked my wounds. I kept moving forward, but without real joy. I’d love to say I had an epiphany and that my attitude about life and happiness changed overnight. It didn’t work that way. I didn’t wake up one morning and shrug off the gloom.
But one morning something did happen. I woke up and realized my husband was still standing there beside me, loving and supporting me. That I love him deeply, even after all these years. I realized that I have friends who love me and whom I love. I realized we’d raised two wonderful children. My old dog, whom I thought wouldn’t see 2015, rallied and is doing well. She greets me when I come home and makes me smile. I have two living parents who are enjoying their lives. I have a real life job I can be proud of and that makes a difference. I write books and people readthem.
Those were the big realizations. Things I am incredibly grateful for. But the journey toward gratitude didn’t end there. I started looking around for a change, rather than looking inward. I noticed tiny things. Things I hadn’t even noticed seemed to make themselves known to me. Things I’d taken for granted.
I remember standing in the break room at my office, waiting for my lunch to heat in the microwave. I’d left my phone in my office and there was no one around at the time. I had nothing to do. I looked out the window at downtown Raleigh. It had been raining on and off for nearly a week. Clouds hung low over the tall buildings. And instead of thinking how I was sick and tired of the rain, I noticed how beautiful the clouds were. How the trees were particularly colorful this year. That night, when I walked to my car, I took a deep breath and inhaled the wonderful scent of the fallen leaves and the rain.
Each day now, I try to focus on the little things. The beauty in the world around me, even if it’s just a single flower growing in the cracks of the concrete. And I am so grateful to be alive.
With each little piece of gratitude comes the greatest of gifts: happiness. Because when I focused on the beauty, whether it’s a cherished memory of a loved one who is no longer here, or the simple pleasure of inhaling the salty air from our boat, or the wag of a dog’s tail because she’s happy to see me, I started reclaiming my happiness. Piece by tiny piece.A simple shift in focus. Finding the beauty and the happiness that has always been around me. Being grateful for what I have.
Buddha is quoted as saying, “Happiness does not depend upon what you have or who you are. It relies solely on what you think.” Taken one step further, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh writes, “There is no way to happiness; happiness is the way.”
No matter what life brings us, there is happiness to be found. Sometimes we have to look for it. But it’s there. And for that, I am so incredibly grateful.
I’m sharing a bit of my gratitude with everyone by offering up an ebook or paperback copy of one of my books (paperbacks for US entrants only). Comment on this post and tell me what you’re grateful for, and you’ll be entered! I’ll pick a winner on New Year’s Day!  Happy holidays and a very happy New Year to everyone. –Shira
******Shira’s next release, First Comes Marriage is now available for preorder from Dreamspinner Press. It’s part of the brand new Dreamspun Desires line from Dreamspinner. Sweet, romance front and center novels that feature all the classic tropes category romance: mistaken identity, second chances at love, marriages of convenience, secret lives, exotic locations, and lonely millionaire bachelors. Dreamspun books are available individually or by subscription at a special discount.
Blurb: When struggling novelist Chris Valentine meets Jesse Donovan, he’s interested in a book contract, or possibly a date. The last thing Chris expects is a marriage proposal from New York City’s most eligible bachelor!
Jesse’s in a pinch: to keep control of his company, he has to marry. So he has valid reasons for offering Chris this business deal. In exchange for living in a gorgeous mansion for a year, playing the doting husband, Chris gets all the writing time he wants and walks away with a million dollar payoff. Surely Chris can handle that. He can handle living with the most handsome and endearing man he’s ever met, a man he immediately knows he wants in the worst way and can’t have. Or can he?
You can purchase First Comes Marriageat Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7302

You can subscribe to the Dreamspun Desires line at Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...

******In her last incarnation, Shira Anthony was a professional opera singer, performing roles in such operas as Tosca, Pagliacci, and La Traviata, among others. She’s given up TV for evenings spent with her laptop, and she never goes anywhere without a pile of unread M/M romance on her Kindle. 
Shira is married with two children and two insane dogs, and when she’s not writing, she is usually in a courtroom trying to make the world safer for children.  When she’s not working, she can be found aboard a 35’ catamaran at the Carolina coast with her favorite sexy captain at the wheel.
Shira can be found on Facebook, Goodreads, Twitter (@WriterShira) or on her web site, http://www.shiraanthony.com. You can also contact her at shiraanthony@hotmail.com. You can find Shira’s books at Dreamspinner Press, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and All Romance Ebooks.

Gratitude & Giving Day 17 - CJane Elliott

Hi, all. I’m CJane Elliott and first want to thank K-Lee for inviting me to participate in this wonderful blog tour of gratitude and giving. I had the pleasure of meeting K-Lee when we were roomies at GRL this year. Many epic adventures ensued!
I’m grateful for so many things. I’m grateful that I get to live in the United States, despite all its problems. I’m in the Pacific Northwest and it’s a lovely part of our country. I’m grateful that my husband and I picked up stakes and moved here ten years ago, along with our son. I’m grateful for my husband’s unflagging support and love for me, and his willingness to go along with the many crazy ideas I’ve had over the years. I’m grateful for my son who has become a great young man, a feminist, an LGBTQ rights supporter, and a creative and funny person.
I’m grateful for music, art, and theater, movies, books, and dance. All have contributed immeasurably to the quality of my life. I love the creators, the artists, the poets… all who make this poor world a more beautiful place.
GIVEAWAY: I’m especially grateful to all you readers who love m/m romance! I am giving away any of my ebooks. You can find the list here: CJane Elliott 
To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment saying something you’re grateful for. I’ll check back on New Year’s Day and announce a winner.
I’m celebrating the release of my new novella, There You Are, which is now available for preorder and will be published on December 23. It’s the 2nd book in my Wild and Precious Series.
Blurb:
Bisexual musician Cody Bellstrom is a free spirit, easygoing and unattached. On a cross-country trip, Cody befriends young Sandy Nixon and gets him safely to Portland and his uncle, Phineas MacDonald. Beautiful Phineas turns Cody’s life upside down, and Cody learns he's not as unattached as he aspires to be. With the hard-won knowledge of what lies underneath his need to be free, Cody wins a chance at real freedom and true love.
Ever since his longtime lover Allen died, Phineas MacDonald has lived a circumscribed life. He stopped performing as fierce drag queen Phanny Hill and works part-time in a bookstore. Phineas never expected to find love again. But when sexy and caring Cody Bellstrom turns up, Phineas feels his orderly life slipping out of his control. Cody brings him alive again, but now Phineas must find the courage to let go of his grief over Allen and give love a second chance.
Buy Links:
Dreamspinner
ARe
Amazon
Apple
Kobo
Barne&Noble
Google Play
Author Bio:
After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.
CJane is an ardent supporter of LGBTQ equality and is particularly fond of coming out stories.
In her spare time, CJane can be found dancing, listening to music, or watching old movies. Her husband and son support her writing habit by staying out of the way when they see her hunched over, staring intensely at her laptop.

Gratitude & Giving Day 16 - SJ Himes

Thanks for having me, K-Lee!
This year has been a tough one for me. Lost almost everything except my dog and my computer and the stories in my head. I released not just my first novel but ended up with four novels and a novella under my belt, and the future is looking just as bright. I still have a long way to go until I can say I’m in a good place. My own roof over my head, reliable income, no more fear and a return to normal, everyday stress—not that I know what normal is, not really. Does anyone?
I moved from my home of ten years back to my childhood home, then faced an uncertain future with two choices—stay in an environment where I got vague support and sporadic interest in my writing career, or head South, and forge a new path. New friends took a chance on me, and I’m grateful, and very thankful. Not many people have the selflessness and the courage to do what they’ve done for me, are still doing for me. More than a roof over my head, but a place for me to start my career and the encouragement to be myself.
This time of year I am thankful for new friends, old hobbies becoming careers, and the strength to keep going, regardless of the challenge.
I’ve got so many books to start, finish, published and released….I can’t wait to share them all with the world. My newest book is Wolf of the Northern Star, and the plan is to release mid-January. I’m beyond excited. Here’s the blurb and the cover!
Wolf of the Northern StarBook Two of The Wolfkin Saga, January 2016Blurb:
After a lifetime apart, wolfkin Ghost and Kane are reunited. Together they defeat an old enemy and root out a festering evil from the center of their clan and family.
Ghost, once known as the cub Luca, is finally home. Back among his kind and learning what it means to be both a man and a shaman, Ghost battles the expectations of his people, his family, and the pressures of a society that is both foreign and familiar. His power is greater than any seen before, dwarfing that of even the legendary Shaman Gray Shadow—and his union with Kane places him in the center of a controversy that rattles wolfkin society around the world.
Kane, greater alpha and Heir to Black Pine Clan, has finally defeated the traitor and murderer that destroyed the heart of Black Pine years before. Freed at last from guilt and pain, Kane has a new enemy to face: his own people. Placed on trial for violation of Law and blasphemy, Kane will have to fight to the death to preserve his bond with Ghost and keep his mate and people safe.
The soulbond between Ghost and Kane is forged by the creator and Goddess of the wolfkin. Usually a sacred and treasured union that honors the pair and their clans, this soulbond is seen not as a gift, but a threat to eons of tradition and Clan Law.
The union of a Shaman and Alpha is anathema—but how to reconcile that belief when it is the wolfkin Goddess who forged it? Can Ghost and Kane save themselves, preserve their bond, and find a new future when the laws of the ancient past threaten to tear them apart?
Ghost and Kane fight for their lives, their love, and seek answers from the enigmatic deity known as The Wolf of The Northern Star…..
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Gratitude & Giving Day 15 - K-lee Klein

Hey, guys. I hope you're all enjoying 31 Days of Gratitude & Giving. How spectacular have all these authors been for sharing their thoughts and gifts on my little blog?
I'm taking a turn because one of my friends had to pull-out due to a family situation. I'll also be the New Year's Eve time slot to usher us into 2016 because the boss gets to do the wrap-up. At the moment, I'm also sicker than a dog but so I'll try to put some braincells together for this post. 
I love that some authors have been using my "ghosts of..." idea so I'm going to give that a shot, too.

Ghosts of Gratitude Past
I have a lot to be grateful for.
I have three grown kids who are awesome, down-to-earth, independent people who care for one another and me. They endured having the out-of-the-norm mom who got her first tattoo at thirty-seven and was determined to show it off, and they simply blink their eyes at my obsessions or maybe tease me a little. They are my pride and joy and without their encouragement and love I would not be where I am today, I would not be the person I'm striving to be, and I wouldn't still be trying to reach those goals they tell me I can achieve. Without them I might very well not be here at all. (My sons were bridesmen for my daughter - that's where the pic is from) Damn proud of all of them. <3

I have a husband who has supported me through mental illness, hospitalizations, inability to work outside the home, the fact his wife signed-up four & five year-old boys for hockey at the same time (which was definitely more her idea than his LOL). He accepts my strange obsessive behavior like The Winter Soldier & The Hobbit, expensive conferences, and a desire to know, talk and show him everything gay. He has kept a roof over our family's heads, put food on the table, clothes on our backs, indulged my traveling urges, and as with my kids, made sure I didn't give up on myself and my life.

Ghosts of Gratitude Present
The past so easily bleeds into the present and in this train of thought I have to put my writing at the top of my list of things I'm thankful for. The past part is debt of gratitude owed to the first people who encouraged me to write - fanfiction friends from LiveJournal, The GoodReads M/M Romance, SJ Frost (who first told me I should submit something to a publisher), and Kris Jacen & MLR Press.
That brings me to the present.
I'm grateful every day for the ability to put my thoughts to paper, or iPad as it were. Writing gives me an outlet to take all those roaming thoughts and emotions in my head and heart and put them somewhere constructive. Writing lets me express how I'm feeling, what I love, what hurts me, and what makes me happy. It allows me to feel productive in my life, to touch people's hearts, funny bones or maybe even sexy times, and to share the lives of fictional characters who are an important part of me.
And one of the biggest perks of being an author in the m/m community is the readers and authors I've met online and in person. I'm thankful every time I open Facebook to see someone has liked yet another post of Sebastian Stan or Chris Evans, to read what others have commented on my page, and to keep those important connections of friendship strong and heartfelt.
I'm a bit of a hermit, a hibernator even in warm weather, so the friends I've made along the way in my writing career represent at least ninety percent of my social life. And without having that commonality of m/m romance or writing in general, I would have never met the majority of those people - the majority of you.
I'm also grateful to have found a medical professional who finally believes in me, doesn't treat me like a mere inconvenience, and let's me take as much of his time as needed whether in actual treatment or speaking kindly with me. I am, of course, talking about my knee issues of almost four years and my Physioterrorist, John. There are definitely some very good people in the world and I'm happy to have found him.
Ghosts of Gratitude Yet To Come (AKA K-lee is cheating in this category)
This is a tougher one. I'm normally a glass half-empty kind of person so I've never really looked to the future for things I might be grateful for. I'm going to look at it in a different way, rather than what I'm looking forward to being grateful for...how about just what I'm looking forward to?
In global terms, I'm hoping for a continued change in the stigma of mental illness, a more positive approach so there is less shame and more understanding around this issue. And let's just get rid of homophobia altogether. It's time. 2016 needs to be the year we educate more and more people, open some of those closed minds, or just decide "screw it" - you live your life and I'll live mine. Change is important. Change shows we are evolving. Change is always needed when important issues and especially beating human hearts are involved.
On a more personal level, I'm looking forward to sharing more stories with readers who stick by me through every book, no matter how it turns out. I'm excited about finally writing all those books I've put on hold because I've often heaped too much on my plate at once. 
I'm looking forward to at least one convention next year and maybe a special trip for my (whispers big 5-0) birthday in February. 
I'm hoping for more quality time with my busy adult kids who I will beg and bribe if need be - they're really very good people, but a mother is allowed to use her wiles to get more face-time.
And finally, I'm looking forward to Captain America: Civil War because...OMG, have you seen the trailer? Cap & Bucky Foreva! Ha! If you know anything about me, you had to know I'd mention them at least once, twice...~ * ~ * ~
Okay! Phew, that was way longer than intended. Now for the good stuff - the giveaway. I've decided a signed print book is in order for this post. So since I mentioned 2016, I want you to tell me one thing that you're looking forward to next year. Simple, right? Leave your name & email address too, if that's okay with you. I'll pick a winner on December 22. Thanks for indulging me.
Peace, joy & love.~ * ~ * ~
For this post, I'm pimping my Family of Misfits series because the first book, Lucius' Bite takes place at Christmas or Winter Solstice. There are three books in the series now, it takes place on Vancouver Island, Canada, & Romania, and it's contemporary paranormal with a tinge of fantasy. Lol. Yeah, something like that. You can get any of the books in the series at MLR Press, Amazon, ARE, or iTunes.
* * * Lucius' Bite
One bite has never been a life changing decision but it is now --- to bite or not to bite that is the question.
All Lucius needs is his family. They might be a mismatched and unconventional group but they're the only "real" family he knows and wants. What Lucius doesn't need is the strange, beautiful man who arrives as a last minute dinner guest and knocks him and his wolf on his ass, literally.
Just being in the same room with the mysterious Nicu proves disastrous. Lucius knows without a doubt he doesn't need the havoc Nicu threatens to bring to his predictable, but comfortable existence. But when he stands to lose the man who is tearing his life apart, Lucius realizes he doesn't know what he needs at all.
* * *

Ali's Intuition
If the rough and tumble man at Ali's door is supposed to be his fate-ordained mate, then he has to wonder what in the Goddess' name Fate was thinking.
Ali has always dreamed of his spirit mate, someone classy, intelligent and romantic, but the man who faints in his doorway is anything but. Kalo is loud and pushy, with hair more suited to a caveman and manners to match---all wrapped up in one big package of you've got to be kidding me. Besides, Ali has responsibilities as mama bear to his den of shifters and that's where he needs to be. For Kalo, being rejected by his spirit mate won't be life-threatening. But there's something about Ali that intrigues him and touches his soul. He's ready to offer his already-engaged heart with no strings attached, for a chance to change Ali's mind.
* * * Manny's Heart
Manny's willing to do anything it takes to be loved by the spirit mate of his dreams, but there's a fine line between dreams and nightmares.
Manny's life has improved in so many ways since moving to Romania, but he's unhappy that the last essential piece-finding his spirit mate-hasn't happened yet. He's more than ready, willing, and able to make that dream come true. If only the match for his birthmark would finally show up, because he's determined to be the best damned spirit mate anyone ever had.
Mika's always been relieved to not have a birthmark like his twin. He's never going to end up stuck with some fate-ordained mate he doesn't even know. The rock & roll bachelor life, with friends and hook-ups he chooses for himself, suits him perfectly.
But Mika's never had a friend quite like Manny, and he's never been as angry about the whole fated mate nonsense as he is when it becomes Manny's only goal. All Mika can do, though, is offer Manny his support. As his friend.
Buy links
MLR Press AmazonARE 
~ * ~ * ~Bio (insert crazy K-lee pic here...)
K-lee Klein has lived in one part of Western Canada or another for her entire life. She’s a doting mother of three now-grown kids, and has had characters and plots running around her head for as long as she can remember. In an attempt to avoid major writer’s block, she keeps the image of muse on her leg so he can’t run off too far. Unfortunately, it doesn’t work all the time.
K-lee’s days consist of planning her next tattoo design for her growing collection, having a lot of baths since her muse loves the water, and fighting off an abundance of fabulous gay men, large and small who continually bounce off the walls of her skull, competing for their turns to tell their stories.
Among her favorite sub-genres to read and write are rock stars, cowboys, shifters, friends-to-lovers, and opposites-attract relationships. But to be honest, she’s open to almost anything if it involves messing around in the heads of her characters. She’s also big on series—because she has a hard time letting her characters go—and is usually working on a handful of stories in various stages of completion all at the same time.
Places to find K-lee.
Website
Blog 
Twitter 
Facebook 
Facebook author/reader group 

Gratitude & Giving Day 14 - Nico Jaye

Thanks so much to K-lee for hosting this month of fun giveaways!
As a general thing, I'm terrible at blogging, which made me nervous when K-lee asked if I'd like to contribute a post for her reader appreciation week. *frets* When she mentioned the topic of gratitude, though, I signed right on because, quite honestly, there is so much in my life for which I'm thankful.
It's so easy, especially around the holidays with advertising that tells us we all need more more MORE, to get caught up in everything new and shiny without taking a step back to realize the good things that have stood the test of time. 
I'm so thankful for my parents, who have always supported me through everything and who taught me so many important things in life: love, respect, hard work, and perseverance. 
I'm thankful for my health. My friends. The beauty of the sunset. Being able to learn. Having a computer on which to research things, read, write, and interact with friends all around the world. Having food in the pantry and clean water. Reading for fun and for knowledge. Having the ability to read in the first place.


I've reached a point in my life when I don't really need much by way of material things. Sure, it would be cool to get a new iPad to replace my first generation iPad or upgrade to the faster internet, but do I need it? No. Learning to be thankful for what I have has taught me that less can definitely be more than enough—especially when what I already have in my life is pretty amazing already.
GIVEAWAY:  Hugs to all of you readers! I'm thankful for your enthusiasm, support, and the life you breathe into my stories and characters.
As an expression of my thanks, I'd like to offer any standalone title in my backlist. You can see the full list on All Romance eBooks here: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/storeSearch.html?searchBy=author&qString=Nico+Jaye
My most recent release is Unscripted, part of the Heartsville collaboration with Piper Vaughn, J.H. Knight, Jayden Brooks, and Cate Ashwood.
Author Bio:
Nico Jaye is a fan of all things HEA and has dragged her romance collection along for her moves from San Francisco to Los Angeles to Chicago to New York and back. She thinks reading is awesome and loves that she can hang out night after night with crinoline-wearing debutantes, brawny firemen in suspenders, and werewolf shifters with Scottish brogues. Her favorite stories are those that marry smut and fluff (a.k.a. smuff) into a gooey ball of HEA and fuzzies.
An overall feline enthusiast, Nico secretly (or not so secretly?) adores Hello Kitty, cat GIFs, spontaneous traveling, pretending to be crafty, emoticons, hot menfolk, and parenthetical statements (not necessarily in that order). After starting as the pitcher for Team Awesome (literally) and visiting places like South Africa, Oman, and Fiji, Nico discovered that letting the boys in her head tell her where they want to go could actually be the most exciting journey of all.
Find out more at www.nicojaye.com.

Gratitude & Giving Day 13 - Z.A. Maxfield

Hi and welcome to day 13 of K-Lee Klein's celebration of gratitude and giving. First of all, I want to express how grateful I am to K-Lee, who is allowing me to post here today to celebrate the holidays with the ghosts of gratitude, Past, Present and Future. 

 Ghost of Gratitude Past - I have to give this one to my mother and father, Regina and Gary, who adopted me at three days old. I don't know what would have happened to me if they hadn't. Like something from a science fiction story, I'd have had an entire alternate universe tale to tell. I sometimes imagine what my life might have been like if they hadn't come along, but I don't think I could have done better than to end up with the parents I got. I loved them dearly, and I miss them every day. 

Ghost of Gratitude Present - These days I have trouble counting my blessings because there are so many. My family charms the hell out of me. My friends are kind. My colleagues are wonderful, entertaining, warm and giving. I'm grateful that I can do a job I love and take home a paycheck. I love my job, my home, and my family so much. I'm a very, very lucky lady. 

 Ghost of Gratitude yet to come - I really hope I'll live to see the world change for the better with regard to social justice. I'm grateful for the transparency we have today, for our ability to see people struggling with social justice issues in the moment they happen through communication technology. I believe if we continue to shine a light on irrational hatred we can eradicate it and I look forward to that day. 

My newest release is really a re-release, A novella from 2009 called Blue Fire:

Fire cost Jared Kenny his home and all his memories of the man he’d loved for over half his life. But it also brought him firefighter Adam Collins and the purest blue eyes Jared had ever seen. 

Despite the best efforts of his department, Adam had to watch with Jared while Jared’s house burned to the ground. Something about the man touched Adam and made him want to follow up and protect him. Later, when the two of them gave in to their passion, it burnt and bared them both. 

 So Jared ran…from Adam, from his past, and from everything their future together could hold. He tried to start a new life, taking only his newfound passion for glass and his obsession for a finding a particular shade of blue, the blue of the heart of a flame. It took a near-tragedy to teach him that the blue he sought, he’d had all along…in his firefighter’s eyes. 

 For giggles, I'll be giving away a $10.00 Amazon gift certificate to one lucky commenter below, just in case you didn't get what you really wanted for Christmas! 

Thanks for everything, K-Lee, Holiday Blessings to you, your family, and friends! ZAM

Gratitude & Giving Day 12 - Dean Pace-Frech

First of all, I am grateful for K-lee’s friendship! We were roommates at the inaugural Rainbow Con in 2014 and have been best buds ever since!  And I am grateful to her for hosting all of us this month.
One of the things I am most grateful for this year is the chance to be off work on Christmas Eve so we get to go home to my parents, in the small town I grew up in. I actually have the whole week off the work job, so I am looking forward to getting caught up on writing projects.
My family has always celebrated Christmas on Christmas Eve. When my brothers and I were younger, my mom said it was because she couldn’t get us to wait. When we grew up, we kept our Christmas Dinner on Christmas Eve so that we can go to in-laws on Christmas Day.
What’s your favorite Christmas tradition? Either now or when you were growing up? I’d love to hear. I’ll pick one winner from the comments below on December 19th to receive an eBook of your choice: A Place to Call Their Own, Disappear with Me, or my latest, Need Your Love.

BTW…did you know my latest novel, Need Your Love is available? Check it out:
Blurb: 
In June, 1966, ACLU attorney Eron Lassiter attends his uncle’s wedding, and makes an unsettling discovery. Though he’d bowed to family pressure and has a potential marriage planned, his long-ignored attraction to other men roars to life when Garrett Emerson, the bride’s nephew, captures his attention.
After serving in the Korean War and going to college later than his peers, upwardly mobile Garrett is a loan officer at a local bank. For his girlfriend, fiancé in her mind, he can’t climb fast enough. But none of that matters to Eron, and maybe that’s why Garrett’s so drawn to him.Can Eron and Garrett find happiness amidst the still pervasive culture of propriety, honor, and expectation in the 1960s?
Sales Links:JMS BooksAmazon USAmazon UKBarnes and NobleAll Romance eBooksBookstrandKobo
Bio:With inspiration from historical tourism sites, the love of reading, and a desire to write a novel, Dean started crafting his debut novel, A Place to Call Their Own, in 2008. After four years of writing and polishing the manuscript, it was accepted and originally published 2013. His second novel, Disappear With Me, set in Edwardian England, was published later that same year. Both novels were re-released in May 2015.Dean lives in Kansas City, Missouri, with his husband Thomas (legally as of February 14, 2015), and their two cats. They are involved in their church and enjoy watching movies, outdoor activities in the warmer weather, and spending time together with friends and family. In addition to writing, Dean’s hobbies include reading and patio gardening.
Dean is currently working a standalone title, Sartin, a fantasy title about a merman looking for his place in his world and The Higher Law, a continuation of the story of Frank and Gregory’s family set in the 1930s.Where to find him:Email deanfrech@aol.comBlog:  Dean's Web SiteFacebook:  Dean Pace-Frech, Author page or send a friend request Dean Pace-Frech.Twitter: @deanpacefrechGoogle+: +deanpacefrechGoodreads: Dean Pace-FrechPinterest:  Dean Pace-Frech