K-lee Klein's Blog: Chaos in the Moonlight , page 4

Gratitude & Giving Day 11 - Jamie Lynne Miller

Thanks so much for asking me to be a part of this wonderful idea, K-lee!
For the Ghost of Gratitude Past I'm so grateful to my husband, John, and my friend Gina Storm Grant. My husband has always been my biggest supporter and cheerleader on this crazy roller coaster ride of being an author. He's always been there through my frustration and happiness and I love him dearly for it. And if it wasn't for Gina encouraging me to take the leap and start writing professionally I wouldn't even be here today. I'm definitely grateful for the push she gave me!
For the Ghost of Gratitude Present I am so incredibly thankful for all of the amazing authors I've met through Facebook. So many of you have become dear friends and I'm thrilled to have met so many of you in person. You've all been so incredibly supportive and helpful and there with a shoulder to cry on or to share a laugh and a smile. Love you guys!
For the Ghost of Gratitude Future, I'm grateful to have a small but dedicated fan base of readers who eagerly await my next book and I will do my best to be more prolific in the coming year. :-)  I'm also grateful once again to my husband for letting me spread my wings and fly off to conventions all across the country in order to meet people and learn and hone my craft as a writer, which I hope to continue to do next year.
And I want to wish you all Happy Holidays, no matter what you celebrate this time of year. Speaking of holidays, if you'd like to be entered to win a copy of any of my ebooks, just leave me a comment with a favorite holiday memory AND your email address. Contest ends Monday, December 14th at midnight EST.

My latest release is His Fragile Heart…
Do you believe in the power of love, even after death? After losing his lover in a car accident two years ago, actor Nathan Marshall wasn't interested in another relationship. Until he meets waiter Justin Kowalski. Something about him seems so familiar that Nathan is instantly drawn to the younger man. Surprised at his capacity to love again, his relationship with Justin blossoms. But then an unbelievable truth is revealed - one that could break both their hearts for good.
BUY LINKS:Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/ng25ocw
Kobo: http://tinyurl.com/nvj3toh
Barnes and Noble: http://tinyurl.com/ow92qj2
Scribd: http://tinyurl.com/nu83pamAlso available at the iBookstore
AUTHOR BIO:
Jamie Lynn Miller has been writing fiction since childhood and decided to take the plunge and go pro in 2008, finding to her amazement that people truly enjoyed her love stories. She’s a romantic at heart, and her tales reflect the desire we all have to find “the one,” persevering through trials and heartache for that happy ending.Jamie has a degree in fine arts and has spent the last twenty years working as a graphic designer, though she’d much rather be writing. She was born in Chicago and still lives there today with her husband and their furry, four-footed children, er… cats. If she’s not brainstorming story ideas, you can find Jamie at a sci-fi convention, in front of a furnace doing glass blowing, or on a mat twisted into a yoga pose.
CONTACT INFO:
Jamie Lynn Miller
EmailWebsite
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Gratitude & Giving Day 10 - Caraway Carter

First, I am grateful for letting K-Lee allow me to bend her arm and let me be a part of this great experience.
Ghost of Gratitude Past – I am grateful for stopping and listening. Believing that I could do this. Paying for yet another class, but this time actually showing up and doing what was asked of me. Finishing the story, editing the story and submitting the story. Jumping in with both feet first. That story was Hawaiian Trunks.
I’m grateful for the editors of my first Goodreads story earlier in 2014 that told me it was a great story, a great idea. I’m grateful for the person who told me that my writing made no sense and was immature, because if they hadn’t I wouldn’t have contacted the people I did and I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Ghost of Gratitude Present – Its been very hard for me to be grateful lately, I know I’m grateful I’m alive. But, losing someone I knew in the San Bernardino attacks took a toll on me. This is the first time I’ve been frightened in my life of what the future holds.
However, I’ve had a lot of people who have told me it’s time to celebrate the happiness of the man we lost, instead of mourning his death. I am grateful that I have readers who encourage me, writers who teach me, and a husbear who lifts me up daily. (He just came to the door and sang, “Do you want to take a shower?” to the tune of Do you want to build a snowman?”)
I am grateful for the humor that still explodes around me. And I am grateful that I am still writing.
Ghost of Gratitude Yet to Come – I am hopeful of the future yet to come. A friend and I have a five-year pact, to be full time writers in five years. We are headed into year three. Both of us looking forward to a time when we are supporting authors at GRL and then featured authors. We know the day will come. I am grateful for the characters that are milling about my mind, they are telling me things that I feel deep inside and I can’t wait for you to meet them.
***
More Grateful – That I was able to give Anders & Ujaruk a sequel. In The First Time you see them connect, live life, get that love, hold onto it. Cherish family and friends, people who see them in their day to day lives. I have a concluding story that is evolving in my mind, and I’m grateful that words still mean something in my head.
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A Giveaway!I’ve begun to enjoy tea, if you drink it too, comment here with your email and tell me what tea I should try next. If you are strictly a coffee drinker, tell me your favorite coffee drink. I’ll randomly pick one winner on December 26th. Winner gets a choice of either Storming Love: Earthquake Anders & Ujaruk or it’s sequel The First Time.
Caraway Carter BioCaraway Carter has worn numerous hats. He's been a furniture salesman, a dresser, a costumer, an actor/waiter, a rabble rouser, a poet and most recently a writer. He married his husband on Halloween and they are the loving parents of two rambunctious cats. He loves words and stringing them together, he loves sex and sexy men, he loves seeing how far his muse will take him and he's looking forward to entertaining you.
Visit Caraway at:WebsiteFacebookTwitter
Caraway’s latest release, out on 12/25, is the sequel to Storming Love: Earthquake Anders & Ujaruk. It’s The First Time for everything. After surviving through a massive earthquake, Anders and Ujaruk know they can handle a crisis, but what about everyday life? Ujaruk moved in to help Anders while his leg healed, now that the cast is off, what happens next? Families, holidays and the first time.

The First Time presale link. https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prod...

Gratitude & Giving Day 9 - Erica Pike

Thank you, K-Lee for allowing me to take part in this. My ex husband and I divorced in 2011 and as a result our sons have to split the holidays with us. One year they spend Christmas with me and the New Year’s with their dad, and the next year it’s the other way around. It’s hard, both for me and him and the boys as well. So this year, I’m grateful to my ex for allowing me to spend twenty days—including Christmas and New Year’s—with my sons when we go to the United States. I’m also grateful to my father who’s taking me, my sons, Mom and himself on a family trip to the USA to celebrate his 60th birthday. It’s going to be weird, not being in Iceland over Christmas. There won’t be snow in Texas, where we’ll stay with family, and we won’t have Mom’s amazing cakes and food, but I’m grateful for the upcoming experience. And I’m looking forward to showing my family everything there is to see from Denver to El Paso to Los Angeles to Las Vegas. It’s going to be amazing!
Giveaway:I’ve been in a slump for the past two years, so I don’t have anything new to give. But I have a bunch of books out and I’d like to offer a copy of Black Hurricane to one commenter. Please leave your email in your comment so you can be reached and tell me which format you’d prefer: pdf, ePub, or mobi (Kindle). 
Bio:Erica lives in Iceland with her adorable little twin boys. She often says that her real name sounds like Klingon to foreigners. If “Eyjafjallajokull” looks like someone fell asleep on the keyboard, Erica’s real name could leave a non-Icelander in a zombie-like stupor for days.She’s been writing for several years, or ever since reading became an obsession. Aside from a business degree, Erica has taken English courses at the University of Iceland and gulped down anything that might help her in her career as an author. She takes great interest in English, but will break every single grammar rule for the sake of The Voice. Erica loves hearing from her readers. She’s a friendly, easy-going (if a bit silly) person who doesn’t mind talking about herself in third person.
Webpage/BlogFacebookTwitterGoodreads

Gratitude & Giving Day 8 - M.L. Rhodes

When my dear friend K-lee asked me to participate in her 31 Days of Gratitude and Giving, I thought, wow, I’m grateful for so many things in my life I wouldn’t even know where to start.  How could I possibly narrow down the list to fit into one post on K-lee’s blog?  But I’ll give it a go because K-lee happens to be one of the people I’m very grateful to have in my life and I love her and like making her happy!  :) 
First, I am so, so grateful for my family. I have an incredible husband who’s stood by me and been my partner and best friend for twenty-seven years, and two equally incredible sons who fill my life with so many blessings.  I’m grateful my sons have grown into kind, intelligent, funny, creative, and caring adults who, I believe, will go forth and make changes for the better in the world.  
I’m also extremely thankful that, for the most part, my family is now healthy.  The past couple of years were tough ones—with family illnesses, the death of a loved one, and some health struggles.  My heart goes out to my family, friends, and readers who have to deal with chronic illnesses and/or chronic pain all the time.  It’s not an easy way to go through life, and for those of you who can do it and still give and love and smile and carry on, you’re my heroes!
I’m grateful to have good friends.  I’m an introvert, which means I’m not comfortable in crowds or big public get-togethers, and I’ve never been one to have a jillion face-to-face friends.  But I have made some great friends online, and some of those have become very dear to me.
And, finally, I’m very grateful to my readers who have stuck with me through the ups and downs over the years, and who have been willing to bear with me during the past couple of years when I wasn’t terribly healthy and didn’t get much writing done.  Things are definitely looking up on that front (I managed to get 40,000 words written on Dark Magick Rising in November during NaNoWriMo! Yay!!) and I hope that will be continue into the new year, so I’ll have some new releases for you in 2016!
There are so many other things I could mention, but I’ll leave it there for now except to add that I’m a believer that what energy we put out into the world will be returned to us.  So I try to live my life thinking positive thoughts and putting out positive energy (which includes kindness, gratitude, and giving) as much as possible.  We all have crappy days, or sometimes even crappy weeks or months (or gods forbid, years) and it’s tough to stay positive in dark times. But even when our own internal lights are dimmed, I think it’s important to surround ourselves with people we trust who can help us find that light again.  Whether that means family or loved ones you see in person, or online friends who are there for you.  That’s what I’ve always done, and it’s made a huge difference.  And in return I always try to be there for my friends and family if they need an extra “light.”  Sometimes just a few words, a quick hug, a smile, a compliment, or an “I’ve got your back” text can make a huge difference in a person’s life.  And it doesn’t even have to be someone you know…offering a smile or a kind word to a stranger is just as powerful for them.  So during this season of giving…I challenge everyone to do one small kind deed each day.  Watch how it brightens someone’s outlook…and in return, watch how that brightens your own life.  
I’d love to hear from you with suggestions for other simple ways we can all reach out and offer kindness to others this season and all year long.  If you leave a comment (with a suggestion, or just a general comment), I’ll enter you into a drawing to win a copy of any ebook from my backlist.  Or, alternately, if you’d rather have a paperback, I’d be glad to snail mail a copy of one of my available paperbacks to the winner.  No restrictions on where you live…I’d be happy to mail it anywhere in the world!   You can find a list of all my titles on my website.  I’ll choose a winner on December 15th.  Leave your email address with your comment here on the blog, if you’re comfortable with that, or if you’d prefer, you can email me with your entry and email address.  My email is mlrhodeswriting at aol.com.  I’ll post the winner in the comments on the 15th.
Happy holiday, everyone!  I wish you all joy and peace and love!
M.L.   
Bio:
Some people might say I’m an opinionated chick with a decent sense of humor and a vocabulary that’s way too smutty for someone who grew up as a “good” girl.  ;) While all of those things are true, I also write books for a living…more specifically gay male romance stories. I’ve been writing fiction for a long time, and I’ve worked in many genres, but since 2006 I’ve been extremely happy in the m/m romance genre.  I adore stories about men meeting, falling in love, and finding happily-ever-afters. I enjoy reading them and I enjoy writing them. So I do…write them.  Because there’s nothing better than having a job you love.  Especially when that job is ABOUT love!
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Gratitude & Giving Day 7 - Hank Edwards

This is the time of year for gathering those we love close and sharing not just gifts, but good food, good drink, and laughter. It gives me such hope to see people turning away from gift giving these days to, instead, share quality time together. Many of my friends and I are giving "gifts of experience" instead of actual things. These gifts of experience may include a card with an invitation to dinner, either home cooked or at a favorite restaurant. Or a bottle of wine with a note attached that it's not to be opened without the gift giver in attendance. Or even gift cards to a favorite restaurant and movie theater, with an invitation to a night out in the near future. More extravagant gifts might include tickets to a concert by a favorite artist, or tickets to a play both of us love or have been eager to see. It takes some of the pressure out of rushing around looking for just the right gift, and can help strengthen a friendship with a shared experience.I turned 50 this year, and so I've been on the receiving end of many Christmas gifts. One of my all time favorite gifts, however, was when I probably 14. I am and always have been a huge movie fan. I love going to the movies or watching them in the comfort of my own pajama pants and sofa. I was 12 when the original "Star Wars" was released, long since retitled to "Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope." Seeing that movie in 70mm Dolby Sound on a massive movie screen in an theater filled with hundreds of people was life changing. It lit a spark of creativity that has fueled my story telling to this day. That first shot of the small rebel blockade runner ship flying overhead followed by the seemingly endless Star Destroyer left me awestruck.Flash forward two years. I was in full on Star Wars obsession mode. I had action figures and drew comic strips with Star Wars characters. I collected the trading cards with that hard slab of gum inside and built models of starships and hung them from fishing line in my bedroom. I read the book and knew the names of all the secondary characters. I had become one with the Force. That Christmas I found a huge box waiting for me under the tree. It was the size of a box filled with reams of paper and had been wrapped in Sunday comics with a big red bow on top. I was curious and excited as I tore the paper off. What could this be?Inside the box was a Super 8 home movie set. It contained a camera, a camera case, a projector, and a pull up movie screen. I was giddy with excitement. I could make my own movies! The camera ran on batteries and took Super 8 cartridges that had enough film for about 10 minutes of footage. There was no sound, but with the visuals spinning in my head, I didn't need sound.I made a lot of movies with that camera. I enlisted my family and friends, plus the kids I was babysitting for. I made horror movies and silly movies and mock commercials and, of course, my own version of "Star Wars." It was an epic saga that required four or five cartridges. I built an R2-D2 out of a garbage can and a wash tub. I played Darth Vader with a mask and a black hoodie. Lightsabers were built out of wood dowels. For laser blasts I spent hours squinting at the tiny frames of film and using a pin to scratch away the emulsion, then dabbed colored markers along the lines.I was telling stories in images, and having that camera set helped me become a writer. I learned how to put down in words the images that swirl around in my head. I have my parents to thank for seeing what I loved and giving me a gift that not only encouraged it, but helped to shape the man I am today.
As a holiday treat, I'd like to giveaway free copies of my holiday Story Orgy singles: "Mistletoe at Midnight," and "A Gift for Greg." Just leave a comment to be entered in the drawing. I like to thank K-lee Klein for inviting me to share my Gratitude and Giving memories today, and here's wishing all of you a season of joy and peace, no matter how you celebrate, be it Hanukkah, Christmas, Solstice, Kwanza, a combination of them, or nothing at all. Be good to one another, and be good to yourself, too.
Mistletoe at Midnight Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Mistletoe-Midnight-Story-Orgy-Single-ebook/dp/B00FP6N6FA/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8A Gift for Greg Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Gift-Greg-Story-Orgy-Single-ebook/dp/B00H5VZ1XI/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8Hank’s website: www.hankedwardsbooks.comHank’s Facebook page: www.facebook.com/hankedwardsbooksHank’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/hanksbooksHank’s Amazon Author page: www.amazon.com/author/hankedwards

Gratitude & Giving Day 6 - Kaje Harper

The Gift of Choice
As I get older, I've come to realize how important it is to have choices in my life.
Not that I'm good at making choices – indecisiveness is my middle name…well, along with procrastination –  “Kaje Indecisiveness Procrastination Harper”. But when the future is locked in, when there is nothing left to choose, that can be such a helpless feeling. That's part of the punishment of prison – not just the confinement but the complete loss of control over one's life. Poverty, loss, separation, all can do the same.
So today, when my friend K-lee asked me for a post about being grateful, I'm going to give thanks to the people in my life who give me the gift of choices.
In holidays past, to my husband. He turned down an academic job he might have preferred for a commercial one that paid better, so I could decide to stay home most days with our kids. So many precious moments, so much fun and laughter and crafts and stories – and tough moments that I got to handle myself, not pass on to a babysitter or daycare – that were his gift to me and our children.

In holidays present, to my mother's caregiver. Nothing can cure Mum's long, slow slide into Alzheimer's. But finding a wonderful, competent and warmhearted woman who oversees my mother's day-to-day care –  who noticed when fastening buttons was becoming too difficult, who spotted that her increased disorientation was an infection –  her angel caregiver gives me the choice of how often to visit, of whether and when to drop everything and run up there for smaller concerns. She lets my mum's illness not control my whole life, and gives Mum the illusion of as much choice as she can in her declining years. Such a wonderful gift.
In the future, for my children, I hope and wish for choices. For ways to use their many talents, for jobs they can pick and not be forced into as the only way to survive. I hope they get to call me and agonize over which degree program fits best, or which city calls to them as their new home.
I'll remind them that having more than one option is a blessing; that having the back-up resources to fail and try again, to choose something based on your heart and ten years later be able to change your mind, to follow a passion and not a necessity, to have arms to hold you when something comes apart so that you dare to take chances – those are things to be grateful for indeed.
~~~
K-lee said we could do a little promo too. The book I want to promote is this year's charity anthology.  “Wish Come True” is a collection of stories about young men finding each other over the holidays. Six other wonderful authors joined me in writing stories for this anthology, edited by Susan Lee. All proceeds from this anthology go to “Lost-N-Found Youth” - "A Very English Christmas" by Keira Andrews gives us a look at the first Christmas out in the world for our favorite Amish guys - Aaron and David.
"Mr. Perfect's Christmas" by Joanna Chambers has an unexpected Secret Santa gift changing some assumptions.
"The Christmas Ship" by Amy Jo Cousins pairs a twink and a college football player, with a challenging route to a happy ending.
"That Thing" by Megan Erickson pits professional ethics against the needs of a lonely guy.
"Just Like Heaven" by Suki Fleet traps a couple of young guys in a snowstorm, where they may have to find a different kind of heat.
My own story - "Not Your Grandfather's Magic" forces Zeb to make some choices between a family tradition of power, and the sweet, awkward guy who catches his eye, and maybe his heart.
"Bottle Boys" by Anyta Sunday shows what happens when a lucky golden boy has to grow up.


As I'm being grateful for all my blessings this holiday season, I want to remember those who don't have my good fortune. Many LGBTQ people, including some teens, can't go home for the holidays. For youth on the streets, it's a dark, cold, painful time of year. Lost-N-Found Youth is one of many charities who try to make a difference. My deepest gratitude to everyone who lends a helping hand and warm heart to those young people who don't have a home or family with resources, heart, or grace to care for them.

~ For the giveaway, I'm offering a free ebook copy of the anthology (and I'll match the donation to Lost-N-Found Youth, so you don't feel like they lose out) or a free audio of my book Into Deep Waters on Audible.com. Winner's choice.

Once in a while I look back at my notes for Into Deep Waters – a story of gay men loving each other from 1942 to the present – to remind myself how far we've already come. Maybe one day, hearing about a child being pushed out of their home for being LGBTQ will be shocking and unusual, not just sad and incomprehensible. Let's all hope and work for that day, and be grateful for everyone who makes a difference.

Gratitude & Giving Day 5 - W.S. Long

I’m grateful for blue skies, rainy days, rainbows, sunrises and sunsets, full moons and flowers in bloom. I’m grateful for reading, books, writers and readers like you.
What I’m giving is my latest ebook, “Love and Pain.” If you win, you must provide me your amazon email.
How to win: post something from a book that you love, whether it’s a character, a storyline, a quote, a cover, or a trope. Name the book, character and author (not any of my writing) and tell me why you love it!  A winner will be chosen on December 13. Good luck!

Bio:

Immigrant, military-brat, gay veteran. During the day, Spencer practices law but at night he reads and writes male-male romance under the pen name W.S. Long.  He loves to travel or dreams about traveling with his husband, a mild-mannered college professor.

Follow him on twittertumblr  facebook  
You can find W.S. Long on Goodreads too.

Gratitude & Giving Day 4 - Piper Vaughn

Hi, everyone! First, I’d like to say thanks to K-Lee Klein for asking me to take part in her Reader Appreciation Month! 31 Days of Gratitude and Giving is something I’m totally down with.
I picked today, December 4th, for a very special reason. Seven years ago today I gave birth to my son, who is my only child so far. He’s been the gift I’m most grateful for and that has changed my life the most. I had no concept of what parenthood would be like before he came into my world. For me, it’s equal parts frustrating and awe-inspiring and joyful and terrifying and rewarding. It’s amazing watching this little person I brought into this world (well, my husband helped, I suppose ;D), seeing his personality develop, and catching glimpses of the man he might be some day. And so I’m wishing my beloved boy a happy birthday today!
Aside from my son and my family and friends, I’m also extremely grateful to my readers. The people who buy my books help me to support my family, but beyond that, I’ve met some amazing people and made numerous close friends through my writing. The truth of the matter is, I’m very introverted and isolated in my day-to-day life. Being an author is often a solitary affair—most of us work from home, locked away in our respective writing spaces, and usually we’re alone all day. The vast majority of my social interaction happens online. In fact, I’ve met all my closest friends that way. So, I’m also thankful for the internet and being able to afford a computer and a service provider so I can stay connected to the outside world. I know that’s a privilege I probably take for granted sometimes, but its value to me is immeasurable.
In the spirit of the season and to spread a little cheer, I’d like to offer up a gift. Comment on this post for your choice of any one ebook from my backlist (see my website for all available titles). On top of that, I’ll throw in a $10 gift card for the vendor of your choice (Amazon, Barnes & Noble, iTunes, or ARe). I’ll pick a winner on Friday, December 11th.Have a great month, everyone!
~*~
Piper Vaughn Bio
Piper Vaughn wrote her first love story at eleven and never looked back. Since then, she’s known that writing in some form was exactly what she wanted to do. A reader at the core, Piper loves nothing more than getting lost in a great book—fantasy, young adult, romance, she loves them all (and has a two-thousand-book library to prove it!). She grew up in Chicago, in an ethnically diverse neighborhood, and loves to put faces and characters of every ethnicity in her stories, so her fictional worlds are as colorful as the real one. Above all, she believes that everyone needs a little true love in their life… even if it’s only in a book.
Visit Piper at: WebsiteFacebookTwitterGoogle+
Piper’s last release was PRICKLY BY NATURE, book two of the Portland Pack Chronicles, co-written with Kenzie Cade. If you like unusual shifters, check out their sassy hedgehog shifter and his growly, protective werewolf mate. PRICKLY BY NATURE and the previous book, PRICKLY BUSINESS, are best read in order. Both books are currently available from Dreamspinner Press and other e-tailers in paperback and ebook formats.
Portland Pack Chronicles Series link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=1535

Gratitude & Giving Day 3 - Kim Fielding

I’m Kim Fielding, and I’m grateful to K-Lee for letting me visit here today!
Ghost of Gratitude PastI am eternally grateful to NaNoWriMo: National Novel Writing Month. I used to think I couldn’t write a novel. But then I heard about NaNoWriMo and I decided to give it a shot. And you know what? Turns out I couldwrite a novel! That was in 2009 and the book became Stasis, which I self-published. I’m also very grateful to the lovely Amy Lane, who read Stasis and suggested I consider sending a manuscript to one of her publishers, Dreamspinner Press. She gave me the confidence to submit a book to a publisher.
Just this week I finished the first draft of my 14th novel—so actually, I can write lots of novels. And publishers will publish them, and people will read them. And man, I am so grateful for that!
Ghost of Gratitude PresentI always dreamed of being an author. But one side benefit I hadn’t expected was the people I’d get to meet. Through writing, I have gotten to know some amazing readers, authors, editors, artists, and narrators. Let me tell you, there isn’t a group of people I’d rather hang out with. I am grateful for those people every day.
Also, my older daughter recently had a party. Thirteen 16-year-olds. And when she told them that I’ve had a story published in a Japanese yaoi magazine, I instantly became Coolest Mom Ever. Who wouldn’t be grateful for a dose of Cool Mom Cred?

Ghost of Gratitude Yet to ComeI have a day job as a university professor. I love teaching and research. The administrative part? Not so much. I have a dream that in the not-so-distant future, I will be able to wave adieu to that job. Then I will be extremely grateful to spend my days writing full-time and traveling. My dream isn’t just to flit around the globe—although that’s fun too—but to stay put places for a couple of months at a time, so I truly get a chance to get to know them. I love to live like a local: paying bills, going grocery shopping, hanging out in cafés. And of course all those places will make their way into my books.
***
More GratefulAs it happens, my newest story was released this week, and it’s called… Grateful! It’s a fluffy Hanukkah story, which you can get from Dreamspinner and Amazon.
One More ThingAre you feeling grateful and wanting to share the giving spirit? I’m donating all my royalties from my anthology, The Sacrifice and Other Stories , and from my audiobook, The Festivus Miracle , to Doctors Without Borders. I’d be grateful if you considered buying  a copy or two!
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A Giveaway!Comment here with your email and tell me where you think I should travel when I’m done with the day job. I’ll randomly pick one winner on December 10. Winner gets a choice of either the audiobook version of Good Bones or the ebook version of Rattlesnake.
***
Kim Fielding is the bestselling author of numerous m/m romance novels, novellas, and short stories. Like Kim herself, her work is eclectic, spanning genres such as contemporary, fantasy, paranormal, and historical. Her stories are set in alternate worlds, in 15th century Bosnia, in modern-day Oregon. Her heroes are hipster architect werewolves, housekeepers, maimed giants, and conflicted graduate students. They’re usually flawed, they often encounter terrible obstacles, but they always find love.
After having migrated back and forth across the western two-thirds of the United States, Kim calls the boring part of California home. She lives there with her husband, her two daughters, and her day job as a university professor, but escapes as often as possible via car, train, plane, or boat. This may explain why her characters often seem to be in transit as well. She dreams of traveling and writing full-time.
Website: http://kfieldingwrites.comFacebook: http://facebook.com/KFieldingWrites Twitter: @KFieldingWrites

Gratitude & Giving Day 2 - Silvia Violet

Thank you for having me here, K-lee. I needed this encouragement to pause in my flurry of writing and editing and consider some things I’m grateful for from the past, present, and into the future.
I’m very grateful to my parents for always supporting me, no matter what my interests were. They went out of their way to help me find opportunities as a child whether in dance, science, writing, or another of my other pursuits. Their belief in me encouraged me to follow my dreams and become an author.
I’m thankful that right now in the present I’m able to make a living writing books. I’m grateful to all my readers, to the other authors who’ve taught me so much and supported me, and to the editors who’ve helped me improve my craft.
For the future, I’m grateful that I have a world of possibilities in front of me—planned trips, new experiences as my kids grow older, and many more stories to write.
Leave a comment telling something you’re grateful for, and you’ll be entered to win a copy of your choice of my holiday stories. The contest will close on December 6 at midnight EST. You can read about my holiday books here: http://silviaviolet.com/genre/holiday...
I wish you all happy holidays and many blessings to be grateful for!
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My latest release is Professional Distance.
Thornwell Shipton is wealthy, uptight, closeted, and an incurable workaholic. A tragic love affair left him terrified of relationships, so he tells himself sex is better scheduled and paid for.
Riley Dashwood is young, easy-going, and comfortable in his own skin. He’s a passionate baker and an aspiring chef, working as an escort to save up for culinary school.
They’re clearly made for each other.
When Thorne hires Dash, it’s lust at first sight. After a few scorching nights together, both men start to wonder if what’s between them is more than physical, but their age gap and resistance to romance make them afraid to change their professional relationship to a personal one. Dash pushes Thorne to admit he wants things he’s denied himself for years. Kinky things. Soft, caring things. Things that force him to open his heart, not just his body. To move forward, one or the other must take a risk and ask for what he really wants.
You can read an excerpt and find buy links here: http://silviaviolet.com/book/professi...  
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Author Bio
Silvia Violet writes fun, sexy stories that will leave you smiling and satisfied. She has a thing for characters who are in need of comfort and enjoys helping them surrender to love even when they doubt it exists. Silvia's stories include sizzling contemporaries, paranormals, and historicals. When she needs a break from listening to the voices in her head, she spends time baking, taking long walks, and curling up with her favorite books.
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