K-lee Klein's Blog: Chaos in the Moonlight , page 9

Book tours scare the crap out of me, but I'm doing one anyhow.

Yeah, that's right. I'm scared of book tours or blog tours or whatever you want to call them. I've never done one to promote any of my books before, at least not anything bigger than asking a friend or two to do a give-away for me. So again, yeah…scared.

But I nevertheless, I am doing one at the end of the month for the release of Unbreak My Heart on August 25. Wow, can't believe how quickly that dates has crept up on me.

Anyhow, I'm scheduling a few blogs (probably about 9 days worth actually), and will more than likely set the whole thing up with Rafflecopter. Tentative dates at the moment are August 22-31, and I have a mixture of smaller and bigger blogs that are letting me stop by to introduce Brett and JT, and offer up a give-away.  :)

I think my biggest hang-up about doing this is the part where I have to write a different post for each stop because you don't want them all to be the same or become boring. And I have to do that without giving away the plot of the book, or by just doing excerpts that can get dry and too familiar after a while.

I've heard a few ideas of what to write about in my posts, but I'd love to hear what sorts of things interest other people so I'd really appreciate if you'd drop me a comment and tell me what you have liked in the past or would like to see in the future when it comes to posts during a book tour.

Happy Sunday everyone.

~*~*~
Unbreak My HeartAugust 25Amber Quill Press
Brett Taylor has been doing just fine living in his little world of grief and pain for the past three years—thank you very much. Losing someone special is life changing, and Brett doesn't understand why everyone and their damn dog thinks they can get all up in his business about moving on. He's accepted his job going from musician to rancher without relying on anyone else's opinion, and he doesn't need some city kid coming into his life to break the habits he's been practicing—grief, isolation, and a whole lot of Jack Daniels.
JT Campbell was on a quest to escape his old life, and to figure out who he is and where he belonged as he moved from one meaningless job to the next. He wasn't looking to save anyone, let alone a secretive, hotter-than-hell rancher who wore his heart on his sleeve. He likes working for Brett, but it's been made perfectly clear that any relationship other than professional will never see the light of day.
But when JT's lust turns to love, and he gives in to his desire to find out what makes Brett tick, will his patience and support result in Brett lowering the walls he's built-up enough so JT can unbreak his heart?

Sexy Saturday - the long-haired edition

I readily admit to anyone who wants to know that I'm a total rockstar groupie - and my fave genre of rockstar is generally the long-haired variety. That's not to say I don't love other less-hairy men of music, but being a girl of the 80's I'm still damn happy to indulge in some hair-band goodness.That being said, this is definitely not just a rockstar post. I was merely stating howI became to be addicted to men with long hair - curl, straight - it's all good.Happy Saturday. (Edit - dayum, I have to do this again soon)























LONG-HAIRED HOTTIES WILL RETURN :)

Dakota Trace's "Ruthless" book tour - stop on in

I'm pleased to announce I am the first stop on the lovely Dakota Trace's Xenres Sins book tour for her new release, Ruthless.
Please welcome Dakota and her um...friend...muse...other personality (lol), and make sure you enter the give-away at the bottom.Enjoy. 
*psstt, Dakota - you're on - psstt, Dakota - where are you?*
*peeks head into room* 
“Wow, look at all this yummy man candy.  I have to say my slave has much better taste this time. She’s starting this tour out right.”   Flipping her dark hair over her shoulder, Livvy didn’t seem to notice the surprised stars.  Dressed in her normal corset and leggings, she wandered from picture to picture.  Finally she stopped.
 “Okay, I can feel your eyes on me.  And while I love as much attention as the next muse, the staring is starting to creep me out.  I know that you usually get lots and lots of hunky men visiting this blog, but I have eyes…and as Dakota’s muse, I’m allowed to drool over the yummy pictures.” 
*Peers at the pictures scattered around the room from the Hobbit* 
“Okay, is it just my imagination or is K-Lee a bit obsessed with Fili and Kili from the Hobbit?”   Sighs.  “Well not that I can blame her. They are quite tempting.  Almost as tempting as Asha. Of course I may be partial.”
*sighing dramatically*
“Okay why are you looking at me like I’m insane?”  Props hand on hip.  “Oh…you don’t have a clue what I’m talking about do you?”
*shrugs shoulders*
“Well if you were expecting something normal you came to the wrong place. I’m about as abnormal as they come. But allow me to introduce myself.  When I’m not drooling over smexy men, I play the role of Dakota Trace’s irrepressible muse.  Yep, you ever wonder where her ideas come from? That would be me.  And today I’ve been tasked with the pleasure of pimping out her newest book.  The first book in the Xenres Sins Series and believe me after my last couple of tours, I’m gonna toe the line.  My slave has a tendency to leave me at the mercy of her characters…and let’s just say…the vampyres from her new series…” *shudders* “…I wouldn’t want to meet them in a dark alley.  So I’ll behave….”  
*smirks*
“…well as much as a muse of my nature can. “  *smiles* “So let’s get this show on the road.  While I haven’t been able to convince Asha and Eryk that they need some time apart yet, I did manage to convince Asha’s business partner, Kiarad to show up….well if he ever gets here.”  *glances pointedly at watch*  “And they say women are always running late…”
“I’m not running late, Muse. Your author’s directions leave a lot to be desired.” 
*squee….* 
“You made it!”  Livvy rushes to the tall, dark and deadly looking male.  “Allow me to introduce Kiarad Alzedah.  I like to call him Kia but Dakota has vetoed that idea.”  *scratches head*  “Evidently it reminds her too much of some car or something.” 
“And I’m not a car.”  Kiarad crossed his arms over his chest.  “I’m a tired vamp who crossed several time zones to come and be here today.  Do you have any idea what time it is in Dushanbe right now?”  “Ummmm, late?” 
“Yeah…and if it hadn’t been for Asha being so wrapped up in his new mate, I’m sure he’d be pissed that I took off on one of our busiest nights.” 
*pats Kiarad’s cheek* 
“Aw, we’ll get to it, then. We don’t want to get on Asha’s bad side considering how ruthless he’s know to be.”  
*glances at readers*
“So while Asha maybe Ruthless, Mr. Alzedah here has his own trait which will be exploited soon in his own book…”
“Muse….” A low warning grow spilled from his chest. 
*places hand on hip* “Aw….poor baby….as I was saying….Kiarad here has his own trait which my slave will be exploiting. 
So to be entered for a chance to win: Answer the question below (the answer will be in the small excerpt)

Question: What trait is Kiarad known for?

Place your answer in the Rafflecopter form to be entered to win one of two copies of the book that my slave is giving away.  Dakota will be announcing the winner on her blog on Sunday.”  *thoughtfully taps chin. “Oh and don’t forget to stop by the Wicked Muse Taverntomorrow. I do believe Asha will be there…or so my slave tells me.  Thanks again to Ms. K-Lee for having me.  Hopefully I wasn’t too much trouble this time.”
**No trouble at all. Thanks for dropping by. It was very…interesting…um, nice...to meet you. Give Dakota a hug for me—oh, and for the record, I'm not sure who these Fili and Kili "people" are that you say I'm obsessed with. *shrugs* *pokes blond dwarf who in turn pokes brunet dwarf* Nope, not a clue. ;) Good luck with your new release. :D
***
Blurb:
Welcome to Xenres. Located in the heart of Dushanbe, a person can indulge in any sin imaginable, which is exactly what Eryk Solie has set out to do. As a lone Arctic wolf shifter in a foreign country, he longs for something more than mindless one night stands with men who could never completely understand him. Intuition and a tip from a local leads him to Xenres. Inside the notorious gambling hall, he finds his mate, one of the owners of the club. Too bad the man is considered to be one of the most ruthless vampyres in the district. To win a night in his mate’s arms, Eryk will have to lose at a game of chance.
Asha Talavi not only co-owns the darkest gambling haunt in town, he’s also a self-made vampyre. His ruthless nature has gotten him everything he’s ever wanted including the sexy wolf shifter who dared to accept his challenge over a hand of cards. But even after Asha claims his mate, there is treachery a foot in the form of a former lover. And when Eryk returns the following evening, he tracks down his mate to only find the man with another, claiming he doesn't remember him, or their wager and mating. Only an ancient ritual will tell if Eryk's love will be a match for Asha's ruthlessness and which shifter will in the end claim Asha.
BUY LINK 
Excerpt:
Sitting at his normal table, Asha Talavi studied the crowd. On the far side of the club a live band played western music, while female vampyre waitresses dressed in tight black skirts and low cut blouses glided through the tables. They not only flirted with the gamblers, but served strong Russian beer and liquors to the patrons. A good combination Asha had found. Offer lots of liquor and hot women and most men became drooling dogs, who didn’t pay the slightest bit of attention to the cards in their hands.
A loud cheer rose when in one corner of the room. It seemed the craps tables were heating up. Reminding himself to keep an eye on the payouts on them, he turned his attention to the keno and roulette tables in the center of the room. Only two tables were open, but were already beginning to attract some of the out-of-towners. He himself didn’t understand why the tourists gravitated to such games, but in the end, it paid out handsomely for the house.
A scrape of a chair next to him barely registered, but he knew from scent alone it had to be Kiarad, his business partner. Without looking over to verify the identity of his guest, he took a sip of the tumbler filled with blood-laced cognac. Like any of his kind, he felt blood went well with anything, including alcohol.
“It looks like it’s going to be another profitable night.” Kiarad shifted in his chair, the silk of his trousers rasping over the polished wood seat.
“Of course.” Leave it to his partner to look around and see nothing but money. But then again, Kiarad’s greed was well known. He couldn’t blame his partner. The other vampyre had lost much over the past few decades. It only made sense the man was greedy now, and hung on to everything as if his life depended on it. Which reminded him, he was going to have to talk to Aseem and Saeed to see if they’d heard from Xenres, who was supervising the maid service he’d sent over to Kiarad’s apartment. His friend was close to becoming a hoarder, and his living quarters were in a dire need of a good cleaning. Too bad the only time to do it was when the fool was at the club, and their sire was the only one strong enough to hide his presence from Kiarad.
“I can hear you thinking over there, Asha.” Kiarad tapped his fingers on the table. “What’s going on inside your decidedly thick head?”
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Ali's Intuition has a release date. Yay!

I signed my contract for Ali's Intuition today, and yay! I have a release date.

September 20, 2013

It's just under a month after Unbreak My Heart's release on August 25 & just in time for GRL. I'm very happy about that.

"Matching spirit mates has always been as easy for fate as sinking an arrow in a heart-shaped target is for cupid--until a whirlwind named Ali steps up to the plate, & might be just the witch to break fate's stellar track record."

LHNB story excerpt & pretty pics, of course

My free "Love Has No Boundaries" story for the M/m Romance Group hasn't been posted yet but I thought I'd  share a small excerpt while I wait. Once it's posted, it'll be available in different formats, so I'll keep ya'll posted in case you're interested. :)

As always, there will be gratuitous pics at the end of this post, and my next actual post will be a picture post since I haven't done one in a while. Stay tuned. (EDIT - dang it, as usual the bottom of this post has turned into a Dean/Aidan extravaganza - oops)

<-- This is the original picture posted with the letter/pic prompt,

The title I chose is "Las Palabras de Amor" which translates to Words of Love - and is also the name of a rock ballad by Queen from 1982. It fits the story, and trust me, this was one of the hardest stories I've written before. There were a few aspects I tweaked from the letter but the main issue was one I struggled with at first.
You can tell from the "letter" above that it involves cheating which I'd never written about before, and had never intended on writing. I had to sit down and figure out a way to write it that didn't offend myself, let alone anyone else. It's not that I don't read those stories, but they aren't my preference in a romance, and definitely not my preference to write. I hope I did the story, and Danilo & Lucas justice. 
Here's the excerpt and the lovely cover by M.L. Rhodes. :)  And if you have a sec, leave a comment and tell me whether you have a preference in whether you read stories with infidelity or not. Cheers.
***
Las Palabras de Amor (Words of Love)

Lucas Winston had only been back in town for a week, arriving from South Africa then heading straight to his grandmother's house. He hadn't told her he was coming, but after a stern lecture and a lot of tears—from them both—she'd taken him in with no questions asked. It wasn't permanent. He hadn't lived with her since he was twenty years old and he had no intention of moving backward in his life instead of forward...until Danilo called.
He'd answered his grandmother's phone without thought or the inkling of an idea that the person on the other end of the line could say something that might alter his plans forever. The voice had immediately unraveled the steel-encased threads around Lucas' heart and threatened to alter his intention of starting over. It was the one thing he hadn't wanted to happen, the only thing that could make him regret coming home to familiar surroundings. And unfortunately, once the politically correct pleasantries of old friends were disbursed with, the news had been far worse than Lucas had even anticipated.
"I want you to meet my son…Lucas." Danilo's words had been abrupt and determined.
All of Lucas' breath left his body, sucked out by eight simple words he'd hoped never to have to hear. His voice hitched painfully in his throat and he struggled to control himself, despite the moisture that sprung to his eyes. He wanted to say no, wanted to leave well enough alone, just get on with the plans he'd sketched out in his head—apartment, job, hopefully a lover to share his life with.
Danilo Torres did not fit into that equation. Danilo Torres was the past, both good and bad, and Lucas needed to concentrate on the future—his future. And his future did not include sitting in the sidelines of someone else's family.
That, of course, didn't explain why he was standing at the gate of a small, well-kept house, his fingers wrapped around the cold steel gate while his brain spun in a whirlwind of indecision. A ridiculous stuffed bear hung vicariously from the fingers of his other hand, all but forgotten in the shock of standing in front of Danilo's house…the house he shared with his son…and wife. It was surreal and uncomfortable, and Lucas involuntarily clutched the soft animal in his hand tighter so he could feel something other than anxiety.
He didn't act like this. He'd promised himself two years ago that leaving well enough alone was his best course of action. He wouldn't be anyone's dirty, little secret again, but how could he resist meeting the son of the only man he'd ever loved, and one who shared his name no less? And just seeing Danilo again, entwined in his new family life, didn't mean Lucas had to backtrack into the situation that had scarred his heart...did it?
***
(Random gratuitous pics for K-lee's amusement)
Dean O'Dimples - of course



As Mark from When Love Comes - one of my fave movies ever


(Not mine - credit for the below pic is to @ starwhispers.com - no harm intended)


And Aidan





Aidan's in a new movie next month - City of Bones-he's a werewolf. Rawr!


The always sexy Jonathan Rhys Meyers is also in the movie

Think I've posted this one of Kit/Jon Snow before, but it's a fave

Funky Kit ;)  
How pretty is he? And he feeds my long-hair addiction, too.

Sweet kiss - don't like, don't look

(OMG - K-lee did her own screen caps, lol)(and of course, it's of Dean/Anders from Almighty Johnsons)Season 3 - episode 1

I suck at blogging....AKA, what K-lee's been up to

That just about sums it up - do some damn blogging, woman...I mean...hi, how's everyone doing?

Yeah, I've proved time and time again that I suck at blogging and updating. But here I am with just a short update about what I have coming up and out. ;)

My Cowboy Brett story that I've talked about before was accepted by Amber Quill (yah) and has an ebook release date of August 25 - with a print date sometime in September. I'm happy it will be out in time for me to take a few copies to GRL. It's about 90,000 words so that's a fair size for me - times that by two and you'll know what I've been working on for the last few months. (more about that after)

So I wanted to show off my shiny new cover by the wonderful Trace Edward Zaber. I picked out the cover model and I just love him. So let me introduce you to Cowboy Brett who now has a real title - "Unbreak My Heart" (cue singing the song from the 90's)

It's pretty, right? (you have to look down obviously) -  I have a tagline too...

"Is the love and patience of a city kid enough to breathe life back into a rancher who's living in his own world of pain--and unbreak his heart?"

I've already posted an excerpt introducing Brett (sort of) so here's one with my other main character - JT. (unedited, by the way)

~*~*~
"Unbreak My Heart"

JT literally woke with the sun as a streak of light from the bare window zapped him square in the eyes. He pulled himself from a slumber that was way too short, rolling to his side and shading his eyes against the pain of too much light way too fast. He was stiff and sore, his back protesting loudly against the thin mattress he'd tossed uncomfortably on all night. The least he could have done was get blitzed the night before so he had a reason to feel like shit in the morning. But in the greater scheme of things he felt rested and relaxed and ready to start the next chapter of "JT Campbell, this is your life".

Of course, the brawl could have had a lot to do with just how freaking crappy he was feeling and not just the bed. He'd managed to escape with only minimal damage, but there were more than a few aches and bites of pain he recognized as being caused by one of the redneck Neanderthals he'd pissed off at the bar. He figured the bruises would be more apparent in the light of day, and hoped they wouldn't make him look completely unemployable.
Brett had already made it known that he recognized the state of JT's face and he didn't look like the type of man to shy away from any kind of fight himself. That itself was a Neanderthal assumption on JT's part. He'd need to tamp down that bigoted reaction and strike the word redneck from his vocabulary if he was going to work for Brett or anyone else in this neck of the woods, pun intended.
He squinted his eyes into the deadly sunlight, sitting up as he chastised his internal complaints. He'd slept in worse beds, in worse places, with worse opportunities in his immediate future. He admitted to being a little confused, but a lot curious, at his sudden hiring and with Brett himself. And how could he just not be completely taken with Millie—as she had insisted he call her—and her take-no-prisonersspunk and attitude. It wasn't every day a nice lady stopped to pick him up—and not want to get into his pants—especially on a pitch black highway. Damn, if he'd had a mother like that, he might have ended up with a stronger sense of family and home.
Brett hadn't seemed all that thrilled with his mother's force of nature power, but also not so surprised by it either. Maybe it was true what they said about Southern boys and their mothers—mamas’ boys to the end, no questions asked, just a lot of "yes ma'ams" and ingrained respect. It was a nice thought actually, foreign and unimaginable to JT, but nice nonetheless.
Pulling himself from the narrow bed and his rambling thoughts, JT stumbled across the room, finally righting himself when he reached the small bathroom just outside the bedroom. He relieved himself, splashed cold water on his face, then pulled on the jeans he'd discarded to the floor. The purple T-shirt he'd been wearing was a little torn at the collar, undoubtedly from the pissed-off redneck…um, asshole who'd grabbed him the at the bar. The front was littered with red droplets and the bottom with a larger smear where he vaguely recalled wiping his bloody mouth.
Unfortunately he hadn't washed any clothes for over a week, maybe two since he'd been on the road most of that time, but the purple was still the cleanest and least offensive-smelling shirt he had.
"Fine way to start a new job, Johan," his mother whispered inside his head.  He shoved her away as he'd been trying to do for the past year and a half or from the time he'd reached adulthood if he was honest. He turned the shirt inside out then slipped it over his head. The rip was obviously still visible, but at least it didn't seem so crusty with blood anymore. It would have to do.
After straightening the pale blue sheets and gray, wooly blanket on the bed, JT turned to take in the room. It had been dark when Brett had left him there, the light outside and the dim bulb in the bathroom illuminating his way to wash up before he pulled the chain to extinguish it then crawled into the bed in complete darkness. He wondered if there were in fact any other lights that worked or if he'd need some old oil lantern to light his way through the dingy, abandoned mess of the bunkhouse. He chuckled as flashes of stereotypical cowboys and campfires and the old west flooded his brain.
He moved out of the tiny space—more of a walk-in closet really—to the kitchen/dining room where a small wooden table and four chairs stood dusty and in need of repair, an old metal mug lonely and forgotten in the center of the table. There was a dirty sink beneath an even dirtier window, also without curtains or blinds, a minuscule cracked countertop, a single burner hot plate and a fridge no bigger than a cooler. JT guessed its history had involved keeping beer cold and nothing else. He gave his head a shake at his judgmental thoughts while he walked out into the Southern morning.
The day was new, the sun having peeked over the horizon for barely more than a couple hours, but there was already a snap of warmth in the air. The smell of summer, warm grass, flowers, maybe even a nearby river or creek, exhilarated JT, bringing him into a greater, more pleasant state of wakefulness. The fresh scents reminded him of California at the beach, without the salty smell of the ocean of course. He couldn't remember having been up so early in the past few years, perhaps even his entire life, except maybe to surf. He missed the crashing waves and the anticipation that quickly grew into radiating excitement, but there was more about home that he didn't miss.
The fresh air also brought out the secret, hippie poet he had buried deep inside him. His mind soared with all the cheesy adjectives and overworked clichés he could think of regarding new, sunshine-filled beginnings and days of promise and light. Maybe he should have just chosen hippy poetry as a profession instead of bothering with the degree that sat unused and unwanted on an expensive piece of paper in an expensive frame.
He sighed when a gentle breeze tickled his face, bristling the tiny prickles of stubble on his chin and jaw. He hadn't shaved in a couple of days and was just contemplating going back to the bunkhouse to do just that when a hint of the most perfect aroma known to man assaulted his nose—coffee. The thesaurus in his head automatically slammed shut, his impending rugged-look quickly forgotten as he sniffed out the source of the God-like scent. 
~*~*~
I have a couple of other things to share, as well. My "Love Has No Boundaries" story for the GoodReads M/m romance group hasn't been posted yet but I can share the cover and the blurb I wrote. It was a tough story for me to write because of certain elements I won't divulge just yet. The title is "Las Palabras de Amor" which translates to Words of Love. The cover was done by the fabulous M.L. Rhodes, and I really love the style of it. It ended up at almost 15,000 words and should be posted in the next couple of weeks. Here's the blurb:

"I want you to meet my son...Lucas."

Only eight little words—but with so much impact. Two years ago, Lucas joined the Peace Corps so he'd never have to hear those words. He left so Danilo would be free to start the next phase of his life, and so Lucas could find a fresh perspective on his own.

But now that he's back in town, ready to kick-start his new life, will those eight simple words send Lucas reeling back into the past or smiling hopefully into the future?

~*~*~
I still suck at blurbs and in the past week I've been doing them for three different books. My last bit of news is that I finally finished the second book in the Family of Misfits series. It's Ali's book - "Ali's Intuition" - as I've probably said before. It's 90,000 words (that seems to the magic number for me) and the lovely L.C. Chase is working on the cover, just as she did for Lucius' Bite. 
I don't have a release date yet but my editor says I'll have it in time for GRL in ebook and print so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. I have a half-assed tagline that will more than likely change but this is it...
"Ali's Intuition - Family of Misfits 2"
Fate has successfully matched spirit mates forever—but fate has never met a witch named Ali.
If you read the first book in the series you know that Ali is a bit of a handful, and since this is his book, he intends to keep up his reputation. The other misfits are all present as well, helping...or not so much.
~*~*~
I don't have a big plan for what's next. I have stories here and there in partial states of being started or just scenes and characters yapping at me in the back of my mind, but nothing solid that I want to work on next. The full novel of "Lazy Sundays" and "Lazy Valentines" is definitely on my plate - I'm hoping to put them both into one book, then add the rest of their story so it's all together. Devon and Scott seem to be quite popular with people who've read them so they deserve to have their story told.
To be honest, I'll just be glad when my two new releases are edited so I can wrap my head around something different, and hopefully shorter. Ali's story ended up almost double what Lucius' was, and the was definitely unintentional. Then writing Brett's story at the same time--and same length--sort of wore me out. There is a lovely submission call that I'm already planning on working on--something close to my heart and under my skin (lol). But that won't be for a while.
That's all for now. I won't promise to see you soon, but I'll certainly try to do better or those dwarves at the top of this post will haunt my dreams - of course, you know I'd really like that anyhow. I'll leave you with some pics of my recent shopping trip online, ;) Oh, and I have a guest doing a give-away next week so make sure you come check it out. Have a good week.
~*~*~
New iPhone case :)

New iPad skin :)
New laptop skin :)

There is nothing obsessive about me at all. ;)Besides, it was a really great sale.

K-lee picks HAHAT winners, congrats CockyBoys & thanks everyone

Thanks to everyone who participated in the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia 2013 - both in doing a post or hopping around. We appreciate the support and the enthusiasm that seemed to gather over the last 10 days. Thank you for also for supporting the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia as well. We'll be back next year so keep your eyes peeled.

And remember, just because the hop is over doesn't mean you can't go and read all the wonderful things that were posted. There were so many wonderful posts that spoke personally about the reason we do this hop in the first place. If you have time, go check them out. (you can still use my list at the bottom of this page to get to the links)


On a more personal note, I'd like to thank Jake, Benny and RJ for an interview that touched me, make me cry and laugh and just feel a whole lot of warmth and love. For those who left comments, please accept my appreciation for stopping by.

And I also have to share the fabulous news that CockyBoys won 4 Grabby awards last weekend! Best Director - Jake Jaxson, Best Movie - Project GoGo Boy, Fan Favourite for best movie - Project GoGo Boy, & Best New Comer - Max Ryder. Congratulations guys! You deserved it. And if you haven't checked out the CockyBoys, you really should. Here's the link (do I have to warn that it's very NSFW? :P)

CockyBoys


(That's Jake Bass, Jake Jaxson & Max Ryder)
Now for the winners of my draw - *drumroll* -

~~$15.00 gift certificate to All Romance Ebooks ~~ ENGINEER QUEEN

~~Ebook from my backlist at K-lee Klein ~~ JO (Johannasnodgrass @ yahoo . com0

~~Ebook from my backlist at K-lee Klein ~~ PEGGY (peggy1984 @ live . com)

I'll be emailing the winners. Thanks again everyone. Hope to see you around my blog again. :)


Guess I better get back to work. :)

Hop Against Homophobia - CockyBoys' Interview part 2

Welcome to my second blog post for the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia. This is the conclusion to my interview with the fabulous Jake Jaxson, R.J. Sebastian and Benny Morecock.

I want to thank everyone who commented on the first part of this interview with such awesome enthusiasm and lovely support of Jake, R.J. and Benny. I have to be honest in saying I wasn't sure what sort of reaction the interview would garner at all for this Hop because it's not a post specifically written to address homophobia.  I also didn't know what to expect when I asked Jake, R.J. and Benny to do this for me, and I couldn't have been more delighted when I discovered just how far they allowed me to delve into their backgrounds and personal thoughts.

I believe the honesty and candidness of these three men, and others like them, is what will help bring homophobia into a new light. I think the feelings and experiences of those who have felt the sting of homophobia, and suffered through it in one capacity or another, is what this hop and the International Day of Homophobia are all about.

With that in mind, I want to thank Jake, R.J. and Benny for making me - someone who believed she was up on the incomprehensible attitudes of homophobia - understand its effects in a more personal way. I also want to thank them for bringing a little hope into a subject that can be all about the unfairness and sadness of a subject that shouldn't be an issue in our society at all. (yes, that's my opinion and I'm sticking to it) Jake, R.J. and Benny's stories are ones of strength, survival and love. Thanks, boys - it's been a sweet ride, and I love you all.

The first part of the interview is here --> CockyBoys are in the House 


There's a stereotypical slur that gay men cannot be monogamous. I know that's simply an unsubstantiated falsehood, but I'm wondering if being in a relationship between three men has brought any additional homophobic remarks or prejudices your way. Do people judge you and your partners because you don't have a common living arrangement? Because they don't understand that you're a family?
Benny:Some people are skeptical when they hear about it. They think it’s some progressive gay "trend". When people actually see us together and how we interact, I think they immediately understand how it works, and that it’s actually an extremely stable and fulfilling family unit that we’ve created. Anyone that has a small enough view of the world to adhere to some arbitrary, contrived view of what a relationship should be has no place in my reality.
R.J.:My mom doesn’t get it and I didn’t get it for the first two years, but today I can't imagine my life without either one of them. It's not the normal, but it works because there is always someone there to love, support, laugh with you. There is no jealousy (anymore) between the three of us. I think that is key.
I used to get jealous that Ben and Jake had their own experiences. I wanted to be included, but being with Ben and Jake the last five years, there is no jealousy anymore. Jake is very supportive and patient, which is why I think our relationship has lasted so long. He's the one who worked very hard, and though I've put him through some crazy shit, he has remained strong for all of us. I am very lucky to have found him, and am very lucky and grateful to have had his continued support and love.
Jake, your bio says you're a hopeless romantic—tell me about that. Are you the only one in the family who has that romantic side? Do you cry at old romantic movies? Buy your loves flowers or cards just because?
Jake:I cry at everything.
I come home at night and every one of my four dogs all fight to sit on my lap and kiss me all over…and I cry.
I sobbed at the new Man of Steel movie trailer.
I look at Ben, always with a new hairstyle and looking so perfect and open…and I cry.
I cry when my performers have success or reach an unexpected goal.
And I cry when I'm with R.J. and he holds my hand when we remember a special memory from our past.
I cry because I am so grateful. My tears are filled with pride. I can't believe that a skinny little thrown-away queer boy like me now has a life worth living and a life surrounded by so much love!
I will always think the best of people even if wronged. And all I ask is that others trust me until I give them a reason not to.
And that's my idea of a hopeless romantic—a life not lived in fear, but in celebration.
R.J.:I would say I am a romantic. I cry during movies, but then again I cry during dog food commercials, too. I guess as I get older, I just cry more—lol.
How about telling me about your current occupations? I know you've revamped a business from the ground up in a short amount of time, an accomplishment that needs to be shared in my opinion. How did you get started? And what sort of work do your jobs entail?
Benny:I do a lot of the website operations management, web design, programming, technology development. I also give my two cents on this and that when it comes to production.
We started as wholesalers and distributors for gay adult DVDs, and we also ran an online retail DVD store. We bought CockyBoys from the original owner about four years ago, and that was our first foray into managing a production website. We spent the first year or so just figuring out how to run and manage a successful membership website. It was in the second year that we really felt confident enough to relaunch it and really take the vision and creative direction of the site into a whole new direction that was entirely our own.
R.J.:I still do some acting and modeling, but since there is so much downtime in my business, I started to help around the office, everything from booking models' flights, to ordering lunch, and driving them to the airport. I've always loved taking pictures, and when Jake bought me a camera and encouraged me to shoot some candid behind the scenes photos of the models, I hesitated. I thought, I wasn't any good, and these guys were professional models. What did I know about taking models pictures?
Well, 2 years later, I am now very confident when I shoot, I know exactly who and what I want to shoot, and if I don’t know then once I'm in the room and I get a feel for the model, I know how to shoot them.
I am very grateful to Jake for getting me started in photography. I feel like I am continually growing and improving and am so excited when I see the comments on the website about what the fans think of the work.
Jake: Currently, I am the CEO and lead director at CockyBoys.com—a gay adult entertainment company dedicated to the healthy, creative, and erotic exploration of gay sex. Through CockyBoys, I have produced, written, and directed four feature films—Name of the Game, Project GoGo Boy, The Haunting, and Max & Jake's RoadStrip.
My nom de plume is Jake Jaxson, but I began my career at a young age creating elaborate stage plays with my vast collection of stuffed animals and Disney records. My crowning achievement was a one-man show in which I performed all the parts to the Disney soundtrack album, Pinocchio, and I won particular praise for my crafty and nimble performance of the Sly Fox.
Since then, I have produced numerous "mainstream" award-winning documentaries, TV shows, and independent films, highlighted by an Emmy Award win for a made-for-TV special produced as a love letter to my beloved New Orleans.
I got into the Adult Business by accident. I was a partner in a marketing company that was on the forefront of developing online "street" and viral marketing, and we had taken on a few adult clients. The online adult space at the time was going through a bit of a transformation, with a new entrepreneurial mindset that wanted to create marketing strategies that were customer service friendly—not that bait-and-switch mentality it was known for. I really enjoyed being able to work in a strategic space that had no boundaries, where we could see immediately what worked and what did not work—not the long tail approach to more traditional marketing. It was only a matter of time before my partners and I saw that running our own customer friendly adult sites—built on customer satisfaction and loyalty—was a lucrative business. So we began acquiring properties in the adult space and CockyBoys.com is now the crown jewel.
Can I just say I adore your blog, Jake, because of all the beautiful men, the photos you take yourself, and of course your adorable gaybies (whose pictures are all over this post). You seem like you know your way around a camera, have you had any professional instruction or just learned it on your own? Any dreams of doing professional still photography? Do you also film some of the scenes for Cockyboys? Jake's blog here
Jake:Thank you for the kind words. I love the process of social media—Twitter, Tumblr, and Instagram. I give all the credit to Benny for getting me started. I am usually hopeless with anything technical and have no patience for it. But once I started, there was no stopping me. In fact, I consider it part of my creative process and my art. I did study film and broadcast journalism at Loyola University in New Orleans, and spent two summers in London at BFI studying the work of Peter Greenaway.
I never studied or worked as a photographer. My partner, R.J., is a photographer and the Director of Photography for all of my current work. In fact, I don't think what I'm doing now would be possible without him and his eye. I can direct a scene now with a few words or a hand movement and he knows what I'm thinking. The best representative of our work is in our soon-to-be-released series, A Thing of Beauty. http://jakejaxson.com/post/49399188664/a-thing-of-beauty-is-a-joy-forever-john-keatsEvery time I work on that project, my love for him expands. I'm blessed to be able to create with the most important person in my life.
Also, my current set of photos for Doorways & Windows, and even my recent set of drawings and watercolor paintings are because of Benny. He saw I was bogged down in the business part of our company, and I was dying—the stress of the day-to-day grind was making "me" disappear. He had seen my creative process from the past, before we knew each other, and he was always encouraging me to get back to what I loved. But I always had an excuse. Then one Christmas, he bought me a paint set and an easel, and that was the start of a kind of reawakening. Plus, he is one of the most curious and "in the now" people I've ever met—he would never let me escape to routine, day-to-day mediocrity.
And Benny, I've seen some of your beautiful woodwork on Twitter. How long have you been creating these wonderful pieces? Are you selling them or are they just for yourself?
Benny:Thanks. I’ve been making furniture for about half a year. I got into it because I’d see something that I wanted to buy, and I realized that I could make it myself. Plus, I always enjoy trying out new projects or skills. I started selling my furniture in November of last year, and it’s turned into a thriving little business. I’m working on growing that business in my free time.
Finally, do you have any words of wisdom or just plain words to offer on the subject of homophobia? Anything you'd like to say to young men who haven't come out yet or are struggling with doing so?
Benny:It’s cliché to say, but it gets better. It’s hard when you’re young, because you can’t exactly break free of unhealthy atmospheres the way you can when you’re an adult. Some kids don’t have the option to get away from unsupportive parents, or escape from schools where they’re bullied. But once you’re an adult, you have endless possibility to do anything you’d like, and sculpt your world into anything you can imagine. Till then, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks of you.
The only important thing is what you think of you, and that you accept yourself. And when you think you’re completely alone and detached, know that the world that the homophobes have created is tiny, small and limited. When you break free of their world, there will be endless possibility for you to sculpt reality into anything you want.
We’re lucky enough to live at a time where the tides are really changing in favor of gays. The ignorant, small-minded folk are slowly dying off, and taking their archaic ideas with them. Good riddance.
R.J.:My advice—surround yourself with people who love and support you. Come out when you are ready. And know that it does get better. One thing I've learned is that most of us are self-centered and selfish, so when you believe someone might be thinking negatively toward you or saying negative things about you, the reality is, that person is really scared and worried about what "you" are thinking of them.
Jake:First of all, thank you for allowing us to share our experiences. I am grateful because this process has connected me to some thoughts from my past I needed to re-acknowledge.
It's important to always be grateful, even when things seem bad or are bad. I have experienced the deepest, darkest pits of hopelessness, and I work very hard to never go back there. And that's a daily activity. I have trained myself to wake up each morning and immediately think about or write down what I am grateful for. The FIRST thought in my day is always a positive one—this helps me battle the inevitable negative energy that will come my way every day. In fact, Benny found me a "gratitude app" which I'm still getting used to, but it's an amazing application so check it out!
My advice—don't live your life as a victim. So many strong, heroic individuals have fought, lived, loved, and bled for all of us to be standing here in an increasingly more accepting world. We must celebrate and acknowledge their fights and sacrifices. There is still more that needs to be done for all of us to enjoy full equality, but that will only happen if we stand tall and proud—as people and not victims!
Before I let you off the hook, I like to ask my guest a few multiple choice questions to lighten the mood a little at the end of an interview. Here we go.

Beach or mountains?Jake: Beach with mountain view (very tricky, Jake)Benny: MountainsR.J.: Beach
Coffee or tea?Jake: Coffee in the morning—Tea in the afternoon—Me at night. (lol)Benny: CoffeeR.J.: Coffee
Apple or orange?Jake: AppleBenny: AppleR.J.:  Apple (Honeycrisp) (I've never heard of those, will have to try them)
Long-stemmed roses or wildflowers?Jake: WildflowersBenny: WildflowersR.J.: Wildflowers (all agreed - fabulous)
Pecs or abs?Jake: PecsBenny: AbsR.J.: Abs
Smile or eyes?Jake: Smile with eye contact (always causing trouble, Jake) Benny: SmileR.J.: Both
Socks or bare feet?Jake: SocksBenny: Bare feetR.J.: Bare feet
Top or bottom? ;)Jake: I'm a top but love both!Benny: BothR.J.: Always (Lol, I think RJ won that question)
I hope you all enjoyed this interview and the lovely photos that went with it. How freaking cute are those puppies? Again, it's been a pleasure, guys. Thanks so much for stopping by. Your answers were inspirational and thought-provoking to me, and I think others will agree. I hope you have a very successful and puppy-filled rest of the year.
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In honor of the International Day Against Homophobia, I will be making a donation to The Trevor Project, and in an awesome gesture, Jake, R.J. and Benny will be making a donation, as well, on behalf of CockyBoys. As for my giveaway, leave your name and email address in a comment and I will be drawing for three books on my backlist once the HAHAT is over.

Leave your name and email address in a comment, (and say something nice, of course) and I will be drawing for two books from my backlist, as well as a $15.00 gift certificate for All Romance Ebooks, once the HAHAT is over on May 27.

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Hop Against Homophobia & Transphobia 1 - CockyBoys are in the house

Welcome to the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia. As one of the organizers I want to thank you for taking the time to check out all the wonderful posts that will be popping up over the next ten days. I believe the best way to abolish the need to even have an International Day Against Homophobia, is to keep talking about it and sharing experiences both good and bad. The more that's out there, the more people become aware, and hopefully, start to understand.
I will have three posts from May 17-27. The first and the second are an interview I did with three amazing men. I hope you'll take the time to read what their individual thoughts are on growing up gay, homophobia in today's society, running a successful business, and living together in a loving relationship of three.
Now let me introduce them to you. Please welcome Jake Jaxson, R.J. Sebastian, and Benny Morecock to my Hop post. Have a look at their bios then we'll start the interview. (and yes, I did color-code each of them – OCD at its finest) Oh, and leave a comment to be included in my draw—more information about my giveaway and donations being made to the Trevor Project is at the end of this post.) Read on, people.
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Jake Jaxson ~ Filmmaker, artist, collector, hopeless romantic, and insatiable flirt. He lives in New York with his two loves and collaborators, R.J. Sebastian and Benny Morecock, & their four canine gaybies ~ Raif, Sebastian, Bailey & Jackson. Jake is also the owner/director of CockyBoys.
Benny Morecock ~ Jack-of-all-trades at CockyBoys. I'm the brains of the operation, Jake is the vision. On the side I collect hobbies and enjoy teaching myself random skills that may or may not come in handy during the second coming of Christ.
R.J. Sebastian ~ Director of photography for most of the CockyBoys updates, as well as the primary photographer for most of the shoots on the website. Jake Jaxson handed him a camera and encouraged me to start shooting the behind the scenes candid shots of the models. From there, RJ moved his way up to primary photographer, and has changed the look and feel of the CockyBoys websites images. RJ wants to transform the way pornographic photos are taken and viewed, and feels that you can shoot explicit images that can also live as art and live on their own. R.J. is also a part-time model and actor.
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~~Hey Jake, Benny, R.J. welcome to Chaos in the Moonlight. I really appreciate you stopping by. First off, would you mind telling us a little about yourselves? Where did you grow up? What was your childhood like? Basically anything you'd like to offer up would be awesome.
Jake:I was born at Charity Hospital in New Orleans, Louisiana, and was put up for adoption as a baby. I was the class clown and could talk my way in and out of anything. Because of that, I seemed to slip through the cracks at school, and did not learn to read until the fourth grade. Even today, I would rather talk than write and listen over reading. I was a theater geek all the way.
I went to a performing arts school and played the lead of Frank Butler in Annie Get Your Gun and Captain Von Trapp in The Sound of Music. My mom cried every night during the wedding scene of that production—she knew that was the only time she would see me get married…to a girl!
My work merges elements of traditional pornography with reality TV, documentary, and non-linear storytelling. I like to think I create what I call "guilt-free porn." My current work has been described as a new genre of homoerotic pornography and erotic-docs, and that makes me very proud. My goal now is to continue this guerilla approach to producing and directing. I hope it will push the limits of sexual understanding, art, and commerce into a new porn paradigm.
Benny:My early years, from four to six, were spent in the Philippines living with my sister and grandparents. After that, I grew up in Arizona and lived there for most of my childhood and adolescence. I was always a passive observer, and somewhat of an awkward kid, when it came to school and social situations.
However, you could say that my junior year of high school was my “coming out” in the social sense—where I became comfortable in my own skin and my identity. That was the year I embraced that I was different. I dyed my hair blue, turned into a “punk” kid, collected friends and really thrived socially. I loved school, enjoyed learning, but never did my homework so of course my grades were awful. Despite that, I joined every club that I could—Speech and Debate, Shakespeare club, German Club, Academic Decathlon, Science Club. I really thrived and it’s my first recollection of really wanting to grab the world by the horns.
R.J.:Growing up Mexican in an all macho household, I was usually teased and made fun of so I tended to stay on the sideline, and not draw any attention to myself. But I did start delving into the arts in school, but was always very worried about what my classmates would think or say since I was called fag every day. I grew up with a constant voice in my head that always says, "there is something wrong here." This voice is still there to this day. I just know now it is just that…a voice. And I can choose to realize it is not real.

~~As I've explained a little above, this hop is working in conjunction with the International Day Against Homophobia to spread the word about hope for a prejudice-free world—specifically regarding homophobia. Can you tell me how homophobia affected you in your younger years, perhaps when you were coming out or whether the place you grew up was conducive to doing that? Do you still continue to be affected by homophobia now?
R.J.:Growing up, I remember my dad saying, "If any of my kids are gay, I'll kill them".So that set the tone for me always being very shy and quiet, trying to keep off anyone's radar. All through my schooling, I was called "faggot". Didn’t matter what school I went to or how much I tried to fit in or change myself, I heard it once a day, every day. I still walk into places and have the same pit in my stomach when anybody looks at me. My first gut thought is, "they are calling me a fag or judging me because they know I'm gay". Then I stop myself from thinking it and move on.
Homophobia completely shaped me to be who I am…I do have thick skin, but I still do entertain those old thought patterns. The difference now is I choose to stop them once they start. To a degree I also have been very guarded when it comes to acting/modeling because there is a stigma, once casting knows you're gay. They assume you can't be anything else….and I believed that…so much that I would get auditions and if the character description said "macho jock"…. I would doubt myself and stop myself from actually auditioning because I was convinced I could never be that because I was gay.
Benny:I wouldn’t say that my younger experiences were more homophobic than the next kid. There was always that fear and awkwardness when I began to develop sexually, and I found that I was attracted to my male friends, and more importantly the realization that that feeling isn’t normal. As a kid, you learn to hide those feelings before you even realize exactly what they are—before you even know what "gay" is. And there were instances where I was made fun of for being a "fag" before I even knew what that was. And I don’t even think they knew what it meant either. Kids just sensed a "differentness" about me that wasn’t their perception of natural. And it’s just the nature of bullies in school to prey on that.  It was junior year of high school that I was able to have the internal dialogue of, "I am gay". It’s harder to be able to come to that realization than you can ever realize. You understand the concept of "gay" when you’re young, but you spend so much of your childhood hiding that from everyone else, that you also convince yourself that that’s not you. It’s a weird psychological game that can really fuck you up—denying your most basic identity, and the fear of being found out for who you really are.
Anyway, it was when I really accepted myself, and who I was, that the world changed for me. I was no longer fearful, but the exact opposite. I saw possibility where there was none before. If I experienced homophobia after that, it didn’t affect me because I didn’t care. I learned that I could create reality for myself, and choose who I accepted into that reality. So I created a world that accepted me, and people that didn’t accept me—well, it didn’t matter because they weren’t valid to me.
Nowadays, I don’t experience any homophobia. But I’m lucky enough to live in a socially progressive city, and I’ve surrounded myself by people that support me.
Jake:Growing up in southern Louisiana was not exactly conducive to being gay. Since I also grew up in a very religious family—sex was taboo and gay sex was a sin—I was closeted (that is, as closeted as a quirky, skinny boy who loved musical theater could be). And because I feared that my lie would be discovered, I was also at times part of the problem. I picked on boys who were "obviously gay" in hopes that no one would think I was also "that way.".
My work now is directly influenced by that time in my life—it's a celebration of gay love and sexual expression. My film, The Haunting, produced with my partners, R.J. and Benny, is the story of two young men who were torn apart by religious intolerance and ignorance.
One of the boys is killed in an alleged "hunting accident," and that part of the film was directly inspired by a moment in my young adult life. While on a hunting trip with my Boy Scout troop, we were in a duck blind and the conversation turned to jokes about how Rock Hudson died after "eating a bad wiener" and then about a kid named Shannon who we all called "Sharon" and joked was gay. One of the guys in the blind said if "Sharon" was here, he would "fuck him up the ass" with the shotgun he was holding and "pull the trigger as he came."
At that moment, I experienced a fear that took me years to overcome. At that moment, I buried my "gay self" so deep inside me that uncovering it would take years of lies, self-hate, and reinvention.
Today I am blessed and so grateful. I am a polygamous pornographer! And my deep love and respect for my partners and the young men and women that work for me is my shield against that past. And I have more respect and admiration for my immediate "porn family" than I do the bankrupt moral crusaders, politicians, and religious zealots who often do not practice what they preach! I often say—the ones who are screaming the loudest about the sins of others are the very ones up to their eyeballs in sin and hypocrisy. To me, they represent that ignorant boy with the shotgun in that duck blind 30 years ago.
~~Family seems to be very important in your lives and according to Jake's bio, you have your own pack of dogs (and I've seen pics – they're all adorable). Have you always been animal lovers or have dogs always been your preference? Are they spoiled rotten (remember I've seen pics)? Tell us about Raif, Sebastian, Jackson, and Bailey. 
Benny:I’ve always had a dog for my entire life—I love them and I’ll always be a dog person. I can’t imagine not having an animal companion by my side for my entire life. They’re pretty much spoiled rotten. They fly with us wherever we go, and my dog Bailey even rides on my bike with me.
R.J.:I hated dogs. I was bitten by a dog when I was 19. I still have the scar, right by my nose, and my first thought was, "now I'll never be a model". Jake has always had and loved dogs. We would go to Runyon Canyon in Los Angeles during what we called "doggy rush hour" which was at about 5pm after work, and we would watch dogs on our hike and be like, "oh look at that one" or "if we had a dog, that’s what we would want".
We finally went for it and got Sebastian. Jake and I went into the pet store (I know, we were not educated back then on what pet stores really meant for animals) and we saw Sebastian. He was with another little grey and white Italian greyhound. They were 3 months old, and Sebastian was shy while the other one was a crazy and excited puppy.We chose Sebastian, the all-black one.
Six months later we mentioned to a friend where we got Sebastian and our friend mentioned he had stopped by that pet store and had seen a grey and white Italian greyhound. Because he was older, they had mentioned to him that if no one bought the dog they would end up having to put him down. That week I went back to the pet store thinking it couldn’t be the same dog from seven months before I thought. When I walked in my heart broke. It was the same dog, but bigger and crazier than before. I took him out in the play area and I soon realized why no one had taken him home. Aside from the hefty price tag for a purebred, he started to pee and mark the entire playroom.
I called Jake at work and said, "you have to come right now—I'm taking this dog home". And that’s how we "rescued" Raif. I admit I still have guilt over not taking him home with us when we took Sebastian, but in the end it was meant to be. He is my King and I do everything I can to make his life perfect now.
~~Another aspect of your family is that the three of you are in a loving, committed relationship together—something not common in today's society, at least not that people are aware of or admit. Can you tell me a little bit about your partnership? How long have you been together? (Benny was interviewed for NYmag with regards to their "throuple" relationship. You can read it here http://nymag.com/news/features/benny-morecock-throuple/It's an awesome article)
R.J.:Jake and I have been together for 15 years. We met through our mutual trainer at Crunch Fitness in LA...so typical. We knew each other for about a year, but I was always traveling as a dancer and had just shot a commercial when we really started to see each other.
From our first date, we never stopped seeing each other. It's not all roses, I'm a devil, I'm stubborn, I'm selfish and I'm an incredibly negative person at heart…but Jake has really worked and fought tirelessly for 15 years to get me out of a lot of these habits. I thank him, and am grateful to have such a positive forward moving force in my life. I realize that not everyone is blessed to have this in their own life.
Benny:I met Jake when I was an apprentice at a salon, he was a client there and I washed his hair. He'd always seen me there and had a crush on me, so when we finally talked we hit it off and exchanged numbers...the rest is history.
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Make sure you come back tomorrow for the next part of my interview with Jake, R.J., and Benny. I might even ask them the most important question possible—top or bottom. :)
In honor of the International Day Against Homophobia, I will be making a donation to The Trevor Project, and in an awesome gesture, Jake, R.J. and Benny will be making a donation as well, on behalf of CockyBoys.
As for my giveaway, leave your name and email address in a comment and I will be drawing for two books from my backlist, as well as a $15.00 gift certificate for All Romance Ebooks, once the HAHAT is over.
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K-lee's May update & pretties

I've been so negligent in updating this...in updating anything really. I know I don't have a lot of followers, but the few I do have deserve better than these random posts that can run anywhere from incoherent babble to depressing-as-hell thoughts. Even if I just post pretty pics, it would be better than dead air, right?  :) 
Moving on - the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia is almost upon us - 2 days to be exact or 1 depending where you are. I'll be doing at least 3 posts during that time and I have some special guests that I hope you'll drop by to say hi to - three very special and lovely men to be exact. But seriously, these guys have some very inspirational and thought-provoking things to say. And be sure to check out the other  >170 participants, too. Hey, you've got 10 days to do it this year. Hop on, people.  :)

Writing Update

Family of Misfits 2: See those pretty (or intimidating, depending on your personal preferences) men up there? Well, they've been taking up my time which is a very good thing. If you read my first Family of Misfits book, Lucius' Bite, you'll know Ali.

Family of Misfits 2 is his book, his story, his whacky adventure if you will. They're actually being very good boys in that they're speaking to me at the moment, whereas they weren't for quite some time.

I need to get this one done and beta-ed by the beginning of June if I want print copies in time for GRL...which I certainly do. I will also be having the talented L.C. Chase doing Ali's cover as she did Lucius'.

Here's a tiny excerpt - keep in mind it's unbeta-ed, unedited, and not written in stone yet.

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Once he was finally alone with the unconscious Kalo—and Anca had been dragged kicking and protesting from the room—Ali stood back, arms crossed over his chest. He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and gnawed at it while his gaze traveled over Kalo's body.
Kristof was right, the guy was big, at least three or four inches taller than Ali's own six feet. He was all in black—possibly a family fashion statement—his full-length leather coat not conducive to a brisk day let alone winter in Canada. Under the coat was a button-up shirt with the collar of a t-shirt sticking out from beneath—at least he knew how to layer. His jeans, black of course, were the kind manufactured to look retro, so tight they made it perfectly clear he dressed to the right, and very well at that. Thick-soled biker boots completed the look and must have added at least an inch to Kalo's already towering frame.
Kalo’s nose was long and straight with a tiny bump over the bridge, perhaps from a fight or accident. His lips were full, and though he didn’t have a lip piercing he did have one of those horrible chin things shining from beneath the scruff. Ali detested them. Kalo had a lot of piercings actually, and Ali wondered if there were any hidden ones beneath all the black of his clothes. The image stuck in his head but he wasn't sure if he liked it or not…much like the man lying before him.
He'd never been opposed to men wearing make-up—even indulged in a little light foundation and sparkly liner or shadow himself on occasion—but the thick line of eyeliner, jet black mascara and dark eye shadow was a little over-the-top even for him. The combination made Kalo look like some kind of sinister movie vampire, and Ali could not imagine anyone walking around like that unless they lived in L.A. or possibly New York. In wholesome, hippie-land, free-loving British Columbia, Kalo would be the talk of the town, of the whole goddamn province.
The only hint of color Kalo wore was an abundance of silver adornments—a big belt buckle with a fierce-looking wolf's head partially hidden by the untucked front of Kalo's shirt, at least three thick, chunky chains hung around his neck each displaying a different silver pendent, and a thicker chain clipped to Kalo's pocket and dangling over his leg.
Besides the chin piercing—Ali thought it was called a labret—one of Kalo's eyebrows was pierced with a silver ring and both ears were highly silverized by varying sizes of hoops—definite disproof that the old folktales about shifters and silver were just that… tales. If humans only knew how much of the old legends and lore they actually got wrong they might start concentrating on their own frailties and leave the paranormals to themselves.
As Ali scrutinized Kalo's appearance, he realized he was exactly the type of man Lucius had been drawn to before Nicu dropped into their lives. He’d always preferred the tough, rugged, freaky ones he met online, but never any as big as Kalo. Ali was pretty sure his Luscious liked to keep the upper hand, and alpha position, even in his one night stands. Ali had followed him on many occasions just to make sure he was safe with whatever current fuck buddy he had at the time. Kalo was undoubtedly Lucius' past taste, but definitely not Ali's past, present or future—at least he couldn't see it ever happening.
He wasn't sure if he was happy, sad or merely still in shock about Kalo's sudden arrival. It wasn't his intention to judge Kalo's appearance, and the man himself, without actually having spoken to him, but a tendril of disappointment wiggled through his heart and into his aching head. He'd obviously never seen a picture of his intended spirit mate, but Nicu had been right, Ali had dreamt extensively about him since he was an adolescent. There had never been a full image, just tiny glimpses of dark purple eyes—almost a shade of eggplant he'd certainly never seen in real life—full lips and definitely less hair than Kalo's massive mess.
Ali had always felt an overwhelming elegance to his dreams as well, the soft whispers of classical or perhaps jazz music playing in the background while muted colors and well-dressed men and women faded in and out of the scene. There was never any rhyme or reason to Ali's nighttime adventures, never any actual face-to-face drama or contact with the man he'd come to believe was his fated mate, indeed other than eyes and hair, he'd never even seen the man's face.
But nonetheless, he had always been positive he could pick out his intended in a crowd, and long, disheveled hair with random braids and a face abundant with piercings would not have occurred to him in a million years. And that wasn't even taking into consideration what looked to be a tattoo peeking out from under Kalo's shirt. Ali was sure it wasn't the only one either.

~*~*~
Cowboy Brett: There really isn't a title to this one yet, despite it being up to 78,000 words - my longest to date by far. Brett is second on my list of must-be-dones and he's moving along pretty well. He was only supposed to be novella size, but he grew in leaps and bounds, adding things here and there and being generally stubborn about what he wanted me to write. Brett is actually a pretty good muse. He was the only one who didn't abandon me a while ago. His story is emotional (what a surprise right?) but hopeful too, I think. My hope is to have him out by GRL, too.

Danilo : Danilo is my M/m Romance group free story. It's not coming along well at all, despite already being due. I won't abandon it because that's just not something I'm willing to do. I have do a slight extension, though I'm not sure I'll still be able to have it in on time. With my two other publishable stories (massive word lengths to me) needing to be be done, Danilo has to be the one put aside for now. The majority of the stories aren't being posted until July so maybe--just maybe I can squeak through more late than not. I have a concept and a start, but to be honest my extended depression this year has put me behind in everything.

In other news:

I made myself a new business card because the ones I had have up and ran away. I don't know where they've gone or where I might have left them so I had to use Photobucket and Vistaprint to make a new one. Good grief that is a task someone with OCD just does not want to do, and I have hours of arranging and rearranging to prove it.

<-- Basically it looks like this and then has my information on the back. Does the pretty boy look familiar? Lol. I decided since I paid for him anyhow, I might as well get a little more mileage out of him. Plus, I really do love his look.

Fanfiction: Yep, I'm writing it and having a blast doing so. It really does help my muse and puts a smile on my face which is pretty important sometimes. I've had good comments about what I've written so far and I'll keep doing it as long as it makes me happy.

Obsessions: Still obsessed with Hobbit dwarves and the actors who play them. Not much else to say there. I'm totally in love with Nagron (Agron and Nasir from Spartacus - and just the show itself as well), plus Jon Snow (Kit Harington) from Game of Thrones and Will Graham (Hugh Dancy) from Hannibal. Wow, I see a pattern of hot men with swords - except for Will Graham who is just plain adorable even without a weapon. Of course, I'm posting some pics to go along with my obsessions. :)

Have a good week and remember to stop by during the HOP from May 17-27.
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(I swear I always start out making the images smaller but I  bigger always seems best)
Fili and Thorin

Fili and Kili

Dean O'Gorman (O'Dimples) - Fili

Aidan Turner - Kili(and soon to be Luke in City of Bones)

Agron & Nasir from Spartacus(Nagron)

Jon Snow from Game of Thrones

Kit Harington - Jon Snow

Hugh Dancy - Will Graham on Hannibal