M.A. Church's Blog, page 131

Love is Love Blog Hop Winner of my giveaway

The Love is Love Blog Hop is over! So, if you’re wondering about the Kindle giveaway… A single winner will be chosen to receive the Kindle and all the books. Because Amazon cannot pre-load a Kindle, the winner won't be able to get books until they receive the ereader and register it with Amazon.

Once the winner is chosen, the person who ran the Hop will email me with the winner’s contact information and then I’ll email them mobi copies of my Harvest books. So it’s going to be a little while on that.


But… I also ran my own giveaway for Trouble Comes in Threes. And that winner is:

Laurie PI'll be sending out the email shortly. :)

CREATIVE MINDS PROMOTIONS presents The Last Grand Master by Andrew Q. Gordon and a Giveaway

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TOUR ORGANIZER:
CREATIVE MINDS PROMOTIONS
https://creativemindpromotions.wordpr...


PUBLISHER: DSP Publication


SERIES: Champion of the Gods


RELEASE DATE: 10thFebruary 2015


LENGTH: 370 Pages


BLURB: In a war that shook the earth, the six gods of Nendor defeated their brother Neldin, god of evil. For three thousand years, Nendor and the Seven Kingdoms have known peace and prosperity and Neldin's evil was nearly forgotten.

But then Meglar, wizard king of Zargon, unleashes the dark magic of the underworld and creates an army of creatures to carry out his master's will. One by one, the sovereign realms fall as a new war between the gods threatens to engulf Nendor.

Leading the opposition to Meglar is Grand Master Farrell. Young and untried, Farrell carries a secret that could hold the key to defeating Meglar—or it could destroy the world.

Farrell is joined by Nerti, queen of the unicorns and Miceral, an immortal muchari warrior the Six have chosen as Farrell's mate. As Farrell and his new allies make plans to counter Neldin's evil, Meglar forces their hand when he invades a neighboring kingdom. Rushing to help their ally, Farrell and Miceral find themselves in the middle of the battle. Cut off from help, Farrell attempts an untried spell that will either turn the tide or cost he and Miceral their lives.


EXCERPT:
In the waning light of the summer sun, the four emerged onto the grassy plains. Without warning, the unicorns took off as only their kind could. Back home, with the wind rushing through his hair, Farrell laughed. He leaned forward, urging Nerti to run faster. Peering back, he saw Klissmor galloping with a determined glint in his eye. Miceral mimicked Farrell’s position, and his blond hair shimmered when it caught a shaft of moonlight from the newly risen moon.For all his effort, Klissmor never caught Nerti. They reached the northern edge and had careened back when a powerful flare lit the dark sky from a spot above the gates. Farrell recognized the aura instantly. What did Wesfazial want?“We’re being summoned back,” he told Nerti, not trying to hide his disappointment.Nerti raced Klissmor to the front gate, and the pair arrived side by side. Farrell and Miceral quickly dismounted, and Farrell moved to one of the permanent Doors on this side. Careful to avoid the horn, he put his head to Nerti’s forehead and kissed her between the eyes, a thanks for the ride.Smiling broadly, he waved to close the Door and took Miceral’s hand. Before they reached the gate, his smile drained.“Honorus’s butt cheeks!” His curse earned him a stifled laugh from Miceral. “That man is always scowling at me. What is it now?”When they arrived, Wesfazial, his face pinched and tight, “greeted” them.“What in the Eight Gates of Neblor do you think you were doing?” He barely contained his anger. “You’re supposed to be resting, not off romping around at night on a unicorn’s back. And what demon possessed you to open Doors? You’re not supposed to be using magic. At all!” He paused for a breath, then turned his glare on Miceral. “And you. Not content to wound him, now you’re trying to kill him by not letting him rest?”Farrell put fingers to lips and whistled loudly. When his mentor stared at him, he shook his head slowly. “Sometimes it’s better to ask questions before launching into a lecture.”Wesfazial’s eyes narrowed, but he kept silent.“Nerti healed me with her horn.” Raising both eyebrows, he waited a moment before adding, “I assume that’s all you wanted.”“Um, no, there’s nothing else.” The older wizard shook his head as Farrell led Miceral inside. “Sorry, but I was apoplectic when I saw you four galloping about like that. Forgot about those unicorn horns.”Laughing at the contrition, Farrell turned abruptly and put his hand on Wesfazial’s shoulder. “Sooner or later you’ll have to let go and realize I’m not the juvenile you met when you arrived.”“It will take a long time for me to forget those days. I’m glad you’re all right, but be careful around this big oaf. He only looks slow.” Wesfazial gripped Miceral’s shoulder in his meaty hand before walking away. 

BUY LINKS:
DSP Publication - http://www.dsppublications.com/books/the-last-grand-master-by-andrew-q-gordon-53-b


AUTHOR BIO: Andrew Q. Gordon wrote his first story back when yellow legal pads, ball point pens were common and a Smith Corona correctable typewriter was considered high tech. Adapting with technology, he now takes his MacBook somewhere quiet when he wants to write.
He currently lives in the Washington, D.C. area with his partner of nineteen years, their daughter and dog.  In addition to dodging some very self-important D.C. 'insiders', Andrew uses his commute to catch up on his reading. When not working or writing, he enjoys soccer, high fantasy, baseball and seeing how much coffee he can drink in a day.

AUTHOR LINKS: Website: www.andrewqgordon.comFacebook:  www.facebook.com/andrewqugordonTwitter:  @andrewqgordonGoogle+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/+AndrewQGordonE-mail: andrewqgordon@gmail.com

TOUR SCHEDULE

2/10 - Cate Ashwood

2/11 - Susan Mac Nicol

2/12 - Tali Spencer

2/13 - Shira Anthony

2/16 - M.A. Church

2/17 - Charlie Cochet

2/18 - Raine O'Tierney

2/19 - RJ Scott

2/20 - Sue Brown



GIVEAWAY DETAILS: 
There will be a Kindle Giveaway as a part of this tour that is sponsored by DSPP to promote The Last Grand Master.

 a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Valentine's Day! Have you met my version of Cupid, lol?

Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! Here's the link for the Love is Love Valentine's Day Hop. There are some awesome prizes, and I'm giving away a ebook copy of Trouble Comes in Threes at my blog too.

Since it's Valentine's Day and I have a story about Cupid, I thought I'd share some of it. Perfect is book #2 in The Gods series.

Perfect

The Gods: Book Two
http://youtu.be/q50GEjdliWo book trailer for Perfect


Buy Links:
DsP: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3530 
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Perfect-The-Gods-Series-ebook/dp/B00B4VEWCG/ref=sr_1_cc_1?s=aps&ie=UTF8&qid=1358975347&sr=1-1-catcorr&keywords=9781623803131  
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-perfect-1047144-140.html


Blurb:
Jaded billionaire Jeff Mayfield loves only what his money and power can buy, but the Fates have plans for him. First a player in Jeff’s casino hits a huge jackpot and things turn hectic. Then, in the middle of the chaos, Jeff lays eyes on the unbelievably sexy Cam Smith—Cupid in his human form.

Seized by lust, Jeff makes a move, only to find himself on the receiving end of a blistering wave of sexual intent. Cam disassembles Jeff’s self-image and puts it back together upside down. But Jeff isn’t the only one struggling with control. Cam’s alter ego is Jealousy, and if he loses his composure, the consequences will be deadly.



* * *  *






The arid, hot air of the desert swept across Cupid’s body and sucked the breath from his lungs as he stepped off the shuttle bus in front of The Palms casino in Las Vegas. Running his fingers through his short, curly blond hair, Cupid walked into the coolness of the lobby. He scanned the area, hoping to see the owner of the place—a certain gentleman named Jeff Mayfield—and resisted the urge to rub his hands together gleefully; he had big plans for Jeff.“Ah, it’s good to be back,” Cupid said quietly. He was disappointed he didn’t see the one he wanted, but a small smirk lifted his lips. “Lay a monster challenge on me, will you? Claim you don’t believe love is for you? By Zeus, I’m going to have such fun proving you wrong. Jeff, you poor human, you don’t stand a chance when the god of erotic love is involved.”Four months had passed since Garrett and Randy, his most recent targets, had confessed their love to one another. A pleased smile crossed Cupid’s face as he thought of the night he had spotted those two. He’d had every intention of planting one of his golden arrows into Garrett or Randy while they were at the craps table, but the oddest thing had happened. His bowstring broke each time he lined up a shot. This had never happened to him before. He was known by many names, but he preferred Cupid, the name his mother had given him. Greek mythology, Roman mythology… he shrugged. Little did the humans know just how badly they had messed up the pantheon, not that it mattered. He knew the truth, as did others of his kind. Later, while he and his sister, Psyche, watched the light go out in the window of the Peabody Hotel, he had idly wondered if the Moirai, also known as the Fates, had intervened. As curious as Cupid was, it was in his best interest not to question why. Those three gave new meaning to the words hazardous to your health. Thanks to them, the most widely-known image of him included a diaper. “Well, let’s get this show on the road.” Cupid strolled across the lobby to the check-in desk, getting his license out of his billfold. He knew Reception would card him because he looked so young.After a long debate with the girl behind the counter on whether or not he was old enough to rent a room at the Palms, much less use the casino—and the fact he had such a common last name like Smith—he stood in front of his room. It was one of the casino’s standard hotel rooms, nothing special, but it had what he needed: privacy. He dropped his suitcases near the door and walked into the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, he gazed in the bathroom mirror at his reflection.He planned to do something that defied logic and would make his dear sister laugh hysterically. Cupid had debated doing this on Mount Olympus, but Zeus would’ve noticed the surge of energy, and the last thing he wanted was interference from the god of all gods. As it was, when Zeus figured out what he planned, the big man wasn’t going to be happy. If this worked, he would be weak and need to rest where he’d be safe. There was those on Mount Olympus that would take advantage of his weaken state, so this was the best place to attempt what he planned.Cupid closed his eyes, clearing his mind of the usual random day-to-day thoughts. He focused and, chanting softly, started the aging spell. Heat scored his body, warming him from the inside out. His skin tightened until it threatened to burst open from the energy spiraling through him.His body temperature crested as though an explosion was imminent, then cooled. The relief was short-lived, however, since his body continued to cool, his core temperature dropping steadily. Numbness racked him while chills chased over his skin. Shivering, he plowed ahead with this gods-be-damned spell and struggled to finish as darkness edged his thoughts. A white light exploded in his mind and then the changes in his body finally leveled off. When the coldness retreated, it left him gasping for air but with a shaky feeling of accomplishment. He completed the spell and took a deep breath to prepare himself, then opened his eyes and studied his reflection critically.“Not bad.” Cupid turned this way and that, checking all the angles in the mirror. “Not bad at all. At least I don’t look like a teenager anymore.”The light blond curls were gone, pulled out by the weight of his longer hair into golden blond waves. He ran his hand through the strands, admiring his new look. Surprisingly, his eyes were the same dark turquoise as before he did the aging spell.“Wonder what other changes there are.” Hastily he removed his clothes, anxious to see what else might have been transformed.He studied his reflection in the bathroom mirror, noting the slight differences. His body was still long, lean, and defined. He wasn’t as skinny as before—his form had filled out. His face was more mature, the first bloom of youth gone, and small laugh lines appeared around his eyes when he smiled.“I can pass for someone in their late thirties, no problem.” Cupid spoke to his reflection, watching his mouth move. Amused, he laughed. “Even though I’m much, much older.”Cupid had known Jeff wouldn’t touch him unless he did something about how young he appeared. Satisfied, he watched his reflection smirk back at him.“Okay, part one of the plan is a success. I won’t have trouble attracting Jeff’s attention. Hmm, but the name on my driver’s license doesn’t really fit this new look. Cambridge sounds a bit snooty.” Cupid tapped his lips. “Maybe I could shorten the name? How about Cam? Hmm, I like that. Combining Cupid and Amor is cool, if I do say so myself. Cam Smith it is.”He picked up his clothes and strolled out into the main room. Yawning, he dropped them on the foot of the bed and closed the curtains, then lay down naked. There were a couple of hours before things started jumping on the casino floor, so a short nap wouldn’t hurt. Soon it would be time to put part two of his plan in action.


Cupid woke to darkness. He stretched, running his hands over his body. This would take some getting used to. His body felt different now. Rising from the bed, he pulled the curtains back. More time had passed than he realized; it was late in the evening. He showered, stepped out, and toweled off. Walking nude to his suitcases, he picked out a white Polo button-down and a pair of black jeans, laying them on the bed.“Perfect. Gives me a nice, casual look. Now for a bit of naughty.”Grinning, he rummaged around until he found a pair of mesh briefs. These were sure to get Jeff’s motor running. He slipped them on and returned to the bathroom. If things went according to plan, those briefs would drive Jeff out of his mind later. Humming with pleasure, he glanced in the mirror.“Well, would you look at that.” He leaned closer to the mirror, his hand brushing across his cheek. “Check out the five o’clock shadow I’m sporting. Wonder if I should shave? Naw, I like how it looks, think I’ll leave it. It’s weird to have facial hair, though.”He had studied Jeff’s likes and dislikes intensively, just as he had studied the man himself. Jeff was in his early forties with short, dark nut-brown hair that, in certain lights, burned with red highlights. His hazel eyes were framed with thick lashes. A straight nose gave way to nice, kissable lips. Below that was a sweet little dent in his chin. From what Cupid could tell, Jeff had a nice body. Wide shoulders, what looked like a toned chest that tapered down to a slim waist, and strong legs. The man obviously worked out. And hair… hair everywhere, from the few times he had seen Jeff before; hair on his arms and hair peeking out through the open collar of his shirt. That alone made Cupid’s mouth water. He was smooth himself, but fantasizing about how much hair Jeff had made Cupid breathe hard. Jeff was the very image of a superrich, well put together, ruthless businessman.He splashed on some cologne from a well-known green bottle with a polo player on it. This cologne was common, but it was a favorite of Jeff’s. The heavy scent was like a beacon that would attract him. Cupid shivered. He planned to assault every sense Jeff owned. He intended to light a fire in Jeff, nurse those eager little flames along until they exploded into a full-fledged inferno, and then… make him wait.“And I will wait, no matter how much I want it.”Jeff needed to understand there was such a thing as love—that there were risks involved, but that they were worth it. There were the pleasures of the flesh, and there were the pleasures of the heart. Cupid was determined to show Jeff the difference. It was one reason why they would wait before going to bed together, even if it killed him. The other reason was more involved and would need careful handling.Jeff acted much like Garrett had before he’d met Randy: the jaded playboy who was used to getting what he wanted in both his business life and his personal life. Both Garrett and Jeff took what was offered and enjoyed it to the fullest, no strings attached. But unlike Garrett, Jeff was far more jaded and cynical. After one bad experience, Jeff had sworn off love. Jeff was never cruel to his lovers, but he made it clear he wasn’t interested in anything outside of casual sex.“He has every right to be jaded and cynical.” Cupid shook his head as he slid the tight jeans over his ass. “Brad did a real number on him all those years ago.”Brad Mayo was the ex, and Jeff had fallen hard for him. They’d met at the casino and their relationship took off quickly. Brad was so sweet and innocent, a genuinely nice guy. Or so he had seemed. Cupid rolled his shoulders as picked up his shirt in disgust. Brad’s soul was as black as tar—the only person he loved was himself. It was too bad Jeff hadn’t been able to see what Cupid saw when he looked inside the guy.Within a month Jeff was talking about something more permanent and introduced Brad to the main people in his life—including his best friend, Aaron, who was a leading film producer in Hollywood. Garrett, Jeff, Zygi, and Aaron had known each other for years. At a party one night, Jeff found Aaron fucking Brad during a casting party for a new movie Aaron had released. Jeff lost his boyfriend that night and a close friend. Later he found out what an excellent actor Brad was when he starred in Aaron’s films. Brad was still with Aaron, but their fights were legendary in the hills of Hollywood. Jeff’s attitude took a plunge toward suspicious, reserved, and pessimistic.“Yeah, Brad and Aaron deserved each other.” Cupid buttoned up his shirt and admired his image in the mirror. “Ah well, his loss. It’s a shame Jeff’s so guarded now, but I do love a good challenge.”The challenge was simple: Cupid refused to use his golden-tipped arrows on Jeff. When asked—and he was certain he would be—he wanted to be able to say he had not used his arrows. Jeff had to know he fell in love of his own accord and that love could exist without help from the infamous Cupid.Putting on his shoes, Cupid jogged down to the casino floor and part two of his plan.

In Enemy Hands 4.6

Looking for the Love is Love Valentine's Hop? Click here for it!



Now, for the weekly flash:


Next week's prompts are:
“I can say what I want about…” “Only you could pull it off.” “Holy moly, is that a…?” “Are you trying to make me look stupid?” “She/He works too hard.”  “Do you ever shut up?”“Glove up.”“For a good time call…”“I’m a survivor.”or use: mask, tile, skinor use: cream, desk, fan or use: hair, unit, red or use: diamond, bra, blenderor use: stars, Paris, bedor have a character plan a party or have a character shovel snowor have a character lick a spoonor “Nice and easy does it…”or “How much do you want to bet he isn’t a natural blond?”or “Hit me with your best shot…”or “Why does it look like the bloody Red Wedding in here?”or “The first time ever I saw your face…”or have a character do something for the first time or use baubles, bangles and beads

In Enemy Hands 4.6Varo jerked his gaze from the shelves. “W-what?”
“We’re going to bathe. Strip.”
Those strange yellow eyes of Adlar’s pierced him. Strip? Here? In front of Adlar? He didn’t know if he could. But if he didn’t, Adlar would think he was resisting and activate that cursed collar. He knew that, he did, it was just… his body didn’t want to move.
“I-I-I…” Varo gulped, waiting for the pain to slap him to the floor.
Adlar narrowed his eyes. “Did you hear me?”
“I-I…” Varo cringed at the slight growl in Adlar’s voice. He heard, he really did. He just couldn’t move. He didn’t want to hurt as he did earlier, but his body wouldn’t respond. Struck dumb and frozen, he whimpered, waiting for the pain to come. At least that might snap him out of this.
Adlar rubbed his hand up and down his arm. “Ah, I see. You want to, yes?”
Varo nodded frantically, hoping Adlar understood.
“I told you, I won’t rape you.”
And that was why he was standing there doing a fine imitation of a statue. He wasn’t afraid of Adlar’s reaction to his naked body.
He was afraid of his own.
Adlar stepped closer, staring into his eyes. “I want you to take your uniform blouse off.”
The gentle command swept through him. Unable to resist, he lifted his hands and pulled the sleeveless vest over his head.
“Put it on the bench for me, Varo.”
He dropped it where Adlar pointed. A shudder ripped through him—he certainly couldn’t blame it on the cold this time. Oh no. It was actually very warm and slightly humid in the bathing chamber. No, the shudder came from how gently Adlar spoke to him, and his reaction to it. That velvety soft voice wound like smoke around him. Goddess, he had no idea Adlar could sound so, so… sexy. And his body reacted; he was hard.
“Good. Now, I need you to sit and take off your boots.”
Varo found his ass on the bench before he had a chance to think about it. If Adlar had shouted the command, he could’ve resisted. Fought. But he had no defense against the low, sexy voice that tempted him to want things he had no business wanting.
“You can do it, Varo.”
Hands shaking, he leaned over and unlaced his boots. Questions flitted though his mind. Was this some sort of mind control the Helkans were capable of?  He hadn’t heard of such, but then, what did any of them really know about the species as a whole? Flimsy excuses, nothing more. You know you could resist. You don’t want to.
And the truth of that scared him to the bottom of his soul.
He pulled off his socks and looked up at Adlar. “I….”
“I know. Stand for me.” Adlar held out his hand, patience written on his face. “Come on.”
Varo took his hand and let Adlar pull him to his feet.
Adlar continued to stare into Varo’s eyes. “Now the uniform pants.”
Unable to look away, Varo reached for the buttons. His mind was curiously blank—no thoughts to distract him as he unbuttoned. Those odd eyes of Adlar’s held him trapped as he finished unbuttoning and slid his pants down his legs.
“Good, very good.” Finally Adar broke eye contact.
Varo stood trembling as Adlar’s gaze slowly worked down his body. Every spot on his body Adlar paused at warmed. His cock stood proud, nearly reaching to his belly button, eager for attention.
The stupid thing never had much sense, but this was on the outer edges of ridiculous. How could he yearn for his enemy’s hands on him? An enemy who had collared him? But he did, and now Adlar knew it.
“You are….” Adlar shook his head. “Simply stunning.”
A warm flush rose on Varo’s face. No one had ever told him he was stunning. Hardheaded? Yes? Arrogant? Absolutely. But stunning? Never. His own father barely considered him worthy as the third heir to the throne. The words threatened his battered heart, and that was dangerous. As Adlar finished his examination, he looked back into Varo’s eyes. Varo was surprised at the glazed look in Adlar’s eyes.
Adlar blinked several times. A small, bemused smile lifted the corner of his lips. “And yes, I’m as surprised as you by that. Now, let’s get you cleaned.” He lifted a bottle off one of the shelves.
Still unresisting, Varo allowed Adlar to lead him to the waterfall. At a guess, he figured the falls were five feet across. He wasn’t sure there was enough force in the water coming over the edge to get his hair clean. He’d just have to make do, somehow.
Adlar flipped a hidden switch and the water stopped crashing over the edge of the fall and suddenly came tearing out of a showerhead he hasn’t noticed since it fit into the hardscape so well.
Openmouthed, Varo stared.
“Go ahead. And here, use this on your hair.” Adlar handed the bottle to Varo, then patted Varo’s ass. “You’ll learn not everything here is as it seems.”
Varo snapped his mouth closed even as he flinched at the touch on his bare ass. Indeed, he was finding that out. For one thing, he hadn’t expected Adlar to be so… nice. Maybe if he weren’t quite so nice, he wouldn’t have this problem.
Turning, he stepped into the water, relieved at the pounding warmth. Quickly he squirted the liquid in his hand, the smell pleasant and light, something else he hadn’t been expecting. Regardless, he didn’t dally. He worked up a lather. The sooner he washed his hair, the sooner he could get out of there.
So when a warm body pressed against him, he nearly jumped through the ceiling.
“Shhh,” Adlar whispered. “Let me help. I’m going to anyway, so there’s no point fighting.”
Chills raced over his skin as Adlar’s hard cock rubbed against his ass.
“Hand me the bottle, Varo.”

TBC


Kazy Reed

Nephy Hart

Carol Pedroso

Chris T. Kat

Elyzabeth VaLey

Cia Nordwell

Jim Dunaway

Julie Lynn Hayes

Welcome to the Love is Love Valentine’s Day Hop!

Welcome to the Love is Love Valentine’s Day Hop!There are many fab authors taking part. The main prize is a basic Kindle ereader and forty-two ebooks! Whoot! That's huge! Here’s a run-down of the books that will be loaded onto the ereader:Aidee Ladnier - The Break-in

Amanda Young - Winner chooses from author's available titles

Bronwyn Heeley - Winner chooses from author's available titles

C. J. Anthony - Heaven

Charlie Cochrane - Something from my back list - winner's choice.

David Connor - Tidings of Comfort and Joey Down Under

DP Denman - Winner chooses from author's available titles

Elin Gregory - Alike As Two Bees

Ethan Stone - Winner chooses from author's available titles

Eva Lefoy - Love is a Mess anthology

H.B. Pattskyn - Hanging by the Moment

J.M. Dabney - When All Else Fails

Jessie G - The Protector

Julie Lynn Hayes - When Will I See You Again

Lisabet Sarai - Necessary Madness

Lynley Wayne - Winner chooses from author's available titles

M.A. Church - The Harvest series (book #1 and book #2)

Morticia knight - All Fired Up (Sin City Uniforms 1)

N.J. Nielsen - Winner chooses from author's available titles

Sibley Jackson -Private Performance

Sue Brown - The Next Call

Tali Spencer - Dangerous Beauty

Tara Lain - Canning the Center

Thianna Durston - The Blake/Dusty Chronicles: Two Sides of the Same Coin

Alexa Milne - Rainbow Connection (due out 13th Feb) or Sporting Chance.

Anne Barwell - Winner chooses from author's available titles

April Kelley - Whispers of Home

Brandon Shire - The Love of Wicked Men - Episode One

Catherine Lievens - Jamie

Cecil Wilde - Defying Convention

Christopher Koehler - Poz

Draven St. James - Scent of a Wolf

Elizabeth Noble - Winner chooses from author's available titles

Hayley B James - Undercover Addiction

Jennifer Wright - All 3 Finding Home Series books - Pavarus, Morvea, & Airos

Karen Stivali - Moment of Impact

Kendall McKenna - 1) Strength of the Pack 2)Waves Break My Fall

L M Somerton - Rasputin's Kiss

Lily G Blunt - Paint the Sky

Megan Linden - Running Off the Edge

Stephen del Mar - Dark Love

TM Smith - Opposites

Tracey Michael - Pretty Please 
What is love?  
Love is a variety of different feelings, states, and attitudes. Love usually refers to an experience one person feels for another and often involves caring for or identifying with a person. Love is a beautiful thing that is NOT confined to just a man and a woman… no matter what the government/religious figureheads say. There’s enough nastiness in this world; we need some love, don’t you think? Here are some definitions of love:

1. a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.

2. a feeling of warm personal attachment or deep affection, as for a parent, child, or friend.

3. sexual passion or desire.

4. a person toward whom love is felt; beloved person; sweetheart.


5. used in direct address as a term of endearment, affection, or the like.

6. a love affair; an intensely amorous incident; amour.

7. sexual intercourse; copulation.
Comment to be entered in a giveaway I'm doing here on the blog! I'm giving away a copy of Trouble Comes in Threes!

Hop sites: A.J. Marcus                 Elizabeth Noble                Ethan Stone

Eva Lefoy                    H.B. Pattskyn                  Hayley B James

J.M. Dabney                Jennifer Wright                Jessie G

Julie Lynn Hayes          Karen Stivali                    Kazy Reed

Kendall McKenna         L M Somerton                  Lily G Blunt

Lisabet Sarai                Lynley Wayne                  M.A. Church

Megan Linden              Morticia knight                 N.J. Nielsen

Neil Plakcy                  Sibley Jackson                  Stephen del Mar

Sue Brown                   Tali Spencer                     Tara Lain

Thianna Durston           TM Smith                        Tracey Michael

Aidee Ladnier               Alexa Milne                     Amanda Young

Annabeth Albert            Anne Barwell                   April Kelley

Brandon Shire               Bronwyn Heeley               C. J. Anthony

Catherine Lievens          Cecil Wilde                      Charlie Cochrane

Christopher Koehler       David Connor                   DP Denman

Draven St. James            Elin Gregory




Rafflecopter Code:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Welcome Julie Lynn Hayes and The Belgian Chocolate Remedy

Blurb:  Milan, a Belgian chocolatier, has lost his beloved brother. Yet life goes on, and he must ready his booth for Outfest—Ludolf would have wanted him to carry on. Jesse is a rudderless soul, unable to cope with the rejection of his lover. He comes to Lafayette, Indiana at the request of his best friend, Reggie. She inveigles him into helping her friend Milan… a way to pass the time, or something more?

Excerpt:  Milan had gone back to his last batch of chocolate—unscathed and unburned—and removed it from the burner, where it was cooling. “Would you like to brush the molds with chocolate?” he asked.
“Sure, I guess.” Jesse shrugged. It didn’t seem that difficult, at least in theory. “What’s it for?”
“To coat them.” Milan pulled a pastry brush from a drawer. He already set the molds out; they were simply waiting to be used.  “I have some in the freezer already done,” he explained, seeing Jessie’s questioning look.  “This is not all I have.”
“Okay,” Jessie said, “just show me what you want me to do.”
“Here.” Milan carried the pot of chocolate to the center of the work table. “Set a trivet there, will you?”
“A what?”
“A trivet,” Milan repeated, nodding to the counter behind Jessie.  “That blue thing there. I will set the pot on it so it does not burn the surface.”
“Sure.” Jessie laid the round blue object onto the table, as Milan set the pot.  “Take the brush and dip it like this.” He demonstrated just how far into the chocolate he wanted him to go. “Then lightly brush over each mold, like so.”
Jesse admired the ease with which Milan worked, as if he’d been born to do nothing else. He had very nice hands, he noticed. How would those hands feel on Jesse’s cock? Would he touch it with the same care? His breath caught at the thought.
Milan offered the pastry brush to Jessie. He shook himself from his reverie and took it, pushing the forbidden image away. “So you’re selling these tomorrow. At Outfest. Right?”
“That is correct,” Milan replied. “You are coming, yes?”
“I am unless I want Reggie to tan my hide.”
Milan smiled.
“She would, you know,” Jesse continued, “You ever see her get mad?”
“Yes, I have,” Milan admitted, “I would not care to be the object of her anger.”
“Me either.”
“A little lighter, please.” Milan had been watching Jessie work. “Here.” He laid his hand over the other man’s. “Like this. Just enough to coat it. I will fill it in after we put in the fruit.”
Their eyes met and for a moment their hands stopped moving, each acutely aware of the other. Milan broke away first. “I will do this one,” he offered, “then we can do the first freeze.”
“First freeze?”
“Yes. We are forming a shell so it will hold the weight of the candy.”
“Okay.” Jesse thought it made sense, but what did he know. He dipped the brush into the chocolate again, making his strokes lighter, earning a “bon” from Milan. He knew enough French to know that meant good. He relaxed a little at the praise.
Once they had set the molds into the freezer, Milan removed the completed candies that waited there. He showed Jesse how to unmold them, and how to put them into their little paper beds, and into the waiting boxes. Then he let him apply the second coating himself.
“You are doing well,” he encouraged him.
“Thanks.”
A few minutes of companionable silence passed, Jesse concentrating on the task at hand, Milan stealing surreptitious peeks at the brunet. Whether he was willing to admit it to himself, he was glad for his company. Jesse’s presence was pushing the shadows away.
“Milan?”
“Yes, Jesse?”
“This is your place, right?” Jessie encompassed the kitchen with his glance. He couldn’t help but feel a lot of love had gone into making this room the place it was. More than a kitchen, it was Milan’s haven.
“It is, yes. Mine.”
“When are you going to open, then? Reggie said you were going to open your candy store after Outfest, right?”
Milan paused in the act of retrieving a container of raisins from the refrigerator. It was a legitimate question. It’s what businesspeople did—they opened for business. So why was he so hesitant to set a date? Maybe because he didn’t see it ever happening, without Ludolf’s guidance.?
“I do not know,” he mumbled, setting the bowl on the table, not meeting Jesse’s eyes. “There is work that needs to be done, construction work and…and licenses…and I do not know what, I mean I just do not know…”
Jesse reached out his hand without thinking, but Milan had already turned away. Jesse’s heart ached for the other man—he sounded so alone, so lost. Jesse wanted to gather him up in his arms, comfort him, soothe him, stop his tears, and end his pain. And yes, he wanted to get naked with him, too—to touch him, feel him, and lose himself in Milan. He wanted to taste his lips and take away his misery.
His feet moved, as though his thoughts had manifested themselves into action. His fingers brushed across the top of the table as he edged around it, toward Milan. He had no clear purpose he simply needed to be closer to him.
Milan was a few inches taller than Jesse, he discovered, as he came up behind him. Jesse’s lips were at about the level of Milan’s jaw, and he found it hard not to simply kiss him there, to stop his shoulders from shaking, to stem the tears he suspected were falling. He reached up his arms, wanting to hug Milan to him tightly, to take the first step—
The tinkle of the shop bell. Jesse retreated, stumbling back to his side of the table. In his haste, his hand knocked a spoon off the table. It clattered onto the floor. Milan spun around, dabbing at one eye with his right hand.  He left a small smear of chocolate on his cheekbone. Jesse bent to retrieve the spoon, resisting the urge to wipe the chocolate away. The moment passed; he felt like a coward.

Bio:
Julie Lynn Hayes first began publishing short stories and poetry in the 1990’s, when it was a different ballgame altogether, and Ebooks hadn’t been dreamed of yet. That changed in 2010 with the acceptance of her first romance novel. She’s come a long way since that first book appeared, and is finding the journey a very educational one.
She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and her cat Ramesses. She often writes of two men finding true love and happiness in one another’s arms, and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She likes to write in different genres, to stretch herself in order to see what is possible. Her great challenge is to be told something can’t be done—she feels compelled to do it.
When she isn’t writing, she enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stich,  needlepoint and knitting, and she loves to cook, spending time watching the Food Network. Her favorite chef is Geoffrey Zakarian. Her family thinks she’s a bit off, but she doesn’t mind. Marching to the beat of one’s own drummer is a good thing, after all. Her published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, eXtasy Books, and Amber Quill Press.

Sales link: http://www.extasybooks.com/julie-lynn-hayes/The-Belgian-Chocolate-Remedy/

My links:Blog Twitter @Shelley_runyonFacebookMy GoodreadsDreamspinnereXtasy Books
Amber Quill

My Sexy Saturday - Priceless

Happy Saturday and welcome to My Sexy Saturday! For this hop you post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words. It can be from a WIP or something published.This week’s theme is My Sexy Date. Not every couple falls in love at first sight.

Sure, many do know the moment they see someone but what about those who don’t. They go on dates. Sometimes lots of dates. Sometimes not enough dates. Hopefully there is at least one they can consider a sexy date. The type where fireworks goes off from the moment they are picked up. This week is about those dates that turn into that special one.

For this week, I thought I’d do something from my Dreamspinner release Priceless. It was my first published book with DsP and has since been released in French and German.



Priceless
Randy snapped his mouth closed and resisted the urge to cover his eyes with his hands. This guy had him stumbling along like an untried kid.“My name is Randal,” he said, still trying to figure out how to give Garrett back the chip, “but I go by Randy.”“Ah, so are you?”“Am I what?”Randy focused on the chip, not responding to the sexual innuendo. A voice whispered in his head that Garrett was trouble, deep, serious trouble, and he was way out of his league. That same voice also warned him Garrett would chew him up and spit him out before he could figure out what damn day of the week it was.“Never mind.” Garrett smiled, and Randy trembled from the searing look that flashed in Garrett’s eyes. “Why don’t you let me buy you dinner at N9NE; they have excellent steak. And stop trying to figure out how to give that chip back to me. Many would say I didn’t pay you enough for being in my company for an hour.”
Now what was that supposed to mean? Dinner he could deal with, but what was he going to do with this stupid chip?


Buy link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3095

In Enemy Hands 4.5

Chapter 4.5


They were soon they were on their way to Adlar’s private residents after a quick trip to Central. It was a small dwelling located on the outskirts of the capital city. This was nothing compared to his quarters in the palace, but he wasn’t ready to take Varo there just yet.
Outside of the security problems, he wanted time alone with Varo first. Later he’d take Varo to the palace, after he was surer of his prisoner. While Varo came across as a slightly spoiled prince who was used to getting everything he wanted, Adlar refused to underestimate the other male.
Varo was a starship captain, even if his outlook was that of a child’s. Adlar knew Varo was highly intelligent and trained in weaponry. Was he a killer? Adlar was sure he wasn’t. Could he kill? Of course. As a starship captain, he was more than capable of sacrificing lives in order to insure the safety of his vessel.
Adlar, on the other hand, could kill without remorse.
The trip to his home passed quickly and in silence. As he approached, he tried to see his home through the eyes of a stranger. The rock face he’d built his residence into was dark gray with veins of lavender disbursed throughout.
Several flowering bushes covered the rock ledges. As he maneuvered closer, he lined up his shuttle with the opening in the rock face. The second level was shuttle parking and storage. There were windows cut into the rock along with a rather sizable door on the bottom level.
Stairs ran up the side of his house to a flat area on top of the cliff that was his roof for guest shuttle parking. Several areas boasted hanging lamps that glowed softly in the darkened skies. The lower level was his living quarters.
“Is that where you live?”
Adlar glanced over his shoulder. Varo was leaning forward as far as he could to see. If he hadn’t been strapped in, he would have fallen face first into the aisle.
Adlar lips twitched. “It is.”
“Interesting. It’s just so odd. Why do your people use Rock-cut architecture?”
“Just because it’s not something your people do doesn’t mean it’s odd. Besides, this type of structure is easy to defend, it’s better for the environment, and frankly, it’s cheaper. Heating and cooling is very inexpensive too.”
“Huh. Is the inside very… basic?”
Adlar returned his gaze to the shuttle opening, fighting to keep a straight face. “The hole I use as a toilet isn’t near a water source.”
“Oh gods help me.”
Adlar managed to swallow his snort at the whispered curse. Such foolish. He was certainly going to enjoy Varo’s astonishment. He landed the craft, and, after unbuckling Varo, he escorted his prisoner out of the shuttle.
His shuttle bay wasn’t anything special, just cold gray stone walls. He activated the protective force field, and taking the stone stairs down, Adlar led Varo to his living quarters. He opened the door and stood to the side, allowing Varo to enter.
Varo walked in and stood in the middle of the room, slowly turning in a circle. “You… By the stars fading light, this is unbelievably gorgeous.”
Adlar allowed himself a small smile. Varo sounded relieved, among other things. In one corner of the room there was a cooking and eating area furnished with the latest equipment. There were two doors across the way.
Adlar pointed to the door on the right. “That’s the bathing quarters and restroom. And yes, it is modern. I was joking earlier. The door to the left is my sleeping area.”
“I… it’s a nice as, as…. This is fit for a king!” Varo continued to turn, gazing at the surrounding area, shaking his head.
“How about the brother of a king?”
Varo stopped turning, the delight fading from his face. Adlar watch a mask of indifference drop over his face. “I should have known.”
“And why is that?”
“You’re sitting on top of a valuable resource.”
“That has nothing to do with it. The things you see here are made by my people.” Adlar shrugged off the disbelief he saw in Varo’s face. Turning, he walked to one of the doors. “Come with me.”
He didn’t wait to see if Varo obeyed. He’d lost himself in Varo’s childlike enjoyment of his home and forgotten just who was standing there, a smile plastered on his face. Of course, that smile disappeared when the subject of the Black Phospolrock crystals was bought up.
Fracking Yesri acted as if he had the right to just demand the crystals, like they were entitled to whatever they wanted and never mind the consequences. At the door, he turned to see if Varo had followed him. Good. He’d had about enough for the day.

Opening the door, he stepped through, allowing Varo to enter. “This is the bathing quarters. I picked this place because of the hot spring that runs through here.”

The entire room was the same gray stone. There was a small waterfall, off to the side. Adlar had installed several light sources throughout the area, giving it a nice, bright feel. A sizable sunken pool used for bathing dominated the floor. The other side of the room held the toilet. The air in the room was warm and humid.
“Did you build this?”
“The natural layout was here. We did a little drilling to make it work better.”
“I can’t believe how…. It’s so natural.”
“Of course. I had the bathing pool excavated, and the engineer added a plug to the bottom. I can drain and refill the water as needed,” Adlar said.
“Astounding. And the used water?”
“There’s a drainage system to take care of the old water. It’s released outside of the dwelling, as is the water from the falls. The stream cascades down the whole mountain face, so we just diverted it a bit for my use.”

“I had no idea. We just assumed since your people lived in caves….” Varo gulped.
“That we were animals? You’ll learn not to make such assumptions.” Adlar took Varo’s elbow and walked him to a sink. “I need to check your wound.”
Adlar held Varo’s hand still as he unwrapped the bandage. The cut looked much better and was healing well. Satisfied, he disposed of the sullied bandage.
“It looks good, but if it starts to bother you I need to know. Most do not have such a reaction as you did. For now, we’ll let it breathe.” 
He then escorted Varo toward the waterfall. There was a long bench with shelves above it near the falls. Several bottles lined the shelves along with other bathing type needs.
Adlar stopped near the bench and turned to face Varo. “Strip.” 

 Varo jerked his gaze from the shelves. “W-what?”

“We’re going to bathe. Strip.”
TBC

Pride Promotions presents Nights Like These by Chris Scully

Book Name: Nights Like These
Author Name: Chris Scully
Author Bio: CHRIS SCULLY lives in Toronto, Canada where she grew up spinning romantic stories in her head. When the tedium of a corporate day job grew too much, she took a chance and found her creative escape in writing. Always searching for something different, she has discovered a home in M/M romance and strives to give her characters the happy endings they deserve.
Author Contact:https://www.facebook.com/chris.scully.author
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Bree Archer

Blurb(s):Starting over sucks. At forty, Miles Koprowski thought he had life all figured out. He had a nice car, a hot young lover, and a cushy job… and then he didn’t. Call it fate, or karma, or a downturn in the market, but this opinionated cynic is now forced to play rent-a-cop in a dying office building in the burbs just to make ends meet. Throw in an unhinged ex, a coworker who hates him, and a hot new boss, and suddenly everything is uncertain.

Miles doesn’t plan on liking the night shift or becoming embroiled in a mystery that reawakens old passions and puts him in danger. And he certainly doesn’t plan on falling for the overbearing head of security, Colton Decker, former soldier and doting dad. But nights like these can change a man, make him start to believe there’s more to life than a high paying job and a warm body in his bed. With a thief on the loose and his new job in jeopardy, Miles will have to decide what’s truly important. He might discover things he never knew he wanted… as long as he makes it through the night.




Categories: Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Mystery
Excerpt: “Why don’t you watch where you’re going, dumb—” I managed to sputter before my mouth stopped working entirely and dropped open. The ability to speak, to think, deserted me at the first sight of the hunky stranger standing in front of me, his face contorted with apology as he tried to mop up my sodden jacket with a handful of napkins. He was a few inches taller than me—closer to six feet—and on the stocky side. His broad shoulders filled out a nicely tailored suit, and he projected an air of confidence that I’d never be able to pull off in a million years. He was clean-shaven too, with a dark buzz cut that made me long to run a hand over his head simply to feel the texture. And gorgeous. Did I happen to mention that?In short, he was the kind of guy you’d want to be stranded with on a deserted island; the kind you could count on to save you. If you were so inclined. Me? I didn’t need saving.A pair of friendly, light-colored eyes now stared back at me, bemused. Odd that his lips were moving, but no sound was coming out.“What?” I asked, blinking back to attention. I couldn’t remember the last time anyone had literally made me speechless. Me, Miles Koprowski, who never met a silence he didn’t want to fill.Hell, I couldn’t recall the last time I’d been on the receiving end of a full-body pat-down either. At least not so quickly. His hands were still drifting over my chest, wiping up the last drips of coffee, and the simple touch was doing alarming things to my heart rate.“Are you okay?” he demanded. “Did you get burned?” Before I could react, he seized my wrist and held my hand up for inspection. Strong, lightly calloused fingers, I added to my mental list. Working hands. Dumbly, I looked down. The skin on the back of my right hand was red and stung like a son of a bitch, but it wasn’t blistering. I did flinch slightly when he skimmed his thumb over the sensitive area, but not from pain, more from the touch itself. My entire body lit up, as though I’d stuck a finger in an electrical socket. “It doesn’t look too bad. I think you’ll live. Put some aloe on it when you get home.”“Doctor?” I croaked, because really, that would be too perfect.“Nope. Just seen a lot of injuries.” His lips twitched with barely contained amusement. “Sorry to disappoint you.” Sense of humor, check.
Words: 69,000
Tour Dates/Tour Stops:26-Jan Rainbow Gold Reviews Hearts on Fire
27-Jan Molly Lolly Prism Book Alliance
28-Jan Bayou Book Junkie
29-Jan EE Montgomery Inked Rainbow Reads
30-Jan Love Bytes
2-Feb Amanda C. Stone Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
3-Feb Cate Ashwood
4-FebDecadent Delights
5-Feb EE Montgomery
6-Feb My Fiction Nook MM Good Book Reviews
Sales Links:http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5935
Rafflecopter Prize: E-book copy upon release
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway




Do you ever suffer from writer’s block? If so, what do you do about it?

It’s a hazard of the job unfortunately. For someone like me, who’s an emotional writer anyway, writer’s block can quickly get out of control and send me into a downward spiral of anxiety where I lose all productivity. I’ve learned that the key is to avoid fixating on the blockage in the first place, so it doesn’t start to consume you. The more you focus on it, the more pressure you put on yourself, the bigger and scarier it gets. Above all else, keep on writing. Anything. Even if you have to delete it later. As soon as I find myself stuck, I’ll move on to another section or another scene. Or else I’ll turn my hand to editing. Most of the time, as soon as I stop thinking about it, the solution will pop out of nowhere. Right now, I’m struggling with an orphaned scene; it’s a great scene, but I can’t think of a way to transition to it, so I’m doing other revisions and hoping the answer will come to me.

If you have a great support system or writing community, another option is to ask for input from others. Sometimes it takes someone outside our head to show us the solution.



What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?
I applaud anyone who takes a leap and has the courage to put stuff out there. It is scary. But that’s only the beginning. First and foremost are the technical basics. I’m not even talking about punctuation and grammar here. I’m talking spelling and sentences that actually make sense. You can always apply proper punctuation and rules later, or your editor will help with it, but if you can’t figure out what the writer is saying, there is not much point. If English is not a writer’s first language, they should find someone they trust to help them with it.

In my opinion, the second most important element is character; a well-developed and interesting character will almost always compensate for other faults in style, plot etc. I can’t count the number of books I would normally have abandoned but have kept reading simply because of a character. In a competitive market, it’s important to look for ways to make your character unique, but even if a character is a cowboy or a rich businessman, he needs to be believable and have complex layers like a real person.

Closely linked to character is the element of “showing and telling”; knowing when to show and when to tell. It may be a cliché, but the more a writer can demonstrate what they want to convey, the more vivid the story becomes. This for me, is what takes good writing and makes it great.



How many books have you written? Which is your favorite?

Nights Like These is my first novel. I also have five published novellas (four with Dreamspinner) and one short story (also Dreamspinner), so I’m just at the beginning of my journey. Asking a writer to name his or her favorite is like asking a parent to name their favorite child. My stories are all my children; they each have their strengths and weaknesses, but I’m proud of them and love them for different reasons. They mark different phases of my life and evolution as an author.

What I will say, is that if I had to pick one story or book to represent me as an author (at this moment), or if I could only leave one behind as my legacy, it would be a novella I self-published called Touch Me (only on Amazon and Are). It’s a multi-layered erotic romance about a man who gives erotic massages after hours. It is so much bigger than its 20K words; it’s sensual and sweet and sad. From style to character, it is everything I want to be as an author. There is not a word of it I would change.


Where are you from and what do you love best about your hometown?

I am a fifth generation Torontonian. I didn’t fully appreciate Toronto until I left it. Growing up, I thought it was a sterile city with no history or culture, and I couldn’t wait to escape; what I didn’t understand until I got older and saw more of the world, is that our culture is many cultures. Now that I’m back in the city, I can’t imagine living anywhere else. Of course it’s not perfect—it has the same problems of any other big city. But I love the diversity. I love that all my friends came from different places and different beliefs and that I grew up not seeing race or religion. I love that you can get on the subway dressed in costume and people barely blink an eye. I love that I can eat my way around the world without leaving home. I love that our city hotline offers information in 180 different languages. Diversity is an antidote to fear, hatred and intolerance.



Ebook or print? And why?

I think there’s a place for both. As many of us in this genre know, we wouldn’t exist if it weren’t for ebooks. Ebooks make non-mainstream stuff more accessible. I also love the convenience. It’s much easier to load up my Kindle when I travel than take up space in my suitcase. And it’s perfect for commuting on public transit.

However, I still love my print books. There is something about the experience of opening a book for the first time; the smell, the feel of the pages, the weight of it on your lap. And I love browsing bookshelves in the library or bookstore. Recent studies also show that we still absorb material better when it is in print form rather than electronic.



What's the weirdest thing you've ever done in the name of research?
[Spoiler alert]

So, Nights Like These was inspired by my own corporate layoff, and the last several months of my employment were spent plotting it out. In fact, it’s so closely inspired, right down to the layout of the office building and the idea of corporate art theft, that I spent my last couple of weeks on the job scoping out the place and putting myself in Miles’ and the thief’s shoes. If anyone was watching, they would have seen me studying the art and looking for security cameras and hiding places. When I came in in the morning, I would surreptitiously check out the front security desk to see how it was set up. I’d have to say that’s about the most “hands-on” I’ve ever gotten with research.



Do you use a pen name? If so, how did you come up with it?

Given recent events, there seems to be a lot of interest in pen names lately and why authors choose them. Yes, I use a pen name. For me, it’s not about hiding or deceiving, it's about maintaining a semblance of privacy. In daily life I am a private person. I like to decide who I share things with. I don't have a personal Facebook account. I'm not on Twitter, or Instagram or any other social media platform. I am not a sharer. In fact, writing has forced me into these spheres where I would normally never venture. Like many other writers, I have a full-time job, and I prefer to keep that separate from my writing world.

When I first started reading this genre, it was standard practice for women to take men's or gender-neutral names. I guess I fell into that trap. But I didn't just pull one out of thin air; Chris is the short form of my middle name, and there was a period growing up when I would only answer to it. Scully is a family name.

While I do use a pen name, I have never tried to hide my sex—my bio clearly is written in the feminine. Any personal information I share is MINE—I don't make anything up. It's all boring ME. The only difference is the name I answer to.



What would we find under your bed?

Dust bunnies. And storage boxes full of things I don’t use but can’t get rid of.

Pride Promotions presents Strike of the Diamondback by Jackie Nacht and a Giveaway!

Book Name: Strike of the Diamondback
Series? Yes, book 4 in the Venomous Mate series
Release Date: February 1, 2015
Author Name: Jackie Nacht
Author Bio: Short, sexy and sweet— where a little love goes a long way.That’s the best way to describe Jackie Nacht’s stories. She was introduced to M/M Romance through her sister, Stephani, and read it for years. Then, she thought it was time to put her own stories on paper. Jackie began writing short and sweet stories that ended with a happily ever after.
Thinking back to her own book addiction, where there were many nights Jackie stayed up way too late so she could read just one more chapter— yeah, right— Jackie decided to write short romances for young adults as well as adults. Hopefully, they will give high school and college students, or working men and women something they can read during their lunch hour, in between classes or just when they want to briefly get away from the daily stresses of everyday life.
Where to find the author:You can find Jackie at:Website: www.jackienacht.comBlog: www.jackienacht.com/blogFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/jackie.nacht?ref=tn_tnmnTwitter: https://twitter.com/JackieNacht
Publisher: eXtasy Books
Cover Artist: Latrisha Waters
Blurb(s): Two years ago, TL came across his fire ant mate, Rio. Duty kept them apart, and they were only able to love each other from afar.When Striker escapes the tortures of the anti-venom pack, running into the wild, he didn't expect to encounter his mate. However, he is a shell of his former self, broken from the abuse done to him.Rio saved TL once, and when his TL comes to ask for help, Rio finds himself shocked that the venom he’s always loved is holding their mate, a mate they’ll have to heal together.
Authors Note: The first half of this book overlaps in timeline to Pursued by the Wandering Spider. For better reading enjoyment, it is best the series be read in order. Thank you.

Categories: Alternate universe, M/M Romance, Menage/Poly (MMM), New Adult, Post-Apocalypse, Romance, Science Fiction, Paranormal
Excerpt: Chapter One Two years ago TL was in a fucking load of trouble. This nasty bitch of a viper was giving him one hell of a fight. He swung his arm and landed a punch to her horned nose. She hissed and came back at him with a wicked-looking blade. The viper was completely bald, her entire body covered in snakeskin. She was lean and sleek, but TL knew firsthand, she was very fucking lethal. He jumped back as she swung, and he went for his hunting knife.The snake had already gotten a piece of one of his wings, making it completely impossible for him to fly his way out of this situation.The viper female She was strong, and he was in her territory. Why the hell hadn't he waited for Boone? TL sliced the knife through the air, causing a deep gash to her chest but not enough to bring her down. She charged him, crazed, fangs leaking the venom TL wanted nothing to do with. He kicked out and missed. She tackled him to the ground, sinking her blade deep in his side.“Ahhh!” TL screamed out in utter agony. The white-hot pain caused him to fall back, completely defenseless as his enemy straddled him.With the last of his strength, he pushed up, slicing the viper under the arm. She screamed, hissed, wriggling around, more snake than human, much like the venom she presented right on top of him. TL attempted to get out from underneath, still bleeding like crazy. He managed to break free, and try to gain as much distance as he could while unable to get off his damn hands and knees.She came back, maddened and enraged, and TL held up his arms, waiting for his end. She slithered toward him at a speed only venom of superior strength could match.A boot shot out in front of him, connecting with her face, just a mere feet from his own body. He glanced up to see a man standing above him with a ball mace in his hand and enough other weapons on his body for a small army. The muscular man pulled a machete and went after the female. TL’s head fell back. He didn’t even have enough strength in him to see who won. Closing his eyes, he let the darkness take him.
Pages or Words: 17,250
Tour Dates: February 1, 2015
Tour Stops: Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Bayou Book Junkie, Decadent Delights, Amanda C. Stone, Molly Lolly, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Wicked Wolves and Dreaming Dragons, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Tara Lain, Love Bytes, Andrew Q. Gordon, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, The Blogger Girls, Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Queer Town Abbey, MM Good Book Reviews, Hearts on Fire, The Hat Party, Velvet Panic, Carly’s Book Reviews, Charley Descoteaux, Fallen Angel Reviews, My Fiction Nook
Sales Links: http://www.extasybooks.com/jackie-nacht/Strike-of-the-Diamondback/
Rafflecopter Prize: $25 Amazon Gift Card
Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway