M.A. Church's Blog, page 146

Winner of the Nighttime Promises giveaway!

Carrier Violet
You're the winner! I’ve sent an email out to you. J Huge thank you to everyone who entered! ~M

Tease Me Thursday Week #19 - To Touch the Sky

Welcome to week 19 of Tease Me Thursday ! When it's not quite Friday, and you're feeling like some fun from your favorite authors and authors you haven't met yet. Come on in, have a seat, and most of all... have fun! For this hop you post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words. It can be from a WIP or something published.For this week, I thought I’d do something from To Touch the Sky, the WIP I'm working on.






On a star-filled night, the full moon shone brightly over the untamed land. Predators, nothing but shadows in the dark, moved through the forest hunting for unsuspecting prey. A symphony of sound echoed all around. Tree frogs sang, crickets chirped, and a raccoon prowled in search of something to fill his empty belly. A barred owl hooted, his call reverberating into the night. Bats silently dipped and spun, hunting for food on the warm air currents as danger lurked. A wolf howled, his cry crossing the land, then fading. A mysterious shadow moved through the forest, tracking the docile prey not far beyond the safety of the trees. Out on the moon-draped landscape, the plains reached for miles. The buffalo stood silently as the night held the land tight in its grip. In this wild land there was only one creature who walked upright, stalking the flat plains and rolling hills on two legs. The Great Spirit, called Wha-tay, had created Mother Earth. Then her children, The People, inhabited the land and settled at The Tree of Life—the soul of Mother Earth. Each child born to The People was bound with a spirit—could be a land spirit, a water spirit, a plant spirit, or an animal spirit. Once bound, they had the ability to use the gifts the spirit had. Children of Wha-tay lived in harmony with the creatures around them. The land provided what they needed to survive, and they gave thanks for the sacrifices made to support them.“It’s too damn bright, Mapiya. Do something.” “Would you give me a second, Chetan? It’s not like I can just pull a cloudy night out of my ass.”Mapiya’s totem had the ability to control the weather. Mapiya cleared her thoughts, letting the words that would bring her powers fill her mind. Closing her eyes, she gave her body over to her totem spirit and called to the Spirits that ruled the air. Taking a deep breath, she began to chant. 

A cool, gentle breeze wrapped around her body. The clear nighttime sky slowly filled with rolling clouds that blocked the moonbeams. The silvery light faded as the night darkened. Mapiya’s long hair whipped above her head as the breeze strengthened. Opening her eyes, she cast the land in shadows. Her eyes were a milky white and glowed with power.

Wednesday Briefs - To Touch the Sky #3

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Welcome to the Wednesday Briefs flash group (click to go to the site). The short stories have a maximum of a 1000 word count plus links at the bottom to the other flashers. If interested in joining us, drop me a line and I'll tell you how. :)

Prompts this week are:“Meet us there.”“Always keep an open mind.” “Don't sweat the small stuff.”“If it ain't broke, don't fix it.”“Take a look and let me know what you think.”“Jumpy much?”“The safer bet is…”“I’m scared of zombies.” “That’s as clear as mud.” or have a character watching TVor use: set, rate, businessor have a character play footballor have a character turn cartwheelsor use: pond, jeans, fishing poleor use: ice, memory, toasteror use: shampoo, tape, penor have a argumentor find gold necklace or "He had a ten gallon hat but a one quart mind"or "Everything was better before you got here"or "You don't know what you're talking about"or make a Tour de France reference

Chapter ThreeSimon plopped down on the bench, slouching until he was comfortable, his fishing pole held at the ready. He’d done the college thing, got his degree, and landed a job running the website for one of the top three oil refineries worldwide. He loved his job, but hey… sun and fishing. Even if it was just at his apartment’s pond, life didn’t get much better than this.“Hey there.”Startled, Simon looked up, shading his eyes. And looked up, up, and up. “Um…”The stranger moved so the sun wasn’t behind him. “Sorry, didn’t mean to blind you. That better?”“Oh, absolutely.” Much, much better. Now that was a view. Dark hair, tight build, and sexy green eyes checking him out, especially his package. ‘Ping’ went his gaydar. “So, getting any bites?”Simon slowly smiled at Mr. SGE—sexy green eyes.  “No lately, but I might be getting a nibble.”“Nibbles are good. My name’s Dean Gallows.”Yup, definitely a nibble. Now all he needed to do was set the hook. “Nice to meet you, Dean. I’m Simon Carter. You live here?” “Yup, right across the pond in “A” block, as a matter of fact. Just moved in a week ago. I’ve seen you around. I, ah… One day I noticed you were wearing a Pride T-shirt so I… Okay, I asked a guy I saw you talking to if you were interested in men.” Simon checked the bobber quickly. Nothing there, even through things were looking up on land. The guy certainly got an ‘E’ for effort. “Really?”“Yeah. I was very, very happy to hear his response. Would you be interested in getting a drink tonight?”Dean must have talked to Chip. He couldn’t think of anyone else who had visited lately. Simon let his gaze travel over the guy. He was nice-looking—and very interested, if he’d been asking about him. Hook was set, now to haul in his catch. “Sure, I’d like that.”“Excellent! Man, I’m glad you said yes. Ever been to Sliders?”Simon reeled in his bobber and checked the bait on the hook. “The bar on Riverside? Yeah, several times. I don’t remember seeing you there.”“I didn’t know about it until I moved to this end of town. I’ve stopped by a time or two since this past week. Seems like a nice place.”Simon cast back out. “It is. Good food there too.”“How about I pick you up at eight then? That should be early enough we can get a good table and grab a bite to eat before the action picks up.”“Sounds good. I’m in apartment 5D. I’ll see you at eight.”“Great. See you then, man.” Dean’s fingers touched Simon’s bare arm.Simon shivered. Oh yeah, this was promising. “Can’t wait.”Dean’s voice dropped. “You know, cute little twink like you… I figured you already had a date, especially on a Friday night.”And dammit, there went promising. Good thing Simon practiced catch and release, because this fish was going back. Hells bells. “Ah, yeah. I just remembered I have plans tonight. Sorry.”Dean’s mouth dropped open. “Uh… what? But I thought we…? Seriously?”“Yeah, seriously.”“What the hell, man? What… what happened? Did I do something? You just said yes. I don’t understand—”“I just changed my mind.” Simon wasn’t going into the why. There was no point. Disappointment and anger crossed Dean’s face. “That’s it? No explanation or nothing? Just changed your mind?”Simon knew he was being an ass, but that didn’t change how he felt. “Yup.”“Jesus Christ. Your friend didn’t mention you were a little diva who blew hot and cold. Fucking cocktease. No wonder you’re free on a Friday night. Wish I hadn’t bothered.” Dean stomped off.Simon watched the sexy guy leave, wishing things had turned out differently, but dammit, that word made him nuts. Twink. As far as he was concerned, those were fighting words. Maybe he overreacted when Dean called him a twink, but he couldn’t help it. How many times did the bullies call him that in school? Usually hot on the heels of that word, he found himself either stuffed in a garbage can, push into the lockers by a crowd of jocks, or a fist flying toward his face…. Or his tired slashed, or his car keyed. Twink made him cringe, made his balls shrivel, made his guts burn. Back then he’d often wondered if his personal bullies even knew his real name. They certainly never used it. How many times had those bastards made him cry? Made him dread school? Made him wonder what was wrong with him? The word haunted his dreams, thanks to high school. To him, twink was as a derogatory term. He hated that damn word with a passion usually reserved for one’s most reviled enemy.Why? Because he was a twink—a five-foot-eight (if he stood really tall and stretched his neck), blond-haired, brown-eyed slender man who was twenty-three years old and still got carded every-damn-where he went. He hated that there were men out there that went for his type. Small. Delicate. Young-looking. Total bottoms…. Weak. He was not weak. He certainly didn’t a need a big strong ‘man’ as a protector. He didn’t need shielding. And he could top just as well as anyone else out there.But guys took one look at him and decided he was a bottom. Period. There was nothing wrong with bottoming, but he didn’t want a steady diet of it. He didn’t only bottom, and wasn’t weak. Or delicate. Or any of the other damn stereotypic things men assumed he was because he was a slightly on the small side and couldn’t lift a bus. He was below average height. He wasn’t short by any means, but he didn’t tower over most folks, either. But he was short enough that there were shelves in his kitchen cabinets in his apartment he couldn’t reach, plus clothes never fit right—they were always a little on the long side—and every man he dated stood head and shoulders over him.
It was a pain in the ass—a big, honking, twinky pain in the ass.
TBCJon KeysCarol PedrosoKazy ReedShelly SchulzNephylimCia NordwellElyzabeth VaLey Sarah HayesJim DunawayRavon SilviusJC WallaceTali Spencer Julie Lynn Hayes

New winner for Wrapped in Leather- Kitty's Random Thoughts

Kitty's Random Thoughts you are the new winner lol. Lynette had already bought Wrapped in Leather lol, so she told me to pick a new winner. :)

I sent you an email.

~M

Winner of the BDSM Bloghop - Lynette Michelle!

I want to pass on a huge thank you to everyone who took part in this bloghop. So many times people misunderstand what the lifestyle is all about. I hope this hop helped open a few eyes lol. It's like anything else in life: it is what you make it. :)




And the winner of Wrapped in Leather is...

Lynette Michelle!!!

email has been sent. :) Congrats!~M

Nighttime Promises Giveaway

Blurb:

Be careful what you wish for...

The first time Daroshi spotted Bryan, the Maz’Rarian warrior knew he wanted the small town sheriff as his mate. Things have been going downhill since. Daroshi doesn’t have experience dealing with humans, especially a very unhappy human male who’s just had his well-planned life jerked out from under him. Little does Daroshi know the changes Bryan will insist be made to help him adjust. But he also never dreamed someone would actually try to kill his mate.

The shocks just keep coming for Sheriff Bryan Coltrane. Finding out aliens exist was bad enough. Finding himself mated to one was definitely not on his to-do list. Wait, what? Did someone say tentacles? And if that’s not enough, a killer tried to poison him. Added to his misery, now he’s on his way to another planet—a planet that he hates on sight. How’s he supposed to survive in such a cold, ugly industrialized world? Can you take the country out of the boy without killing his spirit?


As Bryan struggles to adapt, a killer plots to end his new life... before it even begins.



Nighttime series:Nighttime Wishes: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-nighttimewishes-790160-340.htmlNighttime Dreams: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-nighttimedreams-994823-148.html


Buy Link:Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/455044ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-nighttimepromises-1562900-350.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Nighttime-Promises-M-Church-ebook/dp/B00LKP48WK




~Nighttime Promises has a Silver Star at ARe.

~Nighttime Promises made the Best Seller list at ARe.




Excerpt:

The stress of the past few weeks sure caught up with him—saying he was gaunt was putting it nicely. His sapphire blue eyes were sunken in his head and the laugh lines around his eyes slashed deeper into his face. The dark circles didn’t help matters, either. God, he looked like he had two black eyes. The skin was that nasty bruise color and puffy.

And were there more than a few strands of gray in his dark hair now? At age thirty-four this was ridiculous. That’s what stress would do, though, and this was about as stressful a situation as he’d ever been in. Bryan sighed. The poisoning deal scared him; he could have died. Should have died, actually. Someone was after his ass and they didn’t know whom. On top of that, they were hurtling through space toward a planet he’d soon be calling home. With an alien. Yeah, stressful. “Shit,” he muttered. “Things have got to get—”“Bryan!”Bryan flinched at the roar from the other room. Damn, do these aliens know how to do anything other than yell?“Where are you? Bryan? Bryan! By the stars, answer me!”A loud crash echoed into the bathroom. “Oh, for God’s sake.” Bryan shook his head. What the hell was Daroshi doing out there? Tearing Medical apart looking for him? Did Daroshi think he’d… what? Run away? Where was there to run? Besides, he had someone trying to kill him. He damn sure wasn’t going to go wandering the halls alone.“Bryan!”“I’m in here, Daroshi.”Daroshi slammed into the bathroom area, chest heaving and tentacles writhing on his back. Jesus, he looked fierce. “Whatare you doing?”
“Playing checkers.” Bryan rolled his eyes. “What do you think I’m doing in here? It’s a bathroom. Come on, big guy, you figure it out. Jeez.”


Now, for the giveaway: Just leave a comment and a email addy. I'll announce the winner on July 18th. :) 

~M

Nighttime Promises links and a few updates...

Okay, a few updates, lol.

Nighttime Promises is out now and here are the links:

Smashwords:https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/455044
ARe:https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-nighttimepromises-1562900-350.html
Amazon:  http://www.amazon.com/Nighttime-Promises-M-Church-ebook/dp/B00LKP48WK

Here are the links for the series:
Nighttime Wishes: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-nighttimewishes-790160-340.html
Nighttime Dreams: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-nighttimedreams-994823-148.html
This is the last book in the series, and in a year from now I get my rights back on all three. 


Other news:
Remember Priceless? Well, got an email from Dreamspinner Press saying Priceless has completed the translation production process in French. When formatting is complete, I'll be contacted with a release date. 


Upcoming Releases:
Be My Human is set for Oct/Nov release.
Trouble Comes in Threes will be out in Dec/Jan

Pride Promotions Presents a Cover Reveal by Charley Descoteaux and a donation to The Trevor Project plus a Contest

First I’d like to thank Pride Promotions for arranging this tour, Decadent Delights for inviting me to visit their lovely space, and D.W. Skinner and Paul Richmond for my gorgeous cover!I’ve been writing for a long time, but The Nesting Habits of Strange Birds is the first full-length novel I get to share with the world. During all the years I spent writing, and dreaming of the day when I could say I am a novelist,I also made plans. I don’t set out to write political or message novels, but after growing up in the Bay Area in the 70s and spending my share of time in the trenches, it’s hard to separate the activist from the author. Like many other writers, I have trunk novels that will probably never see the light of day (you’re welcome ;)). Each of those trunk novels included a plan for giving a portion of any earnings to a relevant charity.The two main characters in The Nesting Habits of Strange Birds, Phil and Lee, have both been touched by depression and suicide—and since The Trevor Project is one of my favorite national charities, it seemed like a good fit.I’ll donate $1 for every pre-order donate $1 for every pre-order , in support of their efforts to provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth.Visit my blog for a running tally of pre-orders. I’ll update the tally every few days, and post the final total on August 11.Thank you all for helping me raise awareness, and a little cash, for this very worthwhile cause!

Pre-order The Nesting Habits of Strange Birdsthrough Dreamspinner Press:
eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5271

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5272

Blurb: All he ever wanted was to be a normal guy….Phil Brask spends his days in the basement of his mentor's Victorian home, converting legal documents into electronic format. When the pipe feeding the water heater bursts, Lee Redding arrives in the plumber’s truck and draws Phil away from the narrow focus of his computer and camera lens. Lee gives Phil hope for a life beyond the walls he’s constructed using the nesting habits of migratory birds and dense legal files, a guided tour through a world filled with romance and music…maybe even family. But there’s a reason Phil retreated behind those walls, why he panics at a simple touch.Lee has a good life—working with his uncle and on his mother’s farm, playing bass in a horrible metal band, and hooking up when he pleases—but he’s always suspected something was missing. When he meets the hot photographer with the icy-blue eyes, he knows exactly what that something is. Phil isn’t like other guys, but neither is Lee beneath his carefree exterior. Maybe Lee's the perfect guy to show Phil that everything doesn’t have to be done the hard way and "home" isn't a four-letter word.My site banner: Regular Guys. Hot Romance.
http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/ag103/Charley_Descoteaux/Promo%20for%20DsP/250-x-80-fixed_zps3458eb1d.jpg

Charley Descoteaux has always heard voices. She was relieved to learn they were fictional characters, and started writing when they insisted daydreaming just wasn’t good enough.  In exchange, they let her sleep once in a while. Home is Portland, Oregon, where the weather is like your favorite hard-case writing buddy who won’t let you get away with taking too many days off, and in some places you can be as weird as you are without fear.  As an out and proud bisexual and life-long weird-o, she thinks that last part is pretty cool. Rattle my cages, I’d love to hear from you!



Tour Stops:Parker Williams, Hearts on Fire, Emotion in Motion, Love Bytes, My Fiction Nook, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Jade Crystal, Smoocher’s Voice, Full Moon Dreaming, Lee Brazil, Wake Up Your Wild Side, Iyana Jenna, Amanda C. Stone, Tara Lain, Redz World, Because Two Men Are Better Than One, Fallen Angel Reviews, Romance the Night, Velvet Panic, Kimi-Chan, The Hat Party, MM Good Book Reviews, Rainbow Gold Reviews, Lee Brazil, Decadent Delights, Havan Fellows, Kimber Vale, EE Montgomery, Michael Mandrake, Cate Ashwood, Dawn’s Reading Nook


Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Rafflecopter Prize: E-Copy of the book when it comes out


 Blog:  http://cdescoteauxwrites.com/blog/Facebook Author Page:  http://www.facebook.com/CharleyDescoteauxAuthorDreamspinner Author Page: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=879Twitter:  https://twitter.com/CharleyDescoteGoodreads: http://tinyurl.com/aqe7g7r Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/charleydescote/e-mail: c.descoteauxwrites@gmail.com

Pride Promotions Presents a Cover Reveal by Charley Descoteaux and a donation to The Trevor Project

First I’d like to thank Pride Promotions for arranging this tour, Decadent Delights for inviting me to visit their lovely space, and D.W. Skinner and Paul Richmond for my gorgeous cover!I’ve been writing for a long time, but The Nesting Habits of Strange Birds is the first full-length novel I get to share with the world. During all the years I spent writing, and dreaming of the day when I could say I am a novelist,I also made plans. I don’t set out to write political or message novels, but after growing up in the Bay Area in the 70s and spending my share of time in the trenches, it’s hard to separate the activist from the author. Like many other writers, I have trunk novels that will probably never see the light of day (you’re welcome ;)). Each of those trunk novels included a plan for giving a portion of any earnings to a relevant charity.The two main characters in The Nesting Habits of Strange Birds, Phil and Lee, have both been touched by depression and suicide—and since The Trevor Project is one of my favorite national charities, it seemed like a good fit.I’ll donate $1 for every pre-order donate $1 for every pre-order , in support of their efforts to provide crisis intervention and suicide prevention for LGBTQ youth.Visit my blog for a running tally of pre-orders. I’ll update the tally every few days, and post the final total on August 11.Thank you all for helping me raise awareness, and a little cash, for this very worthwhile cause!

Pre-order The Nesting Habits of Strange Birdsthrough Dreamspinner Press:
eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5271

Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=5272


Blurb:All he ever wanted was to be a normal guy….Phil Brask spends his days in the basement of his mentor's Victorian home, converting legal documents into electronic format. When the pipe feeding the water heater bursts, Lee Redding arrives in the plumber’s truck and draws Phil away from the narrow focus of his computer and camera lens. Lee gives Phil hope for a life beyond the walls he’s constructed using the nesting habits of migratory birds and dense legal files, a guided tour through a world filled with romance and music…maybe even family. But there’s a reason Phil retreated behind those walls, why he panics at a simple touch.Lee has a good life—working with his uncle and on his mother’s farm, playing bass in a horrible metal band, and hooking up when he pleases—but he’s always suspected something was missing. When he meets the hot photographer with the icy-blue eyes, he knows exactly what that something is. Phil isn’t like other guys, but neither is Lee beneath his carefree exterior. Maybe Lee's the perfect guy to show Phil that everything doesn’t have to be done the hard way and "home" isn't a four-letter word.My site banner: Regular Guys. Hot Romance.
http://i1301.photobucket.com/albums/ag103/Charley_Descoteaux/Promo%20for%20DsP/250-x-80-fixed_zps3458eb1d.jpg

Charley Descoteaux has always heard voices. She was relieved to learn they were fictional characters, and started writing when they insisted daydreaming just wasn’t good enough.  In exchange, they let her sleep once in a while. Home is Portland, Oregon, where the weather is like your favorite hard-case writing buddy who won’t let you get away with taking too many days off, and in some places you can be as weird as you are without fear.  As an out and proud bisexual and life-long weird-o, she thinks that last part is pretty cool. Rattle my cages, I’d love to hear from you!
 Blog:  http://cdescoteauxwrites.com/blog/Facebook Author Page:  http://www.facebook.com/CharleyDescoteauxAuthorDreamspinner Author Page: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=879Twitter:  https://twitter.com/CharleyDescoteGoodreads: http://tinyurl.com/aqe7g7r Pinterest: http://pinterest.com/charleydescote/e-mail: c.descoteauxwrites@gmail.com

Tease Me Thursday Week 18 - Trouble Comes in Threes

Welcome to week 18 of Tease Me Thursday ! When it's not quite Friday, and you're feeling like some fun from your favorite authors and authors you haven't met yet. Come on in, have a seat, and most of all... have fun! For this hop you post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words. It can be from a WIP or something published.For this week, I thought I’d do something from Trouble Comes in Thees since it was accepted by Dreamspinner Press. Release date is Dec/Jan.

Trouble Comes in Threes
Dolf picked out the saw he wanted, then followed Tal to another aisle. His mate pointed out the different kinds, but Tal’s words had rapidly faded into a meaningless buzz. There, on the air currents in the store, was the sweetest scent. It was light and flowery, reminding him of honeysuckle. He breathed deeply, taking the scent into himself. His cock hardened immediately, and his head spun. A yowl threatened to escape. That scent… that scent was seductive and alluring. It spoke to him, whispering things that made him need. His cat paced frantically in his mind, tail slashing madly. The need to pounce, to sink his canines in and drink that sweet, life-giving blood of his… His gums tingled and saliva flooded his mouth. He swallowed, then swallowed again as his head pounded, his heart rate spiking as one word screamed through his mind: Mate! Another mate! Where was that scent coming from? Or who? And by the goddess, why? He already had a mate. What was their goddess thinking giving him another? But he couldn’t ignore the reaction.  It had been the same when he met Tal.A quick glance down the aisle showed a human male muttering at commode kits. Dolf wanted to roll his eyes. Commode kits? Really? The same thing they were looking for? Their goddess must be having a high old time with this. “Fuck,” he whispered softly. He rarely cussed, except when aroused. Nothing sent his mate whimpering faster than Dolf describing in frank detail how he planned to fuck Tal. He loved hearing Tal’s voice begging… and speaking of that, only then did he notice Tal had stopped talking. Not only had Tal stopped talking, now he was growling. It was low, but it was a growl; a sound no human would make. “Tal,” Dolf whispered. “Look at me, mate.”Tal’s fist clenched, spasms shaking his arms. “That scent…”
“I know. Look at me. You’re growling, and you can’t do that here. Talise!” Dolf’s voice dropped as he snapped out Tal’s full name, power and command flowing from him. His mate was close to losing control right there in a hardware warehouse. “Stop. Now.”