M.A. Church's Blog, page 155

Just Another Manic Monday! Welcome Chris T. Kat - The Wolf and His Diva

Michelle, thank you very much for having me. I'm here to talk about my new release, The Wolf and His Diva, a m/m shape-shifter romance which will be released on March 12th. But first I'll answer some of your questions. :)



What inspired you to start writing?

I wrote as a kid and young teenager, but dropped this hobby because other things became more important. When I picked it up again, it was due to my love for fanfiction and a certain TV show (House MD). Since I, rather desperately, wanted to read a story in which Wilson was a shape-shifter, and I couldn't find anything like that, I decided to write my first story. Well, and then I never stopped. ;-)



How long have you been writing?

I started out as a fanfiction writer about six years ago. For a while I wrote strictly in one fandom, then stretched my wings and tried a couple of other fandoms. I enjoyed writing fanfiction very much, but I realized early on that I’d probably switch to original fiction at some point. I really wanted to create my own characters, with their own background and obstacles to overcome, so… here I am. Since 2011 I only write original fiction.



What comes first, the plot or characters?
That really depends on the story. Sometimes a character appears out of nowhere and I just know I want to write a story about him. Sometimes it's a certain plot idea and the characters develop out of that idea, but mostly it's a combination of both. I'm often inspired by images or single words. The plot and the characters are intertwined for me, although at first it's only one character that I really know and his love interest follows as soon as the plot becomes clearer to me.



Are you working on anything at the present you would like to tell us about?

I always like to talk about what I'm currently working on. ;-) At the moment I'm wrapping up my first science fiction story. Honestly, if I'd known I'd have such a blast writing a sci-fi story, I'd have done so a long time ago. Of course that story features aliens, as well as a snarky main character who falls head over heels in love even though he doesn't want to—not at all. There's lots of suspense and action involved, and as soon as I'm done with the first novel, I'll start on the second.



Do you listen to music while writing? If so what?

Yes, I do most of the time. I usually listen to soundtracks. The last few weeks, I’ve mostly listened to the soundtrack of “The Hobbit” and the soundtracks to Star Trek VIII and IX. They help me to get in the right mood for writing.



Do you write in multiple genres or just one? If just one, do you ever consider straying outside your genre?

I write m/m, but I might try m/f or m/m/m in the future. Within my chosen genre, I write pretty much everything: contemporary, mystery, paranormal (shape-shifters—my favorite genre so far), light BDSM and now even science fiction. I love that I can write in a lot of subgenres because I like to explore different worlds, the way characters react and find love.



What was the scariest moment of your life?

When my, at that time, two-year old son was diagnosed with mononucleosis and the doctor admitted him to the hospital. After the examination, the docs advised me to pray because either his body would win the battle or not. They could only reduce the fever. I'm still having nightmares about this occasionally. We stayed in the hospital for one week, and that was honestly the worst week of my life because my son didn't react at all. Only when his fever spiked over 104 did he cry. I seriously thought we would lose him. He won that battle and is now a healthy kid that loves to talk and talk and did I mention talk? ;-)



What is a talent you wish you had, but don't?

I really wish I could draw, and I admire anyone who is capable of creating wonderful pictures. For a time I tried my hand at drawing, these are some of the results:





I decided that I better keep writing and cross stitching. ;-)


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Blurb:

George Owens is comfortable with his life just the way it is. A wolf- and fox-shifter, George leads a reclusive lifestyle with his energetic and diva-ish mate Billy, a fox-and squirrel-shifter.

George has no desire to take over leadership of the pack, despite his father’s wishes. Edward Owens is feeling his age and wants to make sure the pack is in good hands should he not be able to win his next challenge. However, George is adamant that he wants no part of it.

But events rock George from his complacency, and he realizes he has to take a stand and fight for what he cares about. If he remains in the past and cannot change in order to do what he must, he risks losing everything he loves.
Pre-order link: Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4765


Excerpt:

Billy pushed George’s face away and stepped aside. For a moment, George watched him nose the ground and paw at the snowflakes sticking to his snout. George sighed inwardly before turning his gaze back to their house, gauging how long it would take them to clear a path until they could open the front door.


Paytime! Billy squalled.


George jerked his head around, but before he could do anything, Billy had already tackled him to the ground. He oomphed but played along, relieved Billy obviously wasn’t too put out by the prospect of snow shoveling.


They tussled in the snow, enjoying their time together. When Billy’s playful bites became too much for George, he shook him off easily.


It’s not fair that you always win! Billy complained.


But I’m the big bad red fox!


Uh, big bad red fox? You got something wrong there. Isn’t it the big bad wolf?


George growled in response and shifted into his other animal form—a large, dark-gray wolf. It always amused him to see Billy’s reaction—a surprised yelp and a jump backward.


This time Billy’s yelp turned into a helpless gasp. George blinked several times, trying to clear his vision. For whatever reason, shifting from one animal to another played havoc with his eyesight. When he finally had a clear view again, he stared ahead, trying to understand what was happening.


Billy scrabbled for purchase on the frozen ground, his eyes wide in fear. Nothing he did stopped him from sliding down the slope of the hill faster and faster. George gasped when Billy gave up the fight against gravity, curled himself into a tight ball and shot down the steep hillside.



Chris T. Kat

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there's any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.



Links:Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/christi_katGoodReads:http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKatFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKatAmazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/...

Winners of the 400,000 giveaway!

Lakersfanatic 08 and Lisa G

Congrats to the winners! I've sent the emails to you guys. Please make sure to check your spam folders too, just in case. Thanks to everyone that commented; wouldn't be over 400K if it wasn't for y'all. :)

~M

Throwback Thursday

Damn, I forgot about this! Ooops.

Yup, that's me... the cheerleader. Go Eagles!!! LOL.

Don't know the year exactly, but it had to be in the 1970's. *laugh* See Mom's shadow? How cool is that? What's really cool is I actually remember this. 0.o

~M

Trouble Comes in Threes - 3.3

[image error]

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. :)
The prompts are:"It's not raining. The sky is leaking."“You’re not leaving, are you?”"The things you own end up owning you.""Stop acting like an ass.”"I need open spaces.""A penny saved is a penny earned.""Enjoy the show."“Watch me.”or use: doors, carpet, flowersor have music playing loudlyor a phone ringingor use: horn, dust, water hosefind a penny on the ground.or: plastic chicken, paper, moneyor here I go againor color me baffledor where’s a man in lingerie when you need him?



Trouble Comes in Threes 3.3
Once I had the fire going, I closed the screen. Didn’t want to burn the house down while taking a shower.  Now that my headache had lessened, I thought I could stand water beating down on my head. Actually, as tight as my neck and shoulders were, a hot shower sounded good. No doubt about it, I was too old for this kind of stuff. Forty was not the new twenty, I didn’t give a damn what they said. For that matter, whoever ‘they’ were… Well, they could kiss my forty-year old ass too. Right now, I felt every ache and pain. I opened the glass shower door and turned on the water. While I waited, I stripped off my shirt. Off came my shoes next. The shirt, and my jeans, went in the hamper. Standing in my boxers, I stared at my reflection in the bathroom mirror. There were dark circles under my eyes, not that I was surprised. The lines that bracketed my mouth didn’t shock me, either. The white strands in my hair annoyed me, but again, they weren’t unexpected. The last year had been stressful. My gaze raked down my body. My six-pack was long gone, but I wasn’t fat, not by any means. I removed the boxers and threw them in the hamper. Straightening up, I looked at my cock. Hmm, I needed to shave. I liked being hairless down there. God knew the rest of me wasn’t. Dark hair covered my legs, arms, and there was a nice treasure trail leading south. I wasn’t a bear, but I sure wasn’t hairless, even if I did like my men that way.Turning, I checked out my ass. Okay, you couldn’t bounce a quarter off it anymore, but it wasn’t flabby, either. I slapped my ass, my handprint showing up immediately. My breath rushed out as the skin turned pink. I had dark hair, but my skin was very fair. Huh, nice handprint. Thank fuck my ass didn’t shake too badly, and shit, that felt good. Would’ve been better if someone besides me was slapping my ass. . Sighing, I faced away from the mirror only to find I had company. “Shit, guys.” Both cats sat by the door as if they owned the place. “Okay, I got to remember to shut the damn doors around here. Scoot, you two.”Neither moved, but their blue eyes damn sure marked my every step. The temptation to cover my cock was nearly overwhelming. Then I shrugged. They were cats. What the hell was I freaking out about? If they wanted to stay, then fine. As soon as it got steamy in here, I bet they’d leave. Although, them tracking my every move was disconcerting. Was that a cat thing?“Mmmmeow.”  I looked at Tiger. Damn thing was standing on the sink. When did he get up there? Christ, we were almost eye-to-eye—he was a damn big cat. “You’re not leaving, are you?” Snowball rubbed against my leg while Tiger just stared at me. “Fine. I’ll leave the door open for you.” So much for me keeping them out of the bathroom. I took a long shower then dried off. Wrapped in the towel, I rid myself of my five o’clock shadow. The cats followed me as I stepped to the bedroom. Throwing the towel on the bed, I hunted up clear underwear and jeans out of the mess of clean clothes I’d thrown over a recliner. There was a black sweatshirt and a thick pair of socks I managed to find too. I really needed to hang the clothes up, but I wasn’t in the mood now. [image error] Snowball bounced across the room and dive-bombed my pile of clean clothes. “Hey, hey! Come on, cat! Those are clean.” I hurried across the room to where Snowball was rolling around on my fresh laundry. “Off! Get off. Jesus, there’s going to be hair everywhere.”Damn cat was having a field day. I lifted him off my clothes and held him, his purring suddenly filling the room. Well, someone was certainly happy, and damn, he weighed a ton. Okay, maybe not a ton, but he had to be close to thirty pounds. Big, big cat. I petted him, then carried him out of the bedroom—away from the clean clothes. Tiger followed me and we made our way to the living area. I sat, and Snowball curled up in my lap. Tiger jumped on the couch and lay next to me. I needed to take the garbage out, and some other things, but this was nice. What the hell, I could sit here for a minute. I was warm from the shower and the cats. Yawning, I closed my eyes.Next thing I knew, I jumped, my leg jerking. Shit, I about fell off the couch. Snowball yowled loudly and leaped down. Guess I scared him. Scared myself too. Damn, I’d been dreaming, dreaming that I fell. No wonder I jumped like a scalded cat. Snorting at my choice of words, I petted Snowball until he calmed, then stood and added more wood to the fire. I glanced outside. Lovely, it was sleeting. As much as I hated snow, ice was much worse. I need to bring more wood in before it got wet. “Okay, guys, wood run.” Both cats cleared out. I put on my boots and heavy coat, determined to do this as fast as possible. Taking a deep breath, I stepped outside.  “Shit, this didn’t just start.”No, there was a film of ice everywhere. This wasn’t good. Already the ice was thick enough I could see it on the trees and shrubs. I’d just had my electricity turned back on. If the ice took it out… I’d scream. Hurrying to the woodpile, my foot slipped. Cussing a blue streak, I slowed down. The ground was slick, and the last thing I need was to fall. TBCAndrew Q. Gordon
Jon Keys

JC Wallace

Shelly Schulz

A.R. Von

Larry Benjamin

Chris T. Kat

Sarah Hayes

Grace Duncan

Rob Colton

Raine O’Tierney

Cia Nordwell

Victoria Adams

Tali Spencer

Lily Sawyer

Julie Lynn HayesNephylim

400,000 view giveaway!

Weeee! I just hit 400,000 views on my blog!!! *giggle* Decadent Delights is just a little over two years old. :) So, to celebrate, I'm doing a giveaway. Two people get to choose something from my backlist. 
Just leave a comment and an email addy. Contest will end March 1st and I'll announce the winners later that day. 

Just Another Manic Monday! Welcome Elyzabeth M. VaLey - Blind Beauty

Welcome to another Manic Monday!

* * * * 




Blind Beauty (Witches’ Mischief Series 2) Thank you for having me!

Many things inspired the creation of Blind Beauty, (my love of fairy tales, The Golden Cock , reviewers…) but as it happens, music also played an important role.
Crazy as it might sound to some, I write with music. Words flow easier and scenes become brighter if I have a tune to go with. When it came to writing Blind Beauty, I found that I needed something folksier and in a way magical. After all, most of the story takes places in Belmont Forest and there are strange things going on… (Aka a little nudge from a certain magic user).
James barely looked his way as they continued to trudge through the forest. Light was quickly failing, the oncoming night creeping on them. The temperature dropped and the moon rose, the soft white light bathing everything and creating a land of ice and shadows before their eyes.

I found my musical inspiration in German pagan folk band, Faun. Their album Von Den Elben created the perfect mood to create a world full of love, magic and adventure.
Sunshine illuminated her features and a soft wind blew her dark locks across her face. Her little nose was wrinkled and her mouth set in a thin line of concentrated determination as she saw things behind her lids that only she could glimpse.
One of the songs that inspired the beginning of the story was Faun’s cover of Schrei es in die Winde , a song originally from Eluviette (another great group, whose music was also a source of inspiration) and whose melody, for me, (since I don’t speak German), expresses hope. *Smile*
He was alone. Alone, in the middle of nowhere, and he was glad. Raising his hand in silent farewell to everything he left behind, he veered his horse and continued down the path away from everyone. Here, amidst nature, there was no one to mock him for his looks. No one to gaze at him with disgust or feigned interest.
His lips twitched and he smiled wildly. Kicking his horse’s flanks, he set at a gallop. He would never return.
I invite you to read Blind Beauty and listen to the music that brought James and Richard’s story a little more alive.
Enjoy!

Faun Video  



Blurb:

James Macintosh is hours away from his new home. He is ready to start a secluded life away from all the rumors, insults and disgusted faces concerning his appearance. However, a meeting with a mysterious woman and her child, mingled with a sudden harsh snowstorm will set him down a very different path than the one he had originally envisioned.

Richard Randywine is an accidental fugitive living with a band of rowdy thieves. A good man at heart, he has gotten used to hiding his emotions behind his strapping muscles and brute strength.  Yet, when the thieves ambush an unsuspecting rider, Richard is forced to drop his mask and step forward.

Will both men be able to see what lies before them or will they be blind to the possibility of happiness?




Available at:

Evernight Publishing Amazon.com Amazon.uk Bookstrand All Romance Ebooks Add it to your Goodreads




Author Bio:

Defined as weird since she was about eight, Elyzabeth honors the title by making up songs about her chores, doodling stars and flowers on any blank sheet of paper and talking to her dog whenever he feigns interest.

Losing the battle to the voices in her head is her favorite pastime after annoying her younger sister with her singing. Writing stories full of passion and emotion where love conquers all is her happy pill and she'll forgo sleep to make her readers live the dream.



Stalk me at:

Blog
Website
Facebook
Twitter
Goodreads
Pinterest (Blind Beauty has its own board! Check it out here)



Excerpt:
He climbed atop his horse, as told. His back molded to Richard’s, his body betraying him as it molded into the other man’s embrace. Richard pulled him hard against him, his body enveloping him in an almost suffocating hug. “Go,” he whispered huskily into his ear, his breath fanning it. James pressed his thighs against Faith’s flanks, hoping the animal would understand, considering the strange position she was in. She did, for she set off at a trot in the direction Richard indicated. They galloped in silence, trees whirring past them, snow flying when they swept past. James eyes widened and he barely controlled the urge to order Faith to stop as he realized their impasse. “Richard, the hoof prints, the snow.” James pointed at the visible trail. “They’ll track us down as easily as the king’s hounds trace a fox.”Richard’s breath was warm in his ear. His hair tickled his temple and James had to suppress a shiver. “I know.” Richard chuckled. “Don’t worry. I have a plan, besides wishing that they’ll wake up during the night and we’ll be miles away by then or that it snows heavily again.” James wished he didn’t have to worry, but he couldn’t relax. The problem wasn’t so much the thieves that could pursue them at any moment, but the man behind him. He was too close, too comforting, and all too desirable. James shifted in his seat again, trying to find a comfortable position. One in which he wasn’t pressed up tightly against Richard’s groin. One in which he didn’t imagine he felt the length of his cock hard against him. Because, he was convinced it was his imagination. Otherwise, how could a man like Richard be interested in him? It didn’t make any sense. In his experience, men like Richard were ladies’ men. They seduced, fucked and discarded women. He wasn’t a woman and he’d been rejected too many times in his life. He didn’t need this. He didn’t need more pain. Richard’s fingers brushed against his side, the fingers digging into his flesh and distracting him as arousal flared in every centimeter of his flesh. “What got you into thievery?” he asked, attempting to forget how close their bodies were. Richard grunted in reply and he fell silent once more, fishing his mind for a topic of conversation. It came up blank. He thought about asking Richard to stop. Faith was probably tiring though she didn’t show it and surely, they were safe by now. He should ask. James knew he should, but he couldn’t. He was losing his mind, falling prey to the liquid fire that was consuming him inside and outside. He wasn’t sure if the man was hard, but he was. His cock was stiff and throbbing, the idea of taking or being taken by Richard flashing through his mind every time Faith bounced. What would it feel like?
Flesh both silky and hard as steel brushing against him, an intimate caress, deep and longing. They’d become one man, writhing, gasping, and moaning. James’ breath hitched, the tightness in his breeches becoming uncomfortable. He clenched his teeth together and grasped the reins so tightly the material cut into his hands. He scrambled to regain his bearings, to remember whom he was with and what had occurred in the last 48 hours. He couldn’t trust Richard, but neither could he trust his treacherous body. He was not a beautiful man. Surely the thief didn’t want him. The thief. That’s right, Richard was a thief. He had no morals, no scruples, no—James groaned as Faith skipped over a fallen log, throwing Richard’s body against him, the erection he was sure he was imagining grinding against his bottom. 

My Sexy Saturday - Be My Alien

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. For this week, I thought I’d do something from my Dreamspinner release, Be My Alien. It’s book one in the Moonlit Skies series. Book 2, Be My Human, has been subbed.


Buy Link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3801


Blurb:A man too busy for love…Reed owns an upscale men’s boutique with a naughty back room. While making a late delivery to a client, he runs into Taz. A man on a disastrous date…When Taz agreed to come to Earth on a date, he didn’t expect to be dumped and left with no way home. Then he falls into Reed’s arms—literally.A coffee date soon becomes a trip back to Reed’s apartment. But when Taz’s stripes begin to show, Reed discovers Taz comes from a planet far, far away.Reed never believed aliens existed, but he’s facing one now. What in the world is he going to do?


Excerpt:“Are you okay? Hello?”Reed dragged his mind away from those sexy green eyes. “Ah, huh? What?”“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to fall on top of you like that. You see, it was like this. I was pushed, and you just happened to be there and….” The stranger grinned at Reed. “And down we went.”Reed shifted under the body lying so contentedly on top of him. Hell’s bells, the guy fit against him perfectly. From the feel of things, they were both close to the same height. Which also meant certain things were… aligned. “Oh yeah, I’m okay. Banged my head a little, but I’m fine.”The stranger bit his bottom lip, his teeth worrying the tender skin. Reed debated slamming his head against the floor a few more times in the hopes of rattling his brain back to normal as the stranger rolled off him.“I really am sorry.”
“No harm done.” Reed sat up and looked at the guy once again. Well, not much harm, anyway. His libido just had to pick now to perk up, didn’t it? But damn, this guy was sexy. Reed struggled to his feet and held his hand out to the man still on the floor, looking up at him. The guy took his hand and let Reed pull him up. “Name’s Reed. Are you okay?”

Throwback Thursday

Yes, that's me lol. Yes, I'm flapping my gums, as usual. It's a little blurry, but hey, this was taken in 1971. Yes, yes, I know some of you hadn't been born yet lol.

It was Christmas, and I was three. (or about to turn three.) Yup, I'm in red (my fav color) and I had just gotten a bike. That's my mom and dad behind me. My parents were quite a bit older by the time I came along lol. I have no ideas who took this, but I'm guessing it had to be my brother or sister.

Check out the chair in the background! OMG, is that not just a blast from the past??? And the clothes of that time period. Good Lord, lol, this is cracking me up. *snort* And damn if my dad doesn't have that same fake grin he has had in *every* picture *ever* made of him! Huh, my mom actually had dark hair. My memories of her consist of much lighter hair lol.

Now I really feel old. So, okay, that's me and my super cool bike... with the red handlebars! Can't wait to see what next Thursday brings!!

~M

Wednesday Briefs - Trouble Comes in Threes 3.2

[image error] 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. :)

The prompts are:
"Take it off."
"Love sees no color."
"Those who live by the sword get shot by those who don't."
"Go with the flow."
"Time heals all wounds."
"Be good or be good at it!"
“Maybe I’ll feel better if I eat.”
or use: shoes, red hat, ring
or have a laptop crash
or feature a character winning something
or use: tile, hammer, dog"Is glitter edible?""Let me get this straight. You found a unicorn, and your first response was to kill and cook it?""Just because you can add food coloring to something, that doesn’t mean you should."




Trouble Comes in Threes 3.2

I crouched down and held out my hand. Snowball, body low to the ground and ears laid back, eased over to me.“Come on, pretty kitty.” I wiggled my fingers, trying to entice him closer. “I’m sorry, Snowball. I didn’t mean to yell. I just feel like shit, and yeah, who’s to blame for that, right? I’m not used to having cats around, okay? I didn’t think about you being under my feet. Don’t be mad, please?”Blue eyes studied me, tail whipping behind him. He finally sniffed my fingers, ears relaxing. Relieved, I ran my hand down his back several times. My legs ached, so I sat down right there in the middle of the floor and petted Snowball, making sure to scratch under his chin. That got me some heavy-duty purrs.“Guess we’re okay, huh?”Snowball climbed in my lap and used my thigh to boost himself up so he was inches from my face. I didn’t have time to react before he rubbed his face against my chin. That surprised me. He’d done that before and it hadn’t dawned on me how close he was to my throat. Those teeth of his were sharp—I’d seen them—not to mention he was a really freaking huge cat.I scratched his ears but eased him back, the purring making me grin. “Yeah, we’re okay.”Both cats appeared friendly, but I knew nothing about them. I doubted they were strays, but I had no idea if they were up to date on their shots. Were rabies shots still administered through the stomach? I didn’t think so, but fuck if I wanted to find out. Why was I worrying about this? The weather was supposed to warm up in a few days, then it was good-bye kitties. Speaking of the kitties, I guess I needed to get them something for breakfast too. Good thing I had plenty of tuna.I stood up and brushed off my jeans. That reminded me I hadn’t taken a shower last night, and I needed to check the litter box.“Huh.” The litter box was clean. “Nothing. Did you guys not need to use it any last night? Want to go outside instead?”Both cats stared at me.“I promise I’ll let you back in.” [image error] They both headed toward the door. I let them out, and damn, we definitely got the foot of snow they forecasted, if not more. I had to laugh as they tiptoed through the snow, then disappeared around the back of the house.I wrapped my arms around myself and shivered. How could I’ve forgotten my coat? “Please hurry, guys.”Moments later they came prancing back. Relieved, I let them inside.“Okay, brrr.” I picked up the plates they ate off last night. Opening the tuna prompted many excited cries, and I had to laugh. Man, they were vocal. The sound of my laughter surprised me again. How long had it been since there had been happiness in this house or my life?Sighing, I put the plates on the floor, to the joy of both cats. “Thanks, guys. It’s been a while since I had a reason to laugh. Now, if I could find a guy willing to put up with my bad luck…”I didn’t see that happening. I was broke, I was alone, and my life was shit. Thanks to stress, I now had a few stands of white in my jet black hair.“Not going to dwell on it.” I needed to stop thinking about this before I depressed myself. “Things have got to get better. I just need to take one thing at a time, starting with my breakfast.”I finished the toast, popped it in the toaster over, and fixed myself a cup of coffee. Sipping the hot brew, I watched the cats eat. The black one was the more dominant of the two while the white one came across as a little more… unsure, but it definitely had its moments. Hell, if I wasn’t careful, the black one could end up bossing the white cat and me around. Which was amusing, since I was six three and two twenty.The toaster dinged. I grabbed a paper plate and fished the toast out, singeing the tips of my fingers in the process. “Ow, ow.” I stuck my fingers in my mouth, mumbling around them.  “Shit, that’s hot.”“Meeeow.” Snowball looked up at me from the floor.“Yeah, I know.” I removed my fingers and shook my hand. “I think my brain is still asleep. Maybe I’ll feel better if I eat. What do you think?”“Mrrrr.”“I shouldn’t have drunk all that, I know, Snowball. But guys, sometimes you just got to let go. Get a little crazy. Relieve stress, you know? Didn’t need to spend that money for the beer, but at least I was at home and not out on the road.”After I finished eating, I felt better. Both cats had settled in the big window in the living area. While they birdwatched, I started a fire with the wood I’d brought in last night. It had gotten cold in here. I wanted to heat the house with the fireplace since it was damn sure cheaper than bumping up the thermostat.A strange chittering sound caught my attention as I waited. Looking up, I noticed a red bird sitting on the windowsill. The odd noise was from both cats. It was kind of cute, even though I had an idea the meaning behind it wasn’t so charming. 

TBC

Rob ColtonJon KeysGrace Duncan  Lily Sawyer Shelly SchulzChris T. KatJC WallaceSarah HayesMichael MandrakeCia NordwellRenee Stevens
Julie Lynn Hayes

Winners of the Valentine's Day Hop

1st Place: Nostolgiclikeyou
 2nd Place: Shadow
3rd Place: Mann Ramblings
Okay, I'm going to email you guys shortly. For the 1st and 2nd place winners I'm going to need addresses so I can mail you stuff. 
For 3rd place I'll send the book just as you as I know what format you want. :)

Thanks for joining us for our first hop! We had lots of fun and a great turnout. ~M