M.A. Church's Blog, page 161

Building a Library for Lost-N-Found center in Atlanta, GA

Reblogged from Elizabeth North. To donate, please use the link I've given below. This isn't something I'm running, but I am taking part in. :) I hope you guys will help too. 
~M


Lost-N-Found ~ The Spirit of Christmas

We are building a library!

Thanks to a brilliant suggestion from J.P. Barnaby, Dreamspinner and Harmony Ink Press are building a library for the teens and young adults at the Lost-N-Found center in Atlanta, GA. Lost-N-Found is a non-profit agency actively working to take homeless LGBT youth off the street. Find out more about Lost-N-Found and how you can directly Adopt-A-Youth.

We have two goals for 2013:
Fill the shelves of the lending library in the center. Dreamspinner and Harmony Ink Press will be sending 50 paperbacks to the shelter on December 15. We'd like to send more, so we are inviting others to participate. For every $5 donated, we will send another book. You can donate as much or as little as you'd like. $1 from five people will still provide another book. Put a Kindle Fire Tablet in the hands of each young adult in their resident program.
Dreamspinner Press will be buying and filling the Kindles with fiction and non-fiction. We've asked the Center's director for recommendations on non-fiction titles that would be helpful and relevant. The Kindles are a gift and will belong to the residents. We hope to continue this gift through 2014 as new residents move in and graduate out.


Want to help send more books? Go here:http://elizabeth.dreamspinnerpress.com/2013/12/lost-n-found-spirit-of-christmas.html

Happy Thanksgiving!

Fun Facts about the First Thanksgiving


·  The Plymouth Pilgrims were the first to celebrate the Thanksgiving.
·  The Pilgrims sailed across the Atlantic Ocean to reach North America.
·  They sailed on the ship, which was known by the name of 'Mayflower'.
·  They celebrated the first Thanksgiving Day at Plymouth, Massachusetts.
·  The Wampanoag Indians were the people who taught the Pilgrims how to cultivate the land.
·  The Pilgrim leader, Governor William Bradford, had organized the first Thanksgiving feast in 1621. He invited the neighboring Wampanoag Indians to the feast.
·  The first Thanksgiving celebration lasted three days.
·  Mashed potatoes, pumpkin pies, popcorn, milk, corn on the cob, and cranberries were not foods present on the first Thanksgiving's feast table.
·  Lobster, rabbit, chicken, fish, squashes, beans, chestnuts, hickory nuts, onions, leeks, dried fruits, maple syrup and honey, radishes, cabbage, carrots, eggs, and goat cheese are thought to have made up the first Thanksgiving feast.
·  The pilgrims didn't use forks; they ate with spoons, knives, and their fingers.





Fun Turkey Facts
·  The average weight of a turkey purchased at Thanksgiving is 15 pounds.
·  The heaviest turkey ever raised was 86 pounds, about the size of a large dog.
·  A 15 pound turkey usually has about 70 percent white meat and 30 percent dark meat.
·  The five most popular ways to serve leftover turkey is as a sandwich, in stew, chili or soup, casseroles and as a burger.
·  Turkey has more protein than chicken or beef.
·  Turkeys will have 3,500 feathers at maturity.
·  Male turkeys gobble. Hens do not. They make a clucking noise.
·  Commercially raised turkeys cannot fly.
·  Turkeys have heart attacks. The United States Air Force was doing test runs and breaking the sound barrier. Nearby turkeys dropped dead with heart attacks.
·  A large group of turkeys is called a flock.
·  Turkeys have poor night vision.
·  It takes 75-80 pounds of feed to raise a 30 pound tom turkey.
·  A 16-week-old turkey is called a fryer. A five to seven month old turkey is called a young roaster.





Fun Facts about Thanksgiving
·  In the US, about 280 million turkeys are sold for the Thanksgiving celebrations.
·  Each year, the average American eats somewhere between 16 - 18 pounds of turkey.
·  Californians are the largest consumers of turkey in the United States.
·  Thanksgiving Day is celebrated on the fourth Thursday in November in the United States.
·  Although, Thanksgiving is widely considered an American holiday, it is also celebrated on the second Monday in October in Canada.
·  Black Friday is the Friday after Thanksgiving in the United States, where it is the beginning of the traditional Christmas shopping season.

Wednesday Briefs - Nighttime Promises #19

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Welcome to the Wednesday Briefers flash group. The short stories have a maximum of a 1000 word count plus links at the bottom to the other flashers. The prompts for this week are:Then put your money where your mouth is


or "walk a mile in my shoes"


or use: week, together, book


or "If you can't run with the big dogs, stay on the porch"


or "He/She could talk the horns off a billygoat"


or use: jump, live, game


or "Failure is not an option"


or "welcome back to the age of jive!"


~ ~ ~
~Nighttime Promises is the 3rd book in the Nighttime series, which is published by Romance First. I'm using the prompts to help me get going on this book. Yes, this is a tentacle story lol.
Fair warning! I'm going to pull this about 3/4th of the way through, expand it, and send it off. Most of the story will be shown on here though. I'm giving this warning so no one will be caught off guard when I pull the story.


Nighttime Promises # 19
Daroshi held Bryan close, his head spinning as his mating tentacle withdrew. The sex just kept getting better and better. As his tentacles released Bryan, Bryan turned in his arms and kissed him. Having Bryan’s lips on his own was still something he wasn’t used to, but was growing to enjoy.
“Okay, that was… wow.”
Daroshi smoothed Bryan’s hair back from his face. “I agree.”
“I’m going to grab a sonic shower, then maybe we could nibble on something. I’m not really hungry, but I could go for a snack.”
“I’m not hungry, but I’m sure we can find something for you. While you’re showering, I’m going to finish up my reports.”
“Sounds good.”
Daroshi watched that tight ass of Bryan’s walk away from him.
“You’re staring.”
Daroshi snorted when Bryan stopped and looked back at him. Yes, yes he was staring. It was a fine-looking ass. Bryan winked then left the room. Shaking his head, Daroshi redressed and returned to the comp station in the living area to update his ship’s log. After he was finished with that, he downloaded, onto a hand-held device, plants and animals prevalent in the area that Bryan could study. Bryan wanted to be hunted? He was all for it, but not until Bryan knew the ecosystem here. The only predator hunting Bryan would be him.
Later, he heard Bryan programming the reduplicater. That reminded him of something he needed to do. He sent a quick message to Ziang asking for more recipes Shawn might have. Bryan world have all the human food he could find on the reduplicater, but hopefully he could get Bryan to try a few more… interesting things too.
When he caught Bryan yawning, he made excuses and had Bryan in bed in no time. The look he received told him Bryan knew what he was doing, but Daroshi was okay with that. Bryan was still recovering and needed his rest. When Bryan started snoring, Daroshi returned to the living area to finish his work. He didn’t need the amount of sleep Bryan required. Two hours before the sun was to rise, Daroshi slipped back into bed.

Over the next two weeks, he pushed Bryan to learn all he could. Unsurprisingly, Bryan was a quick study. They explored the area around Daroshi’s home and the surrounding land too. Bryan educated himself about the flora and fauna. The farther they tracked out from Daroshi’s home, the less rocky and barren the landscape became.
Trees sprouted from the ground, long limbs that dripped moss-like gray leaves. Messy-looking trees reached to the sky, clumping together to block out the dim light. Small bushes and gray decaying leaves covered the floor of the forest. Odd mushroom-like trees also dotted the land. Vines hung from twisted black trees that held long drooping trumpet-like glowing light blue flowers that had white berries inside that could be eaten.
It was the night before their hunt and they were getting their gear ready. Daroshi also wanted to review the many weapons he owned one last time with Bryan. Bryan had learned to fire all of them. He picked the ones he liked best to carry with him and packed them. He’d asked for a knife to strap to his thigh, a fire steel, matches in a small waterproof canister, 550 paracord, several therma blankets, a signaling mirror, an empty plastic container, water purifying tablets, and a compass.
“You do know I have much more advanced equipment you can use, yes? I feel I must point out how… primitive this gear is. You will be at a distinct disadvantage.”  
“Yeah? Primitive, huh? Tell you what, big guy. Why don’t you leave all the high-tech gadgets home and use what I’m using? Let’s base this on skill, not equipment.”
Daroshi puffed out his chest. “My gadgets, as you call them, are not what makes me an excellent hunter.”
“Then put your money where your mouth is and use what I’m using.” Bryan rolled his eyes at the confused look on Daroshi’s face. “In other words, prove it.”
“Indeed. I will… prove it.” Daroshi jerked Bryan to him, tentacles touching and rubbing.
Bryan smirked at Daroshi. “I’m not going to make it easy for you, you know. I fully intend to make you work for it.”
“I expect no less. You are a warrior yourself, trained by your people. I, of course, will take into allowance you are human and not—”
Bryan shoved Daroshi. “The hell you will.”
“But Bryan, I am trained and I am a native of this planet. I am bigger and—”
Bryan growled. “That doesn’t mean—”
“It most certainly does mean something. Bryan, don’t be prideful. I have the advantages, even with the primitive equipment. Let there be allowances made to help you. It doesn’t matter to me if you win or lose. What I want is for this to be stimulating for both of us. Because when I hunt you down, I’m going to fuck you right there in the wilderness. I’m going to make sure your screams are heard… over and over.”
Bryan stood with his mouth hanging over.
Daroshi smirked as he gently tapped Bryan’s chin. Bryan snapped his mouth close. “Just so you know.”
“Okay then, let’s make this reallyinteresting. You have forty-eight Earth hours to hunt and trap me. If I manage to avoid you, well then, I win and I get a reward.”
Daroshi folded is arms over his chest, trying to look imposing. “And what do you want?”
“Oh, I think I’ll hold that in reserve for now.”

TBC.  Okay, I’m getting close to the end. In another couple of chapters, I’ll probably stop this. I’ll do the hunt scene and show the twist I have planned for that, though.  

Make sure to visit the other flashers. J
 Grace DuncanJC Wallace Victoria Adams Nephylim  Lily Sawyer Shelly SchulzRob ColtonCia NordwellA.R. VonChris T. KatJon KeysAndrew GordonRenee StevensElyzabeth VaLey Tali SpencerJulie Lynn Hayes

Welcome Jon Keys - also known as RedDirtWriter!!

That's right, guys, I had another Lit author at the blog lol. And let me say I'm also a fan of his work. The first story of his I read was Wrangler Butts... and I was hooked. 
~ ~ ~

Hi M.A.! Thanks for the invitation. Obviously I’m Jon Keys, but some of you might also know me by the pen name of RedDirtWriter. I want to take this opportunity to promote my first publication through Dreamspinner Press. “Heart of the Pines” will be released on December 1 as part of Dreamspinner’s Advent Calendar.
I thought I’d share a little bit about how my characters develop. I consider my stories to be character driven. The first fiction I wrote was an on-line piece titled “Wrangler Butts”. It was most certainly a seat of the pants writing. I had a couple of characters that I thought would be interesting, and who I’d like to follow. From there, they progressed against all kinds of adversity, life wasn’t easy (it never is, is it?) but they pulled themselves up after each one, sucked it up and then moved on. Sometimes with a new scar or two, but always forward.
“Heart of the Pines” has a similar beginning, but after a few hundred thousand words under my belt, I do more planning and I had an ending firmly in mind. The idea was started by a comment from one of my readers that he wished I had more characters closer to his age (mid-40’s) that he could relate to more. So Chris and Wade were born.
I like to keep the action as realistic as possible, and it’s no different with my latest couple. I love to thread the reader through the ups and down of their lives. My characters get knocked down all the time. But I want them to pick themselves up, make whatever adjustments should happen, and then move forward. I work to have the characters not be some unattainable perfection, or hopeless puddle of goo. Okay, well they can go to goo, but they have to pull themselves together and move on at some point.
I love getting the notes from fans saying they would love to sit down for a beer and great conversation with my characters. I hope that people find some entertainment in my writing, if they get something moreI hope everyone enjoys the newest novella. The link is for the collection but the single will be available for purchase on Dec 1. Just check on my blog for the direct link that day.
~ Jon ~



Blurb:
Christmas is the worst time of the year to find yourself alone. Chris Moss, owner of a tree farm, knows this down to his bones as he makes his way through his first holiday season after losing his wife to cancer. When Wade Hart, an annual customer at the farm, visits, they find common ground: Wade lost his own longtime lover to a parting of ways and is lonely too. The constant, gentle companionship provides fertile soil for an attraction neither expects, but nurturing a new relationship is a tough proposition. With the encouragement of family and friends, Chris and Wade may yet find that a second love later in life can be just as fulfilling as the first.







Excerpt:
Jets of steamy breath shot from Wade’s nostrils as he struggled to drag the enormous Christmas tree across the loose Michigan snow. The bells on Chris’s Santa hat jingled merrily as he hurried out to help his friend pull the tree up the final hillock to the barn.
“Here, let me give you a hand.” Stepping along the slowing tree, Chris wrapped a glove-covered hand around a branch and lent his strength to the effort.
Wade nodded and smiled. “Thanks, it’s a little much by myself.”
“No problem, happy to help. Looks like you got a beaut,” said Chris.
Wade pulled off his knit hat and wiped the perspiration from his head. “It’s a good one. I think I’ve covered your whole farm, several times, to find the perfect tree.”
They pulled the tree into the work area and hoisted it onto the sawbuck. “Want me to trim it up for you?”
“Sure. One less thing I’ll have to do.” Wade laid the handsaw he’d used on the table behind them, then tugged his thick cap on while Chris made a few quick cuts with the chainsaw to ready the tree for his stand. The roar of the saw faded, and Chris struggled for a few minutes as he tried to push the tree into the netting. As he began his second attempt, Wade woke from his stupor and grabbed the other side of the tree.
“Sorry, I’m a little spacey today,” said Wade.
With his help, Chris slid the tree into the tube of netting, getting it ready for Wade’s SUV. “No problem. It’s a huge tree. I hope Jeff will be around to help you unload.”
Wade folded his arms over his chest, a pained look on his face. “Jeff moved out. Last week. I thought makin’ our annual trip to your farm for a tree would keep me from thinkin’ about it.” Wade turned his head and let out a shuddering sigh. “I guess it’s not ‘our’ trip anymore.”
Chris gave Wade’s shoulder a squeeze. “Sorry to hear that. You guys always seemed happy together. Jeff was always cutting up and flirting with Mary.” I haven’t forgotten you attended her funeral.
“It happens. I guess we lasted longer than a lot of couples. Ten years isn’t bad.” Wade’s fingers ran over one of the fir boughs edging the barn windows. “It was good in the beginning, like newlyweds. Jeff loved our loft in Chicago. But ever since we moved to Traverse City, the relationship had slowly gone downhill. Our business downtown was an attempt to find something to keep Jeff happy.”
The pain in Wade’s eyes sparked a wave of bitter nostalgia for Chris. He missed Mary so desperately some days. She always was the caretaker of the family, even when they got the diagnosis of stage-four cancer; she still took care of everyone else until it was impossible for her to keep doing it. He turned to the barn behind them, pulled off the Santa hat, and held it tight in his hands as the frigid air gusted through his short white hair.
The farm was always beautiful this time of year, the ground covered with crystalline flakes in a white carpet that extended to the steps of the house, which he kept carefully swept. He hadn’t changed anything since Mary died. It had been more difficult in the summer when the beds that hugged the foundation of their house were ablaze with flowers Mary had planted and nursed through the years. The winter covering had been a blessed relief, but his heart still ached at the lack of holiday decorations. Mary had loved the season, and given half a chance, she covered everything within striking distance with lights. Without her, the trimmings just hadn’t mattered.
He shook himself and focused on finishing with Wade’s tree. He tied the bottom of the netting and turned to Wade. “There you go. All bundled and ready to put in that great foyer you have.”
“Not so grand this year. It’s kind of tough to get into the spirit of the season.”
Chris gave Wade a sympathetic smile. “It could be worse….”
Realization hit Wade. “Oh my God! I can’t believe I’ve been such an ass. This is your first Christmas alone. I’m so sorry, Chris. I feel awful.”
“It’s not your fault. It’s been almost a year since her funeral. It’s ancient history to most people.” Although it seems like yesterday to me. I can still feel her soft hand in mine as we picnicked on one of Lake Michigan’s sugar sand beaches on our first date, playing in the chilly crystal clear water. Even then, she’d taken care of everything and had the perfect lunch basket packed.
“Yeah, but Mary always said Christmas was her favorite time of the year.”
“It was, and I haven’t felt like doing much. It’s a lot more work to take care of the farm alone too. But the income for the whole year happens in the next month or so. Doesn’t leave me with many choices.” Chris smiled at Wade. “Bad thing about a Christmas tree farm, firs just aren’t that tasty.”
Wade gave a nod, and then his eyes lit up. “Hey, what if I do it? I’ve helped Mary put up the decorations before. It’ll keep me busy, and Santa’s Tree Farm needs to look more festive than either of us feels.”
Chris couldn’t help but smile at the sudden enthusiasm. “If you’d like, that would be great. I just can’t face the stuff. Too many memories.”
“Southern boy to the rescue! I got this covered.” Wade clapped his hand on Chris’s bicep and squeezed it. Chris found a comfort from the contact that surprised him. Mary’s touch had always had that unique ability to soothe him. Some nights its absence had left him curled around her pillow with tears streaming down his face.
Chris fished a ring of keys from his pocket, flipped through them, and held one out for Wade. “This unlocks the storage padlock. Anything you want to do would be great. I have a few customers wandering around looking for trees. I better go check on them.”
Chris raced through the light snowfall while Wade started for the storage building.

Buy Link:
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4351&cPath=62_981


Bio:
Jon Keys’ earliest memories revolve around books; with the first ones he can recall reading himself being “The Warlord of Mars” and anything with Tarzan. (The local library wasn’t particularly up to date.) But as puberty set in he started sneaking his mother’s romance magazines and added the world of romance and erotica to his mix of science fiction, fantasy, and comic books.
A voracious reader for almost half a century, Jon has only recently begun creating his own flights of fiction for the entertainment of others. Born in the Southwest and now living in the Midwest, Jon has worked as a ranch hand, teacher, computer tech, roughneck, designer, retail clerk, welder, artist, and, yes, pool boy; with interests ranging from kayaking and hunting to painting and cooking, he draws from a wide range of life experiences to create written works that draw the reader in and wrap them in a good story.
E-mail: jon.keys@ymail.com
Blog: http://jonkeys.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jon.keys.773
Twitter: @Jon4Keys

Winner of the Rob Colton giveaway

And the winner is...




Oh yeah, Rob used a random generator to pick the winner.




And the winner is...




Sorry this was so late today also.







OKAY OKAY LOL...




post # 14, janahock



Rob has probably already emailed ya. Congrats!
~M

Wednesday Briefs - Nighttime Promises #18

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Welcome to the Wednesday Briefers flash group. The short stories have a maximum of a 1000 word count plus links at the bottom to the other flashers. The prompts for this week are:
"Here's your hat, what's your hurry"
or "the world is a circle"
or use: friend, hammock, medicine
or "What time did  you say it is?"
or "You're deluding yourself if you believe that"
or "She's so beautiful, I just want to ... when I see her"
or use salmon, overture, and whisper
or "May I help you with that?"
or use a Moody Blues reference in your story or write about snow.

~ ~ ~
~Nighttime Promises is the 3rd book in the Nighttime series, which is published by Romance First. I'm using the prompts to help me get going on this book. Yes, this is a tentacle story lol.
Fair warning! I'm going to pull this about 3/4th of the way through, expand it, and send it off. Most of the story will be shown on here though. I'm giving this warning so no one will be caught off guard when I pull the story.


Nighttime Promises # 18

Daroshi set Bryan on his feet and tentacles immediately reached for him. His breathing increased as the tentacles caressed his body. Two worked to undo his pants, sending shivers through Bryan. Other tentacles fondled his arms then pulled his wrists against his sides, trapping them. Precome leaked from Bryan’s dick.
“Mmm, fuck, Daroshi, I…”
Daroshi loomed over Bryan, staring down at his mate. Slowly, he moved closer, leaning over to blow in Bryan’s ear. Bryan moaned softly, and Daroshi’s rumbles spread through the room. Whatever Bryan had been about to say was lost in a haze of pleasure that swam through his body.
“May I help you with that?” A tentacle fished Bryan’s dick out of his pants, working the piece of flesh.
The other two tentacles spread open his pants and pushed his underwear out of the way. Bryan squeezed his eyes shut as his dick was caressed by tentacles, not human hands. He was clutched closer as Daroshi’s tentacle stroked his dick. Bryan panted and wiggled in Daroshi’s arms, small moans escaping him. Tentacles slithered across his stomach, teasing and petting, before slipping lower to roll his balls.
“Oh… oh, yeah.”
“Going to fuck you so good, mate.” Daroshi used his other tentacles to remove Bryan’s clothes. Daroshi pushed Bryan on the bed, crawled behind him, and pulled Bryan against him. Bryan’s back was to Daroshi’s chest. More tentacles draped over Bryan’s legs, pulling them apart. He squirmed in Daroshi’s arms, his pleasure driving him to move.
“Are you ready?” Daroshi fully intended to drive Bryan frantic with pleasure. Another tentacle bumped against Bryan’s lips.
“Absolutely.”
The tentacle hovered near Bryan’s mouth, waiting.  He allowed his head to fall back against Daroshi’s shoulder. He opened his mouth and the waiting tentacle slipped inside. Bryan didn’t fight; he knew what to expect now. The tentacle seeped a sweet fluid into his mouth that tasted like sugar water.
Bryan swallowed at the burst of syrupy flavor and sucked, wanting more of the sweet-tasting fluid. Bryan strained in Daroshi’s arms as another tentacle covered the head of his dick, sucking the precome that Bryan leaked. Other tentacles continued to stroke him. His body writhed from the intense pleasure building in his groin. One tentacle clutched his sac, separating his balls and rolling them. With his legs spread open, a tentacle snaked below his leg, aiming for his hole.
Daroshi growled low in his throat, his lower body pressing against Bryan.  Bryan answered him, groaning around the tentacle in his mouth as his hips thrust. Bryan’s body shook and he whimpered as every muscle locked up. But that was nothing compared to what was happening inside. Pressure built and desire roared through his veins.
He struggled to breathe as an orgasm of epic proportions built. He was helpless to control it. His arms trapped, legs held wide, Bryan bucked as his orgasm washed through him. His dick jerked as he came, the tentacle sucking all he had to give. Bryan yelled around the tentacle in his mouth.
“Keep sucking on the tentacle. I’m going to make you come again.”
Bryan grunted. The mating tentacle nudged his hole, testing for resistance and spreading its fluid. Bryan grunted harshly as a tingle started, and his hole itched. A need to be filled hammered him. The guardian muscle refused to yield and the pressure built. The searing pain of his need, and desperation, had Bryan slamming his hips down as best he could.
Daroshi threw back his head as his tentacle entered heat and tightness. He growled loudly. “Ahhh, Bryan…”
Chill bumps erupted across Bryan’s body as he was penetrated. The tentacle traveled up his channel, twisting and turning. He chugged air through his nose, chest heaving. Nothing had ever felt like this; his prostate was rubbed continuously as the tentacle writhed inside him, churning and wiggling. His dick twitched and his balls pulled up tight against his body.
The tentacle thrust gently at first, then picked up speed as Bryan moved with Daroshi. Deeper the tentacle moved, brushing past Bryan’s prostate, working its way inside. Bryan gasped as that never-ending itch was appeased. Straining against the tentacles holding his body, he tossed his head back and forth. Out of control, his body bucked against Daroshi. The constant pressure on his hot spot made leak precome madly into the tentacle sucking his cockhead.
Sweat covered his body as Daroshi’s mating tentacle hammered his ass. Their bodies slithered against each other as Daroshi fucked Bryan. Bryan’s hand clawed at his sides as the tentacle nursing at his cockhead swallowed his dick. Determined not to be the only one out of control, he squeezed his ass each time Daroshi pushed in. Low, deep growls sounded above him as the mating tentacle rammed against him.
“Come for me,” Daroshi snarled.
He forgot to breathe from the intensity of the orgasm building inside him. He was helpless in its wake, something he’d searched for but never found with another lover. Finally, air exploded from his lungs. As he gasped, lights swirled in front of his eyes. Unable to deny the force of Daroshi’s will, Bryan’s body obeyed. His body violently shook as come surged from him. The tentacle attached to his dick continued to suck, taking all he had to give. The other tentacles flexed around his body, holding him gently.  
Daroshi roared as he drenched Bryan with his seed.

TBC. Remember to visit the other briefers!


JC WallaceNephylim  A.R. VonMC Houle Elyzabeth VaLey   Shelly SchulzRob ColtonChris T. KatCia NordwellJon KeysTali Spencer Andrew GordonRenee StevensJulie Lynn Hayes

Welcome Rob Colton and a giveaway for The Cassini Mission.

Thanks for having me today, Michelle! I’m here today to talk about my new release, The Cassini Mission.
This is the second book in the Galactic Conspiracies series, following The Degan Incident. Not strictly a sequel, the book builds upon the plot of the first book. Featuring a new set of characters, it dives deeper into what those nasty researchers were trying to do in the first book.
Readers of The Degan Incident may remember Dr. Aron Adler, the biologist that clinic doctor Flynn calls for his expert opinion on Devin’s little “problem.” This book is told from Aron’s perspective, just as he is ordered to take part in a rescue mission on a distant research outpost.




To celebrate the release, I am giving away a copy of The Cassini Mission to one of the commenters. Just leave a comment on this post with your email address. The contest ends on Tuesday at 11:59 midnight EST. The winner will be notified by email address.
In the meantime, please enjoy this excerpt from the first chapter of The Cassini Mission.










Blurb:The adventure continues in this action-packed follow up to The Degan Incident!
Dr. Aron Adler is ordered to take part in a rescue mission to a research colony located on an uninhabited planet in the outer rim. He is to immediately report to the U.S.C. Cassini, which will take Aron, two other scientists, and a unit of Union Marines to the colony. Once there, they are to assess the situation and retrieve any data or specimens.
Formerly a scientist in the Union Navy, Aron was dishonorably discharged following a court-martial for failing to obey orders. Stepping foot on the Cassini brings up old feelings he would rather forget. Shunned by the crew of the Cassini, Aron finds comfort in the arms—and bed—of Marine corporal Kane Robertson.
Upon reaching the colony, it becomes apparent that not everything is as it seems. Once again, Aron is faced with a difficult decision: follow orders or follow his heart.

Purchase Links:Available in eBook from:GayAuthors.orgAllRomanceEbooks.comAmazon.com and Kindle storeBarnesAndNoble.comand Nook store

Available in Paperback from:Amazon.com (includes the ebook free through Kindle MatchBook)CreateSpace.com

My Links:http://robcolton.comhttp://twitter.com/robcub32http://facebook.com/robcub32http://www.gayauthors.org/author/rob-colton


Excerpt:Doctor Aron Adler; access granted.
At the computer’s pleasant announcement, the security lock disengaged and the door opened with a swoosh.
Not looking up from my comPad, I made my way to my lab’s main workstation. Once seated, I transferred control from the pad to my workstation and activated the scanner. I had just gotten the electron scanner calibrated and it was now streaming bio-chemical data to the large computer screens mounted on my lab wall.
“Yes,” I said in triumph as I skimmed over the new data. Everything looked to be in order.
With my eyes locked onto my screens, I called out to our lab’s resident research assistant. “Thomas, please start a DNA profile analysis on the specimen that’s being scanned.”
When I didn’t get a response, I lifted my head up and swiveled my stool around, annoyed that he wasn’t answering me. “Thomas—”
Thomas wasn’t sitting at his station. I scratched my head, thinking back to when I walked into the room. Was Thomas even in his seat when I arrived? He must have gone to the break room. He was never without a doughnut it seemed. I shrugged and turned back to my work. I was better off without him anyway.
A flashing icon on my screen caught my eye. I tapped the icon to bring up my comm panel. Apparently, I had missed a call from Devin Drago. Not expecting to hear from the young man, I was pleasantly surprised.
I had come across his case when an old friend contacted me with bioscans of a pregnant human male. I had heard of spontaneous womb generation in other species, but had never come across a human male with the condition, so of course I was fascinated. When Devin said the Degan male who impregnated him claimed to be his true bondmate and had gone missing, I had used my connections with a colleague who worked for the Degan Science Institute to inquire about the missing bondmate.
It was through my colleague that they tracked down the Degan’s father. Imagine my horror when I found out that Devin had been taken prisoner by a rogue group of scientists. Thankfully he was rescued by the Degans and the couple was reunited. Last I heard, he was living happily on Dega with his bondmate.
Pressing play on the message, I was greeted by a smiling Devin. He held a squirming toddler on his lap. The boy’s half-Human/half-Degan heritage was apparent in his ears and eyes, not to mention the horn nubs on the top of his head.
“Hi, Doctor Adler. It’s me, Devin Drago. I bet you didn’t expect to hear from me, but I wanted to again thank you for your help. This our son, Callan. We wouldn’t be here without you. And well…” With a grunt, Devin pushed up from his chair and stood slightly, revealing the swell of his belly. A very pregnant belly. “Surprise. Well, I’d better go before Bastian drags me back to bed. I’m supposed to be resting. Say ‘bye’ to the doc, sweetie.”
Devin and his son waved to the screen as the message ended. I returned to my work with a smile on my face.
I wasn’t sure how long I had been caught up in my work when the door opened unexpectedly.
“Doctor Adler,” Thomas panted.
I looked up from my computer screen and frowned at the research assistant for interrupting me. The portly man leaned against the door frame, his hand clutching his chest as he tried to pull in lungfuls of air.
I reached over and tapped the computer controls to begin the chemical analysis process. “Thomas. You really are in bad shape. All that crap you eat. You should come running with me sometime. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m in the middle of something.” I tapped again to queue up the DNA profile process.
He shook his head forcefully while waving his hand back and forth in front of him. He managed to sputter between breaths, “No. Navy. Here.”
Well, that certainly got my attention. The Navy was here? Was that what he was trying to tell me?
A barrage of unpleasant memories flooded my mind. Feeling sick to my stomach, I felt an overwhelming need to get the hell out of here. As I stood up from my stool, two men dressed in standard Union Navy security uniforms pushed into my lab, practically knocking Thomas down in the process.
My eyes darted around the room, looking for a quick exit.
“Doctor Aron Adler?” the officer intoned. “Your presence is required at Union Military Headquarters.” His hand not-so-subtly moved on top of the phase pistol holstered to his belt. “Immediately.”
Crap.

Happy Saturday and welcome to My Sexy Saturday! For this ...

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 The Harvest: Taken.
Enjoy! And don’t forget to visit the rest of Blog Hop!


Storm Moon: http://www.stormmoonpress.com/books/The-Harvest-Taken.aspx
ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/prhttp://www.amazon.com/The-Harvest-Taken-M-A-Church-ebook/dp/B00GCS4FCS/ref=zg_bs_301889_39oduct-theharvesttaken-1334840-145.html
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/The-Harvest-Taken-M-A-Church-ebook/dp/B00GCS4FCS/ref=zg_bs_301889_39





It was in the year 2050 when humanity found out that it was, indeed, not alone in the universe. They appeared without warning above the capitals of all major nations. The huge, menacing, and completely unresponsive space ships dominated the skies, sending the media into a complete tailspin. The governments of our world argued back and forth on what to do. But, in the end, they did nothing.


First contact came within hours of the sightings. The question of what these aliens wanted prompted emergency closed-door meetings in Norway, held by NATO. Meetings were held by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the Union of South American Nations, the African Union and the UN Office for Outer Space Affairs, among others. The media speculated endlessly. The talks lasted for two days, while the world waited and watched. Early on the morning of the third day, a news conference was held and details were finally released to the public.


The name of their planet was Tah’Nar—and it was dying. Originally, the Tah’Narians were an intersexed warrior race. Chemical warfare had essentially rendered them sterile. Many scientists, from all over the world, eagerly volunteered their assistance to aid the alien race. The benefits to our own world hovered foremost in the mind of every government official present at the meeting. The Tah’Narians required DNA for their harvesting program. Since we couldn’t duplicate their technology, those males who were to participate had to be transported to their world, which, of course, triggered all sorts of questions from people. If these aliens were so advanced, why couldn’t they extract the needed DNA? Why did humans have to be taken off-world? The story had more holes in it than Swiss cheese.


After about a week of this, a press release from our government stated that the two strands of DNA were too fragile to be frozen and transported through space. The release claimed that the nucleobases—the four molecules that form the genetic building blocks of DNA— would be damaged and might even disintegrate once the alien starships jumped to star drive, the method used to travel through time and space so quickly. People, however, could be protected in ways that extracted DNA couldn't.


Agreements were reached with each government—and boy, didn't that take a while—that these men would be returned to Earth once the program was completed. Here in the United States a lottery system was set up, and each young man between the ages of twenty-three and twenty-eight was assigned a number. Once a year, for the next five years, numbers would be drawn and a new set of one thousand men would be collected and escorted to holding centers. Medical and psychological tests would be run on the subjects, and, if they passed the tests, they’d be transported to waiting spaceships. Other industrialized nations followed our example and set up their own lottery systems. Word soon leaked that only gay men were being targeted, but our government vehemently denied this accusation.


The media coined the expression ‘The Harvest’ for the times when the Tah’Narians would return to collect these young men. I was seventeen when the aliens first appeared, so my parents assumed I was safe. The final collection would be done before I turned twenty-three. I didn't fall within the guidelines the aliens had established, so I thought I had nothing to fear.


I was wrong

Wednesday Briefs - Nighttime Promises #17

[image error] Welcome to the Wednesday Briefers flash group. The short stories have a maximum of a 1000 word count plus links at the bottom to the other flashers. The prompts for this week are:
use recycling in a story
or "How can you say that?"
or use : swan, lake, illusion
or "When did my life become a soap opera?"
or use a matchmaker in your story
or use: alien, growl, vendetta
or "She fluttered her lashes coyly"
or "I surrender, Officer..."
or use time in your story in some way.
~ ~ ~
~Nighttime Promises is the 3rd book in the Nighttime series, which is published by Romance First. I'm using the prompts to help me get going on this book. Yes, this is a tentacle story lol. Fair warning! I'm going to pull this about 3/4th of the way through, expand it, and send it off. Most of the story will be shown on here though. I'm giving this warning so no one will be caught off guard when I pull the story. 

Nighttime Promises # 17 
Daroshi’s tentacles pulled him closer, slowly reeling him in, inch by fucking inch. Bryan went willingly, even as his mouth went dry. Daroshi growled softly when his hands touched Bryan’s skin. The gentle touches sent shivers through Bryan. Despite having such strength, Daroshi always made sure to handle Bryan carefully.
Daroshi didn’t speak as he continued to run his hands up and down Bryan’s arms. Finally, Daroshi looked at Bryan. “Your skin feels so different from mine, so much softer. It excites me. You excite me.”
Bryan smirked. “Guess that’s a damn good thing since I’m your mate, huh?”
Daroshi fisted Bryan’s shirt. “Can I show you? Show you just how much you excite me?”
Bryan’s breath wheezed from his chest as he looked at Daroshi hand’s in his shirt. So different from mine. Such strength, such deadliness. Bryan glanced up. Silence reigned as they stared at each other. Fuck, those red eyes of his drive me crazy. Tingles raced through his body. Soon, those damn tentacles would be wrapped around him, holding him still, invading his mouth and his ass. The mere thought was nearly enough to make him come.
At last, Bryan raised an eyebrow, a small grin playing around his lips. “Knock yourself out, big guy.”
Bryan’s shirt ripped, the sound deafening in the room. A growl erupted from his sexy alien and Bryan’s body trembled with need. For now, he’d make sure Daroshi forgot about poisonings, vendettas, and anything else not connected to them having sex. His shirt fluttered to the floor, the material brushing his legs, as Daroshi buried his hand in Bryan’s hair and jerked his head back. Fuck yeah. Bryan groaned, his hands reaching for Daroshi.
Daroshi’s tentacles wrapped around Bryan’s wrists, holding them still. He leaned over Bryan. His eyes narrowed as he pulled Bryan’s hands behind his back. He tightened his hands around Bryan’s, silently telling his mate to stay put.
Bryan nodded faintly and gripped his wrists. Jesus, what must I look like standing here?
“I’m going to fuck you, Bryan.” Daroshi’s tentacles released Bryan’s wrists.
“Yessss,” Bryan hissed. Oh yeah, he could totally get behind that idea.
“And you, my sexy human, you are going to take what I do to you, aren’t you? Because you likebeing helpless, yes?”
“Oh fuck, Daroshi.” Hell yeah, he liked it. He’d looked half his life for someone like Daroshi. Talk about looking in all the wrong places. “Yes, yes…”
“You will not move, understand? Unless I tell you to. ”
“I-I…” Bryan quivered at the command in Daroshi’s tone. Shit, that made him hard, made his balls ache. “Yes, I understand.”
Daroshi’s hands stripped the rest of Bryan’s clothes off. When he was done, he bumped Bryan’s ankles with his foot, silently telling Bryan to open himself more. Breath picking up, Bryan shifted, opening his legs as told. Bryan stood still while Daroshi knelt and removed his boots. Still kneeling, Daroshi ran his hands up Bryan’s legs.
“I love all this hair that covers you.”
Bryan clenched his fists, refusing to move, but God, those light touches on his legs were driving him insane. His damn muscles twitched everywhere Daroshi touched him. “I’m glad you do.”
Daroshi ran his hands up Bryn’s legs to his hips. “Hmm, what’s this that’s poking out here, wanting attention?”
Bryan’s strangled snort answered Daroshi.
Daroshi leaned closer and blew softly on Bryan’s cock. “You are so hard, Bryan...” Daroshi licked the stiff length in front of him that begged for his attention. “So thick. Going to suck you, my mate. Remember to stay still.”
Bryan’s eyes rolled back in his head. All he saw was white as Daroshi’s mouth closed over him. Warmth surrounded his cock as Daroshi’s agile tongue caressed him, lashed at him. Daroshi’s hands wrapped around his hips, his fingers sinking into his skin, holding him firmly. Shit, shit, shit, can’t move, can’t fucking move. Aw, fuck.
Sweat beaded his forehead and he gritted his teeth. Bryan wanted to thrust his hips more than he wanted his next breath. How the hell was he supposed to stay still when Daroshi was doing his best to suck his brains out of his dick? Then Daroshi’s other hand cupped his balls, rolling them. Bryan wasn’t sure, but he thought he saw stars. He was damn sure his muscles twitched. Hell’s bells, how the fuck did he get so good at this? He knew Daroshi hadn’t had any experience with humans until him.
“Mmm.”
Bryan opened his eyes and glanced down. Fuck me, that’s the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen. Look at all that strength here at my feet, just waiting to spring into action. Bryan jumped when Daroshi’s hands caressed his ass, his fingers delving into his crack.
Daroshi growled slightly and released Bryan’s dick. He stood, towering over Bryan, an evil grin on his face. “Seems you can’t stay still, mate.” Daroshi bent, his shoulder going into Bryan’s stomach.
“Ohhh… shit!” Bryan gasped as the world tilted.
He lifted Bryan over his shoulder, his hand immediately going to Bryan’s ass, petting. “Guess we’ll have to do something about that, yes?”
Bryan rested his hands on the small of Daroshi’s back. Every damn time Daroshi picked him up, it blew his mind and made him harder than a brick. “Like I told you earlier, knock yourself out, big guy. I can take whatever you can dish out.”
“Oh, really?” Daroshi walked down the hallway to the bedroom. “Guess we’ll just have to see about that.”
Bryan snorted as he was carried off. By damn, he couldn’t wait.
TBCMake sure to visit the other briefers!
Victoria AdamsChris T. Kat Nephylim  Jon KeysRob ColtonLily Sawyer JC WallaceTali SpencerShelly Schulz Andrew GordonJulie Lynn HayesCia Nordwell

Great review for The Harvest: Taken

I don't usually post reviews on my blog, but this was such a good one I couldn't resist lol.




Original Blog Post: http://headouttheoven.blogspot.com/20...

My Rating: 4.5 of 5 Stars

No matter how this book turned out for the best, it does start off with abductions and drugging so there may be a few readers out there who may need this warning. It also tells the tale of a government that lies to its people. In this futuristic world of Earth, we have cat-like aliens coming in and offering some of their technology in exchange for mates. Thing is, the species is intersexual and the local homophobic politicians decide it is not to the best interest of the Earthlings to know that what these aliens seek are male homosexual mates. Something which the alien race disagreed to but had no power to change. And this is where Dale comes in.

Dale is under the age requirement for the harvest of these mates but he finds himself forcibly taken from his family and on board an alien ship mated to the ship's captain, Keyno. He also finds out that his previously harvested best friend is onboard and mated to the second in command. His life adjusting in this alien society and getting a double dose of their DNA was a bit hard but he is a survivor. Only thing is, he is now expected to bear Keyno's young.

So yes, this is another of the mpreg (male-pregnancy) books but it is so interestingly written that I found myself wrapped up in the tale and romance that is Dale and Keyno. Their relationship did start off rocky but they learned to truly love each other. There are the usual suspects of angsts and drama but it was not overblown. Instead, we have a smooth tale of alien loving that could be a bit hotly erotic at times. (That bit about the hair was totally unexpected but raised the hotness meter!)

The only problem I have with this is that this is obviously only the first part of the tale. According to some of those who have read this prior to publication, the second half of the book will hold the final key and elements that will make this story whole.

For those who like mpreg stories and alien loving (like I do) Taken is one of the best reads to consider. Not once was my focus taken off from the unfolding story and surprisingly, this is quite a light and fast read. I will now have to anxiously await (once more) for the sequel of a truly interesting tale. Especially when the mpreg elements are going to be on full force.