M.A. Church's Blog, page 172

Backlist Bloghop

 Hey everyone! Ready for another bloghop, lol!  This is one of my favorite hops because we all have older books that need a little love, lol, and this is the perfect way to do just that. This hop runs from May 31-June 2. I'm giving a choice of my backlist to two winners. I'll announce the winners on the 3rd here, on FB, and on Twitter.     To be entered, tell me which genre you like best. I'll start by saying BDSM is probably my all time favorite. Remember to leave me an email address too!  ~M  

HAHAT Winners!

  
Lena Grey, Creativebarbwire (Barb), and Susan

Big thank you to all that took part in the Hop!
~ A side note: The Kiddo’s graduation was this past Sunday, and I happened to have a chance to speak with her friend, for a second. I hadn’t known he'd made Honors Society… so he had this blue-collar type thing on along with his gown and tassels. I was so proud of him. He’s going to the same college as Kiddo on a music scholarship too. J(There had been some discussion as to where he would go.) *laugh* His name begins with a “C” as does the Kiddo’s. So, lol, the two “C” have another five years together to pick on each other and try to outdo the other one! ~M

Wednesday Briefs

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: 
"I'd promise you ... if I could..."
or "What did you just call me?"
 or use a cream pie in a creative way
or "He touched me in a way nobody ever had..."
or "Don't make me laugh," she sneered
or use: princess, heart, bank
or write about different kinds of knots
or have your story take place at a sporting event
 
All That He Desires #21
Jules straightened out the mess Anslee made of his clothes and met Anslee in the kitchen, suitcase in hand. Jules’ heart thumped madly in his chest. This was a big step he was taking. He’d no longer be on his own turf and, in a way, he’d be completely at Anslee’s mercy. Jules shrugged off the unsettling thought—he’d pretty much been at Anslee’s mercy since he’d cashed in that lotto ticket. The only difference this time was he went willingly.
After a quick stop at the bank, Anslee drove them to his home. Jules gazed at the tree-lined street as they drove out of town. He’d expected Anslee to live in one of the high-end subdivisions that catered to the elite. What he found, as they continued to drive for another hour, was that Anslee liked his privacy. A lot.
“Just how much farther?”
“Oh, we’ve been on my land for the past few miles.”
Jules stared out the window as yet more trees flashed by. As best as he could tell, there was nothing out here but a whole lot of nothing… and trees. Lots and lots of trees… just endless miles of woods.
“Are you sure you aren’t lost?”
Anslee snorted. “See that dirt road on the left?”
Jules peered out the window. If Anslee hadn’t pointed out there was a road, he would’ve missed it. “Yeah, what about it?”
“That’ll take us to my home.”
Eyebrow hiked, Jules turned to face Anslee. “A dirt road?”
“Yes. Inconspicuous, isn’t it?”
“I’ll say.” Jules didn’t know for sure what he expected, but a simple dirt road out in the middle of no-fucking-where wasn’t it. Jesus, Anslee made out like his house was something grand. He knew he hadn’t misunderstood Anslee and, frankly, he was getting worried. His place, at least, had electricity and running water. What had be gotten himself into now?
“I do wish you could see your face.” Anslee’s laugh filled the car. “Your thoughts are plain to see, Jules. I promise you, my home has all the modern conveniences.”
“No hiking to an outhouse to use the bathroom?”
Anslee patted Jules’ knee. “No outhouses.”
“Good. I don’t think I could… Holy shit. Holy shit! Is… Is this all yours?”
The dirt road led up to something that looked like it was out of a dream, or Better Homes and Gardens. The house was huge, with massive white columns in front, a long porch, more windows than you could count, and… gardens everywhere, trees, a rather big pond… Yeah, this beat his apartment, hands down.
“It’s all mine. The house is located on one hundred fifty acres too. The pond in front of the house is stocked, but in the back is a small lake that’s better for boating and swimming. Of course, there is a pool, tennis courts, many trails to hike along, with ATV’s, if you prefer to ride—” 
“Fuck, are you Price Charming? Does that make me the ugly princess who’s gonna turn into a pumpkin with a bite from a poison apple?”
“Good grief, Jules. You just massacred several fairy tales in those two sentences. Impressive.”
Jules rolled his eyes. This was impressive… all this in front of him. He couldn’t wrap his head around the amount of money Anslee must have spent to have such a place. The taxes alone would probably make him faint. The fifty thousand he’d won probably wouldn't pay the electric bill on this place for a month.
“You’re really rich, aren’t you?” Oh dear God, he was so out of his league. “I mean, really stinking rich, right?”
Anslee smirked. “Want to know my bottom dollar?”
“Shit a brick, no!” Jules shook his head madly. “Absolutely not. I don’t ever want to know.”
An actual figure would intimidate the hell out of him. He was nothing more than a regular Joe who didn’t aspire to have more money than God, jet off to faraway places, or live in a home where he needed GPS just to find the damn bathroom.
“Only you would get freaked about my money and not the fact I’m a Fallen Angel.”
Jules huffed out a breath as they pulled into what Anslee called his garage. There were so many cars, bikes, trucks… God, a family of four could live in what Anslee laughingly called a garage… comfortably.
“What you are rates high on the freak out scale, trust me. But you don’t have Fallen Angel tattooed across your forehead, so I can ignore it. But this…” Jules waved his hand at the vehicles’ around them. “This is a lot harder to ignore. Everywhere I look there’s proof of how rich you are staring me in the face.”
“Jules, I’ve been on this earth for a very long time. Of course I have money.” Anslee shrugged. “But it’s just money.”
“Hmm, says the man who’s never had to worry about money, or the lack thereof.”
Anslee turned the car off and turned to face Jules. “Instead of sitting here arguing, why don’t we go inside and get you settled?”
Jules looked around. Man, this garage was monstrous, and temperature-controlled too. Of course. “Fine. I’m sure there’s something to argue about in there too.”
“Instead of arguing, how about I cook breakfast? I did offer.”
Jules stepped out of the car and waited while Anslee grabbed his suitcase out of the back. “I am kinda hungry.”
“Good. I would like to cook for you.”
Jules followed Anslee inside. After breakfast, they could argue about where exactly Anslee planned on ‘settling’ him. Jules had a feeling he was soon to see Anslee’s bedroom.
Yup, another argument loomed on the horizon.TBCNephylim  A.R. Von Victoria Adams   Lily Sawyer     Cia Nordwell     Andrew Gordon  Renee Stevens  Michael Mandrake    Julie Lynn Hayes 

Cover reveal - The Yellow Rope

  Hey everyone! Check out the cover for The Yellow Rope done by Angela Waters! The release date is June 16th with eXtasy.   Blurb: A cranky submissive... Luke Walker is tired. He spends long hours between his job as a teacher assistant at an elementary school and helping out his family at their restaurant. Coupled with the fact his degree is going to waste, he’s discouraged and fatigued by too much work and endless southern heat, and not enough time spent with his live-in partner. An understanding dom... Gage Holt has been on both sides of the fence. He believes in order to be a good dom, one has to understand being a sub. Unfortunately, he’s had some bad experiences in pursuit of that knowledge, and suffered a great deal. But that’s in the past now. A long weekend... Three little days... Gage is determined to see his man gets what he needs in every way. Anything to remove the dark circles from beneath his beautiful eyes. Luke will relax and have some fun, even if Gage has to tie him to whatever flat surface happens to be handy.  Excerpt:Luke parked in the garage and, for a moment, sat in the car. God, he hated September—nothing but hot, hot, and more hot weather. It was Friday evening, and all he wanted to do was take a nap—a very long nap in a cold room. With his partner, Gage, curled next to him. Naked. Gage wasn’t actually his partner—they weren’t married—but calling him boyfriend made him feel like a teenager. Significant other, maybe? His man? The Dom that made him scream? Luke snorted. Apparently, the heavy, soggy heat had fried his brain, even though that last one did fit. They’d met when Gage had moved in across the hall at the apartment complex where he lived. He’d noticed this hunky guy hauling furniture across the hall. An older man and two twinky-looking guys were helping the hunk. There hadn’t been a girl in the bunch, either. After watching for a while, he noticed the two smaller guys had left. The skies were overcast and it was getting dark, so Luke offered to help move what furniture was left. After they were done, Gage had offered to buy him dinner. Three months later, Luke’s apartment lease came due and he moved in with Gage. That had been a year ago. Time passed so fast. Luke sighed, rubbing his forehead. He sure wished this damn school year would do the same. At least it was the weekend, and this was a long weekend for him, too. He needed a break. Hell, he needed a vacation. He was more than ready for the worst of the summer heat to pass, and for the long humid days to be a thing of the past. School had barely started and he was already sick of hearing, But, Mr. Walker... oh, Mr. Walker, can I…” from his class. He loved working with kids, but these fourth graders weren’t for him. Come on, Fall Break. He snorted. God, he sounded as bad as the kids. He hauled himself out of the car with a sigh, opened the back door to their apartment, and walked inside. Immediately, the smell of spaghetti hit him and his mouth watered. Okay, so the food wasn’t the only reason his mouth watered. There by the stove, wearing an apron that said Kiss This with an arrow pointing down, was the sexiest, and most important, person in his life. Every time he looked at Gage Holt, his breath caught. They were about the same height, both around five eleven, but there was something about Gage—a presence he exuded that spoke of hidden power. Gage’s hair was a lighter shade of brown than his own, and the ends brushed his collar, where Luke’s was shorter. His eyes were such a deep brown they often looked black. He had a traditional Maori tattoo on his right shoulder that ended below his elbow. “Hey.” Luke walked into the kitchen, came up behind Gage, and hugged him. “Hey babe, glad you’re home.” Gage turned in the arms that held him and returned the hug. “So am I. It was a really, really long day.” Luke stepped back and loosened his tie. It’d been strangling him for the better part of the day. “Been in meetings for most of the morning, and oh joy, since this was a county wide in-service, we had to dress.” “I know. I enjoyed listening to you bitch about that very thing this morning while I was trying to get dressed.” Gage tapped the end of Luke’s nose. “But you do look good in a suit. And I so enjoy taking it off you.” Luke laughed, shaking his head. “You always say that, but I’d rather be in jeans. You like taking those off, too. “You bet.” “Perv.” “You know it.” Gage winked as he turned back to the stove to test the spaghetti sauce. “Was it bad?” Luke leaned against the counter. “Well, we did get an hour lunch after we returned from the Civic Center. That was the only place big enough for the district. They made us ride a damn school bus over and back. Right after that, we got an hour to work in our room. Then the damn meetings started in the cafeteria. I hate those the worst. I swear my ass is numb from those seats, but we’re finally done with in-service for this month.” “Poor baby.” Gage held the spoon up to let Luke taste the sauce. “Dinner’s almost ready. You hungry?” Luke licked the spoon. “Needs a bit more salt.” He rolled his head, trying to pop his neck. His shoulders were tied in knots. “Yeah, I am hungry, but let me unwind for a few first. I’m still too much in school mode to eat right now.” “Well, then, why don’t you go change clothes?” Gage kissed Luke’s cheek. “Go get comfortable while I finish this. No rush. We’re just going to enjoy ourselves and this weekend.” “Think I will. Be back in a minute.” Slightly surprised and a little miffed, Luke climbed the stairs. Usually Gage attacked him when he wore a suit. As soon as Gage got it off him, he’d find himself over whatever flat surface was closest. With a shrug, and with fatigue dragging at him, he pulled off his suit jacket as he entered their bedroom. Throwing it over the treadmill, he unbuttoned his shirt. This was the first night he’d managed to get home on time. With a grateful sigh, he untucked the shirt. He had a long weekend coming, and all he wanted to do was rest and play catch-up with his partner. From what Gage had said, they were on the same page. All he wanted to do was relax, and enjoy. He couldn’t remember the last time they’d made love. He wasn’t talking about the quick fucks they had lately. Hell, both of them had been too tired to do much else. Luke cringed. Okay, he’d been too tired or too busy. He missed Gage’s touch on his body, the bite of ropes on his wrist, the pinch of a gag. His body ached with need for what his lover could give him. Luke slipped off his dress shoes and pants. As he undressed, he noticed the pair of night pants on the end of the bed and a folded piece of paper on top. “Hmm, what’s this?” he mumbled to himself.  As Luke read the note, his body came alive. It looked like his dry spell was over. It also explained why Gage hadn’t thrown him down on the kitchen table and ripped the suit off him. He had other plans, apparently. Following the instructions, he stripped out of his underwear, slid the cock ring on his awakening dick, and pulled the night pants up. The instructions were very clear—that was the only clothing he was to wear.

Goddess Fish Tour - Lori Toland's Dangerous Submission

         Goddess Fish Promotions is organizing a Virtual Book Tour for Dangerous Submission by Lori Toland, a M/M BDSM Contemporary Erotic Romance available April 23, 2013 from Loose ID Publishing. The tour will run May 20 - 31, 2013.



Lori will be awarding a $50 Amazon, ARe, BN or Loose Id gift certificate (winner's choice) to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.



Please follow the tour and comment! The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/04/virtual-book-tour-dangerous-submission.html




Dangerous Submission by Lori Toland   BLURB:   Excerpt:   As we reached the edge of the crowd surrounding the presentation area, a blond gentleman stepped in front of us. “Robbie Covington, it’s been quite some time since you’ve been to Prague,” he said in accented English.   “Joseph!” Robbie exclaimed and widened his eyes. “I’m surprised to see you here.”   Joseph pulled Robbie loose from my hold and hugged him hard. “I can’t believe you’re here.” Joseph grinned. “You said the last time we talked it would be a couple years before you could come here. Why didn’t you ring me to let me know you’d be in town?”   “I didn’t know until the last minute,” Robbie said as he pulled away and smiled. “It was a surprise.”   When they separated, the thick gold-and-diamond bracelets surrounding Joseph’s wrists disappeared beneath his sleeves again. They proclaimed him a slave, most likely to the dark-haired man standing right behind him.   “I apologize for my slave,” he said. “But he was so eager to see his old schoolmate again, he forgot his manners completely. I’m Erich.”   “Nice to meet you. I’m Drake Steele.” I shook his proffered hand as the other men separated.   Joseph dropped his gaze. “I’m sorry to have embarrassed you, Sir.”   Robbie opened his mouth, no doubt to give Erich a piece of his mind for being high-handed. Gripping his elbow to stop him, I sighed indulgently and then pulled him back to my side. “It seems we both have insolent subs. I’ll punish him later,” I said with a chuckle.   Joseph’s dom smirked. “I think my sub needs it now, or he’ll never behave properly tonight. Care to watch?”     AUTHOR Bio and Links:   CEO by day, erotic romance writer by night, Lori Toland lives in Orlando where the summers are hot but the romance between her characters is even hotter. Writing since the tender age of 13, Lori somehow finds time to play video games and watch movies while taking care of her beloved cats and a husband who will forever be her hero.  Website: http://www.loritoland.com  Twitter: http://twitter.com/loritoland  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/tolandlori      Link to purchase:    Dangerous Submission - http://loritoland.blogspot.com/2013/03/dangerous-submission-dangerous-affairs.html  English Chaps (Sequel to The Long Con) Free Short Story from Loose Id - http://loritoland.blogspot.com/2013/03/english-chaps-dangerous-affairs-12.html     Dangerous Submission interview questions I had the chance to ask some questions of Lori too! Hope you guys enjoy reading her answers as much as I did!~M   ~So tell us about yourself. What got you interested in writing? Hi, I’m Lori Toland and I’m a CEO and a mother to two cats and a wife to a very adorable British hubby. I started writing because I had stories to tell and I enjoyed getting lost in my worlds I created.   ~What's your guilty pleasure? I love being able to discover a book series that I can read all at once.   ~What was your favorite character to write, and why? I still adore Tony Terranova but Drake Steele is a very close second along with Stefan Zuliani. OMG. Can I have a Drake and Stefan sandwich? Please? :D     ~Do you prefer hot or cold weather and why? I prefer warmer weather but only because of my lupus and the complications with it. I used to love the cold and bundling up for it. It’s also great for snuggling! J      ~Take one of your stories and tell us what you would change about it if you would do it over again. Soul Seduction. Rather than making it a two part series, I would just put the two books into one. I may still do that in the future.   ~What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What has been the best compliment? The best compliment was that I was a reviewer’s treat after finishing up her reviews. That was really nice. The toughest criticism is when my world building is not enough for readers. Oftentimes that’s a tough choice to make. Trust me, I never feel like it is enough but there is a fine balance between overtelling and letting a reader’s imagination work.  

 
~What's the best advice anyone has ever given you? Never stop writing. If you are a writer, never let rejection get you down. Keep going and never stop!       ~What part of the writing process do you dread? I really dread the writing from 0-10000 word count. For some reason, that always seems like an insurmountable obstacle but once I’m past that, I’m gone like an arrow.   ~Is there anything you’d like to tell? Maybe something in the works you would like to promotion? Feel free! I’m always working on something! But I do have a hot and fresh new release from Loose Id in the “Dangerous Affairs” series called English Chaps. JIt’s a fun little short.   ~Where can readers find you on the web? I’m at loritoland.com, which is also my blog. Come say hi to me! I’m also on Twitter and Facebook as Lori Toland.

Wednesday Briefs

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: 
"If life hands you a lemon, make..."
or use Vivaldi's Four seasons in some way or
"What do you think you're doing?"
or use: hat, encyclopedia, rhythm
or have a character that says no but really means yes
or use "Absence makes the heart grow fonder"
or include a tuba player in your story or a marathon
or use a sorbet in an interesting manner. 
 
All That He Desires #20
Anslee woke the next day to sunlight, birds singing, and a warm body in his arms. As tempting as it was to stay in bed, Anslee instead slipped out and walked to the kitchen. A quick check of the microwave clock showed it was late in the afternoon. Hungry, he rummaged around in Jules’ kitchen until he found something suitable to eat. There wasn’t much to choose from.
Shaking his head, Anslee ate his sandwich standing up. Even though Jules had won that lotto money, he still lived frugally. Jules’ small apartment was okay, but Anslee missed the creature comforts of his home. The hemmed-in spaces of Jules’ apartment were getting to him. Hell, his master bathroom was the size of Jules’ bedroom. Speaking of his bathroom, he needed a shower and fresh clothes.
It was time to change locales.
Mind made up, he strode back to Jules’ bedroom and flipped on the light. Jules had to have a suitcase around here, surely. He could pack some clothes and whatever toiletries Jules needed for an extended stay. Anslee threw open the closet—ah, there was what he was looking for on the top shelf—and started to pull clothes out.
Frowning, he noticed the condition of what he held in his hands. Old, faded, and threadbare described Jules’ wardrobe. When was the last time Jules had been clothes shopping? Most of what was in here he would’ve tossed out a long time ago.
“Okay, just what do you think you’re doing?”"
Anslee turned from the closet. “Ah, good, you’re awake.”
Jules sat up in bed and rubbed his hands over his face. “Turning on the overhead light pretty much insured I would be.”
Anslee threw some more clothes in the suitcase. “Sorry about that, but I needed to be able to see.”
“Which brings me nicely back to my earlier question of what are you doing?”
Anslee stared at the clothes in the suitcase, frowning, then snapped his fingers. He moved from the closet to the dresser and opened it. Socks and underwear soon joined the unorganized mess in the suitcase. “I’m helping you pack.”
“Helping me pack? Uh-huh. Anslee, I have to actually be packing in order for you to help. What the hell are you doing?”
“We’re going to my home.”
Jules climbed out of bed as Anslee walked into the bathroom. “Right.”
Moments later, Anslee returned, his hands full. “I thought you’d want your own shampoo and… What are you doing?”
“That does seem to be the question of the day, doesn’t it?” Jules stood at the closet, hanging clothes back.
“Do you not want to take some of your own clothes?”
Jules suddenly turned. “I’m not going anywhere, so there’s no need for me to pack.”
“We’re going to my home. I told you that.”
“You may be going home. I, on the other hand, am going to eat breakfast… right after I finish cleaning up this mess you made.”
Anslee grabbed the clothes Jules had hung up and pitched them back in the suitcase. “You can eat at my house. There damn sure isn’t anything here to eat. I happen to have a fully stocked kitchen.”
“Well, bully for you.” Jules let out a short, sharp scream as Anslee flung some socks, in the suitcase, Jules had just put back in the drawer. He pointed a finger at Anslee. “Dude, I’ve been up maybe ten minutes. I get woke up with a light glaring in my eyes, then I see you throwing my shit in a suitcase, and… and… all before I’ve had coffee! I’m not going anywhere so stop fucking lobbing my crap in that suitcase!”
Anslee put his hands on his hips and glared at Jules. “I should’ve known you’d be difficult.”
“Difficult?” Jules growled. “Did you say difficult? Buddy, you haven’t even seen difficult yet. But you’re damn sure about to.”
Anslee threw his hands up in the air. Humans! He’d never understand them. “What’s your problem? Your apartment is so small, Jules. My home is bigger, has a pool, a rec room, tennis courts, lovely gardens to walk through—”
“You didn’t ask me!”
“Huh?”
“Oh good God, give me strength. You didn’t ask me to come with you, Anslee. You just took it upon yourself to pack my things and load me up… Just throw my ass in the car and take me home. I’m not an object like that suitcase. I have feelings and, unlike that suitcase, I am capable of thinking and making decisions.”
“I didn’t stop to think—”
“Exactly! Anslee, you just go and do whatever the hell it is you want without any consideration for anyone else.”
“I’ve never had to!” Anslee yelled finally. “This is all new to me! There’s never been someone I cared enough for to take the time to…” Anslee trailed off.
Jules and Anslee stared at each other. Time slowed to a crawl until, at last, Jules spoke. “Ask me, Anslee.”
More minutes passed. Finally, Anslee took a deep breath. “I would like for you to see my home. I would like for you to stay there for a while.”
Jules slowly nodded his head. “I… I’d like that.”
“Good,” Anslee said.
“Good,” Jules answered back.
Alrighty then. Guess that was settled.
“Why don’t you go start the coffee? I’ll straighten out this mess and finish packing. Then we can go. If you feel up to it, maybe you could fix me breakfast at your home—since you have a fully stocked kitchen and all.”
“Coffee sounds good, and I’d be more than happy to cook for you.” Anslee left Jules in the bedroom and returned to the kitchen. Jules wasn’t the only one who needed a good, strong, bracing cup of coffee now. These human emotions were going to drive him insane.
TBC
Andrew Gordon
Michael Mandrake
Cia Nordwell
MC Houle
Lily Sawyer
Renee Stevens
Julie Lynn Hayes

Winner of the Chris T. Kat giveaway

MLissaLou I've sent Chris your email address! Congrats on winning the giveaway. J Hope you enjoy the book. ~M

Welcome Chris T. Kat and a giveaway!

Hey guys! Come on in and join us. :) Looks like summer is here in the South, lol. Today I have my good friend Chris T. Kat here on the blog! She's talking about the importance of book covers, and she's doing a giveaway of her latest release from Dreamspinner called The Caveman and the Devil.

To enter the giveaway: Leave a comment saying which you prefer: Drawn covers or photo stock covers. Make sure to leave me an email address too! The giveaway will end May 20th, and I'll announce the winner here, on FB, and Twitter.

  Why are book covers so important? 
Michelle, thank you very much for having me on your blog! I'm excited to share my new release The Caveman and the Devil, with you and your readers. Dreamspinner Press published it on May 1st. 
Hello, my name is Chris T. Kat, and I'm addicted to fantastic book covers. We all have a preference for certain book covers and drawn covers hook me most easily. I can't explain why; maybe because I loved reading mangas and enjoyed their style, maybe it's because these covers are always unique, or maybe it's because drawn covers can illustrate whatever scene I have in mind.
Of course I've bought books with photo covers but what really catches my eyes are the drawn ones. I'm lucky enough to be published with Dreamspinner Press, who have some amazing cover artists. Paul Richmond created the cover for The Caveman and the Devil.
The book cover is the first thing a potential reader will see and since there are so many books published every day it's hard to get noticed. A lot of books in our genre (m/m) display naked torsos and maybe have some kind of background. This can be very appealing but these covers don't do a thing for me. Like I said above, it's all about preferences.
So, what do I want the cover to show? So far most of my book covers have shown the two main characters and maybe an important secondary character or an animal that plays an important role in this particular story. I'm not a fan of overly dark colors, which is why I don't want much black on them. Again—this is just my preference.
The cover artists I've worked with so far (Anne Cain, Shobana Appavu, Paul Richmond) have always conveyed the atmosphere of the stories. The covers for Seizing It and the sequel Too Good to be True? show very romantic scenes. The cover for A Purrfect Match shows the main characters Jim and Andrew together with Andrew's son Tony and conveys a very tender, loving scene.
I could go on and on but I'll concentrate on The Caveman and the Devil's cover. I wanted a rather domestic scene for this book but I also wanted it to convey how at ease Paul and Noah with each other. The lion cubs are the dot on the i and lend the scene a touch of tenderness and cuteness. But judge for yourself:

This is a continuation of Paul and Noah's story “Cuddling Up”, which is included in Dreamspinner's Animal Magnetism Anthology.
Buy link: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3793 
Blurb:The animals at the Philadelphia Zoo brought zookeepers Paul and Noah together, but now they might tear them apart. When a bloodthirsty lioness stalks her cubs, Noah charges into her enclosure without regard for his own safety. Luckily, a coworker catches his mistake and saves the day. It’s not the first time Noah’s rushed in on impulse, and he still carries scars from the last time.
Paul can’t pretend nothing happened. Frustrated, he tries to comfort Noah, but he can’t get past his anger. As head keeper of the big cats, Paul must report the incident and figure out how to keep his reckless lover safe. Somehow he has to make Noah see that his carelessness could cost him his job or his life—and maybe Paul too.  
Excerpt from Chapter Three:Once inside the bathroom I inspected my reflection in the mirror. I looked exhausted but also ready to pop a vessel. Since the sight wasn't all that inviting, I turned away. I hadn’t even opened the first button of my shirt when the bathroom door opened. It was all I could do not to snap at Noah. Was it too much asked to have some alone time so I could calm down? I hoped he'd get the hint if I didn’t stop with my task at hand.
Noah, being Noah, either didn't understand the silent treatment or ignored it. If I would bet I'd put my money on the second option. He walked around me until he stood in front of me and since I didn't trust my voice, I chose to glower at him.
“Hey, Caveman, are you mad at me?”
“Me?” I asked, feigning surprise. “Whatever gave you that impression?”
“You are mad.” He wrinkled his nose as his searching gaze flitted over my face. He was clearly puzzled by my behavior. “Why?”
“Why? Why? Seriously? You’re seriously asking why I’m mad at you?”
“Yes, dear almighty Caveman, I’m seriously asking why you’re mad at me! I didn’t do anything wrong!”
Utterly baffled, I forgot all about what I was doing or what I had intended to do. I stared down at Noah, my lover, the man I’ve loved for almost a year now. Incredulous, I croaked, “You didn’t do anything wrong today? Is that right?”
The light bulb slowly went on for Noah. Of course, he immediately lunged into defense mode. “I just wanted to get the cubs out of there!”
“You went into Kiara’s compartment without waiting for the inner door to be locked! She had just killed two of her cubs and was in the process of killing the other two!”
“She had walked into the other compartment!” Noah protested.
“But the separating door wasn’t closed yet!” I shouted, eventually losing the fight with my emotions.
“He locked the door right after I was inside.”
“Yes, and she came back and jumped against it, roaring. What if Trent hadn’t managed to lure her away?”
“But he did. Don’t be such a nitpicker all the time.”
I could hardly breathe. The memory of Noah crouching in Kiara’s compartment, cooing at the two surviving cubs in the middle of a bloodbath, raised the hairs on my arms again. Nausea rolled through me, sweeping me up. It could have been over today. 
Chris T. KatChris 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.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat
GoodReads:http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat  Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat
DSP author page: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=605

Goddess Fish Tour - Cream by Zenobia Renquist

     Goddess Fish Promotions is organizing a Virtual Super Book Blast Tour for CREAM by Zenobia Renquist, an Erotic Vampire Romance, Urban Fantasy, Interracial available May 3, 2013 from Ellora's Cave Publishing. The Super Book Blast Tour will take place on Friday, May 17, 2013.

Please follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chance of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/02/virtual-super-book-blast-cream-by.html

Zenobia will be awarding a $25 Starbucks GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour.
    CREAM
by Zenobia Renquist 
  BLURB: 
What do a four hundred-year-old vampire and a mid-level necromancer have in common? Money. Jeliyah needs it to pay off the people who trained her and Teaghan enjoys killing to get it. Together they hunt rogue vampires—assuming Teaghan can focus on something other than getting her in bed and Jeliyah doesn’t put a bullet in him first. 
The uneasy partnership promises to be lucrative until Teaghan and Jeliyah get on the wrong side of a feud. Jeliyah is forced to use forbidden magic and finds herself bound to a man she should hate—but whom she can’t stop fantasizing about.  Every second they stay alive fuels a growing desire Jeliyah is unwilling to deny. Is it the magic? The danger? The only way to get the answers she craves is to outrun the enemy or kill them. She knows Teaghan’s preference but it’s Jeliyah who must put their mind-blowing sex aside and make the choice that will decide both their fates.

 
EXCERPT:  First chapter online (link goes live 03 May): http://drb1stchp.com/2013/05/cream-by-zenobia-renquist/   Teaghan kicked the room door shut behind him and then laid her on the nearest bed. “At least this time you’re not glowing. Let’s not make a habit of this.” “I feel the same.” “Then again…” His gaze wandered to her breasts. Images of Teaghan running his hands over her breasts and teasing her nipples entered her mind. She reared up and smacked him at the same time she brought her other arm up to guard her chest. Teaghan didn’t react except to grin at her. “You’re flushed, necromancer. Your heart rate jumped too. My little idea get you all hot and bothered?” She glared at him. “No? How about this one?” A mental picture of Teaghan yanking off her panties so he could run his tongue over her clit invaded her mind. The detail was so vivid Jeliyah felt her pussy twitch in anticipation. Damn the man and this stupid mental connection. It might be one way, but she had access to his thoughts and now he wasn’t trying to hide them. “You can’t do that without an invitation.” “So invite me.” “Shouldn’t you be going to sleep? The sun is up.” “Sun’s got nothing to do with me.” He moved closer, planting his hands on either side of her legs and leaning into her. “Invite me.” Jeliyah scooted back off the bed and away from him. Once on her feet, she said, “Don’t get all cocky just because I took some of your blood, vampire. I told you that was a one-time thing and not to get ideas.” “Yeah, I heard you but,” he hopped the bed and crowded her against the wall, “here’s the thing. You could have gotten the same results by asking me to open a vein. A simple prick to the finger for a few drops of blood would have sufficed. You kissed me, necromancer.” “It was a split-second decision. Back off.” She clutched the necrome at her throat and said, “Shield.” Teaghan laughed as the shield expanded to include him. “Forget something important, did you? Your necromes recognize me now. I’m not a threat.” Shit. She’d forgotten one of the major side effects of Recognize. Her necromes—and any others made from her blood—no longer worked against Teaghan. There was no way to deactivate Recognize either, just like an invitation once given. She shoved at his chest but he kept leaning forward until his lips were close to hers. He said, “Let’s talk about that kiss.” “It was spur of the moment. It meant nothing.” “Care to test that theory?” “You can’t. I haven’t invited you.” “Kissing is the one thing I don’t need an invitation to do.” He pushed his lips against hers as he forced her hands over her head and pressed his body closer. Jeliyah couldn’t turn from the kiss, though she tried. This wasn’t fair. Vampires needed permission to enter a person’s body. Why didn’t that extend to kissing? And why was she giving in to his kiss? 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 
 
AUTHOR Bio and Links: 
Zenobia Renquist lives in her imagination. When not traveling through her fantasy worlds, she can be found in Hawaii living with her husband and two cats. 
She is an Air Force brat turned Air Force wife, which means she’s accustomed to travel and does it whenever possible (so long as she doesn’t have to fly). Her favorite pastime is torturing her characters on their way to happily-ever-after for the enjoyment of her readers. 
On the few occasions her muse flees the scene of the crime, Zenobia likes to read (comics, manga, and romance), go to the movies, play a few levels of whichever puzzle game has hijacked her interest or experiment with a new chain maille weave. 
website - http://zenobiarenquist.com

blog - http://blog.dreneebagby.com
FB - https://www.facebook.com/Author.DRBagby.ZRenquist
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/zenobiarenquist
  Buy Links:  Ellora’s Cave - http://www.ellorascave.com/cream.html  Kindle - http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00B3UYBJC/  Nook - http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/cream-zenobia-renquist/1114503151?ean=9781419944659  Kobo - http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/CREAM/book-B0GDBxjujEKbzoyNiqjG7g/page1.html  ARe (coming 03 May)

 

Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia

 http://hopagainsthomophobia.blogspot.com    In honor of International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia (May 17th)  the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia (HAHAT) was created last year to spread awareness of homophobia and transphobia, and as a way to stand together as a writer community against discrimination of our works.   






Last year I talked about my kids and the good friends they've lost to suicide due to homophobia. This year I'd like to touch on something a little more postive. I want to talk about a boy my youngest has been friends with since 4th grade choir. They both graduate this year. As a matter of fact, in just two weeks.

Her friend was kicked out of his house at the beginning of his senior year. His parents are very religious and couldn't handle the fact he's gay. This boy I've known for years. He's a sweet, talented kid who made great grades. He's part of my kiddo's choir and his voice is amazing. The kid has some serious talent. He also was very active in his church.

I'm going to keep this short since there are so many taking part in this hop, but her friend moved back home at the beginning of this year. His mom and dad had a huge wake-up call. They still aren't thrilled with his being gay, but know what? They found out being gay is one thing.

Being dead is another.

That really makes things final.

There was a horrible car accident. Three out of four died in that wreck. I saw what was left of that car and to this day I can't tell you how her friend survived with barely a scaratch. By the grace of God is the best thing I can come up with and it sure made an impact on his parents.

Her friend and his boyfriend were just over here a couple of days ago. Yes, his parents know he has a boyfriend and accept both boys. Everything is fine on the homefront, I'm glad to say. :)

The only sad thing is it took death to wake those parents up. Some parents, and many kids, don't get that second chance.



I'm picking three people to give a book from my backlist to, readers choice. :) Just leave a comment, can be about anything, and an email address. I hope you'll follow my blog, but it's not necessary. :) The hop ends late on the 27th and I'll announce the winners on the 28th.  ~M