M.A. Church's Blog, page 175

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: 
Your character receives a strange email
or use: curtain, TV, box
or "When is Spring going to come?"
or "You can't hurry love"
or use a whining diva in your story
or do something creative with raisins
or use crushed ice in a sexy manner.
 
 
All That He Desires #15
“Go take your shower, Jules, and stop thinking so much. I swear, I can hear your mind going a mile a minute, even out here.”
Jules put his hand on the door. That didn’t sound like an evil man, either. “Yeah, okay. I’ll be out shortly.”
 “Take your time.” Anslee shrugged. “I’m not going anywhere.”
Jules finished stripping and got in the shower. Neither, apparently, was he.
* * * *
Thirty minutes later Anslee heard Jules shut off the shower. He’d been debating knocking on the bathroom door, just to see if Jules answered.
“Finally.”
Anslee fully expected to see something resembling a prune wander out of the bathroom. He was well aware Jules was wasting time in the shower and, as annoying as that was, he did understand. Jules needed some time. He wasn’t the only one. While Jules emptied the hot water heater, he’d spent the time thinking about what Jules had said—and still didn’t know how he felt about the ideas Jules had thrown out.
Eventually, he’d shoved all thoughts out of his head. They could wait, but the human who was currently stalling in the shower couldn’t. He’d closed the curtains in the bedroom and switched the TV on, but turned the sound down low. Jules needed to sleep, and Anslee was determined they rest in the bed, together.
A sound at the door drew Anslee’s attention. There stood Jules, dressed in night pants and rubbing his damp hair with a towel. But the look on Jules’ face had Anslee’s heart clutching. Jules looked so lost.
Anslee held out his hand. “You need to rest, Jules. Come.”
Jules hesitated by the door. “I, ah… There’re some extra night pants in the dresser, if you want them.”
Anslee could read between the lines. “Would that make you feel… safer?”
“God, yes.” Jules eyes widened. “I mean, ah… shit.”
“I understand.” Anslee stood and folded the bedspread back. “You do realize that thin material wouldn’t protect you, right? That is, if I wanted to mate you.”
Jules scowled. “Are you trying to get me to sleep in the bathtub? Because I have to tell you, when you say things like that—”
Anslee stood by the bed, waiting. What had he said this time? Even if Jules were dressed in armor, it wouldn’t stop him if he wanted to mate the human. “I was just stating a fact.”
Jules threw the towel at Anslee. “Yeah, well, mind keeping your little factoids to yourself?”
Anslee snorted and threw the towel back. While his human was occupied, he stripped out of his shirt and pants. Maybe seeing his body would help loosen Jules up. Before the thought had time to fade, a pair of night pants wrapped around his head. Okay, maybe not. Someone certainly had good aim.
Anslee changed and sat on the bed. When Jules didn’t move from the door, Anslee patted the empty space next to him, trying to lure Jules. He hoped if he was already in bed, Jules wouldn’t feel boxed in by him. Maybe that was wishful thinking on his part. Maybe this whole damn thing was a waste of time. He should just grab Jules, throw him on the bed, and have done with it. Just take what he wanted and to hell with it all. Simple and direct. Then all this silly tiptoeing around, worrying about feelings, would finally come to an…
“Don’t hog the sheet, okay? I can’t stand a sheet hog.”
Anslee’s jaw snapped closed. Damn, he hadn’t realized his mouth had been hanging open. Jules was there, in the bed—and he gotten there all on his own.
“I will certainly endeavor not to.” Anslee had to admit having Jules come to him was much better than using force. He actually felt… good. With a sigh, he lay down next to Jules. Moments later, the light next to the bed went out.
“Can we watch TV for a little while?”
“If you wish.”
Up went the sound on the TV. Maybe a little mindless entertainment might help. He certainly hoped so; Jules was stiff as a board next to him. Time crawled by, but finally Jules relaxed and started flipping through the channels.
“Want to watch this?”
Anslee looked at the TV screen. It was some cooking show, but who cared. “That’s fine by me. I don’t watch much TV.”
“I really like the show. This guy comes across as such an ass, but I think he’s a nice guy. That niceness just may be buried a bit.”
Anslee focused on the show. Ah yes, he knew that so-called chef. “Buried quite a bit deep, I would think. He certainly doesn’t censor his words.”
They listened to a long beeping sound before the chef launched into another verbal attack. “I think it’s all an act for TV.”
Anslee snorted. An act—ha, his ass. Should he tell Jules the guy was actually a Lord? Granted, he wasn’t a dark lord—his hair was blond—but he was still a lord. And he wasan ass, until one got to know him. Part of his bad attitude may have to do with the fact he was still looking for his mate. And the guy could cook, there was no denying that.
As they watched the show, Jules snuggled down in the bed, yawning. By the time the program went off, Jules was fast asleep. Anslee found the remote and turned the TV off. Jules was sound asleep, so Anslee wrapped himself around his human. He did have to admit it was nice having Jules next to him, all sleepy and snuggly. Hopefully, Jules wouldn’t freak out in the morning. Smirking at the thought, he allowed himself to fall asleep.
He wasn’t smirking for long. 
TBC. Make sure to check out the other briefers!

Lily Sawyer   Michael Mandrake 
 Cia Nordwell 
   Andrew Gordon
 Julie Lynn Hayes

On the Coming Soon page at DsP - Be My Alien

Hey guys! Be My Alien is ready for pre-order and on the Coming Soon page at Dreamspinner. The release date is May 8th. This is the first in a series of novel length books written by Julie Lynn Hayes and me.  J http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3801   
What’s an alien to do? Dumped at the Empire State Building by the very male he’s been trying to get a date with forever, Taz is stranded on a backwater planet called Earth with no money, no idea where the motel they rented is located, and… he’s starving to boot! The lovely moonlit skies he had admired no longer holds any appeal for him.
Where can he go, what can he do? The answer comes in a form of a human named Reed… and a love that will travel across the universe.
 
    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?”
“Hi, Reed!” The guy hopped to his feet in a single, lithe movement, as if it was the most normal thing in the world. “My name is Taz. Nice to meet you, and yes, I am.”
For a moment there was a flash in the guy’s eyes that belied his statement. “Good, that’s good. Glad to hear it. Well, I guess I’d better be going—”
A forlorn expression crossed Taz’s face and his pretty eyes clouded. “Oh.” 
Reed hesitated. There was something about the guy that pulled at him. When was the last time he’d felt that pull? Way too long ago. Taz was cute, sure. But there was this look of hurt. Dammit, Taz just looked so lost. Insane as it was, he wanted to make it all better.
 
Author bio:
M.A. Church
M.A. Church lives in the southern United States and spent many years in the elementary education sector. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have two children. Her hobbies are gardening, walking, attending flea markets, watching professional football, racing, and spending time with her family on the lake.
But her most beloved hobby is reading. From an early age, she can remember hunting for books at the library. Later nonhuman and science fiction genres captured her attention and drew her into the worlds the authors had created. But always at the back of her mind was the thought that one day, when the kids were older and she had more time, she would write a book.
By sheer chance she stumbled across a gay male romance story on the web and was hooked. A new world opened up and she fell in love. Thus the journey started. When not writing or researching, she enjoys reading the latest erotic and mainstream romance novels.
 
My links:
Blog http://machurch00.blogspot.com
Twitter @nomoretears00
Facebook: M.A. Church http://www.facebook.com/pages/MA-Chur...
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141393.M_A_Church
 
Publishers:
Dreamspinner: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_650
Romance First Publishing: www.rfppublishing.com
Changeling Press: http://www.changelingpress.com/author.php?uid=177
Storm Moon: http://www.stormmoonpress.com/authors/MA-Church.aspx
eXtasy Books http://www.extasybooks.com/  (coming soon)
 
 
Author Bio:
Julie Lynn Hayes was reading at the age of two and writing by the age of nine and always wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Two marriages, five children, and more than forty years later, that is still her dream. She blames her younger daughters for introducing her to yaoi and the world of M/M love, a world which has captured her imagination and her heart and fueled her writing in ways she'd never dreamed of before. She especially loves stories of two men finding true love and happiness in one another's arms and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and two cats, loves books and movies, and hopes to be a world traveler some day. She enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, knitting and needlepoint and loves to cook. While working a temporary day job, she continues to write her books and stories and reviews, which she posts in various places on the internet. Her family thinks she is a bit off, but she doesn't mind. Marching to the beat of one's own drummer is a good thing, after all.  Her other published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, MuseitUp Publishing and No Boundaries Press, and coming soon with both Extasy Books and Torquere Press. She has also begun to self-publish and is an editor at MuseitUp.  
 
My links:
Blog  http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com
Twitter @Shelley_runyon
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.l.haye...
My Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes
 
Publishers:
Museit Up Publishing:  http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php
Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_222
eXtasy Books http://www.extasybooks.com/  (coming soon)
Torquere Press http://torquerepress.com/  (coming soon)
 

Welcome Nephy

 Today I have Nephy visiting. She's here to talk about her darling Silver from Enigma. Silver will be doing the talking. :)   What colour do you like best to paint with?
 
This is a difficult one. Apart from River, my art is the most important thing in my life and I get so lost in it that I’m not really thinking about what colours I’m using. I get an idea for a painting and then I just paint it. I don’t plan paintings in advance so I don’t plan colours.
Blue and purple are my favourite colours… well and that really nice shade of green that’s almost blue, and rose pink, and the really deep red that I use to shade red roses, and the green that accents trees in spring, and the yellow that I use for highlighting hair and sometimes on the sun and lots of things that the sun touches in bright paintings.
My paintings are lighter than they used to me, not so dark anyway. River has a lot to do with that, because he makes me feel lighter. But, I think purple and blue are my favourites… kind of… sometimes. I really like painting skies with purple and pink. I like the way that light reflects on the underside of clouds and then kind of bleeds into sky and any water that’s around. It’s nice to use oils and acrylics to paint those pictures because the paints blend really nicely and… Oh. River tells me I’m getting off the point. I do that a lot when I’m talking about my art.
I think the point I’m making is that I can’t choose what colour is my favourite.

What is your favorite scent?
River. He smells so nice all the time. I like it best when he uses the shampoo that smells like apples and it’s all sharp and sweet. It’s nice when all the artificial smells wear off, though, like when he’s sweaty or he hasn’t used products in the shower and I can actually smell the smell of River. My favourite part of him is when I put my nose in… What? Why can’t I talk about that? It is my favourite scent after all.  It isn’t as if I’m going to go into details about what I do down there… like when I use my tongue to… Alright, Alright… I’ll leave it there. River, River is my favourite scent.
Apart from that… rain. I really like the fresh smell when it’s raining loads. I like to dance in the rain, but River won’t come out with me most of the time. He says I’m weird but I don’t care. I like being weird if it means I can dance in the rain. So what if it’s cold because then, when I come back in, I have a warm shower and mostly River gets in the shower with me and… Alright… Okay… I don’t know what you’re so worried about anyway. You told me to be honest didn’t you? I am NOT sulking.



How far backward can you bend? (LOL)
All the way. I can put my feet on my head. I used to be able to go back further and put my feet on my shoulders but I haven’t been so flexible since I got hurt. River says that I’m a freak for being able to do what I can with my body, but he should have seen me before. It’s been quite hard getting this much flexibility back and I’m determined to go as far as I can, although River doesn’t like it when I use all my skills because he says it’s too much for him. I tease him all the time for not being adventurous enough. He’ll play sometimes and then I can… Oh, not again! Can I say ANYTHING? And don’t forget who’s supposed to be giving this interview anyway. I don’t see your name on the top of the page.
Coffee, Cocoa or Tea?
What’s Cocoa? Oh, right. Well yeah, I like that, but coffee is my favourite. I like it black with no sugar. I don’t like tea very much, although Hester makes it cold with honey in the summer and that’s really nice so I suppose I like tea too, but I think coffee is my favourite.

Early riser or late to bed?
Both. I don’t sleep very much. I suppose it’s because I was always on call with my Masters and I could be woken at any time, so I guess I got used to staying awake just in case. I tend to nap a lot during the day.

What is your favorite place to be touched?
So, am I allowed to answer this one without interruptions. As long as I’m good? Honey, I’m ALWAYS good. Aw, that hurt.
Actually, the place I like to be touched more than anywhere, is on my hair. No one ever used to touch my hair before. They were too busy touching the rest of me. Sometimes, someone would brush my hair, before a show or something, and I have always loved to brush my hair myself but no one touched it just for the sake of it.
One of my first proper memories of River was him brushing and drying my hair. I like it when I cuddle up to him and he strokes my hair. Of course, it’s a lot shorter now, but that doesn’t matter, it’s the top part that feels nicest. Sometimes, he kind of wriggles his fingers in it and makes little circles on my scalp and it makes me shiver and it gets hard… Sigh, I’m going to ignore that… hard to concentrate and not go to sleep. River says I’m like a cat, but I haven’t really seen a cat so I don’t know what they do

Ideal evening; cuddling or sex?
 What doyou think? I’m not going to say another word because, if I do, River will hit me again.
On the other hand, I do like cuddling. I like to have a shower and put on the big fluffy bathrobe and snuggle up to River on the sofa. We watch films and talk about all sorts of things. Although, thinking about it, we pretty much always end up having sex anyway so, I suppose – both.

Favorite fabric, silk or fleece?
Silk, it’s cool and soft and makes a really nice noise when it moves, kind of a swishing noise. I like to rub my cheek on it and wrap it around me. When I was with my Master I had a robe I used to wear when I was dancing sometimes. It was all swirly colours and made of silk. I loved the way it felt against my body.
On the other hand, fleece is lovely. When I lie on the big white sheep in front of the fire, it feels like I’m sinking right into it and it’s so warm and comfortable. I like to rub my cheek against that too, and to raise my arms over my head and wriggle so it tickles my body.
From the way he’s looking at me, I know River doesn’t want me to mention this but it’s one of my favourite places to have sex. Don’t look like that, I’m not going into details.
 Who is David Willis and how did he affect you?

Apart from River, David is the only man I have ever loved. He was a slave, like me, when we were with my last master. We fell in love but it wasn’t allowed and he… he… well, we didn’t know it wasn’t allowed you see. We’d never been told.
How did he affect me? Well… it’s not easy to talk about but… He was my first love. He was the only thing I can ever remember having loved before River. He opened my heart and, for a long time I couldn’t bear to live in a world that had done something so bad to him. He taught me about true sacrifice, about loving someone so much you’d do anything for them, no matter what it cost.
I think that, without David I would never have left my Master and I would still be there now, not really living, not like this. David make me think, made me feel, made want to break free… to be free to love. In the end it was David who really freed me. 

Will you see Robert again? (David's brother)
Of course I will. He’s really nice. I’ve met his dad now, too. It was really hard, in the beginning, to talk about David. The first time we got together and they showed me photographs of him when he was young, I cried a lot and had nightmares about what happened to him. I still have them sometimes, but not so often these days.
He looked so happy in the photographs, as if he didn’t have a care in the world. He still had some of that sweetness when he was with me but he was different, of course, a different person. I wish I’d known him like he was before. I think I would have loved him even more. No… I don’t think it would have been possible to love him more. Sorry River. I know you don’t like it when I talk about being in love with David. No matter what you say, I can see it in your eyes. But I can’t help it. I was in love with him. No, it’s okay River, I’m fine. I can talk about it now, you know that, but it still hurts. It will always hurt.

How do you forgive others for their crimes against you?
 I don’t understand what you mean? Oh. Well, I don’t really think about it. I don’t hate them, I never had. Why would I? They’re not part of my life anymore and… well… I don’t really remember the early times, the bad times when they were… you know… training me, and after… Well, sometimes it was hard but…
I don’t know how to explain really. It wasn’t a bad life, you see. I was warm and comfortable and well fed. People were nice to me, on the whole. When I danced I was in another world, a wonderful world where it was only me and the wind and the movement. I loved to use my body to express the way I was feeling and the sense of excitement was the best feeling. It still is when I’m able to dance, although it’s not often these days.
I didn’t know that what I was doing was wrong, not then. When we did shows, I had a really good time, especially when it was just me and David. Our voices went well together and when we… I’m sorry River, but I did… I did have sex with David as part of the show, and I did enjoy it. I’m not ashamed of it, not even now. It was part of my life and it’s a part that’s precious to me because I shared it with David.
Okay, sometimes I didn’t like it when I had to have sex with strangers, because they weren’t always very nice to me, but I don’t hate them, because that’s what I was supposed to do and I guess that’s what they were supposed to do.
I’m not saying that I want to go back to that, but it wasn’t a bad life and so I don’t see there’s anyone
to be angry with, or anything to forgive really.
As for Faith, well… I suppose I might find it hard to forgive him, not because of what he did to me, but because of what he did to River. But he’s gone so there’s no point is there?
I suppose, to be able to say how I forgive I would have to understand it myself and I don’t really… I just do.

What does love mean to you?
River. He is everything to me. He is more important than anyone in the world, even me. I would do anything for him. When I think about him it makes me smile inside, it makes me warm. There is a huge part of me that all wrapped up in River and, if he wasn’t here anymore that part would be a huge hole. I had a hole like that after David died and it didn’t fill up again, until I finally let him go, and he took the emptiness with him.
Love is about sacrifice. It’s about being allowed to be yourself but being part of someone else at the same time. Love is being safe and warm and cared for. Love is about never wanting to have sex with anyone else ever again. No I do NOT keep coming back to sex. No… I don’t think love and sex are the same thing, or even connected at all. I didn’t love any of the men I had sex with when I was a slave and I didn’t love David because we had sex. I was having plenty of that at the time so it wasn’t anything special. Except that it was special because it was with David. I think that’s what love is… something that makes everything special, even things that have always been around, things you haven’t thought twice about before.
Well… let’s face it, I haven’t exactly had  a lot of practice with being in love, so it’s the best I can do.
 
 What exactly was your 'job' while you were held in bondage?
I was expected to spend a lot of time taking care of myself – practicing my skills, keeping my body fit, making sure my skin was soft and flawless, taking care of my hair and that kind of things.
 
I didn’t have any duties around the house at all, although sometimes I’d serve at Master’s dinner parties.
The most important thing I did was the performance. In the beginning it was mostly having sex with people my Masters told me to have sex with, but when they realised what I could really do with my body, they stared to concentrate on the performing.
 
I used to do a show mostly every night. Sometimes it was just dancing and sometimes singing too. With my last Master I used to go out to other places to perform and lots of people would come to watch. I liked that, it made me proud. I liked it best when my Master told me how much respect and honour I brought him. He’d take me to his private rooms and sometimes we wouldn’t even have sex; he’d just pet me and let me fall asleep on the cushions or even in his bed sometime. It was lovely to wake up in a proper bed with a warm body and someone’s arms around me. It’s lovelier now it’s River, of course.
 
What happens at the church that causes such a turnaround in your attitude?
I think that, until then, without realising it, I was feeling guilty about everything that happened. Then, in the church, especially when I was talking to Robert, I realised that, if I didn’t go on, if I didn’t get strong and make a good life, I would be throwing everything he did for me back in his face.
The guilt kind of… well it didn’t go away but it stopped being the most important thing, the thing that makes it hurt most when I think about David. After that, it was easier to think about him and it was easier to want to live. Of course, having River there with me was a huge thing too. He had gone to so much trouble to find Robert, and to arrange the meeting and the painting and everything, I realised that I was being really selfish and I needed to snap out of it and start living in the present and not the past.
It was just a shock that jolted me out of my self-pity I guess. 
WOW, is it done? I feels like I’ve been talking about myself for ages. Not that it’s a problem but I figure everyone must be bored by now. Thanks for listening to me rambling. I’m tired now. I still get tired a lot. I’ll probably sleep in the car when River takes me home. Maybe I’ll take a nap on the fleece.

The Time Has Come...

“The time has come,” the Walrus said, “To talk of many things: Of shoes—and ships—and sealing-wax—Of cabbages--and kings—By Lewis Carroll 
Yes, the time has come.  Today my oldest moved out. No, it wasn’t a shock. He’d told me months ago that in April he planned to move. But hearing it and seeing it is two totally different things. While I’m not upset to see him go, I have had a few bad moments since he left. But, that’s to be expected, I suppose.  We raise our kids with the hopes that one day they’ll spread their wings and fly. But we also hope they don’t fly too close to the sun and get burned. I comfort myself with the knowledge I’ve done the best for him I could. He knows right from wrong, and I’ve taught him how to survive out there in the big, bad world. He also knows he can come home again, if needed. God, wasn't it just yesterday I taught him how to tie his shoe? Ride a bike? Throw a ball? How time flies and how quickly they grow. But, the truth is, you can really never go back home. As he packed his things, we found stuff from long ago. We’ve lived here since he was five years old. So many memories, both good and bad. Seeing the box of Lego’s brought back memories of my hunting through several stores for that one special kind he just had to have. Then the joy on his face that Christmas when he opened them. God, he loved his Lego’s, lol. Then there were the pictures of his graduation, and all the memories connected to that. Listening to him and his best friend Izzy talk about this or that person they knew or who had been dating whom then… It brought back memories for me, too. Especially since the youngest is about to graduate and leave soon.  Life goes on... and we go with it or get left behind. I’ll shed a few tears later tonight when I allow myself to think about my first-born moving. But, they aren’t all tears of sadness. He’s still here in town, lol. And it’s time for him to take the next steps. He knows I’m always here for him. In the meantime, I’ll wait for my boy to finish growing up, lol, and hope we can have the close relationship I enjoyed with my mom. My little boy is gone and in his place is a young, confident young man ready to take on the world.  Isn't that what every mom wants?  Then there’s the fact his sister wants his room, lol. And I finally get my own office. JIt’s all about finding the silver lining.
~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:
"Let it snow, let it snow, let it..."
or use: turnip, oven, billboard
or "Does that come in any other flavors?"
or "My favorite kind of pie is..."
or use: a spoonful of sugar
or write about some kind of magic
or "When did you get to be such a dick?"
or "I thought you were the one..." 
I’m using this picture prompt. 
  
All That He Desires #14
“I think you and your kind were given a second chance—an opportunity, if you will, to redeem yourselves. Isn’t that what you call your kind? The Lords of Opportunity? Fitting, wouldn’t you say?”
* * * *
Anslee stared at Jules, slowly shaking his head. “That’s the craziest thing I’ve ever heard. All you have is some loose ideas, strung together with nothing more than a guess and scripture. It’s flimsy, at best.”
Jules threw his hands up in the air. It was either that or shake some sense into Anslee. Which probably wasn’t a good idea… no matter how tempted he was. “Well, of course this is all guesswork. I mean, really, it’s not like I can run down to the local library or Google any of this.”
Anslee’s lips twitched. “No, I’d say that was out of the question.”
“So?”
“So… what?”
Jules buried his hands in his hair and tugged. “Have you not heard anything I’ve said? I think you’re a Fallen Angel.”
Anslee shrugged. “And what if I am? What does it matter if I was kicked out of Heaven… but not thrown all the way down to Hell? Does that make me an angel still? Or a demon? Or a little of both?”
Jules folded his arms over his chest. How dare Anslee just blow his ideas off? “How about a pain in my ass? Don’t think you mentioned that possibility.”
The short hairs on the nape of Jules neck suddenly stood up. Anslee came off the couch in one long, smooth motion. Before Jules could react, he found himself trapped against Anslee’s body. Well shit, maybe shouldn’t have made that last little dig.
“Bringing your ass to my attention might not be the best thing to do right now, Jules, considering. It’s been a long day for both of us, and you’re tired. For that matter, I’m tired and not in the best of moods. We’ll talk more about this tomorrow. But for now, I want you to go and take a nice long shower. Then we’re going to bed.”
Jules mouth fell open. “I-I-I… huh?” How did they get from talking about Fallen Angels to taking showers? He was actually dizzy from the abrupt shift in conversation. And he wasn’t even going to think about the ‘going to bed’ remark. “Well, I think—”
Anslee pulled Jules up on his toes and jerked him closer. “And Ithink this subject is done for now. You can either go take a shower… or I can help you take a shower. And I’ll tell you now, if I get my hands on wet, naked skin you will be mated this night. Your choice, Jules.”
Jules was stunned at the power coursing through Anslee’s body. Christ, Anslee was hard against him… which reminded him that Anslee had some wild idea about claiming him as a mate. Shit, he’d totally forgotten about that little thing in the midst of all the other, bigger things. Jules’ breath caught when he looked into Anslee’s eyes. They burned with desire… and something else. Something dark and needy. Whoa, that’s new. Jules swallowed. Every fiber of his being said not to fight against Anslee.
“I, ah… yeah. A shower sounds really great right about now.” Jules cautiously stepped away once he found his feet back on the floor.
“Good idea, Jules. Get what you need from the bedroom, too.”
“Umm yeah, okay. Will do.” Jules hurried out of the living area. What the hell had just happened? He’d been scared of Anslee, sure, but not like this. No, something had changed there at the last few minutes. It was almost like he’d pushed too far with all this talk of wars and angels, and Anslee had… what?
Jules ducked into the bathroom and turned the shower on as hot as he could stand it. He yanked off his shirt and started to pull his jeans off when what Anslee said hit him. Anslee wasn’t an angel anymore, but he hadn’t been thrown down to Hell. That meant he wasn’t a demon, either, right? So, what was he? Could he be a little of both? His eyes had certainly burned earlier. Hell, they’d almost glowed. Jules leaned against the bathroom wall, head buried in his hands.
Maybe ‘hell’ wasn’t the best word choice.
“What am I going to do if he wants to… fuck me?”
Jules mind raced. He didn’t think Anslee would rape him, but then, what did he know? If Anslee was partly evil then… Jules stood up. No, he didn’t believe that. He’d said stop earlier and Anslee had stopped. Granted, Anslee’s behavior toward humans was borderline atrocious, but that didn’t mean he was evil, just… misguided.
If anything, with his power, Anslee could’ve taken him anytime he wanted—done anything he wanted. Who could’ve stopped him? Right, no one. Instead, he’d been fairly patient. Anslee hadn’t flipped out when he ran. No, he’d just waited for Jules to show up. That wasn’t an evil person.
A sudden tapping on the bathroom door had Jules nearly jumping of out his skin. “Uh, yeah?”
“Go take your shower, Jules, and stop thinking so much. I swear, I can hear your mind going a mile a minute, even out here.”
Jules put his hand on the door. That didn’t sound like an evil man, either. “Yeah, okay. I’ll be out shortly.”
“Take your time. I’m not going anywhere.”
Jules finished stripping and got in the shower. Neither, apparently, was he. 
TBCMake sure to check out the other flashers!~MLily Sawyer  Cia Nordwell  Julie Lynn Hayes
Nephylim

I'm in eXtasy! LOL

 I'm very pleased to announce I'm joining eXtasy  Books! They contracted The Yellow Rope over the weekend. Some of you may remember this from my blog. Well, it's doubled in size now, lol. I'm tickled Gage and Luke will be published! And who knows, they may end up being a series. They really got to talking to me, lol.  I don't have a release date yet. *laugh* I'm still filling out the paperwork. Easter kinda threw me off track. But when I do have one, I'll let you guys know. :) ~M    

Happy Easter!

    

When is Easter?
Easter Day is always on a Sunday but the date varies unlike Christmas, which is always on 25 December. Many years ago Christians decided that Easter Day always be on the Sunday following the first full moon after the first day of Spring, around 21 March. This means that Easter can be as early as 22 March or as late as 25 April.
In fact not only is Easter a movable feast but it happens on different dates depending on where in the world you live. The reason for this is that in western churches such as in the UK, America and Australia, we use the Gregorian calendar rather than the Julian calendar used in eastern churches.
  What is Easter?

Easter is the most important Christian festival. Christians are followers of Jesus Christ who lived about 2000 years ago in a country called Palestine. They believe that Jesus was the son of God. At Easter time Christians remember the last week of Jesus' life.      Easter Bunny
Rabbits have been associated with springtime since ancient times. It is believed that the Anglo-Saxon Goddess of Spring, Eostre had a hare as her companion. The hare symbolises fertility and rebirth. Later Christians changed the symbol of the hare to the Easter bunny.
The tradition is that the Easter bunny leaves Easter eggs on Easter Sunday. Parents hide eggs in the garden and the children go on an egg hunt to find them.
The idea of an egg-laying rabbit was taken to America in the 1700's German immigrants. They told their children to make 'nests' with their caps and bonnets, and if they were good the Easter bunny would leave them coloured eggs. 
  How did Easter get its name?
Long before Jesus was born some people in Europe worshipped the Goddess of Spring, whose had the name 'Eostre'. They thought that the sun died in winter and was born again in Spring. They thought the goddess brought the spring and with it the sun would get stronger. Some believe that Easter got its name from her.




Happy Easter everyone!
~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:
"... has arisen..."
or use: lamb, soul, redemption
or use ham in an interesting way
or "You have no faith to lose and you know it..."
or use: chocolate or use a church in some way
or "Family values? Your family wouldn't know family values if..."
 
I’m using a picture prompt: 
 
All That He Desires #13
Both of Anslee’s eyebrows rose as Jules placed the book on his lap. The chapter heading was clearly marked The Book of Revelations. “You want to show me something from the Bible? Why, Jules?”
Jules chewed his bottom lip. “I… I think you’re a Fallen Angel.”
* * * *
“You can’t be serious.” Anslee pushed the Bible off his lap and stood. He needed room to pace, by damn. Of all the things Jules could’ve come up with, he hadn’t seen this coming, not at all. He snorted silently. A Fallen Angel, indeed. This was almost as good as when Jules wondered if he was his Guardian Angel, at the very beginning.
“It makes the most sense. Just… just hold on a second.” Jules placed the Bible on the coffee table, then reached for his laptop. After a quick search, he turned the computer around so Anslee could see what he’d found.
Anslee brushed his long hair back behind his shoulder, his eyebrows rising nearly to his hairline as the shocks kept coming. Fuck, was this him—a dark Lord stumbling along two paces behind a human? He certainly wasn’t expecting Jules to show him that.
“Okay, why are you showing me pictures of what mankind assumes angels look like?”
Jules looked at Anslee. “Why do you say we assume angels look like this? Are we wrong? And if so… how do you know?”
Anslee’s mouth snapped shut. How indeed? He just knew the pictures were close, but not dead on. Moving back to the couch, he sat and stared at the screen. Most drawings had the wings wrong. The base needed to be lower, farther down the back. A hazy sheen covered his vision as everything around him faded… everything but that picture. Torn by something he didn’t understand, he raised his hand, his finger slowly tracing the wings of the creature on the screen.
Longing, an emotion buried so deeply he didn’t recognize it at first, shot through him, followed by the memory of a ripping pain. Anslee jerked his finger back as screams surrounded him. Oh merciful Father, what had he done? He couldn’t kill, killing was wrong. It was clearly written. He shouldn’t have listened to the one that… that what? Led him wrong?
The clang of swords rang around him, but that wasn’t what bothered him. It was the shouts, the words he could hear but couldn’t quite make out. Then a bright, searing light, so pure it hurt to look upon, blasted across the skies… followed by a feeling of falling, crashing down.
Then… the abrupt, painful absence of falling as he was jerked to a stop. Finally… nothing for a while.
“Anslee! Anslee? Dammit, answer me!”
Anslee’s vision cleared and he found a very pale Jules staring at him. Anslee looked down to where Jules clutched at his arms. What the fuck had just happened?
“You looked at the picture of that angel and kinda spaced on me.”
“I spoke out loud?”
“Yeah, you did. And that’s not all. You talked about swords, words you couldn’t hear, how killing is wrong, a pure light and falling down… Come on, dude. Don’t you see? It fits.” Jules let go of Anslee and started tugging at his shirt. “Take this off.”
“You want me to take off my shirt? Really?” Anslee pulled the garment over his head. “Anything else while we’re at it?”
“Would you stop?” Jules manhandled Anslee until he could see his back.
Anslee let his human place him as he wished, slightly amused at Jules. “What do you think to find, Jules? Scars from where my wings were ripped out?”
“You said that, not me. But it’s funny how we’re thinking the same thing.” Jules ran his fingers down Anslee’s perfect back, watching as the muscles bunched and twitched.
Anslee shivered as phantom—what? Pleasure? Something damn sure raced through him when Jules touched him right under his shoulder blades. That was nothing more than him reacting to Jules’ touch on his body. Right?
Anslee looked over his shoulder at Jules, a slight smirk on his face in an attempt to hide his real thoughts. “See anything?”
“Well… no.” Jules shrugged. “Can you be killed?”
Anslee turned to face Jules. “No.”
“No? That’s it? How do you know? Has someone tried to kill you before? What happened?”
Anslee sighed. “Take my word for it, I can’t be killed. And if you think I’m going to let you slit my throat to find out, you’re wrong—no matter how much you may wish it. I may not be able to die, but I can feel pain. And to how I know I can’t die… well, I just do. I mean, I’ve been here since the start, Jules. Obviously I can’t die.”
“Interesting.”
Annoyance surged through Anslee. “Look, Jules, I’m no angel. They are good and pure and—”
“I didn’t say you were an angel. What I said was you had to be one of the Fallen Angels. Big difference.”
Anslee stood again, his eyes on that damn picture. The need to pace was a living thing in him. “But, according to your Bible, they were cast down to Hell. They were not cast to Earth. Earth didn’t exist yet.”
“But what if it did? And the Bible was written by Man, Anslee. Mistakes can happen. Things can be left out for whatever reason. Maybe man isn’t supposed to know about—” Jules waved his hand at Anslee “—about this. The Bible also says not everything that’s taught in it will be clear.”
“And just what do you think this is?”
“I think you and your kind were given a second chance—and opportunity, if you will, to redeem yourselves. Isn’t that what you call your kind? The Lords of Opportunity? Fitting, wouldn’t you say?”
~TBCNephylim Andrew Gordon Julie Lynn HayesCia Nordwell  

Winner of the Julie Lynn Hayes giveaway

And the winner of Julie's giveaway is: SM Zeoanne I'll be sending out the email shortly to the winner! Thanks to everyone that took part. I really enjoyed reading the answers you guys left, lol.  Hope you enjoy the book Zeoanne!  ~M

Welcome Julie Lynn Hayes

Hey guys! Julie Lynn Hayes stopped by to talk about her upcoming release and her love of horror films. *grin* While Julie and I have much in common, we don't share that love, lol. I'm the type who watches stuff like that, then gets freaks out at every sound in the house, lol. And it doesn't take much to freak me out!

So, in horror of her release--opps, in honor, lol--she's doing a giveaway! From now until Monday afternoon you have a chance to drip blood... ah sorry, I mean leave a comment for a chance to win. Make sure to leave an email addy so she can... find you.*evil laugh* If you dare. Bruahahahaha!

Answer this question:

What horror movie freaked you out the most?
Best of luck, and remember, we're watching you... right, I mean waiting to see what you guys answer. ;)

~M




Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night release date April 5th  Blurb:  On a dark and rainy night, a group of travelers takes refuge at the Black Raven inn, seeking shelter from the storm: Two knights who are brothers, and who believe in diametrically opposed doctrines. A brother who questions the path his sister has chosen to take. A mysterious doctor whose presence gives the innkeeper’s daughter chills. A handsome dwarf, half owner of a traveling troupe of actors. Will they find more than they bargained for? What is the mystery of the locked door? Synopsis:  Sir Kaorin has taken his own brother, Sir Jintaro, into custody for crimes against the queen. But inclement weather forces them to take shelter at the Black Raven inn, owned by Helveticus, and run with the aid of his daughter, Florenza. Nerene travels with her brother Winter, who questions the path she has chosen. Dr. Ulysses keeps to himself, but watches everything, while Florenza tries to give him a wide berth. Damon Wylde is short in stature, but he and his partner have a traveling troupe of actors, although he is the only one that has arrived. Having promised to entertain Helveticus’ guests, he entertains them with his tale of the locked door. Sir Jintaro begs his brother for a last boon – to be allowed to converse with the pretty girl at the next table. Kaorin reluctantly agrees, and as the players take their places, the tale begins.  Link: https://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=flypage.tpl&product_id=683&category_id=58&manufacturer_id=293&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1  ~Horror Comes in Many Flavors~
I unabashedly admit to being a horror story aficionado, whether in print or on the small or large screen. I love to be scared, although I have to say I seldom am. Maybe because I don’t find it so realistic that I fear someday I’ll be up against a chainsaw-wielding maniac or a random slasher or a madman intent on creating hybrid creatures for strange intent. I found Blair Witch more realistic than most, because I can totally see myself getting lost in the woods like the hapless victims of that film. 
Alfred Hitchcock was the king of horror films, and he did it in a way that was graphic for its time, but would not be considered so now. And yet, who doesn’t remember the shower scene from Psycho? After seeing that, it was years before I’d take a shower while alone in the house. And there are parts of the film that make me jump, not from fear but from being startled, which is not the same thing. Hitchcock could elicit horror from supposedly everyday normal things. Remember North by Northwest? Cary Grant standing on the highway in the literal middle of nowhere, waiting for a bus, when a crop plane innocently appears and quickly changes into a menacing presence that causes him to flee for his life!   
Nowadays, the sky is the limit on what you might find in a horror film. I’ve seen all seven Saw films, and I would hate to find myself caught up in any of John Kramer’s horrific scenarios, but hopefully I’ve never done anything bad enough to qualify as one of his victims. Prepare to see the grossest of the gross, ditto with the Hostel series, of which I’ve seen all three. For something slightly different, there’s the Human Centipede. I haven’t seen the second one yet, but I hear it’s better than the first. In the first film, a doctor performs a strange experiment on three unwilling subjects, surgically connecting them to form his “human centipede”, mouth to ass, and connecting their digestive systems as well. What a macabre experiment, but the film was not badly made at all, surprisingly, subject matter aside.  
The latest trend in horror films seems to be zombies. They’re popping up everywhere, and even beginning to show up in young romance films, like Warm Bodies. Whodathunkit?  
When it comes to horror stories, the undisputed master is Stephen King, who’s been entertaining us with his gruesomely delicious tales for years. I have a number of his hardbacks on my shelves, although I’ve fallen behind in recent years, not having the time to read, or money to purchase. One of my favorites is It, which has a very creepy feel to it. Someone who can make you feel horror from the printed word is a master indeed. 
What about the horror villain? Or should I say the hero? For often times in a horror story, the villain isactually the hero. Well, the main protagonist, anyway. And often times, the most interesting character. Can you blame Clarice Starling for being fascinated by Dr. Lecter? And Dexter Morgan—who doesn’t love Dexter? Sweeney Todd, too. Gretchen Lowell. If you haven’t guessed, I have a thing for serial killers. Michael Myers. Leatherface. Jason Voorhees. Fascinating character studies, even if their manners leave a little to be desired.  
While I’ve primarily written books and stories in the m/m romance field, I don’t consider myself limited to that genre by any means. And so I decided to branch out when I learned that one of my publishers, MuseitUp, was going to run a locked door series of horror stories. I thought I’d try my hand, although I wasn’t sure how good I’d be at it, or if I could even do it. I surprised myself by not only finishing a story and subbing it, but having it accepted. Do Not Go Gentle Into That Good Night releases April 5th, and is my first foray into horror, but hopefully not my last. While it is not necessarily horror in the splatterpunk, gory tradition of some modern writers and filmmakers, I think you might say that it is more psychological.
It follows the not uncommon trope of strangers drawn together by the hands of Fate. In this case, travelers who have taken refuge at an inn because of inclement weather. And what happens to them there as their stories converge.
I believe that it would be really hard to write for a genre that you do not enjoy, although some people might argue with that. Sure, you can get things technically correct, but there is a certain feel that I believe only someone who reads it can impart. I’ll let the readers be the judge of whether I have succeeded or not, for I am a true horror fan. In fact, I love serial killers so much that I’m developing one of my own, and look forward to presenting him in time.
Thanks for having me today, M.A.! A pleasure, as always!