B.A. Tortuga's Blog, page 20
June 28, 2016
Guest Post: J. Scott Coatsworth -- Letting Go
My new story “Flames” was just released on marriage equality day, as a part of the new Dreamspinner anthology titled “A More Perfect Union” – B.G. Thomas, Michael Murphy, Jamie Fessenden and myself writing about love and weddings. As married gay men, we were all intrigued by BG’s idea for an anthology about same sex marriage by the people who know it best.
When BG approached me in the spring of 2015, I was intrigued. He had plucked me from obscurity in 2014 and had bought my first story – “The Bear at the Bar” — for the “A Taste of Honey” anthology. Now he wanted me to write about something near and dear to my heart—marriage equality.
I sat back and gave it some thought over the next few days. I was in the car, listening to one of my favorite bands, Bastille. The song “Things We Lost in the Fire” touched me:
Things we lost to the flame
Things we'll never see again
All that we've amassed
Sits before us, shattered into ash
And I knew. That was my story. What happens when everything a couple has built up together is destroyed in an instant?
The setting came easily – my old home town of Tucson. The characters – Alex, a Hispanic real estate agent scared of commitment, and Gio, an Italian astronomer who’d given his heart away.
My husband Mark and I were moving from one place to another at the time, after 13 years in our old home. I didn’t realize it then, but there was a profound sense of loss in my heart. I still remember driving back home from Town Center one of the last times, and the terrible pain that suddenly came over me. Alone in the car, I cried uncontrollably. I cried ugly, knowing I would never come this way again. Never live in this home of ours again. Never have this life again.
And that pain became a part of the story—the devastation of losing the place that grounds you.
But the act of letting go can free you, too. You can’t always see it in the moment, but change sends you spinning onward toward something new. In my own life, that was a new city and a new home, both filled with endless possibility.
In my story… well, you’ll just have to read it to find out. :)
“A More Perfect Union” has four such stories from well-known MM authors. I hope you enjoy them all!
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Authors: B.G. Thomas, J. Scott Coatsworth, Jamie Fessenden, Michael Murphy
Cover Artist: Reese Dante
Length: 104K / 350 Pages
Format: eBook, Paperback
Release Date: 6/26/16
Pairing: MM
Price: 6.99, 17.99
Blurbs
On June 26, 2015, the Supreme Court of the United States made a monumental decision, and at long last, marriage equality became the law of the land. That ruling made history, and now gay and lesbian Americans will grow up in a country where they will never be denied the right to marry the person they love.
But what about the gay men who waited and wondered all of their lives if the day would ever come when they could stand beside the person they love and say “I do”?
Here, four accomplished authors—married gay men—offer their take on that question as they explore same-sex relationships, love, and matrimony. Men who thought legal marriage was aright they would never have. Men who, unbelievably, now stand legally joined with the men they love. With this book, they share the magic and excitement of dreams that came true—in tales of fantasy and romance with a dose of their personal experiences in the mix.
To commemorate the anniversary of full marriage equality in the US, this anthology celebrates the idea of marriage itself—and the universal truth of it that applies to us all, gay or straight.
Someday, by B.G. Thomas
Lucas Arrowood is walking to school on his first day of kindergarten when he meets Dalton Churchill—a boy who stops and helps him tie his shoe. He knows from that moment he is going to marry that boy one day. “Boys can’t marry other boys,” his mother explains, but that doesn’t stop Lucas. He knows what he wants. He and Dalton become best friends—and then, no matter how much he resists, Dalton falls in love with Lucas. Dalton's very conservative family can't accept that their boy loves another boy, but finally Dalton stands up for love and for Lucas. Still, he declares he won't marry Lucas until it is legal everywhere. He hates the “Commitment Ceremonies” gay men have. They aren’t the real thing. Why bother? So Lucas waits for his day. The day same-sex marriage finally becomes legal and he can be joined forever with the love of his life.
Flames, by J. Scott Coatsworth
Alex and Gio had a big fight, and Alex ran away. Then a fire at home destroyed the life they had built together, and threatened to take Gio away from him.
Alex had always thought love was enough to keep them together. Why did they need wedding rings or legal certificates? But now, with Gio lost in a coma, his mother has banished Alex from his side.
What if Alex’s voice is the only thing that can bring Gio back from the brink? Their memories are all Gio has left, and the urge to just let go is getting stronger.
Still, nothing can keep Alex from Gio's side. If it’s against the rules, he’ll break them. In stolen moments alone together, Alex fights to bring him back, one memory at a time.
Destined, by Jamie Fessenden
When Jay and Wallace first meet at an LGBTQ group, they have no idea they’ll be dating six years later. In fact, they quickly forget each other’s names. But although fate continues to throw them together, the timing is never quite right. Finally they’re both single and realize they want to be together… but now they can’t find each other!
With determination and the help of mutual friends, Jay and Wallace can finally pursue the relationship they’ve both wanted for so long.
It’s only the beginning of the battles they’ll face to build a life together.
From disapproving family members all the way to the state legislature, Jay and Wallace’s road to happily ever after is littered with obstacles. But they’ve come too far to give up the fight.
Jeordi and Tom, by Michael Murphy
Living as an open, loving gay couple in the rural South isn’t easy—even today.
When Jeordi and Tom move in together and come out to their families, Jeordi's family does not take the news especially well. When yelling doesn’t work, they send in one sibling after another to try to separate the couple.
When that fails, they call out their pastor to help Jeordi see the error of his ways. But Jeordi’s love for Tom is greater than anything they throw at them.
When an accident sends Jeordi to the hospital, his family goes too far when they try to keep Tom from visiting his partner. Jeordi and Tom are determined to do everything in their power to gain legal protection so this can never happen again. But when a bigoted county clerk refuses to issue them a marriage license, Jeordi decides a big, bold effort is called for, which is precisely what he sets in moVon so no one can ever separate him from Tom again.
Excerpts
Someday, by B.G. Thomas
“The first time Lucas Arrowood saw Dalton was on his way to his first day of kindergarten. His mother was walking him to school, he was very excited, and his right shoelace was flopping, untied.
“Baby,” said his mom. “Let’s sit down and try to tie your shoe.”
He looked up at her, excitement temporarily quashed. He couldn’t do it. Couldn’t tie his shoe. And he was supposed to be able to. His mother had tried to show him how—over and over again—but he couldn’t get the laces to go where they were supposed to go, and it just fell apart. He couldn’t do it. If his teacher found out, would they make him go home? Would he have to wait until next year? That would be horrible!
“Hey, you can do it. It’s easy!”
Lucas gave a little jump, turned around, and sighed as he looked into the narrow dark eyes of the most beautiful human being he had ever seen.
“Want me to help?” the boy asked, flipping his mop of dark brown hair out of his eyes with a toss of his head. “I taught a bunch of kids last year when I was in kindergarten.”
A bunch of kids hadn’t known how to tie their shoes? That perked up his ears. Lucas looked up at his mother.
She smiled. “Do you want him to help?”
Then he realized something. He did want the boy to help him. He thought he would do anything the boy wanted him to do, even ask his mom to take the training wheels off his bike (which was a big scary because he was afraid of falling and getting hurt!).
“Sit down,” said the boy, pointing to the landscaping wall along the sidewalk.”
Lucas sat.
“What’s your name?” asked Lucas’s mother.
“Dalton Churchill. Like Winston Churchill. Only it’s Dalton.”
He smiled, and Lucas knew Dalton was the most beautiful boy on the planet.
“Who’s Winston Churchill?” Lucas asked.
Dalton shrugged and got down on one knee before Lucas. “I don’t know. I think he’s a minister. Okay, now, first you pull your laces up and then cross them over, like this.” Dalton demonstrated.
“I can tie a knot,” Lucas said, wanting very much not to look like a complete dope in front of Dalton. Then he frowned. “It’s the other part I get mixed up on.”
“That’s cool,” Dalton said, tying the knot. “Okay…. So here’s the tricky part. First you make a loop and stick it up so it looks like a tree—see?”
Lucas nodded. He wasn’t sure the upward turned loop looked much like a tree, but he wasn’t going to tell Dalton that.
“Then you take the other lace and wrap it around the bottom like this—like a dog running around the tree.”
Lucas smiled. “My neighbor has a dog. His name is Super Mario.”
“That’s a great name,” Dalton said, laughing.
Then he finished showing Lucas how to tie his shoe.
“Wow,” Lucas said.
But then Dalton untied the shoe.
“Hey!” cried Lucas.
“Now you do it,” Dalton said. He nodded. “You can. I know you can. Easy.”
Lucas wanted to yell, “No, I can’t!” but he quite suddenly knew he could not disappoint the pretty boy with the beautiful eyes. He sighed. What had Dalton said about a tree? He made a loop with one of the laces.
“Just like that, but the other one. Unless you’re a southpaw.”
Lucas looked up through his own dark bangs. “Huh?”
“Southpaw means left-handed.”
“Oh!” Lucas giggled. “I’m not.”
“Tree!” Dalton ordered, brows knitted together.
So Lucas made a loop with his shoelace.
“Yes!” Dalton said with such enthusiasm Lucas would have thought he’d ridden down to the corner and back on his bike without training wheels. He laughed and then thought about dogs running around the base of trees. A moment later, Lucas had tied his shoe. His mother clapped.
“Yes,” shouted Dalton. “I knew you could do it, Lucas.”
Dalton walked the rest of the way to school with them. But even better, he also promised to walk Lucas to school the next day.
Flames, by J. Scott Coatsworth
Monday, September 27
There was only this moment. This place. Alex holding Gio's hand, gently because of the burns on the back of Gio's arm and hand. The sounds of the breathing machine came in regular soft sighs.
The little green box held in Alex's other hand--and all it symbolized between them.
All their life together had shrunk down to this moment, this place, this plea. "Please wake up, Gio. Amore mio, svegliati."
Sunday, September 12. Two weeks earlier
Alex was late getting home, and he was in a foul mood from the long, difficult day at work. One of the properties he'd made a bid on had fallen through, and another client had all but called him a bald-faced liar.
He was looking forward to getting home, taking a long hot shower, then crawling into bed.
Alex was startled to find a whole meal, complete with wine and candles, laid out on their dining room table. Gio must have spent the whole day cooking.
Alex was late. He'd been delayed with his angry client, and to make matters worse, his phone had up and died halfway through the afternoon and he'd been without his car charger."
"He was already annoyed when he walked in the door.
"Welcome home, amore," Gio called from the kitchen.
"I had a hell of a day...." He caught a whiff of whatever Gio was cooking.
"Come sit down. I've got everything ready."
The dining room looked like a Martha Stewart production of a telenovella Thanksgiving. "I'm sorry. I'm not really hungry. Things were the shits at work today."
"Sorry to hear that. Have a seat." Gio grabbed his elbow and urged him toward his chair. "Food makes everything better."
Alex was starting to get annoyed. "Look, I'm sorry, but I'm not hungry. I just want to wash up--"
"That's just the job talking." Gio took his arm again.
"Knock it off! I'm not in the mood tonight."
Gio looked hurt, but Alex plowed on, too incensed to stop.
"This isn't some kind of June and Ward Cleaver relationship."
"I just--"
"You have to let go of your stupid, unrealistic expectations of me and this relationship."
Gio frowned. "That's bullshit, and you know it. Just because you had a bad day at work, there's no reason to take it out on me."
He was right. But Alex couldn't admit it. "Just leave me the fuck alone," he said, grabbing his phone charger and storming out. He'd find somewhere else to sleep tonight."
Destined, by Jamie Fessenden
1999
Doug had seemed terrific when Jay first met him. He was funny, attentive, good in bed, and Jay’s family thought he was great. At family gatherings, that is—not in bed. They were living together in short order.
But after two years, things weren’t going so well. They’d moved to Dover, which allowed Jay to get back in touch with some of his college friends, but their relationship seemed to grow rockier by the day. They fought constantly, though Jay was never really sure what they were fighting about. They just didn’t… fit anymore.
But still he tried. Jay was nothing if not stubborn.
His ties to the pagan/Wiccan world had long ago faded away, since Doug thought that stuff was weird and creepy. In fact, his ties to anything outside the tech industry had pretty much withered to nothing. He worked long hours, during which he thought about nothing but computers and switches and routers. It paid well, and raises were frequent, so he was caught up in the game his coworkers played—pushing for promotions or transfers every six months to a year in order to get salary increases. Like his coworkers, he had an E*TRADE account and spent time between support calls attempting to build a stock portfolio. He had the sense not to gamble the small amount of savings he had, but it was a fun game to play.
But he was unsatisfied. He couldn’t quite put a finger on why until one Saturday, when he was sitting at Café on the Corner and his friend, Steve, happened by. Steve had been part of the medieval reenactment group Jay hung out with in college, and apparently he was still involved with them.
“Michaelmas is coming up,” Steve pointed out, referring to one of the large feasts the group “put on every year. “It’s going to be at the Unitarian Church. You should come.”
Jay couldn’t see that happening. He no longer had any of his medieval “garb,” and Doug was likely to turn his nose up at the idea of hanging out with a bunch of reenactors all day.
Jay said diplomatically, “I’ll think about it.”
“Well, at least stop by the monthly Wiccan group. Julie’s usually there, and Mark. A whole bunch of the old crowd. That’s tomorrow. Same place.”
It would be nice to see some of them. And Doug was working on Sunday. “That might be fun.”
“Are you still writing?”
He wasn’t. Jay had written a lot of science fiction stories in college, and he’d talked about getting published one day. But that, like everything else he’d enjoyed in those days, seemed like nothing more than a dream he’d once had, barely remembered.
This conversation was getting depressing.
“So,” he asked, trying to change the subject, “do you still sing?”
Steve grinned with excitement. “Yeah, man! My band is putting together our second CD. It’s gonna be awesome!”
The more he talked about his life, the more it became clear Steve was barely scraping by financially. But he was doing what he loved, and he seemed just as happy with his life as he’d been in college. Jay, on the other hand, had plenty of money. He had a career now, a boyfriend, a new car, and a nice apartment. He’d thought he was doing okay, but now he realized exactly why he’d been feeling so uneasy. His life had veered off course. In just five years, he’d lost touch with everything that had been fun and creative in himself. He was no longer Jay.
And he missed himself.
Jeordi and Tom, by Michael Murphy
“When the front door of the trailer slammed shut with a loud bang, followed immediately by an animalistic howl of rage and frustration, Tom knew Jeordi was home. He snickered and shook his head.
“Hey, babe,” Tom called out. “I forgot this was the day you were going to visit your parents. It went that well, huh?”
One glance at his boyfriend told Tom all he needed to know. Despite the scowl and look of anger and frustration on Jeordi’s face, it only took one glance at the man to ignite the most sensitive parts of his nervous system (and everything connected to it).
He couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Jeordi. He wasn’t handsome in the New York runway model sense, but was handsome in the real man sense. Jeordi turned heads every time he walked down the street, although he consistently missed the many glances people cast his way.
All Jeordi saw when he looked at himself was that he wasn’t tall, and he felt his ears were too big. Tom daily told Jeordi that he was the most studly man he’d ever known—and he quietly gave thanks that the man was all his.
Tom felt two strong hands wrap around his waist as he stood at the sink in their kitchen. Carefully setting down the dish he’d been washing, he leaned his head back against his boyfriend’s solid shoulder, brushing his smooth cheek against Jeordi’s fuzzy cheek—fuzzy not from a beard but from a strong five o’clock shadow the man dependably had every day by late afternoon. Jeordi hated it, but Tom loved it and loved rubbing one part or another of his body over the stubble.
“Love you, babe,” Tom whispered. “I’m glad you’re home.”
“Why?” Jeordi whispered into Tom’s ear.”
“Why? Why? Why do I keep subjecting myself to the same crap?”
“So, they didn’t throw their arms open and tell you they’ve joined PFLAG and ask for your advice on what to wear in the next Pride Day parade?”
Jeordi snorted. “Um, that would be a great big no.”
“What did they do this time?” Tom asked.
“Prayed—and then some. They tried to have some kind of healing service to rid me of the evil that had ‘grabbed hold’ of me, to quote my mother. They said they needed to cast the devil out of my body.”
“Oh, isn’t that special,” Tom joked.
“Not so much,” Jeordi disagreed.
“Was it just your parents?”
“Oh, no. That’s what made this one more frustrating. They had their minister there. He brought a backup minister—poor kid looked freaked out just being in the same room with a known homosexual. Don’t know what he thought was going to happen.”
“They upped the ante, I see,” Tom said.
“Oh, there’s more,” Jeordi said.
“More?”
“Hell, yes. They had some of my more uptight brothers there with them this time.”
“They succeeded in getting any of your brothers to be in the same room at the same time? How the hell did they swing that one?”
“Don’t know. Must have been one hell of a bribe. They, of course, brought their wives, I guess to show me how a good strong Christian heterosexual marriage works. They pissed me off so much I slipped and asked Beau how he could take part in something like that when he’d been off screwing half the women in the county. He didn’t appreciate it. I guess his wife didn’t know he was a hound dog she needed to keep on a tighter leash.”
Tom stopped what he was doing and dropped his head back, deep in thought. “Hmm, your brother Beau would look damned good in a collar—and naked,” he said. “Now, if you maybe added a blindfold, put him on his knees with his hands cuffed behind his back—now that’s just freaking hot. Maybe I should call his wife and give her a few suggestions. How do you think she’d take that? I’d be doing it strictly to help her out since I doubt she’d ever come up with an idea like that on her own. And of course I’d need to be there to help her, you know, to consult.”
“Don’t go there,” Jeordi warned with a chuckle. Beau was beautiful, but unfortunately he knew it and wasn’t at all opposed to spreading his beauty around to any and all women who’d have him. “At least that got the two of them out of the whole ritualistic crap my mother had planned for the weekly visit.”
“Two down, ten to go,” Tom said.
Tom turned around and wrapped his arms around Jeordi, kissing his neck. “I love you, babe,” he whispered into Jeordi’s ear as he held tightly to his man.
“I’m so glad you do. My family certainly doesn’t.”
“Oh, they love you. They just don’t understand it because the playing field has changed since you came out,” Tom said.
Buy Links, Etc
Dreamspinner eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7854 Dreamspinner paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7855
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/More-Perfect-Union-B-G-Thomas-ebook/dp/B01GMDKIQ4
Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books...
Apple/iTunes: https://geo.itunes.apple.com/us/book/a-more-perfect-union/id1121832226?mt=11&at=1l3vtqV Kobo: https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/a-more-perfect-union-10
All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-amoreperfectunion-2053791-166.html Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30304246-a-more-perfect-union
Author Bios
B.G. Thomas
B.G. Thomas lives in Kansas City with his husband of more than a decade and their fabulous little dog. He is lucky enough to have a lovely daughter as well as many extraordinary friends. He has a great passion for life.
B.G. loves romance, comedies, fantasy, science fiction, and even horror—as far as he is concerned, as long as the stories are character driven and entertaining, it doesn’t matter the genre. He has gone to literature conventions his entire adult life where he’s been lucky enough to meet many of his favorite writers. He has made up stories since he was a child; it is where he finds his joy.
In the nineties, he wrote for gay magazines but stopped because the editors wanted all sex without plot. “The sex is never as important as the characters,” he says. “Who cares what they are doing if we don’t care about them?” Excited about the growing male/male romance market, he began writing again. Gay men are what he knows best, after all—since he grew out of being a “practicing” homosexual long ago. He submitted a story and was thrilled when it was accepted in four days. Since then the stories have poured out of him. “It’s like I’m somehow making up for a lifetime’s worth of stories!”
“Leap, and the net will appear” is his personal philosophy and his message to all. “It is never too late,” he states. “Pursue your dreams. They will come true!”
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bgthomaswriter
Website: https://bthomaswriter.wordpress.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4053647.B_G_Thomas
J. Scott Coatsworth:
Scott has been writing since elementary school. After leaving writing for twenty years, Mark, his husband, told him “the only one stopping you from writing is you.”
Since then, Scott has gone back to writing in a big way, finishing more than a dozen short stories – some new, some that he had started years before – and seeing his first sale. He’s embarking on a new trilogy, and also runs the Queer Sci Fi site, a support group for writers of gay sci fi, fantasy, and supernatural fiction.Mark and Scott have been together for twenty four years. They met at the Pacific Center, an LGBT center in Berkeley, California, in 1992. They dated for two weeks, and then Scott moved in with Mark, and the rest is history. They run their own business together, study Italian, and are almost never found apart.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jscottcoatsworth
authorWebsite: https://www.jscottcoatsworth.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8392709.J_Scott_Coatsworth
Jamie Fessenden
Jamie Fessenden set out to be a writer in junior high school. He published a couple of short pieces in his high school's literary magazine, but it wasn't until he met his partner, Erich, almost twenty years later, that he began writing again in earnest. With Erich alternately inspiring and goading him, Jamie published his first novella in 2010, and has since published over twenty other novels and novellas.
After legally marrying in 2010, buying a house together, and getting a dog, Jamie and Erich have settled down to life in the country, surrounded by wild turkeys, deer, and the occasional coyote. A few years ago, Jamie was able to quit the tech support job that gave him insanely high blood pressure. He now writes full-time... and feels much better.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jamie.fessenden.7
Website: https://jamiefessenden.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4476044.Jamie_Fessenden
Michael Murphy
Michael Murphy met his husband Dan thirty-four years ago during a Sunday service at MCC in Washington, DC when a hot, smart man sat down beside him. Due to a shortage of hymnals they had to share. The touch of one hand on the other in that moment was electric. Sparks flew that day. Though neither had planned it, they spent the day together followed by the night. From that day, for more than three decades they’ve rarely been separated, each finding in the other their soul mate. In the District of Columbia, where they lived, marriage became possible in early March 2010. The minute it happened they were in line to get a marriage license, only to be stumped because the license required the name of the person who was going to marry them. There was such a sudden rush of same sex couples wanting to get married that the office already had a two-month backlog before an appointment could be secured. Since they weren’t at all convinced that the Congress wasn’t going to step in and do something stupid to take away this right, they started calling everywhere to find someone who would marry them. It might be legal, but finding someone to marry them was proving to be a challenge. When an article appeared in the newspaper telling of a small, local United Methodist Church that had decided to go against general church policy because marriage equality mattered deeply to them, a conversation started. After a series of emails and phone calls, suddenly they were seated with two retired UMC ministers who were willing to risk it all to do the right thing. A few days later, license in hand, surrounded by a handful of friends and their best dog, Shadow, they were finally legally married.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/michael.murphy.9250
Website: http://gayromancewriter.com
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6450548.Michael_Murphy
June 27, 2016
What I'm Working On This Week
June 20, 2016
What I'm Working on this Week
June 7, 2016
Firemen and Smokejumpers a Guest Post by Julia Talbot
Hijacking the wife's blog today to talk about my new story on ARE for their Fearless line. It's on pre-order right now with a general release date of July 1.
It's been years since I wrote firemen, but I couldn't resist since the call asked for heroes/men in uniform. Anyone who knows me knows I'm obsessed with mountain disasters. Avalanche on Everest? Wildfire flashover in Glenwood Canyon? Giant boulder falling on highway and closing it for days? I'm there. I love the dynamics of an emergency, the way first responders work. I hate to see people get hurt, so don't think I'm a ghoul, but those disaster stories have built in drama that does make a writer salivate.
So, that's where Out of the Frying Pan comes in. A wildfire season. Two former lovers who meet again ten years later and have to work together. Sloane is a wildfire smokejumper. Jenson is a municipal firefighter. Together they're like gasoline and matches...
There's the amazing cover by Erin Dameron Hill.
Here's the blurb!
Trust comes at a price.
Jenson Parkinson can't believe it when Sloane Marlen shows up at his Colorado mountain fire station. They were lovers years ago, until Sloane broke Jenson's trust, and his heart.
Sloane knows he's not guilty of the misdeeds Jenson believes he committed, but he never figured out how to convince Jenson. Or how to get over him. Can Sloane grab this second chance with both hands and teach Jenson he's worthy of trust... and love?
Juliawww.juliatalbot.com
June 6, 2016
What I'm Working On This Week
June 2, 2016
Guest Post: Julie Lynn Hayes
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Julie Lynn Hayes, author of Bad Dogs and Drag Queens. Hi Julie, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book. 1) Tell us something no one else knows about your characters.
Vinnie has no idea who his father is, having never met him, and Ethan has his own reasons why he goes to see his own family alone, and never takes Vinnie with him. 2) Have you ever written something that made you cry?
Yes, I have. I wrote a short Christmas story for Vinnie and Ethan, and it brought a tear to my own eye. 3) Have you ever co-written with someone before?
Yes, I have. I co-wrote the Moonlit Skies series with M.A. Church, and the Southern Comfort series with S.L. Danielson. 4) What is the most difficult part of writing for you?
Finding time to write. I work a full-time job, and have other things that require my time. If I can find the time, I can do pretty well with the rest of writing. 5) Name your four most important food groups.
Coffee, chocolate, meat, cheese
Julie Lynn Hayes Bad Dogs and Drag QueensRose and ThorneBook: One Release Date: May 25, 2016
Blurb: Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne are partners—on and off the clock. Federal undercover detectives, they’re part of a covert task force designed to promote goodwill between the feds and local authorities. They lend an unobtrusive helping hand wherever it’s needed. No credit required.
Vinnie and Ethan work primarily in the Southeast region of the United States and live together in Richmond, Virginia. A mugger problem brings them to Roanoke, where Vinnie is thrown out as bait to catch the man who’s been snatching purses in a city park, but they end up with more than they bargained for. Why is Vinnie always the one who has to wear the dress? Ethan says it’s because Vinnie looks much prettier in a skirt. How can he argue with that?
Expecting to return to Richmond afterward, Vinnie and Ethan find themselves assigned a new case instead. They are to go undercover at The Stroll, one of the biggest gay nightclubs in Roanoke. Someone is terrorizing both the customers and the performers. Could they be dealing with a hate crime? Someone has to protect the drag queens of Roanoke, so it’s Vinnie and Ethan to the rescue!
The author is donating 10% of the royalties from this book to No Kid Hungry. Visit nokidhungry.org for more information about this organization. Pages or Words: 50,000 words Categories: Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, Romance Excerpt:“Remind me again whose stupid idea this lipstick was,” I huffed under my breath. Without thinking, I licked my lips. They felt greasy, and tasted even worse. I forced myself not to grimace, afraid it might crack the foundation I’d slathered on my face.“Mine, you sexy beast,” came the smart-ass reply in my ear. “I think you got purty lips, mmhmmm.”“Fuck you,” I growled. “You should be doing this, not me, and you know it. I did it last time.”And the time before that. And the time before that. Wait, did I detect a pattern here?“What I know is you look better in a skirt than I do. And you look damn good out of it too.”My cheeks filled with heat at Ethan’s words. Luckily the darkness hid a multitude of sins, my embarrassment being the least of them. Hopefully, no one else was listening—I knew I’d never hear the end of it. Just what I needed—to be the object of ridicule of the Roanoke PD. Buy the book: https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7762https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-baddogsanddragqueens-2035486-145.html
Meet the author: Julie Lynn Hayes first began publishing short stories and poetry in the 1990’s, when it was a different ballgame altogether, and Ebooks hadn’t been dreamed of yet. That changed in 2010 with the acceptance of her first romance novel. She’s come a long way since that first book appeared, and is finding the journey a very educational one.
She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and her cat Ramesses. She often writes of two men finding true love and happiness in one another’s arms, and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She likes to write in different genres, to stretch herself in order to see what is possible. Her great challenge is to be told something can’t be done—she feels compelled to do it.
When she isn’t writing, she enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, needlepoint and knitting, and she loves to cook, spending time watching the Food Network. Her favorite chef is Geoffrey Zakarian. Her family thinks she’s a bit off, but she doesn’t mind. Marching to the beat of one’s own drummer is a good thing, after all. Her published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, eXtasy Books, and Wayward Ink Press. Where to find the author: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.l.hayes.7Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorjulielhayesTwitter: https://www.twitter.com/ShelleyRunyonBlog: http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.comGoodreads Link: : http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_HayesPublisher: Dreamspinner PressCover Artist: Paul Richmond
Tour Dates & Stops: 23-May: Open Skye Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Multitasking Mommas24-May: Velvet Panic, Nephy Hart, Louise Lyons25-May: Happily Ever Chapter, Books A to Z, The Novel Approach26-May: Parker Williams, Man2ManTastic, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words27-May: Divine Magazine, A.M. Leibowitz30-May: Jessie G. Books, Inked Rainbow Reads, Wake Up Your Wild Side31-May: Outrageous Heroes, Bayou Book Junkie1-Jun: Hearts on Fire, Nautical Star Books, Prism Book Alliance2-Jun: Rednecks and Romance, MM Book Escape3-Jun: Emotion In Motion, Bonkers About Books6-Jun: Anna Butler Fiction7-Jun: MM Good Book Reviews8-Jun: The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat9-Jun: Unquietly Me10-Jun: BFD Book Blog13-Jun: Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews14-Jun: Molly Lolly15-Jun: Love Bytes16-Jun: Havan Fellows17-Jun: Alpha Book Club, Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings Rafflecopter Prize: Win a gift card courtesy of Julie Lynn Hayes!Rafflecopter Code: a Rafflecopter giveaway
May 23, 2016
Guest Post: Renee Cronin
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Renee Cronin, author of Fistful of Love.
Hi Renee, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book.
1) How do you develop your plots and characters?
My characters tend to be inspired by real world interactions I have or past interactions. The plots come to me in different ways. I take the train to work, so sometimes I find myself making up stories about folks I see making their way through the day.
2) Who doesn’t love a good hero? Tell us about your protagonist. Was there a real life inspiration behind them?
Jeya is a social worker, who works with juveniles in the court system. She is trying to get out of an abusive relationship. She has a best friend, Roman. She’s very connected to his family, especially after the death of her parents at age twenty-three.
3) What real-life inspirations do you use when world building?
I use past relationships, past experiences at work and in college. I use experiences of friends and family to inspire me. And sometimes, I just let me imagination run wild and create whatever.
4) Did you learn anything from this book and what was it?
I learned that you can discover yourself in your writing. I learned that I hadn’t been honest with myself about my past experiences. It was a cathartic process.
5) It’s your last meal on earth. What do you choose?
Oh, no fair! Macaroni & Cheese. I know boring, but it’s my absolute favorite.
Author Name: Renee Cronin
Book Name: Fistful of Love
Release Date: April 4, 2016
Blurb: At the age of 23, social worker, Jeya Wellington was pretty much on her own. The devastating loss of her parents left her bereft and alone. Her best friend, Roman and his family have been like surrogates, but they could never replace what she lost. She needed a different connection. Shortly after losing her parents, she finds love and comfort in the arms of Rayne Watson, a correctional officer.
Rayne was exactly what she needed at the time, but now, two years later, Jeya wants out. She never expected love to come with bruises. She didn't anticipate losing friends and living in fear. This was not her idea of true love. With the support of Roman, Jeya finds a way to leave. But Rayne isn’t letting go that easily. They made a commitment to each, and she has the tattoo to prove it - ‘Til Death Do Us Part.
Torn between the love she has for Rayne and the instinct to protect herself, is Jeya’s will stronger than her vow?
Pages or Words: 46,323
Categories: Lesbian Fiction, Domestic Violence
Excerpt:
It’s over.
Two simple words, intended to signify the end, were instead just the beginning. Jeya took a deep breath, and the pain that pierced her side served as the reminder she needed. She hit the send button. Unexpected relief instantly washed over her. “I did it. Step one. Now for step two.” Jeya placed her phone on the bed and stood up to double-check her suitcase. Going over the checklist in her mind, she felt confident that she had the essentials. A week away from home required more than she’d anticipated, but she had no intention of returning until the rainstorm had passed. Jeya took a second to acknowledge the double entendre of the word. Her girlfriend, Rayne, was definitely a hurricane. Her temper was unpredictable and left damage in its wake similar to that which Hurricane Gloria had. She knew she’d be safer at Roman’s house for the next several days.
The lyrics to “Dangerously in Love” cursed the air. The perfect ringtone to describe her relationship. She braced herself as she walked to the bed and picked up the phone. Jeya anticipated nothing less than an explosive response from her short-tempered girlfriend.
Buy the book: Amazon: http://amzn.to/2512nUS
Meet the author:
Renee Cronin is a self-professed devour of knowledge, and a voracious reader. She began writing in earnest in 2005, when the characters in her head became so loud she was forced to tell their stories, or risk getting swept away into the abyss of her imagination. Renee has since used writing as a personal outlet to express her feelings, ideas, views, thoughts, and opinions about the world and the issues that impact her on a deep personal and societal level. (And of course writing also quiets the voices in her head of the many characters that are yearning to have their stories told.) Renee’s inspiration to publish is in large part due to the overwhelming display of encouragement, and support from family and friends, who believe she has a gift with words that need to be shared with world. Born and raised in Boston, Massachusetts, she works in the social work field avidly advocating and supporting the varied needs of the people in her community. Renee is a bibliophile with a transcendent love for words. Her soul yearns for the acoustic stylings from a plethora of musical genres. As she continues on this journey of published author she hopes to keep her readers captivated and pining for more.
Where to find the author: Facebook: www.facebook.com/reneecronin78
Twitter: @reneecronin78
Website: www.renee-cronin.com
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29505751-fistful-of-love
Publisher: Renee Cronin
Cover Artist: Natasha Snow
Tour Dates & Stops:
4-Apr: Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews, Full Moon Dreaming
11-Apr: Molly Lolly, Charley Descoteaux
18-Apr: Unquietly Me, Velvet Panic, Bayou Book Junkie
25-Apr: Happily Ever Chapter, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words
2-May: TTC Books and More, BFD Book Blog
9-May: Prism Book Alliance, Love Bytes
15-May: Inked Rainbow Reads, MM Good Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook
23-May: A.M. Leibowitz, Oh My Shelves, Rednecks and Romance, Dawn’s Reading Nook
Rafflecopter Prize: $15 gift card to Amazon and an e-copy of book
Rafflecopter Code:a Rafflecopter giveaway
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May 16, 2016
What I'm Reading
What I’m reading right now? Just started And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie on audio and I’m reading The Tower by Simon Clark. :D
May 2016
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (on audio)
The Spiral Staircase by Ethel Lina White
Gaslight Villainy: True Tales of Victorian Murder by Grahame Farrell
Broader Revealed by Mark Stevens
April 2016 (total 15)
Melody’s Wolf by Mina Carter
Casey’s Warrior by Ann Mayburn
Dragon Claimed by Misha Paige
One and Only Rogue by Jade Lee
Bared by Stacey Kennedy
Lance by Eliza Gayle
Unexpectedly Expecting by Susan Mallery
Delicious by Susan Mallery
The Marquis and the Mistress by Dominique Eastwick
Sweet Irish Kiss by Joanne Kenrick
Insane Asylums by Alex Rice
Black Wolves by Kate Eliot
Life in the Victorian Asylums by Mark Stevens
Why the Victorians Saw Ghosts by Michael Gallagher
Mental Ward by Various Authors
March 2016 (total: 16)
Switch by Sean Michael — I’d missed this one
The Crawling Abattoir by Martin Mundt — utterly hilarious. I embarrassed my wife on the plane cackling.
Dollhouse by Anya Allyn — this was like watching a TV pilot. Not for me.
Taken by VM Black — fast paced, great heroine
Wicked for You by Erzabet Bishop — great worldbuilding
Toybox by Al Sarrantonio — very King-esque but nothing happens.
27 Action Writing Blunders by James Scott Bell — for beginners only
Black Butterflies by John Shirley — totally worth the read
Nuts About You by Kate Lowell — squirrel shifters O.o
Promises Part 1 by AE Via — bought the second book immediately after reading the first
Promises Part 2 by AE Via — loved these two boys
Two Men and a Virgin by Kate Richards — cute as hell
Fierce by Sabrina York — not bad at all. Love a strong heroine
Lay It Down by Mary Calmes — Mmm. I do miss Spain.
Bend Over by Brina Brady — a little too hard core for my tastes
The Centaur’s Solstice Wish by Siobhan Muir — sweet and dear
February 2016 (total: 7)
Challenge the Darkness by Dirk Greyson — I absolutely adored this. Bought the 2nd in the series already. Charming, warm, good world building.
The Curious Case of Winter King by Kiernan Kelly — a fab, fun homage to Stephen King. I loved it.
Tattered Loyalties by Carrie Ann Ryan — tons of world-building and I loved the heroine of this one.
Entwined by Colette Gale — this is hilarious. A retelling of Tarzan and Jane
Marked by SJD Peterson — I think I must have read this before. It’s very familiar.
Pornography and Seriality by Sarah Schaschek — fascinating theory. I’m not sure I agree 100%, but fascinating.
Krampus by Brom — the charm at the front didn’t hold up.
January 2016 (total: 5)
Dom of Las Vegas by Tricia Owens — On the good, the sex was hot, the main character was interesting. On the not so good, the main character had detailed on-screen sex with a number of other characters and, in a romance, that’s not for me. The writing style was fine and I quite liked the secondary characters.
Nightmare House by Douglas Clegg — I’m usually a HUGE Clegg fan, but I did not enjoy this one. I found it neither scare nor atmospheric. I was disappointed.
A Fashionable Indulgence by KJ Charles — took me about 1/4 of the book to get into this one, but once I did, I found it clever and charming and I actually had a couple LOL moments.
Bazaar of Dreams by Stephen King — The best part (and I don’t mean this in a nasty way) was the notes before each story. Loved it.
Collected Short Stories by Andre Debus — I am madly in love with the way this man writes. One of his short stories changed how I saw life.
Much love, y’all.
BA
May 10, 2016
Guest Post: Avon Gale
Avon Gale, what literary character is most like you?
The character most like me is probably Avery Hextall, from Let the Wrong In. Avery and I both are extroverted, talkative and friendly – but I also have the same problem of acting impulsively, using humor as a defense mechanism, and needing to shut up and listen on occasion ;) Avery is a lot more of a morning person than I am and way tidier, and I definitely am not organized or good enough at math to be an architect. I see a lot more of myself as-I-was when I wrote that book, as I’ve calmed down and grown up a bit since then (as, I hope, has Avery). But that’s definitely the character I connect with the most, and when I read it now I can see exactly what I was working through when I wrote it. In some ways I had a lot of issues similar to Malin’s, and I think sometimes that book was my way of reconciling two parts of myself. Which sounds sort of cheesy, and I don’t think I was aware of it at the time, but hey…again, that’s why I’m a lot like Avery!
Author Name: Avon Gale
Book Name: Power Play
Series: Scoring ChancesBook: Three
This book can be read as a standalone
Release Date: May 9, 2016
Blurb: A freak accident during the Stanley Cup Playoffs put an end to Max Ashford’s hockey career. Despite everything, Max gets back into the game he loves—only this time, behind the bench as an assistant coach of the Spartanburg Spitfires, the worst team in the entire league. But nothing prepares him for the shock when he learns the new head coach is Misha Samarin, the man who caused Max’s accident.
After spending guilt-ridden years for his part in Max’s accident, Russian native Misha Samarin has no idea what to do when he’s confronted with Max’s presence. Max’s optimism plays havoc with Misha’s equilibrium—as does the fierce attraction that springs up between them.
Not only must they navigate Misha’s remorse and a past he’s spent a lifetime to forget, but also a sleazy GM determined to use their history as a marketing hook. But when an unwelcome visitor targets the team, Misha revisits his darkest days, which might cost him and Max the beginning they’ve worked so hard to build.
Pages or Words: 240 pages
Categories: Bisexual, Contemporary, Fiction
Excerpt:
“I’d never watched this, you know.”
“The YouTube video?” Misha had seen that too. It was filed with angry commenters yelling that he should be deported back to Russia.
“The hit.”
Misha blinked. “You’ve seen the commercial, though. Yes?”
“Yeah, I wish I could say I haven’t seen that. But I meant, I didn’t watch this until a few months ago. They played that game on the NHL channel, so I watched it.”
It never occurred to Misha that Max wouldn’t have seen it, but then he remembered that Max was the hero, not the villain of the story. Misha watched the hit play out on the screen. What must that feel like, to watch the moment it all ended? When Max hit the ice, did he know that game was his last? Did Misha know it was his? How had he felt? He couldn’t remember.
The scene switched to the replay. Misha watched dispassionately, retreated into the blinding pain of his migraine, and told himself that it was all right to suffer, that he should, that he deserved it.
Max paused the video. “Look. See what I have there?”
Misha blinked. He had not expected questions. “I—what?”
“The puck, Misha. The puck. Your hit wasn’t late.”
Oh. “Yes. I know.”
Max stared at him. On the television screen, their younger selves were suspended at the moment everything changed.
Buy the book:
All Romance E-Books: http://bit.ly/1QmTMk9
B&N: http://bit.ly/26f0m85
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/power-play/id1109203148?mt=11
Meet the author:
Avon Gale was once the mayor on Foursquare of Jazzercise and Lollicup, which should tell you all you need to know about her as a person. She likes road trips, rock concerts, drinking Kentucky bourbon and yelling at hockey. She’s a displaced southerner living in a liberal midwestern college town, and when she’s not writing you can find her at the salon, making her clients look and feel fabulous. She never gets tired of people and their stories -- either real or the ones she makes up in her head.
Where to find the author:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/avongalewrites
acebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authoravongale
Twitter: @avongalewrites
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/avongalewrites/
Join my mailing list http://eepurl.com/bGLSrD
Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29361143
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Aaron Anderson
Tour Dates & Stops:
9-May:
My Fiction Nook, Open Skye Book Reviews, Inked Rainbow Reads, Elisa - My Reviews and Ramblings,
10-May:
Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Joyfully Jay, Jessie G. Books, Rednecks and Romance,
11-May:
MM Good Book Reviews, Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews, Posy Roberts, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents
12-May:
Love Bytes, The Novel Approach, Unquietly Me, Happily Ever Chapter
13-May
BFD Book Blog, The Hat Party, MM Book Escape
16-May
Havan Fellows, Divine Magazine, Outrageous Heroes, Prism Book Alliance, Boys on the Brink Reviews
17-May
3 Chicks After Dark, Full Moon Dreaming, Butterfly-O-Meter
18-May
Foxylutely Book Reviews, Three Books Over The Rainbow, V's Reads
19-May
Book Lovers 4Ever, Charley Descoteaux, Mikky's World of Books, Carly’s Book Reviews
20-May
Making It Happen, Kirsty Loves Books, Bayou Book Junkie
21-May
A.M. Leibowitz, Alpha Book Club, Molly Lolly, Man2ManTastic
DSP: http://bit.ly/1VjEEfqAmazon: http://amzn.to/1SkBHp8
All Romance E-Books: http://bit.ly/1QmTMk9
B&N: http://bit.ly/26f0m85
iBooks: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/power-play/id1109203148?mt=11
