Erica Pike's Blog, page 14

A Life Without You: 4.25 Stars from Rarely Dusty Books

I don't share every single book blogger review here on my blog, even though I link them all to the book pages. However, I wanted to share this one from Rarely Dusty Books. I used to visit Goodreads every day to check for reviews, but over the past few months I only go at the end of the month to look (checked the November reviews just now, for example). Well, this review really caught me off guard and I think I must have looked a bit comical as I read it.
Rarely Dusty Books - 4.25 stars: Jaw-Dropping Review.

Absoluely Eric: Rainbow Awards

Well I was thrilled yesterday morning when I discovered that Absolutely Eric had won an honorable mention at the Rainbow Awards. I didn't really believe it would win any categories, which it didn't, because there were soooo many great books in that competition. Over 480 books were submitted and 30 of those got an honorable mention for "One Perfect Score". It's basically one or more judge's favorites. This is what the judge, who gave Absolutely Eric a perfect score, said:
Love love love this one!! Eric was sassy and adorable, Alex was charming and they way they got together was smoking hot! I've already re-read this one and no doubt will again!! –Anna
Now, excuse me while I shower this entry in Eric and pretty rainbows ^.^ He sure would have loved this if he was real.

Little Stalker: 4 Stars on Hearts on Fire Reviews

Wow, I didn't expect to get a review so fast. I sent out a few requests this morning and one's already up! Hearts on Fire Reviews gave Little Stalker 4 stars along with their excellent review. It's always exciting to see how the first reactions are. 

Release Day! Little Stalker by Erica Pike

Closet-case and college student Coby is being stalked by a cute guy...
Little Stalker (College Fun and Gays #4)by Erica PikeNo Boundaries Press Blurb:College student Coby is being stalked by a young guy and has no idea why, until someone suggests that the stalker may have a crush on him. The idea both excites and terrifies Coby, who is so deep in the closet he can barely manage to think the word “gay” without freaking out.
Excerpt:He flinches from my touch and backs into the wall, but I follow and thread my fingers through that kitten-soft hair, pushing it aside to see the fading bruise.Who would do that to him?As Grayson looks down with flushed skin, his cheek brushes the inside of my palm. He jerks to a stop and holds his breath, just as I hold mine.Without thinking about it, I lay my palm further against his skin, taking in the warm, soft feel of it. It’s like touching a girl...but still different. His skin is smooth, but there’s a thin line along his jaw that feels rougher, like a hint of stubble.“Have you ever kissed a guy?” I ask in a low voice, shocking both him and myself with my words. But instead of trying to reel them back, I gaze down at his lowered face. Ray’s words this morning flash through my mind. ‘Just because you’d fuck him it wouldn't mean anything.’ I've been half horny all morning...He sucks in his lower lip and licks the upper one with the tip of his tongue. It makes my whole groin twitch. The heat in my crotch is almost painful and the rest of my body feels numb.“Yeah,” he whispers, still looking down.“What’s it like?” I ask, my voice low and a little thicker than usual. “Is it different from kissing a girl?” It feels like there’s a vibrating rock in the pit of my stomach and its sending shocks to my rapidly beating heart. My fingers on his face tremble, and I’m breaking out in a sweat.His gaze rises to meet mine, wide and pretty – eyes much too large for his small face. He licks his lips again, cocking his head to the side.“ I've never kissed a girl,” he says in a low voice, chest heaving rapidly, red lips half parted.God...Before I can even think to stop myself, I’m lowering my head, my trembling lips touching his very, very lightly. It’s not enough to determine if it’s different, but it feels soft and wet, and oh, he smells so good. His hair is a little damp after the rain, but his own natural smell... I touch my lips to his again, a little firmer this time, lingering, savoring the wet, ticklish feel that sends all sorts of sparks through my body. My head feels so light it’s like I’m not even in my own body anymore. Yeah, it definitely feels different from kissing a girl; it feels unreal.We kiss more, each touch experimental, hesitant. My fingers barely touch his face and he trembles less than an inch from my arm.When I pull back, I gaze in Grayson’s dazed eyes. They mirror my own hazy brain. The warmth from his body is like a magnet, trying to pull mine closer, and I gently position my hands on his hips. I lick my lips and step closer.He meets me halfway when I bend down to kiss him again, sliding his arms up my torso to rest on my pectorals. He moans once, his mouth opens for my tongue, and my knees go weak with all the fireworks shooting from limb to limb. God, he feels so good. His tongue is thin, nimble, and so hot against mine it burns. He grabs my shoulder when it feels like he’s about to fall, and his other hand clasps the shirt on my back for support. I grab him, holding on tightly as I kiss him with tongue twisting, teeth clashing intensity, grazing his lips with my teeth and sucking on them. I hear myself moan into his mouth and him echoing with added whimpers and sighs. He feels so good.I break away to rest my forehead against his, just to catch my breath a little.
Available at No Boundaries Press, All Romance eBooks, Amazon, B&N (and others soon).

Little Stalker on Goodreads.

Fun Author Chat at LRC Today

I'll be at Love Romance Café today with other No Boundaries Press authors. The purpose is to promote our books, discuss future projects, answer questions, GIVEAWAYS, and just chat and have fun :) I've already answered the first round of questions. There's news of Welcome Brother there among other things.

The Next Big Thing (NSFW)

Welcome Brother (by Dan Skinner)
Bet you keep seeing that blog title all over, huh? Well, it's my turn ;)
Jessica Freely, whom I had the great pleasure to meet at GayRomLit this year, asked me recently if I'd like to be a part of this big thing. So what is the big thing anyway? It probably started with one person, who chose four people to answer the same questions, who each chose four people to answer the questions, etc. So it's probably a huge pyramid by now. I'm supposed to link to her blog and to the blogs of the four people I contacted. Well, the four people I contacted were either too busy or didn't want to take part, so I'm only linking back to Jessica.

What is the working title of your book?Welcome Brother (College Fun and Gays #5)
Where did the idea come from for the book?A photograph by Dan Skinner, titled Welcome Brother (he gave me permission to use that title). However, the story has drastically changed since then and isn't so much about kinky sex anymore (in fact, there's not much sex in it). It's about being in love with the brotherhood's leader and some issues of being gay in a brotherhood.
What genre does your book fall under?M/M Contemporary Romance. More specifically, college romance.
Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie?I can't think of any. This story is too short to ever be made into a film.
What is a one sentence synopsis of your book?When college student Kyler applies for a membership to the Nova Britannia Brotherhood, all he can see is their very intimidating leader.
Will your book be self published or represented by an agency?It will be published by No Boundaries Press, hopefully at the beginning of next year.
How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript?A couple of weeks. I edit as I go, so it takes a bit longer. I then sent it to critique partners... and put it away for months and months before I took a look at it again. I'd been convinced it wasn't a good story, but reading it again I've realized that it is a good story, even though it just might offend a few people. 
What other books would you compare this story to within your genre.Hard to say. The other stories in the College Fun and Gays series? They all take place in college (the same college, actually -  those paying attention will see the occasional character from another story), but they're not really related in any other way, so they can be read in whatever order people want. 
Who or What inspired you to write this book?Like I said, a photograph by Dan Skinner initiated the idea, but the story changed a lot since then. I actually own this photo (bought it from him and it's at the top of this post), but realize now that I can't use it for this story. Maybe I'll write a pure erotica to go with this photo, but it won't be in this series. Actually, I do have an idea for the plot...
What else about your book might interest the reader?Kyler, the main character, is insecure about his speech. He has the "gay accent" - and this is why I think people might get offended - which isn't really a "gay" accent, just a speech pattern that some guys (gay and straight) have. As a new brother, Kyler doesn't want his sexuality discovered right away, because people don't often give him a proper chance if they know he's gay before they get to meet him. He's spent years coaching himself to keep the "gay" out of his speech, but slips up in front of the brotherhood leader. 
This part of the story was actually inspired by Zathyn Priest, who wrote a blog post about his "gay accent", a speech pattern he has, but doesn't want to have. I wrote a long author's note at the end of the story to explain this and why I put it in the story.

Black Friday Hop Winner

I've drawn and contacted a winner in the Black Friday Blog Hop. Congrats to:
Krankimom!
You'll be receiving your choice of one of my College Fun and Gays along with SWAG.
The winner for the grand prizes has also been announced here.
Thanks for playing, everyone ^.^

Hop Against Homophobia: David Bahati, Author of Uganda's "Kill the Gays" B...

Hop Against Homophobia: David Bahati, Author of Uganda's "Kill the Gays" B...: In addition to yesterday's post about the "Kill the Gays" bill in Uganda, there are excellent Youtube videos of MSNBC's Rachel Maddow's interview with David Bahati, the author of the bill. These are from last year when David Bahati came to the USA to try to find understanding among the Americans (as in, educating USA about the necessity of this bill).

(Please click the Hop Against Homophobia link above to see the videos).

Hop Against Homophobia: Witch Hunt in Uganda: "Kill the Gays"

Free stock photo by Jason Aaberg.
I'm re-blogging this message from the Hop Against Homophobia site. Please, please go there and sign the petitions to prevent this bill from passing - or if it passes, to take action against Uganda to try to force them to change their minds.
Hop Against Homophobia: Witch Hunt in Uganda: "Kill the Gays": ... a horrible bill is being pushed through the Ugandan Parliament and is expected to go into effect this December. They call it a Christmas gift to the Ugandan nation. The bill's been referred to as "Kill the Gays". This is not only terrible, horrible news for the LGBT community, but also disastrous to humanity and human rights.
...

Death penalty:
- to repeat offenders of homosexuals acts- to people who engage in homosexual acts with a minor- to people who are suspected of "aggravated homosexuality" and have HIV
Prison sentence:
- to those suspected of homosexual activity- to those who do not report homosexual activity within 24 hours- to those suspected of "promoting" homosexuality- to anyone who aids and/or abets a homosexual (e.g. renting to a homosexual)
In addition:
- all people suspected of homosexual activity and arrested must undergo HIV testing.- former residents suspected of homosexuality may be extradited and sentenced.
That's a witch hunt!

Black Friday Hop: SWAG

Oh no! Now that I have actual SWAG of my own, I'm going to be giving some away with every contest!


It's Black Friday in America, which is supposedly a day when everyone goes nuts to buy Christmas presents at lowered prizes. Until last year, I hadn't even heard of this day. Then I read a blog post by someone on how to organize your Black Friday (preferably starting a week before) to get the most out of it and to beat the crowds. As I'm very interested in marketing and marketing behavior, I sat glued to my screen, amazed at how this person had everything down to a point. She and her three friends did this together, each going to X shops to buy Y things for whichever of the four wanted stuff from that store (it was all carefully marked down on paper - with images and all). So with all four of them spread over, showing up veeery early, they managed to cover a lot of ground before noon. This sounds like a lot of fun. If there's anything I love more than shopping, it's shopping in the USA. But this also sounds exhausting. I assume you have to watch your shopping cart (if there's even room for one) or people will just take things from it. Anyway, I don't have the link to this particular blog, but I found this instead: 10 Rules of Black Friday Shopping.
So, what am I doing today aside from giving stuff away? Hoping to find crazy deals on ebooks ^.^
So, here's the deal. This hop is ONLY for today, November 23rd. I'm giving away a choice of one of my College Fun and Gays books (winner's pick - Little Stalker included, as I expect it'll be released today) along with SWAG to one winner. The SWAG pack is international (since I'm shipping from Iceland anyway). You are, of course, allowed to decline the SWAG pack if it'll only end up in your trash bin once it arrives 'cause you only wanted the ebook ;P
What you need to do to enter the contest is to leave a comment with your email address, so I can reach you. The winner will be randomly picked, posted, and contacted the day after the hop. 
But there's more!! There are grand prizes :D 
1st Grand Prize: A Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet2nd Grand Prize: A $75 Amazon or B&N Gift Card3rd Grand Prize: A Swag Pack that contains paperbacks, ebooks, 50+ bookmarks, cover flats, magnets, pens, coffee cozies, and more!

The first and third prizes are USA only - but I'm sure it's okay if you have a friend in the USA to whom you can have it sent. Remember, the more Black Friday blogs you comment on, the more chances you have of winning (that's over 200 chances!). 
Please, if you're only commenting to increase your chances of winning the grand prizes - which is something you're totally entitled to do - please ask me not to include you in my personal giveaway so that the people who are actually interested in my books/SWAG will have more chance of winning. Thanks :)
If you ARE interested in my books/blog, here are a few ways you can follow me (this is not necessary to take part in the giveaway!): Google Friends Connect to your right, Newsletter, Facebook, Twitter (not terribly active on Twitter though, but I'm very active on Facebook). If you want to sample my writing, here's a free-read: Half-Baked Promises.
Anyway, happy hopping!