Liv Rancourt's Blog, page 11

Stormbringer by Alis Franklin

This week I've got an amazing line-up of guest posts, starting with this interview by Alis Franklin. I read and reviewed Alis's book Liesmith a year or so ago, and I was tremendously excited to get my hands on the sequel Stormbringer. It's a worthy follow-up , and I'll link to my review when I get it done. In the meantime, I'm thrilled that Alis was willing to answer my interview questions...


InterviewWhat’s the most compelling thing about Stormbringer, the thing that’s kept your butt in the chair through hours of writing and revising?
Deadlines, hah!

More seriously, I wanted to explore the idea of what it's like for the "bad guys" in SFF stories. I was a big Blizzard fangirl growing up, and one of the things they started to do in their video games in the mid- to late-90s, was deconstruct the idea of the faceless, disposable Always Chaotic Evil horde of monsters. Because in Blizzard games, the player gets to play as Warcraft's orcs (who are, well, orcs) and Starcraft's zerg (alien space locusts). Which means the narrative in those games has to give the orcs and the zerg things like culture and personality and motivations, and these have to go beyond the KILL ALL HUMANS used in media with "traditional" protagonists like lost kings and space marines. That stuck with me as a kid, and I think once you've seen this sort of humanising (for want of a better word), it becomes hard to go back to taking the Bad Guy Horde at face value.

Deconstructions like this aren't new or unique, but I've noticed there seems to be a recent proliferation of media that feature simplistic Good Guys vs. Bad Guys, "they hate us for our freedoms" style conflicts. I'm talking films like Pacific Rim and The Avengers, that show a sentient alien Other invading Earth, usually for reasons that are never explored much beyond "because they're evil!". Worse, these narratives often laud the mass (nuclear) genocide of said Other as a moral and heroic act. That's not a plotline I'm comfortable with, particularly when it seems to pop up over and over and over again.

So I guess Stormbringer is a reaction to that. In the book, the core conflict is about a group of heroes on a quest to retrieve a magic hammer before an undead horde and a monster army destroys their home. At least, that's the story they think they're in. Other characters have different ideas, not least the said undead horde and monster armies themselves...

One of the things I liked best about Liesmith was its basis in Norse Mythology. What’s the appeal of that particular set of gods and goddesses for you?
I grew up in a place called the Woden Valley, and when I was about thirteen or fourteen, I discovered Woden is an alternate name for Odin, the Norse Allfather. I thought that was pretty cool, so became a voracious collector of other trivia about the Norse myths. The more I learned, the more I realised almost all Western fantasy fiction is built on the Norse sagas, which come down to us via Tolkien. Tolkien, of course, put his own spin on the old myths, influenced by his own religious and cultural beliefs. A similar thing happened to the Vikings. Our knowledge there comes filtered through Christian and Muslim scholars to the point where even the name "Viking" would be have been considered offensive to the Vikings themselves! Unpacking all those assumptions makes for fascinating worldbuilding, I think.
Clutter or quiet? Describe your perfect writing situation.
Anywhere I can be alone. In public is fine, so long as I can have my back against a wall. Nothing freaks me out more than the notion people might be looking at my screen over my shoulder!

OMG I know! I once tried to write a naughty scene on an airplane sitting between my two besties. Did. Not. Work.
I’ve only been to Australia once – a short 2 weeks in Melbourne – but the food amazed me. Do you prefer making your own dinner or dining out, and what special treat do you miss most when you’re away from home?
My husband and I are massive, massive DINKed-up foodies, with an addiction to Michelin stars. We've also recently moved into the local hipster restaurant district, so we have a wide variety of good eats to choose from, all within walking distance.

Cooking I go hot and cold on. I like it, but I don't like having to do it every day as a chore between my day job and writing. My mum's also an exceptional cook--we eat at her place every Saturday--so it's hard to live up to her legacy in that regard.

I get quite a few people complaining to me that they get hungry when reading the Wyrd books, and, well. All I can say is that there's a reason for that!

What’s next on your horizon? Describe your current WIP(s) or other upcoming project.
At the moment, the Big One is working on the next book in the Wyrd series. This one's set back in the Really Real World, and sees Lain travelling to Melbourne to hunt down a killer meme. It's a much "smaller" story than Stormbringer . The problem is more local and there are less characters, but it introduces a bit more about how the Wyrdverse works, and the relationship between mortals and Wyrdborn, and between Wyrdborn and each other.

It's also a good opportunity to show a side of Australia I don't think gets much airplay to non-Australian audiences. Stereotypes about the outback and crocodiles are great and all (#sarcasm), but the vast majority of Australians live lives as divorced from that as New Yorkers do from people living in rural Texas. So Stormbringer was about subverting a bunch of tropes common in epic fantasy, then its sequel is about subverting some common ideas about Australia. Which is a lot harder in some respects, I think, so... wish me luck!


That sounds SO COOL! I'm already looking forward to your next book. Thanks so much for the interview, Alis, and all the best with the release of Stormbringer!

HERE's a link to Stormbringer on Amazon, and HERE's a link to Liesmith on Amazon.



Bio
Alis Franklin is a thirtysomething Australian author of queer urban fantasy. She likes cooking, video games, Norse mythology, and feathered dinosaurs. She's never seen a live drop bear, but stays away from tall trees, just in case.

A product of the early 80s, Alis grew up in Canberra, Australia, in a place called the Woden Valley. The mythology theme would prove prophetic, with Alis spending most of her awkward teenage years buried inside a copy of Cassell's Dictionary of Norse Myth and Legend, inflicting various Norse-themed plots onto her incredibly tolerant Werewolf: the Apocalypse group.

Despite spending a childhood insisting she was going to grow up to be an "author and illustrator", at college Alis accidentally a whole interest in computer programming instead. This resulted in an ill-conceived attempt to enroll in Computer Science/Law at university.

The Law degree didn't stick, and Alis replaced it with Political Science in second year, earning herself two "unscience" degrees. She also managed to accrue a husband, and they currently live together in a house far too small for the number of computers it holds.

Catch up with Alis HERE on her website and blog...

King Stud

Available from 

Amazon - Evernight Publishing - ARe - Barnes and Noble 

I'll be back with an actual post when the dust settles. Cheers...

Release Day! Vexed by Wren Michaels

Thanks for sharing in the release of my first full-length novel! I hope you enjoy reading about Kena and Luc as much as I enjoyed writing them. There's plenty of action, adventure, romance, and Vodou for everyone!




I did a little Q&A about the book:

Q) How did you dream up the dynamics of your characters? 

Originally the story was going to be completely different when I wrote the first 5000 words or so of the book. But after I came back from the 2014 Romantic Times convention in New Orleans, I was inspired to write something with a Vodou/NOLA flair. So the book took a twist and became so much more than I ever imagined. I wanted a strong heroine and an alpha male. But Luc ended up being more of an Alpha/Beta blend. He's not really one or the other. He's quite complex. Kena ended up being a witty heroine who took things into her own hands.

Q) Do you have any habits that get you in the writing frame of mind? 

Music is my biggest influence. I listened to mainly instrumental gaming soundtracks while writing. But one of my Critique Partners burned me a CD of music she thought would be perfect for this book, and it was filled with great songs by The Black Keys, Rolling Stones, Zepplin, Jack White and Muse. It ended up really making scenes come alive for me.

Q) How much real life do you put into or influences your books? 

In this book I tried to make the characters reflect their Vodou based deities. I did take some artistic liberties and spun a few things, but I did a lot of research to make sure a lot of the intricacies of their actual descriptions and quirks made it into the story.

 
Blurb
Vodou stole her life. A gay ghost stole her boots. And the man who stole her heart stole her memories. Kena plans to get it all back.
Ex-cop Kena's life is filled with regret, beer, and Cheetos. That is, until her ghostly roomie sends her dumpster diving, leading her to a sexy stranger named Luc and a fate she'd rather not remember. As Kena's memories resurface, so do her feelings for Luc, the man she's secretly been in love with for the last thousand years. And he needs her for more than a stroll down memory lane.
Vodou spirits, known as Loa, have been trapped in human form, and are trying to make their way back to the spirit world. But Luc's brother is possessed by a vengeance demon conjured at the hands of NOLA's crime syndicate kingpin. Saving him means damning herself to a spirit prison in a loveless, arranged union with the very man she's supposed to rescue. But not helping Luc's brother sentences him to death, leaving New Orleans in the hands of black magick, and losing Luc forever.




After stripping out of the wet clothes, I wrapped the towel around myself and wandered out to his room. On the bed lay a white long-sleeve button-down shirt. With a hard swallow, I dropped the towel and picked up the shirt, pulling it to my face. I took a long, hard sniff. Laundry detergent. Of course. Did I think it would smell like him?
Like he'd give you a dirty shirt to wear, Kena.
Thankful he didn't witness me in idiot-mode, I slid myself into the shirt and was caught mid-button when he knocked at the door.
“Are you decent?” He pushed the door open a crack.
“I'm clothed, if that's what you mean. Decent is debatable at the moment.” Purposely leaving the top three buttons undone, I worked my way to the bottom button as he walked in.
He halted mid-stride and looked at me. His chest rose and fell in quick spurts, training his eyes over me from head to toe. Veins traversed the length of his arm as he clenched his fists at his sides. “I don't wear underwear, so I apologize I have no bottoms. It's all I had that was long enough to cover you.” His position relaxed as he leaned against the mahogany armoire.
“Anything's better than cold, sopping-wet clothes.” I ran a finger through my hair, now slowly drying into loose stringy curls.
“So, are you going to tell me what happened tonight?” Folding his arms across his broad chest, bulging muscles stretched the navy-blue fabric barely covering his biceps. I shook my head. “Not until I get some honesty from you, big guy.”
With a tilt of his head, he donned a sly grin. “You haven't asked the right questions.”
“Is this a game for you? Do you enjoy messing with people's lives? Do you get off on some fucked-up high being in total control?” My fingernails burrowed into the palm of my hand. Everything in me wanted to slap the shit out of him and then ride him like a cowboy.
He pushed off the dresser and walked over to me, lowering his head coming to a stop inches from my face. “You're the one in control and yet you refuse to acknowledge it. You refuse to let your mind accept it. Stop playing and start being.”
“What do you want from me?” I yelled, a little louder than intended.
“I want you to be you. I want you to”—he stopped and dropped his gaze to my lips, and then slowly made his way back up to my eyes—“come back.”
“Kiss me.” The words rushed from my lips without another thought. My heart hammered so hard in my chest I thought it would shatter my rib cage.
His breathing quickened. A low growl rumbled in his throat. “Don't do this to me, Kena.”
“Don't do what? You're the one doing things to me.” I slammed my hands against his chest and he sailed across the room, his back hitting the dresser behind him. “Shit! I'm sorry.” I reached out for him with a trembling hand.
Fuck, I’d done it again.
He shook his head and straightened himself up. In a blur of movement, he shot across the room and grabbed onto either side of my shirt, yanking me up to his face. “You want me to kiss you?”
“Yes,” I said in more of whooshing sound than a word.
He pressed his lips against my neck and his fingers curled into the fabric of the shirt, pulling me onto my tiptoes. “You don't even know who I am.”
“I don't care.” Words no longer made sense to me, only his touch spoke a language I could understand.
He laughed as he pushed me against the wall. Gripping the back of my head with the entire palm of his hand, he splayed the other across my cheek, his thumb resting against my jawline. Tilting my head back, he hovered his lips over mine. “You will.”
His lips crushed against my mouth.
With a sweep of his tongue, he devoured me into a kiss the likes of which I've never experienced before in my life. He punished my mouth with his tongue, sliding it over mine in a delicious dance of ecstasy and aggression. His hold on me was not that of violence, but of passion. The way his fingertips eased against my face, yet held me there as if he was scared to let go, revealed a vulnerability. He may be a man of few words who knew how to play the vague card, but his body and actions gave him away.
I arched into him, and he pinned me back against the wall with his hip. Clawing at his shirt, I ripped it out of his jeans and slid my fingers over his heated skin. A surge of energy rushed my fingertips as they glided along his body, electrifying me.
“Fuck, Kena,” he hissed, pulling back from the kiss.
In a movement so fast it blurred everything around me, he shot out the door, slamming it behind him. He left me gasping, clinging to the wall behind me just to remain standing. My legs wobbled like Jell-O as I stumbled to the bed and collapsed. He sucked all the air from my body and replaced it with an ache, a driving need for more of him. What the hell was he?


Amazon | All Romance eBooks | Evernight Publishing | Book Strand | Smashwords | Barnes & Noble



Wren Michaels hails from the frozen tundra of Wisconsin where beer and cheese are their own food groups. But a cowboy swept her off her feet and carried her away below the Mason-Dixon line, where she promptly lost all tolerance for snow and cold. They decided they'd make beautiful babies together and they got it right on the first try. Now Wren lives happily ever after in the real world and in the worlds of her making, where she creates book boyfriends for the masses to crave.Facebook | Twitter | Amazon Page | Website | Tsu |

Friday Fiction - The Ring Toss Pt. 9

A last-minute change lands Mack in a long white dress, but can she commit?
The last banana! The end of the trail! The Grand Finale! Here's where Mack learns whether she can put on the white dress without flipping out. If you've been waiting till the end to start reading, here are the links to Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 -  Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8. Check 'em out and then come back, okay?

Mack's been cast to play a bridesmaid in an equity-waiver production of "Something Borrowed, Something Blue", but at the last minute she's upgraded to the role of Brittney, The Bride. It's a tough gig for a woman with a wedding phobia, especially since her boyfriend Joe's not around to talk her off the ledge.Or is he....?


The Play – Something Borrowed, Something Blue: A Bachelorette’s Adventure

Director: Dusty SquiresAssistant to the Director: Donald Loudemilk

Cast:Brittney (the bride): Mackenzie ReedMara (the maid of honor): Geneva LouiseKenley (the bride’s sister): Dusty SquiresCaitlyn (the bridesmaid): Cheyenne MillerSalvatore (the stripper): Julio LorenzePete (the groom): Julio Lorenze
There were way too many people for a dress rehearsal. I walked slowly, keeping time with Here Comes the Bride and trying not to trip over my hem or stare blatantly at the crowd. Some of the faces were familiar, theater people, friends and acquaintances.

Julio stood with his back to me, facing an imaginary pastor. Or priest. Maybe a shaman. I could be flexible. I kept moving forward, looking from Dusty, to Cheyenne, to my new friend Geneva. They smiled like they would at a real bride. Well, Cheyenne smiled at me when she wasn’t glancing over at Dusty. All the people in the audience had turned in their seats to watch my progress, the rustle of their clothes and squeaks from the chairs barely audible over the trumpet and organ blasting out of the sound system.

The crew had constructed a set of risers that were sturdier than anything else in the building. I just had to navigate the four steps up and act out my wedding—in front of a crowd of people. I was good with that.

When I got to the center stage, the music quieted and a hush fell over the room. Geneva reached out and snatched the bouquet from my hand. I barely noticed, because Julio was turning around.

And he was Joe.

Though it wasn’t in the script, I threw myself into his arms.

“Hey Mackie.”

“You’re an idiot,” I whispered into his ear.

“Love you too, babe.”

I found his lips with mine and neither of us spoke for a while. Even though he had only been gone two weeks, I was sure two lifetimes had passed since I’d seen him last. His salty-spearmint taste and the softness of his rowdy curls under my fingertips helped loosen something in me that had been tied up in knots ever since he left.

I was barely aware of the applause around me. When the noise finally sank in, I stepped back. The other actors onstage were all wrapped in sparkling smiles. Candi appeared with an arm around Dusty’s shoulders, and Julio was off to the side in his jeans and white chaps, clapping wildly. Even Donald had come down from the light board and was grinning up at us from the apron of the stage. Joe brought my attention back to him by putting a hand under my chin.

“Now this isn’t just some practical joke, Mackie,” he said, projecting so he could be heard in the back of the hall.

Oh. Crap. He was going to propose.

“You said you wouldn’t ask me again.”

He dropped down on one knee with a lipstick-smeared grin on his face that nailed me in the heart. “I lied.”

“What?”

He wrapped up my hand in his. “Mackenzie Lynn Reed, will you marry me?”

“No shit?”

“Mackie.”

“Wait. You have to stand up.”

“What?”

“Just stand up, okay?”

Joe stood, his devilish smile a mix of humor and exasperation.

I reached for his hands, interlacing our fingers and holding his eyes with mine. “Yes, Joseph Timothy McBride, I will marry you.” I tugged his hands toward my waist and, without much more encouragement, I was back in his arms. This time the applause around us was much louder.





It turned out Joe told Dusty he’d be able to come home for the weekend and wanted to surprise me. Their original plan was to interrupt the wedding rehearsal with an impromptu engagement. They were still working out the details when Candi got the commercial, giving Dusty the brilliant idea of casting me as Brittney. After that, things had all fallen into place.
And I was right. The whole theater was full of other carneys, friends of ours who worked in television and movies. They’d planned the mother of all engagement parties for right after the show. Joe told me privately my text message wedding-talk had actually been more effective than I’d known, prompting him to buy the antique diamond and ruby ring he saw in a New Orleans shop. It has three stones—a ruby for our past, a ruby for our future, and a lovely round diamond for right now. It’s the prettiest thing I’ve ever seen.

So now I’m planning a real wedding. Candi will be a bridesmaid and so will Geneva. Cheyenne’s in charge of hair and make-up and I’ve asked my friend Shauna to come down from Seattle to be my maid of honor. If her infant daughter were a little older, Joe and I would make her our flower girl. However, after so many years we don’t want to wait long enough for her to learn to walk. And all this wedding planning has given me a bunch of new ideas. I’m totally going to write a musical version of Something Borrowed, Something Blue: A Bachelorette’s Adventure. I’ll call it Bachelorette! And someone else will play the bride.

 I really appreciate all of you who have followed along and I hope you enjoyed Mack's latest adventure. Thanks very much!
Cheers!
Liv

Coming Soon: King Stud!

Genre: Contemporary RomancePublisher: EvernightLength: 300 pages



So just last night I learned the release date for King Stud will be Thursday, July 16th. Woot! I'm pretty darned excited for this event, and to warm everybody up, I thought I'd share the cover because it's SO COOL! I love the cover art created for Evernight by their artist Jay Aheer, and what she came up with for King Stud just blows me away. 
As soon as I have more information - like links to where you can get your own copy and possibly a blog tour - I'll let you know. Until then, enjoy the pretty pictures (and the excerpt)!


Blurb
Danielle’s got three months to make her Grandmother’s rundown Craftsman house livable. Her game plan is to get in, get grubby, and get back home to L.A. She needs a carpenter, and her best friend’s younger brother is a good one. It’s hard to ignore the buffed body under Ryan’s paint-splattered sweatshirts, but her friend declares he’s off-limits so Danielle reluctantly agrees. 

Ryan doesn’t have the cleanest record, anyway. His recently ex-ed girlfriend wants him back, and he has a reputation for brawling. He’s also had a crush on Danielle since he was a kid. Despite their nine-year age difference, he knows she’s worth pursuing.
Soon the paint under Danielle’s fingernails starts feeling more natural than the L.A. sunshine. She’ll have to navigate plumbing disasters, money problems, and one seriously cranky best friend to find something she hasn’t had before: a real home, and a man who loves her.




Excerpt
A pair of headlights streaked across the front window, interrupting her bid war. A minute later, heavy footsteps crossed the porch. Then someone knocked hard on the door.

She jerked out of the chair, her confusion exacerbated by the heavy pounding of her heart. No one should be here. The door rattled like someone was messing with the lock. She made a sound halfway between a bleat and a scream when the door opened.

Ryan came in. "Hey, you're here," he said, dimples flaring.

"What are you doing? You scared the shit out of me.” She braced herself on the table, pulling in a deep lungful of air.

He just stood grinning at her, hands in his pockets, curls gelled into something close to order. The laptop streamed soft music that all of a sudden sounded romantic, and she panicked, hoping he wouldn’t get the wrong idea.

“Glad you think this is funny,” she said.

 “I thought you’d be out with Maeve.” He held up his hands, calming her, placating her. She really wanted those hands touching her.

Down girl.

“I just had to finish up a couple things.” She straightened up and rested her knuckles on her hips. Instead of his usual worn jeans and tee shirt, he was dressed in black pants and a light blue button-down shirt that looked like silk and made his eyes crazy bright. His tie was navy and he'd changed out his usual UW hoodie for a black leather jacket. "You look … um…"

"Company Christmas party." He spoke too quickly, like there was something going on under the surface.

"You should be out hanging with your crew." And not here torturing me.

"I need to take the clamps off those cabinets I glued up."

The expression on his face had nothing to do with carpentry. He took a couple steps toward the dining room, then veered over to where she stood, moving fast. She fell back, carried by his wave of energy, and in seconds he had her up against the wall, his hands bracketing her head, his hips pressed tight to hers.

"Ryan, no. What are you…"

He covered her mouth with his fingers. "Sh. Just let me be close to you for a minute."

She tipped her chin up and his fingers slid down her neck, stopping when his thumb hit the hollow at the base of her throat and his strong hand cradled her shoulder. He rocked forward, resting his mouth against her forehead.

She stood still, caught up in the heat of his breath on her skin and the soft woodsy smell of his aftershave.

"I know I'm not supposed to do this, Dani."

The scratch of lips against skin made her mouth water. "It's … okay. Just … we shouldn't."

His head turned and lowered. He meant to kiss her. If he succeeded, there was no way she'd stop. She wanted him so, so bad. He cupped her face with both hands, pinning her.

Crap.

His mouth closed over hers like the final piece of a puzzle dropping into place. She stilled, time stopped, the universe paused. She didn’t push him away.

Sometimes not choosing becomes its own choice.

Instead, she reached up and grabbed the collar of his silk shirt and hauled him closer. This was what she wanted. To hell with all the arguments against it.

He shoved a thigh between her legs, and his hands grew rougher, grabbing her hair to change the angle of her head. He tasted of mint and gum and beer. The heat rose between them, and oh my God she wanted it. Wanted him. He pulled back, flicked her lips with his tongue. The sound she made was nearly a sob. She drove her hands under his leather coat and pulled his shirt free. When her fingertips reached the warm, velvety skin of his lower back she almost sobbed again.

His kiss got harder, rugged, more demanding, and his hands dragged her ass closer still. Her body lit up, her core turning to liquid flame. He got under her sweatshirt, kneading her breasts. Her head rocked back against the wall and her laughter swirled out under the exquisite torture of his hands on her nipples. His lips and tongue mauled her ear and down her neck, and she keened a victory sound, tiny and high-pitched, her hips rocking slowly against the growing bulge in his groin.

She went to work on the buttons down the front of his shirt, ready to indulge in exploring his muscular chest, but he wrapped her hands in his and shifted his weight away from her.

When he spoke, his voice was rough, heavy. "I'm sorry." He turned slowly, moving like a man three times his age. "Jesus, I know you don’t want … I'm sorry, Dani."

She let the wall support most of her weight, breathing hard, all that warm liquidy goodness turning to ice. Her sweatshirt rode up around her ribs and her bra was off kilter. She tugged everything back into place, embarrassment verging on mortification washing over her. Why the hell did he stop? He'd acted on an impulse she felt just as surely as he did. Then he tipped forward a little, unsteady, almost losing his balance, and she put the pieces together. "How much did you have to drink tonight?"

He scrubbed his face with his hands. "A bit."

"A bit too much." She punched his shoulder. He reached out like he would gather her in for a hug, but she sidestepped him. "None of that, now. Let me get my stuff together then I'm going to drive you home."

"Nah, I'm fine."

"Um, right. Give me your keys."

After a brief staring match, he flipped his car keys in her direction. She'd seen pain in his eyes, hiding behind a whole boatload of frustration.

All emotions she could relate to.

Guest post with Iris Blobel

I THINK I LOVE YOU by Iris Blobel★★★ NOW LIVE ★★★AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1R9v4KSAMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1KvQY73AMAZON AU: http://bit.ly/1NzVfEn
I THINK I LOVE YOUAuthor: Iris Blobel
Series: Australian Sports Series #3
Publisher: Limitless Publishing
★★★ SYNOPSIS ★★★Markus DeLeon and Sarah Winter’s lives couldn’t be more different… 
After three years away as the goalkeeper for an English soccer club, Markus has been happy to be back in Australia. He’d missed his family and friends, including Sarah. He’s known her since childhood, and often protected her from the teasing of other children and the troubling consequences of a broken home. 
When they attend their friends’ wedding, a new light is cast on their friendship… 
Sarah is fresh out of a bad relationship, and Markus has always been the one she can confide in. Maybe it’s the magic of the wedding—or how stunning he looks in a tux—but the attraction between them intensifies in ways they’d never imagined. 
But sometimes when risking what you have, you might lose everything… 
Following a passionate encounter, Markus isn’t sure how to handle this new aspect of his relationship with Sarah, and literally flees the scene for the coast. Sarah is unsure how to react to his sudden departure, but is soon knocked off course by misunderstandings and a frightening family emergency. 
Markus realises his mistake and wants to make things right, but he also faces obstacles. He’s been offered an exciting new job, and an attractive newcomer to the neighbourhood is eager to claim his attention, though the last thing Markus needs is another confusing relationship. 
Can Sarah and Markus face the fear and doubt—and the potential loss of their lifelong friendship—to give their love a chance?

★★★ PURCHASE LINKS ★★★AMAZON US: http://amzn.to/1R9v4KSAMAZON UK: http://amzn.to/1KvQY73AMAZON AU: http://bit.ly/1NzVfEn
★ AUSTRALIAN SPORTS STARS SERIES ★Book 1: LOVE WILL FIND YOU: http://amzn.to/1f5Eqq7 - Currently FREE!Book 2: LET ME LOVE YOU: http://amzn.to/1GRPZbc


★★★ MEET THE AUTHOR ★★★IRIS BLOBELIris Blobel was born and raised in Germany and only immigrated to Australia in the late 1990s. Having had the travel bug most of her life, Iris spent quite some time living in Scotland, London as well as Canada where she her husband. Her love for putting her stories onto paper has only emerged recently, but now her laptop is a constant companion.
Iris resides west of Melbourne with her husband and her two beautiful daughters.
Next to her job at a private school, she also presents a German Program at the local Community Radio.
Social Media Links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/IrisBlobelTwitter: https://twitter.com/_iris_bGoodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4067254.Iris_Blobel

Friday Fiction - The Ring Toss Pt 8

A last-minute change lands Mack in a long white dress, but can she commit?
Only one post after this one! If you're just stumbling over my blog, you can read the earlier installments here: Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 -  Part 5 - Part 6 - Part 7. 

Mack's been cast to play a bridesmaid in an equity-waiver production of "Something Borrowed, Something Blue", but at the last minute she's upgraded to the role of Brittney, The Bride. It's a tough gig for a woman with a wedding phobia, especially since her boyfriend Joe's not around to talk her off the ledge. And who knew dancing with a stripper could cause such angst?

The Play – Something Borrowed, Something Blue: A Bachelorette’s Adventure

Director: Dusty SquiresAssistant to the Director: Donald Loudemilk

Cast:Brittney (the bride): Mackenzie ReedMara (the maid of honor): Geneva LouiseKenley (the bride’s sister): Dusty SquiresCaitlyn (the bridesmaid): Cheyenne MillerSalvatore (the stripper): Julio LorenzePete (the groom): Julio Lorenze


And then came the scene Geneva and I had rehearsed in the dressing room, the one where Brittney starts out crying. Funny thing about those tears. This time they were real. I managed to tamp them down enough to get through the lines at the end, but when I hit the wings it was Niagara Falls time. I ran through the backstage area, dodging people and equipment like some high school running back. I didn’t stop until I hit the back door.

Outside in the dark humidity, I pressed my knuckles up against my eye sockets as I fought for control. I tried hard not to rub so I wouldn’t smear my mascara too badly. The big eyes of the dark-skinned cartoon lady stared down at me from the brick wall. I loved Joe. I really did. I just didn’t know how to let him know I was ready to get married. I was such a loser.

I’d only been sitting a couple minutes when the door behind me swung open. I bit my lower lip hard and swallowed. “I’ll be back in a minute.”

“It’s okay, Mack. You’ve got time. There’s still the big catfight between Kenley and Caitlyn to get through.”

Geneva. Crap. Like she was going to help a lot. “I always enjoyed that one.”

“Probably because you got to beat on Cheyenne.” Geneva came and stood next to me, her silk skirt swirling around our feet like a puddle of rain.

“Having Dusty out there as Kenley adds a layer of complexity, you know?”

“Yeah, I can’t even think about it too hard.”

I laughed despite myself.

“That was pretty intense,” Geneva said.

Part of me wanted to ask what she thought she was doing, and the other part wanted to get back to crying. “I wasn’t sure how to play it.”

“Honesty’s usually good.”

“Maybe next time, though, I’ll try to keep from bleeding all over the stage.” I carefully ran a fingertip under my eyelashes, wiping away the tears.

Now it was Geneva’s turn to laugh. “You’re fun to play off of, you know?”

“Thanks. Back atcha.”

“And I hope you and Joe get married some day.”

What? Was she psychic too? “Um…yeah…well…”

“Sorry, kitten. I don’t mean to get all weird on you.” She stopped and sighed. “I was in love with him too, and I still want him to be happy. He deserves the kind of thing I have with Mike, and if he wants it with you, well, do the math.”

I shifted my weight so we were facing each other. The headlights of a passing car illuminated her perfect silhouette. “You’re awfully generous.”

She put a hand on my shoulder. “Joe’s a great guy.”

“He’s the best and I’m an idiot. He’s already asked me twice. He says he’s not going to ask me again.” The words sounded even stupider out loud than in my head.

“So ask him.” Geneva, Queen of Simplicity.

“I don’t know how.” I might have been wailing.

Geneva pulled me gently into a hug. “Just ask.”

The door popped open and Donald stuck out his head sweaty, bald head. “You girls need to get into your dresses.”

Geneva smiled. Okay, so she was gorgeous and talented and nice. And I couldn’t hate her. Somehow saying the words out loud had shaken something loose. As I went back into the theater, I knew I could “just ask” Joe the very next time I saw him.




A minute later I was back in the dressing room. The strapless black dress was in a heap on the floor and the other girls were pulling on their fluffy, fuchsia bridesmaids’ dresses. As I reached for my costume, a polyester lace bridal gown someone had found at a second-hand store, Julio walked in. He'd pulled off the blond wig and his dark curls were damp with sweat.

We still couldn't speak because the audience would hear us. He bowed his head in my direction, giving me a smile with enough embarrassment in it I was relieved rather than angry. I picked up the apology in his body language and smiled to show him it was accepted and returned. Julio nodded again then headed toward the back of the room. He looked better with brown hair. The blond wig made him dangerous.

And it was just as well Joe hadn’t seen our near-miss-kiss. As actors, this kind of thing went with the territory so it shouldn't be an issue.

 Sure.

There was a new text message on my phone.

You're going to look lovely in white.

I didn't know how to respond. Joe must have been keeping track somehow and guessed we were getting ready for the final scene. I pulled the tacky white dress over my head and Geneva came around behind me to zip it up. She grinned at me and headed out to the wings with the rest of the bridal party. Everyone else would be onstage as I processed in through the audience.

I stuck the “real” costume veil on my head and scurried around to the back of the theater. 

Can she do it? Even for the purposes of her "art"? Can Mackenzie really play the bride? You'll have to check back next week to find out...
Cheers!
Liv

Ten Things About Minnesota

Every year or two my husband's family gets together for a reunion. We've traveled to Texas and New Hampshire and Aspen, Colorado and Monroe, WA. I missed the cousin's wedding on the edge of the Grand Canyon, but my husband went. Two years ago they all gathered in Maine, but we had to pass on that one, too. We're talking San Francisco next. 
And this year? We went to Minneapolis - with a side trip for one night up on the Boundary Waters in Ely.
Lake Animagnet - Burnsville, MN
The stated purpose was a memorial service for my husband's uncle, who passed away last year, which was lovely and sad-sweet. But I had my own agenda, of course. I've never been in that part of the world, and was really curious about what the middle of the country looked like, you know?
I found water. Lots and lots of water, in the form of about seventy million lakes. All of them surrounded by birch trees. From the air, Minnesota must look like dark green swiss cheese with blue holes. 
Okay, that was a weird image. Shake it off. Anywhoodle, while I was there, I made the following observations. Use them to guide your next Great Lakes excursion...


The view from a canoe - Boundary Waters - Ely, MN

1.  The drivers have personal space issues. Like, the first hint you get that someone wants you go change lanes is when they come right up on your bumper. And once you get out of their way, they're likely to skim your front end when they get back in your lane. Freaked me right out, and I wasn't even driving.
2.  This place is so clean even the public restrooms smell good. Seriously. I think I saw ONE Coke can on the side of the road the whole time we were there, and even the skanky little highway gas station facilities didn't make me feel like I needed a total body wash after using them.

Prettiest highway shoulder in the world - Burnsville, MN
Close-up of the flowers. These look familiar, but I'm not sure what they are.

3.  The cattails look like they're topped with toasted marshmallows. Or maybe that's because I threw Weight Watchers to the wind for the length of our stay, and ate whatever and whenever I wanted. I mean, what's the point of traveling to a new place if you can't taste what the locals have to offer. Wait, that might have sounded naughtier than I meant it to...

See? Don't you want to find a campfire?

4.  The whole thing with the white bark birch trees and snow. Monotonous much? Also, the trees are short. We figure it's because they can only grow for about 90 minutes every year, before winter starts up again. However, what they lack in drama they make up for with quantity.

South Farm Lake. We have taller trees in my
North Seattle neighborhood, but they have more of them.
5.  They know a little bit about beer, which surprised my Northwest Microbrew soul. On the plane flying in, the flight attendant offered us our choice of beers from the Surly Brewing Company. My husband chose the IPA. I chose a bloody mary, because what do Midwesterners know about beer? (I mean, Budweiser shouldn't count, right?) Turns out, they knew exactly how to make a good bottle of beer. With any luck, I'll find some of that Surly IPA out here in one of our specialty beer shops. Because yum.

6.  I survived the Mall of America and never have to go there again. I mean, did you ever want to sit sipping cocktails in a fine-dining, Asian-fusion restaurant at a table for fifteen, while you vibrate occasionally from the gentle surge of the roller coaster on the other side of the wall?

Didn't think so.

I'm throwing this one in here because I need some
peace and quiet after that last memory.
7.  There's a radio station that plays World Music on Sunday morning outside Duluth. Thank God. I was stuck in the car for five hours with a classic rock fan and a teenager, and there was a definite potential for violence if we hadn't discovered a station we could agree on.

8. We drove north out if Minneapolis, heading for Ely, and made it over 2 hours before we hit a hill. Now this was especially strange for someone from Seattle. I mean, there are two directions in my hometown: uphill and downhill. Seriously. Seattle bikers must have thighs of iron. My traveling companions agreed with me that in Minnesota, the sky was too big, and without a circle of mountains on the horizon, we felt way too exposed.

Not sure what these are either, but they're pretty.
9. Cheese is CHEAP in Minnesota, and you can get fried cheese curds, and we went to a grocery store with a smoker in the basement to make it's own beef jerky. Beer and cheese and jerky. I could live on that.

10. People here are genuinely nice, and not just in touristy places where their living depends on friendly. We didn't meet one grump the whole time we were there. I especially loved the host of our B&B up in Ely (the Blue Heron, in case you're in the neighborhood) who gave us a history lesson after breakfast one morning. I hope I get to go back there someday. For me, that one night in Ely set a new standard for peaceful.

Even the bananas were friendly...
Do you have vacation plans this summer? Even better, what are your favorite Minnesota memories?

Six Sexy Second Quarter Reads

So in the end of March, I made a post highlighting my favorite books for the first quarter of the year. Jump HERE to see it. Since I love recommending books to people, I figured I'd try it again. So here's a list of the books I think you should one-click right now! Because good stuff!

There's not an exact order to this list, although you'll notice there are two #1s. And that's because I loved both of them so much! Putting For Real at the top of the post does sort of imply it's my favorite-favorite, although my other favorite, Jackdaw, is so different it's almost impossible to compare the two. In the interest of expediency, I'm calling it a tie. So, without any more blathering, here are my six favorite books for April, May, and June...


1. For Real

This is one of the few books I've read that deals with the topic of BDSM as if real people might be involved in it, and not some class of weird sexual superheroes. For me, For Real is just about the perfect book. There are big ideas and small moments of tenderness, and an absolutely fantastic use of language. The way Alexis Hall weaves in bits of brilliance while keeping the story moving is astonishing. This is a book you could spend hours discussing with your friends - trust me, I have. It's about real people, about challenging expectations, and it's one of the most unique love stories I've ever read.




1. Jackdaw

My other #1 favorite story this quarter was Jackdaw by KJ Charles. It's the fourth book in her Charm of Magpies series, and the only one not to feature Stephen & Crane. They're there, but they're kind of the bad guys, which was fun. While the first three books in the series told a BIG story, with huge stakes and a romance for the ages, Jackdaw had a much narrower focus. This one's about two of the guys who got caught up in the BIG DRAMA from the previous book, how it tore them apart and how they eventually found their way back together.

And oh, you guys, the FEELS in this one. Jackdaw has so much heart, and so much sweetness. Jonah was one of the bad guys in the last book, but he redeems himself - and then some - here. The role-reversal (good to bad/bad to good) won't mean quite as much if you haven't read the other books (so jump HERE to get started with The Magpie Lord) but even without that background, this is an entertaining read.


3. Baked Fresh So this is the second of three books in Annabeth Albert's Portland Heat series, and while they're all good, this one was my favorite. (The other two are Served Hot and Delivered Fast.) I think the reason I liked this one the best was the chemistry between the heroes Vic & Robin, and the sensitive way the author dealt with the subject of homelessness and drug addiction among kids on the street. It's really easy to make an "issues" book feel like a school assignment - something that's good for you, but not all that fun to read - but this story flowed naturally. Vic and Robin are a little bit of an odd couple, but they totally work together, and I was so happy with the way their story unfolded. 



4. On A Lee Shore

I have recommended this book to all kinds of different people. Like YOU. Read it! On a Lee Shore is hands down the best historical I've read this quarter, maybe even this year. It's like they took the movie Master and Commander and made the Russell Crow and Paul Bettany characters gay. The details are gritty and real, and the voice is perfect for the time period. My friend Nan, who has read all the Patrick O'Brien "Master and Commander" novels, seconds my assessment of the voice. Elin Gregory nailed it, and she tells an entertaining story of pirates (and love!) on the high seas.




5. Clear Water

This one came highly recommended from on of the private Facebook pages I hang out on, and I'm SO happy I read it. Last year I read a different book by Amy Lane, and while it was entertaining, it didn't grip me the way Clear Water did. Both Patrick and Whiskey are tremendously sympathetic characters, and their journey to happiness felt real to me. There's a mystery-suspense subplot that worked fairly well, and the resolution ticked all my boxes. I love books that take me out of my regular old world, and this one had me spending lots of time on a houseboat on a hot summer's day. Too fun!





6. Jinn and Juice

Look! A Girl!!

Heh.

Jinn and Juice isn't the only m/f book I read this quarter, but it was absolutely the best! Nicole Peeler is a wizard at creating memorable characters and her dialogue rocks. This is the first in a new series set in Pittsburgh (of all places). Because of the 'first book' thing, there was a fair amount of world building, but it didn't bog the plot down at all, and I loved the way she integrated the setting into elements of the story. You'll have to read it to see what I mean, but this book could ONLY have been set in Pittsburgh. This one's all about the urban fantasy fun, with lots of hot teasing but no actual naughty bits. She's holding out on us for book 2, I guess.

There you have it! Six books that are well worth your reading time. I hope you one-click on at least a couple. Meanwhile, I've already started on next quarter with last nights read of Payback and Vertigo by Jordan Castillo Price. They're the first two books in her Channeling Morpheus series, and so far my only complaint is that I bought Payback as a single book. I didn't realize how short it is, and if you're interested in queer vampires having blazing hot sex, look for the whole five-book set. I guarantee you'll want to keep reading, but spending $2.99 for each book is fairly pricey when you can get all of them for $6.99.

Cheers!
Liv

If you've got a favorite recent read, leave a note in the comments...


I'm infatuated with this cover, ya'll...

Friday Fiction - The Ring Toss Pt. 7

A last-minute change lands Mack in a long white dress, but can she commit?

This week's installment gets a little hot, but it'll be hotter if you read the other bits first. Check out Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 -  Part 5 - Part 6 to catch up. 

Mack's been cast to play a bridesmaid in an equity-waiver production of "Something Borrowed, Something Blue", but at the last minute she's upgraded to the role of Brittney, The Bride. It's a tough gig for a woman with a wedding phobia, especially since her boyfriend Joe's not around to talk her off the ledge. In the last snippet, Mack had a little I-miss-Joe moment, gearing up for some bump & grind with Salvatore the Stripper...


The Play – Something Borrowed, Something Blue: A Bachelorette’s Adventure

Director: Dusty SquiresAssistant to the Director: Donald Loudemilk

Cast:Brittney (the bride): Mackenzie ReedMara (the maid of honor): Geneva LouiseKenley (the bride’s sister): Dusty SquiresCaitlyn (the bridesmaid): Cheyenne MillerSalvatore (the stripper): Julio LorenzePete (the groom): Julio Lorenze

From the light board, Donald flipped a switch, lowering the disco ball and starting the pulsing techno beat. The stage was done up like the private party room of a nightclub, with black walls, a fat couch, and several low ottomans scattered around. One section of the back wall had a large frame that held sheer, black fabric with flashing lights behind it. That was the window that looked onto the dance floor. Mara and Caitlyn were sitting side by side on the couch while Kenley and I were posed on either side of the window.

“Woot! We are ready to par-tay!” Mara bounced up off the couch and started to dance.

Caitlyn raised her glass in my direction. “Hey Brittney, you took your veil off.”

“Not okay, Britt. Where is it?” Mara scolded me.

I picked up the oversized clump of white tulle threaded with little flashing white lights from where I'd stuck it on the floor between two of the ottomans, and made a show of putting it back on my head.

“It sucks to be the bride, don’t it?” Kenley laughed as she spoke.

“Yeah… No. It’s cool. Sorry guys, I didn’t mean to take it off. It’s just hot in here.” It was easy to put energy behind that idea, with sweat washing the heavy make-up off my face and running between my breasts. I kept dancing until Mara and Kenley threw significant glances at each other.

Mara came over and put her arm around me. “You’ll be fine, you know.”

“What? The music’s too loud.” I pulled away from her and reached for my drink.Mara shook her head. “Our buddy Salvatore will be here any minute. He’ll take your mind off your nerves.”

The lights overhead started to strobe, which made Kenley’s reach for my arm look like more of a jerk. She swung me back and forth until we were both doing a weird robotic dance under the flashing lights. 

“Got a meetin’ in the ladies’ room…” Mara sang along with the music.

I had to laugh. “I swear you know the words to every song, Mara.”

 “…think you better watch your man…”

Thankfully the strobe lights stopped, which was our cue Salvatore had walked onstage. When we turned in his direction, he whipped off his black leather trench coat and threw it over the back of the couch. Mara approached him to shake his hand, passing him a small white envelope. He kissed her cheek.

“I’m so glad this worked into your schedule,” she said. “Come meet Brittney.”

Salvatore flipped his long blond hair over his shoulders and gave her a hundred-watt smile. 

“Ta, luv. Happy to be here. Let’s go see the bridey.” They came over to where the rest of us were dancing. “She’s a flasher, ain’t she? Hey, bridey!”

He pulled me close and kissed me on the cheek, a move that definitely wasn't in the script. I stood there, shocked, while he started to rock to the beat. The other girls crowded around us. With a grin, he grabbed Kenley and started rubbing his belly against her. For just a second, I saw Dusty freaking out behind Kenley’s mascara, but then his head came up and he started rubbing back. Salvatore unbuttoned the top of his shirt, his diamond-blue eyes laughing in a way the script hadn’t called for. He'd clearly been holding back in our previous rehearsals.

The girls made a half-circle around Salvatore. When he got his shirt open, he grabbed Caitlyn’s hands. She screamed, sounding a little hysterical as they danced together.

“Oh my God, he’s so handsome.” I was laughing so hard I could barely get the words out. 

Beside me, Mara giggled.

“I knew he’d be your type.”

I hopped up onto one of the ottomans for a little dance fever of my own. The other girls fanned out on either side of me like I was JLo or Madonna onstage with a troop of dancing girls. Salvatore moved into the open space in front of us and started to really go to work. White leather straps crossed his bare chest and slipped down under his jeans. I knew from the tech rehearsal that once the chaps came off, the jeans would come off too, and those leather straps would be the only things holding up a certain white silk bag.

The music shifted to a slower song and, holding his arms above his head, he swung his hips and danced closer to the girls. The sheen of sweat on his chest picked up the colored lights overhead, accenting the hard swell of his pectorals and the curve of his biceps. Gazing out into the room, I smiled because some of our audience members were dancing in the aisles along with us.

“Okay Mara, it’s your turn.” Kenley pushed Mara toward Salvatore.

Mara started a surprisingly risqué dance which Salvatore picked right up on. He planted one leg between her knees and they rocked in time, working lower and lower till she was more-or-less riding his thigh. The rest of us shrieked and hollered and egged them on. At one point Salvatore reached up and brushed his fingertips down my thigh, starting with the bare skin right under the hem of my very-short skirt. The bold suggestion in his gesture lit up the nerve that started in my head and traveled down south of my navel. Things had gotten way out of control. I was glad when the song changed to something a lot faster.

“Now where’s the flashin’ bridey? Ah, there ya are. C’mere and give me a dance.” He reached up for my hand.

“Oh. I don’t think…”

“Get down from there, little sister.” Kenley grabbed my other hand and yanked me off the ottoman.

I followed Salvatore toward the far end of the stage. He started to strip just for me, slowly unbuckling his chaps and throwing them toward the other girls. They screamed and scattered. The song changed again and the beat increased. Salvatore started to move more aggressively.

I pretended to hesitate, watching his hips before moving in synch with him. Salvatore unbuttoned his jeans, deliberately teasing me with each gesture. 

I was onstage and people were watching. Caitlyn and Mara were holding onto each other and squealing, and behind them Kenley was shaking her head as she moved to the beat. Julio was an actor and the action wasn't real, but when that last button popped free, the bottom dropped out of my belly. I'm only human and this guy was a pro.

The script said I was supposed to flirt with him, so I tried. “Hey, handsome. That’s some…um…nice…”

“You’re awful pretty yourself, bridey.” His eyes sparkled and his grin told me he was picking up exactly what I was putting down.

Caitlyn shrieked behind me. “She’s totally grinding him.”

“It’s okay. He’s still got his jeans on.” Mara, acting as the voice of reason.

Salvatore pushed his jeans down farther and rubbed himself against me. I tried to keep my response within the confines of the script, but it was hard not to show too much enthusiasm. The heavy bass beat slowed and he moved back to step out of his jeans. My eyes widened, even though I knew what was coming next.

“You’re just wearing a little baggie.” My voice dropped even lower than normal.

He laughed. “It's a big baggie, luv.”

“Let’s dance.” I tugged off the veil and threw my arms in the air. He came up behind me, close enough for his “baggie” to press against my butt. We were following the script. Mostly.

“You probably do this with all the brides.” As I spoke, a lock of his blond wig stuck to my cheek where I was sweating a little.

“Only the cute ones.”

“I have a thing for blond men.”

“It’s your lucky day, sweets, cuz I have a thing for you.” He pulled me across the stage, farther away from the girls—who were more-or-less dancing with each other.

I dug in my heels as if I was fighting to keep us onstage. “I can’t believe I’m dancing with a naked man.”

“We could stop.”

I shook my head and put a hand on his chest. When Candi had rehearsed the scene, she'd grabbed Salvatore around the waist and just about forced him to kiss her. In real life, she was a single girl between boyfriends. In the back of my mind, a little voice was asking what Joe would think of all of this.

Despite my attempt at restraint, Salvatore still had that wild fire in his eyes, that “oh yeah baby, I'm going to kiss you good” look. I swallowed hard and let him pull me closer, keeping my gaze locked on his. He was hot and buffed and nearly naked. Wow. He leaned in for the kiss.

“No. Oh my God, no.”

I shoved him away and ran offstage.

How can something imaginary cause so much consternation? Mack's got trouble on her hands with this one...
Thanks so much for reading along!
Liv