Liv Rancourt's Blog, page 4

M/M Valentines Giveaway!

Hey, so my book The Clockwork Monk is featured in the MM Romance Valentine’s Giveaway event from 10th to 15th Feb!
Head over to the Event Page to download 34 new stories -- shorts, novelettes, and excerpts from established M/M authors and several new authors. We have a wonderfully diverse range of sub-genres on offer: Contemporary, BDSM, Erotica, Fantasy, Historical, Comedy, and Paranormal. 
 Jump HERE to download as many Freebies as you want!




Jump HERE to download books from these great authors!

Here's some info about The Clockwork Monk...
Trevor Chalmers tells himself he only believes in fine suits, strong brandy, and muscular men.He’s wrong.BLURBThe Clockwork Monk is a mystery the President herself asks Trevor to solve. She wants it, and Trevor’s her spy. An encoded message leads him to the residence of the Archbishop of Chicago, where his undercover role allows him to indulge in fine waistcoats and fancy cravats. Even better, he enjoys the thrill of dodging both anarchists and propriety while engaging in a duel of secrets with the mysterious Father Stephen.The good Father doesn’t act like a priest. Hell, Stephen may not be his real name. His broad shoulders and dark eyes are intriguing, and though Stephen’s clandestine agenda clashes with Trevor’s, danger just adds to the temptation. Between kisses, Stephen forces Trevor to admit his loyalty goes deeper than cheap excitement, turning a simple burglary into a test of his allegiance.Interested? Jump HERE to see all the Freebies!Happy Valentines Day!

Interview: Jami Gray and Marked By Obsession

So today is kinda special. It's been a long time since I've had an interview on the blog, and there's a bit of karmic justice at work here for this one. See, I've known Jami Gray since we both published with Black Opal Books, and she's one of the first writers I got to be friends with. I love both her series - The Kyn Kronicles and PSY-IV Teams - and I'm so excited to be able to help her celebrate her newest release. With that in mind, join me in welcoming Jami to the blog!

LR: What’s the most compelling thing about Marked by Obsession, the thing that’s kept your butt in the chair through hours of writing and revising?
JG: For me this is a two part answer—from a professional standpoint and a creative one. Professionally what keeps me writing are: contractual deadlines and my readers. Having a signed contract, complete with a nifty deadline, means that my editors expect a full fledge story in their precious hands by an agreed upon date. If I fail to deliver, I not only renege on my promise to deliver, but I fail my promise to be an author-partner in this business relationship. And then there is the next important group, my readers, who I try very, very hard not to disappoint. I’m a series writer, and I also happen to be an avid reader, so I get how frustrating it is to have to wait for an eternity (okay, a year or more) for the next fix in your reading addiction. I don’t like to leave my readers hanging, but I’m getting ready to juggle three series (one not yet released) so I have to do this nifty dance between my writing projects, editing cycles and release dates to ensure I get at least two books out a year. It ain’t easy, but it’s my thing.  
     That same inability to not finish what I started, keeps me going creatively as well. Again, series writer here, so once I start a series, I want to write the whole shebang. Since the PSY-IV Teams focuses on each team member, I have at least seven books planned, maybe eight if I decide to brave Col. Delacourt.
LR: Oooh! Col. Delacourt would be a handful! ;)  Now, I think each book is a little like a child, with their own personalities and quirks. How does Marked by Obsession compare with the other books in your PSY-IV series?
JG: I so agree with you on that, and like our kiddos, each as a distinct personality. Part of that personality originates with whatever personal challenge I set for myself. For example, the first book, HUNTED BY THE PAST, came about because I wanted to try my hand at weaving paranormal romance with romantic suspense, with a sprinkling of military, and a dash of first person POV. Then Tag’s book, TOUCHED BY FATE, came into fruition because I wanted to explore just how flexible is a person’s moral line when something intrinsic to their lives is at stake. For MARKED BY OBSESSION, my goal was to find out how a normal, introverted woman with no psychic abilities, no military training, could handle being thrown into the chaotic mix of espionage while trying to handle a male of the highest alpha order. And to make it just a bit more fun, she can’t cuss. At. All. 
LR: You wrote a character who didn't cuss? Not sure I could do that...lol...I saw on your website that one of your goals for 2017 is to do a series of blog posts on your favorite authors and series. Care to give us a preview? Who will you be starting with?
JG: I’d love to. Every year I try something different with my blog, just to keep it interesting. Back in 2012 I decided to pull up my big girl panties and reach out to all those fantastically wonderful authors (big names, small names, mid names) I was devouring at an atomic pace, and see if I could lure them to my website to answer a few questions. I kept it up for just over a year and loved every minute of it. (I’ll let you in on a secret, those authors you fan-girl or boy over, they’re really nice and won’t snarl and snap to come visit.) This year, I was trying to figure out how to share my excitement over various books as a reader, because there’s some baggage tied to authors reviewing other authors. I had updated my newsletter to include picks from my Goodreads shelves, but figured my blog would be a great place to get into more detail. So I decided it was time to go back to all those interviews, and update my followers with the latest—am I still reading the series? Why do I like it so much? Any new news on the horizon for this author? And then link back to the original interview so my followers could get a peek at the personality behind the books. The first post goes live Jan. 19th and I’m going to try to follow the order of the interviews. First up is C.E. Murphy who’s the master mind behind a number of awesome series including, URBAN SHAMEN, the first in the Walker Papers. She’s starting a new contemporary romance under Murphy Lawless and RAVEN HEART is the first in her Alaskan Totems Billionaire Shifters series. One of the best things a reader can do for an author is spread the word about their books, so I’m trying to do my part. (And yes, Liv, you’re on the list too!)
LR: Whee! I'm looking forward to it. So - next question - if Hollywood calls and asks for the rights to Marked by Obsession, who would you cast in the lead roles?
JG: Oh these types of questions are the hardest. Hang on…um…okay, as a writer I do use photos for character inspiration. I’ll admit that Wolf’s physical character is drawn from Vin Diesel, and Meli’s is from Ophelia Lovibond (she played Kitty in ELEMENTARY a few years back). But acting wise, I’d have to go with Jeremy Reiner or Tom Hardy for Wolf and yeah, I think Ophelia would have to stay as Meli.
LR: Clutter or quiet? Describe your perfect writing situation.
JG: (giggling) Um, I’m a tad OCD (CDO for those of us in the know), so no clutter can threaten my writing kingdom. Which is much more difficult that you’d expect since I share my office with my Knight in Slightly Muddy Armor who tends to attract chaos. I can do quiet, but I tend to write to music, mainly soundtracks lately. My Mac would have to be there, coffee would be on the sidelines awaiting its cue, and the view…I would love to have a view of forests, but I’m relegated to the cul-de-sac I live in. But my Scrivener background is a beautiful pic of a creek in the mountains.
LR: How to you juggle all your hats (spouse, parent, worker-bee, housekeeper, writer)?
JG: Juggle is a great way to put it. Here’s the thing, as I continue to split my time between a day job, trying to finish raising two teen boys, be a wife to a gamer addict, herder of two fluffy labs, and write, some things tend to have to take a backseat for a bit. I treat my writing like a second job, so time management becomes key for me. Reading will slide to the back when I’m in the midst of a project. Cooking never makes it to the front, so Knight picks up the slack there (thankfully!). The good thing about teens is they’re in the midst of creating their own worlds and when they emerge, I try and jump in to remind them I’m still alive.
LR: What’s your favorite non-writing activity? Like, are you a closet marathon runner? Could you crochet a house-cozy if you had to? Maybe you secretly want to appear on Antiques Roadshow?
JG: If I could squeeze in one more thing, I’d be hitting the pavement and haunting antique shops, especially old bookstores. If I was really courageous and had the time and finances, I’d be trekking my way through all the modern day ruins that dot our country. There’s something about seeing bits and pieces of history that does it for me. I’m a huge history buff. I was so bummed when I finally made it to New Orleans one year for a writing conference, but didn’t have time to do the plantation or swamp tours.
LR: What’s next on your horizon? Describe your current WIP(s) or other upcoming project.

JG: Well, I’m currently doing the last of my writer edits on the fifth Kyn book, SHADOW’S DREAMS, so I can turn it over to my editor by end of January. Once that’s off my desk, I’m diving into my next project, the second book in a planned four book romantic suspense set against a post-apocalyptic background. It centers around four nomadic vigilantes who are determine to hold what’s left of their piece of civilization together against the circling predators focused on tearing it all apart. The first book is currently making its’ way through the submission rounds and facing down editorial reviews, so I’m hoping responses will be forthcoming in the next few months. Book 2 should take up the next four or five months, and then I shall amble around Dublin, Edinburgh, and London for a few weeks with my clan before coming back and starting the next project. If the writing/publishing schedule holds true, the next Kyn book should be out at the end of the year. 

Marked by Obsession, PSY-IV Team #3





Some betrayals hide behind love, others obsession...The loss of her beloved brother and a series of unexplained events plunges Meli Dwyer into a dangerously unfamiliar reality. Alone and floundering, she turns to the sexy and unsettling Wolf Kincaid, PSY-IV Team’s skilled telepath, for help even as her battered heart whispers to steer clear of a man more dangerous than what hunts her. Will Meli find the answers to her personal nightmare before one man’s obsession costs her the heart of another?

Available in paperback or e-book at: jamigray.com Or anywhere books are sold!

Muse It Publishing     -     Amazon     -     B&N     -     Kobo




Jami Gray is the award winning, multi-published author of the Urban Fantasy series, The Kyn Kronicles, and the Paranormal Romantic Suspense series, PSY-IV Teams. She can be soothedwith coffee and chocolate. Surrounded by Star Wars obsessed males and two female labs moonlighting as the Fur Minxes, she escapes by playing with the voices in her head. 
Hunt her down at:
www.jamigray.com      -       Twitter     -     Facebook     -     Goodreads

My Country 'tis of Thee...

My heart is breaking.

I'm 54 years old, and I lived through Reagan's boisterous aggression, Bush Sr's mediocrity, and Clinton's well-intentioned charm. I survived W's stupidity and rejoiced in Obama's leadership.

I thought we were moving toward a better future.

To borrow one of our President*'s favorite words: wrong.

I was born right after the Cuban Missile Crisis, and in all of my years on this earth, I've never been so profoundly frightened. I've got two kids, you know? One's going to graduate from high school this spring, and the other one will graduate a year from now. What's going to be left for them?

President* Trump has been in office just 7 days, and I'm appalled by his actions so far, and terrified of what's to come. Will my kids be forced into military service, to fight a war designed to benefit one man above all others?

Do I have enough water and canned goods on hand in case society shuts down completely?

Maybe you voted for the guy, and you're ready to tell me off for being a liberal crybaby. If that's the case, I can only say I've lived through a number of presidential transitions, and this one is exceptional. I try to get my news from credible sources - The New York Times and The Washington Post primarily - and as much as I want our country to succeed, I don't think those reporters are making things up.

What those news stories tell me is, we're very close to being fucked.

This blog is supposed to be an adjunct to my writing, the kind of site where #MySexySaturday is about as deep as it gets. I'm not feeling it right now. I should be promoting my upcoming release, and diving into the ongoing escapades of my favorite vampire monk.

Not feeling that, either.

Instead, I'm going to take the dogs for a walk, say a few Hail Mary's and decide if I want to post this. I mean, either you think I'm crazy, or you're already so scared you don't need to add my fear to your load.

God bless America
land that I love.
Stand beside her
and guide her

Please

Guest Post: Sanguine Shadows by Erzabet Bishop

Like snarky vampires? Give this girl a try…

Now available from award-winning and international best-selling author Erzabet Bishop! Something stalks the streets of Salem and there’s wild magic in the air…

Sanguine Shadows by Erzabet Bishop. Start your journey into the Curse Worker universe!99 cents for a limited time and #FREE in KU!





Ball gowns and bite marks…
Mari Di Bartolo was a witch coming back to her roots in Salem. Juggling work and school, she is a woman on a mission until she is attacked one night after work and left for dead. When Mari is about to step through the veil, she is given a choice-become a vampire or fade away. She chooses life. Nevertheless, it’s not her new Sire that holds Mari’s attention, but the strange and enigmatic Fae with the golden green eyes. Full of mischief and mayhem, the night of the Vampire Ball is upon her and all that glitters may just be her teeth in the moonlight.



Darkness lurks in the shadows…
Fenris is the Captain of the Guard for the Queen of the Dark Court. For centuries he’s secured the barrier between the human world and Faery, part of a Protectorate that keeps humans blissfully ignorant of the beings hidden in their midst. But when another rogue wolf attack brings him to a crime scene, he remembers another girl with long dark hair and eyes that spoke to his soul. On a night filled with wild magic, there will be blood and some of it might just be given willingly.
Includes Bonus: Map Of Bones, a prequel short story to Malediction.Available for #FREE on KU!99 cents for a limited time!Tags: shifters, fae, vampires, ghosts, party, Salem



Amazon

Curse Worker Series:1. Sanguine Shadows2. Map of Bones3. Malediction (pre-order now!) 4. Arcane (coming soon)











Excerpt from Sanguine Shadows by Erzabet Bishop

Her eyes widened and her lips parted and he caught a glimpse of fang. “I…didn’t know you cared.”

“If I didn’t, why would I have convinced Roark to turn you?” He tugged her closer, the push of her breasts against his chest making it hard to concentrate on mere words. He’d known she was meant for him from the first second he’d seen her but he had to let Roark take her or risk her dying.

“You don’t know me. I was just a girl on the street. A human not worth your consideration.”

Fenris didn’t miss the hurt in her eyes. Perhaps he had been wrong leaving her alone. He’d been convinced he was right letting her assimilate unhindered into her new life. He also couldn’t fault her reasoning. She was right. They had no claim on one another, only an attraction that blazed to life in the most untenable of situations.

But she was wrong on one account. He had noticed her before-just not in a way he might have acted upon. Human and supernatural interaction was forbidden but he was unable to let her die. Not like that.

 He wasn’t able to stop thinking about her and hadn’t since that night.

“I did notice you, witchling. How could I not?” He lifted a finger and traced the side of her face, his cock hardening at the moan that slipped unbidden from her lips. “You burn inside of me. Only I couldn’t act. Not until then. But I had to save you. To do anything else…” He let his voice trail off and watched her reaction.

Mari blinked and reached forward, pressing her lips to his. “It’s like a fire, isn’t it? A fire in the blood.”

“Oh Gods, yes.”









About the author:Erzabet Bishop is an award-winning and international bestselling author who loves to write naughty stories. She is the author of Lipstick, Crave, Snow (Three Times More Lucky Box Set), Malediction, Map of Bones, Sanguine Shadows, Arcane (coming soon in the Prowlers and Growlers box set) The Science of Lust, Wicked for You, Heart’s Protector, Burning for You, Taming the Beast, Mistletoe Kisses, Surrender, Torment (upcoming), Hedging Her Bets, Cat’s Got Her Tongue (Alpha Heat Box Set), Arcane Imaginarium: Spirit Board, Holidays in Hell, Mallory’s Mark (upcoming),The Devil’s Due (upcoming), Charity Benshaw’s Enchanted Paddle Emporium (upcoming), Club Beam, Pomegranate, A Red Dress for Christmas, The Black Magic Café, Sweet Seductions, The Erotic Pagans Series: Beltane Fires, Samhain Shadows and Yuletide Temptation along with being a contributor to many anthologies. She lives in Texas with her husband, furry children and can often be found lurking in local bookstores. She loves to bake, make naughty crochet projects and watch monster movies.

Follow her on Twitter @erzabetbishop.
Links:Instagram     -     Bookbub     -     Google +    -     Website     -     Facebook “like” page     -      Amazon authorpage    -     Goodreads     -     Street team     -     Facebook

#MySexySaturday - My Sexy Stranger!

Annnnd...I'm back! I hope you all had a lovely holiday break. Me n' the family had some low key, mellow fun, and now we're back to our normal routine.

Which means another week of Sexy Saturday action!

This week's theme is My Sexy Stranger, and the snippet I've chosen is from Change of Heart, my novella that appeared in the NOLA Naughty Nine anthology last summer. The anthology had a limited run, and I'll be releasing Change of Heart in a few weeks. It's set in the same world as Vespers and Bonfire, but it's distant prequel to those stories and historic rather than paranormal.

The romantic pairing is different, too - f/trans-f instead of m/m.

In this snippet, Clara's working as a hat check girl at a nightclub in the French Quarter, and she has a bit of a crush on one of the other waitresses. Vaughn's not exactly a stranger, but they don't know each other nearly as well as Clara would like them to...


~*~

Vaughn, one of the cocktail girls, popped off the main floor. She was tall, with auburn hair and the prettiest collarbones I’d ever seen. When I thought about doing bad things, her lovely face often came to mind.
She’d dolled up her black uniform dress with a jade scarf pinned at her throat by a marcasite brooch, and she carried her drink tray lightly no matter how many high balls were crowded on it. “What’s that?” she asked, tipping her head in the direction of the note.
Teasing myself, and maybe teasing her too, I rubbed the edge of the still-unopened envelope against my lips, marking it with a peony pink stripe. “Don’t know.”
“Open it, you nut.” Vaughn barely had to breathe to make my pulse flutter.
Maybe I should have learned a lesson from falling in love with my best friend, but I wanted to kiss her—especially when she smiled from under her bangs, her lips painted ruby red and her brows arched in perfect curves. Sometimes the way Vaughn’s gaze melted into me gave me the notion she shared my interest. I just didn’t know how to ask her.
I flicked the flap with my fingernail. Who would be sending me something? I pinched my lips to swallow the flutter of nerves. “Someone stuck this one down good.”
“Quick. I gotta get out on the floor.” A smile flickered at the corners of her mouth, and her hazel eyes glowed.
I peeled the flap open and slid out a notecard. On the inside of the card, someone had drawn a lovely, very detailed picture.
A picture of me. “Well, I’ll be.” 

~*~
Thanks so much for checking out my post! If you're intrigued, Change of Heart is available now through the publication date of 3/1/17 at a preorder price of $0.99! Or, if you're so inclined, it'll be on Netgalley in a week or so. Thanks again!



Amazon | B&N | iBooks | Kobo | More Stores
Supersecret Cover Art
will be revealed on 1/18/17!
~*~
Irene and I are running another giveaway, this time to celebrate Change of Heart's cover reveal on the 18th. As long as you're hear, you should totally enter!a Rafflecopter giveaway


Readers, please visit us at our new Author Central where we’ll be sharing even more from our authors besides Saturday’s snippets. We’d love to have each and every one of you there as we’re starting new things this month with fun and prizes along the way.

Also, make sure you check out these other Sexy posts!!

For Ellen: Top Ten Fave Reads 2016

For many of us, 2016 prolly ended up something like this...

[image error] Right?

It's much easier for me to find the lowlights from this year than the highlights. Well, except when it comes to reading. Losing myself in a book provides respite from the most horrible situations. (If you're interested, here's a post I wrote a few months ago on How Books Saved My Life.) I didn't keep track of how many books I read - probably in the neighborhood of 100 to 150 - but for sure I came across some standouts. There might be ten on this list....or maybe a few more...okay, more like 20, but...

Favorite Holiday: Glass Tidings by Amy Jo CousinsSo normally I wouldn't expect a holiday read to make a best-of list. Holiday stories are just there to be warm and fuzzy and fun, right? Glass Tidings is all that, plus it's also a damned fine bit of storytelling. The two heroes are real and complicated, and they had to work for their connection. As soon as I finished this book I turned back to page one and read it again. It's that good.
Favorite Historical: The Society of Gentlemen trilogy by KJ CharlesThe link will take you to A Seditious Affair, the second book in the trilogy and arguably my favorite of the three. Along with A Gentleman's Position and A Fashionable Indulgence, these books rank as one of the best trilogies I've ever read in any genre, ever. You could probably pick out one of the novels and read it as a stand-alone, but the way the plot weaves between the books makes reading all three so worthwhile. Really brilliant, on so many levels.
Historical honorable mentions... The Soldier's Scoundrel by Cat Sebastian and Kindred Hearts by Rowan Speedwell
These two novels are both Regencies, and in both, one character has recently returned from fighting Napoleon in France. Because they covered the same ground, it was fun to compare and contrast them. The Soldier's Scoundrel is sort of the Glee version of a Regency, where Kindred Hearts is a much more serious historical novel. Both of them had me turning the pages just as fast, though. Good times!

Historical honorable mention...again. (Hey, it's my list, I can have as many as I want.) Rite of Summer by Tess Bowery.
This one is hot enough I almost bumped it to the erotic romance category. Lots of healthy young men doing what healthy young men do...despite the fact they could hang for it. The stakes were SO HIGH in this one I almost had to stop turning pages because I was too tense. Fun stuff!
Favorite contemporary: His Royal Secret and His Royal Favorite by Lilah Pace.When I read the blurb of the first book, I wasn't sure someone could sell me on a gay member of the British royal family, and you know what? The author totally did. These books gave me an insider's look at what it's like to live in a fish bowl, with the whole world watching, and the characters' emotional arc was just as believable. Highly recommend!

Contemporary honorable mention... Between a Rock and a Hard Place (Bend or Break) by Amy Jo Cousins.
Okay, at the risk of coming across as a squeeing fangirl,  the two novellas in this duology are pretty amazing. Love Me Like a Rock and Hard Candy follow two guys who have appeared in earlier Bend or Break novels. Austin and Vincent are forced to move beyond their dysfunctional friends-with-benes relationship, and both earn their happily ever afters. I have to admit Hard Candy resonated with me a little more than the other, but they're both excellent.
Favorite thriller: Between Ghosts by Garrett Leigh.I don't read much romantic suspense, but I thought this one nailed the reality of war when soldiers know they're fighting a losing battle. I was drawn to the main characters, Connor and Nathan, and if the ending felt a little bit too neat, the rest of the story was so good I forgave it.
Thriller honorable mention... Mr. and Mr. Smith by HellenKay Dimon.
This one is slick and twisty and fun, sorta like if James Bond were gay. Lots of action, snappy dialogue, and a solid, fast-moving plot. There's also a sequel - The Talented Mr. Rivers - that I'll definitely be adding to my (towering) TBR pile.


Favorite mystery: Spindrift and A Frost of Cares by Amy Rae Durreson.Well-written and spookier than heck, I burned through these two and wanted more. I found the love story in Spindrift a little more compelling, but the ghost story in Frost of Cares was scarier. Either way, you can't go wrong. 
Mystery honorable mention... Transformed: San Francisco: Quirky Transgender Spy Novels by Suzanne Falter.
This was a great read, in which the gender of the transman MC is part of the story but not exploited or overly dramatized. The plot works, the mystery is intriguing, and the whole thing was a lot of fun. 
Favorite erotic romance: The Dark Collector by Vanessa North.This book saved my life, or at least pulled me out of a really sucky place. It's a novella, and I read it in one evening, when I really needed to get my mind off whatever crap was happening. It worked so well, I read it again the next evening. The author packs a lot of characterization and emotion in a short space. It's well worth the read.
Erotic romance honorable mentions... The Back Passage by James Lear, Like a Lover by Jay Northcote, and Old School Discipline by Misha Horne.
Like a Lover isn't classified as erotic romance - it's a contemporary about college guys - but wow is it ever hot! The Back Passage is a tongue-in-cheek historical, and Old School Discipline takes on some very naughty high school boys. And yes, in all of them the sex is sexy, you know, but they're also great stories, with strong characters I came to care about.

And the sex is sexy.
Favorite paranormal: Priddy's Tale by Harper FoxI love Harper Fox's writing style. She so completely captures the harsh and magical reality of life on the coast of Cornwall. The thing I loved most about Priddy's Tale was the gentle fantasy element, the way Priddy's weakness - an accidental overdose has fractured his reality - turns into something good.
Paranormal honorable mention... Death by Silver by Melissa Scott and Amy Griswald.
This story hits so many of my weaknesses! It's a smart mystery set in a Victorian era where magic is real. I read both this one and it's sequel, Death in the Dionysis Club, in quick succession, and then sat around feeling sorry for myself because there's not a third. 
Favorite sports romance: Reading the Signs by Kiera AndrewsI DNFed more sports romances than I actually read this year, mostly because the characters weren't believable, or the reality of their supposed sport didn't work for me. This one made me wish it was baseball season ALL YEAR LONG!

So there you have it, my top ten(ish) list of favorite books for 2016. I hope your holidays were lovely, and that 2017 exceeds all our expectations!
Happy New Year!
Liv

(See, Ellen? There are almost as many books on my list as there was yours. :) )

Since you got to the very bottom of the post, check out the rafflecopter giveaway Irene Preston and I are running for January. There's a $10 gift card at stake!


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#MySexySaturday - Sexy in Space!

Hey! Happy #MySexySaturday! The theme this week is Sexy in Space, which proved to be difficult for me, because I'm not much for science fiction. However, I do have a sexy m/m historical set in 1955 Seattle called Aqua Follies. And Seattle's known for the Space Needle. So yeah, it's loose, but there's a connection. Also, I was playing with the story this week, so the it's fresh in my mind.
This is kind of a long 7 paragraphs, in which our hero Russell sees the man of his dreams. Unfortunately, his soon-to-be fiance Susie is one of the synchronized swimmers performing at the Aqua Follies, and Russell is the coach. Yeah, there are some potential conflicts....




He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “Yes, dear.”Their last hurrah. They had two weeks in Seattle, then another run in Detroit. At some point, Russell would give Susie the diamond ring he had tucked in the bottom of his suitcase. He snugged her closer to his side. He’d start his new job, they’d get hitched, he’d buy the house, and she’d give him babies. More importantly, the wedding would give his parents something to be happy about. The feeling of dread wedged under his sternum had more to do with nerves than anything else.The director called for the Night at Club Aqua number and counted off a fast tempo. His baton flashed in the floodlights blazing from the edge of the stage. From the orchestra pit, the band hit the opening bars of In the Mood. Susie took off, diving into action with the other Aqua Dears. They spun through the water in a synchronized display, while the dancing half of their traveling troupe, the Aqua Darlings, took the stage dressed in sparkling blue skirts, white blouses, and low-heeled black shoes. The big band, a dozen musicians playing brass and strings and percussion, romped through the verses twice, their heads silhouetted in the stage lights. Then a lone musician stood, rising into the glare like Gary Cooper on the screen at a drive-in movie. He was tall and lean and handsome, with a curled pompadour and a five o’clock shadow. Curiosity pinned Russell in place. Then the young man put a trumpet to his lips and Russell had to close his eyes.The music rang out over the lake and bounced off the rooftops in the surrounding neighborhood. The tone was cool but the solo was hot, hitting Russell with the force of a pick-ax. The horn’s voice turned his insides to jelly, but the man – from the swoop of his hair to the curve of his bicep – swapped that jelly for lava.He tried to tell himself his damp clothes caused the shivers chasing over his skin, but didn’t come close to believing it. He dug his fingertips into the bands of muscle running up the back of his own neck and dragged his gaze back to the swimmers, breathing slow and deep to force the flush out of his face. He’d just been surprised by the man, and exhausted from travel. He’d be fine. Everything was okay.

Seattle's Space Needle
(See? Space! It ties in!)
Russell's got some work to do before his two weeks in Seattle are over, don't you think? Hopefully I'll soon have some good news about Aqua Follies and you can read it for real. In the meantime, Irene and I have another giveaway running to celebrate the release of Bonfire, our m/m paranormal holiday story. If you want to learn more about Bonfire, jump HERE. 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thanks so much for visiting!!Readers, please visit us at our new Author Central where we’ll be sharing even more from our authors besides Saturday’s snippets. We’d love to have each and every one of you there as we’re starting new things this month with fun and prizes along the way.

New Release: Once & Forever by MS Kaye

Once & Forever Once & Forever, book 3, by MS Kaye

Who is the mysterious Santa who leaves toys on the convent steps? After a twelve-year separation, Eden is finally reunited with her brother, Thomas, but why hadn’t she reached out to him in all those years? Eden, a nun, is constantly struggling against her dark past of living on the streets, and her attraction to Trace, an ex-convict farm worker. As Eden and Trace confess their pasts to each other and grow closer, will they be able to resist getting too close?




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Author Bio: M.S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband Corey in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com. To receive news on upcoming releases, sign up for email updates on her website.


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“You know what he did to git sent to prison?” one of the convenience store clerks murmured to the other.

 Trace could just hear them over the horrible rendition of “Jingle Bells” playin’ through the speakers. He ignored them, like he always did. He tried to come into town late in the evening to avoid people as much as possible, but that also meant it was quiet enough that he could often hear what people murmured about him. Once he’d grabbed some protein bars and a can of beer, he headed up to the counter to pay.

 The clerk with a buzz-cut told him the total, and Trace handed him some cash.

 Neither of the clerks made eye contact with him, but they both hovered over the cash register as if he might snatch it and run.

 Buzz-cut closed the cash drawer right quick and handed Trace’s change back.

 “Thank you.” Trace stuffed the change in his pocket, took the bag of protein bars in one hand and his beer in the other, and walked out of the store.

 He headed for the back lot toward the alley. He could get through most of downtown by way of the alley. This late at night it was almost too dark to see where he was goin’, but that was part of what he liked about it.

“Bitch,” someone growled. And then the sound of something—or someone—smacking into the brick wall of the back of the convenience store.

Trace moved more quickly and turned the corner, and he caught sight of a skinny, young woman punching a man in the face. His head snapped back. But then another man slammed his fist across her jaw. She looked so frail that the punch seemed like shooting a cannon ball at a piece of notebook paper.

 “Hey!” Trace roared and ran at them. “Git away from her.”


~*~
Once, book 1 Her first and also her once. Jonathan and Rebecca’s paths cross at exactly the right moment, when each most needs to hear what the other has to say. But Jonathan is three days from entering the priesthood, and Rebecca leaves him to his peace. But he is unable to find peace. Without each other’s comfort and strength, they must each struggle to forge a new path, with only memories of the one day that changed everything. But are they able to forget and let go?

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Once &Again, book 2 
She was once his secret desire… Will she be again? Father Aiden, an ex-marine and new priest, falls in love with Maylynn, but he struggles to stay away from her. He’s successful for many years, though he can’t keep her out of his dreams. Then one day she shows up for a pre-marital counselling session with her fiancé, Davis. Aiden soon realizes Davis isn’t who he says he is, but what does that mean for Maylynn, and for himself?

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#MySexySaturday - My Sexy Dreamer

Well hey! Last week, my #MySexySaturday post got lost in the holiday shuffle, but I'm happy to be back. This week's theme is My Sexy Dream, and I pulled seven paragraphs from my work-in-progress. We're in David's point of view, and he's a werewolf, son of the American Alpha. His lover - and bodyguard - Trajan, is a vampire, and they're on the run from miscellaneous bad guys. Also, David's just learned there's a recent ex in the picture. 
(Technically they're not dreaming, though from a certain angle, Trajan is better than anything David could dream up.)
After the shower, I feel slightly more human – or as close as I get. Trajan has emptied my scorched suitcase and spread my clothes all over the room, and I’m the only thing in the space that doesn’t smell like smoke. “What the hell?”
He shrugs. “Gotta air things out.” There’s half an apology in his voice. “You should sleep. The sun’s going to come up in a couple hours, and one of us will need to stay awake.” He rubs his eyes, looking as tired as I feel. “I don’t want to tell anyone, even Sheena, where we are."
The air-conditioned chill battles with the exhaust-heavy air from the doorway. He’s right. I’m going to have to pack a good eight hours between now and sunrise. It’s a physics problem, or something. All the drama has me wired, though. “Not sure I’ll be able to close my eyes.”
He moves, smooth and fast, pushing me back against the saggy mattress. “Let me help you.”
“Wait.
But he doesn’t wait. He tugs on my jeans. They’re so loose they slide right down. Then he slides down too, landing on his knees. I want to protest, but the best I can do is twist my fingers in his hair, holding on while he pulls my hips to the edge of the bed.
His lips trail along my inner thigh, but as my pulse races, I hear soul mate soul mate soul mate with every beat. He tongues my balls, sending shivers up from my belly. He’s been so good. Loyal, protective, kind. And I can’t figure out why.

~*~

Thanks so much for playing along! Since my snippet is from an unpublished story, I'm going to take a minute to pimp my friend J.R.'s newest. The Auction is all about the hot and kinky, and the cover is amazing. Check it out! 






One night changes everything.

Stark is too old to be selling himself, or his services. He’s too set in his ways, too piled in grief, and well...it’s been too long. But when your best friend is a big demanding drag queen, and hosting the event, it’s impossible to say no. It's one night, he convinces himself, and then he can get back to his reclusive life.

Scotty can handle the club for one night. It’s Christmas Eve after all, and the auction is for charity. If she saw her ex she could deal with it, she hoped and it wasn’t like she had to bid on anyone. But when she comes back from the bar she finds her best friend had other plans, and now she has a date with a mysterious dominant.


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Thanks again for visiting. Make sure you check out the other fab #MySexySaturday posts, and have a great weekend!
Readers, please visit us at our new Author Central where we’ll be sharing even more from our authors besides Saturday’s snippets. We’d love to have each and every one of you there as we’re starting new things this month with fun and prizes along the way.

Spotlight: All in Fear

All in Fear Steve Berman, Avon Gale, and Kris Ripper





Company by Roan Parrish
Love Me True by Kris Ripper
When Palmer asks, Jon says yes. For the first time ever, Palmer thinks things might be really good. Sure, bad things happen in the world—to other people. But this is all he needs: Jon at the end of the day, in their bed, arms around him.
How could he have possibly been so stupid?
The Price of Meat by KJ Charles
His Mouth Will Taste of Chernobyl by Steve Berman
Legion: A Love Story by Avon Gale
REPORT TO: CAIN INSTITUTE [ADDRESS REDACTED]
ACTIVE DUTY COMMITMENT: GUARD AN ENTITY CURRENTLY HELD IN AN ENCLOSURE AT THE CAIN INSTITUTE. RECORD DAILY MEASUREMENTS. KEEP ANY AND ALL PERSONS FROM ENTERING OR LEAVING THE FACILITY. ENSURE THE ENTITY REMAINS COMPLETELY INCARCERATED. OBSERVE THE ENTITY WITHOUT ENGAGING.
Beauties by J.A. Rock
Lester convinces Carnificiality to give Ira to him. Lester has always wanted the chance to work with an adult AI, and around Lester, Ira isn’t violent. He’s strangely innocent, uncannily perceptive, and his company does much to ease Lester’s loneliness. Except something’s not quite right: Ira roams at night, even when Lester’s sure he’s locked Ira’s door.
Soon Lester is certain of only one thing: Ira has a secret. Something that will link their pasts and change the course of their future—if Lester is willing to face what’s on the inside.





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 Order it now: Publisher’s Site  |  Amazon  |  B&N  |  ARe  |   Apple  |  Kobo
“An engaging anthology of queer fiction filled with monsters, mysteries, and menace.”  — Kirkus Reviews


About the Authors:Steve BermanSteve Berman loves to tell stories that are both queer and weird. He was a Zeta Psi back in his college days at and remembers being hazed. He survived and graduated and even earned a Masters Degree in Liberal Studies. He has written and sold over a hundred articles, essays, and short stories. His YA novel, Vintage, was a finalist for the Andre Norton Award.
Website: www.steveberman.com
KJ CharlesKJ Charles is a writer and freelance editor. She lives in London with her husband, two kids, and a cat with murder management issues. KJ writes mostly historical romance, mostly queer, often with fantasy or horror in there.
Find her on Twitter @kj_charles, pick up book info and free reads on her website at kjcharleswriter.com, get the infrequent newsletter at kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter, or join her Facebook group, KJ Charles Chat, for sneak peeks and exclusives.
Avon GaleAvon Gale wrote her first story at the age of seven, about a “Space Hat” hanging on a rack and waiting for that special person to come along and purchase it — even if it was a bit weirder than the other, more normal hats. Like all of Avon’s characters, the space hat did get its happily ever after — though she’s pretty sure it was with a unicorn. She likes to think her vocabulary has improved since then, but the theme of quirky people waiting for their perfect match is still one of her favorites.
Avon grew up in the southern United States, and now lives with her very patient husband in a liberal midwestern college town. When she’s not writing, she’s either doing some kind of craft project that makes a huge mess, reading, watching horror movies, listening to music or yelling at her favorite hockey team to get it together, already. Avon is always up for a road trip, adores Kentucky bourbon, thinks nothing is as stress relieving as a good rock concert and will never say no to candy.
At one point, Avon was the mayor of both Jazzercise and Lollicup on Foursquare. This tells you basically all you need to know about her as a person.
Connect with Avon:Website: www.avongalewrites.com/Facebook: www.facebook.com/avongalewritesTwitter: @avongalewritesSign up for Avon’s Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bOXXp9Goodreads: www.goodreads.com/author/show/14237686.Avon_Gale
Roan ParrishRoan Parrish lives in Philadelphia where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre.
When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.
Sign up for her Newsletter to receive updates about new releases, works-in-progress, and bonus materials like sneak peeks and extra scenes! eepurl.com/bmJUbrWebsite: www.roanparrish.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/roanparrishTwitter: @RoanParrishPinterest: www.pinterest.com/ARoanParrishInstagram: www.instagram.com/roanparrish
Kris RipperKris Ripper lives in the great state of California and hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. Kris shares a converted garage with a little kid, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Kris is genderqueer and prefers the z-based pronouns because they’re freaking sweet. Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.

Links:
The site: krisripper.comThe Facebook group: Ripper's Irregulars: https://www.facebook.com/groups/405062456366636/
The Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/SmutTasticKris

 J.A. RockJ.A. Rock is the author or coauthor of over twenty LGBTQ romance, suspense, and horror novels, as well as an occasional contributor to HuffPo Queer Voices. J.A. has received Lambda Literary and INDIEFAB Award nominations for Minotaur, and The Subs Club received the 2016 National Leather Association-International Pauline Reage Novel Award. J.A. lives in Chicago with an extremely judgmental dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.
Website: www.jarockauthor.comBlog: http://jarockauthor.blogspot.comTwitter: https://twitter.com/jarockauthorFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ja.rock.39