Liv Rancourt's Blog, page 6

VESPERS. It's HERE. And HERE. And HERE.

It's time...


Yep, VESPERS is here, or it will be soon. This project has been many things: a huge opportunity for learning,  an off-hand comment that turned into a long-term commitment, an evolution in friendship, and whole lot of fun. 
Did I mention fun? 
It surely has been that, and I hope you give VESPERS a read. While I'll put the blurb and buy links below, first I want to point you at some unbiased sources. Irene and I have been fairly well pleased with the reviews on VESPERS so far, so check them out!
VESPERS REVIEWS(Will add to these as reviews come in.)
Here's a review of VESPERS on See Sadie Read.

Here's a review of VESPERS on Bonkers About Books.
Diverse Reader Release Day Review (9/13/16).
You can check out ALL the reviews on Goodreads HERE.





VESPERS BLOG POSTS
We've also been running around the interwebs, sharing info and insights, excerpts and - oh yeah - the widget for our giveaway. Here's a list of where we'll be (or where we've been) and when...also, most every one of these has our rafflecopter widget or a link to it. (There, um, also might be a link at the bottom of this post.) You can enter our giveaway until 9/24/16, and I hope you do. We'd be nothing without readers, and this is our way of showing appreciation!
Binge on Books - What's On My Kindle Podcast - 8/15/16
Bayou Book Junkie - Promo Post + Excerpt - 8/21/16
Gay Guys Reading - Guest Post "Why Vespers" + Excerpt - 8/31/16
The Novel Approach - Guest Post "The Accidental Partnership" + Excerpt - 9/9/16
Because Two Men Are Better Than One - Guest Post "Another New Orleans Vampire" + Excerpt - 9/9/16
Jr Gray - Damsels Not In Distress - "New Book Buzz" - 9/10/16
Bonkers About Books - Promo Post + Excerpt -  9/12/16
Molly Lolly - Guest Post "The Naughty Bits" + Excerpt - 9/14/16
It's About The Book - Guest Post "How Did We Come Up With Thaddeus & Sara" + Excerpt - 9/14/16
Boy Meets Boy Reviews - Guest Post "Falling in Love is Hard at Any Age..." + Excerpt -  9/14/16
Joyfully Jay - Guest Post "Brainstorming" + Exclusive Excerpt - 9/15/16
The Jeep Diva - Guest Post "Five Things I Like About Writing with a Partner" + Excerpt - 9/15/16
Zipper Rippers - Interview + Excerpt - 9/15/16
Love Bytes Reviews - Guest Post "Religion in Romance: Why Go There?" + Exclusive Excerpt - 9/16/16

And for those of you who like to plan ahead, we've got a guest shot on Herding Cats & Burning Soup on 10/27/16, and Crystal's Many Reviewers on HALLOWEEN! Because what better time of year is there to read a vampire story, right?






Thaddeus Dupont has had over eighty years to forget…
The vampire spends his nights chanting the Liturgy of the Hours and ruthlessly disciplines those unnatural urges he’s vowed never again to indulge. He is at the command of the White Monks, who summon him at will to destroy demons. In return, the monks provide for his sustenance and promise the return of his immortal soul.
Sarasija Mishra’s most compelling job qualification might be his type O blood…
The 22-year-old college grad just moved across the country to work for some recluse he can’t even find on the internet. Sounds sketchy, but the salary is awesome and he can’t afford to be picky.  On arrival he discovers a few details his contract neglected to mention, like the alligator-infested swamp, the demon attacks, and the nature of his employer’s “special diet”. A smart guy would leave, but after one look into Dupont’s mesmerizing eyes, Sarasija can’t seem to walk away. Too bad his boss expected “Sara” to be a girl.
Falling in love is hard at any age…
The vampire can’t fight his hungers forever, especially since Sara’s brought him light, laughter and a very masculine heat. After yielding to temptation, Thaddeus must make a choice.  Killing demons may save his soul, but keeping the faith will cost him his heart.
Vespers is a complete novel with no cliffhanger. It can be enjoyed as a standalone or read as the first book in the Hours of the Night series.



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Later in the afternoon, they kicked back in the den while they waited for Dupont to wake up. Nohea had showered and changed into clean clothes from one of the other spare bedrooms. She flicked absently through the channels on the TV while Sara made up fun anecdotes about his new job to email to his mom. He really does want me to set up his Facebook page, he finished up. Tonight we’re meeting a client at a local historic church, so stop worrying. What could be safer than a church? (And don’t worry, I’m not converting.)

Okay. He’d have to remember to set up some kind of Facebook page to show Ma. He hit Send.

“Hey, does Mr. Dupont show up on camera?” Because Ma would want to see a profile picture.

“Yes, he shows up on camera. You can ignore most of what you think you know about vampires. Most of that Hollywood stuff is bogus.”

“But he can’t go in the sun. That’s real?”

“He doesn’t burst into flames or anything, but he starts turning red pretty quick, and it hurts him. I’m not sure how long he could last before he got to a point he couldn’t heal. And it’s almost impossible to wake him up during full daylight.”

“Ha! See—this is the kind of thing I expected from my Renfield training.”

Nohea choked on her Coke mid-swallow. “Renfield training? Jesus, Sara.”

“Yeah, I mean, one-year contract. Seems like it would be easier to just have a manual to get us up to speed. You ought to be used to all the…” He trailed off as something she had said earlier came back to him. “Wait a minute. Why don’t assistants need training?”

Nohea evaded his eyes. “What did Mr. Dupont tell you?”

“Dupont hasn’t told me diddly. He just… Oh. My. God. He does the whammy on them, doesn’t he?”

Nohea remained silent, which was answer enough.

“That’s just…” He shook his head. “Sonot cool.”

“Look, Sara, he’s trying to protect them. For the most part, the less they knew, the safer they were.”

“Yeah, but…” It sounded good, but something about the explanation was off. “If they don’t know anything, how can they, you know,assist him?” Vampire Assistant seemed like a job requiring full knowledge of…vampires.

“Well, he doesn’t have them do much. I mean, they take his daytime messages and…stuff.”

“Because he can’t work voice mail?”

And the salary. No one paid eighty grand for someone to take messages. Not even a vampire.

His heart started pounding. Not racing, not yet. Just pounding until it was the only sound he could hear.

He was an idiot. Because vampire.

Pound.

“How often does he need to eat?”

Nohea didn’t answer.

Pound. Pound.

“I’m not his assistant, am I?”

Pound. Pound. Pound.

A rush of saliva.

“Sara.”

He turned to Dupont, who had appeared in the doorway as though summoned by his thoughts.

Pound-pound. Pound-pound. Pound-pound.

He was hungry again. And, and… He shook his head, trying to clear the rush of sensation. He pointed a finger at his boss, pleased when it didn’t shake.

“I. Am. Not. Food.”

a Rafflecopter giveaway


About Irene PrestonIrene Preston has to write romances, after all she is living one.  As a starving college student, she met her dream man who whisked her away on a romantic honeymoon across Europe.  Today they live in the beautiful hill country outside of Austin, Texaswhere Dream Man is still working hard to make sure she never has to take off her rose-colored glasses.
Where to find IreneIrenePreston.comFacebook | Twitter | Pinterest | Mailing List| Goodreads

About Liv Rancourt
I write romance: m/f, m/m, and v/h, where the h is for human and the v is for vampire … or sometimes demon … I lean more towards funny than angst. When I’m not writing I take care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether I’m at home or at work. My husband is a soul of patience, my dog’s cuteness is legendary, and we share the homestead with three ferrets. Who steal things. Because they’re brats.
Where to find LivLivRancourt.comFacebook | Twitter | Mailing List | Goodreads

#NewRelease BUCK, NAKED by Teresa Noelle Roberts

 
  BUCK, NAKED    Chronicles of the Malcolm 3 


   To save him, she must strip him bare. 

Security expert Buck’s senses are inhumanly keen, to the point he can see through time and space, and that’s just the start of his odd abilities—thank you, alien captors. He also experiences paranoia, flashbacks, and the occasional hallucination—thank you, PTSD. No wonder he fears he could hurt one of the Malcolm crewmates he lives to protect, the closest thing to family he has left after the destruction of his home planet. 

Brilliant scientist Aleema can teach him how to use his modifications without triggering PTSD. She’s survived the same meddling aliens and suffered even more dramatic alterations. At least her unwanted immortality means she’s had time to figure out how the modifications work and use the knowledge to aid other survivors. Helping Buck means spending some serious time together. Time enough to fall in love.

Just as happiness seems within their grasp, Aleema realizes one of Buck’s modifications dooms him to an unthinkable future. To save him, she must place herself in the hands of their common enemy and leave Buck to face his worst fears without her. 





  Buy links with pre-orders available: 
Amazon / iTunes / Kobo / All Romance Ebooks 

 



If you've read the previous Chronicles of the Malcolm books, Thrill-Kinky and Bad Kitty , you already know Buck's a little damaged. In this book, we learn he was the victim of some alien medical experiments as a POW, and they've had lasting effects--ones that will either make him more than human or destroy him. Aleema may be the only person who can help him, but she's also been warped by the same aliens. Their past experiences even mark their lovemaking, because they're both used to holding back their super-human strength. 

~*~
 She came screaming, her cries echoing wildly in the cave. For a second, Buck’s eyes clouded as if he heard pain rather than pleasure. His free hand released her and he looked around wildly. “Who’s hurting you? Oh stars, I’m hurting you. I…what have I done?” 

His eyes glazed and she could feel him withdrawing. Next stop: Seera-head. “Exactly what we both wanted,” she managed to say. “That was a good noise. Stay with me, you bastard. Stay with me. And keep fucking me hard.” 

She clenched even harder, rolled her hips, and scratched down his chest. Her nails were blunt, but she didn’t hold back on the pressure. She knew he could take it. 

 His wild gaze caught her left hand and grew even crazier. Then he shook his head and his eyes cleared. “I ain’t going anywhere. But you’re goin’ even further out of your mind. And I aim to go with you.” 

 “No holding back. I won’t even stay bruised for more than a few minutes.” 

 He rolled her onto her back, still buried deep inside her. Began to drive himself into her hard and fast. Harder and faster than she’d have thought a human man could fuck. Even though it had been a long time since she’d had sex with another person, she had clear memories. Those memories told her that so much force and speed from such a big, powerfully built man ought to hurt.

It didn’t. It felt like Buck’s passion was sloughing away all the long, lonely years. Leaving aside fine words and similes, the rapid-fire fucking was pushing all her buttons, including some she had no idea she had, and rocketing her toward orgasm. 

 Stellar. 

 She growled deep in her throat, dug her fingernails into his ass. 

 “Too much?” he managed to ask, though it sounded like he was having trouble making his brain form even that simple sentence. She wanted to rhapsodize about how perfect it was, but coherent speech wasn’t high priority at the moment.

 If the first orgasm had been a nova, this one was a supernova, tearing her apart in a brilliant detonation, reforming her into something softer and saner than she’d let herself be in decades. This time, he yelled something that sounded like a victory cry and came with her.


 



Photograph by Carmine Paladino
Over the years I’ve published erotic romances in subgenres including paranormal, science fiction, fantasy and BDSM contemporary; one hundred-odd erotica, romance and fantasy stories (some very odd indeed); and two books of poetry. My newest releases are science fiction romance Buck, Naked, Chronicles of the Malcolm 3 (To save him, she must strip him bare); kinky contemporary “The Lion of Frenchman Street” in the boxed set NOLA Naughty Nin9 (Jazz and BDSM in New Orleans); and BDSM-flavored romantic suspense Drive (He’s a kinky dream come true, 15 years younger–and her only protection from danger). Click the covers for more info.
I’m also one half of the erotica and erotic-romance writer known as Sophie Mouette. (Dayle A. Dermatis is the other half.) As Sophie, we’re the authors of  Possessed, Undressed, and in a Mess ,  Out of the Frying Pan,  Cat Scratch Fever , a romantic erotic mystery, the novella “Hidden Treasure” (which also appears in Bedding Down: A Collection of Winter Erotica, edited by the fabulous Rachel Kramer Bussel), and a great deal of short fiction, including stories in the holiday collection  Sexy in Your Stocking .
When I’m not writing, I’m an avid gardener, a talented but messy cook (you should see the state of the kitchen when I’m done), an omnivorous reader, a yogi, a bellydancer, a proud geek, and, whenever I can manage it, a body boarder. Occasionally I sleep. I hear it’s supposed to be good for you.
I grew up in the Finger Lakes region of central New York, the setting for both Lions’ Pride and Out of Control, and I’ve lived in Manhattan and Paris. I now call a little town in southern Massachusetts, closer to Providence than to Boston, home. Here, I live with my husband, a Leo in law enforcement, and three insane cats.
Want to know more about me? Sign up for my infrequent mailing list for exclusive (and sometimes NSFW) excerpts and other fun updates. Follow my blog and  look for me on Facebook, where I’ll post about new releases and works in progress, as well as kitty escapades, garden updates, and other silliness from my daily life. I’m also on Twitter as TeresNoeRoberts.


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#NewRelease Ever So Madly by J.R. Gray

So this is exciting! J.R. Gray has a new book out!


[image error] Me, when I see a new book by J.R.!

It looks like a helluva fun read, and the cover is beautiful!






Love is for peasants, nobles marry for power. These are the rules Jocelynn has lived by. She is expected to be the poised and perfect vision of relentless power. Set to inherit the House of Akillie she was bred to rule. Men have never turned her head, until now.
Madden achieved the impossible, the first in over a century to escape the life of hard labor and earn a place among the elite. With the chance for a fresh start, he has to stay focused, not damn himself by falling for the one girl forbidden to him.
Madden was an experiment in freedom, and she didn’t mean to fall. But now she can’t live without him. Some choices are easier than others, while some aren’t choices at all. He’s worth running from everything she’s ever known.
Jocelynn turns to a formidable group of rebels to escape her fate. But with a war to be won, the rebels have their own agenda. Drowning in a game of power and politics, Madden and Jocelynn can’t trust anyone if they want make it out alive.
~~~

If you're dying for more, jump HERE for an exclusive look at the first chapter onUSA Today's Happily*Ever*After page.


Or, you know, just one-click on one of these links!
Amazon     -     Evernight     -     ARe



When not staying up all night writing, J.R. Gray can be found at the gym where it’s half assumed he is a permanent resident to fulfill his self-inflicted masochism. A dominant and a pilot, Gray finds it hard to be in the passenger seat of any car. He frequently interrupts real life, including normal sleep patterns and conversations, to jot down notes or plot bunnies. Commas are the bane of his existence even though it’s been fully acknowledged they are necessary, they continue to baffle and bewilder. If Gray wasn’t writing…well, that’s not possible. The buildup of untold stories would haunt Gray into an early grave, insanity or both. The idea of haunting has always appealed to him. J.R. Gray is genderqueer and prefers he/him pronouns.

Find out more at JRGrayBooks.com and connect on Twitter (@theoriginalgray) and Facebook.





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#MySexySaturday My Sexy Beast?

The theme for this week's #MySexySaturday post is My Sexy Beast. Tbh, I haven't paid all that much attention to the themes for these posts, but I've been working on a fun little m/m shifter story, so I thought I'd share 7(ish) paragraphs here. We're in Trajan's point of view - he's a vampire - and he's stuck with playing bodyguard for a cocky werewolf named David. Trajan's just been shot with silver buckshot, and is perhaps learning that shifters have their uses...

Also, this doesn't have a title yet, but I'm calling it Sad Vampire (lol!).

He puts a hand on the center of my chest and pushes me. I take a step. His eyes are the clear green-blue of the ocean on a cloudless day, still smudged with khol. He backs me into my room, doesn’t stop till my legs hit the bed. “What are you—”

“Shush.” He gives me another shove and I sit down. Then he straddles me, tracing circles over the smooth skin of my chest. “Don’t scream.”

Before I can respond, he forms a single claw from his index finger. He slices into one of the white scars, a look of intense concentration on his face, and then he flicks the silver pellet onto the bedspread.

I don’t scream, but it’s a very near thing.

He bends close, his expression even more focused. His breath is warm and he licks, a single smooth stroke, clearing away the blood. My skin has healed before he finishes.

“There.” His grin is brief, a flash of lightening. Catching his lower lip in his teeth, he finds another scar.

I grab his wrist. “Wait.”

“Sorry.” He jerks his hand free and digs in. His touch burns. Another silver pellet falls free. This time he hums as he cleans the wound.

“They told me vampire blood was freaky good.”

***

Yeah, these two are fun to write, and I'm pretty sure it's going to take a while to get to the end of their story. Meanwhile, check out the fantastic cover art Irene and I scored for our upcoming release, Vespers! 




Vespers is still at the fabulous pre-order price of $0.99, so check it out!Amazon     –     Barnes and Noble     –      ARe     –      iBooks     –     Kobo

And make sure you check out all the other fun My Sexy Beast posts!

#Naughty9 Release Day Blitz!

Guilty pleasure. Perfect Sin.

New Orleans gets in your blood. Like sweet chocolate or a decadent bite. Ancient mysteries hide behind hidden doorways, and messy love happens in the dim bar lights of the French Quarter. Follow us through nine tales of love found through need, pain, desire, and inhuman temptations. Contemporary, paranormal, menage, or gender bending, we've got it all, in one perfect package. Just like the city itself. 9 Erotic Romance Tales in the Big Easy
Dedicated to Amanda Byrne. May your stories live on forever.





Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo



Bayou Shadows by Erzabet Bishop Voodoo dreams and buried lies bring Delia to New Orleans. A sexy shifter with secrets of his own might just get her to stay...
Sultry by Amanda Byrnes Ash is really fuckin' tired of being a virgin. Rory's suddenly got an urge to seduce him. But can their friendship survive?
Sinfully Hot by Tina Donahue A hotter-than-sin reaper. A badass demon. Hell doesn't get steamier than this.
Playing with Fire by Margaret Madigan When Vlad Golakov is sent to New Orleans to find a missing woman, he plans to get the job done quickly, then enjoy the Big Easy. He doesn't expect to fall in love with the woman-turned-werewolf or teach the pack's alpha that when you play with fire, you're bound to get burned.

Creole Corsair by Wren Michaels Sabine Chauvet needs closure on her family's past. But when she runs into Jasper Carrington, her old high school crush, the one thing in her past she wasn't searching for finds her instead.

Phenomenal by LeTeisha Newton We all lose, and it snatches our souls right out our chests. When I lost her, I wanted to destroy the world with the same bloody hands I used to pound my enemies. When I win her back, she won't get away again. I'll risk my life for it. 

Change of Heart by Liv Rancourt Preacher always said New Orleans was a den of sin, so of course Clarabelle had to see for herself... 

An Evening at Crossroads by Kate Richards They broke every taboo, an ancient vampire, an exotic shifter on the run sharing gay romance under the roof of the newest and most daring club in New Orleans 

Lion of Frenchman Street by Teresa Noelle Roberts When saxophonist Peter Lyons invites New Orleans newcomer Kelsey into his world of jazz and kinky sex, his dominance ignites her body and his music speaks to her soul. But Peter's hiding old pain and when Kelsey's offered a job out of town, everything goes out of tune.




 
Well, first of all because I was lucky enough to be invited to participate in an anthology about one of my favorite cities. New Orleans has a magic like no place else and I come back from visits there full of inspiration. Every part of the city has so many stories of its own. I hope I did justice to the feel of the Big Easy.
Second, I was glad to have the opportunity to continue the story of Warren and the crew of Evening at Animals. The shifter world in which they live has its own magic that I feel blends with New Orleans, even if the original club is far away in Arizona. The Superstitions are every bit as mystical in their own way. And with all the strife in the world right now, a story about two people from different “races” and backgrounds made me happy. ~ Kate



Paranormal beings fascinate me. To have even a tenth of their superpowers—wow. Tell me you wouldn’t like to use a gift for precognition to find out which stocks to buy or whether you’ll get that raise. That said, special gifts do come with drawbacks (doesn’t everything?). A vamp may live forever, if you call that living, but for some, sunlight’s a killer. Weres frequently have bad hair days. A hot reaper like Zekiel and badass demon like Jewel have their own problems. For her, it’s meeting her ‘soul quota’ for Satan. For him, it’s making sure she doesn’t sign everyone up for Hell before he can reap them. As competitors and lovers, they’ve met their match. ~ Tina



Why I wrote the book: I have always been fascinated by New Orleans and the loupe garou legends in the surrounding swamps. The character of Marie Laveau is also one of interest. What if I could combine the two for a spicy tale of love, redemption and voodoo? Thus sprang the impetus for the Root Workers series and the bare bones of Bayou Shadows. There will be many more books to come and I plan to lengthen this first novella a good deal. I also wanted to showcase what it may have been like to be a gay man in those times, consciously on alert from being discovered. Add in the power of a necromancer in Marie Laveau's city and you have a powder keg just waiting to explode.
Delia's character is also one I loved. She wants to know her past, but it is kept hidden from her-for a purpose. There is power in secrets, especially hers. I wanted to explore the loa principle in voodoo and give her a parent who will ultimately help determine if she can navigate the dark side to help save the man she loves. I hope you enjoy the read and remember...there is magic in the moonlight... ~ Erzabet



The Lion of Frenchman Street started out simply enough: my husband and I spent our last vacation in New Orleans, much of it listening to jazz on Frenchman Street. At one club, I spotted an adorable tattooed female bartender who danced along to the music as she mixed cocktails. I thought she'd make a great character someday. And I knew her hero would be a jazz musician. Being the kind of writer I am, I was pretty sure they'd both be kinky. When I got a chance to write for this collection, I remembered that bar and that bartender and imagined a talented, hardworking sax player, who, like many of the men I'd seen in New Orleans, dressed sharp even in bone-meltingly hot weather. I had no idea who this handsome man really was, though, until I dreamed of a lion. The lion was magnificent, a perfect specimen, until I got closer. Then I could see it had a hole in its ribcage and its heart was bleeding. I woke up knowing that under my hero's gorgeous, Domly surface, he was a hot mess with a broken heart--and a ginger with crazy hair. From there, I could write the tale. ~ Teresa



Creole Corsair was not my first attempt at a novella for this anthology, it was actually my third. The first two attempts kept spinning out of control, and I couldn't rein in the characters or storyline to fit the parameters set for the story lengths. I'm a complete pantser, so until I start writing I have no idea where my stories will go. So to do right by the anthology, and the two previous stories I started, I had to set them aside for other projects because they need their own full length books. I finally settled on Sabine and Jasper and came up with a plot I could work into a novella. People say write what you know. What do I know? Unrequited high school love, being the chubby kid, and pirates. LOL So I built a story weaving in those three things, tapping into a 'what if' scenario that all girls who suffered the unrequited feelings of our first love think about...what if he actually did love us too? I hope everyone enjoys my version of that fantasy. ~Wren



I wrote Phenomenal to be a transitional piece in my Lost Series, a collection of standalone novels around a central lost theme. I loved the song Phenomenal by Eminem and Mixed Martial Arts. I thought "what would happen if you had the spirit of a champion but life got in the way? How bad would you fall down?" In Phenomenal, My hero has fallen to the ground. He's beaten, torn into pieces, and gasping for breath. And yet he still gets in the ring. But he's forgotten something...how to fight for himself. That is until he finds a woman who's had the fight beaten out of her too. And yet she doesn't give up. She finds a way to leave her abusive husband, and forces the hero to take a long look at his situation. Someone else's situation can always be worse than your own. If they can get up, you better. And then I took her away from him. Yeah, my hero hated me, and it made him fight harder. That battle between us, he to get his girl back, me to keep her away until he was worthy, created Phenomenal. ~LeTeisha



I joked with the other ladies in the anthology that I wrote this book simply because I like sexy dragons. Because, who doesn't, right? Originally, I wrote a short piece about a group of dragon shifters for a different anthology call, but I loved it so much I decided I'd rather turn it into a series. Playing With Fire is a prequel of sorts to that first piece and will be followed by the rest of the series about the men of Komodo Security and Private Investigations--all dragon shifters. I like the idea of exploring dragons from multiple cultures and histories, and taking some of the different elements of dragon lore and turning them around for a different take. So...keep a watch out for the next book in the Komodo Securities series! ~Margaret



Our wonderful friend and fellow NOLA Naughty Nin9 author, Amanda Byrnes, passed away in July. We dedicate this anthology to her memory. The loss has touched us deeply. But none more so than by her friend and critique partner, fellow NOLA Naughty Nin9 author Liv Rancourt, who on behalf of Amanda will share some things about why Amanda wrote her story...

This is a story about friendship. It's a story about hundreds of shared emails and more than a few glasses of wine. It's a story about laughter, and understanding, and respect.
And that's just me n' Amanda. The story of Sultry contains many of the same elements. Last January, one of the original Naughty Nine authors had to bow out, so I emailed my friend and critique partner Amanda K. Byrne, and asked her if she'd be interested in filling the slot. She agreed, and after we worked out the details, I was treated to a stream of emails. "What about this? Do you think it would work?" She had lots of great ideas - I've never known another writer who could top her for spinning plot bunnies - but nothing clicked.

Then in the end of January, she sent me the first scene of a story. Ash, the hero, is a virgin. Rory, the heroine and his very best friend, is not. She's the only woman he's ever felt comfortable with, and, to use Amanda's own words, "...the point ... is to gender-flip the whole 'virgin heroine asks the player hero to take her virginity'" thing. Ash and Rory were friends first, and the steps that led them to becoming lovers makes a fabulously sweet and hot story.

Sultry came together fast - Amanda could crank out the words (good words, too!), and my beta-reading comments were mostly along the lines of "OMG YOU WROTE A 25 PAGE SEX SCENE AND IT WORKS AND I HATE YOU". Nah, not really. :) I didn't hate her at all. I admired her, and respected her, and damn but I miss her. Amanda unexpectedly passed away on July 5th, leaving behind friends and family and her long-time S.O. I hope you enjoy Sultry, and that you seek out Amanda's other work. She had so much talent and so much heart, and we'll all feel her loss for a very long time. ~Liv





The germ of the idea for Change of Heart came from a scholarly article I read about Dr. James Barry, a 19th century British military surgeon. He was incredibly gifted, accomplished, and known for being rude, and after he died, the serving-woman who prepared his body discovered he was a woman.His story has been claimed by feminists, and more recently by students of trans history. It's impossible to know how Dr. Barry viewed himself - as a highly intelligent woman who did what was necessary to practice medicine at a time when women were forbidden to do so, or as a man who happened to have a different biology. Either way, Dr. Barry fascinates me. There are very few records of trans people from before the 1970s, and I wanted to explore how it might have been to live with that kind of secret. We'd agreed to set all our stories in New Orleans, and since few US cities have a more colorful history, I basically just picked a year and went with it. I hope I captured something of the time and place, and I hope you enjoy my sweet and spicy little story. ~ Liv







USA Today Bestselling Author Kate Richards is a multi-published author of spicy romance stories in various subgenres. She lives in sunny Southern California with her wonderful husband and menagerie of rescued pets.
Kate loves the beaches, mountains and deserts of her home state as well as traveling whenever possible to meet readers and other authors. Exploring all types of relationships in her books, Kate writes menage, BDSM, and every other kind of romance she can think of.

FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM Tina is an Amazon and international bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic novels (Freeing the Beast, Come and Get Your Love, and Wicked Takeover) were Readers' Choice Award winners. Another three (Adored, Lush Velvet Nights, and Deep, Dark, Delicious) were named finalists in the EPIC competition. Sensual Stranger, her erotic contemporary romance, was chosen Book of the Year at the French review site Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. Two of her titles (The Yearning and Deep, Dark, Delicious) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. Take Me Away and Adored both won second place in the NEC RWA contest (different years). Tina is featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS Erzabet Bishop is an award winning author who loves to write naughty stories. She is the author of Lipstick, Dinner Date, Crave, Hedging Her Bets, Red Hot, The Science of Lust, Arcane Imaginarium: Spirit Board, Holidays in Hell, Mallory's Mark (upcoming 2016),The Devil's Due (upcoming 2016), Charity Benshaw's Enchanted Paddle Emporium (upcoming 2016), Sigil Fire, Glitter Lust (upcoming 2016), Written on Skin, Club Beam, Pomegranate, A Red Dress for Christmas, The Black Magic Café, Fantasies in Red, Wicked for You, Sweet Seductions: The Erzabet Bishop Collection, Holiday Cruise, Fetish Fair, Temptation Resorts: Jess, Temptation Resorts: Marnie, Taming the Beast, The Erotic Pagans Series: Beltane Fires, Samhain Shadows and Yuletide Temptation along with being a contributor to many anthologies. Erzabet has been a finalist in the GCLS awards for 2014 and 2015. She has also been nominated for the Golden Flogger Award for Crave. 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. When she isn't writing, she loves to review music and books.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM Teresa Noelle Roberts writes erotic romance and romantic erotica for passionate people who like tales of true love on the spicy side. Also a poet and fantasy writer, she has a particular fondness for paranormal and fantasy tales in which the romantic, the supernatural, and of course the erotic mingle. She's also drawn to things kinky.
Born in the Finger Lakes region of New York, she now lives in southeastern Massachusetts with her own personal hero and a clowder of exceedingly large cats. When she's not writing, you might find Teresa working in the vegetable garden...or cooking up a storm...or knitting something bright and colorful....or on a beach, regardless of the weather. If you can't find her at all, well, she has to get ideas for all those sexy stories somewhere.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM Wren 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 below the Mason-Dixon line to Texas, where she promptly lost all tolerance for cold and snow. Fueled by coffee, dreams, and men in kilts, Wren promises to bring you laughter, sexy fun time, and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The easiest way to her heart is anything to do with the Green Bay Packers, Doctor Who, or Joss Whedon.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | TSU LeTeisha Newton: So I think this is the part where I’m supposed to say something super cool, win you over, and make you my life-long superfan…OR wait, is that how I am about my anime collection?
Probably. Basically, I’m an author, blogger, geek, and villain lover (Joker IS MINE!). There shouldn’t be any surprise then that I tend to love my heroes a bit broken, all messed up, and in need of someone who understands them just the way they are. Ha, my heroines are right there with them. You see, love is nice, it’s sweet. It can be all rainbows and glowing stars. And then it can be dark, twisted, hurtful, and feel so good you have to scream about it. So I write like that. From one side of the spectrum to the other, because that’s real. That’s life. And that’s what we crave–-delving into a fantasy world or not.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
Margaret Madigan: I write romance for Entangled Publishing and Evernight Publishing. I write and indie-publish romance and sci-fi through M&M Publishing.
I'm an Oregon Ducks fan. I'm a donut and pastry addict (pretty much any carbs, really). I like cats. I'm terrified of balloons. When I’m not writing you’ll find me in a college classroom teaching English and, of course, wrangling my family.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST
Sadly, Amanda passed away July 2016. When she wasn't plotting ways to sneak her latest shoe purchase past her partner, Amanda wrote sexy, snarky romance and urban fantasy. She liked her heroines smart and unafraid to make mistakes, and her heroes strong enough to take them on.When she wasn't writing, she was reading, drinking hot chocolate, and trying not to destroy her house with her newest DIY project. She lived in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and no, it really doesn’t rain that much.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER
Liv Rancourt: I write romance: m/f, m/m, and v/h, where the h is for human and the v is for vampire…or sometimes demon. I write funny. I don’t write angst. When I’m not writing I take care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether I’m at home or at work. My husband is a soul of patience, my dog is the cutest thing evah(!), and we’re up to three ferrets.
WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | NEWSLETTER
Join the NOLA Naughty Nin9 for their Release Day Party on Facebook from 12pm to 9pm, CDT.

#MySexySaturday Here Comes Sexy!!

Hello again! I'm back with another 7-sentence teaser from Change of Heart, my novella in the NOLA Naughty Nin9 anthology. This week, Vaughn and Clara are sharing a sexy little moment that leads to much more....(which you'll have to read for yourself, because I don't want to give too much away...lol)...





          Finally, our plates were empty, and we ran out of things to say. Finally, I cleared the table and washed the dishes while she cracked jokes to keep me laughing. And finally, I had my arm around Vaughn’s waist, intent on helping her climb the stairs, while the radio played a romantic serenade to send us on our way. Halfway up, she stopped me. “Do you need a breather?” I asked. “No.” Her eyes were luminous in the moonlight. “I can’t take another step without kissing you.”



Momma says a body reaps what they sow, and Clarabelle’s planted the seeds of trouble. The year is 1933, and not much else is growing in the Oklahoma dirt. Clarabelle’s gone and fallen in love with her best friend, so she figures it's time to go out and see the world. 
If she’s lucky, she’ll find the kind of girl who'll kiss her back. 
Clarabelle heads for New Orleans, and that's where she meets Vaughn. Now, Vaughn's as pretty as can be, but she's hiding something. When she gets jumped by a pair of hoodlums, Clarabelle comes to her rescue and accidentally discovers her secret. She has to decide whether Vaughn is really the kind of girl for her, and though Clarabelle started out a dirt-farming Okie, Vaughn teaches her just what it means to be a lady. 


Amazon US |  Amazon UK  |  Barnes and Noble  |  iTunes  |  Kobo
NOLA Naughty Nin9 still has a preorder price of $0.99, which is a fantastic deal and will only last till Monday 8/15, so GRAB IT now!! And then, jump on over to the next stop on the blog hop. There's a lot of good stuff this week!


#mysexysaturday

And don't forget VESPERS is coming soon....



Killing demons may save his soul, but keeping the faith will cost him his heart.
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#MySexySaturday Lucky 7 Hot Lines

Well hi! If you've visiting from one of the other #MySexySaturday posts, welcome! I'm going to share seven lines from Change of Heart, my story in the NOLA Naughty 9 anthology. Change of Heart is a f/f-trans set in 1933 NOLA...here's a peak...







“You’re a peach, Clara Ryan,” she whispered, and then she kissed me. Her lips were soft and tasted of Max Factor lipstick and gin, and my breath caught in my throat. At first we pressed our lips together, sweetly, gently. I stood on tiptoe to get closer, and she wrapped a hand around my neck. This couldn’t be a sin. It couldn’t. Vaughn’s kiss felt way too much like heaven.




Momma says a body reaps what they sow, and Clarabelle’s planted the seeds of trouble. The year is 1933, and not much else is growing in the Oklahoma dirt. Clarabelle’s gone and fallen in love with her best friend, so she figures it's time to go out and see the world. 
If she’s lucky, she’ll find the kind of girl who'll kiss her back. 
Clarabelle heads for New Orleans, and that's where she meets Vaughn. Now, Vaughn's as pretty as can be, but she's hiding something. When she gets jumped by a pair of hoodlums, Clarabelle comes to her rescue and accidentally discovers her secret. She has to decide whether Vaughn is really the kind of girl for her, and though Clarabelle started out a dirt-farming Okie, Vaughn teaches her just what it means to be a lady. 






Pre-Order now for only $0.99 at an e-tailer near you!

Amazon US |  Amazon UK  |  Barnes and Noble  |  iTunes  |  Kobo

Here's a link to all the #MySexySaturday posts! Check them out!!



And as long as you're here, check out this teaser for my upcoming release, Vespers...



Vespers on Goodreads




Thaddeus Dupont has had over eighty years to forget… 

The vampire spends his nights chanting the Liturgy of the Hours and ruthlessly disciplines those unnatural urges he's vowed never again to indulge. He is at the command of the White Monks, who summon him at will to destroy demons. In return, the monks provide for his sustenance and promise the return of his immortal soul. 

Sarasija Mishra's most compelling job qualification might be his type O blood… 

The 22-year-old college grad just moved across the country to work for some recluse he can't even find on the internet. Sounds sketchy, but the salary is awesome and he can't afford to be picky. On arrival he discovers a few details his contract neglected to mention, like the alligator-infested swamp, the demon attacks, and the nature of his employer's "special diet". A smart guy would leave, but after one look into Dupont's mesmerizing eyes, Sarasija can't seem to walk away. Too bad his boss expected "Sara" to be a girl.

Falling in love is hard at any age… 

The vampire can't fight his hungers forever, especially since Sara's brought him light, laughter and a very masculine heat. After yielding to temptation, Thaddeus must make a choice. Killing demons may save his soul, but keeping the faith will cost him his heart.

THE TEASERS

 
Guilty pleasure. Perfect Sin. New Orleans gets in your blood. Like sweet chocolate or a decadent bite. Ancient mysteries hide behind hidden doorways, and messy love happens in the dim bar lights of the French Quarter. Follow us through nine tales of love found through need, pain, desire, and inhuman temptations. Contemporary, paranormal, menage, or gender bending, we've got it all, in one perfect package. Just like the city itself. 
 9 Erotic Romance Tales in the Big Easy...


Pre-Order now for only $0.99 at an e-tailer near you!
Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo



 




Bayou Shadows by Erzabet Bishop Voodoo dreams and buried lies bring Delia to New Orleans. A sexy shifter with secrets of his own might just get her to stay...



Sultry by Amanda Byrnes Ash is really fuckin' tired of being a virgin. Rory's suddenly got an urge to seduce him. But can their friendship survive?


Sinfully Hot by Tina Donahue A hotter-than-sin reaper. A badass demon. Hell doesn't get steamier than this.



Playing with Fire by Margaret Madigan When Vlad Golakov is sent to New Orleans to find a missing woman, he plans to get the job done quickly, then enjoy the Big Easy. He doesn't expect to fall in love with the woman-turned-werewolf or teach the pack's alpha that when you play with fire, you're bound to get burned.



Creole Corsair by Wren Michaels Sabine Chauvet needs closure on her family's past. But when she runs into Jasper Carrington, her old high school crush, the one thing in her past she wasn't searching for finds her instead.



Phenomenal by LeTeisha Newton We all lose, and it snatches our souls right out our chests. When I lost her, I wanted to destroy the world with the same bloody hands I used to pound my enemies. When I win her back, she won't get away again. I'll risk my life for it.



Change of Heart by Liv Rancourt Preacher always said New Orleans was a den of sin, so of course Clarabelle had to see for herself...



An Evening at Crossroads by Kate Richards They broke every taboo, an ancient vampire, an exotic shifter on the run sharing gay romance under the roof of the newest and most daring club in New Orleans



Lion of Frenchman Street by Teresa Noelle Roberts When saxophonist Peter Lyons invites New Orleans newcomer Kelsey into his world of jazz and kinky sex, his dominance ignites her body and his music speaks to her soul. But Peter's hiding old pain and when Kelsey's offered a job out of town, everything goes out of tune.



Amazon US | Amazon UK | Barnes & Noble | iTunes | Kobo

NOLA Naughty Nine Cover Reveal!

So I'm dusting off the ol' blog to share the cover art for my newest project. I've got a story in NOLA Naughty Nine, a cool little anthology featuring some great writers and fun (hot!) stories. My story, Change of Heart, is loosely tied to Vespers, a full length novel I've written with my friend Irene Preston. (Jump HERE to learn more about Vespers.) Keep scrolling to see the beautiful cover art for the anthology, and if it intrigues you, there are preorder links as well. Grab it now while it's $0.99, because the price will go up after publication. Thanks!!Sneaking in to add a Rafflecopter giveaway for a $5 Amazon gift card... a Rafflecopter giveaway

NOLA Naughty Nine

Guilty Pleasure. Perfect Sin.

Just 0.99!



Bayou Shadows by Erzabet Bishop
Voodoo dreams and buried lies bring Delia to New Orleans. A sexy shifter with secrets of his own might just get her to stay…

Sultry by Amanda Byrnes

Ash is really fuckin' tired of being a virgin. Rory's suddenly got an urge to seduce him. But can their friendship survive?

Sinfully Hot by Tina Donahue
A hotter-than-sin reaper. A badass demon. Hell doesn’t get steamier than this.

Playing with Fire by Margaret Madigan When Vlad Golakov is sent to New Orleans to find a missing woman, he plans to get the job done quickly, then enjoy the Big Easy. He doesn’t expect to fall in love with the woman-turned-werewolf or teach the pack’s alpha that when you play with fire, you’re bound to get burned.

Creole Corsair by Wren Michaels
Sabine Chauvet needs closure on her family’s past. But when she runs into Jasper Carrington, her old high school crush, the one thing in her past she wasn't searching for finds her instead.
Phenomenal by LeTeisha Newton

We all lose, and it snatches our souls right out our chests. When I lost her, I wanted to destroy the world with the same bloody hands I used to pound my enemies. When I win her back, she won’t get away again. I’ll risk my life for it.

Change of Heart by Liv Rancourt

Preacher always said New Orleans was a den of sin, so of course Clarabelle had to see for herself…
An Evening at Crossroads by Kate Richards
They broke every taboo, an ancient vampire, an exotic shifter on the run sharing gay romance under the roof of the newest and most daring club in New Orleans
Lion of Frenchman Street by Teresa Noelle Roberts
When saxophonist Peter Lyons invites New Orleans newcomer Kelsey into his world of jazz and kinky sex, his dominance ignites her body and his music speaks to her soul. But Peter’s hiding old pain and when Kelsey’s offered a job out of town, everything goes out of tune.








https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SO2L1...
Tina is an Amazon and international bestselling novelist in erotic, paranormal, contemporary and historical romance for traditional publishers and indie. Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly,Romantic Times and numerous online sites have praised her work. Three of her erotic novels (Freeing the Beast, Come and Get Your Love, and Wicked Takeover) were Readers' Choice Award winners. Another three (Adored, Lush Velvet Nights, and Deep, Dark, Delicious) were named finalists in the EPIC competition. Sensual Stranger, her erotic contemporary romance, was chosen Book of the Year at the French review site Blue Moon reviews. The Golden Nib Award at Miz Love Loves Books was created specifically for her erotic romance Lush Velvet Nights. Two of her titles (The Yearning and Deep, Dark, Delicious) received an Award of Merit in the RWA Holt Medallion competition. Take Me Away and Adored both won second place in the NEC RWA contest (different years). Tina is featured in the Novel & Short Story Writer’s Market. Before penning romances, she worked at a major Hollywood production company in Story Direction.Wren 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 below the Mason-Dixon line to Texas, where she promptly lost all tolerance for cold and snow. Fueled by coffee, dreams, and men in kilts, Wren promises to bring you laughter, sexy fun time, and action that keeps you on the edge of your seat. The easiest way to her heart is anything to do with the Green Bay Packers, Doctor Who, or Joss Whedon.  Teresa Noelle Roberts started writing stories in kindergarten and she hasn’t stopped yet. A prolific author of short erotica, she’s also a published poet and fantasy writer—but BDSM-spiced contemporaries, hot paranormals, and sexy science fiction romances have become her favorite things to write.She shares her Massachusetts home with her husband, a Leo in law enforcement, and three cats. She and her husband would visit New Orleans all the time if she could get the dang teleporter to work. 
I write romance: m/f, m/m, and v/h, where the h is for human and the v is for vampire … or sometimes demon … I lean more towards funny than angst. When I’m not writing I take care of tiny premature babies or teenagers, depending on whether I’m at home or at work. My husband is a soul of patience, my dog’s cuteness is legendary, and we share the homestead with three ferrets. Who steal things. Because they’re brats. So I think this is the part where I’m supposed to say something super cool, win you over, and make you my life-long superfan…OR wait, is that how I am about my anime collection?Probably.Basically, I’m an author, blogger, geek, and villain lover (Joker IS MINE!). There shouldn’t be any surprise then that I tend to love my heroes a bit broken, all messed up, and in need of someone who understands them just the way they are.Hell, my heroines are right there with them. You see, love is nice, it’s sweet. It can be all rainbows and glowing stars. And then it can be dark, twisted, hurtful, and feel so damn good you have to scream about it. So I write like that. From one side of the spectrum to the other, because that’s real. That’s life. And that’s what we crave–delving into a fantasy world or not.Erzabet Bishop is an award-winning and bestselling author who loves to write naughty stories. She is the author of Lipstick, Crave, Snow (Three Times More Lucky Box Set), Malediction (upcoming-A Wicked Halloween Box Set), Map of Bones (upcoming-A Wicked Affair Box Set), Sanguine Shadows (Vampire Bites Box Set), The Science of Lust, Wicked for You, Heart’s Protector, Burning for You, Red Hot (upcoming), Bayou Shadows (upcoming-Nola Naughty Nine) Hedging Her Bets (Alpha Fever Box Set), 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), Sigil Fire, Glitter Lust (upcoming), Written on Skin, Club Beam, Pomegranate, A Red Dress for Christmas, The Black Magic Café, Fantasies in Red, Sweet Seductions, Holiday Cruise, Fetish Fair, Temptation Resorts: Jess, Temptation Resorts: Marnie, Taming the Beast, 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. When she’s not plotting ways to sneak her latest shoe purchase past her partner, Amanda writes sexy, snarky romance and urban fantasy. She likes her heroines smart and unafraid to make mistakes, and her heroes strong enough to take them on.If she’s not writing, she’s reading, drinking hot chocolate, and trying not to destroy her house with her newest DIY project. She lives in the beautiful Pacific Northwest, and no, it really doesn’t rain that much.[image error]I write a variety of different kinds of romance for Entangled Publishing, Evernight Publishing, and M&M Publishing. I'm an Oregon Ducks fan. I'm a donut and pastry addict (pretty much any carbs, really). I like cats. I'm terrified of balloons. When I'm not writing you'll find me in a college classroom teaching English, and of course, wrangling my family. Kate Richards divides her time between Los Angeles and the High Sierras. She would gladly spend all her days in the mountains, but she’d miss the beach…and her very supportive husband’s commute would be three hundred miles. Wherever she is, she loves to explore all different kinds of relationships in her stories. She doesn’t believe one-size-fits-all, and whether her characters live BDSM, ménage, GLBT, spanking, or any other kind of lifestyle, it’s the love, the joy in one another, that counts.

TINA DONAHUEWEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | GOODREADS

WREN MICHAELSWEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | TSU

TERESA NOELLE ROBERTSWEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

LIV RANCOURTWEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | NEWSLETTER

LETEISHA NEWTONWEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

ERZABET BISHOPWEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM

AMANDA BYRNEWEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

MARGARET MADIGANWEBSITE | FACEBOOK | TWITTER | PINTEREST

KATE RICHARDSFACEBOOK | TWITTER | INSTAGRAM
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THE SECRET OF OBEDIENCE Giveaway!

Available NOWAMAZON
I'm celebrating the upcoming release of The Secret of Obedience with a $25 Amazon Gift Card GIVEAWAY. The rafflecopter is at the top of this post, so jump in and enter to win! Thanks very much, and have a fantastic holiday season!



BLURB
Ronnie Durand is a country boy who transfers to the University of Washington after two years at Central. He'll have to give up playing football, though finishing his education at a major university in Seattle - and being out and proud without having to look over his shoulder - makes the sacrifice worthwhile. 
But finding friends at a huge school is tough, especially when the hottest guy Ronnie meets makes him doubt his own sanity.
Sang's been on his own a long time. He's only a couple steps away from living on the street, and he's got dreams so big they don't leave space for a steady boyfriend. Then he meets Ronnie, who just might be strong enough to break through his barriers....as long as Sang lets him in on one big secret. 



EXCERPT

It's warm enough for shorts and a t-shirt, and the campus is relatively quiet except for a handful of die-hard election enthusiasts who are still passing out flyers in front of the HUB. I ignore the idiots pushing their anti-gay marriage agenda, and sidestep the fans of Senator Whozit. My freakishly liberal mother married a small town Republican, so I grew up taking the fifth on political stuff, more of an agnostic than an actual atheist. I pretty much can't open my mouth without being accused of siding with one of them, so I keep it shut.But I do grab a pamphlet explaining why marijuana should be legal, because duh.The Ave is busier than the campus, mostly with college kids wandering through the pizza places to the used book stores to the faded pubs. A steady stream of cars rolls past, blunting the crisp fall air with exhaust. I'm about to duck into the College Inn Pub when Sang comes around the corner of 40th St. Sang.Surprise hits me harder than the coffee I had for breakfast, fading to a rock-hard blast of desire. His long hair is twisted into a bun and secured with a pair of glossy black sticks. His faded gray tunic hits him about mid-thigh, his legs are bare, and he's wearing a beat-up pair of Dr. Martens and a long feathered earring. Maybe I’m weird, but I want him in all his freaky, funky beauty.I cross my arms and wait. There's no place for him to go except right past me. Across the street, someone bursts out cursing and a driver lays on their car's horn. I glance over. No blood. I glance back. No Sang. Dammit. There's only one store between me and where I saw him last, and it's one of those one-off Asian places where the window's crowded with candies and porcelain bowls and small brass Buddhas. Nowhere else he could have gone, so I push through the door. The light is much dimmer than outside, and it takes me a minute to adjust. I catch a flash of white in the corner, Sang's feather. He's contemplating a display of colored packages, but all the labels are in some other language, so I don't know what they are. I walk up behind him, close enough to pick up his unique scent through the store's incense and sesame oil smell. "Don't crowd me, Sugar Cookie." He doesn't turn around.Right. I take another step, close enough for the hem of his skirt to brush against my shorts. He spins around and puts his hand on my chest. "What are you doing?" He sounds indignant, but his eyes are laughing.And his smile strips me bare."I was thinking about grabbing a beer next door." I flick the feather with my index finger. "Wanna join me?"His smile softens, and he tugs my hand away from his earring, lacing our fingers together. "I'm sorry, baby. I can't. I'm working today.""What are you doing? Do you live down here?" So many questions. Finding him on The Ave pretty much convinces me his "I don't go to UW" line is bullshit.He brushes my knuckles against his cheek. "I wish I had time to play." He spins back around. "I'm just grabbing something quick for lunch."Frustration forces me back a little. "Okay well, maybe I should grab something, too. The Husky game starts in about an hour.""Are you going to watch the Seahawks tomorrow?" He slides a glance over his shoulder and flicks his fingers so I can see his team-colors manicure.I almost say “only if you'll watch it with me”, but I don't want to get shot down again. "Yeah, if I get my homework done.""Good. They're playing Denver, you know, and I hate the Broncos."Talking football with my favorite freak surrounded by a store full of Made In China is a little surreal. My head's pretty spun when he grabs a bag off the rack and shoves it at me. "Here," he says, grinning so hard he's almost giving himself a dimple. "You need some of this."The bag is full of little brown balls about the size of peas. "What is it?""Bap chien gion. Like corn nuts."He's still digging through the racks, flipping from package to package. "This one, too." He tosses something back at me.I do my best to read the label. "Moot dow tai.""Mut dau tay." He echoes me, but the words sound nothing like mine."Is this Chinese or something?"He gives me an exasperated look over his shoulder and twitches his ass so it bumps against my thighs. "Vietnamese, Cookie."I feel sorta stupid. I've never met anyone from Vietnam before. Still holding the last package he's handed me, I ask "What are these red things?"  "Strawberry candy. I love them."Might be a weird combination with the beer I'd been planning to drink during the Husky game, but I don't want to offend him a second time. If I even offended him the first time. It's hard to tell. His energy is as changeable as a river when there are clouds overhead, sometimes sparkling but other times dark as pitch."This one's good, too. Hat sen sey kho. Fried lotus seeds." He spins, hands it to me, too close, making it hard for me to breathe. He grabs a couple more for himself and steps up until he's pressed against me. "Come on, Cookie. Get out of the way so I can pay for this." He snuggles his nose against my chest, humming so I can feel the vibration in my sternum. "I gotta get back to work." His body and his mouth are saying such completely different things that I can't move, don't know how to respond. After a moment he sighs and steps around me. "If I go out tonight, it won't be until very late. I have to work." Hope and disappointment have an MMA bout in my gut. "Don't know if I'll go out at all.""Maybe I'll see you next week some time, then." Hope gets the upper hand. “Will you?”“What?” His feather flutters in a sudden breeze. “See me next week?”
“If you get very, very lucky.” He slides some cash to the shriveled old woman behind the register. She speaks to him in Vietnamese, and he laughs and answers back. Then he's gone, but when I go to pay for the snacks he's chosen for me, I find out he already did.
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