V.L. Locey's Blog, page 106

Dear Jon - Chapter # 11

The next chapter in my M/M historical romance Dear Jon is up over at Storytime Trysts.

I hope you enjoy this romantic trip back in time.

Storytime Trysts

Chatting with Lynn Townsend

I do love getting to know my favorite authors just a little bit better, don`t you? Today the lovely and talented Lynn Townsend is stopping by to gossip about her new release, favorite books, good days and bad days, and classic movie stars. So grab a fresh cuppa and get to know one great lady! 
**~**
1-What`s your routine right after you get an idea for a story?
Funny you should ask, as I'm in the beginning of plotting out my next novel; Howling Bitch, the 2nd book in my Demoniac Codex series.
First thing, my handwriting is terrible, but I do a lot of my planning work by hand. There's something really satisfying about scribbling on paper.


So, first thing I do is start with my character; who are they, what do they look like? What are they particularly good at? Rivals? Goals? Favorite music? (if they have a favorite band or music that particularly fits them, I might spend a while getting very distracted with my extraordinarily large music collection, putting together a playlist.)
Of course, names... some of my best purchases, years ago, were some baby name books. I have one divided by “kinds of names”... chapters include Dynamic/Strong Names (Caleb / Paige), Surnames as First and Middle Names (Thackery / Darcy), Think-Twice Names (Adolf / Imogene) , and Earth, Flora and Fauna Names (Paris / Hazel). The other book divides names up by ethnic origin. Need names for your characters who come from Sweden? No problem! I do online lookups for surnames – the National Census page is great for that; you can even do searches based on part of the country you want your characters to come from.
Once I get the character established, I make note cards for each character. I include descriptions, birthday, family members... especially to make sure whatever physical characteristics and history that I mention IN the body of the story. I read a book once where the lead female character's eyes changed color three times. Not a mistake I wish to make.
And then I write out scenes; consider them 1 or 2 sentence sum ups about what action is going to happen. Obviously these don't always hold up as the characters plow along with whatever story line they're following, but the nice thing about note-cards as opposed to an outline; if a scene doesn't happen, or I change my mind, I can toss the note card and write up a new one. I can also shuffle scenes around as things get inserted or put off. By the time I'm finished with a novel, I usually have between 60 and 100 cards drawn up, color-coded, and held together with a big-ass alligator clip.
2-Fred Astaire or Gene Kelly?
Bogart and Bacall.
3-Are there any genres that you haven`t written yet but would like to?
Of my published works, I've written: zombie romance, contemporary, Lovecraftian horror, steampunk, twisted fairy tales, urban supernatural and new adult. Stuff that's not been published yet; I have fantasy, western, and horror. I'd really like to do a straight up historical at some point, just because I love to read Julia Quinn, Anne Gracie, and Lisa Kleypas. I even have a plot outlined for a historical, I just haven't gotten 'round to it, yet.
4-Describe your perfect day.
She said a good day ain't got no pain / She said  a bad day's when I lie in bed / and think of things that might have been – Paul Simon, Slip Sliding Away
As just about anyone with chronic pain will tell you, there's nothing quite so wonderful as sudden surcease. I have 8 pieces of titanium (yes, I can set off a metal detector...) holding my leg together, a relic from a car accident quite a while ago. And I live in a house with 2 flights of stairs.
So, first off, the perfect day has to have no pain... and coffee. Coffee is good.
Other than that, I'm fairly good. I've been really poor and I'm not now. I've been alone, and I'm not now. I have my writing and I've published quite a lot in the last two years.
Even days when I totally lose my shit over little things, I know how much worse I've had it. I try not to feel too ashamed of getting frustrated about the small stuff because I'm only human.
Honestly, tho, my life is pretty damn good.
(As a further note, I'm also bi-polar and on an upswing. Ask me again in another two weeks and I might say the perfect day is when I get to take a hacksaw to someone who's pissing me off.)

5-The zombie apocalypse has broken out and civilization is crumbling. You`re allowed to take five books to pass along for future generations. What five books do you put in your rucksack?
Childhood's End – Arthur C. Clarke.
This is one of those books that was life-changing for me. It's small, deceptively so. And I'm a quick reader. I finished it in less than two hours. And then I couldn't talk to anyone for the rest of the day anyway, while I was processing it.
Wuthering Heights – Emily Bronte
I know a lot of people don't like this book... yes, it's depressing. Yes, Catherine and Heathcliff are horrible people. I have fond memories of this book. My great-grandmother, MiMi, had cataracts toward the end of her life that formed blank spots in her central vision, which made it very difficult for her to read. So one summer, I read to her, most of the summer. One of the books we read was Wuthering Heights. We were sitting on the back porch at my grandparents' lake house, the sun was setting. I sat on the floor in front of her chair and I read the “I am Heathcliff...” speech to her. I could barely get the words out, I was crying so hard. And she had her hand on my shoulder. I finished reading the chapter, turned around, and she had tears in her eyes, too.

Good Omens – Terry Pratchett and Neil Gaiman
Seriously, you even have to ask? This book is the most awesomest...
(Assuming that my bag doesn't hold the ENTIRE Liaden series, which is something like 17 novels now... but Steve Miller and Sharon Lee's space opera is one of my favorite things in the world... )
Watership Down – Richard Adams
Wonderful novel. I completely love it. About rabbits.
The Left Hand of Darkness – Ursula K. LeGuin
This is another one of those WOW sci-fi novels... I listened to this one on tape (back when there were book-tapes... ) and I adore it. It's very thought provoking.
The funny thing about this list is a lot of my favorite books aren't on it.... I love Jane Austen... and pretty much anything that was part of a series is off, since it won't fit in the bag.

But I know what will happen in the zombie apocalypse. I will be delicious!
**~**


Blurb: Since the death of his sister, Dariel's been haunting her grave. Then he meets Zach. It's love at first sight -- unfortunately Zach is a ghost. An accidental possession results in Zach moving into Dariel's body, but before they can fully figure that out, they learn that there's more to Zach's death that the suicide it had seemed -- much more. With the help of the cemetery cat, Dariel and Zach will have to confront the diabolic Isaac Caine and return Zach's soul to its proper resting place.


Buy Links: Torquere http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=96&products_id=4030Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Blood-Cries-Up-ebook/dp/B00FKWSAT6/ref=la_B005OQA0AA_1_14?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1380744858&sr=1-14Author Bio: Lynn Townsend is a geek, a dreamer and an inveterate punster. When not reading, writing, or editing, she can usually be found drinking coffee or killing video game villains. Lynn's interests include filk music, romance novels, octopuses, and movies with more FX than plot.http://paidbytheweird.blogspot.com/ (blog) https://www.facebook.com/LynnTownsendwriter (Facebook Page) https://twitter.com/tisfan (Twitter) http://www.amazon.com/Lynn-Townsend/e/B005OQA0AA (Amazon Author Page)

Tuesday Tales - Evergreen

Hello! It`s time for Tuesday Tales again. 
Last week- Maggie and Gerard were interrupted as they “watched movies” by an elderly women with a supernatural problem.
This week our word prompt is ‘Evergreen’. Since this hasn`t been edited by anyone but me, there may be some grammatical errors. I do apologize for any boo-boo you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!




Anastasia`s Locket

Chapter Two*~*~*
She seemed nervous, her round eyes darting from one corner of our suite to the other.  I looked over at Gerard as he returned from the micro-fridge with a cold can of soda for our guest. Smiling weakly, she took the can, popped the top, drank, and then handed the soda back to Gerard.
“You think I`m crazy, don`t you?” she asked. We both rushed to say that we thought no such thing. She wrung her work-stained hands.
“Why don`t you start at the beginning?” I prodded gently. Gerard placed the can on the coffee-table then sat next to me on the edge of the fluffy, perfect-for-two-lovers sized mattress.
“My name is Dolores Gundy. My daughter, Anastasia, died forty-five years ago and now she walks outside my house every night searching for something.”
The people of Maine certainly are direct. I felt Gerard shifting uncomfortably beside me. The poor man was probably in a great deal of distress. If we could hurry this woman along, I`d be happy to alleviate his uncomfortable state.
“Are you sure it`s her ghost?” I asked the weather-worn woman gently.
“Ain`t that your job to find out?” Mrs. Gundy fired back.
“Well,” I coughed, taken aback slightly. “Yes, it is but . . . Yes it is,” I sighed.

 *~*~*

It took us two hours to arrive at the Gundy estate. Actually, estate may be a slight exaggeration. The Gundy home was a turn-of-the-century farmhouse with a rickety wraparound porch, a barn with a squealing rooster weathervane, and a stock pond that reflected the brilliant colors of fall like a mirror. The wind was cold and carried the smell of mineral-rich water as it swept around the property.
“What is that down by the pond?” I asked, standing in front of our white KBNY news van with my hand blocking the bright fall sun from my eyes. By a collapsed boat dock I could see what appeared to be a white statue at the water`s edge.
“That`s Anastasia`s guardian angel,” Mrs. Gundy said through the collar of her sweater. She wore no coat, only that handmade sweater. “I had that put up to mark the place she died.”
“She drowned?” I asked after getting a worried look from my cameraman. Mrs. Gundy began explaining the night of the accident, but I was trying to decipher what Gerard was trying to convey via hand signals and outlandish facial expressions. When he feigned a hanging with floppy tongue and a rope around his thick neck being tugged upward, I spun from him to our host.
                “. . . next morning I found her slipper along the shore then her in the water.”
                “I`m very sorry,” I murmured as the elderly woman stared vacantly at the pond.  “When did you begin seeing her ghost?” I asked, keeping my back to Gerard as he unloaded our gear.
                “A week after she died,” Mrs. Gundy`s wide eyes grew watery. “She come up from the pond and circled the house. Every night she does the same thing. I`m going to turn eighty in four weeks,” the woman said, shocking me. She looked no older than late sixties. “My sister`s boy Percy is from Las Vegas and gets this property when I die. I`d like to leave him a nice place, and, well, I`d like to get my daughter sent over. She`s been searching long enough.”
                “Searching for what?” Gerard asked as he rubbed his big hands together briskly. The wind howled through the evergreens circling the wide pond, flinging his dreads across his face.
                “That`s your job to find out,” Mrs. Gundy said then turned to face the house. “You can bring your stuff inside. I`ll put a pot of coffee on.”
                We stood in the cold wind for a moment. Gerard`s hand dropped to my shoulder, jolting me from my study of Mrs. Gundy`s bowed back.
                “You sure about this?” he asked, squeezing my collarbone gently. I nodded with a weak little smile. “Okay,” he exhaled, “Let`s get this shit inside and set up. Oh, just one more thing.” He spun me around, pulled me into his chest, and kissed me. When his soft lips left mine, I was no longer chilly.
                “I will be really pissed if I die before I get to make love to you,” he whispered, tucking a strand of my short brown hair behind my cold ear.
“Yeah, me too,” I whispered, placing my hand to his rough cheek.
“So let`s not get dead. Deal?”
“Deal,” I said, taking just another moment to absorb the heat of the man holding me. “Okay, let`s get this show on the road. I have a feeling this is going to be the episode that makes Eddie yearn for a cigarette and a glass of wine after he sees it.”'
Whatever Gerard said was blown away by the wind. Inside we found a lovely home, grey and showing its age, but friendly with huge rooms that try as they may couldn`t keep the cold of the first fingers of winter away. Night was creeping up on us quickly. We had a light late lunch of grilled cheese sandwiches and tomato soup with Mrs. Gundy. We then spent a couple hours planning by the coal stove in the kitchen. When the last traces of day disappeared, Mrs. Gundy rose from her seat at the scarred kitchen table, her mouth drawn and her shoulders tight.
“She`ll come out of the pond within the hour,” the old woman said as she padded over to the window. I looked at Gerard over the cups of fresh coffee sitting on the table. His brown eyes searched mine for a long moment then we rose in tandem. In his hand he held the shoulder-mount camera. Mrs. Gundy turned from the window that was already starting to frost around the edges.
“Give us an hour to do our thing. I promise you tonight you`ll sleep deeply and without worry,” I said with a smile as I pulled on a thick, puffy, purple parka. Gerard slid into a comfortably worn black wool coat, pulled his hair free, and then hoisted the ENG camera to his wide shoulder. Outside we went, the squeal of the rusty hinges on the back door setting my teeth on edge.
My feet seemed rather reluctant to leave the small stoop. “You did send Eddie a text with our current location and why we`re here, right?” I asked, glancing up and to the left.
“Yeah, he knows where to find the bodies.”
“Thanks, you are so damned reassuring,” I grumbled. Down the three steps I went. Gerard followed. Light enveloped me. I blew out a breath and smiled into the glaring light of the camera.
“Push your hood back, it`s shadowing your face,” Gerard said, the shaky light slowly calming as he aligned his shot. Reaching up with one hand I flipped the hood backwards.
“Better?” I inquired. He grunted, which I took as a yes. I wet my lips.
“That is too sexy,” the man growled. My toes tingled at the rough needy edge his voice had.
“Can you see the moon behind me?” I asked, waving in the general direction of where the moon should be.
“No, I can`t. I`m kind of fixated on the apparition rising out of the pond.”
I spun around, my clever opening segue forgotten. I watched not only mist rising from water that was warmer than the air, but the silvery form of a woman in a long gown ascending from the pond.
“Maggie, tell me that isn`t fog on my lens,” I heard Gerard ask. Anastasia turned her ghostly head to find the source of those spoken words. Her eyes were empty holes, her hair hung long and lank down her back, and her feet never touched the surface of the water after she levitated from the dark depths. “Shit,” the man muttered. He sounded closer. I did the only thing I could think of to do.
“Anastasia Gundy! Why are you not at peace?!” I yelled. This istelevision. It had to be dramatic, right?
She replied with a terrifying screech then flew at us, her spectral hands extended and grasping.

Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey

*~*~*

Thanks for stopping in to visit! For more free reads by great authors follow the link back to the Tuesday Tales main blog.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week!


               

Dear Jon - Chapter # 10

The next chapter in my M/M historical romance Dear Jon is up over at Storytime Trysts.

I hope you enjoy this romantic trip back in time.



Storytime Trysts

An Interview With Renzo Cipriano

I`m thrilled- and a little swoonish - to have the very handsome leading man of RENZO -The Ciprianos of Kellington  Book 1- here on my blog today! Take it away Renzo. *Fans face*






Hello…….my name is Renzo Cipriano

I wanted to come and talk a bit about the story that the lovely Jamallah Bergman has written about me.
When Jamallah came to my restaurant Filomena’s to have lunch, I saw that she was scribbling something down on a notepad. Being a bit nosy, I would often walk by her table, just to see what maybe I could see off of the pad. But of course I didn’t see much. When I came by her table for like the fifth time that day, she asked me, “You’ve been coming back and forth here for most of lunch, have you really been trying to see what I’ve been writing?”
I have to admit I was shocked but embarrassed as well that she would say this but I set my own self up for this mess. Eventually I asked her what she was doing and that’s when she told me that she was a writer of romance. I was very intrigued as we both ended up sitting down and talking about what she wrote about and that’s when I told her about how I ended up meeting the love of my life Jaslyn. She was very interested in learning more from Jaslyn’s point of view and all. So I called Jaslyn up to come over and when she came over, we all ended up talking about how we met. The entire time we talked, Jamallah was taking notes.
Well after we talked, Jamallah told us that our story was something that had to be told for everyone to enjoy. That was when she said that she wanted to write about us and asked could she get permission to do it. We were shocked that she would ask us this but Jaslyn was all for it and I was too eventually. We kept in contact with Jamallah for the next couple of months because there were things she needed to ask to make the story flow more as she said.
Well one day she called me up and asked if some photographers she knew could come and take a picture for the cover she wanted. We decided to take a picture in front of Jaslyn’s antique shop ‘Timeless Treasures’. It was funny how the photographer was telling us how to pose for the cover and when we finished, we both had a good laugh because honestly this new found fame was something new for me. And when Jamallah finished her book, which she named after me, Jaslyn and I were the first to read it before it came out.
I have to admit that Jamallah did an amazing job with the book. It really was beautifully written and it even made mia colomba cry a bit. Now Jamallah is talking with my brother Simone about how Delia and he got together as well.
Jamallah tells me that our story is something special and that she has gotten so many messages from people telling her how much they enjoyed reading it. I’ve seen some of the reviews and I am just as impressed by what was said. I do hope that you enjoy reading more about me and my Jaslyn as well as the rest of my brothers since Jamallah has told me that she plans on writing about all of us.
Thanks for letting me talk with you Vicki….Arrivederci
BLURB
Renzo, Simone, Gianni and Federico Cipriano
Each brother was thriving on their own working in what they were best in doing.
But it’s their mother’s wish for her son’s to find love and happiness like she had with their father, since they have not only been well known for their work ethics but also for their sexual conquest.
Watch as the Cipriano brothers of Kellington try and find love in probably some of the most unlikely of places. Along the way you’ll meet some of the women who take their hearts as well as their minds on a whirlwind ride like no other.
Renzo, the oldest Cipriano brother, lives a life that consists of working at his restaurants, dealing with customers as well as with a persistently aggravating ex-wife. He never had the chance to find the one thing that eluded him the most…..love.
That was until he walked into her store that rainy afternoon…..
Jaslyn Whitman, owner of Timeless Treasure Antiques, lives for a sale as well as making other people happy with the things she has in her shop. Being the ‘new girl in town’, she of course has been on the radar of some men. But she mainly tries to put work over dating men whose only intentions are to get her into bed.Who thought tall dark and handsome would walk through her door?
Once these two meet, sparks immediately fly…for Renzo. Jaslyn however isn’t ready to deal with what would happen if she got involved with a Cipriano man. It’s up to Renzo however to show Jaslyn that there is more to him than just rumors and lies.
EXCERPT
It had been three days since Renzo sent the flowers to Jaslyn. He had yet to hear one word from her. He thought she would have at least called or come by the restaurant or something. But he got nothing at all and it irked him. Despite being Sunday, he didn’t have much to do before the restaurant opened, so he decided to go by her store. When he walked inside, the first thing he noticed were the flowers sitting on the table where she had sat with his mother. He smiled.
“Hello?”
Looking to where the voice came from, he saw her walking from the back with a clipboard in her hands and a smile on her pretty face. “Why hello there, Mr. Cipriano, how are you today?”
Even her smile made his heart skip a beat. She was strikingly beautiful even wearing a simple, royal purple dress with a wide belt accenting her hips. Her long legs went on for days tucked inside a pair of brown suede boots that went to her knees. Renzo needed to say something before he ended up looking like a goofball in front of this woman. “Please call me Renzo, Ms. Whitman.”
“And you can call me Jaslyn. I’m sorry I haven’t been able to thank you for the flowers. They were lovely.”
“I’m glad you liked them. As long as my mom is happy then I am happy.”
“I’m the same with mine as well. So what can I do you for today?”
Now what Einstein? What are you going to tell her your reason for being here is? You should have thought of something before you walked in here, stupid. Take a deep breath and just figure out something. “I came to find something for my living room.”
“Oh, well are you looking for some type of furniture or just an accent piece?” Those hazel eyes of hers twinkled at him. God, he could stare at them for days. But he could see by the look in her eyes, she was waiting for his answer.
“I’m looking for an accent piece for my living room. Like a new lamp, vase, or something different or maybe something for my office.”
“Well, come with me and I will show you some pieces that you might like.” As he followed her through rows of pieces of furniture, Renzo released a huge sigh of relief. She showed him several pieces, all of which were beautiful, but he hadn’t a clue on what he wanted to pick. “Your mother told me that you weren’t accustomed to shopping for things,” said Jaslyn.
“Yeah, my ex took most of the stuff in the divorce. I ended up getting a designer friend to redo everything in my place. But I would like to get a vase or another lamp for my office.”
“Now a desk lamp, I have some of those around here. Well, I do have one around here somewhere. I had three of them, actually, if I remember. Oh here they are…over on this desk here. I also have one on that table right there and another on that mahogany desk.” She pointed over toward them as he saw the three in question.
They were all beautiful pieces in their own right, yet he still had a hard time figuring out which one he wanted to get. “Pick one.”
“What?”
“Pick one out. I told you I wasn’t good at picking out furniture and stuff. Now anything dealing with food I’m all good. But interior stuff like this, I’m totally clueless.”
She laughed. “It’s unusual I get to pick out a piece. I mean sure I give people my input on certain items we have here, but most of the time my customers know what they want.”
If she only knew what I really wanted, Renzo thought as she picked up a desk lamp with a beautiful blue lampshade. “I like this one because it’s stained glass. This is an antique banker’s desk lamp. I like the pretty flowers and the dragonfly…see. The blue is an unusual color.” She walked over to him with lamp in hand. He should have been looking at the lamp, but Renzo was too busy looking at her beautiful hair. He had a sudden urge to touch it, run his fingers through it and take a deep whiff to see just how it smelled.
Steady, old man, easy before you do something stupid.
“Do you think this will look nice on your desk?” she asked.
“Since it’s as lovely as you, Jaslyn, it will make a nice addition to my office,” he said watching a silly smirk spread across her lips turn into a cute giggle.
“I’m sorry for giggling. Let’s go up front and I’ll write you up a ticket.” She walked away leaving him there as he smacked his own head for saying such an asinine comment. Boy, did he feel like the village idiot while walking back toward the front.
BUY LINKS
Amazon US: http://www.amazon.com/Renzo-The-Ciprianos-Kellington-ebook/dp/B00F2SZFBO%3FSubscriptionId%3DAKIAJBDF5XQBATGDX4VQ%26tag%3Dspea06-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00F2SZFBOAmazon UK: http://www.amazon.co.uk/Renzo-The-Ciprianos-Kellington-ebook/dp/B00F2SZFBO%3FSubscriptionId%3D0V4JT1H35KWYMF0SKQR2%26tag%3Dnovelrank-21%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00F2SZFBOAmazon CA: http://www.amazon.ca/Renzo-The-Ciprianos-Kellington-ebook/dp/B00F2SZFBO%3FSubscriptionId%3D0V4JT1H35KWYMF0SKQR2%26tag%3Dnovelrankca-20%26linkCode%3Dxm2%26camp%3D2025%26creative%3D165953%26creativeASIN%3DB00F2SZFBOARE: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-renzo-1291124-149.htmlB&N: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/renzo-jamallah-bergman/1116865178?ean=2940045276443Secret Cravings: http://store.secretcravingspublishing.com/index.php?main_page=book_info&products_id=699&zenid=1b9aa4de6d086888c49dc4ee09d391d6
OTHER LINKSWebpage: http://jamallahbergmansstoriesoflove.weebly.com/index.htmlTwitter: @silentbutloud1Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/jamallahbergmanauthorFor an autograph on your kindle of this or any of my books: http://www.kindlegraph.com/authors/silentbutloud1Romance Novel Center Profile: http://www.romancenovelcenter.com/jamallahbergman

Hockey Hotties Blog Hop & Free Book Giveaway!

');

 First thing I need to do before I start gushing about hockey and the sexy men that play it, is to say that I`m thrilled to be a part of this blog hop! Many thanks to Cassandra Carr and all the other hockey authors involved. I`ll be giving away a free copy of my M/M hockey rom-com Goaltender`s Penalty to one lucky commenter at the end of the hop, so make sure you don`t leave without entering! 
I`m quite excited to be able to bring this story to the public for a few reasons. One, obviously, is that I love the game of hockey. I am a rabidly roaring New York Rangers fan, while my husband is a backer of the Boston Bruins. Hockey has become a huge part of our lives, and serves to bring our family together whenever a game is on, as my daughter is a fan of the sport as well cheering on the Pittsburgh Penguins. There are times that we`re flipping between three games simultaneously while exchanging good-hearted--and sometimes not so good-hearted --jibes at the each others teams! Ah, hockey season. I do love it so.
Secondly, being able to portray a gay love affair blossoming in the world of ice hockey was a joy. I was shocked to see that as soon as this book released fans of the M/M genre were jumping up and down in excitement. "M/M hockey! M/M hockey!" one lovely reader squealed. I never dreamed this novella would generate such excitement.

I`m planning to bring not only M/M hockey romances to my readers next year, but also M/F, when my 'To Love a Wildcat' series debuts in 2014 from Secret Cravings Publishing. Next year will also see my new M/M hockey romance Two Man Advantage which I have just started writing. There will be lots of love, sex, and laughter on the ice in 2014 if I have anything to say about it!



*~*

In Goaltender`s Penalty you`ll meet Daryl Hamilton, an openly out gay man who works as a daycare provider.  After Daryl attends his first hockey game he has a memorable run-in with the goalie for the Harrison Hawks, Ryan Amirault. When the two meet, it`s not the romantic or glorious first impression that Daryl had hoped for. Goaltender`s Penalty is filled with entertaining secondary characters, ice hockey action, a powerful romance between a man who is out and man who is afraid to come out due, steamy sex, and of course, humor. This novella, while being rather light-hearted, does touch upon some important issues as well. Goaltender`s Penalty is just one of several stories in the Scoring anthology. 
Here`s a little excerpt -
*~*
By the time the Camry was warm, I was on Ryan's street. He lived in a nice middle-class section of Red Oaks, the neighboring town to Rusty Water. Coming to an intersection, I lifted the Nokia up and read the directions once more. Donna Summer was singing about bad girls on the radio. I turned onto South Alva Lane and began searching for house numbers. I located Ryan's place by the iridescent 45 on his mailbox. Into the double drive I went, parking beside his Lincoln.
My stomach flipped and flopped like a tuna on the bank. I still had no idea if I should tell him about the mysterious man at work or just let it be. Walking to his front door with my bottle of vinegar disguised as cabernet didn't help me make a decision. His walk was shoveled. Under large bow windows sat neatly trimmed hedges. In the flower beds were Hawks plastic signs nearly covered with snow. The door opened before I could ring the bell. Rich light flowed out onto the walk. I smiled and he smiled back.

“Come in,” Ryan said, stepping back to allow room to enter. I stepped inside, the heat and smells of dinner helping to put me at ease. I handed him the bottle after the door closed. The foyer was large with a lovely padded mission bench and umbrella stand. “Very nice, you brought red and I'm making a pot roast,” he read the label, a small frown forming, “Huh, I have never heard of this winery.”
“Oh, do you know wine then?” I inquired, looking at the man. He looked edible in a pair of buff grey trousers and a black sweater. His blond curls were still damp and springy. Before I knew what I was doing, I reached out and drew him in for a kiss. I could taste the meat he was preparing on his lips. I cleared my throat and released his thick neck. “Sorry, I've been dreaming of doing that for a few days now.”
“Ah, well, who am I to deny my guest what he wishes?” Ryan pulled me to him and kissed me deeply. I folded myself into his arms. God, he was wide and solid across the shoulders. His mouth was rich with meat broth as I ran my tongue around and over his. Soon the kiss turned into something else. Something that throbbed and clawed and nipped and gyrated.

*~*

You can grab a copy of Goaltender`s Penalty here-Goaltender`s PenaltyOr at Amazon, ARe, and B&N. 
I love to meet new friends and fans! 


You can find me at-
Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/pages/VL-Locey/124405447678452
Twitter- https://twitter.com/vllocey
Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5807700.V_L_Locey
My blog- http://thoughtsfromayodelinggoatherder.blogspot.com/
 ***
Thanks so much for stopping in! Don`t forget, if you wish to be entered for a free PDF copy of Goaltender`s Penalty, you must leave your contact information with your comment. I`ll take all the names and let the wondrous and astounding Random Thing Picker give us a winner. The winner will be chosen Monday, October 7th at 8 PM and will be contacted via email. May your puck fly true and may your skates never dull!

Yours in love and laughter,
V.L. Locey

Tuesday Tales - Hard, Rough, Dirty

Hello! It`s time for Tuesday Tales again. This week I`ll be starting a new paranormal romance written exclusively for Tuesday Tales. It`s been awhile since we touched bases with Maggie Owens and Gerard Williams, our sexy team of otherworldly investigators for the KBNY show Paranormal Private Investigators.
Maggie, who is 34 and divorced, and Gerard, who is 26 and single, are participating in a sinfully seductive flirtation that is about to turn into a scorching hot affair. When last we left our duo they had wrapped up the case of The Foggy Creek Hellhound, discovering it was a hoax. Hoping to grab some time alone in the B&B the station paid for, Maggie and Gerard are doing what lovers do: “Watching movies” while TCM plays somewhere in the room.
This week we were challenged to use three words - hard, rough, and dirty in our post. Since this hasn`t been edited by anyone but me, there may be some grammatical errors. I do apologize for any boo-boo you may find. Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!




Anastasia`s Locket
Chapter One
*~*~*





“Tell me, who was it you left me for? Was it Lazlo, or were there others in between? Or . . . aren`t you the kind that tells?”


I could hear Bogart. Barely.
My ears were filled with the sweet sounds of a man feasting on my neck and shoulder. My face was covered with dreads, my hands filled with bulging and contracting biceps. Is there anything hotter than gripping a mans thick upper arms as he samples your flesh? Shifting my leg, my knee nudged a delicate area between my cameraman`s legs. He grunted as he nipped along the swell of breast about to tumble free from my bra. Wrapping my fingers in the ebony ropes of hair, I pulled Gerard`s mouth back to mine.
His lips were full and delicately tinted with the chocolate we had dipped plump strawberries in earlier. His desire was pressed against my stomach. All manner of hard, dirty, rough, and oh-so adult thoughts spiraled around in my head as I gyrated underneath him. The room was lit only by the TV. We broke for a mutual intake of badly needed air, my fingers dancing lightly from his arms to his corded neck, anxious for him to plunder my mouth again.
“You need to give me a minute here to situate,” Gerard huffed, sliding his bulk to the side. I stayed glued to him, my breasts to his bare chest, my legs wound through his. The man did a fine scoot-and-lift, placing me atop his fantastically made body. Three cheers for ex-Pitt football players! Rah-Rah-Rah!


Sitting back, I eyed him openly. He waggled a brow, his teeth flashing pearly white in the flickering light. Lordy but he was splendid. Tall, ripped, handsome, sexy, funny, young, smart . . . did I mention sexy? It had to be the dreads. Or perhaps his smile. Or the way his stomach quivered when I ran my fingers around the rim of his navel. Or the way he looked at me as if I were the sexiest woman on earth.
“You are a beautiful man.” I bent down to tease his mouth with mine. His hand came up to light on the back of my neck. His body hummed like a perfectly tuned engine.
“Men aren`t beautiful, Maggie,” he said, running his hand down my arm then back up to my neck. “Now youon the other hand . . .”
“Please tell me you have protection,” I said, placing a pale hand on his dark chest. He nodded, tugged my mouth over his, and then showed me with a kiss just how beautiful he thought I was. There was nothing in the world that was going to get in the way of this happening. We had both turned off our phones so Eddie Delong, our producer, couldn`t ring us steadily to chew us out for the crap segment we had sent him. Gerard and I had but this one stolen evening, and by all the gods that look down on horny divorced women I was getting laid! He cupped a breast. I wiggled on my wondrously arousing seat, pulling a deep thunderous moan from Gerard.
Then some moron began pounding on the door. I flew off the sofa like some incensed and slightly insane Vulcan caught in the grip of Pon Farr. Gerard mumbled something. I ripped the door open, ready to lay into room service for disrupting us when the damned ‘Do Not Disturb’ sign was clearly visible. I came up short when faced not with a maid wanting to clean, but a short woman in her early sixties with round eyes. I glanced down, turned the color of a pickled beet, and quickly began buttoning my unbuttoned blouse.
“Are you the ghost chasers?” she asked with a thick Maine accent. I felt Gerard stepping up behind me, his body churning out heat like a forest fire as he slid an arm around my waist.
“Yes, we are, but we`re trying to grab a few hours of sleep and . . .”
“I have a ghost problem. It`s my daughter, Anastasia,” she whispered, pulling the handmade sweater she wore tighter to her lean frame. Her face was tight with fear. “She won`t leave,” she added, shooting glances down the nicely decorated corridor.
I looked over my shoulder at Gerard. He met my questioning glance with a slow nod.
“Show her in, Mags,” he said before dropping a consolatory kiss to my shoulder then backing away to turn on the lights for our guest.
“Why don`t you come in and tell us about this problem with Anastasia?” I smiled then closed the door on our stolen night.
Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*

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See you next week!

Dear Jon - Chapter # 9

The next chapter in my M/M historical romance Dear Jon is up over at Storytime Trysts.

I hope you enjoy this romantic trip back in time.

Storytime Trysts

Chris T. Kat Is Here!

Please help me to welcome the talented and lovely author Chris T. Kat! Take it away, Chris!







A Day in the Writing Life of Chris T. Kat Vickie, thank you very much for having me on your blog! Torquere Press published my new release Hunter's Hunt on September 18th.Many writers write in the evening or stay up late into the night. I admire these writers! But... I just can't write in the evenings. Maybe it's because I'm too tired from working my day job, taking care of the kids and all the usual stuff or because I'm more of an early bird than a night owl, I don't know.Mostly I write on the weekends or whenever I have a day off. How much I write varies and depends on when I could start or how often my family needs something from me during my writing time.So, let's see how a usual Saturday works for me:Between 7 and 7:30 I force myself out of my cozy bed and trudge down the stairs to check my glucose level, then make breakfast. My son will probably keep me company and tell me whatever floats through his little head (and that's a lot!) while he shadows me on each step and I'll try not to trip over him. Then it's feeding time for our two guinea pigs, Sam and Sky.
8 to 9: Breakfast with my family. My daughter will, as usual, show up at the last minute, throw herself against me and tell us how tired she still is. After a lot of chatting, I'll take a shower.
At around 9am I sit down at my laptop and write till around noon. Around 9.15 the guineas will probably squeak really loud because I forgot to bring them their tomatoes... What can I say; they get testy when I forget their favorite breakfast!
While I write the kids will come and go, tell me what they're playing, what they intend to do for the rest of the day, and ask me how long it'll take me to finish my book. My son will remind me that I still haven't finished the cross stitch picture I promised him and my daughter will push her brush into my hand with firm words not to pull so much again. I always tell her she could brush her hair herself but it never works. After braiding my daughter's hair, they'll usually leave me alone for a while. At least until they get hungry...
Hmm, I wonder how I ever get anything written at all!
Around noon the kids will tug at my shirt and ask when lunch will be ready. Sometimes it's my husband who wants to know if he should start setting the table (which is his polite cue of when was I going to make lunch?).
Some time between 12 and 2pm I've cooked, we ate, the dishes are done and I'm ready to collapse. If we don't have anything special planned, I'll write e-mails or guest posts or appear on Twitter for an hour.Depending on the weather you'll find me either in the living room, chatting with my husband, doing some cross-stitch or reading. Sometimes I'll mow the lawn, which is so much easier now that I got a bigger one. :) Especially in the winter months the kids often decide it's time to apply make up to my face, get my hair brushed and transform me into a queen and they'll serve me. Hey, at least I get to be queen occasionally!Between 6 and 7pm we have dinner and then begins the long and laborious task of convincing the kids to make themselves ready for bed...
Around 8pm my husband and I have finally some time for us, which we will spend—Hah! Did you think I'd tell you? ;-)



Buy links:Torquere Press: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=78_85&products_id=4016All Romance Ebooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-hunter039shunt-1297338-147.htmlAmazon: http://www.amazon.com/Hunters-Hunt-ebook/dp/B00FA0ATTW
Blurb:Wanted: one bear. Must be burly and hairy, and strong enough to paddle. Hunter Bell is on the prowl, and he knows just where to find his prey: at the Bear Trap, a gay leather bar he’s more than a little familiar with. So many men, so little time. He’s just about to pounce on his choice of the evening when a newcomer enters the bar, turning everyone’s head. Adrian Michaels is everything Hunter despises in a man. He’s lean and boyish looking, and he has the deepest dimples Hunter’s ever seen.And yet there is an immediate attraction, one that neither man can deny. They’re both too astonished to do anything about this apparent interest in one another, and they waste their opportunity. Now it’s up to Hunter to forget about his stereotypical preference and go for the guy that’s just entered his dreams. If only he can admit to himself that Adrian’s what he really wants...
Excerpt:It took a moment for the newcomer to absorb his surroundings and, when he did, he flinched. A few men chuckled upon discovering the baffled look on the guy's face, which proved that he indeed hadn't known about the nature of the Bear's Trap. Hunter watched him shift from one foot to the other while most men turned back and resumed their conversations. The new guy remained rooted to the spot, dripping water all over the floor, before he squared his shoulders and pushed through the mass of bodies. At last he reached the bar, where Hunter was still standing, for some unknown reason interested in this guy.
The newcomer waved at the bartender. "Is there a phone anywhere?"
"You don't have a cell phone?" another guy asked, perplexed.
The newcomer shot him a 'drop-dead' look, startling Hunter into a laugh. The new guy turned toward him with a quizzical look. Hunter was face-to-face with an irritated man, whose dark blue eyes were blazing.
"Bad day?" Hunter heard himself ask.
"Craptastic."
Hunter pulled his cell phone from his pocket and held it out to him. "You might better go to the back. Otherwise, you won't be able to understand anything."
Baffled, the other man took the phone. "Thank you, uh, what's your name?"
"Hunter." He held out his hand for the other man to shake.
"Last name or first name?"
"First."
"Thanks, Hunter. I'm Adrian."
"Hey, Adrian."
Adrian gestured with the phone toward the end of the bar and raised one delicate eyebrow. "This way?"
Hunter nodded and beckoned Adrian to go past him. Adrian only made it a few feet before one of the other men groped him, drawing out a surprised yelp from Adrian. He shoved the guy aside then proceeded farther into the back. On his way, he struggled with advances from more guys than Hunter could count. At some point, Adrian whirled around and, even from that distance Hunter could see the fast heaving of his chest, the free hand balled into a fist, and the stressed look on his face.
With a sigh, Hunter pushed away from the bar and strolled after Adrian. He caught up with him right when another man, a regular customer called Dean, made a pass at him.
"Hey, knock it off. He's with me, Dean."
"With you? Since when are you going for his type, Hunter?" Dean asked with a sneer.
Hunter shrugged while he sent a dark glower toward Dean, which caused the other man to drop his eyes and inspect the contents of his glass thoroughly. Hunter laid a hand on Adrian's shoulder and pushed him ahead. Adrian cast him a worried look but walked where Hunter steered him. After opening a door to a private room at the end, he ushered Adrian through and switched on the light.
"Go ahead."
Adrian clutched the cell phone in his hands, staring at Hunter with an apprehensive look. Hunter noticed that Adrian's eyes were of a dark, almost navy, blue. He swallowed. Even behind the glasses, Adrian's eyes seemed large and expressive. He had to concentrate on listening to Adrian's question. "Is this... is this some kind of leather bar?"
"Yeah. Never been in one before, have you?" Hunter asked.
"No. No offense and all, but I'm not very fond of it."
"Scared?"
"Yes."
"Need a bodyguard?"
Adrian eyed him before he obviously came to some kind of decision. "You free for bodyguard duty for maybe an hour?"
"Sure." Hunter grinned. "I won't even try to molest you."

Chris T. KatChris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there's any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Links:Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.comTwitter: http://twitter.com/christi_katGoodReads:http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ChrisTKat
Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

Tuesday Tales - Picture Prompt

Hello! It`s time for Tuesday Tales again. This week I`ll be sharing an excerpt from my new adult WIP (Work In Progress) Love of the Hunter, an M/M mythological romance. This week we`re writing to a picture prompt and the snippet must not be longer than 300 words. Since this is a rough draft there may be some mistakes. I do apologize for any boo-boo you may find.
In today`s excerpt – A tender moment between lovers.
Please do check out the other wonderful writers after you`re done reading by clicking on the Tuesday Tales link at the bottom. Thanks for stopping in!



As greatly as it saddens me, I do not allow my sister’s displeasure with my carnal tastes to dissuade me or make me leave Orion. I will never leave him. Each day we spend together, I love him more deeply. It takes his eyes three full moons to heal completely.
This day we have done well. Orion’s game bag is full. We now linger by a small trickling stream, having loved each other well amid tumbling leaves of crimson, orange, and safflower. His lips on my sweaty bicep make me roll my head to stare into eyes greener than any emerald.
“Will we ever tire of each other?” he asks, lying on his side to face me. I reach out to sweep a chestnut colored ringlet from his eye. Gazing at him makes me feel all-powerful and terribly weak simultaneously.
“Nay,” I say, running my fingertips around the edge of his ear, “We shall never tire of each other. We shall live and love each other until the stars fall from the sky.”
“You will see the stars falling, my love. I will not,” he reminds me, streams of dappled sunlight moving over his muscular chest and arms.
“Then we shall live and love each other until you pass from this realm. I will write sonnets about your beauty. Our love shall be remembered until the sun burns out.”
“Ah, you are truly the golden one. Even your tongue is gilded,” Orion teases. I laugh gently at his taunt, my head resting on my bent arm. I would lay here admiring him until we both were naught but dust.


Copyright 2013 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*

As much as I hate to leave things dangling, I must. Apollo and Orion`s book is coming out in less than month, and I simply cannot reveal anything more. I do hope that those of you who have been enjoying the excerpt`s will grab a copy of Love of the Hunterwhen it releases on November 13th. Out of all my mythological romances to date, Apollo and Orion`s may just be my favorite. I am so glad it found a home with Torquere Press.


Next week I`ll have something spiffy and shiny for you! It will be a new ghostly tale, just right for the upcoming season of Halloween, with the stars of The Foggy Creek Hellhound back for another spooky, sexy romp! Yep, Maggie Owens and Gerard Williams – my favorite paranormal investigators - are back to try to crack the case of Anastasia`s Locket, exclusively for Tuesday Tales!



Make sure you stop in to visit all the other great writers at

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See you next week!