V.L. Locey's Blog, page 33

Silent Sunday

*Autumn Flower & Sky* 

Roster Addition Sneak Peek!

The blessed event takes place in two weeks! Roster Addition, a To Love a Wildcat novella, arrives on November 16th but today you get a blog exclusive excerpt! If you enjoy this little snippet from the book make sure you preorder your copy so you won't miss any of the excitement.

Now it's time to hear from everyone's favorite teddy bear, Derrick Andersson. Next Thursday Veikko Aho, the 'Cats goalie and impending new father, will be featured in an excerpt. There's some mature language in the following excerpt. These are hockey players, after all. *wink*





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Goodreads



Blurb: Veikko Aho, Wildcats star goalie, and his wife Liz are about to add a new player to their family roster. The open adoption of Maggie and Derrick’s granddaughter will help to heal the gaping hole infertility has left in the Aho’s life. Finally, that huge mansion on the Main Line will hear the sweet laughter of a child. 
But the birth that the Aho’s are so looking forward too seems to be stirring up some anxiety and unspoken fears for the grandparents. As the seemingly endless night of labor drags on, power struggles that threaten to break up a long-standing friendship rise to the surface. Can both families put aside their petty differences or will this precious new Wildcat tear them apart?


Excerpt:
Inhaling the sour smell of train exhaust after breathing in all that frigid air was like a slap to the face with a goalie stick. My thoughts jumped to Veikko as I paid for a ticket to Wynnewood, where Veikko and Liz had insisted Elsa be born. Since Aho was paying for everything from the private birthing suite to the baby booties they'd slide onto Elsa's tiny toes, Maggie, the kids, and me went along with his wishes. 
Not that I couldn't cover the cost of this baby coming into the world. I'd have been happy to, and had offered, but the lawyers had squashed that idea, and a few others Maggie and me had put to them. I didn't have much time for lawyers either, especially the ones that Aho had who wore suits that cost more than my Silverado. 
My pay had dropped dramatically since I had retired, but I still made good money. Nothing like Veikko hauled in every year, but few of us in the league could touch the close to nine million dollars a year our goalie earned.
"Hope the 'Cats pull themselves out of this funk," the older black man behind the ticket window said to me. I slid my ticket under the pane of glass and nodded."Yah, me too, friend," I said, gave him a smile, and then turned to head to the trains. 
The lower you went, the more the stench of exhaust and people assaulted you. Being a big guy, I never really worried about crime or shit like that so I just moved with the crowds to find my train, my nerves getting tighter with each minute that passed. Thank God, the trip out to Wynnewood would only take maybe twenty minutes. The platform was packed. I glanced around, my eyes moving over the Philadelphia natives, kids, benches, trashcans, and finally, up to the walls. One corner had some sort of black mold growing on the concrete. "That there can't be good for human lungs." As much as I love the city, and I do because it had brung me some amazing years and incredible fans, there was times, like now, staring at that mold above our heads, that I wanted to run out of the city and not stop running until my big old feet were firmly planted in Minnesota. Next summer, I planned to take my gal and the kids, Elsa too if possible, and spend a couple months at my dad's old hunting cabin. I could almost see that crystal-clear lake and the loons that swim and fish on it. 

If I closed my ears, I could hear the splash of the yellow perch, bass, walleye, and Northern pike that live in the spring-fed waters. I could maybe teach Trevor, Maggie's boy, to fish. Hell, I'd be happy to teach the girls too if they had a mind. We could hike along the trails with Elsa in one of them little backpack things that you wear on your chest. Cookouts around the fire pit at night, making love to my woman under the stars. The rumble of my train shook me from the fantasy. People gathered on the edge of the platform. The doors of the train opened, and I was moved into the waiting train, no small trick that, since I ain't exactly no lightweight. People shoved and pushed, elbowed and mumbled curses, until everyone was on. I had my back against a silver pole. Some old Asian woman who smelled like dirty cat boxes was pressed into my chest. She reached up to grab hold of the same strap overhead that I was using. A guy behind me shouted something at someone. Kabekona Lake, take me away. The train lurched. The cat box lady rocked into me. I steadied her. She said something in reply that I didn't understand so I just nodded. The man behind us kept yelling. Guess that was just how he talked. A young white man in a Wildcat jacket wiggled under my raised arm as we rattled along to Wynnewood. 
"What the fuck is Derrick Andersson doing on the subway?" he asked and extended a hand.
The Asian woman spat something at the chubby man. I winced inside. My ma would have tanned me but good if I had ever used language like that in front of an elderly woman. Seemed like kids today just ain't got no respect for nothing.
"Heading to Penn Line Presbyterian to see my grandbaby be born." 
We shook hands and I bent down for the selfie he asked to take. All the while, the guy behind us yelled, and the Asian woman chattered at us in a language neither of us understood. 
"Oh wow, good for you, man. So hey, what you think about the 'Cats chances this year? And how about having chicks playing hockey? Man, that is some fucked up shit right there. Gashes playing a man's game. I bet they cry when they break a nail or something, right?" He nudged me in the ribs. 
"I ain't seen no tears yet," I told him matter-of-factly then gave him a long look. "Bet you wouldn't last five minutes on the ice with them gashes."
"Derrick, dude, why are you talking me down like that?" 
"I ain't talking you down; I'm just laying out the facts. You maybe shouldn't be running down the Venom players unless you can skate, check, and score better than they can. Judging by the way your gut hangs over your pants," I poked his flabby belly, "I figure you'd last about thirty seconds out there with the Venom before Helen Parat knocked you ass over tin cups."
"That was brutal, dude," the wanna-be punk replied then slid back under my arm and disappeared. 
"You tell that fuck wad," the tiny Asian woman said then cackled in glee. I had to smile.

Silent Sunday

*Signs of Fall*

Cover Reveal for Holly & Hockey Boots!

If you’re looking for some M/M holiday hockey cheer, I have the book for you! Holly & Hockey Boots is now available for preorder.


I’m so thrilled and more than a little nervous to see this fun little novella finally going live. This book is my first toe-dip into the dark, scary waters of self-publishing my M/M work. To say I’m a wee bit anxious about how it’s received would be putting it lightly. 
I sure hope you love Adam and Cason as much as I do. They’re a great couple! Both are hard-working young men, loving and humorous, trying to find that special someone to share holiday treats (and kisses) with. Hopefully, everyone who reads it will be left with a warm tingle and a smile.
You can find the blurb and buy links below, as well as the Goodreads link. If you could add it to your Want-To-Read list over there that would be amazing!
Buy Links:Kobo--https://store.kobobooks.com/en-us/ebook/holly-hockey-bootsAmazon--http://tinyurl.com/jocqgj7Nook--http://tinyurl.com/zhd8gf4iBooks--https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id1169491363


Goodreads Link--https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32790117-holly-hockey-boots


Blurb:
Minor league goalie Adam Seiger is a nice guy. He’s kind, cute, and a little quirky (but show me a goalie who isn’t) and he loves to interact with fans. During a meet and greet after a game Adam meets Cason Reyes, a hard-working young man with stunning amber eyes and a smile as sweet as a candy cane. Desperate to see Cason again, Adam does something more than a little naughty.
To add insult to the egg nog, it appears that one little white lie may end Adam’s chance of having a merry Christmas with a new boyfriend. Will he end up with nothing but a lump of coal in his stocking, instead of the man who owns his heart?



Thanks as always for all your support. You readers are simply the best.  *hugs*

V.L. 

Getting Ready for NaNo

Thank goodness NaNoWriMo is kicking off in a few days. I’ve been jangling around at loose ends since I wrapped up Playmaker. Not that having a couple weeks off from writing hasn’t been productive. I’ve managed to get a couple books formatted and tweaked my release schedule for 2017 and into 2018. I’ve also gotten images purchased for covers. Still, even all this busy bee work getting done doesn’t take the place of actually writing on a daily basis.


I’ve also had time to do prep for Breakout, Brighton Wood Blades #2, my NaNo project this year. More prep than usual, I should say. Generally, all books get a character bio sheet that I use for the usual goodness such as height, weight, hair color, eyes, and any other distinguishing features or quirks. I’m also fond of finding images of my characters. Now that I’m going to be self-pubbing most of my M/M books, that means I can purchase the images that will be on the covers in advance. So yes, I do have the image of Todd and Lee already in my files. It’s so sinful hot smoke is rolling out of my laptop. Really, there is! 
A lot of the prep that I’ve done this year is extra fun stuff that I wouldn’t have time for most years. For instance, I made a rollicking good playlist over on Spotify for all the songs that Lee, or LeeLa Blue, sings onstage. I’ve also started picking out dresses for Lee to wear. In case you haven’t guessed, Lee is a drag queen who performs under the name LeeLa Blue. LeeLa is a queen with an attachment to the songs and clothing of the 40’s and 50’s.




Are those dresses to die for or what? If you love the songs of Lena Horne, Dinah Shore, Peggy Lee, and countless others, LeeLa is your gal! And once Lee and Todd lay eyes on each other, neither is going to be the same. Here’s the blurb for the story just for you! 

This is also a rarity, as I hardly ever write the blurb or synopsis beforehand. How can I when I don’t know what’s going to happen? But with Lee and Todd, I woke up a couple days ago with the blurb rolling around inside my head. Up I jumped at 4 am to jot it down. My husband gave me one odd look but didn’t say anything. He’s used to that sort of thing happening.


Breakout Blurb-


Todd Oleksuk has spent twenty years perfecting his loner persona. The indie trucker/Blades defenseman is a man trapped, yearning for the freedom to come out yet bound by the fear of revealing the gay man inside. What will his family think? His ex-wife? His two kids? Better to stay in the gloominess and out of the limelight of that wild, gay lifestyle. It looks like his time alone in the dark might be over, though. Seems Todd has just fallen for a man who thinks that living in the shadows is only fit for mushrooms and campy 60’s TV vampires.
Lee Odette has never been able to hide in the dark. His fire has burned far too brightly since he was a small lad who liked to dress up in his grandmother’s finery. Now, closing in on thirty, Lee is looking for something more than fawning fans and fast hookups at The Scarlet Owl, the gay nightclub where he performs as LeeLa Blue. What he’s found is a beautiful man with a heart as big as Lee’s home state of Louisiana, eyes as blue as a secret bayou, and a firm attachment to those dark old corners.  

Will Lee’s love and inner light be bright enough to lead Todd out of the shadows? 

 I am so ready. I am pumped. I’m all prepped up and anxious to put the pedal to the metal. Bring on November 1st!



How have you gotten ready for NaNo this year? Done anything different? I’d love to hear about it. Share your process for NaNoWriMo readiness down in the comment section.

Rj Scott's The Code Release Blitz with Giveaway!

RJ Scott writing as Rozenn ScottThe Code (Ice Dragons #1)  Author: RJ Scott writing as Rozenn Scott
Release Date: October 26 2016
Buy Links: Amazon US | Amazon UK
Cover Design: Meredith Russell
Length: 50,000 words
Blurb
Falling for his best friend’s sister seemed like a good idea at the time.

Defenceman Ryan Flynn’s life and career is defined by the codes of hockey; friendship, respect, leadership and protection. A call from his best friends sister ends up with him taking her home and it’s all he can do to remember that she’s off limits. Doesn’t matter that she’s too much of temptation for a man on the edge, he promised her brother he wouldn’t go anywhere near her.

Kathryn Lecour has been in lust with hockey player Ryan Flynn since she was first laid eyes on him. The problem? Ryan is her brother’s best friend, bound by a complicated code of chivalry both on and off the ice.

Will Ryan, the hard man of the Dragons ever see her as anything more than his best friend’s little sister? And will Kat be able to tame the Dragon with ice in his heart?

Excerpt
“You have to promise,” Loki had said to him.
They were nineteen years old and drunk on cheap beer. Kat’s prom date vanished into the darkness, and that was a good thing: the baseball captain and high achiever wasn’t good enough for her.
Not in her brother’s eyes, and not in his.
“Promise what?” Ryan had been worried that what he and Loki had done made Kat’s date leave and left her in tears. They’d only meant to intimidate him to playing nice, not get him to run away with his tail between his legs.“Don’t ever let her near a jock,” Loki snapped. He didn’t appear to have any remorse at seeing the guy run, but then, he ’hadn’t seen his sister’s tears. “No one like us. Because all we are is hockey, and all we do is for the team.”“I promise.”“We fuck and leave, and nothing means anything.”“Loki—”“Don’t you ever let anyone hurt her.”“I won’t. I promise.”
The smile slipped from his face when the enormity of what he’d promised sunk into his soul, and for a second he hesitated. He had to go in there and be her brother, be the friend she’d need. Not the idiot man who fancied himself in love with her.He settled his breathing. And then he opened the door, slipped inside, and shut it behind him before he could second-guess why he was here.The room was simple: sofas, a coffee table in the middle, a large roof window that would let in light in the daytime. At the moment, the room was lit by a soft lamp in the corner.Sitting bolt upright in one corner of the largest sofa was Kat.Ryan took one look at her face and couldn’t help himself; a curse fell from his lips without conscious thought. A vivid scarlet mark ran from her eye socket to her cheekbone, as if someone had deliberately slapped her; bruises ringed her neck and her lip was cut, evidenced by a butterfly bandage just below the left corner. She was so beautiful, and he couldn’t bear to see the marks on her soft skin.She looked up at him, her green eyes bright. He stepped closer and she stared at him. Her lower lip trembled as though she was fighting tears; he wanted to hold her and stop her from crying.God, all I want is to hold her.“Take me home, Ryan,” she said, her voice broken. Then she added a much smaller, quieter “Please.”
Author Bio: 


RJ Scott is the bestselling gay romance author of over ninety MM romance books. She writes emotional stories of complicated characters, cowboys, millionaire, princes, and the men who get mixed up in their lives. RJ is known for writing books that always end with a happy ever after. She lives just outside London and spends every waking minute she isn't with family either reading or writing. 
RJ also writes MF romance under the name Rozenn Scott.
The last time she had a week’s break from writing she didn't like it one little bit, and she has yet to meet a bottle of wine she couldn’t defeat.
mailto:rj@rjscott.co.ukwww.rjscott.co.uk/www.facebook.com/author.rjscott?ref=ts&fref=tswww.goodreads.com/author/show/3432558.R_J_Scotttwitter.com/Rjscott_authorwww.librarything.com/author/scottrj


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Tuesday Tales - Ghost

Hello and Happy Halloween! It`s time for Tuesday Tales.




 Welcome back! I recently started a novella called Playmaker, which is a Venom book and will center on Whitney Beaupré, one of the women we’ve come to know in the Venom books. In today’s snippet, Whitney is sitting down to confess something big to her friend, Jovan, a hockey player on the New Jersey men’s team and the arch-enemy of Philadelphia Wildcat team captain, Bobby Fovea.
Since I completed Whitney’s novella, this will be the last snippet from it and next week we’ll have excerpts from my NaNoWriMo novel, Breakout, which is book #2 in my upcoming Brighton Wood Blades M/M hockey series.
This is an LGBTQ romance, so there may be some same-sex frolicking taking place. If that offends, now is the time to skedaddle along to another Tuesday Tales offering.
Our word prompt for this week is “Ghost”.






"Ignore him," Jovan said as he slid off the stationary bike. "Give me thirty to shower and we can do coffee. Want to wait or meet me?" He asked them scrubbed at his face with a towel that hung around his tattooed neck.             "I'll meet you at Clem's," I said as I eyed the other Sharks ambling around looking like they all had moronic things they wanted to say.             "That'll work." Jovan strolled off, his back coated with sweat. The man was seriously built for sports and breaking poor little puck bunny hearts. Out of all the men on the New Jersey Sharks, I had formed a bond with the biggest asshole. Guess that backed up that birds of a feather flocking together bullshit. I left the stadium and drove for a couple blocks, enjoying the ambiance of Trenton. I kind of missed the old neighborhood. Not enough to move back over the river though, but Jovan, Trenton and me kind of fit together.             Clem's Bar and Grill sat on the corner like an old man who was too tired to realize he was dying and just give up the ghost. The old pub had seen better days, but they had the best rippers-or deep-fried hot dogs-in a hundred-mile radius of the barn. I slid into a booth that hadn't seen a washcloth since I was a kid, and shouted to Clem to bring me two drafts and two rippers. He muttered something that I didn't catch over the Bruce Springsteen song rolling out of the old jukebox. You didn't find a jukebox, or any other kind of musical device, in Jersey that was not loaded with “The Boss”. I sipped my cosmo as "Thunder Road" played. Jovan arrived about twenty minutes after I did. Clem shouted a greeting at the Shark. I shoved his mug of beer and his hot dog to him after he deposited his ass into the bench across from me.                 "Thanks," Jovan grunted then dove into the ripper like a, well, like a hungry shark.             "No problem." I watched him wolf down his food, his dark eyes staying on me as he chewed. "So I guess you're wondering why I came looking for you."            "Yeah, sort of," he confessed then wiped his mouth with a crinkled-up paper napkin. "Thunder Road" ended and Bon Jovi's "Living on a Prayer" took over. Yep, we were in Jersey all right.

 Copyright 2016 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the Tuesday Tales authors.
Tuesday Tales

Silent Sunday

*Gathering Leaves*

NaNoWriMo, Word Counts, & Jell-O Shots

Looking at the calendar last week, I noticed that October had somehow arrived. Wasn’t it just July like ten days ago? I’m not sure where the time goes but I do know that the older I get the faster it whizzes past. So, being the glutton for punishment that I am, when I saw it was the tenth month I skipped on over to the NaNoWriMo site, and got my info for this year all plugged in. If you’re taking part, feel free to send me a buddy request—
http://nanowrimo.org/dashboard
I’m going to be writing the second book of my upcoming Brighton Wood Blades M/M hockey series, Breakout. I’m super stoked to start working on it! This story has been demanding to be written ever since I sketched out the book outlines for the BWB series. You’d think one of the leading men were some kind of queen or something. *wink* Now I just need to get my head into NaNo mode.
Why I do this to myself year after year is anyone’s guess. Obviously I love writing. Or stress. Or the knowledge that thousands of other authors are typing away like mad just like I am to meet that sixteen hundred word per day goal that spells success. And that brings me to another topic listed in that header.
Word counts. I have a love/hate relationship with them.
On one hand, I like them because they keep me motivated. I like seeing that little colored bar rise. I use word count meters on my blog to help my readers see how my current book is progressing, and to make me feel like I did something good when I watch the purple bar get longer. And I will frankly admit that participating in NaNoWriMo yearly has taught me discipline. In my humble, having discipline is one of the most important attributes an author can possess. So learning to churn out X amount of words every day is a good thing.
But, on the other hand, it’s a trial for me at times because of how my mind works.  You can ask my online sprinting group about my silly process. When we sprint my friends always come back with how many words they got in. Ole Organic Olivia here will mosey in and say “I got to the point where I need to stop and think about what happens next! Go me.” Which is about as vague as an answer from Donald Trump about any policy his campaign supposedly has. Oh snap. Vicki went there.
When I sit down to write, it’s all very loosey-goosey. I know what I want to say that day. Once what I have to say is down on the page, I’m pretty much done. That’s a problem if you’re working to put in two thousand words a day (my set goal for NaNo) and what I had to say only needed six hundred words. It’s at this point that I start calling NaNo and myself bad words.

Yeah, my head is a wonky place, I know. What about you? If you’re an author how do you feel about NaNoWriMo, word counts, and lapping Jell-O shots from Henrik Lundqvist’s navel? Bet you were wondering how I'd work that last header reference in, weren't you? 

Feel free to let your imagination roam...

Tuesday Tales - Picture Prompt

Hello! It`s time for Tuesday Tales.


It's time for more from my current WIP Playmaker, an F/F hockey romance This story might contain crude language and gay sexual situations. If that offends now would be the time to move onto another Tuesday Tales offering. Today the girls have their first date at a local hoagie shop. 
It`s our picture prompt week and the excerpt must reflect the image and be under 300 words.  Don`t forget to visit the other talented Tuesday Tales authors. Thanks for stopping by!




            “You look like a librarian,” Hannah said when I reached our table. I glanced down at the frumpy white blouse and brown skirt.             “I have a dress code that I have to follow at work,” I explained, feeling as square as the tables.             “I think it’s hot. If we put some glasses on you and had you bending over a stack of books I’d have wet dreams for a month,” she leaned over and kissed me. On the lips. In front of everyone in the hoagie shop. For some insane reason I leaned into the kiss, into her, and it was amazing. Her lips were soft, her breasts small but firm. When we broke apart a long, long moment later, my face was hot and Hannah was smiling like a cat who had just discovered a field of catnip. “Okay, I so have to paint you draped over a chaise wearing that look that you’re wearing right now.”            I should have said something sexy, or provocative. Instead I went with this gem. “I play hockey for a living.”            “Oh, so you’re not some uptight librarian. Well, that’s okay. I like hot jocks.” She sat down and patted the chair next to her. After scoping out the reaction of the patrons to the girl-on-girl kiss and seeing that no one seemed to give two shits, I sat down, grabbed a paper menu jammed behind the napkin holder, and stared at the food selections. I doubted anything on the menu would be as enticing as Hannah’s lips.



Copyright 2016 ©by V.L. Locey
*~*~*
Click on the link below to return to the Tuesday Tales main blog for more great reads from the Tuesday Tales authors.
Tuesday Tales
See you next week!