Rob Colton's Blog, page 18

Guest Post: Julie Lynn Hayes

Please welcome Julie Lynn Hayes to the site. She’s here to talk about character voices and inspiration and her newly released Leonardo DiCaprio is a Vampire.

I hear voices in my head.

No, I’m not daft or certifiable—at least no more than any other writer, I think. The voices that I hear are not the kind that tell me to do strange things or incite me to desperate acts, rather they belong to my characters, both those I know and those I’ve yet to meet. And I’ve learned something in over forty years of writing—when they speak, I listen!

Carrying paper and pencil or pen is wonderful advice for those moments when your characters begin to speak and you want to capture them for posterity. It’s all well and good to say oh, I’ll remember that, no problem, until  you’re sitting in front of your computer screen and your fingers are in place upon the keyboard and suddenly you’ve forgotten every single word you were sure you’d remember forever. As they talk, you should write, that much is just a given.

But sometimes you aren’t in a position to write—for example, while you’re driving, or when you’re showering (bathing isn’t quite so bad, at least you can take the paper and pen into the bathroom and write while you soak), or even when you’re having sex. So what do you do? If it’s just one line, you can keep repeating it to yourself until you’re in a position to write it down, and that can work. But what if it’s more than that?

I have a little trick for those moments. At least it works for me. I get a mental picture of the emotions involved, and capture them visually, imprinting them with the words, almost like a hot key. So that when I’m ready, I “press” the key, and then it comes out where I can capture it. If I let the character ramble before I’m ready, I find that I lose the words. But if I imprint them in this way, then they stay there, waiting for me to access them.

For example, a couple of years ago my daughter and I went to see Inception at the theatre, the Leonardo di Caprio film. I wasn’t even sure at first that I wanted to see it, but she did so I agreed to go. Before we went, I got to thinking about Leo and other films that I’ve seen him in over the years, including Total Eclipse (Leo and David Thewlis – totally hot! Kissing and nakedness, very delicious!), and I heard a voice speak to me.

“Did you know that Leonardo di Caprio is a vampire?”

Sounds like an odd beginning or introduction even for a character. But I thought what the heck, let’s listen. I realized that this was a new character, so I kept the line in my head, all through Inception. Afterwards, I worked on the story, as I drove home. First, I needed character names. In Inception, Cillian Murphy plays a guy named Robert Fisher. He’s an important character, and his name stuck in my head, but I reversed it and changed it slightly. So Robert Fisher became Fisher Roberts. One character down, now for number two (I already knew this would be m/m, so I needed another male name). As I was driving, I scanned everything around me—billboards, businesses, vehicles, whatever—for the mate to Fisher Roberts. I saw an ad for hunting, and suddenly I had it—Hunter, who became Hunter Long.  It wasn’t til long after I began to write that I saw what I had inadvertently done – Fisher and Hunter. It might seem contrived to some, but I swear to you it was totally accidental.

I knew nothing about these two guys, but I began to write, using that first line, and I kept writing until some 35k later, I was done.  Or at least I thought it was. After a brief stint with a publisher who shall remain nameless, I received Leo back into my own hands and then I took the original story and added 5k to it, in the form of Hunter’s POV, and then I sold it to Torquere. And now we have a happy ending, as well as a new cover and more depth to the story of Hunter and Fisher.

This isn’t the only time this has happened to me, far from it. There once was a time when I was researching a non-fiction book, a children’s book about composer Percy Granger, when a voice began to speak, and he told me he was a gay werewolf. I could feel that he was a nice man, so I politely told him to please wait til I was done with the other book.  But he kept talking, so to appease him I thought I would just write down a few notes and hold onto them until I was ready. Those few notes became the first chapter of To The Max. Which became an entire book. And which now has a sequel. All because a voice wanted to be heard. Oh, that other book never got written yet. Guess Percy needs to speak louder, eh?

Another time, it was Judas Iscariot that spoke, and that book became Revelations (for which I’m still seeking a publisher). Sometimes I only get to the first chapter, and then it sits as a WIP until I get back to it. But at least it’s a start.

I hate to think about all of the characters that I have lost or forgotten because I wasn’t able to keep their words in my head. Perhaps they’ll come back again someday, but I’m not holding my breath. That goes for the books I’ve written in my dreams, but forget the moment I wake up. Since I started using my little mnemonic trick, I haven’t lost a thing, and that’s a good feeling. I just hope my readers agree that it was worth it!

Do your characters talk to you? Do you have any tricks you use for getting your characters down onto paper?  I’d love to hear about it!  Thanks for having me, Rob! Have a great day, everyone!

 

Blurb:

Halloween is the night when the veil between the worlds grows thin… Not that Fisher Roberts believes in Halloween or any other holiday. Unlike his roommate and longtime best friend, Hunter Long. The trouble is that Fisher’s feelings for Hunter are more than that of a friend, and it’s getting harder and harder to hide those feelings from Hunter.

Fisher has promised Hunter to attend a Halloween party with him on All Hallow’s eve, even though he’d really rather not. Things start out badly and then take a decided turn for the strange. Hunter confesses to being a vampire. Not that Fisher believes that, of course—that’s just Hunter’s strange sense of humor. But the kiss in the park… what’s that about? And at the Halloween party from Hell, nothing and no one are what they seem to be… Halloween madness or something more?

 

Excerpt:

Fisher trembled, an expectant trembling, as if he were waiting for something to happen. He didn’t have to wait long. Suddenly those beautiful lips were touching his, and then they were kissing, truly kissing. No, it wasn’t Fisher’s first kiss, but it was his first with a man. His only kiss with a man. And he was amazed at what a difference there was between this kiss and the others. Not because of gender, but because it was with Hunter. Because Hunter was someone special.

He felt himself giving in to those lips, melting into that touch, with a heat that penetrated his entire body, vibrating in its intensity. Now Hunter was nibbling at his lips, soft tender kisses that shook him to his very foundation. His head was reeling, and he was on the verge of losing all sense of self when he felt the first raindrops splash upon his upturned face.

What the hell. He pulled back at this sudden insertion of reality into a very unreal scene, his mouth forming a large “O” of amazement, his eyes going into saucer-plate mode. But even as he did, Hunter moved forward, sliding his hips until their knees were touching. From this position, luckily, they couldn’t get much closer, or Hunter would realize what else he had raised beside’s Fisher’s blood pressure.

He was going to do it again. Fisher just knew it, he could feel it, and oh God how badly he wanted it, as he felt a whimper rise in his throat, indicating a neediness he wasn’t aware he even possessed. But the drops were turning thicker now, more of them, and they were brutally cold. A definite shock to the system. His brain was screaming to him to get out, get out now.

Even though this was what he wanted, exactly what he wanted. So what was the problem? What did he think would happen if he gave in to his feelings? He didn’t know. He was afraid of things that he couldn’t even explain to himself.

He practically threw himself backward from the picnic table in his haste to get away, landing on the hard ground that would soon be turning to mud if this downpour kept up. A steady rain it was now, and lightning crackled angrily above their heads.

"Fisher?" Hunter rose hastily, reaching for him. So Fisher did the only logical thing he could do — he gained his feet and ran, as hard and as fast as he could. He hated himself with every step that he took — and he knew he had never loved Hunter Long more.

 

Julie Lynn Hayes was reading at the age of two and writing by the age of nine and always wanted to be a writer when she grew up. Two marriages, five children, and more than forty years later, that is still her dream. She blames her younger daughters for introducing her to yaoi and the world of M/M love, a world which has captured her imagination and her heart and fueled her writing in ways she’d never dreamed of before. She especially loves stories of two men finding true love and happiness in one another’s arms and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and two cats, loves books and movies, and hopes to be a world traveler some day. She enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, knitting and needlepoint and loves to cook. While working a temporary day job, she continues to write her books and stories and reviews, which she posts in various places on the internet. Her family thinks she is a bit off, but she doesn’t mind. Marching to the beat of one’s own drummer is a good thing, after all.  Her published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, MuseitUp Publishing, Torquere Press, and eXtasy Books. She has also begun to self-publish and is an editor at MuseitUp.  

You can find her on her blog at http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com , and you can contact her at tothemax.wolf@gmail.com .

 

Links:

Torquere 

http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=97&products_id=4047

My blog:  http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com

My website: www.julielynnhayes.com

My facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=527332074

My Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes

 

My Publishers:

Dreamspinner Press: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=55_222

Museit Up Publishing: http://museituppublishing.com/bookstore2/index.php

eXtasy Books:  http://www.extasybooks.com/index.php?route=product%2Fauthor&author_id=979

Guest Post: M.A. Church's The Harvest

Please welcome M.A. Church to my site. She’s here to talk about her latest release, The Harvest: Taken. I’m really looking forward to this release and I’m sure you will enjoy it as well.

http://www.stormmoonpress.com/books/The-Harvest-Taken.aspx

 

Blurb:

In the year 2050, humanity finds out they are indeed not alone.

Massive space ships appear without warning above the capital cities of all major nations. The planet Tah’Nar is dying. Chemical warfare has reduced the once-intersexed warrior race to sterility. They need fresh DNA in order to reproduce and have an idea for a harvesting program… and so they turn to Earth.

Earth governments negotiate a lottery, and Dale Michael assumes he’s safe since he’s under the Harvest age limit. How wrong he is. He’s illegally harvested and claimed by Tah’Narian starship captain Keyno Shou. From the moment Keyno sees Dale, he knows he must claim the spirited human male for his own. What he doesn’t expect is a spitfire with a mind of his own—and a deadly disease that will require a risky procedure to cure.

 

Hey everyone! My name is M.A. Church and I’d like to introduce you to the Tah’Narians, a novel about an alien species that took me over a year to write. Keyno, one of the main characters, is a spaceship captain. Dale, my human, will be the one Keyno takes as his mate. Sounds simple, right? Oh, believe me, this love story is anything but simple.

I’m going to let Dale and Keyno tell you their story. I think they can do it better than I can. :-)

Dale: Well hey, everyone. My name is Dale Michaels, and I was harvested illegally by my loving mate.

Keyno: Dammit, Dale… Gods, nothing like just jumping right into the middle of it.

Dale: Oh by the way, I guess you could say “Dammit, Dale” is my nickname. Keyno tends to say it a lot.

Keyno: Huh, I wonder why.

Dale: *snort* We’re so not going there. Anyway, back to what I was saying. In a nutshell, the Tah’Narians came to Earth, told its leaders they needed DNA, and set up a program to basically ‘harvest’ males as mates. A lotto was set up and numbers were drawn. I wasn’t supposed to be part of the harvest; I was under the age limit that had been set. But it seems my mate had other ideas.

Keyno: *cringe* I’ve told you why I did what I did, why we do what we do. And you know my feelings on this. I wish…

Dale: *reaches over and pats Keyno* I know, babe. I can’t help it if it took me a while to understand. What your kind did was wrong. *slashes hand through air* I know your species was dying. I get that, and get how that would make a race desperate. But keep in mind, you guys brought it on yourselves.

Keyno: We did. Attacking the Onfre was the stupidest thing the old king of our race ever did. We paid horribly and dragged many other species into our troubles.

Dale: Yes, you guys did. The people out there need to know you guys aren’t as bad as you first seem. They’ll see. But, this harvest was different. Things happened that changed history. Out of your offer to help the Onfre captain, you met Captain Ti of the Onfre. Look what came form that… all the things that came from that.

Keyno: True. *laugh* And Colt. Don’t forget Colt.

Dale: Believe me, that’s hard to do. He’s… something else, and still makes my hair stand on end.  But Colt wasn’t the only person to be changed by what the Tah’Narians did. I found Chad again, met John… A whole race learned the true meaning of peace too.

Keyno: All I did was offer Ti help when he was attacked. You, my chosen, offered friendship with a simple meal. You, my mate, made the difference and still are. You are my world and I love you.

Dale: *rubs Keyno’s pointed ear* You overgrown alley cat, I love you too, even if I did want to tie your tail in knots in the beginning.

 

Excerpt:

Once our meal was over we returned to our cabin so I could study more. Keyno had reports he needed to read. I didn’t want to think how… homey this was. I settled on the couch and pulled the gadget on. Half way through the hour session, I pulled it off and rubbed my eyes.

Keyno looked up from the small desk. A hologram image was in front of him. He waved his hand and the image disappeared. “What’s wrong? You’re pale.”

“My head’s hurting, and I’m slightly nauseous.” I patted my belly, trying to settle the grumbling down. “Is that a common side effect of this thing?”

“No. No one has ever complained about that before.” Keyno frowned at me. “Maybe I should call our Chief Medical Officer, Tanlor Kere.”

I opened my mouth to tell him not to worry about it when I was seized by a horrible stomach cramp. The pain in my head worsened, blindsiding me. “Keyno? Ah, shit, I feel like I’m going to—”

“Gods, you’re green, Dale. Hold on.” Keyno hurried around the desk and helped me to the bed. He wet a washcloth, and the coolness did help settle my stomach some. Keyno buzzed their doctor, and seconds later he arrived with a portakit.

“Hello, Dale. I’m Doc. Remember meeting me earlier while you ate? I’m going to look you over and see what the problem is. All right? I won’t hurt you.”

I did remember him. “Hey, Doc.” I lay on the bed, being very still. The less I moved, the better.

He ran tests on me, his face carefully blank. Finally, he injected me with something to help with the pain. With a warm smile, he stepped away and motioned Keyno to follow him. Keyno and Doc stood outside the door, talking for several minutes before Keyno returned. Swear to God, were all doctors the same?

Moments later, Keyno returned to the bedside. “Tanlor—whom we call Doc— requested that you stay in bed for the next twenty-four hours. What he injected you with will stop the pain and nausea soon.”

“What’s going on?” I whimpered as the pain stabbed at me again and then slowly faded.

“Do you remember the conversation that you had with Chad earlier?” Keyno sighed. “Remember when he told you that you were injected with our DNA?”

“Yeah,” I moaned as a bolt of nausea swept through me. “How did you know what we talked about?”

“I asked him to speak to you about certain things that you needed to know.” Keyno gently settled on the bed.

“Am I having a reaction?” I gritted my teeth as my stomach cramped up again. When the hell was that stuff going to take effect?

“No!” Keyno gasped loudly. “No, you’re fine. This just wasn’t expected to happen quite so fast.”

“What wasn’t expected to happen so fast?” I was now more worried about why he was avoiding giving me a straight answer.

 

Author bio:

M.A. Church lives in the southern United States and spent many years in the elementary education sector. She is married to her high school sweetheart and they have two children. Her hobbies are gardening, walking, attending flea markets, watching professional football, racing, and spending time with her family on the lake.

But her most beloved hobby is reading. From an early age, she can remember hunting for books at the library. Later nonhuman and science fiction genres captured her attention and drew her into the worlds the authors had created. But always at the back of her mind was the thought that one day, when the kids were older and she had more time, she would write a book.

By sheer chance she stumbled across a gay male romance story on the web and was hooked. A new world opened up and she fell in love. Thus the journey started. When not writing or researching, she enjoys reading the latest erotic and mainstream romance novels.

 

My links:

Blog http://machurch00.blogspot.com

Twitter @nomoretears00

Facebook: M.A. Church http://www.facebook.com/pages/MA-Church/173797619379487

The Harvest FB fan page: https://www.facebook.com/#!/theharvest00

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5141393.M_A_Church

Noah's New Plan: Chapter 8

Here’s Chapter 8 of my free Wednesday Briefs blog story, Noah’s New Plan.

As always, I was struggling to keep within the 1000 word limit. This week ended up at 1053 words. The plot prompt I used this week was a tootsie pop (snicker).

This week’s chapter is for mature audiences so the entirety of the text isn’t visible on the home page. The “read more” button will take you to the full chapter.

"Wait." Noah came to a stop, pulling back on Eli’s hand, forcing him to stop.

Damn. Eli just knew Noah was going to back out. He really wanted to try some of that sweet little man.

"I don’t want to go in there." Noah looked towards the red-lit backroom door, his eyes full of fear and apprehension.

Eli turned Noah to face him. “I’m taking you someplace a little more private.” A sly smile spread across Eli’s face. “I don’t want anyone else to see your face when I make you come.”

Noah’s face flushed and his cheeks turned a pretty shade of pink as he pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. “Um… Okay.”

Eli led Noah back to the manager’s office. His buddy Rex owned the Buckle. Eli worked the bar as a favor. Surely the man wouldn’t mind if Eli borrowed it for a bit.

As soon as they were inside, Eli locked the door, then pounced on Noah. His hands ran up and down Noah’s body. His hands found Noah’s ass, where he squeezed and massaged those perfect cheeks. Rubbing his beard against Noah’s neck, he spoke roughly in the smaller man’s ear. “We don’t got time to do what I really want, so we’ll have to settle for a blowjob.”

Noah nodded, his breath coming in short pants. “Okay. Sure. I like doing that.”

Holding Noah’s head in his hands, Eli kissed the smaller man until he thought Noah was going to hyperventilate.

Ending the kiss, Eli dropped to his knees and began to unbuckle Noah’s belt.

"What are you… Oh. Oh.”

Eli slipped his hands under the waistband of Noah’s boxer briefs. Noah’s breath hitched as the tips of Eli’s fingers slid across his bare skin. When Eli made contact with the hot skin of Noah’s prick, the man let out a sexy little moan.

Damn, Eli wished they had more time. His pricked jerked inside his leather pants, wanting to be free. Wanting to be buried inside Noah’s ass. Wanting to come.

He let Noah’s jeans and boxer briefs fall to the floor.

Noah’s hard dick sprung free of his underwear and smacked against the man’s flat belly. And what a pretty dick it was. The skin was smooth, drawn tight, swollen red with need. It curved upwards towards his belly. It wasn’t the biggest cock he’d ever seen, but Eli thought it to be quite a nice mouthful.

A pearly drop dripped down the underside of the shaft. As Eli leaned forward and scooped it up with his tongue, he wondered exactly how many licks it would take to get to the center of this tootsie pop. The sweet flavor of Noah’s nectar exploded across Eli’s taste buds and he flicked his tongue around the spongy head, scooping up every last drop.

"Oh my god." Noah moaned and his knees wobbled. With his jeans around his ankles, he shuffled backwards and leaned back against the desk.

Eli took hold of the shaft and pulled it away from Noah’s belly. He dipped his head forward and swallowed Noah to the root.

"Oh my god!" Noah cried out, his body shuddering.

If he could have, Eli would have grinned. He would have bet every last cent he had to his name that that selfish ex of his had never sucked Noah off before. Well, Eli was about to show the man what he had been missing for the last twenty years.

As Eli slid his mouth down the shaft, he fluttered his tongue along the underside. Noah let out a whimper that made Eli’s dick lurch inside his pants.

Noah moaned without abandon. “Eli. Please.”

Oh, he begged so damn pretty.

Eli sucked, up and down and he went. Judging from Noah’s vocal reactions and the way his body trembled, he wasn’t going to last long. If the man was this responsive to his mouth, just wait until Eli buried his cock inside the little man’s ass.

At the thought, his cock belched another wad of pre-come inside his leathers. Eli pulled off long enough to wet his middle finger. Increasing his mouth and tongue action, Eli let his hand slide between Noah’s legs.

"Oh!" Noah spread his legs ever so slightly, giving Eli access.

Bobbing his head up and down, Eli rubbed his spit-slickened finger across the sensitive ring of muscle hidden between Noah’s tight cheeks.

Applying a bit of pressure, he pressed the tip into the hole. The muscle contracted around Eli’s finger, unbelievably tight, almost like a virgin. Eli wondered how long it had been since he had taken dick inside him.

Increasing his efforts, Eli sucked Noah while he kept his finger unmoving where it was. Noah began to squirm. His body trembled as he clutched the edge of the desk in his hands. Eli didn’t think it possible, but Noah’s cock stiffened even further in his mouth.

"Eli," Noah panted desperately. "If you don’t stop, I’m going to come."

Eli moaned around Noah’s shaft. The underside of Noah’s dick pulsed against his tongue and his mouth was filled with a bittersweet liquid.

Noah gasped and moaned. His body shuddered and his hands flew to Eli’s head. Cradling the smooth skull in his hands, Noah’s hips jerked back and forth. “Oh god, oh god, oh god…”

The warm liquid kept coming and Eli swallowed again and again.

Eli licked his lips, savoring the last of Noah’s flavor. “Damn, you must have been saving that up for a long time.”

Noah slumped back against the desk, his eyelids half shut, his breath fast and shallow. “I can’t believe you just did that.”

"A real top knows how to please his boy."

"Okay, I’m gonna let that boy slide this time since you just… And you got my, uh… in your beard.”

Eli swiped his finger across his chin and pulled back a finger full of saliva and semen. “I guess this is why they call it a flavor savor, huh.”

Noah looked at Eli, suddenly quiet and shy. “Do you want me to do you now?”

"I’ll get mine next time."

Noah smiled. “I think I need a new list.”

Eli wasn’t sure what he was talking about, but somehow he thought it was a good thing.

* * * *

Check out this week’s fellow Wednesday Briefs bloggers for more free fiction!

Jon Keys
A.R. Von
JC Wallace
Chris T. Kat
Lily Sawyer
MA Church
Cia Nordwell
Andrew Gordon
Shelly Schulz
Rob Colton
Elyzabeth VaLey
Renee Stevens
Tali Spencer
Julie Lynn Hayes
Victoria Adams

GRL Retreat 2013

I’m attending the GayRomLit conference this week (Oct 17-20). I’ll be going as a reader, not an author. If you see me wandering around, stop me and say “Hi”!

Noah's New Plan: Chapter 7

Here’s Chapter 7 of my free Wednesday Briefs blog story, Noah’s New Plan.

Once again, I was struggling to keep within the 1000 word limit. This week ended up at 1017 words. I used two plot prompts this week: a picture of a bull and the phrase “He was hung like a…” ;-)

"Get your fucking hands off my boy."

Noah was stunned into silence.

After buying him a drink, Mr. Octopus had tried to lead him to the backroom. Just as Noah was about to handle it, Eli swooped in.

Eli had an arm around him, holding Noah close in an iron grip. It seemed like it had been ages since Noah felt another body pressed against his. But Eli was not Derek. Derek kept in shape, but he wasn’t big like Eli. The man was bulgy in places where Derek was flat. He radiated a warmth against Noah’s back that made him hot. A bead of sweat dripped down the middle of his back to the top of his ass crack.

What the heck was that pressed against Noah’s ass? It felt… Oh god. Either Eli had a cucumber in his pocket or the man was hung like a bull.

"…so why don’t you get the fuck out of here, before I have to throw you out."

Noah’s attention turned back to the conversation around him. Mr. Octopus wasn’t as dumb as he looked. He turned and left the bar without looking back.

"You okay?" Eli’s breath was hot against Noah’s ear, his beard prickly against his neck.

Oh god. Noah shuddered against Eli’s body. His ears and neck were a hot spot and Eli was really pulling his trigger.

But Eli was all wrong for Noah. On his list of the perfect man's attributes, Eli didn't check a single box.

Using all his strength, Noah pushed away and turned to face the man. “First off, I’m a grown man. Don’t ever call me ‘boy’.”

"Fair enough." Eli stepped back and held up his hands in a non-threatening manner. "I was just trying to get rid of Crane using language he would respond to."

"I was just about to do that."

"Right." Eli tipped his head to the side.

Noah turned his head where Eli indicated. A black curtain covered the doorway. A red light bulb illuminated the frame.

A man emerged from the pitch-black room, adjusting his belt and checking his zipper. The man looked through Noah to give Eli an appreciative once over, making Noah feel small and invisible. It was an odd feeling; it wasn’t like he wanted some backroom pervert to ogle him. Well, maybe a little. After all, who didn’t want to feel sexy and attractive?

"Eli!"

Both men turned towards the shout. A angry-looking bear of a man stood at the end of the bar, pointing towards the front door where a crowd of men was gathering.

"C’mon." Eli grabbed Noah’s hand and led him back to the door. Picking up a tipped over stool, he set it upright. "Have a seat."

Noah was about to protest, but decided not to fight. He sat on the stool and watched Eli do his job. When Eli finished checking IDs, he walked over to the bar, grabbed an empty stool and returned to the front door.

"So, what are you doing here, Noah?" he asked as he parked his ass on the seat.

Noah just shrugged. “I wanted to meet some new people.”

"This isn’t exactly the kind of place to make new friends."

Annoyed, Noah glared at the bigger man. “Maybe that’s what I wanted. It’s none of your business.”

"I suppose not. You just don’t strike me as a one-night-stand kind of guy."

"You make me sound boring."

"There’s nothing wrong with boring if that’s what you want to call it.”

"Right. I’m sure that’s what Reagan said." That twink’s name left a bad taste in his mouth.

"The girl from The Exorcist?”

"Hello! Exactly!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Derek…. He came by the house tonight. He’s selling it. I have to move."

"Jesus. What a fucking bastard."

"It’s not like we were married or anything…"

Eli nodded. “So you were looking to meet someone, forget about the cheating asshole ex.”

Noah shrugged. “Maybe I should just download an app for my phone. They have hook-up apps for over-the-hill losers don’t they?”

"You are definitely no loser. You log into one of those apps and you’ll be beating the guys off with a stick.”

"Right…"

Eli didn’t say anything, but just stared at Noah with an intensity that made him squirm. Without warning the man pulled Noah from his stool and yanked him close. Trapped between muscular arms and between trunk-like thighs, Noah gazed back into Eli’s eyes and held in his breath.

When Eli’s head tipped to the right and he moved in, Noah didn’t stop him. As Eli’s warm lips made contact, Noah’s eyes slid shut. The kiss was slow, open-mouthed, filled with passion Noah hadn’t felt in years.

It had been so long since he had been kissed like this, Noah had forgotten how much he loved making out. He couldn’t remember when Derek had last kissed him this way.

Clutching Eli’s body, Noah returned the kiss just as eagerly. Eli’s tongue slipped between Noah’s lips and began a leisurely exploration. Noah flicked his tongue against the intruding muscle and the two intertwined and played.

One of Eli’s hands made its way down Noah’s back to his ass as Eli ended the kiss. But the man didn’t stop the kisses. His mouth moved along Noah’s jaw, then his tongue flicked against Noah’s earlobe.

Trying to hold back a moan, Noah could feel his dick hardening in his jeans and the pressure began to become uncomfortable.

At the sound of someone clearing his throat, Noah’s eyes flew open. A burly man held out his ID, a smirk on his face as he watched the two men make out.

Totally oblivious, Eli began to suck on the base of Noah’s neck.

Noah’s eyes rolled into the back of his head. “Yeah, you’re good.” Noah impatiently waved the man away.

Someone laughed from behind Noah. “Looks like you could use a break.”

Eli finally lifted his head up, pulling away from Noah. “Hell yeah.”

He pushed off the stool, grabbed Noah’s hand and led him towards the back of the bar.

* * * *

Check out this week’s fellow Wednesday Briefs bloggers for more free fiction!

JC Wallace
Chris T. Kat
Lily Sawyer
Shelly Schulz
Cia Nordwell
Elyzabeth VaLey
Rob Colton
Victoria Adams
Renee Stevens
Tali Spencer
Julie Lynn Hayes
A.R. Von
Nephylim

Noah's New Plan: Chapter 6

Here’s Chapter 6 to my Wednesday Briefs story, Noah’s New Plan.

This week’s post ended up at 994 words. The plot prompt I used this week was “put out to pasture”.

"The Buckle, please."

The cab driver turned around in her seat, looked Noah up and down. Raising an eyebrow, she spoke slowly as if Noah was dense. “You sure about that, hun? I think Rainbows might be more your speed.”

Noah frowned. Like he was going to take advice from a woman with a mullet. “The Buckle, please.”

"They’re down the block from each other, so… Why don’t I drop you off in between."

When they arrived, Noah paid his fare, leaving a tip that was far more than she deserved.

Noah could see the flashing colorful lights of Rainbows down the street. A rainbow flag hung from a pole over the door, in case it wasn’t completely obvious how gay the place was.

Turning in the opposite direction, he headed for the Buckle.

A pair of men exited the darkened bar entrance.

Noah slowed, then stopped as the men passed him. One man wore ripped up jeans and a wife beater. The bigger of the two wore a pair of black leather pants. No shirt. A leather harness was strapped across his chiseled chest, a silver ring in the middle where the two straps crossed in an “X” shape.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, Noah looked down at his outfit. He wore a pair of pressed designer jeans and a pink Polo shirt. He might as well have put his library ID lanyard around his neck to complete his nerd outfit.

He turned around and headed for Rainbows.

* * * *

The music was way too loud. The cover was too expensive. It was too hot. There were too many people. And there was the not so insignificant fact that he felt like an old pervert in a sea of young gay men.

No one gave him a second glance. Hell, he couldn’t even get a first glance. It was as if he did not even exist. To these kids, he probably didn’t. He sure as hell wasn’t going to be getting laid here unless someone wanted a sugar daddy.

Oh my god, they probably think I’m a chicken hawk. I might as well be put out to pasture right now.

Head hung, Noah shoved his hands into his pockets and fought his way through the crowds until he got outside.

That was a complete bust. He could get a cab and head back home, or…

What the hell have I got to lose?

* * * *

The last person Eli expected to walk through the door of the Buckle was Noah the nerdy little librarian. Okay, maybe the Pope was the last, but Noah was next.

Eli sat on a bar stool just inside the door checking IDs. When Noah recognized him, he looked panicked, like he was going to turn and run.

"Hey, Noah."

"Hi." Noah’s eyes roamed Eli’s body.

Noah had only seen Eli in uniform. Right now Eli wore a pair of comfortable leather biker pants and a black tank top. Noah was staring at Eli’s arms. The tank top showed off his tattoo sleeves and muscular arms and chest. There was a reason why his buddy had him working here as a bouncer part time.

Eli wasn’t sure if Noah’s reaction was a positive one or not. He just kinda stood there staring.

"I need to check your ID."

Noah finally looked at Eli, his brows crunched together. “You know how old I am.”

"You look so damn young, I don’t wanna get busted," Eli joked.

Noah rolled his eyes. “Yeah, right,” he said before mumbling something about Rainbows.

Eli winced inwardly. Rainbows probably wasn’t too good for the other man’s ego. Those young kids probably looked at him like he was an old troll. Even though Noah looked like he was on his way to summer in the Hamptons, he wouldn’t have any problems here. These guys would eat him up whole.

That didn’t quite sit well with Eli. He knew how some of these guys were. Gentle little Noah wouldn’t know what hit him.

Eli returned Noah’s ID. “Why don’t you get a drink, on me, then come back. Pull up a stool. We can chat a bit.”

Noah looked around the bar. “I just wanted to look around a bit…”

Eli signaled the bartender, gesturing towards Noah. “Just stay away from the backroom. The one with the red light over the door. Trust me.”

That panicked expression was back. Noah just nodded his head. “Yes. Definitely.”

As the smaller man walked to the bar, Eli tipped his head to the side and watched his ass. Nice.

Noah ordered a cocktail and the bartender tipped his head towards Eli as he handed it over.

It didn’t take long before the vultures started to circle.

The first to make a move was an asshole named Crane. The man was all hands. Eli had seen the man get rough with his boys. While the men who usually frequented the Buckle could take it like that, Noah was just out of a twenty-year relationship. Only having had sex with one man, he certainly wasn’t ready to be turned out in the backroom of a leather bar.

Just as Eli was about to go over there, the door opened and a group of men entered. Mumbling a curse under his breath, Eli checked their IDs. When he turned back, Noah was gone.

Scanning the dark bar, he searched until he found Noah. Crane had an arm around Noah’s shoulder and was leading him towards the backroom.

Eli got up so fast his barstool tipped over.

"Woah," Noah protested. "Thanks for the drink and all, but…"

Crane ignored Noah, pulling him towards the red light. “I got something I wanna show you. You’re gonna love it.”

Eli pushed between the two men, pulling Noah’s back against his chest. He pressed a hand against against Crane’s chest, putting distance between the men.

"Get your fucking hands off my boy."

* * * *

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Elyzabeth M. VaLey

My Handyman

When Cliff’s steamy encounter with handyman Kent turns into a relationship, there’s no instant happy ending for the men who come from different worlds.

Kent is in deep in the closet and out-and-proud Cliff isn’t prepared to be anybody’s secret.

Note: Cliff and Kent live in a fantasy world where they don’t have to worry about STDs.

Original Release  ©2010,  Second Edition ©2013

Download for free at GayAuthors.org

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Noah's New Plan: Chapter 5

Here’s Chapter 5 to my Wednesday Briefs story, Noah’s New Plan.

This week’s post is 993 words. This week’s plot prompt was Solitaire.

Noah’s fake date with Eli started out a complete and utter disaster. He was so damned embarrassed. It was like he couldn’t get his mouth or even his brain to work. He wasn’t surprised when the other man finally lost patience with him.

But then something happened. Noah stopped worrying about what to do, what to say, what to think. It wasn’t like he had to impress Eli. It wasn’t a real date. The man was simply buying Noah dinner to apologize.

The other man ended up surprising Noah with his charm and they had spent the rest of the date talking and laughing over dessert.

Noah didn’t plan on seeing Eli again, but the two men had traded phone numbers. Even though Eli wasn’t Noah’s type, it was good practice for a real date.

The sound of tinkling chimes snapped Noah out of his daydreams.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. The name on the screen was the last he expected to see.

Derek Pepper.

Why on earth would the man be calling him now? Was he calling to say that he had made a mistake? Would Noah even take him back?

Sliding his finger across the screen at the last possible second, Noah answered the call. “Hello?”

"Noah?" The man’s voice sounded so smooth.

"Hi, Derek." Noah’s heart was in his throat. He hoped that his voice came across as calm.

"I’d like to talk to you. It’s important. Can we meet tonight?"

Noah swallowed the lump in his throat. “Yes.”

"I’ll see you at the house at six."

"All right. Bye, Derek."

He hung up the phone and looked at the calendar under his desk blotter. He tapped his fingers on the calendar months, backwards starting from today.

One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.

That was the night that Derek walked out. The day after their twentieth anniversary. That night Derek packed a bag and left. The bastard didn’t even look back.

Tonight Noah would make him grovel a little bit before he decided if he would even forgive him.

* * * *

As soon as his shift ended, Noah hurried home and jumped into the shower. He made sure he was nice and clean and well-groomed. He didn’t have time to manscape, though. Not that Derek would be getting the opportunity to see any of that. He would have to earn that right. But Noah did splash on a bit of the cologne Derek bought him last Christmas.

When Derek arrived at six o’clock on the dot, he walked right into the house without knocking.

It was strange. Noah was slightly taken aback by seeing the man come in like that. He acted like he had never left. In a way it was comforting, but in the back of Noah’s head, it just seemed… wrong.

"Hello, Derek," Noah greeted him with a smile. "It’s good to see you."

"You, too, Noah." Derek looked Noah up and down and then smiled. "How have you been?"

Why did that smile make Noah’s heart flutter just like it did all those years ago? “I’ve been fine. I haven’t had time to make dinner yet. If you’re hungry, maybe we could go out?”

"I don’t really have time," Derek said as he glanced at his BlackBerry. "Listen. I needed to come by to tell you that I decided to put the house on the market. So, I’ll need you to make sure you keep it presentable, and to be available on the realtor’s schedule."

To say that he was shocked was an understatement. Noah grabbed the back of the love seat to steady himself. “You’re selling our home?”

"Technically it’s my home."

"Oh." Noah felt the tears welling up. "So you didn’t want…" He took a breath and shook his head. "Never mind."

"You’ll have some time to get your things in order. You understand, don’t you? You had to know that this wasn’t permanent."

No, he didn’t know. And he didn’t understand. “What? Oh. Yeah. Of course.”

"All right. I need to go. Regan is waiting for me in the car."

Ah, yes. The twenty-something twink. How did Noah forget about him? “Regan? Is that his name? We certainly can’t keep him waiting.”

Derek sighed impatiently. “Noah.”

Noah shrugged. “I’m just saying. Who names their kid Regan? Didn’t his parents see The Exorcist?” Noah scoffed. “Well, I suppose the name fits.” Seeing how the little homewrecking slut was a demon from hell.

"It’s Reagan with an ‘A’. His parents are staunch republicans."

"Same thing."

"I’m not going to talk to you when you’re like this."

Derek turned and walked out. And like last time, he didn’t look back.

* * * *

Another draw.

Noah had played eight games of Solitaire in a row. He wasn’t going to stop until he won, but now he didn’t even care. In his hurt and anger, he just wasn’t able to concentrate. He thought that playing the game on his laptop would keep him from thinking about what happened earlier in the evening. If he thought about it too hard, he would spend the rest of the night crying his eyes out. He had shed more than enough tears for Derek Pepper.

Maybe the kids at work were right. Maybe what he needed was to meet someone and have a little fun. Cross off that first item on his list.

Noah slammed the lid of his laptop shut and got up from his sofa.

He was going out.

Standing in his closet, he flipped through the hanging clothes searching for the right outfit to wear to a gay bar. Somewhere he could meet a hot guy. A guy who would look at Noah like he was sexy, not toss him aside like trash, all for some young piece of ass. Someone who couldn’t keep their hands off Noah.

Maybe he could meet that someone at a place like the Buckle…

* * * *

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Nephylim 
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Chris T. Kat
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Julie Lynn Hayes
Andrew Q Gordon

 

Noah's New Plan: Chapter 4

Here’s Chapter 4 to my Wednesday Briefs story, Noah’s New Plan.

This week’s post is 997 words (cutting it close again!). The plot prompt was someone catching a cold.

"So. I hear you’re looking to get fucked."

Noah’s mouth dropped open. How dare this man—a man he didn’t know from Adam—talk to him like that? Clearly the expression on his face was enough to throw the obnoxious man off guard.

Eli took a step back and looked apologetic. “Woah. I was just teasing. That kid said…”

Noah followed Eli’s gaze over his shoulder. He saw Nicholas and Leslie duck behind one of the stacks. Noah was officially going to kill the both of them. “I’m sorry they dragged you into this.”

"No, I’m the one who should apologize. Why don’t you let me take you to lunch?"

"You don’t have to do that."

"I want to." Eli’s eyes roamed down Noah’s body.

"I’m sure you’re a nice guy, but…"

"Enough said. Thanks again for your help."

"You’re welcome."

Eli was already walking away, so Noah made a bee-line for his two clerks. He pulled the two young people aside. They both looked sufficiently chastised before Noah even opened his mouth. Still, he wanted to make sure they knew how serious he was.

Noah spoke quietly, but forcefully. “Don’t ever do that again. I am not playing.”

Leslie bit her lower lip. “Noah, we really care about you.”

Nicholas added, “We weren’t trying to embarrass you.”

They both looked like they were about to burst into tears. Noah couldn’t help but feel bad. He let out a sigh. “Just… Don’t. Please.”

Leslie gave him a quick hug before she left.

Before he could even register it coming, Noah sneezed so hard it made his body ache. He hoped he wasn’t coming down with something. It would be just his luck after spending the morning in the rain dealing with a flat tire.

* * * *

Eli felt horrible for what happened at the library. That snobby little library nerd looked absolutely mortified. He seemed to have a stick up his ass—but what a hot little ass it was.

Totally not Eli’s type.

Eli liked a guy who liked to have fun. That was not Noah.

But still, Eli felt bad. After work, he made his way back to the library with the intention of asking the man out to dinner—just platonically—to apologize.

When Eli parked his car, he saw Noah exiting the library. The man stopped to blow his nose, then continued on to the parking lot.

Eli knew exactly when Noah spotted him walking across the lot. The smaller man froze in his tracks for a moment before continuing on at a slower pace, all while giving Eli a suspicious eye.

"Can I help you?" Noah asked cautiously.

"I just wanted to say again how sorry I was."

"Like I said before, it’s not necessary."

"I’d really like to take you to dinner."

"I’m sure you’re a nice guy, but I’m not really looking for… um…"

"This is just a ‘thank you’ dinner. No pressure. Besides, you’re not really my type."

Noah frowned. “Gee, thanks, I guess.”

* * * *

Eli picked up his phone and looked at the time once again.

What a nightmare. This dinner ended up being a colossal mistake. As cute as Noah was, he was a total bore. The man made it perfectly clear that he didn’t like Eli. It was like pulling teeth to get a single word out of the man. Eli would rather gouge out his eyes than watch the other man push a salad around with his fork.

"Got somewhere to be?" Noah asked, his voice and expression both flat.

"I’ve got my night job at ten."

"Oh."

"Look, you’re clearly not into whatever this is, so I’ll pay the check and we can both get on with whatever." Eli raised his hand to try to signal the waiter.

"I’m sorry. I’m just… I’m really bad at this."

With a sigh, Eli lowered his hand. The librarian looked like someone kicked his puppy. “Eh, it’s okay. So, when was the last time you were on a date?”

"Like twenty years ago." Noah shot Eli a wry smile. "I just got out of a twenty-year relationship."

"Jesus. What did you do? Hook up with your grade school sweetheart?"

Noah rolled his eyes. “Right. I’m forty-one years old.”

"No shit. I thought you were younger than me. Good genes you got. So what happened?"

"He found someone younger."

"After twenty years? What a fucking asshole."

"So what does a security guard moonlight as?"

Eli didn’t miss the change of subject. It clearly made Noah uncomfortable to talk about his ex, and since he was actually starting to speak, Eli went with it. “I’m a bouncer at The Buckle.”

Noah thought for a moment. “The Buckle? I’ve never heard of it.”

Eli smirked. “Yeah.” His eyes roamed Noah. “It’s a gay bar. Not really your style.”

Noah ducked his eyes and rubbed his hand over his hair. “I’m not that bad, am I?”

"Nah. That place can be a little rough. Like I said, not your style. There’s nothing wrong with that."

With a sigh, Noah set his fork down. “It wasn’t supposed to be like this,” he said quietly. “This wasn’t part of my plan.”

"Yeah, I hate those weeds they pass off as salad greens, too. You should order yourself a nice greasy cheeseburger. Or better yet, that huge slab of chocolate cake. With ice cream."

Noah cocked his head to the side and looked at Eli like he was crazy. Then he did the damnedest thing. He laughed. Not a polite giggle, but a genuine from-the-gut, honest-to-goodness laugh. In that moment, Noah transformed. His green eyes lit up bright behind his glasses. He was damn sexy.

"That sounds so good. I can’t remember the last time I had cake…”

He didn’t say it, but Eli knew why. That prick of an ex liked ‘em young and skinny.

Eli signaled the waiter over.

"We’ll take a piece of that chocolate cake a la mode. Two forks."

* * * *

Check out this week’s fellow Wednesday Briefs bloggers for more free stories!

MA Church
JC Wallace
A.R. Von
Victoria Adams
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Shelly Schulz
Nephylim
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