Rick R. Reed's Blog, page 83

RENT is Due!

Rent is now officially on sale at MLR Press, Amazon, All Romance Ebooks, and everywhere good books are sold. Rent successfully combines my passion for love stories and tales with dark underpinnings. Ultimately, it's a slice-of-life that demonstrates how true love can triumph over even the worst adversity, including murder.

Readers of Tricks will find the world of Rent very familiar. Watch for cameo appearances of Sean and Arliss!

The novel is available in both paperback and ebook editions. Read on to see how you can win a FREE, signed copy delivered to your door by me--wearing a gas mask and a ribbon of green tulle and wielding my big sword. Well, maybe that last part was a bit of harmless kidding. Maybe not (see photo below--and yes, that's really me). I will send the winner's copy out first-class mail, though. Details on how to enter are below.

SYNOPSIS
On the worst day of his life, Wren Gallagher wants oblivion when he steps into Tricks for a drink. He's lost not only his job, but his wallet as well. When a mysterious stranger steps up to pay his tab, he also offers Wren the key to fulfilling his dreams of prosperity and true love. But appearances are not always what they seem....

His savior is the owner of the escort agency, A Louer---and he wants the young and handsome Wren to work for him. So down on his luck, Wren figures---why not? He can use the money. When he joins, though, he hadn't counted on meeting Rufus, another escort with whom he quickly falls hopelessly in love.

Photo by St. Sukie de la Croix. All rights reservedBut their love story will have to overcome the obstacles of not only trading love for money, but A Louer's dark---and deadly---secrets.

EXCERPT

Victor J. Banis and Some Very Kind Words

I was humbled and honored by these words from the introduction to Spine Intact, Some Increases , the memoir by gay icon and literature trailblazer, Victor J. Banis.

"Likewise, during this same period of time, I have had the opportunity to read a great deal of new gay and lesbian fiction.

If, as I assert in the original edition, we have yet to see the Great Gay Novel or the Great Gay Novelist, I must say that, with writers of the caliber of Dorien Grey, Rick Reed, Lori Lake, Ruth Sims, Anthony Bidulka, Allen Hollinghurst, Gregg Herren, E. M. Kahn, Adam Berlin, Dean James, and Gregory Hinton plying their craft—and I am sure I have forgotten one or two others—and with old pros like James Purdy, William Maltese, and Ann Bannon still at it, I think that the future of gay and lesbian fiction is in very good hands indeed; and since I have not yet read everything by any of them, it may even be that one of them has already penned that great novel, and the more fool I."

Win BIG at Amber Quill Press's 10th Anniversary Celebration!

Amber Quill Press just announced:

 The owners, staff, and authors of Amber Quill Press, Amber Heat, and Amber Allure wish to thank all of you for making our 10th anniversary possible. And as a way of showing our appreciation, we are holding a contest throughout the month of October.

How does the contest work?

Simply send an email to customer_service@amberquill.com with the following information...

-- Enter the word "CONTEST" in the Subject line -- And in the body of the email, enter your NAME and EMAIL ADDRESS, along with the phrase "I LOVE AMBER QUILL PRESS BECAUSE ______" and fill in the blank.

What can you win?
Each day, Monday through Saturday, one of the contest entries will be selected at random and the winner will receive a free download of their choice!Each Sunday in October, one of the entries will be selected at random and the winner will receive 10 free downloads of their choice! That's 31 separate chances to win throughout the month of October, and all you have to do is send us a single email stating why you love Amber Quill Press. What could be simpler?

Check out some of my Amber Quill titles here.

Once again, we at Amber Quill Press thank you for shopping with us and helping us to celebrate our 10th year in business. Good luck to those who enter the contest, and to all, happy reading!

(Please note: Only one email entry per customer. No purchase necessary to enter the contest. Void where prohibited by law.)

Body Image and the Romantic Hero: CHASER

Welcome to my contribution to The Romance Reviews GLBT Madness Blog Hop, taking place today through September 30. Be sure to click on the blog hop icon at the bottom of this post to read the contributions of dozens of other authors--and to increase your chances of winning dozens of cool prizes. 

Since the publication of my new novel, Chaser , back at the end of August, I've gotten quite a few letters from readers thanking me for introducing a romantic hero who is not the ideal. See, the object of desire/affection in my story is Kevin and Kevin's a little overweight. The "chaser" in the title refers to the gay lingo term for men who prefer their men on the meatier side: chubby chasers.

My other main character, Caden is one of those men. Although Caden is a runner, with a lean and what some might call a perfect body, he prefers his men to have a little something to hold onto. Here's Caden's first glimpse of Kevin in a bar one night:

Caden did have his eye on one guy, down on the lower level at one of the high-topped tables, talking with a couple of friends. He stood out because he was not built like most of the guys here, who were, to a man, either too skinny or too pumped up to register on his attraction meter.

 This guy seemed comfortable in his own skin and Caden liked the way he threw back his head and laughed when one of his buddies said something funny. Unlike most of the other guys in Sidetrack that night, he did not show any signs that he was conscious of his appearance. Caden liked that he wore comfortable clothes, a cotton sweater of faded blue-gray and a simple pair of carpenter pants, most likely Carhartt. He peered over the rail and saw the guy’s feet were encased in work boots. Ah. A blue collar man. A working guy. Just my type. Caden also liked his tousled blond hair, which revealed fetching layers of color that went from almost brown, to wheat, to pale blond, to nearly platinum, yet revealed no indication, Caden thought, of the attentions of a hairdresser. And what put him on the “edge of glory” was the crowning touch: a thick beard, not manicured into tortured geometric lines.

And he was blessedly overweight. Not fat. But a bit of gut protruded, and his thighs, in denim, looked like tree trunks. When he turned around, he revealed an ass of ample proportions, the kind Caden could just imagine as two perfect, creamy white spheres perfect for grasping and pulling apart.

“Is it hot in here?” Caden shouted in Bobby’s ear. He took a gulp of beer and fanned his hand in front of his face.

Most of the time, in gay or straight romance, you don't find men like the one above. But in Chaser , I tried to show that objects of desire and/or love can come in all different shapes and sizes.

The vagaries of sexual attraction are definitely not a one-size-fits-all affair.

But if that was all there was to Chaser , there wouldn't be much of a story, now would there? As an author, I like there to be some drama, some tension, so I asked... "What would happen if...."

...and filled in the blank with "Kevin lost the weight that drew Caden to him in the first place?"

So, when Caden has to leave town suddenly for an extended period, he returns home to a man who is not at all what he was originally drawn to. How does one deal with such a situation? As the tag line on the cover of Chaser wonders: "Is it really what's on the inside that counts?"

Well, is it?

I think open-hearted people everywhere know the answer to that question, even if might be modified somewhat by "within limits". But to find out if Kevin and Caden are still a love match when body images change, you have to read Chaser to discover what happens.

I leave you with a sentence near the end of the book that may give you a clue to how things turn out:

Caden turned back to Kevin. The fight had gone out of him. He appraised him with new eyes.

And what do you think he saw?

Win a free ebook edition of Chaser by leaving a comment below. Please include your e-mail address so I know where to contact you if you win.

Or you can simply grab your own copy of Chaser by clicking on one of the links below:

Buy CHASER
ebook
paperback
Kindle
Nook




 

Reviews by Jessewave Gives CHASER a Rave

I was thrilled to wake up this morning to a 4.5/5 star review for my latest love story, CHASER at Reviews by Jessewave. The reviewer said, in part:

"It made me think while I was reading and I caught myself still pondering it days after I was finished. That’s the sign of a great book...definitely recommend."

Read the whole review.

Buy CHASER
ebook
paperback
Kindle
Nook

Shut Up and Eat Your Breakfast!

From the brilliant minds behind Blake Ink United, comes this wonderfully-easy to understand graphic. There's a good analogy here.

I had scrambled eggs with pico de gallo. What did you have? It's all good!

The Postman Rang Once

Look what just came in the mail!

It's always a special moment when you finally hold the result of your labor in your hands (and yes, the similarity to birthin' a baby is intentional).

Buy CHASER
ebook
paperback
Kindle
Nook
 

Gay List Book Reviews Scopes Out Chaser

And likes it!

They had this to say about my "chubby chaser" love story: "the perfect book to curl up with when the tummy is unsettled and your head aches a bit from too many Cosmos the night before...a sweet little love story."

Read the whole review here: http://gaylistbookreviews.wordpress.c...

Buy CHASER
ebook
paperback
Kindle
Nook

Chaser Gets Its First Review

And it's a rave! Whew.

Amos Lassen, on his review blog, "Reviews by Amos Lassen" (gotta love the man's simplicity), says:

"(Chaser)...has a lot to say about how the gay community regards beauty and Reed often chooses to write about men who do not fit the “norm” of what is expected. Take interesting characters, a good plot that gives us something to think about and add a few really hot erotic sex scenes and we have a book that is hard to put down... Reed embellishes the story with beautiful prose and a touch of emotions....

Read the whole review here.

Buy CHASER
ebook
paperback
Kindle
Nook

Win a copy of CHASER @ GoodReads

Yes, folks, there's still time to win a signed paperback of my latest love story, Chaser , the book that reviewer Amos Lassen called, "hard to put down."
.goodreadsGiveawayWidget { color: #555; font-family: georgia, serif; font-weight: normal; text-align: left; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; background: white; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget img { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0 !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a { padding: 0 !important; margin: 0; color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:visted { color: #660; text-decoration: none; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget a:hover { color: #660; text-decoration: underline !important; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidget p { margin: 0 0 .5em !important; padding: 0; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink { display: block; width: 150px; margin: 10px auto 0 !important; padding: 0px 5px !important; text-align: center; line-height: 1.8em; color: #222; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; border: 1px solid #6A6454; -moz-border-radius: 5px; -webkit-border-radius: 5px; font-family:arial,verdana,helvetica,sans-serif; background-image:url(http://www.goodreads.com/images/layou... background-repeat: repeat-x; background-color:#BBB596; outline: 0; white-space: nowrap; } .goodreadsGiveawayWidgetEnterLink:hover { background-image:url(http://www.goodreads.com/images/layou... color: black; text-decoration: none; cursor: pointer; }
Goodreads Book Giveaway Chaser by Rick R. Reed Giveaway ends September 24, 2012.
See the giveaway details at Goodreads. Enter to win