Rick R. Reed's Blog, page 94

Coming Sunday, July 10 from Amber Allure!

  An AmberPax Collection Of Paranormal Gay Erotic Romance
Featuring The Following Titles...
Cemeteries by Lynn Lorenz(Gay / Paranormal / Ghosts / Hauntings) 
Echoes by Rick R. Reed(Gay / Paranormal / Ghosts / Hauntings / Suspense / Thriller) 
Hellish Twist In Tinseltown by Lee Avalone(Gay / Dark Fantasy / Paranormal / Ghosts / Hauntings / Voyeurism) 
Lost Between by Shawn Lane(Gay / Paranormal / Ghosts / Hauntings) 
Under My Bed by T. A. Chase(Gay / Paranormal / Ghosts / Hauntings) 
             

Obsessed is Now Available in EBook!

My very first novel, originally published in Dell's Abyss horror line way back in 1991, is now in a spiffy new ebook edition from Untreed Reads.

Your first is always very special. This story of a serial killer who believes he's a vampire preying on Chicago is no exception. Hope you'll check it out!

Kindle version
Nook version
From Untreed Reads

SYNOPSIS
I kill, therefore I am…

Voices slam through the corridor of his wounded mind. The words of his dead sister cry out. His parents' taunts fill the silent room where he sits and waits--waits for the murderous rage, filling him with strength, driving him to kill, to touch the cold flesh, taste the warm blood--to feel alive again…

A witness has seen him, but his killing only turns her on and now she wants to protect him. His wife suspects him, but the private detective she hired cannot stop him. Joe MacAree fears nothing--except that he may no longer be human.

The thirst that drives him is relentless, moving deeper and deeper into his own shattering, private realm, where each murder is a delicious new gift of life, where revulsion is beauty, and the obsession will never let him go.

Obsessed was part of Dell Abyss' remarkable horror line, lauded by none other than Stephen King.

EXCERPT

Joe MacAree had just murdered a woman, and all the things he felt when he killed the other four he was feeling right now. How would he describe it? In his journal, he might call his feelings an "elevation of the senses" or "an ethereal quality bringing the world into sharp focus."

After each killing the reaction was the same. There was a moment of sharp pain right behind his left eye, an instant where the pain was so intense as to block out the act he had just committed, the blood and the ripped flesh…then a moment where brilliant flecks of silver light swam before him, and he could not keep his eyes from rolling, trying to follow the patterns the stars made.

And then the clarity.

As he guided his light blue Honda Accord along Harlem Avenue just south of Chicago, everything seemed more alive, as if to contrast the death he had just brought about. He noticed things he never noticed: the shifting red, amber, and turquoise of the reflections the stoplights made on the rain-slicked pavement. He noticed how the color spread, muted, over the slick black roadway. Even his radio, usually sounding tinny tuned to WLS, seemed more vibrant. He heard the different instruments in "Hungry Like the Wolf" as if Duran Duran were in the car with him, playing. Although it was February and his windows were rolled shut, he listened to the sounds of the other cars, the hiss of their tires on the pavement, the bass of their engines. He felt each perforation on the cover of the steering wheel. He thought he could even sense the mechanical smell of his own and the other cars as they all made their way northeast, to the Eisenhower Expressway and the city.

And in his mouth, he savored a slight metallic taste.

* * *

Randy Mazursky had lived in Berwyn all his life. The suburb just west of Chicago had been where his father grew up and where his grandfather had set up his home when he came over from Poland to work in the meat yards of Chicago.

Randy liked Berwyn. It was familiar: The streets, gridlike, had always made it easy to get around and easy to give new people directions to his house on Oak Park Avenue. And best of all it was close to where he worked, the North Riverside Mall, where he managed an ice cream parlor called Whipped Dream.

Tonight he had spent a little longer at the restaurant than usual, since one of his waitresses had come down with the flu that everyone (his wife, Maggie, included) seemed to be getting just as it looked like winter was about to come to a close. She had left midway through her shift, leaving a busy Friday night crowd of screaming kids, hassled parents, and birthday party victims.

Randy had donned the blue and white striped waiter's cap he had worn when he started at Whipped Dream three years ago and, like the trooper he thought himself, had gone out and served up Tin Roof sundaes, blown whistles, banged drums, and sung "Happy Birthday" with the rest of the crew. He knew it wouldn't hurt the "kids" to let a pro show them how it was done.

Randy had enjoyed the change. But it had been a long time since he had waited tables and he barely had the strength to hold the steering wheel properly. It was only ten minutes to his home and Maggie, but the eagerness to get there made the ride longer.

He knew he didn't have to worry. Maggie would have a great dinner waiting for him. Ever since Maggie had quit her job as a proofreader of Sears catalogs, she had become a virtuoso cook, even taking classes in Chicago. Randy had gained fifteen pounds.

He and Maggie had been married for only seven months and already she was pregnant. The baby was unplanned; they had wanted to wait until they had a chance to buy a house before they had children. Right now they rented the second floor of a two-flat.

But when Maggie had whispered "we're going to have a baby" in his ear right before he fell asleep one night, he felt nothing but delight. That delight and anticipation had not worn off in the two weeks he had been aware of his imminent fatherhood.

Now as he backed the car into a space in front of their yellow brick home, he felt a sudden urge to run up the stairs and hug Maggie. He knew she didn't like him working late and wished he had thought to bring her something.

Well, he could make it up to her in other ways. As he closed the door of his car he smiled: There was no trace of the exhaustion he had felt just moments before.

Quickly he unlocked the two locks on the outer door and took the steps two at a time. As quietly as he could, he slid the key into the door of their apartment, hoping he could surprise Maggie in the kitchen.

He opened the door and closed it behind him, trying to stifle the click of the door as it closed. Randy crept through the living room, not wondering why the apartment was so still, why their stereo, Maggie's constant companion, wasn't on. He noticed only the yellow block of light that was the entrance to the kitchen as he made his way toward it on tiptoe.

As he stood in the archway, he began laughing. And the laughter did not stop until almost an hour later when paramedics put him under sedation.

Maggie, her dark hair a bizarre contrast to the pasty white of her usually dark Italian skin, lay dead in the middle of the kitchen floor, her throat and wrists cut. Her hair fanned out on the beige linoleum and her arms were out, almost as if she had been crucified.

The cat, Scruggums, sat beside her, licking his paws.

Kindle version
Nook version
From Untreed Reads

CLASS DISTINCTIONS Made the May Bestseller List!

I'm proud to announce that my college-set m/m romance CLASS DISTINCTIONS, made my publisher's May Top Ten Bestseller List.

To celebrate, I'm giving away a free copy of the story in the ebook format of your choice. Simply leave a comment and a way to reach you below. I'll announce the winner this coming Saturday.

Here's the complete list:

AMBER ALLURE BESTSELLERS/ May 2011

1. Kissed By God - T. A. Chase (Gay / Contemporary)
2. Between Sinners And Saints - Marie Sexton (Gay / Contemporary)
3. Between The Moon And The Deep Blue Sea - KC Kendricks (Gay / Contemporary)
4. Galaxy's Heart - Shawn Lane (Gay / Contemporary)
5. Infinity Pools - L. A. Witt (Gay / Contemporary)
6. Homeless In Heaven - Deirdre O'Dare (Gay / Contemporary)
7. Catch Me If I Fall - Riley Knox (Gay / Contemporary)
8. Crossing The Line - Christiane France (Gay / Contemporary)
9. Class Distinctions - Rick R. Reed (Gay / Contemporary)
10. Four Days With Jack - Kelli A. Wilkins (Gay / Contemporary)

Here's what CLASS DISTINCTIONS is about:
Kyle and Jonathan were perfect for each other, the two halves that, once together, made a whole. And then one snowy night just before Parents' Weekend on the campus of Hamilton University, Kyle drops a bomb: he's breaking up with Jonathan.

Class Distinctions follows the couple through the stormy (in more ways than one) night that ensues. Why has Kyle suddenly decided to throw away something so precious and good?

The answers lie in their backgrounds, and will gradually come to light as a winter blizzard rages around the young couple.

Their tortured paths bring them to the covered bridge where their love had come to life on a hot summer day. But will the warmth of that memory and the heat of the love they once shared be enough to outclass the storm, and more importantly, bring them back together?

BUY a copy.

New cover for ECHOES, coming in July!

It's always exciting when you see what an artist comes up with as the "face" of your book. In this case, it's the cover for ECHOES, my urban ghost/love story coming out from Amber Allure in July.

Trace Edward Zaber did a wonderful job! Below is the synopsis. How well do you think the cover matches the story?

SYNOPSIS
Rick and Ernie have found the perfect loft apartment on Chicago's west side. But before they are even settled, Rick begins having strange "dreams" that seem all too real. A young man, emaciated, with sad brown eyes, appears to him, frightening and obsessing him.

From their next-door neighbor, Paula, Rick learns of the gay couple, Karl and Tommy, who lived there before them. Paula had been close to them and Tommy's mysterious disappearance still pains her. When she shares a photo of her with Tommy and Karl, Rick is shocked and troubled. Tommy is the man who has appeared to him in his dreams.

The dreams and the revelation put Rick on a quest to discover the truth about Tommy's disappearance. It's a quest that will lead him to Karl, Tommy's lover, who may know more about Tommy's disappearance than he's telling, and a confrontation with a restless spirit who wants only to, finally, rest in peace.

"Echoes" blends mystery, suspense, and romance as only the writer described as the "Stephen King of gay horror" can.

New Review for HOW I MET MY MAN

Just got this nice review for my novella from Amber Quill Press's "Masquerade" series, HOW I MET MY MAN. In part, the Romance Studio reviewer said, "...a good read for those who like a mystery that leaves you guessing to almost the very end..." She also said (and this seemed like a puzzling comment for a review to make about a romance that's also suspense/mystery because it really is more about the reviewer than the author): "I am glad it was short though as I do tend to get impatient trying to figure out what is going on."

Read the whole review here.

Buy HOW I MET MY MAN.

4.25 stars out of five for DIGNITY TAKES A HOLIDAY from the Bookwenches

[image error] One of my favorite reviewing sites, the Bookwenches, gave a very favorable review for my "sitcom for the taste-challenged in 24 episodes", Dignity Takes a Holiday. About my oddball love story, reviewer Bobby D. Whitney said, in part:

"Pete Thickwhistle, forty-seven year old virgin and full-time mama's boy, is looking for love. Unfortunately, love doesn't reciprocate. What is looking for him is a whole lot of trouble, more than his fair share of humiliation, and a generous serving of maternal abuse. Pete is a bumbling, walking faux pas with no fashion sense ...But when Pete looks in the mirror, he doesn't see a loser...He sees a dude magnet. Ever hopeful, perpetually positive, and hornier than a lovestruck rhinoceros, Pete knows that Mr. Right is just around the next corner...Pete is determined find him, even if he has to sacrifice his non-existent dignity to do it...if you're looking for larger-than-life and sometimes gross-out, bathroom humor that doesn't take anything – least of all itself – seriously, then you may just want to give Dignity Takes a Holiday a shot..."

Read the whole review here: http://www.bookwenches.com/may11reviews.htm#743946247

Get your copy from the publisher in print or ebook here.
Kindle version here.

Hate Mail: A Snake Waiting in My Mailbox

A couple days ago, I received a disturbing letter in the mail. I was unnerved for a few reasons:

1. Who gets hand-addressed letters in the mail anymore, anyway? What used to be a delight has become odd in the era of e-mail, texting, and instant messages.
2. The letter was addressed to me at my new home in Seattle, a home I had moved to only three days ago.
3. The letter had no other purpose than to tell me how much this reader despised one of my books.

It was this last reason that really bugged me. Now, I have written and published enough material to understand that not everyone will love what I'm doing, nor even like it. I expect and accept the occasional bad review along the way. I comfort myself with knowing that even the best authors, classic ones, can and do get bad reviews.

And I certainly know that, for an artist of any stripe, having the expectation that he or she will please everyone, all the time, is folly.

But reviews are something else entirely. They are not ostensibly written expressly for the author. They're for publications, online or print, and for readers, who may be looking for guidance in their reading selections.

But a personal letter to an author at his home? I don't know; to me that's crossing a line. And yes, I do believe it's a different matter from writing to an author to tell him or her you loved something he or she wrote. That's just good manners and an act of kindness.

What puzzles me most is why someone would take time out of a their day to sit down and write a hateful and mean-spirited letter to an author, track his address down (I assume via the Internet through property logs or something). The author of the letter was not about correcting errors I made, but simply to inform me what a terrible book I had written. Curiously, he ended his letter by saying he was getting another one of my books and hoped that next time, he'd be writing a "rave review."

My response? At first, I suggested to my partner that I write a check out for the cost of the book and mail it back to the disgruntled reader. Wisely--and this is part of the reason he's my partner--he counseled me to not "engage" this person, to just forget it.

Which is what I did. I tore up the letter and threw it in the garbage. Life is too short to dwell on unkindness. Writing this now will also help me expel the bad feelings I got from this experience. Still, I am a little creeped out that this character knows exactly where I live...

What would you have done had you received the same letter? Do you think readers should write to authors personally, telling them they despised their work? And if so, what's the point in that? To teach them? To counsel them? To ensure they never do the perceived wrongs again? I don't know. My mother taught me that giving advice, good or bad, unsolicited, is just rude.

And I agree with Mom. God rest her soul.

NEW RELEASE: Class Distinctions at 35% Off This Week Only!

I'm pleased to announce my latest release, a romantic ebook short from Amber Allure (the GLBT imprint of Amber Quill Press) called "Class Distinctions."

This week only, the story is available for a 35% discount from the publisher for all ebook formats (for Kindle, choose .prc). Click here to get your copy.

"Class Distinctions" will be available soon for Amazon Kindle, Nook, and other ebook readers.

Here are the details for "Class Distinctions":

Kyle and Jonathan were perfect for each other, the two halves that, once together, made a whole. And then one snowy night just before Parents' Weekend on the campus of Hamilton University, Kyle drops a bomb: he's breaking up with Jonathan.

Class Distinctions follows the couple through the stormy (in more ways than one) night that ensues. Why has Kyle suddenly decided to throw away something so precious and good? The answers lie in their backgrounds, and will gradually come to light as a winter blizzard rages around the young couple. Their tortured paths bring them to the covered bridge where their love had come to life on a hot summer day. But will the warmth of that memory and the heat of the love they once shared be enough to outclass the storm, and more importantly, bring them back together?

Excerpt:
...He had come to the bridge almost without thinking about where he was going, but when he arrived there, he knew his feet had had a purpose in bringing him to this place. The snow swirled around him and pitted against his face like needles. He watched as the flakes vanished into the rushing water beneath him.

The bridge was a special place for Jonathan and him. It had been where they had shared their first kiss, back in August, shortly after they had met. The bridge had been a different place, almost of a different world, in August. The sun was bright, beating down relentlessly, bringing the temperature of the day into the mid-nineties. The air was thick, like a damp cloth thrown over one's skin. Mosquitos hummed…and the leaves on the trees whispered whenever an all-too-infrequent breeze came along.

Jonathan had led him to this bridge, after they had spent the morning hiking the woods surrounding it. The two of them had forged a path along the creek that ran below it.

"You have to see this…it's really cool." Jonathan took my hand and led me through a copse of trees to a clearing. He gestured grandly as the vista opened up before us—the weathered bridge, with its stones and faded boards, rose up against the brilliant blue sky like an ancient treasure. On either end of it, weeping willows sagged in the heat.


There wasn't a soul around us.


Jonathan took my hand in his own and the touch was electric, almost like a jolt, as it coursed through me. It was the very first time he'd touched me and I think that simple pressure of palm against palm and fingers intertwining let me know I was in love with this boy. It also opened the door to a hunger for thousands more touches from him, ones as simple as grabbing my hands and ones a lot more complex.


We fought our way up through cattails growing along the shoreline and further up the rise, brambles, but at last we reached the planks that would lead us inside the covered bridge. Its shade promised cool.


Jonathan pulled me into the darkness and turned to me, smiling. "Isn't it something? I wonder how old it is?"


I looked in his robin's egg blue eyes, amazed I could still make out their pale color even in the shade of the covered bridge. "It's great. Thanks for bringing me here." I let go of his hand so I could reach up and touch his face. "But it doesn't compare to you, to just being here with you."


I leaned down then and kissed him. Even though he had taken my hand, I wasn't sure until that moment that Jonathan was even gay. We had started the morning as buddies, classmates, fellow students at Hamilton University on our way out on a hot Saturday for a hike. But when he lifted his face and parted his lips slightly to meet me, I knew not only that he was gay, but also that my feelings were reciprocated.


And that filled me with an inexpressible joy.


The kiss lingered for what seemed to me like a half hour, but was really only a minute or two. My tongue probed the inside of his mouth, which tasted sweet, slightly of cinnamon. He reached up and laid his hand on the back of my damp neck to twine in my curls and pull me closer to him. Our sweaty bodies meshed.


It was a moment of pure, undiluted happiness. It was a moment I would never forget...

Click here to get your copy.

Hooray for Judy Mays - The Teacher Parents Tried to Oust Because She Wrote Erotica

Parents who tried to oust a published erotic romance author (9 years) and well-loved teacher (more than 25 years) have seen their cause backfire. The teacher will not lose her job and probably will see a sharp uptick in her book sales.

Common sense and decency have triumphed over small minds!

In an interview with Publisher's Weekly, Judy Barunich (who writes under the pseudonym, Judy Mays, which, by the way, was never revealed to her students), told Publishers Weekly that, "...the entire fiasco backfired on the parents who complained. The support I have received from around the world has been unbelievable. Two complete strangers started a support page for me; and, the last time I checked, it had over 9000 "like" hits. However, it's been the support from my current students...and their parents that has humbled me and warmed my heart. I was always pretty sure I was respected, but the outpouring of support from "my kids" has brought tears to my eyes...Also, the support of the romance community, both authors and readers, has been overwhelming. So, I want to thank everyone who has joined me on this wild ride from the bottom of my heart..."

You can read the whole article here.

And click on the links below and buy a book for Judy Mays and show your support for a persecuted writer who overcame those who have little better to do that conduct witch hunts and try to undermine a dedicated English teacher.

Happy Birthday Dreamspinner Press

I love to share a bargain! And-heads up--if you love to read, you don't want to miss this.

Go to the Dreamspinner Press website for to see how you can claim your discounts and free reads.

Happy Birthday Dreamspinner Press - May Specials
Now through midnight EST May 31, 2011.

20% off all ebooks in the Dreamspinner Press store (including my own Dignity Takes a Holiday and Homecoming).
A drawing each week for an ebook reader of the winner's choice: Kindle WiFi, NOOK WiFi, or Sony PRS 350SC
49.99 on the 2011 DD set - First Time for Everything until May 25

Week One Specials:
40% off all ebooks that are turning 4 with us:
A Summer Place
Cursed
To Love a Cowboy
Slight Details & Random Events
Caught Running
Diplomacy

Week Two Specials:
30% off all ebooks that are turning 3
Far From Home by Madeleine Urban
Alliance in Blood by Ariel Tachna
The Archer by Abigail Roux
Murder Most Gay by John Simpson
Love Ahead by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Condor One by John Simpson
Sparks Fly by Clare London
Selfless by Michael Powers
Children of Bacchus by Andrew Grey
Cut & Run by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Task Force by John Simpson
Covenant in Blood by Ariel Tachna
Irish Winter by John Simpson
True Blue by Connie Bailey

Week Three Specials:
Download the first book from seven of our most popular series FREE - a different book each day.
Sunday - May 15 - Condor One by John Simpson
Monday - May 16 - Litha's Whim by Amy Lane
Tuesday - May 17 - Cut and Run by Madeleine Urban & Abigail Roux
Wednesday - May 18 - Promises by Marie Sexton
Thursday - May 19 - His Hearth by Mary Calmes
Friday - May 20 - Love Means... No Shame by Andrew Grey
Saturday - May 21 - Luke by Jan Irving

Week Four Specials:
All Dreamspinner Press Anthology ebooks 50% off!
A Brush of Wings
Curious
Games in the Dark
Know When to Hold 'em
Make Me a Match, Vol. 1 & 2
Making Contact
Mr. Right Now
Myths and Magic: Legends of Love
Necking
Reflections of Love
Riding Double
Sandals and Sodomy
Sindustry Vol. 1 & 2
Uniform Appeal

Check the Dreamspinner Press Homepage May 29, 30, and 31st for three special surprises.