Leta Blake's Blog, page 29
March 18, 2015
A Review of Rise: A Gay Fairy Tale by Leta Blake and Keira Andrews
“I love when authors take a beloved story and add a new twist. Poor lonely “giant”. Sad, lonely Jack. What a hateful life he suffered. Unique view, unique story. Like my HEA.”
via Amazon.com: Brenda L “Cower112″‘s review of Rise: A Gay Fairy Tale.
Sister Songs: Wedding Day and Jackie’s Strength #toriamos
Jackie’s Strength
Wedding Day
March 14, 2015
“It’s a slave-master story unlike any other in publication.” #gay #slave
“It’s a slave-master story unlike any other in publication. Its premise is of Victorian era 1900 America where slavery is the norm at least in their region. In this alternate-reality America, slavery isn’t based on race, though. The strangest, and even somewhat disturbing aspect, is that being a slave isn’t portrayed as something horrible or dehumanizing, but as servitude rich with meaning and personal accomplishment; it’s utterly mind bending.Personally, I rather enjoy slave-master romances because of the forbidden Romeo and Juliet like aspect, but there’s always this little underlying abhorrence, too. This book was challenging in that I could sympathize, even admire, Martin’s firm, unwavering joy of not only being a slave-companion, but the very best offered by House Ganymede.”
March 12, 2015
Serials Are Killing My Wallet: What a Way to Go!
I’ve been toying with a serialization idea for awhile and the advent of KU is the only thing that makes it seem possibly a good idea. I have probably another six months before I have to decide for sure, but I think I won’t be going the serialization route and will, instead, drop all four books in the series at once and see what madness that turns out to be. But hmm…. *ponders*
Originally posted on Love's Last Refuge:
Serials are back, not that they���d ever gone far, but their popularity has certainly ratcheted with the advent of Kindle Unlimited which features low-priced short stories, novellas and novelettes (aka, low word count).
I was on the fence for a long time. Not many can pull off a proper short story���you know the kind, complete with beginning, middle and end. A microcosm of perfection that stays with you a long time because it���s possible to recall each and every nuance, to savor those tasty bits that were shorn of fat and tenderized to succulent perfection (I like to cook, shoot me).
Be that as it may, when it comes to serialized fiction, too many of the jump-on-the-bandwagon hipster authors rely on teasers and cliffhangers to suck you into a narrative flow that may or may not make sense, but you keep going because you think the pot of���
View original 498 more words
Gratitude: Thank you, thank you, always thank you.
Gratitude. I’ve got so much to be grateful for in my life.
First and foremost, I want to acknowledge that I’ve got an incredibly supportive family. I’ve got a husband who enthusiastically makes it possible for me to write books and did so even before there was any monetary reason for him to think it was a good idea.
I’ve got a mother who not only cheerleads my writing but reads the books and offers up plot bunnies for me to write for her.
I’ve got a father who thinks what I write is very weird but is proud of me all the same and makes it as easy as he can for me to write by giving me a flexible work schedule. (Yes, I work for my father as his assistant in his financial firm.)
I’ve got a child who wants to hear (very sanitized) versions of the plots and who is invested in everything to do with getting books out. “Mommy, have you finished that Pictures of You series yet? You need to finish that.”
I’ve got an accountant sister-in-law who (sometimes) reads my books and eagerly supports me by agreeing to help me with the accounting side of things–making spreadsheets, etc–for free.
I’ve got so many friends who support me and love me, who listen to my writing stories and read the books, and cheer for me when things go well, and give me hugs and “next time, my friend” when things don’t.
I’ve got co-writers and colleagues who share information willingly and readily, who want us all to succeed, because they know there enough for all of us.
I’ve got beta readers who give up their time and energy to read and improve the books.
And, oh my gosh, you guys…you guys…I have READERS who buy the books and give their time and energy to letting the characters live awhile in their head. What a blessing. What a gift.
Thank you to everyone out there who has given me so much to be grateful for in my life. I hope that I give back half of what you give me.
You’re my heart and my joy. Blessings on all of you.
I’ve got money in my pocket
I like the color of my hair
I’ve got a friend who loves me
Got a house, I’ve got a car
I’ve got a good mother
and her voice is what keeps me here
I’ve got a good father
And his strength is what makes me cry
Feet on ground
Heart in hand
Facing forward
Be yourself
I’ve never wanted anything
No I’ve, no I’ve, I’ve never wanted anything
so bad…so bad
March 9, 2015
Rise: A Gay Fairy Tale – Kindle edition by Keira Andrews, Leta Blake #mmromance #kindleunlimited
What happens when Jack meets a sexy man atop that beanstalk?
Rumors of treasure have long sent fortune hunters clambering up a magic beanstalk to a mysterious castle in the clouds. Survivors told of an evil giant who guards the gold and glittering jewels with savage strength. No sane man would dare risk the climb���but Jack has nothing left to lose. Shunned for his evil red hair and abandoned by his cruel lover, he���s desperate to escape his life.
Rion isn���t a giant, only a man bearing the burden of protecting his family���s legacy. It���s a lonely existence, but he���s duty bound. Then Jack appears, and Rion���s world is turned upside down. After a blazing confrontation, undeniable lust sparks. Isolated in the clouds, Jack and Rion give in to their desire and growing connection. But do they have the courage to let go of the past and follow their dreams?
Soon they must protect the treasure���and each other���from a new threat. And they have everything to lose.
This is a retold fairy tale with a twist. Previously published as Ascending Hearts; this version has been revised and expanded.
March 8, 2015
Announcing the 2015 Nominees!
Oh, excellent! A Forbidden Rumspringa by Keira Andrews is listed!
Originally posted on dabwaha:
We are now ready to announce the 2015 DABWAHA (Dear Author Bitchery Writing Award for Hellagood Authors) Finalists as determined by the posse at��SmartBitches and the gals at Dear Author.
This year we have��eight books in seven categories!
New this year: a��reader nomination category! Yup, that���s right. Our 2014 categories are Contemporary, Historical, Novella, Series/Category, Paranormal/Fantasy/SciFi,�� YA/NA, and Novel with Strong Romantic Elements.
The eighth category will be filled with the top eight books as nominated by you.��Yup.��You��nominate the books you think should be included that aren���t listed right now.
Which books were we wrong to leave off? Fire up your browser and head on over to fill out the form to enter your nominations.
The book nominated can be digital or print, but please, wherever possible, use the ASIN or ISBN number for the PRINT edition to minimize duplicate entries.
PLEASE���
View original 693 more words
March 7, 2015
Unbelievable Coincidences – Okay in Life but not in Fiction #writing #life
Another post from the abandoned draft vault! :D
***
Readers are more likely to say something is unbelievable or too coincidental when it’s in a book, but these kinds of things happen in real life all the time.��Two examples off the top of my head, though not of the same importance, they were, possibly, even less likely to happen.
1) On a trip to NYC in 2002, we only knew one person who lived there at that time. He wasn’t a friend, he was a total acquaintance from high school and we only knew he lived there because his mother lived around the corner from us. We didn’t know where he lived or where he worked or anything else. So, we’re in Soho with Punny, and around the corner we come, and WHO IS THERE? Richard. Yep, the one and only dude we knew who lived in the city. Did he even live or work in Soho? No, he was there leaving a cafe where he’d met a friend for lunch. He lived in Queens and worked in Midtown. And yet in that city of endless people, we somehow ran into him during the course of the four days we were there. The odds of that are insane!
2) Once I was driving in a mall parking lot in Chattanooga, singing along to a song and looked over to see that the driver at the stop sign across from me was singing along to the exact same song, at the exact same place in the song. I could see her lips making the words very distinctly, and I was like, “Wow, that’s wild. We must be listening to the same radio station.” But then I remembered I was listening to a cassette tape! What are the freaking odds of THAT? And it wasn’t even a hit song. It was an old Cure song, if I recall correctly. Love Cats or something.
Anyway, yeah. I have no idea where I was going with this…just that coincidences and weird synchronicity happen in real life all the time, but in books they’re often doubted and dubbed unrealistic. I wonder why we are so much stricter with fiction than reality?
March 2, 2015
“Ugh. I loved it so hard.” Review of The River Leith #gay #romance
“5 STARS. WOW. Just wow. I totally read this book in 1 sitting. It was just. Ugh. I loved it so hard.”
The River Leith is available now at:
Memory is everything.
After an injury in the ring, amateur boxer Leith Wenz wakes to discover his most recent memories are three years out of date. Unmoored and struggling to face his new reality, Leith must cope anew with painful revelations about his family. His brother is there to support him, but it���s the unfamiliar face of Zach, a man introduced as his best friend, that provides the calm he craves. Until Zach���s presence begins to stir up feelings Leith can���t explain.
For Zach, being forgotten by his lover is excruciating. He carefully hides the truth from Leith to protect them both from additional pain. His bottled-up turmoil finds release through vlogging, where he confesses his fears and grief to the faceless Internet. But after Leith begins to open up to him, Zach’s choices may come back to haunt him.
Ultimately, Leith must ask his heart the questions memory can no longer answer.
February 20, 2015
“Solid contemporary romance with fun sexy times thrown in.” Smexy Reviews: Smoky Mountain Dreams by Leta Blake
“What I really appreciated about this story is the way the author takes her time telling it. So many times these days, we get category length romance stories that can be fun, but don���t always allow us to really understand the characters and their motivations. In this book, you can sit back and relax.
Recommend this one.”
via Review: Smoky Mountain Dreams by Leta Blake.
Sometimes holding on means letting go
Christopher Ryder and Jesse Birch are two men hanging on to the past. While Christopher has let go of his failure as a country singer in Nashville, he’s still trying to please his narrow-minded, non-accepting family. His beloved Gran loves him the way he is, but Christopher feels painfully invisible to everyone else. He���s happy enough performing at the Smoky Mountain Dreams theme park in Tennessee, but even when Christopher is center stage he aches for someone to see the real him.
There’s more than meets the eye when it comes to bisexual Jesse. He’s raising two kids and fighting with family after a tragic accident took his children���s mother. There’s no room in his life for dating, his kids are his priority, and he doesn’t want more than an occasional hook-up. He sure as hell doesn’t want to fall hard for his favorite local singer, but when Christopher walks into his jewelry studio, Jesse hears a new song in his heart.
Smoky Mountain Dreams is available now at:
AMAZON
B&N
SMASHWORDS
iTUNES
SCRIBD
OYSTER
And now at��KOBO.
