Leta Blake's Blog, page 36
December 25, 2014
Christmas Day Music – December 25, 2015 – What Child, Nowell #toriamos #nohell
My husband used to think that the hymn said, “No hell! No hell! No hell!”
December 24, 2014
Santa Wishes from Characters – Jesse & Christopher – Smoky Mountain Dreams
Now it’s Jesse and Christopher’s turn!
From All About the Writing:
It’s that glorious time of year when everyone whispers sweet nothings in Santa’s ear, hoping for a little extra something in their Christmas stocking. Fictional characters are no different.
So this is what I posed to my writer friends:
One of your characters is sitting on Santa’s lap, and whispers something in Santa’s ear. Who is it, and what did they say to ole Saint Nick?
(- See more at: http://www.allaboutthewriting.com/donna_j_cummings/2014/12/santa-baby.html#sthash.yzR7PW7c.dpuf)
Jesse: I’m not a big believer in Santa Claus but if I could have anything this Christmas it would be some sort of legal way to take over my wife’s care from my sister-in-law. The lack of resolution for everyone is still hard, though having Christopher in our lives makes it easier.
Christopher: I got everything I wanted for Christmas, Santa. Thank you. You really delivered this year. You’re the best. Now, if you’d maybe fix my family up a little that would be–no, never mind. I’m good. I don’t really need any of them nosing around in my life. So thanks anyway. I hope you have a nice holiday break, Santa, after all the presents get delivered. Thank you again. You’ve been so good to me.
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.
December 23, 2014
Simply The Best 2014 – Round Two: The Year In Reviews And A Giveaway
Aw, yay! More love for The River Leith! :D
Originally posted on The Novel Approach :
Hi, everyone, we’re back again with the second round of our Best of the Best (be sure to check out Sammy’s and Tina’s lists HERE), and another chance for you to win e-copies of THREE of the titles selected by Jackie, Lana, and Jules, winner’s choice!
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Christmas Music – December 23, 2014 – I Could Clean Up For Christmas #aimeemann #music
I’m not sure if she’s talking about her house or not. :P Because I’m talking about my house.
SERIOUSLY SPOILERY Deleted Epilogue for Smoky Mountain Dreams #bonusmaterial #deletedscenes
Here is a VERY SPOILERY epilogue for my book Smoky Mountain Dreams. I wrote it and it just didn’t fit as an ending, so, snip! It was cut from the book itself. But as a Christmas gift, I’ll share it here on my blog for those who might be interested.
I’m going to put it behind a Read More cut. Hopefully that will work, so those who don’t want to be spoiled can look away now.
Okay, here we go, everything below this? SPOILERY!!!
Show You The World
Friday, June 3, 2016
“More pain au chocolat?”
Christopher laughed softly as Jesse pulled another piece of the delicious bread off and fed it to Christopher. They were alone in the pastry shop, which seemed almost miraculous given the line earlier in the day, but he supposed the price of missing the fireworks show was paying off in precious alone time with Jesse and delicious snacks.
The small table didn’t allow much room, and their legs tangled beneath it. They finished off their snack, grinning at each other, and touching fingers. The heat of the day had slipped away and the night air felt cool as it poured through the open doors.
“Want to go see the Eiffel Tower?”
Christopher licked chocolate from his fingers. “Sure. We’re meeting Nova, Tim and the kids in the UK, right?”
Jesse nodded and crumpled up the tissue paper and napkins, rising to toss them in one of the many trash receptacles.
Outside, they walked close together, the Jardin à la française swirling on their left, low lights making it visible even in the darkness.
“Well, what do you think?” Jesse asked, motioning toward the Haussmann apartments butting up against a stone building of some older style.
“Well, to be truthful, I didn’t imagine Paris being quite so small,” Christopher said, turning around as they walked toward the Seine.
Jesse chuckled and knocked his shoulder. “Next year, I’m taking you to the real thing.”
“I’ve already put in for a month off, so I’m counting on it.”
“And Monte Carlo. And Tokyo. And Moscow.”
“Save something for the next year,” Christopher laughed.
Jesse grabbed hold of his hand and pulled his close, growling in his ear. “Can you blame me for being excited? I want to show you the world.”
“Oh, Aladdin, you dreamboat, you.”
Jesse laughed and kissed his cheek. Christopher noticed the glances from the people walking around them, but it was far from the outright gaping he and Jesse sometimes got a back in Tennessee in exchange for a lot less obvious behavior.
This life is even better than I dreamed for you, baby.
Christopher smiled at Gran’s voice in his head. It’d been hard to let her go, but Nova and Tim, Jesse and the kids had made it easier. Jackie and Joe had helped, too. They’d brought their kids up to see him at SMD a few times, and even spent the night at Jesse’s place once in what had ended up being a fun springtime family weekend of tubing and barbequing .
“Tomorrow, we should come back here. Just the two of us,” Jesse said. “We’ll drink our way through the countries.”
“Beer in Mexico. Wine in Italy.”
“Sake in Japan.”
“Sounds like we’d end up with a terrible hangover, especially if the heat is anything like it was today.”
“We’ll take it slow. Make it last all day.”
Christopher shot him a flirty look. “Why don’t we send Nova and Tim back here with the kids and we stay at the resort and ‘make it last all day’.”
Jesse grinned. “How about I send them to Animal Kingdom and we do a little bit of both?”
“Perfect. I knew there was a reason I fell in love with you.”
“I’m just grateful you did.”
Christopher’s chest ached, full of happiness, and he flung his arm around Jesse’s shoulders and they kissed by the Seine, the Eiffel Tower looming up behind them, and the “Pont des Arts” bridge directly ahead leading into the United Kingdom.
“Have you had a good vacation?” Jesse asked as they started across.
“It’s been amazing being here with your family and—“
“With your family. Our family.”
Christopher flushed and nearly pulled Jesse into his arms again. “With our family, then. I love going to another theme park and seeing how they do things, and what theme park does it better than Disney? There’s just something beautiful about theme parks to me, even after working in one for years. The way they function, the joy people have, the laughter—even the sugared-up screaming kids. I just love it.”
“Then I’m glad we came. We could hit Disney France next year if you want?”
“No, not this time. I want to see your France. The one you wanted to show me.”
“So you’re ready to be bored to death by visiting all my old teachers I apprenticed with?”
“I am. I can’t wait to hear all about the latest trends in gold filigree or whatever.”
Jesse chuckled. They walked together a few more steps and Jesse said, “I thought maybe you’d want to quit at SMD once you got your Gran’s house fully converted to the recording studio, but I’m glad you want to go on working there. I would miss seeing you on stage.”
“I’d miss it way too much to ever give it up. I’m lucky to work there. I’ll never be the headliner, but I don’t want to be. I just want to be your headliner, and for everyone else I just want to be Christopher Ryder—the surprisingly good performer. I like to make the crowd love me.”
“I’m so proud of you, babe. When you’re on stage, I want to stand up and shout to the audience that you’re my guy.”
Christopher laughed. “That’d be quite the interruption.”
As they stepped off the bridge into the tiny version of the United Kingdom set up in the World Showcase of Epcot Center, they spotted Will, Brigid, Tim and Nova waiting for them by the Rose & Crown Pub. Brigid’s arms were around Nova’s waist, her dark hair streaming free in the night air. Will came running at them.
“Chris! Dad! The fireworks were awesome! So cool! There was one big explosion that I felt my chest!”
“That sounds cool,” Christopher said. “Maybe your dad and I will see them tomorrow.”
“We’re coming back tomorrow?” Will looked ready to pout.
“We’re coming back alone. You guys are going to go to Animal Kingdom,” Jesse explained.
“Yes!” he exclaimed doing a fist pump. Will darted back across the street head of them to announce this to Brigid and his grandparents.
“Hey,” Christopher said, stopping in the middle of the street, looking at Jesse’s family—no, your family, baby—talking, hopping, smiling, and waiting for them. “I love you.”
“I love you, too,” Jesse said.
Christopher wanted to say more, but didn’t know how to express how happy he was, how much everything meant to him. “I really love you. And the kids. I love our family.”
Jesse seemed at a loss for a moment, but then he leaned over to whisper-sing in Christopher’s ear. He sang the lyrics to “You Are My Sunshine”, the same ones Christopher had asked him to inscribe on Gran’s locket the autumn before. Christopher swallowed the lump in his throat, pulled Jesse close, and kissed him quickly. Will’s groan of disgust drifted across the street, as did Brigid’s whining rejection of their public show of affection and Tim and Nova’s gentle chiding of the children’s reaction.
“Come on,” Jesse said. “We can talk about how stupid-in-love we both are when we’re alone tomorrow.”
“In Norway, and Canada, and China, even.”
“Damn, Christopher Ryder, stop making me want to kiss you again.”
“Sorry, but I hope I never stop doing that.”
Jesse groaned. “You did it again.”
Christopher grinned and kissed him fast and hard. Then he took Jesse’s hand, leading him toward their family who still waited in the Rose & Crown Pub’s doorway. He was laughing already anticipating the teasing that undoubtedly awaited them there.
The End
December 22, 2014
Civil War, Slavery, History from a Non-Southern Perspective| @Darrah_Glass #nashville
“In summer 2013, I finally roused myself to take an interest in Nashville and the Mr. agreed to accompany me to visit Civil War sites in and around the city. It wasn’t so much that I was interested in the Civil War specifically, but I like history, and I like research, and that’s really what there is to be interested in around here besides the music industry. I was apprehensive when we started visiting battlefields and house museums, expecting to be presented with a lot of pro-Confederate opinions and romanticizing of the Southern cause, but that hasn’t been our experience at all. All of the surviving antebellum mansions were occupied by the armies for one side or the other at some point, and most served as hospitals, as well. The history everywhere is a combined Union/Confederate history, typically presented by people who are passionate about the facts and delighted to share their knowledge. So far, it’s always been a presentation of American history, of intimately human history, and not a politically-motivated interpretation, and I’ve definitely appreciated this.”
read more interesting observations about the Civil War and the South from the perspective of a non-Southerner via Nashville history | Darrah Glass.
Christmas Music – December 21 – In Excelsis Deo #toriamos #holidays
And the mountains in reply
Echo, echo, echo!
December 21, 2014
Santa Wishes from Characters – Zach & Leith – The River Leith #christmas #gay
In our second installment of Santa Wishes from Characters, we’ll hear from Zach and Leith from The River Leith.
As I reported the other day, I saw the following quote on All About the Writing:
It’s that glorious time of year when everyone whispers sweet nothings in Santa’s ear, hoping for a little extra something in their Christmas stocking. Fictional characters are no different.
So this is what I posed to my writer friends:
One of your characters is sitting on Santa’s lap, and whispers something in Santa’s ear. Who is it, and what did they say to ole Saint Nick?
(- See more at: http://www.allaboutthewriting.com/donna_j_cummings/2014/12/santa-baby.html#sthash.yzR7PW7c.dpuf)
Leith: Well, Santa, I’ve been a pretty good guy this year. And, all in all, I’m not sure what to ask for. Maybe Daggi’s cheese in my stocking and Zach in my bed. Otherwise, I’m pretty good right now. There was a time I would have asked for my memory back but I don’t know if I really want that. Part of me would like to remember the boxing championships and meeting Zach the first time, but another part of me is happy with how things are now and doesn’t want to rock the boat. What if remembering everything about boxing made me miss it more than I already do? What if remembering meeting Zach the first time somehow made our coming together again despite the odds less beautiful? If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s how to let go of the past. So I guess I’ll just keep moving forward. Oh, I know! I’d like to have a good idea for a career I’d love. If you’d drop that down my stocking along with that cheese, I’d be grateful. I’m not really into my studies and I feel like there’s something I should do instead. Maybe psychology? I could help people like Dr. Thakur helped me. Oh! And a puppy. I’d like a puppy, too. Just convince Zach that it won’t piddle in the house, okay?
Leith’s idea of a perfect Christmas.
Zach: Hello Santa! Aren’t you looking dashing all in red like that? *waggles brows* Now, let’s get down to business. *counts off on fingers* First, I’d like Leith in a sexy Santa suit, reclining back in my bed, surrounded by candles and fake snow. Second, I’d love to have a little extra time off to write a novel. I’ve been thinking about telling the story of when Leith and I first met. He’s wanted to know the details for awhile now and what better way? So could you drop an extra three hundred hours into the year for me? I’d absolutely love that! And lastly I’d love it if you convinced Leith that a puppy is a bad idea. Though the one he showed me from that rescue site was awfully cute…still, it’s an awful idea. Maybe talk him into a slightly older dog instead–one that’s already housetrained. And that’s all I’ve got! Signing off, Santa! Talk to you next year!
Zach’s idea of an ideal Christmas Evening with Leith. He’s a little ridiculous and over the top at times.
The River Leith is available now at:
AMAZON
B&N
SMASHWORDS
iTUNES
SCRIBD
OYSTER
And now at KOBO.
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.
Hail, hail the Holly King!
An excellent post by Ajax Bell with a link to another excellent post about the Solstice.
Originally posted on Ajax Bell:
I have in years past made the same post about the Solstice and all the wonderfulness that it is. Whatever your beliefs you are not forbidden from being grateful and the Solstice for me is about gratitude that the light is returning, that the Earth will spin us back towards spring.
This is my New Year, not an arbitrary calendar date, but a scientific pinpoint when the descent into short days and long dark nights finally flips over and a little more glorious sun comes into each day. It is not hard to imagine that a day got moved here and there over the last couple thousand years by some careless scribe. So I celebrate all season, Solstice through calendar marked New Year. It’s important to me, because winter is cold and grim, and the revelry of the season keeps us going until the first flowers spring forth.
It’s about renewal, new beginnings…
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