Andrew Q. Gordon's Blog, page 57

Guest Author: CJane Elliott

Today’s guest author is CJane Elliot. This was an interesting interview for me because she is quite entertaining to talk . . .email with. I think that comes through in the interview. She’s here today to talk a bit about herself and her new release – Serpentine Walls. So read on and feel free to drop CJane a note at the end.

Guest Author: CJane Elliott

Welcome CJane, why don’t you start by telling everyone a bit about yourself.

Thanks, Andrew.  Hello everyone, I’m CJane Elliott.  I’ve been writing fiction for about 5 years now.  I live in the Pacific Northwest with my husband and teenaged son.  I’m a licensed clinical social worker and have had a private practice as a psychotherapist.  I’ve also traveled all over United States and Canada leading courses on communication.  I love music and dancing and have been certified to teach Nia, which is a dance/fusion fitness practice.  I’m a Scorpio and like to dwell in the deep waters… of the soul, the emotions, of what it means to be a human being.  But I also love a good laugh and being crazy.  You get to be my friend if you’re a little bit insane or off-the-wall yourself!

You’ve got a new book coming out – Serpentine Walls – but this isn’t your first published work.  Tell us a bit about those?

I’ve published three novellas with Dreamspinner: Electricity Sparks Through Me, Mercury In Retrograde, and Stay Right Here.

Electricity is a coming-out story set in a private high school in the D.C. area (which is where I grew up). Both of the MCs are teachers at the school. It deals with homophobia, theater and music geeks (both of which I was in high school), and the healing power of love.  The love that grows between the two MCs, Jack and Evan, supports Jack to deal with coming out to his parents and with his sister’s fragile mental health.

Mercury is a humorous tale set mostly on a river rafting trip in Oregon.  It has a fun cast of characters and a kind of flaky MC, Alex, a Hollywood actor whose astrologer told him that he’s going to connect with the love of his life soon. He mistakenly thinks that this must be an old boyfriend who is along for the rafting trip and fails to realize until almost too late that it’s actually Ben, the hunky river rafting guide who is perfect for him.

I wrote a follow-up short story featuring Alex and Ben for the DSP Sexy Six Anniversary Series: http://dreamspinnerpress.com/blog/2013/05/22/sexy-anniversary-mercury-retrograde-cjane-elliot/

Stay Right Here is set in San Francisco, another place I have lived, and tells the story of two musicians who meet and fall for each other.  One of the MCs, Bryan, is living with an older man and has lost his creative inspiration.  When he meets Mark he’s instantly attracted to him but now in trouble because he’s already in a relationship.  Mark has been living a safe life and not taking risks with his own music, but that ends out of his meeting Bryan.  An earthquake shakes them out of their cautiousness and they take the actions to get to their happy ending.

So most of your stories are set in places you’ve lived. Does it make it easier to write the characters if you are more familiar with the location? 

I don’t know about making it easier to write the characters, but I’m a visual kind of a writer.  That is, I’m envisioning the setting, seeing it in my mind, as I’m writing.  I think that placing my characters in familiar surroundings allows me to see the scene and the writing flows accordingly.

I love the cover art to Serpentine Walls, tell us a bit about your reaction when you got the final cover art?

Thanks, I love it too!  Serpentine Walls is set at the University of Virginia and there are these cool wavy brick walls that enclose the formal gardens on the campus.  They look like this:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Serpentine_wall_UVa_daffodils_2010.jpg

At first I wanted the cover to have a serpentine wall on it, but what my cover artist, L.C. Chase, did instead is beautiful.  The columns that you see to the right of the two guys are called the Colonnades and are part of the main part of the U.Va. campus.  My characters walk along them in the book, going to and from class.

I love the colors, the guys, and the fact that it’s a real shot from U.Va.  It also makes clear that this is a story set on a college campus.

My reaction when I saw the final cover? I think I shrieked out loud… just a bit.

Okay, let’s talk specifics; tell us a bit more about Serpentine Walls.

Gladly!  Serpentine Walls is a coming-of-age contemporary story set at college. Most of the characters are in their early twenties (some in late teens).  The MC is Pete Morgan and he’s a typical college guy in many respects, still learning about himself.  When the story begins, Pete’s parents have just split up over his father’s affair with a younger woman.  Pete starts his junior year at U.Va. angry and disillusioned about love while at the same time he starts to have a slew of male admirers.  The sometimes clumsy ways in which he deals with his romantic adventures and misadventures, and how he learns and grows, form the core of the novel.

Pete has liaisons with three men in the story: Aidan, Jed and Matthew. (Oh, yeah, I forgot George – he’s Pete’s old boyfriend from high school and they also have a few hook-ups when Pete goes home for vacations.)  As it says in the blurb, Aidan is glamorous and amazing but not really open for a commitment, Jed is a nice guy who would like more from Pete but Pete keeps it “friends-with-benefits”, and Matthew… ah, Matthew is perfect but he’s got his own issues and it takes him and Pete a long time to get to their happy ending.

I went to ShutterStock.com to look at models that represented each of the main characters and here’s what I came up with.

This is Pete:

This is Matthew:

This is Aidan:

And this is Jed:

Along with Pete and his various romantic interests, we have Pete’s group of friends who help each other and Pete out through the story as they go through various crises.  We also have the nefarious Professor R, who is skeevy and hits on male and female students and with whom some of the characters get ensnared.

Where did the inspiration come from for these characters?

I tell this story in my Author’s Note:  I first wrote a short story with the same characters to submit for Dreamspinner’s Higher Learning anthology.  When it wasn’t accepted for that, I got some feedback and realized that my characters came off as pretty shallow (and I discovered how hard it is to write short stories well). I expanded the story and deepened each of the characters, especially Pete and Aidan, and the novel is the result.

Most M/M Romance books rarely seem to deal with the phenomenon of Friends With Benefits (FWB) or F- Buddies, did doing something different like that scare you?

I didn’t even think about it, to be honest.  It just seemed true to the character of twenty-something Pete, who still hasn’t worked out what he really wants in the area of relationships, that he would try out a FWB relationship.  He thinks he’s sworn off “true love” and as he says in the book, “sex is sex and he isn’t going to pass up a chance at getting some.”  One of the ways that Pete grows and matures in the story is by finally realizing (with help from roommate Angie) that he’s hurting Jed by continuing to use him as a sex and videogame buddy, when Jed is attached to him and wants more.

Tell us something(s) interesting that is not in the blurb?

Pete’s best friend, John, is a psychology major and serves as a stand-in for my therapist side.  He talks to Pete about his dreams, about “animus projections” and about how Pete is protecting himself from being hurt.

Is this your – I’m writing myself into the story – moment?

Ha ha, probably, in the sense that I’m having John talk about what I myself am interested in exploring.  But I could say that about many things in every story that I write.  And John isn’t anything like me as far as personality.  I also “wrote myself into the story” with the way I described Pete’s anger and feeling of displacement when his parents divorce because that happened to me, although I was a few years younger than Pete is when it happened.

Have you ever based characters on anyone you know?

There are some similarities to people I know but no one is based on a real life person.  I did have an experience with a Professor R type when I was in college, so his character is not completely made up.

Let’s hope you wrote him in a favorable way or else, be sure he never reads the book. :)

Oh, he’s not written favorably at all, but I doubt the “real” Professor R would ever read the book.  If so, “hi there!”

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

One of my favorite parts is when something from an earlier part of a story comes back later in a way that I hadn’t planned for.  For instance, in Serpentine Walls, Matthew is helping Pete make his first film.  They talk about movies a lot and sometimes quote lines from films.  When I have them finally kiss, this came out of my pen:

Their eyes held, and everything became quiet inside of Pete. It felt like being on a precipice. Screw it, he thought, and before he could lose his nerve, he reached out and took Matthew’s hand.

“What are you doing?”

“Um, holding your hand?” Pete winced as the suave line he could have said if his life were a movie ran through his head: What I should have done long ago….

I love how that ties together all the stuff about movies from before, but it wasn’t in the outline – it popped out of my head as I wrote.

What’s your least favorite?

Not having enough time to write.  I work 32 hours a week as a social worker and so writing is confined to lunch times and then my 3-day weekends.

Since there is always another story to tell, what are you working on now?

I am working on a follow-up story, this time featuring Aidan as the main character.  I wanted to know two things: why he got involved with Professor R, and why he is such a man-whore.  And I wanted to show how he gets free of both situations.  I’m happy to report that I’ve just written the scene where Aidan walks out on Professor R for good.  But now I have the second half of the book to write, where Aidan moves to New York City to pursue acting and has his happily ever after with some nice fellow (still to be invented).

After I’m done with the Aidan novel, I plan to write another one featuring Jed.  He deserves a happy ending too!

What have you read lately that most people haven’t read but should?

I don’t know if many people have read David Levithan’s new YA novel, Two Boys Kissing, yet but everyone should.  It’s gorgeous and heartrending and hopeful.

Marks down new book to add to his already too long TBR list.

If you could meet any writer, alive or dead, who would it be and why?

Probably Jane Austen, because based on her books, she seems like a clear-eyed observer of human nature, but one with a sense of humor.  I envision us having tea at the Pump Room in Bath and making up stories about the rest of the people in the room.

What’s a fun – non-writing – day for you?

Going to my Nia dance class, hanging out with a friend at a local coffee house, listening to my son play his guitar, kissing my husband, and ending the day watching a movie with a glass of red wine at my side.

Besides reading and writing, what else do you enjoy?

I enjoy finding out about people and what makes them tick.  My mother used to call me “nosy” and being a therapist/course leader/social worker is my chance to be nosy and get paid for it.  I LOVE dancing.  I love music in all forms.  I love movies and harbor a secret fantasy of writing a screenplay.  I love spending time with friends and family telling jokes and laughing.

Last question is all yours – feel free to talk about anything you want your readers to know about you, your book, anything at all.

Wow, I feel like I’ve said a lot already.  If anyone wants to know more, I’ll be taking over the Dreamspinner blog tomorrow, October 30th, which is not only the release day for Serpentine Walls but is also my birthday!  So come on over for virtual cake, more about the book and for a chance to win a free copy of any of my previous e-books.

Happy early birthday and release day!

Thanks for being my guest, now it’s time to plug your work.

Thanks so much, Andrew.  It was fun to answer your questions.

Blurb:

Reeling from the news that his parents are divorcing, Pete Morgan starts his junior year at college cynical about love and commitment. Although his new openness to one-night stands does wonders for his sex life, fighting his romantic nature proves harder than he’d anticipated. He soon finds himself pining for a glamorous senior, Aidan, who doesn’t mind taking Pete to bed but shows no interest in commitment—at least not with Pete. And Pete’s attempt at a “friends-with-benefits” relationship with sophomore Jed leaves Pete feeling empty.

One bright spot in Pete’s year is Matthew, an easygoing graduate student who assists Pete in making his first film. Matthew has some baggage too, and has sworn off relationships and sex altogether, so Pete feels safe to enjoy their friendship. But he falls for Matthew anyway, not able to fight his growing conviction that Matthew is the perfect guy for him. Even if Pete can accept that he made a mistake when he turned his back on relationships, that doesn’t mean Matthew will feel the same. With a few life lessons under his belt, Pete’s ready to take a chance on love. As he finds the courage to bare his heart to Matthew, he can only hope that Matthew will take a chance with him.

Buy Link:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4336

Excerpt:

[This scene is Pete’s first sexual encounter with Jed.  Pete’s shallowness at this point in the story is pretty evident.]

Pete and Jed lay on Jed’s narrow single bed in his dorm room, the smell of sweaty gym socks permeating the air. Jed smiled shyly at him and kissed his neck, his erection pressing into Pete’s thigh. Pete tried not to think too much about Aidan’s big bed with its silken sheets as Jed fumbled his way down Pete’s chest, dropping kisses here and there. He wondered what Aidan was doing right now. Or who.

Jed put a hand on Pete’s hip, breathing heavily, and Pete tried to get his head back in the game, staring at a Baltimore Orioles poster on the wall while Jed inched his way closer to Pete’s half-hard cock. He winced as the room started to spin, realizing he was drunker than he had thought. Maybe he shouldn’t have chugged that last beer.

“Jed,” he said, lifting his head and then lowering it as it started to pound.

“Huh?” Jed paused the slow nuzzling he was doing in the crease at the top of Pete’s leg. At the rate he was going, Pete could count on a blow job by tomorrow.

“Um, nothing, just I’m pretty wasted, so….”

“Yeah, me too.”

Pete was about to suggest they sleep it off when he felt Jed’s mouth surround his cock. Oh. Okay. Pete closed his eyes as Jed began to give him an inexpert blow job. It felt pretty good. Yawning, he started to drift….

He woke up to sunlight streaming through the window, Jed snoring beside him. He tried to remember what had happened, but all he could recall was falling asleep in the middle of sex. Feeling bad that he had done that to Jed, he kissed him awake.

“Huh? Oh, hi.” Jed smiled and rubbed his cock against Pete’s with a low humming sound.

“Mmm, yourself. Sorry I fell asleep on you last night.”

“S’okay. You’re awake now.”

Morning breath wasn’t too bad as long as there were mutual blow jobs involved, Pete decided later. He had declined Jed’s offer of breakfast afterward, though. He didn’t want Jed thinking this was going to be more than it was.

Author Bio:

After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

Social Media Links:

You can find me on my website: www.cjaneelliott.com and on Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJaneElliott

Some New Pictures

Took ‘lil q to her friend ‘lil a’s b-day bash.  Hard to believe they are two already. It feels like just a few weeks ago we were taking pictures in the pool at swim class but that was more than a year ago.  Here are the pictures – feel free to comment if you like.

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New Releases: Monday October 28, 2013

All authors face the same daunting task – how to get their book noticed. In an effort to help some of my fellow authors, every Monday I’m going to post some of the numerous new books that have been released. For the most part these will be M/M Fiction with a heavy bias on Romance. That will probably evolve over time, but for now that’s were it is.

I’ve not read everything that is listed, though I’ve probably read or will read many. Which means inclusion on the list isn’t an endorsement or suggestion. You should read the blurbs provided to see if you’re interested. I’ll post reviews to books I recommend under the ‘Books I Reviewed’ tab. This is just a partial list of what’s new for visitors of my site to check out. That said if you end up reading something listed here and want to comment – please do. I reserve the right, however, to delete nasty or personal comments.

If you’re an author and want to include a new release, email me your blurb, cover image, buy links and any personal links you want included. No excerpts, interviews, giveaways etc. Those are welcome, but can be discussed separately.

Fall Apart; by S. E. Culpepper
BLURB: 

Dodging his ex, giving the Best Man speech, and smuggling home extra slices of wedding cake are Damon Wright’s only plans on his buddy’s wedding day. Capturing the attention of a renowned photographer with twice the sexual magnetism of James Bond doesn’t even make the list. Accustomed to a life spent keeping his head down, managing family obligations, Damon is unprepared for even a lukewarm pursuit, much less the hot, focused advances of a man like Alarik whose sophistication leaves Damon reeling.

Tired of the vapid, morally bankrupt and grasping fellows so common in his line of work, Alarik is through serving as just another step for mercenary men on the ladder to success. Damon’s kindhearted reserve excites a profound response within him, enticing him with the idea of an honest future. Compelled to dig beneath the surface in search of something lasting, Alarik can’t help but wonder if falling in love can be as easy as breathing.

Yet, fairytales don’t exist in the pace of real life; they disappear in shadow. Absorbed by the happiness of finding one another, Damon and Alarik never see the darkness coming…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

S.E. Culpepper lives and works in Oregon. After graduating college in New Mexico, she served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard for four and a half years before deciding to strike out on her own as a writer. S.E. is addicted to YouTube, reading, and chocolate, not necessarily in that order. In her free time, she visits parks with her son, studies for her Masters, and bakes. S.E. loves hearing from readers and she makes it a point to get back to them. Contact her through her website: seculpepper.com.

Author Links:

http://seculpepper.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/S-E-Culpepper/120092924797403

Buy Links:
Private Eye – Book #1 – Liaisons:
Question Mark – Book #2 – Liaisons:
Lost Won – Book #3 – Liaisons:
Fall Apart – Book #4 – Liaisons: Release Date 10/28/13
Serpentine Walls; by CJane Elliott
Blurb: 

Reeling from the news that his parents are divorcing, Pete Morgan starts his junior year at college cynical about love and commitment. Although his new openness to one-night stands does wonders for his sex life, fighting his romantic nature proves harder than he’d anticipated. He soon finds himself pining for a glamorous senior, Aidan, who doesn’t mind taking Pete to bed but shows no interest in commitment—at least not with Pete. And Pete’s attempt at a “friends-with-benefits” relationship with sophomore Jed leaves Pete feeling empty.

One bright spot in Pete’s year is Matthew, an easygoing graduate student who assists Pete in making his first film. Matthew has some baggage too, and has sworn off relationships and sex altogether, so Pete feels safe to enjoy their friendship. But he falls for Matthew anyway, not able to fight his growing conviction that Matthew is the perfect guy for him. Even if Pete can accept that he made a mistake when he turned his back on relationships, that doesn’t mean Matthew will feel the same. With a few life lessons under his belt, Pete’s ready to take a chance on love. As he finds the courage to bare his heart to Matthew, he can only hope that Matthew will take a chance with him.

Available October 30, 2013; Preorder link: 

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4336

Bio:

After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

 Social Media Links:

Website: www.cjaneelliott.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJaneElliott

The Harvest: Taken; by M. A. Church
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.

Available October 29, 2013 – Pre-Order Link:

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

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-Chur…

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

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

New Releases: Monday October 21, 2013

All authors face the same daunting task – how to get their book noticed. In an effort to help some of my fellow authors, every Monday I’m going to post some of the numerous new books that have been released. For the most part these will be M/M Fiction with a heavy bias on Romance. That will probably evolve over time, but for now that’s were it is.

I’ve not read everything that is listed, though I’ve probably read or will read many. Which means inclusion on the list isn’t an endorsement or suggestion. You should read the blurbs provided to see if you’re interested. I’ll post reviews to books I recommend under the ‘Books I Reviewed’ tab. This is just a partial list of what’s new for visitors of my site to check out. That said if you end up reading something listed here and want to comment – please do. I reserve the right, however, to delete nasty or personal comments.

If you’re an author and want to include a new release, email me your blurb, cover image, buy links and any personal links you want included. No excerpts, interviews, giveaways etc. Those are welcome, but can be discussed separately.

Fall Apart; by S. E. Culpepper
BLURB: 

Dodging his ex, giving the Best Man speech, and smuggling home extra slices of wedding cake are Damon Wright’s only plans on his buddy’s wedding day. Capturing the attention of a renowned photographer with twice the sexual magnetism of James Bond doesn’t even make the list. Accustomed to a life spent keeping his head down, managing family obligations, Damon is unprepared for even a lukewarm pursuit, much less the hot, focused advances of a man like Alarik whose sophistication leaves Damon reeling.

Tired of the vapid, morally bankrupt and grasping fellows so common in his line of work, Alarik is through serving as just another step for mercenary men on the ladder to success. Damon’s kindhearted reserve excites a profound response within him, enticing him with the idea of an honest future. Compelled to dig beneath the surface in search of something lasting, Alarik can’t help but wonder if falling in love can be as easy as breathing.

Yet, fairytales don’t exist in the pace of real life; they disappear in shadow. Absorbed by the happiness of finding one another, Damon and Alarik never see the darkness coming…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

S.E. Culpepper lives and works in Oregon. After graduating college in New Mexico, she served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard for four and a half years before deciding to strike out on her own as a writer. S.E. is addicted to YouTube, reading, and chocolate, not necessarily in that order. In her free time, she visits parks with her son, studies for her Masters, and bakes. S.E. loves hearing from readers and she makes it a point to get back to them. Contact her through her website: seculpepper.com.

Author Links:

http://seculpepper.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/S-E-Culpepper/120092924797403

Buy Links:
Private Eye – Book #1 – Liaisons:
Question Mark – Book #2 – Liaisons:
Lost Won – Book #3 – Liaisons:
Fall Apart – Book #4 – Liaisons: Release Date 10/28/13
Serpentine Walls; by CJane Elliott
Blurb: 

Reeling from the news that his parents are divorcing, Pete Morgan starts his junior year at college cynical about love and commitment. Although his new openness to one-night stands does wonders for his sex life, fighting his romantic nature proves harder than he’d anticipated. He soon finds himself pining for a glamorous senior, Aidan, who doesn’t mind taking Pete to bed but shows no interest in commitment—at least not with Pete. And Pete’s attempt at a “friends-with-benefits” relationship with sophomore Jed leaves Pete feeling empty.

One bright spot in Pete’s year is Matthew, an easygoing graduate student who assists Pete in making his first film. Matthew has some baggage too, and has sworn off relationships and sex altogether, so Pete feels safe to enjoy their friendship. But he falls for Matthew anyway, not able to fight his growing conviction that Matthew is the perfect guy for him. Even if Pete can accept that he made a mistake when he turned his back on relationships, that doesn’t mean Matthew will feel the same. With a few life lessons under his belt, Pete’s ready to take a chance on love. As he finds the courage to bare his heart to Matthew, he can only hope that Matthew will take a chance with him.

Available October 30, 2013; Preorder link: 

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4336

Bio:

After years of hearing characters chatting away in her head, CJane Elliott finally decided to put them on paper and hasn’t looked back since. A psychotherapist by training, CJane enjoys writing sexy, passionate stories that also explore the human psyche. CJane has traveled all over North America for work and her characters are travelers, too, traveling down into their own depths to find what they need to get to the happy ending.

 Social Media Links:

Website: www.cjaneelliott.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CJaneElliott

The Harvest: Taken; by M. A. Church
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.

Available October 29, 2013 – Pre-Order Link:

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

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-Chur…

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

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

 

Fall Apart Blog Tour – Guest Author – S.E. Culpepper

Today is Day Two of the Fall Apart Blog Tour and I’m really pleased to be the host.  Please take some time to read the guest post from S. E. Culpepper and learn more about her new book, Fall Apart, book #4 in her Liaisons series. Be sure to enter the contest at the end for a chance to win one of the books in the Liaisons series.

Family in the Liaisons Series

I grew up in a strict, but supportive household and the love my parents bestowed on my siblings and me was a luxury that I later learned many people don’t get to experience. No family is perfect—mine certainly isn’t. We have weird and funny traditions. We all know that when dad loses his temper, it’s best to pretend to clean something so you don’t come under fire. We know that when mom decides we should listen to music, it’s going to be Tom Jones, and we’re all going to like it, or else! But, one characteristic of my own family that I try to instill in at least one character in any story I write is acceptance.

I mean, look at me. I love writing in the male/male genre. It’s a wonderful experience that gets better everyday, but there are still a lot of people out there with negative things to say about it. When I come into contact with people who have an issue with what I choose to do, and believe me, I have, I love that I can come back to my “traditional and conservative” parents, the folks who raised me to think for myself, and I get unconditional love and support. I’ve learned from them that it’s not about whom you love, what you do for a living, or what the neighbors think. It’s about being able to look at yourself in the mirror and making the world better.

In Fall Apart and the other books in the Liaisons Series, whenever I write that character, or couple of characters that epitomize acceptance, I have to smile. Acceptance doesn’t have to be a fairy tale, and it shouldn’t be.

I’m so glad my parents taught me that with their actions.

Giveaway:

Leave a comment with an email address to be entered for a chance to win a free eBook. At the end of the blog tour, a winner will be chosen from each blog.  The winner can choose any book in the Liaisons Series.

BLURB: 

Dodging his ex, giving the Best Man speech, and smuggling home extra slices of wedding cake are Damon Wright’s only plans on his buddy’s wedding day. Capturing the attention of a renowned photographer with twice the sexual magnetism of James Bond doesn’t even make the list. Accustomed to a life spent keeping his head down, managing family obligations, Damon is unprepared for even a lukewarm pursuit, much less the hot, focused advances of a man like Alarik whose sophistication leaves Damon reeling.

Tired of the vapid, morally bankrupt and grasping fellows so common in his line of work, Alarik is through serving as just another step for mercenary men on the ladder to success. Damon’s kindhearted reserve excites a profound response within him, enticing him with the idea of an honest future. Compelled to dig beneath the surface in search of something lasting, Alarik can’t help but wonder if falling in love can be as easy as breathing.

Yet, fairytales don’t exist in the pace of real life; they disappear in shadow. Absorbed by the happiness of finding one another, Damon and Alarik never see the darkness coming…

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: 

S.E. Culpepper lives and works in Oregon. After graduating college in New Mexico, she served as an officer in the U.S. Coast Guard for four and a half years before deciding to strike out on her own as a writer. S.E. is addicted to YouTube, reading, and chocolate, not necessarily in that order. In her free time, she visits parks with her son, studies for her Masters, and bakes. S.E. loves hearing from readers and she makes it a point to get back to them. Contact her through her website: seculpepper.com.

Author Links:

http://seculpepper.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/S-E-Culpepper/120092924797403

Buy Links:
Private Eye – Book #1 – Liaisons:
Question Mark – Book #2 – Liaisons:
Lost Won – Book #3 – Liaisons:
Fall Apart – Book #4 – Liaisons: Release Date 10/28/13
Blog Tour Dates and Stops:

Oct. 26: Sid Love

Oct. 27: Andrew Q. Gordon

Oct. 28: Book Reviews and More By Kathy

Oct. 28: Sinfully Sexy

Oct. 29: Elisa’s Ramblings

Oct. 30: J P Barnaby

Oct. 31: The Morning After Romance

Nov. 3: The Novel Approach

 

Guest Author: Julie Lynn Hayes

Please welcome Julie Lynn Hayes to my site. Julie is one of the those friends I’ve never met face to face, but feel like I’ve known forever. She’s been a great mentor and source of advice as I try to figure out my place in the world of published author. She’s not only a talented write but she’s extremely generous with her time and assistance. So today I get to repay her in some small way. So please take a moment to read about her newest release Leonardo DiCaprio As A Vampire.

Guest Author: Julie Lynn Hayes

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, Andrew! 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.

About the Author:

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 .

Link:

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

Torquere Press: http://www.torquerebooks.com

Guest Author: Alicia Nordwell And A Giveaway!

Today marks the return of an old friend. Alicia – Cia to the word – is one of my oldest author friends.  Not only is she a wonderfully talented authors, she a great friend who’s always there to help.  Today she’s here to talk about the magic of a first kiss and how much it connects readers to the character. She’s also come with a free copy of her latest book, Picked At The Peak, to give away. Read on to the end, after the excerpt for details on how to win.

Guest Author: Alicia Nordwell

First Kiss Clips!

Okay, first off… I have to thank Andy for letting me crash his blog to promote my newest eBook, Picked at the Peak. Read on to the end, because I’ve details of the contest at the bottom of the post. For this promo, I thought this time I’d do something a little different. Picked at the Peak is one of those stories where I tried to write the characters into the same stage of life as me age-wise. I like to mix it up though, and often vary the ages of my characters from late teens to early forties. One of the things that nearly every single of my stories has, though, is a brand new romance.

Now, that’s not something I can claim to have recent experience with, lol. My first real boyfriend when I turned sixteen became my husband thirteen years ago. I think part of my fascination in bringing two characters together is remember that moment through the distance of time. Those jittery feelings discovering your feelings, and if they match the other person’s, the torturous but titillating task of ‘are you or aren’t you’ inspires me.

Then… then, we have the kiss. What about you? Do you remember yours? I still remember my first kiss, and of course, my last first kiss. I try to use all of my experience (*coughs* No, I won’t say exactly how much, lol) when I write those moments into my stories.

That moment can come from two teens flush with new love:

Tap stood up suddenly and leaned over the bed, carefully cradling Dane’s face with his hands. He locked eyes again, trying to get Dane to see him, to see how he really felt. “I’m not joking,” was all Tap said before he gently stroked his mouth over the soft lips he had been craving since the moment the two had met. He pressed his lips against Dane’s twice, three times before he let out a sharp breath and slid his hands down onto Dane’s neck and gently pressed him into the pillow. Tap flicked his tongue across Dane’s mouth in a quick swipe before he pulled back to smile in a sweet, gentle way that Dane had never seen before.

“You have no idea how long I’ve wanted to do that.”

Dane was unable to say a word.

* * *

Or new intimacies between old friends, now lovers, that’s been planned forever but just. can’t. wait. another. second like:

He stood close enough I could feel the heat of his body. I’d planned on kissing him at midnight but … I yanked Mack close, one hand on his neck and the other against the small of his back.

“I’m tired of the teasing,” I growled.

Mack raised one eyebrow. “So?”

A week of being too sick to do anything about the bulge that kept growing in his jeans made me impatient. Our teeth clicked together as I shoved my tongue in his mouth, tasting and exploring every inch.

His hands clutched my shoulders as Mack kissed back. It was every bit as good as I’d imagined but now my pants were too tight. My cock ached as I rubbed against him, feeling the ridge of his erection.

“Bedroom.”

*  *  *

Or the chance taken between two new friends when you’re not quite sure if that kind of affection is welcome:

With thanks to my friend Jason. Without him this picture wouldn’t have been possible.

Jason just stared, and then looked at Sean, tears in his eyes. “You didn’t have to do that.”

“Yes I did,” Sean insisted, “It’s true. You saw this even before I did, without you I would never have taken this picture. You’ve come to mean a lot to me, and I wanted to say thank you in a special way.”

With that Sean did what he had wanted to do almost since he first met Jason. He grabbed the back of Jason’s neck and going up on tiptoe he laid a soft kiss on his mouth. It was just a gentle brush against those enticing lips but when he moved back their eyes met and locked, both holding the promise that kiss offered.

That’s just a few of my favorite kisses in my stories! They’re a lot of fun to write, infinitely variable depending on the characters and the situation they’re in. Do you have a favorite kissing scene?

Synopsis:

Aislin was surrounded by his extensive, but close-knit, family his whole life. He was the younger brother or the cousin they needed to protect and the kid’s favorite uncle, but he was never just Aislin. His overbearing family rarely listened to him, so sure they knew best. His adult years had all been about proving that the accident that damaged his leg as a teenager didn’t limit him.

He started a microbrewery business, bought a winery and decided to have… a baby.

The news shocked his family and friends, but he was determined to be a single parent. Not that Aislin wouldn’t love to have a partner, but dating never really worked out for him. It didn’t matter if he was gay, or single, or had a handicap. He was more than prepared.

He was not expecting the drastic change the next nine months would wreak on his life.

Excerpt:

Lander let the water overflow the wine glass he’d been rinsing. “I see.”

Aislin took the glass and then shut the dishwasher. “That’s it, it’s full. Just leave the rest of those in the sink, and I’ll do another load in the morning.” He winked. “Just don’t tell my mom.”

Lander laughed. “Maybe I’ll hold it over your head as blackmail.”

Aislin handed him a blue towel to wipe his hands on after he’d dried his own. “What exactly do you plan to blackmail me for?”

Lander’s eyes twinkled. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”

Aislin leaned in a little. “Yeah,” he said quietly, “I do.”

Lander’s eyes widened a little and the corner of his mouth curled up. “Well. I guess I could be persuaded to keep your secret. You could convince me.”

“And how do I do that?”

Lander took a step forward, very much in Aislin’s personal space, but Aislin didn’t move. The feather-light touch of Lander’s calloused thumb across his lip felt like a brand sliding across his sensitive skin.

“Can I kiss you?”

Had Lander really just asked him that? Aislin didn’t speak and disappointment filled Lander’s gray blue eyes. Aislin could almost feel the distance falling between them.

He grabbed the edge of Lander’s vest and pulled him close before he could step back. “Sorry, don’t go. Just a little in shock, I think.”

Lander looked confused. “In shock?”

“I didn’t expect you to want to kiss me, much less ask my permission. I’m not very good with stuff like this.”

“Well then don’t say anything. Just nod.” Lander’s voice was like a low caress on its own. He leaned so close to Aislin that the puff of his breath was hot against his lips. “Can I kiss you now?”

Aislin strained forward and managed the smallest of nods just before Lander’s lips landed on his. For all of Lander’s restraint asking to kiss him, he had none in the act. One hand went around Aislin’s waist to pull him close and the other tilted his head back a little farther as Lander kissed him firmly.

The feeling of Lander’s wet tongue swiping across Aislin’s lips made him open them, giving the large man what he wanted. Aislin could taste the sweet tang of wine lingering on Lander’s tongue as he kissed him back, letting their tongues slide and tangle together until the need to breathe forced them to part.

“Holy hell, Aislin, you can kiss.” Lander stared into his eyes, their lips barely separated.

Aislin was flushed with warmth. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

“I didn’t expect you to want to kiss me, much less ask my permission. I’m not very good with stuff like this.”

“Well then don’t say anything. Just nod.” Lander’s voice was like a low caress on its own. He leaned so close to Aislin that the puff of his breath was hot against his lips. “Can I kiss you now?”

Aislin strained forward and managed the smallest of nods just before Lander’s lips landed on his. For all of Lander’s restraint asking to kiss him, he had none in the act. One hand went around Aislin’s waist to pull him close and the other tilted his head back a little farther as Lander kissed him firmly.

The feeling of Lander’s wet tongue swiping across Aislin’s lips made him open them, giving the large man what he wanted. Aislin could taste the sweet tang of wine lingering on Lander’s tongue as he kissed him back, letting their tongues slide and tangle together until the need to breathe forced them to part.

“Holy hell, Aislin, you can kiss.” Lander stared into his eyes, their lips barely separated.

Aislin was flushed with warmth. “You’re not so bad yourself.”

* * *

Contest:

Mmm… first blushes of looooove. LOL Okay, for the contest it’s super simple. Just share your favorite kissing scene. Doesn’t have to be from any of my stories, either. Do NOT forget to leave your email! Tomorrow morning I’ll announce the winner of their free copy of Picked at the Peak in the comments here, then contact them via email.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Gay Authors

All Romance eBooks

Author Links:

Blog: Cia’s Stories

Facebook: Cia’s Stories

Twitter: @AliciaNordwell

 

Wednesday Briefs – October 23, 2013

Here is a list of all the authors flashing this week, along with a brief snippet from their latest free work. Click the title and name to be taken to the complete story on the author’s home page.

 
Controller: Chapter 1; by Jon L. Keys:

The controller swung in a vicious arc, my thumbs sliding across multiple buttons on the pad as the sounds of war echoed on either side. The end of my gun was barely visible, and the barrage of bullets erupting from the barrel gave the impression of a light saber. A sensor went off, and I bit my lip as I did a front roll to escape the slicing katana whizzing through the air a hair’s breadth above me. I spun and blasted the assassin from the packing crate, his head exploding with a satisfying splatter of gore.

Lady Chapter 23; by A. R. Von: 

We walk to the place Iria and I first met to call upon Tethy’s.

My uncle has come along with us, having asked if he could bear witness to all of these ‘unbelievable’ events. He’s never laid eyes upon a goddess or a unicorn.

Iria and I could not deny him his request. Especially, after all of the help he has given to us. We hope to at least get him to witness Iria in her birth form to appease his curiosity.

A New Beginning Chapter 2; by Andrew Q. Gordon:

Ryan tossed a copy of the Washington Post onto the table. Pointless as it was, I did as expected and picked it up. I didn’t need to read the words to know what happened. After glancing at the headline, I put it down.

“Did you expect anything else?” I figured coffee might help relax him, so I grabbed a mug from the cabinet and slipped one his favorite cups into the machine.

“You knew?”

Owen’s Story # 5; by J.C. Wallace:

A nervous flutter ran through Owen as he stood before the front door.Oh, shit.

He’d forgotten how tall, how dark, how magnificent the man was. Turk grinned wide, a row of perfect white teeth gleaming in the light from the porch. Brown eyes crinkled at the corners, and he looked even wider and larger standing on that porch. Black pants, a white Henley under a black leather jacket, and motorcycle boots made him a walking wet dream. Well, bend Owen over and slap him on the ass, the man was smoking hot.

Hope; by Chris T. Kat:

As the night progressed, I settled on the sofa, curled up in Shane’s throw. The puppy snuffled while I fumbled with the soft-colored fabric, but didn’t wake up. Instead, it twisted into a ball and draped its fluffy tail over its back.

I caught myself staring at it. How relaxed it was. With its lips pulled back, it appeared to be smiling. Whenever I realized that, I smiled as well and jerked my gaze back to the window. My heart thumped against my ribcage and my stomach churned every time.

Wed Briefs; by Lily Sawyer:

It had been a few weeks since Ben’s kidnapping and the arrest of Jethro Steele . Steele had been arraigned and bail had been set.  Of course, the Westboro Baptist Church paid for his release, and ever since he’d been let out Tom had been keeping a close eye on Ben.

“I won’t stay locked up like some caged animal.”  Ben was in the kitchen. He sat at the table, drinking a cup of coffee and having a banana muffin Tom had bought him, ‘cause he knew it was one of his favorites.

Nighttime Promises # 15; by M.A. Church:

Bryan sat at the table while Daroshi served up several plates of food. They’d checked and found pork roast with mashed potatoes and green beans on the menu. Daroshi had a rather large chunk of blue meat in front of him. It reminded Bryan of a turkey leg, only much larger and the wrong color. Daroshi seemed to enjoy whatever it was from the way; he ripped the meat off the bone. He knew Daroshi’s species could go for several days without eating, but good Lord, it must have been quite a while from the way Daroshi wolfed his food down.

Take Flight -15; By Cia:

“While we wait for the Alchemist, I thought you might like to try out your wings.”

Birch stumbled against a small table near the fireplace. “What?”

“We’ve been ignoring them because we have bigger problems, but… you have wings, Birch. Flying is the one thing I never thought we’d share. I love the freedom of soaring through the air.”

“I-I don’t know.” Birch licked his lips. “What if I fall?”

Noah’s New Plan; by Rob Colton:

“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.”

Guardian Of The Wolves; by Shelly Schulz:

The living room was in complete disarray, the coffee table pushed to the wall, the couch cushions flung haphazardly across the room, the hide-away-bed pulled out and covered in blankets and sleeping bags. A massive bowl of popcorn was balanced precariously between them, Aber frowning in concentration as she painted her best friend’s toenails.

“He likes Star Wars?” Emilie said, leaning in to inspect the cherry red paint job. “Isn’t that a little dorky?”

Myths, Secrets, And Love; by Elyzabeth M. Valey:

He scratched his head for the umpteenth time. Gods, he hoped he didn’t have lice. He’d told the men several times to keep their heads clean and to use the ointment that witch back in Hardsdael had gifted them.

“Sirens ahead, Captain.”

Rodric rolled his eyes. Now he broke the news? He’d seen the flashy tails and long locks floating in the wind about ten minutes ago. Gods, he hated being a pirate. He couldn’t wait to get back to firm land and his ol’ life but his damn friend – to which, allegedly, he owed a few favors- had asked him to come with him on his last pillage. Problem was, the bastard had gone off and gotten himself lost, killed, or kidnapped – He wasn’t sure which of the three- and now it was up to him to find him.

Thwarted, Part XV; by Renee Stevens:

“Are we really going to keep ignoring it?” Trey pushed his plate back and rested his hands on the table.

“No, I guess not.” Mark stood and picked up the plates to carry them to the sink. He’d known Trey wanted to talk about his option of re-enlisting, but it wasn’t something that Mark really looked forward to. He knew what he wanted him to do, but in the end, it was Trey’s decision.

Mark dumped the plates in the sink and grabbed a couple of sodas out of the fridge. He had the feeling he was going to want a beer before all was said and done, but soda would do, for now. He walked back over and set one of the sodas in front of Trey and then reclaimed his chair.

Sealed In Stone #18; by Tali Spencer:

The high walls of the Kumbh’Bhesarim fluttered with red silk to welcome the Queen’s Voice. The kumbh’s several hundred humans had worked far into the night to prepare for the day about to dawn.

Willem darted across a stone yard and entered the men’s bath house. Weak light from a single aperture in the roof revealed a pale figure standing at the base of the cleaning wall. Water spilled into the room from the aqueduct that also supplied the kumbh with drinking water. Willem’s heart pounded as he recognized Torrey. He’d come! The guard on the High House must have been light. Willem ran the length of the chamber, tossing his tunic onto a stone bench before he dashed into the shallow containment pool.

Sunrise, Part 20; by Victoria Adams:

Aunt Mixy’s words echoed in Sian’s ears, “If J’dol’s with Kiry, then who’s upstairs?”

“Ian ran away. He’s gone.” Sian shivered at the memory. “The police searched everywhere – inside and out. There’s nobody here, but us.”

Purple pushed back her chair and stood. “There’s always the chance of a ghost, but I’ve never sensed one.” She turned and rummaged through Sian’s kitchen drawers. “Aha!”

Holding the rolling pin high in the air, she nodded towards the stairs. “Let’s go.”

Trapped In Time; by Julie Lynn Hayes:

The sun beat down upon us like a hammer upon an anvil—relentless and fierce.  This heat is different than that of the jungle. Far less humid and much dustier. The dust flies about us whenever the wind rises, choking us, making conversation optional. It is a good thing that we have water, hopefully enough to reach the next watering hole, and after that civilization, such as it is.

My head is numb, although not because of the heat, but because of what has occurred. Prior to this, we were all trapped in time in a prehistoric jungle, amidst dinosaurs and other fabulous creatures never before seen by man. Then Myron used his magic to pull us forward in time, to bring us home,  but something went very wrong, and things did not work out as intended. We ended up in the wrong time and place—and  now my Vittorio is missing. So is Kitty. And my pennyfarthing. Much as I miss them, it is Vittorio my heart aches for, a pain that pierces my very soul and leaves my nights sleepless.

Guest Author: Jake Wells

Today’s guest is Jake Wells. It’s really been a pleasure getting to know him over the last few weeks as we worked on this interview. Jake is celebrating the release of his new book tomorrow. It’s his first book, which is special enough, but this one is even more. Jake is donating all the royalties to benefit . As you will read in his interview, he’s done quite a lot to help children and this is just one more good act in life filled with them. I hope everyone who reads this will share the interview and the links and help Jake raise a ton of money for the kids in L.A. who need it.

Guest Author: Jake Wells

Welcome, Jake. Why don’t you tell readers a bit about yourself to start?

Thanks Andy, I so appreciate having the opportunity to be your guest.  I’m a bit of a newbie to this whole social media gig so if I start to ramble please feel free to cut me off.  I guess because I’m kind of a chameleon, my friends might have a difficult time describing me.  I’m gregarious in a crowd but very much appreciate my quiet time, I’m athletic while at the same time am kind of an academic, and am both an adventurer as well as being a bookworm.

Since I received word that my first book was going to be published, I have been frequently asked how I happened to end up writing “A White Coat is My Closet”.  It’s hard to say exactly how this odyssey began.  Writing a book has always been one of the things on my bucket list.   When I hit fifty and was forced to acknowledge that my life was approaching the downhill slide, I thought why not start?  And so, with a burst of enthusiasm, I began the project despite having no clue what I was going to write about.  The progress was initially sure and steady and then, at about the forth chapter, I suddenly found myself thinking;    “Shit, four chapters down, probably twenty-two more to go.”  I wasn’t sure that I had twenty-two pages left in me much less whole chapters.  Worse, I still hadn’t even begun to work out a storyline.  Things came to a screeching stand still.

What occurred over the subsequent months was surprising.  Despite trying desperately to give up the idea of writing a book, I somehow couldn’t shake it.  Somewhere, in the deep recesses of my mind, the whole story started coming together.   My novel is a work of fiction but it ends up describing issues that are near and dear to my heart.  Because in my real life I’m a pediatrician, I’m extremely passionate about providing health care to children in a compassionate and loving manner.  In addition, I’m a gay man who grew up in a small community and really struggled with accepting who I really was.  Somehow, the combination of those two life experiences found a voice that evolved into a story.

As a pediatrician, where did you get the urge to write MM fiction?

Ironically, I’m not sure I started out intending to write MM fiction.  When I decided to write a book, the only solid piece of advice I was given was to “write what you know.”  As a result, the book was initially a description of some of the experiences I had during my years as a pediatric resident.  But, in the process of beginning to write, I remembered with absolute clarity that two things were actually occurring simultaneously during that period of my life.  Certainly I was working to try to become a competent doctor but I was also falling in love for the first time.  Though the story is indisputably a work of fiction, once I began writing about my early life in medicine, it was impossible not to also include something about my initial foray into a meaningful relationship.  The experience was too momentously important.  What happened was sort of unexpected.  I ended up writing a gay romance novel.  The story continues to contain a strong medical element but I think the human element ultimately ends up taking center stage. As a consequence, the book is probably much better than it otherwise might have been.  At least I hope your readers will think so!

You’ve been named a top pediatrician for two years running. How does that make you feel when people recognize your dedication to children?

The recognition is both humbling and gratifying.  I’ve pretty much devoted my entire professional life to taking care of sick children and am flattered by the fact that both my peers and my patients think I’m relatively good at it.  I have no children of my own so I think I probably bring a little more emotion to the job than is sometimes common.  I’m able to vicariously love my patients as a father while also being their doctor.  It’s a good fit for me.

In a bit you’re going on a journey to help other children, tell us some more about that?

Andy, thanks so much for asking about my upcoming adventure.  I’m travelling with a group of doctors and health care professionals to Tanzania, Africa.  They’re a great bunch and this will represent their sixth trip.  The subspecialties represented include infectious disease, plastic surgery, general surgery, orthopedic surgery and anesthesia.  Because their itinerary includes providing medical care to children in remote orphanages, not having a pediatrician in attendance has historically represented significant challenge.  This year, I’ve decided to accompany them.  I look forward to having the opportunity to “give back” and suspect that my clinical skills will really be put to the test.  We will be carrying all our medical supplies with us and won’t have the luxury of any sophisticated diagnostic equipment.  With little exception, it will only be me, my bare hands and a stethoscope. I have no doubt that it will be a life altering experience and that I will return a changed person with an even greater appreciation for the wonderful life I have.

Shifting gears, your new book, A White Coat Is My Closet, comes out October 25, 2013.  Talk about that a bit.

Oops!  I may have been a little premature in already having started to talk about my book.  I told you to cut me off.  Pretend you don’t know anything about it.

A White Coat is my Closet tells the story of Zack Sheldon who is in his last year of a pediatric residency program.  He’s smart, hardworking, compassionate and well-liked by his colleagues. His life would be perfect were he not to be burdened by feeling forced to keep the fact that he is gay a secret.  He’s out to a few select friends but is adamant that no one in the hospital know the truth.  Having grown up in a small town where he was taught that being gay was shameful, he is shackled by feelings of low self-esteem and is intimidated by the overt homophobia perpetrated by some the physicians who supervise him.  Determined to succeed professionally, his grueling work schedule somewhat compensates for his loneliness and fortunately, he derives tremendous satisfaction from taking care of the children who become his patients.  Regrettably however, he has pretty much resigned himself to being eternally single.

Then, everything begins to change when he one day finds himself sitting next to Sergio, a guy who captivated his attention from the very second  he first saw him at the gym weeks before.  Zack wouldn’t even allow himself to dream that someone as attractive, outgoing and sexy as Sergio would ever even look at him but through some inexplicable twist of fate, they suddenly find themselves immersed in conversation.  A casual afternoon spent laughing by the pool miraculously leads to a first date and before Zack knows it, they seem to be becoming a couple.

Zack finds his world suddenly turned upside down.  Part of him is ecstatic to be building a relationship with someone he finds so incredible but falling in love also means having to confront an abundant number of insecurities that he would have preferred to have just left buried.  He becomes significantly less comfortable leading a double life and he grows weary of feeling suffocated by his own internal shame. Sergio seems to recognize genuine value in him and Zack wants desperately to feel more deserving of that admiration.  But old habits die hard and Zack struggles to learn how to remain true to himself without jeopardizing the professional respect he has worked so hard to obtain.  Then, before Zack can decide on the best course of action, circumstances force him to make a decision. He can either continue to hide behind the walls that have historically been both his sanctuary and his prison, or he can step out from behind his white coat and declare to the world who he really is, who he really loves and damn the consequences.

The book is fiction, but how much did you draw upon your own experiences for the plot, setting, conflicts, etc.?

Funny you ask…..the line between my own experiences and fiction sometimes got a little grey.  I laughingly tell my friends that I’m neither as brilliant as Zack nor am I as emotionally insecure.  I started my career working in pediatric intensive care so have taken care of a lot of really sick kids.  The medicine part of the story was easy given that there is never a shortage of stories about kids.  It was just a matter of melding a bunch of real patients into a fictitious few.  All of my patients invariably made an impression on my heart so it was really more a matter of relating the feelings I had than it was writing about actual experiences.

Writing about Zack’s struggles with his identity was both personal as well as generic.  I think any gay man remembers struggling with issues of self-esteem; the anxiety of what people would think when they discovered “the truth”.   I’m delighted that our societal views are evolving but when I grew up, there were no gay role models.  Being gay was essentially viewed as something to be ashamed of and being called a faggot was the ultimate insult.  So, while the story is fiction, the concept of rising above the oppressive stigma perpetrated by society is something that is not only still relevant today, but is something that I think resonates with every gay man.  Remember that it was just five years ago when you couldn’t turn on the television without being assaulted by pro prop 8 ads essentially saying that it was an abomination to be gay.

The book has many subplots – tells us about some of them.

The majority of the book follows the evolution of Zack’s relationship with Sergio but it also follows Zack’s relationship with some of his patients.  There’s one little boy in particular named Christopher.  Zack develops a special bond with him and as a reader; you’re taken through the highs, lows and challenges of caring for a child with a serious diagnosis.  For some, it may feel like a lot of medicine but the story in its entirety is about a pediatric resident falling in love.  I couldn’t really talk about Zack’s life without talking about his patients.

Tell us something interesting that is not in the blurb for A White Coat Is My Closet.?

Hmm.  Well, something that you might not expect from reading the blurb (or even from having read this interview!) is that some parts of the book are really funny.  (at least they’re intended to be)  Surviving a residency meant having to work some horrific hours.  The only way to endure was to maintain a sense of humor.  As a resident, there were many moments spent trying to maintain solid professional decorum that ultimately deteriorated into hilarity.  I hope some of these are captured in my story.  In addition, as most of your readers well know, you can’t put a group of gay men into the same room and not have it result in a lot of good natured teasing.  Though sometimes, when you try to explain a funny situation to someone they end up saying, “Guess you had to be there”, I none the less hope that readers will find themselves chuckling as they turn some of the pages of my book.  Finally, if you’ve ever been in love, you know what it means to laugh!

Are any of the characters based on someone you know – other than yourself of course?

Many of the characters in the book are an amalgamation of people I’ve known.  Zack’s best friend is a guy named Declan.  Declan is not any one of my specific friends but instead has the identity of many of my friends combined.  I truly believe that the three biggest blessings in my life have been that I have a supportive family, an amazing partner and incredible friends.  Almost without exception, my friends care for me unconditionally, support me through adversity and make me laugh uproariously.

In addition, I was fortunate to have many great mentors going through residency.  One of the attending physicians in my book was inspired by a woman who made an indelible impression on me.  She was wicked smart and was both compassionate and caring.  I am always exceedingly proud if that’s the way I’m perceived.

Since there is always another story to tell, what are you working on now?

I currently have two projects in the works.  This time, rather than embarking on a journey that has no specific destination, I’m trying to plot out the sequence of the stories.  One involves Rone, a runaway teenager who was turned out by an abusive father but who still has dreams of becoming a doctor….(do you think I’ve beaten the medical theme to death?)  And the other…..wait for it……has nothing to do with medicine….. it’s the story of a ski instructor hoping desperately to find someone to keep him warm of the frigid slopes.  Wish me luck!!

You traveled a bit and some of those trips turned into adventures. What’s the strangest ‘adventure’ you’ve had?

I can tell you one of the adventures that still gives me nightmares.  In my last year of undergrad, I went to Brazil as a Rotary Foundation Scholar.  When one of the local Rotary Club members learned that I had aspirations of applying to medical school when I returned to the states, he asked if I’d consider accompanying him and a team of two doctors into an orphanage in the Amazon basin.  I enthusiastically agreed.  What he may have neglected to tell me was that getting to the orphanage would include a two day canoe trip.  What I may not have fully appreciated was how truly terrified I am of snakes.  Not a good combination. As we navigated our canoes through the tributaries of the river, snakes would either lift themselves out of the water or I could see then hanging from trees.  I blamed my wet underwear on the humidity!! (the brown streaks were more difficult to explain!)

What have you read lately that most people haven’t read but should?

Any books by JF Smith.  I happened upon Latakia when I read one of its 5 star reviews on Amazon.  I was hooked.  All of his books have proven to be heartfelt, suspenseful, and ridiculously funny.  I highly recommend them.

In addition, JF has proven to be one of the nicest guys imaginable.  I read his first book when I was only about four chapters into my own.  As I said before, I had come to a grinding halt and couldn’t imagine succeeding in writing a single additional word.  It just so happened that JF’s e-mail address was at the end of his book.  I wrote him initially with the intention of just telling him how much I had enjoyed the read.  I concluded my note by telling him off handedly that I had always aspired to write a book, had even begun, but had gotten totally bogged down.  Honestly, I didn’t even expect a response.  Well, he not only answered, but he began to correspond with me and ultimately provided me with encouragement enough that I felt motivated to return to the keyboard.  I’m not sure I would ever have finished my book without his encouragement. So, depending on what you think of my story, he either deserves a debt of gratitude of the burden of guilt!

Thanks Jake, now it’s time to plug your book.
A White Coat Is My Closet
Blurb:

Zack Sheldon doesn’t have time to be lonely. He’s in his last year as a pediatric resident, almost married to the job, and busy with the joys and sorrows that come with providing medical care to children. Professionally, he’s confident, accomplished, and respected. But personally he’s too insecure to approach a sexy man like Sergio Quartulli, or even to imagine that Sergio might be attracted to him.

Zack spots Sergio from across the gym, and then a chance meeting poolside somehow turns into a date. Before Zack knows it, they’ve become a couple, but Zack’s white coat is his closet at the hospital, and committing to a relationship with Sergio makes it difficult for Zack to continue hiding behind it. On the other hand, he grew up in a small town where being gay was shameful and he works in an environment that can sometimes be homophobic, so it’s hard for him to open up about who he is. Before Zack can make a choice on his own terms, circumstances force him to make a decision. He can continue to hide, or he can step out from behind his white coat and risk everything for love.

Pre-Order Link: Out October 25, 2013

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4276&cPath=55_948

Author Bio:

Jake Wells was born a dreamer. He dreamed of distant lands, of trying to make a difference in people’s lives, of falling in love, of writing a book, and of all things chocolate. Imagine how fortunate he feels to have seen most of his dreams come true. He’s adventured through the far corners of the world, has a successful career practicing medicine, and shares his life with an amazing partner. Though eating chocolate continues to play a prominent role in his dreams, the icing on the cake has been writing about falling in love in a world where equality is only beginning to be embraced.

When he’s not playing doctor, Jake can usually be found traipsing local hiking trails with his dogs near his West Coast home, in the kitchen trying to replicate some sumptuous dish he saw on one of the cooking channels, or sipping a glass of fine red wine with his friends.

Social Media:

You can contact Jake at jakezacharywells@gmail.com

Facebook athttps://www.facebook.com/jake.wells.16568.

Excerpt:

Here is a short excerpt from A White Coat is my Closet.  As I previously described, Zack sees Sergio in the gym weeks before he actually meets him.  In this section, Zack has just finished a long shift in the hospital and despite being exhausted, stumbles into the gym determined to work out.  In the process of trying to convince himself not to succumb to the fatigue he’s feeling and just blow the workout off, he sees Sergio on the bench next to him.

The inner dialogue consumed so much of my attention that I initially didn’t notice the guy working out on the bench next to me. In a split second, however, I was captivated. He was resting between sets. He appeared not to have a care in the world and seemed completely oblivious to anything going on around him. A little white wire wound itself from the iPod attached to his bicep up into his ears, and he seemed totally immersed in the music he was listening to.

Taking my cue from him, I tried to play it cool and pretend I hadn’t noticed him. In truth, however, I was taking in the whole picture, hoping that it would be permanently imprinted in my brain. He was about five foot ten and probably weighed a muscular one hundred and eighty-five pounds. He had perfect hair that, despite being messy, framed his face perfectly. He had an olive complexion and a five o’clock shadow that further accentuated his tall, dark, and handsome looks. As he mouthed the lyrics to the song coming through his earbuds, he parted his lips to reveal perfect teeth. His chest was a sculpted mound of muscle that tapered down to a thin waist. He had narrow hips but his thighs had great definition, and they were capped off by a solid, firm, round butt. Short, curly dark hair covered his legs and also peeked out over the tank top covering his chest. In a word: incredible.

Suddenly, the fatigue I had been feeling just a second before evaporated. Enthusiasm began to course through my body, giving me a renewed surge of energy.

I lay down on the bench and again grabbed the bar above me. Despite having put another ten pounds on each side of the bar, I pumped out another fifteen reps effortlessly. I was winded but felt invigorated. I sat up to rest and tried to inconspicuously divert my gaze over to the bench press next to me. The guy was in the middle of a set. He had two forty-five pound plates on each side of the bar but was pressing two hundred and twenty five pounds with seemingly minimal effort. I heard him whisper “twelve” under his breath, then he flipped the barbell back onto the rack. He took a deep breath and then sat up. In doing so, his gaze briefly caught mine. For a microsecond, he held my gaze. A smile flashed quickly across his face, and then he diverted his attention back to his workout.

I was exhilarated. He had smiled. Was that a sign? Was it an invitation that I could casually say “hi”? Maybe even ask for him to spot me on the next set so I could try to push some impressive weight? If he consented to spot me, I could use the opportunity to initiate a conversation. My mind begin racing through my repertoire of clever one-liners. Had to be something subtle, innocuous. Something clever and engaging but not something that could be interpreted as a come-on. An obvious come-on in the gym was not only uncool but gave the impression of being desperate.

My back was to him as I added another forty-five pound plate to one side of the bar, then, feeling a little self-conscious, I stacked on an additional twenty-five. Now each side of the bar would have one hundred and fifteen pounds. I looked at it a little apprehensively. I knew I was capable of lifting it but also had to concede I was tired and not at my physical peak. I mentally calculated the risk. I didn’t want to embarrass myself and have the bar come crashing down onto my chest, but if I mustered the courage to impose on him to spot me, the weight on the bar had to be enough to warrant asking for help.

At that moment, feeling a surge of self-confidence, I decided: I would ask him for a spot. If he consented, I’d casually say something like, “You look like you’re in pretty good shape. Do you work out here often?” An innocent question, beautifully framing a subtle compliment, which, most importantly, might be the opening to an engaging conversation. I put the lock on the end of the bar, sealed my resolve, and then pasted an appropriate expression of indifference on my face. I didn’t want to appear too eager. Rehearsing the request over in my mind, I began to slowly turn. I aspired that my tone would be inviting and sincere, but not give the impression of being too desperate.

When all systems were a “go,” I turned completely around, expecting to catch him sitting on the edge of the bench, resting between sets. My anticipation fizzled. In the interval that I had spent changing the weights and preparing my perfect line, he had moved on. I searched the gym desperately. He had vanished. For a few seconds I began to wonder if maybe, in my sleep-deprived state, I had just imagined him. Was I losing it? Had I fallen asleep on the bench and was Adonis just a product of my dreams?

I was about to give up when, on the far side of the gym, I saw him doing pull-ups. The stream of relief that swept over me was quickly replaced by a feeling of self-consciousness and anxiety. Striking up a conversation with him sitting next to me would have been easy. It was going to be impossible to walk across the entire gym and try to catch his attention without looking like a stalker.

Wednesday Briefs – A New Beginning -2

This is a bit different than what I’d expected to go with, but I’m not sure where to take Second Shot just yet, so I went with something else. I’ve been toying with ideas for continuing the Purpose story line, and to be honest, I have no idea if this would be the arc I take or not, but I’m tossing out idea and seeing if I get any reaction.  For those who haven’t read Purpose, it’s probably useful to read it to understanding most of this, but maybe not. I’m too closely tied into my book to know for sure. In either case, here is a short concept piece so to speak, that takes place after the end of the book.

A New Beginning -2

Ryan tossed a copy of the Washington Post onto the table. Pointless as it was, I did as expected and picked it up. I didn’t need to read the words to know what happened. After glancing at the headline, I put it down.

“Did you expect anything else?” I figured coffee might help relax him, so I grabbed a mug from the cabinet and slipped one his favorite cups into the machine.

“You knew?”

“Knew? No. But as I said to Griffin before we left DC, the Bureau was never going to let their secret file on me get aired in a courtroom.” The machine hissed as it brewed Ryan’s coffee. “What I didn’t expect was that they let Barrington go to trial at all.”

I knew all too well the sour face Ryan made. He hated the man for more than just the injuries he sustained when Barrington gave the order to blow up our front door.

“That would explain what I read.” Ryan ignored the coffee and retrieved the paper. “The article said he was charged in local court with some minor endangerment charges and the prosecutor had to dismiss the case for lack of evidence.”

“Yup, that sounds like what they’d do.” I waited for the machine to stop dripping to retrieve the cup. “Here, I figured you could use this.”

The smile I got made my day; it always did. His whole face participated in the grin. “That was sweet of you.”

Ryan put down the drink and moved closer. I didn’t need to be asked before I brought my lips to his. “I can’t believe you made me wait this long for a kiss.”

“Me neither,” he said and gave me a second, longer kiss; one that continued because neither of us wanted it to end. I could tell he ‘missed me’ as much as I missed him, so when he took a step back, I started toward the bedroom.

“You should call Griffin.” Ryan deftly adjusted himself and reached for his coffee.

“Wow. I missed you too.” I wasn’t really upset, but those weren’t the words I expected.

“Will, we can do that too, but don’t you think you should find out what happened?”

“How would Griffin know?” I doubted the Director consulted him on the topic.

“I dunno, it’s not like he’s a detective and lives in Washington and …oh, what’s this?” Ryan picked up the paper again, and folded it so only the article was visible. “‘Lead detective, Daniel Griffin, said he was disappointed by the result, but understood the decision.’ Still think he has no idea?”

I rolled my eyes, but I’d learned early in our relationship that I couldn’t out snark him. “Okay, so he knows something about what happened, so what?

“Sometimes, Will….” Ryan closed one eyelid and tightened his lips.

“Now why am I getting the evil eye? Barrington….”

“The what?”

I sighed. The lost years when Gar led my life bothered me more when I used ‘ancient’ words. “You’re giving me a dirty look.”

Ryan continued to glare at me for a few mores seconds, then he moved closer. He smiled a half second before he kissed me. Short, quick, but I never tired of the contact, no matter how brief.

“I know what the ‘evil eye’ is, Will. I was just teasing you.” He cupped my face in his hands and kissed me again. “But I think it’d be good to know what Barrington is up to, don’t you?”

“No.” I waited for a reaction and just before he told me why I was wrong, I added, “But I’ll call Griffin because you asked.”

Ryan struggled for a moment to stay mad, but as expected, he gave me a smile. “Thanks, Will. You’re the best.”

“Does it earn me a few, ‘you’re the best boyfriend points?’” I wiggled my eyebrows and gave him my cheesiest grin.

“Hmm.” Ryan tapped his chin a few times. “Let me think. Maybe two points, three max.”

“And what do I get for two, maybe three points?” Ryan’s playful nature roped me in every time.

“Not much to be honest.” He shrugged and turned back to his coffee. “You need at least five to cash them in.”

“Oh really.”

“Yes, sorry, Will, but rules are rules.” He lifted the cup to his lips but I put my hand between the two before he could drink.

“And how many points does making coffee for my cute and oh so missed boyfriend as soon as he got home earn me?” I put my other hand under the mug and gently tugged it toward me. “If it’s not worth at least 3, I think I’ll take it back.”

“Three?” He let go of the handle. “My god, I can go over and make it myself in a minute.” Ryan gestured toward the coffee maker. “One, not a point more.”

“I’m sure you could make your own, but it won’t taste as good.”

“No? Did you use special coffee or something?”

“Or something.” I gave it back with a wink. “I…made this one… for you.”

I punctuated each pause with a kiss, and he moaned softly with each one. “Wow.” Ryan looked out of breath. “I don’t think three points is enough for something that special.”

“I didn’t think so either. Glad you agree.” I gave him a last kiss then fished my phone out of my pocket.  “And since I now have more than the requisite five points, I’d like to cash them in after I make this call.”

“Exactly what did you want for your points?” Ryan’s smirk told me he knew exactly what I wanted.

I pointed toward the phone. “Umm – calling Detective Griffin. Remember? You wanted it done right away?”

“Grr….”

The phone started to ring, so I turned away to avoid laughing at his antics.  On the third ring, the call connected.

“Detective Griffin’s phone, Chief Rawlings speaking.”

Be Sure To Check Out The Briefs Of These Other Flashers:

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