Andrew Q. Gordon's Blog, page 58

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.

Leonardo DiCaprio Is A Vampire; by Julie Lynn Hayes
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?

Bio:

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 attothemax.wolf@gmail.com.

Social links:

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

Picked At The Peak; by Alicia Nordwell
Blurb:

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.

Buy Links:

Amazon

Gay Authors

All Romance eBooks

Author Bio:

Alicia Nordwell is one of those not so rare creatures, a reader turned writer. Striving to find something interesting to read one day, she decided to write what she wanted instead. Then the voices started … Yep, not only does she talk about herself in the third person for bios, she has voices in her head constantly clamoring to get out.

Fortunately for readers, with the encouragement of her family and friends, she decided for her own sanity to keep writing. Now you can find her stories both free and e-published! Oh yeah, she’s a wife, mom of two, and lives in the dreary, yet ideal for her redhead complexion, Pacific Northwest. Except for when she disappears into one of the many worlds in her head, of course!

She can also be found quite often at her blog, where she has a lot of free fiction for readers to enjoy or working hard, or maybe hardly working, as an admin on GayAuthors.org under her online nickname, Cia. 

Author Links:

Blog: Cia’s Stories

Facebook: Cia’s Stories

Twitter: @AliciaNordwell

In Liam’s Wake: The Makeshift Soldier; by Ashlyn Forge
Book 1 Toys And Soldiers
Blurb: 

For eight years, Liam has been trapped underground in The Colony—a sanctuary so determined to stay hidden it forbids anyone from leaving once they’ve entered. His only hope of returning home rests on his best friend Riley who, on the eve of their escape, slipped into a coma.

Despite staggering debt, vengeful mutants and bounty hunters, Liam continues a seemingly never-ending quest for a cure to end Riley’s unnatural five-year sleep. Every night, Liam stares at the listless man who not only holds his escape, but his heart. The suffering can end, however; Liam must only forsake all hope of ever returning home again, abandon Riley to his fate, and wholeheartedly serve as a soldier for The Colony—the very people he’s trying to escape.

Live the life within his reach, or continue chasing the one just beyond his grasp? He need only submit.

Buy Links

Kindle:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FPYT5V6/ref=as_li_tf_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00FPYT5V6&linkCode=as2&tag=toyandsolashf-20

Smashwords: (Until October 31st, Save 20% with the coupon code: VY39U)

https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/364424

Nook:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/in-liams-wake-ashlyn-forge/1117054030?ean=2940045310208

Kobo:

http://www.kobobooks.com/ebook/In-Liams-Wake/book-OZTluzidRkakFn1v0XZV5A/page1.html

http://www.ashlynforge.com/books/974/

Social Media Links:

http://www.ashlynforge.com

A White Coat Is My Closet: by Jake Wells
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.

 

Guest Author: Christopher Hawthorne Moss

Please welcome Christopher ‘Kit’ Moss.  Kit is a an extremely witty person who writes historical MM fiction.  [I have it on the highest authority that humor and MM pairing existed since before we were born, so there is a factual basis for all that he writes.]  Kit has stopped by to talk about his new book Where My Love Lies Dreaming, which is set in Nineteenth Century American.

Guest Author: Christopher Hawthorne Moss

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

I have been writing stories since I was about seven, and I have been a man for my whole life, though I did not figure that out until rather recently.  That is, I am transgender.  I wrote as “Nan Hawthorne” for most of my writing career.   I knew my work was unusual for a woman, and now I know why and am very pleased to be “in character” at long last.

Oh, and you can call me Kit.

How long have you been writing? 

When I was about seven I wrote a whimsical story about a lonely old man who winds up giving rides to the neighborhood kids in his rabbit-powered rocking chair.  I mostly just played make-believe, not writing the stories down after that, until I was twelve and a friend and I started writing stories that wound up becoming my first novel decades later.  In the meantime I wrote nonfiction, mostly web content. My first book was about sex, self esteem, and pagan values.   I had started a group on Yahoogroups called Ghostletters where everyone participated fictionally, and when I decided to use those old stories I realized I was writing a novel.  That’s when my real life began.

Tell us a bit about your newest release Where My Love Lies Dreaming

WHERE MY LOVE LIES DREAMING brings together two very different men, a New Orleans riverboat owner and professional gamblerwho has lived “out and proud” as much as he can, and a repressed German immigrant who wants nothing more than to be “normal”, a hardworking, American man with a family.  If opposites attract, they also are doomed to throw a monkey wrench into the works, and Frankie and Johnny struggle to share love and lust while Johnny is in deep denial.  Just after a huge fight where they split the American Civil War breaks out, destroying both men’s ways of life.  When the two encounter each other again, it’s as a Union and a Confederate officer on the battlefield.

I am very proud to say the reviews have been stellar and that my novel is a finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Book Awards!

Historical fiction is both fascinating and daunting to me as a writer. What drew you to this genre?

It’s a lifelong passion, but recently it has become much more.  I love history but there are segments off the population who were “erased” from it, everyone from women, to racial minorities, the poor, and, specifically, LGBT people.  The only records of our lives through history are negative or at best interpreted negatively.  I believe strongly that we have been here always and that in spite of the pressures and dangers we faced, many of us made lives and loves for ourselves.  I want to create a sort of history though plausible, well researched and reasoned historical fiction.

What else have your written? 

My first novel was based on those stories my friend and I wrote as pre-teens, AN INVOLUNTARY KING.  It is not an LGBT novel, but the characters in it are my oldest friends.  Ironically my next novel was about a woman who chooses to live as a man in order to fight as a knight in the Crusades.  I said I wrote it so I could have a female character I could relate to… and of course Elisabeth is more a transman than a woman… that helped me to some critical self-examination.  I self published this one, and now I am thrilled to say it is being republished by Harmony Ink.

I also have written tons of book reviews, stories, articles, and other imaginative and fairly often humorous material for the Internet.

Tell us something interesting that is not in the blurb?

One very challenging aspect of writing historical dialogue is making sure you don’t put 21st century words into your characters’ mouths.  Now with my first two novels that was not that difficult.  After all, everything a character would say would have been in a language no one speaks now.  When someone once criticized the use of the 14th century word “tavern” in a book that takes place in the 10th century, I pointed out that none of the words in the entire book existed in the 10th century.  Writing my Civil War novel almost made me nostalgic for writing about extinct languages when my editor and I played sleuth with words that turned out to be newer than 1865.  You’d be surprised.  “Playboy” was OK, but “stud poker” was not.  I wouldn’t change it for the world though.  It is just plain fascinating.

Have you ever based characters on anyone you know?

Oh yes, and I even named some after real people.  The best example is the provost major near the end of the novel who is my good friend Jack in every way.  It’s a very funny scene.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process?

Getting a whole new set of friends every time.  A novelist gets to know his/her characters quite intimately, and though I grieve at the completion of a work, I also know that somewhere out there in the characters’ dimension, there is another group just waiting for me to tell their stories.

What’s your least favorite?

The inevitable reviews written by people who judge a book by their own personal druthers or simply do not understand what the author is doing in the book.  They have too much influence on others’ book choices, but, fortunately, not nearly as much as they think they do.

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

One character in WHERE MY LOVE LIES DREAMING is Michael Murphy who talks about having fought in the Mexican-American War where he was badly wounded.  Sounds like another novel to me, don’t you think?

Indeed.  I hope you’ve started it already. 

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

I’m afraid your readers probably read the same things I do.  Maybe I will hearken back to one book and series that knocked my socks off, Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond series.  The first, GAME OF KINGS, has the most arresting transformation of the main character I have ever read.    I read so much, my Kindle always chattering away day and night, though, that it takes a lot to have a book stand out like that one did.

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

Whoever wrote Beowulf.  I want to party with him.

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

Ikea and a lunch of Swedish meatballs with my sweetie…

Besides reading and writing, what else do you enjoy? 

There’s something else?  I jokes.  I have an almost religious devotion to naps which include our cats. I enjoy movies but have failing eyesight, so I don’t see that many anymore. I am naturally cheerful so I can have fun almost anywhere and doing almost anything that doesn’t require bending, kneeling of squatting.

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, you mean I can wax eloquent about how Europe’s trade was impacted by the Crusade of 1101 because it forced dependence on sea trade which proved vital in the advancement of the Italian cities?  Oh you said I could write about it, but not that anyone would read this paragraph.

OK, how’s this?  What I always want to know after someone has read my book is who their favorite character was and why, if there was a scene they specifically enjoyed, and if they laughed at lines and which they were.  So now it’s your turn to answer.

Thanks for being my guest, now it’s time to plug your work – 
Blurb:

As the famous riverboat Le Beau Soleil lazily steams down the mighty Mississippi into the heart of the South, distractions of every sort attempt to pull agent for the Treasury Johnny Stanley away from his assignment. While liquor and gaming are no great temptations, his fascination with Le Beau Soleil’s owner, the debonair Frankie Deramus, means Johnny’s steadfast denial of his attraction to men is no longer feasible. Johnny fights his lust, but when he must come to Frankie’s aid, he can’t ignore his urges any longer.

Their passionate love affair falls apart when Johnny refuses to admit two men can be in love. A bitter confrontation between the lovers at a Mardi Gras masquerade forces Johnny to run north. Frankie tries to follow, but the Southern states secede one by one, making it impossible to track Johnny down. The Civil War pits brother against brother and separates lover from lover. When at last the lovers meet again, it’s on the battlefield…. 

Buy Link:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4126

Excerpt:

LaPorte took them down a short corridor to a door he pushed open and stepped through. “Bienvenue, François. Take a seat. Thank you, Barnet, for convincing him to enlist.”

In other words, good-bye, Hugh, Frankie thought. The two officers saluted each other and with some murmur of pleasantries, Barnet took his leave. “Charming fellow,” Frankie said indolently.

LaPorte took the seat behind his desk while Frankie found a place to lean his walking stick, removed his hat, and sat on the chair indicated. “You are old friends, I believe?”

“We grew up together.”

LaPorte’s cocked eyebrow told Frankie he had gotten the impression that “friends” would not reflect the relationship accurately. He went on, “Well, past associations are best left in the past.” He gave Frankie a significant look.

“Je comprends. You can count on that.” He sighed. “I suppose that as of now I will have to start saluting him and calling him ‘sir.’”

“You were always a thoroughly courteous man. The ‘sir’ should not bother you.”

Frankie thought, but now it will be a pretense of respect, not simply politesse. Aloud he said, “So, Major, what do I need to do now? See my tailor, I suppose.” He suddenly realized he was going to have to drop his languid demeanor and be more… well, military. He sat up straight.

LaPorte looked like he had been thinking along similar lines. “Well, yes, but first we have to figure out which uniform to have Schmidt make for you, n’est-ce pas?” He sat back in his chair, crossed one arm over his chest resplendent with brass buttons and other insignia, resting his other elbow on it, and considered Frankie. “Did you have anything in mind?”

Frankie knew full well no matter what he had in mind, it was unlikely to be the outcome of this meeting. “Barnet… excuse me, Major Barnet said there was a need for someone to encourage other Creole gentleman to do their duty to the Confederacy.”

LaPorte chuckled. “He did, did he? I should think my presence in this capacity would give the lie to that. Besides, Soulé has taken care of that need.”

Frankie looked down with a bemused expression. “I see.”

LaPorte suggested, “You have Le Beau Soleil, so you are fit for navy service, I suppose.”

Frankie interrupted, “But Barnet—” Then the riverboat was mentioned.

“Don’t tell me Barnet has promised something else, something regarding Le Beau Soleil?”

Frankie shook his head. “He just used it as a threat. Implied that if I did not ‘do my duty’ the army or navy will confiscate her.”

Lowering his arms, LaPorte frowned. “You realize that will happen anyway.”

Trying to hide dismay, Frankie urged, “Is there nothing I can do to prevent that? I am simply afraid of losing my livelihood after the war.”

“Understandable concern, Deramus, but much worse sacrifices are being made by men who have decided to serve the Southern cause.” He thought a moment. “You know, President Davis is offering letters of mark and reprisal for privateers….”

Frankie shook his head. “It’s not that I don’t want to serve. It’s that I would rather not risk my boat in battle situations.”

LaPorte shrugged. “The best I can promise is to try to channel the Soleil’s use away from actual battle. But it won’t be up to me, you realize.”

Frankie considered this. “I am not a sailor or engineer. I don’t know how I can be of any use to the navy. Do you?”

LaPorte shook his head. “No, though we can talk to whomever they assign to be commander of naval forces on the Mississippi. Can you navigate?”

Frankie essayed a smile. “In social circles, mais oui.” The major’s frown made him realize he was being flippant again. “No, sir, I cannot pilot. The two pilots who worked for me have both… been placed.”

He wasn’t sure if Compton had had time to get out of New Orleans yet. Then, a thought struck him. “I believe my captain, Josef Mayer, has not made up his mind what to do yet. I can ask him to stay with the Soleil in the army or navy’s service.”

The man at the desk smiled sardonically. “Well, that will be up to the army or navy, but I think I can make a case for his knowing the boat and the river better than anyone the service can supply. I remember it’s quite capacious. Lots of cargo and passenger space?”

Frankie nodded hopefully.

“I should think it would be better used for cargo and troop transport, then. It would not do well as a rammer.”

Frankie knew about the rammers. Tom Rice, one of the former pilots on Le Beau Soleil, had told him he was to pilot the Magnolia Queen, which was to be a rammer.

The Queen, like most of them, was a privateer—also a steam-driven side-wheeler like the Soleil, but skimpy on main deck space and low in the water. The privateers were hardening their bows with steel, so they could steam up to both merchant and military vessels and sink them by ramming through their hulls. The response was making existing ships ironclad, but it would be a while before most could be refitted, either on the Federal or the Confederate side.

“I agree.” Frankie thought hard. He hated the idea of hundreds of soldiers picking at the gold leaf on the doorways and pissing in the fountain, but perhaps he could make sure the impact would not be devastation. “The staterooms would do well for officers. There are quite a few.” He put out a tentative feeler. “Would I… will I lose ownership entirely?”

LaPorte waved one hand dismissively. “I shouldn’t think so. If you insist on gouging the government for its use, then you might.”

“But if I don’t, if I offer the Soleil’s use during the war as part of my… contribution to the cause of liberty…?”

The major shrugged. “I can’t guarantee it, but that ought to ameliorate things considerably. But that only takes care of Le Beau Soleil. What about you? Let me think….” He stood and moved around to the front of the desk and leaned back against it. “You are primarily an entertainer. I hope that is not insulting?”

Frankie waved a hand in dismissal. “Not at all. Besides being a wealthy man with interests in numerous businesses, I make most of my money as the star attraction, I suppose you could say, of taking passage upriver and back. But I doubt you have positions for gamblers.”

“No,” LaPorte answered, stretching out the word. “But you must be able to get into a man’s head and anticipate his actions. Maybe even influence them.”

Frankie nodded slowly.

The major stood and went to sit behind his desk once again. He opened a side drawer and drew out some papers. “I think you might be particularly useful in intelligence.” He took a pen from an inkwell and dipped it. “That is, if you are loyal.” Hesitating, he asked, “You do have slaves, don’t you?”

Frankie thought of the Albrights and their official status as his property in spite of his own wishes that he did not have to own them. He answered with ease, “Yes.”

“And you harbor no sympathies for the North.”

Frankie could look LaPorte in the eye and state firmly, “I am first and foremost a proud citizen of New Orleans and the great state of Louisiana. I would never take any action to harm my beloved homeland. You know that I am a man of honor. I may be a less than stellar citizen, but I am no traitor to my people, my country.”

Hercule LaPorte, Major, Army of the Confederate States of America, smiled. “We understand each other perfectly.” He started to write on the papers. “Of course, you won’t be called an intelligence officer. That spooks everyone. You will be in communications.” He continued to write. At a pause, he looked up with a knowing smile. “What rank?”

Frankie was clueless at first what the major meant by the look. Then it came to him. “How much is a major?”

LaPorte smiled. “You’d like that wouldn’t you, not having to say ‘sir’ to Barnet. Believe me, I would too. But that might be pushing it. Captain. Be extraordinary and you may find yourself promoted.” He scribbled more on the document, turned it, and pointed to where Frankie should sign.

Picking up the pen and dipping it into the ink, Frankie said—probably for the last time for a long time to come—exactly what came into his head. “Being extraordinary is what I do best.”

Bio:

Christopher Hawthorne Moss wrote his first short story when he was seven and has spent some of the happiest hours of his life fully involved with his colorful, passionate and often humorous characters. Moss spent some time away from fiction, writing content for websites before his first book came out under the name Nan Hawthorne in 1991. He has since become a novelist and is a prolific and popular blogger, the historical fiction editor for the GLBT Bookshelf, where you can find his short stories and thoughtful and expert book reviews. He lives in the Pacific Northwest with his husband of over thirty years and four doted upon cats. He owns Shield-wall Productions at http://www.shield-wall.com. He welcomes comment from readers sent to christopherhmoss@gmail.com and can be found on Facebook and Twitter. 

Social media:  

My social media links can be found on my website at http://www.shield-wall.com

 

BeYOUtiful – The Website.

I don’t do this a lot, but someone who follows me on twitter asked me to check out his site. Basically he and his co-author are devoting the site to short, positive messages.  The site says it’s aimed at young adults, but I think the message resonates with all ages – after all, we are ALL young at heart, right?  :P

Here’s the site.

http://finduinbeautiful.tumblr.com

If you check it out, leave Brice and Katy a message.

-AQG

Guest Author: Sophie Bonaste

One of the nice things about doing guest author posts is that a lot of new and first time authors ask or agree to come visit.  I get to learn about them and their work before most other people discover them. That’s the case with today’s guest – Sophie Bonaste. She’s here to talk about her debut novel – The Sacrifices We Make.

Guest Author: Sophie Bonaste

Hello all! My name is Sophie Bonaste and I am going to be taking over Andrew’s blog for a short time. But before I begin, I want to send a big Thank You to Andy for letting my post this on his blog.

Okay, so I want to try something. I want everyone to think about their very first friend. I know it sounds a little strange, but try. Who was the first friend that you had? Now I’m not talking about the first baby you lay next to in the nursery when you were born. I’m talking about that first person that you shared things with. That you played with. The first person that you consciously thought of as a friend.

Now here’s the big question. How old were you? Were you younger or older?

Psychology tells us that a person should make a friend by the time they are in preschool. So about the age of four. I can say that by the age of four I had a friend and I’m sure that a lot of you can say the same.

But what if you didn’t have a friend at that age? What if you were older? Much older? In my novel, my main character doesn’t make a real friend until he is seventeen years old. Now to many people that might seem unfathomable. So much of childhood if wrapped up in friendship that to not have that seems abnormal. But I’m not so sure it is in every case. Some cases, sure. But not all of them. Friendship is all about connections.

Here’s the interesting thing, though. Connections can change over time. How many of us can really say that we’re still talking with our childhood best friend? I know that I can’t. I haven’t talked to my first best friend in over five years. But am I upset by that? Not really. I’m a very different person than I was when I was growing up. So is she. And along the way I’ve made new friends. Friends that I can share experiences with like my friends at work. Friends that I share interests with like all of the AMAZING people I’ve met since I started into the world of published M/M romance. And most importantly, I have friends that I really connect with as a person.

Growing up is hard. Growing up when you feel like you don’t connect with anyone is even harder. But now that we’re all adults (or at least near adulthood) I ask you: does it really matter? We’ve all had problems in the past, our own demons to overcome. All that matters now is that we can find people we can connect with. And if you can do that, then it really doesn’t matter how old you were when you made that first connection. All that matters is that you have one now.

But that’s just my take on the situation. Do you agree or disagree? Let me know either in the comment section or by contacting me using the links below.

Well, I guess that’s the end of my rant. Thank you so much again to Andrew for letting me take over his blog. And as thank you to all the readers, I want to invite everyone over to my blog to check out the giveaway information for “The Sacrifices We Make”. The link is below. Just click on the Giveaway tab on the right side on the home page. I will leave you will all the information for my debut novel, which is now available from Harmony Ink Press!

Blurb:

Adam Jameson has always felt like an outsider in his own home, where his parents’ constant efforts to instill religious fervor have instead filled him with fear. Most of the time, he just wants to stay out of everybody’s way.  But when Adam is forced to volunteer at a homeless shelter his senior year in high school, everything changes. He’s introduced to people who care about more than religion and, as a result, he starts to come out of his shell. For the first time in his life, Adam finds people that he wants to be around.

Mickey Stafford lives on the streets, a teen kicked out by his parents for being gay. He comes to the shelter for food and medical care, and after they literally run into each other, the two boys strike up a friendship. As Mickey introduces his new friend to the world he lives in, Adam starts to question everything: his parents, their religion, even his own beliefs . Once Mickey kisses him, Adam starts soul-searching and finds his heart, which is full of love for Mickey. But these two young men will have their love put to the test, as they face a future of uncertainty and fear.

Buy Links:

eBook for “The Sacrifices We Make”- http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4285

Paperback for “The Sacrifices We Make”- http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4294

Biography:

Sophie Bonaste is a novelist who never set out to be a novelist. As a child, she wanted to a Broadway actress and spent her childhood in numerous productions. But when adulthood set in and reality took over, Sophie chose to give up the theatre for a steady paycheck and instead turned to writing as a creative outlet. She stumbled into the M/M genre through fanfiction and never looked back. Sophie is quite happy with her change in artistic expression and doesn’t plan to stop writing for a long time.

A self-proclaimed nerd, Sophie is an avid fan of all things Star Wars and Harry Potter. (Sophie is a member of the Slytherin house, for those who were wondering.) Sophie also spends many hours watching and re-watching nerdy television shows. When she is not obsessing over the latest and greatest in nerdy entertainment, Sophie can be found screaming at her television during American football games. (Go Pack Go!) Sophie currently lives in Pennsylvania, about twenty minutes from her childhood town of The Middle of Nowhere.

Social Media Links:

Sophie’s Website- sophiebonaste.blogspot.com (Click this link for the Giveaway Information!)

Sophie’s Email-sophiebonaste@gmail.com

Sophie on Twitter-https://twitter.com/SophieBonaste

Sophie on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/sophie.bonaste

Sophie on Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7263780.Sophie_Bonaste?from_search=true

 

Wednesday Briefs – A New Beginning

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 have read Purpose, it’s probably useful 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

It’s said, “absence makes the heart grow fonder,” I’ve just never figured out who did the research. Ryan’s only been gone three days, and my heart is anything but fond of the separation. Then again, the research never considered the affect of being host to a spirit.

The logic part of me knows there is nothing to worry about. Even though Ryan’s only been a host for a short time, the Purpose has enhanced his body enough that he’s well beyond most people already. So why am I worried?

“Because it is the nature of your kind to worry.”

Some times I preferred the old days when the Purpose didn’t speak to me. “I don’t recall asking you?”

“There is no one else here, who else could it have been meant for?”

Arguing with a non-corporeal spirit never really worked in my favor. Fortunately, It never really cared if I ignored a question or comment. Of course that’s because I’m not important enough for It to care, but I’m usually grateful for the silence.

Ryan of course stewed over it. I suspect with time he’ll grow to appreciate the silence. Then again, he’s never felt the need to avenge an angry soul. I’ve learned to cherish the silence when it comes.

“Your mate is in no danger, you that is called Will.”

The first time It referred to me like that it annoyed me. Then I realized it had been an attempt to improve the interpersonal way we interacted. Now it just makes me smile.

“I know.” Speaking out loud makes it feel a bit less like I’m alone. “If he was, you’d tell me.”

“If he was, you’d feel it.”

The situation is new to all of us–Ryan, me and them–and the changing nature of things as Ryan grows stronger changes the ‘rules’ almost daily, but I have to believe It knows so much more than it’s telling me. As if It feeds me little morsels here and there, but withholds the larger cake.

“I do not understand your example.”

“Of course you don’t. You’ve never tasted really good cake.”

“Even if I had, it would make no sense. Why would I withhold something I have no desire to keep for myself?”

“It’s called an analogy, not an example.” I get up off the leather couch–yes I know leather is so dated, but I still like what I like–and head for the kitchen. Our apartment is small, maybe too small for the two of us, but Ryan loved the view. It had taxed all my powers of persuasion to convince Ryan that buying made no sense. I’m not sure I’d have prevailed at the end had we not found this place.

“I understand it is what you call an analogy, but it is flawed.”

My face breaks into a smile as my eyes fall on the one-cup coffee making–the kind that uses the little cups. Decorating ‘our’ place made Ryan so happy I didn’t tell him we might need to leave it all if we were forced to move suddenly. Without thinking, I pick up a little container and roll it in my hand.

“He knows this is probably all temporary. You can always get more when you find a new home.”

“Easy for you to say, it’s not your money.” It barely feels like mine, but at least it’s there to make Ryan happy. Then it hits me. “Why did you say, ‘when’ and not, ‘if?’”

This is another aspect of the ‘new’ Purpose that annoys the shit out of me; not answering me when it doesn’t want to share. Joined as we are, there s nothing I can do to It, that wouldn’t hurt me worse.

Footsteps in the hallway alert me that Ryan is back. I had expected a call, but since I’ve missed him, I’m not going to let that ruin his return.

The tumblers move and I hear the lock turn. My apprehension seems to increase, not recede. “What aren’t you telling me?”

Fucking spirit. When I want an answer It never responds.

His head down, Ryan shuffles into our place and shuts the door. Defeated most aptly describes what I’m looking at. Something I rarely see in him.

“What’s wrong?”

Ryan’s head whips up and around until he stares at me. I can see in his face, he knows he can’t brush this off.

“We’ve got a problem.” Shoving his key into his pocket, Ryan leans back against the wall. “Barrington beat the charges at trial.”

Don’t Miss The Briefs Of These Other Flashers:

 Nephylim 

Cia Nordwell

JC Wallace

Shelly Schulz

Chris T. Kat

Rob Colton

 Victoria Adams

Renee Stevens

Tali Spencer

A.R. Von

Renee Stevens

Julie Lynn Hayes

New Releases: Monday October 7, 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.

The Sacrifices We Make; by Sophie Bonaste
Blurb:

Adam Jameson has always felt like an outsider in his own home, where his parents’ constant efforts to instill religious fervor have instead filled him with fear. Most of the time, he just wants to stay out of everybody’s way.  But when Adam is forced to volunteer at a homeless shelter his senior year in high school, everything changes. He’s introduced to people who care about more than religion and, as a result, he starts to come out of his shell. For the first time in his life, Adam finds people that he wants to be around.

Mickey Stafford lives on the streets, a teen kicked out by his parents for being gay. He comes to the shelter for food and medical care, and after they literally run into each other, the two boys strike up a friendship. As Mickey introduces his new friend to the world he lives in, Adam starts to question everything: his parents, their religion, even his own beliefs . Once Mickey kisses him, Adam starts soul-searching and finds his heart, which is full of love for Mickey. But these two young men will have their love put to the test, as they face a future of uncertainty and fear.

Buy Link:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4285

About The Author:

Sophie Bonaste is a novelist who never set out to be a novelist. As a child, she wanted to a Broadway actress and spent her childhood in numerous productions. But when adulthood set in and reality took over, Sophie chose to give up the theatre for a steady paycheck and instead turned to writing as a creative outlet. She stumbled into the M/M genre through fanfiction and never looked back. Sophie is quite happy with her change in artistic expression and doesn’t plan to stop writing for a long time.

A self-proclaimed nerd, Sophie is an avid fan of all things Star Wars and Harry Potter. (Sophie is a member of the Slytherin house, for those who were wondering.) Sophie also spends many hours watching and re-watching nerdy television shows. When she is not obsessing over the latest and greatest in nerdy entertainment, Sophie can be found screaming at her television during American football games. (Go Pack Go!) Sophie currently lives in Pennsylvania, about twenty minutes from her childhood town of The Middle of Nowhere.

Sophie’s Website- sophiebonaste.blogspot.com (Click this link for the Giveaway Information!)

Sophie’s Email-sophiebonaste@gmail.com

Sophie on Twitter-https://twitter.com/SophieBonaste

Sophie on Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/sophie.bonaste

Sophie on Goodreads- http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7263780.Sophie_Bonaste?from_search=true

Saving Sonny James: by Lou Sylvre
Blurb:

Luki Vasquez and his still newlywed husband are back home after pulling off a harrowing desert rescue of their teenage nephew Jackie. But the events of the last couple of years have begun to catch up with Luki—loving Sonny James and letting Sonny love him back has left gaps in his emotional armor. In the gunfight that secured Jackie’s rescue, Luki’s bullet killed a young guard, an innocent boy in Luki’s mind. In the grip of PTSD, memories, flashbacks, and nightmares consume him, and he falls into deep, almost vegetative depression.

Sonny devotes his days to helping Luki, putting his own career on hold, even passing up a European tour of galleries and schools—an opportunity that might never come again. But when Luki’s parasomnia turns his nightmares into real-world terror, it breaks the gridlock. Sonny realizes what he’s doing isn’t working, and he says yes to Europe. Enter Harold Breslin, a dangerously intelligent artist’s promoter and embezzler whose obsessive desire for Sonny is exceeded only by his narcissism. When Harold’s plan for Sonny turns poisonous, Luki must break free of PTSD and get to France fit and ready in time to save his husband’s life.

Buy Link:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4269

About The Author:

Lou Sylvre hails from Southern California but now lives and writes on the rainy side of Washington State. When she’s not writing, she’s reading—fiction in nearly every genre, romance in all its tints and shades, and the occasional book about history, physics, or police procedure. Not zombies, though. Her personal assistant is Boudreau, a large cat who never outgrew his kitten meow. She plays guitar (mostly where people can’t hear her), and she loves to sing. She’s usually smiling, and laughs too much, some say. She also loves her family, her friends, the aforementioned Boudreau, a Chihuahua named Joe, and (in random order) coffee, chocolate, sunshine, and wild roses.

Visit her at http://www.sylvre.com or contact her at lou.sylvre@gmail.com.

Trusting Thomas; by K. C. Wells
A Collars And Cuffs Novel
Blurb:

Christmas is a time for goodwill to all, but Collars and Cuffs co-owner Thomas Williams receives an unexpected gift that chills him to the bone. A Dom from another Manchester club asks Thomas for his help rescuing an abused submissive, Peter Nicholson. Thomas takes in the young man as a favor to a friend, offering space and time to heal, but he makes it clear he’s never had a sub, and doesn’t want one.

Peter finds Thomas’s home calm and peaceful, but his past has left him unwilling to trust another Dom. When Thomas doesn’t behave as Peter expects, Peter’s nightmares begin to fade, and he decides he’d like to learn more about D/s life. A well known trainer of submissives, Thomas begins to teach Peter, but as the new submissive opens up to him, Thomas finds he cares more for Peter than he should. Just as he decides it’s time to find a permanent Dom for Peter, they discover Peter’s tormentor is still very much a threat. With their lives in danger, Thomas can’t deny his feelings for Peter any longer. The question now becomes, can Peter make it out of the lions’ den alive, so that Thomas can tell his boy that he loves him?

Social Media Links:

Website:        http://kcwellsworld.com

Blog:              http://kcwellsworld.blogspot.co.uk/

Facebook:      http://www.facebook.com/KCWellsWorld

So I Got Married

As most readers know, Mike and I got married last weekend. Was probably the second best day I can remember – ‘lil q’s birth will be very hard to top. Everything went really smoothly – though I’ll admit to a touch of being grumpy toward the end of getting pictures taken.

During the ceremony, just after the clerk asked ‘does anyone know why these two should not marry, speak now. . . .’ my 2 year old cousin decided to yell “NO!” to her mother. Fortunately, the clerk said a two year old’s objection doesn’t count. ‘lil q also felt the need to be more involved. Just as we started, she marched over, grabbed her diaper bag from her grandmother, marched up to where Mike and I were standing and said, ‘Papa, picky uppy.’ You’ll see in the pictures that I obliged.

The reception went extremely well. The Marriott at University of Maryland told us we were the first same sex wedding reception they’d held. Judging by how smoothly it went, it felt like they’d done hundreds.  Probably means they treated us just like every other couple. They were amazing, so I wanted to give them a bit of a shout out.

I have to say that a week later, it doesn’t really feel that much different than before – well other than the ring is a bit annoying since I’ve never worn jewelry before. To me that’s as it should be, I would have married him 15 years ago had they let us. This was special, no doubt, but it didn’t change much for us. It did, however, feel like the culmination of years of hope and work. It was nice to be able to tell the world, ‘this is who I want to spend my life with, grow old with together and raise our child’; to have the clerks at the court house not bat an eye when we applied for the license or showed up for the ceremony; [there was another gay couple getting married right after us] to have the hotel treat us like every other couple getting married; and for our families – and friends – to show up and celebrate.

I’d hope to post a few more pictures, but I don’t have the ones from the photographer back yet.  But here are a few for now.

Wedding Pictures:

Wednesday Briefs: Second Shot – The Senior Year – 26

Dean raised his arms, reaching for the sky. His shirt rode up, allowing the warm breeze to tickle the fine blonde hairs just above his waistband. Keeping them raised, he extended the stretch, hoping to loosen his back muscles. The tumble he took at practice still left him sore.

He’d stayed up half the night writing, then deleting texts to Hanna, trying to find a good way to raise the issue. Finally he copped out and asked her to meet him after practice.

“Nice abs, Dean. Showing off for the entire campus to see?”

The first time he’d heard Hanna speak to him, Dean felt his stomach flip. Today it did it again, but for a different reason.

“Nah, just trying to work out a kink.” Dean lowered his arms and smoothed his shirt. “Me and Corey got tangled up and he landed on my back with his pointy elbows.”

“Oh?” She raised an eyebrow playfully and flashed him the smile that first attracted Dean to her. “How do I get ‘tangled up’ with you?”

Her light brown hair fluttered softly in the breeze and she reached up to brush back a strand that fell over her face. The blatant attempt to get them vertical was not lost on him as he felt his groin respond impulsively. Everything that drew him to her was on full display from her athletic figure to her pretty face.

Fighting the impulse to tell her to come back to his place, he put his hands in his pockets and adjusted himself. Hanna didn’t miss the maneuver.

“You know what I want, Dean. Let’s go back to your house.” She reached for his arm, but he stepped back before she could grab it.

“Um…we can’t right now.” He watched her face flash from shock to anger and then to something he couldn’t pin down.

“Why not? I thought you had your own room?” She moved closer and ran her hand down his arm. “Don’t you want to….?”

For the first time since they’d met, her confidence seemed shaken. Hanna had spoken to him first, suggested they go on a date, and hinted he should take her home after dinner. Today she took that suggestion a bit further.

“Why…why don’t we go for a walk.” He motioned toward the broad expanse of grass near the front entrance then started walking without waiting for an answer. In a few steps Hanna had caught up, and he could see her confusion had returned.

“Dean, what’s wrong? You’re acting totally weird. I thought you asked me out today so we could do something.”

“I did…do. I…” He shook his head and looked down. “Can we just go somewhere and talk?”

“Talk?”

He suppressed the urge to say something sarcastic and shrugged. “Yeah. I need to talk about something that happened last night.”

“Last night?” She stopped walking and looked serious. “What about la…did you drop me off and then go see LeAnn?”

Dean blinked. How did Hanna know he’d been torn between her and LeAnn? “No, I went home and went to bed, just like I said.”

“So what’s there to talk about? I thought we had a good time?” She held up her hands then reached for his again. “We did, didn’t we?”

“Yeah, we did…I mean I did.” He took a deep breath and added. “Until Blake and Ethan showed up.”

“Right.” She nodded. “Seeing them holding hands like that must have been upsetting.”

“Um…no, that’s all good.” Dean had been avoiding eye contact, but now he met her gaze. “My brother and his boyfriend do that all the time.”

“Oh….” The look of surprise quickly turned to confusion. “Well it’s not like you live with him.”

“I do.” Darryl’s advice seemed spot on. “I live with Jason and Peter.

“And?”

“And…you don’t see the problem?”

“No.” Hanna shook her head. “What did I say?”

“You said it must suck having a gay teammate.”

“Yeah, but living with your brother isn’t the same as being in the locker room with him.”

Did she really not know? “He’s the team captain.”

“Oh.” She stared at him, chewing on her bottom lip. “I’m sorry.”

“Sorry? That Jason’s gay?” Dean looked around and fortunately no one was nearby. “Are you serious?”

“No!” Hanna shook her head, her eyes wide. “I mean, I’m sorry about what I said last night. I really didn’t mean anything by that comment. I just thought… you know, that jocks…well they don’t like gay guys in the locker room.”

Dean heard Darryl’s warning about Jordan as he searched Hanna’s face for some sign of deception. He barely knew her, so she could be lying to him. On the other hand, just because Jordan was a lying sack of shit didn’t mean Hanna was too.

“Not everyone is like that.” He tried not to keep his voice calm.

“I know and I shouldn’t have said that. I’ve got nothing against gay people.”

He heard a hint of sincerity in her voice, but he couldn’t shake the part that told him to remember what Darryl had said. “It’s all good.”

“Hey.” Hanna took his hand in hers. Flashing her 100-watt smile, she said. “Let’s go get some ice cream. My treat. Then we can start this conversation over.”

Dean laughed but didn’t pull his hand away. Just the touch sent a jolt through his body. “You think you get a Mulligan for this?”

She stopped rubbing the top of his hand with her thumb. “Mulligan?”

“It’s an unofficial rule in golf that let’s you re-take a shot when the first one sucked.” Her blank expression told him enough. “Never mind, it was lame.”

“Um, okay.” Hanna shrugged and starting moving her fingers over his hand again. “So you wanna get some ice cream?”

He heard himself say, “yes” even as he told himself to turn her down. As they started to walk, he decided there was no harm in just getting ice cream.

Please check out the briefs of these other flashers:

 Nephylim 

A.R. Von

Chris T. Kat

Lily Sawyer 

MA Church

JC Wallace

Shelly Schulz

Cia Nordwell

 Victoria Adams

Renee Stevens

Rob Colton

Michael Mandrake 

Tali Spencer

Julie Lynn Hayes

New Releases: Monday September 30, 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.

 Unbroken; by Larry Benjamin
Blurb:

My parents, unable to change me, had instead, silenced me. When they’d stilled my hands, they’d taken my words, made me lower my voice to a whisper. Later I remained silent in defense, refusing to acknowledge the hateful words: Brainiac. Sissy. Antiman. Faggot. Lincoln de Chabert’s life is pretty unremarkable until he comes home from kindergarten and announces he will marry his best friend, Orlando, when he grows up.  His parents spring into immediate action, determined to fix him―his father takes him to baseball games and the movie “Patton”―igniting an epic battle of wills as Lincoln is determined to remain himself, and marry whom he chooses, at all costs.

Buy Link:

http://www.amazon.com/Unbroken-ebook/dp/B00F2JLEMW/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1379114042&sr=8-1&keywords=unbroken+%26+larry+benjamin

Bio:

Larry Benjamin is the author the gay romance What Binds Us and Unbroken and the short story collection Damaged Angels.  He considers himself less a writer than a wordsmith—an artist whose chosen medium is the written word rather than clay or paint or bronze. Larry was born in the Bronx (New York) to parents from St. Croix, U.S.V.I. and attened the University of Pennsylvania.  He now lives in the East Falls section of Philadelphia with Stanley, his partner of 17 years, more than 2,000 books and their dog Toby.

Contact Larry:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterLarry Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorLarryBenjamin Website: www.larrybenjamin.com

Single Use Only; by; Pender Mackie
Blurb:

Mike Strenton is tired of the hook-up scene. All the men he meets in the Las Vegas gay bars are interested in one thing only and only one night. Been there done that. About to turn thirty-eight, Mike avoids casual sex until his need for contact is too great to ignore. He secretly longs to meet someone who sees beyond his laugh lines and broad shoulders to the sensitive lover underneath. A man who will choose him over the early morning walk of shame.

Twenty-something Chris Bennington has never even been to a gay bar though he’s into men as well as women. He sees the funny side of just about everything, including his first time with Mike. Chris wants a lover who doesn’t have a problem with his quirky sense of humor, his inability to cook or his bisexuality and he thinks Mike fits the bill. All he has to do is convince the big guy he’s not just sticking around for breakfast.

Buy Link:
http://www.loose-id.com/single-use-only.html
About the Author:

Pender lives in Canada though she spent her childhood years in England. An imaginative child, Pender wasn’t a willing student and didn’t learn to read until age nine when her father—deciding some incentive was needed—promised her a pony as soon as she could read a newspaper.

Properly motivated, Pender picked up a book and discovered the joys of fiction. Though her infatuation with ponies didn’t last, she still loves a good story. When she’s not doing what seems like endless laundry, she’s busy coaxing another story into shape.

Social Media:

Website/Blog:  http://www.pendermackie.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/PenderMackieAuthorPage

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/pendermackie

Goodreads:  http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4716055.Pender_Mackie

Amazon Author Page:  http://www.amazon.com/Pender-Mackie/e/B006HC34U8

Playing Ball – Blog Tour

Being a big baseball fan, I was eager – to say the least – to be included in this blog tour.  Being in the Washington DC area – Nationals Country – I feel the guest post I was given was a bit of friendly rivalry between Shae and myself, but, as they say – to the victors go the spoils. The Braves had a great year and deserved to be National East Champions. [gads that was hard to type.]  So with that, please read the chat between Shae and Kerry and then go buy the book. Make sure you read through to the end to check out the contest for some very cool prizes.

Playing Ball – A Baseball Anthology

On Being Braves Fans
By Shae Connor and Kerry Freeman

Shae and Kerry got together for a little Facebook chat last Sunday, the night the Braves won the National League East division championship. A bit of reminiscing and frivolity ensued…

Shae: BRAVES WIN! BRAVES WIN!

Kerry: Did they clinch the division?

Shae: Yep! Actually halfway through their game when the Nats lost. But they won and then went champagne crazy in the clubhouse.

Kerry: Woohoo!!!! Praying for a trip to the series!

Shae: You and me both! First division championship since 2005. Wow.

Kerry: And when was the last series appearance? It was against the Yankees.

Shae: Not since 1999.

Kerry: I went to the first game that year.

Shae: Oooo, cool! I’ve never been to a World Series game.

Kerry: They got swept by the Yankees that year, but it was magical to be there nonetheless.

Shae: Yeah. Let’s not remind Kate of that. I went to a Division Series game in 1998 against the Cubs. That was the Mark McGwire/Sammy Sosa steroid-fueled home run year.

Kerry: The homerun battle got me back into baseball as an adult.

Shae: I had a huge crush on Mark McGwire. Big strapping ginger with massive thighs. Mmm-hmmm.

Kerry: I did, too. But my big crush was on Bret Boone. I lost my shit when he was traded to the Braves  Then lost it again when he was traded to the Padres

Shae: When did you see your first MLB game?

Kerry: It would have been the first season Boone was in Atlanta, 1999. You?

Shae: 1984. Boy, those were some BAD years. I didn’t make it back until 1991, when the Braves were battling the Dodgers for the division title, back when they were in the NL West.

Kerry: Wow! I liked baseball as a kid (the Phillies in the ‘70s), but it wasn’t until my 30s that I think you could really call me a fan. (I’m 44 now.)

Shae: So am I!

Kerry: We can grow old together

Shae: I can just see us now, 95 and crotchety, pointing and giggling at the hot players of the 2060s! I started watching when the Braves hit TBS in the late ’70s and never really gave it up. Even through the really, really bad years.

Kerry: I think it was hard to be a Braves fan the last few years Cox was there. As a fan, I think he stayed too long.

Shae: Yeah, probably. They still won, but not like they had before, and obviously they weren’t doing much in the postseason.

Kerry: I remember the first time I saw Turner Field. It was like going to a cathedral.

Shae: I have pictures (I wish I had them scanned!) from several games I went to in 1995/1996, when they were building the Olympic Stadium and then converting it to Turner Field. It was SO cool to watch. My sister and I went to one of the first games at the new ballpark.

Kerry: I have an unscanned pic of me and Boone. I couldn’t even speak to him. Totally petrified.

Shae: Awwwwww. We met a few players back then. Jeff Blauser was hilarious. John Schuerholz showed us his 1991 NL Champion ring at Spring Training one year.

Okay, other than meeting Bret Boone: favorite Braves memory!

Kerry: Hmmm. Has to be batting practice before game 1 of the Series. Got to see the Braves and the Yankees. Derek Jeter, even. You?

Shae: Probably the 1991 game. It was such a magical year, and I went with my parents and sister. Ballpark was PACKED and buzzing like crazy. Even though the Braves lost that game, it was awesome.

Kerry: Sometimes the best games aren’t ones they win.

Shae: Very true. One of my favorites was a Fourth of July game against the Marlins that the Braves won on a bases-loaded balk.

Kerry: Bases-loaded balk? I’d have loved to see that!

Shae: Is your hubby a baseball fan?

Kerry: He’ll watch a live game but not on TV  We watch football together. He’s watching the Series if the Braves go, whether he wants to or not.

Shae: I have no idea how I’ll fare during a Braves World Series. I used to come home from work and take a nap before the game started. I might be too old for that!

Kerry: I know! I’ll just have to stay up as long as I can. Who knows? Maybe we’ll score some tickets.

Shae: That would be AWESOME.

Kerry: It’s a date!

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Playing Ball: A Baseball Anthology

“The one constant through all the years… has been baseball.”—Field of Dreams

Blurb:

Baseball, America’s Pastime, carries with it a mythology like no other sport, entwined with the ups and downs of the nation. In Playing Ball, authors Shae Connor, Kerry Freeman, Marguerite Labbe, and Kate McMurray explore the love for baseball and among the men who play it, from the 1920s through modern times. These four stories tell the tales of baseball men who find love off the field, whether with the heir to a baseball empire, a sports reporter, a fan, or even each other, after their playing careers come to an end.

Home Field Advantage— Shae Connor

When college student Toby MacMillan, grandson of Atlanta Braves owner Ray MacMillan, meets Caleb Browning, who’s getting his first shot at the big leagues, an innocent dinner soon turns into a not-so-innocent night together in Caleb’s bed. Toby quickly calls things off, afraid of the ramifications of their tryst, but unable to avoid each other because of their jobs, the two men develop a tentative friendship that soon becomes more. After Caleb is injured on the field, Toby’s presence at his hospital bedside leads to their relationship going public—and Toby’s grandfather threatening to cut him off. Facing a choice between the team he’s loved all his life and the man he could love for the rest of it, Toby has to decide if he’s ready to make a stand.

Excerpt:

Home Field Advantage by Shae Connor

Part of the Playing Ball anthology from Dreamspinner Press

© 2013 Shae Connor

“Come up for a drink?”

All the warning bells in Toby’s mind went off at once, but none of them were enough to stop him from doing what he did next. He followed Caleb into the elevator, rode up to the sixteenth floor beside him in silence, and then followed him down the hall to his room.

Once inside, Caleb dropped his duffel on the dresser and moved toward the minibar, like he was actually going to make good on his nightcap offer. “Not sure what they have in here, but—”

Toby didn’t let him get any further. He took three long steps, reached up to wrap one hand behind Caleb’s neck, and kissed the words right out of his mouth.

Caleb’s lips were soft and dry, yielding easily to Toby’s insistent pressure and soon parting to allow Toby’s tongue inside. Caleb tasted like the mint he’d popped as they left the table downstairs, with a hint of sweetness from the tea he’d had with dinner and a deeper flavor of pure Caleb.

Toby wondered if he tasted like that everywhere.

Eager to find out, Toby slid his hands under the hem of Caleb’s T-shirt and pushed it up until it bunched under Caleb’s arms. Breaking reluctantly away from Caleb’s mouth, Toby bent to lick his nipple instead, hearing the hiss from above at the intimate touch. Caleb’s skin was saltier here, the remains of a long day of travel clinging to his body, and Toby took another, longer taste, wrapping his lips around the pebbling skin and sucking gently.

“Holy shit, Toby.”

Caleb shifted, and Toby saw his T-shirt go flying a second before Caleb grabbed Toby’s arms and turned them both, shoved Toby against the wall, and fell against him. Caleb sealed his mouth over Toby’s even as he worked his fingers under Toby’s shirt and let them roam across his skin. Toby kissed him back desperately, kneading at the strong muscles of Caleb’s back, muscles honed from years as an athlete who used his body well. Toby was no slouch, physically speaking, but he relished the few inches and couple dozen pounds Caleb had on him. Toby felt surrounded by Caleb but not overwhelmed, the give and take between them perfectly balanced.

After breaking the kiss, Caleb pushed at Toby’s shirt, and Toby raised his arms to let Caleb strip it away like he’d done with his own. Caleb wrapped one arm around Toby’s body to pull their chests together and used his free hand to cup Toby’s ass so he could grind his pelvis into Toby’s. Toby groaned as Caleb licked across his jaw to his ear, where Caleb breathed out, “Jesus fuck, you’re hot.”

Toby let out a strangled sound something like a laugh. “Nothing on you,” he managed, turning his head to capture Caleb’s mouth with his.

One Man To Remember—Kate McMurray

In the summer of 1927, New York sports journalist Walter Selby has gained a reputation for being something of a dandy, but he’s a force to be reckoned with, too, as one of the most dynamic voices in the daily papers. He can’t help but notice Skip Littlefield, the Giants’ tall, lithe first baseman, and when he meets the man, he’s left breathless. Skip is talented, soft-spoken, and also incredibly handsome. Skip is terrified by Walt but drawn to him, too, attracted in a way he doesn’t want to be. Against the backdrop of the lights of Times Square, the excitement of the era, and some of the most incredible baseball anyone has ever played, he starts to fall for Walt. Their only hope is that the more charismatic stars will draw attention away from the quite romance blooming between Skip and Walt, or else Skip’s whole career and everything he loves is at stake.

Excerpt:

One Man to Remember by Kate McMurray

Part of the Playing Ball anthology from Dreamspinner Press

© 2013 Kate McMurray

Walt leaned against the brick facade of a Times Square building and watched Babe Ruth get out of a cab. The Bambino was wearing a clean white suit with a matching fedora tilted at a jaunty angle. Walt always found the contradiction of Ruth—the expensive clothes on the odd, triangular body, with the craggy face that looked like it had been in too many bar brawls—to be quite interesting. But there were plenty of reporters in New York dying to follow Ruth around. Walt had another story to pursue.

The Penguin Club was around the corner. It wasn’t Walt’s favorite Times Square establishment. It was a little bland, but that was why he’d chosen it—it was safe. He couldn’t imagine a kid like Skip would do well in the sorts of places Walt really liked to go. He was skittish in the baseball stadium; Walt couldn’t imagine him calm in one of the racier clubs.

He pulled his fedora down over his eyes and slunk down Fifty-Sixth Street. The Penguin was a little off the beaten path—another reason Walt had chosen it—and tonight, Walt wanted to fade into the background a bit, to observe instead of be observed.

He spotted a figure walking down the street from Sixth Avenue and knew immediately it was Skip. He walked with a dancer’s grace, something Walt had noticed at the stadium. As he came closer, Walt saw he was wearing a brown suit a couple of seasons out of style and a battered bowler hat that didn’t really go with the suit. These were forgivable offenses, Walt decided, since he did look pretty great out of a baseball uniform.

“Why, Mr. Littlefield,” Walt said as Skip walked up to him. “You’re a real sheik outside of the ballpark.”

It was too dark to see if Skip was blushing, but Walt imagined from the way he ducked his head that he was.

“I’m still not really sure about this,” Skip said.

“One measly drink won’t do any harm.”

Walt gestured for Skip to follow him. He knew the password, although the door was being watched by a big six named Anthony, with whom Walt had once had a brief and tawdry affair. Luckily, they were still on good terms.

“How are ya, Walt?” Anthony greeted him.

“I’m just ducky. This is my friend John.”

Skip tilted his head, but then extended a hand to Anthony, who shook it.

Anthony said, “You boys can go on in. Although, Walt? If you’re looking for something to do later, Carmela’s performing at that little place off Forty-Third tonight.”

Walt nodded. He loved Carmela’s show, but he was sort of wishing this interview would go long enough for him to miss it. And he certainly knew better than to think Skip would be interested in a show like Carmela’s. “I’ll keep that in mind,” Walt said.

As Walt led Skip into the speakeasy, Skip said, “Who is Carmela?”

Walt chuckled. “Would it terrify you if I told you she is a female impersonator?”

Skip tilted his head again, as if he were taking that in. “Like a man in a dress?”

Walt nodded. “Carmela is in fact an Italian fella named Carmine who I’ve known for years. He’s… well, he’s something, to be sure. But his brother owns a bunch of the Times Square establishments, plus a few other places downtown, so he has plenty of performance venues.”

Skip seemed more intrigued by this than put off, which was not the reaction Walt had been expecting. “What does he do in his show?”

“Dances, tells jokes, that sort of thing. Like a one-man vaudeville act. Why do you ask? Do you want to see it?”

Skip shrugged. “Just wondering.”

What an interesting man Skip was turning out to be. The lack of literacy had given Walt pause back at the stadium. Walt’s handwriting wasn’t so abysmal that it couldn’t be deciphered, so Skip’s hesitancy over the words said a lot. But he still had found the place. Asking about school was on Walt’s agenda for this evening. He didn’t know much about Skip except that he was very attractive—he had a round face with a narrow nose and surprisingly plump lips atop that athletic body, and as he removed his hat, he displayed a thick head of wavy blond hair—and he played baseball as well as or better than many of the best ballplayers in the city. He was also, apparently, barely literate and intrigued by the idea of a show like Carmela’s. Walt was fascinated.

Wild Pitch—Maguerite Labbe

For as long as Ruben Martell has known him, he’s been in love with his best friend Alan Hartner. They played together, traveled together, and dueled on opposite teams. Years later, they’re retired, running a business together, and coaching rival Little League teams, and Ruben hasn’t given up hope that Alan might return his feelings. Alan quit the game at the height of his career to take care of his sons, and the one constant he’s been able to rely on is Ruben. He’s tried to forget about the night everything changed, but being with Ruben on a day-to-day basis is weakening his resolve. They’d stepped over the line before, and it had hurt their friendship and left Alan with a guilt he didn’t know how to handle. Alan doesn’t want to do anything to jeopardize that friendship now, even if it mean denying the feelings he’s kept locked away for so long.

Excerpt:

Wild Pitch by Marguerite Labbe

Part of the Playing Ball anthology from Dreamspinner Press

© 2013 Marguerite Labbe

The pop fly went straight up the center and was caught easily by the shortstop. Ruben came jogging forward as the end of the inning was called. “Didn’t get enough sleep last night, Alan?” he called teasingly, and Alan narrowed his eyes. Oh no, he was not going to be the only one who had a hard time concentrating today.

“Just remembering The Maltese Falcon,” Alan said, patting Ruben’s back as he came to an abrupt halt. “Makes it a little hard to stay focused.”

Ruben turned to look at him, his gaze hot and intense, and Alan knew he’d gotten under his skin. He was learning to recognize the little signals from Ruben that gave away his interest, like the way those eyes of his would darken even more, or the way he’d kind of lean in toward Alan. “Good movie,” Ruben said, after a minute examination of Alan’s face. “Good memories associated with it.”

“Good, hmm?” Alan let his gaze rake over Ruben and grinned wickedly as the other man shook his head in bemusement. “I can think of many other adjectives.”

Ruben leaned closer still and lowered his voice. “You’re a damn tease, Hartner. I never would’ve thought that of you.”

“Goes to show you don’t know everything about me yet.” Alan backed away toward his dugout with another grin, spreading his hands wide. “Kind of exciting, isn’t it?”

One Last Road Trip—Kerry Freeman

After the last game of his major league career, Jake Wilson is hitting the road. He’s got an ex-wife to manage in New Mexico, a son to see in Oklahoma, a future son-in-law he doesn’t know about in Tennessee, and a gamble of a lifetime in Georgia. In 2,500 miles, his life will completely change, and he can only hope that his unannounced visit to his first love will cause everything to change for the better.

Excerpt:

One Last Road Trip by Kerry Freeman

Part of the Playing Ball anthology from Dreamspinner Press

© 2013 Kerry Freeman

It had been a lonely few months in Atlanta. Jake had gone from being a high school baseball star to just another hick jock. It didn’t matter that his test scores and grades would have gotten him into Georgia Tech regardless of the baseball scholarship. The smart kids looked down their noses at him. And the other jocks? Until Jake played a game and played it well, he was only a wannabe freshman.

The first day of preseason training, it all started to turn around for him. He and the other freshman bonded over their mutual desire to prove they were worthy to wear the gold and white. They worked hard and cheered each other on. They quickly became favorites of the handful of regular practice spectators, who all seemed to have a soft spot for the awkward newcomers.

One spectator stood out. Jake tried not to stare, but he couldn’t stop his surreptitious glances at the man. Jake had known since forever that he could be turned on by men as well as women, but this was different. The man’s square jaw and tight swimmer’s body made Jake have evil, evil thoughts, thoughts of things way beyond the frenzied hand and blow jobs he’d experienced with other equally frightened high school boys.

Jake also had more tender thoughts, which he found slightly frightening. Every time the man brushed his hair from his eyes, Jake wondered if the hair was soft, how it would feel if he ran his fingers through it. He snuck enough glances to determine that the man’s almond-shaped eyes were a beautiful hazel, and, more often than not, those eyes were trained on Jake. Worst of all, Jake wanted to pull the man’s full bottom lip between his and find out how the man tasted. He had never kissed a man, but God, he wanted to kiss this one.

After a few weeks of torture, Jake decided he’d had enough. He might make a fool of himself. He might even get his ass kicked. But he was going to talk to the man who’d been starring in his dreams.

When practice was over, Jake hung back on the field, waiting for the other players to head toward the locker room and hopefully out of earshot. He’d noticed days before that the man would not leave right away; he’d linger, reading a book or relaxing on the bleachers. It was almost as if he were waiting for someone. Then again, Jake thought, that could be his own wishful thinking.

As he walked, Jake brushed off his pants and straightened his cap. When the man looked up from his book to see Jake heading his way, his smile was unmistakable. Jake was sure he’d never seen a clearer invitation to come closer, and he struggled to keep his feet from speeding up. He needed to play this cool, keep his intentions a secret until he was sure they were welcome.

“Hey.” Jake shoved his glove under his arm. “What you reading?”

The man waved the small paperback. “Oh, this? To Kill A Mockingbird. I have been told it is a classic American novel. I like it so far.”

Oh holy fuck, Jake thought. He has an accent on top of everything else. The man’s voice was cool and smooth, like a window in an air-conditioned room. It sent frissons cascading over Jake’s sweat-damp skin. Each word was clearly enunciated, crisp.

Jake sat down, leaving a respectable distance between them. “It is. I read it in high school, and it’s pretty good.”

The man folded the corner of a page and closed the book. “We read a few American novels in school in Finland, but not this one. I think I may recommend it to my teacher back home.”

“Finland? How did you end up here?”

“I wanted more sunshine and warmth. My family visited friends in Savannah once, and I fell in love with Georgia.”

“Well, you definitely came to the right place for sunshine.” Jake was positive if he heard much more of the man’s accent, he would melt on the spot. “I’m Jake Wilson,” he said, holding out his hand.

The man stared at Jake’s hand before finally shaking it. “I know,” he said. “I read about you in the student paper. My name is Mikko Niemi.”

Buy links:

Ebook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4197

Paperback:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4198

Contest:

Naturally, we have a giveaway! We’re offering two prizes. The grand prize is a print copy of Playing Ball signed by all four authors, a unisex BBQ apron featuring hot athletes from Originals by Lauren (https://www.etsy.com/shop/OriginalsbyLauren), and swag from all four authors. The runner-up will get an ebook copy of Playing Ball and swag from all four authors.

The giveaway will run from 12 AM Central on September 21, 2013, to 12 AM Central on October 11, 2013. To give an opportunity for the authors to get together to sign the book and gather swag, the winners will be picked and the prizes shipped after the end of GayRomLit 2013.

Rules: You must be a resident of Earth, 18 years or older, who lives in a place where the viewing of adult material is legal. By entering the giveaway, you are indicating your agreement to the rules. Winners must provide a physical mailing address to receive their prizes. If a winner does not respond to the prize notification within 48 hours, the prize will be re-awarded.

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About The Authors:

Shae Connor lives in Atlanta, where she works for the government by day and reads and writes about people falling in love by night. She’s been making up stories for as long as she can remember, but it took her a long time to figure out that maybe she should start writing them down. Now, she usually has far too many stories in progress, but when she does manage to tear herself away from her laptop, she enjoys watching baseball, hiking, cooking, and traveling, not necessarily in that order. A proud geek girl, Shae works on volunteer staff for Dragon Con and is a regular guest at Outlantacon.

Shae writes primarily gay contemporary romance and is published with Dreamspinner Press, MLR Press, and Wilde City Press. Her most recent publications have been “Fringes,” a scifi ménage erotica short story released as part of Wilde City’s Charlie Harding Presents line, and “What to Expect When Your Boyfriend Is Expecting,” a scifi short story as part of the tongue-in-cheek Butt Pirates in Space anthology.

Shae is active on Twitter @shaeconnor and posts snippets, updates, and thoughts on writing and editing at her web site, http://www.shaeconnorwrites.com. You can contact her at shaeconnorwrites@gmail.com.

Kate McMurray is an unabashed romance fan. Her first published novel, In Hot Pursuit, came out in February 2010, and she’s been writing feverishly ever since. She likes stories that are brainy, funny, and of course sexy, with regular guy characters and urban sensibilities. When she’s not writing, Kate works a nonfiction editor. She also reads a lot, plays the violin, knits and crochets, and drools over expensive handbags. She’s maybe a tiny bit obsessed with baseball. She’s currently serving as Vice President of Rainbow Romance Writers, the LGBT romance chapter of Romance Writers of America. She lives in Brooklyn, NY, with a pesky cat. Visit her at www.katemcmurray.com.

Marguerite Labbe has been accused of being eccentric and a shade neurotic, both of which she freely admits to, but her muse has OCD tendencies, so who can blame her? Her husband and son do an excellent job keeping her toeing the line, though. Marguerite loves to spin tales of stubborn men with smart mouths, working toward a deep and lasting love, no matter what else she throws at them.

She has won the Rainbow Award for Historical Romance with Fae Sutherland, as well as the Rainbow Award for Paranormal and the Rainbow Romance Award for Excellence also in Paranormal.

When she’s not working hard on writing new material and editing completed work, she spends her time reading novels of all genres, enjoying role-playing games with her equally nutty friends, and trying to plot practical jokes against her son and husband. Unfortunately for her, her son is learning her tricks very fast.

Visit Marguerite’s web site at http://www.margueritelabbe.com.

Kerry Freeman was born and raised in Alabama and she grew up swearing she was going to get the hell out of Dodge the instant she could. Turns out Dodge ain’t so bad, and she never left. Alabama’s version of a city girl, she married a country boy, and the couple lives in a small town with their two socially awkward dogs.

Kerry loves to write about love, and it turns out most of the voices in her head are men. She also loves to write about the South, so most of her stories end up there, one way or another.

A tomboy and a geek from way back, Kerry has a day job but dreams she will one day write full time. She has a weakness for yaoi, Japanese stationery, YA, and ginger-haired singers from Britain. She owns an impressive t-shirt collection. Nowaki & Hiroki are her homeboys.

Links

Website: http://kerryfreeman.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/kfwritesbooks

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/authorkerryfreeman