K.C. Wells's Blog
July 13, 2020
Getting my act together
You want to know what was a major source of embarrassment for me?
My website.
It was woefully out of date. I mean, we're talking years. Because I'll be honest. If it came down to updating the website or writing, you know which one I'm gonna pick, right?
Well....
Last month I decided I had to do something. I'd actually made the decision back in January, but a friend's circumstances meant he had the time to give me a helping hand.
I don't think he had any idea how much work would be involved.
I knew how I wanted it to look. Neat. Classy. Easy to navigate. A page for every book, with cover, blurb and buy links.
Here's where it got tricky.
Because there are sixty books so far.
About fifty translations into French, German, and Italian.
Audiobooks.
Free books.
We're talking a ton of work
He did it though. He created a page for every series - I have how many series? Really?? - and then a page for every book.
And this is the result: http://www.kcwellswrites.com
Now all I have to do is keep it up-to-date.
He's written notes for me to guide me through adding more books.
And the genius who did all this? Johnny Williams
So if you need a website updating, developping... Johnny's your man :-)
My website.
It was woefully out of date. I mean, we're talking years. Because I'll be honest. If it came down to updating the website or writing, you know which one I'm gonna pick, right?
Well....
Last month I decided I had to do something. I'd actually made the decision back in January, but a friend's circumstances meant he had the time to give me a helping hand.
I don't think he had any idea how much work would be involved.
I knew how I wanted it to look. Neat. Classy. Easy to navigate. A page for every book, with cover, blurb and buy links.
Here's where it got tricky.
Because there are sixty books so far.
About fifty translations into French, German, and Italian.
Audiobooks.
Free books.
We're talking a ton of work
He did it though. He created a page for every series - I have how many series? Really?? - and then a page for every book.
And this is the result: http://www.kcwellswrites.com
Now all I have to do is keep it up-to-date.
He's written notes for me to guide me through adding more books.
And the genius who did all this? Johnny Williams
So if you need a website updating, developping... Johnny's your man :-)
June 26, 2020
"Where do you get your ideas from?"
I suppose ever author gets asked this question.
Whenever Patricia Highsmith was asked this, she used to reply, "Out of thin air."
Whenever I get asked, I usually say, "From everywhere!"
This is true.
I can be in the shower - why do so many good ideas come to writers when they're in the shower? Because it's not just me - walking down to the village, watching TV...
Ideas sneak up on me.
These days I call such ideas Plot Bunny Attacks, and I keep a folder for just such attacks.
Back in 2016, I was reading a post from Reddit. about a straight man who got asked out on a date by a gay man he met on a train. He said yes. He was quite excited by the prospect, if a little apprehensive about his lack of experience of gay sex. He communicated this to his date, who said not to worry, and they'd play it by ear.
As far as I know, that was the last we heard from him. I would love to know how the date went.
At the time, I saved the post. I was certain there was a book in it.
Well... there was. I'm a few chapters away from finishing it, actually.
Why write it now?
One of my recent books was Here For You. I wrote it intending for it to be light, low angst... Yeah. It didn't go as planned. I don't regret that one of my main characters ended up suffering from male depression, and I'm glad that I got to bring this to light, but no, it wasn't the book I'd thought I was writing.
So I went through my Plot Bunnies folder, looking for a book that was light, sweet, low angst, sexy...
You guessed it. I found my saved Reddit post. And thus was born Gay on a Train.
No, I have no idea why I chose that title, but it suits the book perfectly.
I'd originally planned for it to be a Gay For You or Out For You story, but Lee, my narrator, is definitely bisexual.
It differs from my usual style in that it's in the first person, and only from Lee's POV. The only other book I've written like that was BFF. And it has a distinctly British flavour.
So far, it's going according to plan.
There are no heavy angsty moments suddenly appearing out of the blue. No traumas. Just two cute guys meeting each other, having fun, and one of them discovering he's not as straight as he thought he was...
It's due for release July 6, so I'd better get my skates on and finish it. LOL
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BK299KM
Whenever Patricia Highsmith was asked this, she used to reply, "Out of thin air."
Whenever I get asked, I usually say, "From everywhere!"
This is true.
I can be in the shower - why do so many good ideas come to writers when they're in the shower? Because it's not just me - walking down to the village, watching TV...
Ideas sneak up on me.
These days I call such ideas Plot Bunny Attacks, and I keep a folder for just such attacks.
Back in 2016, I was reading a post from Reddit. about a straight man who got asked out on a date by a gay man he met on a train. He said yes. He was quite excited by the prospect, if a little apprehensive about his lack of experience of gay sex. He communicated this to his date, who said not to worry, and they'd play it by ear.
As far as I know, that was the last we heard from him. I would love to know how the date went.
At the time, I saved the post. I was certain there was a book in it.
Well... there was. I'm a few chapters away from finishing it, actually.
Why write it now?
One of my recent books was Here For You. I wrote it intending for it to be light, low angst... Yeah. It didn't go as planned. I don't regret that one of my main characters ended up suffering from male depression, and I'm glad that I got to bring this to light, but no, it wasn't the book I'd thought I was writing.
So I went through my Plot Bunnies folder, looking for a book that was light, sweet, low angst, sexy...
You guessed it. I found my saved Reddit post. And thus was born Gay on a Train.
No, I have no idea why I chose that title, but it suits the book perfectly.
I'd originally planned for it to be a Gay For You or Out For You story, but Lee, my narrator, is definitely bisexual.
It differs from my usual style in that it's in the first person, and only from Lee's POV. The only other book I've written like that was BFF. And it has a distinctly British flavour.
So far, it's going according to plan.
There are no heavy angsty moments suddenly appearing out of the blue. No traumas. Just two cute guys meeting each other, having fun, and one of them discovering he's not as straight as he thought he was...
It's due for release July 6, so I'd better get my skates on and finish it. LOL
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08BK299KM
May 27, 2020
End of a series
When I wrote Truth & Betrayal in 2018, it was supposed to be a stand alone.
Honest.
(I bet you've heard this one before...)
Then the following year, I had the idea for its sequel, Pride & Protection
That was it. Two books. Done.
Nope.
One of my betas suggested I needed to write a third book. A menage. With Jon (straight?) Chaz (18) and Kendis (20 and AA)
Nope. No, no, no.
Then I got thinking....
You know the rest, right?
Desire & Denial releases June 5th. I'm almost done with it. And I LOVE the way it's turned out.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
I've rewritten the blurb at least four times. LOL
The cover? That was the easiest part. I found my bear, Jon - if you're a devotee of Instagram, you might be familiar with 'Tank Joey'.
So we have an age gap, interracial menage set in the South, with three guys who are all new to relationships - and sex...
And on a different note...
I started writing this the last day of April.
Writing up till that point had been sporadic, mostly because of what was happening in the world. I know I wasn't alone in that - so many authors posted about how difficult they found it to get any words down.
But the last two weeks have felt better. Maybe the sunshine helped. I only know I got my mojo back.
I hope it stays put.
Honest.
(I bet you've heard this one before...)
Then the following year, I had the idea for its sequel, Pride & Protection
That was it. Two books. Done.
Nope.
One of my betas suggested I needed to write a third book. A menage. With Jon (straight?) Chaz (18) and Kendis (20 and AA)
Nope. No, no, no.
Then I got thinking....
You know the rest, right?
Desire & Denial releases June 5th. I'm almost done with it. And I LOVE the way it's turned out.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5...
I've rewritten the blurb at least four times. LOL
The cover? That was the easiest part. I found my bear, Jon - if you're a devotee of Instagram, you might be familiar with 'Tank Joey'.
So we have an age gap, interracial menage set in the South, with three guys who are all new to relationships - and sex...
And on a different note...
I started writing this the last day of April.
Writing up till that point had been sporadic, mostly because of what was happening in the world. I know I wasn't alone in that - so many authors posted about how difficult they found it to get any words down.
But the last two weeks have felt better. Maybe the sunshine helped. I only know I got my mojo back.
I hope it stays put.
August 19, 2019
ICYMI... Episode #1 of Sexting the Boss
Last month, I shared the first episode of my new serialized book, Sexting the Boss. the only people who got to read it were my newsletter subscribers.
(This is where I point out that when it comes to newsletters? I am not the kind of author who sends one out month after month. Generally, I only send them when I have a new release, or exciting news.)
Well, Episode #2 is due out this week, so.... I'm sharing the first episode only. And if you want more, then just pop along to http://eepurl.com/cNKHlT and join us!
So sit back, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy Episode #1.
A moment of distraction was all it took. One moment, and then reality strikes long enough for Chandler Mitchell to realize the awful truth - he’s just sexted his boss.
He’s gonna fire my ass.
So he isn’t really surprised to get the email requesting his attendance at a meeting Monday morning.
Fuck. Canned for sure.
But when he's invited into the boss’s office, Chandler is confused to see Stu Ganford’s obviously good mood.
The good news? His ass is safe. He’s not about to be fired.
The bad news? The boss wants to make some changes...
Maybe Chandler’s ass isn’t as safe as he thinks.
Episode 1
Since when did it become so difficult to get laid on a Friday night? So what if I wasn’t in the mood to go out? There had to be plenty of guys in my area who wanted some action, right?
Wrong. No one on Grindr was ticking my boxes. As a last resort, I’d called up Ste. I’d figured he was a safe bet. He says he’s bi, and that amounts to turning up at my apartment whenever he wants to get fucked or suck a dick. Like I’d say no to that, right? But this was one of the few times I’d called him—and he was throwing me over for football.
“Aw, come on, Ste. You know you wanna.”
“Maybe, maybe not. But there’s football on TV, and…”
Football? Was he freaking kidding me? “And you’re gonna pass on my dick for football?” I wasn’t gonna back down. I had a severe case of blue balls, and that meant I was gonna fight dirty.
“I bet I could make you change your mind,” I wheedled.
He snorted. “Not unless you’re suggesting coming round to my place and letting me sit on your cock while I watch the game. Mind you, the rest of the guys would probably love it. We might end up being the half-time entertainment.”
That did it. This was a challenge, and I was more than ready for it.
I unzipped my fly, shoved my jeans down to my knees, and pumped my already meaty dick a couple times. Had to get it looking its best for the camera, right? Then I grabbed it around the base, holding it erect while I got the camera ready. Click. I checked the photo, liking how my cock filled the frame, then hurriedly sent it to Ste, along with the message, ‘Thinking of you.’
“Tell me you don’t want a piece of that,” I told Ste confidently, still lazily tugging on my shaft. Victory was mine. I could picture him drooling when he got the photo.
“Piece of what? You’re not taking no for an answer tonight, are ya?”
Goddamn snail mail. “Just check your inbox. Sent you a little something.”
Ste huffed. “Fine.” I could hear the TV in the background. “Okay, what I am supposed to be looking at?”
“The photo I just sent you.”
“Nope. No photo here. And before you ask, I just refreshed. Sorry, Chandler. Whatever you sent is out there somewhere in the ether. And now I’m gonna watch the game. Have a good night.” Bastard was laughing as he disconnected.
I stared at my phone. If he didn’t get it, then who did?
Before I could fathom that out, my phone pinged. When I saw the email from Stu Ganford, I had to admit I was puzzled. Since when did I get emails from the boss on a Friday night? I opened it, and was no clearer.
Meeting in my office, Monday morning at 9.00.
Stu
Huh?
For one thing, it wasn’t his usual format. Stu Ganford was a succinct man, I grant you, but one-line emails were not his style. Signing it Stu wasn’t his style either.
What the fuck is going on?
I read it again, only this time a terrible idea began to dawn. Stu…. Ste…..
Oh God. Sweet Jesus, I didn’t. Tell me I didn’t.
I clicked through my sent messages, and Holy Mother of God, there it was.
I’d sent a dick pic to Stu Christ Almighty Ganford. Who now wanted to see me in a meeting.
I sagged into the couch, the phone dropped onto the seat cushion beside me. Well, that was it. Goodbye, job, Hello, unemployment. And I could kiss goodbye to any positive references. Employers who received explicit photos of staff genitalia tended not to write about them in glowing terms for future employers.
As if in response, my erection wilted, my balls shriveling. I was well and truly fucked.
It took me a moment to realize my phone was buzzing. I glanced at the screen apprehensively, in case Stu had decided he couldn’t wait until Monday. Thankfully it was Dean, a coworker. I connected the call absently, my mind still on Stu’s email. “Hey.”
“I forgot to mention today that I’m having a BBQ Saturday, and you’re welcome to come. I know it’s a bit last minute and all.”
Dean was an okay kinda guy. We chatted about sports and movies, he’d tell me how many girls he was banging, and I’d tell him how many guys I was screwing. Really symbiotic relationship.
Right then a BBQ was the last thing on my mind.
“Sorry, but I’ll have to pass.”
“Sure. Like I said, it’s last minute, so I get it. You going out tonight with the rest of the gang? Rachel, Joey, Phoebe, Monica…?” He snickered, like he always did every goddamn time he said it.
I don’t know which I hated more—my name, or the fact that everyone felt they had to make a joke out of it. So my mom loved Friends. So what? Except right then I was in no mood for Dean’s laughter at my expense.
“I really don’t need this. In fact, the joke is wearing pretty fucking thin.”
I thought I heard Dean choking. A moment later, he was back. “You okay, buddy?”
And just like that, I regretted my outburst. “Sorry, Dean. I… I got a lot on my mind.”
“Wanna tell me about it? A problem shared, as they say.”
I deliberated telling him for all of two seconds. I had no one else to talk to, for God’s sake. “I… might have just sent Stu Ganford a photo of my cock.”
Okay, this time he was definitely choking. “Jesus fucking Christ, Chandler!”
“It was an accident! I was sending it to someone else. Come on, don’t tell me you’ve never done it. Because I’ve seen your phone, remember?”
“Sure, yeah, I’ve sent a girl a dick pic, but I’m always real careful when I’m sending.”
“It was one letter different, that’s all.” One goddamn letter that was gonna cost me my job.
“Maybe he won’t get the message. Maybe he won’t see it.”
Bless his optimistic little heart. “And maybe he already saw it, and emailed me to say he wants to see me Monday morning.”
“Aw shit. Really? That’s too bad.”
“Too bad? You do realize he’s gonna can me for this, don’t you? Because once I step into that office come Monday, my ass is grass and he’s a fucking lawnmower.”
Dean sighed. “Looks like there’s nothing you can do, except hope he’s feeling lenient. You might get away with a reprimand.”
“Yeah, and pigs might fly outta my butt.” I’d had enough. I had a whole weekend to come of thinking about Monday, and I was already depressed as hell. “I’ll see you Monday morning, okay? Until I get my marching orders.”
“Try not to think like that. You don’t know what’s gonna happen.”
Yes, I do, I thought as I disconnected the call. And it’s not gonna be pretty.
“What do you mean, I can’t see him?” This was driving me nuts. “He asked to see me, this morning.”
“I know that,” Fiona explained with more patience than I would’ve had in the circumstances. “But as I told you this morning—and on each of the…” She glanced at her notepad. “…four occasions you’ve asked to see him, Mr. Ganford is very busy. When he’s ready to see you, he’ll let you know.” She went back to peering at her monitor.
There was nothing to do but go back to my desk and wait for another unspecified period of mental torture. I glanced at the clock on the wall in the hallway. It was already four in the afternoon. The office closed at five, for God’s sake. Was he gonna keep me waiting until the end of business?
And then it hit me. Of course he was. It was his way of making me sweat.
Damn him. It was working.
I sat at my desk, trying to focus on my insurance reports. Like that was possible. When five o’clock came, people got up and headed out of the office, exchanging comments and wishing me a good evening. Dean said nothing as he strolled past, but he patted my shoulder twice. When I caught sight of Fiona walking toward the door, her purse over her shoulder, I sighed with relief.
He’s gone.Then I realized I’d have to go through the whole process again the following day. If he hadn’t been about to fire me, I’d have sued him for mental cruelty.
The irony of the situation was not lost on me. As bosses went, Stu was drop dead gorgeous. Short brown, neat hair, brown eyes, a permanent five o’clock shadow, and this sexy lopsided smile that always did things to my insides.
Okay, I’ll admit it. My boss was hot.
“Chandler.”
I glanced up and froze. Stu stood at his office door, his jacket and tie removed, the top two buttons of his pale blue shirt open. “Sir?”
He beckoned with his finger. “My office. Now.” Then he disappeared behind his pale wooden door, leaving it ajar.
Fuck. This was it.
I shut down my computer, tidied my desk, picked up my jacket and bag, and trudged along to his office.
“Close the door.”
I shut it behind me, and waited. Stu pointed to the empty chair facing his desk, and I hurriedly sat down. Disconcertingly, my knees were shaking. I put my jacket over them, then balanced my bag on top.
Stu walked over to his filing cabinet and opened the top drawer. To my surprise, he removed a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He glanced over at me. “Drink?”
“I think I need one,” I croaked.
Stu chuckled, before pouring two good measures. He handed me a glass, then sat in his big, wide chair. “Well, well, well. You certainly surprised me.”
I said nothing, but sipped the whiskey. He probably had this whole speech worked out.
“I suppose you know why I sent for you.”
I sighed. “Because I accidentally sent you a dick pic.” There was no point being coy anymore.
Stu paused, his glass halfway to his mouth, his forehead creased in a frown. “Accidentally?”
Wait—what?
Before I could get my head around the implications, Stu put down his glass. “I see.”
No, I wanted to yell. You don’t see. Because I was just starting to figure it out. But some inner voice kept me quiet.
“Well, in that case…” Stu leaned back in his chair. “In ordinary circumstances, I would be informing you that your employment here was at an end.”
I took a mouthful of whiskey before trusting myself to speak. “Ordinary circumstances?”
Stu smiled, and his eyes glittered. “As you might have realized by now, these are not ordinary circumstances. What I am about to propose will mean the continuation of your employment here—if you agree to my terms.”
My breathing caught, and I put down my glass.
“I can see I have your full attention, so I’ll come to the point and I’ll be blunt. You get to keep your job, as long as I get to fuck you.”
I blinked. He wants to…. I fought hard to maintain my self-control. This is a dream, right? The kind of dream you never want to wake up from.
I licked my suddenly dry lips. “You get to… fuck me?”
Stu nodded. “Whenever I want. Wherever I want.” That smile hadn’t dimmed. “I’m aware this amounts to blackmail, but I’ve done my homework when it comes to you, Chandler. I don’t think what I’m proposing could be called rape, do you? That implies without consent, and I don’t feel that would be an issue, do you?”
My first thought was that my boss knew me a helluva lot better than I thought he did.
“I should add at this point that accepting this proposal will neither help nor hinder your possibilities for advancement in this company.” Stu locked gazes with me. “You don’t get to rise through the company just because we’re fucking. Any advancement would be purely on merit.”
God, every time he said ‘fucking’, my brain did a default to an image of me spread out on his desk, while he plowed into me.
I struggled to keep my mind on topic. “You… you could have anyone you want. There have to be hundreds of guys out there who’d be willing to bend over for you.” And I was one of them. In a heartbeat.
“But I don’t want ‘hundreds of guys’, he air quoted. “I want you. On tap, as it were. At my beck and call. These are dangerous times we live in, as I’m sure you can appreciate. I never know if the person on a screen is the one who’ll turn up at my door. I prefer to take risk out of the equation. You’re a known quantity. You’re gay. And you like sex.” He grinned. “You wouldn’t believe the conversations that reach my ears. And apart from that, I have you over a barrel.” His eyes shone. “I’d rather have you over my desk. Or over the back of that couch over there.”
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Not that I wanted one. There was no way I was about to tell him he was offering me all my dirty fantasies on a plate. Let him think he has the upper hand.
“Is that a yes?” Stu got up from his desk, walked around it, and came to a halt beside my chair. He cupped my chin, tilting it until I was staring up at him. “If you’d rather not do this, then we’ll call it a day and you can leave when you’ve worked off your notice. I’ll even give you a reference.”
The last part took me by surprise. I definitely hadn’t expected that.
I gazed at his lips, so pink and full, and damn it, I was imagining them around my cock. My heart hammered. I didn’t want to leave. And I wanted him.
Quick mental calculation. I get to keep my job, and get fucked by my hot AF boss.
No-brainer.
“You do know this is illegal, right? #metoo ring a bell?” One last attempt not to appear too eager.
Stu’s eyes gleamed. “You have no proof of this conversation. There’s no one around to overhear us. Hence that barrel I have you over.” His fingers caressed my cheek. “It won’t be an onerous task, I promise. And I’m not exactly unskilled. Put it this way. I’ve never had any complaints.” He bent over and whispered into my ear, “Not that you’re in a position to complain anyway.”
Fuck, he smelled amazing. And okay, I’ll be honest. Right then he got me wondering about his skills. Especially with his tongue…
Whoa boy. I had to rein in my libido. Drooling was not exactly a sign of reluctance.
Stu straightened and regarded me steadily. “Well? What is your answer?”
I took a deep breath. “I accept your terms.” Which was a damn sight milder that me clearing his desk with a sweep of my arm, bending over it and dropping trou.
Stu’s smile widened. “Excellent. Then I see no point in wasting time, do you?” He let go of my chin and slowly undid his belt.
I glanced down, my heartbeat climbing even more when I got a glimpse of his bulge.
This was gonna be a stretch. Then a thought occurred, and me being me, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “Just one last question. I get to fuck you too, right?”
(This is where I point out that when it comes to newsletters? I am not the kind of author who sends one out month after month. Generally, I only send them when I have a new release, or exciting news.)
Well, Episode #2 is due out this week, so.... I'm sharing the first episode only. And if you want more, then just pop along to http://eepurl.com/cNKHlT and join us!
So sit back, pour yourself a drink, and enjoy Episode #1.
A moment of distraction was all it took. One moment, and then reality strikes long enough for Chandler Mitchell to realize the awful truth - he’s just sexted his boss.
He’s gonna fire my ass.
So he isn’t really surprised to get the email requesting his attendance at a meeting Monday morning.
Fuck. Canned for sure.
But when he's invited into the boss’s office, Chandler is confused to see Stu Ganford’s obviously good mood.
The good news? His ass is safe. He’s not about to be fired.
The bad news? The boss wants to make some changes...
Maybe Chandler’s ass isn’t as safe as he thinks.
Episode 1
Since when did it become so difficult to get laid on a Friday night? So what if I wasn’t in the mood to go out? There had to be plenty of guys in my area who wanted some action, right?
Wrong. No one on Grindr was ticking my boxes. As a last resort, I’d called up Ste. I’d figured he was a safe bet. He says he’s bi, and that amounts to turning up at my apartment whenever he wants to get fucked or suck a dick. Like I’d say no to that, right? But this was one of the few times I’d called him—and he was throwing me over for football.
“Aw, come on, Ste. You know you wanna.”
“Maybe, maybe not. But there’s football on TV, and…”
Football? Was he freaking kidding me? “And you’re gonna pass on my dick for football?” I wasn’t gonna back down. I had a severe case of blue balls, and that meant I was gonna fight dirty.
“I bet I could make you change your mind,” I wheedled.
He snorted. “Not unless you’re suggesting coming round to my place and letting me sit on your cock while I watch the game. Mind you, the rest of the guys would probably love it. We might end up being the half-time entertainment.”
That did it. This was a challenge, and I was more than ready for it.
I unzipped my fly, shoved my jeans down to my knees, and pumped my already meaty dick a couple times. Had to get it looking its best for the camera, right? Then I grabbed it around the base, holding it erect while I got the camera ready. Click. I checked the photo, liking how my cock filled the frame, then hurriedly sent it to Ste, along with the message, ‘Thinking of you.’
“Tell me you don’t want a piece of that,” I told Ste confidently, still lazily tugging on my shaft. Victory was mine. I could picture him drooling when he got the photo.
“Piece of what? You’re not taking no for an answer tonight, are ya?”
Goddamn snail mail. “Just check your inbox. Sent you a little something.”
Ste huffed. “Fine.” I could hear the TV in the background. “Okay, what I am supposed to be looking at?”
“The photo I just sent you.”
“Nope. No photo here. And before you ask, I just refreshed. Sorry, Chandler. Whatever you sent is out there somewhere in the ether. And now I’m gonna watch the game. Have a good night.” Bastard was laughing as he disconnected.
I stared at my phone. If he didn’t get it, then who did?
Before I could fathom that out, my phone pinged. When I saw the email from Stu Ganford, I had to admit I was puzzled. Since when did I get emails from the boss on a Friday night? I opened it, and was no clearer.
Meeting in my office, Monday morning at 9.00.
Stu
Huh?
For one thing, it wasn’t his usual format. Stu Ganford was a succinct man, I grant you, but one-line emails were not his style. Signing it Stu wasn’t his style either.
What the fuck is going on?
I read it again, only this time a terrible idea began to dawn. Stu…. Ste…..
Oh God. Sweet Jesus, I didn’t. Tell me I didn’t.
I clicked through my sent messages, and Holy Mother of God, there it was.
I’d sent a dick pic to Stu Christ Almighty Ganford. Who now wanted to see me in a meeting.
I sagged into the couch, the phone dropped onto the seat cushion beside me. Well, that was it. Goodbye, job, Hello, unemployment. And I could kiss goodbye to any positive references. Employers who received explicit photos of staff genitalia tended not to write about them in glowing terms for future employers.
As if in response, my erection wilted, my balls shriveling. I was well and truly fucked.
It took me a moment to realize my phone was buzzing. I glanced at the screen apprehensively, in case Stu had decided he couldn’t wait until Monday. Thankfully it was Dean, a coworker. I connected the call absently, my mind still on Stu’s email. “Hey.”
“I forgot to mention today that I’m having a BBQ Saturday, and you’re welcome to come. I know it’s a bit last minute and all.”
Dean was an okay kinda guy. We chatted about sports and movies, he’d tell me how many girls he was banging, and I’d tell him how many guys I was screwing. Really symbiotic relationship.
Right then a BBQ was the last thing on my mind.
“Sorry, but I’ll have to pass.”
“Sure. Like I said, it’s last minute, so I get it. You going out tonight with the rest of the gang? Rachel, Joey, Phoebe, Monica…?” He snickered, like he always did every goddamn time he said it.
I don’t know which I hated more—my name, or the fact that everyone felt they had to make a joke out of it. So my mom loved Friends. So what? Except right then I was in no mood for Dean’s laughter at my expense.
“I really don’t need this. In fact, the joke is wearing pretty fucking thin.”
I thought I heard Dean choking. A moment later, he was back. “You okay, buddy?”
And just like that, I regretted my outburst. “Sorry, Dean. I… I got a lot on my mind.”
“Wanna tell me about it? A problem shared, as they say.”
I deliberated telling him for all of two seconds. I had no one else to talk to, for God’s sake. “I… might have just sent Stu Ganford a photo of my cock.”
Okay, this time he was definitely choking. “Jesus fucking Christ, Chandler!”
“It was an accident! I was sending it to someone else. Come on, don’t tell me you’ve never done it. Because I’ve seen your phone, remember?”
“Sure, yeah, I’ve sent a girl a dick pic, but I’m always real careful when I’m sending.”
“It was one letter different, that’s all.” One goddamn letter that was gonna cost me my job.
“Maybe he won’t get the message. Maybe he won’t see it.”
Bless his optimistic little heart. “And maybe he already saw it, and emailed me to say he wants to see me Monday morning.”
“Aw shit. Really? That’s too bad.”
“Too bad? You do realize he’s gonna can me for this, don’t you? Because once I step into that office come Monday, my ass is grass and he’s a fucking lawnmower.”
Dean sighed. “Looks like there’s nothing you can do, except hope he’s feeling lenient. You might get away with a reprimand.”
“Yeah, and pigs might fly outta my butt.” I’d had enough. I had a whole weekend to come of thinking about Monday, and I was already depressed as hell. “I’ll see you Monday morning, okay? Until I get my marching orders.”
“Try not to think like that. You don’t know what’s gonna happen.”
Yes, I do, I thought as I disconnected the call. And it’s not gonna be pretty.
“What do you mean, I can’t see him?” This was driving me nuts. “He asked to see me, this morning.”
“I know that,” Fiona explained with more patience than I would’ve had in the circumstances. “But as I told you this morning—and on each of the…” She glanced at her notepad. “…four occasions you’ve asked to see him, Mr. Ganford is very busy. When he’s ready to see you, he’ll let you know.” She went back to peering at her monitor.
There was nothing to do but go back to my desk and wait for another unspecified period of mental torture. I glanced at the clock on the wall in the hallway. It was already four in the afternoon. The office closed at five, for God’s sake. Was he gonna keep me waiting until the end of business?
And then it hit me. Of course he was. It was his way of making me sweat.
Damn him. It was working.
I sat at my desk, trying to focus on my insurance reports. Like that was possible. When five o’clock came, people got up and headed out of the office, exchanging comments and wishing me a good evening. Dean said nothing as he strolled past, but he patted my shoulder twice. When I caught sight of Fiona walking toward the door, her purse over her shoulder, I sighed with relief.
He’s gone.Then I realized I’d have to go through the whole process again the following day. If he hadn’t been about to fire me, I’d have sued him for mental cruelty.
The irony of the situation was not lost on me. As bosses went, Stu was drop dead gorgeous. Short brown, neat hair, brown eyes, a permanent five o’clock shadow, and this sexy lopsided smile that always did things to my insides.
Okay, I’ll admit it. My boss was hot.
“Chandler.”
I glanced up and froze. Stu stood at his office door, his jacket and tie removed, the top two buttons of his pale blue shirt open. “Sir?”
He beckoned with his finger. “My office. Now.” Then he disappeared behind his pale wooden door, leaving it ajar.
Fuck. This was it.
I shut down my computer, tidied my desk, picked up my jacket and bag, and trudged along to his office.
“Close the door.”
I shut it behind me, and waited. Stu pointed to the empty chair facing his desk, and I hurriedly sat down. Disconcertingly, my knees were shaking. I put my jacket over them, then balanced my bag on top.
Stu walked over to his filing cabinet and opened the top drawer. To my surprise, he removed a bottle of whiskey and two glasses. He glanced over at me. “Drink?”
“I think I need one,” I croaked.
Stu chuckled, before pouring two good measures. He handed me a glass, then sat in his big, wide chair. “Well, well, well. You certainly surprised me.”
I said nothing, but sipped the whiskey. He probably had this whole speech worked out.
“I suppose you know why I sent for you.”
I sighed. “Because I accidentally sent you a dick pic.” There was no point being coy anymore.
Stu paused, his glass halfway to his mouth, his forehead creased in a frown. “Accidentally?”
Wait—what?
Before I could get my head around the implications, Stu put down his glass. “I see.”
No, I wanted to yell. You don’t see. Because I was just starting to figure it out. But some inner voice kept me quiet.
“Well, in that case…” Stu leaned back in his chair. “In ordinary circumstances, I would be informing you that your employment here was at an end.”
I took a mouthful of whiskey before trusting myself to speak. “Ordinary circumstances?”
Stu smiled, and his eyes glittered. “As you might have realized by now, these are not ordinary circumstances. What I am about to propose will mean the continuation of your employment here—if you agree to my terms.”
My breathing caught, and I put down my glass.
“I can see I have your full attention, so I’ll come to the point and I’ll be blunt. You get to keep your job, as long as I get to fuck you.”
I blinked. He wants to…. I fought hard to maintain my self-control. This is a dream, right? The kind of dream you never want to wake up from.
I licked my suddenly dry lips. “You get to… fuck me?”
Stu nodded. “Whenever I want. Wherever I want.” That smile hadn’t dimmed. “I’m aware this amounts to blackmail, but I’ve done my homework when it comes to you, Chandler. I don’t think what I’m proposing could be called rape, do you? That implies without consent, and I don’t feel that would be an issue, do you?”
My first thought was that my boss knew me a helluva lot better than I thought he did.
“I should add at this point that accepting this proposal will neither help nor hinder your possibilities for advancement in this company.” Stu locked gazes with me. “You don’t get to rise through the company just because we’re fucking. Any advancement would be purely on merit.”
God, every time he said ‘fucking’, my brain did a default to an image of me spread out on his desk, while he plowed into me.
I struggled to keep my mind on topic. “You… you could have anyone you want. There have to be hundreds of guys out there who’d be willing to bend over for you.” And I was one of them. In a heartbeat.
“But I don’t want ‘hundreds of guys’, he air quoted. “I want you. On tap, as it were. At my beck and call. These are dangerous times we live in, as I’m sure you can appreciate. I never know if the person on a screen is the one who’ll turn up at my door. I prefer to take risk out of the equation. You’re a known quantity. You’re gay. And you like sex.” He grinned. “You wouldn’t believe the conversations that reach my ears. And apart from that, I have you over a barrel.” His eyes shone. “I’d rather have you over my desk. Or over the back of that couch over there.”
“I don’t have a choice, do I?” Not that I wanted one. There was no way I was about to tell him he was offering me all my dirty fantasies on a plate. Let him think he has the upper hand.
“Is that a yes?” Stu got up from his desk, walked around it, and came to a halt beside my chair. He cupped my chin, tilting it until I was staring up at him. “If you’d rather not do this, then we’ll call it a day and you can leave when you’ve worked off your notice. I’ll even give you a reference.”
The last part took me by surprise. I definitely hadn’t expected that.
I gazed at his lips, so pink and full, and damn it, I was imagining them around my cock. My heart hammered. I didn’t want to leave. And I wanted him.
Quick mental calculation. I get to keep my job, and get fucked by my hot AF boss.
No-brainer.
“You do know this is illegal, right? #metoo ring a bell?” One last attempt not to appear too eager.
Stu’s eyes gleamed. “You have no proof of this conversation. There’s no one around to overhear us. Hence that barrel I have you over.” His fingers caressed my cheek. “It won’t be an onerous task, I promise. And I’m not exactly unskilled. Put it this way. I’ve never had any complaints.” He bent over and whispered into my ear, “Not that you’re in a position to complain anyway.”
Fuck, he smelled amazing. And okay, I’ll be honest. Right then he got me wondering about his skills. Especially with his tongue…
Whoa boy. I had to rein in my libido. Drooling was not exactly a sign of reluctance.
Stu straightened and regarded me steadily. “Well? What is your answer?”
I took a deep breath. “I accept your terms.” Which was a damn sight milder that me clearing his desk with a sweep of my arm, bending over it and dropping trou.
Stu’s smile widened. “Excellent. Then I see no point in wasting time, do you?” He let go of my chin and slowly undid his belt.
I glanced down, my heartbeat climbing even more when I got a glimpse of his bulge.
This was gonna be a stretch. Then a thought occurred, and me being me, I couldn’t keep my mouth shut. “Just one last question. I get to fuck you too, right?”
July 27, 2019
Hello, Daddy...
It's been a while since I wrote a post here, and to be honest, I'd rather not talk about what's been going on. Those of you who follow me already know - family stuff - but life is looking better.
So why the title?
I'm finally writing a Daddy kink story.
If you've read my books, you'll know I'm a fan of age gap relationships. Step by Step, Silk, Burden, A Bond of Truth, Submitting to the Darkness...
Yeah, I've written a few of them.
But Daddy kink is something different.
Not that I'd intended writing one. This is all the fault of a photographer, Ben Fink, whose page on Instagram was chock full of Daddies and bears.
And of course, there was one photo that really spoke to me. The way those men looked at each other...
That was it. I had a story to tell. And once that happened, I wanted to start writing it THAT SECOND.
Today I shared the cover for the first time. I have to tell you, I LOVE this cover.
The models are a real couple - and it shows. The intensity of their relationship is obvious.
And today I was plotting.
I'm really excited about this one, and I think that's because it's going to be HOT.
I've been told I write hot sex scenes - thank you very much - but usually in a book, there are a couple of such scenes, maybe three max.
I have a feeling this one is going to be different.
I have a feeling these two are going to burn up the pages.
I'm hoping to have Kel's Keeper out by mid-August, baring any unforeseen circumstances, and maybe before Christmas, the audio book.
So if you like Daddy kink, watch out for a release post.
And now - back to writing!
So why the title?
I'm finally writing a Daddy kink story.
If you've read my books, you'll know I'm a fan of age gap relationships. Step by Step, Silk, Burden, A Bond of Truth, Submitting to the Darkness...
Yeah, I've written a few of them.
But Daddy kink is something different.
Not that I'd intended writing one. This is all the fault of a photographer, Ben Fink, whose page on Instagram was chock full of Daddies and bears.
And of course, there was one photo that really spoke to me. The way those men looked at each other...
That was it. I had a story to tell. And once that happened, I wanted to start writing it THAT SECOND.
Today I shared the cover for the first time. I have to tell you, I LOVE this cover.
The models are a real couple - and it shows. The intensity of their relationship is obvious.
And today I was plotting.
I'm really excited about this one, and I think that's because it's going to be HOT.
I've been told I write hot sex scenes - thank you very much - but usually in a book, there are a couple of such scenes, maybe three max.
I have a feeling this one is going to be different.
I have a feeling these two are going to burn up the pages.
I'm hoping to have Kel's Keeper out by mid-August, baring any unforeseen circumstances, and maybe before Christmas, the audio book.
So if you like Daddy kink, watch out for a release post.
And now - back to writing!
February 5, 2019
Free story, anyone?
My alter ego, Tantalus, has been busy!
If you like gay erotica - and especially if you've been following the sexploits of Damon and Pete, then click the link below to download a FREE Damon and Pete story, Pete's Treat, for Valentine's Day!
Here's the blurb:
Valentine’s Day is coming, and Damon was never one for saying it with flowers.
He has something a lot more… primal in mind.
Pete struggles with what to buy Damon. What do you get for the man who needs nothing?
As for Pete, he thought he had everything he wanted – until now…
And there's more...
Coming soon, all the Damon and Pete stories in one volume - paperback too - and with a new, sexy cover.
Here's the link for the free download:
https://claims.prolificworks.com/free...
If you like gay erotica - and especially if you've been following the sexploits of Damon and Pete, then click the link below to download a FREE Damon and Pete story, Pete's Treat, for Valentine's Day!
Here's the blurb:
Valentine’s Day is coming, and Damon was never one for saying it with flowers.
He has something a lot more… primal in mind.
Pete struggles with what to buy Damon. What do you get for the man who needs nothing?
As for Pete, he thought he had everything he wanted – until now…
And there's more...
Coming soon, all the Damon and Pete stories in one volume - paperback too - and with a new, sexy cover.
Here's the link for the free download:
https://claims.prolificworks.com/free...
December 6, 2018
Christmas reads are here again!
I love this time of year, don't you?
I've always been a big kid when it came to Christmas, but I have to admit, until the last few years, I never realized that people brought out stories too.
And what a wealth of stories! There are angels, grumpy mall Santas, soldiers, dancers, elves... you name it, there's a book out there that covers it.
My first Christmas story was Connections, a tale of two men on a train, going to the same college reunion - and both facing up to a massive dose of unrequited love.
Saving Jason wasn't your average Christmas tale - it centred around the homeless in NYC, I recall asking my Facebook friends for Christmas-y things to do in NYC - lots of them found their way into the story.
And then last year, I had the idea for A Christmas Promise, a story of a man who finds a beaten up stranger left in the snow - and that's when things get weird.
The story finished in time for Christmas, but there were one or two loose ends - namely, the bad guys. Of course, I got the messages demanding to know if they got what was coming to them, and why didn't I finish the story later?
Because in real life, it could have been six months to a year before they got to trial. Plus, I'd set the story in Wyoming, where there is no hate crime legislature. The story needed to end at Christmas. And then...
Yeah, you know what happened, don't you?
I had an idea. Why not write a sequel?
Show what happened to the bad guys, show how Micah and Greg got on with their lives... and something was tugging at me.
Joshua, Micah's dad, who'd played such an integral role in the story. Joshua, in his late forties, a widower, whose first love had been a boy - and who he'd lost when their families separated them. Joshua, who'd been happily married for over twenty years... what if he found love again?
That was it. I had my Christmas story for 2018. The Law of Miracles. And again, it wasn't your average Christmas tale.
What made it different?
My main characters were both mature men, forty-seven and fifty years old. Men who knew what it was to love someone and lose them. Men who were wary of making mistakes. And the key word in all that is... mature.
How many gay romances can you name, off the top of your head, where the MCs are men of that age? Not many, right? Now, why is that?
We love our young, bright, gorgeous, fit guys of twenty-something. We love our covers revealing bare chests and lean torsos, handsome, young faces...
While I was writing that book, I was conscious of one really important thing. I wanted the men to be true to their age. I didn't want them to act like schoolboys. And I think I did that. Some of the reviewers are commenting on just that.
"Absolutely wonderful story!! It’s so incredible to read a MM story with mature MCs that ACT and TALK like mature men and not like teenagers. The situations and issues were also very spot on for mature characters."
But here's the thing. Mature men on a book cover? In the story? Are not everyone's cup of tea, as we say over here in the UK. Like I said, we like our gorgeous, young, fit men.
So this year, be different. Take a chance. Read a story about mature guys finding love. And if you like hot scenes, yeah, you'll find those in there too. (I couldn't keep these two apart :P )
And I know I'm not the only one who's writing these characters. Devon McCormack, Felice Stevens, Christina Lee...
For 2018, take a chance on second-chance - or even third-chance - love, and lose yourself in a story for the season...
I've always been a big kid when it came to Christmas, but I have to admit, until the last few years, I never realized that people brought out stories too.
And what a wealth of stories! There are angels, grumpy mall Santas, soldiers, dancers, elves... you name it, there's a book out there that covers it.
My first Christmas story was Connections, a tale of two men on a train, going to the same college reunion - and both facing up to a massive dose of unrequited love.
Saving Jason wasn't your average Christmas tale - it centred around the homeless in NYC, I recall asking my Facebook friends for Christmas-y things to do in NYC - lots of them found their way into the story.
And then last year, I had the idea for A Christmas Promise, a story of a man who finds a beaten up stranger left in the snow - and that's when things get weird.
The story finished in time for Christmas, but there were one or two loose ends - namely, the bad guys. Of course, I got the messages demanding to know if they got what was coming to them, and why didn't I finish the story later?
Because in real life, it could have been six months to a year before they got to trial. Plus, I'd set the story in Wyoming, where there is no hate crime legislature. The story needed to end at Christmas. And then...
Yeah, you know what happened, don't you?
I had an idea. Why not write a sequel?
Show what happened to the bad guys, show how Micah and Greg got on with their lives... and something was tugging at me.
Joshua, Micah's dad, who'd played such an integral role in the story. Joshua, in his late forties, a widower, whose first love had been a boy - and who he'd lost when their families separated them. Joshua, who'd been happily married for over twenty years... what if he found love again?
That was it. I had my Christmas story for 2018. The Law of Miracles. And again, it wasn't your average Christmas tale.
What made it different?
My main characters were both mature men, forty-seven and fifty years old. Men who knew what it was to love someone and lose them. Men who were wary of making mistakes. And the key word in all that is... mature.
How many gay romances can you name, off the top of your head, where the MCs are men of that age? Not many, right? Now, why is that?
We love our young, bright, gorgeous, fit guys of twenty-something. We love our covers revealing bare chests and lean torsos, handsome, young faces...
While I was writing that book, I was conscious of one really important thing. I wanted the men to be true to their age. I didn't want them to act like schoolboys. And I think I did that. Some of the reviewers are commenting on just that.
"Absolutely wonderful story!! It’s so incredible to read a MM story with mature MCs that ACT and TALK like mature men and not like teenagers. The situations and issues were also very spot on for mature characters."
But here's the thing. Mature men on a book cover? In the story? Are not everyone's cup of tea, as we say over here in the UK. Like I said, we like our gorgeous, young, fit men.
So this year, be different. Take a chance. Read a story about mature guys finding love. And if you like hot scenes, yeah, you'll find those in there too. (I couldn't keep these two apart :P )
And I know I'm not the only one who's writing these characters. Devon McCormack, Felice Stevens, Christina Lee...
For 2018, take a chance on second-chance - or even third-chance - love, and lose yourself in a story for the season...
July 29, 2018
Reflecting the South
Yeah, I have a new book coming out.
August 3rd, actually. Truth & Betrayal
It's set mainly in Tennessee, with parts in Georgia and North Carolina.
And I'm nervous. The cover might give you an indication why that is. And then there's the blurb...
All the light went out of Jake’s life when his older brother Caleb died in a traffic accident. Getting through the aftermath was always going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but finding out that the tall stranger at the graveside was the one driving the car? At least Jake now has a target for all the rage inside him. Because the man responsible for stealing Caleb’s light from the world has no right to intrude on their grief.
Liam had known deep down that it was a mistake to go to Tennessee, but he’d hoped saying goodbye to Caleb would ease the pain inside him. The hostile reception from Caleb’s family and friends comes as no surprise, and Liam flees before things get ugly. They obviously know nothing of Caleb’s life in Atlanta, and maybe it’s better that way. Caleb’s secrets can die with him.
When Jake turns up at Caleb’s apartment to collect his brother’s possessions, what he discovers is the first shock in what is to be a series of revelations, turning Jake’s world upside down. New knowledge brings fresh pain and anguish.
Jake isn’t the only one who’s hurting…
When I decided to write this book, I knew straight away I'd need help. Because no way was I going to write it without having someone read it who knew the South.
I put out a request for someone to beta read.
I got three replies.
To give you an idea of how that worked out, I asked them to put their thoughts down....
"Whenever I hear that an author who is not from the South plans to write a book based in the South, I get nervous. There is the fear that they will be showing the worst of who we are without any consideration of the big picture. The fear that it will end up being some type of colloquialism-filled stereotype, almost like a literary version of “Hee-Haw.” There are loads of negatives that can easily be pulled out of Southern culture, even more so when writing a gay romance. This is why I was a bit hesitant when I realized that a British author was going to dive into Southern culture.
It doesn’t matter how much you like the author – if they attack your people, then it will raise your hackles. It’s like how you feel about family. You can talk badly about them but get very defensive when someone outside your family says the same thing about them. Many Southerners are very well aware of the bad things that are present in our culture. It is still very frustrating to hear outsiders characterize an entire group of people based upon stereotypes.
KC Wells handled this issue really well. By taking on beta readers from the region, I felt that she was aware of these concerns and wanted to address them head on. There were a few instances of one too many colloquialisms but she took it to heart when we pointed that out. Then, in future chapters, we see her embracing the colloquialisms as a way to enhance the dialogue instead of just being the dialogue. Because that’s how we speak.
At various points in the story, I found myself so immersed in the dialogue and setting that I would forget that it wasn’t written by someone from the region. It would almost startle me to imagine a British person writing in the UK with such dedication to Southern culture that the words flow on the pages in a way that makes it seem so authentic.
One of the things that might catch folks off guard about this book is how the dialogue is written. It is written true to form. It makes the reader “hear” how the words are being said. There are more contractions than you can shake a stick at. (I imagine that by the time this book was done, the apostrophe button on KC’s keyboard was begging for mercy.) But that dialogue helps you to feel immersed in the story.
I think that some people may have difficulty embracing the dialogue because it will seem connived or fake. It is not. I promise you that I could hear their voices as much as if I was watching a scene unfold in real life in front of me. It might be difficult for people to roll with it and embrace the language used when it seems so different. Here is my tip for you – When I read very authentic British books by British authors, I put on my British hat. I get a cup of hot tea and sit down to read knowing that I am not going to be familiar with all the phrases and word usage. I would encourage you to take this approach with this book. Maybe get a glass of iced cold sweet tea and let yourself escape into the world that is created instead of trying to wrap your mind around how the words should be written. Or, heaven help, what is grammatically proper. We don’t speak that way.
Someone with Jake’s background would never, ever worry about being grammatically accurate. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee and lived in small towns in the South for most of my life. It took years and years of college to unlearn the way that I spoke growing up. It goes against nature in some ways to avoid slang and tone down the accent. If someone wasn’t faced with working in a professional career outside of a small rural town, they wouldn’t have the need to worry about those things.
I think that Southerners will appreciate the care taken with this book. The authenticity of it and the way different topics were handled. I also think it’s a great way for folks who are not from the South to see how different issues are handled in this region.
And for anyone who argues that it is not authentic or that it plays on the stereotypes without respecting reality, I would vehemently disagree. I went through this entire book with a fine tooth comb, not even worrying about whether my comments would be kind to the author. I wanted to have the South respected and written realistically, even at the risk of alienating someone whose work I truly love. I stood up for things I was worried about the same as I would stand up to anyone who makes sweeping generalizations about the South. If KC wasn’t worried about how it would come across, she surely wouldn’t have asked for – and embraced! – suggestions from a pushy beta reader who would correct every little thing that didn’t sound quite right to my ears. (Because when you read it, you are hearing the dialogue as sure as you are actually reading words on a page.) But they say the proof is in the pudding, so read it for yourself." Megan T.
"I was awed at how quickly and accurately you picked up on the southern accent and slang. Was it hard to read? Extremely. Not only because the grammar is so bad, but because I couldn’t help wondering, is this how my friends across the country hear me? It bothered me to a point that I had to take a break and read from the beginning. I had to wrap my head around the fact, that as a college graduate, I learned the same English language as the rest of the country, but we fall into bad habits. Learned behavior is hard to break. This book does not exaggerate our accent at all.
One last thought. I grew up poor. We lived in what was known as the bad part of Columbia, because only a street divided the whites from the blacks. I knew I looked different than the kids across the street, but they were my friends, making mud pies, them letting me ride their bikes because my family couldn’t afford one. My 5th birthday, momma threw me a party. All my friends, from across the road came, but when momma’s family started arriving, I could tell something was wrong. I vividly remember walking into the kitchen and hearing momma’s brother saying “either the Niggers go or we go”. I had never heard that word, but from momma’s reaction, I knew it was bad. She told him, she wouldn’t tolerate hate in her house, or around her family, and he was no longer welcome.
She kept that attitude her entire life Kc. Red, blue, straight, gay, it didn’t matter. I’m thankful everyday that I was born to someone who truly loved people. So yes, there are folks who “buck” the southern attitudes.
Thank you for showing folks, in such a true manner, what we live with day to day."
Cammey K
"Reading this book felt like I was talking among friends. Having been in the South my whole life and being from Tenn., It definitely had small town life down and the accents. The colloquialsms, the manners. And don't forget the iced tea 😉" Becca W
I could talk about the story... but that's for another day. 😉
August 3rd, actually. Truth & Betrayal
It's set mainly in Tennessee, with parts in Georgia and North Carolina.
And I'm nervous. The cover might give you an indication why that is. And then there's the blurb...
All the light went out of Jake’s life when his older brother Caleb died in a traffic accident. Getting through the aftermath was always going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but finding out that the tall stranger at the graveside was the one driving the car? At least Jake now has a target for all the rage inside him. Because the man responsible for stealing Caleb’s light from the world has no right to intrude on their grief.
Liam had known deep down that it was a mistake to go to Tennessee, but he’d hoped saying goodbye to Caleb would ease the pain inside him. The hostile reception from Caleb’s family and friends comes as no surprise, and Liam flees before things get ugly. They obviously know nothing of Caleb’s life in Atlanta, and maybe it’s better that way. Caleb’s secrets can die with him.
When Jake turns up at Caleb’s apartment to collect his brother’s possessions, what he discovers is the first shock in what is to be a series of revelations, turning Jake’s world upside down. New knowledge brings fresh pain and anguish.
Jake isn’t the only one who’s hurting…
When I decided to write this book, I knew straight away I'd need help. Because no way was I going to write it without having someone read it who knew the South.
I put out a request for someone to beta read.
I got three replies.
To give you an idea of how that worked out, I asked them to put their thoughts down....
"Whenever I hear that an author who is not from the South plans to write a book based in the South, I get nervous. There is the fear that they will be showing the worst of who we are without any consideration of the big picture. The fear that it will end up being some type of colloquialism-filled stereotype, almost like a literary version of “Hee-Haw.” There are loads of negatives that can easily be pulled out of Southern culture, even more so when writing a gay romance. This is why I was a bit hesitant when I realized that a British author was going to dive into Southern culture.
It doesn’t matter how much you like the author – if they attack your people, then it will raise your hackles. It’s like how you feel about family. You can talk badly about them but get very defensive when someone outside your family says the same thing about them. Many Southerners are very well aware of the bad things that are present in our culture. It is still very frustrating to hear outsiders characterize an entire group of people based upon stereotypes.
KC Wells handled this issue really well. By taking on beta readers from the region, I felt that she was aware of these concerns and wanted to address them head on. There were a few instances of one too many colloquialisms but she took it to heart when we pointed that out. Then, in future chapters, we see her embracing the colloquialisms as a way to enhance the dialogue instead of just being the dialogue. Because that’s how we speak.
At various points in the story, I found myself so immersed in the dialogue and setting that I would forget that it wasn’t written by someone from the region. It would almost startle me to imagine a British person writing in the UK with such dedication to Southern culture that the words flow on the pages in a way that makes it seem so authentic.
One of the things that might catch folks off guard about this book is how the dialogue is written. It is written true to form. It makes the reader “hear” how the words are being said. There are more contractions than you can shake a stick at. (I imagine that by the time this book was done, the apostrophe button on KC’s keyboard was begging for mercy.) But that dialogue helps you to feel immersed in the story.
I think that some people may have difficulty embracing the dialogue because it will seem connived or fake. It is not. I promise you that I could hear their voices as much as if I was watching a scene unfold in real life in front of me. It might be difficult for people to roll with it and embrace the language used when it seems so different. Here is my tip for you – When I read very authentic British books by British authors, I put on my British hat. I get a cup of hot tea and sit down to read knowing that I am not going to be familiar with all the phrases and word usage. I would encourage you to take this approach with this book. Maybe get a glass of iced cold sweet tea and let yourself escape into the world that is created instead of trying to wrap your mind around how the words should be written. Or, heaven help, what is grammatically proper. We don’t speak that way.
Someone with Jake’s background would never, ever worry about being grammatically accurate. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee and lived in small towns in the South for most of my life. It took years and years of college to unlearn the way that I spoke growing up. It goes against nature in some ways to avoid slang and tone down the accent. If someone wasn’t faced with working in a professional career outside of a small rural town, they wouldn’t have the need to worry about those things.
I think that Southerners will appreciate the care taken with this book. The authenticity of it and the way different topics were handled. I also think it’s a great way for folks who are not from the South to see how different issues are handled in this region.
And for anyone who argues that it is not authentic or that it plays on the stereotypes without respecting reality, I would vehemently disagree. I went through this entire book with a fine tooth comb, not even worrying about whether my comments would be kind to the author. I wanted to have the South respected and written realistically, even at the risk of alienating someone whose work I truly love. I stood up for things I was worried about the same as I would stand up to anyone who makes sweeping generalizations about the South. If KC wasn’t worried about how it would come across, she surely wouldn’t have asked for – and embraced! – suggestions from a pushy beta reader who would correct every little thing that didn’t sound quite right to my ears. (Because when you read it, you are hearing the dialogue as sure as you are actually reading words on a page.) But they say the proof is in the pudding, so read it for yourself." Megan T.
"I was awed at how quickly and accurately you picked up on the southern accent and slang. Was it hard to read? Extremely. Not only because the grammar is so bad, but because I couldn’t help wondering, is this how my friends across the country hear me? It bothered me to a point that I had to take a break and read from the beginning. I had to wrap my head around the fact, that as a college graduate, I learned the same English language as the rest of the country, but we fall into bad habits. Learned behavior is hard to break. This book does not exaggerate our accent at all.
One last thought. I grew up poor. We lived in what was known as the bad part of Columbia, because only a street divided the whites from the blacks. I knew I looked different than the kids across the street, but they were my friends, making mud pies, them letting me ride their bikes because my family couldn’t afford one. My 5th birthday, momma threw me a party. All my friends, from across the road came, but when momma’s family started arriving, I could tell something was wrong. I vividly remember walking into the kitchen and hearing momma’s brother saying “either the Niggers go or we go”. I had never heard that word, but from momma’s reaction, I knew it was bad. She told him, she wouldn’t tolerate hate in her house, or around her family, and he was no longer welcome.
She kept that attitude her entire life Kc. Red, blue, straight, gay, it didn’t matter. I’m thankful everyday that I was born to someone who truly loved people. So yes, there are folks who “buck” the southern attitudes.
Thank you for showing folks, in such a true manner, what we live with day to day."
Cammey K
"Reading this book felt like I was talking among friends. Having been in the South my whole life and being from Tenn., It definitely had small town life down and the accents. The colloquialsms, the manners. And don't forget the iced tea 😉" Becca W
I could talk about the story... but that's for another day. 😉
Reflecting the South
Yeah, I have a new book coming out.
August 3rd, actually. Truth & Betrayal
It's set mainly in Tennessee, with parts in Georgia and North Carolina.
And I'm nervous. The cover might give you an indication why that is. And then there's the blurb...
All the light went out of Jake’s life when his older brother Caleb died in a traffic accident. Getting through the aftermath was always going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but finding out that the tall stranger at the graveside was the one driving the car? At least Jake now has a target for all the rage inside him. Because the man responsible for stealing Caleb’s light from the world has no right to intrude on their grief.
Liam had known deep down that it was a mistake to go to Tennessee, but he’d hoped saying goodbye to Caleb would ease the pain inside him. The hostile reception from Caleb’s family and friends comes as no surprise, and Liam flees before things get ugly. They obviously know nothing of Caleb’s life in Atlanta, and maybe it’s better that way. Caleb’s secrets can die with him.
When Jake turns up at Caleb’s apartment to collect his brother’s possessions, what he discovers is the first shock in what is to be a series of revelations, turning Jake’s world upside down. New knowledge brings fresh pain and anguish.
Jake isn’t the only one who’s hurting…
When I decided to write this book, I knew straight away I'd need help. Because no way was I going to write it without having someone read it who knew the South.
I put out a request for someone to beta read.
I got three replies.
To give you an idea of how that worked out, I asked them to put their thoughts down....
"Whenever I hear that an author who is not from the South plans to write a book based in the South, I get nervous. There is the fear that they will be showing the worst of who we are without any consideration of the big picture. The fear that it will end up being some type of colloquialism-filled stereotype, almost like a literary version of “Hee-Haw.” There are loads of negatives that can easily be pulled out of Southern culture, even more so when writing a gay romance. This is why I was a bit hesitant when I realized that a British author was going to dive into Southern culture.
It doesn’t matter how much you like the author – if they attack your people, then it will raise your hackles. It’s like how you feel about family. You can talk badly about them but get very defensive when someone outside your family says the same thing about them. Many Southerners are very well aware of the bad things that are present in our culture. It is still very frustrating to hear outsiders characterize an entire group of people based upon stereotypes.
KC Wells handled this issue really well. By taking on beta readers from the region, I felt that she was aware of these concerns and wanted to address them head on. There were a few instances of one too many colloquialisms but she took it to heart when we pointed that out. Then, in future chapters, we see her embracing the colloquialisms as a way to enhance the dialogue instead of just being the dialogue. Because that’s how we speak.
At various points in the story, I found myself so immersed in the dialogue and setting that I would forget that it wasn’t written by someone from the region. It would almost startle me to imagine a British person writing in the UK with such dedication to Southern culture that the words flow on the pages in a way that makes it seem so authentic.
One of the things that might catch folks off guard about this book is how the dialogue is written. It is written true to form. It makes the reader “hear” how the words are being said. There are more contractions than you can shake a stick at. (I imagine that by the time this book was done, the apostrophe button on KC’s keyboard was begging for mercy.) But that dialogue helps you to feel immersed in the story.
I think that some people may have difficulty embracing the dialogue because it will seem connived or fake. It is not. I promise you that I could hear their voices as much as if I was watching a scene unfold in real life in front of me. It might be difficult for people to roll with it and embrace the language used when it seems so different. Here is my tip for you – When I read very authentic British books by British authors, I put on my British hat. I get a cup of hot tea and sit down to read knowing that I am not going to be familiar with all the phrases and word usage. I would encourage you to take this approach with this book. Maybe get a glass of iced cold sweet tea and let yourself escape into the world that is created instead of trying to wrap your mind around how the words should be written. Or, heaven help, what is grammatically proper. We don’t speak that way.
Someone with Jake’s background would never, ever worry about being grammatically accurate. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee and lived in small towns in the South for most of my life. It took years and years of college to unlearn the way that I spoke growing up. It goes against nature in some ways to avoid slang and tone down the accent. If someone wasn’t faced with working in a professional career outside of a small rural town, they wouldn’t have the need to worry about those things.
I think that Southerners will appreciate the care taken with this book. The authenticity of it and the way different topics were handled. I also think it’s a great way for folks who are not from the South to see how different issues are handled in this region.
And for anyone who argues that it is not authentic or that it plays on the stereotypes without respecting reality, I would vehemently disagree. I went through this entire book with a fine tooth comb, not even worrying about whether my comments would be kind to the author. I wanted to have the South respected and written realistically, even at the risk of alienated someone whose work I truly love. I stood up for things I was worried about the same as I would stand up to anyone who makes sweeping generalizations about the South. If KC wasn’t worried about how it would come across, she surely wouldn’t have asked for – and embraced! – suggestions from a pushy beta reader who would correct every little thing that didn’t sound quite right to my ears. (Because when you read it, you are hearing the dialogue as sure as you are actually reading words on a page.) But they say the proof is in the pudding, so read it for yourself." Megan T.
"I was awed at how quickly and accurately you picked up on the southern accent and slang. Was it hard to read? Extremely. Not only because the grammar is so bad, but because I couldn’t help wondering, is this how my friends across the country hear me? It bothered me to a point that I had to take a break and read from the beginning. I had to wrap my head around the fact, that as a college graduate, I learned the same English language as the rest of the country, but we fall into bad habits. Learned behavior is hard to break. This book does not exaggerate our accent at all.
One last thought. I grew up poor. We lived in what was known as the bad part of Columbia, because only a street divided the whites from the blacks. I knew I looked different than the kids across the street, but they were my friends, making mud pies, them letting me ride their bikes because my family couldn’t afford one. My 5th birthday, momma threw me a party. All my friends, from across the road came, but when momma’s family started arriving, I could tell something was wrong. I vividly remember walking into the kitchen and hearing momma’s brother saying “either the Niggers go or we go”. I had never heard that word, but from momma’s reaction, I knew it was bad. She told him, she wouldn’t tolerate hate in her house, or around her family, and he was no longer welcome.
She kept that attitude her entire life Kc. Red, blue, straight, gay, it didn’t matter. I’m thankful everyday that I was born to someone who truly loved people. So yes, there are folks who “buck” the southern attitudes.
Thank you for showing folks, in such a true manner, what we live with day to day."
Cammey K
"Reading this book felt like I was talking among friends. Having been thing the South my whole life and being from Tenn., It definitely had small town life down and the accents. The colloquialsms, the manners. And don't forget the iced tea 😉" Becca W
I could talk about the story... but that's for another day. 😉
August 3rd, actually. Truth & Betrayal
It's set mainly in Tennessee, with parts in Georgia and North Carolina.
And I'm nervous. The cover might give you an indication why that is. And then there's the blurb...
All the light went out of Jake’s life when his older brother Caleb died in a traffic accident. Getting through the aftermath was always going to be the hardest thing he’d ever done, but finding out that the tall stranger at the graveside was the one driving the car? At least Jake now has a target for all the rage inside him. Because the man responsible for stealing Caleb’s light from the world has no right to intrude on their grief.
Liam had known deep down that it was a mistake to go to Tennessee, but he’d hoped saying goodbye to Caleb would ease the pain inside him. The hostile reception from Caleb’s family and friends comes as no surprise, and Liam flees before things get ugly. They obviously know nothing of Caleb’s life in Atlanta, and maybe it’s better that way. Caleb’s secrets can die with him.
When Jake turns up at Caleb’s apartment to collect his brother’s possessions, what he discovers is the first shock in what is to be a series of revelations, turning Jake’s world upside down. New knowledge brings fresh pain and anguish.
Jake isn’t the only one who’s hurting…
When I decided to write this book, I knew straight away I'd need help. Because no way was I going to write it without having someone read it who knew the South.
I put out a request for someone to beta read.
I got three replies.
To give you an idea of how that worked out, I asked them to put their thoughts down....
"Whenever I hear that an author who is not from the South plans to write a book based in the South, I get nervous. There is the fear that they will be showing the worst of who we are without any consideration of the big picture. The fear that it will end up being some type of colloquialism-filled stereotype, almost like a literary version of “Hee-Haw.” There are loads of negatives that can easily be pulled out of Southern culture, even more so when writing a gay romance. This is why I was a bit hesitant when I realized that a British author was going to dive into Southern culture.
It doesn’t matter how much you like the author – if they attack your people, then it will raise your hackles. It’s like how you feel about family. You can talk badly about them but get very defensive when someone outside your family says the same thing about them. Many Southerners are very well aware of the bad things that are present in our culture. It is still very frustrating to hear outsiders characterize an entire group of people based upon stereotypes.
KC Wells handled this issue really well. By taking on beta readers from the region, I felt that she was aware of these concerns and wanted to address them head on. There were a few instances of one too many colloquialisms but she took it to heart when we pointed that out. Then, in future chapters, we see her embracing the colloquialisms as a way to enhance the dialogue instead of just being the dialogue. Because that’s how we speak.
At various points in the story, I found myself so immersed in the dialogue and setting that I would forget that it wasn’t written by someone from the region. It would almost startle me to imagine a British person writing in the UK with such dedication to Southern culture that the words flow on the pages in a way that makes it seem so authentic.
One of the things that might catch folks off guard about this book is how the dialogue is written. It is written true to form. It makes the reader “hear” how the words are being said. There are more contractions than you can shake a stick at. (I imagine that by the time this book was done, the apostrophe button on KC’s keyboard was begging for mercy.) But that dialogue helps you to feel immersed in the story.
I think that some people may have difficulty embracing the dialogue because it will seem connived or fake. It is not. I promise you that I could hear their voices as much as if I was watching a scene unfold in real life in front of me. It might be difficult for people to roll with it and embrace the language used when it seems so different. Here is my tip for you – When I read very authentic British books by British authors, I put on my British hat. I get a cup of hot tea and sit down to read knowing that I am not going to be familiar with all the phrases and word usage. I would encourage you to take this approach with this book. Maybe get a glass of iced cold sweet tea and let yourself escape into the world that is created instead of trying to wrap your mind around how the words should be written. Or, heaven help, what is grammatically proper. We don’t speak that way.
Someone with Jake’s background would never, ever worry about being grammatically accurate. I grew up in a small town in Tennessee and lived in small towns in the South for most of my life. It took years and years of college to unlearn the way that I spoke growing up. It goes against nature in some ways to avoid slang and tone down the accent. If someone wasn’t faced with working in a professional career outside of a small rural town, they wouldn’t have the need to worry about those things.
I think that Southerners will appreciate the care taken with this book. The authenticity of it and the way different topics were handled. I also think it’s a great way for folks who are not from the South to see how different issues are handled in this region.
And for anyone who argues that it is not authentic or that it plays on the stereotypes without respecting reality, I would vehemently disagree. I went through this entire book with a fine tooth comb, not even worrying about whether my comments would be kind to the author. I wanted to have the South respected and written realistically, even at the risk of alienated someone whose work I truly love. I stood up for things I was worried about the same as I would stand up to anyone who makes sweeping generalizations about the South. If KC wasn’t worried about how it would come across, she surely wouldn’t have asked for – and embraced! – suggestions from a pushy beta reader who would correct every little thing that didn’t sound quite right to my ears. (Because when you read it, you are hearing the dialogue as sure as you are actually reading words on a page.) But they say the proof is in the pudding, so read it for yourself." Megan T.
"I was awed at how quickly and accurately you picked up on the southern accent and slang. Was it hard to read? Extremely. Not only because the grammar is so bad, but because I couldn’t help wondering, is this how my friends across the country hear me? It bothered me to a point that I had to take a break and read from the beginning. I had to wrap my head around the fact, that as a college graduate, I learned the same English language as the rest of the country, but we fall into bad habits. Learned behavior is hard to break. This book does not exaggerate our accent at all.
One last thought. I grew up poor. We lived in what was known as the bad part of Columbia, because only a street divided the whites from the blacks. I knew I looked different than the kids across the street, but they were my friends, making mud pies, them letting me ride their bikes because my family couldn’t afford one. My 5th birthday, momma threw me a party. All my friends, from across the road came, but when momma’s family started arriving, I could tell something was wrong. I vividly remember walking into the kitchen and hearing momma’s brother saying “either the Niggers go or we go”. I had never heard that word, but from momma’s reaction, I knew it was bad. She told him, she wouldn’t tolerate hate in her house, or around her family, and he was no longer welcome.
She kept that attitude her entire life Kc. Red, blue, straight, gay, it didn’t matter. I’m thankful everyday that I was born to someone who truly loved people. So yes, there are folks who “buck” the southern attitudes.
Thank you for showing folks, in such a true manner, what we live with day to day."
Cammey K
"Reading this book felt like I was talking among friends. Having been thing the South my whole life and being from Tenn., It definitely had small town life down and the accents. The colloquialsms, the manners. And don't forget the iced tea 😉" Becca W
I could talk about the story... but that's for another day. 😉
January 24, 2018
New - and Scary
Well, I finally did it.
I finished my first MF contemporary romance.
I've been working on this for a while, and after Christmas, I decided to get it done.
I am SO nervous about this.
Okay, so I've been writing for nearly six years. (Next month, actually.)
Okay, so I've got somewhere between thirty-five and forty books out there.
THIS is scary.
Why?
Because I'm basically starting from scratch.
I am suddenly a teeny, teeny, tiny fish in an OCEAN of romance writers, most of whom have been doing this for years, are NYT bestselling authors, household names...
When I started writing Pulled by a Dream, I knew exactly what I wanted. A strong, independent heroine. A strong male lead. A good story. Strong secondary characters.
And now that it's finished, yeah, I'm happy with it.
Only now, the waiting begins...
I've sent out fifteen advance copies. That doesn't sound like much, but these are readers I know and trust, who read both MM and MF.
I'm hopefully participating in a review tour later next month.
And... the book is finally on Amazon and Goodreads. Not only that - it has two reviews!
So what am I doing now?
Keeping my head down, writing the next book in the Secrets series, and trying NOT to see if someone has reviewed it. (Yeah, total wuss. LOL )
So... without further ado... may I introduce to you...
Kathryn Greenway
I wanted to publish under my real name, but would you believe it, there are already EIGHT romance authors going by that name!
On February 1st, send a kind thought in my direction? I'll be the one sitting in the UK, trying not to bite her nails.
I finished my first MF contemporary romance.
I've been working on this for a while, and after Christmas, I decided to get it done.
I am SO nervous about this.
Okay, so I've been writing for nearly six years. (Next month, actually.)
Okay, so I've got somewhere between thirty-five and forty books out there.
THIS is scary.
Why?
Because I'm basically starting from scratch.
I am suddenly a teeny, teeny, tiny fish in an OCEAN of romance writers, most of whom have been doing this for years, are NYT bestselling authors, household names...
When I started writing Pulled by a Dream, I knew exactly what I wanted. A strong, independent heroine. A strong male lead. A good story. Strong secondary characters.
And now that it's finished, yeah, I'm happy with it.
Only now, the waiting begins...
I've sent out fifteen advance copies. That doesn't sound like much, but these are readers I know and trust, who read both MM and MF.
I'm hopefully participating in a review tour later next month.
And... the book is finally on Amazon and Goodreads. Not only that - it has two reviews!
So what am I doing now?
Keeping my head down, writing the next book in the Secrets series, and trying NOT to see if someone has reviewed it. (Yeah, total wuss. LOL )
So... without further ado... may I introduce to you...
Kathryn Greenway
I wanted to publish under my real name, but would you believe it, there are already EIGHT romance authors going by that name!
On February 1st, send a kind thought in my direction? I'll be the one sitting in the UK, trying not to bite her nails.
