Lex Chase's Blog, page 22

Happy New Year! Looking Back On 2014!

It’s 2015! Where Are The Flying Cars!

Where are the flying cars? I was promised flying cars!

Hello Internet, it’s that time for the obligatory recap of last year and plans for the new year. Hey! Everyone else is doing it.

My year started off a little slow, and then barreled like a freight train into new experiences and opportunities at the tail end.

 January:

On New Year’s Day 2014, the final Checkmate novella Conventional Love hit the shelves. It was a milestone for me for seeing a series through to the end. It was also a bit of an odd grieving process, because it was the last time I’d be writing Rook and Garth ever again. (Or so I thought.) I had grown to love the dumb boys and their wacky hijinks. Garth being so excited about everything omgomgomgomg and Rook playing it cool, collected, yet his own geekiness for all things 1980s.

Their relationship wasn’t a conventional May/December but more of a Millennial/Baby Boomer with a small catch. It was a fun experiment with going balls to the wall with the pop culture via Garth, and Rook just standing back and blinking.

I will always be thankful to Elizabeth North and the Dreamspinner Press Crew for taking a chance on such a weird, quirky, little series.

February:

At the end of February, I was a guest at Pensacon. As a first year convention, the organizers set out to create something awesome for my town. There had been a few hiccups along the way. But overall, a good time. I met some folks that I would have otherwise never crossed paths with and came away with lasting friendships.

I also met Mackenzie Lintz, who plays Norrie on the TV adaptation of Under the Dome. In the show, when the dome comes down, it splits a cow in half. Like so. Gross. But awesome:

This awesome scene inspired me to make my own split cow plushie. It was a gift for my Mom. And it was my goal to get a picture of Mackenzie with the cow. She lost it when I showed it to her.

Lex, Mackenzie, and Lucky the Cow

 

I’ve had to call off Pensacon this year, but we’ll see for 2016. I’m definitely going as a fan because oh em gee Mira Furlan (aka Rousseau in Lost) will be there and I might fall all over myself.

April:

April, my second novel, Americana Fairy Tale, was contracted from Dreamspinner Press. Americana was the first novel I had done that broke the 100k mark. I was pretty shocked by the feat. I also learned by keeping track of my outline I could estimate what types of scenes would average how many words. “Talky Scenes” as I called them ran about 2,500 words. Fight scenes ran about 4k a pop. And Final Battle Sequences spanned about four chapters.

I also learned to dread the phrase in my outline of “They tussle.” Because that ended up being my shorthand for “Haha! Time for 5k of FIST TO FACE. GOOD LUCK SUCKER!”

Also, I got to cut my teeth on writing a story that 99.9% of the book took place inside a truck and trying to make it not look like talking heads.

June:

In June, I had my first appointment with a plastic surgeon about getting a breast reduction. This is something that was ten years in the making, and finally it was time. I was a wreck thinking the doctor would tell me no, or somehow the my insurance wouldn’t cover it, or it would be waaaaay too expensive. Just something would mess it all up.

Not only did I get the a-ok from the doctor, I learned that if the insurance approved the surgery I had a six month window to get it done. Pretty much the doctor said yes, but the rest was a waiting game to see if the insurance would be on board.

It was like every Christmas I ever wanted.

July:

Chasing Sunrise, Book One of the Darkmore Saga came out with Dreamspinner Press. It hit some controversy right off the bat with people thinking Sevon on the cover was a woman. Some even accused DSP of pulling a bait and switch on readers without even reading the book.

The Darkmore Saga was a definite departure from Checkmate. Checkmate was quirky and fun. Darkmore Saga deals with domestic violence amid a paranormal setting. It’s story of tragedy, horrific violence, desperation, horror, genocide, even cannibalism, but yet hope and light.

I made a joke with promoing the book with the hashtag #BTWROMANCENOVEL even of Chasing Sunrise wasn’t the standard romance.

I knew it would be a story that would divide readers. Those that read and really loved it and those that read it and hated ever second of it. I went in prepared I wasn’t going to please everyone with this series. And when that proved to be true, I didn’t get the least bent out of shape about it.

Did I hope the book would be a runaway hit? Oh, of course I did! But I made sure to keep that hope to myself.

The good news out of all of it though was readers were really fond of Sevon, despite the urge to smack him with a clue-by-four. And they really enjoyed his elaborate gowns. Readers also fell in love with Jack, which was the point. Many had said to me that Jack was their happy place, and think about him when they’re upset. I actually do too.

Also Chasing Sunrise featured the first time the editing team as well as a selection of readers almost revolted over a particular character death. I had to assure them all when I wrote the scene, I was pretty much melting the fuck down too. Even editing it made me cry again. And reading it in the galley also fucked up my face.

 August:

Around August, my plastic surgeon called, and gave me the fantastic news that my insurance approved my breast reduction. The next sentence out of her mouth was getting me on the schedule for surgery and she had this date and that one and this one over here and what would be good for me.

I’m not going to lie, once she said insurance gave the okay, I went off into this weird lala land where I was too excited to know surgery was a real thing that was really happening. I think I said something, and she suggested October 15th. It clicked in and I came back to earth to explain to her I was kind of sort of be in Chicago with 400 of my closest friends at GRL. So something else was said, and we agreed on November.

Once I hung up, I commenced running in circles and screaming like an excited five year old.

September:

September arrived, and Americana Fairy Tale hit the shelves. I was 100% this book would absolutely bomb. What? Dude princesses? What? Redneck huntsmen? What? Road Trip? What? Americana? What in the seven levels of what is this?

Turns out, it was my biggest hit. Hitting bestseller lists in Amazon.de, Amazon.uk, and sat on the bubble on Amazon.com but never cracked the top 100. I hit the bestsellers list on Dreamspinner itself. I didn’t even know about it until someone told me. I had long given up looking if I’d be there, and lo and behold.

My Mom and Dad were down in Homestead, Florida for the Championship NASCAR race and I called them to share the news. My mother’s first reaction was “That’s nice. Did you clean the cat box?”

Lol. Mom.

I also learned according to readers Corentin Devereaux, the redneck huntsman, was the sexiest alpha male to walk the planet. Considering I have Corentin living in my head and know all of his gross habits, this still baffles me. Yes. He’s likeable and charming. But dude’s truck is a cesspit, and he picks the gunk out from under his fingernails with knives.

Likewise, I learned there is a small ravenous contingent that is madly in love with Taylor’s brother Atticus and are determined for him to have his own happily ever after. Considering Atticus takes up a lot of real estate in the book, I was very concerned with making him interesting enough. Well. Consider that mission accomplished!

October:

Courtesy of Madison Parker Photography

October was the epic month were pretty much everything happened.

I indeed went off to GRL. When my plane touched down in Chicago, I got the call from my plastic surgeon that they had an option of moving up my surgery to October 30th. The week after GRL. The event I was in my limo and going to at that second. I said yes. Which in turn involved not touching anything because I couldn’t afford to get sick.

This time at GRL I went as a featured author for the first time. I read from Americana Fairy Tale, which I had practiced and abridged until I had the damned thing memorized. I took a cue from my old art school days to emote the characters and really get into it, instead of just standing there and reciting.

I read with Jacob Flores and Clare London. Jacob was one of my big inspirations about reading in the first place, and I was freaking out about embarrassing myself in front of him. He was really helpful in building my confidence. Clare brought levity to the whole thing with her sass and wisecracks.

My Mom was also there, and recorded the reading on her new superduper shiny Galaxy tablet. Which she later accidentally deleted. Forever. OOPS.

While I was at GRL, I got the notice that I got the contract for Glass Moon, the second book in the Darkmore Saga. I came close to crying. I was in the middle of a blogger panel and I didn’t want to be a freak about it. I was pretty nervous about it, because it really amped up the survival horror aspect also there’s werespiders. Were. Spiders. I am pumped.

Post-Surgery and Suuuuper Drugged WOO!

Back home, it was surgery time. The night before, I melted the fuck down. I was so scared and upset because I had never done a major surgery before. Mom said we could call it off, but I said it was too late now. So, the next morning at 6:30am off I went. I came home 6:30pm that night missing a little over four pounds off my chest. I went from a JJ to a C.

It’s definitely been a life changing experience. And I’m slowly getting my thoughts together to form a more coherent blog series about it for women looking to go through it.

I have also learned I am a terrible patient. I can never just laze about. I always have to be doing something. I constantly thought I had more energy than I did. Well. Nope!

December:

And then December happened. And I got accepted into DSP Publications just 14 days ago. So that is all super new still. I still haven’t told everyone yet. My first release under DSP Publications is a paperback anthology of Checkmate with Pawn Takes Rook, Cashing the Reality Check, Conventional Love, and the all new story Miracle In Axis City coming December 2015.

Not lying. I go through phases of being over the moon excited and then phases of utterly terrified.

Chris T. Kat Presents Swordplay

Swordplay: A Jeff Woods Mystery by Chris T. Kat from Dreamspinner Press

Buy

Dreamspinner Press:

eBook

Paperback
Blurb:

After leaving his dream job as an Atlantic City detective, Jeff Woods has moved to Washington DC with his life partner Alex Fisher and Alex’s disabled little brother Sean. Parker Trenkins, Jeff’s ex-partner on the force, has made the move as well, along with his significant other David. Jeff and Parker partner up once again, but in a new way, as owners of their own detective agency.

Life is difficult at the best of times. Sean loses sight in one of his eyes, a direct result of being pushed into the Atlantic by a homicidal maniac a year ago. In his struggle to deal with everything, a restless Alex enrolls in Tai Chi classes at a nearby school.

As it happens, a murder case Jeff and Parker take involves the head of that very Tai Chi School, Charles Cooper. Cooper is a suspect in the murder of a financial corporation official. He appears to have motive. Jeff and Parker’s investigation arouses the real killer’s interest, and if they don’t uncover his identity soon, it may be too late for them.

Excerpt from Chapter One:

“Earth to Jeff. Someone in there?” Parker was standing next to me, waving his hand in front of my face.

“Fuck off, Parker.”

“Wow. Remind me not to talk to you before you’ve had decent caffeine input. Now, come on, why are you so tired? I’m your new shrink, remember?” Parker blinked his blue eyes at me in mock-offense, flipping a lock of black hair back.

I snorted. Coffee aroma filled the air, and the water bubbled enticingly. After rubbing my hands over my eyes, I leaned back in the chair and looked up at him. The man drove me crazy on a daily basis, but he was my best friend—right after Alex, my lover, of course.

“Oh boy, this is going to be a long story, isn’t it? Hang on, I need to sit down.” With a theatrical flourish, he heeled a chair closer and fell onto it with gleeful expectation written all over his face.

“Sean’s going to lose sight in his left eye.”

Parker’s mouth dropped open, and for a long time neither of us said anything. I stared at him, wondering whether I should’ve cushioned my words a bit. His jaw muscles tightened, and he worked hard to get words out of his mouth. I’d probably worn a similar expression yesterday when Alex broke the news to me after the visit with the eye specialist. Sean was only seven years old—only seven. Didn’t he’d already suffer enough with his cerebral palsy?

“You can’t just drop a bomb like that without giving me fair warning,” Parker protested.

I shrugged. “Sorry.”

“Are you sure?”

I gave a curt nod. My eyes stung stupidly. Alex had tried so hard to keep it together, but in the end he’d wept for hours, cuddled up against me. He’d cried endlessly for his little brother and what he had to go through. I’d feared he’d make himself sick—which he had, but only once—and when he’d finally fallen asleep, I’d lain awake in our bed, helpless and hurting.

“What about another opinion? Maybe—”

“Parker, that was the third opinion. We noticed he was getting clumsier and he was losing focus on his left side. His sight in that eye has gone down to ten percent, and it won’t take long for the rest to vanish too. We’ll cope.”

Whether I wanted to reassure myself or Parker didn’t really matter, did it? At least I’d had enough presence of mind not to throw that platitude around when I talked to Alex. He never bought into any of them. Parker, however, did from time to time.

“Does Sean know?”

Pain closed like a vise around my throat, and I coughed in a deliberate attempt to get rid of it. “Yes. We explained it to him.”

“How did he react?”

I grimaced. “He was worried about his other eye, but the doc said it was okay. Sean’s main concerns were if he was still allowed to go to school and if we’d still love him.”

I bolted from the chair, choking on my last words, and stalked over to the coffeemaker. I poured milk into Parker’s mug, added two spoonfuls of sugar, then attempted to grab the glass carafe. My hands shook.

Parker materialized next to me, nudged me aside, and filled our mugs. I was still blinking against the wetness in my eyes. Maybe it was a good thing I’d had no time for breakfast earlier. I wasn’t sure if it would’ve stayed down anyway. Alex hadn’t even tried to eat this morning. He’d been white as a sheet when I left. I hadn’t wanted to come to work, but the money had to come in from somewhere and—

Chris T. Kat

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Links:

Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com

Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat

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

Amazon author page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

Flash Fiction Friday: Zee Kensington and Tape

Hello Internet! Lex here! Welcome back to Flash Fiction Friday! Today we have Zee Kensington and her fantastic holiday entry “Tape.” Sometimes the greatest mishaps are what brings a family together. Bring the tissues!

 

Tape
By Zee Kensington

 

“Don’t tell him… I put his letter to Santa in the paper shredder.”

“You didn’t!” Darrel looked up from the present he was wrapping, his angular features twisted in horror.

Mark nodded slowly, his brown eyes shiny with remorse behind his glasses. He held up a wastebasket filled with shredded paper. Red and green streaks—the remains of cheerful crayon drawings—were clearly visible amid the snowy white ribbons.

“Oh, Mark!” Darrel covered his mouth with both hands. “How could you?”

“I didn’t see it!” Mark blurted. “Miguel must have snuck into my office and left it on the shredding pile instead of the to-do pile.”

“You really expect a six-year-old to understand your desk organization system?” Darrel shot his husband a withering look.

Mark dropped the waste can. “No, but I expect his dad—who’s here with him all day—to be able to keep him out of the one room he’s not supposed to go into!”

Darrel’s eyes narrowed, his mouth already forming a retort. Then he shut it again and took a deep, calming breath.

“OK. This is both our faults. We’re not used to having a kid around yet.”

Mark nodded in agreement, his own anger melting into guilt. He knelt down by the can, fishing out the colorful pieces.

“This is Miguel’s first Christmas with us,” Mark said sadly, “I wanted the Santa thing to be special, especially since he’s having a hard enough time believing he’s real.”

“Four years in foster care can do that to a kid,” Darrel murmured. He took some of the pieces Mark had rescued and smoothed them out, trying to piece them together.

“If this is a sign of things to come, I’m going to be such a lousy Dad.”

Darrel looked up from the fragments of the letter, taking in the doubt and disappointment etched on his husband’s face. He’d seen that look so many times during the years-long journey of their adoption process. He’d hoped it would disappear now that their son was finally home with them for good, but it seemed more common now that they were tackling the truly hard part—being parents day-to-day.

Darrel took Mark’s hand in his, and pressed a kiss to his knuckles.

“You’re going to be an amazing Dad. How many fathers dress up as Santa and let themselves be caught on Christmas Eve by their kid?”

“What do you—” Mark’s eyes widened as realization set in. “You want me to…?”

Darrel nodded, his hazel eyes twinkling. “He’ll love it!”

“He’s never going to believe it. I don’t look anything like Santa!”

“That’s what the costume and beard are for.”

“It’s too big a risk. If he finds out Santa is his new dad in a costume, he’ll never trust us again.”

“I’ll be there with him,” Darrel soothed. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t get too close.”

Mark looked like he was going to continue to argue, but instead, he shrugged, lips pursing thoughtfully.

“Okay then,” Mark finally said with an uncertain smile. “I’ll do it for my son.”

Darrel could see how much Mark loved saying that word—“son.” If this went well, this could truly be a special Christmas memory for their little family. And if it went badly…well, hopefully someday it would be a funny story. Hopefully.

“Our son.” Darrel squeezed Mark’s hand before letting it go. “Now, help me find the rest of his letter.”

“Hand me the tape, will you, love?”

Biography

Zee Kensington discovered a passion for writing erotica in her freshman year of college, and has been crafting sweet and sexy stories ever since. Inspired by her years working and playing in San Francisco’s LGBT community, she is especially drawn to tales that explore the joys and challenges of queer identities.

An almost-native Californian and a card-carrying geek, she currently lives in the SF Bay Area with her husband and toddler. When she’s not writing or catching up on her sleep she enjoys watching films, playing video games, experimenting in her kitchen, and dreaming of the day her son is old enough to travel the world with her.

Her first novel, Finally Home, is available through Dreamspinner Press.

Author Links

Blog: http://zeekensington.wordpress.com/

Facebook: http://facebook.com/zee.kensington

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ZeeKensington

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4563478.Zee_Kensington

Dreamspinner Press author page: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/index.php?cPath=558

Amazon author page: http://amazon.com/author/zeekensington

Lex Joins DSP Publications! What!

Let’s Dance!

Now that the dust has cleared, I’m pleased to announce I’ve been accepted into the Dreamspinner Press imprint DSP Publications! And I’ve been dancing about it for the last three days and annoying the crap out of my mother.

What does this mean? Well, quite a few things!

What is DSP Publications?

DSP Publications, or DSPP, is a mainstream imprint featuring characters that happen to be LGBTQ+ and romance is non-traditional, or not the focus, or not in the titles at all. And if anyone knows me I’m less about romance and more about EXPLOSIONS! (Caps Lock makes it awesome.) While my stories feature epic love, saving the day is far more important. My guys do find love, but they also realize relationships are not all unicorns and rainbows. When the honeymoon period is over and it turns into day to day life, shit gets real, real fast.

Plus stuff starts exploding and people start dying.

Not exactly what a typical romance reader signs up for. So this is a really good thing.

OMG Lex! What do you have coming out with DSPP?

Both the Darkmore Saga and Checkmate are being re-released under the DSPP line with a few not so small tweaks.

Checkmate, my superhero dramadey of Rook and Garth and all their misadventures in saving the day started out as a novella series. Well, the series ended on New Year’s Day 2013. The novellas are going to be bound into a print anthology, and not only that have a fourth all new Checkmate story added to the print edition. Oh yeah. You can expect the awesome in December 2015!

And the Darkmore Saga is probably facing the biggest changes. Chasing Sunrise will be hitting the shelves once again under the DSPP banner in 2016. Glass Moon? The sequel everyone has been waiting on that was scheduled in March 2015? Has been rescheduled until 2016. And readers won’t be seeing the final book Star Fall until 2017.

But Lex! What about Fairy Tales of the Open Road? Taylor! Corentin! Atticus!

Well hold onto your butts, life is about to get awesome. Fairy Tales of the Open Road is remaining with DSP, and probably will from here on out. Not only that, both the second book, Bayou Fairy Tale, and the final book Urban Fairy Tale will be hitting shelves in 2015. You will get to see the end of Taylor and Corentin’s journey, and perhaps the start of something new. Did someone say Atticus? Mwahahahahaaa.

What else do I need to know? Beside how awesome you are!

Aw, pssh. I want to thank my readers, each and every one of them who have been with me from day one. You guys make it all worth it. I may not be OMG Famous, but I’m honored my books have meant something to total strangers that have become fans and friends.

Stick with me, the wait will be long and complete torture (believe me! AUGH!) But it’ll be so worth it! Wait till you see what I got coming down the pipeline. Dystopian? And then Cyberpunk? Oh yeeeeessss.

T.S. Barnett Geeks Out About Geekonomicon

 

Hello to Lex’s readers! Lex was nice enough to let me use her blog to let out a little bit of anxiety and to tell you all about my new book. See, I’m attending my first convention as an author (in fact, since I’m writing this ahead of time, I’ll be sleeping off con exhaustion as you read this). This is super exciting for me, but also more than a little terrifying. There’s so much work!

I’m attending Geekonomicon in Biloxi, MS on Dec 12-14. It’s the first year this convention is running, so I’m expecting it to be a little small, maybe a little more friendly, and probably with a lot more hiccups than an established convention. So, basically, it will likely reflect my first con appearance quite nicely.

There is so much stuff you never think about when you first agree to work a convention. Wait, I need a tablecloth? What do you mean I’m going to need something to hold my books up so that people can actually see them? Now you’re saying I have to configure this Square thingy? Then I have to make sure I’ve got enough goodies to give away, change to put in the money box (don’t forget you need a money box), and a suitcase big enough to bring it all. Oh, and don’t forget to bring the actual books for sale.

It’s been a bit of a mess, and on top of everything I’ve also had my sewing skills put to the test by making my very first corset. It’s true–in addition to all of the usual stress that comes with working a convention, I’m doing it all in a corset.

Geekonomicon is an all-around geekery type of convention, but they’re attempting to break the Guinness World Record for the largest gathering of Steampunks, which is 185. As someone who’s been looking longingly from the sidelines at amazing Steampunk things for some time, I’m very excited to be participating. I’m legit. I have goggles and everything. I’ve also been breaking in these damn boots for two weeks. The things I put up with.

Overall, I’m exceptionally excited (and alliterative) about attending my first convention, and I hope to meet people, hand out some sweet swag, and have a blast. What’s the point of slaving away in front of a keyboard for months if you don’t even get a party out of it?

Now, my main reason for putting myself through all this: my new book!  I wrote A Soul’s Worth at the urging of an extremely steampunk-oriented friend, and I’m pretty sure she’s doing her best to pull me down the rabbit hole. I’m not sure yet if I mind. I’m really excited to share A Soul’s Worth with you guys. I think you’ll like it.

***

What started out as a means to support Warren Hayward and his secret lover, Ben, has now become a booming business with an ever-rising price. Warren makes a good living by selling startlingly lifelike automatons to the super-wealthy of Victorian London. The only problem is that they aren’t automatons at all. They’re golems given life by witchcraft–and each one costs a human soul.

Warren’s road is paved with good intentions, but blood is the price of keeping his love secret and safe, and demand is high. Ben is a London constable with a good heart and a steady moral compass at odds with Warren’s sliding scale of ethics. With the help of two loyal Irish thugs and his first accidental golem, Warren is building an empire and keeping its inner workings secret from the man he loves. The business will lead him into the hedonism and power of high society, and being in the spotlight can drive a man to do desperate things.

With secrets, blood, and dangerous magic taking over his life, Warren risks losing himself for the sake of his love. Is there room for humanity when your business is death, and can a man remember why he started a journey when he can no longer see the start?

Sound good? Check out an excerpt below!

“Mrs. Burnham, I assure you, there isn’t anything—”

“Don’t you tell me a lie!” she snapped. “I’ve seen your kind before. It’s an abomination is what it is, and it’s a disgrace. I had hoped to tell Sir Bennett directly and have you sacked, but I suppose it’s his absence that’s made you so shameless, hasn’t it? And that man dares wear a constable’s uniform, as though someone with his proclivities could be trusted! I didn’t want to get the authorities involved—I must think of the reputation of the neighborhood and of Sir Bennett. Doubtless he has no idea of the detestable crime being committed under his own roof.”

Warren could barely breathe. They’d been sloppy. Ben had been coming and going much more regularly since Sir Bennett’s unfortunate passing, and he’d been seen. Warren tried to say something, to deny, defend himself, make excuses, but he’d lost his voice. This woman could destroy him.

“With Sir Bennett away, I’ve no choice,” she continued, turning away from Warren to shuffle back to the front door. “This can’t be allowed to carry on any longer. The constabulary will deal with you and your abhorrent pastimes.”

Warren was in a panic. He could see everything crumbling in front of him—living in this house, seeing Ben whenever he pleased, being responsible to no one but himself—all because this woman had nothing better to do than eyeball people from her bedroom. She seemed to reach for the front door knob in slow motion. She would ruin him.

His hand found the silver candlestick almost of its own volition, and he flinched at the dull thud it made when the heavy base connected with the back of her skull. She cried out so loudly he was certain someone would hear, and she collapsed to the floor and began scrambling weakly away from him. He lifted the candlestick to hit her again, and a wicked thought flashed through his mind as he watched her raise her bony hands in defense against him. A waste. This would be a waste.

He snatched the old woman up by the back of her mourning dress and put a hand over her mouth to muffle her cries, the candlestick clunking noisily on the floor when he dropped it. She could only struggle feebly against him while he half carried her up the stairs, Cam watching silently from the barely open kitchen door, and he dropped her to the floor inside the workshop door. He moved away when he saw her lying there, curled up and whimpering, and he covered his own mouth to stifle his sob.

She looked so pitiful. Just an old woman, frail and thin, who couldn’t keep her nose out of other people’s business. She was begging him, quietly, pleading with him in between prayers. He almost left the room and ran from the house. He almost went to Ben and told him they had to leave the city, that they’d make do somewhere else. Why should this woman get to decide my fate?  he asked himself. This pathetic, prying creature who had wormed her way into his life. She would take everything away from him if he gave her the chance. He couldn’t let her leave now.

 

A Soul’s Worth is available on Amazon in paperback and Kindle formats, and on Smashwords for the e-reader of your choice.

 

 

T.S. Barnett is the author of The Beast of Birmingham werewolf thriller series and steampunk horror romance A Soul’s Worth.

T.S. likes to write about what makes people tick, whether that’s deeply-rooted emotional issues, childhood trauma, or just plain hedonism. Throw in a heaping helping of action and violence, a sprinkling of steamy bits, and a whisper of wit (with alliteration optional but preferred), and you have her idea of a perfect novel. She believes in telling stories about real people who live in less-real worlds full of werewolves, witches, demons, vampires, and the occasional alien.

Born and bred in the South, T.S. started writing young, but began writing real novels while working full time as a legal secretary. When she’s not skiving off work to write, she reads other people’s books, plays video games, watches movies, and spends time with her husband and daughter. She hopes her daughter grows into a woman who knows what she wants, grabs it, and gets into significantly less trouble than the women in her mother’s novels.

TSBarnett.com | Facebook | Twitter

Flash Fiction Friday: Jaime Samms and Moon Clan

Hello Internet! Lex here! Jaime Samms returns to my blog for the first round of Flash Fiction Friday!

What is Flash Fiction Friday? The featured author of the week had been given three prompts to choose from. Then they produce approximately 500-1000 words of the first thing that comes to mind! And Jaime has written a good one!

Moon Clan by Jaime Samms

 

“Horse!” Duncan jumped gleefully up and down splashing mud up over the tops of his tiny rubber boots and onto his jeans. “Good right?” He was proud of his ability to identify the marks in the soil, just like his grandfather taught him.

Cleveland watched his father’s face carefully, wary of the deep lines dragging the corners of his mouth into a frown. “Dad?”

“Bring Duncan home. Clev.”

“What’s going on?” Cleveland took his son’s hand and glanced again at the hoof print on the path. Granted, it was a large print, but the little forest was ideal for their horses to seek shade on hot days like this.

“Grandpa Tully?” Duncan stuck his thumb in his mouth and gazed up, brown eyes big and worried.

“Go home,” Tully repeated. “I’ll be back later.”

“Dad, what is it?” Cleveland picked Duncan up, ignoring the mess the boy’s boots made of his expensive jeans. Nothing rattled his father, but now, like a rabbit with the scent of hound up his nose, he looked this way and that, turning only his head. If he could twitch nose and ears, he’d be doing so.

“Go!”

“Dad!”

“Now, son. By God, why do you never listen?” He manhandled Cleveland around and pushed him toward home. “Hurry up and get the boy inside.”

His father’s fear was infectious. After everything Cleveland had gone through to get and keep Duncan in his life, he was not about to take a chance. He practically ran for the house.

“Aunt Bett?” He called through the kitchen and set Duncan on his feet.

“What on earth is all the fuss?” His aunt appeared from the front room. “Cleveland—oh, now child look at the state of you.” She put her hand s on her hips and mock-frowned at Duncan. “And where is Tulsa? Lunch is practically on the table.”

“Still in the woods. We found hoof prints. Big. Probably one of the Clydesdales, but I’ll go back and make sure he’s okay. He was pretty spooked.”

“How big?” Aunt Bett was crouch in front of Duncan, shucking him out of his muddy clothes. She stopped—the boy in only his superman briefs—and peered up at Cleveland. “How big were the prints?”

“I don’t know. Big.”

“You wait here for your daddy, boy. Help me with Duncan.”

Cleveland frowned, not liking that this aunt seemed as spooked as his father. “I won’t be long.” He fled before she could stop him, this time running for where he had left his father. Their reactions had him scared now, too.

 

He heard his father’s voice before he saw him. The man sounded desperate and hushed, pleading. Cleveland slowed to listen.

“We need time, Ghishad. He isn’t ready.”

“You still haven’t told him, have you?” The voice  was so deep it rumbled in Cleveland’s balls. He crept closer, trying to peer through the leaves to see the man that belonged to such a sound.

“There hasn’t been time. He only just got custody of his son. You’re the one said his heir had to be secured before the…please. One more season.”

“I don’t have another season,” Ghishad growled. “I have a son ready to rut. I will not I let him waste his first seed on anything but securing the line. If he doesn’t mate this year, everything our families have worked for is lost. I won’t be able to hold him off for another.”

Mate? Cleveland snuck forward and used a fingertip to push a branch up to see past the foliage. His father stood with his back to the path, looking up at the most enormous…thing Cleveland had ever seen in his life.

He noticed the broad chest, first, covered in a thick pelt of straight, auburn hair that matched that flowing form the beast’s head. And beast it was. Its lower half was all magnificent horse. It shifted, stamping an aggrieved hoof on the turf. The ground shook under the explosive outburst, and Cleveland immediately knew it was no mere horse print his son identified.

“But…” His father’s voice sounded small next to the other’s.

“It’s the last moon of the season, Tulsa. Bring the boy to the glade at moonrise. Make sure he’s ready.”

“You can’t—”

“I can, and will. We’ve spent our lives protecting what is ours.” The anger the horse-man-thing projected suddenly bled away and his massive shoulders curled in. “I know it hasn’t been ideal. I know you would have chosen differently, but it is what it is. I am the only child of my generation, and you the only compatible match. I am sorry.”

The creature shifted and twisted. A dark swirl of shadow and fog wrapped around it. When the strange mist dissipated, a man—a very naked one—stood where the horse-man had been.

He was still huge, broad-shouldered, hairy and everything Cleveland didn’t like about the gender. Ghishad was handsome enough, if one went for that sort of thing. Cleveland didn’t. Nor did his father. But then, Tulsa was straight.

The naked man touched Tully’s shoulder. Cleveland expected his father to shrug it off. He didn’t do physical affection. Not even with Duncan, or Cleveland’s mother, before she’d died.

Strangely, he didn’t pull away. He leaned slightly into the touch, with a look of desperate resignation. “Fine,” He whispered.

“Perhaps it will be more than obligation for our sons,” Ghishad said.

“Perhaps.”

What? Cleveland stepped out to confront them. He wasn’t a fan of this talk of mating and obligations, or of the sad, longing look on his father’s face.

“What is this?”

Tully whirled and a storm of shadowy grit rose, obscuring the creature, until the giant horse-thing was back.

“You aren’t supposed to be here!” Tully moved toward him, but flashes of silver hide and pale skin blocked his way, resolving into another horse-man.

“Mine!” the creature snarled, staring at Cleveland out of slivered, silvery eyes. “Don’t touch my mate.”

Oh fuck. Cleveland stared. This horse-man was smaller than Ghishad with unmistakably similar features. His hide was a dappled grey, his chest leanly muscled and hairless. His tail switched and his hooves danced, a study of dainty power. Cleveland—and his traitorous cock—had the sudden, unsettling feeling things would be very different between himself and this creature than they had been between his father and Ghishad.

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Jaime Samms Shares Her Hidden Gems

Hi, Lex’s readers. It was wonderful of Lex to offer her place for me to flog a few backlist titles. I thought I might pick my favorite story from each publisher today and talk a bit about them.

Let’s start with the first publisher who took a chance on me, Freya’s Bower. One of their editors challenged me to write a “sweet romance” between guys. She thought maybe such an animal didn’t exist. I wrote it, and they liked it enough to publish it. That was The Runaway about a couple of cowboys reunited after the death of one of their fathers. It’s a little bitter, a little angry, but ultimately, the reignition of a sweet, young lover’s flame.

Next is Jupiter Gardens. I wrote a host of shorter works for them, and since it’s almost December I thought I’d point out the Christmas title, Goodbye Scrooge. This is about a college guy, almost ready to graduate, trying to decide what to do about a questionable relationship he’s had with one of his professors. He knows he’s walking a thin line with the older man, but he’s not sure he really wants to call it quits, either. He goes out on a limb to convince his older lover that there are good things about being in love, and they both deserve to share in those things, with each other, or with other people.

While we’re on holiday-themed books, there’s also Valentine at MLR, about the first foray into a relationship between the bar staff in a small, divy drinking hole. On the most romantic day of the year, it’s only fitting that love should find a grin, even for the most unconventional of couples.

Totally Bound is the home of my RaiRainbowley series, but also, I have cowboys there, too. Three of them. In sing for your Supper, Taylor is on the run from his past, and lite’s on Jim’s farm, directed there by Jim’s ‘friend’, Matt. The three men have a few things to work out, though, not the least of which is who’s on top. (This book is available in Audio, too, if you’re so inclined.)

And then, there is Dreamspinner Press. Besides the numerous novels they have released for me, are a few tiny little shorts, one called New Linnen about a pair of lovers trying to set some boundaries, and Paying the Piper about a pair of lovers for whom love has come and gone in a bittersweet pass.

So there you have it. A few titles of mine that are less well known. Maybe among them, people will find a couple of new couples to love.

~ Jaime


Jaime has been writing for various publishers since the fall of 2008, although she’s been writing for herself far longer. Often asked why men; what’s so fascinating about writing stories about men falling in love, she’s never come up with a clear answer. Just that these are the stories that she loves to read, so it seemed to make sense if she was going to write, they would also be the stories she wrote.

These days, you can find plenty of free reading on her website. She also writes for Freya’s Bower, Jupiter Gardens, and Total E-Bound.

Spare time, when it can be found rolled into a ball at the back of the dryer or cavorting with the dust bunnies in the corners, she’s probably spending crocheting, drawing, gardening (weather permitting, of course, since she is Canadian!) or watching movies. She has a day job, as well, which she loves, and two kids, but thankfully, also a wonderful husband who shoulders more than his fair share of household and child care responsibilities.

She graduated some time ago from college with a Fine Arts diploma, and a major in textile arts, which basically qualifies her to draw pictures and create things with string and fabric. One always needs an official slip of paper to fall back on after all….



Website: http://jaime-samms.net/
facebook: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000982219151&ref=tn_tnmn
Livejournal:http://dontkickmycane.livejournal.com/
Deviantart: http://dontkickmycane.deviantart.com/
Twitter:https://twitter.com/#!/JaimeSamms
Amazon Author page: amazon.com/author/jaimesamms

Sarah Madison: Disney Princess Fangirl

Why, Yes, I’m a Disney Princess Fangirl…

I suppose it’s a little fun to be a middle-aged woman talking about her favorite Disney Princesses, but hey, I’ve grown up with Disney my entire life. I love animated movies, I love to sing, and had a fairly strict upbringing when it came to what we were allowed to watch, so yeah, I saw a lot of Disney movies. But I would have loved them anyway! When friends come over for the first time, many remark on the fact that I own a lot of Disney movies for a childless woman. That’s okay. I’m not ashamed.

Over the years, I watched the Disney heroine evolve, and that’s been truly exciting for me—not just as someone who is pleased to see better role models for young women today but as someone who can relate to the pressure so many women have grown up with to conform to society’s standards for what is acceptable and desirable in a heroine. One of the reasons I love M/M romance has to do with the fact that I frequently feel as though I have nothing in common with today’s heroine as depicted in most romance novels. That, too, is changing, thank goodness. This, however, isn’t going to be a deep treatise on the pros and cons of Disney heroines or how women are portrayed in the media. This is simply one fangirl to another, okay?

A few weeks ago on Twitter, Lex and I exchanged some thoughts on our favorite Disney heroines, and it made me sit down and think about my top five favorite characters and why I love them.

In reverse order:

Ariel (The Little Mermaid). I know, some people would question that choice. There were a lot of factors in my including her. It was the first time I’d been introduced to the songwriting team of Alan Menken and Howard Ashman, and I have to tell you, I’m a sucker for clever, witty songs. I could also sympathize with Ariel’s yearning to want more out of life—to see the world ‘out of the sea’ that she’d spent hours fantasizing about. Ariel is quite young, and as such might be forgiven for making some really stupid mistakes. She also had a father who alternatively catered to her and then came down on her like a ton of bricks without any explanation. It’s small wonder sixteen year old Ariel wanted to kick over the traces and see the world she was forbidden to think about.

This was one of the early movies in the so-called Disney Renaissance, and I was entranced by this new method of storytelling, and a spunkier heroine than we’d seen to date. Forget Snow White or Sleeping Beauty, who seemed to let everything happen to them. Here was a heroine who did something, who took a chance to grab for her dream! I could get behind that.

Mulan. I really enjoyed this movie. I loved the concept of Mulan, who failed miserably at the goals set up for her as a young Chinese woman of that day and age, striking out to masquerade as her father’s son, so as to prevent her father from being called back into active duty in the war. It took a tremendous amount of guts to do what she did, and she not only successfully passed herself off as a young man, she became an asset to the platoon as well. In a nice twist at the end, her former ‘army’ buddies have to dress themselves as geishas in order to infiltrate the palace—and they do so without hesitation because they trust Ping, their buddy in arms. So much to love about this movie!
Maleficent. This was a film that had both strong and weak moments, which goes to show that my love of the heroine isn’t entirely dependent on the quality of the film. I thought the portrayal of King Stefan extremely one-dimensional and that he failed to be believable as a truly dangerous adversary because of it. However, that being said, I love so many things about this movie. Angelina Jolie’s depiction of a powerful faerie done irreparable harm by someone she trusted was truly inspired, and the scene in which she is shorn of her wings (becoming an allegory for rape) and how this loss transforms her into a bitter, damaged person was simply brilliant. In the end, she heals herself, and undoes her own unbreakable curse. It’s a marvelous process, watching her gradually thaw to the child she’d doomed for no reason except that she was the daughter of Maleficent’s sworn enemy. Had this been the only Disney movie I’d seen this year, I suspect Maleficent would be higher on this list. It certainly continued the new trend of having the ‘princess’ save herself—and not be reliant on a prince in the end to save the day.
Belle (Beauty and the Beast). Ah, Belle. Yes, I know people talk about Stockholm syndrome when they mention this movie, but B&B got me through a really rough patch in my life. Though I didn’t even make the connection at the time, like Belle, I was living isolated in a provincial town. I haunted the town library, which was a single-wide trailer, and consisted largely of donated Harlequin romances. I was even being pursued by the town’s Gaston, who told me plainly that I couldn’t do better than him in the area. I used to go to the matinee showing of the movie on my day off and I went every week until it was no longer there. For an hour and a half each week, I could lose myself in the story, in the songs of Menken and Ashman (who sadly died of AIDS before the release of the film), and forget for a while how unhappy I was. That feeling of temporary reprieve from an unbearable existence is one of the reasons I write stories today. I want my stories to be that thing that gets someone through a bad day, a bad month, a bad year.
Elsa (Frozen). No one who knows me can be in any doubt how much I love this character and this movie. I’ve written about it several times on my website, including why people on the far right fear it and have demanded their ardent followers boycott it. I can’t begin to explain how much this movie resonated with me.

Lord knows, I’m no reviewer. I can only answer to how this movie spoke to me, and in particular, the song ‘Let It Go”. I have always been the Good Girl. The Good Daughter. I did everything I was told to do, everything I was taught to do. For the last couple of decades I’ve been burning up inside with resentment over the fact that despite doing everything that was asked of me, it still hasn’t been good enough. I’ve worked hard my entire life. I’ve made personal and professional sacrifices because they were the right thing to do. And now, as a middle-aged woman, I feel as though this hasn’t gotten me anywhere. That I have ‘nothing to show’ for my efforts.

That moment when Elsa gives in to her true self is simply magical to me. That moment is all about refusing to let other people have power over you and acknowledging that who and what you is all you need to be. Like Maleficent, Frozen featured a heroine that ended up saving herself (something that delights me to no end, despite being a die-hard romantic at heart) as well as a heroine who doesn’t need a prince to get her happily ever after. Corny as it sounds, stuff like this gives me the courage to go after my own dreams, to be my authentic self, even as I belt out “Let It Go” at stoplights and in the shower.

Ultimately, isn’t that what heroines and heroes are for?

How GRL 2014 Sent Me To The Hospital

It’s the most wonderful time of the yeaaaaar!

This was my second year at GRL and it was a fucking blast! Last year was good. Enough to make me want to come back. But this year was amazing. It is game on for 2015 in San Diego!

Air hugs and elbows!

There had been a long discussion on the GRL FB page of no hugging without permission. Also I mentioned here and there I’m a bit germaphobic anyhow. Catching H1N1 once will do that to you. I got ribbed a little bit about being ‘no touchy.’ I just didn’t want the crud. I had a long flight home, and flying with the flu is not fun. Also a nice way to start a pandemic for fun and profit.

I got the call in the limo on the way to the resort that my breast reduction surgery had been moved up to October 30th. I was fresh off the plane and on my way to meet 400 of my closest friends. I explained the crud was likely. The nurse said, chug every bit of vitamin C and don’t touch anything.

(Did I mention I was getting breast reduction surgery? Surprise!)

It was a little awkward at first with people wanting to be huggy and once I explained everyone was on board. I was deemed the Germ Free Zone. And Will Prater was my Germ Bodyguard. But Charlie Cochet was a champ and took all the hugs for me.

In the turn, I escaped Crud Free but everyone else got sick with the GRL 2014 Flu.

Do you see the sympathy on my face? Didn’t think so. Air hugs and elbows are the way to go.

The Dizzying Highs! The Terrifying Lows! The Creamy Middle!

Courtesy of Madison Parker Photography

Wednesday saw a little excitement at the Blogger Workshop where I was sitting there with my hand raised to ask a question, and my email goes off. And it’s that email that Glass Moon, the second book in The Darkmore Saga had been picked up. Charlie Cochet sat next to me as I choked up and started shaking. I quickly got my shit together and life was grand. I even won a tote bag from Prism Book Alliance!

Funny enough not even five minutes before the panel I had finally met Reese Dante in the flesh. We were chatting about Glass Moon’s cover ideas and I mentioned ‘I should hear back soon I hope!’ Went into the panel, walked out and found her again with a big ‘About that!‘ LOL

Thursday was my big event of reading from Americana Fairy Tale. I was with Jacob Flores and Clare London, and as I kept telling everyone: No pressure.

I went first, and once I was in the moment, I had an absolute blast! Of course I read about Corentin and Taylor fist fighting and ever-so-close to their first kiss when Jacob and Clare read about sexy first meetings and sexual tension. Well, I am getting known for being a little bit out of the box. By out of the box I mean on another planet.

Madison Parker of Madison Parker Photography got some amazing shots of me reading.

Click to view slideshow.

Friday was my Author Lounge where I met fans and made some new friends. I’m still wrapping my brain around how people told me how much they loved Americana Fairy Tale and Chasing Sunrise. I get so excited and flaily instead of the cool, composed author. I fail at being cool and composed, so I thought I’d own up to my flailing.

And Saturday was the signing and omg. I had a line. Like a real line! My very first line to call my own. I took my time with everyone, chatted them up, signed books. And as the conversation was going on around me I would mutter ‘I can so spell.’ as I was writing in people’s books. But I had a great time! My table buddy Jambrea Gaff had read Americana Fairy Tale, and I’d thawp her on occasion and tell her to sell the book for me. Jambrea was a trooper about it.

I’m Lex! And I Dance, Dance, Dan–Owfuck!

The Saturday night Time Travel Party was an absolute blast!

Let’s Do The Time Warp Again! Noooo~

So there everyone was, dancing along to the Time Warp from Rocky Horror, and there’s that one move where your turn in your knees and thrust your pelvis. Whelp. I did that and heard a pop! in my left knee.

And like a moron I kept dancing on it. I was having so much fun, I was sure I was fine! Well. Um. D:

Due to my upcoming surgery I couldn’t take any aspirin-based pain killers. No ibuprofen, no Advil, nothing. I thought I was okay. That was my bad knee anyway. It had always been somewhat doofy. Just the usual knee pain.

My knee had swollen up to the size of an overripe casaba. I had to use a wheelchair to get through O’Hare to Atlanta, and then Atlanta to Pensacola, and then in Pensacola straight to baggage claim and then to my car. You can imagine how comfortable it was flying with it. As in not.

Well, Wednesday rolled around, and it still hadn’t stopped hurting. It didn’t hurt but it was pretty uncomfortable. A trip to Orthopedics says it’s quite possible I tore a ligament. I haven’t had an MRI yet, but of course, that’ll probably happen after I have four pounds of flesh flayed off my chest. The only diagnosis I have right now is ice, and stay off it as much as possible.

Thanking All The People!

Now for my list of thank yous!

Thank you to Charlie Cochet and Kim Fielding! for being my awesome partners in crime for the weekend. Charlie owes Kim and me handler fees for keeping her on task. LOL Next year for the Halloween party I’m going as Charlie’s flower. Mark my words.

Thank you to Nina and the ladies of Gay Listed Book Reviews! Nina claims to be a total introvert, but you should see her bust a move and scream the lyrics to Love Shack. Also for being my lulzy chaperone For Reasons.

Thank you to Crissy Morris of Joyfully Jay! For her Southern sass, and pleading her case for Atticus Hatfield of Americana Fairy Tale. Nina and she will have to duke it out for the fairy tale boys.

Thank you to Jason Mitchell of Joyfully Jay! My #TeamShorts nemesis, but all around amazing guy! Both of us are like hyper snarky puppies together. Mwahahahaha.

Thank you to PizzyGirl of Prism Book Alliance! For being the first fan I met when I walked in the door. I promise I’m just a big dweeb.

Thank you to Jambrea Gaff for being my table buddy and putting up with my shenanigans! And being my awesome pitchman.

Thank you to Randi and Q for good times and connecting once again! Omg that pizza!

Thanks to Will Prater of Writer’s Online Network for being the most ridiculously awesome human being that cannot possibly be human. He is a BEAST at Karaoke.

Saving the best for last, thanks to my Mom, who agreed to come with me to her very first GRL even if she hadn’t read any of the genre before. Not only did she leave with an armful of books, she’s chomping at the bit to go next year!

See You In San Diego!

Lex Got Swaaaag~ GRL 2014 Preview!

With great giddiness and with my anxiety going through the roof, I’ll be a Featured Author at GRL 2014! I’m looking forward to meeting each and every one of you! When I’m not wandering around looking hopelessly lost, you can find me at these three events!

Where To Find Me!
Thursday October 16th: GRL Book Reading

Where: Falling Waters Lounge

When: October 16 3:50pm – 4:45pm

Join me as I read from Americana Fairy Tale! I’ll be joined by the fantastic Jacob Flores and Clare London. Stick around at the end for a raffle of some awesome goodies!

Friday October 17th: Author Lounge

Where: Trillium III

When: Friday October 17, 12:30pm – 1:10pm

Come by the Trillium Ballroom for one-on-one chats with me in a relaxed, informal setting. I’ll be on hand to answer all those burning questions about my books. I’ll be giving away special goodies! Did someone say honeybuns?

Friday October 18th: Featured Author Signing

Where: Trillium II

When: Friday October 18, 2:00pm – 5:00pm

I’ll be signing whatever you put in front of me. Books, t-shirts, postcards and more! If you don’t have any of my paperbacks, that’s okay, I’ll be signing postcards and have bookplates as well to stick into your lovely freshly purchased paperback!

Dat Swag!

What am I giving away this year? Well, well, hold onto your butts. Because here we go.

Bookplates

Baggage fees are crap. Especially for books! Didn’t bring one of my paperbacks? No problem! Take a peek of the bookplates I’ll be signing for you to stick in when you get home! Get them from me at the featured author signing.

Pens

New edition of Lex Chase pens. They write super smooth and are super light. Perfect if you’re picky about pens. Find them in the swag room!

Oh My Stars!

Who doesn’t love stress toys? I love stress toys! These guys fit perfectly into the palm of your hand. Pick one up in the swag room!

Americana Fairy Tale Loofahs

Perfect for scrubbing your hard to reach places, or your friend’s back. The loofahs are indeed 100% useable. You can get these in the swag room or featured author signing!

Americana Fairy Tale Pixie Eggs

Pick up some treats in these pixie eggs. Pick up the right egg and you might win something big! Pick them up in the swag room!

Americana Fairy Tale Honeybuns

Taylor’s frosted sugarbomb favorite! I’ll have 12 of these, come get one at the author lounge or maybe get it stuffed in a gift basket!

Chasing Sunrise Prints

Featuring Sevon, the ever so lovely effeminate cross-dressing hero, and super sexy Jack!

I’ll only have 50 of each on hand so you better snap one up! Nab one in the swag room, author lounge, or featured author signing.

The Proposal by Snick-chan

King and Consort by Lex Chase

Americana Fairy Tale Mailing Postcards

Love that postcard look of the Americana Fairy Tale cover? God. Who doesn’t! I’ve designed up a set of Americana Fairy Tale postcards that are legit mailing postcards! Write a note to yourself at GRL, slap a stamp on them, and mail it back home! Want one? Snag a couple in the swag room, the author lounge, or the featured author signing!

I only have 45 of these! Act fast!

Checkmate Prints

Didn’t get the Checkmate print by yours truly last year at GRL? Well now one can be yours! I’ll have a limited number of these babies so get while the getting’s good!

Checkmate by Lex Chase

Checkmate Trading Cards

Drawn by yours truly and 17 designs in all, you’ll have to get a hold of a pack of these in one of two ways. The easiest is to meet me in the Author Lounge, the other is to flag me down randomly walking through the hotel. I have only 41 packs and 36 of them are prize packs!

You have the chance to win either Pawn Takes Rook, Cashing the Reality Check, Conventional Love, or the whole Checkmate trilogy!

Swap ‘em, trade ‘em, collect them all!

Checkmate Trading Cards by Lex Chase

For an extra preview of cards you should be on the lookout for:

The Red Rook by Lex Chase

There are only 5 Red Rook Cards. Get one and win the Checkmate Trilogy!

The Dynamic Duo by Lex Chase

Carry On Dancing by Lex Chase

These babies will also score you a little sumthin’ sumthin’!

Lex Chase Universe Series 1 Trading Cards

I’ve joined forces with comic artists Kei Everett, Valeriane Duvivier, and Aimee Duncan to bring you the first series of Lex Chase Universe trading cards! Featuring the boys from Checkmate, the Darkmore Saga, and Americana Fairy Tale as well as some upcoming projects 10-9 and Grow. Who are the 10-9 and Grow boys? Well. You’ll have to wait and see. Mwahahahaha~

Nine designs total, collect them all!

Want these? Find them at the swag room, author lounge and featured author signing!

But wait! There’s more….

Can we say gift baskets? What’s in them? You’ll have to wait and see.

See you in Chicago!