Lex Chase's Blog, page 25
July 27, 2014
Skye Allen Unlocks Fantasy In Pretty Peg
Down the rabbit hole: how Pretty Peg became a fantasyBy Skye Allen
I love science fiction and fantasy. They’ve been my go-to since reading the Narnia books as a kid. I love the infinite room for imagination. I love the notion of aliens and demons and government surveillance as metaphors for things like xenophobia and psychological trouble and, well, government surveillance. The book I’ve probably reread the most times is one of the original urban fantasies, Emma Bull’s War for the Oaks, which brought the Faerie world to the city by way of (who else?) mortal musicians. I read the cover right off my first copy.
But when I started writing Pretty Peg, for no reason I could express at the time, it came out plain. It was still squarely in the category of “genre” rather than “literary.” Being a queer YA mystery, you could even call it “micro-genre.” But it was set in the real world. There were no elves or shape-shifters or fey glamour, and the hot love interest was definitely not immortal. The one magical piece of the book was the toy puppet theater that my main character Josy thought her dead sister was using to communicate with her, and I wasn’t entirely sure why it needed to be there.
I knew the manuscript needed new life breathed into it, though. When I brought it to my writing class I got critiques that it was too grim, too freighted with family dysfunction, even that it was “claustrophobic” according to one sharp but accurate critic.
And I despaired of ever fixing that problem. I threw the manuscript away and stopped being a writer. That lasted about 24 hours.
Then I realized the only thing I liked in the whole book was the puppet theater.
And then I went back to what I love to read, and tried to forget about what I was trying to write. And when I remembered fantasy, I knew I would be okay.
There’s probably not a single sentence of my original manuscript that survived the fantasy revision. Suddenly the big bad guy was the Queen of the Winter Folk, the mysterious places Josy had to investigate to find her sister’s killer were all in the Faerie Realm, and the girl who swept her off her feet was an elf.
I needed a strong allegory for the transition from childhood to maturity in my YA story, and the old fairy tale theme about the woods being the place of change and self-discovery for the hero was perfect. Like in a lot of fantasy, the woods form the border between the Faerie Realm and the mortal world in my book. The story examines questions about death and grief, so bringing in characters who were immortal gave me a powerful contrast, a jumping-off point for the magnitude of grief and for that feeling of unfairness when someone dies. The book also badly needed a sense of fun – that’s what my beta readers were getting at. Before I knew it I had two girls making out helplessly because the fey band put a spell on them (what, your fantasies don’t involve accordion players?).
So that’s the story of how the fey came to inhabit my queer YA mystery. I hope it’s a better book for it.
Blurb
High school senior Josy Grant already had plenty on her plate before she found the magic puppet theater her murdered sister left behind. Despite Josy’s grief, the responsibility of taking care of her family falls to her, and being queer doesn’t make dealing with school any easier. Things only get worse when sexy new girl Nicky tells Josy her sister died at the hands of a mysterious figure from the Faerie Realm called the Woodcutter, and if they can’t stop him, Josy and her remaining sister will be next.
They have just days before the Woodcutter strikes again on the autumn equinox, so Josy follows Nicky into the Faerie Realm to hunt him. Along the way, she discovers Fey gifts of her own and answers to the questions that have driven the Grant family apart. Nothing comes for free when dealing with Fey, though, and those gifts and answers might come at a terrible price.
Excerpt from Pretty Peg:
The band had all cleared off in the direction of the drinks. Only the keyboard player stayed, white trousers gleaming in the almost total darkness at the edge of the stage. She poked her fedora further back on her forehead and plinked out a creepy minor-key song that I recognized after a few seconds as “Hush Little Baby.”
“Hey, c’mere,” Nicky said, and took hold of a button on my jacket. Her face was close, so close I could feel heat from her skin on mine. I felt dizzy.
She turned her head suddenly. “Oi!”
Timothy was toeing her stretched-out thigh with a polished boot. “Hey, chica.” Nope. No kissing. I sat back and tried to think cold thoughts to calm down my pulse.
Timothy sat heavily and kicked a groove in the gravel. Little-boy motions. I could tell he was drunk even before he tugged the flask out of his jeans pocket and tipped it toward his mouth. His head wheeled to each of us in turn: “Oop, manners. You want some?”
“I’m all set.” I toasted the air with my coffee.
“Josephine Grant. The new favorite.” His eyes protruded like frog’s eyes under his overgrown curly hair, but I could see how he was used to people saying he was beautiful.
Nicky paused with an unlit cigarette in her mouth, match flaring near her face, and glared at Timothy. “What?” he protested. “S’true.”
She hissed something to him in an undertone. The band was back on the stage, the drummer slashing out a faint tsk-tsk-tsk on one cymbal while the guitar player blew into his microphone, so I couldn’t hear Nicky at all.
His head reared back like a horse’s. “No she won’t!” burst out of him in a harsh voice. He turned to me and pointed with a bony hand: “So how do you like fucking an immortal elf with all the sense of a pile of dung?”
I rolled out of his reach. “Hey, take it easy,” I said.
“You know she just brought you in for the reward, right?” He pronounced it RE-ward, like a cowboy, and shot a finger-gun from his imaginary hat brim. “Dominica loves her some pretty girls with meat on their bones. It’s just too bad about that, what you call her, ‘friend’ she got back home.”
“It’s not – don’t listen!” Nicky shouted to me, and she launched herself at Timothy.
Friend as in girlfriend. Sick realization broke over me like a raw egg. It was too good to be true. She fooled you. She fooled you because that’s what you are: a big fat fool. Like someone like her would give the time of day to someone like you.
Too fast, there was a furious animal-fight blur of elbows and boots and a sickening thwack when something fleshy hit something solid. It must have been Nicky, hitting Timothy, and it was over in seconds. Timothy held her off easily, crouching over her with her shoulder pinned to the fence. Her heels scrabbled in the gravel. He cradled his jaw with his free hand and muttered curses I couldn’t make out.
She lied. All that sweet talk, and I just believed her. Stupid. She was so cocky and I just fell for it. Because why wouldn’t a loser like me fall for an act like that? Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
I stood up. My legs felt dead after all that time sitting on the cold ground, but I could walk. I didn’t care how wobbly I looked.
“Josy! Don’t leave! You can’t listen to him!” Nicky called.
I ignored her. I should have known her whole thing, the whole setup of a hot girl being interested in a girl like me, was too good to be true. Why did I have to fall for that? I shoved my thoughts about Laura out of my mind, and Margaret, and the fey, and the whole blur of the last day. I was humiliated, tired, bruised inside and out. I needed to be home.
Nicky called my name again. I shook my head. I tugged my hood over my hair and retreated toward the entrance without looking back as the band slid into a brassy version of “Mighty Quinn.” Never give your heart to the fey. Oh, believe me, I’m not.
You can buy Pretty Peg here:
You can find Skye Allen online here:
Website: http://allenskye.com
Skye Allen has had short fiction published in Toasted Cheese Literary Journal and Of Dragons and Magic: Tales of the Lost Worlds and poetry in Insomnia and Sinister Wisdom. She works as a singing teacher and occasionally performs Irish music around the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lives with her wife, two cats, and four chickens. Pretty Peg is her first novel.
July 24, 2014
Chasing Sunrise Countdown!
We’re coming down to the last few hours that Chasing Sunrise is officially released! And man o’ man a lot has happened leading into the release, and I have a lot coming up after.
But first thing’s first. I have a giveaway winner to announce!
HAHAT Giveaway Winner Is…
A. Morell!
Congrats! I bet you forgot about entering didn’t you? That was at the charming time my domain exploded.
You have won a personally signed paperback of Chasing Sunrise and a some awesome swag treats! Enjoy!
Chasing Sunrise Explodes
I’ve teamed up with Enchantress of Books Blog Tours for a Release Day Blitz. Chasing Sunrise will be everywhere, on everything, infecting social media and luring you into the darkness of vampires and shifters.
There will be a Rafflecopter giveaway going on too!
The Most Controversial Blog Tour Ever™
The Chasing Sunrise Blog Tour earned itself a delightful nickname. Mostly on behalf of myself, and a few others that have marveled at the unfolding insanity.
Because the book is not your typical fluffy vampire/shifter romp, I’ve practiced complete transparency in the tour. I want readers to know exactly what they’re getting into.
No, Sweetie, That’s Not A Woman
It all started when potential buyers were convinced the model on the cover was a woman. One such reader accused Dreamspinner Press directly of pulling a bait and switch. And the questions kept on rolling, both from my local friends, and from private messages on Facebook.
It never ended. It was for 24/7 I was asked at least six or more times a day if the model was a woman. While I held my “chin up and smile on,” that question got to be super grating super fast.
I had elaborated about the cover on Chris T. Kat’s blog over here! The model is inspired by Danila Kovelev, a highly androgynous male model that models in both men’s and women’s clothing. The character in question is Sevon, and I had gone on to further explain at Grace Duncan’s blog today that Sevon only wears women’s clothing.
The ultimate two examples of Danila’s femininity you can see right here:
Yeah. That’s a guy.
Yes. Seriously. That’s a guy.
Wait. What Do You Mean The Vampires Don’t Sparkle?
And then came the fun over on Jaime Samms’ blog where I introduced the my take on the vampire mythos with the aisa. Let’s not pussyfoot around it. These guys eat people. They do not fucking sparkle period end of discussion period. And Sevon, our hero, is one of these creatures. One of the excerpts I included featured a gory scene where the villain Dominic takes Sevon to illegally hunt humans in a human city. That went well.
I also started the joke hashtag of #BTWROMANCENOVEL I am all for this being a thing.
But The Shifters Are Pretty Cool!
Over yonder at Aidee Ladniers’ place, I introduced everyone to the shifters. They’re an omnisexual race that have a pretty healthy attitude about sex and love. Save a horse, ride a shifter. I explained they have a society based around Ancient Rome complete with a Roman Legion-type army made of werewolves. Because that’s totally cool, right?
Also I dropped in hints to other shifters like werejellyfish. Pretty neato!
And Then Crazy Promo Times!
Over on Michael Rupured’s blog I talked about the mass insanity of when Chasing Sunrise went viral for a couple of days. I was pretty stunned, but taking it all in. I still don’t know what to make of it.
An unending list of blogs, and still rolling, asked me to say a few words about the book and what it means to me. Lane Hayes submitted my statement to the Jan Foundation an international organization against domestic violence.
The absolutely craziest was I was on the Write on the Edge podcast with host Vicktor Alexander! If you want to check out the podcast you can do so right here under my Appearances Tab.
The Most Controversial Blog Tour Ever™ Carries On
Keep following me on this dangerous journey with the Chasing Sunrise Blog Tour where coming up I have a Dreamspinner Press Facebook Chat and Charlie Cochet and I are taking over the Dreamspinner Press Twitter account!
7/26 – Shira Anthony – When Disaster Strikes: Natural Disasters in Fiction
7/29 – Dreamspinner Twitter Takeover with Charlie Cochet
7/30 – Live Your Life, Buy The Book – “I loved you before Nazareth.” Meet Bianca and Chaney
8/2 – Chat at the Dreamspinner Press Facebook Page
8/8 – Charlie Cochet – The Catharsis of Lovers Shirts
8/13 – Gay List Book Reviews – The Necessity of Brutality
8/16 – Tali Spencer – The Shape of Things to Come: Glass Moon
And Let the Sun Rise…
July 20, 2014
Kristen Slater Talks About First Times
Hello everybody. First, I want to say thanks to Lex for letting me invade her blog like this. I’m here to let you know about my novella, Working It Out, which came out on Wednesday last week, give you a taster of the story and introduce a giveaway.
My name’s Kristen Slater and I’m one of the newest additions to the Dreamspinner Press stable. I thought I’d pretty much done with first times, at my age, but there have been a lot of them in the past four years. First time writing fiction (apart from a story I apparently wrote when I was six). First time submitting to a publisher. First time anyone other than me has seen my writing. First time dealing with edits and revisions. First published story. So many firsts.
And now another first, doing a guest spot on someone else’s blog. It’s the beginning of a blog tour that’s going to run from now until 11 September, and you can see where else I’m going by checking out the list on my blog.
I’m not the most social of people, so one of the harder things for me has been getting used to social media. That means yet another first has been learning how to communicate with people and, importantly, remembering to do so. I know I’ll get the hang of it, but right now I don’t tweet as often as I should, I keep forgetting to blog on the day I’m meant to, and I’m nervous about commenting on blog posts and tweets—although I’m beginning to dip my toes in that particular ocean.
It can be kind of scary, doing things for the first time. I think that’s just as true as you get older; it feels like there’s more at stake if you mess up. It’s worth overcoming the fear of doing something new, though. I wouldn’t have missed this ride for anything.
Cas, one of my lovebirds, is in his twenties and he’s going through a first as well. He reckons he’s never been in love, although he’s been living with his boyfriend, Joe, for six months because it was the only way to keep seeing him. When Joe nearly dies in an accident, he gets a rude awakening and realises what we knew all along. He’s brought to a painful awareness that he’s head over heels in love and determines to make sure Joe isn’t left in doubt about that, ever again. Joe’s slow recovery from his injuries gives him a chance to show how he feels.
You can sign up for my giveaway, at any time during my blog tour, for a chance to win a $10 gift certificate for Dreamspinner Press. You can enter by commenting on any of the posts in the tour, and then visiting Rafflecopter to tell me about it. While there you can click to follow me on twitter and follow my blog for more opportunities to win. If you can’t think of anything to say, I have a question for you—because I’m nosy like that. Cas and Joe meet by the frozen foods at the grocery story; how did you and your current/most recent partner meet?
Finally, as promised, here’s a little something to whet your appetite. This excerpt takes place after the accident (Carol is a happily married, middle-aged woman, whose advice Cas regularly seeks about his relationship with Joe).
If you like the look of it, you can buy it at the Dreamspinner Press website.
Blurb
Celebrating six months with his boyfriend has Cas in a bit of a panic. Joe’s been saying “I love you” for a while, but Cas just can’t get the words past his lips. A week before Christmas, he finally says them when a nearly fatal accident almost takes Joe, and Cas faces the possibility of losing the best man he’s ever known. But whispered declarations are one thing. Through a long, tough recovery both men must work out that love is more than words.
BUY at Dreamspinner Press!
Working It Out Excerpt:
CAS——Mid-December
Just over a month ago I was philosophizing about love. Now I’m sitting next to a hospital bed discovering religion so I’ve got someone to pray to. If I catch up with the person behind the wheel of that car, I’m going to be sitting in a different kind of institution, but it’ll be worth it.
I found out how you know if you’re in love. Carol was right. Imagine a life without him in it. Work really hard at imagining it. Because the reality’s worse than any amount of imagining could ever be. They say they don’t know if Joe will wake up. I can tell they think he won’t. They’re letting me be here constantly, right at his bedside. They’re not being strict about visiting hours because they think he’s going to die.
And it hurts.
It hurts so badly. I can’t breathe properly, my eyes are sore from all the crying, and every so often the silent tears become loud sobs that shake my whole body and sound harsh and intrusive in this quiet room. I’m holding his hand and looking at the tubes and monitors and the machines that are keeping his heart pumping and making his lungs expand and contract.
Someone came in a while back. They made me stand up and leave Joe here, all by himself. They wanted me to eat, but what’s the point? If there’s not going to be any Joe, I don’t need to eat. I swallowed what they gave me just to make them leave me be, so I could get back to him. I don’t want him to die while I’m away from his side. I’ll never forgive myself if I leave him to die alone.
I keep thinking he’s waking up, but it’s just his eyes flickering as he dreams in the darkness behind his eyelids. I always thought a coma was a really deep unconsciousness, but apparently people can hear and dream. I’m talking to him, telling him about things. Especially how much I love him. If anything brings him back, surely that will?
I wasted so much time not seeing what was in front of my eyes. I should have told him when he was awake to hear it.
I know. Should have. How pathetic is that? How many people, once it’s too late, say I wish I’d told them this, or I wish I’d done that? Now I’m one of them. I’m also doing the equally stupid “if only” thing. If only we’d left one minute later or earlier. If only I hadn’t decided to go to the toilet before leaving the restaurant and waited until we got home. If only I hadn’t said his name so that he stopped momentarily to answer before getting into the car. If only. If only.
“I love you, Joe. I don’t want to have to live without you. I can’t. Please don’t die.” I hope he can hear me.
It’s terrifying how much difference twelve hours makes. Twelve hours ago I was happy. Joe and I were walking into a restaurant to celebrate the suspension of his horrible boss. Now I’m frightened to take my eyes off him in case he stops breathing while I’m not looking.
July 14, 2014
Chasing Sunrise: Come See The Light
It’s been a story over 20 years in the making, but Chasing Sunrise is finally here! Come join me for the Chasing Sunrise Blog Tour as I leave it all on the dance floor.
Set in the lush world of vampires and shifters, at the core of the series, it’s one about surviving domestic violence and coming out stronger on the other side. It’s a tale of trust that had been shattered, and trust that gets slowly put back together. It’s a story that tackles the heartbreak of cruelty and manipulation, and the healing of what love truly means.
Chasing Sunrise teaches us all that peace and love cannot be held by force but by compassion and understanding. It’s about recovery, awakening, and learning it is absolutely okay not to say “I love you.” until one is absolutely ready to say so.
It is also a story of hard decisions, consequences, and learning to live with the choices we make.
It is also a story full of fun! As anyone knows me from my superhero dramadey series, Checkmate, there is no such thing as too many explosions. It’s never a party until something explodes into a magnificent fireball.
In Chasing Sunrise readers meet the exciting inhabitants of the vampiric aisa and the shifter windigo and a veritable cavalcade of others. From the elegant King Sevon Maraté of Darkmore, a curiously beautiful man with a fondness for women’s clothing, to Jack a rough and tumble shifter with a noble heart and warrior soul. Readers get a first look at the Armigers, the royal sisterhood determined to keep Sevon safe from harm. From Bianca, their punk captain and sentimental fool, to Chaney, the Butcher Knight and ancient soul.
Join me as we go behind the scenes, get the true story behind the story of an epic that spans a time before time had been measured. It is a story of fate, destiny, and triumph. It is a story of finding the courage to stand up for what is right despite the absolute terror of the repercussions.
Chasing Sunrise teaches readers to never stop reaching for something better. Learn they deserve better. Learn to never stop fighting. Never stop yelling until the whole world hears. Let those that tried to hold us down, beat us back, or even try to break our souls, we know who they are. And they cannot hurt us anymore.
They cannot break our spirit as we not only chase the sunrise, but find it’s been burning bright within us all this time.
Let your light burn down to your bones and ignite the sky.
Chasing Sunrise Tour Stops:
7/13 – Chris T. Kat – The Power of Androgyny
7/17 – Michael Rupured – Whispering for Help: Chasing Sunrise Goes Viral
7/19 – Lily Velden – Don’t Lose Your Way
7/20 – Jaime Samms – Screw Sparklepires! Meet the Aisa
7/22 – Aidee Ladnier – Were…what? Meet the Shifters!
7/24 – Grace Duncan – Walking the Runway with Sevon
7/26 – Shira Anthony – When Disaster Strikes: Natural Disasters in Fiction
7/25 – Chasing Sunrise Release Day!
7/29 – Dreamspinner Twitter Takeover with Charlie Cochet
7/30 – Live Your Life, Buy The Book – “I loved you before Nazareth.” Meet Bianca and Chaney
8/2 – Chat at the Dreamspinner Press Facebook Page
8/8 – Charlie Cochet – The Catharsis of Lovers Shirts
8/13 – Gay List Book Reviews – The Necessity of Brutality
8/16 – Tali Spencer – The Shape of Things to Come: Glass Moon
Buy Chasing Sunrise:
100% of the presale royalties of this book will go to Los Angeles Gay and Lesbian Center’s Domestic Violence Service. Good until July 25th!
Genre: Vampires, Werewolves/Shapeshifters, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal, Fantasy
Series: The Darkmore Saga: Book One
Length: Novel
Published: July 25, 2014
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
ISBN: 978-1-62798-776-9
Pre-order: Paperback or eBook
Blurb:
Chasing Sunrise
The Darkmore Saga: Book One
On the Coastal Bend of Texas, a hidden kingdom called Darkmore lies in ruins, and King Sevon Maraté is trapped. Using Sevon as a mouthpiece and a scapegoat, Lord Dominic rules from the shadows. Sevon copes with the unrelenting abuse by dressing in women’s finery and casting an image of graceful nobility. Born of royal verkolai blood and as beautiful as he is lethal, he possesses the ability to part the Veil separating his world from hundreds of others. His gift is his chance to escape, but Dominic refuses to relinquish his tool for power. Dominic forges an ambitious plan to invade the prosperous land of Priagust. Only a select few know the mythic kingdom of shifters exists. Sevon is out of options for his people’s survival, and cooperating with Dominic is his only chance.
On their foray into Priagust, Dominic’s men kidnap and interrogate a shifter named Jack. Even under torture, Jack’s loyalty to his kind never wavers. But as Jack’s knowledge about Darkmore’s king and its history unsettles Sevon, a curious bond begins to form. Despite Sevon’s mistrust, Jack is determined to tame Sevon’s wild heart and perhaps earn his freedom. As invasion looms, Sevon wonders if trusting Jack will lead him into another trap or if he should forget about chasing the sunrise and remain Dominic’s compliant prisoner.
July 13, 2014
[GUEST POST] Aidee Ladnier geeks out about Automata
by Aidee Ladnier
Thanks so much for inviting me to guest post on your blog, Lex! I hope you don’t mind if I show off a little of my love for all things geeky–especially automata. And don’t forget to sign up for my rafflecopter giveaway. I’ve got lots of cool things to share!
In my new novella, The Break-In, published recently by Dreamspinner Press, roboticist Forbes Pohle
creates a robot named Jeepers that looks like a black and white tuxedo cat.
Granted, Jeepers
has several duties around Forbes’s house, but his most
important one is to keep Forbes from getting lonely. Keeping people entertained
is a function that robots, and their ancestors the automata, have been performing for centuries.
The earliest automata were recorded in the third century
B.C.E. They were often self propelled human figurines or animals. The early
roboticists, mechanics, and clockmakers often made bird automata. There are
famous preening peacocks, singing larks, and silver swimming swans. You can still see remnants
of these early mechanical birds in modern cuckoo clocks.
The most amazing creations, though, were the mannequins that moved. Ancient
engineers made metal beings who sang, served tea, drew elaborate pictures,
wrote poems, and there was even one controversial one who supposedly played
chess.
Here are some of my favorite automata:
The ancient Chinese artificer Yan Shi created a mechanical
man who winked and flirted with court ladies.
The Muslim inventor Al-Jazari created a boat
full of tiny musicians that entertained guests at parties.
Leonardo da Vinci’s notebook has plans for a
knight that could sit up and wave its arms.
Mathematician Johannes Müller von Königsberg
created an eagle made of iron that could fly.
The magician John Dee manufactured a wooden
beetle that buzzed in the air of Elizabeth I’s court.
Inventor Jacques de Vaucanson’s Digesting Duck
could eat and digest grain, leaving duck pellets behind.
Japanese engineer Hisashige Tanaka created
little men who could draw and fire arrows at a target.
One automaton that has gotten a lot of press lately belongs to the Franklin Institute. They received the brass pieces of the automaton in 1928. The museum curators feared its entertaining days were over, but they carefully pieced it back together, unsure who had created the amazing little man. Finally, they put a pen in its hand and started the mechanism again for the first time in decades. The little man wrote a poem and signed it with the name of his creator, Henri Maillardet, the Swiss clockmaker, revealing it had been created around 1800. After so many centuries the little robot was still entertaining and amazing everyone who saw it.
I hope you’ll be check out my story about a lonely roboticist and his robot companion that plays matchmaker in THE BREAK-IN.
Enter the Rafflecopter Giveaway!
About Aidee Ladnier
Aidee Ladnier began writing fiction at 12 years old but took a
hiatus to be a magician’s assistant, ride in hot air balloons,
produce independent movies, collect interesting shoes, and
amass a secret file with the CIA. A lover of genre fiction, it
has been a lifelong dream of Aidee’s to write both romance and
erotica with a little science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, or the
paranormal thrown in to add a zing.
The Break-in
Author: Aidee Ladnier
ISBN-13:978-1-62798-736-3
Pages: 56
Cover Artist: Christy Caughie
Buy: Dreamspinner Press | Amazon | Barnes
and Noble | ARe
Blurb: Ten years ago, roboticist Forbes Pohle
received a visit from time-traveler Oliver Lennox. “Wait for
me,” Oliver said. Now a decade has come and gone, and Oliver
has returned. However, Forbes never dreamed Oliver would
reappear as the point man for a gang of technology thieves
breaking into his lab. He finds the younger Oliver just as sexy
and even more annoying; still, he must convince him their
happily-ever-after is meant to be—but he only has the time it
takes his robotic cat Jeepers to thwart the thieves to do it.
After waiting so long, he could lose everything in the span of
seconds.
today!
and Noble | All Romance ebooks
June 22, 2014
[GUEST POST] Come with Charlie Cochet to the THIRDS HQ
Hello everyone! A big thank you to the awesome Lex Chase for having me. In just two weeks, Hell & High Water, the first book in my new law-enforcement shifter series called the THIRDS, is out! As some of you may already know, this series is different from anything I’ve created so far, and it’s the closest to contemporary I’ve written, but with shifters. I’m having so much fun writing these guys. I hope you’ll love Dex and the gang as much as I do.
Now, like I said. This series is different from what I’ve written. You’ll still find plenty of humor, because you know me. But there’s also action, cussing, explosions, music, sexy times, mystery, suspense, and lots more. The series centers around agents working for the Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron (now you see why they call it the THIRDS), hence why the series was named after the organization. The THIRDS is a military-funded law-enforcement organization. The colors are black, white, and blue, like it’s logo up there. When I was creating the graphics and logos, I realized the look of the THIRDS wasn’t going to fit into the soft romantic look of my website, not to mention the THIRDS series is going to have quite a few books.
The series starts with four books all centering around two main characters on team Destructive Delta: Dex and Sloane. But there are already two more books on my writing schedule centering around other pairings on the team. Then there’s secondary characters I’d like to give their own books to, but we’ll see. With so much going on in this series, all the worldbuilding, the blog tours, cover reveals, guest spots and other events, I realized these guys were going to need their own home. So without further ado…
Just click on the banner or link to visit THIRDSHQ.COM
Preorder Hell & High Water: eBook | Paperback
Hell & High Water (THIRDS, Book #1) out July 7th
Blog tour: June 30th – July 10th. Find out more here.
Blood & Thunder (THIRDS, Book #2) out Aug 4th | Preorder from July 11th
Giveaway!
For a chance to win a THIRDS swag pack, just leave a comment below! Contest ends June 29th at midnight (Est).
About the Author:
Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From Historical to Fantasy, Contemporary to Science Fiction, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!
Currently residing in South Florida, Charlie looks forward to migrating to a land where the weather includes seasons other than hot, hotter, and boy, it’s hot! When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.
Website: http://www.charliecochet.com
Blog: http://www.charliecochet.com/blog
Email: charlie@charliecochet.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/charliecochet
Twitter: @charliecochet | http://www.twitter.com/charliecochet
Newsletter: http://www.charliecochet.com/newsletter
THIRDS website: http://thirdshq.com
June 15, 2014
[GUEST POST] L.J. LaBarthe Defines Humanity In The Divine
Thanks for having me, Lex, especially on such short notice! I thought I’d talk a little about how I envisaged the characters of the Archangel books.
I write about nearly omniscient characters in these books, who are the elite force of God. If we are to believe the scripture that God created mankind in his own image, then God didn’t exclude any human being at all. It made sense to me that would be reflected in the physical form that the angels would take. Each angel is an individual and each angel enjoys certain things. For instance, Gabriel likes to spend a lot of time between Russia and northern England, Haniel enjoys spending time in India, Michael spends a lot of time in China and Korea, Samael moves between Ghana and London, Raphael enjoys the USA and Crete. As part of their first order from God—to guide and protect mankind—and to better understand them, it made sense to me that these beings would choose to appear as humans did. And as such, because each one chose to spend his or her time in different places around the world, they would take on the physical characteristics of those locales. For example, Michael appears a Chinese man, Metatron as a Maori, and Remiel as a Scotsman with strawberry-blond hair.
Angels appear in many different religions. They are in all flavours of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Jainism and Wicca. They are in the Baha’i Faith, Zoroastrianism, Neo-Platonism, Sikhism, Hermitic Kabbalah, and Theosophy. There are variations on the nature of angelic beings in even more faiths. This is what led me to imagine, and, I hope, convey on the page, the fact that every angel appears as a different being, a unique entity with unique mannerisms and quirks, who looks different from each other, but fits in with the whole of the world’s population. It was important to me to reflect this thought in the characterization and description of the angels.
L-R: Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Uriel, Samael, Tzadkiel, Remiel, Haniel, Metatron, Raziel. Art by Danielle Ellison of Mad Robot Designs.
The same goes for the demons. Just because they’re demons or fallen angels doesn’t mean they all appear the same, either. If a denizen of Hell is trying to tempt someone on Earth, appearing as something with the legs of a goat, the torso of an overcooked lobster and with a pair of enormous bull horns on its head is not going to do it. For one thing, in today’s world, skepticism would lead most people to snort and say, “Yeah, right, bullshit,” and for another, well, it’s a bit obvious. If someone is going to be tempted to do great wrong, let’s say, it’s easier to manipulate that individual if one looks human. And like the angels, the demons and fallen ones have their favourite places on Earth, their favourite cultures and foods, and so appear as regular citizens of those places.
I love history, and I love research. I love how rich and diverse our world is, how much culture, art, music and literature we have. I love how the internet makes the world very much a global village. I love the wealth of information about just about anything one can find on the internet and as such, I wanted to reflect that in the characters love of place and of history. Each character from Hell or Heaven has lived for eons, years beyond counting, and they’ve seen the slow march of history in real time. Trying to imagine what that would be like, I thought that it would need characters with an unlimited sense of wonder and delight in the world and all life on the planet. That too, is reflected in each immortal character’s choices—favourite foods, favourite cities, favourite beaches. Raziel and Uriel love the beaches of the Queensland Sunshine Coast. Ondrass loves the high rise cityscape of Hong Kong and Adramelek loves the city of Pripyat, now slowly being reclaimed by nature since the Chernobyl disaster. Tzadkiel loves Georgia, particularly the city of Savannah and Gabriel loves Istanbul, although he visits but rarely.
That does make them all a little bit more human, I think, even though they do have moments where the nuances of humanity are completely incomprehensible to them. But I like to think that my characters have retained their sense of wonder and their joy in this beautiful planet and all the life that’s here.
Bio
L.J. LaBarthe is a French-Australian woman, who was born during the Witching Hour, just after midnight. From this auspicious beginning, she went on to write a prize-winning short story about Humpty Dumpty wearing an Aussie hat complete with corks dangling from it when she was six years old. From there, she wrote for her high school yearbook, her university newspaper, and, from her early teens to her twenties, produced a fanzine about the local punk rock music scene. She loves music of all kinds and was once a classical pianist; she loves languages and speaks French and English and a teeny-tiny smattering of Mandarin Chinese, which she hopes to relearn properly very soon. She enjoys TV, film, travel, cooking, eating out, abandoned places, urbex, history, and researching.
L.J. loves to read complicated plots and hopes to do complex plot lines justice in her own writing. She writes paranormal, historical, urban fantasy, and contemporary Australian stories, usually m/m romance and featuring m/m erotica. She has won a Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention and another award for Best Historical Gay Novel.
L.J. lives in the city of Adelaide, and is owned by her cat.
Social Media Links
Twitter: @brbsiberia
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lj.labarthe.9
Web: http://www.ljlabarthe.com/
Blog: http://misslj_author.livejournal.com/
Blurb
Sequel to The Crystal Lake
Archangel Chronicles: Book Six
Gabriel and Michael, hand in hand and leading the Brotherhood of Archangels, the Venatores, and the Archdemon Guild of Glass Knives, march into the mouth of madness to retrieve the Holy Grail with the blessings of both God and Lucifer. They cross dimensions and battle for the future of all realities: Heaven, Hell, Earth and Purgatory.
In Purgatory they are reunited with Naamah and meet her children, who are terrified of her. One of her allies is an angel, but they can’t identify the traitor. Gabriel faces his worst fear when Michael is injured and he might lose the unwavering comfort Michael embodies. If Gabriel cannot save the Holy Grail, he risks losing more than his one true love—all of creation might be destroyed along with them.
Buy
eBook: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...
Paperback: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...
And the full series is here: http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...
Excerpt from “The Bone Cup” out on 9th June, 2014.
Gabriel lay back down and tugged Michael to him. As Michael curled against him, Gabriel let out a happy noise. “This is nice.”
“It is.” Michael shifted and rested his cheek against Gabriel’s chest. “I like to listen to your heartbeat,” he said.
Gabriel made a small “aww” noise. “You’re so adorable, solnyshko.”
“Hush. I am not adorable.” Michael lightly tickled Gabriel’s side and Gabriel yelped in surprise.
“Hey!” He rolled them and pinned Michael to the sand. “No stealth tickling.”
Michael laughed. “Is that what it is called?”
“Aye. I just invented it.”
Michael laughed some more. “I see.”
Gabriel grinned at his lover and kissed him. Michael kissed him back, winding his arms around Gabriel, and they lay together on the sand, glued to one another, basking in their mutual love, with the sound of the sea in their ears and the benevolent light of the stars and moon shining down on them.
“Shall we go indoors?” Michael whispered against Gabriel’s lips.
“I was just thinking the same thing,” Gabriel murmured. He concentrated and teleported them from the seashore to their bed.
Michael purred happily, stretching beneath Gabriel. His arms were looped loosely around Gabriel’s neck and his eyes were soft, fond. Gabriel gazed down at Michael, feeling a surge of love for his bonded, accompanied by a surge of happiness.
“You make me very happy,” he said.
“And you make me very happy, also,” Michael said. “Happier than I sometimes feel I have a right to be. But I will not question it, not anymore. I will accept it, gladly, and cherish it, as I cherish you.”
Gabriel kissed him again, slow and sweet, and Michael’s arms tightened a little around him. Using his power, Gabriel removed their clothes, and he made a soft noise of approval into the kiss as he felt Michael’s strong, muscled body against his own without clothing impeding their contact. Gabriel ran a hand down Michael’s side, his fingers carefully mapping each line and contour of muscle and sinew, running over each piece of scar tissue. Beneath him, Michael wriggled a little, and Gabriel groaned as he felt Michael’s hard cock pressing against his belly.
“Did you want something?” Gabriel asked as he continued his languid caresses of Michael’s skin.
“I do,” Michael said.
“And what would that be?” Gabriel ran the backs of his knuckles over Michael’s pelvic bone, eliciting a soft gasp from his lover.
“You,” Michael said.
June 13, 2014
[GUEST POST] According To Tray Ellis, Pink Is Perfection
Okay, so I have to admit, when I first wrote the color scheme into How Sweetly the Whippoorwill Sings, I was doing it with a tarnished love of the color pink. It’s a gorgeous color: vibrant, uplifting, warm, flirty, playful. It is stunning when paired with many other colors. A black gown with some pink crinoline beneath just screams 80′s dance party, and a white tennis sneaker with pink trim looks so adorable. Men look delectable in those crisp pale pink long-sleeved business shirts.
No, my problem with pink is what it represents, which is going too far to one side of the female spectrum. Because how many men really wear those pale pink long-sleeved business-shirts? Far fewer than there should be. Try shopping for a gift for a baby when you don’t know the gender yet. There’s not a lot out there that isn’t boy-blue or girl-pink. So, when I see the color pink, I start to think of it as pigeon-holing, and I don’t like that. I want people, and the characters in my stories, to be more than just a representation of a boy/girl color. (To be fair, I did come across a very interesting article pointing out that this blue-boy and pink-girl dichotomy is relatively recent. Not too far in the past, femininity was associated with soft blue colors. How that shift happened wasn’t explained in the article.)
For my story, though, I was writing about a wedding and forever love, and the blush of new love between the groom’s best man and the bride’s brother, and all of those things are also represented by the color pink. I needed to embrace pink, not shy away from it. I spent some time looking up the various shades of pink, and wow, were there a lot. Some were luscious shades and some weren’t to my preference, but the longer I spent looking at the colors, the more I started to like them, and the easier it became to write those colors into my story. Instead of just saying the bridesmaids’ dresses were pink, they became “soft rose-colored gowns”. The church wasn’t just decorated in pink and white ribbons, it was dressed up like “a pale peppermint candy cane”. The next thing I knew, I was dashing bits of pink everywhere!
Then came the ultimate moment. For my very first solo published story, I was to get my very own cover. From the moment I knew that, I also knew there had to be pink involved, and indeed, it was a flowery, glorious pink so lovely that it seemed almost fragrant.
I still have some reservations about the associations that pink recalls, but my adoration of my story cover will endure, and as far as I can say: pink is perfect.
How Sweetly the Whippoorwill Sings is available through Dreamspinner Press starting on May 28th, 2014.
Blurb
On the day of Molly and Irving’s wedding the usual hiccups and snags happen, but Irving’s best man, chemistry professor Everett Donnelly, is there to smooth them over, keep everyone organized, and make last minute adjustments based on the lists he keeps. If only he weren’t distracted and reeling from his strong attraction to Molly’s brother, police officer Jake Mountbatten, whom Everett first met at the rehearsal dinner.
In between boutonnière crises and wedding photos, the two men have ample opportunities to catch each other’s eye, but the obligations of the wedding interrupt them time and again. Finally, all the speeches and traditional activities are over, and Everett finds Jake to see if they can make a little romance of their own.
Bio
Tray Ellis grew up with two brothers and many cats and dogs. Her family loves to cook, eat, sit around talking, and quote old movies at each other. The more laughter the better, and her family loves to laugh. Tray has a completely romantic view of autumn, and thinks it is the perfect season and an excellent source of writing inspiration. When she isn’t writing, she keeps busy by jogging, fishing, cooking, baking, and keeping her home in some semblance of order. (Perhaps she has completely exaggerated that her home is in any kind of order whatsoever.)
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June 8, 2014
Charlie Cochet’s Hell & High Water Cover Reveal!
Hell and High Water
(Thirds Series, Bk #1)
By Charlie Cochet
Blurb:
When homicide detective Dexter J. Daley’s testimony helps send his partner away for murder, the consequences—and the media frenzy—aren’t far behind. He soon finds himself sans boyfriend, sans friends, and, after an unpleasant encounter in a parking garage after the trial, he’s lucky he doesn’t find himself sans teeth. Dex fears he’ll get transferred from the Human Police Force’s Sixth Precinct, or worse, get dismissed. Instead, his adoptive father—a sergeant at the Therian-Human Intelligence Recon Defense Squadron otherwise known as the THIRDS—pulls a few strings, and Dex gets recruited as a Defense Agent.
Dex is determined to get his life back on track and eager to get started in his new job. But his first meeting with Team Leader Sloane Brodie, who also happens to be his new jaguar Therian partner, turns disastrous. When the team is called to investigate the murders of three HumaniTherian activists, it soon becomes clear to Dex that getting his partner and the rest of the tightknit team to accept him will be a lot harder than catching the killer—and every bit as dangerous.
Available for Pre-Order at
Excerpt
Sloane observed Dex as he made his way to the center of the
mat. The guy had a nice ass too. On that note, maybe it was time for S
picked anyone up, but then, the only thing that seemed to interest him these
days was the job. Why the hell was he thinking about sex now? He followed Dex
onto the blue mat and stopped a few feet away from him, pushing any and all
sexual thoughts out of his mind. He had work to do. A lot of work
to do.
Dex readied himself, stretching his neck and back. Despite
his disastrous introduction, the guy actually had excellent poise. He balanced
perfectly on one leg while he pulled the opposite knee up to stretch then
swapped and did the same with the other. He bent over and grabbed his ankles
with ease then slowly rolled his back to stand upright again. Rotating his
shoulders, he shook himself off and hopped on his toes for a few seconds to
warm up. His movements revealed he was lithe and flexible, yet Sloane couldn’t
understand how this was the same guy who had scored top of his class during the
training run. It was true he didn’t know much about Dex, but he’d read the file
the moment he’d been informed of the decision.
Both parents had been killed during the riots when he was
five years old. He’d been adopted by his father’s friend and work partner,
Anthony Maddock. A year later, his baby Therian brother was rescued and
adopted. Went to Berkeley at eighteen for four years, earned a Bachelor of
Science degree in Justice Studies, and joined the HPF a year later. Four years
after that, was promoted to homicide detective. Dexter J. Daley, thirty-three
years old, unmarried, and recently testified against his Human partner in a
murder trial. Sloane was still figuring out what to think about that last part.
Dex took his stance, bending his knees, his left leg a little
farther up than the right, and his fists up near his face.
“Your stance is good,” Sloane murmured, ignoring Dex’s
surprised look. Taking up his own fighting stance, Sloane motioned for Dex to
advance. “Okay. Come at me.”
Dex shook his head. “No.”
Sloane paused. Was the rookie messing with him? “What do you
mean ‘no’?”
“How about you come at me.”
“That’s not how this works.”
“I’ve seen what attacking you head on does. You want to see
what I can do? You’ll have to work for it.”
Sloane arched an eyebrow. Well, if nothing else, the guy had
balls. “Okay. Remember, you asked for it.” He advanced, faked with his right to
land a left hook to Dex’s ribs. A swipe to his left foot brought Dex crashing
down to the mat.
“Fuck,” Dex moaned, rolling out of the way. He jumped to his
feet and rounded his shoulders. “Okay.” Bouncing on his toes, he circled
Sloane. “Let’s try this again.”
This match was over. Rookie just didn’t know it yet. Sloane
was good at exposing weaknesses, and he was already working on discovering his
new partner’s.
They slowly circled each other, and Sloane got closer to Dex
with each step until he was close enough to throw a punch. Dex blocked it, his
concentration focused on keeping Sloane from landing a hit. He was studying
Sloane, trying to get a handle on his technique so he could formulate a plan of
attack. Rookie was using his head—that was good—but he was taking too long to decide
on his course of action and that was bad. Hesitation was something his Human
partner couldn’t afford out in the field, not when dealing with Therians. As a
species, Therians were faster, stronger, healed quicker, and had a higher level
of tolerance when it came to pain.
Dex blocked a left hook to the ribs with his right elbow
tucked up against his body, but in anticipation of Sloane faking a right, he
tucked his left elbow in as well, leaving his head exposed. Sloane took
advantage and clipped Dex under his chin. His head came up, once again leaving
himself exposed long enough for Sloane to give his cheek a smack. Dex shuffled
back, eyes wide.
“What the fuck was that?”
“I’m sorry. Did I smear your makeup?” Sloane held back a
smile at Dex’s glare. This was too easy. Forgetting all about keeping his
distance, Dex charged him.
A fierce combination of hooks, jabs, and an attempt at an
uppercut were nicely executed, but still not enough to catch Sloane off guard.
He blocked Dex’s advances, ducked under a right hook, and grabbed Dex’s leg.
With a forceful pull, Dex was once again sprawled on his back.
“I haven’t spent this much time on my back since college.”
Sloane laughed. “It’s a good look for you, Rookie.”
“You asking me out on a date? Because I don’t date assholes,”
Dex grumbled, sitting up.
“I may be an asshole, but even I’ve got standards.”
With a smirk, Dex hung his head and held an arm out.
“Giving up already? How disappointing.” Sloane reached out
and took Dex’s hand, ready to pull him up when Dex twisted his torso and kicked
a leg out, catching Sloane on the side of his knee and sending him down onto
it. He was jerked forward and Dex’s legs wrapped around his waist. He twisted
his lower body to throw Sloane onto his back. Dex landed on him, his hands pinning
Sloane’s wrists to the mat beneath them, their faces inches away from each
other.
“So, about that date,” Dex said, laughing breathlessly. His
eyes shifted to Sloane’s lips before moving back up and his smile grew wider.
The little shit was taunting him.
Sloane didn’t know what pissed him off more, that he’d been
caught by surprise, or that he was enjoying it. His anger started bubbling up
inside him and that pissed him off even more. He didn’t get angry. Anger meant
the rookie was getting to him.
With a pleasant smile, Sloane jerked his left wrist free to
snatch Dex’s in a tight grip. He looped his arm around Dex’s neck, forcing
Dex’s arm to come up and around as well. With a swift yank, Dex spun off him
and onto the mat.
That was better. Sloane casually got to his feet with a
satisfied grin. He took a deep breath to regain his calm and turned, frowning
at the sight of Dex on his stomach, his back arching as he let out a frustrated
groan. He ignored the curve of the rookie’s spine and the way he looked when he
got onto his hands and knees. Jesus, what was wrong with him? It was time to
put a stop to this… distraction.
Come on,” Sloane snarled. “Get up. I’m not here to be your
Xbox buddy.”
“Come on, Dex!” Cael sat on the floor a few feet away, and Sloane
tilted his head, his bottom lip jutting out in a pout as he teased Dex.
“Aw, isn’t that cute? Baby brother is cheering for you.”
Dex lunged at him, throwing his arms around Sloane’s waist in
an inane attempt to knock him over. Sloane didn’t go down. He was bigger,
stronger, and heavier than Dex, but to the rookie’s credit, he managed to get
in a nice jab to the ribs. With a well-maneuvered twist of his body, Sloane was
out of Dex’s grip and holding him in a headlock. Instead of punching him, he
delivered another slap to his cheek. Dex let out a frustrated growl and tried
to push away from him.
“Stop doing that!”
“Ooh, Rookie’s got a bit of a temper.” Sloane ruffled Dex’s
hair, pissing him off further.
“Aw, isn’t he cute,” Ash teased from the end of the mat.
“Fuck you, Simba!”
Rosa burst into laughter and Ash glared at her. “Are you
fucking serious?” He turned back to Sloane with a scowl. “You better kick his
ass.”
Dex struggled in Sloane’s grip. “Come on, Rookie. Is this the
best you got?”
“This isn’t fighting,” Dex spat out. “This is you being a
prick.”
Sloane shrugged. “Either way, I’ve seen what you can do and I
gotta say, it’s pretty uninspiring.”
“Uninspiring, huh?” Dex pulled back a fist and Sloane
released him, jumping back and narrowly missing Dex’s fist, his knuckles
brushing Sloane’s crotch. Sloane gaped at Dex.
“You were going to punch me in the nuts?”
“You said it yourself. This isn’t a fight, so yeah. And I
would have enjoyed it too.”
“Hey, watch it.” Sloane stormed up to Dex who held his ground,
his chin lifted defiantly. Rookie had nerve, but he needed to learn his place.
Sloane grabbed him, hauled him off his feet and slammed him into the mat. “Stay
the fuck down, if you know what’s good for you.”
Dex ignored him, his breath coming out heavy as he got back
on his feet and threw a punch. Stupid little bastard didn’t know when to quit.
Sloane ducked, grabbed Dex around the waist and once again slammed him back
down on the mat. With a low groan, Dex rolled onto his side and pushed himself
onto his hands and knees. Sloane wiped the sweat off his brow with the back of
his hand as he circled Dex. He’d lost count of how many times he’d dropped Dex,
yet the guy kept getting back up. Granted, each time took a little longer than
the last, but he pushed himself to his feet regardless. Sloane didn’t know
whether to be impressed or aggravated.
“You’re not cut out for this, Rookie.”
Dex didn’t reply, simply glared at him. He charged Sloane
with a growl, ducking under Sloane’s right hook and landing a jab to Sloane’s
exposed ribs. Gritting his teeth against the pain, Sloane used the adrenaline
pumping through his veins to keep going and bring his fists down onto Dex’s
back. Dex hit the mat painfully, his head smacking against it.
Fuck. Sloane touched his ribs and winced.
Damn, the rookie had gotten him pretty good. “Why don’t you stay down? It’s
only going to get worse.”
With a humorless laugh, Dex rolled onto his back, his chest
rising and falling rapidly. “Let me guess. This is the part where I’m supposed
to go crying home to Daddy. “Ooh, my new partner hates me. Boo-hoo.”’ Sloane
could see the strain on the rookie’s face as he struggled to stand, sucking in
a sharp breath when he straightened. “Well fuck you. Here’s a little FYI for
you. I would rather fucking bleed to death
than give you the satisfaction, you prick.”
Sloane arched an eyebrow at him. “Charming.”
“I am fucking
charming!” Dex shouted, his entire face going beet red. “I am the most charming
motherfucker you will ever know, so kiss my perfectly perky ass!”
After some consideration, Sloane cocked his head to one side
and shrugged. “I’ve seen better.”
“Oh, now you’re insulting my ass?”
Sloane opened his mouth when a booming voice came over the
speaker system.
“Destructive Delta, please report to briefing room “A” in one
hour as per Sergeant Maddock’s orders.”
“Looks like you were saved by daddy after all.” Sloane turned
to his team and clapped his hands together. “Okay, hit the showers. See you
upstairs.” Everyone headed out, and Sloane made his way to the towel rack. He
grabbed himself one to wipe his face, and when he turned, he almost ran into
Dex, his rig hanging from one hand.
“Well, let’s see it.”
Sloane threw his towel over his shoulder. “See what?”
“You know.”
“Are you asking me to go feral or whip out my dick?”
Dex looked like he was actually considering it. “Come on. I
want to see the alpha beneath the asshole. We’ve got lions, and tigers, and….”
Dex shifted his gaze to Sloane’s neck, a strange little smile coming onto his
face as he looked back up at Sloane. “Jaguar. Oh my.”
Holy shit, the guy was serious.
Dex shrugged. “I don’t see what the big deal is. You’re my
partner, we’re in a wide open space, and there are vending machines down the
hall for post shift. We’ve got time before we need to get to the briefing room.
It’s my turn to see what I’m dealing with.”
Sloane mulled it over. “Okay.”
“Yeah?”
“Sure.” Sloane circled Dex and crowded him, making him
retreat until his back hit the wall. With his arms to the sides of Dex’s head,
he watched Dex’s Adam’s apple bob as his new partner swallowed hard. Just as
Sloane suspected, Dex was clearly having second thoughts about seeing the “big
bad alpha.” He leaned in close, his lips inches away from Dex’s jaw as he
inhaled deeply. “Do you know why jaguar Therians are the most lethal of the
Felids?”
“Um….”
“My
Therian bite has twice the strength of a lion’s. I can use a deep-throat,
bite-and-suffocation technique where my fangs pierce through the temporal bones
of your skull, right between your ears and pierce your brain.” Sloane gave a
little demonstration with his fingers on Dex’s scalp, earning him a scowl.
Sloane laughed then whispered in Dex’s ear. “I bet the only word you heard from
all that was deep-throat.”
Dex lifted his chin, his eyes
dropping once again to Sloane’s mouth before moving back up to meet his gaze.
He licked his lips, his eyes clouding over. “Your pupils are dilated. Does that
mean you want to fuck me or eat me? Because I might have a problem with one of
those.”
About the Author
Charlie Cochet is an author by day and artist by night. Always quick to succumb to the whispers of her wayward muse, no star is out of reach when following her passion. From Historical to Fantasy, Contemporary to Science Fiction, there’s bound to be plenty of mischief for her heroes to find themselves in, and plenty of romance, too!
Currently residing in South Florida, Charlie looks forward to migrating to a land where the weather includes seasons other than hot, hotter, and boy, it’s hot! When she isn’t writing, she can usually be found reading, drawing, or watching movies. She runs on coffee, thrives on music, and loves to hear from readers.
You can find Charlie at
Giveaway
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May 18, 2014
[GUEST POST] Jamie Lynn Miller heats things up with ‘Burnin’ for You’
Jamie in uniform.
Thanks so much, Lex, for having me here today. I’m Jamie Lynn Miller and I’d like to talk about my novel Burnin’ for You and my inspiration for writing it.
My tagline says it all: “Men in uniform…and out”. Give me a cop, a fireman or a paramedic and I’ll write a story about them.
I’m wildly passionate about this book because I was lucky enough to spend 14 days with my local fire department doing research, one of the most amazing experiences in my life.
I was fitted for my own turnout gear and went on ride-a-longs, where I sat in the jump seat in the engine. I was inside a live burn tower where I got to experience a “backdraft” first hand and help to put it out. I learned how to find my way blind in the dark in a smoke filled room wearing an oxygen tank and mask and full turnout gear. I went 60 feet up in the air in the snorkel. I learned exactly how the paramedics operate and looked at all their gear. I saw how the apparatus and equipment rooms were set up. I learned how to roll hose and attach it to a hydrant and the crucial role the engineer plays in getting that water to the fire. I used the Jaws of Life to pry a door off of a car and used an axe to break out a windshield.
Smashing out a window.
Like I said – most amazing experience of my life.
And during all this, I took notes. Lots and lots of notes. Notebooks full. Because I knew someday I was going to write a story. Or four. 
Not only does this book encompass my love of the fire department, but it’s also an homage to my favorite shows like Emergency and Third Watch. Station 127 is real. It’s the actual department in California where Emergency was filmed and I was lucky enough to visit there several years ago. And it still looks just like the fictitious Station 51!
So here it is, the story of Lucas and Evan and how they battled their way through smoke and flames to find their happy ending. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.
BLURB
Lucas Taylor is a New York City fireman at Station 127, dedicated to his job, even though it has brought him heartrending tragedy – the loss of his lover, Ryan, in an explosion.
Evan Singer is the new guy in town, a paramedic transferred into Station 127 and he sets his eyes on Lucas from the get-go.
Neither knowing who the other is, their first meeting is a night of passion and desire that awakens something inside Lucas he never thought he’d feel again.
But when Lucas discovers that Evan is a paramedic, it all comes crashing down. For despite the feelings he has for Evan, Lucas has vowed to never again get involved with someone on the job, after losing Ryan to it.
Can Evan convince Lucas to open up his heart and take a chance on love again, despite who Evan is?
Includes the sequel – Where There’s Smoke!
Things turn explosive at the FDNY when a young man Lucas rescues from a fire becomes an obsessed stalker, and Evan’s altercation with a victim’s husband threatens to end his career.
EXCERPT
“We need to talk,” Evan said firmly, walking toward Lucas.
Lucas turned from the sinks to face Evan. “No. We don’t,” he replied, just as strongly.
“You owe me an explanation, damn it,” Evan countered, and Lucas could sense the hurt under his words.
Hardening himself, he flung his reply at the young man. “I was drunk. It was nothing but a mistake, sleeping with you. End of story.”
Evan shook his head. “No. No, I’m not buying that. You never would’ve called me on Sunday if that was true.”
Knowing he was caught, Lucas floundered for a moment before finding his voice, softer this time. “Evan…nothing more can happen between us. So just let it go. Please.”
“I don’t understand. Why are you acting like this?” Evan asked plaintively, taking another step toward Lucas, reaching out to touch him. “What’s going – “
The door to the bathroom opened at that moment and Tom walked in, dressed in only his boxers, a towel over his shoulder. Evan immediately dropped his hand and took a step back from Lucas, as they both averted their gaze from one another. It was obvious from the look on Tom’s face that he knew he’d just interrupted something, but before he could speak, Evan was brushing past him, out of the bathroom.
Lucas sighed and turned back to the sink, bracing his arms on it and hanging his head. Tom walked up beside him a moment later.
“Want to tell me what that was all about?” Tom asked.
“Nothing,” Lucas muttered.
“Certainly didn’t look like nothing. Something going on with you two?” Tom pressed gently. “You haven’t even known him for 24 hours yet and you’ve pretty much been avoiding him since he got here. Something about him just rubbing you the wrong way?”
Lucas hesitated for a minute, then decided to confide in his friend. He blew out a long breath then straightened up, turning to face Tom.
“Actually…we’ve known each other longer than 24 hours,” he confessed.
Tom blinked. “You…what?”
“Remember when I said I wasn’t alone on Saturday?”
Tom nodded. “Yeah…” Then his eyes widened. “You don’t mean…? You were with Evan? How…I mean – “
Lucas glanced away from his friend. “I picked him up at Casey’s.”
“You picked him up? You mean you…?”
“Yes, Tom, we fucked each other,” Lucas confirmed bluntly.
“What were you thinking?” Tom hissed. “Sleeping with some guy you don’t even know? You’re lucky he wasn’t some psycho and killed you!”
“God damn it, Tom! I was lonely! I was hurting and I was lonely. I miss Ryan so fucking much…”
Lucas swallowed deeply. “And with Saturday the anniversary of his death…I just wasn’t thinking straight, okay? I’d had too much to drink and he was interested and I just wanted to pretend…”
Tom sighed and reached out and squeezed Lucas’s shoulder. “So I take it from what I saw in here things didn’t go so well that night?”
Lucas gave a rueful chuckle. “Actually, it was just the opposite. I even spent the night. He gave me his number and I called him yesterday.”
“Hang on, I don’t understand. Why are you avoiding him like the plague, then?”
“Because the one thing we neglected to talk about was our jobs!” Lucas pushed angrily away from the sink, his back to Tom. “I told him today there can’t be anything between us.”
Tom was silent for a long minute, then asked softly, “Do you like him? You must if you called him.”
Lucas whirled around. “It doesn’t matter if I like him or not. He’s a paramedic.”
“Ah, Luke…don’t do this to yourself. Ryan was a fireman – “
“We’re ALL firemen, Tom! The medics are in just as much danger as we are. Half the time they’re rushing in right behind us into some burning, collapsing building to pull someone out. Or they’re pulling up on a gang-banger bleeding in the street while bullets are still flying,” Lucas finished, pulling in a deep breath.
“Do you think Ryan would’ve wanted this for you?” Tom asked gently. “For you to be alone and unhappy? Or do you think he would want you to move on? Not to forget him, but just to find someone that makes you happy again.”
Lucas stared at Tom, throat working against the emotions threatening to smother him. Finally, he shook his head, his voice rough.
“I already lost someone I loved to this job. I won’t go through that again. I can’t.”
Then he was pushing past Tom, out of the bathroom, swiping angrily at his moisture filled eyes.
He leaned against the wall next to the doorway leading into the dorm, taking a minute to get himself back under control before heading in, knowing what he’d find. And sure enough, Evan was lying there in his bed on his side, facing Lucas’s bed, wide awake, his expression hurt and angry and confused.
Lucas looked away from him without a word, climbing into bed, facing away from Evan, but he still felt the young man’s eyes boring into his back until he finally fell into an uneasy sleep hours later.
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