Lex Chase's Blog, page 26

When She Hit Me, And I Couldn’t Tell Anyone

Welcome everyone this year’s Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia. On May 17, we commemorate International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia. This is a day, that someday, and I hope in my lifetime, we should never have to address every year. There will come a day where we will celebrate our differences and our loves. I keep hoping.

My story this year is about something that I’m just now getting around to addressing. Or I should say, I’ve always talked about it, just not publicly like I have been in bits and pieces.

Last year, I discussed my first girlfriend, and how I came out amid Matthew Shepard’s death. I had mentioned in a vague line, it didn’t work out for us. This is how it didn’t work out for us.

Domestic violence between straight couples are fairly easy to grasp. There are never any questions asked. The victim and perpetrator are never put under put under a microscope about their living arrangements, or marriage, or if they were “just friends.”

Only, it’s when things get tricky for straight couples when it’s a woman that’s the perpetrator of violence. Because how could a woman beat a man? It’s after all just a woman! Good to know modern-day sexism is alive and well.

This was my case. I always say the first five years of my relationship with my girlfriend was Camelot, the last five years was a hell on earth like no other.

The first time she hit me, it was an accident. Or so I’m making myself think to this day. She was telling a joke she had gotten animated about, and smacked me across the face. My glasses had fallen to the floor from the blow. I was stunned but I laughed, she freaked out and apologized profusely.

But over time, she stopped saying she was sorry, and she hit again. And again. And again.

She and I worked together, and I would go in numbed and timid from a night of her taking a round on me. Covered in bruises and scratches on my face. My glasses had been so broken and bent up I spent time and again repairing them into looking like something functional. Our friends that happened to be store regulars would ask me what happened to me. We’d laugh. Because it was funny. We had a fight and it was silly and it was funny and it was nothing.

To say I was in an awkward spot is nothing, to say I was trapped was closer to the truth. We were “just roommates” at work, and I was convinced I couldn’t ask anyone for help. I ran it over and over in my head. What would they say?

“What do you mean she’s beating you?”

“Wait. You’re lesbians?”

“What do you mean a woman is beating you?”

“Women don’t hit!”

Yes. Women don’t hit. Let that roll over in your mind.

I escaped that relationship and had lost all of my friends and believed it was my fault. Isn’t that the grand bitch of it all. Thinking you, the victim, had done something to set her off. I didn’t need victim blaming. I did it to myself!

But this happens every day and this happens still. Men and women in same-sex relationships involving domestic violence rarely go to the ER for a broken bone. Because they’re afraid of having their orientation discovered. And the unending probing questions. And lesbians getting a rape kit done when they don’t need a rape kit. And then if you’re not out to your family? How do you explain that black eye? Or those fingerprints around your neck?

Welcome to my world, welcome to today’s world.

In my upcoming release, Chasing Sunrise, the first book of the Darkmore Saga, tells the story of vampire king Sevon Maraté. He himself is trapped in an abusive relationship. As a king, a ruler of a country, he is conflicted with who he can trust in his own palace as his lover has allies not only in the kingdom, but the kingdoms beyond. Sevon is terrified with the thoughts if he leaves the relationship, how will he survive? On top of that, how will his people with their allies severing all ties?

Despite Chasing Sunrise having a “pretty, pretty vampire and shifter wrapping” as I like to call it, at its core, it is a very serious story about domestic violence that I hope all others can identify with. My hope for the Darkmore Saga series is to help others. For those that are in a domestically abusive relationship, or those that know someone who is. To help victims and loved ones that they too can “chase the sunrise” and see the light again.

In fact, I’m doing my part. Through Dreamspinner Press, 100% of the pre-sale royalties for Chasing Sunrise is going to the LA Gay and Lesbian Center Domestic Violence Service.

While Chasing Sunrise is not available for pre-sale just yet, for my HAHAT giveaway, I am offering a print edition of Chasing Sunrise when it becomes available. The novel will be personally singed by me, and you will likewise get a rad box o’ swag!

To enter all you need to do is leave a comment with a message of hope to those out there suffering from domestic violence. Let’s populate this post with messages of encouragement and hope! Leave an email where I can reach you! The giveaway is only open to US Residents.

The Winner will be announced on May 26th!

Thank you. And never stop reaching for the light.

[Guest Post] Sarah Madison asks does the dog die?

Please help me in welcoming a woman I have found incredibly fascinating, Sarah Madison! Today, she is talking to a topic near and dear to my heart, fuzzy four-legged babies and their perils in fiction!

I’m not what you’d call a tough gal.

Abbey

Oh sure, I’ve wrestled a python to administer a dewormer, and carried a copperhead across a river in a trash can to deposit it on the far bank where it wouldn’t threaten our campsite. I’ve faced down angry Rottweilers that have broken out of their pens and are threatening the staff. I’ve deflected the belligerent client, pulled the snarling feral cat out of the ceiling, carried hundred pound Labradors into the therapy pool, and chased loose cattle out of the road. I guess you could say that when it comes to physical challenges, I’m no slouch.

But emotionally, I’m a big weenie.

Which is why I write staunchly Happily Ever After stories. Yeah, I might traumatize my characters a bit. I do love me some Hurt/Comfort. I believe in making my characters work for their HEA. But I’m going to give it to them. In fact, if I do indulge in the angst-ridden story, you can be sure that it will fall in the Angst-Lite category. There’s a reason for that.

My day job can be emotionally challenging. I deal with life and death in a microcosm on a daily basis. I’m a veterinarian in a rural area—many of my clients don’t have the money to take care of themselves, let alone their pets. While I love my job, it can be incredibly stressful—especially when nearly every week I have to have at least one tough conversation with a client that results in their decision to euthanize a beloved pet—a family member. Jeez, I teared up just typing those words.

 

Hawkeye

Because the longer I’m in the business, the more the grief and heartache of other people affect me. I’ve also become less tolerant of emotionally battering stories in general—I just need a break. I need to believe that despite all signs to the contrary, things will turn out all right in the end. That people will find true love, and a place to call home. That at the end of the day, there is something hopeful to hang on to. Which is why when it comes to my entertainment, I tend to read and write stories that end well. I include animals in my stories because they are such a huge part of my life—and for most of my adult life, my animals were the only family I could really call my own. This is a trend I’ve noticed among my gay and lesbian clients as well—the unconditional love that animals provide allows many people to ‘build’ their own families through pets and the people they’ve chosen to call family over their flesh and blood relations.

That’s not to say I won’t ever put an animal in jeopardy in one of my stories. In Unspeakable Words, one of the main characters rescues a kitten that was being tortured by some kids. I am happy to say, however, that Phoenix not only makes it, but is adopted by Jerry and Flynn.

So while I have a long list of things I’d prefer to avoid in my entertainment (zombies being one—shudders), the one thing I feel strongly about are stories in which the dog dies. Call it the Ol’ Yeller effect if you will. The movie was before my time, but Disney movies live forever, and it was one I saw at a formative age. Ol’ Yeller is probably the best of all the ‘yes, the dog dies’ films, and it introduced to an entire generation the movie concept that you can kill the dog if you provide a puppy from the same dog in the final scene, a technique used to effect in the much later Turner and Hooch.

I have only seen Ol’ Yeller once. Despite the fact that Rotten Tomatoes gives it a perfect 100% score and that it is touted as one of the best boy-and-his-dog films of all time, I can never watch it again. I’m glad that I saw it. I recommend it to people (especially ignorant clients who think it’s unnecessary to vaccinate their pets for rabies). But I can never watch it again.

If I see that an animal features in a story, I have to get someone to read the story for me and make sure that it survives. I have strong feelings about the killing of animals in stories for the sole purpose of emotionally manipulating the audience. I love David Weber’s Honor Harrington series, but I have to flip to the final chapter of each new book and make sure I see the name of Honor’s treecat, Nimitz, before I’ll buy the latest edition. I adore Dorothy Dunnett’s Lymond Chronicles, but she is very hard on animals in her series. The fact that I re-read them anyway is a testament to how amazing these stories are. Do I believe that stories should warn for the death of animals in them? Well, no. I accept that this is my own personal bugaboo and that it’s my responsibility to decide to read or watch the product on my own. However, I’ve been blindsided a few times…

Jessie

A few months ago, Anchorman was airing on television and my boyfriend and I started watching it, as I hadn’t seen it before. I was mildly enjoying it, right up to the point where the main character has lost everything in his life, and he turns to his little dog and says, “Well, at least I have you.”

Another character grabs the little dog and throws him off of the bridge they were standing on. I totally lost it. I began to sob, wailing at the boyfriend, “That’s not funny! How can anyone think that’s funny? I have to deal with stuff like this every day and IT’S NOT FUNNY!”

I had to leave the room, heading into the bedroom to lie face-down on the bed and cry into the comforter. Okay, maybe it had been a bad day. But the idea that anyone could even remotely think this was funny? At least I was at home at the time and not in the movie theater. After I pulled myself together, I came back out and eventually discovered that because this was a comedy, the dog didn’t die when thrown off the bridge, and he magically returned in the nick of time at the end of the movie.

Ha-ha. Pardon me for not thinking this was a riot.

Which is why I was utterly delighted when I discovered this website called DoesTheDogDie.com. Seriously. Where has this been my whole life? The website lists hundreds of movies, providing avatars that indicate if any animals die or get injured in the film. It ROCKS. Click on Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior and you can see from the icon that the dog bites it. Click on Man of Steel, and the happy dog face tells you the dog makes it! Color me impressed!

Now if we could just build a data base for novels, I’d be a happy camper.

Unspeakable Words is available through Dreamspinner Press. The sequel, Walk a Mile, will be released in Sept-Oct of 2014.

Bio

Sarah Madison is a veterinarian with a big dog, a big horse, too many cats, and an extremely patient (and supportive!) boyfriends. She writes because it is cheaper than therapy.

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http://www.sarahmadisonfiction.com/

Books

The Boys of Summer

Genre: Contemporary/Historical M/M Romance

Amazon

Smashwords

Blurb: David McIntyre has been enjoying the heck out of his current assignment: touring the Hawaiian Islands in search of the ideal shooting locations for a series of film company projects. What’s not to like? Stunning scenery, great food, sunny beaches…and a secret crush on his hot, ex-Air Force pilot, Rick Sutton.

Everything changes when a tropical storm and engine failure force a crash landing on a deserted atoll with a WWII listening post. Rick’s injuries, and a lack of food and water, make rescue imperative, but it takes an intensely vivid dream about the war to make David see that Rick is more than just a pilot to him. Will David gather his courage to confess his feelings to Rick—before it’s too late?

Finalist in the 2013 Rainbow Awards. Nominated Best Historical in the Goodreads M/M Romance Reader’s Choice Awards. Selected as a Best Read in 2013 by Jessewave. Winner of Best M/M Romance in the 2013 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards.

Crying for the Moon

Genre: Paranormal M/M Romance

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Blurb: Vampire Alexei Novik may have the teeth and the coffin, but he’s given up the lifestyle for an old fixer-upper in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Weary of his past, Alex plans to keep to himself, but it seems his sexy, new neighbor, Tate, can’t take the hint—a good thing, since it turns out he’s handy for all kinds of things around the house. Tate even gets along with Alex’s werewolf friends, though one of them pointedly reminds Alex that their friendship is a bad idea.

If a platonic relationship is a bad idea, the growing attraction between Tate and Alex is a disaster waiting to happen. Loving Tate will draw him into Alex’s dangerous world, and Alex is torn between having the relationship he’s always craved and keeping Tate safe. Tate won’t take no for an answer, however, and seems to handle everything Alex can throw at him without blinking. Just when he thinks things might turn out all right after all, Alex’s past catches up with him—forcing him to make a terrible choice.

Winner of the Coffee Times Romance Recommended Read Award. August 2011 Recommended Read by Reviews by Jessewave. First Runner Up in the Love Romances and More’s Golden Rose Awards for Best Paranormal of 2011.

Unspeakable Words (novella)

Genre: Contemporary/Paranormal M/M Romance

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

Blurb: Special Agent John Flynn is everything Jerry Parker is not: dangerously handsome, coolly charismatic, and respected by his peers. Special Agent Parker is dedicated and meticulous, but his abrasive personality has given him a reputation for being difficult. When new information on a cold case appears, Parker is assigned to work with Flynn, and the sparks fly as their investigative styles clash. Contact with a strange artifact changes everything when it bestows unusual and unpredictable powers on Flynn… and the two men must learn to trust each other before a killer strikes again.

Part One of the (planned) four part Unspeakable Words series. Part Two, Walk a Mile, will be released by Dreamspinner Press in Oct 2014.

[GUEST POST] A. Morell has a chat with Ryo–er–Mark Nanami

Interview with Ryo Maeda Mark Nanami

Hi everyone, this is A. Morell. Thank you for joining me today as we celebrate the release of Dreamspinner Press’s steamy Juicy Bits anthology, in which I had the pleasure and good fortune of participating. In honour of the release, I’ve invited one of my own boys here for an exclusive interview and a sneak peek. Please bear with me for a moment, as we’ve had a last-minute shift in schedule. Our guest should be here any moment–ah, here he is. Have a seat, Mark.

MN: rushing in Yeah, thanks. Sorry, I got your message late. You know how phones like to disappear.

AM: Quite understandable.

MN: Especially when you can’t find your pants.

AM: Right. Why don’t you introduce yourself, and tell us a little about why you’re here today.

MN: Sure. turning to the screen and smiling Hi there. I’m Mark Nanami, born and raised in London, and I’ve been dragged here today at the last minute because it turns out Ryo’s too foul-mouthed for an interview, and you said we can’t both be here because we’d never get anything done.

AM: Yes, well, nothing productive at least. Anyway, thank you for coming today. I understand your family is a busy one.

MN: Running a multi-generational gang will do that.

AM: Could you tell us a bit about that?

MN: I could, but then I’d have to kill you.

AM: Do they make you say that?

MN: grinning Yeah. We’re not allowed to say if it’s true or not either.

AM: Is there anything you can tell us that won’t cross the mandatory-death threshold?

MN: Are you trying to get my family thrown in prison?

AM: No… fine, let’s talk about the story. It’s called “Sparks”–do you think the title suits you two?

MN: I guess so. Sparks do tend to shoot out of our eyes when we have to look at each other.

AM: You don’t get along, do you?

MN: I’d say we get along. Just badly. As you can see from our blind date:

“Who wouldn’t want to waste an entire night babysitting a prepubescent minidemon?”

Ryo’s smile transformed into a scowl, which improved Mark’s mood (and score) a bit. “You know I’m older than your pathetic arse. If anyone’s babysitting, it’s me.”

Mark snorted. He was well aware of Ryo’s age—he would never forget the look on Ryo’s face when the petite man had found out he had five years on Mark’s twenty-one. “My mistake. It’s so easy to forget when you’re a foot shorter than me.”

“Whatever,” Ryo huffed. “Isn’t that the real reason your brother got stuck bringing you along? Had to keep an eye on Junior?”

“More like your pretty friend over there wouldn’t go out with my brother unless you came along. So really, this whole situation is your fault,” Mark said.

“Arsehole.”

“Cock gobbler.”

“I do eat dick, just not yours.”

“So you are a cannibal.”

“Eat shit.”

AM: Fair enough. And thank you for reaffirming my decision not to have Ryo on. But obviously you two come to like each other well enough, if you take into consideration the anthology you’re featured in…

MN: Have you never heard of hate sex?

AM: Er, why don’t we move on. What can you tell us about yourself that we won’t find out in the book?

MN: The biggest thing–maybe literally–is that I have an identical twin brother named Matt. He’s the good twin.

AM: I’ll note that for future reference. So who’s older, you or Matt?

MN: He is, by two minutes.

AM: Do you ever switch places on people?

MN: When we were kids we did, yeah, just never on our family. Never worked on them anyway. We tried to do it to work some extra cookies out of our mum once, we got no dessert for three days. Even our younger sister, when she was three or four we tried to confuse her and she just punched us both. grinning We were demons to our teachers though.

AM: And he’s the “good” twin?

MN: Yeah, I guess it’s a low bar. Wouldn’t be caught dead as that guy now though. Did you know he wears ties practically every day?

AM: How do you think your family would react to Ryo?

MN: …I’m not sure I want to think about that.

AM: No?

MN: I think it just gave me heartburn.

AM: Well then, just to wrap up, what would you say people can expect from “Sparks?”

MN: No, seriously. You’re going to give me an ulcer.

AM: Sorry. You probably should think about these things from time to time though.

MN: gurgle

AM: So, what can people expect in this story?

MN: A lot of bad words and an endless trail of destruction.

AM: That sums it up nicely–

MN: And sex.

AM: I think that was a given, but thank you. And thanks for being here with us today. Mark Nanami, everyone.

Check out “Sparks” and other stories in Juicy Bits, available now also in paperback!

Follow A. Morell on her blog and Twitter, and come along for the rest of the blog tour.

New Contract Means It’s Cupcake Day!

Remmi and Cupcakes!

It’s Cupcake Day!

As I announced on Facebook on Thursday, my second novel, Americana Fairytale, got picked up by Dreamspinner Press. That meant it was Cupcake Day.

Well, what is Cupcake Day?

Cupcake Day is a tradition I had started with my friends many years ago when I was pursuing publication. The rules went for every rejection, I’d get a coffee. For every acceptance, I’d get cupcakes.

At first, I drank a lot of coffee.

But my friends knew when I shouted “It’s Cupcake Day!” there was no questioning what I meant.

Thankfully, in the last couple years, I’ve been eating a lot more cupcakes. This is good, because I’ve developed an insane intolerance for coffee.

Well, turns out cupcakes aren’t such a super rad reward either. And you say, “Heresy!”

Behold, The Glory of Weight Watchers

I’ve been a Weight Watchers member since May of 2013, I have lost 45 pounds to date. Huzzah! I have radically changed every last eating habit I have to the point it’s automatic and I’m completely used to it. I do not miss any high fat, high sugar, processed foods I used to love and thought I couldn’t live without.

So, things like sweets or eating in restaurants is a very very rare treat. My Weight Watchers leader often talks about how sticking with the program and eating good nutrition that when you indulge in the foods you used to adore, it’ll often make you nauseous. It’s this principle alone from drinking only water (and actually liking it!) that I had broken my addiction to coffee and Crystal Light.

In addition, my sweet beloved cupcakes… Nature’s perfect creation… Now makes me violently ill. So, I suppose it’s awesome? I guess? I broke my addiction to cupcakes and sweets? Still, cupcakes! How can you not love cupcakes!

Remmi seems to love my cupcakes and ruin my photo-shoot of the tasty sweetness. Oh Remmi. I actually had an entirely different more appealing angle that hid the kitty dishes and the Dasani. But Remmi was determined to know what her MOMMY WAS DOING. Oh. Children.

But, Let’s Not Lose Sight! OMG! Book Contract!

Americana Fairytale is a revisionist take on the fairytales we all know and love. Not only is it fractured, I may have taken the tales out back and smashed them into a million shards with a hammer. Just when you think you have it all figured out that who’s who, it’s a lot more complicated than that. It tells the story of Taylor Hatfield, a young man who is a complete fuck-up of a human being and fairytale princess. It his journey to find his place in the world and his own happily ever after. On his way, he crosses paths with Corentin Devereaux, a huntsman out of New Orleans that has lost his faith in everything. Together, they embark on a quest of self-discovery and learn magic is all around them, if you just believe.

And, I’m not going to lie, it is one epic, epic geography lesson. cackles!

Pawn Takes Rook: One Year Later

It’s been one year since Memphis Rook burst onto the scene and saved Hogarth Dawson from a mugging. That itty bitty novella, called Pawn Takes Rook, introduced readers to the world of Axis City, its superheroic inhabitants, and a crapton of pop-culture references.

To say it changed my life would actually be a lie. To say it saved my life would be closer to the truth.

I had tried to break in as a writer for years. By the law of averages, my time of knocking on doors was by far shorter than many international bestsellers. I had submitted to Dreamspinner Press twice before–one a novel, and one an anthology story. They had always been on my short list of people I wanted to write for. And Dreamspinner had the honor of giving me my very first rejection. I was so elated because getting the first rejection meant it was official. You were a real writer. I framed it and it’s hanging on my wall to this day.

It was with Pawn Takes Rook, it had the magic seasonings that Dreamspinner found tasty and here I am.

I got the acceptance on Election Day 2012, and the timing was so profound in ways I could never put into words publicly until now. Even my Editor-In-Chief, Elizabeth North, doesn’t know what that invite to come play in their pool meant on that day.

You see, four years earlier on Election Day 2008, I had withdrawn from Savannah College of Art and Design because I had a mental breakdown. The pressures of the school had gotten to be too much, I had gotten so beyond unstable, I snapped. That very day, I had agreed to go to a facility for suicide watch. But that was it. My art career was pretty much done.

My life hit the reset button.

So after four years of crawling back up into being human, and being able to just mentally “show up” with regularity, the contract was my symbol of “Look at how far you had come, you’re going to be able to breathe again. You’re going to be okay.”

And now, Rook and Garth’s journey is over, and they have walked off into the sunset together. But it was that first acknowledgement of “You’re going to be okay.” that has inspired me into being braver with the stories I’ve held inside.

Chasing Sunrise, the first installment of The Darkmore Saga is due out this summer. Not only is it my first print novel release, but it’s a very personal story about surviving abuse. As an abuse survivor, I have struggled and still do with putting my thoughts and feelings together. But if it wasn’t for Pawn Takes Rook, I wouldn’t have been brave enough to try.

My second print novel that I actually submitted just yesterday morning on the 12th, Americana Fairytale, the start of the Fairytales of the Open Road series, has a different type message. It is the story of Taylor, an absolute misfit that doesn’t fit in anywhere. He’s lived his entire life with being told he’ll never amount to anything. He bottles up his depression and loneliness and lashes out with anger. He is in the search for where he matters. We all know someone like Taylor. You may have even been Taylor. I know I’ve felt the things Taylor has in my life.

So, a thank you, to all the readers, the critics, authors I have idolized that have since become my friends, and to Elizabeth North.

For a sign that I was going to be okay.

And you know what?

I am okay.

The Sizzling Superheroes of the Checkmate Trading Cards

Ever since the end of my stupendous Pawn Takes Rook: Conventional Love blog tour, I had promised to reveal all 20 Checkmate trading cards I had drawn in one central location. So here we go!

Now… Let’s have a moment of truth.

I did a boo boo. Like. A big booboo.

Yes. There are 20 designs. But only 17 actually went to print. Because I only submitted 17 designs. So… yeah. Imagine my surprise when I opened the box and noticed I was short a few. And because I had done so many, it was all a blur over what was missing. The good news is the special cards all got run off. They’re just indeed rather limited.

If you’re going to GayRomLit you better get these while the getting is good!

And now…

Checkmate Trading Cards

[GUEST POST] Please Welcome Jana Denardo!

In many ways, I think the setting can be just as important to a story as another character. In Kept Tears, I thought about where to set this, because I knew it would influence the types of dates Aaron and Rhys went on. In one portion of the novel, the fae realms, the setting is entirely imaginary, but I wanted to write something I knew well. I decided on Pittsburgh, PA, and it’s a natural for me. Not only is it an iconic city in its own right, but, like Aaron, I grew up within twenty-five miles from down town.

In fact, the scene at Aaron’s mother’s house, takes place pretty much in my hometown, though it’s not named. Pittsburgh gave me several things. For one, it was easy to investigate since, while I haven’t lived there in years, I do go to my parents’ place often enough, and there is just so much online. I wanted to help support some ‘hometown’ businesses, like the Church Brew Works, that Aaron and Rhys go to on their first date. Most of the places in the novel are real, barring the Chinese restaurant and the coffee shop.

Much of Kept Tears is set on Pitt’s sprawling urban campus, and there is a lot of character there, especially if you consider the art deco beauty of the Cathedral of Learning and its nationality rooms. The medieval-looking Commons appeals to Aaron’s geeky sense of history and Renn fair cosplay. Aaron’s life is dominated by being a grad student at Pitt, so its campus plays a real role in Aaron’s life. He spends time in the gym, working on his body’s recovery. He eats at places people will recognize, like the almost-famous Primanti Brothers, and the Original “O” Fries, which is always packed with students. The campus is also where he meets the villain of the piece.

I had fun with putting in some of my favorite places to hang out. Aaron shares a lot of my nerdy tendencies, so places like the Carnegie Museum seemed a natural. It’s a fantastic museum and, again. just adds to the local flavor of the story.

In polar opposites, there is Rhys’s homeland, the fae realms. This allowed my imagination to run free. It’s a magical place, so I could do nearly anything with it. I borrowed from existing lore and went from there. It was also interesting to contrast Rhys’s perception of his home and Aaron’s when he first gets to lay eyes on a world he could never have imagined existed.

Excerpt – “I had no idea the nationality rooms in the Cathedral of Learning were so beautiful,” Rhys said as Aaron led him back to what he called the Commons. It looked more Gothic and medieval than castles Rhys had been in. Last week, he had been afraid that Aaron might bolt when Rhys suggested the young man come to his house. That adventure had gone better than Rhys expected, and he was content to let Aaron chose more neutral grounds, like the Cathedral, until he was ready for a more intimate setting. “I’m glad you suggested having a look around.”

“Pitt has some really unique things. The Cathedral is one of them, and so many people don’t even know the rooms exist. What was your favorite part?” Aaron’s eyes gleamed as they headed into the Commons. Their footfalls echoed in the vaulted room. Most of the wooden tables and chairs were empty.

“Other than this, where I feel like I should be running around in armor, the Chinese Room. The ceiling is incredible.” Rhys took Aaron’s hand, thrilled he let him. What he wanted to do was lead the young man out of the building to somewhere more secluded. He wondered if there was a chance he could talk Aaron into letting his hair grow a little longer. The dark-walnut hue was alluring but, while it wasn’t the Marine high-and-tight style, it was short, which didn’t allow for the natural wave—what little Rhys could see of it—to do much. He considered the possibility the hairstyle had less to do with previous military affiliations and more to do with being difficult for Aaron to deal with if he let it get a little longer and more stylish.

“Yes, it is. I have to admit, I like that better than the room my cultural ancestors made, not that the Italian Room is ugly by any means.”

“Not at all,” Rhys replied as Aaron looked back over his shoulder intently. Rhys glanced in that direction but didn’t see anything other than a few students meandering through. “Something wrong?”

Aaron shook his head. “Thought I saw someone I knew, a photographer friend, but I must have been mistaken.

“Ah. Want to go get some dinner?” Rhys caught Aaron’s good arm, pulling him to a halt behind the thick stone column. Resting against the column, Rhys scoped out the main hall. From here, it was as if they were alone in the king’s castle, and Rhys knew something about king’s castles.

“Yes, but why do I think you have something else in mind?” Aaron asked as Rhys tugged him closer.

“Because you are an intelligent man.”

It was a blast getting to talk about the setting of Kept Tears and I hope I intrigued you to see more. Thanks to Lex for having me over. I appreciate it.

Blurb – Having left most of his arm and his self-confidence behind in the Afghanistan desert, young veteran Aaron Santori has enough on his plate learning to use his prosthetic arm. Attending graduate school at the University of Pittsburgh makes life both interesting and challenging. Mentally, he’s ill prepared for meeting Rhys Edwards, a young-adult novelist from Wales and everything Aaron could want in a man. Between the scars from the explosion and his PTSD, he’s reluctant to date. Ready or not, though, Aaron finds himself jumping into the deep end of the relationship waters.

What Aaron couldn’t possibly know is that Rhys isn’t human at all. As a prince of the Tylwyth Teg, Rhys is fae, with a list of enemies he’s accumulated over the past few centuries—among them a former lover, Morcant, who is back to make Rhys’s life miserable. An unwitting pawn in their Machiavellian fae politics, Aaron only knows he’s falling in love, never suspecting love might be his death sentence.

Buy it here – Ebook – http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...

Paperback – http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/stor...

Jana Denardo’s career choices and wanderlust take her all over the United States and beyond. Much of her travels make their way into her stories. Fantasy, science fiction, and mystery have been her favorite genres since she started reading, and they often flavor her works. In her secret identity, she works with the science of life and gives college students nightmares. When she’s not chained to her computer writing, she functions as stray cat magnet.

Jana is Queen of the Geeks (her students voted her in) and her home and office are shrines to any number of comic book and manga heroes along with SF shows and movies too numerous to count. There is no coincidence the love of all things geeky has made its way into many of her stories. To this day, she’s still disappointed she hasn’t found a wardrobe to another realm, a superhero to take her flying among the clouds or a roguish star ship captain to run off to the stars with her.

http://jana-denardo.livejournal.com/

http://twitter.com/#/JanaDenardo

www.facebook.com/jana.denardo

janadenardo@yahoo.com

The post [GUEST POST] Please Welcome Jana Denardo! appeared first on Lex Chase.

Happy New Year!

Pawn Takes Rook: Conventional Love (Checkmate #3) by Lex Chase

It’s My (Day After) Book Birthday!

Happy New Year to you and yours on this lovely first second day of 2014. I want to start out by saying Pawn Takes Rook: Conventional Love is out! You can find it here at Dreamspinner Press, over yonder at Amazon, and for you B&N Nook fans you can get it here!

And to commemorate the final adventure for Rook and Garth, the Conventional Love Blog Tour is off and running! For a schedule of dates, check it out here. And even check out the first stop over at Gaylist Book Reviews here. There’s even a giveaway!

What A Crazy Year It’s Been!

To recap!

4 book contracts – Pawn Takes Rook, Pawn Takes Rook: Cashing the Reality Check, Pawn Takes Rook: Conventional Love, and Chasing Sunrise: Book 1 of the Darkmore Saga
One complete series – Checkmate *sniff!*
Lots of fucking stuff in the pipeline. (Yes. I did say Chasing Sunrise was Book 1 of a series.)
Meeting readers and making new friends at GayRomLit 2013
Securing a guest spot at Pensacon in February
Graduating Freaking College!
Getting back on the wagon with Weight Watchers and dropping 30 pounds!
Finally being able to say writing is my real job.

Just. Holy crap.

Outside of my awesome writer life my family has had some major drama. Immediate family, relatives, you name it. If it could go wrong, it did go wrong. So if you told me my first year as a professional writer would actually be this productive, I wouldn’t say anything. Because I’d be dead. From throwing myself off a cliff from family drama.

But you know, writing is what kept me going. Through all of it, it was my place that was only mine and no one could take away. And in the end, it’s that perseverance that paid off.

Epic Self-Discoveries

This year, I discovered more about myself in just the act of taking better care of myself. Many writers always advise to take care of your bodies. Because while writing is a very creative endeavor, it’s also very unhealthy for the sheer sedentary factor. Sitting for long hours, eating the closest thing. Making your butt expand with every 100 words. I’ve always heard the advice ‘take care of yourself.’ and I’m like yeah yeah blah blah woof woof.

And then Chuck Wendig says on his blog Terrible Minds one day:

“Stop treating your body like a garbage dump.” – Chuck Wendig

And then it sunk in.

In May of 2013, I had a pre-diabetes scare. I talked about it on my fitness blog Bitter Little Pearl. Just a week before I rejoined Weight Watchers and I knew it was time to get fucking serious. The irony of the thing of people being all “Oh god! I can’t stand measuring! I can’t stand counting points! I can’t stand being reminded how addicted to food I am!” It’s actually very liberating. It really is a good reminder to know I am in control.

I’ve lost 30 pounds so far. Gained a little back because of the holidays, but it’ll come off again. My goal starting today is to lose 36 pounds by Cinco De Mayo (May 5th) which will mark my 1 year anniversary with walking in that door and going “I need help.” By then, I’ll have lost 60 pounds total. Honestly? I will have no idea what the frig I’ll look like minus 60 pounds.

I also discovered via Weight Watchers, a love of cooking. I love cooking. Like I just… you don’t know. I fucking love cooking.

Like I’ll be spending all day putting my brain through its paces trying to write some epic battle scene, and my brain will just give out. Because it doesn’t have any go juice in it. But there is something so incredibly soothing and refreshing out of washing, cutting up, and preparing fruits and veggies.  Some writers take a walk around the block to relax, I go to the grocery store and wander the produce aisles. And if I don’t want to talk to anyone, put my headphones on. BONUS.

Crazy! Epic! Writing Plans for 2014!

So, for 2014, and writing is now my full-time job, I’ve got some crazy shit on deck.

I’ve got the Darkmore Saga and the Americana Fairytale series. I’m working on both series in an alternate fashion in hopes they’ll have an alternating release schedule. Provided they get accepted of course.

With Chasing Sunrise: Book 1 of the Darkmore Saga leading the way for a summer release, right now I’m working on drafting Americana Fairytale–the first book in the series–to submit by March. After that, I’m off to draft Book 2 of the Darkmore Saga called Glass Moon, then following that is Book 2 of Americana Fairytale called Bayou Fairytale. And then after all of that is drafting the final book of the Darkmore Saga, Star Fall, and then the final book of Americana Fairytale called Urban Fairytale.

All of them, every last one will be novels. And I’m kind of flipping a bit. I’m finally doing novels and it’s a bit bananas.

But I will have some cleverly edited temporary blurbs for this site. Because the pitches I sent to Dreamspinner are full of OH GNOES SPOILURZ.

My Life… What?

Some would say, at 34, I should be thankful I’ve achieved my dream at such a young age. Honestly, while people say it isn’t a race, my personal clock is ticking. I’ve always grown up a bit behind the ball in everything. Now it’s time to play catch up. Now it’s time to be stop being afraid of the what-ifs and just do.

Just go. Go forth and be dangerous.

 

 

 

 

The post Happy New Year! appeared first on Lex Chase.

Conventional Love Up For Pre-Order!

CoPawn Takes Rook: Conventional Love (Checkmate #3) by Lex Chase

That’s right, True Believers! Ring in the New Year 2014 with Checkmate #3, Pawn Takes Rook: Conventional Love up for pre-order over at Dreamspinner Press!

For four dollars and ninety-nine pennies click the magical link right here to get dibs your choice of format.

Prefer Amazon or Barnes & Noble? No worries! Conventional Love will totally be available on the stoke of midnight on January 1st!

Let me go on record that this is the final official adventure for Rook and Garth. After this, we bid adieu to Axis City and its candy colored superheroic citizens. Where when everyone was special, being average took a whole new meaning.

Conventional Love stretches Rook and Garth’s relationship to the limit and something’s gotta give. Garth is tested to stand or fall on his own merit as a hero.

Not only that! I’m having a Conventional Love Blog Tour at the start of the new year kicking it off with the crew of Gay List Book Reviews!

It’s a full twenty days of partying and pure madness. Join me on this retrospective tour where I talk about Checkmate as a whole, what started it all, the stuff that got cut, the silly inspirations, the fact that Checkmate almost never got published in the first place! What!

Keep your eyes peeled for these stops in 2014!

1/1 – Gay List Book Reviews [Collect Mystery Card #1]
1/3 – Lily Velden [Collect Trading Card #1]
1/5 – Release Party at the Dreamspinner Press Facebook Page [Collect Trading Card #2 and Win Bonus Goodies]
1/7 – Tali Spencer [Collect Trading Card #3]
1/8 - House Millar [Collect Trading Card #4]
1/10 – Tempeste O’ Riley [Collect Trading Card #5]
1/9 – Tricia Kristufek [Collect Mystery Card #2]
1/12 – Epically Romantic [Collect Trading Card #6]
1/15 – The Novel Approach [Collect Trading Card #7]
1/16 –

Welcome Charlie Cochet and the Heart of Frost Blog Tour!

Hello all! Welcome to stop 3 on my blog tour for The Heart of Frost, book two in my North Pole City Tales series! When I set out to write Mending Noel and The Heart of Frost, it was important for me to to try and capture the scents, sounds, tastes, and textures of Christmas. North Pole City is the main setting of the series, and it’s run by Mayor Kringle. It’s a Christmas town, which means year round it’s filled with twinkling lights, sleighs pulled by majestic Clydesdale horses, beautifully decorated shops filled with the swirling scents of the holiday season, and more. I also have a scent or flavor associated with each character. For example, wherever Rudy goes, the scent of cinnamon follows. Jack it’s pine. Tim is cocoa, and Noel is roasted chestnuts.

Here’s an example from The Heart of Frost where Jack is admiring the city:

WITHIN MINUTES they were standing on the snowy sidewalk outside the large Christmas-themed pub. Then again, it was North Pole City. There wasn’t much that wasn’t Christmas-themed, but that’s what he loved about the large, holiday city. It was a far cry from Winter Wonderland, where he had been born and raised.

Everything in North Pole City was full of color and cheer. Wherever he went, he was met with the rich scents, sights, sounds, and textures of Christmas. The aroma of holiday spices filled the air, from vanilla to roasted chestnuts. The cobblestone streets were lined with charming shops selling everything from spiced meats to freshly baked Christmas cookies, the storefronts decorated beautifully with fairy lights, garland, and glittering baubles, their window dressing arranged elegantly and conveying various winter or holiday scenes. Winter Wonderland was majestic with its ice palaces, everything snowy white or pale blue, as if the entire city had been carved from a glacier, stunning to admire, but in Jack’s opinion lacked the heart of its neighboring city. North Pole City was full of vibrant life, rich red, green, and gold hues, candy-cane stripes, and peppermint.

Genre: M/M Fantasy, Christmas, Holiday Romance

Series: North Pole City Tales, Book #2

Length: Novella 30,511

Published: Dec 18, 2013

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

ISBN: 9781627983938

Blurb:

At the North Pole, no one is more powerful and feared than the Prince of Frost. As general of the toy soldier army, Jack Frost has been working extra hard to put away the villainous Mouse King once and for all. If that isn’t taxing enough, Jack has to deal with the scandal and gossip brought on by news of his relationship with Rudy Rein Dear, captain of the Rein Dear Squadron, which hit headlines last holiday season. Lucky for Jack, his reputation has managed to deter any foolish attempts to stir up trouble. At least until now.

When someone sabotages Rudy’s plane during a test run a few weeks before Christmas, Jack is determined to find the culprit by any means necessary. The closer he gets to finding answers, the more difficulty he has not falling back to his icy ways. Has the Mouse King stepped up his game in order to throw Jack off his, or is someone a little closer to home behind the attempt on Rudy’s life? Either way, Jack has every intention of delivering a Christmas they won’t soon forget, even if it means losing the newfound warmth in his heart.

*****

Excerpts are serialized and from Chapter 2.

Read Chapter 1 here.

[Excerpt 3]

“Well, it’s not like I do it on purpose.”

“See, there it is. You’re so vibrant and full of color. When I touch you, every inch of you lights up.” Jack leaned into him, his lips brushing over his cheek.

“Jack, they’re watching.”

In the year they’d been together out in the open, there hadn’t been much in the way of public displays of affection. It wasn’t as if suddenly they went from barely touching for fear of discovery to being all over each other. Old habits were hard to break, and slowly Rudy had accustomed himself to the joys of holding Jack’s hand, or allowing himself to gaze adoringly at his lover without fear or concern of who saw him.

Jack, who had always been the more restrained of the two, had stunned Rudy by delivering a kiss to his cheek while out to dinner one night, and when he had begun placing a protective hand to Rudy’s hip while out and about, especially during any media confrontation. It seemed as if Jack was growing bolder by the day.

“Let them watch.”

Rudy couldn’t help but feel his cheeks growing warm as Jack delivered a gentle kiss to his temple. “What’s gotten into you?”

“Nothing yet, but maybe tonight….”

“Jack!” Rudy gasped, his cheeks no doubt matching the color of his hair.

Jack’s laugh warmed Rudy’s heart. “How can you be so unaware of how enchanting you are?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I’m too busy trying to keep my heart from beating out of my chest whenever you’re near.”

Jack looked surprised. “Do I really do that?”

“Every time.”

“Who wouldn’t have heart palpitations after seeing a face like that?” came a deep grumble.

Rudy chuckled, and Jack leaned back, his smile growing wide for their friends. “Tim. Grumpy-pants.”

Noel glowered at Jack before taking Tim’s hand and pulling him over to the empty love seat facing Rudy and Jack’s. The moment Rudy saw the mischievous gleam in Jack’s eyes, he braced himself. Here we go. Jack patted the small space between him and the armrest.

“There’s room here for you, Tim. It’s a little cozy, but I don’t mind.”

Tim blushed and Noel shifted closer to him, his eyes narrowing. “Shouldn’t you be nipping noses or something somewhere else?”

Rudy nearly choked on his drink. Oh, Noel.

“Why nip noses when I can have so much more fun nipping at other extremities?”

*****

Available for Pre-order from:

Dreamspinner Press | All Romance eBooks

*****

Giveaway prompt: What’s your favorite holiday scent?

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

1 winners will receive an eBook copy The Heart of Frost & Mending Noel

2 winners will receive an eBook copy of Mending Noel

Drawing is open to US and International readers.

[Facebook chat & Release Party will have it's own prizes]

*****

To Enter

Just leave a comment on any of the blog posts along the tour, along with a contact email address. **If you would still like to enter the contest but don’t wish to leave your email address in the comment, you can also enter by emailing charlie@charliecochet.com.

Winners will be chosen at random and posted on Charlie’s blog at http://www.charliecochet.com/blog on Saturday, December 21st, and on Charlie’s Facebook page. Winners will then be notified via email.

*****

Contest ends

Friday, December 20th at midnight, Eastern Time.

Tour stops:

11/11 – The Novel Approach [Excerpt 1]

11/12 – Joyfully Jay [Excerpt 2]

11/13 – Lex Chase [Excerpt 3]

11/14 – Dreamspinner Facebook Chat [Bonus prizes]

11/15 - Charlie Cochet’s blog [Excerpt 4]

11/16 – Michael Rupured [Excerpt 5]

11/17 – Attention is Arbitrary [Excerpt 6]

11/18 – Release Party Dreamspinner Blog [Bonus excerpts + Prizes]

The post Welcome Charlie Cochet and the Heart of Frost Blog Tour! appeared first on Lex Chase.