Lex Chase's Blog, page 28

Pawn Takes Rook Checkmate #3 Gets The Greenlight!

Even Alexander Skarsgard is excited!

Hello Internet! I have very exciting news! I have gotten a contract for the final book in the Pawn Takes Rook saga, Checkmate #3 Pawn Takes Rook: Conventional Love! Just three days before the release of Checkmate #2 Pawn Takes Rook: Cashing the Reality Check!

I also want to mention I’m over on Cate Ashwood’s Blog starting of the Cashing the Reality Check Blog Tour. I’m sharing my fanmixed score of the sounds of Axis City. There’s even a giveaway!

At long last I have a Funny Contract Story.

My story goes, the night before, I had a bit of a rough time at a dinner event with people I didn’t know. A lot of their comments and actions got under my skin and I felt very bad about myself. I didn’t get to bed that night until 4AM because I was waiting to calm down and failing. I was texting a friend of mine that’s an EMT and she has the night shift anyway. So she talked me down, and I settled in.

And then I woke up at 9:30 on my own. Life is just eff’n cruel.

Met my writer buddy and fellow shit-stirrer, Whitley Weston, at Books-A-Million for gossip and pretend to write time. Her m/f BDSM erotica series has just been released called Tall, Blonde and Brutal, which you can get at Secret Cravings here.

Still feeling a bit down on myself, we parted ways. My Dad is volunteering as stage crew to the local production of Wizard of Oz, and he scored me some free tickets. We had to go around 5pm so he could do some prep work, and he asks me if I have anything to keep me busy because the show isn’t until 7:30. I had a set of headphones, some Very Loud Music, and lots of caffeine to keep me upright. Because at that point I was quite wobbly.

Get to the theater. Discover I have left my iPod in my car. Where is my car? In the driveway at home. I realize my phone is a Droid. I can access Google Music on my phone. Decide I am saved. Only because of the crap reception in the theater, there’s a ten minute load time between the songs. I keep myself busy with making notes for a new story in my Moleskine.

Because of the lag between songs loading, I am totally nodding off. Head drooping, eyes losing focus, the whole bit. I’m not even writing words anymore and just scribbles. I am three seconds from putting my head on the table. Then my email chirp (which sounds a lot like Woody Woodpecker if you ask me) goes off and I see the sender in the thin alert bar is my editor-in-chief but not the message. And it’s only one message. DSP’s messages if it’s an acceptance comes in twos.

I proceed to be completely crushed as I open the message. Remember how I said the theater gets crap reception? Because by the time I get the first message open, the contract email shows up. And I flip out.

I called Dad, who had his phone on silent because of being backstage, leave a super happy message, and he’s out in the atrium in less than ten seconds. We both have our OMGZ moments and he’s off again. Mom was on her flight back from Maine, and her plane was touching down, I left her a message. Call my sister-in-law, get her voicemail too. I’m like AUGH. Want to tell everybody and everybody is NOT HELPINGZ. Email Cate Ashwood on my phone. Finally! Someone I can lose my crap with!

I get that surge of adrenaline that leaves me bouncing off the walls because I couldn’t sign the contract until I got home. Watched the play, enjoyed the play. Dad and I went to dinner afterwards where I ordered a deliciously horrible desert for celebration which you can see below.

It’s a pancake puff sundae. I did not stutter.

Got home around 11:30pm. Signed the contract as the adrenaline had completely worn off as I was about to faceplant. Went to bed.

Woke up at 9am. OH LIFE.

And proceeded to think I had dreamed the whole thing.

I don’t even…

The post Pawn Takes Rook Checkmate #3 Gets The Greenlight! appeared first on Lex Chase.

[GUEST POST] Lane Hayes is ‘Better Than Good’

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“Better Than Good” by Lane Hayes from Dreamspinner Press

Please welcome Lane Hayes to my blog today as she discusses her debut bestselling Dreamspinner Press novel “Better Than Good.”

Take it away, Lane!

My first novel Better Than Good was just released a week ago.  It has been such a fun ride!  I’m an unrepentant lifelong lover of reading.  I like many genres but I have always had a soft spot for romance novels.  They were always a little taboo because of those darn covers featuring embarrassing covers with Fabio look-alikes ravishing buxom damsels in distress.  I still snuck them in.  I couldn’t help myself.  I was and still am a sucker for a happy ending.

I discovered the M/M romance genre by chance a few years ago and was immediately hooked.  I loved the very concept of positive representation that seemed so lacking (or was simply absent) of a well-told love story between same sex partners.   When my oldest son came out to us at age eighteen, equality and positivity became important to me on a personal level as well.

Aaron and Matt’s story is a special one in many ways.  It isn’t actually the first one scrambling to get to paper from the confines of my head, but theirs is meaningful to me because it addresses stereotypes.  We stereotype and generalize because we are taught to do so from an early age.  Some examples are innocuous while others breed prejudice.  I cannot fathom how anyone can ever look down on a person because of how or whom they love when the ability to love in the first place is such an amazing gift.

Aaron is a free spirited, self-assured gay Latino young man.  He has had to learn how to be comfortable with himself in a world that isn’t always kind to those who are a little more fabulous than others.  Matt on the other hand is a regular guy’s guy.  He enjoys his friends, sports and is working toward his law degree.  He identifies as heterosexual and has a girlfriend at the beginning of the story.   Unlike Aaron he has never been judged for his race, his religion or his sexuality. His journey to self-discovery is different than Aaron’s but no less poignant for him.   Matt wants Aaron, but has to come to terms with how he views himself and the labels he identifies with before he has a chance to win Aaron’s heart.

I love these characters. Hopefully readers will enjoy them too.  In my head, their story keeps going… and going…!

Thank you Lex for having me today!  I appreciate the welcome!

Better Than Good Blurb
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One of the many DC area locations in “Better Than Good”

Matt Sullivan understands labels: law student, athlete, heterosexual. He has goals: graduate and begin his career in law. One fateful night, Matt tags along with his gay roommate to a dance club and everything changes. Matt finds himself attracted to the most beautiful man he’s ever seen. All labels go flying out the window.

Aaron Mendez doesn’t believe in labels, and he’s leery of straight curious men.  He makes it clear that he’ll hide his fabulous light for no one. While Aaron can’t deny the attraction between him and Matt, he is reluctant to start anything with someone who is still dealing with what this new label means—especially when that someone has a girlfriend.

Excerpt from “Better Than Good” by Lane Hayes

By the time I took him back to his place, it was three a.m.  The usually busy streets were virtually empty.  A fine layer of fog from the river painted the low lying shrubs and sidewalks in front of his building.   It looked a little mystic and magical as though the early morning hour still held promise.  I pulled close to the curb, set the car in park and turned toward my companion.  I didn’t want to say goodbye, yet I didn’t know where this thing between us could go.  I felt that familiar wave of frustration.

“Can I walk you up?  I mean it.  I just want to be sure you’re safe.”  It sounded like a lame request, but Aaron seemed pleasantly surprised.

“You are a gentleman, aren’t you?”  His eyes twinkled.   “I won’t say no and I’ll try to keep my hands to myself.  There’s a parking spot up there.  Take it so you don’t get a ticket.”

I parked the car as instructed and met Aaron at the curb.  His smile lit his entire face.  God, he was beautiful.    He took my arm when I reached his side.  I didn’t protest, though the gesture seemed overly familiar.  It just felt amazing to have this beautiful creature at my side looking at me like I was some kind of hero for offering to walk him to his door.

There was a bright lantern light on above the old glass and iron front door.  Aaron couldn’t get the latch to catch, so I took the key from him and gave it a try.

“It sticks sometimes.”  He muttered under his breath.

It opened easily for me.  I was beginning to think my levels of chivalry were being tested.  The thought made me grin when I should have been annoyed.

“You’re my hero!” he whispered loudly.

“Knock it off.  Where is your place?”

“Uh oh, Matty’s getting mad.  Watch out kids.”  Aaron pointed to the elevator off to the right.   The corridor was not as well lit as the front alcove had been.  I was actually glad that I was making sure he was safe.  I was a little nervous myself.  Which must have shown on my face, because Aaron laughed out right as the elevator doors opened.

“Relax, sweetie.  This isn’t the Bates Motel.  It’s just an old building.  Supposedly historic, but really it just means the lighting is poor and the water pressure is worse.  My apartment is cute though.  Come see.  You’re safe.”

I rolled my eyes this time, but gamely followed him.

His apartment was on the fifth floor.  He led me down another long hallway and stopped in front of #5E.

“Home sweet home.” He said with a flourish as he opened his door.  “Come make sure there are no boogie men and then I promise to let you go, Matty.”

Aaron turned on a light and breezed through his small entry into a larger living room.  As I followed him I took in my surroundings.  The apartment was small with an open floor plan.

I could see into his bedroom from the living area and although it was dark, I could see that the bed was neatly made.  Aaron’s entire apartment was immaculate.  And the juxtaposition of his modern tastes and the apartment’s older features, like the high ceilings and a floor heater, made for a homey and comfortable space.  It was nice, and it suited Aaron perfectly.

Aaron threw his keys in the egg shaped bright orange bowl on his small kitchen table and turned around with his arms outstretched.

“Well, it’s tiny but it’s all mine.  As long as I pay the rent, that is.”

“It’s really nice.  Suits you.”  I felt a little awkward as I stuffed my hands back in the leather jacket Aaron had returned to me earlier.

“Thanks for walking me up.  That was very gentlemanly of you.  Is that a word?  Whatever, it was sweet.”  His smile was a little shy and his bangs had fallen back into his eyes.  This time I couldn’t help myself.  I reached out to move his hair away from his eyes.  He looked up at me in surprise and my breath caught.  We stared at one another for a second more before our mouths met.

Bio

Lane Hayes is a designer by trade, but is first and foremost a lover of the written word.  An avid reader from an early age, Lane has always been drawn to romance novels.  She truly believes there is nothing more inspiring than a well-told love story.  Lane discovered the M/M genre a few years ago and was instantly hooked. She loves to travel and wishes she could do it more often.  Lane lives in Southern California with her amazing husband, three teenage kids and Rex, the coolest yellow lab ever.

Where To Find Lane Hayes

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/Lane-Hayes

Twitter:  www.twitter.com/LaneHayes3

Website:  www.lanehayes.wordpress.com

Email:  lanehayes@ymail.com

 Where To Buy

Dreamspinner Press:

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=3968

Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Better-Than-Good-ebook/dp/B00DTM2FJA/ref=pd_rhf_gw_p_t_1_E5JE

Barnes & Noble:

http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/better-than-good-lane-hayes/1115944430?ean=9781623806392

The post [GUEST POST] Lane Hayes is ‘Better Than Good’ appeared first on Lex Chase.

Pawn Takes Rook: Cashing the Reality Check Cover Reveal!

Art by Paul Richmond

At long last, I can reveal the dynamite cover to the “Pawn Takes Rook” sequel, “Cashing the Reality Check!” If I’m being honest, I’m flipping out a bit. Okay, a lot! Paul Richmond, Dreamspinner Press cover artist extraordinaire, has really outdone himself this time.

To my knowledge, it’s likely the only Dreamspinner cover, excluding Harmony Ink, to have a girl on the cover as well. Her name is Pixel, and she’s the bee’s knees. Also gasp! Rook? In a suit? A tie? And oh em gee a haircut? It seems Christmas has come early for Garth and how!

And here is the blurb to wet your whistle:

Even after eleven months of keeping the mean streets of Axis City safe, superduo Checkmate—Hogarth Dawson—and his boyfriend, Memphis Rook, still receive the cold shoulder from the Power Alliance. Undeterred, Hogarth brings his intense focus to bear on Rook, and after Hogarth makes an accidental marriage proposal, it becomes all too clear Rook isn’t quite at the same place. But before life gets awkward, duty calls.



Booted-off female contestants of the romantic reality show Single and Super are being found in comas, and Checkmate needs to get to the bottom of it. As part of Rook’s plan, he cleans up his bad boy image and goes undercover as a bachelor looking for love among twenty-five frenzied women. Against Rook’s wishes, Hogarth sneaks onto the set as a cameraman to investigate the case on his own. With questions unanswered between them, emotions run high, distracting them and feeding a trap of their own making.



Pawn Takes Rook: Cashing the Reality Check coming August 7, 2013 from Dreamspinner Press!

In closing, I’d have to say the first cover might have some stiff competition.

Speaking of the first cover, it’s up for voting on Sid Love’s Blog for Best Cover here! Other Dreamspinner covers are in the mix as well and all of them are knockouts! So if you have a moment, spare a vote! You can vote for five covers at once every twelve hours. You bet your ass I’m voting!

The post Pawn Takes Rook: Cashing the Reality Check Cover Reveal! appeared first on Lex Chase.

[GUEST POST] Tali Spencer – Why I Love A Brawny Barbarian

Thick as Thieves by Tali Spencer from Dreamspinner Press

Hello Internet! Give a warm welcome to Tali Spencer who is guest posting here today. You will soon see why Tali and I are kindred spirits for silly genre tropes. Take it away Tali!

Thank you, Lex, for allowing me to stop by and talk about my love for fantasy fiction. I can do that all day, of course, so I’ll limit myself today to talking about just one thing.

Tropes are the great guilty pleasures of fantasy fiction. I love playing with them. One of the tropes I love best is the big brawny barbarian. This guy has been around forever. The Epic of Gilgamesh was penned in the 10th century B.C. and includes the adventures of civilized king Gilgamesh and the wild man Enkidu. The two became fast friends, because the best friend a king can have is a barbarian.

Why?

For one thing, barbarian men in fiction are uniformly hot. As representations of the force of nature, they have idealized male bodies, the pinnacle of what nature wants men to be: big, tall, muscular, virile, powerful, hairy… you get it. And they’re lusty, too. They’re walking phalluses. They almost always have bare chests and long hair. They get to wear loincloths and skins and look awesome.

Not only that, barbarians come without troublesome civilized programming. They are, in a sense, uncorrupted and view the world through clear eyes. They prefer action and will hack, slash, and kill their way out of problems. In fiction, barbarians tend to hack and slash bad guys, an activity readers find satisfying. Barbarians steal and loot, too, which is good guilty fun. They make excellent companions. If it’s necessary to insert a little civilized behavior into the story, another character can always step in. If there’s battle to be had, though, unleash the barbarian!

Conan is the classic fantasy barbarian, created by Robert E. Howard in the early 20th century. Having appeared in dozens of books and several motion pictures, Conan is firmly a part of Western culture. Other prominent barbarians include Fafhrd (featured in the novels of Fritz Leiber), the Beastmaster, and Khal Drogo from The Game of Thrones. Hotties, the lot of them.

My latest release, Thick as Thieves, is sword and sorcery—and of course it features a brawny barbarian main character. Vorgell the barbarian unwittingly fucks himself with a unicorn horn and as a result is perpetually horny. Here’s Vorgell as seen through the eyes of Madd, his male witch partner in adventure:

Excerpt:

“Be careful!” Vorgell warned.

Madd held his tongue as the woman shaving the barbarian calmly lopped off another chunk of beard. Thanks to Ibeena’s erection-killing intervention, Vorgell’s bath had been uneventful. After being divested of a bagful of coarse and tangled hair, the big man was on the verge of looking well-groomed.

“There you go.” The woman stepped back and wiped her razor on a cloth. She gave Madd a lifted eyebrow of congratulations. “Under all that was a promising man.”

He didn’t deny it. Vorgell’s hair was drying so it gleamed like a lion’s golden mane, and the shorter beard revealed strong, shapely lips and a rugged jawline. Even shorn, the man looked disturbingly virile. Blue eyes shaded by golden lashes swept the woman with smiling invitation. To his alarm, she responded by flicking the pink tip of her tongue across her lip.

“Get out. Can’t you see he likes men?” Madd closed the hide curtain as soon as she’d left. “No witches for you,” he told Vorgell pointedly.

“Why not?” The big man shot him a glare. “She looks pleasant enough. Women have always been the best fit for my needs. You are not the first man to refuse my advances. I have often resorted to the soft bodies of women.”

“Well, find some other wench to plow. She’s a witch. Witch women use sex to create magic. And, you, my friend, have magical spunk.”

Vorgell at least appeared to grasp his point. He turned his back on Madd and reached for his clothes. Madd savored a glorious view of immense shoulders, a trim waist, powerful thighs, and a beautiful, sculpted ass. Damn it, but the barbarian was built like a god! And not just any god. Vorgell could only be one of the greater gods, a god of storms or of war, capable of crushing the god of poetry in his fist. The look he cast back at Madd over his shoulder possessed heat enough to ignite an inferno.

If he wasn’t careful, it just might ignite trouble.

Blurb:

After Vorgell the barbarian fucks himself with a unicorn horn, he ends up in a cell with Maddog, a pretty young thief. It’s lust at first sight for Vorgell—but honestly, he can’t help it. Unicorn horn is a potent aphrodisiac, and now he can’t stop thinking about sex. Luckily, Madd is one male witch who knows how to put Vorgell’s new magical body to good use when he tricks Vorgell into a kiss that helps them escape.

Vorgell may desire sex in general—and Madd in particular—but Madd has no intention of being screwed by a man twice his size. He has problems of his own, including an enchanted collar that causes him to desire his most hated enemy. He wants that collar off as soon as possible, but that requires stealing a basilisk egg from the castle they just escaped.

Drawn together by lust and magic, the two men join forces and soon find themselves up to their necks in witches, wizards, and trouble. Vorgell and Madd might just be perfect for each other, but first they have to survive long enough to find out.

Author Bio:

Tali Spencer fell in love with writing at an early age and never stopped. Thanks to a restless father, she grew up as a bit of a nomad and still loves to travel whenever she can. Her longest stint in one place was Milwaukee where she went to college and enjoyed a series of interesting careers including respiratory therapist, airport executive, and raising three surprisingly well-adjusted sons. She later married her true love and put down new roots in Philadelphia, where she lives in an ongoing Italian American family sitcom. At least she’s learned how make good pasta. When not writing, Tali reads everything from sweet goofy romances to Lebanese cookbooks, manages her fantasy football team—go Gekkos!—and takes long walks with her loving, if slightly neurotic, poodle.

Visit Tali’s blog at http://talismania-brilliantdisguise.blogspot.com

E-mail: tali.spencer1@gmail.com

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/tali.spencer

Twitter: @tali_spencer

Buy Links for Thick as Thieves:

Dreamspinner

All Romance eBooks

Amazon

The post [GUEST POST] Tali Spencer – Why I Love A Brawny Barbarian appeared first on Lex Chase.

Lily Velden Finds “How The Light Gets In”

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“Same Page” Book One of “How The Light Gets In” by Lily Velden

To say Dreamspinner Press author Lily Velden has arisen from the turmoil of emotional tragedy and the magnificent madness as an artist would be an unfortunate understatement. Her novel series “How the Light Gets In” starting with the first installment called “Same Page,” Velden credits the saga with saving her from a darkness that has long haunted her.

Being On The Same Page

Velden has and does wear many hats in her life, mother, artist, writer, and even a position in finance, but this Australian-based writer offers a glimpse of the premise.

“‘Same Page’ is the unashamedly romantic tale about the love-dance performed between Liam Lassiter and Jaxon Moncrieff,” she said via an email interview. “It’s a little funny. A little sad. And also a little real. Kind of like life!”

But how did “The Light” get in? That’s a much deeper story that ties Velden to a much darker part of her life that she had been tethered to since she was twelve.

Would you believe it started with Leonard Cohen?

There’s A Crack In Everything
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“The Race Is On” Book Two of “How The Light Gets In” by Lily Velden

Velden claims that from conception to completion of “How the Light Gets In” was not a straight shot. In fact, she says the book series was never meant to happen, but it did anyway, and here it is. Book One, “Same Page,” and Book Two, “The Race is On,” took her about two years to write.

Velden reveals how the story came to be with something most important. Her story.

“Mid 2009, I started writing an autobiographical novel, ‘Lily’s Story,’” she said. “It wasn’t so much a story I wanted to write as one I needed to write. I’d been carrying a painful secret for over thirty years, ever since I was twelve years old. I decided to write about it, because even at forty-five, I still was unable to talk about it.”

Velden explains that when she started writing “Lily’s Story,” the last of her children had finally moved out. Divorced and alone, she said she was confused for the first time in twenty-five years that the only needs she had were her own. She didn’t have enough to distract her.

She elaborates how that was a problem.

“I felt lost, and all of a sudden, I couldn’t run and hide anymore from the event which had haunted me, lying just below the surface, festering away, since I was twelve,” she said. “My father used to joke that to keep up with me a person would have to be able to travel at hundred miles-per-hour. He was right.”

Velden says in-between raising a family, running a business, and studying the arts, as long as she was moving she could “out run the devil.”

But then Velden explains she hit the wall at her mid-forties.

“I couldn’t run anymore, and so I did what I’d always done—I turned to my coping mechanisms: art and writing,” she said. “I decided to tell my story through the written word. The writing was difficult, to say the least.”

She went on to say that writing was one of the hardest things she had to do. Still, Velden says she pressed on.

“I had to make myself go back to a place I’d been trying to deny for most of my life, but I made myself do it,” she said. “I let myself be that little girl again. And I let myself cry. Something I had never allowed myself to do.”

At this point, Velden explains, is where it all changed.

“A few months after I commenced my confession I also started another story which I called, ‘There’s a Crack in Everything.’ It’s title was inspired by a Leonard Cohen quote which is very special to me: ‘There’s a crack in everything. That’s how the light gets in.’”

Velden says it was the quote inspired a love story between two men, Liam, an artist that was loosely based on a masculine version of herself, and Jaxon, a movie star with an unlikely inspiration of Gerard Butler.

“I liked his Scottish accent and curly dark hair,” she said. “It was, I suppose, therapy for my self-imposed therapy.”

Velden explains how she let herself fall into this world of Liam and Jaxon.

“The boys’ world was a place I could escape to that was beautiful,” she said. “A place where love is enough, where it conquers all. It was a place I needed.”

But over time, Velden says, she devoted more time to “There’s a Crack in Everything” instead of her confessional “Lily’s Story.”

“I didn’t feel bad about it,” she said. “In a weird way the boys helped me heal just as much as finally putting my secret into words. Telling their story gave me purpose. They taught me the true meaning of Leonard Cohen’s words. They taught me that though I am alone, I need not be lonely.”

Dynamite In Knickers

Velden recalls the fateful day during the dreary Australian tax time had put her in a foul mood. That is until she received a notice the hard copies of “Same Page” had arrived.

She talks about her cathartic misadventure.

“I checked my mail box and there was a card from the postal service informing me they’d tried to deliver a parcel to me,” she said. “I knew immediately it was my copies. Needless to say, I jumped back in my car as if I had a stick of dynamite in my knickers, and high-tailed it to my local post office where I waited patiently—okay, not so patiently—to be served.”

Velden says she was “shaking like a leaf” as she carried the package back to her car.

“I didn’t even attempt to drive home first,” she said. “I used my pocket knife to slit open the packaging and as soon as I saw Jaxon’s mesmerizing blue eye with Liam’s magnolia blossom reflected in the iris, I burst into tears. Three years of work was finally real. Something tangible.”

Making the Journey to GayRomLit

It’s a long flight Australia to Atlanta and Velden says she’s determined to make the best of it. This year, she’s a Supporting Author at the LGBT romance writers conference, GayRomLit, a place where readers and writers of LGBT fiction can come together and celebrate the genre.

Even if she’s overwhelmed, she explains she has a plan.

“I’ve taken advantage of a few Dreamspinner sales to buy books written by some of the other attending authors in order to educate myself,” she said. “I’m actually most excited to meet the readers—I may be a writer too, but I’m also a reader. I’m still trying to figure out what to provide in swag—ah, the joys of research! Anyone with some great ideas please feel free to email me! All suggestions gratefully accepted!”

But one of the highlights of the trip is something Velden claims is truly humbling.

“One of the nicest things about the trip is that a friend I made through posting stories to an amateur author site is meeting up with me,” she said. “I can’t express how touched I am that she would go to the trouble to meet with me.”

The Artist Within

“Brushfire Circle” by Lily Velden

Velden mentions that she must always remain in constant motion for numerous reasons and not that of a place of pain. She bounces from mother, to writer, to sculptor, to artist, and back again. Her pieces have hung in galleries and have been as impermanent as nature.

Velden elaborated on what makes her see the world through her constantly shifting point of view.

“I can’t really say I favor one over the other—it really does depend on mood,” she said. “Sometimes I want to draw. Sometimes I want to build! Either way, I do like to get dirty!”

She went on about the appeal of life drawing.

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“EmBellish” Hex bolt necklace by Lily Velden

“I must say, I often like the warm-up drawings where you might have been given five to fifteen minutes to capture the essence of the pose better than the ones where you were given forty-five to sixty minutes,” she said. “I love the rawness of the shorter poses. They have more movement and energy for me.”

The hex nut necklace was featured in a gallery showing where the theme was about taking worthless objects, and imbuing them with value. She says she will be wearing a simpler version of the necklace at GayRomLit.

And her natural installations were from a showing called “Balance.” Where Velden says the only evidence of the piece’s existence was a photograph.

“Have a look at the angles,” she said. “My children used to wet themselves laughing at the sight of their mother shimmying up a tree, camera dangling around her neck to get just the right shot!”

The Future Looks Light

And Velden keeps herself moving. She offers a glimpse at her future projects in the works.

“Happy Ever After?”—Book Three “How The Light Gets In”

It’s been four years…

“Questions and Answers”

College Lecturer, Noah Daniels, feels disillusioned by life, so when he is offered the opportunity to swap his teaching duties for one semester with those of, Robert Callinan, the Professor of a “partner” college in England, he takes it. The men exchange, not only their jobs, but also their homes, and it is what Noah stumbles upon in Robert’s house that has him questioning everything he thought he knew about himself.

“Echoes of Mercy”

Jonah’s adoptive parents have died within a few months of each other, leaving him totally alone in the world. Wanting to comfort him, his Guardian Angel makes his presence known.

Where To Buy

To purchase Velden’s works, they run from $6.99 for eBook format and $17.99 for the paperbacks. Velden says she’s fond of writing contemporary romances and recommends her books for readers that want to escape to a world where love, acceptance, and respect are forever.

You can see all of her titles here at Dreamspinner Press.

The post Lily Velden Finds “How The Light Gets In” appeared first on Lex Chase.

The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat

Bestselling Dreamspinner Press author Chris T. Kat makes no bones about her love for all cute, fuzzy creatures great and small. In her life away from the keys, she’s a special education teacher based in Western Germany. But her imagination, and Facebook feed is rampant with foxes, to lion cubs, and everything in-between.

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Kat’s Latest Titles

“Attachment Strings” features Detective Jeff Woods and his partner have a new case. Someone has been making threatening phone calls to the mayor’s daughter, vowing to kill her disabled child. Though there have been accidents at the girl’s school—enough to take the threats seriously—the facts are few, and leads are sparse.

Needing a breather from the burden of the case, Jeff heads to a bar, where he meets Alex Fisher. Alex isn’t his type, but he’s young and cocky and perfect for a one-night stand. Or two. Soon Jeff starts thinking about how difficult and lonely it is being a cop, and that maybe Alex could fill a void in his life. But Alex has his own obligations: a disabled brother who is the target of threatening letters.

Jeff isn’t sure he’s ready to play house or overcome his prejudices, but he begins to think Alex might be worth it. Caught between his growing affection and his inner demons, Jeff struggles to focus on the case and protect Alex and his brother as the danger builds.

“The Caveman and the Devil” is a tale of the the animals at the Philadelphia Zoo brought zookeepers Paul and Noah together, but now they might tear them apart. When a bloodthirsty lioness stalks her cubs, Noah charges into her enclosure without regard for his own safety. Luckily, a coworker catches his mistake and saves the day. It’s not the first time Noah’s rushed in on impulse, and he still carries scars from the last time.

Paul can’t pretend nothing happened. Frustrated, he tries to comfort Noah, but he can’t get past his anger. As head keeper of the big cats, Paul must report the incident and figure out how to keep his reckless lover safe. Somehow he has to make Noah see that his carelessness could cost him his job or his life—and maybe Paul too.

“Too Good to be True?” is the sequel of “Seizing It” and picks up three months after Kit falls in love with Dale, his epilepsy takes a turn for the worse and his nightmares and flashbacks about his abusive ex intensify. His work at the veterinary clinic and as a freelance translator only add to the stress. As Kit’s life flies out of his control, his last tether of sanity frays as Dale grows frustrated with Kit’s stubborn independence.

Dale wants to be Kit’s rock—to step in to help—but the walls Kit builds may be too hard to break through

Much More Than Fluffy

Kat writes about them all, but despite the pitter patter of little paws, her stories reflect a much deeper message.

Kat elaborates on her point of view as an author.

“I recently discovered that there’s an underlying theme behind my stories: they all deal with prejudices,” she said via an email interview. “Sometimes my characters have to deal with prejudices because one of them has a disability, or because they’re an interracial couple, or because one of them isn’t pureblooded. Mostly the main characters have to deal with other people’s prejudices but sometimes it’s the main character’s own perception about himself and his disability that’s the challenge.”

Kat goes on to say how her inspiration for the stories fueled such messages.

“Kit from ‘Seizing It’ came to me while I was writing about couples in a disciplinary relationship,” she said. “I wanted to see if I could write a character that defines himself as a brat and has to face a disability.”

Wrestling With Point of View

One of the defining traits of Kat’s stories is her prevalent use of first person point of view in stories such as “The Caveman and the Devil,” “Seizing It,” and “Too Good to be True?” While third person point of view is more popular, Kat explains her thoughts about such a choice.

“Like many writers I started out writing fan fiction and there I chose to write in third person POV but then there was one story that I really wanted to write but no matter how hard I tried it didn’t seem to work,” she said.

She claims that it wasn’t until she altered the point of view for her fanfiction story called “Fundamental Changes” in the House MD universe, did it all click.

“Since then I’ve written most of my stories in first person POV because I usually have a blast writing them and they’re also the easiest to write,” she said. “My other books are written in third person POV (limited) because that’s closest to first person POV. Whenever I can I choose first person narrative, though.”

The Controversy of “Secret Chemistry”

Beside the risk with the alternate point of view, Kat takes more than enough of her fair share of risks. In one such title, called “Secret Chemistry” tells the story of two shifter men that fall in love, and features a rather controversial scene of these two mating while shifted. The reactions of readers are polarized with approval or discomfort with the content.

Kat says she takes the reactions in stride.

“I didn’t describe the mating scene in detail, which leaves most of what’s happening to the imagination of the reader,” she said. “Some people liked it the way it was written and saw it as natural progression—just like I do—but there were many people who either hated the scene or it at least made them feel uncomfortable. I’m fine with all reactions but I still couldn’t have written the scene differently. Nothing else made sense to me and the mating in animal form was an integral part of the story.”

Kat Pushes Forward

Controversial scenes or not, Kat continues to press forward with stories that seem to resonate. What does the future hold?

Kat shares her next moves with the stories “The Wolf and his Diva,” “Hunter’s Hunt,” and “Sacrifices.”

“The Wolf and his Diva” tells the story of  George—a wolf and fox-shifter—and his mate Billy—a fox and squirrel-shifter—who lead a happy but reclusive life until a tragedy turns their whole life upside-down.

“Hunter’s Hunt” has been picked up for publication from Torquere Press and is a short story about a light BDSM romance between two guys named Hunter and Adrian. Hunter is out for a certain type of man when he meets Adrian, who is everything Hunter usually despises. Still, he can’t deny the growing attraction.

“Sacrifices” is the sequel to the recently released “Attachment Strings” and features Jeff and Alex having to deal with the fallout from their first story when Jeff discovers Alex is hiding something. Convincing Alex to trust him with whatever the trouble is seems impossible until the worst happens…

Where to Buy

Curious in Kat’s stories? You can pick them up at Dreamspinner Press for $3.99 to $6.99 depending on length and $14.99 for paperbacks. She recommends them for those that like cute and sweet stories.

The post The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat appeared first on Lex Chase.

Traveling Through An Americana Fairytale

Now that I’ve got my “Americana Fairytale” first beta notes back from Cate Ashwood the revision can begin in earnest. Currently, I’m aiming for a November submission time, but we’ll see about that. What have I learned from Cate’s notes?

I should never ever try to write a novel in a month

I’ve been a fan of NaNoWriMo for years. I’ve participated over ten years, and won eight. And what have I done with those stories? Put them on my freaking shelf. The only story I tried to do anything with was “Chasing Sunrise” but it pretty much-needed huge rewrites before it was halfway any good.

I’ve joked with everyone over the years that my first drafts are disasters. And they are. Wanna know why? I wrote them too fast. The only thing I could successfully write at ludicrous superhuman speed was the Checkmate series because of a number of reasons. As for novels? No. Nothing doing.

I’ve learned in the past, for me, novels take about three months from Point A to Point B. And I need to stick to that. I spit out “Americana Fairytale” in a month for Camp NaNoWriMo 2011. This was before I knew who I really was as a writer. This thing is so flawed it will make your head spin. A couple of people read the first draft, and like the typical friends, merely patted me on the head and sent me on my way. I cannot express how bad of an idea that is.

A foray into something foreign

“Americana Fairytale” was also my first adventure into writing something along the lines of Young Adult. Hence why I chose the pseudonym of JP Weston over Lex Chase. It’s symbolic of my Dad, James, and my Grandma, Peggy, and Weston is a play on one of my internet handles Westbaylen.

“Americana Fairytale” is high on the light and fluffy, only my characters are in their 20s, and not terribly young adults but new adults. While there is absolutely zero sex in this book, none off camera, and none implied, it’s still one of my romantic adventures. (PS: NOT A SPOILER) But the story is otherwise quite innocent. But I will be the first to admit there is quite a bit of foul language which likely completely knocks it out of YA totally.

It does get better

Now, if you recall, I wrote “Pawn Takes Rook” in December of 2011. I wrote “Americana Fairytale” in June of 2011. From June to December I was revising “Chasing Sunrise.” What does this teach us? Simple.

If we keep going we’ll improve. “Pawn Takes Rook” is worlds away from “Americana Fairytale” in writing skill level. And in that short window of time, I had made it there. Of course at the time, I had no idea if “Pawn Takes Rook” was even worth it. Because…

Sometimes you just need to believe

It wasn’t until I finally got my foot in the door with Dreamspinner Press did my confidence as a writer blossom. Sure, I’ve made some choices that some people have found questionable, and these are people I greatly value… But, you know, sometimes the baby bird has to leave the nest. I needed to believe I could do it. I needed to have faith in myself that yes I am good enough. And I can do anything I put my mind to. Where does that leave me with “Americana Fairytale?”

Even with the rough edges, beauty can blossom

“Americana Fairytale” has been determined it’s going to take vast rewrites and a couple of editing passes at least before it’s ready by November. But it’s going to be okay. I’m already 4k into the revision process, and I have a clear picture of what I want to do. The interesting part is the adjustments to Taylor as well as his sister Tabitha. The story once had the names of Taylor, Tabitha, Charles, and Corentin. Two T-names and two C-names. That’s just how it worked out and it sounded good at the time. But I realize that would drive readers batshit.

Visualizing the Fairytale

Daniel Tighe as Taylor Hatfield

Taylor not only became a guy. But he became this guy. A lovely model named Daniel Tighe:

Taylor’s beloved baby sister also became a dude too. Tabitha’s new name is Matthias and instead of a delicate flower, Matthias is a rising star in the ROTC and destined for a prestigious military career. Taylor on the other hand, contrasts his baby brother as the fuck-up theater major gay son that can’t get anything right, has no ambition, had no direction, and is a laughing-stock. Matthias just wants the best for his older brother, even if Taylor can’t see it.

The other factor in this is Corentin. Who’s a whole lot of dreamy in that scruffy way. He’s kind of a shit, and attractive in that way that leaves you feeling dirty the next day. But I have two small issues. For the “Americana Fairytale” comic I did for my school’s magazine, I based him off Bobak Fedowsi, awesome mohawk and all.

Bobak Fedowsi as Corentin. Is he not dreamy?

But here’s the other problem, in the book I originally set out to base Corentin on the certain scruffy handy-man appeal of Henry Ian Cusick of ABC’s “Lost” who played the resident toys in the attic character Desmond Hume. He wasn’t my first pick but he was the closest to what I had in mind. Long scruffy hair, plays off the sweaty dirty look well, looks like he could be a reasonable redneck. The only problem is in all of his images from “Lost” he looks completely psychotic, or there came the season he was super metro and rocking out scarves, bitchin’ suits, and pimp shades. Anyway. It’s a long story. But when he was cleaned up for promo shots it still wasn’t quite right. See here:

Henry Ian Cusick as Corentin. He’s pretty dreamy too, right?

So, that is the drama of Corentin. Column A or Column B? Who do I choose? Is there a right answer? A wrong answer? Who would you choose for a dashing rogue to sweep off a boy princess’ feet?

I can see the unanimous answer from fans of Disney’s “Tangled” as FLYNN RIDER! LOL! ;D

 

 

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[GUEST POST] Bru Baker Dives In!

Hello Internet! Please welcome Bru Baker to Lexchase.com today! Bru is an avid Tweeter on Twitter, and quite the fitness buff. I’m happy to have gotten to know her in meeting my own fitness goals. Make sure to enter the giveaway at her blog: http://www.bru-baker.blogspot.com So without further ado….

Welcome Bru!

Thanks for having me, Lex! I’m excited to be here to promote my latest novelette, Diving In, and give your readers a chance to win a free copy this week. Diving In is about a pool boy who falls for a water polo player, which makes it a great beach or pool read for the summer. Of course, things aren’t quite that simple. The pool boy, Max, is actually the owner of the water treatment company. He takes on cleaning Everett’s pool specifically so he can watch the hunky Olympian train. (And who can blame him?)

I know nothing about water polo, but I had a blast researching it, which basically meant watching several hours of Olympic water polo matches on YouTube. At one point my husband walked in, looked at all the wet, muscled, Speedo-clad pretty on my laptop screen, shook his head, and walked back out. He’s used to walking in and finding me engrossed in odd things for my books—once he stumbled over  me sitting on the floor in the kitchen attempting to tie boating knots for a book where the main characters own a yacht, and he’s still partially traumatized by me trying out all of the geek pick-up lines on him from my next release, The Buyout, which goes on sale July 3. I think he’s just accepted those eccentricities as the perils of living with a writer, right alongside finding half-full coffee cups all over the house.

 

Diving In  blurb: Being the pool boy makes it easy for Max Jansen to ogle his long-time crush, water polo player Everett Caldwell. Never mind the fact that Max owns the company and is overqualified for the task of monitoring chlorine and cleaning skimmers. He’s just happy to watch his unattainable dream play—until one day Everett invites him over and suddenly Max is his platonic plus-one for everything from movie nights to racy industry parties. Then Max learns the one-time Olympian isn’t as straight as everyone assumes, and he isn’t sure how long he can hold out before his crush grows much deeper.

Diving In excerpt: Max had his head down, dripping chemicals into the vials to test the water when the deck erupted in catcalls. He carefully finished counting out the drops before screwing the tops back on the bottles and giving the vials a little shake. Only after he’d finished and casually set them aside did he allow himself to look up and follow the scantily clad water polo team members’ progress toward the pool. As usual, Everett was last, shooing his teammates toward the water and pulling them away from enthusiastic spectators when necessary. Max let his eyes wander over the smooth, tanned expanse of Everett’s chest, following taut muscles all the way down to the blue Speedo that hugged his groin, leaving little to the imagination.

Watching Everett herd everyone into the pool to start practice wasn’t quite as nice as watching the reverse, since after practice the team was dripping wet and flushed from exertion. But since Max had a full schedule of consultations that afternoon, it would have to do. He’d actually squawked when Brenna had suggested he let one of the actual pool techs cover for him for the day, and Max knew she was never going to let him live it down. It wasn’t like it was a big secret why he insisted on being the one to carry out the routine pool maintenance during water polo season, but Max did have the grace to feel a little embarrassed when Brenna teased him.

Max grimaced when the vials of test water changed color. The pH was too high, which meant he needed to add some muriatic acid. Keeping everyone out of the pool for half an hour after the treatment wasn’t usually a problem, since Max made a habit of coming after practice was over, but the team wouldn’t be done for another two hours. He’d have to come back after his afternoon and evening appointments.

Sighing, he packed up his kit and ambled over to the edge of the pool, watching Everett slice through the water with a neat, efficient stroke as he warmed up. The entire team was swimming laps, but it was still easy to pick out which figure was Everett. They all had their numbers on their swim caps—not that Max needed that to be able to tell them apart, even with their faces in the water. He crouched down at the end of Everett’s lane, waiting until he closed the distance between them. Just like Max had hoped, Everett stopped instead of using his normal flip turn.

“You’re here early today,” Everett said, breathing hard from his warm-up. He adjusted his goggles, raising them up to rest on his head as he looked at Max.

Max swallowed. He checked in with Everett after every treatment, giving him an update about the water and noting any concerns Everett or the other swimmers had registered about the pool. It was usually a two-minute conversation, but Max looked forward to it. In his current position, he found himself a lot closer to Everett’s gorgeous hazel eyes than he normally was, and he couldn’t stop his heart from kicking up a notch.

“Yeah, scheduling conflict. The pH is high, but I can’t treat it while you’re in the pool. I’ll come back tonight, if that’s all right? It’s not dangerous—the water just might get a little cloudy until I can fix it.” Max fumbled with his phone, looking at his calendar. “I could come by around nine tonight. Does that work? The pool needs to be empty of swimmers for about thirty minutes after I treat it.”

Everett raised an eyebrow. “Scheduling conflict? You’re usually in and out in ten minutes, tops. How many other pools are you treating that you can’t get back here for eight hours?”

Max flushed, his jaw tensing. He hated it when people assumed that he spent his days pouring chlorine in water and cleaning out filters, though he wasn’t about to point out that the pools at the Flesh mansion were the only ones that got his personal attention these days. Max had helped design the entire six-pool landscape when Caldwell renovated it so the team could practice there, though he doubted Everett knew that. Everett had still been training with the Olympic team when his father had revamped the pools.

Everett surprised him by speaking again before he could respond, rubbing a hand over his face and saying ruefully, “Sorry, that was rude. Yes, it’s fine to come by later. My father is having a party, but that doesn’t start until eleven, so you should be safe coming around nine.”

Max nodded, making a note on his calendar so he wouldn’t forget. Not that it was likely he’d forget an opportunity to possibly see Everett twice in one day.

“Thanks. I have back-to-back appointments up until then, so I really appreciate it. I should have had someone else come take your appointment today, but I thought I could squeeze it in.” Max nearly pinched himself, horrified that he’d rambled so much. He’d just meant to thank Everett and leave.

“That’s a lot of pool maintenance,” Everett said lightly, but his easy grin took the sting out of the earlier unintended slight. Max smiled back. “Your boss shouldn’t work you so hard.”

Max laughed. “You have no idea. My boss is a real slave driver. I haven’t had more than a ten-minute lunch break in about three years.”

He stood, slipping his phone into his pocket. Max was notoriously clumsy, which was a pretty big liability when it came to electronics in his line of work. His last three phones had died a watery death, and even though he’d sprung for a supposedly waterproof casing on this one, he didn’t want to test it out.

Everett was still looking at him when Max saluted him and started to head off, but he was startled into stopping when Everett yelled his name as he came up to the gate.

“Knock on my door when you come tonight, all right? Just come up the central staircase in the pool house. There’s a door at the top.”

“Sure thing, captain!” Max said, touching a finger to his temple in the same spot where the captain’s star was visible on Everett’s swim cap.

Everett rolled his eyes and laughed, pulling his goggles down and heading off to finish his laps. Max indulged himself in another quick ogle, watching as Everett’s lean body cut through the water, his strong arms and shoulders on display. Coming at the beginning of practice apparently had its benefits, too.

Enter the Giveaway of Diving In!

 

The Diving In giveaway contest runs through 12 p.m. EDT Friday, June 21. I thought it would be fun to give away the book on the first official day of summer, since it’s such a fun summer read. All you have to do to enter is visit my blog, http://www.bru-baker.blogspot.com, and leave a comment on the giveaway post. You can also Tweet a link to the post for a second entry. Just  make sure to tag me, @bru_baker.

Buy Diving In:

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Dreamspinner Press

Links:

Amazon

Barnes and Noble

Dreamspinner Press

Bio:

Bru Baker is a freelance journalist who writes for newspapers and magazines. Indulging in M/M fiction, both as a reader and a writer, is what gets her through her boring day job. She and her husband live in the Midwest with their two young children, whose antics make finding time to write difficult but never let life get boring.

Visit Bru’s website, www.bru-baker.com, to read excerpts of her other books. You can also find her on blog, http://www.bru-baker.blogspot.com, and Twitter, where she Tweets as @bru_baker. Don’t miss her next release, The Buyout, which hits virtual shelves on July 3.

The post [GUEST POST] Bru Baker Dives In! appeared first on Lex Chase.

My First Piece Of Checkmate Fanart!

Hogarth lovingly made by Mae Wynn Talley

I am extremely honored and touched that a local Checkmate fan, Mae Wynn Talley, made with her own two hands a Hogarth doll.

I cannot describe how much I love it to bits. I’ve never met Mae personally, but her mother works at my doctor’s office so I’m always passing along treats and trinkets for Mae. You know, just something to brighten her day. Mae attended my first Facebook Chat for the Pawn Takes Rook Release Party for Dreamspinner Press and was very sweet.

Her mother and I giggled over the detail over the doll’s blue scarf, because it’s blue on the cover and red in the book. That was actually a boneheaded flub on my part when doing the cover spec sheet because I wanted the color scheme to be similar to Batman’s palette. But the trick was Hogarth’s scarf was red with a black houndstooth pattern on purpose for subliminal plotty mcplotterson reasons. And poor Mae apparently agonized over to make the scarf red or blue. It’s the fact that she paid attention to such a detail was really sweet. And that he’s actually wearing skinny jeans cracks my ass up.

Hogarth is in a place of honor on my desk, with my red rook and black pawn paperweights.

I just want to say: Thanks Mae, for being my fan, and going through such an effort to make something so special that likely no reader would think of. I hope you keep going and make more dolls, and keep growing as a creative individual.

You’re Super!

 

The post My First Piece Of Checkmate Fanart! appeared first on Lex Chase.

At Long Last… Checkmate Concludes

As of 1:40 pm US Central Standard Time, I have typed the words that had eluded me on the “Checkmate” series since Christmas. Those magic words?

The End.

It’s over. After drafting the first silly novella in December 2011 with no idea where the hell it would go or even if it was worth publishing… Here I am at June 2013 at long last crossing the finish line.

Initially, the “Checkmate” series was intended to be six installments. But the reality hit that Dreamspinner might not take all of them. Cue unbridled panic and lots to scrambling to find what I could cut or tie up.

At the time of the news, I was halfway through completing the third installment. My reality got rocked so hard, I had set it aside back in March.

I moved on to other projects as the second book moved through the submissions cue, and currently the edits. I started “Switchblade Symphony” which is so different from anything I had written so far, I wonder if people are going to question it’s my book. I’m pumped to get back to it. I’m also picking up “Americana Fairytale” again. My 2011 Camp NaNoWriMo novel that I thought was so exciting and different up until “Once Upon a Time” and “Grimm” premiered that Fall, and the worse insult to injury “Snow White and the Hunstman” was announced a couple of weeks after I finished it at San Diego Comic Con. My good friend Cate Ashwood teased me for my near psychic trend prediction prowess.

Once “Cashing the Reality Check” (the official title of the sequel to “Pawn Takes Rook”) was go for launch, the idea of dusting off the draft to the third “Checkmate” book tumbled around in my head. I will say in a very non-spoilery way, that while under the assumption that “Cashing the Reality Check” was going to be it for the “Checkmate” series, I had ended it in such a way that was satisfying, but if you knew were to look there were strings of things left unanswered. My favorite TV series of all time is “Lost,” after all. And I’m a total douchebag that with every question answered, ten more crop up, and the mystery keeps spiraling ever onward.

On a lark, I emailed my Editor-In-Chief, explained where I was at with the third “Checkmate” book, confirmed it would be the last one, and had no idea if she’d be interested. Let’s just say the reaction was a tentative greenlight to go for it. And go for it I went. Let’s be clear at this moment, I have no contract, not even the promise of one. I just have the completed draft as of this afternoon that I have to ship to my betas, revise, stumble my way through a summary, and fumble my way through a synopsis, then ship it off to the submission wilds and cross my fingers.

My only problem? I had bits I planned for six books. I had to tie them all up and how. I kept the jumble of plot threads in my head, and had to pretty much ditch my written outline. The final 16k just about of “Checkmate #3″ was pretty much in the same direction I needed to go but totally written by the seat of my pants and I wove in bits and pieces that needed to be good and settled. The ending changed completely about five times in my head in the last month. The big giant happy bow at the end didn’t occur to me until three days ago.

That’s not a spoiler. It’s a freaking romance book. Of course it has to end on a high note.

There’s just going to be a lot of kicking, screaming, and sobbing to get there. I never said I played fair! And I’m not kidding that my long time friends joke I should legally change my name to “Watchmen” author Alan Moore for the excruciating torture I put my characters though. (Sidenote: Moore does look a bit like Charles Manson? Am I right or am I right?)

As for today, I’m in a bit of a brain-dead daze. I’m still getting my strength back up from an emergency procedure I had on Thursday, which I blogged about here at Bitter Little Pearl. (WARNING: Frank and Honest Discussion about Colon Health) In a burst of energy, I belched out 4k last night, and 4k this morning. Not knowing what to do with myself, my parents and I went to dinner. The dinner was in fact somewhat mediocre considering its an eatery known for tasty well-made things. I ordered dessert anyway and that made up for my crappy meal. And likely over-filled my caloric intake for the day.

Now, it’s back to the salt mines. There’s schoolwork to catch up on, interviews for here to write, a gym to go to, the second round of edits for “Cashing the Reality Check” to wait for (and cross my fingers and toes that my soul won’t be completely mangled.)

And now… Rook and Garth, my beautiful boys, set their sights on the second star to the right…

…And straight on till morning.

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