Anna Butler's Blog, page 28
September 8, 2016
MAKEPEACE : Goodreads giveaway
Makepeace
by Anna Butler
Giveaway ends September 16, 2016.
See the giveaway details
at Goodreads.
https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/widget/202199
August 31, 2016
Links to Blog Posts on Writing – August 2016
Here’s the pick of August’s blog posts on the art of writing. Enjoy!
Jirble – The action of spilling liquid by means of unsteady movements, trembling or shaking of the container. “When the ghost popped out of the Gents, I jirbled my glass of ale.”
Six Bad Arguments Against Social Justice in Speculative Fiction and Five Social Justice Fails That Angered Fans – Two excellent articles on the Mythcreants blog about diversity and ‘social justice’ which are applicable to all genres.
The Problem with Female Protagonists – Jo Eberhardt at Writer Unboxed with a short but telling article that concludes “Here’s the problem with female protagonists: There aren’t enough of them. And we don’t even notice it.” Some very good comments there too.
25 Reasons Why I Stopped Reading Your Book – the inimitable Chuck Wendig
The 7 Critical Elements Of A Great Book – Amanda Patterson at Writers Write.
10 Things Stranger Things Taught Me About Storytelling – Chuck on what can be learned from other media
Writing Is Work, And It’s Art, Except When It’s Not – Chuck on top form, talking about shovelling unicorn shit.
Using Collage to create a snapshot of your novel – oddly compelling post on images and glue. I feel the need to buy a Pritt Stick.
In Defense of Slow, Thoughtful Writing – Stephanie Raffelock at Storyfix
5 Common Plotting Mistakes to Avoid When You’re Writing a Novel – Janice Hardy guesting at The Write Life
Getting Up Close and Personal With Intimate Point of View – excellent post on deep POV by P J Parrish at The Kill Zone.
Questions About Deep POV – helpful post by Beth Hill at The Editor’s Blog
All The Story Structure You’ll Ever Need – Philip Athans at the Fantasy Writer’s Handbook.
Vital Craft Lessons for Every Writer – Jordan Dane at The Kill Zone
The Most Important Tip About Setting Descriptions – James Scott Bell at The Kill Zone
What “Stranger Things” Can Teach Us About Flashbacks – Janice Hardy at the Fiction University
Don’t Let Your Characters “Nod” Off – Janice Hardy again with a good post on cutting out something that I know afflicts my characters badly…
How to Describe a Character – really good post from James Scott Bell at The Kill Zone.
The Structural Underpinnings of Characterization in Harry Potter and How to Apply those Concepts to Your Own Writing – excellent post at a recent fan convention by Harry Potter fanfic writer Pir8fancier, with a wider application for all writers. At her Live Journal blog
So You Wrote a First Draft—Dear God! What NOW? – Kristen Lamb on what to look for as you edit that first draft. With lots of pictures.
Legendary Screenwriting Guru Robert McKee On Creating Incredible Dialogue – at FastcoCreate
Chuck Wendig: Five Things I Learned Writing Invasive
Hayley Stone: Five Things I Learned Writing Machinations
Brooke Johnson: Five Things I Learned Writing The Guild Conspiracy
Melanie Meadors: Five Things I Learned Editing Hell Hath No Fury
Marketing a New Book: 6 Tactics Authors & Publishers Love – Diana Urban at Bookbub
17 New Release Marketing Examples We Love – Charlotte How at BookBub. You have to wade through this a bit, but there’s some useful stuff embedded in it.
Slaying The Dragon: Social Media For Writers, And What That Means For The Success Of Your Book – Chuck Wendig on promoting yourself and your book.
The Power of Instagram – Marketing Tips for Indie Authors – Penny Sansevieri at Writers In The Storm. Another social media site in which to lose all sense of self and time…
What’s Your Newsletter Plan? Part One – Jami Gold at the Fiction University
Authors: Here’s All You Need to Grow Your Email List – Emily Wenstrom at The Write Life with some tips for getting more people to sign up and keeping them when you’ve got them.
How to Grow Your Author Blog – Kristen Lamb, who knows her shit when it comes to digital marketing.
Five Reasons I Stop Reading Your Blog Post – Allison Maruska at Writer’s Path
25 Simple Ways To Recycle Your Blog Posts – Amanda Patterson at Writers Write
My Agent Will Negotiate / The Agent Clause / Agent Agreements / How To Hire A Lawyer Kristine Kathryn Rusch’s continuing **must read** series on authorial contracts.
Understanding Ebook Rights – Susan Spann with *her* continuing series on contracting, at Writers In The Storm.
How To Use Scrivener To Accelerate Your Writing – a crib sheet for using the Scrivener programme.
9 of the Best Books on Writing You’ll Want to Read ASAP – list compiled by Kristen Pope at The Write Life
128 words to use instead of ‘very’
August 26, 2016
Wide Open Spaces by Renee Stevens
Cowboy hats! Wyoming! Wild Horses! And yes, I am flailing like an idiot here because I love all three of those and they’re all wrapped up in one book. And isn’t that cover glorious?
By which you can tell I’m delighted to welcome Renee Stevens here today to be interrogated answer some gentle questions about herself and her new book, which is part of Dreamspinner’s States of Love collection. Welcome, Renee!
What inspires you to write?
It’s just something I enjoy. I get all these ideas in my head and I love to get them out and share them. I’m hoping I’ll be inspired for a long time to come!
Why do you write M/M stories?
I have heard this question so many times, and the simple answer is, why not? I enjoy it. I started out writing M/F stories, and then I read a book online by Sara Bell called The Magic In Your Touch. I was hooked, and I’ve reread that story countless times. I met so many great people and then I thought, there’s so much mainstream romance out there and there really wasn’t much I could do that hadn’t already been done. M/M was new and exciting, and at the time it was less accepted than it is now. I made some great friends and when I told them I was considering trying to write a M/M romance, they were full of encouragement. So I wrote my first M/M story, Eternity, and I never looked back. (Though I’ve learned A LOT since writing Eternity and may go back eventually and revise it).
What’s your favorite part of the writing process? What did you hate?
My favorite part would probably be learning who my characters are and why they do what they do. They all have their own idiosyncrasies (did I spell that right? LOL) and I love figuring out what makes them tick. I absolutely HATE coming up with names. Whether it’s character names, place names, or titles. It’s a necessary evil that I struggle through every time, since I don’t like reusing names and it’s hard to find a name that’s unique.
What is the most difficult part of writing for you?
Staying motivated. It’s so easy to let my mind wander and/or get distracted. I’m trying to work on that, but there’s just so many things to explore!
If you could change ONE thing about your novel, what would it be? Why?
I love the way it turned out, but I do wish that I could have included more of the things to see in Wyoming. It was so hard to pick and choose, and if I had to do it all over again, I’d include things such as Cheyenne Frontier Days since that is such a big thing in Wyoming.
What was one of the most surprising things you’ve learned in writing your books?
The most surprising thing was in this most recent story, Wide Open Spaces. In doing research on the industry here, I learned that Wyoming has 90% of the worlds trona beds! If you don’t know what trona is, it’s all explained in Wide Open Spaces If we’re talking about as far as writing, I was amazed when my editors pointed out how often I use modifiers (ly words).
Since there is always another story to tell, what are you working on now?
Right now, I’m working on revising a story that I originally wrote for NaNoWriMo in 2010. It’s about the foremen of neighboring ranches and they definitely have their share of ups and downs. A single misunderstanding/overreaction sets the stage for their future encounters and they went from friends to enemies. Their bosses are determined that whatever happened, they need to learn to work together again, otherwise they could end up jobless.
Out of all these lovely characters, who would you most prefer to snog, marry or avoid?
I absolutely love both Devon and Levi. However, I think I’d have to say Levi, and part of that is because he stayed and he followed his dreams, but even more than that is his attitude. He is who he is and he doesn’t care what anyone else thinks about it, but at the same time, he worries about those around him.
Which is your favourite character? Who was a joy to write (and why?) and who were you glad to see the back of (and why!)?
It’s hard to choose between Devon and Levi, but I think I enjoyed writing Devon the most. It was interesting to explore his reasoning behind the things he did and I enjoyed seeing how his mind worked. As far as who I was glad to see the back of, that is a definite tie between Blake, Travis, and Seth. Reason being, they’re jerks!
How difficult was it to get into the main character’s head?
It really wasn’t that hard actually, with either of them. When I started writing Wide Open Spaces, it practically wrote itself. I was so focused that I just couldn’t stop writing it, and I really never got to a point where I was blocked. These guys just wanted me to tell their story, so I did.
Tell me something about yourself that will surprise me.
I absolutely love Mythology. I took a class on it in High School and I was instantly hooked. I even became the teacher’s assistant my senior year for my mythology teacher.
Tell me about one place you’d love to visit and what you’d do there.
I’d love to visit Alaska. There is some beautiful country up there and I’d love to explore it. On top of that, I think one of the main things I’d want to do is go fishing. The fishing in Alaska is supposed to be extraordinary and I’d love to experience it first-hand.
If you weren’t a writer, what would you have liked to be or do instead?
You like to ask the tough questions, don’t you? LOL! I’m not sure I can give a definite answer on this, because there are so many things I enjoy. But whatever I ended up doing, I think it would involve animals. I don’t think I could be a vet, because I can’t stand to see animals hurt, but definitely something with animals.
What’s your favourite literary quote – and why?
I’ve never given a lot of thought to quotes, so I decided to go take a look at some. I found a lot of lists, but so many of them I’d never even read the book. I did find one that really hit home and it’s from The Princess Bride. “Life is pain, highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.” I like this one because it is so true. Life is so full of ups and downs, and you can’t always avoid the pain, but it’s those experiences that make us the person we become, and without them, we wouldn’t be the same.
What’s your biggest vice – shopping, coffee, shoes?
My biggest vice would probably be fishing. I can spend hours just sitting on the shoreline, waiting for a bite. I might not catch anything, but it’s so relaxing and then there’s the rush when the tip of the pole dips, and then doubles over.
Devon fled Wyoming as soon as he turned eighteen, leaving behind his high school love, Levi. After six years in the big city, Devon returns to his hometown. Not much has changed, except that Levi is no longer in the closet. He’s also single and living his dream—managing the local wild horse population. Both of them are very interested in picking up where they left off, but Devon is no more ready to reveal his orientation than he was as a teenager.
No one is going to shove Levi back in the closet—not even Devon. For a relationship to work, they’ll have to put the past behind them and find the courage to face the future as who they really are—a couple in love. But Devon doesn’t know if he’s strong enough. Maybe Levi would be better off without him—and his hang-ups.
States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Maria Fanning
Genre: Contemporary
Length: 35,659 Words
Rating: Adult/Mature
Pre-Order NOW
Dreamspinner Press
Amazon: US – CA – AU – UK – DE
All Romance
RELEASE DAY : 31 AUGUST
Devon sank down on his couch as exhaustion swamped him. Most of it was from moving in, but the change in elevation didn’t help. He’d gotten used to being closer to sea level, so going back to the dry air at over six thousand feet was going to take some getting used to.
Bloody noses had become the norm while he stayed with Blake. Devon didn’t want to deal with them repeatedly and considered getting a humidifier until he managed to acclimate.
He looked around his living room. Boxes were scattered everywhere, and he should be unpacking, but he was too tired. At least he hadn’t had to carry everything in himself. Blake, Travis, and Seth were waiting for him when he pulled into the apartment complex. They shrugged off his objections and insisted they had nothing better to do. Devon appreciated it, but he wasn’t comfortable around them anymore. He managed to be a proper host, but damn, he was glad they left after a couple beers each. They made noise about getting together again soon, but Devon had used getting settled in as an excuse to keep from committing to anything.
He stood and wandered into his small kitchen. He didn’t bother opening the fridge or any of the cupboards. He knew they were empty. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten for a while. Devon dug his keys out of his pocket and headed for the door. He’d get something to eat and then maybe stop at the store to pick up a few staples. Paper plates, sandwich fixings, some chips, and he’d be good for a couple of days. At least it would give him time to get a few things—like pots and pans—unpacked. Then he could do a full grocery shop.
An hour later he was comfortably full from a greasy burger, fries, and a shake. He’d never eaten a lot of fast food, but he had few other options. He headed to Walmart, determined to stick to his list of sandwich stuff and maybe some eggs. Surely he could dig out some pans before the food expired. He headed to the chips first and scanned for the familiar bag of Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles. They were his all-time favorite, though he also knew he’d want something else after a day or two. So he grabbed a couple of other bags and headed for the eggs and then the freezer aisle.
Sandwiches and chips would get old fast. He found some frozen breakfast sandwiches he could microwave, tossed them in the cart, and moved on. Frozen lasagna quickly joined the few other items in his cart, followed by some potpies, a few TV dinners, and a bag of chimichangas. So what if he wasn’t sticking to his mental list?
He was more focused on getting groceries for the next few days than on the people around him.
“Devon.”
He froze when a familiar voice spoke his name. He closed his eyes briefly, ducked his head, and steeled himself. He knew it would happen eventually, when he found out Levi still lived there. He thought he’d have more time to prepare. He swallowed—hard—and turned to face the man who had at one time meant everything to him. The man he’d risked being found out for. He lifted his head and gazed into the moss-colored eyes.
“Levi.”
A chance to win great prizes : No More Hiding (ebook), Challenging Fate (ebook), 10$ giftcard (Amazon or All Romance or Dreamspinner). Follow the link to the Rafflecoptor.
Renee Stevens first started writing in her teens but didn’t get serious about being an author until her mid-twenties. Since then she’s written a number of contemporary stories, as well as delved into the paranormal. When not writing, or spending time in the outdoors, Renee can usually be found working on GayAuthors.org in her capacity of Admin, Blog Coordinator, and Anthology Coordinator.
Renee resides in Wyoming with her wonderfully supportive husband and a menagerie of four-legged critters. Making the most of the nearly constant negative temperatures and mounds of snow, Renee spends much of the winter months in hibernation with her laptop, the voices in her head keeping her company while her husband works.
When she needs a break from writing, Renee takes to the sewing machine to design, and make, beautiful quilts. When the snow finally disappears, usually around May or June, Renee can be found in the great-outdoors. She spends her time on the mountain, at the lake, and just anywhere that she can do some camping, take some photos, and ride the four-wheelers with her hubby. Once back at home, it’s back to writing.
Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Website
More chances to win that Rafflecoptor!
August 24th: M.A. Church – Nic starr
August 25th: Grace Duncan
August 26th: Anna Butler
August 27th: David Dawson
August 28th: Alicia Nordwell
August 29th: Anne Barwell
August 30th: Antonia Aquilante
August 31st *RELEASE DAY*: Mann Ramblings –
September 1st: Julie Hayes – Elyzabeth M. VaLey
September 2nd: Caraway Carter
September 4th: Caz Pedroso
September 5th: Brynn Stein
September 6th: Lila Leigh Hunter
September 7th: Morticia Knight
September 8th: Charley Descoteaux
September 9th: Cheryl Headford
September 10th: Heloise West
September 12th: Foster Bridget Cassidy
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August 1, 2016
OMG – Eleventh Hour is out today
I love Elin Gregory’s writing, so I can’t wait to get my hands on this! Reblogged from Elin’s website.
This is the book I thought I’d never finish! It’s one I REALLY wanted to write about someone I really wanted to write about but when I started it I’d never actually heard the term gender fluid, I just honestly felt there ought to be such a thing. Anyway, here it is and I honestly hope I haven’t got Miles too wrong. Neither of us intend to offend. If I did, please let me know and I’ll promise to do better another time. But I hope you enjoy it too.
ELEVENTH HOUR
Borrowed from the Secret Intelligence Service cipher department to assist Briers Allerdale – a field agent returning to 1920s London with news of a dangerous anarchist plot – Miles Siward moves into a ‘couples only’ boarding house, posing as Allerdale’s ‘wife’. Miles relishes the opportunity to allow his alter ego, Millie, to spread her wings but if Miles…
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Links to Blog Posts on Writing – July 2016
I’m afraid family and the need to get the next Shield book to my editor took precedence this month over the links list, but hey, only a day late. And hopefully not short even a quid (broadly equivalent to the dollar these days).
Mudlark – a person who scavenges in riverside mud at low tide for anything of value.
Mudlarks of Victorian London in the River Thames, from “The Headington Magazine” 1871 (public domain image).
Writing Advice From Ray Bradbury
Is Being a “Good” Girl Hurting Your Career? Why “Bad” Girls Become Best-Sellers – Kristen Lamb, hitting the mark as usual.
Take Two: Challenges of Sequel Writing (and ways to overcome them) – Stephanie Gaither at Fiction University
Beth Lewis: Five Things I Learned While Writing The Wolf Road
Deep POV and Narrative Distance—Part 1 and Part 2 – really good posts at The Editor’s Blog.
Ten hand to hand combat myths writers need to stop using – Andrew Jack at the Evil League of Evil Writers (yup, seriously) with a really useful post for those of us who like to rough up our characters. Some good comments there too.
How to Write an Eating Scene – James Scott Bell at The Kill Zone
The Long and the Short of Stories (or advice on short fiction) – James R Tuck at Fiction University. Good advice here
6 Stage Plot Structure For Successful Storytelling – another Writers Write cool infographic.
Three Words That Are Killing Your Manuscript – Janice Hardy at Fiction University.
4 Powerful Ways to Improve Your Writing – Alex Limberg guesting at Kristen Lamb’s blog.
At the Mythcreants blog:
Seven Great Sources of Conflict for Romances
Four Tips for Depicting Characters With Disabilities
Defeating the Contrivance Bogeyman
Five Ways to Make Your World Feel Lived In
Seven Rules of Effective Prose
Finding Your Audience Part Two – Think Long Term & Build Relationships – Angela Quarles at Fiction University. Link to part one in the first para.
Street Teams: When and How do you start them when you have nothing to offer? – Kerry Lonsdale at Writers In The Storm
How to Write (and Not to Write) an Author Bio – Gail Carriger at the Fiction university.
Facebook Ads Work: How to Use Facebook to Reach Niche Readers – Barbara Morgenroth
9 Ways to Market a Book After the New Release Buzz Dies Down – Diana Urban at BookBub.
The Contract Termination Clause / Rights Reversions / Discount Abuse / Other Evil Clauses /
on authorial contracts.
“Busting” Some Popular Copyright Myths – Susan Spann with *her* continuing series on contracting, at Writers In The Storm
14 Books Every Writer Needs On Their Shelf
July 30, 2016
Fool’s Gold by Sarah Madison – review
I am delighted to say that Sarah Madison’s new book is now available. Sarah and I are members of the same critique group, so I had the jump on you all here – I’ve read and loved this book ever since she sent us the first few chapters. It’s a great, great book.
Fab cover, isn’t it? Sarah and I agree that one of the best artists around is Reese Dante, who produced a cracker of a cover here. And the design quality extends to the inside where each chapter is headed by a charming little leaping horse. An image that I had no qualms about (cough) stealing (cough) to decorate this post. So, on to the book:
Eight years ago, Jake Stanford had it all: a spot on the U.S. Olympic Equestrian Team and the love of his life, Rich Evans. A tragic accident wipes out everything in the blink of an eye. Hard work and sacrifice get him another shot at Olympic Gold, but only if he puts his past behind him and agrees to work with Rich again.
Bound by secrets he cannot share, Rich was forced to give up Jake eight years ago. Now he has a second chance to help Jake realize his dreams. But the secrets that drove them apart haven’t changed, and Rich must face them or risk losing Jake forever.
My review on Amazon and Goodreads:
I hold my hand up to an interest here – I’m a member of Sarah Madison’s crit group, so I’ve had the very great pleasure of reading this book as it was written and developed, and let me tell you, you have a treat in store.
Sarah Madison knows horses. She knows competitive horse riding, and all the knowledge and expertise, not to mention her love for horses, deepens and colours one of the most engaging stories of love lost and regained that I’ve read in a long time. I won’t repeat the plot here, but will say that this novel has everything you could look for: two rather damaged main characters (one physically, one emotionally) who were parted by the fall out from a terrible accident – and the machinations of the father of one of them – and who only reunite out of dire necessity; and by doing so find an unexpected peace and happiness.
Sarah, I’ve found, doesn’t write ‘easy’ characters. They often have some real, hard issues to deal with en route to an understanding with each other. Jake and Rich are no exception. Both feel used, betrayed, belittled. They have some quite serious baggage to clear, not least a distrust of each other, before they can reconnect to find that what they’d had eight years earlier, is even stronger now. And it all ends on a very topical note, with the Rio Olympics. Perfect timing for this book.
Thoroughly recommended. If you like books where the worldbuilding and scene-setting have the unmistakable ring of authenticity, if you like complex characters who are imperfect and have their scars to deal with, if you like a love story with a satisfying end – well, then. You’ll like this.
Buy as an e-book or read through Kindle Unlimited at Amazon. com or
Amazon.co.uk
Buy as a paperback at Amazon.com or Amazon.co.uk
.
Sarah Madison is a writer with a little dog, a large dog, an even bigger horse, too many cats, and a very patient boyfriend. An amateur photographer and a former competitor in the horse sport known as eventing, when she’s not out hiking with the dogs or down at the stables, she’s at the laptop working on her next story. When she’s in the middle of a chapter, she relies on the smoke detector to tell her dinner is ready. She writes because it’s cheaper than therapy.
Sarah Madison was a finalist in the 2013 and 2015 Rainbow Awards. The Boys of Summer won Best M/M Romance in the 2013 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards. The Sixth Sense series was voted 2nd place in the 2014 PRG Reviewer’s Choice Awards for Best M/M Mystery series, and 3rd place in the 2105 PGR Reviewer’s Choice Awards for Best M/M Paranormal/Urban Fantasy series.
If you want to make her day, e-mail her and tell you how much you like her stories.
Website: http://www.sarahmadisonfiction.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SarahMadisonFic
Facebook Fan Page: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Sarah-Madison-Author/106445646104338
E-mail: akasarahmadison@gmail.com
July 28, 2016
Wide Open Spaces Cover Reveal – Renee Stevens
Devon fled Wyoming as soon as he turned eighteen, leaving behind his high school love, Levi. After six years in the big city, Devon returns to his hometown. Not much has changed, except that Levi is no longer in the closet. He’s also single and living his dream—managing the local wild horse population. Both of them are very interested in picking up where they left off, but Devon is no more ready to reveal his orientation than he was as a teenager.
No one is going to shove Levi back in the closet—not even Devon. For a relationship to work, they’ll have to put the past behind them and find the courage to face the future as who they really are—a couple in love. But Devon doesn’t know if he’s strong enough. Maybe Levi would be better off without him—and his hang-ups.
States of Love: Stories of romance that span every corner of the United States.
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Cover Artist: Maria Fanning
Genre: Contemporary
Series: States of Love
Length: 35,659 Words
Rating: Adult/Mature
Pre-order Release Date: 7/28/2016
Official Release Date: 8/31/2016
BUY NOW AT DREAMSPINNER ON PRE_ORDER
Devon sank down on his couch as exhaustion swamped him. Most of it was from moving in, but the change in elevation didn’t help. He’d gotten used to being closer to sea level, so going back to the dry air at over six thousand feet was going to take some getting used to.
Bloody noses had become the norm while he stayed with Blake. Devon didn’t want to deal with them repeatedly and considered getting a humidifier until he managed to acclimate.
He looked around his living room. Boxes were scattered everywhere, and he should be unpacking, but he was too tired. At least he hadn’t had to carry everything in himself. Blake, Travis, and Seth were waiting for him when he pulled into the apartment complex. They shrugged off his objections and insisted they had nothing better to do. Devon appreciated it, but he wasn’t comfortable around them anymore. He managed to be a proper host, but damn, he was glad they left after a couple beers each. They made noise about getting together again soon, but Devon had used getting settled in as an excuse to keep from committing to anything.
He stood and wandered into his small kitchen. He didn’t bother opening the fridge or any of the cupboards. He knew they were empty. His stomach growled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten for a while. Devon dug his keys out of his pocket and headed for the door. He’d get something to eat and then maybe stop at the store to pick up a few staples. Paper plates, sandwich fixings, some chips, and he’d be good for a couple of days. At least it would give him time to get a few things—like pots and pans—unpacked. Then he could do a full grocery shop.
An hour later he was comfortably full from a greasy burger, fries, and a shake. He’d never eaten a lot of fast food, but he had few other options. He headed to Walmart, determined to stick to his list of sandwich stuff and maybe some eggs. Surely he could dig out some pans before the food expired. He headed to the chips first and scanned for the familiar bag of Cheddar and Sour Cream Ruffles. They were his all-time favorite, though he also knew he’d want something else after a day or two. So he grabbed a couple of other bags and headed for the eggs and then the freezer aisle.
Sandwiches and chips would get old fast. He found some frozen breakfast sandwiches he could microwave, tossed them in the cart, and moved on. Frozen lasagna quickly joined the few other items in his cart, followed by some potpies, a few TV dinners, and a bag of chimichangas. So what if he wasn’t sticking to his mental list?
He was more focused on getting groceries for the next few days than on the people around him.
“Devon.”
He froze when a familiar voice spoke his name. He closed his eyes briefly, ducked his head, and steeled himself. He knew it would happen eventually, when he found out Levi still lived there. He thought he’d have more time to prepare. He swallowed—hard—and turned to face the man who had at one time meant everything to him. The man he’d risked being found out for. He lifted his head and gazed into the moss-colored eyes.
“Levi.”
Renee Stevens first started writing in her teens but didn’t get serious about being an author until her mid-twenties. Since then she’s written a number of contemporary stories, as well as delved into the paranormal. When not writing, or spending time in the outdoors, Renee can usually be found working on GayAuthors.org in her capacity of Admin, Blog Coordinator, and Anthology Coordinator.
Renee resides in Wyoming with her wonderfully supportive husband and a menagerie of four-legged critters. Making the most of the nearly constant negative temperatures and mounds of snow, Renee spends much of the winter months in hibernation with her laptop, the voices in her head keeping her company while her husband works.
When she needs a break from writing, Renee takes to the sewing machine to design, and make, beautiful quilts. When the snow finally disappears, usually around May or June, Renee can be found in the great-outdoors. She spends her time on the mountain, at the lake, and just anywhere that she can do some camping, take some photos, and ride the four-wheelers with her hubby. Once back at home, it’s back to writing.
Facebook – Twitter – Goodreads – Website
July 25, 2016
Summer NOT in the city – the Divine Magazine 2016 Blog Hop
This time last year, I was sweltering through a summer in central London. And that, let me tell you, was no fun at all.
Air conditioning is not a thing in houses in the UK. We always say blithely that with our rotten weather, we don’t need it, and for 90% of the time we’d be right—except for those rare one or two days in the British summer when it isn’t actively raining. Days when it’s hot, muggy, and uncomfortable, instead. In London, all that heat hammers down on closely-built streets, sinks into the bricks and mortar, and reflects right back out at the poor souls who live there. A time when even the sparrows look dejected and weighed down by heat and grime.
Pro Tip: If ever you visit London in the summer and it’s very hot, do try and avoid the Underground (the “Tube”). There’s no air-conditioning down there, either.
All in all, high summer in London can be unendurable.
High summer in the British countryside however… now that’s a different story altogether.
Late in 2015, we upped stakes from London and made our escape to the country. These days we live not in a row of houses in London’s east end surrounded by thousands of others, but in an early Victorian former rectory on a barely-paved lane on the edge of a village, deep in the Nottinghamshire countryside.
Nowadays on a summer morning, I don’t wake up to look out of the window to stare at the row of houses across the street, but instead dawn over the hills and fields looks like this:
Dawn from my study window
When my husband and I walk Molly, our cockerpoo, it isn’t through hot, dusty streets to the local park, where all you can do is walk the perimeter and wish you were somewhere else. Instead, turn left out of the drive and twenty yards later the lane I live on becomes a magical place, bounded by thick hedgerows and fields of winter wheat, with pheasants, hawks and herons in the fields. The entire lane just swoops with swallows at this time of year, wheeling through the air to show off their white undersides and dark-blue forked tails, while their cousins the house martins are nesting in the eaves of our house. The lane – and our garden, in fact – is the haunt of pipstrelle bats every evening. Thankfully, between swallows and bats, the local midge population is kept reasonably in check.
Here’s the lane in early summer.
And evenings here… well, let’s just say that even if you’re in a park in London, the sky above is confined, bounded on every side by tall old terraces or modern tower blocks. You can’t see very far and sunsets are usually rather disappointing. No vistas, you see. But sunsets in the country… well.
So no regrets. Living here makes the summer far more bearable. There’s far more to see, far more to do, and the Lord be thanked, I may never have to get onto a Tube train again in my life. And to celebrate, what better than a jug of Pimms? It’s the most summery drink of all time.
Seen on the balcony of the Royal Festival Hall at the South Bank.
PIMM’S ORIGINAL
Mix 1 part PIMM’S* No.1
with 3 parts chilled lemonade;
add some mint, cucumber, orange segments
and chopped strawberries
Enjoy!
THE DIVINE MAGAZINE BLOG HOP
Divine Magazine’s annual blog hop is coming to a blog near you!
Follow the links to the participating blogs, and at each one you’ll have the chance to enter Divine’s rafflecopter giveaway for some ultra cool prizes.
Enter the Rafflecopter giveaway to win the chance of:
18K Gold Filled Crystal Pearls Heart Party Dress Jewelry Set
Divine Promotions – 10 Days Promo Tour ($90)
Divine Promotions – 3 Day Release Blitz ($35)
$75 credit from Dreamspinner Press
$30 credit from Dreamspinner Press
.
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Alexa’s New Beginnings
Alpha Book Club
Anna Butler Fiction
Author Susan Mac Nicol
Bayou Book Junkie
BFD Book Blog
Blissfully Bookerized
Boy Meets Boy Reviews
Cathy Writes Romance
Kiki’s Kinky Picks
Kristine Cayne
Louise Lyons
M.A. Church
Man2ManTastic
MM Good Book Reviews
Obsessed by Books
Oh My Shelves
Passionate Reads
Rian’s Randomness
Sarah Madison Fiction
Velvetpanic
Enjoy summer, everyone!
July 7, 2016
Taking Shield Blog Tour
Blog tours are a great way of letting people know you have a new book out. When it’s part of a series, it doesn’t hurt to remind them of the previous books either! So, I proudly announce the Taking Shield (Reminding You What It’s All About) Blitz.
Taking Shield 02: Heart Scarab
With huge thanks to Rachel at Signal Boost, for arranging this so quickly, here’s the tour stops and dates:
July 08
HeadTripping Books
Gay Book Reviews
MillsyLovesBooks
T&L Book Reviews
blissfully bookerized
July 13
Maari Loves Her Indies
The Way She Reads
July 15
The Secret Dreams of Books
Reading In Sarah’s Corner
Oh My Shelves
July 21
Divine Magazine
Dreams and Screams Bookaholics
You Gotta Read This
July 25
Bonkers About Books
Unquietly Me
July 28
Avid Reader Amy’s Reviews
MM Good Book Reviews
Nicole’s Book Musings
nerd girl official
August 02
My Fiction Nook
Bella’s Blog
August 04
Bayou Bay Junkie
Cat’s Guilty Pleasure
Thorns and Ink
Diverse Reader
July 6, 2016
PUBLICATION DAY Taking Shield 03: Makepeace
PUBLISHED TODAY
I’m delighted to say that Makepeace, the third Shield book, will be published today by Wilde City Press.
About the Taking Shield series
Earth’s a dead planet, dark for thousands of years; lost for so long no one even knows where the solar system is. Her last known colony, Albion, has grown to be regional galactic power in its own right. But its drive to expand and found colonies of its own has threatened an alien race, the Maess, against whom Albion is now fighting a last-ditch battle for survival in a war that’s dragged on for generations.
Taking Shield charts the missions and adventures of Shield Captain Bennet, scion of a prominent military family. Against the demands of his family’s ‘triple goddess’ of Duty, Honour and Service, is set Bennet’s relationships with lovers and family. When the series opens, Bennet is at odds with his long term partner, Joss, who wants him out of the military and back in an academic, archaeological career. He’s estranged from his father, Caeden, who is the commander of Fleet’s First Flotilla. Events of the first book, in which he is sent to his father’s ship to carry out an infiltration mission behind Maess lines, improve his relationship with Caeden, but bring with them the catalyst that will destroy the one with Joss: one Fleet Lieutenant Flynn, who, over the course of the series, develops into Bennet’s main love interest.
Over the Taking Shield story arc, Bennet will see the extremes to which humanity’s enemies, and his own people, will go to win the war. Some days he isn’t able to tell friend from foe. Some days he doubts everything, including himself, as he strives to ensure Albion’s victory. And some days he isn’t sure, any longer, what victory looks like.
Taking Shield 02: Heart Scarab
About Makepeace
Returning to duty following his long recovery from the injuries he sustained during the events recounted in Heart Scarab, Shield Captain Bennet accepts a tour of duty in Fleet as flight captain on a dreadnought. The one saving grace is that it isn’t his father’s ship—bad enough that he can’t yet return to the Shield Regiment, at least he doesn’t have the added stress of commanding former lover Fleet Lieutenant Flynn, knowing the fraternisation regulations will keep them apart.
Working on the material he collected himself on T18 three years before, Bennet decodes enough Maess data to send him behind the lines to Makepeace, once a human colony but under Maess control for more than a century. The mission goes belly up, costing Albion one of her precious, irreplaceable dreadnoughts and bringing political upheaval, acrimony and the threat of public unrest in its wake. But for Bennet, the real nightmare is discovering what the Maess have in store for humanity.
It’s not good. It’s not good at all.
Book Title: Makepeace
Series: Taking Shield
Publisher: Wilde City Press
Cover Artist: Adrian Nicholas
Wordcount: c 94,500
Category: Sci Fi, Gay mainstream
Excerpt
The thing, whatever it was, had fallen between two pods. It didn’t move. Unlike the soldier outside, it didn’t kick its legs or drum its heels. It felt nothing. Bennet bent over it, laser at the ready, his shoulders lifting to hunch protectively over his neck. He blew out a soft breath. Thank fuck. Thank fuck.
Not an organic Maess, at least.
Definitely a drone. Possibly a modified EDA? It had the same well articulated hands, the same smooth plasticised skin over the electronics and metal underneath. But the metallic body had a bluish tinge.
The head was different. His first thought was it was translucent, the interior scattered with pinpoint lights. But no. The ovoid was bigger than usual but solid and opaque. Some sort of mesh covered the metal casing, the tiny lights woven into it at varying depths, giving the illusion he could see inside.
Blue lights, the intense sapphire blue of the lights fizzing down the columns into the pods. Whatever this was, it was no ordinary drone.
The lights in its head dimmed. Flickered out.
The thing was deactivated.
It had shaken Haydn out of his previous calm. “What the hell is that?”
T18. Bennet had seen something like this on T18. Just a glimpse. When he’d seen that Thing, the real Maess, surrounded by drones, there had been something else. Something thinner than the usual drones, less bulky. Blue lights were involved, too. The Strategy Unit analysts never had worked out what it was. In the end they’d concluded it had been a problem with his camera, reflecting the lighting inside the base on T18. He’d had no reason to argue.
Well, now he knew it hadn’t been the lighting.
Buy Links
From Wilde City Press today, and available on Amazon in about a week.
Buy the previous books in the series:
Taking Shield Book 01: Gyrfalcon available at Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Wilde City Press All Romance eBooks
Taking Shield Book 02: Heart Scarab available at Amazon.com Amazon.co.uk Wilde City Press All Romance eBooks
