Cameron D. James's Blog, page 20
March 15, 2016
Riverdance MM/FF Anthology — Book Blitz
Today’s Book Blitz brings us Riverdance, an M/M and F/F anthology! Read on for the blurb, excerpt, and giveaway!
Blurb:
Riverdance is a compilation of all things Irish. From fae flitting hither and thither trying to trick their quarry, to a modern-day Highland games, complete with caber tossing and traditional dance, our romantic compilation of Celtic tales and lore are sure to remind readers that love is the pot-o-gold at the end of the rainbow. Morwen Navarre brings us The Sidhe’s Apprentice—a tale of a young man desperately wanting to be a wizard, like his grandfather, who never banked on falling in love with his mentor. In Finding Balance, Lynn Townsend sets readers in the middle of the Highland games—as well as between two former lovers who need to forgive and forget. L. J. Hamline’s tale, Luck of the Irish, tells of some lucky days that turn into lucky nights. Born of Fire, Dale Cameron Lowry’s offering, brings readers the abduction of a human by fairies—and the greatest lesson of all: love is more than superficial. Finally, Asta Idonea’s The First Swallow of Spring chronicles an annual pilgrimage to the land of the fae, and how the wiley lord tries to keep a human for his own.
Excerpt:
From Morwen Navarre’s The Sidhe’s Apprentice:
There was nothing for it but to follow the path which Master Lorcán had indicated. Master Lorcán’s parting words had not been comforting, and Alistair had a feeling this Master Cianán would be no warmer.
Alistair took the opportunity to look around as he walked, wondering how much magic was required to maintain this place. The transition was completely seamless, as though the door to the embassy had been a gate to another realm. None of the whispers had even hinted at the existence of such a portal, though, and Alistair was not too sure he would want to ask. The illusion was flawless, the sky a pearly glow above the tall treetops. The light was softer than sunlight, but far brighter than moonlight, and he wondered if it was designed to duplicate the sun of the Sidhe realm. He could hear faint birdsong, and there was a gentle breeze that brought the scent of honeysuckle with it. If this was Sidhe magic, he wanted to learn all he could.
The stream was not very wide, where Alistair approached it. A single stride would take him over it, but he had been told to wait, and not to cross it. Obedience was mandatory for a student of the Sidhe. That much was common knowledge. There was no place to sit, so Alistair stood and waited. He let his thoughts drift, trying to imagine what it would be like to live in this tranquil place for a year and a day.
“Are you contemplating running away? I wouldn’t recommend it.” The speaker was Sidhe, and there was a definite lilt to his English. Alistair felt his cheeks grow warm, and he bowed hastily as he straightened up. He swallowed as he got a good look at the speaker on the other side of the stream.
Publisher Bio:
Publisher of GLBT fiction books http://www.torquerepress.com to offer the finest in erotic LGBT romance available.
Publisher Links
Torquere Facebook Page | Torquere on Twitter |Torquere Blog
Torquere on Pinterest | Torquere Website
Giveaway:
Click here to visit Rafflecopter and enter to win an ebook copy of Riverdance Anthology!
March 14, 2016
University of Southern Georgia: Dan and Billy — Book Blitz
Our second Book Blitz for today brings us University of Southern Georgia: Dan and Billy, by Heath Greenfield! Read on for the blurb, excerpt, and giveaway!
Blurb:
Some people know exactly who they are. As a matter of fact, some people can’t help being who they are even if it doesn’t fit into a conventional world. Other people struggle to figure out what that even means. Dan is the first. Billy is the second. Together, they are exactly what each one needs.
When a horrible roommate forces Dan—a theatre major and the apple of his family’s collective eye—to desperate measures, he turns to Billy to save him. What he doesn’t know is that Billy needs him just as much. Billy, the staunch, upright, gay Republican who has secrets of his own, is bowled over by the bright, forthright Dan, and finds himself inconveniently in love. Dan adores a man of conviction, and he’ll force himself to settle for friendship if he must…but as fate has it, things are about to change…
Book/Buy Links
Excerpt:
“Billy! Billy, boy!” It was that crazy freshman from one floor down. “Darlin’ Billy! I need your help.”
The guy threw himself at Billy, and if Billy hadn’t reached out and grabbed him, the kid would have hit the floor hard.
“Uh…what’s going on?”
The thought that the kid was cute, but a little overdone, flashed through Billy’s mind. Wait, Billy corrected, not my type.
“Yes, uh, Danny?”
“Dan. My name is Dan…not Danny.”
“Right, Dan. Uh, how can I help you?”
“I knew if I came to you and threw myself on your tender mercies you could not deny my plight.”
“What plight?”
Dan straightened up and plopped himself on the bed across from Billy’s.
“Billy, I need you to provide me safe shelter in these troubled times.”
“Safe shelter? You want to, uh, stay here? With me?” he was confused. “Why?”
“Because, dear Billy, I have found myself with the most dreadful creature on our good God’s green earth.”
“What’s that?”
“A hater.”
Author Bio:
Heath Greenfield lives in Port Orange, Florida with family, assorted dogs, cats, and other animals. Having recently taken up gardening to meet with a food obsession and daydreams of urban farming, Heath binge watches documentaries on organic growing and hatches wild schemes to build garden boxes in his down time.
Author Links
Giveaway:
Click here to visit Rafflecopter and enter to win an ebook copy of University of Southern Georgia: Dan and Billy!
Omarati — Book Blitz
Today sees two Book Blitzes on the good ol’ blog! The first one is Omarati by DC Juris! Don’t miss the blurb, excerpt, and giveaway below!
Blurb:
Everything changed for werewolf Calliph after the Shifter War. Now nothing more than a slave and plaything to human Prince Obyn, Calliph finds himself on the Golden Magus, sailing across the sea with his owner. But fate has something more in mind for Calliph in the form of Ship’s First Mate Mateo—who just happens to be Calliph’s Omarati—his soul mate… and a werecat.
Heartbroken, Calliph knows he can’t stay with Mateo—he is forced to follow wherever Obyn leads. Years later, when an attack at sea lands Mateo in the hands of vicious pirates, the cat discovers that, though time has changed some things, his bond with Calliph is eternal. Previously published by Noble Romance.
Book/Buy Links
Excerpt:
“I see no wheel,” Obyn observed.
Calliph followed Obyn and Captain Ba’Tal up the walkway to the deck of the Golden Magus. His nostrils twitched, catching a hint of something. Crisp and clean, he could have mistaken the smell for simply the sea itself. There were undertones, though—subtle hints of sweat, musk, and the sharp tang of manhood. The scent mingled with his own, blended harmoniously, nearly drawing a growl from his throat. The smell of a mate, another shifter, but not one of his own kind. No. A cat. And no little tabby, either. The pheromone belonged to a panther.
“No,” Ba’Tal said. “These damned elf ships are all controlled by magic nowadays.”
“Yes, well, you still need someone to keep her on course.”
Calliph looked toward the owner of the voice…the owner of that heavenly scent. The most beautiful man he’d ever laid eyes on. He was short—Calliph had a least a foot on him—with a slender, lithe body, and long dark hair. Strong, firm muscles rippled beneath sun-tanned skin.
“That there’d be my First Mate, Mateo,” Ba’Tal said. “This is Obyn and his wolf, Caliph.”
“Calliph is not my wolf.”
Ba’Tal inclined his head in apology. “Begging your pardon, my Prince. I thought the Queen said he was a shifter.”
“He is a shifter.” Obyn looked Calliph up and down, upper lip curled into a sneer. “However, wolf is a term reserved for the free of his kind, and he is not free. He is merely a dog.”
Calliph swallowed down the words he knew he’d regret.
Mateo turned. A dizzying, hot wind swirled around Calliph as his eyes locked with the man’s amber gaze. Time seemed to halt, as the deck seemed to spin in a lazy circle, Calliph in the middle. His head felt heavy and wobbly; his neck and shoulders lacked the strength to support it.
Calliph struggled to make sense of what was happening as a jolt of recognition raced up his spine, even though he’d never met Mateo. His feet seemed to move of their own volition, carrying him forward—answering a call he heard in his heart and felt deep in his bones. Made no sense, yet Calliph kept walking.
“Where do you think you’re going?” Obyn demanded, tugging sharply on Calliph’s leash.
Calliph’s head snapped back and his steps faltered. Obyn. Somehow, he’d actually forgotten about his Master. “To see how it works.” He recovered quickly. “With your permission, I’d like to learn the steering mechanism in the event danger should befall our voyage.”
Obyn’s eyes narrowed and he glanced at Mateo. “Fine. I expect you below deck in an hour.”
Ba’Tal lead Obyn away, and Calliph closed the distance to Mateo. “May I?” He nodded toward the steering column.
“Be my guest.” Mateo guided Calliph’s hand. “Magic controls the orb. Feel that?”
Calliph felt something, but nothing to do with the ship. Mateo’s hand on his burned. He fought against the desire to pull Mateo close and smother him with kisses. “What is it?” he asked, not referring to the mechanism.
“You’re connected. The magic regulates the pitch of the ship. Left and right—back and forth. Keeps the deck level. Simple, really. You just have to get the feel of it.” Mateo pressed his hand down on Calliph’s and moved them both slowly from side to side. “There. See? Just a slow, soft touch.”
Calliph wasn’t interested in the orb—wasn’t even looking at it. Mateo tilted his head toward him, bringing their lips inches apart. Calliph’s mind reeled. Mateo moved closer; his grip tightened, his breathing quickened. He felt it too. Calliph’s gaze dipped to Mateo’s lips, parted ever so slightly. Mateo must’ve licked them a moment ago, because they looked moist. Calliph imagined those lips were soft and warm as well. Oh, so soft and warm. Gods, he wanted to kiss them. Calliph’s cock twitched and hardened and he marveled, almost having forgotten what an erection felt like.
Something nudged Calliph’s leg and he looked down. A tail. Mateo moved his head; his hair shifted, revealing the sharp upward curve of his ears. Cat though he might have been, Mateo’s tail should’ve been nonexistent, and his ears should’ve been human ears. Calliph noticed other things then: the fine dusting of dark fur on the back of Mateo’s hands, the not quite feline but not quite human shape of his nose and his eyes.
“They’re permanent,” Mateo interrupted his perusal, obviously used to being questioned.
“How?” Calliph swallowed hard. He knew of only one explanation.
“Alchemists.” Mateo hung his head.
Calliph snarled, his suspicions confirmed. “It’s nothing to be ashamed of. Can you shift?”
“I can but not for long. The transformation is painful and leaves me exhausted.”
That Mateo shared such a fact with him thrilled Calliph. He gestured between the two of them. “You feel it too?”
Mateo’s face flushed red; he was panting, trembling. “I do. We’re Omarati.”
Omarati. An ancient term. No common translation existed; the best Calliph knew was soul mate. Far beyond that, Omarati were shifters who were created—literally—for each other, drawn together by a bond unbreakable, unending. Animal, age, gender—none of that mattered, for Omarati were compatible by design, made to accept and overlook any flaws in favor of their bond. Their hearts and their souls knew each other already, even if their minds had a bit of catching up to do. A connection like this, as far as Calliph knew, existed between no other beings. Mateo’s small hand slid into his.
“What are we going to do?” Mateo asked.
Calliph ran a finger under his collar. What indeed.
Author Bio:
Romance author, sci-fi fan club Captain, cosplayer, reigning Queen of Monkeyland, and random menace. Yep, we’re talking about DC Juris. She’s a cupcake-making, football-watching, rubber-duck-collecting, drag-show loving, full-of-fabulous-with-a-capital-F kinda gal. She’s also an ordained minister and an amateur photographer. She lives in Upstate New York with her husband, three dogs, and three cats. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her favorite chair watching Star Trek and Supernatural repeats on Netflix, or surfing the web for porn. Er…research. Surfing the web for research. She may speak softly but she lives and loves loudly. Just ask the neighbors. ::wink::
Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Blog
Giveaway:
Click here to visit Rafflecopter and enter to win an ebook copy of Omarati!
March 13, 2016
The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker — Book Blitz
Today’s Book Blitz is The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker by Rob Rosen! Check out the blurb, excerpt, and giveaway below!
Blurb:
A photography student gets more than he bargains for when he photographs a blond Polish butcher, who he has sex with in the back of the butcher shop; a ginger-haired Irish baker, who he has sex with in the back of the bakery; and a brunette British candlestick maker, who he has sex with in the back of the candle shop. All of the men photographed are in period costume and all have tricks up their sleeves—and, of course, down their pants. In the end, a budding romance evolves between the student and the butcher.
Book/Buy Links
Excerpt:
I’d always enjoyed photography. Even as a kid, I’d borrow my dad’s Polaroid and take off to shoot the neighborhood. Now in art school, nothing had changed much. If anything, the passion burned brighter. And so it wasn’t by chance that I enrolled in the photography class that semester, but perhaps fate did play a role in what eventually transpired.
My homework assignment that particular day was called, very simply, “trios.” We could use our fertile imaginations to interpret this any way we wanted to. Me, I wanted to go all out—balls to the wall, as it were. In other words, I wanted an A. And so over the weekend, I biked around town, looking for anything that stood out, anything iconic but unusual just the same.
A pizza parlor, perhaps? Mushroom, pepperoni, and anchovy? Too easy, I figured. Street lights, maybe? Red lights, green lights, yellow lights? Too, uh, pedestrian. How about kids, parents, and grandparents, I thought? Well, they said never to work with children or animals. I couldn’t have agreed more. In other words, nix on that idea, as well. Besides, approaching children and asking to take their picture was never a wise idea.
No, I had to dig deeper, find something unexpected but fun to photograph, something no one else in my class was going to come up with. And so I ended up at Old Times, a local mall dedicated to days gone by. Which, to be quite frank, was generally just another way for the stores to charge extra for crap no one needed. Still, I reasoned, my inevitable photographs would be out of the ordinary.
I looked around, my high-end digital camera at the ready. Luckily, I spotted my prey right off the bat, their storefronts side by side by side. The butcher was on the left, the candlestick maker on the right, the baker in the middle.
Iconic—check. Trio—check. It seemed like I was good to go.
“Whoa,” I whispered as I entered the butcher shop, mainly because the butcher was one mighty fine slab of meat. Grade A prime, in fact—and with one hell of a rump roast to boot. He was dressed in 1930s garb, the uniform tight and white, hugging him in all the right places¬. Then again, by the looks of him, he had no wrong ones to begin with. He had on a fancy straw hat, a white bow tie, a white apron, and heavy black shoes. The sleeves of his white button-down were rolled up to reveal meaty forearms covered in a thick blond down.
In truth, we couldn’t have looked more different. He had three inches and a good thirty pounds on me. He was blond to my brunette, blue eyes to my brown. Plus, he was easily seven or eight years older. Still, in my randy imagination, we made a picture-perfect couple. And since I took perfect pictures, I knew of what I spoke. Cart before horse? Fine, so sue me.
Anyway, he smiled when I approached, his teeth as white as his clothes, gleaming and perfect, eyes a dazzling blue. And when he spoke, “Welcome,” it was with a beautiful, trilling Eastern European accent of some kind. Polish, maybe? Slovakian? Fuck if I cared; it was sexy either way. “Can I help you?” he asked, the smile so bright I very nearly put my sunglasses on.
Hell yeah, I thought, but told him instead the reason for my visit: that I wished to film him for my class. He smiled when I was done and said I could take some pictures when the shop closed at six. Then we wouldn’t be interrupted. I gulped when he said it, mainly because those stunning orbs of blue were locked in on me like a meat hook to a side of beef. I thanked him and told him I’d be back at six.
All the above I repeated at shop number two—the same spiel, the inner monologue only slightly different.
The baker was thin and dreamy, with a white chef’s hat and a white button-down shirt, which was opened at the collar to reveal just the slightest hint of ginger chest hair. Over this, he wore a pristine white apron. His eyes sparkled like green emeralds as he nodded my way, his crisp white uniform showing off his physique as he dexterously stocked the shelves with a beautiful array of fresh pastries and cookies. When he spoke, it was with a lilting Irish brogue that made my cock throb in my jeans. In the end, he invited me back first thing in the morning, before he started baking.
All the above I then repeated at shop number three. By then I had my story down pat.
The candlestick maker’s outfit was the most unusual of the three. He wore not a stitch of white. His shirt was a blousy blue, his vest a clover green, his slacks a muddy brown, and his shoes, heels and all, were a midnight black. His smock, which was covered in wax, was also black, to perfectly match his beret. He wasn’t stocky like the butcher nor thin like the baker, but dreamily average in both height and weight. He had brown hair and brown eyes, and spoke—be still my heart, and hard-on—in a posh British accent. I was thankful that he immediately locked up shop, agreeing to pose for me once he finished his work in the back, leaving me in the front to ponder my good fortune.
Author Bio:
Rob Rosen (www.therobrosen.com), award-winning author of the novels Sparkle: The Queerest Book You’ll Ever Love, Divas Las Vegas, Hot Lava, Southern Fried, Queerwolf, Vamp, Queens of the Apocalypse, Creature Comfort and Fate, and editor of the anthologies Lust in Time, Men of the Manor, Best Gay Erotica 2015 and Best Gay Erotica of the Year, Volume 1, has had short stories featured in more than 200 anthologies.
Facebook Author Page | Website
Giveaway:
Click here to visit Rafflecopter and enter to win an ebook copy of The Butcher, The Baker, The Candlestick Maker.
March 12, 2016
A Taste of Honey — Book Blitz
Today’s Book Blitz is A Taste of Honey, by Ari McKay! Read on for the blurb, buy links, excerpt, and giveaway!
Blurb:
Boone Phillips asks his cross-dressing best friend, Rob “Honey” Coombs, to pretend to be his girlfriend at a family reunion, where he begins to wonder if he’s really as straight as he’s always believed. When an earth-shattering kiss sends Rob running to protect his heart, Boone has to convince Rob to give him another chance, or his first taste of Honey might also be his last.
Book/Buy Links
Excerpt:
He escorted Honey into the club, which was only about half full. That would change as the night wore on and the dancing got started, but for now they were led to a booth near the stage at the edge of one of the dance floors. Boone seated Honey, then slid in beside her as the hostess handed them menus.
Unlike Rob, Honey didn’t maintain a friendly distance. Instead, she scooted close, aligning her thigh against his, and looked at his menu instead of her own. “How hungry are you?” she asked, gazing at him with an all too innocent look in her wide blue eyes. Up close, Boone could see the artfully applied cat eyeliner enhanced by mascara on her natural lashes rather than the large fake lashes she wore when she performed. “We could start with nachos or maybe the stuffed jalapeno peppers and margaritas, of course.”
“I could definitely use a margarita,” Boone said. He couldn’t drink too much, since he was driving, but he felt the need for a little liquid fortification to get through this date with his sanity intact. He kept having to drag his gaze away from Honey, because he was far too fascinated with examining every detail. “The stuffed jalapenos are good, if you want to start with those.”
“Sure, we can share them. I like a little hot spice, don’t you?” she asked, all innocence, but Boone wasn’t fooled.
Boone stared at Honey, weighing his options. He could go through the evening feeling like he was out of his depth, or he could get himself under control and dish out some payback. He knew why Rob was doing this, after all; he wanted to prove that Boone’s plan wouldn’t work because Boone wouldn’t be able to act naturally with Honey. Even though Boone had already decided that he wasn’t going to go through with the plan anyway, his natural competitive streak had been roused, and he wanted to show Honey—and Rob—that he could give as well as he got. It was a game, after all, and Boone wrote games for a living, so he had to try to see if he could win.
“Definitely. Why do you think I asked you out, Ms. Honey?” he drawled with all the southern charm he had.
“Well, I’d like to think it’s because you have exquisite taste and finally noticed the perfection that’s been under your nose all along.” Honey leaned back and gave him a pointed look. “But we both know this level of hotness is too much for you.”
“This is a level of hotness I never even knew existed.” Boone tilted his head to one side, giving her a wink. “But I think I could get to like it.”
“That’s pretty big talk for a straight boy.” Honey nestled closer and leaned her head on his broad shoulder, and he caught a whiff of sandalwood. “I’m not sure you can walk the walk,” she added, stroking his chest with one perfectly manicured hand.
It’s just a game Honey—Rob—is playing with me, Boone told himself firmly. There was no reason to think of it as being anything more. Rob wasn’t really coming on to him, after all, and it wasn’t as if he had never touched his best friend.
“Oh, you might be surprised,” Boone replied. He slid his arm around Honey’s shoulders and leaned closer, breathing deeply. “I like your perfume. Sandalwood is one of my favorite scents. I think the only thing that’s better is cinnamon.”
He felt rather than heard her draw in a startled breath, but then she relaxed against him. “Does that mean if I wore a cinnamon scented perfume, you’d want to eat me up?”
Boone smiled to himself. One point for me. “Now that is an intriguing idea,” he replied. He’d never been big into flirtation before, but he was starting to think he could learn a thing or two from Honey. “Cinnamon scented Honey. Sounds like you could bottle that and make a fortune.”
Author Bio:
Ari McKay is the professional pseudonym for Arionrhod and McKay, who collaborate on original m/m fiction. They began writing together in 2004 and finished their first original full length novel in 2011. Recently, they’ve begun collaborating on designing and creating costumes to wear and compete in at Sci Fi conventions, and they share a love of yarn and cake.
Arionrhod is an avid costumer, knitter, and all-around craft fiend, as well as a professional systems engineer. Mother of two human children and two dachshunds who think they are human, she is a voracious reader with wildly eclectic tastes, devouring romance novels, military science fiction, horror stories and Shakespeare with equal glee. She is currently preparing for the zombie apocalypse.
McKay is an English teacher who has been writing for one reason or another most of her life. She also enjoys knitting, reading, cooking, and playing video games. She has been known to knit in public. Given she has the survival skills of a gnat, she’s relying on Arionrhod to help her survive the zombie apocalypse.
Author Links
Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Website | Amazon
Giveaway
Click here to visit Rafflecopter and enter to win an ebook copy of A Taste of Honey!
March 11, 2016
Twisted Fables (MM and FF Anthology) — Book Blitz
Today’s blog tour book blitz is for Twisted Fables, an MM and FF anthology from Torquere Press! Check out the blurb, cover, excerpt, and giveaway below!
Blurb:
This collection of revamped fairytales is certain to entice and excite your senses. From Cinderella to Red Riding Hood, Twisted Fables takes you on a journey through the many fairytale worlds with a sensual twist.
These twelve stories are penned by both seasoned scribes and new authors; the anthology provides readers with the perfect opportunity to explore offerings from their favorite storytellers as well as find a new favorite or two.
Containing M/M and F/F stories from authors Angora Shade, Samantha Kate, Angelique Voisen, Jamie Lowe, Shira Glassman, Lynn Townsend, Asta Idonea, Kay C Sulli, T Strange, Sheri Velarde, and Nicole Wilkinson, Twisted Fables is sure to have something for the fantasy lover.
Buy Links
Excerpt:
From The Dragon’s Gift by Angora Shade
A single clawed digit pushes into my mouth, spreading my lips apart and caressing over the flat of my tongue. I create an O shape around it and curl the edges of my tongue around her finger. The tip of my tongue slides smoothly over her pointed tip as she withdraws, and I enjoy the light smacking sound our actions make from my suction once she’s left my mouth. My mind wanders as I imagine gliding in and out of multiple places… Extra long fingers reaching extra, extra deep… If this is really happening, I tell myself I cannot let her down.
I reach with both my hands to grasp the hand still floating in front of my face. I kiss each knuckle in turn, and then lick the space between her thumb and pointer finger with the tip of my tongue. The texture of the costume is rough in the opposite direction of the layered fabric, and smooth as glass down the other way. I taste something I imagine to be the remnants of stage makeup she might’ve helped a fellow actor draw on, but it’s the warmth radiating from underneath that lures me further; I want to feel it all over my body. Grasping her hand tightly, I place it over my face, guide it down over my features to my neck, and push into the dip of my shirt collar. I feel the trail linger like a mild burn long after her hand cascades onto my shirt fabric and pauses above my rapidly beating heart.
My eyes closed sometime during the action, but I open them to confess what I’ve always wanted to say: “I want you.”
Maxine doesn’t speak a word, but her head tilts from side to side again. I wish she’d say something—anything—to assure me of her intentions. A few touches, some light kisses—they mean less to me without the emotional connection inflicted by words. I’d like to hear her tell me she’s always secretly desired me, been curious. A confession of mutual love would send me over the moon….
Author Bios
Nicole Wilkinson has been an active writer for the better part of ten years. Raised by parents who embraced the arts no matter the style, she has always been fascinated by imaginary worlds and the characters who inhabit them.
Born on the West Coast but raised on the East Coast, she often comments that the two distant shores might as well be foreign worlds for all the similarities between them. She currently lives in North Carolina, but has also spent time in Oregon, Washington State, South Carolina, and Virginia. She has become a pro-mover by now and has learned to love a life in constant transit.
She loves to write. Or as she is prone to say, “I write for the same reason I breathe – Because if I didn’t, I would die,” which is a famous quote attributed to the great Isaac Asimov.
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nicole.wilkinson.9465
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/nicolewilkinsonwrites
Tumblr: http://www.nicolewilkinsonwrites.tumblr.com
Livejournal: http://n_wilkinson.livejournal.com
Website: www.nicolewilkinsonwrites.com
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4083721.Nicole_Wilkinson
Samantha Kate works as a paralibrarian (that’s library support staff) for her day job. In her free time, she tries to pursue more creative projects than is humanly possible. “Bottom of the River” is her first published work; her first novel, Cinnamon and Cigarettes, will be released by Torquere Press in 2016.
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/BySamanthaKate
Twitter: https://twitter.com/BySamanthaKate
Tumblr: http://www. BySamanthaKate.tumblr.com
Blog: https://bysamanthakate.wordpress.com/
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14592566.Samantha_Kate
After enduring several evil stepmothers, T. Strange was finally swept off her feet by a dashing Prince(ss) Charming. Or, in actuality, attempted to sweep the larger Prince(ss) of her feet. They lived happily ever after in the charming, far-away land of Canada with their animal friends. One cat helps with the chores.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/tq.strange
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/AuthorTStrange
Twitter: https://twitter.com/TqStrange
Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/tqstrange/
Tumblr: http://tqstrange.tumblr.com/
Blog: http://tqstrange.blogspot.ca/
Torquere: http://www.torquerebooks.com/index.php?main_page=index&manufacturers_id=464
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3334999.T_Strange
Asta Idonea is the MM pen name of Nicki J. Markus. She was born in England in 1982, but now lives in Adelaide, South Australia with her husband. She has loved both reading and writing from a young age and is also a keen linguist, having studied several foreign languages.
Nicki works as a freelance editor and proofreader, and in her spare time she enjoys: music, theatre, cinema, photography, sketching, and cross stitch. She also loves history, folklore and mythology, pen-palling, and travel.
Blog: http://www.nickijmarkus.com
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/NickiJMarkus
Twitter: https://twitter.com/NickiJMarkus
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolamarkus
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4567057.Nicki_J_Markus
Jamie Lowe is a mixed contemporary and fantasy author who has released a novel as well as a number of short stories through Torquere Books and Dreamspinner Press in the past. After completing a Creative Writing MFA, Jamie is back to writing on a part time basis when not working, traveling, or studying in her passion areas of Greek and Roman history.
Twitter: https://twitter.com/authorjamielowe
Tumblr: https://www.tumblr.com/blog/fictionofjamielowe
A bisexual, twenty-something, type-2 diabetic MM erotic romance writer, Angelique Voisen also likes experimenting with different sub-genres. Her stories may include dominant alpha males, cuffs, fangs, space battles, kinky magic systems and happily-ever-afters.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/angelique.voisen
Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/angelvoisen
Twitter: https://twitter.com/frances_ac
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/angelvoisen/
Newsletter: https://tinyletter.com/angelvoisen
Goodreads link: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8296717.Angelique_Voisen
Sheri Velarde lives in New Mexico with her husband and their two dogs.
Being an avid reader since an early age, she has wanted to be a writer for as long as she can remember. She has been writing all her life, but only recently started to actually try to pursue her dream of writing for a living. She specializes in all things paranormal and that go bump in the night. Her heart truly lies in exploring unknown worlds or adding the supernatural to our world. If it goes bump in the night or has magical connotations, Sheri writes about it.
She is constantly putting out new material with various publishers, so it is best to keep up with her on her website http://www.sherivelarde.weebly.com.
Blog: http://sherivelarde.weebly.com/books-and-more-blog
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sheri-VelardeKelly-Ryan/632892500084202?ref=bookmarks
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sher_V
Website: http://sherivelarde.weebly.com/
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Sheri-Velarde/e/B00JDAKUIU/ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_1?qid=1441066979&sr=8-1
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8102988.Sheri_Velarde
Angora Shade is a multi-published American author living in what she lovingly refers to as “Sheep Shit Nowhere” Europe. In an attempt to add some spice to her small town life, Ms Shade began writing explicit erotica as a form of entertainment. Exploring the boundaries of acceptable sexual literature, she often seeks to create stories that not only entertain others, but also expose and push against the negative stigma surrounding sex in modern day society. She believes that sex, in literature, art, personal thought, and physical nature, should be celebrated and expressed freely and as easily as any God given freedom. Her favorite themes in writing include revenge, self-discovery, alternative materials for love play/bdsm, as well as anything that produces a good tingle, sizzle, or laugh. When not writing, Ms Shade enjoys red wine, travel, dancing, classic cartoons, baking, and creating fine art.
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8105324.Angora_Shade
Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/angorashadeauthor
Twitter: https://twitter.com/angorashade
Blog: www.angorashade.blogspot.com
Lynn Townsend is a geek, a dreamer and an inveterate punster. When not reading, writing, or editing, she can usually be found drinking coffee or killing video game villains. Lynn’s interests include geek comedy music, romance novels, octopuses, and movies with more FX than plot.
Blog: http://paidbytheweird.blogspot.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LynnTownsendwriter/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/tisfan
Pinterest: Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/kthicks3/
Goodreads link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5262501.Lynn_Townsend
Kay C. Sulli is a queer asexual writer of historical, supernatural, and contemporary fiction. She can often be found scribbling in the wilds of the American West. Her imagination is filled with cowboys, patriots, nature guides, werecritters and more demanding their stories to be written. When Kay is not writing she can be found reading everything she can get her hands on, hiking, and practicing outdoor photography.
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/kaycsulli
Website/Blog – ht tp://www.kaycsulli.com
Goodreads link: http://www.goodreads.com/kaycsulli
Shira Glassman is a bi Jewish violinist from Florida. Not for use in microwave.
Facebook Author Page: http://www.facebook.com/ShiraGlassman
Twitter: http://twitter.com/shiraglassman
Blog: http://shiraglassman.wordpress.com
Giveaway:
Click here to visit Rafflecopter and enter to win an eBook copy of Twisted Fables!
March 10, 2016
Screaming Down Splitsville by Kayla Bashe — Book Blitz
Today’s blog tour book blitz brings us some more lady-love with another hot FF title! Here’s Screaming Down Splitsville by Kayla Bashe! Check out the blurb, cover, excerpt, and giveaway below!
Blurb:
Screaming Down Splitsville takes place in an alternate 1950s where two groups of people with magical powers fight for dominance. Flip, a young lesbian, thinks her healing powers are completely useless. After her escape from a lab, she’s been grounded to a safe base, and while everyone else is on important missions, she keeps the fridge stocked and fixes the plumbing. However, when a chance coincidence sends her on a solo rescue mission, Flip has a surprising reunion with a woman from her past.
Unable to speak after a botched cleft palate surgery, Emma-Rose grew up half-wild in the Southern backwoods- until strangers discovered her magical powers and imprisoned her in a laboratory of torture. Her one salvation was the woman in the next cell, Flip. Now Flip’s returned, and according to her, they’ll both make it to safety. But Emma’s plans have failed so many times that she has no hope left to lose.
As the two women seek to evade their pursuers, their friendship rekindles, and they are forced to confront both enemies and insecurities.
Book/Buy Links
Excerpt:
Her eyes were strikingly, startlingly brown, as sharp as knives. She was dark-haired, tangle-curled, as skinny as a feral cat– and just as vulnerable.
Flip sat down hard, clapping both hands over her mouth to stifle a cry.
My Emma Rose, Flip thought. My girl in the next cell. No one else ever came for her. Had she not known she was here for all that time? Had she never escaped?
Slowly, she moved closer to the cage. Distrust flashed over Emma’s face, and she startled backwards. Don’t touch me, her instinctive sneer said. Yet for all her primal bravery, her thin shoulders trembled with fear more than cold. Flip dared to spread her awareness. Bruises speckling her skin, old wounds improperly stitched, intestines that knotted up for lack of food; a body that was digging into its deepest resources, and had been for some time. Emma’s chest rose and fell, as if she expected at any moment to fight for her life.
“Easy now,” Flip whispered. She raised her hands, splayed her fingers: I am holding no weapon. She took one step forward, then another. Knelt down, so close that Emma could have raked her nails across her face. Those eyes, brown as a tiger’s, stared solemnly back.
Consciously Flip slowed and deepened the rhythms of her body. She sent a wave of power towards Emma, soothing and comforting. “You remember me, I know you do. If you can still hear me, try to breathe with me, be with me. I came back.”
Stitches that had been ripped open by struggling closed neatly together. Bruises faded in seconds. And fierce tightness began to unwind from bony, pale limbs as the iron shackles of fear released their hold.
About Kayla Bashe
Kayla Bashe is a performer/writer studying at Sarah Lawrence College. Her work has been published by Solarpunk Press, Torquere Press, Vitality Magazine, and tons of zines. Find her on Twitter at @KaylaBashe!
Author Links
Facebook | Twitter | Pinterest
Giveaway:
Click here to visit Rafflecopter and enter to win an eBook copy of Screaming Down Splitsville!
My Annual Birthday Erotica Mega-Blowout Sale!
It’s time for my annual birthday mega-sale where I give you a bunch of books for free and offer you a bunch more at a deep discount! And to help celebrate my birthday, a few of my erotica writing colleagues are offering some great deals on their stuff, too!
I’ve got some of my hottest titles up for grabs here, and my friends from my erotica writing group — Sandra and Dominic — have got some smoking hot titles, too!
Sandra Claire writes erotica short stories that are quick and dirty, and she writes them as gay, straight, and bi. She’s offered up some of her hottest MM titles, but also thrown in some MF and MMF/MFF titles for those who are looking to explore their straight and bi side. ;)
Master Dominic is a newer member of our erotica writing group, and he’s decided to tackle some really “taboo” gay erotica scenarios. His titles so far explore piss-play and incest, which may be a bit much for some of you, but also might just hit the spot for others.
So, enough rambling, here we go! Free titles first, 50% off titles after that.
(All links go to Smashwords, which is where the coupon codes work. All coupon codes expire midnight on Sunday March 13, 2016.)
Bathhouse Nights by Cameron D. James — FREE!
In the bathhouse, anything is possible, especially at night when all the studs come out to play.
For cheerleader Daniel, his dream-come-true is a football jock named Justin, but no one in the bathhouse measures up, no matter how hard he tries to play pretend.
Justin is straight, of course. Aren’t they all? There’s no reason for Daniel to expect he’ll score with him…until the night he spots him in the hot tub.
Bathhouse Nights is a 9,300-word short story.
Link: Bathhouse Nights
Coupon Code: DC77W
Gaymer by Cameron D. James — FREE!
Since start of term, Carter has been secretly lusting after Zack, a quiet twink with smooth arms, geeky charm, and enticing proportions. When Zack invites himself over for retro video games, Carter waits and hopes, but the dreaded “game over” approaches. He has to do something — anything — to get a shot at tasting this delicious young man.
Out comes a strategy to save a gaming disaster. If Carter’s wrong, he might get a black eye, but if he’s right, then this session’s about to level up to something better than his wildest fantasy.
Gaymer is a 3,900-word short story.
Link: Gaymer
Coupon Code: YL92F
Submitting To My Black Master by Sandra Claire — FREE!
It’s Adam’s first day in prison and he’s terrified. His uncle warned him what to expect, that someone might take advantage of a pretty-boy like him, but that going along with it could get him protection. But no matter how much he’s prepared himself for this moment, he’s quaking in fear when he sees his cellmate—Tyrone—a tall, muscle-bound, dominating black man who has a thing for skinny white guys like him. When the cells are locked and the lights go out, just as Adam thinks his cellmate might leave him alone, Tyrone clamps his hand over Adam’s mouth and whispers in his ear, “Don’t scream, white boy.” Yet, despite his fear, Adam can’t get over how turned on he is as he realizes he has no choice but to submit to his black master.
WARNING: This 4,700-word short story contains an explicit sex scene between a dominating black man and a skinny white guy that will get you hot and bothered, and is intended for mature adults only.
Link: Submitting To My Black Master
Coupon Code: AJ44Z
Strip Searched By The Cops by Sandra Claire — FREE!
Donovan never would have imagined that for his eighteenth birthday, he’d be getting strip searched by the cops. Nevertheless, after he’s pulled over for joyriding, the dominant female officer and her hulk of a partner proceed to teach Donovan a lesson he’ll never forget. The only thing is, getting Donovan naked is just the start of what these older officers have in mind…and Donovan is soon taking orders he can’t resist.
WARNING: This 4,400-word short story contains an explicit menage sex scene between a hot young man, a hunky older man, and a seductive older woman that will get you hot and bothered, and is intended for mature adults only.
Link: Strip Searched By The Cops
Coupon Code: RL83X
Hot Tub Seduction by Sandra Claire — FREE!
Pizza delivery boy Frank feels like the luckiest man on earth when two hot older women in a hot tub desperately want his sausage pizza. Frank is a virgin with a high libido and a thing for older women, so just the sight of these two ladies in the hot tub is enough to get his fantasies going. But then it becomes increasingly clear that the women intend to seduce him and use him as their pleasure toy. Despite the imminent return of the women’s husbands, Frank can’t help himself as he gives in to his desires and decides this is the perfect time to finally lose his virginity.
WARNING: This 4,100-word short story contains an explicit sex scene between a virginal pizza delivery boy and two hot MILFs that will get you hot and bothered, and is intended for mature adults only.
Link: Hot Tub Seduction
Coupon Code: BN49A
Sorority Seduction by Sandra Claire — FREE!
In retaliation for last weekend’s panty raid, Jessica’s sorority sisters drag her along on a jockstrap raid. Jessica wants nothing to do with that frat house or the men in it — for one of them is Josh, her cheating ex. Her sisters have other ideas; they want her to personally steal Josh’s jockstrap as a sort-of revenge for the hurt he caused her. But when she rummages around in his dresser in the dark, she discovers she’s not alone — Josh is in bed and under the covers. In a moment of weakness and lust, Jessica’s old feelings for Josh come roaring back, and no matter how hard she fights those feelings, she knows she can’t resist him much longer.
WARNING: This 4,300-word short story contains an explicit sex scene and is intended for mature adults only.
Link: Sorority Seduction
Coupon Code: PH56C
Spanking My Naughty Boy by Master Dominic — FREE!
Mark is still grieving from the death of his wife, Marie, but his nineteen-year-old son, Brendan, is taking it even harder. For months now, Brendan has been coming home drunk and high — and with an attitude that gets on Mark’s every last nerve. Tonight, Mark has had enough of Brendan’s self-destructive behavioru. In the heat of the moment, he pulls Brendan into his lap and gives him the spanking he deserves. But in the moments after the spanking, when Brendan’s rear is still glowing red, Mark hears a confession he never thought he’d hear. Brendan’s attitude and behaviour isn’t all about the death of his mother, it’s also about the lust he has for his father.
4,500-word short story
Link: Spanking My Naughty Boy
Coupon Code: FP28P
Seduced By My Best Friend’s Dad by Cameron D. James and Sandra Claire — 50% OFF!
Jay has a crush on Richard, his best friend’s dad. Richard is older, very masculine, cares about Jay, and is extremely sexy. There are just the problems of Richard being straight, married, and the father of Jay’s life-long best friend.
When Richard takes his son and Jay on a camping trip to celebrate turning eighteen, becoming men, and taking their first steps into the adult world, Jay struggles to contain his lust. Hitting on Richard would ruin the camping trip and destroy his friendship.
But when his friend takes ill and Jay and Richard enjoy some bonding time alone, it becomes clear that Jay isn’t the only one in the thrall of forbidden desires. A relaxing camping trip soon turns into a series of sweaty, erotic encounters, as Jay and Richard stoke this fire burning between them.
Seduced by My Best Friend’s Dad is a 30,000-word novella.
Link: Seduced By My Best Friend’s Dad
Coupon Code: HU93R
Men In The Hot Room: The Complete Series by Cameron D. James — 50% OFF!
![Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00059]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/hostedimages/1457734768i/18397071.jpg)
A wall of heat rolls through the hot room and sweat beads on Simon’s hard nipples. He contorts his body in all the right ways, intent on seducing his instructor, Brad. And Brad, a man twice Simon’s age, is unable to resist, no matter what the consequences might be. This simple act of seduction soon leads to weeks of scorching hot sex as Men In The Hot Room raises the mercury.
Originally released as separate stories, the bestselling Men In The Hot Room series is now available in one delicious book. Follow the steamy encounters of Simon and Brad that begin in Go Deep, continue with a hot threesome in Go Deeper, and reach a light BDSM climax in Going All The Way.
This collection will have you gasping for breath and reaching for a cold glass of water…or some tissues.
BONUS FEATURE:
Bump and Grind, the start of the Go-Go Boys of Club 21, featuring the exploits of horny young men in New York City’s coolest gay club.
Link: Men In The Hot Room
Coupon Code: PF59D
Go-Go Boys of Club 21: The Complete Series by Cameron D. James — 50% OFF!
Club 21 is known across New York City for having the hottest go-go boys. They groove to the beat, fuel fantasies, and leave you begging for more.
Liam is one of those premiere go-go boys, but even though he’s living the life he’s dreamed about, he feels something is missing. And he might have found that something when he gets into a whirlwind romance with a former porn star.
Lance is the newest go-go boy. He took the job because he’s infatuated with Liam and hoping for a chance to get to know him better, but only gets a broken heart as he watches Liam chase some guy he barely knows. As Lance pushes to get closer to Liam, he only pushes him further away.
As the beat goes on and the tempo changes, will Lance be able to win the man of his dreams? Or will Liam forever go off in search of new excitement?
Originally released as five separate stories, this volume at last collect the Go-Go Boys of Club 21 into one hot volume.
Link: Go-Go Boys of Club 21
Coupon Code: SC48S
Forced Encounters by Sandra Claire — 50% OFF!
This hot and sweaty bundle collects all six of Sandra Claire’s gay erotica stories. Each throbbing story features a randy young man who gets himself into a dangerous situation — a situation that quickly evolves into the most mind-blowing gay sex these young men have ever experienced.
Included in this volume are:
FORCED SUBMISSION: Matty finally understands why Scott has bullied and picked on him his whole life.
FORCED ENTRY: Desperate for money, Dylan makes the wrong choice when he breaks into a gay dom’s house.
FORCED TO TAKE IT: Christian risks it all to hit on the straight cowboy at the country bar.
FORCED IN PUBLIC: A flight to Australia lands Kyle in the Mile High Club with two older men.
TAKEN BY FORCE: Caught buying weed, Craig will do anything if the cop will let him off with just a warning.
FORCED BY MY COACH: Coach Brown has had enough of Kevin and his disrespectful attitude, and tonight he’s going to get exactly what he’s been craving.
WARNING: This 28,000-word short story collection contains multiple explicit sex scenes between dominant Alpha men and the submissive men who live to serve them and will get you hot and bothered, and is intended for mature adults only.
Link: Forced Encounters
Coupon Code: RC62H
Cougar Encounters by Sandra Claire — 50% OFF!
This hot and seductive bundle collects all five of Sandra Claire’s cougar stories. Each raunchy story follows the sexy romps of older women on the prowl for masculine and muscular younger men and shows that mature women are really what those young jocks crave.
Included in this volume are:
COUGAR ON THE PROWL: Single mom Susan is lusting after her son’s best friend and decides to embark on a risky plan to seduce the younger man.
COUGAR IN HEAT: Jesse expects his friend’s mom, Melissa, to be a buzzkill when she joins him and the guys on a ski trip, acting as a chaperone. But then she shows up naked in the sauna.
COUGAR ON PATROL: Stuck in a dead-end job and eternally single, Rachel risks it all in pursuit of the young man who’s working late in the office.
COUGAR’S CATCH: Nancy’s car breaks down on a lonely highway. When the hot young tow truck driver shows up to the rescue, her already-high libido kicks into overdrive.
COUGAR ON THE HUNT: Julian’s heard all the rumors about naughty Samantha, the cougar who works out at the college gym. Tonight, he discovers the rumors are true.
WARNING: This 21,000-word short story collection contains multiple explicit sex scenes between younger men and the mature women who crave them and will get you hot and bothered, and is intended for mature adults only.
Link: Cougar Encounters
Coupon Code: QE83L
Piss-Loving Boys 4-Pack by Master Dominic — 50% OFF!
Sometimes guys like to get raunchy, wet, and messy — and given the chance, they’ll give into their dirtiest fantasies. This 4-pack of gay watersports stories will satiate your fantasies, as these boys get soaked in piss. This taboo bundle includes:
PISSED ON BY THE BULLY: Joel tries to entrap the closeted homophobic bully, Brian, but the tables turn when Joel lets loose with a golden stream.
HUMAN URINAL: Cocky and disrespectful, Andrew gets what’s coming to him when a dominating daddy ties him up in the men’s room urinal.
GOLDEN SHOWERS: Thinking he’s alone, Christopher gives into his wettest fantasies — until he’s caught by his straight roommate.
FRAT HOUSE PISS PARTY: Ian is new to the frat house and ready for initiation, until he finds out they know about his secret piss-drinking fetish.
16,700-word bundle
Link: Piss-Loving Boys 4-Pack
Coupon Code: HX76C
Dad Took My Virginity by Master Dominic — 50% OFF!
Darren finally works up the courage to explore his gay side and enter the bathhouse. He’s determined to have his first gay sex experience today, no matter what. Walking around in just a towel, he gets nervous and self-conscious, until he finds the pitch-black maze, where he can wander in total darkness, bumping into random men. And it’s in that maze that he finally falls to his knees and does what he’s been aching to do for years. But during a brief moment of speaking, Darren is shocked and horrified to learn that the man he’s servicing is his father — his straight, married father. However, once that line’s been crossed, it’s so tempting to go even further.
5,200-word short story
Link: Dad Took My Virginity
Coupon Code: CV33U
Seducing My Son by Master Dominic — 50% OFF!
David is a buff, forty-four year old dad in a sexless marriage. When his son, Adam, turns eighteen, David throws a drinking party for Adam’s friends at his house while his wife is out of town and decides to join the fun. In a house full of youthful testosterone, David reminisces over his own youth, only, he finds his thoughts wandering somewhere unexpected as he eyes Adam’s lanky, muscular body. He catches his son staring at him all too often, and soon his libido ventures into the forbidden, to lusts that a father should not indulge. With the buzz of alcohol, though, David can’t hold himself back. He decides to seduce Adam, no matter what the consequences.
5,200-word short story
Link: Seducing My Son
Coupon Code: KY44J
And that’s about all the free and discounted erotica that I could fit into one post!
I hope you enjoy the reads and I hope you enjoy my birthday as much as I will!
March 9, 2016
Swift’s Temptation by JR Loveless — Book Blitz
Today’s blog tour book blitz brings us Swift’s Temptation by JR Loveless! Check out the blurb, cover, excerpt, and giveaway below!
Blurb:
Small town farm boy Fagan Swift moves to New York City to escape the suffocating confines of his hometown and, after nine months of job searching, stumbles on a well-paying position at an escort agency. Once there, he meets the most arrogant, infuriating man he’s ever known, Xavier James. The sparks fly from the very moment they meet, igniting a fire between the two men that blazes out of control.
Too much champagne at the company Christmas party finds Fagan waking up in a stranger’s hotel room. Only his hangover is the least of his worries when he finds that the stranger is none other than Xavier, and a call from his best friend, Trinity, sends him winging towards home when his father ends up in the hospital. Blackmail and lust follow swiftly on Fagan’s heels and he has no choice but to give into Xavier’s demands to be his lover. His father’s life depends on it. Can Fagan survive long enough to untangle the web of blackmail Xavier has woven around him or will it drag his soul down into the darkness threatening to consume him? Previously published by Silver Publishing.
Book/Buy Links
Excerpt:
Let me start by introducing myself. I am Fagan Swift, born and raised on a small farm in rural Iowa. Every morning I would have to get up to milk a cow or feed the chickens. Nothing ever happened in that boring little town, so I moved to this exciting place called New York City about nine months ago with my best friend Trinity. We’ve been friends since kindergarten and both hold the same opinion of our hometown. She developed a crush on me in the ninth grade, but alas, to her consternation and dismay, I’m gay. Yes, my name is unusual and I know you’re thinking ‘a fag named Fagan, how ludicrous’, but my mother wanted to name me after her grandfather, who raised her after her parents passed. And there was no possible way for her to know I would turn out to be gay. After I came out to my classmates, my given name certainly took on a whole new meaning for them.
Trinity eventually got over me and moved on. We are now roommates together in a small two-bedroom apartment overlooking a huge park.
They’re right about how this city never sleeps! You can hear sounds from every direction at any time of the night. The first night here, neither of us could sleep for all the noise, but now, nine months later, we don’t even hear it. I’m twenty-four years old with blonde shaggy hair that pisses me off all of the time because it’s always falling into my eyes. I constantly threaten to cut my hair off and Trinity constantly threatens to kick my ass. She says it looks sexier longer rather than shorter. I am six-foot-two and I have what Trinity dubs ‘foamy sea green’ eyes. My body is pretty much in shape from all the heavy hauling I used to do on the farm, and of course, tan from all the labor in the sun.
Like I said, I couldn’t take living in that small town anymore. Not only am I gay, but I also want to be an artist. My dad was pretty pissed off the day I told him I was going to the city and he has never really forgiven me for not wanting to be a farmer like him. Let me not even go there with the whole gay factor.
I am currently standing in the middle of the sidewalk in front of where I work. I can’t believe what I have been doing for the last six months. You would never guess in a million years what a farm boy like me does for a living. I work for an escort service! Don’t go freaking out just yet. My job isn’t one of those escort services you hear about, since I’m not required to have sex with the women that come through the agency. Some of the other escorts do by choice, but I had explained to the owner early on that I was gay and he’d been fine with it. Victor Harrison is the greatest boss I have ever had. He is breathtakingly gorgeous, but alas, straight.
The job had fallen into my lap. Literally! Six months ago, give or take a few days, I was sitting outside a small café enjoying my coffee and scanning the classifieds yet again. I had already had six different jobs but none of them suited me. I would either get fired or quit after a few weeks of being treated like shit. Anyway, my cup was sitting on the table while I was circling an ad with potential when there was loud barking. A man shouted and suddenly a dog was in my lap, coffee flying everywhere. I sat there stunned, looking at this two-ton gorilla sitting on me.
“What the hell!” I exclaimed just as the gorilla decided to clean the coffee off my face. I spluttered and gagged when its tongue accidentally slipped inside my mouth because my lips were open. Disgusting!
“Hercules! Get off of him! Now!”
The dog whined and leapt off my lap to sit beside me, wagging his tail. It was a huge Saint Bernard. In New York City! How inappropriate is that?
I looked up and suddenly found the most gorgeous man standing there with an apologetic expression on his face. “I’m so sorry. He gets excited sometimes, and tends to run away from me. I’m Victor Harrison.”
He was about an inch or so taller than me, with shoulder-length dark brown hair, wire-framed glasses, and gleaming bright blue eyes. I felt myself begin to drool and wiped my lips. “Fagan Swift. That’s all right. I’m kind of used to large animals.” I laughed and gestured for him to sit.
“At least let me buy you a cup of coffee to replace the one Hercules spilled,” Victor offered, motioning to the pretty waitress standing a few feet away.
“It’s fine. I was almost finished anyway.” I stood up with a sigh as I looked at my coffee splattered clothing and the newspaper on the table.
“Hercules, I oughta make a carpet out of you!” When Victor saw the classifieds sitting open on the table he asked, “Are you looking for a job?”
His eyes ran over my body in an intense perusal I could feel straight to my bones. Those blue eyes were sliding down my legs and back up again to my face. I almost fainted from the lust that shot through me. Down, boy, I barked at myself mentally. He’s probably straight.
“Well, yeah. Kind of. Why?” I raised a hand to brush my hair away from my eyes and then rub sheepishly at the back of my neck.
“I run a service that you look like you could be perfect for. Would you be interested?”
“That depends. What kind of service?” I was suspicious at first. You never know exactly what someone’s offering, especially after the way the guy checked me out.
“Why don’t you walk with me back to my office? I’ll explain it to you once we get there.” Victor handed the waitress a twenty and grabbed Hercules’ leash to lead him away. He stopped to smile back over his shoulder. “Come on.”
I trailed behind slightly, my eyes straying to the hard ass rippling beneath his slacks. I couldn’t help myself. He was made like a god! We walked for a few blocks while he asked me questions about why I had come to live in the city. I explained about the small town and how I just couldn’t take living there anymore with how isolated it felt. He understood, to my surprise, because he was also from a small town in South Dakota.
A few blocks later, we stood in front of a huge building with a sign at the top in big red letters stating, “Temptation”. My eyes widened as I took in the impressive structure before me. I looked at him questioningly and he motioned for me to follow him inside.
About JR Loveless
J.R. Loveless is a native Floridian who spends her days in an office physically but mentally is frolicking between the pages of her imagination. Writing has been a lifelong passion that escaped from her in the midst of life until she discovered Yaoi. After following breadcrumbs of the anime style, she discovered a forum dedicated to the world of Yaoi. Inspired, she tried her own hand at M/M romances, spending hours building worlds of her own with the newfound support of other forum members. She can never write enough of the electrifying emotions that blaze across the hearts and souls of her characters.
She is a self-confessed Dr. Who addict with a spastic dog and a neurotic cat for companions on her long journey through the many chapters of her life. One day she hopes to visit far off places and have grand adventures like those of the characters in her stories.
Author Links
Facebook Page | Facebook Author Page | Twitter | Blog | Website | Pinterest
Giveaway
Click here to visit Rafflecopter and enter to win an eBook copy of Swift’s Temptation!
March 8, 2016
The Importance of Mark Hamill’s Statement on Luke Skywalker’s Sexuality
Normally, I don’t take to my blog to discuss current events or pop culture — I typically reserve this blog just for book topics. However, there was a recent “trending topic” on Facebook that caught my attention, one that only served to highlight the ignorance and stupidity of homophobic people. I wanted to take some time to pick apart the angry statements on Facebook and then explore the significance of what Hamill said.
In recent news, JJ Abrams, who is taking the Star Wars film franchise in a new direction, has stated that there is room for LGBT characters in the Star Wars universe. Coming out of that story was a question as to whether Luke Skywalker was gay.
Actor Mark Hamill, who portrays Luke Skywalker, had this to say:
I just read online that JJ is very much open to that. In the old days, you would get fan mail. But now fans are writing and asking all these questions: ‘I’m bullied in school … I’m afraid to come out.’ They say to me: ‘Could Luke be gay?’ I’d say it is meant to be interpreted by the viewer. If you think Luke is gay, of course he is. You should not be ashamed of it. Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.
Considering I personally identify as gay, I write gay erotica and gay erotic romance, and I have a day-job in an LGBTTQ community resource centre, this quote from Hamill strikes me as immensely important.
Hamill has captured something that many writers of fiction and movies (and fans of Star Wars movies) just don’t seem to understand. Being LGBT is not the defining trait of a character.
To back up just a little bit — before Disney bought the rights to Star Wars, the expanded universe for the series, as portrayed in the books, had Luke Skywalker happily married to a woman and fathering a child. There are many Star Wars fans who are infuriated that Disney has chosen to ignore this expanded universe that’s been established for decades now, and instead chart their own direction. So, many of them are pissed off that the expanded universe is treated as if it never existed. Some of these people are upset with the prospect that Skywalker could be gay because the books have him married to a woman — I am not speaking of these people as I feel they are upset more about the expanded universe being disregarded than they are of the idea of Skywalker being gay.
When I foolishly clicked on the Star Wars link on Facebook’s trending topics, I was confronted with an endless stream of homophobia. About ten percent of negative comments were the expanded universe fans who, as I’ve just mentioned, I’m not viewing as homophobic, but rather as angry at Disney’s choices. About forty percent were angry “Christians” who feel that gay sex is being “shoved down our throats” and will boycott Star Wars. (For the record, I put Christians in quotation marks not as a criticism of the faith, but as a criticism of those who proclaim to follow the ways of Christ, but instead spew hatred wherever and whenever they can.) And the remaining fifty percent of angry comments stated that Luke can’t be gay because he kissed Leia and was interested in her before he found out she was his sister.
First, the “Christians.” Christianity and homosexuality are not mutually exclusive. You can be both gay and Christian. Many churches correctly preach that these two are compatible. End of story.
Second, and perhaps almost as disturbing, the people who claim Luke can’t be gay because he kissed Leia. I am baffled by the sheer ignorance of this statement. Closeted LGBTTQ people will do their best to fit into a straight society, in order to avoid and evade hatred from people like these angry Facebook commenters. Many closeted LGBTTQ people will date the opposite gender, have relationships, have sex, get married, have children, and, in some cases, live the “straight life” for their whole life. Some LGBTTQ people don’t “realize” they are LGBTTQ until later in life. I don’t normally talk about my own journey, but I’ll say right here and now that I did not know I was gay until my mid-twenties. There was no lying to myself, no hiding in the closet, I just flat-out didn’t know.
Luke kissing a girl means absolutely nothing for his sexuality. (Indeed, if he’d kissed a guy, that would still mean absolutely nothing for his sexuality — a straight person can kiss someone of the same gender, either in a friendly manner or as a form of experimentation, and still be straight.) I noticed one commenter who added that Luke looked smug when Leia kissed him and Han Solo (Luke’s competition for Leia) saw it happen — and that this smugness is also an indication of Luke being straight.
I’m sorry, but that’s also not a valid point. If Luke is gay (and notice I’m still saying “if”), and he kisses Leia because either he’s closeted or doesn’t even know he’s gay, then of course he’s going to be smug to Han. If he’s closeted, he’s proven his “heterosexuality” to his main competitor. If he hasn’t come to understand his sexuality yet, then he’s feeling victorious for winning a kiss from the woman he’s pursuing.
So now that we’ve trashed the ludicrous arguments against Luke’s sexuality, let’s have an actual conversation about what his statement means.
Did Hamill come out and say that Luke is gay? No, he didn’t. He said that’s up for the viewer to decide — if the viewer wants him to be gay, then he’s gay, and if the viewer wants him to be straight, then he’s straight. Until we see him enter into an actual committed relationship, we are given no details about his sexuality. His kiss with Leia only proves that he is not an out and proud gay man — which could mean he’s straight, bi, pan, poly, queer, questioning, closeted gay, or literally anything else.
Hamill says we should “Judge Luke by his character, not by who he loves.” This is an immensely important statement. Far too often, we judge a straight person by their character and we judge an LGBTTQ person by who they love. There is a double standard here that is unfair and harmful to LGBTTQ people, especially young LGBTTQ people who are most in need of support and encouragement.
Indeed, Mark Hamill is, in my mind, an incredible ally of the LGBTTQ community by making this statement about the character he portrays. He’s saying that, to him, it doesn’t matter what his sexuality is, but if it matters to you, then his sexuality can be whatever you want it to be. Thus, a bullied young gay or lesbian teen can look up to him and see a Jedi Knight who has literally saved the galaxy, and see him as an LGBTTQ role model that they can live up to. How incredibly empowering is that? I know I’ve mentioned this before either on my own blog or on the Oh Get a Grip! blog, but the LGBTTQ community, particularly young gay men, seem to have little more than porn stars as “role models.” We are given icons of sex to look up to — and how harmful is that?
As I mentioned, I have a day-job in an LGBTTQ community resource centre. For LGBTTQ history month, I made sure to highlight profiles of athletes, scientists, writers, politicians, and activists, including people from across the LGBTTQ spectrum, across racial and cultural lines, and across political borders. The LGBTTQ community is in dire need of role models of substance. Mark Hamill and Luke Skywalker are now two of those role models — Hamill for being an ally and taking a risk by making a statement like this (and it baffles me that this is still a risky thing to do), and Skywalker for being a potentially gay character who overcomes the forces of evil to save the galaxy.
So, did Mark Hamill say that Luke Skywalker is gay? No, not exactly.
Was there any significance to his statement? You better believe it.
Mark Hamill recognizes the importance of strong role models for young LGBTTQ people. Whether or not it is ultimately revealed as to whether Luke Skywalker is gay or not is of no importance. Luke Skywalker is now an empowering figure for LGBTTQ youth to look up to. If Skywalker could possibly be gay and save the galaxy, then a young LGBTTQ teen can overcome bullying and defy evil (the bullies) by living a happy, loving, successful, and joy-filled life. And maybe, just maybe, Hamill’s statement and support will make the world just a little bit safer for LGBTTQ youth.
