Tempeste O'Riley's Blog, page 36
November 5, 2013
Illinois is #15!
#15! So proud of my neighbors!
November 3, 2013
Hell Yeah! Hot is H. O. T.
Next up in the Desires Entwined series is Desires’ Guardian and Temptations of Desire. For NaNo I chose to write Temptations, as you already know ;c) This one features a drop dead sexy cop, Dal Sayer, and a sweet and sexy chef, Alex “Lexie” Noble.
When I began writing the Desires Entwined series I had planned for four novels and one, possibly two, novellas. Well, as plans often do, that has changed. The Temptations novella is now to be a full length novel and Dal and Alex have more to say than I feel will fit in a novella length story. So, without any further ado, please welcome Dal Sayer and Alex Noble, or at least the inspirations for these two wonderful men.
Seth Fornea | © 2013 Kevin D. Hoover Photography
First up is Dal Sayer (portrayed here by Seth Fornea *swoon*). He 28, 6’2″ has green eyes and dark auburn hair, cut short—longer on top. Broad shoulders, very muscular. And let us not forget his delicious Welsh dragon tattoo wrapping around his right biceps.
Dal is also a cop with the Milwaukee PD and bi. Yeah, I know, not the easiest occupation to be bi or gay, but he is who he is, and makes no apologies for it.
B. Scott | © 2012 Tarrice Love Photography
Alex however, dresses like a girl some days, like a guy others, and sometimes a little of both. He’s a light-skinned black man, about 5’9″ with high cheekbones, amber eyes and long, soft chocolate-brown hair.
Alex, or Lexie, is a personal chef for a business associate and friend of Seth Burns (from Designs of Desire) and donates the food and culinary skills for a huge dinner every Saturday at the GLBTQ Center where they live.
Being gender fluid is not the easiest thing in the world, and with his history of loss, abuse, and prejudice thrown his way, he’s skittish of any advance, especially when it’s from a sexy cop.
Update: Temptations of Desire
October 30, 2013
NaNoWriMo & awayyyyyy…
Morning all. After scrapping what I had written for Temptations of Desire—book 3 in the Desires Entwined series—I’ve decided to start again and use ToD as my NaNo project this year! I’m still working on Desires’ Guardian, never fear, but as these two stories overlap time-wise, I needed to work on ToD anyway :c)
About Temptations of Desire:
Temptations of Desire is the journey of Dal Sayer, a police officer with the Milwaukee PD, and Alex Noble, a sexy, gender fluid chef.
Can Dal embrace who Alex truly is inside and out? And, can Alex trust in Dal and their burgeoning feelings to find their HEA?
*And yes, I promise updates as the month progresses.
October 29, 2013
Guest Author ♥ S. Dora
Hello everyone! I’m ecstatic to have M/M author S. Dora with me today. Please say hi and leave her a comment or two below (don’t forget there’s a giveaway).
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S. Dora is the me writing m/m erotica, though I can imagine a m/f or f/f story might suddenly decide they want to get written too, somewhere in the future. The real me is also writing: novels and stories that don’t revolve around the down and dirty. And the non-writing me? Is it interesting to know I’m a woman, born in 1961? That my wife and I celebrate our 30th anniversary in October 2011? That we have two sons and five cats and live near Rotterdam? That I had a novel published in Dutch? And one in English? That “Dora” is because of the little mechanical typewriter I bought with money earned with my very first summer job? That I studied social history and done all kinds of jobs? I guess it actually is, if only because every story ever told is important to at least one reader.
I also publish as R. A. Padmos
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About BDSM with a difference and two men in love
(plus win a Gift Card)
At the start of my BDSM series Calling the Shots , the two main characters have been in a committed relationship for two years. They love each other deeply and have actually something to lose when they decide to try out a less vanilla kind of sex. Or rather, Tom asks Isaac to indulge him in his secret fantasy. Even the fact that they already negated differences in age and lifestyle –a slightly conservative forty-year-old office worker and an aspiring writer of 22 might have some issues to work through- doesn’t change the fact that what they both intend to be all fun and games might end in tears.
So, when Tom asks his lover Isaac to do something that is a form of S&M in all but name, Isaac has his doubts. While he soon discovers that playing the role of Dominant brings a dimension to his relationship with Tom that he never thought possible, he worries about every next step.
Is this okay? What will this mean to us, as a couple? Can I order someone around during play and still see him as a fully independent adult? Is it wrong to feel excited when inflicting pain on another human being, even if he begs for it and has the power to stop it at any moment? And what about the outside world?
Over time Isaac will learn to embrace his role as Dominant, especially when he sees how much joy D/s brings to Tom. However, he never forgets what they are first and foremost: two men in love.
Oh, and if you’re worried it all gets a bit too psychological and there won’t be enough fun-of-a-certain-kind… believe me, there’s no chance of that happening with those two guys.
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If you are curious and want to read more about Isaac and his topping-from- the- bottom Tom, then I have some good news for you. To celebrate the publication of part three, Becoming Sir, part one, Facing the Truth, will be on sale for $0.99 until November 8.
If you react to this post, you make a chance of winning a $10 Gift Card. If you want to win even more, go to my blog from November 1 to 8, and see what’s it all about. It will be worth it.
Please leave an e-mail address with your reaction so I can contact the winner.
Calling the Shots (including Facing the Truth for $0.99) is available at: Totally Bound
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Facing The Truth
Calling the Shots#1
Sometimes the question being asked, might not be the one that actually needs to be answered.
When twenty-two year old Tom asks his older, conservative lover Isaac for an afternoon of kinky sex, that experience turns out to include much more than bondage, adult toys and spanking.
Both are surprised to discover Isaac’s need to dominate his lover as much as his lover needs to be dominated by him.
Reader Advisory: This story contains a loving, committed relationship between two men with a considerable age difference; some gentle BDSM sex.
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Becoming Sir
Calling the shots #3
Isaac prefers to keep the D/s part of his relationship with Tom strictly private. One day, however, he reads about a non-commercial BDSM club with a playroom for hire…
Committed couple Isaac and Tom have recently discovered they want to explore BDSM, and especially D/s, as part of their committed relationship. There are still doubts and questions, but Isaac knows how to wield his favourite cane for his submissive’s painful pleasure.
S&M is also a very private thing for the otherwise out and open pair.
That is, until Isaac reads an article about a non-commercial BDSM club. He meets one of the volunteers, who shows him the playroom. He’s impressed by what he sees and decides to give his beloved sub a very special treat.
Their experiences with D/s during the months since Tom first said, “I want you to tell me what to do,” have left a deep and positive impression on both men. One day, Isaac takes a decision that he knows will influence the rest of his life with Tom.
Reader Advisory: This series is about a committed and loving relationship between two men with a considerable difference in age. It contains elements of consensual BDSM.
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October 28, 2013
Spotlight: Those That Serve Our Community, OUT★SERVE
Members, friends, supporters of OutServe-SLDN:
DID YOU KNOW….that OutServe-SLDN still has hundreds of legal clients?
DID YOU KNOW….that our lawyers are working without pay up to 60 hours a week to manage our clients?
DID YOU KNOW….that our legal hotline still receives dozens of calls per week?
DID YOU KNOW….that OutServe-SLDN has over 6000 members in over 50 chapters world-wide working at the grassroots level with installations and the local community?
DID YOU KNOW.…that OutServe-SLDN still receives e-mails from servicemembers just coming out looking for a support network?
DID YOU KNOW….that “gender identity disorder” is no longer considered a mental illness?
DID YOU KNOW….that full implementation of marriage equality in the Armed Forces is still not complete?
DID YOU KNOW….that HIV rates of transmission are higher in the military than in the general population?
DID YOU KNOW….that more than 14,000 male-on-male sexual assaults occur every year in the Armed Forces?
DID YOU KNOW….that many chaplains are excluded from providing services directly and indirectly to LGBT service members?
These are but a few of the issues that OutServe-SLDN works to address.
There are those that believe the repeal of Don’t Ask Don’t Tell and the defeat of Article 2 of the Defense of Marriage Act constituted the end game for OutServe-SLDN. We know that is not the case. There is still much valuable and important work ahead of us, and there always will be.
Simply put, times have changed. Sponsors who had previously been generous with their donations to OutServe-SLDN have chosen to now direct their precious dollars to bringing marriage equality to all 50 states. We now have to look inward and become more self-sufficient.
If you believe, as we do, that the job is not yet done, please give to OutServe-SLDN. We need your financial support to carry on the important work still ahead.
Please go to https://secure.sldn.org/page/contribute/supportus and donate today.
Too many have worked too hard and sacrificed too much for us to quit while the job is still incomplete. In fact, our opponents would like nothing better than for us to ease into a false sense of complacency or to mistakenly believe our mission is complete. As military service members, we know that NO mission is complete until all objectives are reached. Friends, we are not yet there.
Please give to OutServe-SLDN today. The future of our organization is dependent on you.
Consider Contributing to OutServe and help millions of military members and their families!
October 27, 2013
Vignettes and more…
Hey everyone!
I’m planning to start writing some vignettes (short scenes) for you all [free ones ;c) ] but… I’d like to hear from you, my beloved readers. What would you like to see shorts about? Please post your requests in the comments and I’ll see what interests my Muse!
Happy suggesting :c)
Tempe
P.S. Don’t forget to sign up for the Newsletter so you can read them when they come out ;c)
October 25, 2013
Tempe’s Newsletter
After much debate and discussion, I have decided to start a Newsletter. The first one will go out the beginning of December 2013. The Newsletter will only go out about once a month, and will include vignettes, updates, publishing news, etc.
Click HERE to sign up!
October 22, 2013
Guest Author Wednesdays ♥ L.J. LaBarthe
Hello everyone! I’m ecstatic to have M/M author L. J. LaBarthe with me today. Please say hi and leave her a comment or two below.
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L.J. LaBarthe is a French-Australian woman, who was born during the Witching Hour, just after midnight. From this auspicious beginning, she went on to write a prize-winning short story about Humpty Dumpty wearing an Aussie hat, complete with corks dangling from it when she was six years old. From there, she wrote for her high school yearbook, her university newspaper, and, from her early teens to her twenties, produced a fanzine about the local punk rock music scene. She loves music of all kinds and was once a classical pianist; she loves languages and speaks French and English and a teeny-tiny smattering of Mandarin Chinese, which she hopes to relearn properly very soon. She enjoys TV, film, travel, cooking, eating out, abandoned places, urbex, history, and researching.
L.J. loves to read complicated plots and hopes to do complex plot lines justice in her own writing. She writes paranormal, historical, urban fantasy, and contemporary Australian stories, usually m/m romance and featuring m/m erotica.
L.J. lives in the city of Adelaide, and is owned by her cat.
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What do you find the hardest part of being an author?
Titles. Titles are the bane of my existence. Sometimes, they come very easily to me, although that’s really rare. Most of the time, working out a title is like pulling teeth. For instance, the first of my Archangel Chronicles novels, "No Quarter," went through THIRTEEN changes before that one. It probably would have had more, if my good friend, Meredith Shayne, hadn’t suggested "No Quarter," and I said, "A-HA! That’s it!"
What’s your favorite thing about writing?
Expanding what’s in my head into a proper, full-length story, with fleshed out characters and locations. And research. I love research. I’m a bit of a research junkie!
Just how H.O.T. are most of your books?
Middling? I think? I’m not the best judge of that in my own work. There’s explicit sex in them though.
How sweet or romantic do they tend to be?
See above. I can’t judge my own work. Some of my characters are more sweet or romantic than others. Misahuen, in "City of Jade," is extremely romantic but Gallienus, his lover, isn’t quite so much.
Do you have a specific writing style?
Past tense, third person. Other than that, the ‘voice’ of my writing varies depending on the setting. Historicals tend to be written with a more formal style, while paranormals tend to be less formal.
Which is you favorite storyline/angst situation and why?
In my books? Hm. In "City of Jade," I loved writing about the journey and the things that Misahuen and Gallienus saw—the road between Constantinople (Istanbul) and Chang’an (Xian)—before they parted ways with the merchant caravan they were working for. In the Archangel Chronicles, the first time Michael and Gabriel spent the night together, and in the ones in that series that are due to come out soon, there were so many scenes that I loved writing, but I think the most favourite was when new characters Liam and Baxter first met.
I enjoy writing the journey that a character(s) take, the research to figure out where they’d go or if my vague ideas would be feasible. I’m also fond of writing first time sex scenes and I have no idea why!
What inspired you to write about it?
I don’t know. A love of history, a love of mythology, having dreams that didn’t leave my brain upon waking up—a combination thereof.
Boxers or Briefs? I know which I prefer . . . *wink*
Briefs.
Favorite author?
I hate this question, LOL! I don’t want to forget anyone! So, I’m going to go for authors who are long dead. Sheridan Le Fanu, Jane Austen, David Eddings, Philip K. Dick, Charlotte Bronte, Anna Comnena, Emile Zola, W. Somerset Maughan, and a lot of poets to name a few.
Favorite quote?
I tend to collect quotes, so there’s no single quote that I love above all others. But I really love this one: What matters an eternity of damnation to someone who has found in one second the infinity of joy? – Charles Beaudelaire
What’s next for you?
More Archangels Chronicles. I love writing the characters and as long as I do, I’ll keep writing them. I’m also working on a historical, set in 1895, during the Belle Epoque, in Paris, telling the story of the love between a Russian minor nobleman and a French male prostitute. There are other things I’m toying with, but those are the ones at the front of my mind.
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City of Jade
1131, The Silk Road
Gallienus of Constantinople, a scarred soldier who used to work the city gates, enters a new phase of his life when he meets and falls in love with Misahuen of Gyeongju. But prejudice of same-sex relationships dominates Byzantine society, and both the Emperor and the Church denounce such love. Should Misahuen and Gallienus be discovered, the punishment is castration or death. Fearing he’ll lose Misahuen, Gallienus decides to go with Misahuen when he leaves the city forever.
A former farmer, Misahuen fled war-torn Korea and journeyed to Constantinople with a merchant caravan. He didn’t expect to take such an interest in a wounded soldier at journey’s end. But he understands the danger, so he and Gallienus join another caravan as guardsmen and begin a two-thousand-mile trip along the Silk Road. Now all they have to do is persevere to their final destination without the truth of their relationship being discovered and being killed because of it… or by the other dangers along the Road.
Dreamspinner Press (Ebook)
Dreamspinner Press (Print)
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Excerpt: City of Jade
Moving aside to take his place as guard of the encampment, Misahuen at his side, Gallienus shook his head and laughed. He was happy, he realized, even as he was extremely amused at Stephanos’s attempt at pomposity and showing off as a Byzantine nobleman.
“Jagi?” Misahuen looked at him with a raised eyebrow.
“It is nothing. I am happy, that’s all,” Gallienus said. “I have traveled further and in far better company than I ever did as a part of the emperor’s army, and I have done so with the true love of my life. I am well content.”
Misahuen’s expression changed to a happy one. “I am glad to hear that. I confess that I am also glad not to be paraded around Stephanos’s shop as a part of his wares, dressed up in my military finery like a sword-wielding ornament.”
Gallienus burst out laughing again. “That is a very good way to describe it, and I, too, am glad not to have to do that today. It does mean that I will have to clean my armor and weapons with special care this evening, however.”
Misahuen snorted in amusement. “Jagi, your armor and weapons are in pristine condition. Too much cleaning and they will shine so bright that you could use them as mirrors.”
“That may be what Stephanos wants,” Gallienus said.
“Perhaps. Still, he is being a little bit ridiculous here.”
“I think so too.” Gallienus lightly bumped Misahuen’s shoulder with his own. “Though perhaps it is expected when trading here in Samarkand. The more pompous one looks, the better one does in trade.”
“Hm, that might be the case.” Misahuen shook his head. “It is still a little bit ridiculous.”
Ahmad approached them, shaking his head. “Stephanos thinks to do business with the wealthier residents of the city,” he said. “He hopes that his Byzantine glass will be popular with the nobles. He is inflating the price considerably.”
“So that is why he has dressed as if he is intending to go to court?”
Ahmad nodded. “Yes. He looks like a peacock.”
Gallienus guffawed at that. “He does! Although I am just as glad not to be guarding the stall today.”
Ahmad rolled his eyes. “As am I. I do not have this formal attire he seeks us to wear. I have armor, I have robes, tunicas, and vracha.”
“I wager he will be satisfied with polished armor,” Gallienus said. “And polished mouzakia.”
Misahuen looked down at his feet. His military mouzakia were spattered with mud, dust, and sand. “I did not think of the mouzakia,” he said. “I will have to clean them.”
“We all will,” Ahmad said. “I had forgotten them as well.”
“I can do an inspection of the guards, if you wish,” Gallienus joked, but Ahmad took him seriously.
“That is a good suggestion. I will tell the others.”
Before Gallienus could protest, he was gone, jogging over to another group of guards and talking to them earnestly. Gallienus pulled a wry face and shrugged as they looked in his direction.
“I did not think he would take me at my word,” he said to Misahuen. “I was not entirely serious.”
“Well, now you must be our general and inspect us.” Misahuen looked at Gallienus with a guileless expression. “I hope you will be thorough and pay close attention to my body attire.”
Gallienus spluttered a little and then laughed again.
Misahuen winked.
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No Surrender, No Retreat
Archangel Chronicles: Book 2
Seventy years after it began, the war between angels and demons is over. Archangels Gabriel and Michael reunite at last, but a dangerous new challenge stands in the way of their happiness: someone is kidnapping angels and selling them as trophies on the black market. When Raphael, Archangel of Healing, goes missing, his tearful lover joins with the Brotherhood of Archangels and their lieutenants to rescue him.
Without Raphael’s healing touch, disease spreads quickly through the world’s human population. The situation only worsens when the angel Agrat is kidnapped: the number of sex crimes begins to rise and her husband, Gabriel’s lieutenant, loses himself to his grief. As they mount a rescue mission, Gabriel and Michael’s relationship will be put to the test. With the threat of the world dying around them and tragedy looming overhead, can Gabriel and Michael keep love and hope alive?
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Review Day Tuesday: Ethan in Gold
“What the hell is that supposed to mean?” he demanded. “I gave you a perfectly good friend and you broke him?”
Title: Ethan in Gold
Series: Johnnies #3
Author: Amy Lane
Cover Artist: Reese Dante
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Pub Date: October 4, 2013
Genre: M/M Contemporary Romance
Length: 350 pages
Add to: Goodreads
Evan Costa learned from a very early age that there was no such thing as unconditional love and that it was better to settle for what you could get instead of expecting the world to give you what you need. As Ethan, porn model for Johnnies, he gets exactly what he wants—comradeship and physical contact on trade—and he is perfectly satisfied with that. He’s sure of it.
Jonah Stevens has spent most of his adult life helping to care for his sister and trying to keep his beleaguered family from fraying at the edges. He’s had very little time to work on his confidence or his body for that matter. When Jonah meets Ethan, he doesn’t see the hurt child or the shamelessly slutty porn star. He sees a funny, sexy, confident man who—against the odds—seems to like Jonah in spite of his very ordinary, but difficult, life.
Sensing a kindred spirit and a common interest, Ethan thinks a platonic friendship with Jonah won’t violate his fair trade rules of sex and touch, but Jonah has different ideas. Ethan’s pretty sure his choice of jobs has stripped away all hope of a real relationship, but Jonah wants the whole package—the sexy man, the vulnerable boy, the charming companion who works so hard to make other people happy. Jonah wants to prove that underneath the damage Ethan has lived with all his life, he’s still gold with promise and the ability to love.
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Review:
The Johnnies series is, OMG, I love them! Ethan in Gold is the newest instalment of the boy from Johnnies and, man, did it live up to my expectations! Ethan (Evan) is a smart, funny, sexy, touch-starved man with a giant heart, but he’s been taught from the age of 5 that he’s bad or will turn bad from his family. Jonah is a loving, devoted young man that lives his life for his family and his sister with CF.
I loved this story and how flawed both men are, though in very different ways. They compliment each other perfectly, even though one is a survivor and a porn star and the other is a virgin dedicated to his family. Both men have to not only learn to see each other as they truly are, but to see themselves as worthy. While flawed, I can’t imagine a better partner for either man! Learning to love blindly, without restraint or reservation is the hardest, yet greatest thing either man can ever do.
The writing… what can I say? It’s Amy Lane so you know it’s vivid, deep, entrancing, and so real you are certain these guys are people you’ve met, or would like to at the very least. While I love Chase in Shadows better (shhh… don’t tell Dex or Ethan) Ethan in Gold is a Must Read for any that love flawed, sexy men that find not only their HEA, but that their hearts, families (built and/or blood), and loves complete and heal even the greatest of wounds.
About the Author:
Amy Lane is a mother of four and a compulsive knitter who writes because she can’t silence the voices in her head. She adores cats, Chi-who-whats, knitting socks, and hawt menz, and she dislikes moths, cat boxes, and knuckle-headed macspazzmatrons. She is rarely found cooking, cleaning, or doing domestic chores, but she has been known to knit up an emergency hat/blanket/pair of socks for any occasion whatsoever, or sometimes for no reason at all. She writes in the shower, while at the gym, while taxiing children to soccer/dance/gymnastics/band oh my! and has learned from necessity to type like the wind. She lives in a spider-infested, crumbling house in a shoddy suburb and counts on her beloved Mate to keep her tethered to reality—which he does, while keeping her cell phone charged as a bonus. She’s been married for twenty-plus years and still believes in Twu Wuv, with a capital Twu and a capital Wuv, and she doesn’t see any reason at all for that to change.
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October 17, 2013
A Moment Please
In memory of Moreland de Havilland, our Mores.
October 17, 2011
