Blurb:
Unprepared, ill-equipped, and with no example to look back on, Ty and Chase embarked on a journey to build a family for Ava and Luc that would far exceed anything they dreamed of for themselves. Two years later, they’ve succeeded beyond their wildest expectations, but there’s still a couple of things missing…and they’re ready to make them happen. Bad boy biker Trick wouldn’t hesitate to fight for those he loves, but Ty knows it will take more than violence to win this war. Willfully submissive Chase has the utmost faith in his Master, but when he sees Ty struggling with demons from his past, it will be his quiet, unbending support that will see them through. Jumping through the loopholes of family court, they are only one event shy of making it all official and neither are willing to wait another second to check it off the list. Clearing the path for adoption should reassure them, but it will take their cast of well-meaning friends and the occasional slap upside the head before they realize that the ties that bind them together are forged in a love that can never be taken away.
Visit all the stops in the Tys That Bind release blitz to for up to 13 additional rafflecopter entries.
Bayou Book Junkie BFD Book Blog Book Lovers 4Ever Diverse Reader Emotion in Motion Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents Foxylutely Books Making it Happen MM Book Escape Outrageous Heroes of Romance Sassy Girl Books Two Chicks Obsessed Wicked Faerie's Tales and Review Meet Jessie G
Like many readers, the dream of being a writer has been with me a long time. After three decades of trying, I'd begun to doubt. Thanks to social media, I followed my favorite authors hoping to glean some words of wisdom as I pounded out half-formed ideas with alarming regularity. Two repetitive themes emerged: to be a great writer you must read a lot and your butt must be in the chair every day like it's a job. The more you write, the easier it will be to write and the better you will be at writing. I took that advice to heart and write every day. With three series in the works and a full schedule of releases planned for the next two years, it's been amazing to have made this dream my reality.
I am a firm believer in marriage equality, love at first sight, power dynamics, and happily ever after. I'm a lover of strong secondary characters, and series filled with families—biological or chosen. All are themes you'll find throughout my books.
Where to find Jessie G
Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/author/jessieg Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/jessiegbooks Website: http://www.jessiegbooks.com Newsletter Signup: http://eepurl.com/bhuja1 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JessieGBooks Google +: google.com/+Jessiegbooksmm Instagram: https://instagram.com/jessiegbooks Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jessiegbooks Pinterest: http://www.pinterest.com/jessiegbooks/ Tumblr (NSFW 18+): http://jessiegbooks.tumblr.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/JessieGBooks
Thanks so much to Elizabeth for hosting me today!
I was quite grateful when Elizabeth asked me for a particular post for today. One of the things I gave a lot of thought to when I was thinking about writing Three Hearts was the specifics of how it works. I’ve read a lot of mpreg over the last few years (especially leading up to writing this story), and there was one consistent thing that drove me nuts about most of it. Absolutely no explanation whatsoever of how or why. While I had a why in my head for Three Hearts, it never made it into the story. I just couldn’t seem to find a place where it didn’t feel like an info dump completely shoehorned in. So, that didn’t make it. For the record, the wolf population had been dwindling and at one point, a few guys were born omegas. I don’t go into religion in this story, though they are polytheist. My head says it’s something the gods did to help expand the population. As happens, that gets passed on and the number of omegas grows. Well, the why part was actually kind of easy and can be much more mystical than the rest. We have so much of our own history we can’t explain, so I figured it could be as ambiguous, especially since it wasn’t going to make it into the story. It’s still a little up for discussion. ? So, while the why of it was still kind of fuzzy, I wanted the how absolute. I saw a lot of shrugging and “I don’t know” when it came to other mpreg stories. Some at least had consistency on when but still no understanding of “how.” I mention in another blog post that I absolutely respect any author’s decision when it comes to their world. It’s up to them how they want to do things and how much of it makes it into the story. For me, however, I needed to see more. I always thought there should be a reasonable explanation of how these guys got pregnant—and how they gave birth. Most of the stories I read either kept that part extremely vague or insisted it had to be a cesarean section because “how else would it come out?” My first question to that was… how did it get IN there? If they don’t have girl bits, the little spermy has to get to the egg somehow. So, if it’s based on anal sex (which, guys, right? It’s going to), then I knew I needed to have something there to carry the sperm to the egg from that direction. I also knew there needed to be some place for the baby to grow. Now, while you’re writing some pretty out there sci-fi, you can do pretty much anything. But if we’re talking about something that’s supposed to be a normal thing for some male wolves, there has to be some sort of uterus. So, that’s what I did. Liam Omegas had what was essentially a dormant uterus in our abdomens. We weren’t hermaphrodites or anything. We didn’t have fully-functioning ovaries and all the rest. We had a finite number of eggs stored in us and the pseudo-uterus. If an alpha were to mate with me, his hormones would awaken the organ and set the eggs to release—usually one at a time. If this is normal, then I also decided all the rest of it needed to be. I mean, if conception is natural (rather than a fertilized egg getting implanted somewhere), then birth and the rest has to be natural too. In straight sex, there’s a reason certain things self-lubricate. So, if an omega is built to give birth, it made sense to me that they’d also self-lubricate—again to help that happen. Liam Of course, that also meant that when the doctor checked my organ, he also checked my rectum—and prostate. Along with the uterus and eggs? We also self-lubricated. I mean, I guess it made sense. Our bodies were built to reproduce, so it would be reasonable that it would be built in such a way to make that as easy as possible. But it was embarrassing as hell if it happened when we’re not, like, at home alone. I once got so turned on daydreaming at work, I had a wet spot on my pants. Talk about humiliating. And when the doctor would check me, along with the boner, I’d start to lubricate. I was thrilled a couple of weeks ago when Christy Duke of Rainbow Book Reviews tagged me in the mpreg group on Facebook to tell me she was squeeing over a particular bit in the story. Not quite sure what she was referring to, I did as she asked and sent her a private message. She proceeded to assure me she was referring to what we all love to call “ass babies.” (That phrase kills me!) Again I thought if there was a natural way for the baby (sperm) to go in, there had to be a natural way for it to come out. Now, Liam acknowledges a lot of omegas simply choose c-sections. Considering they’re wolves who heal easily with shifting, it made sense. Why not since they wouldn’t have the after-effects of surgery like humans do? But while they could choose to do that, it didn’t feel right for me that it was the only way, so I worked it out in my head for them to give birth that way. Complete with (probably) more details than some wanted. ? Liam The other part of that process—the actual delivery—was something I did not like contemplating. Some omegas preferred to simply schedule cesarean births and be done with it. I’d never been sure it would be how I’d want to give birth, but I also wasn’t too keen to think about it. Because there’s only one other way for the baby to come out. The uterus was accessed, yup, through the rectum. An extra, small opening at the top was normally sealed. Again, alpha hormones woke it up and removed the seal, thereby allowing us to get pregnant. It again sealed after, protecting the womb from waste and bacteria. And that’s how the baby would have to come out. It was like taking a supersized dump. Only with a lot of pain, as I understand it, since there was no way something the size of a baby was coming out of there without it. Yeah, not a part I wanted to think about. I even go through the delivery, but if you’d like those details, you’ll have to wait until chapter fourteen. Thanks again to Elizabeth for the prompt and sharing space with me today! I hope you enjoyed this peek into the hows behind my omegas. There’s one more stop yet on the tour, so be sure you don’t miss it.
Published by Grace R. Duncan
Release date: March 3, 2017 72k Words Cover artist: Jess Small M/M Paranormal/shifters
Blurb:
Liam Scott is sick. That’s not supposed to be possible. As a wolf shifter, he’s supposed to be able to heal. The omega gene he was born with means he’s capable of carrying shifter young and Liam is worried that whatever is wrong will mean his one-day hope of having pups will be dashed. But despite the fears keeping him away from the doctor until now, he knows he needs to go. It turns out the sickness is temporary, but the treatment causes a whole other problem. Mason’s alpha gene means he’s one of very few wolves who can impregnate an omega male. For two years, he’d been watching Liam, but things kept getting in the way. When Liam shows up in heat, Mason recognizes the opportunity he needs and doesn’t hesitate make to Liam his mate and the father of his pups. But Liam has old wounds and fears to work through which the pregnancy is only making worse, and Mason isn’t sure how to get past them to show he’s serious about making a life together as loving mates. It’s not until a female wolf decides Mason should be hers that Liam makes his biggest worry known—and Mason can finally put the fears to rest. Buy Three Hearts at: Payhip Amazon Barnes & Noble Kobo
I am also celebrating my 4th publishing anniversary with more giveaways and even a full scavenger hunt! See below for more.
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Author Bio:
Grace Duncan grew up with a wild imagination. She told stories from an early age – many of which got her into trouble. Eventually, she learned to channel that imagination into less troublesome areas, including fanfiction, which is what has led her to writing male/male erotica. A gypsy in her own right, Grace has lived all over the United States. She has currently set up camp in East Texas with her husband and children – both the human and furry kind. As one of those rare creatures who loves research, Grace can get lost for hours on the internet, reading up on any number of strange and different topics. She can also be found writing fanfiction, reading fantasy, crime, suspense, romance and other erotica or even dabbling in art. ![]() Hello and welcome to Reader Corner! Ever since my very first book was published a highlight for me has been interacting with readers. I love learning about others and giving them a place to tell us about themselves. If you're interested in joining the fun email me at [email protected] or use the contact link at the top of the page. Today I welcome a lovely lady by the name of K.G. who has agreed to answer a few questions. Elizabeth: Would you tell us a little about yourself? K: I am an avid reader, explorer, napper, and dog lover, currently living in the amazing and terrifying city of New York . Elizabeth: Do you have hobbies? K: Reading, urban exploration/hiking, going to concerts, and trying out hobbies—most recently I’ve tried board games, knitting, and scrap-booking, but none of them have stuck. I just really like trying new things but I’m bad at continuity. I also volunteer with an animal rescue shelter. Elizabeth: Why did you decide to do this interview? K: A huge part of the draw of this genre to me is the community and the readers, so learning more about everyone sounded like such a creative idea! When I saw that more interviewees were needed, I volunteered on a whim. ![]() Elizabeth: How did you discover MM romance and gay literature? K: I think there was something really freeing in a way about getting my Kindle, something about browsing on Amazon instead of a bookstore really let me explore outside my literary comfort zone. (“Something about” she said vaguely, fully aware that it was privacy that made her brave enough to check out the sections she would avoid in a bookstore for fear of the censure of strangers.) I did kind of a slow drift into romance in general a few years ago and as I was exploring, I came across an F/F romance book and immediately started reading every single LGBTQ+ romance I could find. I especially loved any books that validated bisexuality. I had never felt any level of acceptance in real life at that point. Like in my experience, even a few years before then, ten years ago now, googling something like, “I like both men and women” led me to websites or posts about “How to tell if you are gay or straight” or “Everyone has stray thoughts about the same sex sometimes, you’re still for sure straight” or “How to come to terms with being gay”. In person, I was advised that “I kissed a girl and I liked it” (on the radio non-stop the first time I tried coming out in college, my second attempt in life) was only for attractive girls; at the same time, allies comforted me with assurances that, “We’re here when you’re ready to actually come out, no matter how long it takes”. So there were a lot of years where I really struggled with myself and fitting in and I felt like a liar and completely alone no matter where I was. It got to a point where I was sick (emotionally, mentally, physically) of hiding but I didn’t have any frame of reference for an alternative; I didn’t even know what to hope for. Reading about people experiencing what I longed for comforted me and it gave me a picture of what I could have. Finding LGBTQ+ romance in many ways saved my life, or at least made my life better, and eventually made me braver. Looking back, I can see that it gave me the inspiration and support I needed to make my own life better, through my own agency and action. Elizabeth: Would you tell us a little of why were you drawn to this genre? K: I found a lot of comfort in the romance genre in general—I liked the assurance of an HEA, the general structure / framework of most romances, and the emotional connection I could create with the characters without feeling drained or depressed. It was buoying to me. Once I started reading more deeply within romance, I found queer romance and it was amazing. Happy endings for everyone! At first it was comforting, validating, and rewarding to read about people similar to me but like, enhanced. So relateable, but…romanticized, I guess. At first I read almost exclusively F/F, but then branched out across LGBTQ+. I still mostly stick with the ones with a guaranteed HEA, although I prefer the ones that have some real stakes to the characters maybe not getting it, so that there is tension and an investment on my part but I know it will be worth it. Elizabeth: Why do you like this genre? K: I used to avoid romance because of its stigma—the same way any book about a woman that isn’t depressing is derided as “chick-lit”, I think—but once I let go of my ego, and what other people told me counted as literature, I discovered it’s got so much depth, creativity, emotion, and yes, fun. Some of my favorite authors, some of the most talented authors, are great for the very reasons the genre is mocked—they write light-hearted books about good people who experience good things and have a happy ending, with a few “happy endings” in between. And their books are just as valid representations of the human experience as books where everyone dies under the weight of their own angst or of dysentery or something. And there are a lot of very emotive, introspective, deep books in this genre too—I love its diversity and breadth and depth! Like so many different, perfect settings—like really rich fantasy, expertly researched historicals, truly representative contemporaries. And the characters! I find that as long as I’m conscious about which authors I support and which part of the community I engage with, I can find books that are truly representative and respectful of LGBTQ experiences. Sometimes that means they mirror or amplify my own; more often than not that means they are introducing me to the unique and varied and valid experiences of others. Those, honestly, are my favorite. I think they make me a better person and a better member of and ally in the LGBTQ community. (Because being a member of a minority community, in my opinion, does not alleviate me of the responsibility to be an ally to other members of that community.) And I think my favorite thing about the genre is the people—the authors, their characters, the community that loves them—because it helps me feel more at home in my own skin, that other people are seeking and celebrating the same things as me, even if it isn’t always the exact same thing as me and especially when they aren’t the same as me. Elizabeth: Do you ever go to conventions to meet authors? How do you like interacting with authors on social media? K: I have not been able to go to a convention, just a lack of opportunity for the most part. I do like to follow authors on social media. It feels like even compared to a year ago most authors prefer to keep fans up to date on social media rather than by maintaining a website, so the best way to keep track of news and releases is through their twitter or Facebook account. Some authors have really great groups associated with their accounts and sometimes I like hanging out there with other fans—joining contests, question threads, reacting to exciting news, things like that. I love a good Teaser Tuesday!! There are also a lot of amazing reader groups which are great for recs and reviews and just general enthusiasm. I honestly prefer reader groups and have found a really great community online in them, especially Group. However, after really immersing myself in the genre and community I’ve learned to be discerning about which authors and groups I follow, let alone engage with, online. I have a one-strike policy with authors, individuals, and groups because I’ve found that if people are dismissive or offensive to another person or another group once, or allow that kind of behavior once, it will never, ever just be that one time. I can’t control what goes on IRL, but I can create a safe space for myself online. I’ve managed to create a very insular, cozy bubble for myself, and I prefer it that way.
Elizabeth: Tell us about your reading habits? K: I read ALL THE TIME. It’s ridiculous. I currently have a 2+ hour a day commute, so I’m always reading then. I also read at night to relax/unwind. And on the weekends. And at 3 a.m. on release days when the book goes live on Kindle. And on my Kindle app in line at the grocery store, waiting for the printer, at the counter at Starbucks…Sometimes when it’s nice out I go to the park so I can read while getting sunlight. If I find a book I love, I literally cannot put it down. I’ll end up staying up until 5 a.m. finishing a book. God help me if it’s a series and I have to immediately dive into the next one! Elizabeth: Paperback, hard cover or eBooks? K: I prefer eBooks now because it saves me space, it’s easier to commute with, and I feel like the books in general are more accessible to me. However, if I truly fall in love with a book I also like to have it in physical form. I think I like the permanence of it, and it feels like doubly supporting the author. Hard cover is probably my least favorite – they’re big, heavy, and expensive! I usually only by hard cover used if that’s the only edition I can find of a book I want to own, or borrow from the library. Elizabeth: What do you like in a book’s cover art? K: I guess I tend not to judge romance books by their covers because there are a lot of good books with really awful covers, but when I’m browsing I tend to be drawn to simple, evocative/emotive designs or photos, or ones that are unique and creative in some way. A lot of my favorite cover art ended up being a favorite after I read the book and realized how perfect the mode or image or imagery fit the character / plot / message. A few cover pet peeves of mine are stock photos that just don’t even remotely look like the people in the book, or are stereotypes of the people in the book, or like if it’s just torsos (like two shirtless guys with their heads cut off by the top of the page is kind of creepy) or if it’s too literal. Like, if the book is about a woman who falls in love with her kid’s soccer coach, the cover really doesn’t need to be a copy-paste mess of generic stock photos of a business woman, a woman wearing a whistle, and a random floating soccer ball. I mean, I’ll probably still pick up the book and read it—one of the benefits of a Kindle is it’s much easier to get over bad cover art—but I’ll cringe a little bit when I do. Sometimes fan cover-art or just fan art in general nails it and I want to replace the cover with their interpretation instead! Elizabeth: And, lastly, what other types of books/magazines do you read? K: A little bit of everything! I read widely (but not very deeply) across genres. My 2017 resolution is to finally read my giant TBR pile of books I’ve bought or been gifted over the years and never read. To keep things interesting, I’m trying not to read two books in a row from the same genre. So far it’s been books in sci-fi, memoir, mystery, fantasy, narrative non-fiction, historical non-fiction, and a few random ones from classes in college. I break up non-fiction into categories I’m not sure are real because I have so many that I thought looked interesting and then never read. I also made a rule that if after the first 50 pages I am just not feeling the book, I put it in the give-away pile rather than forcing myself to continue. That’s been so liberating! I was stuck on this one sci-fi epic that is supposed to be a classic but it was so, so dense and I just could not get into it. I found myself procrastinating reading it—on my commute, I’d stare at the ads on the subway rather than read this book—and I was not feeling very positive about my resolution at all. Once I made the decision that it’s okay not to finish a book (and I have no idea why I was so against this to begin with), I’ve made so much more progress on my resolution and had a lot of fun doing it. Plus, I’ve made room on my shelves for books I love by clearing out the books I don’t and fallen in love with some amazing books that have just been sitting there the whole time! Elizabeth: Kenna, thank you so much for sharing a little about yourself with the world. I am very pleased to have gotten to know you a little and hope to learn more! |
Welcome to My World
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