Excerpt:
Miller forced himself to take a breath, unaware until he did that he’d stopped breathing. Quit being ridiculous. Wine going to your head already? But he’d only had the one glass. And he hadn’t even finished that. He wasn’t such a lightweight, when it came to holding his alcohol, and he knew it. He told himself it was just his imagination. But just to be safe, he began a slow cautious turn, looking around him, without appearing to be searching for anything—or anyone. And there he was. Standing a heartbeat away from Miller was one of the sexiest men he’d ever seen in his life. A man every bit as sexy as Raoul Marchand, although not in the same feral way as the werewolf. This man was light where Raoul was dark. His hair was a honey blonde which stood out by virtue of being obviously natural, in a place where most blondes were either created by the sun or came from a bottle. He stood a little taller than Miller, exuding a presence that went beyond the merely physical, possessed of the bearing and mien of a veritable god. But it was his eyes that drew Miller in and held him spellbound. Blue and green, like staring into tropical waves, flecked with bits of pure molten gold. And the way he was staring at Miller was sending the most delicious shivers traveling up and down his spine. The man took a step toward Miller, his hand outstretched. Before Miller quite realized what had happened, he’d placed his own hand inside of the other man’s, and he found himself being drawn onto the dance floor. ![]()
Today I’m very lucky to be interviewing Julie Lynn Hayes, author of When Will I Be Loved.
Hi Julie, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Tell us a little about yourself, your background, and your current book. Thanks for having me here today! I come from the Midwest, and have pretty much lived in St. Louis, Missouri, all my life. I live there now with my daughter, Sarah, and our cat, The Mighty Ramesses. I have a job I enjoy with an elevator inspection company, although I’ve had lots of other jobs before this one. I’ve been married twice, and have five children and three grandchildren. I began writing when I was about nine. During the 90’s, I began publishing in small magazines, none of which exist anymore. Short stories and poetry. It wasn’t until 2010 that my first book, To the Max, was published by Dreamspinner Press. Since that time, I’ve had a number of other books published. My current book is When Will I Be Loved, with Amber Quill Press. It’s the sequel to When Can I See You Again. The first book was about Raoul Marchand and Alexx Jameson, while this one features Miller Fenwick and Holt Wynne. Tell us the ten moments that stayed with you from any book. That’s an interesting question. I’ll answer it, in no particular order. 1. Desiree by Annemarie Selinko – the moment when Desiree stood on the bridge over the Seine in Paris, having learned her fiancé Napoleon was engaged to another, and wanted to die 2. Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell – the moment when Scarlett sees everything clearly, realizes Melanie was her best friend, and that she’s in love with Rhett Butler 3. Paradise Lost by John Milton – when Lucifer, despite having fallen for days into the newly-created Hell, pulls himself together and gives a great rallying speech to his cohorts, and not only does he raise their spirits but he manipulates them—of course 4. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte – when Jane and Edward’s wedding is interrupted and a prior marriage is revealed, to a lunatic 5. The World According to Garp by John Irving – Garp’s conception 6. The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving – when the brother and sister find a unique way to rid themselves of their mutual obsession with one another 7. David Copperfield by Charles Dickens – when Barkus tells David to tell Peggotty that “Barkus is willin’” 8. A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens – when Scrooge is accepted by his nephew and wife and their friends, after the spirits change him 9. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas - when D’Artagnan meets the Three Musketeers after they have each challenged him to a duel 10. Mysterious Island by Jules Verne – when they go aboard the Nautilus I’m sure there are other moments and other books. So many books, so little time! Thanks for having me here today! ![]()
About the author:
Julie Lynn Hayes first began publishing short stories and poetry in the 1990’s, when it was a different ballgame altogether, and Ebooks hadn’t been dreamed of yet. That changed in 2010 with the acceptance of her first romance novel. She’s come a long way since that first book appeared, and is finding the journey a very educational one. She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and her cat Ramesses. She often writes of two men finding true love and happiness in one another’s arms, and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She likes to write in different genres, to stretch herself in order to see what is possible. Her great challenge is to be told something can’t be done—she feels compelled to do it. When she isn’t writing, she enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, needlepoint and knitting, and she loves to cook, spending time watching the Food Network. Her favorite chef is Geoffrey Zakarian. Her family thinks she’s a bit off, but she doesn’t mind. Marching to the beat of one’s own drummer is a good thing, after all. Her published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, eXtasy Books, Wayward Ink Press, and Amber Quill Press.
Tour Dates & Stops:
7-Jun Rainbow Gold Reviews Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words 8-Jun Carly’s Book Reviews Dawn’s Reading Nook 9-Jun Because Two Men Are Better Than One Bike Book Reviews 10-Jun My Fiction Nook Michael Mandrake MM Good Book Reviews 11-Jun Hearts on Fire 12-Jun It’s Raining Men Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews 15-Jun Velvet Panic Multitasking Mommas 16-Jun BFD Book Blog 17-Jun Inked Rainbow Reads 18-Jun Vampires, Werewolves, and Fairies, Oh My Wake Up Your Wild Side Prism Book Alliance 19-Jun The Fuzzy, Fluffy World of Chris T. Kat 22-Jun Molly Lolly 23-Jun Book Reviews, Rants, and Raves Nephylim 24-Jun Amanda C. Stone 25-Jun Emotion in Motion 26-Jun Decadent Delights All I Want and More Books 29-Jun Love Bytes 30-Jun Bayou Book Junkie 1-Jul Up All Night, Read All Day Mikky's World of Books 2-Jul Parker Williams Kimi-Chan ![]() Charity Info: GALA is a centre for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) culture and education in Africa. Their mission is, first and foremost, to act as a catalyst for the production, preservation and dissemination of knowledge on the history, culture and contemporary experiences of LGBTI people. Lost-n-Found is Atlanta’s only non-profit organization dedicated to taking homeless lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender youth off the street and into more permanent housing, Lost-n-Found Youth is dedicated to the advocacy and service of youth from 13 to 25 years old. Youth Off The Streets is a non-denominational community organisation working for young people aged 12-25 who are facing challenges of homelessness, drug and alcohol dependency, exclusion from school, neglect and abuse. We support these young people as they work to turn their lives around and overcome immense personal traumas such as neglect and physical, psychological and emotional abuse. The Albert Kennedy Trust supports lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans homeless young people in crisis. Every day they deal with the the effects homelessness can have on young people’s lives. Contributing Authors: Frederick Eugene Feeley Jr’s “Indigent”, after which the anthology takes it’s name, brings the reader to witness an apocalyptic war between the good and evil that rages in one man’s mind. Soon he will know that his problems are insignificant compared to those of others. Mari Evan’s “Stumbling into Forever”, involves a handsome young vampire who will come to learn that ‘just a sip of blood’ is the difference between love and freezing to death. Leona Windwalker’s “If Only the World”, takes rejection to another level. A heartbreaking story that is turned on it’s head by the kindness of strangers. Shaye Evans’ “Rescued”, is a contemporary social statement about the aftermath of a young man’s life after his drink has been spiked at a bar. M. LeAnne Phoenix’s “Higher Love”, takes us on an almost spiritual journey through the minds of two people who have never met, but have spoken on a telepathic level. When they do come together, that bond is already cemented but there is a price to pay. Title: Indigent ISBN: ISBN (13) 978-1512317404 Genre: Fiction – LGBT Anthology Audience: Young Adult and Teen (age group 16+) Edition: Quality Paperback, Pages – 464, $5.99 Ebook, $3.99 Authors: Frederick Eugene Feeley Jr, Mari Evans, Leona Windwalker, Shaye Evans, M. LeAnne Phoenix Publisher: CoolDudes Publishing (PTY) LTD Publication Date: 15 June, 2015 Distributor: Online distribution. Createspace. Amazon. Gumroad. Author Information Frederick Eugene Feeley Jr F.E. Feeley Jr was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan and lived there for twenty years before joining the military. He is a veteran of the US Armed Services; having done a tour in support of Operation Iraq Freedom in 2002-2003, he turned college student, pursuing a degree in political sci- ence. He now lives in Southeast Texas where he is married to the love of his life, John, and where they raise their 1½-year-old German shepherd, Kaiser. As a young man, reading took center stage in his life, especially those nov- els about ghosts, witches, goblins, and all the other things that went bump in the night. His favorite authors include such writers as Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and Anne Rice, whose work allowed him to travel to far off plac- es and meet fascinating and scary characters. As a gay man, he wishes to be able to write good fictional literature for those who love the genre and to write characters that readers can relate to. All in all, he is a cigarette smokin’, whiskey drinkin’, rock and roll lovin’, tattoo wearin’ dreamer of a man with a wonderful partner who puts up with his crap and lets him write his stories. Mari Evans Mari is a wife and the proud mother of a very active daughter, two dogs and two cats. She’s a very social kind of girl, who loves to talk. It’s both her best and worst quality. From the moment she could read, she devoured books. Anything goes, as long as it has a happy ending. There were always stories swirling around in her head and as a child she liked to lay in bed and let the characters have their story and happy ending. It wasn’t until 2013 that she actually tried to put one of the whole stories down and submit it to a publisher. To her own surprise and excitement it was accept- ed. This gave her the drive to keep going. The decision to write m/m was made when a friend told a story about a young gay man that struck a chord, even as her husband had already encour- aged her to try it earlier. Now she found her passion, having already found the love in her family and friends, her life is completely chaotic, crazy but wonderful. Shaye Evans Shaye is a proud Australian and best selling author of the M/M Romance genre. At age nineteen, Shaye found her love in the m/m genre when she read her first M/M and was instantly hooked, but it took her an entire year to begin writing her own. She has had five of nine short stories accepted to be published in 2014 alone. Something she is very proud to admit—and who wouldn’t be When not writing or plotting her next piece, Shaye keeps busy by either reading one of over four-hundred books in her collection, designing her next book cover, or shopping. She one day dreams of being a paramedic and her books making it to the movies! Leona Windwalker Leona is a long time staunch supporter of human rights and environmental causes. Her favorite genre is m/m fiction and she particularly enjoys the sci fi, fantasy and action suspense sub-genres, especially if they have a nice seasoning of romance. She has far too many books on her Kindle, has overloaded her phone with even more, and when not reading, writing, being driven to distraction by her children, or being overlorded by her three cats, spends time trying to locate the portal that the sock monster uses to steal socks from her dryer. M. LeAnne Phoenix Born and raised in Fort Worth, Texas in the mid-1970's, Ms. Phoenix was young and wild (and even free!) during the crazy wondrous decade known as the 1980's and the even crazier but now grungy decade of the 1990's. Music is second only to the muses that live and breathe to fill her mind with beautiful men, and music always helps them to tell their stories. She is never without her iPod or her computer no matter where she goes, although, she does like to hike and take pictures of the sky and the moon, and even the occasional shot of the sun through the branches of a tree. An avid cat lover, Ms. Phoenix has been owned by many throughout her life, though her current owner is one Lily-Rose, who really would like for her to step away from the keyboard and pay her some attention! After all, hasn't she earned it? Editor Biographies Louis J Harris Louis lives in Germiston, South Africa. He has published three novels, “Stars Fall”, “Revival”, and “Swimmer”, his short stories have appeared across the globe. He is the owner of CoolDudes Publishing and has been an affiliate member of the South African Professional Editors Group. Kimi D Saunders (Leona Windwalker) Leona is a long time staunch supporter of human rights and environmental causes. Her favorite genre is m/m fiction and she particularly enjoys the sci fi, fantasy and action suspense sub-genres, especially if they have a nice seasoning of romance. She has far too many books on her Kindle, has overloaded her phone with even more, and when not reading, writing, being driven to distraction by her children, or being overlorded by her three cats, spends time trying to locate the portal that the sock monster uses to steal socks from her dryer. Links Louis J Harris [email protected] Kimi D Saunders (Writes as Leona Windwalker) https://twitter.com/ShroudedDancer https://www.facebook.com/pages/Leona-Windwalker/890405037684824?fref=ts Frederick Eugene Feeley Jr www.authorfefeeleyjr.wordpress.com Mari Evans https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mari-Evans/1412324675676352 Shaye Evans https://www.facebook.com/ShayeLEvans?fref=ts M. LeAnne Phoenix mleannephoenix.com FB: mleannephoenix Twitter: @MLPhoenix CoolDudes Publishing https://www.facebook.com/pages/CoolDudes-Publishing/1524105151191706 https://twitter.com/search?q=cooldudes%20publishing&src=typd Twitter: (@lgbtpublisher) https://www.pinterest.com/cdgaypub/ https://plus.google.com/u/0/108242351336143580514/videos Events To schedule author readings, signings, or other author events (virtual or live), please contact Louis J Harris at CoolDudes Publishing via email [email protected] or by calling +27 83 784 9658 Vampires make the best spies. Throw a smartmouthed werewolf in with three vampires, mix well and The Vampire Guard's newest team is bound to become one of their greatest assets. Super spies with a full range of skills. One cop and one con man combine with a gray hat hacker and a forensics expert. They get in, do the job and get out before before the bad guys ever know what hit them.
Coming from DSP Publications July 2016!
Excerpt:
Clouds rolled in, white and puffy in the winter blue sky, but there was no moisture in the air, or in the sand beneath Annie’s bare feet. "Rain?" Annie asked hopefully, and Grandma shook her head and looked sad. Annie knew why. Without the potatoes and beans from the garden, without the lupins and sunflower seeds, all they’d have to live on would be gruel. There’d been no rain for months, even though the days were short and the nights cold, and it was nearly time for the summer to come back. "Gruel will make us sick," Annie said. "Will the government make rain?" Grandma swore, something vicious and rude, under her breath. Annie was made sure to remember the word, because it was a new word and Annie collected those words. They stood, studying the empty clouds over their heads while the chickens fought over the scraps, and even in the middle of winter the sun still hurt Annie’s bare arms. "What did you use to do to make rain?" Annie asked Grandma. "Before?" Grandma knew things that everyone else had forgotten, and she didn’t go to church. "Is there magic?" Annie had to whisper that, because Mum was a Believer, and she’d shout or pray or something if she thought Annie knew about magic. The rainwater tank leaned against the back wall of the house. Grandma shuffled over and whacked it with her cane. The metal drum rang loudly. "There’s magic," Grandma said. Meet Jack Bridges
Jack Bridges is a writer and academic who lives in Perth, Western Australia, and works at a small university teaching students the basics of research methodology. He sometimes hides in a shack in the forest and makes complex plans for surviving environmental apocalypses.
Tour Dates & Stops: June 22, 2015
Parker Williams, BFD Book Blog, Andrew Q. Gordon, Kimi-Chan, Havan Fellows, Happily Ever Chapter, The Hat Party, Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews, Molly Lolly, Book Reviews and More by Kathy, Emotion in Motion, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Bayou Book Junkie, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, Will Parkinson, Redz World, Rainbow Gold Reviews, TTC Books and More, Velvet Panic, Iyana Jenna
Excerpt:
The spotlight followed him across the tent, other lights coming up in succession as he swung past them, creating a corridor of light for him to perform in. At the height of his swing, on the opposite side of the tent from where he had begun, a spotlight appeared on another platform. Another man stood there. He was wearing magenta and teal as well, but his pattern was the opposite of his partner’s. He leapt off, holding his trapeze, then flipped himself so he was hanging upside down. I looked back at the first man, and I almost cried out when he leapt. He didn’t even have a trapeze to stop his fall, but the second man had swung out to him. They met at the perfect moment, both their arms outstretched until they met, and then they were swinging together, safe. Meet T. Strange![]()
T. Strange is an author of M/M romance, published with Torquere Press. She writes both BDSM and vanilla, so there’s something for everyone! Her first novel, My Zombie Boyfriend, was published in 2015. When not reading or writing, T. enjoys playing with her many pets, gardening, and watching videos of Duo XY.
Tour Dates & Stops: June 19, 2015
Parker Williams, MM Good Book Reviews, BFD Book Blog, Jessie G. Books, Andrew Q. Gordon, Kimi-Chan, Havan Fellows, Tara Lain, Happily Ever Chapter, The Hat Party, Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews, Molly Lolly, Amanda C. Stone, Decadent Delights, Just Love Romance, Emotion in Motion, Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents, Bayou Book Junkie, Redz World, Velvet Panic, Iyana Jenna ![]()
Blurb: The summer after high school, Eli Dunn and Jess Early explore an abandoned brothel in the rural Florida Panhandle. They’ve always kept their mutual attraction unspoken, but in an upstairs room at the end of the hall, everything changes. Suddenly, all the longing Eli and Jess have tried so hard to conceal bursts free, and passion like they’ve never experienced comes to light, along with the ghosts of Clay Bailey and Silas Denton, murdered owners of the brothel. And Clay and Silas have no problem possessing Eli and Jess in order to express their love for each other, without thought for the living.
Deeply disturbed by the experience, Eli and Jess part and try to get on with life as best they can. But after several years, Eli returns to Florida, only to find that Jess has made some questionable choices. These eventually lead him back to the abandoned house and a confrontation with Eli. Old scores are settled and Eli and Jess reunite. But Clay and Silas’s ghosts aren’t finished yet, for they’ve always believed in the power of open and honest love. Purchase
One of them, the dark one, looked up at him in alarm. “Elijah,” the man said, but that wasn’t his name, so he shook it off like it bothered him.
“It’s not right, it’s not decent, and you can’t have this.” His body was shaking, but he held the gun steady on the men in the bed. The part of him he couldn’t recognize anymore was clamoring at him, trying to remind him of something, but he couldn’t listen and didn’t want to. He was just too angry. The other one—Clay, his name was—moved in front of the dark one and pushed him back. “Get the hell out of here, Brown,” he shouted. From behind him, the dark man…. Silas, cursed in surprise and pulled Clay back again, whispered something in his ear. “It’s not fucking right!” he said again, and then with a pathetic sob, which made him sick, he said, “It’s not fair.” “No,” Silas told him in a placating tone. “It’s not fair at all, but Clay and Silas didn’t make it like that. They didn’t do that to you.” He couldn’t understand why he would say it like that, why he was talking about them like they were separate people, like they weren’t both sitting there in front of him, half-naked. “You shouldn’t get to do that!” he cried. “No one should. It’s sick. It’s terrible.” “I’m sorry. I’m sorry that you didn’t have love in your life. Everyone should have that. Clay and Silas, they just got lucky, and you didn’t. That’s—that’s not their fault.” He was sitting very still, his hand resting on Clay’s arm so he wouldn’t push forward again. He still did not lower his weapon, though he could feel his mind faltering. He was no longer clear on who he wanted to kill, who he was angry with. Then he heard it again. “Elijah.” It was spoken very softly by the dark-haired man. He frowned at the men on the bed, who looked different now. He shook his head again, less sure now. “Listen to me Elijah. I know you can hear me. I’m sorry. I’m so sorry. I’m sorry for ever bringing you here. It ruined everything, and I know it hurt you. It hurt me too, so much. I should have just told you that I… cared for you—that I wanted you. I know now that it would have been all right. I didn’t know it then. I was scared. I didn’t know what to do.” Eli felt himself coming back, but the anger wasn’t dissipating. He was still staring at Jess, he could see it was Jess now, but the rage was still there. He did not lower the gun. “I’m sorry for everything. I never, ever wanted to hurt you. Remember who you are, Elijah. Try to see me like you used to, when we were kids.” Eli blinked a few times and then looked at his hand, holding the gun. He looked at Jess, and Shawn Kinney, on the tarp covering the filthy bed. His face went blank with horror, and he lowered the gun to his side, all of him shaking, unable to get a grip. Jess got up and went to him, reaching down to gently pull the gun from his hand. He drew him in close, and Eli went, even though Shawn was right there, and even though things were still fucked up between them. He just needed it, and he knew Jess did too. Shawn had gotten up and walked over to them. He put his hand on Jess’s arm. “Si?” he said, his face confused. He reached up and put a hand to Jess’s cheek. Jess took hold of his hand and smiled softly at him. “No. I ain’t him anymore,” he said. “Go on, now.” Shawn looked disappointed for a second, and then his eyes cleared. All at once he looked mortified, and quickly pulled his hand away from Jess’s face. Jess was still touching Eli on the waist and standing very close, and it occurred to him that they might want to cease any more physical contact until they were out of this room. “Let’s go. We shouldn’t be here,” Jess said. He moved away from Eli and started pulling on his clothes, then glanced at Shawn, maybe to make sure he was with it enough to do the same. The boy looked nearly catatonic, but he began to mechanically get dressed after Jess handed him his jeans. Meet Keegan Ellis![]()
Keelan Ellis is a true crime enthusiast, a political junkie, and a comedy fan. Despite a compulsion to sometimes wallow in the depths of humanity’s corruption and sadness, she considers herself a romantic at heart. The stories she really connects with are about love that’s been twisted into hatred, and she believes that with honesty and forgiveness, love can overcome. Keelan loves good bourbon and classic country music, great television and well-prepared food, especially shared with like-minded people. She’s not a fan of parties and large groups of people, but there’s nothing she loves more than a long conversation with friends. Her favorite part of the writing process is the collaborative stage, hashing out plot and characters with smart and talented friends. It’s where she truly comes to understand the people she’s writing about, and often falls in love with them. With the support and encouragement--as well as some serious editing help--Keelan has found the writing niche she’s always searched for.
June 1: Queer Sci-Fi || Tempeste O’Riley
June 2: Garrett Leigh || Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents June 3: The Purple Rose Tea House || JP Barnaby June 4: Drops of Ink || LeAnn’s Book Reviews June 5: Evelyn Shepherd || Diverse Reader June 8: Because Two Men Are Better Than One || Cherry Mischievous June 9: My Fiction Nook || MM Good Book Reviews June 10: A Celebration of Books || Molly Lolly: Reader, Reviewer, Lover of Words June 11: Divine Magazine June 12: BFD Book Blog || Sid Love Writes June 15: Cate Ashwood’s Blog June 16: Hearts on Fire June 17: Love Bytes Reviews || Bayou Book Junkie June 18: Emotion in Motion || Bike Book Reviews June 19: Nessa’s Book Reviews || Multitasking Mommas Book Reviews
Get a chance to win a gift basket containing –
1. A PAPERBACK copy of I’ll Still Be There. 2. The I’ll Still Be There Coffee MUG. 3. The I’ll Still Be There BOOKMARK. 4. A gourmet CHOCOLATE bar. 5. Some TEA. Here’s how it all looks like –
Excerpt:
“This night is shot,” Casey mumbled. “Hakii, if you’re there, I’m sorry. I need to find him. I’ll try to be back as soon as I can. Oh, and if you’re not there, I hope you’re getting a damn good laugh at me talking to myself.” The night air had chilled considerably. Casey threw on a sweater and hurried to the Alpha’s house. Before he could pound on the door, it swung open. Jake stood there wearing nothing at all. “Oh god, my eyes.” Jake sighed. “You’ve seen me before. A lot, if I recall correctly.” “And every time I do, I remember that I need to create eye bleach.” Jake faked a laugh. “Yeah, you’re hilarious. What do you want?” “A guy came to my house tonight. His name is Sev, and I think he’s in trouble.” All humor fled from Jake’s face. “What happened?” Casey told him about the visit. “He…called me his mate. What the hell is that about?” “Later. We’ve got to find him.” In an instant, Jake transformed into a beautiful black jaguar. Zak came rushing to the door. “What is wrong?” Before Casey could answer, Zak grabbed a heavy coat and squirmed into it. “Jake will track him. You will come with us.” “Zak, he called me his mate. Why would he do that?” “You worry about this now? I do not see where this matters. If you prefer, you may stay behind.” Casey sobered immediately. “No, you’re right. I’m sorry.” They tracked Jake as he hurried to the woods. When they heard him roar, Zak and Casey ran to the edge of the forest. Jake had transformed back to his human form and, man, was he pissed. “Come out here, now,” he demanded. There was no movement, but Casey heard a clicking noise, followed by the familiar stamping of feet. “You spray me and I swear to the gods I will neuter you. Put your damn tail down and face us as a man, Sev.” ![]()
Parker was kind enough to share some of his thoughts on world building and shifter writing. The excerpt above made me giggle like crazy, can't wait to read the entire book!
Building a world by Parker Williams First you start off with a topic you really love. For me it’s shifters. I adore them. I can’t get enough of them. At least half of the books on my iPad are shifter related. I always wanted to try to write a book that dealt with shifters, but I wanted mine to be at least a little unique. So I started with the basics. There had to be a ‘Mine’. I love shifters and their possessive natures. It’s how I want to be loved, wholly and completely. But I didn’t want it to be a traditional story where the shifter was the leader of the clan and had all these responsibilities. So I created my world in the Tongass Forest of Alaska. Millions of acres where my shifters take up a tiny little spot near the ocean and live in peace with nature and each other. But in this village there are also humans. In fact, a human was their first Alpha. And the tradition passed down since then. Why? A human has no bias toward one species or another. The rabbit shifter is every bit as important as the bear shifter. It doesn’t matter that one is more powerful, all that matters is they’re treated equally. Enter Zakiya Incekara. He was my human, and Jake was taken with him the moment he caught his scent on the air. The problem? Jake doesn’t know he’s a shifter, and Zak is messing with his head. A few people didn’t care for Zak, and that’s okay. He was prickly, and he didn’t treat Jake the best at first, but he had reasons. He was kept isolated by his guardians, the ones who smuggled him and Jake out of the enclave when Elizar, the psycho human who proclaimed himself the forever king. Jake and Zak grew up separately, because Jake had imprinted on Zak early on, and they were fated to be mates. It was decided to keep them separated until Jake was old enough to understand his powers. When Zak waltzed onto the school campus, Jake scented him and his body began to change slowly, but surely. Throw in a best friend named Casey Scott, who is the voice of reason in some instances, and the aggravating voice most of the rest of the time, and mix in a little Hakiim, the man who escaped the enclave to come for Jake and Zak, and stir well. I like to think my world is a little different. Jake is a jaguar, and because he’s mated to the Alpha (which has never happened before), he is incredibly powerful. In book two, though… Jake is going to meet his match. There are so many things shifters are capable of, and they can surprise you with their power, their wit, and their ability to love. Should you not be a reader who has tried a shifter book, pick one up. There are some great authors who can make a shifter lover out of you. Meet Parker Williams
Parker Williams believes that true love exists, but it always comes with a price. No happily ever after can ever be had without work, sweat, and tears that come with melding lives together.
Living in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Parker held his job for nearly 28 years before he decided to retire and try new things. He enjoys his new life as a stay-at-home author and also working on Pride-Promotions, an LGBT author promotion service.
Tour Dates & Stops: June 15 – 19, 2015
15-Jun Bayou Book Junkie My Fiction Nook Inked Rainbow Reads Nephylim Amanda C. Stone Cate Ashwood 16-Jun Havan Fellows Emotion in Motion Wake Up Your Wild Side TTC Books and More Christy Loves 2 Read Because Two Men Are Better Than One The Blogger Girls 17-Jun Happily Ever Chapter Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words Wicked Faerie's Tales and Reviews Bike Book Reviews Divine Magazine Prism Book Alliance 18-Jun Fangirl Moments and My Two Cents Lee Brazil Molly Lolly Multitasking Mommas Love Bytes Up All Night, Read All Day Butterfly-O-Meter 19-Jun The Novel Approach MM Good Book Reviews Rainbow Gold Reviews Cathy Brockman Romances Full Moon Dreaming BFD Book Blog 3 Chicks After Dark Carly’s Book Reviews Iyana Jenna
Today I'd like to welcome R.E. Nelson. I asked about personal experience in writing this novel.
The setting for PALACE DOG came directly from my experience as an English Language Instructor in the Palace Dog Program in Vietnam in the early 1970’s. Like Michael, the main character, I joined the Air Force to keep from being drafted into the Army and thus keep out of Vietnam. And like Michael, that wasn’t how it worked out. As I was writing the book, I began to feel like one of Michael’s friends there, sort of a silent fellow palace dog invisible in the backdrop of the barracks and school. I have hundreds of photographs I took while there—at the school, in the barracks, at the zoo, in downtown Saigon—and that helped my memory. I had noted the dates and names and places on the photos. Also I had kept a pocket calendar that was useful in reminding me of events that happened while I was there. And my family and several friends in the US gave me letters I had written while over there. All of this helped me to piece together the background and setting for the story. As I was writing the story, I listened to the music I remembered from when I was there. Hearing Cher sing “Gypsies, Tramps, and Thieves,” I vividly recalled walking between our barracks and the dining hall with the sound of that song blaring from behind the screened barracks walls. When I heard Simon and Garfunkel sing “Cathy’s Song,” I found myself in the MACV Annex USO club early one morning after being on the night shift of the Perimeter Defense Force. Some of the songs found their way into the story, but there were many others that did not, but they were equally important in helping capture my time there. It was definitely a case of “The Song Remembers When” (as Trisha Yearwood sang years later). The story of Michael and Thao is fiction. It is not my story or the story of anyone I knew. But we had shared experiences and they are in the book as a blend of fact and fiction. Some of the things that happened, such as the friendly fire episode, were made up. Likewise, the final part, the return to Saigon in 1975 as it was falling, was something I did not directly experience. I have a close friend who was there at that time and was able to help some Vietnamese friends get out. He was kind enough to provide me with the detail of what that was like and I used my imagination to work out what might possibly have happened when Michael returned to find Thao. I also used THE VIETNAM WAR, AN ALMANAC (published by World Almanac Publications) for some specific detail I needed that I may not have directly experienced. I began returning to Vietnam in 1991. At that time, much of Saigon was the same as when I had left almost 20 years earlier, and that helped revive the memories and places. Meet R.E. Nelson
R.E. Nelson was born in Texas and raised in Southern California. He has been writing for as long as he can remember. One of his earliest recollections related to writing is winning an essay contest in sixth grade--something patriotic about the American flag. When he travels, his preference is staying in select areas for an extended period of time and learning about that place. He has lived in both Vietnam (twice, actually) and Saudi Arabia, and also spent time in Egypt, South Korea, Shanghai (his only China visit thus far), and Dubai. Now he is happy to call San Francisco home.
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Excerpt:
The cyclo had bumped across the bridge, following the curve in the road, then moved quickly down the final straight stretch, past houses and shops, past rows of trees and walls and occasional open spaces, past vendors who lined the street’s edge selling gasoline in glass bottles. Motorcycles, Lambretta mini-buses packed with people, cream-and-blue Renault taxis, pedestrians with baskets and boxes—all crowded the street. Noises, smells, and smoke came from everywhere, and as the driver increased his speed, I smiled, gripping the metal frame tighter and pushing slightly with my feet as the moist wind rushed around me. Speeding through the streets of Saigon, wearing the green Air Force-issued jungle fatigues, my life of a year ago seemed unreal.
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Tour Stops: 6-Apr Inked Rainbow Reads 13-Apr Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance 20-Apr Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words 20-Apr Iyana Jenna 27-Apr Hearts on Fire 4-May Love Bytes 11-May Multitasking Mommas Prism Book Alliance 18-May MM Good Book Reviews 25-May My Fiction Nook 1-Jun Bayou Book Junkie 8-Jun Multitasking Mommas 15-Jun Emotion in Motion 22-Jun Rainbow Gold Reviews 29-Jun BFD Book Blog 6-Jul TTC Books and More 13-Jul 3 Chicks After Dark 20-Jul Cate Ashwood ![]() Blurb: As Sergeant At Arms for Devils Pride MC, Tyler “Trick” Malone’s take no prisoners reputation make him one of the most feared and respected members of the club. Unbeknownst to the MC, Trick indulges his most dangerous secret, traveling out of state twice a year to trade his cut for the whip he expertly wields at a gay dungeon. Trick’s well organized life takes a turn when he saves bar back, and terrified submissive, Chase Ward in a Georgia dungeon. With his protector and dungeon owner dead, Chase is no longer safe in the place he once called home. With the new dungeon owners circling like sharks, he desperately begs for sanctuary in the arms of his savior. A year later, the MC is still none the wiser that Trick’s houseboy is anything more than a grateful servant. Chase knows, if the club finds out their secret, they will kill Trick—the man he’s come to rely on for everything from the food he eats to the pleasure he feels to the security he craves. Even when gratitude turns to love, Chase never expects reciprocation from his ruthless Master. After all, the only way for them to survive is if Trick remains the heartless bastard the MC knows. Trick is positive he has it under control and having Chase around has definitely made his life easier. There doesn’t seem to be any harm in letting Chase take a part-time job at Velvet Ropes, especially after meeting privately with the owners. That is until a bomb explodes at the club, leaving Chase fighting for his life and forcing Trick to face his long hidden feelings. Even if Chase survives, that bomb has done more than rock the foundation of the popular leather club. It’s blown Trick and Chase’s well-guarded secret out of hiding, putting their lifestyle and their lives at risk. Now there is only one thing Trick needs to do before the club gets them and that’s to get revenge on the person who dared to hurt his precious boy. Authors Note: Tricking Chase is a direct spin-off of The Protector, which is book 3 in my Sizzling Miami series. Though I tried to provide enough details that it isn’t necessary to have read that book, I cannot really call this a standalone. Warning: Tricking Chase contains an established D/s relationship, hot guys on motorcycles, an undercover DEA agent named Snake, and a few visits from fan favorite Sizzling Miami characters. GUEST POST First, I want to thank Elizabeth Noble from Emotion in Motion for hosting Tricking Chase today. I’m sure I’ve said this before, but I’ve had this book swirling around in my head for a year. The problem was figuring out where it fit in to the existing Sizzling Miami series. The truth was, while I knew there would be appearances from Sizzling Miami characters, this book really does veer far from the atmosphere I’ve created in that series. I also knew pretty early on that I was wanted to know more about Devils Pride MC, which REALLY wouldn’t fit anywhere in the existing series. Once I decided I was writing a second series, the idea of putting out a Book 1 that wasn’t a standalone was a little scary. I started calling it a crossover, a spinoff, definitely not a standalone. Is it absolutely necessary to read the Sizzling Miami series before reading Tricking Chase? I have had excellent reviews from people who haven’t read the other books, so no, it’s not. But I will tell you, and those reviews will tell you, you’ll get so much more out of Tricking Chase if you (at least) read The Protector. There are some definitive crossover scenes told from varying points of view that will have much more impact for having read The Protector. So why do I write series books? To be honest, I can’t say goodbye to my characters. Each of my books has its own set of main characters and its own HEA, but I need to know what happens after the happily ever after. By creating a family atmosphere and tying my guys together on different levels, I get to revisit my favorite characters over and over, and it only makes me want more of them. Right now I’m in the process of writing a novella sequel to For A Reason and have already hinted that I will probably do one for Tricking Chase, not to mention a planned full length sequel to The Protector…see, I can’t say goodbye! One reader asked me if this was my career. A year ago I would have said no, it was a side job. Since then I have spent less and less time on the business that I believed was my career and devoted more time to writing. As a result, I’ll have four books published the year and five books scheduled for next year. I think that means this is my fulltime job now, and that other business is just a side piece that I’m slowly letting go of. The realization of that dream is surreal, to say the least, and I honestly can’t wait to see where this road takes me. It’s been a true pleasure to hang out at Emotion in Motion today. I’ll be checking back often, so if anyone has any questions about the book or either series, please ask and I’ll be happy to answer! ![]() EXCERPT Sleep had become another elusive goal in his life since their weekend at Clay’s. No matter how hard Ty tried to wear himself out with work, the mere act of closing his eyes activated his brain. In the silent hours of the night he went over every dead end, every possible lead, and lately, every step of Alaric’s crazy plan. It didn’t help to know that Saul was refining it, making it into something he could live with. Allowing Chase to be part of it had been a mistake. Even as he was agreeing, Ty knew it was wrong. His gut told him it was and he always listened to his gut. It was the same instinct that saved his ass more times than not on the battlefield, the same instinct that told him he was needed at home. Ignoring it would be foolish and he may be a lot of things, but he prayed foolish wasn’t one of them. It had been over a month since the meeting at the Bennett Group and the waiting was only adding to the problem. Usually when a situation presented itself, the time between planning to execution was no more than a matter of days. He never gave himself too much time to overthink or overanalyze. Get in, get the job done, and get out. Bing, bang, boom. It was one of his many mottos. Four plus weeks of waiting, thinking and analyzing had him doubting everything. The plan sucked, the people involved with amateurs, Chase and his cousin would be in danger...was it any wonder his instincts were screaming? Coming full circle, his instincts also told him that Saul was the first real lead he had in finding Alicia. Those same instincts told him that the genius was the first real resource he could trust. Their personal reasons were solid and ones he could fully support. Their offers to help him had seemed both genuine and honest. It did help that Kyle was now involved with Saul, giving the man another layer of incentive to keep his word. That was the cynic in him for sure. On the surface there were a lot of similarities between them and he could see that Saul was an honorable man. If men such as them could be considered honorable. But, that added incentive...yeah, it kept the cynic in him happy as a pig in shit. Warm lips nuzzled his throat, bringing his focus back to the man in his arms. Ty knew he hadn’t made a sound, but Chase was so attuned to him that his sleepless nights had become Chase’s. “Ty, how can I help you sleep?” The sleepy use of his given name made him smile. It had taken time, but it was getting easier for Chase to say. Ty could answer a hundred different ways and Chase would be all too happy to comply. Some nights he just wanted to turn it all off, and nothing shut down the analytical part of his brain like getting lost in Chase’s welcoming body. Some nights he needed a sounding board, and Chase was always right there to listen and give him another perspective. His precious boy, his partner...his everything. Someday he’d tell him. Someday he’d get the words back. Someday they would live free of the life or death threat hanging over their heads. Someday they wouldn’t have to hide who they were to each other. Someday the only thing staining his hands would be the oil from his bike and not the blood of his enemies. The somedays were piling up and he just hoped he lived long enough to see it. Meet Jessie G![]() "Wearer of Many Hats" is a title that was given to Jessie by a former employer some twenty years ago. This dubious distinction, along with the job description "everything is her fault", came after she fixed an electrical problem—during her interview—that the office had been having for years. After that, if anything went wrong, her coworkers immediately declared it her fault so she'd have to fix it. This position of importance inspired the owner to convert a closet into an office, thereby providing her coworkers endless opportunities to refer to her as “the girl in the closet.” Today she is still the “Wearer of Many Hats” and her family has readily jumped on the “everything is her fault” bandwagon. Most mornings start at 5am, where she stumbles into her home office (which is step or two up from a closet) to tackle her personal email, watch gay porn and satisfy her Trivia Crack addiction. By six, she’s caffeinated and ready to take on the world. Wearing her favorite red power nightgown, she expertly designs websites, provides SEO and social media services, freelances as a bookkeeper, cooks, cleans and writes. Writing has been the elusive, life-long goal that seemed to be getting further away as the years went by. It took 30+ years to achieve, but she’s decided that timing is everything. The world wasn’t ready for m/m romance back then, and now that it is, the girl in the closet has finally found her writing home. Jessie is a firm believer in marriage equality, love at first sight, power dynamics and happily ever after. She’s a lover of strong secondary characters and series filled with families, biological or chosen. All are themes you'll find throughout her books. Individual Blog Giveaway: I’ll giveaway two .mobi copies of Tricking Chase per blog stop. ![]() Midsummer is an M/M May/December gay-for-you summer romance, set at a summer stock production of deep in the Virginia woods. Racheline and I often write stories about how stuff works behind the scenes, so we’re particularly excited about this backstage story. Summer stock companies more or less like Theater in the Woods -- the fictional theater troupe Midsummer -- exist all over the U.S. And as in our other backstage stories, in Midsummer we’ve tried to hew the line between the dictates of drama and story, and how stuff really works, in the real world. To some extent summerstock really is, as various characters describe it in the book, theater camp for grownups. Productions are usually Equity shows that provide opportunities for emerging artists to earn a salary and recently turned professional artists to earn their Equity cards. Often, well-known actors will participate in summerstock productions at big-name theaters in order to improve their reputation as a serious actor or just get back on the stage. Their presence can be a big draw for these small theaters. Ultimately, a summerstock company consists of a few dozen people -- the exact number depends on the size of the production and relevant support staff -- semi-trapped together for a season, often in very close and, at times, unideal accommodations. They live in theater housing, eat together, work together and, when the rehearsal and set-building is over for the day, play together. There are a lot of union rules involved with summerstock, as in all theater productions: who can do what work (and often, what work union members aren’t obligated to do); who gets what kind of rooms, etc. For the most part, we’ve tried to stick to the broad outline of those rules without bogging ourselves or our readers down in details; Racheline is a union actor, and we spent some time going back and forth with our editor over whether our readers would understand a reference to a particular Equity status (EMC). But we also let these rules slide in places where it served our story better. Let’s face it, we wanted John, our protagonist, shirtless and covered in paint at one point, and we hope you will too. Blurb: John Lyonel, a long-time theater professional and teacher, heads to Virginia to play Oberon in the Theater in the Woods’s production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, intending to focus on his work. John is recovering from the tragic loss of his family and needs a break. The last thing he expects is to become captivated by Michael Hilliard, the professional actor playing Puck, especially since John has never been attracted to men, let alone one so much younger. They rush headlong into an affair which falls apart dramatically over secrets that John and Michael are keeping from each other. A steep learning curve, the gossipy cast of the show, and the sometimes sinister magic of the woods conspire to keep them apart. But stage lights and stars might work their magic and help them define a new future. Excerpt: Costume fittings and dress rehearsals means that John finally gets to see Michael costumed as Puck. The human characters are dressed contemporarily, in suits and cocktail dresses that become increasingly disheveled as the show goes on. The fairies, though, are dressed in greens and browns with crowns of strange wildness -- thistles, cornsilk, and Queen Ann’s lace. Michael as Puck looks deeply inhuman, covered in leaves as if dragged in from the wooded grounds. For their first dress rehearsal, it takes all of John’s considerable experience and willpower to actually focus on the play and not Michael. As taken as Oberon is meant to be with Puck, he should actually be able to remember and deliver his lines. “Whose idea was this?” he asks Michael afterward, catching him before he can change. Michael blinks at him with eyes done up in silver and green. John wants to devour him. “Do you like it?” Michael asks, more distant and coy than usual, sliding his hands up John’s chest which, like his own, is bare. All John can do is groan when Michael looks up at him from under his lashes. He stands on his tiptoes to kiss John briefly, and then vanishes. When he reappears he’s Michael again, in t-shirt and shorts, but John can’t forget the image of him transformed. Meet Erin and RachelineErin McRae is a queer writer and blogger based in Washington, D.C. She has a master’s degree in International Affairs from American University, and delights in applying her knowledge of international relations theory to her fiction and screen-based projects, because conflict drives narrative. Racheline Maltese lives a big life from a small space. She flies planes, sails boats, and rides horses, but as a native New Yorker, has no idea how to drive a car. A long-time entertainment and media industry professional, she lives in Brooklyn with her partner and their two cats. Together, they are co-authors of the gay romance series Love in Los Angeles, set in the film and television industry -- Starling (September 10, 2014), Doves (January 21, 2015), and Phoenix (June 10, 2015) -- from Torquere Press. Their gay romance novella series Love’s Labours, set in the theater world -- Midsummer (May 2015), and Twelfth Night (Fall 2015), is from Dreamspinner Press. They also have a story in Best Gay Romance 2015 from Cleis Press and edited by Felice Picano. You can find them on the web at http://www.Avian30.com. |
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