Saturday, December 10, 2016

#MySexySaturday - Sexy in Space!



Hey! Happy #MySexySaturday! The theme this week is Sexy in Space, which proved to be difficult for me, because I'm not much for science fiction. However, I do have a sexy m/m historical set in 1955 Seattle called Aqua Follies. And Seattle's known for the Space Needle. So yeah, it's loose, but there's a connection. Also, I was playing with the story this week, so the it's fresh in my mind.

This is kind of a long 7 paragraphs, in which our hero Russell sees the man of his dreams. Unfortunately, his soon-to-be fiance Susie is one of the synchronized swimmers performing at the Aqua Follies, and Russell is the coach. Yeah, there are some potential conflicts....





He pressed a kiss on the top of her head. “Yes, dear.”
Their last hurrah. They had two weeks in Seattle, then another run in Detroit. At some point, Russell would give Susie the diamond ring he had tucked in the bottom of his suitcase. He snugged her closer to his side. He’d start his new job, they’d get hitched, he’d buy the house, and she’d give him babies. More importantly, the wedding would give his parents something to be happy about.
The feeling of dread wedged under his sternum had more to do with nerves than anything else.
The director called for the Night at Club Aqua number and counted off a fast tempo. His baton flashed in the floodlights blazing from the edge of the stage. From the orchestra pit, the band hit the opening bars of In the Mood. Susie took off, diving into action with the other Aqua Dears. They spun through the water in a synchronized display, while the dancing half of their traveling troupe, the Aqua Darlings, took the stage dressed in sparkling blue skirts, white blouses, and low-heeled black shoes.
The big band, a dozen musicians playing brass and strings and percussion, romped through the verses twice, their heads silhouetted in the stage lights. Then a lone musician stood, rising into the glare like Gary Cooper on the screen at a drive-in movie. He was tall and lean and handsome, with a curled pompadour and a five o’clock shadow. Curiosity pinned Russell in place. Then the young man put a trumpet to his lips and Russell had to close his eyes.
The music rang out over the lake and bounced off the rooftops in the surrounding neighborhood. The tone was cool but the solo was hot, hitting Russell with the force of a pick-ax. The horn’s voice turned his insides to jelly, but the man – from the swoop of his hair to the curve of his bicep – swapped that jelly for lava.
He tried to tell himself his damp clothes caused the shivers chasing over his skin, but didn’t come close to believing it. He dug his fingertips into the bands of muscle running up the back of his own neck and dragged his gaze back to the swimmers, breathing slow and deep to force the flush out of his face. He’d just been surprised by the man, and exhausted from travel. He’d be fine. Everything was okay.

Seattle's Space Needle
(See? Space! It ties in!)

Russell's got some work to do before his two weeks in Seattle are over, don't you think? Hopefully I'll soon have some good news about Aqua Follies and you can read it for real. In the meantime, Irene and I have another giveaway running to celebrate the release of Bonfire, our m/m paranormal holiday story. If you want to learn more about Bonfire, jump HERE



Thanks so much for visiting!!

Readers, please visit us at our new Author Central where we’ll be sharing even more from our authors besides Saturday’s snippets. We’d love to have each and every one of you there as we’re starting new things this month with fun and prizes along the way.


Monday, December 5, 2016

New Release: Once & Forever by MS Kaye

Once & Forever

Once&Forever.v5.BN

Once & Forever, book 3, by MS Kaye



Who is the mysterious Santa who leaves toys on the convent steps? After a twelve-year separation, Eden is finally reunited with her brother, Thomas, but why hadn’t she reached out to him in all those years? Eden, a nun, is constantly struggling against her dark past of living on the streets, and her attraction to Trace, an ex-convict farm worker. As Eden and Trace confess their pasts to each other and grow closer, will they be able to resist getting too close?







Author Bio: M.S. Kaye has several published books under her black belt. A transplant from Ohio, she resides with her husband Corey in Jacksonville, Florida, where she tries not to melt in the sun. Find suspense and the unusual at www.BooksByMSK.com. To receive news on upcoming releases, sign up for email updates on her website.






“You know what he did to git sent to prison?” one of the convenience store clerks murmured to the other.

 Trace could just hear them over the horrible rendition of “Jingle Bells” playin’ through the speakers. He ignored them, like he always did. He tried to come into town late in the evening to avoid people as much as possible, but that also meant it was quiet enough that he could often hear what people murmured about him. Once he’d grabbed some protein bars and a can of beer, he headed up to the counter to pay.

 The clerk with a buzz-cut told him the total, and Trace handed him some cash.

 Neither of the clerks made eye contact with him, but they both hovered over the cash register as if he might snatch it and run.

 Buzz-cut closed the cash drawer right quick and handed Trace’s change back.

 “Thank you.” Trace stuffed the change in his pocket, took the bag of protein bars in one hand and his beer in the other, and walked out of the store.

 He headed for the back lot toward the alley. He could get through most of downtown by way of the alley. This late at night it was almost too dark to see where he was goin’, but that was part of what he liked about it.

“Bitch,” someone growled. And then the sound of something—or someone—smacking into the brick wall of the back of the convenience store.

Trace moved more quickly and turned the corner, and he caught sight of a skinny, young woman punching a man in the face. His head snapped back. But then another man slammed his fist across her jaw. She looked so frail that the punch seemed like shooting a cannon ball at a piece of notebook paper.

 “Hey!” Trace roared and ran at them. “Git away from her.”


~*~

Once, book 1 

Her first and also her once. Jonathan and Rebecca’s paths cross at exactly the right moment, when each most needs to hear what the other has to say. But Jonathan is three days from entering the priesthood, and Rebecca leaves him to his peace. But he is unable to find peace. Without each other’s comfort and strength, they must each struggle to forge a new path, with only memories of the one day that changed everything. But are they able to forget and let go?

Amazon | Kobo | iBooks | B&N ARe | Goodreads


Once &Again, book 2 

She was once his secret desire… Will she be again? Father Aiden, an ex-marine and new priest, falls in love with Maylynn, but he struggles to stay away from her. He’s successful for many years, though he can’t keep her out of his dreams. Then one day she shows up for a pre-marital counselling session with her fiancĂ©, Davis. Aiden soon realizes Davis isn’t who he says he is, but what does that mean for Maylynn, and for himself?

Amazon | B&N iBooks | Kobo | ARe | Goodreads

Saturday, December 3, 2016

#MySexySaturday - My Sexy Dreamer



Well hey! Last week, my #MySexySaturday post got lost in the holiday shuffle, but I'm happy to be back. This week's theme is My Sexy Dream, and I pulled seven paragraphs from my work-in-progress. We're in David's point of view, and he's a werewolf, son of the American Alpha. His lover - and bodyguard - Trajan, is a vampire, and they're on the run from miscellaneous bad guys. Also, David's just learned there's a recent ex in the picture. 

(Technically they're not dreaming, though from a certain angle, Trajan is better than anything David could dream up.)

After the shower, I feel slightly more human – or as close as I get. Trajan has emptied my scorched suitcase and spread my clothes all over the room, and I’m the only thing in the space that doesn’t smell like smoke. “What the hell?”

He shrugs. “Gotta air things out.” There’s half an apology in his voice. “You should sleep. The sun’s going to come up in a couple hours, and one of us will need to stay awake.” He rubs his eyes, looking as tired as I feel. “I don’t want to tell anyone, even Sheena, where we are."

The air-conditioned chill battles with the exhaust-heavy air from the doorway. He’s right. I’m going to have to pack a good eight hours between now and sunrise. It’s a physics problem, or something. All the drama has me wired, though. “Not sure I’ll be able to close my eyes.”

He moves, smooth and fast, pushing me back against the saggy mattress. “Let me help you.”

“Wait.

But he doesn’t wait. He tugs on my jeans. They’re so loose they slide right down. Then he slides down too, landing on his knees. I want to protest, but the best I can do is twist my fingers in his hair, holding on while he pulls my hips to the edge of the bed.

His lips trail along my inner thigh, but as my pulse races, I hear soul mate soul mate soul mate with every beat. He tongues my balls, sending shivers up from my belly. He’s been so good. Loyal, protective, kind. And I can’t figure out why.


~*~


Thanks so much for playing along! Since my snippet is from an unpublished story, I'm going to take a minute to pimp my friend J.R.'s newest. The Auction is all about the hot and kinky, and the cover is amazing. Check it out! 






One night changes everything.

Stark is too old to be selling himself, or his services. He’s too set in his ways, too piled in grief, and well...it’s been too long. But when your best friend is a big demanding drag queen, and hosting the event, it’s impossible to say no. It's one night, he convinces himself, and then he can get back to his reclusive life.

Scotty can handle the club for one night. It’s Christmas Eve after all, and the auction is for charity. If she saw her ex she could deal with it, she hoped and it wasn’t like she had to bid on anyone. But when she comes back from the bar she finds her best friend had other plans, and now she has a date with a mysterious dominant.



Amazon     -   ARe      -     Kobo


Thanks again for visiting. Make sure you check out the other fab #MySexySaturday posts, and have a great weekend!
Readers, please visit us at our new Author Central where we’ll be sharing even more from our authors besides Saturday’s snippets. We’d love to have each and every one of you there as we’re starting new things this month with fun and prizes along the way.

Thursday, December 1, 2016

Spotlight: All in Fear







Want something a bit different for the holidays? Horror has never looked this enticing! New release, All in Fear, is a gorgeous collection of horror tales from some of the hottest names in queer fiction. Be prepared to be titillated...and terrified.


All in Fear

By KJ Charles, Roan Parrish, J.A. Rock,
Steve Berman, Avon Gale, and Kris Ripper

Available 12/1/16




Horror wears many faces, and its masks can be tantalizing. Some of the top names in queer fiction come together to spin their own versions of horror. Worlds rife with dark beauty and mystery, the familiar becoming terrible, creatures ethereal and alluring—and all bearing the gleam of love. Does hope lie along these grim passages or only doom? It will become clear. All in time—and all in fear.



Company by Roan Parrish


Nick Levy’s family is falling apart and he has no friends, but at least he can escape into the world of his favorite comic book series, The Face of the Vampire. Naturally, when the vampire in question shows up one day, Nick is enthralled. After all, what could be better than his own personal fantasy made real? Except that Nick isn’t exactly sure whether Michel is real or not. And when the arrival of a new boy in school promises romance, Nick sees a side of Michel he never could have imagined. This Michel is cruel, jealous . . . and he’ll do anything to keep Nick for himself.

Love Me True by Kris Ripper


Palmer's life is as good as it gets. Well, okay, so he hates his mind-numbing office job. But he's found a hot, smart, incredibly kinky guy. The sex is explosive. The power play is off the hook. And if he gets his way, Jon will soon be his husband.

When Palmer asks, Jon says yes. For the first time ever, Palmer thinks things might be really good. Sure, bad things happen in the worldto other people. But this is all he needs: Jon at the end of the day, in their bed, arms around him.

How could he have possibly been so stupid?

The Price of Meat by KJ Charles


Johanna Oakley will do anything to save her beloved Arabella from the cruelty of Mr Fogg’s madhouse—but ‘anything’ turns out to be more than she bargained for when she finds herself working for a man suspected of worse than murder. As Johanna is plunged from the horror of Sawney Reynard’s barber shop into the foul, lawless labyrinth at the heart of London, can she or anyone get out alive?

His Mouth Will Taste of Chernobyl by Steve Berman


Joining Zeta Psi isn’t Steve’s dream, it’s his dad’s. Nevertheless his dad’s gift of the mysterious Bailey flask gets Steve an in to the frat house, and maybe his best shot at being accepted on campus. But the flask’s silver sheen may only be lighting his way into the darkness at the heart of the frat—and the darkness he’s learning is within himself. Steve wants to choose who he is, but choices are dropping like flies as he learns the true mystery of the Bailey flask. How does he give back a gift that’s also a curse?

Legion: A Love Story by Avon Gale


STAFF SERGEANT JASON ESSEX, YOU HAVE RECEIVED THE FOLLOWING ORDERS FROM THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS:

REPORT TO: CAIN INSTITUTE [ADDRESS REDACTED]

ACTIVE DUTY COMMITMENT: GUARD AN ENTITY CURRENTLY HELD IN AN ENCLOSURE AT THE CAIN INSTITUTE. RECORD DAILY MEASUREMENTS. KEEP ANY AND ALL PERSONS FROM ENTERING OR LEAVING THE FACILITY. ENSURE THE ENTITY REMAINS COMPLETELY INCARCERATED. OBSERVE THE ENTITY WITHOUT ENGAGING.

ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS: THIS ASSIGNMENT WILL BE CARRIED OUT IN FULL ISOLATION. PLEASE BE ADVISED.

Beauties by J.A. Rock


When Dr. Lester Usole attends an event at AI developer Carnificiality, he’s introduced to Beauties: artificial beings designed to provide tailored sexual experiences for their human owners. Lester isn’t interested in sex—but he is fascinated by Ira, a Beauty too violent to be sold.

Lester convinces Carnificiality to give Ira to him. Lester has always wanted the chance to work with an adult AI, and around Lester, Ira isn’t violent. He’s strangely innocent, uncannily perceptive, and his company does much to ease Lester’s loneliness. Except something’s not quite right: Ira roams at night, even when Lester’s sure he’s locked Ira’s door.

Soon Lester is certain of only one thing: Ira has a secret. Something that will link their pasts and change the course of their future—if Lester is willing to face what’s on the inside.






Learn more on Goodreads.
 Order it now: Publisher’s Site  |  Amazon  |  B&N  |  ARe  |   Apple  |  Kobo


“An engaging anthology of queer fiction filled with monsters, mysteries, and menace.”  — Kirkus Reviews



About the Authors:

Steve Berman

Steve Berman loves to tell stories that are both queer and weird. He was a Zeta Psi back in his college days at and remembers being hazed. He survived and graduated and even earned a Masters Degree in Liberal Studies. He has written and sold over a hundred articles, essays, and short stories. His YA novel, Vintage, was a finalist for the Andre Norton Award.


KJ Charles

KJ Charles is a writer and freelance editor. She lives in London with her husband, two kids, and a cat with murder management issues. KJ writes mostly historical romance, mostly queer, often with fantasy or horror in there.

Find her on Twitter @kj_charles, pick up book info and free reads on her website at kjcharleswriter.com, get the infrequent newsletter at kjcharleswriter.com/newsletter, or join her Facebook group, KJ Charles Chat, for sneak peeks and exclusives.

Avon Gale

Avon Gale wrote her first story at the age of seven, about a “Space Hat” hanging on a rack and waiting for that special person to come along and purchase it — even if it was a bit weirder than the other, more normal hats. Like all of Avon’s characters, the space hat did get its happily ever after — though she’s pretty sure it was with a unicorn. She likes to think her vocabulary has improved since then, but the theme of quirky people waiting for their perfect match is still one of her favorites.

Avon grew up in the southern United States, and now lives with her very patient husband in a liberal midwestern college town. When she’s not writing, she’s either doing some kind of craft project that makes a huge mess, reading, watching horror movies, listening to music or yelling at her favorite hockey team to get it together, already. Avon is always up for a road trip, adores Kentucky bourbon, thinks nothing is as stress relieving as a good rock concert and will never say no to candy.

At one point, Avon was the mayor of both Jazzercise and Lollicup on Foursquare. This tells you basically all you need to know about her as a person.

Connect with Avon:
Twitter: @avongalewrites
Sign up for Avon’s Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/bOXXp9

Roan Parrish

Roan Parrish lives in Philadelphia where she is gradually attempting to write love stories in every genre.

When not writing, she can usually be found cutting her friends’ hair, meandering through whatever city she’s in while listening to torch songs and melodic death metal, or cooking overly elaborate meals. She loves bonfires, winter beaches, minor chord harmonies, and self-tattooing. One time she may or may not have baked a six-layer chocolate cake and then thrown it out the window in a fit of pique.

Sign up for her Newsletter to receive updates about new releases, works-in-progress, and bonus materials like sneak peeks and extra scenes! eepurl.com/bmJUbr
Twitter: @RoanParrish

Kris Ripper

Kris Ripper lives in the great state of California and hails from the San Francisco Bay Area. Kris shares a converted garage with a little kid, can do two pull-ups in a row, and can write backwards. (No, really.) Kris is genderqueer and prefers the z-based pronouns because they’re freaking sweet. Ze has been writing fiction since ze learned how to write, and boring zir stuffed animals with stories long before that.

Links:
The site: 
krisripper.com
The Facebook group: Ripper's Irregulars: https://www.facebook.com/groups/405062456366636/
The Twitter: 
http://www.twitter.com/SmutTasticKris

 J.A. Rock

J.A. Rock is the author or coauthor of over twenty LGBTQ romance, suspense, and horror novels, as well as an occasional contributor to HuffPo Queer Voices. J.A. has received Lambda Literary and INDIEFAB Award nominations for Minotaur, and The Subs Club received the 2016 National Leather Association-International Pauline Reage Novel Award. J.A. lives in Chicago with an extremely judgmental dog, Professor Anne Studebaker.