|
What do you get? Well, you'll
be entered for the grand prize win of....check out the end of this post for the
list of prizes.
If you comment here, be sure to put
your email addy and I'll send out a copy of Blue Heaven to one poster.
Waves at everyone. I am
Jadette Paige. I write m/m fantasy/contemporary romance.
Why you ask?
I was a man in another life.
Hey...
Don't look at me like that.
I happen to be very serious.
About four or five years ago, I
played around with writing a m/m romance. Imagine the expressions (and
comments) I received from my critique group when I posted a small (iddy biddy
tiny - I blushed) section of a story.
They were like You wrote this???
Uh, yeah! What of it?
Oh, nothing, nothing, just can't see
you writing M/M romance.
 Okayyyyyy.
So to prove them wrong (human nature
when you're competitive, right?), I set out to write a M/M fantasy romance. I
finished and submitted it to a publisher. Two weeks later it was contracted.
Verification? I think so.
From the very beginning of my
writing career, I have told the stories through the male hero's pov. They come
to me that way. Not the female's but the males. I'm comfortable in the male's
POV. So was it a no brainer? I believe so.
Blue Heaven
Take him from Heaven’s Seat. Bring him to me. We will protect
his sacred head.
Stryver Zorti’s mission appears simple. Kidnap the Godchild and
deliver him to his master. But with the first meeting of the holy man’s azure
gaze, desire surges in him to strip bare the God and touch the man within.
Worshiped all his life, the Godchild is shocked by the stranger
who dares lay hands on him, even if it is to save him from assassins. With a
different name given by his new ally, Blue is freed from the constraints of the
holy order for the first time. He revels in the extraordinary experiences
opening to him, then in the passion that sparks between him and the hard-edged,
oddly gentle Stryver.
But a god does not love, and if discovered, their precarious
utopia will shatter, destroying any chance for a future together--that is, if
the assassins don’t kill them first.
I love reading m/m romance and I adore writing m/m romance.
Will I stop because I'm a woman? Hell no! Why?
Cause I was a man in my previous life. And if Tite
Kubo ends up killing off Yumichika or Ikkaku in this last story arc, I will be
pissed!
Jadette Paige
Scavenger hunt!
Below is the list of
links without comment sections and what I want you to find on each site.
·
Email me (hayley.b.james at gmail) with your answer.
·
Include "Blog Hop Prize" in the subject of your email.
·
An entry only counts if you email me the 1. site name and 2. the
answer.
·
You can do as many as you want. It's one entry per site. (If you
do two, your name is entered twice toward the grand prize)
Check back when the Hop begins to start the
hunt!
Find me the name which
appears on page eleven in the Spectre comic.
2. TJ and Amal
Find me what page TJ and
Amal first exchange names.
(hint—chapter one)
Find me the link to Aarin
Secret Yaoi Magazine.
(hint—this is on the main
forum as a description)
Find me the release date
of "Say Please" by Kano Miyamoto.
Find me the first written
word on That Which Wills page nine.
The
Prizes!
One ebook (7 in total) from each of the
following authors:
·
H.C. Brown
·
RJ Scott
·
Sara York
·
Shira Anthony
·
JR Loveless
·
Hayley B. James
·
Kerry Freeman
Two Yaoi Press titles.
Winner's pick of one Boy’s
Love Bang Bang title:
Here's a list of other
participants on the blog hop.
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Friday, June 22, 2012
Blog Hop Manga and Romance - Contest/Prizes
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Wicked Intentions - Talia Carmichael
When I sat down to write Wicked Intentions
(Bonds of Justice #1) I already had the characters in my mind. Evan is a mystery
writer but never experienced one until someone tries to kill him. Ian is one of
the detectives sent to investigate his case. So we had a man who wrote
mysteries but believed in the goodness or saw the positive in life and a
policeman who sees the bad of people and that know they lie. They are very
opposites, which is a pairing that I enjoy writing. I had my hero's and now I
needed a setting.
The setting for my books in the Bonds of Justice series will be a familiar one to my readers. I used Hollisville -
a fictional town I created for another of my series - to set the books in. A
new set of characters set in a familiar place. I get to explore the town
through their set of friends, people they interact with and places they visit.
There is nothing more fun than that. With the setting picked I needed my plot.
Ahh...the plot for the book was a little mystery of
who is trying to kill Evan. I knew who it was but didn't want to make it to
easy to figure out. Now the problem was Evan didn't want to believe that
someone was trying to kill him. It was frustrating for both Ian and myself to
convince Evan someone was indeed trying to murder him. Ian is a protector and
all his instincts were on high alert to protect Evan. But how do you protect
someone who doesn't believe they need protecting? Or if that someone is a person
you find yourself attracted too? That's Ian problem, he is used to being the
utmost professional yet Evan makes him go beyond that and get personal.
With the characters, setting and plot I sat down to
write the story. I was deep in my characters head and the book was going along
well...at least until I hit a snag trying to figure out how to reveal the
villain in the book and who would save Evan. Well Ian wanted too of course but
Evan wasn't agreeing so he saved himself. Not once but twice - in a car chase
scene and the final one that brings it all to a close.
Wicked Intentions was a fun book to write and enjoyed exploring how Evan and Ian got
together.
Here is a look at my book that came out yesterday.
Wicked Intentions
By: Talia Carmichael
Total E Bound
Release. Date: June 2012
ISBN: 978-1-78184-021-4
Genre: Contemporary
Series: Bonds
of Justice - Book 1
Length: Novella
Format: E-Book
Excerpt
He lifted the receiver, propping it on his shoulder, starting
to type again as he said, “I painted a bullseye on my chest, went outside, then
shook my ass, taunting the shooter to come get me.” He stopped typing. “Hmmm…maybe
that can work in a book.”
“It would be better to do that in fiction than reality,” a deep
baritone said.
That voice. Although he had heard it only once, he recognised it.
Evan lifted his head, dropping the phone from its perch. He winced as it
clattered to the desk. He picked it up.
“Shit. Sorry…the phone fell.” He breathed deep as he continued.
“You’re absolutely right. I would never do that in reality, Detective. Probably
not in a book.”
“Not Detective. We did away with that formality. It’s Ian. Why
probably not in a book?”
“Because my main protagonist would not go for that.”
“Then make it a wacky sub-character. Someone that your main
character would look at and wonder, ‘What the fuck?’” Ian stated.
“You know, that could work. Even down to the ’What the fuck?’.
You seem to know my main protag. Have you read my books?” Evan held the phone
firmer.
“No, I haven’t. But my research for the case included some
about your writing.”
Evan was disappointed that he hadn’t read them. “Do you like
mysteries?”
“When they’re written close to the way things are done.”
“I try to do that. I’ll send you some of my books,” Evan said.
“That isn’t necessary, Evan.”
Evan didn’t reply either way, changing the subject. “I’ll use
the bullseye thing in my new book. It’s going so well. Getting shot at seems to
be great inspiration.”
He laughed.
“Tell me what you’re writing about. Or is that top secret while
you’re working on it?” Ian asked.
He hesitated. Usually, while he was writing, he didn’t share
his plot with anyone…aside from Danny. His heart ached at how he missed that.
Ian spoke again.
“I understand. I—”
Evan interrupted him. “No, that’s okay. It’s just been a while
since I’ve done that.” He cleared his throat, then told Ian what he was
writing.
Evan stood as he spoke. He went to his bookcase and pulled out
the hardcover editions of the first six books in the series. He always had
extras. He placed them on the side table in his home office and wrote a note
for his assistant to mail them to Ian at the police station. Grabbing the card
Ian had given him, he clipped it to the paper so he had the address. Evan sat
again, relaxing back into his seat. He enjoyed Ian’s insights into his plot.
Evan glanced at the time, realising they had been talking for almost an hour.
“Sorry. You should have told me to shut up. When I get going
about my stories, I tend to keep going.”
“No problem. I was enjoying it. Sounds like you do keep things
close to reality,” Ian said.
“I try. Thanks for listening to me. Maybe I’ll pick your brain
for some of my research.”
“Pick away,” Ian offered.
“Be careful what you agree to. I can go on for hours.”
“We can keep talking as long as you’d like. I’m home for the
night. I can’t promise to not start snoring in your ear.” Ian laughed, a warm
sound.
“Oh. Umm…long day, huh?” Evan asked.
“Just another day. Lots of cases, very little progress.”
“Just like my case. Is that the reason you’re calling? Did you
find something?” Evan asked.
“Nothing yet. I know you spoke with Hunter a few times, but I
had some other questions.”
“Sure. Go ahead.” Evan glanced out at the view behind his
house.
The oasis of flowers, trees, and comfortable seating beckoned
him. Standing, he crossed his spacious office and paused before the glass door.
He slid it open and stepped outside. He curled his bare toes into the plush
grass. He wandered as he answered Ian’s questions. In the semi-dark of his
garden, Ian’s voice, despite the professional edge of his questions, seemed
intimate.
“Well, that’s it.”
“Okay, Ian.”
There was a pause, then Ian said, “About the book, I think you
really are going somewhere with making the car blow up. But you should get the
feel of it right. The scent and sounds. I’ve heard the bomb guys talk about how
each bomb has a different scent and feel to it.”
“Really. How?”
Evan listened as Ian told him about it. He sat on the padded
bench swing in an alcove of trees towards the back of his garden. He plucked at
a thread he saw in the zigzagged pattern of the seat. He stopped, hugging a
blue cushion. They continued to chat about his book and some of Ian’s
experiences as a cop. Evan returned inside when it darkened and started getting
cooler. Not bothering with the lights, he sat back in his comfortable office
chair, discussing his book and other things with Ian. As the conversation wound
down, he was reluctant to get off the phone. Ian yawned again.
“You’d better go sleep, before you start snoring in my ear,”
Evan teased.
“I’d better, since I don’t want to frighten you with my loud
rattling.” Ian chuckled, his voice hoarse.
“Night, Ian.”
“Night, Evan. It was…good talking with you. I’ll let you know
if I hear any more on your case.”
The dial tone sounded in Evan’s ear. He frowned at the phone.
He’d heard the regret and shift back to professionalism in Ian’s tone. Evan
replaced the receiver, putting his head back on the chair. Ian was an enigma—one
Evan hoped he would get a chance to know better.
Just as a friend. He’s going to be a
friend.
Evan might have been attracted to him, but he wasn’t sure if he
was ready to pursue anything else. Ian would make a good friend. Evan was
already looking forward to their next conversation. Evan brought his computer
out of hibernation and went back to writing. Ian’s insights made the scene he
was working on get clearer.
Much later, Evan got ready for bed. He could have kept writing,
but he had a workout session planned with Gio and Brooks. After today’s—he
glanced at the clock, noting it was after two a.m.—yesterday’s, and the intense
exercise routine they had gone through, he knew he needed his rest. He didn’t
even think of cancelling it.
Sliding between the covers, he was still too keyed up to go to
sleep. Evan ran his hand over the front of his pajama shorts, stroking along
the ridge of his cock.
Copyright © Talia Carmichael, 2012.
All Rights Reserved.
All Rights Reserved.
Bio: Talia Carmichael is a romantic who believes that family, no
matter if it is by blood or those you choose as family, is integral to who you
are. She is an author who writes sexy stories in a variety of genres. She
believes in creating stories that encompass all that falling in love or lust
entails, from the highs of that first blush of attraction to the lows of not
knowing if you can make your coming together as a couple work, and then finally
to the acceptance of the reality of making a life together. It's all about the
journey.
Among her books you'll find contemporary,
futuristic, fantasy, and paranormal settings with M/M themes that will have a
happily-ever-after. Her books are passionate, intense, and real… to fill the
craving. You can find out more about Talia at her website http://taliacarmichael.com, blog http://taliacarmichael.com/blog,
and facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Talia-Carmichael/247134751977720
or
Monday, May 21, 2012
Debut Novel by Rodney Ross - The Cool Part of His Pillow
As a newly-published author, the arena of self-promotion is new to me...and daunting. I labored for twenty-plus years in Advertising and Marketing, but the product was never me. It's also where, ironically, I did very little writing, my time spent mostly calming manic producers and diva directors. But that is another sordid story for another seedy day.
But Dreamspinner Press' publication of 'The Cool Part Of His Pillow' (TCPohP) fulfills a lifelong dream, and so I shall shamelessly flog, blog, gab, blab and don a sandwich board if need to get my novel into appreciative hands.
I was a creative and brooding child, always writing: little playlets that I would act all of the characters for into a tape recorder; grade school newsletter; then, the high school newspaper. It was within that 4-year chronology that I encountered the worst and best of public education. I had a hateful Journalism teacher who was more denture click and hip pop than willing to provide sound writing advice. She often criticized me for being "wordy". Too verbose, she death rattled, shaking a palsied claw at me, as I scribbled notes about what appeared to be her male pattern baldness.
In that same high school, I was also fortunate enough to be mentored by an English teacher who plucked me from the soul-sucking classroom of conformity and placed me in independent study. I kept a journal, which I submitted once weekly, and was assigned literature -- everything from Joyce Carol Oates to Tennessee Williams to Judy Blume! -- to write essays on and critiques of. What a forward-thinking man that teacher was, in his jeans-and-no-tie-and-feathered-hair way, and I am still grateful he and his wife are part of my life.
Yet, when I became the Creative Director at the Midwestern ad agency cited above, I needed outside sustenance. Boy, did I need it! In my off-hours, I wrote screenplays, and later a play. The challenge then, and now, is always sitting down and writing, while also being depressingly aware that the final polish is so, so distant. Writing is so damned isolated, and isolating.
I'd like to wax poetic and say that 'TCPohP' drifted gently into my twilight and, after a few copious note-taking sessions, assembled itself during the night with the help of speed-typing elves...but building believable, dimensional characters is hard work. I have to incorporate humor. I'm not talking rimshot jokes nor Neil Simon-ish set-ups…when I began writing 'TCPohP', I intuited this could be either casseroles and snotrags and a lot of breast-beating, or I could mine from this horrendous tragedy a lot of macabre observation, and then spin off into the scatological, the blasphemous, the politically-incorrect.
If there's any counsel I'd offer an aspiring author, it's this: be a voracious reader...digest the words of others and inhabit worlds you may never otherwise visit. For me, it was ''The World According To Garp' by John Irving that opened my eyes to possibilities in literature that didn’t exist to me prior. I can only aspire to his enduring literary prowess. Oh: and always have a damn a notepad and pen (or a mini-cassette recorder) handy. Feel free to soar. Jump-cut to Paris, France...impale a beloved character on a picket fence...make cancer go into remission...I relish that ability because, let's face it, real-life does not offer this liberty. On a more workmanlike level, you have to STAY AT IT. Practice may not make perfect, but it develops muscle.
Of course I am working on a new novel in the midst of this shilling for 'TCPohP'. It’s about bad luck, and good -- the paths chosen when fortune smiles on us, the desperate measures taken when it doesn’t. But, for now, I'm trying to savor the fresh publication, the warmth and friendship and support I’m getting in waves. I mean, fuck! I am a published wordsmith!
BLURB:
The mid-40's usually represent that time in a gay man’s life when the major paradigm shifts from sexy to sensible.
But when Barry Grooms's partner of twenty years is killed on Barry's forty-fifth birthday, his world doesn’t so much evolve as it does explode.
After navigating through the surreal conveyor belt of friends and family, he can't eat another casserole or swallow much more advice, and so, still numb, he escapes to Key West, then New York. He becomes so spontaneous he's ready to combust. First, he gets a thankless new job working for a crazy lady in a poncho, then has too many drinks with a narcissistic Broadway actor. Next, it's a nude exercise class that redefines flop sweat, and from there he’s on to a relationship with a man twenty years his junior, so youthfully oblivious he thinks Karen Carpenter is a lesbian woodworker.
Yet no matter how great the retreat from the man he used to be, life's gravity spins Barry back to the town where he grew up for one more ironic twist that teaches him how to say goodbye with grace.
Rodney Ross
E-Mail: RodneyTRoss@aol.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/RodneyTRoss
YouTube Promos: https://www.facebook.com/RodneyTRoss
TWITTER: @RodTRoss
YouTube Promos: https://www.facebook.com/RodneyTRoss
TWITTER: @RodTRoss
DSP Paperback Buy Link:
DSP e-Book Buy Link:
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2941
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2941
Amazon e-Book:
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
H.A. Caine Second Time Around
Second Time Around, was a joy write for me. There was no reasoning, no important event that inspired me to write it.
This short story more than anything else I've ever written is full of myself.
The bakery is the dream bakery I hope to one day open. And Jamie, well Jamie's Jamie. He's unique. But he's also me.
I wanted a light, fluffy, fun story and I decided Jamie was going to be it. His style is all me. From his hair to his shoes. His personality is all him.
I have a best friend like John and I used our bond as the basis for theirs. To me, friends are the most important thing in the world. You're born to your family. Your friends, you choose.
Matthew and Clark are like none other. There is an aspect of their relationship I would like to mention but it would give away a major part of the story. All I can say is that they remind me of my middle brothers. And that is where their connection to my reality ends.
All the minor characters are like skittles to me. None of them match, they all stand out and together they are so yummy!
In the future, I might extend this story and make it longer. Maybe give a few other characters their fifteen minutes in the spotlight.
Second Time Around is meant to bring a smile to your face. While I hope people get a few laughs, that's not the point of this story. It is shameless fluff!
Just the way I wanted it.
I hope you all enjoy it.
Jamie lives with his straight modeling best friend of three years, John. He’s finally achieved his life long dream of opening up his own bakery and John throws him a party. There he meets Matthew, co-owner of the Home Improvement shop across the street from his new bakery. They hit it off.
Only there’s one problem. Matthew is possibly straight and theres a 90% chance that he thinks Jamie is a woman!
Excerpt
"Who was that guy I saw you talking to? He looks a bit familiar." John's voice was casual but the quick glances out of the corner of his eyes were anything but.
Resisting the urge to laugh, Jamie looked back out the passenger side window.
"Matthew. Him and his brother run the Home Improvement store across the street. Didn't you invite him?"
"Oh, yeah. He seemed nice, but I could've sworn his name was Clark." John sounded confused.
"Maybe you mixed up their names?" Jamie provided helpfully.
"More than likely. We only talked for about a minute." Jamie caught the quick glance John tossed him and so he wasn't surprised by his next words. "Sooo... does he know you're a guy?"
Even expecting it, Jamie couldn't have stopped himself that time, even though he tried. He burst out laughing, slapping his palm repeatedly against his naked thigh.
He knew John was serious and, in all fairness, the question really was a legit one. Still, he couldn't help it.
"Stop laughing." John muttered, trying not to chuckle himself as Jamie continued to laugh, a tear squeezing out the corner of his eye.
Trying to breath deeply and get himself under control, Jamie giggled. "Sorry, sorry." he apologised when he could open his mouth without laughing.
John shook his head, the corner of his mouth tilting up in a small smile.
"So does he?"
He bit his lip. The more he thought about it, the more he was certain Matthew had no idea he was a guy.
Which meant the man was straight. And he'd only flirted with Jamie because he'd thought he was a girl.
Crap!
He heard a sigh beside him. "He doesn't know, does he?"
Jamie shook his head in the negative. "I don't think so."
"Crap."
Slumping down in his seat and crossing his arms over his chest, Jamie let his head thump against the window pane, deciding that was exactly what he felt like.
Author Bio
H. A. Caine lives in her hometown of Brooklyn, New York. She has hopes of becoming a great writer and one day opening her own bakery. She even has the name and layout already decided. Among other writing projects she's working on her very own first series, Boys in Love. The first book, Letting Go, will be available later this year.
Author Links
Blog: cainebooks.wordpress.com
Facebook: facebook.com/H.A.Caine
Twitter: @H_ACaine
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5044983.H_A_Caine
Smashwords Author Page: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/Caine
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Find Your Magic By Poppy Dennison
One of the important themes in Mind Magic, my debut novel,
is finding your place in the world. So many times, we’re caught up in daily
life and don’t take time to “smell the roses”. But it’s more than that. It’s
that little thing I like to think of as Magic.
In my life, I find my Magic in so many different areas.
Family, friends, reading a good book, and these days, writing in particular
helps me find that magical place that we should all be seeking.
Simon, one of the main characters in Mind Magic, thinks he
has it all together. As an apprentice mage, he’s isolated from the world. His
training is intensive and filled with rules. But when his Mind Magic alerts him
to werewolf cubs in danger, he throws aside the rules and rescues them.
It’s funny how sometimes breaking the rules is exactly what
you need to do. Simon finds a home among the pack, something he never knew he
was missing. I’ve found a home in the writing world, a creative outlet I didn’t
know I needed.
When you take a look around, you’ll find something that you
can do to make some magic of your own.
So, tell me, where do you find your magic?
Blurb:
Magical species must never mix. According to the rules, Simon Osborne should ignore the children’s cries for help. After all, they’re werewolf cubs, and he’s an apprentice mage. But for once in his life, Simon breaks the rules and rescues the cubs, saving them from a demon intent on draining them of their magic.
Of course, all actions have consequences, and Simon’s bold move earns him the displeasure of his peers and the attention of the cubs’ alpha, a man named Gray Townsend.
The last thing Gray needs is a mage in his life, but Simon did save his son. Since Simon is now a friend of the pack, Gray doesn’t have much choice about it—or the forbidden attraction that goes along with it. Unfortunately for the alpha, he needs Simon’s help to track down the demon behind the kidnappings—before it strikes again. Simon and Gray must join forces to protect the pack, even as they struggle to resist the temptation that threatens to destroy them both.
Available now from Dreamspinner Press.
http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=2887&cPath=55_602
Bio:
A sassy southern lady, Poppy Dennison developed an obsession with things that go bump in the night in her early years after a barn door flew off its hinges and nearly squashed her. Convinced it was a ghost trying to get her attention, she started looking for other strange and mysterious happenings around her. Not satisfied with what she found, Poppy has traveled to Greece, Malaysia and England to find inspiration for the burly bears and silver foxes that melt her butter. Her love of paranormal continues to flourish nearly thirty years later, and she writes steamy love stories about the very things that used to keep her up all night. If her childhood ghost is lucky, maybe one day she’ll give him his own happily ever after.
Visit her on her web site: http://www.poppydennison.com/,
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/poppydennison,
Twitter: http://twitter.com/ParanormalPoppy
Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5108648.Poppy_Dennison
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