Nonsense and Little Things

Now in Print: Back to Normal (squee)

2011-09-08T17:47:00.000-04:00

OMG

Look! I've already bent the corner! It's a real book!

So in the midst of selecting faucets and bathtubs, deciding on hardwood vs. carpet, agonizing over the colors of the exterior of the new house (oh, the tears that have been shed over this alone!) I get an email from Loose Id, telling me that Back to Normal will be GOING TO PRINT.

I can now hold in my grubby little hands an actual dead-tree version of this book. It's mind-boggling. Even more boggling, there are quotes from reviews.

The print version of Back to Normal can be found at Amazon and at Barnes and Noble.

My new house. Not.

2011-07-20T22:20:00.000-04:00

This mega-mansion is scheduled for completion two years from now. It's currently being built in Missouri.

Here's what it will probably look like when it's done:

When I saw this, I immediately thought of the Black Dagger Brotherhood, and the lair they occupy in Connecticut or Massachusetts or where ever they are. So, is it possible a new band of good bad boys is moving in in the Ozarks?

If you want to know more, visit Pensmore.

Love is beautiful in so many ways!

2011-07-17T10:56:00.000-04:00

A little Sunday breather. Just relax for a few minutes, with a cool or hot beverage or whatnot, and enjoy.

2nd Annual Author Fan Letter Blog Crawl

2011-07-02T02:00:00.001-04:00

Kassa has organized the second annual crawl of thank you's to favorite authors.

The entire list of participating bloggers is here.

You may or may not have jumped to my blog from Alpha Heroes.

Tomorrow be sure to visit my new friend, Cecile, at All I Want and More

(she has some looooovely pics up for 4th of July celebrating!).

On to my letter:

Dear J.L. Langley,

Thanks so much for your excellent books! I have enjoyed all of them, and appreciate the fine quality of the writing. I think my first Langley book was My Fair Captain, and it's no secret that Nate is one of the finest alpha males ever, or the Steamy McSteamiest of Heroes. You did a great job combining the culture of the Regency period with science fiction. I can't think of another author who does that. Historical mores, dress and politics run side by side with a planet where men are born to love other men and build families with them. An interstellar navy, an action-adventure mystery and some BDSM elements make this a win all around for me. Not to mention the compromised virgin and a long-lost heir. You weave these bits together so fluidly, and build the action masterfully. You followed this up successfully with The Englor Affair, and I'm patiently waiting for The Regelence Rake.

Can you tell this is a favorite book of mine?

Your With or Without Series is also excellent despite being very different from the Sci-Regency books in that it takes place in a current day setting with werewolves as the main characters. I particularly like With Caution. Particularly the relationship between Remi and Jake. Particularly that scene by the couch. You know the one I mean.

Let's not forget the Ranch series as well as the Innamorati, proving you are just as good with cowboys as you are with werewolves and sci-fi Dukes and Princes.

All in all, you've given me hours of entertainment, pleasure (and a few stray tears). Keep writing!

Best Regards,

Wren

You can find all of J.L. Langley's books listed here,

where she has links to excerpts, short stories, and booksellers.

Major Distraction

2011-06-28T09:23:00.000-04:00

I have a good excuse for not blogging very much lately. I've been distracted.

What? No. He's just here to entertain you.

I'm not distracted by him.

Not at all.

What was I writing about?

My DH and I have decided to build a new house. This was no easy decision for us, as we've waffled for years (literally!) about moving, buying, building, upsizing, downsizing, having ourselves committed, etc.

A lot in a revitalized neighborhood we've been admiring opened up and we took that as a sign to get off our undecided asses and go for it. Now we are working with the builder and architect to design the house of our dreams.

Guess what? The house of my dreams is more like a mansion. A sprawling, eclectic, funky, expensive mansion. So it's back to the drawing board.

I've become just a teensy bit obsessive about the planning, as I've discovered I really enjoy playing around with room design and such. Unfortunately, I know nothing about architecture or its rules.

Long story short, I'll likely become even scarcer in the internet world as we plow through this process and proceed into the actual construction and design and all the decision-making therein.

Wish me luck.

I Like That!

2011-06-12T23:23:00.004-04:00

Every now and then while I'm reading I'll come across a sentence or a few lines that make me stop and re-read and just savor the taste of the words in my head. It might be the beauty the words draw, or the humor in them, or a poetry of sorts.

Here are some I've enjoyed.

"Spring had come to London in a flurry of flowers and rain and the air smelled faintly of something other than exhaust fumes and the exhaled breath of too many people." - Bound Together, Jane Davitt

"His head pounded, he’d been dog bit, and he’d lost a fight with the gayest man he’d ever seen in his life." - Edward Unconditionally, Lynn Lorenz

"Jonty’s little nose rose above the newspaper, making him look even more like a small inquisitive mammal than usual." - Lessons in Power, Charlie Cochrane

Any you'd like to share?

PSA: Tying your shoes

2011-06-09T23:18:00.001-04:00

I think it's everyone's responsibility to help others become enlightened, even in small ways. Thus, today's public service announcement:

You're welcome.

Vocabulary

2011-06-07T22:41:00.003-04:00

I ran across a post that has improved my vocabulary, assuming I'll remember the ones I didn't already know. Take the little quiz below the butt to see if your vocab needs improvement. For instance, callipygian is a lovely word:

Having well-shaped buttocks

Here are words for everyday things. See how many you know (without research!).

1. Tittle
2. Lunule
3. Crepuscular Rays
4. Ferrule
5. Gynecomastia
6. Muntin
7. Morton's Toe
8. Arms Akimbo
9. Desire Path
10. Semantic Satiation
11. Skeuomorph
12. Brannock Device
13. Paresthesia
14. Phosphenes
15. Armscye
16. Wamble
17. Feat
18. Peen
19. Rectal Tenesmus
20. Dysania
21. Mondegreen
22. Petrichor
23. Philtrum
24. Perlicue
25. Aglet

Now, go check - how much of a word nerd are you?

A Slice of Hawaii

2011-06-05T22:40:00.000-04:00

I haven't been round about lately, and it appears that I haven't been missed, so all's well that ends well!

Had a great trip to Hawaii. It was a trip mostly for relaxing and that was very successful, so yay us!

This is the beach we walked on every day. I love the little boy dancing in the water!

Pololu Valley Lookout, at the Kohala Forest Preserve. This looks like paradise to me. Or that place the dinosaurs went to live in The Land Before Time.

My life feels a bit like this these days. Lots going on in the RL, more later!

Aloha!

2011-05-03T23:14:00.000-04:00

Oh, I know I've been MIA recently. I've just been so ambivalent about the interwebz lately. I am visiting blogs and such, just not commenting much.

I just didn't want anyone to think I died or anything.

This could be my section of beach. We'll see.

Now - well, in a few hours - I'm off to Hawaii. The husband and I are celebrating 25 years of marriage next week (why yes, I was a child bride!). We honeymooned there and this will be our first time back. I've got my kindle, my ipad, and a few magazines and books (including the new Sookie Stackhouse that came out today!) - 'cause I plan to spend a lot of quality time in a beach chair.

Catch you on the flipside.

This is me, waving aloha!

Sex Ed in a Modern Age

2011-04-09T12:22:00.000-04:00

When I watched this, I laughed - out loud, scare-the-dog, tear-inducing guffaws. Take the 10 minutes needed and enjoy this video.

Guess What Things You're Doin' Wrong

2011-04-06T08:15:00.001-04:00

Sometimes I come across things that I think are important to share with the general populace. Or whoever stumbles into my blog. Things that might make a difference in your physical or mental health, your standard of living, or satisfaction with self and/or others. Or that might be at least mildly interesting.

Cracked.com has a list of seven things that people (mostly adult American people) seem to do incorrectly. As a public service, I'm sharing that list with you. Before you click on the link below, see if you can guess the seven activities --

Go to the post to read all about it!

More advertising. Not truth, but drool-worthy

2011-04-04T22:34:00.000-04:00

I guess this one's been around a while, but I saw it for the first time today, and thought it worth sharing!

It's an ad for a cell-phone thingie that blocks out noise.

Underwear!

2011-03-30T22:28:00.000-04:00

You've all seen this video, right? Well, just in case you haven't...

Truth in Advertising

2011-03-23T20:57:00.000-04:00

I just found this interesting. Thoughts?

Quick! Somebody write a story!

2011-03-20T22:30:00.002-04:00

Excerpt from the Weekly Irregular, article by Ima Gadfly:

Residents of Peachtree Lane were dealt a surprise last week when the reclusive inhabitants of the old Willowfield Estate stepped out to enjoy a rare day of sun. Mrs. Lovie McGoggle said, "I was walking the dog when I saw something moving in that back field behind the main house. Little Precious stopped to make a deposit, and when I got done bagging it, the men were gone and those, um, those, big kitties were just sitting there. I don't think they saw me, and I snapped that picture real quick. I just love my iPhone!"

It is widely thought that the residents of Willowfield Estate are members of the Long Claw League, a fellowship of intellectuals and academicians who study a broad spectrum of biology, metaphysics and metamorphosis. It is quite unusual to see their test subjects - as we can only assume that's what they are - out in the light of day.

2011-03-18T15:23:00.000-04:00

I got to see a fabulous concert a few weeks ago! Lady Gaga! With opening act Scissor Sisters! Yay! Davis Mallory at AfterElton.com did a spot-on review, which you can read here. I wish the Sisters had played a little longer. Jake Shears was awesome. And yes, he did have a cute butt. I was disappointed they didn't play "Fire With Fire", which is my favorite of theirs, but c'est la vie.

Disappointing Gay Best Friend - LADY GAGA from mikalabierma on Vimeo.

Lady Gaga was extraordinary. Her emotion and energy leap off the stage, and she just pulls you in. I have to admit I felt underdressed when she pointed out that people in the audience who were wearing jeans and t-shirts had missed that point that this was a Ball - The Monsters' Ball - and we should've been wearing our fanciest dress up clothes! And even though I was sitting up in the stratosphere, I felt like she was looking right at me. But there were enough people in outrageous clothes to make up for those of us in everyday attire. A good time was had by all.

So what's new with you?

2011-02-24T12:40:00.000-05:00

My birthday was yesterday. Please hold your applause.

Every year when my birthday rolls around I feel like crawling under a rock until it blows over. I get out of sorts in the days prior and breathe a sigh of relief the day after. It's been like this for a long time, since college at least.

I've been giving some thought to why this is, but haven't come to any conclusions.

I suppose it could have something to do with being slapped in the head with mortality. Every year is a reminder that I'm not going to live forever. And that is not the sort of mentality that inspires joy and celebratory feelings, is it? (Hey! You're another year closer to dead! Woo-Hoo!)

Or maybe I suffered psychological trauma in those years when my parents went on their yearly vacation over my birthday, leaving me with my babysitter. But she made the best cake, so it worked out okay.

I think, though, that it has to do with my Subconscious Response to Things. I was talking to my husband about this last night over dinner and I couldn't get him to understand what I was trying to say. He looks at his birthday as a day that he's special, it's "his" day; there's a party in his head.

Him

I keep waiting for my birthday to make me feel special, like there's going to be a switch that flicks on, internally. Almost like it isn't in my control, but it should just happen. Does that make any sense?

He makes himself feel celebrated; I keep waiting for it to happen to me (I still feel this way even when I am being celebrated by other people, by the way).

It's hard to explain, but in my head it makes sense.

Free Read, Group Discussion, Free Read, Contest

2011-02-01T17:04:00.000-05:00

I don't know about you, but the local forecast for tonight is "blizzard." So it only seems fair to apprise you of a free read and some other neat-o stuff.

For Clare's birthday blog, in addition to getting people to post daily, she asked for short stories. I sadly didn't follow her request to make the theme "New Year's Resolutions" but instead took it as an opportunity to do some blatant self-promo. I wrote two vignettes from the Back To Normal universe, taking place some months after the events of the book. It's called Rubbing - The Wrong Way and the Right Way and can be found here at Clare's or at my own live-journal blog (which you may or may not know existed. I hardly know it exists).

In December, I wrote a short story as a stocking stuffer at the Goodreads M/M Romance Group. One of the perks of doing this was to have one of my books listed as a "Book of the Month" there, so that all the various and sundry people who've read it can discuss the wonderousness of it. Or, you know, whatever else. So if you want, go over there and say something. While you're there, pop in and say hi to K. Z. Snow because she's in the Author's Spotlight this month.

Referring back to that live-journal thingie I don't do much with, I've copied my pwp story "Handcuffed Hottie in the Hood" in its entirety here. Yes, it is here on the blog, but in separate posts. So if you want a little pwp and want it in one, smooth-flowing presentation, you've got it.

Again with the Goodreads group. On Friday, February 4, there's going to be an all-day chat and tons of give-aways. Of course, you have to be a member of the group, but that's easy. If you comment on the chat, your name will go in the hat for prizes. I've donated a copy of Back To Normal. The details are here!

That's it for now. If you're in the path of this storm, get inside and stay warm! If you're not, well, bully for you!

Free read - anthology "Stuff My Stocking"

2011-01-21T02:00:00.001-05:00

The stories written for Christmas stockings over at the Goodreads m/m group are now available in a ***FREE*** collection at 1 Place for Romance.

Yours truly has a story in there called "In the Wind". It's a little bit werewolfy. Grrawr!

Many thanks to Mod Lori, JenB, Jason, Diane, Kathy and Rachel for making this book a reality!

I'm at Clare's!

2011-01-20T09:25:00.000-05:00

Happy birthday month to Clare London. She's having guests blog all month long at her lj.
Today I'm blathering about things, please visit: http://clarelondon.livejournal.com/272739.html?view=1489763#t1489763

Review of Back To Normal from Dark Diva Reviews!

2011-01-17T19:59:00.000-05:00

Just really quick - I'm pretty psyched (especially after whining at Val's) to get a nice review from Dark Diva Reviews (4 and 1/2 Divas)!

I have just a bitty problem, in that when I try to go there, my beautiful Macbook freezes up, and I experience the spinning rainbow pinwheel of death and have to force quit Firefox!

Here's a link, I think: Dark Divas Reviews

And a wintery cookie:

Merry Merry!

2010-12-24T14:51:00.000-05:00

Happy Holidays, Merry Christmas, Yo Noel and all that jazz!

May the days be bright and the nights be dark.

Keep the spirit in your heart, and pass the love on.

Free Story: "In the Wind"

2010-12-20T15:30:00.000-05:00

In The Wind

currently readable at this Goodreads location

There's a werewolf in it. And "mates". Also, nice smells and s-e-x. The picture above was the inspiration, provided by Goodreader Lucy, whose stocking I filled.

Christmas and a new "review" of Back To Normal

2010-12-13T11:16:00.000-05:00

It's not an official review or anything, but I got this in an email from my sister and it made me feel really good, so I thought I'd share:

Your book [Back To Normal] was great! Instead of doing my Christmas cards, I was plastered to the chair to read. I couldn’t put it down. I never thought I could read this genre but I find it fascinating and interesting. I’m still in awe over you being able to write so explicitly about it. I kept putting it down to walk away and get other things done, but I kept coming back to it with ‘just one more chapter’. Then it was over………….You really did a fabulous job on it. I read a lot, at least 3 or 4 books a week (because I do nothing else and have no life) and I truly enjoyed reading this. Congratulations, sis!

Tam has asked people to share pix of their Christmas trees (or symbols of whatever holiday you celebrate), so here is this year's tree:

And here is the North Pole Village that Boy put up, with Buffy acting the Godzilla role:

Crazy Antics, continued

2010-12-09T08:15:00.001-05:00

So where did I leave off? (To read the first part of Crazy Antics, go here.)

Oh, yes. Boy was telling DH and me that he and cyw moved their action to the back room. (Just an FYI, I'm not clear on the contents of the back room. It sounds a little spartan, as in no soft furniture to settle on. Maybe it was the ubiquitous "storage room.")

me: *wishing I could raise just one eyebrow* The back room, eh?

Boy: Yeah. You know. For privacy.

DH: Ah.

Boy: So we were on the floor in the back room, sort of rolling around. She liked my hair, 'cause she kept running her fingers through it while we kissed. She loved my arms, too.

me: And how do you know that?

Boy: She said, "I love your arms." *turns toward his father* See Dad, I told you that you don't have to do curls for girls if you do all the other stuff.

Quality biceps

DH: *flexes newly forming biceps for my benefit"

me: *rolls eyes*

Boy: *laughs and then wraps his arm over his right side* Ow. Don't make me laugh.

DH: Sorry

me: Please, continue.

Boy: So I used some of my best lines and moves.

me: You have lines and moves?

Boy: *looks affronted* Yes. Like "I think you have some wine on your lips." And when she was impressed at how fast I was able to unhook a certain female undergarment, I joked, "Yeah, you don't know how many hours I spent in Victoria's Secret figuring that one out." That one got me some good laughs.

me: *rolls eyes*

DH: *takes notes*

Boy: Well, all this is going on, and we're sort of rolling around and stuff, and suddenly, out of nowhere, for no discernible reason I get this shooting pain in my side. It was awful. Seriously, I thought I was gonna throw up.

me: But...?

Boy: Well come on. I wasn't going to stop what I was doing just because of some pain. You have to give me credit for getting in some good lines and moves and making her laugh while I was trying not to pass out.

me: So, it wasn't like she elbowed you or kicked you or like you hit any furniture or anything?

Boy: *looks flummoxed* No. It just happened.

DH: So then what?

Boy: We made out for a while. But I had to stop before things got too far.

me: In too much pain, huh?

Boy: No. I didn't have any protection with me.

me: *stunned* You don't carry a condom in your wallet?

Boy: No. I think, I dunno, when you're just meeting someone, well, I think that's kind of sleazy. And, the fluctuation in temperature while it's in your wallet makes condoms degenerate faster.

DH: No shit?

me: How do you know this?

Boy: Ma. When you're a sexually active teenager, you do a lot of internet research.

me: Of course.

A little while later, after he ate and showered, Boy was in a lot of pain. DH and I used rock/paper/scissors to decide who'd go with him to medpoint. I lost, but then DH changed his mind. Or I might have pouted just enough. Anywhichever, they returned about two hours later, with Tylenol w/ Codeine and a muscle rub in hand.

me: So. How'd it go?

DH: Sheesh. *uses teasing voice* What a wimp. Nothing's broken.

Boy: *ignores Dad and rubs goop on his side*

He hadn't fractured anything, but apparently had strained his oblique muscle. Further research informed us that this can be a pretty bad injury, with different levels of severity and requires some down time so you don't really yank it and need surgery. The best way to avoid such a strain is to make sure you stretch properly before any activity.

Make sure you do enough stretching before you partake in any

level of physical action.

Especially the kind you don't experience much.

Boy: When I checked in at the front desk, the lady there asked me if this was a work-related injury.

DH: That was the best laugh I've had in days.

me: What did you tell her?

Boy: I just said "no".

DH: Then he got to go back and see the doctor and I had to sit and listen to screaming kids. One of them pooped his pants and smelled up the whole waiting room. There should have at least been a broken bone involved.

And there you have it. There is a chance that Boy will get together with cyw while he's here over Christmas. If any further crazy antics ensue, I'll let you know!

Crazy Antics

2010-12-08T08:00:00.002-05:00

Don't die of shock, but this is my second post in as many days. It's because I promised in yesterday's entry that I would tell you about my son's "crazy antics". So here's the story (contents may vary from reality):

Characters
Boy = my son
cyw = cute young woman
DH = dear husband
me = me

I may have mentioned that my DH and I have one child, a son, who is almost all growed up (they say your brain isn't fully mature until age 25 or thereabouts, so Boy still has a couple years to go). Over the last year and a half, Boy has lost 70 pounds and developed quite a fit and healthy body and lifestyle. He has educated himself in the fields of weightlifting, interval training and nutrition. (My friends who meet him tell me later that they think he's hot. What is the next level up from cougar? Lioness? Saber-tooth?) Near the beginning of his make-over, he and his girlfriend of four and a half years split up. Now he's enjoying having a nice body and figuring out the woman thing.

Boy came home for Thanksgiving break, and while he was in town attended a party at a friend's house. Before he left, he considerately told us that there was a slight chance he might stay the night. You never know how these things can end up. We asked him to text us to let us know if that's what he ended up doing.

The next morning DH finds a text message left at 5:30 a.m.: I'm staying the night.

Well, duh.

Boy rolls in that morning, maybe around 9, a little disheveled and with purplish spots on the sleeve of his white thermal pullover and a smile on his face.

DH: Got your 5:30 message. We sort of thought you might let us know earlier, like when you decided to stay.

Boy: That IS when I decided to stay.

DH: Oh.

me: So how was it?

(I should interject here that we and Boy have a pretty good relationship, so we fully expected all the details.)

Boy: It was good, a lot of fun actually. (He told us about the friends from high school who were there, and how fun it was catching up with them) Wearing this white shirt was a smart move.

me: *smirk*

DH: Why's that?

Boy: Yep. The ladies liked it. *rubs hand over pecs to emphasize form-fitting nature of shirt*

DH: Oh?

Boy: At one point I was sitting on the couch, surrounded by women. It was a good party.

me: I can tell by your elbow.

Boy: *looks at purple dots on sleeve* That's wine. I didn't have any, but I did get spilled on. *leans back against the kitchen counter and grimaces in pain* I think I might have broken a rib, though.

DH and me: What? Seriously?

Boy: Seriously. If I didn't break it, then bruised, maybe. It hurts pretty bad.

DH: What happened?

me: Were you wrestling?

(Okay, you have to understand here. Before he went to college, Boy and his friends would hang out here and inevitably they would get a little physical. So one part of my brain, at least, was still thinking in terms of "party = friends = rough-housing." I clearly hadn't had enough coffee yet.)

Boy: Well, not really. *smiles mischievously* (Like his father, he likes to draw out the story)

me: Augh. Just tell us.

Boy: Well, I got to talking with cyw, and we sort of flirted, and then we ended up in the back room.

~~~~~ I'm going to stop here. Will continue the story in the next post! ~~~~~~~~~~

Oh! I tried to find a picture of a muscular man in a tight white thermal shirt. Here's what I got:

Bad Blogger! Good Reviews! Freebie Coming Soon! Fan Mail!

2010-12-07T10:33:00.000-05:00

I admit I am a bad blogger. It's a self-confidence/introvert thing. I mean really, who wants to read what I babble on about? Apparently, though, there is someone out there who misses my entertaining posts. Back to that later.

Back To Normal has received some nice reviews --

Tam's Reads"A super second outing for Wren."
4 1/2 stars from Lily at I Love Books and at Jessewave's

4 cherries from Whipped Cream Erotic Romance Reviews

4 1/2 stars from Rainbow Reviews

Back to Normal is now available at All Romance Ebooks and Amazon (Kindle edition). Maybe it's at other sellers, too.

The M/M Romance Group at Goodreads at Goodreads is presenting Holiday Stories. Members of the group asked authors to fill their stockings with special treats, so every day this season there's a free short story (or two). Mine is called "In the Wind" and will be posted on December 20. There's a werewolf in it. And that's all I'm sayin'. The picture at the right was provided for inspiration.

And now on to the Fan Mail. This appeared in my email box yesterday:

UPDATE YOUR BLOG, UPDATE YOUR BLOG, UPDATE YOUR BLOG, UPDATE YOUR BLOG, UPDATE YOUR BLOG! (In a chanting fashion).

I read this blog by my favorite m/m writer, Wren Boudreau, and she hasn't updated it since Veteran's Day. I feel like she probably has a lot of interesting things going on, what with the release of a new book a couple months ago and it being the holiday season. She could probably put up some pictures of dudes dressed like elves making out, or a naked guy with a conveniently placed candy cane. I also know that she has a son who has gotten into some crazy antics involving a cute young woman, a back room and a pulled oblique muscle. Maybe Wren's blogosphere would want to hear about that. I know that the girl part would probably turn them off, but her son is a pretty attractive guy with a 220lb bench press and lovely arms. I believe I also heard that she was writing a short story about gay werewolves. Maybe that is something her fans would want to hear about.

These are just things I think about....

Love,
Your #1 fan (who can't actually make it all through one of your books because he has to stop reading as soon as he gets to the sex scenes)

I was going to edit that letter a little bit, but I find in re-reading it that it's perfect the way it is. Tomorrow I will post about my son and his "crazy antics" so stay tuned. In the meantime:

For whatever reason, I had difficulties locating quality "elf" pictures. If you know of any, please share.

Veterans Day, 2010

2010-11-11T10:55:00.000-05:00

Thank you.

True Colors - L.A. Gay Men's Chorus - It Gets Better

2010-10-27T09:25:00.000-04:00

In this last week, in a nearby city, the powers that be voted to defeat a measure that would have banned workplace discrimination based on sexual orientation. It made me crazy to read some of the things these policy-makers said. My dear BH said "It's like living in the Dark Ages."

But I'm not going to rant about it. Instead, I'm posting this video the Los Angeles Gay Men's Chorus made for the It Gets Better Project. I got goosebumps right around the 3-minute mark, when -- well, you'll see.

National Coming Out Day

2010-10-11T00:46:00.000-04:00

National Coming Out Day is October 11 in several countries, including the United States, and October 12 in the UK. It's a civic awareness day, a day for dialog, understanding, support and courage.

You can find out all sorts of information regarding coming out at the website for the Human Rights Campaign.

There is an interesting piece by Dan Savage in response to some of the criticisms of the recent It Gets Better project.

In our little corner of the Internet world, Loose Id is in the process of presenting books in its Coming Out Collection. I hear through the grapevine that Dear Author will be honoring the day with "Gay Writes" - reviews and giveaways of GLBT books.

Whether you are in or out, GLBTQ or ally, writer or reader, do something small or big today to promote equal rights.

Blah Blah NEW BOOK! Blah Blah

2010-10-04T23:59:00.001-04:00

It's here, it's here! Bursting into the literary cosmos, as the infamous KZ Snow likes to say.

You can find an excerpt here.

You can buy the book here.

Friday Flotsam: Book Release, Mystery, A Wraith of Memory, and It Gets Better

2010-09-30T11:41:00.002-04:00

Hello all, (yes, I know it's Thursday. Deal with it.)

First, apologies for not posting more often. I've discovered that my life is quite boring so being Interesting here is just overwhelming at times!

Anyway, there are a few things on my mind...

A. My new book Back To Normal is coming from Loose Id. Starting Tuesday, Oct 5, you can buy it here!

Or go to Stumbling Over Chaos and put your name in the hat to win a copy!

Or go to Jessewave's site next week to win a copy (I don't know which day; Loose Id donated one copy of each "Coming Out Day" book to the site).

B. K.Z. Snow has some big time famous author coming to visit her blog. Probably tomorrow. Or Monday. Soon, anyway. The interwebz are aflutter.

C. I feel so much better about my inability to retain specifics from what I read after seeing this New York Times article. It says that many of us have

..."a gestalt of knowledge. We can’t retrieve the specifics, but to adapt a phrase of William James’s, there is a wraith of memory. The information you get from a book is stored in networks. We have an extraordinary capacity for storage, and much more is there than you realize. It is in some way working on you even though you aren’t thinking about it."

For me, this ties in to my Piscean/Introvert personality, or at least that element of it where I "intuit" things rather than "know" them. Does that make sense? (Well, it does to me!)

This is me, being intuitive.

Okay, in reality it's not, but in my mind it is.

D. You're probably already aware of the It Gets Better campaign. I saw this video today. This is Darren Hayes of Savage Garden:

And just in case you don't know Savage Garden, this is one of my favorite songs:

Have a Great Weekend!

Back To Normal, an excerpt

2010-09-15T11:15:00.000-04:00

As promised, here is an excerpt from Back To Normal
(releasing from Loose Id October 5)

Chapter One

Greg Capello’s late Aunt Coco had taken up residence in his head twelve years ago. Today her voice still rumbled roughly from too many years of too many cigarettes. “You know it’s all for the best,” she said as Greg rested his forehead on the window frame. “She wasn’t right for you.”

Everybody had thought Coco would die of lung cancer, but it was a brain aneurism that got her. Her death was not only a surprise but also an eerie coincidence in that Coco’s brain blew up at nearly the same moment that an errant golf ball smashed into Greg’s.

While Coco’s body had given up, her spirit hadn’t. Greg had tried getting professional help to understand and eradicate the raspy voice of his fifty-two-year-old red-haired aunt, the woman with four cats, thirty-two scarves, and one rhinestone cigarette holder. When he’d realized that the fearful specter of St. Dymphna Mental Hospital loomed over him, he’d learned to accept Coco’s company with a sort of horrified good humor.

At a carnival one summer, Greg had visited a fortune-teller, who explained that when he got hit with that golf ball he must’ve died, if only for a few seconds. Because Coco died for keeps around that time, her spirit and his met somewhere in the afterworld, where she latched on to Greg. When his heart started beating again, Coco was along for the ride.
Ever since then, she came and went as she pleased. He’d stopped asking where she disappeared to when he realized she’d only answer in the most obtuse terms. He’d learned to live with Aunt Coco. Occasionally she brought home a guest, though, which just made him twitch. When that happened, he did everything he could to help the visitor move along to where he or she needed to go. One person in his head he could handle. Any more than that was asking too much.

At this moment, it was just the two of them, watching from the living room window as Greg’s newly-ex wife, Liz, drove away from the house.

“I know, Aunt Coco.” Greg sighed. “But it still hurts.”

Liz drove behind the moving van that carried her share of their worldly possessions. The leave-taking had been quick and without rancor, as they’d been saying good-bye to each other for at least the last year. The drama was long past over.

The front lawn was a muted green, emerging from Pennsylvania’s winter dormancy, except where it was worn in spots from the roots of an old maple tree. The tree dropped helicopter seeds, which twirled away in the wind, and the limbs full of budding leaves swayed like lithe dancers on a backdrop of gray-washed sky. Once Liz’s car and the truck turned at the end of the street, the neighborhood was quiet, nobody eager to be active on this dreary Saturday.

Greg sighed again and turned to look at the empty room and the clean fireplace. A large, overstuffed sofa had occupied the prime spot in front of the hearth. The space looked forlorn.

“Now that’s a sad picture,” Aunt Coco murmured.

Greg nodded. “I loved that couch.” He’d read books, graded papers, and fallen asleep there, lost in worlds of his own making. Liz had companionably shared that space with him before she grew tired of trying to change him.

This house was a testament to his efforts to give her the life she’d wanted. They hadn’t even been shopping for a house; she drove by, saw the sign, and was hooked. Greg went along with it -- as he usually did when it came to Liz’s ideas -- because he wanted her to be happy. It wasn’t that he was uninterested; he just didn’t have it in him to be as passionate and engaged in things as she was.

One of their final discussions took place right there, more than a year ago.

* * * * *
Liz paced in front of the hearth, a blazing fire her backdrop. Greg sat on the couch, touched by the cool air drifting in through the leaky windows.

“You know you make me crazy, right?” Liz asked.

“How is that possible? I’ve tried to give you everything you wanted,” Greg said reasonably.

“That’s just it. You give me everything and somehow manage to give me nothing. I feel like I do all the living for the both of us and just drag you along.” Her ponytail swung wildly as she paced the room.

He leaned back into the cushion. “That’s not true. I enjoy being with you.”

“It is! Damn it, Greg. You have no passion, no highs or lows, no excitement about things. You just stand back and let it all happen. You observe your own life, but you don’t participate.” She clenched her fists. “You won’t even argue with me!”

Greg didn’t think she’d hit him, but hoped his calm voice would soothe her just in case. “I’m no different now than when we met, Liz. I don’t understand why this has become an issue.” He ran his fingers through his hair, feeling the carefully styled strands go awry. He actually did understand. But he wouldn’t tell her that.

Liz deflated a bit. “I thought…I hoped that would change. I figured once you were secure with me, you’d open up and let me in. Let some of yourself out.” She puffed out an ironic laugh. “I should have known that Cosmo was right with those articles about how you shouldn’t marry someone thinking you’ll be able to change them. I thought our love would be enough to…” She left the sentence unfinished.

“To turn me into someone I’m not?” He crossed his arms over his chest.

“No. Not someone else. Just more of yourself. I know there’s more to you than what you show the world. I wanted you to let me in, to share that with me.”

“I don’t know what to say. You’re angry because I’m still the same guy you married.”
Liz huffed with exasperation. “You are. The problem is mine. I know that.” She wiped her eyes; the tears that had been threatening overflowed. “I can’t do this anymore.”

* * * * *

It wasn’t long after that conversation that, at Liz’s request, Greg had moved out. He found a small apartment and carted over most of his belongings and some furniture. They’d managed the mortgage payments on the house with their two salaries. When he’d discovered the income of a second-year teacher wouldn’t stretch enough to pay half the house bills plus the apartment costs, Greg found part-time work at a restaurant.

The separation culminated in a quiet divorce. They sold the little bungalow quickly, discovering that starter homes were popular despite the recent economy. The whole divorce had been easy -- from a financial and physical standpoint, anyway. Hell, maybe even from an emotional one. He’d built such strong walls between his inner self and the outer world that very little could penetrate. He loved Liz as much as he could love any woman. She was passionate, energetic, and independent, and when he married her, he’d thought she wouldn’t need much from him to be happy. He’d been wrong.

A noise from outside caught his attention. He returned to the window and saw Joe’s black Jeep pulling into the driveway. Greg met him at the kitchen door, and before any words were said, he was engulfed in his brawny brother’s warm embrace. They were both a little over six feet tall, but Joe outweighed him by about forty pounds. Of muscle.

Running out of air, Greg pushed back. “Were you waiting around the corner?”

“No. Of course not.” Joe smiled.

“Uh-huh.” Greg closed the door before any more cold air could flow in. He was glad he’d worn a sweatshirt.

“Okay. I was two streets down, one across,” Joe confessed.

Greg raised one eyebrow at him.

“I didn’t want you to be alone too long. Is it a crime to care about your brother after he’s been majorly dumped?”

“That makes me feel so much better.”

“You know what I mean.”

Greg did know, and he was grateful. His family had been supportive through the whole ordeal, even though his mother and grandmother had to first get over the blemish of divorce on the Capello name; they still periodically offered unwanted advice on how Greg might win Liz back. Aunt Coco didn’t bother him about it because her ideas had always been at odds with those of her sister-in-law.

“You almost done here?” Joe asked.

“I want to take one more look around; then we can go.”

Joe shrugged his coat off and hung it on a hook. “Wow. This place didn’t sparkle as much when you bought it.” Joe turned in a circle. “Impressive.”

“When I told Liz I would help clean, she said she wanted to do it herself, that she needed the therapy.” The homey smells that used to fill the room had been replaced by bleach and lemon.

“How was she today?” Joe propped himself against the counter.

“She was fine. She’s moved on. Sees it as a failed effort, and she’s cut her losses.” She’d never been one to linger over past mistakes and done deeds. Liz felt everything deeply but didn’t hold on to any of it.

“How are you?”

Greg could feel a headache starting, but he knew that wasn’t what Joe meant. “Relieved, mostly. The last year’s been rough. She deserves better than I gave her, so I hope she finds the right guy.” He’d been grasping at a pretty thin straw when he married Liz, but he’d thought he could manage it. He felt lighter now and realized that the guilt he’d been carrying had dissipated when Liz walked out the door today.

Joe drummed his fingers on the counter. “You know it takes two to make a relationship work. Or not work.”

“It does.” Greg nodded. “Her expectations were different than mine. It took us a while to figure that out. That’s all I’m saying.” And that’s all he would say. He moved on to the dining room. “We had good china that Liz brought out for holidays and birthdays. And once when her book club was here.” He shook his head. “It had to be hand washed. The glasses and the silverware too.”

“I remember it.”

“I…” Greg scratched his head. “She got so excited about so many things, and I just didn’t get it.”

After a moment of mutual contemplation, Joe asked, “You think Jingle’s gonna get all hung up on the crockery if she gets married?”

Greg snorted a laugh, imagining his tattooed sister following a matronly saleslady around the china department at Macy’s. “You forget. She swears she’s never going to indulge in the” -- he made air quotes -- “anachronistic ritual of a male-dominated society intent on keeping women in psychological shackles.”

“Right. No wedding, no good china for baby sister. Mom’s not going to like that.”

“No, she’s not.” Greg pulled the curtains shut.

“She’ll have a shit fit is what,” Coco chimed in. Greg laughed.

“What’s funny?” Joe asked.

Greg shrugged and pointed to his head. “She thinks Mom’ll be upset too.”

Joe nodded. “Yep.” Of his family members, only Joe and Jingle thought it was cool that Greg had an ongoing relationship with their dead aunt. The rest of the family referred to it as his “oddity” and generally didn’t like to be reminded. That had actually been a good thing. He didn’t want to be the go-between for his mother and Aunt Coco.

Joe chuckled. “At least now I won’t have to listen to Mom lecturing me.” He pitched his voice an octave higher. “Joey, when are you going to grow up and find a nice girl like your brothers? Pete and Greg are so happy.”

“Funny.”

“And when she gets on your case, you cannot use my line.”

“Your line?”

“Yeah, you know. ‘Oh, Ma, the nice girls are taken. All that’s left are the naughty ones.’”

Greg rolled his eyes. “Like I would ever use that cliché.”

He took a quick look at the bedroom he and Liz had used for an office. Two teachers generated copious paperwork, needed a lot of reference material, and acquired all sorts of odds and ends. In clearing this room, Liz had found two boxes of stuff he’d forgotten he even had.

“Hey…” Joe snapped his fingers. “I can get you dates.”

“No, thank you.” Greg cringed to think of some of Joe’s dates.

The bathroom was clean, the fixtures shining. The flowery wallpaper in the master bedroom still looked new. Liz had picked it out, Greg never told her he hated it, and they’d worked together to hang it. His feelings about this room were mixed. He’d loved Liz and enjoyed making love with her, mostly. But even though he had tried very hard not to, he kept wishing she had less soft breast, more hard muscle, and a penis. It had become second nature to compartmentalize and close off those desires. They did still crash through his walls from time to time. But when Liz’s soft, curvy body had been in his arms, he’d worked hard to focus on the familiarity of her scent, the warmth of her affection, and her joyous take on life -- instead of wishing for what he couldn’t have.

He rubbed his temple with the tips of two fingers.

“Greg?”

“I’ve got some meds in the car. I’ll get them in a minute.” His head injury had not only left him with Aunt Coco; he still experienced nasty headaches. Naproxen helped the headaches at least, but only if he took it in time.

“You gonna check the basement?” Joe rattled the knob of the door at the stairs.

“No. It’s good.”

“What about this?” Joe started to open a bifold door on a large cedar closet.

Greg pressed it shut. “The closets here are all empty.”

Aunt Coco snorted. “I wouldn’t say that.”

Greg ignored her.

“Why won’t you let me fix you up?” Joe asked.

“Because all the girls you know are sluts and skanks,” Aunt Coco said. Greg shook his head as if that would jounce her loose from his brain.

“I appreciate the offer. Being a detective has its perks, I’m sure. But attracting smart, sophisticated women hasn’t been one of them.” They were back at the kitchen door.

“Besides, I am not at all ready to get back into that game.”

They slipped into their coats. “So you’re just gonna sit in that crappy apartment and otherwise work your ass off?”

“It’s not crappy.”

“It’s crappy.”

Greg blew out a breath that ruffled his bangs. The glimpse of his dark hair reminded him he would need a cut soon. “It’s not what you’ve gotten used to, is all. It suits me fine.”

“And the working your ass off?”

“We all have our niche in life.” He poked Joe’s rock-hard chest. “You’re good at catching bad guys, helping little old ladies cross the street, and scaring kids away from drugs. I do what I’m good at, which happens to be teaching the little boogers readin’ and writin’, and serving dinner to big spenders.” He opened the door and gestured for his brother to precede him. Greg made sure the lock was engaged, then shut the door firmly. The real estate agent had said to keep his keys; the new owners would change the locks right away. “Are you buying me lunch?”

Cover for Back to Normal!

2010-09-09T12:37:00.002-04:00

Here is the cover for Back To Normal!!!!! (Have I mentioned "!"?)

Design by Valerie Tibbs

Click here for the page at Loose Id

(which is just a coming soon icon as of this post)

Is it normal for a romance to blossom between a man who’s in the closet and a man who’s never wanted more than a hook-up? How about when a clairvoyant grandmother and the ghost of a dead aunt are thrown into the mix, along with a stiletto-wearing twin sister, an Irish pub, a detective brother, and a mother who thinks her son just needs a good woman?

Greg Capello thought that he’d feel normal if he pretended he wasn’t gay, and now it’s making him crazy that he can’t stop thinking about his new boss Finn Sparks and Finn’s amber eyes, brilliant smile and strong hands, among other things. Finn thinks it’s not normal that instead of wanting to hop into bed with Greg, he’d like to know more about the man, like what’s under that starchy exterior, and who he’s talking to when it appears that no one’s there.

They can’t fight the attraction between them; every time they touch it’s electric. So Finn finds himself taking it slow and going on dates, for crying out loud. And Greg has to accept himself, or accept the consequences of staying hidden.

What’s normal anyway?

Release date: October 5

Visit here next week for an excerpt!

Such a nice review

2010-09-04T12:50:00.000-04:00

Yay, me!

Janna, at ErotRomReader,

has posted a lurvely review of Ice Cream on the Side.

You can read it here.

And because I'm happy, here's a treat.

2010-08-31T17:54:00.000-04:00

More happy happy!! This just sucked me right in.

Now I must return to reading Kresley Cole's Demon From The Dark!

Music that makes me happy!

2010-08-25T12:47:00.000-04:00

This is my favorite song these days. When I hear it, I have to move, and then I have to play it again. And maybe again. So I thought I would share. Scissor Sisters: Fire With Fire.

I love that they are driving around on a sort-of fire truck. The action of the vid isn't all that stupendous, but I think the song is fabulous!

New Book, New Template (same old me)

2010-08-17T14:12:00.000-04:00

Hey yinz guys!

I think I just needed a bit of summer vacation. Feeling better now. And happy to tell you that I have a new book with Loose Id, to be released October 5!!!!

It's called

Back To Normal

Loose Id is having an event in honor of National Coming Out Day; I don't know what they have planned, but I imagine they are releasing a bunch of, or some anyway, books with that theme.

Here are the main characters in Back To Normal:

Hero 1: Greg Capello

has been deep in the closet since his teen years, for a couple of reasons (which you'll have to read to find out) and even
totally denies that this part of him exists, going so far as to get married (of course that didn't work out; the book opens with his now ex-wife driving off).
got hit in the head with a golf ball when he was young, now suffers from bad headaches which seem to be getting worse and since then
his dead aunt's spirit communicates with him; Greg refers to her as "living in my head".
his older brother has been looking out for them since they were kids.
his mother thinks he just needs a good woman and keeps trying to fix him up with one.
finds his life slowly unraveling due to some unexpected events, not the least of which is meeting Finn Sparks (because now he can't get the man out of his mind)

Hero 2: Finn Sparks

is quite comfortably out and
has slept with many, many men, but never the same man twice, mostly because he
doesn't like it when things get complicated.
with Hayden, his twin sister/business partner, is remodeling an old restaurant and turning it into an Irish pub.
his grandmother heads the Neo-pagan Sparks clan; she's also got "the sight" and when she reads Finn he starts to understand why
he is unaccountably attracted to Greg

And here are some of the things that happen:

job loss/change
a stolen kiss in a bookstore
undeniable attraction that is...denied
dinners in a restaurant
bartending
therapy
conversations with someone nobody else can see or hear
unwanted thoughts
bad memories
Internet research
tingles
family gatherings
discovery

So, yeah, I'll be around a little more often now. See ya round the webz!

On Hiatus

2010-06-22T17:37:00.000-04:00

I've been in a black hole of sorts. I just came up for a breather to let you know that I'm still here. I'm visiting blogs and sites, but I can't stop and chat as much as I have been. Finally decided to officially put the blog on break. I'll see you around the web.

Here are some cookies for us all to enjoy in the meantime...

Fan Letter to an Author Blog Crawl!

2010-05-09T11:35:00.000-04:00

Kassa started it, this crawl around the webz wherein bloggers write fan letters to favorite authors. And she set up a schedule, which you can see on Erotic Horizon's blog if you click the link in the left column, the one in several colors that says "Blog Crawl" right on it. If you aren't all the schedule you can still participate. Just write your love letter and link back to the schedule so others can see what's what. Or not. It's a free world.

Thank you to Amy, of My Friend Amy, for tagging me in the crawl.

Here is my letter, to Charlie Cochrane, author of the wonderful Cambridge Fellow Mysteries.

Dear Charlie,

It's 2:00 a.m. and I've just finished Lessons in Trust. Oh, how I love Orlando and Jonty!

I have read with great satisfaction every book in this series, a couple of them more than once (to tide me over till the next book). Sitting down with one of these books is like getting comfy on the couch with an old friend and a cup of coffee, and maybe a few slices of banana bread.

Your writing is so darn clever. The banter between Jonty and Orlando is precious. It makes me smile and snicker. Witty, dry, and quick, I suppose it's what they call English humor. I find it very satisfying. And it's not just between our two heroes; family and friends get in on the act as well.

You bring these boys to life with their humor and poking fun, juxtaposed with the serious stuff they carry with them: Jonty's past experience of abuse and Orlando's difficult personal history. And you have done this through seven books covering several years. They begin their journey tentatively, as they hold on to their secrets and insecurities. With each book they take ownership of their own selves and each other, together and separately. The mysteries keep me curious, the romance keeps me interested and nothing is static. By the end of the series we know these men as intelligent but sometimes stupid, reserved but often passionate, humorous and just as much heart-breaking, and always honorable, except when they need to lie.

The way you write their love-making proves that the mind is the most important sexual organ. I, who like to read about sex in all its explicit detail, find myself thrilled with the build-up to and subtle description of Jonty & Orlando's encounters. There is delightful tension and sometimes hunger in the way you write about a touch of a hand, or a look, a scent, a reminder that requires no explicit blow by blow (pardon the pun) to show the attraction between these two . I look forward to reading your clever descriptions of their sex life, such as:

"He needed all his energy concentrated on making sure he didn’t spoil the match with a premature shot at goal. "

The mysteries stay interesting because you vary their style from book to book. Jonty and Orlando may be investigating a murder next door, or one that's been unsolved for years. Despite the sometimes gruesome murders that take place within the pages, these are genteel books. I know our heroes will solve the mystery with characteristic attention to manners and shrewd perceptions.

I am happiest with a book that invites me to immerse myself in its world. So thank you, Charlie, for much happiness!

Hugs,
Wren

To visit Charlie's blog, go here
A free short story about Jonty and Orlando can be found here.

Tomorrow, go to Smokin' Hot Books to read the next letter!

Happy I-Suck-Less-Than-Yesterday Day!

2010-05-06T14:07:00.001-04:00

In the spirit of The Bloggess, I am jumping on the bandwagon of

Happy I-Suck-Less-Than-Yesterday Day!

My contribution to less suckage is sharing a happy.

Here is a pic of Shnoogy the Mutt. I mentioned his smile in my ten things that make me happy list and KZ wanted to see. Just so you know, it is very hard to get a good smiley picture, because he's usually playing when he does it. This was as close as I could get.

I will also spend time this afternoon planning our next family vacation - something I'm not fond of doing but BH is very busy and it would stress him way out over the edge to deal with it.

There. I suck less than yesterday. Do you?

Four And A Half Kisses

2010-05-01T20:57:00.000-04:00

Jeff, of MichelenJeff Reviews fame, gave Ice Cream on the Side 4 and 1/2 kisses! You can read it here, along with an interview.

And here's a cookie.

Slices of Life - Company dinner

2010-04-30T11:58:00.000-04:00

Thursday evening:

My husband and I (I have to come up with some clever nickname or initials for him) attended a business-related dinner. One of those where you sit at a big round table with 9 other people, and there are 9 or 10 of those tables in the room and all those voices create a cacophony that would make a bat's ears bleed. So you can really only hear the people right next to you talking. If you want to hear the people across the table, you have to lean forward and cup your ear like Beverly Hillbillies Granny. And sometimes, the people on either side of you are facing away, talking to the people that aren't you. (For the purposes of this little story, I'll use "bh" for "beloved husband") (At times, that would need to be spoken with tongue firmly planted in cheek).

Me: (The people on my right are having a conversation that I can't hear completely, but I try to look keenly interested)

BH: (The people on his left are having a conversation that is engrossing to the two of them)

Me: So, how ya doin'?

BH: Pretty good. You?

Me: Not bad. This food is really good.

BH: I don't like it (he pushes it around his plate)*.

Me: You seemed to like those morel mushrooms (I'd given him one of mine and the man sitting next to me gave both of his to bh)

BH: (Shrugs) Only the first two were really good.

Me: What are they talking about on your side?

BH: Haiti, I think. Earthquake fall-out. What about your side?

Me: Finances.

BH: Oh. (We should've switched seats at this point. Finance is like the adult-speak in the Peanuts comics to me: waaah-waah-waaah. Bh is all about the finance. I might've been able to hold up a bit of conversation about Haiti, though).

BH: Why don't you ask Jean about scuba diving?

Me: Huh? (Jean is sitting two people away and is involved in the finance talk)

BH: You know, make conversation, have something to talk about.

Me: (Blinking. Trying to understand what the HELL he is talking about because Jean obviously needs no encouragement to talk and I'd have to lean over the man between us and say: "Hey, Jean, I hear you like to scuba dive!") (Also, I realize that he'd like to learn to scuba dive someday and wants me to want that, too.) (Fat chance of that ever happening). We've already had a nice conversation. I talked.

BH: What did you talk about? (His eyes sort of glaze over and I think it's because his phone buzzed, meaning he got an email and now he's itching to see what it's about)

Me: (making shit up) Whether roadkill squirrels are tastier than roadkill possums.

BH: (doesn't hear me)

Me: (goes back to the finance talk)

*THIS sort of thing is why together we look like a golf club and a bowling ball. He's a foot taller than me and weighs less.

Slices of Life - weekend activities

2010-04-25T18:35:00.000-04:00

We've had a busy few days. I'm jotting down a few of the stand-out moments...

Friday evening - Husb and I attended a fundraiser dinner for a local charity. The big event was a dance contest of sorts, where local 'celebrities' danced with pro dance instructors. The celebs were to drum up votes at $40 each, all to go to the charity. It was fun. They'd been practicing for weeks on their dance number. Some did salsa, some foxtrot, some swing. A la Dancing with the Stars. Anyway, we're sitting at our table, watching, and Husb leans over to me.
Husb: Give you any ideas?
Me: (Of course it did, but I wanted to hear what he was thinking) Like what?
Husb: You know.
Me: Yeah?
Husb: For a story (waggles eyebrows). One could be in drag.
Me: (Having already generated plot bunny) That's brilliant!

Saturday - Husb and I discussed summer vacation plans. Our son is going to join us, and so we're giving him a choice. One - United Kingdom, some sort of land tour, or two - Mediterranean Cruise. If you were at DIK Blog a while back, you saw Jenre's Post about romance novel tropes and a little discussion about researching Greek Billionaires. Such irony that now we were seriously talking about a cruise that will take us to a few of those Greek Isles! But today, Boy informed us that if he gets to choose, he'd rather go to England and/or Ireland.

Saturday evening - We went to see a production of Avenue Q, which is an adult muppet musical. There's a gay muppet - Rod (holding book in picture) and his not-gay roommate Nicky. Rod denies that he's gay until near the end of the show and after intensive therapy. And Nicky finds him a boyfriend, Ricky, who happens to look just like Nicky, because Nicky knows Rod's type.

Beyond that, though, there was muppet sex. I kid you not. Princeton and Kate Monster (see photo below) went out on a sweet date. The Bad Idea Bears showed up with Long Island Iced Teas and our protagonists got drunk, went home and had sex. Accompanied by the song "You Can Be As Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Makin' Love)". I thought it was hysterical. My dear husb, however, was, well, shocked. I think it was a "Please bleach my eyeballs" moment for him. We discussed it at intermission:

Husb: That's just not right.
Me: I thought it was hysterical.
Husb: Muppets are supposed to be cute. They're for kids.
Me: Do you need to go home?
Husb: No. Just...I can't think about muppets that way.
Me: Well, these are grown up muppets.

Wishing you all a wonderful week!

National Poetry Month

2010-04-18T11:45:00.000-04:00

April is National Poetry Month. Erotic Horizon has suggested for bloggers to do something poetic. So here are a couple of my favorites.

[in Just-]

by e. e. cummings

in Just-

spring when the world is mud-

luscious the little

lame balloonman

whistles far and wee

and eddieandbill come

running from marbles and

piracies and it's

spring

when the world is puddle-wonderful

the queer

old balloonman whistles

far and wee

and bettyandisbel come dancing

from hop-scotch and jump-rope and

it's

spring

and

the

goat-footed

balloonMan whistles

far

and

wee

FOG

by Carl Sandberg

The fog comes
on little cat feet.

It sits looking
over harbor and city
on silent haunches
and then moves on.

How Much Is Too Much?

2010-04-14T02:11:00.000-04:00

I'm reading a book (well, duh). It's m/m romance. The writing is good - clever, correct grammar, plot builds well, etc. But it has a lot of detail (to me anyway). The step-by-step kind while one guy teaches the other a new skill. No, it's not a sexual skill. I find the details mildly interesting but not enough to pay complete attention to them, so I sort of skim. This happens from time to time in my reading. Recently it was a little too much military life.

I'm also writing a book. (Not the paranormal I've mentioned). And now I'm paranoid. Am I writing too much detail, too much about getting from here to there, etc?

Val recently (okay, like ten days ago) posted about what unkowns you like in your fiction, and it's possible that someone else followed that up with more deep thoughts, so that's what got me started on this path.

So how much is too much detail in a book? Are there limits to what you want to know?

Just Askin' - Has M/M Skewed Your Thinking?

2010-04-05T23:35:00.000-04:00

First: A word from our sponsor. Ice Cream on the Side got a lovely little review from Sensual Reads! Now on to our regularly scheduled program...

I saw "Clash of the Titans" this weekend. You know - the remake with Sam Worthington as Perseus. As soon as I saw those pretty boy soldiers who went with him on his quest, I wanted to see them. Together. En deshabille.

Alas! It wasn't meant to be. But thinking about it got me through the over-long battle with the giant scorpion thingies.

(Sorry I could only find a decent pic of one of the boys.)

A few years ago, this thought wouldn't have crossed my mind. At least, I'm pretty sure it wouldn't.

But my point (yes, I have one) is my mind seems to be permanently skewed toward the m/m-ness of...whatever...

On a recent vacation in Jamaica, at a lovely all-inclusive beach resort, I snickered (mentally) every time I caught sight of the Activities sign advertising "watersports." I definitely wouldn't have given that a second glance a few years ago. I wondered if anyone else at the hotel got a kick out of it. Then I wondered if I'm just a big ol' perv.

Today my suspicions about myself were confirmed when I came across this clue in my crossword: Type of plug. Four letters. All that came to my mind was "butt". I tried to scrape up my knowledge of butt plugs to figure out a type of butt plug that has four letters, even though I was sure that wasn't what they were looking for. Couldn't get past that. Until I got m_le in the puzzle. Oh. Male. Like electrical plugs.

Please tell me I am not the only one who suffers this condition. Finding m/m goodness in ordinary, everyday things.

Psychic Abilites - What are your favorites?

2010-03-31T11:18:00.000-04:00

If you could have a psychic talent, what would you choose? I'm not talking X-Men here, just your basic psychic abilities.

Would you read minds? See dead people? Move objects just by thinking about it?

Or ... ?

Random Thoughts, Again

2010-03-23T17:57:00.000-04:00

Thus continueth and endeth the Random Thoughts post I started the other day. I take no credit for these, or any other thoughts for that matter.

17. I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone
just so I know not to answer when they call.

18. I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

19. I disagree with Kay Jewelers. I would bet on any given Friday orSaturday night more kisses begin with Miller Lite than Kay.

20. I wish Google Maps had an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

21. Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea what the heck was going on when I first saw it.

22. I'd rather try to carry 10 plastic grocery bags in each hand than
take 2 trips to bring my groceries in.

23. The only time I look forward to a red light is when I'm trying to

finish a text.

24. I have a hard time deciphering the fine line between boredom and
hunger.

25. How many times is it appropriate to say "What?" before you just nod
and smile because you still didn't hear or understand or care about a
word they said?

26. I love the sense of camaraderie when an entire line of cars team up
to prevent an ass from cutting in at the front. Stay strong, brothers
and sisters!

27. Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Pants? Pants never get
dirty, and you can wear them forever.

28. Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

29. There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are
going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far.

30. As a driver I hate pedestrians, and as a pedestrian I hate drivers,
but no matter what the mode of transportation, I always hate cyclists.

31. Sometimes I'll look down at my watch 3 consecutive times and still
not know what time it is.

32. Even under ideal conditions people have trouble locating their car keys in a pocket, finding their cell phone, and Pinning the Tail on the Donkey - but I'd bet my behind everyone can find and push the snooze button from 3 feet away, in about 1.7 seconds, eyes closed, first time, every time!

Vexations and Cockleburrs

2010-03-19T12:19:00.001-04:00

Are there things that pop up in your reading that just pop out at you as wrongwrongwrong? They aren't terrible, egregious things. They're just enough to irritate.

Kind of like picking those little burrs* off your socks after a hike,

as opposed to losing a shoe in a mud hole.

For example, I recently came across the phrase "just assume" in a place where "just as soon" would have been the thing to say. And "taunt" instead of "taut".

I think someone has changed the rules of irregular verb tenses for certain words since I learned them, because I consistently come across "sunk" where I think "sank" should be used. Am I the only one who does a little head shake when that happens? I've googled this and discovered there seems to be no definitive answer out there. Who knew?

Finally, and this one really bugs me, is the use of "could care less," as in "Joe could care less where Phil dropped his pants." Darn it, but if Joe could care less, wouldn't he? Care less, I mean? It should be "Joe couldn't care less..." showing that Joe has met his end of caring. Right? Or am I sitting alone on my branch of the language tree?

*English language brought to you by Chris, and K.Z.

Random thoughts

2010-03-16T23:44:00.000-04:00

My sister forwarded me this list the other day, and I truly did get a laugh out of it. This is just the first half; I'll post the other half another day. In the meantime - can you think of any witticisms to add?

1. I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear your computer history if you die.

2. Nothing sucks more than that moment during an argument when you realize you're wrong.

3. I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

4. There is great need for a sarcasm font.

5. How the hell are you supposed to fold a fitted sheet?

6. Was learning cursive really necessary?

7. MapQuest really needs to start their directions on #5. I'm pretty sure I know how to get out of my neighborhood.

8. Obituaries would be a lot more interesting if they told you how the person died.

9. I can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

10. Bad decisions make good stories.

11. You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

12. Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blue Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection...again.

13. I'm always slightly terrified when I exit out of Word and it asks me if I want to save any changes to my ten-page research paper that I swear I did not make any changes to.

14. "Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this - ever.

15. I hate when I just miss a call by the last ring (Hello? Hello? Damn it!), but when I immediately call back, it rings nine times and goes to voicemail. What did you do after I didn't answer? Drop the phone and run away?

16. I hate leaving my house confident and looking good and then not seeing anyone of importance the entire day. What a waste.

Handcuffed Hottie in a Hood - finale

2010-03-12T12:58:00.000-05:00

Red watched as long as he could while Wolfie circled around to stand behind him. The hands on his ass felt warm and strong, and Red relaxed under their touch. He thought he knew what to expect, but was still surprised when Wolfie traced a path between his cheeks and circled his hole. He hadn’t realized just how sensitive that part of him was. He squirmed with need. Wolfie landed one hard slap on his ass and Red was so shocked he became completely still.

“That’s better,” Wolfie said.

He pushed on Red’s thigh to move one leg up on the table. Red felt the air caress his skin in unusual places. A cool liquid and pressure on his hole alerted Red to Wolfie’s finger just before it entered him. A fleeting question of where the man had gotten the lube passed through Red’s brain before it was overtaken by his wordless response to the sensations in his ass.

“Oh, God,” Red muttered. “That feels so…so…oh.”

Wolfie withdrew but before Red could protest two fingers entered him. Feeling them move inside him was strange and exciting and he didn’t know if he wanted more or less until Wolfie hit the spot that sent Red’s nerve endings into overdrive.

Red moaned a long low sound he was sure he’d never made before.

“You like that.”

It hadn’t been a question but Red said “yes” anyway. He wanted to reach for his newly engorged cock but couldn’t, of course.

As if reading Red’s mind, Wolfie reached around with his unoccupied hand and grasped Red’s prick. His touch was just light enough to be torturous.

“Please,” Red gasped.

“Please what?”

Red squeezed his eyes shut and licked his parched lips. He knew Wolfie was teasing him. The gentle pulls on his cock and the steady slide across his prostate were never going to be enough. “Please fuck me.”

“My pleasure.” Wolfie pulled away from Red, leaving him feeling very exposed. He heard foil crinkling.

What began as a slight press became a staccato pain as Wolfie’s cock entered Red’s body. Wolfie rested a hand on Red’s back and held still while Red forced himself to relax. Then he felt the steady pressure as Wolfie pushed further in.

Red alternately held his breath and gulped in air until Wolfie was fully against him. He’d never felt anything like this before. It was painful, but it wasn’t. Wolfie didn’t move, and Red’s awareness of being filled grew until it was all he knew. The soft tingle of Wolfie’s fingers sliding down his back seemed to wipe the pain away until only pleasure remained. Red felt himself shift, somehow, inside.

Wolfie must have felt it too, because he growled and grasped Red’s hips in his large hands, then pulled almost all the way out. Red lifted his head from the table and instinctively grabbed for the edge with his bound hands. Wolfie pressed in again, all the way, and almost out once more. Red had a second to breathe, and then nothing mattered because Wolfie began to thrust and all Red could do was hold on for the ride. He relished the feel of the other man’s hips hitting his ass, the push and pull on the skin around his hole, the sweat slick between them.

Wolfie reached under Red’s chest and belly and pulled him away from the table so that Red stood, slightly bent, with his hands out on the table to support himself. When that big cock settled in over his prostate, Red arched his back and howled in ecstasy. Wolfie wrapped the fingers of one hand around Red’s cock, and held him tight across the chest with the other hand. The feel of his teeth biting Red’s shoulder became a spark that lit the climax for both of them. Red felt Wolfie’s cock pulsing inside him as his own cum jetted out over Wolfie’s hand.

A few moments ticked by; Red made sure his heart was still beating. Wolfie breathed heavily on his neck and pushed away from Red.

“Oh baby.” Wolfie’s voice was a little hoarse.

Red stood up on trembling legs. “That was incredible.”

Wolfie nodded his agreement, then proceeded to clean up, using the napkins from Red’s burrito bag. He removed Red’s cuffs and they both got dressed. Red liked the aches that rolled over his body.

They left the gazebo and stood on the path, studying each other. Wolfie raised an eyebrow.

Red looked at his feet then back at Wolfie. “I visit my grandma again on Friday,” he said.

“Heh,” Wolfie said.

Ramblings and Cats

2010-03-10T16:06:00.000-05:00

I haven't written here lately because I'm just boring myself to death, so why share that?

Had a great time in Jamaica. It was beautiful there. We stayed on the south side of the island, so there really isn't anything but the resort. The perfect solution to my annual birthday mopage. Here is the view from our balcony:

Not surprisingly, I have discovered that my aging skin has taken a dislike to strong sun. Burns easily, needs shade. And my face - ack. Little zits all over. I thought one of benefits of aging was no longer having a 13-year-old's skin. *deep sigh*

While sitting in the shade on the beach, I read lots of books. Mostly urban fantasy (made of paper, because I didn't want my Kindle to get sandy) - Underground by Kat Richardson, Unshapely Things by Mark del Franco, Pleasure of a Dark Prince by Kresley Cole, Dead to Me by Anton Strout. I noticed that when I did read an m/m romance (All's Fair in Love and Advertising, by Lenore Black) I appreciated it so much more than when that's ALL I read.

I also read Almost Like Being in Love, by Steve Klugar. What a wonderful ride that was!

I ruminated a lot on my next book. I've been scratching away with some ideas, but lying about with my eyes closed made me think more about them, sort of tossing and turning them in my head. So in the last week I think I've ditched most of the original idea and molded it into something more interesting. I even *gasp* sketched a bit of an outline, more like bullet points really. It's definitely going to be a paranormal.

While my son goes on spring break, we are kittysitting. He was supposed to bring them to us this past weekend, but his car broke down, in need of a new engine. So I drove the four and a half hours to his place on Saturday, and drove back on Sunday, cats in hand. Or car, I guess. I had cats for much of my young life, but it's been 10 years or so. And these two have strong personalities.

Spike is a basement cat, as you can see. And while he appears ready to go back to his daddy, it's all just an act.

Buffy is the sort of cat you just want to pick up and cuddle, and she puts up with it graciously, just a roll of the eyes.

My husband gets his coffee cup ready while the coffee is brewing, dumping powdered creamer and sweetener into the cup. Guess who he found sticking a paw into the cup and then licking off the cream and sugar? That would be Spike.

Buffy has a cat-sense about when I'm in the bathroom and comes looking for attention, if the door's not latched she just pushes right in. She came from nowhere at 4 in the morning to do this.

The dog seems to have gotten used to the cats from their previous visits, no longer hiding in the laundry room. But he is wearing his "when are they leaving?" face.

So, la, a little of my life for you!

Handcuffed Hottie in a Hood - part quatre

2010-03-03T23:46:00.001-05:00

Wolfie caressed the beautiful round globes of Red’s ass then massaged his way up Red’s back and down again. Red tried to push up from his position over the table, but Wolfie pressed down on his shoulders.

“Stay,” Wolfie said in his gruffest voice.

Red whimpered. And stayed.

Wolfie’s pants had been tight to start with, and now it seemed they would strangle him. Still he wanted to take his time. He shifted a little and stretched himself over Red’s naked body, sliding his hands up Red’s arms. He kissed Red’s shoulders and neck; the man smelled delicious, and so Wolfie licked small circles on Red’s skin. He tasted delicious, too. Wolfie could feel the hitch in Red’s breathing.

As Wolfie stood up, Red twisted to watch him. “I’m not going anywhere, Red.” Red lay back down, and Wolfie smiled at that. He grasped the bottom of his T-shirt and pulled it off in one smooth motion, shaking his head so his shaggy hair fell back into place. He knew Red was looking over his shoulder to see what he was doing. Wolfie took a moment to stretch. He brought his hands down to his own chest and tugged at his nipples, enjoying the slight burn. He rubbed his stomach and dipped his fingers just under the waistband of his jeans. Red strained to get a good look at him.

“My, what rock-hard abs you have,” Red said.

“The better to control my lifting and lowering,” Wolfie said. He slunk around the table, stopping at a point where Red could reach him with his cuffed hands. “Open my pants, Red.” He knew he was already leaking pre-cum from his confined cock.

The younger man looked up at him, paused only a moment and reached for Wolfie’s buttons. Wolfie enjoyed the sensation of Red’s trembling fingers brushing against him as he opened each button. Red spread the placket, and Wolfie’s shaft strained against the soft give of his boxer briefs.

Red licked his lips. “My, what tight clothes you wear.”

“The better to enjoy letting loose,” Wolfie said. Red reached a tentative finger out, but Wolfie grabbed the cuffs before Red could reach him. “Suck me.”

Red pulled himself forward until he was close enough to touch his lips to Wolfie’s cock. Wolfie felt a gentle kiss, a lick and then suction as Red found a way to get his mouth around him despite the cloth in the way. It felt so good he let out a groan that was almost a growl.

He grew harder with Red’s attentions. When he felt like thrusting, Wolfie pulled himself away from Red’s puffy lips. Red gave a disgruntled moan then watched hungrily as Wolfie stepped back. He toed off his shoes and peeled off his briefs and jeans. Wolfie stretched again, feeling the pull in his muscles, displaying himself for Red.

Red’s Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. “My, what a big cock you have.”

“The better to fuck you with, baby.”

“Oh, yeah.” Red nodded.

“Heh,” said Wolfie.

It's My Birthday, Make Me Laugh, I Dare Ya.

2010-02-18T09:45:00.000-05:00

Well, it's almost my birthday. Close enough, as it is on Tuesday of next week and I'll be in Jamaica, drinking colorful beverages with little umbrellas in them. Probably in the rain, if the weather channel forecast is correct. But, what are you going to do? My husband planned this trip, as he thought it best to get me out of here for this "milestone" birthday. I have a bit of a reputation for hating birthdays and making everyone around me miserable as I wallow.

To try to ward off the bday blues, I'm going to focus a little more on the funny in my life. Since I read a lot, I thought I'd start there.

I recently re-read Lynn Lorenz's Edward Unconditionally because I recalled that I laughed through a lot of it. Here's a little bit:

His head pounded, he’d been dog bit, and he’d lost a fight with the gayest man he’d ever seen in his life.

Edward wasn’t sure about going to a ranch or what he’d find there. He had a vision of trying to drive the Miata through a herd of cows. What if there was a stampede? In those old westerns, the cattle always charged right over a cliff.

Edward leaned against the door, his mind racing. If he let Jack in, Jack would probably kill him for what happened tonight. If he didn’t let him in, he would probably kick the door down, kill him, and then who would pay for that? If he let Jack in, at least he wouldn’t have to pay for a broken door. He’d be dead, but debt free. Not quite win-win, but it had its advantages.

And Charlie Cochrane always gets me going, with her Lessons boys. From Lessons in Power:

Jonty poked out his tongue, although his lover couldn’t be sure whether he was thinking or being insulting. “And what does Orlando mean? Irritating? Insatiable?”

“It’s from Roland.” “Well, I’m none the wiser with that.” “Neither was the book, to tell the truth, although it’s supposed to be something to do with a famous land. I suspect it means ‘he who gains fame throughout the country’.” Jonty turned up his nose. “More likely ‘he who spends hours in the bathroom’. Luckily we have two in this place or I’d never be ready in the morning.”

Jonty’s little nose rose above the newspaper, making him look even more like a small inquisitive mammal than usual.

“For the one-hundred-and-ninety-third time, I don’t snore.” “Don’t you?” Jonty stood up and reached over the table for the marmalade, which his lover had appropriated. “Well, some bloke comes in my bed of a night and reverberates. Perhaps it’s a farmer driving his pigs to market. Ow!”

So I'm asking you to help me through the big day with laughter. I'd love to know what books give you a chuckle (excerpts appreciated), jokes, scenes, pics, songs, etc.

It doesn't have to be a laugh-out-loud laugh, either. As Tam says, snorting quietly and smiling broadly will do as well.

I'll be taking my laptop with me, and criminee if it's raining I expect I'll be on line a lot. If the sun does shine, then I'll be thinking about you while I lounge by the pool.

Yay Me - A Review from Val. And why reviewers help writers.

2010-02-17T21:11:00.000-05:00

I am happy to link you to a really nice review that Val did of Ice Cream on the Side. Please go to Obsidian Bookshelf to read it!

The cool thing about reading reviews of my writing is the insights I get. Val writes:

...This gives us a gratifyingly realistic level of detail about Dylan's everyday work, more than we m/m romance readers usually receive, while not slowing the pace of the story.

Note that I am just too new at this writing thing to be aware of that "level of detail" thing (or I'm not that meta-cognitive) but gee, now that you mention it, yeah, I did that. Mostly because I write what I would like to read. And there's been many a time when I've read something and wished for more. More details, description, information, story... just...more.

Jenre, over at Well Read Well Read, liked the book but noted a niggle:

...It was at this point that I began to find the tone a little jarring with the content. Dylan is connected to the first murdered man, and the witty asides that had seemed so engaging in the first half of the book made Dylan seem a little cold-hearted and unfeeling when placed alongside murder. As the bodies pile up, I began to lose a little sympathy for Dylan and his sarcastic comments.

Hmmm. Yeah, okay, I can see that. I didn't take into consideration how these surprising events might alter Dylan's response to things, or I didn't make it clear just how thick his protective walls are.

At Reviews by Jessewave, Wave said:

The character that I had the greatest difficulty with was Ian who changed drastically from the urbane, creative professional into a man who lost all control over his emotions, and his behaviour was so extreme that I wondered if this was the same man or if he was schizophrenic.

Ian did have problems and most of the time he just made me mad. But I can see that I could've given him a little more underpinning, though.

Theresa at E-Book Addict:

Everything was very believable—not farfetched as I sometimes find in stalking type stories.

How gratifying it was to read that! 'Cause I tried hard on that element and wasn't sure if I was entirely successful.

Rainbow Reviews' Lily:

I really enjoyed the mystery/suspense plot in this debut novel, especially the fact that I was surprised by who the culprit was. It's always nice when the author takes time to make the "baddie" not so obvious.

And again, this is because when I read books where I figure out the murderer in Chapter 1 I get cranky.

Tam of Tam's Reads:

Not necessarily laugh out loud but I really liked Dylan's voice. He was kind of a bit random with his brain always rattling around on seemingly wild tangents.

I'll have to try harder next time. I'd really like to generate some laugh-out-loud goodness. It is pretty hard to write. But the scary thing? Dylan's voice isn't far from my own.

Erotic Horizon:

I am not a lover of books with too many support cast – but I liked the fact that the author made use of every person she introduced me to and the circle of friend she surround the men with – were easy to love and hate in equal measure.

Not everybody felt this way about the secondaries, but I was hoping to make them a little more than stick figures. I think if the book had been (a lot?) longer they would have been fleshed out even more.

I probably wouldn't be so glib if I'd received a bunch of negative reviews, but I still would have learned a few things. I am grateful for the folks out there who do this work. I'm pretty sure none of them get paid for it, so it's a labor of love that not only helps readers, but authors too. On top of that it forms the basis for a growing on-line community of people who would otherwise be wondering, "Is it just me....?"

M/M Romance Challenge - My So-Called Reviews, part two

2010-02-16T22:02:00.000-05:00

Yes, I'm still keeping up with my m/m challenge, reviewing those m/m books that I really rather liked. You can see more about the challenge at I heart paperbacks.

Blood and Roses, Aislinn Kerry, Samhain Publishing

Arjen is a prostitute in Amsterdam. Not sure of the time period. Vampires are a given in this society. Maikel is a vampire who comes to the brothel and selects Arjen, but all he wants is to feed and have a safe place to sleep for the night. Arjen isn’t happy about it but agrees. This becomes a weekly event. Until their personalities get in the way - Arjen thinks he doesn’t want the vampire, even though Maikel makes his affection clear. Maikel accededs to Arjen’s wishes that he go away. This is beautifully written, emotionally stirring. Even though it’s first person pov (Arjen) there is much to discover as he doesn’t quite know his own feelings. And you aren’t ever sure about Maikel, tho’ you can surmise. Not terribly long (there are 85 pages of story, 20 pages of other books’ excerpts), the story focuses on their meetings in the brothel, so it’s very tightly written that way. No extraneous detail, intensely focused. Loved it.

An Uncommon Whore, Belinda McBride, Loose Id

Helios Dayspring has been a slave for 5 years. Griffin Hawke is a soldier, one of many sent to find Helios, who is actually a king. They'd been friends and lovers. Helios' memory's been wiped but they get the chip implanted in his brain corrected. They meet up with Carolotta, a displaced princess and Helios' sister-in-law. The three travel back to their planet, a new home their people went to when the first planet had been overtaken in war. Interesting to learn about his life as a slave in rather unemotional telling, instead of living through those years with him. He has to accept what he's been while he remembers the past that brought him to slavery and comes to grips with being a king. A very intelligent book. The characters are rich and complex. We come into the story when Helios has been a slave for 5 years, can't remember anything before that, and slowly his history is revealed. Told in first person from Helios's pov. Griffin is his lover, and he is almost heartbreaking in his own right as you learn about what he's been through as well. I would like to have seen a bit more at the end. It was rather neatly wrapped up. I had been thinking it would lead in to a follow up story, but it doesn't seem so.

Wicked Gentlemen, Ginn Hale, Blind Eye Books

Wow. And Wow again.
This was a terrific read. I was caught up immediately and couldn’t let go. It’s sort of a steampunk combined with paranormal story. The world-building is incredible, and this story seems as if it is just a small part of a world that the author knows in alarming detail. Belimai Sykes is a Prodigal, which in this world means demon. William Harper is a Captain with the Inquisition, which is a sort of religious-based policing and governing body that uses torture to get what it wants. William solicits Belimai’s help when his sister goes missing, and from there we discover their secrets. Both characters are deeply drawn, very imperfect and complex. While there are a couple of mysteries to be solved and bad guys to be dealt with, the real treasure is that we follow along as the two men grow, sometimes willingly and sometimes not, beyond the constraints their society has set them.

Mini Challenge: League of Reluctant Adults - Jaye Wells

2010-02-15T19:43:00.000-05:00

Yes, another review for Literary Escapism's New Author Challenge!

Red-Headed Stepchild by Jaye Wells, Orbit

Sabina is a mixed-blood, having had a Lilim (vampire) mother and a mage father. But since she was raised by her grandmother, she only knows the world of the Lilim. Sabina is an assassin, and her latest assignment has her infiltrating the cult that demon-vampire Clovis has established, with assassination of the leader her ultimate goal. Along the way she has to deal with a demon sent to kill her and a hottie mage that is determined to follow her and introduce her to the mage side of her family.

I did enjoy this story. It was an interesting take on the vampire world, with the added bonus of including mages, faeries, demons, etc. I rather liked Adam, the mage sent to follow Sabina, and I liked that she didn’t fall head over heels for him. I particularly enjoyed the nymph Vinca, who becomes Sabina’s roommate, because she turned out to be more than what she seemed at first. The big niggle I had about the book include Sabina’s density. It just takes her forever to figure out that which is so obvious, and her thought processes about it got to be tedious. Still, there was a good amount of humor, and there is a central mystery around Sabina that makes me curious to see what will happen in the next book.

Mini Challenge: League of Reluctant Adults - Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge

2010-02-14T12:22:00.000-05:00

Here is another review for the New Author Challenge at Literary Escapism.

Black and White, by Jackie Kessler and Caitlin Kittredge, Ballantine

Jet and Iridium are mortal enemies now, but they became friends at the Academy when they were 12 and just learning the ways of heroes - people born with genetic differences that give them superpowers. There’s a lot going on in the telling of the story. View points that alternate each chapter, and time frames that very every few chapters. You get the present time, where the story takes place over days. And interspersed with that you get year one, year two, etc., while the women were at the academy, so their backstory unfolds bit by bit, leading the reader to find out how they got where they are today. There’s a mystery surrounding the ‘heroes’ and their connection to the corporation that handles them. There’s a phobic group that hates and attacks the heroes. There are a couple of strong secondary characters who may not be what they seem. And there is one hero - Jet - who is by-the-book, duty-first, save-humanity and interestingly wears black and controls shadows/the dark. And the other former-hero, Iridium, who breaks the rules, goes rogue and lords over the bad part of town, and wears white and controls the light.

I can’t say that I’ve ever read anything like this, even in the urban fantasy field. It was gripping and a fast-moving read. I would have wanted to smack Jet except that Iridium did it for me (several times) so that balanced out quite nicely. I did figure out the bad guys fairly early, but not the reason for their existence. And I do love stories where you get to see the evolution of the characters. All in all a very good read!

Review at Erotic Horizon

2010-02-13T09:00:00.001-05:00

Ice Cream on the Side was recently reviewed at Erotic Horizon.

I particularly liked this line of the review:

A little mystery was there and I will admit for the first third of the book – I felt one person was just a literal waste of space, but as the plot began to unfold I had that “I didn’t see that coming moment” – really good.

Choose Your Own, 5 Angels, and Kisses to all!

2010-02-12T14:04:00.000-05:00

Go to Kris 'n' Good Books, click on "There Are No Accidents" and you'll be sent magically thru the webz to Scribd where you can read the Choose Your Own M/M Story I came up. Let me know what you think, 'kay?

Yay me, I got 5 Angels from Fallen Angels Reviews! You can read the review here.

I'm seeing a lot of hugging and kissing going on out there, in the spirit of Valentine's day. So here is my contribution -

A Free Story for Valentine's Day!

2010-02-11T12:30:00.005-05:00

If you know me even a little, you know that I was ~~hornswaggled into~~ invited to write a Choose-Your-Own-M/M-Story, by the venerable Kris, of Kris 'n' Good Books fame. The challenge was presented to her readers here, and the results described here.

Sometime ~~today~~ tomorrow (operator error. mea culpa) Kris will post the story, entitled "There Are No Accidents", or the link to it on her blog. Since I'm writing this a few days ahead of time, all I can give you is the general link: Kris's Blog. You're on your own once you get there. Don't worry. It's safe. Mostly.

Anyway, I hope that if you read it, you enjoy it. It was a challenge that I enjoyed. But don't tell Kris!

Coming soon to a blog near you!

2010-02-10T12:30:00.002-05:00

What happens when you combine this:

with this:

and this:

and these:

Answer:

There Are No Accidents, a free, Valentine's Day story, available Friday, February 11, at Kris 'n' Good Books.

Out of the Loop...

2010-02-09T21:31:00.000-05:00

I'm out of town this week. Not that it matters to anybody, but it might affect my virtual life. I'm visiting my sister in Philadelphia - land of the many snows. She recently had surgery and I'm here to "help out", which means sitting around keeping her company. She has the interwebz but it doesn't move as fast as at my house, and my schedule is all funked up.

So here's a cookie...

Mini Challenge: League of Reluctant Adults - Kat Richardson

2010-02-07T15:44:00.000-05:00

I don't know what I was thinking, I guess I got all caught up in the excitement, etc., but I entered the New Author Mini Challenge: League of Reluctant Adults. I know, I know. More stuff to read. But I really do like Urban Fantasy and its ilk. We shall see if I can get more than one of these read this month! First up:

Greywalker, by Kat Richardson, published by ROC.
Harper Blaine is a private investigator who gets attacked by a guy she's investigating, and dies momentarily in the process. As she recovers, she finds that she can see ghosts, vampires and other strange things, things that belong in the Grey. She has to learn how to deal with and operate in the Grey, which she is quite reluctant to do. Harper takes on a couple of cases in this first book of the series, that seem to start out normal but end up being quite paranormal. One is to find the maker of a new vampire so he can be taught the things he needs to know to survive. The other is to find an antique parlor organ that purportedly belongs to a mysterious client. Harper finds herself in deep and dire circumstances in these cases, and has to ask for help from creatures she would otherwise avoid.

I really like Harper. She's the urban fantasy heroine we've come to know and love, the kick-ass woman who occasionally gets her ass kicked. Her discovery of the Grey is enticing to follow. We come to understand it along with her, so it's a process. Harper really does not want to have this ability, doesn't want to learn about this odd zone, but eventually she has no choice if she's going to survive. The characters in her life are wonderfully drawn and have their own mysteries. Quinton is the strange electronics guru who seems to have no office or workspace, and likes to be paid in cash. Mara and Ben are the couple who know about the Grey and try to teach Harper, with Mara being a witch and Ben an academic. Carlos the vampire is deliciously scary, but helps Harper (for a price). I'm not sure that anyone is what they seem, and I know that their stories will unfold as the series progresses.

Saturday 9: I Started a Joke

2010-02-06T11:48:00.000-05:00

So I was over at Lily's blog. She sometimes does these meme things. Today's is the Saturday 9. I commented, then I realized that I kind of liked this meme, and figured hey, I'll try it out. Here goes nothin'!

To participate in the meme, go here.

1. Tell us a joke that you think is funny. If you don't tell jokes tell us why.
I can never remember jokes, even when I find them incredibly funny. Except for one, and I don't know why I've remembered it, it's not even that funny, but what the hell - Q:Why did cavemen drag their women around by the hair? A: Because if they dragged them by their feet, they'd fill up with rocks.

2. Where do you buy most of your clothes?
No one place in particular. I like Coldwater Creek, Macy's, J.Jill.

3. Which famous person would you like to meet? Why?
Oh, gosh, I can't say that I'd actually like to meet any of them! I would get so tongue-tied and stand there like an idiot. It's better to just leave the famous folks in my daydreams.

4. What is your ultimate ambition?
I am a person of very little ambition.

5. Do you like to live in the area of your country or would you prefer something a little different?
I live in a place that's flat, and I'd love to live in a place where there are mountains, or at least rolling hills.

6. Has a newspaper or television reporter ever interviewed you? If so, what were the circumstances and what did you think when you read or saw what you said?

Yes, both. I did a rather short-term stint as a principal at a private elementary school. I was interviewed by the paper when we had issues with sewer lines nearby. They frequently stunk to high heaven, nothing was ever done about it, and finally I'd gotten on the phone to the city engineer, the planner and the mayor's office and when that didn't get me anywhere, I called a reporter. She did a good job, and people noticed. The sewers were under investigation and repair within a few weeks. So that was a great experience. Plus, I got to be the hero of the neighborhood for a few minutes.

I was interviewed for the TV news when our school had a fundraiser with a local celebrity as honorary chairman. The reporter asked me a lot of questions, but they edit out almost everything so all that remains is basically a sound bite. And I hated, hated, seeing myself on TV. I looked like such a dork!

7. What was the last CD/mp3 album that you purchased? How did you like it?
The "Glee" cd's. They are a lot of fun, there's a lot of variety, and I love the show for the musical numbers so it's lovely to have them.

8. Write down 5 songs you often listen to or that mean a lot to you.

Sweet Child of Mine (Guns 'n' Roses)

You Want to Make a Memory (Bon Jovi)

Misty (various artists) - The first song my husband and I danced to, on our first date

It's Raining Men (The Weather Girls)

He's A Pirate (David Garrett)

9. Do you or your partner usually begin intimacy?

Here's how it goes - We're each in our respective "spots" in the family room, reading, or on our laptops, etc.

He says: "Do you wanna have sex?"

I either say: "Nah." or "OK."

M/M Rut Challenge - Review of Vintage

2010-02-04T16:23:00.000-05:00

So just the other day Kris, of Kris 'n' Good Books fame, was bored. She came up with a challenge, which you can read about if you click on the m/m rut challenge pic over there on the left. Your left.

When I noted that I have a very large comfort zone as regards my reading, it was recommended that I try a Young Adult novel. A few members of the fold recommended Vintage, by Steve Berman. And since I had a code for a free book on ARe (after that weekend buying spree...) I got it. It took me a few minutes to deal with the odd pdf format of the book but after that it was smooth sailing. I started it yesterday, finished it today, and here are my random thoughts:

Why it was out of my comfort zone: I haven't read any YA for a very long time. And I am pretty sure I never read YA with gay characters. Now that I've read so much m/m and also Urban Fantasy, etc., I'm not in a place where YA attracts me.

What I liked: I thought this was a well-told story. It was about a boy who can see ghosts, but it was told almost like a ghost story. The main characters were very well-realized, even with the narration in first person. I appreciated the theme of being attracted to the exotic and dangerous, but finding what you need right under your nose.

Niggles ('cause I had no big dislikes!): I wish the narrator had a name. I don't think we ever got to know his first name, and his last name is mentioned once. It's probably a metaphor for something, but it bugged me. The resolution with the ghost seemed just a little abrupt.

There, I hope this helps the venerable Kris slough off her boredom for a bit!

The pdf version of the book can be purchased here.

Handcuffed Hottie in a Hood, part the third

2010-02-02T18:09:00.001-05:00

Wolfie cupped Red’s ass cheeks in his large hands and squeezed. Red liked that a lot, and he moaned. Wolfie’s tongue dragged down Red’s hairless chest and abs, and Red’s muscles twitched at every sensitive spot the big man found. He wished his hands were free. He wanted to touch Wolfie, run his fingers through the thick dark hair, and over the big, tight muscles. He pulled at the restraints even though he knew he couldn’t slip out of them.

Red could feel the shape of Wolfie’s smile against his skin.

“I should probably, um…” Red stopped when the other man sucked up a mark on his stomach. “Oh. I should…the burritos…my grandma.” He knew there was a complete thought in his head somewhere; the words were scattered every which way, though.

When the strong fingers popped open the button of his pants and lowered the zipper, Red stopped breathing for a minute. The pants dropped straight to the floor since they were already loose. Wolfie knelt on the floor and ran his hands lightly up and down Red’s thighs and around to his calves. He put just enough pressure in his touch on the back of Red’s knees so that it didn’t tickle; instead, it made Red’s cock push even harder against his boxers.

Wolfie mouthed Red’s cock over the fabric. There were little moany, whimpering sounds and it took a second for Red to realize he was making them. Wolfie’s hands traveled up the back of his legs, under the legs of his boxers and onto his ass. When Wolfie squeezed the round muscles, Red’s whimpers turned into groans.

Wolfie leaned back and looked up at Red through long black lashes. The tip of his tongue traveled back and forth across his lower lip as he slowly - oh so slowly - drew down Red’s boxers. He stretched the waist over Red’s weeping cock and under his balls, then smoothed it down over his ass. He pulled gently on the fabric to bring the shorts down Red’s thighs, over his knees, to rest on the pants already pooled at his feet.

Red let out a shaky breath. “You’re very good at this.”

“Yes. I am.” Wolfie smiled his white-toothed smile. He pressed a kiss to the crease where Red’s thigh met his hip, first one side and then the other. He tongued the balls in their soft sac.

“Please, I can’t.” Red couldn’t think is what he couldn’t.

“Shh.” Wolfie hissed the sound as he mouthed his way up Red’s cock. Red had never seen anything so sexy in his life. As Wolfie’s talented tongue and lips caressed every bit of him, Red’s body melted a little, his arms hung without tension in the cuffs, his back and shoulders rounded a little. When Wolfie took Red’s cock into his mouth and throat, though, Red’s body clenched. Big hands pressed his hips back against the wall, keeping Red still, letting Wolfie do the work of sucking, licking, sliding up and down and generally driving Red crazy.

Red wanted so badly to grab Wolfie’s hair, hold his head still and thrust. He couldn’t do any of those things. Wolfie must have felt the tension of Red’s body, because he sucked harder, slathering Red’s cock with saliva and sliding his tight fist up and down. The pressure he put on the sensitive spot just below the cockhead was what sent Red right over. He came with a shout, spurting into Wolfie’s greedy mouth. The man savored it, licking Red’s shaft until Red shuddered and let out a deep sigh.

Wolfie stood and returned to kissing Red. He could taste himself in Wolfie’s kiss and that made him more eager and open. Wolfie caressed his chest, his abs, his arms. He ran his tongue around Wolfie’s and bit at his lips. Wolfie chuckled deep in his chest. He reached around behind Red.

It took Red a moment to realize the cuff on his right hand had loosened enough that he could pull his arm free. He tried to bring it around so he could touch Wolfie, but the muscles were cramped so he had to move slowly. Wolfie massaged his shoulders and arms and helped him bring them forward, pulling the hoodie off as he did so.

Red was just about to thank the bigger man for releasing him, when he felt the pull of the cuffs on his wrists again, this time in front of his body. He shook his head and looked up at Wolfie.

“Oh, we’re not done yet, little Red,” Wolfie growled. He pulled Red’s shoes off, then tossed aside the pants, boxers, even the sweatshirt that puddled on the floor.

“W-w-what are you doing?” Red asked even though he could guess. He was standing there naked, handcuffed, in front of a very large, very aroused man.

Red had played around quite a bit. He knew about kissing and hand jobs and blow jobs. But there was a lot he didn’t know about. Not up close and personal, anyway.

Wolfie pulled him forward by his cuffed hands. He stood him in front of the picnic table that sat in the center of the gazebo and then pushed him down. Red’s chest hit the table. With his feet still on the floor, his ass made a perfect target.

“Heh,” said Wolfie.

Toast!

2010-02-01T14:05:00.000-05:00

While I was waiting for my toast to toast this morning, this song popped into my head. I wanted to share. Enjoy.

Elevator Buttons

2010-01-29T19:07:00.000-05:00

Hmm....?

M/M Romance Challenge - My So-Called Reviews, part one

2010-01-28T22:23:00.001-05:00

Okay. So I'm doing this Challenge thing. Anesthezea at I Heart Paperbacks set it up: The M/M Romance Challenge. And part of this requires one to post reviews of the books one reads. Why do I do this to myself? As I've mentioned elsewhere, I'm of the "I don't know why I like it I just do" school of reviewing. And while I don't want to dwell in the land of summaries, I find I am sort of obsessively compelled to do that.

Oh, who really gives a crap? Here are a few books I've read, along with a few scattered notes about them:

A Matter of Time I - IV, by Mary Calmes, Club Lighthouse Publishing (Contemporary romance action-adventure mystery)

These 4 books are really one very long story. Jory is a gorgeous twinkish guy who works for Dane, a gorgeous and renowned architect. He witnesses a murder but won't go into protective custody. He's trailed by Detective Sam Kage. We read about Jory's adventures, falling in love with Sam, who seems to be straight but falls in love with Jory. They have a lot of Stress and walking away and coming together. Jory gets shot at some. He gets kidnapped, saved, shot. Sam leaves for 3 years to go undercover, and when he returns Jory has to come to terms with his feelings and fears. The sex is hot, with Jory loving how dominant Sam gets and Sam knowing it. Jory gets kidnapped again. Somebody gets killed. Sam gets hurt in an explosion. Jory goes on a quest to figure out the killer... But everyone lives happily ever after. Yes, it’s melodrama on a grand scale but I enjoyed it. Except when I was grinding my teeth over the editing, especially the punctuation. Jory is the first person narrator, and I liked that because he was a little unreliable. He was particularly entertaining in the fourth book, where he just matter-of-factly goes off on his own to catch the killer and has everyone on the other end of the phone completely aggravated.

Draegon Lords 3: Fires of Ballian, by M.L. Rhodes, Amber Allure (Fantasy)

Kieran has been kidnapped by "Death" (see book 2). Gaige is left to be the lord of the draegons, and has to learn to believe in his magic powers, which are really getting to be strong. He orchestrates the move from the camp to Kellesborne. His visions help him learn things but take a physical toll, and he is helped by his grandmother in his search for Keiran. Gaige and his group discover that Byram is using other beings to help his armies and decimate and overtake towns. Lots of movement, adventure. Still, I felt this was not as engaging as the first 2 books - maybe because the two men are separated through most of it. It’s clearly a lead-in to the next installment.

Precious Jade, by Fyn Alexander, Loose Id (Historical - Victorian, BDSM)

Jade grew up in the theater, with his performing mother. She sends him off to find a real job at age 18. He ends up as secretary to a man, Marcus, who turns out to be a Dom. Jade becomes his slave, and is introduced to the BDSM world, but a stupid mistake causes Master to send him packing. A few weeks later, Jade is working at the Royal Pavilion and Master is a guest. Jade discovers that several members of Parliament want to get Marcus ousted from his position and so works to prevent that. Told in first person, Jade's voice. He is an amusingly dramatic self-professed "nancy boy." My take on this is that the story is being told tongue-in-cheek.

Saying I Do (Quinn Security Series), by Cameron Dane, Loose Id (Contemporary romance action-adventure)

A sequal to Finding Home. Adam asks Rhone to marry him. They go to a Vermont resort. They get themselves involved in a business-marriage between the resort owner's daughter and her male friend. They also get involved in a possible abuse case where two hotel workers are involved. There may be a little more than necessary going on with the two subplots, but I think it was done at least partly to show you can take the boys out of the office but you can’t take the detecting out of the boys. Lots of hot, steamy, Cameron Dane style sex, which is probably why I liked it.

Family Unit, by Z. A. Maxfield, Loose Id (Contemporary romance)

Richard is raising his grandson, Nick. Logan is a retired marine come to live in the house his dead lover left him. The men are attracted and do the push me pull you thing to get to the love. Richard keeps saying/thinking that Nick is his first priority, yet never hesitates to jump in the sack with Logan in the middle of the day. There is some anxiety-drama near the end of the book involving Nick and his estranged mother and her new boyfriend. I liked the men; the boy seemed a little old for his years, but he’s had some tough breaks. ZAM is a good storyteller. My complaint: The 'age' thing. They are 45, maybe 50 years old, but such a big deal is made of this that you’d think they’re 70. That may just be perspective, depending on the age of the reader, though. Just sayin’.

Lovely Review from Jenre

2010-01-27T23:56:00.000-05:00

Jenre at Well Read reviewed Ice Cream on the Side. She had some lovely things to say about it. Go and read it.

I like Jen's review style. She is very thoughtful, that is, you can tell she's given a lot of thought to what she's saying. She always supplies the reasoning behind her opinions, which I think is very helpful for the reader. She is fair and thorough and I'm not just saying this to suck up 'cause she's already reviewed my book!

I don't think I'd make a very good reviewer. I rely too much on my intuitive nature, which leads me to say things like "I liked it. I don't know why, I just did!" Still, I think I'm supposed to review the books I read for the m/m romance challenge, so I'll putter along with something - short and sweet - soon.

Getting Published (my story)

2010-01-25T19:07:00.000-05:00

I’ve seen in a couple of places now people asking about the process of getting published. I’m sure it’s different for everyone, so I’ll tell you how it went for me, but in a nutshell sort of way. If you want to conclude at any point that “nutshell” is appropriate because I belong in one, please, be my guest.

I guess I started reading m/m in the fall of 2006. Kind of stumbled upon it and wow - I was hooked immediately. Something about the dynamics of two men in a relationship really spoke to me as a reader, and I devoured a lot of books. I experienced the wonderful spectrum of quality that exists in these books. Periodically I’d say to myself, “Hey, I could do better than this.” (Then I’d read something by Josh Lanyon, or Jordan Castillo Price, or JL Langley, and I’d say, “Nah. It’s not that easy. I’ll just keep reading.”) (There must be some mystery associated with “J” names.)

Then in late 2008 I stumbled across a contest a publisher was having. I literally wrote the book in a month’s time (my own private nanowrimo). Every entry was supposed to get editorial feedback, which I thought was great, since I didn’t have any beta readers or critique partners and lord knew I couldn’t ask my real life friends to review because holy crap the book has man on man sex in it! I just looked at it as a chance to see if I really could write something others might want to read.

Well, I never heard back from the publisher, except for the automated we-got-your-document response. So I wallowed in bitterness and anger for a while, then segued into self-pity and finally acceptance that I probably suck as a writer. A few months later, don’t know what possessed me, but I opened up the story file and re-read my book and thought, “This needs a lotta work. But it isn’t too awful.” So I revised. And sent the synopsis and three chapters to one of my favorite publishers, Loose Id.

Lo and behold! They wanted to see the whole dang thing! And after they read it, well, wonder of wonders, they wanted to publish it. And la, ta da! (I got the acceptance e-mail while on a cruise ship off the coast of England. Never was I so happy to have hauled my laptop everywhere.)

After Loose Id accepted the manuscript, and I signed and returned the contract, the editor I was working with had the unenviable job of telling me all the stuff I did wrong. She also told me some of the stuff I did right, which is really important because my fragile ego might not otherwise have survived.

I’ve learned way more than I ever expected to about the editing process and my own writing. For example, I had no idea that my characters were excited about everything - it’s amazing to see so many exclamation marks deleted from one document! I learned that when your editor says “add a few lines here” she doesn’t mean five pages. I found out that after you read your own story five or so times you get really sick of it, but after you read it eight or ten times you really see where you should have done about 75% of it differently. There was other important stuff, but let’s not kill ourselves with details.

All of this goes on electronically by the way. In word documents, tracking changes and such.

There is a copy editor who goes over the manuscript. She’s the one who confirms or fixes the manuscript for house style, spelling and grammar errors that have slipped, and continuity. And then a production editor reviews it. I liked this part because she commented with little notes when she particularly liked something or thought it was funny. Still, it was at this point that I had moments where I thought I should yank out pages and rewrite them. Of course, that was not possible. I didn’t even tell anybody that. But I thought it. Gah!

Loose Id sends its authors forms to fill out for information for promo and blurbs and cover design, so how well you complete those is important. Somewhere along the way I got a look at a rough draft of the cover. I almost squee’d myself to death because it was done by P.L. Nunn. She has done some of my favorite covers - I confess I often buy books because her art graces the cover. Then the final version of the cover arrived, and I was told I could use it, show it off, etc.

That’s when I started my blog - so I had someplace I could put that pretty picture! Well, I also needed to create an online presence. The e-pubs don’t have the budget to do much in the way of fancy marketing, etc., so authors really have to get in there and do that. Some are great at it, some don’t even have a blog or website or contact info. Some are in-between. It’s difficult for the introverts in the group!

So I now have a published book. I’m pretty darned pleased about that.

Handcuffed Hottie in a Hood, part deux

2010-01-22T18:35:00.001-05:00

Here is part 2 to the Red and Wolfie story. See the previous post for part uno.

Red tugged at the cuffs then looked up into Wolfie’s eyes. Wolfie was a good six inches taller, and he liked that Red had to bend back a little.

“Why did you handcuff me?” Red asked. He tugged at little at his bonds.

“Because I like you that way,” Wolfie said. He leaned in even closer and brushed his rough cheek against Red’s smooth one. He felt Red tremble at his touch.

“Are you…are you going to hurt me?” Red whispered.

Wolfie nuzzled at Red’s ear. “Do you want me to hurt you?” He licked at the soft spot just behind the ear, and nibbled a little on the lobe.

Red shivered again. “No?” Wolfie’s lips continued their assault on Red’s neck, little bites leaving a trail of sensation in their wake. “I mean…no. I don’t want to be hurt.”

“Okay,” Wolfie said. He went back to kissing Red. He found the taste of those full lips was like sweet berries and he couldn’t get quite enough.   As he kissed, Wolfie unzipped the hoodie Red wore and pushed it off his shoulders. It gathered at Red’s wrists, adding another layer to his bindings. Wolfie pressed his lips against Red’s temple, and sniffed at his hair, which smelled a bit like honey and clover.   Then he trailed more kisses down Red’s neck, on his shoulders and then his collar bones.

“You have very soft lips,” Red murmured.

“The better to kiss you with, baby.” Wolfie smiled against Red’s sweet, smooth skin.   He found a pert nipple and sucked gently.

“Oh. Oh.” Red squirmed. He looked down at what Wolfie was doing. Wolfie looked up at him from under his long, long lashes and smiled as he licked. Red closed his eyes and the tip of his pink tongue peeked out to wet his lips. Wolfie worked his way back up to Red’s neck. He licked and sucked all along Red’s jaw, while his slightly calloused fingers tugged at Red’s increasingly sensitive nipples.

“Oh, your fingers are strong!” Red gasped a little.

“The better to twist these tender nubs,” Wolfie said as he did just that.

Red moaned and wriggled and rose up on his toes. Wolfie pressed in harder, keeping Red up against the wall of the gazebo with his long legs bracketing Red’s and his pelvis grinding against Red’s hips.   He continued to pull and twist and rub those rosy nipples, and he bit somewhat harder on the skin of Red’s neck. Red liked that; he tilted his head to the side to make room. Wolfie bit and sucked and bit again, knowing a lovely dark mark would come up there.   He leaned back a little to look at it, and gave a satisfied smile.

“Your teeth are very sharp,” Red said. He blinked slowly.

Wolfie’s smile broadened. “That’s so I can mark your beautiful skin.” He kissed the bruised spot, then he ground his hips against Red’s, rubbing in a circular motion. Red’s cock had grown hard, as had his own, and it was such sweet torment to pulse them together with clothing between.   Red’s breathing had become ragged. He pushed back against Wolfie.

“You want more, don’t you?” Wolfie whispered in Red’s ear.

“Ungh,” Red said.

“What was that? I didn’t quite hear you.” He ran his hands up and down Red’s sides, around to his back and front again.

“Yes…More.” Red sighed.

“What do you say?” Wolfie grinned.

“Please.” Red tugged at his restraints. “I want more, please.”

“Heh,” Wolfie said.

Handcuffed Hottie in a Hood

2010-01-21T19:10:00.001-05:00

This is a response to a post (well, comments, actually) on Tam's blog. (Sorry, I couldn't find just the right photo for Wolfie).

Once upon a time a beautiful young man strolled along the walk by the river through the woods. Despite the bright sun that warmed the day, he wore a red hooded jacket, and kept the hood up, as that was the fashion for beautiful young men in those days. He also wore pants that threatened to fall right off his hips; they certainly did expose the waistband of his red boxer shorts.

Well, Red was on his way to his grandmother’s house, sent there by his mother to bring a treat to the ailing old woman: Pepe’s burritos from Joe’s diner. The half-dozen burritos nestled in one Gladware container hidden under the folds of a towel in the canvas bag Red carried. Red’s mom didn’t want to worry about getting one of her good dishes back from Grandma, who tended to throw things away rather than wash them.

Red stopped along the way to feed the ducks with stale bread he brought along for that purpose, and to buy a sundae cone from the Good Humor man, and to watch the university students practice rowing on the river.

He was leaning on the rail, enjoying his ice cream, when a man appeared next to him. They nodded at each other.

“Nice day,” said the man. He wore a shirt that must’ve been a size too small, because every line of every muscle showed. He hadn’t shaved for a day or two, maybe.

“Um-humm,” said Red, licking the cone and giving the man a once-over. Red really liked his eyes. And arms. And his slightly shaggy hair.

“I’m Joe. Joe Wolferman.” The man turned toward Red. “But my friends call me Wolfie.” He sniffed appreciatively at the bag Red carried. “What’s that you’ve got there?”

“Burritos. For my sick Grandma,” Red said. He had reached the last bit of the ice cream cone, and some of sweet stuff dripped out the bottom. He tilted his head back to suck out the last of it.

Wolfie watched with interest as the young man’s adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed. When Red felt those eyes hot upon him, he stopped sucking and stuffed the end of the cone in his mouth. Sheepishly he chewed and swallowed the last of it.

“Good?” Wolfie asked, with one eyebrow raised. Red nodded. “Then I have something you might like.”

“What’s that?” asked Red.

“Come along and I’ll show you.” Wolfie held out his hand, and after a moment’s hesitation Red put his hand in Wolfie’s. Wolfie grinned, showing his remarkably white teeth. “Let’s go over here. There’s a trail.” Wolfie led him along the garden path, into the woods, where a little gazebo stood in a clearing.

They entered the gazebo. Wolfie took the bag of burritos from Red and set it down gently by the door.

Red looked around the small space, and up at the rafters. “This is…nice.”

“It is. It’s the perfect place.” Wolfie advanced on Red. “Do you like to play games?”

Red backed up until his back hit the wall. “What kind of games?”

“You know. Games.” Wolfie bent down and kissed Red, just like that. Red gasped at the pressure of Wolfie’s lips against his, and in that second Wolfie’s tongue jutted in and twisted around Red’s. Red gave himself over to the kiss. Wolfie’s hands stroked his arms. Red became lost in the sensation of this beautiful man kissing him, rubbing him. So much so that he didn’t notice the handcuffs on his wrists until he tried to bring his arms up around Wolfie’s neck.

“What…?” Red wondered.

Wolfie looked quite smug. “Heh,” he said.

Ice Festival

2010-01-17T22:12:00.001-05:00

So here's an ice sculpture from a not-too-distant ice festival. Sadly, all of the exhibits were G-rated.

Interview and Guest blogging

2010-01-14T21:59:00.000-05:00

I do believe that tomorrow (Jan 15) I will be interviewed at Monica Kaye's blog. Stop by and say hello!

And on Monday (Jan 18) I am making an appearance at Clare London's blog. This is her birthday month and she's having guests write posts all month long. Be sure to visit!

My next story, heaven help me

2010-01-13T22:06:00.000-05:00

If you've been following Kris's blog (see previous post), you'll know that the selections have been made. Her readers voted on and chose the following elements to be included in a short story that I will write:

Setting: A stuck elevator
Background on protagonists: One of them sings when he gets nervous
Another miscellaneous character: An inebriated priest/minister/whatever
Conflict: They had a one-night stand that one of them can't remember
Object to be mentioned in the story somewhere: An ice sculpture

Yes. Well. Oh, and this is to be done so she can post it for Valentine's Day.

I'm going to have a drink now.

Choosing your own m/m story...

2010-01-08T17:39:00.000-05:00

I've been ~~hornswoggled~~ invited to write a "choose your own m/m story" over at Kris's.

Other authors have done this and come out relatively unscathed, so maybe I will, too.

In any event, if you haven't stopped over there to vote on the story elements, please do so. You have until Wednesday (or Tuesday if you don't live in Australia or thereabouts).

Snow and goodbyes

2010-01-06T22:09:00.000-05:00

So we have a little snow. More is predicted. It's lovely but I wish it had been here at Christmas!

Boy went back to school today and it is always so hard to see him off after he's been home for any length of time. I cry like an idiot and wave good-bye till his car is out of sight. Then I'm weepy the rest of the day. My husb is pretty good with the "there, there" and we'll go out to dinner where he'll be silly and distract me.

I tried to figure out why I get so emotional when boy leaves. I remember my mom doing the same thing when I was in college, and later. And never really understanding it. And - la! - here I am. I think it centers mostly on the passage of time. My baby is grown up, making that transition to "real life." It's a reminder of my own mortality, as each time he leaves it creates a snapshot in my head and in the progression of those moments I get older and of course I project that into the future because I'm maudlin that way... And I think it's also a grieving process: Wishing that I was that young again; missing the days of his childhood; time gone by...

Oh, sigh, enough with the whining, eh? I make it sound as if it's all about me. Maybe I just love the kid and will miss having him at home!

Jazz and Riley 3 (Cat Pee)

2010-01-04T00:50:00.000-05:00

Here's another peek into the lives of Jazz and Riley....

“What the freakin’ fuck is that smell?” Jazz stood in the doorway of the guest room, stopped by the pungent odor of…something.

Riley stopped on his way to their bedroom, laundry basket in hand. He sniffed. “Oh my god!” The basket landed with a thud and he pushed past the bigger man. He crouched as he neared the bed, nostrils flaring like a hound dog’s. “It’s cat pee!” he yelled. He pointed at the comforter, and whipped his head back and forth between it and Jazz. “Cat pee! Cat pee! On the bed!”

Jazz paced the few steps over to get a looksee. “Oh. That explains it.”

Riley’s eyes just about popped out of his head. “Oh? Oh? That’s all you can say?”

“Well, no, I suppose I could jump around and shout ‘cat pee, cat pee’ for a while. Would that make it any better?”

“Argh!”

They both just stared at the puddle on the comforter, which seemed to have a finish the liquid didn’t penetrate. Jazz could see Riley out of the corner of his eye, and waited until the other man’s breathing returned to normal. “So who did it, do you think?”

Riley shook his head. “Not sure. My guess is Bangers.”

“You don’t think Mash could’ve done it?”

“It could be her, but usually it’s the boy cats that pee where they shouldn’t.” Riley sighed. “While I clean this up, could you check around for any other deposits?”

“Sure. You think there’ll be more?” Jazz followed Riley out of the room. They both stopped when they saw the suspects studying them from the middle of the hallway.

“Aha!” Riley leaned toward the cats. “Which of you is the culprit?” As was typical, neither Bangers nor Mash answered. They just blinked. Riley shrugged. “Who knows?” He headed toward the bathroom for cleaning supplies. “I think one of us would have noticed, but I’ll feel better if we check.”

Jazz wondered through the house, sniffing bedding and cushions, checking the corners and behind the drapes. Mash followed him, as if to supervise this curious activity. Jazz spoke to her as he searched. “You probably think this is funny, huh? Well, I say you’re both a couple of ingrates. One of you is the perp, and one’s the accomplice. And that’s a fine thank you for dragging your butts out of the shelter.” He stopped to look at the little orange and white cat. In the same second, Mash decided that her toes needed a tongue bath, thereby removing her attention from Jazz and anything he happened to be doing.

It didn’t take long for Jazz to be satisfied that there was just the one occurrence. He found Riley in the laundry room. “All clear,” he announced. Bangers appeared from wherever and jumped up on the dryer to watch.

“Good.” Riley stuffed the comforter in the washer. “I don’t know if this is going to work, but I have to try.” He poured in the detergent and started the machine. He scratched Bangers behind the ears. “Look at this extra work you guys are making for me.”

Jazz nearly bit a hole in his tongue to keep from saying anything about the life expectancy of cats who pee where they shouldn’t. He knew how much Riley loved the furballs. He liked them, too, but Jazz wasn’t sure about this. He had figured cats were pretty self-sufficient, which was the main reason he agreed to adopting them. He was damn sure not going to spend the next fifteen years - or however long cats lived - smelling and cleaning cat pee.

Jazz must’ve been thinking on the loud side, because Riley turned to him and said, “We will figure this out, so don’t get your undies in a bunch just yet.”

“What? I didn’t…” Jazz sputtered.

“I can hear the hamsters running on the wheels, Jazz.” Riley patted Jazz on the chest as he walked by. “I’m gonna go online and do some research.” Bangers landed with a thud and followed him.
The rest of the evening proved uneventful. They watched the college bowl games and ate leftover lasagna. Made out on the couch. Jazz chased Riley upstairs and fucked him senseless. They settled under the covers, and soon thereafter felt the tread of cat feet as Bangers and Mash searched for the perfect spots. All seemed calm and peaceful, right up until Jazz felt warm wetness spreading across his ankles.

“What the freakin’ fuck…? Jazz looked toward his feet as Riley struggled to lean up. His black fur blended with the shadows, so it was easy to tell that it was Bangers leaving a calling card.

“Dammit!” Riley moaned.

“Cat pee,” Jazz shouted, as he threw the covers off and hopped out of bed. “Cat pee!”

Lovely Reviews

2009-12-31T16:27:00.000-05:00

There have been some more reviews of Ice Cream on the Side.

Lily gave it 4 stars (!) at Rainbow Reviews. She says (in part): "I really enjoyed the mystery/suspense plot in this debut novel, especially the fact that I was surprised by who the culprit was. It's always nice when the author takes time to make the "baddie" not so obvious....When I can finish a book with a smile and happy to have read the story, when I find myself rooting for the guys and picturing their HEA life, the author in my opinion has done their job perfectly."

Mmmmyeah I like that!

And Chris at Stumbling Over Chaos liked the book and is having a contest for a free copy! You have to comment on the post that you want to be included, and you have a chance to win. Yay!

And here's a little something to brighten your day!

Urban Fantasy Favorites, part 1

2009-12-21T11:47:00.000-05:00

A recent post at MsM's Moonlight to Twilight blog got me thinking about all the wonderful urban fantasy I'd been reading before m/m sort of took over my life. I started to comment on her post, but realized I was blathering on for so long that I might take over her site. Not wanting to be so rude (hey, I can be nice) I moved my blather to my own blog, where I can refer to it cause I like hearing myself talk. Er...reading myself write. Oh, never mind!

Urban Fantasy I have known and loved --

Author: Ilona Andrews. Series: Kate Daniels. Urban Setting: Atlanta. First book: Magic Bites. The authors are a husband/wife team and are amazing. The world building is absolutely thorough and believable. The world fluctuates between magic and technology. Kate is a mercenary strong in magic, and finds herself dealing with vampires (not the warm fuzzy kind) and shifters and so on. She is unapologetically kick-ass. There is not a strong romance per se, but the tension is there and draws you in. (A recent book "On the Edge" is the start of a new series. The Edge is a place that exists between the mundane world and the magical one. Rose is the heroine who has to fight the bad guys. Nice budding romance with the requisite tension also.)

Author: Patricia Briggs. Series: Mercy Thompson. Urban Setting: Tri-cities in the Pacific Northwest. First Book: Moon Called. Mercy is a mechanic with her own shop. She's also a shifter who gets caught up in some bad goings on involving werewolves. And then vampires, sorcerers, and fae. She has a couple of love-interests, and it is fun watching that develop over the series. She's interesting in that she didn't plan on being a hero, kick-ass or otherwise. She has to use her brains and the talents that come with being a coyote. (Another series in the same universe: Alpha and Omega, with Charles and Anna as a werewolf couple dealing with their own set of mysteries)

Author: Jim Butcher. Series: The Dresden Files. Urban Setting: Chicago. First Book: Storm Front. The protag Harry Dresden is male, but there are some kick-ass female characters. More importantly, the writing is captivating, with dry wit and laugh-out-loud humor used generously to balance out the sometimes serious, sometimes scary elements. Harry is a wizard, who works as a private investigator of the weird and magical in a city that doesn't know they exist. I am eagerly awaiting book 12, due in April. I never get tired of these books.

Author: Kim Harrison. Series: The Hollows (sometimes called Rachel Morgan). Urban Setting: Cincinnati. First Book: Dead Witch Walking. Rachel is a witch in a world where magic was revealed and accepted only after humans started dying after eating some bad tomatoes. She is best friends and partners in a sort of private investigator agency with a born vampire and a pixie. Lots of interesting world-building, with magical lands, boundaries, ley lines etc. The plots get very complicated and Rachel seldom tackles anything completely on her own (successfully anyway). I absolutely loved the early books in this series, but the recent couple have left me with a sense of melancholy. I haven't given up, though.

Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon. Series: Dark Hunter. Urban Setting: New Orleans, mostly, but anywhere around the world is game. First Book: Night Pleasures (Fantasy Lover came before this, but while it's in this world, the hero isn't a hunter). This is one of those series that has gone on and on and I haven't got the excitement for them I once did. At the beginning, I just couldn't get enough of these tough, tortured guys and the women they love. Lots of action, hot sex as well. The hunters are a riff on vampires, as are their enemies. Ancient Greek deities get involved, as the first hunter, Acheron, is tied to them and to the gods of Atlantis. There are also Dream Hunters and Were Hunters. The plots usually reflect the battle between good paranormals and bad ones, and often include a battle royale with several heroes coming together for a kick-ass finale.

Author: Tanya Huff. Series: The Blood Books. Urban Setting: Toronto. First Book: Blood Price. There are five books in this series and I'm pretty sure it's finished. Vicki Nelson was a police detective but had to leave the force due to a generative eye disease. Now she's a private investigator. She gets called in to cases that have paranormal element. She has an on/off love interest in police detective Mike Celluci, and meets vampire Henry Fitzroy, a vampire who writes romance novels. He complicates things. I love Vicki for her toughness and her fight to be strong despite eyes that betray her. Her journey into the paranormal, demonic world around her is fascinating and scary. Huff include enough humor to balance that. Another series: The Smoke Trilogy. Includes characters from the Blood Books, now in Vancouver. Not as terrific, but still good.

Author: Julie Kenner. Series: Kate Connor, Demon Hunter. Urban Setting: San Diablo, CA. First Book: Carpe Demon: Adventures of a Demon-Hunting Soccer Mom. Kate is a suburban housewife with a second husband, teenage daughter, toddler son and lots of secrets (some she doesn't even know she has). There are times these books made me laugh out loud and times they made me cry. Kate is a little bit like a grown up Buffy. She battles demons and those possessed by them, trying to keep the world safe a little longer. At the same time she has to get the kids to school, bake cookies, and entertain the politicos her husband must court for his run at county attorney.

Whew!! And that's just a few. RL is calling. I'll add more in another post later. In the meantime, please do share your favorite Urban Fantasy books or series, and I'll add them to the list!

Jazz and Riley, part 2

2009-12-21T01:41:00.000-05:00

Riley let out a strangled cry of dismay as Jazz’s soft, warm mouth left his cock cold and hard.

“Hold on.” Jazz reached for the nightstand even as Riley protested. God, he loved it when Riley got like this; it made Jazz feel like the studliest stud ever. He found the lube and turned back to Riley. “Turn over,” he said.

Riley complied eagerly. “Yesss.” He lifted his ass up like an offering.

Jazz caressed the globes. His man was beautiful everywhere. He squirted some lube onto his fingers, enough to ease Riley’s passage open. With his dry hand he pulled one smooth ass cheek aside so he could easily slip two fingers of the other hand into the puckered opening. Riley hissed out another “yesss” and pushed back on Jazz’s hand. Jazz watched in fascination as his fingers disappeared into that tight channel.

“Fuck.” Jazz pumped his hand as Riley pulsed. He tried to find Riley’s sweet spot. Riley’s sharp intake of breath let him know when he hit it. He didn’t think Riley noticed when he added a third finger. Jazz didn’t need to work this much at stretching; he just enjoyed watching Riley fuck himself on his hand. His own cock was leaking steadily and he knew he would have to soon get it inside the other man. A few more thrusts and he pulled his fingers out of Riley’s clenching hole.

Jazz smeared more lube on his own cock, lined up and pushed in slowly, feeling the warm heat embrace him.

“Jesus, Jazz. Fuck me now.” Riley’s breath stuttered as he jammed himself back onto Jazz’s dick with a forceful thrust.

“Oh, Christ!” Jazz fell forward over Riley’s back. Fortunately, he caught himself before he squished his partner. Riley was strong, but lean. Jazz’s extra height and weight would not be comfortable landing on Riley’s back without support, and that could put a crimp in the activities.

“Do me hard. And fast.” Riley tried to get him moving, but in this position he had to wait for Jazz to start.

“What’s got into you?” Jazz licked and bit at Riley’s neck.

“God.” Riley groaned. “Do you really want an analysis? Just do it!”

Jazz was nothing if not accommodating. He pulled back and slammed into Riley, who braced his hands on the headboard to keep from hitting his head on it. His ragged breath and long moan caused Jazz to smile to himself, pleased that he could wring this reaction out of his lover. He pumped hard, feeling his balls smack against Riley’s ass each time.

He loved the feeling of his body covering Riley’s, their skin slick with sweat, easing the friction. He loved having his face buried in the crook of the other man’s neck, tickled by the shaggy brown hair.

Jazz balanced himself on one hand so he could reach under Riley with the other. He grasped Riley’s cock firmly, the residual lube on his fingers giving the right amount of glide. Immediately, Riley rocked his hips forward to push himself through Jazz’s fist. He followed that with a thrust back, taking Jazz’s cock all the way in. In a moment, they were in sync, a well-oiled machine, rocking into and out of each other’s grasps. Jazz kept his hand curled around the other man’s cock, letting Riley fuck himself because he just didn’t have the wherewithal to do more than that. He knew that Riley was lost in the stroking, the movement of his hips back and forth, and that he would keep at it until he came, unless Jazz stopped him.

Jazz had no intention of stopping him.

“Oh, Lord,” Riley whispered. Jazz felt the pulses of Riley’s orgasm as he spurted. Everything inside Riley seemed to clench around Jazz’s cock, and he couldn’t contain his own release. It powered through him, bringing his body to stillness while the climax roared across his nerves. His rhythm slowed, and he cradled Riley’s body while the last waves rolled over them. When they both stopped shuddering, Jazz loosened his hold and fell to Riley’s side. Riley turned towards him, a very satisfied smile on his face.

Jazz ran a finger along Riley’s cheek. “That was…really great.”

“Um-hmm. It was.” Riley snuggled closer. “Love you.”

“Love you, too.” Jazz curled his arm over Riley’s waist. He’d be hungry soon. Nap first. Dinner later.

Christmas Tree not-a-meme

2009-12-16T13:01:00.003-05:00

Jenre posted today about her lovely Christmas Tree and asked for her readers to share their pics. There was also some discussion of mince pies, but I've never had one of those (not sure I've ever even seen one.) (Although in a trivia game last week there was a question about ox tongue and what Christmas treat did it used to be an ingredient of, the answer of course being mince pies and everyone just went eww and on to the next question) (But that is neither here nor there).

So I am sharing my Christmas tree pics. We have three trees.

One fake one in the entryway, which is getting kind of long in the tooth. I know this because when I put it up, needles dropped like rain. From a fake tree.

The second tree is wrought iron and I bought it a few years ago when I saw it in the Solutions catalog. We have a large number of heavy ornaments; they drag down the branches on our live tree (and even on our fake tree) and I got tired of rearranging them every year. Now they have their own place to hang out.

Our "big" tree is one we cut down ourselves. We do this every year, and traditionally buy a 10-foot tree even though we have 8-foot ceilings. This explains why the top is...um...flat.

We always have to take a bit off the top, and a bit off the bottom. This year, our 20-something son was home to help with the heavy cutting and lifting. Once the tree was in the stand and situated, he took a two hour nap while the hub and I decorated. We had to put his two cats in his room because they took too much interest in the breakables. But they haven't bothered the tree since then. The dog is merely disgruntled that one of his napping spots has been usurped.

So, like Jenre, I'll come look at your tree if you post a link to a pic of it!

Treats

2009-12-15T15:15:00.000-05:00

Yippee!
Two pretty terrific reviews of "Ice Cream on the Side" have popped up. The first is by jessewave, who gave it a 4 (out of 5) rating:

"...I do recommend this book because it was well written, the protagonists were three dimensional, the pacing was right, and the author is obviously talented."

You can read the whole review on the website.

The second review appeared at Ebook Addict, by Teresa.

"I absolutely loved this book. I could not put it down, finally crawling into bed at 8 am, tired but not sorry I'd stayed up to finish it."

Read the rest here.

So now that I've had my treats, here is one for you:

Happy Day!

Jazz and Riley

2009-12-07T18:51:00.003-05:00

I was thinking that maybe once a person reads my book, they might look me up online. That's what I do, after all, so hey, why not? Anyhoo...I am really not that interesting. I'll work on that. In the meantime, I thought perhaps a post with two of the guys who live in my head might be fun. Here are Jazz and Riley.

Jazz Newbury and Riley Dunlop became friends when Riley injured his leg playing football in college. At first, Jazz was Riley’s physical therapist. Then they became friends. After that they became lovers. Which was kind of interesting, considering that Riley had a vivid imagination but hadn’t ever been with a man before, and Jazz had been with so many men there wasn’t much left for him to imagine. They made it through some difficulties and came out stronger at the broken places. But that’s a story for another time.

After Riley sold his first novel, he and Jazz bought a little bungalow in the slowly gentrifying northeast neighborhood. This would be their first Christmas in the house, and the urge to make it very special infected both of them.

“How’s that look?” Riley called from his perch at the top of the ladder.

“Looks fine. Let’s go in.” Jazz held the ladder steady, fearful that Riley might tumble off and damage his leg. Even after five years he worried about that sort of thing. He was getting a little cold. At noon, the sun was shining and the temperature hit fifty-five degrees. Now the cloud cover set in and he could feel the temperature drop. And, to be honest, he was bored. Standing still just wasn’t that much fun.

“Did you even look at them?”

“Of course I looked at them. They’re fine. Get down here.”

“No. I really want you to look at them because I don’t want to have to climb back up here if they’re not perfect.”

“I’m not letting go of the damn ladder.”

“Who asked you to? Just look up. Jesus. I know you hate heights, but you’re on the ground. Look up here.” Riley had that exasperated tone in his voice. It was the same one he got when Jazz left crumbs all over the counter after he made a sandwich. Which he did every time.

Jazz looked up at the icicle lights Riley had strung along the gutter. Really, they did look okay, but if he didn’t make some suggestion, Riley would think he didn’t care. “Straighten out those lights to your left.”

Riley tugged on the icicle lights. “Better?”

“Yeah, that’s good.” Jazz kept his eye-roll to himself.

“”K. I’m coming down.”

Jazz watched that fine ass as Riley made his way down the ladder. He moved back to make room but kept his hands on the rails. Riley stepped down into Jazz’s embrace, rubbing his butt against the man as he did. With his feet on the ground, Riley leaned back, resting his head on Jazz’s shoulder.

“Do you have any idea what I’ve been going through, watching your rear as you’ve gone up and down this ladder all afternoon?” Jazz nuzzled Riley’s ear. He felt a shudder run through Riley.

“We haven’t been doing this all afternoon,” Riley said a little breathlessly, and tilted his head in response to Jazz’s touch. “We started out with both of us on the ground, putting the little twinky lights on the hedges.”

“That was ages ago. And don’t you mean twink-ly lights?” The heat from Riley’s body penetrated the flannel shirt and T-shirt Jazz wore. Any response Riley might have made about the lights was lost as Jazz reached one hand under Riley’s sweatshirt to caress his chest.

“Hey, Jazz?” Riley cleared his throat.

“Yeah?” Jazz was busy, what with kissing the soft spot behind Riley’s ear and drawing little circles on his chest with a fingertip.

“We’re standing in the front yard. I can see Mrs. Pelicheck sweeping out her garage.”

“So?”

“So, let’s not give her a show. Let’s put this stuff away and go inside.”

“Don’t wanna go in.” Jazz loved how Riley smelled, especially after he’d been working outside. He took a deep whiff. Riley huffed a laugh and turned around in Jazz’s embrace.

“The sooner we go in, the sooner we can get naked,” Riley sang.

Jazz hugged him tight. “Okay. You win. I like naked.”

It wasn’t long before they were undressed and sprawled on the bed. Riley spread his legs so Jazz could nestle his lower body between them. He propped himself up on his elbows, on either side of Riley’s chest. Jazz liked the way Riley tasted as much as he liked how Riley smelled. He proved that point by kissing and licking his way across Riley’s jaw, down his neck, and across his collarbone. Riley squirmed, sighed and stretched his arms up to the headboard. Jazz ran his tongue lightly across Riley’s full lips, and Riley opened for the kiss. Jazz pulled back to look at him. With his legs spread, his arms reaching and his lips parted, he looked wanton and ready.

“You are so beautiful,” Jazz said. He kissed Riley before the man could respond. Their tongues battled for a second before Riley moaned and let Jazz have his way. He always got turned on when Riley submitted to him, even a little bit. Jazz felt the flush of excitement wash over him and leaned in closer, letting his passion put more power into the kiss. He never got tired of exploring his lover’s mouth. When Riley drew his arms down from the headboard, Jazz trapped his wrists.

Riley made a token struggle against the hold then he arched up into Jazz’s body, grinding his hips against Jazz’s groin, forcing their cocks to rub each other. Jazz inhaled a quick breath. He let go of Riley’s hands and pushed himself up.

“Come back.” Riley reached for him, but Jazz was already wriggling down toward Riley’s cock. He licked a line from the base to the head. “Never mind. Carry on.” Riley let himself fall back to the bed. Jazz smiled even as he licked another trail from the tip of Riley’s penis to his balls.

He sucked first one ball then the other, running his tongue all around them. Riley opened his legs further, encouraging Jazz’s explorations. Jazz lifted the sac so he could reach underneath it. He laved Riley’s perineum, pressing gently. Riley made a little noise Jazz loved, a cross between a whimper and a groan. Jazz continued with his ministrations until the little noises got louder. He returned to Riley’s cock, licked a few circles around the head then took it into the warmth of his mouth.

“Fuck.” Riley tried to keep his hips in place, Jazz could tell by the tremble. He used one hand to help hold Riley still. With the other, he held Riley’s cock so he could stroke its length with his tongue. He tasted the pre-cum that dripped from the slit. Again, he took that delicious cock into his mouth, this time taking in as much as he could without gagging. Riley’s moans and gasps encouraged him, and Jazz sucked the slick length, moving up and down with a firm hold.

“Jazz, Jazz.” Riley’s head pushed back into the mattress, extending his neck. “I’m so close. Oh, God. Don’t stop.”

But that’s just what Jazz did.

New Author nerves

2009-12-07T16:43:00.000-05:00

Later tonight - or early in the morning, "Ice Cream on the Side" will go on sale at Loose Id. I sure hope a few people buy it. I also hope they like it! And tell more people about it. And so on and so on. (My own personal Herbal Essences Shampoo) I find I have had a hard time sleeping lately, and it's at least partly about having the book go live. I find myself laying (lying?) (who knows?) there in the dark, thinking about it, wondering if others will find it entertaining. I guess we all, no matter what we do, want some validation. Time will tell, eh?

Ice Cream on the Side - Available December 8!

2009-11-30T01:19:00.000-05:00

Excitement abounds! ICE CREAM ON THE SIDE will be available in a week and a day! From Loose Id. The pretty cover is displayed below.
To whet your appetite, here is a Blurb and an Excerpt...

Blurb:
Dylan Forest is really pretty happy. He’s a successful architect, lives in a great little town, and has good friends. More than ten years ago, Dylan’s first boyfriend betrayed him. Since then he’s learned to appreciate men briefly and intensely, with no lingering complications. But Dylan finds himself wanting something more with Michael Gilmore, the new art teacher in town.

Michael moved to Raven Pass to get away after a bad break-up. He just wants to teach and he’s got an exhibit of his own work coming up. He doesn’t expect to find himself attracted to anyone just yet. He has to give up his fear so he can explore a possible relationship with Dylan.

The guys manage to get past their insecurities and into bed, where they find out just how compatible they are. Before their romance gains momentum, however, life gets complicated. An old dead body and a new murder are both connected to Dylan’s love life, and it appears that Michael will be next.

What’s going on? And can Dylan and Michael stop it before it stops them?

Excerpt:
The pile from the backpack was an interesting assortment of things: tins of charcoals and pastels, pencils of different sizes, crumpled papers, an orange, several sketch pads, an iPod, headphones, tubes of acrylics, a six-inch wooden manikin, and a notebook computer.

The whole thing reminded me of Mary Poppins’s carpetbag. “If I stuck my arm in your backpack, would I pull up a hat rack?”

He didn’t bat an eye. “No, but you might get a floor lamp.”

Michael used the computer to make notes and write an outline of our plan. His fingers flew over the keyboard. When I tried to think, my eyes were drawn to his hands, and thoughts of architecture were replaced with thoughts of what those hands would feel like… I had to get up and move around the room in order to speak coherent sentences.

Eventually, my stomach pointed out that I hadn’t eaten yet by growling loud enough to be heard in New Jersey. Michael stopped typing and tilted his head to listen.

“Sorry,” I said. “Snack time?”

“Good idea.” He closed the laptop, set it off to the side, and stretched his arms toward the ceiling. My mouth watered when his stretch exposed a strip of skin at the bottom of his shirt. I turned rapidly toward the fridge and stuck my head in, hoping the cold would wash all the way to my cock.

“Do you feel like veggies and dip, or chips and salsa?” I yelled from the bowels of my Amana.

“Definitely chips and salsa.” His voice sounded from right next to me, and I nearly gave myself a concussion when I jumped. My scowl was lost on him; he only grinned at me when I straightened up. I handed him the salsa, and he poured it in a bowl while I dumped the chips into a basket. We each grabbed another beer and returned to the table, sitting at the far end away from the mass of papers strewn about. Michael turned his chair to face out toward the deck. Our conversation turned from our project to other topics.

I discovered, among other things, that he was originally from western Pennsylvania, had two sisters and a brother, graduated from my alma mater -- Penn State -- with a major in art education and a minor in graphic design, and at twenty-six, was six years younger than me. He learned that I was born not far from right here, my mother died when I was ten, my favorite thing to do was design buildings and landscapes, and gardening was a stress-relieving hobby.

I was just about to ask him about the kind of music he liked when I noticed a glop of salsa at the corner of his mouth. “You’ve got some, um, salsa, there.” I tried to point without pointing, to, you know, be polite.

“Where?” He rubbed at the wrong side of his mouth.

“No, the other side.”

He wiped a spot on his cheek. “Did I get it?”

“Here,” I said and scooped the offending sauce off with my thumb, which somehow then ended up in his mouth.

I watched with fascination as he sucked gently, pulling the digit in, swirling his tongue around it, his eyes closed as if this were the best thing he’d ever tasted. My other fingers rested on his face, feeling the suction through his cheek. He pulled back and opened his eyes; I got lost in them for a minute. When I moved my hand to the back of his neck and drew him to me, he gave no resistance. Our lips met, flavored with salt and salsa. We shared a series of little kisses, tasting each other gently.

He had turned his chair around, and we sat facing each other. His hands rested on my biceps, and my hands slid to his chest -- where they noticed that Michael did have more interesting piercings.

The soft little kisses grew stronger. The more I had, the more I wanted.

Without moving his lips away, Michael said, “I’ve wanted to kiss you since I met you.”

“So kiss me,” I mumbled back.

I caught his tongue with mine and sucked on it, a hopeful foreshadowing of events to follow. He pulled on my bottom lip with his teeth. The frenzy meter ratcheted up, our lips and tongues exploring, probing, claiming. I felt his hand in my hair, and my own hand twisted his shirt. Breathing became a secondary need, behind tasting. When air proved to be necessary, we slid back into short, small kisses. It didn’t take long for me to feel refreshed, and I plunged back into kissing him deeply, rolling my tongue across and under his teeth. He groaned when I held his face between my palms and bit lightly at his lips. He tried to take back control, but I couldn’t get enough of tasting him.

His tug on my hair pulled me away enough to look in his eyes. “Dylan,” he whispered.

“Shh,” I said. “A moment.” We were still, just breathing, and I could feel the reverberation of each kiss.

He gave me that moment; then he leaned back. “Wow.” His hands slipped away from my shoulders as he stood up. He walked to the sliding glass door and leaned against the jamb, staring out across the hills. This did not seem like a good sign to me. I didn’t know if I should follow or back away. I opted for the middle road, stood up but stayed near my chair.

He turned toward me.

“I…that was…” He shook his head. “I’ve never been kissed like that.”

“That makes two of us. Why are you over there?”

He looked out the window again. “I’m overwhelmed. This wasn’t what I expected.”

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Neither. Both. I’m not sure.” He crossed the room to where his belongings were piled. “I have to go… I need to think.”

“Michael, no. I want you to stay.” This time I did follow him, stopping just within reach.
He threw his things into the backpack. I grabbed his hands to hold them still. “Listen. I maybe didn’t do this right. I moved too fast.” He stared up at me, waiting. “I like you, and I don’t want to screw this up.” I thought about the different men I’d been with and how everything with them happened so fast because there was so little time for it. I realized I was walking new ground, here. “I’m sorry I scared you.”

He clenched my hands. “No…don’t…I think I scared myself. You remember I told you about the relationship I’d been in?”

I nodded.

“When I left, I promised myself that I would not jump into another one. I can’t do things part way.” He let go of me, and his pacing emphasized the words he spoke quietly. “Tim -- my ex -- and I, we were together almost a year, and I completely misread him. I was so excited about our being together -- I was looking at houses and furniture, but he was looking at other men. Our arguments left me realizing that I expected too much -- made too many big plans. Tim said some cruel things to me, but he made me think about not only ours, but other relationships I’d been in. I leap too quickly. I can’t trust myself.” He stopped moving, shrugged, and gave a little unhappy laugh. “My mom used to tell me I was too passionate about, well, everything. My brother used to tell me I was a nervous breakdown waiting to happen.”

He suddenly looked so very young. I felt like a lecher. I wanted to rewind back to where we were building a friendship. Before I could say anything, he continued.

“I thought I’d learned my lesson, but you were so unexpected. And it threw me.”

I’ve been called a lot of things, but “unexpected” was a new one. “I’m not sure I’m following you.”

His pacing brought him to the opposite side of the table. He leaned on it. “I never expected that I would find anyone like you in this place. You’re smart. Funny. Kind. Gorgeous. I’ve been thinking about that kiss for so long, I was sure the reality would never live up to the fantasy. I was wrong. It was better.”

I stood speechless. No one had ever said anything like that to me. I replayed his words in my head a few times so I wouldn’t forget them.

A sigh came from deep in his chest as he shoved his belongings into his bag. “It scares the shit out of me.” He zipped up the backpack and headed to the front door.

I tried to shake off the fog that was swirling around my head and stopped him with my hand on his arm. “Wait. Can’t we work through this together?”

“I just need a little time. I don’t want to go into anything blinded by my fantasies. And I don’t want to ruin something with exploding baggage before it begins.” A look of fear passed over his face. “Oh, God, have I ruined it already?”

I was too flummoxed to answer anything with conviction. “No, no, you haven’t ruined it. I think we both have baggage we need to unpack.”

Michael gave me a shaky smile and reached up to kiss me on the cheek. As he opened the door and stepped out, he said, “I will call you. I know that sounds stupid, but I promise I will.”

Before I could think of anything else to say, he was gone.

Hello!

2009-11-28T00:58:00.004-05:00

Hello? Hello? *taps microphone* Is anybody out there? *crickets chirp*

Sigh.

Well, I’ve heard that if you build it they will come. Maybe if you blog it they’ll come there, too. Sooner or later, someone is bound to stop by and take a look. Even accidentally, maybe.

Well, whoever you are and whenever you get here, welcome to my little electron of the interwebz.

I have written a book. It’s called “Ice Cream on the Side”, is a m/m romance/mystery, and it will be published in e-book form by Loose Id on December 8. I’d love it if you would go buy it and read it and then let me know what you think. Just don’t make me cry. It’s the only book I’ve written. So far.

Ice Cream on the Side

2009-11-28T00:50:00.004-05:00

This is the cover for my book. It was created by the very fabulous P.L. Nunn. Isn't it pretty? You can see more of PL Nunn's covers here and do visit her website here.