Tuesday, January 31, 2012

Please welcome Xavier Axelson to My Blog!

Thanks to DC for hosting me during my Virtual Book Tour for Lily, my first paranormal romance! 

The release of this book taught me many things. I never think when I’m writing, “hmmm, I wonder what this book is going to teach me,” but, somehow I always get schooled by my own hand.  Writing the story is only the first step. It is the first step on a journey that will lead you down many paths; some beautiful, some an utter and complete slog. You will encounter monsters within and without and have to deal with both gracefully. Isn’t that a bitch? 

Lily isn’t just about loss but also about being brave enough to accept the unknown into ones life. Shadowy and mysterious; the woods are unknown to Pryor, they represent the very thing that has stolen his child from him but, it may also hold the very thing he so desperately desires.  Lily is about being brave enough to traverse the woods and search out its depths to discover something new, something forgotten or, as in Pryor’s case, something lost.

Being brave is not magical, or paranormal, but it is essential, it is how we move past horrible events, and find new places in the woods to grow things and evolve.  I have always found wonderment in the woods; in fact, the woods in Lily are based on the woods I played in as a kid. There was danger there for sure, but also much enjoyment and plenty of room for imagination to take root.

As January dies away and the unknown February looms ahead, I am looking forward to another month of exploring the woods, hacking through the unknown and forging a new path into the depths of the creative, the dark and the sexual.



Here’s a taste of Lily:

Excerpt:

The mention of jewelry made me think of Lily, "You said you had some pieces to show me?"
"You in a hurry?"
"No, I just keep forgetting, guess I'm not used to drinking," I said as I took another drink from the quickly disappearing beer number two.
"I thought you might need a break from your house and those woods." Ned wasn't looking at me when he spoke.
"Maybe I did." I looked where he was looking and saw a fat little dog playing with a couple of kids in the yard just over to the left of Consetta's property.
"Life goes on, don't it?"
"I don't know, my life seems to have stopped." I grabbed another beer and took the bottle opener magnet Ned must have brought down with him.
"That's what you think; your life is still moving, you've just stopped moving with it."
"Guess losing a kid—no wait, I mean having your kid taken and then finding out she's a werewolf—will put the brakes on things. Guess maybe that's why my life has stopped." The anger came fast and furious. I could see the spit spray from my mouth as I spoke.
"Pryor, you don't know that's Lily, you just don't know."
"I fucking know. I know my own goddamned daughter." I stood up, the beer bottle fell from my hands. "I shouldn't have come here."
"Pryor, wait!"
I heard him call out but I couldn't turn around, my anger was blinding me or maybe it was sweat or tears but whatever it was I couldn't stop.
I was halfway to my car when I felt his arms around me. Feeling him, the warmth of his arms and the close pounding of his heart practically made me stop breathing. I let out an agonized groan that sounded primal in the quiet air. I pulled away and at first, I thought he was letting go but he was only shifting to pull me closer. I felt his teeth graze my neck and he said something I couldn't understand between gritted teeth, a rasp of a sound. He pushed me against the car and I felt my head hit the edge of the roof.


Where to find Xavier Axelson:



Buylink:

Friday, January 27, 2012

Friendly Friday - Featuring Xakara

 Greetings, Kittens!

Thanks to Dan for having me and to all of you for indulging me. I thought I’d kick off my first guest post by sharing a bit of celebration with you all. Today is a release day! I’m one of four authors contributing to the LOVE NOTES anthology from Musa Publishing! My newest Therian novella, ITS SWEETEST FORM, is the first “straight-ish” menage that I’ve written and it’s available to you all just in time for Valentine’s Day. What better holiday to explore a new form? But don’t get use to the MFM format, I’ll be back to MMF and MMFF soon enough. I prefer my when my “Fs” and “Ms” are touching. *Grin*

ITS SWEETEST FORM is the story of Eaton, Brahm and Tessa, a vampire, werewolf and psychic medium who share a loft and a love for each other, that finally finds a way to bloom under pressure.

This third Therian release pays partial homage to a BBC/SyFy show, but the similarities stop at being roommates. Sorry if I got your hopes up. *Grin* Here’s the official blurb for LOVE NOTES and an excerpt to give you a taste of the MFM menage ITS SWEETEST FORM.

Enjoy.




Blurb:

The magic of words on paper and lovers meeting again and again.
Love is never a lost cause, and sometimes all it takes is a few special words written down to make all the difference in the world. Wayward cupids, lonely vampires, long-lost loves, and mysterious strangers come together in this collection sure to warm your heart and steam up your screen. Read our Love Notes from cover to cover, and then maybe write a few letters of your own!

Excerpt:

Tessa draped her leg over Brahm’s hip. “Not that I’m ignoring the side commentary, which is highly entertaining, and I plan to come back to it later, but on the topic at hand. With my leg here, and your hands wherever you need them to be, where are your legs in this position?”

A bit of unnecessary rubbing and vicarious thrills later and Brahm gave up. “I have no idea. This position doesn’t lend itself to dual penetration well. I mean it’s not impossible, but it’s shallow even one-on-one. If he’s already inside of you at this point, the best I could do with your leg right here is watch your faces as he rode you from behind.” He looked at Eaton against his will and quickly looked away.

“If you wanted a penetration scene in this position, we’d have to put your leg higher.” Brahm lifted her leg up towards his shoulder. “Then I could come under enough to thrust. But ideally,” he laid her leg across his mid-back. “You’d give me your weight a little, without coming fully forward.”

“I get it,” Eaton said. He came up, braced on his left arm and put his right hand on her hip. “I could thrust from this position without coming out and still be gentle. I can do it without putting too much weight on either of you.”

“Awesome.” Tessa brought her leg down and turned enough to look at Eaton.

“Okay, so then is this the position the two of you would choose?” She looked to Brahm. “Does it feel natural?”

“I guess.” Eaton shrugged. “I think it works for the scene.”

Tessa sighed. “Don’t guess, answer personally.” She scooted up and looked at Brahm. “If this was the three of us, is this the position you’d want the first timeyou were both inside of me?”

Brahm swallowed and smiled. “Can I plead the fifth?”

“No,” They said in unison.

Eaton sat up. “Why would you need to plead the fifth? Are we about to get to your ish that you haven’t told me about?”

“Yeah, shut up.” Brahm kissed Tessa’s forehead. “I do this for you alone.” He rearranged them all with his back to the headboard, Tessa straddled over his lap, and Eaton kneeling behind her. “This is what I’d want if it were us. It has advantages.” He put his hands under her thighs and casually lifted her, the way shifters pretended to never notice they were doing. “Eats, put your legs over mine. Wait, not with the jeans.”

Eaton left the bed, shed his jeans and returned to his place in shy of a blur. “Where do you want me exactly?”

It took an extra mental breath before Brahm could answer without laughing. “Slide your legs over mine. Let me know if you need room behind me.”

It took a second or two of adjustment and Eaton nodded. “I need just a little space.”

Brahm put one arm around both of them and shifted them all forward.

“Pssh.” Eaton shook his head. “Now you’re just showing off.”

He was showing off. “I can’t help it. It’s the Wolf me in. You show me you can dematerialize clothes, I show you I can bench press our combined weight, we both hope we’ve impressed the girl. Alpha behavior at its best.”

Eaton laughed. “I thought Tessa trained all of the alpha behavior out of us?”

“Excuse me,” she said. “Leaving the seat up is not alpha behavior, it’s just rude.”

“She’s right,” Brahm agreed. “And speaking of rude, we’re supposed to be focusing on helping.”

“No,” Tessa said. “This is good. The side banter makes it easier, right? It feels more natural, so it’s comfortable. Speaking of which — ” she grabbed the pillow beside them “ — you need this behind you to close the gap.”

“Yes, comfort and advantages. Let’s see.” He reached back and adjusted the pillows. “Okay, so like this I can adjust my angle of thrust.” He slipped his arms around her. “I have access to either hold you close or to lean back and touch your face and breasts.” He put his hands on her hips and nodded when Eaton did the same. “You can control the depth and speed, or relax and let us move you between us. All three of us can reach your clit without impeding moment. If I lean back and I can watch myself move inside you.”

He closed his eyes and mentally counted the length of his breaths. “I can feel Eaton moving and stay in rhythm with him.” He ran his hands from Eaton’s legs, to her hips and back again. “I can signal him with my hands on his legs for the moments when I’m not thinking enough in words to speak.” He opened his eyes and smiled through the sudden crush of feeling vulnerable and naked in saying it all out loud. “I can watch your faces. I can see the impact of when I move or choose to hold still. I can read the micro expressions that come before the sounds and the next thrust.”

Eaton let out a shaky breath. “That’s…detailed.”




Xakara is an openly Bisexual author of erotic, polyamorous paranormal romance, with an emphasis on creating bisexual and sexually fluid characters and cultures. 

Her real life culture clash came when she moved from the American Midwest and became a recent transplant to beautiful New Mexico. She lives overlooking the Sandia Mountains with her long time sweetie and a handful of friends that are like family. Equally splitting her time between the worlds in her head and the world around her, she manages to find her way through life with a smile and zen-vibe that carries her and her heroines through the tough times. 

Becoming a paranormal romance author was a happy accident when she chose to write a short novella to clear her mind of edits on her first urban fantasy novel, Bloodsprite. Now she finds she enjoys the focus on the relationships and loves traversing the two genres and finding new ways to define both. 

Thursday, January 26, 2012

CONTEST TIME!!

Head on over to Love Romances and More, check out my interview, leave a comment, and you'll be entered to win a free PDF copy of my newest release, "Betrayed!"


http://loveromancesandmore.blogspot.com/2012/01/welcome-guest-author-dc-juris.html

Monday, January 23, 2012

Coffee & Porn in the Morning First Birthday Bash!!


Coffee and Porn in the Morning is turning 1!  Go check out their birthday bash, featuring free fiction (including a little offering from yours truly) and prizes!!

Sunday, January 22, 2012

Friday, January 20, 2012

Friendly Friday - Featuring Kiernan Kelly!!

Mr. Piano Man, can you play me some "My Holiday Visa Bill Just Came In and I May Have to Sell a Kidney Blues"?

by Kiernan Kelly

Why is it during the month of December – in my house, anyway – money ceases to have meaning? It becomes nothing but a series of numbers randomly flashing across register and ATM LCD screens, a flurry of random, theoretical symbols generated by sliding a thin piece of plastic through a reader, holding no connection whatsoever to the real world.

Come January, though, the blindness caused by all the twinkling lights fades away, and I realize that while I've been staring like a slack-jawed idiot at the tinsel-covered trees, distracted by all the sparkly ornaments and red-nosed reindeer, the elves have been sacking my bank account. Those theoretical numbers actually do have meaning, and what's more, they represent a gaggle of businesses who fully expect me to send them the money represented by those numbers.

Which is way more than I thought I was spending at the time. I call it the Kris Kringle Paradigm – during the holiday season, objects cost more collectively than originally calculated. In other words, when the holiday shopper is running solely on Venti cups of Starbuck's Peppermint Mocha and toothpick samples of food court cuisine while navigating crowds, dodging perfume counter salespeople armed with atomizers, elbowing their way through sales racks, and juggling fifty shopping bags, while trying to figure out what the hell to buy Aunt Sally because the woman has freaking everything, keeping a mental tally of how much the shopper is actually spending can result in dire miscalculations.

In other words, I spent too damned much.

What's worse, I make the same mistake every freaking year.

You'd think I'd learn to pay in cash. Cold, hard cash isn’t theoretical; it has a physical presence. If I have to fork it over at the register, bill by bill, watching my small stack of hard-earned twenties dwindle with every purchase, I'd be more likely to reconsider whether Uncle Filbert really needs the $100 sterling silver remote control caddy, or if he'd be just as happy getting "True Grit" on Blue-ray for $25. Heck, does he even need the Blue-ray version? Make that the regular DVD, $12, tops.

...ooh, look! True Grit in paperback is only $7.99. We have a winner.

And therein, folks, lies the solution to the After Holiday Credit Card Crunch – books. If everyone bought everyone else a book for the holidays (and I have several I'd like to recommend, wink, wink, nudge, nudge), then the shock generated by our credit card bills come January would be considerably less. Just think! No more emergency room visits, feebly waving our credit card statements and gasping for air. Why, our savings in Mylanta and Tums alone might just be enough to balance the U.S. budget and save the economy.

Think about it. Books are the ideal gift. There's one for every taste, every age, every...everything. They provide hours upon hours of undiluted, commercial-free entertainment, and you can use them over and over again without any additional charge. There are romance novels to feed our souls, cooking books to delight our palates, nonfiction to broaden our horizons, mysteries to boggle our minds, horror to still our hearts, fantasy to fuel our imaginations, westerns, historical, contemporaries, children's, young adult....well, the list is as wide and diverse as the human experience.

The good news is that people seem to be catching on to this idea, and in record numbers. Retailers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble report that sales of ebook readers (more affordable this year than ever before!) and ebooks have skyrocketed again this season, boosting their sales exponentially. Paperless reading is making headway into the traditional print market, but whether you read physical books or ebooks or some mix of the two is really a moot point – the fact that you're reading is what's important, as well as the idea of people buying ebook readers and books as holiday gifts.

My New Year's Resolution this year is to avoid the Kris Kringle Paradigm next holiday season by writing "e-reader" or "book" next to every name on my shopping list.

With the money I'll save, I just might treat myself to that sterling silver remote control caddy I've had my eye on.


BIO:

Kiernan Kelly lives in the wilds of the alligator-infested U.S. Southeast, slathered in SPF 45, drinking tropical, hi-octane concoctions served by thong-clad cabana boys.

Actually, the truth is she spends her time locked in the dark recesses of her office, writing gay erotic romance while chained to a temperamental laptop, drinking coffee, and dreaming about thong-clad cabana boys.

Sigh.

You can find links to the full body of Kiernan’s works in both print and ebook at her website,
www.KiernanKelly.com. 

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Interview at Shannon Leigh's blog!

http://authorshannonleigh.blogspot.com/2012/01/interview-with-dc-juris.html?zx=8948e4b541b5bb8f

Word Play

Since I'm a writer, I understand the power of words when they're used to invoke an emotional response. As a survivor of an abusive childhood, I know all too well the power of words when they're used as a weapon.. But today, I want to talk about the power of words in a different way - when they're misunderstood.






We've all seen this cute little picture thing about how proper punctuation saving lives. But what happens when even grammar can't save you??

Case in point: Back in 2001, I took a flight down to Florida to see my best friend graduate from college. I couldn't afford a flight back home, so instead I took a Greyhound. Worst experience of my life. What was supposed to be a 20 or so hour trip turned into two days. Customer service was non-existent. We missed our connecting bus out of Washington DC, and we were told there was another one we could get in 3 hours. When I asked the woman what in the name of Heaven I was supposed to do in DC for 3 hours, she smirked and said, "Well, you could go see the White House." I was not impressed. But it didn't end there. We got our new connecting bus, and the driver took us down a turnpike...right into the middle of construction. We sat on the road for hours. Literally hours. In the end, my husband ended up driving three hours down to Harrisburg, PA in order to pick me up the same day. Otherwise, we'd have been into day three. On the bus.

When I got off at Harrisburg, I went around to the luggage storage area of the bus, and asked one of the terminal workers to hand me my suitcase. I knew it had been tagged for Elmira, so I didn't want it to go any further. He got huffy with me, acted like doing his job was an inconvenience. So I snarked at him, "You people have been pissing me off for two days!"

It never occurred to me that the man was African American, and would take "you people" to mean I was a racist. I meant you GREYHOUND people. I'm not a prejudice person - I barely even noticed his skin color. All I saw was that damned uniform.

Second case in point: When Hubby and I were newly married, we dealt a lot with his ex-wife. The woman (and I use that term loosely) was not the most pleasant of human beings, and everything turned into a fight with her, because she wanted to fight about everything. I was young and full of piss and vinegar, so I typically fought right back. One evening, Hubby and I were discussing our youngest. I had some concerns over his behavior, and I wanted him to address them with his ex. He maintained that his ex wouldn't do anything about it. I maintained that it didn't matter if she did or not, what mattered was that he tried. The conversation went on for several minutes, and got heated enough that our oldest, who was sitting at the kitchen table doing his homework, managed to somehow peel his attention away from English in order to keep track of the sparring match playing out in front of him.
And then it happened. Hubby's ex's name is Robin. Hubby looked up at me and said, "All right, Robin."

At least, that's what I heard, right before I told him to fuck off and locked myself in the bathroom. What he'd actually said, and failed to enunciate, was "I'll WRITE Robin."

As the icing on the cake, my mother-in-law showed up unexpectedly a few minutes later, and gave him The Look. You know, that, "what on Earth have you done??" look. In my defense, our oldest heard what I heard. Years later, he said all he was thinking was, "What the hell, dad?! This one's a keeper!!"

What about you? Has your loose tongue ever gotten you into unexpected trouble?


Sunday, January 15, 2012

New Release: "Betrayed"

Hi folks! Over the next couple months, you'll see me at various blogs talking about my newest release, "Betrayed."

I love all my books and all my characters, but this one and these two hold a special place in my heart. "Betrayed" is a rewrite of the very first thing I ever wrote, and I'm so proud to be able to say it's a published work.

Here's the link to buy it at All Romance Ebooks:

http://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-betrayed-669002-144.html

Friday, January 13, 2012

Friendly Friday - Featuring The Story Orgy!





Picture this: A serene curvy road…beautiful trees lining it on both sides…nature at its best with the sun rising in the east telling everyone that the day is beginning and the wonders are about to pounce on you…the birds are chirping their greeting…all is ideal for a nice long (very very long) drive to go visit a good friend…and down the road comes a single SUV… blending in with the picturesque scene, the Story Orgy Rover makes its way to DC Juris's house…the Story Orgy are happily inside, Hank Edwards driving with JR Boyd sitting in the middle front and his beautiful muse Em Woods, the Goddess of the SO sitting to his right…and in the backseat the vivacious Jade Baiser is sitting behind Hank with her yang to her right, Havan Fellows and if you follow the handcuffs on Havan's right hand you will find the other half attached to her muse, Lee Brazil.

Ah yes…The Story Orgy (lovingly called the SO)…a group of people brought together as a family due to their love of men and prompts…serene and calm by nature…that is until someone hands out the coffee…

Havan)  *bounces to and fro shoulder bumping Lee and then Jade singing/screaming* One hundred bottles of beer on the wall…one hundred bottles of beer…take one down pass it around…ninety-nine bottles of beer on the wall … *giggles and takes a deep breath for next verse*…come on everyone sing!!!! Ninety-nine…
Lee) *eye roll- taps Hank on the shoulder* - Sirius fm radio? Please?  Find us some good classic rock and roll?
Hank) Already on it. Ooo, a Corey Hart station. Sigh.
Em) Nintey-nine... *looks into back seat* oh! We're not singing anymore? Ah, well, probably better that way. *snuggles against my muse* Can we stop at Tim Horton's? I didn't fill up my travel mug before we left. 
Jade) Oh yes please, I need my fill of hot chocolate!
Hank) ANOTHER stop? *eye roll* We'll never get to DC's at this rate. *widens eyes* Good Lord, I sounded just like my father.
JR) Just one more...I gotta pee.
Havan)  Hey! I had my own version made up with bears and beds instead of beers and walls *waggles eyebrows*…um…but…yeah never mind…*blushes* I can't help it…I'm sooooooooooo excited to be going to DC's house…this is the first time I've been invited…I feel like I'm with the 'in' crowd now! *bounces in seat some more…bumps Lee* Oh sorry…*sips coffee to hide smile* Hey Em...mmmmm coffee *giggles some more*
Lee) *rubs head where it smacked into the window* Ouch? Havan...what kind of coffee did you get at that last stop? *Stretches feet out and glares at boots*  Are you sitting on my Kindle?
Havan)  *reaches hand under assets* um...don't think so...Oh boy oh boy oh boy...we are finally gonna share our big secret! Tell everyone how we have a brand spanking *giggles and nudges Jade* I said spanking…hehe
Lee) Mm...someone needs a spanking...
Jade) Hum? Oh yes, someone definitely needs a spanking. Stop bouncing Havan...
Havan)  *kisses Jade on her cute nose* yes…and…no…*giggles* oooooh...um…*eyes glaze over*...yeah...a brand spanking *looks at Lee and tries not to giggle again* Story Orgy blog!!!!!! *bounces into Lee* No—I don't keep bouncing into you on purpose *blushes*  Lee's prettied it up so nice making us all our very own author pages that we got to decorate and what about that freaking hawt assets banner that Em got for us!!!!
Lee) *blushes* It turned out very nicely, I think! And oh, yeah it was a stroke of genius on EM's part asking Dirk about that banner!
Em) *giggles and hands over Lee's Kindle* Sorry, Lee. I was just checking to see if I wanted to borrow anything from your library. And oh yeah, that Dirk Tyler is one very talented man. He whipped that header out in no time flat.
JR) *snickers* Where were you hiding that, my muse? 
Em) I'm sure I don't know what you mean.*eyes wide...pokes JR in the belly* Didn't you say you had to pee?
Havan)  Yeah Em…that wowza of a man Dirk is talented with his hands…hehe
Em) *eyes glaze over* yeah...
Havan)  *starts playing with JR's hair…pulling hand back every time he reaches behind his head* Jade did it! *points to my left*
JR) *ducks head*
Jade) Havan! Nobody will believe you, you know! I'm supposed to be the calm one *grins* well, that's what they say anyway...
Em) *smacks Havan's hand* Quit that. 
Lee) *Frowns at Havan* behave. Quit teasing JR. 
Hank) And quit distracting the driver! If I have to turn this car around! *gasps, eyes wide* Oh my God.
JR) Yeah, still hot- all bossy and grouchy...
Havan)  *rubs hand pouting at Em and Lee…suddenly starts giggling*  soooooooo…got a riddle for you guys…what does Chicago, a bottle of wine and a sea mammal trainer all have in common? *grabs Jade's hand and kisses her palm* Anyone? Those three words and one brilliant JR is all you need to get the ball rolling on a freaking fantastic SO anniversary story!!!!
Hank) Those lucky sea mammals, they get all the hot trainers.
Lee)  I think all five parts are great.  I read everyone else's and really wasn't sure I could pull off a conclusion that would do the story justice!
Em) Following JR's kick-ass opening was hard, but it was fun to get to draw from something that I enjoyed so much. 
Hank) I had a good time picking it up where Em left off. I gotta tell you, oil rigs and mosh pits can make for some hot stuff!
JR) *wiggles in seat, squeezes legs together* Starting it off was hard! But with everyone's encouragement, I think it turned out great. Can't we stop?
Havan)  *tweaks Lee's cheek* It was fun setting it up for you to...um...finish it off Lee! hehe *reaches over Lee to play with the window*…it's hot in here…oh wait—that's just cuz I'm in the car with you guys…*giggles and rolls the window up and down and up and down*
Lee) Let's leave that down, shall we? The air might sober Havan up, and more importantly...No!  Havan! *sighs* Not all the way down.  It tangles my hair and it's a b***h to get combed.
Em) Hey Hank, you wanna put the window lock on? *smacks my muse's leg* Quit wiggling.
Hank) *singing* I wear my sunglasses at night... What? Oh, yeah. On it.
Havan)  *runs fingers through Lee's hair and sighs* My muse is sooooooo feisty *bats eyelashes and takes sip of coffee* huh? *tries to get lid off of cup* why did I get the childproof lid? *finally gets it off and peers into empty cup…eyes Lee's cup* Hey handsome…
Lee) Oh, hell no.  You aren't getting my coffee...for one thing, I think you may just have had enough, and for another- I need this to keep my stomach settled.
Em) Did someone say coffee? *wiggles own empty mug* JR, c'mon...can't you talk them into stopping for me?
JR) *rocking in seat* Either you pull over...or I'm not making promises - and you are sitting right here, Hank. 
Jade) Hank, please listen to our Goddess and make that stop. I need my cocoa!
Havan)  *taps Hank on the shoulder* Are we there yet? Do we have to abide by the buddy system again? Why can't I ever wander the store by myself? *pouts*
Hank) No we're not there yet, and, YES you have to have a buddy at all times. I'm not pitching in to pay for another three snow globes you just knew you could juggle.
Havan)  *giggles* Who knew juggling would be so darn tricky? *leans over and tickles Em's ear with finger* Jade did it! *points to left*
Jade) *sighs* sorry Em, I think Havan is a little overexcited today.
Em) S'okay, but I'm pretty sure we should stop, 'cause I ain't holding a bottle for him. 
Havan)  *eyes my yin* um…today? I can't wait until we tell DC how we are all posting our 'chapters' on the SO blog in 3 hour increments…our fans will get a complete story in just one day!!!! *bounces into Lee again and giggles*
Lee) *lurches into the window again*  
Havan)  I'm bored…Hank wanna play I spy with me again?
Hank) Sure! I spy someone who's being too loud and distracting in the backseat of the car. *raises eyebrows and looks into rear view mirror*
Havan)  Hey—Jade is being a perfect angel…*giggles* and it's not my fault! You guys wouldn't let me bring my road trip toys…*hears the giggling from the front seat*…Hey! Not those type of toys—Lee said I had to leave my bag back in the SO Room…btw—great job on detailing the SO Rover … you can't even see where I spilled my banana chocolate shake last time! *big grins*
Lee) I think, the bag is best at home.  God knows what you and DC would get up to with a whole bag of toys at your disposal. Now...shhh...why don't you close your eyes, listen to Corey Hart with us, and try to sleep.  We've got six hundred miles left to go on this trip.
Hank) Six hundred and twelve. *sighs*
Em) Yeah, that bag needed to stay...but I'm pretty sure I saw something in JR's bag when I snooped--I mean...erm...JR's always got something, I think. *ahem*
Havan)  *shoulder nudges Lee* I'll sleep if you will cuddle with me...hehe *puts head on his shoulder and starts fake snoring...REAL loud*
Hank) *hands spray bottle to JR* It's your turn to spritz Havan.
Em) Oh hell.
JR) Sweet! That'll make an empty bottle. *unscrews top, turns and dumps bottle of water on Havan's head* Oops! Sorry, H! *big grin*
Havan)  *sputters water...looks at my family...smiles big and shakes head really fast with long wet hair spraying everyone* We do excel with the whole wet theme... hehe *settles down between my yin and muse and sighs contently*  Might as well use this time to go over the notes Lee made for me *kisses my muse's shoulder*…okay - the can's and can't's that I'm allowed to discuss *pulls out list that muse wrote for me*:
§  I can talk about the new SO blog...and how it is gonna go live on January 30th
§  I can't talk about any of the practical jokes that JR and I have pulled...or Jade and I...or Hank and I...*hangs head* or Em and I have pulled...you know--I'm starting to think you guys are a bad influence on me! *holds Lee's hand* see how I protected you Lee and didn't mention ALL the ones that you and I have done? *big smile*
§  I can tell how we are doing a superdy duper special A-day story that each of us wrote a chapter for...based on prompts from our significant others...or from our teenage kiddo who thinks she's in charge *heads back of Em's seat*
§  I can't talk about what I found in Hank's desk drawer the other day when I was looking for a pen...*prayer hands and bows to Hank* btw - Hank...very impressive and I do love you *winks*
§  I can talk about how we are gonna have kick assets prizes for all who leave comments...and that they can enter five times if they leave a comment on each chapter of the story
§  I can't talk about my dreams of starting a strip bowling night on hump day...*swings head to look at Lee* Hey! That's a great idea though! I even said we could use those bumper thingies if you wanted! *pouts*

And there you have it, just a nice leisurely day with the SO family. The SO Rover taking those twists and turns on that country road in harmony with the nature around it. But before we leave this quaint little scene, let it be known that we appreciate and thank DC Juris for being brave enough to allow us into his home, because the coffee and cocoa won't stop...and neither will we.

Please come visit us collectively on our Facebook page (SO blog to be unveiled 1/30/12)
Or individually you can find us here:

And thank you for buckling up and keeping your hands and feet and bottoms in the vehicle at all time! *waves and honks*

Wednesday, January 11, 2012

I'm guesting at Simply Sexy Stories

Go check out my interview, and get a sneak peek at "Betrayed," which releases this Friday!

Check it out here

Friday, January 6, 2012

Friendly Friday - Featuring Sue Brown!

::claps hands and does happy dance:: I'm so pleased to bring you the very first Friendly Friday post, featuring the lovely Sue Brown!


My New Year’s Resolution

Hey Danny, as you are kind enough to let me go on your blog the first week of the New Year, I decided to offload my New Year’s resolutions on you, and do a bit of back-patting at the same time – not easy when you’re built like me.

Six months ago, I set myself a goal. I had to finish my three novels, Final Admission, Stolen Dreams and Morning Report, plus my novella The Layered Mask and short story, Racing Raindrops, and – deep breath – my university essays.

If I finished those, I would give myself a present, an iPhone. Well I finished the last one on December 16th and today I played with the iPhone. Do I need it? No. Did it make it worth working 24/7 for several months? Hell yes. Especially as I got an advance to cushion the blow.

So this year I am going to do the same thing. I have several books planned for the next year which I have blogged about here, because if I don’t make it public I’ll never get them done. What do I deserve for finishing these books? Well, in all honesty, I think I deserve a holiday – a working holiday at least. I’d like to visit my friend, Tom Webb of A Bear on Books’ fame . We’ve promised ourselves a trip to GayRomLit in October. I live in the UK, so it will take a bit of planning, but I’m going to be there. I’ve got friends to meet and I have been promised by Tom and my friend Sharon, that they will feed me.
Sue likes writing. Sue does not like cooking. Can I cook? If I have to, with much sighing and pouting.
I’m going to start work soon, very soon. I suppose it doesn’t help that I have a severe case of writer’s block at the moment. Trying to drag a sentence out is a long and painful task. I have to get a move on though as I have a story due in by the end of January, and another one by the end of February. I must get started, I really must. Maybe, soon, when I’ve stopped playing with my new phone.

Sue’s Bio: Sue Brown is owned by her dog and two children. When she isn't following their orders, she can be found at university listening to lecturers discuss long-dead theologians. In her head, however, she's plotting how to get her cowboys into bed together; she just hopes the lecturer doesn't ask her any questions.

Sue discovered M/M erotica at the time she woke up to find two men kissing on her favorite television series. The series was boring; the kissing was not. She may be late to the party, but she's made up for it since, writing fan fiction until she was brave enough to venture out into the world of original fiction.

Coming Soon: Light of Day published by Dreamspinner Press due to be published 1st February 2012
Light of Day is the sequel to The Night Porter, from Dreamspinner Press.




The first time Max laid eyes on Robert Armitage, he knew exactly what he wanted to happen. But Max was just a night porter and Robert a guest at the hotel before his wedding, and Max knew even as they slept together that in the morning he’d have to send the groom on his way. Max’s heart was broken when Robert left, and so he ran home to Texas. When Robert’s marriage failed, Max waited for Robert to come looking for him, and waited….

A year later, Max’s dreams come true and Robert finds him, but there’s a catch, and Max has to decide if he wants Robert enough to be satisfied with hiding their relationship.

Excerpt:

MAX was convinced his shift would never end. By the time he finally got out of The Crescent Hotel, the London evening weather matched his mood. It was raining hard again, water seeping down the back of his neck. As Max trudged home, his mind wasn’t on the weather but the sight of Robert’s large frame walking out of the hotel room toward his future. A future that didn’t include Max. 

He stopped as he reached the top floor of his building. Robert was slumped on the floor, his back against the front door of the studio apartment. He was the last person Max expected to see, wet and shivering, on his doorstep. The man should be at his reception, celebrating his wedding to his beautiful bride, Evie. Robert’s eyes were closed and he didn’t seem to notice who was beside him until Max knelt down.

“Hey.” Max laid a hand on his arm, squeezing lightly.

Opening his eyes, Robert gave a wan smile when he saw Max kneeling beside him. “Hey.” He had aged five years since their confrontation that morning, his eyes bloodshot and swollen and his skin pale under his summer tan.

“Robert….” Max started to speak, wanting to know if Robert was here for him or here because he had nowhere else to go.

“Not now, Max, please? I’ve just dumped my fiancée at the altar with no real explanation. It’s been just about the shittiest day of my life. I need to sleep and I’d like to sleep with you, if you’ll let me?” He sounded so weary, his Texan accent deeper, and because Max was weak and stupid, he opened the door and let Robert back into his life.

They stripped off their clothes and climbed into the small bed, Max pulling Robert’s head down onto his chest, ignoring the fact that his long and straggly hair was still damp. Robert burrowed into him like he was trying to hide. Max stroked the long line of Robert’s back and kissed the top of his head.
Rain pattered down against the skylight, but Max felt warm and happy in his bed, even as quiet tears soaked into his skin. He tightened his hold on Robert and waited for the storm to pass.

Friday afternoon

“HEY, honey, do you want a soda?”

His mother’s musical voice penetrated his doze. Max dragged himself out of his stupor to answer, “No thanks, Mom,” and burrowed back down in the hammock, trying to recapture the dream again—the one where Robert had actually returned—instead of the reality. 

Reality was that, a year later, Max was back home in Dallas. Max had watched Robert walk out the door and known it was the last time he’d be in the same room as the young actor. Robert was the last man to take Max’s body and, worse, his heart, stomping on it as he ran to his little bride. The bastard had even gone one step further. He’d kissed Max as he’d left, a slow and tender kiss that promised Westley his Buttercup would wait for him instead of running off to marry another prince. Max shook his head. It wasn’t fucking fair. There was no coming back from a marriage. In fact, Max preferred they didn’t look back. At least he had nothing to hang onto then, no images to trouble his dreams. Once his favorite movie, now he hated The Princess Bride  for promising him a fairy tale that would never happen.

Reality was Max spending his Friday afternoon off in the hammock in his parents’ backyard. Max had been home just over a year and worked as a day manager at one of the anonymously boring, big-chain, midrange hotels in Dallas. Boring and generic the hotel might be, but Max actually liked his job. He’d been thinking of going back to study hotel management. The empathy that had proved his strength and downfall in London he channelled here into looking after the guests and staff, while keeping himself distant from the stream of good-looking men passing through his doors. He spent most of his time in his own apartment, but he couldn’t resist the occasional invitation from his mom to spend an afternoon snoozing in the backyard or the lure of a home-cooked dinner. 

Max closed his eyes and tried to recapture the dream. Reality was fucking shit.  

MAX saw Chris just before he left London. It took remarkably little time to hand in his notice and sublet his flat to one of the hotel staff. It was strictly against the terms of the lease, but Max’s landlord didn’t care as long as the rent was paid on time. He’d booked his flight to Dallas before he met Chris for coffee at their usual café. 

Chris glanced up at him from reading the newspaper as he slid into the booth they called “theirs.” The cracked and dirty plastic upholstery with the yellow foam exposed seemed almost like home away from home now. 

“Jesus, son, you look like shit.” 

“Why, thanks, Chris. You’re so good for my ego.” Max slumped down on the seat, looking for the waitress to take his order.

“He did a real number on you, didn’t he?” Chris looked angry.

Max was touched by his concern. “It was my own fault…,” he began.

He jumped as Chris slammed his fist down on the Formica table.

“Too fucking right it is! Are you a total fucking moron? What did I tell you? What were my rules?

“‘Don’t look, don’t touch, and definitely don’t fondle the merchandise,’” Max quoted obediently.

“They were rules two, three, and four. What was rule number one?”

Max pressed his lips together. He wasn’t a fucking child, and he didn’t need to be pulled over Chris’s knee in public for a spanking.

“The first rule, Max. After the last fucking time you got yourself into this state? What was the first rule?”

“If they’ve got a dick, don’t offer them a seat in the cubbyhole.”

Chris tapped the table with his fingernail. “And what did you do?”

“Invited him into the cubbyhole.”

“And what did he have?”

“A big, thick dick. It was just a shame he didn’t get the chance to shove it into my cubbyhole.” Max said crudely, but he was unable to prevent the flush at the memory of exactly where he had shoved it. 

Rolling his eyes, Chris said, “And did you ask him before or after he checked in?”

Max glared at him. “It wasn’t like that. He asked for a drink.”

Chris sighed. “There’s a fucking bar, Max. Most people have a drink in the bar. You don’t have to fuck them all.”

“I didn’t, I don’t,” Max protested. But he had. He fucked Robert ’til the man was a boneless mess beneath him. He shivered.

“No?” Chris gave him the fish-eye. “Do you even bother to say hello? Or do you just go straight for the fucking?” His voice was rising and Max saw the couple in the next booth look over. 

“You wanna say that slightly louder, Chris? I don’t think my mom heard you.”

“Sorry.” But Chris didn’t sound sorry. He sounded pissed.

“Look, I’m sorry, I know I’m stupid to keep doing the same thing.”

Max stopped when his plate of eggs and bacon was put in front of him. Rosie, the elderly waitress, was the same one who had served them since they discovered the café in the railway arches.

She looked at him critically. “You look like death, luv. Been burning the candle at both ends, have we?”

He gave her a wan smile. “Something like that.”

“You need to find a nice boy of your own to settle down with,” Rosie told him.

Choking on his first mouthful of eggs, Max reached for his glass of water. Through the tears streaming from his eyes, he saw Chris cracking up.

“He’s not so good at understanding the part about finding a man of his own… Ow! Fuc….” Swallowing the curse, Chris clutched his bruised shin, newly decorated by the toe of Max’s sneakers.

Rosie patted Max on the shoulder and left them alone. 

Chris glared at Max. “That fucking hurt, dude.”

“Tough.” Max forked more eggs into his mouth. He swallowed and said, “I’m going back home.” When Chris didn’t say anything, Max looked up. “Say something.”

Shrugging, Chris pushed his empty plate away. “What is there to say? I think it’s a good thing.”

“You do?”

“Uh-huh. You’re fucking up here, son. Go home. Screw up over there. Your mom can look after you instead.”

“You’re all heart,” Max said drily.

Chris’s face softened. “Go home, Max. Let your momma look after you and get some perspective. You’re an intelligent guy stuck in a dead-end job. That’s why you keep doing these stupid things. Go back to school and get a real degree. Do something with your life.”

Max grinned at him. “I’m gonna miss you, y’know?”

“Gonna miss you too, fucker.” Chris sat back, letting out a satisfied belch. “I’ve been thinking of going home too. It’s time I went somewhere that can cook a steak without incinerating it.”

“Thought you hated the thought of going back to Hicksville?”

“Yeah, well, America’s a big country. One or two places are even civilized; somewhere there must be a place for me. And at least they understand what I’m saying. I get sick of having to repeat myself to these hoity-toity nonces.” 

Laughing at Chris’s appalling upper-class English accent, Max picked up his empty coffee cup and waved it at Rosie. Today was a day for changes. Maybe that wasn’t such a bad thing.