Thursday, May 24, 2012

The Love Stallion Challenge

This is an old post that originally appeared in my long-defunct LiveJournal account. I found it while looking for something else, and figured I'd move it over here. I didn't, as the 8/12/09 entry implies, end up in any WIP I'd been working on at the time, but it does give a little bit away about the Calliph/Mateo #3 story (so far untitled) I'm working on. But maybe it's enticing? LOL Enjoy. 


The "Love Stallion" Challenge

  • Aug. 12th, 2009 at 12:10 AM
::giggle:: So... earlier today - well, yesterday, to be accurate - I was on twitter and Author Sara Bell (wavyscribe) and I were discussing the phrase "love stallion," which she had read in an ebook.

Now... I guess I finally have to come clean and admit it:  I *love* purple prose. I grew up reading romance novels full of heaving mounds of creamy satin skin and throbbing tumescent love shafts.  And sometimes...in the deep watches of the night... when no one else in the world is near to hear it...I heave a sad sigh that we've progressed all the way to nipples and cocks.

I don't *use* purple prose, of course.  ::cough::  At least not in my writing...  ::nervous chuckle:: ANYWHO... I do, however, like to poke fun at it in my writing when I can.  So when all the earlier talk about love stallions lead to a mention of a man pole... the challenge was on.  So here it is, my attempt to use both in a way that won't make you vomit (hopefully).

This is a snippet from my current WIP.  It's rough still, and I have *NO* idea where I'm going to put it, but it's going in there by god!

******


Nostrils flared, muscles taut, hair falling around him in shimmering waves, Mateo oddly reminded Calliph of a horse—a stallion he'd known in his childhood, to be more specific, named Love because of his habit of nibbling and licking people's necks. The werewolf smiled wickedly. My own little love stallion. Oh, Mateo would adore that nickname, wouldn't he? "Come here, my little love stallion," he whispered, barely able to keep a straight face.
"Your what?" Mateo gaped.
"Don't like it? I think it fits you perfectly." 
"It sounds like something out of a sex story. Next you'll be asking to impale me with your man-pole." 
"Man-pole!" Calliph roared with laughter. It was the most ridiculous thing he'd ever heard, but that didn't stop his cock from twitching at the sound of it on his lover's lips. "Where did you read such naughty tales, stallion?" 
"They left them with me in the sick ward. It was part of my treatment." 
The werewolf grimaced, having forgotten for a moment that the well-adjusted cat he shared his life with had once been a helpless captive, just like him. "I'm a right bastard, Teo. I didn't even think—"
"No, really, it's kind of funny." Mateo chuckled. "I rather liked reading them. It was the only time I laughed in there." He pushed a lock of hair back from Calliph's face. "I can be your love stallion if you want."
"Does that mean I get to impale you with my man-pole?" Calliph licked the pointy tip of Mateo's ear. 
Mateo shivered and sighed, pressing into the contact. "You can impale me with anything you like!"

Monday, May 21, 2012

Hop Against Homophobia Prize Winner!

And the winner is.... ::drum roll::.... Leaundra (melita332002@yahoo.com)! Congratulations!! I'll be making the donation shortly, and you should receive conformation directly from The Trevor Project. Thanks to everyone else who participated, and made this blog a success. It's heartening to see so much support out there! We WILL make a difference, one voice at time!!! ::hugs to all::

Sinful Sirens Giveaway Hop WINNER!

And the winner is..... ::drum roll:: ..... JessS - jessicamariesutton(at)msn(dot)com! Congratulations! I'll be sending along your ebay gift card shortly!! Thanks to everyone who entered!! Keep checking back - I'm participating in more hops so there's tons more goodies to win!

Thursday, May 17, 2012

Hop Against Homophobia




It's no secret that homophobia is an issue close to my heart, so I decided to participate in the Hop Against Homophobia.

I grew up queer in the South. I can remember sitting around the lunch table at my grandmother's house (my father's mother), good Christian woman that she was, and listening to her talk about "the colored" family down the street, or listening to my uncle John, my father's brother, make jokes about gay people. One of his favorites to tell was two gay guys pick up a hitch hiker. They fart a lot, and their farts don't make noise, and finally the hitch hiker farts, and it makes a noise, and the gay guys shout "we got us a virgin!!!" ::deadpan:: Yeah.

So, it should be no surprise that I spent a great deal of my life in the closet. That didn't stop people from just assuming I was gay. In junior high someone spray-painted "faggot" on my locker. After graduation, when I was living on my own, someone slashed my tires *in* my driveway after I'd brought a woman home (I was living as a woman then).

One of the guys I went to high school with was out and proud and very loud about his sexual orientation. At the time, I thought he was nuts. He got beat up weekly - something no one in the school management seemed to care about. Once he was beaten so badly he ended up in the hospital. I mean, this went on for the entire four years he was at school. NO ONE did anything about it. The boys who started it were never punished. The school took the attitude that if my friend was going to be disruptive, he deserved what he got. In any event, I asked him one day, why he didn't just conform. Just for his own personal safety. Just until he was out of high school. Just stop...acting gay. After all, no one could take away who he was on the inside. He would still be gay. Just not bruised and bloody all the time. He just shrugged and said none of it mattered, as long as he was true to himself.

He's a successful business man at an ad agency and in a committed relationship of over ten years, raising his drug-addicted, and, ironically heterosexual, sister's child. I say ironically because she was always the star of his family growing up. She was the one who was supposed to go far. You know, because she was straight.

After I finally came out, my mother used to say things like "I don't want this to hamper you," about my being queer. The rest of my family didn't have much to say - they all just quietly disowned me.

I still deal with veiled homophobia from a lot of sources. My mother in law is "glad" I don't use the "family name" for my GLBTQ writing. It's not the fact that I write romance that she cares about - she reads tons and tons of heterosexual smut - it's the fact that I write *gay* romance.  My boss claims to be  GLBTQ friendly but frequently makes hateful comments. Hell, my best friend from growing up still uses the phrase "that's so gay."

But on the flip side of that, is my husband. Thirteen years ago, if you had told my straighter than straight husband that he'd one day be married to a man,  he'd have asked you what you were smoking. He's never been a homophobe, but he's always considered himself straight. We met in 1999. We  married in 2003. I came out as transgender in 2009. It's been a long, rough road, but the one constant in my life has been him. His perceptions of life and people have changed dramatically. Little things he'd once have brushed off, like his cousin using the phrase "ass pirate," are now things that anger him. He never hated anyone, but he never realized how much hate was out there until it was in his face.

Also on the flip side of that, is a woman I used to work with. She was in her late 60s when we worked together, and I was pretty much the first queer person she'd had a chance to be around day in and day out. Her beliefs, when we first met, were right along the lines of what I'd grown up with. But the more she knew me, the more she spent time with me, the more I challenged her conceptions. I didn't do it actively. I didn't go up to her and get in her face. I just existed. I did good things. I respected people - I even respected her right to not entirely like me. And I didn't try to convert anyone to the "dark side." One day, she started paying attention to our clients, a lot of whom are gay. And she said it occurred to her to think, "Where are all these gay people coming from? they weren't around when I was growing up. What's going on?" So, she talked to some friends about it. Her friends revealed that "Well, so and so is gay. Talk to him." Someone she'd grown up with was GAY?? She got in touch with him, and after talking to him, she realized what his life had been like - strictly closeted out of fear growing up, unable to share stories about the man he loved, unable to be seen publicly together, unable to share holidays and birthdays. Unable to be at the hospital as his beloved slipped away and died after a car crash in his thirties. She came to me one day and told me all of this, and then she hugged me, and she said, "No one had the right to keep those men apart. Not at the end, not at the beginning. No one has the right to make anyone feel less than human."

Though I'll rally against them till the day I die, I'm actually kind of glad for the bigots and the homophobes in my life. They've made me appreciate the open-minded people all the more. And they've made me cherish the small victories. Because that's how change happens - one small victory at a time.

And now for my "prize" offering. :-)

Leave a comment below with your e-mail, and I'll pick a random winner at the end of the hop. That winner will have a $50 donation made to The Trevor Project in their name.

Good luck! :-)














Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Sinful Sirens Giveaway Hop


In Greek mythology, the Sirens were dangerous creatures, portrayed as femme fatales who lured nearby sailors with their enchanting music and voices to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.

But that's not what I envision of when I think of Sirens. For me, writers are a more accurate depiction of Sirens. Why? Well, readers are lured in with blurbs, and then they're hooked by the stories. They don't shipwreck - thank goodness! - but they do fly and crash with the characters they read about. They laugh and cry with the characters. To me, that's more enchanting than anything in Greek mythology!

But enough about what I think! Here's what you've really come for - the prize!

What I'm offering today is a $25 gift card to ebay! I know, right?

Here's how to enter:

1. Follow my blog.
2. Leave a comment with your e-mail (very important - that's how you'll get your certificate) and your follower name, if it's different.

That's it! Quick and dirty. ::cough:: Er...simple. I mean quick and simple. :-)


****PLEASE BE AWARE:  I write GLBTQ romance. GLBTQ stands for gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, and queer. This means my works feature same sex relationships AND same sex sexual acts. If being associated with that isn't your cup of tea, kindly pass on to the next blog in the hop and leave the spot open for someone else. Thank you.****











Friday, May 11, 2012

Friendly Friday - Featuring Seraphina Donavan


Hello and thank you so much for letting me hijack you blog today! I’m so excited to be here and to tell you about my new release, Bad Girl Lessons. This is my first foray into the world of self publishing, having published my previous works through more traditional means. So far, it’s going very well!

Bad Girl Lessons is a book about letting go of others’ expectations of you and living your life on your own terms. Evie Harper has been the good girl for so long, that when she decides to stop being good, she truly has no idea where to start. And that, dear friends, is where our hero comes in. Jackson Cope is just bad enough to be a really good time. A true Southern charmer, he’s been in love with Evie for more than half their lives. Being offered the one thing he’s wanted for so long, he’s tempted and petrified all at the same time.

There are a few twists and turns, some bad guys with guns, some really hot sex and a few sex toys that just sort popped into the storyline unexpectedly. And there is also a happily ever after for people that you can really root for. I hope you enjoy reading about Evie and Jackson even half as much I loved writing about them. Here’s a little excerpt to try it out!









 Excerpt:

Fifteen minutes later, they were walking into Evie’s apartment. While she went to shower, Jackson stripped down to his jeans and began to explore the small space. The off white walls and beige carpet weren’t exactly a decorator’s dream. Evie’s antique furniture and brightly upholstered couch looked out of place in the drab apartment. Heading back into the bedroom, he sat down on the edge of the bed and listened to the sound of the shower running. He wanted to join her, but then she was probably shaving her legs and doing all of those things that women pretended they didn’t have to do. Smiling, at the thought, he allowed his curiosity to get the better of him and opened the drawer to the tiny, painted nightstand. While his own contained a stash of condoms and the latest issue of Playboy, Evie’s was a treasure trove of feminine touches. A pair of earrings that she’d forgotten to remove before bed rested atop an embossed leather journal. A bottle of ex- pensive and sweet smelling lotion was also in there. He sniffed the lotion, recognizing Evie’s favorite scent.

At the back of the drawer was a little wooden box. Unable to resist the mystery, Jackson opened it and a wolfish smile spread across his face. Nestled inside the box was a small, silver vibrator. He heard the shower turn off, and quickly replaced the box, cup- ping the toy in his palm. With his most innocent expression, he waited for Evie to come out of the bathroom. He was not disappointed when he saw her. Her hair had been brushed out into loose waves, and she wore a black silk robe that only reached to her mid thighs, leaving the long expanse of her legs bare. It parted to reveal a tiny swatch of lace and made him wonder what delights were concealed beneath it.

“So where is it?” he asked.

“Where’s what?” she replied, walking around the bed. She made a great production of fluffing the many pillows there.

“Every single or dissatisfied woman’s best friend... I know you have a vibrator, Evie. I’ve yet to meet a woman who doesn’t.”

She blushed. “You’re being ridiculous.”

Reclining on the bed with his hands folded behind his head, he grinned. “You’ve got some monstrous vibrating cock hidden in your closet, don’t you? One look at it and I will feel like less of a man, right?”

She rolled her eyes heavenward. “Are you twelve? Where do these random questions come from?”

Raising up on his elbows, he looked at her, and at the deep V where her robe parted as she straightened the bed clothes. Her breasts swayed beneath the silk and lace with each movement and his cock pulsed behind his fly in response. “No...that would be entirely too tacky for you. I bet you have something small, quiet, discreet...ladylike but very effective.”

The blush on her cheeks deepened and her lips firmed with disapproval, “Jackson--”

“Show me,” he said. “Do you honestly think that I would be bothered by that? The truth is, the very idea of it turns me on.... I can just see you laying here in this bed, naked. Your creamy, white thighs spread apart and your beautiful, pink pussy just begging to be touched.”

“Fine. If you want to see it, then just fine,” she said and opened the night stand drawer. When she pulled out the small inlaid wooden box and opened, she stared at it in dismay for a second before, turning back to him. “You sneaky bastard.”

He chuckled, but didn’t allow her to walk away in a huff. Grabbing her hand, he tugged her down onto the bed until she sprawled atop him, widening the gaping split at the front of her robe. In addition to the black lace he’d seen before, he now knew that the rest of the garment was pink satin. “Is this what you were looking for?” he asked, opening his hand to reveal the small, egg shaped toy. Flipping her onto her back, he turned it on and rolled it delicately up the inside of her thigh, until she shivered in response.

“Jackson--”

“Don’t go getting shy on me now,” he said, tugging at the ties of her robe until it parted completely. The pink satin chemise was so thin it was practically transparent. He could easily see the darker shadows of her nipples beneath. They were perfectly framed by the black lace that edged the garment. “Open your legs for me.”

BLURB:

Evangeline Harper has been everyone's good girl. But after being dumped at the altar by her fiancé, Evie decides it's time to stop playing by the rules and have some fun. There's only one problem... she doesn't know how. But one of her oldest friends, Jackson Cope, is just the man to teach her. Hotter than a Georgia tent revival in July, Jackson has had a starring role in every erotic fantasy Evie has ever had. Can she convince the local bad boy to help transform her from a slightly pudgy, former debutante into a wanton, sex kitten?

Jackson's been secretly in love with Evie since they were kids, but she was always off limits to the likes of him. Now she's offering him everything he's ever wanted, but only as friends with benefits. Planning to seduce her into his life on a permanent basis, he starts out with hot, steamy lessons on how to walk on the wild side. When Evie's former fiancé shows up, trying to woo her and her trust fund back to save his sorry hide from the Dixie Mafia, it's up to Jackson to protect her from danger. But who will protect him from a broken heart?









Friday, May 4, 2012

New Release!!!


Blurb:
Cam doesn’t know what he resents more, the wake-up call or losing his day off. That is, until he finds out he’ll be riding the route with Axel, the tattooed hunk that haunts his dreams. Turns out Axel’s got a special delivery for his young partner.

Excerpt:

Axel jumped down from the truck and strolled across the street, not bothering to wait for traffic; it stopped for him, just as Camden had predicted. He waited as Axel rang the bell, then chatted and laughed with the woman who answered the door and took the package. Camden shifted in his seat, his pants growing uncomfortably tight at the sight of Axel sauntering back to join him.

They drove on in silence, Axel tapped his fingers on the steering wheel to some mental tune, and Camden tried to figure out the significance of Axel's announcement, and wondered if Axel's question about the offer of a cock-sucking meant anything, either. Not that a geeky guy like him could get a biker stud like Axel, but he could dream. Again…and again…

Axel steered the truck into a left turn and stepped on the gas, quickly leaving all traces of civilization behind. Camden had been out to this part of town before, but, as always, the sheer lack of humanity startled him. No other cars passed them, no pedestrians got in their way, no kids played in yards—hell, there were barely any yards at all for the first mile or so, and after that, none.

At the final stop, Axel turned to Camden, bottom lip caught between his teeth. "Come with me on this one?" he asked. "You know, in case the guy really is mega creepy or whatever."

"Sure." Though the house looked rather nice, and not at all creepy, but the idea of just being seen next to Axel made Camden want to grab for his crotch and try to settle down his perking cock.

Halfway up the path, Axel turned to face him and tossed the package to the ground. "I lied."

"What?" Camden bent immediately to retrieve the box, but Axel grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"We're not here to deliver a package. Well, I guess technically one of us is. But"—he rubbed his crotch—"it's not for anyone inside the house." He stalked Camden, maneuvering Camden back against a tree. Axel leaned in for a long, deep kiss; then threw his head back with a laugh. "God, I've wanted to do that since we met."