Sunday, September 30, 2012

Naughty or Nice Giveaway Hop WINNER

And the winner is......

Pat Nelson npat78@yahoo.com

CONGRATULATIONS!!  

I'll be sending along your books shortly!

Thanks to everyone who participated and if you didn't win don't fret - there's a *TON* more blogs hops to go this year!!


Saturday, September 29, 2012

Attention GRL Attendees - Torquere Bowling Party!

Please note, I am *NOT* one of the participating authors. I am just sharing this for those who might be interested.  I will, however, have swag in the big prize, assuming I can hook up with someone from the Power that Be at Torquere before Saturday. LOL

From Kristi at Torquere Press

Hey y'all! Torquere Press will be hosting a bowling party at GRL on Saturday starting at 5:00 pm over at the Fun Connection. It is just across the parking lot from the Hard Rock. The book signing ends at 4 pm and everyone has free time for dinner from 4-7. The Fun Connection does offer pizza, hot dogs, etc so you can have dinner there during the bowling party. The authors will be hosting their lanes and we have a limited number of attendees per lane. Each author will have swag for everyone, along with a prize for the highest score on their lane. Torquere Press will also have swag and books available as well as a $100 gift certificate for Torquere Books for the highest score on all the lanes. Currently the authors attending are:

Kiernan Kelly
BA Tortuga
Julia Talbot
AR Moler
TC Blue
Marshall Thornton
Charlie Cochet
Amy Lane

What you need to do?

Email me off list at kristi (at) torquerepress (dot) com (kristi@torquerepress.com) and let me know you want to attend and if you have a specific author you want to be assigned to.

Friday, September 28, 2012

N.B.P.'s Back to School Bash


For me, growing up, going back to school was always bittersweet. Sure, I'd get bullied at school (the bitter LOL) but at least I'd be out of the house for a while - the sweet!

Once I had kids, I started to appreciate back to school for different reasons - Quiet. Calm. Time to myself. But also it meant school functions, football games, and baseball games. Of course, it also meant fights over  homework. :-)

For  my prize today, I'm offering a free PDF copy of my m/m, BDSM story, "Relearning the Ropes." It kinda fits with the theme, in that one of the main characters, Marcus, has to go back to basics and relearn a few things in order to be with his new sub, Charlie.

To enter to win, just leave a comment below with your e-mail!



Here's the blurb:

When his good friend Julius dies unexpectedly, Marcus finds himself saddled with a new submissive—Charlie. But Charlie comes with a history, and more pain and need than Marcus has ever encountered. Marcus knows he loves Charlie, and Charlie loves him, but Marcus must set aside his old theories about BDSM and relearn the ropes if he wants to be the Dom—and the lover—they both need.

And an excerpt:

Charlie pushed his breakfast around on his plate, tapping his fork against the edge of the white china and frowning.

"Is there a problem with your eggs?" Marcus asked. He'd followed Julius's recipe exactly, right down to the Roma tomatoes and fresh parsley. Since Julius's death, Marcus had tried hard to keep life normal for Charlie—to show him that nothing had changed. God knew Charlie had been abandoned—physically and emotionally—too much in his life. The fact that Marcus and Julius were polar opposites when it came to how they treated their subs had been jarring enough.

Marcus had painstakingly cataloged the contents of Julius's food cupboard and stocked his own with the same items, going across town for some things. He had even gone so far as to bring some of Julius's art pieces to his house so Charlie would have something familiar to look at, though he had to admit, he hated the brightly colored, chaotic abstract pieces. Although more than a few other Doms had warned Marcus that keeping things status quo was the wrong tactic.

"No." Charlie shook his head quickly. "They're perfect. Thank you for cooking them."

Marcus nodded. Cooking. Another thing he'd had to learn. They'd realized quickly that, unlike Marcus, Charlie's temperamental stomach simply couldn't handle eating out for every meal. If Marcus didn't want Charlie to starve, one of them needed to cook, and Charlie was far too timid and scatterbrained in the kitchen.

"May I speak to you man-to-man, not sub to Dom for a minute, please?" Charlie asked.

Man-to-man. A phrase Charlie had picked up from Julius. "You may."


GOOD LUCK!!!!



****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 winning that kind of a book 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.****















Blogfest 2012

 

Blogfest 2012? How could I resist??

For my giveaway, I'm offering up a $25 Amazon.com gift card!

(Cause I'm awesome like that)

Entering to win is simple!

1. Follow my blog.
2. Leave a comment below and be sure to include your e-mail (and your follower name, if it's not obvious)

That's it! Easy, peasy, right??


****PLEASE BE AWARE: I write GLBTQI 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 kind of blog 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.****

NEXT 5 BLOGS:








NEW RELEASE!! "137 Owens Street"



Click the cover to purchase!



Blurb:

Matthew is going insane. How else can he explain remembering things he doesn't own or trips his wife never took? Not to mention the visions, and the phantom in the café. But when the man in the visions reaches out to him with an explanation, and the phantom from the café tracks him down, things start to make a little more sense. Morgan is a devout Christian. He believes in God, heaven, hell, and the Bible. But his world spins out of control when his husband Matthew disappears and a mysterious man tells a tale outside the realm of reality. How can Morgan put his faith in something so far-fetched? And what will happen to Matthew if he doesn't?


Excerpt:

After the weekend he'd had, on Monday Matthew could honestly say he was glad to be back at work. But something about his desk wasn't right. All his things were there—the spinning pen caddy, his fancy one-touch stapler, his little black and white container full of almonds, his old-school Rolodex and phone, his glass frog paperweight—but the positioning was all wrong. Matthew shook his head and rearranged the items into their proper places. Darn cleaning crew. It wasn't like he could complain—moving things around on his desk was hardly the same as breaking something or stealing something, and really, he should just be grateful for the crew's efforts—but the disorder still irked him.

He took a deep breath, plopped down into his desk chair, turned on his computer, and frowned. His icons had been moved around on his desktop too. Maybe the desk makeover hadn't been the cleaning crew after all, but a sneaky co-worker thinking they were funny. One by one, he clicked and dragged everything back to where it belonged and plunged into his day.

Three financial reports and some data entry later, Matthew was ready for a break. He quirked an eyebrow and grinned, remembering his blue mug. Down the hall he went to the break room. He scanned the shelves and counters. No blue mug. What. The. Heck? It wasn't at home, and it wasn't here. Where else could it be? Maybe his car?

With a shrug he pulled his keys out of his pocket and went out to the parking lot, but a careful search of his car—even the trunk and glove compartment, just for giggles—turned up no blue mug.

A burst of white light surrounded him, and he held his hand up against the glare reflecting from his car. His red car. Not the black one he'd gotten into this morning. He'd known something was off when he'd cranked it up, but hadn't been able to place what. Now he knew—the color wasn't right. He took a step toward the car, and a pair of arms encircled his waist from behind.

"Come back to me!" a soft, deep voice pleaded against his ear.

Matthew turned as quickly as he could, but the light and the man had vanished. He closed his eyes and leaned back against his once-again-black car, his heart hammering, his throat thick with emotions he didn't understand. He'd recognized that voice the moment he'd heard it, yet now he couldn't place it. Now it was relegated to the hazy depths of forgotten things, like half-remembered tunes that went like da-da-da-da-da-something...la-la...and nebulous gray snatches of faces from childhood. But in that moment, he'd known, and he'd thrilled in it. The voice had evoked a response from him so intense and swift, like suddenly finding something he'd been missing for years in some random place he'd looked a million times.

He wondered what the speaker had meant. Come back to me. He looked around quickly, cleared his throat, and straightened his clothes. Thankfully, no one else had seen...whatever had just happened. He took a deep breath and headed back into the office. So he was having visions of a different color car and hearing a mysterious voice. That didn't make him crazy. At least, not if he kept it all to himself.

He went back into the building, to his office, and stopped in the doorway. Where was his Chinese dragon? He distinctly remembered buying a print of a colorful Chinese dragon and hanging it right there on the opposite wall. Right where it could be seen from the hallway. Or...had he? Matthew walked over to the wall. No picture hanger. No hole. Had he dreamed the piece of art too?

Thursday, September 27, 2012

The Girly Book Blog Hop

PLEASE CLICK THE PHOTO ABOVE TO BE TAKEN TO THE LIST OF BLOGGERS.

Today we're talking about sensational secondary characters. Now, I write short fiction. Sometimes, uber short. So I don't have a lot of room for secondary characters in my stories. I did, however, manage to work one into "The Door Under the Bridge," the second book in The Sky People Trilogy.

Everyone loves Jinsu and Tristan, but really the two catalysts are Bryan, Tristan's paranormal investigator ex, and Agnes.

Bryan is guilt ridden over how his relationship with Tristan ended. On one hand, I agree with him - he was a schmuck. On the other hand... he was faced with a life changing thing he knew he couldn't handle.

Agnes, on the other hand, is a little old ball of fire. Prim and proper, but full of wry wit and sharp as a tack. She was a lot of fun to write!

So for my part in the hop today, I'm giving away a free pdf copy of the first book in the Sky People Trilogy, "Dream Come True."

To enter to win, all you have to do is leave a comment below, with your e-mail.

GOOD LUCK!!


****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 winning that kind of a book 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.****


PLEASE CLICK THE PHOTO AT TOP TO BE TAKEN TO THE LIST OF BLOGGERS.
















GLBT Madness Hop - NSFW!!

The GLBTQ book I'm featuring today is "Two of a Kind" my sexy m/m/m/m, BDSM story, and the sequel to "Finding Sanctuary." I'll be honest with you up front - just like "FS," this book deals with a cheating partner, and includes scenes of watersports. (Not the kind with jet skis. Google it if you need to... I'll wait.)





Here's the blurb:

Vincent and his childhood friend Eric became a couple after Eric initiated him into the pleasures of the Playhouse, a refuge for men to act out their submission/Domination fantasies. Their relationship is warm and loving, but not exclusive. Eric is a “switch,” and since Vincent is a submissive, Eric sometimes looks to his own Dom, Anton, for satisfaction—causing Vincent to feel jealous and insecure.

Then Anton’s uncle dies and Dimitri—Anton’s twin and a troubled, surly, irresistibly sexy version of his brother—comes for a visit. When Dimitri sets his sights on Vincent, ridiculing his supposed sexual passivity, Vincent begins to wonder: is he really a sub, or a switch, like Eric? In the first blush of their relationship, Vincent and Eric reveled in their connection, calling themselves “two of a kind.” Perhaps they are also alike in ways that challenge their current power dynamic.




And an excerpt:

“Can’t I?” He took a long drag off the cigarette, held the smoke in, and then puffed it out slowly. “Guess we’ll have to go outside, then.”

Vincent glanced over at Eric.

“Oh, I forgot. Puppy has to ask permission.” Dimitri ruffled Vincent’s hair. “You want me to go ask Big Bad Eric if I can take you for a walk?”

“Fuck off. I don’t need permission.” Of course he didn’t. He and Eric didn’t have that kind of BDSM relationship. Vincent frowned. But maybe they should.

“Prove it.”

There’s nothing to prove. That’s what he should have said. What he meant to say. That was the truth. He had nothing to prove to anyone, most especially Dimitri.

Who the hell was Dimitri, anyhow? Someone he had just met. Someone who two days ago he didn’t even know existed. But maybe that was what spurred him to act … what made him put one foot in front of the other, following Dimitri blindly until they were in an alley behind the funeral home.

The atmosphere outside was stifling; a veritable cloud of humid, thick heat surrounded them. In the distance, sounds of traffic echoed—honking horns, revving engines, and loud blaring music. But even these receded into the distance as he stood in Dimitri’s presence. Like a moth to flame, Vincent dared to get closer.

“I just don’t get why you can’t be equals,” Dimitri was saying. “Why he treats you like such a weakling. Of course, you act like one when he’s around. You don’t do it as much when he’s not. Ever notice that?”

Vincent bristled. How was it a complete stranger could read him so well? But Dimitri wasn’t a complete stranger, was he? Dimitri was Anton’s twin. It stood to reason that he had some of Anton’s innate ability to read people and situations. To control them. Which was exactly what he was doing now. And Vincent had fallen for it. Hook. Line. Sinker.

Vincent shook his head. “I’m not weak, and Eric knows that. If I chose to submit to him, that’s exactly what it is—my choice.”

“Not because that’s the only way he’ll have you?” Dimitri dropped the cigarette and ground it out under his heel. He moved closer and trailed his thumb down the side of Vincent’s face. “Because, you see … I think I would rather have you a different way. You’ve got spunk, and I’m not talking about the kind dripping from your cock right now.” He grazed his other hand down the front of Vincent’s jeans and nodded. “I know you want me.”

“No.” Vincent shook his head. “I don’t.” Though his hard cock clearly did.

“You trying to convince me, or yourself? Hmm?” Dimitri reached down and grasped one of Vincent’s wrists, grinned when he tried to pull away. “That’s right. Fight me. Make me earn what I get. Don’t just give it to me because I ask. Make me earn it.” He leaned in and licked Vincent’s neck.

“Eric has earned it.” Eric. Vincent struggled to hold onto that thought. Eric. He loved Eric. Of course he did. He knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. So why was his cock hard now? Why did he want to give into Dimitri? He would only end up hurt, physically and emotionally. Dimitri would take what he wanted, no matter if Vincent felt he deserved it or not. God, why was that thought so delicious?

Vincent pressed himself back against the wall, trying to put space between them, but Dimitri would not have it. He moved closer still, ground his knee in between Vincent’s thighs and up into Vincent’s groin. Vincent barely stifled a moan. Dimitri’s grip on his right wrist tightened as he grabbed for his left, pinning both wrists at Vincent’s sides against the wall. The concrete scraped at his tender flesh, a sensation Vincent found oddly erotic. He struggled a bit, just to see what Dimitri would do.

Dimitri threw his head back and pulled in a deep breath threw his nose; let it out in a harsh bark. “That’s the spirit.” He squeezed Vincent’s wrists harder, hitched his knee higher.

Panic—thrilling, raw, and real—scorched through Vincent. He struggled in earnest now, but no matter what he did, his movements only increased the contact with Dimitri. He writhed against the wall, caught between need and fear, desire and disgust. What if Anton rounded the corner right now? Worse, what if Eric did?



I'm also giving away a free pdf copy of "Two of a Kind!"

To enter, just leave a comment below with your e-mail address. Easy peasy!


****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 winning that kind of a book 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.****

And now, I'm supposed to tell you the following:

There are over 40 blogs joining the hop. Click on the button to visit the next blog! When you click on the button, you'll be taken to the next random blog that you haven’t gone to visit yet. The system takes care of “remembering” which blog it has gone to or not, and will forward you to a blog it hasn’t visited yet. If you haven’t registered at TRR and/or logged in, please click on the button as well to go to the right page on TRR to do so. You can space yourselves out over 4 days, from September 27 to 30. The hop will start on September 27, 12:00am EST and will end onSeptember 30, 11:59pm EST.


The Romance Reviews GLBT Madness Hop

Sunday, September 23, 2012

POW/MIA Recognition Day Blog Hop WINNER

The winner is....

Chris Walker! I'll be contacting you shortly to get your information for the donation.


Congratulations!!!

Thank you to everyone else who participated. Don't fret if you didn't win - there's lots more blog hops to enter!!!

Indulgent Blog Hop WINNER

The winner for the Indulgent Blog Hop is Buffy Kennedy!! I'll be sending along your copy of "Sundae Surprise" in a few minutes!

Congratulations!!!

Thank you to everyone else who participated. Don't fret if you didn't win - there's lots more blog hops to enter!!!


Saturday, September 22, 2012

Naughty or Nice Giveaway Hop



I'm not really al *or* type of person... so for my giveaway, I'm offering up a naughty AND a nice book! One lucky winner will receive both of these books in pdf format!

On the naughty side, we've got the very smexy "Down on the Farm." Here's the blurb:

Alastair Luna has come to Cherry Grove, Pennsylvania to immerse himself in country living as research for his next book. Cherry Grove is a far cry from the hustle and bustle of New York City, but Alastair discovers that some things, like attraction and lust, are universal.

And on the nice side, we've got "Who Better Than Canyon" (which contains no sex, btw. See what I did there??) Here's the blurb:

When Canyon's ex-lover, Robert, dies, he leaves behind a last request that Canyon take word of his passing to Simon, an old friend on the east coast. Canyon reluctantly agrees, and soon finds himself falling for Simon, despite the nagging belief he shouldn't. Canyon is plagued by guilt over his part in the accident that claimed Robert's life. But Simon knows something Canyon doesn't: Robert's death wasn't an accident, but a suicide, and Robert's intent was for the two men he left behind to come together. But Robert's plan didn't account for two things: Simon's disbelief that anyone can truly love a soon-to-be-cripple, and Canyon's staunch decision that the next man he gives himself to will give him a wedding ring first. Can Canyon and Simon set aside their own issues long enough to see what lies between them, or will they both miss out on their happily ever after?


Interested yet? :-) To enter, just follow these two simple instructions:


1. Follow my blog.
2. Leave a comment with your e-mail (be sure to include your follower name if it's not obvious.)


That's it!


Easy Peasy!


GOOD LUCK!! And don't forget to click on the image at the top to visit all the other fabulous blogs in the hop!


****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 winning that kind of a book 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.****

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

POW/MIA Recognition Day Blog Hop



I've always had a soft spot for military personnel - I have a lot of family members in various branches, and growing up, I wanted to join. Health issues kept me out, but I did participate in Air Force Junior ROTC in high school. 

My father was nearly deployed to Vietnam, but ended up leaving the Army instead. It was a double-edged sword, because he was a sniper (the man won tons of medals and awards for it) and would've done very well, probably. On the other hand, if he'd gone and hadn't come back, I wouldn't be here. 

Several of his comrades did go, and two of them never came back. One was killed, the other was listed as MIA. 

I spent a lot of my childhood hearing stories about my father's military service, and about the man who got left behind. I used to sit and think of him a lot, even though I'd never met him. I used to wonder if he was alive or dead. If he was alive, where was he? Still in Vietnam? Was he living in a prison camp? Was he hiding out in the jungle? Had he integrated into the country and was he living a happy life with a Vietnamese woman (or man!) and maybe he had some kids? 

According to Wikipedia, "Following the Paris Peace Accords of 1973, 591 American prisoners of war (POWs) were returned during Operation Homecoming. The U.S. listed about 1,350 Americans as prisoners of war or missing in action and roughly 1,200 Americans reported killed in action and body not recovered."

And, "By the late 2000s (decade), the remains of over 700 Americans killed in Southeast Asia had been returned and identified. Efforts continued to recover nearly 1,800 Americans who remained unaccounted for. Working jointly, American and Vietnamese experts focus on “Last Known Alive” cases, which involve missing Americans whom the U.S. believed might have survived their initial loss incident. Outcomes of these investigations helps resolve the live prisoners question. The U.S. has identified 296 individuals as Last Known Alive cases in all of Southeast Asia, and following full investigations, the Defense Department has determined that more than 190 are deceased."

To honor this day, I'll be making a $25 donation to Cell Phones for Soldiers in the name of one lucky winner!

To enter, just leave a comment below with your e-mail. That's it. :-) 

****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 kind of a blog 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.****



Sunday, September 16, 2012

Indulgent Blog Hop



Well doesn't that look yummy?

Speaking of yummy...

My prize offering for this lil hop is a free pdf copy of my m/m romance "Sundae Surprise"

Here's the blurb:

Dean learns the true meaning of the words "playing with your food" when his hot and hunky roommate, Rick, interrupts his plans for some solo Sunday afternoon fun. Human sundae aside, Dean discovers a kinship with Rick that he never knew existed, and a basis for what promises to be a delicious relationship. But when Rick overreacts to Dean's nonchalance after their first time, can Dean convince Rick that what they have is real?


Entering is easy!


1. Follow my blog.
2. Leave a comment below - be sure to include your e-mail and follower name (if different).

GOOD LUCK!!!


****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 winning that kind of a book 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.****













Saturday, September 1, 2012