Colors of the Rainbow Blog Hop

 

Greetings, all, and welcome to the Colors of the Rainbow Blog Hop!

After considering what to write for today’s post, I decided that I wanted to do something different than just post an excerpt and buy link for my latest release Side Effects. I’m going to talk a little about a recurring setting in my stories—and its background, so I’m calling this:

Location, location, location

Side Effects is set in the small Iowa college town of Grandville. A number of my stories take place at Grandville College, and I attribute that to the fact that I attended a small, midwestern college myself—and enjoyed every year of it! Much more so than the time I spent at a large, urban university for my graduate work.

If you’ve read at least two of my Grandville stories, you may notice that the characters often have sex in at least one less-than-typical locale! For those who haven’t read any yet, here’s the evidence:

Summer Stock NEW 6x9

 

In Summer Stock, Jeff and Robert hook up in a storage room backstage of their Oklahoma! production;

 

C.C. Williams' The Pickup Game

 

Noah and Jerry (who have a cameo in Side Effects) get to know each other really well in the middle of the Life Drawing Lab in their story, The Pick Up Game;

 

steambath cover

Gus from All I Am For (appearing in Shane Allison’s Steambath anthology) explores a bathhouse;

Side Effects Cover

 

 

and, of course, in Side Effects, Max and Damien do more than study in the library!

 

So why do I like to use these types of locations? They’re often dirty, not necessarily that comfortable, and sometimes not all that private either! Well…

‘Cause they’re fun to write!

Not only can there be unusual props—a purple fainting couch for Robert and Jeff, or a wrought iron king-sized bed for Jerry and Noah—but also some other element to spice things up—the danger of discovery, for example. These are the things that make for a better than run-of-the-mill love scene.

Hopefully, they are fun to read, as well.

Now, some of you may be thinking, “That’s all well and good, but nobody really does that sort of thing.” Au contraire, mes amis! I’ve done the research! Okay, that’s what I’m calling it. 😉

While attending the above-mentioned college, I had two roommates and a narrow, single bed—the same situation my boyfriend was in. This lack of privacy forced some creativity in terms of where to have some fun—and we weren’t picky! The auditorium stage, a chemistry lecture hall, the roof of the library—just to name a few! All of them added a little something extra to our times together.

So, just as with real estate, an important element of romance is location, location, location!

C.C. Williams Giveaway

Leave a comment below with your most memorable location—personal or fictional—to be entered into a drawing for an ebook from my backlist. Be sure to include your valid email address as the winner will be notified by email following the end of the blog hop.

MFRW Giveaway

Free to everyone — No entry needed.

Download your favorite format of the exclusive Marketing for Romance Writers Rainbow Excerpts Book, with 60 pages of gay romance excerpts and samples from some of our authors. Right click on the links and select “Save Target As…”

Kindle  |  Nook / ePub  |  Adobe PDF

Enjoy the hop!

‘Til next time!

Hop Against Homophobia 2013 – Post 1

HAHAT 2013 2 logoGreetings, all! Welcome to my first post for the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia!

In conjunction with the International Day Against Homophobia, the hop runs from May 17th through the 27th. Over 170 LGBTQ authors, publishers, reviewers and artists have joined together to increase awareness of the ongoing issues regarding homophobia and transphobia. Visit everybody throughout the Hop for great information and cool prizes!

So I’ve been racking my brain about what to write for this Hop post. What can I add to the mix that is new or informative or interesting? I mean—come on—everything that has needed to be said has been been said, right?

Well, apparently not…

Today (Thursday) I came across this article on glo.msn (yes, it’s originally from Cosmopolitan) about punk rocker Tommy Gabel from Against Me!, who is now Laura Jane Grace. Great articles, both on glo and Cosmo, with lots of supportive comments and brouhaha about pronouns (the Cosmo article uses “he” when referring to pre-transition Tommy and “she” when referring to Laura–some people didn’t catch on to the chronology.)

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Tommy with daughter, Evelyn.

cos-01-first-year-as-a-woman-mdn

Laura Jane Grace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yet, the VERY FIRST comment on glo reads as follows:

Norman Nonnweiler · Concordia University Chicago

Woopie! Another mentally ill person being coddled by the medical industry. The people who perform this surgery are the real criminals. Is this man so despirate(sic) that he needs to become a fake woman to advance his music career? Well yah got your name in the news. Let’s hope it never appears there again. A man can not become a woman even if you do turn his thing inside out. It’s sad that this nonsense even is news.

So apparently we do need to continue to educate, inform and generally shout down the ignorant people of the world. It was nice to see the number of scathing reactions to Norman’s comment (if you scroll down far enough, you’ll see mine).

Many best wishes to Laura as she continues her journey…

Now part of this Hop is, of course, PRIZES! Leave a comment below with how you would respond to Mr. Norman (along with your valid email address) to win an e-copy of my most recent release, Side Effects, a contemporary M/M romance. The winner will be chosen from comments to this post (other prizes will be forthcoming on other posts) and notified through their email, following the conclusion of the Hop on the 27th.

Good Luck!

Be sure to check out the rest of the Hop participants—and enter to win other fabulous prizes—here:

‘Til next time!

UPDATE: (05/27) – I have a second post with its own drawing here.

Hump Day Hook – 20 February 2013

humpdayhook

Greetings, all!

Today’s hook follows last week’s as I continue from my new release, Side Effects.

Side Effects coverMax Caulfield is secretly attracted to his best friend, Damien. One night Max’s fantasy is presented to him on a silver platter and he eats it up with a spoon, only to be thrown for a loop when Damien confesses his love.

Cute and super intelligent, Damien Mackenzie is right down Max’s alley and has been in love with him ever since they won the school math contest last year. He’s thrilled when Max accepts his offer to hook up, then confused when Max rebuffs him afterward.

When their psychology research project takes an unexpected turn, Max is forced to confront his feelings about Damien. But the side effects have changed Damien’s mind. Can Max find a cure and heal the rift in their relationship?

Following the fluttery pulse of Damien’s carotid, my mouth traveled down his neck, feeling the rough stubble of his beard. The salt of his sweat was sweet to my tongue and I savored the heat of his flesh with my mouth.

I explored the planes of his chest. Patchouli and sandalwood clung to his skin; I inhaled his scent like a drug. I was awash in new feelings, unfamiliar tastes and smells; the sensations flooded my brain, swamped my inhibitions.

Damien’s hands caressed my head when I moved down his body. Quickly I unfastened his jeans, pushing them down as he lifted his hips. His cock bounced free, a marvelous column of hard flesh, topped with a shiny crown.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out more of the Hump Day Hookers here.

Side Effects is available in the Bookstore, as well as

All Romance eBooks  ¦  Amazon  ¦  Barnes & Noble  ¦  Rainbow eBooks

‘Til next time!

Hump Day Hook – 13 February 2013

humpdayhook

 Greetings, all!

For today’s hook I’m continuing with my new release, Side Effects.

Side Effects coverMax Caulfield is secretly attracted to his best friend, Damien. One night Max’s fantasy is presented to him on a silver platter and he eats it up with a spoon, only to be thrown for a loop when Damien confesses his love.

Cute and super intelligent, Damien Mackenzie is right down Max’s alley and has been in love with him ever since they won the school math contest last year. He’s thrilled when Max accepts his offer to hook up, then confused when Max rebuffs him afterward.

When their psychology research project takes an unexpected turn, Max is forced to confront his feelings about Damien. But the side effects have changed Damien’s mind. Can Max find a cure and heal the rift in their relationship?

What I felt was scalding heat, burning trails of fire where Damien’s fingers met my skin. He slipped off my shirt and traced the outlines of my torso, red lines of sensation flaring across my mind. I put out my hands to support myself, feeling the satin of Damien’s skin over the steely muscles beneath. An iron fist in a slender, velvet glove.

Damien pulled me down into another embrace. I kissed his lips, but didn’t stop there. My lips moved over his face to kiss his nose, his cheeks, eyes, and across his forehead. I nibbled along his jaw to lick beneath his ear, pleased when he trembled at my touch.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out more of the Hump Day Hookers here.

Side Effects is available in the Bookstore, as well as

All Romance eBooks  ¦  Amazon  ¦  Barnes & Noble  ¦  Rainbow eBooks

‘Til next time!

Hump Day Hook – 06 February 2013

humpdayhook

 

Greetings, all!

Today’s hook is from my new release Side Effects.

Side Effects cover

Max Caulfield is secretly attracted to his best friend, Damien. One night Max’s fantasy is presented to him on a silver platter and he eats it up with a spoon, only to be thrown for a loop when Damien confesses his love.

Cute and super intelligent, Damien Mackenzie is right down Max’s alley and has been in love with him ever since they won the school math contest last year. He’s thrilled when Max accepts his offer to hook up, then confused when Max rebuffs him afterward.

When their psychology research project takes an unexpected turn, Max is forced to confront his feelings about Damien. But the side effects have changed Damien’s mind. Can Max find a cure and heal the rift in their relationship?

We join Max (our narrator) and Damien in flagrante delicto:

I wanted to touch all of him, kiss him, lick every inch—I didn’t know where to start. Damien solved my indecision by grabbing the hem of his tee-shirt and pulling it off. Lithe and wiry, Damien had more meat than I would have guessed. And that treasure trail headed north, as well, to nicely fur his stomach and chest. I crawled onto the mattress beside him and started to unbutton my shirt.

Damien stopped my fingers, taking over. “Let me. It’ll be like a Christmas present.”

I snickered. “That’s corny.” He slipped hands inside my shirt, rubbing across my nipples. I shivered.

“Maybe it is, but that’s how I feel.”

Thanks for stopping and reading! Be sure to check out more of the Hookers here.

Side Effects is available in the Bookstore, as well as all my regular etailers!

‘Til next time!

Giveaways!

Side Effects Cover to Midnight Incantation

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Now that Side Effects and Midnight Incantation are out—and selling smartly—and I have a new Facebook Author page, I think it’s time to give some stuff away! Woo-hoo!

CONTEST #1

3 eformat copies of Side Effects to be awarded.

Simply leave a comment here on the blog letting everyone know what your side effects of winning would be. Be sure to include your valid email address.

Three winners will be drawn randomly from all valid comments posted by Thursday 31 January at 11:59 pm (MST). Winners will be notified by email; failure to respond within 24 hours will constitute waiver, and another winner will be drawn.

[UPDATE] Congrats to Andrea, Karl and Urbanista!

CONTEST #2

2 eformat copies from my backlist to be awarded.

Simply “Like” my new Author Page on Facebook!

Two winners will be drawn randomly from all “Like”s posted by Thursday 31 January at 11:59 pm (MST). Winners will be notified through FB and posted here; failure to respond within 24 hours will constitute waiver, and another winner will be drawn.

CONTEST #3 (ongoing)

I’m starting a monthly drawing from my email subscribers for a back list title!

Drawings will be on the 1st of each month from all current subscribers. To enter simply be on the email list! If you’re not yet a subscriber, use the box up top of the sidebar to join or go here. Easy!

Good luck to everyone who enters!

‘Til next time!

New Release – Side Effects

Side EffectsYes, Side Effects is now available! Finally!

This contemporary romance has been somewhat long in coming due to a number of deadlines—all of which seemed to fall around the same time. But despite the distractions and delays, I’m really happy to be releasing this now—pre-Valentine’s Day, that is.

Last year everything seemed to happen the night before or early on the day of any holiday—when they happened at all! 🙁 So I’m glad that this is out before the 14th of February.

To remind everybody: Side Effects appeared for several weeks on Six Sentence Sunday, and here is its shiny new blurb:

Max Caulfield is secretly attracted to his best friend, Damien. One night Max’s fantasy is presented to him on a silver platter and he eats it up with a spoon, only to be thrown for a loop when Damien confesses his love.

Cute and super intelligent, Damien Mackenzie is right down Max’s alley and has been in love with him ever since they won the school math contest last year. He’s thrilled when Max accepts his offer to hook up, then confused when Max rebuffs him afterward.

When their psychology research project takes an unexpected turn, Max is forced to confront his feelings about Damien. But the side effects have changed Damien’s mind. Can Max find a cure and heal the rift in their relationship?

Side Effects (16,652 words, $3.99) is available at all my regular etailers.

Buy at All Romance eBooks!       Buy at Amazon!

Buy at Rainbow eBooks!              Buy at Barnes & Noble!

Buy at Smashwords!                    NEW! Buy at Allied Triangle eBooks!

Thanks for all the support from everybody who read and commented throughout the writing and revisions!

Enjoy!

 

 

Saturday Seductive Studs – 19 January 2013

 

Saturday Seductive Studs logo

Greetings, all!

Today is the second of my new blog hops—Saturday Seductive Studs!

As I’m running behind schedule, I’ve decided to do a clip from Side Effects, my contemporary romance novella which should be coming out next month (fingers crossed).

If you’d like to play catch-up, go here. Where we’re at: Max, our narrator, has just invited his best friend and lab-mate, Damien, back to his room:

The drive back to campus was quick, our silence comfortable, yet heavy with anticipation. Our hands lay together on the center console, fingers entwined. I marveled at my change of fortune.

My door had barely latched when Damien pressed me against the wall, his hands cupping my face. Those hazel eyes glimmered in the dim light; I just wanted to fall into their depths, to swim along with those green flecks. He closed the distance and our lips met. The touch was shocking, thrilling—a hundred times I’d dreamed of this and not one fantasy could match the excitement that raced through me.

At first he was tentative, soft and gentle; his mouth tasted of mint. I wrapped him in my arms and pulled him closer, tangling my hands in his hair. His auburn curls slid like silk through my fingers. The kiss deepened; our mouths and tongues exploring, craving, enjoying each other.

I levered us away from the wall, and we stumbled, still clutched together, toward my bed. With a push I had Damien on his back, and I relished the look of him, rumpled and flustered—and hot to trot, judging from the mound in his pants.

Thanks for stopping!

Be sure to check out more of the Studs!

‘Til next time!

Six Sentence Sunday – 16 September 2012

Six Sentence Sunday Banner

Greetings, all!

I would like to start by thanking everyone who has followed along and supported this story line. I treasure those little gems of encouragement. Today will be the final six from Side Effects. To find out the rest you’ll just have to read the story (which should be out in a couple of weeks).

We continue directly from last week’s revelation:

Damien’s thumb paused in its caress—my heart ached, missing the contact. “You’re even cuter when you blush.”

“Why tell me now?”

“I wanted it to be right—but I got tired of waiting.” The little touch began again, and my heart started anew.

Taking a hold of Damien’s hand, I slid from the booth, and spoke past that same tightness, “Then let’s not waste any more time.”

Thanks for stopping and reading! Check out more of the Sixers here.

‘Til next time!