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Hop for Visibility, Awareness and Equality

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UmbrellaNo Year

Welcome, all!

What an appropriate time to have this hop! I’m taking advantage of our current craziness to have a small rant this year as I typically avoid politics.

Between bathroom police, religious protection laws, and the most divided—not to mention, divisive—presidential primary in decades, it certainly appears that no one’s umbrella is big enough! All we seem to hear are variations of “Us” versus “Them,” and lots of Us are on the Them side of whomever is speaking.

While progress gets made in one area—say, marriage equality—we move backwards on others—read, for example, transgender bathroom rights. I mean where did this national emergency come from? Not a single instance of any transgender person ever bothering anybody anywhere. But we need to protect our children!! Never mind that Dennis Hastert coached children for years. Now, what’s really comic about these wardens of poo-poo privacy is that they would scream bloody murder about the invasion of privacy if someone were to question their “genital genuineness.”

Yet, these people are the first to claim infringement of their right to religious freedom when called out on their prejudiced actions. We are referred to as “perverted,” abnormal,” and lots of even more colorful things by trolls galore, yet to object to being name-called is to be “biased.” Pointing out their bigotry is being “intolerant of their opinions.” So, to protect their ability to discriminate they resort to religious freedom laws. Never mind that our infrastructure is crumbling, schools are failing, and government is at a standstill, we must save backwards, narrow-minded thought patterns from being influenced by progress.

And don’t even get me started on how thin-skinned people have become! Every minimally inconvenienced, slightly put-out nebbish is suddenly outraged about all the minor non-events that bother him! Whatever happened to suck it up and walk it off? The major problems we have—climate change, economic inequality—require serious discussion, yet people get riled by stupid stuff they blame on “Them”!

So who’s “Them”? White, black, brown, yellow; christian (Catholic, Presbyterian, Baptist, Unitarian, etc.), Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish, Shinto, atheist; 1%ers, middle class, takers; straight, gay, queer, bi, questioning; male, female, trans, cis; and on and on and on. We’re each part of an Us and part of someone else’s Them—but we’re all people.

So, the next time someone starts spouting off about Them find something about Them that makes Them human. After all, humans are all of Us.

This is a hop, so continue on and visit everybody else…

Each of the participants is hosting a giveaway, so don’t miss out. I’m offering one winner a copy of my latest release, Those Grandville Guys, as well as one winner’s choice of two stories from my back list. To get entered, check out below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

My Sexy Saturday – 2016 04 16

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My Sexy Saturday Header

Hey, everybody! Let’s get the weekend started with a Sexy Saturday snippet!

Since this week’s theme is “My Sexy Vacation” I chose to do a clip from my novella, Busting the Greenhorn. Jake is on vacation at a resort along the Russian River, when he garners the attention of one of the locals while sunbathing:

Silence fell, leaving only the murmuring of the river as it babbled over rocks and roots. The birds had stopped their chirping in the trees, and Jake heard rustling in the thick foliage along the watercourse. Tales of bears and other wild animals crossed his mind. He sat up and gave some thought to packing and leaving. The rustling grew louder; Jake heard actual snapping of branches. A dark figure moved out from the undergrowth; someone on a large horse trotted out of the bushes onto the sandy margin. In the gold afternoon sunlight the figure resolved into a man in a black Stetson. Seated atop a black stallion, he appeared to have ridden straight out of an old Zane Grey western. A faded blue chambray shirt and jeans completed the likeness. He reined in the horse and waved to Jake. “Howdy!  Did you happen to see a golden retriever pass this way?” Removing his hat to wipe his forehead, he flashed a big white smile framed by a thick black mustache. The deepest blue eyes Jake had ever encountered sparkled in a handsome, tan face. The rider’s eyes held the writer’s gaze hostage with their intensity.

“N . . . no, no I haven’t,” Jake stammered out after a few seconds. He didn’t seem to be able to get his tongue to work right. He was trying not to stare but wasn’t having much luck—he couldn’t look away from the horseman.

“Didn’t mean to interrupt your vacation, but my dog ran off.” The baritone richness of his smooth voice played counterpoint to the alto burbling of the nearby water. The man replaced the hat, adjusting its position. “He knows the way back to the ranch, though. If he sees you, he’ll probably come over to say hi.”

Jake swallowed past a lump in his throat, wishing the cowboy would come over. “If I do see him, I’ll tell him to go home. Good luck finding him.”

The horseman touched the brim of the Stetson. “Thanks, I appreciate it!  See you ‘round.” He set his spurs to the horse and wheeled about to disappear back into the brush.

Jake fell back on the towel; his heartbeat thudded in his ears, galloping away of its own accord. For too long he’d been among starchy, corporate types and pale, technophile geeks; the horseman’s sheer, raw masculinity set his heart racing. The rancher had worn his shirt open; every time he had moved, the hairy cleft between his chest muscles had rippled, and Jake wanted to explore that valley. The horseman’s wind-burned face had been open and honest with deep-hewn laugh lines embracing his mouth. Lizard-skin boots and black, denim jeans spoke of a working man, not some weekend cowboy. He’d sat the horse comfortably, clearly in command of the large animal.

Yawning, Jake stretched and decided to go take a nap until cocktail time. There wasn’t any point becoming a lobster on his first day. As he climbed the bank to his cabin, he turned and glanced down to the riverside. Briefly he saw a black horse and rider moving back into the trees. Had his cowboy come back for another look? Jake hoped so.

Thanks for stopping by!

Please leave a comment and then check out the other Saturday contributors:

C.C. Williams Busting the GreenhornTo pick up your own copy of Busting the Greenhorn, follow one of these links—

All Romance Ebooks

Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Etsy | Kobo | Smashwords

Hop Against Homophobia & Transphobia – Post 2

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HAHAT 2014

Hello, hoppers!

Welcome to my second post for The Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia. If you haven’t commented on my first post (thereby garnering an entry into the drawing), do so after clicking here.

Today’s post I’m titling…

Tactile Thursday

What has always confounded me about the innumerable diatribes against homosexuality is the fact that those who are opposed to things “gay” invariably focus immediately on the physical aspects of our relationships. They concentrate almost exclusively on sex.

“Unnatural,” “disgusting,” “revolting” are just some of the adjectives applied–yet they all appear to be very well-informed about what supposedly goes on in our bedrooms in spite of their supposed horror. As well, to read the numerous trolls and blatherers, gay men are apparently unable to control our libidos and will attack any naked male within 10 miles. Which accounts for the huge numbers of gay sexual attacks on straight men–NOT!

Now, being subjected almost daily to representations of straight sex, I am always glad to watch two guys go at it–but I write gay erotic fiction, so that’s probably not that surprising to most of you. But in spite of writing about hot, hunky fellas pushing boundaries while doing the nasty, as I noted in Post 1, it was a simple touch that I found most exciting.

It is not surprising that such a gesture should be weighted so heavily. Our society is “touch-phobic”–particularly between men. A macho, masculinized reason is always required to touch another man: celebrating a sporting success gets a high five or a pat on the butt; a handshake quickly becomes a contest of grip strength. But to do such a thing outside of the accepted context quickly gets one branded as “queer” or “a faggot.”

Now even as jaded as I can be, I still feel mushy when I see two guys walking along hand in hand, which I’m glad to see more and more of. Sad that the first sense which we develop, and which can communicate so much emotionally, should have become so maligned. (For a great article about touch, see Psychology Today.) Go out and touch someone–if they need a hug, give them one of yours.

In defiance of the trolls and the ugly nasties, I’m offering up some eye candy in celebration of the power of touching.

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Play With Me

Of course, there is a contest, too! Leave a comment and include a photo (or a link) to your favorite photo of touching for a chance to win an e-format of my short story, The Pickup Game. This is in addition to an entry for The Grandville Guys giveaway. (It’s a two-fer!)

Be sure to visit the other stops on the Hop:

Hop Against Homophobia & Transphobia – Post 1

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HAHAT 2014

Welcome, all you hoppers, to my Day 1 post for the 2014 Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia! Today is the International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia, and our hop will running for a week to bring attention to this problem.

No matter how serious the topic, no hop would be complete without prizes and freebies. Be sure to leave a comment and check back frequently. I like to do random little things! As well, on the 25th, I will be drawing a name at random from all comments on my HAHAT posts for an e-format copy of my newest release Those Grandville Guys, so talk things up!

The Kiss Seen ‘Round the League

I had one topic that I thought I might write about for today’s post. But the NFL draft happened–now that phrase alone is something I never thought would have shown up on these pages–and then Michael Sam kissed Vito Cammisano live on ESPN:

michael-sam

Which was, of course, followed by the end of the world… or not.

Now I realize that Michael Sam hasn’t made the team’s final cut yet–so all the haters screaming about a gay guy in the locker room are premature–but it’s still a watershed event.

This simple act of happiness and togetherness has caused so much consternation and horror–I mean, really, a gay, inter-racial kiss between two hot athletes–you would think they had sex on the table. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! Although, the mashing cake was a little much for me, but I hate being sticky…

After all the years of not seeing myself reflected on the TV box, I still always enjoy seeing our lives depicted as what they are–just normal lives with the happiness, the sadness, the ups and downs everyone else endures. But for me the kiss was not the real story.

What caught my eye is at the very beginning of some clips and not to be seen in others. It’s the way Vito rubbed Michael’s arm while he waited as Michael listened to the phone. That small gesture–a simple, yet incredibly intimate touch–spoke volumes to me. It screamed, “I love you, and I’m here for you whatever happens.” I found it very romantic–and much more erotic than the kiss.

I wish lots of luck and success to Michael as he begins his career and the very best to him and Vito as their relationship enters some truly uncharted territory. Follow  @MichaelSamNFL and @VitCamm on Twitter and show them some support!

Leave a comment with your thoughts about how the NFL players will treat Michael, or how the wives/girlfriends will react to Vito. All comments with a valid email address will be eligible for the drawing.

Then, be sure to visit the next stop on the Hop:

Spring Fling Manlove Hop – Day Two

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Spring Fling Blog Hop

Hi, everyone!

It’s time for a second post for the Spring Fling Blog Hop!

Our first order of business is a surprise drawing!

From the Day One posts a visitor was selected to receive an e-copy of either

C.C. Williams Busting the Greenhorn

Busting the Greenhorn or Side Effects C.C. Williams Side Effects Cover

And that winner is…. Laura!

(To collect your prize, just reply to my email.)

Click on the covers to read an excerpt.

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I’m giving away more stuff, so following today’s excerpt, there is another opportunity…

This excerpt is from my soon to be released historical novelette, The Greek Room. TGR follows Christos, a recent Greek emigre, as he navigates his new life in an English nobleman’s household:

Christos’ head was swimming.

The suite of rooms was larger than their entire house in Arpos. A sitting room furnished in heavy chintz pieces connected to a bedroom dominated by a four-poster bed; there was even an adjoining bathroom, gleaming with white tile. James set the tiny valise at the foot of the enormous bed. “This is the best bed in this wing.” He brushed at the counterpane. “Care to give it a tumble?”

Christos turned around; James stood close behind him. “Excuse me?”

The Englishman took his hat from his hand and tossed it onto a table. “I asked… if you’d… like… to fuck.” James’ hands settled on his shoulders, neither pushing nor pulling. This close to the servant, Christos realized a spicy scent, like cloves or cinnamon, hung about him.

“Wha—“Christos swallowed with difficulty. “Why would you ask that?”

“Why not? You’re a fine looking fellow. And you are Greek after all, aren’t you?” James’ fingers had found their way under his suit coat and were gliding over his chest. “Nice and solid, too—just like I like.”

Christos’ thoughts spun. Never had anyone approached him so brashly. He was adept at the dance of secret glances and small gestures that was the way of the tavernas; but to have a man—particularly one as handsome as James—offer sex directly sent him into a spiral. Fear and surprise struggled with a desire that had smoldered since he entered the manor house.

Lust won.

Romantic_003Gripping James by the neck, Christos captured those full lips and drove the Englishman backwards towards the bed. Before he had even rumpled the counterpane, James had undone his tie, ripped open his shirt and was pushing Christos’ coat off his shoulders. The Greek youth released his companion just long enough to fling the jacket away and scramble out of his own clothing. James used the respite to shrug out of his braces and kick his trousers aside before lying back on his elbows across the bed and massaging his rising erection. “Oi, mate! You’re bloody fuckin’ gorgeous.”

~~~

**Contest Number Two: Like my Facebook Author’s page and post your favorite ManLove photo in the Facebook comment section for today’s post. Winner will be chosen from qualifying FB posts and will win…???

~~~

Be sure to visit and participate on all the stops for lots of chances to win!

*Also, don’t miss out on the Rafflecopter drawing:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Spring Fling Manlove Hop – Day One

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Spring Fling Blog Hop

Happy Spring, everybody! Welcome to C.C. Williams Online! Whether you’re a first-time visitor or a long-time reader, I’m glad that you’ve stopped by! We’re going to have a bit of fun, some games, lots of manlove—complete with prizes—so you’ll want to check back throughout the Spring Fling Blog Hop. You don’t know what you might miss if you don’t!

Today I’m sharing a clip from one of my short stories, Robin’s Hood, which appears in Shane Allison’s collection, Big Man on Campus: Fresh Gay Erotica, available from Cleis Press. For the beginning of our blog hop, what better place to start than a first kiss…

Tom sat back against the edge of a picnic table and pulled Patrick to him, enclosing him in the circle of his arms. His eyes searched Patrick’s face.

Romantic_004Patrick’s heart hammered in his chest, and his mouth was dry. He felt the heat of Tom’s body where his arms pressed against the blond man’s chest. Conscious that he wanted to be nearer that heat, Patrick pulled his arms free and held Tom in turn, his hands resting upon slim hips. Taut muscles moved under the clothing beneath his fingers.

Tom cocked his head to the side, one half dark in shadow, one half bright. His eyes glittered in the moonlight.

Patrick could make out the trace of beard that lined Tom’s jaw and lips. He wanted to feel those lips, taste them. He leaned closer. Tom’s hair brushed his forehead; damp with sweat, it smelled of salt and springtime.

Tom closed the distance; their lips met, soft and cautious, as their arms pulled them together. Patrick’s world became the kiss. Supple and luxuriant, Tom’s lips and mouth overwhelmed his awareness; Tom’s tongue joined the melee and Patrick’s answered in kind. He tasted the spicy bite of gin, mixed with citrus. Tom nipped at his tongue, then bit softly into his lower lip as if Patrick were his to consume whole. Patrick gasped. Breathing seemed secondary.

Just as their mouths moved against each other, their bodies sought to be closer still. Hands clawed at fabric, seeking the touch of skin on skin. Turning them around, Tom broke the kiss and pressed Patrick backward until he lay atop the table.

Robin’s Hood also appears in my newest personal collection, Those Grandville Guys. To pick up an e-copy, visit one of these retailers:

Those Grandville Guys

All Romance eBooks  |  Amazon  |  Etsy  |  Smashwords

Check out other great stops on the Spring Fling Blog Hop–

  *Also, don’t miss out on the Rafflecopter drawing: a Rafflecopter giveaway

Seductive Studs – 29 March 2014

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SeductiveSns_Logo

Welcome, everyone!

It’s Saturday, which means it’s time for some Seductive Studs and Sirens! I’m doing another clip from Double Team; so to catch up, click here. We join the guys as they leave the Student Union:

We made short work of the trip to Joey’s dorm. Malcom Hall was an original Grandville building and sat just across the Quad opposite the Student Union. The room was more than large enough for Joey and his two roommates. He explained it had actually been meant as a four-man space, but due to an odd pipe intrusion, the square footage only allowed for three occupants—and they had made the most of it.

Joey’s engineering skills were clearly on display with the cantilevered bunk beds that occupied one wall, leaving the bulk of the space for recreational purposes. The largest TV I had ever seen faced two sofas and a futon mattress strewn with floor pillows. The “mosh pit” Joey called it. A DVD player, stereo and several gaming consoles completed the audio-visual set up.

Noah whistled. “How do you guys study?”

Scalzotti chuckled. “That’s what the library’s for.”

ColdOneNext to the futon stood a small refrigerator, out of which he grabbed several cans and handed around the beers.

“Don’t worry, Rufus, it’s low-carb.” He trailed his beer can along the exposed skin below the hem of the footballer’s shirt.

Rufus hissed at the contact. “That’s cold, man.”

‘You look like you could use some cooling off.” Joey’s hand drifted lower to graze along the large bulge in Rufus’ shorts. My own cock was getting hard just watching.

“I don’t think I want to cool off just yet.” Rufus placed a hand on Joey’s neck and pulled him closer. Their faces stopped just short of each other. Joey’s hand came to rest on Rufus’ chest; his other continued to hold his beer, forgotten.

Thanks for reading!

Those Grandville Guys

To pick up an e-copy of Those Grandville Guys, visit one of these retailers:

All Romance eBooks  |  Amazon  |  Etsy  |  Smashwords

‘Til next time!

Seductive Studs – 22 March 2014

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Welcome, everyone!

Time again for some Seductive Studs and Sirens! However, this weekend I’m stepping away from Radiq—just for today, so don’t worry.

Why? you ask. Because Those Grandville Guys is now available in paperback!

So, to have a bit of an exhibition for this event, today’s clip is from Double Team, which makes its début in this volume. Another clip is available here. We join Jerry (our narrator) and his boyfriend, Noah, as they share a late-night snack with their friends, Rufus and Joey.

Joey nodded toward the other side of the table. I followed his eye line and watched as Rufus stretched and casually laid a formidable forearm along the back of my boyfriend’s chair.

“You guys should come over to my room!” Joey blurted.

“What are you doing?” I whispered to Joey through gritted teeth.

“Just follow my lead,” he mumbled back. Then, louder, “Josiah’s dad bought him a sweet 60-inch plasma TV. He’s getting divorced—his dad, not Josie—and needed to ameliorate Josie’s grief at the loss of step-mom number three … or is it four? But he’s got his own way of grieving—he’s chasing a little Tri Delt he met last weekend. Macon’s gone for the weekend as well, so I’m all alone.” He pouted, looking disturbingly like Debbie Mazar with stubble. “Whatya say? The fridge is stocked, and I’ve got a couple of new DVDs for … uhm …. entertainment.”

Noah swallowed a bite of his sandwich. “Sure! Sounds fun!”

I gaped at Noah; despite his nerdy exterior, there was an adventurer underneath. I liked that more and more. “I’m good, too.”

Rufus shook his head. “I—”

Joey held up a finger. “Don’t give me that ‘my body’s a temple’ crap! Your temple’s had more visitors than the Acropolis!”

Rufus slapped the table top, making the service ware jump. “Damn, Joey, you come up with the best lines!” He leaned back in his chair. “I’m in.”

Thanks for reading!

Be sure to checkout the other Seductive Studs and Sirens:

Those Grandville Guys

To pick up an e-copy of Those Grandville Guys, visit one of these retailers:

All Romance eBooks  |  Amazon  |  Etsy  |  Smashwords

‘Til next time!

3 – 2 – 1 – Blast Off The New Year!

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Happy New Year!

Looking for something fun to kick off 2014? Well, check out our party over at Chelsea Rafferty’s Facebook event!

Over 40 authors are presenting games and quizzes and other neat things to do from today through the 9th. All sorts of things are available as prizes, as well as TWO Kindle Fires and THREE $25 Amazon gift cards as grand prizes!

Those Grandville Guys coverThose Grandville Guys is the book I’m promoting. I’m scheduled on Monday, the 6th (so mark your calendars), but definitely stop by every day and check out the other authors. Everybody has cool stuff for prizes—from ebooks to fun swag to signed copies. And there are already some hot pics posted too!

Those Grandville Guys is now available in ebook, and for those old schoolers out there, the paperback edition is in final production and will be available soon. Hint: You can earn additional points in the Grand Prize drawing through purchases of the featured books.

All Romance eBooks  |  Amazon  |  Etsy

Happy New Year and see you on the 6th!

‘Til next time!