Greetings, all!

Forgot to sign up on the list this week, but still going to post! Life has been crazy lately—lots of things going every which way!

We are continuing with Summer of History and find out some more about Conall. For those who may need a brush up, click here.

Ryan spent the next half-hour exploring the world of Conall Shaughnessy. He was very well recommended by the Guides Association as well as numerous former clients. Ryan made a note to ask for contact information; a personal recommendation was always good. His rates appeared reasonable, based upon Ryan’s research the previous day.

The Butchers Arms, Hepworth, Yorkshire

A link on the website connected to the Wexmeade Arms homepage. Several pictures showed off the small, seemingly comfortable public house. There were photos of the pub room, low ceilinged with polished wood and shiny glassware; in-room shots showing comfy looking beds with pastel linens; and several pictures of the surrounding countryside, green lawns and groups of trees. The inn was even listed in the Historical Registry.

Striking was the photo of the owners, Peter and Marilynn Shaughnessy. The innkeeper was broad and blond, fair-skinned with striking blue eyes, bearing little resemblance to his dusky brother. Marilynn looked like a petite version of Peter, long flaxen hair, pale skin with a pert little nose. The Shaughnessy family was beginning to intrigue Ryan.

Whoa, boy, Ryan thought to himself. You can’t just go with the first answer to your post. There will be other responses.

But something was hooking itself into Ryan’s gut. His subconscious wanted to go with Conall. Ryan debated with himself and compromised by immediately replying to Conall’s email with several questions.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out more Studs and Sirens here.

‘Til next time!

 Greetings, all!

It’s time once again for some Seductive Studs! (BTW: be sure to check out the Hop Against Homophobia which is going on as well.)

We are continuing with Summer of History. If you need some catching up or a refresher, click here. Today we get a glimpse at another character, Conall Shaughnessy. Friend or foe? Love interest? We’ll see…

Ryan read the email:

Professor MacDonald:

Please allow me to introduce myself! I am Conall Shaughnessy, head guide of Wexmeade Historical Tours. I am native to the Chollerford area and have a diploma in History from Cambridge University with a focus on pre-Norman civilization.

I read your post on the Northumberland Tours message board and feel that my services, combined with my educational background, would be of immeasurable assistance to your research. As you may note from the photo, I have suitable transportation, which would be at your disposal. In addition I can offer assistance with your lodgings while in the Wexmeade area. My brother and sister-in-law are proprietors of the Wexmeade Arms, our local inn, and offer a discount on services to clients of Wexmeade Historical Tours.

Please feel free to investigate further: you may access my Web page through the above link; there you will find complete information on our services, as well as numerous testimonials. You may also wish to check my references with the Northumberland Guides Association; you will find a link on my site.

Please feel free to contact me by email or phone with any additional questions. I feel that Wexmeade Historical Tours is exactly what you need to accomplish your goals in Northumberland.

Yours

Conall Shaughnessy

Mithraic Ruins near Carrawbrough, Northumberland.
CC-BY-SA Michael Willis via Photographers-Resource.co.uk

Ryan shivered as an excited thrill ran up his spine. It was all becoming real. He was actually making plans to do real research on the ground in England. No more dusty libraries, no more banal dissertations, no more shallow conclusions—honest to goodness field work where he’d find what he knew was out there.

Thumbing the touchpad, Ryan clicked on the email’s hyperlink. While he waited for the page to load, he enlarged Conall’s photo. The guy leaning against the SUV looked to be in his mid-thirties; curly, black hair framed a face dominated by dark eyes and that broad smile. His smile wasn’t just for the camera: it continued to his eyes which sparkled with humor along with a look of intelligence. Ryan wanted to meet him.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out more Studs here.

‘Til next time!

Greetings, all!

It is time once again for Seductive Studs and Sirens! We are continuing along with Summer of History,  my contemporary M/M romance with suspense and bad guys thrown in the mix. To catch up, click here.

Glancing again at the letter, Ryan’s eyes fell on the signature line: it was Ryder H. Forsyne, Junior, not Doctor Ryder H. Forsyne. The letter was from the great man’s son. Ryan thought back to the lecture; he vaguely remembered a young man helping Dr. Forsyne with his presentation. At the time he’d thought that the rather cute guy was just some AV geek from the university, but now he realized there had been a strong resemblance between the two men—father and son. The same dark hair and narrow face, one older, one younger; and neither had been unattractive, at least not to Ryan’s inexperienced eyes.

Da-ding! Ryan’s email chimed, calling him back to the present. Moving the letter aside, he scooted his chair up to the desk and maximized the mail window. He quickly scanned the subject lines; two were from colleagues in the department offering congratulations—Myra must have sent out a bulletin; the third was probably spam, but the last subject caught his attention. The line read, “Chollerford Area Guide with Extensive Roman Knowledge: Available 1 – 20 June.”

Intrigued and excited, Ryan clicked the item. A custom-designed stationery page opened, headed with Wexmeade Historical Tours; accompanying the header was a photo showing a young man leaning against a Range Rover and smiling broadly at the camera.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out more Studs and Sirens here.

‘Til next time!

Greetings, all!

Yes, I have again been somewhat AWOL from the blogosphere—but I assure everyone it has been for good reasons! In my absence Saturday Seductive Studs has morphed into Seductive Studs and Sirens—we’re taking on a broader focus, which can only be a good thing!

Have no fear though, I am continuing with my work in progress, A Summer of History. If you’re new, you can catch up with Ryan MacDonald and Scott Jackson’s clips here.

komehachi888 / Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND

Scott just didn’t seem to get it—a little kiss and tickle didn’t make up for what he’d done. He’d violated their agreement by violating their home. Ryan wasn’t jealous of his affairs; secretly, he’d resigned himself to that aspect of Jackson years ago; but he was jealous of his home, his personal space with Scott—that was his alone. Why was it so hard for Scott to exercise any sort of self-control?

A thought crept up from his subconscious: Why are you accepting second place? Ryan worked to squelch that line of inquiry. Nothing lay in that direction except to rehash a lot of old hurts. But he was worthy of first place, wasn’t he? At least in his own home, right?

Not seeing anything positive down that road, Ryan topped off the mug of coffee and headed for his laptop to continue planning his field research.

Thanks for reading! Be sure to check out more Studs and Sirens here.

‘Til next time!