Excerpts GALORE!

Hello All!
This is part update post, part EXCERPTS GALORE. So, I am working on THREE things right.

Thing #1: Love Has No Boundaries story #1 - prompt can be found here.
Thing #2: Custom written ficbit for KimberlyFDR (won in the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia). She has requested a story featuring a MtF transgender character.
Thing #3: I volunteered to write one of the abandoned Love Has No Boundaries stories. - prompt can be found here.

And now without further ado, a brief excerpt from each. The LHNB stories will have the names and title withheld per request of the event coordinators.

Excerpt the First - Love Has No Boundaries story #1

I stood outside XXX's door and took a moment to try and calm the rampaging elephants that had taken residence in my stomach. This isn't a real date. This isn't a real date. I figured if I told myself that enough then maybe my heart might actually believe it.

Finally, I gathered my courage about me and knocked.

I heard XXX's voice, muffled through the door, "It's unlocked."

I took a deep breath and walked in. It was kind of a letdown when it was the same apartment I hung out in multiple times a week - the same messy tables, the same rumpled couch, the same ratty carpet, the same...

My breath caught in my throat as my eyes passed over the same weirdly painted bedroom door, becaue XXX was stepping out of that door right then.

My brain boggled and my heart skipped beat. About 90% of the time, XXX wears jeans and a black t-shirt. The other 10% he wears sweats. I don't know what I thought he would wear to a formal event, but I didn't want to make him feel awkward about his wardrobe, so I hadn't asked him about.

He definitely wasn't wearing jeans now.
***

You'll have to check in when the stories are released over the summer to find out what XXX was wearing. ;)

Excerpt the Second - Happy Birthday to Me (Custom Written Ficbit)

My heart jumped in my throat and, despite my horrible day, a smile spread across my face when I heard Cris' knock at my door.

My smile turned into a grin to match Cris' when I opened the door and saw her standing outside. She stood a little shorter than I was. Her dark hair was pulled up in a ponytail and her dark skin was smooth, almost glowing. Her brown eyes sparkled as she took a deep breath and started singing "Happy Birthday" at the top of her lungs. She also held up her hands. One held a brightly colored gift bag and the other a grocery store sack.

Before she was able to get through the first verse, I slapped my hand over her mouth and dragged her inside. "Shhh. You'll disturb the neighbors," I said over both our laughter. It was just what I needed after the text from my mother and the name calling during group.
***

Excerpt the Third - Love Has No Boundaries story #2

I began to hyperventilate. The fear coiled throughout me and paralyzed me. My arms and legs wouldn't unbend and allow me get up and run anymore. The pocket of air between my torso and legs seemed to have overheated and just as I was sure I would pass out and finally be free, I felt hands grab me from behind - hands I knew, hands I reason to fear above all else.

I screamed. I screamed until my throat was stripped and then a little bit more. And then, all at once, I was able to move again. I started when I realized my head was resting on my kitchen table. In the background I could still hear AAA on the history channel speaking about the Gonos Corporation's brilliant contributions which allowed human advancement to continue apace without worrying about anything so pesky as the environment. It made me sick.

I shakily tried to stand up and realized my clothes were completely soaked through with sweat. I slumped back into the chair without thinking. I leaned my head into my hands and fought off the tears. I couldn't take much more of these nightmares.

I was shaking so hard, I couldn't move and more than anything I just wanted BBB's arms wrapped around me. I wanted his strength to surround me and for him to tell me I wasn't going crazy. But that could never happen.

He'd fallen in love with CCC, the perfect, beautiful, put together model. He hadn't fallen in love with the mess of a man I was right now. I knew I would lose him if I let him see me as I was.

I'd likely get him killed, too.
***

Hope you enjoyed EXCERPTS GALORE. Continue to check back for posting dates on all three of these. :D

Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia- Winners Announced!!

Hello All!

Thank you to everyone who participated in this year's hop. It was great to hear from y'all in the comments and to read everyone's posts. And now to announce the winners!!!!

FOR PRIZE NUMBER ONE: Congrats to Peggy - You have won a $15 gift card to the online eBook retailer of your choice.

FOR PRIZE NUMBER TWO: Congrats to Juliana - You have won a $15 donation in your name to the GLBTQ charity of your choice.

FOR PRIZE NUMBER THREE: Congrats to KimberlyFDR - You have won a custom written ficbit.

I will be emailing all of you this evening. Please respond within 48 hours or I will have to pick a different winner.

For the rest of you, I offer a runner's up prize!!! Check out my special pretty for tonight. ;)

Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia

Hello All,

I am sorry for posting this a day late - I lacked internet yesterday unexpectedly. Nevertheless, welcome to the Hop Against Homophobia and Transphobia! This is a wonderful event that is bringing together writers, publishers, and reviewers of homosexual and transexual literature to speak up against homophobia and transphobia. 

Six years ago, I started graduate school. I was attending seminary in order to earn my Master of Divinity. In my first semester I met a person. We'll call this person Susan. As I got to know Susan I found Susan to be a wonderful, smart and engaging person. We became friends. In my second year, Susan took a semester off. I missed Susan and wondered what had happened but we were not close enough for me to intrude.

When Susan came back the next year, I noticed some people calling Susan Nathaniel instead. Immediately I discovered that Susan preferred to be called Nathaniel and had started living as a man. I was not knowledgeable about terminology or classification but Nathaniel was my friend so I was happy to treat him however he preferred.

Perhaps I was naive - because I was unprepared for the reaction of some. My school was liberal and known for being on the forefront of gay rights. I just assumed that love and support would be extended to Nathaniel as well. While many at the school, students, teachers and administrators alike, treated Nathaniel with respect and support on an individual level, many did not. I spent the next three years hearing professors call "Susan" out in roll call on the first day of class because the school would not change it to Nathaniel. Every time I wanted to email Nathaniel through the school email system, I had to type "Susan" into the address line.

As I did research for my most recent story Perfect, I discovered even more thoroughly how institutionalized trans and homo phobia can be. I found articles detailing how they are making it up or are sick in the head, how they are evil, how they are what is wrong with the world. I found stories of beatings, of bullying, of hatred. These stories broke my heart - all the more because they are true.

But then I also found stories that - like gems shining in the darkness - showed that not everyone is lost in that morass of hatred. As I found stories of love, of acceptance, of support, of changing laws and changing perceptions, I realized that there is hope. And, as one of my favorite author writes, "Like 'love,' 'hope' is one of those disproportional words that by all rights should be longer." (Jim Butcher) So I write today in hope - hope that each day the world is changing, that we can make a difference, that fear and hatred can be conquered.

Thanks for stopping by. Please continue on the hop and read all about other people's experiences. You can find the list of links here.

I would love to hear about your stories - if you are despairing and need hope, if you have hope to offer others, or if you are not really sure what you feel. Please comment. If you just want to show your support, please comment. AND, if you want to be entered to win the drawing, please comment.

On May 27th at 8 PM CST I will pick three winners for the following prizes:

•  $15 gift card to the online bookseller of your choice
• $15 donation to the LGBTQ charity of your choice (as long as donations can be online via paypal)
• Custom written ficbit (to be completed with two months of winning)

In order to be entered, please comment on this post and include your preferred email address. If you do not respond to my email within 48 hours, then I will draw a new winner.

Hump Day Happy

Hello All,
It is Wednesday and it has been a loooooooooong week so I am going to share some pretty to help me (and everyone else) get through the rest of the week. Also, check out a brief scene from the story that I am writing for Goodreads M/M Romance Group's Love Has No Boundaries event. I am not meant to reveal names or title yet so those are blocked out.
Happy Hump Day!
Kathleen

Excerpt:

As I saw Man's Name squatting down to wipe up splatter from a fallen tray that had reached to the corners of the room, I was instantly, almost violently, reminded of the first time I had met him. 

Back then the bar had been a dive – dark booths, dark corners, dark alley behind. I had stumbled in after storming angrily out of a family function a few blocks away. The rain outside had just started coming down hard. I looked up from the bar where I was nursing a pout and my beer when the side door had slammed open. It was almost like one of those horror movie scenes – lightening flashed, rain streamed down in heavy sheets and a huge dark shadow centered itself in the doorway. An instant later, the shadow had crumpled to the floor, the door had slammed shut and I had shot off my bar stool.

In the dark of the bar, it was hard to make out details but the large shadow was sitting, collapsed in the corner next to the door. As I approached I was able to make out wild red hair and an untamed red beard. Almost before that registered, I saw a different red staining most of one side of his face and down his shirt. He was bleeding from cuts on his cheek and forehead and had a few choice bruises starting to form across his face and neck.

I held back for a moment - after all, I didn’t know this man. But my eyes met his pain filled blue ones and any hesitation fled my mind. I held out my hand.

“Need a hand?”

He looked at me a little funny, then cracked a wavering smile. “You trying to pick me up?”

I marveled that he could crack a joke while bleeding on the floor but beyond the words, I could hear the wavering fear, the panic held at bay and the need to pretend everything was normal.

I smiled back at him and gamely pretended he hadn’t just had the bloody crap beaten out of him. “Yup. My place or yours?” I winked.

He reached up and grabbed my hand.

Review - Finding King

It has been awhile since I have done a review and I think Perfect has been at the top of the page long enough so here goes. BEWARE THE SPOILERS. CONTINUE AT YOUR OWN RISK!

Title: The Breaker 1 - Finding King

Author: Casey K. Cox

Publisher: Less Than Three Press

Length: 21,000 words

Rating: 4.5 Quills

Tags: sci fi, sex industry, second chance, past abuse, kidnap/capture

Blurb

Merrick was always content with his life of piracy, raiding ships throughout the galaxies, relishing the thrill of the capture and the plunder they obtained. But then a raid went wrong and cost him the man he loved, and now Merrick spends his days pillaging ships only to continue the desperate search for his lost love. 

When all his efforts finally pay off, however, he realizes that though his lover has been found, he may well be lost to Merrick forever anyway. 

Review

Six years ago, Merrick and Jesse had the perfect relationship. They had been together for 50 years, they got to roam the skies setting free slaves and stealing loot. It was the life. Until one day, Jesse gets taken. Merrick spends years looking for him, missing him, and tearing himself up inside. Then Merrick and his crew come upon a new job. In the cargo bay there cryo pods filled with settlers. No one is more surprised than Merrick when the man who comes out of his cryo pod swinging after he wakes up is Jesse. Unfortunately for Merrick, it is not all flowers and chocolate. Both of them have been through six years of hell and cannot just fall back into the relationship they had before. It takes some harrowing danger, massive stupidity and admittedly hot angry sex for them to find a way back to each other.

I have had this book on my "own to read" shelf almost since it was released. I do not know why it took me so long to get to. I am so glad that I finally did. I very much enjoyed this story. I was almost instantly drawn into the world that Casey created on The Breaker. The action and description drew wonderful pictures in my head without being overly pedantic. Casey also does a wonderful job with the varied emotions of her characters. I am very glad that she avoided a fall in love again at first sight with no real acknowledgement of the horrible six years apart plot that was only held together my hot sexy times. Instead, Casey allowed for the complicated nuance of being in love but not knowing if they could make it work because of all that they had been through.

This book has a trifecta of awesome: great world building, solid characterization, and steamy chemistry. I would highly recommend it. Also, check out the completely amazing cover - isn't it beautiful!!

You can get your own copy of Finding King here at Less Than Three Press for $3.99. You can also find it at amazon.com and bn.com. If you read and enjoy it, please let everyone know by posting your own rating/review where ever you bought it or on goodreads.com.