Monday, December 1, 2014

Thanksgiving GIVEAWAY Winners

I am days late announcing the winner for this giveaway but I was having such fun hanging out with my family that I didn't take the time to make this post. Nevertheless, the I did not forget about it!

Prize Numero Uno goes to cazpedroso (from Blogger).
Prize Numero Dos goes to artttherapy (from Tumblr).
First Runner Up goes to choccygrl (from Tumbrl).
Second Runner Up goes to Jilrene (from Goodreads).

Winners, please message me or email at kchayes54@gmail.com with your snail mail address. cazpedroso, please let me know what format you want your copy of The Bard and His Boyfriend you want and the email address you want it sent to. artttherapy please let me know which November release from Less Than Three Press you want, what format you want and the email address you want it sent to. All of you, let me know your preferences for your custom written ficbit!

Congrats to the winners. If one of them does not respond within 48 hours, I will pick a new winner. For those of you who didn't win, I'll leave some pretty for you below.



Tuesday, November 18, 2014

FAN FICTION ALERT!! - Before the Battle

So. I am re-reading one of my all time favorite fantasy series ever, Codex Alera. If you like fantasy and haven't read this series, READ IT. Like, seriously. Alas, it is not queer fantasy, but it is still wonderful. It starts with Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher. Anyway, even back in the day before read anything remotely queer, I remember shipping these two characters. And after the tenth or so re-read, I still ship them so I decided to write my imagined first kiss for them. This takes place right before the Canim regulars attach the Elinarch in Cursor's Fury.

THESE ARE NOT MY CHARACTERS AND THIS IS NOT MY UNIVERSE. EVERYTHING BELONGS TO JIM BUTCHER!!!

Max was the first to admit he wasn’t the most introspective of men. He liked his women and his drink and thought it was his right to complain about anything that wasn’t those two things. That’s why Schulz snuck up on him so badly. First, the fish had accidentally almost killed him. Then, Schulz’d felt so guilty about, the poor kid had been following Max around for weeks trying to make it up to him. Somewhere along the line, Max had stopped being annoyed and didn’t even realize it.

He hadn’t seen much of Schulz in the last few days, apart from giving orders and the such. Tavi, the crowbegotten captain, was making some utterly stupid but possibly brilliant plan to defeat the hoard of 50,000 Canim clamoring just on the other side of the Elinarch. He’d promoted Max to Tribune Auxiliarus and made Schulz centurion in his place.

Max should be worrying about what he needed to do to prepare for the coming battle, perhaps thinking a little about his impending death, or at least sharpening his sword. But all that Max’s crowbegotten mind could think of was tracking down Schulz before the battle began.

The mud squelched under his boots as he double timed it down the road towards his –Schulz’s- spear’s barracks with the pretense of checking they were ready. When he arrived all his former spearmates were formed up and ready to leave for their post.

“Attention!” Max heard Schulz bellow when he came into view. Almost as a single entity, the men stood straight and saluted.

“At ease, fish. Get to your post.” Max turned to Schulz. “I need to speak with you for a moment. You can meet your men there in a few minutes.”

Schulz nodded briefly. “Sir.” Turning back towards his men, he shouted, “You heard the Tribune. Get your crowbegotten asses to your post.”

Max was grinning ear to ear when Schulz turned back towards him.

“What did you need, sir?”

Max’s grin turned into a lazy smile. “I think attempted murder gives you the right to use my name when we’re alone.”

Schulz blushed enough that Max could see it even in the dimmed fury light of the abandoned barracks. “Max,” he said quietly.

He looked down at his feet. “I’m scared.”

Max’s heart seized in his chest at Schulz’s admission. He took a step forward, crowding into Schulz’s space. “Furies above, man. We’re all scared.” He reached out and put his hands on Schulz’s shoulders. “The important thing is to get out there and defend the man on either side of you. The Captain may be young but I’ve seen more of his hair brained schemes work than I care to admit. If anyone can get us through this night, it’s him.”

Schulz lifted his head and looked Max right in the eyes. It was like a punch to the solar plexus. Somehow, amidst the danger and the pranks and the terror, this boy – no this man – in front of him had come to mean everything to Max.

Max was not one for deep thoughts or denying himself so it was no surprise what he did next. He leaned forward even more, crowding Schulz against the barracks wall and kissed him.

Schulz started so badly, Max had to jump back to avoid getting his nose broken.

It was Max’s turn to stare at his shoes. He wasn’t really sure what to do next and had almost decided on leaving without saying anything when he heard Schulz’s voice.

It sounded confused and hopeful and slightly quivery as he asked, “Sir?”

Max snapped his head up. “It’s Max.”

Something must have come together in Schulz’s mind, because in the next second, he responded with, “Max, then,” before grabbing the edges of Max’s legion issue breastplate and spinning him until his back hit the wall with a resounding thump.

In the next moment, Schulz’s lips had found his in a punishing kiss that drove all thought from his brain. Heat washed through him, stronger than any earth-crafting he had ever experienced and somewhere in the back of his mind he knew Schulz was no earth-crafter.

His fingers scrabbled over armor and cloth in a desperate attempt to find skin. Schulz growled in the back of his throat and grabbed Max’s hands in one of his and forced them above their heads and against the wall. Max was the stronger man and could have easily broken the hold, but Furies did it boil his blood that Schulz was gone enough to try to control him.

Somewhere in the distance Max heard a signal being sounded. Slowly, and against his will, the heat faded from between as Schulz also registered the signal.

He had a smirk on his face. “I’ve wanted to do that since you walked into camp weeks ago.” He paused. “It was even better than I imagined.”

Max couldn’t help but smile. “It was pretty good.”

The ready signal sounded a second time.

Max sighed, “It’s time.”

Schulz shook himself and Max could see the guise of confident, unshakeable centurion come over him in the space of a breath.

He grabbed the back of Schulz’s head and pulled him in for one final punishing kiss. Before he turned to leave, he locked eyes with Schulz, “Find me after.”


Schulz nodded simply, knowing what he was trying to say but couldn’t. 

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Thanksgiving Giveaway Extravaganza!

Hello All My Followers!

The time of year in which I like to take a special moment to think about all the things I have to be thankful for is coming up just around the corner. One of the things that I am most thankful for is all the people who come by here and read all the stuff I post/write. So in order to show my thanks, I am going to have a GIVEAWAY (YAY!).

Here goes the prizes:

PRIZE NUMERO UNO
- 4 Temporary Literary Tattoos from Litograph (pictured below)
- 1 electronic copy of my upcoming holiday short story, The Bard and His Boyfriend
- 1 ficbit with characters tailored to their choice (you can pick gender, orientation, and a basic set up/location/occupation/etc). My ficbits are generally between 500 and 2000 words but could be longer if I am inspired.

PRIZE NUMERO DOS
- 4 Temporary Literary Tattoos from Litograph (pictured below)
- Your choice of an electronic copy of any November New Release from Less Than Three Press under $8.00
- 1 ficbit with characters tailored to their choice (you can pick gender, orientation, and a basic set up/location/occupation/etc). My ficbits are generally between 500 and 2000 words but could be longer if I am inspired.

2 RUNNERS UP
- 2 Temporary Literary Tattoos from Litograph (pictured below)
- 1 ficbit with characters tailored to their choice (you can pick gender, orientation, and a basic set up/location/occupation/etc). My ficbits are generally between 500 and 2000 words but could be longer if I am inspired.

The Literary Temporary Tattoos are from Litograph's "Longest Literary Temporary Tattoo Chain" Kickstarter. They did so well they decided to practically quadruple my reward package. The main prize winners will receive one of each and the runners up will receive a Treasure Island and Pride and Prejudice tattoo only.

Peter Pan
"Second star to the right and straight on 'til morning."
Les Miserables
"Even the darkes night will end and the sun will rise."
Pride and Prejudice
"I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading."

Treasure Island
"Dead men don't bite."

THE RULES
1. On Blogger, comment on this post for one entry.
2. On Tumblr, reblog this post for one entry and like this post for one entry.
3. This means you can enter up to THREE times.
4. Entries will close on Friday, November 28, 2014 at  8:00 P.M. EST.
5. I will use a random number generator to pick the winners. I will post them as soon as possible after the giveaway is closed BUT I will be visiting my family for the holidays and it might not be until later that evening or saturday. If I delay my posting, I will allow any entries made before I post, even if they are after the deadline.
6. Literary Temporary Tattoos will be mailed via snail mail so you must be willing to give me your address.
7. Ficbits will be posted on my blog and on tumblr before the end of the year. I can make a very basic eBook copy for you, if you want (no cover or special formatting - just a title page, copyrights, and the story).

I think that's all, folks. Thanks for being so awesome!

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Boughs of Evergreen/Trevor Project Trailer

Hello All,
I know you must be shocked, with me posting something two days in a row! However, I am pretty excited about this so buckle your seat belts and prepare yourself. Our lovely editor, Deb McGowan, facilitated making a trailer that tells you a little about all the stories in Boughs of Evergreen: A Holiday Anthology AND lets you get to know the authors a bit and why they are supporting the Trevor project. All of Beaten Track's portion of the profits are going to the Trevor Project and many of the authors (including myself) are also donating their portion of the royalties.

This is your opportunity to get a great anthology filled with a super diverse range of holiday stories and characters while supporting a really awesome cause.

Check out the trailer below (it is kinda long, but totally worth it!)


Also, don't forget there is still time to enter our AWESOME giveaway. For more information see my previous post or click here.

You can also donate directly to the Trevor Project if you want to give more than what the profits/royalties from book sales will give. Click here for more informaiton on how to donate directly as well as more information about what the Trevor Project actually is.

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

Boughs of Evergreen Giveaway

If you've been reading the blog recently, you'll know that I am participating in a Holiday Anthology called Boughs of Evergreen. Much of the profits from this anthology will go to support the Trevor Project.

To get ready for it's release, we are holding a GIVEAWAY (those are my favorite). There will be three sets of prizes.

Grand Prize: 1 Digital Copy of the entire Boughs of Evergreen anthology
Runners Up: 10 different people will win a copy of a single story of their choice from the anthology (I suggest picking MY story, The Bard and His Boyfriend. Wink Wink.)
Second Runners Up: 10 different people will win an electronic copy of excerpts from many of the stories in the anthology.

This is a whole crap-ton of AWESOME prizes so you should definitely enter. Click here. The Rafflecopter entry is near the bottom of the page. The deadline to enter is 10:00 P.M. CST on Thursday, November 6, 2014 so get your clicky fingers over there right now!

If you don't trust in giveaways and just want to pre-order the anthology, that is a legitimate life choice as well. You can pre-order the whole anthology, here. OR, (soon, but not quite yet) you can pre-order your copy of just my story, The Bard and His Boyfriend: A Story of Holiday Homecomingshere.


Wednesday, October 29, 2014

Book Review: To Summon Nightmares By J.K. Pendragon


Title: To Summon Nightmares
Author: J.K. Pendragon
Publisher: Less Than Three Press
Length: 53,000 words
Rating: 4 Quills
Tags: Gay, Fantasy, Trans, Explicit, Graphic Violence, Scenes of Self-Harm/Cutting
Link to Purchase: Click Here
Price: $5.99
Release Date: Nov. 5, 2014 (available for pre-order at a discount)

Blurb
Three years ago, Cohen Brandwein was "Ireland's Favorite Daughter", a popular teenage author and internet celebrity. But ever since he came out publicly as trans, the media's treatment of him has been less than golden, and these days, Cohen is desperate for escape.

When he inherits an old house in the country, Cohen sees it as a perfect opportunity to escape the press and work on his new book. What he doesn't count on is becoming embroiled in a small town murder mystery and falling for the primary suspect, a man whose reality makes Cohen's fantasy books seem like child's play...

Review
The story begins with Niall and Jacky as teenagers. They are trying to summon a demon in order to have the power to stop Jacky's Dad from abusing him. The ritual works but there are consequences that neither could have anticipated. Namely, The Guild. They end up spending the next five years in a Guild facility undergoing tests. Eventually, they are able to escape but Jacky has become so angry that Niall and he end up splitting ways. Niall settles down to a life of hiding and anonymity in a small town. Everything seems to be going well until bodies start showing up - bodies he is pretty sure Jacky is making.

Enter Cohen. Cohen is a writer who is overwhelmed by all the press and family pressures after coming out as trans. He is having the epitome of a horrible, terrible, no good, very bad day when he is dropped off at tiny train station, in the rain and his ride doesn't show up. He is met by Niall who gives him a ride home. Cohen ends up being Niall's alibi when he is suspected of the murders Jacky is committing. Cohen and Niall bond as Niall reveals his past and Cohen helps him to make some difficult decisions regarding his old friend.

This book was very exciting. I read it as a serial on the Less Than Three Press website and every week, I waited with baited breath for the next installment. J.K. Pendragon did a lovely job weaving the relationship and emotional plots with the action and magic plots. It never felt bogged down by one or the other. Furthermore, both characters felt very authentic and neither were easy characters to write. On the one hand, Niall is trying to decide what to do about a murderous friend with the full knowledge that stopping means giving up his life (to death or imprisonment). On the other hand, Cohen is dealing with dysphoria and a growing attraction that he isn't always sure what to do with. 

One of my favorite parts about this book is the ending. I'm not going to say much about it because that would be more spoilers than I would ever want in a review. Just know that the day is saved in a way I did not expect. Also, the last paragraph was golden. I am hoping it means there might be a sequel but even if there is not, I love the feeling that we got to travel with these two on a very important part of their journey but their journey is far from over. 

The only warnings are those stated in the tags. Especially if Self-Harm is a trigger for you, you might want to avoid this or have someone you trust read it first and let you know what parts to skip over. Other than that, I would definitely recommend this book. I give it 4 Quills. Remember that I only give 5 Quills if something stands up to the test of the re-read. This one definitely has the potential to get there.


Monday, October 13, 2014

Meet the Character Blog Hop - Alejandro Martinez

I have been tagged by K.C. Faelen to participate in a super awesome Meet the Character Blog Hop with some fantastic authors.

Many moons ago, with the encouragement of a write friend, K.C. Faelen wrote her first fanfic story. After a few years, her muse went into hiding, and then suddenly re-emerged, urging KC to participate and write a story for one of the prompts in the Goodreads M/M Romance Group's 2014 Love's Landscapes DRitC event. The story she wrote was "If At First You Don't Succeed," a romantic comedy about established couple, Evan and Julien and their unsuccessful attempts at kinky sex.

KC prefers to write contemporary male romance, but enjoys reading about them in almost every setting from paranormal, to sci-fi to historical backdrops. She loves men, from the Alphas to the omegas, and all the pretty boys in between. Intelligence and humor whet her appetite. Toss in a course of UST, a dash of angst, season with fluffiness, and she dives right in. Oh, and don't forget the extra-large side helping of sex. For dessert, it's HEA all the way. She loves dark chocolate truffles and candies, and food often play a part in her stories, and in the ones she enjoys reading.

KC lives in Northern California with her husband and two rescue birds. Their female bird hates women and wishes KC would go play in the middle of traffic or take a long walk off a short pier.

*~*~*~*

Now it's time to introduce you to one of my characters in Beaten Track Publishing's Holiday Anthology, Boughs of Evergreen. My story is called The Bard and His Boyfriend: A Tale of Holiday Homecomings.

Seth is a member of an ancient clan of druids that have existed for over 5,000 years. The rituals they perform at the changing of the seasons keep the very fabric of reality from unraveling. But as he goes home for the Winter Solstice, all he can think about is the huge fight he had with his boyfriend before he left school for the holiday break.

Much to Seth's surprise, Alejandro follows him home to apologize.When Seth tells himi the truth about his heritage, Alejandro has to make a decision. Seth adn Alejandro must work together to make sure that wherever they are spending the holidays - they are home with each other.

*~*~*~*
Since you get to see the story from Seth's point of view, I figured I would answer the "Get To Know You" questions from Alejandro's point of view. 


1. Who is Alejandro?

Alejandro is a junior at the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND. He transferred to the University of Mary from Williston State College. He is studying Music and is working on his junior recital composition piece. He is taking his inspiration from Achille-Claude Debussey, particularly his use of non-traditional scales and chromaticsim. He is twenty-one years old and, since he is new in town, his roommate (and now boyfriend), Seth Dearin is his best friend. He loves his sister, Carmen to bits and loves to visit her and his father on school holidays.

2. Where does The Bard and His Boyfriend take place?

It's primary setting is the made up town of Sweet Briar Valley, ND. Sweet Briar Valley is located near the non-ficticious Sweet Briar Dam. The story was actually inspired as I was driving one day and passed all the exits that said "No Services". My creative juices started flowing and I kept wondering what was at those exits. The end part of the story takes place in Williston, ND - a town which has recently experienced huge boom because of the oil industry. This is actually what brought Alejandro and his family to North Dakota from Texas.

3. What won't Alejandro talk about?

He doesn't like to talk about his mama's death and the first few years after. She died in a car accident when Alejandro was fifteen years old. Very soon thereafter, his papa lost his job and they had to move to where the jobs were (Williston, ND). During the last two years of high school, Alejandro experienced depression and came close to killing himself. None of their family likes to talk about it. While Seth knows Alejandro's mama died, he doesn't know a lot of the rest of it.

4. What is Alejandro's goal?

For the course of this story is it is to figure out how things went to wrong so quickly with Seth. He follows Seth home, without really even knowing where he lives (mystical powers, go!). Once they get on solid ground again, he just wants to spend the holidays with his families.

5. What is Alejandro's problem?

As I said above, at first, it is fixing things with Seth. Then it is coming out and spending the holidays with his papa and sister. He isn't really worried about his papa kicking him out or anything - especially after everything that happened after his mama's death. However, he is a little worried about explaining what it means that he is pansexual. It's pretty new to him and he hasn't even had a chance to talk to Seth about it yet. Since the story is from Seth's POV, we don't get to see much of that. 

*~*~*~*
Meet the Next Author:

Hans M. Hirshi

Hans M Hirschi (b. 1967) has been writing stories ever since he was a child. Adulthood and the demands of corporate life efficiently put an end to his fictional writing for over twenty years.

A global executive in training and channel development, Hans has traveled the world and had previously published non-fictional titles.

The birth of his son and the subsequent parental leave provided him with the opportunity to unleash his creative writing once again. With little influence over his brain's creative workings, he indulges it, going with the flow. 

A deeply rooted passion for, faith in a better world, in love, tolerance and diversity are a red thread throughout both his creative and non-fictional work. His novels might best be described as “literary romance, engaging characters and relevant stories that won't leave you untouched, but hopeful.”

Hans is a proud member of the Swedish Writers’ Union, the Writers’ Center in Sweden and serves as chair of the Swedish Federation of Self- & Independent Publishers.

Hans' contribution to the Boughs of Evergreen anthology is a story called A Christmas Tale.


Imagine meeting Santa Claus for real and being granted a wish on Christmas Eve... This sweet little story will take you back to a time, not all that long ago, when life for gays was quite different from how it is today - a time when it seemed easier to believe in Santa Claus than believing it would ever be possible to build a family of one's own.

You can find Hans across the web at the following places:

Website

Email

Blog

Goodreads

About Me


Check out his blog this time next week to meet one of his characters!

Friday, October 10, 2014

The End of the Day is Almost Here...

I am at work (on a 15 minute break...hallelujah). I know it is Friday. I am so glad it is Friday. But I swear this last two hours is going to kill me, wrap me in a rug and bury me in a swamp where no one will ever find the body. Just in case anyone else is having a similarly slow moving day, I figured I would come on here and share some pretty to help make the day go by faster. Enjoy!

(I know it's a cat and not a hot man...I don't care. It makes me happy.)


Monday, October 6, 2014

Update and Pretty

Hello All,
I've a few update items to share!

1. I have written a holiday story for an anthology from Beaten Track Publishing. The title of the Anthology is Boughs of Evergreen: A Holiday Anthology. I'll be participating in a blog hop to introduce one of my main characters next week.

2. I have a release date for my story with Less Than Three Press. The title is Light Perpetual Shines and it will be released on February 4, 2015. More details, and the cover, are still to come.

3. This year I WILL participate in NaNoWriMo. Really, I will. Maybe. Hopefully. I'll keep you updated.

And now, some pretty to make this post worth it. :D



Friday, May 30, 2014

AND THE WINNER IS....

This winner for the Cross & Crown giveaway is calilathisway from tumblr. Congrats to calilathisway. If she does not respond within 24 hours then I will pick a new winner. Thanks for participating everyone!!!

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Hump Day Pretty

Happy Hump Day! Get excited. Only two more days til Friday. These fellows want to celebrate with you. :D



Wednesday, May 21, 2014

Hump Day Pretty

Halfway through the week! Congrats. You can totally make it the rest of the way. Here's some encouragement. :D



Sunday, May 18, 2014

Poem Post #6

Sometimes, poetry is most powerful when read outloud by it's author. Today, I am going to share a video from Button Poetry. The poem is titled "21" by Patrick Roche. 



Saturday, May 17, 2014

Cross & Crown Giveaway

Let's get started with a list of all the booty. ;) 

1.) A pre-ordered eBook copy of Cross & Crown by Abigail Roux from Riptide Publishing.

2.) Minion themed duct tape - for all your kidnapping and sexy times needs.

3.) Minion Bandaids - for all your wound care needs.

4.) Vinyl Minion doll - just because.

5.) Minion themed recipe cards (not pictured).

6.) Cross & Crown/Nickels themed sticker collection.

7.) "LUCKY" postcards.

8.) Candy/Snack/Beverage combination of your choice.

9.) Anything else I feel like adding at the last minute. ;)

How to enter 

On tumblr: Reblog for one entry. Follow for one entry. Like for one entry. Reblog as many times as you want but it will only count once. Make sure your ask box is open. If it isn't, I'm just going to pick someone new.

On Goodreads: Comment on this thread with your preferred contact info (PM, email, smoke signal, whatever).

On Blogger: Comment on this post with your preferred email address. A follow will get you an extra entry.

THIS MEANS YOU CAN HAVE UP TO SIX ENTRIES FOLKS!

The Details 

I will pick the winner on Friday, May 30, 2014 at 8:00pm CST. I will use random.org to select the winner. The winner will have 24 hours to get back to me, at which point I will select a new winner. 

Good luck!!







Thursday, May 15, 2014

Poem Post #5

Today, I am sharing another favorite poem: Emily Dickinson's Because I Could Not Stop For Death. It is just so beautifully written. It makes smile, sigh and think of Sally Sparrow (of Doctor Who) saying "sad is happy for deep people."

Because I Could Not Stop For Death (479)
By Emily Dickinson

Because I could not stop for Death –
He kindly stopped for me –
The Carriage held but just Ourselves –
And Immortality.

We slowly drove – He knew no haste
And I had put away
My labor and my leisure too,
For His Civility –

We passed the School, where Children strove
At Recess – in the Ring –
We passed the Fields of Gazing Grain –
We passed the Setting Sun –

Or rather – He passed Us –
The Dews drew quivering and Chill –
For only Gossamer, my Gown –
My Tippet – only Tulle –

We paused before a House that seemed
A Swelling of the Ground –
The Roof was scarcely visible –
The Cornice – in the Ground –

Since then – 'tis Centuries – and yet
Feels shorter than the Day
I first surmised the Horses' Heads
Were toward Eternity –

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Hump Day Pretty

Gah...it's only halfway through the week. I think I need some hot guys to even be able to contemplate continuing on. I guess I can share with you guys. :D



Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Tuesday Teaser

Hello All - I finally have a title for my Love's Landscape story!! For some reason I just couldn't settle on one for this story. I am still not 100% pleased with it but I think it will stick.

So without further ado, I give you an excerpt from To The End.

***

"Iryandeth Hirat. That was your full name. I called you Iry for short."

MarShael had sat up as they were talking but at that statement, Deth surged forward and pressed him into the bed again, knife once more at his throat.

"That's a lie. I grew up as a dedicant to the King's Assassins. It is all I have ever known. I am here to kill you because you have betrayed your King."

A look of revulsion flitted quickly across MarShael's face but was quickly pushed aside. Cautiously, as though he realized how close to death he really was, MarShael lifted a hand and placed it against Deth's cheek.

"My name is Akrandsmar Shaelen. You would call me Akr. Mother hated it. So of course I refused to respond to anything else."

Suddenly, a memory flashed through Deth's mind. A small bright room filled with cheerful laughter. A woman, no older than he was now baking bread with two young boys sitting at the table throwing scraps of dough at each other.

His hand shook and the knife was close enough to Akr's throat that blood began to trickle down towards the bed.

"No." Deth whispered. But even he could recognize a losing battle while he was still fighting.

Akr saw the opening. "Iry. Let me show you. Let me help you remember who you are. Let me show you what I'm fighting for."


Deth had almost given in until that last part. He was a King's Assassin, bred to do his will, loyal to the end, beyond question and this man was a traitor. He lifted his arm to slit Ak..no MarShael's throat but at the last minute, diverted the blow. He brought the hilt of his knife down on MarShael's head and knocked him out.

Wednesday, May 7, 2014

Hump Day Pretty

Happy Wednesday. Here's some pretty to get you through the rest of the week. :D



Monday, May 5, 2014

Poem Post #2

Back when I was in grad school, I took a class on caring during crisis - specifically spiritual distress and how to deal with it when your faith or the faith of someone close to you has been rocked by a traumatic event. The following poems was in one of our texts and I don't think I have ever connected with a poem so dramatically at the time I read it. The idea of this "fact of glass," that there are some things that cannot be changed no matter how many times you bang your head up against them, resonated. It's hard to really say why this poem is so important to me, even all these years later but every time I read it, it rings through me.

Up Against It 
By Eamon Grennan
It’s the way they cannot understand the window
they buzz and buzz against, the bees that take
a wrong turn at my door and end up thus
in a drift at first of almost idle curiosity,
cruising the room until they find themselves
smack up against it and they cannot fathom how
the air has hardened and the world they know
with their eyes keeps out of reach as, stuck there
with all they want just in front of them, they must
fling their bodies against the one unalterable law
of things—this fact of glass—and can only go on
making the sound that tethers their electric
fury to what’s impossible, feeling the sting in it.

Do you have any poems that resonate with you? I'd love to read them! Post in the comments (can be original or not).

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Teaser from Love's Landscapes story

I am not sharing a snippet with you yet (I will at some point). Today, I am going to share a creepy little audio file I made of a "nursrey rhyme" from my universe. ;) Unfortunately, I am not sure how to post the audio file over here so I am going link over to my tumblr.

Check it out here. Also, in case you don't remember, this is the picture and prompt I worked from.

Enjoy.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Giveaway Winner!

Congrats to Roger, who entered over on Goodreads. He has won the six months LT3 serial subscription. If he doesn't respond to my email within 48 hours then I will pick a new winner. Until then, I leave you with some pretty to start out your week with. ;)



Friday, April 25, 2014

Friday First Kiss - Surprise

It's been an eternity since I did a Friday First Kiss. It was just a random coincidence that this little ficlet is ready for posting on a Friday. I hope you enjoy this little dose of sugar before your weekend.

Surprise

I shook my arm as the tingling numbness threatened to spread up towards my chest. I'd never been so nervous in my life. A year ago, I had been a nobody from a nowhere town. Somehow in the last year I had become a teen sensation. That'll happen when you get a recurring guest role on one of the most popular musical high school dramas on television.

But, that wasn't what was making me nervous. It was the boy behind the door I was staring at. It seemed like an innocuous door - standard issue hotel fare with a card swiper and the black painted number in the center of it. But behind that door was Sean. Sean, who I'd known since we'd shared a look and decided peeing in the sandbox in kindergarten was the way to go. Sean, who I'm pretty sure I'd been in love with for the past two years. Sean, who had flown to visit me while I was filming over his spring break. He'd been here for two days already and it was amazing. I hadn't realized how much I had truly missed him.

I squeezed my eyes shut, took a deep breath, and knocked on the door. It opened a mere seconds later – like he had been waiting next to the door. A smile spread across his face like the sun rising over the desert. My heart stuttered as I did my best to return his smile.

I must have done a pretty poor job of it because Sean's smile faltered. He reached a hand out to grab my shoulder and pull me into the room.

"Hey, Bri. What's wrong?"

I had decided honesty was the only way to go with this thing so I picked a spot on the wall and stared at it as I spoke. There was no way I was going to get through this while looking at him.

"Um, so, you know I have to do some filming tomorrow." I offered a small smile and darted my eyes to his face before focusing back on the wall over his shoulder. "You'll be happy to know that all the Stephton shippers will be happy. Stephanie and Barton are sharing their first kiss. But, um, I've never kissed anyone before." I paused.

Sean took that as an indication that I was done. "It's okay. I'm sure you'll do fine."

I shook my head. That wasn't really what I was here to say. It was just the background. "No. I'm not worried about that. I mean, I am, but that's not why I'm here."

Sean looked worried and stepped towards me. He was close enough that I couldn't keep eye contact with the wall anymore. I turned towards him and finally, really looked him in the eyes. They were fierce with something I'd never seen there before. His words were almost a whisper between us. "Then, why are you here?"

I couldn't look away. "I always wanted my first kiss to be special, with someone I cared about – not on television with a colleague."

"Yeah? Anyone in particular?" He leaned in closer and heat bloomed across my skin.

I let my forehead rest against his and threaded my fingers through his hair. It was now or never. "You, Sean. I've always wanted it to be you."

I'd barely finished speaking before he pressed his lips against mine. My chest tightened and goose bumps followed in the wake of his hands as he pulled me closer. I melted into him and he held me tight. It was perfect.

Sean eventually broke the kiss and just held me close. His whisper barely touched air as it traveled to my ear. "God, Brian. I've wanted to do that for so long."

I was stunned and all I could do was whisper back, "Me too."

Much too soon, Sean pulled away. All of the sudden, he looked nervous like he never had in the lead up to our kiss. He ran his hand through his already mussed hair and glanced towards his bag then back at me.

"I've got something of a surprise too." He smiled a bit sheepishly.

I watched curiously as he walked over to his bag, dug around a bit and finally pulled out an envelope. I could feel the nerves rolling off him as he walked over and handed it to me.

I opened it and looked at the paper it had contained.

Dear Mr. Sean Anskar,

We are pleased to accept you for admissions to the University of California, Los Angeles. You have been awarded a full academic scholarship…

I stopped reading as the paper fell from my hands. "But, Sean, you're going to UT. You've always been gonna go to UT – just like your Dad and your uncles and your grandpa."

"Yeah, but," he paused and shrugged his shoulders, "you're here. Even it was going to be just as friends, I couldn't bear the thought of being away from you four years. These past few months have been terrible. I've missed you like nothing else in my life. Besides, Dad kind of figured out that I was in love with you." Sean took a deep breath. "He asked me what you were worth to me and I said everything. So he said he would kick my ass if I didn't do something about. You just beat me to the punch by a bit."

My brain had stuck on the "Dad kind of figured out that I was in love with you" line and happiness burst in my chest like a cold water balloon on a hot day. My cheeks hurt from the smile I couldn't make leave my face.

I pulled him back into my arms. A laugh of pure joy bubbled up from my chest and made it hard to speak but managed, "I love you, too," before I kissed him again.


The Beginning.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Hump Day Pretty

Happy Hump Day to all!!! Here's some pretty to get you through your midweek slump. :D




Monday, April 21, 2014

Updates

Thing the First - My story, Light Perpetual Shines, was accepted by Less Than Three Press and is currently queued to be edited (so it might be awhile until is available...I have no idea how long these things take). You probably know this because of the giveaway but my excitement over it means it has to be Thing the First. :D

Thing the Second - I have not forgotten about True Love's Kiss. I am working on it right now. However, unlike last time, I am not going to post any new chapters until it is completely done. That way, once I start posting again, there will be no more delays. For those of you who have completely forgotten about it (because it has been an eternity since I posted a new chapter) once it is done, I will be publishing it in it's entirity as an eBook - probably through Smashwords. 

Thing the Third - Goodreads' M/M Romance Group's annual prompt story writing event (this year it is called Love's Landscapes) is going on right now. My prompt is pretty awesome and I am having fun with it. You can check out the prompt here. This is the picture that came with the prompt:


I think that's all the updates for now, folks. I've got two more things in queue for the next wee while so be on the lookout. :D

Saturday, April 19, 2014

GIVEAWAY!

I have some really exciting news! You remember that story I said I was going to submit to Less Than Three Press' Missed Connections anthology? Well, submit I did. My country music singers stopped talking to me so it ended up being a different story - but it's still awesome. Anyway, it didn't get accepted for the anthology but it did get accepted as individual story! This is very exciting news for me and this story is going to be my first professionally published story.

So, in celebration of my excitement, I'm going to have a giveaway!!! Less Than Three Press has a serial subscription that runs 5-6 stories at a time. It is pretty awesome. I have my subscription paid up for the next two years and Tuesday night is my favorite cause I get to sit down and read new chapters. The stories that are currently running are as follows:

A Suitable Replacement by Megan Derr
The Heart of the Kingdom by Sasha L. Miller
Rocking Hard Vol. 3 by LOTS OF PEOPLE
Fairy Tales by LOTS OF PEOPLE
Paint, Guns, Money and Love by Mell Eight

Click here to read blurbs for all of them. They are all pretty great and when each story is completed you can download it in an eBook format of your choice.

So, to the giveaway - I am giving away SIX MONTHS of serial subscription time. If you don't have a subscription, it can start at any time. If you already have a subscription, it can be tacked on the time you have already paid for.

The winner will be picked via random.org  on April 27, 2014 at 8:00pm CST. The winner will have 48 hours to respond to my notification before I pick a different winner.

How to Enter

On Blogger:
Comment on this post. Make sure to include your email address.

On Tumblr:
Reblog for one entry. Only one reblog counts. I'm feeling generous so a like will get you a second entry. MAKE SURE YOUR ASK BOX IS OPEN. If it isn't I am not going to try to track you down. I am just going to pick a new winner.

On Goodreads:
Comment on this thread. Make sure you are set so you can receive a PM or leave your email address.

I think that pretty much covers all my social media (I don't do twitter and I don't think I have logged onto my facebook in like six months...). You are welcome to enter in all three places. This means you can have as many as FOUR entries.

I've a got few more posts queued up for this week with some updates, a little short and some pretty so be on the look out!