Guest Post: Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese

Hello All! Today we have a treat in the form of a guest post by Erin McRae and Racheline Maltese. They are here to tell you all about their most recent release, Midsummer, and give you an awesome excerpt. So, without further ado, here's everything you need to know to know you want to go and buy Midsummer. ;)

Title: Midsummer

Authors: Erin McRae & Racheline Maltese

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Length: 27,400 words

Tags: May/December, Gay for You, Bisexual Romance, Bisexual Characters, Theater

Link to Purchase: Amazon, Dreamspinner Press

Price: $3.99

Release Date: May 20, 2015

Blurb: 

John Lyonel, a long-time theater professional and teacher, heads to Virginia to play Oberon in the Theater in the Woods’s production of A Midsummer Night's Dream, intending to focus on his work. John is recovering from the tragic loss of his family and needs a break. The last thing he expects is to become captivated by Michael Hilliard, the professional actor playing Puck, especially since John has never been attracted to men, let alone one so much younger.

They rush headlong into an affair which falls apart dramatically over secrets that John and Michael are keeping from each other. A steep learning curve, the gossipy cast of the show, and the sometimes sinister magic of the woods conspire to keep them apart. But stage lights and stars might work their magic and help them define a new future.

Except: 

Costume fittings and dress rehearsals means that John finally gets to see Michael costumed as Puck. The human characters are dressed contemporarily, in suits and cocktail dresses that become increasingly disheveled as the show goes on. The fairies, though, are dressed in greens and browns with crowns of strange wildness -- thistles, cornsilk, and Queen Ann’s lace. Michael as Puck looks deeply inhuman, covered in leaves as if dragged in from the wooded grounds. For their first dress rehearsal, it takes all of John’s considerable experience and willpower to actually focus on the play and not Michael. As taken as Oberon is meant to be with Puck, he should actually be able to remember and deliver his lines.

“Whose idea was this?” he asks Michael afterward, catching him before he can change. Michael blinks at him with eyes done up in silver and green. John wants to devour him.

“Do you like it?” Michael asks, more distant and coy than usual, sliding his hands up John’s chest which, like his own, is bare.

All John can do is groan when Michael looks up at him from under his lashes. He stands on his tiptoes to kiss John briefly, and then vanishes. When he reappears he’s Michael again, in t-shirt and shorts, but John can’t forget the image of him transformed.

CUT & RUN BOOK 9 SUPER AWESOME GIVEAWAY WINNER(S) ANNOUNCED

So, y’all were really excited about this giveaway and I had more responses than I’ve had for any giveaway…ever. So, I decided to do a thing. One person is still winning all the stuff I listed. BUT two other people are also winning a pre-ordered ebook copy of Cut & Run Book 9 as well either one Cut & Run audiobook from audible or one item from tumblr account, buycutnrunstuff for under $15.

So, without further ado, tumblr user, ofkellyabbott, YOU ARE THE GRAND PRIZE WINNER!

The two RUNNERS UP are tumblr user, readngowl00, and Dawn from the goodreads thread (I’ll announce this there as well).

All the winners will have 24 hours to get back to me. At which point, if I haven’t heard from you, I will pick a new winner. Especially, ofkellyabbott (but the other two as well), I’d appreciate an email at kchayes54@gmail.com since we have a bunch of stuff for you to pick out (audiobook/fan item, music, snacks, etc). If you don’t feel comfortable with that, then shoot me an ask on tumblr or a message on goodreads.

And, just so you know all is was fair and on the up and up, here are all the entries (some were signal boosts - if they had won, I would have picked a new winner).

Cut & Run Book 9 SUPER AWESOME GIVEAWAY!!!

It’s that time again. This is our final Cut & Run book so of course I am doing another giveaway. I am a bit late getting this up because I have been a bit under the weather this past week. SO, FIRST UP - THE PRIZES.

1. 1 eBook copy of Cut & Run Book 9 by Abigail Roux from Riptide Publishing.

2. Your choice of Either 1 Cut & Run audiobook from Audible Or your choice of an item under $15 from http://buycutnrunstuff.tumblr.com/ 

3. Pair of Anchor and Compass Art Prints (8x10).

4. 1 Set of Catherine Dair's Cut & Run Trading Cards.

5. 1 Sampler Tin of Mind & Soul Tea - Cut & Run themed and created by fellow fan, tumblr user, a-quick-drink.

6. 1 Bottle "Lucky Charming" glitter green nail polish.

7. Handcuff and Shamrock/Heart Charms.

 


8. Shamrock Adjustable Bracelet and Anchor Stud Earrings.

9. Dreamcatcher Ornament.

10. Thumb drive with ten songs of your choice from the various Cut & Run Soundtracks (your choice or mine - you can choose).

11. Whatever snacks, sodas, alcoholic beverages and kleenex’s I choose to include (you can let me know your favs and if I can find them, I will include them).

12. Whatever else I decide to include. :)

And now the rules.

1. You must have a mailing address inside the United States (sorry shipping abroad is ridiculously expensive).

2. You can enter by commenting on this blog post. You do not need to be following me. You can also get two entries from the tumblr post for the giveaway (reblog and like). Once I get it up on Goodreads, you can get an entry there too. This is Four entries total per person.

3. I will pick the winner on Tuesday, March 24, 2015 at Noon CST. 

This giveaway is pretty much a love offering to all of those who love this series as much as I do, so feel free to spread the word!

Valentine's Day Scavenger Heart

This is a ficbit to fulfill one of the prizes back in November. The winner requested something funny. I don't often write funny so I hope this fits the bill. I am a bit of a night owl so this is kind of late but I am pretty sure it's still Valentine's Day somewhere in the world. Enjoy!

***

"I refuse."

"You can't. You owe me." I groaned as Jeremy reminded me of my promise from mere days ago when he took care of my sister's dog when I forgot my new employee orientation was scheduled late.

He obviously heard my groan and sensed weakness. "Come on, Ari. I feel like I got hit by a truck. I might end up killing something if I am forced to run around doing stupid team bonding exercises all day."

"Fine." I capitulated. "You sound horrible. Drink some tea and sleep. Who's my partner supposed to be?"

There was a pregnant pause from the other end of the line. "Randy."

"I'm going to kill you..." Jeremy hung up before I got the sentence out. He knew I'd been crushing on Randy since I'd met him a few weeks ago when I'd met Jeremy for lunch at his office. If he hadn't sounded so horrible on the phone, I would have suspected a set up of some sort.

I contemplated throwing my phone across the room but then decided indulging in a fit of pique was not worth having to buy a new one. With one more groan for good measure, I rolled out of bed to take my best friend's place at his company's annual Valentine's Day scavenger hunt.

***
It didn't take long to track Randy down once I got to Mansfield Park. He was taller than most everyone else there. And, in this white wash of suburbia he was probably the only African American person there. Kind of like I was the only Jewish person there. At least this wasn't a barbeque where I had to worry about whether there would be kosher food available.

Randy caught sight of me almost at the same time I saw him. His wave was energetic and friendly. For how tall he was, he could have been pretty intimidating. However, as it was, he was just kind of cuddly. As he walked over to meet me, I was floored once again by his dark brown and sparkling eyes. I don't think I'd ever seen any eyes so beautiful in my entire life.

We clasped arms in greeting and Randy flashed a welcoming smile. "Hey Ari. Thanks for coming. The boss has these things planned weeks in advance, with partners picked and everything. I'd have been stuck as a third wheel if you hadn't agreed to come."

My annoyance at Jeremy seemed to evaporate with Randy's cheerful goodwill. I smiled back. "No problem. I've never done one of these before, though, so I don't know if I'll be any good."

Randy chuckled, and it sent shivers through me. "No worries. It's mainly and excuse to get hilarious and compromising pictures for the slide show at the annual company picnic."

I camped up looking horrified. "Oh no! All those strangers seeing me in compromising photographs. You must protect me."

Randy's previous chuckle escalated to a full blown belly laugh at my antics and I couldn't help but grin at him.

The moment was broken by a loud voice booming through the small park. "Hello Fellow Everly Accounting associates and employees. Happy Valentine's Day! As you know, your scavenger hunt lists are the envelopes that you have already received. You have four hours to fulfill as many of the photo opportunities as you can. Prizes will be given for most number achieved but also for best photo, most embarrassing photo, and most romantic photo." The voice on the loud speaker paused for effect. "ON YOUR MARK. GET SET. GO!"

Randy elbowed me excitedly. "Come on. Let's go grab a bench and make a plan."

Once we sat down, we leaned in close enough that our arms plastered against each other as we read the list. I couldn't help but snort at a few on the list and there were a few I wasn't even sure how to go about.

I waved generally towards the paper in Randy's hands. "So a few of those need other people and stores. You wanna jump in my care and drive down town to the shopping square?"

Randy agreed and ten minutes later saw us pulling into the parking spaces in front of vintage/hippy/thrift shop.

I was starting to get in the spirit of things and grabbed his hand to drag him inside. There was a counter near the door but off to one side. The woman standing behind it had on a name tag that read "Daisy" and was dressed to match the hippie moniker, her long blonde hair held out of her face with a tie died bandana and her round hips hugged by a long floral print skirt.

Daisy smiled at us as we burst through the doors. "It looks like you two might be on a mission today. What can I help you with?"

We looked at each other for a moment and laughter started to bubble out of both of us at the ridiculosity of the situation. After a moment, I pushed our scavenger list across the counter towards Daisy.

"Is there anything on that list that you could help us out with?"

She took her time and read it like she was reading scripture or something of great import. A smile broke across her face. "I think so."

She looked down at the list again. "Number three should be easy so let's start there."

Number three read, "Valentine's Day is often represented by pink and red. Take a picture where one partner is dressed all in red and one partner is dressed all in pink."

Daisy was a whirlwind and started throwing clothing at us faster than we could catch it. There was only a small corner that was blocked off with a large piece of fabric to act as dressing room. I had to stop myself from laughing and poking fun at Randy everytime an elbow or knee escaped it's confines and he looked perilously close to collapsing.

He finally exited, wearing a completely red, 90's era Chicago Bulls track suit. He shrugged, embarrassed, "It's the only thing that fit."

"Nah. You look great. It's way better than what she has picked out for me." I lifted my stack of clothes, which mainly consisted of women's clothing.

Randy smiled back. "I'm sure you will look beautiful."

I threw a hat at him.

It turned out I should not have been so hasty to judge Randy's elbows and knees. Before I was dressed all in pink, the whole curtain had fallen down, I had bruised my butt and I had learned I'd only thought I knew what a full belly laugh from Randy sounded like. It turns out the real version made my insides melt just a little.

By the time I was untangled and dressed in a pink sundress and cardigan, Randy had turned apologetic, even if it was slightly belied by the fact that he couldn't stop laughing.

I waved him off. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it up. You'll be in pink next time 'round." I turned back to Daisy, who had done her fair share of yukking it up. "Could you take our picture?"

We stood, slightly awkwardly, as she took Randy's phone and clicked a few shots of us in our red and pink get-ups. Thankfully, it didn't take nearly as long to get back into our regular clothes.

Daisy had already picked out our next task. "Let's do number five next"

Number five read, "Valentine's Day is a day when we often celebrate romance. Take a photo that imitates the movie poster of your favorite romantic movie."

Randy and I just looked at each other, then back at Daisy, slightly speechless. Finally, Randy spoke, "Umm, did you have a particular movie in mind?"

Daisy sighs. "Y'all are hopeless. Don't either of you have a favorite romantic movie?"

"Does Star Wars count?" I reply with smirk.

Daisy groans. "What about you?" she asks Randy.

"I'm more of a let's watch all four Pumkinheads in a row and get a sugar high off caramel corn kind of guy."

I almost swoon. Seriously, he couldn't get more pefect. "Oh my goodness. Blood Wings is my favorite. Seriously underrated but cinematic genious."

Randy turns slowly towards me. "Blood Wings, are you out of your mind? I don't think we can be friends any more. Everyone knows the original is best, followed closely by Ashes to Ashes."

Daisy looks at the both of us like we have sprouted second heads. I wink at Randy and turn to look innocently at Daisy. "Do you have a favorite romantic movie?"

She rolls her eyes. "Of course. And it's actually not that hard of a movie poster." She goes behind her counter and shuffles about for a few minutes before retrieving a largish piece of paper and a red marker. When she is finished she holds it up for our approval. It says, "P.S. I Love You."

I cheer a little on the inside. I've actually seen it and it wasn't horrible. I mean I cried my eyes out but no one but me and my cat ever need to know about that.

Randy is nodding too. "Can I be Gerard Butler? He's hot."

I agree without thinking, despite it meaning that I have to be Hilary Swank because Randy just admitted to finding men attractive. Which means I might actually have a shot. Maybe. And Hilary Swank is the bomb so that's not that big of deal anyway.

Daisy must have dreamed of being a photographer in another life because she begins directing us like a professional - or perhaps how an amatuer thinks a professional would direct someone.

Eventually, we get a photo with the title taped to the counter, my head lying on my hands while I face the camera and lean on the counter, and Randy's head hovering behind mine in a parody of spooning. It looks utterly ridiculous but doesn't stop me from daydreaming over what it would be like to actually spoon with Randy.

Unfortunately, there were no more items on the list that Daisy could help us with so said fond goodbyes and promised to come back later and show her all the other pictures we took. I looked at my watch and was slightly dismayed we had spent almost a quarter of our time and only gotten two photos from the list of fifteen items.

Thankfully, none of the rest of them required costume changes. Randy and I ran around downtown for the next two and half hours taking pictures of couples and families, ice cream, ducks, a little girl in a tiara, people holding hands, a statue draped in a feather boa and a vegetable in a compromising position.

We raced back to Mansfield Park with only five minutes to spare and giggling like we were teenaged idiots.

Someone had made a poster it indicated that the highest scorer so far was twelve of the fifteen photos from the list. I looked at Randy. We had twelve photos done as well. I scrambled for the list to see if there was anything we missed that we could cobble together in less than five minutes. We had no access to a newly engaged couple, someone who had recently adopted an animal or a pair kissing to celebrate a newly made connection.

I turned to Randy, about to smile and say, "oh well," but he cut me off before I could open my mouth. His lips pressed chastely against mine and I head his phone click as he took the picture. I was so stunned I couldn't respond. He glanced sheepishly at me and ran to turn in our photos before the time ran out.

A few moments later, his boss had pulled him on to the stage and lifted his arm, like he was a prize fighter and had just won the match. "And we have the winner for most number of items completed on the list: thirteen out of fifteen. Congratulations. Other winners will be announced next week via email."

I was still standing in shock at the edge of the crowd. Yes I had been crushing on him for weeks and it had just grown more intense as I got to know him throughout the day. But, the kiss felt kind of cheap, like maybe he had only done it for the win. He didn't know how I felt so I was pretty sure he hadn't taken advantage of my feelings on purpose but it still left me a little hollow, especially after how much fun we'd had.

I turned away to walk back to my car. I just wanted to leave as quickly as possible. I had just reached my car and was about to open the door when a heavy hand landed gently on my shoulder.

"Ari. Wait. Where are you going?"

I spun around to look at him. I stared for a moment, wondering if I could discern his motives just by looking at him harder. I couldn't. I took a deep breath. "Was that just for the win?"

Randy glanced away, appearing suddenly uncertain. He puffed out a deep breath before turning back to look me in the eyes. "Sorry. I shouldn't have done that without asking."

"No, you shouldn't have. But you still didn't answer my question. Why did you do it?"

"Well, umm... it said to get a picture of two people kissing to celebrate a new connection and the first thing I thought of was...ummm....us. And then I saw the clock counting down and I didn't think. I just did what I'd been wanting to do for a couple of hours. I didn't think how it would feel for you." He let out a deep breath and looked away again.

I reached out and turned his face towards mine again and pinned his gaze with my eyes. "So, it wasn't just to win?"

"No." he whispered.

"Then, why don't you try again and get it right this time." I said with a small smile.

Randy's exuberance returned with a single heartbeat and I could feel his smile when he pressed his lips to mine. It started as a simple press of lips against lips but quickly escalated as he stepped forward and pressed me back against my car. His hand cupped my face and I could feel him from my toes to the top of my head.

His tongue pressed into my mouth and the pleasure of the kiss escalated even more. I wrapped my arms around his torso and pulled his bulk even closer. We ended up making out like teenagers against my car until we were interrupted by a wolf whistle from nearby.

When we pulled apart, the grins we'd had before we started were firm on our faces once more. I turned to tell good-naturedly at whoever had whistled at us and saw Jeremy ducking behind his own car, just a few spots away.

I ran after him and tackled him to the ground. "I knew it was a setup! You are sick at all!"

"Uncle. Uncle." He yelled. I let him up, begrudgingly. "You can't complain, though. Look what came of it," he said and waved his hand towards Randy.

"Yeah. I guess it turned out to be a pretty good Valentine's Day after all."

"Yup." Randy agreed as he took hold of my hand.

The Beginning.

Howdy Folks

Howdy Y'all.
So, you probably know that my story, Light Perpetual Shines, came out last week. You can totally buy it right now at Less Than Three Press. They are having a 20% off Valentine's weekend sale so if you didn't get a pre-order discount, here's your chance to get it cheaper. I may have already spent $40 buying various books on sale. YOU SHOULD TOO (hopefully mine in there, but even if not, GO BUY BOOKS, CAUSE THEY ROCK)! :D

Additionally, if buying them is not your thing, I have TWO ways to get my story for free. Way number 1: Click here. LT3's giveaway is still going. All you have to do is comment on the thread and you are entered. Way number 2: If you are willing to write an in depth review (more than just a few sentences) and post your honest review on at least THREE sites (goodreads, amazon, barnes and noble, allromanceebooks, etc) I will give you a copy for FREE. This is limited (I am not giving away 20 copies or anything). If you are interested, email me at kchayes54@gmail.com or message me on goodreads.

Finally, come back tomorrow. There will be a ficbit that fulfills one of my prizes from November. The other two will be posted during the week next as a fun Valentine's week celebration.

Hope you all have a happy weekend. Whether is it cuddling with your bae, vegging out with your friends or having some quality alone time - do whatever will make you feel good. :)

Ooops...I Lied

So, I made that post about being back in the land of the living. Alas, it was a lie. About 1 day after recovering from that dismal sinus infection, I came down with bronchitis (woo hoo!). I went from not being able to breathe through my nose to not being able to breathe at all. It was fun, let me tell you. However, I believe I can truly say, I am now actually fully recovered! Therefore, we will have a few updates and some pretty. :D

Update the First: WHO LOVES A GIVEAWAY??? EVERYONE LOVES A GIVEAWAY. Ok, here are the deets. My new story, Light Perpetual Shines is being released from Less Than Three Press on February 4, 2015. You can pre-order it for $1.69 OR you can enter to win it for free from the Less Than Three Press Goodreads group (click here). PS Isn't that cover absolutely gorgeous (Thanks a ton to the lovely Natasha Snow).

Update the Second: The ficbits are in the works. One, I am going to save to publish on Valentine's Day cause it fits so well. And well, one is turning into a full blown story. I think I might just have to pick a portion and put it up or it will be months. 

And, finally, the pretty (even though I think the cover qualifies, I'll give you some pretty men, too). ;)

(Gotta love it when folks can't help but smile while they are kissing!)

I am Back In the Land of the Living!!!

Hello My Lovelies!

I have been gone. First, on vacation (sans laptop) and then, laid flat with some kind of sinus bug (dismal). However, I am finally semi-conscious once more and thus back on the wonderful wide web.

One of the first things that I came across when I logged into my tumblr was a post by fellow author, Sasha L. Miller (check it out here). It made a lot of sense to me. You may not have noticed a slight change I have made to my blog banner (several weeks ago now). Initially, it read "Reading, Writing and Reviews all to do with the wonderful world of M/M romance." However, I changed it to read "Reading, Writing and Reviews all to do with the wonderful world LGBTQA+ romance."

Initially, I entered this wonderful community through M/M romance. It was wonderful to find diversity I had never known. The community at the Goodreads M/M Romance Group was welcoming and great about giving reading rec's and helping this aspiring author to write her first stories. However, as time passed I began to realize the maybe my blog title of M/M romance was not quite right. First, I posted a review about a lesbian fiction anthology and felt I needed to explain myself since it wasn't M/M. Then I realized that when people (often me) looks at the phrase M/M they assume two gay cis males. 

This erases many of the great queer romances out there (and stories in general but since I mainly focus on romances, that's where we'll stay). Many of the stories I previously categorized under M/M would truly be stories about bi characters or pan characters. Many of those assumedly cis-men were actually trans*men. Some of the stories I was reading didn't feature male leads (cis or trans) at all.

I would like to say that I am ally. However, I know that I have not always gotten it right in the past (nor will I always in the future). I would love to see more stories out there that embrace the entire spectrum of the rainbow. I can help that happen by buying books with characters that go beyond the "G", by reviewing those books, even by writing those books.

I'd love recommendations on books to read, review requests, plot bunny suggestions, etc. Also, if you ever notice me "getting it wrong" and doing something unknowingly offensive, please let me know. I'd rather be told so that I fix my behavior than continue doing something hurtful.

Love,

Kathleen :)

PS To those contest winners awaiting your ficbits, I have not forgotten. I just had no brain power to write while I have been sick. I'll need a few days to get caught up in my day job and then I will be getting to those.

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.

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. 

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!

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.

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 Homecomings, here.

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.

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!