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WIPpet Wednesday: Show Me

Sorry I missed last week. It’s been good, but we had a brutal few days with various performances. The kids are now down to (in order of appearance): my daughter’s class play, her 5th grade moving up ceremony, and one last dance recital. I think we can do this.

On to this week’s WIPpet. I’m nearly done editing this, so I’m only going to share from it for another week or two. After that, I’ll start posting bits of Nightsong, since I’ve begun writing it in earnest. Last time I posted, I think I shared a bit of heartbreak as Cat and Bryce decided to part ways. This week, they’re sealing the deal.

Note: If you prefer not to read, this contains implied sex. There’s nothing explicit, but I figured I should warn anyway. It might bother some more sensitive readers, especially because they’re in a secluded but public place, and they’re not quite alone.

WIPmath: Nothin’ fancy. Just 8 sentences for the 8th.

Bryce gazed down at him and then let out his breath in a rush as his shoulders slumped. He put his hand on the back of Cat’s neck and drew him in, kissing him long and deep. Cat melted into it, wanting to show Bryce how much he cared about him in the only way he knew how. They lost track of their position in time and space, kissing until both of them had raw lips and aching jaws, and yet they didn’t stop. Every part of Cat’s body was hot and alive, and he wanted Bryce—wanted to prove he would still be there when Bryce was ready.

He pulled back a couple of inches, and it seemed Bryce had the same idea. They pushed their way into the bathroom to the same stall where they’d gone the first time they’d been at the club. Cat wondered if Bryce had what they needed in his pocket but then giggled against Bryce’s mouth as someone in the next stall flicked a condom over the wall, hitting Bryce in the back of the head. Bryce rubbed the spot and grinned, kissing Cat quickly before bending down to retrieve the offending—though welcome—item.

Like what you read? Be sure to check out the other entries and add your own. Just post a bit of your WIP, connect it to the date, and link up with us. Many thanks to Emily Witt for giving us this space. Happy reading and writing!

Book Review & Author Spotlight: As You Wish by Isobel Starling

Books, Reviews

Author: Isobel Starling

Title: As You Wish

Length: 141 pages

Publication Date: August 28, 2015

Tags: M/M

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/25869161-as-you-wish

1 wedding, 2 best men, one hell of a love story!

Declan Ramsay’s brother Oliver was marrying Annabelle Aiken at a fairy tale Castle on the banks of Loch Ness in Scotland. The bride and groom decided, so that he didn’t feel left out, Annabelle’s gay younger brother Sam Should share the best man duties with Declan.

Declan had never met the kid who was to be his joint best man.
Sam Aiken was abroad, working as an interpreter and finishing his studies. He wouldn’t meet Declan until a few days before the wedding, so the best men communicated and planned their speech by email for more than a year.

But on meeting Sam Aiken, Declan is surprised to realise the kid isn’t a kid at all, but a tall, blond and athletic young man. Declan is sure he’s straight, so he’s alarmed by the ferocious attraction he feels for Sam. And as the attraction is reciprocated, the events at Dunloch Castle change everything Declan has ever believed about himself.

But is Samuel Aiken all that he appears to be?

By all rights, I should have loved this. I mean, what could be better than a whole novella inspired by The Princess Bride? It just so happens, that’s one of my favorite movies (and, like the characters, I can recite entire sections of dialog). Unfortunately, I didn’t experience true love with this one.

The first—and biggest—problem I had was that it’s gay-for-you (rather than developing self-awareness or out-for-you). I don’t do gay-for-you. I hate them with a fiery passion. I find most of them to be bi-erasure, and I get sick of being reminded periodically that someone is Very Definitely Not Gay, especially when it’s played for laughs. It’s annoying. I’m sure gay-for-you does occasionally happen in real life, but from these books, you’d think it was common. It’s really more just a fantasy of some gay men and straight women to “convert” one, and it’s…well, kind of objectifying as well as ignorant of bisexuality.

Anyway, I was ready to throw something after the fiftieth time Declan announced his not-gayness. He literally thought it during a sex scene. The worst part? It wasn’t even necessary. Declan could have been closeted (his boss was certainly homophobic enough). Or he could have been the playboy sort, not wanting to settle down. Which is more or less what he was, only with women. Or he could have been grappling with internalized homophobia (all right, maybe not in a romantic comedy, but still). Or he could have been freaking bisexual. Gay-for-you was absolutely not central to the plot here in any way. In fact, it wasn’t even necessary for the sex, since there was zero awkwardness.

Speaking of which, that’s basically what most of this was—one long-ass sex scene. It was a bit unbelievable that Definitely Not Gay Declan was so capable at sex on the first try and never did find anything he disliked doing. We got to read all about it. Which is fine, but I also don’t care much for erotica, so that didn’t appeal to me (or mitigate the other things I didn’t like).

On that front, I wasn’t too thrilled with the overt misogyny. Let’s go over a few: The annoying women (Annabelle, Freya); the awful women (the two whose names I forget but were stalking Declan because he was apparently THAT HOT); the absence of any other kind of women in a meaningful way; Declan’s assessment that men are better at sex because they have man-bits (seriously? not how it works); Sam being disgusted that Declan’s appendage had only ever touched vaginas.

Finally, one other detail that was small and brief but really bothered me was Sam’s commentary on his time in Saudi Arabia. There was no reason at all to mention Sam witnessing a brutal murder of two gay men. It came across as “look how savage those brown people are.” I’m sure that was not the intent, but it left a bad taste because there was nothing to counter it. The incident was so insignificant to the plot of the novella that I can’t fathom why it needed to be included.

There are certainly a few positives. Aside from the constant head-hopping (sometimes within a paragraph), the writing style was excellent. All the quoting of The Princess Bride was hilarious and fun and made the sex sweet and playful. There were a number of terrific and hilarious moments throughout. And in the end, I loved the surprise so much I actually squealed out loud. Had this story been minus the other elements, that would have made it a delightful romp in the style of any good romantic comedy with an outstanding plot twist.

My understanding is that this is a bit of a prequel to the actual novel. I wish I could say I would read it, except I don’t want more of Declan pondering his not-gayness. Plus, I’m not much in the market for poorly-drawn women and people of color, and I can’t trust that those won’t feature in the novel. Ultimately, I can only conclude this was a giant case of “not the story for me.”

For being blindsided by gay-for-you, annoying women, and a heap of disappointment, this gets 4/10 fountain pens.

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/563859

Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/As-You-Wish-Romance-Shatterproof-ebook/dp/B012T8J92U

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-asyouwishanmmromancenovella-1872206-351.html

Barnes&Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/as-you-wish-isobel-starling/1122410322?ean=9781519575210

Inspiration strikes at the strangest of times.

Born in Germany, Isobel Starling spent most of her twenty-year professional career making art. She relocated to the UK and, faced with the dreaded artist’s creative block, Isobel started to write and found she loved it more than making art.

Isobel’s first novel “Schonling” was a best seller in the GLBT-Bisexual genre on the ‘All Romance ebooks’ site. She has just completed her sixth book, and signed French translation rights for novella “As You Wish”.

She adores the M/M genre and enjoys writing about wounded souls and the complexities of personal relationships. Despite not having found proof yet, Isobel believes in love at first sight and endeavors to give her men a thrilling journey and a satisfying ending!

http://isobelstarling.wix.com/author

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Isobel-Starling/616067078525832

https://twitter.com/isobel_starling

https://isobelstarling.wordpress.com

Today I’m welcoming Isobel Starling to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about As You Wish.

What inspired you to write this story?

The story “As You Wish” began as a prompt through the Goodreads M/M Romance group DRITC event. I’d read some wonderful DRITC stories, and was fascinated to learn about the writing process. I had written Fanfic before but never written from a prompt.

I missed the first round, where story prompts were released and authors could claim the one they wanted to write on a first come, first served basis. Then, months later a writer dropped out and a prompt became available. Author Kaje Harper put the link on her Facebook page and I clicked and saw it first. The story prompt was about two men at their siblings wedding, and I was to tell the story of how they got together. The accompanying photo made me claim the prompt straight away. It pictured two men in kilts, their arms around one another, exchanging a loaded, naughty look. They became my characters Sam and Declan, and there and then I lost my heart to them. I was given a six weeks deadline, but I was just so obsessed, I wrote the book in three weeks.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

I feel connected to both Sam and Declan equally. Their back stories have been bubbling in my head since I saw the initial prompt image a year ago. Since writing “As You Wish”, I have written two more books in the “Shatterproof Bond” series. I know Sam and Declan intimately and I love writing their stories, watching their characters develop and discover their secrets. Their connection with each other is so vital and all encompassing. They have some really bad times to face, however the strength of their love holds them together, and it’s a really beautiful concept.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

Maybe readers will find me cocky for saying this. But the story came effortlessly. It was my obsession and joy, and just fell out of my head and onto the page. I suppose if I had to pinpoint a hard part, it was that I was typing so furiously for hours and days, that I inflamed my RSI and had to rest my hands for a few weeks after I finished.

Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?

I love this passage, because it’s not only romantic- they were watching “The Princess Bride” movie together, and sharing snacks, but it encompasses the moment Declan surrenders to his feelings for Sam.

“His fingertips met the back of Declan’s veined, broad hand in the bag of chocolates. He allowed his fingers to continue to slide inside. Under the cover of the semidarkness and the flickering light of the flat screen TV, both men lingered there for several moments, before Sam drew his empty hand away. Sam’s heart was ready to pound out of his rib cage. Declan had not flinched or swatted his hand. Did Declan really share his attraction? Sam waited for a beat and then put his hand back in the bag. Declan roughly gripped his fingers. Sam’s heart leapt. There it was, all the proof Sam needed.”

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

I have two books that come after “As You Wish” That I wrote consecutively. “Illuminate the Shadows” was released on 9th May, and the follow on “Return to Zero” comes out on 6th June.

I have two novels that are nearly complete- one is the last book in my “Pretty Boy” series, called “Sweet Thing”, and another is the first in a fantasy trilogy that I have been sitting on for a couple of years. I will also write more for Sam and Declan.

What are some of the jobs besides writer that you’ve held?

Before I was a writer, I was a professional artist for twenty years. My working life was varied, and that is what I loved about it. I worked primarily in fine art- with painting, drawing, photography and public sculpture- my main area of study being the male nude.

For extra income I diversified into the creative side of theatre, where I designed and created theater sets, props and costumes. However, I got sick, and my permanent medical condition makes the stressful life of working in theatre, impossible. Now I write full time and l love it.

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

I think for any author- self published or published by a traditional publisher, completing the first novel is an amazing accomplishment. Having the guts to release writing to the world is such a scary proposition. But my first novel “Schonling” turned out to be a best seller on All Romance eBooks, and I consider that pretty damn amazing.

What do you see yourself doing in another 1, 5, and/or 10 years?

I hope I will still be healthy, working creatively on writing and my art.

Word Sprints!

Plotter or pantser? Pantser until I run out of steam, and then I plot the gaps in the story
Coffee or tea? Tea
What’s your favorite book? Can’t choose just one! “The Tawny Man Trilogy” By Robin Hobb.
What was the last thing you read? “A bitter Taste of Sweet Oblivion” By Jordan Castillo Price
What genre (other than your own) do you like to read? Fantasy

Book Blast: Stained by Chris T. Kat

Books, Reviews

Author: Chris T. Kat

Title: Stained

Release Date: June 1^st, 2016

Categories: Contemporary, M/M Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5767496.Chris_T_Kat

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Bree Archer

Blair Clark has reached his breaking point. Forced to leave one job because of sexual harassment, he’s having difficulty finding another. Since no one believes what happened, Blair’s left with a stain on his employment record that he can’t get rid of. He’s had to move back home with his mother. As if that’s not bad enough, he realizes his crush, Travis, is simply using him. His romantic life looks as hopeless as his job search.

Jack Ross is sure he’ll never find anyone who’ll love him for who he is. All anyone sees is the port-wine stain on his left cheek—not the man behind it. Even his mother thinks he should get rid of it. But the procedure is difficult and painful.

When Blair applies for a secretarial position with Jack’s firm, both men learn that beauty is, indeed, in the eye of the beholder. It’ll take a lot of trust to chase away their insecurities, but if they take a chance on one another, love will find a way.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Stained-Chris-T-Kat-ebook/dp/B01FKGHIC6

ARe: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-stained-2037263-149.html

“Can’t I?” I gazed into Travis’s brown eyes, the same eyes I dreamed about at night. In those dreams they were filled with love, but when I looked now, I only saw cruelty, arrogance, and something more, something darker I didn’t want to think about.

“No.” Travis snatched my chin, held it tightly between his big fingers and forced me to keep perfectly still. “No, you can’t. Choose a manly job and they’ll stop. Keep flaunting your sexuality and that’s what they’ll do.”

“Flaunting my sexuality? What’s that got to do with my job?”

“You’re a secretary, for fuck’s sake. It’s a woman’s job. Now stop adding fuel to the fire and cowboy up.” Travis’s voice remained low but it held an angry edge to it, one I recognized well.

I dropped my gaze, and a moment later Travis let go of my chin. Breathing out a sigh of relief, I winced when another guy asked, “Having trouble keeping the fairy in line?”

“Are you kidding?” Travis replied, puffing up his chest.

Enough was enough. I bolted up, ready to leave, when a big hand clamped on my arm. I tugged, but the grip tightened. Anxiety blossomed into fear, especially when the table dropped into sudden silence.

“Where do you think you’re going?” Travis hissed.

My tongue stuck to the roof of my mouth, making it impossible for me to answer. What the hell was wrong with me? Why had I pursued Travis for so many months? Just because of his looks? Sure, he was hot, and exactly how I liked my men—big, fair-haired, and brown-eyed. But there was no love lost between us. Travis would never come out as gay, even though he liked to fool around with me whenever it was convenient for him.

“Blair, sit your ass down again, you’re attracting attention.”

When Travis pulled at my arm with more force, I planted my feet. I didn’t anticipate Travis letting go all of a sudden, leaving me to stumble backward. I crashed into someone behind me, taking us both to the ground.

Rolling to my knees and away from whomever I’d thrown, I apologized, “I’m so sorry. Did I hurt you?”

Heat flooded my cheeks as embarrassment swept over me. Holding out a hand for the guy I’d tripped, I recoiled when the man sat up, revealing his face. A gasp tumbled over my lips and I stared openmouthed. The skin of the man’s left side was stained in red, giving him a slightly scary appearance, as if he’d been badly burnt.

“I’m fine,” the man said, his brows creasing in a frown. Obviously he’d seen my reaction and wasn’t too thrilled about it.

I couldn’t help but stare even more. The man’s dark blue eyes bore right into me, daring me to say anything. The stained skin drew my attention, no matter how hard I tried to look elsewhere. It looked so painful, a large blotch of red that started below the man’s eye, covered his whole cheek, and tapered out at his jawline.

“It’s not contagious, if that’s what you’re afraid of,” the man said in an icy tone. He rose in one fluid motion, holding out his hand for me to… to what? Help me up? Why would he do that?

I eyed the outstretched hand, hating myself for the fear coursing through me. Just when I was about to take the man up on the offer, two big hands grabbed my waist and hoisted me to my feet.

Chris T. Kat lives in the middle of Europe, where she shares a house with her husband of many years and their two children. She stumbled upon the M/M genre by luck and was swiftly drawn into it. She divides her time between work, her family—which includes chasing after escaping horses and lugging around huge instruments such as a harp—and writing. She enjoys a variety of genres, such as mystery/suspense, paranormal, and romance. If there’s any spare time, she happily reads for hours, listens to audiobooks or does cross stitch.

Twitter: http://twitter.com/christi_kat

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/ChrisTKat

Blog: http://christikat.blogspot.com

Amazon Author Page: http://www.amazon.com/Chris-T.-Kat/e/B008FQQH2Q

Parker Williams, Divine Magazine, Alpha Book Club, Gay Media Reviews, Happily Ever Chapter, V’s Reads,

Kirsty Loves Books, MM Good Book Reviews, Two Chicks Obsessed With Books and Eye Candy, The Jena Wade,

A.M. Leibowitz, Making It Happen, BFD Book Blog, The Blogger Girls, 3 Chicks After Dark, Jessie G. Books,

Man2ManTastic, Nephy Hart, Open Skye Book Reviews, Butterfly-O-Meter, Inked Rainbow Reads, Velvet Panic,

Molly Lolly, The Hat Party, Bayou Book Junkie, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Havan Fellows, Oh My Shelves,

Book Lovers 4Ever, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, Outrageous Heroes

Rafflecopter Prize: 3 winners receive a book from Chris’s backlist!

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Book Tour: Tangling with Bears by Lisa Oliver

Books

Author: Lisa Oliver

Title: Tangling With Bears

Series: The Cloverleah Pack

Book: Eight (Can be read as a standalone)

Release Date: March, 2016

Length: 89,621 words

Categories: Erotica, Fiction, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, Ménage/Poly, Paranormal, Romance, Shifters (Wolf and Bear)

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/29636864-tangling-with-bears

Publisher: Oliver Group Publications

Cover Artist: Lisa Oliver

Tobias tells himself he’s having fun. He has a great life as a beta in the Cloverleah Pack, and while danger still threatens the pack, he has his friend’s wedding to look forward to, and the pleasures that come from hookups in random places. He’d like to meet his mate, just so he’s not the odd one out in the inner circle, but it’s not something he’s expecting anytime soon. So when a hookup just before the wedding leaves Tobias with a permanent scar, he wonders where the heck his life went wrong. Especially when the man responsible for the wicked set of tooth marks, disappeared after the deed was done, to ring a man called Kurt.

Kurt and Luke have been mated for three years. As bear shifters, Kurt has known from puberty that he will have two mates and once he’d claimed Luke, his mama warned him to be on the look out for a human female. So when Luke rings him and lets him know he might have accidentally on purpose bitten a wolf shifter, from some town they’d never heard of, Kurt heads to Cloverleah to sort out the mess.

Sorting out their mating is just one of the things the three men have to contend with. A magic user has stepped up his game and nowhere on pack lands seems safe. When Tobias gets taken, Kurt and Luke are helpless to do anything about it. It’s going to take the power of the pack before life will be safe again, for any of them.

Warning: Contains scenes of M/M and M/M/M sex. It also contains a special kind of bear, his grumpy mate, and a wolf that just wants to be loved. HEA and no cheating guaranteed.

While this book can be read as standalone, you will understand more about the secondary characters in the book, if you have read the others in the series.

Amazon.com – http://www.amazon.com/Tangling-Bears-Cloverleah-Pack-Book-ebook/dp/B01DJCGD3S/

All Romance Ebooks – https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-tanglingwithbears-2013520-142.html

Smashwords – https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/627362

“I’m too sexy for my shirt…” Kurt’s ring tone. Luke could hear the tinny tune, but it seemed like the sound was coming from outside. Leaping out of the truck, he glared at the trash can, now filled with his rubbish, before tipping the thing upside down, flailing his arms through the boxes and papers. There, on the ground. Thank the Fates. Luke sank his butt to the ground, tapping madly on the screen.

“Kurt, oh my god, Kurt….”

“Little bear, is everything okay? I sensed your distress. Are you hurt? Where are you?”

Luke breathed a sigh of relief, Kurt’s deep voice making the world seem like a more manageable place again. “I’m just outside of a tiny town, Cloverleah, I think it’s called. But Kurt, I found him, at least I think it was him, because I got hard, and he felt so good, and I just wanted to rub all over his sexy body, and when he came…”

“Luke. Stop. Focus.”

Focus. Kurt was right. Luke knew he had a tendency to run on about things.

“I’m sorry,” he said in a small voice.

“I’m not angry, little bear,” and Luke could tell that he wasn’t. Kurt never got angry with him, even that time when he thought he could microwave an entire jar full of honey so it would soften, and forgot that the jar had a metal lid.

“Now start again, from the beginning. You met someone who made your cock hard?”

Luke took in a deep breath, his cock hardening again. “Yes.”

“And then what happened?”

“He was in the shower, here at the truck stop. He was fondling his pretty cock, and his body was slim but muscled and the water was just streaming down, and my cock was so hard I thought it would burst out of my pants, so I took them off, because it hurt, you know. And I don’t think he heard me, but I just had to grab him, and then…”

“Breathe little bear.” Yeah, that probably would be a good idea. Luke took in a deep breath and let it out slowly.

“That’s good, babe, now, I presume you got in the shower with him.”

“Yes, but I took my clothes off first.” Luke remembered that Kurt wouldn’t like the idea of him wandering around wearing wet clothes. He did tend to forget things like that sometimes, especially if the salmon were running.

“That’s good, so then what happened? You grabbed him. Did you frighten him?”

“No!” Luke stared at the phone, wishing Kurt could see his face. He never intentionally frightened anyone, except that one time, and that was the night Kurt came and saved him…

“Don’t let your mind wander.” Kurt knew him so well.

“I didn’t frighten him, he leaned on me, and he let me play with him, and his cock just fit in my hand, and he smelled so good, like honey and chocolate all melted together even with the bleach stink, and I couldn’t help myself, his ass was right there…”

“He let you have sex with him?”

“I didn’t want to do that without you there. I just rubbed on him lots, and with the water and the smell, and when his cock spurted out…”

“I get the picture, little bear and it’s all right.”

“So he must be our mate, right?” Kurt wasn’t upset with him, that was the main thing.

“You would’ve gotten sick, and you definitely wouldn’t get a hard on with anyone else but our mate – I’ve told you that before. So yes, the man is our mate. Unexpected, but there’s no other explanation.” Kurt sounded so confident and Luke sighed and smiled, even though he knew Kurt couldn’t see him. Kurt knew about so much, and he would make sure everything was okay.

“Where is the man now and what’s his name?”

Oops. “I don’t know what his name is,” Luke yelled as he leaped up, leaving the rubbish on the ground, and his truck unlocked. “I left him in the bathroom.” Shit, had he been too long, was the sexy man still there? Maybe the wolf had got upset with him. He pounded towards the bathroom and flung open the door, but of course the room was empty, nothing but a towel tossed on the floor to indicate the room had even been used.

Lisa Oliver had been writing non-fiction books for years when visions of half dressed, buff men started invading her dreams. Unable to resist the lure of her stories, Lisa decided to switch to fiction books, and now stories about her men clamor to get out from under her fingertips.

When Lisa is not writing, she is usually reading with a cup of tea always at hand. Her grown children and grandchildren sometimes try and pry her away from the computer and have found that the best way to do it, is to promise her chocolate. Lisa will do anything for chocolate.

Lisa loves to hear from her readers and other writers. You can friend her on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/lisaoliverauthor), catch up on what’s happening at her blog (http://www.supernaturalsmut.com) or email her directly at yoursintuitively@gmail.com.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/lisaoliverauthor

Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/wisecrone333

Other: http://www.supernaturalsmut.com

Today I’m chatting with Lisa Oliver about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about Tangling with Bears.

What inspired you to write this story?

Hi there. TWB is the 8^th book in the Cloverleah Pack series, although it can be read as standalone. Tobias, the wolf in the story, has been with the pack a little while and he needed his story. Because of his background I decided to give him two mates, two wonderful bears – Kurt and Luke, and the whole thing sprung from there. My stories are always character rather than plot driven.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

Luke – he came across different to how I first pictured him. He’s a bear shifter, and really big in his animal form. But his human form has a cross between ADHD and Aspergers. What I was thrilled about with him is he bubbled across the page and from the feedback I’ve been getting my readers love him as much as I do. It’s impossible not to love Luke.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

Getting the story to end, lol. I could have done a whole lot more with these three men, but after I hit the 250 page mark, I knew it was time to say goodbye. A couple of my readers have suggested I write some short stories (which I have free on my website) so they can see another glimpse of this lovely threesome.

Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?

“Now take it slow for your first time, just a tiny flick of your wrist. Shuffle the pancake to the edge of the pan, make sure it’s not sticking, and then, flick.” Luke flicked and the pancake flipped straight onto the floor. Tobias grinned and simply said, “Oh darn, one for the birds.”

I loved this scene because it was Tobias’s first morning with his two bears. The simple idea of helping Luke make pancakes showed how caring he was going to be, and patient. With Luke both things were necessary.

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

I always have a lot on the go. Undesirable Mate, my 6^th and last book in the Bound and Bonded series, has just come out and I’m currently working on a new Alpha and Omega story, Harder in Heels, plus the sequel to Uncaged, which is the series I am writing based on my son’s ideas. Mace’s story from Stockton Wolves is also in the pipeline and of course Adair and Vassago (from Cloverleah) are also getting pretty demanding about their story, so I have a lot to do.

Who do you write for (your audience or who you hope to reach)?

I write purely for entertainment purposes – I guess I write the books I love to read. My readers are really supportive and I love them all, but honestly my books would still be written even if no one read them. My characters speak to me, in fact they don’t leave me alone until their story is told, so you see, in a way, they hold me hostage.

What do you wish people knew about your books or characters?

That simply because they’re M/M, they are not porn. Yes, my men have sex, some more often than not, but the key behind my books is that even with the true mate trope, lust does not equal love, and that to find love you have to take a journey. My books are about my characters going on that journey.

Are there any common themes you see in your work?

Not themes so much as ideas. All of my books are true mate based. None of them have any cheating in them and none of my characters have drug or alcohol abuse issues. In my own head I have no problem believing in insta-lust, but for me love takes work, and all of my characters have to grow and develop as people to become a solid “in love” couple. I am also very insistent on all of my books ending in HEA and no cliffhangers. Although all of my books are in one series or another, they are also written as standalone.

Word Sprints!

Plotter or pantser? Pantser
Coffee or tea? Tea
Cats or dogs? Dog
What’s your favorite food? Chocolate
Do you have any body art? I love tattoos and got my first one when I was 48. I now have 4 and two more planned.

9-May: Nautical Star Books, Outrageous Heroes

10-May: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

11-May: Happily Ever Chapter, MM Good Book Reviews

12-May: Jessie G. Books

13-May: Full Moon Dreaming

16-May: BFD Book Blog

17-May: My Fiction Nook

18-May: Oh My Shelves

19-May: Velvet Panic

20-May: Alpha Book Club

23-May: Divine Magazine

24-May: Bonkers About Books

25-May: Molly Lolly

26-May: Gay Media Reviews, Prism Book Alliance

27-May: Love Bytes

30-May: A.M. Leibowitz

31-May: Kirsty Loves Books

1-Jun: Open Skye Book Reviews

2-Jun: Bayou Book Junkie

3-Jun: Havan Fellows

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Rainbow Snippets: A Return Visit

Writing

Happy Saturday! Hot and sunny here, so my kids invented a new game: put the sprinkler under the trampoline. We spent the morning shopping for new bathing suits, and now they’re out there enjoying their water fun.

There are five more weeks in my book tour, and you can check out any of the links below on their respective dates to enter the giveaway. In this snippet, Renee has gone to do other things, and Adam is left with a handful of…interesting condoms he thinks he has no use for. (Those are all real, by the way, including the ones with former US Presidents and ruler markings.) He’s decided to pay the health center a return visit.

By the time Adam reached the health center, he’d made up his mind not to be swayed by Mr. Dark and Handsome. Adam was an effective communicator—that was his job. Not since middle school had he been at such a loss for how to speak to another human being. The only reason he’d ever been rendered silent, his mouth opening and closing like a fish, had been his eighth grade English teacher. Ms. Figueroa had been the single most gorgeous woman he’d ever seen, and the combination of puberty hormonal overload and awkward, geeky middle schooler had left him incapable of anything but sitting in class staring dreamily at her. No matter how attractive the guy in the health center was, he was not allowed to have the same effect on a grown-ass man with years’ worth of experience in the fine arts of dating and sex.

Rainbow Snippets is a safe and welcoming space for LGBTQIA+ authors, readers, and bloggers to share 6 sentences each week from a work of fiction—published or in-progress—or a book recommendation. Feel free to join in!

An Act of Devotion Book Tour:

2-May: MM Good Book Reviews, Book Lovers 4Ever, My Fiction Nook, Happily Ever Chapter

9-May: Iyana Jenna, Jessie G. Books, Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews

16-May: Prism Book Alliance, Elisa – My Reviews and Ramblings, The Novel Approach

23-May: Dawn’s Reading Nook, Three Books Over The Rainbow, Bonkers About Books

30-May: Full Moon Dreaming, Oh My Shelves, Unquietly Me

6-Jun: Alpha Book Club, Bayou Book Junkie, Inked Rainbow Reads

13-Jun: Molly Lolly, BFD Book Blog

20-Jun: Love Bytes, Sassygirl Books, Outrageous Heroes

Book Tour: Bad Dogs and Drag Queens by Julie Lynn Hayes

Books

Author: Julie Lynn Hayes

Title: Bad Dogs and Drag Queens

Series: Rose and Thorne

Book: One

Release Date: May 25, 2016

Length: 50,000 words

Categories: Crime Fiction, Fiction, Gay Fiction, Humor, Romance

Goodreads Link: : http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3442231.Julie_Lynn_Hayes

Publisher: Dreamspinner Press

Cover Artist: Paul Richmond

Vinnie Delarosa and Ethan Thorne are partners—on and off the clock. Federal undercover detectives, they’re part of a covert task force designed to promote goodwill between the feds and local authorities. They lend an unobtrusive helping hand wherever it’s needed. No credit required.

Vinnie and Ethan work primarily in the Southeast region of the United States and live together in Richmond, Virginia. A mugger problem brings them to Roanoke, where Vinnie is thrown out as bait to catch the man who’s been snatching purses in a city park, but they end up with more than they bargained for. Why is Vinnie always the one who has to wear the dress? Ethan says it’s because Vinnie looks much prettier in a skirt. How can he argue with that?

Expecting to return to Richmond afterward, Vinnie and Ethan find themselves assigned a new case instead. They are to go undercover at The Stroll, one of the biggest gay nightclubs in Roanoke. Someone is terrorizing both the customers and the performers. Could they be dealing with a hate crime? Someone has to protect the drag queens of Roanoke, so it’s Vinnie and Ethan to the rescue!

The author is donating 10% of the royalties from this book to No Kid Hungry. Visit nokidhungry.org for more information about this organization.

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=7762

https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-baddogsanddragqueens-2035486-145.html

“Remind me again whose stupid idea this lipstick was,” I huffed under my breath. Without thinking, I licked my lips. They felt greasy, and tasted even worse. I forced myself not to grimace, afraid it might crack the foundation I’d slathered on my face.

“Mine, you sexy beast,” came the smart-ass reply in my ear. “I think you got purty lips, mmhmmm.”

“Fuck you,” I growled. “You should be doing this, not me, and you know it. I did it last time.”

And the time before that. And the time before that. Wait, did I detect a pattern here?

“What I know is you look better in a skirt than I do. And you look damn good out of it too.”

My cheeks filled with heat at Ethan’s words. Luckily the darkness hid a multitude of sins, my embarrassment being the least of them. Hopefully, no one else was listening—I knew I’d never hear the end of it. Just what I needed—to be the object of ridicule of the Roanoke PD.

Julie Lynn Hayes first began publishing short stories and poetry in the 1990’s, when it was a different ballgame altogether, and Ebooks hadn’t been dreamed of yet. That changed in 2010 with the acceptance of her first romance novel. She’s come a long way since that first book appeared, and is finding the journey a very educational one.

She lives in St. Louis with her daughter Sarah and her cat Ramesses. She often writes of two men finding true love and happiness in one another’s arms, and is a great believer in the happily ever after. She likes to write in different genres, to stretch herself in order to see what is possible. Her great challenge is to be told something can’t be done—she feels compelled to do it.

When she isn’t writing, she enjoys crafts, such as crocheting and cross stitch, needlepoint and knitting, and she loves to cook, spending time watching the Food Network. Her favorite chef is Geoffrey Zakarian. Her family thinks she’s a bit off, but she doesn’t mind. Marching to the beat of one’s own drummer is a good thing, after all. Her published works can be found at Dreamspinner Press, eXtasy Books, and Wayward Ink Press.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/julie.l.hayes.7

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/authorjulielhayes

Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/ShelleyRunyon

Blog: http://julielynnhayes.blogspot.com

Today I’m welcoming Julie Lynn Hayes to chat about writing, life, and their current project. Welcome! Let’s talk a little about Bad Dogs and Drag Queens.

What inspired you to write this story?

Originally, this came about when I wrote a 500 word flash for a Facebook group, inspired by a photo they posted. The photo was from the POV of someone in a car trunk, looking up at someone standing outside. From that I wrote Roadside Assistance, about two undercover cops who are partners on and off the job, and their run-in with the Florida Mangler. It was so short, the cops never got names. Afterward, my friend Chris T. Kat said she’d like to know more about them. My muse went to work, and suddenly I found myself writing this book, starting with Vinnie wearing a dress, on a mugger stakeout.

Is there a character you feel especially connected to? Why?

I’d have to say Vinnie. There’s a lot of him in me, which is why I find it easy to write in his voice. We’re both insecure and uncertain, and don’t necessarily expect the best out of life. Sometimes Vinnie wonders what Ethan even sees in him.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

I wouldn’t say it was hard, but I did have to research some of it, because I didn’t know a lot about being a drag queen, and it was an interesting learning process. I now know what tucking is and how to do it lol A friend at work helped too. She used to own a bar/club, and she had drag queens perform there, so she was knowledgeable about them. Thanks, Nancy!

Choose a favorite line or short passage. What do you like about it?

“Vinnie, are you saying what I think you’re saying?”

“Well, it’s not my first choice either, Ethan, but I don’t know what else to do. We can fix him up some space in one of the drawers. He’s little. He’ll probably like that. In the morning, we’ll get hold of his owner and then we can take him home on our way in to the station.”

“Yeah, okay.” Ethan gave in, as I knew he would. “You can carry him, since I’m driving.”

“Who says you’re driving?”I argued, even as I scooped up the unresisting pup. I tucked him into the crook of one arm, well away from the purse I’d slung over my other shoulder.

“Because I’m the husband and you’re the wife, and that’s how it works.” He winked at me.

Some days I just want to belt him.

I love the give and take between these two, their playful banter, and their teasing.

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

I’m currently working on the third book in this series, which is untitled at the moment, and waiting for the second, Civil War and Broken Hearts, to be contracted. For right now, I’m focusing on Rose and Thorne, because I’m having so much fun with Vinnie and Ethan!

What are some of the jobs besides writer that you’ve held?

I am currently an Accounting/Operations Specialist, and editor, and have been: checker, teller, telemarketer, secretary, office manager, data entry operator, bookkeeper, reviewer, Registration Chair (at conventions), and maybe some I’ve forgotten lol

What do you consider to be your best accomplishment?

Katie, Michael, Sarah, and Christopher – my children

What do you see yourself doing in another 1, 5, and/or 10 years?

Writing and visiting my kids

23-May: Open Skye Book Reviews, My Fiction Nook, Multitasking Mommas

24-May: Velvet Panic, Nephy Hart, Louise Lyons

25-May: Happily Ever Chapter, Books A to Z, The Novel Approach

26-May: Parker Williams, Man2ManTastic, Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words

27-May: Divine Magazine, A.M. Leibowitz

30-May: Jessie G. Books, Inked Rainbow Reads, Wake Up Your Wild Side

31-May: Outrageous Heroes, Bayou Book Junkie

1-Jun: Hearts on Fire, Nautical Star Books, Prism Book Alliance