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WIPpet Wednesday: Wrong Thing to Say

Happy Wednesday! Busy day—the kids had a big track event at camp, which I went to watch. Sadly, that meant no writing or editing or beta reading today, at least not so far. I got extra done on Monday, but I’ve now lost two days’ worth of work due to post-activity fatigue. I’m hoping to make up for it tomorrow.

On to the WIPpet. Directly after last week’s, and Nate…well, his heart is in the right place, but he doesn’t always have a lot of tact. Plus he can’t seem to decide if Jamie is a delicate butterfly in need of freeing or if he’s simply choosing poorly. (Note: he’s referencing something which happened in Anthem, but it’s not vital to the main plot of either story.)

WIPmath: 7/27/2016 = 2 + 7 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 6 – 7 = 11 paragraphs

Jamie relaxed visibly and ran a shaking hand through his hair.

“Thanks,” he said.

“He’s an ass,” Nate remarked.

“Please don’t,” Jamie snapped, his posture abruptly changing. “You don’t understand.”

“Understand what? I have no idea what you were arguing about, but damn it, Jamie, it gets old.”

“Oh? I’m sorry my life is ruining yours.” Jamie pushed past Nate and took off down the hallway to his room. He slammed the door, leaving Nate alone in the kitchen.

Nate closed his eyes and breathed slowly. Great. Another friendship on the verge of collapse because he simply couldn’t keep his mouth shut. He thought about Trevor and the mess he’d created there by accidentally-on-purpose outing him in a public and humiliating way. It had worked itself out, but it would be a long time before he could reconstruct their trust again. Now here he was, hurting Jamie too.

He smacked his hand on the counter. Enough was enough. He wouldn’t lose someone else because of his overdeveloped sense of what was right. Nate went to Jamie’s room and knocked on the door.

“What do you want?” Jamie asked.

“I want to make sure you’re okay. I’m sorry I was a jerk just now.”

A moment later, Jamie opened the door. They stood there, Jamie craning his neck to look up at Nate, who was a good ten inches taller. Jamie’s eyes were red-rimmed. Nate put a hand on Jamie’s arm and squeezed gently. He let go, and with a nod, Jamie stepped back into his room and closed the door with a soft click. If Nate’s eyes misted over too, no one else needed to know.

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: Checking In by Debbie McGowan

Books, Reviews

Title: Checking In

Author: Debbie McGowan

Series: Checking Him Out (#3)

In the Checking Him Out Series:
Checking Him Out (Book One)
Checking Him Out For the Holidays (novella)
Hiding Out (novella – A crossover featuring Matty and Noah, and Josh, George and Libby from Hiding Behind The Couch)
Taking Him On (Book Two – A Noah and Matty novel)
Checking In (Book Three)

Length: 250 pages

Publisher: Beaten Track Publishing

Publication Date: December 15, 2015

Freelance engineer Sol Brooks is in hot demand. He’s landed a couple of big contracts and is all set for a business trip back to the other side of the pond. The last thing he needs is an unexpected visitor to complicate his departure.

Especially when that visitor puts his relationship with husband Adam on rocky ground.

Determined to fulfil his contractual obligations, Sol goes ahead with the trip. It’s a great opportunity and a chance to catch up with old friends. And he’s going to check in regularly.

What could possibly go wrong?

* * * * *

NOTE: this novel follows on from previous stories, and coincides with Taking Him On, but can also be read as a stand-alone.

* * * * *

WARNING: this story contains sex acts between consenting male adults.

Note: Though this is part of a series, they can all easily be read as stand-alones. I read them out of order except for this one, and it did not spoil my enjoyment.

I can’t believe it took me over seven months to get around to reading this. It’s probably my favorite in the series. Sol is such a great narrator, and I love his sense of humor which I will call “politely snarky.” He always seems just this side of exasperated by the chaos around him and oblivious to how much of it he’s helped create. Fortunately for us, that makes a good story. And he really does learn how his actions and reactions have ripple effects, so he gets a gold star.

This is pretty much what I look for in a story. The writing is excellent, the pacing is good, and while there is a romantic relationship, the focus is not exclusively on the two of them. There’s also a good balance between the heavy, difficult things and the more lighthearted ones, keeping it from becoming either too weighted down by or too cheerfully dismissive of real-world challenges.

There’s some romance of the loving married couple variety, which includes some delightfully steamy parts, if that’s what you’re into. On at least one occasion, that means you might want to tell Sol to stop thinking and get on with it already, very much like real life. I’m generally non-committal on sex in a book; I don’t care if it’s there or not. In this case, I thought it worked well, matching the mood of the moment nicely. There is quite a bit of explicit fooling around, so you’ve been warned.

As in life, this isn’t a tidy summary of two lost souls finding each other and living happily ever after. Adam and Sol have a complicated existence, often messy and unpredictable. What makes them good is the way they fit together, both as a couple and with the people around them. They start off this story with a lot to learn about how to communicate effectively, and the way they both grow is wonderfully satisfying.

One of the themes here, and which I see a lot in many of the author’s works, is making a home with those who know and love us best. They may be family of origin or by choice, but whoever they are, these are the people we come back to no matter how far we’ve wandered. I can’t say for sure this is intentional, but I suspect it is because virtually nothing in these stories is accidental. In this case, Sol and Adam don’t start out seeing themselves as the center, but they are, and by the end, they’re in process of figuring out how that works.

The whole story is a bit of an emotional ride. Sometimes I was crying with laughter, and other times just plain crying—often on the same page. The plot itself matters very little here (though it’s quite good) because it’s all about what’s going on in the heads and hearts of Sol and Adam and the people they love. So many of the things they express are painfully (or awkwardly or frustratingly) familiar. Many of us can recognize our own failures in Sol’s flawed narrative. Hopefully we can also see our redemption in the actions he takes to make it right in the end. Guaranteed we see our potential to love and be loved through it all.

For a deeply emotional journey home, a narrator who’s imperfect but likable, and a stellar supporting cast of characters, this gets 10/10 fountain pens.

Heat Rating: 4/5 (frequent and/or explicit sexual content)

Beaten Track: http://www.beatentrackpublishing.com/shop/proddetail.php?prod=checkingin_format

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Checking-Him-Out-Book-ebook/dp/B017166SL0

iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/checking-in/id1052059068?mt=11

DEBBIE McGOWAN is an author and publisher based in a semi-rural corner of Lancashire, England. She writes character-driven, realist fiction, celebrating life, love and relationships. A working class girl, she ‘ran away’ to London at seventeen, was homeless, unemployed and then homeless again, interspersed with animal rights activism (all legal, honest ;)) and volunteer work as a mental health advocate. At twenty-five, she went back to college to study social science— tough with two toddlers, but they had a ‘stay at home’ dad, so it worked itself out. These days, the toddlers are young women (much to their chagrin), and Debbie teaches undergraduate students, writes novels and runs an independent publishing company, occasionally grabbing an hour of sleep where she can.

Rainbow Snippets: Could’ve Said No

Writing

Happy Saturday! What a long, disgustingly hot week. Our house is not air conditioned, plus we were having some work done on it, so I was stuck here wilting and trying to write. The goal is to have the first draft done by Friday, which is looking pretty likely.

Now for the snippet. I’ve been posting from my current WIP, Nightsong. I also post bits of it on Wednesdays for the WIPpet blog hop, which anyone is welcome to join—authors there write in many genres. Today’s bit follows immediately from last week’s, as I’ve been doing.

Not that Nate should be talking. He’d wasted a lot of years on the wrong people himself. If he were making a list, he might as well start with his first boyfriend and end with the unrequited crush he’d had on his best friend, Trevor. The result of his own bad decisions had been losing one of them and nearly losing the other. Del didn’t know any of that, however, and it left Nate free to needle him a little.

“You could have said no,” he pointed out.

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!

WIPpet Wednesday: No Means No

Fiction, Other Relationships, Writing

Happy Wednesday! Late again, this time because I nearly forgot. I don’t even have a good excuse this time.

Progress is now steady on the novel. I’m just past the halfway mark, so I’m on track to finish up by the end of next week with the first draft. After that, I’ll be editing and sending chapters to betas. Once I have that going, it will be time to start on my next project, which I’m pretty excited about. It’s quite a departure from what I’ve been writing.

On to the WIPpet. Once again, it’s directly after last week’s. The Boyfriend went from argumentative to “sweetly” persuasive. Now he’s moved on to strategy #3. Some non-consensual touching and an ignored “no” this time, but it doesn’t go any farther than that.

WIPmath: 7/20/2016 = 7 + 2 + 0 + 2 + 0 + 1 + 6 = 18 paragraphs

He moved one hand down to Jamie’s hip then slowly inched his fingers farther in until they rested on Jamie’s crotch. Jamie flinched, but his muttered, “Stop it” went unheeded.

Nate hated getting in the middle, but once Jamie’s no had been disrespected, he couldn’t help it. “Hey, Jay?” he called, moving closer to them.

The other two fell silent. Jamie cleared his throat and responded, “Yeah?” as he turned toward Nate.

“Want to come help me in the kitchen for a sec?”

Jamie started to step out of the hallway, but The Boyfriend caught his arm. “Where do you think you’re going? We’re not done.”

“I’m going to help Nate like he asked.” Jamie jerked his arm away.

He entered the kitchen and wiped his face on his sleeve. His cheeks were blotchy and his eyes were bright, but he looked all right otherwise. Nate wouldn’t have put it past The Boyfriend to hit Jamie, though he hadn’t seen him do it yet. He held out the bag of groceries and leaned in as though he were discussing the cream cheese.

“Are you all right?” he asked, low.

“Yeah.”

“Jamie.”

“It’s nothing, okay?” Jamie sighed. “But thanks for getting me out of there.”

“Want to tell me what that was about?”

Jamie shrugged and stepped around Nate to open the fridge. He glanced over his shoulder and leaned closer. “Not now.”

Nate nodded and put the last few items away. He tossed the reusable bag into a drawer and stalked over to The Boyfriend. Nate towered over him, and he wasn’t afraid to use his height to his advantage in this situation. The Boyfriend shrank back a bit, though he was still scowling.

“Probably a good idea to leave,” Nate said.

“Not without him.” The Boyfriend nodded at Jamie. “He’s coming with me like he promised.”

“Hell, no,” Nate told him. “Didn’t sound like he promised you anything.” He crossed his arms and stared down at The Boyfriend.

The Boyfriend gave a whining huff and flounced out, pulling the door shut with force behind him.

Book Tour: Into the Blue by Pene Henson

Books

Author: Pene Henson

Title: Into the Blue

Release Date: July 7, 2016

Length: 236 pages, 72,600 words

Categories: Contemporary, Gay Fiction, M/M Romance, New Adult, Romance

Goodreads Link: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/28764284-into-the-blue

Publisher: Interlude Press

Cover Artist: Colleen M. Good

Tai Talagi and Ollie Birkstrom have been inseparable since they met as kids surfing the North Shore. Now they live with their best friends in a pulled-together family, sharing life and the saltwater in their veins. Tai’s spent years setting aside his feelings for Ollie, but when Ollie’s pro surfing aspirations come to fruition, their steady world shifts. Is the relationship worth risking everything for a chance at something terrifying and beautiful and altogether new?

Interlude Press Web Store: http://store.interludepress.com/collections/into-the-blue-by-pene-henson

Amazon: http://amzn.to/29gJvfv

Barnes and Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/into-the-blue-pene-henson/1123818321?ean=9781941530849

Apple iBooks Store: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/into-the-blue/id1114833401?mt=11

Smashwords: https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/637136

All Romance eBooks: https://www.allromanceebooks.com/product-intotheblue-2058731-149.html?referrer=55feb862851f8

Book Depository: http://www.bookdepository.com/Into-the-Blue/9781941530849 /?a_aid=InterludePress

Indiebound: http://www.indiebound.org/book/9781941530849?aff=Interludepress

Across from them, one of the Brazilians plays guitar. Ollie doesn’t recognize the song even when a couple of others sing along. The beach is wider and the sand finer than on the North Shore, but every beach is a little like home. Ollie misses the Blue House; he misses the surf and the palms and the shoreline he knows so well. He misses Jaime and Sunny and Hannah. Still, though he’s as far from home as he’s ever been, Ollie’s comfortable. These are his people, too. He leans back on his arms and looks up into the dark.

He’s watched the night sky since he was a little kid, but down here in the Southern Hemisphere he doesn’t recognize the hundreds upon hundreds of stars. The Southern Cross is up there. Ollie tries to orient himself.

Tai shifts toward him, then looks up and follows Ollie’s gaze. The warmth of Tai’s body settles into Ollie’s heart, grounds him. Ollie leans into him a little, and their arms brush to the elbow. The contact simmers in the air between them.

Unexpectedly, Ollie knows what he wants. “Come back to the hotel,” he says quietly to Tai. He pitches his voice low. It hums across the tiny space between them. No one else can hear him over the pounding surf and the sound of the music. It’s easy to be bold in the dark of a beach where Ollie’s never been before. He’s shocked by that same boldness.

Pene Henson has gone from British boarding schools to New York City law firms. She now lives in Sydney, Australia, where she is an intellectual property lawyer and published poet who is deeply immersed in the city’s LGBTQIA community. She spends her spare time enjoying the outdoors and gazing at the ocean with her gorgeous wife and two unexpectedly exceptional sons. Into the Blue is her first novel.

Facebook Author Page: https://www.facebook.com/penewrites/?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/penehenson

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14918436.Pene_Henson

Blog: www.PeneHenson.com

Today I’m chatting with Pene Henson about writing, life, and their current project.

Welcome! Let’s talk a little about INTO THE BLUE.

What inspired you to write this story?

I wanted a book about sunshine and the ocean and bare feet and best friends in love. But also a real book where things are sometimes ordinary and people aren’t perfect and you have to build a household because you don’t always have anywhere to go. I’m sure there are other books out there but I haven’t found one so I had to write my own.

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

I feel enormously connected to Tai. He might be a young surfer and shaper and way more skilled with his hands than I but I feel his awareness of others and his way of looking at the world as though it’s all good. I also understand his need to step in and fix things and make things work for other people, rather than letting them get things wrong themselves. Of course there are other ways he’s different to me. The boy is way more physical than I am.

What was the hardest part of writing this?

For me the hardest part was simply lacking time. I was tired a lot because I was trying to squeeze writing into short short hours. There’s a benefit to that. It’s hard to feel blocked when you only have an hour to write in.

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

Ollie lets himself be hustled and high-fived back into the house.

I love that it’s lighthearted but there’s a lot of soft feeling in it. Ollie’s not particularly articulate or self aware so he sees most things through the actions that surround them. This line shows Ollie’s social discomfort and his sweet love of this ramshackle family. And it shows how they all support one another and look after one another.

Tell us a little about any upcoming projects.

I just finished my second novel which is a romance between two women set on the east coast of Australia. I intentionally set it in places and with people I know, among indie musicians and along my coast, because I’ve heard second novels are tough. It was still tough but also a great joy. I love these women and their dreams and connection and their friends.

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

When I start writing I am writing for myself, writing the book I want to read, though I am aware that two of my dear friends and fierce editors will read too. Once I’m in the middle I find I’m writing for the characters, because I love them and want them to be so happy. And then I give the book away and it’s for people who like things to be beautiful and real at once, for people who want to read something that’s simple and still has depth. It’s also for queer folk like me who want a happy story not just a happy ending.

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

Hmm. I feel like all the things I want them to know are there in the books. I wish people could really go to all the places in my books.

Are there any common themes you see in your work?

There are a couple. One theme is the ways which people are changed by setting, how we become willing to take risks when we are out of our comfort zones. Another is the families we build around us. And lastly that even happy situations sometimes need breaking down and rebuilding.

Word Sprints!

Coffee or tea? Tea. Black tea no milk. I’m new to it and slightly obsessed.
Musical theater or rock concert? Rock concert every time.
What’s a charity/cause you support? Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health and opportunity
Do you enjoy watching or playing any sports? I watch a lot of football (soccer) and cricket. Honestly I’d watch anyone play almost any sport.
What’s the best part of the day? Dawn, when everything is pale gold and blue and there’s the hush of things that will happen later.

7-Jul: Havan Fellows, Louise Lyons, Hearts on Fire

8-Jul: Outrageous Heroes, Unquietly Me, Dawn’s Reading Nook

11-Jul: Love Bytes, Kirsty Loves Books, Bayou Book Junkie

12-Jul: Wicked Faerie’s Tales and Reviews, MM Good Book Reviews, Butterfly-O-Meter

13-Jul: Oh My Shelves, Boys on the Brink Reviews

14-Jul: Molly Lolly, Happily Ever Chapter

15-Jul: Scattered Thoughts & Rogue Words, Sinfully Addicted to All Male Romance, Prism Book Alliance

18-Jul: MM Book Escape, Making It Happen, Velvet Panic, BFD Book Blog

19-Jul: Book Lovers 4Ever, My Fiction Nook, V’s Reads

20-Jul: A.M. Leibowitz, Alpha Book Club

Rafflecopter Prize: Grand Prize: $25 Interlude Press Gift Card, Five first prizes of an e-copy of ‘Into the Blue’ by Pene Henson

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Book Tour: Just a Week by Jena Wade

Books

Title: Just A Week

Author: Jena Wade

Release Date: July 5th 2016

Genre: Contemporary MM Romance

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30818125-just-a-week?ac=1&from_search=true

Just a week is not enough time to fall in love, but Fate doesn’t care. Seth’s carefully crafted plan for how his life will go doesn’t include falling in love with a guy in his horrible hometown. He wants to start a new life anywhere but at home. Until Maddox storms in with his multi-colored hair and carefree attitude.

Long distance relationships don’t work and Seth isn’t into gambling with his future. But the more time he spends with Maddox, the more he’s willing to throw caution to the wind. Now his plan for the rest of his life has been turned upside down and seems to include things Seth never thought possible, including a lifetime of happiness in his hometown.

Amazon | Loose ID | All Romance

“Seth, this is Maddox. Maddox, Seth.” My dad gestured between us, as if we couldn’t figure out who was who.

I nodded. I suppose the thing to say would be “nice to meet you” or something along those lines. But I wasn’t very suave. And I was still unsettled about the fact that he caught me being a creeper.

He smiled.

Fuck.

Perfect white teeth practically blinded me. Was there anything about him that wasn’t designed to make me weak in the knees? I had a thing for teeth. Yeah, I know it sounds weird.

After a moment of awkward staring, I turned away and gestured to the pile of new shelving that still remained in boxes.

“We better get started. I’ve already begun thinking about what our best course of action is. I think if we work from the back of the store forward, left to right, we’ll be able to get done quickly. I’ve managed to find the instructions— What are you doing?”

Maddox bent over the box, knife in hand, and started slicing it open. He cut a line through the cardboard, not even bothering to open it via the top of the box, where it was taped shut. That would have been the most logical thing to do. “Getting the pieces out.”

I looked to my dad for help, but he had walked away.

“But we haven’t laid out a plan. We don’t know where we are starting. I am not even sure if we have enough room back here to build. We aren’t ready to start opening up boxes and taking out pieces. I haven’t read the instruction manual yet. We don’t have a plan.”

Maddox shrugged one shoulder. “We’re building new shelving to replace the old. That’s the plan.”

I cringed. This is why teams never worked out for me. “That’s the objective. Our plan will give us a step-by-step process so we get it done quickly and efficiently.”

A half smile from Maddox had my heart doing jumping jacks. For fuck’s sake. Of all the times to get a crush, it had to be now? Apparently my dick didn’t get the memo that we didn’t like this guy.

I continued, “Research has shown that building projects get completed quicker if you follow the instruction manual.”

“Dude, it ain’t that serious. We’re building shelves, not launching a spaceship. Your dad said we could do this however we want, and I say we just jump in and get it done.” Despite his playful tone, I couldn’t get past the flawed logic in his plan.

No. That wouldn’t work for me. “We should put together a plan, a task list, find out who would be best suited to do which tasks. We need to make a plan.” I talked in circles. Repeating myself and I knew it. He wasn’t going to listen. I put a hand on my hip and stared at him. Hard.

It wasn’t working.

Maddox laughed. He laughed at me. Great.

Jena began writing in January of 2013 as a New Year’s Resolution–and so far she has stuck to it!

She lives in Michigan. By day she works as a web developer, and at night she writes. Born and raised on a farm, she spends most of her free time outdoors, playing in the garden, or riding her horses. She also helps run the family dairy farm.

Website | Loose ID | Twitter | Goodreads

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WIPpet Wednesday: Wrong Thing to Say

Book Review: Checking In by Debbie McGowan

Rainbow Snippets: Could’ve Said No

WIPpet Wednesday: No Means No

Book Tour: Into the Blue by Pene Henson

Book Tour: Just a Week by Jena Wade

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