Saturday, September 29, 2012

Should Authors Respond to Reviews? This One Does

You may rememember a few weeks ago that I said I'd stop responding to reviews due to blogs I'd read stating that authors should never to that. Due to an overwhelming vote of "Don't stop" from readers, I've continued the practice.

As part of their "Back to School" series, Chicks & Dicks asked me to guest post, stating my point of view for their followers. You can read the results here.

Friday, September 28, 2012

What's in a Word? -- Reminders

Last week I ranted explained my dislike of the word "walk" to describe a character's mobility. Today I'm still singling out that word, but taking things a step further, using synonyms for not only adding description and ambiance to a scene, but also to allow readers to remember a critical piece of the story they may have forgotten. Once more I'm picking on Lucky from Diversion and the upcoming Collusion. He's fun to pick on.

Readers put books down. They read two or three at a time. They read in fifteen minute intervals on breaks at work. Therefore, they forget details every now and then, at least, I know I do. Readers may wonder, "Why doesn't Lucky simply run away from the bad guy?" forgetting that he suffered a leg injury on page sixty in Collusion. It doesn't require a repeat of the injury scene, or droning on about "My poor leg!" All the reminder requires is one word, or rather, one of several handy words.

"Lucky hobbled across the parking lot." Even though a reader may wonder at first why he's hobbling, they'll remember the injury. "Lucky hobbled across the parking lot, his crutches more hindrance then help" also serves a reminder.

While Lucky's injury needs only be portrayed for one third of a book, Noah, in The Angel of 13th Street suffered an old injury that still effects him. When he's tired or worked too hard, the leg hurts, and he can't run very well. So occasionally you'll see Noah limp, hop, shuffle, or stumble.  Not only do these words better describe his odd gait, but they serve as reminders of an infirmity.

But while Noah refuses to show weakness to his young partner, Jeremy, you can bet Lucky is not above milking his broken foot for all the sympathy and home cooked meals he can get from Bo.

Tuesday, September 25, 2012

Early Literary Influences - A Guest Post by Feliz Faber


Welcome to another installment of Early Literary Influences.  When I first began this series I had no idea where it would lead, I merely wanted to pay some respect to books that influenced writers and set them on the path to creating their own characters and worlds. I received an interesting surprise: not only did the books themselves shape lives, but the people behind them--a librarian in the case of one guest poster, and today, author Karl May. 

Today's guest post is by Feliz Faber, and in reading her rememberances of May's works, I believe I'd have loved them too. 

Eden
****

I came across my first Karl May book when I was ten. Back in the day, my world was strictly separated into girl's things and boy's things—Barbie dolls vs. Matchbox cars, skirts vs. pants, helping Mum with the cooking vs. helping Dad in the garage, and of course girl's books and boy's books. Much to our parent's consternation, though, both my brother and I turned out little rebels in that regard. I used to nick my brother's toy cars and dogged my dad whenever he went near his motorbike, my skirts turning up torn and stained with grease until I was allowed my first pair of jeans at the age of eight, while my brother stole my dolls and endlessly pestered Mum with peeking into pots and pans until she gave in and taught him how to cook (AND he's notorious for wearing utilikilts at any given opportunity—but I digress)

Anyhow, needless to say I wasn't keen on Heidi & Co., either, appropriating my brother's books instead. Now THAT was right up my alley. Exotic places, exciting adventures, glorious heroes and vicious villains, shootouts and fistfights, true friendship till death and HORSES! (in that regard, I was all girl, going through my horsey phase all right). I laughed, I cried, I devoured book by book (no shortage here, as Karl May wrote about eighty, all in all), and I read and reread my favorites until I almost knew them by heart.

Generations of German boys (and girls, as it is) grew up with Karl May's characters, Winnetou and Old Shatterhand, Kara Ben Nemsi and Hadschi Halef Omar, Captain Kaiman, The Blue-Red Methusala, to name only a few. I think Karl May is the most popular German  "YA" author of the 20th century, although in his time, nobody would've known the term YA. He was born in 1842, and his books are mostly set during the 1870ies and 1880ies. Their locations include the Middle East, the American West, South America, China, India, North Africa, the South Seas and many other countries, including the Europe of Karl May's time. His narrative pattern is always the same: there's a first person narrator, most often a German by the name of Karl, who travels to some foreign country, makes fast friends with a native, and they ride out to miraculous adventures. The first-person narrator usually has larger than life intellectual and physical abilities, speaks dozens of languages and invokes strong emotions in anybody he meets, be they friends or foes. The native companion can be a superhuman being too, like Winnetou, the ideal noble savage, or he is a servant-turned-friend like Hadschi Halef Omar, who's more of a Sancho Pansa to Kara Ben Nemsi's Don Quixote rather than a hero in his own right. One thing in common, there's always a deep bond between "Karl" and his native companion, a faithful devotion that in some cases, borders on love.

Much has been said of the homoerotic subtext in Karl May's work, and in my opinion, there is no denying its presence, if you but look a little closer. It's most obvious with Winnetou and Old Shatterhand, but the first person narrator meets many other men during his travels whose "male beauty" sends him into rapture. Of course, when I was a child I didn't notice any of this, but I read and reread  Karl May's books again and again over the years and still sometimes do. (I still have the Winnetou trilogy on my bookshelf). It's subtle, and the boundaries are often blurry between friendship and erotic attraction, but that's something that has undeniably influenced my own writing, too.          

What made Karl May such a great writer was his boundless imagination, combined with an incredible amount of painstaking research. He wrote all his stories without ever having left Germany, and still the descriptions of his hero's travels were so accurate that a bunch of afficionados could actually use his books as travel guides in the 1930s. (and to think he achieved that without Internet research, let alone Google Earth!) And he was the master of scurrility. His supportive characters are often unforgettably quirky types with a knack for getting into bizarre troubles from which the superman heroes have to save them afterwards. I've always loved the humor in Karl May's books, and I must admit that in my own writing, supportive characters tend to be descendants of Karl May's Sir David Lindsay or Sam Hawkins.

From a present-day perspective, Karl May's writing style is rather sententious, his characters are over-the-top, his stories often overly melodramatic and brimming with violence, racism and stereotypes. And still, people continue to read his books, and he's continuing to make new fans even though he's been dead for almost a century now. All colonial arrogance of Karl May's time aside, his books are permeated with a deep sympathy for the subdued, for the underdogs, the colonized nations; some of his views must have struck his contemporaries as downright radical. His books made me curious in the history of Native Americans as well as the truth behind "Lawrence of Arabia", behind Kipling's "Kim" and many other popular books and movies.

If nothing else, Karl May made me curious about the world and what makes it turn.     

****

Thank you, Feliz, for visiting the site and sharing your remembrances of Karl May's stories. 

Feliz is the author of deeply moving short story, Desert Falcon, and the absolutely fascinating, City Falcon. (I love that cover!) The covers link to these wonderful stories at Dreamspinner Press; the title links take you to my reviews of these stories on Goodreads. While Desert Falcon is bittersweet, I loved it nonetheless, and got the HEA I'd hoped for in City Falcon. 






Find Feliz at On Letters and Life


Sunday, September 23, 2012

The Return of Bo and Lucky

I'm thrilled to announce that I've finished drafting and revising Collusion, the sequel to Diversion, and the manuscript is now in the hands of betas. The crisis has passed, and now the guys are settling in, establishing themselves as both coworkers and lovers, while keeping the "lovers" part under wraps.

As usual, Lucky can't do things the easy way...

Look for Collusion to publish in the spring of 2013.

Saturday, September 22, 2012

Book Announcement

It's hard to believe that it's been two years, but Duet, my historical/paranormal/contemporary romance, starring a Scottish Highlander and a shy English teacher, has aged out of contract. Though it's always sad when a books goes out of print, this is a golden opportunity for me to correct the issues I've found since I wrote it and, due to commenters' requests, there's now an epilogue of Aillil and Malcolm together in the modern world. I don't have an exact date for republication, but look for Duet, 2nd Edition sometime in January.

A short story has also served its purpose: Summer Boys, written to raise money for It Gets Better. I'm not sure yet what I'll do with the story, but more than likely it'll be enhanced before republication. Due to a maximum word count for the campaign, I'd had to cut a few details that I'd like to put back in. So though I don't have a date, my guys from Summer Boys will be walking the shores of Oahu again soon.

Friday, September 21, 2012

GayRomLit Kick-Off Contest at The Novel Approach

Avid reader and reviewer Lisa Horan is hosting a GayRomLit Kick-Off at her site, The Novel Approach, meaning gifts for readers! I'm thrilled that my book, Diversion, is part of the opening ceremony. Enter to win a copy. All you have to do is leave a comment on her post at The Novel Approach. 



Lisa was also kind enough to announce that Bo and Lucky will be back in the sequel, Collusion, which should be publishing in the spring of 2013.






Thursday, September 20, 2012

What's in a Word?

I'm not an expert writer, my betas and editors will attest to that, probably with a roll of the eyes for good measure. However, I also beta for other authors, have done a bit of coaching, am an avid reader, and have learned a few things over the years. One thing folks I've worked with will tell you is that I've developed a  personal vendetta against certain words. If they don't pull their weight in a story, they need to be out of a job.

Today's word is "walked", or how a character gets from point A to point B. I'm going to pick on Lucky  from Diversion for an example of why this word annoys me.

Number one: it tells me next to nothing. "Lucky walked across the floor." All I leaned from this sentence is that the character moved from where he was. Nothing wrong with that, right? And yet: "Lucky crept across the floor" tells me more. Ah! Now I've got a bit more information without having to add one single word. Lucky's being sneaky, so he must be undercover and creeping up on a bad guy, or maybe he's going to play a prank on his nemesis coworker, Keith.

How about "Lucky sauntered across the floor"? Or maybe he swaggered across the floor. He's in full asshole mode now, isn't he? And "Lucky dashed across the floor" brings to mind an entirely different image than "Lucky moseyed across the floor", right? How about "Lucky charged across the floor"? Oh my, maybe he's about to tackle a bad guy, or his partner, Bo.

With a simple word change you can tell your audience so much more about the situation, or your character's personality or mood. "Lucky trudged across the floor." Hmm...is he tired? Maybe he did something wrong (again) and has been summoned to his boss's office, with "trudged" showing his reluctance. See the difference a single word can make?

And unlike "smile" which I have a hard time finding synonyms for, there are so many beautifully descriptive words you can use to move characters from one place to another: ambled, sashayed, darted, shuffled, strolled, marched, hiked, paced, toddled, staggered, and they each add something that "walked" doesn't. Now don't get me wrong, sometimes "walked" is the best term to use when nothing else is going on in the scene, but why not get all the mileage you can out of word choices?

After all that walking, ambling, strolling, and sauntering, Lucky says he's tired and going to bed now. Right. Like Bo's not waiting there wearing assless chaps.

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

New Logo

You've heard me sing Jared Rackler's praises many times, as friend, banner maker, beta, and cover artist. Take a look at the logo he made for me! I love it!


What do ya'll think?

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Early Literary Influences - The Bremen Town Musicians



I first heard The Bremen Town Musicians as a bedtime story, and loved the idea of the animals running away together and how they won the day through teamwork. I can still sing some of the lyrics from the animated version of the tale. As a bonus, I was living in Germany at the time and became convinced the musicians were in the next town over.

I recalled the story fondly, and reread while writing this post to refresh my memory. Oh my! I see the story from a completely different point of view now. The animals didn't run away for a better life or great adventure, like I'd believed as a child. In the original telling they were all about to be killed by their owners after years of loyal service because they could no longer earn their keep! Yeah, I grew up on a farm, but our old animals simply went into retirement, and I didn't recall that particular aspect of the story. I suppose that's par for the course for The Brother's Grimm.


I'm going to try to forget I reread the story today, finding darkness in the familiar words that my younger self didn't comprehend. I choose to remember from a child's perspective, not the farmers' cruelty, but how loyal freinds can conquer any odds, and recall the statue erected in honor of this fable in Bremen, Germany.

In my past posts I've revisited childhood stories and loved them anew, however, The Bremen Town Musicians leaves me with mixed feelings.

Sunday, September 16, 2012

New Banner

My dear friend Jared Rackler has done it again, creating a lovely new banner for me. I've finally gotten over my sulk about the neighbor shooting my house, so have once more changed the name of my blog. How do  you like it?




Although I don't think I have an accent (snicker), I keep getting told that I do. Thus, "M/M Romance With a Southern Accent." And what's more Southern than magnolias...and men?"

More of Jared's work is available here on my site, for he's done a few book covers for me. If you're looking for a talented graphics artist, find him at Jared Rackler Designs.

Friday, September 14, 2012

The Friday Review - Hardass City by Kiernan Kelly

I'm not a gamer, so I was surprised to find myself pulled so easily into the video game within Hardass City. This story is of the type that's just pure enjoyment, bouncing between the real world and a cyber universe. It's gripping, entertaining, and a nice little break from the angst-filled novels I normally devour. The world building within the game portion of the story is amazing, and I felt like I was standing with Dare and Spike, fighting off the monsters. For a quick, easy, unique page-turner, Hardass City scores big. 




Thursday, September 13, 2012

Research and writing what you know...

Have you ever read a book and thought, "Wow! This must have taken tons of research"? I've done that many times, especially before I became a published author. It only recently occured to me how much research I do, some without even realizing it. It'll bet you do too.

"What, me?" you ask. "But I don't write."

Even if you don't write, your research is all around you. Do you have a favorite restaurant, a favorite grocery store? It's because you researched and found them. Every time you Google, you're doing research --research that can be used in a story. 

I've done some crazy things in the name of research, from joining a dating site to standing in a closet, trying to figure out logistics for a love scene. A good friend and fellow writer actually visited a car dealership to crawl into the back seat of a Mustang while writing an abduction scene and wondering how much room her protag had, how he was laying, how much he could see, etc. But again, some of my research happened without planning. I've even got a story that began as personal notes when I vacationed in Hawaii. 

Any experience can be a story, even a trip to the laundromat, 'cause hot, hunky firemen would have to go to the laundromat, right? And what if a nerdy college student bumped into him while reading a calculus text? See where this is going? Knowing where the washers are in relation to the dryers, where the drink machine is, etc., helps you to craft a believable story, or helps you visualize what you're reading. 

Diversion began as a few articles I'd read on pharmaceutical drug crimes, the key plot points practically knitting themselves together. My current WIP is the same. But how much is too much? I must admit that I watered down facts in Diversion, because the truth seemed very farfetched, even to me. So Lucky's time stealing a truck became five minutes, when the actual time, based on a true case, was two and half. I wasn't sure anyone would believe two and a half minutes, so I lengthened the time, and I cut the dollar value of the heist. 

In Collusion, the sequel to Diversion, I've again based the story on actual events happening in the US that most people I've bounced the idea off of didn't know existed, like a critical drug shortage that's forcing doctors to break the law and order illegal imports just to serve their patients' needs. "No doctor would do that!" I hear. Oh, yes they would, a known seventy-nine total to date since the crisis started, which brings me to my dilemma: what is more important, the truth, or believability? And where does good research cross the line, ripping a reader out of the story?

Thoughts, anyone?


Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Early Literary Influences - The Golden Treasury of Poetry

What better way to stimulate the imagination than with a diverse collection of poetry. Between the covers of this 1959 gem you'll find such flights of fancy as T. S. Eliot's The Gumbie Cat, bold epics like Sir Walter Scott's Lochinvar, and romantic tales from the likes of Lord Alfred Tennyson, author of Lady Clare.

I must admit that one of my personal favorites was Lone Dog by Irene Rutherford McLeod. Wild dogs were a fact of life in the farming community I grew up in, where people dumped unwanted animals down lonely dirt roads. Many formed packs. At night I could hear their mournful cries, and worried for those poor creatures. This poem captures that memory. The verses tell of a wild dog, not a pitiful abandoned pet, but a master of his own destiny who considers himself above the average lap dog. My grandaughter lovingly copied out the words by hand when she heard how I loved this poem, and now it hangs in my cube at work. 

My absolute all time favorite selection from this volume has to be the tragic romance of The Hiwayman, by Alfred Noyes. Now I enjoy the tale as a song by Loreena Mckinnett. 

I apologize, the only version I could find has an ad at the beginning, but it's well worth the wait if you ask me. She's done full justice to this haunting tale. 



At eleven years old, I'd read a while, ask my mother tons of questions, and come back to read some more. I loved The Golden Treasury of Poetry, and filled many notebooks with poetry of my own. The best part of all, though, it that this very same book is now on my grandaughter's bookshelf, cherished for a third generation. 

The lovely illustrations are a wonderful bonus. 

Sunday, September 9, 2012

M/M Authors Exposed - 2

A new installment is up at M/M Authors Exposed. See what inspires us to write, and feel free to tell us your inspirations.



Letting Go


I currently have a blog post saved in my drafts called, "Hiatus," one I hope to never have to send. A few of you may have seen a similar Facebook status. I'd reached a breaking point a few weeks ago. Totally burned out, I worried if I'd ever write again. Due to my dry writing spell, social media sites grew frightening. I hit an impassable wall. 

I wrote a post explaining why I needed a break. Each word I wrote, whether for a post or a book, became a chore, and I deleted more passages than I kept. Because I finish what I set out to do, I forced myself to complete Broken Wing, the third installment of The Angel of 13th Street series. 

Now Broken Wing was poised to be the most heartfelt story I'd ever written. The ideas flowed; my keyboard could scarcely keep up. When the story grew too large and convoluted, it split into two parts. Fallen Angel was the result. I hurried through Fallen Angel, desperate to get to Broken Wing, the work I'd hoped would be a masterpiece. 

Then my muse fled me. Completely. The result is something I only showed one beta, who agreed that I'd missed my mark. It broke my heart, and I despaired of ever writing again. Was I washed up? So early in my writing career?

And then a funny thing happened. The characters from Diversion began speaking to (yelling at) me. Effortlessly the story began writing itself, and I put aside all other projects, knowing that when my muse commands me, I'd better obey, or the story would remain untold forever. 

I'm now past the 40,000 word mark on Collusion, and am hoping history doesn't repeat itself, leaving me with another half-finished manuscript. I'm writing again, I'm enjoying it again, and for now the "Hiatus" post remains a draft. 

As for Broken Wing? Sadly, though I completed the first draft, it may never see the light of day. But who knows? After I shut Bo and Lucky up, Lark and Sam may begin whispering in my ear again. 

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Possum Shifter Snark!

Whoot! Saturday is snark day!

Today's installment of Saturday Snark is brought to you courtesy of Naked Tails, a tail of love, skinny dipping, and possum shifters.

Dustin fretted, checking his hair in the mirror, more a stall tactic than actual concern over his appearance. How did you tell the man you’d been having sex with, “Oh, yeah, I get furry once a month, more often if the mood hits, isn’t that a hoot?” waiting for the right opportunity to add, “Oh, did I mention you’re gonna get furry too? Remember the sweet little receptionist at the office? Well, seems she followed a snoot full of eau de macaroni pie to your house, hunting a nibble and—can you believe it?—bit you instead! Have you ever heard anything so doggone hilarious?”
He cringed. There didn’t seem to be a correct way to induct the unwary into the passel. Would Seth hate Tiffany? Would he blame Dustin for not warning him of the dangers?
With less enthusiasm than previous trips Dustin arrived at the farm house far faster than he’d hoped. He needed more time to work things out. Oh well, no help for it now. As passel leader and Seth’s lover, he couldn’t conveniently pass this task to another. He fully believed if he left it up to her, Monica would barge in, yell, “You’re a damned possum, get the hell over it,” and leave. 
Look for Naked Tails to publish in December, from Dreamspinner Press.

Thanks to Marie Sexton for hosting the weekly snark-a-thon. Find her contribution here. 

For more lovely snark, check out the links below.




Friday, September 7, 2012

The Friday Review - The Mercenary by Cornelia Grey

My knowledge of steam punk amounted to one short story when I picked up this little gem--now I'm a die hard fan, as I am of Cornelia Gray's gorgeous writing. 

What a wild ride! The Mercenary combines so many different genres into one fast-paced page-turner. I would have loved to stay longer in this well conceived futuristic society, learning more about Asher and Gabriel and the world they live in. In particular, I want to know more about the Tamers.

The action sequences got my pulse to racing, and the scene of the two heroes in the back room at a bar positively sizzled. I loved Athena, the clockwork owl. And that cover! Whoa! Gorgeous. 

Craving a shorter read that incorporates action, shades of steampunk, and fantastic world-building? Pick up The Mercenary.



Wednesday, September 5, 2012

I wish all brothers were this supportive...

Today I read something that made me laugh, made me cry, and made me realize the good some people have in their hearts. Thanks you, ally David Stevens, for sharing this on your blog.

It's entitled "Defriended Over a Wedding" and it's not so much a lament for a lost Facebook "friend" as a beautiful essay on the love of a brother. Beautiful, beautiful, beautiful, though I had to stop reading the comments.

Read it here. 


Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Early Literary Influences - A Guest Post by Chris

Today's post is from well known reader, reviewer, blogger, and beta extraordinaire, Chris, of Stumbling Over Chaos. I've actually written a story dedicated to her two cats, Chaos and Mayhem.

When I asked her about a book that had a profound impact on her life, she directed me to a post on her site,  from May of 2010, reposted here by permission. Click this link to visit her site and read the original post.  Chris's appreciation for the work of Charles de Lint took the form of a letter to the author.




Dear Charles de Lint,
Back in the mid-90s, I discovered your short story collection Dreams Underfoot, which was my introduction not only to your writing and to the fantastical, fictional Canadian city of Newford that you created, but also to the world of urban fantasy. I was both enchanted and transported by the stories in that book, and I picked up everything you’d written that I could get my hands on.
You’ve written many more books since then, but the Newford books remain my favorites. I love that the city is as much a character as any other, making this some of the most truly urban fantasy I’ve read. I love how you skillfully weave European and Native American mythology together, so effectively that when I’ve finished reading one of your books, I’m more than half-convinced I can see hints of the magical out of the corner of my eye. I love how real your characters feel, and how effortlessly you have me caring and worrying about them. I love that the main characters from one book will show up as background characters in other books. I love that you see both the darkness and the light in people, yet your books leave me hopeful.
Often, when I read your books, I find myself jotting down sentences that particularly move me. Here are just a few that I’ve saved over the years:
Look inside yourself for the answers – you’re the only one who knows what’s best for you. Everybody else is only guessing. – Trader
Magic’s never what you expect it to be, but it’s often what you need. – Moonlight and Vines
Tattoos…are the stories in your heart, written on your skin. – The Mystery of Grace
“Well, I may not be so good at interacting with the world at large,” Suzi said, “but I’m sure about this much: It doesn’t matter where any of us come from, or even what we look like. The only thing that matters is who we are now.”
“That’s pretty good,” [Christiana] said finally, looking back at Suzi. “It puts the onus on yourself, instead of on where you came from. It suits what I like to think of as my independent temperament with the added bonus of making good sense. How can your genetic history or even your past ever begin to compete with who you are today?”
Suzi took that as a rhetorical question, so she didn’t worry about an answer. – Spirits in the Wires
Thank you for introducing me to urban fantasy – your books helped me discover that I wasn’t completely burned out on reading fantasy; I was just burned out on reading the traditional stuff. I hope that I can always hold on to the sense of wonder and hope you helped me rediscover.
P.S. And, um, I really wish I was one of the Crow Girls:)
Be sure to visit Chris at Stumbling Over Chaos often. Not only does she host frequent ebook giveaways but she's the mastermind behind the hilarious Misadventures in Stock Photography. She posts plenty of pictures of her adorable felines, and offers a host of worthy information with her "Linkety Posts." Chris will also help you select your next favorite book with her insightful reviews. 

Saturday, September 1, 2012

Saturday Snark!

Sorry to inundate you with blog posts today, but there's just so much news to share, and....there's Saturday Snark!

Thank you, Marie Sexton, for hosting the Saturday Snark blog hop. Here's Marie's snark, taken from her book Cinder a m/m romance take on Cinderella.

Now, today's selection of my own snark comes from the my current WIP, Collusion, and once again spews from the rather uncouth mouth of Lucky, drug trafficker turned narcotics agent. Don't worry folks, it's a staged arrest.

Huffing and puffing from behind grew closer. Suddenly, a Mack truck slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. He rolled and came up swinging. The cop who’d hit Lucky staggered to his feet while his partner played decoy.

“We can do this the easy way or the hard way,” the solid mass of muscle that hit him forced out between panted breaths. “Choice is yours.”

Lucky grinned. “Well, now, that’s mighty generous of you, but I ain’t ever in my life been accused of being easy.” The cop lunged at him and Lucky ducked, for once grateful for his small size. He wove past the other cop and took off again, this time aiming directly for the trees. A third cop came out of nowhere, tackling Lucky to the ground.

He landed two good kicks and a solid punch before the three teamed up and pushed him face-first in the dirt. “Police brutally!” he bawled, as they wrestled his arms behind him and slapped on a pair of cuffs. They hauled him kicking, screaming, and spitting out grass to his feet.

“Out of four of them, it has to be the runt that gives us trouble,” one cop sneered, wiping dirt from his face with a uniform sleeve.

“Hey! I resent that!” Lucky barked. “I’ll have you know I’m a good six inches taller than the girl!”

Clicks the links below for more snark!

Torquere Press Ninth Anniversary!


Torquere Press is celebrating their ninth anniversary, and you get the gift! Click on the icon above to visit the official site and register for one of many fabulous prizes.

Here's their official annnouncement:

ANYONE KNOW WHAT THE NINTH ANNIVERSARY GIFT TRADITIONALLY IS?
Leather, something near and dear to our hearts here at Torquere Press.
To celebrate our 9th birthday, we're having gift basket prizes, blog posts from some of your favorite authors, and our grand prize, a brand-new Kindle Fire to say thank you for all your support over the years and to highlight our wonderful authors who bring us such amazing stories. 
Check our blog,  http://glbtromance.blogspot.com/ where we'll be hosting a new author every day. We'll post excerpts, hang out to chat, and talk about our stories.
In addition to the grand prize of the Kindle Fire, we're giving away gift baskets every week! Some are silly, some are smutty, and all are fun.  
To help celebrate, they're also holding a Ninth Anniversary sale.

September starts the month for the 9th Anniversary of Torquere Press! The 9th anniversary traditional gift is leather! Well leather is something near and dear to our hearts here at Torquere Press.
So we are having a anniversary kick-off sale. Just put 'annivkick' in the coupon code box any time you check out at Torquere Books before Monday at midnight to get 20% off your order.
Sale good now through Monday, September 3rd at Midnight (est). Stock up on books from Torquere Press today.
 Go celebrate with savings from Torquere Press!

Wonderful News to Wake Up To!



Coffee in hand, I checked my email before beginning what I hope will be a leasurely day of reading and writing. Here's what I found:


"Congratulations Eden! The Wish has been chosen as a Recommended Read for September." 

Here's some of what reviewer Lisa had to say:


"The Wish delivers a compelling, emotional powerhouse tale of redemption and love."

                                                                             and 
"The Wish has some moments of lusty eroticism but, it's the relationship between Alex and Paul, the emotional heartstrings that are tugged to the point of breaking that make The Wish so much more, so very special. I Joyfully Recommend The Wish."

Read the entire review at Joyfully Reviewed:

Find The Wish at Dreamspinner Press: