Tuesday, November 27, 2012

Enter to Win a Print Copy of Naked Tails!




Goodreads is hosting a giveaway for print copies of my upcoming release, Naked Tails, publishing from Dreamspinner Press on December 17. Two copies will be awarded. 

Naked Tails- Here there be possums!
 


    Goodreads Book Giveaway
 

   

        Naked Tails by Eden Winters
   

   

     


          Naked Tails
     
     


          by Eden Winters
     

     

         
            Giveaway ends December 27, 2012.
         
         
            See the giveaway details
            at Goodreads.
         
     
   
   


      Enter to win



Monday, November 26, 2012

New Review for Diversion

Diversion just scored a lovely new review from Joyfully Jay, who says:
"Winters gives us a great combination of exciting suspense, interesting plot, and really nicely layered characters.  I really liked this one and would definitely recommend it."
Read entire review here: 


And I'm pleased to report that I'm currently putting the finishing touches on the sequel, Collusion, and will be submitting the manuscript soon to my publisher.

Thursday, November 22, 2012

Happy Thanksgiving


MySpaceGraphicsandAnimations.com

Thanksgiving Animations provided by MySpaceGraphicsandAnimations.com


To you my friends, I wish you a very happy Thanksgiving. I'm thankful for you all.

Happy Birthday Farmer John!


Happy Birthday Farmer John! (aka John from Texas)


Click here for more graphics and gifs!


About three years ago I met a wonderful person online through one of my books. We discussed the finer points of the genre, books we both enjoyed, what I had in the pipeline, and soon moved on to smaller things like, "How was your day?" His emails make me smile, and he's been providing me with hot guy pics, movie trailers, and other NSFW materials. That's a true friend, y'all!

One year when I lamented the lack of a big family gathering at Christmas, he volunteered to be my brother. We've gotten to visit with each other twice now, at GayRomLit, and I've discovered that John is every bit as awesome in person (more so, actually) than in emails. Last year I set out to give him his own HEA for his birthday, reposted here. 

Now it's time to post again! Happy Birthday, John! I still intend to give these two a full novel one day, but for now, here's my gift to you:

As this year's story is far more explicit than last year's and this blog cross-posts several places, I'm providing a link to the story in hopes that no one for whom the story is unsuitable will accidentally find it. 

Enjoy the story, and join me in wishing John (to quote Jeremy from Fallen Angel),"The best birthday evah!"

Wednesday, November 21, 2012

The Possum Shifters are Coming!

I received the notice today that my possum shifter novel, Naked Tails, is now on Dreamspinner Press's "Coming Soon" page. Look for it to publish on December 17!

It's already been posted to my Goodreads page:


Seth McDaniel wasn’t raised among a shifter passel and has no idea what it’s like to turn furry once a month. An orphan, torn from his father’s family at an early age, he scarcely remembers Great-aunt Irene. Now her passing brings him back to Possum Kingdom, Georgia, to take up a legacy he doesn’t understand and reconnect with a friend he’s never forgotten.

As Irene’s second-in-command, Dustin Livingston has two choices: assume control of the passel or select another replacement. Unfortunately, the other candidates are either heartless or clueless. Dustin’s best hope to dodge the responsibility is to deliver a crash course in leadership to his childhood pal Seth, a man he hasn’t seen in twenty years. However, while Dustin's mind is set on his task, his heart is set on his old friend.

Seth’s quest for answers yields more questions instead. What’s with the tiny gray hairs littering his aunt’s house? Why do the townsfolk call each other “Jack” and “Jill”? Do Dustin’s attentions come with ulterior motives? And why is Seth suddenly craving crickets?



Sunday, November 18, 2012

Awesome Review for Diversion!

I'm a big fan of Val Kovalin's and was priviledged to meet her and share a book reading at GayRomLit this year. Seems she posted an awesome review for Diversion at her site, Obsidian Bookshelf. Here's some of what she had to say:
"Diversion is one of the best gay romance novels I have read so far in our genre. It is a stunningly successful blend of romantic comedy and thriller..."
For full review, check out Obsidian Bookshelf. 

Thanks Val!


Saturday, November 17, 2012

Coming Soon - Naked Tails

Today I received the finalized cover and blurb for my next release, Naked Tails, publishing from Dreamspinner Press on December 17. What do y'all think? Didn't cover artist Shobana Appavu do an awesome job? It's not on the "Coming Soon" page yet, but I'll post a link when that happens. Oh, and I need to shout out a heartfelt "Thank you!" to P.D. Singer for coming up with the title, and my fellow Dreamspinner authors who helped me brainstorm ideas while at a conference last March in NYC. Big hugs to P.D., Carole Cummings., S.A. Garcia, Andrew Grey, and the others who shared a limo ride and examples of possums behaving badly!



Seth McDaniel wasn’t raised among a shifter passel and has no idea what it’s like to turn furry once a month. An orphan, torn from his father’s family at an early age, he scarcely remembers Great-aunt Irene. Now her passing brings him back to Possum Kingdom, Georgia, to take up a legacy he doesn’t understand and reconnect with a friend he’s never forgotten.

As Irene’s second-in-command, Dustin Livingston has two choices: assume control of the passel or select another replacement. Unfortunately, the other candidates are either heartless or clueless. Dustin’s best hope to dodge the responsibility is to deliver a crash course in leadership to his childhood pal Seth, a man he hasn’t seen in twenty years. However, while Dustin's mind is set on his task, his heart is set on his old friend.

Seth’s quest for answers yields more questions instead. What’s with the tiny gray hairs littering his aunt’s house? Why do the townsfolk call each other “Jack” and “Jill”? Do Dustin’s attentions come with ulterior motives? And why is Seth suddenly craving crickets?


Thursday, November 15, 2012

GRL 2012 - Part 2

It's been a few weeks since GRL, and already I'm counting the days until the next one. I'm taking a list next time, to be sure I get all the books I want. I'll be able to load down my car! No airlines fees!

In addition to my book list, I need to also make a list of attendees that I want to see. This year there were so many people that I missed a few. I plan to stay a full week in Atlanta, and hopefully that'll give me more time to mingle. I also hope to have a better camera by then. Did I mention that I love people? Anyway, in my last GRL post I mentioned some of the great authors I met. Today I'd like to focus on the readers. I've posted this separately  because I want to say a big thank you to readers, for without them, where would we authors be? They read, comment, tell their friends, and provide excellent feedback and suggestions.  

Being a relatively new author, I'm still amazed when someone says "I read your book", 'cause I've not completely wrapped my mind around the fact that I even write books. And to hear someone say, "I loved your book?" Mind-boggling, in a good way.

But there are some readers that I've met on Goodreads and other places that stand out in my mind, and I was very happy to see them at GRL!

Me with Heather C! Heather C was among the first readers to comment on my work way back three years ago when I first started publishing. Gee! Has it been that long? 


 Me with Nikyta, another reader who chimed in early! I think I scared the poor lady at last year's GRL. I saw her nametag and leapt over my book signing table to greet her. It's so great to meet folks you know online in the real world. 

I don't recall this lady's name, but she was the sweetest thing! We danced together! Of course, I think I danced with half the people who attended. I didn't realize how much I loved to dance!

I knew H.A. Caine first as a reader, and now she's made the leap into writing. It's so wonderful to see a new author's publishing dreams coming true.

There's many more that I met and posed with, but I didn't want to post pics without anyone's permission, and some have been hard to track down. Next year, I hope to take tons more pics! (and ask permission to post when I take them!)


Sunday, November 11, 2012

Happy Birthday Mrs. Condit and Friends Read Books

Today marks the first birthday of review site Mrs. Condit and Friends Read Books, a site I frequent to find great reads, the latest books news, interviews with some of my favorite writers, and to touch base with some fabulous folks. And there's giveaways too! Like today!

So head on over and wish them a Happy Birthday, but it's the readers who'll get the gift. Check out details here. 

Mrs Condit & Friends Read Books


I'm honored to have the first books ever reviewed at the site, The Telling and Night Watch. To further celebrate their big day, they also reviewed another of my stories, Tinsel and Frost, kicking off the holiday season. Find out what they had to say here. 



So Happy Birthday to Mrs. Condit and Friends Read Books: Becky Condit. Lady McNeill, John (aka John from Texas or Farmer John), Pippa Wood, and Roux Read! 

Friday, November 9, 2012

The Friday Review - Second Chances by Jeff Erno





Today's review is for Second Chances by Jeff Erno. 

In a nutshell: OMG! I LOVED this story!

The Blurb:

Harold Wainwright is dying. At seventy-nine, stricken with malignant cancer, the multi-billionaire insurance mogul realizes he has much to regret. In his youth he rejected his only true love and instead chose to advance his career and build his financial empire. Single-mindedly he focused upon achieving his own goals, looking out for number one, and acquiring a monetary fortune. Now he is alone, and all he has is his money…and his life is over.

Doctor Timothy Drayton has devoted his entire career to developing the technology to prolong human life. His entire focus has been upon creating a computer chip which can be implanted into the human brain, allowing human consciousness to be transferred from one human subject into the mind of another. Given optimum circumstances, he is confident that he can now preserve the consciousness of a dying patient into the mind of a donor subject with a surgically electronic implant.

Jesse Warren is eighteen years old, about to graduate from high school. He’s a track star, model student, and the typical all-American kid. One day while on his way to track practice, tragedy strikes, and Jesse is in a terrible accident, rendered comatose. When his family learns the horrifying news, they believe they’ve lost their son forever. Jesse Warren is pronounced “brain dead”.

When neurosurgeon and world-renowned brain specialist Dr. Timothy Drayton arrives, telling the Warren family that he has an advanced form of experimental treatment which can possibly save young Jesse and restore his consciousness, the Warrens are convinced that God has sent them a miracle. They are overjoyed the next morning when their son undergoes surgery and awakens as a new man. His memory loss, they are convinced, is amnesia due to his accident.
Jesse lives, and is given a second chance. Will his new life prove to be the impetus for significant change, or will the old Harold Wainwright emerge to make the same mistakes a second time around? Most of us are given but one chance to make the right choices, but imagine if… there were such things as Second Chances.

***

It's odd, but last week I attended a highly scientific talk on how the cells of our bodies are shaped by their environment, and that down to the molecular level, we are "us" and can affect those around us. I must admit that a good deal of the information went straight over my head, but the gist of it, in my opinion, was that our identity is more than our mere consiousness. That said, I may have seen the character of Harold/Jesse differently for, to me, Jesse was still there on a very basic level, and Harold's miraculous change of heart was not only a product of his remorse, but of Jesse's subconsious influence. 

At first I was leery of a man near eighty and an eighteen-year-old, but then, like I mentioned above, I think Harold became more of Jesse than he realized. And I absolutely adore redemption tales, so this book warmed my heart. I must admit that I didn't see the twist coming, but I rested assured that the author would provide a happy ending. 

I read for many reasons: escape, pleasure, to learn, etc., but I also enjoy, from a sociologist standpoint, getting deep into another's mind, figuring out what makes them tick. In that aspect, I was drawn to the character of Doctor Timothy Drayton. Recently I read an article about how, if we compromise our principles once, it's easier the next time we reach a moral dilemma, and if we don't stop ourselves, we get mired further and further in behavior we would once have abhorred. That's what happened to the doctor, someone who wanted only to help at first, now descended to unscrupulous madness. And Jacob. Sigh. I just wanted to hug the guy. I didn't quite understand how the transferance between him and Philip happened at the end, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. It happened, I cried, I smiled, I put the book down, having stayed up too late (again) to reach the very satisfying conclusion. 

The bottom line is this: Jeff Erno gave me complex characters that I truly cared about, and a highly interesting story that kept me turning the pages. It's fantasy, it's sci-fi, it's touchingly sweet, a bit of thriller at times, and, even if Harold may not have deserved a happy ending, Harold/Jesse did. And you know what? We only see how bad Harold is through his own eyes and Timothy's. Some folks are pretty hard on themselves, and Timothy's opinion was colored by jealousy, so maybe Harold did deserve his second chance after all.

Saturday, November 3, 2012

John's Birthday Story

Last year I wrote a story for my dear friend John, aka Farmer John or "John from Texas." While at GayRomLit, several people asked about it, so here's a reprint of my birthday gift to a very wonderful man. Enjoy!

The Gift

For John on his forty-seventh birthday. Hugs, and all the love in the world.


John sat on his tractor, watching a dark green S-10 kick up a cloud of dust down his driveway. Whoever it was seemed to be in an all-fired hurry. He lifted the bill of his hat, wiping his sweaty forehead with one gloved hand. Living so far from town, it wasn't often he saw strangers, particularly not ones making a beeline for his house. 

Oh well, whoever it was – probably an insurance salesman –could damned well wait. He needed to get the field plowed before the skies gave up threatening and rained for real. And the dogs would make sure the driver didn't mess with anything. The drag of a plow behind his John Deere soon took his mind off the unknown truck, and he raced an ever-darkening sky. Finally, as the first splashes of rain sprinkled his nose, he declared himself finished and headed for the barn. 

He hopped off his tractor to swing open the gate, climbing back on to drive through. Damn but things would be a whole lot easier if he could find some quality help. But farm work didn't pay much, and few trustworthy applicants were willing to live on the farm full-time, so he'd adapted, climbing up and down a million times a day, it seemed, just to get his work done. He'd completely forgotten about the S-10 until he nearly ran over it. Now what the hell? The little pickup sat nestled in the barn where the tractor should go. The rain started falling in earnest. 

Huffing in frustration, he turned the wheel, hard, bypassing the main barn for a shed alongside. It was a tight squeeze, and not his first choice, but at least the tractor was out of the weather. He peeled his work gloves off and placed them on the seat when he stood, his back popping as he stretched. Forty-seven years old. Today. My, where had the time gone? 

A glance over his shoulder showed three dogs on alert in the very front of the barn, out of the rain, guarding the trespasser. If not for their protective tendencies, they'd be swarming the tractor, yipping and yapping as though John had been gone for days, not merely a few hours out in the fields plowing. 

Taking a deep breath, he dropped to the ground, curiosity changing to concern as to why the driver of that truck hid it in the barn. Scouting out the best route through suddenly soggy ground, he ran for the nearest stable, swinging the door open and slipping inside, shaking rain from his shoulders. He pulled off his NAPA cap, shook it, and slipped it back on, ready to face what lay ahead. 

Approaching the vehicle from behind, he soon has his answer of "Why in the barn?" The truck bed sat low under the weight of a full bed, with only a simple tarp to keep the contents dry. The gully-washer outside would have laughed at the puny efforts. Thinking, "Real farmers drive real trucks," he stopped to wipe a raindrop off his nose, and when he looked up again, a Sterling Grey Ford F-150 stood where he'd surely seen a Chevy S-10. He shook his head, Man, you gotta stop laying out Seven dust without a respirator. It's done gone to your brain.

The driver's door stood open, a pair of denim-clad legs ending in well-worn western boots protruding. Through the back glass he saw the broad brim of a cream-colored straw hat, as worn-looking as the boots. The man must have heard John's approach, for he turned, and John fell into a pair of sky blue eyes, the corners crinkled with character lines. Man, but I bet he'd look good in a Stetson, and I've always been partial to brown eyes. 

One minute a pair of bright blue eyes stared at him, the next, a dark brown, can-paralyze-me-with-a-single-glance gaze glued him to the spot. Where he'd sworn he'd seen a straw hat, a Stetson now sat. A bright grin lit up a clean-shaven face and, convinced he wasn't seeing things, John tried a little test. I like 'em scruffy. An immediate shadow appeared on the cowboy's rugged race, lengthening into an impressive moustache and neatly trimmed beard. Lawdy, I been in the sun too long. Thunder boomed overhead,bringing visions of hovering rain clouds. Oh,yeah, I haven't been in the sun all day. 

Tall, dark, and now scruffy cleared his throat and John's heart skipped a beat. While not old, the guy had the weathered appearance of someone who spent a lot of time outdoors… and he was handsome as hell. The two men stared at each other for the space of several heartbeats, frozen in place. Time stood still, the only sounds the bap,bap, bap of raindrops pounding the tin roof, and an image formed in John's head of the stranger spread out on bales in the hayloft upstairs, wearing nothing but the boots and Stetson. 

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves now," the stranger said, in a drawl that might not be from Texas, but sounded like it hailed from the south somewhere. The accent sounded kinda familiar, though John couldn't quite place why at the moment. 

Wait! He knew what I was thinking? John felt the blush start at his toes and rush up his body like a flash fire, igniting his face clear up to his ears.

"You're cute when you do that," the cowboy said, climbing out of the truck and extending a hand." I'm Andrew, but most folks call me Andy."

John shook the man's hand, an automatic gesture. The flash fire had barely receded when 220 volts of pure sexual energy jolted through his system via his palm, pressed tightly against the stranger's. Up close and personal, the guy looked even better, like some kind of masculine dream out of the magazines John kept by his bed, only real. 

The dogs, no longer in guard mode,approached slowly, wagging their tails and sniffing at Andy's boots. What the hell? Those mutts didn't much care for anyone besides John, why weren't they barking or growling? 

"'Cause dogs are a good judge ofcharacter," Andy said, releasing John's hand to reach down and scratch Old Blue behind the ears. "And they know I belong here."

"What the fuck? Y… you be long here?"  John's acreage had been in his family for generations. No way did the guy belong there, no matter how good looking or how well he filled out his Wranglers. 

"You put the word out that you were looking for some farm help, right?" 

"Yeah, but who sent you?"

"A friend of yours."

"Who?" 

"Does it matter? I'm a Carolina farm boy, ready and willing to do whatever you want me to." His lopsided grin and arms held out to his sides implied he might be talking about more than just plowing and seeding…. Plowing and seeding the fields, that is. 

"Who are you?" John asked. He had a friend in South Carolina, but she'd never mentioned any hunky cowboys. He figured if she knew any, she'd kept them all for herself. 

"I done told you: name's Andy,and I'm here because you need me to be here." 

John had always believed that if it sounded too good to be true, then it usually was, especially if "it"changed to suit his wants. John focused on the guy's aged chambray work shirt, willing it to be a torn wife-beater. 

"It don't work that way," Andy explained. "You only get what you really, really want, down in here." He splayed his hand over his heart. 

A moment later the shirt disappeared altogether and that hand pressed against bare skin. A fine mat of thick, black hair adorned a pair of well-built pecs, the kind earned by hard work rather than pumping iron. A silver hoop adorned a dusky pink nipple. At a single thought from John, dark ink appeared on Andy's wrists, snaking up his arms, over his shoulders, and across his chest, forming an elaborate Celtic design. John had little doubt that the ink extended over the cowboy's broad back too. A slow, lazy smile spread across Andy's face. "Now I think you got the right idea." 

"You go to church?" John asked.

"Southern Baptist, born and raised."

"What's your idea of an ideal evening?"

"Well, maybe a walk through the fields, talk about our day, then settle into the kitchen to whip up some super. Together. Afterward we can sit on the porch swing – really close, if you get my meaning." 

A joke, it had to be a joke. Perfect guys didn't just fall out of the sky in Texas. "You don't sound like no field hand to me."

Andy's voice softened, bordering on pleading. "Oh, but I am, John, I am. I'm that and so much more. Just give me a chance. I'm everything you could possibly want."

"Prove it."

The rain pattering against the roof matched John's heartbeat as Andy drew slowly closer, brushing his lips ever so softly against John's. 

"What's that for?" John asked. 

"It's your birthday, right? That's your birthday kiss."

"How'd you know it's my birthday?"

"I told you a friend sent me, right?" Andy winked a mischief-filled eye. "Well, that was from Eden, and so am I. She wrote me just for you. But remember, once you get me the way you want me, no more changes. Eden hates rewrites. And everything under that tarp is marked, "Don't open 'til Christmas, so don't go gettin' any ideas about peeking. However, feel free to unwrap your birthday present any time you're ready." 

The glimmer in the cowboy's cocoa-colored eyes hinted at X-rated thoughts. "Anyway, that kiss was from her, this one is from me, and in my character profile, she wrote, 'Andy don't half-do nothin.'" With that he crashed his lips down on John's, stealing John's breath and all rational thought. In the battle of tongues, Andy was winning, until enough of John's brain cells re-fired for conscious thought. 

The kiss curled John's toes, shot sparks straight to his groin, and left him breathless and weak-kneed. He would've hit the ground if not for the steel bands of Andy's arm wrapping around him, keeping him upright. "Happy Birthday, farm boy," John's every-wet-dream-come-true said. "Now, what say we go check out that hayloft now?"

***

John's birthday is fast approaching again! I'd better get writing!