Monday, September 30, 2013

Shadows in the Night - Honorable Mention in the Rainbow Awards



 
Oh my God, I received the news this morning that Shadows won an Honorable Mention. This is the first award I've ever won, lol! And I'm just besides myself. There are so *many* excellent authors' competing for awards in different categories... several really big names. I'm honored to have made it this far. :)
 
October 1st the finalists of the 2013 Rainbow Awards will be announce.
 
An Honorable Mention means a judge really liked the book, so much they gave it a rate above 36 out of 40; an honorable mention doesn't necessarily mean the book is a finalist, we'll have to wait for the actual announcement on October 1 to know that.

*fingers crossed*

~M

Saturday, September 28, 2013

My Sexy Saturday - Faded Love


 
 
Happy Saturday and welcome to My Sexy Saturday! For this hop you post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words. It can be from a WIP or something published.
For this week, I thought I’d do something from Faded Love, a single release from the Carved in Flesh anthology.
Enjoy! And don’t forget to visit the rest of Blog Hop!
 
* * * *
In a society that worships beauty and is filled with everyday images of what’s ideal, what would happen to an internationally well-known model who ends up scarred? Can his lover prove that scars fade, but love doesn’t?
 
Faded Love – single release from the Carved in Flesh anthology 

Blurb: One moment in time can change your life, especially a life that revolves around your face. A near-fatal car accident leaves a world famous model’s face scarred and his career in a tailspin. The life Ashley knew is over and he wants to do nothing but fade away into nothingness. Only his lover, Will, can pull him out of his dark depression and make Ashley see even scars can be beautiful.
 
 

It was just like that doctor at the hospital said. He asked if Ashley was important to him. When Will said yes, the doctor gave Will the number to a shrink. He warned Will to let Ashley grieve for a while, and then—as hard as it would be—to act. To do whatever needed to be done. That time had come. Will walked to Ashley’s room, took a deep breath and opened the door. Let the fireworks begin.

Will switched on a desk table lamp and the room flooded with light. “Time to get up.”

A pillow flew by Will’s head. “What the fuck do you think you’re doing? Turn that off—now. Then get out.”

Will crossed his arms over his chest. “No. You’re getting up, one way or the other. The room smells. Hell, you smell. You need a shower.”

Ashley glared at Will. “If I reek that bad, feel free to leave. You know where the door is.”

Will walked to the edge of the bed. “Again, not happening. Either get up, or I’ll get you up. Your choice. But you will take a shower.”

Ashley stuck his middle finger up.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

My Sexy Saturday - To Touch the Sky


Happy Saturday and welcome to My Sexy Saturday! For this hop you post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words. It can be from a WIP or something published.

For this week, I thought I’d do something from a WIP I'm working on called To Touch the Sky. It's the second novel in the Leap of Faith series. In our day and age, this Native American shifter is called Hawk. The excerpt takes place before the white man arrived. During this time, Hawk went by the name Chetan. Oh, and he's a red-tailed hawk shifter.

Enjoy! And don’t forget to visit the rest of Blog Hop!
 
* * *
“Oh Spirit,” Chetan whispered. He’d let his attention drift from his nephew and now… His own cries joined the madness as a monstrous bull darted from the stampede and charged Isi.
Several spears protruded from the maddened bull. The night was cool, and steam blew from its nose. The rank smell of the animal nearly gagged him. As reality slowed to a crawl, he saw Isi standing still, his hands by his side… doing nothing. Sound distorted and warped as he yelled, his voice hopelessly lost in the pandemonium raging around him, for Isi to move, draw his bow… do something.
Isi stood frozen as Chetan continued to yell, running toward the young brave, waving his arms frantically. If he could just get the bull’s attention… If he could just get to Isi’s side before… He saw a black cougar casing the buffalo, gaining rapidly. More cat shifters landed on the buffalo’s back and attacked, sinking their great canines into the animal. It still wasn’t enough. The bull was now a short distance from Isi and bearing down, the young warrior in its sights.
Oh Wha-tay, I’m not going to make it! His legs pumped, his breath wheezed… and it didn’t matter. Oh please, Great Mother, no. Not this young one. Please. It’s my fault. I let myself get distracted. Don’t let him… Take me, instead.
The black cougar raced besides the buffalo then darted in close as it latched on to the throat in an effort to suffocate the massive beast. The danger was immense; the buffalo would trample the black cougar if given the chance. The bull was too close and still Isi stood unmoving. Why is he just standing there? There was no way, no way for him to get to Isi in time.
Chetan stumbled to a stop and raised his bow, carefully taking aim. Please, please, let my aim be true. The arrow struck the buffalo dead in the face, but it was too late. It plowed into Isi with its mighty horns. Isi’s body flew high into the air, blood spurting form the terrible wounds in his body. A scream filled the air. Was that Isi? Isi’s mother? Or the bull?
“No. No!” Chetan’s own scream joined the ones around him.

 

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Welcome Chris T. Kat - Hunter's Hunt release from Torquere

Hey everyone! Today I have my good friend, Chris, visiting with me. She's here to talk about her first release from Torquere and it sounds like a goodie. :)

*Update - Hunter's Hunt has made ARe's bestseller list. Way to go, Chris! :)




Finding a fitting Book Cover 

Michelle, thank you very much for having me. I'm here to talk about my new release Hunter's Hunt, which was published by Torquere Press on September 18th. It's my first book with Torquere and I'm excited about it.

I'm a big fan of drawn covers and usually not very keen on covers with headless torsos. I admit that I've thought twice about buying books with these kind of covers because in most cases they don't do a thing for me.

When I got the form I had to fill out for Torquere regarding the cover for Hunter's Hunt I originally had a certain scene in mind. I wanted a bar in the background with Hunter holding a wet Adrian in his arms. Sounded easy in my imagination and would have been a perfect fit.

Yeah, and then reality crashed into my nice imaginary bubble. Very inconsiderate of it!

Brandon Clay, the cover artist responsible for the cover, informed we he couldn't find any fitting photos. So we mailed back and forth and I told him I'd look for images on http://www.shutterstock.com/. And off I went to this site. Little did I know that I'd get lost there for several hours...

At first I thought it must be easy—just type in a word in the search function and the right image will pop up. Let's say I scrolled through lots of interesting photos but it took me a while to phrase my search in a way the results suited me. Once I managed my day brightened up considerably. While I don't usually like headless torso covers I do like to look at naked or half-naked men. Oh, and there were lots of them. :)

In the end I settled for a few images but the one that's adorning the cover for Hunter's Hunt was my favorite because it depicts a thoroughly drenched young guy. Not only that but his body fit exactly to the way I described Adrian, who becomes Hunter's love interest.

Without further ado here's the cover! What do you think?

 



Buy links:
 

Blurb:

Wanted: one bear. Must be burly and hairy, and strong enough to paddle. Hunter Bell is on the prowl, and he knows just where to find his prey: at the Bear Trap, a gay leather bar he’s more than a little familiar with. So many men, so little time. He’s just about to pounce on his choice of the evening when a newcomer enters the bar, turning everyone’s head. Adrian Michaels is everything Hunter despises in a man. He’s lean and boyish looking, and he has the deepest dimples Hunter’s ever seen.


And yet there is an immediate attraction, one that neither man can deny. They’re both too astonished to do anything about this apparent interest in one another, and they waste their opportunity. Now it’s up to Hunter to forget about his stereotypical preference and go for the guy that’s just entered his dreams. If only he can admit to himself that Adrian’s what he really wants...

 

Excerpt:

It took a moment for the newcomer to absorb his surroundings and, when he did, he flinched. A few men chuckled upon discovering the baffled look on the guy's face, which proved that he indeed hadn't known about the nature of the Bear's Trap. Hunter watched him shift from one foot to the other while most men turned back and resumed their conversations. The new guy remained rooted to the spot, dripping water all over the floor, before he squared his shoulders and pushed through the mass of bodies. At last he reached the bar, where Hunter was still standing, for some unknown reason interested in this guy.

 

The newcomer waved at the bartender. "Is there a phone anywhere?"

 

"You don't have a cell phone?" another guy asked, perplexed.

 

The newcomer shot him a 'drop-dead' look, startling Hunter into a laugh. The new guy turned toward him with a quizzical look. Hunter was face-to-face with an irritated man, whose dark blue eyes were blazing.

 

"Bad day?" Hunter heard himself ask.

 

"Craptastic."

 

Hunter pulled his cell phone from his pocket and held it out to him. "You might better go to the back. Otherwise, you won't be able to understand anything."

 

Baffled, the other man took the phone. "Thank you, uh, what's your name?"

 

"Hunter." He held out his hand for the other man to shake.

 

"Last name or first name?"

 

"First."

 

"Thanks, Hunter. I'm Adrian."

 

"Hey, Adrian."

 

Adrian gestured with the phone toward the end of the bar and raised one delicate eyebrow. "This way?"

 

Hunter nodded and beckoned Adrian to go past him. Adrian only made it a few feet before one of the other men groped him, drawing out a surprised yelp from Adrian. He shoved the guy aside then proceeded farther into the back. On his way, he struggled with advances from more guys than Hunter could count. At some point, Adrian whirled around and, even from that distance Hunter could see the fast heaving of his chest, the free hand balled into a fist, and the stressed look on his face.

 

With a sigh, Hunter pushed away from the bar and strolled after Adrian. He caught up with him right when another man, a regular customer called Dean, made a pass at him.

 

"Hey, knock it off. He's with me, Dean."

 

"With you? Since when are you going for his type, Hunter?" Dean asked with a sneer.

 

Hunter shrugged while he sent a dark glower toward Dean, which caused the other man to drop his eyes and inspect the contents of his glass thoroughly. Hunter laid a hand on Adrian's shoulder and pushed him ahead. Adrian cast him a worried look but walked where Hunter steered him. After opening a door to a private room at the end, he ushered Adrian through and switched on the light.

 

"Go ahead."

 

Adrian clutched the cell phone in his hands, staring at Hunter with an apprehensive look. Hunter noticed that Adrian's eyes were of a dark, almost navy, blue. He swallowed. Even behind the glasses, Adrian's eyes seemed large and expressive. He had to concentrate on listening to Adrian's question. "Is this... is this some kind of leather bar?"

 

"Yeah. Never been in one before, have you?" Hunter asked.

 

"No. No offense and all, but I'm not very fond of it."

 

"Scared?"

 

"Yes."

 

"Need a bodyguard?"

 

Adrian eyed him before he obviously came to some kind of decision. "You free for bodyguard duty for maybe an hour?"

 

"Sure." Hunter grinned. "I won't even try to molest you."

 

 

Chris T. Kat

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.

 

 

Links:





Monday, September 16, 2013

Goddess Fish presents All the Colors of Love by Jessica Freely


 


Please follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2013/08/virtual-blurb-blitz-tour-all-colors-of.html

Jessica will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to one randomly drawn commenter during the tour.








All the Colors of Love

by Jessica Freely

http://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/store/product_info.php?products_id=4174&cPath=917#

 
 

BLURB:

 
It sucks being the son of a super villain. At home, Harry spends half of his time getting medical treatments and the other half tied up in his father's underwater lair. It was different when his mother was alive, but she disappeared when Harry was six. He can't seem to stay out of trouble at school, and his new roommate, Antonin, thinks he’s a spaz, but somehow Harry has to find a way to stop his father's evil plans.

Antonin Karganilla wants to become a comic book artist, but other than that, being gay is the most normal thing about him. His uncle is an aquatic plant man, his aunt is a molecular biologist back from the dead, and his mom is an overprotective pain in the butt. Antonin's in boarding school and it's starting to look like he and this Harry kid might have a lot in common... and that means a whole new set of problems.

 
 
 
EXCERPT:
 
THE first thing Antonin noticed when he opened the door to his room at St. Bart’s was the punching bag. When had Jason gotten a punching bag?
 
An action figure stood on top of it. Antonin recognized his green-and-purple outfit and his golden cape. It was Captain Invincible.
 
“Cool.” He picked up the figure. Since when was Jason into superheroes? Antonin glanced around the room. Jason’s desk and his bookshelves were bare. A duffel bag lay on the lower bunk, unzipped and spewing forth clothes. Something was wrong. Jason always took the upper bunk.
 
From out of nowhere, an arm wrapped around Antonin’s neck. Another hand pushed his head to one side, locking him in a chokehold.
 
“Shit!” Mom was right. I am going to be kidnapped by organ-leggers.
 
“Drop it,” said his assailant. It wasn’t Jason.
 
Antonin brought his heel down on his attacker’s foot and threw his head back. He connected with something he hoped was a face.
 
His attacker groaned. The grip around his neck loosened. Antonin broke away.
 
He turned to face a boy about his age, though taller, with short blond hair and a muscular build. A little blood trickled from his right nostril, but he didn’t seem particularly fazed by it. He wore jeans and a black T-shirt that said “Maniac” in big white block letters.
 
Fair enough.
 
 


AUTHOR Bio and Links:
 
Jessica Freely can't resist a wounded hero. As a reader and a writer, her favorite stories are of soul mates finding redemption in each other's arms. Married to the love of her life in a beautiful relationship based on mutual goofiness, Jessica also warps minds as an instructor in Seton Hill University's Writing Popular Fiction MFA program. Her dog, Ruthie, doesn't seem to care that Jessica's an award-winning and best-selling author in multiple genres. She just wants to play tug of war with Jessica's pages.
 
Jessica Freely Online:
Website & Blog: http://jessicafreely.com
 
 
 
 
 
 



 

Saturday, September 14, 2013

My Sexy Saturday - Wrapped in Leather



 
My Sexy Saturday
Happy Saturday and welcome to My Sexy Saturday! For this hop you post 7 paragraphs or 7 sentences or 7 words. It can be from a WIP or something published.
 
For this week, I thought I’d do something from Wrapped in Leather, which is contracted with Dreamspinner and has a release date of Jan/Feb 2014.
 
Enjoy! And don’t forget to visit the rest of Blog Hop!
 
 
Wrapped in Leather
He set his clothes on the chair in his room and walked back to the end of the bed. Slowly he reached out, his fingers itching, and caressed the leather cuffs. They were fine grain black leather with a pebbled surface. They were thick, like a good quality leather belt, and looked heavy. The inside was lined with white sheepskin. The buckles reflected the light. Gods, they were gorgeous. He couldn’t wait to feel them wrapped around his wrists, his body quivering. Toshi took a deep breath and lowered himself to his knees and put his hands behind him.
 
What a view Jase would have when he entered the room. Kneeling at the end of the bed put his back to the door of the bedroom. Toshi tried not to fidget. How long would Jase make him wait? He already felt like he was going to explode.
 
“Mmm, very nice.”
 
Toshi jumped. He was so lost in his head he hadn’t heard Jase enter. Jase’s hand smoothed over his hair then down his naked shoulder, his fingers tracing the tattoo on Toshi’s back.
 
“This tattoo you’ve got on your back is the sexiest thing I’ve ever seen, Toshi. I’m going to enjoy watching it move when I fuck you. But not tonight. Tonight I’m taking you while you’re still bound. Another night I’ll put you on your hands and knees.”
 
“Oh gods, Jase.” Toshi licked his lips. He wished he could see Jase, dammit. “Ah, do I call you Jase or something else? We never decided, and I’m not sure—”
 
“In the bedroom, call me Sir. You can stand up too.” Jase helped Toshi stand, but kept Toshi facing away from him. “What do you think of the toys on the bed?
 
 
 

Friday, September 13, 2013

Faded Love (from the Carved in Flesh anthology) released from Storm Moon


 
Faded Love 
A drive home in the wee hours in the morning after a modeling job… then a moment’s distraction and a twist of Fate puts an end to one way of life for Ashley and opens the door to another.
 
 
Hey everyone! If y'all remember I was part of the Carved in Flesh anthology from Storm Moon Press that came out a year ago. Now my story, Faded Love, has been released as a single title. This anthology caught my eye because of the subject matter. In a society that worships beauty and is filled with everyday images of what’s ideal, I had to wonder what would happen to an internationally well-known model who ends up scarred.
Then throw in his lover, Will—who is a sports model. To make matters even more interesting, Will just happens to have given Ashley an ultimatum before the car accident: he wants an exclusive relationship with Ashley. The mere thought of a commitment sends Ashley into a tailspin. And there you go, lol, a swirling brew of pain, anger, fear, regret, and… one man’s determination not to give up on the man he loves. In other words, Will has a hot mess on his hands, lol. Can he prove to Ashley that scars fade, but love doesn’t?
This anthology, in a lot of ways, strikes very close to home for me. Twelve years ago I had back surgery, and I have a pretty big scar on my back. Granted, over the years it’s faded, but when I tan in the summer, it’s noticeable. In my late teens and early twenties I also modeled regionally. *Laugh* It wasn’t anything to write home about, but modeling did teach me one thing. The old saying that models are nothing more than ‘coat hangers’ is so very true.
So imagine how a world-famous model would react to a scar on his face—the very face that made him a living, that he was known by. Yeah, Ashley’s emotions run the gamut from disbelief, anger, and self-loathing to fear—fear that without his looks, he’s worth nothing. Thank goodness for Will  and his stubborn nature. Not long after the accident, Ashley learns Will has been offered an opportunity that’s the chance of a lifetime… on the opposite coast. Ashley, my spoilt little diva, has a hard choice to make.
My favorite scene in the story is where Will and Ashley kiss on a beach near the end. The message that comes through by the end of the story is Scars fade, but love does not. There's so much truth to that. The harder times of life might stick with us, but the ache of them usually fades over time; true love doesn't fade away. I wholeheartedly believe that, and it's where the title of my short story came from too.
~M
                              
Blurb:
One moment in time can change your life, especially a life that revolves around your face. A near-fatal car accident leaves a world famous model's face scarred and his career in a tailspin. The life Ashley knew is over and he wants to do nothing but fade away into nothingness. Only his lover, Will, can pull him out of his dark depression and make Ashley see even scars can be beautiful.
 
Excerpt:
The first thing Ashley noticed when he woke was a feeling of disconnection. He was floating, drifting. His eyes weighed a ton, as did his body, and his faced itched. Trying to lift his hand to scratch at the insistent itch, he struggled to get the limb to function. Nothing seemed to work right. Was he home in bed? He didn’t remember getting home. A soft beep caught his attention. What was that annoying sound? His mind was fuzzy and his mouth was as dry as cotton. Seriously freaked out, he fought to open his eyes, and his body jerked as he twisted. Pain exploded, greeting him unmercifully, biting at him.
“Ashley? Can you hear me?”
That voice. He knew that voice. With a herculean effort he opened his eyes. Or tried to. One side of his vision was pitch black, and the other side was blurry. Sickly fear coated his body. He flung his hands up, searching. What the hell was covering the left side of his face? Clawing at the covering, he whimpered as an out of focus face bent over him.
“Hey, hey now, ease up there. It’s okay.”
“Will?” Ashley’s hand was gently held and pulled down. Why did Will’s voice sound so funny, like he was hoarse? “Will? What’s going on? Where am I? What’s on my face?”
“Listen to me. You’re in the hospital.”
“Hospital? Why the hell am I in the hospital?” Straining, he was finally able to make out the pale walls, and smell a scent he had always associated with hospitals: cleaners and sickness.
“You don’t remember… anything?” Will bent over Ashley, still holding his hands. God, Will’s skin was so warm, and his was so cold. “Tell me what you remember.”
“Was on my way home from that shoot. You called. I was going to call you back… Will?” Ashley’s voice rose and cracked. “Then, nothing until now. What—what… Will?”
One of Will’s strong hands managed to loosen itself from Ashley’s death grip and brushed Ashley’s hair back from his face. “You’re in the hospital. There was an accident, a bad accident. You were hit on the way home two days ago.”
“Fuck me! Two days ago?” Ashley bit his lip as pain spiked in his ribs. “How bad? Who hit me?”
“It was pretty bad. You have bruised ribs from the impact with the steering wheel, your arm is bruised—not broken—and more bruises over your body. I forgot the driver’s name. They hit you on the passenger side, slammed you into a street light. Two people in the other car died.”
“Died? Jesus.” Every time Ashley tried to lift his hand to his face, Will stopped him. “What’s wrong with my vision? Why can I only see out of one side?”
Gripping his hand, Will hesitated. “You were struck so hard your head hit the driver side window.”
Ashley gripped Will’s hand. There was more, he just knew it. What little he could make out of Will’s concerned face told him that. “And? Tell me, dammit!”
 “The window busted. There was glass everywhere. Oh God, Ashley, I’m so sorry. You were cut. On your face… and—and… there’s going to be a scar.”
“A scar?” Ashley whispered, and then his voice gained in strength as horror stabbed at him. “A scar, on my face? My face? No! Oh my God, no! How bad, Will? How fucking bad?”
Tears soaked Will’s voice. “From the hair line to under your chin. Jesus, Ashley. I’m so sorry.”
The screams from Ashley’s room brought most of the nursing staff at a dead run.

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Giveaway for Shadows in the Night at Reviews and Ramblings




Hey guys! There's a giveaway for Shadows in the Night since I'm attending GRL this October. Please stop by and enter, :) It's for today only. The reviewer is spotlighting a author a day, and lol, today is my day. :) Just click on the link and that'll take you there...

http://reviews-and-ramblings.dreamwidth.org/3860671.html

Sunday, September 8, 2013

Winner of the Trapped in Time giveaway

 
 
And the winner is...
 
Michelle
 
Michelle, I've passed your name on to Julie. She'll be getting in touch with you soon. Congrats!

Sexy Snippets - The Yellow Rope


Hey everyone! Welcome to Sexy Snippets. This is seven sentences, taken from a work in progress, or published book, and brought to you every Sunday. For this week, I thought I’d do something from my eXtasy release The Yellow Rope.

What are the three words that can get the heart thumping, send blood pressure though the roof, and make the very breath in your chest freeze? That can make a grown person yell with unabashed joy, have their hands shake with excitement, and bring tears to their eyes in relief? What are three little words that are worth their weight in gold?

That’s right… a long weekend. J
 




 

“Oh, no, you’re not gonna….” Gage tugged hard on Luke’s cock, stopping his orgasm. “Breathe, babe.” 
Air exploded from Luke’s lungs. “Fuck! Dammit, man, I just lost brains cells from you doing that.” 
Gage’s bark of laughter sounded in the vehicle. “You moron, you don’t lose brain cells from orgasm denial.”
“Wanna bet? I feel stupider, trust me.”